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The Nasheman Urdu Weekly turns 55

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Nasheman

Nasheman Weekly, the country’s largest selling Urdu weekly today completes 54 years of glorious publication, establishing a new benchmark in Urdu journalism.

Founded in 1962 by the late Usman Asad, Nasheman currently has a circulation of over 1.20 lac; a feat hardly matched by any other Urdu publication in India.

Nasheman, an Urdu word for ‘nest’, garnered a legendary status among our readers from the very onset. With popular weekly columns like ‘Thapdakhen’ (slaps or smacks), the paper depicts the prevalent social and political conditions of the times in the most starkest terms. Such is Nasheman’s popularity, that it is bought by one, sold to another for double the price, and then sold again to triple the price.

The paper is circulated not only in India but also abroad, copies of it are shipped to UAE, Saudi Arabia and many other countries.

Under the founder’s son, Rizwan Asad’s current editorship, we have remained true to our essence. We still are the staunchest critique of socio-political inequities, we still are the largest selling Urdu weekly in the country.

The year 2014, also saw Nasheman venture into the world of online journalism, with the daily online English edition, which explores news and analysis from an independent, alternative perspective. We would be also starting a print edition in English in the coming months.

Nasheman Awards

On this occasion Nasheman would be awarding the eminent and senior journalist for excellence in journalism representing various Newspaper and Television channels on Wednesday, 27th January 2016 at 11:30 AM in Press club auditorium in Bangalore.

Honorable Chief minister Shri. Siddaramaiah Ji would be presiding the ceremony, Honorable Janab R.Roshan Baig Saheb would be the chief guest. And the guest of honour would be Janab C M Ibrahim Saheb, Janab Mohammed Mansoor Khan Saheb, Janab K. Rehman Khan Saheb, Janab C .K Jaffer Shariff Saheb and Dr. Fauzia choudry will be gracing the occasion. Honorable chief minister Shri. Siddaramiaih Ji and Janab R. Roshan Baig Saheb would be felicitating awardees with “The Nasheman Awards” sponsored by IMA (I Monetary Advisory ).

On our editor’s behalf, we would like to thank all our readers, staff members and everyone of those, who have been part of this soulful journey.

Boat capsizes off Malaysia, drowning 13 Indonesians

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Boat carrying about 30 people goes down as search-and-rescue operation hampered by rough seas.

A search-and-rescue operation was under way but it was hampered by high tides and choppy seas [Wallace Woon/EPA]

A search-and-rescue operation was under way but it was hampered by high tides and choppy seas [Wallace Woon/EPA]

by Al Jazeera

Malaysian police said 13 bodies, believed to be Indonesian migrants, were found washed ashore after their boat capsized in bad sea conditions.

The bodies of four men and nine women were discovered on a beach in southern Johor state by members of the public early on Tuesday, Rahmat Othman, the district police chief, said.

Authorities found an overturned wooden boat not far from the beach, which had probably capsized before dawn.

Rahmat said that the boat was believed to be carrying 30 to 35 people, most probably Indonesians trying to sneak into the country.

A search-and-rescue operation was under way but was hampered by high tides and choppy seas, he said.

Such tragedies are not uncommon in Malaysia. Many Indonesians are willing to risk their lives by travelling on boats believed to be old and unsafe to work in Malaysia illegally, or to return to their hometowns.

Eritrea now asks men to marry at least two wives or face imprisonment

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eritrea-wedding

by George Orido, SDE

Kenyans have received the news of mandatory polygamy by men in Eritrea with a mix of bewilderment and excitement.

Activists have posted a memo allegedly by the Government of Eritrea asking men to marry at least two wives due to acute shortage of men occasioned by casualties during the civil war with Ethiopia.

In the statement written in Arabic assures of government support to the polygamous marriages.

The activists translate it thus, “Based on the law of God in polygamy, and given the circumstances in which the country is experiencing in terms of men shortage, the Eritrean department of Religious Affairs has decided on the following .”

First that every man shall marry at least two women and the man who refuses to do so shall be subjected to life imprisonment with hard labour.

“The woman who tries to prevent her husband from marrying another wife shall be punished to life imprisonment,” alleges the activists in their translation.

