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Amid UP Elections, book on Yogi Adityanath reaches America

OpIndia Staff
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Amid UP Elections, book on Yogi Adityanath reaches America

Noted Author, Shantanu Gupta, who has written two bestseller titles on Yogi Adityanath, starts a multi city book tour of United States of America from 21st January from New York and New Jersey this week. During the visit he will attend multiple events organized by Indian diaspora and talk about his two books on UP CM Yogi Adityanath – The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh and The Monk Who Became Chief Minister.

Speaking to OpIndia, Gupta shared the details about his USA book tour. He told us that a spiritual organization Om Kriya Yog and World NRI Association along with many other Indian organizations are organizing the book discussion events in more than a dozen states/cities of Unites States of America – New York, New Jersey, Boston, Washington DC, North Carolina, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego & San Francisco. Shantanu added that he will be attending multiple events for his book in community centers, think tanks, temples, universities, media studios, city libraries and will meet many intellectuals from Indian diaspora in USA during these two weeks.

Shantanu said that in the light of upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections many Non Resident Indians were curious and wanted to know the Uttar Pradesh’s growth story under a monk Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath and this book tour caters to that. Author further added that we have seen that how Yogi Adityanath has brought Uttar Pradesh from a Bimaru (sick) Pradesh to a state which is 1st in the implementation of 45 central government schemes, which is 2nd in GSDP, 2nd in Ease of Doing Business and many such positive indices.

Shantanu told us that in the month of December, after the release of his book – ‘The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh’, he did two big online launches of his book for the Indian diaspora in Europe and Australia respectively. In the book discussion organized by Overseas friends of BJP for the diaspora in 13 cities of Europe – Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP’s Foreign cell head Vijay Chauthaiwale shared their thoughts along with Author Shantanu. Sudhanshu Trivedi applauded his college junior Shantanu’s work and added that Uttar Pradesh has seen a sea positive change in Yogi Adityanath’s tenure.

After landing at the John F Kennedy airport at New York, Shantanu announced his two weeks long book tour, through this tweet:

Shantanu also tweeted the melodious theme song for the USA tour for his book, sung by famous Haryanvi rapper, MD Desi Rockstar.

Ex-director at Infosys, Mohandas Pai, who has written the foreword for this book on Yogi Adityanath has congratulated Shantanu for his latest book tour of USA. Pai added that “When Yogi Adityanath took over as CM, Lutyens Delhi—the name by which the power structure and supporters of the ancient regime are known—exploded in anger and derision. They questioned his capability to be CM, abused him roundly, and predicted the total failure of his regime. They forget that he was a 5-time MP, a person of great accomplishment as an MP going by his track record in Parliament, had toured most districts of UP and knew the living conditions of the people of UP more than any of his critics.”

“Uttar Pradesh was disparaged as ‘bimaru’ and known for governance based on identity politics rather than all-around development, Sabka Vikas. Shantanu Gupta’s book is an important contribution to how an effective leader, rooted in India’s ancient ethos while looking for apt solutions for contemporary times, can bring real change,” says Sankrant Sanu, founder and CEO of Garuda Prakashan, the publisher of this book.

Mata Rajyalaxmi of Om Kriya Yog said that PM Modi is training new set of next generations leaders under him and Yogi Adityanath is one of them.

Shantanu added that he is amazed to see the curiosity among diaspora to know more about UP’s transformation story under CM Yogi Adityanath. When asked how the NRI community is seeing the duo of PM Modi and CM Yogi, Shantanu replied that he always hears terms like ‘Ram-Laxman ki Jodi’, ‘Ram-Hanuman ki jodi’ and Double Engine ki Sarkar, from the members of the Indian diaspora for the Modi-Yogo duo. He added that UP + Yogi = UPYOGI, the termed coined by PM Narendra Modi for the effective governance by Yogi Adityanath, has become quite popular among the Indian diaspora in USA.

Shantanu thanked World NRI Association, OM Kriya Yog, Vishwa Hindi Parishad America, Hindu Pact, TV Asia, Students at Harvard Kennedy School, Center for Indic Studies at University of Massachusetts, Hindus for America, India Awareness Foundation, US India Friendship Council (USFIC), Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIDS) and all the other organizations who will be hosting multiple events for the book tour in USA in the coming weeks.

