Page 408 - Social Issues
Varavara, 2 other activists brought back to their homes from Pune; allege being framed
Three of the five noted rights activists held for their alleged links with the Maoists were today brought back to their homes in Mumbai and Hyderabad from Pune after the Supreme Court ordered the Maharashtra police they be kept under house arrest and not in their custody. Alleging that the activists were being framed, Leftist poet and writer Varavara Rao, who was brought to Hyderabad by air, hit out out at the Centre and the Maharashtra government, saying there cannot be a bigger conspiracy than calling those fighting against "fascist policies" conspirators. Describing dissent as the "safety valve of democracy", the apex court yesterday directed the Maharashtra police that the five activists be kept under house arrest at their homes until the next day of hearing on September 6. Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, were sent to Mumbai by road, said a police official in Pune. Gonsalves reached his home in Mumbai's Andheri suburb around 7.30 am. His wife, advocate Susan Abraham, said, ...
JP Nadda reviews relief measures in flood-hit Kerala
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda, on Thursday, reviewed the relief measures undertaken in the flood-hit Kerala.The Health Minister also spoke to the Health Minister of Kerala K.K. Shailaja and assured her of the continued support.The officials briefed Nadda with the disease surveillance data in order to tackle any potential outbreak of epidemic-prone diseases.In addition to the financial aid provided by the Government, it has also supplied 73 MT of essential emergency drugs; 1000 injections of Adrenaline vials; 2.25 crore Chlorine tablets (one tablet for chlorinating 20 L of water); 80 MT of Bleaching powder, and 4 lakh units of sanitary napkins to the state, besides 1000 litres of Cyphenothrin 5%, 500 kg of Diflubenzuron 25% and 250 litres of Malathion.As per the additional request received from the state, 58 items of essential drugs/ consumables weighing about 120 MT, and 40 Ultra Low Volume (ULV) Fogging Machines have also been sent to the state.The .
Repeated attempts to silence dissent, say activists
Human rights activist Aruna Roy, literary figure Arundhati Roy and lawyer Prashant Bhushan along with other activists on Thursday criticised the BJP-led government over repeated attempts to silence the voices of the dissent.
Economic well-being of a section of SC/ST doesn't take away stigma of caste, Centre tell SC
The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that even though some people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have climbed a few steps in the economic ladder, the stigma of caste and backwardness continues to stick to them, emphasising reservation in promotion for the community.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar bats for prohibition
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today favoured nationwide prohibition saying there could be no greater way of paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary in 2019 than implementing liquor ban. Participating at a memorial event for the former DMK chief, who died on August 7, he said implementation of prohibition was Bihar's tribute to Gandhi on completion of 100 years of the Champaran satyagrah. Sharing his experience in implementing prohibition since 2016, Kumar said: "It is heartening to see a deep seated social transformation taking place in Bihar." Prohibition has resulted in healthy citizens, economic betterment of families, and reduction in domestic violence. "It has led to a more empowered and healthy society, the results of which are visible in the development of Bihar." Kumar said Karunanidhi favoured a "complete ban on liquor," and recalled that the DMK had promised implementation of prohibition in its manifesto for the 2016 assembly ...
Edu institutes asked to provide disabled-friendly environment: Maha govt tells HC
The Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court that it has instructed all educational institutes in the state to ensure their buildings are disabled-friendly. The submission was made before a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Naresh Patil. In July this year, the court, when hearing a public interest litigation filed by a disabled student from Pune, had directed the government and the directorate of education to call for reports from educational institutes and universities on facilities for disabled students. Mumbai University's lawyer Rui Rodrigues today stated that the existing law mandates colleges imparting professional courses such as medicine and engineering to provide a "barrier-free environment" in their buildings. Further, the government issued an order recently according to which all educational institutes should provide a disabled-friendly environment, he said. A government resolution (order) of August 23 says that all government-aided institutes providing ...
