NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
30 July 2018:16 Ziqada 1439: Vol:10, No:77
NRC:ASSAM
CITIZENSHIP ISSUE
40 lakh people left out of Assam's final NRC
draft list, could be world’s largest stateless population; Bengalis, Muslims
fear losing citizenship
India has published a list which effectively
strips about 4 million people in the north-eastern state of Assam of their
citizenship. National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a list of people who can
prove they came to the state by 24 March 1971, a day before neighbouring
Bangladesh declared independence. India says the process is needed to identify
illegal Bangladeshi migrants. But it has sparked fears of a witch hunt against
Assam's ethnic minorities.Fearing violence, officials say that no-one will face
immediate deportation.They say that a lengthy appeal process will be available
to all - even if it means millions of families will live in limbo until they
get a final decision on their legal status. More than 32 million people
submitted documents to the NRC to prove they were citizens, but four million of
them have been excluded from the published list. Many Bengalis - a linguistic
minority in Assam - are worried they will be deported en masse.Hasitun Nissa,
who spoke to the BBC days before the list was published, said she had never
known a home outside the state's floodplains. It is where 47-year-old
schoolteacher spent her childhood, where she studied, where she got married and
where she had her 4 children.She said her family arrived in India before 1971
but she expected to be stripped of her Indian citizenship and feared her land
rights, voting rights and freedom would be in peril. Activists say NRC is now
being used as a pretext for a two-pronged attack - by Hindu nationalists and
Assamese hardliners - on the state's Bengali community, a large portion of whom
are Muslims.Like Hasitun, many Bengalis live in the wetlands dotted along the
Bramaputra river, moving around when water levels rise. Their paperwork, if it
exists, is often inaccurate.Officials claim illegal Bangladeshis are enmeshed
in the Bengali population, often hiding in plain sight with forged papers - and
a thorough examination of all documents is only way to find them.But Bengali
campaigner Nazrul Ali Ahmed is adamant that the NRC is serving another agenda
entirely."It is nothing but a conspiracy to commit atrocities," he
told the BBC."They are openly threatening to get rid of Muslims, and what
happened to Rohingya in Myanmar, could happen to us here." The latest move
to make millions of people stateless overnight has sparked fears of violence in
what is already a tinderbox state. Chances are India will end up creating the newest
cohort of stateless people, raising spectre of a homegrown crisis that will
echo the Rohingya people who fled Myanmar for Bangladesh.After human rights
organisations began to express concern, the civil servant in charge of NRC,
Prateek Hajela, released a statement stressing that the law required him to
make "no differentiation on the basis of religion or language" in
determining citizenship.But correspondents say PM has never been shy of expressing his
preference for Hindu Bangladeshi migrants, whom he says should be embraced by
India.Indeed, a promotional song posted on Facebook by the NRC itself does
little to calm the nerves of those worried about a Hindu nationalist witch
hunt. "A new revolution, to defeat the alien enemy, is beckoning," a
young woman sings, "bravely let us shield our motherland."Siddhartha
Bhattacharya, Assam's law minister and a member of BJP, is in no doubt about
the fate of those who have been rejected. "Everyone will be given a right
to prove their citizenship," he told BBC. "But if they fail to do so,
well, the legal system will take its own course."That, Bhattacharya
clarified, would mean expulsion from India.At present, correspondents say, that
seems little more than a threat aimed at whipping up Hindu support for BJP
ahead of elections. No deportation procedures have been put in place, and
Bangladesh, already burdened by the Rohingya crisis, has shown no sign of being
open to accepting a raft of new refugees. Nonetheless, campaigners like
Samujjal Bhattacharyya say something must be done.BBC
40 lakh left out of Assam's final NRC draft
list, could be world’s largest stateless population
In a fraught exercise, which aims to identify
and root out “illegal migrants” from Assam, 40 Lakh people have been left out of
the final draft of NRC. While this may render almost 4 million people
stateless, without any rights and privileges, the move could also pave way to
one of the biggest humanitarion crisis in the world. Assam's choice to
retroactively strip over 40 lakh of its residents of citizenship will create
the largest stateless population in the whole world. That would mean that
Assam's stateless population will be almost five times higher than that of
Rohingyas (10 Lakh) in Myanmar, which currently constitute 10 % of all
stateless people in the world. The other 4 countries with world's largest
stateless population are Côte d’Ivoire (7 Lakh), Thailand (5 Lakh) Syria (3.6
Lakh) and Latvia (2.6 Lakh). According to UN refugee agency,an estimated 10
million people worldwide are stateless, including 3 million officially, a
status that deprives them of an identity, rights, and often jobs. If the
numbers from NRC hold, this scenario could change. Assam's stateless population
then could constitute almost one third of the whole world's stateless population.
news18
No one excluded from NRC will be declared foreigner:
Home Ministry official
New Delhi:No person, excluded from the draft
NRC published on Monday, will be declared a foreigner as such powers are vested
only with tribunals where one can approach for remedies, a senior Home Ministry
official said.The Supreme Court-monitored updating of NRC is a “secular
exercise” and no particular community was targeted, and all genuine Indian
nationals will be given adequate opportunities to prove their citizenship, the
officer said. NRC is a list of the state’s citizens and exclusion of name does
not automatically make anyone a foreigner, the official said. The power of
declaring a person as foreigner is vested with the foreigners’ tribunal set up
for the purpose and all aggrieved persons can approach it if they have
exhausted the options available with NRC authorities, he said.NRC is an
application-based process and if someone does not apply for inclusion of name,
that person’s name will not figure in the list, however prominent the individual
may be, the official said. Home Ministry also dismissed suggestions that
internet was not working properly in Assam and maintained that the chief
secretary and the director general of police have made it clear that telecom
and internet services were running without interruption in the state.PTI
Assam NRC final draft: Not a list, it's a 'humanitarian
crisis', says Mamata, terms it as BJP's gameplan to isolate people
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said that Mamata
Banerjee was not consulted while preparing NRC final draft. He added that
Banerjee and a delegation of TMC MPs will visit Assam.Likening 40 lakh missing
applicants on NRC final draft to mob lynching, Mamata said it is a matter of
polarisation."It is a humanitarian crisis." She also said when she
goes to New Delhi, she will attempt to meet Union home minister Rajnath
Singh.Mamata calls NRC final draft a conspiracy to isolate Bengalis and
Biharis. "People are being isolated through a game plan. We are worried
because people are being made refugees in their own country. Its a plan to throw
out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state
also," she said.Banerjee claimed that Bengalis living in Assam were being
targeted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya".Calling final
Assam NRC draft 'inhuman', TMC said that Govt intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh
religious and linguistic minorities from the final draft. TMC MP SS Sougata Roy
said,"Central govt has intentionally eliminated more than 40 lakh
religious and linguistic minorities from NRC which will have serious
ramifications on the demography of different states adjoining Assam. PM should
come to house and clarify it."Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora claimed there
were several irregularities with the final NRC draft released on Monday.
