August 2019

Email your CV to info@theasianindependent.co.uk 

• Journalist • Tele-Sales • Content • SEO • Admin 

August 2019 

Army foils Pak BAT strike on LoC, kills 4 

New Delhi : The Indian Army 

claimed on Saturday that it has foiled an 

UK, Germany issue advisory 

attempt by Pakistan’s Border Action 

Team (BAT) to carry out a strike in 

Keran sector on the Line of Control 

against travel to J&K 

(LoC). Army sources said heavy casualties 

were inflicted on the BAT and 

New Delhi : The UK and Germany and the ceasefire line (LoC). In the 

assessed that four possible Special 

have advised their citizens against Jammu area, the security situation is 

Services Group (SSG)A commandos 

travelling to Jammu and Kashmir due basically stable. However, unpredictable 

violent clashes between pro- 

were killed as the bodies were spotted 

to the recent security alert in the state. 

close to the post on LoC where the 

Germany has issued a travel advisory testers and security forces are also 

action took place. The Army also 

strongly discouraging its citizens possible there. In the part of Ladakh 

claimed that in the last 36 hours, several 

attempts were made by Pakistan army 

Kashmir is strongly discouraged, it ble. However, individual terrorist 

from travelling to the state. Travel to the security situation is basically sta- 

to push terrorists of Jaish e Mohammad 

said. In the state 

activities can 

(JeM) and other organizations into J&K. 

of Jammu and 

not be ruled 

Four terrorists have been killed in the 

Kashmir bomb 

out. In the 

hinterland in the last few days. 

attacks have 

direct border 

Army officials said over the past 

three days, Pakistan has launched a 

been carried out 

regions, clashes 

number of attempts to disturb peace in 

in recent decades 

can occur 

the Valley and target the Amarnath 

and also recently, 

which 

and Pakistani 

between Indian 

Yatra. The BAT attempt had taken 

place on the intervening night of July 

claimed many 

and Indian and 

31 and August 1. Search operations 

lives. 

Chinese security 

forces, it said. It asked citizens to 

and attempts to recover bodies are 

Individual actions directed against 

being continuously interfered by 

foreigners, including abductions, cannot 

be ruled out in the entire region. local authorities and security forces . 

always follow the instructions of 

Pakistani troops deployed in the area. 

This location within the Keran sector 

Part curfews were imposed, the The state government has advised the 

has been under continuous shelling 

advisory added. Travel to the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims and tourists 

and firing by Pakistani army posts. 

Kashmir area, including Srinagar, is to leave the Valley keeping in view of 

"Pakistan army regularly attempts 

not advised, it said. In the state of the latest intelligence inputs of terror 

to push terrorists through infiltrations 

Jammu and Kashmir, terrorist acts of threats . Earlier in the day, the UK 

and opens up with multitude of 

weapons to assist them. India, during 

violence and unpredictable conflicts issued a travel advisory for its citizens 

travelling to Jammu and 

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists desperately attempted to revive terrorism 

and push terrorists from JeM and 

numerous Directorate of Military have also been killed by the armed 

between demonstrators and the police 

Operations level talks, has maintained forces. Weapons including a cache of other ’tanzeems’. These activities by or the army are also taking place. Kashmir, warning against travel to 

the right to respond. Such responses sniper rifle, improvised explosive Pakistan establishes its complicity to Since September 2016, there have the state, except Jammu city and 

are only against military targets and devices (IED) and mines with terror activities and disrupt peace in also been renewed armed clashes Ladakh, after the Indian government 

infiltrating terrorists who are aided by Pakistan markings upon them have Jammu & Kashmir. The response by between Indian and Pakistani troops advised Amarnath pilgrims and 

Pakistan army, said an Indian Army been recovered from the slain terrorists. 

"In the last 36 hours, Pakistan has in the hinterland," said an official. groups along the international border ty 

security forces vindicates the build-up as well as with various separatist tourists to leave in view of the securi- 

officer. In the Valley, four hardcore 

situation. 

Centre’s move on Articles 370, 35A 

in J&K is dangerous: Sharad Yadav 

Patna : Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) chief Sharad Yadav on 

Sunday warned the BJP-led Central government against playing 

with Articles 370 and 

35A in Jammu and 

Kashmir (J&K) as it was 

not good for the country’s 

unity. 

Insisting that the government 

was deploying 

additional security forces 

in the state to present an 

artificial threat there, 

Yadav told the media: 

"The Central government’s 

move to play with 

Articles 370 and 35A in 

J&K is dangerous, it is 

not good for the country." 

The veteran socialist leader said Articles 370 and 35A were part 

of the promises made to J&K by our leaders who fought for the 

country’s independence. "But the government is doing everything 

to threaten the unity of the country, without listening to the 

genuine grievances of the people of J&K," he said. 

UNNAO RAPE: CBI searches 

17 Places, including Sengar’s 

Lucknow/New Delhi : A day after the 

CBI questioned expelled BJP MLA 

Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape 

case, the agency on Sunday said it searched 

at least 17 places in four districts in Uttar 

Pradesh, including the residences of 

Sengar. A senior Central Bureau of 

Investigation (CBI) official in Delhi told 

IANS that the Central Bureau of 

Investigation (CBI) conducted the searches 

in Lucknow, Unnao, Banda and Fatehpur, 

at some locations in the premises of the 

accused and others. The residential premises 

of Sengar in Lucknow’s upscale Gomti 

Nagar was searched. A CBI team on 

Saturday questioned Sengar in Sitapur jail, 

where he has been lodged for over a year. 

According to CBI sources in Lucknow, the 

agency also collected details of the people 

the MLA has been meeting in the prison. 

Following the outrage over the July 28 

road accident that has left the Unnao rape 

victim and her lawyer battling for life and 

killed two of her family members, the BJP 

expelled Sengar from the party. 

The girl, meanwhile, is still critical and 

on the ventilator. Doctors said that she had 

developed pneumonia and could not be 

removed from ventilator even on trial 

basis’. Senior CBI officers on Sunday also 

questioned the owner and cleaner of the 

truck that hit the car in which the victim and 

others were travelling. 

The CBI is focusing on the statement of 

D.K. Pal, the truck owner that the number 

plates were blackened to escape seizure by 

the company that financed the truck. His 

statement was contradicted by the finance 

company that stated that all installments had 

been paid on time. Before appearing before 

the CBI officers in Lucknow, Pal said there 

was no conspiracy in the road accident as he 

was not in contact with anyone, including 

the expelled BJP MLA. He said the driver 

had been working for him for last four to 

five months, while the cleaner was 

employed for over three years. The case 

relates to the rape of a minor girl allegedly 

by Sengar at his residence in Unnao on June 

4, 2017 when she had gone to seek a job.

2 August 2019 

ASIA 

www.theasianindependent.co.uk 

Chandrayaan-2 orbit 

successfully raised 

for FOURTH TIME 

Chennai : The fourth orbit 

raising activity for India's moon 

spacecraft Chandrayaan-2 was 

performed successfully at 3.27 

p.m. on Friday, the ISRO said. 

The Indian Space Research 

Organisation (ISRO) said the 

2,379 kg, eight payloads), the 

lander 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four 

payloads) and rover 'Pragyan' (27 

kg, two payloads). 

The Indian space agency said 

the major activities include earthbound 

manoeuvres, the translunar 

orbit of the Chandrayaan-2 was 

insertion, lunar-bound 

raised to 277 x 89,472 km by firing 

the onboard motors for 646 

seconds. 

All spacecraft parameters are 

manoeuvres, Vikram's separation 

from Chandrayaan-2 and touch 

down on the moon's South Pole. 

The ISRO said the trans-lunar 

normal, it said. The fifth orbit 

insertion of Chandrayaan-2, 

raising manoeuvre is scheduled 

between 2.30 to 3.30 p.m. on 

August 6. On July 22, the 

Chandrayaan-2 was injected into an elliptical 

orbit of 170x45,475 km by India's 

heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite 

Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in 

a text book style. The spacecraft comprises 

three segments - the Orbiter (weighing 

which will send it to the moon, is 

scheduled on August 14. 

After that, the Chandrayaan-2 

is scheduled to reach the moon by August 

20 and the lander Vikram will land on the 

Earth's sole satellite on September 7. 

Indian-origin doctor crowned Miss England 

London : A 23-year-old Indianorigin 

doctor has been crowned 

Miss England after fending off competition 

from dozens of other models, 

the media reported 

on Friday. Bhasha 

Mukherjee, 23, from 

Derby, holds two different 

medical degrees, has 

an IQ of 146, making 

her officially a 'genius' 

and is fluent in five languages, 

reports The 

Daily Mail. 

She was due to start 

her new job as a junior 

doctor in a hospital in 

Boston, Lincolnshire, 

just hours after the Miss England 

final ended on Thursday evening. 

"Some people might think pageant 

girls are airheads, but we all 

Team AI : 

Devinder Chander 

Editor-in-chief 

Columnists 

V.B. Rawat 

Farzana Suri 

Arun Kumar 

Rahul Kumar 

Harminder K. Bhogal 

Head Office 

Samaj Media Enterprise Ltd 

Suite 507, Hawthorns House 

Halfords Lane, Smethwick, 

Birmingham U.K.,B66 1BB 

+44 7878 456 484 

+44 121 565 4810 

Email : 

info@theasianindependent.co.uk 

Advertisement 

Enquiries 

+44 7878 456 484 

The Asian Independent is an 

Intellectual Property of 

Samaj Media Enterprise Ltd 

stand for a cause," she said before 

the contest. "My pageant career all 

started to happen while I was in the 

middle of studying at medical 

school - it took a lot of convincing 

for me to do it, but 

eventually I decided to do 

it to balance out my studying 

and give me a break." 

Mukherjee was born in 

India. Her family relocated 

to the UK when she was 

nine. She went onto complete 

two bachelor degrees: 

one in medical sciences 

and one in medicine and 

surgery from the 

University of Nottingham. 

As winner of Miss England, she 

will be entered into the Miss World 

contest and will also bag a holiday 

to Mauritius. 

Vladivostok : The 5th Eastern 

Economic Forum (EEF), to be held here 

next month, will provide an important 

platform for expanding international 

cooperation in the field of sports as discussions 

will be held on development of 

Olympic movement and impact of 

major sports events on the Asia-Pacific 

Region. The EEF, to be hosted by 

Russian President Vladimir Putin, will 

be held from September 4 to 6. 

As part of the EEF's business programme, 

a session 'Olympism and the 

Asia-Pacific: Mutual Influence' will be 

held. It will be attended by Pere Miró, 

IOC Deputy Director General; Stanislav 

Pozdnyakov, President of the Russian 

Olympic Committee and four-time 

Olympic champion in fencing; Yasuhiro 

Yamashita, President of the Japanese 

Rampur SP tells Azam Khan to 

keep gunners round the clock 

New Delhi : The Superintendent of Police (SP), 

Rampur has written a letter to sitting Member of 

Parliament (MP) from Rampur, Azam Khan requesting 

him to ensure that his gunners 

are present with him all the 

time. Sources said that the letter 

was written after the gunners 

informed the police lines that 

the MP leaves them behind 

some times. "The MP at times 

has not been taking his gunners 

and they are left at home. 

Sometimes he takes them. The 

gunners are to ensure his safety 

and should be with at all hours," a police officer said. 

The MP has two gunners given by the Rampur Police. 

Azam Khan has been in news for 26 FIR's registered 

against him for illegally grabbing the governement land 

or lands of farmers in Rampur. In most of the cases registered 

against him there is no record of land dealings 

and no documents either. 

Olympic Committee and judo Olympic 

champion; Lee Kee-Heung, President of 

the Korean Olympic Committee and 

IOC member. 

Koji Murofushi, Sports Director for 

the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games 

Organizing Committee and hammer 

throw Olympic champion, will also participate 

in the session. A cooperation 

agreement between the Russian and 

Japanese Olympic Committees will be 

signed at the EEF, said a press statement 

issued on Friday. IANS will be the 

media partner of the EEF. "The Eastern 

Economic Forum has become a powerful, 

productive platform for discussion 

of development of the key regional 

industries and implementation of major 

international projects," Pozdnyakov 

said, according to the press statement 

* The Asian Independent and people associated with it are not responsible for any claims made by the advertisers and do not endorse in any products or services advertised. Please visit www.theasianindependent.com/tc for more information. 

WEAK POUND 

boosting UK 

tourism industry 

London : The number of tourists visiting the UK has risen due 

to the weakness of the pound which has resulted in boosting the 

visitors' spending power, the latest figures show. 

The figures revealed by travel data firm ForwardKeys said that 

summer flight bookings from long-haul markets were also 6 per 

cent higher than in the same period last year, the BBC reported on 

Friday. This week the pound hit a 31-month low against the US 

dollar amid increasing speculation the UK could leave the 

European Union (EU) without a deal. 

"This summer is likely to see the highest number of Chinese 

tourists to the UK ever," said ForwardKeys spokesman David 

Tarsh, adding that the number of Indian visitors was ahead by 20 

per cent, with Japan at 10 per cent and the US at 5 per cent. 

Sarah Hewin, chief economist for Europe and the Americas at 

Standard Chartered, said the low pound meant visitors would be 

feeling wealthier. 

"The fall in the value of the pound against China's currency 

means that Chinese tourists coming to the UK have seen their 

spending power increase by around 5 per cent in the past three 

months." Patricia Yates, a director at the UK's tourism promotion 

agency Visit Britain, is seeing on the ground, said: "The UK is 

offering great value for inbound visitors right now which gives us 

a valuable opportunity including in Europe, where we are already 

running a campaign to promote travel to the UK during the summer." 

But when it comes to European visitors, Visit Britain has 

said that there was some concern about the impact that the uncertainty 

of Brexit is having, the BBC reported. 

The latest ONS tourism stats showed that visits from Europe to 

the UK were relatively flat from January to March this year - up 

just 2 per cent compared to the same period last year. 

Heads of Russian, Japanese and Korean 

Olympic panels to participate in EEF 2019 

"In sports, there are no competitions 

that could compare in scale and significance 

to the Olympics; the Games can 

have a real impact on solving political, 

economic and social issues, as well as 

contribute to peace, progress, mutual 

cultural integration and rapprochement 

of peoples," he said. 

"Bearing in mind that from 2018 to 

2022, the Olympics are being hosted by 

APR (Asia Pacific Region) countries, 

for us, EEF is a great opportunity to 

expand cooperation with national 

Olympic committees and organizing 

committees of the hosting states," said 

the President of the Russian Olympic 

Committee. About the agreement to be 

signed between the Olympic 

Committees of Russia and Japan in 

Vladivostok, he said, "It is a very important 

thing. It will allow to tone up the 

process of preparation of our athletes 

that might represent the country in 

Tokyo 2020, (and) efficiently and thoroughly 

implement key projects and programmes 

aimed at achieving best 

results." 

The most important thing, 

Pozdnyakov said is that "such interaction 

format turns our relations into a 

trusting and constructive dialogue for 

discussion of all relevant matters." 

It may be noted that a similar cooperation 

agreement was signed at EEF 

2018 by Pozdnyakov and Gou 

Zhongwen, Head of the Chinese 

Olympic Committee. 

The ceremony was attended by 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and 

Chinese President Xi Jinping.


The stand taken by the Supreme 

Court of India on the Unnao case is a 

slap on the face of the tall claims of 

law and order in Uttar Pradesh. That 

all the four cases related to it are now 

transferred to Delhi and will face trial 

with in 45 days from yesterday reflect 

how deliberate were Uttar Pradesh 

government’s effort to deny her justice. 

Can you imagine the horror and 

terror that this brave girl faced 

through the henchmen of the MLA 

Kuldeep Sengar who enjoyed patronage 

of all the political parties. 

The issue of women’s safety is of 

great concern but look at the people. 

The bloody village is sleeping as if 

nothing happened. Where are the 

political parties in Uttar Pradesh. 

Why the issue not raised by them 

powerfully as happened during 

Nirbhaya. Can you imagine, this case 

has brought so much misery for the 

girls family. Her father was arrested, 

tortured and ultimately died in the 

custody and the girl was blaming to 

herself for his death. Her mother 

faced trauma. The girl and her mother 

were gang raped by the goons of 

Sanger. Her Uncle too was put under 

false charges. And finally, when she 

did not leave her struggle and fight 

for justice, the powerful MLA and 

henchmen planned a murder of the 

entire family so that the cases are 

closed. 

How poorly it reflect in our system 

that a victim dies the case is closed. 

Please dont do so. It is important that 

these thugs and cheats are boycotted 

publicly and punished by the courts 

of law. 

The BJP after the high tone of the 

CJI has expelled Senger but with a 

faint heart. Ofcourse, the party, will 

compensate his wife or brothers with 

some position as they did to the 

chiller politician who abused Ms 

Mayawati. They made her MLA and 

now the woman is a minister. Look, 

how the BJP leader Jagdambika Pal 

defended Sengar by accusing the 

opposition to plotting the murder of 

the family of the Unnao survivor but 

did not utter a word against his 

‘biradari’ goons. 

As I said we all failed in protecting 

this. The Thakur leaders remained 

mute and in fact protected their own 

community goon masquerading as 

leader. The Thakur community 

remain mute and completely under 

the grip their male leadership and 

owner, did not stand up. The ‘others’ 

who felt that it is not an important 

issue since the ‘victim’ does not hail 

from a ‘marginalised’ or ‘minority’ 

community. This incident happened 

during the Kathua case. The nation 

new about Kathua that time but not 

Unnao. I dont say that Kathua incident 

was not important. I have all 

support for those brave legal fighters 

who fought and I can understand the 

limitations of ours, resources and 

everything but we do understand also 

the dilemmas of people. 

Kathua verdict is already out as it 

was actively followed up and taken up 

by the activists but unfortunately 

Unnao incident was not taken up that 

seriously resulting which the state has 

the fullest monopoly. It tried to muzzle 

her voice. She 

ASIA 

How we failed as a 

society in Unnao 

was languishing 

from here 

to there. The 

CBI court has 

not yet started. It did not have a judge. 

Her uncle faced chagesheet while 

father was arrested, tortured and killed 

in police custody. In the meanwhile, 

the girl and her mother also gang 

raped. It showed how powerful these 

terrorists are. Frankly, in India, incidents 

become stories when the perpetrators 

of crime belong to other communities. 

Have you ever imagined 

what would have happened if, the 

criminals belonged to other community 

particularly Muslim, in the case of 

Unnao ? I can bet we would have seen 

Karni Senas, Ram Senas, Kshatriya 

Senas, Hindu Yova Vahinis, Bajrangis 

and what not in the street and country 

would have been in the boil and prime 

time fake warriors would have 

been debating about this all the 

time instigating people to boycott 

or even take revenge. But this is 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat 

social and human rights activist 

Tsunami fears after quake off coast of Indonesia 

Jakarta : Indonesia's 

authorities on Friday urged 

people living near the coast to 

move to higher ground after a 

powerful earthquake off the 

island of Java, triggering tsunami 

fears. Officials said the 

earthquake, estimated by US 

monitors at magnitude 6.9, 

risked generating a tsunami 3 

metre (10ft) high. The quake 

reportedly struck at a depth of 

52.8 km at 7.03 p.m. 

According to the United 

States Geological Survey 

(USGS), the epicentre was in 

the Sunda Strait, about 104 km 

from the city of Tugu Hilir in 

Banten province, on the island 

of Java. Tremors were felt in 

many cities, including 

Indonesia's capital Jakarta, 

prompting people to run out of 

their homes. The earthquake 

lasted around 40 seconds. 

There were no immediate 

reports of damage or casualties. 

The Indonesia's Meteorology, 

Climatology and Geophysical 

Agency issued a tsunami warning 

for four areas. The agency 

said there was no change in the 

sea water level in the 40 minutes 

following the earthquake. The 

quake also caused some blackouts, 

plunging some of the 

not the case with the Thakurs 

alone. We have seen this in all the 

communities including Dalits, 

Adivasis, Muslims too where certain 

matters are treated ‘internal’ and people 

do not speak up. Women’s issues 

are basically treated internally and 

affected areas into darkness. The 

Indonesian National Board for 

Disaster said it was working 

with local authorities to evacuate 

people living on the coastline. 

The board told people in 

the affected areas to evacuate to 

higher places. There was no 

tsunami threat to other countries 

along the Indian Ocean, 

according to USGS data and 

the Indonesia Tsunami Early 

Warning System. Indonesia has 

a history of devastating earthquakes 

and tsunamis with more 

than 2,000 killed last 

September on the island of 

Sulawesi. 

become volatile only when the aggressor 

belong to another community. 

A crime is a crime is a crime and 

we need to stand up and speak 

against. This country is losing everything. 

My worry is not merely the 

constitutional court’s supremacy. It 

will happen and hopefully, the girl 

survive and also her lawyer. The real 

worry is how we keep conspicuously 

silent on times and speak up on occasions 

when it 

suits us. The principles 

of ‘convenience’ 

need to be 

given a go by if 

we want to survive 

as a democratic 

nation 

which can truly 

be called 

civilised. 

I hope the brave girl of Unnao will 

survive and speak up her story and 

inspire many others who remain to 

keep quiet. I can only salute to this 

girl for her indomitable spirit, her 

Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Imran 

Khan will address the nation on August 18 over 

his government's performance after completing 

a year in power, the media reported on Saturday. 

Khan assumed office as the 22nd Prime 

Minister of Pakistan on August 18, 2018, 

reports Geo News. 

The Prime Minister's Office said that Khan 

has directed all ministries and divisions to submit 

their one-year performance report. He has 

instructed the ministries and divisions to highlight 

five big achievements during the Pakistan 

Tehreek-e-Insaf government's first year in 

power by August 9. 


3 

courage despite all adversity that it 

brought in her life. We know what do 

you get after losing all your family 

members. That pain will always be 

there but she can be an inspiration for 

many others who lose hope and just 

succumb. Let us hope that she is able 

to see the perpetrators of the crime 

facing maximum punishment and an 

example is set that before others 

attempt to do it, they realise that there 

is a law which can catch them. 

Will this Supreme court monitoring 

of this case, will send any message 

to the powerful who thing they 

can do things at the whims and fancies. 

