Page 77 - Religion Belief
Tripura initiates process of relocating unauthorised religious
The BJP-IPFT Tripura government has initiated the process of relocating unauthorized religious structures in complaince with a Supreme Court directive, officials said Friday. The apex court directive was given in 2009 and in 2013 the erstwhile Left Front government had passed a resolution on the issue and submitted an affidavit to it stating that the order would be implemented. However, not much was done till this year when the BJP led coalition government in Tripura decided to act on it. Additional secretary in the revenue department, L T Darlong said "The issue is still sub-judice in Tripura High Court. The state government will file an affidavit to the High Court on December 19 on the unauthorized religious structures in the state." The Supreme Court passed a directive as early as 2009 to remove or demolish all unauthorized religious structures on government land which can cause inconvenience in public places. Now Tripura Chief Justice Sanjay Karol is looking after ..
Patriarch Kirill appeals to Pope, UN over Ukraine Church
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has appealed to the Pope, the UN and others in the West to defend a Moscow-aligned Church in Ukraine from "persecution", his office said Friday. The diplomatic offensive comes as Ukraine prepares to host a synod at the weekend seeking to establish a unified national Church, independent from Moscow. Russia's spiritual leader wrote to Pope Francis and England's Archbishop of Canterbury as well as to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel, the Church said. In his letters, Patriarch Kirill said Ukrainian authorities and security services have pressured Moscow-loyal clerics in the country. Ukrainian police have raided several Orthodox churches aligned to Russia this month, as political and religious tensions between the two countries grow. "The interference of the secular Ukrainian state into Church affairs has turned into brutish pressure on clerics of the (Moscow-loyal) Ukrainian Orthodox ...
Mauritius to organise 'Gita Mahotsav' in 2019
Mauritius will organise a 'Gita Mahotsav' in February 2019, the country's acting President, Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory, said on Thursday.
Ayyappa devotee immolates himself, BJP calls for shutdown
A 50-year-old man early on Thursday set himself on fire at a BJP protest venue here and died at the state-run Medical College Hospital in the evening, police said.
I am a son of India, mentally and physically: Dalai Lama
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday said that he is the son of India, both physically and mentally.Speaking at 'Silver Lecture Series' function of Mumbai's Guru Nanak College of Arts, Science and Commerce, the Dalai Lama said: "Media from China and America asked what makes me a son of India. I answered that my brain is filled with thoughts of Nalanda and this physical body survived on India's dal, chapati and dosa. So both physically and mentally I am from this country, that's how I'm a son of India."He said that according to Tibetan religion, all human beings are created by God. "Today, we have created a lot of problems on our own including greed and exploitation," he added.The 83-year-old also asserted that everyone's rights and desires should be respected.The Tibetan spiritual leader, who is on a three-day visit to the city, is expected to address students on December 14 during the 22nd TechFest 2018 at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
Women MLAs' number falls in MP Assembly
The number of women members in the newly-elected Madhya Pradesh Assembly has deceased as compared to the previous House. In the just concluded state polls, 17 women candidates won as against 31 lawmakers in the last Assembly. Among the 17 newly elected women MLAs, nine represent the BJP while eight are from the Congress, as per the EC data. The BJP women MLAs in the new Assembly are - Yashodhara Raje Scindia (Shivpuri seat), Manisha Singh (Jaitpur), Meena Singh (Manpur), Nandini Maravi (Sihora), Leena Jain (Basoda), Krishna Gaur (Govindpura), Neena Verma (Dhar), Malini Gaud (Indore-4) and Usha Thakur (Mhow). The Congress' women lawmakers are Imarti Devi (Dabra), Heena Likhiram Kanware (Lanji), Sunita Patel (Gadarwara), Sumitra Devi Kasdekar (Nepanagar), Jhuma Solanki (Bhikangaon), Vijaylaxmi Sadho (Maheshwar), Chandrabhaga Kirade (Pansemal) and Kalawati Bhuria (Jobat). In the previous Assembly, there were 24 women MLAs of the BJP, five of the Congress and two of the ...
Women's Wall: Kerala Assembly in turmoil, MLAs come to blows
Kerala MLAs came to blows on Thursday inside the Assembly after the opposition called the upcoming Women's Wall event on New Year's Day meant to take forward gender equality, "nothing but a communal wall that will be dismantled".
Protect churches during Christmas, appeals Mumbai NGO
A Mumbai NGO on Thursday appealed to the Supreme Court to withdraw the permission for the use of fire-crackers during Christmas and instead ensure protection to churches and Christians during the upcoming Christmas festival.
Egyptian novel explores Christians under controlling church
A new Egyptian novel, entitled "Ways of the Lord," explores the lives of Egyptian Christians, dealing with discrimination but also a church aligned with a state seeking to control them. The author, Shady Lewis Botros, says it can be viewed as an attempt to explain what it is like to be a Christian in Egypt. The answer is given in stories narrated by the book's chief character. It's giving your children neutral names that don't identify them as Christians, facing baseless but dangerous charges of spying for Israel, or a family huddling in one room to escape the attention of a Muslim mob outside. But beyond discrimination, it also explores what Botros says is the victimisation of Egypt's Christians by a "politically engineered harmony" between the state and their church.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli: 3 workers dead in boiler explosion
At least three labourers were killed and two sustained injuries after an explosion in a steel company in Dadra and Nagar Haveli on Thursday, police said.The incident took place in the Krishna Steel Company in Naroli village in Silvassa.A police investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the accident.More details are awaited.
Kovind visits Shri Kali temple in Myanmar
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday visited a temple of goddess Kali which is managed by a trust represented by people who came to Myanmar from different regions of India. Kovind is in Myanmar to continue India's high level bilateral engagements under the rubric of the 'Act East' and the 'Neighbourhood First' policies. Popular among Hindu devotees, the Shri Kali Temple was built by Tamil immigrants in 1871. It is famous for its colourful exteriors. It is richly decorated with sculptures and carvings featuring scenes from Hindu mythology. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted a picture of the president offering prayers in the temple. "President Kovind and First Lady (Savita) visit Shri Kali temple in Yangon, Myanmar which is managed by a trust represented by people who came to Myanmar from different regions of India," Kumar said.
State funds will not be used for 'Wall of Women': Kerala CM
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Wednesday said the state funds would not be utilised for organising the 'Wall of Women,' on January 1, which he said was a "progressive movement." "We are not planning to spend government's fund and machinery to bring women for the wall. But we will spread the idea of 'wall of women'. This very idea hits out against those who try to spread darkness," Vijayan said in his weekly public interaction with prominent personalities. The 'Wall of Women' would be formed on January 1 from the northern district of Kasargod to the southern most district of Thiruvananthapuram to demonstrate the secular and progressive mindset of the state. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Ramesh Chennithala shot off a letter to the Chief Secretary Tom Jose, demanding withdrawal of the Government Order to make use of the state machinery for the event. In a related development, Sabarimala Karma Samiti, one of the various Hindu outfits spearheading ..
Cow protection needed to bring change in country: Minister at launch of 'Muslim Gau Raksha Sangh'
Cow protection needs to be adopted for bringing about a change in the country, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said at the launch of 'Muslim Gau Raksha Sangh' here on Wednesday. The social justice and empowerment minister termed formation of the outfit as a "revolutionary step" that will bring Hindus and Muslims closer. "If you want a change in the country, cow protection needs to be adopted. Awareness against cow slaughter needs to be created as it is banned by the law," he said. Athawale also lauded the founders of Muslim Gau Raksha Sangh, saying it was a significant step that people from the minority community themselves have come forward to create awareness against cow slaughter. He also said that incidents of lynching in the name of cow have also happened in the past when the BJP was not in power. "It's not that incidents of lynching in the name of cow are occurring in BJP rule. Such things happened in the past also when BJP was not in power. It cannot be accepted as there are ...
11 fugitive criminals successfully brought back to India in last 3 yrs: Govt
Eleven fugitive criminals including Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, have been brought back to India in the past three years, the government said Wednesday. In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said the government has been making every effort to bring back fugitive criminals who have fled after committing crime. "In the last three years, 11 fugitive criminals from various foreign countries, including the recent extradition of Christian Michel from UAE, were successfully brought back to India," he said. As of now, India has signed extradition treaties with 50 countries and entered into extradition arrangements with 10 more countries, he said.
Declare martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur as holiday: SAD MP
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) member Prem Singh Chandumajra Wednesday demanded in the Lok Sabha that the death anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur be declared as martyrdom day and a national holiday. Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of the ten Sikh Gurus. "I request the central government to declare the day as martyrdom day and announce a national holiday," he said. Chandumajra also urged members to speak about the Guru in the House.
Pakistan rejects US blacklisting over religious freedom violations
Pakistan on Wednesday rejected as "unilateral and politically motivated" the US' decision to place it on its annual list of nations that infringe on religious freedom. The Trump administration on Tuesday designated Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia and seven others as countries of particular concern for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom." "Pakistan rejects the US State Department's unilateral and politically motivated pronouncement released in the context of its annual religious freedom report," the Foreign Office said in a statement. "Besides the clear biases reflected from these designations, there are serious questions on the credentials and impartiality of the self-proclaimed jury involved in this unwarranted exercise," it said. Pakistan is a multi-religious and pluralistic society where people of diverse faiths and denominations live together, including around 4 per cent of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, it ...
US blacklists Pakistan for violating religious freedom
The United States has designated Pakistan as one of the Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom".The US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo made the announcement on December 11, where he stated that Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, along with Pakistan have been designated under the Act."In far too many places across the globe, individuals continue to face harassment, arrests, or even death for simply living their lives in accordance with their beliefs. The United States will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression," Pompeo remarked."Protecting and promoting international religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority of the Trump Administration," he further stated.The US Secretary of State remarked that safeguarding religious freedom is vital to ensuring ..
Anti-conversion laws on rise in South Asia: USCIRF
Anti-conversion laws are on the rise in South Asia and the US must work with its allies and apply pressure on governments to rescind laws that deny individuals the right to share and choose their religion freely, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said Tuesday. In a special report titled 'Limitations on Minorities: Religious Freedom in South Asia', the USCIRF said that over the last decade, governments across the South Asia region have taken legal measures to prohibit religious conversions from the dominant religious group. "Often the motivation behind these laws, though not officially stated as such, is to protect the dominant religious tradition from a perceived threat from minority religious groups," it said. The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission created in 1998, that reviews religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. Observing that there
HC urges citizenship to those from Pak, B'desh, Afghanistan without ques
The Meghalaya High Court has urged the prime minister, law minister and Parliament to bring a legislation to allow citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians, Khasis, Jaintias and Garos, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, without any question or documents. The 37-page judgement by Justice S R Sen was given on Monday while disposing of a petition filed by Amon Rana who was denied domicile certificate. The copy of the order was made available on Tuesday. The judgement observed that Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis, Khasis, Jaintias and Garos are tortured even today in the three neighbouring countries and they have no place to go. Although the Centre's Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 also seeks to make Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship after a stay of six years, there was no mention of this bill in the court order. The judge ...
Shaktikanta Das named next RBI governor
(Reuters) - India's government named Shaktikanta Das as the next governor of the Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday, replacing Urjit Patel who resigned abruptly on Monday.