Won’t allow third party mediation in Kashmir: Jaishankar

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October 1, 2019

S Jaishankar External Affairs Minister,Article 370,Kashmir,Mediation, S Jaishankar,Jaishankar,External Affairs Minister — Image Courtesy: Twitter

Categorically rejecting any scope for third party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India’s stand has been clear for decades and the two countries can discuss the issue bilaterally.

Jaishankar arrived here on Sunday night from New York after attending the annual General Assembly session of the United Nations along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, the two leaders held bilateral meetings with dozens of world leaders.

“India has been clear for 40 odd years that we would not accept mediation… and that whatever has to be discussed has to be discussed bilaterally,” Jaishankar told a group of Indian reporters on Wednesday when asked about US President Donald Trump‘s mediation remarks on Kashmir.

Trump in the recent past has offered mediation between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

“I’m clearing in my mind as far as I’m concerned. That’s what it’s about. My point is very simple. Whose issue (is this?). Mine. Who has to take the call? Me. If it is my issue and I have to take the call; I will decide whether I want somebody’s mediation or not. You can offer anything you like, but if I decide it is not relevant to me then it does not happen,” Jaishankar said.

“I am very clear in my mind. When people speak of it has gone up and down, where has it gone up and down? India has been very clear about it,” he said when asked about the frequent offer of mediation by President Trump.

The External Affairs Minister said in half of his meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, the issue of recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir popped up.

“In terms of (issue of) Article 370, I would find it hard to quantify, but I would say may be in about half my meetings it came up and may be in half of my meetings it didn’t come up. It wasn’t that every guy who came to me came with that burning question,” he said.

Frankly, most of them were focused on the bilateral relations, he said, adding that even those who raised it, it was not necessarily the first issue of interest to them.

“I think in the case of people who showed interest, it was more like, we have read about developments on Kashmir and it would be useful for us to hear from you,” he said.

Jaishankar said he apprised the leaders about what was happening and why it was happening in Kashmir.

The External Affairs Minister said that in many cases a lot of what he said was new to them.

“When you explain to them that Article 370 was temporary, when you tell them that it was part of the Constitution of India in which delegates from Jammu and Kashmir also took part, when you tell them that there was a provision within the Article for the modification which took place, and you explain to them that today major source of concern was the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is really not aligned with the rest of India on a whole set of issues and so therefore, how do you really run a country where one large state is misaligned with rest of the country.

“It’s a very basic governance issue which people have ducked in the past. But because they ducked in the past doesn’t mean that everybody keeps ducking in the future. I think, once you walked them (world leaders) through this, most of them understood it and got it,” he said.

When specifically asked about the position of two countries Malaysia and Turkey on Kashmir, the minister said “obviously they have been given an understanding which clearly is very different from the facts on the ground”.

Prime Minister Modi and Jaishankar’s meeting came against the backdrop of the Indian government revoking the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories on August 5.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, evoking strong reactions from Pakistan.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.

Finally the suspense over ‘Yuti’ (alliance) unveils

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 30, 2019

There can be any drama or stretch, but BJP and Sena alliance is investable. It took very long to announce that they are going in hand in hand but never mind this is not the first time that Sena and BJP overextended conjectures. Shiv Sena has its own attitude and that Uddhav is maintaining like the boss of Maharashtra, inspite of being in alliance he hauled the Congress line for almost five years. Even Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ recited the Congress slogan ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ and also praised Rahul Gandhi on several occasions. Uddhav and Sanjay Raut left no chance in trolling BJP and Modi, they aggressively criticised their alliance on many instances. However, reality always stings. Uddhav Thackeray was well aware that SS alone would be reduced in the general election. BJP too knew that its seat numbers would be reduced without an alliance especially when there’s a Congress–NCP alliance. Thus, dire need brought BJP and Shiv Sena together.

