*02 Jan 2020: 06
Jamadi-1, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 98
*anti-citizenship act stir*
Govt unlikely to hit delete on 6 NPR questions that triggered a storm
New Delhi:The Govt is unlikely to delete the six additional questions
that require people to report the place of birth of their parents during
National Population Register survey later this year, people familiar with the
development said.A controversy broke out over the additional questions included
in the pretest exercise for NPR amid the ongoing row over changes to the
citizenship law and NRC. 6 new
parameters in the new NPR form that poses 21 questions includes Aadhaar number
of the resident, Voter ID, PAN, driving licence number and mobile phone and date
and place of birth of parents and the last place of residence.The Govt has not
spelt out why the additional parameter are sought to be added to the database
that is located in the Union Home Ministry without any oversight or statutory
rules to protect the privacy of the people.It has, however, being speculated
that most of the additional questions would let Govt bodies cross-refer this
database with others.The question on the place of birth of the parents, on the
other hand, would help the Govt get a clearer picture of the challenges ahead
when it upgrades the database into a citizenship register.“As of now it seems
that data will be collected on all 21 parameters in the new NPR form. The form
was prepared after discussions only. But a decision on the final form will be
taken soon,” said an official. Officially, the Govt has sought to delink the
population register from the NRC.But it may be a little difficult. The Govt
gets the power to build and update the population register from the Citizenship
Act and the rules and regulations notified under this law.HT
No documents need to be produced for NPR: Union Home Ministry
Union Home Ministry has clarified that no person needs to submit any
documents during the house-to-house survey for updating National Population
Register and that information provided by individuals would be accepted and
recorded.Through a series of tweets, the Ministry sought to deny the thrust of
a report in The Hindu headlined NPR trial form gets Govt nod for rollout that
appeared on Jan.1. Ministry spokesperson’s official Twitter handle said: “The
line taken by the story is incorrect, without taking into account the factual
position for conducting NPR.”It went on to say: “The story incorrectly quotes Govt
officials that ‘respondents to NPR exercise will get time to provide papers’
and ‘families would need to dig out old documents and ensure that such
documents are readily available for verification & enumerators would see
those documents’.” It added: “The story ignores Govt’s stated position that no
individual will be required to submit any document to any authority or
enumerator visiting his/her household for NPR survey. Information provided by
the individual would be accepted and recorded accordingly.” The Hindu's
correspondent responds:"The report that is sought to be denied is based on
points given in NPR manual. The manual clearly mentions that the existing
database would be updated by verifying the details of all respondents through
house-to-house enumeration. Ministry spokesperson has not denied the point that
NPR form will include an additional column seeking details of the “place of
birth of father and mother”.
NPR: Head of family will have to furnish ID details
Anti-CAA stir: NPR data can be used for NRC whenever govt decides, says
RS Prasad
Reached out to countries, told them it doesn’t alter Constitution: MEA
on CAA, NRC
New Delhi :Ministry of External Affairs has said that India has reached
out to countries across all geographic regions on the Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA) and NRC. At a media briefing today, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said,
“We did reach out to countries across the globe on Citizenship Amendment Act
and the NRC. We emphasised that the Act just expedites acquiring of citizenship
to persecuted minorities. It does not change the basic structure of the
Constitution.” Foreign Ministry further said, “Our missions have been asked to
share prospectus on the Citizenship Amendment Act with the host
govt.”indianexpress
One of the organisers 'calls off' Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protest, locals continue
dharna
New Delhi: JNU scholar Sharjeel Imam, one of organisers and volunteers
at the iconic anti-CAA protest at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh has announced through a
Facebook post that the movement is being withdrawn. However, in what appears to
be a disagreement between the organisers, protesters at the venue have said
that the sit-in is still on and the women and volunteers at the site are likely
to go ahead with the scheduled protests that have continued for 20 days now. A
road blockade which was scheduled to take place on Thursday, Jan. 2, has been
called off, Imam wrote on Facebook. Imam cited the twin causes of “impending
violence from party goons” and “politicisation of the stage by parties” as
those behind the abrupt stop of the protests.Imam’s post came in the afternoon.
In the meantime, several accounts tweeted that the protests are still on.Saima
Khan, one of the protesters on the ground, spoke to The Wire on the confusion
regarding the movement. “There are attempts being made by some of the
organisers to stop the movement. But it is very much on,” she said.For 20
consecutive days, through Delhi’s most bitter winter in a century, the women
stayed put at the site which drew hundreds everyday. Artists and students would
often take the stage to address crowds. The protests ended up blocking the road
beside the tented venue, even though traffic would be allowed to pass.Imam’s
Facebook post indicated that the road block exercise which the protesters had
been looking to take on Thursday was in danger of inviting violence from members
of BJP. He also said police had been asked “not to intervene,” and added that
this was because BJP members would most likely introduce elements of violence
in the protests themselves and “tarnish” its peaceful nature.thewire
In Biting Cold, 'Dadis' Of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh Protest Citizenship Law
New Delhi: A picture of resilience has surrounded Delhi's Shaheen Bagh
area where women protestors have led protests for over fifteen days against the
Citizenship Amendment Act, shedding the comfort of their homes. Amid the
protestors in freezing Delhi winter, is something that cannot be missed:'Dadis'
(Grandmothers) of Shaheen Bagh.Asma Khatun, 90, Bilkis, 82 and Sarvari, 75,
were asked for their full names and all 3 of them had one single reply:
"We won't tell. Since we do not have documents to prove. It might be held
against us." The 3 women, accorded a prominent space in the front row on
each day of the protests, are now being hailed as the 'Dadis' of Shaheen
Bagh.To a simple question on why they are protesting, they answer one by
one:"Ask (PM Narendra) Modi why we are protesting," says Asma Khatun,
the strongest and the oldest of them. "Why did we have to see a day like
this? That I will have to sit in protest? I am against CAA," says
Asma."He wants us to furnish documents to prove citizenship? There are so
many people in this country who have no papers. Many lose their papers to
natural calamities like floods and rain. Where will they get there documents
from? I dare Modi to name 7 generations of his family. I will name 9,"
thunders Asma, on being asked why she wanted the law revoked. NDTV
Over 5 Lakh attend a massive rally against CAA in Kochi
Kochi(Kerala): Multitudes of people under the banner of Muslim
Coordination Committee(MCC) marched today against the Citizenship Amendment Act
in Kochi on Wednesday evening.More than five lakh Muslims are estimated to
attend the conference that followed at the Marine Drive Grounds in Kerala's
Kochi.MCC is an umbrella organisation representing various Muslim organisations
working in Kerala. Leaders from different Muslim organisations and political
outfits addressed the gathering.Meeting convener K.P.A Majeed spoke of the
future programmes of the committee which includes legal fights, social
awareness and mobilisation of the people at the regional level. He reiterated
that it is the fight to re-establish the ideals of the Constitution.Noted
activist and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani was one of the guests at meeting.
Addressing the gathering, Jignesh
saluted the Kerala girls from Jamia Millia Islamia University who are at the
forefront of the Anti-CAA struggle. He added that they are real inspiration for
the massive struggle against this unconstitutional law across the country. He
also congratulated Kerala legislative assembly for passing the resolution
against CAA. The gathering paid one-minute silent homage to those who died in detention centres and during the
struggle upon his request. He also accused the UP Govt of turning the state
into Syria-like condition. Addressing the gathering, MI Abdul Azeez, Ameer of Jamaat Islami
Kerala, expressed his solidarity to all the major and minor protests happening
across the state."This is the second freedom struggle. The forces whose
founding fathers had to bow down before the British will now be forced to bow
down before people", he added. AP Aboobabacker, TP Abdullakkoya Madani, PK
Kunhalikkutti MP, Sebastian Paul were among the others who spoke on the
occasion.The rally which started from the Jawaharlal Nehru International
Stadium had banners and slogans against the controversial CAA and NRC.India
Tomorrow
5 lakh people take out rally against Citizenship Amendment Act in Kochi
Anti-CAA, NRC ‘Million March’ will sing national anthem with Tiranga in
hands in Hyderabad
Hyderabad:Various Muslim and non-Muslim groups and social organisations
will take up a four kilometre-long march in Hyderabad on Saturday in protest
against the CAA, NRC and NPR. The sundry groups have formed a Joint Action
Committee (JAC) for the purpose.“JAC, comprising around 40 Muslim and
non-Muslim groups, will take out a procession of thousands of people starting
from People’s Plaza at the beginning of Necklace Road on the banks of
Hussainsagar lake, which will culminate in a brief public meeting at
Sanjeevaiah Park,” JAC convenor and Tehreek-e-Muslim Shabban (TMS) president
Mustaq Malik told Hindustan Times.Though named “Million March,” the rally is
not expected to be attended by more than a lakh people. “People from all parts
of Telangana and also from Kurnool, Nandyal in Andhra and Bidar in Karnataka
would be attending in large numbers,” Malik claimed. JAC originally planned the
rally on DEC. 28, but the Hyderabad police had denied them permission for on
the pretext of a possible law and order breakdown.JAC convenor said they
finally got the permission to hold the rally on Saturday after the Telangana
High Court’s intervention.Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) head Amzadullah Khan said
the joint rally will ask people to not cooperate in the implementation of
NPR,NRC and CAA by withholding information sought during the tabulation
exercise.JAC leaders have invited like-minded political parties to participate
in the rally including ruling TRS.Meanwhile, Hyderabad based AIMIM is also
planning a march on the weekend against the CAA and NRC.Hyderabad.HT
CAA-NRC-NPR: Muslim clerics decide not to submit documents
Hyderabad: A closed-door meeting was held at Maahad Islamia, Shaheen
Nagar which was attended only by the invited Muslim clerics from various parts of
India. It was organized by Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani. The meeting was
attended by Maulana Arshad Madani (Jamiat-ul-Ulema), Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani
(Director, Darul-Uloom Deoband), Maulana Syed Mahmood Madani (Secretary
Jamiat-Ul-Ulema), Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhary (Minister, West Bengal),
Maulana Ashrafi Miyan Kachochvi, Maulana Tanveer Hashmi and others.Maulana
Sajjad Nomani could not attend the meeting due to unavoidable reasons.
