Home Blog Page 6360

Talks were ongoing for speedy resolution before Mamata Banerjee threatened medical fraternity, decisions for safety of doctors were taken

K Bhattacharjee
-
0
Talks were ongoing for speedy resolution before Mamata Banerjee threatened medical fraternity, decisions for safety of doctors were taken

On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee escalated the ongoing crisis in West Bengal by blaming ‘outsiders’ and the BJP for the series of protests by medical professionals in the state. Now, OpIndia.com has learnt that constructive decisions were taken on the 12th of June in a meeting between the state Health & Family Welfare Department (HFWD) and the Principals and Medical Superintendent cum Vice President of Medical Colleges and Hospitals across Kolkata and some representatives of Junior Doctors.

All of this was before Mamata Banerjee destroyed the goodwill that was generated. Our sources told us that there was a possibility that the matter would have been resolved without much further delay if the West Bengal Chief Minister had not threatened the junior doctors and others of the medical fraternity and politicized the matter. We were told that talks were ongoing between the stakeholders and the state government for a speedy resolution before Banerjee worsened the situation with her remarks.

Most of the decisions taken in the meeting were concerned with increased security for the medical fraternity. The decision to conduct a joint security audit by the HFWD and Police administration within a week was taken and consequently, loopholes were to be plugged and security increased. A single point of contact regarding security in every medical institution was also proposed.

In addition to these, the decision to conduct an assessment of the need to increase the number of outsourced security personnel across medical institutions in the state was also taken. Plus, “sensitization” of the doctors and outsource security personnel in dealing with the patient parties’ resentments and grievances were to be conducted by senior police officials.

None of the decisions are concerned with the actions taken against the perpetrators of the violent attack on the doctors and interns at NRS Hospital on Monday night and the subsequent mob violence that followed in medical institutions across the state. However, that is understandable as the agenda of the meeting was increased security for medical professionals.

However, all of this occurred on Wednesday. Even after the decisions were taken, our sources told us that there was no certainty that the matter would be resolved quickly enough as the state government suffered a great trust deficit. The medical fraternity was unsure if the decisions would be implemented at all. However, as the meeting indicates, talks were underway and past precedents suggest that discussions usually lead to a resolution within a short span of time. But all of that was thrown out of the window when Banerjee, the day after, threatened the medical fraternity. The trust in the state government, which was already at an all-time low, suffered a further blow.

Since then, Professor Saibal Kumar Mukherjee and Professor Saurabh Chattopadhyay issued their resignations later on Thursday as the Principal and Medical Superintendent/Vice-Principal respectively of NRS Medical College & Hospital. Several others from Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital, too, handed over their resignations.

The crisis which began on Monday following the heinous attack on doctors and interns at NRS Hospital following the death of Mohammed Sayeed, who is said to be 85 years old at the time, due to natural causes hasn’t yet been resolved. And Medical colleges and hospitals across the state have been attacked and others feat that theirs might be next.

4 accused in Malegaon blast case granted bail by Bombay high court

OpIndia Staff
-
0
4 accused in Malegaon blast case granted bail by Bombay high court

Four of the accused in the Malegaon blast case have been granted bail by the Bombay High Court. As per reports, Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Rajendra Chaudhary and Manoj Narwariya were granted bail today.


As per reports, the bail has come three years after Dhan Singh and Lokesh Sharma were discharged by the NIA in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

The 2006 Malegaon blast case had two sets of accused as the investigation shifted from ATS Mumbai, CBI and the NIA. The case is currently with the NIA. It was transferred to the NIA  in 2010.

The Maharashtra ATS had initially arrested nine men and claimed the involvement of banned Islamic organisation SIMI in the blasts. Swami Aseemanand, who was an accused in the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts had stated before a magistrate that the blasts were the handiwork of some RSS Pracharaks. The NIA, in its charge sheet, had claimed that the SIMI members had no involvement in the blasts.

