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#Me too : 20 Women Journalists and Support Priya Ramani, Against MJ Akbar

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As the #MeToo movement gains ground, 19 women journalists who have worked with ‘The Asian Age’ newspaper, came out in support of their colleague Priya Ramani who has accused union minister MJ Akbar of sexual harassment, a joint statement issued by them said.

The journalists have urged the court to hear their testimonies against MJ Akbar, claiming that some of them suffered sexual harassment by the minister and others have been a witness to it.

“Ramani is not alone in her fight. We would request the honourable court hearing the defamation case to also consider the testimonies of sexual harassment of some of us at the hands of the petitioner, as also of the other signatories who bore witness to this harassment,” the journalists said in the joint statement undersigned by them.

Meenal Baghel who worked for Asian Age (1993 to 1996), Manisha Pande (1993-1998), Tushita Patel (1993-2000), Kanika Gahlaut (1995-1998), Suparna Sharma (1993-1996), Ramola Talwar Badam (1994-1995), Hoihnu Hauzel (1999-2000), Aisha Khan (1995-1998) and Kushalrani Gulab (1993-1997) have signed the statement.

Kaniza Gazari (Asian Age 1995-1997), Malavika Banerjee (1995-1998), AT Jayanthi (1995-1996), Hamida Parkar (1996-1999), Jonali Buragohain, Meenakshi Kumar (1996-2000), Sujata Dutta Sachdeva (1999-2000), Reshmi Chakraborty (1996-98), Kiran Manral (1993-96) and Sanjari Chatterjee are the other journalists to sign the statement.

One journalist from Deccan Chronicle, Christina Francis (2005-2011), also signed the statement.

“What Akbar has demonstrated through his legal actions is his refusal to introspect, acknowledge or atone for his actions that have caused immense pain and indeed harm to many women over the years.

“He himself, in the meanwhile, continues to enjoy enormous power and privilege as minister and Member of Parliament,” the statement said.

“When Ramani spoke out against him in public, she spoke not only about her personal experience, but also lifted the lid on the culture of ‘casual misogyny, entitlement and sexual predation’ that Akbar engendered and presided over at The Asian Age,” it said.

Many journalists from multiple media platforms have come forward with their stories of harassment against the Minister of State for External Affairs under the social media campaign ‘#MeToo’ against sexual misconduct.

MJ Akbar, however, has denied the allegations and on Monday filed a private criminal defamation complaint against Ms Ramani.

Hours after returning from a trip to Africa, the union minister issued a statement trashing the charges against him, saying accusations without evidence has become a “viral fever” among some sections.

Ms Ramani on Monday asserted that she was ready to fight the defamation complaint filed against her, and expressed disappointment over the minister’s statement, saying it paid no heed to the “trauma and fear of the survivors”.

“I am ready to fight the allegations of defamation laid against me as truth and the absolute truth is my only defence,” she had said.

PTI

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya defends ‘integrity’ amid ICC charges

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Sri Lanka’s former cricket captain Sanath Jayasuriya has said he has always acted with integrity and transparency, a day after he was charged with two counts of breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code.

The World Cup winner and former national team selector is accused of failing to cooperate with an investigation by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, cricket’s world governing body said in a statement on Monday.

The 49-year-old was also charged with trying to conceal, destroy or tamper with evidence that could be crucial to the probe.

“The contents of the letter which has been released to the media has caused a lot of speculation among the cricket-loving public both domestically and internationally,” Jayasuriya said in a statement on Tuesday.

“I am under advice to state that the charges do not contain any allegations pertaining to match-fixing, pitch-fixing or any other corrupt activity.

“The charges allege that I have not been cooperative and not assisted the investigations.”

The ICC has given Jayasuriya 14 days to respond to the charges but did not state which matches the charges and investigation relate to.

“I am under strict legal advice that no comment is to be made in respect of the above charges as such a course would offend the ICC rules,” the retired cricketer said, adding that his legal team is drafting a response for submission.

“I have always conducted myself with integrity and transparency with matters concerning the sport and I will continue to do so,” he said.

Match-fixing in Sri Lanka
Earlier this month, the ICC said Alex Marshall, general manager of the anti-corruption unit, was overseeing a probe into potential corrupt practices over “serious allegations” in Sri Lanka.

The world body said it has provided a detailed briefing to the country’s president, prime minister and sports minister.

Match-fixing allegations plagued Sri Lankan cricket earlier this year, when Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit exposed three former international players, including Sri Lanka’s Jeevantha Kulatunga, who were prepared to take money to fix matches.

As part of the investigation, media also revealed how criminals fixed two Test matches – Sri Lanka versus India in July last year and Sri Lanka versus Australia in August 2016.