Let us see how our political parties 

take up this issue and ensure that 

no such leader is given any space in 

their parties. Will they rise up and 

make an operation clean up in their 

respective parties ? Will our society 

stand up when the matter comes from 

the communities. Will communities 

stand up and boycott who are found 

of such criminal acts. The Supreme 

Court guided court verdict in this case 

will come and hopefully, with in this 

year, we will get a verdict but the bigger 

question is for all of us as a society 

? Will the society remain mute to 

‘internal’ violation and only take to 

street when it is done by the ‘others’. 

This is the biggest challenge. Treat 

crime as a crime whoever does it is a 

criminal. Ofcourse everybody has a 

right to have a fair trial. We hope the 

terror regimes which have many 

enclaves like this in many places of 

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other parts 

of India will come to an end if there 

are clear cut guidelines. And hopefully, 

one day, these people will also 

called ‘terrorist’ by the government. 

Will they ? Not at all because, the 

action against Sengar has only happened 

after the outburst of the 

Supreme Court. 

If the Supreme Court can widen 

and monitor this case regularly and 

give an ambiguous order regarding 

the behavior of the police officer or 

investigating agencies, it will go in a 

long long way. Nothing substantial 

happened after Nribhaya case but now 

time has come when we all have to sit 

and ponder over as why we are unable 

to grow and become a civilised society. 

Dont leave everything for politicians 

and government to ‘think’ as 

larger ownership in this case is of the 

society which failed to rise up. 

Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social 

and human rights activist. He blogs 

at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com 

twitter @freetohumanity 

Email: vbrawat@gmail.com 

Pak PM to address nation on 

completion of 1 yr in office


ASIA 


MAMATA condoles 

Siddhartha's death, flays 

harassment by Centre 

WI series: Team India begins 

preparation for World T20 

Jakarta : At least one person was killed, 

four others injured and 1,000 people were displaced 

when a 6.9 earthquake struck the strait 

between the Indonesian islands of Java and 

Sumatra, officials said on Saturday. The quake 

that occurred on Friday night, caused structural 

damage in over 100 buildings, including 58 

houses and a 

mosque in the 

municipality of 

Pandeglang, located 

closest to the 

epicenter and the 

worst affected, the 

National Disaster 

Management 

Agency said in a 

statement. The 

tremor was also felt 

in the capital city of Jakarta, located around 

250 km northwest, and damaged buildings in 

West Java's Bandung, over 300 km from the 

epicenter, reports Efe news. The authorities 

initially issued a tsunami alert that led people 

in several parts of the coast of Java and 

New Delhi : Back on the field after their 

World Cup debacle, Team India will start their 

preparations for next year's World T20 in the 

first T20I of the three-match series against the 

West Indies at the Central Broward Regional 

Park Stadium on Saturday. 

Before leaving for the West Indies tour, 

skipper Virat Kohli had said the line-up of 

such trophies - World T20s in 2020 and 2021 

-- ensured "players always had something to 

play for, look forward to". And thus, the threematch 

rubber will provide him with the chance 

of giving youngsters an opportunity to showcase 

their talent in the shortest format of the 

game. 

The series will serve as a great opportunity 

for the likes of Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer 

and Khaleel Ahmed, who missed out on a 

chance to play in the 50-over World Cup in the 

UK. 

All these three players performed well for 

the India "A" side in the Caribbean Islands 

and would want to continue with their form 

and impress the captain as well as the selectors 

for future. The series could also see Rahul 

Chahar and Navdeep Saini make their international 

debuts as many senior bowlers have 

been rested. The only experienced campaigner 

in the pace bowling line-up is Bhuvneshwar 

Kumar. 

In the batting department, Rohit Sharma is 

almost certain to be joined by his regular partner 

Shikhar Dhawan who got injured in 

England. K.L. Rahul will most likely be batting 

after Kohli if the team management 

doesn''t wish to give Iyer a go. This should be 

followed by promising wicketkeeper Rishabh 

Pant. The Men in Blue will go into the series 

as favourites even though West Indies are 

counted amongst the most dangerous sides in 

this format of the game. 

The hosts, led by Carlos Brathwaite, have 

the likes of Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine 

and they are more than capable of turning the 

game in a flash. In bowling department too, 

they boast of having the likes of Sheldon 

Cottrell and Oshane Thomas who are matchwinners 

in T20 format. Andre Russell being 

ruled out due to fitness woes is a big blow, but 

fans can be rest assured of some fireworks in 

the three-match T20I series. 

Squads India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit 

Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, 

Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant 

(WK), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, 

Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, 

Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini. 

West Indies: John Campbell, Evin Lewis, 

Shimron Hetmyer, Nicolas Pooran, Kieron 

Pollard, Rovman Powell, Carlos Brathwaite 

(c), Keemo Paul, Sunil Narine, Sheldon 

Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Anthony Bramble, 

Khary Pierre, Jason Mohammed. 

1 killed, 1,000 displaced 

in 6.9 Indonesia quake 

Sumatra, Indonesia's most populated regions, 

to move to higher areas. But the warning was 

deactivated two hours later. The US 

Geological Survey, which records seismic 

activity around the world and had initially 

estimated the earthquake's magnitude to be 

6.8, put the epicenter around 90 km southwest 

of Pandeglang and 

its hypocenter at a 

depth of 42 km. 

Indonesia sits 

on the Pacific 

Ring of Fire, an 

area of massive 

seismic and volcanic 

activities 

with 127 active 

volcanoes. It 

experiences about 

7,000, mostly-moderate, quakes a year. 

Last September, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake 

struck the island of Sulawesi and triggered 

a tsunami, causing over 2,000 deaths 

and leaving 200,000 displaced from Palu and 

Donggala. 

Kolkata : Condoling the death 

of Cafe Coffee Day Enterprises' 

founding Chairman V.G. 

Siddhartha, West Bengal Chief 

Minister Mamata Banerjee on 

Wednesday said the central government 

must ensure that political 

vendetta and agencies did not 

demoralise industrialists and 

hamper nation's progress. 

"I am deeply shocked by the 

incident relating to V.G. 

Siddhartha, Cafe Coffee Day 

founder. It is indeed very sad and 

very unfortunate. From what he 

has expressed, it appears he was 

greatly depressed due to harassment 

and pressure from different 

agencies for which he could not 

run his business in a peaceful 

manner. This he could not resist," 

Banerjee wrote on Facebook. The 

CM said she had heard that the 

captains of industries were under 

pressure; some of them had left 

the country and some were contemplating 

to move out. Banerjee 

wrote: "My appeal to the government 

is that when you have been 

elected, you have to work in a 

peaceful manner so that people 

are confident and that political 

vendetta and agencies don't 

destroy the future of the country". 

She expressed her deep condolence 

to the family members of 

V.G.Siddhartha. 

Punjab man commits suicide 

after killing family members 

Chandigarh : A 27-year-old man committed suicide after he 

shot dead five members of his family in a village in Punjab, police 

said on Saturday. The incident took place at Nathuwal village near 

Moga on Friday night, a police official said. 

Sandeep Singh allegedly shot dead his grandmother, father, 

mother, sister and her three-year-old daughter and later shot himself, 

the official said. His grandfather received bullet injuries. 

The reason for the shooting is yet to be ascertained.


ASIA 

OVER 500 SIKH 

pilgrims return from 


5 

Man gives triple talaq 

to wife on road in UP 

UNNAO RAPE 

survivor still in 

critical condition 

Lucknow : The Unnao rape survivor 

was still on a ventilator on Thursday - 

the fifth day after the Sunday road accident, 

which had left two of her aunts 

dead and she and her lawyer injured - 

and her condition was still critical, doctors 

said. 

There was no appreciable upturn in 

her condition, which is still grave, said 

King George Medical College 

spokesperson Sandeep Tiwari, though 

the condition of her lawyer Mahendra 

Singh had improved marginally. 

Singh, who was on oxygen for 10 

hours, was then shifted to a ventilator 

and this change had been done several 

times, he said. 

Tiwari said that the CT scan report of 

the woman was roughly normal, and her 

blood samples have been drawn for various 

checks. He said that in such a condition 

as hers, no patient is off ventilator 

support, which is provided for some 

brief periods in order to support the 

internal organs. 

The rape survivor and her lawyer 

were severely injured and both her aunts 

killed as a truck collided with their vehicle 

on Sunday afternoon as they were on 

their way to the Rae Bareli jail to visit 

her uncle. Meanwhile, the Unnao 

Superintendent of Police has suspended 

three of the six police personnel 

deployed with the rape survivor for her 

protection. According to the district 

police chief's spokesman, three police 

personnel - Sudesh Kumar, Ruby Patel 

and Anita - faced action for not fulfilling 

their responsibilities. Of the six police 

guards, three were deployed at her home 

while three were tasked with accompanying 

her when she travelled outside. 

When the accident occurred on 

Sunday, none of the police personnel 

were with her. While police have said 

that it is possible that the security personnel 

were left behind as there was no 

space in the vehicle, however, it was 

argued that there were only four people 

in the car, including the rape survivor. 

New Delhi : The Delhi Minorities 

Commission here on Thursday released a fact 

finding commission's report on religious 

structures in West Delhi and accused 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Parvesh 

Sahib Singh of spreading lies. It also demanded 

filing of an FIR against him. Singh had last 

month claimed that mosques and graveyards 

were mushrooming on public land in the 

national capital, particularly in West Delhi -- 

his constituency. He had also submitted to 

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal a list of 54 such 

illegal sites. The report rejected the MP's 

claims and stated that there were sufficient 

PAKISTAN BY ROAD 

Amritsar : A 'nagar kirtan' comprising 500 

Sikh pilgrims returned to India from Pakistan 

via road on Thursday after paying obeisance at 

the historic Nankana Sahib, the birth place of 

Guru Nanak Dev. 

The 'nagar kirtan' or religious procession was 

associated with the 550th birth anniversary celebrations 

of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of 

Sikhism, which would begin on a large scale in 

both the countries in November. 

Two days ago, the Indian pilgrims had 

entered Pakistan's Punjab province to commence 

their procession 

from the 

Nankana Sahib. 

On the Indian 

side, a sea of 

devotees assembled 

to receive the 

Guru Granth 

Sahib, the holy 

book, along with 

the pilgrims. As 

the procession 

amidst religious 

fervour entered 

India from the 

Wagah border 

crossing, 'Panj 

Pyaras' received 

the Guru Granth 

Sahib. 

A red carpet 

welcome by 

showering flower 

petals was given 

by the Shiromani 

Gurdwara 

Parbandhak 

Committee 

(SGPC), known as the mini-parliament of Sikhs, 

where Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal 

and his wife and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur 

Badal, state Cabinet Ministers O.P. Soni and 

Charanjit Singh Channi, and local MP Gurjit 

Aujla were among others present on the occasion. 

Akali Dal MLA Manjinder S. Sirsa, who is 

the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Committee President, 

was leading the Indian pilgrims. Besides Sirsa, 

Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet 

Singh, SGPC President Gobind Singh Longowal 

and Chief Secretary Roop Singh, were accompanying 

the Sikh devotees. 

The devotees crossed the Wagah-Atari joint 

check post and were accorded a warm welcome. 

They reached Attari, some 28 km from here, 

grounds for registering 

an FIR against him as 

he "targeted a particular 

community and 

(for) creating communal 

disharmony in 

Delhi". It also said the 

MP had violated the 

oath of office and the 

DMC should file a 

complaint in Lok 

Sabha's ethics committee. 

With the Assembly polls approaching, 

there should be zero tolerance for those 

after also paying obeisance at the Kartarpur 

Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab Province. 

The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, originally 

known as Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, is among the 

holy shrines which is believed to be the final 

resting place of Guru Nanak Dev. Located on the 

banks of Ravi river, the Kartarpur Sahib 

Gurdwara was built to commemorate the site 

where Guru Nanak settled after his missionary 

work. 

Starting from Nankana Sahib, the 'nagar kirtan' 

will visit five 'takhts' (temporal seats) of the 

Sikh faith -- Akal 

Takht in Amritsar, 

Takht Kesgarh Sahib 

in Anandpur Sahib, 

Takht Damdama 

Sahib in Talwandi 

Sabo, Takht Patna 

Sahib in Patna and 

Takht Hazur Sahib in 

Nanded in 

Maharashtra, before 

reaching Punjab's 

Sultanpur Lodhi in 

November to mark 

the 550th birth 

anniversary. 

The Pakistan government 

is likely to 

allow pilgrims from 

all over the world to 

Sikh historical 

shrines like Panja 

Sahib, Dera Sahib 

and Nankana Sahib 

during the celebration 

in November, a 

SGPC official told 

IANS here. 

"Pakistan feels honoured that celebrations of 

the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak are 

being started from Nankana Sahib," the Pakistan 

High Commission in New Delhi said in a statement 

when the Sikh pilgrims left for Pakistan. 

Pakistan last month agreed in principle to allow 

visa-free, year-long travel to the Kartarpur Sahib 

Gurdwara for Indian passport holders and 

Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holders 

via the upcoming 4.2-km-long corridor 

which is scheduled to be opened by October 31, 

a week before the celebrations to mark the 550th 

birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. 

Currently, the devotees from the Indian side 

can pay obeisance by seeing through binoculars 

the white-coloured Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara 

located in Pakistan. 

BJP MP accused of spreading lies 

about mosques on public land 

spreading lies and hates, it said. 

The committee, headed by Owais Sultan, 

said none of those structures mentioned in 

the MP's list were built on public land illegally 

or were encroachment. 

"The list of mosques, mazaars, graveyards 

and madrasas was prepared in a careless and 

non-serious manner to spoil the social atmosphere," 

Sultan told media. 

The committee's report was submitted to 

DMC chairman Zafarul Islam Khan on 

Tuesday and was released on Thursday. The 

DMC will also submit a copy of the report to 

Baijal. 

Moradabad : On a day when the country was celebrating 

the law against triple talaq, a man in Moradabad district of 

Uttar Pradesh announced triple talaq to his wife on a road after 

he got into an altercation with his wife. 

A video surfaced on the social media on Wednesday in 

which the man can be seen fighting with his wife’s brother. 

Details of the reason behind the fight were not known. In the 

video, the woman can be heard saying that she had earlier 

approached the police and complained against her husband. 

Police officials said that they were trying to ascertain the 

identity of the couple and the truth behind the incident. 

Parliament on Tuesday approved a bill outlawing the centuries-old 

right of a Muslim man to instantly divorce his wife. 

Army chief meets J&K governor; 

Assembly polls talk intensifies 

New Delhi-Army Chief General Bipin Rawat called on 

Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in Srinagar on 

Thursday in what was 

termed by defence 

sources as a general meeting 

to review security scenario 

in the valley. 

The meeting assumes 

significance as it comes 

days after the Union 

home ministry cleared 

deployment of additional 

10,000 paramilitary 

troopers for Jammu & 

Kashmir. 

Srinagar-based 15 

Corps of Indian Army 

tweeted from its official 

handle, "General Bipin 

Rawat, #COAS along 

with #ArmyCdrNC & 

#ChinarCorpsCdr reviewed security situation in #Kashmir; 

lauded exemplary commitment & high morale of troops & 

cdrs. Emphasised on Inter-Agency synergy. Later, called on 

Hon'ble Governor of J&K and apprised him of overall security." 

A senior army officer told IANS, it was a routine meeting 

to review security scenario in J&K. 

The movement of additional troops into the valley is variously 

presumed to be a precursor to the abrogation of Article 

35A and Assembly elections. The state is under the President's 

rule. Rawat's meeting with the governor is expected to add fuel 

to the speculations. 

TWO arrested with fake 

currency worth Rs 4 lakh 

New Delhi : Two persons, including a women, have been arrested 

in North 

Delhi for 

allegedly carrying 

fake 

Indian currency 

notes 

worth Rs 4 

lakh, the 

police said on 

Thursday. The 

accused duo were arrested from near the Haiderpur Badli Mor metro 

station near Shalimar Bagh. 

"After frisking the duo, fake currency notes of Rs 2,000 with a 

face value of Rs 4,00,000 were recovered from their possession," 

said a senior police officer. Further investigation is underway.


ASIA 


Imran Khan 

BJP's assets increased by 

22% in 2017-18: ADR 

New Delhi : The total assets 

of the BJP in 2017-18 registered 

a rise of 22 per cent compared 

to previous financial 

year's asset declaration of Rs 

1,213 crore to Rs 1,483.35 

crore, election watchdog 

Association of Democratic 

Reforms (ADR) has said. 

An ADR report said the 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 

was among the seven national 

parties whose assets, as 

declared by them during 2017- 

18, was 6 per cent more than 

their declaration in 2016-17. 

The total assets declared by the 

seven parties -- BJP, Congress, 

Nationalist Congress Party 

(NCP), Bahujan Samaj Party 

(BSP), Communist Party of 

India (CPI), Communist Party 

of India (Marxist) and 

Trinamool Congress (TMC)-- 

in 2017-18 was Rs 3,456.65 

crore, up from Rs 3,260.81 

crore in 2016-17. "During 

2016-17, the declared assets of 

the BJP totaled Rs 1,213.13 

crore and increased by 22.27 

per cent to Rs 1,483.35 crore 

during 2017-18," the report 

said. As per the ADR report, 

the Congress and the NCP 

were the only two national parties 

that have shown a decrease 

in their annual declared assets. 

The total assets of the 

Congress between 2016-17 

and 2017-18 decreased by 

15.26 per cent (from Rs 854.75 

crore to Rs 724.35 crore) while 

those of the NCP fell by 16.39 

per cent (from Rs 11.41 crore 

to Rs 9.54 crore) during the 

corresponding period. 

However, the total assets of 

the TMC increased by 10.86 

per cent, from Rs 26.25 crore 

during 2016-17 to Rs 29.10 

crore in 2017-18. The assets of 

the BSP also showed an 

increase from Rs 680.63 crore 

in 2016-17 to Rs 716.72 crore 

in 2017-18, while the assets of 

the CPI-M were Rs 463.76 

crore in 2016-17 and it went up 

to Rs 482.1 crore in 2017-18. 

The assets of the CPI also rose 

from Rs 10.88 crore in 2016- 

2017 to Rs 11.49 crore in 

2017-18. The assets include 

fixed assets, loans and 

advances, deposits made and 

investments, the report said. 

According to the ADR report, 

the total liabilities for 2016-17 

declared by these parties, however, 

amounted to Rs 514.99 

crore (an average of Rs 73.57 

crore per party), which 

decreased by 27.26 per cent to 

Rs 374.61 crore in 2017-18. 

"For 2016-17, the Congress 

declared the highest liabilities 

of Rs 461.73 crore followed by 

the BJP with Rs 20.03 crore. 

"And for 2017-18, highest liabilities 

of Rs 324.2 crore were 

declared by the Congress followed 

by the BJP with Rs 

21.38 crore and the TMC with 

Rs 10.65 crore." Four political 

parties declared a decrease in 

liabilities between 2016-17 

and 2017-18 -- Congress Rs 

137.53 crore, CPI-M Rs 3.02 

crore, NCP Rs 1.34 crore and 

TMC Rs 55 lakh -- while BJP, 

CPI and BSP have declared an 

increase in liabilities during 

2017-18. 

After SC rap, public outrage, BJP expels MLA Sengar 

slammed for 

remark on 

press freedom 

Islamabad : The global media 

watchdog, Reporters Without Borders 

(RSF), has criticised Pakistan's Prime 

Minister 

Imran Khan 

for rejecting 

the question 

of media 

curbs in the 

country. 

During his 

visit to the 

US, Khan 

had said 

that talking 

about curbs 

on press freedom in Pakistan was a 

"joke". "It is clear that either you are 

very poorly informed, in which case 

you should urgently replace the people 

around you, or you are knowingly 

concealing the facts, which is very 

serious, given your responsibilities," 

RSF Secretary General Christophe 

Deloire wrote on Wednesday, reported 

Dawn newspaper. 

The RSF alleged that it was an 

"obscenity" for Khan to say that press 

freedom was thriving in Pakistan. 

Given a recent surge in press freedom 

violations, which the RSF enumerated 

in a statement, "you will appreciate 

that to talk of 'one of the freest 

presses in the world' is clearly tantamount 

to an obscenity," Deloire said. 

He urged Khan to "allow 

Pakistan's journalists to exercise their 

profession in complete safety and 

with complete independence". The 

credibility of the Pakistani state and 

democracy is at stake, he said. Earlier 

in July, the government launched a 

blistering attack on the press, linking 

critical coverage to potential "treason". 

Also in July, a number of private 

television channels had their 

broadcasts cut after screening a press 

conference with former Prime 

Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter 

Maryam Nawaz. In recent years, the 

space for dissent has shrunk, with the 

government announcing a crackdown 

on social networks and traditional 

media houses decrying pressure from 

authorities that they say has resulted 

in widespread self-censorship. 

New Delhi : After much dilly-dallying, 

Representing Bangarmau assembly constituency 

the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 

in Unnao, Sengar had joined the 

Thursday succumbed to immense public 

BJP in 2017. It had taken immense pressure 

pressure and expelled four-time Uttar 

for the BJP to ensure Sengar is arrested after 

Pradesh legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar 

he was accused of raping a woman in Unnao. 

who is under scanner for an alleged attempt 

The rape victim is battling for her life after 

to kill the woman he was accused of raping. 

being seriously injured in a road accident on 

The party's decision came on the day the 

July 28 near Rae Bareli. Sengar, who is in 

Supreme Court took a serious note of the 

jail, is under scanner for his alleged role in 

incident and ordered that all the cases pertaining 

the accident in which victim's two aunts died 

to rape and the road accident of the 

and her lawyer got seriously injured. He has 

victim will be investigated in New Delhi, not 

been in all the political parties in Uttar 

Uttar Pradesh. BJP MP and spokesperson 

Pradesh starting with the Congress, then 

G.V L Narsimha Rao said that there is no 

joining the Bahujan Samaj Party before having 

place for any person in the party who is facing 

a stint with Samajwadi Party and finally 

serious charges. Sources said that the 

landing in the BJP. UP BJP chief Swatantra 

party was forced to take action against the 

Dev Singh on Wednesday had said that 

MLA because of growing public outrage and 

Sengar was under suspension amidst growing 

demands for his expulsion. Sources said that his 

the tough stand taken by the SC sealed Sengar's fate. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Party leaders said that 

The party had earlier refrained from taking stern action now defending him had become untenable in wake of political clout in the region forced BJP to delay the decision 

to expel him. 

as the legislator was seen to be close to Uttar Pradesh the growing sentiment both outside and within the party. 

