Pak national with HuJI links held in Hyderabad

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August 14, 2015

A Pakistani national was arrested on Friday for alleged links with banned terror organisation HuJI, police said.

The South Zone Task Force along with Central Crime Station, a wing of Hyderabad Police, nabbed Mohammed Nazir on charge of having close links with Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), they said.

“In a joint operation, the police team arrested the Pakistani national who is having terror links with HuJI. Police also apprehended two Bangladeshis along with one Myanmar national who were illegally staying in the city without valid documents,” a senior Task Force officer said.

Two local agents were also held, he said.

Incriminating documents were seized from those arrested, he added.

25K farmers in Mathura want to commit suicide on Independence Day

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Afternoon Voice

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August 14, 2015

After a long and arduous struggle to get compensation from government, around 25,000 farmers’ hare have given up!

They have written to President Pranab Mukherjee and sought permision to commit mass suicide on Independence Day (August 15).

The appeal has unnerved district officials who fear possible self-immolation by some farmers of Mahavan area whose land has been consumed by the Yamuna River in the Gokul Barrage catchment area.

The farmers have been on a relay fast for the past nearly three weeks to highlight their grievances.

Kisan Sangh, a farmer leader, accused the district authorities of ignoring the interests of the affected farmers.

The farmers want compensation for the land lost at four times the circle rate and immediate withdrawal of cases against farmers, many of whom are still in jail following protests in December on the Delhi-Agra highway.

“We have lost all and want to end our lives. We want the president’s permission,” said another farmer, Roop Singh.

Officials have identified several farmers who need to be compensated. The Allahabad High Court is seized of the matter, and a decision is likely in a few days, an official said.

A report, however, quoted that as per estimates, some 25,000 farmers should get around Rs 800 crore as compensation for around 700 acres of land lost.

The farmers are demanding compensation for damage to standing crops which were submerged as a result of rising level of water in the barrage.

“For more than 16 years now, we have not been compensated for the land acquired from us for the barrage,” another farmer said.

Kate Moss flying to US to save marriage?

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Afternoon Voice

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August 14, 2015

Supermodel Kate Moss is reportedly planning to fly to the US to save her marriage with The Kills musician Jamie Hince.

The 41-year-old model, who split from Hince, 46, four years after they tied the knot, is planning to be with him during the break from his US tour as she wants to make amends, reported Daily Mirror.

“They are going to meet up to really see if all is lost. They still care for each other. There have been several phone calls.

“Kate still wears her wedding ring and is desperate to see Jamie before his tour starts up again next month,” a source said.

Moss apparently wants to make the marriage work again with the musician. “She is not going to take no for an answer, and Jamie still cares about her. He knows they have a lot to sort out,” the source added.

Moss, who has a 12-year-old daughter Lila Grace with ex-boyfriend Jefferson Hack, is hoping to at least stay amicable with Hince.

“If they both come to realise it just doesn’t work, she wants to remain friends. “Kate and Jefferson have managed to do it so she doesn’t see why it can’t work out with Jamie,” the source added.

Winona Ryder says ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel is happening

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Afternoon Voice

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August 14, 2015

Actress Winona Ryder has confirmed that a sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 film “Beetlejuice” is in the works.

The 43-year-old actress said Burton had revealed in a “top secret” interview that she would be starring in the sequel, reported Entertainment Weekly.

“Um, I think I can confirm it, because Tim Burton did this interview, like, it was very hush hush, top secret and then he was doing some press for ‘Big Eyes’ and he did an on-camera interview and he said, ‘Oh yeah we’re doing it and Winona’s going to be in it,’ and I was like (shocked face),” she said.

Earlier, “Birdman” actor Michael Keaton, who starred in the film as a devious ghost named Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice) had hinted that they are trying to work towards a sequel.

“I’ve emailed Tim a couple of times, talked to the writer a couple of times, but all really, really preliminary stuff.

“I always said that’s the one thing I’d like to do again, if I ever did anything again. But it kind of required Tim to be involved some way or another.” Burton too had said that he had a script for the movie.

“There is a script, and I would love to work with him again. I think there is now a better chance than ever…”I miss that character. There’s something that’s cathartic and amazing about it. I think it’s closer than ever.”

Celebrating Independence Day!

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Afternoon Voice

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August 14, 2015

Our entire political system has become rotten. Most of today’s problems are due to corrupt politics. Unless and until it is cleansed, nothing would improve. Mahatma Gandhi once said that politics devoid of honesty and spirituality is disastrous for the country. We have to change the politics of this country. I am confident that together, we can.

I quote what India’s freedom fighter, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan has said: “My religion is truth, love and service to God and humanity. Every religion that has come into the world has brought the message of love and brotherhood. Those who are indifferent to the welfare of their fellowmen, whose hearts are empty of love, they do not know the meaning of religion.”

Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Lokmanya Tilak, Subash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhikaji Cama, Aruna Asaf Ali, Veer Savarkar, Kaka Joseph Baptista, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Chandrashekar Azad and many others have played a vital role in gaining independence for India. But today’s youth don’t even understand the meaning of independence and take it for granted. Maybe, many of them never had to undergo the hardships faced by these prominent leaders. Today, however, 68 years later, Independence Day is nothing more than a holiday for them like any other public or bank holiday.

On the occasion of Independence Day, we must remember the sacrifices made by those who fought bravely for a liberated India. But it is a pity that every year, after the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations get over, our national flag is strewn like rubbish on the streets and people irrespective of caste, creed, colour or religion, walk blithely over them. Even when the national anthem is played on radio or relayed on television, people no longer stand up and sing the song; they remain glued to their mobile phones talking to friends. As Indians, we must show respect for our country’s national flag and anthem. It is only because of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters that we live in a free country today.

Independence Day is a day for us to celebrate with the hoisting of our national flag, recitation of our national anthem, singing patriotic songs and organising social and cultural programmes. On this day, we should also remember the sacrifices made by our various freedom fighters who fought bravely for our country’s independence and pay our homage to them. Independence Day is one of the three national holidays of India and the greatest festival celebrated in the country. The most spectacular celebrations are marked by the Independence Day Parade that takes place in the capital of New Delhi at Rajpath. It includes march past of the three armed forces, massive parades, folk dances by tribal folk from different states in picturesque costumes marking the cultural unity of India. Further, the streak of jet planes of the Indian Air Force, leaving a trial of coloured smoke, marks the end of this great event. The Independence Day celebrations of India have become world famous as one of the greatest shows on earth drawing thousands of eager sight-seers from all over the country and many parts of the world as well. No other country can draw on such a wealth of tribal traditions and cultures, with so many regional forms of dances and dresses. And, no other country in the world can parade so many ethnically different people in splendid uniforms, all united in their proven loyalty to the Government elected by the people and in their proud traditions and legendary gallantry.

Jubel D’Cruz

Lucky Kapil Sharma gets four heroines in his debut film ‘Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon’

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Afternoon Voice

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August 14, 2015

TV’s funny man Kapil Sharma makes his Bollywood debut in Abbas-Mustan’s comedy ‘Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon’ where the comedian-actor romances not one but four heroines. The film’s trailer was recently released by the makers and shows Sharma in his usual elements. The film features Arbaaz Khan, Manjari Fadnis, Elli Evram, Varun Sharma and Simran Kaur Mundi along with Kapil Sharma. Slated for a September release, the film revolves around Kapil Sharma who has three wives and a girlfriend and the problems that he lands up into thanks to all his relationships.

Empower youth to transform the nation

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Afternoon Voice

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August 14, 2015

Independence Day is celebrated with great solidarity and splendor, fervent zeal and deep patriotism. On this day, we are reminded of the heroic stories of freedom struggle for independence. There have been innumerable heroes who sacrificed their life for our freedom. Many of them remain our unsung heroes whom we do not even know. On this Independence Day, let us remember to salute them and pay our tribute and homage to these legends of our country. It is their sacrifice and vision that has pushed us ahead to come a long way on the path of progress and development. India’s rich history urges us to continue to march ahead with head held high towards great advancement and progress.

Today, India is considered as the largest democracy and one of the biggest education systems in the world. Indeed, India has a great future ahead as it is blessed with more than 50 per cent of its population, below the age of 25, making it the youngest country in the world. With this amount of human resource available, there is a huge challenge before us to channelize this energy in making India a fully developed nation with leaps and bounds progress in improved socio-economic prospects. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Independence Day last year introduced two concepts namely, ‘Make-in-India’ and ‘Skill India’ which would accelerate the economic growth by generating employment, skilled manpower and wealth in the country and take India to greater heights. The nation has the greatest asset – the youth power and this power can work wonders.