Listen in: Original recording of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ from 1942 in the presence of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

OpIndia Staff
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Listen in: Original recording of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ from 1942 in the presence of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

On September 11, 1942, our National Anthem’ Jana Gana Mana’ was performed for the first time as National Anthem. It was played at the Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg.

Calling it the birth of National Anthem, Author Anuj Dhar, who shared the original recording of the Anthem from 1942, wrote, “Original recording of “Jana Gana Mana” performed by the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg, Germany, 1942. This was the birth of our National Anthem, thanks to #Netaji.” Anuj Dhar is the author of the book “Subhas Bose’s Life after Death” and have done extensive research on the life of Netaji.

Surya Kumar Bose, the grand nephew of Netaji, who lives in Germany, had also played the original tape in front of several journalists in 2008. He had said, “Not many people know how the national anthem was born.” It is said Netaji initiated the formation of the Indo-German Association that was formed on September 11, 1942, at the Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Mayor of Hamburg, and representatives of the German government, among others, were present at the occasion.

The Radio Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg played the National Anthem’ Jana Gana Mana’ as the anthem of Free-India Centre along with the National Anthem of Germany. Free-India Centre was given proper recognition by countries like Germany and Italy. Free-India Centre was the predecessor of Azad Hind Fauj, set up by Netaji in 1943 in Singapore.

The performance was recorded on tape by NG Ganpulay, a member of the Free-India Centre. The tape was handed over to the All India Radio after Ganpulay’s death. It was broadcast by the All India Radio in a programme called “National Anthem born in Exile” in 1980.

Notably, when India gained independence, it did not have a National Anthem. In January 1950, a record of Jana Gana Mana produced by the Azad Hind Government was carried by a member of the delegation from India that was attending the UN General Assembly in New York City. He handed over the record to the UN Orchestra that played the anthem.

When the delegation returned to India, they informed then-Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru that ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was highly appreciated at the UN. Later, on January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the first stanza of the song Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata written by Rabindra Nath Tagore as the National Anthem. It is noteworthy, though it was not the National Anthem till January 1950, it was unanimously sung by the members of the Indian Constituent Assembly on the intervening night of August 14 and August 15, 1947, after the first session of the Assembly ended.

Braving snow and cold: Watch ‘Himveers’ from ITBP celebrating 73rd Republic Day with the Tricolor held high

OpIndia Staff
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Braving snow and cold: Watch ‘Himveers’ from ITBP celebrating 73rd Republic Day with the Tricolor held high

Holding the Indian Tricolor with high esteem and pride, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel braved inhospitable conditions in Ladakh and Uttarakhand to celebrate the 73rd Republic Day. The ITBP soldiers, unfurled the national flag at 15000 feet above the sea level as the temperature recorded minus -40 degrees Celsius in Ladakh.

The ITBP shared the videos of the ‘Himveers’ marching slowly through the fresh snow in Ladakh. “Happy Republic Day from Himveers of ITBP, from Ladakh”, it tweeted.

The force also posted videos of soldiers braving the freezing temperatures not only at Ladakh but also at different heights at peaks of the Himalayas where they are posted to secure the India-China border. One such video appeared from the state of Uttarakhand where the ITBP Himveers were seen skiing on a snow-clad mountain in a formation with the Tricolor, at 11,000 feet in minus 20 degrees Celsius.

On the other hand, the officers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Chatha of Jammu and Kashmir celebrated the 73rd Republic Day by organizing a cultural event. The soldiers flaunted their love for India via music and dance. “We reiterate our steadfast commitment to serving the nation with courage, valour, and devotion”, CRPF tweeted wishing happiness on Republic Day.

The Border Security Force also celebrated the historic day by exchanging sweets and greetings with Border Guard Bangladesh at ICP Pertrapole and other Border Out Posts. “A joint retreat ceremony was also organized at ICP Petrapole”, the BSF said.

It is worth noting that the daredevil bikers of the ITBP will showcase 10 different types of formation at the Rajpath on the Republic Day Parade.

According to the reports, Lotus Formation, Border Man’s Salute, Fly Riding, Pawan Chakki, Horizontal Bar Exercise, Six-Man Balance, Arrow Position, Jaguar Position, Sentinels of the Himalayas and the theme-based Pyramid on ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ on the 75th Anniversary of India’s independence will be showcased as formations on the moving bikes by the force’s ‘Himveers’.

A total of 146 personnel and 33 Bullet Motorcycles of ITBP will participate in the Mission Daredevils. Also, the Republic Day Parades will witness the tanks, Dhanush howitzers, electronic warfare system and six marching contingents of the Indian Army including the Rajput Regiment and Assam Regiment and 17 military bands.

Complaint filed in the case of sexual harassment of Hindu women, whose pics were pornographically morphed for ‘stud Muslim men’

OpIndia Staff
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Complaint filed in the case of sexual harassment of Hindu women, whose pics were pornographically morphed for ‘stud Muslim men’

On January 25, West Bengal resident Ankita, whose photograph was misused on Reddit, had filed a complaint with the cybercrime division in the matter. In her complaint, she said an unknown person sent her a link on Twitter, and when she opened the link, she found her photograph was morphed and used on a Reddit group by user Radha Sheikh (Radha_seikh).

Ankita further added that though the post had been deleted after she shared it on social media to bring it to the attention of people and authorities, she would want to take action against the person who morphed her photograph. She said, “Today, they did this with me tomorrow with some other woman.” She further urged the Police to take action against Reddit and the person who morphed photographs of women.

In the thread, Ankita mentioned she was not the only one, and there were many women whose photographs had been morphed and misused on the internet. While she thanked everyone who poured support for her on social media, Ankita tagged Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, and said, “Sir, I hope you will read this and amplify. Hundreds of groups are present on many social media platforms, yesterday this happened with me, tomorrow it can happen with another woman, kindly take action against all these groups on social media.”

‘We all are together in this’

Ankita further asked those who were criticising BJP for not supporting its worker. She said, “To the people who are constantly writing that BJP is not taking care of me. I want to tell you that many people are with me, not everything everyone can show, please keep your propaganda away from my name.”

She further added she was overwhelmed with the support she got on social media platforms. She said, “Keep supporting me to fight all the odds. We all are together in this. It’s really sad that Hindu women are being targeted like this every day. I was pained to know that I was not the only one many other girls’ pictures are still present. I will fight for those women and for all the women in this world.”

New IT rules give power to users to get objectionable content removed

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrashekhar, while replying to a post by netizen Anshul Saxena urged Ankita to immediately write to Reddit to get the objectionable content removed.

Quoting Rule 3(2)b of the IT Rules, he said, “She has powers to seek removal quoting rule 3(2)b of the new IT Rules. I request Ankita to immediately write to Reddit. The new IT rules make platforms accountable to users.”

Rule 3(2)b of the IT Rules

In 2021, the Government of India issued new Rules under which the intermediary has to act on the complaint filed in relation to any objectionable content. Rule 3(2)B reads, “The intermediary shall, within twenty-four hours from the receipt of a complaint made by an individual or any person on his behalf under this sub-rule, in relation to any content which is prima facie in the nature of any material which exposes the private area of such individual, shows such individual in full or partial nudity or shows or depicts such individual in any sexual act or conduct, or is in the nature of impersonation in an electronic form, including artificially morphed images of such individual, take all reasonable and practicable measures to remove or disable access to such content which is hosted, stored, published or transmitted by it.”

Rape fantasies, sexual objectification and harassment of Hindu women on social media platforms

In a new form of communal hatred, social media is being used to sexually objectify and harass Hindu women, but it is not being reported properly. There are tons of images of women who are portrayed as Hindu with bindi, mangal sutra, sindoor and saree and posted with comments like how they are ‘waiting’ for a ‘Muslim d*ck’ as only he could ‘satisfy’ her. The sexually explicit images are often morphed to show the woman in a derogatory way, and sometimes even threatening way. The sexually explicit images are posted with hashtags such as ‘HSlut4MStud’ (Hindu sl*t for Muslim stud).

Due to the hate and propaganda against ‘Sanghis’, a term used for those who disagree with self-proclaimed liberals and Congress fans, it does not come as a surprise that people fantasising of rape of Hindu women, specifically by Muslim men, are either ignored or shielded by the so-called liberals who dismiss the very idea of Hindus being victims because ‘how can a religious majority in India be a victim’.

‘What’s the harm in learning Hindi as the third language?’ Madras High Court asks Tamil Nadu Government

OpIndia Staff
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‘What’s the harm in learning Hindi as the third language?’ Madras High Court asks Tamil Nadu Government

In a petition for the adoption of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the state of Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court has stated that teaching Hindi as a third language alongside Tamil and English in educational institutions would not do any harm.

Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Munishwar Nath Bhandari heading the first bench of the court on Tuesday inquired from the state government as to why Hindi can’t be taught as the third language in Tamil Nadu and what harm it would do.

