16-10-2022 The Asian Independent

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Vol : 06 : #102 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

UP: Chaos at railway, bus stations as lakhs

of PET applicants wait for transport

Lucknow : Inadequate transport

arrangements for those appearing in

the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate

Services Selection Commission's

Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) led

to widespread chaos at railway and

bus stations on Saturday night.

The candidates could not get buses

and trains to return to their homes and

majority of them spent the night on the

roads. More than 35 lakh candidates

from across the state had registered for

the two-day exams that concluded on

Sunday. Social media is filled with

visuals showing platforms packed with

candidates desperately trying to board

trains. Bus stands were also jampacked

with students trying to find a

place inside the buses. Some could be

seen hanging form the windows.

Similar visuals were taken by journalists

at Hapur railway station where

some candidates were filmed making a

dash for trains already in motion.

"Why were exam centres allotted so

far away? And if that was the case,

why weren't adequate arrangements

made," the angry students asked.

More than 6.29 lakh candidates --

nearly 34 per cent of the total --

skipped the PET written exam, which

was held over two days -- Saturday

and Sunday -- and the reason mainly

was inadequate transport facilities to

reach the examination centres.

UP Transport Minister Daya

Shankar Singh spoke to the candidates

at Bareilly bus stand on Sunday and

promised to provide enough buses

once the exams conclude on Sunday

evening. Several opposition leaders

have tweeted videos and photos, saying

that the UP government is responsible

for the chaos and the hardships

faced by the candidates.

The government, meanwhile, has

claimed that many of the videos circulating

on social media and being

tweeted by opposition leaders were

fake and that extra trains and buses are

being arranged for the examinees.

PET is a qualifying exam where a

score enables a candidate to appear in

future recruitment exams for Group C

government jobs in the state.

STALIN writes to PM Modi on

'efforts to impose' Hindi in TN

Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief

Minister, M.K. Stalin on Sunday

wrote a letter to Prime Minister

Narendra Modi claiming that

"there are continuous efforts of

the Central government to

impose Hindi under the 'one

nation theory' in non-Hindi

speaking states".

Stalin in the letter said that

"the efforts to impose Hindi on

non-Hindi speaking people

would destroy the feeling of the

brotherhood of people of different

languages and cultures..."

"The recent attempts to

impose Hindi are impractical

and divisive in character and puts non-

Hindi speaking people in a very disadvantageous

position in many respects," he

added. In the letter, he further said that

"this was not acceptable; not only to Tamil

Nadu but also to any state that respects and

values its mother tongue".

The Chief Minister said that approach of

the Union government should be to include

all languages including Tamil in the Eighth

schedule of the Constitution.

He also referred to a report of the parliamentary

sub-committee on official languages,

which had reportedly recommended

that Hindi should be

the compulsory medium of

instruction in educational institutions

administered by the Union

government such as the IITs

,IIMs, AIIMS and central universities.

Stalin further said that it was

also recommended (by the subcommittee)

that Hindi should

replace English.

He also asserted that several

youths in Tamil Nadu had sacrificed

their lives in 1965 in the

anti-Hindi agitations that erupted

in part of the state.

"Jawaharlal Nehru respected the sentiments

of the people and assured that

English would continue to be one of the

official languages as long as non-Hindi

speaking people want," Stalin added in the

letter.

BJP govt doesn't respect

democracy, misusing

Central agencies: Kharge

Bengaluru : A day ahead of the

AICC Presidential poll, Congress

leader in the fray, Mallikarjun

Kharge on Sunday fired salvos at

the BJP government in the Centre.

Speaking to the media at the

party office here, Kharge accused

the Central government of misusing

investigating agencies and

pulling down the governments in

Congress-ruled states. He said that

the BJP government at the Centre has the backing of the RSS.

Blaming the Modi government for the destabilisation of

Congress-led governments in states like Madhya Pradesh, Goa

and Manipur, Kharge stressed on the need for a strong

Opposition to counter the BJP and protect democracy in the

country. Polling for the AICC President election is scheduled on

Monday, for which 494 office-bearers of the party in Karnataka

are eligible to vote. Terming the contest, in which he is fielded

against Shashi Tharoor, 'a friendly fight', Kharge stated that he

is contesting for the post of AICC President to strengthen the

party. Preferring not to respond to remarks made by Tharoor

during the course of campaigning, Kharge stressed on the need

for collective leadership to strengthen the party at all levels.

2

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS

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47 nominations for Munugode

by-election REJECTED

Hyderabad : Nominations of 47

candidates have been rejected in

Telangana's Munugode Assembly

constituency, where the by-election is

scheduled to be held on November 3.

Nomination papers of 83 candidates,

including the candidates of all

major parties, were found in order by

the election authorities. These

include 69 independents.

The returning officer rejected

papers of 47 candidates after scrutiny.

According to Chief Electoral Officer

Vikas Raj, nominations of six candidates

of various parties and 41 independents

were rejected.

Besides the candidates of three

main political parties Telangana

Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP) and Congress,

contestants from 11 smaller parties

have filed their papers.

The by-election is necessitated by

the resignation of Komatireddy

Rajagopal Reddy, who quit Congress

to join the BJP. He has filed the nomination

as the BJP candidate.

The ruling TRS has fielded K.

Prabhakar Reddy, who had lost to

Rajagopal Reddy in the 2018 elections.

Prabhakar Reddy was elected

from the same constituency in 2014.

The Congress party has fielded

Palvai Sravanthi. Majority of the contestants

are independents. They

include some unemployed students of

Osmania University and those displaced

by Cherlagudem reservoir.

A total of 130 nominations were

filed for the by-election till October

14, which was the last date for filing

the nominations. The scrutiny was

taken up the next day. October 17 is

the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

This is the highest number of

nominations filed for the constituency

in more than two decades. In 1996

a record 480 nominations were filed.

Several candidates have entered the

fray to draw attention to the problem

of fluorosis in the constituency.

Advocate found dead

under mysterious

circumstances in UP

Bahraich : A 40-year-old advocate was found dead

under mysterious

circumstances in

his house in the district

of Uttar

Pradesh on Sunday.

The deceased

has been identified

as Intezaar-ul-Haq.

Haq's wife has

claimed that her

husband was murdered.

Superintendent of Police Keshav Kumar

Chaudhary said that the woman, who is a resident of

Jameel Colony, informed the police that her husband

was found dead lying next to her when she got up in the

morning.

Family members of the deceased and his neighbours

are being questioned by the police.

A case has been registered, and the body has been sent

for post-mortem.

Team AI :

Devinder Chander

Editor-in-chief

Columnists

V.B. Rawat

Farzana Suri

Arun Kumar

Rahul Kumar

Head Office

Samaj Media Enterprise Ltd.

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Three injured in Gurugram

firecrackers explosion succumb

Gurugram : Three persons of

the same family succumbed to their

injuries on Sunday, days after they

got injured in firecrackers explosion

in their house in Gurugram.

The victims succumbed to their

injuries during treatment at

Safdarjang hospital in Delhi, while

the condition of three others is still

critical.

Six persons were injured in the

explosion in a house located in

Nakhrola village on October 12.

The explosion took place in the

house of a person named Jai

Bhagwan at Kherki Daula police

station, where firecrackers were

illegally stored in huge quantity. The

deceased were identified as Jai Bhagwan

Kolkata : The Kolkata

Police on Sunday said that they

recovered cash worth Rs 2

crore along with diamondstudded

gold ornaments from

the residence of a businessman

in a housing complex at

Shibpur here.

The raid was carried out on

Saturday. The city police said

that the businessman, Sailesh

Pande's two bank deposits of

Rs 20 crore have been frozen.

The value of the ornaments

seized in this connection is yet

to be ascertained.

A city police official said

that the recovery has been done

relating to an investigation in a

purported fraud in the name of

arranging bank loans. The cops

of Hare Street Police under the

central division of Kolkata

Police started the investigation

on the basis of a written complaint

by the branch authorities

of a private sector bank about

multiple fictitious transactions

of huge amounts from the two

accounts.

On the basis of the probe,

first the police blocked and

freezed the deposits worth Rs

20 crore in the two bank

accounts. And on Saturday

night, the raid and search operations

at Sailesh Pande's residence

at Riverdale housing

complex was conducted. Pande

is in police custody now,

though the other members of

his family are absconding.

Huge cash recovery in connection

with different financial

embezzlement matters has been

a regular feature in the state

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(48), his son Manish (17) and daughter Chavi

(11). All the victims were undergoing treatment

at Safdarjang hospital since

October 12.

The other three victims Satish

Kumar (45) and his relative and

Tanuj (10) are still critical.

The explosion was so intense

that roof and walls of the house

blew off following which the victims

got trapped, while cracks

appeared in more than two adjoining

houses.

Fire personnel, police and

forensic teams and Civil Defence

personnel rushed to the site and

rescued the victims. The victims

were rushed to the Gurugram civil

hospital from where they were

referred to Safdarjung hospital for further

treatment.

Police recovers huge cash, gold from Bengal bizman's residence

since July this year. First, it was

the Enforcement Directorate

(ED) sleuths, who in July this

year, recovered cash and gold

from the two residences of

Arpita Mukherjee, close aide of

former West Bengal education

minister, Partha Chatterjee in

connection with the multicrore

West Bengal School

Service Commission (WBSSC)

recruitment irregularities scam.

Both Partha Chatterjee and

Arpita Mukherjee are under

judicial custody now.

Then again on September

10, the ED sleuths recovered

huge cash from the residence of

a city- based businessman at

Garden Reach area in Kolkata

in connection with a probe on

E-Nuggets, a mobile gaming

app fraud. The prime accused

in the matter, Amir Khan is in

police custody.


ASIA

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

3

Angry farmers block road to Sangrur

home of 'remote controlled' Mann

Chandigarh : Facing criticism for

being remote controlled by Raghav

Chadha and Arvind Kejriwal, a 3-km

stretch to AAP leader and Punjab

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's

Sangrur residence has been blocked

by farmers for over a week demanding

implementation of demands, on the

pattern of their year-long struggle in

Delhi.

Apart from the liquor policy being

under the judicial scanner with those

in the trade accusing the government

of monopolising the industry in favour

of a 'handful of entities', the government

is facing criticism for not giving

salaries on time to its employees and

the escape of a noted gangster

involved in the killing of singer Sidhu

Moosewala.

This sums up the seven-month

helm of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

that trounced the traditional players

that ruled the state for over seven

decades by capturing 92 out of the 117

Assembly seats.

Also the AAP, which came to

power with a 10-point 'Punjab Model',

comprising free electricity and a

monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for

every woman above the age of 18, has

skipped announcing the timeline for

the latter poll promise in its maiden

budget of Rs 1.55 lakh crore.

The government and the governor

have found themselves at loggerheads

thrice. The latest "rift" between

Governor Banwarilal Purohit and

Chief Minister Mann was over the

appointment of cardiologist Gurpreet

Wander as Vice Chancellor of Baba

Farid University of Health Sciences,

with the former saying the government

violated the rules by recommending

only one name.

The move to appoint Wander, who

later withdrew his candidature as Vice

Chancellor, comes just two days after

the Governor took strong exception to

the absence of the Chief Minister at

the civic reception organised by him in

honour of visiting President Droupadi

Murmu.

Reminding the Chief Minister of

his constitutional obligations that have

to be met on such occasions, the

Governor, in the presence of President

Droupadi Murmu, had said publicly

from the stage: "I had personally

called him (Chief Minister) up, but he

has not come apparently due to some

compulsion."

"Whatever the compulsion, the

Constitutional obligations are more

important and have to be fulfilled on

such an occasion."

Mann was also conspicuously

absent at the Indian Air Force's 90th

Air Show here on that day as he was

on a political tour to poll-bound

Gujarat along with AAP national convenor

and Delhi Chief Minister

Arvind Kejriwal.

Missing no opportunity for taking

jibes at the AAP's announcements in

poll-bound Gujarat by narrating its

government's success stories in

Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal

(SAD) has asked AAP convener

Arvind Kejriwal not to tell "white lies"

to fool farmers, saying his government

in Punjab had promised a minimum

support price (MSP) on 'moong' and

maize but failed to deliver.

Former Akali minister Daljit Singh

Cheema said it was shocking that

Kejriwal was claiming in Gujarat that

the AAP government in Punjab was

giving MSP on five crops and that the

same formula would be replicated in

Gujarat. "The truth is that the Central

government is procuring wheat and

paddy on the MSP in Punjab through

the Food Corporation of India.

Similarly, the Cotton Corporation of

India procures cotton. Chief Minister

Bhagwant Mann had urged farmers to

sow moong and promised to procure

the entire crop on an MSP of Rs 7,250

per quintal but did not even procure 10

per cent of this crop. The Punjab government

has similarly failed to procure

the maize crop leaving farmers to their

fate," he said.

He told IANS that the Punjab government

has also not given any compensation

to farmers for the losses suffered

by them due to large-scale

attacks of dwarfing virus in the current

paddy crop.

On a poll promise to compensate

the farmers for the cost incurred in

managing paddy stubble, SAD

President Sukhbir Badal asked the

AAP government to give a cash incentive

at the rate of Rs 2,500 per acre to

the farmers to encourage them not to

burn paddy straw.

"It was proposed by the Chief

Minister that both the Punjab and

Delhi governments as well as the

Centre should contribute to make this

incentive a reality. The Chief Minister

should say why the Punjab and Delhi

governments, both run by the AAP,

have refused to release a single rupee

for this initiative," Badal said.

Amidst the allegations of

'Operation Lotus' by the BJP, the AAP

government this month won the vote

of confidence with a thumping majority

in the Assembly.

A total of 93 legislators voted in

favour of the confidence vote.

Terming the Congress and the BJP

as two sides of the same coin, Mann

informed the Assembly that the confidence

motion was necessitated as both

the parties have joined hands to topple

the democratically-elected government

in the state. Asking the government

to wake up to the activities of the

forces which are inimical to the state

and the nation, BJP leader Capt

Amarinder Singh said law and order is

a state subject and it is the duty and

responsibility of the government to

confront them.

He warned that if the state government

did not take strict and firm action

the situation could deteriorate further

which Punjab cannot afford anymore

after seeing a dark decade.

However, he expressed grave scepticism

over any such possibility as the

government is being remote controlled

by Chadha and Kejriwal.

He said it is unprecedented and

unconstitutional that someone like

Chadha would convene meetings of

senior officers and then refer matters

to Kejriwal instead of Bhagwant

Mann.

Meanwhile, the good news is that

the state's GST collection has crossed

the Rs 10,000-crore mark for the first

time in the first six months of this fiscal.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh

Cheema said the state saw a 22.6 per

cent year-on-year growth in GST collection

in the current fiscal.

The AAP is currently facing allegations

of an 'extortion' conversation

featuring its minister.

An audio clip of a purported 'extortion'

conversation allegedly between

Cabinet Minister Fauja Singh Sarari

and his aide Tarsem Lal Kapoor

caught the attention of the Opposition

parties, including the SAD, which

demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

The minister and his aide can be

heard discussing ways to extort money

from transporters and officials.

Sarari, who holds the Welfare, Food

Processing and Horticulture departments,

has denied the allegations and

filed a police complaint.

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the

alleged extortion tape, SAD leader

Bikram Singh Majithia said the minister

was caught discussing a plan to

trap some officials and extort money

from them.

UP Cong to focus on bringing Dalits back into its fold

Lucknow : The Congress in Uttar

Pradesh is preparing to focus firmly on

retrieving the Dalit vote bank that it

lost to the Bahujan Samaj Party in the

nineties.

With a Dalit as a UPCC chief, the

party is confident of bringing the community

back into its fold.

The newly appointed UP Congress

president Brij Lal Khabri minces no

words in boasting about the caste he

belongs to.

Khabri said not all Jatavs are with

Mayawati and not all non-Jatavs are

with the BJP.

"They are silent till the time they

have no choice. Once the Congress

becomes an option, there will be no

looking back," he said in an informal

interaction.

Khabri, who has worked with BSP

founder Kanshi Ram in the eighties

and later with the BSP chief

Mayawati, said, "Mera lakshya hai

jaati ko jamaat banane ka. I am a Jatav

and proud to be so."

Asked about his strategy, Khabri

said, "I will begin visiting districts

immediately after Diwali and ensure

that disgruntled Jatavs and non-Jatavs

join the Congress which has made a

Dalit president after the BSP.

Whatever be their number, the party

will aim to bring all of them in the

Congress fold. There is a natural inclination

of people towards the leaders of

their caste."

He further

explained, "Once

Dalits begin to join the

Congress, other castes

which are ready to

break the cycle, will

also come with us."

"Those who were at

the helm of affairs

were not from dominating

castes as is the

case now. People

would like to join

hands with a party

whose president is

from their caste,"

Khabri said.

The UPCC chief

also feels that Muslims

are ready to leave the

Samajwadi Party.

"Muslims are disillusioned

with the SP

and are looking for options in the Lok

Sabha elections and the Congress is

the best option," he reasoned.

Khabri also downplays the factionalism

within the state Congress.

"There will be no hurdle from within

the party as everyone would have to

follow the protocol that comes with

the UPCC president," he said.

Khabri said that instead of wasting

energy on disgruntled leaders within

the Congress, he would rather focus

on disillusioned voters of other parties.

To another question on possible ego

clashes with the zonal chiefs, he said,

"There is no question of ego clash as

all are bound by protocol that comes

with the party president. Besides, my

effort will be to take everyone into

confidence while planning a strategy. I

have gained enough organisational

experience to take everyone along."

