Exclusive Interview: ‘Fauji Calling’ Was Challenging Experience For Me, But Enjoyed Every Bit Of It, Says Bidita Bag

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March 5, 2021

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The current hottest diva Bidita Bag who has done a considerable amount of work on the OTT platform is all excited for her upcoming movie ‘Fauji Calling’, which also stars a bunch of talented actors like Sharman Joshi, Mugdha Godse, and Ranjha Vikram Singh.

She had started her filmy career with the Bengali movie ‘Ichhe’ in 2011 and later worked on several movies like ‘Kagojer Nouka’, ‘Sangabora’ and ‘Bouma’. The model-cum-actress also seen in ‘The Missing Stone’, ‘Abhay 2’, ‘The Sholay Girl’, and many others.

Bidita got candid with our correspondent Hema Singh where she shares about her upcoming projects, characters, favorite directors, take away from Fauji Calling, and more…

Can you describe your role in this movie?

Fauji Calling is a film that gives tribute to the sacrifices of the families of our soldiers. I am playing the wife of a soldier who is at the LOC. We have seen a lot of war films that have given us a glimpse of a soldier’s life, his struggles, and sacrifices, but we have hardly spoken about what a soldier’s family goes through.

If we analyze the journey of a soldier, the families are equally are a part of it and they go through several ups and downs along with the soldier. Through ‘Fauji Calling’ the makers want to show the family life of a soldier and hence the wife becomes a focal point in that sense.

We saw in the trailer that the role is given to you was quite intense, so what you want to say about that?

I am thankful to my director Aaryan Saxena and producer Ovez Sheikh Ji that they gave me an opportunity to play this role. In the movie, directly or indirectly I am representing every soldier’s wife (smile). Though it was a challenging experience for me as an actor I enjoyed every bit of it. Aaryan sir has guided me at every step, so overall it was a delightful experience.

Does the growing competition in the industry make you feel nervous?

I used to get nervous initially as they say it’s a cut-throat industry. But with every passing day, I am becoming more secured and less judgmental about people and myself as well. It’s my karmic journey. I am just trying to be the best version of myself and this is why now I don’t get nervous at all.

If you could live the life of one actor for a day, whose life would it be and why?

I take inspiration from Akshay Kumar. According to me, he is the fittest and finest actor in Bollywood. And if we see his acting graph then he has done a variety of films in his career. So, I really want to live his life for one day (laughs).

Which Bollywood director, would you like to work with next?

Any good passionate director who wants to work with me… (laughs). Jokes aside, there are many, Shoojit Sircar, Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap, Sujoy Ghosh, Prakash Jha, Vikramaditya Motwani, and the list goes on.

Bidita, what’s your takeaway from this film?

Fauji Calling is a film of today relevant yet layered… it’s about relations, about extremely strong emotional attachment between mother and child, the love between a husband and wife, emotional companionship and respect between a mother and daughter-in-law, and the gratitude and friendship that two hurt souls seek in each other.

Set against a backdrop of an army family with their trials and tribulations. This is a movie that shows love, affection, support and I guess all these are my take away from the film.

What genres do you want to work on?

I have mostly done very serious kinds of roles that are quite challenging. It’s a dream of every actor to work on different kinds of roles because versatility is the thing that keeps an artist moving forward especially where people are ready to slot you in a particular kind of role. I would like to do few comedy films. I believe my sense of humor is quite good.

Lastly, what are your future projects?

Currently, I am promoting my upcoming film Fauji Calling. By end of March, I will start shooting for Bhaukaal 2 which is the MX Player series. Along with that, I am also shooting for few other interesting projects which I can’t reveal now.

Check out the official trailer of Fauji Calling…

DMK To Emerge As A Single Largest Party In Tamil Nadu?

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Afternoon Voice

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March 4, 2021

mk stalin, stalin, tamil nadu, elections, tn elections, tamil nadu elections, dmk, aiadmk, jayalalithaa, sasikala, bjp, amma, polls, tn polls — Image Courtesy: Twitter / @MKStalin

The current Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) government has done quite a decent job in handling the COVID-19 crisis but people expected something more than what the government delivered. Meanwhile, DMK has taken every advantage of politicizing this crisis. Also, the two major parties bickering with themselves in front of the public give neither a big edge.

Still, Chennai and suburban areas of the city are measured as the stronghold of DMK. Party is also considerably sturdy in northern Tamil Nadu and in the Cauvery Delta belt. DMK is traditionally weak in the western belt and southern belt. After the AMMK split from ADMK, the party has considerably gained in the South, but it is still weak in western Tamil Nadu but that will not make much difference to the party.

Ousted former AIADMK chief VK Sasikala’s sudden announcement that she will “step aside from politics and public life” gives benefit to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and a setback to her nephew and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran.

