Evening NEWS DIGEST
05 Feb.2018:18 Jamadiul-1 1439:Vol:9, No:113
INDIA
UP: Miscreants try to set mosque afire near Kasganj, probe ordered
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kasganj-violence-door-of-mosque-set-ablaze-by-unidentified-persons/story-6QoMTeGd81208XkwelO0mO.html
Bareilly: Miscreants attempted to set a mosque afire in Ganjdundwara on Monday morning, ten days after communal violence erupted in nearby Kasganj city.“The incident occurred around 4.30 am. Police personnel from a local station and a reserve battalion were sent to the spot. Although nobody was injured in the blaze, the entrance of the mosque was damaged,” said Kasganj district magistrate RP Singh.Local residents helped police personnel douse the fire. A complaint has been registered against unidentified people.Kasganj superintendent of police Piyush Srivastav said efforts were on to bring the culprits to justice. “We will not tolerate such incidents. We have launched a hunt for the people involved, and they will soon be put behind bars.”Harisharan Gautam and Nagendra Kumar – two constables deployed with the Cobra Bike squad – were suspended for negligence, said Srivastava.An independent fact-finding team comprising retired state inspector general SR Darapuri, senior advocate Assad Hayat Khan, journalist Amit Sengupta and prominent social activists has blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and other right-wing groups for the violence. The team had visited Kasganj under the ‘United Against Hate’ banner on February 2.The attempt to burn down the mosque comes after 5 days of relative peace in the district. Police have so far arrested over 125 people for the clashes, and the case is being probed by a special investigation team formed by the state govt.Normalcy has returned to Kasganj, with most schools and business establishments across the city opening on Monday. HT
Kasganj: Tension resurfaces as place of worship gate set afire, two cops suspended
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/up-tension-resurfaces-in-kasganj-as-place-of-worship-gate-set-afire-2-cops-suspended-5052211/
UP: Miscreants set door of a mosque on fire in Kasganj, no damage reported
https://scroll.in/latest/867610/uttar-pradesh-miscreants-set-door-of-a-mosque-on-fire-in-kasganj-no-damage-reported
Sharpshooter from Kasganj arrested in Delhi encounter, aide escapes:police
https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/sharpshooter-from-ups-kasganj-arrested-in-delhi-bulletproof-vest-saved-him-1808567
NEW DELHI: A sharpshooter from UP's Kasganj, where communal clashes broke out on Republic Day, was arrested after an encounter in Delhi this morning. His accomplice escaped. A member of what the police call the "Chhenu" gang in UP, Tanwir alias Munnawar, is wanted in a number of cases, including a double murder in Delhi and a case of firing at policemen. Tanwir carried a Rs. 70,000 reward for his capture. Police had information that Tanwir would reach Okhla Mandi in southeast Delhi with an accomplice early this morning. Security was increased and the entire area was barricaded to restrict their movement. As soon as they entered the area in a Swift car, they opened fire on the police team. The police retaliated and attacked their vehicle. Several rounds were fired and Tanwir was hit twice. He survived as he was wearing a bulletproof jacket. Cops overpowered him, but his associate managed to escape. Tanwir was arrested and taken to the hospital. 2 policemen were also injured in the encounter.NDTV
Kasganj violence: Muslim group presents memorandum to President Kovind demanding security
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/kasganj-violence-muslim-group-presents-memorandum-to-president-ram-nath-kovind-demanding-security/1052507/
A group of Muslims today handed over a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind to district authorities, demanding safety measures for the community. They had also planned to take out a march from Shahid Smarak to the Collectorate, but it was called off in view of prohibitory orders in place. They demanded a judicial probe into Kasganj incident and a fair compensation to the family of Chandan Gupta, who was killed in the violence.“We gathered along with Muslim community leaders to take out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ (tricolour march) to show our love for the country and the national flag,” Shabana Khandelwal, one of the participants, said.“Due to prohibitory orders, we were asked by the police to present the memorandum right here,” Shabana said at Shahid Smarak. “In the memorandum to the president, we have demanded safety measures for Muslims and their institutions. Also, they should not be treated as second class citizens,” Shabana added.PTI
Agra Administration Denies Permission to Tiranga Yatra by Muslims
http://www.news18.com/news/india/agra-administration-denies-permission-to-tiranga-yatra-by-muslims-1651175.html
Lucknow: Agra administration has denied permission to a Tiranga Yatra organised by social activist Shabana Khandelwal in which hundreds of Muslims were supposed to take part. Members of Muslim community who had gathered to take out the Tiranga Yatra handed over memorandum addressed to the President of India to the Agra administration.Amid chants of ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ and ‘Madre Watan Zindabad’, the Tiranga Yatra was stopped by the police at Shaheed Smarak due to the absence of a permission.In the memorandum, they demanded that raising obscene chants and slogans against Muslims should be brought under the category of crime and to keep religion away from politics. “Atrocities on Muslims in the name of nationalism should be stopped and so should the debate on Vande Matram,” it said.News18
PIL filed in Delhi HC seeking independent Muslim body for Haj pilgrims
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/050218/pil-in-delhi-hc-seeking-independent-muslim-body-for-haj-pilgrims.html