Railways to conduct coaching census after 7 years
After seven years, the Indian Railways will record the exact number of coaching stock at its disposal during a day-long census to be conducted tomorrow across zones and in running trains, a senior official said today. The railways will also identify coaches that were involved in accidents and now remain unused. The last such census was conducted by the national transporter in 2011. During the census, each coach will be stencilled by a symbol of equilateral triangle with "18" - for 2018 - written inside it, according to the order for the procedure. It will be conducted by a team of operating, mechanical and electrical staff of the railways. In case of running trains, the census will be done at stations, where the halt time is 10 minutes or more. "The last census was conducted seven years ago and since then a lot of the stock has changed. Conducting census is very important as it not only gives us an exact figure of the stock but also in what condition they are in. It will create a ...
Pushed back 500 people to Assam, claims Mizo students' body
The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or the Mizo Students' Federation today claimed that its activists have detected and pushed back nearly 500 people from Assam trying to enter into Mizoram without valid citizenship documents. The outfit's activists have started keeping a vigil on the Mizoram-Assam border following publication on July 30 of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, in which 40 lakh applicants were left out, MZP president L Ramdinliana Renthlei said. "Between August 16 and today, our workers detected and pushed back around 500 people from Assam from three checkpoints - Vairengte, Bairabi and Saiphaim. They did not have valid citizenship documents," Renthlei told PTI. He alleged that the Mizoram government did not take necessary steps, though other northeastern states bordering Assam made arrangements to prevent "illegal migrants" from sneaking in. The state government, however, said additional police personnel were deployed in border areas.
Varava, 2 other activists brought back to their homes from Pune,in house arrest,allege being framed
Three of the five noted rights activists held for their alleged links with the Maoists were today brought back to their homes in Mumbai and Hyderabad from Pune after the Supreme Court ordered the Maharashtra police they be kept under house arrest and not in their custody. Alleging that the activists were being framed, Leftist poet and writer Varavara Rao, who was brought to Hyderabad by air, hit out out at the Centre and the Maharashtra government, saying there cannot be a bigger conspiracy than calling those fighting against "fascist policies" conspirators. Describing dissent as the "safety valve of democracy", the apex court yesterday directed the Maharashtra police that the five activists be kept under house arrest at their homes until the next day of hearing on September 6. Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, were sent to Mumbai by road, said a police official in Pune. Gonsalves reached his home in Mumbai's Andheri suburb around 7.30 am. His wife, advocate Susan Abraham, said, ...
BJP will try to derail everything with some surprise attack: Arundhati Roy
The arrest earlier this week of civil rights activists was carried out to "Divert and Rule", writer-activist Arundhati Roy alleged on Thursday and expressed fear that in the run up to the 2019 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will "try to derail everything" with "some surprise attack", urging people to hold the government accountable for its actions.
Govt trying to strike terror by raiding homes of activists: Jharkhand civil society
Calling raids on prominent activists and intellectuals an attempt by the government to strike terror among those fighting for the marginalised, Jharkhand's civil society members, including economist Jean Dreze, have demanded the immediate release of the people arrested. Maharashtra police arrested Left-wing activists Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha, and raided the homes of several others as part of their probe into the 'Elgar Parishad' conclave in Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune on December 31 last year. The conclave had triggered violence between Dalits and upper caste Peshwas. Others whose premises were reportedly searched this week were Father Stan Swamy, Susan Abraham, Kranthi Tekula and Anand Teltumbde. "We demand immediate release of the arrested individuals and dropping of all false charges against them, as these arrests and raids are politically motivated and unjustified," a letter signed by 73 groups and individuals ...
Metro services affected as man attempts suicide at station
A suicide attempt by a man at Girish Park metro station affected the underground train services for 40 minutes today, a Metro spokesperson said here. The unidentified man allegedly tried to commit suicide by jumping on the tracks at Girish Park when a train entered the station in the up-line. The injured man was lifted and taken to a hospital for treatment, a police officer said. Owing to the incident, metro services were affected from 3.33 pm to 4.13 pm, the Metro spokesperson said. Truncated services were maintained during the period between Maidan and Kavi Subhash stations in the southern part of the city.
Upper castes in Bihar protest against SC/ST Act
Hundreds of people from the upper caste communities took to the streets on Thursday in different parts of Bihar to protest against the SC/ST Act, officials said.
Govt silencing those working for the marginalised: Stan Swami
Social activist Stan Swami, whose residence was raided along with other Left-wing activists by Pune Police on Tuesday, alleged that the government was silencing those who were working for the marginalised and voiceless sections of the society. He also condemned the arrest of five prominent Left-wing activists by the Pune Police during raids in several states on August 28. The raids were carried out as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and upper caste Peshwas near Pune after 'Elgar Parishad' event on December 31 last year. "I condemn the blatant violation of democratic rights of the social activists; the government is silencing the people who are working for the poor, the marginalised and voiceless of the society," Swami said in a statement yesterday. "All the human rights activists targeted in this multi-city operation by the police...have stood for the principles of human rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution and the international standards on human rights," he
Over 80 pc of disabled people live in rural areas in Meghalaya
Meghalaya Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla today said over 80 per cent of 44,317 disabled people were living in rural areas in the state and there was a need to rehabilitate and empower them. Inaugurating a two-day national seminar on Strategic Plan for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities here, he said that a strategic plan would help mobilise support for disabled people in the north eastern region and thereby creating an inclusive society. Additional Chief Secretary Hector Marwein said that the Unique Disability Identity Card (UDID) was yet to be issued to disabled persons in the state and requested the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to expedite the process so that the beneficiaries could get several benefits. The joint secretary of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Dolly Chakraborty quoting Census 2011 said there were 2.68 crore people with disabilities in the country, of which 7.33 lakh were in the North East.
NAWO drumming up support for Women's Reservation Bill
A group of women's organisations have decided to urge female voters to snub political parties which are ignoring the Women's Reservation Bill. In a statement, the National Alliance for Women's Organisations (NAWO), comprising over 100 women's rights groups, said the marginal representation of women in Parliament and legislative assemblies is a matter of grave concern. Unless we have more women in Parliament and in legislative assemblies, our issues will be ignored time and again. A mere 12 per cent representation of women in India's Parliament is one of the lowest in the world. The Women's Reservation Bill was developed in order to facilitate women's political participation by reserving 33 per cent of all seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. "It's high time the women of India understand the gravity of the situation and do something about it. The rampant stories of crimes against women in India says a lot about where our country is heading in terms of ...
SC/ST members from one state cannot claim quota benefit in another unless caste notified there: SC
The Supreme Court today held that a member of a Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community cannot claim the benefit of reservation in government employment in other states if his or her caste is not notified there. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi unanimously held that a person belonging to Scheduled Caste in one state cannot be deemed to be a Scheduled Caste in other states where he migrated for the purpose of employment or education. The bench, which also comprised Justices N V Ramana, R Banumathi, M Shantanagoudar and Justice S A Nazeer, held "A person notified as Scheduled Caste in state A cannot claim the same status in another state on the basis that he is declared as Scheduled Caste in state A." Justice Banumathi, however, disagreed with the majority view on the aspect of applicability of central reservation policy on SC/ST in national capital territory, Delhi. The bench with a majority of 4:1 held that so far as Delhi is concerned, the central .
Marriage certificate mandatory in Meghalaya : Official
The Meghalaya government has made it mandatory to furnish marriage certificates by married couples for all official purposes, an official said today. The government has issued instructions to all government departments to ensure that individuals submit the certificates for all official purposes, registration department under secretary B Syiemlieh said in a letter to social activist Michael N Syiem. "The government has made it mandatory for married men and women to furnish marriage certificates for all official purposes as notified under the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012," the official said. The social activist, who spearheaded a movement for compulsory registration of marriages in the state, had written to the chief minister earlier this year seeking immediate implementation of the said Act in view of the fact that cabinet approval of the rules had been accorded in 2015. He argued that compulsory registration of marriages would solve the issues .
Man kills wife, two daughters , before jumping into river
A contractual driver in the health department here committed suicide after allegedly killing his wife and two children, police said today. The incident took place yesterday when Lashmi Shankar (35) strangulated his wife Dimple (29) following some dispute with her and killed two daughters Sky (7) and Sona (6) by drowning them in a tub at his residence in Belthara road area, they said. He later informed the police about his act and reached Turtipur village and committed suicide by jumping into Ghagra river from the bridge. Further probe is on, police added.
Germany probes Chemnitz stabbing leak
Germany has launched a probe into who leaked the arrest warrant for an Iraqi murder suspect to far-right groups in Saxony's eastern city of Chemnitz, an official said.