By any remote chance, if the AIADMK-NDA wins, Sasikala’s self-imposed political isolation may extend longer and she would need to wait for an appropriate time to strike. Currently, there are two major parties grouped along with some minor parties that are having chances to win in the 2021 election.

2021 is a tough election and it is going to be difficult for ADMK because TTV Dhinakaran formed a new party called Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) which contested in the 2019 election and this party gained a 5 percent share of votes. This 5 percent of the votes are traditional ADMK voters.

Naveen Kumar a Bank employee from Tamil Nadu said, “It is very early to decide which part will win because a lot of things are happening around the political scenario in the state. But still, the DMK landslide is for sure if the current political scenario persists and the current party alliances continue till the election.”

AIADMK has lost a considerable vote share after the demise of Jayalalithaa who had a mass appeal among the public.

Ahmad Thaha, a Tannery owner told Afternoon Voice, “People prefer DMK to restore the pride of Tamils and to drive out Hindi imposition. Get our freedom to speak, and to destroy pseudo nationalism. We don’t want to communal hate in our state.”

J Sudkhakaran, a hotelier said, “We common people of Tamil Nadu very well know the fact that both ADMK and DMK are second to none when it comes to corruption. But as a commoner one main difference to note is that ADMK from the very start has been very careful in not ripping apart/ stealing from Poor and Middle-Class people. But they have a lot of internal issues, somewhere voters lost faith.”

The party’s vote share in the 2019 Indian general election was merely 19 percent. The same party secured 44 percent in the 2014 Indian general election when Jayalalithaa was the leader. Sasikala has now clearly taken a decent stand, not just staying away from politics but pleading for the AIADMK to retain power in the April 6 election.

Sathish Kumar, working for an IT firm as Team Head said, “Rasing sun (DMK) will burn the lotus (BJP) and give hope to all Tamilians.”

A Dental surgeon from Tamil Nadu Bijvin Raj said, “DMK has done a lot for the economical as well as the socio-cultural development of the state and our people.”

S Vaithiyanathan, works as a Language Lead for Tamil at an IT firm said, “I support DMK to prosper to keep Tamil Nadu away from communalist.”

DMK is expected to win the 2021 elections on the alliance arithmetic and the possibility of alliance formation. However, still there are months of time for the election and anything can happen in the due course.

DMK Might Win If They Change Its Strategy

By

Vaidehi Taman

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March 4, 2021

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Tamil Nadu geared up for the sixteenth legislative assembly election that is being held on 6 April 2021 to elect members from 234 constituencies. The voters are split into two parts; some are strong with Congress as Rahul Gandhi succeeded in winning the confidence of the people. Moreover, with the entry of BJP, they are scared of communal politics and losing their Tamil Pride inviting Hindi imposers in the state.

Amma’s dream is right now the biggest priority for the AIADMK cadre but unfortunately, they are divided within. Party can continue to rule even after Jayalalithaa is a big question. Making an effort to keep everyone in the loop, Sasikala the close aide of Jayalalithaa urged her party workers “All true followers of Jayalalithaa need to act with wisdom to ensure the DMK, that ‘Amma’ identified as our common enemy, is kept out of power,”. The party has lost a considerable vote share after the demise of Ms. J Jayalalithaa who had a mass appeal among the public.

On the other hand voters of Tamil Nadu suspect that the AIADMK may align with BJP to come to power so their Tamil language pride is diverting them towards DMK. Meanwhile, TTV Dhinakaran formed a new party called Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) which contested in the 2019 election, and this party pulled out around 5% seat share. This 5% of the votes are traditional ADMK votes and these votes were mostly from ADMK supporters who want Sasikala/Dhinakaran to take up ADMK leadership.

AMMK has been opposing ADMK leadership since the time of its formation. So if AMMK continues to oppose ADMK even in 2021, there will be a considerable loss to ADMK votes. ADMK has Edappadi Palaniswamy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and O. Panneerselvam Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu as its powerheads. However, they were not elected Ministers like Jayalalitha. People may need some time to accept these leaders.

Also read: Always wanted to act in a regional film, says Kangana Ranaut on signing ‘Jayalalithaa’ biopic

Meanwhile, Kamal Hassan made his entry into active politics and there are many who endorse him as CM candidate. Kamal Hassan has his fan following as an actor, and as a politician, he can grab Muslim votes. In the 70s and 80s, ADMK was very popular among the masses because of its founder M. G. Ramachandran, a popular actor and former chief minister. Kamal Hassan is an equally famous actor but his political inning may not be as strong as it was of M. G. Ramachandran.

Later on, Jayalalithaa became the face of the M. G. Ramachandran AMMK party for over 20 years till her death in 2016. After her death, ADMK experienced a leadership crisis. Finally, Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswamy took over the leadership with the consent of party workers, but they didn’t appeal to the masses like MGR or Jayalalithaa.

