Page 14 - Social Issues
Bhagwat laments political violence in Bengal
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Sunday lamented the 'political violence' in West Bengal and said calling those protesting against such killings as "outsiders" was wrong. He said it is the responsibility of the government to act in the interest of the people and implement law and order through strict action. Referring to the political killings in West Bengal, Bhagwat said the people who were killed may belong to a certain party, but calling those who protest against such killings as "outsiders" is wrong. He was speaking at the concluding programme of the third year of 'Sangh Shiksha Varg' at Smriti Mandir in Reshimbagh here. A total of 828 trainees from across the country participated in the 25-day training which began on May 23. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has often blamed "outsiders" for causing trouble in the state. "Whatever is happening in West Bengal should not happen. It is not happening in other states. If some goons and those with aggressive tendencies are resorting .
MoS for Home Affairs Reddy lauds Lions Club hospital
Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on Sunday attended the 45th annual day function of Lions Club Hospital here.Speaking on the occasion, Reddy said: "I have known this hospital for more than 20 years. This hospital is serving so many people in the state.""Earlier I have made eye testing possible in the government schools in my Assembly constituency. It was found that 1,400 children were facing the eye problem. To help them out, the Lions Club Hospital has always come forward," he said."This is one of the biggest NGOs in the country. We should not waste our money. We should use the money to help some poor children. This hospital is serving freely. I would like to congratulate the Lions Club for this," he added.
Self-styled godmanarrested for 'raping' teenager
: A self-styled godman was taken into custody for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl at her house here under the pretext of ridding her house of evil spirits, police said Sunday. The accused (25), claiming to have supernatural powers, had told the teenager's parents there were evil spirits in her house and that he would help in getting rid of them, and then took them to a shrine in Bidar district of Karnataka a week ago, police said based on a complaint. "On June 11, the accused, pretending to perform some rituals, went to the girl's house and allegedly sexually assaulted her," a police official said. The girl informed the matter to a family member, who lodged a complaint with the police on Friday last. Following this, a case under IPC section 376 (rape) was registered, and the godman was taken into custody, the official said.
It's defeat of honesty by dishonest: Hardik on LS poll results
Congress leader Hardik Patel Sunday described his party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls as the defeat of honesty by dishonest people. He also said that people would rally behind Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, as he is an "efficient leader". The Patidar community leader, who is here to attend a two-day camp of Youth Congress, was talking to reporters after visiting the Saibaba temple. Responding to a query on the Congress' performance in the Lok Sabha elections, he said, "There might have been some shortcomings...It is the defeat of honesty by the dishonest." "But don't worry about our defeat as we are much efficient," he added. On the question about Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Patel said, "He is as efficient a leader as his father late Rajiv Gandhi, grandmother late Indira Gandhi and great grandfather late Jawaharlal Nehru, all of whom worked for the country. I think people will firmly stand behind him (Rahul Gandhi)." "When the BJP won the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 people ..
Indian matrimonial sites show shift in attitude towards intercaste marriage: Study
Indians -- especially those living in the northern states of the country -- are becoming more open to having an intercaste marriage, according to scientists who analysed data from matrimonial websites. The research also showed that the Indian diaspora in the US who use the site are significantly less open to intercaste marriage than their counterparts in India, suggesting a focus on maintaining cultural identity as they live abroad in places where they have minority status. The researchers from University of Michigan in the US used data from 313,000 profiles from a major Indian matrimonial website. Among the information people fill out on the site is a direct question about whether they are willing to enter into an intercaste marriage. "Despite a lot of effort from the government and social groups, caste remains an important part of people's lives," said Ashwin Rajadesingan, from University of Michigan. "This caste question is actually on the first page on their questionnaire which ...
From Noida to Nagaur, couple wants to adopt newborn found in garbage
After being found in a garbage dump, Pihu now looks at a bright future with a journalist couple making efforts to adopt the abandoned newborn.The couple on Sunday met the Nagaur District Collector in order to inquire about the legal procedure to make the baby girl a part of their family."We are trying our best to initiate the legal procedure in order to adopt the child. In this regard me and my wife met the Nagaur Collector in order to understand the adoption procedure," Vinod Kapri, a filmmaker and journalist, told ANI.Before meeting the Collector, Kapri and his wife Sakshi Joshi, a TV news anchor went to JLN Hospital to meet the baby and enquired about her condition.On getting to know that the child's condition is improving, the couple travelled straight from Noida to Nagaur to inquire about the legal procedure.After battling for her life, the newborn is now stable. "The present condition of the child is stable, however, she is having a recurring problem in breathing," said Dr Mula .
