Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for Nasheman

New ticket system for Taj Mahal to reduce human impact

by

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Monday enforced a new ticketing system for the Taj Mahal, aimed at reducing increasing human impact on the fragile 17th century white marble marvel.

Vasant Kumar Swarnkaar, the ASI chief in Agra, said the new ticketing system came into effect from Monday morning.

According to the ASI, visitors will now have to shell out an extra Rs 200 to enter the main mausoleum with the graves of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Domestic tourists were initially paying only Rs 50 only.

Foreign visitors will also need to buy the Rs 200 ticket in addition to the Rs 1,100 entrance fee.

The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute had originally suggested two tickets, to help reduce the number of visitors to the main structure.

The tourism industry has not appreciated the increase, fearing this step could hit arrivals.

 

IANS

Renowned historian Mushirul Hasan passes away

by

 Renowned historian Mushirul Hasan, a former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, died on Monday. He was 71.

Hasan, who was also a former Director General of the National Archives of India, wrote extensively on the 1947 partition of India.

He served as Pro Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia between 1992 and 1996 and headed the institution between 2004 and 2009.

Hasan’s ‘Namaz-e-Janaza’ was performed at Babul Ilm and Jamia Mosque. The burial will take place at the Jamia graveyard.

Condoling his death, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said his work would continue to shape the nation’s consciousness.

“A historian, a teacher, a Vice Chancellor, an archivist: Mushirul Hasan blended all fine qualities of our syncretic culture and scholarship. His work and his books continue to shape our consciousness. Condolences to Zoya Hasan (wife) and others in his family,” he tweeted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote on Twitter: “Shocked to know about the sad demise of noted scholar and writer Mushirul Hasanji. His contribution to Jamia Millia Islamia will always be remembered.”

IANS

Modi’s PRO Jagdish Thakkar passes away

by

 Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the Prime Minister’s Office Jagdish Thakkar died here on Monday due to prolonged illness. He was 72.

He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in September and passed away on Monday around 5 a.m., a hospital official said.

After his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to the AIIMS where he spent some time with Thakkar’s family.

Expressing sadness on his death, Modi said he was known for his simplicity and warm-hearted nature.

“Extremely saddened by the demise of Shri Jagdish Thakkar, the PRO in the PMO. Jagdishbhai was a veteran journalist and I had the pleasure of working with him for years, both in Gujarat and in Delhi. He was known for his simplicity and warm-hearted nature,” he said in a tweet.

“Several journalists would have regularly interacted with Jagdishbhai over the years. He had previously served with many Chief Ministers of Gujarat. We have lost a wonderful person, who loved his work and did it with utmost diligence. Condolences to his family and well wishers,” Modi added.

IANS

HC seeks response on plea seeking women’s entry into Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

by

 The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre and the Delhi government to respond to a plea seeking directions to allow the entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah.

The court was hearing a plea seeking directions for framing of guidelines to ensure the entry of women and declare the act of prohibiting women to enter as unconstitutional.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Kameswar Rao asked the Ministries of Home Affairs, Law and Justice, the Delhi government, Delhi Police and Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Trust to file the response and listed the matter for further hearing to April 11, 2019.

The plea was filed by Deeba Faryal and other female law students of the Balaji Law College, Pune, who are presently in Delhi for their internship.

The petitioners, in the plea, stated that they had gone to visit the Dargah but they were prohibited from entering the sanctum sanctorum.

“They (law students) found out that women are not allowed inside the main Darghah or the sanctum sanctorum. All the women were allowed to do was to watch from outside how men were praying inside,” said the plea filed by advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra.

“While the entire nation is professing and advocating the entry of women in all religious institutions without any discrimination and the same having been further allowed and promoted by the Supreme Court in the recent Sabarimala judgement, women in the heart of the country and the centre of the capital are being discriminated. Their entry into the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin is prohibited when it is just 15 minutes away from the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court,” read the plea.

The plea has also sought the removal of signs and display boards inside or near the Dargah displaying prohibition of entry of women.

Morocco rescues 72 illegal immigrants in Mediterranean

by

 Morocco’s navy coast guards have rescued 72 illegal immigrants in the Mediterranean, the Moroccan Army said.

The rescued included 53 sub-Saharan Africans and 19 Asians, Xinhua quoted the Moroccan Army as saying on Saturday.

The migrants, among them women and children, were brought safely to the port of Nador, the army said.

Morocco has witnessed a significant hike in illegal immigration attempts in 2018.

According to the Moroccan Interior Ministry, the authorities have foiled over 76,000 illegal immigration attempts between January and November 2018.

