Don’t believe in ideological untouchability: Kailash Satyarthi

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October 25, 2018

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Thursday defended attending a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) event held in Nagpur last week, saying he didn’t believe in “ideological untouchability”.

He also praised the Hindutva organisation for its “immense contribution” to society.

Satyarthi said he would attend events organised even by the outfits affiliated to the Sangh, the ideological mentor of the Bhartiya Janata Party, if invited because his ultimate aim is to make India safer for children, and he believes that Sangh is capable of doing so.

Satyarthi had attended the Vijayadashmi rally of the RSS, which was addressed by its chief Mohan Bhagwat, as the chief guest in Nagpur on October 18.

On the occasion, he had said RSS shakhas (branches), situated in almost all villages in the country, can serve as a firewall to protect children, especially girls.

“The contribution made by this vast, disciplined and cadre-based organisation to the society is quite huge which cannot be denied or ignored.

“This countrywide, cadre-based and one of the most disciplined organisations has, undoubtedly, made immense contribution to the society. So there was no question of any re-think over the invitation received from them (to attend the rally as the chief guest),” Satyarthi told agencies.

He was in the city to attend the The Economist India Summit 2018.

Satyarthi said he felt “satisfied” after attending the Sangh event.

“Healthy discussion and debate is the backbone of a functional democracy. I feel satisfied after attending the event and if invited again, even by affiliated outfits of Sangh, I would attend such events. My ultimate aim is to make India safer for children and this outfit has capability to do so,” he said.

The 64-year-old child rights activist had won the Nobel peace prize in 2014 for his Gandhian way of struggle against the exploitation of children.

Citing data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), he said, “Eight children go missing every hour in our country, while four children are sexually harassed and two raped every hour.

“If this vast organisation (RSS) takes up and carry forward the issue of upliftment of our children with utmost priority, then it will be far better not only for the children and country but also for the wider acceptability of the organisation,” he said.

Satyarthi said swayamsewaks of Sangh have displayed their desire to work against the child labour. “I am hoping for a positive outcome in this regard,” he said.

However, he also added that though RSS is well-equipped to do service for the cause of children, it is not the only organisation to do so.

Satyarthi said “I do politics to protect the interests of the future generations”.

“Actually, I don’t believe in ideological, religious or caste untouchability. I strongly believe that if you have to have a vibrant democracy, build a responsible society and citizenship, build a strong nation and economy, then you cannot remain divided in your own silos, in your own shells, in your own chambers. You cannot create walls,” he said.

Referring to India’s history, Satyarthi underlined the need for a dialogue and debate on various issues.

“Now, unfortunately, we are creating more and more walls in our society. So, for accepting this invitation to RSS, I felt quite happy and satisfied. Because first of all they were open to invite me. I went there with my agenda. They had their agenda,” he added.

He said the entire world had one agenda “of protecting one generation” that would later take care of the future ones.

Satyarthi said he appealed to the RSS to work on five things: “to make India a self-reliant, passionate, safe and inclusive country where diversity is respected. (I asked them to) make the country proud of its culture and spirituality”.

He suggested that places of worships of every religion as well as institutions belonging to different faiths and even naxalites and communists can come forward to protect children.

“And RSS is very appropriate for this work,” he added.

Man assaults teenage boys with plastic pipe, records incident on mobile phone

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

Two teenage boys in Thane district were allegedly made to remove their clothes and beaten up with a plastic pipe by a 25-year-old man who filmed the incident on his mobile phone, police said on Thursday.

The accused Faizal Khan got angry because one of the youths, who is known to him, refused to bring his father’s two-wheeler, as demanded by Khan, a police official said.

The accused and the victims are the residents of Mira Road locality, said Naya Nagar police station inspector Balaji Pandhare.

Police are yet to arrest Khan even 24 hours after the complaint was lodged by the family members of one of the youths.

The inspector said Khan and the youth became friends some months back.

