Nasheman

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

You are here: Home / Archives for 2017

Archives for 2017

Jackpot for Tamil Nadu MLAs, salary hiked almost 100 percent

by

tamil_nadu_assembly

Chennai: Tamil Nadu has announced almost 100 percent hike in salary of MLAs of the house. The announcement which is like a jackpot for many, was made by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy in the state assembly. MLAs will now get Rs 1.05 lakh per month from Rs 55,000 earlier.

According to reports, the chief minister also announced that MLA Local Area Development Fund would be increased from Rs 2 crore to 2.5 crore.

Ex MLAs also get a raise to Rs 20,000 as opposed to Rs 12,000 earlier.

The new salary retrospectively came into effect from July 1.

After the chief minister’s announcement, most MLAs appeared very enthused. But DMK legislators restrained themselves from celebrating.

“Each and every MLA must be happy inside. But due to party restrictions, they may not be able to express their joy,” remarked Speaker P Dhanapal.

(Agencies)

RCEP conference from 24th to 28th at Hyderabad International Convention Centre

by

by David Bodapati

Trading Away Health – The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

rcep

Next week, Hyderabad is set to host the 19th round of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) from July 24 to 28, a regional trade agreement between India, the ten member states of the ASEAN and, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and Republic of Korea. This trade deal threatens to undermine the ability of some of the world’s poorest people to get access to good quality medicines at cheap and affordable prices.

Since 2012, the RCEP trade agreement has been under negotiation between the ten members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six countries that have existing trade agreements with ASEAN: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea. Notably, the RCEP countries are home to nearly 50% of the global population, including some of the world’s most impoverished and marginalised communities.The RCEP trade agreement is being negotiated in secret, without input from public health stakeholders.

“Amongst a handful of developing countries with a huge production capacity to manufacture quality-assured generic medicines, India did not grant patents on medicines till 2005 and thus, its generic companies produce some of the cheapest life-saving drugs in the world,” said Shailly Gupta, Deputy Head, MSF Access Campaign (India).

Death warrant to people living with HIV

Known as the ‘pharmacy of the developing world’, India played a major role in scaling up treatment to 17 million people across the world by lowering the price of anti-retrovirals (HIV medicines) from Rs. 6 lakh ($10,000) per patient per year in 2001 to less than Rs.18,000 ($300). The Indian government presently provides free Anti-retrovirals (ARV) to 9.94 lakh people (out of 24 lakh) living with HIV. Any trade agreement which forces the increase in price of these life-saving medicines will not only hamper the Indian government’s public health programme but is a sure death warrant to thousands of HIV positive people in India.

Similarly, the drug Imatinib can completely cure Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) or Blood Cancer. A month’s treatment using one of the branded varieties of Imatinib drug would cost Rs 1.24 lakh per patient per month while it is just Rs 5,720 per month per patient with the generic variety.

“As a medical treatment provider, Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) relies on affordable, quality generic medicines to treat a number of diseases. In fact, 97 per cent of the medicines used by MSF to treat HIV are generics sourced from India,’’ said Gupta.

“As a medical humanitarian organisation working in nearly 70 countries, MSF is concerned that demands for intellectual property provisions in the intellectual property and investment chapters could potentially challenge a government’s capacity to initiate and execute policies to protect public health and ensure affordable access to medicines for all,” she added.

According to the leaked text, Japan and the Republic of Korea are pushing for provisions that go far beyond international trade rules (known as TRIPS-plus rules) to extend drug corporations’ patent terms and introduce the most damaging form of clinical trial data monopolies. Further, the proposed elevated levels of IP enforcement would delay generic competition and translate into higher prices for lengthier periods of time, which would, in turn, prevent the flow of affordable generic medicines from producer to patient. These provisions offer pharmaceutical corporations a blank cheque for abuse. In developing countries, where people rarely have health insurance and must pay for medicines out of pocket, high prices keep life-saving medicines out of reach – and this is often a matter of life and death.

Dangerous trend

RCEP’s damaging provisions are similar to those included in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement between the United States and eleven other Pacific Rim countries signed in February 2016 after years of secretive negotiations. Seven countries are common to both the TPP and the RCEP. The TPP has been repeatedly referred to as “the worst trade deal ever for access to medicines.”
“It is disturbing to note that Japan and the Republic of Korea (who are also part of the TPP) are seeking to include similar damaging IP provisions in a trade agreement that includes many more developing countries,” said Leena Menghaney, Head South Asia, MSF Access Campaign.

