*09 DEC. 2019: 11 Rabius Sani 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 78*
*INDIA- CAB NRC*
Amid angry protests, 293 MPs vote for introducing Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill while 82 opposes in Lok
Sabha; Amit Shah defends 'not against minorities', opposition calls it 'unconstitutional'
New Delhi: The debate on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill,
2019 began in the Lok Sabha early on Monday evening, with Union home minister
Amit Shah taking the floor to defend the Bill.The Bill grants Indian
citizenship to immigrants from six non-Muslim religious communities coming from
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It has been criticised as being blatantly
communal and anti-Muslim.“This Bill does not do injustice to anyone,” Shah
said. “It merely does justice to those who have been waiting for 70 years.” He
referred to the circumstances of minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh as “hell-like”. “You always say that minorities must get special
protection, then why not give special protection to minorities from Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Afghanistan?”“This is not our political agenda,” he continued. “It
was our electoral promise; it is the will of the people.” Shah has argued that
the Bill makes a “reasonable classification”, and so doesn’t violate the
constitution. Shah also said the concerns of Northeastern states had been
addressed. “Manipur will be brought under the Inner Line Permit system, which
has been a longstanding demand.” The Bill has been widely protested in the
Northeast, particularly Assam, as it violates principles of the Assam
Accord.Manish Tewari of the Congress spoke after Shah, calling the Bill
unconstitutional. Both Article 14 and Article 15 make this Bill against the
idea of India and its founders, he said. “When can’t discriminate among
citizens, how can discriminate while granting citizenship?” Tewari asked.
“Reasonable classification means that equals can’t be treated as unequals, and
when a refugee comes to India, we can’t decide on their treatment on the basis
of religion.”Dayanidhi Maran of the DMK too opposed the Bill. “You have not
done anything to prove to Muslims in India that you support them,” Maran said.
“Is it a crime to be a Muslim?”Maran also accused Shah of dividing minority
groups. Christians were not part of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as set out
in the BJP’s manifesto, but have been included in the final Bill. “You are
first finishing the Muslims, and then you will turn to the Christians.”West
Bengal MP Abhishek Banerjee attacked the government for its divisive policies:
“The government would like you to believe that the NRC and CAB should be seen
separately.”He added that if the government is so worried about persecuted
minorities, “what about the Tamil and Muslim minorities of Sri Lanka?”Shiv Sena
MP Vinayak Raut asked about the pressure the Indian economy would come under if
a lot of refugees start pouring in. He said that Afghanistan should be deleted
as well if Sri Lanka in not included. Samajwadi Party and Mayawati’s BSP have
also voiced their opposition to the Bill, as did IUML through its MP P.K.
Kunhalikuty.Earlier on Monday, the Lok Sabha voted to introduce the Bill,
tabled by Shah. Opposition parties led by Congress had opposed the
introduction, saying that the Bill violated Article 14 of the constitution.A
total of 293 members voted in favour of introducing the Bill, while 82 voted
against.Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury began the debate, interrupting
Shah to say that the Bill could not be introduced. Reading the preamble of the
constitution, Chowdhury asked Shah, “Do you not like this document?”Shah,
responding to Chowdhury’s statement that the Bill openly targeted minorities,
said that it did not do so “even 0.001%”.N.K. Premachandran of RSP also opposed
the Bill, saying religion could not be made the basis for citizenship. Article
25 and 16 of the constitution, on the right to practice religion, is applicable
to everyone, including non-citizens, he continued.thewire
Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha: Parties in favour of and
against the legislation
'Amit Shah's name will be featured with Hitler, David Ben-Gurion':
Owaisi on CAB
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday stirred controversy as he said
that Union Home Minister Amit Shah's name will be featured with Hitler and
David Ben-Gurion if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is passed. "I appeal
to you (Speaker), save the country from such a law and save Home Minister also.
Otherwise, like in Nuremberg race laws and Israel's citizenship act, Home
Minister's name will be featured with Hitler and David Ben-Gurion," Owaisi
said in the Lok Sabha.AIMIM leader also said that the Bill is in violation of
the Supreme Court verdict in Sarbanan Sounwal case."Secularism is the
basic structure of the constitution of this country... We are opposing this
bill because it violates the fundamental rights and is arbitrary in
nature," Owaisi added.Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expunged the remark from
the record and asked Owaisi to restrain from using 'unparliamentary language in
the House'.ANI
Savarkar laid foundation of two-nation theory, Congress tells Amit Shah after
partition swipe
New Delhi: Responding to union home minister Amit Shah’s assertion that
the Congress had divided India on religious lines during the Partition of 1947,
senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said two-nation theory had been first
propounded by Hindutva ideologue and Sangh icon VD Savarkar.“Today, the home
minister said that Congress is responsible for partition on basis of religion.
