Page 390 - Social Issues
Rahul hits out at Modi, says country being divided
The country is being divided under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule, Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged Monday and declared that a united opposition will defeat the BJP in the next elections. Addressing a protest rally with various opposition parties at the Ramlila grounds here, he also questioned the prime minister's silence on rising fuel prices, the Rafale jet deal and issues such as farmer suicides, atrocities against women and unemployment. Ramping up his attack against the prime minister, Gandhi said Modi in 2014 had made promises to the people of the country, youth, farmers and women, assuring them of jobs and their safety. "People believed in him and helped form his government," he said. Four years on, people are clearly seeing what he has done, Gandhi added. "Narendra Modi used to say that nothing has happened in 70 years and we will do that in four years. It is true, what he has done in four years has not happened in 70 years. Wherever you see, one Indian is fighting
Bharat Bandh hits normal life in Odisha
Normal life was paralysed in Odisha as the Congress and other opposition parties observed a Bharat Bandh against the rising fuel prices on Monday.
Bharat Bandh: 58 Congress activists taken into custody
Altogether 58 Congress activists were Monday taken into police custody in Jharkhand for forcibly trying to enforce the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the party, a police officer said. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Left parties in Jharkhand are supporting the Congress-sponsored 'Bharat bandh called against fuel price hike. Fifty eight Congress activists including Palamau district Congress president Jaias Ranjan Pathak were taken into custody for forcibly trying to enforce the bandh, Superintendent of Police Inderjeet Mahata said. Barring Garhwa district, normal life is not affected in Pakur, Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Lohardaga, Gumla, Ramgarh, Giridih, Latehar, Palamau, Dhanbad and other districts, according to reports. Goods trains and passengers trainings were being escorted by the police, a police officer said. Vehicular traffic is normal in most parts of the state, including Ranchi, the reports said.
Shutdown in Kerala to protest fuel price hike
A state-wide shutdown called by Kerala's ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition to protest rising fuel prices, was observed on Monday.
Rights group calls for China sanctions over mass detentions
The international community should impose sanctions on China over its treatment of minorities in its far west region, Human Rights Watch said Monday, where as many as one million people may have been swept up in mass detentions. China has long imposed draconian restrictions on the lives of Muslim minorities in its Xinjiang region in the name of combating terrorism and separatism, with police measures intensifying in recent years. Upwards of one million ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities are being held in counter-extremism centres, according to estimates cited by a United Nations panel on racial discrimination last month. In response to the government's actions, the international community should "impose targeted sanctions" on Chinese officials "linked to abuses" in Xinjiang, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report detailing China's repressive actions in the region. The Chinese government has impeded reporting in Xinjiang, preventing a clear accounting of the ...
Local Youth Congress functionary held for harassing girls
A 30-year old local functionary of Congress attempted self-immolation after being arrested by police on the charge of harassing girls at a Scheduled Tribe hostel in Rajanna Sircilla district Sunday, police said. Bandari Bala Kumar, Sircilla unit Youth Congress president, was taken into custody after he entered the hostel in the town and harassed the girls allegedly under inebriated condition, they said. When he was taken to a hospital for examination, he doused himself with kerosene and attempted to set himself afire. However, police managed to foil his attempt. He was later produced before a court which remanded him to judicial custody, police said.
BJP meet hails Modi, Sonowal for NRC
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for implementing National Register of Citizens (NRC), the BJP on Sunday reiterated that after identification, each and every illegal infiltrator will be deported.
Will not allow India to be safe destination for illegal infiltrators: Shah
The Modi government will not allow India to be a "safe destination" for infiltrators, BJP president Amit Shah said Sunday, asserting that it has started efforts to identify the Rohingya people living illegally in the country and will make arrangements for their deportation. The party's national executive passed Shah's statement, which speaks of illegal immigrants in Assam and other states, on the issue of the National Register of Citizens exercise in the northeastern state. He said the NRC process in Assam is necessary for India's safety and for preserving the state's economic, cultural and political rights. Lashing out at opposition parties for their criticism of the BJP on the issue, he said when in power they had accepted that crores of illegal immigrants have been living in Assam and other states and that they understand the seriousness of this problem. No country in the world allows infiltrators to live on its land but opposition parties did not show courage to stand to protect ..
SP to protest across UP on Monday over fuel prices
The Samajwadi Party will undertake a statewide demonstration on Monday to protest against the rising prices of petroleum products. Senior SP leader Rajendra Chaudhary said on Sunday that on the directives of party president Akhilesh Yadav, party workers would be holding demonstrations at all the districts and tehsils in the state to highlight the plight of farmers, spiralling prices of petroleum products, inflation, poor law and order, rising corruption and atrocities on students and youngsters. "BJP governments at the Centre and in the state have been unable to launch even a single public welfare-oriented scheme. Due to their decisions, troubles for the common man has increased. "Demonetisation and GST have hit the economy. The prices of petrol, diesel and LPG is sky-rocketing. There is a sense of despair among the youngsters. Law and order has collapsed in the state, while incidents of rapes are on the rise in the state," Chaudhary said. A pre-scheduled meeting of presidents and ...
World Suicide Prevention Day: It's okay for men to cry
Following an episode of sexual harassment at school by a senior, a sobbing Vikas Aggarwal, then a boy of 14, expressed his anguish to his parents, only to be thrashed by his father. Unable to cope with the trauma, he decided to put an end to his misery by jumping into a nearby lake. "Their son getting assaulted seemed like a matter of shame to my parents. They asked me to forget the incident and move on. When I had no one to talk to, ending my life seemed like the only option," Vikas told PTI on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day. Although he was saved in the nick of time, his assault was never raised with the school authorities. Instead, his parents decided to hush up the matter, and he was moved to a new school. According to Johnson Thomas, director of Aasra - a Mumbai-based mental health NGO, Indian men grow up in households that teach them to present a "macho" image, that often entails hiding away their vulnerabilities. "Indian men have been conditioned to hide away their ...
Odishas first transgender civil servant now plans marriage
Bolstered by the Supreme court ruling that consensual gay sex is not a crime, Odisha's first gazetted government officer from the transgender community plans to marry her live-in partner. The Supreme Court judgement on September 6 struck down IPC 377 Section and has paved the way for dignified living for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community. The court should now stamp its seal of approval on same-sex marriage, inheritance of property in accordance with right to equality, said Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan, whom the Odisha government has conferred transgender identity through a gazette notification on 2017. "Now marriage is confined to male and female only. The court needs to empower citizens like us to legally marry the man whom we love, adore and respect. Its a matter of time only. The apex court would be kind enough to confer these rights to us," she said. Aishwarya (34) had laid claim to fame for being Odishas first state civil servant from ..
Opposition criticises Centre for not taking stand on Section 377
Echoing Supreme Court Justice DY Chandrachud's thoughts, the opposition is criticising the Narendra Modi-led government for not taking a stand on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalised homosexuality.Addressing an event earlier, Justice Chandrachud had expressed disappointment over the Centre's decision to leave it to the Supreme Court to take a call on such a sensitive issue.Speaking to ANI, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj K Jha said, "By merely ignoring such an important issue and handing to the judiciary is not the solution. By taking such moves, the government is setting a wrong tradition for other governments."Senior Loktantrik Janata Dal party leader Sharad Yadav was of the view that the government did not take up this issue properly in the Parliament, fearing that the Opposition will expose their acts pertaining to the issue. "The court has given its judgment on the article 377 in a very beautiful manner. I strongly believe that Bharatiya Janata Party ...
Transgender in Pak set on fire by four men for resisting sexual assault
A transgender in Pakistan died on Saturday after he was set on fire allegedly by four persons when he resisted their attempt to sexually assault him. The transgender suffered 80 per cent burn injuries and died while he was being taken to a hospital in Lahore. According to police, the four accused took the transgender to a deserted place near a cab station in Sahiwal district, around 250 kms from Lahore, on Thursday and set him on fire after he resisted their attempt to sexually assault him. In the north part of Pakistan, transgender community is very unsafe. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Human Rights Directorate has taken serious notice of the rise in the incidents of violence against transgenders and has directed all departments concerned to share their investigation into the murder of transgender persons recently on a daily basis. Pakistan's parliament in May last year passed a law guaranteeing basic rights for transgender citizens and outlawing discrimination by both employers and private
Acid-attack survivors walk the ramp
Five acid-attack survivors walked the ramp as show-stoppers donning outfits of ace fashion designer Agnimitra Paul at an event here, with a galaxy of dignitaries from different walks of life cheering them. State Women and Child Development and Social Welfare (Independent Charge) minister Sashi Panja, who was present on the occasion on Saturday, commended the efforts put in by the girls to make this turnaround possible. "They are not acid attack victims, they are survivors," she said. To a question, Panja said, the government has always stood by women, who have been subjected to attacks and torture by providing them emergency treatment at state hospitals. "We are also ready to help them in getting legal assistance if they approach the state government," she said. Coming back to the event, Panja said, "What I liked the most is their confidence, none of them are embarrassed of the scars. Infact they are the most beautiful women as their beauty comes from within." Paul, who .
Himachal runs special health centres for adolescents
Special health centres are running in Himachal Pradesh under the National Adolescent Health Programme to solve problems of youths, an official said on Sunday.
Everyone has the right to live, die with dignity: CJI
Just a few days after the Supreme Court gave a landmark judgment by decriminalising homosexuality, Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dipak Misra said that each individual has the right to life as well as the right to live with dignity, but cases involving conflicting interest have to be dealt with in a balanced manner.Delivering the Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Public Lecture Series at Pune's Bharti Vidyapeeth, the CJI, while referring to the Aruna Shanbaug case, touched upon the issue of conflict between two fundamental rights, and said that the verdict in such cases should be given after thoroughly studying the facts of the case and the fundamental structure of the Constitution.The Aruna Shanbaug case, which led to a change in euthanasia laws of the country. The bench handling this case in 2017, recognised a living will by a terminally-ill patient for passive euthanasia and drafted new guidelines clarifying the way to execute the will and the role of the medical board in giving assent to
Man dies after falling from a hill in HP
A migrant labourer from UP's Saharanpur died after falling into a gorge in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh Sunday, police said. The deceased, Meharban, was working in a road construction project, they added. The victim sustained severe head injuries from the fall, following which he was taken to the JNU Medical College, where he succumbed to injuries, officials said. Preliminary investigation did not indicate any foul play behind the incident, they said, adding that inquest proceedings under section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was initiated in this regard.
Ariana Grande mourns Mac Miller's death with photograph
Ariana Grande has mourned the sudden demise of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller by sharing a picture of the rapper on her Instagram. The 26-year-old rapper was pronounced dead on Friday from apparent an overdose. Grande, 25, shared a black-and-white photograph of Miller looking at the camera while sitting on the grass. The pop star shared the image without a caption. Grande disabled comments on the social media platform after some fans began to blame her for Miller's death. The duo dated for two years before their break up in May. After their split, Grande started dating comedian Pete Davidson with whom she got engaged in June. Miller, whose real name was Malcolm McCormick, was pronounced dead at 11:51 am at his Studio City, California, home on Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed. A cause of death is yet to be determined.
BJP holding back biggest pol reform: Mahila Cong chief on Women's Reservation Bill
The Congress's women's wing chief on Sunday hit out at the BJP over the Women's Reservation Bill issue, alleging that the ruling party's "lack of conviction" was holding back the biggest social and political reform that India awaits. All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev also claimed that women in the BJP had no voice with not a single woman BJP MP or MLA speaking out against the recent incidents of rape. The (Women's Reservation) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJP and other parties. Now, the BJP has the numbers in the Lok Sabha, which we did not in 2009 to 2014, she told PTI in an interview. The BJP manifesto also expressly commits to it, but the ruling party has done nothing to revive the bill, the MP from Assam's Silchar said. "The Congress president (Rahul Gandhi) has agreed to support reservation, so has the TMC (Trinamool Congress), DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) and many other parties. "It is only the ...
Kin of slain Himachal RTI activist demands CBI probe
Following the alleged murder of Right to Information (RTI) activist Kedar Singh Jindan in Sirmaur district, the family of the deceased has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter.Along with the kin of the murdered RTI activist, social activists and locals protested with Jindan's body in Shimla on Saturday night till early morning of Sunday, demanding security and safety of the family, a job for the slain RTI activist's wife, and arrest of all five accused in connection with the matter.The body of Jindan, who was murdered on Friday, was brought from Sirmaur to Shimla for postmortem at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) on the request of family members. He was allegedly murdered and later crushed under a vehicle near Bakras village in Sirmaur district. The family members had requested the police for postmortem at IGMC hospital and are also demanding to shift the case to Shimla.Police has arrested two persons in the case so far, including a
