Evening NEWS DIGEST
02 Oct.2017: 11 Muharram 1439:Vol:9, No:10
INDIA
‘Myanmar military, Buddhists killed my husband for not participating in killing, ousting Rohingya Muslims, says Rohingya Hindu woman: Who really attacked Hindus in Rakhine? Dhaka Tribune report
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/10/01/who-really-attacked-the-rohingya-hindus-in-rakhine/
Among the half million Rohingya refugees who have come to Bangladesh, only a handful of them are Hindus. In their statements to many journalists and authorities, these people have described suffering horrors of slaughter and arson just like their Muslim neighbours.In particular, Rohingya refugees from the Hindu neighbourhood of Fakirabazar in Maungdaw, described how masked assailants clad in black had shot and stabbed people and dumped the bodies in holes in the ground. Over the last week and a half, however, some of the statements have begun to change.Hindus, who are mostly gathered in a separate camp in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, have started to blame “militant Muslims” for attacks on the Hindus. Last week, a group of Rohingya women told AFP they were Hindus, brought forcibly to the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh by a group of men and told to convert to Islam. A reporter from Indian news magazine India Today also found a woman from this group. She claimed to have been forced to perform namaz and wear a burqa.Reuters reports that in late August, a group of Hindu Rohingya women had told them it was Rakhine Buddhists who attacked them. But later on, 3 of them changed their statements to say the attackers were Rohingya Muslims, who brought them here and told them to blame the Buddhists.Myanmar Govt on Sept. 27 announced it had found a mass grave of Hindus near Fakirabazar, where at least 45 corpses of local Hindus were buried. A group of local and foreign journalists were flown to the spot by the Myanmar army and shown decomposing skeletal bodies laid out in rows on a field outside the village, as distraught relatives wailed nearby.Myanmar Army blamed Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for this slaughter. Journalists have no access to Rakhine state outside of these official visits and cannot verify any of the official claims.The same day, Rakhine state Govt urged Hindu refugees who fled to Bangladesh to return, promising they will be cared for in Sittwe, according to reports in Myanmar media.This correspondent visited the camp of Rohingya Hindus in Ukhiya and found them sheltered in a chicken farm and makeshift houses beside a Hindu temple. The majority of them were from the villages of Chikanchhari, Fakirabazar and Balibazar in Maungdaw.The refugees said they had fled to save their lives from a group of people clad in black, whom they called “Kala Party” (Black Party). They believed these people were Rohingya Muslims.A number of Hindu refugees while arriving in Bangladesh had told the media that they had lost their fathers and husbands at the hands of Myanmar army for their reluctance to partake in Muslim killing in Rakhine.Expectant mother Anika Dhar, 18, escaped to Bangladesh and found shelter at Kutupalong’s Hindu camp with 77 other families. Her husband Milon was shot dead by the Myanmar army on Aug.27.Cox’s Bazar Correspondent for New Age Mohammad Nurul Islam said:“They arrived in Bangladesh with the Muslim refugees and told us that the Buddhists had attacked them. We have audio records of their speeches.” “Myanmar military and Buddhists killed my husband for not participating in killing and ousting Rohingya Muslims,” Anika Dhar, a pregnant Hindu housewife, had told the Daily New Age in late Aug.She also told a senior journalist with the Reuters TV that she had taken shelter in a Muslim village after her husband was killed and came to Bangladesh with them. Another woman, Padma Bala, who arrived in Bangladesh on August 30, told the same journalist: “Moghs [Rakhine] are cutting us up.” Reuters journalist is still in possession of the audio recording.Many Rohingya Hindus have said they received support from Muslim neighbours in escaping the army’s persecution.“Kala Party with arms, bombs and lethal weapons confined us to our houses for 5 consecutive days. We managed to escape the confinement with a Muslim neighbour’s help,” Arimahan Rudra told the Dhaka Tribune.According to him there were 607 Hindus in the camp. “We, the Hindus and Muslims, have been living together more than a hundred years in our village. The differences in our religious faiths did not create any trouble,” said Hashu Mia, a Muslim refugee from Fakirabazar village, now in Kutupalong.“After coming to Bangladesh, I met one of my Hindu neighbours in Kutupalong bazar last week. He was the first to recognise me here. He embraced me tightly and we cried,” he said.However, some Rohingya Muslims say some members of the Hindu community had sided with the army and Rakhine militia since the violence erupted.“Hindus are collaborating with the army and Moghs in Muslim killing. They helped them in looting and torching Muslim houses as they know the localities well,” said Abdus Salam, another Rohingya refugee from Fakirabazar.“The relation between Hindus and Muslims has significantly deteriorated over a month,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.Many Rohingya Muslims think this is Myanmar’s long-term plan, a classic divide and rule strategy, to create anger and hatred between the two religious groups among the Rohingya.Rohingya insurgent group ARSA has strongly denounced the allegations brought by the Myanmar army.“ARSA categorically denies that any of its member of combatants perpetrated murder, sexual violence, or forcible recruitment in the village of Fakirabazar, Riktapur and Chikonchhari in Maungdaw on or about 25 Aug.,” the statement issued on Wednesday said.Rohingya refugees say that since ARSA’s attack, the Myanmar army started a deadly crackdown and killed hundreds of villagers regardless of their religious identities.“Army is playing a game. Buddhists and Govt agents attacked Hindu villages so that they can justify the military crackdown targeted on Muslim eradication,” Mohammad Ayes, who enrolled himself in ARSA in Aug, told the Dhaka Tribune.Mohammad Ayes, who joined ARSA a few days before the insurgent attacks, said the Govt used the conflict between the Hindus and Muslims, and take side of the Hindus as they were working for them.Ayes argued that since the ARSA combatants do not have any dress code, they do not need to hide their identity with black masks.“Whoever uses masks, it means they want to hide their identities and commit atrocities. It is a conspiracy against the Rohingya Muslims to prove that what the army is doing is legal and necessary,”“If Hindus were really attacked by the Muslims, would they not be afraid to escape with the Muslims to get shelter in Bangladesh?” he asked.Another ARSA member who claimed to be a Jimmadar (commander) told the Dhaka Tribune through a messaging app that the corpses the Myanmar army found could be any Rohingya.“Now they are showing those bodies and forcing the Hindu people to cry in front of the bodies and say that those corpses were their relatives,” he said.“UN bodies and others are trying to enter Rakhine state to investigate what atrocities were done by the military. So they buried the bodies of Rohingya. If any investigation is carried out the military will be accused for sure. So to destroy the evidence they are posing Muslim bodies as Hindu bodies,” the militant said.Several refugees, when asked whether they had heard about Rakhine state Govt ’s invitation to the Hindus to return and stay in Sittwe, said they did not feel safe in Myanmar and wanted to go to India.“I would feel at peace in India. In Myanmar we will never feel safe,” a woman said.
Who really attacked Rohingya Hindus in Myanmar?
https://scroll.in/article/852527/who-really-attacked-the-rohingya-hindus-in-myanmars-rakhine-state
Rohingya Muslims can't be allowed in India, says Bhaiyyaji Joshi: RSS leader raises national security issue
http://www.firstpost.com/india/rohingya-muslims-cant-be-sheltered-at-the-cost-of-safety-of-our-own-people-rss-leader-bhaiyyaji-joshi-4101187.html
Raipur: RSS general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi said on Sunday that Rohingya migrants escaping a military crackdown in Myanmar cannot be allowed to stay in India as they may pose a threat to the country's security.Joshi also said that the protection of cows was not a religious matter, but an economic issue as cattle are the basis of India's agriculture and economy.He, however, warned the groups taking the law into their hands that stern action will be taken against them. "Rohingya Muslims illegally migrated into the country from Myanmar. Hindus were killed there... We read that people from Myanmar have reached J&K and set up camps there and now demanding amenities there," Joshi said.PTI
Rohingyas in Haryana don’t want to go back to Myanmar
http://www.india.com/news/agencies/rohingyas-in-haryana-dont-want-to-go-back-to-myanmar-2510108/
Majeri: Dispossessed and poor, and living lives of misery and squalor in a 100 square yard area in Majeri, Haryana, is preferable to going back to their original homes in Myanmar for 250 Rohingya Muslim refugees.Atif Hussain,43, is one of them, and is candid in admitting that he entered India at midnight with the help of agents when security on borders in both India and Myanmar was lax.“I came to India to escape from certain death. I have no doubt I would have been killed. I don’t want to go back to Myanmar,” Hussain told ANI.He, however, says he has no qualms about being deported to Myanmar, but demands that India ensures safe passage and guarantees their well being.“We don’t want to be killed there,” he pleads.ANI
RSS' Muslim wing says Rohingya not welcome, wants grand temple in Ayodhya
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-rss-muslim-wing-says-rohingya-not-welcome-wants-grand-temple-in-ayodhya-2549702
RSS-affiliated Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) would give a call for pushing Rohingya Muslims out of India and pitch for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya at an event in UP on Oct 4.RSS national executive member Indresh Kumar is its chief patron.MRM has chosen Saharanpur in BJP-ruled UP to hold what it calls the 'Paigam-i-Aman' conclave from where the message would be loud and clear.Minority Affairs and Waqf minister of UP , Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, would be the chief guest at the event.According to top sources in the Manch, 4 resolutions would be passed at the conclave: on modernisation of madrasas; cow slaughter and lynching; Rohingya Muslims; and on Ram temple in Ayodhya."We support the stand taken by the Centre in the Rohingya matter. We have seen throughout history that those who have come as guests stayed put and from tenants turned into owners. Bangladeshi immigrants are a case in point. They came as refugees, but are now a national problem. While they came as refugees, these Rohingyas are coming as Muslims which is not acceptable. Rohingyas will become a problem for our posterity," MRM national convenor Mohammad Afzal told DNA."The Muslim society must not be moved because Rohingyas are also Muslims. They must be turned away whether or not they are terrorists," he added.UP minister, meanwhile, is also expected to take stock of the modernisation of the madrasas as envisioned by PM Modi. dnaindia
No mosque near Ram Temple, says Ayodhya priest Ram Vilas Vedanti
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-mosque-near-ram-temple-says-ayodhya-priest-ram-vilas-vedanti/story-nmxef5U5Zqevnj5Qxw8vYL.html
New Delhi: Mahant Ram Vilas Vedanti, ex-BJP legislator and ex-chair of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, on Monday turned down a suggestion to construct a mosque on 67-acre plot of land near the makeshift Ram Temple in UP’s Ayodhya.Vedanti, who claims he played a pivotal role in bringing down the Mughal-era mosque on Dec.6, 1992, was speaking at a conference organised by Pune’s MIT World Peace University to discuss ways of finding an amicable solution to the long-standing religious dispute.While members of the conference pitched the idea of constructing places of worship to all religions, including a mosque, within the 67-acre campus, Vedanti was adamant about the construction of a temple on the 2.7 acre where the structure stands.Vedanti is among the 13 people, including senior BJP leader LK Advani, who has been accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation of conspiring to bring down the 16th-century mosque.He pointed out that the mosque should be built in Muslim-dominated areas of Faizabad -twin city of Ayodhya.“We want an amicable settlement of the issue. Mosque, however, cannot come up at 67-acre campus. That land belonged to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and was taken over by Union Govt headed by [exPM] Narasimha Rao. We demand that land is restored to the Nyas,” he told HT on the sidelines of the conference.Nyas is a trust that is committed to building a Ram temple at a disputed religious site.He was, however, open to the suggestion of building boarding, educational, and health facilities within the campus.He also asserted that the structure that was brought down in 1992 was “not a mosque” as it had “no minaret, but idols and remnants of a temple.”“Only some Sunnis, who are acting on the instruction of terrorists, don’t want this to be solved. Mir Baqi, the lieutenant of Babar (Mughal ruler), who was sent to demolish the temple was a Shia; his community now wants a temple at the site. Recently, some Shia groups sent trucks of construction materials for the temple,” he said.HT
Let Ayodhya be melting pot, says Mahant Vedanti
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/let-ayodhya-be-melting-pot-says-mahant-vedanti/article19781655.ece?homepage=true
BHU VC Girish Chandra Tripathi goes on leave
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/banaras-hindu-university-vc-girsh-chandra-tripathi-goes-on-leave-4871346/
New Delhi: BHU V-C Girish Chandra Tripathi went on leave on Monday citing personal reasons, according to varsity sources. Tripathi and BHU Registrar did not respond to calls and an SMS left by this reporter. As first reported by Indian Express on Sept.28, Govt had sounded out V-C on the option of going on leave.Tripathi is learnt to have put in his application on Monday, less than two months before he retires as head.V-C had been at the centre of a firestorm over his alleged mishandling of protests by women students over an incident of alleged sexual harassment on campus and several cases of alleged institutional bias against women. As per the BHU Act, if the university head goes on leave, the Rector will act as the head and, in the Rector’s absence, the university Registrar will assume charge as V-C. Tripathi’s replacement, till he is on leave, has to be decided by HRD Ministry.Govt has already expedited its search for his successor. Last week, university uploaded an advertisement on its website seeking applications for V-C’s post over the next one month.Indian Express
Selection procedure in line with AMU’s unique character:VC