The 16-year-old used to bring his father’s two-wheeler to Khan on his demand, he said.

On October 21, the youth refused to bring the two-wheeler, which made Khan angry who then beat him up with a plastic pipe.

Khan then took the youth and his friend along with him to his house and made them strip, and beat them again, he said.

On October 24, Khan threatened the victims again, following which one of them narrated the incident to his family members who in turn approached police.

MeToo: Woman who accused Bahl files affidavit in HC, says she stands by allegations

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

A woman who accused film director Vikas Bahl of sexual misconduct filed an affidavit on Thursday stating that she stands by her allegations but does not want to pursue the case further.

The woman had initially expressed her reluctance to file an affidavit and had only submitted a signed statement last week stating that while she stands by her allegations, she does not want to pursue the case.

Appearing for the woman, senior counsel Navroze Seervai Thursday told Justice Shahrukh Kathawala that she has overcome her reluctance after realising her credibility is being disregarded.

Justice Kathawalla is hearing an application filed by Bahl, seeking direction to his former partners and directors Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena to refrain from speaking to the media or posting on social media about the case in which a female employee has alleged that she was sexually harassed by Bahl in 2015.

Bahl has also filed a defamation suit against Kashyap and Motwane and sought Rs 10 crore in damages from them for ruining his reputation.

The woman in her affidavit said she stands by the correctness, accuracy and truth of her allegations.

The court took the affidavit on record and posted the application for final hearing on November 21.

The court has not passed any order granting interim relief, as sought by Bahl, to restrain Kashyap and Motwane from speaking to the media or posting anything on the issue on social media.

Kashyap and Motwane had earlier filed affidavits , stating that Bahl had confessed to the incident and had also said that he has done so to many women.

Bahl was crying and apologised and assured to mend his ways and go to rehab for his drinking problem, the affidavits said.

Mantena also filed his affidavit on Thursday in response to Bahl’s application and said he was present in Kashyap’s house when the meeting took place between Kashyap and Bahl, but he was not present in the said room.

Justice Kathawalla on Thursday asked Seervai to show all the affidavits filed in the case to the victim woman in case she wants to add anything further.

Another affidavit was filed by an employee of Phantom Films on Thursday, stating that Kashyap and Motwane had held a meeting with the company’s seniors and informed them about the incident and had decided that no female employee will work under Bahl in the future.

Bahl, who directed Kangana Ranuat starrer ‘Queen’, has claimed that Kashyap and Motwane orchestrated the whole campaign against him.

Phantom Films was established in 2011 by Kashyap, Motwane, Bahl and producer Madhu Mantena.

The company’s productions include ‘Lootera’, ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ and blockbuster ‘Queen’ starring Kangana Ranaut.

Soon after Bahl was named in the #MeToo campaign, Kashyap and Motwane dissolved Phantom Films.

An unidentified female employee of the production company alleged that Bahl sexually assaulted her in Goa during a promotional tour for the movie ‘Bombay Velvet’ in 2015.

Student leaves home ‘to embrace Islam’, police suspect radicalisation

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

A 23-year-old student from Mumbai has left his home in a suspected case of radicalisation, according to the police which believes he may have gone to the Gulf.

The family of Jagdish Dalaram Parihar, which has filed a missing complaint, told the police that he had called up his brother to say that he was going to embrace Islam as he “dislikes” Hinduism, a police official said.

The family has said that Parihar, a resident of suburban Mulund, used to chat on social media with a woman, suspected to be a Pakistani national, the official said.

He took along with him all his documents, including his passport, before leaving his home on Tuesday and also withdrew money from his bank account, the official said.

Parihar called up his family members on Thursday morning, saying he was safe and that he would return home after one-and-a-half month, he said.

Parihar, studying BCom through a correspondence course, lived with his parents and a younger brother, he said.

“After leaving home on Tuesday, he called his younger brother Bhavesh on his mobile phone and told him that he is going to embrace Islam as he dislikes Hinduism. After that, his family members approached Mulund police station and lodged a missing person’s complaint,” the official said.

