NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
06 June 2018:21 Ramazan 1439: Vol:10, No:39
INDIA
Prominent 4 Dalit activists, a professor arrested
for anti Dalits Bhima-Koregaon Violence with
‘Naxal links’
Mumbai: Maharashtra police has turned the
probe into the Bhima Koregaon violence on its head by arresting 3 Dalit rights
activists, a professor and a social activist from across 3 cities. Arrests were
made as a part of a “joint operation” carried out by the Pune police along with
its counterparts from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi.Contrary to earlier
investigations, which focused on Manohar alias Sambhaji Bhide and Milind
Ekbote, both Brahmins and prominent Hindutva leaders, the police now claim that
“Naxals and their sympathisers” were behind the Jan.1 violence at Bhima
Koregaon.5 persons include Sudhir Dhawale, a senior Dalit rights activist and
editor of radical political magazine Vidrohi, senior human rights lawyer
Surendra Gadling, anti-displacement activist and ex-PM Rural Development Fellow Mahesh Raut,
associate professor at Nagpur university Shoma Sen and Delhi-based social
activist Rona Wilson. Early in the morning on June 6, a team of the Pune police
along with the Deonar police, Mumbai knocked at Dhawale’s residence in Deonar.
His house, which is also his magazine’s office, was raided and he was soon
arrested. He is accused of inciting violence against Dalits in Bhima Koregaon
on Jan.1. Simultaneously, raids were also carried out at the residence of
advocate Gadling and Raut, and both of them were arrested as well. At around
noon, police announced the arrests of Sen from her residence in Nagpur and
Wilson from Delhi. All 5 have been taken to Pune’s Vishrambag police station,
where an FIR was registered on Jan.8.“We have arrested five people in
connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence. All 5 have close Maoist links and
prima facie, their involvement is being seen in the matter. We are ascertaining
if they had incited the violence,” a senior police officer from Pune said.“A
team of police landed up at our office. Documents and computers have been
seized. Only when we insisted, the police informed us about the sections
applied in the case. FIR has been altered and new sections of UAPA have been
added,” Harshali Potdar, an activist and Dhawale’s colleague at Vidrohi, told
The Wire. Potdar has also been named in the FIR but has not been arrested so
far.FIR initially mentioned sections of the IPC and the two were accused of
“inciting enmity” among two groups and criminal conspiracy. According to the
police, the “provocative” speeches and presentations made during the programme
“promoted” enmity between two groups, Dalits and Brahmins. The police had
further claimed that the “inciting speeches” led to the violence. But today,
sources in Nagpur police have claimed that the arrested persons had “Naxal
links” and have added sections of the UAPA to the FIR.Each of the people
arrested today have been socially active and have not shied away from
criticising the present Govt for its
policies.Gadling is a prominent lawyer from Nagpur, and among several UAPA
cases, he also handled Delhi University professor and wheelchair-bound activist
G.N. Saibaba’s case.Today’s arrests raise several questions on the state’s
intent and whether it is trying to shield those responsible for the Bhima
Koregaon violence. Civil liberties groups and human rights organisations have
accused Pune police of diverting attention from the “main accused persons”.CPDR,
Maharashtra, in its statement has condemned the arrests and has claimed that
the entire operation has been “stage-managed by the Maharashtra Govt ”. the wire
Bhima-Koregaon violence: Police arrest
prominent 4 Dalit activists, a professor
with alleged Maoist links for inciting riots
Bhima-Koregaon: Pune cops arrest Dalit
activists in supposed crackdown on “urban Maoist” supporters
Bhima-Koregaon: Lawyer accuses police of
linking incident with Maoists
Mumbai;Arun Ferreira, lawyer of Sudhir Dhawale
who is accused in Bhima-Koregaon violence on Wednesday said that the police
officials were trying to fabricate papers to link the incident with
Maoists.Speaking to ANI Ferreira said, "At the moment when an investigation
board has been set up by the Maharashtra governmnet to find the real cause
behind Bhima-Koregaon incidents, the police are trying to fabricate papers and
link the incidents with Maoists."ANI
SIMI: With UPA’s ban coming to an end, MHA
seeks updates on group’s activities
New Delhi: Union Home Ministry has written to
state Govt s, seeking an update on the activities of SIMI so that a final call
could be taken on the continuation of the ban imposed on it beyond January next
year.In a communication to all states, the ministry said the ban imposed on
SIMI under the UAPA comes to an end on Jan.31, 2019, but if the central Govt finds that the group continues to indulge in
unlawful activities, the prohibition may be imposed afresh.“In case the state Govt
finds that the aforesaid organisation is
still indulging in unlawful activity and other activities prejudicial to the
integrity and internal security of the nation or with a potential to threaten
the secular fabric of the country, the relevant material covering cases under
the Act registered before Feb.1, 2014, and their latest status indicating
persons convicted, released, appeal preferred, if any, may be provided to this
ministry,” letter sent by Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry S C L Das
said.Cases registered on or after Feb.1, 2014, and their status which can stand
judicial scrutiny, any other relevant information concerning SIMI along with
the state Govt ’s assessment and recommendation for a fresh ban may be
furnished and a nodal officer may also be nominated for regular interaction and
follow up, the letter said. The home ministry said it is essential to watch the
activities of SIMI and if its membership continues then ‘ipso facto’ a case of
unlawful activity under the law is made out.“If this organisation and its
members commit offences in furtherance of their aims and objectives, then the
charge sheet would have to contain the reference to such violation of Act. This
is important since the evidence of such activities in the form of FIRs and
charge sheets are required to be produced before the Tribunal,” the
communication said.indianexpress
Operation BlueStar anniversary: Pro-Khalistan
Sikhs raise anti-India slogans inside Golden Temple, clash with SGPC members
New Delhi:Sikh radicals brandishing swords and
sticks clashed with members of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee at a
ceremony inside the Golden Temple Complex on Wednesday, which marks the 34th
anniversary of the Army’s ‘Operation Blue Star’. The clash, according to IANS,
took place before the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion.