Badaruddin Ajmal sent his representative. Authentic sources indicated that the
decision not to file any documents for NRC, NPR was considered in the
meeting.Maulana Arshad Madani suggested that it is essential to review legal
aspects. One of the important features of this meeting was that the local
Muslim clerics were kept away from the meeting. The reason for this is to keep
them away from the protest and to formulate the strategy for the future plan of
action. It was reported that a decision has been taken to keep the Muslims away
from the process of NRC and NPR.It was also decided to hold another meeting in
New Delhi in which the leaders of all the Muslim groups will be invited.siasat
Report On English Daily Claiming TRS Would Support CAA ‘Absolutely
False’: TRS leader KTR
Hyderabad: TRS working President KT Rama Rao has claimed that an article
published by an English daily (The Hindu) is "absolutely false".The
Hyderabad city edition of the daily on Jan. 2 carried a report titled "TRS
will support CAA if national interest warrants it: KTR" which read that addressing
reporters the IT minister had said that if after consultation the Govt required
to support the legislation, it would do so in the interest of the nation.Rao
took to Twitter and said, “This is an absolutely false report published by The
Hindu. Something that is quite the opposite of what I had actually said &
reported accurately by all other media outlets, I demand that The Hindu rescind
the write-up and do not resort to this kind of unwarranted
propaganda."(sic).sakshi.com
TRS will support CAA if national interest warrants it says KTR: The
Hindu report
'How's it human'- India's largest detention centre almost ready:
Aljazeera report
Assam:Ali, 25, is an electrician working at India's largest detention
centre currently under construction in Assam state's Goalpara district in
northeast India.As he takes a break from his work to rest in front of the
centre's hospital block, a thought occurs to him."Today I am working here.
Tomorrow, it could be a jail for my brother-in-law,"he says. "It will
ruin my sister's family."Ali's brother-in-law failed to make it to NRC, a
list published in Assam this year which declared 1.9 million people as
"illegal" migrants, who now face either detention in a camp like the
one coming up at Goalpara, or deportati on.Spread around nearly 28,000 square
metres or 2.8 hectares of land, the detention centre in Goalpara's Matia
village, near capital Dispur, can house 3,000 people. The centre is situated in
a remote area of Goalpara with open land on its three sides and a road linking
it to the main city of Guwahati in the front.On one side, the road to the
detention centre passes through what is known as the "ghost"
mountain. According to local residents, legend has it that ghosts used to rule
the mountain centuries ago and no human was allowed to cross it."I feel it
is the same situation here. Any person who goes to this detention centre will
not come back," said Ghulam Nabi."How is it human to isolate a person
from the population, from his family and put him behind these giant
walls?" asked Nabi, pointing towards the high walls of the compound.
Besides a hospital, the centre will have a dining area, school, recreational
centre, and 2 separate lodging facilities designated for male and female
inmates."Male and female inmates will be kept in separate areas divided by
a 6 feet red-coloured wall. There will be 13 male blocks of 4 storeys each and
two female blocks of the same size," Rabindra Das, an engineer with
Assam's police housing board and incharge of the construction of the detention
facility, said. "The entire compound is surrounded by 2 walls, the inner
being 20 feet high, followed by the outer wall six feet high," Das said.As
a security measure, the detention centre has 6 watchtowers for round-the-clock
monitoring, supported by a 100-metre high-beam light.
Bengal’s Republic Day tableau rejected because of CAA protests:TMC
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led Govt at
the Centre over the rejection of West Bengal’s tableau proposal for Republic
Day parade, saying it insulted the people of the state for protesting the
amended Citizenship Act.The state BJP was quick to hit back and accused the TMC
Govt of not properly following rules and procedure which it said caused the
rejection.Defence Ministry had on Wednesday rejected West Bengal’s tableau
proposal. West Bengal Govt’s proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee
examined it in two rounds of meeting, a statement by the ministry said.“The
tableau proposal of the West Bengal Govt was not taken forward for further
consideration by Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting.“It
is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Govt of West Bengal was
short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of
the same process,” it said. Ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from
states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments of
which 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/UTs and 6 ministries/depts, have
finally been short-listed, the statement said.PTI
Bengal: BJP to launch intensive booth-level campaign to counter
anti-CAA/NRC ‘propaganda’
Kolkata :To counter the “false propaganda” by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee
over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), NRC and NPR, the state BJP has
decided to train 25,000 booth level party activists and explain the “facts”
about Modi govt’s measures on citizenship. BJP’s state president and MP Dilip
Ghosh said that the BJP leadership has decided to launch an intensive campaign
in West Bengal to counter TMC’s “false propaganda” regarding CAA and reach out
to refugees.thestatesman
‘Where will they go, to Italy?’: Union Minister Reddy on non-Muslims
from 3 countries
New Delhi :Amid criticism over the citizenship law, Union Minister of
State for Home G Kishan Reddy attacked the Congress party saying whether the
minority communities facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan would go to Italy.“It’s our moral responsibility to give
citizenship to the minorities (from the three neighbouring Muslim countries).
If they don’t come to India, where will they go? To Italy?” he asked. “Italy
will not accept Hindus or Sikhs as they are poor people,” he said.Owing to
persistent persecution of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Jains in Pakistan,
Kishan Reddy said, population of minorities in the neighbouring country has
come down drastically from its earlier 30 percent-level. The minister said it’s
moral responsibility of India to give shelter and citizenship to non-Muslims
from the three neighbouring country. He also accused the opposition of playing
“cheap politics”, saying that it is instigating people to protest against the
recent changes in the citizenship law by misleading them.indianexpress
Kerala Governor on Assembly resolution against CAA: It has no legal or
constitutional validity
New Delhi : 2 days after Kerala Assembly passed a resolution demanding
scrapping of the CAA, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan today said it has no legal or
constitutional validity. “This resolution has no legal or constitutional
validity because citizenship is exclusively a central subject, this actually
means nothing,” said Khan, who abruptly ended his speech at the inauguration of
the Indian History Congress in Kannur after delegates protested against the
Act.The resolution —first such move by a state against the CAA — was moved by
CPM leader and CM Pinarayi Vijayan, and seconded by Congress leader and Leader
of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala. CPM
and Congress had earlier organised a joint protest against the law in the
state.indianexpress
Congress hits back at PM on allegations over CAA violence
New Delhi:Congress has slammed PM
Narendra Modi on his speech in Karnataka''s Tumakuru rally where he accused
Congress of fomenting trouble during anti-Citizenship protests.Reacting sharply
to the allegation, Congress said, " Modi ji, this agitation is not against
the Parliament but against your divisive work. We will not let you break the
country. So far as Pakistan is concerned, India taught them lessons in 1948,
65, 71 and in Kargil and gave so much wound that they are not being able to
cope with it. If you want to reply to Pakistan, stop playing games of Biryani
and mangoes."Earlier in the day, PM Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at
the Congress blaming it for anti-CAA protests in the country and said that
opposing CAA is like opposing Constitution of India.Speaking at Sree Siddaganga
Mutt in Tumkuru, Modi said: "Our Govt brought CAA, but Congress has
opposed it. These people have started agitation against the
Constitution.""They are opposing entry of Dalits and other persecuted
people from Pakistan. Atrocities against minorities have been rising in
Pakistan. Pakistanis have unleashed injustices against the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains
but Congress hasn''t raised its voice," PM said.While attacking the
Congress, Modi said: "They don''t have the time or intention to take on Pakistan.
It''s our duty to stand by those who are fleeing Pakistan. It''s our duty to
help them."IANS
Protest against Pakistan’s atrocities on minorities, Modi tells anti-CAA
protesters
#GoBackModi trends in India again as PM arrives in BJP-ruled Karnataka
CAA, NRC will not harm Muslims in India: Athawale
Pune :Union minister and Dalit leader Ramdas Athawale Wednesday said
that the CAA and NRC will not cause any harm to Muslims in the country.RPI(A)
chief visited Jaystambh in Perne village to mark 202nd battle of Koregaon
Bhima. Addressing a gathering organised by his party later, Athawale said,
“CAA, NRC will not cause any harm to the Muslims in the country… but they are
being misled for political purposes. Violence in agitation is not good. Peace
was maintained by both sides during the Ayodhya verdict.”indianexpress
'No howls?': After tweet on Hungarian PM, Subramanian Swamy now cites
Putin to incite CAA protesters
After batting for the Citizenship Amendment Act through an ambiguous
reference to Hungarian PM, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday cited
Vladimir Putin saying that the Russian leader "has said that Russians have
tears in their eyes when they see Christians being massacred by Muslims in
Middle East".Earlier on Wednesday Swamy had taken to Twitter to support
the CAA. In his tweet Swamy had claimed that Hungarian PM Viktor Orban had
maintained that his country won't accept any Muslim immigrants."Hungary's
PM has just announced, according to one Delhi paper, that only Christians will
be allowed to immigrate to his country. Hungary will not allow Muslim
immigrants. Any howls please?" the former Union Cabinet Minister wrote on
Twitter.Swamy also instigated people who have been opposing the controversial
Act to now peak up and say something on the issue.freepressjournal
Tamil orator Nellai Kannan arrested for remarks against Modi, Amit Shah
after BJP protests
Tamil orator Nellai Kannan was arrested on Wednesday after he was
accused of making provocative comments against PM Narendra Modi and Union Home
Minister Amit Shah, PTI reported. A police team held Kannan from Perambalur
district, nearly 300 km from Chennai.This came hours after BJP activists, led
by senior state party leaders such as H Raja, La Ganesan, Pon Radhakrishnan and
CP Radhakrishnan, staged a demonstration in Chennai demanding his arrest.On
Tuesday, Kannan was booked by Tirunelveli city police for allegedly making the
comments. Kannan had made the remarks at an anti-CAA rally on Sunday. scroll
Calling Faiz 'anti-Hindu' is absurd: Javed Akhtar
After IIT Kanpur constituted a panel to decide whether legendary poet
Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem Hum Dekhenge is offensive to Hindu sentiments, senior
lyricist Javed Akhtar has termed the incident absurd and funny.Speaking to ANI
about Faiz and the recent controversy, the writer told ANI, "Calling Faiz
Ahmed Faiz 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd and funny that it's difficult to seriously
talk about it."The writer further said that Faiz wrote the poem Hum
Dekhenge against the then Pakistan Govt run by former President of the country
Zia-ul-Haq.Earlier, IIT Kanpur has set up a committee to look into the
issue.The move came after some faculty member complaint that the students who
took out a peaceful march in the campus on DEC. 17 against the CAA and in
solidarity with Jamia Millia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt
the sentiments of other communities.ANI
On Camera, Assam Cops Thrash Citizenship Law Protesters As CM's Convoy
Passes
Guwahati:Police personnel in Assam were filmed beating up people
protesting amended Citizenship Act on Wednesday after they waved black flags at
CM Sarbananda Sonowal. Multiple videos of alleged brutality by Assam Police,
viral on social media, show cops thrashing protesters in Nalbari district where
the CM's convoy was passing through.Activists of AASU and AJYCP waved black
flags at Sonowal at a number of locations while he was travelling from Guwahati
to the ashram of religious preacher Krishnaguru in Barpeta district.The
protesters shouted slogans against the citizenship law and the Govt as CM's
convoy pass through.In one of the videos, policemen are seen chasing unarmed
protesters away from the highway as they raised slogans when Sonowal's convoy
passed. The police is also seen chasing the protesters inside a by-lane and
catching hold of one of them. The man was seen being taken away in a police
van.Another unarmed protester is seen being detained by the police as one of
the cops brings him to the highway and canes him. Other policemen then join
their colleague.A video shows the police dragging a protester even as other
protesters gather around cops. Policeman who was seen hitting the protester was
then seen running away towards a bus. Similar videos of crackdown by the police
have emerged from UP as well where violence protests over the citizenship law
have left 21 people dead.ndtv
Sonowal smells trouble as Assam continues anti-CAA stir; makes emotional
appeal, gives funds to literary body hosting protests
As New Year begins, the college and university students of Assam have
taken a pledge to continue their protest against the Citizenship (Amendment)
Act despite all odds. However, the peaceful uprising seems to be emotionally
taxing for Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal.On Wednesday, Sonowal said – “Muk
eghoriya nokoribo – moi koloi jam?” ("Don’t ostracize me, where would I
go?")"I am your son, a part of you. You have chosen me to lead you,
how can I let you down? I have never compromised with the interest of the
people of Assam," he added.Sonowal's comments come at a time when Assam
sees widespread protests against the amended law and after former Assam DGP
Harekrishna Deka criticized him, stating that he has turned into a 'hardcore
Hinduist'.firstpost.com
Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo call for a rethink on
NRC, Citizenship Act
The amended Citizenship Act and the proposed nationwide NRC are not
signs of minimal Govt or maximal governance, Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee
and Esther Duflo said in an article in Indian Express.Instead, CAA and NRC
introduce “meddlesome officialdom into a question as fundamental to people’s
lives as citizenship”, they said. “If you are not citizen of the country where
you have lived all your life, and no one else wants you, who are you? And it is
what many young people are upset about.”Banerjee and Duflo, who are married to
each other, co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab in 2013, and
teach at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They won the Nobel Prize for
economics in 2019, along with Michael Kremer.“But there is something else that
the Govt should worry about here,” article said. “In all of this conversation
about citizenship, it seems to take as given that immigrants are a problem.”
The economists argued that there was no case against low-skilled economic
migrants. Instead, all the evidence suggested that “even after large bouts of
low-skilled migration, the earnings of other low-skilled migrants are
unaffected”. This was partly because economic migrants take up any job that
they get and partly because they not only sell labour but also buy things with
their earnings.They added that the real challenge was for the middle class
since they would worry that the economic migrants will take away what they
perceive as theirs – a local Govt job. scroll.in
Actors to comedians, poets to students: World’s a stage at Jamia
New Delhi :On stage, there were actors Swara Bhaskar and Mohd. Zeeshan
Ayyub, comedian Sanjay Rajoura and poet Gauhar Raza; and off stage, there was
35-year-old Nargis from Batla House, her sister-in-law, nieces, and neighbours.
Amongst the adults sat five-year-old Aaliya, Nargis’ daughter, with a toothy
smile. If anyone asked why she was in a gathering of several hundreds on a cold
afternoon, she said it was for “Azaadi”.They, along with hundreds of students
and locals from Zakir Nagar, Shaheen Bagh and Batla House, had gathered at
Jamia Millia Islamia’s gate number 7 on the afternoon of Jan.1 for the ‘Artists
in Solidarity with Jamia’ protest.Rajoura came on stage and evoked ‘Kisi ke
baap ka Hindostan thodi hai’ from poet Rahat Indori’s 30-year-old ghazal. He
said, “They are trying to scare away students with abuses and lathi-charge, but
students are never afraid. Inn he pata nahi hai inhone kinn se panga liya
hai.”Bhaskar recited poet-lyricist Varun Grover’s viral poem ‘Hum Kaagaz Nahi
Dikhayenge’, as many joined in chorus. “Woh lathi charge chalayenge, hum kagaz
nahi dikhayenge, woh metro band kar jaayenge, hum paidal chal ke aayenge, hum
kaagaz nahi dikhayenge,” she said.Just a few metres away, students sat on the
pavement and painted slogans on chart papers. As the protest ended a little
before 5 pm, Nargis said, “This is a fight for the present and for the future,
for me and my daughter Aaliya. I came here regularly for a few days at first,
but then got busy with household work. I wanted to be here for the right issue
on the first day of the year.”Also at the protest, with two toddlers in tow,
was another woman from Shaheen Bagh. “During the day I come to Jamia with my
children to protest, and at night I sit with the hundreds of women at Shaheen
Bagh. It’s my way of fighting the new Citizenship law. Also, what will you do
with my name? We are all saying the same thing and I represent a common citizen
of India,” she said.Actor Zeeshan, who was present at the Shaheen Bagh protest
till early Wednesday morning, said, “Yeh desh aise hi bana rahe, Samvidhan hi
yaha raaj kare aur hum logo ko mil jul ke rehna hai. Naya Saal mubarak.”indianexpress
Swara Bhasker lauds students of Jamia for waking up entire country
against CAA
AMU, Jamia are emerging as epicentres of a national awareness
Jamia Become Pilgrimage Site for Struggles: Swaraj Abhiyan Leader
New Delhi:“Jamia Millia Islamia has become a landmark where those
opposing the Govt moves are taking strength from each other and Jamia has in
fact become a pilgrimage site for struggles,” said Prof. Ajeet Jha, senior
leader of the Swaraj Abhiyan.Prof. Jha was addressing the crowd of students of
Jamia Millia Islamia and local residents who have been protesting against the CAA
and Govt move for nationwide NRC for past 21 days.Prof. Apoorvanand from Delhi
University and mother of Junaid Khan, who was beaten to death in a running
train in Haryana two years ago, also attended today’s protest demonstration.India
Tomorrow
Jamia clarifies no student died from injuries sustained during CAA
protest violence
Jamia Millia Islamia today rejected reports that one of their students
succumbed to injuries sustained during the protests against the amended
citizenship law.There were reports doing the rounds that a student had died
during the police action in the protests on Dec.15.However, the hospital, where
he was admitted, said that the deceased was not a protester and had died due to
chicken pox.According to Ahmad Azeem, Public relations officer of the varsity,
they have been informed by the Proctor’s office that the deceased was not a
student of the varsity.“A fake news is circulating in social media that a boy
named Abdurrahman/Obaidurrahman died of injuries inflicted upon him by tear gas
shell during protest on 15th DEC., was student of Jamia.“JMI would like to
clarify that he was not our student. We do not know what is the cause of his
death,” Azeem said.Sources said he was preparing for entrance exams and staying
in the area near the university.PTI
Delhi's Jafrabad CAA protest: Court extends judicial custody of accused
till Jan 16
New Delhi:2 days after the 2 accused in Jafrabad violence case were
granted bail, a Delhi court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of the
rest of the accused.Metropolitan Magistrate Prayank Nayak remanded them to
judicial custody till Jan. 16.A total of 6 people were arrested by the Delhi
police on DEC. 17 after a protest in Delhi's Jafrabad area against CAA. They
were then sent to judicial custody by Delhi's Karkardooma court.The accused
were presented before court today at the end of their remand period.ANI
‘My Son Was Killed for Being a
Muslim, His Crime Was he Joined an Anti-CAA-NRC Protest’
Patna: Recovery of the decomposed body of 18-yearold Aamir Hanzla, 10 days
after he went missing following the attack and firing on a peaceful protest
march against the new citizenship law or CAA and NRC during opposition RJD’s
shutdown, has raised many eyebrows over the failure of Bihar Police and
administration to trace him. What is more disturbing is that the victim’s
family members have questioned the role of a local police officer (DSP Sanjay
Pandey) and a Bihar Minister, Shayam Razak, who happens to be the local MLA of
the ruling JD-U, to save the accused and hush up matter.The killing of Aamir on
DEC. 21, allegedly by a group of youths belonging to Hindu Right-wing, Bajrang
Dal, in Phulwari Sharif located on the outskirts of Patna, is the first
reported casualty in Bihar during the ongoing protests against CAA-NRC. There
are reports of several protestors as well as some policemen being injured
during the protest so far across the state.“My son was killed for being a
Muslim in Sangat Gali (a bylane) near Tam Tam Padao, hardly 250 metres from the
Block and DSP offices, by Bajrang Dal activists and supporters. His crime was
that he joined the protest march like hundreds of others against CAA-NRC during
opposition RJD’s shutdown on DEC. 21,” Aamir’s grief-stricken father, Sohail
Ahmad, told NewsClick here, adding “there was no other enmity or dispute behind
the incident”.newsclick.in
‘It’s slow poison’: At Bhima Koregaon event, visitors say CAA-NRC
undermines Ambedkar’s Constitution
As lakhs of Ambedkarites gathered in Bhima Koregaon village near Pune on
Wednesday to commemorate a battle fought in 1818, the police kept strict watch.
With crowds congregating from across the country over past fortnight to express
their opposition to the new Citizenship Amendment Act, the authorities wanted
to ensure that this mammoth event passed off smoothly. Internet services had
been snapped around Bhima Koregaon. In addition, the Pune district
administration said that it would not give visitors permission to display
banners criticising the Citizenship Act and the planned NRC, Indian Express
reported.scroll.in/
Peace protest against CAA in Mangaluru postponed after K'taka Home
Minister's request
The peace protest planned in Mangaluru against CAA and NRC on Jan. 4 has
been postponed."We have decided to postpone the event after discussions
with the Home Minister and Mangaluru Police Commissioner. We will announce a
new date and time soon," Haneef Khan, a member of Muslim Central
Committee, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi told TNM.The call for the protest was
issued by a delegation of various Muslim organisations led by the Muslim
Central Committee, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The delegation met Mangaluru
Police Commissioner PS Harsha and ADGP Dayananda on Thursday and obtained
permission for the protest to be held at Nehru Maidan in the city. Similarly,
the BJP said that it will organise a pro-CAA event at the same venue on Jan. 12
.However, the protest planned on Jan. 4 has now been postponed after a request
by Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who met religious leaders in
Mangaluru on Tuesday. Thenewsminute
CAA-NRC: Chennai Police Chief Accuses Rangoli Protestor of Pakistan
‘Links’
Chennai: Even as the kolam
(rangoli) protest against CAA, and NRC spreads across Tamil Nadu, with massive
participation cutting across political parties, Chennai Police Commissioner gave
an unexpected twist on Thursday, alleging a key protester’s ‘links’ with
Pakistan. Incidentally, the police chief’s statement comes the day PM Narendra
Modi also invoked the Pakistan narrative while attacking anti-CAA-NRC
protesters across the country.At a press conference here, police chief A K
Viswanathan alleged that the woman protestor, Gayathri, was working as a
research associate with Bytes For All (B4A), an organisation connected with
Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists (AAPCJ).newsclick.in
*CAA-NRC protests: UP CRACKDOWN*
Man dead for 6 yrs, Bedridden 93-yr-old in cops' list of people who
could hamper peace amid CAA Stir
Lucknow: In major embarrassment for Firozabad Police, a man whose name
was included in the list of 200 people who could hamper peace in the backdrop
of protests over the new citizenship law was found to be dead for six years.
After the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent in UP’s
Firozabad on DEC. 20, the Firozabad police booked around 2,500 people. As a
precautionary measure, they have now issued notice to Banne Khan, who died
around six years ago, under section 107/16 of the IPC. Apart from this, two men
aged 90 and 93 have also been asked to appear before the Magistrate and fill a
bond of Rs 10 lakh.Expressing shock at the notice, Khan’s son Mohammad Sarfaraz
said: “My father died around six year ago but his name was included in the
list. Though I have not received a copy of the notice, I have read about it in
newspapers. The police should have done a proper inquiry before issuing notice
in my father’s name. I also have my father’s death certificate.”Others who were
served notices include 90-year-old Sufi Abrar Hussain, who has been working at
the Jama Masjid for the past 58 years. A 93-year-old identified as Fasahat Meer
Khan has also been issued a notice. Khan, who is a social worker, is
bed-ridden. Speaking to the media, Khan’s son said: “My father is a well-known
social worker and has even met former President APJ Abdul Kalam at Rashtrapati
Bhavan. I fail to understand why police is issuing notice to him.”Under fire,
City Magistrate Kunwar Pankaj Singh said: “The day there was violence during
the protests, there was pressure on the administration to ensure peace in the
district. We received reports from several police stations and action was
taken. We have been informed that many people were wrongly named, were elderly
and bed-ridden. For sure no action will be taken against them.Protests against
the contentious legislation — which seeks to make religion the test of
citizenship — have rocked UP, with six people killed in the state alone. A
death was also reported from Firozabad as protesters clashed with police.news18
UP Police Sends Notice To Man Who Died 6 Years Ago For Causing Violence
During Anti CAA Protests
After 2 weeks in Jail over Anti-CAA Protests, mother finally meets her
baby when UP court grants bail to couple with 56 others
Activists Ekta and Ravi Shekhar returned home to their 14-month-old baby
Champak in Varanasi on Thursday, a day after an UP court gave bail to them and
56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC
nearly 2 weeks ago. Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and
made national headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter
being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the
protests on Dec.19.“My baby daughter Champak is dependent on my milk, I was
worried about her. It was very tough for me,” Ekta Shekhar was quoted as saying
by ANI. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi,
granted bail to Ekta (32) and Ravi (36), residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56
others, ending their ordeal."I didn't think it would take so long,"
an emotional Ekta told NDTV as she hugged her daughter after two weeks.
"Main bata nahin sakti (I can't put it in words)," she said when
asked how it felt. The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with
other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for
violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially
cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for
Jan.1.nationalheraldindia
Police action in Gorakhpur: Shaken and scared, residents recount day
police ‘barged in’
Gorakhpur :Residents of Muslim-dominated areas in Gorakhpur city have
similar stories to tell about DEC. 20, when policemen allegedly entered their
homes, hurled abuses at everyone, including women and children, broke their
doors and beat up whoever was around. Several houses Indian Express visited had
broken doors.Nasir, 24, who lives in Ismailpur under Kotwali police station is
standing outside his house with a plaster on his right hand and injury marks on
his legs. “I am uneducated. I don’t know about the citizenship issue. I was
standing outside my house when police came. They asked me what I am doing
outside, I didn’t reply out of fear. They then beat me up with lathis,” alleges
Nasir, an electrician.His neighbour Rizwan alleges that police just beat up
whoever they found. “He is innocent. He was not arrested. This means he was
beaten up just because he is from this area,” he says.A few houses away, a
32-year-old woman, whose husband was booked and arrested under Section 144,
says he has not been able to go to work since he was released on bail. “He is
badly injured and is not talking to anyone. He says he was beaten up by 7-8
policemen. They kept him in jail for seven days. He can’t work because of the
injuries,” says the woman, who has a seven-year-old daughter and lives in
Ismailpur.Her husband is a daily-wage labourer who refused to talk, citing the
“trauma”. The woman shows how bricks are holding their broken door in place.
“They broke the door. If you go around, you will see those who have money have
got their doors fixed, but those who don’t have put bricks behind the door to
shield themselves from the cold,” she says.Local residents in nearby Askarganj
allege that policemen climbed on to the terraces of each house to look for the
men and when they could not find them, they hurled abuses at women and
threatened them.indianexpress
Rioting FIR has details, timeline, gives clean chit to police; FIR on
killing is just one para
Sambhal:It’s a tale of 2 FIRs — and it reveals glaring gaps in the
response of UP Police to the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.One
FIR against 17 persons for alleged rioting and the other related to the killing
of 23-year-old Mohammed Sheroz are two telling documents on the police
investigation underway in Sambhal district.In the formerthe police has meticulously
documented details of the alleged violence, timeline of events, and slapped
seven separate charges under IPC against 17 named individuals. However, in the
latter, document is devoid of any detail, is completely silent on the murder —
and just one section under IPC has been slapped, records reveal.This when both
FIRs are related to events that happened within 24 hours, in the same
neighbourhood of Sambhal and registered at the same Kotwali Sambhal Police
Station.The stark contrast between the two 2 is not just confined to the nature
of charges.In FIR against 17 persons, who have been charged with rioting,
police have admitted they fired and have given a clean chit to their personnel
on the grounds that the firing was done to control the mob and in
self-defence.However, in FIR related to Sheroz, who had bullet injuries and was
declared dead on Dec.20 by Govt authorities — he was one of the 2 killed in the
district — no accused have been identified. In fact, Sheroz FIR is just a
one-paragraph document registered on the basis of the initial complaint filed
by his uncle Mohammed Taslim.Despite body being referred to a Govt hospital,
FIR makes no mention of the doctor who examined Sheroz; the time of his death
and the prima facie reason for the death — routine information in an FIR
related to a killing.FIR also makes no mention of any public witness or
deployment of any police force at Chandausi Chauraha, where Sheroz was shot at.
This despite a huge police deployment at the Chauraha after the district had
witnessed a wave of protests on DEC. 19. Until tonight, no one in Sheroz’s
family has received the post mortem report.Officials admit that the absence of
such crucial information in FIR will only make the prosecution case weak.
indianexpress
Firozabad: No link to protests, unable to pay, say recipients of
recovery notices
Firozabad district administration is yet to make a final estimate of the
damage to property during anti-CAA protests, but it has sent showcause notices
to 26 people accusing them of damaging public and private property and sought a
response within a week.The families of some of those who were served notices
said that they are daily wagers and labourers who got caught in the ruckus
while on their routine jobs. Most of the recipients of the notices are in
jail.One of the recipients, Adil, a 20-year-old, is the second of 6 children of
Sayeed Khan. He is a carpenter and works with his father. “On his way back
after namaz, he was talking to me when the mobile phone call got disconnected.
Later we heard he is in jail. He told me the police beat him badly. I have
received a notice for damage to property, but my son was doing his job and had
no role in damaging property,” Sayeed said.All the notices issued by Firozabad
ADM have similar language: “…from FIR I am convinced that you are prima facie
responsible for (damage of public and private property). Appear before this
court within a week and clarify why an order should not be issued to you for
the recovery of this damage.”None of the notices mentions any specific
damage.indianexpress
Muzaffarnagar Violence: Innocents Should be Spared, Admits BJP Minister
MP from Muzaffarnagar, Dr Sanjeev Balyan, is also Union minister of
state for animal husbandry. Jat leader has a track-record of spreading hatred.
He was booked and jailed for 2013 communal riots in rural areas of
Muzaffarnagar. Last week, he was again in a similar situation, as he asked for
a probe into Deoband-linked madrassas in the anti-CAA protests in West UP,
particularly Muzaffarnagar. His own henchmen are said to have participated in
rioting and arson in the course of Dec.20 unrest in the city. However, he
remains popular and could be seen roaming around his constituency, re-assuring
people about their life and property. On such a tour to the Shiv Chowk area, he
picked up a call from Caravan Daily and answered several questions. Balyan
said, "I repeat that innocents should be spared of any trouble of any
nature. I will try and do whatever I can to help innocents."caravandaily
UP in retaliatory mode to clamp down on CAA protests:Medha Patkar-led
fact-finding team
Asking IP CM Yogi Adityanath to resign taking moral and legal
responsibility for the death of 20 anti-CAA protesters, a fact-finding team has
claimed there is a "climate of terror" in the state where
administration swung into "retaliatory mode to clamp down" on
peaceful protests as it was "rattled by the public outrage".The
report 'Resistance, Repression and Revenge' released recently by activist Medha
Patkar-led National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) also claimed that
situation is "extremely alarming with the state cracking down
massively" on students, activists, human rights and community
organisations and civil society groups."Needless to say, Muslim
communities and regions are being specifically targeted and ruthlessly hounded,
with many even fearing to file complaints or choosing to leave their
homes," the report said.It said videos have surfaced of "destruction
and arson" of cars and properties by police and some miscreants,
"firings" leading to many deaths, "custodial torture",
"assaults" on civilians, "pelting of stones from rooftops by
security personnel, vitriolic hate, brutal and excessive use of force" by
state with "alleged sanctions from the top".The report said at least
327 FIRs have been filed and 1,113 people, including 280 from Lucknow alone,
have been arrested and some of them are lawyers and activists while many of
them are young Muslim men from the poorer localities. Almost 5,558 persons have
been taken into preventive custody "in anticipation of violence" and
reportedly released later. deccanherald
Anti-CAA protests: UP Govt sets 7-day deadline for response to seizure
notices
UP Govt has set a 7-day deadline
for response to property attachment notices slapped on those accused of
damaging public property during citizenship protests.More than 150 notices have
been issued by Lucknow administration since CM Yogi Adityanath declared those
who indulged in violence will have to compensate for damages. Reviewing
security arrangements in the aftermath of massive protests across the state
during anti-CAA protests, the CM had directed police and administration to
expedite identification of ‘rioters’ through photographs and video footage and
swiftly issue notices. TOI
CAA-NRC: Some AMU Students Allege They Are Being Falsely Implicated
Under Goonda Act
Some students of AMU, some of whom were not even in the city, are upset
with district administration's decision to book five former students, including
two student union leaders, under the stringent Goonda Act in connection with
the alleged violence in the campus during an anti-CAA-NRC protest as also
against the police attack in Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi in mid-Dec.Some
students claimed they were being falsely projected as “accused”, and also
claimed that they been booked under the Act despite the fact that they were not
present in the city when the alleged violence took place."I was not
present at the site of protest on the day of incidence, DEC. 15. I was in
Delhi. It is clearly evident that V-C Tariq Mansoor and Registrar S Abdul Hamid
are targeting me because I was the first one to confront them for their alleged
malpractices. Despite these hurdles, I will continue to fight until my last
breath," Huzaifa Aamir Rashadi, ex secretary AMU Students Union told
NewsClick. His name figures in the list of those booked under the Goonda
act.newsclick
Administration disrupting stir, claim AMU students
Aligarh: Students of AMU have accused the university administration of
disrupting their ongoing protest against CAA on campus by allegedly hiding
their amplifier, speaker and mike.AMU students’ co-ordination committee has
filed a police complaint about the missing speaker, amplifier and sound
system.Former students’ union president Faizul Hasan said that when the proctor
team refused to comment on the missing equipment and denieed the CCTV footage
too.“On one hand, VC himself writes to students that he has no issues with
peaceful protests. The he sends his administrative officials to disrupt the
protest,” alleged Hassan.TOI
CAA protests: 300 WB workers fled Lucknow fearing police, 6 ‘innocent
waiters’ jailed, says lawyer Ashma Izzat
On the pretext of the crackdown on illegal refugees/immigrants from
Bangladesh, UP police arrested six daily wage workers belonging to West
Bengal’s Malda district, during the anti-CAA protest from Lucknow, National
Herald has learnt.Apart from those who have been arrested, as many as 300 other
daily wage workers fled Lucknow, fearing being jailed or killed in an encounter
by UP police.Human right activist and lawyer Ashma Izzat told National Herald
that police have arrested “innocent” waiters to justify their brutal action
against protesters and to support the dominant political narrative in favour of
CAA-NPR.According to her, the arrested “innocent waiters” have been living in
the city for last 5 years and they were working at the famous Dastarkhwan,
Naushijaan Darbar and Open-Air restaurant at the time of their arrest.National
Herald
#FreeSadaf trends on Twitter, 46,000 people sign petition on Change.org
A petition on Change.Org had collected over 46,000 signatures by Thursday
afternoon calling for the release of the activist and single mother, who was
arrested by Lucknow Police on DEC. 19 while she was recording live on Facebook
the protest against CAA and NRC and the violence that followed.The hashtag
#FreeSadafJafar was trending on popular microblogging platform Twitter.Petition
on Change.org read:‘Sadaf is a teacher, a single mother, a survivor, and an
overall kind and powerful woman. Right now, she is behind bars and her bail has
been rejected. Her fault- she simply attended a protest as a citizen of her
country! She was brutally beaten up by the UP police and has suffered multiple
injuries.She was arrested while doing a Facebook Live video of the
protest.’nationalheraldindia
CAA-NRC row: Agra Municipal Corporation flooded with birth, death
registration applications
The fear of CAA and RC has not yet left the minds of the Muslims despite
numerous explanations by the Central Govt. Consequently, the normally sedentary
office of the birth certificate issuing department is now working overtime with
over five times the workload on the employees.A senior official at the Agra
Municipal Corporation said that at present, the birth registration department
at the AMC is receiving 100-150 registration applications daily which was
highly unusual and it was clear that this spike was a result of the
unjustifiable fear of NRC.SK Majumdar at SN Medical College also confirmed that
people are proactively seeking birth and death certificates from the hospital
while earlier, these records remained lying for months before anyone coming
forward seek them.indiatoday
Govt should remove confusion over CAA among Muslims: Shia cleric Maulana
Kalbe
Muzaffarnagar:Shia cleric and a member of All-India Muslim Personal Law
Board, Maulana Kalbe Jawad, in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday expressed concern
over police action against anti-CAA protesters in the state and said the Govt
should remove confusion among Muslims on the legislation. Interacting with
media persons Muzaffarnagar, the maulana said, "There is confusion and
fear among Muslims. It is the duty of the Govt to remove confusion over the
CAA."He also showed displeasure over police action in Muzaffarnagar on DEC.
20. He visited the principal of a local madrassa, Asad Raza, who was allegedly
tortured by police during the Muzaffarnagar protest.He also met the family of
Noor Mohd, who was allegedly killed in a firing during the protest. indiatvnews
Ground Report: Hawkers Arrested in Gorakhpur Are Still Wondering What
They Did Wrong
Gorakhpur: 2 young street hawkers in UP’s Gorakhpur were languishing in
jail for 12 days before they were released on DEC. 31. The police arrested
Rashid Ali and Mohd Yasin, who sell clothes on the street, on DEC. 20 after
protests against the CAA and NRC erupted across the state.So far, five people
have been arrested in the matter including Mohd Shadab (36), Hamza (21) and
Ayub Khan (36). The police have released photos of the alleged miscreants in
the media and pasted them at various places. Salman said that both Rashid and
Yasin belong to poor families. They came to Gorakhpur in search of livelihood as they do not have any ancestral
land or property. They were neither part of the agitation nor created any
fracas, yet the police arrested them. They have now been granted bail and
released.“We are still unable to understand what was our fault, which was badly
beaten and kept in jail for 12 days,” Rashid told The Wire.Most of those
arrested alongside Rashid and Yasin have the same complaint – that they have
been arrested without reason and tortured in jail.thewire
*J&K & S. ASIA*
No internet in Kashmir hospitals despite govt claim
Srinagar:Despite Govt''s claim that Internet has been restored in most
hospitals and health centres in Kashmir, the facility is yet to be restored in
most hospitals.The announcement to restore the Internet on new year''s eve in
hospitals in Kashmir was made by Govt spokesperson Rohit Kansal at a press
conference in Jammu on DEC. 31.A police statement on Jan. 2 also claimed that
broadband has been restored in Kashmir hospitals."Broadband high speed
Internet connectivity restored at 80 Govt hospitals including health centres
and offices linked to Department of health across Kashmir valley,"
statement said.Principal, Govt Medical College, Srinagar, Parvez Shah told IANS
that Internet couldn''t be restored in SMHS hospital in Srinagar due to
snapping of phone lines."We have been without the Internet for five
months. Phone lines at SMHS are dead," Shah said. He hoped that
restoration of phone lines and the Internet will begin by the
evening."Internet has however been restored at the Govt Chest diseases
hospital in Srinagar," he said.In other hospitals, situation is no
different.In JLNM hospital, at Rainawari, the Internet continues to remain
suspended.JLNM Superintendnt said they are awaiting the restoration of the
facility after the Govt''s announcement.While Internet continues to remain shut
in most Govt Medical Colleges and associated hospitals, Kashmir''s lone
tertiary hospital SKIIMS has limited connectivity."Ayushman Bharat scheme
connection is working besides a couple of kiosks set up a fortnight ago for
doctors and staff," Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent, SKIIMS told
IANS.IANS
'Thought I'd wish my friends a happy new year': Kashmiris disappointed
as postpaid SMS services resume only for BSNL contrary to govt claims
J&K administration has claimed that it has restored SMS services for
postpaid mobile phones in Kashmir from the midnight of 31 DEC.. However, as of
now, the service has been restored only for BSNL users. On New Year's Eve,
Maheen Jan, who has an Airtel postpaid connection, stayed up till midnight,
hoping that she would be able to message her friends. She had even typed out
several SMSs to her friends to wish them for the new year. However, she was
disappointed. Jan said, "I thought SMS services would resume at 12 am, but
that didn't happen. I had compiled all the messages, and had to just send them
at 12 am. But when I typed the 'send' icon, a message saying ‘failed to send
messages’ appeared. I was so disheartened. This incident gave me another reason
for distrust the Govt.” Like Jan, Mommin Shabir, a student of Class 12, could
not sleep till 3 am in the night, with the hope that he would be able to send
SMSs, only to be disappointed. "I thought I would wish my friends a happy
new year," Shabir, who has a Jio postpaid connection, said. Another
student, Ubeer Shah, who has postpaid mobile connections of Jio and BSNL, was
only able to send SMSs through the latter network. He rued, "We have been
saying for a long time that we need SMS facility to get OTPs for several
purposes. But no one listens to us."firstpost
Iltija Mufti says detained by police after trying to visit grave of
ex-JK CM Mufti Sayeed
Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, on Thursday said
she was detained by police at her residence in Srinagar after she tried to
visit the grave of her grandfather and former J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
in south Kashmir.Iltija, a Special Security Group protectee, said she had
sought permission to visit her grandfather's grave in the Bijbehara area of
Anantnag district."I have been detained at home and not allowed to move
anywhere," Iltija told PTI.However, ADGP (Law and Order) Munir Khan denied
it."I wanted to go to visit my grandfather's grave. It is my right. Is it
a crime for a granddaughter to visit her grandfather's grave or do they think I
am going to organise stone pelting or a protest there," Iltija said.PTI
Save 5 top leaders, all detainees in J&K MLA Hostel set to walk
Srinagar :Political detainees being held at the MLA Hostel in Srinagar
barring 5 leaders are likely to be released by the J&K administration in
batches in Jan.Sources said 5 leaders unlikely to be released soon are Peoples’
Conference chief Sajad Lone, National Conference general secretary Ali Muhammad
Sagar, former IAS officer and J&K People’s Movement president Shah Faesal,
senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar and PDP youth wing president Waheed ur Rehman
Para. “Barring these five individuals, others are likely to be released in
batches slowly. At least 6 individuals are scheduled to be released this week
subject to their signing of release bonds,” a source in the administration, who
did not wish to be named, said.As on date, 26 persons are under detention at
the MLA Hostel including PDP’s Ajaz Mir, NC’s Salman Sagar, Showkat Ganai, Ali
Mohammad Dar and Altaf Kuloo and Awami Ittihad Party lawyer and social activist
Bilal Sultan. Many individuals were detained in the first few weeks of August
from across the Valley. “Approximately 800 or so are still under detention all
over Kashmir,” a source said. Besides this, about 200 individuals are held in jails
in other states, the source added.indian express
Held under PSA, J&K Bar Association chief moved to Tihar from UP
Srinagar :The president of the J&K High Court Bar Association, who
was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) following the Govt’s decision to
revoke the special status of J&K on August 5, has been shifted from a jail
in UP to New Delhi’s Tihar Jail, authorities have informed the court.The court
has asked authorities to ensure Mian Abdul Qayoom is “provided adequate medical
treatment”.While the next hearing is listed for Jan. 30, an application for
preponing the date of hearing was filed with the plea that directions were
required to be issued with a view to ensure proper medical attention to the
petitioner.indianexpress
Pak dubs army chief Naravane comment on ‘India’s right to pre-emptive
strikes’, irresponsible; says don't forget response to 'Balakot misadventure'
Pakistan has rejected India's new Army chief's statement that New Delhi
reserves the right to "preemptively strike" across LoC, terming the
remarks as "irresponsible".In an interview to PTI barely hours after
taking charge of the 1.3-million strong force, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund
Naravane on Tuesday said India reserves the right to "preemptively
strike" at sources of terror.
Reacting to Gen Naravane's remarks, Pakistan Foreign Office said,
"We reject the new Indian Army Chief's irresponsible statement regarding
'pre-emptive strikes' across LoC" inside PoK.There should be no doubt
about Pakistan's resolve and readiness to thwart any aggressive Indian move,
inside its territory or PoK, the statement said."No one should forget
Pakistan's befitting response to India's Balakot misadventure," it
added.PTI
Pakistan to induct upgraded JF17 fighters that took maiden flight in
China
Beijing:The new version of the fighter aircraft jointly developed by
China and Pakistan with upgraded fighting capabilities made its maiden flight
in DEC. and the first batch is set to be inducted by Islamabad in 2020. JF-17
Block 3 aircraft was flown above Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan province
last month, the Aerospace Knowledge magazine said in a report this
week.Pakistan had said that the existing and operational version of the
aircraft, known simply as JF-17, was used against Indian Air Force (IAF) during
the dogfight along LoC early last year.The single-engine, multi-role combat
aircraft has been developed jointly by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and
the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. China agreed to share more
advanced technology from the superior J-20 fighter jets with the new JF-17
aircraft.HT
Nepal top court seeks original map exchanged with India while hearing
plea on Kalapani issue
Nepal’s Supreme Court has sought within 15 days the country’s original map
exchanged with India during the signing of Sugauli Treaty in 1816 after a
petition sought the apex court’s intervention to secure the Nepali territory.A
single bench of Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal demanded the map from Nepal Govt in
response to the public interest litigation filed by a senior advocate who
appealed the Supreme Court to order Govt to start political and diplomatic
efforts to protect Nepali territories.Nepal has raised objections after India
released its new political map in November last year following the
reorganisation of J&K. Nepal claimed that Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and
Kalapani areas were shown under India’s territory even though they lie within
the Nepalese territory. India has said the new map accurately depicts its
sovereign territory and it has in no manner revised its boundary with
Nepal.Nepalese territories including Darjeeling were handed to British East
India Company as concessions under the Sugauli treaty which was signed in 1816
on the conclusion of the Anglo-Nepalese War.PTI
*OTHERS*
Govt sets up dedicated desk to look after Ayodhya issue
Ayodhya :The Govt has set up a dedicated desk, headed by an additional
secretary, to look after all matters related to the Supreme Court verdict on
the Ayodhya issue. In an official order, Union Home Ministry said Ayodhya
matters and related court judgements will be handled by three officers, headed
by Additional Secretary Gynesh Kumar.The move bears significance in the wake of
judgement of the Supreme Court which allowed construction of a Ram Temple in
the disputed site in Ayodha. The apex court also ordered handing over of a
5-acre plot to Uttar Pradeah Sunni Waqf Board and setting up of a trust for
construction of the Ram temple. Now, this new wing of the home ministry, headed
by Kumar, will look after all matters related to the Ayodhya issue.There have
been reports that the UP Govt has sent a proposal to the home ministry
suggesting three plots in Ayodhya, one of which can be given to UP Sunni Waqf
Board.“All such matters will be now handled by the new desk in the home
ministry,” an official said. Interestingly, Kumar also heads Department of J&K
and Ladakh affairs in the home ministry.He was the key officer in the central Govt’s
move to abrogate the special status given to J&K.PTI
Babri Masjid demolition Trial: Examination of Chief Probe Officer begins
in CBI court
New Delhi: The trial in Babri Masjid demolition case has reached a
crucial stage, with its chief investigating officer being examined in the
special CBI court in Lucknow.The court has started examining former CBI joint
director M Narayanan, who was lead investigator. The examination-in-chief has
commenced and Narayanan will soon be cross examined by the defence counsels. Narayanan
in his statement has supported the case of the prosecution, people with direct
knowledge of the matter told ET. He has corroborated production of evidence and
summoning of records, they said.After Narayanan’s examination, the assistant
investigating officers, who had recorded testimonies of the witnesses, would be
examined by the court. The evidence would be closed after that
examination.economictimes
Unemployment doubled in UP during 2019, shows CMIE data
Unemployment almost doubled in India's most populous state, UP, during
the last year compared to 2018 according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy (CMIE) data.The average unemployment in UP grew from 5.91 % in 2018 to
9.95 % during the last year. According to 2011 census, UP is home to nearly 20
crore people, which is over 16 % of India's population.Unemployment rate of 10 %
means that nearly 10 in every 100 persons are unemployed.The unemployment
numbers were higher than the national average of 7.7 owing to a marked decline
in economic activity in the country. India's GDP growth rate has crashed by
more than 2 % in just one year. Joblessness was also on the rise in the top
most populous states in the country. In Maharashtra, the second most populous
state, unemployment in 2019 rose to 4.87 % from 3.81 in 2018.IANS
Priyanka slams PM over Section 144 in Varanasi on ‘359 days’
New Delhi :Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked PM Narendra
Modi, saying he has the “gall” to tell people they have nothing to fear when Section
144 was imposed in his constituency of Varanasi on “359 out of 365 days”.Code
of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) section empowers an executive magistrate to
prohibit an assembly of more than four persons in an area.Taking to Twitter,
Priyanka Gandhi cited a media report that quoted a Banaras Hindu University
student as saying that in the 365 days of 2019, Section 144 was imposed in
Varanasi town for 359 days.PTI
‘Sanskaari’ Giriraj says Gita, Hanuman Chalisa should be taught at pvt
schools to discourage beef-eating
Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday stoked a fresh controversy
alleging that children who study in missionary schools lack
"sanskaar" and end up in practices like "beef-eating" when
they go abroad.Addressing a religious function at his Lok Sabha constituency in
Begusarai, Bihar, the firebrand BJP leader also advocated, as an antidote,
teaching of "shlokas" of Bhagavad Gita and the verses Hanuman Chalisa
at private schools."I would like to say to people present here, this
practice should start from the private schools since at Govt-run ones, we run
the risk of inviting accusations of imposing the bhagwa (saffron) agenda",
Singh said.At private schools, students should be taught shlokas of Bhagavad
Gita and Hanuman Chalisa."I say this because it has been seen that at
schools run by missionaries, children from well-off families excel
academically, go on to have successful careers, but when they go abroad they
eat beef. Why so? This is because we have not inculcated sanskaar into
them", the Union minister said.Singh also addressed a press conference in
support of the CAA where he equated protests against the contentious
legislation with Pakistan-sponsored "Ghazwa-e-Hind" (holy war against
India) and lambasted opposition parties like the Congress and West Bengal CMs
TMC for their strident criticism of the new law.He dared the Congress to come
out and openly proclaim that it supports granting citizenship to all illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh and the Rohingyas from Myanmar."All these
things are part of Pakistans Ghazwa-e-Hind, aimed at weakening India. CAA is
just an excuse. It is an instance of kahin pe nigahen, kahin pe nishane",
said BJP leader.PTI
Minister Giriraj stokes controversy again; says ‘most of missionary
school students eat beef abroad’
MP Congress booklet on RSS: Savarkar had physical relationship with
Godse
Bhopal:Acontroversial booklet on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and RSS has
claimed that Hindu Mahasabha co-founder had a physical relationship with
Nathuram Godse, assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.The booklet, named 'How brave was
Veer Savarkar', was allegedly distributed in an All India Congress Seva Dal
training camp run by the Congress in Bhopal, MP. It mentions and talks about
several incidents, questions and controversies surrounding Savarkar.Referring
to an incident mentioned in Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins's 'Freedom at
Midnight', the Congress booklet said, "Before adopting brahmacharya, there
is only one mention of Nathuram Godse's physical relationship. His [Godse]
partner in his homosexual relationship was Veer Savarkar."The content of
the literature on RSS and Veer Savarkar aims to answer some questions related
to the Hindu Mahasabha co-founder which may lead to a major controversy.The
questions include 'Did Savarkar encourage Hindus to rape of minority women?' and
the answer to the question, as mentioned in the Congress's booklet, is a
'yes'.The literature also claims that Savarkar had pelted stones at a mosque
when he was 12 years old.The booklet describes RSS as a "Nazi and
fascist" organisation and that it took inspiration from Hitler's Nazism
and Mussolini's fascism.indiatoday
RSS leader wants India’s economic policy to be drawn from Hindu
religious texts
Senior RSS leader J. Nandakumar has suggested that Hindu religious texts
should form the foundations of India’s economic policy, in his new book titled
Hindutva for Changing Times. The author also asks companies to consider
adhering to the principles of profit maximisation that are expounded in ancient
Hindu scriptures.The book, which is slated to be released in Delhi Thursday by RSS’
joint general secretary Krishna Gopal, further raises alarm about the
“Islamisation of West Bengal” and accuses Malayalam language media of suffering
from Stockholm Syndrome. Nandakumar, who hails from Kerala, heads the
RSS-affiliated outfit Prajna Pravah in Delhi. He was formerly the deputy head
of Prachar Vibhag, RSS’ media and publicity wing.theprint
No Muslim minister in 15 of India’s 28 states, one each in 10 others
https://theprint.in/india/no-muslim-minister-in-15-of-indias-28-states-one-each-in-10-others/343623/
In his cabinet expansion, CM Uddhav Thackeray inducted 4 Muslim MLAs
into his council of ministers, making Maharashtra the state with the second
largest number of Muslim ministers after West Bengal, which has 7.There is no
Muslim minister in India’s 15 states — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand — out of the 28. 10 other states —
Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and UP — and the national capital of Delhi
have only one Muslim minister each.theprint.in
Elgaar Parsihad case:Defence lawyer for Rao refutes police version — ‘No
damaged hard disk seized’
Pune :The defence lawyer for Elgaar Parishad case accused Varavara Rao
on Wednesday told a Pune court that no ‘damaged hard disk’ had been seized from
the Telugu poet-activist at the time of searches at his premises in 2018.The
claim was made by the defence lawyer while questioning the prosecution, which
had said that it was taking the help of forensic experts from FBI to retrieve
data from a damaged hard disk, purportedly recovered from Rao last year. Rao is
among the 23 people booked in the Elgaar Parishad case by the Pune City
Police.79-year-old poet-activist and eight other accused, arrested in
connection with the case, have been lodged in Yerwada Jail in Pune since 2018.
In August that year, police had conducted searches at four premises linked to
Rao and four separate search and seizure panchnamas were prepared.Rao’s defence
lawyer Rohan Nahar submitted an application in the court of Special UAPA Judge
S R Navandar on Wednesday.indianexpress
UP Congress leader Siddiqui goes to police against Sambit Patra and
Tarek Fatah for ‘fake video’
Senior UP Congress leader
Nasimuddin Siddiqui has filed a police complaint against BJP’s national spokesperson
Sambit Patra and Canada-based Pakistani author Tarek Fatah for allegedly
maligning his image.Patra and Fatah shared a video on Twitter, targeting
Siddiqui. In the video, a man is seen and heard saying: “First we are Muslims
and then Hindustanis.”The man in question is, however, not Siddiqui but
Samajwadi Party leader Maviya Ali, and the video is from 2017.“Fatah and Patra
made an attempt to tarnish my image. I have never said such things, I’m not
even in the video. In such a situation, some strict action needs to be taken
against them,” Siddiqui told ThePrint.theprint
Ambala: Passport officer rapped for seeking nationality certificate from
sisters who ‘looked Nepali’
Ambala deputy commissioner has reprimanded Regional Passport Office for
demanding nationality certificates from two sisters based on their appearance,
TOI reported.On Sept.16, regional passport office had asked the Ambala-based
sisters, Heena and Santosh, to get a nationality certificate from the deputy
commissioner’s office because the “applicant seems to be Nepali”. The women’s
father Bhagat Bahadur said he and his daughters were born in Ambala and that
his father had come to India from Nepal. “My entire family has all the required
Indian documents as we are all born and brought up here but we cannot
understand this objection,” he said.The family then approached Haryana Home
Minister Anil Vij seeking help. Vij directed Ambala Deputy Commissioner Ashok
Sharma to redress their grievances, according to Indian Express.scroll.in
Governors of Rajasthan and Gujarat may attend ‘Brahmin business meet’
Ahmedabad:Governors of Rajasthan and Gujarat are expected to attend a
three-day “Brahmin Business Summit” organised by the Brahmin community at
Adalaj on Jan.3-5, 2020, where the primary aim will be to provide jobs to an
estimated 10,000 youths from the community.While Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, his
Deputy Nitin Patel and other members of the cabinet are expected to participate
on the first day of the summit, at an open ground near TriMandir in
Gandhinagar, leaders from the Congress party including Gujarat Pradesh Congress
Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda, are expected to attend the summit on
the second day.Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Rajasthan Governor Kalraj
Mishra are also scheduled to participate during the three-day summit.Interestingly,
this Brahmin Business Summit will be coinciding with 3-day Patidar Business
summit to be held during the same period. One of the aims of the latter is also
to provide jobs to the youths from the Patidar community.At the Brahmin
Business Summit organised by the Samast Gujarat Brahmsamaj, 200 industralists
will set up stalls where jobs will be provided to an estimated 10,000 youths.
