A national award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will be given every year to police personnel who do excellent work in rescue and relief operations during any kind of disaster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday.
The announcement came on the 75th anniversary of Bose’s declaration of the formation of India’s first independent government — the Azad Hind Government on October 21, 1943.
“From this year onwards, we will give an award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to police personnel who do exemplary work while rescuing and providing relief to people during the time of any disaster,” the prime minister said in his address after dedicating to the nation a police memorial and museum here.
Modi said the award will be announced on January 23, Netaji’s birthday.
The Prime Minister said the country cannot forget the services rendered by the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel in rescue and relief works during the time of any disaster.
“These NDRF and SDRF personnel are our brave policemen. They are from police forces. The country will not forget their bravery, dedication and sacrifice. Many people even do not know who they are, when they rescue people and provide relief during the collapse of a building, when there is a fire or when there is a train accident,” he said in a voice choked with emotions.
The NDRF and SDRF are constituted with personnel from the central paramilitary forces and state police organisations respectively.
Ever since the Supreme Court put an end to the centuries-old tradition by ruling in favour of allowing women irrespective of ages to enter Kerala’s most famous Sabarimala Temple, the hill shrine has become a boiling zone. The attempts to enter the shrine by the female journalists and feminist activists who proudly declares themselves to be atheist on their social media or even mock religious values seems to be an intended provocation as it’s certain that their visit is not out of devotion but to gain TRP by hitting headlines.
After a five-judge Constitutional bench headed by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra slammed the provision in the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, for violating the right of Hindu women to practice religion and ordered to open the door of Lord Ayyappa Temple for all, the devotees have blocked the temple entries and are protesting against the SC order. Surprisingly, the protesters have a huge number of female devotees who are also demanding the review of the apex court’s decision.
The gates of the temple opened for the devotees on Wednesday and amid the ongoing mayhem, feminist activist Rehana Fathima and reporter Kavitha Jakkal tried to enter the Sabarimala Temple on Friday being assured of security by the police. However, after the head priest Rajeevaru Kandarau threatened to shut the temple and stop puja, she had to stop 500 metres away from the shrine and head back being escorted by a team of police personnel headed by Inspector General S Sreejith. “I am very proud for attempting to go to Sabarimala Temple. We have faced a very dangerous situation, walked 5 km to reach the temple, and were stopped just 100 metres away. Though we can go there if we want, police have promised to give us full protection,” Jakkal, 24, who is a journalist from Mojo TV in Hyderabad, told the reporters on her way back. She was seen in a bulletproof jacket and helmet and surrounded by 300 policemen as she walked from Pamba to Sannidhanam.
Resident Editor of Dainik Dabang Dunia Unmesh Gujarati expressed, “According to me, the female journalists and activists who are showing the courage to visit the Sabarimala Temple in order to gain publicity must also try to show the same courage and go to a Masjid once at least. The media houses are on purpose sending the female journalists just for gaining TRP and to create an outrage; otherwise, they could have sent male journalists as well.”
Sabarimala is opened for a very few days in the entire year and the temple allows millions of women to visit every year; howbeit, it has an age bar. For centuries, Sabarimala has not allowed women of menstruating age (between 10 and 50) to visit the temple as they believe the deity, Lord Ayyappa, is celibate. Sabarimala doesn’t distinguish people on the basis of religion unlike other temples in Kerala and every devotee visiting Ayyappa shrine (called as Ayyappa or swami) wear the same kind of clothing — Black dhoti with no shirt — a uniformity that makes Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple exclusive.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader SG Suryah said, “A few women are pretending to be devotees — Rehana Fathima from Kerala is a Muslim and journalist Kavitha Jakkal. After the Supreme Court has delivered the verdict to enter the temple, several human rights activists are trying to mock the tradition which has been followed for years. Those who are being desperate top enter the shrine are definitely not the devotees but are just hurting the sentiments of the Hindus.”
“As of now, there was not a single case where women devotees wanted to go the Sabarimala as they respect the tradition. Activists who are advertising their attempts to enter the temple over social media are provoking chaos,” he further added.
Undoubtedly, the SC’s landmark judgement on ruling out patriarchy in religion that interrupts the right to pray was a welcoming decision. Even so, how justified is the cheap publicity stunts by these so-called crusaders of gender equality? The judgement was for the female devotees (age group of 10 to 50) of Lord Ayyappa who long for visiting the temple but are not allowed to because of being into their menstruating age bracket. “Friends, four of us are leaving to Sabarimala today, which includes atheists like me and two devotees. I am not going to Sabarimala because I have any wish to do so,” journalist Kavitha Jakkal posted on social media. Another journalist Libi CS, the Editor of a news website called Newsgil, too were stopped by the devotees on her way to the temple. She had earlier published a story on her website stating that if Ayyappa’s lust was awakened because of women devotees entering the temple, they would prescribe medicine.
Even the CEO of Mojo TV, Revathi, took to Twitter and said that her team of journalists including Kavitha, Balakrishna, and Narasing were going on an indefinite hunger strike. She wrote, “They r fighting for their right. They are fighting for what the #SupremeCourt said. Don’t take this country back to medieval ages! Let the law live.”
Keeping all these in consideration, what’s dragging these self-proclaimed ‘Atheist’ women to visit the shrine? What’s the reason behind dressing up as a typical devotee wearing black with a small smear of ash on the forehead? Are all these blatant activisms, by wrongfully taking advantage of the SC order, only to mock the religious beliefs and grab the attention for mere limelight?
Right-wing activist Vikas Kumar asserted, “Rehana Fathima, Kavitha Jakkal, Mary Sweety, Libi CS are desperate to enter Sabarimala Temple as Ayyappa devotees. Petitioner for the entry of women in Sabarimala Temple was Naushad Khan. Most of them are either non-Hindus or non-believers. Most of the news channels are sending their female reporters to Sabarimala as if they don’t have male reporters.”
He went on saying, “It seems some people who are actually not the stakeholders are hell-bent to destroy and hurt the Hindu religion and its sentiments under the garb of gender justice. Sabarimala was not at all an issue of gender justice as it doesn’t restrict woman entry. Only a certain age group of women devotees don’t go there as per their religious beliefs. The major protest that’s happening is by the women who are actually the real devotees of Lord Ayyappa.”
Sometimes, I strongly feel that the media is wantonly sending women reporters to boil the situation at Sabarimala. When these journalists are not devotees, was it really so pressing and unavoidable that they had to go right up to the shrine to do their ‘work’? In claiming their ‘rights’ such so-called liberals do not mind trampling on the rights of others! Kavitha Jakkal is one of the two under-50 women, who tried and failed to enter the Sabarimala shrine along with so-called feminist Rehana Fathima (Non-Hindu). They had to stop 500 metres away from the shrine after the head priest told the police that if the two women enter the temple, he will close the gates and stop puja. After that senior police officer S Sreejith informed the two women and they agreed to return. On her way back, Jakkal told the reporters that she is “very proud” for attempting to go to the Sabarimala Temple. Ms. Jakkal, a journalist from Mojo TV in Hyderabad, was in a bulletproof jacket and helmet and surrounded by 300 policemen as she walked from Pamba to Sannidhanam. She could dare to make this stunt because Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had supported her and assured security. Moreover, her visit was not out of devotion but it’s to gain TRP by hitting headlines.
I wish the same journalist is so much possessive of other important topics of Telangana. Having no much contribution or name in media, she could successfully manage to gain limelight by attempting to barge religious margins. On Thursday, one Libi C S, who claims to be a journalist from Kerala but is a CPM worker and runs CPM media website, also tried to reach Sabarimala but was stopped by Ayyappa devotees and protesters and had to be escorted back under police protection. The point to be noted is that this lady herself had claimed that she’s a non-believer and had also posted derogatory remarks about Lord Ayyappa on social media. It seems that most of these females who want to go to Lord Ayyappa are basically not Ayyappa devotees but are either Non-believers/Non-Hindus or want to hurt religious sentiments under the garb of the Supreme Court verdict in the name of gender justice. For centuries, Sabarimala has not allowed women of menstruating age – between 10 and 50 – to visit the temple as they believe the deity, Lord Ayyappa, is celibate. Last month, the Supreme Court ended that ban.
