Archives for January 2023

NEW DELHI:  The buzz around the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has sent waves across India’s borders too. Nepal is in the process of sending two large rocks from the banks of the Gandaki river to Ayodhya to be used in making idols of Ram and Sita.

Former deputy prime minister of Nepal, Bimalendra Nidhi said that the exchange of Himalayan stones will strengthen religious ties between Nepal and India. It was his idea that the people of Janakpur also gift a metallic shiv dhanush to be displayed in the temple.

Legend has it that Sita was the daughter of King Janak from Nepal. Every year, Janakpur not just celebrates the birth of Lord Ram, and the wedding anniversary of Ram and Sita. “We have a bond with Ayodhya that goes back centuries.

It is for the same reason that we put a proposal of sending these shilas and also a bow, which we will make subsequently. The two shilas weigh about 18 tonnes and 12 tonnes each. We have done a shilapujan of these stones and will be bringing them to Ayodhya on February 1,” Nidhi told this newspaper. Nidhi, a senior leader of the Nepali Congress, has been in touch with the authorities in India for over two years now to take this initiative forward. 

In 2020, during the wedding anniversary celebrations of  Ram and Sita in Janakpur, the then Indian ambassador (Manjeev Puri) was also invited. That’s when we first spoke about strengthening the cultural ties between the two nations and proposed sending the shiv dhanush that was symbolic of the wedding. Subsequently we proposed sending the rocks to the Ram temple,” he said.

Nidhi said he met the head mahant of Ram Janmabhoomi trust, Champat Rai, and Nripendra Misra, who heads the nirvan samiti of the temple trust, last year.  “In December 2022, we got clearance from Nepal government to send the two shilas and a bow to India.

On January 15, we did the shilapujan. These two shilas will first be sent to Janakpur for public viewing. We expect them to reach Ayodhya on February 1,” Nidhi said, revealing that they will make an ashtadhatu (eight-metal) bow for the temple in Ayodhya that would last at least a 1,000 years.

JAMMU: Actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as it resumed from the garrison town of Nagrota on a cold Tuesday morning.

Matondkar, a popular Bollywood stars of the 1990s, joined Gandhi shortly after the march started from near the army garrison around 8 am amid tight security, with Congress workers and supporters lined up on the road along the route to welcome them.

Matondkar (48) had resigned from the Congress in September 2019 after a short association of six months, and joined the Shiv Sena in 2020.

Dressed in a cream-coloured traditional Kashmir Pheran (loose gown) and beanie cap, Matondkar was interacting with Gandhi as they marched along.

Noted author Perumal Murugan and J&K Pradesh Congress committee president Vikar Rasool Wani, his predecessor G A Mir and former minister Abdul Hamid Karra also joined them alongside hundreds of other carrying the tricolor in their hands.

The yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, entered Jammu and Kashmir from Punjab on Thursday and reached Jammu city on Monday.

The march is scheduled to make two night halts at Ramban and Banihal along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway before its culmination in Srinagar with a grand rally at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium on January 30.

A 65-member strong Ladakh delegation led by Ladakh Territorial Congress President Nawang Rigzin Jora joined Gandhi at the start of the yatra and briefed him about the issues and concerns of their people, one of the delegation members said.

A group of Kashmiri Pandit migrant women, wearing their traditional attire and carrying flower petals, were waiting outside the famous Kol-Kandoli temple to welcome Gandhi.

“We are wandering in Jammu for the last three decades after our migration from Kashmir. We have come here to welcome Gandhi as he could help in our rehabilitation back in the Valley as it was Congress which worked for the community in the past by providing employment package to our youth,” Geeta Koul told PTI.

She said the biggest issue for them is the rehabilitation of the community and the BJP has miserably “failed” in this mission and “ignored us”.

After walking for over one-and-a-half hours, the yatra is scheduled to make a stopover and will resume near the Army gate Rehambal in Udhampur district at 2 pm.

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has slapped an additional penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for not reporting an incident, that happened on a Paris flight, and delaying in referring the matter to its internal committee which is a violation of application DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.

“This refers to two incidents that happened on an Air India on December 6th, 2022 on flight AI 142 from Paris to New Delhi.  DGCA learnt that one passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory, he was also drunk and not adhering to crew instructions and on the same flight another passenger relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of a fellow female passenger,’’ according to the DGCA.

The DGCA had issued a show cause notice to the accountable manager and asked why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.

Air India had submitted a reply to the show cause notice on January 23rd and the same was examined, following which the DGCA as an enforcement action imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India.

This is the second time in less than one week that the DGCA has imposed a penalty on Air India.  In an episode regarding not being able to handle an unruly passenger on board a New York-Delhi flight, the DGCA had imposed two penalties which totalled Rs 33 lakh .

AHMEDABAD: Hindu outfits of Gujarat Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang dal in a U-turn on Tuesday withdrew their protest against Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan a day before its release, saying that they are satisfied with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)’s revisions for Pathaan.