Woman, daughter commit suicide in UP
A woman and her daughter allegedly committed suicide after consuming poison in Mahuli village here on Sunday, police said. Gyatri devi (42) and her daughter Khusboo (16) consumed a poisonous substance at their house. They were rushed to a hospital in serious condition, they said. Both of them died during treatment and their bodies have been sent for postmortem. Police are probing the matter and trying to ascertain the reason behind them taking the extreme step.
UN deputy chief invokes Indian emperor Ashoka, says he called for religious harmony
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed invoked Indian emperor Ashoka's message of harmonious relations between people of all religions as she underscored the importance of diversity and inclusion amid growing intolerance across the world. She underscored the importance of pluralism at a time of attacks on places of worship and violence targeting minorities, refugees and anyone perceived to be different or "other". "The tension between unity and pluralism, between the whole and its constituent parts, has been debated by thinkers and philosophers for thousands of years. Two millennia ago, the Indian emperor 'Ashoka the Great' called for harmonious relations between people of all religions and respect for each other's scriptures," Mohammed said in her remarks at the Global Centre for Pluralism in Lisbon on June 11. Ashoka, also known as 'Ashoka the Great', was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty which who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from 268 BC to 232 BC. There is
Living in anonymity, tribals displaced from Chhattisgarh due to violence hope for return
Displaced from Chhattisgarh due to violence and excluded from all social security benefits, a number of tribals living miserable lives in neighbouring states are hopeful of a better future, thanks to a "lesser-used" provision in the Forest Rights Act. Social activists claim thousands of tribals fled Chhattisgarh around 2004-05 due to Salwa Judum, a militia deployed as part of anti-Maoist operations in the state from 2005 to 2011. "These tribals are living in deplorable conditions in forests of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, without any access to drinking water and electricity. They get lower wages. Most of them don't have ration cards or voter IDs and cannot prove their citizenship," social activist Raju Rana says. "These states don't recognise them as tribals. They have no right over forest land and remain excluded from all social security benefits. On a number of occasions, police and forest officials have burnt their settlements to push them back to Chhattisgarh," he ...
Rohingya crisis can destabilise region if not solved: Bangla Prez
Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on Saturday said the Rohingya crisis can destabilise the entire region if left unresolved.Addressing the 5th Summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Hamid stressed the importance of a peaceful resolution of the Rohingya crisis, Dhaka Tribune reported.The President also sought support and cooperation from CICA partners so that the forcibly displaced inhabitants of the Rakhine state can return to their homeland with "safety, security and dignity"."The world knows Bangladesh hosts 1.1 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. You must be aware of the evidence of genocide and gross violation of human rights, which has been termed a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing' and humanitarian catastrophe of unmanageable magnitude," he added."Asian security is vulnerable as irregular migration, drug trafficking, territorial claims, ethnic conflicts, separatism, economic ...
Wearable devices may help disabled people move comfortably
Scientists have developed soft, wearable rehabilitative devices that can help elderly and disabled people move with comfort and safety. According to the researchers from University of Bristol in the UK the lives of thousands of people with mobility issues could be transformed with the research. The FREEHAB project will develop soft, wearable rehabilitative devices with a view to helping elderly and disabled people walk and move from sitting to a standing position in comfort and safety. Rehabilitation is vital for patients, but outcomes are hampered by a lack of easy-to-use dynamic tools to help therapists accurately analyse mobility performance and devise effective programmes. as rehabilitation increasingly takes place in patients' homes in the absence of a therapist, better ways to support in-home mobility and training are needed. The materials from which the artificial muscles are made include 3D-printable electroactive gel materials, and soft but strong pneumatic chains that ...
Task Force report on direct tax expected after Budget
The government may have quietly pushed a major income tax reform seeking to reduce tax burden and ease compliance for individual taxpayers.
