Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / 2015 / Archives for October 2015

Archives for October 2015

174 candidates in first phase Bihar polls have ‘criminal’ cases

by

bihar-polls

New Delhi: Of the 583 candidates contesting in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections, 174 have criminal and 130 have ‘serious’ criminal cases – including murder and crimes against women – against them, while 146 are ‘crorepatis’, a recent study has found.

In the study conducted by the Bihar Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the signed affidavits of all the candidates were analysed.

Sixteen candidates have declared murder cases against themselves. Pradeep Kumar of the Janata Dal – United (JD(U))from Warsaliganj constituency has declared four murder charges, while others have one each.

Eleven candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women — ranging from rape to dowry death, while two candidates have cases of causing communal disharmony against them.

“Shakuni Choudhary of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) from Tarapur constituency has declared a case related to injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class (IPC Section-295). Rambalak Singh of JD(U) from Bibhutipur constituency has declared a case related to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony (IPC Section-153A),” the study said.

The five-phase Bihar elections will be held from October 12 to November 5, and the results will be declared on November 8. The BJP is up against the grand secular alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress.

Thirty-seven candidates have declared cases of attempt to murder. Ramswarup Yadav, an independent candidate from Hisua constituency, faces five charges related to attempt to murder. And nine candidates have cases related to kidnapping against them.

Divided on the basis of political parties, the study says the highest percentage of candidates having ‘serious’ criminal cases is from the Congress.

Four out of eight candidates have serious criminal cases registered against them. Around 37% of BJP candidates, 38% of JD(U)candidates and 35% of RJD candidates have serious criminal cases registered against them.

The financial status of the candidates were also analysed in the study, and it was found that 19 of the 24 JD(U) candidates are crorepatis. Congress candidates were a close second with six out of their eight candidates in the list.

(Agencies)

Rajasthan: Dalit student beaten for touching utensil in school

by

Rajasthan-dalit

Jodhpur: A 10-year-old Dalit student of a government school in Osian tehsil in Jodhpur district sustained minor injuries after his teacher allegedly thrashed him for touching utensil when the mid-day meal was being served inside the school premises, the police said on Saturday.

A Class 4 student at the government secondary school in Osian tehsil, 50 km from Jodhpur, Dinesh Meghwa was admitted to the Ummed hospital in Jodhpur on Friday night with minor bruises.

The boy’s father approached the police after the alleged incident took place on Thursday. Police have lodged a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in this connection. Osian deputy superintendent of police Narendra Choudhary is handling the case.

Manaram Meghwal told the police that his son’s mistake was touching the serving plate when the mid-day meal was being served on Thursday. He said the mid-day meal in-charge and school teacher, Hemaram Chaudhary, got furious when he learnt about this. A furious Chaudhary summoned his son at the spot and beat him for touching the utensil, Meghwal added.

Further, Meghwal alleged that when he approached the school authorities to complain about the episode involving his son, the angry teacher misbehaved with him and even tried to manhandle him. The school principal was not present when Chaudhary tried to brow beat him, Mehwal added.

The Osian deputy superintendent of police confirmed that Meghwal has lodged a case against the teacher in this connection.

Meanwhile, the teacher also lodged a counter complaint against Meghwal for obstructing him from performing his official work. On his part, the teacher alleged that the student’s father misbehaved with him and prevented him from carrying out his duties.

(Agencies)

Dadri lynching: BJP leader Sangeet Som continues to unleash communal hatred

by

Sangeet Som

Dadri: Stirring the political cauldron, controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som today visted Dadri where he attacked Samajwadi Party government, alleging it was appeasing the minority community and innocent people were being framed for lynching of a man over beef eating rumour.

Som, who was accused of making inflammatory speeches during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal riots, alleged that state government was acting in a biased manner like it did during violence in western Uttar Pradesh two years ago and was shielding those who had “slaughtered cow”.

“Like they had taken the accused in Muzaffarnagar riots in a plane, they have taken those who have slaughtered cow in a plane. Even when a person is killed, they have different set of rules. Sanjay Rahul Yadav was shot in the incident, but is anyone aware. Did the government help him,” Som told reporters as the victim Ikhlaq’s family met Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow today.

The UP lawmaker’s remarks came even as BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the incident should not be given communal colour or politicised.

Som questioned why the state government had allowed AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi to visit the village and spread “communal frenzy”.

“A person like Owaisi was allowed to come here from Hyderabad. Is the Samajwadi Party government colluding with him? A person from Hyderabad comes and is able to make such statements. Is it not the weakness of the government? This government is trying to appease a particular community,” the MLA said.

Questioning the arrests in the lynching case, he said, “We don’t want that those guilty of murder should not be tried but the government should stop framing the innocent.

“Murder cases are on the rise in the state but is the government acting in the same manner in those cases. Are terrorists living here? Police should make arrests only after completing the investigation,” the MLA said.

Iqlakh, 50, was dragged out of his home and stoned to death on a village street after a public announcement from the local temple that the family had slaughtered a calf and eaten its meat.

While Iqlakh died, his 22-year-old son Danish is battling for life at a hospital following two brain surgeries.

Police have arrested eight persons and detained a Home Guard for questioning after the local temple priest alleged that he forced him to make the announcement.

Police had yesterday two persons — Vishal and Shivam. One of them was reported to be the son of a local BJP leader. However, BJP leader Harish Thakur denied that the father of the accused was a BJP office bearer and said he may be a BJP supporter.

Meanwhile, Congress attacked the BJP and its government at the Centre over the incident and said all progressive thinking people should stand up against it.

“This is a politco-ideological murder. There are some people who are trying to change the narrative of the country. They want that the minority should be second grade citizens.

“The Government wants to dictate as to what people should eat, what people should wear, how people should talk. So this is an issue on which all progressive, liberal and right thinking need to stand together,” Congress leader Manish Tewari said.

(Agencies)

Dadri is second Babri, will raise issue in UN: SP leader Azam Khan

by

Azam Khan

Lucknow: Taking the political slugfest over Dadri lynching incident to another level, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, Monday, declared that he will approach the United Nations to seek justice.

Asserting that the Dadri incident is no less than the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, Khan said that the RSS and the BJP have declared that they will create ‘Hindu Rashtra’.

“If Hindustan becomes Hindu Rashtra then what will be the role of Muslims? If Muslims wanted to live in a country based on religion then the road to Pakistan was open for them in 1947 but they stayed back on assurance by Mahatma Gandhi and others.”

Muslims stayed back to be in a country governed by rules; if Muslims live here then what will be the status of them?, he added.

Khan said that he will raise the rising cases of communal violence in the UN. “Our approaching the UN is not going against India but we are appealing to the UN. I have sought audience with secretary general of the UN,” he said.

“There should be a round table conference on what will be the new map of India and how people will live in the country,” he said.

Khan also found a link between the Dadri incident and the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar. “Now the agenda of Bihar polls is not development, now it is being said that anyone who has beef meat in his stomach is to be killed.”

(Agencies)

South Africa beats India by 7 wickets in 1st T20 game

by

ind vs sa_AP

Dharamsala: South African cricket captain Faf du Plessis won the toss in the first of the three-match Twenty20 international series in Dharamsala on Friday and chose to bowl first, keeping the possibility of dew at the high-altitude venue in mind.

Indian limited overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he wanted to bowl first too, and praised debutant Karnataka medium-pacer Sreenath Aravind’s IPL performance, backing the debutant. India have left out legspinner Amit Mishra, offspinner Harbhajan Singh, allrounder Stuart Binny and batsman Ajinkya Rahane.

South Africa have left out allrounder Albie Morkel, legspinner Edie Leie and batsman Khaya Zondo. Quinton de Kock isn’t playing either, so Amla will open with AB de Villiers, who will also keep wickets.

Aided by the return of Dhoni as the limited overs skipper, India will aim for a winning start against South Africa, who begin their 72-day long tour of India at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA) on the back of a T20 loss against India A in their only warm-up match.

However, they will aim to put that poor performance behind them and look for a positive start to the hectic tour. The three-match T20 series is mostly seen as a preparation for the upcoming World Cup T20 in 2016 scheduled to be played in India.

Dhoni will be back into the side after a gap of three months and will aim to make the most of the preparations ahead of the next year’s tournament. Youngsters Axar Patel, Sreenath Aravind and Ambati Rayudu will be tested.