The ban is more of a social aspect than religious. The Supreme Court verdict is a good intervention, but there is a spiritual reason behind this ban in the temple. Sabarimala allows millions of women to visit the shrine every year. But there is an age bar; one can go there before the age of 10 and after the age of 50. Sabarimala doesn’t distinguish people on the base of religion unlike other temples in Kerala. It is not actually related to menstruation. Because I have seen girls menstruated before 10 and some ladies’ periods don’t stop even after 50 and they seek darshan.
Sabarimala is opened for a very few days in the entire year. In those days, every devotee visiting Ayyappa shrine are called as Ayyappa or swami and they all have to wear the same kind of clothing – Black dhoti with no shirt. This uniformity in devotees is a specialty of Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and no one questions it. Everyone should have the same kind of attire and hence the rich, poor, middle-class – everyone looks the same. No distinction at all! Before entering the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, there is another temple where the devotees go. It’s the temple for a goddess – Malikappurathamma. Malikappurathamma loved Ayyappan and wanted to marry him. But, Ayyappan said, “I have already decided to be a Naishtika brahmachari. So I’ll not be able to marry you. But, if there is a time when Kanni Ayyappans (First Time Sabarimala Visitors) stop coming to visit me, then at that time, I’ll marry you.” Till, then, Ayyappan did not want young women to come and see him. Because of the love and care that he had for Malikappurathamma. If we believe religious scripture then this was the decision taken and the tradition is followed for 1000s of years.
Apart from this, there is another story behind this ban; the temple belongs to Ayyappan (who is considered to be born of the union of forces of Lord Shiva and Vishnu as Mohini). Ayyappa is celibate so that he can focus on answering the prayers of his devotees. According to the religious scriptures, Ayyappa was born to destroy a female demon that, thanks to a boon, could only be vanquished by a child born of both Shiva and Vishnu. When Ayyappa fulfills his destiny by killing her, a beautiful woman emerges from the body. She had been cursed to live as a demon, but her killing reversed the curse. And that is why women do not go to Sabarimala. It is partly out of empathy for Malikapurathamma and her eternal wait and it’s also out of respect for Ayyappa’s commitment to answer the prayers of his devotees. Since he is celibate, he should not be distracted. Anyone who goes to Sabarimala knows this. The spiritual scripts are written ages ago and the tradition to follow is also very old and we, the Hindus, are conditioned to follow certain principles in the name of religion. There is no logic or reasoning to it. Now, it would be interesting to see what the SC says in its judgements after considering the conflict between the historical background and that of equality.
So picking up the logics from scriptures, the rules were formed. The devotees of Ayyappa wear beads around their neck and fast by following the strict regime for 41 days. They practice self-control during the whole period, which includes celibacy (no self-pleasure). The authorities are worried that if young women accompany them during their journey, they would feel distracted. Moreover, a woman during her menstrual cycle is considered to be impure. The 41-day fasting would include the menstrual cycle. But why is periods considered impure? We have blood running through all the veins of our body. Having periods is as natural as excretion. It is a gift from the Lord to women to sustain and nurture the human race. In these four days, she needs rest and care, climbing the temples and standing hours in the queue may not be advisable, so the deterrence of religious beliefs keep her away from such hazardous practices. The path to the Sabari Mountain was not easy. It was covered with full of dense forests. No sanitation facilities could be availed. It was not possible for common household women to travel with ease, so young women did not go. Slowly it became a tradition. The shrine was constructed in the mountain regions of the Western Ghats. If you date back 600 years, the whole place was a forest. More importantly, it was a tiger land. A tiger or a carnivore can smell out a woman in periods far easily than anybody else.
But times have changed. Now, there is no threat from wildlife. All facilities are available to the devotees so the tradition should also change. Changing traditions with changing times is also a beauty of the Indian religious practices.
(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Friday refuted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that the UPA government built only 25 lakh houses in its last four years, against 1.25 crore houses built by the present NDA government.
The UPA government built almost 25 lakh houses per year between 2004 and 2013, Chavan, president of the Maharashtra unit of Congress, said in a statement.
Speaking in the temple town of Shirdi in Maharashtra on Friday, Modi claimed that the previous government built 25 lakh houses for the poor in the last four years of its rule, while the present NDA government has constructed 1.25 crore houses in four years.
The Congress-led government was not serious about poverty alleviation, the prime minister alleged. Chavan accused Modi of lying and misleading people.
“Nobody can compete with Modi when it comes to speaking untruth. Devotees of Saibaba such as me are sad that the prime minister speaks lies even in Saibaba’s Shirdi,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said.
“Under the Indira Awas Yojana, between 2004 and 2013, during UPA government, 2.24 crore houses were constructed. Which means almost 25 lakh houses were completed every year,” Chavan claimed.
As per the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report of 2014, the UPA government constructed 1.28 crore houses during 2008-2013, the Congress leader added.
The Rajiv Awas Yojana, launched in 2013, saw construction of 1.17 lakh houses in one year, he said.
Modi renamed the scheme as Sardar Patel National Urban Housing Mission with the promise of constructing two crore houses by 2022, but as of July 10, 2017, only 1.33 lakh houses had been built, Chavan alleged.
“I pray to Saibaba to give the prime minister the wisdom to speak truth,” Chavan said.
The Congress leader also alleged that the government spent Rs 5 crore on Friday’s function in Shirdi where Modi distributed keys of “ten houses” to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
The Bombay High Court said Friday the #MeToo campaign was only for the victims, and it should not be misused by anyone to manipulate a victim to level allegations of sexual harassment against anybody to settle “their own scores”.
The remarks were made by Justice Shahrukh Kathawalla when hearing an application filed by director Vikas Bahl seeking a 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 woman employee has alleged 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.
When the application came up for hearing on Wednesday, the high court had asked for the woman to be made a respondent in the plea.
Senior counsel Narvoz Serwai on Friday appeared for the woman and told the court that she was not desirous of being a part of the litigation.
“She is not willing to pursue the case too. She does not wish to be embroiled in this,” Serwai said.
Justice Kathawalla then said that if the woman is not willing to pursue the case, then no one should speak about it.
“We do not want anybody to manipulate the woman to settle their own scores,” the court said.
The HC stated that while it was appreciative of the #MeToo campaign, at the same time it should not be misused.
“The movement should not be misused. It is for the victims and not for anybody else. This is why there is a need for guidelines to be set on the issue,” Justice Kathawalla said.
The court has directed the woman to submit a signed statement on October 23 stating that she does not wish to pursue the case.
Bahl, who directed Kangana Ranaut-starrer ‘Queen’, has claimed Kashyap and Motwane orchestrated a campaign against him.
Kashyap, Motwane, Bahl and producer Madhu Mantena had established Phantom Films in 2011. The company’s productions include Lootera, Hasee Toh Phasee and Queen.
Soon after Bahl was named in the #MeToo campaign, Kashyap and Motwane dissolved Phantom Films.
An unidentified woman employee of the production company alleged that Bahl sexually assaulted her in Goa during a promotional tour for the movie ‘Bombay Velvet’ in 2015.
More than 50 people were dead after a train ran
into people watching Dussehra celebrations near train track in Amritsar’s Choura Bazar on Friday.
According to initial reports, the unfortunate incident took place when people were observing the Ravana effigy burning near the track. The train was coming from Pathankot.
Several people also got injured in the incident and have been rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The police are carrying out rescue operation. “There are more than 50 casualties. The injured have been rushed to the hospital and passengers are being evacuated,” police said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday handed over keys to beneficiaries of the Prime Minister Awas Yojana- Grameen (PMAY-G) during a public event here.
Prime Minister Modi also interacted with beneficiaries of 29 districts through video conferencing and later addressed a public rally.
Emphasising on the significance of the PMAY-G scheme which is aimed at empowerment of poor, he said, “Own house makes life comfortable and gives greater conviction to fight poverty. When India will complete 75 years of Independence, every homeless poor citizen will get their own home. We are working with this target and in the last four years, we have taken strong steps in this regard.”
Prime Minister Modi also took a jibe at previous governments, saying that instead of empowering the poor by providing them with houses, their only aim was to promote one specific family.
“Earlier governments also tried to do it but unfortunately instead of empowering the poor by giving them home, their only aim was to promote one specific family. Their purpose was to create a vote bank. A house should be good, it should have water, electricity, LPG facility, etc which was never thought of previously,” he said.
Comparing statistics of such houses constructed during past regime and tenure of his government, Prime Minister Modi said, “Previous government in its last four years constructed only 25 lakh houses in the whole country whereas the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government constructed 1.25 crore houses in the last four years. Had the previous government continued to rule, they would have taken 20 years to achieve this number. Previous government used to take 18 months to construct houses whereas now houses are being constructed in 12 months. Not only the time period has reduced but the size of the house has also increased. We have also enhanced the government aid for construction of a house from earlier Rs 70,000 to now Rs 1.2 lakh”
He also spoke about Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and elaborated about its benefits.
Prime Minister Modi said, “PM-JAY is going to benefit 50 crore citizens by providing them with a health insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh. It hasn’t even been one month but as many as 1 lakh people have already utilised its benefits.”
Earlier after arriving at Shirdi, Prime Minister Modi had also visited the renowned Saibaba Samadhi Temple Complex. He is in Shirdi to commemorate the centenary year of Saibaba Samadhi.
A woman passenger has alleged that SpiceJet staff did not treat her properly after a bottle fell on her head when a flight attendant was removing a bag from an overhead bin, with the airline saying it was an “unintentional mishap” and rejected many of her claims.
The incident happened on flight SG 169 when it was to take off from the national capital to Mumbai on October 16.
The passenger, Shradha Shrimal Tripathi, took to Facebook alleging that she was not treated properly after she was hurt as a “bottle filled with water” fell on her head.
Speaking to agencies on Thursday, Tripathi said she had a small cut when the bottle’s hook hit her on the head and a bump on her forehead.
She also claimed that the airline was more concerned about other passengers getting late than about a hurt passenger.
The passenger also posted a picture of a prescription from the hospital where she was treated after the incident on Facebook.
In a detailed statement on Thursday, SpiceJet denied the allegations made by the passenger, including that there was bleeding on her head after the incident.
“Our crew and senior officials on board that flight and at the airport went out of their way to assist the passenger and it is really unfortunate that such baseless allegations have been levelled by her,” the airline said.
According to the airline, a cabin crew opened the overhead bin to remove the safety demo kit when she noticed there was a bag kept in the overhead bin which is the location for only keeping safety equipment.
“As she was removing the bag, which belonged to a passenger, a bottle in the side sleeve of the bag slipped and fell on the said passenger. The crew immediately apologised and offered ice to the passenger but she started shouting and abusing the crew,” the statement said.
The airline also said that after much persuasion of other passengers, the said passenger was taken to the terminal building and offered medical assistance.
“After she was declared fit, she boarded the next flight SG 159 to Mumbai. She was assisted by SpiceJet staff all through this flight and offered a wheelchair… This was an unintentional mishap and our crew and staff did their best to help the passenger,” it noted.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has revealed he will be paying off loans of over 850 farmers from Uttar Pradesh.
The 76-year-old actor said he previously helped over 350 farmers from Maharashtra by clearing their loans.
“It has been a most satisfying experience to give some to them our countrymen that sacrificed their lives for us… 44 families diversified into 112 entities were given out in my small way from Maharashtra, the brave hearts , the SHAHEED. More needs to be done from other parts of the country too. It shall be done.
“Over 350 farmers loans that were difficult to pay off , and to prevent them from committing suicide, was paid off some days back too… Earlier farmer loans from Andhra and Vidarbha had been done… Now a list of over 850 farmers from Uttar Pradesh have been identified and their loans amounting to over Rs 5.5 crore shall be taken care of .. the assistance from the bank in question assists in its execution and its benevolence,” Bachchan wrote on his blog.
The actor also shared that he will be helping Ajeet Singh, who appeared on KBC Karmveer.
“Tomorrow a contribution to Ajeet Singh, who was on KBC Karmveer, and who works towards forced prostitution and the protection of young girls being kidnapped and forced into this dastardly crime, is being sent to him to help in his most valiant endeavour.”