The sanctum sanctorum ‘Harmandir Sahib’, the holiest of Sikh shrines located in
the complex, was barely 100 feet away, IANS noted.At least one person was
injured in the clash. Video footage of the incident, accessed by IANS, showed
task force members attacking the radicals who allegedly raised pro-Khalistan
and anti-India slogans.Police personnel, present inside the shrine complex in
plainclothes, tried to control the situation from getting out of hand. “A
turban was thrown on the ground in the clash,” one eyewitness told
IANS.indianexpress
Dalits, Muslims join Sikhs to mark Bluestar
anniversary
Phagwara: Perhaps for the first time in
Punjab, Sikh, Dalit and Muslim groups have come together to observe anniversary
of Operation Blue Star.On the eve of the anniversary on Tuesday, the three
communities held small functions in two Dalit temples, one Gurudwara and two
mosques where Sikhs also served Iftari to Muslims to break their fast. One of
the banners on the occasion said that ‘martyrdom day’ was being dedicated to
unity among minorities and to environment.The first event was held at
Shirmomani Shri Guru Ravidass Mandir, Chak Hakim, the biggest shrine of
Ravidassia-Adi-dharmi community of Dalits in and around Phagwara, where the
managing committee also honoured Sikh representatives. Apart from Blue Star,
the clash between right wing Hindu groups and Dalit activists on April 13 also
figured in the speeches. The speakers not only criticized the Army action on
June 6, 1984, but also eulogized militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.TOI
Centre not to file counter-affidavit on
Article 35A
New Delhi: Centre has decided not to file any
“counter-affidavit” on Article 35A, which has been challenged in the Supreme
Court through a PIL petition.Article 35A allows the J&K legislature to
decide the “permanent residents” of the State, prohibits a non-State resident
from buying property in the State and ensures reservation in employment for
residents. Supreme Court has scheduled further hearing for August 6.CM Mehbooba Mufti and the ex CM , Omar Abdullah,
had objected to any tinkering with the provision.A senior official explained
that Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal informed the court last year of the
Centre’s decision not to file any counter-affidavit. The SC gave an order
stating the same. The official said the Centre would stick to the order, though
it was an interim one. On July 17, 2017, court recorded: “Learned Attorney
General, representing Union of India, states that a conscious decision has been
taken not to file any counter-affidavit in this case because the issues, which
are raised for adjudication, are pure questions of law.”State Govt has filed an
affidavit opposing any such move.The official said the case was still being
heard as similar petitions were bunched together.“This particular provision was
included in the Constitution by a Presidential Order. Our stand is clear: this
is a matter of interpretation of law and the SC should decide. Though the
hearing is still on, we will continue to abide by the interim order that a conscious
decision has been taken not to file any counter-affidavit,” he said.Home
Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to visit Srinagar and Jammu on June 7 and 8.
Visit comes amid the Centre’s decision to suspend security operations during
the month of Ramzan.In his last visit to the Valley in Sept., Singh was
non-committal on Centre’s stand on filing any affidavit.thehindu
Security Forces Would Be Demoralised If FIRs
Against J&K Stone-Pelters Are Withdrawn: Centre
Centre has told NHRC that J&K Govt 's
decision to withdraw FIRs against stone-pelters would demoralise security
forces and embolden militants to use civilians as human shield for their terror
activities.Responding to a petition filed by three children of army personnel,
the Union Govt has filed a report before
the NHRC saying that "withdrawing of cases against stone-pelters by the
state Govt will demoralise the security
forces and may encourage the acts of militants to take help of civilians as
their shield for terror activities".Centre said, "It is the duty of
the state Govt to take strong action
against stone-pelters and provocateurs to safeguard the human rights of members
of armed forces operating in J&K."indiatimes
Kashmir youth killed: Police writes to CRPF,
seeks details on why paramilitary vehicle was moving in non-deployment area
J&K Police have written to CRPF seeking an
explanation that why a lone CRPF vehicle moved through the Nowhatta area of
Srinagar where it was decided that there will be no deployment of security
forces on last Friday after clashes left at least 20 youth injured on 25 May.2
youths were run over by an armoured vehicle of CRPF which left one of them dead
and another wounded and the family of the deceased has sought that a murder
case should be pressed against Central force personnel.Police officials said
that after clashes left many youths injured the previous Friday, 25 May, as
forces fired pellets at the mob, it was decided that there would be no
deployment at Jamia mosque during prayers the next Friday, when Mirwaiz Umer
Farooq, was to deliver the sermon.The relaxation was also in line with the
policy of the PDP-BJP Govt to declare a
unilateral ceasefire and create conditions for dialogue with Hurriyat.