It is said that the greatest wealth of any nation is its youth. Having over 65 per cent people under the age of 35 years makes India a massive powerhouse of human resource in the world. The future progress of India will completely depend on harnessing the youth energy to bring about significant productivity. The energy within our youngsters is like dynamite and if this energy is channelized, India will be among the superpowers of the world in all segments. The empowerment of youth both in urban and rural areas will shape a sustainable future for our country. The words of Kofi Annan, 7^th Secretary General of the United Nations are apt: “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.”

The quality of human resource is the core of development. In this light, it is mandatory that both private and public sectors invest prudently in empowering and skilling youth and equipping them to compete on a global platform. Every educational institute at their level has the responsibility to inspire, energize and strengthen the youth to take up the global challenges in their own stride. Studies indicate that 21^st century employers expect employees to possess critical and creative thinking, collaborating, communicating, Media Literacy, Technology Literacy, Social Skills, Leadership, Team work, responsibility and practical application skills. Our youth need to be provided a right platform and a suitable environment to acquire these skills and apply them in real life situations. Equipping our youth with vocational and specialised training in agriculture, various trades and small scale industries will increase the productivity in the coming years. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the “Missile Man” of India had a great vision ‘India 2020’ to transform the nation into a developed country with talented manpower. He has left a beautiful message for our youth. “My message, especially to young is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards.” He wished that every Indian changed her/his thinking from “what can I take” to “what can I give” to make India competent among the nations of the world.

This Independence Day, the inspiring lives of our freedom heroes together with the visionaries of our country exhort us to fight against poverty, illiteracy, corruption and exploitation and aspire to lead the country become a world giant mainly in spheres of socio-economic progress, education and technology.

Wishing you a very Happy Independence Day!

Jai Hind!

Dr. A. F. Pinto

(The author is the Chairman of Ryan International Group of Institutions)

Raj Thackeray knows when to turn friends into foes

By

Afternoon Voice

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August 13, 2015

The MNS leader makes fun of Bhaiyyuji Maharaj whom he had met few days back at Indore.

It seems that MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has mastered the art of spoiling relationship and making foes out of well-wisher friends. Raj had made fun of spiritual leader Bhaiyyuji Maharaj whom he had recently met at Indore. During his Indore visit Raj had sought blessings the blessings of the spiritual leader. After returning from there, Raj had delivered a speech at Thane. Raj had alleged that Bhaiyyuji Maharaj is trying to boost his self-image by trying to derive mileage from the Indore meeting. According to sources, Bhaiyyuji Maharaj is such a respected spiritual leader and if he decides to settle score then he can also damage Raj’s political career.

In a speech delivered at Raj Thackeray said, “Bhaiyyuji Maharaj had many times invited me to present awards to awardees. So this time I made up my mind to visit him. I had gone to Indore and also attended a function. Thus newspapers started reporting that Bhaiyyuji Maharaj is planning reconciliation between me and Uddhav.”

Raj also criticised the media for making false stories of a patch up between him and Uddhav. He said, “According to media, I had met Uddhav at a farmhouse. I don’t blame them for such incident as they are being fed stories by various political parties to take forward their agenda. There is a political motive behind this. Such types of stories are being planted for the sake of frightening the BJP so that if they sideline their political allies then they may even think about switching loyalties.”

“Whenever I watch the news or read newspapers they sound the same which mentions that so and so government has come to power. Even today we hear about women feeling unsafe while commuting in trains, and farmers committing suicide. Few days back, a farmer at whose house Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had stayed had committed suicide. Nothing has changed except political faces” he added.

Before the Assembly poll last year, Bhaiyyuji Maharaj reportedly tried to play the role of mediator between Uddhav and Raj for making pre-poll alliance. It was said that at least three meetings between Sena leader Subhash Desai and MNS leader Nitin Sardesai were held in the presence of Bhaiyyuji Maharaj. However, both leaders had denied possibility of alliance between the Sena and MNS.

Few years back, the MNS had played spoilsport by winning 13 seats in the 2009 assembly polls and was emerging as a strong opponent of Sena. However voters have given a thumps down to the MNS in the 2014 assembly election as the party could manage to win only one seat prompting Raj Thackeray to rethink his poll strategy. MNS will have to work hard to regain its lost ground in the state.