While tracing Parihar’s last call location, the police found that it was made from near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, he added.

“According to his brother, he used to chat with a woman, suspected to be a Pakistani national. His brother used to ask him not to chat with the woman, but he would just ignore,” he said.

Senior Inspector of Mulund police station, Shripad Kale, said a case of missing person has been registered based on the complaint.

Another official said the police suspect it to be a case of radicalisation of the youth and that he might have gone to a Gulf country.

The local police as well as the Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) have launched an investigation into the case.

“We are analysing his social media chats with the woman,” the official said.

Consensus needed among parties to not field candidates with criminal background

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday said there should be consensus among political parties that persons with criminal background would not be given tickets to fight polls.

He also said that often the criminal record of a candidate is ignored due to the “winning capability” of the person.

Rao was speaking at the inaugural session of an international conference here titled “Better Elections for Healthier Democracy” to celebrate 25 years of the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution of India.

“Political parties should form a consensus so that tickets are not given to people with criminal background. Political parties should not just see the winning capability of the candidates but also consider that the candidate has a clean image and does not have a criminal background,” Rao said.

He said state Election Commissions should be treated on par with the Election Commission of India as the former play a significant role in conducting polls for local bodies, thereby strengthening grassroots democracy.

Citing an example, he said that the Maharashtra state Election Commission had a mammoth task considering the fact that it conducts elections for 2,50,000 representatives every five years for approximately 28,000 local bodies.

He added that the population of Maharashtra was higher than that of Germany, Australia and New Zealand put together.

Stating that India was emerging as a youthful nation, Rao recommended starting “Democracy Clubs” in schools and colleges to engage students with democracy and the poll process.

He also called upon the state Election Commissions to deliberate on making the electoral process more inclusive for persons with disabilities as well as for officials who are unable to cast their vote on account of national duty.

The Maharashtra State Election Commission should create a digital platform to share experiences and success stories related to the conduct of polls.

This, he said, would help in adoption of best practices.

Man sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering colleague

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

A court here on Thursday sentenced a 33-year-old man to life imprisonment for stabbing to death a colleague in Thane district.

District Judge H M Patwardhan sentenced Mohammad Dawood Illyas Shaikh to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him.

According to Additional Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Moholkar, Illyas Shaikh worked at an embroidery unit in Kausa area of Mumbra in the district and had a dispute with another worker, Imran Shaikh.

On April 13, 2016, he stabbed Imran to death within the premises of the embroidery unit.

Eight witnesses appeared during the trial.

Around 40% of teenage girls still defecate in open: Survey

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

At a time when the government is claiming success for its flagship Swachh Bharat Mission, a survey has revealed that around 40 per cent of the teenage girls in the country still have to defecate in the open.

The survey also found that 46 per cent of teenage girls use unhygienic materials during mensuration and that one out of every second girl was anaemic.

The study, named TAG (Teen Age Girls) Report 2018, was carried out among 74,000 girls in the age group of 13-19 years, across 600 districts, by Project Nanhi Kali, and compiled by Naandi Foundation, with grant support from Mahindra group.

“There was a pressing need to understand our teenage girls better. I am confident that the TAG Report will serve as an important reference document for those in both the public and private sectors that are working towards the upliftment of girls and women across the country,” Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra group, said at the launch.

According to the report, there are 80 million teenage girls in the country at present.

“40 per cent of teenage girls are still having to defecate in the open, while 46 per cent use unhygienic materials during menstruation. Also, only 46.3 per cent of the rural girls surveyed had access to hygienic methods of menstrual protection,” according to the TAG report.

It can be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently had claimed that till four years ago, India’s share in the world’s population that practised open defecation was 60 per cent, which has now come down to below 20 per cent.

Normal levels of haemoglobin are almost the same in both urban (51.5 per cent) and rural (46.8 per cent) girls, highlighting that the situation across the country is worrisome, it said.

Besides, one in every two-teenage girls has a low body mass index (BMI), it noted, adding, just about half the population of both urban (50.5 per cent) and rural (44.6 per cent) girls have a normal BMI.

In terms of education, the survey found 81 per cent of teenage girls to be currently studying.

Of the teenage girls who were still studying, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and West Bengal scored the highest, with 100 per cent of the respondents saying they hadn’t given up their education.

Besides, nearly 78 per cent of rural girls are currently studying, compared with 87 per cent of urban girls, highlighting how education is of importance across the country, the report said.

It also revealed that 96 per cent of teenage girls are unmarried with barely any difference in the percentage of rural girls of whom 95.5 per cent were unmarried, compared with 96.6 per cent in urban areas.

While 70 per cent of the girls surveyed said that they want to pursue higher studies, as much as 74 per cent wish to work after their studies and have a specific career in mind.

Career aspiration is as strong in rural girls (71.8 per cent) as in urban girls (80.2 per cent), it said adding in rural as well as urban India, 73 per cent of girls aspire to marry only after they are 21 years old, by which time they would expect to be earning a living.

The survey findings have been used to prepare a TAG Index, which compares the performance of each state on status of their teenage girls.

According to the Index, Kerala and Mizoram were the top two states, while the top three cities were Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

Technology is good only if used for public good: Uddhav Thackeray

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray Thursday said that technology can be termed as a success only if it is used for public good.

He was speaking at a function where an MoU was signed between information technology firm Streamcast and state-run telecom major BSNL to provide educational content through set-top boxes free of cost.

“E-learning and tele-medicine are the most important technological revolutions. Technology is good only if used for public good,” Uddhav said, adding that e-learning and tele-medicine need to be popularised.

He said that an attempt was made in civic schools in Mumbai to give relief to students from carrying heavy school bags by providing them tablet computers.

Thackeray said that virtual classrooms, which have been set up in some civic schools in the metropolis, should be replicated across the state.

“Such classrooms should be set up in different parts of the state. The state government should tie-up with educational institutions from within the country and abroad to connect virtual classrooms. This will help exchange of ideas and studies,” he said.

The MoU between BSNL and Streamcast was for the launch of a digital education platform called “Edmission” which will be available through set-top boxes using a BSNL sim card.

It will be first launched in Sindhudurg district in the state’s Konkan region.

Minister of state for Home Deepak Kesarkar, who is also the guardian minister of the district, said, “The beneficiaries will be identified in a month’s time. People will have to submit KYC documents for obtaining the sim card. Anyone who can’t afford internet will get benefit as they will only have to pay Rs 65 as monthly rent for the sim card.”

Streamcast chairman Nimish Pandya said his firm is investing Rs 35 crore for provision of five lakh set-top boxes in Maharashtra as well as Rs 5,500 crore to build a data centre in Banda in Sawantwadi.

Speaking about the educational project, Pandya said, “Edmission will deliver varied learning content in multiple languages including English. Users will be able to access Edmission content through three devices in the house.”

Kesarkar informed that a human resource development centre, being developed in Sawantwadi at a cost of Rs 100 crore, will serve as training centre for students to appear for examinations.

The HRD centre will be supported by Streamcast.

Need to channelise Chhetri’s energy with encouraging words: Gurpreet

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu on Thursday said that star players like skipper Sunil Chhetri needs words of encouragement to channelise his energies in the right direction and prosper.

Gurpreet said that he shares a very good relationship with Chhetri and tries to be honest with his skipper always.

“I make it sure that players are in positive frame of mind. Players like Chhetri can get frustrated. So you just need to channel his energies by saying you are good enough and a legend. The next moment, he shows up and scores goals,” Gurpreet told agencies in an interview.

“I and Chhetri share a good relationship. I always try to be very honest with him. I do not try to sugarcoat my captain because he does the same to me. This helps in building relationship with some like Chhetri,” he added.