firstpost
Militants attack army camp in Kashmir’s Hajin,
protesters raise slogans near encounter site
Srinagar:Militants on Tuesday evening attacked
the Rashtriya Rifles camp in north Kashmir’s Hajin town. Security sources said
they have launched a search for the attackers.Locals said that around 8:30 pm,
militants attacked the camp of 13 Rashtriya Rifles close to the local police
station. It is one of the biggest army camps in Hajin area.An army spokesman
said that the standoff is continuing, and locals said protesters are raising
slogans close to the army camp.HT
Govt, Hurriyat may talk in renewed peace push
in J&K
The ground is being laid for a meeting between
Centre’s special representative to J&K , Dineshwar Sharma, and the
separatist leadership in Valley,Govt officials and separatists have
independently confirmed, even as New Delhi makes renewed efforts to restore
peace in a region where violence has peaked in recent weeks.“The meeting
between Sharma and the separatists may happen after Eid following a review of
the Govt ’s initiative to halt operations against militants in the Valley
during Ramzan. The review will also have bearing on the any decision to extend
period for halt on operations in the Valley,” said a Govt official familiar with the deliberations on
the issue, speaking on condition of anonymity.The review of the unilateral cessation
of operations of security forces during Ramzan, declared on May 16, will be
conducted in the presence of home minister Rajnath Singh, who visits the state
on Thursday. Singh confirmed to reporters in Delhi on Tuesday that any
discussion on the extension of ceasefire will take place during his visit.HT
Ishrat Encounter Case: CBI wanted kali dadhi
and safed dadhi, arrested lal dadhi, says Vanzara lawyer
Ahmedabad:Pushing the discharge plea of former
IPS officer DG Vanzara in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case, his lawyer VD
Gajjar told a special CBI court on Tuesday that “the intention of probe agency
CBI was to arrest kali dadhi (black beard) and safed dadhi (white beard) but…
could not do that and arrested lal dadhi (red beard), based on a concocted
story”.In his discharge application, Vanzara claimed that CBI had interrogated
the then CM in case. But the probe
agency, in its reply, denied it categorically. The lawyer also referred to the
statement of retired Dy SP D H Goswami — with the Crime Branch in 2004, Goswami
had claimed that he heard Vanzara say that “approval of killing Ishrat and
others in an encounter was permitted by kali dadhi and safed
dadhi”.indianexpress
HC closes plea against biryani policing in
Mewat district
Chandigarh: The biryani policing row of
Haryana’s Muslim-dominated Mewat district finally got a burial with the Punjab
and Haryana high court accepting the report by Lala Lajpat Rai University of
Veterinary and Animal Science (LUVAS) at Hisar, confirming that all seven meat
samples were from cow/oxen species.Terming the state’s action as “biryani
policing” in a district having significant Muslim population, a petition was
filed before the HC alleging that collecting biryani samples from the vendors
was not only unconstitutional but also aimed at terrorizing the minority
community. It was also argued that ‘biryani policing’ was a brazen attempt to
polarize communities and fuel sectarian violence.HC, however, was convinced of
the state Govt ’s stand that FIRs on the issue were registered based on the
findings given by the professor and head of department of veterinary public
health and epidemiology, LUVAS, confirming the presence of beef in the biryani.
The report was submitted on Sept.6, 2016.TOI
Incitement to violence, propaganda on social
media akin to waging war against govt: HC
Chandigarh :Declining bail to an alleged
member of terror group Babbar Khalsa International, Punjab and Haryana High
Court has held that propaganda and incitement to violence on social media is
equivalent to collecting men for waging war against the Govt of India, as defined under IPC section 122.The
High Court made this observation while ruling against the bail plea of Arvinder
Singh, a resident of Pallian Khurd in Nawanshahr, who was arrested in May 2016.
