NEWS DIGEST, EVENING
28 AUG. 2019: 26 ZilHajj 1440:Vol: 11, No:278
INDIA: J&K ISSUE
SC's 5-judge Constitution bench to hear challenge to Article 370 abrogation, J&K bifurcation
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jammu-kashmir-supreme-court-article-370-constitution-bench-5943875/
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today referred the petitions challenging the validity of the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into 2 Union Territories to a 5-judge Constitution Bench. The bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice SA Bobde and Abdul Nazeer said that issued notice in the matters while fixing the first week of Oct.to hear it. The court also sought a response from the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir administration.“We will refer the matter to a 5-judge Constitution bench”, the bench said while not accepting the arguments that the issuance of notice will have a “cross-border repercussion”. “Notice is issued for the purpose of intimating parties to be present for the hearing. We are already here”, said Mehta, adding that “it had repercussions in other countries”. Ramachandran wondered how the court issuing notice in the normal course “can embarrass anyone”.Mehta replied that it “doesn’t embarrass anyone, but other countries are taking advantage”. Attorney General KK Venugopal also urged the court not to issue a notice saying “this is a very serious issue”.As the counsel appearing for both sides were involved in arguments and counter-arguments, the bench said, “We know what to do, we have passed the order, we are not going to change”. National Conference leaders, IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal, activist Shehla Rashid, Advocate ML Sharma and a Kashmiri lawyer are among the petitioners that have challenged the Centre’s August 5 decision to scrap Article 370.The bench also issued notice on the petition by Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin challenging what she claimed was the “communication blackout” in J&K.
‘A citizen must get access’: SC lets Yechury visit Kashmir, but with rider
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-on-jammu-and-kashmir-live-updates-5943711/
New Delhi :The Supreme Court Wednesday allowed CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to visit Jammu and Kashmir to enquire about colleague Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami’s health.A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, “If a citizen wants to visit a part of the country, he must have access to.” It, however, directed Yechury to only meet Tarigami and not use the visit for any political purpose.To Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submission that Tarigami was a person who had Z category security and was “not the kind of person who would go missing”, CJI said “whether it’s Z or Z plus, if a citizen wants to visit a part of the country, he must have access to”.The court, however, told Senior Counsel Raju Ramachandran who appeared for Yechury that the visit shall not be used for any other purpose except to enquire about Tarigami’s health. The bench also asked the state to facilitate the travel. The bench said if Yechury indulges in any political activities, authorities are free to report them to the apex court.The bench also allowed a student of Jamia Millia University who had moved the court saying he had not been able to see his parents to visit Anantnag to see them. It also asked the state to make arrangements for this.indianexpress
Under fire, Press Council rethinks: To tell SC it stands for press freedom
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/under-fire-press-council-rethinks-to-tell-supreme-court-it-stands-for-press-freedom-5942805/
New Delhi :Facing criticism over its stand on the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir in its application in the Supreme Court, Press Council of India has written to its members proposing to inform the apex court that it stands for press freedom and does not approve of any restrictions on the media.The communication comes after some members of the Council protested against the “unilateral” move of its chairman, CK Prasad, a former judge of the Supreme Court, to intervene in a case — filed by Kashmir Times executive editor Anuradha Bhasin — backing the restrictions in J&K. The Editors Guild of India also objected to the Council’s intervention application, saying that “an institution created to safeguard press freedom is not only failing to speak up for it but is perversely arguing for a media clampdown in the name of national interest”.In a letter to all its members, Press Council secretary Anupama Bhatnagar said that the next hearing is slated for Wednesday, and that the Council will inform the SC that it will reply only after a fact-finding committee formed by it has reported back.indianexpress
Pakistan again threatens closure of its airspace, land routes
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pakistan-again-threatens-closure-of-its-airspace-land-routes-imran-khan-5942796/