And Kenyans have reacted to these announcements with bemusement with some suggesting if they could change their citizenship immediately and take advantage of the new laws in the country.

“At this rate, I can see the Eritrea Government spreading new embassy outlets in Kakamega, Embu, Siaya and Busia counties to help hasten visa processing,” said one Kenyan on facebook.

“He is so so considerate of women! That’s good of him,” said another.

The Standard could not immediately authenticate the document nor the translation and it was not clear why the statement was not in the other two national languages, Tigrinya and Tigre.

The May 1998 to June 2000 Eritrean-Ethiopian war saw 150,000 soldiers killed from either sides but having a bigger impact on male population in the tiny Eritrea nation who were then just 4million people in total.

Vote for us if you want to eat beef, says Asaduddin Owaisi

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Asaduddin Owaisi

Hyderabad: A ban on consumption and sale of beef may be imposed in the city if AIMIM was not voted to power in the upcoming elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), party chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed on Monday.

“I am not trying to scare you. But, the fact is if we don’t come to power, there may be a scope for ban on beef (in Hyderabad) on pretext of faith,” the All-India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said in Hyderabad.

Addressing a public meeting ahead of the February 2 election to the 150-member civic body, the Lok Sabha lawmaker from Hyderabad said such a ban will hit the poor and also beef traders hard as it happened in Maharashtra.

“There is a ban on cow slaughter all over. In Maharashtra, the BJP-led Government brought a law to extend the ban on bulls and bullocks. Even if it (these animals) is ill you cannot slaughter it,” Owaisi said.

Due to this many people, who are earlier dependent on beef trade have lost their livelihood, he said. “If someone else comes to power (in GHMC), it (beef ban) may become a reality.”

It is the poor who cannot afford to eat mutton and they have to depend on beef, the MP added.

AIMIM, a Hyderabad-based party, and Congress shared power in the municipal corporation in the last term.

(Agencies)

I was born here and I will die here: Aamir Khan

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Aamir Khan

Mumbai/Jaipur: Actor Aamir Khan came under fresh attack on Monday for his “leaving India” comments in the “intolerance” debate with actor Akshay Kumar saying “ups and downs” happen in every country and one should not start giving “bold” statements.

Aamir, 50, whose comments while wading into the “intolerance” debate last November had kicked up a huge controversy, hit back, asserting he never meant that he wanted to leave the country or that India was intolerant.

“Any kind of ups and downs happen in every nation and you can’t get into so much straight away that you start giving such bold statements. These kind of things happen. There are so many good things also which we don’t speak about.

Unfortunately, we have the habit of only pointing out the wrong things but nevertheless everybody has the right to talk,” Akshay told India Today TV.

Veteran actor and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha said that it was “nadaan” (childish) for some in Bollywood to talk about intolerance and he does not agree with them.

“A lot of people from the film industry brought up the issues of intolerance in haste, and it is childish to do so. I don’t stand by them in this regard,” Sinha said at the Jaipur Literature Festival(JLF). Asserting that no other country is as diverse as India, Aamir said, “I was born here and I will die here.”

“I never said India was intolerant or I wanted to leave the country. I also understand the emotions of those who were hurt. I would like to say that my statement was misunderstood and to some extent media is responsible for it,” the “PK” star said.

(PTI)

India celebrates 67th Republic Day with majestic parade

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Republic Day

New Delhi: India’s military prowess and multi-hued images of the country’s rich cultural diversity and achievements in various fields were on display at the majestic Rajpath today during 67th Republic Day parade which was graced by French President Francois Hollande as the chief guest.

Thousands of people on both sides of the imposing Rajpath, India’s ceremonial boulevard facing the seat of power Raisina Hills, braved the winter chill and cheered loudly as the marching contingents and tableux went past them.

The national capital, particularly the Central and New Delhi areas, were brought under unprecedented security blanket as thousands of personnel kept a hawk-eye vigil to thwart any untoward incident. There were intelligence inputs that terror groups may target some important installations in the city.

Hollande was seated between President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wore a marigold coloured ‘safa'(turban). Modi was seen explaining things to Hollande on several occasions during the one-and-a-half-hour-long event. This year the duration of the parade has been curtailed from more than two hours to 90 minutes.