FIR against him said he had arrived from Doha in Qatar seven-eight months
earlier, and was recruiting youth for “terrorist activities”.FIR stated
Arvinder had been in touch with Pakistan-based BKI activists while in Doha
where he had gone for employment in 2011. Ordering the trial court to decide
Arvinder’s case within three months, Justice Sudip Ahluwalia, in his June 1
order, observed that though the accused had not been charged under IPC section
122 (collecting arms, etc with intention of waging war against the Govt of India) but the material on record could
lead to his conviction for that as well.indianexpress
Nobody should issue ‘fatwas and farmaans’:
Naqvi on Goa Archbishop’s letter
New Delhi:A day after the Archbishop of Goa
and Daman said that the Constitution was in danger, Minorities Affairs Minister
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi asserted that minorities in India were well protected and
nobody should issue “fatwas and farmaans”.Achbishop of Goa and Daman Father
Filipe Neri Ferrao, in a letter on Sunday addressed to Christians in the
Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, had said, “Today, our Constitution is in danger
(and that is) the reason why most of the people are living in insecurity.”His
office on Tuesday suggested that he was expressing his “anxiety to his own
people”, but insisted that the remarks were not against any political party or Govt
.Reacting to the letter, Naqvi told reporters, “A season of fatwas and farmaans
(diktats) has started. There is protection for minorities in India. There is
constitutional protection, social security and religious freedom for minorities.
Nobody should make such fatwas and farmaans and not harbour any
misunderstandings.”PTI
Building Ram temple in Ayodhya will develop
India: Vij
Chandigarh:Controversial Haryana Health
Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya will
help in the development of India. “Building Lord Shri Ram temple in the country
also forms part of development, which no intellectual will deny,” Vij said in
an official release.Any new work in society symbolises development which
includes physical, mental, social and economical progress, he added. “Since the
people of the country want Shri Ram temple constructed in Ayodhya, the temple
should be built in tune with the decision of the Supreme Court,” he said
further.PTI
Hyderabad: CCTV footage emerges of
crossdresser beggar lynched by mob on pretext of being child kidnappers
Chilling CCTV footage of a mob attacking 4
crossdresser beggars, and the lynching of one of them in Chandrayangutta of
Hyderabad late on Saturday, has surfaced after 5 days. Videos of two of the
four beggars, belonging to the backward Buduga community known for
crossdressing to seek alms, begging at Ajeem hotel at Hafiz Baba Nagar and
being accosted by 2 persons who led mob, have also been released. Police have
arrested 16 persons, including two ‘journalists’, who run a web channel known
as ‘What’s Up’. Police said that Saleem Shiekh, head of the web channel, and
his associate Subhan relentlessly circulated false news on their web channel
and social media about transgender gangs kidnapping children.“In CCTV footage
taken from Ajeem Hotel 2 customers named Hussain Saadi and Mohammed Rafi are
seen showing their mobile phones to people sitting around them and pointing to
the two crossdressers who were seeking alms from the hotel owner. Hussain and
Mohammed told everyone that the beggars were actually child kidnappers and
showed photos circulated by the Saleem and Subhan through their web channel and
Whatsapp groups. Hussain and Mohammed also roughed up the beggars and chased
them out of the hotel. They then raised an alarm that a child kidnapping gang
of which they were warned of on Whatsapp was in the area and instigated people
to attack them. A mob of over 300 quickly collected there and attacked,”ACP
Sayed Fayaz said.indianexpress
HC junks PIL for probe into killing of 39
Indians in Iraq
New Delhi: Delhi High Court Wednesday reserved
its order on a PIL seeking “detailed investigation” into alleged lapses of the
Centre in saving 39 Indians, who were killed by ISIS after their abduction from
Mosul in Iraq in 2014.A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C
Hari Shankar heard the arguments of the petitioner advocate and the counsel for
the Centre, who raised questions over the maintainability of the plea, and said
it would pass an order later.The petitioner, advocate Mehmood Pracha, contended
that the Centre was aware long back that the abducted Indians had been killed
by the terror outfit, but had chosen not to disclose it and kept taking stand
that they were alive.He claimed that there were glaring anomalies in the
statement made by the External Affairs Minister on the floor of Parliament.PTI
Family of deceased farmer say SDM warned them
against going for Rahul Gandhi’s Mandsaur rally
Mandsaur:Sandeep Patidar, elder brother of
Abhishek Patidar, who was killed during the farmers’ agitation in Madhya Pradesh’s
Mandsaur last year, has alleged that he was warned by a SDM against attending
Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Mandaur on Wednesday. He was also asked to stop his
parents from attending the rally.Sandeep, 21, who was provided with a job at