Pak to give consular access to Jadhav, India evaluating 

New Delhi/Islamabad : 

Pakistan has decided to grant 

consular access to Indian national 

Kulbhushan Jadhav, a fortnight 

after the ICJ ruling, and has 

informed India about it. 

New Delhi confirmed on 

Thursday it has received the 

Pakistani proposal and said it will 

communicate with Islamabad 

through diplomatic channels. 

Amid reports that Pakistan has 

set some conditions on providing 

consular access, like insisting 

that it will have its own person 

present during the meeting 

between Indian officials and 

Jadhav, India said that it is "evaluating" 

the Pakistani proposal in 

the "light of the judgement of the 

ICJ ruling". 

"I am not getting into the 

modalities. We have received a 

proposal from Pakistan, and we 

are evaluating it in the light of 

judgment of the ICJ. We will 

maintain communication with 

Pakistan through diplomatic 

channels," said Ministry of 

External Affairs spokesperson 

Raveesh Kumar, answering 

queries at a media briefing in 

New Delhi. 

Pakistan Foreign Office 

spokesperson Mohammed Faisal, 

in an answer to a query at a media 

briefing in Islamabad, said: "We 

have offered the Indian High 

Commission to avail consular 

access on this Friday. The reply 

from the Indian side is awaited." 

According to reports, the time 

for the consular access is 3 p.m. 

on Friday. 

On July 18, Pakistan said it 

has informed Jadhav of his rights 

to consular access under the 

Vienna Convention, in accordance 

with the International 

Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, and 

said it will grant consular access 

to the Indian national "according 

to Pakistani laws". 

The move comes after the ICJ 

rapped Islamabad for continually 

denying Jadhav, incarcerated in a 

military jail in an unknown location 

in Pakistan, consular access 

in accordance with the Vienna 

Convention. 

In its July 17 verdict, the ICJ 

had directed Pakistan for a continued 

stay on the death sentence 

of Jadhav and to provide him 

consular access. 

Pakistan had refused to allow 

Indian officials to meet Jadhav 

ever since his "arrest" in March 

2016 for alleged espionage. In 

April 2017, he was sentenced to 

death by a military court, after 

which India approached the ICJ.


ASIA 

Will accept Lamba's resignation even on Twitter: AAP 

New Delhi : Soon after Aam 

Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Alka 

Lamba said on Sunday she will resign 

from the party's primary membership 

and will contest the next election as 

an Independent candidate, the AAP 

said it will accept her resignation 

even on Twitter. 

Lamba, who has not been on the 

same page as the party on various 

issues since the past several months, 

said she took the decision after consulting 

the public, although she did 

not reveal the date when she would 

resign. She also said that she would 

not give up her position in the Delhi 

assembly. "People from my constituency 

have decided that firstly, 

instead of compromising with selfrespect 

I should resign from the 

party's primary membership, which 

has been announced today (Sunday), 

and secondly, that I should contest the 

next election from Chandni Chowk as 

an Independent candidate," the 

Chandni Chowk MLA tweeted in 

Hindi. 

Challenging the party and its chief 

Arvind Kejriwal, Lamba said: "If you 

have guts, then sack me from the 

party. I know you will never do this as 

you are scared of the people. I will 

continue to be the MLA, as I don't 

want people and development work 

to suffer." Responding to Lamba's 

announcement, AAP spokesperson 

Saurabh Bhardwaj said: "She has 

announced this a dozen of times in the 

past. It takes only a minute to send a 

written resignation letter to the party 

leadership. We will accept it on 

Twitter too." 

The first major flare-up between 

Lamba and the AAP surfaced in 

December 2018 when she went 

against the party over an alleged resolution 

to revoke former Prime 

Minister Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna 

award. Since then she has accused the 

party of partiality and misbehaviour 

on several occasions. 

Rupee ends five-month low 

post hawkish Fed comment 

Mumbai : The Indian rupee fell to a 

five-month low while the gold lost 

sheen after a surprise hakwish tone of 

the US central bank on Thursday. 

The Indian rupee weakened to Rs 

69.05 from its Wednesday's close of Rs 

68.79 after the US central bank stated 

that the rate cut was "not the beginning 

of a long series of rate cuts". The precious 

metal also declined by half-a-per 

cent. At the Multi Commodity 

Exchange (MCX) at 20.55 IST gold 

expiring in August was trading at Rs 

35,235 per 10 gram, down Rs 184 or 

0.52 per cent. It fell to a 

low of Rs 35,025 per 10 

gram earlier. 

"Market was expecting 

a 25 bps rate cut and 

Fed delivered it. Though 

it was the first rate cut in 

a decade, it was a preemptive 

action to protect 

the US economy 

from slowing global 

growth and impact of the ongoing US- 

China trade war," said Rahul Gupta, 

Currency Research Head, Emkay 

Global Financial. "Ideally a rate cut 

should have depreciated the dollar, 

however, the unexp ected hawkish tone 

of Fed led to a dollar rally. Also, the 

risk appetite plunged putting pressure 

on emerging market currencies, resulting 

in a gap down opening in the 

rupee." Gold contract expiry in 

December was trading at Comex at 

$1427.25 per troy ounce, lower by 

$10.75 or 0.27 per cent from previous 

close. Earlier the contract fell to 

$1412.25 during the Thursday's trade. 

Commodity expert Ajay Kedia of 

Kedia Commodity said attributed the 

fall in gold prices to strengthening of 

the dollar which followed the rate cut. 


7 

Ratul Puri 

linked to killing 

of witness: ED 

tells court 

New Delhi : The Enforcement 

Directorate on Tuesday told a Delhi 

court that Kamal Nath's nephew Ratul 

Puri is "highly 

influential" 

and is 

allegedly 

responsible 

for the 

"killing of a 

witness". Puri 

is under the 

scanner for 

allegedly 

receiving 

kickbacks in the AgustaWestland deal 

through his companies. 

Arguing for the ED, Special Public 

Prosecutor D.P. Singh said: "The man is 

so influential that he not only poses 

flight risk but is capable of and responsible 

for tampering evidence and influencing 

the witness where one witness we 

fear has been killed." 

Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar, 

who is hearing the anticipatory bail plea 

filed by Puri, has posted the matter for 

hearing at 3 p.m. While Special Public 

Prosecutors D.P. Singh and Naveen 

Kumar Matta are representing the ED, 

senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi 

and Vijay Aggarwal are appearing for 

Puri. Earlier on Monday, Special Judge 

Arvind Kumar extended the interim protection 

granted to Puri while slating the 

matter for hearing at noon on Tuesday. 

Unnao rape : SC shifts trial to Delhi, 

orders solatium, security to family 

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on 

Thursday passed an unprecedented and 

comprehensive order in the five cases 

connected with the Unnao rape case. 

The court order included compensation 

for the victim, shifting of cases to 

Delhi, daily trial to be completed in 45 

days, security cover for the victim's 

family members, best medical treatment 

for the victim, completing of investigation 

within a fortnight by the CBI in the 

accident and possibility of shifting victim's 

uncle to Delhi prison on security 

grounds. 

"The trial judge to whom the cases 

have been earmarked will commence 

the trial forthwith on a day-to-day basis 

and will ensure completion of trial of all 

the five cases within 45 days from the 

commencement of trial", said Chief 

Justice of india (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi. 

Dharmesh Sharma, district judge in 

Tize Hazari court, will conduct the trial. 

The CJI got agitated on learning that 

charges in the cases are yet to be 

framed. "What is happening in this 

country", he lashed out at the authorities 

concerned present in the court. 

The Bench also awarded Rs 25 lakh 

compensation to the victim. "We direct 

Uttar Pradesh to pay an interim compensation 

and the compensation will be 

paid to the mother of the victim by 

tomorrow (Friday)", said the court. 

The court has granted two weeks to 

conclude the investigation into the 

Sunday's truck-car accident, which left 

the rape victim and her lawyer in critical 

condition and her two aunts dead. 

Learning about the victim's medical 

condition, the court asked the family's 

counsel D. Ram Krishna Reddy to 

ascertain the family's views in connection 

with the victim's transfer to a hospital 

outside Lucknow. The court was 

informed that the victim was receiving 

the best medical attention in a top hospital 

in Lucknow. "Amicus curiae to 

ascertain the views of the family of the 

lawyer of the victim as to whether the 

said person should be shifted from the 

hospital in Lucknow to another hospital 

in the country for more advanced medical 

treatment", said the court. 

The court also ordered security cover 

for the victim and her lawyer, the victim's 

mother, four siblings and uncle 

Mahesh Singh (younger brother of the 

victim's father) and the immediate family 

members of Singh, who lives in 

Makhi village in Unnao. 

"Such security and protection shall 

be provided by the Central Reserve 

Police Force (CRPF). The commandant 

of the CRPF battalion in Raebareli or in 

any location near Raebareli where a 

CRPF battalion may be located, shall be 

responsible for providing adequate 

security and protection in terms of this 

order," said the court after noting security 

threats to the victim's family from 

the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator 

Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his 

henchmen. The court asked the UP government 

whether the victim's uncle 

should be shifted to Tihar Jail from a 

Raebareli jail. "The standing counsel of 

UP will inform the court as to whether 

Mahesh Singh, currently lodged in 

Raebareli jail, needs to be moved out on 

account of security reasons," said the 

court. The Bench will continue the hearing 

on Friday to know if its directions 

had been carried out. 

The Supreme Court has expanded its 

suo moto registered PIL on the steps to 

curb child rape cases and included in it 

the issue of compensation and protection 

to the Unnao rape victim. 

The court has considered the amicus 

curia's suggestion to make the Bachpan 

Bachao Andolan, founded by Noble 

Three police guards of Unnao 

rape survivor suspended 

Lucknow : Three Uttar Pradesh Police personnel tasked with protecting the 

rape survivor from Unnao, 

were suspended on Thursday 

on charges of dereliction of 

duty, an official said. 

Inspector General of 

Police, Law and Order, 

Pravin Kumar told reporters 

here that the suspended 

police personnel are Sudesh 

Kumar, and women constables 

Sunita Devi and Ruby 

Patel. All three were in the 

personal security of the rape 

survivor but did not accompany her to Rae Bareli on the day the survivor met 

with an accident. The young woman, who has accused BJP lawmaker Kuldeep 

Sengar of raping her at his residence in 2017 when she was a minor, her family 

and her lawyer were hit by a truck in Rae Bareli on Sunday. Her two aunts were 

killed and she and the advocate have been critically injured. 

Ajendra Awasthi, another advocate for the woman, said he has been provided 

with adequate security by the district administration on his request. 

Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, a party in 

the matter. The CJI on Wednesday took 

suo moto cognisance of a letter written 

by the victim's family alleging threats 

from Sengar's men. The court has 

sought a report in seven days from the 

registry on the delay in placing the letter 

before the court. On Sunday, the victim, 

who had accused Sengar of raping her 

in 2017, was travelling to Raebareli 

with her lawyer Singh and two aunts 

when a truck being driven on the wrong 

side hit them. The rape victim and her 

lawyer are on life support system. Of 

the two aunts killed in the accident, one 

was witness to the crime.


ASIA 


BJP manages passage of Triple Talaq bill in RS 

New Delhi : A historic legislation, 

which criminalises 

instant Triple Talaq among 

Muslims, got Parliament's nod 

on Tuesday, with the government 

saying it will provide 

much-awaited relief to the 

women of the minority community 

by ending the "archaic 

and medieval" practice. 

Scrapping of the practice has 

been one of the main planks of 

the BJP, whose government at 

the Centre led by Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi, promulgated 

a number of 

Ordinances after failing to get 

the legislation through the 

Rajya Sabha where it lacked 

adequate numbers. 

The Muslim Women 

(Protection of Rights on 

Marriage) Bill, 2019 was tabled 

in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday 

and was passed by 99-84 votes 

after a few hours of discussion 

and negation of a demand for 

sending it to the Select 

Committee for proper scrutiny 

as well as a host of amendments 

moved by the 

Opposition members. 

An Opposition motion to 

send the bill to a Select 

Committee was defeated by 84- 

100 votes. 

The proposed law makes 

declaration of triple talaq a cognizable 

offence, attracting up to 

3 years' imprisonment with a 

fine. Under the proposed law, a 

Muslim woman against whom 

talaq has been declared, is entitled 

to seek subsistence 

allowance from her husband 

for herself and also for her 

dependent children. A Muslim 

New Delhi-Family members 

of the Unnao rape victim, in a 

letter to Chief Justice of India 

(CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on July 12 

had stated that the kin of 

accused threatened them to settle 

case otherwise they would 

be implicated in false cases. 

The victim's mother, sister and 

aunt alleged they were being 

woman, against whom triple 

talaq is uttered, is entitled to 

seek custody of her minor children. 

Members of a number of 

parties boycotted voting, benefitting 

the government in the 

Upper House where the ruling 

BJP-led NDA does not have the 

majority. BJP's ally Janata Dal- 

United also abstained from the 

proceedings. 

The bill was passed by the 

Lok Sabha last week. It will 

become the law after President 

Ram Nath Kovind signs the 

bill. During the debate on the 

bill, most of the Opposition 

parties objected to the provision 

for imprisonment of a man 

who utters the word 'talaq' 

thrice to divorce his wife, asking 

who would look after the 

family if the erring male is sent 

to jail. Replying to the debate, 

Law Minister Ravi Shankar 

Prasad countered the 

Opposition criticism on making 

Triple Talaq a cognizable 

constantly threatened by the 

men of the accused Bharatiya 

Janata Party (BJP) MLA 

Kuldeep Singh Sengar. They 

sought action against the kin of 

accused and lodged a case 

against them for threatening 

them. "Accused Shashi Singh's 

son Naveen Singh, Kuldeep's 

brother Manoj Singh and 

offence and said nobody questioned 

the penal provisions 

when the Hindu Marriage Act 

of 1955, Dowry Act of 1961 

and section 498A of the Indian 

Penal Code were brought. 

He said when Hindu 

Marriage Act was brought, it 

was said that the age of the 

bridegroom should be 21 while 

the bride would be 18. A twoyear 

jail term was provided for 

those violating the law. At that 

time, it was not said that it will 

disturb the married life. 

Further, the law provided 

that a marriage will be void in 

case a person went for remarriage 

even as he or she had their 

spouse. Prasad insisted that the 

proposed law had nothing to do 

with religion but was only 

meant to do away with a social 

evil, which has already been 

done in many Islamic countries. 

Quoting a book by an 

Islamic scholar, the minister 

said if Prophet Mohammed disapproved 

triple talaq centuries 

Unnao rape victim's family had 

written to CJI about threat 

Kunnu Mishra along with 

two others visited the victim's 

house on July 7," the 

letter read. The victim's 

family stated in the letter 

they told them that they 

had bribed the judge and 

secured the bail for Shashi 

Singh and Kuldeep Singh. 

The letter also said on 

July 8, Shashi Singh's husband 

Haripal Singh came 

to the victim's house and 

again threatened them. 

They also attached photograph 

of Haripal Singh 

marking his presence at 

their residence and visual 

of car to support their complaint. 

On Sunday, the rape 

victim, who had accused 

Kuldeep Sengar of raping 

her in 2017, was travelling to 

Rae Bareli with her lawyer 

Mahendra Singh and two relatives 

when a truck hit them. 

Both the rape victim and the 

lawyer have been on life support 

since the accident while the 

two other woman in the car, 

including one who was a witness 

to the crime, died. 

back, "why are we in 2019 

debating whether it is right or 

wrong?" 

Earlier, while participating 

in the discussion, Leader of 

Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad 

opposed the bill and demanded 

it be referred to a Select 

Committee so that each provision 

could be duly analysed and 

vetted. 

The Congress leader said the 

bill was politically motivated 

and there was nothing in the 

bill for protection of Muslim 

women, for their subsistence 

allowance and their children. 

He also took on the Law 

Minister for "selectively" quoting 

Supreme Court orders. He 

said the government should 

also bring legislation on mob 

lynching as the same direction 

has come from the apex Court 

in the wake of rising violence 

against the minority community. 

Javed Ali Khan of 

Samajwadi Party, while opposing 

the bill, said there were 

women in the country who 

have been abandoned by their 

husbands and there are many 

famous and renowned persons 

among them. "I want to know if 

government is planning to 

bring any law to ensure the 

abandoned wives receive 

allowance from these husbands," 

he asked. BJP leader 

Bhupender Yadav objected to 

his remarks, saying allegations 

cannot be levelled against any 

person if not convicted by a 

court. A Navaneethakrishnan of 

AIADMK also opposed the bill 

terming it unconstitutional, 

arbitrary and illegal. "It is not 

Triple Talaq bill passed by Parliament 

New Delhi : The Bill outlawing Triple Talaq was on Tuesday 

passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Muslim Women (Protection of 

Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, was tabled in the upper house 

for debate and passage by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, 

who said that though the practice had been banned in many 

Islamic countries, India had not done so despite being a secular 

nation. The Bill, which criminalises the practice of instant 

divorce among the Muslim community, has already been passed 

by the Lok Sabha. 

sustainable under law... I 

humbly submit to this House 

that Parliament has no legislative 

competence to entertain it," 

he said demanding, scrutiny of 

the bill by a Select Committee. 

Trinamool Congress member 

Dola Sen also demanded 

that the bill be sent to a Select 

Committee. "We are all for 

women empowerment. We are 

all for women's rights. Two 

things -- one, just remove the 

criminality clause. Two, don't 

mock the Parliament by passing 

this bill today. Send this bill 

to a Select Committee," she 

said. BJP's Saroj Pandey said 

that all those supporting triple 

talaq are against women. 

T.K.S. Elangovan of DMK 

said he welcomed the SC order 

on the triple talaq, "but I 

strongly oppose the bill introduced 

because it is faulty and 

government has failed to 

New Delhi : A man from Delhi has complained 

to the police that he has been receiving 

hundreds of phone calls from fans of 

Bollywood actress Sunny Leone after his number 

was used 

in her recent 

movie 'Arjun 

Patiala'. So far 

he has 

received hundreds 

of calls. 

The callers 

tell him that 

they want to 

talk to Sunny 

Leone. He 

tried to convince 

them 

that it is not 

her phone 

number. 

It all started 

with a scene from the recently-released film 

'Arjun Patiala' where the character played by 

Leone shares her phone number with another 

character in the film. 

The victim, 27-year-old Puneet Agarwal, a 

resident of Pitampura, has been receiving 

innumerable calls and messages since July 

understand that the Court has 

only made triple talaq as 

unlawful and not divorce per se 

as unlawful". The Biju Janata 

Dal supported the bill but asked 

the ruling party as to why it 

opposed the judgement on 

Sabarimala if it wanted to 

empower women. 

Party member Prasanna 

Acharya said the bill says the 

offence of triple talaq would be 

made cognizable if the information 

is given by the victim or 

any person related to her by 

blood or marriage but it can be 

misused. Congress member 

Digvijaya Singh expressed 

reservation on the manner in 

which the bill was brought and 

pointed out that government 

had not consulted the Muslim 

community on the issue. The 

key NDA ally JD-U staged a 

walk-out soon after discussion 

started on the bill. 

Man gets calls asking 

for Sunny Leone 

26 when the movie was released. 

"On July 26, after the release of the movie, I 

started receiving calls from unknown people 

asking me to let them talk to Sunny Leone. 

Initially, I 

thought somebody 

is playing 

a prank on 

me, but after a 

while, I got to 

know that the 

makers of the 

movie have 

actually used 

my number 

and Sunny 

Leone's character 

in the 

movie dictates 

my number," 

said Agarwal. 

Agarwal is 

now thinking about taking the makers of 'Arjun 

Patiala' to court. 

"I am being harassed by many callers, people 

are abusing me and asking me to do dirty 

favours. I have filed a police complaint but till 

now the police has not taken any action even 

after giving me assurances," he added.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk ASIA August 2019 9 

Doctors, medical students 

protest against Medical Bill 

New Delhi : Doctors and students 

from various hospitals and 

colleges protested here on 

Monday alleging that the 

National Medical Commission 

(NMC) Bill will only give a 

boost to quacks. 

The demonstration came in 

response to a call from the 

Indian Medical Association 

(IMA). 

The IMA held a "Delhi 

Andolan", which included a 

march by the medical fraternity 

from Nirman Bhavan - which 

houses the Health Ministry - to 

Jantar Mantar in the heart of the 

capital. Doctors and experts 

have alleged that Section 32 of 

the proposed NMC Bill will 

intensify quackery by rural medical 

practitioners, private medical 

practitioners and others. 

IMA President Santanu Sen 

said the "government will have 

blood on its hands" if Section 32 

Chandigarh : Punjab Chief 

Minister Amarinder Singh on 

Monday said his government 

was formulating a policy to 

award a one-rank promotion for 

any defence or police personnel 

from the state winning a gallantry 

award in war or peacetime. 

If any such officers or personnel 

wish to join Punjab Police, their 

service and bravery would be 

given due recognition, said the 

Chief Minister, while 'pipping 

the stars' of Assistant Sub- 

Inspector (ASI) on the uniform 

of Kargil war hero Satpal Singh. 

Satpal Singh, who joined 

of the NMC Bill 2019 was not 

removed. He said the addition of 

Section 32 legalized quackery by 

empowering community health 

providers to practice medicine 

and this would endanger the 

lives of people. Rajan Sharma, 

another IMA leader, said if 

Section 32 was not removed, 3.5 

lakh community health providers 

would be legalized to prescribe 

drugs. The IMA is also opposing 

other provisions in the Bill 

including the decision to couple 

NEXT and NEET and regulation 

of fee by the NMC for 50 per 

cent seats in private medical colleges 

and deemed universities. 

"The NMC Bill compromises 

patient care and patient safety. It 

also violates the constitutional 

principles of right to democracy, 

federalism and equal opportunity," 

the IMA said in a statement. 

