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The search for fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2019 begins…

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Don’t lose this opportunity to fulfil your dream. fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2019 contestants will be mentored by Neha Dhupia and Dia Mirza. It’s time to make India proud again. 

With the legacy of transforming lives of young talented women who have become icons in the glamour and fashion industry, fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2019Co-powered By Sephora & Rajnigandha Pearls vows to continue its tradition with an aim to extend whole-hearted support to the new generation women who have the potential to lead and represent the country in the future.  

The winner will represent India at Miss World pageant. The others too stand a chance to represent the country at International Pageants like Miss Grand International and Miss United Continents.

This time too, the pageant will conduct a nationwide hunt in all the 30 states (including the Capital, Delhi). The Top 3 contestants from every state will win a Golden Ticket to the State’s Zonal crowning ceremony which will be held in Bangalore (South Zone) on 24thFebruary 2019, Delhi (North Zone) on 06TH March, 2019, Pune (West Zone) on 02nd April, 2019 and Kolkata (East Zone) on 23rd April, 2019. Each state winner will make it to Grand Finale which will be held in June.

But before that they will undergo rigorous training from the best in the industry. The gorgeous Neha Dhupia and Dia Mirza will mentor the girls; East and West Zone will be handled by Neha and while Dia will take charge of the North and South Zone.

Dia Mirza – (South Zone & North Zone) Commenting on the same, “Miss India created a paradigm shift in my life and I hope the same for these girls too. The legacy of Miss India is extra ordinary, I will give my best from my end to girls to achieve their dreams and discover themselves. I’m sure Miss India will be a turning point to all the contestants”

Neha Dhupia – (East Zone & West Zone) Commenting on the same, “I started my journey with Miss India and since then it has been a never-ending relationship with the pageant. Every year I see a fresh lot of ambitious and enthusiastic girls with the dream to win the Miss India and make India proud at the prestigious Miss world. I’m looking forward to have Manushi’s successor this year.”

With Six Miss Worlds who have made India proud by marking their presence on the globe- ReitaFaria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), YuktaMookhey (1999), Priyanka Chopra (2000) and Manushi Chhillar Miss World 2017, who brought the coveted crown back home after 17 years- the hunt for the new crown bearer has now begun.

The new format will permit you to audition ONLY if you belong to the audition states as mentioned above with a valid document to verify the same:

Criteria’s of the state auditions as stated below:

Birth state: The State mentioned on her Birth certificate

Current state: The State where she is currently studying or is employed in or is a resident of.

Native State: The State where both or at least one of her parent is residing /studying/ employed or born in.

Please note the participation criteria for any girl includes:

Height criteria – 5’5” and above.

Age – 18 – 25 (25 as per 31st Dec 2019).

Age 26 & 27 are eligible for the runner up position only

OCI card holders are also eligible for runner up positions.

“We are ecstatic to be the title sponsors of the pageant sixth year in a row. This association strategically complements with fbb’s brand objective of making India more stylish with the desire to democratise fashion.”- Rajesh Seth, COO, fbb, Future Group.

Talking about this partnership, Nina ElaviaJaipuria, Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment & Kids TV Network, Viacom18 said, “Its a triumphant moment for us every time we see a fbb COLORS Miss India contestant making it big globally. Over the years we have set the bar high in empowering women to believe in themselves and to make a mark in the world. Once again as we open the doors of this platform for the young aspirants, I would like to urge more and more parents to support their daughters’ dreams as they dazzle with their confidence, intellect and personality.”

“2017 saw Miss Haryana Manushi Chhillar winning the fbb Colors Miss India pageant and she went forth to win the coveted Miss World Title for India after 17 years. Region to Nation to World has been a seamless journey for Manushi with the Miss India platform. With the Introduction of a new format wherein state pageant winners compete for the national title has helped Miss India permeate to smaller towns across India, helping Young women re-write their destiny. We at Miss India infused our Nations rich Cultural and Social diversity which gave the event a fillip in terms of reach and participation.  With partners like fbb, Colors, and Femina, we know that Miss India Crown will surely be within reach of a deserving contestant from across our Country. Looking forward to a great 2019” – Rohit Gopakumar, COO, Miss India Organization.