Bhanpura tehsil office by the Govt after
death of his brother, said he received a call from SDM office on Tuesday
night.“I received a call from our tehsildar’s driver on Tuesday night, saying
that the SDM wants to speak to me, and the driver shared the SDM’s mobile
number with me. When I spoke to the SDM, he asked who all from my family are
going to Rahul Gandhi’s rally on Wednesday. When I told him my parents will be
going, he asked me to tell my parents not to go. He said he had received
instructions from higher-ups to inform me that no one from my family should go
to the rally,” Sandeep said, showing call records,claiming he spoke to SDM. indianexpress
Now, Dalits of Haryana's Hisar village
threaten to embrace Buddhism
Chandigarh: A day after 120 Dalits from Jind
district converted to Buddhism over non-fulfilment of their demands, as many as
300 families from Bhathla village of Hisar district on Tuesday also threatened
to embrace religion.Headed by Rajat Kalsan, a Dalit activist and an advocate,
the Dalits submitted a memorandum to Hisar city magistrate Shalini Chetel while
threatening to convert to Buddhism by Aug 1 if their demands were not
fulfilled. Kalsan,who has been spearheading the Dalit agitations in Hisar, told
TOI that for the past year and a half, the Dalit families of Bhathla had been
facing social boycott from the upper castes of the village. “In June 2017, some
upper caste men had thrashed Dalit youths for drawing water from a hand pump
meant for them. Eight persons were arrested and since then the upper castes
have been boycotting us,” he said.“Dalits are not allowed to work in the fields
of the upper caste landlords of Bhathla and nearby villages. Similarly,
shopkeepers don’t give us grocery and provisions. Our girls are not safe and
they are living with our relatives,” Kalsan alleged. He also elaborated how Hisar
police had booked him and others in various cases, including sedition.TOI
‘Distance’ shrinks between Jats, Dalits as
they pitch tents against Khattar govt
Jind :Outside the Jind district’s mini
secretariat complex, in the open parking lot, two protests separated by about
30 yards present a telling irony. One is by Dalits, the other by Jats, both
against Haryana’s Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP Govt .The Dalits pitched their
tent here on February 9. Today is the 116th day of their protest. Banners of
their demands and posters of victims of atrocities flutter in the hot June
wind. The protesters include 120 men who converted to Buddhism on May 31 at New
Delhi’s Ladakh Bhawan after a three-day march to the capital, where they handed
over a memorandum of demands to Khattar’s nominee at Haryana Bhawan.Nearby,
Jats, smoking hukkas, sit in protest, demanding reservation in educational
institutions and Govt jobs. After
protesting in Siwani in Bhiwani district, they moved to Jind and have been
camping here next to the Dalits’ camp since May 7.Among the Dalit protesters
demanding justice are a fruit and vegetable vendors, masons, daily wagers. Jat
protesters include a retired civil surgeon, a professor, a college principal, an
excise inspector, a bank manager.indianexpress
Dalit women in India die younger than upper
caste counterparts: Report
New Delhi: Dalit women in India die younger
than upper caste women, face discrimination in accessing healthcare and lag
behind on almost all health indicators.While violence against Dalits may be the
main form of discrimination visible to the outside world, there are many other
ways in which caste prejudice manifests itself, one of them being health.This
is borne out by recent data from the from National Family Health Survey
(NFHS).For Dalits, who make 16.6% of the total population, health inequalities
are the result of both past and ongoing discrimination, including limited
educational opportunities, high health risk occupations they are forced to take
up, discrimination in access to land, employment, housing and other
resources.The average age of death for Dalit women is 14.6 years younger than
for higher caste women, according to the report, Turning promises into action:
gender equality in the 2030 Agenda, which cites a finding from the Indian
Institute of Dalit Studies in 2013. According to that finding, the average age
at death for Dalit women was 39.5 years against 54.1 years for higher-caste
women.livemint
Woman moves HC after dalit students forced to
clean toilets
Madurai : A dalit woman has approached the
Madurai bench of the Madras high court seeking its intervention and direction
to authorities to provide compensation to her daughter and other students who
were forced to clean toilets by a staff of the Govt high school in Virudhunagar district. Alleging
discrimination against schedule caste students at Govt high school situated in
Inamreddiyapatty village in Virudhunagar district, I Vijayalakshmi, a daily
wage labourer and mother of a Class 7 girl in the school filed the petition.
TOI
Muzaffarnagar riots: Court summons 6 accused
in murder case after rejecting SIT's clean chit
Muzaffarnagar: Rejecting SIT's clean chit, a
local court has summoned 6 men for their alleged involvement in a murder case
during the Muzaffarnagar communal riots in 2013, a lawyer said on Tuesday.
Additional CJM Ankur Sharma has asked Prahlad, Vishan, Devender, Jitendra,
Yogender and Ravinder to appear before it on 10 July in connection with the
murder of Shahnawaz on 27 August, 2013.The magistrate took cognizance of a
private complaint filed by Mohammed Waseem, Shahnawaz's father, his lawyer
Mohsin Zaidi said. Waseem had challenged the SIT's closure report, exonerating
the accused who allegedly stabbed Shahnawaz to death during the communal riots
in the district. Police had filed an FIR against eight people in the case. The
remaining two accused, Sachin and Gaurav who was killed by a mob in Kawal
village, were blamed for Shahnawaz's murder while the six were given a clean
chit. firstpost
Shillong calms down as violence abates but
Sikh delegation strikes discordant note
With Meghalaya capital remaining largely
peaceful on Tuesday, citizens are cautiously optimistic that peace will return
sooner rather than later after sectarian violence rocked the city for 5
days.Residents of Mawkhar, Wahingdoh, Riatsamthiah and Jaiaw, which were some
of the violence-hit areas, rejoiced as the news spread that the state Govt had formed a high-level committee to find a
permanent solution to the issue of relocation of the sweeper colony from Them
Metor, near the Motphran area of the city, where an incident of assault on
Thursday led to clashes between security forces and locals. United Sikhs, a
US-registered organisation that claims to be ‘affiliated’ to the United Nations,
said that any move to shift the sweeper colony residents would be unacceptable
and the state Govt must find an
alternative solution.“Sikhs had never been asked to leave Islamic countries
like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq or Pakistan but is being asked to leave their
homes in a Shillong neighbourhood that they have lived in for decades,” said
Mohinderjit Singh who led the delegation of United Sikhs.Moving them could well
be a challenge for the govt anyway as some residents and the local headman of Nongmynsong,
neighbourhood where accommodation to house the residents of the sweeper colony
was allotted by the Govt , protested against any relocation plan.HT
Shillong Violence: Looking at Demands to
Relocate Sikh Community, Says CM Conrad Sangma
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma lauds the city’s police for
showing restraint during the violence, adding that all options, including the
relocation of Sikh communities, was being discussed to prevent a repeat. firstpost
Togadia slams Modi govt over farmers’ issue,
to visit Mandsaur
Ahmedabad :Supporting the farmers’ agitation
against the Central Govt , Pravin Togadia, who was recently ousted from the
VHP, said on Tuesday that he will be going to Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh on
June 8 where he would share the stage with with BJP leader and actor Shatrughan
Sinha, ex Union minister Yashwant Sinha, among other leaders.Togadia said that
Narendra Modi-led BJP Govt at the Centre
had “betrayed the farmers by not implementing the Swaminathan Commission’s
report”. When asked why was he raising the farmer’s issue now, he said, “I have
been demanding to improve farmers’ life for long and formed Rashtriya Kisaan
Parishad to raise the concerns for farmers.” He said that the farmers are still
compelled to commit suicide and the Govt of the day remains a mute spectator. Togadia
said that he will also launch a new outfit in Delhi on June 24.indianexpress
Saffron groups see red over Hinduism missing
in school textbook
Mangaluru: Class 9 Social Science Part 1
textbook of the state syllabus has triggered a controversy with right-wing
groups questioning the logic of including only Christianity and Islam in its
History chapters.While the first chapter is titled ‘Christianity and Islam’,
there is no reference to Sanatana Dharma, rue right-wing activists. Social
media platforms have been flooded with messages against the textbook, accusing
the Govt of following appeasement
politics. Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad too plans to oppose the chapters in
the textbook prepared by the Karnataka Textbook Society.timesofindia
Missing Najeeb’s Younger Sister Cracks NEET
New Delhi: Missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed’s
younger sister has qualified the medical entrance test NEET, result of which
was announced on Monday. First-year post-graduate student Najeeb mysteriously
disappeared from his hostel room in October 2016 after being allegedly
assaulted by some members of Hindu-right youth group ABVP.JNU researcher and
former student leader Shehla Rashid has termed the success of Najeeb’s sister
as “good news”.“JNU student Najeeb Ahmed’s younger sister has qualified the
NEET exam. This is a proud moment for their mother Fatima Nafees who has so far
made sure that all her children go to the University, and who has raised them
to be very very polite and gentle people!” tweeted Shehla.caravandaily
Thousands in Maharashtra Are Opposing What
Could Be 'Globe's Largest' Oil Refinery: thewire
Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg: Last week, for the
first time ever, 18-year-old Mariya stepped outside her Katradevi village in
Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Around eight other women, all belonging to
the Konkani Muslim community had travelled nearly 30 kilometres to participate
in an agitation, a first for all of them.They joined villagers from all over
the region who got together last week to oppose an oil refinery, the “globe’s
largest project”, as touted by CM Devendra Fadnavis. Reasons for covering this
distance, as Mariya explains, was “machimaaranchya hakka sathi (for the rights
of fishing communities).”The oil refinery, planned over an expanse of over
15,000 acres of land in Maharashtra’s Konkan region, if it takes off, will
inevitably displace farmers and fisherfolk from 17 villages – 15 villages in
Ratnagiri and two villages in neighbouring Sindhudurg along the western
coast.Rs 3 lakh crore worth oil refinery project which, the Govt says, will employ over one lakh people, is
also being opposed by all political parties, including Shiv Sena, by
environmentalists and also by human rights activists. But so far, the state has
stayed resolute in its decision and in April, amidst opposition, it went ahead
with signing a MoU between Aramco and 3 state-owned companies – IOCL, HPC Land
BPCL. When completed by 2022, project will be the world’s biggest
single-location oil refinery project with a capacity to process 60 million
tonnes annually.As the Govt sees it, the
flourishing 720 kilometres long coastline of Konkan is the ideal place for the
massive refinery.Villagers, however, are not taking the Govt ’s decision lying
down. On May 30, around 15,000 villagers – the police had come prepared for
around 10,000 protestors – gathered at the Rajiv Gandhi Maidan in Rajapur to
demand an uncompromising roll-back of the ambitious project announced by the state Govt early last year.thewire
RBI hikes repo rate by 25 bps to 6.25 pc on
inflation fears
Following a cycle of rate cuts begun in
January 2015, the RBI on Wednesday raised its key interest rate for the first
time by 25 basis points (bps) to 6.25 % , responding to concerns on inflation
from surging global crude oil prices, as per a central bank announcement.RBI,
however, maintained its 'neutral' stance on policy, as it has done over four
previous bi-monthly policy reviews when it held the repo, or its short term
lending rate for commercial banks, at 6 % . This stance allows the RBI to move
either way on rates.IANS
Delhi: Why this tech entrepreneur is in demand
on Ramzan
New Delhi: Mohammad Asif appears fresh when we
meet him. He shows no signs that his sleeping hours have changed drastically in
the Ramzan month.31-year-old resident of Ballimaran in Old Delhi is a hafiz, or
someone who has learnt the Quran by heart. Asif and hundreds of others like him
are in high demand in mosques and by people who organise the special Taraweeh
prayers with the recitation of the Quran after the Isha’a night prayers.At this
time, Asif’s focus is more on his faith than his business. After leaving his
employment at a Swiss IT firm, he started and successfully runs his own
business as a web development and social media optimiser from Connaught Place.
