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An Ode to the Fallen

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jazba

Bengaluru: 8 years have passed since the terrorists disturbed the peace of one of the most happening cities in India and the scarred memories still pain. To honour those who laid down their lives on that tragic day, Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Bengaluru performed a ‘NukkadNatak’ in Orion Mall, Bengaluru.

The Social Responsibility Committee of SIBM Bengaluru in association with the Dramatics Club of the collegepaid a tribute in the form of a street play called ‘Jazba – The Spirit’. This performance took place on the 26th of November, commemorating those who departed from us on that day and also reminding us that the power to fight terrorism lie within each of us.

‘Jazba’, the theme of the play focused on the spirit of mankind which was somehow lost in this race to make a living. One of the performers said, “The play emphasizes the core issues that today’s society faces at large and the reactions of the common man to those issues.Jazbaalso focusses on how a common man can help fight terrorism.” The main message of the play is to help find that lost soul which has been buried under all the societal conventions.

The artists enacted well scripted scenes of crimes and their subsequent court proceedings. The dialogues of the artists questioned the way the society functions and the direction it’s headed in.Approximately, 600 busy shoppers were frozen to their spot as they were moved by the spectacular performance.

The message of the play moved the audience as they remembered the grim night where the entire nation was brought to a halt. It emphasized on the heroic aspects of the normal man when subjected to duress. Human beings want to be loved and cared for. But greed has poisoned man’s soul. Humanity has lost its way. By this small enactment, the students seek to convey the nation that we will stand up against fear, for the light is within us to guide our way.

A treat to the eyes like no other, Taj Balloon Festival leaves onlookers and shutterbugs longing for more

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night-glow-in-action-at-the-taj-balloon-festival

Agra: The ongoing Taj Balloon Festival, witnessed an overwhelming response to its second edition as the residents and tourists woke up every morning to colorful balloons peppering the dotted skyline. SkyWaltz is conducting Taj Balloon Festival 2016 in association with The Uttar Pradesh Government, to packed audiences till 30th November, 2016. Hot Air Balloons of different hues and shapes, has the rapt attention of viewers, as they gently float over historical forts. The Taj Mahal is the only sureal wonder of the world that lets one take flight on a hot air balloon next to it.

Already in its 4th day, it was mesmerizing to experience an awe-inspiring display of colors with 15 balloons taking to the skies from the PAC Ground, following the sunrise. The Taj Balloon Festival saw enumerable excited passengers enjoying the cool morning air and a lovely scenery from above. Flyers also caught a glimpse of the Taj Mahal minutes after takeoff. With a far-reaching view extending across the beautiful city and countryside, the ride became all the more spellbinding. The balloons take off in the morning and land in and around the city.

Amongst the pilots, 2 female pilots from Malaysia and Poland are also flying the balloons. Enthusiastic villagers had a fantastic time mingling with the foreign pilots and taking pictures of their special shaped balloons. The city of Agra was ecstatic with thousands standing on their roof tops waving across, trying to a catch the attention of all. The enchanting Hot air balloon ride in the morning and a night glow show where hot air balloons give a stunning light display, choreographed to music continues to enthrall the city to its core.

The line-up comprises 15 balloons from different countries including India, the USA, UK, Canada, Spain, UAE, Netherland, Turkey, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland, and Malaysia. These include three “special shape” balloons featuring iconic characters Happy Egg, Bob the Lobster & Smurf, an exciting new addition to last year’s festival. Like the previous edition, the core objective of this special initiative is to boost leisure, adventure tourism and aviation based entertainment in the state as per the Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh.

For more detailed information about the Taj Balloon Festival 2016 one can visit the official website www.tajballoonfestival.com

Bangladesh refuses Rohingya fleeing ‘ethnic cleansing’

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Eight boats carrying Rohingya refugees have been turned away by Bangladesh as thousands amass on the border.

Mass protests by opposition groups and religious movements have called on Bangladesh to accept Rohingya [Abir Abdullah/EPA]

Mass protests by opposition groups and religious movements have called on Bangladesh to accept Rohingya [Abir Abdullah/EPA]

by Al Jazeera

Multiple boats packed with Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar have been turned back by Bangladesh border guards despite appeals by the country’s opposition to provide shelter to the persecuted Muslim minority.

Thousands of desperate Rohingya from Myanmar’s western Rakhine state have flooded over the border into Bangladesh in the past week, bringing with them horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar’s security forces.Eight boats attempting to cross the Naf River separating Rakhine from southern Bangladesh were pushed back on Monday after six were refused entry on Sunday, Colonel Abuzar Al Zahid, the head of the border guards in the Bangladeshi frontier town of Teknaf,  told AFP

“There were 12 to 13 Rohingya in each of the boats,” Zahid said.