A French military contingent also marched down the Rajpath, a first by any foreign armed force. In 2009, an Indian contingent had also participated in France’s annual Bastille Day parade.

Apart from India’s missile firing capability T-90 ‘Bhishma’ tank, Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP II (Sarath), Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the BrahMos Missile System, Akash Weapon System, Smerch Launcher Vehicles, the highlights of the parade also included a canine squad.

The synchronised military and police contingents led by General Officer Commanding (Delhi), Lt General Rajan Ravindran marched proudly to the lilting tunes of the bands through Rajpath where Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, took the salute from a specially erected dais.

Earlier, Hollande, who is on a three-day state visit, arrived with Mukherjee and was received by Modi who introduced him to the three services chief — Army, Air Force and Navy.

Alongside Hollande, the fifth French President to attend the celebrations, the parade was watched by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP president Amit Shah and the country’s top political and military brass, besides the diplomatic community.

Minutes before the parade began, Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the three service chiefs laid wreaths at ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’, the war memorial at the India Gate where an eternal flame burns in memory of those who laid down their lives defending the frontiers of the nation.

Before the start of the ceremonial parade, Mukherjee presented the Ashok Chakra (Posthumous), highest peacetime gallentry award, to Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of 9 Para (Special Force) for his bravery in fighting with terrorists on the intervening night of September 2/3 last year in Haphruda forest at Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. The award was received by his wife Bhavna Goswami.

(Agencies)

‘Mind your tongue as language’: Siddaramaiah tells BJP

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Siddaramaiah

Mysuru: “I advise BJP leaders to mind their tongue as language denotes personality of the speaker,” said chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday, January 24 here.

The chief minister was speaking to media persons at his house in Mysuru reacting to a statement made by BJP leader Subramanian Swami on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Subramanian Swami had called Sonia ‘brigand, liar and thief’ during the media briefing on Saturday.

“Let them make allegations against the party and nobody will object to it. However, one should be cautious about his or her language while making allegations against Sonia Gandhi,” Siddaramaiah added.

The chief minister also revealed during the occasion that the party had already sent the list of candidates to the high command for by-elections to three assembly constituencies in the state and it will be finalised within two days.

The list of candidates for Zilla and taluk panchayat elections too is being prepared, the CM added.

India to build Vietnam satellite data centre

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Move likely to heighten tensions with China as India gives Vietnam access to image data from its observation satellites.

Indian officials say their country will set up a satellite tracking and imaging centre in southern Vietnam that will give Hanoi access to pictures from Indian earth observation satellites that cover the region –  including China and the South China Sea.

The move could heighten tensions between the two countries and Beijing. Both states have long-running territorial disputes with China.

India also extended a $100m credit line for Hanoi to buy patrol boats and is training Vietnamese submariners in India, while Hanoi has granted oil exploration blocks to India in waters off Vietnam that are disputed with China.

The facility will be equipped to receive images from India’s Earth observation satellites that Vietnam can use in return for granting India the tracking site, said an Indian government official connected with the space programme.

“This is a sort of quid pro quo which will enable Vietnam to receive IRS [Indian remote sensing] pictures directly – that is, without asking India,” said the official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

“Obviously it will include parts of China of interest to Vietnam.”

Earth observation satellites have agricultural, scientific and environmental applications, but can also provide military intelligence. Indian media put the cost of the station at about $23m.

India – whose 54-year-old space programme is accelerating with one satellite launch scheduled every month – has ground stations in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Brunei, Biak in eastern Indonesia and Mauritius that track its satellites in the initial stages of flight.

The Vietnam facility will bolster those capabilities, said Deviprasad Karnik, an Indian Space Research Organisation spokesman, according to Reuters news agency.

Long-running disputes

India has 11 earth observation satellites in orbit, offering pictures with differing resolutions and areas, the ISRO said.

Vietnam is one of several Southeast Asian nations involved in a territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea.

Beijing has accelerated its construction of man-made islands in the disputed waters to assert its claim to the sea, which is believed to hold vast oil and natural gas reserves.

Earlier in January, Vietnam accused China of violating its sovereignty when it landed a plane on an airstrip built on an artificial island in the Spratly archipelago.

China’s foreign ministry rejected the complaint, arguing that the flight was a matter “completely within China’s sovereignty”.

