08 March 2020: 12
Rajjab 1441: Vol: 12, No: 151
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
Hoardings on Anti-CAA protesters 'highly unjust', HC orders UP Govt to
remove them immediately; Govt replies court can't rule, verdict tomorrow
New Delhi: Allahabad high court had asked the administration to take down
hoardings put up in Lucknow, with photographs and personal details of people
involved with the anti-CAA protests. The attorney general, appearing for the
state, responded by saying that this bench of the high court did not have
jurisdiction, as the hoardings were in Lucknow. A high court bench headed by
Chief Justice Govind Mathur heard the case on Sunday, taking suo moto
cognisance of the matter. The verdict will be announced tomorrow. The bench,
also comprising Justice Ramesh Sinha, said in oral observations that the
state’s action was “highly unjust” and that it was an absolute “encroachment”
on personal liberty of the persons concerned. The court had taken suo moto
cognisance of the hoardings, which contained the names, photographs and
addresses of anti-CAA protestors the government is holding responsible for
violence.“Good sense should prevail on the State and it must remove the
hoardings before 3 pm and apprise the court about this at 3,” LiveLaw quoted
the bench as saying.AG, though, responded by questioning the court’s
jurisdiction and saying that PILs should not be filed on behalf of “those who
break the law”.DM and divisional police commissioner of Lucknow had been asked
by the court to inform what law was used
to put up such posters on the city’s streets.On Saturday, advocate Shashank
Tripathi had filed a PIL against hoardings. Several human rights activists and
others have talked about how the hoardings put the people mentioned in danger. Earlier
this week, BJP government in Uttar Pradesh had put up hoardings with the photos
and home addresses of those it blames for the violence during the anti-CAA
protests at strategic traffic points in the capital city.The hoardings had
reportedly been put up on Adityanath’s instructions. thewire
Banners Naming CAA Protesters Encroach Personal Liberty, Observes
Allahabad HC; Ruling Tomorrow
HC stays trial court’s order for recovery of public loss from 4 anti-CAA
protesters
Allahabad High Court has stayed
the orders passed by Additional District Magistrate, Bijnor on Feb.24, of
recovering the cost of public property damage from 4 people who participated in
Anti-CAA Protests staged in Lucknow. Following the orders, petitioners
approached Allahabad High Court challenging the notice of ADM Bijnor. On
Friday, the division bench which comprised of Justice Manoj Mishra and Justice
Deepak Verma noted that the coordinate bench of the High Court had entertained
a similar petition in another case and had sought replies from the state
government. However, the bench has now ordered to club both cases- Mohd
Faizan's along with similar petitions which will be heard on April 20. Lucknow
administration had assessed the damage to be worth Rs 1.55 crore. As per
information, 10 people from the Thakurganj area and 6 from the Qaiserbagh area
have been served recovery notices of over Rs 69 lakh till now. Among 16 who
have been served notices include, Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas and Sibtain
Noori (son of Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Sadiq).news18
Bad weather takes a toll, but Delhi's Shaheen Bagh women don’t budge an
inch
New Delhi: 2 days of incessant rain did leave a mark on Shaheen Bagh —
the tarpaulin had blown away, PA system became faulty and the road was wet. But
the women were there, along with their resolve to stay put until CAA is rolled
back.When TOI visited neighbourhood on Saturday, nearly 300 women sat under the
open sky, while locals arranged for replacements for the tent. There was also
an addition to the site — nearly a dozen crudely constructed charpoys had been
placed back-to-back on the road to ensure the women did not have to sit on the
cold, wet road.“We placed the order with the local carpenters and they made
these at a nominal price. The elevated chowkis make it easier for the elderly
to sit,” said 22-year-old Saima, who manages the speakers’ list.When asked
about the allegations that attendance had thinned, Saima said it was an attempt
to “malign” the women. “They shot the visuals when the women had gone to change
their clothes after being drenched in the rain. We sat here through the coldest
winter, and we will sit here through the harshest summer. We are not going
anywhere,” she added.Earlier in the day, members of the shop association at
Shaheen Bagh met the southeast DCP, RP Meena, to request him to provide them
safety and open one side of the road so they could resume work and earn their
livelihood.One of the shopkeepers who went to meet the DCP said the meeting did
not yield any result as the matter is sub judice. But the women denied that the
association spoke on their behalf.Abdur Rahman Siddiqi, a 25-year-old who
volunteers with the community kitchen, said they have been preparing food for
the same number of people as earlier. “We prepare food twice between 2pm and
10pm. Like before, we are getting the raw material and vegetables from
volunteers and well-wishers,” Siddiqi said.TOI
Shaheen Bagh Solidarity at London’s Million Women Rise March
As the anti-CAA protests continue across the country—despite the
violence the national capital witnessed in Feb—on the eve of International
Women’s Day, protesters in London marched in solidarity with the women-lead
movement at Shaheen Bagh. Protesters were part of Million Women Rise March. A
press statement released in this regard said, “The Shaheen Bagh bloc at the
demonstration highlighted the iconic nature of the women’s occupation in Delhi
which has been going on since 14 December and has inspired hundreds of other
Shaheen Baghs all over India. The protests sites have become spaces of safety
and creativity where women are putting forward an alternative vision of the
future in which all kinds of oppression can be challenged.”newsclick
“Shaheen Bagh We Stand with You”: London Women in Solidarity with
India’s Women Protesters
Kavita Krishnan: Women at the Shaheen Baghs all over India are fighting
for us all to be free
New Delhi :Kavita Krishnan’s Twitter bio reads like an assertion. The
succinct, “Woman who misbehaves & rants on TV, Twitter, FB, YouTube!” bears
exasperation of an-oft repeated observation made about her and also her defiant
acceptance that they are right, this is she. In her new book, Fearless Freedom,