The NMC Bill has been listed 

for discussion in Parliament on 

Monday. The Bill proposes a 

common final year MBBS 

examination, to be known as 

National Exit Test (NEXT), for 

admission to post-graduate medical 

courses and for obtaining 

license to practice medicine. It 

would also act as a screening test 

for foreign medical graduates, 

official sources said. Besides 

this, the National Eligibility cum 

Entrance Test (NEET), common 

counselling and NEXT would be 

applicable to institutes of national 

importance like AIIMS in 

order to achieve a common standard 

in medical education in the 

country. 

Punjab formulating policy for gallantry awardees 

Punjab Police after his 

discharge from the 

Indian Army, was 

posted in Drass sector 

during Operation Vijay 

in 1999. Interestingly, 

Satpal Singh finds 

mention in 

Amarinder's book 'A 

Ridge Too Far -- War 

in the Kargil Heights'. 

Amarinder, who served as an 

Army captain during the 1965 

India-Pakistan war, promoted 

the Vir Chakdra awardee on 

Friday from his earlier rank of 

Senior Constable in which 

capacity he was 

managing traffic in 

Sangrur district till 

July 26. 

Director 

General of Police 

Dinkar Gupta was 

also present at the 

pipping ceremony. 

Amarinder said 

he had merely set 

right the wrong perpetrated on 

Satpal Singh by the previous 

SAD-BJP government which 

had ignored the valour of the soldier 

and failed to give him the 

recognition and respect he 

deserved. The Chief Minister 

said he had not been aware earlier 

of the situation and what he 

had done now was merely a case 

of "too little too late" for the 

brave soldier. This should have 

been done at the time of Satpal 

Singh's recruitment in 2010, he 

said. 

The policy to be drafted by 

his government will leave no 

scope for such injustice, 

Amarinder said, making it clear 

that the policy would cover 

police gallantry award winners, 

including JCOs, in addition to 

the jawans of the defence forces. 

'Odisha Rasagola' gets GI 

tag in battle with Bengal 

Bhubaneswar : Rasagola, the sweet delicacy of Odisha, got the 

Geographical Indication (GI) tag on Monday, signalling the end of 

the bitter battle with West Bengal over the origin of the famous 

Indian sweet. Chennai based GI Registry has granted the GI tag to 

'Odisha Rasagola'. The mouth-watering sweet has been registered 

under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and 

Protection) Act, 1999. The tag will remain valid till February 22, 

2028. The GI tag is a name or sign used on products that have a specific 

geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation of that 

origin. 

Earlier, the Odisha Small Industries Corporation Limited had submitted 

the required documents for getting the GI status for 'Odisha 

Rasagola'. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his happiness 

after Odisha received the GI tag for the sweet delicacy. 

"Happy to share that #Odisha Rasagola has received GI Tag in 

Geographical Indication Registry. This mouth-watering culinary 

delight made of cottage cheese, loved across the world, is offered to 

Lord Jagannath as part of bhog since centuries," Patnaik tweeted. 

Odisha had moved the GI Registry for its version of the delicacy 

after West Bengal was awarded the GI tag for it's variant 'Banglara 

Rasagulla' in November 2017. 

Odisha had been claiming that the famous delicacy originated in 

the state years ago as it was first served at the Lord Jagannath 

Temple, the 12th-century shrine in Puri. The word Rasagola was 

written in the 'Dandi Ramayana' by Odia poet Balaram Das in the 

15th century. However, the Bengal Rasagola was introduced by 

Kolkata-based confectioner Nobin Chandra Das in 1868, said 

researcher on Jagannath Cult Asit Mohanty, who submitted a report 

to the state government. West Bengal and Odisha have been engaged 

in a bitter legal battle over the origin of the Rasagola. 

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Orissa High 

Court in February 2018, seeking the GI tag for 'Odisha Rasagola' and 

scrapping the tag received by West Bengal. 

TIGER TURNAROUND : How over 75,000 

frames captured by camera traps HELPED 

New Delhi : It took 3.5 crore pictures 

from camera traps, out of which 

76,523 captured tigers, for the scientists 

to complete the tiger head count. The 

individual animal was identified using 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to conclude 

the presence of around 3,000 tigers in 

the county in 2018. 

Above all, the general trait of 

Indians to co-exist with animals has 

been a crucial factor in tiger conservation, 

feels Y.V. Jhala, who heads the 

Tiger Cell of Wildlife Institute of India. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 

Monday released the fourth cycle of All 

India Tiger Estimation, which showed 

India achieved the target of doubling 

the wild cat's population four years 

ahead of the deadline of 2022 -- from 

1,411 in 2006 to 2,967 in 2018. 

How could the tiger population 

flourish at a phenomenal rate when 

other tiger countries are struggling with 

it? Jhala has an answer. It is people's 

attitude, he said. "In India, people are 

ready to co-exist with animals around. 

Despite high human population density, 

they follow the motto of 'live and let 

live'. In other countries, animals are 

generally exploited," he said. The tiger 

census was carried out on 3,81,400 sq 

km in 20 tiger-occupied states, in which 

camera traps were used at 26,838 locations 

in a span of 1.5 years. Of the total 

3.5 crore photographs obtained through 

Capture-Mark-Recapture methodology, 

76,651 were found to be of tigers, Jhala 

said. Subsequently, individual identification 

of tigers was carried out using 

pattern recognition programs 

ExtractCompare. As many as 2,461 

individual tigers -- or 83 per cent of 

2,967 -- have photo-captured. 

Implementation of conservation initiatives 

like voluntary incentivized village 

relocations, connecting tiger source 

populations through habitat corridors 

by National Tiger Conservation 

Authority (NTCA) in collaboration 

with the State Forest Departments and 

NGO's have helped to provide a conducive 

atmosphere for tiger breeding. 

Jhala belives the number of tigers can 

easily go up by another 1,000 by next 

census. However, the surplus tiger population 

is set to throw up new challenges 

as it can aggravate the problem 

of human-animal conflict. Interestingly, 

30 per cent of the total tigers counted in 

the census are photo-captured from 

areas that do not fall in protected areas. 

"It is about carrying capacity of the 

reserves. The challenge now is to look 

beyond protected areas and be ready 

with measures to address conflicts," 

said Rajesh Gopal, former head of 

NTCA. He said community stewardship 

can be one of the possible solutions 

to address the issue. Bilal Habib, a 

scientist with WII, said tiger conservation 

outside protected areas would not 

be possible if people were not happy 

with their presence. 

"So tiger conservation should be 

economically beneficial for people living 

the protected areas. It should be 

beneficial to the poor people who 

shared the habitat and bear the brunt of 

human-animal conflict," he said.


ASIA 


Mamata demands inquiry into 

Unnao rape victim's accident 

Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister 

Mamata Banerjee on Monday demanded a 

high-level 

inquiry into 

the car accident 

of the 

Unnao rape 

victim 

which left 

her severely 

injured and 

two of her 

relatives 

dead. The car in which the 19-year-old rape 

victim, her two aunts and her lawyer were 

travelling was hit by a speeding truck in Uttar 

Pradesh's Rae Bareli on Sunday. 

Trinamool Congress supremo Banerjee also 

came down heavily on the BJP government in 

Uttar Pradesh and the Centre for failing to 

ensure the rape victim's safety and demanded 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi look into such 

issues. "Every day they defame Bengal but 

does the government have any idea what is 

happening in Uttar Pradesh? What happened 

in Unnao is unfortunate. Two relatives of the 

victim died and she is in serious condition. 

There should be a high-level inquiry," 

Banerjee told reporters here. "Every day incidents 

of lynching are taking place. Fascist rule 

is going on in the country. The Prime Minister 

should look into them," she said. Earlier in the 

day, several leaders from Samajwadi Party and 

Congress demanded an investigation by the 

CBI into the accident. 

Unnao rape victim's road 

accident raised in LS 

New Delhi : Samajwadi Party member 

and former Uttar Pradesh Chief 

Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday 

raised the issue of the Unnao rape victim's 

road accident in the Lok Sabha 

but Speaker Om Birla did not let him 

speak on the incident. Yadav raised the 

issue when his party member Azam 

Khan was asked to tender his apology 

for his sexist comment against BJP 

member Rama Devi on July 25 when 

she was presiding the House. "Azam 

Khanji has said what he wanted to say. 

What about the 'beti' of Unnao? We 

should also talk about that," Yadav said. 

However, Speaker Om Birla did not 

allow Yadav to speak about the road 

accident in which the victim sustained 

critical injuries along with her lawyer. 

Two of her relatives were killed when a 

truck rammed their car. 

Yadav on Sunday had alleged that it 

could be a conspiracy to murder the 

woman who had accused BJP MLA 

Kuldeep Sengar of raping her in 2017. 

The victim was travelling to Rae 

Bareli in Uttar Pradesh with her lawyer 

Mahendra Singh and two relatives. 

Both survivors have been on life support 

since the accident. 

Yadav also sought a Central Bureau 

of Investigation (CBI) enquiry into the 

accident. Meanwhile, Congress 

General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi 

took to Twitter and said: "So a woman 

is allegedly raped by a BJP MLA. Her 

father is beaten up and dies in custody. 

"A key witness dies mysteriously 

Unnao rape survivor: Family seeks CBI 

probe, Yogi orders free treatment 

Lucknow : Mahesh Singh, uncle of 

the Unnao rape survivor has written to 

the Yogi Adityanath government seeking 

a CBI probe into the accident in Rae 

Bareli on Sunday in which the rape survivor 

and her lawyer have been critically 

injured and two women killed. 

Uttar Pradesh Director General of 

Police O.P. Singh had said earlier in the 

day that the government would readily 

recommend a CBI probe if the family 

wanted. One of the deceased, Pushpa 

Singh, was a witness in the rape case 

against BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar. ADG 

Rajiv Krishna told reporters on Monday 

that the state government had decided to 

bear the entire cost of treatment of the 

rape survivor and her lawyer who are 

presently on life support system at the 

Trauma Centre in Lucknow. 

The ADG said that, prima facie, there 

was no security lapse. He said that the 

rape survivor had been given nine security 

personnel, six of whom were stationed 

in Delhi where she lives. 

"We have spoken to the three of the 

security personnel and they said that the 

rape survivor had asked them to stay 

back because there was no space in the 

car," he said. Swati Maliwal, chairperson 

of the Delhi Women's Commission, met 

the family of the rape survivor at the 

Trauma Centre on Monday morning. She 

told reporters, "The condition of the girl 

and her lawyer is very critical. The family 

wants that they should be taken to 

Delhi in an air ambulance. We are prepared 

to take the responsibility and I will 

talk to the concerned officials." The accident, 

meanwhile, is taking a political 

overtone with the Samajwadi Party, 

Congress and the BSP seeking a CBI 

probe into the same. 

Congress General Secretary Priyanka 

Gandhi Vadra has raised questions after 

the Unnao rape survivor's accident. 

Reacting to the accident, Priyanka 

Gandhi took to Twitter, calling the accident 

"shocking". She demanded to know 

the progress of the CBI probe into the 

rape case and also slammed BJP for not 

expelling accused party MLA Kuldeep 

Singh Sengar. 

BSP President Mayawati alleged that 

the accident was a conspiracy to kill the 

rape survivor. Samajwadi Party President 

Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress have 

sought the Central Bureau of 

Investigation probe into the incident. 

Akhilesh Yadav questioned the absence 

of any security personnel at the time of 

the accident. A CBI inquiry was needed 

to probe whether it was a conspiracy to 

eliminate the family or just an accident, 

he said. A delegation of Congress and SP 

leaders also visited the Trauma Centre 

and met the family members of the survivor. 

last year. Now her aunt who was also a 

witness is killed and her lawyer is critically 

injured in an accident caused by a 

truck with blackened number plates. 

She herself lies grievously wounded in 

hospital from the same accident." The 

accused remains a BJP MLA and the 

BJP government in Uttar Pradesh "has 

the audacity to run a 'fearless Uttar 

Pradesh' campaign", she said. 

"Does it have no moral duty towards 

its citizens any more, or was that never 

on its agenda anyway?" 

Calling the road accident a shocking 

incident, she also asked about the ongoing 

CBI inquiry in the case. 

"Why is the BJP MLA still in the 

BJP? Why the lack in security to the 

victim and witnesses? Is it possible to 

get justice from BJP government without 

answers of these questions?." 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi 

Adityanath on Monday said if the family 

of the Unnao rape victim wanted, 

his government was ready to recommend 

a CBI probe into the accident. 

Fagu Chauhan 

sworn as new 

Bihar Governor 

Patna : Fagu Chauhan, a six-time 

member of the Uttar Pradesh 

Assembly, was on Monday sworn in as 

the 29th Governor of Bihar. 

He was administered the oath of 

office by Chief Justice of Patna High 

Court Amreshwar Pratap Shahi at the 

Raj Bhavan here. Chief Minister Nitish 

Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil 

Kumar Modi and several other leaders 

were present during the ceremony. 

Chauhan replaced Lalji Tandon who 

has taken charge as the Governor of 

Madhya Pradesh. 

32 arrested 

for beating a 

man to death 

in PATNA 

Patna : The police have 

arrested 32 people, including 6 

women, in connection with 

mob-lynching of a man here 

on Saturday on suspicion of 

being a child lifter and 

appealed people to refrain 

from breaking the law. 

According to the police, the 

victim was a mentally retarded 

man. He was beaten to death 

by a mob at Chulhaichak 

under the Rupaspur police station. 

Amid the swirling 

rumour about the rise in child 

lifting incidents in Bihar, 

Director General of Police 

(DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey 

appealed the people not to take 

law in their hands. The people 

must inform the police instead 

of thrashing someone over 

some suspicion, he said. 

Bihar has witnessed over a 

dozen incidents of mob violence 

in the past five days. 

Two Sikhs on Saturday 

were assaulted by a mob on 

suspicion of being child lifters 

in Patna, before being rescued 

by the police. Same day in 

Danapur, near Patna, two 

youths were thrashed by a mob 

on Saturday on suspicion of 

being child abductors. 

715-C Parkfield Road 

Wolverhampton, WV4 6EE 

Tel. 1902 681 655 

TM 

Sky Digital Channel 0205 

24 hour Entertainment 

On Sky, On-Line, On Mobiles 

Studio : 01902 457875 

Reception : 01902 450533


AZAM KHAN now 

charged with grabbing 

land for a luxury resort 

New Delhi : Slapped with 26 fresh 

cases of land grabbing, Samajwadi Party 

MP Azam Khan has got involved in yet 

another multi-crore land scam. On July 29, 

the UP Irrigation Department served him a 

notice, alleging that Khan's luxury resort, 

Humsafar, located in Rampur, is built on 

land owned by the state government. 

Allegations of irregularities have been 

raised by the 

district administration 

regarding 

possession 

of the huge 

chunk of government 

land on 

which the guest 

house was constructed. 

Azam 

Khan, a former 

UP Cabinet 

Minister, has 

been declared 

land mafia following 

a series of cases registered 

against him in connection with grabbing 

government or agricultural land owned 

by poor farmers. 

The Enforcement Department is also 

enquiring into alleged money laundering 

charges related to donations from abroad 

in account of Khan's private University. 

The ED has sought a list of cases registered 

against Azam Khan from Rampur 

police. Meanwhile, the state police has 

given three-day ultimatum to Azam 

Dalai Lama 

congratulates 

Yediyurappa 

Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual 

leader Dalai Lama on 

Monday conveyed his congratulations 

to B.S. Yediyurappa 

for taking over as Chief 

Minister of Karnataka. 

"I trust that under your leadership 

the people of Karnataka 

will see prosperity and 

progress," he wrote. 

"Last April marked the 60th 

anniversary of our life in exile. 

As you know, over 30,000 

Tibetans reside in Karnataka 

state, perhaps the largest 

among Tibetans in exile. In 

fact, I attended a special function 

in Bengaluru last year to 

thank the state of Karnataka 

and its people for their friendship 

and support. 

I am proud to state here that 

our main centres of learning, 

based on the Nalanda tradition 

of ancient Indian wisdom, have 

been re-established in 

Karnataka," Dalai Lama wrote. 

Khan's staff to furnish details of all land 

deals connected with Mohammed Ali 

Jauhar University. 

Speaking to the IANS, Suprintendent 

of Police(Rampur) Ajay Pal Sharma said 

the police have sought the revenue 

records, payment receipts and land 

agreements with different parties from 

whom the land, running into several hundred 

crores, was 

purchased. "We 

need to investigate 

the sale deeds and 

verify authentic 

documents to 

ascertain the actual 

seller. We also 

want to asses the 

accounts through 

which the payments 

were made. 

The parties which 

received the payments 

have to be 

authenticated," said the SP. Sources in 

the police said that apprehending arrest, 

Azam Khan has not visited Rampur for 

the past one month. "For the first time in 

the recent years, Azam Khan has not 

been seen in his constituency for so many 

days, " said a police official . Azam(70), 

has been an MLA from Rampur for nine 

terms. He was first elected on a Janta Dal 

(Secular) ticket from Rampur in 1980. 

He has been cabinet minister in UP several 

times. 

Mamata announces mass 

contact campaign by Trinamool 

Kolkata : Two months after 

suffering a setback at the hands 

of the Bharatiya Janata Party 

(BJP) in the 2019 general elections, 

West Bengal Chief 

Minister Mamata Banerjee on 

Monday announced an 

'enhanced mass contact campaign' 

for the Trinamool 

Congress, terming it as the 

"modernisation" of her party. 

During the campaign, 

more than a 

thousand Trinamool 

Congress leaders 

and elected party 

representatives will 

visit over 10 thousand 

Bengal villages 

and town 

areas over the next 

100 days to build 

"stronger contact at the grass 

root level and listen to people's 

grievances". "Trinamool 

Congress is starting a new campaign 

to increase the mass contact. 

In order to build direct contacts 

with common people, we 

are introducing a new phone 

number where people can call us 

and tell us about their problems 

and grievances," Banerjee told 

reporters following a meeting 

with the party MLAs here. 

"Through this campaign, 

more than thousand Trinamool 

Congress leaders and elected 

representatives will go to more 

than 10,000 villages and towns 

in the state in the next 100 days 

and build mass contact. They 

ASIA 

Karnataka Assembly 

Speaker Ramesh 

Kumar RESIGNS 

Bengaluru : Karnataka Assembly Speaker K.R. 

Ramesh Kumar resigned from the legislative post on 

Monday, 14 months after he was unanimously elected 

as the Speaker. "I am resigning from this august 

post as Speaker of the 

state legislative 

Assembly for personal 

reasons. I thank all 

the members for 

cooperating with me 

during my 14-month 

long tenure in this 

chair," Kumar told the 

legislators in 

Kannada and left the 

House. Before resigning, the 70-year-old veteran 

Congress lawmaker from Kolar assembly segment, 

about 100 km east of Bengaluru, presided over the 

proceedings that included the BJP's Chief Minister 

B.S. Yediyurappa moving and winning the confidence 

motion by voice vote, approving the finance 

bill for the state budget for fiscal 2019-20 and its 

appropriation estimates. 

"As I have to rush to Hyderabad to attend the last 

rites of Congress veteran Jaipal Reddy, who passed 

away on Sunday, I seek the permission of all the 

members to leave the House, handing over the chair 

to Deputy Speaker Krishna Reddy of the Janata Dal- 

Secular (JD-S). 

Though Kumar has been in the spotlight throughout 

this month for his conduct inside and outside the 

Assembly during the political crisis that gripped the 

southern state, his decision to disqualify 17 rebel 

legislators of the Congress and the JD-S on July 25 

and July 28 made him controversial. The rebels and 

the BJP criticised him, terming his decision onesided, 

bad in law and against the spirit of the 

Constitution, especially the provisions of the 10th 

schedule or the anti-defection law. 

will listen to the common people 

and party activists and spend 

nights in those villages," she 

said. The Trianmool Congress 

supremo also launched a website 

-www.dididkebolo.com on 

behalf of her party so that the 

common people can directly 

contact them regarding their 

problems and grievances. "The 

main motive of this campaign is 

to build a strong 

mass contact base 

and listen to people's 

grievances. 

Those who want to 

directly connect 

with us, call us in 

the new number 

provided or get in 

touch with us on the 

new website. We 

believe that people should be 

provided a platform to express 

what they feel," Banerjee said, 

adding that her party will not 

start the campaign for the 2021 

state Assembly polls now as the 

election is nearly two years 

away. 

She also said the party leaders 

taking part in the mass outreach 

programme will be working only 

within their constituencies. 

Asked if the party's grip at the 

grass root level has loosened 

over the years, she said her party 

still was a "grass root level 

party" and claimed that the new 

initiatives are being taken to further 

strengthen its bond with the 

masses. "It is already there. 

Hong Kong : More than 20 

people have been arrested for 

offences including unlawful 

assembly in Hong Kong's Tsim 

Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Wong 

Tai Sin areas, where chaos and 

violence raged until early Sunday 

morning. After police started dispersing 

protesters in Mong Kok 

in the west of Kowloon, where an 

approved rally on Saturday, was 

suddenly transformed into a 

smoking battlefield in an unexpected 

turn of events, reports the 

South China Morning Post. 

The organiser of the Mong 

Kok rally said 

about 120,000 

demonstrators 

attended on 

Saturday. The 

organisers' 

demands 

remained the 

same as at other 

rallies, that the 

government look into alleged 

abuse of police power; completely 

withdraw the now-suspended 

extradition bill; exonerate 

all protesters arrested; implement 

universal suffrage; and 

stop calling the protests a riot. 

Later in the night, clashes flared 

in Wong Tai Sin after reports that 

the police had arrived to arrest 

two people. Hundreds blocked 

police vans from leaving, and 

attacked outnumbered officers 

with fire extinguishers, helmets, 

umbrellas and other objects. Riot 


11 

More than 20 protesters arrested 

in Hong Kong after clashes 

police used tear gas, pepper 

spray and batons in the streets of 

the densely packed neighbourhood, 

prompting many residents 

- some of them, such as elderly 

shirtless men, without protective 

gear - to join the protesters in 

turning on officers, accusing 

them of disrupting their community. 

The stand-off in Wong Tai 

Sin lasted until around 4 a.m., 

with most of the protesters leaving 

after more rounds of tear gas 

were fired. On Sunday, protests 

were planned in Tseung Kwan O 

and Hong Kong Island West, 

both densely 

populated residential 

districts. 

Saturday's 

gathering comes 

after a group of 

civil servants - 

ordered to be 

politically neutral 

- joined 

demonstrations on Friday to 

address protesters' demands, the 

BBC reported. 

Two months of demonstrations 

sparked by the controversial 

extradition bill have shown 

no signs of abating. 

Mass protests began in March 

over the bill which would have 

allowed extraditions to mainland 

China. Although the government 

has now suspended it, demonstrators 

want the bill fully withdrawn, 

and are widening their 

demands. 

On kanshi TV 

channel 772. 

SATURDAY at 

6 :00 pm 

SUNDAY at 

6 :00 pm 

Ambedkarites News and Views 

by 

BUDDHIST INTERNATIONAL MEDIA 

Mob : 07411 251 804, 07847 307 059


BUSINESS 


Coffee Day postpones April- 

June earnings announcement 

Bengaluru : Coffee Day Enterprises, which lost its 

founding chairperson V.G. Siddhartha earlier in the week, 

has postponed the announcement of its quarterly earnings 

for the first quarter of 2019 which was scheduled to 

be announced on August 8. 

In a statement on Friday, the company said that 

although adequate steps had been taken to complete the 

quarterly review in time, owing to "recent developments", 

the review and subsequent preparation of the 

financial results for the quarter ended June is not expected 

to be completed by the stipulated time. 

"Due to certain unavoidable circumstances, the board 

of directors shall not consider the financial results on a 

standalone and consolidated basis along with the limited 

review report (collectively quarterly financial results) of 

the company and its subsidiaries for the quarter ended 

June 30, 2019, in the meeting of the board of directors of 

the company to be held on August 8, 2019," the statement 

said. The revised date of the meeting to consider the 

first quarter financial results will be communicated expeditiously, 

it said. In shocking turn of events, Siddhartha's 

body was found in Karnataka's Netravathi river on 

Wednesday, nearly 36 hours after he had gone missing. 

Two days prior to his disappearance, the coffee baron had 

left behind a note to his employees which revealed that 

he was in deep debt. The mountain of debt was impairing 

his business as working capital requirements could not 

be met. It led him to sell his stake in IT firm Mindtree 

that gave him some room to manoeuvre. 

"I have failed to create the right profitable business 

model despite my best efforts. I would like to say I gave 

it my all. I am very sorry to let down all the people that 

put their trust in me. 

Century-old Panama Canal lock 

drained for maintenance 

Panama City : The more than century-old Miraflores 

Lock on the Panama Canal’s Pacific side was drained on 

Thursday for maintenance, 

a routine operation 

that will last at 

least a week but 

scarcely affect ship 

traffic. 

The work involving 

more than 600 

technicians will focus 

on the lock gates, an executive in the Panama Canal 

Authority’s Locks Division, Wilfredo Alberto, said, 

adding that it took 14 hours to empty the chamber, two 

hours fewer than usual, the Efe news agency reported. 

“We do this type of work when client traffic is low. We 

never do it in high season, so that it has the least possible 

impact on ship traffic. And we advise our clients well in 

advance,” he added. 

Roughly six per cent of world trade crosses through the 

canal via more than 140 sea routes linking 1,700 ports in 

160 different countries. The waterway, which measures 82 

kilometers (51 miles) in length and is considered one of 

the greatest feats of modern engineering, links the Atlantic 

and Pacific Oceans and uses a system of locks at different 

levels that require 2,02,000 cubic meters (7.1 million 

cubic feet) of water every time a ship passes through. The 

two biggest clients of the Panama Canal used to be the US 

and China, although because of the long-running trade 

war pitting those two nations Beijing was recently 

leapfrogged by Japan. A recent expansion project that 

added a new set of locks (the devices used to raise and 

lower ships) and opened in June 2016 has enabled the 

waterway to handle so-called Neopanamax vessels. 

Those ships include vessels that carry up to 13,000 20- 

foot-long containers and are triple the size of the previous 

generation of Panamax vessels. The canal also now can 

provide service to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other 

giant bulk vessels. The interoceanic waterway was built 

by the US between 1903 and 1914 and was handed over to 

Panama on December 31, 1999. Earlier this year, the canal 

saw its 6,000th Neopanamax transit. More than 50 per 

cent of the Neopanamax vessels that have transited to date 

have been from the container segment. 

FM to meet bank heads over 

key sector credit growth 

New Delhi : Finance Minister 

Nirmala Sitharaman will be 

meeting the PSU bank heads and 

major private sector banks on 

August 5 to review credit growth 

in various sectors like MSMEs, 

retail, auto, NBFCs and HFCs 

which will provide key indications 

for the steps needed to 

accelerate GDP growth. 

The Finance Minister will also 

meet stakeholders next week to 

finalise decisions and timelines 

for action on the U.K. Sinha 

Panel report on MSME sector, an 

official statement said on Friday. 

Many of the actions proposed 

by the committee involve interministerial 

coordination. The 

Finance Minister will be holding 

a meeting within the next week 

with revenue and expenditure 

departments, MSME ministry, 

and also ministries IT, rural 

development, health and family 

welfare, corporate affairs and 

Commerce as well as telecom to 

finalise decisions and timelines 

for action, the statement said. 

The expert committee of U.K. 

Sinha which submitted the 

Hyderabad : The cargo arm of 

SpiceJet has commenced its freighter 

service connecting Hyderabad with Delhi, 

Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. 

The first freighter landed at Rajiv 

Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) late 

on Thursday night. With this, Hyderabad 

Airport now has six scheduled freighters 

operating, said the airport operator GMR 

Hyderabad International Airport Ltd 

(GHIAL). 

The 737-700F type freighter aircraft 

used by SpiceJet will operate six days 

every week, arriving from Chennai at 9.45 

p.m. and departing for Delhi at 10.45 p.m. 

This service will connect the Chennai- 

Hyderabad-Delhi-Mumbai-Bangalore 

sectors. 

The new SpiceJet freighter service will 

also offer an opportunity to the shippers 

from the region to access the 

Commonwealth of Independent States 

(CIS) and other markets via Delhi. The 

offering also includes postal circulation 

among the key metros, saving critical time 

MSMEs recommendations for 

the sector's development in June, 

suggested Rs 5,000 crore 

stressed asset fund for MSMEs 

on the lines of the Textile 

Upgradation Fund Scheme in a 

relief to small businesses hurt by 

demonetization, the Goods and 

Services Tax and an ongoing liquidity 

crunch. 

The committee said such a 

fund could work in tandem with 

RBI-mandated restructuring 

schemes or bank-led NPA revival 

solutions for MSMEs. The committee 

also suggested forming a 

government-sponsored Fund of 

SpiceJet freighter 

service links Hyderabad 

with domestic hubs 

and ensuring 

quick delivery of 

goods. 

"With the addition 

of this new 

freighter, customers 

will have 

more options to 

ship their goods 

within the country 

and beyond. The 

availability of 

high-quality, daily 

cargo services is 

essential for the 

development of 

trade especially in high-value and timesensitive 

products. This will also give a 

boost to the cargo and logistics sector in 

the region," said S.G.K. Kishore, CEO, 

GHIAL. "The launch of our 737-700F 

freighter opens up another option to our 

customers in and around Hyderabad. We 

have received a positive response from the 

market and are confident that this move 

will add value to our customers' supply 

chains," said Manjiv Singh, Chief Project 

Officer, SpiceJet. 

Apart from SpiceJet, the other scheduled 

freighter services that are operating 

from Hyderabad Airport include 

Lufthansa, Turkish, Qatar, Cathay Pacific 

and Blue Dart. Hyderabad Airport Cargo 

serves many multinational companies 

across pharma, perishable, engineering, 

automobile, aerospace and leather industries. 

Apart from all major cargo hubs in 

India, international destinations like 

Frankfurt, Istanbul, Dubai, Doha and 

Hong Kong are also well connected with 

the RGIA. 

Rs 10,000 crore to support venture 

capital and private equity 

firms investing in MSMEs. Small 

businesses have been facing a 

spate of disruptions since the 

government decided to demonetize 

high-value currency notes in 

November 2016. This was followed 

by implementation of the 

GST in 2017, and then the liquidity 

crunch triggered by a series of 

debt defaults by group companies 

of Infrastructure Leasing and 

Financial Services Ltd in 2018. 

India's 63.38 million MSMEs 

contribute significantly to the 

country's economic growth. The 

sector accounts for about 45% of 

manufacturing output, more than 

40% of exports, over 28% of 

Gross Domestic Product and 

employs about 111 million people. 

Automobile sector witnessed 

the worst July sales in two 

decades. Industry sank deeper in 

July with sales at some of the top 

passenger vehicle makers plunging 

to their worst in about two 

decades. The FMCG sector also 

slowed down due to lower consumption 

in rural market. Rising 

economic slowdown leading to 

investments and stress in the nonbank 

lending space dimmed 

demand from both urban and 

rural consumers. Irregular monsoon 

rain this year further hit 

rural sentiments in an economy 

starved of fresh private investments. 

The Financial Stability 

Report (FSR) of RBI in June stated 

credit growth of scheduled 

commercial banks (SCBs) picked 

up, with public sector banks 

(PSBs) registering near double 

digit growth. Capital adequacy of 

the SCBs improved after the 

recapitalisation of PSBs. 

Cabinet approves new 

subsidy rates for fertilizers 

New Delhi, The Cabinet Committee on 

Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved subsidy 

rates for P&K (phosphatic and potassic) fertilizers 

for the year 2019-20, an official release said. 

The subsidy rates for nitrogen will be Rs 18.90 

per kg, Rs 15.21 per kg for phosphorus, Rs 11.12 

per kg for potash and Rs 3.56 per kg for sulphur. 

The expected expenditure for release of subsidy 

on P&K fertilizers during 2019-20 will be Rs 

22,875.50 crore. This will enable the manufacturers 

and importers to formalize supply contracts for 

fertilizers and fertilizer inputs and make fertilizers 

available to the farmers, the release said. 

Dollar little changed 

ahead of Fed decision 

New York, The US dollar was little moved in 

late trading on Tuesday as market participants are 

awaiting the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest 

rates amid a slew of economic data. 

The dollar index, which measures the greenback 

against six major peers, was up 0.01 per cent to 

98.0562 at 3:00 p.m. (local time). The US central 

bank kicked off its two-day monetary policy meeting 

on Tuesday and will announce its decision on 

whether to adjust interest rates Wednesday afternoon, 

the Xinhua news agency reported. 

Investors are speculating that the Fed would cut 

interest rates this week for the first time in more 

than a decade by 25 basis points. On the data front, 

US personal income increased 0.4 per cent in June 

while inflation remained below the target set by the 

Federal Reserve, the US Department of Commerce 

said on Tuesday.


HEALTH 


13 

Mediterranean diet during pregnancy may 

lower gestational diabetes risk : Study 

LONDON : Women who follow a 

Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy, 

including a daily portion of walnuts and 

almonds, and extra virgin olive oil, may 

have a lower risk of gestational diabetes, 

a study claims. 

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes 

that is first seen in a pregnant 

woman who did not have diabetes before 

she was pregnant. 

The results, published in the journal PLOS 

Medicine, found women who followed a 

Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy had a 

35 per cent lower risk of gestational diabetes and 

on average gained 2.75 pounds less, compared to 

women who received standard prenatal care. 

A Mediterranean-style diet rich in good, unsaturated 

fats, found in foods like walnuts and extra 

virgin olive oil, has been shown to reduce the risk 

of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in 

adults, according to researchers at Queen Mary 

University of London and the University of 

Warwick in the UK. Walnuts, in particular, are a 

traditional food in the Mediterranean diet because 

of their omega-3 ALA content and bioactive compounds, 

they said. 

While there has been extensive research on the 

Mediterranean diet to date, the diet's potential to 

improve maternal and offspring outcomes has not 

been widely evaluated, making this study particularly 

valuable. The study included 1,252 multi-ethnic 

inner-city pregnant women with metabolic risk 

factors, including obesity and chronic hypertension. 

In addition to receiving folic acid and vitamin D 

supplementation, the women were randomly 

assigned to either a Mediterranean-style diet or a 

control group that received dietary advice per UK 

national recommendations for prenatal care and 

weight management during pregnancy. 

Those who followed the Mediterranean diet 

consumed a daily portion of nuts, including 15 

gram of walnuts, 7.5 gram of almonds, 7.5 gram of 

hazelnuts) and used extra virgin olive oil as their 

main source of cooking fat. In addition, the diet 

emphasised fruit, vegetables, non-refined grains 

5 hours daily on phone 

increases risk of obesity 

New Delhi : Researchers have found that 

students who use their smartphones five or 

more hours a day are prone to higher risk of 

obesity and likely to have other lifestyle 

habits that increases the risk of heart disease. 

According to a study, researchers analysed 

1,060 students (700 girls and 360 boys) of 

Colombia with an average age of 19 years 

and 20 years, respectively. 

"It is important for the general population 

to know and be aware that, despite being 

undoubtedly attractive for its multiple purposes, 

portability, comfort, access to countless 

services, information and entertainment 

sources, mobile technology should also be 

used to improve habits and healthy behaviours," 

said study lead Author Mirary 

Mantilla-Morron from the Simon Bolivar 

University in Colombia. 

The study found that the risk of obesity 

increases by 43 per cent if a smartphone was 

used for five or more hours a day, as participating 

students were twice as likely to drink 

more sugary drinks, fast food, sweets, snacks 

and have decreased physical activities. 

According to researchers, 26 per cent of 

the students who were overweight and 4.6 

per cent who were obese spent more than 

five hours using their device. Spending too 

much time using the smartphone facilitates 

sedentary behaviours, reduces the time of 

physical activity, which increases the risk of 

premature death, diabetes, heart disease and 

different types of cancer, the study said. 

According to Rajesh Kapoor, surgical 

Gastroenterology, Jaypee Hospital, Noida, 

using smartphones today is not a mere 

choice, rather it has become a necessity. But 

using it for too long may risk your healthy 

life. "The best way out is to encourage yourself 

to reduce the duration of time being used 

on phones and other related gadgets at the 

same time, to indulge in physical activities 

like yoga or any other sports or exercise pattern, 

and by not becoming a couch potato," 

Kapoor told IANS. 

"It is not a question of five or more hours 

on the phone. It is a question of how much 

activity level we are able to build into our 

life," Achal Bhagat, Senior Consultant, 

Psychiatry at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals 

in Delhi told IANS. 

"And if we are not able to build it to an 

adequate level, then it increases the chances 

of obesity and related health risk factors. 

Phone is one of the ways of exhibiting that 

we are not doing enough physical activities 

in our life," he added. 

Two junior doctors suspended over TikTok video 

Hyderabad : In the latest TikTok controversy, 

two junior doctors, including a 

woman, at the government-run Gandhi 

Hospital here were suspended on Friday 

after their video shot in the hospital went 

viral. The junior doctors in the physiotherapy 

department made the video and 

uploaded it on video-sharing platform. 

Their action came under flak from 

netizens for behaving irresponsibly in the 

hospital where many poor patients turn up 

for treatment. Taking serious note of this 

incident, hospital authorities suspended 

the two junior doctors and also served 

notice to the in charge of the physiotherapy 

department. They also ordered a probe 

into the incident. 

Hospital officials clarified that both 

medicos were not from the Gandhi Medical 

College but from some other college and 

were doing an internship at the hospital. 

This is the second such incident in a 

government-run institution this month. 

Seven contract employees of Khammam 

Municipal Corporation faced a wage cut 

after their TikTok videos shot in the 

office went viral earlier this month. In 

another incident on July 19, Telangana 

Home Minister Mohammed Mehmood 

Ali's grandson Furqan Ahmed appeared 

in a TikTok video with his friend. Seen 

sitting on an official car registered in the 

name of Director General of Police and a 

part of the Home Minister's convoy, 

Ahmed's friend enacted a scene from 

Telugu film "Don", threatening to slit the 

throat of a police officer. 

The Home Minister had apologized for 

his grandson's action. 

and legumes; moderate to high consumption of 

fish; small to moderate intake of poultry and dairy 

products; low intake of red meat and processed 

meat; and avoidance of sugary drinks, fast food, 

and food rich in animal-based fat. 

Participants received dietary advice at 18, 20, 

and 28 weeks' gestation to help improve compliance 

and make sure the diet was made culturally 

sensitive. The researchers measured dietary compliance 

using self-reported feedback from the participants, 

so it's important to note that there could 

have been human error in the reporting. 

They also assessed the effect of a Mediterranean 

diet on other pregnancy complications such as high 

blood pressure, preeclampsia, stillbirth, small for 

gestational age fetus, or admission to a neonatal 

care unit, but did not find any significant associations. 

One in four mothers enter pregnancy with preexisting 

obesity, chronic hypertension or raised 

lipid levels, which can lead to pregnancy complications, 

long-term risk of diabetes and cardiovascular 

complications for mothers and their children. 

RESEARCHERS 

develop tool to help 

check chikungunya 

New York : 

Researchers have 

developed a tool that 

attracts and captures 

female mosquitoes 

looking for a site to 

lay eggs, which in the 

future may help curb 

the chikungunya 

virus. 

The study, published 

in the journal 

PLOS, shows that 

Autocidal Gravid 

Ovitrap (AGP trap) 

successfully protected 

people from getting infected with the chikungunya virus in 

Puerto Rico. 

"AGO traps are a novel chemical-free, effective approach to 

control Aedes aegypti (Yellow fever mosquito) populations and 

provide protection from infection with the pathogens that these 

mosquitoes transmit," said researchers from the US Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

"Further evaluations should determine if AGO traps are sustainable 

and effective in large scale community trials," they said. 

The lack of effective tools to control Aedes aegypti mosquito 

populations has resulted in the continued expansion of the dengue 

virus, zika virus and chikungunya virus. For the study, the 

researchers randomly selected 290 households in Puerto Rican 

communities that had AGO trap interventions and 349 households 

in communities without AGO traps. From intervention communities, 

175 household members were analysed and 152 from nonintervention 

communities. 

Blood samples were collected from each participant to detect 

chikungunya virus infection and surveys recorded demographic 

information as well as data on mosquito repellent and bed net use 

and frequency of mosquito bites. 

A total of 114 participants (34.9 per cent) were seropositive for 

the chikungunya virus. Among people who spent most of their daytime 

hours inside the community they lived in, 10.3 per cent were 

seropositive for chikungunya virus in communities with AGO traps 

whereas 48.7 per cent were positive for chikungunya virus in communities 

without traps. 

Among all participants, including those who did not spend as 

much daylight time within the community, 26.1 per cent were 

seropositive for the chikungunya virus in the intervention communities 

and 43.8 per cent were positive in communities without traps.


HEALTH 


Is your child’s sweet tooth making 

you anxious? 

Experts estimate that every second 

child in India has cavities, which, if not 

prevented, can lead to severe dental ailments 

and can even affect the overall 

development of the child. According to 

US National Institute of Dental and 

Craniofacial Research, 42 per cent of 

children aged two to 11 develop a cavity 

in their primary teeth and nearly 28 

per cent of children aged two to five 

develop at least one cavity. Cavities 

refer to tooth decay which happens 

when tooth enamel (outer layer of 

teeth) is destroyed. This happens when 

bacteria in the form of plaque reacts 

with sugary foods to form acids that 

attack the enamel and erode it. Dental 

plaque is the sticky, slimy substance 

made up mostly of the germs that cause 

tooth decay. It sticks to the teeth and 

can eat away the enamel. 

Cavities are more common among 

children. Due to poor eating and oral 

habits, dental plaque is developed frequently 

in kids’ teeth. If your child has 

toothache and holes/pits are visible, 

then it is surely a symptom of the cavity. 

Ignoring it can lead to tooth loss and 

the decaying of inside parts of the teeth. 

A recent study by University of 

Melbourne and the Murdoch 

Children’s Research Institute at Royal 

Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, 

Australia, has found that environmental 

factors are also responsible for triggering 

risk for cavities. All this requires 

parents to be aware of the various 

dimensions of the problems, as well as 

of the fact that this is a common yet 

preventable disease. Cavities in baby 

and permanent teeth can cause pain and 

prevent children from eating, speaking, 

sleeping, and learning properly. It is 

important to protect both primary 

(baby) teeth and permanent teeth. 

Primary teeth can get cavities and 

permanent ones can develop dental 

infections. Tooth decay, especially of 

baby teeth is a serious, infectious and 

Cavities and the 

dangers they pose 

transmissible disease that can spread 

quickly and lead to infection without 

proper precautions. But the good news 

is that it is preventable and treatable. 

Cavities in children can be treated 

by different methods like dental sealant 

and fluoride varnishing, apart from 

dental filling. Dental sealant protects 

teeth especially when children are most 

susceptible to having decay. It is less 

expensive than filling. Fluoride varnish 

is a thick liquid painted on the teeth 

with a small disposable brush. It 

strengthens tooth enamel and can help 

prevent dental decay," says Dr Jayna 

Gandhi, Deputy Zonal Clinical Head at 

Clove Dental. 

Dental plaque and cavity is not a 

‘Red wine can treat 

depression, anxiety’ 

Chennai 

New York : In a good news for 

wine lovers, researchers have found 

a compound present in red wine 

which can treat depression and anxiety. 

The plant compound resveratrol 

displays anti-stress effects by blocking 

the expression of an enzyme 

which controls stress in the brain. 

"Resveratrol may be an effective 

alternative to drugs for treating 

patients suffering from depression 

and anxiety disorders," said Ying 

Xu, Associate Professor, University 

at Buffalo in the US. The findings, 

published in the journal 

Neuropharmacolog, shed light onto 

how neurological processes are 

impacted by resveratrol -- a compound 

having numerous health benefits 

and found in the skin and seeds 

of grapes and berries. 

While research has identified 

resveratrol to have antidepressant 

effects, the compound's relationship 

to phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), an 

enzyme influenced by the stress hormone 

corticosterone, was unknown. 