He further said that the focus would

be on vote banks and everyone would

be given a target to increase voters and

ensure that more people join the

Congress.

Khabri said, adding that anyone

who failed in doing so would have to

introspect.

4

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 ASIA


How Kashmir's irreversible integration with

India became anathema for Pakistan?

Srinagar : The abrogation of its

special status together with the downgrading

of J&K to the status of a

union territory in August 2019 evoked

both anger and shock in Kashmir.

Delhi had done with one stroke

what seemed impossible to the common

Kashmiri. He had prided himself

on his special place in the polity of

Indian states for over seven decades.

While he could buy land and establish

business anywhere else in the

country, none from other states of

India had the privilege of establishing

residence or business in J&K.

Indian Parliament had done away

with this sense of special citizenship

of Kashmiris. Pakistan believed that

the development had all it needed to

focus international attention on

Kashmir.

From the United Nations to the US,

Pak Premier cried wolf. Imran Khan

did his best to prove himself as the

great champion of Kashmir's secession

from India.

Pakistan tried its influence on

China and the Muslim countries to

create unease for India internationally.

Internally, Pakistan believed hell

would break loose in Kashmir. Delhi

had put all separatist and Pro-India

regional players like those of the

National Conference and the Peoples

Democratic Party under arrest.

If separatism needed a bigger

spark, Pakistan believed that the historic

movement had come.

To the pleasant surprise of the

Indian government and total bewilderment

of Pakistan, Kashmir did not

explode after the abrogation of its

special status.

Cynics said that the people were

under shock even to decide their reaction

to the unexpected development.

Pakistan tried to console itself that

the recovery from the perceived shock

would result in a turbulence Delhi

could hardly handle.

Nothing even remotely close to

Pakistan's expectations and hope happened.

To keep its hope alive, Islamabad's

so-called eyes and ears in Kashmir,

those were puppets on the string at the

hands of the ISI said India had

cracked down heavily with ubiquitous

deployment of security forces and a

blanket ban on Internet and other

means of expression.

The expected 'upheaval' was waiting

for a breather to explode, Pakistan

and its supporters in Kashmir strongly

believed in this.

Three years after the abrogation of

its special status, curbs on the Internet

are no longer there.

Presence of the security forces has

stopped interference with the civilian

movement. A general sense of ease

and normalcy has returned to the

Valley.

The people of Kashmir have

shocked Pakistan. Secessionist violence

has been reduced to a few incidents

of encounters between armed

militants and the security forces.

Violence has moved from the centre

stage to the flanks. Secessionist

feelings have become an aberration.

Common Kashmiri has decided to

move on.

Education of children, developmental

activities, sports, tourism, horticulture,

handicrafts, white water

rafting, trekking, hiking, family outings,

entertainment, cinema, music

and social get togethers have returned

to the Valley.

Fear has been replaced by hope.

Kashmiris appear to have decided that

they will reclaim their special status

by distinguishing themselves in civil

service exams, competitive sports and

entrepreneurship in business, horticulture

and agriculture.

Khalid, 18, belongs to a middle

class rural family of north Kashmir.

He played football whenever stone

pelting and separatist called shutdowns

permitted him to do so till

2019.

In three years after 2019, the boy

has been chosen to play for 'Real

Kashmir' football club thanks to the

initiative of the UT's government.

His younger brother, encouraged

by Khalid's achievement is now training

himself to play for the under 19

cricket team of the country.

Kashmiri youth have been making

it to the coveted IAS/IPS services of

the country.

Students belonging to remote areas

of Ganderbal, Badgam, Anantnag,

Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara and

Baramulla have made it to the country's

top civil services.

After the relaxation of the civil servants

deputation rules, most of the

local boys and girls allotted to

IAS/IPS/IRS and other cadres of other

Indian states have been deployed to

J&K after abrogation of Article 370.

Baramulla, Srinagar, Pulwama and

some other districts have local district

magistrates.

For a change, Kashmiris seem to

have decided to give up the perceived

special status to become their own

rulers and masters.

Girls from Ganderbal, Bandipora,

Badgam, Anantnag and other districts

have distinguished themselves at

national and international levels in

Karate, kickboxing, Judo,

Taekwondo, etc.

The separatist diktat to restrict girls

to veil and wall has been smashed

with Kashmiri girls distinguishing

themselves in sports, fashion designing,

hospitality industry, music and

fine arts.

Retardation of over 30 years

imposed by the separatists on their

education and progress has been

replaced by the velocity of the local

girls' desire to excel in all fields and

control their own destiny.

Mehvish Zargar is now the first

female cafe entrepreneur of Kashmir.

Yasmeena of Baramulla district has

become the chef at a local restaurant

and she has distinguished herself as

the 'Cake girl of Kashmir'.

Rukhsana of Chanapora in

Srinagar has set up the first cloud

kitchen in Kashmir.A

Nasreena of Sopore has opened the

'Al-Kareem' restaurant where local

cuisine called 'Wazwan' is served

alongside Chinese and continental

food.

Families have started outings on a

scale that definitely indicates

Kashmir's return to entertainment

with a bang.

As Kashmir had an unprecedented

tourist flow in 2022, locals were not

left out in numbers that visited

Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam,

Doodhpathri and a dozen other tourist

spots during this year.

Hoteliers, taxi operators, houseboat

owners, Shikarawallahs on the

Dal and Nigeen Lakes, all have done

good business this year because of the

large number of tourists visiting the

Valley now.

Commerce has replaced shutdowns

imposed by the separatists.

Kashmir has not observed a single

day of separatist called shutdown and

protest since August 2019 when

Article 370 was abrogated.

Families are going to the multiplex

cinema opened a month back in

Srinagar. Small cinema halls have

also come up in some other districts.

The intention of the separatists and

their sponsors across the border to

keep Kashmiris on a tight leash has

been defeated.

Kashmiris have broken loose from

the psychological shackles imposed

on them through violence and fear.

The Government of India intends

to hold the Assembly elections in

J&K by the spring of 2023.

Irrespective of who comes to

power after those elections, Kashmir

appears to have integrated with India

in a manner irresistible for Pakistan

and irreversible for Kashmiris.

TN Police begins 'Ganja Free Villages'

INITIATIVE IN COIMBATORE

Chennai : The Coimbatore rural

district police have commenced an initiative

to curb the drug menace plaguing

the young generation and have

floated panchayat-level monitoring

committees for 'Ganja Free Villages'

Tamil Nadu South Zone Inspector

General of Police, R. Sudhakar while

speaking to IANS said that the initiative

was to prevent young schoolgoing

children from falling prey to the

drug menace. He said that a police

officer will be assigned as the nodal

officer in each village panchayat and a

monitoring committee will be floated.

The monitoring committee has the

village panchayat president, local

school headmasters, ward members,

and nodal officer as members and the

main target is the ganja and other drug

networks that are supplying the drugs

even to the school children.

R. Sudhakar said that the police

have commenced their activities from

Saturday onwards and that the monitoring

committees would be soon

formed to curb the drug network.

Panchayat presidents, however,

suggested the inclusion of prominent

social and political workers in each

village panchayat. R. Gangadharan, a

social activist in Perur panchayat in

Coimbatore while speaking to IANS

said, "It's a good initiative by the

police, but my suggestion is to include

local-level social and political workers

in the committee so that there is a

grassroots connect." Deputy Inspector

General of Police (DIG), Coimbatore

Range, M.S. Muthuswamy told IANS,

"The police and the local people will

work together and plan to monitor and

curb the drug movement and make our

children free of this menace."


NEWS

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

5

China’s rollout of 5G technology

will be used to further monitor

and control UYGHURS

Washington : Chinas rollout of

thousands of 5G base stations

throughout its far-western Xinjiang

region has raised suspicion that the

technology will not be used for economic

development but for enhanced

digital surveillance of Uyghurs and

other Muslims, experts say, media

reports said.

The build-out in the Xinjiang

Uyghur Autonomous Region is part of

a nationwide expansion of the fifthgeneration,

or 5G, technology standard

for broadband cellular networks that

mobile phone companies began

deploying worldwide in 2019. China

is rolling out 5G to further digitize its

economy and society, RFA reported.

With an area of 642,800 square

kilometers (248,200 square miles),

Xinjiang has the largest land area of

all the provinces and autonomous

regions in China, though most of the

vast region consists of uninhabited

deserts and mountains.

Xinjiang’s regional capital Urumqi

(in Chinese, Wulumuqi) was one of The 5G network rollout across the recognition cameras, mobile phone

China’s first cities to adopt 5G technology

in October 2019, followed by a pervasive digitized system that monitrol

the predominantly Muslim popu-

entire region will augment an existing scans as part of China’s efforts to con-

network rollout that covered other tors the movement of residents lation, experts said, RFA reported.

urban areas in prefecture-level cities. through surveillance drones, facial China has built more than 30,000

Amit Shah launches Hindi version

of MBBS textbooks in Bhopal

Bhopal : Union Home Minister Amit

Shah unveiled the Hindi version of three

MBBS textbooks in Bhopal on Sunday.

The translated textbooks will be introduced

in the 1st year of MBBS at Gandhi

Medical College in Bhopal in the new academic

year.

With this, Madhya Pradesh would be the

first state in the country to start medical

education in Hindi.

It is being introduced in the Bhopalbased

medical college on pilot basis and

the state government has planned to introduce

the system in all 13 government-run

medical colleges across the state.

"This historic day will be written in

golden words," the Union Home Minister

said while unveiling the textbooks of three

subjects - Biochemistry, Anatomy and

Medical Physiology - in Hindi.

Shah further said that the MBBS course

in Hindi was launched as part of the

National Education Policy and soon it will

be started in other languages also, Shah

added.

"Now, the students of the country will

not have any inferiority complex about not

knowing the English language and they can

study with pride in their own language," he

added.

Meanwhile, he said that earlier there

were 387 medical colleges in the country

with a total of 51,000 seats. Now, the

nation, under the leadership of Prime

Minister Narendra Modi, has 596 medical

colleges with an additional 89,000 seats.

The country had 16 IITs earlier, and the

number has now gone up to 23, the number

of IIMs has increased from 13 to 20, Shah

added.

Shah praised Chief Minister Shivraj

Singh Chouhan and the state Medical

Education Minister Vishvas Sarang for taking

"the lead in the country in starting the

MBBS course in Hindi".

Chief Minister Chouhan said that these

textbooks have technical terms written in

Hindi the way they are pronounced in

English, like ’kidney’ is written as kidney

only.

He also said that students from rural

areas who were unable to get medical education

because of lack of knowledge of

English will not lag behind and will be able

to pursue the MBBS course in Hindi.

5G base stations in Xinjiang, adding

another roughly 10,000 this year at a

cost of 1.65 billion yuan (U.S. $230

million), according to an October 10

report by state-run Tianshan Net-

Xinjiang Daily, the official news website

of Xinjiang.

There are nearly a dozen 5G base

stations for every 10,000 people in the

region with a total population of

roughly 12 million, the report said. All

prefecture-level urban areas and county

urban areas, and 90.5 percent of

townships and towns, now have 5G

network coverage.

"The 5G network will further deepen

the coverage of counties and townships,

and ?county and county access

to 5G’ will further consolidate the

foundation of digital Xinjiang," the

report said.

China has used digital technology

to monitor and censor Uyghurs and

other Turkic peoples in Xinjiang,

amassing huge amounts of data from

cell phones, personal computers, and

security cameras to impose political

and social control of the Muslim

groups.

For years, Chinese authorities have

subjected Uyghurs and other Turkic

minorities in Xinjiang to arbitrary

arrests and restrictions on their religious

practice and culture, RFA

reported.

Foreign cigarettes

worth Rs 2.72 cr

seized in Mizoram

Aizawl : The Assam Rifles troopers have seized foreign cigarettes

worth Rs 2.72 crore in Mizoram 24 hours after the state

police rescued 140 exotic animals and seized drugs worth Rs

34.18 crore and arrested four persons in this connection, officials

said on Sunday.

Acting on secret information, the Assam Rifles personnel

launched an operation at Zotlang areas in eastern Mizoram’s

Champhai district and seized the foreign cigarettes smuggled

from Myanmar.

The cigarettes were contained in 209 cartons.

An Indian national was arrested in this connection.

In another incident, Mizoram police arrested 27-year-old

Myanmar national Thalianchi from Bawngkawn in Aizawl district

and seized 10 gram of heroin, valued at Rs 5 lakh from his

possession.

On Saturday, the Mizoram police in a joint operation with the

Excise and Narcotics Department personnel intercepted three

vehicles and rescued 140 wild animals, including 30 tortoises,

22 pythons, 55 crocodiles (hatchlings) and birds, in eastern

Mizoram’s Champhai district.

On Saturday, police also seized heroin weighing 6.836 kg valued

at Rs 34.18 crore from a vehicle in Champhai district.

The police said that the consignment was concealed in 500

soap cases and the driver of the vehicle has been arrested.

6 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 ASIA


Kerala human sacrifice case:

Key accused convinced others that

victims' flesh could be sold

Thiruvananthapuram : The

first accused in the Kerala human

sacrifice case, Mohammed Shafi

convinced the second accused

Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila

that the flesh of the victims could be

sold to some people who eat human

flesh. According to sources in the

investigation team, the accused had

told the second accused and third

accused that "some people who do

certain pooja eat human flesh and

that the demand is very high for it".

He had also told them that 10 kg of

the flesh be stored in the freezer and

that the buyer would reach the

home. Investigating officers have

said that Shafi told Bhagval and

Laila that Rs 20 lakh could be

earned on the sale of the victims'

flesh. He, according to police, also

had taken an amount of Rs 6 lakh

from the couple. The police have

said that Shafi had borrowed around

Rs 6 lakh from Bhagval and Laila

and when the couple was putting

pressure on him, he suggested the

idea of human sacrifice for prosperity.

Two women Rosyln and Padma

were brutally murdered as part of a

human sacrifice ritual at Elanthoor

in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.

The news came to the fore on

October 11, during an investigation

of case relating to missing of a

Tamil woman, Padma, whose sister

Palaniammal complained that she

was missing from home since

September 26. The Ernakulam

police during the probe found that

the missing woman was in touch

with Shafi. On further investigation,

Shafi spilled the beans and told the

investigation team of the twin murders.

He told the team that another

woman, Roslyn was murdered in the

name of human sacrifice at

Elanthoor home on June 8. The family

of Roslyn had registered a complaint

with the police a few days

after her disappearance.

Shafi, Bhagaval, and Laila are

remanded to judicial custody for fifteen

days and are now handed over

to the Ernakulam special police

team for 12 days.

Python found on school

bus in UP's Raebareli

Rae Bareli : A huge

python was found inside a

parked school bus in Uttar

Pradesh's Raebareli on

Sunday.

According to reports, the

python was hiding under the

seat of the bus of Ryan Public

School, parked at the stands.

Circle Officer (CO) City

Vandana Singh and City

Magistrate Pallavi Mishra

reached the spot after getting

the information and called the

Forest Department team to

the spot and got the python

rescued.

The video of python getting

rescued by Forest

Department officials has gone

viral on social media. In the

video, an official can be seen

pulling the python from the

bottom of the school bus.

Accused in J&K DG Prisons'

murder case attempted

suicide before arrest

Jammu : The domestic help accused of killing Hemant

Lohia, J&K DG (Prisons), attempted suicide before arrest,

officials said on Sunday.

Officials said that Yasir Ahmad Lohar of Ramban district,

who is accused of killing Hemant Lohia, J&K DG (Prisons)

on October 3, tried to commit suicide before he was arrested

after killing the officer.

A team of investigators and psychologists interrogated the

accused to find out his mental condition. "A torn belt was

found hanging from the ceiling of the room where the

accused killed the officer. The accused has said that after

killing the officer with a ketchup bottle, he had tried to commit

suicide," officials said.

The case has been handed over to the crime branch for

investigation.

According to Forest

Department officials, the

weight of the python is about

80 kg and its length is 11 and

a half feet.

After the rescue operation

that lasted for about an hour,

the python was somehow

brought under control and

was safely released in the forest

of Dalmau. Fortunately,

the school was closed as it

was a Sunday, so there was no

loss of life.

Sources said the school

bus was parked in the driver's

village.

Some goats were running

next to the bus and the snake

was probably attracted by

them. However, the locals

raised a hue and cry when

they spotted the serpent. The

snake then slithered into the

bus to hide.

Chandigarh : The Punjab

Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Sunday

arrested former state minister Sunder

Sham Arora, who recently switched

loyalties from the Congress to the

BJP, for offering Rs 50 lakh bribe to

an assistant inspector general (AIG)

of the bureau.

A trial court later sent him to police

remand till October 19.

The VB also recovered Rs 50 lakh

from his possession.

Arora, who has been facing charges of

disproportionate assets and irregularities

CPI party Congress: Kerala

unit calls for open alliance

with Cong in 2024 polls

Thiruvananthapuram :

The Kerala unit of CPI has

called for an open

alliance with the

Congress at the national

level during the 2024

Lok Sabha elections.

The Kerala delegation

was speaking at the 24th

All India Congress of the

Communist Party of

India (CPI) in

Vijayawada.

The delegates from

the Kerala unit, including

Agriculture Minister P.

Prasad and the editor of the

party's mouthpiece

'Janayugam', Rajaji Mathew

Thomas, called for an

alliance with the Congress at

the national level during the

2024 Lok sabha elections.

Stating that the alliance

must take place much before

the elections are announced,

the delegates said that

alliances with regional parties

must also be stitched up

during his tenure

as industries minister

in the previous

Congress government,

is the

third former minister

of the last

regime to be

arrested after the

AAP came to

power in Punjab.

Earlier, the VB had arrested former ministers

Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and

Bharat Bhushan Ashu in different cases.

ahead of the polls.

Thomas said a credible

alternative to the BJP

can be formed only

through such measures.

The CPI leaders also said

that there should be open

alliances and not hideand-seek

games which

the CPI-M was playing.

Meanwhile, the

organisational report of

the party has pointed to

the low presence of

youth in the CPI.

The CPI is also taking

steps to enforce strict measures

on the upper-age limit

for party office-bearers,

pitching for 75 as the cut-off

age.

Ex-Punjab minister held for graft sent

to police custody till Oct 19

Vigilance Bureau Chief Director

Varinder Kumar told the media that an

FIR under Section 8 of the Prevention of

Corruption Act was registered on

Saturday against Arora based on the

statement of AIG Manmohan Kumar.

He said the AIG lodged a complaint

that Arora met him on October 14 and

offered him Rs 1 crore for getting favour

in a vigilance enquiry registered against

him. The vigilance chief said the former

minister had offered to pay Rs 50 lakh

on October 15, while the balance amount

was to be paid at a later date.


ASIA

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

7

Bharat Jodo Yatra's success

will be judged by poll results

With one-fourth of his 150-day

mission complete, it may be too

early to predict the results of

Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The Yatra has so far proved to

be a great photo opportunity for

him as well as the people who are

joining him, which has created

quite a stir on social media.

Whether it is the hugs, chit-chat or

holding little children in arms, or

walking undeterred by the rain, or

climbing atop an 80-foot overhead

tank to wave the national flag, or

simply standing in a group, the

pictures are going viral.

The most talked about picture,

of course, was his tying the

shoelaces of his mother, Sonia

Gandhi, when she joined him in

the Karnataka leg.

But then, viral pictures are

never the barometer of political

achievements. Even the crowds

that join a rally or follow a Yatra

cannot vouch for political success,

which, in our democracy, is all

about the 'right' click on the EVM.

For the right click, the leader or

the political party has to get

immersed among the people 24x7,

aggressively strike on issues and

follow up with equal enthusiasm,

and never stay away, come what

may.

With Rahul Gandhi, the public

perception of him being the perennial

non-striker continues to persist.

He joined politics in 2004 and

since then the Congress has been

shrinking all over the country.

Today, its presence is almost negligible

in Uttar Pradesh, which

was once the pillar of the party,

and the situation in other states,

except in the south, is not very different.

The party's declining fortunes

have been further aggravated

by desertions of veterans and

cadres.

Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra also

comes at a time when he and his

mother are facing the heat of the

Enforcement Directorate in the

National Herald case. To beat the

heat, the Yatra was an idea to go to

the people and tell the party cadre

that the party is very much around,

and the Gandhis can connect.

The Yatra is a bid by Rahul and

his close associates in the party to

desperately alter two most pain

points -- the party's battered electoral

fortunes and his bruised

image. Even after almost two

decades in politics, and having

been cushioned each time the

party has faced defeat, this is the

first time that Rahul is doing a solo

act.

The fifth-generation dynast of

the Nehru-Gandhi family, Rahul

has everything to prove today, and

this Yatra holds the key to his

political future. Crowds have

joined him in Kerala, where the

Congress is strong. In Karnataka,

the state party leaders have tried to

put up a good show. The response

in both the two states has not been

overwhelming, from the perspective

of people, but the party cadre

has been galvanised.

Through this Yatra, Rahul is

also trying to connect with the

youth. At every station he meets

young people, especially the

unemployed ones and tries to

impress them with "facts" about

the Narendra Modi-led government,

how its policies have taken

away jobs and affected the small

industries.

The Congress social media sites

are on an overdrive to highlight

the issue. Rahul is also aggressively

touching the raw nerve with his

question-answer sessions, social

media posts and TV bytes. He

never misses any opportunity to

slam the Centre's economic policies.

In a tweet, he wrote: "Met

immensely talented youth, today.

Some were Engineers, some were

MBAs, but all 'educated jobless'.

PM's priorities are clear: It's not 2

crore jobs per year but 'PM ka PR

& PM ke 2 Yaar'. What youth need

instead is a job-creation strategy

which will fulfil their aspirations."

Also, at the centre of his yatra is

the theme of brotherhood, which

he says is "too precious to be lost

to the hateful and greedy ploys of

a few". He has been making concerted

attacks on the BJP and RSS,

saying they are pushing a communal

divide and making the country

weaker

From the beginning of the

Yatra, Rahul has been attempting

to hammer in the issues of rising

unemployment and growing communal

hatred. These are the two

issues which he believes can drive

the people, especially the young,

back to the party. The Congress

has said that the Yatra will be a

"transformational moment" for

Indian politics and a "decisive

moment" for the party's rejuvenation.

The Gandhis are hoping for a

miracle from the Bharat Jodo

Yatra, the like of which India has

not seen in decades. The last time

a politician undertook a national

padyatra was in 1983, when

Chandra Shekhar, president of the

erstwhile Janata Party, and not yet

a Prime Minister, undertook an

over 4,000-km yatra against

Rahul's grandmother, the then PM

Indira Gandhi.

At the end of that padayatra,

Chandra Shekhar succeeded in

being catapulted from Uttar

Pradesh's Ballia district to national

politics. He was 56 then; Rahul is

52 now, and leading the Yatra for a

purpose.

But can this Yatra do what

Chandra Shekhar did to his grandmother?

The question is still in the

realm of speculation. The possibility

may seem too far-fetched at the

moment. Rahul's hopes are high,

but whether his hard work will

galvanise the cadre and help

improve his image, is something

which cannot be predicted yet.

Covering 1,000 km in 38 days is

not a mean feat. The Yatra may

have whatever outcome, Rahul

Gandhi may or may not rise up to

the dynastic benchmarks, but what

he has shown to the country is that

he has stamina, which is proving

to be quite a hassle for the rest of

the Congress leaders. Matching

his strides may be a nightmare for

others, but for Rahul, the walk is

certainly that of a man on a mission.

The 150-day journey will not

yield real results. The real outcome

will be the elections in

Himachal, Gujarat, Karnataka,

Rajasthan ... and then the 2024

battle for the Lok Sabha. By staying

away from the party's top post,

Rahul may duck the responsibility

of unfavourable results, but directly

or indirectly he will have to face

the blame. Especially because if

the party does well at least in

Karnataka, loyalists will at once

raise a toast to him.

8 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


US offer to HELP INDIA in chip

manufacturing just lip service: China

New Delhi : As the US and India

join hands to address semiconductors

supply chain challenges, the Joe Biden

government's offer to provide assistance

to India to build up its semiconductor

manufacturing capacity

appears to be just lip service, Chinese

state-run publication Global Times has

said.

US deputy assistant secretary,

South and Central Asia, Afreen

Akhter, during her visit to India this

week, said they will help India boost

its semiconductor manufacturing

capacity.

Akhter led a semiconductors trade

mission to India and met top government

officials in the Capital.

According to Global Times, the

announcement is designed to "lure

India into a geopolitical game to

exclude China from the global chip

industrial chain, rather than a commitment

with real investment plans to

support India's chip manufacturing."

The report mentioned that the

CHIPS and Science Act, that aims to

provide $52 billion in subsidies for

chip manufacturers to build fabrication

plants in the US, is an attempt to

build up an industrial chain focused on

the interests of the US, "which is

unlikely to bring benefits to India."

India has introduced a series of

preferential policies to attract chip

companies to invest in production in

the country. Last year, the government

announced a Rs 76,000 crore performance

linked incentive (PLI) scheme in

the semiconductor sector to boost

local manufacturing.

As India and the US double down

on domestic semiconductor manufacturing,

China witnessed its biggestever

monthly decline in chip manufacturing

in August owing to Covid

restrictions and weakening demand.

That was also the second consecutive

month of decline for chip manufacturing.

In July, the output nosedived

16.6 per cent to 27.2 billion

units.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government

has partnered Vedanta and

Foxconn, aiming an investment of Rs

1.54 lakh crore to achieve self-reliance

in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.

India's semiconductor component

market is likley to reach $300 billion

in cumulative revenues by 2026, as

'Make in India' and production-linked

incentive (PLI) schemes will boost

local sourcing of semi-components in

the coming years, according to the

report by the India Electronics &

Semiconductor Association (IESA)

and Counterpoint Research.

The report further said that as India

wants to become a chip powerhouse, it

"should not take the bait laid by

American diplomats in the hope that

the US will provide it with important

resources."

"First, the assistance that Akhter

said the US would provide to India

may not be delivered on," it added.

"Even as the US chose India as a

partner in semiconductor cooperation

in geopolitical calculations, this doesn't

mean it will really help India to

boost the semiconductor sector," the

report mentioned.

The real question India faces is if it

wants to upgrade its chip manufacturing

sector and move toward the

upstream industrial chain, "it must

build up a solid industry basis, instead

of pinning its hope on US lip service".

Avoiding news, eating well gave best

mental health outcomes during Covid

London : A healthy diet and avoiding

the news helped prevent anxiety

and depression during Covid-19 --

even better than interacting with

friends, following a routine, or pursuing

hobbies, researchers have found.

Dr Joaquim Radua led a team of

Barcelona-based researchers who

compared how various health activities

could reduce anxiety and depression

during the Covid pandemic.

The final findings were presented

at the annual ECNP conference in

Vienna this week.

The researchers saw that the

Covid-19 pandemic increased anxiety

and depressive symptoms in the population.

"Health bodies recommended

several behaviours to cope with them,

but no studies had followed the effect

of these behaviours on anxiety and

depressive symptoms over time; there

was no real evidence on how much

they work. So we decided to test what

worked best," said Radua.

The researchers followed 942

adults for one year. Every two weeks,

the volunteers rated the frequency of

10 selected coping behaviours and

noted their levels of anxiety and

depression. They found that some of

the behaviours monitored were associated

with coping better during the

pandemic. These included following a

healthy/balanced diet, not reading

news updates about Covid too often,

physical exercise, staying outdoors,

and drinking water.

On the other hand, some behaviours

that had been generally thought

to be beneficial, such as talking with

relatives or friends, or following a

hobby, had a smaller influence on the

mental health outcomes investigated

in this study.

"This was a little surprising. Like

many people, we had assumed that

personal contact would play a bigger

part in avoiding anxiety and depression

during stressful times," said

Radua. In a previous pilot study, the

researchers found that those who followed

a hobby showed less anxiety

and depression.

"However, we did not know

whether people first do hobbies and

then feel relaxed/happy. Or conversely,

people first feel relaxed/happy, and

then these feelings make them follow

hobbies," they added.

On the basis of results, the

researchers recommend that everybody

follows a healthy/balanced diet,

avoids watching stressful news too

often, spends more time outdoors,

does relaxing activities, and does

physical exercise.

"The results suggested that healthy

eating, avoiding stressful news, drinking

water, staying outdoors and taking

part in relaxing activities showed a

protective effect on mental health during

this stressful period," said

Professor Catherine Harmer, Director

of the Psychopharmacology and

Emotional Research Lab (PERL) at

the University Department of

Psychiatry in Oxford.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk ASIA 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 9

Stage set for dramatic showdown

as Jan 6 panel summons Trump

Washington : The stage for a

dramatic showdown has been set

between ex-President Donald

Trump and the Jan 6 Congressional

panel probing the capital hills insurrection

of 2021 which led to nine

deaths and arrests of over hundreds

of Trump supporters.

The last meeting of the January 6

committee did not conclude its ninth

and possibly final public hearing by

referring Donald Trump to the US

justice department for criminal conduct

- a move many, including some

members of the panel, had urged,

The BBC reported.

Instead, all nine members of the

bi-partisan panel, including democrats

and republicans, voted to issue a

subpoena to Trump to appear before

the panel and testify to the events of

the attack by his supporters on capitol.

The decision of whether to indict

the president for crimes relating to

the 6 January 2021 attack on the US

Capitol rests with the justice department,

not Congress. And the committee's

formal subpoena of the former

president, while historic, is

almost certain to be ignored by Mr

Trump, The BBC said.

Reacting angrily to the subpoena,

Trump, in a 15-page letter to the

Chairman of the Jan 6 panel Bennie

Thompson, Democrat from

Mississippi, said the "committee

was a total BUST" and filled with

"political hack and thugs". But

apparently in a rethink following an

advice by fellow republicans close

to him, he decided to reconsider his

decision to appear before the committee,

The Independent of London

reported quoting authoritative

sources close to Trump.

While the committee could vote

to hold the former president in contempt

of Congress, the clock is ticking

towards next month's midterm

elections and what could be a

Republican takeover of the House of

Representatives in January, when

the committee would be unceremoniously

shuttered, The BBC said.

Still, the vote to call Trump to

offer his defence made for a dramatic

flourish at the end of what

was another stinging round of accusations

directed at the former president

- one that included some neverbefore-seen

footage from the

Capitol attack and recently acquired

documentary evidence from speaker

Nancy Pelosi's daughter,

Alexandra Pelosi, a documentary

filmmaker.

The January 6 committee has laid

responsibility for the attack at

Donald Trump's feet, but one of the

challenges it has faced has been

tying the former president directly

to the violence. Investigators have

said Trump created an atmosphere

that led to violence and that he was

aware that trouble was possible, but

they have yet to directly link Trump

to those who attacked the Capitol.

In her presentation on Thursday,

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren suggested

that longtime Trump confidante

Roger Stone was that missing

link. Stone was in contact with

members of the right-wing militant

groups Proud Boys and the Oath

Keepers - individuals who have

been charged with seditious conspiracy

by the justice department for

their involvement in the Capitol

attacks.

Lofgren showed photographs of

Stone with leaders of the Oath

Keepers the day before the Capitol

attack. She also noted that Stone

was in touch with Trump in late

December and that the president

wanted to talk with Stone in the

days leading up to January 6, 2021.

Still, however, the committee has

been unable to fully document interactions

between Stone and the president.

"We don't yet have all the relevant

records of Roger Stone's communications,"

Lofgren said. If Stone

is the missing link, it is one that

remains in the shadows.

Congressman Adam Schiff was

tasked with presenting new evidence

that the select committee had

received from the Secret Service

detailing their agents' communications

during and before the Capitol

attack. He read one email from an

anonymous tipster warning that

groups were planning violence. In

texts and emails on January 6, the

agents noted the large crowds lingering

outside Trump's morning

"Stop the Steal" rally and speculated

that it could be because they were

armed.

Other reports, of sightings of

handguns, assault rifles, riot shields

and pepper spray, back this up.

All this, the congressman continued,

was evidence that the White

House - and its security teams -

knew that violence was not only

possible but probable as the crowd

moved up Pennsylvania Avenue to

the Capitol. He even suggested

agents may have lied to congressional

investigators.

"Despite this, certain White

House and Secret Service witnesses

previously testified that they had

received no intelligence about violence

that could potentially threaten

any of the protectees on January 6,

including the vice-president," Schiff

said. "Evidence strongly suggests

that this testimony is not credible."

Congressman Pete Aguilar later

added that the committee is reviewing

testimony and will consider

whether some witnesses were pressured

not to tell the full story about

what the White House and the

Secret Service knew in advance.

The Committee v Donald

Trump

After the hearing concluded,

Congressman Jamie Raskin of

Maryland told reporters outside the

room that he thought Trump ought

to take the committee up on its offer

to testify. "I would consider it a

great honour and a privilege to testify

if somebody accused me of trying

to overthrow a presidential election

and subvert the government of the

United States," he said.

NASA set to break sound barrier again for future air travel

Washington : NASA aeronautical innovators

are poised to break the sound barrier

again, this time in a very different way that

could make it possible for all of us to one day

travel by air just as fast as any of the X-1

pilots who flew supersonic.

NASA's X-59, the centerpiece of the

agency's Quesst mission, will enable commercial

supersonic travel over land.

Lockheed Martin has designed, built and

conducted initial flight tests with the aircraft

and the first flight is targeted for 2023.

"That first supersonic flight was such a

tremendous achievement, and now you look at

how far we've come since then. What we're

doing now is the culmination of so much of

their work," said Catherine Bahm, an aeronautical

engineer at NASA's Armstrong Flight

Research Center in California.

Through Quesst, NASA plans to demonstrate

the X-59 can fly faster than sound without

generating the typically loud sonic booms

that led to supersonic flight over land being

banned in 1973. The plan includes flying the

X-59 over several communities to survey how

people react to the quieter sonic "thump" it

produces - if they hear anything at all.

"Their responses will be shared with regulators

who will then consider writing new

rules to lift the ban," said NASA.

"And when that happens it will mark another

historic milestone in flight, potentially

opening a new era in air travel, where airline

passengers might hop on a supersonic jet at

breakfast time in Los Angeles to make a

lunch-time reservation in New York City," it

added. Seventy-five years ago, a sonic boom

thundered for the first time over the high

desert of California, when the thunder came

from the Bell X-1 rocket plane flying faster

than the speed of sound. It was October 14,

1947, and the joint X-1 team of NACA, Air

Force (newly formed that year), and Bell engineers

and pilots had broken the sound barrier

-- an imaginary wall in the sky some said was

impossible to penetrate.

"With the X-59 flying on the Quesst mission,

I think wea?re ready to break the sound

barrier once again," said Peter Coen, NASA's

mission integration manager for Quesst.

10 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 ASIA


British Sikh 'Polar Preet' to trek

1,100 miles across Antarctica

London : Indian-origin British Sikh

Army officer Preet Chandi, who made

history by trekking to the South Pole, is

now going for a record-breaking 1,100

miles trek across Antarctica -- solo and

unaided!

Captain Chandi, also known as

"Polar Preet", became the first woman

of colour in January this year to complete

a solo and unsupported 700-mile

trip to the South Pole in just 40 days,

five days ahead of her finishing schedule.

The 33-year-old will pull all her kit

and supplies on a sledge (pulk), weighing

around 120kg (19 stone) at the start

of her epic journey in November, while

battling temperatures of -50c and wind

speeds of up to 60mph.

"I expect the journey to take approximately

75 days. Having done 700

miles to the South Pole, I know I can do

1,100 miles," Chandi, a physiotherapist

with the British Army, said.

Chandi, the British Army website

reported, will make slower progress at

the beginning because of the extra

weight of her pulk, a type of sledge

pulled by a person and used to carry

equipment and supplies. Her pulk will

include ice screws, an ice axe, crevasse

equipment and crampons which are

only needed for the last part.

From the South Pole to the base of

the glacier is around 655 km. Of this,

about 140 km is on the glacier which

climbs from around 763m to 2,931m.

"I don't know what the ground or the

weather will be like. If there's lots of

heavy snowfall it will slow me down. I

need to hit the South Pole by a certain

point to give me enough time to go

down and navigate the glacier," Chandi

said.

Chandi is the third fastest female

solo skier for the expedition behind

Johanna Davidson of Sweden and

Britain's Hannah McKeand. She is also

the first person to reach the South Pole

on foot in two years, the Guardian

reported.

"The British Army is extremely

proud to have such a remarkable

ambassador. Captain Chandi embodies

the qualities we seek of all who serve -

courage, commitment, and the want to

be the best we can be," said Lieutenant

General Sharon Nesmith, Deputy Chief

of the General Staff, British Army.

"Inspiration for all, especially young

girls, to push personal limits and

achieve incredible feats," British MP

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi tweeted.

Antarctica is the coldest, highest,

driest and windiest continent on Earth

and nobody lives there permanently.

When Chandi reached the South

Pole earlier this year, she had said in her

blog post: "I don't want to just break the

glass ceiling, I want to smash it into a

million pieces".

Xi warns China will never 'renounce

the use of force' regarding Taiwan

Beijing : During his opening speech

Sunday morning at the start of the Party

Congress, Chinese leader Xi Jinping

vowed to speed up efforts to build the

People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a

"world-class military", local media

reported.

To achieve that, the Chinese military

should uphold the party's "absolute leadership",

modernise its theory, organisation,

personnel and weapons, Xi was

quoted as saying by the CNN.

He pledged to improve the PLA's

ability to safeguard national sovereignty,

security and development interests, and

to "effectively fulfill the mission of the

people's army in the new era."

To do this, the military must build a

strong system of strategic deterrence,

increase the proportion of combat forces

in new areas and deepen military training

for real combat, he said.

Xi also raised the possibility of confrontation

when discussing democratic

Taiwan -- which the Communist Party

claims as its territory, despite never having

controlled the self-governing island,

CNN reported. "We will continue to

strive for peaceful reunification with the

greatest of sincerity and the upmost

effort, but we will never promise to

renounce the use of force and we reserve

the option of taking all measures necessary,"

Xi said. Xi gave a stern warning

on Taiwan during his speech on Sunday,

saying China would achieve reunification

with the self-governing island by

force if necessary. He added that his

words were "directed solely at interference

by outside forces and a few separatists

seeking Taiwan independence".

China's ruling Communist Party

claims Taiwan as its territory, despite

never having controlled it.

Xi's remarks on Taiwan drew the

greatest level of applause through his

speech, which ran just short of two

hours, CNN reported.

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16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

11

Inflation ‘manageable’ at

7.4%, love to see it down

to 4%, says Sitharaman

Washington, (Asian independent)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

has reiterated that the inflation rate,

which is hovering over 7 per cent in

India, is “at a manageable level” compared

to where some other countries are

at present. But anticipating critics, she

added that the government is working to

bring it down under 6 per cent and would

like to bring it down under 6 per cent and

“ideally” to 4 per cent.

Sitharaman also noted with some satisfaction

that the fundamentals of the

Indian economy were in a good position

at this time — “I’m not asking for celebration,

but it is true that we are holding

together”.

Addressing a news conference on

Friday at the end of her visit for the

annual meetings of the World Bank

group, which were accompanied by 24

bilateral meetings, the finance minister

also gave a broad overview of India’s

priorities for its upcoming year-long

rotational presidency of the G-20 group

of countries — essentially, focusing on

bilateral development banks, climate

finance and cryptocurrency.

Sitharaman first spoke of the inflation

being at a “manageable level” earlier

this month. She spoke more expansively

at the news briefing. Expressing satisfaction

with fundamentals of the economy

— “we are in a comfortable position”,

she said, “that is why I keep repeating

saying inflation is also at a manageable

level.”

Inflation touched 7.4 per cent in

September, which is outside the RBI tolerable

range with 6 as the maximum. “I

love to bring it down further below 6 and

we are making efforts for it,” she said

and pointed to the situation in other

countries, specially Turkey, where the

annual inflation rate stood at 80 per cent

in August.

“Countries are being very severely

impacted through external factors,”

Sitharaman said, pointing possibly to

rising energy prices that have fuelled

inflation around the world. “We are also

being impacted. But because of the various

measures we have been taking every

time, timely each time. we’re able to

bring it to this level, at least hold it.A

ideally at this time to bring it four,” she

said.

The finance minister also addressed

the challenges India expects to face during

its G-20 and pointed to the failure of

the group to come out with a joint communique

at the end of its finance ministers

here during the World Bank meetings

— they “couldn’t come up with a

communique; all of them have ended up

coming up with some stair chair statement.”

She added that 2022 was a contentious

year for the group and that India

will be taking on those and other challenges

working closely with the members.

The minister also defended the

Enforcement Directorate and the Income

Tax departments’ action against civil

rights bodies and activities. “I don’t

want to comment on individual cases or

the approach but certainly, there are

instances which are so standing out and

if the agency goes there it is with some

prima facie evidence in its hand and

some of them have even been covered

by the media yourselves — the quantum

of money stored, precious jewellery,

gold seized. So they have to act,” she

said in response to a question.

Conservatives to discuss

replacing Truss with a

joint ticket of Rishi Sunak

and Penny Mordaunt

London : Senior Conservatives will this week hold talks

on a "rescue mission" that would see the swift removal of

Liz Truss as leader, after the new chancellor Jeremy Hunt

dramatically tore up her economic package and signalled a

new era of austerity, local media reported.

A group of senior MPs will meet on Monday to discuss

the prime minister's future, with some wanting her to resign

within days and others saying she is now "in office but not in

control". Some are threatening to publicly call on Truss to

stand down after the implosion of her tax-cutting programme,

The Guardian reported.

In a rearguard action to prop up the prime minister, her

cabinet allies warned MPs they would precipitate an election

and ensure the Tories were "finished as a party" if they toppled

a second leader in just a few months, The Guardian

reported.

However, support for Truss is also evaporating inside the

cabinet, with members keeping in close touch with her critics.

"She is in the departure lounge now and she knows that,"

said a former minister. "It is a case now of whether she takes

part in the process and goes to some extent on her own terms,

or whether she tries to resist and is forced out."

Between 15 and 20 former ministers and other senior MPs

have been invited to a "dinner of grown-ups", convened by

leading supporters of Rishi Sunak, to plan how and when to

remove Truss and install Sunak and fellow leadership contender

Penny Mordaunt as a unity pairing, The Guardian

reported.

A source familiar with the conversations said: "They are

just going to have to sit down and work things out. It now

becomes a rescue mission for the Conservative party and the

economy. That's where we are."

The battle over her future comes after an extraordinary

round of interviews by Hunt, who said it had been wrong to

'fly blind' by announcing a raft of tax cuts without explaining

how they would be funded. On Saturday night, he said

Truss' mini-budget "went too far, too fast".

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12 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


3 dead, over 55,000 affected in

Sri Lanka's floods, landslides

Colombo : Three people have

died and over 55,000 people from

13,902 families have been affected

by floods and landslides in Sri

Lanka in the past 72 hours.

The rainy weather that ushered

in floods and landslides will continue

till Wednesday, Xinhua news

agency reported quoting the

Disaster Management Center

(DMC). Meanwhile, Director of

Irrigation (Hydrology) Eng. S.P.C.

Sugeeshwara said the risk of

floods in some areas will exacerbate

if heavy rains continue.

The landslide warning issued

for six districts has been extended

considering the adverse weather

conditions, the DMC said on

Sunday. The Department of

Meteorology said the current

heavy rains are due to the influence

of the Intertropical

Convergence Zone (ITCZ) near

the country.

PAKISTAN at critical

moment of recovery

following floods: PM

Islamabad : Pakistan currently stands at

a critical moment as it is embarking on a

road to recovery in the aftermath of climate

change-induced devastating floods,

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

said on the occasion of World Food Day.

The day is observed to create awareness

about global hunger, malnutrition and the

need for collective actions to ensure food

and nutritional security for all, the prime

minister was quoted as saying in a statement

on Sunday.

"This year's theme 'Leave no one behind'

reminds us to collectively struggle to end

poverty and hunger, and realise that the

food we choose and the way we consume it,

affects our health and that of our planet,"

Xinhua news agency reported quoting the

Prime Minister.

Sharif said the devastating floods during

this year's monsoon have played havoc

with Pakistan, affecting over 33 million

people and resulting in the loss of livestock,

standing crops, and essential infrastructure.

The damage to Pakistan's agricultural

sector would also be felt across the globe,

he said, adding that Pakistan is one of the

world's top producers and exporters of cotton

and rice, which have been destroyed by

the flood.

"The situation is no doubt very challenging,

however, Pakistan is fully committed

to achieving the United Nations'

Sustainable Development Goals aimed at

ending poverty, improving health and education,

and spurring economic growth,"

according to the prime minister.

Two Arunachal youths missing for over

50 days from India-China border area

Itanagar, (Asian independent) Two

youths of Arunachal Pradesh are missing for

over 50 days now after they went in search

of local medicinal herbs and for hunting at a

mountain along the India-China border, their

families said on Saturday. The disappearance

of Bateilum Tikro and Bayingso

Manyu of Duiliang village of Anjaw district

near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was

also confirmed by various official agencies,

including police, though they said that it was

not clear if the duo had actually crossed the

LAC or not. Tikro’s younger brother

Dishanso Chikro told the media that the two

youths went to Chaklagam area in search of

medicinal herbs on August 19 and the villagers

last saw them on August 24.

“We have searched for them at many

places, but are unable to trace them yet,”

Chikro said, adding that an FIR was lodged

at the Khupa police station on October 9.

He said that he has informed Hayuliang

MLA Dasunglu Pul about the missing duo.

The family members and relatives suspect

that they might have inadvertently crossed

the LAC.


NEWS

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

13

POLITICAL MAELSTROM over

Pakistan Army chief’s successor

Islamabad, (Asian independent)

In Pakistan, it is said, more

seriously than in jest, that political

power flows through the barrel of

the army’s gun. For the first time,

the post and the persona of the army

chief and his likely successor are

fair game. They have actually

become a major part of the political

conundrum.

President Arif Alvi is the newest

entrant in the raging debate over

who should be the next army chief,

when and how, confusing and compounding

an already murky situation.

It only reinforces the role of the

all-powerful military in the South

Asian nation’s political affairs.

Alvi has sought a role for his

office, actually himself, in the decision-making

process involving the

selection of the next army chief to

succeed incumbent, General Qamar

Javed Bajwa, who, as per schedule,

is to retire on November 29 this

year.

In an interview with journalist

Asma Shirazi on Aaj TV, the

President desired that “a summary

of the appointment be sent to him

after the consultation has been completed”,

Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistan’s Constitution, however,

does not provide for a role for the

President who is actually a titular

head of a government that follows

the parliamentary system and has a

government headed by a Prime

Minister. It is the incumbent’s sole

prerogative to tick the name of the

officer of his choice from the list

sent by the Defence Ministry, or

even a general not on that panel.

Alvi on October 10, asked that

“broader consultation” on the

appointment of the chief of army

staff (COAS) was “a must so that a

consensus could be developed”.

With the call for “broader consultations”,

political analysts said, Alvi

was seeking a role for the principal

opposition leader, Imran Khan, the

former prime minister voted out in

April and who has since been agitating

for a snap poll.

Alvi was elected President during

Khan’s tenure and belongs to

Khan’s PTI. In his interview,

though, he said he had left behind

his political affiliation. However, he

had delayed and had been reluctant

to swear in the incoming government

in April this year.

Alvi has been known to hold

meetings of various stakeholders

and as per media reports, has

brought about one between Khan

and Gen. Bajwa. He claims these are

his “efforts in a personal capacity”.

After that meeting, media reports

say, Khan has lowered his attacks on

the military, especially personal

attacks on Bajwa.

Khan has been demanding a snap

poll and is assuming that he would

win it. He wants to be the one to

select Bajwa’s successor. Anyone

other than him – he calls the present

government of “thieves” — would

select one of the “corrupt” generals

to suit political objectives.

Although said to be divided in its

support of Khan, against the

Shehbaz Sharif government, the

military brass has been upset with

Khan for casting aspersions on serving

top officers.

Bajwa last week confirmed that

he would be retiring when his

tenure, with a three-year extension,

ends next month and that he does

not desire a second extension. Khan

has, however, suggested that Bajwa

be continued in office till after the

elections are completed. This in

effect means giving him another

extension. This came after he had a

“secret” meeting with Bajwa at

Alvi’s initiative.

Even without the President’s initiatives,

the post and the persona of

the next army chief have become

controversial as never before and a

part of the political tug-of-war.

Analysts say the army, which

backed Khan in 2018, is unable to

rein him in, but is at a loss how to

resolve the political slugging when

the country is facing a deep economic

crisis.

While Defence Minister Khawaja

Asif has announced that the selection

of the next chief would be done

this month, Khan has opposed it and

has called for a “Long March”, a

street protest. The media speculation

now is that the government,

which has put the selection process

underway, may announce the name

prior to the Long March.

Expressing apprehensions over

the Long March prospects, Najam

Sethi writes in an editorial in The

Friday Times (October 11): “What if

the confrontation in Islamabad leads

to blood on the streets? What if PTItriggered

civil strife spreads to other

parts of the country? Given the dismal

state of the economy and the

devastation caused by the floods,

will General Bajwa stand by and

allow the country to plunge into

chaos and anarchy?”

Pakistan’s past record in such situations

has been the military seizing

power on three occasions.

Jeremy Hunt says Liz Truss is still in charge

London : Jeremy Hunt has

insisted that Liz Truss is still in

charge despite her premiership

looking increasingly in peril, as he

warned of further public spending

cuts and failed to rule out more U-

turns on her disastrous mini-budget,

a media report said.

The new UK chancellor, now

widely seen as the most powerful

man in the government since he

took over from the sacked Kwasi

Kwarteng, has buried a series of

flagship policies that brought Truss

to power, The Guardian reported.

"The Prime Minister is in

charge," he told the BBC's Sunday

with Laura Kuenssberg, even

though her authority has been seriously

undermined by her decision

to allow him to tear up her economic

agenda in a bid to calm the markets

and mutinous Tory MPs, the

report said.

Hunt claimed that the Prime

Minister had changed, as he defended

her credibility as leader.

Asked why people should trust

what she or the government said, he

replied: "Because she's listened.

She's changed. She's been willing to

do that most difficult thing in politics,

which is to change tack. What

we're going to do is to show not just

what we want, but how we're going

to get there."

However, the former health secretary

appeared to rule out any

future tilt at the

Tory leadership,

saying his desire to

lead the party had

been "clinically

excised" thanks to

previous failed

attempts.

"I think having

run two leadership

campaigns, and by

the way failed in

both of them, the

desire to be leader

has been clinically

excised from me,"

he said. "I want to

be a good chancellor.

It's going to be

very, very difficult. But that's what

I'm focusing on."

Hunt and Truss are meeting in

her Chequers residence on Sunday

with tax rises and spending cuts on

the horizon, and the new chancellor

admitting that "difficult decisions"

are coming over the next two

weeks, before the new budget on

October 31.

"Actions speak louder than

words," he said, as he promised to

reassure the markets, The Guardian

reported. Truss has already been

forced into a humiliating climbdown

on her plans for a top 45p rate

tax cut and a freeze in corporation

tax, which will now go from 19 per

cent to 25 per cent.

14 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


Biden’s remarks echo long-running

US fears about Pakistan’s nukes

Washington, (Asian independent)

ference in 2009 after 100 days in American units to provide added

President Joe Biden’s

remarks calling Pakistan “one of

the most dangerous nations in the

world” because of its nuclear

weapons, demonstrated that the

US remains concerned about the

safety of Pakistan’s warheads and

whether they could fall into the

hands of terrorist groups that

Islamabad has long hosted, nourished,

and deployed.

Biden himself had expressed

these fears before, Karine Jean-

Pierre, the White House Press

Secretary said on Friday, without

making any effort to walk back the

President’s remarks.

office. The US, he went on to say,

could “make sure that Pakistan’s

nuclear arsenal is securea”primarily,

initially, because the Pakistan

Army, I think, recognizes the hazards

of those weapons’ falling into

the wrong hands.”

The Federation of American

Scientists, which tracks nuclear

weapons around the world among

other things, say Pakistan currently

has the sixth largest arsenal

with 165 nuclear warheads. And

Pakistan has been growing the

arsenal rapidly, according to

reports. With in two days of the

September 11 terrorist attack in

security for the Pakistani arsenal

in case of a crisis. At the same

time, the Pakistani military would

be given money to equip and train

Pakistani soldiers and to improve

their housing and facilities”,

which were goals long-desired by

the Pakistani’s then Army chief

General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.”

Though the arrangement was

never made public, Hersh noted

that the same year US congress

approved a $400 million request

for what the administration called

the Pakistan Counterinsurgency

Capability Fund, providing immediate

assistance to the Pakistan

Speaking about China’s

the US, Pakistan’s military had Army for equipment, training, and

President Xi Jinping at a

relocated nuclear weapons components

‘renovation and construction’.

Democratic party fundraiser on

Thursday, the US President said:

“This is a guy who understands

to six new secret locations,

according to press report and

shortly thereafter, Gen. Pervez

Biden’s remarks reveal fears

about Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal

remain, and that the President

what he wants but has an enormous,

enormous array of prob-

she did try to soften the blow, meet all – each and every – inter-

chief and other officers and amidst – recent improvements in

Musharraf fired his intelligence expressed them despite – and

lems. How do we handle that? adding: “But you, again, he national standard in accordance detained several suspected retired bilateral ties that had been plunged

How do we handle that relative to believes in a secure and prosperous

Pakistan, and so he believes conference in Islamabad, referring attempt to root out extremist ele-

Minister Imran Khan’s baseless

with the IAEA,” he said at a news nuclear weapons scientists, in an into new lows by former Prime

what’s going on in Russia? And

what I think is maybe one of the that’s important to our own interests

here in the US.”

Agency, the global watchdog. to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. neered his ouster.

to the International Atomic Energy ments that posed a potential threat allegations that Biden had engi-

most dangerous nations in the

world: Pakistan.”

Islamabad naturally did not feel Questions about Pakistan’s Seymour Hersh, an American There have been some signs of

“Nuclear weapons without any reassured, and has summoned the nuclear weapons have long troubled

American officials and lead-

secret negotiations between posed $450 million US package

journalist reported in 2009 about an improvement including a pro-

cohesion,” he had added. US Ambassador, in a move to convey

its displeasure. Foreign ers. “We have huge… national-

Obama’s officials and Pakistani for the maintenance of Pakistan’s

A day after, the White House

Press Secretary said in response to Minister Bilawal Bhutto sought to security interests in making sure military officials to reach a “sensitive

understandings”. According Biden and Prime Minister

F-16s, brief meeting between

a question from a reporter: “He’s play it down at the same time. that Pakistan is stable and that you

made those comments before, so “As far as the question of the don’t end up having a nucleararmed

militant state,” President Yorker, “These (understandings) American officials and political

to his report published in The New Shahbaz Sharif and visits by

that is nothing new, that what you safety and security of Pakistan’s

heard from him last night.” But nuclear assets are concerned, we Barack Obama sad at a news con-

would allow specially trained leaders.

Imran leads on six out of seven

Pakistan National Assembly seats

Islamabad : PTI chief Imran Khan was

leading on six out of the seven National

Assembly seats he is contesting after polling

concluded on Sunday, as per unofficial

results, media reports said.

Results continue to pour in after the end

of polling for by-elections on eight National

Assembly seats and three Punjab Assembly

seats amid reports of sporadic violence and

clashes across the country, The News reported.

According to unofficial

results received

so far, PTI was in the

lead on six NA seats -

- Mardan, Charsadda,

Karachi-Lorangi,

Peshawar, Nankana

Sahib and Faisalabad -

- while PPP was leading

in Karachi's Malir

and Multan.

Meanwhile, Khan's

party was ahead in

two constituencies of

the Punjab Assembly -

Khanewal and

Bahawalnagar - while

PML-N was in the

first position in

Sheikupura.

The country witnessed intense political

activity as the polling started at 8 am and

continued peacefully in some constituencies,

with sporadic clashes in others. Scores

of candidates contested for the seats up for

grabs across the country.

Among the contenders is former Prime

Minister Khan who is running for seven of

the eight seats in the by-election.

The vote, he says, is

a "referendum" on his

popularity, The News

reported.

As the polling

process started, Khan

asked the people in relevant

constituencies to

come out in large numbers

to vote.

"This is a referendum

for Haqiqi Azadi

from the cabal of

crooks. We are contesting

against all of PDM,

the Election

Commission and

'namaloom afraad',"

Khan said in a tweet.

Death toll rises to 41 in

mine blast in Turkey

Ankara : The death toll

rose to 41 in an underground

coal mine explosion

in the northern Bartin

province of Turkey that

trapped 110 workers,

Turkish Interior Minister

Suleyman Soylu said.

The Minister confirmed

that 110 workers were in the

mine when the explosion

occured 300 metre below

ground on Friday evening

in the town of Amasra,

Xinhua news agency reported.

Among them, 58 later

managed to get out on their

own, 11 others were injured

and hospitalised, and the

status of one remaining

miner was unclear, he told

reporters on Saturday.

The explosion occurred

at 6:15 p.m. local time at the

Amasra Hard Coal

Enterprise, Bartin province

said in a statement on

Friday. Preliminary findings

indicated that the blast was

likely caused by firedamp,

said Energy and Natural

Resources Minister Fatih

Donmez.

The fire in the gallery

was largely under control,

he said, noting “all search

and rescue teams are on

duty”. Meanwhile, Turkish

President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan was travelling to

the scene.

In 2014, as many as 301

people died in Turkey’s

worst mine disaster in a fire

inside a coal mine in Soma

town of western Manisa

province.


NEWS

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

15

Ambedkar, Buddhism

and Dalit Liberation

Rajendra Pal Gautam a minister

in Delhi’s AAP Government, was

forced to resign recently. He had

attended a program in Delhi, on

5th October, Ashok Vijayadashmi

day. The program was Buddha

Dharma Deeksha Samaroha

(Conversion to Buddhism),

attended by nearly ten thousand

dalits, who embraced Buddhism

and abandoned Hinduism. On the

lines of what B.R. Ambedkar did

on the similar day in 1956, they

took twenty two vows. These

vows on one hand ask for giving

up the worship of Hindu gods and

goddesses (Bramha, Vishu

Mahesh, and Gauri) and on the

other ask for taking up the values

of humanism, non discrimination,

honesty, non-violence, speaking

truth among others.

Following this a group of BJP

workers assembled in front of his

house; shouted slogans against

him and hoisted saffron flag, with

image of Lord Ram. Social media

and section of Godi media went

overboard that AAP party’s minster

has insulted Hindu gods and

goddess. Posters appeared in election

bound Gujarat labeling

Kejriwal as anti Hindu. Kejriwal

quickly stated that he was born on

Krishna Janmashtmi and is an

ardent Hindu and showed his displeasure

to Gautam taking those

22 vows.

Meanwhile some cases have

been filed against Gautam by

Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta.

It is in this backdrop that Gautam

resigned. The vows administered

at the program were exactly what

Ambedkar had administered to his

nearly three lakh followers. The

vows also find a prominent place

in his writings. It is true that they

state not to worship the Hindu

gods and goddesses, but in no way

insult these deities.

As such RSS combine has a

very complex strategy and

Kejrival’s hollow iconization of

Ambedkar becomes obvious from

this. RSS at one level gives

Ambedkar the title of Pratah

Samraniya (To be remembered in

the morning). This title is a highest

honor to somebody. Even

major leaders of RSS combine

like Modi had said that he could

come up in life due to the struggles

undertaken by Ambedkar.

Ambedkar’s birthday is celebrated

with pomp and show by various

wings of RSS.

The other side of the strategy is

to implement its agenda of Hindu

Rashtra, in multifarious ways. All

this while totally going against

what Babasaheb stood for. The

very formation of RSS was in the

backdrop of ‘Non Brahman’

movement in Nagpur area. This

movement targeted against the

rigid caste based hierarchies.

Initially RSS articulated its agenda

of Hindu Rashtra in a very

blunt fashion, its eulogy for

Golden (Brahmanical) past and

particularly Manusmriti gave a

reflection of what it stood for.

Gradually it changed it strategies

and language while retaining the

core agenda.

Along with Hindu Mahasabha

RSS was also a votary of Hindu

Nation, in opposition to the

Secular Democratic India. Its’ ideology

was similar and opposite of

Muslim League ideology which

went to articulate for Muslim

nation. Babasaheb in contrast

equated both these concepts of

‘religion based nationalism’

(Muslim and Hindu) being worthless

and stood for social justice,

secular state. In revised edition of

his book on Pakistan, he opposed

the demand for Pakistan on the

ground that it may pave the way

for Hindu Rashtra, which he foresaw

as the big calamity for

SC/STs. Constitution which he

drafted was also criticized by RSS

on the ground that it has been borrowed

from Western concepts and

ignored the glorious values given

in Indian Holy books.

The caste issue has been very

complex and its annihilation was

the core concern for Ambedkar.

Ram Puniyani

The provision of reservations was

mainly for the affirmative action

to encourage the abolition of caste

system over a period of time. The

opposition to this surfaced in the

form of anti-Dalit violence in

Gujarat in 1981 and then violence

in 1986 against OBCs in promotion

in jobs.

The biggest attempt by this

organization was to strengthen

Ram Temple issue in the light of

Mandal Commission implementation.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee very

neatly described this phenomenon

by saying that they brought

Mandal (Commission) so we had

to bring Kamandal (Ram Temple)!

Matters don’t rest here. RSS is

a very dynamic organization and

also is multifaceted. It can oppose

Babasahebs’ twenty two vows

while garlanding his portraits. It

can undermine affirmative action

for dalit OBCs by bringing reservations

for Economically Weak

Sections of society. Its stronger

point today is to co-opt the

dalit/OBC/Adivasi by various

social engineering tools.

Its floating of organizations to

work amongst these SC/ST communities

has helped them win

over sections of these communities,

Samajik Samrasta Manch

(For Dalits-OBCs), Vanvasi

Kalyan Ashram (for Adivasis) in

particular. It has been working

among these sections of society to

co-opt them in Hindu Rashtra

agenda. At the same time it has

picked the heroes of sub castes

and iconized them. The best

example of this is Suhel Dev from

Pasi community. These earlier little

known kings are glorified and

given the anti Muslim slant.

The luring of some dalit leaders

through power, like late Ramvilas

Paswan and Ramdas Athawley for

example has also helped it dig its

electoral and ideological roots

among SC-ST-OBC communities.

To add to this, the starting of seva

(service) work in these communities

has enhanced this ideology

and its politics to create a strong

base among these communities,

and this at the cost of affirmative

action for them.

Today Gautam had to resign as

the party to which he belongs does

not have a spine in the matters of

social justice. Its sole leader

Kejrival was very active in Youth

for Equality, which was meant to

undermine the provisions of affirmative

action for SC/STs-OBC.

He has made Babasaheb as a

major icon in the states being

ruled by AAP, which is purely for

electoral gains and not due to ideological

commitment in any way,

as reconfirmed by this incident.

What is remarkable in this

whole campaign by RSS Combine

on one side and the attitude of

AAP is that it shows that these

organizations can do away with

Ambedkar ideology with ease. So,

worship Ambedkar, put his portraits

in Government offices on

one hand while attacking the values

for which he struggled all his

life!

16 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


UNEMPLOYMENT dominant

theme in Himachal Pradesh

New Delhi : Himachal Pradesh

will go to the polls on November

12 and while the ruling BJP is projected

anti-incumbency to retain the state

in early 2022. That is because there

is a clear presence of strong anti-

Punjab where it remains a big

issue, only 4.4 per cent of respondents

rate farmers issues as a probincumbency

to retain power despite antiincumbency

sentiments in lem. Besides, despite high rates of

and unemployment

flagged as the prime issue.

According to an opinion poll

conducted by CVoter on behalf of

ABP News, the ruling party is projected

to get a majority by winning

42 out of the 68 seats in the

Assembly. The sample size of the

tracking poll was 6,245 respondents.

This result, if voters do cast

their ballot as suggested by them in

the poll, would be surprising and

akin to the actual results of

Himachal Pradesh where as many

as 45.5 per cent of the respondents

stated that they are angry with the

state government and want it to be

voted out. Not very surprisingly,

unemployment remains the most

important electoral issue in the hill

state. A massive 48.8 per cent of

the respondents singled out unemployment

as the most important

issue. The lack of jobs that pay a

decent income is clearly a source

of anger for the voters of the hill

state. The opinion poll also throws

inflation persisting in the country

since January 2022, only 2.3 per

cent of the respondents singled it

out as a serious issue.

Overall, the huge numbers for

unemployment should be a matter

of serious worry for the ruling BJP

government. Yet, in the same opinion

poll, 51.1 per cent of the

respondents, irrespective of their

party affiliations, stated that the

BJP will retain power in the state.

In almost all previous polls conducted

by C Voter, a majority stating

Assembly elections of Uttarakhand up some surprising results.

the ruling party will retain

where the BJP government defied Compared to neighbouring state power actually becomes a reality.

Will never go with

BJP again for entire

life, Nitish asserts

Patna : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on

Friday asserted that he

will not go with the BJP

again for his entire life.

"I will never go with

them (BJP) for my

entire life. The previous

leaders of BJP like Atal

ji (Atal Bihari

Vajpayee), Advani ji,

(L.K. Advani), Joshi ji

(Murli Manohar Joshi)

were the real leaders who believe in work. The

present leaders of the BJP are only talking and

have nothing to do with working," he said during

the inauguration of an engineering college at

Samastipur. "Bihar Engineering College, Patna is

the oldest institute in the country and I was a student

of it. When I became the minister in the

Centre, I requested Joshi ji (the Human Resource

Development Minister in the Vajpayee government)

to recognise it as a National Institute of

Technology and he immediately did so. Those

leaders think for the common people while the

leaders of today's BJP only talk," he added.

"I went with the BJP in 2017, expecting that

they would be the successors of Atal ji, Advani ji,

Joshi ji and work for the people. As they have

nothing to do with the common people, I separated

from them. Now, we have a socialist government

in Bihar. All socialist leaders came together

and we will work for the common people. We

bring Bihar as well as the country on the development

path," he said.

"When I was with the the BJP, they were silent.

When I went with Mahagathbandhan, they

reopened the case against Lalu ji (RJD chief Lalu

Prasad) despite him having no role in scam

(IRCTC scam)," Nitish Kumar said.

Prince Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley

sue media company for illicit spying

Los Angeles. The Duke of Sussex, Prince

Harry has filed another lawsuit against

media company Associated Newspapers, the

publisher of British tabloids the Daily Mail

and the Mail, recently. Also suing the media

company are musician Elton John and his

husband, producer David Furnish, actresses

Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, and campaigner

Baroness Doreen Lawrence of

Clarendon, reports 'Variety'. The group claim

they have been "the victims of abhorrent

criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy

by Associated Newspapers," according

to a press release from law firm Hamlins,

which is representing Prince Harry and

Frost. As per 'Variety', court records show

three separate lawsuits citing "misuse of private

information" were filed against

Associated Newspapers in London's High

Court by Gunnercooke on behalf of its

clients. Prince Harry and Frost's lawsuits

have yet to appear in court records but

Hamlins said that legal action has been

launched. Amongst the allegations, the

Kathmandu : Nepal's longest serving litterateur

and historian Satya Mohan Joshi

passed away at KIST Medical College

Hospital, here on Sunday.

He was 103.

Joshi was admitted to hospital on

September 23 and was diagnosed with urine

infection, chest and heart issues, The

group claims that Associated Newspapers

hired private investigators to bug their cars

and homes, hired people to listen into their

telephone conversations, paid police for

inside information, impersonated staff at

hospitals and clinics to obtain information

and accessed bank accounts and financial

transactions "through illicit means and

manipulation." A spokesperson for

Associated Newspapers told 'Variety', "We

utterly and unambiguously refute these preposterous

smears which appear to be nothing

more than a pre-planned and orchestrated

attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone

Himalayan Times reported.

Dr Suraj Bajracharya who was attending

on Joshi said that that the latter breathed his

last at 7.09 a.m. in the morning.

Born in 1919 in Pattan, Joshi penned more

than 60 books. He was three-time recipient of

Madan Puruskar and honoured as 'Bangmaya

Shatabdi Purush' (Man of the century).

hacking scandal concerning articles up to 30

years old. These unsubstantiated and highly

defamatory claims - based on no credible

evidence - appear to be simply a fishing

expedition by claimants and their lawyers,

some of whom have already pursued cases

elsewhere." The lawsuit will be the third

Prince Harry has brought against Associated

Newspapers. He has sued twice previously

for libel and slander. At least one lawsuit is

ongoing, regarding a story about Prince

Harry's bid for private security provided by

the Metropolitan Police in the U.K. He won

the first stage of the lawsuit in July.

Nepal's longest serving litterateur

Satya Mohan Joshi no more


NEWS

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

17

Centre sets up commission to examine

granting SC status to converted Dalits

New Delhi. The Central government

has appointed a Commission

of Inquiry under the chairmanship

of former Chief Justice of India

K.G. Balakrishnan to examine

claims to grant Scheduled Caste

status to the Dalits who converted

to other religions.

The commission, headed by justice

Balakrishnan, also comprises

retired IAS officer Dr Ravinder

Kumar Jain and Prof Sushma

Yadav (member, UGC), as members.

The commission will examine

the matter of according Scheduled

Caste (SC) status to new persons,

who claim to historically have

belonged to the Scheduled Castes,

but have converted to religion

other than those mentioned in the

presidential orders issued from

time to time under article 341 of

the Constitution.

The presidential orders granted

SC status to only those who followed

Hinduism, Buddhism, and

Sikhism. The commission will

examine the implications on the

existing Scheduled Castes, of

adding such new persons as part of

the existing list of Scheduled

Castes.

The commission will also examine

the changes Scheduled Caste

persons go through on converting

to other religions in terms of their

customs, traditions, social, and

other status discrimination and

deprivation, and the implication of

the same on the question of giving

them Scheduled Caste status.

The notification was issued by

the Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment on Thursday.

The Social Justice and

Empowerment Ministry, justifying

its decision to set up the commission,

said: "Given its importance,

sensitivity and potential impact,

any change in definition in this

regard should be on the basis of a

detailed and definitive study and

extensive consultation with all

stakeholders and no Commission

under the Commissions of Inquiry

Act, 1952 (60 of 1952) has so far

inquired into the matter."

The government noted certain

groups have raised the question of

revisiting the existing definition of

Scheduled Castes by according the

status to new persons who belong

to other religions beyond those

permitted through presidential

orders, and in contrast, many other

groups have also opposed the

same.

Certain representatives of the

existing Scheduled Castes have

objected to such granting of

Scheduled Caste status to new persons,

and this is a seminal and historically

complex sociological and

constitutional question, and a definite

matter of public importance,

said the government.

The government has granted liberty

to the commission to examine

any other related questions that it

deems appropriate, in consultation

with and with the consent of the

central government. The headquarters

of the commission will be in

the capital and it will submit its

report within a period of two years.

"Certain groups of persons who

have historically suffered social

inequality, discrimination and the

consequent backwardness resulting

there from, have been declared

to be Scheduled Castes by

Presidential Orders issued from

time to time under Article 341 of

the Constitution," noted the government.

In August this year, the top

court, acting on an PIL filed by the

National Council of Dalit

Christians for grant of SC status to

Dalit converts, asked the Centre to

clarify its stand in the matter.

Islamabad : The Pakistan

government will hang former

Prime Minister Imran

Khan upside down if he

launches his long march in

Islamabad, warned Interior

Minister Rana Sanaullah

Khan. "Imran Khan doesn't

know what the government

is planning to do with him

this time around," Geo

News quoted the Interior

Minister as saying.

Hestressed that the government

cannot guarantee

the safety of anyone's life in

the face of a charged mob.

"How will the government

be able to guarantee

NAPA strongly condemned the killing of Sikh faimly in Merced city of California

Pak govt will hang Imran upside down

if he launches long march: Minister

the safety of anyone's life

when an armed and

charged mob attacks the

federal capital?" Rana

Sanaullah warned that

someone from the crowd

could do anything, triggering

a response from the

police, Geo News reported.

The Minister said that the

Killing and attcking on the

members of Sikh Community

is becoming a daily crimes

against the Sikhs in one or the

other corner of the United

States. This was disclosed by

Satnam Singh Chahal executive

director North American

Punjabi Association(NAPA)

in a press release issued

issued here today. While condemning

the killing of members

of Sikh family in Merced

city of California Chahal said

due to daily attack on members

of Sikh Community in

United States ,The community

is living under the shadow

of fear and insecutity.There

seems no end of attacks and

killing of Sikh Community. It

is also more than unfortunate

government has not

revealed the strategy to

cope with the PTI's long

march. Rana Sanaullah's

remarks come as Imran

Khan throws the gauntlet

to the minister, saying the

PTI will surprise him with

its next move. Advisor to

Chief Minister Punjab on

that nothing is being

done to save the lives

and property it is

becoming a Daily

talk of the town

about killing of

Sikhs in United

States. While releasing

the detail of killing

of this Sikh Family Chahal

said that that according to

Interior Omar Sarfraz

Cheema said that the

Interior Minister will be

arrested if he enters

Punjab.

He said the Anti-

Corruption Establishment

(ACE) Punjab has obtained

the non-bailable warrant for

the federal minister. The

Sheriff Department

the Police have

released surveillance

video in

connection with

the mysterious

kidnapping of

four family members.All

four family

members who were mysteriously

kidnapped have been

arrest warrant is effective

till October 19. Cheema

directed the IGP to provide

assistance to the ACE

Punjab for the arrest of

Rana Sanaullah in a land

acquisition case. He directed

Rana's arrest to be carried

out in accordance with

the law.

found dead in an extremely

rural farm area, the Merced

County sheriff said

Wednesday night.Eightmonth-old

Aroohi Dheri and

her parents -- 27-year-old

mother Jasleen Kaur and 36-

year-old father Jasdeep Singh

-- were taken against their

will from a business in

Merced County in Northern

California on Monday,

Merced County Sheriff Vern

Warnke said. The baby's

uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep

Singh, was also

kidnapped.Chahal urged the

Government of India and

United States to take immediate

steps the stop the killing

and attacks on Sikh

Community.

18 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


TRS adds a festive tadka

to Diwali on the Square

(Asian Independent)- Diwali

brings with it the spirit of togetherness,

family bonding and several

occasions to savour the family’s

favourite recipes. The Indian diaspora

in the UK has gone through

decades of evolution and that has

led to the transformation of people’s

food habits and how they celebrate

festivals. Whether your cuisine

of choice be fusion, traditional

or Diwali inspired from World

flavours, TRS has everything you

need to make your Diwali moment

a memorable one.

TRS has been a cornerstone of

British South Asian home cooks

and families for the last 60 years,

enabling them to enjoy and celebrate

their food cultures in a traditional

fashion. This Diwali TRS is

coming to Trafalgar Square to

showcase its wide range of authentic

spices and lentils, reflecting its

strong South Asian heritage, and

celebrating a love for exciting

Diwali recipes. Diwali on the

Square is the return of a longawaited

annual event which is

organised by the Mayor of

London, happening on the 9th of

October 2022.

Beat the autumn chill and make

it to Trafalgar Square on the 9th of

October to experience the warmth

of TRS spices and enjoy the

wholesomeness of TRS lentils at

the “TRS Cook from Your Heart”

cookery theatre. Chetna Makan, a

passionate cook, creative baker,

and author of 4 cookbooks will be

serving a delicious treat for your

taste buds. We have prepared wonderful

vegetarian recipes which

we are confident will inspire you

to recreate them at home: they are

Courgette Moong Dal, Onion and

Spinach Pakoras and Garlic

Coriander Chana Masala.

“I am excited to be teaming up

with TRS foods for this year’s

Diwali on the Square event where

I will be cooking with some of

their amazing products and getting

the festivities started with some

delicious food. So come by and

say hello on the 9th of October” –

Chetna Makan

While Chetna will have plenty

of savoury dishes for the audience

to sample, Diwali celebrations are

incomplete without desserts. For

those with a sweet tooth, TRS has

specially prepared original spiced

roll-up ice-creams that will be

available for all to try. The Ice

creams were uniquely developed

with TRS authentic spices and

include flavours such as Vanilla &

Turmeric for a delicate and warm

taste, Oreo and Chilli for those

wanting a nice kick, or even

Vanilla & Cardamom for a fragrant

finish…

The excitement doesn’t end

there, there will be loads of games

and fun for all ages to enjoy. There

will also be an opportunity to take

part in the TRS goody grabbing

machine game to win prizes,

including fabulous hampers of

TRS goodies, aprons, tote bags,

and more.

TRS spokesperson Stephanie

Rose-O’Riordan commented: “At

TRS we’re passionate about the

joy of home cooking. Celebrations

like Diwali are a great time to prepare

and enjoy special food with

friends and families. We’re

delighted to be joining the festivities

at this year’s Diwali on the

Square celebrations and sharing

TRS’ 60-year heritage as a leading

supplier of quality South Asian

herbs, spices, and pantry staples

with festival goers.”

About TRS

Founded over 60 years ago in

London, TRS brought the finest

authentic, quality South-Asian

foods to the UK. Today the business

has grown to become one of

the largest suppliers of ethnic

foods within the European market

place. Products include herbs and

spices and pantry staples including

lentils, beans, pulses and rice.

About Diwali on the Square

The Mayor of London’s free

annual family event is delivered in

partnership with the Diwali in

London committee and opens with

200 colourfully dressed dancers in

the main square followed by an

exciting mix of performances

from the Hindu, Sikh and Jain

community on the stage. Browse

through the lively marketplace or

tuck into some tasty vegan and

vegetarian South Asian cuisine.

The Mayor of London’s free

annual family event is delivered in

partnership with the Diwali in

London committee and opens with

200 colourfully dressed dancers in

the main square followed by an

exciting mix of performances

from members of the Hindu, Sikh

and Jain communities on the stage.

It offers the opportunity to browse

through the lively marketplace or

tuck into some tasty vegan and

vegetarian South Asian cuisine.

There will be a host of activities

to enjoy including TRS Cookery

show, Neasden Temple’s Diwali

Festival Experience, dance workshops,

yoga and meditation,

Glimpse of Goddesses, Sari and

Turban tying, the Diwali Culture

Zone, the Unity Marquee, Soho

Theatre Comedy and the ever-popular

Children’s marquee, plus

there’s henna, face painting and a

light up moment on the Square as

the day turns to dusk.

There will be a host of activities

to enjoy, including Neasden

Temple’s Diwali Festival

Experience, dance workshops,

yoga and meditation, Glimpse of

Goddesses, Sari and Turban tying,

the Diwali Culture Zone, the Unity

Marquee, Soho Theatre Comedy

and the ever popular Children’s

marquee, plus there’s henna, face

painting and a light up moment on

the Square as the day turns to

dusk.

Pakoras by Chetna Chana Dal by Chetna Moong Dal by Chetna


NEWS

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

19

Bring home the festive vibes

this DIWALI WITH ASDA

(Asian Independent)- The onset

of autumn signifies the beginning

of the magnificent festival of lights,

Diwali. With this year’s celebrations

falling on the 24th of October,

Asda joins in the festivity of the triumph

of light over darkness, with a

beam of low prices and amazing

offers for all your Diwali needs this

year. Having exciting deals, discounts,

and the convenience of

shopping everything under one roof

makes the preparation all the more

satisfying.

And talking of offers, Asda has

plenty in store for everyone. With

the festival of lights firmly placing

family and food at its centre, there’s

Laila Long Grain Rice 5kg available

for £8.50 and Elephant Chakki

Atta 5kg at £5.50. Keep the children

happy by taking advantage of

the Rubicon 1L Passionfruit and

Mango Drinks at £1.25 each or the

Cofresh Bombay Mix 325g at

£0.70.

This Diwali, Asda has teamed up

with three Indian food influencers,

who shared their Diwali must haves

and how Asda helps make it easier

for them to prep for the festivities.

@Kitchenmai, Indian Bengali by

heritage and a food enthusiast by

passion, said, “For me while the

meaning of Diwali remains the

same but with the arrival of my little

girl, I want to ensure that I

observe all the traditions and rituals

this Diwali to ensure my child

grows up with fond memories of

the festival. Asda has been instrumental

in helping me with my

preparations.

“My Diwali is incomplete without

making kheer for my family and

friends. My kitchen never runs out

of Laila Basmati rice especially

during the festive season. From

cooking pulao to kheer, rice is a

must have ingredient for so many

dishes. Yet another dish which is a

Diwali favourite in our household is

the gujjiyas. And for that reason, I

am always well stocked up on

Ambrosia semolina.”

Laila Basmati Rice 12 kg is now

available at Asda for £12.50 and if

like @Kitchenmai you would like

to make some Gujiyas, try

Ambrosia semolina which is £1.60

for 400gms at your local Asda

store.

A doctor by profession and an

excellent food blogger,

@jcookingodyssey likes to celebrate

her Diwali the traditional way

with all the rituals and prayers.

Hayley gave us a peek into her

shopping from ASDA, which she is

planning to use for her Diwali celebrations.

From buying fresh flowers

to decorating her home to buying

gram flour to make tasty ladoos for

her family, Hayley is banking on

Asda for all her Diwali shopping.

“Even though I am born in UK,

every festive season is celebrated

Hayley

with the same zeal as my grandparents

celebrated it in India and East

Africa. Bringing the traditions to

life in the UK has been challenging

but ASDA has always been there to

help me observe my Diwali rituals.

We invite all our friends and families

over for Diwali weekend, and

for me having a clean and well decorated

home is the best way of welcoming

my guests. Yet another

essential for me is East End Pure

Butter Ghee which I stock up on

around the festive time to make all

the tasty Indian sweets, curries and

pooris.”

Asda’s got you covered, shop our

George Home Spiced Berry Maxi

Tea Lights at £3 for 12 candles to

decorate your home and East End

Pure Butter Ghee at £4.75 for

500gm for all your sweet meats and

delicacies.

For @15min_mom, mum of

Kripa

three kids, Diwali revolves around

making it special for her children

and ensuring that festive traditions

and cultures are being passed on to

them. From cooking their favourite

dishes to decorating the house with

them, it helps nurture the family

bond. Diwali is never a quiet affair

in her household and with Asda I

can shop everything I need in one

place so I can spend more time at

home making memories. Every

year, they have a special feast

where a large spread of traditional

food is laid out, comprising of

street food, kids’ favourite

Guajarati fried delicacies and loads

of mithai (Indian sweets).

“Diwali is the time when my

kids can join me to cook some special

Gujarati dishes like khandavi

and ghughra. It is the time to spend

with family, friends and relatives

and enjoy all those small precious

moments. Cooking for my family

and getting together calls for some

tricks and shortcuts. Ready

chopped ingredients and storebought

sauces can really help save

time.

Like @15 min mom, ensure your

kitchen has plenty of Cofresh Mild

Bombay Mix and Chilli and Lemon

Bombay Mix at £0.80 each for all

your guests.

For a vibrant, colourful, joyous

celebration, with family and friends

coming together to eat, head to your

nearest Asda for your Diwali essentials

or visit online at www.groceries.asda.com/event/diwali.

HERO NOMINATIONS-

UK PM declares Macron 'a friend' after summit

London. After making headlines

when she declined to say

whether Emmanuel Macron

was a "friend or foe", UK Prime

Minister Liz Truss has now

declared the French President "a

friend" as they announced plans

to work together at a summit.

On Thursday, leaders from the

European Union (EU), the UK,

Turkey, Norway and the

Balkans met at the first

European Political Community

in Prague, during which they

discussed energy, migration and

security, with a particular focus

on the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelensky spoke via video link,

reports the BBC. Following

their summit, which was the

first face-to-face meeting

between Macron and Truss

since the latter assumed office

last month, the two leaders

issued a joint statement in

which they reaffirmed the

strong and historic ties between

the two countries. "They agreed

to hold the next UK-France

Summit in 2023 in France to

take forward a renewed bilateral

agenda," the statement said.

Truss and Macron also discussed

advancing bilateral

cooperation in particular on

energy and reaffirmed their

belief that both renewable and

nuclear energies are part of consistent

strategies to achieve

energy transition and strategic

autonomy, says the statement.

"They confirmed the full support

of the UK and French

Governments for the new

nuclear power station at

Sizewell and expect the relevant

bodies to finalise arrangements

in the coming month." The

leaders further committed to

advance and increase UK-

France civil-nuclear cooperation,

including on innovation,

infrastructure development and

workforce skills, ahead of next

year's UK-France Summit.

They agreed to deepen cooperation

on illegal migration within

the bounds of international

law, to tackle criminal groups

trafficking people across

Europe, ending in dangerous

journeys across the Channel.

Truss and Macron also "underlined

their determination to provide

all necessary support to

Ukraine for as long as it takes to

restore Ukrainian sovereignty

and territorial integrity, to resist

Russian aggression, and to hold

Russia to account for its

actions".

20 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


Why are INDIAN Students

moving abroad for studies?

There has been a significant

decline in the quality

of education during the last

few decades. Additionally,

the right-wing government

has been working to modify

the curriculum that stifles

Indian students` ability to

think critically. The majority

of Indian students feel

unprepared for the future in

technologically advanced

nations as a result of rightwing

government endeavors.

Most educational institutions

are infected with

divisive politics. A large

section of people having

political and administrative

support are making efforts

to encourage an irrational

agenda in the campuses.

Is Reservation responsible

for brain-drain?

The majority of Upper

Caste parents contend that

they are sending their children

abroad for studies

because of the Reservation

System. Absolutely incorrect.

In their hearts, they are

convinced that the poor

quality of education and

politicization of educational

institutions would block

academic development of

their siblings but in general

they keep on criticizing the

Reservation System.

According to media reports,

the majority of students

from the upper caste are

enrolled in foreign colleges

and universities because of

their parents` wealth. Rich

and resourceful parents can

offer the bank collateral

hence their children obtain

student loans readily in contrast

to students belonging

to the marginalized sections

of the society. In recent

times, upper caste students

came from Ukraine when

Russia invaded it. There

was not a single student

from the lower classes.

Government scholarships

are extremely important

to students from lower

socioeconomic strata who

want to study abroad. There

are several states in India

that do not offer scholarships

for higher studies

abroad. For example,

Punjab is one of the Indian

states that does not provide

scholarships for PhD programmes

abroad. However,

a lot of studies reveal that

despite prejudice and financial

struggles, the majority

of students from higher

castes do not perform better

academically than those

Dr. Rahul Kumar, PhD-

from lower castes.

Caste is violent in

Indian colleges and universities

Caste-based violence has

crept into most Indian colleges

and universities. Dalit

students are savagely killed

and assaulted. Christian students

experience stigma.

Muslim students bear the

brunt of societal alienation.

Some upper caste professors,

by lowering their

grades, attempt to obstruct

their future. In the prevailing

poisonous atmosphere

in the campuses, parents

from the lower social classes

do not feel secure about

their kids. After India

gained independence in

1947, not a single member

of the upper caste died on

campus as a result of social

prejudice, but thousands of

students of the lower castes

are beaten, or killed under

the protection of professors

and college/university

administration. Rohith

Vemula, 26 years –old PhD

student, activist for Dalit

rights was brutally killed

inside the campus of central

Hyderabad University. In

addition, lower class teachers

who dare to expose

superstitious beliefs of

Hindu Gods or goddesses

risk being punished or fired

if they discuss Dr. B.R.

Ambedkar`s philosophy

and the ideals of Equality,

Fraternity and Liberty or

the implementation of the

Indian constitution drafted

by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a

hero and nationalist, faces

social sanctions. In other

words, one can say that the

upper caste students do not

tolerate at all the name of

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar or

Buddhism. A Dalit guest

lecturer at Mahatma Gandhi

Kashi Vidyapith in Varanasi

has lost his job and been

barred from entering the

university premises for suggesting

on social media that

women are better off reading

the Constitution and

Hindu Code bill instead of

fasting during Navratri. The

litany is that no upper caste

teacher has been suspended

or fired for being an intolerant

and a discriminator in

the past 75 years. Bertrand

Russell in his book, Why

Men Fight wrote, “Men fear

thought as they fear nothing

on earth- more than ruin,

more even than death.

Thought is subversive and

revolutionary, destructive

and terrible, thought is merciless

to privilege, established

institutions and comfortable

habits, and thought

is anarchic and lawless.

Indifferent to authority,

careless of the well-tried

wisdom of the ages.

Thought looks into the pit

of hell and is not afraid …..

Thought is great and swift

and free, the light of the

world, and the chief glory

of man.”

Equal Employment

Opportunity abroad

We frequently hear men

or women from higher

castes discussing nationalism.

Numerous studies

show that the majority of

men or women from the

upper caste desire to get

permanent residency in

such nations. Upper caste

men or women who travel

and work abroad assert that

there are equal employment

opportunities abroad even if

they or their children pick

menial jobs like cleaning or

domestic work. Although

they claim to be serving the

country, for them, money is

God. They have no concern

for nationalism. Children of

Dalit, Christian or Muslim

parent who work at the gas

station or restaurant or in

the public work department

face discrimination and

poor treatment from these

upper caste men and

women. What kind of

Nationalism?

Upper caste kids are

studying abroad due to their

own financial interests and

promising futures, not

because of the current

Reservation System. As

there has been a sharp

increase in hostility

between higher caste teachers

and lower caste students,

the reservation system

has become a scourge

for the marginalized

groups.

Dr. Rahul Kumar, Ph.D. in

Sociology from Jawaharlal

Nehru University, Delhi

(India), is an independent

researcher. His area of interest

encompasses diplomacy,

foreign policy and international

relations. The views

expressed in this article are

personal.


NEWS

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

21

GLOBAL ECONOMY dangerously

close to a recession: World Bank

Washington : The global economy

is "dangerously close" to a

recession, as inflation remains elevated,

interest rates rise, and growing

debt burden hits the developing

world, World Bank President

David Malpass said.

"We've lowered our 2023

growth forecast from 3 per cent to

1.9 per cent for the global growth,

that's dangerously close to a world

recession," Malpass said at a press

conference during the IMF and

World Bank annual meetings on

Thursday.

"All of the problems that people

have taken note of, the inflation

problem, the interest rate rises, and

the cutoff of capital flow to developing

world hit the poor hard," he

said, highlighting the buildup of

debt for developing countries.

"That's a world recessions could

happen under certain circumstances,"

Malpass said.

In a study published in mid-

September, the World Bank

warned that as central banks across

the world simultaneously hike

interest rates in response to inflation,

the world may be edging

toward a global recession in 2023,

with a growth forecast of only 0.5

per cent, reports Xinhua news

agency. The World Bank chief

noted at the press conference that

world population growth is estimated

at 1.1 per cent per year.

"So if you get much slower in

terms of world growth, that means

people are going backward,"

Malpass said in response to a question

from Xinhua.

Citing a recent World Bank

report, Malpass said that the

Covid-19 pandemic dealt the

biggest setback to global povertyreduction

efforts since 1990, pushing

about 70 million people into

extreme poverty in 2020, and the

war in Ukraine threatens to make

matters worse.

According to the Poverty and

Shared Prosperity Report, global

median income declined by 4 per

cent in 2020, the first decline since

its measurements of median

income began in 1990.

"So if we have a world recession

now, that would also depress median

income, meaning that the people

in the lower half of the income

scale are going down," Malpass

said. The World Bank chief also

noted that he has been concerned

about the concentration of capital

in the world in the top end of the

advanced economies.

"So that's, I think, one of the

issues that the world has to deal

with to allow capital to flow to new

businesses and to developing

countries, that would take a change

in the direction of fiscal and monetary

policies in the advanced

economies," said Malpass.

The world is facing very challenging

environment from the

advanced economies, and that has

serious implications, dangers for

the developing countries, he said.

"My deep concern is that these

conditions and trends might persist

into 2023 and 2024."

Asking girls to take off hijab invasion of

privacy, attack on dignity: Justice Dhulia

New Delhi : Supreme Court

judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia,

in the split verdict on Karnataka

hijab ban, on Thursday said by

asking girls to take off their hijab

before they enter school gates is an

invasion of privacy, attack on dignity,

and denial of secular education.

He said this is the time when

children should learn not to be

alarmed by our diversity but to

rejoice and celebrate this, and also

this is the time when they must

realise that diversity is our

strength.

Justice Dhulia said: "By asking

the girls to take off their hijab

before they enter the school gates,

is first an invasion of their privacy,

then it is an attack on their dignity,

and then ultimately it is a denial to

them of secular education. These

are clearly violative of Article

19(1)(a), Article 21 and Article

25(1) of the Constitution".

The judgment was delivered by

a bench comprising Justices

Hemant Gupta and Dhulia. While

Justice Gupta dismissed the

appeals challenging the Karnataka

High Court judgment, Justice

Dhulia set aside the high court

judgment and quashed the

Karnataka government order dated

February 5.

The petitioners had moved the

apex court, challenging the

Karnataka High Court verdict

refusing to lift the ban on hijab in

educational institutions of the

state.

Justice Dhulia said there shall

be no restriction on the wearing of

hijab anywhere in schools and colleges

in Karnataka. He added that

the unfortunate fallout of the hijab

restriction would be that they

would have denied education to a

girl child.

"A girl child for whom it is still

not easy to reach her school gate.

This case here, therefore, has also

to be seen in the perspective of the

challenges already faced by a girl

child in reaching her school. The

question this court would put

before itself is also whether we are

making the life of a girl child any

better by denying her education

merely because she wears a

hijab!" he said.

He added that the constitutional

scheme, wearing a hijab should be

simply a matter of choice and it

may or may not be a matter of

essential religious practice, but it

still is, a matter of conscience,

belief, and expression.

Justice Dhulia said if a girl

wants to wear hijab, even inside

her class room, she cannot be

stopped, if it is worn as a matter of

her choice, as it may be the only

way her conservative family will

permit her to go to school, and in

those cases, her hijab is her ticket

to education.

In a 73-page judgment, he said,

"fraternity, which is our constitutional

value, would therefore

require us to be tolerant, and as

some of the counsel would argue

to be, reasonably accommodating,

towards the belief and religious

practices of others. We should

remember the appeal made by

Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy in

Bijoe Emmanuel -- our tradition

teaches tolerance; our philosophy

preaches tolerance; our

Constitution practices tolerance;

let us not dilute it."

He emphasised that the

Government Order dated 5

February, 2022, and the restrictions

on the wearing of hijab, also

goes against constitutional values

of fraternity and human dignity.

Justice Dhulia said: "Liberty,

equality, fraternity, the triptych of

the French Revolution is also a

part of our Preamble. It is true that

whereas liberty and equality are

well established, properly understood,

and recognised concepts in

politics and law, fraternity for

some reasons has largely remained

incognito. The framers of our

Constitution though had a different

vision. Fraternity had a different,

and in many ways a much

larger meaning with the main

architect of our Constitution, Dr

Ambedkar".

He added that schools, in particular

our pre-university colleges

are the perfect institutions where

children, who are now at an

impressionable age, and are just

waking up to the rich diversity of

this nation, need to be counselled

and guided, so that they imbibe

our constitutional values of tolerance

and accommodation, towards

those who may speak a different

language, eat different food, or

even wear different clothes or

apparel!

"This is the time to foster in

them sensitivity, empathy and

understanding towards different

religions, languages and cultures.

This is the time when they should

learn not to be alarmed by our

diversity but to rejoice and celebrate

this diversity. This is the time

when they must realise that in

diversity is our strength," he said.

22 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


Liz Truss in danger of

becoming shortest-serving

UK Prime Minister

London : The shortest-serving

British Prime Minister was

George Canning, who, in 1827,

was in office for a mere 119

days. His term though was cut

short not by political events, but

by his premature death at the age

of 57.

The current incumbent of 10

Downing Street Liz Truss, who

has been in post for only 39 days,

appears to be increasingly in

danger of being ousted by her

Conservative party MPs, unless

there's a dramatic turnaround in

her fortunes over the next few

days. Nicholas Watt, political

editor of the in-depth current

affairs programme on TV, BBC

Newsnight, tweeted: "The PM

will find it difficult to survive".

According to him, a group of

Conservative lawmakers are planning to

call on Truss to resign next week. Watt's

post following the sacking of Chancellor

of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng on

Friday morning. His 'mini-budget' last

month created a 62 billion pound hole in

the British government's finances with

sweeping, populist, unfunded tax cuts.

The giveaway was received with considerable

concern in the markets. The

value of the pound collapsed from

around $1.30 to lmost the level of the

United States currency. It was trading at

$1.12 on Friday.

In a letter accepting his dismissal,

Kwarteng u-turned by asking Truss to

move forward to "fiscal discipline". This

was interpreted in informed circles as an

Jeremy Hunt appointed

UK's new Chancellor after

Kwasi Kwarteng sacked

London : Jeremy Hunt has been

appointed Britain's new Chancellor of

the Exchequer, replacing Kwasi

Kwarteng. The former Foreign

Secretary and Tory leadership contender

will be the fourth Chancellor

this year, the Guardian reported.

Kwarteng has confirmed he was

asked "to stand aside" as Chancellor.

In a letter to Prime Minister Liz

Truss, Kwarteng wrote: "You have

asked me to stand aside as your

Chancellor. I have accepted."

"When you asked me to serve as

your Chancellor, I did so in full

knowledge that the situation we faced

was incredibly difficult, with rising

global interest rates and energy prices.

However, your vision of optimism,

growth and change was right. "As I

have said many times in the past

weeks, following the status quo was

simply not an option. For too long this

country has been dogged by low

growth rates and high taxation ? that

must still change if this country is to

succeed," he wrote.

Kwarteng has been sacked after his

disastrous mini-budget caused market

turmoil, a bailout of pension funds and

rising mortgage rates, The Guardian

reported. Kwarteng is leaving the

position after just six weeks in the job,

despite Truss having also signed off an

array of unfunded tax cuts in the minibudget

last month.

He had returned early from the

International Monetary Fund meeting

in the US to discuss further U-turns in

the budget, after a move to drop the

45p tax rate failed to calm the economic

situation.

impending reversal of

some of the tax cuts

announced by the former

only three weeks ago.

The bottom line however

is, the mini-budget was

nothing but a reflection of

the promises made by

Truss during her bid for

the leadership of the

Conservative party and

therefore the post of Prime

Minister. It will, pundits

suggested, be difficult for

her to distance herself

from the proposals. On the

other hand, if she does a

volte-face, her credibility

could suffer irreparably.

Truss repeatedly

clashed with her Indian-origin rival in

the leadership contest Rishi Sunak on

tax issues. Sunak conspicuously did not

attend last week's annual Conservative

party conference. It remains to be seen if

he emerges as Truss's potential successor,

if she is forced to step down.

Truss was expected to address a press

conference later on Friday.

London : A team of

researchers, including one of

Indian origin, has designed a

state-of-the-art walking robot to

revolutionise large construction

projects in space.

In a study, published in the

journal Frontiers in Robotics and

AI, the research team said they

tested the feasibility of the robot

for the in-space assembly of a

25m Large Aperture Space

Telescope.

"We need to introduce sustainable,

futuristic technology to support

the current and growing

orbital ecosystem," said co-author

Manu Nair from the University of

Lincoln.

"As the scale of space missions

grows, there is a need for more

extensive infrastructures in orbit.

Assembly missions in space

would hold one of the key responsibilities

in meeting the increasing

demand," Nair added. In this

study, the team introduced an

innovative, dexterous walking

robotic system that can be used in

orbit assembly missions. As a use

case, the researchers tested the

robot to assemble a 25m Large

Man abuses Pakistan

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar

at Washington airport

Islamabad : A man hurled abuses at Pakistan Finance

Minister Ishaq Dar at the Washington airport, the media

reported. In a video

that has gone viral

on social media, the

man is seen mistreating

and hurling

abuses at the

Minister, Geo News

reported.

However, a person

accompanying

Dar responded, after

which the man

seemed to have

stopped.

Dar is currently

in the US to attend

the annual meetings

of the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Although it is not clear what was the person's political

inclination, PTI and PML-N supporters have been at loggerheads

ever since former Prime Minister Imran Khan's ouster

in April.

Several scuffles between supporters of both parties have

broken out abroad, especially in London, where PML-N

supremo Nawaz Sharif is residing these days, Geo News

reported.

Recently in London, PTI supporters stopped PML-N Vice

President Maryam Nawaz's son, Junaid Safdar but the latter

handled the situation well.

Junaid told the protesters that they have the right to

protest, but they should also ensure that they stay within

their limits.

New walking robot design

may revolutionise large

construction projects in space

Aperture Space Telescope

(LAST).

The researchers proposed a

seven degrees-of-freedom fully

dexterous end-over-end walking

robot (a limbed robotic system

that can move along a surface to

different locations to perform

tasks with seven degrees of

motion capabilities), or, in short,

an E-Walker.

They conducted an in-depth

design engineering exercise to test

the robot's ability to efficiently

assemble a 25m LAST in orbit.

The robot was compared to the

existing Canadarm2 and the

European Robotic Arm on the

International Space Station.

Additionally, a scaled-down prototype

for Earth-analog testing

was developed and another design

engineering exercise was performed.

"Our analysis shows that the

proposed innovative E-Walker

design proves to be versatile and

an ideal candidate for future inorbit

missions. The E-Walker

would be able to extend the life

cycle of a mission by carrying out

routine maintenance and servicing

missions post assembly in space,"

Nair said.


Yadgir (Karnataka) : An incident

of pictures of Hindu Gods

being thrown into the river ahead

of the Buddha Dharma Deeksha in

Karnataka’s Yadgir district was

reported on Tuesday stirring a controversy.

The Buddha Dharma Deeksha

Kharge seeks

support from Odisha

Congress leaders for

AICC Prez post

Bhubaneswar : Veteran Congress

leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday

met Odisha Congress leaders and

sought their support for his candidature

in the AICC Presidential election,

scheduled to be held on October 17.

Speaking to reporters here, Kharge said

he has resigned from Leader of

Opposition and filed nominations for

the AICC President’s election after

receiving calls from many of his party

leaders. The Congress leader said he

has no other manifesto to contest the

election within the party. He will implement

the outcomes of the Chintan

Shivir held at Udaipur in Rajasthan

four months ago.

"About 1,000 Congress leaders

across the country had participated in

the deliberation and the outcomes, also

called ’Udaipur Declaration’, is my priority,"

he said. Kharge said he is committed

to implementing the party’s decision

to give priority to leaders of less

than 50 years old in decision making.

Kharge and Thiruvananthapuram Lok

Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor are in the

fray for Congress Presidential poll as

the party high command has decided

that, this time, no one from Gandhi

family will contest for the post.

(conversion to Buddhist religion)

will be organised in Hunasagi near

the Surapura town in Yadgir district

on October 14. The day also

marks the "Dhammachakra

Pravartan Dina, on which Dr B.R.

Ambedkar, the architect of the

Indian constitution, renounced

London : Scottish actor, comedian

and writer Robbie Coltrane, who played

the lovable half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in

the ’Harry Potter’ franchise, has died, his

agency WME confirmed to ’Variety’ on

Friday night. He was 72.

Coltrane featured in every ’Harry

Potter’ movie, from ’Sorcerer’s Stone’ in

2001 to ’Deathly Hallows Part 2’ in

2011, and was much beloved for bringing

the character from J.K. Rowling’s

book series to life.

He was among one of the first characters

to appear on screen, and he recited

the famous line, "Yer a wizard, Harry,"

to a young Daniel Radcliffe as he

embarked on his journey into the wizarding

world.

A towering figure, but softie at heart,

notes ’Variety’, Hagrid had a sweet spot

for ferocious beasts. He cared for some

of the ’Harry Potter’ world’s most ferocious,

and iconic, creatures.

Under his care were Buckbeak the

hippogriff, Fang the boarhound, Fluffy

the three-headed dog, Norbert the

Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, Aragog

the massive talking spider, and the eerily

majestic Thestrals.

In a heart-warming tribute to

Coltrane, Daniel Radcliffe said: "Robbie

was one of the funniest people I’ve met

and used to keep us laughing constantly

as kids on the set. I’ve especially fond

memories of him keeping our spirits up

on ’Prisoner of Azkaban’, when we were

all hiding from the torrential rain for

hours in Hagrid’s hut.

"He was telling stories and cracking

NEWS

Hinduism and accepted Buddhism.

The organizers have also invited

Rama Taayi Ambedkar, the granddaughter

of Ambedkar to the event.

The programme is being organised

by the Golden Cave Buddha

Vihara Trust and Dalit organisations.

A group of people led by the

Golden Cave Buddha Vihara Trust

President Venkatesh Hosamani and

his aides threw the pictures into the

river on Monday. The images were

kept and worshipped at his house.

They had also taken a video of the

act, which went viral on social

media triggering controversy.

Nagaraja Kalladevarahalli, one

among the group who threw away

jokes to keep morale up. I feel incredibly

lucky that I got to meet and work

with him and very sad

that he’s passed. He

was an incredible

actor and a lovely

man."

Coltrane will forever

be known to millions

as Hagrid in the

’Harry Potter’ movies,

but he was also a

member of the James

Bond franchise, having

appeared in 1995’s

’Golden Eye’ and

1999’s ’The World Is

Not Enough’.

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

Pictures of Hindu Gods thrown into river ahead

of Buddha Dharma Deeksha in K’taka

the pictures, said that Venkatesh

was asked to remove the pictures

since he was the president of

Golden Cave Buddha Vihara Trust.

Following this, Venkatesh decided

to do away with pictures of

Lakshmi, Venkateshwara,

Saraswati and other Hindu Gods.

Venkatesh is converting to

23

Buddhism on October 14 along

with many others. "That is why we

are trying to forget the Hindu religion

and embrace Buddhism," he

maintained. The Hindu activists

have slammed the act of throwing

of gods of Hindu religion into the

river. The police are yet to react to

the incident.

Harry Potter's 'Hagrid' Robbie

Coltrane passes away at 72

Most recently, Coltrane returned to

his ’Harry Potter’ roots and appeared in

HBO Max’s 20th anniversary ’Return to

Hogwarts’ reunion special along with

Radcliffe and other stars, notably Emma

Watson and Rupert Grint, adds ’Variety’.

"The legacy of the movies is that my

children’s generation will show them to

their children," Coltrane said in the

reunion special. "So you could be

watching it in 50 years’ time. I’ll not be

here, sadly, but Hagrid will, yes."

Controversial ’Harry Potter’ author

J.K. Rowling separately honoured

Coltrane with a post on Twitter, writing,

"I’ll never know anyone remotely like

Robbie again. He was an incredible talent,

a complete one off, and I was

beyond fortunate to know him, work

with him and laugh my head off with

him. I send my love and deepest condolences

to his family, above all his children."

24 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 NEWS


Haryana for starting SYL canal construction,

Punjab says not even drop of water to share

Chandigarh : Punjab Chief

Minister Bhagwant Mann and his

Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal

Khattar on Friday failed to reach a

consensus over the contentious

Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal

issue at a crucial meeting on the

issue held here.

After the two-hour long meeting,

Khattar told the media that as

directed by the Supreme Court, the

meeting was held with the Punjab

Chief Minister but both States

reached no consensus on the construction

of the SYL canal.

Outrightly rejecting Haryana

government’s proposal to start construction

of the SYL canal, Mann

categorically told the media that

there "is no question of initiating

this work, as the state does not

have even a single drop of water to

share with Haryana". "At the time

when agreement for the canal was

inked, Punjab was getting 18.56

million acre feet (MAF) of water

which has been now reduced to

12.63 MAF. At present, we don’t

have any surplus water to share

with any state," he said, while

interacting with the media separately.

Khattar said the Supreme Court

has asked for the construction of

the SYL canal, with which Punjab

has disagreed. "The construction

of SYL is the lifeline for Haryana,"

said the Chief Minister adding that

now he will meet Union Jal Shakti

Minister Gajendra Singh

Shekhawat to brief him about this

meeting.

He said earlier also a tribunal

was formed to resolve the water

issue, after that a new tribunal of

three judges was again formed and

as per the tribunal’s

decision, the construction

of the SYL canal is

necessary.

Justifying his decision

not share even a

drop of water with

Haryana, Mann said Haryana is

currently getting 14.10 MAF of

water from the Satluj, Yamuna and

other rivulets whereas Punjab is

getting only 12.63 MAF.

He said despite being smaller in

area, Haryana is getting more

water than Punjab and ironically it

is demanding more water at the

cost of Punjab. In wake of this fact,

Mann said how can "we give water

to Haryana if our own fields are

starving for it". The Chief Minister

said 1,400 km of rivers, canals and

rivulets have dried up in the state

due to which pressure had

increased on groundwater. He said

currently 27 per cent of Punjab’s

agriculture is dependent on surface

water whereas the remaining 73

per cent is being done through

using the groundwater.

Mann said this has resulted in

depletion of groundwater level in

the state and most of the blocks

have gone into dark zones. The

Chief Minister said instead of

seeking water from Punjab,

Haryana should give water to the

state from the Yamuna river. He

further said that if Haryana really

needs water, then he is ready to go

with his Haryana counterpart to

Prime Minister Narendra Modi for

solving the issue.

However, he said before the

Prime Minister the state government

will reiterate its stand that

Punjab does not even have a single

drop of water to share with

Haryana.

Mann said rather Punjab and

Haryana should forcefully plead

the case of water sharing from

Ganga and Yamuna before the

Prime Minister.

Ahead of panchayat polls in

Haryana, Dera Sacha Sauda

chief gets 40-day parole

Chandigarh : Just weeks ahead of the statewide panchayat

polls and bypoll in the Adampur assembly in

Haryana, self-styled jailed godman and Dera Sacha Sauda

chief Gurmeet Ram

Rahim Singh, who is

undergoing a 20-year

sentence for raping his

two disciples, has been

released on a 40-day

parole - the third time

this year.

His family had

sought the parole for

him.

"The decision of

parole has be taken in

accordance with the

law," state Jails Minister

Ranjit Singh told the media.

During the parole, he will be staying on the Dera’s

premises in Rajasthan. He has been lodged in Sunaria jail

since 2017 after being convicted in rape and murder cases.

Last year he was also released from the jail thrice for

various reasons, including his plea to meet the ailing

mother.


SC to hear Maha govt

plea against acquittal

of Prof G.N. Saibaba

New Delhi : The Supreme Court will hear on Saturday a

plea by Maharashtra government

challenging the Bombay High

Court’s Nagpur bench order,

acquitting former Delhi University

professor G.N. Saibaba in an

alleged Maoist links case. A bench

comprising Justices M.R. Shah and

Bela M. Trivedi will hear the matter.

As Solicitor General Tushar

Mehta mentioned the appeal before

a bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Hima Kohli and

sought urgent listing of the case, as, in all likelihood, the

respondents may be released from the jail, it directed the

case to be listed before an appropriate bench after the Chief

Justice provides his administrative approval. "At this stage,

we deem it appropriate to mention that the proceedings have

been mentioned before this since the bench presided over by

the Chief Justice has risen for the day. The Solicitor General

states that he will move an application before the Registry

for obtaining administrative directions of Hon’ble the Chief

Justice for listing of the Special Leave Petition tomorrow

(15.10.2022)", said the top court, in its order.

Earlier in the day, the Bombay High Court’ Nagpur bench

acquitted former Delhi University professor Saibaba and

five others in an alleged Maoist links and conspiracy case.

A division bench of Justices Rohit Deo and Anil Pansare

acquitted Mahesh K. Tirki, Hem Keshawdatt Mishra,

Prashant Rahi, Vijay Nan Tirki and Pandur Pora Narote who

died in August this year.

Earlier, the court had allowed their appeals against conviction

and life sentences awarded under the UAPA provisions.

Saibaba, who suffers from a polio-related paralysis

and is bound to a wheelchair, had previously filed a plea

seeking suspension of his sentence on medical grounds, saying

he is also suffering from multiple ailments, but it was

rejected. Currently in Nagpur Central Jail, Saibaba is likely

to be freed soon unless required in any other case. All the

accused, arrested in 2014, were tried under various sections

of IPC and UAPA and sentenced to life imprisonment by the

Gadchiroli Sessions Court in March 2017, for links with the

banned Maoist groups, charges of waging war against the

nation, conspiracy, among others.

BJP uses CBI, ED, IT Dept against

political opponents: Lalan Singh

Patna : In wake of income tax raids on a prominent

builder and hotelier Gabbu

Singh, JD-U national

President Lalan Singh on

Friday said that there was

nothing new as the BJP uses

the CBI, the ED, and the

Income Tax against those who

oppose it. Income Tax officials

conducted raids on 31

locations of Gabbu Singh,

known to be a close friend of

Lalan Singh, across the state.

Asked about the raids and Gabbu Singh’s close relations

with him, Lalan Singh said: "What is close? Everyone

knows whoever is opposing the BJP in the country, they

used the CBI, the ED and the Income Tax against them.

They are using these agencies similar to how people change

their clothes. Do whatever they want, we will not come

under the pressure of raids."

Gabbu Singh never came into politics but he has close

relations with Lalan Singh. The IT officials conducted raids

at his 31 places including his flat at Shivpuri locality in

Patna. The raid is currently underway and the Income Tax

Department has not given details of recoveries so far.

NEWS

New York : Three Sikh

recruits, working to join the US

Marine Corps, fought for an

emergency appeal in District of

Columbia’s federal court to get an

immediate exemption to the

Corps’ boot camp rule of cutting

their hair and shaving their

beards. The three plaintiffs --

Aekash Singh, Milaap Singh

Chahal and Jaskirat Singh -- want

to attend Marine Corps basic

training without having to shave

their beards or forgo their traditional

turbans during boot camp.

A three-judge panel expressed

skepticism that the Marine Corps

had a good reason to deny religious

exemptions to its grooming

standards but questioned why the

plaintiffs required emergency relief,

the Marine Corps Times reported.

No decision on the motion was made

by the judges. The trio had appealed to

the US Court of Appeals for the D.C.

Circuit in September after a lowercourt

judge denied their request for a

preliminary injunction that would have

allowed the men to enter boot camp

with their articles of faith, the Marine

Times reported. In Sikh faith, men

wear turban and they do not shave off

their beards or cut hair. The Marine

Corps previously denied all these

requests, due to which the trio for years

have remained poolees -- an individual

who has already signed up to become a

Marine but has not yet left for the

recruit training at boot camp.

16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022

25

Sikh trio fights to keep turban,

beard at US Marine boot camp

"We continue to believe that the

Marine Corps is doing a disservice

to both our clients and itself in

denying basic rights that are recognised

by other branches of our military

and under the US law," said

Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition

Senior Staff Attorney. In April

2022, the Sikh Coalition -- a New

York-based advocacy group,

Winston & Strawn, the Becket

Fund and BakerHostetler, with support

from the Sikh American

Veterans Alliance had filed suit

against the US Department of

Defence on behalf of the trio.

"Time and again, Sikhs in the

US Army and Air Force -- along

with military forces around the

world -- have proven that their articles

of faith pose no barrier whatsoever to

capable military service," said

Amandeep S. Sidhu, partner at

Winston & Strawn LLP.

"Prohibiting Sikhs from joining the

Marine Corps is out of step with the

rest of our military, as well as the most

basic values that our country holds

dear," Sidhu added.

26 16-10-2022 to 31-10-2022 WORLD


In solidarity with Rajendra Pal Gautam

Strong condemnation of Delhi and central government

NRI Ambedkarites

from USA, Canada, UK,

Germany, France,

Nederland, Ireland,

Spain, Sweden, Japan,

Korea, Singapore, New

Zealand, Belgium,

Hungary, Australia, UAE,

Oman, Qatar, Saudi

Arabia, Bahrain and

Malaysia condemn the

manner in which Delhi’s

Social Welfare minister

Rajendra Pal Gautam had

to resign from his post

due to his presence at an

event embracing

Buddhism in Delhi on

Wednesday October 5th, 2022.

Rajendra Pal Gautam attended the

Ashoka Vijaya Dashami celebrations

at Ambedkar Bhawan in

Jhandewalan, where over 10,000

people from various religions

embraced Buddhism. We condemn

the manner in which mainstream

Indian media villainized Mr

Gautam, tried to defame him by

taking some vows out of context,

mischaracterizing them and

attempting to divide the society.

The gathering, an annual affair

held every October, was a peaceful

event organized by local social

groups called the Buddhist Society

of India and Mission Jai Bheem.

Dozens of such events take place

every year all over India where

thousands of people embraced

peacefully to Buddhism. This

event in Delhi was no different.

These events commemorate the

1956 mass embracing Buddhism

held at Nagpur on October 14,

1956, known as Ashok Vijaya

Dashmi, where Dr. BR Ambedkar

led lakhs of people in adopting

Buddhism by taking the famous 22

vows. The same 22 vows were

also recited peacefully at the event

in Delhi, where Mr. Gautam was

present. Reciting the 22 vows is a

common practice in all embracing

Buddhism ceremonies. These

vows are nothing but a guide to an

individual to stay away from

superstition, not to believe in caste

system and treat everyone with

dignity and respect. There is nothing

disrespectful to any community

in the 22 vows. We condemn the

attempts made by mainstream

media to spread negative propaganda

against the 22 vows.

During this distressing time, the

NRI Ambedkarites are seething

with pain, sadness and are

appalled at the turn of events. We

offer solidarity to Mr. Gautam in

this difficult time. We trust that the

government will fulfil its constitutional

obligation and prevent

attempts by media and anti-social

elements to divide the society. The

world is watching.

List of endorsing organization

Buddhist Council of America (BCA)

Dhamma Waves, Canada

Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA)

Ambedkar Buddhist association of Texas (ABAT)

Ambedkar International Mission, USA (AIM)

B. R. Ambedkar International Mission Center, Houston Texas

Ambedkar International Mission, Japan (AIM)

Ambedkar International Mission, UAE (AIM)

Ambedkar International Center (AIC)

Boston Study Group (BSG)

Babasaheb Ambedkar International Association for Education, Japan

Coalition of Seattle Indian American’s (CSIA)

Dr Ambedkar Buddhist Society, New York

International Bahujan Organization, New York

International Boddhisatva Guru Ravidas Organization, New York

Ambedkar Mission, Toronto, Canada

Ambedkarites International Mission Society-Canada (AIMS)

Ambedkar International Coordination Society (AICS)

Ambedkar Social reform Organization Canada

Ambedkar King Study Circle, USA (AKSC)

Periyar International USA

Samata Sainik Dal HQ Deekshabhumi Nagpur (SSD)

South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network Canada (SADAN)

Dr Ambedkar Buddhist organisation Birmingham UK

Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations UK (FABO UK)

Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA)

Dr Ambedkar Mission Society Glasgow Scotland

Dr Ambedkar Mission Society Europe

Indian Association of Minorities New Zealand. (IAM)

Dr Ambedkar Mission Society New Zealand.

International SSD, California, USA

MNT News Network

Bhim Patrika Media

Ambedkar Nama

Dalit Dastak

Ambedkar Times (CA) USA

Blue Morning Weekly

Lokmanya Samiti, Maharashtra, India

Ambedkar Chetna Parishad, Jharkhand

Bodhimaggo Mahavihara

Human Metta Foundation

Awaaz India TV

Maitri India

The Asian Independent, UK

Samaj Weekly, UK

Punjab Buddhist Society (Regd) Punjab

NHRC issues notice to Centre, 6 states over Devadasi system

New Delhi : The National

Human Rights Commission

(NHRC) has taken suo moto

cognizance of a media report on

the continued menace of

Devadasi system in various

temples, especially in the southern

part of India. The

Commission has issued notices

to the Secretaries of Union

Ministries of Women and Child

Development, Ministry of

Social Justice and

Empowerment, the Chief

Secretaries of the governments

of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil

Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,

Telangana and Maharashtra,

calling for a detailed report in

the matter at the earliest

but not later than six

weeks. The report must

contain the supporting

data mentioning the steps

taken or proposed to be

taken by the authorities to

prevent the Devadasi system

and to provide the

Devadasis rehabilitation

and social security so that

they could lead their lives

with dignity. It should

also mention whether any

local laws have been enacted in

the states to prevent such social

evil, and if not what steps have

been proposed to be taken to

eradicate it. Issuing the notice,

the Commission has observed

that a few years ago, it had

received a complaint regarding

the malpractice of Devadasi in

the states of Tamil Nadu and

Andhra Pradesh. In response to

its notice, the state authorities

had denied the allegations.

Reportedly, the

Karnataka and Andhra

Pradesh governments had

declared this tradition of

Devadasi as illegal in the

year 1982 and 1988, respectively.

However, reportedly,

more than 70,000 women

are leading their lives as

Devadasi in Karnataka

alone. A Commission constituted

under the chairmanship

of Justice Raghunath Rao had

reportedly held that there are

80,000 Devadasis in the States

of Telangana and Andhra

Pradesh.

Various laws have also been

enacted in the past to stop the

malpractice of Devadasi system

but it is still prevailing, as the

news report indicates, the

NHRC said. The Apex Court

has also taken a stern stance in

condemning the malpractice of

dedicating young girls as

Devadasis. It has described the

practice as an evil done to

women by subjecting them to

sexual exploitation and prostitution.

This is a serious issue of

violation of Right to Life,

Dignity and Equality of these

victim women, said the commission.

16-10-2022 The Asian Independent

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