The National Commission for Women (NCW) has questioned the objectionable statements reportedly made by BJP MLA Sadhana Singh on BSP supremo Mayawati and said that it would formally issue a notice seeking an explanation from her.
According to media reports, Singh made objectionable remarks on Mayawati over an infamous episode when the BSP chief was reportedly assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers at a guest house in Lucknow in 1995 that triggered decades of animosity between the two parties.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the reports, an NCW official said that the Commission will send a notice on Monday to Singh regarding the statement and seek an explanation from her.
“Such derogatory statements are unbecoming of a leader and highly condemnable. NCW has taken suo motu cognisance and will be sending a notice to Sadhana Singh tomorrow,” NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said.
Reports said that Singh had slammed Mayawati for forging an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, saying the BSP chief had “sold her dignity” for power and comfort and “is a blot on womankind”.
The measure for 10 per cent general category quota will boost the BJP-led NDA’s vote share by 10 per cent, paving the way for Narendra Modi’s re-election as Prime Minister, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Sunday, asserting that people will reject the opposition’s proposed grand alliance due to its inherent contradiction and instability.
The BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party president said that the Modi government’s priority to long-term development policies over “populist” programmes may have caused at times some resentment in a section of society but people will vote for the prime minister’s “strong and stable” leadership in Lok Sabha elections.
He, however, hinted that the government will come out with a bevy of schemes in the run up to the election, saying that the ruling alliance has learnt its lessons from its loss in the recent state elections and that there are many arrows in the quiver of Prime Minister Modi.
The BJP lost power to Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in December.
“Some months are still left for the polls. The government will shoot one arrow after another. What will also weigh the most on people’s mind is who will be the opposition’s choice as prime minister. Whether the next government will be stable or temporary. People will prefer a strong, stable government to a weak, unstable government, leading to Modi’s victory,” he told agencies in an interview.
He also sounded upbeat about the political fallout of the constitutional amendment to give 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs for the general category poor.
“Let me tell you. This 10 per cent quota will lead to a rise of 10 per cent in our vote share,” the Dalit leader, who has long been a strong votary for quota for the general category poor, said.
In Bihar, parties like Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal will find it difficult to open their account after opposing the bill, he said, adding that the NDA will repeat its 2014 feat of winning more than 70 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
In 2014, the NDA won 336 of the total 543 seats in Lok Sabha, with the BJP bagging a majority on its own by emerging victorious in 282 seats. Paswan’s party won six seats.
Asked about the likely voting trend among Dalits, who are a crucial vote bank in almost all states, as many Dalit groups have often attacked the Modi government over a host of issues, Paswan said the prime minister is seen by them as someone who has worked for them and that it will help the ruling alliance.
Paswan, however, lamented that had the NDA run a campaign among Dalits and tribals after the government passed a bill last year to nullify a Supreme Court order that had allegedly weakened a law on atrocities against these communities, then it would have drawn political mileage.
Statement by BJP leaders, including then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, to placate caste groups protesting against the Union government’s decision meant that the Dalits backing it did not hit the road in the support of the exercise, he said.
“What is however clear is that Dalits now know that Modi is not anti-Dalit as used to be projected. He strengthened the law on atrocities against them and has done so much for highlighting the legacy of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. A majority of them will support him during the polls,” he said.
Besides taking measures for Dalits, the government also granted constitutional status to the Other Backward Classes commission and has now given 10 per cent quota to the general category poor, he said, adding that it has touched all sections of society in its term.
Taking potshots at the opposition, the Bihar leader said it is full of contradictions and many regional parties have not made their stand clear on the prime ministerial candidate from the Congress which, he noted, is the only real national party in the anti-BJP camp.
The RJD is with the Congress is Bihar and is backing in UP the Samajwadi Party-BSP alliance, which has kept the Congress out, he said, highlighting the “conflict and contradiction” among these parties.
With several opposition leaders like BSP’s Mayawati and Trinamool Congress’ Mamata Banerjee, seen to be nursing prime ministerial ambitions, Paswan said the Congress has a history of “destabilising” governments run by other parties as he referred to short tenures of former prime ministers H D Devegowda, I K Gujral, Chandra Shekhar and V P Singh among others.
“Any government of opposition parties will be weak and temporary,” he said.
Paswan was an ally of the Congress before he joined hands with the BJP in 2014 and has served in a number of governments headed by the Janata Dal, Congress and the BJP since 1989.
The Modi government, he said, has stressed on the long-term development measures by focusing on providing housing, toilet, electricity, bank account and loan facilities to the poor.