http://indianexpress.com/article/education/selection-procedure-in-line-with-aligarh-muslim-university-amus-unique-character-says-vice-chancellor-4870379/
New Delhi:The appointment procedure of AMU’s V-C has worked well for the institution and its unique character, incumbent head Tariq Mansoor said. He was reacting to a Govt audit of the university, which recently recommended that AMU’s selection process of its V-C should be tweaked to align with the procedure followed by other Central universities. “It (V-C appointment at AMU) is keeping in view the unique character and autonomy of our institution. This is laid down in the AMU Act, which was passed by Parliament,” he said. “It has worked very well (for AMU). Eminent persons have been appointed as vice-chancellors in the past – Hamid Ansari and Saiyid Hamid to name a few.”Unlike other Centrally funded varsities, AMU has a unique process to select its head.University’s Executive Council shortlists a panel of five candidates from received applications and forwards it to the AMU Court, which, in turn, selects three names and sends the list to HRD Ministry. The President then appoints one out of the three finalists.UGC audit report has also flagged the culture of “inbreeding” in AMU, which, it observed, had affected the diversity in faculty appointments. Objecting to this recommendation, Mansoor said, “There is no rule in any other university such as Delhi University, BHU, Jamia Millia (Islamia) or JNU that bars students of the same university for faculty recruitment. If he is the best candidate, why can he not be eligible?” “I don’t agree with the diversity point either. Our university has a historical character just like Jamia Millia, BHU… We have members of every caste and every religion, whether it is teachers, students or non-teaching staff. If you look at the medical faculty, we have 40% non-Muslim teachers… There is diversity.”“As far as national character is concerned, the university selects the candidate on merit and on basis of an all-India advertisement. We advertise vacancies in all national newspapers. Only those candidates who satisfy UGC norms are selected.”Asked specifically about the audit’s observation that UGC norms seem to have been violated in faculty recruitment, he said, “If there are any individual cases, those have to be examined, but we cannot generalise.” indianexpress
AMU VC disputes UGC's 'inbreeding' charge
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/amu-vc-disputes-ugcs-inbreeding-charge/articleshow/60910594.cms
Taj Mahal dropped from UP govt's tourism booklet
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/taj-mahal-dropped-from-up-govts-tourism-booklet/articleshow/60911328.cms
New Delhi: Taj Mahal, one of the Seven modern Wonders of the World, has been omitted from UP Govt 's booklet aimed to promote tourist spots in the state. 32-booklet, which has the famed Ganga aarti as its cover image, has been printed to promote the tourist spots in UP, but surprisingly the most prominent and popular one is missing. Timesofindia
FESTIVALS, VIOLENCE & INCIDENTS
Communal clashes erupt in Kanpur during Tazia procession, 30 injured
http://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/communal-clashes-erupt-in-kanpur-during-tazia-procession/story-gNMNad4vO7wi4colU33T2L.html
Kanpur:Communal clashes at 2 places in Kanpur left nearly 30 people, including five policemen, injured while nearly 10 vehicles and four shops were either set afire or ransacked.The situation in Param Purwa was partially under control whereas in Rawatpur, people of the two communities were reportedly firing at each other besides fighting a pitched battle with the cops.Trouble began when a Tazia procession — commemorating the death of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of prophet Muhammad — took a different route instead of the permitted one.It was supposed to take a U-turn from Jhandewala crossing but went straight through a pocket where another procession for Hindu goddess Durga’s idol immersion was being taken.Tempers flared quickly and the two sides clashed, pelting stones at each other. Anti-social elements torched a police vehicle, ransacked a police outpost and shops and set afire 5 two-wheelers in the area.Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob but were attacked with stones and bricks, leaving them injured.In Rawatpur, the organisers of Ram Baraat refused to allow the Tazia procession on Saturday night.As the issue was being resolved on Sunday morning, bricks were thrown from a temple on police teams involved in negotiations. Police then resorted to baton charge on the crowd.SP (south) Ashok Verma and 4 other policemen were injured in Parampurwa while SP (west) Gaurav Grover was hit by bricks in Rawatpur.SSP Sonia Singh said trouble-makers were being identified through video footage and tough action would be taken. 2 police officers, Kalyanpur circle officer Rajnish Verma, Kalyanpur SHO BP Singh, were suspended for negligence in their response to the clashes.HT
Kanpur communal violence: DSP suspended, DM orders probe; paramilitary forces deployed in affected areas
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-kanpur-communal-violence-dsp-suspended-dm-orders-probe-paramalityary-forces-deployed-in-affected-areas-2549755
Day after clash, sec 144 in 2 police station areas of Kanpur
http://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/day-after-clash-sec-144-in-two-police-station-areas-of-kanpur/story-a62b4ELh5tX33QOnWVc9eO.html
Muharram: Communal clash breaks out in Ballia’s Sikandarpur, 6 injured
http://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/up-communal-clash-breaks-out-during-muharram-in-ballia-s-sikandarpur-6-injured/story-LSPPefedhGqoLEyTrrzfOK.html
Varanasi:6 people were injured and 4 two-wheelers set on fire when people of 2 communities clashed following rumours of stone pelting on a Tazia procession brought out during Muharram in UP’s Ballia on Sunday evening, police said. According to police the communal clash erupted when Tazias were passing from Jalpa Chowk near Rasidia Masjid at the district’s Sikandarpur town.As the rumour of stone pelting on the procession spread, two communities confronted each other and hurled brickbats.In the muddle, unidentified anti-social elements attacked people with sharp-edged weapons, injuring 6. They also set on fire 2 bikes and 2 bicycles.hindustantimes
Police book 60 VHP, Bajrang Dal members for firing in the open near Agra fort: scroll
https://scroll.in/latest/852630/police-book-60-vishwa-hindu-parishad-bajrang-dal-members-for-firing-in-the-open-near-agra-fort
Agra Police registered a FIR against 60 members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal for engaging in “celebratory firing” as part of Dussehra festivities on Saturday, HT reported.29 people were named in the report, as the rest are still being identified, police said. The incident took place at a temple near the Agra Fort, a popular tourist attraction. The groups, which had guns, pistols and swords, allegedly also shouted slogans against other communities and sought a Ram temple in Ayodhya.“The way the firing was done in the open, at a venue so close to a tourist spot, Agra Fort, makes the matter serious and calls for action,” Agra SP Kunwar Anupam Singh told the Hindustan Times. Those responsible for making inflammatory religious remarks and firing in the open will be identified based on photographs and videos, he added. Singh said that gun licences of those who are found to have broken the law would be cancelled.
Tension in Ghaziabad area after video of temple firing
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/tension-in-ghaziabad-area-after-video-of-temple-firing-4870414/
Ghaziabad:Hours after a video of at least a dozen people opening fire, apparently from the premises of a temple in Ghaziabad’s Masuri area, went viral, a police case was registered against unknown persons for breaching conditions of their arms licence.The incident, believed to be a ‘show of strength’ on the occasion of Dussehra, has led to tension in Masuri, which has a large population of Muslims and where communal clashes 5 years ago had led to 6 deaths.“An FIR has been registered under Section 30 of Arms Act (punishment for contravention of licence or rule) against 25-30 unknown persons on the basis of a complaint given by a police chowki in-charge. We are going through video footage of the incident and identifying people. No person was injured but the act was a violation of the Arms Act,”said Satyendra Prakash Singh, SHO, Masuri police station, Ghaziabad.The incident allegedly took place at Dasna Devi temple — located around 4 km from Masuri police station — between 11 am and noon on Saturday, police said. Some locals claimed similar firing on Dussehra takes place every year.A resident who lives near Bilal Masjid in Masuri questioned the intent behind the firing. “This area has seen communal violence in the past, and it is very sensitive. This kind of show of strength, with several rounds of bullets being fired, is aimed at increasing communal tension here,” the resident alleged. Indianexpress
Communal riots break out in Vadodara during Tazia processions, 2 injured in police firing
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/communal-riots-break-out-in-vadodara-during-tazia-processions-2-injured-in-police-firing/articleshow/60909968.cms
Vadodara: Communal riots broke out in Panigate area of the city late on Sunday night during the Tazia immersions, leaving some cops and three civilians injured. The police had to open fire at the rioters who went beserk after 2 communities clashed with each right near the Panigate police station. About 10 persons have been arrested and many more booked by the Panigate police for rioting and stone pelting.The incident occurred when a Tazia procession was passing from the Panigate police station road."Some of the members in the procession were showing aggression and wielding sticks. Soon it sparked tension among the locals and those participating in the procession, leading to stone pelting," said a senior police official."It seemed to be pre-planned. Some residents of Ektanagar, who participated in the procession, have enmity with Bavchavad residents. They tried to create tension near Bavchavad but we had tight police security there. So when the procession reached Panigate police station, some participants showed aggression and it snowballed into riots," the police official added.The cops soon hurried the Tazia procession out from the area and then tried to disperse the mob. timesofindia
2 injured in police firing during Muharram in Vadodara
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/oct/02/two-injured-in-police-firing-during-muharram-procession-in-gujarats-vadodara-1665613.html
Bihar: Stone pelting sparks communal tension in Jamui
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/stone-pelting-sparks-communal-tension-in-jamui/articleshow/60904795.cms
Patna/Munger:Tension prevailed in Jamui town after a 9-year-old boy from a majority community was injured in stone pelting when an idol immersion procession was taken out on Saturday. In retaliation, members of majority community attacked a Muharram procession in Masaurhi Chowk locality of the town on Sunday. The district administration has put idol immersion and Muharram processions on hold in the town following the twin clashes.Jamui SDPO Nisar Ahmed said trouble started when some anti-social elements pelted those participating in two idol immersion processions with stones in Khaira Mor and Masaurhi Chowk areas of the town on Saturday. “The stones were being pelted from terraces of some houses. A nine-year-old boy was injured in stone pelting at Khaira Mor,” SDPO said, adding Sashastra Seema Bal and STF personnel have been deployed in the town to avoid any untoward incident.SDPO said DM Kaushal Kishore and SP Jayant Kant are camping in the town to bring the situation under control. In another incident, a Muharram procession was allegedly attacked at Baruraj in Muzaffarpur district on Sunday. SHO of Baruraj police station Pramod Kumar said members of the minority community were pelted with stones. “Security has been tightened in the area in view of the clash,”SHO added.TOI
Bihar: Tragedy strikes Muharram processions, 4 electrocuted, 27 hurt as Tazias hit power cables
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tragedy-strikes-muharram-processions-4-electrocuted-27-hurt-as-tazias-hit-power-cables/story-UeRSlT1q5CSkCmxPJqWd5O.html
Bhagalpur: 4 persons were killed and 27 injured when high tension electric wires snapped and fell on Muharram processions after coming in contact with Tazias (replica of tomb of Husain, the martyred son of Prophet Muhammad, carried during the procession) at 2 villages of Bhagalpur district in east Bihar late on Sunday evening. 2 persons were killed and 20 injured in the first incident at Machipur village in Lodhipur police station area on the outskirts of Bhagalpur, 190 km east of Patna. The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Kamran and Mohammad Anzar. 2 other persons - Mahmood and Imtiyaz - died and 7 others suffered burn injuries in the second incident at Milki village in Naugachia subdivision of the district. Hindustantimes
Dalit man beaten to death for attending garba event in Gujarat, 8 booked
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dalit-man-beaten-to-death-for-attending-garba-event-in-gujarat-8-booked/story-Yk2LkmLKfEX6fIdmlyPtrM.html
Ahmedabad:A 21-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by a group of men belonging to the upper caste Patel community for attending a garba event in Gujarat’s Anand district in the early hours on Sunday, police said.The incident took place around 4 am.Jayesh Solanki, cousin Prakash Solanki and two other Dalit men were sitting near a house adjacent to a temple in Bhadrania village when a person made “derogatory remarks about their caste”, police said quoting a complaint filed in connection with the incident.The accused said Dalits “do not have any right to watch garba. He made casteist remarks and asked some men to come to the spot”, an officer at the Bhadran police station said.The upper caste men allegedly thrashed the Dalits and banged Jayesh’s head against a wall, the officer said.PTI
‘Ram’ calls BJP leader ‘Ravana’, refuses to burn effigy
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rajasthan-lord-ram-calls-bjp-leader-ravana-refuses-to-burn-effigy/story-F8n1TzkBAm9yYngyak6m9O.html
Jaipur:Hundreds of people flock to watch Ramleela organised by the municipal council in Rajasthan’s Sirohi town on Dussehra, a Hindu festival that marks the victory of good over evil, every year.This year, however, there was a twist in the tale.The actor portraying the role of Lord Ram refused to shoot the arrow to burn the effigy of Ravana during Ramleela, the popular drama that enacts the Hindu deity’s battle to kill the 10-headed demon king to rescue his wife Sita.Instead, Manoj Kumar Mali, actor portraying the Hindu god, called BJP mandal president in Sirohi, Suresh Sagarvanshi, the demon king. “Actual Ravana is sitting on the stage, politicising every issue. Given this scenario, Lord Ram has to return disappointed,”said Mali.He alleged that the committee presided over by Sagarvanshi gets more money as a grant from the municipal council than all the other committees.The organisers and politicians were left in a tough spot after Mali along with around 100 people from his group, portraying the roles of various gods, goddesses and the Vanar Sena or the army of monkeys, walked out of show shouting slogans against the organizers.HT
OTHERS
We should remove secularism, socialism from Constitution: Govindacharya
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/eye-on-rss/we-should-remove-secularism-socialism-from-the-constitution-govindacharya
Estranged RSS ideologue KN Govindachrya likes to call himself a ‘former’ RSS Swayamsevak, but those who know the RSS say no one becomes a ‘former’ in RSS.Govindacharya has never left RSS’ cause throughout his political career. Even though he does not hold any official post in any of the right wing organisations, he enjoys considerable clout among right wing ideologues.Once a powerful general secretary of the BJP, Govindacharya had floated Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan to fulfil his vision of ‘Bharat’. In an interview with National Herald, the 74-year-old ‘former’ RSS pracharak says that the concept of secularism is a western import and it should be removed from the Constitution as early as possible.Recently, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that the Constitution should be amended. In 2016, you said that you would rewrite the Constitution to reflect Bharatiyata. Is there any co-relation?nationalheraldindia
Kerala CM lashes out at RSS chief for remarks on minorities
http://www.ptinews.com/news/9117310_Kerala-CM-lashes-out-at-RSS-chief-for-remarks-on-minorities.html
New Delhi: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has lashed out at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, saying that Keralites did not need any advice on nationalism from those who had turned their back towards the freedom struggle and served the colonial rulers.Vijayan, inaugurating 2017-19 Delhi Union of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists(KUWJ),said that RSS considered religious minorities as an "internal threat" to the country.He also said that the RSS chief's allegation that the state Govt was supporting anti-national elements was a challenge to each Keralite and to Kerala society as a whole.Bhagwat, at a Vijayadashmi celebration in Nagpur in Maharashtra, had said that in the Left-ruled Kerala and Mamata-ruled West Bengal, "jihadi and anti- national" forces were at work and the Govt s there were not only indifferent but at times lending a helping hand to them to "appease" a section of the voters for "petty political interests". Rejecting RSS chief's remarks, Vijayan has said, "It is a known fact that communal forces play a major role in disturbing the political atmosphere of Kerala. But certain media houses hide this fact and blame the progressive movements and organisations of the state."PTI
Anti-national remark by RSS challenge to Keralites: CM
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/anti-national-remark-by-rss-challenge-to-keralites-cm-pinarayi-vijayan-4870390/
Muslim body ‘socially’ boycotts Manipur Deputy CM
http://morungexpress.com/muslim-body-socially-boycotts-manipur-deputy-chief-minister/
Imphal:Manipur Muslim Welfare Organisation (MMWO) has announced to “socially” boycott Manipur Deputy CM Yumnam Joykumar for not taking action against his son Yumnam Devjit over Facebook post controversy.Last month, Yumnam Devjit Singh had reportedly posted on his Facebook saying the practice of ‘Kurbani’ (slaughter of animals) during Muslim festivals as “practicing to kill human beings”.Speaking to media persons today at its office located at Hatta in Imphal, MMWO vice president KM Boboy announced that the Muslim community in Manipur has “socially” boycotted Deputy CM Yumnam Joykumar. He added that boycott will remain as long as Deputy CM does not take action against his son.morungexpress
Ajmal Kasab’s hanging felt like a stone on my head for two, 3 days: Rtd IPS Meeran Borwankar
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/meeran-borwankar-kasabs-hanging-felt-like-a-stone-on-my-head-for-two-three-days-4870354/
Meeran Chadha Borwankar who retired on Saturday after 36 years of police service, spoke to The Indian Express about her career — from the police officer Haseena Bano wanted transferred to handling Sanjay Dutt’s incarceration in Pune and the hangings of Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon. Borwankar said, "I thought I would be relieved after Kasab’s hanging, but actually it felt like a stone on my head for 2-3 days. I had switched off my mobile before I entered the prison. My children had no idea what was happening. No one knew. The prison manual has a drill. You have to take the height, weight, measurements of the person to be hanged and make sand bag replicas according to that. Then you have to practise the hanging so that it is painless. The first time I saw this exercise, I got a severe headache. I could not take it. Also, before the hanging, I had to do a lot of talking to myself — that I was just doing my duty and I should not feel guilty. You only justify to yourself by saying that the due process of law has been followed. It is not as though some injustice has happened…. I now feel people involved in hangings should be counselled. “The biggest challenge in Ajmal Kasab’s case was the secrecy. Former Deputy CM and then Home Minister R R Patil Sir was very emphatic about this.”indian express
Gauri Lankesh case: SIT has got clues, says Karnataka Home Minister
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gauri-lankesh-case-sit-has-got-clues-says-karnataka-home-minister-4871421/
Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy Monday claimed the Special Investigation Team probing the killing of senior Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh has got clues and is in the process of gathering evidence. Gauri Lankesh, known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home here on the night of Sept. 5.“We have got clues, but we cannot tell things to the media for now, because we should have correct evidence for the clues we have got,” he told reporters at Chikkaballapura.He said “If there are no proper evidence when we file a charge sheet at the court, it won’t stand. So we are trying to collect the evidence correctly…Our SIT is working towards gathering evidence.”PTI
Dhinakaran booked, 10 held for distribution of pamphlets with ‘derogatory’ remarks against PM Modi, Palaniswamy
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dhinakaran-booked-10-held-for-distribution-of-pamphlets-with-derogatory-remarks-against-pm-modi-palaniswamy-4871432/
Salem :Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran was today booked and 10 of his supporters were held in connection with distribution of pamphlets allegedly containing defamatory remarks against PM Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami here. Ex-MLA Venkatachalam and local AIADMK functionary Saravanan were among the 10 arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by one Vinayakam, alleging that the accused were found distributing the pamphlets among the public outside a hall, where Palaniswami was holding a meeting with senior officials yesterday.PTI
3 years of Swachh Bharat: 2.5 lakh villages declared open defecation free, but 1.5 lakh claims not verified
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/3-years-of-swachh-bharat-2-5-lakh-villages-declared-open-defecation-free-but-1-5-lakh-claims-not-verified/story-brpTIcdIoZ9YhpkgXGfg4I.html
As many as 49.62 million more households in India have toilets–rising from 38.7% in 2014 to 69.04% in 2017–and 250,000 of India’s 649,481 villages have been declared free of open defecation, but the claims of 150,000 (63%) of these villages have not been verified and there is no way of knowing if the rest are using the new toilets.These are the conclusions of an IndiaSpend analysis–of Govt data–of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on Oct. 2, 2014, with the aim to make India free of open defecation by Oct. 2, 2019. hindustantimes
Kuwait releases 22 Indian prisoners, commutes sentences of 97 others
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kuwait-releases-22-indian-prisoners-commutes-sentences-of-97-others/story-PxD354iZ2Zxmzyp2JzfG0K.html