ADMK had an alliance with BJP and is close to BJP, which took away ADMK’s traditional minority votes in the 2019 election. They form a considerable solid 3–5% of the party’s vote bank. If the alliance persists in 2021, there is a good chance of losing these votes again.

Forming a grand alliance including Congress, PMK, Muslim league, Tamil Manila Congress, Makkal Needhi Maiyyam, CPI, CPM, Viduthalai Ciruthaigal (VCK), and DMDK would help ADMK beat DMK. Cutting off BJP and having an alliance with Congress would help ADMK in reviving its minority vote bank. But chances of this grand alliance are a rare possibility because DMK is not on good terms with Congress.

Cash for votes has been playing a major factor in every election in Tamil Nadu. The ruling party generally tends to distribute a higher amount than the opposition. Since ADMK is currently ruling the state, they have this advantage. If the party gives big amounts of cash to the public, chances can be improved.

Minority voters are DMK’s staunch vote bank, they are bound to vote for DMK again if the party continues its alliance with Congress and ADMK continues to be with BJP. A strong performance in the 2019 elections has boosted the party’s image and strength. DMK completely lost in the 2014 general election and emerged as a party with 0 seats. But in 2019 it emerged as the nation’s third-biggest party with respect to the number of seats won in 2019.

Both DMK and ADMK lost their big leaders between 2016 and 2019. But ADMK did not have a defined successor, while DMK had a successor. Even though the party has allegations of nepotism, the current leader of DMK, Stalin was well known among the public when compared to Mr. Edappadi Palaniswamy of ADMK. A split between AMMK and ADMK may help in southern Tamil Nadu.

BJP is the predominant opposition of DMK and the party in the centre. This party tends to make political strategies that are shrewd in nature. On the other hand, Sasikala’s move has stumped the BJP, which was hoping to control the AIADMK and Tamil Nadu through her. Above all, if north India’s politics is based on Religious polarization, politics in Tamil Nadu is based on “Pride”.

Stalin had been the Deputy Chief Minister and it was during his tenure Chennai was completely developed at the infrastructure level. Also, the “First Graduate” scheme introduced by Karunanidhi has helped a lot of the rural populace and is seen as a boon. If EPS avoids making blunders and if Stalin continues to follow his present strategies, DMK has all the fortune in forthcoming elections.

Railway Fare Hike Brings Moan to Commoners

By

Vaidehi Taman

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March 3, 2021

The pandemic and long lockdowns have pinched the pockets of the common man; above all the price hike in all basic sectors such as grocery, vegetables, commuting from office to home everything has reached a peak when it comes to price rise. Petrol and diesel rates have gone up, so the trucks and transportation, that’s how commodities rates, it’s all interred related. People are frustrated because they have their own challenges on various fronts. Survival needs a proper budget. Lack of job opportunities, deducted salaries and dried bank accounts are not allowing them a calm life.

The Indian Railway’s higher fares for short-distance passenger trains are done only to discourage people from travel which is not required. But Railways needs to understand when travel is not needed, why would someone want to travel. Those who have to travel to meet their needs take the burns of these price rises.

With a view to regulate rush at stations and in trains, passenger trains are being charged slightly more fair than pre-COVID times and a close vigil is being kept. The situation is being constantly monitored to ensure restoration of services in keeping with the set of rules necessary to be followed during COVID times. It may be noted that Passenger operations have always been subsidized by railways. Indirectly Indian Railways bears a loss on every journey by a passenger.

The national transporter recently started short-distance passenger trains, like Electric Multiple Units, the fares for which have been now kept on a par with the unreserved class of long-distance mail/express trains for the same distance, as a special provision. During COVID, Indian Railways daunt needless travel with a slightly high fare of short-distance trains.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the national transporter has been running only special trains. Long-distance passenger trains and even short-distance passenger trains are being operated as special train services. As a special provision in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak, the fares of these trains have been fixed at par with mail and express trains’ absolute ticket price, for the same distance.

Indian Railways had stopped the operations of regular trains since 22 March 2020 and increasing the number of passenger trains. Regularisation of the usual passenger train services to the pre-pandemic times is to be considered by Indian Railways, keeping in view a range of factors as well as the functioning situation.

Since the pre-lockdown announcement, 1,250 mail, express trains and 5,350 suburban train services as well as over 326 number of passenger trains are in operation. The short-distance passenger trains account for less than 3% of the total trains being run. After the introduction of Mail and Express train services, the national transporter is operational to passenger trains, by taking all essential safety measures as well as making additional efforts.

The Railway Ministry said that COVID-19 is still around and in fact, in some states, the condition is deteriorating. Visitors and travellers from various states are being subjected to screening in other areas as well as discouraged to travel. The little fare hike is to be seen as a proactive measure of the national transporter to prevent crowding in trains and stop novel coronavirus from spreading.

According to the ministry, passenger train operations have always been subsidized by Indian Railways. Normally, the national transporter takes a loss on every journey by a railway passenger. Despite the fare hike, Indian Railways still remained a cheaper option to travel for the public. Due to the COVID crisis, trains are being operated under the toughest conditions and many trains are being operated in spite of low occupancy. Apart from other classes, the special trains that are being operated by Indian Railways have a large number of 2nd class coaches that have the lowest fare in the reserved category. According to officials, compared to the pre-pandemic unreserved travelling situations, 40% of the railway passengers have travelled in the “2S” class in much better conditions.

No doubt people are feeling the pain of price rise; the government has its own explanation. Indian railway is at loss and above all controlling the pandemic is the biggest challenge. People are prevented by imposing high prices on tickets. Be it UPA and NDA, the railway was never in profit-making. When BJP was in opposition Modi post his victory said, ‘Bhaiyon Petrol Ke Daam Kam Huey, Abhi Aur Kum Honge’ this was when the price of crude dropped to as low as 40 USD per barrel and the USD was around 60.

If the price drop was because of Modi the high price of petroleum that prevails today should also go to his credit. Having said that, the petroleum price is decided by the input cost chiefly crude oil prices and the exchange rate. On top of this, there are government taxes. The government while crude oil prices were low fixed heavy taxes and filled their coffins. They are retaining the greed of heavy taxes even when crude and exchange rates have gone high.

Many Young Indian TikTokers Committed Suicide

By

Vaidehi Taman

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March 3, 2021

TikTok, and other social networks, such as Instagram and Facebook, have been criticized for having negative effects on one’s confidence. This can deeply hurt one’s mental health. There have been instances where people turned to self-harm or faced other issues, such as anorexia and bulimia, because of social media. Too much fan following in a short time makes them break from the real world. They are virtually so famous, not necessarily in real life. Many youngsters get addicted to these Apps that make them feel bigger. Many of them, who lose their fans or likes on their post, suffer hopelessness. There are many incidences where young TikTokers have taken their lives when their real-life dreams got shattered. Most of them live dual lives, or we can say the virtual world becomes their existence. Not many earn money from these apps, but they earn some fame which is not enough to fulfill their daily needs.

Lithin Curzz was famous among Indians for his comical videos on Tiktok. He had millions of fans before the government of India banned TikTok. Lithin Cruzz started his career as a model and was a freelance photographer too who has an interest in music and modelling. Lithin Cruz was from Kochi, Kerala. Before becoming a Tik Tok star, Lithin worked as a photographer at Director of Fashion and Branding at L7 Studios and designer of fashion at B12 Store. Lithin Cruzz had more than 500K followers in Tiktok and over twenty million likes. He is in his early 20s and his TikTok fan base was constantly growing before the ban. On 28th September 2020, there were many rumours on social media that Tiktoker Lithin Cruzz ended his life by committing suicide. Lithin was worried about the fact that the Tiktok is getting banned in India. He was addicted to that virtual stardom.

Also read: Pooja Chavan’s Father Lashes Out Opposition; Requests For Fair Probe

The 18-year-old from Salarpur, went into depression for not getting likes and followers on TikTok, ‘depressed’ teenager committed suicide, this Kerala boy was active on TikTok, which allows users to post short clips of themselves performing all kind of stunts and lip-syncing songs and tunes. During the inquiry, it came to light that he would make videos on TikTok and nobody ‘liked’ his videos on the app for the past few days. People from his family and neighbourhood said that he was really worried about not getting ‘likes’ on TikTok and that is why he took this extreme step.

Pooja Chavan a famous TikToker a 22-year-old was a member of the tribal Banjara community and hailed from Parli Vaijnath in Beed district. She had come to Pune to attend an educational course. She is suspected to have died by suicide in the early hours of February 7 by jumping from the first floor of her building. After the incident, the two persons residing with Pooja had reportedly taken her to a hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival. While no suicide note was found after Chavan’s death, a case of accidental death (AD) was lodged at the Wanavdi police station.

Also read: TikTok ban: Ruins many small time Indian artists

Meanwhile, Pooja’s purported photographs with Minister Rathod and about 12 audio clips have surfaced, following which there has been a demand to probe the minister’s link with her death. Pooja was over-ambitious and she wanted to be rich and fame as early as she could garner the same. She chose to fall for her state minister who represents her community. His association made her think powerful, she was getting all that she wanted, money, facilities, and at the same time tours if the circulated audios are believed to be. Later on, she moved to Pune to pursue education (as told by her parents), but she detected her pregnancy was positive. Too much Loan, financial crises, Tiktok ban, and above all she was asked to vacate the place where she stayed in Pune. Her ambitions were shattering and her personal life went unorganised. Police reports say that she committed suicide.