Can Raj Thackeray revive his fortunes?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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August 13, 2015

The conflict between Raj and Uddhav Thackeray has a long story. Raj started his political career as a firebrand president of Sena’s student wing Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Sena (BVS). Raj was quite a power centre and an active youth leader. Of course, he was rash and sort of a Junior Thackeray, mainly due to his look and oratory skills. During the crucial 1995 Assembly elections, in which the Sena won 78 seats, Uddhav Thackeray became active for the first time. After the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance came to power, Uddhav’s stature also rose, meanwhile, Raj was sidelined. Raj was seen as the political heir of Sena founder Bal Thackeray. However, Balasaheb, as he was known, selected his son Uddhav as his successor, Raj left the family fold in 2005 to launch his own party, which claims an almost identical vote bank based on regional chauvinism. At that time, Raj was not even a competitor. Bal Thackeray declared Uddhav’s candidature for the post with a big bang, thereby making him even more non-functional. Raj’s supporters slowly drifted to Uddhav’s camp. Balasaheb’s illness added a different dimension to the Raj-Uddhav conflict. The Shiv Sena supremo’s deteriorating health made him give a clear message that he wanted to crown Uddhav and not his nephew. The national media played up this fact. As Uddhav became a virtual leader, the 2004 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections saw denial of party tickets to Raj loyalists, shattering his hopes of getting support of a good number of MLAs. Uddhav, that time had a support of all 52 Sena MLAs and 101 corporators in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Nine years after breaking away from the Shiv Sena, Raj Thackeray recently fumbled over his own party symbol and urged people to vote for “the bow and arrow” – the Sena’s symbol – before correcting himself.

There has always been reports in media about Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged brother MNS chief Raj Thackeray coming together. Whenever assembly or municipality elections approach, media start speculating about a patch up between the two cousins. On the other hand, both Raj and Uddhav deny that there has been any meeting between them and claim that the media reports are false. Media always cook up stories about reconciliation between two brothers whenever they meet but many times it turns out to be a personal meeting instead of a political one. The Shiv Sena is an established political party in Maharashtra on the other hand MNS is yet to gain its foothold in the state. Few years back, the MNS had played spoilsport by winning 13 seats in the 2009 assembly polls and was emerging as a strong opponent of Sena. However voters have given a thumps down to the MNS in the 2014 assembly election as the party could manage to win only one seat prompting Raj Thackeray to rethink his poll strategy. The party now faces a tough task to revive itself in the state. Even though politically the cousins have attacked each other – as a family they remained together. In July 2012, when Uddhav had to undergo angiography and angioplasty, Raj, his wife Sharmila, and other family members were by his side.

MNS’ 2009 violent agitation in which Raj Thackeray had managed to get the attention of the traditional voters of the Shiv Sena. This also raises doubts on whether the MNS is losing appeal among the middle class and sons of the soil.

Once seen as a potential successor, and then seen as the head of a party that would destroy the Shiv Sena, Raj Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have effectively been relegated to the scrap heap of Maharashtra politics after the state elections. In Mumbai, the MNS got around 24 per cent of the city’s votes, far ahead of the Shiv Sena and emerged as the second largest party in Mumbai with six seats. Can Thackeray revive his fortunes? Raj Thackeray’s agenda for the ‘Marathi manoos’ remained much the same but failed to adequately factor in the change in dynamics. With just one seat in the Maharashtra Assembly, Raj Thackeray has been left with no voice or heft in state politics, instead of worrying about his own future and MNS’s stand he is turning his friends into foes.

Mumbai court rejects anticipatory bail plea filed by Radhe Maa

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Afternoon Voice

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August 13, 2015

The Mumbai court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of self-styled godwoman Radhe Maa in connection with a harassment case filed by a woman.

Last week, a 32-year-old woman had filed a complaint of domestic violence and dowry harassment against her in-laws and Radhe Maa.

She has alleged that Radhe Maa had instigated her in-laws, who have been her followers for last several years.

On Sunday, the Mumbai Police had issued summons to Radhe Maa for recording her statement in connection with a dowry harassment case and had said that she had to appear within four days at the Kandivali Police station.

Meanwhile, yesterday a new complaint was filed at the suburban Borivali police station against Radhe Maa alleging her involvement in promoting superstition.

Advocate Ashok Rajput who filed the complaint has demanded that Radhe Maa should be booked under the stringent Anti-Superstition Law not only for spreading superstition but also for practising “indecent behaviour”.

Mumbai Police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni had said yesterday that the police had received the complaint against Radhe Maa and is looking into it.

“We are going into the merits of the complaint. Any further action would be taken only after enquiry and legal considerations,” Kulkarni said, adding that sections of the Anti-Superstition Act would be invoked only after proper circumstantial evidence is found.