Ready to be ‘hanged’ to prevent scrapping of quotas: Lalu

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September 30, 2015

Unfazed by an FIR against him for his alleged casteist remarks, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday said he is ready to be “hanged” but will not allow BJP and RSS to scrap quotas for the backwards and dalits, making it clear that Mandal politics will top his agenda for the Bihar polls.

“I am prepared to be hanged, but will not allow BJP and RSS to succeed in scrapping reservations,” Prasad said.

The RJD boss, for long considered a messiah of the backward classes, described the electoral contest in the Hindi heartland state as one between “Jungle Raj 2” and “Mandal Raj 2”.

“BJP has given the slogan of Jungle Raj-2 against which I am saying Mandal Raj-2… What is the crime in saying this?” Prasad told reporters, a day after an FIR was registered against him for his alleged casteist comments.

Addressing a rally to launch his son Tejaswi Yadav’s campaign in Raghopur from where he is making his electoral debut, Lalu had on Sunday described the assembly elections as a direct fight between “the backward castes and forward castes” and given a call to Yadavs and other backward castes to rally behind the secular alliance to defeat BJP-led NDA.

The Election Commission had found the remarks violative of the model code of conduct for elections and ordered registration of an FIR against him.

Several top BJP leaders including its president Amit Shah have while stumping warned people against return of “Jungle Raj” if the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance is voted to power. The opposition had coined the ‘jungle raj’ phrase to describe alleged lawlessness during the 15-year RJD rule from 1990 to 2005.

Take care of the elderly

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Afternoon Voice

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September 30, 2015

International Day of Older Persons is a special day for senior citizens all over the world. In many countries, politicians make speeches, particularly those responsible for government departments that focus on senior citizens, at this time of the year. Wellness in older adults is a compilation of many aspects of mind and body. Staying physically fit, however, is one of the keystones of positive aging. The new generation of seniors grew up in an era where play took place outdoors. There’s a lot to be said for being part of an active group. Exercise is an antidepressant. People are happier, brighter and able to do more for themselves. In addition to physical improvement, there the psychosocial aspect of feeling better counts much. While attending classes, residents make friends and some even find exercise partners, adding peer encouragement. Classes help residents build endurance. The physical activity focuses on balance, strengthening muscles and increasing range of motion.

October 1 is always celebrated everywhere in the world as a Senior Citizens Day for their welfare, good health and prosperity. In this fast paced life, we increasingly forget the very people who enabled us to chase the dreams of our life. A senior citizen needs greater social and cultural anchor apart from a sense of respect and understanding from the society to spend his or her remaining years of life in peace and dignity. In 1950 there were 200 million people over 60 years old and by the year 2000 that number had tripled to nearly 600 million and by 2025 it is estimated that there will be over 1 billion older persons. 1999 was celebrated as the International Year for Older Persons to promote the theme of working to create “a society for all ages.

In 2002 the United Nations adopted an International Plan of Action on Aging in which all governments pledged to work for the security of older persons, as well as to empower them so that they can participate fully in the economic, political and social lives of their societies. Senior Citizens Day is an opportunity to celebrate the wisdom and achievements elderly persons have made, as well as to advocate for their rights throughout the world. It is an important time to remind governments about their pledges to work towards the Millennium Development Goals of helping, among other things, to end hunger and poverty for older persons and people of all ages.

With people living and working longer, it is increasingly important that we recognize the importance of supporting senior citizens. Senior Citizens Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the long-term contribution and dedication of older people, and to ensure that we are doing our best to give something back to them. Elderly persons make wide-ranging contributions to economic and social development. However, discrimination and social exclusion persist. We must overcome this bias in order to ensure a socially and economically active, secure and healthy ageing population. Sustainability and age inclusiveness for Senior Citizens in the urban environment is causing concern. The main purpose of life is that we should ‘live and let others also live’ and this has a great impact on seniors. For them simple living and high thinking makes them survive. Anyway, it is the survival of the fittest in this competitive world.

C.K. Subramaniam

Lady Gaga Named Woman of the Year

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Afternoon Voice

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September 30, 2015

Lady Gaga has added another gem in her tiara as she has been chosen the Woman of the Year by Billboard magazine.

Billboard recently announced that the 29-year-old songstress will be honored during its annual Women in Music event and she has been chosen for her unparalleled contributions to entertainment industry, says report.

Expressing her excitement, the ‘Poker Face’ hit-maker tweeted, “I can’t believe @billboard named me Woman of the year thank you so much. I am so so so so grateful. My gosh good morning!