IANS

Assam tea body slams ‘chaiwala’ Modi

by

 The largest tea body of Assam on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often refer to himself as a “chaiwala”, for not being considerate towards the state’s tea garden workers’ plight and urged him to implement the promised minimum wage of Rs 350 before the new year starts.

The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) General Secretary Rupesh Gowala said while Modi often refers to himself as a “chaiwala”, he is yet make good on his promises towards a million tea garden labourers in the state in the last four years.

“Before the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, Modi addressed several rallies in Assam and assured that the tea garden labourers would be paid a minimum wage of Rs 350 per day,” Gowala said.

“If this happens, the 10,00,000 tea garden labourers will lose Rs 30 each day for two months. Is it a “chaiwala” Prime Minister who is doing this to his own community?” said Gowala.

The tea garden workers in Brahmaputra Valley in Assam are presently drawing Rs 167 per day while the tea garden workers in Barak Valley are getting Rs 145 per day.

“The existing wage agreement between the Assam government and the ACMS and other tea workers bodies expired on December 31, 2017.

“The government had announced an interim hike of Rs 30 per day. The tea garden labourers are supposed to get this interim hike from January 1, 2018, but the government is saying the hike will apply from March 1, 2018.

“This would make them lose Rs 30 per day for two months,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Assam is yet to fix that minimum wage, Gowala said, urging Modi to announce the promised Rs 350 per day minimum wage before 2019.

Gowala said the condition of all those tea gardens run by the Assam government was far worse.

“While the labourers in company-owned garden are receiving a wage of Rs. 167 per day now, the 26,000 workers under the 14 gardens of state-owned Assam Tea Company Limited (ATCL) are receiving a wage of Rs 115 only per day,” he said.

Assam has over 800 medium and large size tea gardens that produces over 50 per cent of the country’s total tea produce.

The tea labourers of Assam live in the most deplorable conditions without some of the basic amenities, Gowala said.

IANS

Congress threatening probe agency officers: BJP

by

A day after the Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing investigating agencies, the BJP hit back saying the Congress was threatening probe officers and that there will be action against the corrupt, irrespective of which powerful family they belonged to.

Addressing a press conference here, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shahnawaz Hussain said the Congress was questioning the credibility of investigating agencies and threatening their officers because action was being taken against Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

His remarks come after the Congress stepped up its attack on the Modi government over the searches at the premises of people linked to Vadra. It alleged that actions by investigative agencies were being carried out on opposition leaders at the behest of the Prime Minister.

“Our agencies do not see how powerful a person is or which powerful family he belongs to. People from powerful families used to think there won’t be action against them no matter what they do. But based on evidence, the action has happened and will continue to happen,” Hussain said.

“Since there has been action against Robert Vadra and his company, the Congress leaders are now raising questions and threatening investigative agencies and their officers saying ‘desh ka mausam badal raha hai’ (the wind is changing).

“They should know that the wind is not changing but the nation is changing. Now there is no place in this nation for the corrupt. If anyone indulges in corruption, there will be action against them,” he said.

Hussain said the Congress party had no argument left and was making allegations against the BJP government to hide its failures.

He said the Congress would never come back to power.

“They can’t even wait for the (December 11) results and are already threatening officers. We will win Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan. We worked at the ground level and are confident of forming the government with clear majority.”

Asked if the government would pass an ordinance to build the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he said the larger ‘janbhavana’ (public sentiment) was that it should be built at the earliest.

“And governments respect the public sentiment… We believe it should not be delayed and that in a democracy, the country should respect the public sentiment,” Hussain said.

IANS

Rahul writes to Congress CMs for passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in winter session

by

 Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has written to Congress/alliance governments in the states to have a resolution passed in their respective assemblies seeking one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

“In order to reaffirm our support for the passage of the Bill, it would be expedient for the state assembly to pass a resolution calling for the reservation of one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies for women, in the next session,” Gandhi said in the letter written to Congress and its allied chief ministers.

Pointing out that India ranks 148 out of 193 countries in terms of the percentage of women in Parliament, Gandhi said the situation was “even worse in state Assemblies”.

“The lack of adequate representation of women in our polity undermines our democracy and perpetuates existing systemic injustices. Women in institutions of local self-governance have not only been effective leaders, but also challenged traditional gender roles that curtailed their participation in public life,” said Gandhi in his December 6 letter.

The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.

Besides Gandhi, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik, too, on Thursday had written to all chief ministers seeking their support to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women.

IANS

SAY NO TO DRUGS : A BIKE RALLY TO CREATE AWARENESS ON DRUGS

by

By : Husna Rizwan
 A bike rally for bringing in awareness among the youth and general masses against drug addiction was taken out from Jayanagar to Ferns Estates in Boyahalli on Airport Road. The event was well received by Namma Bengalureans.NEWS9
550 Bikers and more were active participants and audience count was nearly 1000 people. #SayNoToDrugs was the Events focus.
Bikers are using their mobility and clout to spread such messages wherever they ride. Ashish Singh, founder of Indian Royal Cruisers, Bangalore was the man behind the scenes. His is the last picture. Man on the right.
Keynote speakers at this event were Dr. Sangeeta Saksena of Enfold India She spoke on the empowering that Biker groups can do. How the High can be experienced by riding a bike and get lifes thrills that way.
Dr. Jayant Mahdevan an expert on drug addiction in Bangalore spoke on how to look out for the vulnerable children an others in society who can be easy preys for drug addiction
Major Bhavana, retd. of Yoddha spoke of how all of us can benefit from self defence classes and why it is something that should be taught across all schools…Yoddha Self-Defence
Gitanjali Gupta. Head CSR & Advocacy of EnfoldIndia spoke on women empowerment and propagated the download of the Stri Suraksha app. ..in 11 languages. Free. For Android phones. Made with collaboration with Unicef and C.Dac, Hyderabad. The app is quite unique. This is not an emergency app. Its an app that provides you comprehensive education on how to take necessary steps to protect yourself with knowledge of Indian Penal Codes, critically defining paragraphs that inform you with legalese on your rights and laws; provide you with clarity on what trauma you have undergone and how to take issues up further with police till end stage. Its a wonderful handy books of legal knowledge & resources on how to help yourself in times of distress.

First-ever non-partisan national event to improve women’s representation in politics

by

Representatives from the BJP, INC, JD(S), and CPM come together to work towards common goal

BY : Husna Rizwan

In a day-long event at Hotel Chalukya, women politicians, political aspirants, mediapersons and political researchers came together to discuss the way forward for women in the 2019 General Elections.

Hosted by Shakti – a group of non-partisan women who have joined hands with the long-term goal of enabling more women to get elected as MLAs and MPs across parties, the event included a keynote speech, panel discussions, and interactions between women across political affiliations. Apart from speakers on the panels, the event was attended by guests like Irom Sharmila, anti-AFSPA activist and founder of the political party Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance, and Leeladevi R. Prasad, former MLA, Karnataka minister and Rajya Sabha MP with a political career spanning 60 years.

Leeladevi R. Prasad unveiled the logo for Shakti along with four women sarpanches from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu who were invited as speakers for a panel discussion.

 

Tara Krishnaswamy, convener of the Bengaluru event, welcomed the gathering and pointed out that this was the first non-partisan national convention of women interested in politics in India, making history. “We are here because we have only 9 percent women MLAs and 11 percent women MPs. We have plenty of evidence to show that women are interested in politics.Voters want women. The question is are we willing to give that to them?”

In her keynote speech, Srilatha Batliwala – author, activist and Director of Knowledge Building and Feminist Leadership at CREA – spoke about the myths that surround women in politics, including that they are not interested in politics, that they are not competent and need “capacity building”, and that women politicians are more corrupt and autocratic. She also talked about the political structures that keep women out, and suggest ways to break through them: Recognising the existing of hidden power dynamics; mobilising other women to confront these dynamics; collectively building parallel processes like nari gram sabhas, nari adalats, or groups like Shakti, and to resist playing by the rules set by men.

Panel 1: Why are there so few MPs and MLAs?

 Panelists: PA Devi, cultural activist from Telangana, C Motamma, Vice President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Kavitha Reddy, Congress Spokesperson

Surabhi Hodigere, political entrepreneur and writer,Shahina KK journalist with OPEN Magazine

Vasanthi Hariprakash journalist (moderator)

 C Motamma: “Everybody knows we are in a male-dominated society. Even politically, women are denied their right to contesting elections. It is no secret that even deserving women are denied tickets. Before a party gives a ticket to a woman, they ask two main questions – the party asks is she financially sound, and who is the male who is backing her before they give her the ticket.”

Shahina KK: “Why is 50 percent reservation restricted to local bodies? Because it is considered as an extension of the family. It is not a body that makes law. Parliament is where we amend the Constitution, the Assembly is where we make laws.”

Kavitha Reddy: “Sometimes it does not matter if you get 50 or 500 votes. Contesting is important. How much more groundwork can you do so that the party cannot deny you a ticket the next time. It is not only about winning… women in politics have to keep fighting. Even if you lose, you participate as the opposition and continue to ask questions.”

 Panel 2: Party Structures – Are they Impeding Women?