Dalit scholar suicide: Protests escalate at Hyderabad university

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Rohith Vemula

Hyderabad: Protests escalated Monday at the Hyderabad Central University with several students from other universities and some social groups coming out in support of the agitating students over the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula.

The protesters coverged at the campus, responding to the ‘Chalo HCU” call by the Joint Action Committee spearheading the stir.

“Students and others have come in from different parts of the country. There are more than a thousand gathered here.

Situation is under control,” HCU chief security officer TV Rao said.

Security was beefed up with a large number of police personnel being deployed around the campus as a precautionary measure.

Joint Commissioner of Police Cyberabad T V Shashidhar Reddy said, “We are verifying all those who are entering the HCU campus. There is no such restriction on the ‘Chalo HCU’ programme.”

Earlier, some students and their supporters had complained that the police were not allowing them to enter the campus.

Their demands include outster of Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao, who has proceeded on leave, and passing a “Rohith Act” to prevent suicide of ST, SC, BC and minority students in universities, the protesting students said.

The students and SC/ST faculty and officers forums had objected to the choice of Vipin Srivastava, the senior- most Professor, to perform the duties of the Vice Chancellor alleging that he headed the Executive Council Sub-Committee “which has been responsible for the death of Rohith” and was one of the “accused” in the suicide of another Dalit student.

Meanwhile, B R Ambedkar’s grand-son Prakash Ambedkar visited the campus and interacted with the students, whose agitation has received strong support from parties other than BJP and several top leaders including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi were on the campus last week.

The students who gathered on the campus included those from Calicut University in Kerala, Pondicherry University, Osmania University and Maulana Azad National Urdu University.

As part of ‘Chalo-HCU’ programme, the agitating students marched from HCU shopping complex area, the hub of the protest, to the main gate and administrative building and back.

The indefinite fast launched by a fresh batch of seven students over suicide of Rohith continued in the HCU for the second day.

(PTI)

Rafale: India, France ink IGA, to sort out ‘financial aspects’

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hollande_Modi

New Delhi: India and France today inked an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on the sale of 36 French fighter jets, Rafale, but were unable to sign the final deal due to some “financial” aspects, which are expected to be sorted out in “couple of days”.

This agreement was among the 14 pacts signed between the two countries after extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting French President Francois Hollande which focused ways to enhance cooperation in counter- terrorism, security and civil nuclear energy.

“…Leaving out financial aspect, India and France have signed Inter-Governmental Agreement on purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. We expect that even the financial aspects pertaining to purchase of Rafale jets will be resolved as soon as possible,” Modi said at a joint press event with Hollande.

Terming the signing of the IGA as a “decisive” step, the French President said there are some financial issues that will be sorted out in “couple of days”.

The two countries are in negotiations for 36 Rafale fighter jets in fly away conditions since the announcement for the deal was made by Modi in April during his visit to France.

However, the final deal is yet to be sealed as both sides are still negotiating the price which is estimated to be about Rs 60,000 crore. A high-level team from France is here and carrying out last minute negotiations.

Apart from defence cooperation, the talks between the two leaders primarily focused on ways to boost counter-terrorism cooperation in the aftermath of attack in Paris in November last and Pathankot terror strikes earlier this month.

“From Paris to Pathankot, we saw the gruesome face of the common challenge of terrorism…I also commend the strength of your resolve and action these terrorist attacks. President Hollande and I have agreed to scale up the range of our counter-terrorism cooperation in a manner that helps us to tangibly mitigate and reduce the threat of extremism and terrorism to our societies.

“We are also of the view that the global community needs to act decisively against those who provide safe havens to terrorists, who nurture them through finances, training and infrastructure support,” Modi said.

The two countries reiterated their call for Pakistan to bring to justice their perpetrators and the perpetrators of the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which also caused the demise of two French citizens, and to ensure that such attacks do not recur in the future, a joint statement issued after the talks said.

“Daesh has attacked us. The ISIS is provoking us but we are determined to take the right decision. We will strike them time and again those who kill our children. I would like to thank you for the support in dire circumstances. France will never forget. We have decided to strengthen our cooperation against terror,” Hollande said.

