“Waarrior Savitri,” the newest offering of Indian American director Param Gill scheduled for release in India and the U.S. on Aug. 25th, has received considerable backlash for its depiction of the Hindu goddess as a modern, 21st-century woman.Effigies bearing the image of Gill have been burned in Raipur and elsewhere across India, according to local media reports.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum sent a letter last month to Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagatre questing permission to burn an effigy of Gill. A copy of the letter was forwarded to IANS by the director.

Sushil Malhotra, president of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum, wrote in the letter to Bhagat that the film “makes a mockery of a revered Indian goddess.” Malhotra stated that the film was “obscene.”

The Mahabharata tells the story of goddess Savitri, who used the power of her dedication to her husband Satyavan to save him from being killed by Yama, the god of death. In Hindu mythology, Savitri is described as the epitome of a dutiful wife.

Gill, chose to depict Savitri as a strong, empowered, 21st-century woman. In a trailer available on the Youtube Web site, the goddess is shown practicing martial arts to combat her enemies. Savitri – played by Niharica Raizada – is also shown in shots depicting sexual intimacy. She is also shown wearing sexy clothing, including cut-off shorts and bustiér-style tops.

The film is set in Las Vegas. Its stars include Om Puri, Lucy Pinder, Rajat Barmecha and Gulshan Grover.

In an interview, Gill told IANS he was inspired by the 2012 gang rape of a young New Delhi student – known as Nirbhaya – who died after the brutal attack. “I thought women needed to empower themselves, and learn martial arts to protect themselves,” he said.
Gill said he feared going to India for the film’s release next week. He said he has received threatening letters from various Indian organizations exhorting him to self-ban the film. “There is a general pattern of intolerance throughout the country now,” said Gill.

YouTube video of Gill’s effigy being burnt at Raipur. https://youtu.be/jc0QDuUfSSs

Lucy Pinder statement: “I was ready to leave from Los Angeles to Mumbai at the airport. But given the controversy surrounding the film, producers advised me to stay away citing security concerns. India has become a very intolerant country. I feel frustrated that I can not one to India to promote my first film”.

Director Param Gill statement: ” I have worked in Hollywood all my life. But I am born in India, so the country beats in my heart. I was very excited to come to India to promote my first Bollywood film, Waarrior Savitri, but producers advised me to stay away. My effigies have been burnt across India with heavy protests to ban the film. I request the protesters to join a special screening of film at Mumbai. They will find nothing objectionable rather they will feel inspired”.

United Nations: Three of the nine places cited by India as addresses of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan have been found incorrect by a UN committee, which has removed these from its list.

One of the addresses which have been dropped by the UN Security Council’s Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee was found similar to that of a residence of Islamabad’s envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi.

However, the six other addresses provided by India have not been amended. India, in a dossier, had cited these nine addresses as those frequented by Dawood.

The Security Council’s ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee amended its entry yesterday concerning Dawood, the mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, with “underline and strikethrough”.

In the amendment, the Committee has stricken through the address “Main Property at Margalla Raod F- 6/2 Street no.22, House No.07, Islamabad number 29 in Karachi. This address was later found to be similar to that of a residence belonging to Lodhi.”

When asked about the amendment, a top Indian official here told PTI that one address of Dawood in the listing entry was incorrect. The address was “of Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, and not Dawood Ibrahim”, the sources said.

“The amendment also strikes through other addresses “8th Floor of Mehran Square, near Pardesi House-3, Talwar Area, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan” and “6/A Kjauabam Tanzeem, Phase-5, Defence Housing Araea, Karachi, Pakistan.”

In evidence to show that Dawood Ibrahim is holed up in Pakistan, a dossier prepared by India had listed nine residences of the underworld don in that country and stated that he is known to frequently change his locations and addresses there.

“On 22 August 2016, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) enacted the amendments specified with underline and strikethrough in the entry” concerning Dawood on its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo, it said.

Dawood’s other addresses mentioned in the listing “Karachi, Pakistan (White House, Near Saudi Mosque, Clifton)”, “House Nu 37 – 30th Street – defence, Housing Authority, Karachi, Pakistan” and “Palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad in Karachi” have not been amended.

The addresses were included in a dossier prepared by India in August last year that had listed nine residences of the underworld don in Pakistan as evidence to show that he is holed up in Pakistan.

Islamabad has consistently denied that Dawood is living in the country.

The information about the residences in Pakistan, including one bought near the house of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in Karachi two years ago is contained in the dossier that had been prepared to be handed over to Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz during talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, which were later cancelled.

“Dawood is known to frequently change his locations and addresses in Pakistan. He has amassed immense property in Pakistan and moves under the protection of Pakistani agencies,” the dossier had said.

Another amendment enacted by the Committee concerns details of his family.
The information “Father’s name is Sheikh Ibrahim Ali Kaskar, mother’s name is Amina Bi, wife’s name is Mehjabeen Shaikh” has been underlined in the listing.

Dawood was listed on November 3, 2003 and the entry has been amended in March and July 2006, July 2007 and March 2010. Being a UN designated terrorist, he is subject to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

The amendment further struck out “Bombai” as his place of birth, noting instead that it is “Kher, Ratnagiri in Maharashtra”.

It has added “Sheikh Farooqi, Bada Seth, Bada Bhai, Iqbal Bhai, Mucchad and Haji Sahab” as his “low quality” aliases.

The listing includes information about his various passports, including those issued in Pakistan.

The listing says Dawood had a Passport number A717288 issued on 18 August 1985 in Dubai and a Pakistani number G866537 issued on 12 August 1991 in Rawalpindi but adds the term “misuse” for this two passports.

He also has Passport number C-267185 issued in Karachi in July1996, Passport number H-123259 issued in Rawalpindi in July 2001 and Passport number G-869537 issued in Rawalpindi.

Dawood is wanted in India for the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in which 257 people were killed and nearly a thousand injured. He is also accused of masterminding other terror attacks and of money laundering and extortion.

(PTI)

Bengaluru: Actress-turned-politician Ramya, who exposed the double standard of saffron forces while dealing with Pakistan, has made it clear that she would not apologies for saying that Pakistan is not hell.

“I respectful disagree, but Pakistan is not hell,” reiterated the former Mandya MP and Congress leader, today, after news broke that a lawyer has filed a complaint against her in court, asking a case of sedition be filed against her.

Ramya said she won’t apologize, either, as she has no reason to, and hasn’t done anything wrong.

“I don’t have any ego at all and in any given incident, I would have apologised, but if I do in this case, the larger cause we’re fighting for would go,” Ramya explained.

The Kannada actress – whose real name is Divya Spandana – first indicated she thinks Pakistan may not quite be hell, when she recently addressed a women’s rally in Mandya.

Some people protested because they believed her statements were a direct response to a comment Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar made last week when he equated visiting Pakistan with visiting hell.

A pro-BJP lawyer in Kodagu has registered a civil case against Ramya under IPC sections 124 (A) and 511 – the first one is to do with sedition.

“It’s really sad that there is such a situation in the country today…Politicians want to polarise and spread hatred. Just because borders separate us we shouldn’t hate others” Ramya said told a news agency, referring to the complaint filed against her.

“I’m free to express myself, am I not? Everyone is entitled to their views and that is what democracy is about. You can’t force your ideology on anyone,” Ramya said.

“It’s freedom of speech, it’s also our duty to speak on inclusiveness and peace. Curbing freedoms is wrong in democracy,” she added.

The former popular actress had at the rally talked about Pakistan’s hospitality. At the time she had just returned from visiting Pakistan for the SAARC Youth Summit.

On August 16, Parrikar reportedly said: “Our soldiers sent back five terrorists yesterday. Going to Pakistan is the same as going to hell,” Parrikar said, according to ANI. “Pakistan has encouraged terrorism, and now they are facing consequences of that policy,” he also said.

Twitter juxtaposed the two comments and all hell broke loose. Ramya was trolled. And then a gentleman from a Karnataka village took it upon himself to save the nation from anyone saying good things about Pakistan.

“I went there (Pakistan) for the SAARC Youth Summit. I spoke about peace, harmony and unity in diversity. When I got back, I was asked how Pakistan was and I said that the people there are just like us, and that we were treated very well. There was a lot of respect,” Ramya had responded yesterday.

The Congress member repeated several times today that she stands by what she said. “I don’t think I’m wrong. I also love Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. Of course I won’t leave India, it’s my home and I am not going to leave my dogs,” Ramya said, clearly stating her priorities.

(Agencies)

THE Solo Creative Arts Foundation’s “THE POETRY SCHOOL OF INDIA” was launched today by Shri D.H. Shankara Murthy, Chairman, Karnataka Legislative Council, at Bangalore Press Club, Bangalore. Famous Kannada poets Prof. G.S. Siddalingaiag and Dr. P.V. Narayan graced the occasion amidst a large number of gathering in the presence of Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin, the Principal and “Poet-in-Residence” of The Poetry School of India as well as Dr. Dodda Range Gowda who is the “Poet-in-Residence” to teach the Art of Writing Poetry in Kannada language. Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin will teach as many as 34 different poetic forms in English language.

A bad trend of journalism has crept in recently which needs drastic curb by the editors and management of the newspaper industry.

The above event took place on 16th of August at the Bangalore Press Club and the invitations were sent to the media also.

The next day of the event some of the Kannada newspapers carried the news but deleted the name of the principal and “Poet-in-Residence” name Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin. The readers of the Kannada newspapers were rather surprised to find bias reporting. Some of them telephoned the editors of those Kannada newspapers to know the reason.

Surprisingly, none of the English-language newspapers did care to report the news in their columns.

The ethics of journalism is not being followed nowadays by the reporters’ community in Bangalore city. The Editors and the management of the newspapers who are not aware of this trend should be vigilant and try to inculcate discipline and ethics of journalism, says a veteran Kannada poet and writer.

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has drawn flak and ridicule for a photograph showing him being lifted by security personnel to cross a swollen nullah in the state’s Panna district to meet flood-hit people there, with the Opposition Congress saying it reflected his “feudal mindset”.

The picture, which has gone viral on internet with netizens taking pot-shots at the BJP leader, was issued yesterday by the State Public Relations department after his visit to the rain-ravaged district but was later withdrawn.

MP Congress chief Arun Yadav said Chouhan’s “photo-stunt” for cheap publicity had backfired but Principal Secretary S K Mishra contended that the Chief Minister was a ‘Z’ security protectee and the security personnel had to ensure that he is not bitten by any poisonous animal in the flood waters.

“Chouhan in a bid to garner cheap publicity has indulged in this photo stunt. Instead of mitigating the problems of flood-hit people in Panna and other parts, the Chief Minister has himself become a problem for people (security personnel),” Congress leader Arun Yadav said.

He said that the “real face” of Chief Minister has been exposed in the photo. “Now people know him well. We seek his resignation over the photo, depicting his feudal mindset,” the Congress leader said.

In social media, social activist Ajay Dubey posted the photo of Chief Minister being lifted by security personnel with a caption “I am a prince”.

Dubey took a dig at Chouhan saying the picture has revived memories of feudalism.

Reacting to the photo, one Sachin Jain posted “Liability, isn’t it”.

Likewise, journalist Abhilash Khandekar, who had written Chouhan’s biography, has reacted to the photo commenting it as “Inhuman.Indecent”.

When a senior officer of State Public Relations Department was asked about the photo release, he said the picture was released by their Panna office to media houses and not by Bhopal office.

However, it was withdrawn yesterday evening itself, he added.

Meanwhile, defending Chouhan, the Principal Secretarysaid the CM was having ‘Z’ security cover prompting his security personnel to lift him to ensure that any poisonous animal in water doesn’t bite him.

“Nothing should be read into it,” Mishra told PTI.

“Chouhan in fact risked his life to cross the swollen nullah. He is too sensitive to people’s problems. He is meeting people affected by flood round-the-clock. We should appreciate his concern, sensitivity for the people rather taking it the other way round,” Mishra said.

(PTI)

New Delhi: A Delhi court today awarded death penalty to two convicts and life term to another for robbing and killing IT executive Jigisha Ghosh here in 2009, observing that it was a “brutal” and “cold blooded murder”.

“To be hanged by neck till death,” Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav said, while awarding death to convicts Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla.

The judge also observed that gruesome crimes against women were on the rise and any leniency to the criminals would send a wrong message to society.

“The offence was committed in a brutal, cold blooded and cruel manner. The victim was helpless and remained in captivity for hours and the convicts brutally mauled her to death. It was an uncivilised act done in a barbaric manner.

“The magnitude and brutality of the crime makes it fall in the category of rarest of rare,” the judge said.

Besides Ravi and Amit, the court sentenced Baljeet to life imprisonment.

28-year-old Jigisha, working as an operations manager in a management consultancy firm, was abducted and killed on March 18, 2009 after she was dropped by her office cab around 4 AM near her home in Vasant Vihar area of South Delhi.

Her body was recovered three days later from a place near Surajkund in Haryana, police had said.

While awarding death penalty, the court said according to the pre-sentencing report (PSR), there was “no scope for Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla to reform”.

As per the report, Baljeet’s conduct was normal and there was no complaint against him and he was not a threat to society.

The court also imposed a total fine of Rs nine lakh on the three convicts, who were present at the hearing, out of which Rs six lakh is to be given to the victim’s family as compensation.

It also said this amount was not adequate and asked the legal aid authority to decide appropriate compensation for the victim’s family.

“The pain, agony and trauma of victim’s parents cannot be compensated,” the court observed.

The court had on July 14 convicted the three men, saying it was “abundantly clear” that they had committed the crime.

The court had said it was proved that the three convicts had abducted Jigisha, robbed her of her gold chain, two mobile phones, two rings, debit and credit cards and killed her.

The court had on August 20 reserved the order on sentence after the arguments concluded and a PSR was submitted by probationary officer.

While seeking death sentence for the convicts, Special Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan had argued that they abducted Jigisha, robbed her, killed her and used her debit card for shopping, and a CCTV footage of their shopping showed they had no remorse for their act.

Advocate Amit Kumar, appearing for convicts Baljeet and Amit Shukla, had argued that his clients have already spent over seven years in jail and maintained good conduct.

The counsel for convict Ravi Kapoor sought leniency for his client, saying he was suffered from a life-threatening disease and belonged to a poor family.

The police had filed the charge sheet in the case in June 2009 and trial began on April 15, 2010.

Recovery of the weapon allegedly used in Jigisha’s murder had led to the cracking of the murder case of Soumya Vishwanathan, who was a journalist with a news channel.

Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008 while she was returning home in her car from office in the wee hours.

Police had claimed robbery as the motive behind the killing of both Jigisha and Soumya.

The accused had used Jigisha’s ATM card to buy expensive goggles, wrist watches and shoes from Sarojini Nagar market in South Delhi, police had said.

(PTI)