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Indian government boycotts Pakistan National Day

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New Delhi, March 22 (Nasheman News) India will not send any official representative to the Pakistan National Day event at the Pakistan High Commission here on Friday in protest against the invitation extended to Hurriyat leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, informed sources said.

The invitation to the separatists indicated that Pakistan was again meddling in India’s internal affairs and hence the time was not conducive to send an official representative to the event, the sources said.

Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan have been strained due to heightened tension between the two countries since the February 14 Pulwama suicide bombing for which Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility. 

Pakistan National Day is observed every year on March 23 though the Pakistan High Commission decided to organise the event this year a day earlier.

Deve Gowda’s grandson files nomination from Hassan

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Hassan (Karnataka), March 22 (Nasheman News) Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) President H.D. Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna on Friday filed his nomination to contest the Lok Sabha election from Hassan in Karnataka.

Accompanied by his father H.D. Revanna, the state’s Public Works Department Minister and uncle Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Prajwal filed his nomination at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Hassan, about 180 km west of Bengaluru.

Prajwal, 28, will be contesting against BJP candidate A. Manju, a former Congress leader.

Gowda, who hails from Holenarasipura in this district, is a six-time Lok Sabha member from the constituency. He first got elected in 1991.

He is yet to announce from where he will be contesting.

Mayawati taunts ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign

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Lucknow, March 22 (Nasheman News) BSP supremo Mayawati on Friday taunted the BJP’s ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign, two days after she accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing his profile from ‘Chaiwala’ to ‘Chowkidar’ only to get votes in the Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP leaders are scrambling to declare themselves ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) for appeasement but people like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are in a fix on whether they should remain people’s representatives or become ‘chowkidars’,” Mayawati said in a series of tweets.

“They are free to do whatever in any fashion but must be committed to the Constitution and the rule of law… This is what the people of the country want.

“But in the process they (BJP) should not insult country and degenerate Constitutional posts in any way. Let Deputy Chief Minister (Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma), Chief Minister and Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) remain as per the provision of the Constitution. They can do ‘chowkidari’ (job of watchman) after losing the elections,” the four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh added.

Taking a dig at the government over the alleged theft of Rafale fighter jet deal files, she said that that it was worrying that the union government was not allowing the release of data pertaining to employment, growing joblessness, increasing poverty, distress among farmers and labourers, just for the sake of losing votes and safeguarding their image.

“After all these are the issues related to image and vote. Does the country need such type of ‘chowkidar’?” she asked.

The Bahujan Samaj Party, which did not win any seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, is contesting the 2019 polls in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

The BSP is contesting on 38 seats while the SP and the RLD are contesting on 37 and 3 seats in the state, leving two to the Congress.


Hurriyat leader Geelani booked under FEMA

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New Delhi, March 22 (Nasheman News) Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan, has been booked under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the Enforcement Directorate said on Friday.

Geelani had been fined Rs 14.40 lakh following the confiscation of unaccounted foreign currency from his premises in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, ED Director Sanjay Mishra said.

Ex-Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir joins BJP

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New Delhi, March 22 (Nasheman News) Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Friday joined the BJP in the presence of Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

On the occasion, Gambhir, 37, thanked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for giving him an opportunity to serve the country.

“I am joining this party (BJP) after getting influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. I am honoured to get the opportunity. I will work to take this country forward and make it a better place to live in,” Gambhir told the media after joining the BJP.

Gambhir, a resident of Rajinder Nagar in Delhi, was a high-profile campaigner for Jaitley’s 2014 contest in Punjab’s Amritsar seat which the BJP lost.

The BJP did not declare the constituency from where Gambhir will contest but informed sources said he may contest from the New Delhi constituency currently held by BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi. 

Jaitley said the BJP had expanded in the last decade and that “we were called a cadre-based party and now we are cadre mass party”. 

Gambhir met BJP President Amit Shah after joining the party. 

Gambhir officially announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on December 4, 2018. 

He played 58 Tests, scoring 4,154 runs at an average of 41.95, including nine centuries and 22 fifties. He played 147 ODIs, scoring 5,238 runs at an average of 39.68 and a strike-rate of 85.25. 

Gambhir made his last appearance in the India jersey in the first Test against England (2016) in the home series.

He played a pivotal role in India’s historic victories in the inaugural edition of ICC World T20. In the ICC World Cup 2011, he played match-winning knocks of 75 (against Pakistan) and 97 (against Sri Lanka) which helped the men in blue to lift the world title.


Karnataka appeals Maharashtra to release 4 tmc of water to mitigate drinking water problem

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Karnataka government has appealed to the neighboring Maharashtra State to release about 4 tmc of water from its two reservoirs to mitigate the drinking water crisis faced in many Districts in the Northern Karnataka.
In a letter addressed to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Phadnivas, Karnataka Minister for Water Resources D K Shiakumar on Thursday stated that several Districts in Northern Karnataka, including Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Bhagalkot, Raichur, Yadagir and Raichur disricts, are reeling under severe water scarcity and people of the region are facing acute drinking water problem.
Seeking to release 2 tmc of water each from Koyna and Ujini reservoirs, the Minister recalled his meeting with Mr Devendra Phadnavis, and discussed about facing the challenge of the drinking water crisis in both the States.
Mr Shivakumar has also recalled the Maharashtra government’s gesture, in releasing water to Karnataka, which had helped to solve the drinking water problem faced by the people of several Districts.
The Minister in his letter had also conveyed that the early dry-spell being witnessed in the region, had also badly affected the live stocks, birds and Wild life in the region.

A 27 year-old youth nabbed and Deer Skin seized

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Karnataka Forest Department Police have nabbed a 27 year-old youth and seized Deer Skin from him at Edatore Maramma Temple in H D Kote Taluk in the distitrct.
Police said on Thursday that the arrested Srinivas of Karapura village in H D Kote taluk was transporting deer skin on his bike with another person when he was arrested.
Deer Skin and the motorcycle was seized from him. Another accused escaped from the spot.
The operation was carried out by Sub Inspector M B Ramesh and his team.

Acting on Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Request, Pakistan Agrees to Not Erect Structures Near Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara

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Acting on Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Request, Pakistan Agrees to Not Erect Structures Near Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara

New Delhi: Acting on Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s request, the Imran Khan-led government has decided to not build any structure on the fields surrounding the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara and preserve it as it is.

Punjab Local Bodies’ Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had written to Pakistan Prime MinisterImran Khan, mentioning that the fields around Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara were cultivated by Guru Nanak Dev himself and should be retained.

Accepting Sidhu’s plea, the Pakistan government in its reply assured that no structure will be erected near the Gurudwara.

Sidhu, while reacting to the statement, released a statement saying, “Anything that fulfils the wishes of 12 Crore Nanak Naam Levas is exemplary and worth gratitude… The land that Baba Nanak ploughed with his hand will now inspire generations to come. His message “Naam Japo, Kirat Karo, Vand Sakho” is immortal. It is indeed a cup of joy for the Sikhs world-over!”

Earlier on Tuesday, India and Pakistan held a technical meet to discuss alignment of the Kartarpur corridor, the coordinates and engineering aspects of the proposed crossing points, government sources said.

They also conducted a survey of the site after a meeting of engineers and surveyors. The outcomes from the meeting and survey would be further discussed at the next meeting of the two sides on April 2.

The Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province, located 4.5 km from the border near the Dera Baba Nanak town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, is significant for the Sikh community as it is here that Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life and is his final resting place.

The governments of India and Pakistan are trying to facilitate the travel of pilgrims to offer prayers at the Gurdwara — a demand made by the Sikhs for the past over 70 years.

Agencies

D K Shivakumar meets Congress leaders in Mandya

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Worried over the active participation of the Congress leaders and workers at the yesterday’s Cine Actor, Sumalatha’s election meeting, ‘trouble shooter’ in the JD(S)-Congress government’s coalition government D K Shivakumar, met some of the Congress leaders in Mandya on Thursday and tried to prepare the party leaders to support JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
The Congress leader met former MLAs Cheluvanarayana Swamy, Ravindra Srikantaiah, Aathmananda and others and tried to explain the political compulsions, which had forced the Congress party to concede the Mandya Lok Sabha seat to its coalition partner JD(S), where it had a sitting LS member.
The local Congress leaders, assured to follow the coalition-dharma, and work for the success of the JD(S) in April-18 Lok Sabha elections in Mandya, Mr Shivakumar claimed with the newsmen at Mandya.
Meanwhile, Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, has denied that JD(S) leaders had ignored the Local Congress leaders in Mandya or in Hassan, the two seats held by the party.
Informing that JD(S) leaders, had met personally several Congress leaders including Aathmananda, Cheluvanarayana Swamy, G Madegowda and others, he said that “One should understand that there are no permanent friends and foes in the politics”.
He also informed that the his son and JD(S)-Congress combine candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy will file his nomination papers to contest the Mandya Lok Sabha seat on Monday.
A public meeting also will be held immediately after filing the nomination papers by the JD(S) candidate, he said.

Agencies

Why India & world should learn from NZ’s Ardern

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In India, we have seen hatred towards Muslims being fuelled and sustained by words and deeds.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

Size does not matter. A small country can outshine big ones by moral clarity and strategic vision in the leadership stakes, as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shown.

Ms Ardern’s exemplary words and actions after a terrorist shot dead 50 Muslims in two mosques in Christchurch unequivocally signals that New Zealand, a country of about five million people, is pluralistic, and that it will ferociously push back against the ideological infrastructure which nourishes majoritarian visions. Ms Ardern could have chosen to express shock, horror and stop at condemning the terror attack. But she went way beyond. Her first response, even before all the details were known, leaped out to millions across the world. She said: “They have chosen to make this their home. They are us.”

By this simple statement, Ms Ardern had bridged the “us and them” divide that stalks natives and those of immigrant stock, and minority populations everywhere. What she said was to affirm a simple but much-needed message — the terrorist who had come from Australia killed Muslims who were not “they” but “us” New Zealanders.

Ms Ardern has been covering her head while meeting families of the victims — a mark of cultural sensitivity. She has also shown her astuteness by declaring that she would never take the name of the terrorist, thereby denying him, and people like him, the notoriety they seek. She asks people to remember the victims by name instead. This is not just symbolism. The conscious de-personalisation of the terrorist shows an astute way to deal with extremism and terrorism. Concretely, Ms Ardern has followed up with plans to overhaul New Zealand’s gun laws.

If Jacinda Ardern’s words and deeds were mealy-mouthed platitudes, they would not have resonated with so many people across the world. They resonate, including with this writer, and many others in India, because they are the powerful signals we are looking for in an increasingly polarised society where the “us and them” divide is leading to rising stigmatisation and violence.

It is as important to neutralise and counter the ideological infrastructure that pushes people to become terrorists as to catch the terrorists and their allies. At a time when anti-minority rhetoric threatens to rip apart social cohesion in democracies across the world, Ms Ardern matters, because she is explicitly telling people who are visibly or culturally different from the “majority” that they are part of the same family, not outsiders. This is intended to make them feel secure when they are at their most fragile. Crucially, Ms Ardern did not resort to what-aboutery in the hour of crisis.

This should make us in India introspect deeply. Our multi-cultural fabric is being ripped apart by an ideology that is gaining traction and that privileges the sentiments of the most bigoted members of the majority community. One of the most worrying trends on the social media, which is playing an increasingly important role in shaping public opinion in this country, is the tendency to conflate two very different things — radical Islamic terrorist groups and ordinary Muslims. It is dangerous what-aboutery to start talking about Islamic terrorist groups each time Muslims are targeted by terrorists simply because they are Muslims, though they have nothing to do with terrorism. The Christchurch attack was an act of terror by a white supremacist who unapologetically hates Muslims and every other minority group.

In India, we have seen hatred towards Muslims being fuelled and sustained by words and deeds. Take the most recent example of the attacks on Kashmiri students and shopkeepers in different parts of the country when an Islamist terrorist linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked a CRPF bus in Pulwama, killing over 40 jawans.

What would have helped is an immediate, unambiguous signal, which went beyond just expressing grief, anguish or condemnation. Like an immediate, unequivocal statement from the Prime Minister that while terrorists and their minders will be dealt with severely, ordinary Kashmiris were “us” and attacks on them of any kind is an attack on us. He needed to make it very clear at once that the ideological infrastructure that equates every Kashmiri and every Muslim with all that is bad will not be tolerated.

These statements were made, but they were weak, and they came late. Nor was this identification with victims of terror demonstrably shown each time an ordinary Muslim was lynched, whether in the name of protecting the cow or anything else. Instead, what we have seen are immediate and provocative statements by other lawmakers. Take just one example: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vinay Katiyar was quoted in the media as saying, while replying to questions on mob lynching: “When such incidents happen, people from the other community should also think about it. They shouldn’t touch cows when they know Hindus get aggressive over it. They shouldn’t kill cows.” This emboldens extremist peddlers of hate and leads to hate crimes.

Here is some data. “The Observer Research Foundation in March 2018 released a study based on a statistical mapping of hate speech and counter-speech on the social media pages active in India. The study, a first of its kind, revealed that religion and ‘religio-cultural’ practices related to food and dress, were the most explicit basis for hate as expressed in Indian social media: they accounted for a rise from 19 to 30 per cent of the incidents over the one-year timeframe of the study,” points out Maya Mirchandani in a August 2018 paper titled “Digital hatred, real violence: Majoritarian radicalisation and social media in India”. She wrote: “The data was gathered from public pages in two separate month-long time periods spread over 12 months starting from July 2016. Most of the comments incited bodily harm or violence against people belonging to India’s Muslim community who comprise about 180 million of the country’s 1.2-billion-strong population… Subjects that evoked hate speech ranged from opposition to inter-faith marriage between Hindus and Muslims, positions on universal human rights, and the contentious issues of cow protection and beef consumption.”

There is a moral as well as a business case for social cohesion. No country or society can realise its potential if specific groups of people are made to feel they don’t belong and made to cower in fear of physical and psychological attacks. Jacinda Ardern understands this. India’s political leaders, from the top to the bottom, could learn a lot from her.

Agencies

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