Dhaka says thousands more are massed on the border, but has refused urgent international appeals to let them in, instead calling on Myanmar to do more to stop people fleeing.

In the past two weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented more than 1,000 Rohingya, including many women and children, from entering the country by boat, officials told AFP.

Bangladesh’s main opposition leader Khaleda Zia late on Sunday joined a growing chorus of political parties and religious groups in the Muslim majority country calling for the Rohingya to be given shelter.

‘Torched our home’

At least 30,000 have been internally displaced in Rakhine and many have tried to reach Bangladesh over the past month despite heightened border patrols, seeking refuge in Rohingya camps across the Bangladeshi border.

Samira Akhter told AFP by phone that she reached an unofficial refugee camp in Bangladesh on Monday, after fleeing her village in Rakhine state with her three children and 49 others.

“The military killed my husband and torched our home. I fled to a hill along with my three children and neighbours. We hid there for a week,” said Akhter, 27.

Dudu Mia, a Rohingya leader in the camp, said at least 1,338 had arrived in the community since mid October.

Violence in Rakhine – home to the stateless ethnic group loathed by many of Myanmar’s Buddhist majority – surged in the past month after security forces poured into the area following a series of attacks on police posts blamed on local fighters.

A UN official said last week that Myanmar is engaged in “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims, as reports emerged of troops shooting at villagers as they tried to flee.

Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch condemned Myanmar’s torching of three Rohingya villages.

The rights group urged the UN to investigate the destruction of 430 buildings in the northern Maungdaw district between October 22 and November 10.

But Myanmar’s new civilian government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected the allegations.

Manipur banks vandalized over cash crunch

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old-notes

Imphal: Angry customers vandalized two SBI branches in Manipur on Monday after the bank refused to allow people to withdraw Rs 24,000 each from their accounts citing cash shortage.

A policeman was injured in violence in one of the banks and while a mob damaged windows in another, witnesses and officials said. Bank work was hit in both places but no one has been arrested.

The trouble started at the State Bank of India in Manipur University when two customers insisted on withdrawing Rs 24,000 each – the maximum one can take out from the bank a week following demonetisation.

Branch manager Prasad Jain said: “They became angry when it was pointed out that our senior officials had declared that such big amounts could not be withdrawn.”

The customers then turned unruly.

N. Birean, a customer, said people who had been queuing up from early in the morning became angry when they were informed they could withdraw only Rs 2,000 each from their savings accounts.

An elderly customer who didn’t want to be named said: “Two thousand rupees is chicken feed. We have been wasting several days for this pittance?”

Sensing the mood, the SBI said the customers could take out Rs 4,000 each. “But the bank will be closed once the cash runs out,” one officer told the crowd.

On hearing this, the account holders started vandalizing the office, the witnesses said. Riot police rushed to the bank to bring the situation under control.

A policeman, Mutum Shyamo, was injured in the violence.

There was a similar incident at another SBI branch at Leimakhong in Imphal West district where account holders damaged windows following heated exchanges with the staff, witnesses said.

Though armed policemen have been deployed in all bank branches in the state, officials say it has become increasingly tough to maintain order as customers who are denied cash become restive.

There have been face-offs between the bank staff and customers in Manipur but this is the first time banks were vandalized.

The November 8 demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes has caused a severe cash crunch across the country. Several banks have unilaterally put curbs on how much a customer can withdraw from their accounts.

The RBI says the maximum a person can take out from his or her account is Rs 24,000 a week.

(Agencies)

Third Test: England reach 78/4, trail by 56 runs vs India

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england

Mohali: India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin led from the front, claiming three wickets to reduce England to 78/4 at stumps on day three of the third Test at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) I.S. Bindra Stadium here on Monday.

After conceding a 134-run lead in the first innings, England kept losing their top order — skipper Alastair Cook (12), Moeen Ali (5), Jonny Bairstow (15) and Ben Stokes (5) — in quick succession, to still trail by 56 runs.

Joe Root, who opened the innings in place of injured Haseeb Hameed, was unbeaten on 36 along with night-watchman Gareth Batty (0) when the umpires removed the bails.

Brief Scores: England 283, 78/4 (Joe Root 36 not out, Jonny Bairstow 15, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/19) vs India 417.

(Agencies)

ATM cash van driver’s wife arrested, Rs 80 lakh recovered

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new-notes-india

Bengaluru: ATM cash van driver Selvaraj’s wife, who was found missing from her residence, has been arrested by Bengaluru police.

The police have also recovered cash worth Rs 79.8 lakhs. The main accused Dominic Selvaraj Roy is yet to be arrested.