she does something similar: rather than subverting the seemingly offensive
adjectives used against women, she persuades to accept them. The origin of the
problem, she maintains, is in the innate expectation from women to be a certain
way and not in women being a particular way. Activist, who has been a recurrent
voice of women through various ordeals, argues with the authority and precision
of an analyst the extent of oppression suffered by women, the ubiquity of it
(cutting through caste and class barriers) and its utter unfairness.She spoke
to indianexpress.com regarding the pronouncements she made in the book, her
perception of fearless freedom and the insidious way language affirms
entitlement of men even when used for benefit of women.indianexpress
Delhi: Couple with IS links detained from Jamia Nagar, was ‘inciting
anti-CAA protests’, say police
New Delhi :A couple from Kashmir with alleged links to the Khorasan
module of the Islamic State were detained from southeast Delhi’s Jamia Nagar by
Delhi Police on Sunday.Delhi DCP Pramod Singh Kushwaha said the couple,
identified as Jahanjeb Sami and wife Hina Bashir Beg, was apparently
instigating anti-Citizenship Act protests in Delhi and was trying to exploit
the ongoing situation.“The husband-wife duo, who were identified as Jahanjeb
Sami and Hina Bashir Beg, were instigating anti-CAA protests in the area,” DCP
(special cell) Pramod Kushwaha said. The couple was detained in an early
morning operation after inputs were shared by the Intelligence Bureau. A probe
is underway and several agencies are questioning them, a senior official said. Jamia
and the neighbouring Shaheen Bagh in national capital’s Okhla have been
witnessing protests against CAA for over three months now. indian express
Police probing possible involvement of terror module in Delhi riots:The
Sunday Guardian
New Delhi: SIT of Delhi Police has not ruled out the possibility of the
involvement of a terror module in unleashing the horrific violence of 23-24
Feb.in Northeast Delhi in which 53 people were killed.Sources have confirmed to
this newspaper that SIT is investigating the possible terror links of the
rioters, as in Dec.2018, NIA had busted a deadly terror network from the same
area—Seelampur and Jafrabad—where the riots took place.Prima facie, the SIT is
probing the Northeast Delhi violence from the angle of communal riots, but
sources close to the team say that the terror module angle is being
investigated with all seriousness.
NPR: ‘Don’t have birth certificate, should I die?’ asks Telangana CM
Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday criticised CAA and NPR in
the state Assembly, saying he also does not have his birth certificate, IANS
reported. Rao suggested that the Centre should introduce a national identity
card for citizens instead of implementing the controversial provisions,
according to HT. Referring to NPR exercise, the chief minister expressed
concern that people were being asked to produce birth documents of their
parents to prove their citizenship. “Honestly speaking, I don’t have my birth
certificate,” he added. “If I am asked who I am in this country, what should I
say? How do I prove? I was born in my native village, in our own house. There
were no hospitals then; so, I don’t have birth certificate.”scroll
Activities on TISS campus ‘curbed’, say students’ body; admin claims
‘put on hold till semester end’
Mumbai : TISS administration Wednesday denied the students’ union a
permission to host the launch of author Sudhanva Deshpande’s book ‘Halla Bol’,
based on playwright Safdar Hashmi, and a performance by ‘Jana Natya Manch’
scheduled for March 6.In the last 2 months, TISS administration has disallowed
or put on hold more than 10 events organised by students on the campus. It has
claimed that the permissions have been denied as the institute was not keen on
speakers from outside the campus and maintained a new policy to this effect
would be formalised by authorities.“3 interventions are going on in the campus
— placements, M Phil scholars thesis submission and synopsis presentation of
the second-year students, and examination. At this juncture, what becomes
priority? Should we hear the voices of the 10-12 students, who want to organise
programmes, or should we hear the voices of the general body of students who
are here to study?” dean of student affairs, Asha Banu, said. Students,
however, have claimed that the denial of permissions for such events “is being
done to stifle free speech”. They have also alleged that denying space to
academics, who come from outside, is a deviation from the institute’s academic
ethos where debates and discussions were encouraged. Meanwhile, Bal Rakshase,
president of TISS Teachers’ Association, Wednesday, said, “We believe that
everyone should have right to organise academic discourses unless it is
religious in nature. We have formulated resolutions on the same and we will be
sending it to director.”In the last few months, a string of protests against
the violence on Jamia Milia Islamia and JNU campuses in Delhi and against CAA,
NRC and NPR were cancelled by TISS administration. Permission was also denied
to at least 3 pro-CAA events organised by the Democratic Secular Students
Forum, a students’ group. indianexpress
TMC cadres hold anti-CAA rally on International Women's Day, demand food
for every Indian family
Kolkata:Women members of Trinamool Congress marched in a rally
denouncing CAA and the NRC in central Kolkata on the occasion of the
International Women's Day on Sunday.During the 2 km-long march, women
protesters also demanded food for every family in the country.Many of the demonstrators
held empty pots on their heads with 'We don't NRC, we want rice' written on
them. They also shouted slogans against the economic policies of Centre, which
they claimed triggered a price spiral of essential commodities.PTI
Anti-CAA protests: In Bihar's Aurangabad, police file chargesheet
against 'rioters', drop 5 names due to lack of evidence
Aurangabad Police in the state of Bihar have filed a chargesheet against
alleged rioters for turning peaceful protests violent by indulging in
stone-pelting. Of 46 arrested on the day the unrest broke out in Aurangabad,
the police have not found any evidence against five, said Meraj Khan, lawyer
representing the accused. Firstpost had reported how there were several
contradictions between claims made in the FIR and the police diary.5 people
include two men and three women. Shams Waris, one of the 2 men, was actually
inside a court securing his bail in another case when the rioting transpired.
The second man, Shahbaz Nawab, a local trader at a jewellery store, was
arrested from a terrace along with five other "culprits", according
to FIR.But police diary, which contradicts the police FIR, claimed that rioters
had began pelting stones in his lane when Shahbaz was trying to get home. To
avoid the police, he ran towards the rioters, where he fell and injured
himself. The diary, in fact, quoted an eyewitness and said that Shahbaz took a
few blows from the stone pelting.
'Ambedkarite Parties Must Oppose CAA': Thol Thirumavalavan Speaks to The
Wire
Thol Thirumavalavan’s is one of the less polarising voices in the Tamil
political milieu.A leader of strong ideological standing, Thirumavalavan did
his PhD last year on mass religious conversions of Meenakshipuram near
Tiruneveli – an event that led to huge controversy in 1981.A vehement critic of
Hindutva politics, Thirumavalavan has left no stone unturned in opposing CAA,
NPR and NRC. Early this year, he joined the Kolam protest by drawing one, after
a few activists were detained for putting anti-CAA kolams. In a culture that
sees kolam as ‘feminine’, Thirumavalavan’s act of drawing one was not only seen
as a protest against CAA but an attempt to break the stereotype. His Viduthalai
Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) – an Ambedkarite party in Tamil Nadu – had held a
massive rally at Tiruchy on Feb.22. A week later, party followed it up with a demonstration
to protest againstDelhi riots.thewire
*DELHI VIOLENCE*
It's Official: Police Says 53 Dead, 200+ Injured, 2200 Arrests in Delhi
Riots
Delhi police has said they have
registered 690 cases and held nearly 2,200 people in connection with last
month’s communal riots in northeast Delhi which claimed 53 lives and injured
over 200.Of the total cases registered, 48 were related to Arms Act, police
said in a statement. They said 2,193 people have been either detained or
arrested in connection with the riots. Of them, 50 have been arrested on
charges under the Arms Act. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man was arrested for
allegedly being involved in another man’s killing during the violence. The
crime branch, probing the murder cases registered during the riots, arrested
Shahnawaz for allegedly killing Dilbar Singh Negi, 20, and is trying to
identify other suspects in the case.Negi’s, whose decapitated and the charred
body was found in Brahmpuri on February 26, had come to the capital six months
ago from Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal and worked at a sweet shop in northeast Delhi.Also
on Saturday, a Delhi court allowed police 3 more days’ custodial interrogation
of Shahrukh Pathan, who allegedly pointed a gun at an unarmed police head
constable during the riots in Maujpur.PTI
6 IAS Officers Lead Special Verification Drive Teams in North East Delhi
Teams formed by Delhi govt and Delhi Police on Saturday reached out to
the victims of violence in Northeast Delhi as part of a 2-day special
verification drive that seeks to establish the identity of victims and provide
compensation. Till March 7 evening, the government had already disbursed over
Rs 2.96 crore in compensation to 308 applicants.On Saturday, the first day of
the verification drive, the civil administration and police officers met with
the victims at their places of residence and also in the relief camps that have
been set up near the affected areas. In some cases, the victims were taken in
vehicles to their homes so that they are present while damaged is
assessed.thewire
Thousands protest in Bangladesh with demand to cancel Indian PM upcoming
visit
Dhaka:Large numbers of protesters in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka gathered
after weekly Friday prayers demanding the cancellation of an upcoming visit by
India's premier.Accusing India's Narendra Modi of "killing Muslims"
and "patronizing communal violence" in his country, the demonstrators
demanded their govt cancel an earlier invitation to Modi for an official
visit." Bangladesh has been holding the spirit of communal harmony for
generations after generations. The founding leader of the ruling Awami League
party Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was also struggled for establishing communal
harmony in this country. So we cannot accept any extreme communal leader like
Modi in our country," said Nur Hossain Kasemi, one of the organizers of
the protest, addressing the rally.Protesters chanted slogans against Modi and
communal riots in the Indian capital New Delhi, saying Modi "has no place
in Bangladesh." They also held banners and placards, with some condemning
"killings of Muslims" in Delhi, while others read: "We want
punishment of killer Modi," "Killer Modi has no place on the soil of
Bangladesh."Just after the prayer, demonstrators from multiple mosques
flocked to the street, with security forces standing guard as the procession
paraded through the city.Leaders of the platform also urged international
organizations including UN and OIC to take action against India for allegedly
killing Muslims residents in the capital New Delhi and other parts of the
country protesting a controversial new citizenship law.Modi is scheduled to
