23 Sept. 2019: 23 Muharram 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 20
INDIA
#AdiosModi: Giant Protests Outside 'Howdy Modi'
In Houston That Indian Media Didn't Show You
PM Narendra Modi’s event ‘Howdy Modi’ in Houston
was held on Sunday night, amid much attention from the Indian media and gushing
from NRIs. Modi and US President Donald Trump patted each others backs and
talked of amazing relationships between the two countries. The event seemed to
be a PR dream with Modi seeking a standing ovation for the abrogation of
Article 370 and asking people to vote for Trump again using his own campaign
slogan — ‘Abki baar, Trump Sarkar’. Howdy Modi was all over social media and
television channels in India. What the Indian media did not say, the media in
the US did. CNN said Trump and Modi were two sides of the same coin. Modi was
even accused of stroking Trump’s ego. While it been been getting constant
updates of even the Twitter bonhomie between the two leaders, what the TV
channels forgot to show was a massive protest in Houston in light of the ‘Howdy
Modi’ even. People used hashtag #AdiosModi to ask Modi to go back and serve up
answers on what was happening in Kashmir which was still under lockdown. The
crowd was a diverse gathering of Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Christians. Protesters
carried posters saying ‘Real Hindus don’t lynch’and ‘Hinduism is real, hindutva
is fake’There were chants of “Modi, Modi you can’t hide, you committed
genocide”. Modi’s critics called the Howdy Modi event a place where white
extremists met Hindu extremists. Some posters compared Modi to Hitler and some
slogans compared RSS to Ku Klux Klan. Al Jazeera said that thousands had
gathered outside the stadium to protest against Modi. Huffpost India
‘Go back Modi’: Thousands boycott #HowdyModi
event in Houston
PM Modi meets minorities in Houston to showcase
India’s diversity and complexity
Houston: Anti-Modi protestors stage
demonstrations against ‘near-fascist politics’ of BJP govt
Indian-American Coalition Protests 'Bigoted and
Oppressive' Modi, Trump in Houston
Even as thousands cheered PM Narendra Modi and US
President Donald Trump at a Houston rally, another group of people gathered at
the venue to protest mob violence, Hindutva and the continued blockade in
Kashmir. Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA), a “bona fide group of
Indian Americans” were protesting “the undemocratic, anti-people and anti-minorities
agenda” of the Modi Govt and BJP. The coalition comprises groups of
Indian-Americans across religions, such as Hindus for Human Rights (HHR), Indian
American Muslim Council and Organisation for Minorities of India. The coalition
does not have any connections with any other “nationality or separatist
causes”, AJA said. HHR co-founder Sunita Vishwanath said it was “extremely
gratifying to gather such a diverse group of organisations and communities” to
protest against two “bigoted and oppressive” world leaders.thewire
Congress accuses PM of campaigning for Trump,
says it violates ‘time honoured principle’
Congress has accused PM Narendra Modi of
violating Indian foreign policy's "time honoured principle" of not
interfering in the domestic elections of another country by campaigning for US
President Donald Trump at HowdyModi event in Houston.In a series of tweets,
Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said Modi was in US as India's PM, and not a
star campaigner in the US elections."PM, you have violated the time
honoured principle of Indian foreign policy of not interfering in the domestic
elections of another country. This is a singular disservice to long-term
strategic interests of India," Sharma said on Twitter after Howdy Modi
event in Texas. "Our relationship with USA have throughout been
bipartisan, vis-Ã -vis Republicans and Democrats. Your actively campaigning for
Trump is a breach of both India and America as sovereign nations and
democracies," he added. Sharma's party colleague, P Chidambaram, who is in
Tihar jail on charges of alleged corruption, also took a dig at the PM over his
"Everything is fine in India" remark in Houston. "Bharat mai sab
achha hai. Except for unemployment, loss of existing jobs, lower wages, mob
violence, lockdown in Kashmir and throwing Opposition leaders in prison," he
tweeted.IANS
Nobel Laureates Call on Foundation to Revoke
Award to PM Modi
Nobel Peace Prize laureates Mairead Maguire,
Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman and Shirin Ebadi have written to Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation expressing their objection to presenting Global Goalkeeper
Award to PM Narendra Modi.They pointed that since the BJP has come to power,
there have been consistent attacks on minorities - Dalits, Muslims, Christians.“Use
of organised mobs to respond to alleged sectarian ‘offences’ with violence has
undermined the rule of law,” the letter read. They wrote that Modi’s regime
brought about a communication blackout in Kashmir, Assam NRC where 1.9 million have
been stripped of citizenship, and 2002 Gujarat riots, which are reasons good
enough for the foundation to rescind their award to Modi.Talking about the
riots, letter read, “Modi was banned
from entering US, UK and Canada for 10 years until he acquired diplomatic
immunity by becoming India's PM.” Meanwhile, Cambridge scholars and alumni
condemned the foundation for lauding Modi for the Swachh Bharat Mission, saying
“ignoring gross violation of human rights under his regime is reprehensible.”
“At the time of writing this letter, there are seven million Kashmiris under
military siege lasting for over 40 days. Several media sources have reported on
the inhuman conditions in the state,including house arrests, detentions, humiliation,
and complete isolation of Kashmiris,” read the plea. They even pointed at PM’s
silence regarding “rise of Hindu nationalist sentiments and consequent violence
against minorities in India”.the quint
J&K ISSUE
'Howdy Modi' happening at a time when Kashmir
remains under lockdown: US Senator Sanders
Houston: US Senator and Democratic presidential contender
Bernie Sanders said on Sunday that Modi-Trump rally is happening in Houston at
a time when Kashmir remains under lockdown."When President Trump meets
with Indian PM Narendra Modi in Houston, we will hear much about the friendship
between the American and Indian peoples," 77-year-old leader said in an
opinion piece in Houston Chronicle."However, there will be a deafening
silence when it comes to a human rights crisis unfolding right before our eyes
- and that is unacceptable," he added. Addressing the annual convention of
the Islamic Society of North America in Houston on Saturday, Sanders said that
he was "deeply concerned" about the situation in Kashmir and asked
the US Govt to "speak out boldly" in support of a UN-backed peaceful
resolution to resolve the issue.PTI
‘Ironic’:
Mufti’s daughter on PM’s Article 370 remark at ‘Howdy, Modi’ event
A day after PM Narendra Modi championed his govt’s
decision to scrap Kashmir’s special status at his US event, Iltija Mufti,
daughter of exJ&K CM Mehbooba Mufti, said it was “ironic” that a move taken
to secure the interests of J&K gets “cheered everywhere except the state it
is meant to benefit”.“Ironic that a move ostensibly taken to secure “special
interests” of J&K gets cheered on everywhere except in the state that’s it
meant to benefit,” Iltija, who has been using her mother’s Twitter account said
in a tweet. She also said that while people in J&K have been “gagged”, a
mass “hysteria is orchestrated” elsewhere to justify the decision. She also
said that there is no credible information on the number of women detained.indianexpress
EU parliamentarians, clerics including Madani, Ajmer
Dargah chief back India on J&K move,
slam Pak
Geneva: Several members of the European
Parliament and Indian Muslim clerics on Sunday backed India's move to scrap
Article 370, saying that it will bring more prosperity in J&K and Ladakh
while slamming Pakistan's desperate bid to internationalise India's
"internal matter". European Parliament MPs(MEP) and clerics were
speaking at a joint press conference at Geneva Press Club on the situation in J&K
post abrogation of special status to it. Calling the scrapping of Article 370
"a fully internal matter of India", MEP Thierry Mariani supported
India on the matter and rejected Pakistan's attempt to internationalise the
issue. "This is not an international event. It is just a change of status.
Kashmir belongs to India. If India decides to change the status of Kashmir, it
is India's internal matter. The status change will just benefit J-K," he
told ANI here. Ex-EU member Charles Tannock, MEPs Fulvio Martusciella and
Guiseppe Ferrandino and ex member of Canadian Parliament Mario Silva were also
present at the press conference. Maintaining that J-K is an integral part of
India, Maulana Mahmood Madani, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind general secretary, rejected Pakistan
PM's attempts to internationalise the issue and asked the neighbouring country
to work for the welfare of Pakistanis. "J-K is an integral part of India.
We do not accept any interference by Pakistan and other nations in Kashmir. We
cannot compromise with India's integrity and we reject Pakistan's
narrative,"he said. Later, Madani said, "Pakistan has been spreading
the mess across South Asia in the name of Islam. Now it is trying to push its
agenda (on India's move on J-K) across the world in the name of Indian Muslims."Syed
Salman Chishty, custodian of Dargah Ajmer Sharif, also rejected Pakistan's
propaganda on J&K, terming it a "failed attempt". "This is a
failed attempt. People who know the truth will not pay heed to their
propaganda," he said. ANI
Pakistan will be wiped out if it engages in war
with India:MoS for Home Affairs Reddy
Pakistan would be wiped out of the world map if
at all it engages in a war with India, Minister of State for Home Affairs G
Kishan Reddy said."If at all a war happens, Pakistan will no longer remain
on the world map. It will be wiped out," he warned."There is nothing
to be cowed down by the hollow noises of Imran Khan or the Pakistan Army. PM of
India is not a man to be cowed down. This is a Govt that protects the
sovereignty and integrity of the country. It's a patriotic Govt,"Reddy observed.PTI
Terrorist camp at Balakot ‘reactivated’; India’s
response may be beyond surgical strike: Army Chief
Chennai:The terrorist camp at Balakot across the
border in Pakistan that was destroyed by Indian armed forces through a surgical
strike earlier this year has been “reactivated” very recently, Chief of Army
Staff, General Bipin Rawat said in Chennai today. Though at least 500 persons
were waiting to infiltrate into India, adequate measures have been taken to
curb it, he said.Interacting with reporters, he said though the terror camp at
Balakot was destroyed by the Indian armed forces, it had been reactivated. “And
now they have got their people back.” On whether a repeat of India’s response
to Balakot could be expected, Gen. Rawat said: “Why must we expect a repeat of
a similar thing? Earlier we did something, then we did Balakot, why not keep
the other side guessing as to what we will do? Why tell them what we are going
to do. Why not keep them guessing? Why say repeat? Why not something beyond
that?”When asked for the number of infiltrators, he said: “These numbers keep
fluctuating. But, I would say, yes, there are at least 500 people who are
waiting to infiltrate. That is the minimum number I would say. But, these
numbers keep fluctuating because, depending on how the weather pattern is, they
keep moving."Asked about the situation in Kashmir, he said terrorists were
trying to creating a facade as if there was clampdown in the Valley but normal
activities were on. He also said the restrictions would be eased up gradually. Gen.
Rawat said: “I feel the interpretation of Islam by some elements, who possibly
want to create disruption, is what is fed to a large number of people... I
think it is important that we have preachers, who convey the correct meaning of
Islam.”thehindu
3 Hizbul militants arrested for murder of BJP,
RSS leaders in J&K’s Kishtwar
Jammu : J&K Police Monday claimed to have
solved the murder cases of a senior BJP leader and an RSS functionary leader in
Kishtwar region with four arrests — 3 alleged Hizbul Mujahideen militants and
an overground worker. BJP state secretary Anil Parihar was killed in 2018 and
senior RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma was murdered in April this year. Both
the murders had triggered protests in Kishtwar. Killings were part of a
conspiracy to revive militancy in Kishtwar and were hatched by longest
surviving Hizbul Mujahideen commander Jahangir Saroori in the area, IGP Jammu
zone Mukesh Singh said. The arrested militants are residents of Kishwar and
have been identified as Nissar Ahmed Sheikh, Nishad Ahmed and Azad Hussain. 4th
person arrested, Rustom, was an overground worker who helped in the
construction of hideout in the houses of Nissar and Nishad. indian express
J&K terror funding case: NIA all set to
chargesheet Yasin Malik, 4 other top separatist leaders
NIA is all set to chargesheet Yasin Malik and
four other top separatist leaders in 2017 J&K terror funding case. 3 other
separatist leaders Shabir Shah, Asiya Andrabi and Masarat Alam Bhat were also
arrested in connection with NIA probe into a terror funding case involving
chief Hafiz Saeed.Besides separatist leaders, former MLA Engineer Sheikh Abdul
is the first mainstream politician to have been arrested and named by the NIA
in its chargesheet.According to top-level sources in the agency, the second
supplementary chargesheet will be filed in the first week of October. Sources
said, "This will be the most crucial chargesheet of NIA as per the profile
of leaders." Meanwhile the agency mentioned the names of separatists Syed
Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in the case, even called the latter
for questioning, but did not name them in chargesheet.indiatoday
J&K: BBC video shows children being detained,
beaten up, Army denies charge
After
releasing several videos on Kashmir on large protests and alleged human rights
violations, the BBC has published another video with the title the detained
children of Kashmir. 3-minute 27-second video was made public on the 50th day
of Kashmir lockdown following the reading down of Article 370 and Article 35
A.In an anecdotal account, Indian Army has been accused of illegally detaining
children in Kashmir during night raids. A man along with his 16-year-old son
was detained after the Army picked them and subsequently locked at the police
station for six days. In the video, the faces of interviewees are covered in
order to protect them from reprisals, the BBC reported.The father and his son
were beaten up on the allegations of stone-throwing and their aspirations for
freedom. During the alleged torture in the custody, the father said that he had
wished death so that he did not have to see the children being beaten, the man
in the BBC video said. Both of them were released later.newsx
J&K: 20 days after assault on teacher over
Article 370, Ramban tense
Batote :Assault on a teacher at a school in
Batote has brought forth the simmering tension in Ramban district along the
Jammu-Srinagar highway since the abrogation of Article 370. CISF is now
deployed at the Govt higher secondary school, while authorities have assured
that the Class 10 teacher, who was attacked on Sept.2 after he listed the
“benefits” of the Govt’s move on Article 370, won’t be posted back to the
school.A schoolteacher who refused to be identified said they had to rescue the
Class 10 teacher. “Students may have thrown him off the first floor, killed
him,” said the teacher.While the students accuse the teacher of making
derogatory remarks against a community while speaking about Article 370,
31-year-old has said he was only answering queries of some students. The school
authorities claim they have no idea why the violence flared up. indianexpress
OTHERS
No Hindus will have to leave India, even if
excluded from NRC: RSS chief Bhagwat
New Delhi: In yet another step towards the Hindu
right’s attempts to distance themselves from the published NRC in Assam, RSS
chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday that no Hindu would have to think about
leaving the country even if their names were excluded from citizens’ register.
Bhagwat’s claim, made at a closed door meeting between RSS affiliate outfits
including BJP in West Bengal’s Uluberia, comes in the aftermath of heavy
rumours and unconfirmed reports which have held that there are more Hindus than
Muslims among 19 lakh excluded from Assam NRC. Even within the saffron camp
there is a concerned that over 12 lakh Hindus being part of 19 lakh people who did
not make NRC cut in Assam. PTI quoted an RSS functionary as having said,
“Bhagwat ji has clearly said that not a single Hindu will have to leave this
country. He said that Hindus, who came to India after being tortured and
persecuted in other nations, will stay.”Bhagwat is understood to have insisted
that even those Hindus whose names are not in the Assam NRC can rest easy as
“RSS will stand by them”. The Telegraph quoted a senior BJP leader who attended
the meeting as having said, “We expect the Union home minister and our national
party president Amit Shah to give a similar assurance about Hindus not named in
NRC in Assam and elsewhere, like in Bengal, during his visit to Calcutta on
Oct.1.” Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh also attended meeting. Shah has spoken
vehemently for a Bengal NRC and infamously referred to “illegal immigrants”as
“termites” at one of his rallies. The idea has found stiff opposition in
Congress, CPI(M) and most importantly, ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal. PTI
report, however, quoted agency sources as having said that several leaders
present at meeting underlined the need for the implementation of the hugely
debated Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in West Bengal before coming out with an
NRC for the state. thewire
No Hindu will have to leave over NRC:Bhagwat
A few hundred NRC-excluded people pushed back
from Mizoram: Home Minister
Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana has said a few
hundred people who had been excluded from the NRC list in Assam were detected
and pushed back to Assam from the inter-state border since Aug. 31 when the
document was released. PTI
'6 died in Bengal due to NRC panic': Mamata says
Shame on BJP for creating panic
CM Mamata Banerjee has pulled up BJP for creating
panic through a 'fake campaign' on NRC issue, which she claimed led to death of
6 persons in the state. "Shame on BJP for creating panic over the NRC in
Bengal. It has triggered six deaths. Have faith in me, I will never allow the
exercise in Bengal," Banerjee said. Iterating that her Govt would never
allow any NRC exercise in the state, Banerjee went a step further and asserted
that no such process will be undertaken anywhere else in the country as the
Assam NRC list was mandated by the Assam Accord of 1985. She also asked the
people to get their names registered on the voters' list as work on its
updation was on. Banerjee alleged that
the BJP was carrying out a fake campaign on a future NRC list in Bengal as part
of its political propaganda."Leave out Bengal, NRC won't take place
anywhere else. NRC list published in Assam was mandated by Assam Accord of
1985. Just because somebody says it will happen, it doesn't mean such an
exercise will take place. They need it (NRC) for their politics, for their
political propaganda," she said. Banerjee said the BJP was trying to
divide Hindus and Muslims, and took a dig at the saffron party for the deletion
of names of 13 lakh Hindus from the final NRC list brought out in Assam last
month.IANS
Bengal: 2 found hanging, one die of ‘stress’,
families blame NRC panic
Kolkata: 3 more deaths have been reported in West
Bengal due to alleged panic over NRC. 2 persons allegedly committed suicide out
of fear that their names might not figure in NRC, if it is implemented in the
state, one fell sick after “stressing” over the issue for a week, as claimed by
the families. One Kalachand Middya (42), who was missing since Saturday, and
was found hanging from a bamboo tree, 1 km away from his house at Falta in
South 24 Parganas district on Sunday. His family members claimed Middya took
his life in panic that his name might not figure in NRC if it is implemented
here. He was identified by his wife Salma Bibi. “He was obsessed with the possibility of NRC
getting implemented here. He started panicking after he could not find
important documents. He has committed suicide in fear that he will be thrown
out from here,” Salma said.Kamal Hossain Mondal (35), a brick kiln worker, was
also found hanging from a mango tree near his house at Basirhat in North 24
Parganas on Sunday. His family members claimed Mondal was spending a lot of
time doing rounds of Govt offices and ration shops to correct spelling of his
name in voter ID, Aadhaar and ration cards.“He was also worried after he failed
to recover his property deeds,” said his brother Jamil. In North 24 Parganas,
another death was reported due to alleged panic over NRC in Shasan.Local
residents said Ayep Ali had been doing rounds of panchayat and BDO office after
he failed to recover his property deeds. On Saturday, he fell sick and was
taken to Barasat Hospital. “He fell sick after stressing over NRC for seven
days,” said Hasan Ali, his cousin. indianexpress
Will ensure that no one is harassed because of
religions, Amit Shah tells Muslim Delegation on NRC
New Delhi:Allaying apprehensions over any
country-wide NRC exercise, Amit Shah said on Saturday that it will be ensured
that nobody is harassed because of their religion, according to Muslim outfit
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, which met the Union Home Minister here. A joint delegation
of Jamiat Ulema, Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind called on Shah at his residence and
issued a statement later. Home Minister
said the Govt was “ready to speak to all Muslim organisations with an open
