RBI optimistic about 9.5 pc GDP growth estimate for FY22 being met: Shaktikanta Das

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September 9, 2021

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said many fast indicators are showing an uptick in economic activity and the Reserve Bank is quite optimistic about its 9.5 per cent GDP growth estimate for FY2021-22 at present.

He said the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 has waned by August, and economic growth will be better from the second quarter onwards on a sequential basis.

Speaking at an event organized by The Indian Express and Financial Times, Das said the RBI has decided to give more emphasis on growth because of the pandemic and operate in the 2-6 per cent inflation band set by the government for it. The central bank will seek to gradually move towards achieving the 4 per cent target over a period of time, he said, adding that the possibility of a sustained increase in inflation is unlikely.

Easy liquidity conditions in the global markets are among the conditions which are leading to a surge in markets domestically, he said, making it clear that there is no evidence of the high asset prices affecting the inflation situation. A call on continuing with the accommodative stance or not will be taken by the rate-setting panel of the RBI, he said, replying to a question and added that it does not see high inflation getting generalized.

The banking system’s gross non-performing assets ratio stood at 7.5 per cent as of the end of June quarter, and the same is “manageable” as of now, Das said, underlining that lenders also have adequate capital buffers. To a question on high haircuts taken by banks in debt resolutions, he said there is scope for improvement in the functioning of IBC which can include legislative changes and also time taken for a case by the bankruptcy courts.

On cryptocurrencies, Das said the RBI has conveyed its “serious and major concerns” about cryptocurrencies to the government, and now the government will have to decide on how to deal with the proliferation of such platforms. Das said that we need “credible answers” on the contribution of private cryptocurrencies to the Indian economy going forward.

Many journalists in India are victims of violence and vengeance

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 9, 2021

journalists in India, press freedom, freedom of press, india, journalists, freedom of expressions, taliban — Image: Reuters

On one hand violence against journalists is rising, no job guarantee, lobbyism, political patronage, internal issues, stress, no freedom of expression and on the other hand, many unions and associations mushroomed with the claim to protect the rights of journalists. In fact, India ranks ninth in a list of the twenty deadliest countries for journalists.

More than ten journalists have been killed, some died due to various reasons, and many faces death threats on a regular basis. Political correspondents exposing corruption pay the highest price. These days even the job of journalists is decided by political groups, no one is independent in his/her expression.

Journalists need basic dignity, liberty to speak, and courage to show truth but these are remote possibilities. Social media IT cells are deployed to the trash and harass those journalists who talk against the establishment and speak for people.

Media is the fourth pillar of democracy and it cannot be trodden. There was a campaign on social media called #journalismwithoutfear, they asked the media people to share their stories of courage and how they kept going in the face of fear. Their aim was to make India a better and safer place for journalists. Hardly any journalist participated in this campaign because it was bait.

What happened after that campaign? Did you ever see any independent and fearless journalists getting that liberty? Some noises were there for some time, and now everyone has almost forgotten about it.

More disturbingly, India features in the list of 13 high-impunity countries where a tremendously large proportion of such murders have remained unsolved, according to a 2016 CPJ report. Most journalists who have been murdered for their work covered politics and corruption. Another community, which has been targeted, is that of Right to Information (RTI) activists.

Death is the ultimate price journalists, writers, and whistleblowers pay for challenging powerful vested interests or for expressing dissent. And while such murders represent the most extreme form of attack on journalists and writers, less extreme forms of attacks such as death threats and abuses are common. The advent of social media has only worsened the problem, with women journalists facing the brunt of the attacks on social media. When journalists raise such issues, they are often told that the rise in such abuses or attacks at least partly reflects the declining credibility of the Indian media.

However, the reach of Indian media over the past few decades has been accompanied by greater trust in it, data from successive rounds of the World Values Survey show. It is nobody’s case that Indian journalists are infallible, but the long-term trends suggest that their credibility has been raising over time.

As the charts illustrate, trust in the Indian media has risen sharply since the mid-1990s, when the state monopoly over the broadcast news medium was broken. Confidence in the press was higher in India than in several other countries surveyed, the data shows, as we reached 2019, the media completely lost its credibility and it remained a political mouthpiece. India has hardly been a harbour for journalists.

For the past few years, reporters and editors have faced harassment, pressure, and threats from vested interests in the government as well as private ones. A number of them have even been killed for performing their duty or voicing an opinion. No wonder India is the third-most dangerous place to be a journalist, behind war-torn Iraq and Syria. Aiming of women journalists as ‘soft targets’ of those exposing intolerance of others’ views. The freedom of expression by the Press needed legal protection in the current climate of intimidation of presspersons.

The media should be the watchdog, the mediator between the leaders and the public. The mainstream media’s independence is currently being questioned, and see how ultra-nationalism has dominated the political narrative, refusing to accept dissent. In recent years the media has also lowered the quality of India’s public dissertation. Media expansion has led to a shrinking of the public sphere, resulting in the spread of elitist and socially conservative values.

The media is divided in religion caste and creed, some publication house and media channels go random against minorities, and some claims to be leftists and attack Hindu upper class in this Hindu Muslim era of journalism, Dalit magazines turns a spotlight on India’s low-caste plight. The readers too are divided into these lines. Apart from these divisions, some media houses got mortgaged to powers. The true test of a vigorous democracy is the independence of its media. Over the past few years, our media has become the mouthpiece of the party in power. Coupled with the fact the corporate owners of media houses share close links with the government, the Indian media have tragically lost its voice.

India has over 400 news channels in various languages and another 150 channels are awaiting clearance. The South Asian country also has tens of thousands of newspapers and magazines. But the quality of Indian journalism is poor, as evidenced by the fact India ranks 136 among 180 countries in the index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, an NGO. When it comes to press freedom, India fares worse than even countries like Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

If you notice, we don’t see much criticism in the media against government and policy failures, Prime Minister and his team have the ability to completely dominate the media’s agenda. The media is bound to only react to the news agenda offered by the government, rather than investigate its activities independently. Read any big newspaper there are hardly any bylines, some newspapers have dropped writing editorials, some newspapers randomly publish news provided by DGIPR or press trust of India, they do not get in investigative stories. What more do you expect when the media industry is dominated by such big players of corporate industry and political parties?

Freedom of Press – New threat for journalists across the globe

By

Afternoon Voice

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September 9, 2021

Many Indian journalists were charged under the sedition act, some were brutally murdered and others languished in jail for executing their right to speak and freedom of the press. Across the globe, the situation is not different.

A few hours ago, upsetting images of journalists displaying injuries sustained after being beaten by the Taliban have underlined global concerns over the hardline Islamist group, and its ability to deliver on promises to protect human rights and guarantee freedom of the press as it forms a new Afghan government.

At least two such images have surfaced in the aftermath of the group announcing that government and have been shared by verified Twitter handles, including in one post by Marcus Yam (a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times) and another by Etilaatroz (an Afghan news publication). Images tweeted by Yam show two men stripped to their underwear and standing with their backs to the camera. Their backs and legs are covered with what appear to be red welts and bruises.

د اطلاعات روز ورځپاڼې دوه خبریالان تقي دریابي او نعمت‌الله نقدي د طالبانو له لوري تر نیولو وروسته، ډېر سخت وهل ډبول شوي دي.#Afghanistan https://t.co/zQBc26KTlh

— اطلاعات روز | Etilaatroz (@Etilaatroz) September 8, 2021

The history of #Afghanistan journalism always remember the first day of #Taliban cabinet announcement and this photo of @etilaatroz journalists who were tortured by Taliban force.

Photo: @yamphoto pic.twitter.com/xGCebQxAuY

— Zaki Daryabi (@ZDaryabi) September 9, 2021

According to Etilaatroz, Mr Daryabi and Mr Naqdi – a video editor and a reporter – were covering a protest led by women in the Kart-e-Char area of western Kabul on Wednesday, when they were abducted by the Taliban, taken to different rooms and beaten and tortured.

“One of the Taliban put his foot on my head, crushed my face against the concrete. They kicked me in the head… I thought they were going to kill me,” Naqdi told news agency AFP.

He told AFP he was accosted by a Taliban fighter as soon as he started taking pictures of the rally by women demanding the right to work and education.

“They told me ‘You cannot film’… They arrested all those who were filming and took their phones. The Taliban started insulting me, kicking me,” he said, adding that when he asked why he was being beaten, he was told: “You are lucky you weren’t beheaded”.

In the recent past, an Indian journalist was also killed by the Taliban. According to the LA Times the Taliban also stopped its journalists from photographing the protesting women; the foreign correspondents, however, were only forced to leave the area.

The LA Times also said three other journalists, including the local head of Euronews, a pan-European TV news network headquartered in France, were also abducted. They were later released unharmed, although the Euronews head was repeatedly slapped.

Several other journalists were also arrested – including TOLO News cameraperson Waheed Ahmady and Ariana News reporter Sami Jahesh, with cameraman Samim – as they covered the protests.

An extensive report by the Committee to Protect Journalism (CPJ) outlined more attacks. Last month another Tolo News reporter – Ziar Yaad Khan – was believed to have been killed by the Taliban, before it was confirmed that they had held him at gunpoint and assaulted him. And days before that Taliban killed a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist while hunting for him.