I want to make it clear that the foundation for two nation theory was laid in
1935 in Ahmedabad by Savarkar in a Hindu Mahasabha session, and not (by)
Congress,” he said in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the controversial
CAB.Tewari’s remark came in response to Shah’s swipe at the Congress when he
tabled the Bill as he claimed that the Citizenship Bill would not have been
needed had the Congress not allowed partition on basis of religion.News18.com
Over 1,000 scientists oppose citizenship bill, say it violates spirit of
Constitution
Bengaluru: In a statement circulated online, more than 1,000 Indian
scientists and scholars from the country and abroad have released a statement
opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill tabled Lok Sabha by the Narendra Modi
government Monday.In the statement, the scientists have argued that the “use of
religion as a criterion for citizenship” would be a “radical break” with the
idea of independent, post-colonial India. The bill is a proposed amendment to
the Citizenship Act 1955 and would reduce the residence period in India from 11
years to six years to obtain citizenship.Drafted over the weekend, the
statement gathered over 1,000 signatures within 24 hours. These include
scientists and research scholars from institutions such as various IITs, the
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS, Bengaluru), Tata Institute
of Fundamental Research (TIFR, Mumbai), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU),
Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Indian Statistical Institute,
and different IISERs as well as international institutes such as Harvard
University, University of Chicago, University of Toronto, Nikhef Amsterdam, and
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics.Signatories also include
directors of major research institutions, such as Rajesh Gopakumar of ICTS,
Sandip Trivedi of TIFR, and Atish Dabholkar of International Centre for
Theoretical Physics, Italy.theprint
CAB Introduced in Lok Sabha, over 1500 Artists and Scientists Urge Govt
to Withdraw lt and NRC
'Careful Exclusion Of Muslims': Scientists, Academics Ask Govt To
Withdraw Citizenship Bill
‘Kill the Bill’: Protest held in Bengaluru against NRC, Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill
Scores of people, carrying placards and shouting slogans, gathered at
Bengaluru’s Mysore Bank circle on Sunday afternoon to protest against the
Centre’s move to bring in NRC and CAB. The protest was organised by a
Bengaluru-based techie Ashok Koyi and members of All India People’s Forum and
other progressive groups also joined demonstration.Demanding that government
withdraw both these bills immediately, several protesters likened the present
ruling union government with ‘Nazi Germany’.Critics of NRC, including former IAS
officers and scholars, say while NRC is anti-poor and against the migrant,
tribal population, the CAB is unabashedly communal. Incidentally, in Assam,
where the first such exercise was carried out, there were reports of retired
soldiers being stripped off their citizenship due to lack of legacy
documents.thenewsminute
Protests and strikes hit Assam, Manipur, Tripura against CAB
Guwahati/Imphal/Agartala:The tabling of the Citizenship (Amendment)
Bill, 2019, in the Lok Sabha on Monday has led to more protests against the
controversial legislation in Assam, Manipur and Tripura.In Assam, a 12-hour
general strike called by several indigenous organisations affected normal life
in several parts of the state.While Guwahati remained largely unaffected,
businesses and educational institutions remained shut and movement of vehicles
disrupted during the duration of the strike in many towns in upper and lower
Assam.The entire northeast will witness a shutdown on Tuesday due to an 11-hour
general strike called by North East Students Organisation (NESO), which
comprises main student bodies of seven states in the region.Normal life was
also affected in Manipur on Monday due to ‘cease work’ movement against the
bill launched by Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC).The
movement which was started from 1am of December 9 is scheduled to continue till
3am of December 11.“Our demand is to ensure CAB is not implemented in Manipur
and rest of Northeast,” says MANPAC convenor Yumnamcha Dilipkumar. “We’ll
continue our movement.”In Tripura, too, normal life was paralysed on Monday due
to protests by the indigenous political parties against CAB.BJP’s ruling
partner in the state, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), observed a
dawn-to-dusk strike at Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council
(TTAADC) areas protesting against the bill and in demand of their separate
statehood - Tipraland. The strike began from 6am.Police said more than 1000
protesters were detained in Tripura during the strike on Monday.States with
inner line permit (ILP) regime, which have been exempted from the purview of
CAB, are also not entirely happy with the legislation.K Elu Ndang, general
secretary of the Naga Hoho, the apex body of Naga tribes said the Nagas are
opposed to the amendment. “We the Nagas don’t welcome the CAB,” he said.“We are
safe with the inner line permit if the government implements it in toto. But
what is the need for the CAB? It will disturb the demography of the tribal
Northeastern states,” he said adding that the Nagas fear that the immigrants
may make their way into Naga inhabited areas as well.Similar concerns were
voiced by Lalmachhuana, the general secretary of the Central Young Mizo
Association, a powerful civil society group in Mizoram.“Even though Mizoram
being an ILP state is going to be exempted but since other states including
Assam will face a huge influx because of the CAB, Mizoram is likely to get
hampered and affected too, by this influx,” he said.“The best solution is to
exempt all of the northeast region from the purview of the bill. The present
exemptions are not sufficient,” he added. Congress’ Lal Thanhawla, the former
chief minister of Mizoram, questioned the selective exemptions.The former chief
minister said the government was pushing CAB because “Hindus make up the
maximum numbers among the minorities in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan
and Christians are nominal.”“The intention of the CAB is clear. It is a signal
for the entire Northeast. This will be followed by the Uniform Civil Code,” Lal
Thanhawla said.Hawa Bagang, president of All Arunachal Students Union, said the
student’s body will participate in the shutdown on Dec. 10 called by the North
East Students Organisation.HT
Widespread protests against Communal CAB
Hundreds join in silent protest against NRC, CAB in Hyderabad
Hundreds of citizens from various civil rights groups and organisations
working for urban poor, domestic workers, religious minorities, women,
homeless, farmers, transgender persons along with Dalits and Adivasis all came
together today at Maqdoom statue, Tank Bund to protest against NRC and demand
its withdrawal.The people from different social backgrounds and religions all
raised common placards and banners asking for the withdrawal of CAB and the
plan of the centre for nationwide implementation of NRC.TwoCircles
CAB: Won’t ‘selective acceptance’ of Hindu immigrants trigger religious
war, asks Shiv Sena
New Delhi :Shiv Sena on Monday accused the Centre of creating an
“invisible partition” of Hindus and Muslims under the garb of the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill and wondered if the “selective acceptance” of Hindu illegal
immigrants will act as a trigger for a religious war in the country. The controversial
Bill is slated to be tabled in the Lok Sabha today.Taking to party mouthpiece
‘Saamana’, the party, which has 18 MPs in Lok Sabha, said, “There is no dearth
of problems in India now but still we are inviting new ones such as CAB. It
looks like the Centre has made an invisible partition of Hindus and Muslims
over the bill.”The editorial further read. “It is true that there is no other
country for Hindus except Hindustan. But by accepting only Hindus among the
illegal immigrants..will it be a trigger of a religious war in the country?”“If
someone is trying to do a vote bank politics under the garb of the CAB then it
is not in the interest of the country,” it added. However, at the same time,
the party urged Priem Minister Narendra Modi to initiate strong action against
a few neighbouring countries that reportedly torture Hindus.“Most of the states
from the NE region have opposed CAB besides states like Bihar where BJP is
sharing power with JD(U), chiefly because immigrants are seen as threat to
their regional culture. West Bengal is another major state opposing the bill,”
it said.indianexpress
Shia Muslims subjected to inhumane treatment: Waseem Rizvi urges Centre
to include community in CAB
Lucknow: As Citizenship (Amendment) Bill introduced in Parliament today,
Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi has written to
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting him to include the Shia community in
the Bill.Times Now
Include Shias in citizenship Bill: Shia board
I will declare as a Muslim if parliament passes CAB , says Harsh Mander:
report
Airing anguish against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill,
writer and activist Harsh Mander said he will declare himself as a Muslim if
Lok Sabha passes the contentious bill. He was speaking in protest gathering
organised byAISA at the JNU.According to a student at JNU, Ansil KM, who took
to Facebook to publicise the comments Mander made, former bureaucrat also said
that he will boycott the process and will not submit any documents.“If CAB
passed tomorrow, I will declare as a Muslim. Secondly, I won’t submit any
documents to prove my identity. Thirdly, if the state put any Muslim in jail, I
will be one of them,” Mander was quoted saying on Sunday.Harsh Mander is a
columnist, researcher, and activist. He has been vocal against the incidents of
lynching, clampdown in Kashmir and issues related to National Register of
Citizens. He had worked for almost two decades in IAS in both MP and
Chattisgarh.doolnews.com
*BABRI MASJID CASE*
Ayodhya: 40 Academics, Activists File Review Petition Through Advocate
Prashant Bhushan
Mumbai :A month after in the Ayodhya case verdict by the Supreme Court
now, 40 academics and activists have filed a review petition through advocate
Prashant Bhushan. The petitioners include-- Irfan Habib, Harsh Mander, Farah
Naqvi, Nandini Sundar, Shabnam Hashmi, John Dayal, and Jayati Ghosh.
republicworld
Babri Masjid demolition case: CBI ‘discharges’ 10 witnesses lined up
against Kalyan Singh
New Delhi: CBI has dropped nearly 10 people from its list of witnesses
against ex Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh’s in Babri Masjid
demolition case.In the past fortnight, not a single witness in the trial, being
held on a day-to-day basis, has deposed on account of their “unwillingness” to
support the case of prosecution, people with direct knowledge of the matter
told ET.The agency has informed special CBI court in Lucknow about the nearly
ten witnesses who have been “discharged” from examination in the court, they
said.So far, 8 witnesses have deposed against Singh in the court. The agency is
lining up four key witnesses for their deposition in court this month. These
include the assistant and chief investigating officers of the case. These
officers will have to testify the veracity of the statements of witnesses, who
had deposed against Singh over his involvement in Babri Masjid demolition case.
Deposition of CBI’s witnesses is likely to be completed by the winter break of
the court.Sources in the agency said the discharge of the 10 witnesses would
not adversely impact the case of the prosecution. Of the 348 witnesses examined
so far in the Babri Masjid demolition trial, one had turned partially hostile,
said the people cited before. ET
Hindu Mahasabha challenges 5-acre plot to Muslims in SC’s Ayodhya
verdict
New Delhi: Akhil Bharat Hindu
Mahasabha has filed a review petition against the judgment of the Supreme Court
in the Ayodhya case challenging the allotment of 5 acres of alternate site to
the Muslims. In the petition filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, it
claimed that Muslim parties had never made a prayer for alternate site and
hence the SC could not have gone beyond the prayers and awarded alternate land
to Muslims.“Those who have trampled the religious place of Hindus cannot be
given prize for such illegal action and they cannot be allotted 5 acres of land
to console them on the ground that Hindus have committed some wrong in 1934,
1949 and in 1992,” the petition stated.The petitioner said the SC could not
have exercised its powers under Article 142 to grant a relief which was not
sought. Article 142 enables the SC to pass any order to ensure that complete
justice is done.Muslim parties including Jamiat-Ulama-i Hind and individual
petitioners supported by All India Muslim Personal Law Board have already filed
review petitions against the judgment.HT
*OTHERS*
HC allows Centre more time to file reply on plea for drafting Uniform
Civil Code
New Delhi:Delhi High Court on Monday allowed the Centre more time to
file a response to a plea for framing of a uniform civil code (UCC) to promote
national integration and gender justice, equality and dignity of women.A bench
of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar was informed by the counsel
for Centre that it has sought the stand of various states and was waiting for
their response and prayed for some time to file a reply to the petition. The court allowed the oral prayer of central
government standing counsel Anil Soni and listed the matter for hearing on
March 2, asking the Centre to file its reply to the petition filed by BJP
leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Senior advocate Vikas Singh,
appearing for Upadhyay, said the government has to make its stand clear,
whether it has recommended for drafting a UCC to the Law Commission or not.
Beside Upadhyay's petition, there are four other similar pleas which are
seeking for UCC. The court has not yet issued notice on the four PILs filed
after Upadhyay's. The 5 petitions have sought directions to the Centre to
constitute a judicial commission or a high-level expert committee to draft UCC
within 3 months, while considering the best practices of all religions and
sects, civil laws of developed countries and international conventions.PTI
No study shows Indians immune from air pollution: WHO responds to Prakash
Javadekar
Director of World Health Organisation (WHO), Maria Neira, said at COP 25
summit in Madrid, Spain that numerous studies have shown the bad impact on the
health of people those who are exposed to high levels of air pollution. TOI
quoted Neira as saying, “The evidence is available and so are the
interventions, the expertise is there and so is the plan of action. We urge
Indian government, which has enormous amounts of expertise and competencies, to
do its best in tackling the sources of air pollution and reducing toxic
pollutants that citizens are exposed to at the moment.”For the latest news and
more, follow HuffPost India on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to our newsletter.This
comes after Javadekar said that there were no studies that showed that people
in India were affected by air pollution. “No Indian study has shown pollution
shortens life. Let us not create fear psychosis among people,” he had said in
Parliament on Friday. Meanwhile, WHO’S Climate Lead Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum
told TOI, “We have brought together and analysed tens of thousands of studies
showing effect of air pollution on health from every population of the world.
We are yet to find a study which shows any population, including India, which
is immune from the health impacts of air pollution.”Several studies have shown
that India is home to some of the most polluted cities in the world. A Skymet
report had shown that of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, 3 were in
India — Delhi,Mumbai and Kolkata.Several studies conducted by renowned think
tanks like WHO, Lancet, Centre for Science and Environment and others have
blamed pollution for causing deaths in the country.huffingtonpost
JNU Students Lathi-Charged By Cops During Protest In Delhi Over Fee Hike
New Delhi: Police cracked down on students of JNU in New Delhi's
Sarojini Nagar area on Monday, while they were marching towards Rashtrapati
Bhawan to register their protest against a substantial hostel fee hike imposed
by the institution's administration.The lathi-charge was launched when
agitators tried to cross Bhikaji Cama Place Metro station, which was cordoned
off by police. TV visuals showed police pushing back students trying to jump
over barricades erected there.Students called the march from the university
campus to President's residence after after a month-long protest went in vain,
with JNU administration rejecting their demand for a complete rollback of the
nearly 300 per cent hike in hostel charges. They claim that the action goes
against the very character of the university, which has always kept its gates
open to everybody irrespective of their economic backgrounds.NDTV
JNU protest march: Students lathicharged, detained as they march towards
Rashtrapati Bhavan
Modi govt likely to slash school education budget by Rs 3,000 crore
citing funds crunch
New Delhi: Narendra Modi government is likely to cut the school
education budget for 2019-20 by Rs 3,000 crore on account of a “funds crunch”,
ThePrint has learnt.Highly-placed sources in HRD Ministry — which oversees
education — said Ministry of Finance had cited lack of funds as the reason
behind the proposal.A sum of Rs 56,536.63 crore was sanctioned to the school
education department for 2019-20 financial year. The funds cut, the sources
added, was discussed in a meeting between officials of HRD and finance
ministries two weeks ago.“Finance ministry officials said they will have to
reduce the budget for school education by Rs 3,000 crore,” said a ministry
source.HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, along with other officials, is
now trying to pursue the finance ministry to provide the complete fund. Theprint
Karnataka Assembly bypoll results: BJP govt retains majority after
winning 12 of 15 seats; Cong gets 2
Ruling BJP today retained its
majority in the Karnataka Assembly after it bagged 12 out of 15 seats in the
byelections. Congress, which won 12 of these 15 seats in 2018 Assembly polls,
has won only two seats (Hunsur and Shivajinagar). One seat (Hosakote) was won
by an Independent candidate.State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao also tendered
his resignation. Elections were held on Dec.5.This was necessitated after 17
rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD(S) defected to BJP in July and were
disqualified by Speaker.indianexpress
Siddaramaiah resigns as Cong Legislature Party leader after Karnataka
bye-poll loss
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday decided to step down as the
Leader of Congress Legislature Party after the Congress suffered a massive
defeat in the bye-elections. eanwhile,
sources also told TNM that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President
Dinesh Gundu Rao has also decided to resign from his post as the party was able
to win only 2 seats in the bye-elections. thenewsminute
Lok Sabha passes Arms (Amendment) Bill that proposes life imprisonment
for illegal arms makers
New Delhi: Makers of illegal arms and those carrying such guns will face
maximum punishment of life in jail if convicted under a proposed legislation
passed by Lok Sabha on Monday.Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 also ensures that
those using firearm in a rash or negligent manner in celebratory gunfire,
endangering human life or personal safety of others shall be punishable with an
imprisonment to two years, or with fine which may extend to Rs one lakh, or
with both.Replying to a nearly three-hour-long debate, Union Home Minister Amit
Shah said the bill has been brought as a requirement to significantly impose
weapons control in the country.PTI
SC to take up PILs seeking probe in Hyderabad ‘encounter’, hearing on
Wednesday
New Delhi :The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two PILs seeking
investigation into the encounter deaths of four men accused of raping and
killing a veterinarian in Hyderabad. The hearing will take place on Wednesday. One
of the petitions, filed by Advocate GS Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav, termed it
a fake encounter. The other petition, by Advocate ML Sharma, has sought the
formation of a special investigation team comprising retired Supreme Court judges
to investigate, with the help of CBI, the encounter.The bench headed by CJI
Sharad Arvind Bobde also said the court will also examine what the Telangana
High Court has to say in the case. The HC, taking cognizance of a plea seeking
judicial intervention in the matter, is scheduled to hear the petition today.
The HC had ordered that the bodies of all 4 accused be preserved until
today.indianexpress
Telangana HC orders bodies of Hyderabad accused to be preserved till
Dec.13
Telangana High Court on Monday ordered to
preserve the bodies of the accused in the Telangana doctor's rape and murder
case till Dec.13. The matter has been posted for hearing on Dec.12. India Today
Love, betrayal and caste oppression in Unnao village
Unnao:After hours of emotional outrage and protests, the mortal remains
of the Unnao rape victim were buried in the fields of her native village on
Sunday, 3 days after she was set ablaze allegedly by five persons, including
two men accused of raping her last Dec.The body, which reached the village from
Delhi at around 9:30 pm on Saturday, could be interred only at noon on Sunday.
The victim's family which was adamant that the body, placed on slabs of ice
outside their thatched dwelling, would be moved only if Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath visited them and assured instant capital punishment to culprits,
relented after hours of negotiations with Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow
Mukesh Meshram. Overshadowing the emotional farewell to the Unnao rape victim,
who was laid to rest beside the family mausoleum of her grandparents on Sunday,
is tale of love, betrayal and caste oppression in a tiny village in Uttar
Pradesh. The victim’s father also spoke of a caste-angle to the events leading
up to the murder. thehindu
Fast-track special courts for rape cases remain non-starter as states cite
fund crunch
New Delhi: Central govt’s plan to set up Fast Track Special Courts
(FTSCs) across the country to deal with cases of sexual offence against women
and children has hit a roadblock even as such cases show no signs of
abating.This is because several state govts have told the central
administration their inability to shell out their share of funds to set up the
courts, sources in the central government told ThePrint.In the wake of the
brutal rape-murder cases in Hyderabad and Unnao, Modi government has now
decided to push the state govts once again to setup FTSCs, sources added.Modi
government, according to the plan announced last year, had decided to expedite
setting up of 1,023 FTSCs across the country to deal with cases of rape of
women and those registered under POCSO Act.Of the 1,023 proposed FTSCs, as many
as 389 will exclusively deal with cases under the POCSO Act.theprint
UP: Uprooted mosque signboard spurs protests in Pratapgarh
Allahabad: Tension prevailed at Chaukhara village and its adjoining
areas in neighbouring Pratapgarh district on Sunday after a direction signboard
for Jama Masjid was found uprooted on the road.More than 300 villagers gathered
on Khiribir Road and claimed the board had been deliberately damaged. They
demanded action against people responsible for the same. A police team from
Kanhai police station rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation.Inspector
RK Singh said that while a case under Section 427 of IPC had been lodged
against unidentified persons, preliminary probe and circumstantial evidence
indicated a possible vehicle collision. “A speeding vehicle may have hit the
signboard at night and flattened it. There are also collision marks on a
temporary tea stall near the board,” Singh said.TOI
Karnataka: Hundreds attend ‘Masjid Darshan Day’ in Koppal
Hubballi: Masjid-e-Ala, located on Station Road in Koppal, opened its
doors to people of other religions and also to Muslim women on Sunday. Hundreds
of Hindus entered the mosque and viewed each corner and pillar of the mosque.
Muslims also felt joyous in receiving their Hindu brethren.Children and youths
were found humming the qawwali of ‘Raam Raheem Ek Hai’ and ‘Donon Ka Matalab Ek
Hai’ in a lower voice.Abhinava Gavisiddeshwara Mahaswamiji of Gavi Mutt was the
first Hindu to enter the mosque in the morning, accompanied by Hindu and Muslim
leaders. He enquired about ‘namaz’ and other rituals. He spent nearly
half-an-hour in the mosque and appreciated the initiative.This ‘Masjid Darshan
Day’ was organised by Koppal unit of Jamat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) as part of its
nationwide initiative to spread message of ‘Masjid for all’ and ‘Prophet
Mohammed for all’ programmes.MA Shukoor, president, JIH Koppal, said that
nearly 200 Hindu brothers curiously asked questions on Islam, Prophet Mohammed,
importance of namaz and many more things. Mohammad Kunhi, manager, Shanthi
Prakashana, interacted with them with much enthusiasm, he said.Harish HS, state
executive committee member, Karnataka Union of Working Journalists, said that
it was a new experience to enter the mosque for the first time. TOI
Honeytrap case halts the sweet run, sticky record of MP tabloid’s
editor-owner
Indore:Whenever they felt a story was risky, and that was often, a
senior editorial member of Indore-based eveninger Sanjha Lokswami would try
convey to owner-editor Jeetu Soni that the newspaper could get into trouble.
Jitendra alias Jeetu Soni, says a staff member, would be unruffled, telling
them, “Don’t worry, nothing will happen, I know how to handle it. It’s my
byline and print line.” The staff member admits they were impressed at clout
and contacts Soni seemed to have.It all unravelled last week when, in the wake
of a series of reports carried by Sanjha Lokswami on the honeytrap case that
originated in Indore and is now believed to have links across MP, police raided
and demolished most of the premises owned by Soni, and arrested his son Amit.An
award of Rs 1 lakh has been recommended for the capture of Soni, who is on the
run, while Sanjha Lokswami’s registration has been cancelled and its office
sealed.So far, over 30 FIRs have been lodged against Soni and his associates.
indianexpress
‘Temptation for money ruined us’: Bihar mourns its sons killed in Delhi
fire tragedy
Darbhanga: An eerie silence has gripped Nariyar village in Bihar’s
Saharsa district. Seven people from this village lost their lives in the
massive fire in a Delhi factory on Sunday which killed 43 people.The agonising
wait for families to get the bodies of their relatives is adding to their
grief. Due to procedural formalities, the bodies of these victims could not
reach their respective villages on Monday; they are now likely to reach their
destinations only by Tuesday.“Eight people - seven of Nariyar and one of
Nauhatta village - were killed in tragedy. We are arranging to bring their
bodies back to their families,” said Saharsa SDO Shambhu Nath Jha.70-year-old
Md Sattar’s world has turned upside down. He lost his two sons - 24-year-old Md
Mubarak and 22-year-old Md Gyasuddin - in fire tragedy. “Both my sons were
working in the jacket factory... the factory owner killed my sons,” he said
with tears in his eyes.Md Sattar alleged that the owner used to keep his sons
locked inside the building which caught fire.“We committed blunder by placing
our reliance on Md Jubair,” said Md Khursheed Alam crying. He lost his 18-year-old
son Md Faizal in the factory fire on Sunday. He remembers his son was taken
away by Jubair - a pointsman of the owner who recruited people to work in the
factory - when he was just 13.HT
India makes modest progress in Human Development Index, fares poorly in
gender equality
New Delhi :Making a marginal improvement, India climbed one spot to be
placed at 129 among 189 countries in the 2019 Human Development Index (HDI)
report released by UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Monday. Last year, India
ranked 130 in the index. In India, 27.1 crore people were lifted out of poverty
from 2005-06 to 2015-16, UNDP India representative Shoko Noda said. The steady
progress was due to nearly three decades of rapid development, which had seen a
dramatic reduction in absolute poverty, along with gains in life expectancy, education,
and access to health care, she said.Despite India’s progress, it accounts for
28 per cent of the 1.3 billion multidimensional poor, the report said. The
report also noted that despite the slight progress, gender-based inequalities
still persisted in the country, affecting women.India ranks at a low 122 among
162 countries on the Gender Development Index. “For countries like India, which
have shown great success in reducing absolute poverty, we hope that 2019 Human
Development Report sheds light on inequalities and deprivations that go beyond
income,” said Shoko Noda.indianexpress
News Broadcasters Federation elects Arnab Goswami as governing board
President
News Broadcasters Federation (NBF), the country’s largest association of
over 78 news channels, has elected the editor-in-chief of Republic TV as
President of its governing board.The body of 78 news channels in 14 languages,
representing broadcasters from 25 states, met on Saturday to finalise
modalities of a self-regulatory organization – News Broadcasters Federation
Authority – to bring in transparent self-regulation on content, a statement
said.PTI
*WORLD*
US: House Judiciary hearing sets stage for Trump impeachment charges
Pushing ahead with articles of impeachment, the House Judiciary
Committee convenes on Monday to formally receive the investigative findings
against President Donald Trump as the White House and its allies launch an
aggressive attack on Democrats and proceedings. Chairman Jerrold Nadler expects
the committee to vote soon, possibly this week, on at least two or more charges
against the Republican president. Democrats say Trump's push to have Ukraine
investigate rival Joe Biden while at the same time withholding US military aid
ran counter to US policy and benefitted Russia. It could result in impeachment
charges of abuse of power, bribery and obstruction."The central allegation
is that the president put himself above his country several times, that he
sought foreign interference in our elections several times, both for 2016 and
2020, that he sought to cover it up," Nadler said.aljazeera
Netanyahu: Time to apply Israel sovereignty over Jordan Valley, annex
West Bank
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that this is the time to apply
Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and legalise Jewish settlements in
the occupied West Bank, local media reported.Jordan Valley makes up
approximately 28 per cent of the occupied West Bank. It is home to nearly
65,000 Palestinians.“It is time to apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan
Valley and legalise all the Judea and Samaria [West Bank] settlements, those
that are in settlement blocs and those outside of them,” he said during a
conference organised by the right-wing newspaper Makor Rishon.Referring to the
illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, he said: “They will be
part of the State of Israel.”middleeastmonitor
Israel to Palestine: Accept new
settlements in Hebron or lose more land
Israeli occupation forces have told told the Palestinian municipality in
Hebron that it must agree to the contruction of a new Jewish-only neighbourhood
or lose its right to the land.Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Defence
Minister Naftali Bennett sent a letter on 1 December to the municipality of the
Palestinian city, through the office of the Coordinator of Government
Activities in Territories, stating “If it failed to comply within 30 days,
legal proceedings would be filed to lift its protected status.”The plan, which
was firstly proposed by the head of Yisrael Beiteinu Avigdor Lieberman, states
that the Palestinian municipality must accept the demolition of the wholesale
market, located in the Old City, and accept the construction of new – illegal –
settlement homes for Jewish settlers.middleeastmonitor
Palestinian ex-prisoners recall torture in Israeli detention
Ramallah:Israel is being accused of torturing a Palestinian
prisoner.Samer Arbeed was being questioned about an attack in the occupied West
Bank, which left one Israeli dead.Now, Arbeed's family fears for his life.It
was supposed to be a normal Wednesday for Samer Arbeed and his wife, Noura,
picking up and dropping off the children, eating leftovers for lunch, and
working on a sink-load of dishes."We drove the kids to school and were
almost at work, when a civilian car with Israeli number plates pulled up behind
us," Noura said, describing how her husband was detained in Ramallah by
undercover Israeli forces on Sept. 25."They snatched him from the car and
started beating him on the head, neck and stomach," she recalled.aljazeera
Libya Crisis: Thousands seek shelter near Tripoli
Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced by fighting near the Libyan
capital.8-month-long battle for control of Tripoli has created a housing
crisis.Some displaced families are demanding the government provide
compensation for their destroyed homes.aljazeera
Lebanon's Hariri re-emerges as PM candidate as Khatib withdraws
Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician, Saad Hariri, has re-emerged
as a candidate for prime minister as businessman Samir Khatib withdrew his
candidacy to lead a government that must tackle an acute economic crisis.
President Michel Aoun responded by postponing until December 16 consultations
with legislators that had been expected to result in Khatib being named prime
minister on Monday. The delay was requested by most parties in Parliament, presidency
said yesterday.aljazeera
Largest Islamic party in Algeria decides rejects all presidential
candidates
Algerian Movement of Society for Peace (largest Islamic party) announced
on Sunday that it would not support any of the candidates for the presidential
elections scheduled for next Thursday.This came in a statement, seen by Anadolu
Agency, the party issued after a series of consultations between Executive
Office and the movement’s leadership bodies.“The (executive) national office
confirms that the movement does not recommend or elect any of the five
candidates for the presidential elections,” the statement said.Shura Council,
the movement’s highest leadership body, had rejected, at a meeting at the end
of September, the nomination of the movement’s president, Abderrazak Makri, or
any of the leaders for the presidential elections.The most significant Islamic
movement in Algeria had confirmed in previous statements that it supports the
option of elections “but not in the current circumstances under which there is
no consensus.” middleeastmonitor
Assad regime survived thanks to YPG,says high-ranking PKK terrorist: Daily
Sabah
A high-ranking PKK terrorist has claimed that Syria's Bashar Assad regime
survived thanks to People's Protection Units (YPG)."Regime should not
forget that if it wasn't for YPG policies, there wouldn't be any regime
left," the terrorist, identified as Bahoz Erdal, told Irbil-based BasNews
on Sunday.He said Assad regime should thank PKK-affiliated YPG. Erdal also
claimed that Syria would have "no territorial integrity" if not for
the terrorist group.YPG and Assad regime have been known to get along well with
each other. Before Turkey's anti-terror operation in northern Syria, senior YPG
leader had said they were considering a partnership with Bashar Assad regime.Following
the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, YPG reached a Russia-brokered
deal with the regime.Another senior YPG terrorist Aldar Xelil confirmed Sunday
that a deal with Damascus has been reached.Xelil said "emergency
measure," with oversight from regime's key ally Russia, was meant to
secure their position in the region.
