By IANS,
Aligarh : The Aligarh Muslim University will send a team to provide medical aid to people hit by nature's fury in Uttarakhand, Pro-Vice Chancellor S. Ahmad Ali said.
He said the medical team will have 10 doctors with different specialties. It will be led by Anjum Parvez.
Ali also urged the teaching and non-teaching staff to donate one day's salary for the Uttarakhand relief fund.
By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI—America and Canada) will organize its 22ndInternational convention on Education and Gala Award in Guwahati for the first time in a bid to cater much needed support for the poor students.
AFMI, a philanthropic, service based and issue-oriented organization formed by Muslim Americans of Indiaan origin, which has been organizing the event since 1989 for Muslim toppers of class X and XII standard board examinations in various cities of India. For motivation to excel in education AFMI has awarded over 2000 gold, silver, bronze medals and certificates.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to come to Guwahati for the event. I think the entire north-eastern states will get benefited from it. It’s our noble effort to see off challenges of the poor students,” said USA based A R Nakadar who is a trustee of AFMI addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Saturday.
The programme is scheduled to be held on December 28 and 29 in which delegates and guests from across the country and abroad will come.
He also said that AFMI also provides scholarships to needy and deserving students. “In addition, the convention will also feature sessions on various aspects of education and these will be addressed by experts in the field. A special session will be dedicated on the challenges and prospects facing Muslim education in the northeast besides having another session on girl child,” Nakadar added.
Ayub Khan, AFMI national president who is from Canada said that AFMI strives to achieve 100 per cent literacy rate and for that they have already built schools and adopted several other schools in various underprivileged areas of the country.
By TCN News,
Udupi: A huge protest was conducted by Campus Front of India against the gang rape in Manipal on 22 June.
The protest was inaugurated by CFI State treasurer Farhan Honnala, CFI state secretary Tafseer, CFI dist President Ashiq Moolur. All other district committee members also participated this protest including hundreds of supporters and students.
By M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
It’s been over two years to the brutal police firing at the protesters in Forbesganj as they were demonstrating against the blockade of the only connecting road to their village with the block office, market and Idgah on June 3, 2011. TwoCircles.net was the first to report the police firing and it was largely because of our sustained reporting that the state and civil society had taken cognizance and several political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav and National Minority Commission Chairman Wajahat Habibullah had made visits to this hamlet.
However, with the passage of time, like so many other instances of police brutality, this too seems to be going in oblivion, with nothing really changing on the ground. TCN team visited the Araria district in Bihar and spent few days in the Forbesganj block, under which Bhajanpur village comes. We tried speaking to the victims and their kins and tried to gauge the mood and also if they got any rehabilitation packages.
For the Bhajanpur village and the proposed factory site on the other side of the highway in Forbesganj, life appears to have halted. The work at the proposed site was suspended following the police firing and villagers have continued using the same road that passes across the land and for which four villagers including a pregnant woman and an eight month old boy laid down their lives.
Hope of compensation/justice dwindling:
Kins of those who died, as well as those who were injured complain of not getting any compensation from the state government, except the family of the infant who was killed. Bihar government had made it clear that any compensation could only made after the report of the judicial probe, that has not yet completed, though it was earlier supposed to submit its report in six months time.
Family members of the four who had died, however, confirmed that they got Rs 1 lakh from the Congress President Sonia Gandhi, another one lakh from Lalu Parsad Yadav, and about seventy five thousands in total from several other political leaders and civil society members. Those injured had received 10 thousands each. Some of those severely injured received treatment at Kolkata and AIIMS in Delhi at the expense of some individual leaders or civil society groups.
8 year old son (now 10 year old) Manzoor was hit by a bullet in neck, but luckily he survived. His treatment is still on and the injury has affected his nerves as well, from which he has not completely recovered yet. His angry father Maulvi Ali Rasool Ansari, the imam of the mosque in the village, says he will not compromise at any cost and that he wants justice. He says he got not compensation from the government, not even for treatment of his son.
Eight months old Naushad Ansari, son of Taheena Khatoon and Siddiq Ansari was in his mother’s lap as she was apparently returning from the market. Naushad was hit with two bullets in his back and the infant died. His mother who too was hit by a bullet in her hand and she underwent treatment in local hospital and later in Kolkata. However, her hand is not fully functional yet. Naushad’s family was the only one who received Rs 3 lakh compensation from the state government. However, the family complains that the entire money was exhausted in the treatment of the mother. When TCN first approached, a frustrated Taheena Khatoon refused to talk saying people come, ask us about our problems, and we keep waiting; nothing has changed for us. The next day, however, with the help of our local guide, we succeed in making her talk. She narrates the whole event and says that her wait for justice is becoming difficult and painfully lengthy.
