NEWS DIGEST, Afternoon
24 March 2019: 16 Rajab 1440:Vol: 11, No:158
INDIA
‘Goons in garb of Hindus’: Opp condemns attack on Muslim family in Gurgaon; Rahul says RSS, BJP spread hatred
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/goons-in-garb-of-hindus-opp-condemns-attack-on-muslim-family-in-gurgaon-5639911/
Gurgaon:2 days after “20-25 men” barged into the home of a Muslim family in Gurgaon’s Dhumaspur village and attacked them with sticks and rods, several opposition leaders Saturday condemned the incident, blaming the government for emboldening anti-social elements. “Every Patriotic Indian is disgusted by the video of a family in Gurugram being mercilessly beaten by hooligans. RSS/BJP channelises bigotry and hatred for political power. This incident serves as a warning of the dangerous consequences and the dark side of that strategy,” Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to lash out at the Prime Minister, saying: “Hitler also used to do this for power. Hitler’s goons beat up people, murdered them, and the police would register a case against those who were beaten. Modi ji is also getting this done for power, he is walking down Hitler’s path. Are his supporters not able to see where our country is going?”In another tweet accompanied by a video of the incident, he said: “Watch this video. Which of our texts endorse killing of Muslims? Gita? Ramayana? Hanuman Chalisa? These people are not Hindus, they are goons in the garb of Hindus. Their party is an army of rogues, goons. It is the duty of every Indian to save both the country and the Hindu religion from them.”Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that “what happened to Mohammad Sajid and his family in Gurgaon is beyond imagination”.“Politicians who ruin the brotherhood of the country are not understanding that hate is the kind of poison that will destroy everyone,”he wrote.indian express
After attack, fearful Gurgaon Muslim family: Been here for 15 years, want to leave
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/after-attack-fearful-gurgaon-family-been-here-for-15-years-want-to-leave-5639941/
Gurgaon:15 years after he first moved to Gurgaon from Panchi village in UP’s Baghpat, Mohammad Sajid is contemplating leaving the city for good. On Thursday evening, a mob of “20-25 men” had barged into his home, attacked him and his relatives with rods and sticks, and told them to “go to Pakistan”.“We are planning to either move back to our village or to Delhi.If this has happened here once, it can happen again. Even if something like this happens in our village, at least we will have 15-20 people who will stand by us. We are entirely alone here,” said Sajid, who owns a furniture repair shop in Gurgaon’s Ghasola village, and had built a home for his wife and 6 children in Bhoop Singh Nagar colony in Dhumaspur village 3 years ago.indianexpress
Want to Leave, We are not Safe Here: Gurugram’s Muslim Family after Brutal Attack
http://caravandaily.com/want-to-leave-we-are-not-safe-here-gurugrams-muslim-family-after-brutal-attack/
‘Modi walking down Hitler’s path’: Opposition leaders condemn attack on family in Gurugram
https://scroll.in/latest/917675/modi-walking-down-hitlers-path-opposition-leaders-condemn-attack-on-muslim-family-in-gurugram?fbclid=IwAR3aRM_8O1ucSFK-Swo3f8z47KtL5FQPeVbNZQyE_Q_dLgLi_JFspmSeM08
Rahul condemns Gurugram mob attack on Muslim family, says RSS, BJP spread hatred
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rahul-gandhi-condemns-gurugram-attack-muslim-family-indicts-rss-bjp-spreading-hatred-5639794/
Man dies, 15 injured in temple-gurdwara land clash in Haryana's Kaithal
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/man-dies-in-temple-gurdwara-land-clash-119032300587_1.html
Kaithal: A 50-year old man died and 15 people were injured in a clash over the demarcation of a plot of land between a temple and a gurdwara in Haryana's Kaithal district, police said on Saturday. The clash broke out between two groups at Badsui village in Guhla area on Friday. The dispute arose over the division of land between a gurdwara and a temple on 'shamlat' (common) land, DSP Pramod Kumar said.Both groups used sticks and threw bricks at each other. A person named Shamsher Singh received head injuries and died in a hospital. Around 15 people sustained injuries, the police said A case has been registered against 35 unidentified people in connection with the incident, DSP said, adding that the situation was under control.PTI
UP: Mob thrashes 2 Dalits amid chants of ‘Har Har Modi’
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/mob-thrashes-two-men-farrukhabad-up