Corticosterone regulates the 

body's response to stress. Too much 

stress, however, can lead to excessive 

amounts of the hormone circulating 

in the brain and, ultimately, to 

depression or other mental disorders. 

The research also reveals that 

PDE4, induced by excessive 

amounts of corticosterone, causes 

depression- and anxiety-like behaviour. 

The enzyme lowers cyclic 

adenosine monophosphate -- a messenger 

molecule that signals physiological 

changes such as cell division, 

change, migration and death -- in the 

body, leading to physical alterations 

in the brain. Resveratrol displayed 

neuroprotective effects against corticosterone 

by inhibiting the expression 

of PDE4. The research lays the 

groundwork for the use of the compound 

in novel antidepressants. 

According to the researchers, 

although red wine contains resveratrol, 

consumption of alcohol has various 

health risks, including addiction. 

matter to ignore, especially in children 

as it increases with time and can make 

their oral health poorer. Along with 

teaching your child good oral habits 

like brushing teeth regularly, preventing 

them from eating loads of sweets 

and feeding them nutritious and balanced 

meals, it is vital to visit the dentist 

and get their cavity checked. 

Caries are more 

common among 

children. 

Ignoring them 

can lead to tooth 

loss, decaying of 

the inside parts 

of the teeth. 

HC orders relief to woman 

infected with HIV blood 

: The 

Madurai Bench of the 

Madras High Court on 

Friday ordered the 

Tamil Nadu government 

to pay a compensation 

of Rs 25 lakh, 

provide a house and a 

job to a pregnant 

woman who was transfused 

with HIV-infected 

blood in a government hospital at 

Virudhunagar district. The court also ordered 

the government to provide free medical treatment 

for the woman hailing 

from Sattur while 

hearing a petition for 

ensuring safe blood 

transfusion and compensation 

for her. 

The pregnant woman 

was transfused with 

HIV-infected blood last 

year in December as she 

was anaemic at the government 

hospital in Sattur. 

She later delivered a baby in January this 

year who was not affected by HIV. 

Number of polio cases reaches 47 in Pakistan 

Islamabad : The National Emergency 

Operation Centre (NEOC) of Pakistan on 

Friday confirmed the registration of one new 

polio case each in Quetta and Banno provinces. 

With this, the number of polio cases has 

reached 47 this year, according to an official on 

Saturday. "The majority of cases, 36, have been 

reported in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province 

and its tribal districts. In Punjab five and 

Baluchistan and Sindh three cases each have 

been reported," the official said. 

The official blamed the parents' refusal of to 

get their children immunized against polio for 

increase in polio cases.


HEALTH 

Have 60gm nuts daily 

to boost sexual desire, 

ORGASM QUALITY 

Madrid : In a good news, 

researchers have found that consuming 

60 grams of nuts daily improves 

sexual functions such as boosting 

desire and orgasm quality. 

The findings, published in the journal 

Nutrients, show that adding walnuts, 

hazelnuts and almonds to an 

unhealthy western diet can improve 

sexual desire and orgasm quality. 

For the study, researchers from 

Rovira i Virgili University and the 

Pere Virgili Health Research Institute 

(IISPV) in Spain, conducted a nutritional 

intervention study with healthy 

participants of reproductive age in 

order to determine if regular consumption 

of nuts has any effect on sexual 

functions. The researchers analysed 83 

individuals for 14 weeks who were 

following a western diet which is poor 

in fruits and vegetables and rich in animal 

fats. 

In a previous study, the same 

research group described how certain 

nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts and 

almonds improved sperm quality, 

although then they had not established 

positive effects of nuts on sexual function. 

According to the researchers, the 

prevalence of erectile and sexual dysfunction 

affects two per cent of men 

under the age of 40 years, around 52 

per cent of men aged 40 to 70 years 

and more than 85 per cent of men aged 

over 80. The risk factors associated 

with sexual and erectile dysfunction 

are smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, a lack of physical exercise, stress and an unhealthy diet. 


15 

An apple carries about 100 

million bacteria: Study 

Six new AES cases reported 

from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur 

Patna, A month after 153 children died of Acute Encephalitis 

Syndrome (AES) in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, six fresh cases were 

reported in the district on Saturday, leading to panic among 

health officials. According to District Health officials, two of the 

six children admitted at the Shri Krishna Memorial College 

Hospital (SKMCH) are critical. “Four children are undergoing 

treatment in the general ward, while two are in the Intensive Care 

Unit,” officials said. Cases of AES declined in Bihar since the 

arrival of monsoon last month. Till date, 132 children have died 

of AES at SKMCH and 21 at Kejriwal Hospital in Muzaffarpur. 

More than 650 cases of AES have been reported this year. 

Smoking can trigger severe leg 

pain, poor wound healing 

New York : Researchers have found a strong link between 

smoking and peripheral artery disease — a circulatory condition in 

which narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to the limbs — 

and this elevated risk can persist up to 30 years after quitting 

smoking. The study, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins 

University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, also found that 

the link between smoking and peripheral artery disease was even 

stronger than that for coronary heart disease and stroke. 

“The study suggests that campaigns about smoking’s health 

risks should emphasize the elevated risk of peripheral artery disease, 

not just coronary heart disease and stroke,” said senior study 

author Kunihiro Matsushita. The study found that compared with 

never-smokers, those who smoked for more than 40 pack-years 

had roughly four times more risk for peripheral artery disease, versus 

2.1 times and 1.8 times more risk for coronary heart disease 

and stroke, respectively. 

LONDON : Besides containing fibre 

and vitamins, an apple also carries about 

100 million bacteria, and whether these 

microbes are good or bad for health may 

depend on how the fruit was grown, 

according to a study. 

The study, published in the journal 

Frontiers in Microbiology, shows that 

organic apples harbour a more diverse and 

balanced bacterial community—which 

could make them healthier and tastier than 

conventional apples, as well as better for 

the environment. 

"The bacteria, fungi and viruses in our 

food transiently colonise our gut," said 

Professor Gabriele Berg, of Graz 

University of Technology, Austria. 

"Cooking kills most of these, so raw 

fruit and veg are particularly important 

sources of gut microbes," Berg said. 

To help us choose our colonic colonists 

wisely, the team analysed the microbiome 

of one of the world's favourite fruits: the 

apple. "83 million apples were grown in 

2018, and production continues to rise. But 

while recent studies have mapped their 

fungal content, less is known about the 

bacteria in apples," said Berg. 

The researchers compared the bacteria 

in conventional store-bought apples with 

those in visually matched fresh organic 

ones. 

Stem, peel, flesh, seeds and calyx—the 

straggly bit at the bottom where the flower 

used to be—were analysed separately. 

Overall, the organic and conventional 

apples were occupied by similar numbers 

of bacteria. 

"Putting together the averages for each 

apple component, we estimate a typical 

240 gramme apple contains roughly 100 

million bacteria," said Berg. The majority 

of the bacteria are in the seeds, with the 

flesh accounting for most of the remainder. 

So, if the core is discarded, the intake falls 

to nearly 10 million, researchers said. 

"Freshly harvested, organically managed 

apples harbour a significantly more 

diverse, more even and distinct bacterial 

community, compared to conventional 

ones," said Berg. 

"This variety and balance would be 

expected to limit overgrowth of any one 

species, and previous studies have reported 

a negative correlation between human 

pathogen abundance and microbiome 

diversity of fresh produce," he said. 

Specific groups of bacteria known for 

health-affecting potential also weighed in 

favour of organic apples. 

"Escherichia-Shigella—a group of bacteria 

that includes known pathogens—was 

found in most of the conventional apple 

samples, but none from organic apples. For 

beneficial Lactobacilli—of probiotic 

fame—the reverse was true," Berg said. 

"Methylobacterium, known to enhance 

the biosynthesis of strawberry flavour 

compounds, was significantly more abundant 

in organic apples; here especially on 

peel and flesh samples, which in general 

had a more diverse microbiota than seeds, 

stem or calyx," he said. 

The results mirror findings on fungal 

communities in apples, researchers said. 

"Our results agree remarkably with a 

recent study on the apple fruit-associated 

fungal community, which revealed specificity 

of fungal varieties to different tissues 

and management practices," said Birgit 

Wasserman, lead author of the study. 

The studies show that across both bacteria 

and fungi, the apple microbiome is 

more diverse in organically grown fruits, 

researchers said.


ENTERTAINMENT 


Akhil Sachdeva clarifies 

his comment ‘I relate to 

Kabir Singh’s character’ 

HONOURED TO 

BE COMPARED TO 

DAD: ANANYA 

The actor feels comparison between star kids 

and their parents is inevitable, it can get daunting 

but she wants to take it positively 

Singer Akhil Sachdeva’s song Tera Ban Jaunga from the Shahid 

Kapoor and Kiara Advani-starrer Kabir Singh became a huge hit. 

But that’s not the only reason he got written about. He also garnered 

eyeballs for talking about how he could “relate to Kabir 

Singh’s character”, that too at a time when a section of the society 

criticised the film for glorifying misogyny and toxic masculinity. 

Clarifying his viewpoint, Akhil says, “There are several shades 

to the character of Kabir, and I think what got highlighted more is 

the abusive side of it. So, when I said that I relate to the character, 

what I meant is how I am able to connect with the intense and passionate 

person that he is.” 

The singer adds that people totally misunderstood his point, and 

therefore, he feels it’s necessary that they know the truth. “Kabir 

is quite passionate about what he loves — in his case, it’s the girl 

in his life. I’m passionate towards music and I can go to any extent 

to make sure that I create good music. So, I meant everything 

in a positive way,” Akhil continues, “People close to me know the 

kind of person I am and they did understand what I meant. But 

those who don’t know me, might have misunderstood my intention. 

I would, in no way, say or promote something that is incorrect.” 

Not just irked that people jumped to conclusions, Akhil also 

opines that many missed highlighting the good aspects of Kabir’s 

character. “Achhe shades bhi glorify honey chahiye the, I feel. 

Most people are grey, and the intensity of the good and bad vary 

from person to person. I don’t think the film intended to glorify the 

character’s negative aspects; that’s what I felt when I watched it. 

It’s just about someone called Kabir and how he sees or deals with 

certain emotions and relationships in his life. And along with his 

negatives, his goodness also touches your soul. And I could relate 

to his goodness,” he concludes. 

HARJAI HAPPY 

Mumbai : Singer Arjuna Harjai is 

happy that producer Ekta Kapoor likes his 

song "Kis raste hai jana" from 

"Judgementall Hai 

Kya". 

Harjai has sung the 

track along with Surabhi 

Dashputra. The song has 

been picturised on 

Kangana Ranaut and 

Jimmy Sheirgill, and 

shows the struggle of 

their onscreen characters. 

Ekta, the producer 

of the film, recently took 

to Instagram to express 

her love for the track, 

calling it her "favourite 

song". 

"It has been a wonderful 

experience creating 

this beautiful melody penned by 

Kumaar sir and the rustic voice of Surabhi 

does justice with the sentiments of the 

song," Harjai said. "Ekta maa'm is an 

absolute delight (to work with) and the 

fact that she loves this song makes me feel 

Actor Ananya Panday, who 

made a splashing debut with 

Student of the Year 2 (SOTY2), 

is already busy with her next, a 

remake of Pati Patni Aur Woh 

(1978), which also stars actors 

Kartik Aaryan and Bhumi 

Pednekar. 

This film is a romantic comedy 

and it is natural that she 

will be compared with her 

father, actor Chunky Panday, 

who is known for his on screen 

comic timing. And, Ananya is 

bracing herself for it. 

“I know there will be comparisons, 

I am scared,” she continues, 

“But, I am also honoured 

to be compared with my 

dad. And, I am going to take it 

as positively as possible.” 

She adds, “As far as comedy 

is concerned, my father has set 

the bar super-high, so living 

up to that expectation is what I 

am striving to achieve.” 

While the comparisons are 

yet to start, we ask her if 

Chunky has given her any tips 

EKTA KAPOOR'S 

praise makes Arjuna 

so happy. I hope the audience feels the 

same way about the song, and they are 

able to connect with the uniqueness of the 

track," he added. 

Meanwhile, 


Kya" is going steady at 

the box office. It has 

registered business of 

Rs 13.42 crore since its 

release. 


Kya" reunites "Queen" 

co-stars Kangana 

Ranaut and Rajkummar 

Rao after a gap of 

around five years. The 

Prakash Kovelamudi 

directorial opened on 

Friday. The dark comedy 

revolves around 

Bobby (Kangana) and Keshav 

(Rajkummar) as they lead their life trying 

to figure out the difference between reality 

and illusions. A murder investigation 

brings more chaos to their lives. It is about 

finding the person behind the murder. 

related to acting or the film 

industry or how to pick a film? 

The 20-year-old says, “He has 

not really given me a lot of tips 

because he knows that times 

are very different now. Also, he 

wants me to have my own journey, 

make my own mistakes 

and so he does not want to 

force anything on me.” 

She adds, “In fact, he never 

Special services 

in action 

With action-packed performances 

and high-octane drama galore, BOSS: 

Baap of Special Services promises to be 

a masala entertainer. The handsome 

hunk Karan Singh Grover, who is essaying 

the role of a cop from special services, 

seems to have got right into the skin 

of the character. He left no stone 

unturned in putting himself on the line 

while performing stunts for the series. 

Shares Karan , “I work really hard on 

whichever role I choose for myself. I 

was really excited to play this one as I 

got the opportunity to perform some 

daredevil stunts. It is not easy to execute 

fight sequences with ease. The guidance 

of our action director really helped and 

was able to perform the stunts on my 

own. I hope that the audience will love 

me in this avatar.” 

came to set when I was shooting 

[for SOTY2] and the first 

time he saw me acting was in 

the film’s trailer. That way, he 

doesn’t want to get involved 

and wants me to enjoy my journey.” 

But that doesn’t mean that 

the young actor has not learned 

anything from the senior actor 

in the house. Ananya says that 

she has learned a lot by observing 

her father’s conduct. 

And one of his qualities that 

she admires the most is how he 

has lived with his head held 

high through everything. “I 

learnt from his behaviour as a 

person — just seeing him being 

thick-skinned (to all the criticism) 

and to be able to take a 

joke well... I want to have the 

same kind of approach. The 

ability to laugh at yourself is 

not an easy one,” says Ananya, 

who recently started a Social 

Responsibility Initiative 

#SoPositive which helps people 

deal with cyber bullies. 

Meanwhile, Ananya is 

happy that even before the 

release of her debut film, she 

got to sign her second film. She 

says, “When someone sees and 

appreciates your work, it’s 

always flattering. I am very 

excited; firstly, because it’s an 

out-and-out comedy film, and 

secondly, it’s a remake of an 

already popular film.” 

‘Writing a book 

is challenging’ 

Actress Richa Chadha, who is set to debut as an author, has 

said writing a book was challenging 

for her, as, for many 

years, she did not want people 

to know the inner workings 

of her mind. “I say this 

every time but I’m lucky that 

I’m busy with multiple 

things. That’s what keeps me 

going. And I’m a creative 

soul who thrives on selfexpression. 

I enjoy writing, 

I’d be writing even if I was a 

carpenter or a photographer. 

Writing a book is challenging 

because for many years, I 

didn’t want people to know 

the inner workings of my 

mind,” Richa said in a statement. 

According to the Fukrey actress, writing gave her a break 

from the exhaustion of too many simultaneous shoots and projects. 

“I knew I was on a deadline and realised I needed some 

peace. I was already more than half way through it, but had to 

concentrate to the point that I am thinking about this daily. So 

taking a break from shoot was essential and I shut myself out, 

worked in peaceful isolation to complete the book,” she added. 

The book is now officially complete. It will have Richa’s 

life experiences in the form of full length stories.


ENTERTAINMENT 


17 

Alia Bhatt shares emotional post for dad Mashesh 

Bhatt on ‘Sadak 2’ Ooty schedule wrap 

Actress Alia Bhatt has wrapped up 

the Ooty schedule of ‘Sadak 2’ with a 

special note to her "not so old man" 

Mahesh Bhatt. Alia took to Instagram to 

Padma in a food 

show again... 

Hulu has ordered a new food show, to be headlined by 

Top Chef judge 

Padma Lakshmi. 

The streaming 

service has given 

a 10-episode 

order to the untitled 

series, 

which is 

designed to serve 

as a “living 

cookbook, made 

up more from 

people and culture 

than 

recipes”. 

Hulu made 

the announcement 

at 

Television 

C r i t i c s 

Association 

summer press 

tour. “Each 30- 

minute episode 

will start with a 

single dish that 

represents and 

connects a community’s 

history 

and traditions, and explores the evolution of that community 

through that cuisine. The show, filmed around the 

country, will showcase everything from street-food to 

high-end restaurants “In the hands of different families 

and waves of immigration, an organic evolution emerges 

between traditional recipes and new approaches, different 

perspectives and emotions, all captured through Padma’s 

eyes,” read a statement from the streamer. Lakshmi, 48, 

also shared the news on Twitter. 

share the update on the film through an 

image of herself with her father. 

"Schedule wrap... My not so old man 

has more energy than the whole crew 

put together. Love you daddy...until 

next time," she wrote along with the 

image. 

In the image, Alia is all smiles as she 

poses with her father for a selfie. 

The actress posted special moments 

from Ooty with her fans and followers 

on social media. She shared how she is 

enjoying family time with a picture of 

herself with mother Soni Razdan and 

sister Shaheen Bhatt, and also the 

moment when she channelled her inner 

child as she posted an image of herself 

on a swing. 

Mahesh had also shared a photograph 

of sisters Alia, Pooja Bhatt and 

Shaheen enjoying quality time together 

at the scenic holiday spot. 

They were in Ooty to shoot for 

‘Sadak 2’, which marks the return of 

Mahesh Bhatt as director. The film is a 

sequel of the 1991 hit ‘Sadak’. 

‘Sadak’, a romantic thriller, featured 

Pooja and Sanjay Dutt and was one of 

the highest-grossing Hindi movies of 

1991. The film also had a popular musical 

score. 

The late Sadashiv Amrapurkar's 

award-winning performance as 

Maharani won him fans, and his character 

is still considered one of the best 

screen villains in Bollywood. The film 

bore shades of the 1976 American 

movie, ‘Taxi Driver’. ‘Sadak 2’ is 

scheduled to release on July 10 next 

year. 

Can I perform ‘Hare 

Krishna Hare Ram', 

asks singer Asha Bhosle 

in cryptic tweet 

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle posted a cryptic 

tweet in the wake of a controversy over alleged 

beating up incidents in the name of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ 

slogans. On Saturday, the 85-year-old singer 

wrote: “Dum Maro Dum...Bolo Subh Shyam Hare 

Krishna Hare Ram...Can I perform this evergreen 

song or not?” Bhosle’s tweet ended up dividing 

Twitter. Tweeple interpreted that Bhosle’s tweet 

implied if people have a problem with 'Jai Shri 

Ram' chants, how soon would a song having 'Hare 

Krishna Hare Ram' would be questioned. 

Celebrities are not shying away from talking about 

their political beliefs. 

Three days after 49 eminent personalities in a 

letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned 

lynching incidents and making “Jai Shri 

Ram a war cry”, it was the turn of 61 celebrities to 

counter, accusing them of “selective outrage and 

false narratives” in an open letter. 

ABHISHEK BACHCHAN calls 

Aishwarya Rai and daughter 

Aaradhya his ‘good luck charm’ 

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan along with daughter Aaradhya sent in good 

wishes for husband and 

actor Abhishek Bachchans 

kabaddi team Jaipur Pink 

Panthers. The actress posted 

a photograph with 

Aaradhya on Instagram as 

they cheered for her husband's 

kabaddi team. 

Showing team spirit, 

Aishwarya and Aaradhya 

were wearing team jerseys 

and were cheering for him. 

Abhishek reacted to the 

image, calling them his 

"good luck charms". And 

the charm worked as 

Abhishek's Jaipur Pink 

Panthers registered a big 

win over Bengal Warriors 

during the ongoing Pro 

Kabaddi League (PKL) 

here on Saturday. 

Congratulating the team, Aishwarya shared a group picture with the players. She 

wrote: "God bless boyz...Shine on Pink Pantherrrrssss." 

On the film front, Aishwarya was last seen in ‘Fanney Khan’, which also featured 

Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. She will reportedly be seen in Mani 

Ratnam's ambitious project ‘Ponniyin Selvan’. 

Arjun Kapoor takes off cap 

after nine months, Malaika 

Arora says ‘finally’ 

Actor Arjun Kapoor has finally taken his 

cap off. The actor was hiding his hairdo for the 

past nine months, to keep his look in the 

upcoming period drama ‘Panipat’ a secret. 

Arjun shared a stop motion video to flaunt 

his short-cropped hair on Instagram. 

"9 months later... Baal baal bach gaye," he 

captioned the video. The 34-year-old actor 

shared a small video clip on Instagram stories 

and said it was time to get rid of his caps and 

hats. 

"Hey, guys. I am finally ready to get rid of 

my caps. I know a lot of people have seen me 

wearing caps and wondering why I have been 

doing that for the last six months. 'Maine apne 

baal mundwaye they 'Panipat' ke liye on 

November 16, 2018 (I had gone bald for 

'Panipat' on November 16, 2018). Now, it's the 

end of July. The film is done and I can finally 

get rid of my cap." 

"Unfortunately, with that, I have to also let 

go of all the caps jo maine collect kiye in 7-8 

mahino mein. Bohot mazaa aaya pehen ke 

(had fun wearing them), lekin now I think it's 

time I start roaming around with my hair 

being visible because it has grown. The look is 

safeguarded because we managed to protect it 

for so many months. Thank you for being 

patient." Arjun's girlfriend Malaika Arora was 

also eager to see him without the cap. 

"Hmmm," she commented on one of his 

post. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, the 

film is based on the Third Battle of Panipat, 

which is one of the most epic wars in India's 

history. It features actors Kriti Sanon and 

Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles.