BJP being accommodative gave a couple of more seats to Shiv Sena and they perhaps agreed to BJP’s demand to contest equal seats in the upcoming 2019 assembly election of Maharashtra. The problem started now after a BJP member claimed that although both BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting assembly election as an alliance, Devendra Fadnavis would remain as Chief Ministerial candidate. To that Shiv Sena disapproved citing that as per understanding the Chief Ministership will be shared between BJP and Shiv Sena. The issue is not so simple. Shiv Sena, although at present is trailing from BJP in both vote share and seats, is not ready to leave the big-brother status in Maharashtra polity. On the other hand, BJP is aware that it’s the emerging party in Maharashtra politics with the largest vote share. Thus, the game began on deciding who would be the CM and deputy CM of Maharashtra.

Sena has already declared some seats and their contestants are ready with B-forms, where as BJP is yet to decide and declare its seats, it took too long for them to announce the list of candidates. BJP will fight the polls under Fadnavis’ leadership; various reports about contours of the seat-sharing formula are doing rounds. In a way BJP is in dilemma, because Shiv Sena has recently picked all-powerful candidates in its camp from NCP and Congress. Surprisingly, Uddhav has matured in politics and his son also came in battlefield. Whereas BJP knows that people will give them some mandate but if Sena manages equal share of seats then there would be fight over CM post, definitely Sena will not allow Devendra as CM. BJP chief Chandrakant Patil expressed confidence that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is in fine health and they would get 220 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections. Meanwhile Shiv Sena is claiming to win 120 seats same as BJP.

As the assembly election draws closer, sections in the BJP are beginning to feel that perhaps it’s time to go solo and win Maharashtra on its own. However, there are deeper undercurrents to the saga.

However, Shiv Sena constantly demanded that it should be treated as a bigger brother in Maharashtra state polity. In 2019 general election also, BJP got 27.53 per cent vote share with 23 seats out of 25 seats whereas Shiv Sena got 23.29 per cent vote share with 18 seats out of 23 seats it contested. Shiv Sena got 2.60 per cent vote share more than that of 2014. Then it’s a fact that Shiv Sena contested in three more seats compared to 2014 and then 2019 general election win is considered a victory for Narendra Modi and not of any other.

Looking at the present scenario and Sena’s attitude, one should not be surprised if Shiv Sena demands the Chief Minister’s post at least on sharing basis (2.5 years each). On the other hand, BJP is not likely to agree with that. BJP will ask for equal seats of balance seats after allotting to smaller allies along with BJP’s CM. BJP has another benefit that Maharashtra Congress is decaying and most Congress leaders are trying to join BJP as first choice or NCP as the second choice. On the other hand, NCP is also not in a good situation especially due to the frictions among family members as well as party members. BJP will hope that it will capture spaces from Congress and NCP while Shiv Sena will harp on possible anti-incumbency of Devendra Fadnavis. Rest the voters of Maharashtra will decide. In politics, there’s always give and take.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Sena-BJP to go in alliance, Who will be the CM?

By

Rajesh Choudhary

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September 30, 2019

After long speculations, the Shiv Sena and BJP have decided to go in alliance for Maharashtra assembly polls. But both are yet to take a decision on who will be the Chief Minister. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said in a press conference that alliance is fixed but giving deputy CM’s post to Shiv Sena is not fixed. The seat sharing process has been finalized but the number of seats are not disclosed.

A leader spoke to Afternoon Voice on the condition of anonymity, “We are yet to decide on giving deputy chief minister’s post to Shiv Sena. A decision pertaining to this will be taken at the right time.”

A BJP member claimed that although both BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting assembly election as an alliance, Devendra Fadnavis would remain as Chief Ministerial candidate. Shiv Sena disapproved citing that as per understanding the Chief Ministership will be shared between BJP and Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena, although at present is trailing from BJP in both vote share and seats, is not ready to leave the big-brother status in Maharashtra polity.

Meanwhile as per reports, the BJP has sprung a surprise by denying tickets to 22 sitting MLAs from Maharashtra including some ministers. It is said that either these MLAs have not done any significant work in their constituencies or they are tainted. They have damaged the reputation of the party.

It is worth mentioning that the BJP has adopted similar strategy during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and had cut tickets of 7 sitting MPs. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is focusing its attention on the Congress-NCP alliance in the state. As per a survey, the ruling alliance government will come back to power once again, its possibility is strong.

The BJP has little time left, as the last date for filing nominations is October 4. The ruling party has already delayed in finalising and announcing its candidates for assembly elections. Now, the party candidates have very little time for campaign. The state will go to polls on October 21 in single phase.

Reason behind this delay was not clear because the BJP leaders were tight lipped in whole process. No one was ready to say anything. BJP leadership kept candidate selection procedure very secret. It is being said that the BJP’s old workers are feeling betrayed as top leadership is giving more weightage to new comers from the NCP and Congress.

List of leaders denied tickets

Rajkumar Badole – Arjuni Morgaon
Dilip Kambe – Pune Cantonment
Vilasrao Jagtap-Jat
Shivaji Kardile – Rahuri
Bharti Lavekar – Versova
Captain Tamil Silvan – Sion Kolivada
Manda Mhatre – Belapur
Sanjay Kelkar – Thane City
Vishnu Sawara – Vikramgad
Sangeeta Thobre – Kej
Anil Gote – Dhule City
Devyani Farande-Nashik
Prakash Mehta – Ghatkopar East
Ram Kadam – Ghatkopar West
Sardar Tarasing – Mulund
Vidya Thakur – Goregaon
Dr. Milind Mane – Nagpur North
Govardhan Sharma – Akola West
Amrish Atram- Aheri
Narendra Mehta – Meera Bhainder
Sanjeev Ready Bodkurwar – Vani
Sanjay Dhote – Rajura

Navratri: The festival of nine nights-Part I

By

Vinod Dixit

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September 30, 2019

India could well be called the land of festivals. The amalgamation of difference cultures, languages and religions ensures that there is a festival being celebrated in some part of India almost every week. One of the more popular festivals which is celebrated all over Gujarat is Navratri. It is one the most colourful festival of Gujarat. In Gujarat, people eagerly wait for the 9 nights (Navratri) when they worship goddess Durga/Amba Mata through the traditional dance of Garba.

Navratri (the word literally means “nine nights”) is one of the holy festivals of Hinduism. It is a festival of nine nights, during which we worship goddess of Shakti. Navratri festival is observed twice a year, once in the month of Chaitra and then in Aswayuja. It lasts for nine days in honour of the nine manifestations of Durga. During Navratri devotees of Durga observe a fast. Brahmins are fed and prayers are offered for the protection of health and property. The nine nights festival of Navratri begins on the first day of Ashwina of the bright fortnight. The festival of nine nights in October, preceding the Dussera is a special feature of Gujarat when people assemble in village squares, temple compounds and sing and dance till the wee hours in the morning.

They worship the mother goddess and her numerous manifestations during the festival. The three aspects viz. Durga, Lakshmi or Saraswati of the Divine Mother are worshipped during Devi Navratri puja, the nine nights. She is also known as in her destructive, protective, and knowledge giving roles respectively. The Navratri festival is closely followed by the Sharad Purnima, the full moon night in the Ashvina month, when under the moon light people partake of prasad rice and milk. Durga/Amba mata or the destructive aspect of the divine mother is worshipped during the first three nights. On the succeeding three nights, her protective aspect of Lakshmi and on the last three nights, her knowledge aspect or Saraswati are worshipped.

The most characteristic dances of Gujarat during Navratri are the Rasa and Garba dances which are performed at all levels of society by men and women. The leader of the group sings the first line of the song while the rest repeat it in chorus, the beat being produced clapping hands or striking sticks in unison. The origin of the Rasa is traced back to the legends connected with the life of Lord Krishna. The Rasa is performed in Gujarat on Navaratra; and other important festivals associated with harvest and crops.

The most impressive artistry of the Rasa dances of Gujarat and Saurashtra is displayed in the Dandiya Rasa by men. It is a counterpart of the Garba of the women. In Garba, at every step they gracefully bend sideways, the arms coming together in beautiful sweeping gestures, up and down, left and right, each movement ending in clap.

While in Raas, the dancers use sticks at the end of which tiny bells (ghungrus) are tied so that they give off a clear jingling sound when they strike one another. This dance has a very complicated rhythm pattern and even though the dancers begin in a slow tempo, the dance develops in such manner that each person in the circle not only performs a solo dance with his own sticks, but also has a complex multiple relationship with both his partners on either side as also partners opposite him in the circles.

UP govt prohibiting padyatra, arresting Cong leaders: Priyanka

By

Web Team

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September 30, 2019

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday alleged that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is stopping her party’s march in support of the law student who has accused Swami Chinmayanand of rape and arresting its leaders.

The opposition party added on its official Twitter handle that district borders in Shahjahanpur have been blocked from all sides and Congress leaders such as Jitin Prasada detained. The party said the protest march has been blocked by UP Police.

“The criminals in UP have the protection of the government so they can intimidate the rape victim,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

उप्र में अपराधियों को सरकार का सरंक्षण है कि वो बलात्कार से पीड़ित लड़की को डरा-धमका सकें।

लेकिन, उप्र भाजपा सरकार शाहजहांपुर की बेटी के लिए न्याय माँगने की आवाज को दबाना चाहती है। पदयात्रा रोकी जा रही है। हमारे कार्यकर्ताओं नेताओं को गिरफ़्तार किया जा रहा है। डर किस बात का है?

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) September 30, 2019

“The UP BJP government wants to suppress the voice seeking justice for daughter of Shahjahanpur. The padyatra is being stopped. Our workers and leaders are being arrested. What is there to be afraid of?” the Congress general secretary in-charge UP East said.

The student was on Wednesday arrested on charges of extortion and sent to 14 days judicial custody. Hours later, her bail plea was rejected.

Chinmayanand, sent to judicial custody after his arrest, has been booked under Section 376 C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a charge with lesser punishment than rape.

Letters to the Editor: 30 September, 2019

By

Web Team

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September 30, 2019

RIP Viju Khote

Viju Khote who went to his heavenly abode on September 30, 2019 at the ripe age of 77 was a veteran theatre and film actor. He is best known for his roles of Kalia in ‘Sholay‘ and Robert in ‘Andaz Apna Apna’. He appeared in over 300, Hindi and Marathi films and also numerous television shows and plays. He made his screen debut with the 1964 Marathi film ‘Ya Malak’ and went on to do the most iconic characters in Bollywood. He was the younger brother of actress Shubha Khote. His father Nandu Khote was a noted stage actor and actress Durga Khote was his aunt. He was last seen in the 2018 Bollywood movie ‘Jaane Kyun De Yaaron’. He will be remembered by the Bollywood film industry for the sweet roles he played in films. May God open the gates of heaven for him.

Jubel D’Cruz

Kashmir is India’s internal matter

Why is Imran Khan talking about Kashmir when Narendra Modi is not talking about Islamabad or Lahore? Kashmir belongs to India and it is an internal matter of our country as to which section or laws we impose in that State which is none of Pakistan’s business. Terrorism in Kashmir is the brainchild of Pakistan which is the reason why they are barking like dogs at every international forum as peace in J and K means their funding stops from countries like US and their tribe on which they actually thrive.

No country can survive for long on terror funding and Pakistan PM Imran Khan should actually emulate Modijis model of development and peace to strengthen his own country that today is on the verge of bankruptcy. Peace begets peace and money saved on terror can actually feed billions of people across the globe!

S.N.Kabra

Ajit Pawar in a political tangle

The writing is on the wall and Ajit Pawar has no option but to quit to save his face. The dynastic rule has taken the country by storm and NCP MLAs quit the party in large numbers and face a crisis as of now. At the time, he had quit his Ministerial post following allegations of irregularities in his granting of project approvals totaling ₹20,000 crore over an eight-month period without the mandatory clearance of the governing council of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) when he was Water Resources Minister between 1999 and 2009. However, after just 72 days in the political wilderness, Ajit Pawar was reinstated as Deputy Chief Minister with equal suddenness, despite the government failing to make any significant progress in its inquiry into the scam. He is total fix and finds no other way but to quit his MLA post just as a stunt and that does not give him any edge in the ensuing assembly elections.

Nikhil Krishnan

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Aadhaar Card mandatory at Dandiya?

By

Vijay Panchal

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September 29, 2019

Every year controversies occur during Navratri festival and this year too is no different. The Bajrang Dal has asked all Garba and Dandiya organisers to ask participants to furnish their Aadhaar cards at entry points of the events for identifying people belonging to non-Hindu communities in Hyderabad.

“We have asked the event organisers to mandate Aadhaar cards at the entry spot to identify non-Hindus entering the venue and also to avoid employing non-Hindus as bouncers for these events,” S Kailash, Media Convener Bajrang Dal said.

When our correspondent Nikhil Sagare spoke to Subhash Chander, Bajrang Dal, state co-convenor, Telangana he said, “Dandiya has become commercialised in Telangana and Muslim youth are participating in dandiya. In some areas Muslims are sponsors and you will be denied entry for dandiya. Hence, we are asking participants to furnish their aadhaar card or else put tilak or cow’s urine on their forehead.”

While festivals like Navratri are known for promoting communal harmony. By making aadhaar card mandatory at entry points of Dandiya and Garba, Bajrang Dal is trying to create a rift within the society. Why has the government become a mute spectator towards these incidents? Why is the government not taking action against Bajrang Dal for dividing people on communal lines. Every year an attempt is made by religious groups to deny entry to non-Hindu communities.

NCP Mumbai President Nawab Malik said, “It’s the right of organisers to permit or deny the entry at Garba and Dandiya. Nobody can oppose the decision taken by them.”

Kailash stated that for the last couple of years it has been observed that groups of youth of non-Hindu communities are entering these events and since they have no concern and respect towards the divinity of the event, they are often seen misbehaving with the women participating in Garba and Dandiya. They also manhandle the men who come to the rescue of the victim.

“Also the event managers are hiring non-Hindu bouncers which seem to be a main cause for these miscreants to enter the events. Another major lapse is lack of monitoring and control on who enters the events,’’ said Kailash.

Kailash said that teams of Bajrang Dal karyakartas will be present at the venues and if such case is reported immediate action would be taken by Bajrang Dal to stop the miscreants from entering the venues which may lead to disruption of the entire event.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai said, “Secularism means taking everyone together. Hindu Sanskruti is all inclusive and follows the ideology of Peshwas.”

Earlier too, there were instances where Muslims were being prevented from entering Garba and Dandiya events. Few years back Usha Thakur a legislator from Indore and BJP’s state vice president had written to Garba organisers in her constituency asking them to prevent Muslim men from entering the dance venues. The decision she claimed was based on a meeting of intellectuals – including doctors, engineers and senior police officers. She asked to stop this alleged “Love Jihad“, festival organisers must check IDs at the gates.

“We have received data that four lakh girls are converted to Islam every year during the Garba. Therefore, we have started this awareness drive. It has been seen that people who have no faith or devotion to the festival put tilak and wear sacred thread and practice Garba and during that time to woo our girls,” Usha Thakur said.

Is moral policing by Bajrang Dal justified?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 29, 2019

The Bajrang Dal group asked Garba and dandiya organisers in Hyderabad to conduct mandatory checks of Aadhaar cards of those participating in the festivities. In an open letter to the organisers, the group said that the entry of non-Hindu youths in the events should be checked. The group claimed that youth belonging to non-Hindu communities take part at the events where they misbehaved with female participants. Bajrang Dal believes that the innocent girls are trapped in such events leading to love jihad cases. They further demanded that the organizers should not employ “non-Hindu bouncers”. These are the set rules, above all the Bajrang Dal will depute its members in every event to keep watch and do moral policing. Bajrang Dal will be present at the venues and will take immediate action if any such case is reported. The group also cautioned that it would stop the alleged miscreants from entering the event, which could lead to “disruption of the whole event”.

If you see their social media posts you can understand what kind of violence they do. There are several videos on Facebook, Bajrang Dal people beating couples who are sitting in restaurants / parks / few public places etc., it’s disgusted a lot. If Bajrang Dal wants to avoid Valentine’s Day, Garba like events they have to do protests in peaceful manner. They have right to do protests, they have a right to share their views (Freedom of Speech) but it should be in a peaceful manner, not in the form of ferocity. According to Hinduism, there is no such a statement called that Men and Women cannot roam together. In our Epics, there are lot of love stories where couples romanced, played together before marriage. So, men and women can enjoy the freedom in this country until they make non-sense in public. They can’t stop people like this; it is about their personal choices.

Bajrang Dal came in to existence with motive; very few members are active and known. In October 1984, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) initiated the practice of regular processions to be held in Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh. These processions were called “Ram-Janaki Rathayatra” and were aimed at “awakening the society.” While the VHP did not officially claim any anti-religion drivers for this practice, many sections of the society in India viewed this as a pro-Hindu movement. As a result, there was an environment of communal tension and threat surrounding this procession. Under these circumstances, Hindu saints in the VHP called upon the youth to protect the procession. Thus, the Bajrang Dal came into existence. The organisation has since spread beyond Uttar Pradesh and now active in every part of India.

The Bajrang Dal is a religious militant organisation that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). It is a member of the RSS family of organisations. The ideology of the organisation is based on Hindutva and Nationalism. The group runs about 2,500 akhadas, similar to the shakhas (branches) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The name “Bajrang” is a reference to the Hindu deity Hanuman.

The Bajrang Dal’s slogan is ‘Sevā Surakṣā Sanskṛti’ or “service, safety and culture.” One of the main goals of the Dal is to build the Ram janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, the Krishnajanmabhoomi temple in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, which are currently disputed places of worship. Other goals include protecting India’s “Hindu” identity from the perceived dangers of communism, Muslim demographic growth, and Christian conversion, as well as the prevention of cow slaughter. Among the goals of the Bajrang Dal in modern India is a reversing of the Islamic Invasions and British imperialism. They include demands to convert historical monuments currently disputed into temples. If you read the literature on Bajrang Dal, being Hindu, the group believes in validity of all Religions and Respect for all human beings, irrespective of caste, colour, and religion (Aatmasvat Sarva Bhuteshu). It is for this purpose that the Bajrang Dal has undertaken various public-awakening campaigns. It does not believe in violence or any unlawful activity. But irony is that, they deal every situation with violence. Especially those youth who wants to create terror in the name of being Bajrangi.

Bajrang Dal, together with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, has spoken out against Islamic Terrorism in India and has announced that they will carry out awareness campaigns across the nation. They have stated that Islamic terrorists are hiding among the general population in India and mean to expose them. Bajrang Dal shares the VHP’s position against cow slaughter and has supported proposals for banning it. The Gujarat Bajrang Dal is at the forefront of the anti-beauty contest agitation. Another of its objectives is preventing Hindu-Muslim marriages. The organisation claims to work towards eradicating social evils like dowry and untouchability, but they are mostly focusing on moral policing. To save our culture and our religious beliefs, one needs no moral custodian because we as Hindu we know what are our values.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Precautions to be considered before entering into business partnerships

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 29, 2019

Adv. Pratibha Bangera (Advocate and legal Expert in litigation and commercial law) suggests legal precautions before partnering with business entities with our Editor in Chief Dr Vaidehi Taman.

How can one know the legality of business?

Any person desirous of conduction business must find out whether the activity of such business is well within the purview of “laws of the country” and take necessary precaution to check if formation of the business body is registered correctly, whether it is conflicting with intellectual property rights of others, whether there is compliance and measures towards government and taxation authorities carried out from time to time. And take professional advice before entering into business.

What are the crimes arising out of business?

Anything that is done with an intention to cheat and results in financial loss to another person or business entity or affects economy of the country are business crimes. Hence in addition to recovery of money from civil court, it will also attract criminal liability.

What is the difference between sole proprietorship firm, partnership and company ?

A business conducted by a single person who runs the business of a firm is a sole proprietor who may even employ people.

Business done in similar manner by minimum two or upto 50 partners by entering into a registered partnership deed is partnership business. A company is a separate “legal entity” created by its associating directors.

What are Shell companies?

Shell companies are opened for short periods to siphon off undeclared gains or fund illegal activities or misuse of trading platforms. The government has discovered and is coming heavily on lot of shell companies that do not have any real business.

What are the precautions that a novice person must take before joining an existing partnership or company or business entity?

You must know the legality of the business and whether there is any real business being conducted by company you intend to join.

Do not feel tempted or fall prey to persons who may offer heavy profits without any real legitimate work. Define your liability on paper and have a predefined clause to exit in case of disagreements or disputes. Check to rule out acts of money laundering activities or market abuse or criminal acts.