"40 lakh names ineligible is a very high figure and very surprising. There
are lot of irregularities in the report. We will raise this issue with Govt and
in the Parliament. Political motive of BJP is also behind this." Firstpost
Congress questions non-inclusion of more than
40 lakh people, urges to convene all-party meeting
Congress on Monday questioned the
non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people in the complete draft of the NRC, saying
revision of voters list in the '90s had shown only 3.5 lakh 'Doubtful' or 'D
voters', and alleged it was a "motivated" action under the BJP which
was trying to play "politics of polarisation".AIUDF president
Badruddin Ajmal said the party will provide assistance to all people whose
names did not feature in the draft to ensure that no genuine Indian citizen is
left out.AIUDF's Ajmal also welcomed release of the draft NRC but said
non-inclusion of over 40 lakh people "is not a small matter though we must
take into account that this is not the final NRC and we must wait for
it"."We are yet to analyse the names of people left out and the areas
where it has happened. If we find out that some particular areas have been targeted,
we will make a decision on it," he told PTI."We have always wanted
Assam to be free from foreigners," he said.indiatvnews
Historic day for Assam, says CM Sonowal on
release of Indian citizens draft list
Guwahati:CM Sarbananda Sonowal congratulated the people of
Assam after the state released its final draft list of Indian citizens, saying
“historic day will remain etched in their memories forever”.The process of
publishing the final draft today was carried out in cooperation with the
Registrar General of India, along with the central and the state Govt officials, under the direct supervision of the
Supreme Court, Sonowal said.Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday
there is “no need to panic” if any applicant’s name is not included in NRC as
“no coercive action will be taken” and anyone can file claims and
objections.“Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of
fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be
spread.This is a draft and not the final list,” Singh was quoted as saying by
ANI.
Assam NRC Final Draft List : If voted to
power, will publish NRC in Bengal, says BJP
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the
NRC will be published in Bengal on the lines of the one in Assam if his party
is voted to power in the state. Supporting the publication of the NRC complete
draft in Assam, he said some politicians are "shedding crocodile
tears" as they are wary that their "vote bank" politics will come
to an end. "If we (BJP) are voted to power in Bengal then we too will
implement NRC in Bengal. We will send back illegal citizens to Bangladesh.
Tough days are ahead, we will not tolerate any illegal immigrants in
Bengal," Ghosh told reporters.Asserting that those supporting illegal
immigrants will be thrown out of the country, Ghosh said, "The NRC in
Assam is being implemented following the orders of the court (Supreme Court).
It was Congress which had proposed the idea of NRC.indianexpress
OTHERS
Checkpoints at Mewat: Farmers complain of
extortion in the name of cow protection
Nuh/Alwar/Jaipur: 35 year old Munna is sipping
his midmorning cup of tea with his uncle Ali Mohammed at Sharma dhaba. This
resident of Doha village in Nuh district of Haryana has just wrapped up the day
at Jaipur’s weekly Hatwara pashu mela (cattle fair) buying 10 buffaloes for
himself. He has reason to be vigilant as he prepares for the evening journey
across the border. “We have the papers but that doesn’t stop anyone from
harassing us. Every police Gypsy, every gaurakshak (cow vigilante) picket needs
to be paid from here till Nuh,” he said.If he resists, his buffaloes would be
seized and he would have to wait for two days, spelling a loss for him at his
local Ferozepur-Jhirka pashu mela. Did he buy any cows at the mela? “Cows and
us Muslims?” he said, incredulity welling up in his eyes. “I don’t want to die
before I marry off my children.” Along the route that dairy farmers such as
Munna and Ali Mohammed take – buying their cattle from Hatwara pashu mela every
Saturday, through Alwar and across the border into Nuh – ET found a political
economy that has pitted Hindu cow vigilantes against Muslim dairy farmers.
Locals, in what is perhaps northern India’s most backward region, said that
even as both sides often brandish firearms the police looks the other way.
Dairy farmers and traders hire small pickup trucks or use their own to ferry
the cattle bought at the mela. They transport these to Alwar or to Haryana and
sell them at a profit to the locals. “The rate of gaurakshaks and police is
fixed. It can range from Rs 500 per vehicle per trip to Rs 1,000.So per trip we
end up paying Rs 10-11,000,” said Ali Mohammed, who has been coming to this
fair for over 25 years. What is operating in the name of gau raksha or cow
protection appears to be a well-oiled extortion racket.Rajasthan Bovine Animal
Act prohibits transport of cattle across the state without a certificate from
the collector. For farmers, this paperwork is tedious, and so they take the
risk of transporting cattle across to Haryana without requisite papers. Since
farmers do not complete paperwork, they are an easy target for gau rakshaks,
who operate through groups that go by names such as Gaurakshak Samitis and put
up pickets to stop farmers transporting cattle. “It is an extortion racket. Any
person bringing cows across the border is checked by these self-proclaimed
gaurakshaks,”said Jahad Hussain, a BJP leader in Nuh. “If you pay up, they give
you right of passage. If you don’t, they tear up the papers and then make it
look like illegal transportation of cattle.” Gaushalas are part of this set-up.
economictimes
Alwar Lynching: Mahapanchayat seeks punishment
for accused, Rs 50 lakh relief
gurgaon:Over a week after 31-year-old Rakbar
Khan alias Akbar was beaten to death in Alwar by a mob that suspected he was
smuggling cows, a mahapanchayat was held in Nuh’s Kolgaon on Sunday “to promote
peace and brotherhood and ensure the accused in the matter are punished”. The
event was organised by Rakbar Insaaf Committee, comprising 40 people from five
villages, and attended by hundreds from Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi. “The
main demands we are making is that the investigation be carried out under the
supervision of a sitting judge of Supreme Court, and that the family be given
compensation of Rs 50 lakh by Rajasthan Govt as well as a Govt job for Rakbar’s widow,” said Ramzan
Choudhary, President of the All India Mewati Samaj.“In addition, we want the Govt
to bear the expenses of education for
Rakbar’s seven children, and want all the accused to be arrested immediately,”
he said.The committee said that the accused who they want to see brought to
book include local MLA Gyandev Ahuja and Naval Kishore Sharma, eyewitness and
chief of VHP’s local Gau Raksha cell.“2 should be arrested and a case
registered against Ahuja under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy),” said
Choudhary.In addition, mahapanchayat demanded that relatives of the deceased
not be harassed by police in the name of investigation, and that the Govt work towards promoting a message of peace in
the area by taking steps such as organising a “sadbhavana yatra”.indianexpress
Vasundhara Raje blames unemployment for
lynchings, says she has to be more than God to stop this
Ending her long-kept shush over the mob
lynchings, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje on Monday claimed that the incidents of
mob lynching happen across the world. She further claimed that she would have
to be more powerful than God in order to be aware of the lynching taking place
in her state. Speaking about Alwar lynching case, Rajasthan CM said that the
incidents of lynching are not new and have been happening for a long time now.
Vasundhara Raje later termed unemployment as the reason behind this
anger.Evading questions on Alwar lynching, Rajasthan chief minister said that
lynching incidents happen across the world. While talking to News18 over rising
lynching incidents, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje said that at night it is very
difficult to know what is happening in remote areas of the state. She added that she has to be more than God in
order to exactly know what is happening.NewsX
Those involved in mob lynching have political
protection, backing: Arshad Madani
New Delhi: President of Jamiat e Ulema Hind
Syed Arshad Madani on Sunday alleged that cases of mob lynching are on the rise
because those involved in killing people in the name of cow slaughter have
political protection and backing.“Incidents of mob lynching saw a sudden rise
after the Supreme Court asked the Govt to frame a law against it. It only indicates
that people involved in mob lynching and killing innocents don’t care the apex
court’s concern as they have political protection and backing”, Syed Arshad
Madani said soon after he was unanimously elected President of Jamiat e Ulema
Hind for the next 5 years.“Mob lynching is not a murder. Its brazen and worst
kind of ferocity and savagery being committed under political protection”, he
said.He urged all political parties to ensure that a stringent law is passed
against mob lynching. “It’s not an issue of any community. It’s a political
issue and all secular and likeminded parties should come forward to make sure
that a tough and stringent law is passed to stop this madness”, he
said.Questioning the sincerity of Modi Govt over the issue, Madani asked why the Govt is not according “National Animal” status to
cow.ummid.com
‘BJP is issuing license for slaughter houses
to people belonging to RSS’
Chandigarh: Recently Haryana’s senate member
and opposition leader Ajay Singh Chautala slammed Khattar Govt for their binary standard towards the beef
ban, as on the one hand, they are issuing license of slaughter houses to the
people belonging to RSS and providing them facilities while on the other they advocate the beef ban
policy.He also criticized that BJP Govt for destroying the moral values they
taught to others.Chautala also cited the recent example of village Jaspur,
Panchkula where despite the heavy opposition from adjacent panchayats Khattar Govt
facilitated their allies for setting up
a slaughterhouse. Basically, the owner belongs to the Sangh Parivar.However, he
assured that INLD will resist the establishment of the slaughterhouse in
Village Jaspur and construct a temple on the empty allotted space.muslimmirror
Haryana govt promoting animal slaughter: Abhay
Chautala
Army officer’s affidavit claims his unit
behind fake encounters, extortion: Indian express
Imphal:A Lieutenant Colonel of Indian Army’s 3
Corps Intelligence Unit has in an affidavit filed in the High Court of Manipur
alleged that an army team perpetrated extortion and killing of innocent people
in the state. Lieutenant Colonel Dharamvir Singh submitted the affidavit, a
copy of which is with indianexpress.com, in connection with a Habeas Corpus
petition filed by his wife Ranju Singh claiming her husband had been wrongfully
detained. The High Court has directed the Army to file their counter affidavit
before August 1. The affidavit alleged that Singh was taken away from his
quarters in Imphal by armed jawans led by Lieutenant Colonel Nanda and Major
Rathore on July 1 morning and kept under house arrest till the court directed
his release five days later. Army had refuted the claims as baseless and said
the officer was sent for posting. Singh is currently on leave and staying with
his family in Imphal.In the affidavit, Singh alleged that he was the victim of
an organised campaign by some senior officers who turned vindictive after he
reported their wrongdoings. The affidavit claimed that on September 9, 2016,
Singh wrote a complaint against the extortion and fake encounter killings of
innocent boys from Manipur who were picked up from Dimapur in Nagaland and
murdered in the nearby Rangapahar Cantonment. However, the affidavit alleged,
he withdrew the letter following pressure from top and after assurances that
suitable action will be taken against the erring personnel.Singh, in the
affidavit, also claimed a serious threat to him and family.
Manipur fake encounters: SC pulls up CBI chief
again, directs him to arrest accused if required
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday yet
again pulled up CBI over the agency’s slow pace of the investigation into the
alleged extra-judicial killings by security forces in Manipur, asking it to
arrest and hold custodial interrogation of accused if required.The statement by
a Bench of Justices MB Lokur and UU Lalit came after CBI director Alok Verma,
who was summoned today, said 14 persons have been chargesheeted for alleged
murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the fake encounter
cases.Verma, who was pulled up for the delay in probe last week as well, said
that two chargesheets have been filed by CBI SIT and 5 more are expected to be
filed by the end of August. The director assured the bench that probe of 20
cases will be completed by the end of year.CBI chief was directed to appear for
the next hearing on Aug.20.Last week, the court had expressed its disapproval
after CBI claimed to have completed investigation in seven out of 41 cases.Indian
Army, Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police have been accused of fake encounter
killings in 1528 cases from 2000 to 2012 in insurgency-hit state.indianexpress
Taj Mahal Preservation: SC says its concern
‘far greater’ than that shown by UNESCO
New Delhi: Days after it wondered what would
happen if the Taj Mahal lost its World Heritage tag, the Supreme Court Monday
said the concern of the preservation of the monument should be larger than
UNESCO’s.“Our concern on Taj Mahal should be far greater than that shown by
UNESCO,” the Supreme Court ruled.During the hearing, the apex court said Taj
Trapzeium Zone Chairman and the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) were responsible for the maintenance and
preservation of the world heritage monument.A bench of justices Madan B Lokur
and Deepak Gupta on July 26 had made it clear that somebody has to take
responsibility for protection of the Taj Mahal and asked the Centre to notify
it as to which departments of the central and UP Govt s would be responsible for the
maintenance and protection of the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ). Archeological
Survey of India (ASI) had told the Supreme court that it had provided UNESCO
plan on Taj Mahal in 2013 and that ASI’s director general would be responsible
for the monument’s maintenance.indianexpress
Stop Mehul Choksi's movement by land, air or
sea, India asks Antigua
New Delhi: Fugitive diamond trader Mehul
Choksi, who was granted Antiguan citizenship last year, shouldn't be allowed to
travel by air, land or sea, India has requested authorities in Antigua and
Barbuda amid reports of his presence in the Caribbean island."As soon as
the Ministry of External Affairs received information of the likely presence of
Mehul Choksi in Antigua, High Commission in Georgetown alerted the Antigua and
Barbuda Govt , in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their
territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," a Govt
source said.Mehul Choksi had fled India
in the first week of Jan.and taken an oath of allegiance as a citizen of
Antigua on Jan.15. Days later, on Jan.29, CBI filed a case and started
investigating Mehul Choksi and his nephew, celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi,over a
Rs. 13500 crore fraud that involved fake guarantees in the name of India's 2nd
largest Govt bank PNB to facilitate overseas loans.ndtv
Kathua rape case: Chargesheet by J&K Crime
Branch confirms effect of sedatives on victim
New Delhi:J&K Police’s Crime Branch unit
filed a supplementary chargesheet in the gruesome Kathua rape and murder case
before a sessions court in Pathankot on Monday. J&K's SSP(CB) RK Jalla,
accompanied by Special Public Prosecutor JK Chopra and other lawyers, submitted
the charge sheet before District and Sessions, Judge Tejwinder Singh, PTI
reported.The chargesheet contains medical reports which confirm the effect of
sedative on the victim. The police had arrested Sanji Ram, his son Vishal and
his juvenile nephew, two special police officers Deepak Khajuria alias ‘Dipu’
and Surender Verma and friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu and had named them in
the first chargesheet which was filed in April.During the investigation, the
crime branch confirmed the locations of accused Vishal, the mastermind behind the
abduction of 8-year-old nomadic girl.He had previously claimed that he never
visited Kathua.Police submitted the detailed call analysis to show that Parvesh
shared a common location with other accused on crucial dates of crime and
immediately thereafter. The duration of the calls made and their frequency
increased after the rape and murder of 8-year-old girl, leading to the
“irresistible conclusion of knee deep involvement of accused Surinder Kumar
with other accused…”, charge sheet stated.The investigation also revealed that
Ram withdrew a large amount of money from his bank accounts, which were not
used for any sort of construction activity as claimed by the accused. Crime
Branch alleged in its chargesheet that the withdrawals were made to bribe the police
officers for the destruction of evidence. Sanji had bribed 2 police officials
with Rs 4 lakh to destroy crucial evidence in the case.indianexpress
Don’t tinker with Article 35A, warn
separatists and political parties in Kashmir
Srinagar:Political parties and separatists
have warned against ‘tinkering’ with Article 35A of Constitution that
guarantees special privileges to J&K amid a rising sense of unease ahead of a
hearing in the Supreme Court on Aug.6 on petitions challenging the validity of
the law.National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was quoted by a local news
agency on Sunday as saying at a public function in Srinagar, “National
Conference has rendered innumerable sacrifices to fight for the unity,
integrity and dignity of J&K and
will continue to thwart all attempts to erode the state’s special status. We
will fight against all ploys to assault Article 35A and won’t allow the powers
that be fiddle with our political status and honour”. Senior Congress leader
Tariq Hameed Karra on Saturday warned of a massive agitation if Article 35A was
fiddled with. “We will launch statewide agitation and will go for jail bharo,”
he said.PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged separatists and
mainstream parties to join hands to defend Articles 35 A and 370. During the
PDP-BJP rule, Mehbooba had promised to defend the Article 35 A in the apex
court.Top separatist leaders of Kashmir on Sunday called for strikes on August
5 and 6 in the state and warned of launching a “mass agitation of hitting and
occupying streets”. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Yasin Malik under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership met at
Geelani’s residence on Sunday and deliberated on the “serious challenge” posed
to Article 35A in the SC.HT
MBA student joins militancy in south Kashmir;
photo flaunting AK-47 goes viral
Srinagar: An MBA student, who had gone missing
from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district about a week ago, has reportedly joined
LeT, as his picture flaunting an AK-47 rifle has gone viral on social
media.Official sources said a complaint was lodged on Monday in a local police
station in village Koil in Pulwama that an MLA student -- Ishfaq Ahmad Wani,
who had come home for holidays -- went missing from his residence on July 22.