The group had earlier claimed it would respect freedom of the press, but its actions yesterday and over the past weeks indicate otherwise. A spokesman for the group has already warned people against taking to the streets in protest and warned journalists that they should not cover any demonstrations.

A stark reminder of the impact the Taliban has already had on a free press was made by media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres, or Reporters Without Borders, last week, when it said active female journalists in Kabul are below 100 since the group seized power, compared with 700 before. The make-up of the new government has led to further concerns.

The Taliban had promised an inclusive government that would reflect the ethnic identities that form the country, but all top positions were handed to key leaders from the movement and the Haqqani network — the group’s most violent branch and one known for devastating attacks.

The post of the interior minister – equivalent to the Home Ministry post in India – was given to Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by the United States FBI. None of the government appointees was a woman. The Taliban’s first period in power was replete with horrific stories of brute force and disregard for human rights, particularly those of women and children. The second – a Taliban 2.0 – was supposed to be different.

Senior journalist Sudhesh Baliga said, “Journalists’ conditions are not better in India also so we should not act overwhelmingly. India is harvesting somewhat the same kind of people.”

Manojit Saurabh freelance media reporter said, “Australia has brought new laws to sue media that use these false stories claiming it is from a third party. The Western media use such propaganda to demonize leaders and their governments. There should be an international law that media who fabricate such stories and pictures must be prosecuted. The media always claims it is from a third party.”

Pallavi Ganatra Media PR said, “The news report, as well as the videos about Afghan Journalists beaten by Taliban for covering women’s protests, was really sad and horrifying. These Taliban are never to be trusted. Even though they had promised that they would respect other religions, they have proved to be liars and doing exactly what their religion is teaching them to do. It’s very sad that other countries, especially the USA, had withdrawn their troops from that soil very fast as if they were present there, these incidents would not have happened.”

People depending on Temples for survival are in financial crises

By

Afternoon Voice

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September 8, 2021

The COVID third wave is approaching and cases of dengue and malaria are also increasing but their symptoms are different this time. Therefore, such patients must undergo COVID-19 test,” Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on rising cases of infectious disease in the state.

Earlier, workers, senior leaders and former ministers from the opposition BJP staged protests in several cities in Maharashtra against the MVA government’s stand to not reopen temples that remain shut due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The protests, organized by the Aadhyatmik Aghadi (spiritual wing) of the BJP, were held in Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Nashik, Nagpur, Pandharpur, Aurangabad and other places where agitators rang bells and blew conches.

Replying to the ruckus created by opposition leaders Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, “If you want to protest, protest against Corona. Some people are rushing to reopen some establishments. I request them to wait for some more time because we don’t want to open them and then close again if the situation gets worse.”

The chief minister further stated even though the second wave of COVID-19 is “under control”, there is a slight increase in the number of daily cases in the last few days. “We have to avoid crowding… have patience. We should not be required to close the places which have been opened up now,” he said. Thackeray said people should know that the “enemy is yet not completely defeated… the thick tail is still there.”

Afternoon Voice spoke to some temple trustees, priests and Mawlawi of Mosques about their reactions to the closure of religious places in Maharashtra, is what they had to say.

Hemant Jadhav, Manager at Mumbadevi Mandir Trust said, “Devotees should get Darshan without any restrictions on them. We have kept the Mumbadevi Temple closed as per government orders. It is not that Pooja and daily worships don’t take place in the temple. But people are unhappy. Last year the Mandir was opened between 17 November to 25 December, now markets are open yet temple gates are closed.”

“Temples were closed even during Chaturmas, the pujaris are facing financial problems due to this decision of the government. The state government is treating our pujari’s as if they belong to Telangana. Temples should be opened gradually with limited time slots for Darshan,” said Pramod Pandit Joshi, Spokesperson of Hindu Mahasabha.

“Hinduism is based on belief, people get confidence from temples, this gets disturbed. Temple implies indoor and outdoor employment. In India temples are the second biggest employment generators, now they all are facing losses. We feed about 500 orphaned and homeless children; due to the restrictions they were left without Annadaan. All other places like markets and public transports are fully crowded than why do only temples have to be kept closed?” said Gurunath Guruji of Balaji Mandir Trust (Charkop).

“The shopkeepers selling pooja needs, sweets outside and inside of temple premises are facing hardships since the government has decided to close down temples in the state. We have strictly closed the Darshan to each and everyone, including the VIPs. We also had to reduce the priests and security personnel’s to cope up with the financial issues,” Rajesh Patel, Supervisor of Mahalaxmi Mandir (Mumbai).

“Tulja Bhavani Mandir is closed for two years now, many dependent on the temple and tourism are leaving the town in search of bread and butter. Many pooja shops and mithai shop owners have sold their shops and homes due to the financial crunch. The government has not rendered any help to us or the shopkeepers. The temple alone feeds about half of the town, the government should give ear to our woes,” said Balaji Tone, Priest of Tuljapur Bhavani Temple (Tuljapur).

“I am an authorized MCGM Bada Kabrastan undertaking ritual official. For 6 months all mosques were open, then the second wave arrived. Right now, outside the Masjid in the market, there is overcrowding. Let me know the prayer house entertain the corona or tell me does the market gives ground to it? It is Rush that increases it. I have written to CM and the Municipal Commissioner and many Islamic delegates to help the society out of this. My belief will say that labour bores a fruit,” said Shoaib Khatif, Chairman Jama Masjid Bombay.

Maulana Mufti Ashpaq Kazi, Chand Committee Member, said “People go to Gurudwara, Mandir, Church or Masjid to offer their prayers. In every Prayer house, there are etiquettes and a state has laws. We should walk in hand together to help the City and Nation out of this calamity. Trains are running, the markets are open and only lockdown on worship places. This is creating a socio-psychological problem among the masses. The poor are dying in poverty. You give us guidelines of SOP will wear masks and sanitize ourselves with cleanser. Why close Godly institutions?”

“The worshippers should not be restricted. At Haji Ali 30 to 40 thousand devotees bow themselves every day. Now the situation is only the hospitality staff and the ritualists are present. This is the place where faith evolves and when you shut it off, definitely a psychological problem develops and this is dangerous. You give us the prohibits and norms to follow by which we will keep the maintenance and prevention measures healthy. We are ready to take precautions,” said Suhail Yacoob Khandwani, Haji Ali Dargah Trustee.

Worship places might have been closed but their services are open to mankind

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 8, 2021

temple, mumbai, lockdown, covid-19, covid, coronavirus, churches, temples, mosque, masjid, mandir — Image: PTI

At the moment where opposition leaders are protesting against the closures of worship places, the government is asking to show some patience. The gathering of people at Churches, Gurdwaras, Mandirs, and Mosques is prohibited. The religious rite may bring peace and prosperity but if we observe the current situation, we have a very colossal problem.

We have seen whenever people are holding a religious gathering that has spread the COVID exponentially due to these congregations. Health is everything and we can do these activities after the end of this pandemic. When most people and the States of India are gripped by the fear of contracting the Covid-19 virus is the best way to stay away from crowded areas and in particular the Indian worship places as of the present scenario.

In Mumbai many religious leaders modified their rituals, hoping to contain the spread of coronavirus. Not only that but the temples and other religious worshipping places are closes for an indefinite time period. Mumbai is taking more drastic measures, cancelling worship services, closing religious places, and closing holy sites.

Government and temple trust believes that the public gathering can create hindrance in protecting people from the spread of coronavirus. In Mumbai big temples like Mahalakshmi, Mumbadevi and Siddhivinayak have remained closed. Even the churches and mosques are closed for public prayers. Gurudwaras shut their doors for worshipers but they are doing their social services.

Millions of Muslims visit the Saudi kingdom around the year for the Hajj pilgrimage.

The current travel restrictions prevent the entry of both overseas pilgrims and Saudi citizens into the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. This has had a direct impact on the umrah pilgrimage, known as the “lesser pilgrimage,” which can be performed at almost any time of the year. Whether or not the restrictions will extend to the hajj, which begins around July 28, can be known only after it becomes clear how long the coronavirus outbreak will last. Both the umrah and hajj are important pilgrimages for Muslims, but they differ in many respects.

For many Muslim men, group prayers on Friday are a religious obligation. But as congregations across the country and the world weighed whether to stay open, experts in Islamic law stepped in. Together with Muslim medical experts, the society strongly recommended that congregations take precautions against the pandemic, including immediately suspending congregational prayers and other community gatherings.

Other than religious places, the city had closed all malls, gyms and movie theatres, sports leagues, museums, and other cultural institutions, after the recent relaxation, some places are opened for those who have taken a complete dose of vaccines.

In the meantime, opposition leaders in Maharashtra may not like getting temple doors closed, but one needs to understand that saving human lives is bigger worship. God is going to be in his places even if you return after ages but once safety is guaranteed when gatherings are controlled.

Interestingly, the temple trusts across India silently doing their jobs by rendering help towards mankind. Two prominent temple trusts in Maharashtra donated Rs 51 crore and Rs 2 crore to the government for providing various kinds of reliefs in the ”war against virus” in the state. The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi (Ahmednagar) donated Rs.51 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The Devasthan Management Committee, Kolhapur, which administers a string of temples, has announced a donation of Rs 2 crore through the famed Mahalaxmi Temple.

An amount of Rs 1.50 crore has been given to the CMRF, while Rs 50 lakh will go to the collector for enhancing various medical facilities in the district to tackle Coronavirus. Several other temples have come forward to donate to the fun for the Covid-19 war in the past few days, besides taking up other community initiatives. Gurudwaras, churches, and Mosques are doing their bit. Each and every religious trust is doing something or the other, without bothering about the closed doors of worship places. In such crises, politicians should behave responsible. Commoners should understand how important it is to stay safe.

Within 24 hours several incidences of crime against women in India

By

Afternoon Voice

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September 7, 2021

PM Modi might have coined the slogan “Band Karo Nari Par Vaar” to stop cruelty against women, but in seven years of his rule, nothing is changed for women.

Minor girls were made to walk naked and beg at locals’ homes at a tribal village in Madhya Pradesh for relief from a drought-like situation and to appease the rain god. Officials said the incident happened in the Damoh district on Sunday as part of a ritual.

An eyewitness told Afternoon Voice, “the girls were in shame they were crying; one was so small that she did not even understand what she was made to do.” All men and boys accompanied them door-to-door, it was a real pain but authorities turned onlookers.”

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought a report from the Damoh district administration. A video that has emerged reportedly shows at least six bare-bodied girls of about five years of age walking together with a wooden shaft on their shoulders with a frog tied to it.

The Pune incident has sent shock waves, 13 men raped A 14-year-old girl at various locations in and around the Pune railway station between August 31 and September 1. Six of the arrested men are autorickshaw drivers, while the other two are Class IV, railway employees.

Senior inspector Deepak Lagad told Afternoon Voice, “We are investigating the matter, and the girl is given medical assistance. On Monday night, three persons were detained for questioning in relation to the crime; the girl had left home around 10.30 pm on August 31 to meet a friend at the railway station. But her friend did not turn up.

“The traumatized girl has not yet revealed how she reached the railway station,” Lagad said.

“An autorickshaw driver spotted her crying and offered to drop her back home. However, he took her to a lodge and raped her. Later, he called his friends, who took turns to rape the girl at various places before they left her on board the Pune-Jammu Tawi Jhelum express train around 5.30 pm on September 2,” Lagad said.

“On September 1, the girl’s parents had approached the police to report their missing daughter. We were investigating the matter and examined the CCTV footage in and around the railway station. We spotted the autorickshaw driver taking the girl, buying a ticket, and leaving her on the train,” he said.

“The police sent wireless messages to all railway police stations along the train route. The Chandigarh railway police found the girl on September 4 and alerted the Pune police. A police team reached Chandigarh by air on September 5 to bring the girl back to Pune. She has narrated her woes to a woman police officer,” Lagad added.

In another incident, the police are looking out for a man, suspected to have killed his wife during a fight in the Moshi area of Pune, and leaving her body in their locked house until the police found it on Monday. The deceased woman was identified as Dr Sarla Vijaykumar Salve, while the husband, who is believed to have left a self-incriminating note in their house before going on the run was identified as Vijaykumar Gajanan Salve, a local government official.

“She was a doctor at Naidu Hospital. The man is a talathi in Pune. We are looking for him,” said senior police inspector Shivaji Gawari, of MIDC Bhosari police station, who is investigating the case.

Shikshak Parv: PM Modi launches key education initiatives including Indian sign language dictionary, audio books

By

Afternoon Voice

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September 7, 2021

The teaching-learning process has to be constantly redefined and redesigned to make the education sector in the country world-class, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.

Noting that the transformations being undertaken in the education sector are not just policy-based but also participation-based, the prime minister launched several initiatives in the education sector which, he said, will play an important role in shaping India’s future.

Addressing the inaugural conclave of ‘Shikshak Parv’ through video-conferencing, he expressed confidence that these measures will not only make our education system globally competitive but also make the youth future-ready.

”We have to constantly redefine and redesign our teaching-learning process to make our education sector world-class. In this rapidly changing era, our teachers also have to learn about new systems and techniques rapidly. The country is preparing its teachers for these changes,” he said in his address.

”If we are in the midst of a transformation period, fortunately, we also have modern and futuristic new National Education Policy. These transformations in the education sector are not just policy-based but also participation-based,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi praised the contribution of academicians, experts, and teachers at every stage in the formulation of the National Education Policy and its implementation. He urged everyone to take this participation to a new level and also to involve society in it.

”During COVID, we have all witnessed capabilities of our education sector. There were a lot of challenges, but you solved all challenges swiftly. Online classes, group video calls, online exams – such terms weren’t heard by much earlier,” he added.

Modi launched the Indian Sign Language Dictionary (audio and text embedded sign language video for the hearing impaired, in conformity with Universal Design of Learning)and Talking Books (audiobooks for the visually impaired).

He also unveiled the School Quality Assurance and Assessment Framework of CBSE, NISHTHA teachers’ training program for NIPUN Bharat, and Vidyanjali portal for facilitating education volunteers, donors, and CSR contributors for school development.

”Today, on the occasion of Shikshak Parv, many new schemes have been started. These initiatives are also important because the country is currently celebrating the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ (75th anniversary) of independence and for making new resolutions on how India will be after 100 years of independence,” the prime minister said.

”For the development of any nation, education needs to be both equitable and inclusive. That is why the country is including talking books and audiobooks as part of education. Based on UDL, an Indian sign language dictionary has been developed,” he said.

People’s participation has been a key aspect of the government’s decision-making in the seven years, he said and cited programs like ‘Swachh Bharat’ and move to boost digital transactions among the poor to assert that such kinds of work could not have been imagined otherwise.

”When the society does something together, then the desired results must be met. Public participation is again becoming the national character of India. In the last six-seven years, due to the power of public participation, such things have been done in India, which no one could have imagined,” he said.

The theme of the ‘Shikshak Parv-2021’ is “Quality and Sustainable Schools: Learnings from Schools in India”.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Modi recalled the stellar performance of Indian athletes in the recently concluded Olympics and Paralympics. He expressed happiness that athletes have accepted his request that every player visit at least 75 schools during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

”This will inspire the students and many talented students will get encouragement to go forward in the field of sports,” he said.

The prime minister said ‘Vidyanjali 2.0’ is like a platform for the country’s resolve of ‘Sabka Prayas’ with ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’.

School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF), which was operationalized today, would address the deficiency of absence of a common scientific framework for dimensions like curricula, pedagogy, assessment, and infrastructure. It will also help in bridging the gaps related to inclusive practices and the governance process.

Porn films case: Bombay High Court rejects actor Gehana Vasisth’s pre-arrest bail plea

By

Web Team

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September 7, 2021

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday rejected the pre-arrest bail plea filed by actor Gehana Vasisth accused in a case related to pornographic films.

Vasisth is accused of threatening, coercing and luring women with money to act in pornographic films.

Justice S K Shinde refused to grant anticipatory bail to the actor on Tuesday.

Vasisth filed the plea last month, apprehending arrest in the case.

She has been booked under Sections 354-C (outraging modesty of a woman), 292 and 293 (sale of obscene material) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 66E, 67, 67A (transmission of sexually explicit material) of the Information Technology Act, and provisions of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.

The city police had registered three FIRs in the porn films racket case against several persons.

Businessman Raj Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, is an accused in one of the FIRs.

He was arrested on July 19 this year and is currently in judicial custody.

The police’s case against Vasisth is that she had lured women with the promise of small acting jobs and forced them to act in obscene movies. These movies were then uploaded on the mobile app Hotshots, allegedly owned by Kundra.

The police subsequently also filed an application before a lower court to add another charge against Vasisth under section 370 (detaining a person against their will) of the IPC.

Vasisth’s advocate Abhishek Yende had earlier argued that the actor’s arrest was not required as the police have already recovered evidence from her.

Ganpati Bappa to arrive on Terms & Conditions; BMC has capped the number of people to 10 for immersion

By

Shailendra Khopkar

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September 6, 2021

ganeshotsav, covid-19, covid, sop, ganesh chaturthi, ganpati, ganpati bappa, covid-19 in mumbai, ganpati rules, ganpati sop — Image: PTI

The BMC held a meeting with the Ganeshotsav Coordinating Committee and Mumbai Police to decide on the guidelines for the Ganpati festival. At the meeting, it was decided that most of the rules would remain the same as last year.

The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), an umbrella body of Ganpati Mandal, has demanded to allow devotees in the pandals for offline darshan.

To this, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (zone 2) Harshad Kale said, “The decision on whether to allow devotees for Ganesh darshan will be taken at the senior level after discussion with the police. Mandals should make arrangements for online Darshan as well.”

The BSGSS representatives demanded immersion of idols from renowned Mandal to be allowed at sea of natural ponds. The demand was accepted by the BMC.

BSGSS president Naresh Dahibavkar said, “It was taking days for immersions to be completed at artificial ponds and hence we asked for immersion for idols from Sarvajanik (public) Mandal to be allowed at sea. We are happy that BMC has accepted this demand.”