In the first edition of Brahmin Business summit organised at Mahatma Mandir in
April 2018, jobs were provided to 4,200 youths.indianexpress
ISRO belatedly admits Vikram ‘crash landed’ on moon
India's maiden attempt to soft land on moon during the Chandrayaan-2
mission failed in September last year, as its spacecraft Vikram 'crash landed'
near the moon's south pole due to a velocity glitch, a top space official said
on Wednesday."The velocity reduction was more than the required pace
during the second (rough-breaking) phase of the lander's descent. Hence, it was
not able to perform the third phase, as it was beyond the navigational
system," state-run ISRO Chairman K. Sivan told reporters in
Bengaluru.Contrary to space agency's claim that Vikram had a hard landing on
the lunar surface on that fateful day (Sept.7,), Sivan admitted to IANS that
the lander crashed on impact. b"For strategic reasons we could not admit
Vikram crash landed because its images from the mission's Orbiter did not show
that it disintegrated on hitting the lunar surface as it fell in the
shadow," Sivan clarified.Admitting that the velocity (speed) reduction was
more than it should have been, Sivan said as the descent was on an autonomous
mode, system was not designed to factor deviation.IANS
Ahead of Bihar polls, Owaisi, Bhim Army Forge Dalit-Muslim Unity
Kishanganj (Bihar): AIMIM’s national expansion plan can be summarised in
the party’s four-word slogan – ‘Jai Bhim, Jai Meem’ – in which Bhim stands for
Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Meem is Urdu alphabet ‘M’, for Muslim. The idea of
Dalit-Muslim unity has been around for a
long time, the only difference now is the issue of leadership. Traditionally,
Muslims have followed Dalit leaders, but AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi is trying hard
to reverse the equation.After a stint and some success with Prakash Ambedkar’s
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in Maharashtra, Owaisi is trying to pull off a
similar alliance in Bihar – the third state where the party has tasted victory
– ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.He addressed a gathering of more
than 50,000 people in Bihar’s Kishanganj on DEC. 29. At the rally titled
‘Sanwidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao’, Owaisi spoke at length against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population
Register. It was his first visit to Bihar since his party, the AIMIM, opened
its account in the state in the October assembly by-elections, wresting the
prestigious Kishanganj seat from the Congress.thewire
Rajasthan infant deaths: Don’t politicise issue, our govt is sensitive
to it, says CM Gehlot
Facing flak over the deaths of at least 100 infants at Kota’s JK Lon
Hospital today, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said the issue shouldn’t be
politicised, adding that his Govt is sensitive to the deaths. “The Govt is
sensitive to the death of sick infants in JK Lon Hospital in Kota. There should
no politics over the issue. Infant mortality at this hospital is steadily
decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority that
mothers and children remain in good health,” Gehlot stated in a tweet. “We also
established an ICU for children in Kota in 2011,” he added.indianexpress
At 67,385, India Leaves China Behind In Births On New Year: UNICEF
Nearly 400,000 babies were born around the world on New Year's Day with
India recording the highest number of these births worldwide at 67,385, UN
children's agency said.An estimated 392,078 babies were born around the world
on New Year's Day, according to UNICEF. Of this, an estimated 67,385 babies
were born in India, the most globally. China comes in second with 46,299
births. Globally, over half of these births were estimated to have taken place
in 8 countries - India (67,385), China (46,299), Nigeria (26,039), Pakistan
(16,787), Indonesia (13,020), US(10,452), DR Congo (10,247) and Ethiopia
(8,493).PTI
*WORLD*
Israel demolishes newly built houses of Palestinian families on New
Year's Day
Israeli forces demolished two houses 0n Wednesday belonging to
Palestinian families in Silwan neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem, south
of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.After two years of construction, the al-Khalialeh
families had made ready their houses to move into in the near future, their
relative Jamal al-Khalialeh told Middle East Eye.The two families were shocked
to wake up on the first day of the new year to hear that Israeli bulldozers
accompanied by military forces were demolishing the two houses.They were not at
the scene when Israeli security forces had earlier broken into the two
properties, local media reported.“They had an Israeli court hearing at 10am to
look into the issue of demolishing the houses, but at 8:30 am they were
surprised to hear the demolishing vehicles had come to knock down their
houses,” said Jamal. 2 houses are 100 metres square and located next to each
other.The first house is owned by Wafa al-Khalialeh with her husband and their
seven children. The second house belonged to Mohanad al-Khalialeh and his wife
and their two children.The demolishment of the houses was carried out based on
the basis that “building without permit” had occurred.Israel rarely issues
building permits for Palestinians in East Jerusalem or in Areas B and C of the
occupied West Bank. Middle East Eye
Turkey's parliament votes on sending troops to Libya
Turkey's parliament voting on whether to send Turkish troops to Libya,
to back the UN-recognised Govt in the capital, Tripoli, which is battling
forces loyal to a rival administration based in eastern Libya.The Turkish
legislators are expected to approve the motion at Thursday's emergency session
and grant a one-year mandate for the deployment, despite concerns that Turkish
forces could aggravate Libya's conflict further and destabilise the region.
Tripoli-based Govt of National Accord (GNA) of Libyan PM Fayez al-Sarraj, has
faced an attack by the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), led by renegade
military commander Khalifa Haftar, who launched an offensive against the
capital in early April.aljazeera
Taiwan’s military chief among 8 killed in helicopter crash
Taiwan’s Military Chief of Staff Shen Yi-ming died in a helicopter crash
in a mountainous region in the northern part of the island on Thursday morning,
South China Morning Post reported. At least seven others were also killed when
the Black Hawk chopper crashed. Taiwan Air Force Commander Hsiung Hou-chi
confirmed the deaths. Among the dead were Political Warfare Bureau Deputy
Director Yu Chin-wen and Hung Hung-chin, from the defence ministry’s office of
the deputy chief of general staff for intelligence, the newspaper said. A
lieutenant colonel, a captain, a major and two senior master sergeants were
also killed in the crash.Taiwan’s defence ministry said in a statement that the
location of the helicopter had been identified and that 2 Black Hawks and about
80 military officers have been dispatched to the scene. Rescuers have also been
sent to location, in New Taipei county’s Wulai district.scroll.in
Dozens killed in violence in Sudan's West Darfur state
At least 24 people were killed after a camp for internally displaced
people (IDP) was attacked in Sudan's West Darfur state, as top officials
arrived to try to calm the violence.Krinding Camp, east of the state capital
Geneina, was raided over Sunday and Monday following a dispute between Arab and
African ethnic groups, said Ashraf Eissa, a spokesman for the joint African
Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur, UNAMID."The Arab
tribesmen came to IDP camp and started shooting and killing and burning,"
he told Reuters news agency on Wednesday. aljazeera
Tunisia: PM-designate announces Govt formation
Tunisia's PM-designate has announced the formation of a cabinet of
independent technocrats, more than a month after he was picked to head a Govt
focused on reviving the economy.Habib Jemli, an agricultural engineer by
training and a nominee of the moderate Islamist Ennahdha party, said the new Govt
comprised independent Tunisians but stopped short of disclosing their
names."I have depended [in forming the cabinet] on elements of competence
and independence from political parties," said the 60-year-old Jemli after
a meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday.Tunisia's official news
agency TAP said Jemli had presented the proposed Govt to Saied, who will ask
parliament to set a session for holding a confidence vote on the
lineup.aljazeera
Pro-Iran protesters leave US embassy compound in Baghdad
Protesters withdrew from US embassy perimeter in Baghdad after Hashd
al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) paramilitary force ordered them to
leave, a day after their dramatic demonstration.Iraq's military confirmed on
Wednesday that the protesters had left.On Tuesday, thousands of Iraqi
supporters of the largely Iranian-trained group had encircled and vandalised
the embassy compound, outraged by US air raids in Iraq and Syria that killed 25
Hashd fighters over the weekend.Angered crowds marched unimpeded through the
checkpoints of the usually high-security Green Zone to the embassy gates, where
they broke through a reception area, chanting "Death to America" and
spraying pro-Iran graffiti on the walls.aljazeera
4 Syrian kids killed in New Year's Day attack on school
At least eight civilians were killed on Wednesday in a rocket attack by
Syrian Govt forces on a school in Idlib, the country's last opposition
stronghold of Idlib.The victims included four children and two women, the White
Helmets civil defence agency reported.The school was packed with students and
teachers at the time, the group added.The attack took place in the rebel-held
town of Sarmeen in Syria's northwest province of Idlib, said war monitor the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).At least 16 others were injured in
the attack, part of a months-long Govt offensive in Idlib, the Britain-based
watchdog added.aljazeera
Several dead, thousands caught in flooding in Indonesian capital
At least 23 people were confirmed dead on Thursday and thousands were
forced to evacuate, after severe flooding hit Indonesia's capital as residents
were celebrating New Year.Tens of thousands of revellers in Jakarta were soaked
by torrential rains as they waited for New Year's eve fireworks on
Wednesday.Jakarta's domestic airport was also shut, where almost 20,000
passengers were stranded.aljazeera
S Lanka's Tamils fear discrimination under new Prez
Sri Lanka's minority ethnic Tamils who are concentrated in the country's
north, say the area still suffers from a lack of development, despite promises
by its new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.As defence minister during the civil
war, he oversaw a campaign which led to the defeat of Tamil separatist
movement.Analysts say despite the building of a new railway and road linking
the peninsula and mainland, the gulf between the majority Sinhalese and Tamil
community is still wide.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
CAA-NRC and its misleading historical context: Historian Irfan Habib
Why Sardar Patel would have opposed NPR, NRC and CAA:SHIVAM VIJ
Hindus rejecting anti-Muslim bias a ray of hope in these dark
times:Jawed Naqvi
New Citizenship Law Aims to Disenfranchise Muslims:Iftikhar Gilani
Ulterior Motive Behind CAA/NRC: Changing the Demography of Country:DR.
JAVED JAMIL | Caravan Daily
Foolish to think Hindus who voted Modi twice will shift due to threat to
Muslim citizenship:ASIM ALI
Watch: What is Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s ‘Hum Dekhenge’ about? This translation
helps understand
Why UP Police Claim About PFI Organising Anti-CAA Protests is Hard to
Believe:N.C. Asthana, retired IPS office
CAA-NRC Protests Prove Secularism Lives on Among People:Hasina Khan
Does the Data Protection Bill threaten the right to privacy?Krishnaveer
Singh
Indian Railways needs restructuring and modernisation. Efforts since
2014 are bearing fruit:Bibek Debroy
Azaadi is a dangerous word:Alok Rai
We were better off: Debates used to be about ideas, ideologies. It’s a
tawdry discussion now: Keki N. Daruwalla
Infrastructure push: On Centre’s ₹102-lakh-crore plan:the hindu editorial
The new worry of depleting diplomatic capital:Suhasini Haidar
By Making Protestors Pay for Damages, UP Govt Is Ignoring Supreme Court
Guidelines:Rajeev Dhavan
https://thewire.in/Govt/up-govts-thinly-veiled-attempt-to-move-spotlight-away-from-police-repression
With the CAA, India Is Hurtling Down the Path of Majoritarianism:Anita
Inder Singh
Centre must respond to the Kerala assembly resolution on CAA with
sensitivity:Editorial, Indian express
Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:22 PM)
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