Dubai: Emir of Kuwait has freed 22 Indian prisoners and commuted the sentences of 97 others lodged in the Arab country’s jails, according to India’s Embassy in Kuwait City.The list containing the names of 119 Indians is addition to the 15 Indian prisoners whose death sentences were recently commuted to life imprisonment.The Indian prisoners in Kuwait covered by the Amiri pardon include 22 people who have been ordered to be released immediately, Embassy of India in Kuwait City said in a statement.Sentences of 53 Indians have been reduced from life imprisonment to 20 years, it said.PTI
Act as protectors, not predators: Gujarat high court
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/act-as-protectors-not-predators-hc/articleshow/60896801.cms
Ahmedabad: Gujarat high court has advised the police to act like guardians and protectors, and not predators on lovebirds who are from different religions.A bench of Justice Abhilasha Kumari and Justice A J Shastri frowned upon the police authorities of Kheda district for taking side of one community and targeting the boy and his family. The bench was "quite disturbed" at knowing that the boy's family was targeted and the house was vandalized even after the high court ordered protection for them.The police officials separated the couple forcibly and send the girl to women shelter home at the behest of her family members and neighbours. This led the judges to say, "Police should act as guardians and protectors, not as predators."The case pertains to Vavdi village near Nadiad, where a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl, who is studying in 4th year of physiotherapy, decided to get married amid strong objection from the girl's family and neighbours. When they applied for registration of their marriage, communal tension spread in the village. The couple went into hiding. The youth's house was vandalized and his family was forced to leave the village. The court ordered Kheda district SP to ensure protection for the couple and the youth's family. timesofindia
PFI accuses Centre of vilification for taking stand against Sangh Parivar ideology
http://www.firstpost.com/india/popular-front-of-india-accuses-centre-of-vilification-for-taking-stand-against-sangh-parivar-ideology-4100243.html
New Delhi: Popular Front of India (PFI) has accused the centralGovt of repression and tarnishing its image as a consequence of its "consistent stand" against the "fascist ideology of Sangh Parivar".PFI was formed in 2006 as a successor to National Democratic Front (NDF) in the form of a federation. It is constituted of Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) [Karnataka], NDF, and Manitha Neethi Pasarai (MNP) [Tamil Nadu]."The attempts are being made by using certain agencies under the control of the central Govt and aim at tarnishing the image of the organisation," PFI said."Certain sections of the media are playing up to this plot by pro-actively stamping the 'terrorism tag' based on some allegedly leaked NIA reports. This vilification campaign is seen as an attempt to create a stereotype amongst people to later justify the repression," it added.According to the group, the alleged NIA report referred to two local cases in Kerala and neither "can be quoted as terrorism". "In one case, the trial court found that neither PFI as an organisation nor its leadership are involved and, in the other case, Kerala High Court has quashed UAPA sections and the Supreme Court refused to admit any appeals by NIA to set aside the Kerala High Court order," it said.IANS
Waqf Board may be re-constituted in a month, indicates Delhi Govt
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/waqf-board-may-be-re-constituted-in-a-month-indicates-delhi-Govt -4869980/
New Delhi:The process to re-constitute the Delhi Waqf Board, which was dissolved last year, has begun and the seven-member panel might be formed in the next one month, a Govt official said today. The issue was raised at a meeting of the Delhi Assembly’s Minority Welfare Committee, headed by AAP MLA and former Waqf Board chairman Amanatullah Khan.“The committee was told that the new board could come up in the next one month,” said the official. The process would be launched by publishing a list of the Mutawalli (managers of Waqf property) voters. These 48 voters would elect one of the four members of the board, he added.The Waqf Board comprises four elected and three nominated members. Delhi Govt nominates a social activist, an Islamic scholar and one of its officials as members to it. The elected members are those chosen by the Mutawallis and the Bar Council, besides an MP and an MLA. The board, which looks after the Waqf properties in Delhi, had been a bone of contention between the ruling AAP and the office of the LG.PTI
Ram Sewak, Mangli arrested for cow slaughter in UP
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/2-persons-arrested-for-cow-slaughter-in-up-4871091/
Gonda (up);2 persons have been arrested for their alleged role in cow slaughtering at Bhatpurwa village in Katra Bazar leading to tension in the area, police said today.Ram Sewak and Mangli have been booked under the stringent NSA, they said. According to police, the duo took away the cow belonging to Ganesh Prasad Dixit from the latter’s house on Sunday and slaughtered the animal in a nearby field, SP, Umesh Kumar Singh said. “There was tension in the village, but the police reached the spot and now the situation is under control,” he said. The officer added the incident was deliberate and that it was planned keeping in mind the Moharram procession in the village today. indianexpress
A ‘Pakistani’ is here: Wheelchair-bound man abused for sitting during national anthem in Guwahati theatre
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/arman-ali-disabled-man-called-pakistani-on-not-standing-up-for-national-anthem-in-guwahati-4871021/
New Delhi: A disabled rights activist who is wheelchair-bound was abused and commented upon for not standing up for national anthem in Guwahati on Monday. Arman Ali, Executive Director of Shishu Sarothi, NGO for differently-abled, was in a multiplex when two men sitting behind him called him a ‘Pakistani’ for sitting while the national anthem was being played, ANI reported. Ali said he was singing the national anthem while sitting.“I don’t think the Supreme Court would’ve thought of a situation like this. I’ll write to the Chief Justice about this incident.”Ali took to Facebook and expressed, “Today, I took my nieces and nephew for a movie. As usual they played the NationalAnthem before the movie and my niece and nephew stood up. However, since I am a wheelchair user, I did my best by sitting upright. At the end of the Anthem, I heard a comment from behind “Saamne Ek Pakistani Baitha Hai” (“There is a pakistani sitting in the front”).” indianexpress
WORLD
Las Vegas attack: Deadliest US mass shooting since 1949 as over 50 people killed and 400 injured
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/las-vegas-shooting-20-killed-scores-wounded-171002092103925.html
At least 50 people have been killed and more than 400 injured after at least one gunman opened fire on concert-goers on the popular Las Vegas Strip in the US state of Nevada. The mass shooting took place late on Sunday outside a building at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino during the Route 91 country festival. Over 22,000 people were in attendance at the concert. Police named the shooter as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who they said fired into the crowd from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel. The suspected attacker was later found dead in his hotel room, a police statement said. Wade Millward, a journalist with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, told Al Jazeera that the attack took place while country-music star Jason Aldean was performing."Witnesses told me they heard a sound like fireworks going off," he said."Aldean played on for about 30 seconds before it dawned on everyone that this was not fireworks. Then people hit the ground and people ran.”Watson said he saw several injured people when he and his family ran from the scene of the attack.Another witness, Felipe Uribe, was watching the concert from the top floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel when he saw the attack take place."We were looking at the concert down below when we saw what appeared to be fireworks", Uribe told Al Jazeera. "It wasn’t until later on that we realised it was actual gunshots."During a press conference, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said that at least 50 people had been killed and more 400 were injured, but added that the precise number of victims could not be given. 2 on-duty police officers were shot, one of them is still in critical condition,Lombardo said.He also said the suspected shooter, an unnamed Las Vegas resident, was killed in a shootout with police in the hotel room where he was shot. This attack is the deadliest mass shooting in US since 1949. Al Jazeera