“I have several people working under me and this helps when I am not in office
during Ramzan,” Asif said as he sat for the wuzu, at Ek Burj masjid in
Ballimaran. “After 6 years of working for a Swiss IT firm, I decided to form my
own company. Today I am a computer expert and a hafiz at the same time,” said
Asif, happy at having met the Islamic ideal of managing deen (religion) and
dunya (worldly responsibilities) seamlessly.“My elder brother has a master’s
degree in Arabic from Delhi University. He often sits with me when I read the
Quran,” he said. “I want to learn the language so that I can understand our
holy book more intimately.”TOI
WORLD
Israeli Knesset disqualifies bill seeking
equal status for Jews and Arabs
Israel's Knesset disqualified a bill that
called for all citizens to be treated equally, rejecting the argument it must
recognise the rights of its Arab minority as equal to the Jewish majority. Text
of the bill stated its objective was "to anchor in constitutional law the
principle of equal citizenship while recognising the existence and rights of
the two, Jewish and Arab, national groups living within the country".The
bill was sponsored by Balad, an Arab political faction and member of the Joint
List - an alliance of four predominantly Arab parties - in the parliament. Haneen
Zoabi, a Balad member of the Knesset and one of the bill's sponsors, told Al
Jazeera the proposed legislation aimed to make Israel more democratic -
especially in its treatment of Arab citizens."The cancellation of our bill
shows that democracy and equal rights do not go hand-in-hand with the way
Israel defines itself as a Jewish state."It is clear that Israel considers
democracy, or even demanding it, a threat to its existence," Zoabi
added.According to the bill, Israel is defined as "a state for all its
citizens, whose regime is a democratic regime" and, therefore, must make
itself a state for both national groups, Arabs and Jews, equally.Al Jazeera
Israeli army kills Palestinian youth in
occupied West Bank
An Israeli soldier has killed a Palestinian
youth during a raid in the occupied West Bank village of Nabi Saleh.Ezzadin
Tamimi was shot dead when troops came to arrest him over alleged stone
throwing, Maan news agency said.The soldier struck the 21-year-old with three
bullets to the neck from a distance of around 45 metres, according to
Palestinian activists.Villagers said paramedics were prevented from treating
Tamimi as he bled out from his wounds.Video shared on YouTube by villagers
shows the young man wounded on the ground as an Israeli army medic appears to
administer first aid.aljazeera
Argentina cancels football friendly with
Israel in Jerusalem
Argentina's national football team has
cancelled an upcoming friendly match with Israel, Argentine news sources
reported. Argentinian sports website Minutouno reported on Tuesday that
Saturday's game in Jerusalem had been "suspended" amid an
"escalation of violence, threats and criticism" directed at captain
'Leo' Messi.Argentina, a major contender to win the World Cup this summer, has
made four previous pre-World Cup visits to Israel since 1986.aljazeera
French judges dismiss third rape probe against
Tariq Ramadan
French judges have dismissed a third
allegation of rape against Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan who is currently
detained over two other rape claims, his lawyer said Tuesday.55-year-old said
he had a consensual relationship with Mounia Rabbouj, a French Muslim woman,
who accused him of raping her 9 times between 2013 and 2014, lawyer Emmanuel
Marsigny said after a court hearing in Paris. "The magistrates considered,
following explanations from Ramadan and some documents that he was able to
provide, that there was no need to investigate Ramadan concerning" the
third woman, he added."He explained at length to the magistrates... that
there had been sexual games, that there had been sexual relations as well, but
that they were always freely consensual."The prominent TV pundit and
Oxford University professor, whose grandfather founded Egypt's Muslim
Brotherhood movement, has been held since Feb.on charges that he raped two
women in France.A third and fourth complainant later came forward. Marsigny
said the latest news marks a "turning point" in the case and that his
client, who was refused bail last month, intends to make a further application
to be released.Many of Ramadan's supporters -- including 2 million Facebook
followers -- insist Ramadan has been unfairly targeted because he is Muslim, while
his lawyer has slammed what he describes as "lies" and
inconsistencies by Ramadan's accusers.AFP
YPG confirms withdrawal from Syria's Manbij
after Turkey-US deal
Syrian
Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) said its military advisers would leave
the town of Manbij a day after Turkey and the United States said they reached
an agreement on the armed group's withdrawal.In a statement on Tuesday, the YPG
said its fighters withdrew from Manbij in November 2016, but military advisers
had remained to work with the Manbij Military Council."We affirm that our
forces will heed the call when necessary to offer support and help to the
people of Manbij should it be needed," the statement said.aljazeera
ISIS case: Indian-American Patel sentenced to
5-yrs for lying in attempt to join US military
A 28-year-old Indian-American, who was raised
Hindu before converting to Islam, has been sentenced to 5 years in jail for
passport fraud and making false statements in his application to join the US military.
Shivam Patel, a supporter of the Islamic State terror group, told an FBI
undercover employee that he wanted to commit jihad, US Justice Department
said.The Williamsburg, Virginia man was sentenced yesterday to five years in
prison for passport fraud and making false statements in his application to
join the US military, it said in a press release.Patel was also ordered to pay
USD 4,000 in fines in connection with two counts of making false statements
during his military application process, The Virginian-Pilot reported. According
to court documents, Patel, who has a degree in criminal justice from Virginia
State University, travelled to China in July 2016 to teach English. While
there, he grew displeased with how that country treated Muslims.His employer
arranged for Patel to fly back to Virginia in August, 2016, but, instead, Patel
traveled to Jordan, where he was arrested a few days later for unspecified
reasons. PTI
Attack on army post in Afghanistan kills 6
soldiers
An Afghan official says the Taliban have
attacked an army post in the western Badghis province, killing 6 soldiers and
wounding 7.Abdul Aziz Beg, head of the provincial council, said the attack late
Tuesday set off a two-hour gunbattle, with the insurgents stealing ammunition
and two army vehicles. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the
attack.In the northern Baghlan province, police say a roadside bomb killed a
civilian and wounded three others.AP
Aljazeera Exclusive: UAE company 'hacked
US-Iranian magnate's email'
A state investment body owned by Ras Al
Khaimah, one of the UAE's seven emirates, is alleged to have hacked the email
accounts of US-Iranian aviation magnate Farhad Azima and attempted to blackmail
him with threats of "collateral damage", according to court documents
seen by Al Jazeera.The alleged hacking took place in late 2015 as a business
relationship between 75-year-old Azima and the Ras al Khaimah Investment
Authority (Rakia) turned sour.It is also alleged that the UAE fund then leaked
embarrassing material about Kansas-based Azima on the "dark web", a
part of the internet that cannot be visited by using traditional
browsers.Third-party technology experts are said to have concluded that the
hacking was "so sophisticated they believed a state actor had to have been
involved", prompting suspicions of state-sponsored hacking.The case
predates the June 2017 blockade of Qatar by four Arab states, which was
announced following the hacking of Qatari Govt social media and news sites. aljazeera
Muslim groups will be absent as Donald Trump
hosts Iftar
Washington
:As Donald Trump hosts his inaugural Iftar dinner as president on
Wednesday to mark the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims in the nation’s capital
will hold a counter event just steps away from White House. Lack of enthusiasm
among American Muslims over Trump’s unexpected decision to hold a White House
Iftar underscores community’s contentious relationship with US president. Leading
Muslim groups in Washington who attended the event under previous
administrations said Trump’s continued targeting of Islam and its followers
made engagement with his administration a futile, if not impossible task, given
the president’s history of incendiary comments about Muslims.“I wouldn’t
anticipate that any credible mainstream American Muslim organizations or
leaders would be invited or agree to attend, given the administration’s
Islamophobic and white supremacist positions and policies,” said Ibrahim
Hooper, the spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations.theguardian
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
BJP-led govt has only marginally built on the
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Revolt of 1857: Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah, Rebel
Saint of Faizabad: Arshad Afzaal Khan
A brief look at ‘The Last Mughal’ Yakub Tucy’s
DNA claim:Misbahuddin Mirza
In India's Poll Economy, 97% of Registered
Political Parties are Unrecognised
Without a trace: Enforced disappearances in
Bangladesh:Aina Khan
UP encounter : Case of Aslam Ali, Now Just A
Statistic in UP’s Chronicle of Crime Fiction: thecitizen
What Happens When Big Media Runs Amok: In the
Words of Missing Student Najeeb’s Mother: thecitizen
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