Gujarat VHP’s secretary Ashok Raval said in a statement that “After the Bajrang Dal’s protests against the Hindi film, Pathaan, the Censor Board has removed obscene lyrics and lewd words from the film, which is good news. I congratulate all workers and the entire Hindu community for this successful struggle to protect religion and culture,”

“I also request the Censor Board, producers, and theatre owners that, as an important part of the film industry, if they oppose such things, keeping in mind the religion, culture, and patriotism beforehand, the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu bodies will not have any objection,” he said.

The right-wing groups had earlier threatened to stop the release of the film in Gujarat, while the state government had assured police protection to theatres.

NEW DELHI: Young Kerala-based wheel-chair bound singer Aadhitya Suresh, 15, lived his dream on Tuesday when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The social media sensation Suresh couldn’t have asked for more when Prime Minister Modi, interacting with winners of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023, asked him to sing. 

“Tere mere beech mein…,” Suresh sang the old Hindi song with a gusto that impressed the Prime Minister, who complimented him. 

“The Prime Minister appreciated my song. He told me that I sing well. I am his (PM’s) fan. I am over the moon. I cannot believe that I got this rare opportunity to sing in front of the Prime Minister,” an excited Suresh told TNIE after interacting with Modi at his official residence here.

Suresh, whose music videos have gone viral, is among the 11 children who have received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2023. He received the honour in the art and culture category.

The Prime Minister not only heard his song but also pushed his wheelchair and, following his interaction with all the children, posed with him for photographs.

Suresh, diagnosed with brittle bone disease soon after birth, is determined to overcome his physical disability to chase his interest and become a professional playback singer. 

“I will never forget this experience. I feel blessed,” he said.

Like Suresh, Bengaluru- based Rishi Shiv Prasanna finds it difficult to hide his excitement about meeting the prime minister.

When the Prime Minister first spoke with him, he told him that he doesn’t understand Hindi, but quickly added that he is now learning Hindi, his mother Recheshwari told TNIE, in between gulping down ‘gol gappas’ – a treat by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani, who had accompanied the children to the Prime Minister’s residence.

At the tender age of nine, Prasanna, who won the award in the innovation category, has already written two books and is a certified android application developer with an IQ of 180. 

His mother said when the Prime Minister asked him about his ideas, he told him that he wanted to develop apps for underprivileged children so that they could receive education and health services.

“He sought the Prime Minister’s help in developing these apps. The Prime Minister has promised to connect him with the appropriate authorities. He is very excited and happy.” 

The others who met the prime minister included M. Gaurav Reddy, a record holder in dance from Telangana.

Reddy, who wants to teach government school girls about the lost traditional dance forms, said she feels honoured to have been one of the lucky few to get the award. “I was not expecting this award. This will encourage me to do more for my art form,” Reddy, who won an award in the arts and culture category, told TNIE. 

Delhi girl Anoushka Jolly, who won an award for social service, said the prime minister spent almost an hour with the children and patiently listened to them and answered all their questions. “This memory will stay with us forever.”

This year, 11 children were conferred the prestigious award by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday. This year’s awardees include one each in the category of bravery and social service, two in the type of innovation, three in sports, and four in art and culture.

GUWAHATI: A BJP leader in Manipur was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday.

The motive behind the killing of Laishram Rameswor Singh (50) was yet to be ascertained. The police arrested one person and are searching for the prime suspect. The police appealed to him to surrender and warned people not to shelter him.

The assailants came in a car and fired at Singh, who was the convener of the BJP’s ex-servicemen cell in the state, near the gate of his house at Kshetri locality of Thoubal district in the Imphal valley. The vehicle sped away immediately after the incident, which occurred at around 11 am.

Singh sustained gunshot wounds on his chest and succumbed to injuries at a private hospital in Imphal. After autopsy, the body was taken to the BJP’s state office where party leaders, including Chief Minister N Biren Singh, paid floral tributes.

The BJP condemned the killing and demanded the arrest and punishment of all those responsible for the murder.

NEW DELHI:  The Lt Governor-nominated members took oath first despite opposition from AAP councillors as the municipal House in Delhi reconvened on Tuesday amid heavy deployment of civil defence volunteers personnel and marshals.

Presiding Officer Satya Sharma administered the oath to the nominated members before the elected representatives as AAP members raised “shame shame” chants.

AAP councillor Mukesh Goyal also objected to the nominated members being administered their oaths first.

The nominated members raised slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai” after the ceremony. Sharma then called on the elected councillors to take their oaths.

To avoid the chaos that ensued during the last meeting on January 6, there was heavy security deployment inside the municipal House, the Civic Centre premises and even the Well.

A larger number of civil defence personnel, including women members, and marshals were deployed compared to the deployment during the first municipal House, a senior official said.

The maiden meeting of the newly elected 250-member Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House was adjourned without electing the mayor and the deputy mayor amid loud protests by AAP councillors over the presiding officer’s decision to administer oath to the 10 aldermen first.

The municipal House, after the recent high-stakes civic polls, reconvened on Tuesday during which the mayor and the deputy mayor of Delhi are slated to be elected, weeks after the first session was adjourned following a ruckus between the AAP and the BJP.

Following the mayoral poll, Delhi will get a mayor for the city as a whole after a 10-year gap.