A man from the oppressed community, Saimpi Valmiki, was allegedly thrashed by “upper caste” men from his village in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad on Friday, during an altercation over the term “Chowkidar”.The incident happened when Saimpi, who was sitting at the gate of his house in Nagla village allegedly shouted, “main bhi chowkidar” in a jibe at PM Narendra Modi’s ongoing campaign.This apparently angered some men who were passing by that area, and they thrashed the man.When the news spread, some members of the Valmiki community gathered and took the man to a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, one of the alleged attackers was also taken to the same hospital where the two groups then got into another altercation.A video of the altercation has gone viral on social media, presumably from the fight that broke out at the hospital where two men from the Valmiki community were beaten up by the upper caste men of their village, amid chants of “Har Har Modi”.An FIR has been lodged against the accused under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.The Quint
Sushma asks report on abduction of Hindu sisters in Sindh, Pak minister takes dig; Imran orders probe
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/swaraj-seeks-report-into-kidnapping-of-2-hindu-girls-in-pakistans-sindh-province/article26624622.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:An online statement by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj seeking a report from Indian officials in Islamabad about an apparent abduction of two sisters from minority Hindu community in Pakistan turned into spat after Islamabad’s information minister retorted strongly to her comment.In a social media message on Sunday regarding the incident in Pakistan, Swaraj said,“I have asked the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to send a report on this.” This drew a quick response from Pakistan information minister Chaudhary Fawwad Hussain who said that it is an internal issue of his country.In a social media response, Husssain alleged that minorities are not safe in India but his country was committed to protecting its minority communities. “...white colour of our flag is equally dearer to us,” said the Pakistani minister urging the senior Indian minister to address alleged violation of human rights of Indian minority communities.Meanwhile,Pakistan PM Imran Khan has ordered a probe into reports and to take immediate steps for their recovery.thehindu
Lucknow: AIMPLB calls emergency meeting on Ayodhya issue today
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-lucknow-aimplb-calls-emergency-meeting-on-ayodhya-issue-today-2732563
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has called an emergency meeting of its working committee in Lucknow on Sunday morning to discuss the Ayodhya issue.All the 51 members of the committee are expected to be present in the meeting which is likely to be joined by representatives of the Sunni Central Waqf Board.The Supreme Court-appointed mediation committee for resolution of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute held its first sitting on March 13 and heard all parties who attended the proceedings.ANI
HRD says PhDs only on ‘national priority’ topics, Kerala prof quits central univ board
https://indianexpress.com/article/education/hrd-says-phds-only-on-national-priority-topics-kerala-prof-quits-central-univ-board-5639915/?fbclid=IwAR0BFI85Xr-oneaeeqdFs8aV7NWD7Y78UGDg_kFw3feKRTwb-OP97ww18y4
New Delhi :A member of the Board of Studies of English and Comparative Literature at the Central University of Kerala (CUK) has resigned in protest against the administration’s order asking all departments to prepare “a shelf of projects” in line with “national priorities” for PhD scholars. The directive came on March 13. The circular was issued at the behest of the Union HRD Ministry, which, at a meeting of vice-chancellors of central universities in Dec.last year, had asked V-Cs to “discourage research in irrelevant areas”.“When Fellows are being admitted for PhDs, topics for the thesis should be in accordance with the national priorities. Allotting privilege topics to PhD students should be dispensed with,” states the minutes of the meeting held Dec.15, 2018. CUK subsequently wrote to all Deans and Heads of Departments to prepare a list of projects “considering national priorities”. The circular states that students in future can only opt for research topics from the predetermined list. Under the current system, a PhD hopeful proposes a topic for her thesis during her interview at the university, and is grilled on it by the interview panel. The panel either approves the proposal, or makes some changes to it. But in general, students are free to pursue research in the areas they want. Meena T Pillai, a professor from the University of Kerala (which is different from CUK), resigned from the Board of Studies of English and Comparative Literature on Wednesday to mark her protest against the university’s decision. She was an external member of the Board of Studies.“Research on, say, a small tribal community in a remote village of Kerala would be a priority. So who decides what is relevant and irrelevant? Even to bring in specific classifications and categorisations in research is against the very spirit of higher education. Research is also critique, dissent and the right to ask questions. The moment you start deciding what areas of research one should limit oneself to, where is the academic freedom of the researcher?” Pillai told Sunday Express. This week, CUK issued a clarification to its March 13 circular, saying that by “national priorities” it meant research that was useful to society. CUK V-C Gopakumar declined to comment, and directed queries to university Registrar.indian express
Separatists condemn ban on JKLF; shutdown in Kashmir
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/separatists-condemn-ban-on-jklf-call-for-shutdown-in-kashmir/747546.html
Srinagar:Separatists have called for a shutdown on Sunday against the ban on JKLF under the UAPA. The joint resistance leadership (JRL) termed the ban “highly authoritarian, autocratic and pure political vendetta”.“After banning Jamaat-e-Islami, JKLF has been targeted. We urge the people of Kashmir to observe a complete shutdown across Kashmir against the arbitrary and undemocratic decision of the Government of India to ban JKLF,” read the statement issued by JRL.e JRL said “by employing the ultimate repressive measures, Centre can neither break the resolve of people of Kashmir nor push the resistance leadership to submission”.Mainstream political parties also condemned the Centre’s move. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the “ban will turn Kashmir into an open air prison.”“Yasin Malik renounced violence as a way of resolving the J&K issue a long time ago. He was treated as a stakeholder in a dialogue initiated by then PM (Atal Bihari) Vajpayeeji. What will a ban on his organisation achieve? Detrimental steps like these will only turn Kash(mir) into an open air prison,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti tweeted. National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah linked the ban with the upcoming elections. Separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Lone said banning JKLF would shrink the space for peaceful dissent.tribune india
Hurriyat leaders, Salahauddin, businessmen among 13 identified for terror financing: Officials
https://www.firstpost.com/india/hizbul-mujahideens-syed-salahauddin-hurriyat-leaders-businessmen-among-13-identified-for-terror-financing-officials-6318531.html
New Delhi: Continuing crackdown on terror financers, security agencies have identified 13 people, including Hizbul Mujahideen founder Syed Salahuddin, Hurriyat leaders and businessmen, who are allegedly providing funds to terrorists and stone pelters at the behest of Pakistan spy agency ISI, officials said Sunday.Centre has started seizing properties belonging to terror financiers in a big way. 13 individuals and their properties have been identified by NIA and action has been initiated, they said. "Individuals identified during these investigations have been found providing money to all major terrorist groups like LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen as also Hurriyat leaders, separatists and stone-pelters in J&K," a senior government official said. Operational activities of terror groups, including attacks on security forces, camps and convoys, are also being financed, the official said, adding money obtained through these channels are being used by major secessionist formations, especially the Hurriyat Conference. An official said, "extensive use of such funds is being made to finance institutions such as select mosques, madrasas and organisations like recently banned Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, for focusing on subverting locals."In the first strike, action was initiated to attach a plush bungalow of Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali in Gurgaon, the official said. PTI
Delhi HC judge to head tribunal on Jamaat ban
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/(X(1)S(0vonksbqfket02yalxb1gtjh))/news/front-page/delhi-hc-judge-to-head-tribunal-on-jamaat-ban/317347.html
Srinagar:Govt of India on Saturday constituted a tribunal to decide whether there is sufficient cause for declaring the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir (JeI) as an unlawful association. Ministry of Home Affairs today ordered that the tribunal would be headed by Justice Mukta Gupta, a judge of the Delhi High Court. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5 of UAPA, 1967, Central Government hereby constitutes the UAPA consisting of Justice Mukta Gupta, High Court of Delhi, constituted, vide, notification number S.O. 931 (E), dated the 21st Feb, 2019, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring JeI as an unlawful Association,” reads the notification issued by MHA.A tribunal headed by Gupta is already adjudicating whether there is sufficient cause for declaring SIMI as an unlawful association after a fresh ban was imposed on the organization. On Feb.28, Government of India imposed a five year ban on JeI, citing that it is “in close touch with militants.”The ban, which came into effect immediately, is subject to outcome of decision by the tribunal. An official, wishing not to be named, told Greater Kashmir that whenever any organization is banned under UAPA, Central Government has to constitute a tribunal to adjudicate whether there is sufficient cause for declaring it as an unlawful organization. “As per legal requirements, the tribunal will serve a notice to JeI asking them to give reasons on why it should not be declared unlawful,” he said, adding that the tribunal can either confirm the ban or cancel the same.greaterkashmir
17 Lakh Dalits, 10 Lakh Muslims; names of total 40 lakh voters in Maharashtra missing:Justice Patil
https://newscentral24x7.com/maharashtr-40-lakh-voters-missing-bg-kolse-patil-lok-sabha-elections/
Mumbai: JDS on Friday said that names of nearly 40 lakh voters in Maharashtra have gone missing from the voters’ list as part of a “conspiracy hatched by the BJP” for political gains. Party’s national general secretary Justice (retd) B G Kolse Patil, while citing the findings of a survey conducted by a Hyderabad-based firm, said that names of 39,27,882 or 4.6 per cent of the total number of voters- were missing from the voters’ list.“Out of the 39,27,882 names, 17 lakh voters are Dalits, while 10 lakh are Muslims. This is a conspiracy hatched by the BJP for political gains,” Kolse-Patil, the former judge of Bombay High Court, said in a news conference.The survey was conducted by IT engineer Khalid Saifullah, founder of the Missing Voter App, to assess the number of missing voters. He claimed that names of approximately 12.7 crore voters in the country, including three crore Muslims, has gone missing from the voters’ list, who may not be able to vote in the May 2019 Lok Sabha elections.His team surveyed 69 of the total 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra.Patil said there was still time to undo all these flaws and the Election Commission (EC) must do it.Saifullah said his free mobile app, Missing Voters, has details of all the constituencies, the number of households on each street and the number of voters in each household.“Considering the gravity of the issue, the state Election Commission must undertake a drive to take corrective steps, otherwise a large number of voters will be deprived of their right,” he said.PTI
Election Updates: Akhilesh Yadav To Contest From Azamgarh, Azam Khan from Rampur
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/2019-lok-sabha-elections-live-updates-bjp-to-hold-vijay-sankalp-sabha-events-2011947
Samajwadi Party releases its list of star campaigners: Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Azam Khan, Dimple Yadav and Jaya Bachchan included in the list, reports ANI. Mulayam Singh Yadav's name is not there, the report adds.Akhilesh Yadav wll contest from Azamgarh and Azam Khan from Rampur, SP tweets.ndtv
BJP names first Muslim candidate in Bengal; she will take on Pranab’s son at Jangipur
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-names-first-muslim-candidate-in-bengal-she-will-take-on-pranab-s-son/story-2dgYh88pxsLOCgHdROF9DO.html
Mafuja Khatun, BJP’s first Muslim candidate in West Bengal, will take on Congress candidate Abhijit Mukherjee, the son of former President Pranab Mukherjee. Abhijit, 59, is the incumbent from Jangipur constituency in Murshidabad district.Khatun, whose candidature was announced on Saturday, said that she would focus her campaign on the Narendra Modi govt’s initiative to liberate Muslim women from the evil of instant triple talaq.Khatun, whose candidature was announced on Saturday, said that she would focus her campaign on the Modi government’s initiative to liberate Muslim women from the evil of instant triple talaq.HT
Lok Sabha polls: Congress releases ninth list, fields Karti Chidambaram from Sivaganga
https://indianexpress.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019-congress-list-karti-chidambaram-tariq-anwar-bk-hariprasad-5640484/
New Delhi :Former Union minister P Chidambaram’s son and Congress leader Karti Chidambaram will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, the party announced on Sunday while releasing its ninth list of 10 candidates.In 2014, Karti had unsuccessfully fought the parliamentary polls from the Sivaganga constituency, a stronghold of his father. The seat was won by AIADMK’s Senthilnathan Pr. P Chidambaram had represented the constituency in 2004 and 2009.Besides this, the grand old party has decided to field former NCP leader Tariq Anwar from Katihar in Bihar while senior leader BK Hariprasad will represent Bangalore South.indianexpress
Congress, JMM, JVM-P announce seat sharing, RJD unhappy
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/congress-jmm-jvm-p-announce-seat-sharing-rjd-unhappy
Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) on Sunday announced an alliance in the state for the Lok Sabha battle but RJD boycotted the deal after it was given only one seat to contest.JMM chief Shibu Soren and Executive President Hemant Soren, state Congress President Ajay Kumar and JVM-P President Babulal Marandi were present at a joint press conference but no one from the RJD attended it."We have agreed to fight the elections in an alliance," said Shibu Soren.Giving details, Ajay Kumar said the Congress, JMM, JVM-P and RJD will fight on seven, four, two and one Lok Sabha seats respectively.
UDF, LDF have an uphill task tackling parties like SDPI, WPI, PDP:New Indian Express
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2019/mar/23/udf-ldf-have-an-uphill-task-tackling-parties-like-sdpi-wpi-pdp-1954616.html
KOCHI: For both the Congress and the CPM, handling parties like SDPI, PDP and WPI is one of the major challenges in the election as these parties have a considerable number of votes in their kitty, which might play a decisive role in a candidate’s victory.An analysis of the 2014 election results shows SDPI had secured 2.73 lakh votes, while the Welfare Party could garner 68,332 votes. Even PDP claims to have a strong presence in certain pockets in the state.SDPI has strong pockets in Kannur, Vadakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Chalakkudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Attingal, while Welfare Party has considerable influence in Chalakudy, Palakkad, Malappuram and Wayanad. “We have decided to support UDF this time. Our workers will vote and campaign for the UDF candidates. We have considerable votes in a few key places,” said Welfare Party of India state secretary Sajeed Khalid.Similarly, both the PDP and SDPI too will soon take a call on extending support to main political fronts in the state. SDPI has announced candidates in only 10 constituencies in the state leaving the option for both UDF and LDF for an informal alliance.PDP, which has announced candidates in only five constituencies, will soon finalise their election strategy in other seats as well.newindianexpress
Gujarat: Minority community body to give parties set of poll demands
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/minority-community-body-to-give-parties-set-of-poll-demands-119032300573_1.html
Ahmedabad:An umbrella body of minority community members Saturday listed a set of 14 demands for political parties for the April-May Lok Sabha polls. Minority Coordination Committee said the demands include amendment to National Commission for Minorities Act, setting up of a ministry of minority affairs in all states, establishment of an equal opportunities commission, special budget provisions for minorities and enacting laws to prevent communal violence. Minority Coordination Committee convener Mujahid Nafees told reporters the charter of demands would be conveyed to all parties and candidates contesting from the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat."These are issues related to the development and existence of minorities in the country. Our demands are being made for the first time in an organised manner. We hope parties will implement them after coming to power," Nafees said.The committee also wants to set up a judicial inquiry commission to probe police encounters, banning of training and exhibition of arms by certain organisations, protection of Wakf properties, strengthening the Minority Finance and Development Corporation as well as enacting laws to ensure political participation.PTI
In a first, Pakistan acknowledges area where the 3 were hanged as ‘Bhagat Singh Chowk’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-a-first-pakistan-acknowledges-area-where-the-three-were-hanged-as-bhagat-singh-chowk-5640067/
A motley group of followers of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Saturday paid tributes to the trio on their 88th martyrdom anniversary at Shadman Chowk in Lahore city of Pakistan, the spot which was once a part of a jail where they were hanged by the British on March 23, 1931.The spot reverberated with the chants of ‘Bhagat Singh Zinda Hai’ and ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh Teri Soch Tey, Pehra Deyange Thok Ke’ as Lahore residents, including women and children, with candles in their hands, paid tributes to the martyrs.The initiative was spearheaded by Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation, which is run by Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi who had also filed a petition in Lahore High Court to rename Shadman Chowk as ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk.’ The mood at Shadman Chowk Saturday remained sombre as artistes paid musical tributes to the martyrs.In a major development, the district administration of Lahore for the first time in its official document acknowledged Shadman Chowk as “Bhagat Singh Chowk” and addressed Bhagat Singh and his companions as “Great Revolutionary Leaders,” claimed Qureshi, on whose petition the Lahore High Court had directed Mayor of Lahore in September last year, to take decision on renaming the chowk. Till now, no official notification or orders have been issued in this regard by Lahore administration.indianexpress
British hanged him, now we are killing his thoughts: Bhagat Singh’s nephew
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/british-hanged-him-now-we-are-killing-his-thoughts-bhagat-singhs-nephew-5640089/
New Delhi :On March 23, 1931, British hanged Bhagat Singh, but in 2019, his thoughts are being killed, feels the martyr’s nephew Major General (Retd) Sheonan Singh.Son of Ranbir Singh, Bhagat Singh’s younger brother, Army veteran was speaking on the 88th martyrdom day of the freedom fighter at Delhi Archives on Saturday.“He wanted people to read about his thoughts that he had put to words. Bhagat Singh will be happy even if one person can make his own opinion, if some original thinker, who can speak his mind, is born. Those who make their views by watching television and following social media are not the original thinkers,” he said.His another nephew Abhay Sandhu, who was also present, echoed: “We are not even thinking about his ideologies. Bhagat Singh wanted an equal society with little difference between rich and poor, but after 71 years of independence, the gap is increasing. His fight was not against the British, but the system that is still continuing like IPC made in 1860. Young India should come forward to change the system.” indianexpress
Assamese Muslims, Muslims from UP, Bihar different… Fight is against Bangladeshi Muslims, not Indian Muslims: Himanta Biswa Sarma
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/muslims-from-assam-up-bihar-different-fight-is-against-bangladeshi-muslims-not-indian-muslims-himanta-biswa-sarma-5639839/
Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "We should not have any grievances against Muslims who are part of India, who have equal rights as me or any other Indian citizen. I have a secular mindset. Though I understand secularism in my own way, I have full respect for Muslims in general. Our fight with Bangladeshi Muslims is on ethnic lines not on religious lines. Assamese Muslims understand this. Let me give you an example. After the Balakot air strikes, we registered 92 cases against Bangladeshi (migrants) who posted ‘Pakistan zindabad’ on social media. After arresting them, we found that all of them were recent migrants from Bangladesh. They are posing a civilisational challenge to us. But Assamese Muslims, Muslims from UP or Bihar are different. Those interpreting our fight against Bangladeshi Muslims as a fight against Muslims are wrong. We are not against Indian Muslims." After 23 years in the Congress, Sarma walked out of the party in 2016 to join the BJP. Later that year, he was credited for the party’s win in the Assam Assembly elections. As chairman of BJP’s Northeast Democratic Alliance, the Assam minister has been instrumental in increasing BJP’s influence in the region. With the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and National Register of Citizens sparking protests in the Northeast, Sarma has been working to placate NDA partners there ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. He is confident that despite apprehensions, people in the Northeast will vote for BJP, for the government’s development work.indianexpress
Lynching Around Eid to Instill Fear Even During Festivals, Says 'Lynch Files' Author Ziya Us Salam
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/lynching-around-eid-to-instill-fear-even-during-festivals-lynch-files-author-ziya-us-salam-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=emailemail&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Indiatomorrownet+%28IndiaTomorrow.net%29
New Delhi:Through lynchings around Eid festivals, Muslims were given clear message that they should wait for their festivals not with happiness but fear, said Senior journalist Ziya Us Salam at the launch of his book ‘Lynch Files: The Forgotten Saga of Victims of Hate Crimes’ here on Saturday. Widely known for his published works in The Hindu daily and Frontline magazine, Ziya was the guest speaker at a weekly interactive session titled ‘Guftgu’ which promotes progressive dialogue “at a time when democratic spaces are shrinking in the country”, according to the organizers of the talk event. On the sidelines of the literary occasion, India Tomorrow asked the writer-journalist Ziya Us Salam, who is currently Associate Editor at Frontline, a few pertinent questions related to his experience while writing the book. He began by saying that earlier, travelling in a train was never a worry for an average Muslim, as there was a spirit of harmony which prevailed among the strangers meeting along the journey as they would exchange pleasantries, offer each other food, talk on issues which concerned people irrespective of faiths and by the end of a journey a certain level of friendship would develop. “But that was India from 1947 to 2014, but it took only five years to damage this decades-long tradition of bonhomie among different communities.India Tomorrow
Supreme Court to hear on Monday fresh plea for not evicting forest dwellers
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-forest-dwellers-tribal-land-5640272/
New Delhi :The Supreme Court will hear on Monday a fresh plea seeking a direction to authorities not to evict any forest dweller and to set up an SIT to look into alleged illegal acquisition of tribals’ land.A bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna had on March 5 taken cognisance of the plea, filed by Chhattisgarh-based Tarika Tarangini Larka, seeking a direction to the Centre not to allot possession of any forest land belonging to tribals to anyone other than ‘adivasi’ residing in that particular area.The apex court, while dealing with other similar pending petition, had on Feb.28 stayed its Feb.13 order directing 21 states to evict 11.8 lakh illegal forest dwellers whose claims over the forest land have been rejected by authorities.In the fresh petition, filed through lawyer M L Sharma, Larka has alleged that authorities in Tamnar of Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh have forcibly grabbed a large area of tribal land and handed it to outsiders and now are trying to oust ‘adivasi’ from the area.PTI
Mumbai: Muslim boy falls off train, crushed under wheels on last day of Class X exam
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mumbai-boy-falls-off-train-crushed-under-wheels-on-last-day-of-class-ten-exam-5639236/
Mumbai :A 17-year-old boy was crushed to death after he allegedly fell off a running train near Dockyard Road railway station, police said.The boy, identified as Zubair Siddiqui, a student of Class X at Anjuman-e-Islam School, was returning to his house in Wadala from CSMT after writing his last examination on Thursday when the incident happened, they said.According to Zubair’s father, Atiullah Khan Zubair was a good football player. “He had been contacted by some football clubs, who wanted him to play for them. But he needed to give them his Class X certificate and hence Zubair was eagerly waiting for the exam to conclude,” he said.indianexpress
WORLD
Assad regime never sought to regain Golan: Opposition
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/assad-regime-never-sought-to-regain-golan-opposition/1427346
IDLIB: Syrian regime has never attempted to regain the occupied Golan Heights from Israel, an opposition spokesman said Sunday. Naji Mustafa, spokesman for the opposition National Liberation Front (NLF), said Syrian regime has used the Golan Heights issue to "suppress any potential uprisings in the country". "[Late President] Hafez Assad has sold the Golan Heights to Israel under a secret agreement," he claimed. He said the current regime of Bashar Assad, who succeeded his father Hafez in ruling Syria, has never attempted to politically defend the Golan issue in international arenas."The regime did not want to regain the Golan at any time," Mustafa said. "Rather, it used the issue as a 'foreign threat' against its people." On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said it was time for the U.S. to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel occupies roughly two-thirds of the wider Golan Heights as a de facto result of the conflict. It moved to formally annex the territory in 1981 -- an action unanimously rejected at the time by the UN Security Council. On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution opposing Israel’s continued occupation of the Golan Heights. Anadolu Agency,
EU will not follow Trump’s recognition of Israel sovereignty in Golan Heights
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190323-eu-will-not-follow-trumps-recognition-of-israel-sovereignty-in-golan-heights/
European Union (EU) will not follow in the footsteps of US President Donald Trump regarding the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.A spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini, Maya Kosyanchich, said in a statement: “The European Union, in accordance with international law, does not recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the territories it occupied since July 1967, including the Golan Heights, and does not consider them as part of Israeli territory,” the Times of Israel reported yesterday. European Council President Donald Tusk reiterated this position, yesterday saying that the EU is holding its line on the Golan Heights. “The EU’s position is well-known and has not changed,” Tusk told a news conference yesterday when asked to comment on Trump’s remarks.middleeastmonitor
Palestinian succumbs to wounds as Israeli air raids hit Gaza
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/palestinian-succumbs-wounds-israeli-air-raids-hit-gaza-190324084622006.html
Israeli aircraft targeted two Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip early on Sunday as the health ministry in Gaza announced the death of a Palestinian wounded previously in protests against Israeli forces.Palestinian activists have been flying burning kites and balloons into Israel as part of ongoing protests along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone.According to Israeli officials, the improvised aerial weapons have caused a number of fires inside Israeli settlements, causing significant material damage but not resulting in any deaths or injuries. "In response to multiple explosive devices that were hurled and exploded during Gaza riots near Israel's border fence this evening, an IDF [Israeli army] aircraft targeted two Hamas observation posts in the southern Gaza Strip," a statement from the military read.The Israeli warplanes struck positions in Al-Awda refugee camp, east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, reported Anadolu Agency.There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza.aljazeera
UNHRC condemns Israel’s use of ‘lethal force’ against Gaza protesters
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190323-unhrc-condemns-israels-use-of-lethal-force-against-gaza-protesters/
UNHRC condemned Israel’s “apparent intentional use of unlawful lethal and other excessive force” against civilian protesters in the Gaza Strip during the Great March of Return.In addition to condemning Israel, the UNHRC also called for perpetrators of violations in the besieged enclave to face justice.On the final day of a four-week session, the UNHRC adopted a resolution on accountability, brought by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Twenty-three states voted in favour of the resolution, while eight voted against and 15 abstained. One delegation was absent.The resolution called for cooperation with the investigations opened by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2015 into Israeli human rights violations.Reuters reported that UNHRC made the resolution based on a UN report which said that Israel may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by killing 189 Palestinians and wounding more than 6,100 at the Great March of Return protests last year.middleeastmonitor
UN: More than 130 killed in Mali ethnic attack on Fulani village
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/130-killed-mali-ethnic-attack-fulani-village-190324081752188.html
More than 130 people were killed in an attack on a Fulani village in central Mali on Saturday, the United Nations has said, as a delegation visited the country.Survivors accused traditional Donzo hunters of carrying out the deadly raid in Ogossagou, according to Boubacar Kane, the governor of Bankass district which covers the village."The Secretary-General is shocked and outraged by reports that at least 134 civilians, including women and children, have been killed," Farhan Haq, a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in a statement, adding that UN chief called on Malian authorities "to swiftly investigate it and bring the perpetrators to justice".The attack was launched at dawn on Saturday in the village near the border with Burkina Faso, according to local officials. The district has been the scene of frequent intercommunal violence.aljazeera
US sanctions on Hezbollah negatively impact Lebanon, parliament speaker says
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190323-us-sanctions-on-hezbollah-negatively-impact-lebanon-parliament-speaker-says/
Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, yesterday told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that US sanctions on Hezbollah have a negative impact on the country.“Hezbollah is a Lebanese faction and it is in the parliament and part of the government,” Berri said, according to Arabi 21.He added: “[Hezbollah’s] armed resistance is a result of the continuous Israeli occupation of the Lebanese lands.”Pompeo met with Berri yesterday in the Lebanese capital Beirut and “discussed a number of issues related to the Lebanese economy and implementation of critical reforms, as well as the need to maintain calm along the boundary between Lebanon and Israel”.A statement by the US State Department said: “Secretary Pompeo expressed hope that Lebanon would be able to join the other states of the Eastern Mediterranean in developing offshore resources in a manner of benefit to all the people of Lebanon.”middleeastmonitor
Flash: views & NEWS
America Deserves a Leader as Good as Jacinda Ardern:New York Times, Editorial
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/opinion/new-zealand-ardern.html
Cash in circulation jumps 19.1 per cent from pre-demonetisation level:George Mathew
https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/cash-in-circulation-jumps-19-1-from-pre-demonetisation-level-5637325/
Once Pakistan’s pawn in Afghanistan, Mullah Baradar is now cast in role of interlocutor:Khaled Ahmed
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mullah-abdul-ghani-baradar-mystery-afghan-taliban-us-pakistan-5638916/
Modi's 5 yrs prove that sustained economic growth is incompatible with toxic Hindutva politics:Maitreesh Ghatak & Udayan Mukherjee
https://scroll.in/article/917424/narendra-modis-economic-record-is-abysmal-no-statistical-jugglery-can-hide-that
#PrimetimeWatch: Attack on Muslim Family in Gurugram, Congress Troubles Dominate:Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar
https://thewire.in/media/primetimewatch-attack-muslim-family-gurugram-congress-troubles
Fifth column: No justice yet for Pehlu Khan: Tavleen Singh
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/pehlu-khan-mob-lynching-narendra-modi-up-cow-vigilantism-lok-sabha-election-5639873/
BJP slogan gets it so wrong. No self-respecting chowkidar would like to be in that job in India:
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/main-nahin-chowkidar-bjp-narendra-modi-smart-city-election-2019-chaiwallas-5638896/
After Advani, roads closed for veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar too, party hunts for new face in Himachal:Bipin Bhardwaj
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/politics/after-advani-roads-closed-for-veteran-bjp-leader-shanta-kumar-too-party-hunts-for-new-face-in-himachal
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:51 PM)
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