25 year old Raees Ansari was hit by a bullet in his chin. Even after multiple surgeries at a government hospital in Patna, he has not recovered fully and has difficulties in talking. When TCN visited Bhajanpur, he had gone out, but his wife and mother spoke. Besides compensation they said they need the road that they have been using for years now and for which so many people were injured and killed.
Angry with Bihar government:
The anger of these villagers against the state government is quite naturally still very high, although over two years have passed. Everyone TCN spoke to confirmed that no representative of the state government or then ruling JDU-BJP alliance ever visited the village to provide the ‘healing touch,’ not even the Forebsganj MLA Padam Parag Roy ‘Venu’ or Araria MP Pradeep Kumar Singh, both whom are from the BJP. It should be noted here that Saurav Agarwal, son of a local BJP MLC is one of the partners in the proposed factory.
In fact when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on a visit in the district, there were speculations that family members of the victims might be invited to meet him. However, the CM did not give the villagers any hearing.
Police had already filed an FIR against over 4000 unknown people in connection with the agitation, clashes, burning and destroying properties two years ago. However, the biggest shock came in the month of April earlier this year when local police published arrest warrants in two Hindi dailies against 50 villagers that included six dead persons, 14 members of the victims’ families and 23 witnesses who deposed before the inquiry commission and also included their names in the court complaints.
Villagers as well as civil rights activists see it as a ploy to pressurize the villagers and force them to agree to some kind of compromise. Villagers confirm that the police have become excessively vigilant after the firing and that they have to face unwarranted harassment. Several villagers claim that FIRs were registered against them and their names figure out in the list of arrest warrants even though they were not present at site of demonstration at that time.
Sub-Divisional officer or other district officials did try to intervene. Villagers say they were even offered building roads, and other infrastructure in lieu of agreeing to amicable settlements, but so far villagers are not ready to accept any offer unless guilty police personnel are punished.
This TCN correspondent was in Forbesganj, the day JDU ended its 12 years alliance with the BJP. A local JDU worker was now hopeful that the Bihar CM might get benevolent and help resolve the impasse and provide compensation as it would be good gesture towards the community.
Read TCN Special series and in-depth coverage on the Forbesganj Police firing
By TCN News,
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh State Minority Commission Chairman Abid Rasool Khan inaugurated the school kits distribution of Hyderabad by giving school kits to students. Popular Front of India Hyderabad Unit conducted a mega school kit distribution program in Fathima Functional Hall in Hasan Nagar on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm.
Popular Front Hyderabad unit as part of its school chalo campaign for the past one month has been surveying in the Hassan Nagar area of Rajendranagar constituency. As part of the survey, more than 1000 houses were surveyed for drop-outs and needy students were identified. They have been provided required material in this program.
Abid Rasool Khan appreciated the Popular Front of India’s effort to uplift the community in the field of education and the way needy students were being picked. He extended his support to the programs of Popular Front.
The program was also attended by Khalida Parveen, Women Rights activist who appreciated the work of Popular Front and the way survey has been done in the area and providing the necessary requirement.
Md. Arif Ahmed, State General Secretary of Popular Front of India AP demanded the government to implement the schemes on the ground and not to limit it to papers. He requested all leaders to intervene and work for the upliftment of the downtrodden communities.
By Sheikh Qayoom, IANS,
Srinagar : As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi begin their two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday, it is generally believed here that development and not politics would be the focus.
The prime minister and the UPA chairperson have a busy schedule ahead in Kashmir, but there is no indication that any earthshaking political announcement would be made, apart for meeting some delegations in summer capital Srinagar on Tuesday and addressing a public meeting in south Kashmir's Anantnag district the next day.
The prime minister will lay the foundation stone of the 850 MW Rattle hydro power project in Kishtwar district in the Jammu region, co-chair a meeting of the state council of ministers to review the implementation of the ambitious Rs.37,000 crore reconstruction package and also release a stamp on Kashmiri revolutionary poet Mehjoor in Srinagar.
Before departing for New Delhi on Wednesday, the prime minister will inaugurate the 11-km-long railway tunnel across the Pir Panjal range that will connect the Valley with the Jammu region, cutting short the surface distance by 17 km. The tunnel will also provide all-weather access across the Pir Panjal range.
The Srinagar-Jammu highway often gets closed due to heavy snowfall during the winter months.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already indicated that an invitation for talks to the separatist leaders during the visit was unlikely since the Lok Sabha elections are due next year.
"The doors of the prime minister are always open for anyone who wants to engage in dialogue for peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir," highly placed sources here said.
The separatists, on their part, are also not hopeful of getting any invitation for a dialogue during this visit.
"Saying that the doors are always open indicates the centre is no longer serious in engaging in a meaningful, result-oriented dialogue with the Kashmiri leadership", senior separatist leader Muhammad Nayeem Khan told IANS.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who visited the Valley last week, said the UPA government had succeeded in changing sentiments in the area where people were now looking forward to peace and development. The statement bore a clear message that the "change of sentiment" had been achieved without engaging the separatist leadership in a dialogue or taking Pakistan on board for the peace process.
Given the number of tourists arriving here last year and this year and the economic well-being of the people associated directly or indirectly with the tourism industry, it appears those who said some years back that tourism and development would have to wait till permanent peace returned to Kashmir might have to think again.
Ironically, tourism and development today appear to be the two major agents ushering in peace in the troubled state rather than appendages that would have followed peace here.
Abdullah has, however, said neither economic packages nor guns would resolve the Kashmir tangle.
Given the aggressive development agenda the UPA has decided to follow in the state, it appears the centre believes differently.
(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)
By TCN News,
New Delhi: The process of inviting application forms for admission to Ph.D. programme at Jamia Millia Islamia is scheduled to start from today.
The guidelines for admission including eligibility criteria, schedule of admission, categories of exemption from Entrance Test and other relevant information will be available on the University’s website http://jmi.ac.in w.e.f. June 24, 2013.
The Application Forms for admission can be downloaded from Jamia Millia Islamia website http://jmi.ac.in w.e.f. June 24, 2013 and duly filled in application forms along with required documents accompanied can be submitted to respective Departments and Centres of the University on or before July 15, 2013.
By TCN News,
Aligarh: Aligarian Foundation, a NGO by AMU students and alumni organized awareness cum help camp in the lawns of Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology (ZHCET), Aligarh Muslim University on the eve of new admissions of B.Tech course for the coming session.
The camp was organized with a view to help the admission seekers and their parents in dealing with the formalities of the admission procedure and at the same time to create awareness about the traditions and culture of AMU .
Inaugurating the camp Principal of the College Prof Ekram Husain said that it is a commendable step on the part of students that they have come forward to help the fresheers and are informing them about the traditions and culture of AMU. He appreciated the efforts of the Aligarian Foundation.
President of the Aligarian Foundation, Affan Ahmad said that they derived the idea to organize this camp from the vision of the AMU VC and his sincere efforts in reviving the traditions of AMU. He said that Aligarian Foundation is committed for this cause and will to do maximum to create awareness about the traditions of AMU.
By TCN News,
Aligarh: “Time has come when we need to adopt best practices in animal experimentation and find out various alternatives in place of animal experiments for teaching and learning”, said Dr. Nick Jukes, Coordinator, International Network for Humane Education (Inter NICHE), UK, while delivering the University Extension Lecture on “Best Practices and Alternatives to Animal Experiments in Education” at the J. N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University.
Dr. Jukes further elaborated that 'alternatives' include humane tools such as multimedia computer simulation, training mannequins, simulators and human approaches such as student self-experimentation, clinical work with patients, and the use of ethically-sourced animal cadavers. These methods can better meet teaching objectives when developed and implemented by teachers to support successful learning in the medical sciences.
InterNICHE Co-ordinator, Nick Jukes, pointed out that the recent developments in technology have provided educators with a superb range of cutting-edge alternative methods, with significant advantages over conventional procedures. Such tools, combined with other humane approaches, have already replaced harmful animal use in many university departments. He appreciated the efforts of Prof. RA Khan and Dr. S. Ziaur Rahman for establishing and setting-up a separate lab on alternatives to animal experiments in the Department of Pharmacology at JN Medical College replacing harmful animal use.
Dr. Jukes said that InterNICHE website http://www.interniche.org provides free access to database of references, abstracts and other details of published studies, searchable by discipline, author and keyword.
Prof. M. H. Beg, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, while introducing the speaker said that Nicholas David Jukes is one of the prominent figures in the field of alternatives to animal experiment. He appreciated the efforts of Nick for the welfare of animals and the way his association InterNICHE is supporting the cause of animal reduction in the field of medical and veterinary science.
Chief Guest, Prof KC Singhal, Vice-chancellor, NIMS University, Jaipur applauded the lecture and said that the software and mannequins which Dr. Jukes demonstrated were very useful for teaching and learning for undergraduate and post graduate students.
Dr. Syed Ziaur Rahman, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, conducted the program and presented a vote of thanks. Prof Usha Singhal, Prof Mobarak Hossain, Prof Aijaz Ahmad, Prof Meenakshi Gupta, Prof RR Sukul, Prof RA Khan, Prof Anil Kumar, Prof. M. Ansari, Prof Munawwar Hussain, Prof Ather Ansari, Dr. Fazlur Rehman, Dr. Jameel Ahmad, Dr. Sajjad Haider, Dr. Shaista Afroz and many other teachers, staff of the faculty and students attended the lecture. Post lecture event was followed by hand-on experience with few alternatives, which the speaker brought with him from London, UK.
By TCN News,
Lucknow: Rihai Manch has appealed to women organisations and activists to come in support on 25th June at Manch's indefinite Dharna outside UP Assembly demanding justice for Khalid Mujahid.
Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) is on indefinite dharna outside the UP Assembly since May 20 demanding arrest of police officers involved in Khalid Mujahid's murder, issuing the RD Nimesh commission report and action report, and the immediate release of innocent Muslim youth imprisoned in the name of terrorism.
On the 25th June, various women’s organizations and individuals working on women’s issues have been invited to participate in the dharna.
Khalid along with Tariq Qasmi was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) on 20 December 2007 from Barabanki. Huge explosives were also shown as recovered from his possession. STF claimed that he was involved in the serial blasts which occurred in Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Lucknow. Later, Nimesh Commission was constituted headed by Justice R D Nimesh who in its report raised fingers over STF's claim about the place of arrest.
Khalid had died under mysterious circumstances on his way back from Faizabad near Ram Sanehi Ghat on May 18. He was declared brought dead by the doctors at district hospital in Barabanki. Later, on the complain of his uncle Zahir Alam Falahi, a case was registered against 42 police officers including former DGP Vikram Singh, ADG Brijlal and others who were on duty during the time of Khalid's arrest.
Rihai Manch is leading a sustained demonstration against the UP government demanding actions on its poll promise of releasing innocent youths languishing in jails in fabricated terror charges.
Several rights groups and individuals have also expressed their solidarity with the Manch demonstration and on different days made token participation.
By TCN News,
Lucknow: Intelligence Bureau is trying to divert attention from the issue of involvement of its officers in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case by issuing terror threats at Patna and Vaishno Devi claimed Rihai Manch.
Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) is on indefinite dharna outside the UP Assembly since May 20 demanding arrest of police officers involved in Khalid Mujahid's murder, issuing the RD Nimesh commission report and action report, and the immediate release of innocent Muslim youth imprisoned in the name of terrorism.
CBI has questioned IB officer Rajendra Kumar in connection with the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.
Rihai Manch spokespersons have drawn comparison between the fake encounter case in Gujarat and arbitrary arrest of Muslim youths like Khalid Mujahid.
Khalid along with Tariq Qasmi was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) on 20 December 2007 from Barabanki. Huge explosives were also shown as recovered from his possession. STF claimed that he was involved in the serial blasts which occurred in Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Lucknow. Later, Nimesh Commission was constituted headed by Justice R D Nimesh who in its report raised fingers over STF's claim about the place of arrest.
Khalid had died under mysterious circumstances on his way back from Faizabad near Ram Sanehi Ghat on May 18. He was declared brought dead by the doctors at district hospital in Barabanki. Later, on the complain of his uncle Zahir Alam Falahi, a case was registered against 42 police officers including former DGP Vikram Singh, ADG Brijlal and others who were on duty during the time of Khalid's arrest.
Rihai Manch is leading a sustained demonstration against the UP government for last 34 days demanding actions on its poll promise of releasing innocent youths languishing in jails in fabricated terror charges. Several rights groups and individuals have also expressed their solidarity with the Manch demonstration and on different days made token participation.
Rihai Manch has invited and appealed to women organisations and activists to come in support on 25th June to extend their support.
By Dr. Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net,
Imphal: All Manipur Muslim Students’ Organization (AMMSO) organized a get-together function on June 23, 2013 at the Conference Hall of Orient Hotel at Imphal to discuss some of the key issues that the Muslim community is facing today in the State. A list of demands was also prepared to be placed before the State Government for implementation.
The gathering was attended by Advisors and Executive Members of AMMSO, President Farid Khan, General Secretary Saddam Hussain, Advisors A. Qayum, Syed Azam and Md. Aulad Shah, members, Muslim social activists, students and sympathizers. Parliamentary Secretary Md. Amin Shah graced the function as Chief Guest.
Speaking at the gathering, Advisor of AMMSO, Md. Salim Azad said, “AMMSO was formed in February 2002 at Mass Hotel in Imphal with the guidance of the Muslim intellectuals and civil society organizations as a platform to address the issues of the Muslim students of the State. Over the years, the organization has tackled various issues of the community. AMMSO played a significant role in the demand for reservation of seats/posts for Muslims in education and Government employment. O. Ibobi accepted the demand for reservation and issued an order for reservation of 4% of seats/posts for Muslims in Government jobs and admission to technical education in Dec. 2006. Besides these, the organization also played a vital role in the institution of Minority Commission in Manipur, bringing ITI in the minority concentrated area of Lilong, converting the Wakf Board, Manipur into a full-fledged body and construction of its office building at Hafiz Hatta. The organization also pressed the State Government to construct the Muslim girls’ hostel at Hafiz Hatta. AMMSO had also been organizing felicitation programmes for meritorious Muslim students. We had even engaged the Hon’ble Chief Minister O. Ibobi for the programme. The body has also organized a prayer meeting on May 3 this year and prayed for those who died in the 1993 communal riot in the State. We also recently held a reception for Md. Helalluddin Shah who topped the High School Leaving Certificate Exam 2013 conducted by Nagaland Board of School Education.”
Azad also said that AMMSO is planning to felicitate those Muslim students who cracked the High School Leaving Certificate Exam and Higher Secondary Exam with distinction in a grand way. We are also preparing to construct the Office Building of the organization very soon, he further added.
Later, Azad placed a list of demands which the organization is soon going to submit to the State Government for implementation. The list of demands included: 1) to institute a separate Directorate for the Minority Muslims, 2) to up-grade Lilong Haoreibi College as a Post-Graduate institution, 3) to institute a college for Muslim women, 4) to improve the infrastructure of the schools and colleges in Muslim areas, 5) to reserve seats for Muslim students in the school, colleges and professional institutions of the State, 6) to construct a Haj House and a Muslim Guest House, 7) to institute IT and Computer training centres in Muslim areas, 8) to give more power to the State Minority Commission, and 9) to make the Engineering Cell of Minority and Other Backward Classes Economic Development Society (MOBEDS) a full-fledged cell.
The gathering also paid tribute to Md. Hanif Shah, who had served as the President of the Organization, by offering supplication. He was killed on 17 Nov. 2007 by some unidentified gunmen.
By Sheikh Qayoom, IANS,
Srinagar : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday hailed Kashmiriyat and the soldiers killed in a terror attack as he visited Jammu and Kashmir with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for the first time after Afzal Guru's controversial hanging over four months ago.
The prime minister reviewed the progress of various development projects with the council of ministers, including the Prime Minister`s Reconstruction Programme, and announced special assistance of Rs.710 crore to meet the cost of acquiring land for constructing roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
The visit was meant to focus on the economic development of the state, including a critical rail link between the Kashmir and Jammu regions, but the Monday terror attack cast a dark shadow.
Both Manmoman Singh and Gandhi did refer to it in their speeches at Kishtwar in the Jammu region, their first engagement of the day, and later visited the soldiers injured in the attack in Srinagar.
But they did not let the killings overshadow their visit. Manmohan Singh spoke in chaste Urdu as he hailed Kashmiriyat and the communal harmony which it advocates.
Releasing a commemorative postage stamp in honour of poet Mahjoor, the prime minister said Kashmir was known as "the heaven on earth" not just due to its geographical beauty alone.
"We see that great spiritual personalities have made Kashmir beautiful by their furthering of universal values."
He hailed Lalla Arifa or Lallashwari and Sheikh Nurrudin Wali as "the champions of the soul of Kashmir and Kashmiriyat.
"If I say the heart of Kashmir beats with these two great personalities, I would not be wrong."
He said it was because of the spiritual and moral education of such great personalities that Kashmiris embraced communal harmony even during the most difficult times.
"I salute the great values for which Kashmir has always stood and will continue to uphold."
Speaking in Hindi, Gandhi called Mahjoor a great social reformer.
"He had the capacity to deliver his message in a language the common man understood well and for this reason Rabindranath Tagore had called him the Wordsworth of Kashmir."
Manmohan Singh and Gandhi flew into a tense Srinagar on the second leg of their two-day visit.
After first landing in Udhampur, both flew to Kishtwar town, 200 km from Jammu, in an Mi-17 helicopter.
At Kishtwar, Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of an 850 MW hydro electric power project on the Chenab river.
There, he paid tributes to the eight soldiers killed in Srinagar in an ambush a day earlier and said terrorism can never succeed in Kashmir.
India, he added, was united in the fight against terrorism.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Kishtwar rally that Jammu and Kashmir would have faced difficulties but for the Congress-led UPA regime in New Delhi.
From Kishtwar, they prime minister and Gandhi flew to Srinagar via Udhampur. They first called on the soldiers wounded in the Monday attack, being treated at the Badami Bagh cantonment.
The prime minister wished the soldiers speedy recovery.
This is the first visit of Manmohan Singh and Gandhi to Kashmir after the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Both leaders had visited the state Oct 28, 2009 when Kashmir Valley's rail link was extended from Wanpoh station to Qazigund in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.
Manmohan Singh again visited the state in 2010 for two days.
After spending Tuesday night in Srinagar, the prime minister and the Congress president are scheduled to inaugurate the 10.96 km railway tunnel that will link landlocked Kashmir Valley with Jammu region.
The tunnel will connect the south Kashmir Qazigund railway station with Bannihal in Jammu region.
Meanwhile, official restrictions and a separatist called protest crippled normal life in Srinagar.
Pedestrian and vehicular movement on the fashionable Boulevard Road was barred for the VVIP visit.
Shops, businesses and educational institutions were shut while public transport went off the roads in Srinagar.
By TCN News,
Banglore: Karnataka Home Minister KJ George has assured a delegation led by Welfare Party of India national Vice-President Dr. Lalitha Naik to look into the demand for bail to Abdunnasir Madani, a religious scholar and political leader from Kerala, put up in the Agrahara prison since August 2010 for alleged involvement in the 2008 Bangalore blast.
The delegation informed the Minister that Madani was suffering from a host of diseases such as chronic diabetics and cervical spondulosis. With vision power of one eye fully lost, the other one is 80% affected.
Mr. Madani, who had lost one of his legs in a bomb attack in 1992 allegedly by RSS is unable to move and do his primary requirements without someone’s assistance. In the memorandum submitted, the Party alleged many of his diseases aggravated and health condition deteriorated during jail-ship in Parappana as he was denied proper health care.
His treatment expense at the Soukhya Hospital, where he was admitted for a short period, was met, not by the Karnataka government but by his family and friends. The delegation reminded the minister that Madani was imprisoned in Coimbatore jail accused in a similar case without bail or parole for nearly a decade. He was found innocent and acquitted by the Coimbatore court.
Welfare Party leaders requested the minister to see that what happened in Coimbatore jail must not be repeated here at Bangalore. The memorandum clarified that prominent legal luminaries and political leaders like Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, Chief Minister Oomen Chandi, and Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan besides a lot of political, religious and community leaders had requested for providing medical care to Mr. Madani, but in vain.
The delegation made it clear that they expected much from the present government committed to secularism and justice and made strongly demanded to give bail on humanitarian grounds for treatment, to speed up the trial by setting up a fast track court and to conduct the trial in an open court.
The delegation was comprised of P.C. Hamza, national General Secretary, Subramani, national Secretary, Akbarali Udupi, Karnataka State President, Kerala State Vice-Presidents Thennilapuram Radhakrishnan and Abdul Hameed Vaniyambalam, K. Ambujakshan, Kerala State General Secretary and Razack Paleri, Kerala State Secretary.
By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Forbesganj: In two years nothing seems to have changed at the Bhajanpur village in Forbesganj, when the police had opened fire on protesters: villagers continue to use the same road, for which four lives were laid, although no compromise has been reached yet and even the political class appears to be forgetting the issue.
Related: Forbesganj: History of the bloody road
Dispute: Clearly that has been the their path for decades now, this was not just a narrow alley in a village passing between two pieces of land, but proper road –by village standard – with coal tar and stone chips led by successive governments.
However, as the pathway cuts across the proposed factory site almost in the middle, factory owner wanted the road to be diverted. In discussions held between villagers and factory management, the chief difference was over diversion. While villagers wanted the road to be shifted about 100 meters left to the current road, almost at one end of the factory and right in front of the block office; the management was ready to open a ‘private’ path of the company for the villagers at the other end of the factory site, about 250 meters to the right of current road. Not all villagers were ready for the proposed pathway, as then they would effectively would have to walk an extra 500 meters to reach the market place and had to walk all across to reach the sub-divisional office.
A day before the demonstration on June 1, 2011 there was some kind of ‘deal’ between some villagers, including local Mukhiya (elected village head) and the next day a boundary wall was erected blocking the road. However, this was not acceptable to most villagers and they accused them of brokering deal in lieu of money and promises of favour. On June 3, villagers then gathered outside the factory site, razed the boundary wall and demonstrated. They allegedly had entered the factory site and set vehicles and other equipments on fire, something protesters deny. According to police when they tried to intervene, they were attacked first and hence they had to open fire.
However, even if the police version is accepted one cannot deny the fact that police did not follow the norms and indiscriminately fired on the protesters, hurting even the passersby, including women and children.
Some elderly and educated people blame the local administration for the mishandling of the whole situation and accuse them of being arrogant. Omar Ansari, a local grass root level activist, who also runs a primary school in the nearby village of Rampur, says, “Local administration should have tried to resolve the matter before the construction work had even begun, and should have readied an alternative road before hand. Instead they waited for long and did not have any formal negotiation.” He argues that local administration never expected “poor, illiterate villagers” to have taken the root of demonstration to the point of actually demolishing the boundary.
Omar also accuses the police of prejudices as the protesters were Muslims and hence indiscriminately fired upon and beat even the women and children. He adds that after the highway was constructed the property rate has soared in and hence the “local administration wanted to set an example so that they would not raise their voice ever again.”
Everyone TCN spoke to accepted though that several villagers were employed in different forms at the construction site and that if the factory had started, it would have helped in the development of this largely impoverished hamlet of Ansari Muslims.
Settlement?
Lengthy judicial process as also practically no support from the state administration is driving the villagers in desperation. The village is clearly divided on the question of some kind of settlement over the bone of contention – the lone road connecting the village with the town, market and Idgah.
Farukh Ansari, whose 27 year old pregnant wife Shazmin Khatoon was killed and who used to work as labour contractor at the construction site of the factory, says if some amicable solution, acceptable to the villagers can be made he is ready for the same, realizing the unnecessarily delayed judicial process that we have. He points out that two years have passed and the recording of witness has not yet even begun. Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) is providing legal support to Farukh in his struggle for justice.
Seeing the delayed process, most of the villagers agree that some kind of amicable solution to the contention of road, acceptable to all should be made, but no one seems ready to take the lead for fear of being accused of accepting bribes from the factory owner.
Maulvi Ali Rasool, whose son too was hit by bullet in neck, but has luckily survived, however, unequivocally rejects the idea. “Now it is too late. Company officials were not willing to accept the alternative path we had suggested from one end of the land then, and now as four people have already sacrificed their lives, it has become meaningless,” he says.
He says even if the legal battle is delayed, he will fight till end, but will not compromise at any cost.
Several villagers confirmed that they have been indirectly approached both by the local administration as well as the company officials, who assure them indirectly of developing the village, providing electricity, constructing road, housing, as well as job assurances. Company officials were not ready to talk on the issue, but hoped that some amicable solution is reached.
The villagers, however, want that connecting road should be of their choice and are not still ready to flinch from their original position.
Mukhiya of the gram Panchayat was not ready to speak on record. Noorjahan Beghum, Sarpanch of the Rampur panchayat, under which Bhajanpur village falls, said that she was not directly involved from the beginning and hence she would now not want to meddle in it. She, however, echoed that if the factory opens it would help in the prosperity of the village and hence it would serve every one’s interest if some amicable solution is agreed upon through negotiations.
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By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray lauded Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and blasted Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for their respective roles in the ongoing rescue operations in disaster-hit Uttarakhand.
In an editorial in party mouthpiece "Saamana" Tuesday, Thackeray heaped praise on Chavan for adopting a broad-minded approach, and ridiculed Modi for his parochial attitude in dealing with the fallout of the disaster.
"Chavan has shown Maharashtra's large-heartedness and magnanimity in the face of such a massive disaster, not only for the people of this state stranded in Uttarakhand, but for victims from across the country," Thackeray said.
He pointed out how Chavan declared, while dispatching a planeload of relief material with a large team of officials, that though the aid was intended for people from the state stranded in Uttarakhand, other victims would not be ignored.
Maharashtra has placed two helicopters at the disposal of the Uttarakhand government and extended aid of Rs.10 crore, among the first states in the country to react quickly to the disaster.
"This is Maharashtrian generosity and the right approach. Though Shiv Sena has been accused of parochialism, even my party members have dedicated themselves to the rescue and relief works there. When we are faced with such a major national calamity, the political party, state or religion do not matter, we are all united," Thackeray said.
Targetting the Gujarat chief minister, the Shiv Sena president said that now Modi has been given a national role to play by the Bharatiya Janata Party and he should not speak in narrow terms for only Gujaratis.
"Most of the rescue works are being carried out by the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. They don't discriminate on the basis of the victims' state of origin or religion, but rescue them as human beings," Thackeray pointed out.
Thackeray said that besides Chavan and Modi, even other state governments have contributed to helping the victims of the natural disaster. "Nobody is doing any favour, it's their duty in the face of calamity," he said.
Thackeray lashed out at the Gujarat chief minister's propaganda machinery for claiming that 15,000 people from Gujarat were rescued in a day, the day of Modi's visit.
"It would be better if Modi's propagandists exercise restraint in future," Thackeray said.
By IANS,
Srinagar : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived here Tuesday afternoon after laying the foundation stone of a hydro electric power in Jammu region.
Both took off in army helicopters from the technical area of the Srinagar airport to reach the Nehru helipad at the headquarters of the army's 15th Corps in Badami Bagh cantonment area.
At the military base, they will meet the soldiers injured in the terrorist ambush in Srinagar Tuesday that killed eight men. It was one of the worst such attacks in recent times.
A heavily-guarded cavalcade took the dignitaries to the Raj Bhawan on the foothills of the Zabarwan mountain range in Srinagar.
The prime minister will release a commemorative postage stamp in honour of the 20th century Kashmiri poet Mehjoor at the Sher-e-Kashmir convention complex on the banks of the Dal Lake here.
After that, both he and Gandhi will co-chair a meeting of the state cabinet along with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to review the implementation of the prime minister's Rs.37,000 crore reconstruction package for Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah is scheduled to give a power point presentation on the progress of developmental projects in the state.
On Wednesday, Manmohan Singh and Gandhi will inaugurate the 10.96 km long railway tunnel built at a cost of Rs.1,300 crores to link the Kashmir Valley with Jammu region.
The tunnel will provide an all weather surface link between the landlocked valley and the rest of the country as the 300-km Srinagar-Jammu highway often gets shut because of snowfall.
Meanwhile, all pedestrian and vehicular movement on the Boulevard Road in Srinagar was halted because of the VVIP visit.
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indirectly blaming the centre for lapses in internal security, former defence minister Jaswant Singh Tuesday said security problems would continue to remain till deficiencies in the government were sorted out.
Speaking at a discussion attended by internal security experts, Singh said: "There are deficiencies in governance. Till the time it is improved, the problems will not be sorted out. Till the time political class thinks only of next elections, matters will not improve."
The experts called for a clear roadmap for dealing with Maoists and separatists in Kashmir. The discussion, "Threats to India's national identity and security", was organised by the Shyama Prasad Mookherjee Research Foundation.
Singh, BJP MP from Darjeeling, said the country was facing economic and social problems and security challenges.
He said the word "Hindustan" does not find mention in the preamble of the constitution though the salutation of the defence forces was "Jai Hind".
"(The foundation of) the Indian nation has always been been cultural. We have not been concerned about boundaries," he said.
Singh said India has unsettled boundaries with Pakistan and China, which was "not good". He added that the country's relations with Sri Lanka had also deteriorated.
Former Intelligence Bureau chief Ajit Doval said 296 districts in the country were facing problems linked to Maoist violence, separatism or had seen activities linked to terrorism.
"The forces that want to weaken the country appear to have grown stronger. Indian patriotism has lost its instrumentalities," he said.
Doval said it was important to define who is to be protected, against whom and then decide on means to achieve the goal.
"You can't defeat an enemy you can't define," he said.
Doval said that in Kashmir, India had not been successful in defeating "Pakistan's attempts to make religious identity (of people) bigger than the Indian identity".
"We (have) strengthened the forces which harp on separate identities," he said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Lt Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha said India faces major threats from Pakistan, China and Maoists.
He said India did not have a policy concerning Kashmir for the past six decades and there was no roadmap to solve the problem.
Sinha said Pakistan's sense of martial superiority over India got shattered after the 1971 war and its former president Zia-ul-Haq started a policy of "bleeding through a thousand cuts".
He said though Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has made friendly noises, these cannot be taken at face value.
Sinha said though China was far ahead of India militarily, the country had the strength to deter any military misadventure.
He said there were about "20,000 fully armed Naxals" but there was no unified command to deal with them. He said states were fighting their own battles against the Maoists and a strategy should be made to squeeze them out.
The discussion was organised to mark the 60th death anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, the founder of the erstwhile Jana Sangh. Mookherjee had opposed the Indian National Congress's decision to grant Kashmir a special status with its own flag and its own prime minister.
By IANS,
New Delhi : A civil rights group has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to restart criminal investigations into the 1991 Kunan-Poshpora mass rape case in Jammu and Kashmir and pacify the victims.
Delhi-based think-tank Centre for Policy Analysis (CPA) submitted its report to the prime minister and asked him to have the case probed. CPA made its report after interactions with residents of the twin villages in Kupwara district, about 120 km from Srinagar.
"The misery and suffering of the victims was shocking with the trauma clearly visible even two decades after the alleged crime," said a statement issued by the CPA after it assessed the progress of justice and grievance redressal in a visit June 14-16.
"We believe you (prime minister) will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir to open a rail link and we hope that we can persuade you to also open communication links between your government and the rape victims," added the statement.
"We have made several recommendations with the hope that you will consider these favourably as there is urgent need to ensure justice," it said further.
In February 1991, several women were allegedly raped and men tortured by Indian army soldiers in retaliation to an ambush near the village.
According to the report, even after 22 years of the incident, the villagers are haunted by the memories of the incident.
The CPA has made 10 recommendations to the prime minister, including compensating the victims and uplift of the village youth, among others.
By IANS,
Patna : Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Tuesday described Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as "a very nice human being" and said his stand on secularism was laudable.
Shinde's statement came nearly 10 days after Nitish Kumar dumped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from his government and then won the support of the state assembly.
All four Congress legislators voted for Nitish Kumar during the assembly vote.
"Nitish Kumar is a very nice human being, his policies are good for development, and his stand on secularism is laudable," Shinde told the media in the presence of the chief minister.
Shinde arrived here on way to Supual district bordering Nepal to lay the foundation stone of an SSB recruitment training centre and start work on a 552-km India-Nepal border road.
Shinde said the Congress always stood for secularism. "It's the duty of secular forces to assist each other."
Without naming the BJP, he said casteist and communal forces cannot run the country, only secular institutions can.
The BJP said it was not surprised by Shinde's praise of Nitish Kumar.
BJP leader Nand Kishre Yadav said: "Congress leaders will have to praise Nitish Kumar. Do you expect them to praise BJP leaders?"