The two sides resolved to step up their joint effort to counter violent extremism and radicalisation, disrupt recruitment, terrorist movements and flow of Foreign Terrorist Fighters, stop sources of terrorist financing, dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent supply of arms to terrorists.

“To this end, they committed to further develop exchanges in the fields of intelligence, finance, justice and police. They welcomed the strengthening of the cooperation between Indian and French counter terrorism authorities and units, in particular between their cybersecurity experts,” the joint statement said.

Stressing that terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstance, regardless of its motivation, wherever and by whomsoever it is committed, Modi and Hollande pitched for decisive actions to be taken against Lashkar-e-Tayibba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Haqqani Network and other terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda.

They also condemned the recent terror attacks in Pathankot and Gurdaspur in India.

On other issues which were discussed, Modi said, “From smart cities, locomotives, railway tracks and nuclear power. These are all foundations for building a new commercial partnership.”

On his part, Hollande asserted that “There is no better trust than sharing civil nuclear technology” and hoped that the issues pertaining to the six reactors at Jaitapur nuclear plant will be settled in one year.

In pursuance of the 2008 civil nuclear pact, the two leaders encouraged their industrial companies to conclude techno-commercial negotiations by the end of 2016 for the construction of six nuclear power reactor units at Jaitapur the statement said.

The negotiations will consider cost viability of the project, economical financing from the French side, collaboration on transfer of technology and cost-effective localisation of manufacturing in India for large and critical components in accord with Government of India’s “Make in India” initiative.

“France acknowledged the need for India to have lifetime guarantee of fuel supply and renewed its commitment to reliable, uninterrupted and continued access to nuclear fuel supply throughout the entire lifetime of the plants, as stated in the 2008 bilateral IGA on nuclear cooperation.

“The two leaders agreed on a roadmap of cooperation to speed up discussions on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in 2016. Their shared aim is to start the implementation of the project in early 2017.

“Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to responsible and sustainable development of civil nuclear energy with highest consideration to safety, security, non-proliferation and environmental protection,” it said.

France and India underscored the contribution of nuclear energy to their energy security and to the fight against climate change.

France reaffirmed its strong and long standing support for India’s candidacy to the international export control regimes, particularly to the NSG and welcomed India’s decision to ratify the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, the statement said.

Describing his visit as “outstanding and exceptional”, Hollande said it was an honour for France and him to be chief guest at the Republic Day.

“I commend the action of Modi at the climate change conference. I am aware Modi had potential reluctance at the COP 21. He wanted the innovation technology for developing countries to be spread. We owe it to, including Modi for what was achieved at the climate conference, the French President added.

Apart from inking IGA for purchase of Rafale jets, the two countries signed 13 agreements cutting across a wide variety of sectors including railways, culture, space, science and technology.

French firms to invest $10 bn in India in next 5 yrs: Sapin

France’s Minister for Finance and Public Accounts Michel Sapin today said French companies have been investing billions in India and he expects that they will invest over USD 10 billion in the next five years.

“Over the last five years, French companies invested more than USD 1 billion per year and we estimate that they will continue to invest at least USD 10 billion in next five years,” Sapin said at the India-France business session organised by industry body Ficci.

French companies represent 10 per cent of solar capacity installed in India and by 2020-22, they could add additional capacities, he said.

Sapin said France is the third-biggest foreign investor in India with an investment stock of USD 20 billion and there are more than 400 French companies present in India with a consolidated turnover of over USD 20 billion.

“The majority of these investments are meant for the industrial sector. This makes France a major player in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India programme. This complementarity can also been seen in the context of other programmes of the Indian government,” Sapin said.

The minister added that France has directed French Development Agency to earmark 60 per cent of total financial outlay to India.

“The economic presence of France in India goes back to a long time and is very diverse. This expression of interest in India did not wait for Indian GDP to supersede that of China,” Sapin said. The agency operates in 70 countries and provides finance for development. In 2014, it committed euro 8.1 billion across the globe for various projects.

He met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley this morning and has invited him to visit France for an annual economic dialogue between the two countries.

“In France, Indian companies are too few in numbers though France is one of the biggest recipients of FDI in the world. I count all French companies in India to act as ambassador, for our country and invite their counterparts to discover in France what they are missing,” Sapin stressed.

(PTI)

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