The bench was hearing Arjunan Elayaraja’s public interest lawsuit, in which he sought directives for the implementation of the NEP, 2020, in educational institutions across Tamil Nadu. Elayaraja had argued that in view of the NEP 2020, the state cannot opt-out of supporting Hindi and Sanskrit in the state.

It may be recalled that in 2019, the DMK and other parties in Tamil Nadu had strongly opposed the three-language formula in the draft National Education Policy alleging that it was tantamount to thrusting Hindi language on the non-Hindi speaking states. In 2020, the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had rejected the three-language policy proposed by the Union government in the National Education Policy (NEP) and said the state will not deviate from its two-language policy, being followed for decades.

The bench stated that the state had the authority to make such decisions. The court did note, however, that people from Tamil Nadu will be at a disadvantage if they travel outside the state without understanding Hindi.

‘Not knowing Hindi might be a barrier in getting jobs’, says Madras HC batting for Hindi being taught as third language in Tamil Nadu

Citing examples of people being rejected jobs because they didn’t know Hindi, Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari said that this shouldn’t be a barrier for Tamil Nadu residents.

“For taking a job in the state of Tamil Nadu, there is no difficulty but outside the state there would be difficulty,” he noted.

Responding to the observation made by the Judge, Advocate General (AG) R Shunmugasundaram said, “The Tamil Nadu government follows two language policy and not three language policy as it would be overburdening the students.” Moreover, no one is stopped from learning Hindi in Tamil Nadu. “There are institutions like the Hindi Prachar Sabha where one can learn Hindi,” he added.

The two-judge bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P D Audikesavalu reacted by saying: “Learning is different from teaching.”

“If you give the option of three languages to the students, only then will they be in a position to opt for one or two or three. If everybody is opting for Tamil, (it is) fine. There is no difficulty. But they should be having the option to go for English or Hindi or any other language they require,” Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari stated.

When the AG said the state is following two language policy and not a three-language policy, ACJ questioned, “What is the harm if you follow the three-language policy (with Hindi).”

The bench granted Arjunan Elayaraja of Cuddalore’s petition four weeks to file the counter-affidavit, notwithstanding the AG’s request for eight weeks.

Home Minister Amit Shah slams those indulging in language politics

It may be recalled how in 2019, HM Amit Shah, on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, had appealed to the citizens to increase the use of Hindi. Speaking at a function to commemorate Hindi Diwas, Shah hailed the diversity of languages and dialects in the country that he stressed was the “strength of our nation”.

His statement was, however, distorted and used to stir controversy. Immediately media was abuzz with reports that Amit Shah was seeking a common language for the country and had proposed Hindi’s name. This got the ball rolling and raised the hackles of political leaders in some non-Hindi speaking States, especially in South India.

This supposed proposal was criticised by South India’s actor turned politicians like Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth who claimed that a common language cannot be implemented in India.

He had then cleared the controversy fomented by the opposition over his remarks on the Hindi language. Slamming those indulging in language politics Shah said he has never asked for imposition of Hindi anywhere in the country but advocated its use as the second language after one’s mother tongue.

Kerala lynching case: Court questions repeated absence of the special public prosecutor representing the dead tribal man

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala lynching case: Court questions repeated absence of the special public prosecutor representing the dead tribal man

The Mannarkkad SC / ST Special Court on Tuesday has questioned the repeated absence of the special public prosecutor representing the dead tribal man Madhu. A 27-year-old tribal man from Palakkad was lynched by a mob in 2018 over suspicion of theft of food.

The Special Public Prosecutor for the dead tribal man Madhu was absent today when the case was being heard before the special court. Earlier on November 15 last year, the court had postponed the hearing to January 25 since the prosecutor was not present on that day as well.

The court has again adjourned the case further until February 26, 2022. Earlier V. T. Raghunath was appointed as the prosecutor for the deceased in August 2019. However, he has never appeared in court to this day. Before the trial was supposed to start on January 25, the news of Raghunath resigning from his post stating medical reasons came.

The absence of prosecutors has delayed the trial for the case due to varied reasons. For an incident that took place in February 2018, even finding a fitting prosecutor for the victim has not come easy. Madhu’s family has now alleged that the trial is being delayed intentionally. Madhu’s mother, Malli awaits justice for her son, while she says, “It has been four years since my son was lynched. We don’t know why the trial has not started. We just want justice.” Malli while speaking to the media about having no idea from whom to demand justice for her son, further said, “They (the police) cite different reasons, which I do not understand. We have no money and influence. All the accused men have been walking freely all these years.”