16-year-old TikTok star Siya Kakkar committed suicide on June 25 in New Delhi’s Preet Vihar residence. The reason behind her death is still unknown. The news of her death was confirmed by her manager Arjun Sarin, who took care of her work and endorsements. Arjun said that work is not the reason for her death as she was doing well and gave a hint on her personal life. Siya was famous and she had many choices but these choices hardly hold on to her. Her personal life got disturbed and that driven her to commit suicide.

Also read: Dealing with Negativity in life

There is no value addition to them as in their personality, all they are caring about is looks, hair, makeup, and stardom. This is something that is never going to add to the human resource quality of our country. It is shit; it will be shit forever no matter how much money anyone earns. Our Bollywood industry is altogether filled with litter apart from 2-3 movies that really count in and have taught something. Looking at these losers, the youth feel superior by getting some million likes and followers. In this app, people shoot flinch videos to get popularity, whether in a positive or a negative way, which can be related to Dhinchak Pooja’s story.

So, most of the youth think that instead of working hard and/or doing something creative, they’re getting fame and subsequently money very easily. But the harsh reality is that only selected people become famous through this app (mostly in a negative way). From the girl’s point of view most of the girls look at these so-called TikTok stars and think by imitating them they can become famous. Today, Social media has become an integral part of our lives. There are so many apps out there that are meant for infotainment. Social media is a platform that helps to connect with our near and dear ones. As per date, TikTok has a widespread presence all across India, especially in Tier-2 and Tier- 3 cities. On June 29, 2020, the Indian government officially banned TikTok. According to a report, before the Indian government banned the app in the country, TikTok had over 200 million users and more than 200,000 influencers in India. Before India, countries like Indonesia went ahead and banned the app. Reasons for the Tik Tok ban were pornography, inappropriate content, and blasphemy.

Railway Increases Platform Ticket to ₹50 from ₹10

By

Afternoon Voice

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March 3, 2021

Central Railway came up with the costliest solution to control overfilling railway platforms. They have five times increased the cost of platform tickets, earlier the platform ticket price was ₹10 now the same ticket would be available at ₹50. These price hikes are implemented at major stations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai, and suburban Thane, Kalyan, Panvel, Bhiwandi Road stations.

Vijay Salgaonkar a train commuter said, “No one goes to railway platforms for time pass, already the travel fare has touched sky, the common man is struggling to sustain with routine challenges and now this 50 Rupee platform ticket is an additional pinch.”

Also read: India battling between COVID-19 pandemic and fake news

Anup D’souza, a student staying in Diva said “I am jobless, I travel every day to search for jobs, from a cup of tea to tickets everything has become costlier, this platform ticket is an additional burden”. Why would someone go to railway platforms if they don’t have any reason or emergency?” Mumbai was locked down for almost ten months to control Covid.”

Last week, there was an uproar over a rise in the ticket fares of short-distance passenger trains; the Railways said the “a little high fares” are only to discourage needless tours.

When Afternoon Voice spoke to Chief Public Relations Officer of central railway Shivaji Sutar, he said, “We are just trying to control the overcrowding; those who have to travel outstation or those who want a place to sit and talk come and gather at railway platforms, many at times it difficult to monitor them, with the increased price only limited people will visit platforms”.

He stated further, the new rate came into implementation from 1st March and remains effective till 15th June this year.

Also read: Borivali station registers highest earnings from ticket sales

Vivek Avere a painter said, “I went to drop my parents to Lokmanya Tilak railways station, my father is a retired farmer and my mother a housewife, I am the sole bread earner for my family, to drop their luggage I had to buy a platform ticket for me and my friend. I was shocked to see the price of it”.

“Rs 100 is my three-time meal. People like me finding it difficult to breathe due to lack of jobs, family responsibilities, and above all price rise,” Avere added.

Pooja Chavan’s Father Lashes Out Opposition; Requests For Fair Probe

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 28, 2021

There is a new twist in Pooja Chavan’s murder case, as her father wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray claiming that all the allegations leveled up against the state Forest minister Sanjay Rathod are false. Her father also lashes out at the opposition for invading their privacy and taking undue political advantage of the present tragedy. The victim’s father requested the CM to take proper action in connection with the case before taking any decision.

He mentioned in his letter that the minister has nothing to do with Pooja’s death. According to her father, his daughter was in depression due to loan that she has taken for poultry farm, the business which gone in total loss due to COVID-19 lockdown. And which could have led her to take resort to the extreme step.

Sanjay Dulichand Rathod who is a Shiv Sena politician from Yavatmal district and Maharashtra Forest Minister has submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at Varsha bungalow on Sunday over the ongoing death controversy.

This comes following after Rathod’s name had surfaced in connection with the death of TikTok star Pooja Chavan (22) who allegedly ended her life by jumping off a building in Pune on February 8.

Rathod along with his wife met CM Thackeray on Sunday afternoon and discussed the issue. The meeting was attended by the urban development minister Eknath Shinde, transport minister Anil Parab and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray.

It has also been reported that state leaders who are aware of developments requested Thackeray not to accept Rathod’s, resignation until an inquiry is completed.

“Till the inquiry is conducted I have stepped down. There was politics being played out on the issue; the manner in which the opposition said they will not let proceedings happen, therefore I have stepped down. I want a fair inquiry to be conducted and the truth to come out,” said Rathod after resigning as the forest minister of the state.

Reacting to Rathod’s decision, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said the resignation of the minister wasn’t enough and demanded that an FIR should be filed against him.

The 49-year-old minister is a four-time MLA said to be a strong leader representing the community in Vidarbha which is a stronghold of Shiv Sena.

The letter Pooja Chavan’s father Lahu Chavan wrote to CM Uddhav Thackeray

Lahu Chavan's Letter to CM

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There Long List Of Indian Journalists Accused In Rape Cases

By

Vaidehi Taman

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February 28, 2021

journalist rape, tehelka, tarun tejpal, mj akbar, akbar, journalist, rape and molestation, rape cases, rape in india, journalists protest — File Photo | Courtesy: Agency

We make reports on rape cases, some of the cases go hyped, but when our own fraternity gets accused of heinous crimes like rape and molestation, we try to shy away from bringing out the truth. A rape by journalists is not new, there are many journalists who are accused of rape cases and some of them faced jailed terms. It is painful to pen down but I want to be unbiased.

These days most talked about rape case is ET Now anchor and analyst Varun Hiremath is hiding after a 22-year-old woman lodged a complaint at Chanakyapuri police station earlier this week, accusing him of rape. Hiremath is the son of a Mumbai-based businessman. It has been three days since the FIR was registered. Hiremath has been charged with sections 376 (punishment of offence of rape), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), and 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. The woman has alleged that she and Hiremath met on the morning of February 21 at Delhi’s Khan Market and went to a hotel in Chanakyapuri. During the initial probe, police found that the two had known each other for the last three years. The complaint reads, “I met the accused at a restaurant… where the accused had wine, and I did not consume any alcohol. Following that, the accused asked me to accompany him to his hotel, where he was staying with his family. However, at this juncture, it is crucial to emphasise that I had only agreed to spend time to chat and catch up with the accused, and at no point of time was this indication of willingness or consent to engage in any sexual activity let alone intercourse.” The complaint states that before he took her to the room, Hiremath had told her that he would “annihilate” her in the hotel room after which the complainant categorically told him that this would not happen and that she was only there to catch up with him. The complainant also mentioned that she was afraid of sustaining grievous injuries in case she tried to escape. After the alleged incident, the woman went home. She lodged a formal complaint with the police two days later.

Also read: Journalist Priya Ramani Released In Defamation Case, Shocked MJ Akbar

In 2020, an all-women police station team in Chennai arrested a television reporter in connection with the case in which a 13-year-old girl was pushed into prostitution by a relative and sexually assaulted multiple times. The journalist, 39-year-old Vinoba G, was the 16th accused to be arrested in that case. Earlier, the girl’s six relatives, a police inspector, a BJP functionary, a few brokers as well as men who raped her over a period of two months were arrested. Vinoba lent money for interest to the main accused Madhan and his sister Sandhya and is very close to them. It is through that link that he sexually assaulted the 13-year-old girl three times in a period of two months, including inside the office of the BJP functionary. The 13-year-old girl from Perumbakkam was sent by her mother to her niece’s house in Vyasarpadi where she was allegedly first raped by niece’s second husband Madhan before she was pushed into the flesh trade. Six relatives of the victim were arrested in the case. They had allegedly colluded with various brokers in the flesh trade to send the child to them at a weekly package of Rs 1.5 lakh. The brokers then allegedly invited their regular customers to sexually assault the girl. Police said a few more men will be arrested in the case.

Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV Assam correspondent Anirudha Bhakat Chutia has been accused by a Guwahati-based woman of kidnapping and physically assaulting her. An FIR was registered against Chutia at Guwahati’s Dispur Police Station on 1st December 2020 on the basis of the woman’s complaint. He was in police custody for two days before being released. Chutia lived in a lane next to her home and that they had met previously a couple of times, strictly on professional terms. She alleges that on the night of December 1, while returning from work she encountered Chutia — who was allegedly drunk and was accompanied by an unidentified man — in a secluded lane in the Six Mile area of Guwahati. He was drunk, stopped her to talk, and before she could react, he and that man dragged her into their house on the lane by putting a knife near her neck. After being forcefully taken into the house (located in an adjacent area named Jayanagar), she claims her hands were tied to a chair. When she resisted, he also sexually assaulted her. His mother was also present in the room and abetted him. Once her hands were set free, she took out her mobile phone, which was on silent mode, and called her colleagues who rescued her from a house in the Joynagar area.

Also read: Marital Rape – Milling Sex Slaves In The Name Of Marriage

Hope you all remember much-hyped Tarun J. Tejpal, an investigative journalist and Tehelka editor, raping and sexually assaulting a staff reporter during a November encounter in a hotel elevator. The case sent tremors through journalistic circles in India, where Tejpal, who has edited the magazine Tehelka, is known as a crusader for liberal causes and enjoys celebrity status. It also came after a year of intense scrutiny on the problem of sexual violence, and it will be among one of the first prosecutions under a set of tough, newly amended laws passed during a season of public outrage. Investigators in the case filed a 12-volume, 2,846-page charge sheet, which included testimony from 152 witnesses. Tejpal was charged with “outraging the modesty of a woman,” sexual harassment, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, rape, rape by a person in a position of trust or authority, and rape by a person in a position of control or dominance. He was convicted and jailed.

The recent case is of former Journalist and Member of Parliament MJ Akbar, who has been accused of rape by a US-based journalist who has worked with him over 20 years ago. Akbar earlier stepped down as union cabinet minister over several sexual harassment allegations against him. Akbar’s lawyer told the Washington Post that the politician has denied the allegations as false by the US-based journalist. Pallavi Gogoi, who is an editor at the National Public Radio (NPR), wrote in her article on The Washington Post that she joined Asian Age at the age of 22 when Akbar was the Editor-In-Chief. Pallavi was made the editor of the op-ed page at the age of 23, but she didn’t know that was going to change her life forever. A few months later, Akbar again assaulted Pallavi in a room at Taj hotel in Mumbai. She resisted him and ran crying. Describing the horrific incident, Pallavi wrote, “In his hotel room, even though I fought him, he was physically more powerful. He ripped off my clothes and raped me. Instead of reporting him to the police, I was filled with shame. I didn’t tell anyone about this then. Would anyone have believed me? I blamed myself. Why did I go to the hotel room?”

Also read: Cases Related To Crimes Against Women Are Pending In Courts

The above are few examples, but there are hundreds of such cases which go unreported.

Maharashtra Legislature From Tomorrow; Ruling Party Geared Up To Debate With Opposition

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Afternoon Voice

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February 28, 2021

The Budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature will begin on Monday under the gloom of COVID-19 cases in the state. The opposition has braced with attacks on the ruling government on various issues. The 10-day-long budget session will have eight working days and the budget will be tabled on March 8. Bills pertaining to departments such as revenue, higher education, and home are likely to be taken up. A draft of the Shakti Act, which provides for strict punishment for a crime against women and children, is under consideration of a joint select committee of both Houses.

The state budget session that is usually held for six long weeks now shrunk to ten days due to the current pandemic situation. The BJP lately alleged that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was trying to curtail the session on the pretext of coronavirus situation to run away from debate on its “failures”. However, the ruling party leaders told that they are all set to counter the allegations made by the opposition. They are here to stay and there is no question of running out of the situation. The opposition should learn to be sensitive and responsible for ongoing pandemic situations many political leaders are detected as COVID-19 positive. The session will start with the address of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to the joint sitting of the state Legislative Assembly and Council.

Also read: This Is How You Can Opt For Your COVID Vaccine

The state government is going to table supplementary demands on the first day. The House will hold a discussion on the governor’s speech on March 2, while the next two days are reserved for discussion on supplementary demands. The governor has so far not approved 12 names recommended by the cabinet for nomination to the Legislative Council. The Legislature will discuss proposals of opposition parties on March 5 and some bills will also be tabled. There will be no sittings on March 6 and 7.

Member of Legislative Council Parab had claimed that the opposition suggested a one-day session due to the COVID-19 situation, “but MVA has decided to have a ten-day session”. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis recently pointed out that the election of the new Speaker was not on the agenda of the meeting.

The post fell vacant following the resignation of Nana Patole, who has taken over as Congress’s state unit chief. The state Legislature’s budget session was curtailed last year also in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last Sunday asked to follow “COVID-appropriate” behavior and safety norms and said he would observe for a week to 15 days and then decide whether to impose another lockdown.

The BJP has accused the government of mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis and failure to boost development works.

Also read: Exaggerated Electricity Bills: State Power Minister Nitin Raut Exposes Opposition

It will raise in the House the issue of state Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod’s name being linked to the death of the woman in Pune. The BJP had earlier warned that it would not allow the Budget session to proceed smoothly if Rathod did not resign. On Saturday, Maharashtra reported more than 8,000 new COVID-19 cases on the fourth straight day, raising the caseload in the state to 21,46,777. The death toll in the state due to the pandemic has reached 52,092, as per official data. The minister has denied the allegations against him.

The government is also likely to face questions from the opposition over the last month’s fire at a hospital in Bhandara where 10 newborn babies died and delay in helping farmers affected by floods and cyclones in parts of the state. Incidents of atrocities against women in COVID-19 care centres and alleged corruption in various government departments are also likely to be raised during the session. Fadnavis a few days back said the government did not want to be questioned on issues such as “rise in corruption”.

Press Freedom Is The Spirit Of Democracy: Prakash Javadekar

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 26, 2021

Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry, Prakash Javadekar announced Government’s guidelines on social media regulation. According to the new guidelines, publishers of news on digital media will be required to observe the Press Council of India’s norms of journalistic conduct, as well as the programme code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act. He further stated that the digital media portals don’t have the right to spread “falsehoods and rumors”. “Press freedom is the spirit of democracy, but let me tell you that all freedom has to be responsible freedom.”

Javadekar said that regulatory mechanisms and codes are present for print and TV news platforms, but not for digital news portals. He said the new guidelines will provide a “level playing field” to all mediums by bringing digital content under regulation. The government also called for a “grievance redressal system” for OTT platforms and digital news media, who will also have to disclose details on “from where they publish, how they publish, how much is their spread.”

In this regard, I&B secretary Amit Khare told the media that digital news portals will have to provide the I&B ministry with “details on their editorial head, ownership, address, and designated grievance officer”. “Currently, the government doesn’t have a complete picture of how many players there are in this sector and who they are,” Khare told the media. “If you log on to their websites, you won’t even find basic information on their office address or editor-in-chief.” The report cited sources as saying that the ministry will “soon release a form that all digital news outlets must fill and submit to the ministry in a month”.

Now questions remain here

What will happen to freedom of speech?
Who is going to regulate social media? A global platform?
How the technical aspect of using a proxy is addressed?
How will people be held accountable if the regulations are not followed?
What if the regulatory committee is biased?
Who’ll make the guidelines/regulations?
How social media platforms will respond to the regulations? What’s in it for them?
How much monitoring would be enough?
What will happen to the privacy of users?

Here is what experts have to say

Vinay Manikam, an IT professional said, “I see chaos and commotion. The reason people love connecting through social media is that it serves as an avenue to let out all the frustration and stress. It is the place where people connect without boundaries. It is where people speak their hearts out without thinking twice. It is where a lot of people get a chance to be themselves or who they wish to be. And restricting/regulating social media might just kill the best part of it.

Vipin Gaur, Newspaper Association of India president said, “Figure Government regulation of any form of media amounts to censorship and abridges our protected 1st amendment rights. The right to free speech also guarantees the right not to hear speech we don’t condone. Facebook, Twitter, and other popular social media platforms are privately owned and are fully within their rights to set aside speech they do not support. I use neither because I don’t agree with the barriers, they erect but it is their right to erect them. It would be hypocritical to insist they give up their free speech rights because I don’t like the speech they support. I will simply use other forms of expression. When government takes control of speech in any manner we are doomed as a free society.”

“Social media is not a good thing and it would be much better if everyone recognized its problems, grown-up and just avoided it altogether. It will be a bane to all those with limited intelligence and the sense to see the dangers. The regulation of it would just be another government bureaucracy making a lot of stupid mistakes” said Nitin Patil a property dealer.”

Key takeaways from the briefing

A three-level grievance redressal mechanism has been established under the rules with two levels of self-regulation
Level I comprise the publisher and level II comprises the self-regulatory body, while the third level is the oversight
The OTT platforms will need to employ a chief compliance officer, nodal contact person, and a resident grievance officer under the new social media regulatory mechanism.
The self-regulatory body would be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or of a high court, or by a person of eminence from the relevant field, and can issue advisories to the publisher.

Social media intermediates

All social media platforms will have two categories of intermediaries.
The Centre shall notify users number for a significant social media intermediary very soon.
The intermediaries will have to have a grievance redressal mechanism.
They will also have to name a grievance officer who shall register the grievance within 24 hours and ensure disposal in 15 days.
The intermediary will publish a monthly compliance report mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken on the complaints as well as details of contents removed proactively. Due diligence by intermediaries:
Nodal contact people will be responsible for 24×7 coordination with law enforcement agencies
Resident grievance officers shall perform all functions under the grievance redressal mechanism
All intermediaries shall have a physical contact address in India published on its website or mobile app or both.

Ensuring online safety and dignity of users, especially women users:

Intermediaries have been asked to remove or disable access within 24 hours of receipt of complaints of contents that expose the private areas of individuals, show such individuals in full or partial nudity or in a sexual act, or is in the nature of Impersonation including morphed images, etc.