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Archives for July 2018

‘It’s unfortunate’: Iran says India didn’t keep Chabahar investment pledge

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New Delhi: Iran on Tuesday criticised India for not fulfilling its promise of making investments in the expansion of the strategically located Chabahar port and said New Delhi will stand to lose “special privileges” if it cuts import of Iranian oil.

Iran’s Deputy Ambassador and Charge d’Affaires Massoud Rezvanian Rahaghi said Iran will end the privileges being provided to India if it tries to source oil from countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the US and others to offset cuts in Iranian oil.

“It is unfortunate that Indian investment promises for expansion of Chabahar port and its connectivity projects have not been accomplished so far. It is expected that India takes immediate necessary measures in this regard if its cooperation and engagement in Chabahar port is of strategic nature,” he said.

Rahaghi was speaking at a seminar on ’emerging challenges and opportunities in the global diplomacy and its impact on bilateral ties with India’.

The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi.

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a pact which entailed the establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi-modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations.

Referring to US sanctions on oil import from Iran, Rahaghi said his country has been a reliable energy partner for India and that Iran always follows a “rationale pricing” of oil which ensures the interest of both consumers and suppliers.

“… If India were to replace Iran with countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the US and others for the 10 per cent of its oil demand then it may have to revert to dollar-denominated imports which mean higher CAD (Current Account Deficit) and deprivation of all other privileges Iran has offered to India,” Rahaghi said.

The senior Iranian diplomat said it was important to work together to immunise the relationship between the two countries through the adoption of necessary instruments and mechanisms.

“We should strive to make this relationship more sustainable and durable. This requires a strong political determination,” he said, adding both sides should set up banking relations, open new transaction routes and help each other’s markets and business communities.

Iran is India’s third-largest oil supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Iran supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil between April 2017 and January 2018 (first 10 months of fiscal 2017-18).

The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from Iran to “zero” by November 4 or face sanctions. The Trump administration brought back sanctions against Iran after pulling out the US from the Iran nuclear deal.

Shipping to Iran and ports in the country are also coming under the US sanctions. India is also expected to convey to the US the importance of the Chabahar port project considering that it can be a major link for trade with war-ravaged Afghanistan.

“In such a selfish approach, the US is targeting the whole world — either to be its friends and allies or be rival. So the US must abandon its policy of resorting to threats or use of force,” said Rahaghi.

In May, President Donald Trump announced that the US was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal signed by the Obama administration in 2015, under which Tehran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Rahaghi also suggested that a regional dialogue forum should be set up in the Persian Gulf and West Asia to resolve regional crises.

(PTI)

World Cup: France beat Belgium 1-0 to book final spot

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France edged past Belgium 1-0 to book their place in the final of the FIFA World Cup in a rip-roaring semi-final clash here on Tuesday.

Centre-back Samuel Umtiti headed home from close range in the 51st minute and that proved to be the winner in a match littered with goal-scoring opportunities.

Belgium played with a lot of gusto as skipper Eden Hazard led from the front making jinking runs throughout the game down the right channel.

But the goal would just not come for the Roberto Martinez-coached side who were in the semis for the first time since 1986.

France, who will play the World Cup final for the first time since 2006, will either take on England or Croatia in the summit clash on Sunday.

The match began at a breakneck pace with Belgium bossing possession initially only for the French to catch up.

Kylian Mbappe danced forward inside the first 10 seconds and crossed low for Antoine Griezmann who failed to get on the end of it.

Hazard then put in a dangerous cross which was turned behind by Umtiti. It was an end-to-end affair as Kevin De Bruyne lobbed a pass to Hazard who shot past the post.

France took time to work Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who smothered a Blaise Matuidi effort in the 19th minute.

Then, moments later, at the other end, Hazard’s goal-bound shot was flicked over the bar by the retreating Raphael Varane.

Hugo Lloris was forced into a brilliant save at the other end too when his Tottenham teammate Toby Alderweireld took aim after a corner.

For France, Olivier Giroud and Griezmann came close to scoring after the half-hour mark before Benjamin Pavard was set up by the brilliant Mbappe only for Courtois to stick his leg out and divert the ball.

It was travesty that both teams went into the break locked goal-less.

Belgium fell behind minutes into the second period when Umtiti leaped ahead of Marouane Fellaini to head home a corner taken by Griezmann.

Belgium probed on numerous occasions as Lukaku came the closest to scoring in the dying minutes of the game after De Bruyne’s stunning lofted pass teed the Manchester United striker up.

Six minutes of injury time provided Belgium with hope but France ran the clock down and almost made it 2-0 as Griezmann and then Corentin Tolisso’s shots were well saved by Courtois.

(IANS)

Ex-bureaucrats Ribeiro, Habibullah demand Sinha’s sacking for felicitating lynching case convicts

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New Delhi: Former Mumbai police commissioner Julio Ribeiro, former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and 41 other retired bureaucrats have demanded that Union minister Jayant Sinha be sacked for felicitating eight people convicted in a lynching case, saying his action shows “there is a licence to kill minorities”.

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation stoked controversy after he felicitated eight convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case after they came out of prison on bail last week.

Meat trader Alimuddin Ansari was beaten to death on June 29 last year by a mob at the Bazaar Tand area under Ramgarh police station on suspicion that he was carrying beef in his car.

Expressing happiness over their release from jail after being granted bail on June 29 this year by the Jharkhand High Court, Sinha garlanded them and offered them sweets.

“The larger and chilling message that Shri Sinha’s action sends out is that there is a licence to kill minorities and that those who are accused of such crimes will be enthusiastically supported financially, legally and politically,” the bureaucrats said in a public statement.

They said Sinha felicitated the convicts as if they were “some revolutionaries in a freedom struggle”.

In the past, the bureaucrats said, when there were protests against partisan support for such revolting actions, the central government “conveniently used the fig leaf” of constitutional separation of powers to argue that the locus standi lay with the states concerned, despite most of these states being ruled by the BJP, which is also in power at the centre.

“Now that a Union minister has openly questioned a criminal case where his own party government in the state had, admirably in our opinion, prosecuted and brought to justice the accused, we would like to know what stand the Government of India proposes to take.

“We demand the immediate resignation/removal of Shri Jayant Sinha from the Council of Ministers and an apology to the people of India from the party he represents for brazenly sympathising with those convicted of murder,” the bureaucrats said.

They also sought to know the stand the Union government proposes to take after Sinha’s action.

“The latest episode comes on the heels of repeated incidents which highlight the contempt which representatives of the ruling party and their followers have for the rule of law,” they said.

Besides Ribeiro and Habibullah, the officials who have demanded Sinha’s sacking include former Pune police commissioner Meeran Borwankar and former Prasar Bharti CEO Jawhar Sircar.

In April, the retired civil servants attacked the central government following the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district of Jammu after a few state BJP lawmakers had come out in support of the accused in the case.

“In post-Independence India, this is our darkest hour and we find the response of our government, the leaders of our political parties inadequate and feeble,” they had said then in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On March 21, a fast-track court sentenced the 11 convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case to life imprisonment.

Eight of the 11 convicts were granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 29. Two are in Hazaribag Central Jail and a juvenile is in a correction home. Another secured bail on July 4.

(PTI)

Government leaves it to SC’s wisdom to decriminalize gay sex

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New Delhi: The centre on Wednesday said it was leaving it to the wisdom of the Supreme Court to decide if a law that criminalizes consensual gay sex was constitutionally valid.

On the second day of the Supreme Court hearing on the plea challenging the constitutional validity of Indian Penal Code’s Section 377 that criminalises homosexuality, the Centre did not spell out its stand one way or the other

However, it urged the five-judge constitution bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra that they should confine to deciding the challenge to the law without any scope that may give rise to LGBT community claiming civil rights including right to property, inheritance marriage, adoption and other rights.

“What ever may not be in question may not be decided,” Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court expressing the apprehension of the Centre.

He told the court that if it intended to touch on other issues like same sex marriage, then the Centre will file another detailed affidavit.

Airing the government’s concerns, Mehta referred to Justice Chandrachud’s observation made during the course of the hearing on Tuesday that in Hadiya judgement, that “we have already decided that the right to choose partner is a fundamental right”.

Clarifying his observation, Justice Chandrachud said they were not going to decide “kinky issues”.

“We are (debating) on whether the relationship between two adults is itself a manifestation of Article 21 of the Constitution,” he said.

“We don’t want a situation when two gays enjoying a walk on Marine Drive should be disturbed by police and charged under Section 377 IPC,” he said.

Chief Justice Misra said: “We will decide whether consensual sex between two consenting adults is a crime or not.”

Dispelling the apprehensions of the Centre, he said: “We can’t judge an issue in vacuum” thereby telling Mehta that the issue of other rights of LGBT community was not before the bench.

(IANS)

ED seeks court order declaring Nirav Modi, Choksi fugitives

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Mumbai: The ED on Wednesday approached a special court here seeking its order to declare diamond merchants Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi both accused in over Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case as fugitives because they fled from India a month before they were named in the multi-crore fraudulent case.

The Enforcement Directorate filed two separate applications requesting the designated court to issue notices to Nirav Modi and Choksi under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance 2018 to declare them fugitives, an ED statement said.

The agency also requested the court to issue an order to confiscate the movable and immovable properties of the two accused which are believed to be the proceeds of crime. It also urged the court to permit it to confiscate other properties of Nirav Modi and Choksi which are directly and indirectly belong to them and have been identified by the agency officials in India, in Britain and in United Arab Emirates.

The ED has been probing two cases of money laundering against Nirav Modi, Choksi and others under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the basis of FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the prime investigating agency of the case.

Investigations have revealed that Nirav Modi and Choksi have committed the offence of cheating against Mumbai-based Brady House branch of PNB in connivance of certain bank officials in fraudulently getting the Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit issued without following prescribed procedure and cause wrongful loss to the bank.

The accused persons have further siphoned off the proceeds of the crime so generated through the multiple dummy entities in India and abroad, said the statement.

“During the course of investigation, more than 260 searches had been conducted all across India leading to the seizure of gold, diamond, platinum, silver, precious, semi precious stones, jewellery and watches belonging to Nirav Modi and Choksi and the companies controlled by them. Further, bank accounts and shares belonging to Nirav Modi and Choksi and their controlled companies were also frozen by the ED.

“Luxury cars and paintings of the two fugitives have also been seized by the ED,” it said.

Further an attachment orders of movable and immovable properties were also issued against the two fugitives and their companies, said the statement.

All the movable and immovable properties seized, freezed or attached by the ED are the part of the list of properties submitted to the special PMLA court for the order of confiscation under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, it said.

In these cases, the ED had on May 24 and May 26 filed prosecution complaints or charge sheets under PMLA against Nirav Modi and Choksi. The court has taken cognisance of the charge sheets and issued non-bailable warrant against Nirav Modi and Choksi. On the request of ED and the CBI, the Interpol has also issued Red Corder Notice against Nirav Modi.

(IANS)

Henderson, Vardy ready to face Croatia in World Cup semifinal

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England’s central midfielder Jordan Henderson and striker Jamie Vardy on Tuesday attended the English squad’s last training session prior to their crucial semifinal match against Croatia in the FIFA world cup 2018

Henderson, the Liverpool City captain and midfielder, who injured his hamstring during the quarter-final match against Sweden, has recovered enough to play on England’s starting-eleven formation versus Croatia’s Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, reports Efe.

On the other hand, Leicester City striker, Vardy, who has now recovered from a groin injury suffered during the round-of-16 match versus Colombia, will probably watch the kick-off from the sidelines, on the bench, unless England’s manager Gareth Southgate requires him to jump onto the playing field. Vardy tweeted his followers a brief: “Good to be back training with the lads.”

In line with the “Three Lions” tradition, the final training session before the match took place at their Zelenogorsk headquarters, a small town located 50 km North of Saint Petersburg.

The training session was characterized by a good deal of players’ laughter and banter as England’s team faces its first semifinal in 28 years. England had won the world cup 52 years ago, in 1966.

The English team will travel to Moscow after lunch and remain at Luzhniki stadium.

(IANS)

Former higher education minister B A Moideen passes away

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Former higher education minister B A Moideen passed away following a brief illness at a hospital in Bengaluru on Tuesday. He was 81.

Born to Abdul Khader and Haleema at Pejawar in Bajpe village in May 1938, Moideen, joined Congress in 1969 and held various positions in the party before getting elected to Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1978 from Bantwal assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada district.

The Congress party denied him the ticket which forced him to joint Janata Dal in the later days. He won from Bantwal constituency in 1978 and has served as MLC between 1990-2002. He was minister for higher education between 1995-99. He was conferred with the Devaraj Urs Award instituted by the State Government in 2016.

(Agencies)

One killed as heavy rains lash coastal, western Maharashtra

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One person was killed and normal life disrupted in many areas on Saturday as, for the second time this week, torrential rains lashed the Mumbai suburbs, and adjoining districts of Thane, Raigad and Palghar, officials said.

At least five picnickers went missing and another 30 were rescued from a picturesque hilly picnic spot, Chinchoti Falls in Palghar district.

An aerial search with helicopters and a NDRF team from here have launched a rescue operation to trace the missing persons.

Usha Sawant, 40, was electrocuted and her daughter Kumari, 5, injured following a short-circuit in their house in PMGP Colony in suburban Mankhurd.

The Central Railway suburban and long distance train traffic was again hit after at least three signal poles fell down in the rains.

It diverted two trains on the Mumbai-Pune sector and cancelled three services due to the downpour which continued till evening.

Though streams and water bodies adjoining the Western Railway were swollen, there was no major impact on the train traffic.

Large parts of towns like Palghar, Boisar, Dahanu, Saphale, Virar, Vasai, Kalyan, Ambernath, Badlapur, Vidyavihar, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Karjat, Pali and surrounding villages experienced flooding or heavy waterlogging, throwing traffic movement out of gear.

The busy Mumbai-Goa Highway was blocked for over three hours due to landslides or tree crashes resulting in massive traffic jams over several kilometres, and peoples’ weekend getaway plans went haywire.

A majority of the big and small rivers in western and coastal parts of the state including the Savitri River, were overflowing, with flood waters running into surrounding villages.

The famed hill stations of Matheran (Raigad) and Mahabaleshwar (Satara), Khandala (Pune) received heavy rains and over 10,000 people jostled in traffic snarls to visit the Bhushi Dam in neighbouring twin-hill station of Lonavala which received 160 mm rains.

While Matheran and Karjart in Raigad received around 190 mm and 150 mm respectively, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani 160 mm, Murbad in Thane was inundated under 220 mm, and Wada in Palghar with 230 mm.

The IMD said most places in the Palghar, Thane and Raigad received an average of around 110-200 mm rains in the past 24 hours.

It has also forecast heavy to very heavy rains in Mumbai and adjoining districts over the next 24-48 hours, besides in places like Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nanded, Akola, Wardha, Chandrapure and the coastal Konkan.

Congress facing alliance blues in several states before 2019 polls

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The Congress party’s pursuit to stich a larger anti-BJP alliance for 2019 is already facing challenges from quarters within. This week the party was confronted with massive rumblings within its West Bengal unit where the state leadership is bitterly divided over alliance options.

While one section of the West Bengal Congress led by party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is advocating a pact with the opposition left front in the state, another camp led by Congress secretary and local MLA A local MLA Mainul Haque has batted for an alliance with the ruling TMC.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had to meet all state leaders individually earlier this week to dissipate the crisis amid possibilities of Haque and some of his supporters switching over to the Mamata Banerjee led TMC, should Gandhi decide to go with the Left.

“We will not quit the Congress and will await the decision of Congress President Rahul Gandhi before taking any decision,” Haque told.
He felt no vote transfer to the Congress happened in the last assembly poll after the party aligned with CPI-M. “It will be suicidal to go with the CPI(M) again as it has no standing in the state anymore today,” he said.

Chowdhury, however, said his aim is to strengthen the party and all should work towards it.

“Some legislators have left the party and if some more are inclined to leave, no one can stop them.”

In the Delhi unit of the Congress too, the state party leadership has categorically ruled out any alliance with the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) even though Gandhi is yet to make his mind known.
Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken has accused the AAP of being “hand-in-glove” with the BJP and having allied with the RSS through the 2011 Anna Hazare movement to unseat the then Congress-led UPA.

Similar is the situation in party-ruled Punjab, where the state leadership is totally against any truck with the AAP.

In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, although the Congress is trying to forge ties with the BSP to prevent the division of anti-BJP vote, early reports do not signal much of a success.

Even for Madhya Pradesh, not all Congress leaders are endorsing an alliance with the BSP.

Former CWC member Anil Shastri has said that any pact with the BSP would prove “suicidal” for the party in Madhya Pradesh. Shastri questions the rationale behind the alliance citing the meager BSP presence in the state assembly.

The lobby advocating the pact in MP, however, says the Mayawati-led outfit has enough of a vote share to swing the poll.

Internal discussions are on in the party around questions such as whether to ally with the BSP, to what extent to ally or not to ally at all and go alone.

The party has made it clear that it will not hamper the interests of its state leaders while forging alliances across the country.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala has said that the party will not go for any alliance at the cost of its leaders in states.

In Rajasthan too, PCC chief Sachin Pilot is not in favour of an alliance with the BSP and wants the Congress to go it alone.

The BSP, however, has already announced its plans of going with the INLD in Haryana in 2019 general elections.

In Uttar Pradesh, however, the Congress is ready for being a part of the “mahagathbandhan” but is weary of the intentions of the SP and BSP, who don’t want the Congress to be given a bigger share in the seat-sharing in 2019.

The Congress is more or less settled in Karnataka with JDS, where it has a broad seat-sharing understanding with its new-found ally.

But, rumblings with its old partner RJD are brewing over the inclusion of JDU in the ‘mahagathbandhan’ again.

Breaking faith barriers, Shia Muslim artists create Hindu wedding mandaps

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For centuries, their creations have been used in sombre processions to commemorate and reconstruct the narrative of the 7th century Battle of Karbala in Islamic history. But now, these artists, mostly Shia Muslims, make Hindu wedding mandaps, replicating the design of the shrine of Prophet’s grandson Imam Hussain Ali, who was killed in that war.

Hundreds of couples in the country have exchanged wedding vows under these mandaps, representing the replicas of the complex, housing one of the oldest mosques in the world and a holy site of Shia Muslims in the Iraqi city of Karbala. These replicas, also called tazia, which otherwise Shia mourners use during their annual Muharram processions, are also used for decorating venues of birthday parties.

The art of tazia making arrived in India from Central Asia and is said to have flourished during Mughal rule. One of these artisans, Mohammad Bilal Azhimuddin, speaking to IANS, said they were in Mumbai recently to design a Hindu marriage mandap at the Hotel Grand Hyatt there.

“Our clients wanted us to design something exquisite, which we did,” he said, adding that caste and creed never come into the picture.

“Our designs have been used in Hindu weddings as well as in birthday parties of children. What clients love is the exquisitely adorned minarets which have won millions of hearts and are making waves across the nation,” he said.

Many art connoisseurs have also decorated their residences, offices, theme parties and corporate events with tazia-inspired minarets and lamps, he added.

Basically, these artisans make tazias during Muharram processions. As this symbolizes sorrow to their community, they never charge any price for it. “It is a service to God,” says Mohammad Bilal Azhimuddin, who learned this craft from his father who was known as Azhimuddin Bhai (brother) in community circles.

Meanwhile, their socio-economic standards have witnessed a sudden rise as they started taking up commercial projects.

The fortunes of this tazia community changed when a leading designer of the country, Geetanjali Kaswaliwal, owner of globally reputed Anantaya which is committed to the development of ideas using local crafts evolved over centuries, watched a tazia procession for the first time in Jaipur. Anantaya is known for showcasing Unesco award-winning luxury cutting-edge objects, furniture, textiles and accessories inspired by the culturally-rich artisanal world.

She was moved by the attractive presence of tazias on the streets. Soon after, when her husband’s firm, AKFD Studio, got the order for making markers for the entire city during the Jaipur Virasat Heritage Festival 2007, she thought of using tazia-inspired designs for the city.

“We wanted to make something sculptural for this event to ensure guests bask in the glory of a cultural craft. We created a huge structure of tazia. The task was commissioned to tazia artisans who were adept with the artistry associated with it. The project was headed by Azhimuddin bhai. With nine kids, he was keen to work with us and hence we had their designs and skills which helped them earn name, fame and revenue also,” she told IANS.

It was more like a pure engagement with these artisans who created impressive spheres. Even the tazia artisans enjoyed doing something innovative, said Kaswaliwal.

Later, she brought tazia-inspired designs to her house while celebrating birthday parties of her daughters. Instead of plastic balloons, tazia artisans decorated the venue with handmade craft. The big balloons and lamps were quite authentic which caught the attention of all those present.

Kaswaliwal ensured this art was taken to the next level and asked the artisans to decorate the wedding mandap of her sister’s marriage solemnized in New Delhi in 2009.

“They did it with their heart and soul and the response was amazing. Everybody was talking of these designs and this is how their art gained wings and reached heights from where there was no looking back,” she added.

“No one in our family had any resistance anywhere when my sister’s wedding mandap was being designed by Muslim artisans. They loved their integrity and engagement with which they did the decor,” she recalled.

There is another positive side to the story. The designs crafted by tazia artisans is via paper and bamboo which gives a strong message of sustainability and ecological balance.

When asked about remuneration, Bilal said it’s the size of the mandap and party venue which defines their remuneration and the number of people also depends on the quantum of work.

“Seeing our work, we have received orders to design the Rajasthan Heritage Week Festival. Also, we did the design in 2009 when Art Institute of Chicago delegates were in India. We used bamboo-made sets which were praised a lot,” said Bilal.

“What we love is the fact that people of all castes and communities admire our work — and tell others about it. What else does a grassroots artisan want?” Bilal asked with a smile.

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