The Special Investigation Team formed after the incident has drafted a 3,500-page charge sheet in May 2018 while naming a total of 16 persons accused. While the accused have been charged with murder and offences under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, all of them are currently out on bail. Critics are also questioning the CPI(M) govt.’s delay in appointing a permanent public prosecutor to represent Madhu before the court. The Government is also accused of wielding political influence in the case as, Shamsuddin, one of the accused was elected as the CPI(M) branch secretary in September 2021. However, the decision was revoked after much opposition.

Padma Awards 2022: CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, Kalyan Singh, Satya Nadella, among others conferred with the highest civilian awards of India

OpIndia Staff
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Padma Awards 2022: CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, Kalyan Singh, Satya Nadella, among others conferred with the highest civilian awards of India

Ahead of the 73rd Republic Day, the government of India has released the list of Padma Awardees who will be conferred with amongst the highest civilian awards later this year by the President of India. Among those honoured with the prestigious award include late CDS General Bipin Rawat, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Cyrus Poonawalla, Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and several others.

As per the list released by the government, the President, this year, has approved conferment of 128 Padma Awards including 2 duo cases (one award is given to two persons). The list includes 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards.

Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

Ms Prabha Atre, Shri Radheshyam Khemka(posthumous), General Bipin Rawat(posthumous), and Kalyan Singh(posthumous) are conferred with Padma Vibhushan.

The list of Padma Bhushan award includes eminent citizens from different walks of life, including Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Bengali actor Victor Banerjee, former Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, MD of SII Cyrus Poonawalla, Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech, among others.

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was conferred with Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution in the field of sports. Other recipients of Padma Awards include Ms Badaplin War from Meghalaya, Ms Durga Vyam from Madhya Pradesh, Dr Kamlakar Tripathi and Shri Sivananda from Uttar Pradesh. Ms Gamit Ramilaben Raysingbhai has been bestowed with Padma Shri for her exemplary work in the field of social work. Similarly, Ms K V Rabiya from Kerala has been feted with the prestigious honour for her contribution to social work.

The entire list of Padma Awardees can be read here.

Islamist outfit Jamaat-e-Islami Hind objects to Surya Namaskar on Republic Day; asks Muslim students to boycott such “idolatrous practice”

OpIndia Staff
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Islamist outfit Jamaat-e-Islami Hind objects to Surya Namaskar on Republic Day; asks Muslim students to boycott such “idolatrous practice”

The Karnataka unit of the radical Islamist outfit Jamat-E-Islami Hind has taken strong objection to the central government’s directive to perform ‘Surya Namaskar’ on R-Day and asked Muslim students and parents to refrain from participating in the event as it is against Islam.

Dr Muhammad Saad Belgami, JIH President has, however, said on Tuesday that, “Surya Namaskaar” is against Islam. We don’t prostrate before our prophet and we believe in the oneness of God. “Surya Namaskar” is not allowed for Muslim students,” he said.

“We also strongly advise Muslim parents and children not to participate in this idolatrous practice. This should also be an occasion to make children understand the concept of the oneness of God and its demands. We urge the management of schools and institutions to respect this diversity and freedom of choice,” he added.

“We wish to say that “Surya Namaskar” is devotional Yoga practice involving prostration to the Sun and chanting of hymns. Islam strongly prohibits any act of worship or devotion to any of the creation,” he said.

JIH Karnataka chief calls it violation of their fundamental and constitutional rights

“Islam strictly recommends that is permissible only to the creator of the entire universe – Allah. Muslims are not allowed to prostrate even to the beloved personality of Prophet Muhammad. We have been asked not to perform Namaz, including prostration at the exact time of dawn or dusk to avoid any doubt of resemblance to sun worship,” Muhammad Saad said, adding expecting or requiring Muslim children to participate in this will be a violation of their fundamental and constitutional rights.

According to the chief of the Karnataka unit of the radical Islamist outfit Jamat-E-Islami, the government should not impose the religious customs of one society on another since it violates secular ideals and goes against the spirit of equality, fairness, and liberty.

It may be noted that on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day celebrations, the central government has directed that special programmes to perform ‘Surya Namaskar’ with musical instruments be organised across the country. The goal is to reach a 75-crore ‘Surya Namaskar’ target by involving three lakh students across 30 states and 30,000 institutes.

AIMPLB objects to ‘Surya Namaskar’ programmes at schools, calls it unconstitutional

Notably, on January 4, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board(AIMPLB) had also objected to the central government’s directive to organise ‘Surya Namaskar’ in schools between January 1 to 7 on the 75th anniversary of Independence Day, stating that Islam prohibits ‘Surya Namaskar’ as it is a form of Surya puja.

The statement issued by the Muslim Personal Law Board and signed by general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said that customs and rituals of the majority community cannot be imposed on all religions. The letter also asked Muslim students to stay away from the Surya Namaskar program. The letter also called the government order issued to all states through the Ministry of Education to observe Surya Namaskar unconstitutional.

Rajkot: Underbridge named after late CDS General Bipin Rawat inaugurated by Gujarat CM

OpIndia Staff
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Rajkot: Underbridge named after late CDS General Bipin Rawat inaugurated by Gujarat CM

On Monday (January 24), Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated an underbridge in the Lakshmi Nagar area in Rajkot city of Gujarat. The new infrastructure project has been named after the late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat.

As per reports, the underbridge has been constructed at a cost of ₹42.38 crores. It will be known as the ‘Shahid CDS Bipin Rawat bridge’. The project was built as a part of the government’s initiative to free cities from railway crossings.

The underbridge will help relieve traffic congestion and benefit about 6 lakh commuters. A separate pathway has also been created for cyclists. With a 4.5 metre height and 7.5-metre width, the underbridge, it will help ease vehicular traffic and even accommodate school buses.

During the virtual inauguration, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel congratulated Rajkot Municipal Corporation for completing the project in record time. He had assured to develop urban infrastructure to prevent inconvenience to people.

The untimely death of General Bipin Rawat

On 8th December 2021, a military helicopter carrying 14 people on board crashed on its way from Sulur Air Force base in Tamil Nadu to Wellington where Gen Rawat was to deliver a lecture in Defence Staff college.13 of them perished during the accident. They included CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brig LS Lidder, Lt Col H Singh, Wg Cdr PS Chauhan, Sqn Ldr K Singh, JWO Das, JWO Pradeep A, Hav Satpal, Nk Gursewak Singh, Nk Jitender, L/Nk Vivek and L/Nk S Teja.

Group Captain Varun Singh, Shaurya Chakra awardee, was admitted to the hospital with severe burn injuries. He was maintaining his vitals and was shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru. As per reports, his health has improved slightly. However, he, too, unfortunately, succumbed to injuries.

Telangana: 18-century Bansilalpet step-well to soon serve with clean, fresh groundwater as the restoration project nears completion

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: 18-century Bansilalpet step-well to soon serve with clean, fresh groundwater as the restoration project nears completion

The 18th-century old stepwell at Bansilalpet, Secunderabad has been launched to revive with fresh water gushing from deep below, after more than 500 tonnes of garbage was removed from near the Nalla Pochamma Temple, to unearth the 53 feet deep water stream.

The stepwell had become a dumping ground for years until the removal of silt and debris began last year. According to the reports, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation engaged workers and labourers, for the cleaning process and had announced plans for the restoration of the heritage structure.

Kalpana Ramesh, the founder of the Rainwater Project is supporting the government in the restoration process that involves methods to recharge the groundwater as well. Reports mention that the Rainwater Project has already restored five-step wells in the city at Gachibowli, Kokapet, Kondapur and Narsingi.

According to Kalpana Ramesh, the water capacity of the Bansilalpet stepwell is 22 lakh ltr and this would have helped in saving crores of litres of water if it was well maintained for the last 40 years. “The well after restoration will help improve the groundwater security, reducing urban floods and groundwater pollution. The clean water discharged out of the well will prove to be a great resource for the people”, said Ramesh.

She also added that there is clinical evidence proving the better quality of water that will soon be available for use. She said that the stepwell is 53 feet deep and every night 5 to 6 feet of clean water fills up naturally.

Urban Development Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar meanwhile tweeted pictures of the stunning transformation of the structure on Saturday and said that the government was rediscovering Bansilalpet step well step by step. He also shared pictures from before and after the restoration on Social Media.

Reports mention that restoration process will be completed within 6 to 8 working months and additional facilities will also be put in place to make it a tourist attraction.

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