Jayasuriya famously led Sri Lanka to its first and only victory at the World Cup in 1996 and is widely considered one of the greatest batsmen in history.

After a 22-year-long career that ended in 2011, he served in the Sri Lankan parliament and became the national team’s chairman of selectors.

Last year, the Jayasuriya-led selection panel resigned en masse following protests over Sri Lanka’s slump in form.

The Sri Lankan team, who are currently playing a home series against England and are in action on Wednesday, have distanced themselves from the scandal.

“We have decided that the players will not answer any questions with regard to Sanath,” said Sri Lankan team manager Charith Senanayake during a press conference on Tuesday.

“It’s not a distraction because Sanath has no role to play with the squad at the moment and as a team as a whole, we would like to stay away without a comment on the whole saga,” he added.

Aljazeera

Afghan election candidate killed in Taliban attack

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An Afghan election candidate has been killed in Helmand province in an attack claimed by Taliban, officials said.

Abdul Jabar Qahraman, who was preparing to contest Saturday’s parliamentary polls was killed in his office in the Lashkar Gah city, a senior government official told Reuters news agency.

Seven people were injured in the blast.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack hours after they released a statement warning teachers and students not to participate in the parliamentary elections due on October 20, and not to allow schools to be used as polling centres.

Dozens of Afghan police were killed or wounded in heavy fighting in northern and central provinces overnight on Tuesday, just days before parliamentary elections which the Taliban have promised to disrupt.

The Taliban armed group has called for the boycott of the elections.

“People who are trying to help in holding this process successfully by providing security should be targeted and no stone should be left unturned for the prevention and failure [of the election],” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid earlier said in the statement.

Helmand, bordering Pakistan, has long been one of the strongholds of the Taliban group, which has been waging an armed rebellion since they were removed from power in Afghanistan by US-led forces in 2001.

Aljazeera

US, eight others, request briefing on Myanmar Rohingya crackdown

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The United States and eight other countries requested a UN fact-finding mission that accused Myanmar’s military of atrocities against Rohingya Muslims to brief the UN Security Council on its findings.

The move comes as global pressure mounts on Myanmar to act on accountability after a military crackdown in the western state of Rakhine last year drove some 700,000 of the largely stateless minority over the border into Bangladesh.
The nine countries said a briefing by the mission’s chairperson would allow the council to “receive further information on this situation and its implications for international peace and security”.
The request is likely to run into opposition from China, which has friendly ties with Myanmar’s military and has sought to shield it from UN Security Council action.

In a letter to the council, Myanmar’s Ambassador Hau Do Suan said his government “strongly objects” to the request to hear from the fact-finding mission.

In a report released last month, the UN fact-finding mission said that Myanmar’s top generals – including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing – must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine.

They urged the council to refer the case to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, or create an ad hoc international criminal tribunal, such as the one that was established on the former Yugoslavia.

Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military committed atrocities in the crackdown.

Britain, France, Peru, Sweden, Ivory Coast, the Netherlands, Poland and Kuwait joined the US in requesting the meeting be held this month. Nine votes are required at the 15-member council to approve an agenda item and vetoes do not apply.
‘One-sided’
In his letter, Myanmar’s ambassador repeated the country’s complaints that the UN report was “one-sided”, based on “narratives and not on hard evidence”.

“Putting accountability above all else without regard to other positive developments is a dangerous attempt that will face utter failure,” he warned in the letter.

Myanmar says the violence in Rakhine was triggered by Rohingya rebels who attacked border posts in August 2017.

But the fact-finding mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe the atrocities were committed with the intention of destroying the Rohingya, warranting the charges of “genocide”.

The report found the military’s tactics had been “consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats”, adding estimates that some 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown were probably too conservative.

IANS

Facebook likely to launch camera-equipped hardware for TVs

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San Francisco Social networking giant Facebook is developing a camera-equipped set-top box for TVs that would support functionalities like video-calling, a media report said.

Internally codenamed “Ripley”, the device would use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and follow people as they move through the frame during a video call, news website Cheddar reported on Tuesday.

Apart from facilitating video-chat, the device could also help Facebook compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon in the TV-segment.

In October, the social networking major launched its smart-speakers — “Portal” — which incorporated AI technology to follow user-movements while on a video-chat amd remove unwanted background noise during a call.

Priced at $199, sporting a 10-inch display, built-in Amazon Alexa support and pre-loaded with Facebook’s own “Watch” video service, the smart speakers would begin shipping in November.

With projects like “Portal” and “Ripley” Facebook is trying to build a consumer-hardware business outside of its virtual reality brand ‘Oculus’ that was acquired by the social networking giant in March 2014 for nearly $2 billion.

Facebook declined to comment on the subject, the report added.

(IANS)

Six of family die in Andhra accident

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Vijayawada Six members of a family were killed and 15 others injured in a road accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district early on Wednesday, police said.

The passengers travelling in an auto trolley which was hit by a truck from behind near Peddahutur village.

The family was on their way to a ‘dargah’ at Eltari for a tonsuring ceremony of a newborn when the accident occurred.

According to the police, 21 people were travelling in the vehicle. The dead include three youth, two children and a woman.

The injured were admitted to a government-run hospital in Kurnool.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to provide best treatment to the injured.

(IANS)

5.5-magnitude quake hits Assam

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Guwahati An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale shook Guwahati and its adjoining areas on Wednesday, the Met said. No damage was reported.

The quake occurred at a depth of 13 km around 10.20 a.m. with its epicentre in Kokrajhar district, the India Meteorological Department said.

An Assam State Disaster Management Authority official said there was no report of any major damage from anywhere in the state so far.

(IANS)

Shaikh Akleem is ‘Sita’, Afzal Ansari is ‘Lord Shiva’ in this Bihar Ramlila By Imran Khan

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Sato Awanti (Bihar), Oct 17 For nearly four decades, Muslims in this Bihar village have been helping Hindus celebrate Dussehra and playing mythical characters in the Ramlila — a dramatic representation of the life of Lord Rama. The village is an example of India’s composite culture and the communal harmony lived through Dussehra.

For 10 days, Shaikh Akleem is Goddess Sita, Guddu Tiwari is Lord Rama while Afzal Ansari is Lord Shiva and Amit Singh becomes Hanuman, enthralling people from far and near with their get-up and performances in Sato Awanti, a village in Kaimur district, about 200 km off Patna.

Shaikh Akleem (19) is thrilled playing the role of Sita, with Tiwari as “Maryada Purushottam Ram”.

“I am lucky to play Sita, loved and respected by all. It is a matter of pride for me,” Akleem said.

Guddu Tiwari, playing the role of Rama, said that Ramlila here was unique because it was played and organised with the help of Muslims. “Both Muslims and Hindus treat Ramlila as their own, it is special for us.”

This is a part of decades-old tradition started by a group of Muslims with the support of Hindus in Sato Awanti. Both the communities enthusiastically participate in Ramlila in the village.

“It all started 36 years ago, in 1982, when a few Muslims, including Jamaluddin Ansari and Nurul Ansari, decided to organise Ramlila. Over the years, this village has become popular for it,” said Shaikh Mumtaz Ali, the Director of Ramlila in the village.

In the first Ramlila organised in the village, Khurshid Alam played the role of Lord Rama and Jamaluddin Ansari acted out Kumbhakaran, the younger brother of Ravana. Sharfuddin Ansari, a martial expert, has been helping the troupe depict war scenes.

Shaikh Mumtaz Ali, the father of Akleem, said that “we have successfully managed the Ramlila show for the last six days, and hope to do so for the remaining three days”.

The response of the people has been overwhelming, Shaikh Mumtaz Ali said.

During the evening show, loud chants of “Siyavar Ram Chandra Ki Jai” by the audience that has several Muslims can be heard.

“Not just Hindus, but several Muslims from the neighbouring villages and some from far-off villages come to watch our rare show,” said Shaikh Mumtaz Ali.

According to Suresh Singh, the patron of Ramlila in the village, both Muslims and Hindus donate money and work together to ensure the success of the show.

“In our village, more than religious, it is a social event with participation from all. It’s a positive sign,” Suresh Singh said.

This year, Tauqeer Ansari is playing the role of Kumbhakaran. Dozens of children, both Hindu and Muslim, form the “Vanar Sena” of Lord Rama, he said.

The spirit of conviviality can be gauged from the fact that Hindus help Muslims take out the Muharram procession in the village.

“We are proud that Muslims help us, support us to celebrate Durga Puja. They have set an example of harmony. This is unheard of anywhere else,” Guddu Tiwari said.

Mahesh Prasad, a villager, said: “We can’t think of celebrating the festival in such a big way without the support of Muslims.”

(IANS)

Sabarimala protesters force Andhra woman to back down

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Sabarimala (Kerala) Strong protests by Sabarimala traditionalists on Wednesday forced a 40-year-old Andhra woman and her family to abandon their trip to the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Madhavi accompanied by her parents and children began their Pamba climb on the Swami Ayyapan road leading to the hilltop temple hours ahead of its opening for the monthly puja rituals.

Ten minutes into their trek, accompanied by a strong police force, the family had to abandon their plans of praying to the Lord Ayyappa inside the temple premises accompanied by Madhavi, who is in the prohibited age group of 10-50.

The protesters had put every impediment on her way, but Madhavi was able to break the barriers at Nilackal and Pamba accompanied by police as she trekked higher.

Police officers climbing along assured her that they would be with her if she wished to proceed and she could go forward.

However, angry protesters were unrelenting. They went after her. Unable to bear the anger Madhavi decided to return.

Wednesday, is crucial for the Kerala government as it pitches to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict allowing all women irrespective of their ages to pray at Sabarimala.

The doors of the temple that would be opened at 5 p.m. would remain open till October 22. This is the first time that the temple would be opening after the apex court’s verdict.

Barring the ruling Left government-led by Pinarayi Vijayan, the Congress, BJP and numerous Hindu organisations are on a war path warning of strong consequences if any temple traditions were broken.

The hardcore devotees of the temple are observing their protests at a few places at Nilackal and are engaged in chanting songs and prayers and it includes representatives from the Pandalam royal family members and also the temple tantri families.

In a related development, a young woman Liby bound to pray at the temple clad in jeans was stopped at the Pathanamthitta bus stand by angry devotees.

“Is this the way a lady should go to the temple. She claims to have observed the penance but if you look at the beads of the customary Sabarimala necklace, it’s very clear that she has worn it today or yesterday. This is not acceptable to us and she won’t be allowed to go,” said angry a group of angry women protesters.

Liby hailing from Alappuzha is being protected by a group of police officials.

“We will not allow the bus that she boards to go to Sabarimala to move from here. We will burn the bus and are ready to face any consequences,” said a young man at the bus stand.

Following the protest, the police took her to the nearby police station.

(IANS)

Micro-homes set to redefine Indian housing (Realty Trends) By Ankit Kansal

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Globally, there is increasing demand for micro-living. A micro-home or a micro-apartment is a self-contained, single-bedroom unit, mostly meant for single occupancy.

These units are largely found in urban catchments and are sized anywhere between 50 and 350 sq. ft. These compact-sized swanky apartments are well established across America, Europe and Southeast Asian countries, where students and young professionals seek affordable housing close to their university/workplace as well in proximity to the cultural and entertainment hubs of the city.

As a concept, micro-apartments in India are set to redefine studio and one-bedroom units. For years, studio apartments and one-bedroom units have been an economical residential option for singles and young couples who are willing to compromise on space to own a house in a convenient location, rather than pay high rentals or take out huge loans to afford bigger houses.

However, micro-homes are not just about affordability. What sets micro-homes apart is their design, and the fact that they are equipped with all the modern comforts and amenities and are at a prime location. These units, designed to offer privacy with a separate bedroom and kitchen, make it popular with small families too.

Mumbai has been the frontrunner when it comes to the concept of micro-apartments and has seen offerings as small as 189 sq ft., going up to 320 sq ft. Amidst soaring realty prices in the space-constrained metro, these micro-units give young working professionals their best shot at owning an apartment in a central locality, without compromising on their lifestyle.

The micro-housing market is also seeing a spurt in demand in cities such as Bengaluru, Gurugram and Noida that have a large migrant population of working professionals with an annual income of more than Rs 8 lakh. The fact that in some of the recent launches, total inventories have been sold off within 72 to 96 hours, further testifies to the pressing demand.

Popular mainly among the younger generation, which prioritises location and lifestyle over space, micro-homes have huge potential in India, given the fact the country is the abode of around 440 millennials, the largest in the world.

The millennial population is not just expanding in size, but is also multiplying its economic footprint. As per a Morgan Stanley’ market research in 2017, India’s millennial population is expected to spend over $330 billion annually by 2020. Research has also indicated that around one out of every 10 millennial in India plans to purchase a home before a car. Additionally, over 35 per cent of millennials are expected to spend on housing in the next five years.

Many Grade-A developers are coming up with housing concepts that are custom-made for Indian millennials, specifically singles, young couples and students. These offer all the modern amenities and facilities that large-scale luxury residential projects offer, including a club house, community sports facilities, 24/7 security systems and retail outlets, et al. Many of them also have value-added services such as concierge and room services that can be availed on payment.

Apart from end-users, micro-apartments are also attracting the investor community in big numbers. Globally, data has suggested that rental returns in micro-units are generally 50 to 100 basis points higher than regular apartments. The higher returns stem from robust demand and better utilisation of the available resources. Likewise, the rates of appreciation are also expected to outperform larger-sized units. As it is a light investment, the entry barriers are limited and it can also be liquidated easily.

[IANS]

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