The NIA in 2013 had named Dhan Singh, Lokesh Sharma, Rajendra Chaudhary and Manoj Narwariya, the members of a Hindu organisation Abhinav Bharat as the main accused in the blast case.

The blast in 2006 near the Hamidia Mosque in Malegaon had claimed 37 lives and injured over a hundred people.

Andhra Pradesh: YSR Congress MLA takes oath in party chief and CM Jagan Reddy’s name in assembly

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Andhra Pradesh: YSR Congress MLA takes oath in party chief and CM Jagan Reddy’s name in assembly

Expressing utmost loyalty to the party chief, an YSR Congress MLA in Andhra Pradesh, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy on Wednesday took oath in the name of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in assembly. The newly elected Nellore Rural MLA was the only one took oath in the name of his CM while all the other MLAs took oath in the name of God.

The pro tem Speaker Appala Naidu objected to this and made the MLA take the oath again in the name of God, as per the Assembly rules. The Article 188 of the India Constitution, Rule 5-A of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the AP Legislative Assembly requires Legislators to take oath in the name of God or give solemn affirmation owing allegiance to the Constitution in case the person does not believe in Gods.

While speaking to the media, Sridhar clarified that he didn’t take oath in Jagan Mohan’s name as a publicity stunt. “He made me MLA twice. I am emotionally attached to him. I am not aspiring for any position by the oath in his name. I have given away my salary as MLA to poor students in the last five years”, he said.

Sridhar had also claimed that in the past few TDP MLAs were allowed to the oath in the name of NT Rama Rao. He also questioned, “What is wrong if I consider my leader as my god?”.

After YSRCP Cheif Jagan Mohan Reddy’s massive victory in the Andhra election polls, the Assembly conducted its first session on June 12 after the oath-taking ceremony of the MLAs. In an unprecedented move, the newly elected Chief Minister has announced that his government will have as many as five deputy chief ministers.

Dr Harsh Vardhan appeals to Mamata Banerjee not to make this a ‘prestige issue’ after doctors go on strike following violence against them

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Dr Harsh Vardhan appeals to Mamata Banerjee not to make this a ‘prestige issue’ after doctors go on strike following violence against them

Union Minister for Health, Dr Harshvarshan has come out to appeal to Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister, not to turn the issue of doctors going on strike following violence being unleashed on them as a matter of prestige.


He said that Mamata Banerjee gave the doctors and ultimatum, and hence, they got agitated and went on strike. He also said that he will write to Mamata Banerjee today and try to speak to her on the issue.

Furhter, Dr Harshvardhan appealed to the doctors who have not gone on nationwide strike to hold symbolic protests only & continue to carry out their duties. He said that he assures the doctors that the government is committed towards their safety.

Doctors accross the country have protested against the ongoing violence against West Bengal doctors that has seemed to gone unabated and unchecked. The ones registering their protest included Mamata Banerjee’s own nephew and the mayor’s daughter. 

The India Medical Association has declared “All India Protest Day” on Friday against the incident and expressed solidarity with the striking doctors.

Junior doctors have been agitating since Tuesday as their colleagues are being attacked in the state. The doctors had also decided to reject the Chief Minister’ ultimatum and continue their strike until their demands are met.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had ordered the doctors to resume work within 4 hours or face action. Reportedly, even the supporters of the TMC are unhappy about the incident and are protesting against Mamata Banerjee for violencce against the doctors.

It began as a small protest by a group of junior doctors at the state-run SSKM Hospital after doctors and interns at the NRS Hospital were brutally attacked by a mob on the premises of the hospital after a patient named Mohammed Sayeed reportedly died of natural causes. As the protest began attacks against doctors further escalated and mobs attackedstudents and interns at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as well.

Video: Pak PM Imran Khan breaks diplomatic protocol at SCO summit, remains brazenly seated while welcoming other leaders

Shashank Bharadwaj
-
0
Video: Pak PM Imran Khan breaks diplomatic protocol at SCO summit, remains brazenly seated while welcoming other leaders

The diplomatic etiquettes of Imran Khan, the parody Prime Minister of the terror state of Pakistan, is being questioned after he broke the diplomatic protocol once again at the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Thursday.

In a video released by Imran Khan’s political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan PM Imran Khan can be seen lost in his own world as he brazenly took his seat while the other world leaders are still entering the hall one after the other.


While the entire hall was still standing to applaud for the various heads of state, Pakistan PM Imran Khan, who seems to be unaware of diplomatic protocols chose to sit and relax in his seat. Upon realizing that he was perhaps the only one seated, he stood for a brief moment but slipped into his seat again.

This is not the first time that Imran Khan embarrassed himself and his country Pakistan. Back on June 3, Imran Khan had received flak from his own countrymen after failing to adhere to diplomatic ethics and allegedly disrespecting King Salman.

Imran Khan had met Saudi King Salman at Arab nation’s OIC Summit at Mecca in Saudi Arabia, during which Khan was received by King Salman bin Abdulaziz himself on arrival at the summit. However, Imran Khan said something to King Salman and before the interpreter could interpret it for the King and he could react, Khan had casually walked off.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2SX5QeAnOo]

Earlier, in February this year, Imran Khan had also broken protocol in front of Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed-bin-Salman during a state-organised lunch. However, a visibly hungry Imran Khan, much like his country, began to have his lunch at the table even before the presidential address.


Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation. It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in the region. The members of the SCO are Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

Mamata can sit on dharna for her chamcha police officer, but not for doctors? Protesting doctor questions Mamata

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mamata can sit on dharna for her chamcha police officer, but not for doctors? Protesting doctor questions Mamata

Mamata Banerjee’ insensitivity towards the attacked doctors in West Bengal has created a sense of animosity in the fraternity against the government. While lakhs of doctors across the country have decided to boycott work for a day to express solidarity with their protesting colleagues in West Bengal, a doctor from the NRS hospital, where the Junior doctors have been agitating since Tuesday, was seen throwing open challenges at the Cheif Minister and calling her out for her hypocrisy.


While talking to the media the doctor is seen lambasting at Mamata and her council of ministers saying that Mamata “can sit on a dharna for her chamcha (bootlicker) police officer, Rajiv Kumar, but not for doctors”? (Mamata can sit on a protest for her sycophant police officer, but not for doctors).

Mamata Banerjee had in February 2019, started her dharna in support of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar against whom CBI launched a probe in connection with the Saradha scam.

“Aren’t we humans? Wasn’t the doctor who suffered serious head injuries in the assault a human being? If Mamata is comparing us to police officers, I ask, was her bootlicking officer, Rajiv Kumar, for whom she sat on a protest dying?” said the irked doctor while speaking to the media.

West Bengal Chief Minister showing complete apathy towards the interns attacked in NRS hospital had given an ultimatum to agitating doctors to get back to work or face consequences. She had said, “Policemen die in the line of duty but the police don’t go on a strike”.

The angered doctor while addressing the media, challenges Mamata and her council to come out of her hideout and speak to the doctors protesting outside NRS hospital. He lambastes saying that “if the CM has the guts she should come here. It’s easy to threaten at places where there is lesser number of protestors, I throw an open invitation at her to come here and threaten us”, said the doctor.

He asks the media to demand the CCTV footage of what preceded that day. The doctor questions as to why the footage which captured the culprits face is not being shown.

“What is the CM scared of? asks the doctor, why is she not facing the questions? Mamata lectures other politicians to hold press conferences, why is she not doing the same now? furthered the angered protesting doctor. He maintained that her council of ministers are participating in TV debates raising slogans on TV but aren’t talking to the doctors, why?” the doctor challenges Mamata and her ministers to face them.

Talking about the government-run hospital’s crumbling infrastructure and facilities, the doctor said that the government was spending money on useless things in the city, like street lights, uplifting the exteriors of the buildings by getting it painted in blue and white.