The finalists of fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2019 will undergo rigorous training and grooming sessions from the best experts in the industry before the Grand Finale in June which will be aired on Colors.

With a dynamic and holistic approach towards coaching all the finalists, apart from the fame & glory the winners stand to chance to win prize in cash & kind to a crore and above.

So what are you waiting for? Apply now. Log on to www.missindia.in and mail your pictures and profiles to missindiaorganization@gmail.com

Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/feminamissindia/

Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/feminamissindia

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/missindiaorg/

Watch out for #MissIndiaTheDream

The Grand Finale will be a ticketed event. Tickets will be available shortly on www.bookmyshow.com

About Miss India Organization: Miss India Organization is the most sought after glamorous beauty pageant in the country that turns dreams into reality. It is a property with a mass appeal as millions worldwide gear up to watch India’s next representative at the global platform. It is the search of the perfect woman with beauty, poise, elegance and intelligence to represent India at Miss World. It is a platform that has won many accolades for the country on the international arena and the past winners such as Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Diya Mirza, Manushi Chhillar who have made India proud at international circles.

About fbb: fbb,Fashion hub of India has been the face of affordable fashion destinations in India since 2008. With a mission to make India Thodaaur stylish, its philosophy reinstates the fact that it doesn’t cost much to be stylish with fbb. It believes in aspirational value fashion. From business meeting to casual resort wear, from versatile ethnics to comfortable home wear, fbb creates exclusive merchandise for its audience under it’s own private labels. With a wide variety to choose from, fbb has something in store for everyone.fbb targets a youthful audience in India that wishes to stay synonymous with current trends. The brand spreads across all the metro cities, mini metros and also penetrates well in tier II cities.

About ‘COLORS’: ‘‘COLORS’ is Viacom18’s flagship brand in the entertainment space in India. A combination of ‘emotions’ and ‘variety’, COLORS, launched on 21st July 2008, offers an entire spectrum of emotions to its viewers. From Fiction Shows to Format shows to Reality shows to Blockbuster Movies – the basket contains all ‘JazbaatKeRang’.‘COLORS’ is dedicated to promoting ‘Cohesive viewing’, through programmes like Internet Wala Love, Udann, Ishq Mein Marjawan, Shakti…AstitvaKeEhsaasKii, KesariNandan, RoopMardKaNayaSwaroop, VishYaAmrit – Sitaara : EkVishkanya Ki Kahani, Tantra Khatron KeKhiladi, Bigg Boss, Rising Star, Dance Deewane, India’s Got Talent and Gathbandhan amongst others..

About Viacom18 : Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India’s fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of TV18, which owns 51%, and Viacom Inc., with a 49% stake, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.

We need to return to Gandhian art of dialogue

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Hop in for a free ride with

The nation will, on January 30, observe Mahatma Gandhis death anniversary. This is also the year that we are celebrating Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. We should remember that the greatest apostle of peace lost his life in trying to bring different groups together.

All his life, Gandhi tried to bring people of different communities together because he believed in inclusive growth and development; something that was possible only when everybody worked for the common good.

Why have we lost this art of dialogue and the ability of taking all the people together? Gandhi’s example holds the mirror to present leadership.

During the freedom struggle, there was a diversity of opinions and paths on how to get independence. There were militant elements led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai; then there were the divisions created by the British between Hindus, Muslims, scheduled class and others; together with this were fringe elements of the RSS and finally, there was the direct attack by Subhas Chandra Bose.

Yet, Gandhi never gave up the path of dialogue and always explained in great detail the reasons for taking a particular path and his actions. He gave a spiritual tone to the freedom struggle and generally kept the dialogue with different factions at a high moral level.

Gandhi gave Indians confidence in themselves; that they were equal to the British and showed that we can defeat the greatest power of the world through peaceful means.

The economic situation during the freedom struggle was really grim. Yet Gandhi’s higher calling brought the people together and gave them a sense of doing something wonderful with their lives and achieving the impossible. Thus, the richest industrialists like Tata, Birla, Bajaj, etc. took very active part in the freedom struggle.

Today the situation is different. We are economically well-off and increased exposure through mass media and internet has resulted in raising the aspirations of our population manifold.

With problems of not achieving the aspirations of the huge population, there are daily struggles in their lives which bring in frustrations. When conditions are created by political parties to instigate them and appeal to their baser instincts, as happens daily, it provides a spark to make any situation explosive. The general strife that we see and read about daily is the result of these frustrations.

In a pluralistic society like India, with 26 different languages, many cultures and religions and a huge population, divergent issues exist in every walk of life. It is all the more necessary that the political leadership should diffuse these issues and inspire and unite us to fight poverty, blind faith and general ignorance rather than each other.

It has been shown the world over that human beings react very positively to the call for a higher purpose in life and with proper dialogue, they are capable of making sincere and honest decisions. This is how Gandhi inspired the freedom movement.

What is, therefore, needed at this juncture is that a good political leadership provides a balm to the frayed nerves by showing the path where every section of the society can take part in nation building.

However, when the whole purpose of present political parties is to win the next election and remain in power rather than taking the nation on the path of general development and well-being of its population, then it is difficult for them to provide leadership and the Gandhian balm.

So, like the Gandhian way, what we need is that each of us becomes the agent of change. We can do it by working to our best capability and in doing our work honestly. This single thing can throw up good leaders and help in creating a great and prosperous country.

All of us are part of this great country. We are born and raised in India and may have different points of view or religions or ways of life but all of us want to live in a holistic, emotionally satisfying and economically viable India.

That was Gandhi’s dream. So, let us all remember him and try to follow his path of taking everybody together and his appeal to higher emotions in all of us so that we show love and peace for our fellow countrymen.

ASI suspended for Manhandling Women in Bengaluru.

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Caught On Camera,Erring ASI of Kumarswamy layout police Station suspended for Manhandling Women in Bengaluru. 
* Cops thrashed women in police station. 
* High Drama in Police Station.

In a shocking incident, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Kumaraswamy layout Police station assaulted a woman complainant who had approached the police station to file a case regarding family dispute.
An Assistant Sub Inspector identified as Renukaiah attached to Kumaraswamy Layout police station was suspended for allegedly assaulting a woman who had come to the station with a complaint related to family feud.
The ASI who misbehaved with the women is identified as Renukaiah.
It is learnt that two women had approached the police to file a case regarding a family dispute.Instead of helping the women with regard to the case ASI Renukaiah manhandled and shoved the duo away.
The allegedly incident took place on January 19 when the woman, Saraswati, had gone to the police station in order to settle a family dispute that involved her daughter. Following an altercation, two police officers were seen assaulting the woman, one of whom (an assistant sub-inspector) was caught striking the woman across her face and forcibly pushing her out of the station.The police officers have been severely condemned for their actions by people after the video went viral across social media.

The complainant married against her family’s wish and she landed in the police station seeking help from the cops. A heated argument broke out between the cops and the complainant’s mother when they took the complainant’s side.The mother asked the policeman not to interfere in their family matter and even threatened the police officials claiming that she would set herself on fire and commit suicide in front of the police station.

Enraged by the woman’s comments, Renukaiah began to slap the woman and pushed her out of the police station. He also warned her not to create nuisance in the police station.
Senior police officer told media persons,that an ASI,Assistant sub-inspector attached to Kumaraswamy Layout police station identified as Renukaiah has been suspended for manhandling a women when she approached them to complaint we condemen this type of behavior by the cops to the public we will take an Exemplary action against the erring cops and the alleged incident took place on 19th January and the video has gone viral on various social media platform it is alleged that the ASI Renukaiah had asked one of the constables to record the incident.

The constable leaked the edited video on social media following a tiff with the ASI over assignment of duty,Taking the issue very seriously and strong exception,DCP south K.Annamalai after collecting information about the incident has suspended both the ASI and the constable,with immediate effect and ordered an ACP level officer to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident has led that the 18-year-old girl from Chittoor,who was a victim of child marriage,had run away from home after alleged harassment by her in-laws and her mother.

The girl had landed in Bengaluru and started working in a hotel.She had been married off to her uncle when she was minor, and received no help from her mother despite facing harassment by her husband the mother of the girl,reached the hotel on Sunday and, along with her relatives,and tried to take the girl home. The owner of the hotel alerted the police, who rushed to the hotel and took the girl and her mother to the station for an inquiry.At the station,the girl narrated her ordeal and told the police that,as she had turned 18, she was free to take her own decisions and did not want to go back to her mother.Tarakeshwari allegedly created a ruckus and assaulted the daughter in the station.ASI Renukaiah,who was the station in-charge,allegedly manhandled her and pushed her and others out of the station.

Renukaiah had asked a constable on duty to record the proceedings.On Sunday, the constable uploaded an edited version of the video on social media, a senior police officer said.
We condemen the incident :DCP South,K.Annamalai,
Addressing the media DCP,South,K.Annamalai,told that the Video of an Assistant Sub-inspector beating up public has gone viral we are not defending the cops action.We condemn this and have taken necessary action against the erring cops and he has been suspended.On January 19th cops received a complaint from a woman.She was working at a private hotel and called cops to rescue her alleging that she was being kidnapped.When we questioned her we found out that she got married to his relative only at the age of 11 and that she hails from Andhra Pradesh complainants mother forcefully tried to take her back home.Family members of the complainant forcefully tried to take her back home.That’s when the cops had to intervene and stop them.Things went out of control and cops assaulted complainants mother.Cops lost their patience during enquiry they have indeed done a great job by rescuing her and informing their Andhra Pradesh counterparts.The cops have even spoken to complainants parents in the last minute cops became impatient and assaulted women we are enquiring into the case and a exemplary action will be taken against the erring officer he added.

Tharakeshwari,Complainant told media persons that,My friend and I were returning home after work.That’s when our family members tried to kidnap us they had covered their faces and tried to push us into a car and kidnap us.We screamed for help and a few auto rickshaw drivers tried to help us.They questioned my family members as to why they’re forcefully taking us.By then my hotel manager arrived and we called the cops she added.

Nagalakshmi Bai,President,state women’s commission who visited the police station to collect stock of the situation she said there are certain situations where the cops must take tough decisions but we condemn the way the cops handled the women.We have field a complaint over this incident in such situations women constables should have intervened it is inappropriate for the men to handle women in this manner she added.

The BJP in Karnataka took to Twitter to highlight the incident and accused the officers of resorting to hooliganism. The party, in a tweet, also referenced former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following the incident in Mysuru in which he misbehaved with a woman party worker.

Karan Johar emotional to walk ramp at Royal Opera House

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[Nasheman news] Mumbai For filmmaker Karan Johar, walking the ramp at the Royal Opera House here brought back a flurry of childhood memories.

Karan was one of the star showstoppers apart from Tabu for designer Gaurav Gupta’s opening show for the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2019 at the iconic venue, which continues to hold significance in the cultural fabric of contemporary Mumbai.

After the show here on Tuesday night, he said: “This is very emotional moment for me. I have so many memories of watching movies in this particular space. Royal Opera House is where I have come as a child several times, watched movies, and I can’t believe that this has now transformed into this hugely iconic space.

“Just walking the ramp in this particular place makes me feel like life is completing an entire circle.”

While talking about life in circles and orbiting things that are beautiful, Karan said these things make him think of Gupta. whose work, he feels, comes with an edge.

On walking the ramp, the filmmaker who was dressed in black with a red embellished blazer adding spunk to the look.

“When I heard Tabu was opening the show, it was kind of a given that I will be here because Tabu and I go a long way back and I do believe in what Gaurav said that she is truly one of the country’s best actors — versatile like Gaurav’s garments, adaptive like Gaurav’s garments and timeless like Gaurav’s garments,” said Karan, who was recently in Davos for the World Economic Forum.

300mn people’s promotion to winter sports already works: IOC chief

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[Nasheman news] Beijing Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), gave thumps-up to China’s vision of promoting 300 million people to winter sports and said he is very sure about the success of the Games during a visit to Beijing 2022 competition zones here on Tuesday.

“We can see the great progress, but what is even more important is we can see the plan raised by Chinese President Xi Jinping to make 300 million people familiar with winter sports obviously already works,” Bach told Xinhua after visiting the Zhangjiakou and Yanqing competition zones.

“We have met many children who love winter sports. We have seen athletes practicing winter sports. We have seen the halfpipe and other slopes which are already hosting the World Cups. The progress is really impressive,” he added.

Beijing 2022’s vision of giving 300 million people in China access to winter sports has already been visible. According to official statistics, by October 2018, more than 800 ski facilities have been built and about 50 million Chinese citizens have skied for at least once, influencing about 150 million to participate in winter sports directly or indirectly.

Beijing 2022 will utilise 24 competition and non-competition venues located in three competition clusters of downtown Beijing, Yanqing district and Zhangjiakou of Hebei province.

During the visit, Bach first went to the Zhangjiakou competition zone, which is located in Chongli district, about four hours’ drive from the capital. With a total of eight competition and non-competition venues, the zone will host two sports, six disciplines and 51 medal events.

All of the venue construction in the zone has started. Bach was impressed with the design concept of the National Ski Jumping Center, the venue for ski jumping and Nordic combined. 

At the Genting Snow Park, home to competitions of freestyle skiing and snowboarding, Bach interacted with Chinese snowboarders training at the halfpipe of Genting, among whom Li Fanghui just won bronze medal at the snowboard halfpipe World Cup held here last December.

Bach gave Li a pin of the Olympic rings and said, “I wish you good luck in 2020. When I get this (pin) back, I hope to give you a gold medal instead.” Li replied by saying she will do her best to win a gold medal in Beijing 2022.

Bach then visited Yanqing Zone of Beijing, which is situated in the mountainous area of Xiaohaituo Mountain. It has a total of three competition and non-competition venues.

A series of environmental protection measures have been carried out before and during the construction in Yanqing in a bid to deliver a “Green Olympics”. The venue construction includes the transplanting of trees in the mountains above 800 meters above sea level. 

To better protect the trees, experts from Beijing Forestry University conducted an ecological background survey on this area and worked out a protective transplant plan.

At the National Alpine Ski Center and National Sliding Center deep into the mountain, Bach encouraged engineers and builders to create architectures of its era.

“The organizing committee is doing excellent work. We see very thorough and detailed planning. We see all the schedules are respected so far. It’s the Chinese way. We are really very sure about the completion of the work at the right time and also the success of the Olympic Games,” Bach said.

Temperatures rise across Himachal, snow likely

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[Nasheman news] ShimlaThe hills of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday saw a marginal rise in temperatures due to a dry spell, but the Met has forecast rain and snowfall over the next two days till Friday.

“There are chances of rainfall and snow till February 1,” Meteorological Office Director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

He said the western disturbances — storm systems originating from Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region — would be active in the region.

Most of the prominent tourist towns like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Manali and Dalhousie — located in mid-hills — might see snowfall, he added.

Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 14 degrees Celsius against Tuesday’s minus 16.2 degrees.

The state capital recorded a minimum at 2.2 degrees. It saw a rise of 1.4 degrees from Tuesday.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded a low of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, while it was minus 2.4 degrees in Manali, 3.4 degrees in Kufri, 1.3 degrees in Dalhousie and 2.2 degrees in Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama lives.

Gandhi remembered on his death anniversary

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[NASHEMAN NEWS] New Delhi President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid their tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary.

“On Martyrs’ Day, we gratefully remember Mahatma Gandhi and the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed their all for our Independence,” the President tweeted. 

Modi said: “We reiterate our commitment to follow the path shown by him and abide by the values he stood for. 

“We salute all the martyrs who laid down their lives for India. The country remains eternally grateful to them for their service and sacrifice.” 

Sharing a quote by the Father of the Nation, Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to the leader of the Indian independence movement, who was assassinated on this day. 

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its weak and vulnerable members are treated,” Gandhi tweeted. 

Besides, Chief Ministers of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee also paid homage to Gandhi. 

“Let us not forget the fact that it is the hatred bred by the fundamentalist ideology of Sangh that took away Bapu. Let us also not forget the fact that it is the same ideology that is staring at us with its ugliest face yet, now,” Kejriwal tweeted. 

India’s largest financial scam, Rs 1 lakh crore of public money lent to DHFL

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In what appears to be the biggest financial scam in Indian history, the primary promoters of DHFL have been found to have siphoned off more than Rs. 31,000 crore of public money. The scam has primarily been carried out through grants of loans and advances to shell companies and by using other means. Money has also been routed through these dubious companies and parked outside India, to acquire assets. Cobrapost has unearthed the scam by closely analyzing documents available with public authorities and information available in public domain.

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan happens to be the brand ambassador of this group.

The biggest victim of this alleged scam, according to Cobrapost, are Indian banks that are already reeling under enormous stress due to scams hitting the PNB, AXIS BANK and ICICI.

As illustrated in the table, together these banks have a cumulative liability of a whopping Rs 96,880 crore. These are mostly public sector banks with the exception of Kotak, ICICI, HDFC and Axis. Loans issued by the State Bank of India amounts to Rs 11,650 crore, while Bank of Baroda and Bank India loaned more than Rs 4,000 crores each.

Today’s revelation comes just days after the federal probe agency CBI booked former CEO and MD of ICICI, Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Venugopal Dhoot, the promoter of Videocon along with several other big names from the banking industry in connection with a Rs 3,250 crore scam.

The anatomy of the scam, as highlighted by Cobrapost, has repercussions for the larger financial system in India. As an industry practice, loans are advanced to companies and are secured by not only the properties of the borrowers company but also by personal guaranty of the promoters of the companies.

By lending to shell companies without due diligence, the DHFL has ensured that the recovery of such dubious loans is impossible since the companies or their directors themselves do not own any assets.This way the properties/private wealth acquired by the Wadhawans and their associates by using the funds from these dubious loans are completely ring-fenced from any recovery process.

Another highlight of today’s expose by Cobrapost is the donation made by a group of companies belonging to DHFL to the ruling BJP. In total, companies owned by the DHFL have donated Rs 19.6 crore to the BJP. One of the subsidiaries, RK Developers, had hidden their donation of Rs 9.93 crore made to the BJP in their balance sheet.

The role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come under a huge scanner after his close friends Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi fled India by defaulting the PNB worth over Rs 5,000 crore of loans. The opposition Congress has been causing grief to the ruling BJP and PM Modi for his alleged complicity in aiding Nirav Modi and Choksi to commit the large scale scam.

With the Lok Sabha elections scheduled in less than two months time, this expose is bound to have serious ramifications on the political discourse. It remains to be seen if the government will act with a lookout notice against the Wadhawans before they also leave India just like Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi did.

Courtesy : Cobrapost Exposes

Nepal’s Chhaupadi Tradition

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The Practice Of Exiling Menstruating Women & Girls From Their Homes & 0ften To A Cow Shed

 By: Husna Rizwan 

The tragic recent deaths of a mother & her 2 sons in a Chhaupadi hut in Nepal has again brought the issue of this exclusionary practice to the forefront of international human rights & media attention. 

 Despite being illegal, Chhaupadi, the practice of exiling menstruating women & girls from their home, often to a cow shed – is still practised in some areas of Western Nepal. Chhaupadi is an extreme example of the stigmas & the restrictions around menstruation that exist not only in Nepal, but also globally. 

The recent protests at the Sabarimala temple in India, in which women of menstruating age are not allowed to enter the temple, are another example of menstrual pollution beliefs. The image of menstruating women & girls being forced to leave their homes & be confined to a cow shed dominates the media coverage of the issue in Nepal.

 But this view over simplifies what is a much more complex issue. Chhaupadi is not only limited to the physical practice of sleeping in a shed, it goes beyond this to include deeply rooted cultural beliefs about impurity, which sees women & girls as inferior & often lead girls to internalise these feelings. Girls are told they are impure from a young age, which can have a damaging effect on their psyche & sense of self -worth. 

Many NGO’s & activists are destroying the sheds & the Nepalese Government has introduced new penalties & sanctions, such as removing state food support & other service. While this might seem like a welcome move, in some areas there are reports that this can make it more dangerous for women & girls as instead they sleep outside in the caves or the jungle without even a shelter or a mosquito net.

