*31 DEC. 2019: 4 Jamadi-1, 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 96
*anti-citizenship act stir*
Indians plan citizenship law 'protest parties' on New Year's Eve
Thousands of Indians are set to ring in the New Year by holding protests
against a citizenship law, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to
dampen demonstrations that have run for nearly three weeks. India has been
rocked by the protests after the government passed the CAA, easing the way for
non-Muslim minorities from the neighbouring nations to gain Indian citizenship.
Combined with opposition to a proposed NRC, many Indians fear the move will
discriminate against the minority Muslim community and chip away at the
country's secular constitution.Protesters plan at least three demonstrations in
New Delhi, the capital, including the area of Shaheen Bagh, where hundreds of
residents have blocked a major highway for 18 days.Poetry recitals and speeches
are planned by organisers at a protest outside New Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia
university, which was stormed by police this month."New Year's resolution
to defend the constitution," read the schedule for another protest planned
in New Delhi, now in the grip of its second-coldest winter in more than a
century. Social media was buzzing with invitations to join such protests.
"Bring your art materials, solidarity candles, placards, snacks and
blankets," said a post announcing "New Year's Eve at India Gate"
in New Delhi.The protesters plan to hold readings from the constitution,
poetry, music and candle-light marches at these gatherings which mostly start
at 10 pm and are expected to end shortly
after midnight.Student and civil society groups, opposition parties and others
also plan events on New Year's Day to mark their opposition to the law.At some
meetings, mass pledges to defend the constitution and hunger strikes are
planned.Police said they planned to deploy additional forces in New Delhi on
New Year's Eve, with traffic curbs imposed in some parts of the capital.Similar
"protest parties" are being organised at designated sites in other
major Indian cities.In the southern city of Hyderabad, at least two small
groups of demonstrators have been organising flash protests, to skirt police
restrictions on larger gatherings.Street-side poetry recitals, stand-up comedy,
and music performances are also planned in the financial capital of Mumbai and
the eastern city of Kolkata.aljazeera
'Won't leave': Women lead protest in India capital's Muslim area of
Shaheen Bagh :aljazeera
CAA protest: Bangladesh Suspends Mobile Networks Along India Borders
Citing Security
Bangladesh government has suspended mobile networks along the borders
with India, citing security reasons “in the current circumstances”, a move that
will affect around 10 million users in the area, according to media reports.
The operators suspended the networks on Monday within one kilometres of the
borders with India, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory
Commission (BTRC), in its order to telecommunications service providers –
Grameenphone, Teletalk, Robi and Banglalink – on Sunday, said network coverage
in the border areas should be suspended until further notice “for the sake of
the country’s security in the current circumstances”, it said.“A high-level
meeting of the government took this decision, following which the instructions
were issued,” BTRC Chairman Jahurul Haque was quoted as saying by bdnews24,
declining to give further explanations.A BTRC official was quoted as saying in
Dhaka Tribune that around 2,000 base transceiver stations have been closed that
would affect around 10 million users in 32 districts that share a border with
India and Myanmar.According to the report, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal
and Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen expressed ignorance over the government’s
decision.“I do not have any such information. Let me know about it first and then
I will comment,” Kamal said.Brig Gen (retd.)SM Farhad, secretary-general at
Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, said, “mobile network
operators in Bangladesh are compliant with government regulations; accordingly,
the directive on border network coverage has already been implemented.“This
decision will certainly have an impact since a large segment of citizens in the
border areas will be out of the range of the internet, voice and other
services.”Bangladesh government’s directive came days after the Indian
government passed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.Bangladesh was
learned to have been upset following the rollout of NRC in Assam around four
months ago even though India conveyed to it that the issue was an internal matter
of the country.PTI
Bangladesh shuts down telecoms along India border citing security
concerns
Indian expats in Abu Dhabi submit memorandum to embassy; want CAA
revoked
Dubai: A group of Indian expats in UAE have submitted a memorandum to
Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi expressing concerns over contentious amended
Citizenship Act which many claim is "discriminatory" on religious
grounds, according to a media report.Around 30 people from the Indian community
met with the embassy officials on Sunday to voice their opposition with the CAA),
Gulf News reported.The community members contended that the newly passed law propagates
a divisive society, the report added.Speaking to the Gulf News after handing
over the "Letter Of Opposition To CAA" Abdullah Khan, an Abu Dhabi
resident, said, "I am worried about my family in India. I tried to call
them in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh but did not succeed as the communication
lines and Internet were shut down after protests over the
CAA.""Indian community here decided to register its humble request to
abolish the law which divides society where people of all religions otherwise
live together peacefully," Khan said. Another Abu Dhabi resident, Sanjay
Manohar Pancha, who also turned up at the embassy, said, "I would like
that all people be given their equal due as per the Constitution of India,
whether they are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians."PTI
Activists rally against ‘illegal’ surveillance of CAA protests
Bengaluru: Digital rights activists are up in arms over what they term
as illegal acts of mass surveillance by law enforcement authorities in Delhi
during the recent protests against CAA and proposed NRC.In letters to the home
ministry and Delhi Police commissioner on Sunday, Internet Freedom Foundation
(IFF) has asked Delhi Police to cease the use of facial recognition technology
and video surveillance to identify protesters rallying against the
legislation.“Due to the glaring illegality and the immense injury caused to the
fundamental right of privacy, risks of discrimination and subsequent coercive
action, we demand an urgent halt to the Automated Facial Recognition System
(AFRS) along with consequential demands seeking transparency and accountability
on its use,” wrote Apar Gupta, executive director at IFF, a digital rights
body. A copy of the letter has been posted on the IFF website.Gupta also
claimed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s guidelines on use of
drones appear to have been flouted by Delhi Police for purpose of surveillance.ET
CAA Protests: When Police Uses Your Face Against You
Use of Facial Recognition Software at PM Modi's Delhi Rally Sparks
Privacy Fears
Tamil orator Nellai Kannan draws flak for asking why no Muslims are
finishing Modi, Amit Shah
Chennai :Tamil orator Nellai Kannan is facing heat for his comments on
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in
Melapalayam. At the rally organised by SDPI against the new citizenship law and
the proposed nationwide NRC on Monday, Kannan had said “There is one guy called
Amit Shah. (Modi) is the Prime Minister but (Amit Shah) is his brains. If Amit
Shah is finished off then Modi is finished too. Leave that be to one side.” He
then goes to say, “But none of you are finishing it. Let that be to one side. I
keep thinking you all will do something,” looking around at the Muslim
dignitaries on the dais. The rally was attended by Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi
leader T Velmurugan, and other popular Muslim fronts.Kannan’s controversial
remarks went viral across social media, with netizens slamming the Tamil writer
for his comments. According to reports, Melapalayam police have booked
Kannan.Kannan, who started his political career with Congress, campaigned for
AIADMK in 2006 despite Congress being in alliance with DMK. MMK leader and MLA
Thamimum Ansari said they don’t agree with Kannan’s views. “Whoever it is, they
must hold their tongue. Protests against CAA/NRC are taking place considering
the interest of the country, the sole purpose of our protests will get diverted
if people like Nellai Kannan speak something like this. And a party like BJP
knows how to make a small issue into a bigger problem. People who are in a
responsible position should know what they speak,” he added. Sources close to AIADMK said the government
is yet to take a decision on Kannan’s controversial remarks.indianexpress
State legislatures have no power: RS Prasad after Kerala passes
resolution against new law
New Delhi :Hours after the Kerala Assembly Tuesday passed a resolution
demanding scrapping of the CAA, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Tuesday
asserted that only the Parliament has powers to pass any law regarding
citizenship, not Assembly. The law minister allayed fears regarding the new
citizenship law reiterating that CAA does not relate to any Indian citizen.
“CAA neither creates nor takes away the citizenship of any Indian. Vested
interests are doing a lot of disinformation campaign. It is perfectly
Constitutional and legal,” said Prasad.The law minister questioned the
hypocrisy of the opposition parties recalling that late Prime Ministers Indira
Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had provided citizenship to minorities from Uganda and
Sri Lankan Tamils, respectively. “It’s ok if Congress did so and it is a
problem when Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah did the
same? This is double standards and hypocrisy of the worst order,” he said
strongly defending the CAA which has triggered protests across the country in
the past weeks.Regarding the compilation of NPR, Prasad said it is “compendium
of usual residents and nothing to do with citizens”. “The national population
register data is used for development and framing of policy. This data which
emerges out of this becomes the basis for policymaking,” said the law
minister.indianexpress
MK Stalin urges TN CM to follow Pinarayi’s lead, pass anti-CAA
resolution in Assembly
Welcoming Kerala Assembly adopting a resolution demanding scrapping of
the Citizenship Amendment Act, DMK on Tuesday urged ruling AIADMK to go in for
a similar move in the Tamil Nadu legislature against the contentious law to
protect the Constitution.Expressing happiness on adoption of the anti-CAA
resolution in the Kerala Assembly moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, DMK
president MK Stalin said it was a welcome move. Urging Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K
Palaniswami to adopt a similar resolution in Tamil Nadu Assembly on January 6
when the House convenes for the first session of 2020, Stalin also tweeted
about it.thenewsminute
8 refugees from Sindh in Pakistan receive Citizenship in Rajasthan
Kota: In a first development after the passage of the Citizenship
Amendment Act, 8 Pakistani citizens who were living in Kota since 2000 were
given Indian citizenship on Monday after they received a certificate from the
District Collector of Kota. According to sources, they had fled Sindh district
of Pakistan after being religiously persecuted.When asked about the same, the
people who have been granted citizenship said that they’re very happy about it.
However, this move has been brought after the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok
Gehlot said that CAA and NRC would not be implemented in the state. Meanwhile,local
administration called it a routine process of granting citizenship. It is also
being said that since most of the Hindu migrants in Pakistan have connections
in Rajasthan, there is immense pressure being put on Chief Minister, by the
people waiting to get the Indian citizenship, to consider the implementation of
the Act in the state. Times Now
Students not branded anti-nationals, facts twisted about CAA:Minister
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
No one in the Government has branded students as anti-nationals, facts
are being twisted about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Minister for
Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, tells BusinessLine. He said, " NPR
has nothing to do with any controversy nor is it linked in any way to NRC. It
is conducted every ten years since 1951."Naqvi said,"I have no
comments to make on the CM. Violence is not acceptable, whether it is from the
crowds or from the police. There has been damage to public property in UP. I am
not justifying anything but the priority has to be to restore peace."Over
police action on Jamia Millia and AMU and branding students as anti-national,
urban naxal, he said, "A lot of us have come out of student movements and
no one in this Government will brand students as anti-nationals. No one has
done that. One may venture to say that they have been misguided. But how can
you say we have called them urban naxals? The term urban naxals has not been
used against students."thehindubusinessline
NCP chief Sharad Pawar supports Mamata in her fight against CAA, NRC
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee’s letter in which the CM had requested pan-India support in her fight
against the CAA and NRC.Pawar agreed to extend his support to the on-going
fight and also expressed his willingness to be a part of the plan to take on
the Narendra Modi-led govt.Addressing Banerjee, he wrote in the letter, “I
totally agree with your concern and pledge to stand in solidarity with all
like-minded leaders and parties to present against the implementation of CAA
and nationwide NRC. I will be happy to associate myself with any concerted plan
to rise against the authoritarian regime of the Central Government and for
saving our democracy.”He also asked the CM to keep him informed about the
meeting or any other steps taken against CAA or NRC.punemirror
Assam Says It Suffered Rs 1,000-Crore Loss Due To Citizenship Law
Protest
Tourism in Assam suffered an estimated loss of Rs 1,000 crore due to
violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act, a top official said on
Tuesday.The sector has been badly hit in December and will be in January too,
Assam Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah told a
press conference in Guwahati. Along with domestic tourists, their flow from
abroad too took a hit after a number of countries issued travel advisories due
to the ongoing protests, Mr Baruah said."The peak season of tourism is
from December to March. Due to violence during the protests, the sector
suffered badly. We estimate that the loss in December and January will be Rs
500 crore each," he said.ndtv
CAA protest: Director of Higher Education Assam asks govt servants not
to criticize the govt
Guwahati: With several state government employees taking part in the
anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest, Director of Higher Education
Assam has asked the government servants not give any statement of fact or
opinion criticizing the government.In an office order G Phukan Director of
Higher Education stated, “It is brought to the notice of all concerned that
under 7 of the of the Assam Civil Service (conduct) rules 1965, a government
servant shall not make any statement of fact or opinion criticizing the
government. If the government servant is found criticizing the government,
he/she will be held responsible for violation of Rule 3 and rule 7 of Assam
Civil Service (conduct) rules 1965 which will attract the appropriate
provisions of the Assam services (discipline and appeal) rules
1964."economictimes
Jamia Students & Teachers Move NHRC For Action Against Police
Violence In Campus
Three students (Rahul Kapoor, Qasim Usmani and Aquib Rizwan) and Prof.
Majid Jamil, Secretary of the Teachers' Association of Jamia Milia Islamia
University filed a complaint against the police brutality toward students at
the National Human Rights Commission on Monday.As per the complaint, on 15th
December, a peaceful protest being conducted by the students of Jamia against
the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, culminated in the use of
excessive force in the form of lathicharge and tear gas shells by Delhi Police.
The complaint added that multiple students were grievously injured, with one
student losing an eye. Many more were detained with no access to medical or
legal aid.livelaw.in
Maharashtra: Thousands of Muslims, dalits take out 4th rally against CAA in Amravati
Amravati: Thousands of Muslim and dalit organizations on Monday took out
a rally to the collectorate in protest of the Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA).Raising slogans against government, the participants marched peacefully
to the collectorate. But seeing the magnitude of the protest, the
administration was forced to divert the traffic connecting Irwin Square and
Collectorate Road.This was the fourth rally against CAA in the city. It started
from Deputy Ground on Walgaon Road and marched to collectorate via Chitra
Chowk, Malviya Chowk, and Irwin Chowk. Police halted the rally near the
collectorate by putting the barricades after which leaders of the Muslim
community and office-bearers of various organizations addressed the
gathering.The protesters displayed pictures of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr
Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Shahid Rajguru , Birsa Munda, APJ Abdul
Kalam, and Annabhau Sathe. They carried placards protesting CAA and NRC and
also waved national flag. Leaders of various organizations condemned CAA and
urged the Centre to withdraw it. They alleged that Muslims were being branded as
anti-nationals even though the Constitution has given equal rights to every
religion and caste. They said that the Centre was aiming to create a rift among
different religions.TOI
‘We the People’: Naseeruddin Shah Reads Preamble, T.M. Krishna Sings National
Anthem in A Video Amidst CAA-NRC Protests
NEW DELHI:Legendary Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah and Carnatic
musician T M Krishna have chosen their own way of protest and lending their
support to the mass protests against the controversial and discriminatory
Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by Indian parliament earlier this
month.The video released by Karwan-e-Mohabbat, a civil society initiative
against hate and communalism, on YouTube and other social media platforms on
Monday has amassed sizeable viewership besides being talked about on internet
and mainstream media.In the video backed by visuals from the protests against
CAA-NRC, Shah is reading out the preamble of the constitution while Krishnan is
singing the national anthem of India.“In the continuing protests against the
Citizenship Amendment Act and the upcoming NPR-NRC, it is once again the time
to look back at the diversity of our country, its geography and its people, and
our constitutional virtues,” description under the video reads.Several
prominent Bollywood personalities have come forward and voiced their dissent
against the controversial Act. In fact Swara Bhasker and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub
are at the forefront in this fight of public against the Citizenship act. It
has been now over three weeks since protests began erupting in the cities and
towns across the country.The rallies are marked by protestors carrying Indian
Flag, photos of India’s founding fathers and reading of preamble of the constitution.caravandaily
Kolkata-Based Filmmaker Allegedly Attacked for Opposing CAA, NRC
Kolkata-based filmmaker Ronny Sen on Monday, filed a police complaint
alleging that he was manhandled for participating in anti-CAA, NRC protests in
the city.In a Facebook post, Sen named a person Avijit Dasgupta, who has been
allegedly harassing him because of his posts "against the
NRC/CAA/NPR.""This guy, Avijit Dasgupta, calls me and starts abusing
me on the night of 28 December and he was angry because of my posts against the
NRC/CAA/NPR," he wrote in the post.Sen further alleged that Dasgupta kept
sending 'abusive messages' and, on Monday night, attacked him with a Bhojali (machete).THE
QUINT
Polls on CAA, Modi’s 2.0 ‘Deleted’, as the results indicate truth
Amid the ongoing protest against CAA and proposed NRC, some
organisations and individuals took to Twitter to conduct polls seeking how the
netizens perceived the much-heated topic of the decade and whether they were in
favour of the agitation against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act or
not. The Quint pointed out various polls which were ‘deleted’ after the results
were apparently not in favour of the CAA and the ruling dispensation.A poll
purportedly released by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation on December
30, asked users whether they think the protests against CAA and NRC are
justified, followed by a link to a video explaining Sadhguru’s take on both.But
the poll was not available on their handle later in the day. However, users on
the social media website attached screenshots of the poll to point out how
majority of the respondents had voted in the affirmative to the question rather
than in the negative before it was apparently taken down.nationalheraldindia
*‘Scrap CAA’: Kerala Assembly passes resolution against citizenship law*
New Delhi :Kerala Assembly Tuesday passed a resolution demanding
scrapping of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was cleared by both
Houses of Parliament last month.The ruling CPI(M)-LDF and the Opposition
Congress-led UDF supported the resolution while BJP’s lone MLA and former Union
minister O Rajagopal’s was the only dissenting voice in the one-day special
session.While presenting the resolution, Vijayan said the CAA is against the
“secular” outlook and fabric of the country and would lead to religion-based
discrimination in granting citizenship.“The Act contradicts the basic values
and principles of the Constitution. In view of the anxiety among the people of
the country, the Centre should take steps to drop the CAA and uphold the
secular outlook of the Constitution,” he said.The Chief Minister added that the
contentious act had “dented India’s image in front of the international
community.” Vijayan also ensured the Assembly that there won’t be any detention
centres in the southern state.He hit out strongly against RSS, BJP’s
ideological parent, alleging that it is going ahead with a dangerous agenda to
break the country’s secular principles and undermine minorities.“RSS considers
Muslims, Christians and Communists as their internal enemy. In Germany,Hitler
similarly saw Jews and Bolsheviks as his internal enemy. RSS’s views are that
of Hitler’s,” Vijayan said. Chennithala, supporting the resolution, said,
“Centre’s aim is to turn India into a theocratic state. That’s why they have
brought the CAA. They are going ahead with implementing NPR. The Centre cannot
go ahead without taking the states into confidence. We’re not against a census
but there are changes in the questionnaire. It is creating fear in the minds of
people. Through NPR, they want to implement the NRC.”indianexpress
*Days before CAB tabled in House,
inter-ministry meet discussed strategy*
New Delhi :About two weeks before the government brought in the
citizenship Bill in Parliament, an inter-ministerial meeting took place in New
Delhi to discuss the strategy to deal with the fallout of the then-proposed
law, sources have said.The meeting was held in November-end when Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA), sources said, was “looped in”, and a strategy was
devised to deal with the international dimensions.After the Bill was passed,
sources said MEA asked Indian ambassadors in about 120 embassies across the
world to go and brief the foreign governments, in case they were
“interested”.Every Indian ambassador was sent all facts about the law and the
rationale behind the legislation. This strategy was different from the one
adopted from the previous occasions.Throughout 2019, the government had held
several briefings for the diplomatic community on various issues it had
described as “domestic”: Pulwama attack, Balakot airstrike, revocation of
Article 370 in J&K, and the Ayodhya verdict.But they were not briefed even
once on CAA and its ramifications.“This time, we felt India’s ambassadors will
be able to do the job well, and they can respond to all the questions,” a
source in the government said.Sources said the government felt the matter was
“domestic” in nature, and the Bill had gone through the legislative process and
debate in Parliament.The diplomats have publicly maintained that the CAA is an
“internal issue”, but when Indian Express spoke to ambassadors and diplomats
from at least 16 countries, across all continents, over the last few days on
the new law and the protests, they expressed “concern” at the situation.Indian
Express
*States can't refuse to conduct NPR, says MoS Home Kishan Reddy*
Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy on Monday said states
can neither refuse to carry out the Census and NPR exercise nor stop the
process.BJP leader said that the proposed NPR would be almost the same as the
one in 2010, with some more details being sought to implement welfare
measures."Some states are saying we will not conduct it or the cabinet will
take a final decision," he said in an obvious reference to West Bengal and
Kerala, which have stopped NPR related work.thenewsminute
*Did not see any Hindus or Muslims… just students protesting: Raghu Rai*
Agartala :Veteran photojournalist and Padmashri awardee Raghu Rai said
he feels people who have lived for three or four decades in India should not be
thrown out by any system. He also warned that “wrong policies” to communally
segregate India might end up further dividing the country.“I think there is no
reason we should throw out those who have spent many years in his country. Those
who have lived here for 20, 30 or 40 years are part of us now. Like it or not,
they are here. I don’t know why they (government) are applying NRC, unless they
have different agenda behind it,” Rai said, explaining his experience covering
the recent protests against CAA and NRC and equating them to what he saw
covering refugees over the years, especially in Tripura during the Bangladesh
crisis.indianexpress
*Hundreds of Jamia Students, Residents Offer Funeral Prayer in Absentia
for Those Killed in CAA Protests*
New Delhi:Hundreds of students of Jamia Millia Islamia and local
residents offered funeral prayer in absentia for all those people killed during
the protests against the controversial CAA in the last two weeks.In UP alone,
at least 20 Muslims were killed – some of them in police firing – on December
19 and 20 when protests turned violent.In Karnataka also, two Muslims were
killed in police firing during protests in Mangalore. Students of Jamia and
local residents have been continuously protesting against CAA and central
government move to conduct nationwide updation of NRC.India Tomorrow
*100 organisations against CAA to unite under one banner*
Mumbai:Nearly 100 organisations from across the country have decided to
fight the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, NPR and the NRC under one banner - We
the People of India.“We are appealing to all the people protesting against the
CAA, NPR and nationwide NRC to come under a single banner - We The People of
India. This is the first phrase of our Constitution and there can’t be anything
bigger than that,” said Yogendra Yadav, founder of Swaraj Abhiyan party.The
groups will be having a series of nationwide protests and demonstrations in
January on significant days that mark the birth or death anniversaries of notable
people. The series of protests will start from January 3, which is the birth
anniversary of Savitribai Phule.The groups will also be protesting on January
8, when farmers’ groups and left-backed trade unions have also called for a
Bharat Bandh. The next set of demonstrations will be held on January 12, which
is the national youth day and the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. Noted
activist Harsh Mander said that in Assam, NRC process was not communal and
everyone had to participate in the process, adding that the national NRC is
even more dangerous due to NPR, which will allow government officials to pick
and choose “doubtful” citizens.“It’s a project that’s so large and so
unimplementable. The ultimate objective of a CAA and NPR and NRC is to throw
our Muslim brothers and sisters into a vortex of uncertainty for years and
years. Your life comes to a halt and all you can think about is where can I get
that document,”he said.Noted human rights activist Teesta Setalvad said that
the country had rejected the government’s plan to decide citizenship on the
lines of religion.“This is a really historic moment. I haven’t seen the kind of
citizen participation since the Emergency,” she said. Student activist Umer
Khalid said that they will also be pressuring the state governments to bring formal
and legal resolution of some sort against NPR and NRC and they were going to
give a call to boycott NPR when the process starts. “The undocumented in the
country are worst affected,” Noted linguist and activist Ganesh Devy said.
Medha Patkar and Kavita Krishnan also attended the meeting against CAA and NRC in Mumbai on
Monday. thehindu
*Mumbai keeps protests alive, hundreds gather in Kurla*
The agitations against the CAA and NRC continue in Mumbai, with the
latest protest being held in Kurla on Monday.Around 500 residents of the
locality and nearby areas gathered at Gandhi Maidan in Kurla (West) for the
protest, which began around 2.30 p.m. The protesters said the country needs
jobs, education and healthcare and not the CAA and NRC.The protesters displayed
placards and raised slogans such as ‘CAA se aazadi’ (freedom from CAA) ‘Hindu
Muslim Ekta Zindabaad Zindabaad’ (long live Hindu-Muslim unity) and ‘Jamia teri
azmat ko assalaam assalaam’ (salute to you, o great Jamia), the latter being a
reference to the courage and resilience shown by the students of the Jamia
Milia Islamia. These students, and others from institutes across the country,
bore the brunt of terrible atrocities by the police after they started
protesting the laws.thehindu
*Jaggi Vasudev chides students over not reading CAA, but says he hasn’t
read it himself*
Jaggi Vasudev, also known as Sadhguru, released a nearly 22-minute long
video on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.
This was even shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called it a “lucid
explanation’ and said that Jaggi provides “provides historical context,
brilliantly highlights our culture of brotherhood. He also calls out the
misinformation by vested interest groups.”The kicker in the video, however,
comes when Jaggi Vasudev — who released a video that is 21 minutes and 57
seconds long on the Act — starts with: “Because I’ve not read the Act fully. I
only know it from the newspapers and whatever else is generally out there.” He
then goes on to reprimand the students protesting, asking them “how come they
can’t read the damn Act.”thenewsminute
*RSS-BJP Behind Violence on CAA Protesters in UP, Other States: Left*
New Delhi:At a massive protest rally here against police brutalities on
anti-CAA-NRC demonstrators in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP ruled-states, the
Left parties on Monday condemned the governmental offensives and criticised
Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his adamant attitudes. They noted that the PM
made no reference to the police firings in his monthly radio address, ‘Mann Ki
Baat’, even as tens of innocents had
died in the firings.In reference to the PM’s observation that “the youth of
India doesn’t like anarchy,” the Left leaders asked the PM as to who spread
anarchy and violence. They also condemned the Yogi Adityanath government’s
drive of confiscating properties without court order in the aftermath of the
CAA protests. All India Kisan Sabha leader and former MP, Hanan Mullah, said
the BJP and the RSS were responsible for the violence in UP and the other
states they ruled. Caravan Daily
*CAA part of Hindutva enterprise, says Kapil Sibal*
Amid protests against the new citizenship law (CAA) and the Congress
extending support to agitation, former Union Minister Kapil Sibal said it was
crafted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance the Hindutva
enterprise."The CAA has been choreographed to further polarise India as
part of a larger Hindutva enterprise," he told IANS and added, to plead
innocence was "nothing but a well thought strategy of Modi."IANS
*CAA: Muslim forums to hold protest on New Year day in Kochi*
Kochi :Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan and Dalit activist
Jignesh Mevani will address a protest meeting of Muslim organisations here on
New Year day demanding the withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, Kerala Muslim Jamaath, Jamaat-e-Islami,
Muslim League, MES and MSS will join a host of other Muslim organisations and
various jamaat councils and mahal coordination committees for the protest
meeting as well as a rally preceding the meeting at Marine Drive in Kochi.
thehindu
*CAA protest:'Centre not addressing our fears': Grandson of late Muslim
League leader quits BJP*
Sayid Thaha Bafaki Thangal, the grandson of SA Bafaki Thangal, one of
the founder members of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala, has
quit the BJP in protest against the controversial CAA. 5 months ago, Sayid, a
member of Muslim League's first family in Kerala, had quit IUML to join BJP's
Minority Morcha as its State Executive Committe member. However, he resigned
from the party following the contentious CAA and the government's reluctance to
address the massive protests against the act. The politician, who is the
chairperson of the Thangal Trust, also told local media that the Muslim
community is visibly shaken and that the Centre has not done anything so far to
allay their fears. "Muslim community today is in a state of deep fear.
But, the Centre is not even holding an all party meet. And is not responding to
this fear among the community. Therefore, I do not wish to see my community
upset and continue in this party," Thangal told Asianet news. thenewsminute
*They can take away my posts: Historian Irfan Habib*
Kannur: Historian Irfan Habib, presently embroiled in a controversy over
his 'squabble' with Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, on Monday said that if
the government wishes it can take away his posts. "If they wish they can
take away Professor Emeritus at the Department of History of the AMU and also
another post, which is bigger than Emeritus," said Habib to the media here
on Monday.Last week at the inaugural function of the 80th Indian History Congress
in Kannur University, Khan alleged that Habib broke protocol and even went to
the extent of pushing aside his security aides while he was speaking."I am
an 88 year old man and his ADC would be around 35 and how can I do that.
Everything is there for everyone to see and all saw also what happened,"
the historian said.IANS
*Seelampur anti-CAA protest: Court grants bail to two accused on medical
grounds*
A Delhi court on Tuesday granted interim bail to two accused who were
arrested after a protest against the citizenship law turned violent in the
Seelampur area earlier this month.Session Judge Brijesh Garg granted bail for
three weeks on medical grounds and asked the accused - Ali and Moinuddin - to
pay Rs 20,000 with a surety of like amount. The court will now hear the matter
on January 21.It has further directed the medical examination of the duo to be
conducted.The court asked how the other accused sustained injuries to which the
defence counsel said that he received them during a lathi-charge.The court
expressed apprehensions over it and said that it could not be because of
lathi-charge. Replying to that, the Delhi Police said that he sustained
injuries in a blast from a petrol bomb.Yesterday, the court had issued a
show-cause notice to the jail authorities for not producing the medical reports
of the accused.Delhi Police had arrested 14 people at the protest on December
17. Subsequently, the court sent them to 14-days judicial custody a day
later.ANI
*Nearly 400 St Xavier's students, alumni protest against police crackdown
on Jamia, AMU in Kolkata*
KOLKATA: St Xavier's College Monday joined the protest by educational
institutions across the country against the alleged police crackdown at Jamia
Millia Islamia and AMU for opposing the CAA. Nearly 400 students, alumni and
faculty members of the 160-year-old institution took out a silent protest march
from the college premises at Park Street holding banners saying "We stand
in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU".The protest march,
organised by St Xavier's Students Council and St Xavier's College Kolkata
Alumni Association, moved along a short stretch of Park Street and Short
Street.PTI
*Kolkata: NRC necessary to drive out illegal Muslim immigrants, says BJP
chief Dilip Ghosh yet again*
Kolkata :Reiterating that Indian Muslims have nothing to worry about the
new citizenship law, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Monday once again
said that NRC was necessary to drive out illegal Muslim immigrants from the
country. Ghosh also accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of supporting those
who carried out violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to
secure her vote bank.“Indian Muslims need not worry. Only Muslim infiltrators
from Bangladesh will have to leave the country. So, NRC is necessary to drive
them out,” he said at a rally in support of the CAA at Baruipur in North 24
Parganas.indianexpress
*At Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA stir, protesters brave biting cold 24x7*
New Delhi: 3 electric heaters, multiple layers of mattresses and
blankets, braziers, and copious amounts of chai — this is how around 200
protesters braved the coldest night of the season at the GD Birla Marg in south
Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh on Friday. Protesters have been camping on the road
around-the-clock since December 15 to protest against the Citizenship Amendment
Act (CAA), demanding a roll-back of the newly amended law. And as their protest
clocks two weeks, nothing seems to deter the local residents. Not even the cold
wave conditions that threaten to give Delhi its second coldest December in more
than a century.Set up using bamboo and tarpaulin sheets, the protest site had
local residents huddled together with multiple blankets around them. As the
minimum temperature dropped to 2.4 degrees Celsius in the early hours of
Saturday, grilles on the divider along the road were lined with mattresses and
blankets, to protect protesters in the enclosure from the biting cold.“I was
running a slight temperature last night and had to take some medicine. But we
don’t care if we fall ill or die or if police comes to beat us. We will not
move from here unless the CAA is rolled back. We are here to save our
Constitution,” said Rizwana Bano, mother of three, a first-time protester who
has been at Shaheen Bagh for two weeks now.Like Bano, a large number of women
from the locality head to the protest site every night where they participate
in open-mics to express their thoughts and attend movie screenings at the spot.
A majority of protesters echo a similar sentiment — the temperatures are
nothing compared to the “threat” of the CAA and NRC that they said they now face.
HT
*Shaheen Bagh protesters asked to end stir as normal life being hit*
*In Delhi, Women Protest Against Citizenship Law For 15 Days In Biting
Cold*
*CAA-NRC protests: UP CRACKDOWN*
*Vandalised, Brutalised, Fearful Muzaffarnagar Muslims Hesitant to File
Complaints Against Police*
After 10 days of violent anti-CAA protests and brutal police crackdown
on Muzaffarnagar Muslims, the city continues to live in the shadow of fear.
Vandalised houses and a prominent Shia madarsa are empty. Households have left
their properties and went underground. Those injured in the police action are
either behind bars or nursing their physical wounds while in hiding. Despite
massive evidence (both pictorial and video) of police brutality, no one is
coming forward to file a complaint.As this correspondent toured the city to
know the people’s version of December 20 events and subsequent police action,
he found that almost each and everyone sulked and needed to be assured of
safety before opening up about what happened on December 20 and after.“You
don’t know there are police informers everywhere. Even, how can we trust you?
You may reveal our names to police,” said one Waseem Ahmed (name changed) who
has a shop at Meenakshi Chowk, the epicentre of December 20 protests. His shop,
along with 66 others, was sealed by the police after protests. The main market
of the city remained closed for six days.Most of these shops are of Muslims and
the Meenakshi Chowk bazaar was the bedrock of the market economy of city’s
Muslims. Sealing has struck the core of this market. The six-day closure,
according to shopkeepers, is estimated to cause around Rs 20 crore. “This loss
has added to our woes. We are already facing the brunt of extremely slow
economy,” said a shopkeeper. Around 500 local vendors, hawkers and pavement
shopkeepers were dependent for their business on the market. “We all have
suffered in the last week,” said Arshad Chaudhary, who sells religious books on
the pavement along the mosque in the market.Caravan Daily
*Citizenship Act protests; Why fear has gripped Muslims in Indian state
of UP : BBC report*
CAA-NRC: Hundreds of Youths Served Notice Despite ‘Non-involvement in
Protests’ in UP
Lucknow: Shazar Alam, 23, who runs a small saloon in Muslim Nagar, about
15 kilometre away from the Lucknow district headquarters, is scared and
contemplating if he should return to his hometown in Sitapur, as his name has
appeared in the notice issued to people in the backdrop of the alleged
rioting.Shazar, along with hundreds of other youths from both Hindu and Muslim
communities, from at least four localities of extended Lucknow, have been asked
to furnish a financial bond worth Rs 300 each under Section 107/116 of the
Criminal Procedure Code. According to Lucknow-based lawyer Mayank Shukla, this
section of the CrPC works as an assurance that people will not take part in any
kind of protest and they will appear in the court 12 times in the next six
months. As per Shukla, an executive magistrate has the power to invoke this
section against anyone who might pose a threat in terms of breaching the
peace.He says that these notices have come as a shock for many families and
they are now scared for the future and careers of their young lads.“I have
taken cases of 16 such youths who come from lower middle class families. All
these boys, mostly from the Muslim community, do not have any criminal record,
but still have been issued the notice. Their family members are now worried
that their kids may get a ‘gangster’ or ‘dabang’ tag and this could hurt their
future,” Mayank says.Explaining the complexity of the case, the advocate says,
“One such boy is a meritorious kid who has even received a gold medal for his
performance in the studies. But he has also been made to furnish the bond worth
Rs 300. The boy is very scared and his family members are now contemplating if
they should shift him to some other place after six months [once the obligation
to appear in front of the executive magistrate ends]. The family of the boy
also fears that the kid may slip into depression.”“This is just one case I am
talking about. There are many others who are going through the same and now,
they being Muslims, feel that there is no end to it,” the advocate
adds.Meanwhile, Lucknow police remained unavailable for comment and even the
tehsil has been closed for winter vacations.newsclick.in
*Yet Another Warning From Yogi Adityanath: 'Those Who Stand In The Way Of
Public Welfare Will Be Punished'*
Even as reports of gross police excess come out of Uttar Pradesh, Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath issued yet another warning against anti-Citizenship
Amendment Act protests saying those who stand in the way of “his work of public
welfare” will be punished. Adityanath’s Twitter account, referring to him in
third person, and called him a saint. The tweet said, “Whoever stands in the
way of the saint’s continuous efforts of public service and welfare of the
people will be punished.” Taking a dig at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s
criticism on police atrocities in the state and government apathy, the tweet
said, “How will those — who have inherited politics and have forgotten the
country, and indulge in politics of appeasement — understand the meaning of
serving the public?”In another tweet the chief minister’s office said that he
had donned his saffron robes, and renounced everything, to serve people.
Adtiyanath’s BJP government has muzzled dissent through several methods,
including “damage” notices to protesters who allegedly vandalised public
property.huffingtonpost
*Akhilesh Yadav: ‘300 MLAs upset with him… Yogi gave free hand to cops to
save chair’*
Lucknow :Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav speaks on the ongoing
protests against the new citizenship law and argues that the SP is at the
forefront of the agitation.Akhilesh
said," People are angry over the political situation…As for UP,
even today, if you go to villages and ask about the election results, they say
it is beyond comprehension that the (Opposition) alliance lost… After the BJP
government was formed (at the Centre)…decisions have been taken with an eye on
20 crore population…Public is angry because the government assures the
decisions are in their interest. Noteban was a decision, its outcomes are
before everyone. GST was a big decision…its impacts are before us…Now even big
economists have started talking about a major economic crisis…Banking system is
collapsing, NPAs have risen…No one is ready to take credit from banks…What is
left of the economy? How are you going to get out of this chakravyuh?"
Akhilesh continued, "Look at the number of NHRC notices to UP
government…UP has got the largest number of notices for custodial deaths, fake
encounters… You should listen to our CM’s language. This state has seen great
chief ministers, but none of them would have said “thok do” on the House floor…
CM used such language and gave a free hand to police because over 200 MLAs were
upset with him…he gave a free hand to save his chair…""…I am telling
the truth. Socialists don’t make false allegations…Didn’t 200 MLAs sit on
protest? Add 100 more angry with him, that makes it 300 who are upset with him.
There were talks of his replacement…After this episode, do you think BJP can
dare remove him?…People in the government are happy that no one is going to ask
about investments in the next six months…We want to know how much investments
announced during PM, BJP president, and the President’s visit have come,"
he added.
*Protest damage notices: Uttar Pradesh goes where no state has gone
before*
New Delhi :Following damage to public property in the anti-CAA-NRC
protests, the Uttar Pradesh government has slapped notices on 372 people (out
of 478 identified) to recover damages. It has cited a set of Supreme Court
recommendations from 2007 and a 2011 Allahabad High Court order to justify this
after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declared “badla” (revenge) on rioters. An
analysis of protests and consequent action taken by administrations of at least
six states — including Uttar Pradesh — in the past shows that the Yogi
Adityanath government’s move to recover damages is unprecedented, at least in
scale.Indian Express analysed key public protests in the past four years in the
states of UP, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Barring the national capital, all these states were ruled by BJP at the time of
the protests.In neither case, did the state send any notices to rioters or
protestors for recovery of damages. “MP administration has not sent notices to
anyone with regard to any protest in the past few years. In fact, a mechanism
to implement the SC order has not been set up fully here,” a senior MP police
officer said.indianexpress
*UP Police Writes to Home Ministry, Seeks Ban on PFI*
Uttar Pradesh Police has reportedly written to the Union Home Ministry
seeking ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) for its alleged involvement in
violent protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state earlier this
month.According to ANI , Uttar Pradesh’s Director General of Police OP Singh
has written a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, requesting to “impose a
ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) as investigations found PFI’s involvement
in the violent protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act that took place on
19 December.”Deputy Chief Minister of UP, Keshav Prasad Maurya has also called
for ban on PFI.India Tomorrow
*Preparations complete to neutralise PFI in UP, says DGP :IANS Special
report*
*CAA: Forget Protests, Yogi's Govt Is Muzzling Funerals*
NEHTAUR:Uttar Pradesh police shot 20-year-old Mohammed Suleman dead in
the afternoon of December 20. At midnight, his father was called to the closest
police station to discuss funeral arrangements.Suleman’s corpse was found by
his family at a busy intersection in Nehtaur, a bustling urban settlement in
Bijnor district, shortly after the state police trained their guns on a crowd
of mostly Muslim men raising slogans against the controversial CAA. The
demonstration in Nehtaur was part of hundreds of similar protests across the
country.Immediately after his death, Suleman’s family took his body to Bijnor’s
district hospital, where the corpse was held by the police pending a
post-mortem. Suleman’s post-mortem would be conducted in the early hours of
December 21, a police officer told his father Zahid Hussain, but the body would
be released to his grieving family on the condition that he be buried
immediately and at a spot far away from Nehtaur, where Suleman and his family
lived. No friends or mourners could be called for the funeral, and the
abbreviated ceremony would be conducted under strict police bandobast.“The
police said, ‘You are rioters, you will cause a riot at the funeral’,” said Suleman’s
elder brother Shoaib, who accompanied his father to the police station. “They
said, ‘Just dig a hole anywhere and bury him.’” Suleman’s family had to
patiently explain their death rituals to the disinterested police force.A
little after 7 am on December 21, Suleman’s body was loaded into a police
vehicle and accompanied by a police convoy that navigated the circuitous
backroads from Bijnor to a cemetery in a village called Baghdad Ansar, where
his grandmother lived.On the same night, another desperate family from Nehtaur
was conducting a similar negotiation with the police. Anas Hussain, 21-year-old
father of an 8-month-old child, had been shot dead when he stepped out of a
narrow alley and into the path of a bullet most likely fired by the police. Here too, the police were refusing to hand
over the body until the family chose a spot far away from Nehtaur.Eventually,
the police brought the body to a cemetery in a village called Mithan, and stood
guard over the body as Anas’s brothers dug a grave, as Anas’s father heated
water to wash his son’s body, as Anas’s uncle organised a wooden frame to lower
the corpse into the grave. “Most of our family wasn’t allowed to see Anas one
last time,” said his father Arshad Hussain, his eyes welling up with tears.huffingtonpost
*After Rs 6 lakh DD, Bulandshahr DM says notices would have been sent
otherwise*
Bulandshahr : 3 days after a group of Muslim residents of Bulandshahr
handed over a draft of Rs 6.27 lakh to the administration for damage caused to
public property in violence during protests against the citizenship law and
NRC, DM Ravindra Kumar on Monday said the administration had estimated the
amount for losses incurred, and recovery notices would have started going out
had this initiative not come from “some good citizens”.On the assessment of
damage, DM Kumar said, “I constituted a committee comprising members of the
district administration, police, PWD and traffic officials. One police vehicle
— a Tata Sumo — had been damaged, along with one walkie-talkie set and minor
damages to the road. They estimated this figure after proper deliberation.” He
said, “Some good citizens came forward to compensate the assessed damages. If
it wouldn’t have been the case, we would have had to recover it from those
found responsible, as announced by the Chief Minister.”“There is widespread
fear that anyone might be picked up, arrested, and asked to pay damages. Our
message is that the Muslim samaj is cooperating with the administration, and we
hope the administration cooperates with us — by not harassing innocents. They
should take action only against people against whom they have evidence,” said
Haji Akram, councillor from Bulandshahr’s ward 37 and BSP member.Haji Yunus,
block pramukh of Bulandshahr, BSP member and one of the key facilitators of the
initiative, called it “a gesture of goodwill from the people”.Some people in
the city also question the message being sent out through this initiative. “I
am uncomfortable with it. By doing this, it appears we are saying that we are
responsible for what happened; that we are culprits. We should instead demand
an impartial inquiry and investigation into police’s role in violence and
damage,” said Amir Ghazi, an advocate.SSP Singh said the police are trying to
identify those involved in violence. “Charges have been pressed against 23
named individuals and 1,050 unknown people. So far, 13 people have been
arrested — all from among those put down as “unknown” — after studying CCTV
footage and other evidence,” SP (City) Atul Kumar Srivastava said.
*In Bulandshahr, families wrecked by CAA violence pay UP administration
'damages', beg state to withdraw cases so they can avoid ignominy of court
appearance*
*Giriraj Singh backs Meerut SP’s ‘go to Pakistan’ remark*
New Delhi :Union minister Giriraj Singh on Monday backed Meerut SP
Akhilesh Narayan Singh for his “go to Pakistan” remark made to people
protesting against the new citizenship law.“SP did what police should do, what
a patriot should do….. Those who live in India but abuse it and hail Pakistan
have no right to stay here,” Giriraj Singh leader said. “I urge those speaking
against the SP to look at the entire incident or people of the country will ask
questions from them.”indianexpress
*AMU students continue protest against CAA on the campus*
Aligarh:AMU students continued their protest against the CAA on the
campus on Monday. The students have been protesting since December 16.Senior
Supreme Court advocate Asad Hyat Khan was also present at the protest to
address the students. Highlighting the importance of these protests, Khan said,
“Several political parties have changed their stance on CAA after mass
protests. This shows the need to protest against such acts.”He also called for
protestors to remain peaceful. In the same breath, he called for the government
and administration to stop the misuse of CrPC Section 144 to prevent dissent.
He said that CAA and NRC are issues of the general population and by taking the
lead in these protests, students are strengthening the power of civilians at
large.TOI
‘Regret what happened’: AMU VC pens open letter, says move to call cops
was in ‘good faith’
Aligarh:Days before AMU is to reopen after its winter break, V-C Tariq
Mansoor on Tuesday regretted police action during the anti-CAA protest on
campus on December 15 night and sought to assure students of their safety and
the right to protest peacefully.Prof Mansoor gave the assurance to students and
their parents in an open letter written to them, nearly a week before the
varsity is set to reopen on January 6 after its winter break. “I want to tell
you and your families that I regret what happened (on December 15),” VC
wrote.Referring to the decision to call in the police on the night of December
15, he said it was taken in “good faith and a clear conscience” as it had become
imperative to disperse the protesters who had become charged up over the rumour
that two student protesters at Jamia Milia Islamia in New Delhi had been
killed.The vice chancellor made an impassioned appeal to students “to consider
with an open mind” the circumstances which compelled him to take the unpleasant
decision of inviting the police to enter the campus.In his open letter to
students, Prof Mansoor said he would “fully share” their concerns on any
subject provided it is done “in a peaceful and democratic manner”.PTI
Tauqeer Raza, Veerpal Singh to join hands to protest against CAA
Bareilly: Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Tauqeer Raza Khan on
Monday said he and his followers, along with people of different faiths, would
stage a protest against the CAA peacefully. As many as 786 volunteers would
court arrest after offering prayers on Friday. District head of Pragatisheel
Samajwadi Party Veerpal Singh Yadav has joined hands with IMC. He said he along
with his party workers would also join the protest against the government. Raza
said, “We have decided not to gather in large numbers as we did on December 20.
Anyone can take advantage and ignite violence. We will peacefully protest with
786 people. Several social and political organizations have come forward to
support us. We are also seeking permission for staging a dharna at Ramleela
ground if govt does not withdraw CAA and NRC.”Shailesh Pandey, SSP, Bareilly
said, “If anyone gathers in large numbers and violates section 144, then
appropriate action will be taken against them.”TOI
*OTHERS*
Internet in govt hospitals, SMS to all mobile phones services, shut for
5 months to be restored in Kashmir from midnight
New Delhi :Internet services in government hospitals and SMS to all
mobile phones in the Kashmir Valley will be restored from midnight of December
31, PTI quoted Jammu and Kashmir official spokesman Rohit Kansal as saying. On
December 10, SMS was enabled on some mobile phones in Kashmir in order to
facilitate students, scholarship applicants, traders and others.Though the
Jammu and Kashmir administration allowed service providers to resume
machine-based messages, subscribers were not allowed to send any messages from
their mobiles, the officials had said. Kansal said it has now been decided that
the services will be restored throughout the Kashmir Valley.On December 27,
mobile internet services were restored in Kargil district of Ladakh, 145 days
after they were snapped in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5
when the Centre revoked J&K’s special status under Article 370 of the
Constitution and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories of J&K and
Ladakh. Phones fell silent on August 5, when the Centre revoked Jammu and
Kashmir’s special status and reorganised the state into two union territories —
Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Mobile phones in Kashmir buzzed back to life
after a gap of 72 days on October 14, but SMS facilities were stopped within a
few hours after the Army claimed terrorists were using SMS services to mobilise
people.indianexpress
SMS Service In Kashmir, Shut For 5 Months, To Be Restored On New Year
Day
Police reimpose restrictions on movement of Congress leaders in Jammu
Jammu :Two months after they were allowed to move out of their homes
post removal of Article 370, state Congress president G A Mir and former Deputy
Chief Minister Tara Chand were among the five senior Congress leaders who were
asked to stay inside their houses in Jammu on Tuesday by the UT Police.Apart
from Mir and Tara Chand, others who were detained include Mula Ram and Raman
Bhalla, both former ministers and senior party leaders, besides Youth Congress
president Uday Chib. After the Centre scrapped Article 370, these leaders were
among many who were confined to their houses. However, in October this year,
they were allowed to move out.indianexpress
‘We’re back in the Stone Age’: Kashmir has gone close to 5 months
without the internet
“Internet hai toh job hai [If there is internet, there is a job],” said
32-year-old Shahid Wani, who lives in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.The last
time he was able to access the internet was on August 4. Wani worked with
Cenedex India Limited, a private software company with a branch in
Srinagar.“All our work depended on the internet,” he explained, sitting in his
home in Wasoora village. “I joined the company two and a half years ago, and
headed a team of six software developers.”Unlike many other companies which
shut down after the internet ban, Cenedex paid their Srinagar staff salaries
for the month of August. But, a little more than a month into the internet ban,
the company mailed its Srinagar staff to say it would be closing operations in
the city.“I couldn’t even see that mail myself,” said Wani. He had shared his
email password with a cousin based in Delhi. “It was he who read out the mail
to me.” Kashmir Valley enters the last day of 2019 without internet.Essential
services have been hit and the impact on the economy has been devastating. In a
report published in December, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry
estimated that four months of shutdown and restrictions had cost the Valley’s
economy Rs 17,878 crore and thousands had lost jobs.Academic research has also
been hampered. On October 14, 38-year-old research scholar Javid M Dad got a
letter from Bangalore telling him he had been selected for the BRICS Young
Scientist Conclave that was to be held in Brazil. “But I failed to make it –
they had already taken 20 scholars for the conclave,” he said.After five
months, Dad feels, Kashmiris have become “acclimatised” to the internet ban.He
said, “But still, at the back of my mind, there is always a feeling that we are
like second-class citizens. There’s always this feeling that we shouldn’t be
treated this way. We have been thrown back to the stone age.”scroll
Opposition Cries Foul as J&K HC Opens District Court Vacancies on Pan-India
Basis
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir high court has invited applications from
candidates from all over the country to fill 33 vacancies in districts courts
of the Union territories of J&K and Ladakh, triggering an opposition outcry
against the opening of the state employment to all Indians in two UTs after the
nullification of Article 370. The high court’s notification has triggered a
vociferous protest from various opposition parties, including the National
Conference, JKNPP and various Left parties, which have demanded reservation for
locals in government jobs in J&K. NC provincial president Devender Singh
Rana made the demand, arguing that unemployment has alarmingly grown in UT
during recent years and the state jobs must be reserved for locals
alone.“J&K government jobs are for local educated unemployed and should be
reserved for local youths only,” said Rana.He voiced concern over limited
avenues of employment in J&K, saying a thrust is needed to be laid on a
fast track recruitment process and to put in place a robust mechanism of employability.He
said a roadmap had already been drawn in this regard a few years ago, which, he
said, has fallen prey to political myopia.Terming as “unacceptable” opening of
state jobs in J&K for all Indians, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers
Party accused Union territory’s government of having jeopardized the career of
unemployed educated youths in J&K.“It would not only mar prospects of
local, unemployed, educated youths but would also have a demoralising effect
upon the educated and aspiring youths of the erstwhile state,” JKNPP
chairperson Harsh Dev Singh told reporters here.CPI (M) state secretary G.N.
Malik too opposed the move saying it is BJP government’s “first gift” to the
unemployed youths of J&K after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. Team
Jammu chief Zorawar Singh Jamwal said that the advertisement was a shocker for
everyone in J&K notwithstanding their overwhelming support to abrogation of
Article 370 and 35A.PTI
"Reserve Right To Strike Sources Of Terror": New Army Chief
General MM Naravane Warns Pakistan
New Delhi: Hours after taking charge as India's new Chief of Army Staff,
General MM Naravane issued a strongly-worded warning to Pakistan to desist from
sponsoring terrorism, telling PTI "we reserve the right to pre-emptively
strike at sources of terror". The Army Chief said India had "multiple
options across (the) spectrum of conflict... to respond to any act of terror
sponsored or abetted by Pakistan". General Naravane, who succeeded General
Bipin Rawat, also said his focus would be on ensuring the Army maintained high
standards of operational readiness to "face any threat at any
time".General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who was appointed to his position this
morning, assumes the new after he was appointed Vice Chief of the Army in
September. He earlier headed the Eastern Command, which guards India's nearly
4,000-kilometre-long border with China.ndtv
Air India privatisation: IndiGo, Etihad show interest in ailing national
carrier; govt likely to come up with EoI next month
In a big relief for the ailing Maharaja-Air India, budget carrier IndiGo
and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways reportedly have approached the government to
acquire the debt-laden national carrier, according to news reports.This
development has come soon after a senior official of Air India expressed
concern about the future of the struggling airline, which he said, might be
shut down by June next year if it could not find out a buyer.In the case of
these two firms, IndiGo, India's largest airline by market share, can buy 100
percent in Air India while Etihad can acquire only 49 percent due to the
current norms of FDI policy, said a report in Economic Times.Meanwhile, Civil
Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri claimed that the bid to privatise the
ailing Air India was going ahead well even as the government's efforts in the
past to find a suitable buyer for the crisis-hit airline did not succeed,
reported Mint.“The only way forward is for Air India’s privatisation,"
Puri was quoted as saying in the report.firstpost
What Nitish Said Amid War Of Words Between Prashant Kishor And Ally BJP
New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today sought to project a
united face amid the war of words between his deputy Prashant Kishor and ally
BJP over the seat-sharing for next year's assembly election in the state.
"Sab theek hai (all is well)," Mr Kumar was quoted as saying on the
alliance in the state.Prashant Kishor, whose criticism for BJP started with the
passage of the CAA and NRC, had recently suggested that his party must get a
lion's share in seat distribution for the polls. "If we look at the 2010
assembly polls, which JD (U) and BJP had last contested together, the ratio was
1:1.4. Even if there is a slight change this time, it cannot be that both
parties fight an equal number of seats," Kishor said.His comments drew a
stinging remark from the BJP, which accused Mr Kishor of hurting NDA with his
adverse remarks. "A person running a business for profit first tries to
create a market for his service, thinks about the welfare of the country
later," Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi of BJP tweeted, without
naming Kishor.Mr Kishor's new demand indicates a shift in Nitish Kumar's
party's strategy from 2015 and 2019 polls in which JD(U) has insisted on even
seat sharing arrangement with its alliance partners. Despite having two
lawmakers in parliament, JD(U) had made BJP to agree to an even seat-sharing
arrangement in the 2019 national polls; Nitish Kumar also contested the 2015
assembly elections with the RJD on an equal sharing formula. In both the
elections, the JD(U) trailed its alliance partners.ndtv
Kerala ranks at the top, Bihar last on NITI Aayog’s sustainable
development goals index
Kerala emerged at the top while Bihar remained in the bottom of the list
in the Sustainable Development Goals Index 2019, released by the NITI Aayog on
Monday. The report assesses the progress of states and Union Territories on
several parameters, including social, economic, and environmental.Kerala came
out on top with a score of 70, the report showed. “Chandigarh too maintained
its top spot among the UTs with a score of 70,” the report said. “Himachal
Pradesh took the second spot while Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana
shared the third spot.”scroll
RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch protests Huawei conducting 5G
trials in India
RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagaran Manch has written to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in protest against the DoT's decision to allow Chinese company
Huawei to conduct 5G trials in India. In a letter to Modi, Ashwani Mahajan,
SJM's National Co-Convenor, expressed "disappointment after Department of
Telecom allowed Chinese company Huawei to conduct 5G trials in India. As you
are aware, that we endorse the development and evolution of technology and strongly
back its use to make human life more meaningful and easy. But we are equally
conscious of the national security and the privacy issues of our fellow
countrymen."Letter said the presence of Chinese companies in India's
telecommunications networks would compromise national security. Huawei has been
banned in several countries as more and more countries realise the full
implications of having Huawei and Chinese companies in their communication
networks.IANS
*Yogi government identifies site for mosque land*
Even as the Sunni Central Waqf Board remains undecided about accepting
the five-acre land offer made by the Supreme Court in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri
Masjid title verdict, the Yogi Adityanath government has shortlisted five sites
for the proposed mosque.The five sites are outside the "Panchkosi
Parikrama" limits, in accordance with the wishes of saints and seers who
had wanted the proposed mosque at a 'safe distance' so that there would be no
conflict in the future.The Panchkosi Parikrama is performed over a two-day
period in Ayodhya during the monsoon months. The devotees first take a holy dip
in the Saryu River and then do a Parikrama of 15 kms along the periphery of the
city. It is said that over two lakh devotees and 50,000 saints and seers from
Prayagraj, Haridwar, Mathura and Kashi participate in the event.According to
official sources, the state government has identified four sites on the
Ayodhya-Faizabad road, Ayodhya-Basti road, Ayodhya-Sultanpur road and
Ayodhya-Gorakhpur road. The fifth site is proposed on a highway, away from the
Parikrama route."The details of the proposed sites have been sent to the
Centre for approval and clearance. We have ensured that all sites have easy
access," said an official.IANS
Uttar Pradesh govt identifies plots for Ayodhya mosque
*Construction of Ram temple should not be delayed: Iqbal Ansari*
Ayodhya:Prominent Muslim litigant in the Babri Masjid case Iqbal Ansari
has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath and Defence minister Rajnath Singh to expedite the Ram temple
construction at Ayodhya."When the court has given its verdict in favour of
the Ram temple, then there should not be any delay in the construction of a
grand temple," he told mediapersons here on Monday.UNI
*Our New Year Greetings Must Go First to Farooq, Omar, Mehbooba &
Others Detained Since Aug 5: Chidambaram*
NEW DELHI:Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P.
Chidambaram on Tuesday sent his first greetings for the New Year to
incarcerated politicians and civic leaders of Jammu and Kashmir who are behind
bars since August 5 this year when the Article 370 was abrogated and the state
was bifurcated into two union territories.“Our first greetings for the New Year
must go to Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and other leaders
detained in J&K since August 5 without any charge. May the New Year bring
them freedom and justice!” tweeted Chidambaram Tuesday morning.In his next
tweet, he greeted all people for the New Year and stressed that struggle for
freedom is a never-ending struggle.India Tomorrow
*Entire Nagaland Declared 'Disturbed' for 6 More Months Under AFSPA*
New Delhi: The entire state of Nagaland has been declared a “disturbed
area” for six more months, till June-end, under the controversial AFSPA which
empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone
without any prior notice.In a notification, Home Ministry said central
government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole state of
Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed
forces in aid of civil power is necessary.“Now, therefore, in exercise of the
powers conferred by Section 3 of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No.
28 of 1958), the central government hereby declares that whole of the said
state to be a ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from
December 30, for the purpose of that Act,” it said.A home ministry official
said the decision to continue the declaration of Nagaland as “disturbed area”
has been taken as killings, loot and extortion have been going on in various
parts of the state which necessitated the action for the convenience of the
security forces operating there.PTI
*Kota Infant Death Toll At 91, NCPCR Says Hospital Had Broken Doors, Pigs
Roaming On Campus*
KOTA, Rajasthan — Fourteen more infants have died at the J K Lon
hospital here in the last five days, taking the number of deaths to 91 this
month, even as apex child rights body NCPCR said it found the hospital to be in
the “worst condition” with broken doors and windows, shortage of staff and pigs
roaming in its campus.“The 14 infants, including six newborns, died in the
period between December 25 and December 29 in NICU and PICU units of the
hospital,” the newly appointed superintendent of the hospital, Suresh Dulara,
said on Monday.Earlier, 77 infants had died till December 24 including 10
within 48 hours on December 23-24, he said.On the cause of deaths, Amrit Lal
Bairwa, Head of Department of Pediatrics, said that they are analysing the
reasons behind the 77 deaths till December 25.A team from the National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights team visited the hospital, where 940
children have died this year, after which its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo
issued a show cause notice to Vaibhav Galtiya, Secretary of Medical Education
Department in Rajasthan government, and sought an action taken report from him
on its findings.“It is evident that there was no glass in windows panes, gates
were broken and as a result the admitted children were suffering with extreme
weather condition,” Kanoongo said.“Pigs were found roaming inside the campus of
the hospital,” he said in the notice.huffingtonpost
*Govt. has started on wrong foot on Chief of Defence Staff appointment:
Congress*
NEW DELHI: Congress on Tuesday raised several questions over the
appointment of General Bipin Rawat as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), saying
the government has started on a “wrong foot” on the issue.The party also asked
whether the country was headed on a portentous path.Congress spokesperson
Manish Tewari said the government has started on a wrong foot on the
appointment and only time will unfortunately reveal the implications.“With
great regret and fullest of responsibility may I say that the Govt has started
on a very wrong foot with regard to CDS. Time alone unfortunately will reveal
the implications of this decision,” he said on Twitter.He also asked why the
appointment of a CDS is fraught with difficulties and ambiguities.Mr. Tewari
wondered if the CDS as Permanent Chairperson of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
outrank the three service Chiefs.PTI
*General Bipin Rawat: Army better prepared to take on challenges at
Pakistan, China border*
New Delhi :General Bipin Rawat, who retired on Tuesday as the Army chief
and is set to take over as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), said the
Indian Army was better prepared to take on the challenges at Pakistan and China
border. “Yes, they are better prepared. I thank all the soldiers of the Indian
Army who supported me in the last three years of my tenure,” PTI quoted Bipin
Rawat as saying.Conveying his wishes to his successor Lieutenant General Manoj
Naravane, General Bipin Rawat said, “Hope Army will rise to greater heights
under the new Army Chief.”indianexpress
*Gauhati High Court orders eviction of ‘ineligible’ from tribal land*
Gauhati High Court has ordered eviction of non-tribals and other persons
“not eligible to hold possession of land” in tribal belts and blocks protected
under Chapter X of Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act, 1886. The court
passed the order in response to a public interest litigation filed by Prodyut
Kumar Bora, seeking the court’s intervention in protecting the tribal belts and
blocks from illegal occupation by non-tribals and others.Assam has 17 tribal
belts and 30 blocks in Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Kamrup,
Kamrup (metro), Goalpara, Dhemaji, Darrang, Bongaigaon and the four districts
under Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).The order was issued to the deputy
commissioners of Bongaigaon, Kamrup (metro), Morigaon, Sonitpur and Tinsukia
districts and the principal secretary of BTC, which governs Kokrajhar, Chirang,
Baksa and Udalguri districts. Maximum encroachment was observed in these nine
districts. A division bench of Chief Justice Ajai Lamba and Justice Achintya
Malla Bujor Barua had on December 9 ordered the deputy commissioners of
districts having tribal belts and blocks and the principal secretary of BTC to
evict all non-tribal and other people illegally occupying land, following due
process of law. telegraphindia
*Maharashtra gets Muslim ministers after 5-year hiatus*
Mumbai :After a 5-year gap of no representation, Muslim ministers have
made an entry in a big way in the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government. In the
full-size cabinet that was sworn-in Monday, there were four Muslim ministers,
including three Cabinet ranked. On Monday, Nawab Malik and Hasan Mushrif of NCP
and Aslam Shaikh of the Congress were sworn-in as Cabinet ministers. Shiv
Sena’s Abdul Sattar took oath as a Minister of State. This is also the maximum
ever reperesntation of Muslims in state’s Cabinet ranks. In the late CM Vilasrao
Deshmukh-led government in 2004, there were 3 Muslim ministers who held the
Cabinet rank. Though, the highest Muslim representation was in Deshmukh’s term
between 1999 and 2003 with a total of seven ministers, only two were given
Cabinet ranks.At present, the state’s legislative assembly has 10 Muslim MLAs,
slightly better than 2014, when 9 MLAs were elected.
*Forest cover up but large tracts of dense forest have turned non-forest*
New Delhi :The biennial State of Forest Report (SFR), released Monday by
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, announced an overall gain of 3,976 sq
km of forests in India since 2017. But hidden in the not-so-fine print of the
report is a loss of 2,145 sq km of dense forests that have become non-forests
in those two years.What largely offset this loss is the conversion of 1,858 sq
km of non-forest areas to dense forests since 2017. Dense forests are defined
by canopy cover: over 70% is considered very dense and 40-70% medium dense. Unlike
natural forests, commercial plantations grow rapidly and show up as dense cover
in satellite images. A monoculture, however, cannot substitute natural forests
in biodiversity or ecological services.Dr Subhash Ashutosh, DG, Forest Survey
of India, said: “Some of these are fast-growing species such as bamboo in the
north-eastern region. Also rubber and coconut plantations in the southern
states. We need more time and resources if we are to identify and classify
plantations through ground-truthing in the biennial report.”indianexpress
*Central Board of Direct Taxes extends deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar
to March 31, 2020*
Central Board of Direct Taxes on Monday said that the last date for the
mandatory linking of the Permanent Account Number with Aadhaar card has been
extended from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020. This is the eighth time that
the Central Board of Direct Taxes has extended the deadline, PTI reported.On
December 16, Income Tax Department had said it was mandatory to link the PAN card
with the Aadhaar card on or before December 31. scroll
*Muslim body demands anti-lynching law in Jharkhand*
New Delhi: After new Chief Minister Hemant Soren took over in Jharkhand,
a Muslim body has demanded an anti-lynching law in the state following lynching
cases during the term of the previous government. Naved Hamid, President of the
All India Majlis Mushawarat told IANS: "I am thankful to Jharkhand Chief
Minister Hemant Soren for dropping the sedition cases lodged against the
activist in Pathalgadi movement and I would request the Chief Minister that
please enact an anti-lynching law in the first session of the Assembly
session." As per reports, Jharkhand saw at least 22 cases of lynching
after the killing of Tabrez Ansari hit the headlines earlier this year.IANS
*WORLD*
Protesters storm US embassy compound in Baghdad
Dozens of protesters broke into the US embassy compound in Baghdad on
Tuesday, smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area, prompting
tear gas and sounds of gunfire.Witnesses reported rising from inside the
compound and said they saw at least three US soldiers on the roof of the main
building inside embassy.It was not clear what caused the fire at the reception
area near the parking lot.A man on a loudspeaker urged the protesters not to
enter the compound, saying: "The message was delivered."US ambassador
to Iraq and other staff were evacuated from the embassy.Earlier, hundreds of
protesters gathered outside the embassy to decry US air attacks in Iraq and
Syria that killed 25 fighters from an Iran-backed Shia group.Shouting
"Down, Down USA!" the crowd hurled water bottles and smashed security
cameras outside the embassy grounds.Iraq's caretaker prime minister Adel Abdul
Mahdi called on the protesters to leave the compound
"immediately.""We recall that any aggression or harassment of
foreign embassies will be firmly prohibited by the security forces," Abdel
Mahdi's office said several hours after the attack began. US military carried
out the strikes on Sunday against the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah.
Washington claimed it was acting in retaliation for last week's killing of an
American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that it blamed
on the group.The protesters raised flags of the powerful paramilitary group
Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces), of which Kataib Hezbollah is
part, and several people climbed over the wall of the embassy and chanted
"death to America" and "no, no America", witnesses
said.Tuesday's attempted embassy storming took place after mourners held
funerals for fighters killed in a Baghdad neighbourhood, after which they marched
on to the heavily fortified Green Zone and kept walking until they reached the
embassy. aljazeera
Kabul: 17 killed due to hazardous levels of air pollution
At least 17 people have died of respiratory infections in Kabul over the
past week due to hazardous levels of air pollution, Afghanistan's health
ministry said.More than 8,800 patients have visited government hospitals in a
week, suffering from health conditions, including lung problems, as air quality
worsened in the capital, Deputy Minister of Public Health Fida Mohammad Paikan,
told reporters on Monday.Officials have started cracking down on local business
thought to be the main contributors to air pollution in Kabul after they were
asked to do so by the Afghan president, Leila Samani, a spokeswoman for Afghanistan's
National Environmental Protection Agency told dpa news agency on Monday.Three
wedding halls and two property management offices were shut down for causing
heating-related pollution, the municipality and environmental agency
said.aljazeera
Israeli top court hears case on Netanyahu's future
Israel's Supreme Court has convened to hear a petition on whether an
indicted member of parliament can form a new government, a key test case for
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to see if he can prolong his political career
after elections in March.If the court decides Netanyahu is ineligible, it could
precipitate a constitutional crisis in Israel, and exacerbate the already
tenuous ties between the Israeli government and judiciary.The court is not
expected to hand down an immediate ruling on Tuesday and may ask for a full
panel of the court to convene on the matter. Either way, it was wading into
uncharted territory.aljazeera
*Netanyahu: Israel will soon normalise ties, sign peace with Arab states*
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that
normalisation and formal peace agreements will be made with several Arab
states, last night during at a Likud event in Tel Aviv.“I intend in the coming
years to conclude normalisation and peace agreements with several Arab
countries,” Netanyahu said recalling his visit to the Sultanate of Oman, a
country with which Israel currently has no formal diplomatic relations.Speaking
to supporters about his landslide victory to remain, leader of the Likud party,
Netanyahu also touted his past achievements and pledges for future, including
bringing American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over all illegal
settlements in the occupied West Bank. Additionally, he spoke about tomorrow’s
hearing at the High Court of Justice’s on whether a candidate with pending
indictments should be allowed to form and lead a government.Hinting towards
further normalisation with Arab, in particular, Gulf states, Netanyahu
retweeted a post by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nayhan along
with the message that “The time has come for normalisation and
peace.”middleeastmonitor
*Inside China’s push to turn Muslim minorities into an army of
workers:New York Times*
The order from Chinese officials was blunt and urgent. Villagers from
Muslim minorities should be pushed into jobs, willing or not. Quotas would be
set and families penalized if they refused to go along.“Make people who are
hard to employ renounce their selfish ideas,” the labor bureau of Qapqal, a
county in the western region of Xinjiang, said in the directive last year.Such
orders are part of an aggressive campaign to remold Xinjiang’s Muslim
minorities — mostly Uighurs and Kazakhs — into an army of workers for factories
and other big employers. Under pressure from authorities, poor farmers, small
traders and idle villagers of working age attend training and indoctrination
courses for weeks or months, and are then assigned to stitch clothes, make
shoes, sweep streets or fill other jobs.These labor programs represent an
expanding front in a major effort by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, to entrench
control over this region, where these minorities make up about half the population.
They are crucial to the government’s strategy of social reengineering alongside
the indoctrination camps, which have held 1 million or more Uighurs and
Kazakhs.The labor bureau of Qapqal ordered that villagers should undergo
military-style training to convert them into obedient workers, loyal to
employers and the ruling Communist Party.
*US prosecutors charge suspect in Hanukkah stabbing rampage with hate
crime*
New York :Federal prosecutors filed hate-crime charges on Monday against
the man accused of a stabbing rampage at the New York-area home of a Hasidic
rabbi during a Hanukkah celebration, saying he kept journals with references to
Adolf Hitler and “Nazi culture.”Grafton Thomas, 37, a former U.S. Marine with a
history of severe mental illness, according to his attorney, entered no plea
during his brief initial federal court hearing in White Plains, New York, and
was ordered to remain in custody.Saturday’s assault, which left five people
wounded and followed a recent spate of anti-Semitic incidents in the greater
New York City area, prompted law enforcement to further bolster its presence in
Jewish neighborhoods across the region.Reuters
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
*Arrest of Md Shoaib, SR Darapuri in UP insults their human rights work legacy:Sandeep
Pandey*
*Never been more aware of my Muslim identity than I am today:Kabir Khan*
*Domestic political climate affects external relations. India must
recognise this urgently:C. Raja Mohan*
*CAA is in line with India’s ethos of fraternity: HRD minister Ramesh
Pokhriyal Nishank*
*Common intention under Section 34, IPC cannot be confused with similar
intention: Calcutta HC*
*UP govt’s decision to demand compensation from protesters, arbitrarily
targeting one community, is a new low:Indian express editorial*
*Struggle for India's Democracy Is Only Just Beginning:Prem Shankar Jha*
*Golwalkar's Idea of Culture as War Drives BJP's Scorn for Democracy and
Minorities:Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee*
*‘Our nation to keep and guard’:Shaheen Bagh isn’t stopping to say: NO
CAA*
*Afghan citizenship, defined and redefined over decades of change:Faizan
Mustafa*
*Bias inherent in NPR-NRC implementation guidelines:Mala Jay*
Delhi Police Using Facial Recognition Tech – How Can We Dodge It?Srinivas
Kodali
To invoke Allah or to not: Secular Islamophobia and the protesting
Indian Muslim:Mudasir Amin And Samreen Mushtaq
“They are shutting down the campus to quell the protests”: AMUSU
president Salman Imtiaz
'CAA Counters The Very Concept Of India', Senior Advocate Indira Jaising
Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:10 PM).*
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