New Delhi :In A fresh round of diplomatic offensive against India, Pakistan is again considering closure of its airspace for Indian flights.“PM is considering a complete closure of airspace to India, a complete ban on use of Pakistan land routes for Indian trade to Afghanistan was also suggested in cabinet meeting, legal formalities for these decisions are under consideration,” Pakistan’s Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry tweeted after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.Chaudhry is a close aide of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. “Modi has started we’ll finish!” he tweeted, referring to the Modi government’s decision to revoke J&K’s special status.indian express
J&K denies Shah Faesal held in illegal custody, opposes his study claim
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-denies-shah-faesal-held-in-illegal-custody-opposes-his-study-claim-5942846/
New Delhi :Denying that Shah Faesal, former IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir, is in “unauthorised custody”, the J&K administration has stated before the Delhi High Court that his “liberty has been curtailed in accordance with statutory provisions, and under an order passed by the competent authority”.The administration opposed Faesal’s “theory” that he wanted to travel to US to complete a course in Masters in Public Administration.In an affidavit, J&K administration stated, “It is not conceivable, in absence of any cogent material, to accept the theory that a leader of political outfit which is very vocal about the constitutional actions taken by constitutional bodies of our country on 5th Aug, would leave the country at this juncture to pursue some academic course, that too without student visa.”The affidavit stated, “It is submitted that on Aug.14, the petitioner was travelling on ‘B1/B2’ visa (tourist visa)…. B1/B2 visa affixed on his passport, not being a student visa, does not entitle him to study in USA.”The administration also pointed out that Faesal resigned from the civil service, joined politics and formed a political outfit – J&K People’s Movement. It said Faesal’s claim that he is in illegal detention “appears to be a facade and an incorrect fact”. indianexpress
Kashmir saw 500 protests, hundreds injured in 3 weeks: aljazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/kashmir-500-protests-hundreds-injured-weeks-report-190828110317689.html
At least 500 incidents of protest have broken out in Indian-administered Kashmir since New Delhi stripped the region of its autonomy and imposed a military clampdown more than three weeks ago, a senior government official has told the AFP.The Kashmir valley is under a strict lockdown, imposed hours before India's decision to bring Kashmir under its direct rule.Movements are restricted in the region and phone and internet services have been cut. Police have been using pellet guns and tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters in the main city of Srinagar.The lockdown, as well as the deployment of tens of thousands of extra troops to reinforce the 500,000 based in Kashmir, was ordered amid fears of unrest in the disputed region where an armed rebellion against Indian rule has been waged since 1989.A senior government official told AFP on Wednesday that at least 500 protests and incidents of stone-throwing have occurred since August 5, with more than half taking place in Srinagar. Nearly 100 civilians have been injured so far, with a further 300 police and more than 100 paramilitary troopers hurt, the official added.
Cong slams Pak for dragging Rahul's name in petition moved in UN
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/cong-slams-pak-for-dragging-rahuls-name-in-petition-moved-in-un/articleshow/70870588.cms
New Delhi: Congress has slammed Pakistan for "mischievously" dragging party leader Rahul Gandhi's name in a petition reportedly moved in the United Nations to justify its "lies" and misinformation on Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement, the opposition party said Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh were and would always be an integral part of India as it accused Pakistan of instigating violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhi said Jammu and Kashmir was India's internal matter and there was no room for Pakistan or any other country to intervene. He also accused Pakistan of instigating and supporting violence in Jammu and Kashmir and said the neighbouring country was known to be "the prime supporter of terrorism across the world". "I disagree with this Government on many issues. But, let me make this absolutely clear: Kashmir is India's internal issue and there is no room for Pakistan or any other foreign country to interfere in it," he said in a tweet."There is violence in Jammu & Kashmir.There is violence because it is instigated and supported by Pakistan which is known to be the prime supporter of terrorism across the world," Gandhi wrote on Twitter. PTI
OTHERS
Survey: 50 per cent cops feel Muslims naturally prone to crime
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/survey-50-per-cent-cops-feel-muslims-naturally-prone-to-crime-5942783/
New Delhi:One in 2 police personnel surveyed feel that Muslims are likely to be “naturally prone” to committing crimes, 2019 Status of Policing in India Report has found. It also found that 35 per cent of police personnel interviewed for the survey think it is natural for a mob to punish the “culprit” in cases of cow slaughter, and 43 per cent think it is natural for a mob to punish someone accused of rape. The report on police adequacy and working conditions, prepared by NGO Common Cause and Lokniti programme of the Centre for Study of Developing Societies, was released on Tuesday by former SC judge J Chelameswar.Spread across 21 states, the survey involved interviews of 12,000 police personnel in police stations and around 11,000 of their family members. The survey found that 37 per cent personnel interviewed feel that for minor offences, a small punishment should be handed out by the police rather than a legal trial. It found that 72 per cent police personnel experience “political pressure” during investigation of cases involving influential persons. “One committed officer can make all the difference. But who will put that one officer there,” Justice Chelameswar said. He also narrated his experiences as a judge in dealing with cases where the police had sidestepped the rules.“What is the training we give our officers? (A) 6-month crash course on civil and CrPc, IPC and Evidence Act cannot be deemed sufficient,” he said. Speaking about the need to insulate police personnel from political influence, the retired judge said: “Transfer as a form of punishment for displeasing someone is a problem. Even judges, who hold Constitutional posts, are not protected from undue transfers.” indian express
SCs, STs, OBCs, women poorly represented in police force; STs, women less likely to be posted as officers
https://www.news18.com/news/india/scs-sts-obcs-and-women-poorly-represented-in-police-force-sts-women-less-likely-to-be-posted-as-officers-2286853.html
New Delhi:Disadvantaged communities such as Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes(STs), OBCs as well as women are under-represented in the country's police force, a study has revealed.According to Common Cause-CSDS Lokniti's 'Status of Policing in India Report 2019', while SCs are under-represented in 19 out of 21 state police forces studied in proportion to their share of reserved postings, STs and OBCs are inadequately represented in 16 and 11 states, respectively. The report arrives at the figure by taking the actual percentage of SCs/STs/OBCs (2012-2016 average) in proportion to the reserved percentage of the respective communities in the state police force. All 3 communities are poorly represented in Delhi – the only Union Territory included in the study.In the case of women, their "representation...in the police force is even worse, with only 7.3 per cent women police personnel at the national level in 2016. None of the states have been able to meet the 33 per cent benchmark set out by MHA, with Tamil Nadu having the highest representation of women at 12.9 per cent in 2016," report reads. Representation of SCs in the state police forces ranges from 40.2 per cent (of the reserved sanctioned strength) in Uttar Pradesh to 101.8 per cent in Punjab. In fact, SCs are under-represented across Hindi-belt with four out of five poorest performing states – UP, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, West Bengal and MP– belonging to the region. Similarly, ST representation across states ranges from 3.6 per cent in Haryana to 152.5 per cent in Uttarakhand. OBC representation is the poorest in West Bengal with 22.6 per cent and best in Telangana with 145.3 per cent.Meanwhile, data on representation of Muslims, who are not covered under any reservation, was discontinued by NCRB after 2013. news18
Unequal sex ratio, juvenile crimes, child labour: Maharashtra lagging on child well-being
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/unequal-sex-ratio-juvenile-crimes-child-labour-maharashtra-lagging-on-child-well-being-5942817/
Mumbai:With the prevalence of unequal sex ratio, juvenile crimes and child labour, Maharashtra has been found lagging on the parameters of child well-being, a Child Well-Being Index, released Tuesday, has found.The index, developed by NGO World Vision India and research organisation IFMR LEAD, is a tool designed to measure and track children’s well-being through 3 dimensions of healthy individual development, positive relationships and protective contexts. While focusing on the three key dimensions, 24 indicators — including institutional births, monthly income of highest earner, mortality rate and school drop-out rates — were used to compute the index.According to the index, Maharashtra (0.56) falls in third out of the four categories of states ranked on the basis of their performance on a composite child well-being score. Kerala (0.76) bagged the top spot due to its exceptional performance in health, nutrition and education facilities, while MP(0.44) is a tail-ender.The index has been prepared on the basis of an analysis of available government data. Under the dimension of healthy individual development, the state has been ranked in the third category in terms of stunted-underweight children, budget for children, sanitation facilities and immunisation.indianexpress
Delhi Madrasa Teacher Thrashed To Death By Hawkers
https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/delhi-madrasa-teacher-thrashed-to-death-by-hawkers-2091453
New Delhi: A madrasa teacher was allegedly killed after an altercation with two hawkers turned violent, the police said on Tuesday.The man identified as 27-year-old Mohammad Owais was thrashed by some hawkers on Monday in north Delhi after an argument broke out between them regarding the price of a headphone.Two people have been already been arrested while others are still on the run, the police said.Family members of the deceased have, however, alleged that he was beaten by over 2 people."Prima facie it is ascertained that the deceased entered into a scuffle with one Lallan and his friend which ultimately led to his death," said Additional DCP (North) Harendra Singh.Locals and people present during the incident claimed that Owais was buying a pair of headphones and while negotiating the price, an argument broke out which later grew and Lallan and Ayub both thrashed him.IANS
UP: ‘Religious Discrimination’ in Ballia, Muslim Students Served on Pattals
https://www.newsclick.in/UP-Religious-Discrimination-Ballia-Muslim-Students-Served-Pattals
Ballia: In what comes as another instance of discrimination along the religious lines, a video of Muslim students being served mid-day meals on pattal [leaf plates] while other students are using plates has gone viral on the social media. The video has been purportedly shot in Ballia’s primary school falling under the Ubhaon police station. The district magistrate confirmed that such an incident has taken place about a month ago and that action was taken against the school for the alleged discrimination. The district chief, however, claimed that the children did not come with their dishes, which is why they were served that way. He said that there was no intentional discrimination behind this. Bhavani Singh Khangaraut, Ballia DM, however, said that constitutionally, discrimination is a punishable offence and an enquiry should be conducted in this regard.“I had got the information about the incident and action was taken against the school staff. The matter has been brought to me again after it was reported in the media and now, before jumping to any conclusion, I would request everyone to wait for the inquiry to finish. I assure that strict action would be taken, as every religion has got equal rights as per the Constitution. If such a thing is happening in the schools, it will lead to a very bad impact on the students, which are the future of the country,” DM said.Lucknow-based Muslim activist, Faizan Musanna, said, “This is one of the worst incidents of the recent times where kids have been subjected to discrimination based in their religions.”newsclick.in
Western UP gripped by mob attacks: 4 men, 7 women thrashed in 6 days
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/western-up-gripped-by-mob-attacks-four-men-seven-women-thrashed-in-six-days-5943016/
Meerut :In what could be seen as a surge in mobs taking law into their hands on mistaken identities across the state, 7 women and 4 men were beaten up in the last 6 days on suspicion of either being a child lifter or a thief. One of the men, a contract worker, succumbed to his injuries in Meerut’s Mawana town.The uptick in mob attacks has triggered severe criticism of Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government. SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday termed the state as “Hatya” (murder) Pradesh, while BSP chief said a “jungle raj of mob lynching” was prevalent.Over the last one week, police have been issuing advisories and appeals on social media, against rumours. Meerut DM Anil Dhingra on Monday appealed to people to reject child lifting rumours.“Do not take the law into your hands by beating innocents. This practice is illegal and may land you in a trouble. Immediately inform the area police whenever you encounter suspected men and women,” DM said.An elderly woman strolling with her grandson was attacked by a group of people over suspicion of kidnapping a child in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. According to police, the woman was walking in Ghaziabad’s Johripur area with her one-year-old grandson when people some started shouting that she was abducting the child. In Muzaffarnagar, 2 persons were challaned for spreading fake information after they blamed 2 innocent people of kidnapping a child. “2 people told villagers that 2 bike-borne men had kidnapped an eight-year-old, leading to confusion and panic. We found that the information was fake and took action against them,” said an official from Bhaura Kalan police station. 5 women (in their 40s) from Gujarat’s Surat were brutally attacked by a mob in Kairana’s Afganan Ghosa locality in Shamli on Monday. One of them was carrying her baby. The mob claimed that the women were the members of a child lifter’s gang. A 40-year-old beggar was beaten up by a mob on suspicion of child lifting in Meerut’s Lisadi Gate area on Monday.