The country’s prestige abroad has also gone up by many notches due to the prime minister’s focus on international relations, he said. “This was not the case even during the rule of Nehru (India’s first PM),” he claimed.
Asked about the perception of the government among minorities, especially Muslims, he said stray comments by some BJP leaders at times send “negative message” but added that there should be no doubt that the Modi government has worked for all sections of society.
Paswan also reiterated his stand on the Ram temple issue that the matter should be solved either through a judicial order or agreement among different parties in the dispute.
The LJP president has announced that he will not fight the upcoming Lok Sabha poll, expected to be held in April-May, and is set to be sent to Rajya Sabha by the ruling alliance. His party will contest six of the 40 seats in Bihar.
Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar on investment opportunities organised by the Haryana government as part of the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit on Sunday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the opposition parties have united out of “fear” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and their togetherness is not going to last.
This (opposition) unity is not going to last. They have united out of fear of Narendra Modi’s popularity and the country’s growing position in the world. The opposition unity is going to make no difference to the people. They (opposition parties) had looted the country for several years. They have united as they are not getting the opportunity to loot the country, Khattar said.
While responding to a query on the Trinamool Congress-led mega opposition rally, titled ‘United India Rally’, held in the Brigade Grounds in Kolkata on Saturday, he mocked the opposition parties’ lack of a leader acceptable to all constituents and claimed that it was a “baraat’ (marriage procession) without a groom. And then speaking on economic issues, Khattar said that his state was looking at investments and it had climbed up the ladder as far as ease of doing business rankings was concerned.
He further added that Haryana was now third on the ease of business ranking. We want to make use of Haryana’s locational advantage to bring in investments. We took steps to make clearances and licences simple from which people have benefited.
Sukalo spent 45 days in jail sleeping on the bathroom floor but, she says, that was not the worst pain she endured in prison. A member of the Gond tribe which is largely found in central India, she had to eat food infested with insects, drink contaminated water and share space with other women she did not know. Sukalo had to suffer the trauma daily for one and a half months because she was against an irrigation project in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
On Friday, Sukalo who is 51 now was among several women who gathered in the national capital to demand better living condition in prisons for women said that, we were targeted because we spoke against powerful people. I knew that I was in jail because of this movement (against the project). Recalling her days in prison, she further added that the food was infested with insects. Our drinking water was dirty; I survived by eating an apple every day. She also said that the inhuman treatment meted out to her in Mirzapur jail changed her as a person.
Soni Sori, a teacher, who became the symbol of resistance against brutal custodial torture, also attended the gathering in Delhi. Sori, who was arrested in 2011 charged with acting as a Maoist conduit, accused police of often subjecting her to electric shocks to extract a confession. I wonder what gave me the endurance to bear it all. Most inmates were ill and received little medical care. The food in the jail was infested with worms and insects. We resolved to go on hunger strike and threatened to produce the food in court. Only then were many of us made to oversee the kitchen. The situation in women prison was worse. We were made to clean the common toilets daily. Under-trials going through such things in jail are illegal. Adivasi prisoners are almost always the most vulnerable.
Anjum Zamarud Habib, an activist from Kashmir, was jailed and booked under POTA in 2003. Habib said that she was verbally stripped by police and had to face very hostile attitude. Getting a paper and pen was a struggle. Jail culture has rules and regulations of its own. There are customs one needs to follow and if you resist you are brutally abused.
Another issue flagged by these women was over-crowding. Sori said that over 600 women reside in a prison with a capacity for 250. Due to a lack of space, many of us would just have space to sit and not even to lie down.
Roma Malik, an activist fighting for the rights of women living in prisons, said that there is a kind of hierarchy one has to follow in jail. These women are fighting on many fronts. The irony is: they are invisible to most people and that is why not enough attention is paid to their suffering. Over-crowding is another very big issue. It can lead to rioting and fights among prisoners. And that is what commonly seen too.
Prominent lawyer Vrinda Grover said that there is a need for a movement to improve jail conditions and focus should be given to political prisoners. Special attention needs to be given to those women who are targeted because of their human rights activism. However, Human rights activist Uma Chakravorty echoed Grover, saying that the movement would need participation from all sectors and not just the civil society.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International has expressed concern on the condition of political prisoners in the country. Its report showed that India has the maximum acceptance of torture as a means of interrogation. About 74 per cent respondents in India feel that the torture can sometimes be justified to gain information that may protect the public.
Despite being a signatory to the United Nations’ Convention Against Torture, 1997, India has not ratified the convention so far, since ratification required an enabling legislation to reflect the definition and punishment for ‘torture’.
The Kanhar irrigation project was conceived more than 30 years ago, and was taken up in 2014. It, however, soon landed in trouble. In April 2015, there were violent protests by villagers who feared displacement and contamination of their source of water.
Actor Aamir Khan on Saturday was speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His films may be one of the most money minting releases, but when it comes to choosing a story Aamir Khan follows his heart and the business aspect does not come into consideration.
The 53-year-old superstar, who made some unusual choices in his close to three-decade-long career, made experimental cinema mainstream by giving hits like “Sarfarosh”, “Lagaan”, “Dil Chahta Hai”, “Rang De Basanti”, “Taare Zameen Par”, “3 Idiots”, “Dangal” and “Secret Superstar”.
“As a creative person, I have always followed my heart and worked on films that have touched and moved me. And these are often films that are considered risky by the market and when these films get accepted by people it gives me lot of strength and confidence. Also, it reinforces the belief I have in storytelling and creativity,” Aamir told agencies.
Aamir praised the initiative by the government.
“I am a student of cinema and a lover of history. I am glad this museum has started. I am keen to look at it all through. I have a fascination for creative people, like who started the film industry and who made all these silent films, talkies, black and white and colour films. Whenever there is a book on any film personality I always buy, I like to read about that time.”
On the work front, there have been reports that Aamir will be part of an Osho biopic, based on spiritual guru Rajneesh but there is no official announcement from the actor on his upcoming films.
Former Karnataka deputy chief minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa has said that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the state would fall due to internal bickering and his party would form the government eventually. The present political turbulence is because of the internal bickering in the Congress and their leaders have been needlessly levelling allegations against the BJP.
There is no need for the BJP to indulge in Operation Kamala to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. All our 104 MLAs are together, unlike the Congress where four to five of their MLAs are going to desert which could further precipitate confusion and culminate in the fall of the government and the BJP will form the government, Eshwarappa told reporters after arriving at the Bengaluru airport late Saturday night.
Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka, who also arrived along with Eshwarappa from Gurgaon, said that the present coalition government does not deserve to rule the state as it has failed to govern properly for the past seven months. However, another BJP MLA Kumar Bangarappa said that the Congress-JD(S) government is certain to fall because the Congress has no faith in its MLAs remaining with it and hence they have been whisked away to a resort on the city outskirts. Hundred per cent this government will fall. There is no doubt about it, because what is the necessity for the Congress to whisk its MLAs away to a resort. They can well be left free as we are being left free by our leadership. The Congress is afraid of losing its MLAs.
Another BJP MLA Raju Gowda said that some of the MLAs, including himself, had learnt the art of playing resort politics from Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy. However, the Congress on Friday had swiftly moved all its MLAs to the resort on the city outskirts keeping them on leash to escape the BJP’s alleged onslaught to woo its MLAs with money and other allurements.
Team India first suffered injury and later, the team members are facing inquiries and all the players are just waiting for IPL season to start. For some cricketers, this gentleman’s game has become a playboy game; the very sad state of affairs. Perhaps, with easy money – and that too in plenty – comes all vices. To add salt to the wound, Indian cricket team lost the first one day match to Australia by 34 runs with keeping both Rahul and Hardik Pandya out of the team and sending back home.
The crass comments on women made by cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on a television show could make the two players susceptible to approaches by bookmakers through honey traps. At least, the comments such as the ones that have been made would definitely have painted a large, red target on the back of the players for potential recruiters for the organised syndicates, who attempt to indulge in match-fixing across the globe.
Thus, the playful Indian cricketers in a playboy style pay a heavy price for their petty comments.They are not kids, they represent the country. There is a code of conduct to be followed by the team members, especially the celebrity class in the side, but unfortunately they get carried away with the money and followers and suffer. They paid the penalty which they richly deserve for their outspoken comments on weaker sex. Easy money has spoiled the mind of these young cricketers. From eat cricket, sleep cricket now we face the situation of weep cricket as well.
In addition to this, we think Team India does not need KL Rahul. Hardik Pandya should focus on performance after a serious injury in Asia Cup. Already Hardik missed a very crucial Australia tour. Hardik is a very important asset for Team India because of his all-rounder skill. So both the players must focus on their Performances rather than creating controversy or conflict or comments. Maybe it will affect our team’s performance in the ongoing tour. Young players should keep away from such shows which will not enhance their performance but on the other hand bring a name for the players and the country.
When you are on the field, it is easy to get carried away. But TV shows are not field. The player should be aware of what they say on national television. Don’t care attitude has to be avoided and for those who don’t take it seriously, strict penal action has to be taken. In this direction, COA Vinod Rai recommendations are appropriate. Star trek actions and reactions on and off the field bring disrepute not only to the players but also to the country.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
The train number 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco da Gama Bi-weekly Express runs from Bengaluru via Hubballi-Londa-Madgaon Junction. The train has now formed as an important lifeline connecting to Goa especially during festivals and holiday seasons. As the train links Madgaon which acts as a prominent transit station on Konkan Railway and helps the passengers to quickly connect towards Mumbai and its suburb stations like Navi Mumbai, Belapur, Vashi, Panvel, Vasai Road, Kalyan, and Thane.
Since a long time the train has been operating only on a bi-weekly basis without much change in either increase in the frequency or extension of the train to run on a daily basis. This has caused an inconvenience to many regular passengers as there is now an urgent need for a daily train to Madgaon from Bangalore. Though the arrangement to connect to Vasco and Madgaon exists through slip coach from Bangalore by 16589/16590 Rani Chennamma Express, it is of little help as the slip-coach consists of just one AC 3 Tier and one Sleeper class.
As Bangalore is now witnessing a heavy influx of passengers to Goa all through the year due to the holiday season, festivals and popular events like International Film Festival of India held every year in Goa, there is a now a high necessity for daily train connectivity to Madgaon. The connectivity may be arranged with a suggestion to increase in the frequency of the existing 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco Bi-weekly Express to run as a daily train.
Hence, this is a kind request to the concerned authorities of Konkan Railway administration (headquartered at Belapur CBD, Navi Mumbai) to urgently consider the suggestion to increase the frequency of 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco Express from the existing bi-weekly service to a seamless daily service. Upon commencement of the daily services, the present slip coaches arrangement by Rani Chennamma Express may also be merged, into its existing rake for further optimum utilisation.
Varun Srinivas
Failure of Macaulay ‘s Edusystem
Before British invasion, India followed Gurukul education system which resulted in 99 per cent literacy rate. Different types of 64 arts and 16 subjects were taught in Gurukul, which evolved 360-degree progress in an individual. Very soon Britishers learnt about the greatness of the Gurukul system and injected Macaulay’s education method in India. Even after independence we follow Macaulay’s education method resulting into decline in literacy rate. “53 per cent of nation’s students, studying in 8th standard, fail to learn simple mathematics” stated the report of NGO “Pratham” working in the education sector. Ancient India invented zero and modern India fails to learn zero, such a shameful thing it is. Rejecting Macaulay’s method and accepting Gurukul system will definitely make future generation a learnt and ideal one.
Karan Chaudhari
Safeguards necessary for senior citizens
Latest data released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows a sharp decline in small savings in the first eight months of the financial year 2017-18 when small savings schemes amounted to just Rs 40,429 crore, a seven-fold dip from Rs 2,75,682 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. Evidently, it is at the cost of more investment in mutual-fund schemes where political and other factors can suddenly harm the investors like happened in investment in properties.
A sharp decline in interest rate was anticipated post demonetisation when Jeevan Akshay pension-plan of LIC of India for the reason witnessed maximum investment in that period. But with currency circulation crossing what it was before demonetisation, the reduced interest rate in government savings schemes should be restored with a total overhaul, rationalisation and simplification.
An exclusive long term government saving scheme to be available in all branches of public sector banks and post offices should be introduced with an annual interest rate of eight per cent where interest may be auto-credited for senior citizens on monthly basis. For others, auto credit of interest may be on annual basis. Deposits under this scheme should be exempted under section 80-C of Income Tax Act. Other savings schemes and pension plans including RBI bonds, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana can then be discontinued. Other special savings schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF) should also attract eight per cent annual interest rate.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Postal cash receipts should carry stickers for users too
Presently, the system at Department of Posts is to issue computer printed cash receipts where the portion used by the Department of Posts has sticker while the portion given to consumer is without a sticker. Department of Posts for the convenience of users of postal services should have sticker also in the portion given to the consumers so that they may not require gum at their end to affix it on their despatch-registers or documents etc. It will be a benefit to public exchequer also presently appreciable man hours and gum is utilised by various public authorities to paste postal cash receipts on their despatch registers.
Department of Posts will not be burdened extra because even presently, one of the dual portions of same cash receipt still has a sticker on back for the portion kept by Department of Posts itself. Rather, ultimately it may be economical and convenient to print computer stationery for issuing postal cash receipts if the sticker is there on a complete dual portion of cash receipts rather than on single portion only.
Madhu Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Eyeing economic gains through ecological work, non-profit organisation Pradan, along with Chhattisgarh government, has launched a watershed project in the state to enhance the income of 1 lakh small and marginal farmers, of whom over 40 per cent belong to Scheduled Tribes.
A watershed is a chunk of a land that drains out at a common point. The watershed development approach takes a comprehensive account of the people, land, water and forest resources in that area and makes planned interventions.
According to Pradan, the watershed project in the state will lead to year-round food security for about 76 per cent of the families and an increase in earning in the range of Rs 15,000-25,000 per annum.
For the project, a consortium of 13 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) will facilitate land and water treatment measures in 26 blocks of 12 districts in Chhattisgarh, that will lead to improvement in the cropping intensity in about 3,50,000 hectare of land.
The project was launched in partnership with the Chhattisgarh government, Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation and Axis Bank Foundation.
The focus is on initiating a community-led mechanism to enhance the productivity of natural resources to meet demands for food, fodder and fuel wood within the watershed in a sustainable manner.
Pradan Executive Director Narendranath Damodaran said the central and eastern Indian plateau region is home to about 70 per cent of the tribal population in rural India.
Despite being a high rainfall region, it remains unfit for agriculture because of the high run-off rate of rainwater, resulting from hilly terrain, that takes away the fertile soil.
“Unproductive land combined with lack of irrigation infrastructure makes farming highly non-remunerative for tribal communities. Thus, investment in improving the productivity of land and water resources is a necessary intervention in this region,” Damodaran told PTI.
He further noted that Pradan has developed a package of technologies collectively termed Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM), which holds the potential to provide sustained and enhanced income to farmers.
For the Chhattisgarh watershed project, Pradan will set up a project implementation and management team to facilitate support to Gram Panchayats to mobilise the communities, prepare detailed project reports and technical support for on-field implementation.
It will also provide capacity building and technical support inputs for Block/Panchayat MGNREGA functionaries as well as help CSOs in coordinating with MGNREGA cells at different levels.
In the year 2000, Pradan had collaborated with NABARD for a watershed development project in Tyma Panchayat in Gola Block of Ramgarh district, Jharkhand.
A 40-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife with the help of her paramour, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place on Saturday night when the man, identified as Sunil Kumar, was sleeping in his house at Shahpur town here, Circle Officer Hariram Yadav said.
A case was registered against Kumar’s wife Sudha and her paramour, and later they both were arrested. Kumar was killed for allegedly opposing his wife’s “relationship” with another man. Police have recovered a knife which was allegedly used to commit the crime, the officer said.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has questioned the objectionable statements reportedly made by BJP MLA Sadhana Singh on BSP supremo Mayawati and said that it would formally issue a notice seeking an explanation from her.
The measure for 10 per cent general category quota will boost the BJP-led NDA’s vote share by 10 per cent, paving the way for Narendra Modi’s re-election as Prime Minister, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Sunday, asserting that people will reject the opposition’s proposed grand alliance due to its inherent contradiction and instability.
Star Trek
Team India first suffered injury and later, the team members are facing inquiries and all the players are just waiting for IPL season to start. For some cricketers, this gentleman’s game has become a playboy game; the very sad state of affairs. Perhaps, with easy money – and that too in plenty – comes all vices. To add salt to the wound, Indian cricket team lost the first one day match to Australia by 34 runs with keeping both Rahul and Hardik Pandya out of the team and sending back home.
The crass comments on women made by cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on a television show could make the two players susceptible to approaches by bookmakers through honey traps. At least, the comments such as the ones that have been made would definitely have painted a large, red target on the back of the players for potential recruiters for the organised syndicates, who attempt to indulge in match-fixing across the globe.
Thus, the playful Indian cricketers in a playboy style pay a heavy price for their petty comments.They are not kids, they represent the country. There is a code of conduct to be followed by the team members, especially the celebrity class in the side, but unfortunately they get carried away with the money and followers and suffer. They paid the penalty which they richly deserve for their outspoken comments on weaker sex. Easy money has spoiled the mind of these young cricketers. From eat cricket, sleep cricket now we face the situation of weep cricket as well.
In addition to this, we think Team India does not need KL Rahul. Hardik Pandya should focus on performance after a serious injury in Asia Cup. Already Hardik missed a very crucial Australia tour. Hardik is a very important asset for Team India because of his all-rounder skill. So both the players must focus on their Performances rather than creating controversy or conflict or comments. Maybe it will affect our team’s performance in the ongoing tour. Young players should keep away from such shows which will not enhance their performance but on the other hand bring a name for the players and the country.
When you are on the field, it is easy to get carried away. But TV shows are not field. The player should be aware of what they say on national television. Don’t care attitude has to be avoided and for those who don’t take it seriously, strict penal action has to be taken. In this direction, COA Vinod Rai recommendations are appropriate. Star trek actions and reactions on and off the field bring disrepute not only to the players but also to the country.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