The Idols height has been restricted to 4 feet for Big Pandals and 2 feet for home Idols.

Given the expected Covid-19 third wave, the Maharashtra government has decided to ban massive idols of Ganesha and extra-large public celebrations for the upcoming 10-day Ganeshotsav festival starting September 10.

The government has also emphasized simple, unostentatious celebrations, without crowds and strictly following all Covid-19 protocols during the 10 days that mark the state’s biggest public festival in which people from all communities participate.

No processions will be permitted for the start of the festival on September 10 or for the ‘Visarjan’ (immersion) ceremonies on various dates till the final adieu on September 19.

Naresh Dahibavkar, the president of the influential Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS) told the Afternoon Voice, “This is very sad and shocking news, continuing two years we are unable to celebrate Ganesh festival. The organizers have sent several letters to the state government but they remained unacknowledged and now suddenly this a one-sided and prejudiced decision has come.”

He appealed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to convene a meeting of the BSGSS and others in the state to discuss and jointly finalise the norms for the 2021 Ganeshotsav.

Rahul Walanj, President of Sahyadri Krida Mandal said, “We used to receive at least 2-3 lakh devotees each day but since the Covid pandemic we hardly see five hundred devotees coming for darshan. The members and volunteers are unhappy with the restrictions put by the state government for the second consecutive year. Rules are only laid on those organizations who follow them, but others are breaking all the protocols and rules yet the authorities turn a blind eye.”

“We are fully obeying and cooperating with the state government and its guidelines but the government should consider our requests too and give some kind of relaxation for putting up hoarding or advertisements as this 10-day Ganeshotsav festival also gives livelihood and employment to lakhs of people. There needs to be a proper guideline issued on public forums so the common man can also understand and obey the rules,” said Harshad Desai of Girgaoncha Raja.

“Like last year this year too we are celebrating the Ganeshotsav on a smaller scale due to the pandemic and the local authorities and governing bodies are helping us with the permissions. We are excited to welcome the Gappa in an eco-friendly way in this calamity,” said Jayesh Patel of Yuva Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, Vashi.

Balasaheb Kamble, President of Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal, “We have to take care of the Societal health. Government is stiff on the earlier SOP. They are conducting meetings; we are following their rules and have sent them our organized event planning of the festival. One thing for sure is that they are not in a decisive plan of action about Ganeshotsav.”

“We have our Ganeshotsav for 14-days till Sankasti Chaturthi and we have been following all the Covid protocols. We are avoiding huge pandals or decorations but focused on proper ventilation with 30 ft height, social distancing and not distributing prasad,” said Subodh Chitnis of Andhericha Raja.

Ravindra Palav, President of Bhatwadi Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav said, “Since last two years we have been following the Covid-19 guidelines and celebrating the Ganeshotsav on within a limited scale. This year our Mandal has organized a vaccination camp where we will be vaccinating around 300 people.”

“We are unhappy as our Mandal is 90-year-old and known for the Giant idols since the past two years the idols are limited to 4 ft of height,” said Avinash Karngutkar, Asst. Treasurer of Mazgaoncha Raja.

There was demand from Ganesh Pandals to allow the big idols to be worshipped and a bio-bubble system to be allowed during the Ganesh festival which the state government has not agreed upon. According to the guidelines of the state government, Public Pandals should take appropriate permission from local authorities. Public Pandal should be limited in size.

The Ganesh Idols height has been restricted at 4 feet for Public and Big Pandals and 2 feet for home Idols. In the guidelines, the government has requested people, if possible, worship metal or marble Idols at home or else idols should be made of clay.

Immersion of home idols should be done at home or artificial ponds created by the local authorities. Considering the pandemic situation government has asked to conduct health camps and blood donation camps instead of cultural programs. No exemption will be given during the Ganesh festival as all break the chain rules and associated levels will apply to districts. No crowding should happen in Pandals also Big Pandals should keep the facility of Online ‘Darshan’ via social media or Live streaming. Social distancing should be maintained. The area should be sanitised regularly.

In contemporary society religious festivals are becoming worthless

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

September 6, 2021

Festivals in India revolve around Gods and their birthdays, traditional myths, seasonal changes, relationships, and much more. Festivals are celebrated irrespective of religion or caste in the country, bringing people closer and creating a strong bond of humanity. Right from childhood, infants in India are part of every festival celebration in the house. This helps them understand the rituals of each festival and they develop a liking for the festivals and celebrations. But in the modern ear, everything is shortened to formality.

