Evening NEWS
DIGEST
20 Aug. 2017: 27 Zulqidah 1438:Vol:8, No:260
Had it not been for Muslims, we would have died: Saints injured in Utkal
Express derailment
Meerut: "I remember my head bumping into the seat in front of me,
throwing me at least 2 feet forward. I was in pain and could her screams from
all directions. Honestly, if it hadn't been for Muslims in the area who rushed
to the spot and pulled us out of train's coach, we might not have
survived," said Bhagwan Das Maharaj, a saint with a saffron cloth tied
around his neck. He was travelling with six other ascetics who had boarded the
Utkal Express from Morana in MP and were going to Haridwar to take a holy dip
in Ganga."They brought us water, khaats and arranged for a private doctor
for us. We will never forget this gesture," he added. Three saints from
the group were injured and were rushed to Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM)
Medical College in Meerut for treatment."We believe in God and we saw his
power soon after the accident. There are times when people politicize
Hindu-Muslim ties, but there has always been love between the two
communities," said Morni Das, another saint.Soon after 14 coaches of
Haridwar-bound Kalinga Utkal Express derailed near Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar, Govt
and private hospitals in Meerut were put
on alert and emergency wards were set up for the accident victims. "There
were many women and children in our coach. All of us were chit-chatting and
suddenly our coach overturned. Initially, we didn't realize what had
happened," said another saint Hakim Das.TOI
Survivors recount train crash, salute Khatauli samaritans
Utkal Express derailment LIVE: Railways admits to lapse by Engineering
dept as prima facie cause of accident
n one of the deadliest train accidents in recent times, at least 21
passengers were killed and over 80 others injured as 14 coaches of the
Puri-Haridwar Kalinga Utkal Express derailed in Muzaffarnagar area on Saturday
evening. Railways admits to lapse by Engineering department of its Delhi
division as prima facie cause of accident." Govt Railway Police has lodged
an FIR in Utkal Express derailment case for offences of causing death by
negligence, mischief, destruction of railway property," said Jamshed,
Member Traffic (Railways).indianexpress
Authorities hint negligence caused Muzaffarnagar train disaster
UP floods claim 69 lives; 20 lakh people hit in 24 districts
Lucknow:With fresh flood-related deaths reported from across UP , the
death toll in the current wave of floods has risen to 69. Over 20 lakh people
have been hit by the floods in 24 districts of the state.“Death toll in the
floods has reached 69 in the state, where 2,523 villages in 24 districts are
flooded affecting a population of over 20 lakh,” relief commissioner’s office
said here citing a flood report compiled till Saturday.It said 39,783 persons
have take shelter in relief camps in the affected districts of eastern UP where
there was no let up in flood fury as raging waters of the rivers emanating from
Nepal caused havoc in vast swathes of human habitation.PTI
Special session on Article 35A crucial: J-K Opposition
Srinagar:CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami and Independent MLA Hakim Yaseen Sunday
demanded a special session of J&K Assembly to discuss repealing of Article 35A,
asserting that any attempt to abrogate the constitutional provision would lead
to serious consequences in the state. “It is imperative to call a special session
of the state legislature to discuss crucial issue of Article 35A without any
delay, so that a strong response could be put before the Supreme Court by the
state Govt ,” Tarigami and Yaseen said in a joint statement in Srinagar. They
said the Govt should convene a special assembly session to discuss the crucial
issue.The two MLAs alleged that the “conspiracy” to remove Article 35A is
essentially the “agenda of communal, divisive and anti-democratic forces” who
want to thrive on uncertainty, discord, hatred and turmoil. “The state Govt should
take the case very seriously, contend it in the Supreme Court vigorously and
should not depend on hollow assurances by the Centre,” they said.PTI
Kashmiri separatist case: Wani sent to jail till Aug 31
New Delhi:Alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani, arrested in
connection with a decade-old money laundering case involving Kashmiri
separatist Shabir Shah, was sent on Sunday to judicial custody (JC) by a Delhi
court on a plea of the probe agency. Duty Magistrate Jasjeet Kaur allowed the
plea of the ED after advocate N K Matta, appearing for the investigating
agency, submitted that Wani be send to JC. He was remanded in JC till Aug.31. 36-year-old
Wani was produced before the court on expiry of his two-week custodial
interrogation, maximum ED could be granted under the law.PTI
New worry for Modi as China takes deep root in Nepal, a place where
anti-India fire is so easy to fan
Dharchula in western Nepal is a Doklam doppelganger in that it is
situated at the trijunction of Nepal, China and India. The town is bifurcated
across India and Nepal by the river Kali; the terra firma underneath is the de
facto border since the Treaty of Sugauli that ended the Anglo-Nepalese war of
1814-16. The suspension bridge over the river connects Nepal and the Kumaon
region of Uttarakhand. Dharchula was an important town on the old
Tibet-Nepal-India trade route. That was before China occupied Tibet in 1950. On
the edges of the Chameliya tributary of the Kali in Nepali Dharchula is where
Ajay Kumar Dahal lives alone. The family and life of the project chief of the
state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority’s (NEA’s) 30 MW Chameliya Hydroelectric
Project is as divided and fragmented as the land he operates on. Dahal’s family
is in Kathmandu, nearly 1,000 km away. His sons are studying to be engineers:
one in China and the other in India. He himself was one of the last Nepali
engineers to have got his professional degree from Tashkent Poly Technical
Institute in a now extinct country called the USSR, much like TibetHowever,
there is nobody fighting to reclaim the USSR. Dahal graduated in 1990, the year
the USSR formally collapsed. That was the year Nepal’s Jan Andolan ended
absolute monarchy; and Dahal joined NEA the next year. But in the chaos of the
1990s pro-democratic movement, a 17-year-old Tibetan freedom fighter called
Tsering Choeden, son of a Tibetan freedom fighter who was part of the first
Mustang uprising against Chinese rule, decided he could finally exhale. economictimes
India looks to US for aerial protection from threat of enemy rockets,
drones, aircraft as capital plans to go anti-ballistic
India is considering an American anti-missile 'umbrella' to protect the
Delhi region from enemy rockets, drones and aircraft. Seeking to provide
protection to dignitaries, including the President and PM , India is looking
into the system, as part of the Delhi Area Defence project. National Advanced
Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) is being considered for the Delhi Area Defence
project to provide aerial protection to the capital from airborne threats,' Govt
sources told Mail Today. The programme
is being undertaken as the threat from incoming enemy missiles, drones and
aircraft is perceived to be on the rise, because of their increasing use by
organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba.US defence officials have given
presentations to the Air Force and other concerned agencies, and the proposal
is now being considered by the Govt. The same anti-missile system is used by
the Americans to guard their national capital region in Washington DC and has
been in deployment there since 2005. Indian Air Force has been using missile
systems originating from Russia to help protect the national capital, as well
as important assets. DailyMail
Rohingyas say compulsions drove them to take shelter in J-K
Jammu:Amid calls for their deportation from India, Rohingya Muslims of
Myanmar say they have settled in J&K because of compulsions, and not out of choice,
and that they will return to their country once the situation becomes
favourable. More than 13700 foreigners, including Rohingya Muslims and
Bangladesh nationals, are settled in Jammu and Samba districts, where their
population has increased by over 6,000 between 2008 and 2016, according to data
available with the state Govt.“We are in India because of some compulsions, and
not out of choice. We know this is not our land. We will leave on our own once
those compulsions are addressed by the global community and we get justice,”
35-year-old Mohammad Yusuf, the head of a camp for Rohingya refugees said.
Rohingyas are a Bengali-dialect speaking Muslim minority in Myanmar. Following
persecution in their country, many of them entered India illegally through
Bangladesh and took shelter in Jammu. “We were boarded into a train and asked
to embark at the last station when the whole train gets empty. We were not
aware that it is Jammu. We came to know at the railway station that some
Rohingyas were living here and met them. This is how we reached here,” he said,
explaining why they landed in J&K , several thousand miles from their
homes. Rohingya refugees are aware of reports about New Delhi’s plan to deport
them and the ‘Quit Jammu’ campaign by certain social and political
organisations that see their presence as a “conspiracy to alter the demographic
character and a threat to the peace in the region”.Fear of deportation writ
large on the faces of the refugees at their temporary cluster in Narwal on the
Jammu- Pathankot highway.PTI
Kill Us Here, But Don't Deport Us, Plead Rohingya Muslims
ICHR Delaying My Book on Freedom Struggle Over Hindu Mahasabha
Role:Author
New Delhi: It has been 2 years since the final manuscript was submitted.
And yet there are no signs on whether Indian Council of Historical Research
(ICHR) will publish anytime soon one of its most contentious and oldest special
research projects dealing with the role of Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim
League in pre-partition India. 2nd part of Towards Freedom volume,
dealing with developments in 1941, has been authored by historian Arjun Dev who
alleges that the delay and disinterest in its publication “may be because it
documents the communal politics of the BJP’s ancestor — Hindu Mahasabha”.In his
letter to the then ICHR chairman Y Sudershan Rao on June 23, 2017, Dev had
sought an explanation on the council’s failure to forward the manuscript to the
Oxford University Press for publication.The volume enumerates the sources and
documents regarding the politics of the Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha and quotes
the speeches and writings of SP Mukerjee, VD Savarkar and BS Moonje.The manuscript
was submitted on Aug.1, 2015 following the communication from General Editor
Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, “conveying his approval of the manuscript for
publication,” the letter reads.Dev was also the coordinator of the Towards
Freedom Project till 2015. He was appointed during UPA regime.Towards Freedom
documents India’s march to freedom in the run up to Independence in 1947. The
research project was commissioned in early ’70s.Two of its volumes were
withdrawn by Vajpayee Govt in 2000. The
project was re-started by Arjun Singh after UPA’s return to power in 2004.Dev
also alleges that “in violation of norms the manuscript were sent to unknown
experts for their comments” despite the general editor being vested with full
powers to clear the manuscript for publication.News18.com
Foreign court can’t decide divorce plea of Indian domiciled couple,
observes Bombay High Court
Mumbai:A foreign court does not have the jurisdiction to decide
matrimonial matters of a couple who have Indian domicile and are governed under
the Hindu Marriage Act, even if the parties were at the time residing in a
foreign nation, the Bombay High Court has observed. A division bench of
Justices A S Oka and Anuja Prabhu dessai last week quashed and set aside a
Dubai court’s order allowing a divorce petition filed by an Indian man residing
there.The high court was hearing an appeal (petition) filed by the man’s wife,
challenging an order passed by a family court in Mumbai dismissing her plea
seeking maintenance for herself and her two children. The family court, while
dismissing her plea, observed that Dubai court has already adjudicated the
matter and granted divorce to the parties. However, the high court, after
perusing the facts of the case, opined that both the parties (husband and wife)
are Indian citizens and there was no material to endorse the claim of the
husband that they have domiciles of Dubai. The bench restored the petition
filed by the wife before the family court. The HC and directed both the parties
to appear before the family court on Sept.18.PTI
Hundreds of kilos of banned Plastic bags seized during market raids, as
people ignore threat of fines
Hundreds of kilograms of plastic bags have been seized in raids, despite
warnings against their manufacture and use.The south Delhi Municipal
Corporation said it had collected over a lakh rupees and seized 400kg of
polythene bags over the last couple of days during raids upon the markets.This
comes despite National Green Tribunal's ban on polythene bags less than 50
microns of thickness in the capital.Also, in another raid, North Delhi
Municipal Corporation claims to have seized 416kg of plastic bags. However, no
figures were available from the East Delhi municipal corporation. The NGT order
of August 10 gave MCDs and the Delhi Govt a window-period of seven days to generate
awareness and start fining bulk manufacturers, distributors, retailers and the
public `5,000 for using thin plastic bags. DailyMail
Modi a ‘sufi PM’: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to Gujaratis
Gandhinagar: Describing PM Narendra Modi as a ‘sufi PM ’ who always
thinks of good governance, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here on
Saturday that only a sufi can think of the welfare of the downtrodden in this
way.Speaking at a function organised by Gujarat Minorities Finance and
Development Corporation Ltd, where he distributed cheques of Rs 6 crore to 535
loan seekers from minority communities, Naqvi said “empowerment with dignity
without appeasement” is the current environment of development all over the
country and Modi Govt is “trying to reach out to the last man in queue without
any religious or caste discrimination”. indianexpress
40% reservation for girls at planned schools for minorities: Naqvi
New Delhi: Govt has decided to
proffer 40 % reservation for girls at
100 Navodaya-type schools and five higher education institutes it plans to set
up for minority community students, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has
said. Minister of State for Minority Affairs said the Govt is mulling to open the 100 Navodaya-type
schools in minority concentrated areas of the country."We want to empower
the communities with dignity and, therefore, are focusing on the education
sector. We will give 40% reservation to girls from the communities in the
schools and also in the institutes. This is to ensure they complete their
education," he told PTI.A high-level panel formed by the Maulana Azad
Education Foundation (MAEF), a Govt -funded agency, had in its report recently
recommended a three-tier model to tackle educational backwardness among
minorities, particularly the Muslims.PTI
Noida to become hub for minority
artisans: DailyMail
In a piece of good news for the artisans of India, Union ministry for
Minority Affairs is in the process of building a model 'Hunar Hub' or talent
showcase for the traditional arts and crafts of India — especially associated
with the minority communities of India in Noida. More significantly, the
ministry has planned to bring together sellers, artisans and retailers and
corporate entities directly in contact to take business further. Minister
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that this is being done with the purpose of providing
the minority artisans, who have preserved their art and craft for several
centuries as a matter of tradition, with a market and make their produce
economically viable.
Muslim cattle trader shot dead in Assam's Darrang district
A 35-year-old cattle trader was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near
Aukachowka under Mangaldai police station in Darrang district on Saturday. The
slain trader has been identified as Moktar Ali, a resident of Kaliapara village
of the district. A tensed situation prevailed in the area following the
incident and security personnel have been deployed to maintain law and
order.Police said two motorcycle-borne unidentified gunmen shot dead the trader
on RK Road at around 4 pm. 2 miscreants managed to escape following the
incident.A tensed situation prevailed in the area following the incident and
security personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order. According to
the eye witnesses, the deceased was playing cards at Janaramchowk area when one
Bhargab Jyoti Sarma of village Nagaon took him towards Aulachowka on his
bike. However, Bhargab Jyoti Sarma has
denied the allegation and said that on the request of Moktar, he offered him a
lift at Kaliapara. Mangaldai police have arrested Sarma in connection with the
incident. Businessnortheast
Cattle trader shot at: UNI
Cow Protection for BJP Means Killing of Minority People: Congress
The Congress has targeted the BJP on cow protection and said for the
ruling party it means “killing of minority people”. “The new definition of ‘gau
raksha’ is killing of innocents, preferably of the minority community, walking
down the roads,” Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.He wondered aloud
if the BJP’s Chhattisgarh Govt will
charge its leader Harish Verma, at whose cow shelter over 200 cattle died of
alleged starvation and lack of medicines, under harsher provisions of the law. “If
this is the new definition of cow protection, I suppose everybody should ignore
this terrible, terrible event,” the Congress leader said.IANS
Gujarat: Mob of 100 attacks police as latter try to rescue cows from
alleged slaughter
Godhra: A police team was on Saturday attacked by a mob of over 100
persons in Godhra when it tried to rescue a large number of cows which were
allegedly being taken for slaughter.Police had to lob 18 rounds of teargas
shells after the mob attacked them, Godhra Deputy SP VK Nai said."When the
police team reached the ground where the cattle were kept, they were attacked
by the mob with stones. To disperse the crowd, police team lobbed 18 teargas
shells. Nobody was injured," he said.The forces had carried out an
extensive combing operation upon receiving information that the cattle were
brought to Godhra for slaughtering.The police found that a large number of
cattle were tied at a place on the ground. When they tried to untie the animals
and take them into their custody, the officers were attacked, Nai said."We
seized 49 cattle from the spot and took them to cow shelter,"he said. Further
probe is being carried out in this connection with an FIR registered at B division
police station, the official said.PTI
2 more Gaushalas in Chhatisgarh reveal horrible sights of starving cows
& rotting carcasses!
After news of 200 cow starvation deaths in Raipur village of Chhatisgarh
shocked the nation, the horror doesn't get over with just one gaushala keeping
cows in a miserable condition. There are 2 more gaushalas run by a BJP leader
in Durg district.These 2 uncovered gaushalas were found with cow carcasses and
starving animals. Run by Jamul Nagar panchayat’s vice-president Harish Verma,
it was reported that more than 200 carcasses were found in his gaushala last
week.Similar scenario has been seen with rotting carcasses lying next to weak
and hungry cows at Mayuri gaushala in Rano village and Phulchand gaushala in
Godmarra village both in Durg district, 15 kms and 5 kms away from Raipur
each.The police has said that Verma, who was arrested on Friday, has been
running all the three shelters. He has openly accused state Govt agencies of
starving the Rajpur gaushala of funds. At the Godmarra village, 20 carcasses
were found along with more than one hundred starving cows and no food or water
in sight.A little distant from the shed, there were two tractors overflowing
with an estimate of 50 cow carcasses. Villagers said that the gaushala, after
being spotted, dropped all attampts of disposing off the carcasses.This comes
as a shock because all three gaushalas have been receiving lakhs of rupees as
grants from the Chhattisgarh Gau Seva Aayog, an independent commission set up
by the state Govt to look after cows.
According to statements of the Aayog given to police, Shagun Gaushala has
received Rs 93 lakh since its inception in 2011. Mayuri and Phulchand have
received Rs 22.64 lakh and Rs 50 lakh from 2015 and 2014 respectively.Indiatimes
Aurangabad Municipality: Corporators suspended for refusing to stand up
for Vande Mataram
Mumbai:A fight broke out between some members of Aurangabad municipality
in Maharashtra and an AIMIM and a Congress corporator were suspended for a day
after they allegedly refused to stand up when ‘Vande Mataram’ was being sung in
the House during a general body meeting Saturday. Objecting to their conduct,
ruling Shiv Sena-BJP corporators rushed into the Well and pressed for action
against 2 corporators. Mayor Bhagwan Ghadamode subsequently ordered that Sayyed
Mateen of the AIMIM and Sohail Shaikh of the Congress be suspended for a day.Amid
the din, some Sena and AIMIM corporators came to blows — although no one was
injured, civic officials said some microphones were damaged. The mayor later
ordered suspension of another AIMIM corporator, Shaikh Nagar, for the violence
and directed officials to register an offence against him. AIMIM was quick to
distance itself from Saturday’s incident.Party’s Aurangabad MLA, Imtiyaz
Jaleel, said, “No one should disrespect the national song.” While saying that
the party will hold an internal probe to look into Mateen’s conduct, Jaleel
alleged that the entire episode is a “deliberate ploy” of the ruling Sena-BJP
alliance to divert attention from non-performance on development issues in the
municipality.While the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance leads Aurangabad civic body with
58 corporators in the 113-member general body, AIMIM is the largest opposition
party with 23 members. indian express
Aurangabad: 3 AIMIM corporators suspended for 15 days for refusing to
stand for Vande Mataram
BJP leader fumes, walks out after journalist asks meaning of Vande
Mataram
BJP leader Prem Shukla lost his cool while speaking to India Today's
journalist. When asked about the bedlam that took place at Aurangabad Municipal
Corporation (AMC) over national song Vande Mataram, Shukla fumed and lashed out
at journalist.When asked about the accountability of leaders hiding behind the
garb of patriotism, Shukla removed his mic and furiously walked out of the
studio.Shukla was agitated when the journalist asked him about the significance
of national song and the trust of voters.Upon being asked if the current trend
of politicising the national song is against PM Narendra Modi's idea of development for all,
he said that all those people defending such people are anti-nationals. Journalist
countered Shukla by saying that politicians are only emphasising on national
song but are not working for the respective constituencies. When asked if all
the politicians harping the tunes even know the true meaning of Vande Mataram,
Shukla turned furious and hurled abuses.When asked if he understood the meaning
of the national song, Shukla simply threw away the mic and walked out.Shukla
even went on to tarnish AIMIM party calling them hooligans.IndiaToday
Adityanath bats for meeting between NIA, state agencies every 6 months
Lucknow:For effective coordination between the NIA and state agencies, there
should be a meeting between them every six months to exchange information and
fill gaps, if any, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said. CM was addressing a
gathering after inauguration of the National Investigation Agency’s office and
residential campus in Lucknow. “There should be a meeting of NIA with state
agencies every 6 months for exchange of information and fill the gap, if any.
There should be better coordination among different agencies,”he said.PTI
Yogi rolls out agenda for modernising madarsas in state
Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath Govt in UP has started rolling out its agenda
of modernising madarsa education in the state.There are about 19,000 madarsas
affiliated with UP Madarsa Education Board, apart from 560 aided madarsas functioning
in the UP.Madarsas are minority educational institutions offering study in
Islamic theology and religious law.UP Govt plans to modernise these
institutions and introduce contemporary pedagogy to enable its students to come
at par with students of other educational systems for better job opportunities.In
UP Annual Budget 2017-18, Yogi Govt had allocated about Rs 1,700 crore towards
minorities’ welfare. Of this, Rs 394 crore had been allocated towards imparting
modern education in recognised madarsas and maqtabs . In this context, the Govt
has launched a dedicated portal, madarsaboard.upsdc.gov.in, for ushering in the
modernisation of madarsas and ensuring transparency in their functioning. Business
standard
At RSS’s first school in Lucknow, Muslims make up 1/3rd of
students:TOI
Lucknow: Burqa-clad mothers chatting away with their vermillion sporting
counterparts while awaiting the arrival of their children may be an everyday
scene outside schools in the city. However, such a sight is no less than
extraordinary when the school is one of the 17 Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandirs
run in the city by the RSS, parent body of the ruling BJP known as much for its
volunteering activities as for espousing the cause of the 'Hindu Rashtra'. More
so when one finds out that nearly a third of the school's students—67 out of
total 225— are Muslim. In fact, the school, located in Model House locality and
the oldest Shishu Vidya Mandir to be set up in the city in 1959, also has 2
Muslim teachers.One of the factors at play is perhaps the location. Areas surrounding
the school, like Model House and Machhli Mohaal, have a large Muslim
population. This is also evident at Shishu Vidya Mandirs in Golaganj and
Takrohi,which have a considerable number of Muslim students. On the other hand,
the branch in Niralanagar, perhaps the best known one, has none. But Vinod
Awasthi, who has been the school's principal since 2009, insists it's not just
demographics. "Our survey shows that there are 42 schools within a
kilometre's radius in this area. So when people enroll their children here,
they are making a conscious choice," he says.
SIO organized Shiksha Samvad on “Madarsa Education: Issues, Challenges”
Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), conducted a survey of 500
Madarasas covering diverse schools of thought in different states and released
the same in Shiksha Samvad, a program which was held yesterday.The press
statement from SIO said, “Madrasas were the cradle of new inventions and new
civilization during the middle ages. In our country too the contribution of
Madrasa towards educational and political revival cannot be denied. It was the
springboard of the freedom movement. It was the abode of intellectuals, poets,
writers, and revolutionaries.”It further said, “While the Madrasas were places
of new initiatives and signs of inventions, it is regrettable for having
secluded the institutions today as the mere provider of few religious
teachings. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if we say that it has lost its
pristine glory and its true status!”Organized under banner of “Madarsa
Education: Issues and Challenges”, Samvad included Wasi Miya Khan (Darul Uloom
Deoband), Kahfulwra Nadwi(Nadwatul Ulama), Naseeruddin (Jamia Salafiya), Kaleem
Ahmed (Madrasatul Islah), Musaddiq Mubeen (Al Jamia Al Islamia, Kerala), Abdul
Wodud (Madrasa Islahul Muslimeen, W.Bengal) as speakers. The program was
organized by SIO in collaboration with CERT and presided by Tauseef Ahmed,
National Secretary, SIO of India.The survey found many Madrasas in relatively good
status maintaining quality, diversity, and creativity in education with
holistic approaches.Further those Madrasas possessing infrastructure like
water, good food, playing ground, residential facility, the availability of
teaching and non-teaching faculty, clean environment, etc are awarded 60 marks,
those Madrasas providing a semblance of general and religious education are
awarded 70 marks, apart from which if there are sports equipment, library,
computer education and first aid facilities 80 marks are awarded and those
having innovative activities, expert faculty, language training, physical
education and well-ordained campus 90 marks are awarded.TCN
Basirhat fact-finding team says BJP exploited incident for vote gain
In the aftermath of communal riots in Basirhat and Baduria in West
Bengal in July, a fact-finding team has found out that the riots were not
spontaneous and the mob was mobilised through machinations. BJP exploited the
incidents for political gain and to consolidate Hindu vote banks, the team
stated.While it was widely reported that there were Muslim mobs rioting from
July 2 to July 5, Hindu mobs also went on a rampage on some of these days,
particularly on July 6 in Basirhat.In the first week of July, in North 24
Pargana district, a derogatory post related to Prophet Mohammad was circulated
on social media resulting in conflagration that claimed one life, left several
injured and a few missing.Until now, the state investigation still has not been
able to trace the role of those who had organised and instigated the mob to act
violently. However, besides the derogatory post, there was another post
circulating on social media which depicted a noose around the accused Souvik
Sarkar’s neck. The police, however, seem to be unaware of this post.“There were
two posts circulated and it may be significant to find out the timeline of this
circulation. The mobilisation of Muslim youth on a large scale is alarming and
thus efforts will have to be made by civil society bodies and administration to
ensure that youth and the public at large are not misled by fake posts or
propaganda,” added historian Amaresh Misra, member of the team.The team
constituted by AISF included historian Amaresh Misra, journalist Arup Chanda,
AISF members Mohammad Jalal Uddin, Nasmin Choudhury, Centre for Study of
Society and Secularism (CSSS) director Irfan Engineer,CSSS deputy director Neha
Dabhade and local resident Kingshuk Chakraborty. They met the injured from both
communities, Hindu and Muslim religious leaders, the family of Souvik Sarkar,
the accused who allegedly uploaded and circulated the derogatory post in
question, the family members of the deceased Kartik Ghosh, police officers and
elected representatives. national herald india
Bihar’s Srijan Scandal part II: At heart of Srijan scam is rise and rise
of its founder
Bhagalpur: From 2 sewing machines in a one-room rented house in
Bhagalpur 20 years ago to an influential cooperative society with over 6,000
members, 60 staff and office premises spread over 24,000 sq ft on Govt land.The rise of Manorama Devi, founder of
Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti Ltd, since 1996 was nothing short of spectacular.
On February 13, Devi died of illness at the age of 65 and her organisation is now
in the dock for allegedly conniving with Govt officials and bank employees to siphon off Rs
700 crore of welfare funds by fudging records over the last 10 years.On
Thursday, the Bihar Govt ordered a CBI
probe into the scam, following nine FIRs and 12 arrests registered by state
police in the case. But an investigation by The Indian Express shows that at
the heart of the scam is the tale of its founder itself, who operated right
under the Govt ’s nose, sharing the stage with ministers and flaunting her
links to senior bureaucrats, businessmen and politicians.So much so, that she
came to be known as “Srijan Didi”. indianexpress
AIADMK merger on Monday? Party may accept OPS camp demand to sack
Sasikala
Chennai:Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK is likely to sack its general
secretary Sasikala on Monday to merge with a breakaway faction led by ex-CM O Paneerselvam, according to sources. The
AIADMK will hold a crucial meeting on Monday where it may complete talks of a
merger between two factions that formed following a dramatic succession war
triggered by death of party matriarch J Jayalalithaa late last year.Sources
said AIADMK’s leaders will meet on Monday and pass a resolution to scrap the
appointment of Sasikala — who briefly wrested control of the Dravidian party
before she was imprisoned over corruption — as the party’s general secretary.
Her ouster is one of the conditions that breakaway faction’s leader O Pannerselvam
(OPS) has set to agree to a merger with the party.“Proposal to make Dinakaran’s
appointment as deputy general secretary illegal is also likely to be ratified
by crucial AIDAMK meet tomorrow,” the sources said on Sunday. Merger could be announced
by Monday evening.hindustantimes
RSS plans aggressive expansion in Kerala, aims 9 lakh cadres by 2019
New Delhi:RSS has decided to go on an aggressive expansion exercise in
Kerala to achieve a target of nine lakh cadres by 2019.Senior RSS functionary J
Nandakumar claimed that there has been an increase in attacks on RSS workers,
but added that the organisation is determined in its mission of development of
the overall society in Kerala.PTI
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supremo Bimal Gurung booked under UAPA in
connection with twin blasts: Police
Darjeeling: GJM chief Bimal Gurung has been booked under the UAPAin
connection with a grenade blast at the Kalimpong police station and an
explosion in Darjeeling town, the police said on Sunday.A hand grenade was hurled
at the Kalimpong police station at around 11 pm on Saturday night, killing a
civic volunteer and injuring two others. Injured were subsequently
hospitalised.An initial probe has revealed that bike-borne miscreants had
hurled the grenade at the police station, the police said, adding that they
were going through the CCTV footage to get more clues.In another incident, a
high-intensity explosion rocked the Chowkbazar area of Darjeeling town in the
early hours on Saturday.Additional Director General of Police (law and order)
Anuj Sharma said Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Gurung and others had
been booked under the UAPA in connection with the two blasts.PTI
Union minister alleges mass conversion in Malappuram
Hyderabad: Kerala govt is yet to submit an inquiry report sought by the
centre on alleged religious conversions taking place in Malappuram district,
union minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir said."There is a big
centre...that centre is in Malappuram district (in Kerala)," the minister
said alleging, "Conversions take place there. In a month, about 1,000
people are converted. There is a report that Hindus and Christians are being
converted to Muslims.""I went there in May. I had a meeting with the
DG and the chief secretary. I asked them, what is this news that 1,000 (people)
are converted in a month. On what basis? Do they take advantage of poverty,
give warnings, talk about employment. What do they do? Find out. The matter is
coming out," Ahir told PTI.PTI
Countering Ansari’s remark RSS to debate there’s nothing like sense of
“unease”, “insecurity” among Muslims
New Delhi: Just before Hamid Ansari’s term as Vice-President ended on
Aug.11 this year, he stirred up a hornet’s nest by saying “there is a feeling
of unease and a sense of insecurity among Muslims in the country”.RSS will now
debate that there’s nothing like a sense of “unease” or “insecurity” among
Muslims in India. RSS’ wing, Muslim Rashtriya Manch, will organise a meeting of
ulemas (scholars) here wherein the issue of fear or insecurity among the
community will be discussed. Ansari’s statement triggered a debate and drew
sharp reactions from many quarters. Many BJP leaders—including incumbent
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, and Kailash Vijayavargiya—said the statement
was political propaganda. RSS leader Indresh Kumar said there were no takers
for Ansari’s remark within the community.“I want to ask him (Ansari) why he
didn’t realise this earlier while he was at important positions. Muslims have
rejected this,” said Yasir Ali Jilani, national convener, Muslim Rashtriya
Manch. Jilani said a meeting of ulemas is likely to be held on August 22 at
Haryana Bhawan in Delhi.“Hamid Ansari’s statement has created confusion among
the Muslim community. Scholars from many parts of the country have been invited
and there will be debates over the issue,” he said. new india express
They're demolishing Muslim stereotypes, a tweet at a time
Last week, a Hyderabad court acquitted 10 accused in the 2005 Hyderabad
suicide bomber case. The blast had earlier been pinned on HUJI of Bangladesh,
but the police's special investigation team could not back its claims. While
most papers and TV channels reported the news, the hardship suffered by the 10
Muslim men who languished for 12 years in prison, was largely buried.
Twocircles.net, a non-profit community-run news site, highlighted the struggle
that some of those arrested went through.Massachusetts-based founder-editor
Kashif ul-Huda says,"We spoke to the lawyer in detail, got the background
of the innocents, and how their trial was delayed for years." A larger
series called 'Terror Tales' puts together reports of Muslim youth arrested on
false charges, tortured in custody or killed.Unhappy with the coverage of
Muslims in Indian media, Kashif started twocircles.net in 2007. Sometime in
2016, Mumbai-based stylist and blogger Amena Azeez realised that there was no
space for moderate Muslim voices around her."I was tired of people
appropriating Muslim opinions," she says referring to hardline talking
heads on TV and online.She is part of @MuslimVoicesIn, which Kashif and others
started. Twitter handle is curated by a different person every week and focuses
on personal experiences, history and culture of Indian Muslims.Syed Zubair
Ahmad, who started MuslimMirror.com in Dec.2012, points out that it is the lack
of balanced views on mainstream media that has created a need for websites like
his.MuslimMirror.com has done several stories that were later followed up by
mainstream papers and TV. Journalist Saba Naqvi says,"With TV portraying
Muslims only in the context of terrorism or love jihad, the community has its
back to the wall. I'm happy that there are websites or social media putting across
alternative information but this must be done by mainstream media as well to
have an impact. Why should only a Muslim Mirror talk about Muslims?"Just
before 2014 general polls, Patna resident Mohammed Umar Ashraf noticed a
website that was posting anti-Hindu content. Posts — typically decrying Indian
army efforts in J&K or cheering Pakistan's cricket team — would be taken as
snapshots by right wing trolls to lambast Muslims as anti-nationals. Ashraf
says that after the elections, the website and its vitriolic content shut down
as abruptly as it had begun. "This got me thinking. My community was being
vilified for a purpose," he says.TOI
WORLD
Egypt prevents Algerian aid convoy from entering Gaza
Egyptian authorities have prevented an Algerian humanitarian aid convoy
from entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing, a Palestinian NGO
revealed on Friday.The NGO said:"Egyptian decision to prevent the entry of
the Algerian humanitarian convoy to Gaza is sad and unfortunate and does not
reflect the positive spirit that recently dominated relations."According
to Palestinian sources, Algerian convoy was denied entry despite having all the
required credentials and documents, noting that the convoy is currently in its
way back to Algeria. Palestinian NGO said that the convoy was carrying
medicines, medical disposals, electricity generators and other equipment
urgently needed for Gaza’s hospitals. Last Tuesday,Sheikh Yahya Sari, head of
the relief department of the Algerian Scholar’s Association, announced the
launch of the convoy. He noted that it included 14 truckloads of aid and five
members from the association’s relief department. Sari said that they obtained
all the documents and Egypt’s agreement to deliver the aid to the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian authorities opened the crossing from Monday to Thursday on both sides
for the exit of the pilgrims and patients seeking treatment abroad. middleeastmonitor
Israeli forces shoot dead 17-yr-old Palestinian
Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian teen wielding a knife on
Saturday in the occupied West Bank, police said.A 17-year-old Palestinian
allegedly approached a group of Israeli paramilitary polic stationed at a West
Bank junction, holding what appeared to be a bag, police spokeswoman Luba Samri
said, and troops then called on him to stop. middleeastmonitor
Iran: Top priority to protect nuclear deal from US
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the top foreign policy priority for
his new Govt was to protect the nuclear deal from being torn up by the US."The
most important job of our foreign minister is first to stand behind the JCPOA
and not to allow the US and other enemies to succeed," Rouhani told
parliament on Sunday, using the technical name for the 2015 agreement that
eased sanctions in exchange for curbs to Iran's nuclear
programme."Standing up for JCPOA means standing up to Iran's
enemies," he said on the last day of debates over his cabinet selections. aljazeera
Kurdish leader denies plans to
postpone Iraq referendum
Erbil:Massoud Barzani, president of northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish
region, has said next month's referendum on the secession of the Kurdish region
would go ahead as planned. On Sunday, Barzani said a postponement of the vote
was "unlikely". He denied accepting a request by US Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson to delay the vote.Anadolu agency
Syrian army pounds rebel areas near Damascus after Russian brokered
truce: middleeastmonitor
Syrian jets and artillery struck rebel-held eastern Damascus suburbs on
Saturday a day after a Russian sponsored ceasefire with a rebel group agreed a
halt of fighting in the last opposition enclave in the capital, rebels and
witnesses said. Russian defence ministry said on Friday it had reached a
ceasefire that took effect at 21.00 hrs Moscow time with Failaq al Rahman, main
FSA group fending off a 2-month widescale Syrian army offensive in Jobar
district and nearby town of Ain Tarma. A spokesman for Failaq al Rahman said both
Jobar, which lies some 2 km east of the
Old City wall, and nearby Ain Tarma on the edge of Eastern Ghouta witnessed
army strikes and shelling soon after ceasefire went into effect.
UAE backs counter-revolutions: Qatar’s envoy to Turkey
Qatar’s ambassador to Turkey has accused UAE of supporting
“counter-revolutions in Arab world for restoring dictatorships”. Ambassador
Salem Al-Shafi said: “UAE and a number of allies have paid around $40 billion
to consolidate the military coup in Egypt alone,” in reference to the ouster of
Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first freely elected president, in 2013.“We say
that these countries have not learnt the lesson well,” he added.Al-Shafi denied
accusations against Qatar of backing Islamists and extremists in the Middle
East.“There are some Arab countries which are afraid of revolutions,” he said.
“Instead of reforming their regimes and fulfilling the people’s aspirations,
they heap the blame on Qatar and the so-called political Islam.” Muslims fear anti-Islam backlash in tolerant
Barcelona
Barcelona: Prayer time is approaching but Raja Miah, an imam at a tiny
mosque in the heart of Barcelona does not expect a big turnout.Since the twin
attacks in Barcelona the Muslim community in central Barcelona's neighbourhood
of Raval fears an anti-Islam backlash. "People are very scared," said
Miah, 23, as he sat in a small room at the mosque in Raval as a small group of
children in an adjoining room studied the Koran.Raval -- whose name derives
from Arabic word for neighbourhood -- is located just west of Barcelona's
bustling Las Ramblas boulevard where a van ploughed into pedestrians on
Thursday, killing 13 and injuring dozens of others. Just hours later, another
person died in a similar attack in the holiday town of Cambrils, where police
shot 5 suspects dead."There is a lot of fear, people don't go out. Very
few people come to pray. Normally we are about 40 people, last night we weren't
even 15 and this morning 10," said Miah, who moved to Barcelona 9 years
ago from Bangladesh.Spain's Muslim community has until now been spared from the
islamophobia that has swept parts of Europe.Far-right parties remain barely
visible and just 4% of Spaniards consider immigration to be a problem,
according to a survey by govt's CIS. Immigrants account for roughly half of the
densely-populated neighbourhood's population, with a huge number of people from
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Morocco."AFP
Spain: Muslims express innocence in Barcelona gathering
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Not protecting cows or arresting Romeos, eradicating encephalitis is
Yogi’s greatest challenge:Karan Thapar
SC Should Defend Women’s Privacy, Autonomy, Not Perpetuate ‘Love Jihad’
Myth;Kavita Krishnan
Why justice eludes the victims of Pathribal fake encounter?Muzamil
Jaleel
Yogi Adityanath’s Janmashtami-Eid jibe aimed to divert public attention
from Gorakhpur deaths:Sharat Pradhan
Why do Indians believe everything they are told, asks J. Mathrubootham
‘A free country like India should give us refuge’:Fatima, 25, Rohingya
refugee in Delhi: Indian express
91 Lakhs? 56 Lakhs? 5.4 Lakhs? Fact-Checking Centre's 'Tax Surge' Claims
Kerala’s Muslim women turn to mosque administration:TA Ameerudheen, scroll.in
Aug.15 was wrong date, chosen for wrong reason. Also, Iqbal’s Hindustan
Hamara deserves a fresh look: TJS George
For Kerala politicians, Abdul Nasar Madani is now a victim who has been
denied justice, not a firebrand leader to avoid:Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:27 PM)
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