“Tehseem invited trouble when he entered a house. A woman there raised an alarm. A dozen people rushed to her house and were told that he had come to abduct her 5-year-old son. This infuriated the crowd and they beat him up. We rescued Tehseem,” said Nazeer Ahmed, in charge of Lisadi Gate Police Station. 4 people were arrested by police for disturbing peace in Ghaziabad’s Akash Nagar after they allegedly spread a rumor that 2 men had kidnapped a minor. In Muzaffarnagar,a mob thrashed a mentally-challenged woman in Bhainsee village of Khatauli town on Sunday night. Police said she was mistaken as a child lifter. She was rescued by police. In Meerut, a 25-year-old man, who used to sell herbal medicines, faced the wrath of a mob on Sunday as he was falsely accused of being a member of a child kidnapping gag. Azad was saved by police. “We have arrested eight people and raids are being conducted to nab others,”said Rojan Tyagi, in charge of Kithore Police Station. In Meerut, 47-year-old sugar mill worker Ranveer Chauhan was beaten badly by a crowd on Saturday. “He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday,” said in- charge of Mawana Police Station. A mentally challenged man traveling in a train was beaten up at Dasna railway station as the crowd suspected he was kidnapping a child. indianexpress
‘Harassed’, girl goes missing, ex-MP Swami Chinmayanand booked
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/harassed-girl-goes-missing-ex-mp-swami-chinmayanand-booked-5942883/
Lucknow :An FIR was filed against former BJP MP Swami Chinmayanand in Shahjahanpur on Tuesday after a law student, who had posted a video on Facebook alleging threat to her life by an “influential sant-politician who has destroyed lives of several girls”, went missing two days ago.While the girl did not name anyone in the video, which appears to be shot in a car, her father alleged that she was referring to Chinmayanand. In his complaint to the police, the father alleged that the girl was sexually harassed. However, FIR against the former MP has been registered under IPC section 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation).indianexpress
US bipartisan body concerned over use of NRC to target Muslim community in Northeast India
https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/us-bipartisan-body-concerned-over-use-of-nrc-to-target-muslim-community-in-northeast-india
Washington: Expressing concern over the potential abuse of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, a US bipartisan body said on Tuesday that the verification process must not become a means to target the members of the Muslim community in northeastern India.US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission created in 1998, that reviews religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress.India has previously rejected USCIRF report while maintaining that its Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens including the right to freedom of religion. India says USCIRF has no locus standi to pass its comment on Indian citizens' constitutionally protected rights.The comments were made in a statement issued by USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins and Commissioner Anurima Bhargava."We remain concerned with the potential abuse of NRC in Assam and the resulting introduction of a religious requirement for citizenship, which are contrary to the ideals of religious freedom in India," said Perkins.Bhargava said that USCIRF remains "troubled by any government policies or actions that have the effect, whether intentional or not, of undermining religious freedom for vulnerable religious minorities"."NRC verification process must not become a means to target and render stateless the Muslim community in northeastern India," she said.PTI
RSS blames 'untouchability' on Islam, BJP ally unhappy
https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-rss-functionary-krishna-gopal-blames-untouchability-on-islam-545162
New Delhi:Senior RSS functionary Krishna Gopal has blamed untouchability on Islam and accused the British of coining the term 'Dalit', invoking a rebuke from a JD(U) leader.But JD(U)'s General Secretary Pawan Kumar Verma said it was more important to look within than blame others.Taking a dig at Gopal, Verma said that it was not the ethos of Hinduism to blame its problems on others. JD(U) is an ally of BJP, whose ideological mentor is RSS.IANS
Zionism, Hindutva are under attack by Islamic extremist forces, they should come together to fight the same: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy
https://www.mumbailive.com/en/politics/india-israel-should-come-together-to-fight-islamic-terror-forces-says-bjp-leader-subramanian-swamy-38994
BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has said that one who doesn’t visit temples or perform rituals is also a Hindu."I am not someone who visits temples rather I need to be encouraged. I don’t perform rituals but I am a Hindu because I stand for the defence of Hinduism,” Swamy said while addressing the gathering at Mumbai University’s convocation hall.Senior BJP leader Dr Swamy was in Mumbai to speak on Leaders’ Ideas of Nations in the context of Zionism and Hindutva – an event organised by Consulate General of Israel and Indo-Israel Friendship Association (IIFA).Swamy was accompanied by Dr Gadi Taub, a professor in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in a discussion on the idea of Zionism and Hindutva. Supporting the growing Indo-Israel relations, Swamy said that Zionism and Hindutva have many similarities."Israel has repeatedly mentioned that in an unprecedented manner, India has looked after the jews without any difficulty whatsoever, and treated them as their own,” Dr Swamy informed. While asserting that Judaism and Hinduism are sister religions, Swamy stated that the only difference noted by Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef is that India is a polytheistic country whilst Judaism believes in one god. Swamy further informed that the Hindus also believe in one god, however, its incarnations are many. The common connection between Hinduism and Judaism is that both religions don’t promote proselytisation – conversion. Neither Hinduism nor Judaism propagates active conversion but both religions have been the victim of religious extremism. Unlike Islam and Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism aren’t restricted by a book or any single representative,”Dr Swamy claimed.While addressing the audience, Professor Gadi Taub narrated that Zionism promotes the idea of self-determination to all people and enables nationalism to become a force to drive democracies. Defending the controversial idea of Zionism, Dr Taub criticised the international “elite” liberals saying that liberalism is a threat to democracy. Speaking on Hindutva, Swamy said that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who coined the term Hindutva, is reminisced for his extreme alliance towards Hindusim. Swamy further said that Zionism and Hindutva are under attack by Islamic extremist forces and thus, they should come together to fight the same. During 2008 attacks in Mumbai, the terrorists especially targeted Jews people living here, Swamy added. While answering a query, Swamy said that the Indian education system doesn’t highlight the Hindu resistance against the Mughals and changes will be made regarding this in school history books. mumbailive
Bhima Koregaon: One Year After Arrests of Activists, Bombay HC Begins Daily Trials
https://www.newsclick.in/bhima-koregaon-activists-daily-hearings-begin-supreme-court?fbclid=IwAR0nxP4BaBszNyAgh9eDlTctNi8i04QIx_mgOT8Efk-vOuH7znGXqlDg5Co
A year after the arrests of several activists and human rights lawyer in connection with the Bhima Koregaon incident, Bombay High Court on August 27 began daily hearings of the bail pleas filed by lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj and activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, who were arrested on August 28, 2018 along with Telugu poet Varavara Rao and activist Gautam Navlakha.An event is organised every year on January 1 at Bhima Koregaon in Pune to mark the the Battle of Bhima Koregaon victory, in which Mahar (leather workers) community soldiers, as part of the British Army, had defeated a numerically superior force of the Peshwa Baji Rao II in 1818. 3 accused had approached the High Court after the sessions court rejected their bail application. Senior Advocate Mihir Desai and Advocate Yug Mohit Chaudhary – both representing Bharadwaj and Gonsalves, told Justice Sarang Kotwal, that the bail applications of their clients have been filed on different grounds despite the fact the reasons cited for arrest were similar.The lawyers argued that the three accused deserve to be released as the Pune police failed to produce any direct evidence against them. They further submitted that the arrests have been made on flimsy grounds.newsclick.in
WORLD
China ban on some textbooks seen aimed at Uighur culture
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/china-ban-on-some-textbooks-seen-aimed-at-uighur-culture/articleshow/70853378.cms
Beijing:For 15 years, Yalqun Rozi skillfully navigated state bureaucracies to publish textbooks that taught classic poems and folk tales to millions of his fellow minority Uighurs in China's far western region of Xinjiang.That all changed three years ago when the ruling Communist Party launched what it says is a campaign against ethnic separatism and religious extremism in Xinjiang. Suddenly even respected public figures like Rozi were being arrested, caught up in a crackdown that critics have said amounts to cultural genocide.An estimated 1 million Uighurs have since been detained in internment camps and prisons across the region, and advocacy groups say that includes more than 400 prominent academics, writers, performers and artists. Critics say government is targeting intellectuals as a way to dilute, or even erase, the Uighur culture, language and identity.After being taken away by police in 2016, Rozi, 54, was sentenced to more than a decade in prison on charges of incitement to subvert state power.As one of the first prominent people to be detained, Rozi's story illustrates how even Uighurs who toed the party line and were accepted by the government have been rebranded enemies of the state amid the widening campaign of surveillance and detention underway in Xinjiang."He had many friends among government officials. He was able to use his connections to sell his books," said Abduweli Ayup, a linguist who knew Rozi through a Uighur bookstore Ayup once ran. "Those books sold very well." AP