As they grow older, they get fonder of these festivals and they want to celebrate it in its full potential to enjoy it thoroughly. You will notice a lot of youngsters participating in festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Durga Puja, and Christmas. These festivals bring them closer to each other as well as the country and instil a feeling of patriotism as well.

For students, it is a great way to understand the rich heritage of India and learn about the importance of various festivals. These festivals also help people from across the world to know about India and its history. This creates a good reputation for our country in the world and we get an opportunity to spread our country’s rich heritage. Many schools organize a cultural exchange for students that foster intercultural learning experiences. Cultural exchange programs promote mutual understanding between nations and students get an opportunity to learn the culture of other countries.

In contemporary society, religious festivals are becoming worthless with most people only wanting to enjoy themselves. But some people are still celebrating their religious festivals with full enthusiasm and enjoyment. There are rare families that are really celebrating each festival. In the modern era, God’s idol to traditions is shrunk to size. All traditional festivals teach and celebrate the good values of life such as morality and ethics.

For example, people used to celebrate Diwali in a grand manner by wearing new clothes, giving and receiving presents, bursting crackers, and preparing traditional foods which give them more enjoyment. In addition, by decorating their homes with earthen lamps they are also sending out the message that we should dispel darkness from the world and our lives. But in the modern era, people are using China-made wax lamps and some crackers for formality. Health-conscious people avoid eating and making those traditional dishes.

When I was a kid, there used to be hustle and bustle in my home before and after festivals. Days-long preparations, new clothes, house cleaning, and the most favourite part of all this was shopping. And then greeting relatives, going to a friend’s house for greetings, and getting together was fun. Things have changed now. Our hectic lifestyle is major to be blamed; also, since most of the families are nuclear it becomes very difficult to follow all those rituals of celebration.

However, I know of a few families who still get together and celebrate festivals the same old way. It’s really good because in doing so they are preserving our customs and traditions. Moreover, smartphone addictions have distanced people from meeting and talking. Everyone is in some or the other kind of stress, one is running from the other. In the Indian culture, there was a time when there used to be a Holi Gulal Hindu Festival every day of the year – 365 festivals in a year – because a festival is a tool to bring life to a state of exuberance and enthusiasm.

That was the significance and importance of festivals. The whole culture was in a state of celebration. If today was plugging day, it was a kind of celebration. Tomorrow was planting day, another kind of celebration. Day after tomorrow was the wedding, that was a celebration. Festivals bring happiness, cheer, hope, optimism, celebrations, lights, joy, cooperation, and many more pleasant things in our life. During Diwali, Christmas, Holi, Eid, Gurupurb, Passover, or any other festival the world appears to be heaven. It appears as if the entire world is attending a wedding celebration. Children, adults, teenagers, elders, and middle-aged people all look cheerful and vibrant. The ambience looks bright and poise.

Now life is mostly restricted to urbanites, we are losing our culture. The cause behind it is the new moderately well-to-do middle-class parents of youngsters. They fail to educate the kids about Indian culture but get thrilled when the kids dance to a Bollywood tune or an MJ song. These days these kids would not be able to say which is Bharatanatyam and which is Odyssey or kathak.

They would identify any western singer but not Pt. Jasraj or any other Indian classical musician. They would have seen 2012 or Startrek but not Shakuntala or Ramayana, their parents who are in the age group of 30 to 50 years as of now. These people had no time to teach the young about anything Indian. Further, if you take a look at the schools today you may notice that all their school day functions vibrate with even five-year-olds dancing to Sheila Ki Jawani.

I remember having acted as Krishna or Rama in school functions and girls performing Bharatanatyam or singing classical. With a much more demanding work-life than earlier and with the amalgamation of cultures happening globally, we are losing our cultural identity. I wouldn’t know if it’s a good thing or not. All I know is we are no longer following age-old practices which reflect our true culture. One reason that comes to mind is, maybe we have a more demanding working lifestyle than ever.

There’s too much at hand to be doing things the traditional way. I’d like to believe that this is not the case. Many will disagree, I’m sure. Secondly, we, in today’s world, have enough distractions to be able to reflect on our past way of life. I’m sure many of us have childhood memories when grandpa used to do the traditional “pooja”(prayers) that seemed to go on for eternity. I also remember my grandparents were very particular about how things were done. There was no reasoning with them as to why they were done the way they were.

Finally, time is of utmost importance according to today’s generation. We do celebrate festivals, but more often than not, it’s more of a family get-together rather than following tradition itself. All of our festivals have become more of coming together for a day or two, and then going back to your separate individual existence. We aren’t patient enough to go through all procedures for lack of time and more than that, a lack of interest. The rich and vibrant festivals of India are a testimony to our diverse traditions and culture.

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