The police had found the van abandoned in Vasanthnagar on November 24 with Rs 45 lakh and a gun inside it.

Police teams are searching for Roy in Chennai, Hyderabad and different parts of Kerala.

Roy, a resident of Lingarajapuram, had driven off with Rs 1.37 crore belonging to Bank of India branch, recently.

(Agencies)

Anti-demonetisation: Kerala shuts down; Aakrosh Diwas rallies held in other states

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jan-akrosh-rally

Kochi: Opposition parties led by the Congress is organising ‘Jan Aakrosh Diwas’ on Monday to protest against the Centre’s demonetisation move.

The first week of the winter session in Parliament saw opposition parties stand as a united front, but they appear divided on how they will protest against the move on Monday.

The Left Front is intent on holding a 12-hour bandh in West Bengal, but the Trinamool Congress-led state government has vowed to foil it. The state finance department has issued a circular stating that all employees would be required to attend office on Monday and Tuesday, and exceptions would be made only in case of bereavement, maternity leave, hospitalisation and other ‘genuine reasons’.

The shutdown called by Kerala’s ruling LDF appeared to be total as only private vehicles plied, offices registered minimal attendances, and normal life was crippled. The shutdown was called to denounce the demonetisation of high value currency which has left the cooperative banks in the state in turmoil.

States like Bihar and Left-ruled Tripura saw widespread protests, with schools and colleges remaining shut. On the other hand, a state like West Bengal, whose chief minister has been vociferously opposing the move, saw the call for bandh hardly getting any support from the people.

Life came to a halt in Left-ruled Tripura. Government and semi-government, private offices, banks, educational institutions, shops and business establishments remained closed due to the strike. Train services were disrupted but flight movement was not disturbed.

The nation-wide shutdown evoked partial response in Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh today. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in some areas. The services of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) remained normal. In Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) did not participate in the shutdown. Some schools in Hyderabad declared holiday as a precautionary measure.

In Odisha, schools and colleges were closed over the Opposition’s call for Bharat Bandh. “Initially they supported (the BJD government) the bandh, but surprisingly today the Odisha government has sut down schools and colleges,” said Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. In Puri, members of the Centre of India Trade Unions National Conference held a protest march.

In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party workers took to the streets in Allahabad to protest against demonetisation of high-value currency. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had warned the government of public backlash for causing inconvenience to the poor.

In Tamil Nadu, DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) workers staged a protest against the Narendra Modi-led government’s decision in Chennai. The party has been vocal in its opposition to the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. DMK leader MK Stalin and some workers have been taken into preventive custody by the police in Chennai.

Traders associations

All major traders associations in the national capital said no political party asked them to participate in the shut down against demonetisation. Sanjeev Mehra, Khan Market Traders Association (KMTA) said he heard about the proposed ‘bandh’, but no one approached him.

(Agencies)

Fidel Castro dead aged 90

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Leader of Cuban revolution embraced communism, defied US for decades and lived in relative seclusion in his final years.

fidel-castro

by Al Jazeera

Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader who built a communist state on the doorstep of the US, has died aged 90.

Raul Castro, Fidel’s brother and current president of Cuba, announced his death on state television in Havana early on Saturday.

The leader of the 1959 revolution, which overthrew the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista, defied the US efforts to topple him for five decades, before ill health led him to make way for his brother Raul, 84, in 2006.

In his final years, Fidel lived in relative seclusion, but occasionally wrote opinion pieces or appeared to meet visiting dignitaries.

Al Jazeera’s Latin America Editor Lucia Newman, reporting from Santiago in Chile, said Castro’s death hardly came as a surprise.

“He has been a larger-than-life figure who inspired a revolutionary movement all over the world, especially in Latin America,” she said.

“As time went by, we heard less and less from Fidel Castro. We all knew he had been ill for a decade and not been seen since August after his birthday, which was celebrated across the country.

“His death is going to have an enormous emotional impact on Cubans. It does really feel like the beginning of the end of the Castro era.”

Mixed reactions

Many Havana residents reacted with sadness to the news.

“I am very upset. Whatever you want to say, he is a public figure who was respected and loved,” Sariel Valdespino, a student, said.

In contrast, exiled Cubans in Florida celebrated his death in the streets of Miami’s Little Havana.

Videos posted on social media showed people opening bottles of champagne, honking their car horns and banging on pots and pans.

The US government spent more than $1bn trying to kill, undermine or otherwise force Castro from power, but he endured unscathed before old age and disease finally took him.

His supporters in Havana described him as a tireless defender of the poor.

Castro was “a giant of the Third World”, said Agustin Diaz Cartaya, 85, who joined Castro in the 1953 attack in eastern Cuba that launched the revolution.

“No one has done more for the Third World than Fidel Castro.”

What critics said

Critics say Castro drove the country into economic ruin, denied basic freedoms to 11 million Cubans at home and forced more than a million others into exile.

“In 55 years, the Cuban government has not done anything to help the Cuban people in terms of human rights,” said Hector Maseda, 72, a former political prisoner who lives in Havana. “I don’t believe in this regime. I don’t trust it.”

Doubtless, Castro leaves a legacy that will be hotly debated for years to come.

For five decades, he worked to turn the island nation into a place of equality and social justice.

His government produced tens of thousands of doctors and teachers and achieved some of the lowest infant mortality and illiteracy rates in the Western hemisphere.

But Cuba never shook off its dependence on foreign dollars and the state-run economy failed to bring prosperity to most Cubans.

“The Cuban model doesn’t even work for us any more,” Castro admitted in 2010, startling a visiting US journalist.

The US had tried for years to topple the Cuban government. Cuba stumbled along, even after the collapse of its chief sponsor, the former Soviet Union.

The CIA plotted to assassinate Castro – using everything from exploding seashells to lethal fungus, American officials cut off almost all trade to Cuba, and they financed dissidents and pro-democracy activists.

But nothing worked during 11 successive administrations, from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama.

On December 17, 2014, Obama announced that the US planned to renew diplomatic ties with Cuba and loosen some trade and travel restrictions.

Obama’s critics were angered, saying he was throwing a lifeline to the socialist government, and undermining the work of democracy activists who are regularly arrested and beaten.

Obama pledged to continue supporting democracy activists in Cuba, but said the US embargo had not worked and legislators should lift it.

As part of the deal he struck with Cuba, the US agreed to send three Cuban spies back to the island in exchange for jailed American development worker Alan Gross and Rolando Sarraff Trujillo, a Cuban agent who spied for the CIA.

No bandh in Karnataka on Nov 28, Congress clarifies

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Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Congress party sources clarified that there will not be any Karnataka bandh on November 28 instead there will be a protest against demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes in the country by the union government. Earlier, there were rumors that there would be a state wide bandh led by the congress party to protest against demonetisation. The congress led opposition parties were decided earlier this week to protest against demonetisation of currency notes by organising Akrosh Divas in the country on November 28.

BJP is expected to remain neutral in the state and country on November 28. JDS is likely to keep its distance from the protest whereas left front isn’t expected to participate in the protest as it doesn’t has any strong hold in the state. Meanwhile, JDS stated that it opposes the demonetisation of currency notes, but it won’t support the protests organised by congress and other parties in the country.

Congress high command has asked all the state party units in the country to organise Akrosh Divas to register its protest in the country. Protests are expected to be held at local level in the country especially in congress party led state governments in the country. The party has asked all its activists to educate the people on problems originated after demonetising the currency notes. Common people, pensioners and others are only facing problems for getting currency notes whereas ban on notes hasn’t yet affected the rich and those who have huge amount of black money. Also, most of the people, who had huge amount of black money, might have transformed their black money into white.

Meanwhile, BJP hasn’t planned any program against Akrosh Divas instead it has started informing the people on positive effects of the currency demonetisation through social media and web portals. The party has said, note ban will positively impact on Indian economy and society in the long term. Therefore, citizens of the country need to tolerate the new change in the currency notes made by the centre to curb black money in the country.

Meanwhile, JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy said that his party won’t support Akrosh Divas as it is likely to affect the people in the state. Common people have been facing huge crisis as a result of currency crunch in the country. Therefore, the party has decided not to put any hurdle before the people by supporting the protest.

Speaking over the demonetisation, Kumaraswamy noted that the centre has taken right decision but failed to implement it by supplying new currency notes through banks. There were no proper preparations to prevent the problems originated as a result of demonetisation in the country.

(Agencies)

Third Test: India reduce England to 92/4 at lunch

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england

Mohali: England lost four wickets in the morning session to reach 92/4 at lunch on the opening day of the third Test against India at the Punjab Cricket Association I.S. Bindra Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, England lost opener Haseeb Hameed (9) before skipper Alastair Cook (27) and Joe Root (15) took them past the 50-run mark.

But a disciplined bowling effort helped the hosts bounce back with three quick wickets of Cook, Root and Moeen Ali (16) just before the lunch break.

Stumper Jonny Bairstow (20) and Ben Stokes (5) were at the crease when the umpires called for lunch.

Brief Scores: England 92/4 (Alastair Cook 27, Jonny Bairstow 20 not out, Ravichandran Ashwin 1/14, Mohammed Shami 1/22).

(Agencies)

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