ENTERTAINMENT 


‘I NEVER BOTHERED 

ABOUT NUMBERS’ 

Filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari says she doesn’t want to change herself 

and lose the purity she had as a director before she entered Bollywood 

Nil Battey Sannata (2015), 

Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) and lined up 

next is Panga with Kangana Ranaut 

and Neena Gupta — the kind of filmography 

that filmmaker Ashwiny 

Iyer Tiwari has to her credit is surprising 

for someone who says she 

didn’t know anything about 

Bollywood. 

“I was in advertising,” she begins, 

“and had closely worked with a TV 

channel as well, which was partly in 

films, too. I moved onto making 

films because of the sheer instinct 

that I wanted to tell stories on the 

larger screen. I didn’t know ABC of 

Bollywood.” 

Though Ashwiny shares she knew 

a lot of ad film directors, she adds, 

“My closest brush with the industry 

was when I had worked on Kaun 

Banega Crorepati with Mr. Amitabh 

Bachchan. Then came a show like 

Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, and Sakshi 

(Tanwar) was my closest interaction. 

It wasn’t like I was dealing with 

actors day in and day out.” 

In an industry where it is believed 

that female actors are just beginning 

to get their due in terms of on screen 

roles, even female filmmakers have 

the spotlight on them. How does she 

relate to these evolving dynamics?’ 

“You see, there was Hrishikesh 

Mukherjee, Sai Paranjpye — their 

cinema was unadulterated, yet commercially 

viable. I wanted to make 

Diana Penty shines on 

ramp at ICW 2019 

New Delhi, Bollywood actress Diana Penty stole 

the limelight at the FDCI India Couture Week (2019) 

on Saturday as she walked the ramp for designer 

Gaurav Gupta. The “Happy Bhag Jayegi” actress 

was seen wearing a green-gray, sculpted mermaid 

gown. With winged eyeliner, glossy makeup and a 

french bun, the actress wore a diamond feathershaped 

earrings cum ear cuff to complete her look. “I 

have always loved being on the ramp. And with 

Gaurav, it’s always special. I have been a fan of 

Gaurav Gupta and have been wearing his creations 

for a while now. I love his aesthetics, his finesse and 

his sculpting which he is known for. He is a perfect 

red carpet go-to,” Daina told IANS. 

“But when I’m off the screen, I’m laid back and 

love street style. Not at all a heels person, I will be 

spotted in a sneaker, jeans and a shirt or something 

easy-breezy at most of the time,” she said. 

On work front, Daina will be seen making a special 

appearance in “Khandaani Shafakhanaa”, scheduled 

for release on August 2. 

that [kind of cinema]. I never bothered 

about box-office numbers, or 

whether I will get screens or not… 

that purity has to stay. If I lose out on 

that and get entangled [in such 

things]… I 

don’t want to change myself. 

Today [the limelight is on directors] 

and we’re presenting ourselves out 

there. Audience also looks up to you 

as you evolve,” says Ashwiny, who 

was recently in Delhi for HT Brand 

Studio. Ashwiny’s first film was Nil 

Battey.., starring Swara Bhasker, and 

it dealt with a mother-daughter relationship. 

We ask her if being a female director, 

and having an unconventional 

female protagonist in her debut film 

made getting funding difficult? She 

agrees, and elaborates, “I’d not deny 

the story was very offbeat. 

The characters were from a class 

of society that we’re not used to seeing 

on cinema. But, we’re still talking 

about a relationship! Yes, we 

had to struggle to get money to 

make the film. I believed the story 

must be told. After making that film, 

we went to Aanand L Rai to present 

the film. He was just opening his 

production house then. He felt this 

one film will be nice as their first 

film to present. Bollywood itself is 

welcoming. Writers from small 

towns of the country are coming, up, 

which is nice.” 

Parineeti to use 

fashion to 

address issues 

Mumbai, Actress Parineeti Chopra has close to 50 

million people following her digitally. She is now set to 

use her digital clout and stature as a fashion icon to raise 

awareness on social issues. 

On Tuesday, Parineeti shared a photo in which she is 

seen sporting a denim outfit with a blue T-shirt that has 

a heart shape print in the front in rainbow colours. It 

says, “Love is Love”. 

“Because…love is love #pride,” Parineeti captioned 

the snapshot. According to a source, it was the beginning 

of her social media campaign that will see her continue 

to raise her voice on important issues that are close 

to her heart. “Fashion has, is and will always make bold 

statements on issues affecting society. I have always 

strongly felt about equality and have always spoken 

against stereotypes. Today, I was celebrating India’s 

massive decision to decriminalise section 377,” 

Parineeti said. 

“I will continue raising my voice on important societal 

issues through fashion because I feel, as celebrities, 

we need to bring attention to important things that are 

happening in and around us,” she added.


TECH 


19 

The next US President 

could also be in 70s: Study 

NEW YORK : When Donald 

Trump took charge as the US 

President in 2016, he became the oldest 

American to be elected president 

at the age of 70, now chances are high 

that the next US President could be 

even older, says a study. The research 

also suggests that with 

more people living 

longer and healthier 

lives than before, 

there is no such thing 

as being "too old to be 

president". 

The researchers 

found that age is not a 

relevant factor in 

judging the fitness of 

presidential candidates 

to hold the 

nation's highest office 

as "age is just a number". 

"This research for 

the first time provides 

science-based calculations 

that show that the age of a candidate 

should not be considered at 

all," said study author S. Jay 

Olshansky from the University of 

Illinois in the US. 

According to the researchers, four 

of the leading contenders for the 2020 

US Presidential elections from both 

the Democratic and Republican parties 

are in their 70s: US senators Joe 

Biden (76), Bernie Sanders (77) and 

Elizabeth Warren (70) on the 

Democratic side and Republican 

incumbent Donald Trump (73). 

Overall, seven of the 27 candidates 

currently in the race would be aged 

70 and older on inauguration day in 

January 2021, increasing the odds 

that the oldest person ever elected 

president could be sworn into office 

that day. The study suggests that nearly 

all of the candidates meet the criteria 

to live healthy and without disability 

not only through a first term 

but through a second term as well. 

Previously, almost four in 10 people 

surveyed in a June 2019 

Economist/YouGov poll said they 

considered anyone 

in their 70s "too old 

to be president". 

But according to 

the study, "chronological 

age itself 

should not be used 

as a sole disqualifier 

to run for or become 

president". In the 

paper titled 

"Longevity and 

Health of US 

Presidential 

Candidates for the 

2020 Election" and 

published in AFAR, 

the research team 

used data from 

national vital statistics to estimate 

lifespan, healthspan, disabled lifespan 

and four- and eight-year survival 

probabilities for US citizens with 

attributes matching those of all 27 

current candidates for the next two 

election cycles. 

VIDEOS with kids 

get 3 times more 

views on YouTube 

San Francisco : At a time when 

YouTube is facing flak for not being careful 

with issues concerning children, a new 

study shows that videos featuring kids 

under 13 years gather three times more 

traction on the platform. 

US-based Pew Research Centre assembled 

a list of popular YouTube channels 

that existed through late 2018, and it 

analysed all of the 

videos that those 

channels produced 

during the first week 

of January 2019. 

While only a small 

number of English 

language videos were 

targeted at children, 

they still received 

more views on average 

than other videos 

that were not targeted at children, The 

Verge reported on Thursday, citing the 

report. However, according to a YouTube 

spokesperson, the top categories on the app 

do not include kids specifically. Comedy, 

music, sports and 'how to' remain the most 

popular categories. Still, including kids in 

videos to increase views is a facet of 

YouTube that many creators have picked 

up on, the report said. One of the largest 

family vlogging channels on YouTube -- 

The Ace Family -- amassed more than 16 

million subscribers in around three years. 

Jake Paul, a famed vlogger known for 

his pranks, invited a family to live in his 

house so he could vlog with their fouryear-old-son 

Tydus. 

As of now, 

YouTube's current terms 

of service state that its 

platform is not intended 

for children under the 

age of 13. 

Earlier this week, 

YouTube came under 

the scanner for promoting 

white supremacy by 

letting a kids' channel 

show racist content by 

portraying "beauty" and "ugly" looks in 

fair and dark skin shades, and failing to 

remove it despite reports. 

Last week, Google reached a multimillion-dollar 

settlement with the US Federal 

Trade Commission (FTC) over alleged 

violations of children's data privacy laws 

on YouTube.


TECH 


Hackers access files of USbased 

cyber security firm 

San Francisco : Using an email address 

and password mistakenly exposed on the 

Internet, a hacker gained access to the 

internal files of US-based cyber security 

company Comodo, bringing the credibility 

of the company under question. 

The credentials were found in a public 

GitHub repository owned by a Comodo 

software developer, TechCrunch reported 

on Saturday. 

The account was not protected with 

two-factor authentication and with the 

email address and password in hand, the 

hacker could enter the company’s 

Microsoft-hosted Cloud services. 

The leaked credentials were discovered 

by a Netherlands-based security researcher 

Jelle Ursem who reached out to Comodo 

Vice-President Rajaswi Das. 

According to Ursem, the account 

allowed him to access internal Comodo 

files, including sales documents and 

spreadsheets in the company’s OneDrive 

and the company’s organisation graph on 

SharePoint, allowing him to see the team’s 

biographies, contact information, like 

phone numbers and email addresses, photos, 

customer documents and calendar. 

Screenshots of folders containing agreements 

and contracts with several customers 

-- with names of customers in each filename, 

such as hospitals and US state governments. 

"Seeing as they’re a security 

company and give out Secure Sockets 

Hotter weather 

linked to higher 

suicide rates 

NEW YORK : Hotter weather increases 

both suicide rates and the use of depressive 

language on social media, says a new study 

that analysed half a billion tweets. 

The research published in the journal 

Nature Climate Change suggests that the 

effects of climate change could be as devastating 

as the influence of economic recessions 

when it 

comes to 

increasing 

suicide rates. 

Projected 

temperature 

rise through 

2050 could 

lead to an 

additional 

21,000 suicides 

in the 

US and 

Mexico, the 

findings 

showed. 

"Surprisingly, these effects differ very little 

based on how rich populations are or if 

they are used to warm weather," said lead 

researcher Marshall Burke, Assistant 

Professor at Stanford University. 

Researchers have recognised for centuries 

that suicides tend to peak during warmer 

months. But, many factors beyond temperature 

also vary seasonally such as unemployment 

rates or the amount of daylight 

and up to this point it has been difficult to 

disentangle the role of temperature from 

other risk factors. 

To tease out the role of temperature from 

other factors, the researchers compared historical 

temperature and suicide data across 

thousands of US counties and Mexican 

municipalities over several decades. 

The team also analysed the language in 

over half a billion Twitter updates or tweets 

to further determine whether hotter temperatures 

affect mental well-being. 

They analysed, for example, whether 

tweets contain 

language such 

as "lonely", 

"trapped" or 

"suicidal" 

more often 

during hot 

spells. 

T h e 

researchers 

found strong 

evidence linking 

warmer 

temperature 

with higher 

suicide rates. 

To understand how future climate change 

might affect suicide rates, the team used projections 

from global climate models. 

Temperature rise by 2050 could increase 

suicide rates by 1.4 per cent in the US and 

2.3 per cent in Mexico. "Hotter temperatures 

are clearly not the only, nor the most important, 

risk factor for suicide," Burke emphasised. 

"But our findings suggest that warming 

can have a surprisingly large impact on suicide 

risk, and this matters for both our 

understanding of mental health as well as for 

what we should expect as temperatures continue 

to warm," Burke added. 

Layer (SSL) certificates, you’d think the 

security of their own environment would 

come above all else," the report quoted the 

Userm as saying. Earlier this year Ursem 

found a similarly exposed set of internal 

Asus passwords on an employee’s GitHub 

public account. 

Now get old 

Twitter interface 

with few clicks 

SAN FRANCISCO : A Twitter user 

and software developer, Zusor, has 

shared a useful ’do-it-yourself’ guide to 

bring back the old Twitter interface with 

just a few clicks, and has named it 

’GoodTwitter’. 

To get the old interface, just open 

Twitter and follow this sequence of 

commands: Click on "(...) More" in the 

left-hand menu. 

Go to "Settings and privacy" > 

"About Twitter" > "Directory". A new 

Twitter tab will open, click on "Home" 

and you will find the old user interface, 

The Next Web has reported. 

So far, GoodTwitter has been downloaded 

by nearly 35,000 Chrome and 

Firefox users, attracting rave reviews on 

Reddit. Twitter recently redesigned the 

interface for its website version, saying 

the new look is faster and easier to navigate, 

but a lot of people are not liking 

it. The new version comes with an 

expanded Direct Messages section and 

the ability to let users switch between 

accounts faster and directly from the 

side navigation. It comes with new dark 

themes Dim and Lights Out. 

As part of the redesign, while the 

Home, Explore, Notification and 

Messages options have been shifted to 

the left of the desktop, the trending section 

has been moved to the right of the 

screen. 

FACEBOOK users take to 

Twitter to vent frustration 

NEW DELHI : Many Facebook users have taken to Twitter 

to describe the concerns they have with the Mark Zuckerberg led 

social media platform with #AndThatsWhyIHateFacebook. 

While many users revealed that people often paint a false picture 

of their lives on Facebook and hide their real life stories, 

some complained about privacy issues. 

Explaining why they hate Facebook, some raised concerns 

about the social network’s community standards. 

"My ex-husband is always on my "people you may know" 

list. Trust me, if I knew you better, we wouldn’t have married 

#AndThatsWhyIHateFacebook" yelled a Twitter user. 

"It’s basically a massive government data gathering operation 

where people unknowingly but freely and willingly reveal information 

about themselves. #AndThatsWhyIHateFacebook," 

alleged another user. Tweets on the hashtag are continuously 

increasing and going viral over the Internet globally. 

"Facebook took a great profile design and replaced it with 

Timeline, just so they could attract customers they could sell our 

info to", said user of @TheGiftOfMayhem Twitter handle. 

"People posting 97 pics a day of some random event, all blurry 

and in need of some serious cropping and no one needs 97 

pics of any event #AndThatsWhyIHateFacebook", said 

@tonidevelin. "Cause my grandma sees everything I post 

#AndThatsWhyIHateFacebook", tweeted another user. 

Another user alleged that Facebook allowed the Russians to 

meddle in the American elections, lets neo-fascists organise, 

makes human trafficking easier and doesn’t care about it. 

The hashtag started trending amid reports that Facebook Co- 

Founder Chris Hughes, who called for the breakup of the social 

network, is reportedly in talks with influential US government 

officials who are evaluating the market power of the company. 

WhatsApp building desktop 

version that works without phone 

SAN FRANCISCO : Facebook-owned WhatsApp is reportedly 

working on a desktop version of the app that would allow 

users to use the messaging app on a PC without having to connect 

their phone to the Internet. In 2015, WhatsApp released a 

web version that mirrored the conversation from the mobile app, 

but to use it, one needed to have their phone connected to the 

Internet. Reliable WhatsApp leaker account WABetaInfo tweeted 

on Friday that the company might be developing a Universal 

Windows Platform (UWP) app along with a new multi-platform 

system that would work even when your phone is off. 

In addition, WhatsApp is also reportedly working on a multiplatform 

system that would allow users to access their chats and 

profiles on more than one device with the same account. The 

multi-platform system would also work in synchronisation with 

WhatsApp’s UWP, which is also in the works, to offer the standard 

chat interface on different devices with the same account.


NEWS 


21 

The UAPA bill has been ultimately 

passed by the Rajya Sabha yesterday. 

UAPA refer to Unlawful Activities 

Prevention Act under which the 

Central government has got a right to 

‘designate’ an individual as a terrorist. 

While there is no immediate threat 

to arrest, the person will have to 

appeal to the government with in 

forty days of his/her name appearing 

in the government gazetteer. If the 

Ministry oblige you then, it will fix 

up a committee constituting a retired 

High Court or Supreme Court Judge 

along with several other members, 

mostly from MoHA. If they found 

you fine then your name will be 

removed but if not then you will get 

to file against it at the High Court. 

Now, given the nature of things 

happening in India with rabid communalism 

terming dissent as being 

anti national, it would be easier for a 

lynch mob to kill a person or his family 

once the name appears in the 

media. We know it very well that this 

absolutely spineless media would not 

only add few spices into the story but 

also instigate people to kill such people. 

There was a time, when media 

fought against such draconian measures 

like Maintenance of Internal 

Security Act ( MISA) during emergency 

when agencies had the right to 

detain any one without any chargesheet. 

There were other laws like 

Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act 

( POTA) which was misused against 

the Muslims, the most and became a 

poll issue too. It was finally withdrawn 

but government brought 

UAPA in the disguise. This was UPA 

government’s act which was amended 

and shamelessly opposition parties 

failed to rise up to the occasion. 

In Rajya Sabha, NDA is short of 

majority yet all the bills that were 

passed in Lok Sabha also got through 

Rajya Sabha without much difficulties. 

Not only opposition parties mainly 

Congress tamely surrendered. The 

party’s response on triple talaq was 

equally baffling but then Congress 

does not seem to have learn any lesson 

and it is more painful for all those 

who trust it to fight for their right. 

Terrorism is a global problem and definitely 

killing innocent people need to 

be condemned unconditionally. It is 

INVITATION 

to mob lynching 

also important to inquire what breeds 

terror and whether this is merely a 

political game or historical injustices 

too. If terrorism is to be used in terms 

of propagating any idea which are 

detrimental to our national security, 

integrity of the country or its unity 

then, broadly, one should agree with it 

as we all are bound by the constitution 

of our countries and in our case, 

Indian constitution, which we all are 

proud of, giving 

us so much of 

space and opportunities 

to express 

our opinions and 

dissent. Problem is not that we should 

not fight or make law against terrorism. 

Government is duty bound to 

ensure safety of the people and make 

laws in the better interest of the people. 

The issue here is whether this 

naming and shaming is a correct thing 

to do so. If a person is declared terrorist 

by the government, then why 

should he be allowed to move around 

freely. Why shouldn’t he be arrested, 

proper charges are framed and fix up a 

time frame under special courts but 

what is disturbing is that you 

declare an individual as terrorist, 

put his or name in the official 

gazetteer and then ask him 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat 

social and human rights activist 

to prove that he or she is innocent. 

So the person will have to 

run here and there for six months to 

get into final clearance whether he or 

she is not a terrorist. We know how 

our file moves, and we should not be 

surprised that this will aggravate the 

issue. Will the government provide 

security to the family of the people 

who are designated terrorists so that 

the ‘nationalist’ mob does not kill 

them. Will their identities be kept 

secret. How is that a Republic TV or 

an India TV or Aaj 

Tak reporter forcing 

enter the homes of 

the ‘accused’ and 

broadcasting live 

from there intimidatingly 

thirsting 

their mikes on the 

family people or the 

person who is 

accused. Will it not 

create further frenzy and anarchy. 

We can only hope that these are 

used in rarest of the rare cases. There 

is a provision globally done by the 

UN which declared Hafiz Sayed as a 

terrorist and he is patronized by the 

state. Every state have extra-state 

actors and Hafiz is Pakistan’s Inter 

Services Intelligence’s prime catch 

against India. Pakistan has been 

humiliated internationally because of 

him and many others residing there 

but the religious frenzy and power 

make them strong. When UN 

declared Hafiz Sayed Global 

Terrorist, there was near unanimity 

among major countries and none 

challenge that process but like they 

traced Osama Bin Laden, none is 

going to harm him as Pakistan always 

use him so when there is too much 

pressure, he will be put under house 

arrest and then silently allow to do 

things. 

It is important to define it categorically 

so no innocent person is targeted. 

If naming and shaming is the 

thing then those spreading hatred in 

the name of religion, killing people at 

their will under any religious pretext, 

those who are proudly declaring them 

as hating the citizens of the country 

who have a different religious or caste 

identity. Will this instrument be used 

against the terror which spread 

through caste supremacy in our villages 

that has kept Dalits and tribal 

subjugated for centuries. We would 

definitely welcome it. What would 

we describe Godse and will the book 

that he justify killing Gandhi, be still 

available or will it be called a literature 

spreading terror because the 

home minister also talked about such 

literature that might spread terrorism 

can be designated as terrorist. 

As I said government is duty 

bound to protect people and not to 

intimidate them or snoop them. A 

healthy democracy is ultimately good 

for all of us and it can not be imposed 

by thousands of laws and tactics. we 

hope this law will not be able to pass 

the validity test from the Supreme 

Court. Let us hope lawyers and 

human rights defenders will take it to 

the court so that this not misused. 

Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social 

and human rights activist. He blogs 

at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com 

twitter @freetohumanity 

Email: vbrawat@gmail.com 

29 killed in US mass shootings in less than 24 hrs 

Washington : At least 29 people 

were killed and over 40 others were 

injured in two separate incidents of 

mass shootings in the US states of 

Texas and Ohio in less than 24 hours, 

media reports said. In Ohio, nine people, 

including the perpetrator, were 

killed and 16 others were injured early 

Sunday morning in the shootings outside 

the Ned Peppers Bar in Dayton 

city's Oregon area. 

The incident took place after mass 

shooting in Texas's El Paso city killed 

20 people and injured 26 others on 

Saturday. 

According to the Dayton Police 

Department, the first call of the Ohio 

incident came in at around 1 a.m. 

"We had officers in the immediate 

vicinity when the shooting began and 

were able to respond and put an end to 

it quickly," the BBC quoted the 

Dayton Police Department as saying 

in a tweet. 

Assistant Police Chief Matt Carper 

told the media that officers on patrol 

managed to take down the shooter 

who is yet to be identified. Carper said 

the subject fired a "long gun" with 

multiple rounds. He added that it was 

"very fortunate that the officers were 

in close proximity". Nothing more 

was known about the shooter, but 

Carper said they were "anxious to discover" 

a motivation. 

Police believe the suspect 

acted alone and that there 

was no remaining threat to 

the community, but the 

investigation, assisted by the 

Federal Bureau of 

Investigation (FBI), was 

going on. 

Footage posted on social 

media showed people running 

as dozens of gunshots 

echoed through the streets. It 

also showed several bodies 

on the floor covered in white 

sheets. A note saying staff 

members were safe appeared 

on Ned Peppers' Instagram 

page after the incident and on 

the nearby Hole in the Wall 

bar's Facebook page, the 

BBC said. In Texas, the 

attack took place at a Walmart store 

near the Cielo Vista Mall in the city 

located close to the US-Mexico border 

that has close to 700,000 inhabitants. 

The suspect, 21-year-old Patrick 

Crusius, is currently in police custody. 

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen 

said that the Walmart was full of shoppers 

buying back-to-school supplies at 

the time of the attack. The identities of 

the victims were yet to be ascertained. 

Allen told the media that the tragic 

incident could be dubbed as "hate 

crime". El Paso Police and the FBI are 

investigating whether an anonymous 

white nationalist "manifesto", shared 

on an online forum, was written by the 

gunman, the BBC reported. 

The document said the attack was 

targeted at the local Hispanic community. 

Governor Greg Abbott described 

the attack as "one of the most deadly 

days in the history of Texas", while 

President Donald Trump called it "an 

act of cowardice". Authorities have 

termed the Texas shooting as the 

eighth deadliest in modern US history. 

The attacks came less than a week 

after a teenage gunman killed three 

people at a California food festival.


WORLD 


Train services hit, 400 rescued by 

boats as rains pound Mumbai 

Mumbai : Mumbai and the coastal Konkan 

region continued to experience heavy rains on 

Sunday with the Central Railway services hit on 

various sectors and boats were deployed to rescue 

around 400 people stranded in the Kurla suburb, 

officials said here. Following incessant overnight 

rains, water seeped into many homes in Kranti 

Nagar area of Kurla, following which the BMC 

deployed rubber boats to rescue around 400 stranded 

residents. In Church Road-Dahanukarwadi areas 

of Kandivali, some locals made temporary rafts of 

wooden board to ferry people to nearby areas for 

replenishing stocks of essentials. Around 35 people 

of the tiny Ju village in Thane have been stranded 

due to rising flood waters and the state government 

has requested an air rescue operation for them. 

They have been temporarily shifted to Bazarwad 

Municipal School and arrangements made to give 

them food, water and medical help as required, said 

the BMC Disaster Control. 

In some villages in Pen, Raigad district, around 

60 people were stuck in five-six feet deep water 

since 4 a.m. on Sunday, and the authorities have 

deployed NDRF teams to rescue them. The downpour, 

which revived with full intensity since Friday 

night, continued Sunday with many areas of 

Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Ratnagiri 

remaining submerged, hitting normal life and road 

traffic. Barring delays, the Western Railway services 

continued, but CR services were hit in some sectors 

like Kurla-Sion due to waterlogging on tracks, 

breaches in railway lines, landslides on outstation 

routes. Its suburban Harbour Line was also paralysed. 

Mumbai is likely experience a 4.86 metres 

high tide at 2.29 p.m. on Sunday, with the IMD and 

BMC Disaster Control warning people to keep 

away from coastal areas and beaches in the city. The 

BMC, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, besides all 

other agencies, are on a high alert for any eventuality. 

A portion of a bridge on Pinjal river in Palghar 

was washed away, bringing traffic to a complete 

halt on both sides. For the second consecutive day, 

waterlooging was reported in many areas of Nala 

Sopara, Vasai, Virar, Vikramgad (Palghar district), 

Mira Road, Bhayander, Thane City, Bhiwandi, 

Kalyan, Titwala, Ulhasnagar (Thane), Roha, Pali, 

Mangaon, Karjat, Pen, Panvel (Raigad), and 

Mandangad, Chiplun, Dapoli (Ratnagiri). In 

Mumbai, several vulnerable spots in Dahisar, 

Borivali, Kandivali, Andheri, Santacruz, Khar, 

Bandra, Matunga, Parel, Dadar, Kings Circle, Sion, 

Vikhroli, Ghatkopar,Kurla, Bhandup, Mulund and 

other parts were flooded. Subways in Kandivali, 

Woman gets triple talaq over 

phone from husband in Saudi 

Malad, and Andheri were flooded hampering traffic 

movement in the east-west directions. However, 

most flights were operating at Chhatrapati Shivaji 

Maharaj International Airport with delays of around 

30 minutes, said officials. 

Till Sunday morning, the IMD said Mumbai city 

recorded 142 mm rains and the suburbs notched 

204 mm. The BMC’s rain monitors pegged the figure 

at 116 mm for Mumbai city, 195 mm for the 

eastern-western suburbs. The BMC Disaster 

Control have asked people to keep away from all 

seafronts for the next two days as extremely heavy 

rains are forecast. 

5 dead in Maharashtra 

rains, IAF, NDRF 

rescue VILLAGERS 

Mumbai : At least five persons were 

killed in Mumbai and Satara as rains continued 

to batter large parts of 

Maharashtra, especially the coastal 

Konkan region, on Sunday, hitting train 

services hit badly. Helicopters rescued 73 

people in Thane and boats were deployed 

to rescue around 400 people stranded in 

Mumbai suburbs, officials said. 

In the state capital, a woman and her 

son were killed due to electrocution in 

Santacruz east and a youth was washed 

away in Dharavi while two persons from 

Pune drowned in a waterfall in Satara 

after their vehicle hit a barricade and fell 

into a flooded drain at Babhalnala early 

on Sunday. Following incessant 

overnight rains, water seeped into many 

homes in Kranti Nagar, Indira Nagar, 

Jarimari, Shankarnagar and Bail-bazar 

areas of Kurla suburb and two teams of 

the NDRF deployed rubber boats to rescue 

around 400 residents stranded there. 

"They have been temporarily shifted 

to Bazarwad Municipal School and other 

schools. Congress activists have also 

made arrangements for food, water and 

medical help as required," local MLA 

and Congress deputy leader in Assembly 

Naseem Khan said. The Indian Air Force 

deployed a MI-17 helicopter to rescue 58 

villagers, including 18 children, from Ju 

village in neigbouring Thane as they 

were stranded in rising flood waters. In 

another operation, 15 marooned villagers 

were saved by a MI-17 chopper in 

Buranda village of Palghar this evening. 

Kushinagar : The Kushinagar police have 

registered a case against a man who allegedly 

gave talaq to his wife over phone from Saudi 

Arabia. This comes three days after the Triple 

Talaq Bill was passed by both the Houses of 

Parliament and got the President’s assent. 

According to reports, the woman’s father 

submitted a written complaint to the police on 

Saturday following which an FIR was registered 

against the husband under Section 4 of 

the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on 

Marriage) Act, 2019, at the Nibua Naurangiya 

police station of Kushinagar district. 

The accused Abdul Raheem, son of 

Tarabuddin, a resident of Shobha Chapra village 

under the Nibua Naurangiya police station 

in Kushinagar, said talaq three times to his 25- 

year-old wife Fatima Khatoon over phone on 

Wednesday and ended the call. 

Fatima, daughter of Ahmad Ali, had got 

married to Abdul in 2014. After four months of 

marriage, Abdul went to Saudi Arabia to work 

and came during vacations but his behaviour 

with Fatima was not good and even his family 

members harassed her. 

"On Wednesday, my daughter was doing 

household work when her father-in-law 

Tarabuddin came and handed her his phone, 

telling her to talk to Abdul who said talaq three 

times and ended the call. "Abdul’s father called 

a panchayat, took my daughter’s thumb print 

on a paper and handed her a cheque of Rs 1.5 

lakh, saying the marriage was over," said the 

victim’s father. 

R.N. Misra, Superintendent of Police, 

Kushinagar, said, "Taking action on the complaint 

of the woman’s father, a case has been 

registered against the woman’s husband under 

Section 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of 

Rights on Marriage) Act. We are probing the 

role of all the people involved and are taking 

statements of both sides. Since the accused is 

in Saudi Arabia, we are sending notice through 

proper channel."


WORLD 


23 

CBI TO QUIZ TRUCK DRIVER, CLEANER IN 

UNNAO RAPE SURVIVOR'S ACCIDENT 

Lucknow : A 

court here on 

Saturday remanded 

to three days 

CBI custody the 

driver and the 

cleaner of the 

truck involved in 

Aurangabad : In a shocking incident, a 19- 

the accident of the 

year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by four 

Unnao rape survivor 

and her famday 

party in a Mumbai sub- 

of her friends after she had celebrated her birthily 

on July 28. 

urb last month, police said 

The CBI will 

here on Saturday. The incident 

came to light after the 

quiz driver Ashish 

Kumar Pal and 

victim suffered severe pain in 

cleaner Mohan for 

her private parts and was 

three days to 

admitted to a hospital in 

unearth the conspiracy 

behind the 

of Aurangabad for treatment. 

Begumpura in her hometown 

accident. Based on their statements, the investigating 

agency will decide its next move. The Earlier today, the Unnao District Magistrate could be a case of rape and 

ness to the crime -- were killed in the accident. The doctors suspected it 

CBI is also likely to approach the court seeking ordered cancellation of Sengar's arms licenses. informed the police. 

permission for the custodial interrogation of Sengar owned a single-barrel gun, a rifle and a The girl, who had kept the matter secret from 

expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and revolver. Licences for all three have been cancelled. 

The CBI had on Friday urged the top incident. It was on July 7, when the victim had 

her family, finally revealed the details of the 

others in the case. On July 28, the rape survivor, 

who had accused Sengar of raping her in 2017, court not to transfer the accident case related to come to Mumbai and her four male friends, 

was travelling to Rae Bareli with her lawyer the Unnao rape to Delhi as an arrested accused whose identities are not yet clear, insisted on 

Mahendra Singh and two aunts when a truck had to be presented before a Judicial Magistrate celebrating her birthday at the home of one of 

being driven on the wrong side hit them. in Lucknow. Accepting the agency's submission, 

them. That evening, after cutting the birthday 

While the girl and her lawyer were critically the top court postponed transferring of the accident 

case to Delhi for 15 days. 

cake, the four friends allegedly overpowered 

injured, her two aunts -- one of whom was a wit- 

and gang-raped her, and the victim, in deep 

Punjab CM for countering 

false 'propaganda' on 

JALLIANWALA BAGH Srinagar : Former J&K Chief Minister and 

Chandigarh : Taking 

strong exception to Union 

Minister Harsimrat Badal's 

remarks on the Jallianwala 

Bagh massacre, Punjab Chief 

Minister Amarinder Singh on 

Friday called upon Congress 

legislators to aggressively 

counter the false "propaganda" 

being spread by the opposition 

Akalis. Addressing a meeting 

of the Congress Legislative 

Party (CLP) here, Amarinder 

trashed Harsimrat's criticism 

of the Congress' protest 

against the Centre's Bill seeking 

to remove the party's president 

as permanent member of 

the Jallianwala Bagh trust. 

"She is a habitual liar," he 

said, adding that she would lose 

the propaganda war against 

him, just as she had lost the war 

on Twitter a few months ago. 

After a fierce debate, a Bill 

seeking the removal of the 

Congress President as a trustee 

from the Jallianwala Bagh 

National Memorial, was passed 

in the Lok Sabha on Friday, 

with the opposition accusing 

the government of trying to 

"rewrite" history. 

During the meeting, convened 

to discuss the floor strategy 

for the ongoing monsoon 

session, the Chief Minister also 

urged the Congress legislators 

to aggressively counter the 

opposition in the Vidhan 

Sabha. Given the huge amount 

of work done by the government, 

the party legislators need 

not be on the defensive in the 

House, he added. The Chief 

Minister, in particular, cited the 

work done by his government 

in combating drugs and moving 

actively towards bringing the 

culprits in the Bargari sacrilege 

case to book. 

The Special Task Force and 

Punjab Police had made huge 

strides in the eradication of 

drugs, while the Special 

Investigating Team set up to 

probe the Bargari case was 

closing in on the guilty 

with speed, he added. 

The CBI closure 

report in the Bargari 

cases was totally unacceptable 

as it had ignored 

many vital aspects of the 

investigation, which the 

Special Investigating 

Team would soon 

expose, said Amarinder. 

Pointing to the 

marked improvement in 

law and order since his 

government took over in 

the state, the Chief 

Minister said most gangsters 

had been eliminated 

and the blanket of fear 

that had shrouded the 

people during the SAD-BJP 

rule had disappeared. 

Earlier, senior party leaders 

and Cabinet ministers Brahm 

Mohindra and Manpreet Badal 

underlined the need to strengthen 

the Punjab Pradesh 

Congress Committee infrastructure 

to prepare the party 

even more effectively for the 

2022 polls. 

Manpreet also assured the 

legislators that funds would be 

made available to them for the 

much-needed development 

works in their constituencies, 

despite the financial crunch 

faced by the state. 

Aurangabad girl gang-raped at 

19th birthday party in Mumbai 

Mehbooba Mufti 'requested' 

to clarify role in J&K Bank 

backdoor APPOINTMENTS 

President of Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), 

Mehbooba Mufti, has been asked by the Anti- 

Corruption Bureau (ACB) to clarify her role in 

the backdoor appointments made in Jammu and 

Kashmir Bank on references of some of her former 

ministers. ACB Senior Superintendent of 

Police (SSP) has sent a communication to Mufti 

which said 

that during the 

investigations 

into the backdoor 

appointments 

made in 

the J&K 

Bank, it has 

surfaced that 

some ministers 

had sent 

recommendations 

to the 

J&K Bank 

Chairman and 

on these references 

backdoor 

appointments 

were made. Mufti has been 'requested' to 

clarify whether such references had her endorsement, 

verbal or otherwise. Whem asked if her 

explanation was found to be unsatisfactory, what 

would be the next legal move by the ACB, 

sources said, "In that case, she would be summoned 

to appear before the investigators". 

Dozens of backdoor appointments in the J&K 

Bank came to the surface during the ACB investigations 

into the working of the bank's sacked 

chairman, Pervaiz Ahmad Nengroo. Unearthing 

of backdoor appointments and virtually unsecured 

loans to influential businessmen or kith 

shock and trauma, quietly returned home the 

next day without informing the Mumbai police 

or her family. 

However, it was only in 

the third week of July when 

she complained of severe 

pain in her private parts that 

she was taken to the hospital 

where the matter ultimately 

came to light on July 30. 

"We have immediately registered 

a 'Zero' first information 

report (FIR) on July 30 

and dispatched the entire 

case file to Chunabhatti 

police station in Mumbai which will now investigate 

the matter," an official of Begumpura 

Police Station told IANS. 

The victim's condition has been described as 

"very serious" by the police and she is suspected 

to have suffered multiple internal injuries due 

to the gang-rape and is under continuous observation. 

A police team has left for Aurangabad to 

take the victim's statement. 

and kin of the then ministers had jolted the reputation 

of the bank as the state government and the 

Reserve Bank of India stepped in quickly for 

course correction in April-May this year. 

Assurances to shareholders and depositors 

have steered the bank out of a crisis situation and 

efforts are on to sustain and strengthen the 

largest financial institution of the state. 

Mufti has 

been spearheading 

the 

creation of a 

joint front of all 

mainstream 

political parties 

in Kashmir "to 

protect the 

state's special 

status". 

She has convened 

an allparty 

meeting 

at her high 

security 

Gupkar Road 

residence in 

Srinagar at 6 p.m. on Sunday for the purpose. 

She told reporters that since the National 

Conference President and MP Farooq Abdullah 

was not keeping well, his son Omar Abdullah 

would attend the meeting. She also said the 

scheduled meeting was to take place in a hotel, 

but the police had told her that such a meeting 

would not be allowed there. 

In a related development, former legislator 

and President of Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), 

Engineer Rashid, is in Delhi after the NIA summoned 

him to appear before the investigating 

agency on Sunday.


WORLD 


PROTEST AND VIGIL FOR INDIAN 

DEMOCRACY HUMAN RIGHTS 

AND THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION 

WHY ARE WE 

PROTESTING? 

Since the Bharatiya Janata Party 

under the leadership of Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi came to 

power the number of crimes against 

Dalits has risen hugely. In 2016, 

40801 atrocities against Dalits were 

reported, an increase of more than 

2000, over 2015 figures. The conviction 

rate against those who commit 

these crimes has also fallen substantially. 

However these figures do 

not give us the horrific nature of 

these attacks. For example, in 

October 2017, in Uttar Pradesh, a 

Dalit woman and her unborn child 

were killed when she accidentally 

touched the bucket of an ‘uppercaste’ 

woman. 

Since the election results were 

declared on 23 May 2019, we have 

seen a blatant projection of many of 

the features of a Hindu state. Central 

to this is the horrific heightening of 

Hindutva violence against Muslims 

and Dalits all over the country. For 

example, immediately after the election, 

the home of a Dalit couple was 

attacked by a mob of 200-300 people 

from dominant castes after the 

husband had put up a Facebook post 

1pm, Sunday, 18th 


Vigil at Parliament 

Square, Westminster, 

London SW1P 3BD 

saying the government does not permit 

the village temple to be used for 

Dalit weddings. 

Other attacks on Dalits, include 

the institutional murder (as in the 

Rohith Vemula case) of Dr Payal 

Tadavi an Adavasi Muslim doctor 

who was driven to her death by the 

educational establishment , in this 

case by casteist senior doctors in 

Mumbai’s TN Topivala National 

Medical College; the attack on the 

Dalit boy who was tied up and beaten 

up for trying to enter a temple in 

Rajasthan; the hacking to death 

of Ashok a young Dalit left activist 

in Tamil Nadu; the killing, in 

Gujarat, of 25 year old Haresh 

Solanki, who was hacked to death in 

front of his pregnant wife Urmilla 

by 8 of his upper caste in-laws, 

while officials watched; the attacks 

on a lone Christian family in a 

Thakur dominated area of Lucknow 

who were forced to leave their 

home. Most 

recently in Uttar Pradesh’s 

Sonbhadra district there was what 

can only be described as a massacre 

of Adivasis, with at least ten murdered 

following a land dispute . 

Meanwhile there have been innumerable 

attacks on Ambedkar’s 

statues, social boycotts and comments 

such as those by Justice V 

Chitambaresh, a sitting judge of the 

Kerala High Court, proclaiming that 

Brahmins must remain at the helm 

of the country’s affairs. 

At the same time Muslims have 

been killed and attacked with inhuman 

brutality with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ 

becoming a murder cry. Tabrez 

Ansari, who was tied to a pole and 

tortured for 18 hours and then locked 

up in police custody, just for having a 

Muslim name, is just one example. 

There has also been a targeting of 

journalists, eminent lawyers (including 

Indira Jaising and Anand 

Grover how have had a long history 

of fighting for human rights and 

civil liberties and founded the wellknown 

Lawyers Collective) and 

human rights activists. While this has 

been going on for a considerable period 

things have got worse since the 

election. Criminal defamation 

POLICE URGED 

TO “THINK AGAIN” 

OVER VILLAGE 

STATION SELL-OFF 

charges are being used indiscriminately, 

Prashant Kanojia an independent 

journalist, (himself a 

Dalit)was arrested without an arrest 

warrant and accused of defamation 

for sharing a video of a woman who 

claimed to be in love with Yogi 

Adityanath, the viciously Hindu 

supremacist Chief Minister of UP. 

Kanojia was one of four journalists 

arrested between June 6 and June 8. 

While the earlier cases of violence 

against and imprisonment of lawyers 

and human rights defenders (such as 

those involved with the Bhima 

Koregaon case) are still being fought, 

these are being joined by new incidents 

of threats, raids and intimidation 

of civil liberties activists. 

Demolition of Shri Guru 

Ravidass Mandir at Tuglakabad, 

New Delhi 

We condemn and protest against 

the demolition drive of Delhi 

Development Authority (DDA) to 

demolish 15th Century Guru 

Ravidass Mandir (Temple). Shri 

Guru Ravidas was a 15th century 

saint who challenged caste orthodoxy. 

The Mandir complex has 

archaeological and historical significance 

and in addition the temple 

has a deep spiritual significance to 

the faithful of the Ravidassia community 

who are traditionally considered 

as 'Untouchable'. That the 

DDA wants to demolish the ancient 

site of the Temple demonstrates its 

anti-Dalit policies. 

Lynching of Dalits, Muslims 

and Christians by RSS-led mobs, 

assassinations of dissenters, rapes 

and escalating violence against 

women and girls, the arrests and 

incarceration of human rights 

defenders and progressive intellectuals 

have turned India into a 

republic of fear. 

Organised by Castewatch UK 

and South Asia Solidarity Group; 

supported by Dr Ambedkar 

Memorial Committee of Great 

Britain, Shri Guru Ravidass 

Mission International - Kanshi TV, 

Ambedkarite and Indian Buddhist 

Organisations in UK, Guru 

Ravidass Sabhas in UK, Bhagwan 

Valmik Sabhas in UK and many 

Human Rights Organisations. 

For further information 

contact: 

MR RAJ MANAK 

07460 174843 

MR KUNDAN L JHUMAT 

07900 460260 

@SAsiaSolidarity 

@Castewatchuk, 

info@castewatchuk.org 

Conservative councillors 

in Tettenhall are urging 

West Midlands Police 

to “think again” over its 

plans to auction off the 

police station building on 

the High Street. 

News emerged this 

week that the police force 

had put three of its former 

police stations up for sale 

in September. The 

Tettenhall Police Station, 

which is now closed, is 

valued at a guide price of 

£250,000. 

But local councillors 

have said they were told in 

recent community policing meetings 

that the force planned to keep hold 

of the station in case it is needed in 

future. There has been a recent spate 

of anti-social behaviour in the village, 

prompting a high visibility 

police presence. 

And with Prime Minister Boris 

Johnson announcing an extra 20,000 

police officers will be recruited 

across the country over the next 

three years, the councillors believe 

keeping the station in police hands is 

the most sensible option. Tettenhall 

Wightwick councillor Wendy 

Thompson said: “With the Prime 

Minister’s welcome announcement 

that he will be boosting police numbers, 

it doesn’t make 

any sense at all for 

West Midlands Police 

to be selling off 

Tettenhall Police station. 

They need to 

think again about getting 

rid of a building 

that they might need 

in future. “Although 

the station is now 

closed to the public, 

there is a strong case 

for maintaining a 

base on the western 

side 

of 

Wolverhampton. 

We’ve recently had 

some problems in the village with 

anti-social behaviour which drew in 

police resources from other areas, so 

I think this decision to sell the building 

could turn out to be short-sighted.” 

The sale of Tettenhall Police station 

is scheduled to take place on 

September 10th.

August 2019

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?