New Delhi: A PIL seeking an independent Muslim body to look into the arrangements for Haj pilgrims and quashing of the government controlled Haj Committee has been filed in the Delhi High Court.The plea referred to a recent notification of the Centre, scrapping the subsidy for pilgrims to get cheaper flights to- and-fro. Since it has been scrapped, it said, there was no need for a government-controlled panel to manage its affairs and Haj Committee Act 2002 was also liable to be quashed. The plea seeking the court's nod for an independent panel and quashing of the Haj committee was filed by Delhi-based advocate Shahid Ali last week. Central gov had in 1959 introduced a subsidy for air travel between Bombay and Jeddah. Other flights on Air India, the state-owned carrier, were added over time."Pass order or direction or issuance of an appropriate writ, thereby quashing the present Constitution of Haj committee and further allowing the Muslim citizens of India to formulate their own body in the similar manner as the Sikh minority of India is allowed to formulate their own body to manage their minority affairs under the Act known as Sikh Gurudwara Act, 1925," plea said.The question of whether the government should continue to look at all affairs of the Haj Committee, right from inviting applications for Haj till the return of Hajis after the pilgrimage, had acquired importance after the Centre scrapped the subsidy, petition said.It said an independent agency without any control of the govt should be substituted.PTI
Judge Loya death: Lawyer in SC once again points out contradictions in Maharashtra’s probe report
https://scroll.in/latest/867613/judge-loya-death-lawyer-in-sc-once-again-points-out-contradictions-in-maharashtras-probe-report
Senior advocate V Giri on Monday told the Supreme Court that the investigative report submitted by the state of Maharashtra in connection with the death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya was full of contradictions. Giri, appearing for petitioner Tehseen Poonawalla, said there were enough grounds for an independent inquiry into the circumstances around the CBI judge’s death. A Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanvilkar and DY Chandrachud, were hearing petitions that demanded an independent investigation monitored by the Supreme Court into Loya’s death. When Loya died in December 2014, he was presiding over a special CBI court in Mumbai that was hearing a case about the extrajudicial murder by the Gujarat Police of alleged extortionist Sohrabuddin Sheikh.scroll
Hearing in Loya case turn acrimonious as lawyers clash
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/hearing-in-loya-case-turn-acrimonious-as-lawyers-clash-118020501150_1.html
Muslim Board to decide strategy on talaq at Hyderabad meet
https://www.thequint.com/news/hot-news/muslim-board-to-decide-strategy-on-triple-talaq-at-hyderabad-meet
Hyderabad: With Modi govt determined to go ahead with the passage of triple talaq bill in Parliament, All India Muslim Personal law Board (AIMPlB) will decide its future course of action on the issue at its crucial meeting here this week.3-day-long general body meeting of the apex body of Indian Muslims, beginning on February 9, will discuss the issue and evolve a strategy for protection of Muslim Personal law. The triple talaq bill and the Babri Masjid case, which is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court from February 8, top the agenda of the crucial meeting to be presided over by AIMPlB chief Moulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi, AIMPlB sources told IANS.AIMPlB will pass a Hyderabad Resolution, spelling out the roadmap for the next one year.The meeting is expected to take a decision on the proposal to introduce a new provision in its model nikahnama (marriage contract) in which the man has to commit that he will not give instant triple talaq. The board believes that this amendment will help in dissuading men from giving triple talaq (in one sitting), considered as the worst form of divorce among Muslims.The board will review the progress made in "Islah-e-Moashira", or the country-wide campaign for reforms in Muslim society, aimed at creating awareness against social evils like dowry and triple talaqThe board will take stock of the cases relating to Muslim Personal law pending in various courts and discuss how it can implead itself to protect the Sharia.It will also discuss effective use of social media platforms to inform people about its activities and create public awareness. Nearly 600 prominent Muslim leaders including religious scholars, heads of various Muslim organisations, politicians, lawyers, academicians and other eminent personalities from different walks of life will attend the conclave. 51-member executive, including 5 women, will meet in the evening of Feb.9 to ratify the minutes of the previous general body meeting held at Kolkata in 2016. Secretary General Moulana Syed Wali Rahmani will brief the members on the board's activities since previous executive held in September last year.IANS
When two people get into wedlock, no one should interfere, says Supreme Court
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/when-two-people-get-into-wedlock-no-one-should-interfere-says-supreme-court/article22657426.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi: Two adults are free to get married and "no third party", be it parents or society or khap panchayats, have any right to harass or cause harm to them, said CJI Dipak Misra, against honour killings on Monday."When two people get into wedlock, no one should interfere. Neither parents, society, khap or panchayat... no one at all," said Mr. Misra, leading a 3-judge Bench, that upheld the fundamental right of two people who wish to get married to each other and live peacefully. When activist Madhu Kishwar informed the Supreme Court about the recent murder of Ankit Saxena, a young man who was allegedly murdered by his lover's parents, Mr. Misra said "we are not into that. That is not before us. Ms. Kishwar said "honour killing" is "too soft a word for such crimes against young people"."These should be called hate crimes," she submitted.But the CJI went on to repeatedly emphasise that no one has any individual, group or collective right to harass a couple. Misra said it is up to the courts to decide legally whether a marriage is null and void or children are legitimate or illegitimate, or in the case of a property dispute, "no other person or group" have the right to intervene.thehindu
India hit list of Hindu Muslim couples taken off Facebook
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42941542
A Facebook page calling for violence against 102 Muslim men who are allegedly in relationships with Hindu women has been taken down. The page, which asks Hindus to "track and hunt the boys on the list", prompted outrage online.The list also included links to the Facebook profiles of those named, raising concerns about their safety.Although the page is named "Hindutva Varta" (Hindutva Talk), no Hindu right-wing group has owned up to it yet.The list appeared on social media feeds over the weekend after a Twitter user called attention to it. "Hindu terrorists publish a long list of inter-community marriages and urge Hindus to kill the husbands of these women," the tweet read.While the page is no longer available, Indian website Alt News has archived a few of the posts, including the list but has blurred the names of the couples. All of the archived posts encourage violence against instances of so-called "love jihad".The term has been popularised by radical Hindu fringe groups who accuse Muslim men of participating in a conspiracy to turn Hindu women from their religion by seducing them. "It's alarming that such a list exists in the first place," Pratik Sinha, cofounder of Alt News, told the BBC. "But to think that someone has spent their time tracking down the names of people in such relationships is equally troubling."BBC
A love marriage, an abduction charge and a husband Iqbal waiting for word from his wife
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/a-love-marriage-an-abduction-charge-and-a-husband-waiting-for-word-from-his-wife-5051490/
Mumbai; Iqbal Chaudhary, 28, spends every spare minute trying to make a call. Both his phones are always switched on and he checks each frequently for any update, a call or a message from his wife Reshma, 23. Chaudhary alleges that Reshma was abducted from Vashi in Navi Mumbai in December; he has moved a habeas corpus petition in Bombay High Court saying she had been kidnapped by members of her family because their marriage was inter-faith. Reshma appeared in court on January 22. She told the court that day that she would return to her in-laws’ home within a week, but is yet to do so. She added that she went with her family of her own will.“I was so relieved to see her there… I didn’t care where we were, I just wanted to speak to her,” Chaudhary says, seated in his home in Mankhurd, suburban Mumbai. Reshma, of Kasargod in Kerala, was studying in Mangaluru when she and Chaudhary met, on Facebook. Chaudhary would travel to Mangaluru to meet her, and eventually the two decided to elope. “In July 2016, we posted two letters, one to her family and one to the police station, saying she was going away on her own and as an adult she could marry me. We did not leave behind an address, anticipating the trouble that would definitely follow,” says Chaudhary, who works as an assistant engineer with a private firm.Iqbal’s mother Saidunnisa Chaudhary, 56, describes it as a day she will never forget. “We had been trying to arrange Iqbal’s marriage but he would say no. From his siblings, we knew he was talking to some girl. But when he brought her home, I was shocked,” she says.Saidunnisa’s first thought was that Reshma should return home. “I told her, beti, go back to your parents. Don’t do anything stupid. However, she said that she loved my son and wouldn’t live without him. Iqbal also said he’d marry only her. So I gave my consent,” she recounts.Reshma converted to Islam and married Iqbal on July 14, 2016.A mother to six sons and four daughter, Saidunnisa knew this wouldn’t be simple. “I asked her to call her parents after their wedding. Her family members came with the police,” she says. “I am a mother, I know how her mother might feel. I used to ask Reshma to call them daily. But they were so against the marriage that they refused to speak to her.”“Some policemen asked me about love jihad and asked if I knew Zakir Naik. I realised then that I will have to approach the judiciary,” Iqbal says. On Dec.22, his lawyer Hasnain Kazi filed the habeas corpus petition. A division bench of Justices B R Gavai and B P Colabawalla directed the police to investigate the case and also the number from which Chaudhary had claimed to have received a call from his wife.On January 22, Reshma came to the court and said that she had gone with her family of her own will. She also added that although she and her husband were attacked on Dec17 and she was taken to her family, after that she went with them of her own will.indianexpress
Indian army warns of retaliatory action against Pakistan over killing of 4 soldiers
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-army-warns-of-retaliatory-action-against-pak-over-killing-of-four-soldiers/story-m59zmjDVMhAuUoA7vpRGVI.html
New Delhi: Army on Monday indicated it would take retaliatory action against the killing of 4 army men in heavy shelling by Pakistani forces along the LoC in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that its action would speak for itself.Vice chief Lt Gen Sarath Chand said the Army has been responding appropriately to Pakistan shelling, asserting that India will continue to give a “befitting reply” to such acts.“That (retaliation) goes without saying, I think I don’t have to say that. (Our) action will speak for itself,” he said when asked about the killing of a Captain and three other Army men in the Rajouri sector. Captain and three jawans were killed and at least 4 people injured on Sunday in the heavy Pakistani shelling along the LoC.PTI
97 people killed in 834 ceasefire violations in three years: Jammu-Kashmir govt
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/97-people-killed-in-834-ceasefire-violations-in-three-years-jammu-kashmir-govt-5052494/
Jammu:As many as 97 people, including 41 civilians, were killed and 383 others injured in 834 ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops in the last three years, the Jammu and Kashmir government said on Monday. In a written reply to a question by a PDP MLC in the Legislative Council on Monday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that 379 ceasefire violations took place along the LoC and the International Border (IB) last year, while 233 violations took place in 2016 and 222 in 2015.PTI
Pakistan suspects India planning attack on CPEC installations: Dawn report
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pakistan-suspects-india-planning-attack-on-cpec-installations-dawn-report/story-MMba0QvaWG37nUf0RLQrjJ.html
Islamabad:India plans to attack installations along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to sabotage the multi-billion dollar project, Pakistan’s interior ministry has claimed. The ministry, in a letter to Gilgit-Baltistan’s home department, warned of possible terrorist attacks on the CPEC route, including bridges at Karakoram Highway and other important points. It issued directives for making foolproof security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident, Dawn online reported on Monday.An official of the home department said the letter claimed that “India had sent 400 Muslim youngsters to Afghanistan for receiving training to be able to carry out attacks”.The Gilgit-Baltistan government said it enhanced security on the CPEC route, including two dozen bridges built on Karakoram Highway from Khunjerab Pass to Diamer district.IANS
J-K: Army opens fire on youths pelting stones in Kulgam, case registered
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/j-k-case-against-army-for-opening-fire-on-youths-pelting-stones-in-kulgam-5052371/
Srinagar :An open FIR was registered by the J&K police after Army opened fire on a group of youth pelting stones in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. One person was injured in the firing, who is believed to be stable now.Locals said that villagers took out protest against thrashing of civilians and ransacking of the houses during a search operation at Hawoora village in Kulgam. The protestors pelted stones on the army patrol after which the soldiers opened fire. This resulted into injuries to one youth who was identified as Arif Ahmad Lone.The injured civilian was referred to SHMS hospital in Srinagar, from where he was shifted to SKIMS. The doctors said that the condition of injured civilian is now stable.A senior police officer said, “A case has been registered in this incident. And we are investigating it.’’ indianexpress
Don't exploit my son's death for religion, pleads Saxena's father
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/050218/dont-exploit-my-sons-death-for-religion-pleads-ankit-saxenas-father.html
New Delhi: Days after 23-year-old photographer, Ankit Saxena, was brutally stabbed to death by the family of his Muslim girlfriend in west Delhi's busy area Khyala in full public view, the bereaved father of Ankit said that the murder should not be given a communal twist and exploited to whip up trouble. "I don't want any inflammatory statements. I feel very saddened by what happened, but I don't want anyone to create a hostile environment against Muslims. I have nothing against any religion," Ankit's father Yashpal Saxena told NDTV. Griefing at the loss of his only son, Yashpal said: , "Yes, those who killed my son were Muslim...but every Muslim can't be branded for this. Don't use me to spread communal tension, don't drag me into it...I appeal to everyone not to link this to religion and vitiate the atmosphere."Ankit was attacked and stabbed by his girlfriend, Shehzadi's father, mother, uncle and 14-year-old brother on a road near his home in west Delhi on Thursday Feb. 1. In CCTV footage, he was seen talking on the phone just moments before he was attacked. "It is very sad...A person's throat is slit, that too with such planning and precision that a man dies within two-three seconds. There were thousands there, but not one person helped or tried to take him to a hospital," lamented Yashpal condemning that people were just watching his son die.Ankit, he said, kept shouting to his girlfriend's mother, "Aunty, I have done nothing... I didn't take your daughter. Whatever you want to do, I am here." But seconds later, he was on the street, his throat slit.Asian Age
NIA Arrests 2 Hawala Operators from UP’s Muzaffarnagar on Terror Funding Charges
http://www.news18.com/news/india/nia-arrests-2-hawala-operators-from-ups-muzaffarnagar-on-terror-funding-charges-1650535.html
Lucknow:NIA has arrested 2 hawala operators from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh for alleged involvement in terror funding. 2 hawala operators, Dinesh Garg and Adesh Jain, have been accus ed of funneling funds from the UAE to LeT militants in the country.This came after the arrest of Bihar-based Mahfooz Alam and Shaikh Abdul Naeem. Mahfouz was remanded to two-day police custody by NIA Special Court. Mahfooz further led NIA to Garg and Jain for allegedly routing money for him through UAE.news18
Aurangabad arms haul case: NIA arrests youth, says he provided logistics
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/aurangabad-arms-haul-case-nia-arrests-youth-says-he-provided-logistics-5051520/
New Delhi NIA on Sunday arrested a 22-year-old from Bihar, Mahfooz Alam, who it claimed was an associate of an accused in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. Alam was arrested in Delhi and produced before a special court, which granted his custody to NIA for 2 days.According to NIA, Alam had provided logistical support to Aurangabad arms haul accused Shaikh Abdul Naeem who was arrested recently. Naeem had earlier escaped the custody of Chhattisgarh Police. Alam is the fourth accused arrested in this case. The other 3 are Naeem, Dhannu Raja and Touseef Malik.indianexpress
Taj Mahal will soon become ‘Tej Mandir’, claims BJP MP Vinay Katiyar
https://scroll.in/latest/867633/taj-mahal-will-soon-become-tej-mandir-says-bjp-mp-vinay-katiyar
BJP MP Vinay Katiyar on Monday stirred a controversy after he said that Taj Mahal in Agra will soon become “Tej Mandir”. Katiyar’s remarks come on a day when it was reported that the upcoming Taj Mahotsav, which will be held between February 18 and 27, will be about Ram. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik will be the chief guests on the opening day of the event. “You can call it Taj Mahotsav or Tej Mahotsav, both are the same,” the founder of Bajrang Dal told ANI when asked about the 10-day event in Agra. “There is not much difference between Taj and Tej...Our Tej Mandir was turned into a cremation ground by Aurangzeb. Taj Mahal will be converted into Tej Mandir soon.”scroll