With India’s batting line-up comprising Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane being the strength, the Proteas’ bowlers need to be disciplined to dismantle them in conditions favouring the batsmen.

South Afica’s batsmen, such as the likes of Plessis, de Villiers, J.P. Duminy, de Kock, David Miller will aim to use their Indian Premier League (IPL) experience as much as possible in the three T20 matches. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir will come into play on the turning tracks and can turn out to be the visiting team’s best bet at taking wickets.

India, on the other hand, have a strong bowling line-up, with spin trio of Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Ravichandran Ashwin leading the lines, assisted by pacers Mohit Sharma and Sreenath Aravind.

With both teams looking strong on paper, one cracker of a contest can be expected.

26th National under 17 Chess Championship inaugurated

by

under_17_chess_championship

Bengaluru: 26th National Under 17 Open and Girls Chess Championship is organized by United Karnataka Chess Association in Association with Bharath Electronic Officers Club, Bangalore and under the auspices of All India Chess Federation started at 11 am today at Bharath Electronic Officers Club, Jalahalli Post, Bangalore 560013

The championship was inaugurated by Sri Sri Sri Chandrashekara Swamiji, “The game of chess will help to improve the ability to think and definitely will guide you to become good citizen”, he said in his inaugural speech.

Chief Guest of the inauguration function, Sri Manmohan Handa, Director- Bangalore Complex, Bharat Electronics, Bangalore said “BEL is promoting sports, culture and strong presence in corporate social responsibility in the rural area, predominantly in Education, Medical and Environment sustainability. Sri K S Krishna, Hon President- BEOC in his guest speech said “We in BEL believe in upbringing of future generation socially and culturally as good citizen. Chess game will help in inculcating patience, harmony which is need of hour”.

Sri D V Sundar, Vice President FIDE expressed his happiness and said “It is not who does the event, it is important to note with whom we align with in pursuit of popularizing the sport.” He congratulated UKCA in getting a top corporate House Bharath Electronics to support chess in Karnataka state.

Sri V C Prakash, Vice Chairman, NRI Forum holding cabinet rank expressed his happiness to join all distinguished guests on the dais and said he will support fully the State Association in getting a permanent venue for chess in Bangalore.

Sri Mallapa H Honnannavar, Hon Secretary BEOC was very proud to be associated with UKCA and expressed his interest in hosting many FIDE rating tournaments in BE Officers Club in near future. He thanked everyone in managing committee of BEOC for having faith in the success of the event and supporting.

Sri D P Anantha, President, United Karnataka Chess Association thanked Sri DV Sundar, Vice President, FIDE for providing necessary support and motivation for the state association. He gave out a plan of action for spreading awareness about benefits of chess across the Karnataka state.

Total of 80 players from 18 states are participating in open category.Mr Al Muthaiah (2316) of Tamilnadu is top seed follwed by Mr Sai Vishwesh C (ELO 2315) of Tamilnadu, National Junior Champion and Silver medalist in National Sub Junior WFM Vaishali R (2314), Krishna Teja N (2313) of AP. Defending National Under 17 silver medalist Mr Pranavananda V (2174) of AP is 12 seed in this championship.

In girls section, Defending National Under 17 Girls Champion, WFM Varshini V (2105) of Tamilnadu is top seed followed by Priyanka Natukki (2042) of AP Vantika Agrawal (2039) of Delhi, and Defending silver medalist WFM Mahalakshmi (2019) of Tamilnadu. It is important to know that, there are 8 titled players participating in this championship

The first round stated at 2:30 pm. The results of the first round will be sent at 6 pm today as the results expected approximately at 6 pm.

Oregon shooter had 13 guns and was student at Umpqua

by

Six guns found at scene and seven at home of Chris Harper Mercer, who was enrolled at college where shooting took place.

Oregon's top federal prosecutor said Mercer used a handgun when he opened fire on classmates [EPA]

Oregon’s top federal prosecutor said Mercer used a handgun when he opened fire on classmates [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

The gunman behind the latest mass shooting in the US had hoarded an arsenal of weapons and was enrolled in the class where the fatal shootings occurred, authorities have said.