I Have Experienced Sexism in Hollywood says, Emma Watson

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Afternoon Voice

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September 30, 2015

Actress Emma Watson feels that the difference between the numbers of female directors she has worked with and the number of male directors is a proof of the inequalities that exist for women in the industry, reported leading daily.

The 25-year-old actress has never been shy about expressing her views against unequal treatment of women in Hollywood.

“I have experienced sexism in that I have been directed by male directors 17 times and only twice by women. Of the producers that I’ve worked with, 13 have been male and only one has been a woman,” the actress said.

Emma, however, admitted that she has been lucky as compared to other women who have been turned away simply because of their gender, whether as an actress or director.

“I have always insisted on being treated equally and have generally won that equality,” she explained.

Marriage is not for lifetime, says Salman Khan

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Afternoon Voice

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September 30, 2015

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan says that marriage is not for a lifetime.

During the press conference of the show ‘Bigg Boss’, the most eligible bachelor of Bollywood was asked when shall he get ‘double’, to which he said, ‘I have got double since ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’ and now I would turn triple for ‘Sultan’. ‘Marriage is not for the lifetime, in which generation are you living in…not happening.’ Later he asked the reporter, ‘You want me to get married temporary or permanent?’

When a reporter told Salman not to get married, he said, ‘Nice debate…some saying get married, some saying don’t get married. Are you all trying to convince me or demoralize me?’

The format of ‘Bigg Boss’ this season is ‘Double Trouble’. The show will go on air from October 11 on Colors Channel.

Sussanne Khan lambasts gossipmongers over wedding rumours

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Afternoon Voice

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September 30, 2015

Sussanne Khan, the estranged wife of Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, on Wednesday denied reports that she is set to wed again. A successful entrepreneur, she says the gossip “hurts” as “families and human feelings” are involved.

Sussanne, an interior designer by profession, decided to issue a statement in the light of the media reports around her rumoured wedding to “one of Hrithik’s close friends”. Several reports pointed at actor Arjun Rampal, who was reportedly a key reason behind the Hrithik-Sussanne split.

Just earlier this week, it was reported that Sussanne and Arjun were spotted at a coffee shop here.

In her clarification, Sussannne said: “Persistent speculation in the media has made me realise that idle Bollywood gossip mongers, who are influential, are insistent on spreading rumours and lies about me.”

“Stories are fabricated on upcoming weddings and meetings in coffee shops. It is irresponsible press if incorrect stories are published. There are families and human feelings involved and it hurts people when false gossip is passed off as true. I am a single working mother and take tremendous pride in the way I live.”

A mother of two — Hrehaan and Hridhaan — Sussanne is the daughter of veteran actor Sanjay Khan and Zarine Khan.

Hoax call put city on high alert

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Afternoon Voice

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September 29, 2015

The Mumbai police conducted a thorough security check and have confirmed the call to be a hoax.

The call received by the Mumbai police warning about an attack on Mumbai airport and Taj Mahal hotel turned out to be hoax. Security was beefed up in these establishments after receiving the call. According to security personnel, the call that came around 8:30pm was made by a person who identified himself as Vishesh Kumar. Kumar informed the control room at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport he had overheard a few people discussing a terror plot. He heard that 16 vehicles loaded with explosives would be used to carry out the terror attack at domestic terminal, international terminal and the Taj Hotels between 9 am and 10 am.

High alert was announced at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport as well as the Taj Hotel after airport authorities received a call shortly before midnight on Monday, informing that the two locations could face an attack by a group of four to five suicide bombers. Security at both the domestic and international terminals of CSIA was increased. Bomb threat assessment committee of CSIA has termed the call as ‘specific threat’ and bomb squad was deployed after the call and a massive search-cum-screening exercise was taken up.

A head constable said on the condition of anonymity, “The festival season has arrived and hence security was beefed up in the city. Our leaves too have been cancelled and now we have to work additional hours. The high alert announced at the city airport and Taj Mahal hotel has created further problems for us.”

“There is a standard operating procedure after such calls, and we have completed security checks and found that there is no evidence to suggest an imminent attack,” said a senior Mumbai police official.

The Taj Hotel, which faced a terror attack in 2008, also issued a statement. “The Mumbai police conducted a thorough security check and have confirmed the call to be a hoax. We continue to be highly vigilant at all times to ensure safety and security of our guests,” the Taj’s spokesperson said.

“There was intensive patrolling at the airport after the terror threat received by the police. The common has to face huge inconvenience as he is frisked by security officials” said Sanket Deshmukh an Andheri resident.

Sheena Bora Murder Case: Will this case see the light of justice?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 29, 2015

Twenty five year old Sheena Bora was murdered on 24 April, 2012, and her body was burnt and disposed off in a forest in Raigad district the next day. The murder mystery hit the headlines for one long month and all of a sudden media went silent. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe and registered a case against Sheena’s mother Indrani Mukerjea and two others for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to kill her. After Maharashtra government announced handing over the probe to the agency 10 days back, CBI’s special crime branch lodged a case in the designated court in New Delhi against Indrani, her former husband Sanjay Khanna and former driver Shyamvar Pinturam Rai. The CBI filed the case under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) including criminal conspiracy, murder, abduction, destruction of evidence, causing hurt by giving poison and Arms Act. Whilst Rai and Khanna had confessed to the crime, Mukerjea had maintained that Sheena Bora was alive and in the United States.
The CBI took over the investigation of the case which was earlier registered by Mumbai Police on the allegations that the accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy to murder Sheena. In pursuance of this conspiracy, the accused allegedly abducted Sheena, murdered her and disposed off her body. The decision to handover the probe to CBI came after days of uncertainty on the supervisory role of former Mumbai police chief Rakesh Maria who was shunted out in the midst of the inquiry that he had helmed proactively. The decision was taken by the state government after Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Dayal submitted a status report on the case which had concluded that the case is not limited to murder alone, but there are many questions on financial dealings that remain unanswered.

Indrani was arrested on August 25 and after that details of her hitherto-unexplored life have set into motion a series of revelations about her past that have both intrigued and disturbed India. She is a figure of universal derision-a bit like Walter Palmer, the dentist from Minnesota who has been accused of beheading Celil the lion in a Zimbabwe forest reserve in July, and a bit like the scheming, despised vamp from the family soap operas she once commissioned as the programming head of general entertainment channel 9X. Indrani stands accused of heartlessly killing her daughter, Sheena Bora.

To realize, this is one of the most disgusting stories of modern-day, one must first attempt to decipher who Indrani really is, by charting the astonishing journey that she has negotiated. The police and media extravaganza attempt of gaining TRP is still throwing up more questions than it is answering. The motive, the modus operandi, the sudden reconciliation of Indrani and Khanna, are all unclear. Is this a wicked family quarrel? Why did Sheena have to lose her life? And, perhaps the most unsettling question is, did a mother who has umbilical bonds with her daughter kill her cold bloodedly?

Sheena Bora, was an executive working for Mumbai Metro One based in Mumbai, went missing on April 24, 2012. On the very same day, Sheena took leave of absence and while she was on leave, she “sent in her written resignation”. Rahul Mukerjea received a breakup SMS from Sheena’s phone on the very day. Her mother, Indrani, claimed that Sheena had gone to the United States for higher studies and hence a missing First Information Report was never filed. Sheena was never seen after that.

Rahul Mukerjea approached the Worli police to file a missing person’s complaint but the case was not registered. Worli police advised Rahul that since the couple (Sheena and Rahul) were a domicile of Andheri (which was out of Worli police’s jurisdiction), the case needed to be registered with Andheri police station. Rahul approached MIDC (Andheri) police station, but the case was not registered there. Rahul also confronted Indrani for whereabouts of Sheena and was advised by her that Sheena had shifted to the United States and that she (Sheena) did not want to be in a relationship with him. Rahul further questioned Indrani how Sheena could have travelled to the US since her passport was in his custody to which Indrani told him that they got “another passport” made for Sheena. Rahul subsequently moved to Dehradun to live with his biological mother.

Indrani was charged under sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 34 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and took to the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court, which remanded her in police custody. Sanjeev Khanna was also charged under sections 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 120-B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code in the same issue. So far no major headway has been made in this case. Let’s see, how much time this case will be in the corridor of courts and investigations.

7/11 blasts: Court likely to pronounce sentence today

By

Afternoon Voice

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September 29, 2015

Nine years after a series of bomb blasts in suburban local trains rattled Mumbai killing 188 people, a special court is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment for 12 convicts in the case on Wednesday.

Special Judge Yatin D Shinde had last week concluded hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence when prosecution demanded death penalty for 8 of the 12 accused while it sought life imprisonment for the remaining four. On September 23, the Special MCOCA court had reserved its order on sentencing in the case for September 30. Earlier, on September 11, it had convicted 12 of the 13 accused, all allegedly having links with banned SIMI, while acquitting one. The accused were found guilty of charges under IPC, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Indian Railway Act and those under MCOCA.

The court also found all the 12 accused guilty under Section 3 (1) (i) of MCOCA, which could also attract capital punishment. Those convicted are Kamal Ahmed Ansari (37), Tanvir Ahmed Ansari (37), Mohd Faisal Shaikh (36), Ehtesham Siddiqui (30), Mohammad Majid Shafi (32), Shaikh Alam Shaikh (41), Mohd Sajid Ansari (34), Muzzammil Shaikh (27), Soheil Mehmood Shaikh (43), Zamir Ahmed Shaikh (36), Naveed Hussain Khan (30) and Asif Khan (38).

After 12 accused were found guilty, Judge Shinde, later, allowed the defence lawyers to examine witnesses to bring out the mitigating circumstances in the case. Defence lawyers subsequently examined nine witnesses to show the court that the accused have undergone reformation and thus may not be given capital punishment. The list of witnesses included the relatives of accused, doctors, teachers etc while one of the convicts examined another accused in Mumbai 2012 serial blasts. After the examination of witnesses, the defence advocates pleaded leniency saying that the 12 convicts were merely the pawns of mastermind Azam Cheema, member of Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

They also pointed out that the convicts faced several hardships in jail and that was also one of the mitigating circumstances. On the other hand, special public prosecutor Raja Thakare called the convicts “merchants of death” and pressed for capital punishment to eight of the twelve convicts. Thakare also told the court that (social) thinkers feel that why money of honest taxpayers should be spent and government burdened for the upkeep of these convicts.

He also argued that the court may, if it feels, take a lenient view of four convicts and grant them life term. During the investigations, 13 accused, all of them Indians, were arrested and brought to trial. The charge sheet filed by Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in November 2006 had named 30 accused, out of which 17 of them are absconding. The absconding which comprise 13 Pakistan nationals, include Azam Cheema, an alleged Lashker-e-Taiba member. The ATS charge sheet had said that Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were made in a room in Govandi in suburban Mumbai and some Pakistani nationals were also present during the bomb-making. Seven RDX bombs had exploded in the first class coaches in many suburban trains on July 11, 2006, killing 188 people and injuring 829.

In the trial that ran for eight long years, the prosecution examined 192 witnesses, including eight Indian Police Service (IPS) and five Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers as well as 18 doctors. The defence lawyers examined 51 witnesses and one person was called as a court witness. The blast occurred within a span of 10 minutes between Khar Road-Santacruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road- Bhayander, Matunga- Mahim Junction and Borivali. The MCOCA judge had concluded the trial on August 19 last year. The examination of witnesses resumed after two years since the Supreme Court had stayed the trial in 2008. Before the stay, the prosecution had already examined a police officer. The Supreme Court vacated the stay on April 23, 2010.

Gajendra Chauhan to stay, Centre plans to appoint co-chair to placate FTII students

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Afternoon Voice

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September 29, 2015

Television actor Gajendra Chauhan, viewed as close to the BJP, will remain as chairperson of the premier Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and to placate protesting students, the government is planning to install a co-chairperson of the institute, sources said.

While the information and broadcasting ministry is holding talks with students in Mumbai on Tuesday in the hope of persuading them to call off their three-month-old strike, the government is known to be firm on not caving in to the demand to remove Chauhan from the top post.

Instead, as a half-way measure, the ministry is planning to propose a co-chairperson of the institute who would be “acceptable” to the students, informed sources told IANS.

In another measure, the government is also planning to remove around five members from the governing council against whom the students had strong objections.

“Chauhan will remain. We are considering these measures for the students,” the source told IANS, declining to be named.

In fact, a three-member committee — the I&B ministry constituted for examining the students’ grievances — headed by S.M. Khan, Registrar of Newspapers of India, also had earlier made a similar proposal.

The FTII students on Monday presented to the ministry a list of signatories of national and international repute, including well-known American philosopher and political commentator Noam Chomsky, who have expressed support for their cause.

The agitating students called off their 18-day-old hunger strike on September 27 after the ministry agreed to hold talks on Tuesday to resolve the issue.

The students are up in arms against Chauhan, who is best known only for his role as Yudhisthir in B.R. Chopra’s TV series “Mahabharat”, aired on Doordarshan between 1988-90.

He has done small roles in nondescript TV soaps and forgettable films. He has been associated with the BJP for several years and had actively campaigned for the party during the 2014 elections.

In July, well-known filmmaker Jahnu Barua, cinematographer Santosh Sivan and actor Pallavi Joshi quit the 12-member governing council of the FTII, expressing unhappiness over the government’s handling of the crisis.

The students are also demanding that the FTII society be dissolved and search committees be set up with a transparent process in place to look into the appointments of the chairperson and members. They are also demanding that FTII be given the status of a premium national institute like the IIT and the IIM and that no bureaucrat should be appointed as FTII director.