“Multinational pharma corporations view robust, affordable generic medicines produced and marketed by Indian suppliers as an enormous threat to their profits.,” she added.

Dr Gopal Dabade, President, Drug Action Forum – Karnataka, feels that India’s patent law and the argument that multinational drug manufacturing companies based in the US and Europe deserve compensation for the large amounts they spend on research is not valid. “Most of the innovation happens at public-funded institutions and universities. The teams here do the basic research and then the drug companies develop it and market it. There are countless studies that show that drug companies really spend more on advertising and promotion. At times they may even spend on research, it’s mainly to gauge how to sell a drug better,” says the renowned doctor and health activist.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited USA to meet president Donald Trump.During their meeting one important agenda was that India should amend its Patent Law so as to suit the American drug manufacturing companies. It is not just USA but also the European Commission which is currently having trade negotiations with India which is called a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It suggested India to make changes so that it will bring more profits to the big drug companies in Europe. But this will also seriously hamper access to medicines across the developing world,” Dr Dabade added.

If the IP provisions proposed in RCEP are accepted, access to affordable life saving medicines will be restricted for people in India and around the world who rely on life-saving affordable generics made in India. Many organisations and activists are gathering in Hyderabad to undertake protests and marches to oppose the trade treaties which can trade away the health of the poor people.

David Bodapati is a journalist turned health activist working with networks of people living with HIV and other marginalised groups to support Access to Medicines.

Arrest Sadhvi Saraswati for hate speech against beef-eaters: BJP MLA

by

sadhvi-saraswati

Panaji: Religious leaders like Sadhvi Saraswati, who deliver hate speeches in Goa, should be arrested and banned from visiting Goa, deputy speaker and BJP MLA Michael Lobo told the state Assembly on Tuesday.

“Sadhvi Saraswati had said that beef-eaters should be hanged. Why do they come to Goa and make such statements? Police should act against her, or someone else will come and say something else. Who all would we be able to stop,” Lobo asked during a discussion on the motion of thanks on the governor’s address.

“There should be a precedent. An FIR should be filed against anyone who gives hate speeches. They must be summoned to the police headquarters,” Lobo said.

Madhya Pradesh-based Sadhvi Saraswati, who was in Goa to attend a four-day All India Hindu Convention, had said that those who eat beef should be hanged.

Lobo said that such “rabble rousers” should be banned from Goa on the lines of Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik.

“Such type of people should be banned from entering Goa, whoever it is… We have to have full control of all these things. We should not allow this. Those who want to disturb Goa, they have no place here,” he said.

More than 30 percent of the state’s 1.5 million population comprises conventionally beef-eating minority communities.

(Agencies)

Dr Zakir Naik’s passport revoked after NIA’s request

by

zakir naik

Mumbai: The external affairs ministry has revoked the passport of Zakir Naik, the physician turned Islamic preacher, who is accused by a section of media of promoting terrorism.

“The Mumbai Regional Passport Office has approved the NIA’s request to revoke Zakir Naik’s passport,” a spokesperson for the anti-terror agency said today.

The 51-year-old televangelist, who is currently abroad, is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for unproven charges related to terror and money laundering.

Dr Naik had his passport renewed in January last year and it was valid for 10 years.

The NIA had on November 18, 2016, registered a case against Dr Naik at its Mumbai branch under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

His Mumbai-based NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has already been declared an unlawful association by the Modi government.

The preacher has been accused by India’s ruling party and mainstream media of spreading hatred, delivering provocative speeches, funding terrorists and laundering several crores of rupees over the years.

Dr Naik, a medical doctor-turned preacher, during his interactions with the Indian media from his haven abroad has repeatedly denied all charges. He was served a show-cause notice by the passport authorities asking as to why his travel document should not be revoked.

The Interpol was approached against Naik after a year- long probe during which the NIA gathered evidence of his IRF and Peace TV being used to allegedly promote hatred between different religious groups.

Besides banning his NGO, the central government has taken his TV channel off air.

(Agencies)

China moved huge military hardware into Tibet after Sikkim standoff: Report

by

China

Beijing: The Chinese Army moved tens of thousands of tonnes of military hardware into the remote mountainous Tibet region after the standoff with Indian troops in the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector, the mouthpiece of the PLA said today.

The vast haul was transported to a region south of the Kunlun Mountains in northern Tibet by the Western Theatre Command – which oversees the restive regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, and handles border issues with India, reported the PLA Daily, the official mouthpiece of Chinese military.

The move took place late last month and involved hardware being moved simultaneously by road and rail from across the entire region, the report said.

China’s state-run media has stepped up its rhetoric against India in recent weeks but there was no way to confirm the veracity of such claims.

Early this week, state-run CCTV had broadcast People’s Liberation Army troops taking part in heavy military exercises using live ammunition on the Tibetan plateau.

The location was not far from the disputed Doklam area where Chinese and Indian troops are locked in a standoff, the Hong-Kong based South China Morning Post reported.

The PLA Daily report, however, did not say whether the movement of the military equipment was to support the exercise or for other reasons.

Wang Dehua, an expert on South Asia studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said the scale of the troop and equipment movement showed how much easier it is for China to defend its western borders.

“Military operations are all about logistics,” he said. “Now there is much better logistics support to the Tibet region.”

Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face- off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for over a month after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area.

China claimed that they were constructing the road within their territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau.

New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India’s access to its northeastern states.

India has conveyed to the Chinese government that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for it.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

(Agencies)

Hijab-wearing woman among Apple’s new emojis

by

Breastfeeding woman, bearded person and meditating man also among new symbols previewed to mark World Emoji Day.

The hijab emoji was approved in November last year [Courtesy Apple]

The hijab emoji was approved in November last year [Courtesy Apple]

by Al Jazeera

US tech giant Apple has previewed forthcoming emojis, including one that depicts a woman wearing a hijab.

More than 12 animated symbols were unveiled on Monday to celebrate World Emoji Day and will be released on Apple devices later this year, the company said.

“The new Emoji make it easier for users to express themselves with greater diversity, additional animals and creatures, new smiley faces and more,” Apple said in a statement.

The headscarf-wearing character was approved by Unicode, a non-profit international consortium, in November last year after a Saudi teen living in Germany campaigned for its inclusion.

Fifteen-year-old Rayouf Alhumedhi submitted a proposal to Unicode in September 2016, pointing out that there was no image that represented her.

Her online campaign, the Hijab Emoji Project, noted that some Christian and Jewish women also wear headscarves, along with hundreds of millions of Muslims.

The hijab is a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion.

Apple’s preview of the hijab emoji sparked some negative reaction online, with one Twitter user calling it a sign of “creeping Sharia” law.

Meanwhile, many others were more receptive to the new character.

Other new symbols include a woman breastfeeding and a man meditating in what appears to be the traditional yoga lotus pose.

Apple also revealed less political inclusions such a dinosaur, zebra, elf, zombie, genie, sandwich and coconut emoji.

The standards for all emojis is set by the Unicode, which dictates the characters available for computer programming.

Unicode announced in May its next version would include 69 new emojis.

What Apple unveiled Monday was its interpretation of several characters that will be available for its smartphones, watches and laptops in the coming months.

People in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, UK, Spain, France, Italy and Germany are among the world’s biggest emoji-users on Facebook.

The social media company said that 5 billion emoji are sent worldwide via Facebook Messenger each day.

Protest calls grow as Israel tightens grip on al-Aqsa

by

Fatah calls on Palestinians to boycott holy mosque as heightened security measures are feared to be signs of a takeover.

(AFP/File)

(AFP/File)

by Al Jazeera

President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party has called for a “Day of Rage” to protest against new security measures introduced by Israel at a Jerusalem site which is holy to both Muslims and Jews.

The call follows the implementation of metal detectors and turnstiles at the entrance of al-Aqsa compound after a deadly shootout there on Friday.

In that incident, two Israeli security officers died after an alleged attack by three Palestinians – who were themselves killed by Israeli police following the violence.

Tensions have soared since Friday.

The Red Cross said on Tuesday that at least 50 Palestinians were wounded in overnight clashes with Israeli police remaining near the sacred site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims.

At least four paramedics were injured, and 15 others were hit by rubber bullets, the charity said.

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements have also called for protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the new security measures.

The “Day of Rage” is set to take place on Wednesday.

“For the third day now, the Islamic Waqf authority – which runs the al-Aqsa Mosque compound – is refusing to enter through the Israeli metal detectors,” said Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from Jerusalem.

“[The authority] and the many growing number of worshippers outside the mosque see [the security measures] as an imposition of Israeli sovereignty in a holy place, and more generally as an Israeli encroachment in occupied East Jerusalem.

“The Israelis are saying that this is an important security measure after the deadly attack which took place on Friday.”

Fatah is calling for Friday prayers to be conducted in public squares in Palestinian cities to denounce what they described as “terrorist procedures” by Israel in occupied East Jerusalem.

Palestinians have already been performing prayers outside the compound in protest, since it was reopened on Sunday after a two-day closure.

Jerusalem Grand Mufti Mohammed Ahmed Hussein criticised the new measures as altering the status quo, which gives Muslims religious control over the site and permits Jews to visit but not pray there.

In a statement, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that Israeli forces removed worshippers at Lions’ Gate for allegedly blocking the street while performing prayers.

The Palestinians fear Israel is trying to retake control of the site by stealth. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on Friday that he did not want to alter the status quo.

The site houses the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine, Islam’s third holiest site after Mecca and Medina, but also the ruins of the Biblical Jewish Temple.

Questions about control of the site frequently lead to outbursts of fighting.

After Friday’s alleged attack, Israel closed off the area, preventing Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time in decades.

Mahmoud Abbas, who was quick to condemn the shooting attacks in a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is currently in Beijing on a three-day visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Myanmar: UN probe ‘can only aggravate’ Rakhine tension

by

Aung San Suu Kyi’s security adviser dismisses UN investigation into alleged rape and killings of Rohingya Muslims.

More than 90,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee their homes since a crackdown in Rakhine state began in October [Simon Lewis/Reuters]

More than 90,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee their homes since a crackdown in Rakhine state began in October [Simon Lewis/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

A UN mission investigating allegations of rape, torture and killings of Rohingya Muslims would only “aggravate” troubles in Rakhine state, the security adviser of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi told diplomats.

Thaung Tun’s comments on Tuesday came less than a month after Myanmar declined to grant visas to three UN-appointed experts who would probe allegations of abuse against the minority by the armed forces.

“We dissociated ourselves from the decision because we found that it was less than constructive,” Thaung Tun told UN officials and diplomats.

“We feel that that mission can only aggravate the situation on the ground,” he said.

Aung San Suu Kyi and several high-level Myanmar officials have been painfully reluctant to address the Rohingya issue, and are often criticised for their failure to stem human rights abuses.

The north of Myanmar’s Rakhine state has been under lockdown since October, when the military launched a security operation in response to what it claims was an attack by Rohingya armed men on border posts, in which nine police officers were killed.

More than 90,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee their homes since the crackdown began, according to UN estimates.

A UN report in February said the campaign against the Rohingya, who were stripped of their citizenship in 1982, “very likely” amounted to war crimes.

Following the report, the UN adopted a resolution in March to set up an independent, international mission to investigate the alleged abuses. It stopped short of calling for a Commission of Inquiry, the UN’s highest level investigation.

Thaung Tun did not directly address the allegations outlined in the report, but said Myanmar had a “clear right to defend the country by lawful means” as it tackles “increasing terrorist activities”.

Myanmar officials say a domestic investigation, led by Vice President Myint Swe, a former lieutenant general, is sufficient.

Last week, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, called on Myanmar to accept the mission, arguing that the “international community cannot overlook what is happening” in the country.

Human Rights Watch warned that Myanmar’s government risked getting bracketed with “pariah states” like North Korea and Syria if it did not allow the UN to investigate alleged crimes.

The UN investigators must provide a verbal update in September and a full report next year on its findings.

Burned to death

This week, Myanmar’s Ministry of Information escorted more than a dozen journalists to parts of Rakhine state.

Villagers told reporters about alleged abuses by troops in the area.

Rohingya women said their husbands and sons were arbitrarily detained and described killings and arson by security forces.

One villager, Lalmuti, told Reuters news agency that she found her father’s remains in a small pile of ashes in a house that had been set on fire.

She said her mother was later arrested when authorities deemed her complaint about the killings to be fabricated.

On Friday, Thura San Lwin, commander of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police, said some villagers had made what he said were erroneous claims and were subsequently charged and jailed for lying to authorities.

“The media said we torched houses and that there were rape cases – they give wrong information,” Lwin said.

Shastri gets his team, Arun back as bowling coach, Bangar assistant coach

by

ravi shastri

Mumbai: Acceding to newly-appointed chief coach Ravi Shastri’s demand, the BCCI on Tuesday appointed Bharat Arun as the Indian cricket team’s bowling coach, ending days of confusion surrounding the position.

Arun was India’s bowling coach during Shastri’s previous tenure as Team Director and the latter had insisted on his appointment in his soon-to-start second stint with the Indian team.

The decision to appoint Arun, on a two-year contract, was taken after Shastri met the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and BCCI officials, including acting President C K Khanna and Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary.

“I was in England and was watching tennis (the Wimbledon). I was very clear in my mind what my core team would be, what you just heard is my core team,” Shastri said after Chaudhary announced the appointment in a press conference.

Arun is now likely to resign from the position of assistant coach in the IPL franchise of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Besides, the BCCI also decided to retain Sanjay Bangar as assistant coach and R Sridhar as fielding coach till the 2019 ODI World Cup.

“Patrick Farhad also continues as physio…All of them are part of the team for two years until the closure of next World Cup,” Chaudhary said.

Arun’s appointment marks a complete u-turn for the BCCI, which had named Zaheer Khan as bowling consultant initially before clarifying that it was for specific overseas tours.

There is no clarity on Rahul Dravid’s position as batting consultant either.

“I have spoken to both the individuals and they are as good as three are four years ago, and they are fantastic cricketers. Their inputs will be invaluable, they will be on board when they speak to these authorities,” was Shastri’s cryptic response on queries regarding Zaheer and Dravid.

“All depends on their availability, it depends on individuals, the number of days they want to give but their inputs will be invaluable and they are most welcome,” he added.

Chaudhary, on his part, said there was never any confusion on Dravid and Zaheer despite the obvious flip-flops by the BCCI.

“At the first place I am absolutely clear that it is not a fiasco, once we appointed the head coach, obviously he had to think of his responsibility which come with that appointment, and it is very clear he wanted his core team. The other two (Zaheer and Dravid) are consultants,” he said.

Shastri thanked the Cricket Advisory Committee — comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman — for picking him for the high-profile job.

“I would like to thank the CAC because it is a privilege and an honour to be India’s coach. And I would like to thank the CAC for considering me worthy enough for the job,” he said.

The BCCI’s handling of Zaheer and Dravid’s appointment has come in for severe criticism with former CoA member Ramachandra Guha calling it “public humiliation” of the two stalwarts of Indian cricket.

Neither Zaheer, nor Dravid have yet spoken about the lack of clarity regarding their positions.

(PTI)

‘Didn’t know BJP got mandate to massacre minorities, Dalits’

by

Ghulam Nabi Azad

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the BJP had got a mandate to rule, as BSP supremo Mayawati vociferously spoke against atrocities on Dalits and minorities in Uttar Pradesh and demanded a discussion on the issue.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad took objection to Naqvi’s remarks, saying the BJP had got a mandate to protect the poor, farmers, minorities and Dalits.

“When Mayawati tried to talk, she was told that we have got the mandate. We did not know the BJP has got the mandate for massacre of minorities and Dalits. We are not with this government,” an angry Azad said, and walked out of the House.

Other Congress members followed their leader.

Earlier, there was a din in the House as Mayawati spoke about “atrocities on Dalits” in Saharanpur of Uttar Pradesh.

She said “casteism and capitalism” have grown all over the country, particularly in the BJP-ruled states, after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power at the Centre.

The Bahujan Samaj Party chief alleged that Dalits were being targeted and sought attention of the House over the issue.

Her remarks created ruckus and Mayawati threatened to resign if she was not allowed to speak.

“I will resign right away. I will come back and give my resignation,” she said and walked out of the House.

Naqvi said Mayawati has shown disrespect for the House and challenged the Chair. “She must apologize,” he said.

Amid noisy scenes, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the House till noon.

(IANS)

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives