NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
06 Sept. 2018: 25 Zilhajj 1439: Vol: 10, No:101
INDIA
SC
decriminalises homosexuality by partly striking down section 377
New Delhi:In a very consequential verdict, the
Supreme Court today decriminalised homosexuality between consenting adults by
declaring Section 377, the penal provision which criminalised gay sex, as
"manifestly arbitrary". In separate but unanimous verdicts, a 5-judge
Constitution Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Rohinton Nariman,
Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra
partially struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code as
unconstitutional.The bench said it is no longer an offence for LGBTIQ (lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender/ transsexual, intersex and queer/questioning)
community to engage in consensual sex between two adults in private. Reading
out the judgment, CJI Misra said attitudes and mentality have to change to
accept others' identity and accept what they are, and not what they should
be. "It is the constitutional and
not social morality which will prevail," said the court. The verdict
sparked celebrations in the LGBTIQ community across India even as the judgment
was being read out. Many of the community members who had assembled outside the
apex court jumped in joy and distributed sweets. Chief Justice Misra said
consensual sex between adults in a private space, which is not harmful to women
or children, cannot be denied as it is a matter of individual choice. Section 377 will not apply to consensual
same-sex acts between homosexuals, heterosexuals, lesbians, the court said,
clarifying that sexual act without consent and bestiality will continue to be
an offence under section 377. "An individual has full liberty over his or
her body and his or her sexual orientation is a matter of one's choice,"
said the Chief Justice."Time to bid adieu to prejudicial perceptions
deeply ingrained in social mindset. Time to empower LGBTIQ community against
discrimination. They should be allowed to make their choices," he added.In
a concurring judgement, Justice Nariman said homosexuality is "not a
mental disorder or disease". He said the LGBTIQ community has an equal
right to live with dignity and are entitled to equal protection of law. He
directed the Centre to give wide publicity to this judgment to remove the stigma
attached to homosexuality.Justice Chandrachud said to deny the LGBTIQ community
their right to sexual orientation is a denial of their citizenship and a
violation of their privacy."They cannot be pushed into obscurity by an
oppressive colonial legislation... Sexual minorities in India have lived in
fear, hiding as second class citizens," said Justice Chandrachud, adding
"the state has no business to intrude on such matters".Justice Indu
Malhotra said that history owes an apology to the LGBTIQ community for all that
they have suffered on account of the ignorance of the majority about
homosexuality. "LGBTIQ people have a right to live unshackled from the
shadow," she said. The Supreme Court verdict, which overruled its own
earlier judgment, assumes significance as in the earlier round of litigation in
2013, the top court had reversed a Delhi High Court ruling decriminalising
homosexuality.IANS / sources
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind expresses dismay over the
SC verdict on 377
The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has expressed
disappointment over the verdict. In a press statement, JIH secretary-general
Muhammad Salim Engineer said: “Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is dismayed and
disappointed over the Supreme Court verdict to legalize homosexual behavior
between two consenting adults, effectively scrapping section 377 of IPC and
overturning the earlier judgment of the Delhi High Court. It may be recalled
that JIH along with leaders of different religious organisations had welcomed
the decision of the Supreme Court (delivered on 11 Dec 2013) wherein the SC had
refused to do away with section 377 and persisted with the view that
homosexuality is a criminal offence. With that historic decision, the apex
court had kept the country from going on to the path of moral degradation. But
today the SC has ruled that ‘human sexuality cannot be confined to a binary and
that homosexuality is not a mental disorder’.“Thus by decriminalising
homosexuality and permitting male-male and female-female marriage will destroy
the family system and prevent the natural evolution and progress of the human
race. Jamaat firmly believes in the fundamental rights of all citizens and is a
strong advocate of freedom and minority rights. However we wish to remind
fellow citizens that with freedom comes moral responsibility and no society can
accept crimes, vices and anarchy in the name of freedom and personal liberty.
We will persevere to educate the people and exercise all democratic options to
resist this shameful perversion and decadence in values which ignores religious
teachings, our culture and the opinion of the overwhelming majority of the
people. Such filthy experiments have destroyed human society and violated the
rights of women on large scale in certain countries and we should learn a
lesson from it. “Save this country from falling into sexual anarchy, protect
our children from vile sexual predators, safeguard the rights of our daughters
and sisters and prevent the infringement of the fundamental rights of its
citizens as the abrogation of section 377 of IPC will have a cascading effect
on the Personal Laws of many religions. We sincerely hope and pray that the
country will be rescued from the dark precipice it is rushing headlong
into." The Hindu
Decriminalizing homosexuality will lead
country to sexual anarchy: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Caravan Daily
Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind calls gay sex 'filthy',
says SC decision will create anarchy:Times Now
Jamaat-e-Islami expresses dismay over SC
verdict on 377:theindianawaaz
'Legalizing homosexuality means you are
encouraging more sexual violence'
Homosexuality not a crime, but against nature:
RSS
New Delhi:RSS today reacted cautiously to the
Supreme Court’s verdict decriminalising consenting homosexual relations between
adults in private, agreeing with the court that homosexuality should not be a
crime.However, it nuanced its position by saying that it did not approve of
homosexuality, as it was against “nature” and against social beliefs.“Just like
the SC, we also do not consider this criminal. But we do not support
homosexuality, as same-sex marriages and relations are not in sync with nature.
Traditionally too, Indian society does not accept such relations,”RSS Akhil
Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Arun Kumar said.He added, “Since humans learn with
experience, it is necessary to manage this matter at the social and
psychological level.”thehindu
Homosexuality not a crime, but same-sex
marriages unnatural: RSS
Section 377: UN lauds SC verdict on
homosexuality, hopes it will boost efforts to eliminate stigma
New Delhi:United Nations India Thursday lauded
the Supreme Court for striking down a “key component” of IPC’s Section 377
which criminalises “specific sexual acts between adults” and said the judgement
will boost efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination against LGBTI
persons. It also hoped the ruling will be the first step towards guaranteeing
the full range of fundamental rights to LGBTI persons.Sexual orientation and
gender expression form an integral part of an individual’s identity the world
over, and violence, stigma and discrimination based on these attributes
constitute an “egregious” violation of human rights, it said. PTI
India joins 25 nations where homosexuality
legal, however, 72 countries criminalise it
India joins 25 other countries where
homosexuality is legal. However, 72 countries and territories worldwide still
criminalise same-sex relationships, including 45 in which such relationships
between women are outlawed. indianexpress
Elgaar Parishad case: Ask your officials to be
more responsible, SC tells Maharashtra Police, extends house arrest of 5
activists till Sept 12
The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the
house arrest of the five activists, who were arrested by Pune police in
connection with a meeting on the eve of the Jan.1 violence at Bhima Koregaon,
till Sept.12. During today’s hearing, a Bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra took
umbrage over the statements made by the Assistant Commissioner of Police of
Pune on the matter, saying he was casting aspersions on the court.Justice DY
Chandrachud hit out at the Maharashtra Police for holding a press conference
and told the government to direct its police to be more responsible when the
matter is in court. “You must ask your police officials to be more responsible.
The matter is before us and we don’t want to hear from police officials that
the SC is wrong,” the bench told Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who
was appearing for Maharashtra government.The bench, however, refused to pass
any order asking police not to share information with the media.indianexpress
After dissolution of Telangana Assembly, KCR
calls Rahul ‘biggest buffoon’ of country, dismisses rumours about pact with BJP
New Delhi:Hours after the dissolution of
Telangana state Assembly on Thursday, caretaker Chief Minister and TRS
President K Chandrasekhar Rao called Congress President Rahul Gandhi as the
“biggest buffoon” in the country and dismissed rumours about aligning with a
“non-secular” party like BJP for 2019 elections.“Everyone knows what Rahul
Gandhi is…the biggest buffoon in the country. The whole country has seen how he
went and hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament and winked,” Rao
said at a press conference, where he also announced candidates for 105 constituencies.
He said only two sitting candidates were denied tickets.When asked about
Gandhi’s plans to extensively campaign in Telangana, the TRS chief said, “The
more he comes, it will be easier for us (to win elections).” KCR said the
Gandhi scion had inherited the legacy of the Congress Delhi empire and appealed
to the people of Telangana not to become slaves to Delhi. “The decisions of
Telangana should be taken in Telangana,” he said.After meeting PM Modi on
August 6, his second in one month, speculations started doing the rounds that
TRS and BJP might be planning a post-poll alliance after the 2019 Lok Sabha
elections. Putting to rest such rumours, Rao said, “TRS is a 100 per cent
secular party. How can we join hands with BJP?”The Chief Minister met Governor ESL
Narasimhan this afternoon and submitted a resolution adopted in the Cabinet
meeting where a decision to dissolve the Assembly and call for early polls was
taken. Accepting the resolution, the governor asked KCR and his council of
ministers to continue in office as “caretaker government”till elections.Rao
claimed the Election Commission had been consulted and that Telangana would go
to polls along with Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram. He
described Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM as a “friendly party” and said
TRS would continue to work with it.Rao, however, made it clear that TRS would
go it alone in the Assembly elections and asserted the party would win more
than 100 of the state’s 119 seats. The 120-member assembly also has a nominated
member.
Telangana Assembly dissolved | Live updates:
TRS announces candidates for next elections
Pawar was scout, bomb-maker for right-wing
terror plots
Maharashtra ATS have found that arrested right-wing
terror suspect Avinash Pawar had conducted recce at a few targets. He was also
present in Belgaum when a Padmaavat screening was bombed, and in Pune when the
Sunburn festival terror conspiracy was hatched. Mid-day had reported on Sept.3
that ATS had earlier found that during these dates Pawar was on leave from his
job as a fitter at Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL).
As per ATS officers, Pawar was the bomb-maker and also had training in
firing arms. The agency wants to know if Pawar was part of the group for whom
Shrikant Pangarkar, ex-Shiv Sena corporator from Jalna, had arranged
training.Meanwhile, ATS have decoded Pawar's diary seized from a locker at MDL,
in which he wrote coded messages. Officers said they are yet to question him on
the same. The investigators said Pawar used a SIM card registered in someone
else's name, and the cell tower location from the card shows he was in Belgaum
and Pune.The probe revealed that the card was given to him by fellow accused
Vaibhav Raut, who got it from Sudhanva Gondhalkar. mid-day
Treat Sanathan Sanstha Like a Terror Outfit if
They Killed Gauri Lankesh:Sister
Bengaluru: Rightwing outfit Sanatan Sanstha
should be treated like any other terrorist organisation if its involvement in
killings of rationalists, including Narendra Dabholkar, was proved, Kavitha
Lankesh, sister of slain journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh said.Her demand
comes in the backdrop of the investigation by the SIT, probing the Gauri case,
leading to the the arrest of key players in the killing of rationalists
Dabholkar and M M Kalburgi.Talking to PTI on the eve of first death anniversary
of her sister, Kavitha expressed her happiness over the progress made by the
Karnataka SIT. "Right now we are hearing about subsidiary or off-shoot of
Sanatan Sanstha like Hindu Janajagruti Samiti... If it is proved they are all
involved... (in the killing), they should be listed as a terrorist organisation
like any other (extremist) organisation," Kavitha said.The SIT has so far
arrested 12 people and some of them were allegedly linked to Sanatan Sanstha
and its allied outfit Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.PTI
Bharat Bandh: Protests against amendments to
SC/ST Act in Bihar, MP and other states
Bharat Bandh called by several organisations
belonging to upper-caste groups against amendments to SC/ST Act is hampering
normal life in parts of North India and Central India. Due to tight security
arrangement, situation remained calm in Madhya Pradesh. Reports of rail roko
are being reported from Bihar. Police have tightened security across MP in view
of ongoing protests against the amendment to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Inspector General of Police
(Intelligence) Makrand Deuskar said orders prohibiting gathering of people in
large numbers have been imposed. "The administration in most of the
districts have clamped prohibitive orders under CrPC section 144 in view of the
bandh on September 6," he said. 34 companies of the special armed force of
police have been deployed in various districts, he said. Jabalpur district
collector Chhavi Bharadwaj has written to the state home department, seeking
suspension of Internet services in the district till 6 pm on Thursday. District
Education Officer in Bhind has ordered that schools in the district will remain
closed. Life remained normal across Uttar Pradesh on Thursday despite a 'Bharat
Bandh' call by some upper-caste groups against the recent amendment approved by
Parliament to overturn a Supreme Court judgment on the Scheduled
Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act."It (Bharat Bandh
call) has no meaning. People have their feelings. In a democracy everyone has
the right to express themselves," Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said
when asked by reporters to comment on the 'bandh' call against the SC/ST
Act.dnaindia
Bharat bandh: Swarna Sangrakshak Sabha state
president puts up hoarding asking PM for death
The state president of UP Swarna Sangrakshak
Sabha, Sri Krishan Gupta, has put up hoardings in Meerut asking for 'wishful
death' for the general category people from prime minister Narendra Modi.The
hoarding says that since the government has straightened the SC/ST Act,
the general community is "living in
fear" and thus they want to be allowed to die by the prime
minister.Gwalior observed a strict bandh in line with the Svarna Samaj agenda.
Schools, colleges and markets remained shut. Rajput Karni Sena leader, Rishabh
Bhadauri, has been kept under close watch by Gwalior Police to avoid any
incitement of violence.In support of Bandh, Nalkheda based Baglamukhi Temple
priests have postponed the religious activities in the area. Over 1500 policemen were deployed in the
area. Firstpost
Bharat Bandh: Section 144 in MP Districts,
Police Gear Up for Protests Over SC/ST Act
'This Is Just the Beginning,' Say Protestors
After Bringing a Sea of Red to Delhi
New Delhi: More than one lakh workers and
peasant marched from the Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street in New Delhi on
Wednesday, protesting against what they called the apathy of the government in
addressing issues faced by them. The protestors, brought together by affiliates
of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) –
All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), the Centre of Indian Trade
Unions (CITU) and All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) – had travelled from 23 states
across the country. The peasants’ and workers’ march brought large parts of
Delhi to a grinding halt. The Delhi traffic police had issued an advisory
suggesting that people avoid certain areas of central Delhi through which the
protestors were supposed to march. In its advisory, the police mentioned that
the march is expected to involve between 20,000 and 25,000 people. However, in
reality, the number was at least 6 times more and the arrangements made by the
police to manage traffic went for a toss.Over the last few years, India has
seen several protests by farmers across the country. The intensity and
frequency of these protests has increased since June last year, when 6
protesting farmers were shot dead by the Madhya Pradesh police in Mandsaur.
Since then, several coalitions of farmers’ organisations from different states
have come together to provide cohesion to the movement. Now, with the Kisan
Mazdoor Sangharsh rally in the capital, workers and farmers have come together
in a movement at the national level for the first time in recent years.“The
issue of wage is a unifying factor for peasants and workers. Peasants do not
get the minimum support price and workers do not get minimum wages. They are
the two most marginalised classes. So it is only natural for them to come
together,” said Vijoo Krishnan, joint secretary of the AIKS and one of the main
organisers of the protest. A key demand across all farmers’ movements for the
last few years has been the provision of remunerative prices for their produce.
Tangibly, the demand is that the minimum support prices (MSP) be set at
comprehensive cost of production plus 50%,as recommended by the Swaminathan
Commission on farmers in 2006.In July this year, the Narendra Modi-led
government announced MSP for the kharif crops and claimed that it had
implemented the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and provided MSP
at cost plus 50%. However, as The Wire had pointed out at the time, the
government’s claim was misleading. It had chosen a cost of production lower
than the one recommended by the Swaminathan Commission and falsely claimed –
and continues to claim – that it has implemented the Swaminathan
recommendations and fulfilled its election promises.the wire
‘2+2’ dialogue: India-US sign military
communications pact, agree to speed up Delhi’s NSG bid
New Delhi :India and the US today held the
first edition of the 2+2 dialogue in New Delhi, in which the major takeaways
were the signing of the long-pending Communications Compatibility and Security
Agreement (COMCASA) and setting up of a hotline between External Affairs
Minister and Defence Minister with their American counterparts.After being
canceled twice in the last 14 months, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held the 2+2 dialogue with US Secretary of
State Michael Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis.“Signing of
Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) will enable India
to access advanced technologies from the US,” Sitharaman said during the joint
press briefing.COMCASA will provide a legal framework for the transfer of
communication security equipment from the US to India that would facilitate
“interoperability” between their forces — and potentially with other militaries
that use US-origin systems for secured data links. It will also allow the
installation of high-security US communication equipment on defence platforms
being sourced from the US.Reuters quoted experts as saying that the signing of
the COMCASA agreement could also reduce the chances of the US imposing
sanctions on India for looking to buy Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile
systems.Swaraj said both the sides also agreed on working together towards
entry of India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).The two sides also
announced the deployment of an Indian liaison officer at the US Naval Forces
Central Command (NAVCENT), which is in charge of naval operations in
Afghanistan, Pakistan and the oil-rich Gulf countries. In a first, the two
nations also decided to conduct a tri-services joint exercise off the eastern
coast of India in 2019.On H-1B visa issue, Swaraj expressed hope that the US
would not “act against” the interest of Indians. In their joint statement, the
ministers called on Pakistan to ensure that their territory was not used to
launch terrorist attacks on other countries. “We have discussed terror
emanating from Pakistan and have agreed that Pakistan needs to do a lot more to
curb terror originating from it,” Swaraj said.The two sides also expressed
support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process. “We
welcome President Trump’s policy on Afghanistan. We are working together in the
fight against terror,” she said. US has emerged as India’s second largest arms
supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals in the past decade.India is Iran's
top oil buyer after China, and it is seeking a waiver from US. According to reuters, ahead of the talks in
New Delhi, a senior US State Department official said the US was engaged in
"very detailed conversations"with India over Washington's request to
completely stop India's oil imports from Iran. "We’re asking all of our
partners, not just India, to reduce to zero oil imports from Iran and so I’m
confident that will be part of our conversation with India," the official
told reporters accompanying Pompeo.
indianexpress
US,India seek to deepen defense ties,sign key pact
Pakistan focussed to undermine India's
territorial integrity through terrorism: India at UN
UN: Pakistan's focus for decades has been to
undermine India's territorial integrity through the "explicit use of
terrorism" as a state policy, New Delhi said in a stern response after
Islamabad raked up the Kashmir issue at the UN.Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN
Maleeha Lodhi yet again raised the issue of Kashmir while addressing the High
Level Forum on the Culture of Peace in the UN General Assembly Wednesday.She
said "foreign occupation and the denial of fundamental rights including
the right to self-determination exacerbate the sense of injustice among the
occupied and the oppressed"."Nowhere is this more apparent than in
the pain and suffering" of the people in Kashmir and Palestine, she said,
citing the recent report on Kashmir issued by ex UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.Minister in India's Permanent Mission to the UN
Srinivas Prasad said that a culture of peace is not just an abstract value or
principle to be discussed and extolled in conferences, but needs to be actively
built into global relationships between and among nation states. PTI
‘Imperative to find solution to Kashmir issue;Pak
Pakistan’s President and Prime Minister
Thursday said it was imperative to find a solution to the Kashmir issue under
the UN resolutions for peace in the region as they voiced their desire to
promote mutual cooperation with other countries on the basis of
equality.Pakistan observes September 6 as the Defence Day to mark the
anniversary of the 1965 war with India.Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his first
message on the occasion, said: “Pakistan believed in peaceful coexistence and
wanted to promote mutual cooperation with all its neighbours and the entire
world on equal basis”.Outgoing President Mamnoon Hussain said that people of
Pakistan demonstrated unsurpassed national unity and stood by their armed
forces to thwart the evil designs of the enemy. The President and Prime
Minister, in their separate messages on the occasion, emphasised that the
resolution of the Kashmir issue in light of the UN resolutions is imperative
for peace in the region, Radio Pakistan reported.In his message today, Khan appreciated
the courage and professionalism of the Pakistani armed forces in eliminating
militancy and terrorism, saying “no doubt their efforts for national
development, strengthening of democracy and world peace were laudable”.HT
Pakistan Seeks US Intervention to Ease
Tensions with India
Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday sought US
help to ease tensions with India, saying it wanted peace on the Eastern border
in order to concentrate on the Western border with Afghanistan.“We want ease on
the Eastern border if we have to look towards the Western side,” foreign
minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters while briefing them on the outcome
of his talks with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.Stating that people suffer
due to ceasefire violations along the Line of Control, he said, it was
“important that we should look at it and see how we can improve that and who
can help us to bring the improvement (on Eastern border).”PTI
Union minister Athawale to petition SC against
bar on ‘Dalit’ use
New Delhi: Junior social justice minister
Ramdas Athawale has said his political outfit, the Republican Party of India,
will move the Supreme Court against the Bombay HC order “imposing restrictions”
on the use of ‘Dalit’ in the media and in day-to-day conversations. Athawale
said there is strong resentment among the Dalits against the government
advisory and that while he supports the use of the constitutional term
Scheduled Caste in official communication, the fight for the ‘Dalit’ identity
is not merely a semantic battle, and as a former member of the Dalit Panther,
he is strongly opposed to the government’s decision.Union minister Ram Vilas
Paswan also batted for the use of Dalit as an identity marker for the
community, and said Dalit and Scheduled Caste (SC) have become synonymous usage
over the years. “Dalits and adivasis is commonly used even though Dalit is not
a caste centric term. That may be the reason why specific ‘scheduled caste’ and
‘scheduled tribes’ was included in the Constitution when Babasaheb B R Ambedkar
drafted it. Media has used the term as it is easily understood by people,” he
said, adding that this was also the official position of the Lok Jantantrik
Party, of which he is the chief. TOI
He Apologised, Chapter Over: BJP After
Lawmaker's "Kidnap Women" Remark
MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP accused the Opposition
Wednesday of being less concerned about the people's issues and instead
fuelling the controversy over its lawmaker Ram Kadam's anti-women remarks, even
as ally Shiv Sena demanded strict action against the legislator. BJP MLA on
Monday night bragged to young men that he would "kidnap" a girl they
like, if she rejects their proposal, but had later expressed regrets over his
remarks made at a "Dahi Handi" event in his Ghatkopar assembly
constituency.With Ram Kadam's remarks triggering an "outrage", MNS
and NCP Wednesday likened him to demon king Ravan for making the anti-women
remark.BJP state spokesperson Madhav Bhandari played down Kadam's remark,
saying as MLA has expressed regret over it, the matter is over."After
Kadam regretted his comments, the chapter is over for the party now. He has
tweeted about it, so there is no need to comment on it," Bhandari
said.Asked about the Opposition slamming MLA and targeting the BJP, he said,
"The opposition parties are not concerned about the 'real issues' of the
state. They do not want to take any stand over issues that matter, hence they
are continuing their tirade against Kadam."PTI
'My daughter didn't want to apologise, it's
her freedom of speech': Sofia's father
Even as the clamour over the altercation
between a Canada-based research scholar Sofia Lois and TN BJP President
Tamilisai Soundararajan continues to dominate headlines, Sofia’s father, Dr
Samy is still waiting on police action over his complaint against BJP cadre at
the airport.Dr Samy, along with his wife and daughter, was travelling on a
private airlines from Chennai to Thoothukudi on Monday- the same flight that
Tamilisai was also travelling on. An eventless flight turned into a shocker for
him when his daughter shouted at the TN BJP chief with the words, “BJP-yin
fascist aatchi ozhiga”(Down with BJP’s fascist regime). “Tamilisai was sitting
in the third row. We were sitting in the eighth row. She had to pass by us to
deplane. When she was passing by, my daughter stood up and shouted ‘down with
the fascist BJP government’. I didn’t expect that she would do that. Tamilisai
turned and looked at my daughter and then walked out. She paid no heed to her.
She couldn’t speak at that point. She should have either retorted to my
daughter or gotten angry. She didn’t do either," Samy said.thenewsminute
Agricultural Loans Worth Rs 59,000 Crore Went
to 615 Accounts in One Year
New Delhi: Government banks handed out Rs
58,561 crore to 615 accounts in agricultural loans in the year 2016. On
average, each account has been given over Rs 95 crore in agricultural loans.
This information was revealed by the RBI in response to a RTI application filed
by The Wire.Agricultural loans incur lower interest rates as compared to other
common loans, and they are also given under fewer preconditions than the
average loan. These changes were made to make it easier to give loans to small
and marginalised farmers. At the moment, farmers are given agricultural loans
at the interest rate of 4%.Kiran Kumar Veesa, the founder of the farmers’
organisation Rythu Swarajya Vedika, said, “Many big companies involved in
agri-business are taking loans under the agricultural loans category. Companies
like Reliance Fresh come under the agri-business company category. They engage
in the buying and selling of agricultural produce, and take loans under the
agricultural loans category for the construction of godowns or other such
related activities.”thewire
For 8 days IAS officer toiled at Kerala relief
camp without revealing who he was
Thiruvananthapuram:For 8 days, Kannan
Gopinathan worked at relief camps in flood-ravaged Kerala, spending two of
those carrying large packages on his head while offloading relief material from
trucks in the port city of Kochi. On the ninth day, he was recognised as an IAS
officer and he quietly left, as discreetly as he had arrived and
helped.Gopinathan, a 2012 batch IAS officer serving as district collector in
the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, had arrived in Kerala on August
26 as the state battled devastation from deadly floods. He was on an official
visit to hand over a cheque for Rs one crore from Dadra and Nagar Haveli for
the Kerala chief minister’s relief fund.HT
NSA Doval’s comment on J&K constitution attempt
to ‘distort’ history: CPI(M) MLA
Srinagar:NSA Ajit Doval’s assertion that a
separate constitution for Jammu and Kashmir was probably an “aberration” was an
attempt to “distort” facts and history, CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami claimed
Thursday. “J&K acceded to India under the guarantees provided by the
Constitution of India. It is the constituent assembly which incorporated Article
370 in the Constitution providing a constitutional basis for the relationship
of J&K with the Union,” Tarigami said.He said Article 370 was the only
article of the Constitution of India which directly applies to the state of
Jammu and Kashmir. It is not a temporary provision but part of the basic
features and structure of the Constitution, CPI(M) leader said. He said at the
time of partition in 1947, except J&K, all other states acceded to India by
signing the Instrument of Accession without any condition or terms. These
states became units of India accepting the Constitution of India totally,he
said.PTI
Jharkhand: Man lynched, 2 injured on suspicion
of being thieves
Medininagar :A 26-year-old man was lynched to
death and two others were injured by a mob in Jharkhand’s Palamu district on
the suspicion of being thieves, police said on Thursday. The three went to the
house of a prospective bride at Tisibar village – around 200 km from Ranchi –
on Wednesday evening. They were dragged out the house and beaten up by the mob
after a member of the woman’s family apparently spread a rumour that they were
thieves, said district Superintendent of Police Indrajit Mahatha.The deputy SP
reached the spot with a police team and rescued 3 men, who are residents of the
same village. Faced with stiff opposition, the police had to fire four rounds
in the air to disperse the mob, but no one was injured, Mahatha said. 3, all in
their twenties,were rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors referred them to
another one, about 15 km away. One of them succumbed to injuries after arriving
at the hospital, SP said.Six people have been detained and family feud was
suspected to be the reason behind spreading of the rumour, the officer said.
PTI
Government knew of Johnson & Johnson
faulty hip implants, took almost two years to ban
New Delhi :Globally, Johnson & Johnson
recalled its faulty hip implant on August 24, 2010 but it took Indian
regulators almost two years to ban its import and cancel its licence, official
records obtained by The Indian Express reveal.This despite the fact that the
regulator, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, which comes under the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was informed of the global recall in
2010 itself.The delay in cancelling the licence assumes significance as the
firm told the expert committee — appointed by the Union Health Ministry in Feb.
2017— that it cannot trace as many as 3,600 patients who underwent the
surgeries involving the faulty implant. The device, ASR XL Acetabular Hip
System and ASR Hip resurfacing system, was first introduced in India in 2006
and its licence was renewed in 2010 before global recall.But warning bells had
begun to ring as early as 2009 itself when Australian regulators red-flagged
the high rate of revision surgeries and withdrew the product that year
itself.indianexpress
Petrol, diesel prices soar to record new high
.Petrol prices in New Delhi and Mumbai rose to
an all-time high of Rs 79.51 and Rs 86.91 per litre respectively, news agency
ANI reported on Thursday. Diesel prices
too rose up by Rs 0.36 per litre in Delhi (Rs 71.55 per litre) and Rs 0.42 in
Mumbai (Rs 75.96 per litre).Despite the spiralling prices, the Centre has
decided not to cut excise duty on petrol and diesel as it has limited fiscal
space available to make any dent in revenue collections
WORLD
Paraguay to move its embassy in Israel back to
Tel Aviv
Paraguay said Wednesday it was moving its
embassy in Israel back from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, prompting Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to order the closure his country's mission in the South
American country in retaliation.Paraguay's new President Mario Abdo Benitez,
who took office in mid-August, took the decision "to contribute to the intensification
of regional and international diplomatic efforts that aim to achieve a broad,
just and durable peace in the Middle East," his government said.The
original decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv was taken by Abdo Benitez's
predecessor Horacio Cartes shortly after President Donald Trump had announced
the US would relocate its own embassy to Jerusalem.Cartes even joined Netanyahu
in the new embassy's opening ceremony in Jerusalem in May.Abdo Benitez was
already president elect at that point and had questioned the decision,
complaining that he had not been consulted.Announcing the move, his government
said it considered the return to Tel Aviv "appropriate" but
Netanyahu's office replied that the decision had cast a shadow on relations
between the two countries."The prime minister has asked the foreign
ministry to close the Israeli embassy in Paraguay," it said in a
statement.Trump broke with decades of US policy by moving the US embassy to
Jerusalem on May 14, infuriating Palestinians and intensifying protests on the
Gaza border, with 60 killed in clashes with Israeli forces that day.His move
was followed by Guatemala while the Czech Republic decided to reopen its
honorary consulate in Jerusalem as President Milos Zeman voiced his wish to
also move its embassy from Tel Aviv.AFP
Israel won’t distinguish btwn Lebanon,
Hezbollah in war
Jerusalem:Israel will not refrain from
striking Lebanese infrastructure in any future conflict with Hezbollah, a
senior military official said Thursday.“We will not draw a distinction between
Hezbollah and Lebanon as we did in 2006,” an unnamed military official was
quoted as saying by Israeli daily Haaretz.“We will not hesitate to strike
Lebanon and any Lebanese infrastructure that contributes to the fighting,” he
said.“The Israeli military, however, doesn’t believe Hezbollah is interested in
a fresh round of conflict,” the official added.Anadolu
Amnesty: Israel SC ‘approves a war crime’
Israel’s Supreme Court has approved a war
crime, Amnesty International stated yesterday, responding to the latest
decision that paves the way for Israeli authorities to demolish the Palestinian
village of Khan Al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank.The Supreme Court justices
ruled this week, for the second time in less than two months, that the planned
destruction of the entire community can proceed.Responding yesterday, the international
rights group slammed the ruling.Saleh Higazi, head of office in Jerusalem for
Amnesty International.“The court has not only completely denied the petitioners
the protection provided to them by International Humanitarian Law, it has also
validated the discriminatory policies of the Israeli authorities,” Higazi
continued.middleeastmonitor
Saudi prince rejects allegations of royal
family rift after London comments
Saudi King Salman's brother has played down
controversial remarks he made to anti-Saudi protesters in London that sparked
furious speculation about possible discord within the royal family. Prince
Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud apparently asked a crowd in London to stop chanting
slogans against the Saudi royal family over the kingdom's involvement in the
3-year conflict in Yemen. "What does the family have to do with it?
Certain individuals are responsible... the king and the crown prince," he
said, according to a widely circulated online video of the incident in London.
The comment was seen as rare criticism from a royal family member of the
kingdom's leadership as well as its role in the Yemen conflict, dubbed by the
UN as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.But in a statement, the prince
dismissed that interpretation as "inaccurate"."I have made it clear
that the king and the crown prince are responsible for the state and its
decisions," the prince said in the statement released by the official
Saudi Press Agency late Tuesday."This is true for the security and
stability of the country and the people. Therefore, it is not possible to
interpret what I said in any other way."In a bid to suggest unity within
the royal family, multiple pro-Saudi social media accounts posted images of
Prince Ahmed kissing the hand of King Salman.The internal affairs of the royal
family are shrouded in secrecy and a public airing of disagreements is
extremely rare.The remarks come as powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
tightens his grip on power by cracking down on dissent with the imprisonment of
prominent clerics, women and human rights activists.Bin Salman earlier detained
several members of the royal family, including global investor Prince Alwaleed
bin Talal, over allegations of corruption. They have mostly been released after
agreeing to financial settlements.In an interview with Middle East Eye,
dissident Prince Khaled bin Farhan urged Prince Ahmed and Prince Muqrin bin
Abdulaziz to seize power from the powerful crown prince to protect the kingdom
from his "irrational, erratic and stupid" rule.middleeasteye/AFP
US Congressperson Tulsi Gabbard denies
association with World Hindu Congress, calls it a ‘platform for partisan
politics’
Tulsi Gabbard, American politician of the
Democratic Party and representative of 2nd Hawaii’s congressional district has
dismissed all rumours about her being the chairperson of World Hindu Congress
2018 to be held in Chicago from Sept.7-9.The World Hindu Congress claims to be
a global platform for Hindus all over the world to connect and share ideas and
inspire one another. The congress is held once every four years. This year 2018
marks the marks the commemoration of 125 years of Swami Vivekananda’s address
at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago.Tulsi Gabbard has stated on
record in a letter addressed to Dr. Asthana, convenor, World Hindu Congress,
that she does not want to serve as the honorary chair for the said event as the
event is a platform for partisan politics in India and withdrew her
participation due to ethical concerns and problems that could arise due to her
participation in the event.TwoCircles
7 demonstrators killed in Iraq’s Basra within
48 hours
The number of demonstrators killed in Iraq’s
southern Basra province has risen to seven within the past 48 hours after
another protester succumbed to injuries Wednesday evening, according to a local
medical source. On Tuesday, 6 Iraqis were killed during a demonstration in
Basra city held to protest high unemployment, poor public services and
corruption. A source at Basra’s general hospital -- preferring anonymity --
said a seventh demonstrator had died after having been shot Wednesday
evening.In a statement, Mahdi al-Tamimi, a member of a parliamentary human
rights committee, confirmed the death of a seventh protester.Wednesday evening
saw violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators outside Basra’s
provincial headquarters, with protesters at one point setting the building on
fire.worldbulletin
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
‘Considering the Cow as divine is an insult to
humankind’: By Afshan Khan, BeyondHeadlines
One Year Since Gauri Lankesh’s Assassination:
Independent Journalism in Peril:BHAVNA JHA
Does India's New Series GDP Data Overestimate
Manufacturing Output?thewire
Full text: Supreme Court judgment
decriminalises same-sex relationships under Section 377
The term 'Dalit' seeks to change structures of
oppression, rather than adjust to them:Suraj Yengde
Arrest of dissenters is a way for government
to shift focus from the discontent:P B Sawant
Advisory against using ‘Dalit’ must be seen
within a context: The policing of identities is part of the Hindu Rashtra
project:K. Satyanarayana
What next? Legalisation of incest? — NIDA
FATIMA
SC refuses to drop Romila Thapar’s petition in
Bhima Koregaon case
Modi desperately needs someone to blame for
all the scams by his friends: FARAZ AHMAD
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:16 PM)
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