Sushmita Dev Congress,Malavika Avinash, BJP spokesperson, Bader Sayeed, senior advocate and former AIADMK MLA

Ruth Manorama, JD(S) candidate for Lok Sabha,Dhanya Rajendran (moderator)

Ruth Manorama: “I have no fathers, uncles or boyfriends in the party. Party structures are not women-friendly, they are completely patriarchal. Major decisions are taken elsewhere, and the women just have to accept them. There are capable women, but party structures make no room for them.”

Malavika Avinash: “An event like this is a mirror to all political parties and leaders so I congratulate the team that has been here. I even suggested that you invite Dinesh Gundu Rao and BS Yeddyurappa to sit in the audience and listen. […] Why are we only limited to the women’s wing of political parties? We are all isolated from the main party. The fight for space within the party reduces you to two things – caste and cash. What then is the way forward? Reservation is the only way.”

Sushmita Dev: “Frontal organisations [like mahila wings of political parties] are an entry point for women. It depends on the vision and how you run that organisation. […] There has to be massive gender sensitization within parties and in workplaces. If you can support your daughter of your wife, then you can help somebody else’s daughter or wife win, can’t you? The Women’s Reservation Bill must happen. All have to work internally in our parties for it.”

Panel 3: 1 million Elected Women in Local Bodies – What Next?

Archana Jatkar, two-time sarpanch of Pokhari, Yavatmal, Varsha Nikam, former sarpanch, INC member

Krishnaveni, former president of Thalaiyuthu panchayat,Rajathi Salma Poet, former Panchayat President, MLA contestant

Bhanupriya Rao, researcher and RTI activist,TR Raghunandan, former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (moderator)

 Archana Jatkar: “Winning once in a reserved seat has encouraged us and others to contest in open seats.”

 Krishnaveni: “I hope DMK under Stalin will further Karunanidhi’s policy of ensuring and strengthening women’s representation in politics”

 Salma: “The other real structural solution is reservation for women.”

 Bhanupriya: “We only ask and measure competence about women politicians, not the men. But the hopeful bit is that women have a great deal of political aspirations.”

Panel 4: Women’s Reservation Bill – the What, Why and How of Getting it Passed

Jyoti Raj, co founder of the Campaign for Electoral Reforms in India CERI,Kshama Nargund Banavathy, RSS Disha trustee

Shahina KK, journalist,Cynthia Stephen, independent researcher, journalist

Sowmya Reddy, Congress MLA, Karnataka,Nupur Basu, journalist (moderator)

 Sowmya: “Practically every speech I make, I talk about being part of the lonely 4% – the tiny number of women MLAs in Karnataka. The way forward is to have more men and more male politicians in this room.”

Nupur: “Across parties, male politicians responded to 33 percent reservation for women by saying let’s have an extra 33 percent for women, and turn Parliament into a 900-seater. Is hammam mein hum sab nange hain.”

Panel 5: Way Forward – Ideas to get political parties to give more tickets to women

Nisha Agrawal, Ruchi Gupta, Surabhi Hodigere, Vimala KS, Dhanya Rajendran (moderator)

 Ruchi Gupta: “If there was a quota for women, it would help women get leverage against entrenched power structures of men. […]The hypermuscular masculine rhythm and idiom of politics needs to change. I meet young men who want the get the attention of media so they will got to their location and take off their shirts. Women are unlikely to even be part of such an event.”

Nisha Agrawal: “If you are the one woman in the power, whether in a political group or a corporate boardroom, you are doomed to failure. […]We need quotas for women everywhere from politics to judiciary to police. That is the only way that transform politics.”

Surabhi Hodigere: “My friends call it a blunder and I do it at every event I go to, I say I want to be the first woman CM of Karnataka. I know it will inspire other young women.”

In her address to the gathering, Leeladevi R. Prasad said, “If we want justice, we need political power. I have been fighting for it for 60 years, that Bill is still pending in Parliament.” She suggested a march to Delhi to put pressure on the government and urged people to join her.

At the close of the day, all present repeated a pledge: “We, the women of India hereby commit to building a nationwide movement cutting across region, religion, language, caste and ideology to demand political power for women. All for one and one for all.”

A petition was launched on Change.org asking the presidents of five major political parties including the BJP and the Congress to assure that 50% of their party tickets would be given to women in the 2019 General Elections. The petition is live at change.org/PoliticalPowertoWomen

The following resolutions were passed:

– Build a non-partisan national movement to demand political power for women.

 – Launch Shakti in Delhi in February 2019 and kick-start state caucuses.

 – Exert public pressure on political parties for 50% tickets to women for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

– Promote women candidates during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

– Demand passing a Women’s Representation Assurance policy in the winter session of the Lok Sabha (2018), derived from the Women’s Reservation Bill discussions.

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives