Numerous violations have been observed in Muslim dominated localities during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, another such violation was reported from the Jali Kothi area in Meerut. SDM Ajay Kumar Tiwari was informed of a gathering in the area by a source. After receiving the information, the SDM gathered his own team and proceeded to raid the said place. Once he was there, he saw a huge crowd had gathered in the house of one Yusuf Badshah. It is pertinent to mention here that 13 individuals have tested positive thus far in Jali Kothi, Meerut and the area has been declared a hotspot.
Reportedly, the crowd had gathered at the house for a feast that had been going on for the past two days. Yusuf Badshah has been arrested along with four others in connection to the event. More would have been arrested but chaos erupted when the SDM reached the spot and many of the attendees managed to flee. Cases have been registered against the attendees under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act and for violations of the section 144 restrictions imposed in the area.
Reports differ slightly on what exactly happened at Jali Kothi
Reports vary slightly regarding the details of what exactly happened. According to Amar Ujala, more than 50 people had gathered for the feast while Live Hindustan puts the number at 150. Other reports put the number at over 200. There are other aspects to the story as well where the reports differ.
While some reports claim that the SDM had called the in-charge of the Delhi Gate Police Station after receiving the inform, other reports say that the informer had requested him specifically to not inform the area police station right away as they were already aware of what was happening and if they were informed, the criminals would be able to escape without any consequences. This prompted the SDM to raid the place straightaway. It is also reported that the SDM had called the in-charge of the police station only after reaching the place. However, the reports agree that the in-charge had not received the call.
Police Attackedin Jali Kothi, Meerut in April
That there was severe lapse on the part of the Police cannot be ignored. Whether they were aware of what was happening will only be made clear after the matter is investigated by competent authorities. It is pertinent to mention that Jali Kothi in Meerut is the same where policemen and district officials had been pelted with stones earlier in April after they had reached the place to seal a part of it following the presence of Coronavirus infected individuals at a Mosque in the area. Numerous people including the city magistrate had been injured during the attack.
The World Bank has lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission calling for self-reliance named Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan when it approved a $1 billion USD package for India’s urban poor and migrant population amid the coronavirus pandemic that has grossly affected the economy.
World Bank’s India Director Junaid Ahmad appreciated India’s efforts in providing social assistance to poor and vulnerable households while announcing the package as aid from the World Bank.
In a video, Ahmad said, “I think PM’s Atmanirbhar Mission is very important in terms of directions and India is not making a distinction between life and livelihoods in the aftermath of Covid-19.”
He added, “Social distancing has led to the slowdown of the economy. Government of India has focussed on Garib Kalyan Yojna to help poor and vulnerable as a bridge between the health interventions is happening and where the economy can be revived.”
Social distancing has led to slowdown of economy. Govt of India has focused on Garib Kalyan Yojna to help protect poor & vulnerable as a bridge between from health interventions are happening & where the economy can be revived: Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director for India pic.twitter.com/Qfsvn4TFjr
World bank informed that the multi-billion-dollar social protection package was in addition to the previous package of dollar 1 billion allocated to India for coronavirus emergency response and health systems.
Junaid Ahmad added, “The World Bank’s billion-dollar support for social protection will help India leverage its PM Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).”
Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
Prime Minister on 12 may announce a special package with a message of self-reliance to the country. The special financial package is worth 20 lakh crore of 266 billion dollars for reviving the economy that has been very much affected due to lockdown. The Prime Minister informed us that the package is 10 percent of India’s GDP.
PM Modi said, “To prove the resolve of a self-reliant India, this package includes- land, labour, liquidity and law. The grand palace of self-reliance will rest on five pillars. The first pilar is Economy, an economy that will bring quantum jump, not incremental change; the second pillar- Infrastructure that can be the identity of modern India; third pillar- System which will be based on technology-driven processes able to fulfil 21st-century dreams, not rules and regulations of last century; fourth pillar- our Democracy, as the world’s largest and the vibrant democracy is the strength of India; and the fifth pillar- Demand, the cycle of demand and supply in our economy is our strength, and it should be used to its full potential.”
He clarified that this package is for our cottage industries, small-scale industries, for MSME which is the means of livelihood of crores of people, which is the strong basis of our resolve for self-reliant India.
World Bank rolled out multi billion emergency aid
Earlier, the world bank had rolled out a 160 billion dollar emergency aid in dealing with the coronavirus crisis globally.
As per reports, the board of Development lender had announced the first-ever fast-track crisis funding with an initial fund of 1.9 billion dollars that is reportedly going to project in 25 countries and will be extended up to 40 nations.
The Cabin crew members of all Indian airlines will have to use Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) on a flight like face shields, gowns, and masks as part of their attire with the flights will resume operations, as per a report in the New Indian Express.
Commercial airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, and AirAsia have decided that the staff will have to use PPEs to stay protected from the contagion as they often work in close proximity among themselves and passengers.
As per the new Indian express reports, the Philipines AirAsia had unveiled the new attire for its cabin crew on April 27. The new attire had full red-coloured body suit consisting of a face-shield and a face mask.
Proposed body suits for AirAsia Philippines crew members
The Indian cabin crew of AirAsia will be using face shields, masks, gowns, aprons and gloves, says the NIE report.
As per reports, it will be mandatory for each crew member of Indigo to wear a surgical mask, gloves, face shields along with a gown or a bodysuit. Vistara is planning to have its cabin crew wear a lap gown, face mask and face shield.
Air India is also expected to provide PPEs to its crew members in commercial flights. They will be wearing body suit, gloves, face shield and face mask.
For the past few days, it has been reported that many people are buying medicines to cure fever, cold, and cough they are having but are not getting treatment at a hospital. Many positive cases have emerged from the migrant workers too who came back from other states during the lockdown.
Sensing the jeopardy it may create, the Yogi Adityanath government has issued a guideline for medical professionals. From now onwards the customers who will buy medicines for cough, cold, and fever will have to provide basic information like names, addresses, and mobile numbers at the pharmacy. This will help the medical practitioners update the details on a daily basis to the health department.
Details will be sent to Health and Family welfare department
The Order is this regard has been issued by the commissioner of Drug licensing and control authority AK Jain. Keeping in mind the contagious Coronavirus infection, all medical stores in all the districts have been told to send the daily information till evening. Information on the symptoms related to fever, cough, and cold along with the information of the buyers including name, address and phone number will be directly sent to the e-link of the Department of Health and Family welfare department.
The government will review the report
The pharmacy will note the name, address, and phone number of the patients who come to take medicines and will inform the drug department at 6 in the evening. Based on the report, the government will monitor the situation and will take appropriate measures to trace and test the people having the ailments which match with the symptoms of COVID-19.
The report will be sent to the government on a daily basis. The information has also been sought for the last 15 days about how many patients of fever cold and cough have come from which region. Based on the report the department will reach them and conduct screening and health tests.
The state of Uttar Pradesh has reported 3902 active cases of coronavirus with a surge of 173 cases in the last 24 hours. 2072 have been recovered till today and 88 have been reported dead due to epidemic.
A pregnant nurse working with those suffering from psychiatric trauma after being hit by the deadly coronavirus pathogen in a hospital in Italy was brutally raped by an illegal migrant from Senegal as she waited for her bus at the Corso Arnaldo Lucci Metropark bus stop, just behind the city’s main rail station. She was attacked by the accused while she waited for the bus to return home after finishing her day’s shift of treating the coronavirus patients.
The illegal migrant from Senegal was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping the 48-year-old nurse after she left work at a Naples hospital at around 3 pm.
Recounting the 45 minutes of horror the nurse said that she doesn’t know whether her physical pain or the mental pain was effecting her more. She said she would now try and struggle to move on and help other people who have experienced similar trauma in life.
The pregnant nurse recollects that she begged the man to let her go as she was pregnant
In what transpired, the pregnant nurse had reached the Metropark well before time and had an hour to wait because of the reduced transport services due to the coronavirus crisis. She says there was no one around as she waited for her bus.
She recollects that it was around 3 pm when she was waiting at the deserted Corso Arnaldo Lucci Metropark bus station, suddenly the accused jumped over the fence and started sprinting towards her. Initially, thinking him to be a robber the nurse tried to give him her purse but before the nurse could understand the accused grabbed her by the arm and pinned her to the ground, gagging her with his hand.
She said: “He would put his hands everywhere and would get angry every time I was defending myself.” The nurse recollects that she begged the man to let her go as she was pregnant and was struggling to breathe but he did not stop assaulting her.
“He kept repeating ‘let me do what I want or I’ll kill you. Stand still and don’t scream’. He was double my size and all his weight was on my back. He got angry because my jeans were too tight and he couldn’t take them off,” the nurse was quoted by La Repubblica, an Italian daily as saying.
The accused attempted to even kill the nurse
The nurse recollected telling the accused that if someone came he would be arrested, but he kept trying to rip her jeans off, she said, furthering that her back was completely wounded and her neck covered in bruises. At one point he even attempted to kill her by putting his arms around her neck to choke her.
The illegal migrant continued to assault her for almost 45 minutes until a bus arrived and the driver noticed what was going on and started screaming. By then, the Army arrived and surrounded the attacker until the police got there and took him into custody.
The police took the woman to the hospital and informed her husband. The nurse says she hasn’t yet gone back to work. She added that her husband feels guilty and helpless for not being able to protect her and the incident has devastated the entire family.
In a remarkable development, the Indian Railway operated 145 Shramik special trains from across India on Thursday. An official from the Ministry of Railways has revealed that in this mission to send the migrants back to their native places, the Indian Railways has helped close to 2.10 lakh migrant labourers to return back their homes on Thursday.
An official statement from the Ministry of Railways informed, “Yesterday, 145 Shramik trains were operated and nearly 2.10 lakh passengers were ferried home. As of 9 AM today, 999 Shramik Specials have been approved.”
The Ministry further added, “As on 14th May 2020, a total of 800 “Shramik Special” trains have been operationalized from various states across the country. More than 10 lakh passengers have reached their home state.”
Till now 800 trains have been terminated in various states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.
The state and Union territories/district administrations have been operational in conducting certain activities to ensure strict observance of lockdown orders. The passengers are being screened properly before boarding the train and the passengers are also given free meals and water.
Indian railways operated the Shramik Special trains after MHA orders
The Indian Railways decided to operate ‘Shramik special trains’ for migrant labourers following the orders of Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places via special trains after the reports of migrants scuffling to go back to their natives emerged.
These special trains have reportedly ferried migrants to cities like Tiruchchirappalli, Titlagarh, Barauni, Khandwa, Jagannathpur, Khurda Road, Prayagraj, Chhapra, Balia, Gaya, Purnia, Varanasi, Darbhanga, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Hatia, Basti, Katihar, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, etc.
Urdu poet Munawwar Rana recently hogged the spotlight for his blatantly Hinduphobic remarks wherein he had relegated 100 crores Hindus in India to ‘animals’ who come in handy only during the elections.
The remark stirred a massive outrage on the social media where netizens not only condemned Rana’s appalling remarks but also criticised Rana’s work and raised aspersions on the originality of the poems composed by him.
Rana has received widespread acclaims and praise for a famous couplet “Mere Hisse Main Maa Aayi (I inherited my mother). However, it has been accused now that the lines that brought so much fame to Rana may have been stolen from Vidisha poet Alok Srivastava.
This has been a subject of discussion on social media. Senior journalist Ashok Shrivastav took to Twitter to share an old letter penned by poet Alok Srivastava addressed to Munawwar Rana in which he alleges the Urdu poet of stealing his couplet and brazenly garnering accolades for it.
“Munawar Rana has been accused of stealing the lines of his famous couplet “Mere Hisse Main Maa Aai”, which was originally composed by the Hindi poet Alok Srivastava in his famous poem “Mere Hisse Mein Amma Aai”, senior Doordarshan journalist Ashok Shrivastav tweeted while tagging Munawwar Rana on Twitter and seeking his response on the charges of intellectual property theft levelled against him.
मुन्नवर राणा पर आरोप हैं कि उनकी मशहूर नज़्म “मेरे हिस्से में माँ आई” दअरसल हिंदी कवि आलोक श्रीवास्तव की कविता “मेरे हिस्से अम्मा आई” को चुरा कर लिखी गई। ( आलोक जी का पुराना पत्र पढ़िए)@MunawwarRana, जी आरोप गंभीर है। जवाब दें अन्यथा कोई अवार्ड बचा हो तो लौटा दें।#MunnawarRanapic.twitter.com/hwB5lH8e6A
— Ashok Shrivastav (@AshokShrivasta6) May 15, 2020
The letter attached in the tweet is dated May 2003 in which poet Alok Srivastava alleged Munawwar Rana of brazenly copying lines from his poems and passing off as his in a function in Gwalior. He also added that despite being periodically reminded that he is using stolen poems to garner fame, Rana continued reproducing the adopted lines in many poetic symposiums.
It is pertinent to note that Alok Srivastava is amongst the most eminent poets in the country. Many illustrious celebrities such as Jagjit Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Malini Awasthi and others have lended their voices to the songs and Ghazals written by Alok Srivastava.
In addition to this, Alok has also been a prolific writer and renowned for writing songs for many Bollywood movies. Alok has also participated in a legion of Kavi Sammelan and Mushairas(poetic symposiums) in dozens of countries and has won laurels abroad.
In a subsequent tweet, journalist Ashok Shrivastav claimed that the letter by Alok Srivastava, that has been doing the rounds on the Internet, has not been validated yet. He has sought help on social media to establish the veracity of the claims made in the letter by asking people to put him through either Munawwar Rana or Alok Srivastava.
Shortly thereafter, journalist Ashok Shrivastav posted yet another tweet claiming that the letter has been validated. The Doordarshan journalist claimed that all his life Munawwar Rana continued garnering applause and fame for the couplets he shamelessly copied from the poems authored by Alok Srivastava and till date has not responded to the letter written by the Vidisha poet.
— Ashok Shrivastav (@AshokShrivasta6) May 15, 2020
Alok Srivastava’s poem “Amma”
This is not the first that Munawwar Rana has been accused of plagiarism. There had been myriad occasions when Munawwar was alleged of stealing the poems composed by Alok Srivastava. However, it was not so hotly debated as it is being now. Perhaps, therefore Rana never deigned to issue a clarification on the allegations of copying poems levelled against him.
The lines of the poem ‘Amma’ written by Alok Shrivastava are as follows –
“बाबूजी गुजरे..आपस में सब चीजें तकसीम हुईं। मैं घर में सबसे छोटा था, मेरे हिस्से आई अम्मा।“
This poem of Alok was reportedly published in many magazines. On several occasions, Alok has asserted that Munawwar had stolen the lines of his poem.
The lines which Munawwar Rana has always proclaimed as his are as follows:
‘किसी को घर मिला हिस्से में या कोई दुकाँ आई। मैं घर में सब से छोटा था मेरे हिस्से में माँ आई।’
Munawwar Rana’s controversial Hinduphobic remarks
In a Hinduphobic tweet, Sahitya Akademi Award-winning poet Munawwar Rana referred to Hindus as ‘animals’ who only come in handy while voting and Muslims as the only ‘humans’.
Addressing BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, Munawwar Rana was criticising the government of India’s measures to combat coronavirus. He said, “After seeing government’s failure on coronavirus, it has been proven that there are 35 crore humans and 100 crore animals,”. As per 2011 census, the Muslim population was estimated at about 17.22 crore which would have grown over the years. And while he did not explicitly mention that he meant Hindus and Muslims as ‘animals’ and ‘humans’ in his tweet, the veiled allusion to Hindus was condemned by many on social media.
The mainstream media has been the biggest purveyor of fake news for quite some time now. It has been evident that the fake news was driven as much by malice as it was by sheer incompetence. Now, there finally appears to be an admission of sorts on the horizon here. An article on The Print, the media venture of Shekhar Gupta of the Editors Guild of India, argues that liberals ought to embrace fake news in their war on Prime Minister Modi. To further his argument, the article in The Print used a paper written by Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews for RAND Corporation, an American think-tank.
The headline of The Print article
The Print argued, “Across the world, fire-hosing of falsehood is becoming a powerful propaganda tool. Those who want to defeat such propaganda may have to do their own fire-hosing of falsehood. As the Hindi saying goes, iron cuts iron. When public opinion is being manipulated with fake news and lies, the opposition cannot win the game with mere fact-checking. It may have to do its own rapid and continuous misinformation with little regard for the truth.”
The author did not stop there. He went on to call for curbs on freedom of expression of individuals and crackdown on political opponents. He suggested that the opposition parties “attack the opponent’s supply chain of lies. If opposition-ruled states are not cracking down on fake news and communal hate-mongers in their states, for example, they’re making a huge mistake.” The Print tries to pass it off as a noble cause but it is pretty clear what he means.
Since what constitutes ‘hate speech’ is completely left to the will of the interpreter, the government can persecute its political nemesis with impunity. For instance, during the Arnab Goswami versus Antonia Maino (Sonia Gandhi) saga, the Congress party has equated it to an attempt at stoking communal tensions. Thus, what The Print run by Shekhar Gupta essentially argues for is the persecution of supporters of Narendra Modi by states where opposition parties are in power such as in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
To be clear, the mainstream media has been peddling fake news for quite some time now and all the time, the fake news is geared towards benefiting only one section of the political spectrum, which does not happen to be the BJP. The Print of Shekhar Gupta has been at the forefront of it often enough. Now the reason for it has become imminent. They are so convinced of their moral superiority that they believe it is permissible for them to deliberately spread fake news to achieve political objectives. This is the same author who was earlier accused of fabricating quotes to whitewash the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. It appears that Shivam Vij, and by extension Shekhar Gupta, believe that spreading fake news is justified as long as it is dedicated to defeating Narendra Modi and Hindutva.
On Friday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the third tranche of Modi government’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” package worth Rs 20 lakh crores to restart the economy following the coronavirus lockdown.
In her first address, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced comprehensive relief measures on Wednesday to support various sectors including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Discoms, NBFCs, Micro Insurance Institutions, etc.
In the first tranche, the Modi government had announced 16 included six measures for MSMEs, EPF, NBFCs and MFIs, discoms, contractors, real estate sector and had also put out some tax measures.
Later, on Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had declared the second tranche of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” package that included relief measures to migrant workers, street vendors, housing, employment generation for tribals and small farmers.
Third tranche of announcements under “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” economic package
Finance Minister Sitharaman on Friday said that the third tranche of the announcement will focus on Agriculture and Allied Activities – fisheries, animal husbandry, dairy, etc.
The Finance Minister announced eleven measures, out of which 8 will be aimed at building better capacities and allocation for ramping up storage and logistics. The remaining 3 are governance and administrative reforms, she added.
At the outset of the announcement, Finance Minister announced that during lockdown provisions were made to conclude rabi crop harvest and some states have gone ahead largely with procurement process while observing social distancing. Agricultural work was supported during the two months of lockdown, FM Sitharaman added.
“It goes to the credit of the Indian farmer who has always stood up to various challenges and has made India reach certain global benchmarks,” said Finance Minister.
FM Sitharaman said that funds worth Rs 18,700 crores has been done transferred under PM KISAN in past 2 months and PM Fasal Bima Yojana claims worth Rs 6,400 crores released in past two months.
The Modi government also said that Rs 74,300 crore worth of produce was purchased under Minimum Support Price during lockdown
Image Source: PIB
Agri Infrastructure Fund
The Modi government announced that it will immediately create a Rs 1 lakh crore Agri-Infrastructure Fund for farm gate infrastructure for farmers.
Finance Minister said that Rs 1 lakh crore will be dedicated for aggregators, primary agriculture societies for strengthening the farmgate infrastructures, which includes cold chains, storage centres, yards, etc.
“Impetus for development affordable and financially viable Post Harvest Management infrastructure will be given,” announced FM Sitharaman.
Image Source: PIB
Support for Micro Food Enterprises (MFE)
Additional Rs 10,000 crore is dedicated by the Modi government for micro food enterprises (MFEs) in a cluster-based approach, announced FM.
She added that the government is aiming to implement PM’s vision of ‘Vocal for Local with Global outreach’, a scheme will be launched to help 2 lakh Micro Food Enterprises
“Branding, modernising and capacity ramp-up will be part. This will benefit 2 lakh MFEs. The focus will be on women, ST/SCs. Will look at regional clusters,” the FM added.
Through the scheme, existing SHGs, MFEs, farm producer organisations will be supported, the Finance Minister announced. She added that the formalisation will be done on a cluster-based approach, like for Bihar it can be on makhanas, for Kashmir saffron, etc.
Image Source: PIB
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
Government to launch Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana for integrated, sustainable, inclusive development of marine and inland fisheries to plug critical gaps in fisheries value chain.
The Finance Minister announced that under the scheme logistics capacities for activities related to marine and inland fisheries will be developed. The schemed intends to provide employment to 55 lakh in the sector, which is expected to contribute Rs 1 lakh crore to India’s exports.
“The mission will help in better standards, new fishing vessels, harbours, insurance for fishermen and boats and will lead to an additional 70 lakh tonnes over the next 5 years. It is to empower people to make a livelihood for themselves. Making sure India is helped to stand on its own,” said FM Sitharaman.
An amount of Rs 20,000 crores will be earmarked for fisheries. As part of this scheme, Rs 11,000 has been assigned for marine, inland fisheries and aquaculture and Rs 9,000 crore for infrastructures such as fishing harbour, cold chains and fish markets.
Focus will be on Islands, Himalayan states, North-east and Aspirational districts, added Finance Minister.
Image Source: PIB
Support for Animal Husbandry sector
The Modi government announced an Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund worth Rs. 15,000 crore to support private investment in Dairy Processing, value addition and cattle feed infrastructure.
National Animal Disease Control Programme has been launched with a total outlay of Rs 13,343 crores for 100% vaccination of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pig population in India.
The Finance Minister also said that incentives to be given for establishing plants for export of niche products.
Image Source: PIB
Promotion for Herbal cultivation
To promote Herbal Cultivation in India, the Modi government announced to commit Rs 4000 crore. The move aims to cover 10 lakh hectare under herbal cultivation in 2 years.
The support will generate income of Rs 5,000 crore for local farmers engaged in this cultivation, said Finance Minister.
FM Sitharaman also said National Medicinal Plant Board will undertake 800 hectares of areas in the corridors of river Ganga for growing of herbal and medical plants.
Image Source: PIB
Beekeeping initiatives
The Modi Government announced that they will implement a scheme for infrastructure development related to Beekeeping. The scheme aims to increase income for 2 lakh beekeepers with special thrust on capacity building of women.
The Finance Minister said that scheme will include infrastructure, capacity building, marketing and export support.
Through the scheme. the development of quality nucleus stock and bee breeders will be undertaken.
Image Source: PIB
Extension of Operation GREEN
In a major announcement, Finance Minister said that government has extended Operation Greens from Tomatoes, Onion and Potatoes (TOP) to all fruits and vegetables.
The Finance Minister said that the pilot extended for the next six months and will be expanded further. She added that scheme will provide 50% subsidy for transportation and 50% subsidy for storage including cold storage included.
Image Source: PIB
Amendment to Essential Commodities Act
The government also stated that it will amend the Essential Commodities Act to enable better price realisation for farmers. Addition to that, the agriculture food stuffs including cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potato will be deregulated, announced FM Sitharaman.
Stock limit to be imposed under exceptional circumstances like national calamities, famine with surge in prices, she added.
Image Source: PIB
Reforms to Agriculture Marketing
The Finance Minister also said that the government will bring in a law to implement agriculture marketing reforms to provide marketing choices to farmers. The law will provide adequate choices to farmers to sell produce at an attractive price.
The government of India is working on a central law to provide farmers with inter-state trade free of barriers, a framework for e-trading of agriculture produce and adequate choices for them to sell produce at an attractive price. At present farmers are allowed to sell only to select licensees in selected agricultural markets in their own states, which limits choices for the farmers. The new law will remove the inter-state barriers in trade in farm produces.
Image Source: PIB
‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ – A mission for self-reliance
In his fifth address to the nation over the Coronavirus pandemic, on Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an economic package under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ amounting Rs 20 lakh crore to revamp the economy which is facing a serious crisis due to the Chinese epidemic. The economic package includes the recent announcements made by the government and the Reserve Bank of India on supporting key sectors of the country.
In his speech, PM Modi said the economic package would be around the 10 per cent of the GDP.
“I announce a special economic package today. This will play an important role in the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’. The announcements made by the government on coronavirus, decisions of RBI and today’s package totals to Rs 20 lakh crore. This is 10 per cent of India’s GDP,” PM Narendra Modi said.
The Prime Minister also said the package would help every section of society, including workers, farmers, the middle class, industrial units and the MSME sector.
The stimulus will play an important role in the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ (Self-reliant India Campaign), PM Modi said.
“India’s self-reliance will be based on five pillars — economy, infrastructure, technology-driven system, vibrant demography and demand. When India speaks of self-reliance, it does not advocate for a self-centred system. In India’s self-reliance there is a concern for the whole world’s happiness, cooperation and peace,” PM Modi said in his address.
On Friday, the Allahabad High Court ruled that while reciting Azaan (call for Muslims to pray) by a Muezzin from a Masjid is integral to Islam, the use of amplifying devices such as loudspeakers are not, reportedBar and Bench. The Court held that usage of such devices for ‘Islamic call to prayer’ is not protected under Article 25 (Right to Freedom of Religion) of the Indian Constitution.
A Division Bench comprising of Justice Shashi Kant Gupta and Justice Ajit Kumar observed that the use of amplifying devices is subject to public order, health, morality, and other provisions of the Part III of the Indian Constitution.
The #AllahabadHighCourt on Friday allowed ‘azaan’ from mosques but said that the use of loudspeakers could not be permitted. The court said that ‘azaan’ was a part of Islam but using loudspeakers were not a part of the religion.
The Court’s order came after Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed by MP Afzal Ansari, Congress leader Salman Khurshid, and Advocate S Wasim A Qadri, following the order of the District administration to restrict the recital of Azaan, amidst the Coronavirus lockdown. They sought permission for the recital of Azaan over amplifying devices claiming it to be an integral part of Islam.
Allahabad HC order on Azaan
The Allahabad High Court ordered, “Therefore, until and unless there is a license/permission from the authorities concerned under the Noise Pollution Rules, under no circumstances, Azan can be recited through any sound-amplifying devices.” Doing so, without requisite permission, will be deemed as a violation of Noise Pollution Rules. As such, the Court had directed to take strict action against such people. The Court order, initially reserved on May 5, also asked the district administration to not cause hindrance in the recital of Azaan, even during the lockdown as it is an integral part of Islam.
The order said:
“Therefore, it is held that Azan may be an essential and integral part of Islam but the recitation of Azan through loud speakers or other sound-amplifying devices cannot be said to be an integral part of the religion, warranting protection of the fundamental right enshrined under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, which is even otherwise subject to public order, morality or health and to other provisions of part III of the Constitution of India.”
