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Anshu Gupta, Sanjiv Chaturvedi win Magsaysay Awards

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Anshu Gupta Sanjiv Chaturvedi

New Delhi: Social worker Anshu Gupta and former AIIMS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi on Wednesday won the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay awards for “enterprising leadership” and for exposing corruption.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said Gupta was being recognized for “his creative vision in transforming the culture of giving in India, his enterprising leadership in treating cloth as a sustainable development resource for the poor”.

The award citation also credited Gupta with “reminding the world that true giving always respects and preserves human dignity”.

The foundation said Chaturvedi was being recognized for “his exemplary integrity, courage and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and painstakingly investigating corruption in public office, and his resolute crafting programmes and system improvements to ensure that government honourably serves the people of India”.

Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honour and is widely regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Gupta heads the NGO Goonj, which believes in reusing clothes and other material to turn into a valuable resource, to create “a parallel economy which is not cash-based but trash-based”.

An elated Gupta told IANS: “I am certainly very happy to receive this award… Our work has been recognized.”

Chaturvedi said he would make a statement later in the day.

Other winners announced on Wednesday are Kommaly Chanthavong (Laos),
Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa (The Philippines) and Kyaw Thu (Myanmar).

The Magsaysay awards celebrate the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named.

It is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late Filipino leader.

The five 2015 Magsaysay awardees join the community of 307 other Magsaysay laureates who have received the honour to date.

(IANS)

Supreme Court upholds death warranty against Yakub Memon

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Yakub Memon's photograph on his IGNOU records.

Yakub Memon’s photograph on his IGNOU records.

Mumbai: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court has upheld the death warrant issued against 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon saying there was no lapse in the earlier dismissal of his curative petition.

Following the Supreme Court verdict, the Maharashtra Governor reportedly dismissed Memon’s mercy plea.

A mercy petition that lies with the President Pranab Mukherjee is the only hope Yakub Memon, who faces gallows tomorrow, is left with.

The bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, before rising for lunch recess, said it will pronounce the order today itself, if the counsel for the parties “cooperate”. The arguments will continue after the lunch break.

Senior advocate Raju Ramachndran, appearing for Memon, initiated arguments by referring to the separate, divergent orders passed by Justice A R Dave and Justice Kurian Joseph yesterday and said that the procedures established by the law have not been followed while deciding the curative petition of the convict.

Ramachandran said, “The judges, who were part of judicial process earlier, must be party to curative petition. It cannot be decided by judges who are strangers to the matters.”

He further said that besides the three senior most judges, the curative petition should have been circulated to the judges, if available, who had decided the criminal appeal and the review petition.

Senior advocates T R Andhyarujina and Anand Grover both supported the contention of Ramachandran and said that this death warrant is illegal and can not be executed tomorrow.

A three-judge bench headed by CJI had on July 21 rejected Memon’s plea, contending that the grounds raised by him for relief did not fall within principles laid down by the apex court in 2002 in deciding curative petitions.

Memon, in his plea, had claimed he was suffering from schizophrenia since 1996 and has remained behind bars for nearly 20 years, much more than a person serving life term has to spend in jail.

He had sought commutation of death penalty, contending that a convict cannot be awarded life term and the death sentence for the same offence.

The apex court had on June 2, 2014 stayed the execution of Memon and referred his plea to a Constitution Bench as to whether review petitions in death penalty cases be heard in an open court or in chambers.

The apex court had on April 9 this year dismissed Memon’s petition seeking review of his death sentence which was upheld on March 21, 2013.

Memon’s review petition was heard by a three-judge bench in an open court in pursuance of the Constitution Bench verdict that the practice of deciding review pleas in chambers be done away with, in cases where death penalty has been awarded.

12 coordinated blasts had rocked Bombay, as the city was then known, on March 12, 1993, leaving 257 dead and over 700 injured.

(Agencies)

Modi saved Kodnani, Bajrangi from the noose, Asaduddin Owaisi says

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Asaduddin Owaisi

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the then Narendra Modi government in Gujarat had asked the prosecution not to press for death sentence of former minister Mayaben Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, convicted in 2002 post-Godhra riot case.

The Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP questioned whether those responsible for killing people during riots should get death penalty.

“Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi were convicted by a court which sentenced them to life imprisonment in connection with the killing of 92 persons. The prosecution wanted capital punishment. But Modi, who was then Gujarat chief minister, asked prosecution not to appeal against the ruling (in HC) and let the punishment be life sentence,” the All-India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader alleged.

“Shouldn’t those who killed 92 persons get death sentence?” Owaisi asked.

He was addressing a public meeting here Saturday night on the occasion of 7th death anniversary of Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, former president of AIMIM.

During his speech, Asaduddin, who had recently suggested that 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon was awarded capital punishment because of his religion, read out a media report against the death penalty.

“Is it not true that Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had met then President Pratibha Patil with a mercy petition seeking clemency for Rajoana (assassin of former Punjab CM Beant Singh)?” he said.

Asaduddin challenged the BJP, which shares power in Punjab with Shiromani Akali Dal, to hang the killers of Beant Singh.

The AIMIM leader said Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992 but that case is still dragging on.

(PTI)

Powerful earthquake hits Indonesia’s Papua

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Magnitude 7.0 quake strikes west of provincial capital Jayapura.

earthquake Papua

by Al Jazeera

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake has hit Indonesia’s Papua region, the US Geological Survey says.

The quake struck at 6.41am on Monday, almost 250km west of the provincial capital Jayapura.

No tsunami warning was issued after the quake, which struck inland, and Indonesia’s national disaster agency said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

“The quake was felt very strongly for four seconds,” disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told the AFP news agency.

“Residents panicked and rushed out of their homes.”

Nugroho said there were no initial reports of damage but added the region around the epicentre, in Indonesia’s remote east, was difficult to reach, and data was still being collected.

The Earthquake-Report monitoring website said the area has “steep mountain ranges and its vegetation is rainforest, which means that the chance of dangerous landslides is real”.

Weak shaking was reportedly felt in Jayapura for a few seconds.

Both Indonesian authorities and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of any tsunami waves from the quake, which occurred beneath a jungle.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Muammar Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam sentenced to death

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Son of slain Libyan leader sentenced in absentia to die by firing squad along with other members of former regime.

Saif al-Islam had appeared by video link in sessions at the start of the trial [EPA]

Saif al-Islam had appeared by video link in sessions at the start of the trial [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

Saif al-Islam, the most prominent son of Libya’s slain leader, Muammar Gaddafi, has been sentenced to death by firing squad.

He was sentenced in absentia on Tuesday in Tripoli along with eight other senior members of the former regime, which was overthrown in 2011.

They were accused of war crimes and suppressing peaceful protests during the revolution, a state prosecutor said in early June.

The trial had started in April 2014 before fighting between rival factions resulted in a power struggle with two governments competing for authority – one based in the capital, Tripoli, and the other one in Tobruk in the east.

Saif al-Islam has been held since 2011 by a former rebel group in Zintan that opposes the Tripoli government.

Abdullah Senussi, the former intelligence chief, was among the former regime officials sentenced, as well as former prime minister Baghdadi Ali Mahmudi.

Salah al-Bakkoush, a Tripoli-based political analyst, said he did not expect the rulings to have strong resonance in Libya.

“Libyans in general have so many problems right now that many were not even following the trial,” he told Al Jazeera. “Those who participated in the struggle against the regime of Gaddafi will be following and will be happy.”

The International Criminal Court and other human rights organisations worry about the fairness of Libya’s justice system although the North African country won the right in 2013 to try Gaddafi’s former spy chief at home instead of at the ICC in The Hague.

Saif al-Islam’s appearances before the court have been by video link and there have been none since May last year.

The Zintanis have refused to hand him over, saying they do not trust Tripoli to ensure he would not escape, but had agreed before the trial to have him tried in a court there.

Anas El-Gomati, a political analyst and director of Tripoli-based Sadeq Institute, said the trail had been “anything but legal and fair”.

“I don’t think the Zintanis will give him up,” he told Al Jazeera. “They will not look for any solution going forward. These are two [administrations] who oppose each other and show no signs of trying to work together.”

Gaddafi was killed in October 2011 after being captured by rebels during Libya’s war. He had ruled Libya for four decades.