visit Dhaka to join 100th birth anniversary of Bangladesh's founding leader
Mujibur Rahman on March 17 in Dhaka as a chief guest. Anadolu Agency
Coronavirus, CAA put a pause on high-level visits
Watch: Thousands take to the streets in Bangladesh to protest against
Modi’s visit
Broadcasters' Body Questions How 2 Channels Banned Without Minister's
Nod
New Delhi: News Broadcasters Association has said it was
"shocked" that the decision to ban two Malayalam news channels was
taken "without the knowledge" of Information and Broadcasting
Minister Prakash Javadekar, and demanded an inquiry into how this happened.In a
statement, NBA president Rajat Sharma said it condemned the decision of
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to impose 48-hour ban on Asianet News
and Media One News, 2 news channels based in Kerala.Sharma said NBA appreciated
the concern shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this matter and the
subsequent withdrawal of the ban imposed on the 2 news channels.He stated NBA
was "shocked to learn that a decision like this was taken without the knowledge
of Minister for Information & Broadcasting". "NBA demands that
the Minister should institute an inquiry as to how the order prohibiting the
news channels from broadcasting was issued without his approval," the
statement issued late on Saturday said."NBA would like the inquiry report
to be shared with it."NBA is of the view that all complaints relating to
broadcast of news should be referred to News Broadcasting Standards Authority
(NBSA)--self-regulatory body headed by former Supreme Court Judge (retd) AK Sikri
-- in order to avoid recurrence of similar incidents in future, it said.PTI
Flagrant Attack On Press Freedom: Media One's Editor After Ban On
Channel
Govt made infringement into the freedom of the press by suspending two
news channels for 48 hours, says C L Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of Malayalam
channel Media One TV. The channel was banned by I&B ministry on Friday
citing ‘biased reporting’ of the Delhi riots. However, the ministry lifted the
ban on Saturday and I&B minister Prakash Javedakar assured that the
government stands for media freedom. Speaking to Outlook's Preetha Nair from
Calicut over phone, Thomas said that the channel won’t bow to any pressure and
will continue with fair and objective reporting. Thomas said, "I believe
the ministry had to lift the ban after widespread protests from media and
various political parties. By banning the channels, the government has sent
across a strong message: ‘if you work against our interest, we will silence
you’. The suspension of the Malayalam channels was a flagrant assault on press
freedom by the state. Freedom of expression is a guaranteed fundamental right
in our Constitution. We consider freedom of the press as a part of freedom of expression."outlookindia
In Backing Kapil Mishra, RSS Shows Riot Hand
New Delhi: Although RSS and BJP function more like conjoined twins, both
have taken great efforts to be seen as independent of each other. Time and
again, RSS has said that its role in society is purely “Manushya Nirman”, and
that it has neither any intention nor the drive to become politically
active.However, days after the national capital was left torn by one of the
worst communal riots in India, it appears that the two have dropped this
pretence.At a time when the role of BJP leader Kapil Mishra has been
universally panned for fomenting communal clashes in Delhi, RSS’s mouthpiece
has mounted a defence for him. Organiser published a long interview with the
controversial leader who blames everyone for the riots except himself.
According to him, his incendiary speech – in which he openly threatened to
disobey Delhi police and forcefully evict anti-CAA protesters – did not trigger
the riots. Rather, the “tukde-tukde gang”, those who are “upset about the
hanging of Afzal Guru”, which incidentally happened in Feb.2013, and those who
“want to separate the Northeast from the rest of Bharat” are responsible for
the riots.As bizarre as it may sound at a time when large sections of political
leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national security advisor
Ajit Doval, have appealed for peace and harmony among communities, Mishra’s
responses to Organiser, in fact, fuel greater communal anger. thewire
Violence that killed 53 in Indian capital ‘was anti-Muslim pogrom’, says
top expert: Independent UK
Religious violence in Delhi that overshadowed Donald Trump’s visit to
India last month “qualifies as a pogrom” against Muslims and should be described
as such, according to a leading academic and one of the country’s top
lawyers.The fallout from the 3 days of bloodshed in Delhi, which began 2 weeks
ago on Sunday and ended in the deaths of at least 53 people, is still being
fiercely contested, with police facing intense criticism for their perceived
failure to step in and quash the unrest sooner.There are mounting calls for the
arrest of key members of the country’s ruling BJP party, accused of inciting
Hindu mobs to mobilise in the capital and target mosques, Muslims and
Muslim-owned homes and businesses in a trail of destruction.
Father-son duo accused in Delhi violence, arrested
Delhi Crime Branch today arrested Riyasat Ali, Tarik Rizwi and Liyaqat
Ali for their alleged involvement in the massive violence that shook
North-Eastern part of Delhi.Accused Riyasat and Liyaqat are father-son in
relationship and according to police they are involved in the Chand Bagh
violence. The crime branch also said that the Riyasat and Liyaqat used to work
of suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and they were present at his
residence on the day of riots. The investigation is underway. indiatvnews
Delhi: Sikh man, his son saved over 60 people during clashes
New Dehi: The violence in northeast Delhi last week will remain etched
in the memory of locals for a long time. But they will also remember stories of
courage, survival and brotherhood that emerged at the difficult time and
inspired neighbourhoods.In Gokulpuri,a 53-year-old man, Mohinder Singh, along
with his 28-year-old son Inderjeet saved over 60 lives. They helped several
Muslim families, who were being attacked by mobs, reach safer places. "In
1984, I was around 16 and the horrific memories are still fresh. When violence
spiraled here, it reminded me of the riots 3 decades back. It reminded me the
importance of human lives," Mohinder Singh said. On Feb.24, Mohinder Singh
was at his shop near his home when a mob barged into neighbourhood. Mohinder,
along with his son Inderjeet, decided to take out their two wheelers - a scooty
and a bike. They ferried least 60 people stuck in the nearby area of
Kardampuri, about 1.5 kilometre away."Muslims gathered and decided that
they would have to leave neighbourhood. But they were caught in mobs. I could
not bear to see the fear on the faces of innocent children," recalled
Mohinder Singh.Inderjeet's neighbour - 30-year-old Mohammad Naeem - is among
those those who he helped with his father.Naeem's house was looted, set on
fire. His shop was vandalised. Recalling the horror of mob attack, Naeem said:
"It was a mob of at least 1,000 people who attacked our house and shop.
They were raising slogans and many of them even had swords. All the jewellery
in the house was also robbed."ndtv
'They Pelted Stones at My Pet Pigeons, Killed Them': As Dust Settles on
Delhi Riots, Tales Emerge of a Lost Innocence
New Delhi: “Main aman chahta hu” (I want peace), said an 11-year-old
Ahmed* at the Mustafabad relief camp here.When asked if he knew what “aman”
meant, he said right away — “Hindu-Muslim brotherhood. I want everyone to get
calm. Because only then can we all go home, right?”These wise words were coming
from a child who had seen far too much for any person; let alone a child his
age. The young boy, Ahmed* talked about the need to bring peace and unity in
North-east Delhi after riots destroyed homes and lives since February 23. His
home burnt to ashes by rioters; all he wants is reside there again with his
family.Ahmed* is one of the children who have been bitterly scarred due to the
horrors they witnessed in Delhi riots. Yet, he is running around and playing at
the relief camp set up by the Delhi government in Mustafabad Eidgah for riot
victims.The children are currently staying here in makeshift tents with their
families. They have lost all their belongings, and their homes. Some of them
have lost their loved ones too. Their minds are replete with first-hand
accounts of the violence that they saw.I saw men running towards our house,
pelting stones at everything that came in their way. They had also started
setting cars on fire,”said Ahmed*.Ahmed* and his family lived in Shiv Vihar,
one of the worst-affected areas in North-east Delhi. He escaped with his family
on February 25; they abandoned their home after seeing an armed mob in a lane
nearby. Their house was later set on fire.News18
Delhi violence: Teenage Muslim with Gunshot Injury Denied MRI Scan at
Private Clinics
New Delhi:Some private diagnostic centres here have been accused of
refusing to do an MRI scan on a Muslim patient who was taken there with a
gunshot injury — by arguing that these facilities do not accept patients with
medico-legal history. Mohammad Sameer, 15, was injured in firing during the
anti-Muslim mob violence in the last week of February in a north- eastern
locality here. Sameer was initially
admitted to Guru Tej Bahadur Hospital but due to lack of an MRI scanner there,
the doctors referred the injured to another facility. On Friday, the family
took him to House of Diagnostics (HOD), a private health facility in
Karkardooma area.clarionindia
‘Even Yamraj will quit’: Sanjay Raut terms Delhi riots ‘dance of death’
Mumbai:Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has described Delhi communal riots in
February as “inhuman dance of death” and added that even Yamraj, the god of
death as per Hindu faith, would “quit” seeing the carnage.Writing in his Sunday
column ‘Rokhthok’ in party mouthpiece Saamana, Raut said politics today lacked
‘humanity’ while indirectly seeking Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation
over the violence.“Politics has lost humanity, from that politics rises cruel
religious hysteria, and from that hysteria, the newfound nationalism is born.
That nationalism is killing country’s remaining people,” Raut wrote.He added
that innocent children of warring communities were orphaned in the riots.
‘Mobs took what fires spared’: Residents left with no homes after Delhi
riots
What does it take to rebuild your life when all you had is taken
away?Ask those living in a tent at a relief camp set up by the Delhi government
for families affected by the recent riots in Delhi, who are coming to terms with
their homes and lives being flattened.Until last week, most of these families
had a house, a bed, a fridge, a television set, a gas cylinder, clothes and
other domestic paraphernalia — all of which has now been taken away by mobs
that ransacked their house, picking off every little thing they found lying
about. When they could not find anything, they set the houses on fire before
moving on to another house — to steal, rob or set it on fire.Sitting inside a
makeshift tent, 22-year-old Mohammed Shahrukh a carpenter by profession, says
he does not know how he is going to start his life again. The rains on Thursday
and Friday took away even the privilege of a dry mattress inside the tent for
him to sit on.“The mobs even stole my two gas cylinders, and all my utensils.