Gurpreet said that BFC is very lucky to have senior players like Sunil Chhetri and Miku in the team.

“Chhetri and Miku are very good examples on and off the field. They help new players to settle down,” he said.

“When I joined BFC, they made me feel comfortable. When players begin to feel comfortable they enjoy their game and try to give everything for the team.”

The custodian said Carles Cuadrat is very passionate coach.

“It has been very comfortable working with Cuadrat because the players were not alien to the style of football the coach would bring to the table. It is pretty similar to previous coach Albert Roca,” Gurpreet said.

He refused to predict BFC’s fortune in the ongoing Indian Super League as they have played just three games so far.

“We have begun our campaign on a good note and we need to build on it and not lose players. Our primary aim is to be at top four,” Gurpreet said.

He said it is difficult to differentiate teams in the ISL because almost all are competitive.

“We all expected defending champions Chennaiyin FC to begin their campaign on high note, but they have managed to get just one point so far. It is very unpredictable and you cannot judge teams,” he said.

Asian Hockey Champions Trophy: India cruise into semis

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Afternoon Voice

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October 25, 2018

The Indian men’s hockey team stormed into the semi-finals of the ongoing fifth edition of the Asian Champions Trophy 2018 after sweeping aside South Korea 4-1 in their final round-robin match here at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday.

India acquired three points through Harmanpreet Singh’s hat-trick scored in the fifth, 47th and 59th minutes and Gurjant Singh’s 10th-minute strike, which resulted in securing the top position in the pool standings with a tally of 13 points from their five matches and a goal difference of 25.

After ending the previous match in a goalless draw against Malaysia on Tuesday, India attacked the South Koreans from the start.

The team maintained possession in the opening few minutes and were awarded their first Penalty Corner in the fifth minute, which was fiercely struck in the top right corner by drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, to give India the lead.

In the following minutes, opposition seemed content in sitting back and maintaining a compact structure, which made it difficult for the Indians to break through but in the ninth minute, striker Akashdeep Singh had a chance to score but saw his shot blazed over the crossbar.

The following minute saw the world number five team extend their lead to two goals as they scored through a counter-attack in which Harmanpreet Singh found Gurjant Singh inside the South Korean circle with a precise long pass. The young striker obliged by making a turn and shooting into the top left corner with a tomahawk.

India started the second quarter with some high pressing but the opposition opened their account in the 20th minute against the run of play when a clearance by Surender Kumar was intercepted by a Korean player and passed onto Lee Seungil on the right side of the Indian circle. The Korean skipper struck a vicious shot from a tight angle to beat PR Sreejesh and make the scores 2-1. Two minutes later, the opposing side won their first Penalty Corner but the resulting execution was blocked by the first rusher, Chinglensana Singh Kangujam.

Both the teams had their chances before the half-time break but neither could produce the goods in the final third as India took their 2-1 lead into the interval.

The third period started on an anxious note for India as the South Koreans scored inside 29 seconds, but the goal was disallowed after a successful referral by the Indian team. Another referral took place five minutes later, but this time the World number 14 won another Penalty Corner. However, the resulting execution was well-defended by Indian captain Manpreet Singh. Both the teams battled for possession throughout their third quarter but could not find any real opening.

India in the fourth quarter finally managed to make the most of their opportunity as Harmanpreet Singh converted his second Penalty Corner when he thrashed the ball into the top left corner, past South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jaehyeon to extend India’s lead to 3-1 after 47 minutes. The opposition tried to make a comeback as they were awarded a Penalty Corner in the 54th minute, but Indian goalkeeper Krishan B Pathak made a great reflex save off Jang Jonghyun’s slider shot to deny the South Korean.

Playing with a kicking back for the final few moments, the opposing side could not effectively defend the Penalty Corner as Harmanpreet Singh scored to complete his hat-trick and secure three points for his side.

India will now play their last-four clash of the ongoing fifth edition of the Asian Champions Trophy 2018 on October 27.