“A case was registered and investigation was taken up,” they added.However, a
picture of Wani brandishing an AK47 assault rifle has gone viral on social
media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.UNI
After appeal from family, militants release J&K
SPO
Srinagar:After an appeal from his family
seeking his release, militants on Saturday evening released Special Police
Officer (SPO) Mudasir Ahmad Lone, who was abducted on Saturday morning.Lone,
who worked as a police cook at Awantipore, was abducted by militants from Kitar
Chan area of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama.Soon after his abduction, Lone’s
family appealed to militants to release him without harm.“I seek your forgiveness
on behalf of my son, and he won’t commit any mistake in future. If he has
committed any mistake please forgive him,” SPO’s mother had said in a video.
“You are my children. I request you to release him safely. If there would be
any complaint in the future, then kill of us,” she had said. Before his
release, militants released a video in which Lone asked other SPOs to quit
their jobs.indianexpress
Govt contradicts EC, says hot weather not
behind EVM/VVPAT malfunction
Contrary to the claims made by Election
Commission that excessive heat and light was among the factors behind the
large-scale malfunctioning of EVMs and VVPATs in Kairana Lok Sabha by-polls
held in May this year, the government on Monday said that hot weather was not
the reason.In a written reply to the question in Rajya Sabha whether as per the
Election Commission, malfunctioning in EVM machines was due to hot weather,
Minister of State for Law and Justice PP Chaudhary said: "No sir".The
Minister also ruled out any possibility of adopting any alternative method
other than using EVMs and VVPAT machines for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections which
are scheduled to be held in April-May 2019.IANS
Rajya Sabha website removes reply on
demonetized deposits at Ahmedabad Bank: MP
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Neeraj Shekhar today
expressed surprise over the “removal” of a reply to his question on the deposit
of a sum of Rs 745 crore in an Ahmedabad District Cooperative (ADC) Bank from Rajya
Sabha website.“I came to know of it only yesterday. I don’t know why the reply
was removed from Rajya Sabha website and at whose behest. But what everybody
knows is that who was coming under the lens in that question. The public knows
everything and it can’t be fooled. I have asked the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to
restore the reply and they have said they would do it,” Shekhar said when asked
about the issue. The reply to the unstarred question posed by Shekhar on July
24 pertained to the demonetized currency deposited in ADC Bank. Normally
replies to the questions are uploaded on the Rajya Sabha website on the same
day as they are tabled. However, the reply to this question – ‘unstarred’
question number 668 – was not uploaded till Monday.Shekhar said that he came to
know of the matter on Sunday and inquired about it with the Question Branch of
the Rajya Sabha.IANS
Guru Purnima event at Thrissur school sparks
row after pic of Muslim girls touching teacher's feet goes viral
Thrissur: Guru Purnima celebrations at a higher
secondary school at Cherpu in Thrissur have sparked a row after activists
raised concerns regarding the inclusion of students belonging to a minority
religion in the ceremony. The incident took place at CNN Girls’ Higher
Secondary School, which had organised an event to honour teachers on the
occasion of Guru Purnima. As per an Indian Express report, in a photograph of
the event, which later went viral on social media, Muslim girls could be seen
paying respect to a teacher by touching his feet and offering flowers at his
feet. The youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, the Muslim Youth
League, has criticised the incident and has reportedly written to the state
education minister, asking for a probe in the issue.Condemning the incident, Muslim
Youth League state general secretary PK Firos said that such a practice where
students from other religions and non-believers were “compelled” to follow the
rituals of a particular religion was “unconstitutional” and an “ infringement
of personal liberty,” daily reported.Meanwhile, Shameer PA, a social activist
in Cherpu also seconded Firos’ opinion, saying that it was not “fair” on the
part of the school authorities to ask children from other religions to
participate in Hindu rituals. He told daily,“It is not fair to include students
from other religions in Hindu practices.The students will definitely be afraid
to express their opposition to it." timesnownews
Popular lawyer-activist in Uttara Kannada
brutally murdered, cops yet to make arrests
Popular lawyer and activist Ajit Nayak was
murdered on Friday night in Dandeli, a small town in Uttara Kannada. His murder
has triggered demonstrations and protests in Dandeli and nearby towns.As news
of Ajit's murder spread, many people gathered at the hospital in solidarity
where his body was kept on Saturday. The killing also drew reactions from
members of bar associations in nearby Sirsi and Karwar, with many members
boycotting court proceedings on Saturday.Ajit, who was very vocal about various
environmental causes like the rejuvenation of the Kali River, was returning
home from his office in JN Road at around 9:30 pm when he was attacked by an
unknown number of assailants, who used sharp weapons to hack at him. At this
point, the police suspect his activism to be the cause of the attack. He sustained injuries on the left side of his
head and on his ear, and was rushed to a nearby hospital by passers-by.
However, he succumbed to his injuries on the way and doctors declared that he
was brought dead. Meanwhile, the attackers fled the spot immediately.Ajit was
the president of Dandeli Taluk Horata Samiti and an active campaigner in the Kali
Bachao Andolan, a movement to safeguard the Kali River from damming, industrial
pollution and rampant sand mining. thenewsminute
Muslim League activist murder: Probing role of
CPM leader Jayarajan, CBI tells SC
New Delhi: CBI, which is probing the 2012
murder of Muslim League activist A Abdul Shukoor in Kerala, has told Supreme
Court that it has “corroborated the facts as mentioned in FIR” and that it was
looking into the alleged role of prominent CPM leader P Jayarajan and MLA TV
Rajesh in the crime. “Probe with respect to the role of “the duo“ and
investigation as to their knowledge and mensrea are in progress,” the agency
said in an interim report submitted before a bench of Justices Kurian Joseph
and SK Kaul. The report was filed in response to a plea by Jayarajan
challenging the CBI probe.The agency, which took over the case from Kerala
police following a High Court direction, said it was also investigating if
there was any lapse on the part of state police in not charging the two leaders
with criminal conspiracy.The bench asked CBI to complete the probe and file a
final report in a month. The court will hear the matter next on
Sept.19.indianexpress
Illegal Portion Of Sacked Gujarat Cop Sanjiv
Bhatt's Home To Be Razed
New Delhi: Sacked Gujarat police officer
Sanjiv Bhatt, who has been controversial over his allegations linked to the
2002 riots, lost an appeal today in the Supreme Court against the demolition of
an illegal part of his home.The SC allowed the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
to carry out the demolition at his bungalow, dismissing the former IPS
officer's appeal saying: "Earlier you came to us. We protected you. We
examined the matter. Dismissed."Gujarat High Court had dismissed Bhatt's
wife appeal against the demolition.Bhatt's neighbour Pravinchandra Patel went
to the high court in 2012 requesting that illegal construction at the former
officer's bungalow, next to his plot, should be razed.ndtv
RSS dissociates itself from hartal call in
Kerala over women entry in Sabarimala
Kochi:RSS made it clear that it has nothing to
do with the call for a dawn-to-dusk hartal on Monday in Kerala over the issue
of entry of women in the childbearing age into the Sabarimala Ayyappa
temple.The call for a hartal across the state was reportedly made by
little-known fringe outfits such as the Ayyappa Sena and the Hanuman Sena. RSS
said it was forced to issue a statement disassociating itself from the hartal
as these outfits were linked to the Sangh Parivar. The Hindu Aikya Vedi has also
distanced itself from the bandh call.Sangh said the issue of the entry of women
of a specific age group at Sabarimala is being heard in the Supreme Court by a
five-judge bench and therefore did not warrant being raised on the
streets.Daily life has not been affected by the hartal call on Monday as
private buses, state transport buses and autorickshaws are plying the streets.
Shops, private establishments, educational institutions, banks and Govt offices are operating as usual.indianexpress
New book on RSS reveals political push,
constitution:HT
RSS constitution, the existence and full
details of which are not well known, even to many volunteers, states that it is
“aloof from politics and devoted to social and cultural fields only”. But the
rapid growth of affiliated groups, penetrating almost all areas of society, has
prompted the RSS to take an interest in influencing politics and Govt decision-making, says a new book.In their
soon-to-be released ‘RSS: A View to the Inside’, authors Walter K Andersen and
Shridhar D Damle have concentrated on the evolution of the Sangh’s world view
and organisation; how it made a conscious effort to boost BJP electoral
fortunes ahead of the crucial 2014 Lok Sabha elections; and the convergence and
divergence with the Govt since then.The
fact that RSS has a constitution is known to its leaders and close observers,
and parts of it have appeared in a few books about Sangh.But the organisation
has largely remained ambivalent about it, and its full text is often hard to
find. A senior functionary told HT that despite being drafted in 1949, “not
many within the organisation know the contents of the constitution” because it
is “not publicised much”.HT
Maratha quota stir: A Man commits suicide in
Aurangabad; 90 vehicles damaged during protests in Chakan
A 35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide
in Aurangabad on Monday over the Maratha quota demand. Violent protests also
erupted in Chakan, 40 kms from Pune, in which at least 90 vehicles were damaged
and traffic was disrupted on the Pune-Nashik highway. Authorities imposed
Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code in the region—prohibiting the assembly of
more than four people in an area—after the violence began, ANI reported.The
protesters — believed to be members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which
spearheaded the recent protests in Mumbai — also pelted stones at and set buses
and private vehicles on fire, a senior police officer said. Commuters are
believed to be stranded and taking shelter in govt offices. Pune rural DSP
Ganpatrao Madgulkar has been injured in the protest and has been admitted to
the hospital, according to TOI. At least 80 vehicles including public transport
buses, cars and 2-wheelers have been damaged and 10 vehicles set ablaze. A
35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving
train over Maratha quota demand in Aurangabad. The man, identified as Pramod
Jaising Hore, had posted a message on his Facebook page and shared a message on
WhatsApp on Sunday, saying he would be ending his life in support of the
reservation demand, Mukundwadi police station's Senior Inspector Natha Jadhav
told PTI.firstpost
Maratha reservation stir: Violence erupts in
Chakan, protestors block Pune-Nashik highway
Maratha quota issue should not go Ram Mandir
way: Sena
Mumbai :The promise to give Marathas
reservation in jobs and educational institutions should not go the Ram Mandir
way, said Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday, adding that there appears to be
discomfort on the issue of reservations among communities across the country,
and the situation is becoming more serious than the Hindu-Muslim divide during
Partition.“The happenings in Maharashtra are the failure of the political
leadership, and the CM can’t alone be
blamed for it. There are several reasons behind the police’s inability to
control the violence during the Maratha protests. Caste has entered the Home
Department and has put law and order at risk,” Raut wrote in his column
‘Rokhthok’ in party mouthpiece Saamana.Raut further said the sight of the
police force being used to retain power or for political benefits is
symptomatic of the destruction of democracy.indianexpress
Women don't live only for their husbands: SC
questions 'female 'Khatna' in Bohra Muslim community
New Delhi: In the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim
community, the 'Khatna' or 'Khafz' or female genital mutilation (FGM) of minor
girls is a common religious practice. On Monday, the Supreme court questioned
this practice. In the hearing, the SC observed that the sole purpose of a
woman's life in not just marriage and finding a husband, as per a report by
News18. As per the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, the
practice is a violation of the privacy rights of women and the subjugation of
women to their husbands is unconstitutional. In a brief hearing on July 9, the
SC also said that the practice stands in violation of the bodily “integrity” of
the child. The Court along with Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud
observed that the continuance of the practice just so the girls need to be
married is not acceptable. “A women may have several other obligations too,”
the bench was quoted as saying by News18. Presenting counter arguments for a
Muslim group, senior advocate AM Singhvi said that as per the earlier hearing,
the matter must be referred to a constitution bench since it involved a
religious and customary practice which needed examination. He also said that
the courts must not interfere with the same. timesnownews
'Allay the uneasiness amongst Indian Muslims,'
Imam Bukhari urges PM Modi
New Delhi: Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid
Syed Ahmed Bukhari has appealed to PM Narendra Modi to “allay the uneasiness”
prevalent among Indian Muslims amid rising incidents of violence in the name of
cow protection. “Gullible Muslims trading cattle on crossroads are murdered by
organized mobs of Gau Rakshaks involved in mob violence, in full view of the
people,” Bukhari wrote in a letter to Modi. “Deprived of any strict action,
only tears have become the faith of the helpless Muslims, 64 such incidents have come to the
knowledge.”Imam said in the letter that the “prevailing social condition” in
the country had compelled him to directly write to the PM. He said despite
Modi’s call of “sab ka saath, sab ka vikas”, the ground reality was “contrary
to this” and a cause of concern for every “civilized Indian
citizen”.timesnownews
Muslim cleric writes to Rahul Gandhi, says
‘Muslims living in fear’; urges him to pressure govt to act
Mumbai: Court discharges 2 Muslim men accused
of raping woman in moving car
Mumbai :In a rare order, a sessions court in
Mumbai has discharged two individuals accused of gang-raping a woman in a
moving SUV around Dharavi-Bandra in 2014 – perhaps the only reported case of
rape in a moving car in the city recently.Additional Sessions Judge KS Hore,
apart from considering that the victim had died, also observed that the medical
report and call detail records (CDR) were in favour of the accused, and
therefore there was no need to make the accused undergo a trial. The court
discharged the two accused last week.The court was hearing applications filed
by Mohammed Abad Islam Ansari and Sajid Samad Khan, alias Lala. Both were
accused of raping a 34-year-old woman in a moving vehicle between Dharavi
junction and Bandra railway station on July 22, 2014. The victim died in March
the next year in a train accident – no foul play was alleged by anyone. The
police, however, sought rejection of the discharge application on various
grounds.Mumbai Mirror
Muslims struggle with poor enrolment rate in
higher education sector
Jaipur: Muslim community continues to struggle
with its enrolment in the higher education institutes in state. All India
Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2017-18 presents a poor picture as the share
of Muslim students is barely 2.65% against their share of 9.1% in the total
population in the state. However, it made a substantial gain in the last one
year from 33,794 enrolments in 2016-17 to 38,556 in 2017-18 but failed to match
the level of other communities. The outcome of the poor enrolment rate explains
community over representation in poverty, non-working population, slum
dwellers, poor health, no household owners etc. Muslim educationist, leaders
and thinkers have partly blamed the Govt apathy and community themselves for
the poor state of affairs. Ameen Kaimkhany, president of Rajasthan Urdu
Teachers Association has accused Raje led Govt of discriminating with the
community students. “Govt has several reasons to delay and reject the
scholarship of Muslim students but is granting the same benefits to other
marginalized community students without any delay. Previous Govt had announced
hostels for minorities in every district which Rajeled Govt has put in the back burner,” said Kaimkhany.
Some policies meant for the development of marginalized communities are also
not creating much impact on Muslims. Pranjal Singh of Abhyutthanam Society
working for Righ to Education Act has observed that Muslim students are not
reaping benefits of one of the biggest reformatory schemes. He reasoned,
“Muslims, mostly live in the crammed ghettos with no good private schools. RTE
rule offers admission within the limit of a ward which prevents them to take
admission in good schools.”Many Muslim communities fall in the category of OBC
but they fail to reap any benefits.TOI
WORLD
Palestine bans participation in Israeli local
polls
Jerusalem: Palestine Supreme Council of the
Fatwa has banned participation in Israeli municipal election in East Jerusalem
in October."Participation in the local election by running or voting is
prohibited," the council said in a statement released on Monday.Since
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war, Palestinians
have been refusing to take part in any Israeli polls in the city.“Participation
will help the [Israeli] occupation foster policies and plans aiming to expand
its influence in the city,” council said.It went on to say that taking part in
the polls “would also help Judaize the city and change its historical and
religious features”. According to Israeli estimates, some 360,000 Palestinians
live in East Jerusalem.Anadolu Agency
Israel intercepts aid boat bound for besieged
Gaza Strip
A boat loaded with aid for residents in the
besieged Gaza Strip has been intercepted by Israeli naval forces.Awda, carrying
at least 23 people, was meant to reach Gaza port approximately at noon local
time on Sunday, but was redirected instead to the Israeli port of Ashdod.It was
part of a flotilla attempting to break a 12-year-old blockade imposed by Israel
and neighbouring Egypt.With 16 different nationalities on board, including some
Israeli citizens, The Awda set off from the coast of Palermo in Italy a week
ago.Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford, said Israeli army confirmed intercepting a
boat that departed from Europe in order to "violate the legal naval
blockade that is imposed on Gaza Strip".Although they expected the
interception to happen, those on board noted they sailed "as a symbolic
means of drawing international attention to the plight of 1.8 million people
living in Gaza under that siege", Stratford said."We know the boat
was carrying around $15,000 worth of medical equipment," he
added.aljazeera
Turkey, Russia, Iran meet ahead of Syria talks
Sochi:Officials from Turkey, Russia and Iran
were holding technical talks today in Sochi, Russia, ahead of a 10th round of
Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, slated for July 31st.The Astana talks
will address the latest situation in de-escalation zones in Syria's Idlib, the
return of the refugees, the release of prisoners and the formation of a
committee that will rewrite Syria's constitution.UN officials and Jordan are
taking part in Monday's talks as observers while the US again opted not to send
a representative.The main Syrian opposition group is represented by Ahmed Tuma,
exPM of Syrian interim Govt , and the regime is represented by Bashar Jaafari, regime's
permanent representative to the UN.Anadolu
Pakistan Jamaat decides to take oath, not to
resign
Lahore:Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) Executive
Committee today decided to play a role of an effective opposition in
legislatures, apparently parting away with Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMAP)
on which platform it had earlier announced not to take oaths in assemblies and
launch protests. In its meeting held at JI HQRS in Mansoora, Lahore, it was
decided that an opportunity would be given to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in
the Centre as they wanted to see how much Imran Khan implemented on his
commitment he had made in his victory speech and 100-day plan.Later addressing
a Press Conference, Chief of Jamaat (JI) Senator Sirajul Haq said holding of
general elections on time was a good omen, adding the people fully participated
in elections. He said MMAP received over 2.5 million votes in elections
2018.However, he added, influence was used to change politicians’ loyalties,
and massive irregularities were witnessed from Karachi to Dir.He said the role
of Election Commission, the Caretaker Govt and State Institutions was suspicious. He said
they wanted to give an opportunity to new Govt to work for the Country.DND
New Govt should be given a chance: Sirajul Haq
Senior figure of Bangladeshi Tabligh condemns
Maulana Saad, 'his faction': Dhaka Tribune
Tabligh Jamaat’s prolonged schism has exposed
the ugly divide among the ranks of Bangladesh’s largest non-political Islamic
organization. Shah Ahmad Shafi, DG of Haathazari Madrasa and the de facto
leader of Hefajat-e-Islami, and a senior figure in the Bangladeshi Tabligh
movement, spoke at an anti-Indian preacher Maulana Saad Kandhalvi meeting in
Dhaka on Saturday. The Islamic firebrand preacher spoke firmly belying his
advanced years and ailments, once again condemning Kandhalvi and his splinter
faction.He said:“We only listen to Islamic scholars.He (Kandhalvi)is no
scholar, why should anyone listen to him? The scholars are the pride of this
country. Do not listen to anyone else.”Tabligh factions have clashed in the
past before. Shafi mentioned several incidents as he continued: “Do not pay
heed to those who interfere in our internal matters. These upstarts have
attacked our scholars. We came to Tabligh to learn manners and develop
upstanding characters. But these people, they are lacking in both manners and
character. They lack the substance to be part of Tabligh. All they do is split
into more and more factions of Tabligh.“They will disappear soon,” Shafi
warned. The Islamic leader conferred with other Qawmi scholars and issued 6
directives regarding the Kandhalvi conundrum.During 2018 Biswa Ijtema, Saad
Kandhalvi attempted to deliver a sermon at the concluding prayers. But the core
Tabligh supporters in Dhaka vehemently protested. The protests shut down
sections of major Dhaka roads, including the Airport Road, effectively halting
traffic in crucial parts of Dhaka for hours.
MH370 was ‘manipulated off course’ to its end:
Malaysia govt report
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, missing since
2014, was probably deliberately steered off course and flown to the southern
Indian Ocean, according to Malaysian Govt ’s safety report into the
disaster.It’s difficult to attribute the aircraft’s changes in course to any
specific system failure, according to the report released Monday. “It is more
likely that such maneuvers are due to the systems being manipulated,” it
said.MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur
with 239 people on board. Investigators have never been able to explain why the
jet abandoned its route shortly into the flight, traversed Malaysia and then
cruised south over the Indian Ocean.Experts mapped the Boeing 777’s course only
after picking through hourly data hookups with a satellite. Extensive sonar
searches of remote waters off Australia’s west coast failed to locate the
wreckage.
Japan Launches ‘Mosque-On-Wheels’ Ahead of
Tokyo Olympics 2020
YASU, a Tokyo-based Japanese company created
the ‘Mobile Mosque’ for muslim visitors ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.The
heavy-duty truck expands into a 48-square-metre large room that has the
capacity to accommodate up to 50 people. The space is also equipped with prayer
mats and a water basin for ritual pre-worship cleansing.The mosque-on-wheels,
which was debuted at Toyota stadium in western Japan, gives people a place to
worship when they attend events."The idea of religion in Japan can be a
bit complicated. But as an open and hospitable country, we want to share the
idea of Omotenashi, (Japanese hospitality) with Muslim people. That’s why we
developed the Mobile Mosque," said Yasuharu Inoue, Executive Committee
Chairman of the Mobile Mosque Project. As the truck is mobile and can move to
places, the initiative will ensure there are no shortage of mosques for Muslim
visitors during the Tokyo Olympics.thequint
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Another Disastrous Idea From the Modi-Doval Stable:ALI AHMED
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/14531/Another-Disastrous-Idea-From-the-Modi-Doval-Stable-
Pradyut Bora: “Modi and Shah will completely destroy the BJP”
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/interview/pradyut-bora-modi-and-shah-will-completely-destroy-the-bjp-2
Afghanistan, Not India, Will Be Imran Khan’s Priority Until 2019:SAEED NAQVI
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/4/14528/Afghanistan-Not-India-Will-Be-Imran-Khans-Priority-Until-2019
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/14531/Another-Disastrous-Idea-From-the-Modi-Doval-Stable-
Pradyut Bora: “Modi and Shah will completely destroy the BJP”
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/interview/pradyut-bora-modi-and-shah-will-completely-destroy-the-bjp-2
Afghanistan, Not India, Will Be Imran Khan’s Priority Until 2019:SAEED NAQVI
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/4/14528/Afghanistan-Not-India-Will-Be-Imran-Khans-Priority-Until-2019
The dwindling minority:Drop in Muslim
representation in legislatures is related to rise of BJP:Christophe Jaffrelot ,
Unholy mess over cow:Rajesh Asnani,Siddhanta
Mishra
‘He looked like a terrorist’: How a drive in
Karnataka ended in mob lynching of UK-educated IT worker Azam:Reuters
'Married before 18, didn't attend school': NRC
may put many women at risk
For Mewat's Muslims, Cows Now a Source of Both
Livelihood and Fear:thewire
What's next for 4 million stripped of
citizenship in India?
Assam NRC: MP Ajmal missing from 1st list,
citizen in 2nd
Assam NRC final draft: Communal colour in
upgrading register sparks fear it's aimed at furthering BJP agenda
40 lakh not on updated Assam citizen list;
govt says no deportation for now
If voted to power, will publish NRC in Bengal,
says BJP
NRC: Mamata says govt wants to throw out
people from Bengal and Bihar
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