The names of the nine people, five women and four men, aged between 18 and 67, who died on Thursday’s shooting at Umpqua Community College were released on Friday.

Though officials have yet to formally name him, the gunman, who died in a shoot-out with police, has been widely identified as Chris Harper Mercer, 26.

Officials said they had recovered 13 weapons belonging to him, including six at the school and seven at the apartment he shared with his mother.

A flak jacket and five rounds of ammunition were also recovered at the school after the shooting.

US media said Mercer left behind a typed statement several pages long in which he indicated he felt lonely and was inspired by previous mass killings.

Seven other people were wounded in the attack in Roseburg, about 180 miles south of Portland.

Mercer’s weapons had been purchased legally over the past three years, some by him, others by relatives, said Celinez Nunez, assistant field agent for the Seattle division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Oregon’s top federal prosecutor said Mercer used a handgun when he opened fire on classmates and stashed a rifle in another room but did not fire it.

Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said on Friday that Mercer was enrolled in the class where the fatal shootings occurred.

Rita Cavin, interim president of the school, told CNN that Mercer was enrolled in English and theatre classes and that he initially opened fire in an English class.

Special school

The army revealed that Mercer had failed basic training in 2008.

Army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ben Garrett said Mercer was in the military for a little over a month at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, but was discharged for failing to meet the minimum standards.

Garrett did not say which standards Mercer failed.

Generally, the army requires recruits to pass physical fitness tests and to be in overall good physical and mental health.

Recruits must also pass a multiple-choice test covering science, mathematics, reading comprehension and other topics.

Mercer graduated from the Switzer Learning Center in Torrance, California in 2009, according to a graduation listing in the Daily Breeze newspaper.

Switzer is a private, nonprofit school geared for special education students with a range of issues from learning disabilities, health problems and autism or Asperger Syndrome, according to the school’s website.

In Washington, President Barack Obama lamented the government’s inability to pass stricter gun laws even after attacks like the one in Oregon.

At a news conference at the White House on Friday, Obama said he planned to keep talking about the issue and “will politicise it” because inaction is itself a political decision the US is making.

He said it was impossible to identify mentally ill people likely to perpetrate mass shootings ahead of time.

The only thing the US can do, he explained, is ensure they do not have an arsenal available “when something in them snaps”.

Book Review: Blood on their hands: Expose of Indian Army’s shocking staged encounters

by

blood-on-my-hands

by Bhavana Akella

New Delhi: Through shocking and revelatory confessions of an Indian Army officer on extrajudicial killings and state-sanctioned murders by the armed forces, journalist Kishalay Bhattacharjee’s latest book depicts how Indian state is built on violence and questions how a democracy can sustain acts which violate human rights for decades together.

In his book, “Blood on my hands” (Harper Collins; Pages: 200; Price: Rs. 250), Bhattacharjee’s conversations with an anonymous army officer serve as an expose for the highly regarded service in the country, the Indian Army.

The revelations explain significant shortcomings in the way the armed forces in the country are designed to function.

“The officers need a definite number of points to get a citation and earn their ranks and awards. Under this pressure, the army units bid to purchase a guy to be killed from the mafia,” Bhattacharjee told IANS, recalling from the confessions. The confessions is largely about killings in the North-East.

In order to earn the points, there are staged encounters of absolutely innocent people, Bhattacharjee said, adding that to earn money to stage the encounter (planting a gun etc.) the officers take to making extra bucks through narcotics, timber smuggling, and allowing human trafficking.

“I guess it was 300 points. Each kill brought five points. So these guys were short of ten points; and they contacted the mafia…They killed these two (from Bangladesh) just a day before they left, and the CRPF was roped in to aid the army,” read the confessions from the book.

One of the chapters, with confessions from the ‘inner circle’ of the army also indicates that the “succession and the big fights involving the army chiefs also has the staged encounters as a part.”

This could be one of the reasons, that it “embarrasses the Indian army”, that the book has been trending in Pakistan, Bhattacharjee said.

Born in Guwahati, Assam, Bhattacharjee, who has covered the conflict in north east region and the Maoist corridor for many years now, said belonging to the region gave him a bias that he had “absolutely no sympathy with militants or police.”

During his time, as a reporter in the region, he said, “whenever an encounter happened,we were forced to give the official version, and missed out on real information. That’s why in conflict reportage in India, most of the information is incorrect.”

Indian state has been built on violence, and violence has been institutionalised in the country through various laws, the journalist said. Many cases are just open and shut, and are not prosecuted, he said.

“When Indian union was created, we sent tanks to annexe regions — violence has been monopolised and institutionalised in the country. Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA) was an Emergency act,” he said.

“How can an Emergency act, in a democracy, be in place for nearly 58 years!” he exclaimed.

There are over a dozen “draconian” acts in the country like the AFSPA — which have been causing “gross human right violations”,

Bhattacharjee added.

“There was a situation when a beggar was picked up from a railway station and killed. This mafia of supplying human beings to the army to be killed is something I did not know of and was deeply disturbed to know,” he explained.

His meeting with the army officer, who confession forms a major part of the book, “was rather accidental”, he said.

“I had met him during my stay in the north east. Apparently through one of my reports, I had helped him. Over a drink we started talking and later with his permission documented it,” Bhattacharjee said, talking about the process of writing the book.

With confessions from chief secretaries, army generals, home secretaries and police officials, he was not sure whether he should write the book, as he was told it would “defame the Indian army” he said.

But the voice of a very senior army personnel, who said the book must be written since the “mess must be cleared” made him pen down the facts, Bhattacharjee said.

The anecdote of Julius Robert Oppenheimer, who after testing the A-bomb in 1946, met the US President Harry Truman, to say “Mr. President, I have blood on my hands” has been stuck in his head while writing the book he said.

“The term as a title talks of pure murder, and doesn’t dilute the situation,” Bhattacharjee said, adding that his next book would reveal the dynamics of the adivasis and maoists in the country.

(IANS)

A fact-finding report on murder by communal elements in Dadri

by

Akhlaq's daughter and sister at his residence in Bisara village, in Dadri. (Photo: IE by Gajendra Yadav)

Akhlaq’s daughter and sister at his residence in Bisara village, in Dadri. (Photo: IE by Gajendra Yadav)

by National Committee, IFTU

New Delhi: Those employees of Denso India Limited (situated in NOIDA) who lived in Dadri learnt in the early hours of 29th September that the brother of one of their workers had been beaten to death late the previous night by a mob in his village Bishada situated 4 kms. north of Dadri. The son of the dead man had also been severely beaten and was fighting for life in a nearby hospital where had been admitted by the police.

Led by Com. Radheyshyam, Member of the National Committee of Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) and also ex-General Secretary of the Shramik Sangh along with Shri Vinod Bhati ex-President of Shramik Sangh and other workmen associated with the Shramik Sangh, a team of employees of Denso India Ltd. went to Bishada to console the workman Jan Mohammed and his family on 29th September, 2015. There they learnt the details of the horrible circumstances concerning these killings.

This village is the native village of Jan Mohammed (family has lived here for generations) who himself lives in Dadri and works as a technician in Denso India Ltd. His brother, Ikhlaq Ahmed (who was killed) worked as a blacksmith and was a living in the village. Of his other brothers, the eldest, Zamir Ahmed, works in a private company in Delhi and lives in Loni, the second, Afzal Ahmed, is an employee of Indian Railways and lives next door in village Bishada itself where he is constructing another house. Ikhlaq himself was living in the village and earlier had been a temporary employee in Denso India Ltd. Jan Mohd. is the youngest.

Late Ikhlaq Ahmed’s elder son is in the Indian Air Force and is posted in Chennai. His younger son, Danish, is lying injured. Ikhlaq also has a daughter. In the village of 9500 voters and 2500 families, the houses of the two brothers are at a distance from that of 32 other Muslim families who live beyond the temple. The village is Thakur dominated (part of satta or seven Thakur dominated villages); there are some scheduled caste families besides. One person from among them is also a permanent employee of Denso India Ltd. The nearest thana is at Jarcha, 1-2 km. from the village. It was apparent that the brothers had worked hard, managed to educate the children and had average lifestyle as well.