Bangladesh Jamaat man sentenced to death in a 1971 war crimes case
https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/war-crimes-71-rajshahi-jamaat-man-gets-death-penalty-1791538
A Bangladesh's tribunal has sentenced a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami man from Rajshahi to death a 1971 war crimes case. The tribunal ICT-1 said, "Abdus Samad Musa alias Firoz Kha, 62, got engaged in committing atrocious acts directing civilians as a notorious loyal activist of Pakistani occupation army and later on got enrolled in locally formed Razakar Bahini."According to the investigators, Musa was involved with the Muslim League before the war but joined Jamaat and then Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of Pakistan army, as the war broke out. He went into hiding after the war, most probably in India, but returned to Bangladesh after the political changeover in 1975, the investigators also said.Tribunal’s Chairman Justice Md Shahinur Islam and members Justice Amir Hossain and Justice Md Abu Ahmed Jamadar read out the summary of the 174-page verdict in presence of Musa, the prosecution team, investigators, defence and journalists.Defence counsel Abdus Sattar Palwan, said his client did not get justice and would file an appeal with the higher court. With the latest judgement, the war crimes tribunals have so far delivered 39 verdicts against 89 people. Of them, 63 have been sentenced to death.thedailystar
Muslim Officers in New York Suspended For Refusing to Shave Beard Reinstated
https://www.news18.com/news/world/muslim-officers-in-new-york-suspended-for-refusing-to-shave-beard-reinstated-2286883.html
Albany: Muslim correctional officers in New York were reinstated Tuesday after being suspended for refusing to shave their beards because of religious reasons, the state prisons agency said.It came a day after Brian Sughrim and David Feliciano, correctional officers at Fishkill prison in Dutchess County, filed a federal lawsuit against Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The lawsuit, which argued the agency discriminated against the two men, is the "sole reason that they're getting their jobs back," said their attorney, Joshua Moskovitz.The agency did not comment on what role the lawsuit might have played in the officers' reinstatement.It seems clear, Moskovitz said, that religious intolerance was at the heart of the suspensions. The litigation will proceed, he said. The employees will receive full back pay, prisons agency spokesman Thomas Mailey said in an emailed statement. The agency, he wrote, will be "reviewing its rules regarding facial hair immediately in light of the new law."Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation this month banning employment discrimination because of religious attire or facial hair.According to the lawsuit, a prison official acknowledged the new law to Sughrim, but the agency suspended him and Feliciano this month anyway.AP
Flash: NEWS,views,Articles
In Srinagar lockdown, how a reporter gets news of his sister’s miscarriage:Adil Akhzer
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/kashmir-lockdown-article-370-35a-bjp-congress-amit-shah-medicine-shortage-5942564/?fbclid=IwAR26jfhlQA8YWdtOK8856qE5f1BfW3AA0txIStEmrikwfu0Jw-uLU1S3PBo
Why Kosovo keeps extending blind support to Israel:Denijal Jegic by Denijal Jegic
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/kosovo-extending-blind-support-israel-190821131927415.html?fbclid=IwAR2_qV13KRIXGeWjfvud0Aq433YMwjwIq2sXGT-FcbrprsAc3TMjMo3ahkM
Why Pehlu Khan’s Lynching, Murder Case Failed to Stand Judicial Scrutiny:Tarique Anwar
https://www.newsclick.in/Pehlu-Khan-Lynching-Murder-Case-Failed-Stand-Judicial-Scrutiny?fbclid=IwAR155MpGIjP7Ge4BMVC2L0ffm3tGO-SIdEMo0d1ZZI19q52MW4kE2BrT_cg
Hindu body admits Babur had endowed land for mosque in Ayodhya
https://www.siasat.com/hindu-body-admits-babur-had-endowed-land-mosque-ayodhya-1598672/
A newborn died in a detention centre in Assam. His mother was later found not to be a foreigner:Arunabh Saikia
https://scroll.in/article/935337/detention-in-assam-a-baby-and-old-man-died-despite-their-families-having-proof-of-citizenship
A crackdown in India on suspected illegal immigrants could leave millions stateless:Niha Masih , washingtonpost
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/a-crackdown-in-india-on-suspected-illegal-immigration-could-leave-millions-stateless/2019/08/26/4f46b3a0-b471-11e9-8e94-71a35969e4d8_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1FPwE_H_BOKpln2ZYtXbAB3RZEQvjPHn0nv2OgghVP9BqNoMw_IwucAno
What Makes Srinagar the World's New 'Forbidden City':Badri Raina
https://thewire.in/rights/kashmir-370-hong-kong-china-democracy
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 11:24 AM)
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