The Canadian Parvasi-issue 65

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The International News Weekly india October 19, 2018 | Toronto 08 "Everyone Can Go": Top Court On Entry Of Women In Sabarimala Temple Agencies Kerala : Tensions are high in Kerala as Sabarimala temple gates were opened today to all devotees, including women, for the first time since a Supreme Court order overturned a centuries-old ban on women of menstruating age -between 10 and 50 - from visiting the shrine. Thousands of security personals including policewomen have been deployed in Nilackal, some 20 kms away from the Sabarimala hilltop, to encounter any situation. On Tuesday, hours before the temple opens, agitators stopped and checked vehicles, including state-run buses, at Nilackal and forcibly turned back girls and women of this age group. Scores of protesters, including women and various right-wing organisations, have been camping in Nilackal town to protest against the SC decision to allow entry of women inside the temple. However, security forces have removed the makeshift shelters of protesters. The last gasp effort by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, to defuse the situation came to nought with the Pandalam royal family and other stakeholders walking out of a meeting called by it over its reluctance to discuss the issue of filing a review petition against the apex court order. Meanwhile, hundreds of women devotees of Lord Ayyappa, picketed the road to the hill shrine and prevented women they suspected were of menstrual age from proceeding to the shrine some 20 km away. Lustily chanting "Swamiya Saranam Ayyappa" hailing the Lord, the devotees checked buses and private vehicles for girls and women of the "banned" age group and forced them to abandon their journey. Television channels showed some college students, including young girls wearing black dresses, being ordered to get down a bus. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, facing a tough time tackling the highly emotive religious issue which has also acquired political overtones, issued a stern warning to those who dared block devotees from entering the temple. "We will ensure security to all. Nobody will be allowed to take law into their hands. My government will not allow any violence in the name of Sabarimala," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram as followers of Lord Ayyappa virtually besieged Nilackal, about 225 km from the state capital. "Stern action will be taken against anyone who prevents devotees from going to Sabarimala," he warned, and ruled out any rethink of his government's decision against seeking a review of the Supreme Court order. "We will go by what the Supreme Court says," he asserted. The Travancore Devaswon Board (TDB), meanwhile, went into a huddle with stakeholders, including the Pandalam royal family representatives and priests, to soothe frayed tempers amid escalating protests by the Hindu right and common Ayyappa devotees. There was, however, no breakthrough. The meeting also attended by Ayyappa Seva Samajam and Yoga Kshema Sabha ended in a deadlock as the TDB stuck to its stand of not filing a review petition. "It is very painful and we cannot agree. We wanted a decision on filing the review petition to be taken today itself, but the board said it can be discussed only at the next meeting of TDB on October 19," Shashikumar Varma, a member of the Pandalam royal family said. "We all wish that Sabarimala should not be made a war zone," Varma, the president of Pandalam Royal Palace Trust, told journalists after walking out of the meeting in a huff. TDB president A Padmakumar, however, dismissed suggestions that the meeting was a "failure". "What they (stakeholders) wanted was to file the review petition now itself. But the Supreme Court is closed till October 22. They also wanted to maintain the status quo on the customs and traditions. "As the Supreme Court has passed a verdict, what can the board do? But the board will continue to talk with them to resolve the issue," Padmakumar said. He said the October 19 meeting will take up the issue of the review petition. Kerala has witnessed a series of protests and prayer marches over the last few days over the government's decision to enforce the Supreme Court order. The Shiv Sena recently warned of "mass suicides" if women of menstrual age were allowed into the temple. Some other organisations have said women and girls aged between 10 and 50 years will have to tread on them before entering the temple. Actor-turned-BJP politician Kollam Thulashi went to the entent of saying women of "banned age" visiting the shrine should be "ripped apart". Nun’s rape: Released on bail, Bishop Franco reaches Jalandhar Jalandhar : Franco Mulakkal was on Wednesday given a ‘grand’ welcome by the Diocese of Jalandhar as he returned from Kerala after getting bail in a rape case. Mulakkal, who headed the Diocese of Jalandhar before stepping aside last month, has been accused of raping a nun. He remained in jail for over three weeks before getting conditional bail on October 15. Mulakkal reached the Bishop House in Jalandhar around 5 pm on Wednesday where large number of his supporters, including nuns who out numbered others, and the current administrative Bishop, Agnelo Gracias, were present at the main entrance to welcome him. Posters welcoming Mulakkal were put up around the Bishop House. The road leading to the Bishop House was jammed as hundreds lined the way raising slogans and reciting prayers in favour of Mulakkal and the Catholic Church. A nun said she had come from Gurdaspur church along with several other nuns just to express solidarity with the Bishop. Supporters showered flower petals on his vehicle as it entered the Bishop House and even garlanded him when he alighted from it. Mulakkal was lodged at the Pala jail after he was arrested on September 21 after questioning by the Crime Branch, Thrippunithura. He had stepped down from his post before leaving for Kerala to join investigation on September 19.
The International News Weekly india October 19, 2018 | Toronto 09 AAP rebel group in Punjab to announce district presidents on Oct 24 Indo-Asian News Service Chandigarh : The rebel group of Punjab AAP Tuesday said it will appoint district presidents of the party on October 24, a move which is expected to further deepen the ongoing crisis in the state unit. The dissident group of MLAs, led by Bholath legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira, blamed the Aam Aadmi Party for not making any contact with them for resolving differences. "We have decided to start the process of forming organisational structure of the party. We will announce the names of district presidents of the state unit on October 24," said AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu, who is part of the rebel group. Besides announcing names of district presidents, changes are various party wings, like youth and women, would be announced on the day, the rebel leaders said. "We had slowed down the process of forming the organisational structure, thinking they (the party) would contact us. Since no attempt has been made, we have decided to form an organisational structure of the party. Our doors are still open if anybody makes an attempt for unity," said Sandhu. The rebel AAP leaders will also have a political affairs committee meeting on October 24, said the Kharar legislator. Earlier, the rebel group had formed a 15-member parallel political affairs committee (PAC). Meanwhile, the core committee of the state unit of AAP Tuesday announced the formation of a five-member coordination committee to reach out to the rebel MLAs. The decision in the regard was taken in a core committee meeting chaired by MLA Budh Ram here. The coordination committee will comprise Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, legislators Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, Gurmeet Hayer, Rupinder Kaur Ruby and Kulwant Pandori. The rebel group had already formed a five-member committee to resolve differences within the state unit of the party. Earlier, AAP MLA Aman Arora had initiated talks with the dissident group of legislators, led by Khaira. AAP, as part of its efforts to make peace with "rebels" and "former leaders", had also reached out to the former Punjab convener of AAP, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who was sacked on charges of taking bribe for allotting party tickets. The party had plunged into a crisis after Khaira was unceremoniously removed from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. AAP name 4-5 candidates for 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab on Tuesday said that it will declare the names of four to five candidates next month for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. A decision in this regard was taken by the 22-member core committee of the AAP. "We have decided that names of at least four to five candidates will be announced next month for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," AAP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema said here. Earlier this month, the AAP leadership in Delhi had asked Punjab MLAs to start looking for potential candidates for the polls in 2019. They were asked to find candidates "with good character and clean image". In 2014, the AAP had won four out of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Cheema said the party's Scheduled Caste wing was also formed with the appointment of MLAs Manjit Singh Bilaspur and Kulwant Singh Pandori as president and vice president, respectively. PM to attend Saibaba centenary closing ceremonies Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday visit the temple town of Shirdi to attend the closing ceremonies of the yearlong festival marking the centenary of samadhi of the Shirdi Saibaba, officials said. Modi will reach Modi by a special flight at the new Shirdi Airport and then proceed by helicopter to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust. He will perform a special pooja at the temple and unfurl a special flag. Revered across communities, Saibaba passed away in Shirdi village in Ahmednaar district on Dassehra Day in 1918. To mark the centenary of his samadhi, the Trust had organised year-long celebrations which were inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind on October 1, 2017. In December 2017, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a Global Sai Temple Conference and a series of big and small activities were carried out throughout the year. Modi's visit marks the culmination of the festivities in which over 10 million devotees from India and abroad took part. Modi will unveil a Saibaba Centennial Commemorative silver coin, perform the bhoomi pooja of major projects like a new building, a mega educational complex costing around Rs 159 crore, a planetarium, a wax museum, a Sai Garden and theme park, totally costing Rs 166 crore, a laser sound-and-light show and a 10-MW solar power project, costing Rs 39 crore, said SSST Chairman Suresh Haware. Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shall attend the functions on Thursday.
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