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Bangalore Literature Festival returns with its 4th Edition

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The flagship event on the Indian and International literary circuit will be held on 5th & 6th December, 2015.

Bangalore Literature Festival

Bengaluru: Bangalore Literature Festival (BLF), the flagship literary event on the cultural calendar of Bangalore city, is all set to roll out its fourth edition on 5th & 6th December, 2015 at the Hotel Royal Orchid, Old Airport Road. The BLF has emerged as the second largest literary conclave in the country that brings the best of minds in the world of literature to Bengaluru. Building on the success of the earlier editions, this time the festival brings together nearly a hundred stalwarts from the world of literature, in various languages, both from India and abroad.

This edition has multiple focus themes. The recent debates across the country on intolerance, the returning of awards by writers and artists, refashioning of history and appropriation of historical characters by political parties of all hues will find a resonance in the festival’s deliberations. The centenary of the World War 1 and the lessons it holds for world peace, as also the centenary of the Nightingale of India, Bharat Ratna M S Subbulakshmi will be discussed. A Carnatic classical concert of MSS’ trademark songs presented by her granddaughter Aishwarya Srinivasan, graced by MS Subbulakshmi’s daughter Radha Vishwanathan, will be an added attraction. Other themes will include mythology, advertising, history and biography, the Partition, contemporary politics, young adult literature, cinema, poetry and crime. This edition will feature an eclectic range of authors and speakers, including several distinguished names like Javed Akhtar, Chandrashekhara Kambara, Shashi Deshpande, Sarah Joseph, Upamanyu Chatterjee, M J Akbar, Devdutt Pattanaik, Barkha Dutt, Nandan Nilekani, Jairam Ramesh, Ashutosh, Piyush Pandey, Ramya, Padma Rao Sundarji, Prakash Belawadi, Anuj Dhar, Lakshmi Vishwanathan, Radhavallabh Tripathi, Jaishree Misra, Sambit Patra, Maya Mirchandani, Shatavadhani R Ganesh, Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi and others.

A sizeable contingent of Kannada voices will discuss and debate the state of the language, its future and also various aspects of the rich linguistic and literary traditions of Kannada. Notable among them are Narahalli Balasubramanya, Dayanand TK, Arif Raja, KN Ganeshaiah, Diwakar S, Kanaka Ha. Ma., Tulasi Venugopal, Prajna Mattihalli etc.

True to the festival’s moorings, several city-based writers like Jahnavi Barua, Zac O’ Yeah, Preeti Shenoy, Andaleeb Wajid, Rachna Singh, Poile Sengupta, Shoba Narayan, Milan Vohra, Sharath Komarraju, Mani Rao, Asha Francis, Nandita Bose and others are participating, as also are young voices of Indian Writing in English like Durjoy Dutta, Ravinder Singh, Manu Pillai, Aanchal Malhotra, Viral Shah, Rupa Gulab, Mona Verma, Manju Jaidka, Manjiri Prabhu and others.

In association with the Sahitya Akademi, the Festival brings to Bangalore compelling voices from the rich world of Indian languages –Dr. Radhavallabh Tripathi (Sanskrit), Dr. Subodh Sarkar (Bengali), Dr. Mohammad Zaman Azurdah (Kashmiri), Dr. Mridula Garg (Hindi), Vaasanthi (Tamil), Madhurantakam Narendra (Telugu), Sarah Joseph, Sangeetha Srinivasan and Janaky Sreedharan (Malayalam), Paramita Satpathy (Odia), Rakshanda Jalil (Urdu) and several others.

The international authors/speakers include Haroon Khalid and Anam Zakaria (Pakistan), Stephen Kopetzky (Germany), Joao Tordo (Portugal), Emily Holleman (USA), Anne-Marie Kenessey (Switzerland), Giles Hazelgrove (UK), Neal Hall (USA), Per Bloch (Denmark) and others.

As the only literature festival that has structured sessions for children and young adults as part of the ‘Makkala Koota’, BLF continues to wow the younger ones in the audience with interesting activities like writing workshop, mythology quiz, audio-visual storytelling with live sketching, cooking your story using puppets and doodle your wall. With Amar Chitra Katha, Pratham, Duckbill and Bookalore, performance storyteller Vikram Sridhar brings together a treat for children of all ages.

Languages are scarily getting endandered in an increasingly gloablised world. Being alive to this problem, BLF in associaiton with film makers Jenny Pinto and Ratnottama Sengupta will be curating a round-the-clock screening of national award-winning films in various endangered languages: ‘Byari’ (in language Byari, Director: Suveeran), ‘Orong’ (in Rabha/ Dir: Suraj Kumar Swarth), ‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ (in Konkani/ Dir: Bardroy Baretto), ‘Qissa’ (in Punjabi/ Dir: Anup Singh), ‘Ri’ (in Khasi/ Dir: Pradip Kurbah), ‘Crossing the Bridge’ (in Sherdukpen), ‘Pagdi – The Honour’ (in Haryanvi/ Dir: Rajeev Bhatia) and others. There will also be a panel discussion on ‘Why Speak of Little Languages In a Globalized World?’ featuring filmmakers, dancers, theatre persons and writers.

Buoyed by the success of the unique concept of ‘Lit-Mart’ where aspiring authors got to make crisp three minute pitches of their manuscripts to an array of literary agents, commissioning editors and publishers, Lit Mart returns this year. Entries are to be made by aspiring authors on our website and social media page and the shortlisted candidates will be asked to make their final pitches to the panel of Jayapriya Vasudevan, Deepthi Talwar, Rashmi Menon, Ajitja GS during the festival.

For the first time, BLF is coming up with a Literary Award in conjunction with Atta Galatta, the city-based bookstore and art-literature space brought to life by Subodh Sankar and Lakshmi Subodh. Atta Galatta is also the Official Festival Bookstore. The awards carry a total purse of Rs 2 lakhs under the 3 categories of -Best Fiction (English), Best Non-Fiction (English) and a Literary Achievement Award in Kannada. The judges are eminent writers Usha KR, Vivek Shanbhag and Harish Bijoor.

A main attraction in this year’s festival is a unique installation on World War 1 by Elke Falat from Germany. Based on a combination of historical material and a concentrated selection of artworks from Germany and India, it focuses on the effects, reception and historical narrative of the First World War and provides the opportunity for a re-positioning. In the process, diverse historical strands are taken up and carried to the here and now. Alongside the special prisoner-of-war camps, the exhibition focuses its attention on the search for traces in India and Bangalore. While most of the soldiers came from Northern India, men from Bangalore also took part in the war as members of the Mysore Imperial Service Troops. It should be noted that Bangalore was decidedly influenced by the British military and is still an armaments production site. The so-called “Bangalore Torpedo” was manufactured here during the First World War.

Vikram Sampath, Author/historian and Co-Founder of Bangalore Literature Festival, says, “Over the last three years, BLF has made a distinctive mark not only in the city, but also the country as a festival that is serious about issues concerning literature. Each year we have attempted to bring something new to the fore and engage our spirited audience with panel discussions, workshops and cultural programmes. This year too, we are pleased to host an exciting lineup of established and emerging authors and speakers who will discuss diverse topics. The idea is to make the festival a must-visit event in the country.”

Shinie Antony, author/co-founder BLF, says: ‘One can browse through multi-lingual books, attend book launches and author signing sessions, participate in workshops on detective writing by Zac O’Yeah, short-story writing by Indira Chandrashekhar and book-binding by Jenny Pinto, taste local and international cuisine – all in the true tradition of ‘Literature in the Park’.’

Partners this year include the Government of Karnataka- Departments of Tourism and Kannada and Culture, Microlabs, Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore, Sahitya Akademi and Symbiosis School of Media and Communication.

The Festival opens at 9.30 am on both days with sessions going on through the day across two parallel sessions on the green lawns the charming Royal Orchid Hotel. Entry is free and open to all via registration on the website www.bangaloreliteraturefestival.org and via Facebook and Twitter on #BlrLitFest. Pre-registration is highly recommended.

BJP and JD(S) seek Lokayukta’s removal

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Bhaskar-Rao

Bengaluru: Taking the first step for the removal of Justice Y Bhaskar Rao from the post of the Karnataka Lokayukta, the Opposition BJP and JD(S) have submitted separate petitions to State Legislative Speaker KagoduThimmappa for initiating the process of conducting an inquiry into alleged charges of corruption in the office of Lokayukta on Tuesday.

The two opposition parties have also submitted similar petitions to State Legislative Council Chairman DH Shankaramurthy.
A total 46 BJP members and 37 JD(S) members in the Assembly have signed the petition.

After receiving the petition, the Speaker said he would write to the Chief Justice of Karnataka and request for constituting a committee of retired judges to probe into alleged charges of corruption in the office of the Lokayukta.

Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao’s son Ashwin is at the centre of a controversy for allegedly being a key player in the racket in collusion with some officials of the body.

For the removal of the Lokayuka, one third of the total members of either House or both Houses of the Legislature must sign a notice of a motion for the removal on the ground of proved mis-behaviour or incapacity.

The Speaker said he would refer the petition to the Chief Justice of the High Court for investigation in two or three days.

The State amended the Karnataka Lokayukta Act during last session of the state legislature in July last and simplified the removal procedure of the anti-graft ombudsman.

Once the Speaker or the Chairman (or both) refer the petition to the Chief Justice, the Lokayukta would be precluded from discharging duties during the pendency of the motion.

Justice Bhaskar Rao has been continuously on leave since July and the institution of the Lokayukta has become virtually non-functional.

The State Government can appoint an Advocate to conduct the case.

Terming the entire issue as a “legally complicated matter,” Thimmappa said: “I want to have an unanimous opinion on this.”

“The three members, consisting two members appointed by Chief Justice and one member appointed by us will inquire and come out with a finding which will be placed before the Legislature and a final decision will be taken,” the Speaker explained.

(Agencies)

Mosques vandalised as US states reject Syria refugees

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Suspected hate crimes targeting Muslims carried out as anti-Islam rhetoric swells in the US following Paris attacks.

More than 4.2 million Syrians have fled their country as the civil war continues [Santi Palacios/AP]

More than 4.2 million Syrians have fled their country as the civil war continues [Santi Palacios/AP]

by Patrick Strickland, Al Jazeera

Several mosques have been vandalised and a number of suspected hate crimes targeting Muslims carried out after dozens of United States governors announced they would not accept Syrian refugees in their states.

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights organisation, said on Monday that it has documented recent “vandalism, threats and hate [incidents]” in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, Nebraska, Tennessee, Ohio and New York, among other states.

The wave of incidents follows declarations by at least 27 state governors – 26 from the right-wing Republican party and a Democrat – saying they will block Syrian refugees, citing last Friday’s deadly attacks in Paris, claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

In one incident, officials at the Islamic Centre in Omaha, Nebraska, said that an image of the Eiffel Tower was spray-painted on the wall of a local mosque overnight on Monday, CAIR said.

In Pflugerville, Texas, worshippers arrived at their local mosque on Monday morning to find faeces smeared on the door and a torn-up copy of the Quran on the doorstep.

The Islamic Center of St Petersburg, Florida, received threatening voicemails just hours after news of the Paris attacks broke.

The caller said that they have “a militia that is going to come down to your Islamic Society of Pinellas County and firebomb you and shoot whoever is there in the head”.

According to CAIR, another Florida mosque, the location of which has not been made public, received similar threats. A caller vowed to “bomb” the mosque and “shoot people at will”.

In Portland, Oregon, protesters gathered outside a local and taunted worshippers as they arrived for prayer. They called members of the local Ahmadiyya Muslim community “cowards” and told them they are “going to hell”.

On Tuesday, an Uber driver in Charlotte, North Carolina, said he was punched and threatened with death by a passenger who mistook him as a Muslim, according to local media.

And a Muslim family in Orlando, Florida, said their family home was shot at by an unknown assailant on Monday. Speaking to local media, the Elmasri family and their neighbours said they were targeted because of their faith.

‘Clear uptick in anti-Islam rhetoric’

Corey Saylor, spokesperson at CAIR, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that the governors’ refusal to accept Syrian refugees has encouraged Islamophobic sentiment.

“It gives people a license to put into action the uglier things they may be thinking” about Muslims, he said.

“After any incident like the Paris attack, we see a clear uptick in anti-Islam rhetoric.”

The Syrian uprising started in March 2011 and quickly devolved into a full-scale civil war. More than 250,000 people have been killed throughout the conflict, according to United Nations estimates.

More than 4.2 million Syrians have become refugees, while about 7.6 million are internally displaced within the country’s borders.

“Closing the doors on people fleeing war zones is not a message that America should send to the world,” Saylor said. “Rather than values, the [governors] are projecting fear.”

Some legislators called for US President Barack Obama’s administration to accept Christian refugees and reject Muslims.

Saylor says such calls are misinformed because ” ISIL’s number one victims are Muslims.”

Human rights groups have slammed the governors’ anti-refugee measures.

While governors are not able to ban Syrian refugees from residing in their states, they can suspend cooperation between state programmes and the federal government.

The federal government is the sole authority for refugee resettlement. But states can cut their own funding to local refugee programmes, placing the full weight the financial burden on the federal government.

“That can make it more difficult,” Angelita Baeyens, programmes director for the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, told Al Jazeera. “But it also sends a message of extreme intolerance and Islamophobia.”

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on Monday that the US should not allow any Syrian refugees, including orphaned children, into the country.

“I don’t think orphans under five are being, you know, should be admitted into the United States at this point,” Christie said.

Baeyens said that Christie’s comments and others like it “create a climate of fear and suspicion”.

“In the face of the worst refugee crisis in recent history, this rhetoric is really appalling,” she added. “It is collective hysteria.”

Presidential candidates have also chimed in. Writing on Twitter, Republican Donald Trump claimed that “some” Syrian refugees may be ISIL members.

Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor, made similar anti-refugee comments during an interview with Fox News on Monday.

“Can you imagine bringing in a bunch of Syrian refugees who’ve lived in the desert their whole lives that are suddenly thrown into an English speaking community? Where it’s maybe in Minnesota where it is 20 degrees below zero?”

According to CAIR, Trump and Huckabee are among more than a dozen presidential hopefuls for the 2016 elections who have employed Islamophobic rhetoric during their campaigns.

While only 1,500 Syrians have been resettled in the US to date, the Obama administration announced earlier this year that 10,000 more will be accepted throughout a one-year span.

Speaking of the governors’ declarations, Human Rights Watch said Syrian refugees were being used as a “scapegoat”.

“Resettled refugees from Syria have fled persecution and violence, and undergone rigorous security screening by the US government,” Alison Parker, codirector of HRW’s US programme, said in a statement.

“The governors’ announcements amount to fearmongering attempts to block Syrians from joining the generous religious groups and communities who step forward to welcome them.”

Two suspects killed in Paris police raid

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Deaths in Saint-Denis suburb police operation include female suicide bomber who blew herself up, prosecutor says.

Paris police raid

by Al Jazeera

Two suspects linked to the deadly attacks in Paris died after police raided an apartment in a northern suburb of the French capital, a prosecutor said. Police declared the operation was now over.

Forensic experts were examining the apartment after female suspect killed herself by detonating a vest rigged with explosives at the start of the operation in Saint-Denis early Wednesday, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.

A second suspect was shot during the raid, police said.

The identity of the casualties was not immediately released. However, French media said the target of the raid was Belgian national Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a key suspect in Friday’s attacks, in which at least 129 people were killed. His fate remains unclear.

Heavily armed police were seen hauling away a naked man from the building at the centre of the raid in Saint-Denis.

Earlier, Molins said in a statement that three men holed up inside the apartment were arrested, while a man and woman were detained near the location of the raid.

Three police officers and a passer-by were wounded in an initial shootout at the apartment, sources told Al Jazeera.

Hollande defiant

Speaking at an assembly of French mayors, President François Hollande called for a larger coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has claimed the attacks in Paris.

Hollande also confirmed that a “dangerous and heavy” police operation had ended with the deaths and arrests.

“It was aimed at neutralising last night the terrorists based in Saint-Denis who are linked to the authors of the attacks and awful crimes of Friday night,” Hollande said.

“Two of the terrorists have died in the raid. There have been arrests. I can imagine the anguish which took hold of the residents of Saint-Denis in the early hours of the morning and I salute their calmness.

“I want to also express all my solidarity with the guards of the Mayor of Saint-Denis who already experienced the attack close to Stade de France on Friday.”

Residents of the area in northern Paris first reported hearing bursts of gunfire at 4:30am (3:30 GMT) as police exchanged fire with the suspects.

After a short lull in the operation, at least seven explosions were heard at 6:30 GMT, with more blasts reported later in the morning as a standoff ensued.

French soldiers secured the area as shots were exchanged in Saint-Denis in an operation to catch suspects [Jacky Naegelen/Reuters]

About 50 soldiers, heavily armed special police units, and ambulances gathered at the scene as a helicopter hovered overhead.

“Saint-Denis is a relatively poor area, housing many immigrants. It is near the area of the national stadium Stade de France, where suicide bombers claimed several lives during Friday’s attacks,” Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland reported from the scene.

Police also detained a man who said the suspects were staying in his flat.

“I found out that it’s at my house, and that the people are holed up at my flat. I didn’t know they were terrorists,” Jawad Ben Dow told Reuters news agency.

“Someone asked me to put two people up for three days and I did them a favour, it’s normal. I don’t know where they came from I don’t know anything. If I’d known do you think I’d have done it?” he said.

Police ordered onlookers to clear the vicinity as ambulances and fire engines lined street.

Friday night’s attacks in the French capital raised security concerns around the world.

Two Air France flights from the United States diverted for emergency landings on Tuesday because of bomb threats. All passengers were reported safe and no explosives were found on the flights.

Hollande on Wednesday held a meeting to discuss proposals to extend by three months the state of emergency declared after attacks, the worst in France since World War II.

It will then be put to vote by lawmakers on Thursday and Friday.

In a sign of the nervousness gripping Europe after Friday’s carnage, a football match between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled on Tuesday and the crowd evacuated after police acted on a “serious” bomb threat.

As police stepped up the hunt for the fugitives, French and Russian jets pounded ISIL targets in the group’s self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa in Syria for a third consecutive day.

France and Russia have vowed retaliation for the Paris attacks and last month’s bombing of a Russian airliner, also claimed by ISIL, which have galvanised international resolve to destroy the group and end Syria’s more than four-year civil war.

“It’s necessary to establish direct contact with the French and work with them as allies,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said as France prepared to send an aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean.

Hollande will meet Putin in Moscow on November 26, two days after seeing US President Barack Obama in Washington.

Second Test called off after four days of washouts

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India South Africa

Bengaluru: Four days of washouts owing to persistent rain and wet ground conditions led to the second cricket Test being officially called off here today, with hosts India leading the four-match series against South Africa 1-0.

The on-field umpires called off the match after an inspection at 11.30 local time.

It is the first time in the history of Test cricket in India that four days have been completely washed out.

The last time a major part of a Test in India was washed out was almost a decade ago when play was held up for three days in a Test in Chennai between India and Sri Lanka.

Both teams will now travel to Nagpur for the penultimate and third game.

Though it only drizzled briefly on the fifth and final morning, overnight rain meant there could be no play.

Puddles had formed in a few uncovered areas near the edges of the ground at the Chinnaswami Stadium.

It is likely the umpires felt that patches of damp spots in some of the areas, caused by sweating under the covers, might not be safe for fielders.

Besides the super soppers, the groundstaffs also had in their disposal a machine called the Pro Core, but none could ensure resumption of play in South African batting mainstay A B de Villiers;’ 100th Test.

India were 80 for no loss in reply to South Africa’s first innings score of 214 on the opening day. Shikhar Dhawan (45) and Murali Vijay (28) were at the crease.

India skipper Virat Kohli said after the match, “The bowlers did a commendable job, bowling South Africa out in less than three sessions is something that’s very rare. A lot of people were surprised when we decided to field first. All credit to the bowlers, Bangalore is known for its runs, but our bowlers showed their character.

“It’s a pity that we lost four days when we were in such a strong position.

“Shikhar (Dhawan) is an impact player and he’s done the job in the past and it is great to have him back in form.

Nothing has changed in the series, we took the confidence from Mohali to Bangalore and we had a good day’s play. The team is in great mood and hopefully we don’t have any interruptions anymore and execute their skills in Nagpur.”

Rival captain Hashim Amla said, “We’ve had about seven days of Tests in 20 in the last four Test matches. Very surprised we have lost four days of cricket here. I really didn’t think four days would be washed out.

“AB getting 80-odd in his 100th Test was a highlight and we are glad to share the moment with him. Unfortunately we didn’t bat very well, but it was still in the balance with the time left.

(Agencies)

Those with vested interests not learning from Bihar debacle: Shatrughan Sinha

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shatrughan-sinha

Patna: Launching a frontal attack on the party leadership, BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha today said those with “vested interests” are refusing to learn lessons from the Bihar debacle and asserted that no one has the guts or DNA to tick him off, an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Siding with veterans’ demand for fixing accountability for the loss, Sinha said the “camouflage” of collective responsibility is unacceptable and responsibility must be fixed on individuals for corrective actions.

The Lok Sabha MP ridiculed any move to take action against him for his ceaseless criticism of the party, saying it is just bravado of the ill-advised to talk of action.

“Some vested interests are still at it… refusing to learn any lessons, still working on creating misunderstandings through misinformation. R K Singh, former Home Secretary and a proud Bihari Sher (a tough nut to crack) is right. No one has the guts (or DNA) to give us a ‘fatkaar’,” he tweeted.

His DNA barb is an apparent reference to Modi’s DNA dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who had made it a major campaign issue in the Bihar assembly election.

“Those responsible for the debacle must answer what, why, where and how it all happened. They must satisfy the real stalwarts/veterans of BJP. It’s just bravado of the ill-advised to talk of action. The time is for reaction, understanding, apology and satisfaction of party godfathers,” he said.

Sinha has been critical of BJP since Bihar poll campaign took off but had been so far guarded in his attack on the top brass, bringing instead the state leadership in his line of fire.

His sharp attack indicates that the film actor-turned-politician has decided to escalate his attack even as he has been effusive in his praise of Kumar, who led the grand alliance of JD(U)-RJD-Congress to a massive victory.

(PTI)

No approval for Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali instant noodles: FSSAI

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Baba-Ramdev-noodles

New Delhi: Central food safety regulator FSSAI today said yoga guru Baba Ramdev-promoted FMCG venture Patanjali did not have approval for its newly-launched instant noodles, which the company has vehemently denied.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chairperson Ashish Bahuguna said no approval or licence has been granted to Patanjali for its instant noodles.

“For instant noodles, the companies need to take prior approval. They (Patanjali Ayurved) have not taken approval for it,” he said.

“Patanjali Ayurved has approvals for other products but they don’t have approval for instant noodles. As of now only 10 companies have approval for instant noodles,” Bahaguna added.

Patanjali, however, strongly denied FSSAI’s claims. “We have licence for Pasta in central category from FSSAI. As per FSSAI, noodles come under the ‘pasta’ category. FSSAI has given us licence for relabeling in the pasta category,” Patanjali said in a statement.

Based on the licence for pasta category, the company has entered into agreements with various companies that have licences for making noodles, it added.

The company further said FSSAI has already admitted that it was no longer possible for the regulator to continue with process of product approvals, which was facilitated through an advisory in May 2013, following a Supreme Court order in August this year that upheld an order of Bombay High Court on the issue.

According to FSSAI’s May 2013 advisory, food products covering a broad spectrum including “novel foods, functional foods, food supplements, irradiated foods, genetically modified foods, foods for special dietary uses or extracts or concentrates of botanicals, herbs or of animal sources” should apply for product approval.

The High Court had ruled that the advisory does not have any statutory backing, but the FSSAI had approached the apex court against the verdict.

Patanjali had launched ‘Atta Noodles’ earlier this week in 70 gram packs priced at Rs 15, claiming to be cheaper than competitors, with an eye to take onMARKET leader Nestle’s Maggi, which had returned to the shelves five months after FSSAI had banned it.

(Agencies)

Muslims should declare Jihad against terrorism: Maulana Mahmood Madani

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Maulana Mahmood Madani

New Delhi: The Muslims should declare a jihad (holy war) against terrorism as radicals and zealots have unleashed a reign of terror that challenges the basic tenets of Islam, which propagates and promotes peace and harmony, an Islamic scholar said on Tuesday.

“Waging a jihad is a positive act intended to root out evils from society. Killing of innocents can never be accepted as an act of jihad,” Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind leader Maulana Mahmood Madani said at a press conference at the Constitution Club here. It is the responsibility of Islamic nations to wage war against terrorists who are misusing the name of Islam, the Islamic scholar said.

“There is a need to check groups spreading hatred. Intolerance should be discouraged at all costs,” he said.Quoting teachings of Prophet Mohammed, he said that “saving one human being is like saving humanity”.Madani said countrywide protests would be held on November 18 to denounce terrorism. Protest rallies would be held in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and over 65 other cities in which leaders of various Muslim groups and organisations were expected to participate.

The Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind leader said it is a matter of great concern that terrorists are commiting brutal killings in the name of Islam.”They claim they represent the real face of Islam. So, it is incumbent upon Muslims, scholars and clerics to preach and propagate the real message of Islam and defeat the designs of fanatics who are out to malign Islam,” he said.

Madani said no one could deny that terrorist attacks have caused maximum harm to the Muslims. He said his organisation has held a series of conference and rallies against terrorism since 2007.

(IANS)

Former minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli passes away

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Gurupadappa

Bengaluru: Veteran BJP leader and former forest minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli passed away here on November 17 at Vikram hospital in Bengaluru.

Gurupadappa(74) was taken to the hospital following a cardiac arrest. He is survived by five sons and two daughters.

Former chief minister Yeddyurappa and other leaders have expressed their heartfelt condolences on his demise.

“Gurupadappa’s contribution to the co-operation sector has been immense,” said senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa.

He was elected as an MLA six times and served as a minister thrice. He was KJP MLA from Bidar north constituency.

The veteran’s last rites will be held in Bidar on Wednesday.

(Agencies)

Syrians in Raqqa tell of ‘insane nights’ of French air strikes

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Activists say abandoned ISIL bases hit in city suburbs with no civilians or fighters as France carries out air strikes.

A man in Raqqa stands where a statue of Bashar al-Assad's father Hafez used to be [Hamid Khatib/Reuters]

A man in Raqqa stands where a statue of Bashar al-Assad’s father Hafez used to be [Hamid Khatib/Reuters]

by Diana Al Rifai, Al Jazeera

French defence officials say that, for the second time in less than 24 hours, fighter jets have targeted Raqqa, the de-facto capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in northern Syria.

Ten Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighters carried out the raid early in the morning, dropping 16 bombs, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, as France hits back at ISIL in retaliation for Friday’s Paris attacks that killed at least 129 people and wounded hundreds more.

“Both targets were hit and destroyed simultaneously,” the ministry said.

“Conducted in coordination with US forces, the raid was aimed at sites identified during reconnaissance missions previously carried out by France.”

On Sunday, the French defence ministry said 30 air strikes destroyed an ISIL training camp and munitions dump in Raqqa.

However, a media activist in Raqqa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that French air strikes had targeted abandoned ISIL bases in the suburbs of the city where there are no civilians or ISIL fighters.

“It has been two insane nights. Abandoned ISIL posts were targeted at the entrance of the city, along with ISIL checkpoints and several other points. Electricity and water have been cut off as supply lines were hit too.

“We can confirm that there were no civilians killed or injured in the latest French air strikes.

“People are horrified and everyone here lives in fear. We are sure that several ISIL fighters at the checkpoints were killed in the air strikes.”

The Pentagon said that over the past few days it had also bombed ISIL posts in Iraq and Syria.

On Monday, the US-led coalition’s warplanes struck ISIL targets in Raqqa and several posts were destroyed, the US defence department said on its website.

France is part of the coalition, which was launched in September 2014, but conducted its first air strike in Syria only in September 2015.

‘Raqqa is devastated’

The Syrian activist in Raqqa said that in the past few days Russian air strikes had caused the most destruction.

“Last week, Russian air strikes destroyed one of the main bridges in the city in addition to the national hospital. Most hospitals in the city have been destroyed in Raqqa,” he said.

“Russian air strikes have resulted in so much destruction. If these countries wanted to bomb the heartland of ISIL, they could have done so. But they still have not targeted the group’s most important bases.

“This is what we do not understand. The targets bombed by French warplanes were mostly abandoned by ISIL fighters.

“The US, Russia and France are all bombing Syria. How many more countries want to bomb us?

“Raqqa is devastated. Raqqa has endured the unbearable and we live in fear under ISIL’s dictatorship.

“A lot of people fled the the city. In fact, most refugees heading to Europe are from Raqqa. That is how desperate they are to leave here. People are fed up here and just want to live normal lives.

“Our lives are all under threat. ISIL controls every aspect of our lives and we are not allowed to expose the truth.

“Not everyone who lives in Raqqa approves of ISIL. I am a citizen of Raqqa and I refused to leave my hometown just like many others did.

“What the world needs to know is that we live under ISIL control on the ground, and constant air strikes from the sky. We are trapped,” the activist said.

Separately, the anti-ISIL group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered said on Sunday that overnight air strikes hit a stadium, a museum, several clinics, a hospital and a governmental building.

The group told Al Jazeera that no civilians were hurt or injured in any of the latest French air strikes.

“Of course we do not like to see people afraid of air strikes and explosions, but we support any actions that will take ISIL out of Raqqa,” the group said on its Twitter account.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said activists reported hearing explosions in Raqqa resulting from air strikes.

The activists’ network said no civilian death toll has been recorded due to the strikes.

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