China Uighurs: Detainees 'free' after 'graduating', official says
A senior Chinese official has said that all of the people sent to
detention centres in the western region of Xinjiang have now been
released.Regional government chairman Shohrat Zakir told reporters those held
in what Beijing say are "re-education camps" had now
"graduated".It is not possible to independently verify Mr Zakir's
claims.Rights groups say the camps are actually high-security prisons, holding
hundreds of thousands of Muslims.Beijing has always denied this, despite the
prevalence of high-security features, like watchtowers and razor wire, and
leaked documents detailing how inmates at the so-called centres are locked up,
indoctrinated and punished.Mr Zakir told reporters in Chinese capital on Monday
that everyone in the centres had completed their courses and - with the
"help of the government"- had "realised stable employment [and]
improved their quality of life".He said that, in future, training would be
based on "independent will" and people would have "the freedom
to come and go".In recent months, independent reports have suggested that
some camp inmates are being released, only to face house arrest, other
restrictions on their movement or forced labour in factories.BBC
Saudi ends gender-segregated entrances for restaurants
Restaurants in Saudi Arabia will no longer need to maintain entrances
segregated by sex, authorities have said, in a move upending a major hallmark
of conservative restrictions that had been in place for decades. Previously,
Saudi Arabia required all restaurants to have one entrance for families and
women, and another for men on their own. Unrelated men and women have for
decades been barred from mixing in public places in the country.The Ministry of
Municipalities and Rural Affairs announced on Twitter on Sunday this would no
longer be mandatory.Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has eased other
restrictions in recent months, including bans on women driving and public
entertainment.Segregation in restaurants has quietly eased over the past year
or so, as eateries, cafes, conference centres and concert halls stopped
strictly enforcing it.A spokesman for the ministry contacted by Reuters did not
specify whether segregated seating areas inside restaurants would also be
eliminated. The new rules are not compulsory, meaning restaurants could still
maintain separate entrances if owners choose to do so, he said.There was no
announcement of changes to other public establishments, such as schools and
hospitals, which appear likely to remain segregated for now.aljazeera
Saudi attacker 'acted alone' in Florida naval base rampage
Investigators believe a Saudi Air Force lieutenant acted alone on Friday
when he killed three people and wounded eight at a United States Navy base in
Pensacola, Florida, before being fatally shot by police, the FBI has said.But
they have yet to determine a motive for the rampage, even though fellow Saudi
students at the base who were close to the attacker are cooperating with
investigators, said Rachel Rojas, special agent in charge of the FBI's Jacksonville
office and lead investigator on the case."We currently assess there was
one gunman who perpetrated this attack and no arrests have been made in this
case," Rojas said. aljazeera
Rohingya Refugees Demand Justice at Myanmar World Court Case
Cox’s Bazar: Rohingya Muslims demanded Myanmar be held to account at
United Nations’ top court in The Hague, where Myanmar leader and Nobel peace
prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is set to defend the country against charges of
genocide of minority community.More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017
after a brutal military-led crackdown UN has said was executed with “genocidal
intent” and included mass killings and rape. Myanmar vehemently denies
allegations of genocide. Myanmar says its military campaign across hundreds of
villages in northern Rakhine state was in response to attacks by Rohingya
insurgents.Rohingya Muslims housed in sprawling refugee camps in southern
Bangladesh reacted strongly on Monday to the prospect of Suu Kyi appearing this
week at International Court of Justice in hearings set for Dec. 10 to
12.REUTERS
Finnish minister Sanna Marin to become world’s youngest PM
34-year-old Sanna Marin is set to become the world's youngest Prime
Minister as head of a women-led coalition govt in Finland.Marin, who is
currently Minister of Transport and Communications, narrowly won over Antti
Lindtman, 37-year-old chairman of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group, in
a vote of 32-29 on Sunday.She was picked on Sunday by her Social Democratic
Party (SDP) to take charge after Prime Minister Antti Rinne quit.Rinne stepped
down after losing the confidence of a coalition member over his handling of a
postal strike.IANS
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
By introducing religious aspect to notion of citizenship, CAB threatens
to put India, Indians on slippery slope:Alok Prasanna Kumar
In an economy sans economists, ministers resort to ‘bluff’ and
‘bluster’:P Chidambaram
Watch: Muslim teenager offers refuge to over a hundred students at her
mosque during school stabbing
Why Indians aren’t protesting against rising unemployment:Shivam Vij
Citizenship Bill, NRC or Ayodhya Won’t Help Modi For Long: Veteran
journalist Rajdeep Sardesai
Despite muted denials, NRC will target Muslims: Syed Ubaidur Rahman
Akhilesh says CAB divides, Sudheendra Kulkarni on Amit Shah’s `lie’
& why Saina’s happy
Long queues, old papers, WhatsApp NRC scares: Hindus & Muslims in
Bengal brace for worst:Rajat Roy
What you should know about India's 'anti-Muslim' citizenship bill: Bilal
Kuchay
Citizenship Amendment Bill: A Warning Bell for Republic:Badri Raina
CAB Represents RSS-BJP's Successful Imposition of Hindutva Agenda in
Assam:Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty
All-India NRC Will Be Economic Disaster:Amit Shrivastava
Citizenship Amendment Bill: India's new 'anti-Muslim' law causes
uproar:BBC
* Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:06 PM).*
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