Will ensure safety of daughters through 'Beti Bachao' committees: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
To ensure safety and security of a girl child in the state, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that soon 'Beti Bachao' committee will be formed in all the colonies of Bhopal and the campaign for the same will commence from Sunday.He also informed the media that members of religious and social organizations will gather on Sunday in order to take part in the campaign."Members of religious, social organisations gathered together today. To ensure the safety of daughters, it was decided to form 'Beti Bachao' committee in all colonies of Bhopal, the campaign begins tomorrow (June 16). Leaders of various organisations will visit colonies tomorrow and form committees," he said while speaking to media in Bhopal on Saturday.The former MP chief minister also had stated that the campaigners of 'Beti Bacho' will collectively take out a March on July 7 in Bhopal with an aim to provide protection to the girl child and will also demand 'hanged to the death penalty' ..
Number of IDUs on the rise in Tripura
The number of Injecting Drug Users (IDU) is on the rise in Tripura in spite of efforts by the state AIDS control society to control the menace, officials said. The Injecting Drug Users are mostly concentrated in Kanchanpur and Damchera in North Tripura district and Dhalai district, the officials said. According to latest statistic available with Tripura State Aids Control Society (TSACS), the number of drug users has gone up from 750 in 2018-19 to around 1000 till date. The figure was 610 in 2017-18. But the exact number of IDUs would more than the official figure as drug users often avoid the health workers due to social stigma, the Project Director of TSACS Dr PK Majumder said on Friday. "We have succeeded to get some die hard IDUs out of drugs through Opioid Substitute Therapy (OST) but actual number would be much more than the official inputs," he said. As many as 215 Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) have been fully cured over the past few years because of OST, he ...
UN counterterrorism chief makes controversy trip to Xinjiang
China says the UN counterterrorism chief has visited Xinjiang last week despite protests from the US and a rights group that the trip would be inappropriate in light of the human rights conditions in the far west region. The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov travelled to Beijing and Xinjiang from Thursday to Saturday last week, during which he and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng exchanged views on international counterterrorism efforts and reached "broad consensus." The US, researchers and rights groups estimate that as many as 1 million ethnic Muslims may be arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang, home to the Uighur and Kazakh minority groups. Human Rights Watch said Friday the UN should have sent a human rights expert instead of a counterterrorism official.
Pakistan to hang mentally ill convict on June 18
A Pakistan court has ordered the execution of a mentally ill convict on June 18, according to a human rights law firm.
'Men harassed by wives' celebrate 'Pimpal Purnima'
Demanding gender-neutral laws, an organization which champions the cause of husbands facing harassment from wives Saturday celebrated "Pimpal Purnima" here. Pimpal is Marathi for the peepal tree (ficus religiosa). The celebration by the Patni-Peedit Purush Sanghatna (organisation of men harassed by wives) came ahead of the Vat Purnima festival where married women tie threads around banyan trees seeking long life for the husband. Around a dozen members of the organisation celebrated 'Pimpal Purnima' by walking around a peepal tree. An office-bearer of the organisation claimed -- seeking anonymity -- that incidents of men facing injustice in marital disputes were on rise. "We want the law to be equal for men and women. The current laws favour women because they are considered the weaker sex, but on the contrary it is women who harass their husband more. The law is misused," he said.
Mumbai: Man accused under POCSO Act jumps to death from 6th floor dies while attempting to flee
A man accused under the POCSO Act died while attempting to flee from the Dindoshi Sessions Court here on Saturday.The accused died when he jumped off from the sixth floor of the court building in an attempt to evade the authorities.The POCSO Act is levied on the people accused of engaging in sexual assault and harassment of children, irrespective of their genders, who are below 18 years of age.The punishments meted out under the POCSO Act can range from a prison sentence for a minimum of three years to life imprisonment and fine.
Harsh Vardhan to visit Muzaffarpur to review situation in wake of child deaths
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will visit Bihar's Muzaffarpur on Sunday to take stock of the situation there in view of rising cases ofAcute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) there. According to officials, 67 children have died this month in two hospitals -- the state-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and the Kejriwal Hospital which is run by a trust "While the Centre is extending all support to the state for the containment and management of the recent surge of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases, I shall be going to Muzaffarpur tomorrow to take stock and review the situation at the site with the state government," Vardhan said. During his visit, the minister will interact with the multi-disciplinary teams deployed there and address a state-level review meeting. I shall discuss the management measures being recommended by the high level expert team of the Centre, and support that can be extended ...
SC: NOC mandatory from receiving country for inter-country adoption
The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a foreigner can adopt a child from India only after acquiring NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the diplomatic mission of that country in India.