If there is a financial fraud, you may not only be liable for return of money limited to percentage of your share along with interest, but may also go through criminal charges if you associate with such ill intended persons.

What is the liability of a person who is innocently framed?

Ignorance of law is no excuse. Even if a person joins with limited liability the police has to investigate involvement of all partners. The Investigation authorities have to look into criminality of the case.

What can an innocent director or partner do to report such illegal acts?

If you suspect there are any entries or money that do not match the objectives of the company, you may report about the same to local police or NCLT for oppression or mismanagement. If the amounts involved is of higher value of more than 3 crores the police may forward it to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) experts.

What is Oppression and Mismanagement?

It is a business condition created by majority shareholders in a manner where in the minority members (minimum 1/10th of total members of company ) or shareholders are put to hardships or deliberate conditions are created by majority shareholders for gaining control of company to deny rightful profits, or which is contrary to interest of public or the company itself.

How safe is it to do business with friends?

The danger involved with friends is much more than conducting business with any other stranger. In these days and times fraudsters promise large returns and entice friends unsuspecting people to bring in their savings or force them to take loans to meet their greed.

The other way of mis-using friendship which is now rampant is to open fake companies to transfer their legal liability and abscond from police investigation and let the innocent friend answer all ensuing queries.

Health hazards of fast food

By

Jayanthy Subramaniam

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September 29, 2019

Fast Food, Junk Food, Unhealthy food, Fast food is popular because the food is inexpensive, convenient, and tastes good. However, fast food is often made with cheaper ingredients such as high fat meat, refined grains, and added sugar and fats, instead of nutritious ingredients such as lean meats, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Manufacturers process the raw ingredients, often adding hydrogenated oils, trans-fats and mono sodium glutamate to enhance taste and prolong the shelf life of the product. A high intake of trans-fat can raise low-density cholesterol levels and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. Foods commonly considered junk foods include salted snack foods, gum, candy, sweet desserts, fried fast food, and sugary carbonated beverages. Many foods such as hamburgers, pizza, and tacos can be considered either healthy or junk food depending on their ingredients and preparation methods.

Processed foods do tend to be less expensive than most fresh foods. In part, they’re that cheap because the U.S. government subsidizes the producers of corn and wheat, the main ingredients in those packaged snacks, which helps keep crop prices low. We crave unhealthy foods because they contain lots of sugar and artificial additives, which taste delicious, and therefore trigger the release of certain pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters. Furthermore, we are evolutionarily programmed to eat a lot more than we need, so that makes it even worse.

Obesity is becoming an epidemic and unhealthy lifestyle habits of youngsters are making them the biggest victims of lifestyle diseases resulting in rising incidence of juvenile obesity, said a survey conducted by a health care firm. The survey noted that at least 40% of children (aged 5-9 years), teenagers (aged 10-14 years) and adolescents (aged 15-17 years) are overweight or obese. The study also delves into insights from around 1,000 parents of overweight and obese children and adolescents, which reveals that 84% of girls and 82% of boys are physically and emotionally affected by weight issues.

Large intake of low nutrition but high-calorie foods, high frequency of eating out and large portion sizes are unhealthy lifestyle choices being made by youngsters in Delhi, noted the survey. It added that these poor eating habits eventually manifest into a full-fledged eating disorders. Parents of obese children agreed that they are very impressionable and get influenced by a lot of things. On the one hand, parents are using food as reward/means to distract children; and on the other, peer pressure, social media and advertising, academic stress and mood swings play havoc with their eating choices. Emotional eating and binge eating are hence becoming very common among young children.

Youngsters are sleeping late and often resort to midnight eating. They do not burn any calories after eating late at night as they sleep after wards. During the day, they are lethargic and thus burn less calories. Bad eating habits can cause sleeping disorders, depression, stress, anxiety and hormonal imbalance. Stress hormones and steroids production can increase appetite thus contributing to weight gain. Processed junk food has been steadily filling the lunch boxes of many school children. Although nutritionists and paediatricians have been warning parents about the ill effects of processed food and why it should not become a habit, indulgent or harried parents reach for that carton or packet as it saves time on manic weekdays. The trick is to see that the child gets enough of carbs, proteins and vitamins. There is no need to stuff the child but she must be eating healthy.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)