Page 173 - Social Issues
Campaign over citizenship bill seeks to derail development: CM
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has claimed that a "motivated campaign" is going on surrounding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to derail the pace of the development the state is witnessing in the BJP rule. Addressing the Asha and National Health Mission convention here, Sonowal assured the people that the land, culture, language of the indigenous people are fully safe in the hands of the present government. "This (protests against the Bill) is a motivated campaign to derail the pace of development of the state. I urge all people to stand united to thwart the evil design of divisive forces," he said Sunday. The chief minister alleged that a misinformation campaign has been launched by certain vested interest groups that 1.9 crore Bangladeshi immigrants would get settlement in Assam in the days to come if the Bill is implemented. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non- Muslims who fled ...
BJP committed to development, progress of Muslims: Gadkari
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is committed to ensuring holistic development and progress of Muslim community, said Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday. Speaking at a seminar 'Muslim Issues With The Government' organised by the Vidarbha Muslim Intellectual Forum here, Gadkari said"The BJP never discriminate on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion and language. If there is an issue then we all need to corporate and communicate so that those problems get resolved at earliest," he added. "I know that education is a need for the development of the Muslim community. Also, we need to empower the Muslim women by giving them equal rights," he added.
28 Haitians dead after ship sinks off Bahamas: officials
At least 28 Haitians have drowned off the coast of Abaco in the Bahamas, officials have said, the latest tragedy at sea for migrants seeking to leave the Caribbean's poorest economy. "Thus far, a total of 17 persons have been rescued alive and 28 bodies have been recovered from the water" after two days of dive operations, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force said. The incident unfolded Saturday when the ship carrying the Haitians sank near Fowl Cay, six miles (10 kilometers) off the coast of Marsh Harbour, Abaco. Fifteen survivors and 13 dead bodies were recovered Saturday in a joint mission between the RBDF and US Coast Guard. On Sunday, two more survivors were found alive on a nearby cay in addition to 15 bodies in the sunken vessel. In a tweet, the US embassy in Haiti described the ship as a vessel trafficking people out of Haiti, adding: "No journey is worth risking lives - please urge families and communities: Illegal migrant & smuggling operations are dangerous and frequently ..
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill crisis over: BJP leader
A top BJP leader on Sunday said the crisis over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the North-East is over as it is unlikely to be passed by the Rajya Sabha and hailed Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for opposing the contentious Bill.
Modi govt removed termites from system: Rajyavardhan Singh
Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Sunday said the Narendra Modi government has ensured that soldiers, women and youths of the country get due respect. While addressing a programme organised by the BJP here, Rathore said the government worked to "remove some termites from the system". Highlighting the Centre's policies for soldier welfare, he said the government fulfilled the long pending demand of One Rank One Pension (OROP) and soldiers are getting due respect and honour. "India is known today as a country which hit its enemies across borders," he said. At the event, the minister also launched a campaign under which various programmes will be held in honour of soldiers in different parts of the state.
BJP committed to progress of Muslims: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari Sunday said the BJP was committed to ensure the progress of Muslim community though there could be a difference of opinion on some issues. A discussion is required on the various issues being faced by the minority community, he said, adding there was a need to spread education among the community. Gadkari was speaking on 'Muslim Issues With The Government' at a seminar organised by the Vidarbha Muslim Intellectuals Forum here. "One thing (I am saying) from the core of my heart...my party and we are very much committed to (ensure) all type of development and progress of the Muslim community," he said. "We do not want to discriminate against anybody on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion and language. We may have some differences of opinion on various issues," the senior BJP leader said. "We have to start a discussion on it, and it is (high) time, for our country, that after discussion we understood each other....we need cooperation, coordination and
Pak minority groups brief US Congressman over human rights abuses
A delegation of Mohajirs and representatives of Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara from Pakistan met Congressman Rob Wittman and apprised him about the alleged acts of ethnic prejudice and persecution by the government agencies against the members of minority communities. The Virginia Congressman reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the delegation that he would continue to raise these issues in Congress as well all other relevant forums, a media release by the Congressman said on Sunday. The group, led by the Voice of Karachi and South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation chairman Nadeem Nusrat, briefed Wittman about the alleged human rights violation, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, physical torture and arbitrary arrests against the minority communities. Nusrat pointed out the devastating economic and social impact of highly discriminatory quota system in urban Sindh that has forced the majority urban population out of government jobs and ...
Himachal Pradesh assembly budget session begins Monday
The budget session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly would begin Monday and last till February 18, Speaker Rajeev Bindal said Sunday. The second budget session of the state's 13th assembly would commence with the governor's address on February 4, he said, adding that it would be followed by obituary references the same day. He said the discussion on the governor's address would be held from February 5 to 7. Speaker Bindal said the Jai Ram Thakur government would present its budget for 2019-20 on February 9. The budget would be presented by Chief Minister Thakur, who also holds the state's Finance Ministry portfolio, he said, adding the discussion on the budget proposals would be held between February 11 and 13. Voting on Demands for Grants would be held on the last day of the session on February 18 at 4 pm, he said. The session would have a a total of 13 sittings and it has been decided to hold the sittings even on Saturdays, February 9 and 16, he said, adding February 8 and 14 have ...
Women get death threats for entering Sabarimala
The two women of menstruating age, who had entered the Sabarimala temple a month ago, have received death threats, police said Sunday. Bindu and Kanakadurga, in their 40s, had defied dire threats from saffron organisations and offered prayers at the temple that was out of bounds for girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age, breaking the centuries-old tradition and infuriating the Hindu right. The two women received a letter saying they would be harmed for entering the shrine, the police said. Forty-four-year-old Kanakadurga, who faced stiff opposition from her husband and other relatives for offering prayers at the Lord Ayyappa Temple on January 2, was forced to take shelter at Perinthalmanna here after her house was locked and her family members shifted to another building. Police sources said she still continues to be at the shelter after being discharged from hospital following an alleged attack by her mother-in-law for entering the holy shrine. An employee of the Civil ...
RSS worker arrested for hurling bomb at Kerala police station
An RSS worker, prime accused in a bomb attack on a police station here, was arrested here Sunday, the police said. Praveen, a district functionary of the RSS, and his accomplice Sreejit, a sangh worker, hurled bombs at the Nedumangad Police Station during the January 3 shutdown called by Hindutva outfits protesting against the entry of two women into the Sabarimala Temple, they said. The duo was arrested from the Thamapanoor railway station here, they added. Police had issued a look out notice against Praveen after CCTV visuals showed him hurling at least four bombs at the police station during a clash with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers. A Special Investigation team was also constituted to nab the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary, they said. Guarded by four policemen in civil dress, the two women, Kanakadurga (44) and Bindu (42), created history by stepping into the hallowed precincts of the hill-shrine on January 2. A 12-hour shutdown was called by the .
Manipuri filmmaker to return Padma Shri in protest against Citizenship Bill
Fifteen times National Award winner Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma on Sunday announced that he would return the Padma Shri -- the fourth highest civilian award in India -- to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.
Virginity tests of brides in Kanjarbhat community matter of serious concern: NCW
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has expressed serious concern over a media report about virginity tests of brides being forcefully conducted in the nomadic Kanjarbhat community, calling the practice regressive, misogynistic and in violation of basic human rights and dignity. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma wrote to Maharashtra's women and child welfare minister Pankaja Gopinath Munde asking her to look into the matter. According to the media report, two instances of forced virginity test for brides in the Kanjarbhat community have come to the fore in Pune. Sharma said the matter is of very serious concern for the commission. "The practice is regressive, misogynistic and in violation of basic human rights and dignity," she said. "I, therefore, urge your kind intervention in the matter and request that you may please ensure that the persons guilty of perpetrating such discriminatory, misogynistic practices may be appropriately punished so as to prevent such occurrences in the ...
Rehabilitation of children freed from child labour improves in India: Satyarthi
India's policy for economic, social, psychological and educational rehabilitation of children freed from the child labour or slavery is very strong, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has said here. The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who is in the UAE, said that the provisions for children's rehabilitation have become better in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Nigeria and South Africa. "Of course, corruption, apathy and delay are the issues we have to continue to address," Satyarthi told PTI Saturday. "Now in India, we have very strong rehabilitation provisions for economic, social, psychological and educational rehabilitation of children freed from child labour or slavery," the 65-year-old child rights activist said. Once children are freed, they are legally entitled for rehabilitation benefits, which should always be ensured, Satyarthi said. "When I started working to ensure child rights, there were several NGOs working in this domain but there was hardly any organisation. "In India ..
Book seeks to decipher the hatred behind lynchings
A new book pieces together stories of people at the receiving end of mob violence and seeks to find out what triggers lynchers to flout laws with impunity. In recent years, cases of mob lynching have increased to an alarming extent and the emergence of mobocracy has put India's secularity and democratic constitution to test, says Ziya Us Salam in his book "Lynch Files: The Forgotten Saga of Victims of Hate Crime". He says the mob giving out instant justice is not the way our Constitution makers had planned. From Dadri and Una to Alwar and Hapur and from Rajkot to Dimapur, each of these stories point out to a lapse in security, he says. "The modus operandi in lynching cases (related to cattle smuggling) remains the same, the 'common maximum programme' almost identical. In almost all cases, it starts with unproven allegations of cow smuggling or cow slaughter," the book, published by Sage, says. So what prompts a 'gau rakshak' to take law into his hands? "In a society like ours - ...
Internet de-addiction clinics to help youth in Lucknow
Special clinics to provide counselling to youngsters addicted to social media platforms will soon be set up by the King George Medical University here. The psychiatry department of the University will run the clinics targeted at adolescents. Professor PK Dalal, the head of KGMU's psychiatry department, told PTI that "Owing to massive usage of various social media tools/platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, mobile games and Instagram, a number of people are suffering from mental disorders. "The Bengaluru-based NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences) had four years ago started SHUT clinic -- Service for Healthy Use of Technology. Following the success of the first SHUT clinic, the psychiatry department of KGMU also decided to open similar clinics," he said. "Through the special clinics, counselling will be done of youngsters so as to motivate them to use less of social media tools. Most of the children from middle-income families get addicted to social media. As .
Substantial disbursement under PM-KISAN scheme in Feb itself: Garg
The government would start disbursing substantial amount under the income support scheme for small farmers in this month itself as beneficiary data is already in place, a top finance ministry official said. In his budget speech on Friday, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' (PM-KISAN) scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year would be provided to farmers holding cultivable land of up to 2 hectare. Goyal has already earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for disbursal among 12 crore farmers under the scheme in the current financial year. "It has been decided to implement with effect from December 1, 2018. Allocation of Rs 20,000 crore required for the current fiscal has been made in the budget. Land record data is completely available. We have all the information about small and marginal farmers," Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg told PTI in a post Budget interview. The government last year released Agriculture Census 2015-16 and most states have ...
Thousands protest in Paris against police violence
Thousands of people took to streets of Paris to protest against police violence.
Reward announced for info about killing of stray dogs and cats
Animal rights organisation Humane Society International/India has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information about the unidentified culprits who poisoned stray cats and dogs in Yerawada area of the city. As many as 14 cats and seven dogs were found dead in TridalNagarsociety last month. The residents had expressed suspicion that they were poisoned. Alokparna Sengupta, deputy managing Director, Humane SocietyInternational/India, said in a release, "It's shocking....We urge anyone who knows or has seen something to reportit to us or the police. "We fear this is more than just intolerancetowards street animals; this could be the doing of a mentallyunstable person who could hurt humans later," Sengupta said. Anyone having information about the deaths could contact HSI/India on phone number 8899117773, she added.
Last refugee children in Pacific camp to be moved: Australia
The last remaining refugee children detained by Australia on the remote Pacific island of Nauru are being moved to other countries, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday, following criticism of Canberra's harsh treatment of asylum-seekers. Under a policy meant to deter would-be asylum-seekers from reaching Australia by boat, Canberra sends arrivals to Pacific camps, where they await the processing of their applications. But there has been growing domestic and international pressure on the government to move children held in the offshore island camps, following reports of serious health problems. "Every asylum-seeker child has now been removed from Nauru or has had their claim processed and has a clear path off the island," Morrison said in a joint statement with Immigration Minister David Coleman. Morrison said when he came into power in August, there were 109 children on the island. "There are now only four asylum seeker children on Nauru and they have all been approved for ...
No gimmick of loan waiver for farmers in interim budget: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said his government, in its interim budget, did not resort to the Congress' "gimmick" of loan waiver as it will not help poor farmers, and instead assured Rs 6,000 per year permanently. No previous governments have made such a huge assistance scheme for farmers post-Independence, Modi claimed at a BJP rally here. The prime minister's Kishan Samman Nidhi Yojana will provide Rs 6,000 to over 12 crore farmers with small holdings by transferring the fund every year in their bank accounts, he said. "This means that there will be an expenditure of Rs 75,000 crore every year for this scheme," he said, adding that the government is trying to commence transfer of the first tranche of the assistance to the farmers' accounts as soon as possible. He said the scheme will provide succour to the poor farmers who have never got the benefits of loan waiver. Modi said with such a huge expenditure, his government could have also made a "great noise" over loan waiver