Trident lights that came up on many streets of Kolkata as part of Mamata Banerjee’s beautification project of the city had come under the scanner. Leaders of the opposition laid siege to Kolkata Municipal Corporation and had demanded a probe into the alleged ‘trident light scam’.

West Bengal has been burning as several protestors, even the TMC supporters have been unhappy about the incident and are protesting against Mamata Banerjee for violence against the doctors.

Doctors from all over India are now joining the protest expressing solidarity with their colleagues. The India Medical Association has declared “All India Protest Day” on Friday against the incident and expressed solidarity with the striking doctors. AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital and resident doctors across Maharashtra will also join other doctors across the nation on one-day strike tomorrow in the backdrop of violence with resident doctors in West Bengal.

Amongst all this what emerges as a shocker is that the Chief Minister’s own nephew, Dr Abesh has been leading a protest rally showing solidarity the agitating doctors of the Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital (NRS). Abesh Banerjee, who is the son of Mamata’s brother Kartick Banerjee, is a doctor with KPC Medical College and Hospital. Reportedly, Abesh led a protest rally on Wednesday from KPC hospital to the NRS hospital.

Raja Parba: Odisha’s unique festival celebrating the earth’s womanhood

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Raja Parba: Odisha’s unique festival celebrating the earth’s womanhood

Raja Parba, Odisha’s 3-day festival celebrating the onset of monsoons and the earth’s womanhood begins today. Raja Sankranti or Mithuna Sankranti is the first day of the Ashara month. Raja is celebrated on the day prior to the Sankranti, (Pahili Raja), the day of Sankranti, and the day after, known as Bhu Daha or ‘Basi Raja.

The word ‘Raja’ (pronounced as ‘raw-jaw’) is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Rajaswala’ meaning a menstruating woman. The festival is essentially the celebration if the earth’s womanhood because the 3 days of Raja are the days it is considered the mother earth or ‘Basumati’ or Bhudevi is menstruating. The fourth day is called ‘Basumati Snana’ or the day of the ‘purification bath’.


As a mark of respect towards the earth during her menstruation days, all agricultural works, like ploughing, sowing are suspended for the three days. The idea is ”the earth should not be hurt’. As it is a celebration of womanhood, a lot of the focus is on young women, who wear new clothes, apply ‘Alata’ on their feet and enjoy folk songs while swinging on decorated rope swings.

Raja Doli, image via Twitter
Raja Doli, image via mycitylinks

The Raja Doli or the Raja swing is one of the main attractions during the festivals. Ornately decorated rope swings with flowers and mango leaves are made where the women and children swing singing the festival songs. Swings are made in village orchards, gardens and city parks where people flock to enjoy. The best part is, women are exempted from household work and cooking.

“Banaste dakila gaja

barasake thare asichhi raja

ani kete sajabaja”.

The first lines of the festival song mean ” The elephants are calling in the forest, the once in a year festival has come, bringing loads of adornments with it”.

Poda Pitha, or the burnt cake made from rice, urad coconut and raisins is another essential part of the festival. Usually made by wrapping the batter with banana leaves and roasting over an earthen chulha, this Pitha is one of the many sweet delicacies unique to Odisha. Poda pitha is considered to be the favourite of Lord Jagannath.

Poda Pitha, image courtesy: @nabakaelaraoff

Sweet paan is another must-have for everyone during Raja.

Sweet paan, image via Twitter

Raja is a celebration of fertility and womanhood. By celebrating the three menstruating days of mother earth, this festival hails the earth’s fertility and pays respect to the sacred feminine. In a deeper context, this festival signifies how menstruation, fertility and womanhood are the cause of celebration, not shame in Indic cultures.

Pakistani cricketer Sarfaraz must learn that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones

Ritesh
-
0
Pakistani cricketer Sarfaraz must learn that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones

“I don’t think Pakistani people are doing like that (on whether they will boo Steve Smith). Pakistani people love cricket, and they love to support. They love the players,” Sarfaraz Ahmed said in the pre-match press conference.

Sarfaraz was replying to a journalist’s question regarding the Virat Kohli’s gesture in India-Australia cash. Virat Kohli had asked the crowd to stop booing (for the on-ball tampering) and applaud the Australian cricket, Steve Smith, who was fielding at the boundary.


There is a famous saying, ‘people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.’ Before taking a dig on Indian fans, Sarfaraz should have checked how the Pakistani fans behaved in front of their team. Not going back too far, Pakistan lost their opening game against West Indies, their fans shamed the team when they were returning to pavilion.


What Virat did was a tremendous on-field behaviour by an opposing captain, to uplift the confidence of a player who came out of a ban after accepting his mistake. Sarfaraz could have just said that he expects the crowd not to go after Smith.

Here is a video after the Australia-Pakistan match (Sarfaraz praised Pakistani fans before this game only) where Pakistani supporters are booing their opener Imam for playing a slow knock against Australia.


Sarfaraz shouldn’t forget that Mohammad Amir who was banned for five years for his role in spot-fixing, was welcomed wholeheartedly by Kohli at Eden Gardens in 2016 during the WT20 game. The Indian fans didn’t misbehave either during the match.

However, sportsmanship is not the cup of tea for Pakistan. Sarfaraz himself got banned for four international matches for his racial abuses earlier this year against South Africa.

“Abey kaale, teri ammi aaj kahaan baitheen hain? Kya parwa ke aaye hai aaj?,” Sarfaraz was heard saying on stump mic which translates to: “Hey black guy, where’s your mother sitting today? What (prayer) have you got her to say for you today.”

He was caught on camera when Phehlukwayo and van der Dussen were trying to revive their team after losing five wickets for 80 in the run-chase.


There is a long history of how Pakistani cricket fans behaved after Pakistan lost to India in the World Cup or whenever they lost badly to a team in a test or one-day series. So Sarfaraz, better concentrate on performing than taking a dig on fans of the other side of the border.

West Bengal: Doctors across the country, including her own nephew, protest against Mamata Banerjee government in solidarity with the striking doctors

OpIndia Staff
-
0
West Bengal: Doctors across the country, including her own nephew, protest against Mamata Banerjee government in solidarity with the striking doctors

Following the attacks on doctors in West Bengal, lakhs of doctors across the country have decided to boycott work for a day to express solidarity with their protesting colleagues in West Bengal.

The India Medical Association has declared “All India Protest Day” on Friday against the incident and expressed solidarity with the striking doctors.

Junior doctors have been agitating since Tuesday as their colleagues are being attacked in the state. The doctors had also decided to reject the Chief Minister’ ultimatum and continue their strike until their demands are met.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had displayed her insensitivity when she ordered the doctors to resume work within 4 hours or face action. Reportedly, even the supporters of the TMC are unhappy about the incident and are protesting against Mamata Banerjee for violencce against the doctors.

A video has gone viral, where it can be seen that Chief Minister’s nephew, Dr Abesh leading a protest rally showing solidarity the agitating doctors of the Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital (NRS). Abesh Banerjee, who is the son of Mamata’s brother Kartick Banerjee, is a doctor with KPC Medical College and Hospital. Reportedly, Abesh led a protest rally on Wednesday from KPC hospital to the NRS hospital.


In a similar display of dissent against Mamata Banerjee, Shabba Hakim, daughter of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, has sharply criticized the Mamata Banerjee government’s handling of the junior doctors’ strike. In a Facebook post, Shabba Hakim wrote that the doctors have a right to “peaceful protest” and “safety at work”.

Shabba Hakim’s Facebook post

 “As a TMC supporter, I am deeply ashamed at the inaction and the silence of our leader,” her post read.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Safdarjung Hospital have also decided to join the protest with over 3,500 resident doctors from the two hospitals striking work in support of the doctors who were allegedly beaten up in West Bengal. All out-patient clinics and routine services will remain suspended on Friday.

Similarly, the resident doctors across Maharashtra will also join other doctors across the nation on one-day strike tomorrow in the backdrop of violence with resident doctors in West Bengal. In Maharashtra, resident doctors will not be attending OPD and routine work, but emergency services will be provided to the patients, read a statement released by Maharastra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).

On Thursday, Professor Saibal Kumar Mukherjee and Professor Saurabh Chattopadhyay had also resigned as the Principal and Vice-Principal respectively of NRS Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata after violence against doctors at the hospital on June 10th. The senior doctors have resigned as a protest against Mamata Banerjee government for not taking against the mob who had attacked the junior doctors.

It began as a small protest by a group of junior doctors at the state-run SSKM Hospital after doctors and interns at the NRS Hospital were brutally attacked by a mob on the premises of the hospital after a patient named Mohammed Sayeed reportedly died of natural causes.

As the protest began attacks against doctors further escalated and mobs attacked students and interns at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as well. The matter, as expected, did not remain confined to Burdwan and the NRS Hospital alone. On Wednesday night, Calcutta National Medical College was attacked by unidentified goons and two rooms in one of the hostels were burnt down allegedly, with the help of kerosene bombs.

West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee has mired in violence since TMC faced humiliating losses in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Mamata Banerjee, who has been under tremendous pressure after her loss, seems to be back to her usual policy of minority appeasement and violence against her opponents to retain her power in the state of West Bengal.

Michael Holding stumps ICC with his reply over his comments on umpires

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Michael Holding stumps ICC with his reply over his comments on umpires

“The umpiring in this game has been atrocious,” Michael Holding said on air during the Australia – West Indies world cup encounter.

His opinion on the umpiring decisions has sparked controversy after an email was leaked between ICC and Holding. As per the Times of India, Holding has revealed an attempt from ICC officials to shut him up for his on-air remarks on umpires last week.

Holding also criticized the behaviour of some Australian players in the field after they were accused of intimidating umpires with over-the-top appeals for wickets.

“Even when I was playing and you were not as strict as they are now, you were allowed one appeal. You don’t appeal two, three, four times to the umpire. They are being intimidated, which means they are weak. This has been an atrocious bit of umpiring by both” said Holding during his commentary stint.

The criticism followed after Chris Gayle was dismissed following a huge no-ball from Mitchell Starc went undetected by the umpire Gaffaney from New Zealand.

Believe it or not: Umpire missed to call this as a NO Ball. ©ICC

In the email to Michael Holding, reportedly written by Sunset & Vine Asia’s Head of Production Huw Bevan, also singled out Holding’s comments at the moment when Gayle was incorrectly given out.

“We had an incident in the (WI vs. Aus) match where we highlighted on air during an analysis segment (which Holding has denied) that a no-ball should have been called. This is exactly the kind of thing we need to avoid putting on-air,” Bevan wrote.

Bevan suggested the commentary team should not be critical of umpiring decisions.

“Before the event, we went to great pains to explain to you all as senior production and commentary personnel of the need to avoid this kind of thing. It’s critical for us that we should never amplify umpires’ mistakes by giving airtime to those incidents nor show the umpires in a bad light. We should also be very careful not to look to create controversy around an event or match at any time”.

Holding surely in no mood to take any nonsense from ICC, he was severe in his reply to the email.

“If those umpires yesterday were FIFA officials, they would have been told to pack their bags and head home. They would not have been given another World Cup game to officiate. As a former cricketer, I think cricket should be held to a higher standard. Is the objective to protect the umpires even when they do a bad job?” Holding wrote back.

Holding’s response to the email shows that ICC cannot bully him. He furiously wrote in his response that he is ready to pack his bag and go back home.

Holding said, “I am sorry, but I am not going to be part of that. Please let me know if I should be heading back to my home in Newmarket instead of heading to Cardiff because I don’t agree with what is being suggested here and happy not being part of it.”

As per the TOI report, the matter has been sorted out between the ICC and Michael Holding, and he will continue to be part of the commentary team in the ongoing World Cup.

1...6,3596,3606,361...7,673Page 6,360 of 7,673