They took all of my children’s clothes. They are now left with only one pair of
clothes. How do we start again,” wonders Shahrukh.In north-east Delhi’s
Brijpuri, about a hundred Muslim families live in makeshift tents set up by the
state government. Most families here are from Chand Bagh — one of the areas hit
hardest during the riots. In the violence between Hindus and Muslims, at least
53 have died so far, while over 400 sustained injuries. hindustantimes
*Coronavirus*
Coronavirus: COVID-19 cases rise to 39, Arunachal bans foreigners’ entry
India on Sunday reported 5 fresh cases of coronavirus, all in Kerala,
taking the number of confirmed cases in the country to 39. 3 of the 5 patients
had a travel history to Italy, while the remaining two were their relatives.
All 5 hail from Pathnamthitta district and are under observation in the
hospital. Their tests were confirmed on Saturday night, Health Minister K K
Shailaja said. 3 of them who came from Italy had travelled from Venice to Doha
by Qatar Airways flight on Feb.28.They subsequently travelled to Kochi. Health
Minister KK Shailaja also said that 2 elderly people in their family are
showing symptoms similar to the infection. Their samples have been sent for
testing.The fresh cases have been reported days after the southern state had
successfully treated India’s first three coronavirus patients -medical students
from Wuhan- who have been discharged from hospitals.Arunachal Sunday decided to
temporarily suspend issuing Protected Area Permits to foreigners, PTI reported. Foreigners
require PAPs to enter the state that shares a border with China. All PAP
issuing authorities have been directed to suspend the issue of permits till
further orders.indian express
10 dead at collapsed China quarantine site, virus spread slows ex-Wuhan
Ten people have died and 23 remain trapped after the collapse of a hotel
that was being used to quarantine people under observation for the coronavirus
in the Chinese city of Quanzhou, authorities said on Sunday. More than 70
people were believed to have been initially trapped in the 7 storey building,
which collapsed on Saturday evening.As of 16:00 Beijing time on Sunday,
authorities had retrieved 48 individuals from the site of collapse, with 38 of
them sent to hospitals, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.A rescue
force of over 1,000 people, including firefighters, police forces, and other
emergency responders, arrived at the site on Saturday night, authorities told a
media conference organised by Quanzhou govt on Sunday.Reuters
Death toll in Iran from coronavirus reaches 194
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Iran rose to 194 on
Sunday, country’s Health Ministry has announced. Authorities said 49 people
died in the last 24 hours, while 743 new cases were found, pushing up the total
number of confirmed cases to 6,566, spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a news
conference in Tehran. At least 22,177 people are currently under medical care,
while the number of discharged patients stands at 55,404, he said.Turkey –
where there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus – last month closed its land
borders and suspended air travel to Iran. middleeastmonitor
19 Dead From Coronavirus In US, New York Declares State Of Emergency
Two more people succumbed to the novel coronavirus in Washington state,
officials said on Saturday, bringing the nationwide total to 19, while the
number of confirmed cases in New York rose to 89 and a cruise ship with
infected passengers remained stranded outside San Francisco.More than half of
all US states have reported cases of the coronavirus, which originated in China
last year and causes the sometimes deadly respiratory illness COVID-19.As the
outbreak takes root, daily life has become increasingly disrupted, with
concerts and conferences canceled and universities telling students to stay
home and take classes online.Reuters
*J&K, SOUTH ASIA & india *
Ex-J&K minister Altaf Bukhari launches Apni Party, says will ensure
dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits
Srinagar :Former PDP leader and minister in the Mehbooba Mufti govt Altaf
Bukhari launched a new political outfit — Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party — on
Sunday and said it would preserve the self-respect and dignity of people of the
Union Territory and ensure dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits.“This party is
not floated by a family and there will be a total restriction that anybody who
becomes President of party cannot be elected more than 2 times. It is by the
commoners, for the commoners, of the commoners,” ANI quoted Altaf Bukhari as
saying at the launch of his outfit.Hours before the launch of his new political
outfit, Altaf Bukhari was unanimously elected as the president of the outfit.
Over 30 leaders, including 23 former MLAs and ministers, are expected to join
outfit from PDP, National Conference (NC) and Congress, sources said.The
development signals the beginning of the “political process” in the region
seven months after Centre scrapped the special status of J&K under Article
370 of the Constitution. Ghulam Hassan Mir, former minister and chairman of
Democratic Party Nationalist, former MLAs of PDP — Yawar Mir, Noor Mohd Sheikh,
Ashraf Mir, and former Congress MLAs — Farooq Andrabi, Irfan Naqib are some of
the prominent names likely to join Apni Party on Sunday, sources
said.indianexpress
'Apni Party' Set To Be Kashmir's New Party; Is It A BJP Ploy To Blunt
Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti?Naseer Ganai
‘Central Govt Scared of Women,’ Says Iltija Mufti on International
Women’s Day
New Delhi: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, PDP chief
Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, on Sunday asked the Central government
to spare the ‘tokenism of women hashtag theatrics and the Central government is
scared of women the most.Using her mother’s verified Twitter handle, Iltija
talked about her mother’s detention since August 5 last year and accused the
Central government of encouraging rape and death threats against brave female
journalists. “Spare us tokenism of women hashtag theatrics. GOI (government of
India) illegally jailed the first woman CM of J&K, encourages rape and
death threats against brave female journos and is petrified of daadis at
Shaheen Bagh. For all their talk of Nari Shakti, it is truly women they fear
the most,” she tweeted. india
4 women who questioned Centre on J&K after scrapping of Article 370
Srinagar:Soon after August 5, 2019, when the Centre scrapped Article 370
and put almost every prominent political leader either in detention or in jail,
4 women emerged as dominant voices and fought for the rights of people.Iltija
Mufti, daughter of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Shehryar Khanum, daughter
of former minister Naeem Akhtar mustered the courage to talk about the
situation and censure the govt.Of late, Sara Abdullah Pilot, daughter of NC
president Farooq Abdullah has approached the Supreme Court to seek justice for
her brother and former chief minister Omar Abdullah.But, the swiftest and most
vocal of them all was senior journalist Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal who approached
the SC against the communication blockade immediately after August 5 and on
whose petition the court gave a verdict after 5 months..HT
J&K: SKICC drops ‘Sher-i-Kashmir’ title, renamed as Kashmir International
Conference Centre
Srinagar :J&K administration on Sunday dropped “Sher-i-Kashmir”, the
title attributed to the former chief minister of J&K Sheikh Abdullah, from
Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) and renamed it as
Kashmir International Conference Centre.SKICC is located on the banks of the
famous Dal Lake overlooking Zabarwan mountains in the backdrop and in the
neighbourhood of Mughal Gardens. The state-managed convention centre has hosted
a number of international and national level conferences like interstate
council meet, an international laparoscopic conference among others. Website,
however, still carries the old name.indianexpress
*OTHERS*
Dozen Shell Firms, 44 Pricey Paintings, and Rs 2,000 Cr Investments
Among Rana Kapoor’s Assets Under Scanner
New Delhi: Investments worth over Rs 2,000 crore, 44 expensive paintings
and a dozen alleged shell firms are at the heart of Enforcement Directorate’s
investigation against Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor who was arrested by the
agency on Sunday on money laundering charges, officials said.The agency,
official sources said, has also recovered documents that show some assets of the
Kapoor family in London and the source of funds for their acquisition is now
being investigated. The central probe agency that initiated action against the
banker by raiding his upscale residence in south Mumbai on Friday is primarily
investigating Kapoor, his wife and three daughters over a Rs 600 crore fund
received by a firm allegedly "controlled" by them from an entity
linked to the scam-hit Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL).PTI
Guj: Judge hearing 2002 Naroda Gam riot case transferred
Ahmedabad:A special SIT judge hearing 2002 Naroda Gam riot case, in
which former BJP minister Maya Kodnani is an accused, has been transferred as
principal district judge of Valsad by an order of Gujarat High Court. According
to a notification issued by the Gujarat HC on Friday, principal judge, city
civil court, Ahmedabad, M K Dave has been transferred as principal judge of
Valsad district.He will be replaced by SK Baxi, who served as principal
district judge, Bhavnagar, before being transferred here.Judge Dave was hearing
final arguments in the Naroda Gam riot case, and Kodnani''s lawyer started his
arguments in the case last week.The arguments of prosecution as well as defence
representing several accused have already been completed. With Judge Dave''s
transfer, it is likely that the new judge may have to hear the final arguments
afresh.The court started recording the evidence in the case in
Feb.2018.Earlier, one of the judges, former principal sessions judge, PB Desai,
who heard the case, retired from service in Dec.2017. Dave is one of the 18
principal district judges transferred by Gujarat High Court''s Chief Justice,
who also appointed sessions judges of 17 divisions.Naroda Gam massacre is one
of 9 major riot cases investigated by the SC-appointed SIT.A total of 82 people
are facing trial in the case.PTI
35 yrs after Delhi blasts, 30 acquitted: Court says probe defective,
lopsided
A Delhi court has acquitted 30 of 59 accused in the transistor bomb
blasts of 1985, saying the “investigation conducted in these cases was
defective, lopsided, unfair and suffered from various lacunae”.On the evening
of May 10, 1985, bombs fitted in transistors went off in buses and other places
in Delhi and adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, killing 49 people
and injuring 127 in Delhi alone. A SIT, under the supervision of then DCP
(Central) of Delhi Police,had chargesheeted 59 accused. While 5 of 59 are
proclaimed offenders and never appeared for trial, the trial court in July 2006
discharged 5 due to “insufficient evidence”. In his order on March 5,
Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav said, “It is clear that none of the
circumstances from which the inference of guilt of the accused was sought to be
drawn by the prosecution was proved by cogent and reliable evidence. There are
vital links missing in the chain of circumstances and it could not be proved
conclusively that the crime was committed by the accused persons and none
else”. Jagjit Singh who turned approver deposed before the Court the manner in
which he was tortured and made to sign documents and statements under fear of
his life and that of his daughters.”“It is prosecution’s version that accused
persons had hatched a conspiracy to create disharmony amongst various
communities to take revenge (for) Blue Star Operation and riots that happened
in Nov.1984. However, prosecution miserably failed to prove that any relatives,
friends, near and dears of accused persons died in 1984 riots or in Blue Star
Operation,”Judge Yadav said. indianexpress
Court Accepts CBI's Clean Chit to Agency Special Director Rakesh Asthana
New Delhi:The controversial corruption case against former CBI special
director Rakesh Asthana and DSP Devender Kumar came to an abrupt end on
Saturday, when a court exonerated Asthana of all charges.“There is no
sufficient ground to proceed against Rakesh Asthana and DSP Devender Kumar. We
will see if anything comes in future investigation being conducted by CBI,”
Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal said while taking cognisance of CBI
chargesheet.Then CBI director Alok Verma in Oct.2018 had taken an unprecedented
step to file an FIR against his deputy, Asthana, for allegedly accepting bribes
amounting to Rs 2 crore from a Hyderabad-based businessman, Moin Qureshi, to
settle a money laundering case against him. Asthana and Kumar were made the
primary accused in the case. The episode unfolded amidst bitter infighting in
the top investigative agency, with Asthana too pressing charges of misconduct,
interference in investigation and corruption against Verma and CBI joint
director A.K. Sharma.thewire
Sanitary Pad Disposal Bags Mandatory From 2021, Announces Javadekar
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the Centre would make it
mandatory for sanitary napkin companies to provide bio-degradable disposal bags
from January next year.He was speaking at an International Women’s Day event in
Pune attended by waste collectors, who he referred to as “swachhta sevaks“.PTI
*WORLD*
Saudi crackdown widens amid reports of further arrests of royals
A roundup of royals and aides has widened in Saudi Arabia, according to
several reports, in what is believed to be the latest crackdown by Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), kingdom's de facto ruler, against potential
challengers to his power.On Saturday, a day after it was reported that two
senior members of the royal family were detained over an alleged coup plot, US
media outlets said Prince Nayef bin Ahmed, a former army head of intelligence,
was also among those being held.Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported on
Saturday that the sweep broadened to include dozens of interior ministry
officials, senior army officers and others suspected of supporting a coup
attempt.It came a day after the Journal cited sources familiar with the matter
as saying that masked guards with the royal court on Friday arrested Prince
Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a younger brother of King Salman, and Prince Mohammed bin
Nayef, the king's nephew and a former crown prince. The guards also detained a
brother of Mohammed bin Nayef.There has been no official comment from Saudi authorities
on the arrests. "There are some kinds of rumours and innuendos that
there's turmoil within the family in the form of criticism, but that doesn't
justify being arrested as criminals, with masked security forces coming to
their rooms and yanking them out of their private residences," Khalil
Jahshan, executive director of Arab Center in Washington, DC, said.aljazeera
On Women’s Day… ‘Israel’ holds 43 Palestinian women in jails
Occupied Palestine (QNN)- The occupation state is holding 43 Palestinian
women in its jails, according to a statement issued by the Palestinian
Prisoners Club to mark Women’s Day.Shorouq Dwayyat from east Jerusalem and
Shatila Abu Ayyad from the land occupied in 1948 have the highest jail sentence
among female prisoners, as they both serve jail times of 16 years for each.The
prisoners include 16 mothers, some of them are mothers of martyrs, whose
children were killed by the Israelis.4 female prisoners are arrested under
administrative detention and 8 were wounded during their arrest.qudsnen
Afghan: Ghani, Abdullah set to hold parallel inaugurations
Political rivals in Afghanistan have issued separate invitations for
inauguration ceremonies on Monday. Abdullah Abdullah, rival of Afghanistan's
president-elect Ashraf Ghani, issued invitations to a parallel swearing-in
ceremony due next week, his spokesman said."We've sent the invitation to
all national and international organisations and all necessary preparations
have been taken," Fraidoon Khwazoon, Abdullah's spokesman said, referring
to invitations to an inauguration ceremony due to take place in Kabul on Monday
morning at a similar time to Ghani's.A political impasse and threat of parallel
governments jeopardise a nascent peace process in the nation, as US tries to
push the Afghan govt towards talks with the Taliban.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
We Are Seeing, for the First Time, a Sustained Countrywide Movement Led
by Women:Sangbida Lahiri
Delhi's anti-Muslim pogrom is collective failure of liberals &
radicals:Suraj Yengde, indianexpress
Tavleen Singh writes: There is more repression now than at any other
time except during Emergency: indianexpress
India's Muslims are punished for asking to be Indian:Vidya Subrahmaniam
, aljazeera
The importance of social peace for economic development: an empirical
argument | The Hindu
Help women riot victims overcome the trauma | Lalita Panicker, HT
Not all Muslim nations love Modi. This is why Iran, Malaysia, Turkey
don’t:ASIM ALI, The Print
CAA protest is Muslims' pent-up ire against Modi:Swapan Dasgupta, Daily
Pioneer
Bega Begum: Mughal empress who gave Delhi Humayun’s Tomb:Sahil M Beg
Ghost of Gujarat 2002, brought alive by Delhi:Sajeda Momin ,
telegraphindia
How Fake News of a Muslim Girl Being Raped by Hindu Mob in Delhi Spread
Online:Pooja Chaudhuri
Writer and former IPS officer Vibhuti Narain Rai on the anatomy of riots
Mr PM, listen to Muslim women who faced sexual harassment in Delhi
violence before talking on their empowerment: Yusuf Ansari, TCN
Disabled ‘Good Samaritan’ goes extra mile to help others like
himself:twocircles.net
How Men Turned a Peaceful, Women-Led Protest Into an Excuse to Riot:N.P.
Ashley
Women’s Day: Indian women’s movement comes of age at Shaheen Bagh:Mrinal
Pande
Women’s Day: Remembering Manipur’s historic ‘Nupi Lan’ movements:Shruti
Chakraborty, Sahapedia
You don’t need to arrest shakha pramukhs to prevent riots:Sujata Anandan
Compiled and edited
by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:17 PM).
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