*10 DEC. 2019: 12 Rabius Sani 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 79*
*INDIA- CAB NRC*
Federal US commission calls CAB 'dangerous turn in wrong direction',
seeks sanctions on Amit Shah if it is passed in Parliament
Washington:A federal US commission on international religious freedom
has sought sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah and other principal Indian
leadership if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill with "religious
criterion" is passed by the Parliament. In a statemen, US Commission for
International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) alleged that the CAB enshrines a
pathway to citizenship for immigrants that specifically excludes Muslims,
setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion."CAB is a
dangerous turn in the wrong direction; it runs counter to India''s rich history
of secular pluralism and the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality
before the law regardless of faith," it said.USCIRF is an independent,
bipartisan US federal government commission created in 1998, that reviews
religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to
President, the Secretary of State, and Congress.It had recommended the
revocation of the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi''s US visa in 2005
in the wake of 2002 riots in his state.USCIRF said that it was deeply troubled
over the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha."If CAB passes in both houses of
Parliament, US government should consider sanctions against Home Minister Amit
Shah and other principal leadership," the commission said."USCIRF is
deeply troubled by the passage of CAB, originally introduced by Home Minister
Shah, in Lok Sabha given the religion criterion in the bill," it added.
Noting that in conjunction with the ongoing NRC process in Assam and nationwide
NRC that Home Minister Shah seeks to propose, USCIRF said it "fears that
Indian government is creating a religious test for Indian citizenship that
would strip citizenship from millions of Muslims".It also said that for
more than a decade now the Indian government has ignored the statements and annual
reports of USCIRF. Recommendations of USCIRF are not enforceable. However, its
recommendations are seriously taken into consideration by US government in
particular the State Department which is tasked with powers to take
sanctionable actions against foreign entities and individuals for violation of
religious freedom and human rights. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson
Raveesh Kumar said USCIRF''s statement on the bill is "neither accurate
nor warranted".PTI /outlook
'Religious test for citizenship may undermine basic tenets of democratic
values': US House panel
Washington: A day after Lok Sabha cleared the contentious Citizenship
Amendment Bill, US House Foreign Affairs Committee said any religious test for
citizenship "may undermine the basic tenets of democratic values" of
a nation. "Religious pluralism is central to the foundations of both India
and the United States and is one of our core shared values. Any religious test
for citizenship undermines this most basic democratic tenet," the panel
said today.News18
CAB is part RSS' Hindu Rashtra' design of expansionism propagated by
fascist Modi Govt: Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan "strongly condemns" Modi
government's poposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill."We strongly condemn
Indian Lok Sabha citizenship legislation which violates all norms of int human
rights law & bilateral agreements with Pak. It is part of RSS 'Hindu
Rashtra' design of expansionism propagated by the fascist Modi Govt," said
the Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Twitter.Marking the Human Rights day, PM Khan
called out to UNSC to "against the illegal annexation of IOJK by Indian
Occupation govt" in Kashmir. "On Human Rights day we must appeal to
the world's conscience, to upholders of international law & to UNSC to act
against the illegal annexation of IOJK by Indian Occupation govt. We condemn
the Occupying Indian govt's siege of IOJK ongoing for over 4 months now &
demand an end to the gross abuse & atrocities being inflicted on Kashmiri
men, women & children by Indian Occupation forces in violation of all Int
Humanitarian & Human Rights Laws. We salute & stand resolutely with the
brave Kashmiris struggling for their right of self determination," he
tweeted. deccanherald
India’s CAB ‘violates international human rights law, bilateral pacts
with Pak’: Imran Khan
CAB is driven by toxic mix of extremist Hindutva ideology, major step
towards Hindu Rashtra:Pak Foreign Office
Rajya Sabha to debate CAB tomorrow: Shiv Sena hints at withdrawing
support; rifts in JD(S) over backing Bill
Lok Sabha has passed the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill
after a heated debate which lasted for over 7 hours. Union Home Minister Amit
Shah is likely to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha at 2 pm on Wednesday. While
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the passage of the Bill and said that it is
in line with"India's centuries-old ethos of assimilation, belief in
humanitarian values", Opposition parties slammed BJP for "attack on
the Indian Constitution".Terming the midnight passage of the bill as
"India’s tryst with bigotry and narrow-minded exclusion", Congress
general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that Congress would fight the
government's attempts to "systematically destroy our Constitution". Rahul
Gandhi also hit out at the government over the passage of the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, saying it was an "attack on the Indian
Constitution".CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury slammed the Centre
over the passage of the Bill, alleging BJP-led government brought in the
legislation to "sharpen communal polarisation" and
"convert" India into a "Hindutva Rashtra".Meanwhile, the
question of supporting the Bill has also led to divisions within a few NDA
allies.Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that Shiv Sena won't
back the CAB in the Rajya Sabha till the government answers the questions posed
by the party.“We voted yesterday to absorb various people facing brutalities in
other countries but we have asked many questions. Those questions we thought
would be answered, ranging from national security to the rights of locals in
various states of India,” Sena leader and Uddhav's son Aaditya quoted him as
saying in a tweet."We need to change this notion that one who supports the
Bill and BJP is a patriot and one who opposes it is anti-national. The
government should answer all the issues raised on the Bill," Uddhav
said.Shiv Sena, a former ally of the BJP, had supported the Bill in the Lok
Sabha. Current NDA allies like Janata Dal (United) have also supported the Bill
in the Lower House, however, it remains to be seen whether they will extend
support in the Upper House.Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant
also said that though the Shiv Sena has backed CAB in the Lok Sabha, it was
hopeful the Uddhav-led party will stick to the common minimum programme (CMP)
while governing the state.The JD(U) too appeared to be divided on the issue,
with two senior party leaders urging party chief and Bihar chief minister
Nitish Kumar to "reconsider" the party's backing to CAB when the legislation
is debated in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Terming the Bill as
"unconstitutional, discriminatory", party general secretary Pavan K
Verma urged Kumar to reconsider support to the CAB in Rajya Sabha.Earlier JD(U)
vice president Prashant Kishor too had criticised the party over its support to
the Bill.Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Tejaswi Yadav also hit out at Kumar,
accusing him of being afraid of the BJP, RSS and said that the RJD will fight
the bill.In Sikkim, footballer-turned-politician Bhaichung Bhutia expressed
disappointment that the state was not excluded from the ambit of the Bill,
unlike several other northeastern states and called on the Sikkim Krantikari
Morcha (SKM) to quit NDA.firstpost
LS passes CAB: BJP gets support from JDU, YSRCP, BJD; Opposition calls it
discriminatory
Shops set on fire, clashes, stone pelting, Tripura govt cuts off
internet for 48 hours: North-East simmers over Citizenship Bill
Deserted roads, closed educational institutions and banks, markets and
vehicles set on fire, huge processions raising slogans against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill and clashes brought life in parts of Northeast to a grinding
halt in wake of 11-hour bandh call by North East Students’ Organisation (NESO),
an umbrella body of influential students’ bodies of the region.With the
contentious bill, Guwahati, Jorhat, Pathshala, Dibrugarh, Morigaon and Lakhimpur
in Assam simmered with protests, even resulting in clashes between police and
agitators.Police had to resort to lathicharge in Hatigaon, Dispur and
Ganeshguri areas in Guwahati where protesters resorted to stone-pelting and
burnt tyres and two-wheelers. North-East Frontier Railway headquarters in
Malingaon was also gheraoed by protesters. However, the strike had little
impact in Bengali-dominated Barak Valley.“The bandh has been 100 per cent
successful because everyone knows that this Bill affects the Northeast. Even
the ILP areas and Sixth Schedule areas, which have been exempted from CAB,
participated in the bandh. It’s not like we want to call a bandh and disrupt
normal life. We have been compelled to take this step,” said Lurinjyoti Gogoi,
All Assam Students’ Union, General Secretary.Exams at Guwahati University and
Dibrugarh University were postponed due to the bandh. “Being a Bengali, I am
protesting against the CAB. It’s unconstitutional and will break the social
fabric of the society,” said Kalyan Sengupta, a student of Dibrugarh
University.Justifying the protests, Samuel Jyrwa, chairman of NESO, said that
the agitation was against the “imposition” of the CAB on the Northeast which,
he said, would open the floodgates for “illegal Bangladeshis” and signified a
“dishonouring of the demands of the people of the Northeast”.In Tripura, two
simultaneous protests by the Twipra Students Federation (TSF) and Joint
Movement Against CAB, a platform of three indigenous political parties and
tribal social organisations, virtually crippled public movement for most parts
of Tuesday. In view of the vociferous protests, the state government shut down
SMS and mobile internet services for the next 48 hours.Protesters clashed with
police officials at Dewanbazaar in Sipahijala district, Kanchanpur in North
Tripura district and Manu of Dhalai district, which was the worst affected due
to the agitation. Dhalai Superintendent of Police Kishor Debbarma told
indianexpress.com that officials had to resort to lathicharge and even fired in
the air to bring the situation under control. However, he claimed no one was
injured in the firing.At Anandabazaar village in Kanchanpur sub-division,
protesters set two small vehicles on fire and damaged nearly 25 shops. An
official from Tripura Police Headquarters said 1721 protesters were detained
from different parts of Tripura till latest reports.Unlike Assam and Tripura,
the bandh went off peacefully in Manipur and no large scale agitations were
reported. The shutdown was supported by All Manipur Student’s Union (AMSU),
Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) and All Naga Students’ Association Manipur.All
business establishments, educational institutes remained closed and public
transportation services also stayed off roads. The shutdown also affected the
Indo-Myanmar border trade in Moreh town as agitators enforced road blockade. Educational
institutions, banks, commercial establishments and markets were closed while
public and private vehicles were off the roads in most places of Arunachal
Pradesh in response to the strike called by All Arunachal Pradesh Students’
Union.In Meghalaya’s Shillong, incidents of tyre burning and vandalisation of
vehicles were reported, as protesters lobbed Molotov cocktails at a police
vehicle damaging it in Mawlai area, East Khasi Hills district deputy
commissioner MW Nongbri said.ndtv/indianexpress
Tripura Blocks Mobile Data, SMS Services Amid Citizenship Bill Agitation
Nationwide shutdown as people come out to protest citizenship amendments
Indians across the country have
come out in protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that Lok
Sabha passed 311 to 80 late last night.People poured into the streets, not only
in the northeastern states where bandhs or general strikes were called, but
also in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bengaluru. The call nationwide was to
withdraw the bill and scrap the proposed National Register of Citizens.An
11-hour strike was called by North East Students’ Association. Kolkata, protesters
including members of over 50 political and non-political organisations called for
starting a “non-cooperation movement” if NRC is implemented. The government
reportedly plans to begin its nationwide implementation as NRC on Dec16. Hyderabad
too witnessed a silent protest on December 9 by hundreds of individuals
belonging to a number of civil rights groups working for the marginalised
sections of society, including the urban poor, domestic workers, religious
minorities, women, farmers, Dalits and Adivasis.thecitizen
Protests, strikes as India Parliament considers controversial
citizenship bill
Show civil disobedience against Citizenship Bill and NRC, former IAS
officers urge Indians
Several former Indian Administrative Service officers and activists have
urged Indians to begin a civil disobedience movement to protest against the
Citizenship Amendment Bill and the proposed nationwide NRC.Activist and former
IAS officer Harsh Mander said that if the bill is passed in Parliament, he will
officially register as a Muslim. “I will then refuse to submit any documents to
NRC,” he wrote on Twitter. “I will finally demand the same punishment as any
undocumented Muslim – detention centre [and] withdrawn citizenship. Join this
civil disobedience.” Mander is also a former IAS officer.A number of people on
social media also began to call for civil disobedience today. Using the hashtag
#CABNRCSatyagraha, Twitterati asked Indians to not submit their documents to
prove their citizenship. Former IAS officer Sashikanth Senthil wrote a letter
to Amit Shah saying the passage of the bill “marked the darkest day in the
history of modern India.” Irrespective of the status of the Citizenship Bill,
the “idea of an all-India NRC by itself is a dehumanizing effort”,he said.
Senthil had quit IAS in September citing the clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir
following the abrogation of Article 370.“I refuse to accept the process of
enumeration in NRC by not submitting the requisite documents to prove my
citizenship and is willing to accept the action taken by the India state
against my disobedience,” he wrote in his letter. “If the state chooses to
declare me as a non-citizen, I would also be happy to fill up the many
detention centers that you are building all over the country. I would accept
the incarceration with all humbleness than to wait at the sidelines as a mute
spectator to the communal profiling and disenfranchising of my fellow
humans.”Activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid also called for a civil
disobedience movement against both NRC and the bill. “We have to launch a civil
disobedience against NRC because it is impossible for 20 crore people to have
their documents ready,” Khalid told HuffPost. “There is no organisation that
has the resources to get their documents made. You will have to fight this
battle. It’s not something that you think you can cooperate with and come out
of it.”On Monday, a civil society group, Joint Forum Against NRC, held a
protest march in Kolkata. The aim of the protest was to put at end to NRC and
CAB being proposed by BJP led Govt. A number of speakers at the event argued
that if the government decides to continue with these tests of citizenship
based on religion, citizens must respond using non-cooperation and civil
disobedience. “We will not allow a single person to lose citizens,” said
Debarshi Chakraborty. “If that happens lakhs of people will hit the streets in
Kolkata.” Adivasi leader Saradindu Uddipan said that any detention camps built
in Bengal should be demolished.Kanhaiya Kumar, former president of JNU
Students’ Union, argued that people should simply refuse to go along with NRC
process: “If an NRC person comes to your doorstep, tell him to come tomorrow
with Rs 15 lakhs. Indians now need to do this sort of non-cooperation with the
govt”.scroll.in
Will declare myself Muslim if CAB gets Parliament nod: Former IAS
officer, activist Harsh Mander
EX IAS officer Sashikanth Senthil
says won’t submit to NRC, calls for civil disobedience against CAB
Citizenship bill patently unconstitutional, battleground to shift to SC:
Chidambaram
New Delhi:Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram described the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill as "patently unconstitutional" on Tuesday and said
with its passage in Parliament, the battleground will shift to the Supreme
Court. He claimed that the elected lawmakers were abdicating their
responsibilities in favour of lawyers and judges."CAB is unconstitutional.
Parliament passes a Bill that is patently unconstitutional and the battle
ground shifts to the Supreme Court. Elected Parliamentarians are abdicating
their responsibilities in favour of lawyers and judges!," Chidambaram said
in a tweet."That is the price we pay for giving a party a brute majority
that it uses to trample over the wishes of the states and the people," he
said in another tweet.indiatoday
BJP indulging in divisive politics: Chhattisgarh CM
Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday said that
BJP only engages in divisive politics in the name of religion and passage of
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha is just an example of that."BJP
does what it knows best. They misguide people in the name of religion and
caste. The economy has gone down but there is no discussion on it in the
parliament. The prices of onions have gone in excess of Rs 150 but there is no
work on that front. They have also not done anything for the Hindu community
and only indulge in vote bank politics," Bhupesh Baghel told reporters at
a press conference.ANI
Muslim bodies appeal to government, MPs to junk Citizenship Amendment
Bill
New Delhi: Several Muslim organisations have urged the government and
parliamentarians to dismiss the Citizenship Amendment Bill, terming it
“discriminatory”, “divisive” and “anti-constitution”. Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind
(JuH), Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), All India Muslim Majlis e Mushawarat (AIMIM)
and Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), were among the organisations that
asserted that the Bill, if passed, would destroy the secular fabric of the
country and validate the two-nation theory. JuH chief Maulana Arshad Madani
warned that the “dangerous Bill will set the secular fabric of the country on
fire”. He said, “The Bill is anti-Muslim and dangerous for the secular fabric
of the country. It cannot be seen in isolation. It has to be seen in tandem
with NRC which the government wants to conduct in the entire country. We all
saw what happened in Assam NRC. Even genuine people could not prove their
citizenship. So, when these two are implemented countrywide, all will be able
to escape NRC through this Bill except Muslims. It will make Muslims miserable
and destroy the country’s secular fabric.”JIH vice-president Salim Engineer
echoed similar concerns and called the Bill the biggest tool of discrimination.
He also said that the Muslim body has been meeting politicians across party
lines to convince them to not support the “divisive” Bill. “This validates the
two-nation theory that had led to Partition. If the Bill is passed, it will be
a turning point in India’s history. It is a big step towards becoming a Hindu
Rasthra. We’re urging MPs to reject the Bill which is dangerous and disastrous
for the secular principles of our country.” newindianexpress
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind cndemns CAB; Jamiat clls for ntionwide potest
New Delhi: Reacting to controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB),
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) chief Syed Sadatullah Hussaini on Tuesday condemned
the passing of the contentious legislation by Lok Sabha while Jamiat
Ulema-i-Hind general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madni has called for a
nationwide protest against the CAB on Friday.“A decision of nationwide protest
has been taken against the anti-constitutional Citizenship (Amendment) Bill
which is against Indian ethos. Every district and state unit of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind
are directed to hold silent and peaceful protest demonstration against the CAB
on 13 December,” reads the press statement issued by Maulana Madni today. Jamaat
President Syed Sadatullah Hussaini said:
“We condemn the passing of the CAB in the Lok Sabha. We feel that the bill is
an outcome of a communal mindset; it is both biased and discriminatory. As the
bill envisages granting citizenship to all foreign immigrants coming from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan except Muslims, it is violative of the
cherished “diversity” found in our country and the core values of our
Constitution. Differentiating the persecuted aspirants of citizenship based on
religion is not only against the basic structure of the Constitution but also
against humanity and fundamental human values”.caravandaily
‘Move to make Muslims stateless’: Owaisi rips copy of Citizenship Bill
in Lok Sabha
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi has launched a blistering attack on the Union
government in Lok Sabha over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, saying it was
aimed at making Muslims "stateless" and would lead to another
partition. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Owaisi said he was called Mahatma after he
tore discriminatory citizenship card in South Africa and the Hyderabad MP then
ripped the copy of the bill to highlight his protest, inviting sharp reactions
from the treasury benches which described his act an "insult" to Parliament.“The
Bill is an insult to India's freedom fighters,” Owaisi retorted, accusing
BJP-led government of working to marginalise Muslims in the country. Owaisi
alleged the bill was worse than the discriminatory laws brought by Hitler in
Germany.PTI
Filmmaker Jahnu Barua withdraws his film from Assam film awards over
Citizenship Bill
The veteran filmmaker Jahnu Barua has withdrawn his film Bhoga Khirikee
from the Assam State Film Awards in protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill
(CAB) passed in the Lok Sabh. The CAB, he feels, will totally destroy Assamese
society and cause fresh cracks in relations between communities. frontline
As a taxpayer, won't fund bigoted NRC and CAB: actress Swara Bhasker
lashes out at Modi govt
Citizenship Bill reflection of bigotry as Indian govt’s state policy:Indian
Americans
Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group dedicated to
safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, strongly condemned the move
to turn into law the Citizenship Amendment Bill, and termed the bill a
“reflection of bigotry as India’s state policy.”The drive to legislate
exclusion of one religious community once again exposes the socially divisive
agenda of Hindutva right-wing forces in India that aim to reconstitute India
into a Hindu theocracy by subverting the Constitution from its pluralist
moorings, they noted.caravandaily
‘Minorities Safer in Bangladesh’: Dhaka Editors Slam India’s CAB
A day after the Lok Sabha passed the highly contentious Citizenship
Amendment Bill (CAB) that seeks to grant citizenship for immigrants from
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh on the basis of their faith, editors in
Bangladesh have criticised the Bill on various counts. Zafar Sobhan, Editor of the Dhaka Tribune and
one of the country’s leading voices on regional affairs, told The Quint,
“Minorities are more secure in Bangladesh than in India today.”Countering Home
Minister Amit Shah’s claim that non-Muslim Bangladeshis were fleeing religious
persecution,Reaz Ahmad, Executive Editor at the Dhaka Tribune, emphasised that
the migration is “mainly to seize economic, commercial and employment
opportunities.” Reaz Ahmad said,"narratives given by the BJP and Indian
government leadership to justify such a bill is neither logical nor true. It is
not fair at all to say that primary reason for non-Muslim people to migrate
from Bangladesh is religious persecution." thequint
Muslims "bigger patriots" for staying back during partition:
Azam Khan On CAB
Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan has said that Muslims are 'bigger patriots'
as they had a choice either to go to Pakistan during Partition in 1947 or stay
back in India -- and they chose to stay back."Those who stayed back here
are bigger patriots than others. If this is the punishment for patriotism than
all I can say is that in a democracy, only heads are counted, not brains,"
he said. Khan said that the opposition was not heard and heeded by the
government during the debate on the bill.IANS
Over 600 writers, filmmakers, activists slam citizenship bill
Calling Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, as "divisive,
discriminatory and unconstitutional", over 600 prominent persons including
writers, artistes, filmmakers and retired bureaucrats have asked the Modi
government to withdraw the Bill.Asserting that India's Constitution
"insists on the fundamentals of equality, regardless of gender, caste,
religion, class, community or language", the signatories said the Bill
"will, along with a nationwide NRC, bring untold suffering” to people
across the country and will damage “fundamentally and irreparably, the nature
of Indian republic"."This is why we, and all citizens of conscience,
demand that the government withdraw the Bill,” a statement signed by the likes
of Romila Thapar, Prabhat Patnaik, Ramachandra Guha, Nayantara Sahgal,
Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, T.M. Krishna, Sudhir Patwardhan, Nilima Sheikh,
Aparna Sen, Nandita Das, and Anand Patwardhan, among others.Some of the other
signatories to the statement include Justice (Retd) AP Shah, Wajahat
Habibullah, Yogendra Yadav, Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy, Teesta Setalvad, Bezwada
Wilson, G.N. Devy and Nandini Sundar.nationalheraldindia
69 IIMB signatories ask MPs to oppose Citizenship Bill to preserve
constitutional principles
*KASHMIR
& SOUTH ASIA*
EU concerned by Kashmir situation & Citizenship Bill, calls for
India-Pakistan dialogue
New Delhi: European Union Ambassador to India Ugo Astuto Tuesday said he
hoped the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will be implemented as per the standards
set by the Indian Constitution even as he urged dialogue between India and
Pakistan on Kashmir.Noting that India and the European Union (EU) share the
same democratic values and principles, the ambassador said he was hopeful the
discourse around the bill will adhere to the Indian Constitution. However, he
urged India and Pakistan to resolve bilateral issues through dialogue.“Our
position has not changed since August. We have stressed on a dialogue between
India and Pakistan through diplomatic channels,” Astuto said.Further, he
expressed concern over the situation in Kashmir and called for restoring of
communication lines in the Valley at the earliest. “It is important to restore
freedom of movement and normalcy in Kashmir,” he said.Astuto, though, clarified
that the controversial visit by the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)
to Kashmir in October was not “an
expression of EU’s policy decision”.Ambassador Astuto said India should focus
on discussing the suspended Bilateral Investment Treaties (BIT) until the free
trade agreement is finalised.ThePrint
No need of larger courtroom to hear pleas challenging Article 370
abrogation:SC
The Supreme Court today said that there is no need of larger courtroom
to hear pleas challenging abrogation of Article 370 in J&K. 5-judge bench
headed by Justice NV Ramana was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the
abrogation of Article 370 in J&K. Supreme Court's lawyer Manohar Lal
Sharma, who is one of the petitioners in the case, requested the Constitution
bench that this hearing should be conducted in a larger courtroom and live
telecast be allowed to allow people to witness its proceedings. The SC,
however, refused his plea and said, "There is no need of larger courtroom
for the hearing." The plea was filed through advocate Virag
Gupta."The matters relating to Article 370 are very important and are
covered widely by the Indian as well as the international media.In absence of
accurate information being officially released by this court, proceedings may
be susceptible to misreporting," Gupta had said.ANI
Outsiders could soon apply to J&K medical colleges under NEET and
students are worried
New Delhi/Srinagar: Medical seats in Jammu & Kashmir colleges, thus
far restricted to local students, could soon be open to applicants from the rest
of the country via the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET).It all
depends on whether Jammu & Kashmir, which was categorised a union territory
in October, agrees to adopt the 15 per cent All India Quota each medical
college has for students from outside a certain state/union territory. While it
was a state, 100 per cent of Jammu & Kashmir’s seats were reserved for
local students.The Ministry of Health has written to the Ministry of Home
Affairs, asking whether J&K will participate in All India Quota now that
its special status is gone. The union territory is, however, yet to take a
decision since the body that oversees professional entrance exams in J&K —
the BOPEE — is being reconstituted.The proposed change, meanwhile, is making
residents in Jammu & Kashmir anxious amid larger worries that the scrapping
of Article 370 and Article 35A — a decision that stripped J&K of its
special status — will fuel a surge of outsiders into the union territory.However,
students and parents told ThePrint that despite their concerns about possible
changes in reservation norms, their current focus was on getting their forms
filled up, which is turning out to be a struggle amid the ongoing internet
shutdown. theprint
SMS service messages resume for subscribers in Kashmir Valley
Srinagar :SMS service messages, including ‘one time passwords’ (OTPs),
resumed on Tuesday for 40 lakh subscribers in Kashmir following several
requests from the public, particularly the business community, officials here
said.Though Jammu and Kashmir administration allowed service providers to
resume machine-based messages, subscribers will not be allowed to send any
messages from their mobiles, the officials said.PTI
On Human Rights day, over 500 signatories express solidarity with Kashmir
New Delhi: More than 500 signatories on Tuesday, which is observed as
Human Rights Day, have issued a statement condemning the continued clampdown in
Kashmir after Article 370 was diluted and Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into
two Union Territories. The signatories are women, women’s groups and members of
women’s movements.“More than 125 days later, many are still being held without
charges or trial, under administrative detention laws such as the Public Safety
Act, 1978 while grounds of detention and whereabouts of a large number,
including children as young as ten, remain unknown. An unknown number of people
have been moved to prisons outside the state of Jammu & Kashmir,” the
statement says.Among the signatories are individual women and women’s
organisations from about 30 countries across the globe – ranging from South
Asian nations to the US, Iran to Indonesia, Afghanistan to Argentina, Europe to
Mexico, Israel, Palestine, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa.thewire
*ECONOMY*
India's automobile sales fall for 13th straight month - industry body
India’s domestic passenger
vehicle sales fell in November for a 13th consecutive month with no sign of an
immediate recovery, an auto industry body said.Sales of passenger vehicles
declined 0.84% to 263,773, compared with 266,000 in the year-earlier period,
figures released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)
showed.The rate of decline was the slowest in recent months - driven largely by
a preference for utility vehicles.But sales of two wheelers - widely seen as an
indicator of rural economic health - and commercial vehicles fell nearly 15%
each.Reuters
SBI under-reported ₹11,932 crore of bad loans in FY19, finds RBI report
RBI’s inspection report has found out that State Bank of India (SBI)
under-reported ₹11,932 crore of bad loans in FY19, which has pushed the bank to
report net loss for the financial year 2018-19.The divergence in net
non-performing asset (NPA) was also ₹11,932 crore, the bank informed the
exchanges.According to the RBI, provision requirement for SBI increased by ₹12,036
crore in FY19.thehindu
Agree with Raghuram Rajan, economy suffering because all powers
centralised in PMO: Shiv Sena
New Delhi: Shiv Sena has said one of the main reasons why Indian economy
is suffering today is because under Narendra Modi, PMO has centralising all
powers. The Shiv Sena said this tendency to centralise power is a key factor responsible
for India's "poor" economic health.The Shiv Sena said this in an
editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana. Its analysis was based on an essay written
by ex RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan in India Today. The essay was titled: 'How to
fix the economy'. Targeting PM Modi, Shiv Sena said he wants the finance
minister, the finance secretary, the RBI governor and the Niti Aayog to be
under his control. The editorial claimed the Modi government does not want to
listen to economists because it considers the economy to be a "share
market gamble".In his essay for the India Today Magazine, Raghuram Rajan
had said India is currently in the midst of a "growth recession" with
signs of deep malaise in the economy that is being run through extreme centralisation
of power in the PMO and powerless ministers.indiatoday
No need to worry: Anurag Thakur on reports of govt withdrawing Rs 2000
note
Dismissing reports that the government is set to withdraw Rs 2000
denomination note, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said
there was no need to worry about it."This is the real worry (about
demonetisation) which has surfaced now. I think that you should not worry about
it," Thakur told Rajya Sabha replying to a question on government's plan
to withdraw Rs 2000 note in the future.SP member Vishambhar Prasad Nishad said,
"Blackmoney has increased by introduction of Rs 2000 denomination note.
There is misconception among people that you are going to introduce Rs 1000
denomination note again to replace Rs 2000 denomination note."PTI
*OTHERS*
BHU Prof Feroze Khan quits Sanskrit dept, joins Arts Faculty
BHU professor Feroze Khan has resigned from his post at Sanskrit Vidya
Dharma Vigyan (SVDV) Department and joined Arts Faculty where he will teach
Sanskrit, BHU sources said.Students, mostly from ABVP, were protesting against
Khan's appointment. They said only a Hindu can teach Sanskrit at the university
in Varanasi. Although the Benaras Hindu University backed Khan, he was unable
to take classes for several days. SVDV Dean Bindeswari Prasad Mishra confirmed
that Khan has joined the Arts Faculty of the university where he will teach
teach Sanskrit.Following development, students who had been staging a sit-in
against the selection of Khan in SVDV, ended their month-long protest.the quint
Dalit prof at BHU chased by students for ‘backing’ Firoze Khan, files
complaint
Lucknow :A group of BHU students on Monday allegedly chased a Dalit
professor of Sanskrit Vidya Dharam Vigyan (SVDV) faculty and tried to assault
him for “backing” Muslim Sanskrit scholar Dr Firoze Khan’s appointment as an
assistant professor.Students of university’s SVDV faculty have been protesting
against Khan’s appointment since early November for the only reason that he is
a Muslim.Professor Shanti Lal Salvi alleged that while he was coming out of his
faculty office, a group of students started abusing him with casteist remarks
and started to chase him with an intent to attack him. In a letter written to
Chief Proctor OP Rai, Salvi has accused a senior professor of the faculty of
inciting the students against him.“At 12.05 pm, I was sitting in my office at
SVDV faculty when some students came to me and asked me to leave as they were
closing the faculty. Soon I came out with a colleague when an outsider, Munish
Mishra, along with a student, Shubham Tiwari, and others started raising
slogans against me. They called me and the department HoD a thief. Soon, more
students joined and started making casteist remarks. They all chased me to beat
me up. Sensing that my life is in threat, I started running and after around
half a kilometre, I took a lift from a bike rider to reach the central office.
One of the students threw a brick at me, but he missed,” Salvi wrote in the
letter to the proctor.
Indianexpress
Lok Sabha passes Bill for extending SC-ST quota in legislatures
Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed The
Constitution (126th Amendment) Bill, 2019 that is aimed at extending SC-ST
quota in legislatures. The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of
Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, on Monday. It amends provisions related
to reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
The Bill seeks to extend the reservation for SCs and STs by another 10 years
till January 25, 2030.indianexpress
Privacy Bill asks companies to hand over ‘non-personal’ data, implement
voluntary user verification
New Delhi: India’s personal data protection (PDP) Bill, which was
approved by the cabinet recently, is set to be placed in parliament this
week.The Bill draws its origins from Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data
privacy, which produced a draft piece of legislation that was made public in
2018.Since then, the contents of the final Bill have been mostly a secret, with
it being circulated to MPs today.Most experts, including retired Justice
Srikrishna, believe that the Bill should not be passed without being first sent
to a parliamentary committee for further review.The new PDP Bill also contains 3
key clauses that were not previously included in Srikrishna draft version and
have raised some concern amongst technology companies and privacy
experts.thewire
Delhi court reserves verdict for 16 Dec against ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh
Sengar in Unnao rape case
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved verdict for next week in
the case of alleged kidnapping and rape of a woman by expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep
Singh Sengar in Unnao in 2017.During in-camera proceedings, District Judge
Dharmesh Sharma reserved the judgement for 16 December after hearing final
arguments by CBI and the accused in the case. The judge heard the case on a
day-to-day basis from 5 August after it was transferred to Delhi from a court in
Lucknow on Supreme Court's directions. Woman was allegedly kidnapped and raped
by Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor. The court has also framed charges
against co-accused Shashi Singh in the case. Sengar was expelled from BJP in
August.PTI
Delhi 2012 gangrape case: One of 4 convicts moves SC, seeks review of
death penalty
One of the four convicts, Akshya Kumar Singh, moved the Supreme Court
Tuesday seeking review of its 2017 judgment handing down death penalty to all
in the December 16, 2012 gangrape and murder case in Delhi. The SC, on July 9,
2018, had dismissed the review pleas filed by three other convicts in the
case.Akshya, 31, who had not filed the review plea earlier with other three
convicts, has now moved the apex court with the petition, his lawyer AP Singh
said.PTI
Unnao rape victim’s family stop local officials from cementing grave,
demand justice first: PTI
Unnao:Family members of the woman set ablaze by people whom she had
accused of raping her in Unnao have objected to the district administration
cementing the grave of 23-year-old, saying they won’t allow it unless justice
is served to the culprits.They removed the bricks district authorities tried to
put around the grave in her village.Vikas Pandey, SHO said work has been
stopped after protest.The elder sister of the gangrape victim, who was admitted
to a hospital late Sunday night after she complained of chest pain, threatened
she would end her life if her family does not get speedy justice. She has been
provided security by local police at the hospital.District administration tried
to cement the grave on Monday, but the father of the victim objected to it,
saying it cannot be done unless their demands are met.Her family has demanded
that the accused be handed punishment in a manner similar to those accused of
raping and killing veterinarian in Hyderabad.
Bangladesh Islamists threaten ‘long march to Ayodhya to save Babri
Masjid’: timesnownews
Islamic organisations in Bangladesh are threatening a "long march
to Ayodhya to save the Babri Masjid" in protest against the Supreme Court
verdict, causing concern in India.Hefazat-e-Islam's demonstration against the
Ayodhya judgement at the Baitul Mukarram Mosque in Central Dhaka after Friday
prayers last month led by Nur Hossain Kashmeri was well-attended by about 3,000
people, highly-placed government sources said. Among those present were Islami
Oikyo Jote chairman Abdul Latif Nizami. This has been the largest such protest
in years, and there were similar, even if smaller protests in Chittagong,
Sylhet and Brahmenberia.During a meeting
in Chittagong, its headquarters, Hefazat leader Junaid Babunagri condemned the
Supreme Court verdict and spoke of the long march to Ayodhya, not only to
"save" the Babri Masjid but also to uproot the Modi government. The
Hefazat, an Islamic organisation, which the ruling Sheikh Hasina government
says has links to the Jamaat, is a decade old. Hefazat is also growing. It
recently masterminded formation of a new Islamic organisation, the Tahaffuz
Khatme Nabuwwat Bangladesh (TKNB) at Darul Uloom Islamia Deobhog Madrassa,
Narayanganj, near Dhaka, under chairmanship of Shah Ahmed Shafi.
Israeli high school students to launch self-made satellite from
Sriharikota
3 youngsters from an Israeli school will travel to India next week to
launch a satellite — Duchifat 3 — designed and built by them aboard PSLV C48
from ISRO’s Sriharikota launch site.Alon Abramovich, Meitav Assulin and Shmuel
Aviv Levi, all 17 to 18 years old, are students of Sha’ar HaNegev High school
in Israel’s southern region. They will be leaving for India on Monday evening
and the satellite launch is on Dec.11.Duchifat 3 is third in the series of
Israeli student-made satellites.Jointly built by Herzliya Science Center and
Sha’ar Hanegev High School students, the satellite is designed to serve
children from across the country to “observe the Earth”.Israel’s Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology Department, Israel Space Agency and
Municipality of Herzliya are also said to have actively supported the
initiative.PTI
Judges selected by collegiums, govts should be appointed within six
months: Supreme Court
NEW DELHI:213 names recommended for appointment in various High Courts
are pending with the government/ Supreme Court collegium, the apex court has
said in a judicial order.At least the names on which the Supreme Court
collegium, the High Courts and the governments had agreed upon should be
appointed within six months, it said.“If recommendations of the High Court
collegium meet with the approval of the SC collegium and the government, at
least their appointments must take place within 6 months. This is not to say
that in other cases the process should not be completed within six months,” a
Supreme Court Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph said in an
order dated December 6 and made available on Tuesday.thehindu
*WORLD*
As Suu Kyi looks on, Gambia details mass rapes, killings in Myanmar
The Hague: Gambia’s legal team described mass rapes, the burning of
families in their homes and killing of dozens of Muslim Rohingya children with
knives as it set out its genocide case against Myanmar at UN’s International
Court of Justice on Tuesday.Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace
laureate, looked on impassively as the alleged atrocities were detailed at the
beginning of three days of hearings in The Hague instituted by Gambia against
Buddhist-majority Myanmar in November.“All that Gambia asks is that you tell
Myanmar to stop these senseless killings,” Gambia’s Justice Minister Abubacarr
Tambadou said in opening comments.“To stop these acts of barbarity and
brutality that have shocked and continue to shock our collective conscience. To
stop this genocide of its own people.”Detailing events at the village of Min
Gyi, lawyer Andrew Loewenstein drew on witness accounts recorded in a report by
UN investigators, who estimated 750 people were killed there, including more than
100 children under the age of 6. Reuters
Obstruction, Abuse Of Power Charges Unveiled In Donald Trump Impeachment
Democrats unveiled 2 impeachment charges against US President Donald
Trump today, accusing him of abuse of power and obstruction in pressuring
Ukraine to help him attack his 2020 election rivals.The charges, if approved by
the House of Representatives in a vote expected next week, would make Trump
only third US president to be impeached and placed on trial in the
Senate."Our president holds the ultimate public trust. When he betrays
that trust and puts himself before country,he endagers the constitution, he
endangers our democracy and he endangers our national security," said
Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.AFP
Reuters: 'White House veterans helped Gulf monarchy build secret
surveillance unit'
Washington:In years after 9/11, ex US counterterrorism czar Richard
Clarke warned Congress that the country needed more expansive spying powers to
prevent another catastrophe. 5 years after leaving government, he shopped the
same idea to an enthusiastic partner: an Arab monarchy with deep pockets. In
2008, Clarke went to work as a consultant guiding UAE as it created a cyber
surveillance capability that would utilize top American intelligence
contractors to help monitor threats against the tiny nation.The secret unit
Clarke helped create had an ominous acronym: DREAD, short for Development
Research Exploitation and Analysis Department. In the years that followed, UAE
unit expanded its hunt far beyond suspected extremists to include a Saudi
women’s rights activist, diplomats at the United Nations and personnel at FIFA,
world soccer body. By 2012, the program would be known among its American
operatives by a codename: Project Raven. Reuters reports this year revealed how
a group of former National Security Agency operatives and other elite American
intelligence veterans helped UAE spy on a wide range of targets through previously
undisclosed program —from terrorists to human rights activists, journalists and
dissidents. Now, an examination of the origins of DREAD, reported here for the
first time, shows how a pair of ex senior White House leaders, working with
ex-NSA spies and Beltway contractors, played pivotal roles in building a
program whose actions are now under scrutiny by federal authorities.To chart
UAE spying mission’s evolution, Reuters examined over 10,000 DREAD program
documents and interviewed more than a dozen contractors, intelligence
operatives and former government insiders with direct knowledge of the program.
Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed receives Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has received the Nobel Peace Prize
and hailed the role played by former foe Eritrea in resolving the long-running
conflict between two countries."I accept this award on behalf of
Ethiopians and Eritreans, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice in
the cause of peace," Abiy said on Tuesday after he received the
prestigious award in a formal ceremony at Oslo's City Hall."Likewise, I
accept this award on behalf of my partner, and comrade-in-peace, President
Isaias Afwerki, whose goodwill, trust and commitment were vital in ending the
two-decade deadlock between our countries," he added.
GCC summit calls for unity amid hopes of easing Gulf crisis
A summit of Gulf states has quickly concluded in Saudi Arabia's capital
amid signs of a thaw in relations between a host of blockading countries and
Qatar - even though there was no concrete progress in the two-year diplomatic
crisis.Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani did not attend the 40th
edition of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Riyadh on Tuesday,
but sent PM Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in his stead.Saudi King
Salman, who earlier afforded the Qatari prime minister a traditional welcome,
called for regional unity to confront Iran and secure energy supplies and
maritime channels.aljazeera
Israel settlers led by Yehuda Glick storm Al-Aqsa compound
Israeli soldiers arrested a guard at Al-Aqsa Mosque this morning while
settlers stormed the mosque.Under the protection of Israeli police, groups of
settlers guided by Orthodox Israeli Knesset member Yehuda Glick entered the
compound through Al-Maghrebi Gate and performed prayers and rituals before
leaving the Islamic site through the Al-Selselah Gate.Glick was reported to
have taken a photo with group of settlers who accompanied him after he
performed his rituals.Israeli settlers raid Al-Aqsa Mosque on a daily basis and
perform Talmudic rituals inside its yards, while the Israeli army limits access
to Muslim worshippers during this time. The number of Israeli members of
Israel’s Knesset who storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has increased in recent
months after Netanyahu lifted a ban on Knesset members visiting Muslim holy
site.middleeastmonitor
Hamas denies talks about long-term truce with Israel
Hamas has denied that Egypt proposed a long-term truce with Israel
during their visit to Cairo.In a statement MEMO received a copy of Hamas said:
“The news which reported the issue of the long-term truce was inaccurate.”The
statement added: “These reports are fake rumours,” stressing that “this topic
was not raised during [Hamas’] meetings with mediators.”“We speculate that this
came as part of an effort to keep public opinion busy and provide a cover for
serious concessions made by certain sides.”middleeastmonitor
Southwest Airlines threatened to kick my Muslim wife off flight: British
journalist in viral tweet
British journalist Mehdi Hasan, who was travelling on a flight with
Southwest Airlines after the Thanksgiving holiday, complained on a Twitter
thread that an attendant in the flight misbehaved with his wife.He had boarded Southwest
flight with his family. These flights have an open-seating policy, which means
that passengers can choose their own seats from the available ones, as the
airline rules suggest.The problem allegedly started when his wife politely
requested a passenger to change seats with her so that she could sit with her
husband and kids, who were sitting elsewhere in the flight. In a 6-tweet
thread, the man narrated the ordeal that they had to face.In the first tweet,
the journalist wrote that the flight attendant told his wife she would be
"escorted off the plane" because she was making other passengers
"uncomfortable."Attendant even went to the extent of calling the
ground staff on to the plane to complain about "Muslim woman,"as
mentioned in the tweet.The airline later made a public apology to journalist on
his first thread, saying that they could "empathise" with him and his
family.India Today
Sisi tops trending Twitter list for causes of suicide in Egypt
Egyptian activists have launched Arabic hashtag “suicide has spread
because of” and posted top reasons why more people are killing themselves in Egypt.Top
of the list was the repression overseen by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on
all members of the opposition in Egypt. After September protests authorities
arrested over 4,000 people in one month.Economic and social deterioration,
poverty, corruption,injustice, job insecurity, homelessness, and lack of
freedom were also posted as leading causes. middleeastmonitor
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Citizenship Bill has only one aim: protect non-Muslims, harass
Muslims:AMAN WADUD
How foreign media criticised citizenship bill being passed in Lok
Sabha:TARAN DEOL
Why the Citizenship Amendment Bill does more harm than good:Subir Roy
Dear CJI, Indians have lost faith in judiciary because we are ruled by
power, not by law:NITIN PAI
What is Nehru-Liaquat pact that Amit Shah referred to defend Citizenship
Amendment Bill?Prabhash K Dutta
JD(U) support for citizenship bill spells out Nitish’s new strategy —
Muslims not needed:DIPAK MISHRA
CAB violates text and spirit of Constitution :Suhrith Parthasarathy
Prof. Shyam Menon: Acts of an insecure state
We have to debunk myth that minorities have privileges:Raju Rajagopal of
Hindus for Human Rights
No, Mr. Shah, Citizenship Bill is unconstitutional, assert
jurists:Ashlin Mathew
Serious questions confront policymakers. Yet data are not reliable
enough for them to be answered:Arvind Subramanian
Doubts About Citizenship Bill? Here Are 7 Myths Busted:ALOK PRASANNA
KUMAR
Umar Khalid On Citizenship Amendment Bill: It's Time For Civil
Disobedience
Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:01 PM).*
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