'If shooter was Muslim, we'd call it a terrorist attack': Piers Morgan after Las Vegas shooting
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-if-shooter-was-muslim-we-d-call-it-a-terrorist-attack-piers-morgan-after-las-vegas-shooting-2549849
Reacting to the Las Vegas massacre, outspoken journalist and well-known anti-gun activist Piers Morgan wrote on Twitter: “If the shooter was Muslim, we'd call this a terrorist attack. This was a terrorist attack, committed by a 64-year-old white American.Morgan’s lament is not uncommon and speaks up about what many deem hypocritical since the term terrorist is very easily used for Muslim extremists but rarely used to describe white, Caucasian gunmen.Morgan, a vocal anti-gun activist, had said earlier:“I speak as someone who loves America and loves Americans,” he says. dnaindia
‘Yes’ side wins Catalonia independence vote marred by chaos
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/yes-side-wins-catalonia-independence-vote-marred-by-chaos/article19783876.ece?homepage=true
Barcelona:Catalonia’s regional govt declared a landslide win for the “yes” side in a disputed referendum on independence from Spain that degenerated into ugly scenes of mayhem on Sunday, with more than 800 people injured as riot police attacked peaceful protesters and unarmed civilians gathered to cast their ballots.Catalonia has “won the right to become an independent state,” Catalan president Carles Puigdemont said after the polls closed, adding that he would keep his pledge to declare independence unilaterally from Spain if the “yes” side wins.“Today the Spanish state wrote another shameful page in its history with Catalonia,” Puigdemont added, saying he would appeal to the EU to look into alleged human rights violations during the vote. Catalan regional Govt spokesman Jordi Turull told reporters early Monday that 90% of the 2.26 million Catalans who voted chose the “yes” side in favor of independence.He said nearly 8% of voters rejected independence and the rest of the ballots were blank or void. He said 15,000 votes were still being counted.The region has 5.3 million registered voters, and Turull said the number of ballots didn’t include those confiscated by Spanish police during violent raids that aimed to stop the vote.AP
Palestinian PM in 'historic visit' to Gaza
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/pa-prime-minister-rami-hamdallah-arrive-gaza-171002073029755.html
Palestinian Authority PM Rami Hamdallah arrived in the occupied Gaza Strip on Monday, in the latest effort at national reconciliation between the West Bank-based PA and the Hamas Govt in Gaza.In a press conference upon his arrival, Hamdallah described the visit as a "historic moment" towards unity of the Palestinian people. "We came at the orders of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to announce to the world, from the heart of Gaza that the Palestinian state cannot be without political and geographic unity between the West Bank and Gaza. "We know that the only way to achieve our goals is through unity, and to protect the Palestinian political system," said Hamdallah, adding that the national unity Govt would start to assume its administrative responsibility of the Strip. The premier also announced that several committees have been established to handle issues such as border crossings and PA employees in the Strip. Visit is Hamdallah's first to Gaza in 2 years. "We look forward to turning over the page of division forever, and achieving comprehensive national reconciliation that would strengthen the perseverance of our people and preserve their rights,"Iyad al-Buzom, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior in Gaza, said in a statement ahead of the visit. Hamdallah will also be visiting Shujayea neighbourhood, where the Israeli army committed a massacre during the 2014 war on Gaza. An Egyptian security delegation led by the Egyptian envoy to Israel, Hazem Khairat, will be monitoring the reconciliation process. "Hamas's decision to respond to Abbas's intitiative and to dissolve the administrative committee is an important step that we will build on with lots of work," Hamdallah said at the press conference. "This is all just an exercise. PA does not believe in the legitimacy of Hamas' arms. This means that the PA wants to end the resistance in Gaza and Hamas refuses that. And if Fatah accepts the resistance, Israel will take measures against the PA," Abdulsattar Qassem, a political science professor at the an-Najah University in Nablus in the occupied West Bank told Al Jazeera. He said, "This will inevitably lead to the destruction of the potential new unity Govt . For this reason, this week, and for the coming months, Hamas and Fatah will attempt not to speak about Oslo and the issue of resistance. At least, to appear successful before the Palestinian people. But at the end of the day, Israel will not accept this."Al Jazeera
Israel to impose 11-day ‘closure’ on West Bank, Gaza
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171002-israel-to-impose-11-day-closure-on-west-bank-gaza/
Israeli authorities are set to impose an 11-day closure on the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.While it has become standard practice for Israel to impose blanket restrictions on Palestinians’ movement during Jewish holidays, 11 days is an unusually long period for such a closure.Palestinians and human rights groups say such measures are an example of collective punishment meted out by Israeli authorities on Palestinians residents of West Bank and Gaza Strip.During these closures,Palestinians are prohibited from travelling from oPt into Israel, except for “emergencies”. middleeastmonitor
Israel demands Interpol arrest Hamas leader
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171002-israel-demands-interpol-arrest-hamas-leader/
Israel Law Centre (Shurat Hadin) has demanded Interpol issue an arrest warrant for the exiled Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri who spent more than 17 years under administrative detention in the occupation’s jails, an Israeli newspaper reported. According to the Jerusalem Post,Shurat Hadin sent demand letter to Interpol on Thursday, one day after the international police organisation accepted Palestine a member state.Shurat Hadin claims that Al-Arouri masterminded two lethal attacks against Israeli targets in 2014 when three illegal Israeli settlers were kidnapped and killed and in 2015 when another illegal settler was killed along with his wife. middleeastmonitor
Israel’s ex-foreign minister Livni: Only Jews have national right for self-determination in Israel
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171002-livni-only-jews-have-national-right-for-self-determination-in-israel/
Israel’s former foreign minister Tzipi Livni has claimed that only Jews have a national right for self-determination in Israel.Livni, whose Hatnuah faction forms part of the opposition Zionist Camp, made the remarks as part of ongoing discussions in the Knesset about the exact nature of a proposed “nation-state bill”, which seeks to consolidate the State of Israel’s nature as a “Jewish state”.According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, a number of Israeli parliamentarians – including Livni – are concerned that proposed legislation will not mention “equality”. The demand is opposed by others, including influential figures such as Likud member and coalition chair David Bitan.Livni was quoted in the article as demanding that legislators “take the Declaration of Independence and write simply that Israel is the state of the Jewish people in which there is equality for all”.
NGO: Israel collectively punishing 40,000 Palestinians
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171002-ngo-israel-collectively-punishing-40000-palestinians/
Israeli authorities imposed collective punishment on 40,000 Palestinians immediately after an attack on an illegal Israeli settlement that left 3 Israeli soldiers dead, NGO B’Tselem said.“Immediately following the attack, the military implemented punitive measures against the residents of nine villages in the area of Beit Surik, northwest of Jerusalem, totaling about 40,000 people,” NGO’s press release said. middleeastmonitor
Coordinated bombing strikes Syria's Damascus
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/coordinated-bombing-strikes-syria-damascus-171002131512968.html
More than 10 people have been killed in an apparently coordinated bombing in Syria's capital Damascus, according to several sources.A car bomb went off near a police station in Damascus's al-Midan neighbourhood on Monday, shortly before two suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.11 dead included police officers and civilians, the SOHR said, adding that the attack also caused injuries. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. aljazeera
At least 10 Afghan security personnel killed , another 9 wounded in 'erroneous' air raid
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/afghan-officers-killed-erroneous-air-strike-171001155622258.html
As the Afghan military attempts to push back Taliban fighters, an air raid has killed 10 security personnel in Helmand province, according to an official.At least 9 Afghan police officers were wounded in the "erroneous" air attack in Gereshk district and an investigation is under way, Hayatullah Hayat, Helmand governor, told AFP."Airstrike happened as Afghan forces were pushing to break through the Taliban front line in the strategic area that has been the scene of heavy fighting over the past several days," Hayat said.The incident, which was confirmed by the defence ministry, comes more than two months after US aerial bombardment killed 16 Afghan police officers and wounded 2 others in the same district, large parts of which are under Taliban control.In other developments on Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Kabul.The two sides discussed regional security and bilateral relations, a statement released by the Afghan Presidential Palace said. aljazeera
Sharifs indictment in graft cases postponed by a week
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nawaz-sharifs-indictment-in-graft-cases-postponed-by-a-week/1/1059999.html
Islamabad:Pakistans ousted PM Nawaz Sharif today appeared before an anti-corruption court for the second time in a week but his indictment was postponed till Oct.9 as his children, who are also been named in the high-profile Panama Papers case, failed to appear in court.Sharifs sons Hussain and Hassan and his daughter Maryam are co-defendants in the Panama Papers case and are currently in London with their mother Kalsum, who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Sharif, 67, got a brief reprieve when the Accountability Court decided to postpone his indictment till Oct.9. Sharif and his children Hussain, Hassan and Maryam; and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar ? are now expected to appear on Oct. 9 to be formally indicted. Sharif could be jailed after the indictment.PTI
Iran's Zarif to visit Qatar amid Gulf crisis:AFP
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/iran-zarif-visit-qatar-gulf-crisis-171002104012213.html
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will visit Qatar for talks on relations between the two countries that have caused tensions in the Gulf.Zarif held talks with officials in Oman on Monday before heading to Doha on his first visit to Qatar since Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June. 4 countries accuse Qatar of backing extremism and fostering ties with their rival Iran, charges that Doha denies.Zarif is due to meet Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said talks would focus on relations in the Gulf, economic cooperation, and the latest developments in Syria, Iraq,and Yemen.Oman, a tiny sultanate across the water from Iran, has traditionally had closer ties with Tehran than its neighbours and has maintained relations with Qatar throughout the crisis. Zarif's talks in Muscat covered "energy, the economy and transit" and the potential "transfer of Iranian gas through the Sultanate of Oman to India", according to the official Oman News Agency. AFP
Saudi poet Al-Ghaslan arrested in widespread campaign
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171002-saudi-poet-fawaz-al-ghaslan-arrested-in-widespread-campaign/
Following the campaign of arrests that began more than three weeks ago against a number of preachers, academics, thinkers, writers, journalists, and intellectuals, Saudi authorities have arrested poet and writer Fawaz Al-Ghaslan from his home in Hail.The “Prisoners of Conscience” account, which monitors Saudi opinion detainees on Twitter, posted that “the arrest of the writer Fawaz Al-Ghaslan on 25 Sept. has been confirmed to us.” middleeastmonitor
Bangladesh: Myanmar proposes Rohingya refugee return
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/bangladesh-myanmar-proposes-rohingya-refugee-return-171002114238000.html
Myanmar has proposed taking back the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled a brutal military crackdown into Bangladesh in recent weeks.Bangladesh's Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told reporters that Myanmar was willing to bring back more than 500,000 people from the persecuted Muslim minority after talks today with a senior Myanmar representative."Talks were held in a friendly atmosphere and Myanmar has made a proposal to take back the Rohingya refugees," Ali said after meeting Myanmar official Kyaw Tint Swe in the capital, Dhaka. "What Bangladesh has been saying is that we want to settle this issue peacefully and both countries have agreed to that."Ali said both countries agreed to form a joint working group to start work on the massive repatriation.Myanmar delegation did not speak to the media. UN has called the exodus of 507,000 Rohingya since August 25 the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency, and said Buddhist-majority Myanmar is engaging in ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya minority.Aljazeera
Bangladesh, Myanmar agree to draw up plan for refugee repatriation:Reuters
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/myanmar-makes-proposal-to-take-back-rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-4871073/
2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Jeffrey C Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W Young
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/2017-nobel-prize-physiology-or-medicine-awarded-jeffrey-hall-michael-rosbash-michael-young-4871078/
New Delhi:2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W.Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm. The announcement marked the start of this year’s Nobel season. It is the 108th time the prize has been awarded.“Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young were able to peek inside our biological clock and elucidate its inner workings. Their discoveries explain how plants, animals and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that it is synchronized with the Earth’s revolutions,” the Nobel Foundation said.The medicine prize will be followed by the physics prize announcement on Tuesday. The honour could also go to the discovery of exoplanets by Swiss astrophysicians Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz. indianexpress
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
WB Minorities Dept’s loss of control of Aliah University: Why protests are not the answer: Shaikh Khurshid Alam,
http://twocircles.net/2017oct02/417323.html
We the women students of BHU want basic freedoms, structural reforms:Neha Yadav
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/we-the-women-students-of-bhu-4870296/
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:23 PM)
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