heart”. According to the statement, Jamiat Ulema General Secretary Mehmood
Madani told Shah that they might have
differences with the Govt on several issues but they are with it on all matters
of national interest. Shah assured the delegation that there will be no impact
on Kashmiri culture because of the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370
of the Constitution, the statement said. Madani told Shah that “attempts are
being made to harass Muslims in Assam” through NRC exercise in the state, and
the Home Minister’s statement that NRC would be updated across the country is
being presented as a “threat”, the statement said.It said that Shah responded
by saying, “Nobody should be scared about NRC. Regarding Assam, we have said we
will provide free legal aid to the people who have been excluded from the final
NRC list.”PTI
Salafi group supports to Modi govt on Kashmir,
NRC
Jamiat delegation
meets Amit Shah to support kashmir move
Jharkhand again: A man is lynched, 2 injured over
suspicion of cow slaughter
Ranchi:One man was killed and 2 others injured in
Khunti district of Jharkhand Sunday after they were assaulted by a mob that
accused them of “slaughtering” a cow. Police said the men were attacked around
10 am in Jaltanda Suari village, when villagers spotted them allegedly carving
out meat from an animal carcass.“ 3 villagers, identified as Kalantus Barla,
Philip Horo and Faagu Kacchap, are alleged to have been carving an animal
prohibited for slaughtering. Other villagers spotted them and started beating
them. However, police reached the spot as we got information and rushed them to
hospital. Barla sustained grievous injuries and he died before reaching
hospital. Other 2 are said to be stable,” said DIG Homkar Amol Venukant. DIG
said that there was no clarity on the “sequence of events” and that the matter
is under investigation. He said no arrests have been made and that “there are a
few persons detained for questioning”.This year in April, a tribal Christian
Prakash Lakra was killed after being lynched by a mob allegedly after he along
with other villagers were allegedly “carving a dead ox” in Jhurmo village of
Gumla district. In the case, the police booked the injured under Bovine Animal
Prohibition of Slaughter Act.indianexpress
Man lynched on suspicion of being thief, 3
arrested
Jamnagar: A unidentified man was allegedly beaten
to death by a group of 7 persons on suspicion of being a thief in Gujarat's
Jamnagar district, police said.The incident took place at Moti Khavdi village
on Sunday following which three of the accused were arrested, an official at
Medhpar police station said.The man, who was apparently mentally unstable and
around 35 years of age, tried to enter the house in which the accused stayed by
jumping the compound wall and breaking its window on Sunday morning, he said.He
then hurled abuses at them following which the accused, suspecting that the man
was a thief, thrashed him with wooden and plastic sticks, killing him on the
spot, the official said.The accused worked as supervisors at a private
fabrication factory nearby and lived in a rented house.Later, police arrested 3
of the accused, Prabhakar Tripathi (native of Deoria in UP), Yogesh Singh (from
Sultanpur in UP) and Manoj Singh (hailing from Bihar), he said.Search was on
for 4 others accused, Sahil Ansari, Prakash Kumar, Santosh Maurya, and Shivaji
Uadav, he said.An FIR was lodged on Sunday evening against the 7 accused.PTI
Passport, Aadhaar, all in one: Amit Shah moots
idea of multipurpose card
New Delhi :Union Home Minister Amit Shah today
proposed the idea of a multipurpose identity card for citizens with all
utilities like passport, Aadhaar, driving licence and bank accounts.“Why can’t
we have just one card for all utilities like Aadhaar, passport, bank account,
driving licence, voter card. There should be a system that all data should be
put together in a single card. This is a potential. That is why digital census
is very important,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.Shah was laying the
foundation stone of a new building of the Registrar General of India and Census
Commissioner in the national capital when he made the remark.The minister also
said the Census 2021 data will be collected through mobile app, a move that
will be a big revolution in the country’s census exercise.indianexpress
Delhi CM Kejriwal to Discuss Govt's Experience in
Lowering Pollution at C40 Summit in Denmark
New Delhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will attend
the C40 Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, next month and speak on his Govt's
experience in lowering pollution, including the Odd-Even scheme, and other
issues, an official statement stated.According to the statement, invited as leader
of one of the world's largest metropolises, CM will join leaders of several
cities like New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles and Berlin to deliberate on
the climate crisis impacting the world at the summit from Oct. 9-12. This will
be the second official foreign visit of the Delhi CM. In September last year,
Kejriwal travelled to Seoul in South Korea to sign agreements between Delhi and
Seoul." CM is expected to speak on his Govt's experience in lowering air
pollution in the city and present the set of initiatives taken by the Delhi Govt
that led to the 25 % reduction in air pollution in the city," it stated.It
also stated the CM is likely to speak on the Odd-Even scheme as an
"innovative solution" to air pollution. The third edition of Odd-Even
scheme is scheduled to be implemented from November 4 to November 15. PTI
UPSC asks in exam: ‘What are the challenges to
our cultural practices in the name of secularism’
A question in the General Studies Paper I in the
ongoing Civil Services Main examination has triggered a debate on social media.
“What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism,”
UPSC asked the candidates. Question was of 10 marks.While candidates are
tweeting photos of the question paper, many are criticising the move calling it
“fall of the great civil services”. Joining the debate, Kannan Gopinathan — IAS
officer who recently resigned from the services over the Kashmir issue —
tweeted what would have been his answer had he appeared for exam. Gopinathan
wrote, “Indian secularism is a positive concept, taking along and encouraging
all the cultural practices while instilling a scientific temper against
superstitions and harmful practices.”, would have been first sentence of my
answer!” indianexpress
Disqualified Karnataka MLAs seek interim stay on
Oct. 21 bye-polls, SC to hear plea
The Supreme Court on Monday accepted the plea
made by 17 rebel MLAs from Karnataka, who challenged their disqualification.
The disqualified MLAs also requested the Supreme Court to grant an interim stay
on the bye-elections slated to be held on October 21. Election Commission of
India has, however, opposed the prayer seeking a stay on bye-polls. Hearing the petition, a bench comprising of
Justices NV Ramana, Krishna Murari and Sanjay Khanna issued notices to the
former Karnataka Speaker Ramesh Kumar seeking his response to the plea filed by
disqualified MLAs. The court also issued notices to Karnataka Congress KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao and leader of Congress
Legislature Party– Siddaramaiah, seeking their response on whether a whip was
issued by the party before MLAs were disqualified. The court adjourned the
hearing. The next hearing will take place on Sept. 25. Thenewsminute
SC keeps Jst Kureshi’s appointment matter pending
The Supreme Court has agreed to keep pending the
matter of the appointment of Justice Akil Kureshi till the Centre notifies former's
appointment after hearing the submission on the petition filed by Gujarat
Advocates Association. The SC Collegium has already recommended Justice
Kureshi's appointment as the Chief Justice of Tripura High Court. The SC
observed that the matter in connection with appointment and transfer goes to
the roots of the administration of justice and interference in
it."Judicial review is severely restricted. Interference in system of
administration of justice does not augur well for institution", CJI said.IANS
Justice Kureshi denies speculation on quitting
over Collegium move
Chidambaram denies CBI claim of using FM office
for personal gain
New Delhi:Congress leader P Chidambaram, arrested
in INX Media corruption case, today denied in the Delhi High Court that he used
the office of finance minister for personal gain.In a rejoinder to CBI’s reply
on his bail plea, the former finance minister said a look-out circular has
already been issued against him and it is preposterous to allege that he is a
flight risk and can evade process of law.CBI in its reply on Friday opposed
Chidambaram’s bail plea in the corruption case, saying it is a “gravest case of
economic offences” and the magnitude of financial embezzlement and misuse of
high public office disentitles him for any relief.PTI
Mumbai University quits collaboration with
Idara-e adab-e-Islami: Mumbai Mirror report
University of Mumbai (MU) on Saturday cancelled
its plan to organise a felicitation ceremony for winners of the Maharashtra
State Urdu Sahitya Academy awards, in collaboration with Idara-e adab-e-Islami,
a literary wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. The function was scheduled to take
place this evening at the university’s Kalina Campus. It will now be held in
Kurla (West) without MU’s participation.The move came after leading Urdu
writers questioned the decision of MU’s Department of Urdu to partner with
Idara-e adab-e-Islami, as reported by Mumbai Mirror. “We have taken cognisance
of the many objections we have received from Urdu writers, poets and other
activists,” Professor Saheb Ali, the head of the department, who was in Banaras
on Saturday, said. “We have decided to cancel the function. We are not going to
be associated with it.” Mohammad Aslam Ghazi, founder member of the Idara, also
confirmed the development. “On Saturday we had a meeting with University of
Mumbai officials and we failed to address their concerns,” he said, adding the
ceremony would go ahead without MU’s support. “We have informed the awardees
about the change in location.”All 35 awardees will be present in Kurla (West)
this evening, organisers of the functions said. The State Academy has made it
clear that it was not involved in the collaboration at any stage, sources said.
Mumbai-based writer Rahman Abbas, who won the Sahitya Academy award for his
novel Rohzin in 2018, was one of those who criticised Urdu Dept and initiated
the campaign against it.Mumbai Mirror
Marathi book on Tipu Sultan’s life and
achievements to be released soon
In an attempt to highlight Tipu Sultan’s
personality, diplomacy, relationships with other rulers, foreign policies and
other facets of his rule, two youths from Solapur city, Sarfaraz Ahmed and
Wayez Sayed are bringing out a Marathi book named “Tipu Sultan – Patre, Hukum
Name aani Itihasache Sadhne” (Tipu Sultan – Letters, Orders and History
materials).About 415 letters and 10 orders of Tipu Sultan have been collected by these 2
youths and translated into Marathi. Book containing Tipu’s written material is
ready for release and will be published by Adv.Gaziuddin Research Center, Solapur.
This research centre has released five books on Tipu.TCN
Senior ISRO Scientist Criticises Sivan's Approach
After Moon Mission Setback
https://thewire.in/space/senior-isro-scientist-criticises-sivans-approach-after-moon-mission-setback
Tapan Misra, ex chief of Space Applications
Centre of the ISRO who was sidelined last year by incumbent chairman K Sivan,
has penned a Facebook post tacitly criticising the organisation’s leadership
and work culture after the Chandrayaan 2 surface mission failed earlier this
month. The post is available to read in full below.One of Sivan’s first
decisions as the new chairman of ISRO, in mid-2018, had been to demote Misra
from directorship of the SAC to being the chairman’s advisor, a role that
carries no executive authority. Speculation was rife at the time that the
decision had been motivated by reasons other than professional conduct –
because Misra was opposed to privatisation of Indian spaceflight programme,
because the controversial GSAT-11 mission had become stalled or because of
internal politics. In his Facebook post, Misra called attention to ISRO’s
top-down working culture and inadequate leadership, particularly in the face of
Chandrayaan 2 having failed to execute its surface mission because the lander
crashed on the Moon’s surface instead of touching down.Around the same time
Misra’s post was published, Sivan announced that Chandrayaan 2 had in fact
completed 98% of its mission – a surprising claim considering one half of the
mission hadn’t been executed and scientific mission of the other half –lunar
orbiter – has only just begun its minimum lifetime of one year. Sivan had
announced shortly after lander failure on Sept.7 that mission was a 95%
success, itself a strongly contested number.thewire
Under Delhi metro bridge, shopkeeper runs
makeshift school for over 300 poor children
New Delhi:Hoping to change the lives of the
capital’s have-nots, a shopkeeper in Delhi has been running a makeshift school
for more than 300 underprivileged children beneath a metro bridge in the Yamuna
Bank area for the last over eight years without any assistance neither from Govt
nor any NGOs. ‘Free School Under The Bridge’, where hundreds of children living
in shacks and hutments close to Yamuna
Bank metro station get education, is run by its founder Rajesh Kumar Sharma. The
sole breadwinner of his family of 5 who live in Laxmi Nagar, Sharma belongs to UP’s
Hathras district and runs a small grocery shop in the same locality to support
his family.49-year-old’s journey of teaching over 300 children of slum
dwellers, ragpickers, rickshaw-pullers and beggars began with 2 children in
2006 when the idea came to his mind while wandering around the empty fields
close to Yamuna river. PTI
WORLD
Egypt military Officers call for Sisi to be
ousted
Officers in Egypt’s military called on citizens
to take to the streets and bring an end to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s
regime, Al-Khaleej Online reported.The Egypt Officers Front, which said it is
loyal to former chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Lieutenant General
Sami Anan, said it would protect the demonstrators.On Facebook, the group said
the army would protect the demonstrators exactly as happened on 25 Jan.2011,
when the regime of Hosni Mubarak was ousted.It named Dr Mahmoud Refaat as the
official spokesman for Sami Anan and called for everyone to contact him for
information.Refaat approved the reports and said he would release names of the
officers who would protect demonstrators, calling them “the honourable officers
of the Egyptian army.”middleeastmonitor
Egypt: Govt censors BBC and others over pictures
of demonstrations
Egyptian authorities have censored several media
website, including BBC Arabic, for reporting news about the demonstrations that
broke out on Friday in Cairo and several governorates against El-Sisi.The
websites of Al Hurra, ARIJ, and several other media outlets have also been
blocked as part of a Govt campaign to mislead the public.According to press and
human rights observatories, more than 500 news and human rights websites have
been censored in Egypt so far, without knowing the official bodies responsible
for issuing those decisions and the rationale behind such a move.MEMO
Egyptian authorities detain award-winning human
rights lawyer
Authorities in Egypt jailed an award-winning
human rights lawyer on Sunday after she attended judicial investigations into
protesters arrested during rare demonstrations against Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Mahienour el-Massry was arrested as soon as she left the state security
prosecutor's headquarters in the capital, Cairo, where she acted as the lawyer
for several people detained during the demonstrations, her lawyer Tarek
al-Awadi said. Hundreds of Egyptians took to the streets in Cairo and several
other cities across the country on Friday to call for el-Sisi's departure.
According to the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, 365 people
have since been arrested. El-Massry, a political activist and human rights
defender, has been tried and jailed twice for taking part in protests.
aljazeera
Israeli Arabs back Netanyahu rival in bid to end reign
Israel’s long-marginalized Arab minority is
throwing around its newfound weight.Joint List of Arab parties, significantly
strengthened by Israel’s inconclusive Sept. 17 election, recommended on Sunday
that former military chief Benny Gantz form next Govt. Its backing could nudge
President Reuven Rivlin to tap Gantz instead of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, whose
nationalist campaign preyed on anti-Arab sentiment.That Israeli Arabs would
recommend Gantz, whose Blue and White bloc counts three former generals and
several staunch nationalists, is in itself remarkable. But recommending Gantz
“will be the most significant step toward helping create the majority needed to
prevent another term for Netanyahu,” Joint List Chairman Ayman Odeh said in a
New York Times opinion piece.“Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel have chosen
to reject PM Benjamin Netanyahu, his politics of fear and hate, the inequality
and division he advanced for the past decade,” Odeh wrote.“We have decided to
demonstrate that Arab Palestinian citizens can no longer be rejected or
ignored.”Bloomberg
Israel is planning a power cut that puts
'Palestinians lives at risk', health ministry warns
Palestine’s health ministry warned a possible
power blackout which Palestinians are expecting Israel to carry out in occupied
West Bank would put lives of patients at risk.The power outage “may affect
medications and vaccines kept in the refrigerators of the health centers and
health care clinics,” health minister, Mai Alkaila said late on Saturday.Last
week, the Israeli Electricity Company informed the Palestinian-owned Jerusalem
District Electricity Company that it will start rationing electricity supplies
across the occupied territory.“Any power outage on the refrigerators and
vaccines of the health centres will damage them and affect their effectiveness,
especially those medicines kept at low temperatures. Some of them require
permanent freezing during the storing period,” Alkaila said.alaraby.co.uk
Stage set for US, Iran showdown at UNGA
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/stage-set-iran-showdown-general-assembly-190923022121588.html
US and Iran are set to put forward their
competing visions of security in the Middle East to UN General Assembly this
week, with US President Donald Trump expected to address the gathering of world
leaders on Tuesday, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani the following day.Even
as tensions continue to simmer in the Middle East, following the attack on
Saudi Arabia's oil fields and the exchange of sharp rhetoric between Washington
and Tehran, the two leaders are holding out hope for diplomacy, with Trump
saying he is "a very flexible person" and Rouhani extending a
"hand of friendship and brotherhood" towards its regional
neighbours.On Sunday, Trump once again left open the possibility of an
unscheduled meeting with Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.aljazeera
Oldest travel firm Thomas Cook collapses,
stranding hundreds of thousands
London:Thomas Cook, world’s oldest travel firm,
collapsed today, stranding hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers around the
globe and sparking the largest peacetime repatriation effort in British
history. Chief Executive Peter Fankhauser said it was a matter of profound
regret that the company had gone out of business after it failed to secure a
rescue package from its lenders.UK’s Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) said Thomas
Cook had now ceased trading and the regulator and Govt would work together to
bring the more than 150,000 British customers home over the next two weeks.Crippled
by its 1.7 billion pounds of debt, Thomas Cook has been hit by online
competition, a changing travel market and geopolitical events that can upend
its summer season.Reuters
Taliban in China to discuss Afghan peace after US
talks collapse
A Taliban delegation has met Chinese officials in
Beijing to discuss peace efforts in Afghanistan. The meeting on Sunday came days
after Donald Trump abruptly cancelled months-long talks between US officials
and the group.On Monday, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for Chinese foreign ministry, said Taliban delegation and ministry officials
exchanged views on the "process of advancing peace in Afghanistan",
without giving further details. Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said in a
tweet that the group's 9-member delegation, led by cofounder Mullah Baradar,
travelled to Beijing and met Deng Xijun, China's special representative for
Afghan. "Chinese representative said US-Taliban deal is a good framework
for the peaceful solution of the Afghan issue and they support it,"
Shaheen wrote on Twitter.aljazeera
At least 35 people at wedding party killed during
Afghan army raid
Kabul: At least 35 civilians attending a wedding
party were killed and 13 people wounded during a raid by Afghan Govt forces on
a militant hideout nearby, 2 officials in southern Helmand province said today.The
house officials said was being used by the Taliban to train bombers was located
adjacent to a wedding venue that also came under fire during Sunday night’s
attack. “35 civilians were killed and 13 are injured. These people were
attending a wedding party near to the attack site in Khaksar area of Musa Qala
district,” said Attaullah Afghan, a member of the Helmand provincial council
member.A second provincial council member, Abdul Majid Akhundzadah, said 40
people, all civilians, were killed in the attack.Reuters
Flash: NEWS,views,Articles
Indian Muslim’s fate is tied to that of the
country. Destroying one will severely affect other: Abdul Khaliq
Politics after NRC threatens to change the old
framework of Assamese nationalism:Kabir Firaque
2 Promising Tribal Hockey Players Found Hanging
From A Tree, But Everyone Ignored Case:Shahnawaz Akhtar
No Relation Between Insurgency And Poverty in
Kashmir:NUSHAIBA IQBAL
Syed Maududi: the great Islamic thinker who
influenced millions of people across the globe: Sirajul Haq, Pak Jamaat
After NRC, Now Clause 6 Of The Assam Accord:
Another Jolt In Waiting For The People Of Assam:ABDURRAHMAN AMAN
#HowdyNehru, rebut Tweeple following the
#HowdyModi event at Houston:Suchitra
Howdy, Kashmir: Houston bash with Trump cannot
airbrush plight of the Valley:Amulya Ganguli/IPA
Why an India-US Free Trade Agreement Would
Require New Delhi to Reorient Key Policies:Biswajit Dhar and K.S. Chalapati Rao
Burqa, illegal Islamic videos could land Uyghurs in
China's de-radicalisation centres: PTI
No Plans To Revise Fiscal Deficit Target or Cut
Spending Now:Sitharaman
Mansa stray cattle menace: Victim’s kin keep body
on road, say demands not met
Mamata slams BJP, ABVP for JU row: They want to
wield power everywhere, bulldoze everything
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 7:19 PM)
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