 These practices are deeply ingrained in the culture & even the society. So many women may leave their homes despite sanctions for fear of bringing harm if they don’t. 

Tham Maya Thapa, Nepal’s minister for women, children & senior citizens, believes it will take time to end the rituals of the Chhaupadi, as this is a custom that has been deeply entrenched in a Nepalese society for 100’s of years.

Nepal is an exceptionally diverse country of 125 ethnic groups. To tackle Chhaupadi, a nuanced understanding of how menstrual practices & beliefs differ amongst varied religious & ethnic backgrounds is required. Although the tradition of Chhaupadi hits the headlines, there is no one all -encompassing single narrative on menstruation in Nepal.

A research on gender education & gender – based violence in Nepal over the past 2 & a half decades has been going on & they are working on a project on the origins of menstrual beliefs & practices which explores the diverse range of the beliefs, the practices & the historical & the cultural roots which underpin menstrual health customs in all the 7 provinces of Nepal. 

They are working with the local organisations & the activists such as Radha Paudel, to challenge menstrual stigma, as a deeper understanding of the diverse menstrual practices beyond the Chhaupadi is needed to do so. Their previous research has highlighted a range of the stigmas & the restrictions, such as not being able to visit the temple & even to participate in religious ceremonies, as well as being forbidden to look in mirrors, cook, or have any contact even with the men. Because while Chhaupadi is a serious human rights issue, other issues of gender – based violence, such as thesexual violence & even the domestic abuse do not get the same widespread media coverage that it really deserves.

 A range of the academics & also the activists are challenging even the media representation with their photography, their films & also their art which empowers the so called women & even the so called girls to speak out about their experiences. These can be powerful tools, ensuring that the voices of the women & the girls are heard & highlighting that the women & the girls can be the most active agents of change, rather than simply the passive victims of oppression. 

Collaboration with local communities & partners is a key to the changing attitudes & this can be done using participatory & creative methods. For example, a team of experts from the University of Pittsburgh in partnership with the Nepal Fertility Care centre used collaborative filmmaking to include girls in the conversation around menstruation.

 The girls who made the film have gone on to be advocates for change & are challenging menstrual stigmas & taboos in their community. Bringing them to Kathmandu increased the confidence of the girls & engaged policy makers, Government ministers & NGO’s. The film received an international audience at the Kathmandu Film Fest as well as media coverage.

 Meanwhile, the  MenstruAction conference in Kathmandu in Dec, 2018 brought together local expertise working towards challenging stigmas & restrictions thereby enabling & empowering women to realise their sexual & reproductive rights & their basic right to be free from harm & discrimination. 

The Government ministries need to engage in these events & work together with grassroots activists to promote change. Complex problems require complex solutions. Menstruation is often framed as a “health & hygiene” issue, but a range of actors are needed to bring about a long – term change. The media have a role to play in raising awareness, but they must be careful not to sensationalise the issue & to also listen to & report, the voices of activists & change makers in the community.

Only when we put women & girls & their voices at the centre of research, policies & interventions, can we truly understand the nuanced nature of the deeply embedded practice of Chhaupadi.

In conclusion one would also like to point out that the similar practise of menstruation stigma between women & girls has been prevalent & eradicated in most part of Indian villages for centuries but unfortunately it has come to the light like Nepal even now it is prevalent in some parts of India & a positive steps should now be taken firmly to finally eradicate this age old practice forever no matter wherever it is still prevalent in India. This taboo should be removed as now women empowerment is gaining momentum as women & girls certainly & definitely deserve equal rights as compared to their male counterparts.      

Tennis: Prajnesh, Ankita achieve career-best rankings

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Nasheman News :Indian tennis players Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ankita Raina on Monday achieved their career-best rankings of 102 and 168 respectively.

Prajnesh jumped seven places to be at 102 while Ankita vaulted 35 places to sit at 168.

Women’s singles player Karman Kaur Thandi dropped five places to 210.

In the ATP list, Ramkumar Ramanathan dropped two places to 133 while Saketh Myneni also dropped four places to 260.

In the doubles, veteran player Rohan Bopanna (37) and Divij Sharan (40) dropped three places, and Leander Paes dropped 19 places to be at 78.

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