No alliance with NCP, they provided political patronage to Milind Ekbote, says Prakash Ambedkar
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/no-alliance-with-ncp-they-provided-political-patronage-to-milind-ekbote-says-prakash-ambedkar-5051555/
Mumbai:Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar Sunday declared his party would not have any alliance with the NCP in the coming elections, saying the latter had always provided political patronage to Samast Hindu Aghadi chief Milind Ekbote, an accused in the case related to Bhima-Koregaon violence of Jan.1. At the end of the two-day national executive meeting of BBM held in Mumbai,a resolution was adopted to this effect.Speaking to the media at the party HQRS in Dadar, Ambedkar said, “During the Congress-NCP govt, there were several instances of Hindu-Muslims riots, which were the handiwork of Milind Ekbote. There were reports from top police officials and intelligence recommending the arrest of Ekbote. NCP president Sharad Pawar intervened and stopped his arrest.” He added, “Police department had taken a final decision to arrest Ekbote for riots in Nov 2011. It was based on a series of activities including recurring communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the years.”indianexpress
Kannada Zilla Panchayat to clerics: Help us educate Muslim students
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/050218/kannada-zilla-panchayat-to-clerics-help-us-educate-muslim-students.html
Mangaluru: Aiming to improve the results of the Muslim community in the SSLC examination, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has sought the help of religious heads in the district. A letter was written to them after the authorities and elected representatives noted that the performance of Muslim children was poor in SSLC examination held last year.“Of the 30,008 students who appeared for the SSLC exam in the district last year, about 5,500 failed. Of the total students who appeared for the exam, 8,860 were Muslim children of whom 2,212 failed! We held a discussion with education experts and studied the situation. We found that 41.87 percent Muslim students failed in the SSLC examination. of this 1,348 were boys and 864 girls," Zilla Panchayat Education and Health Standing Committee Chairman Shahul Hameed, said.A list was prepared of all the schools which had less than 60 per cent passout and it was revealed that the highest number of these schools were in Muslim dominated areas and the passout percentage was around 25 per cent.With the help of Jamiyyatul Falah, the education department is also providing special training to students in various parts of the district. “This training is not restricted to the Muslim community. Students are taught tips on how to write examinations,” Shahul Hameed said.Deccan Chronicle
Dalits protesting against Kerala ‘caste’ wall to move protest to Secretariat
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/dalits-protesting-against-kerala-caste-wall-move-protest-secretariat-75949
Dalits have been protesting against the ‘caste’ wall around the temple managed by the Nair Service Society in Ernakulam district for almost a year, but a recent incident has prompted them to protest outside Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.On Sunday, Ernakulam’s Puthencruz police arrested 128 participants of a Dalit Pride March in Choondi after Dalit activists and RSS workers raised slogans against each other at the March.For over two years now, Dalit residents of Kochi’s Vadayambadi have been protesting the ‘caste’ wall erected by upper-caste Nairs around the Bhajana Madam temple in the area. However, they now plan to protest with renewed vigour. Dalit Bhoo Avakasha Samara Munanni, local body comprising of residents in the locality, plans to launch an indefinite strike at the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.thenewsminute
Undertrial Shabir Ali facing murder charges ends life in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/undertrial-facing-murder-charges-ends-life-in-mumbai-s-arthur-road-jail/story-qB4VlzufIc82ygYROkGqOO.html
Mumbai : A 26-year-old undertrial, accused of murders, allegedly hanged himself at Arthur Road jail in the early hours of Monday.According to officers from NM Joshi Marg police station, who are investigating the alleged suicide, Shabirali Garibulla Shaikh was arrested by the MIDC police and had 3 cases of murder registered against him. Cops said Shaikh had attempted suicide on the jail premises in the past after which he was given psychiatric help.Rajvardhan Sinha, inspector general (prisons), said Shaikh was an undertrial for the past three years. He had attempted suicide in the past, but was saved by the guards. Shaikh was transferred to a separate cell for inmates who need psychological help and was undergoing treatment. Sinha said Shaikh tore a strip from a bedsheet and used it to hang himself from the door of the cell he was locked in. The incident took place at 4am on Monday. Shaikh’s suicide came to light after one of the guards spotted his body hanging from the door.Cops said a case has been registered and further investigation is underway.HT
Modi to visit Palestine, meet Abbas during Middle East tour
https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/38840652/modi-to-visit-palestine-meet-abbas-during-middle-east-tour/
New Delhi; PM Narendra Modi will visit Palestine during a brief tour of the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Monday, just weeks after hosting Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.Modi will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in an overture seen as India's effort to balance its decades-old support for the occupied territories against its growing closeness to Israel.The Indian premier will visit Ramallah first on his three-day tour of the region between February 9 and 12, which will also take in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.Foreign ministry official B. Bala Bhaskar said Modi's visit to Palestine would be his first, though the Indian premier has met Abbas on three previous occasions. The leaders are expected to discuss information technology, health and tourism during the brief visit, Bhaskar added. Modi will also address a joint press conference and attended a banquet.The Indian premier will depart for the UAE on Saturday, where he will address a summit in Dubai and meet business leaders before travelling to Oman for further engagements.AFP
Bangladesh's great support helped curb terror in northeast: Rajnath
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/bangladesh-s-great-support-helped-curb-terror-in-northeast-rajnath-118020400524_1.html
Agartala:Terror activities in northeast India have been checked due to Bangladesh's great help and support while rail links and bus services between the two countries facilitated travel of the region's people to other parts of India via the neighbour without any much trouble, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday."Bangladesh's immense help and support facilitated India to tame the terrorist activities in northeastern states. Our relation with Bangladesh now at best place," he said while addressing election rallies here.He said that with his BJP central govt's establishment of new rail links with Bangladesh and introducing bus services through that country facilitated the people of northeastern states to go to other parts of India avoiding the problematic journey through mountainous terrain of region and saving them huge time, costs and problems.IANS
Alam Beg, martyr of Sepoy Mutiny, wants to return home
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/alam-beg-martyr-of-sepoy-mutiny-wants-to-return-home/article22651852.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi: Headhunting is usually associated with primitive tribes and contemporary terrorists, but the colonial rulers of India also collected heads of Indian soldiers as war trophies.A 160-year-old skull of sepoy Alam Beg, now in the possession of a historian in London, is proof that colonial rulers who brought many modern practices to India were also at times inhuman. In 1857, Alam Beg, also known as Alum Bheg, was a soldier with the 46th Bengal Native Infantry, an arm of the East India Company.The Mutiny that year, after having covered the north Indian heartland, spread to Sialkot (now in Pakistan), where Alam Beg and his companions tried to follow their fellow soldiers and attacked the Europeans posted there. On July 9, 1857, they killed seven Europeans, including an entire Scottish family.Alam Beg, along with his comrades, left Sialkot and trekked all the way to the Tibetan frontier only to be turned away by the guards on the Tibetan side. He was reportedly arrested from Madhopur, a scenic town on the northern part of the Indian Punjab and taken back to Sialkot. A year later, he was tried for the brutal killing of the Scottish family and blown up from the mouth of a cannon. The Mutiny ended soon after. Alam Beg’s tragic story surfaced more than a century later thanks to an Irish captain Arthur Robert George Costello, who was present at his execution.The Hindu
WORLD
Maldives SC didn't seek India's assistance: Authorities
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/world/maldives-supreme-court-didn-t-seek-india-s-assistance-authorities/274692.html
Male:The Maldives Supreme Court did not seek assistance from the Indian government to enforce its last week's order to release high-profile prisoners, including self-exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed and former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) said.A report in Maldives' SunOnline on Monday said that some Indian newspapers carried reports stating that the Indian Ocean nation's Supreme Court asked for New Delhi's assistance to enforce its February 1 order. However, the DJA denied the reports, saying "neither the Department nor the top court made any such request". The crisis, which has included repeated rounds of clashes between police and opposition protesters, began when the Supreme Court ruled on February 1 that all politicians opposed to President Yameen, including Nasheed, be released immediately. It said their trials were "politically influenced".The government has so far refused to implement the order, saying it had concerns about releasing those who were convicted for "terrorism, graft, embezzlement and treason".It said it had been advised by the Chief Justice to follow "due process in releasing the detainees".The government said that the Prosecutor General had informed the top court about the "legal challenges" in the implementation of the ruling. In response, the court issued a second order on Sunday stating "there was no legal barrier to implementing its decision" and that "the order must be implemented".Embattled President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Monday asked the Supreme Court to revoke its decision.Attorney General Mohamed Anil said that the move to unseat the President would be "unconstitutional".IANS
Maldives President Asks Court to Revoke Order to Release Detained Politicians
https://www.voanews.com/a/maldives-president-asks-supreme-court-to-revoke-orders-to-release-politicians/4239202.html
UN human rights chief warns Rohingya abuses could spark regional conflict
http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2018/feb/05/un-human-rights-chief-warns-rohingya-abuses-could-spark-regional-conflict-1768622.html
Jakarta: UN human rights chief warned Monday that possible acts of "genocide and ethnic cleansing" against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority could fuel a religious-based conflict that spreads beyond the country's borders."Myanmar faces a very serious crisis –- with a potentially severe impact on the security of the region,"UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said during a speech in Jakarta. His remarks follow the publication of a report last week about mass graves of Rohingya in Myanmar's crisis-hit Rakhine state, where government troops have been accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the minority.AFP
Erdogan and Pope discuss Jerusalem as scuffles break out near Vatican
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/tayyip-erdogan-and-pope-francis-discuss-jerusalem-as-scuffles-break-out-near-vatican/articleshow/62792395.cms
Vatican City: Tayyip Erdogan made the first visit by a Turkish president to the Vatican in 59 years on Monday, discussing the status of Jerusalem with Pope Francis, as scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators nearby.Police, who put much of the centre of the city under lockdown for the visit, said two people were detained after demonstrators tried to break through cordons to get closer to the Vatican from an authorised protest several blocks away.Returning a visit made by the pope to Turkey in 2014, Erdogan spoke privately with Francis for about 50 minutes in the pontiff's frescoed study in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, which he uses mostly for ceremonial purposes.A Vatican statement said the talks included "the status of Jerusalem, highlighting the need to promote peace and stability in the region (Middle East) through dialogue and negotiation, with respect for human rights and international law."Both Erdogan and Pope Francis are opposed to US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which many U.S. allies say could doom Middle East peace efforts.Reuters
Israel issues deportation notices to African migrants
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/israel-issues-deportation-notices-african-migrants-180204192309308.html
Israel started issuing deportation notices to African asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan.On Sunday, first wave of notices were distributed to men who are in the country without families, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported. 20,000 people who are not held in the country's open detention facility will be expected to leave within 60 days, or risk being imprisoned indefinitely. Refugees will be asked to either leave for Rwanda, or back to their home countries. Aljazeera
Palestinian children call for rescuing Gaza from humanitarian crisis
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180205-palestinian-children-call-for-rescuing-gaza-from-humanitarian-crisis/
Dozens of Palestinian children came out to the streets of the Gaza Strip to call for international efforts to save the enclave from the economic and humanitarian disaster caused by the 11-year long Israeli siege. Children gathered in Saraya Square in central Gaza City and held banners warning of the complete collapse people’s ability to survive in the enclave. They called on all local and global powers to act quickly to save the Gaza Strip in order to ensure children’s right to live a decent life.The coalition of charitable organisations organised the rally to condemn the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza Strip.MEMO
Arab League starts international efforts to solve Israel-Arab conflict
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180205-arab-league-starts-international-efforts-to-solve-israel-arab-conflict/
Arab League announced that an Arab ministerial delegation had started contacts with “active international groups” to crystallise a position which would help solve the Israel-Arab conflict, Quds Press reported. In a press release, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League for Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Said Abu Ali said that these contacts aim to adopt a strategic choice for the solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict based on the Arab Peace Initiative and international resolutions.He also said: “The last ministerial meeting of Arab League [held on Thursday] adopted Palestinian position to find a multilateral mechanism to broker the peace process under umbrella of the UN.”middleeastmonitor
Air raids on rebel-held Idlib province intensified
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/air-raids-rebel-held-idlib-province-intensified-180205083401687.html
Images of death and destruction from the northern province of Idlib in Syria have flooded social media, with local activists and aid workers saying shelling by Russian and Syrian government warplanes in the area has intensified.Rescue workers from the Syrian Civil Defence (SCD), a volunteer search and rescue team, say that at least 18 civilians have been killed and more than 45 wounded in the continuous bombardment and a gas attack on the rebel-held province since Sunday night."The Russians are in a frenzy. They're going mad. The shelling is ongoing throughout the day and night. The warplanes are hitting residential areas," Hadi Abdullah, a local journalist, told Al Jazeera by phone from the town of Kafr Nabl in the northwestern Syrian province bordering Turkey.aljazeera
Syrian refugees 'at risk of being pushed to return'
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/syrian-refugees-risk-pushed-return-180204185615107.html
Aid agencies have warned that hundreds of thousands of Syrians are at risk of being pushed to return in 2018, despite ongoing violence in the Middle Eastern country.The warning was issued by six humanitarian agencies amid what they called a "global anti-refugee backlash", harsher conditions in regional countries who have taken in Syrians and a "misleading rhetoric" suggesting the country is safe for refugees to return to after victories by the Syrian government. aljazeera
Yemenis protest after US drone attack kills 7 in Shabwa
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/yemenis-protest-drone-strike-kills-7-shabwa-180205121304481.html
Scores of Yemenis have taken to the streets of the southern province of Shabwa after a US drone attack killed at least seven civilians.January 28 drone attack decimated a car carrying at least six male members of the same family and another individual as they were searching for a "missing child" in Shabwa's Said district, residents said.Saleh al-Aishi al-Ateeqi, a relative of one of the victims who organised the protest, told local media that "the victims were all innocent civilians who had nothing to do with any political or religious organisation." Aljazeera
Saddam's eldest daughter Raghad on most wanted list
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/saddam-eldest-daughter-raghad-wanted-list-180204163537080.html
Iraqi government has placed the name of late Saddam Hussein's daughter, Raghad, on the most wanted list, together with 59 other individuals.The 60 people are wanted on suspicion of belonging to the ISIL, al-Qaeda or the Baath Party.The list, seen by AFP, includes the name of Saddam's daughter, Raghad, who lives in Jordan.It also features 28 suspected ISIL fighters, 12 from Al-Qaeda and 20 from the Baath party, giving details of the roles they allegedly play in their organisations, the alleged crimes of which they are suspected, and, in most cases, photographs.All are Iraqis, apart from Maan Bashour, Lebanese man accused of recruiting fellow citizens to fight in Iraq.The list includes senior members of the group, among them Fawaz Mohammad Mutlaq, a former officer in Saddam's Fedayeen paramilitary organisation who later became a member of the ISIL military council. aljazeera
Pak Jamaat leader shot dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
https://dailytimes.com.pk/195552/jamaat-e-islami-leader-shot-dead-bannu/
BANNU: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan’s district leader Malik Tufail Ahmed was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Ghoriwala area here on early Sunday morning. According to the police, unidentified armed men opened fire at JI leader, killing him on the spot. The attacker managed to flee from the scene. Further investigation into the case was under way.Daily Times
Rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Hindus in US: Report
https://www.orissapost.com/rise-in-hate-crimes-against-muslims-hindus-in-us-report/
Washington: A year after President Donald Trump’s election, there has been a substantial increase in hate violence against South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern, and Arab communities in the US, a report said Friday.Between November 9, 2016 and November 7, 2017, the not- for-profit group South Asian Americans Living Together (SAALT) said in a report that it recorded 302 incidents of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at these communities. This is an over 45% increase from its previous analysis in just a year, SAALT said, adding that this has not been seen since the year after the attacks of September 11, 2001.This breaks down further into 213 incidents of hate violence and 89 instances of xenophobic political rhetoric — of which 248, or an astounding 82%, were motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment, it said.One in five perpetrators of hate violence incidents referenced President Trump, a Trump policy, or a Trump campaign slogan, underlining a strong link between the president’s anti-Muslim agenda and hate violence post- election, the SAALT said. Suman Raghunathan, executive director of SAALT alleged that through its policies and rhetoric, the Trump administration’s incessant demonisation of Islam has created an environment of hate and fear-mongering for Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim.PTI
Nuclear plan: China accuses US of 'Cold War mentality'
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/nuclear-plan-china-accuses-cold-war-mentality-180205085714251.html
China has accused the US of having a "Cold War mentality" after the latter announced its plans to diversify its nuclear arsenal by developing smaller bombs.On Sunday, the Chinese foreign ministry said that the US should focus instead on promoting regional stability, and condemned a US government report that listed Beijing as a potential nuclear enemy.aljazeera
Cyprus election: Anastasiades wins presidential race
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/cyprus-election-anastasiades-leads-presidential-race-180204145720573.html
Nicosia- Nicos Anastasiades has won a second five-year term as president of the Republic of Cyprus, official results have shown.With all votes counted,incumbent conservative secured 56 percent on Sunday, comfortably ahead of his rival, Stavros Malas, leftist-backed independent,at 44%.aljazeera
Head of Turkey's religious affairs meets Saudi minister
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/head-of-turkeys-religious-affairs-meets-saudi-minister/1054404
RIYADH:Head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Ali Erbas met Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Dawa and Guidance Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Al ash-Sheikh in Riyadh on Sunday.Both officials discussed how the potential of both countries could be used for creating global impact.Erbas underlined the importance of facilitating Islamic training and knowledge, and shared that Turkey’s religious affairs body wants to start new projects as well as maintain existing partnerships with Saudi Arabia.He invited Saudi students and researchers to continue their studies and research in Turkey.This was Erbas’ third visit to Riyadh in the last four months. He invited Saudi minister to visit Turkey.Anadolu
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Encounter Raj in UP: When Lawmakers and Law Enforcers Violate Human Rights:THE CITIZEN EDITORIAL
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/12929/Encounter-Raj-in-UP-When-Lawmakers-and-Law-Enforcers-Violate-Human-Rights
In Defence Budget 2018, Political Goals Masquerade as Military Objectives:PRAVIN SAWHNEY
https://thewire.in/221010/defence-budget-2018-procurement-make-in-india/
India Blocking Rohingya Refugees From Basic Nutrition Services:Neha Dixit
https://www.newsdeeply.com/malnutrition/articles/2018/02/02/india-blocking-rohingya-refugees-from-basic-nutrition-services
https://thewire.in/221088/rohingya-refugees-india-even-basic-nutrition-services-distant-dream/
Kasganj: For Whom the Bell Tolls:TARIQ HASAN
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/12920/Kasganj-For-Whom-the-Bell-Tolls
Kasganj Violence and the Role of Sankalp Foundation:Tarique Anwar
https://newsclick.in/kasganj-violence-and-role-sankalp-foundation
WhatsApp encryption protects those using it to spread fake news, rumours and communal tension:Asad Rehman
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-whatsapp-conundrum-fake-news-rumors-kasganj-violence-5051441/
Budget 2018 was littered with promises, silent on resources. There was no boldness, little imagination:
Udayan Mukherjee
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-poverty-of-ideas-union-budget-2018-arun-jaitley-5051427/
Rise of Hindutva forces, upper caste antagonism catalyse drive by educated Dalits to assert their identity: IndiaSpend , Praveen Chakravarty
http://www.firstpost.com/india/rise-of-hindutva-forces-upper-caste-antagonism-catalyse-drive-by-educated-dalits-to-assert-their-identity-4335739.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:54 PM)
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