SC bench split over Yakub Memon’s plea, refers it to CJI

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Yakub Memon's photograph on his IGNOU records

Yakub Memon’s photograph on his IGNOU records

New Delhi: A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court today delivered a split verdict on a plea by Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, the lone death convict in 1993 Mumbai blasts case, seeking stay of his scheduled execution on July 30 and referred the matter to the Chief Justice to take call on it.

While Justice A R Dave dismissed his plea, Justice Kurian Joseph stayed the death warrant issued on April 30 for his execution on July 30.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and other senior advocates, including Raju Ramachandran, appearing for Memon, said that since the two judges have differed on staying the death warrant, “there will be no order in law if one judge has stayed it and the other has not”.

The bench referred the matter to Chief Justice of India H L Dattu to take an urgent call at 4 PM in view of the divergence of opinion on the issue of death warrant.

The bench also requested the Chief Justice to constitute an appropriate bench and list the matter for hearing tomorrow.

Justice Dave dismissed the petition filed by Memon and said it will be open for the Maharashtra Governor to dispose of his mercy plea before the scheduled date of execution of death warrant.

While rejecting the petition in which Memon has contended that the correct procedure was not adopted in deciding his curative petition on July 21, Justice Dave disagreed with Justice Kurian on the issue of staying death warrant issued by the TADA court in Mumbai on April 30.

“Sorry, I will not like to be part of staying the death warant. Let CJI decide,” Justice Dave said and quoted a couplet from Manu Smriti relevant to the issue.

Justice Kurian said he is expressing his inability to agree with Justice Dave as there is a “procedural violation” in deciding the curative petition filed by Memon.

Justice Kurian said once it is found that the procedure established under law is not followed while dealing with the curative petition, that too when the life of a person is concerned, and there is error apparent on the face that the mandatory process has not been followed, then such defects need to be cured.

While holding that Memon’s curative petition is required to be heard afresh, Justice Kurian referred to the order dismissing his curative petition, saying, “The curative petition itself was not decided in accordance with the rules laid down by this court. That defect needs to be cured otherwise there will be a clear violation of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.”

Justice Kurian said the technicalities involved in dealing with the matter should not stand in the way of justice being done to a person as this court under the Constitution is for the protection of life of a person.

He said, “The technicalities should not stand in the way as the law is for common man and also law is not helpless and this court should not be rendered powerless.”

He noted that Article 21 deals with the right to life of a person and same shall be deprived only in accordance with the procedure adopted by law.

“It has been noticed that the procedure by law was not followed in this case while depriving the right to life of a person,” he said.

(Agencies)

Muslim organisations in Karnataka appeal for cancelling death punishment to Yakub Memon

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(L-R) Umar Shariff (DIET), Mr. Mahir (MPJR), Syed Mohammed Iqbal (KMMM), Syed Shafiullah (JDS), Mr. Khalid (MPJR)

(L-R) Umar Shariff (DIET), Mr. Mahir (MPJR), Syed Mohammed Iqbal (KMMM), Syed Shafiullah (JDS), Mr. Khalid (MPJR)

Bengaluru: A collective of Karnataka-based Muslim organisations including, Mission Possible for Justice & Rights (MPJR), Karnataka Muslim Muttahida Mahaz (KMMM), Discover Islam Education Trust (DIET), All India Dawah Centres Association (AIDCA) and Karnataka Muslim Muttahida Tehreek (KMMT) today urged the Centre not to hang 1993 Mumbai blast death row convict Yakub Memon.

Addressing the press here, Mr. Umar Shariff, president of DIET said that, “Yakub Memon has already spent around 22 years behind the bars for the role which has not even been clearly or convincingly established. He or his family should not be punished for the alleged crimes of his brother”.

Referring to the view of the late head of the counter-terrorism division of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) B Raman, who had favoured clemency for Yakub Memon on the ground that he had cooperated with investigating agencies and does not deserve to be hanged, Syed Shafiullah of Janatal Dal (Secular) urged the government to commute the death penalty to life sentence, for if carried out, it would not serve the interests of justice.

He also presented former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Markandey Katju, who last week said that the evidence on which Memon has been found guilty is “very weak”, and there has been “gross travesty of justice” in the case.

Syed Mohammed Iqbal, general secretary of the Karnataka Muslim Muttahida Mahaz, questioned what he termed as ‘double standard’ practiced in the decision to hang Menon.

“Justice B N Srikrishna’s report, submitted in 1998, had named Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray as the man who directed the violence in the January 1993 phase of the riots, which claimed the lives of over 900 innocent people, yet he was given a state funeral. He pointed out that those scheduled to hang for two other crimes, the assassinations of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, have not yet been hanged. All we are asking is to give Memon the same clemency that these people have been granted.”

The organisation stated that there many in the country, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, MDMK and others, who feel feel that Yaqub Memon should not be hanged.

A P J Abdul Kalam’s mortal remains reach Delhi

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A P J Abdul Kalam

New Delhi: The body of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who died after suffering a cardiac arrest during a lecture at the IIM-Shillong on Monday, was flown to Delhi early Tuesday morning by a special aircraft.

President Pranab Mukherjee received the body of Kalam. Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung was present at Palam Airport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar too were present at Palam airport.

The Army, Navy and Air Force paid their last respects to the mortal remains of the former president.

Kalam’s body will be kept at his residence in Rajaji Marg, New Delhi, for public to pay their last respects from 4 pm.

Leaders pay tribute

Several leaders including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior IAF officials joined in paying tribute to India’s ‘Missile Man’ whose departure has plunged the nation into overwhelming grief.

“It is an irreparable loss to the nation. He loved children, he loved the nation. I have met him many times. I took him to rural areas of Assam. He was a very simple and honest man. Along with India, entire state is mourning his death,” Mr. Gogoi said.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Anjan Dutta and other senior party leaders were also present and paid their respects.

State mourning

Wrapped in the tricolour, the casket carrying his body was taken inside the aircraft as a mournful hymn played in the background.

The Union Cabinet is expected to hold a special meeting in New Delhi to condole his death.

The government has announced a seven-day State mourning in honour of Kalam. “As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days of state mourning will be observed throughout India from July 27, 2015 to August 2, 2015, both days inclusive,” an official statement said.

President, PM condole

Condoling Kalam’s death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “India mourns the loss of a great scientist, a wonderful President & above all an inspiring individual.”

President Pranab Mukherjee said in a message, “In his passing away, we have lost a great son of India who dedicated his entire life for the welfare of the motherland and its people. Mr. Kalam was a people’s President during his lifetime and will remain so even after his death.”

Parliament pays tribute to Kalam

Paying glowing tributes to former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Union Cabinet today passed a resolution saying the country has lost “a visionary scientist, a true nationalist and a great son.”

The meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressed its profound sorrow at the sad demise of former President of India yesterday in Shillong.

In the resolution, it said, “in his passing away the country has lost a visionary scientist, a true nationalist and a great son”.

Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day after paying glowing tributes to Kalam.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru beat Puneri Paltan, Bengal lose three on the trot in PKL

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pro-kabaddi-league-dabang-delhi-vs-bengal-warriors-0232

Kolkata: Bengaluru Bulls staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Puneri Paltans 31-26 while hosts Bengal Warriors lost to Dabang Delhi 21-32 in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) matches at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.

The triumph helped Bengaluru retain third place with three wins from four games, whereas Paltan remain last in the leaderboard with four consecutive losses.

Bengal slumped to their third consecutive loss and have only one win from five games while Delhi jumped ahead of their opponents to the fourth place with two triumphs from three outings.

In the first contest, Paltan were quick off the blocks, racing to a 4-0 lead courtesy successful raids from skipper Wazir Singh and Tushar Patil and the defence too played its part in holding onto raiders.

But Bengaluru charged back into the match through their captain Manjeet Chillar who with his all-round performance made sure his side was breathing down the neck of its rival.

Bengaluru raider Ashish Chhokar was at the top of his game too as he stormed into the opponents half and clinched six points till the breather.

Wazir collected a few more points ensuring Paltan did not crumble under pressure and at half-time, they led 13-12.

It was again a tight contest after the break but Bengaluru, with more consistency, moved ahead and had a 27-19 lead at the 32nd-minute mark.

Raider Rajesh Mondal and Joginder Narwal combined with Dharmaraj Cheralatan to make sure they logged precious points for Bengaluru, even substitute Rakesh Narwal had three touch points to his credit.

Seeing the game going out of their grasp, Wazir again tried to take the game by the scruff of the neck as he along with Amit Rathi pulled back a few points and inched closer to Bengaluru.

Bengaluru, however, did not choke and held onto their lead till the end, winning the match 31-26.

In the last game of the night, Delhi surged ahead at halftime leading 15-10 against Bengal.

Delhi’s star raider Rohit Kumar Choudury made all the difference in the first 20 minutes of the game as he bagged six points including a bonus.

Bengal too had their moments as captain Dinesh Kumar and South Korean recruit Jang Kun Lee ventured into the opponent half successfully.

Locked at 5-5 in the 14th minute, Choudury was inspirational as he landed his palm on the middle line even after he was grabbed by three defenders. Warriors defender Nilesh Shinde suffered a blow to the head and had to be stretchered off the playing surface.

On the other side, Delhi captain Ravinder Pahal was brilliant in his defensive duties.

Bengal suffered another heavy jolt as Dinesh limped off the mat after halftime.

Empty, unsuccessful raids eventually made the hosts pay as Delhi clinched the game quite easily.

(IANS)

Saudi Arabian airstrike kills 120 civilians as US-backed war in Yemen rages

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Humanitarian crisis continues with no end in sight as forces armed and supported by the United States continue to terrorize the people of Yemen

Houthi followers demonstrate against Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen's capital Sanaa July 24, 2015. A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states has been bombing the Iranian-allied Houthi rebel movement and army forces loyal to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh since late March in a bid to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. (Photo: Reuters/Khaled Abdullah)

Houthi followers demonstrate against Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen’s capital Sanaa July 24, 2015. A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states has been bombing the Iranian-allied Houthi rebel movement and army forces loyal to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh since late March in a bid to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. (Photo: Reuters/Khaled Abdullah)

by Jon Queally, Common Dreams

Intense fighting between Houthi factions and Yemeni forces allied with a Saudi-backed military campaign continued on Sunday, just a day after the killing of approximately 120 civilians by a Saudi airstrike spurred an impromptu call for a five-day ceasefire in the war-torn and poverty-stricken country.

According to the Associated Press:

The airstrikes late Friday hit workers’ housing for a power plant in Mokha, flattening some of the buildings to the ground […] A fire erupted in the area, charring many of the corpses, including children, women and elderly people.

Wahib Mohammed, an eyewitness and area resident, said some of the bodies were torn apart by the force of the blast and buried in a mass grave on Saturday. Some of the strikes also hit nearby livestock pens, he said. Human and animal blood pooled on the ground of the surrounding area.

The deadly strike highlights growing concerns that the Saudi-led coalition’s airstrikes are increasingly killing civilians as they continue to target Shiite rebels known as Houthis.

Responding to the carnage, Hassan Boucenine of the Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders told AP, “It just shows what is the trend now of the air strikes from the coalition. Now, it’s a house, it’s a market, it’s anything.”

In the wake of the deadly airstrike on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition, which includes the United States and allied Gulf states, called for a five-day ceasefire that would begin at midnight local time on Sunday.

However, even as mixed reporting by Reuters indicated that Houthi military leaders may have rejected the call, a fierce battle raged near the port city Aden over a strategically valuable air base:

The al-Anad base, 50 km (30 miles) from the major southern port city, has been held by the Iranian-allied Houthi movement for much of a fourth-month-old civil war, and is regarded as a strategic asset commanding the approaches to Aden.

The Arab coalition on Saturday announced a ceasefire to take effect at 11.59 p.m. (2059 GMT) on Sunday evening for five days to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Reuters indicated that a Houthi leader may have taken to Twitter to reject the call for the midnight ceasefire, but other journalists expressed doubt that the message was valid:

Since the Saudi-led bombing began in March of this year, the United Nations last week estimated that in addition to the many more thousands injured and maimed, at least 1,693 civilians have been killed in Yemen, of which 365 were children. Already one of the poorest nations on the planet before the fighting and subsequent bombing campaign began, both the UN and independent aid agencies have warned that so long as the war continues and humanitarian blockade enforced, Yemen’s further spiral towards total political chaos and a full-fledged famine will continue.

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