The team learnt that activity of the BJP had started recently in this village itself, the area MP is Mahesh Sharma, an important functionary of the BJP. The youth of the village were in contact with Central BJP functionaries and some have started roaming in streets wearing shirts imprinted with Hindu religious symbols. Many of these youth take alcohol and are very rude and arrogant. Three months earlier, a priest had been appointed to the local temple which did not have a priest earlier. The temple itself has a public address system with four loudspeakers whose sound reaches the entire village. According to Jan Mohd. the family (both the houses) had not done any sacrifice on Bakr-id on September 25. Goat meat of sacrifice was sent by late Ikhlaq’s married daughter, and same was cooked and some stored in the fridge. Some other people of the village from other community, known to late Ikhlaq and who were non-vegetarians, also ate the meat.

Around 8 PM some photos of beef being found in a utensil and being confiscated by the police were uploaded in the social media. The name of this village was written below the photos though nobody has said till date that such an incident had occurred in this village. After 9 PM, three or four youth went to the temple and the priest says he was forced to announce that everyone should assemble as cow was lying slaughtered in the village. Around 1500 people or more started collecting, and the family said that around 100 entered the narrow gali in front of the house, broke open the gate, scaled the wall, shouting abuses. The daughter of late Ikhlaq told the workers’ team that some youth beat her grandmother, some of them went to the first floor where Ikhlaq and his son Danish were sitting. The youth were armed with lathis. A sawing machine is also kept in the room. They beat up bother father and son, battered them with machine, left the son there but dragged Ikhlaq’s body into the gali and left it there about 150 yards from the house. By then the PCR arrived. Ikhlaq’s daughter has been able to name ten youth among the killers as they were neighbours whom she could identify.

IFTU National Committee has received this report and is releasing the same. We strongly condemn the ghastly incident which was clearly executed with prior planning and in organized fashion. Ikhlaq’s brother’s house and the family next door was left untouched. We are amazed that BJP MP, Mr. Mahesh Sharma, attributes the incident to ‘misunderstanding’ and wonder how naïve the Modi Govt. and the RSS think people are. We express our condolences and sympathies with the family. We commend the workmen of Denso for their intervention and call on the workmen of Denso India and other industries to join us in ensuring justice to their colleague’s brother. We demand that the UP Govt. arrest the guilty immediately, ensure security to the family and expose the political elements who planned and executed this murder.

The RSS and BJP are systematically communally polarizing areas where people of both the communities have lived side by side for generations. We call upon the working class to expose communal conspiracies of RSS-BJP to divide the fighting strength of the people on their democratic demands, and to defeat their conspiracies.

Mumbai: Church demands ban on play for hurting religious sentiments

by

agnes-of-god

Mumbai: Catholic Church in India has demanded ban on the play ‘Agnes of God’, an adaptation of American playwright John Pielmeier’s drama about a nun giving birth to a dead child, alleging it is a “wrongful portrayal” of priests and nuns committed to a life of celibacy and hurts the sentiments of the Christians.

According to the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), the play “is the wrongful portrayal of the character of lakhs of clergy, who are committed to a life of celibacy”.

“We have written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and also other Chief Ministers to ban the play as it hurts religious sentiments,” Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) general secretary Joseph Dias told PTI here today.

He, however, said the CSF has no plan to obstruct the upcoming performance of the play in Mumbai.

“There is no question of halting that performance as it is to be staged before an invited audience at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA, though it was originally planned at Sophia hall,” Dias said.

“The play has been made by a group whose earlier work was ‘Vagina Monologues’. They are not Christians and they did not involve or consult the Church. The play questions the sacrifice of nuns. Now, they will sell the tickets for hundreds of rupees,” Dias said.

The CBCI, the body of Catholic bishops in the country, has written to Union Home Ministry seeking a countrywide ban on the play holding that it was “misrepresentation of the religious belief of the Christian community”.

“The reason why the Catholic Church is against such a play is that it is the wrongful portrayal of the character of lakhs of our clergy, who are committed to a life of celibacy,” the CBCI letter said.

Director of the play, Kaizaad Kotwal, has approached police to pursue his plea seeking protection for himself and the lead cast including thespian actor Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal.

The play is an adaptation of a 1982 Broadway production by Pielmeier, reportedly based on a true incident in the US, narrating the story of a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the child was the result of a virgin conception.

(PTI)

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives