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26 opposition parties name their alliance as ‘INDIA’: Read what it means

OpIndia Staff
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26 opposition parties name their alliance as ‘INDIA’: Read what it means

The 26 Opposition parties gathered in Bengaluru to discuss strategy for the 2024 elections have named their alliance as ‘INDIA’, or Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance.

The RJD and some other opposition leaders attending the meeting tweeted to inform about the name of the alliance. Though any formal announcement is yet to be made.

“Now the BJP will feel the pain while saying India”, tweeted RJD. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted, “So 2024 will be team INDIA Vs team NDA, Chak De INDIA”.

26 opposition parties including the Congress, DMK, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, TMC and others are holding their second meeting in Bengaluru currently.

The alliance is yet to declare who will be their PM face and what will be the seat-sharing formula. However, more concrete announcements are expected soon. Congress party has clarified that they are not very keen on leading the alliance or having the PM post.

The BJP, which is holding NDA parties meeting in Delhi today, has called the opposition’s attempt to come together as ‘Bhanumati Ka Kunba’, or an association of mismatched elements.

Delhi court grants interim bail to Brij Bhushan Singh in sexual harassment case

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi court grants interim bail to Brij Bhushan Singh in sexual harassment case

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the case of alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers.

The court also granted interim bail to Vinod Tomar, another accused in the case. The hearing on regular bail of Brij Bhushan and Vinod Tomar will be held on July 20.

Interim bail has been granted to them till the next date of hearing. The court granted the two accused interim bail on a bail bond of Rs 25,000 each.

Delhi police had filed a charge sheet against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar on June 15. This case was registered on a complaint lodged by women wrestlers.

The chargesheet was been filed under sections 354, 354D, 345A & 506 (1) of IPC according to Special Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava. Two FIRs were registered against Brij Bhushan Singh on the basis of the wrestlers’ complaints.

One was registered under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and a cancellation report has been filed in the case of a minor wrestler. The second FIR was filed on the complaint of several wrestlers.

In Patiala House Court, Delhi Police filed a cancellation report, citing a lack of evidence, on the POCSO matter.

Delhi Police on June 15 filed a report recommending the cancellation of the POCSO case against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Sharana Singh. This comes after the minor, who had accused the WFI chief of sexual harassment changed her statement. There was no collaborative evidence in the case, Delhi Police said.

In both matters, Delhi Police officials had said that in the FIR registered by the wrestlers, after completion of investigation, we are filing a chargesheet for the offences under sections 354, 354A, 354D IPC against accused Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and for offences under sections109/ 354/354A/506 IPC against accused Vinod Tomar before the Rouse Avenue Court, said Suman Nalwa, PRO, Delhi Police.

In the POCSO matter, after completion of the investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 Cr PC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself, added Delhi police. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Madhya Pradesh: Three Islamists arrested for spitting on Baba Mahakaal procession in Ujjain

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Three Islamists arrested for spitting on Baba Mahakaal procession in Ujjain

On 17th July, Ujjain Police arrested three Islamists, including two juveniles, for spitting on the second Baba Mahakaal Procession. As per reports, a group of young men were spotted spitting water on the procession. On the second Monday of Sawan month, the procession of Baba Mahakaal was traveling along the Shipra River when it crossed the Kharakuan Police Station area near the iron tank. It is a Muslim-dominanated area.

When the devotees asked them to stop, they did not pay heed and continued. The devotees made videos of them as proof of the derogatory act. Later, after the procession was complete, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists reached the police station and filed a complaint under Sections 295A, 153A, 296, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code.

BJP leader Masoom Jaiswal also reached the police station and demanded strict action against the miscreants. Speaking to the media, Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Bhuria said the youth from a ‘particular community’ were spitting on the devotees in the procession. They were caught on camera while indulging in the act. An FIR has been registered at Kharakuan Police Station, and three people have been detained in the matter. Two of the detained miscreants were juveniles.

Bajrang Dal activist Ankit Choubey registered the complaint in the matter. He demanded RASUKA be imposed on the accused and called for demolishing their houses using bulldozers.

Bajrang Dal activists said the case was registered only after the intervention of BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola.

Mexico: An Australian man and his dog rescued by a fishing boat after being adrift for 3 months in the Pacific Ocean

OpIndia Staff
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Mexico: An Australian man and his dog rescued by a fishing boat after being adrift for 3 months in the Pacific Ocean

On the 17th of July, a Mexican tuna (fishing) boat rescued an Australian sailor and his dog who had been adrift at sea for the past three months. The Sydney resident, Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, who is 54 years of age, was accompanied by his dog named ‘Bella’. 

Rescued sailor Shaddock and dog Bella on the tuna boat. (Image Credit – Grupomar Twitter handle)

In a statement released by Grupomar, Shaddock was onboard his incapacitated catamaran (a fast sailing boat) named ‘Aloha Toa’ in the Pacific Ocean. They were lost in the International waters around 1900 kilometers away from the land when the crew of a tuna boat from the Grupomar’s fleet spotted them. 

The company stated that Shaddock and his dog Bella were in a “precarious” state when the crew found them. They were lacking provisions and shelter. Afterward, the crew aboard the tuna boat gave them medical attention, food, and hydration.

However, the Mexican maritime company, Grupomar did not provide any specific details on the timeline like on what day the Australian sailor was rescued or when he had started his sea voyage.

The tuna boat accompanying Shaddock and Bella is steered under the Captaincy of Oscar Meza Oregón. It is expected to arrive later on Tuesday, 18/19 July, at Mexico’s Pacific coast port of Manzanillo. 

Grupomar’s founder and president, Antonio Suárez Gutiérrez said he was proud of his crew. He praised the crew for their humanity in saving the life of someone in trouble.

Speaking with Australia’s Nine News television, Shaddock stated that he and his dog survived on raw fish and rainwater. A storm damaged his vessel and wiped out its electronics. Notably, a thin and bearded Shaddock was seen in a video broadcast by Nine on Sunday night (Australian time). 

He said, “I’ve been through a very difficult ordeal at sea and I’m just needing rest and good food because I’ve been alone at sea a long time.” 

However, he added that overall he is in very good health. 

Grupomar gave some photographs of the rescue to the news agency Associated Press. In these pictures, a smiling, bearded, and thin Shaddock can be seen inside the fishing boat’s cabin. He has a blood pressure cuff around his arm and is holding a box of pain medication. Apart from that, there are other photos showing Bella stretched out on the deck.

Australian sailor Tim Shaddock. (Image Credit – Grupomar/Atun Tuny via AP)
Rescued dog Bella rolling and stretching on the tuna boat. (Image Credit – Grupomar/AP)

According to Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Shaddock and Bella had sailed from the Mexican city of La Paz for French Polynesia in April, but the voyage ended within weeks.

Prominent Rescue incidents in the past

Earlier, in June 2023, a sailor named Aaron Carotta was rescued after he was lost at sea for almost 34 days. He had set off from Panama in February on a mission to circumnavigate the globe.

Aaron Carotta recovering in a medical facility after rescue. (Image Credit – The New York Times)

In September 2018, a teenager was rescued from Guam after drifting for nearly 49 days in the Pacific Ocean. 

In April 2015, a 37-year-old US sailor named Louis Jordan was found alive and well after he went missing at sea for more than two months. He was found sitting on his upturned boat when he was rescued. 

José Salvador Alvarenga after being adrift for 438 days (Image Credit – New York Post)

Similarly, in November 2012, a man named Salvador Alvarenga was rescued after 14 months (438 days). He was lost at sea after he went fishing off the coast of Mexico.

No leader, no seat-sharing agreement, no agenda yet: ‘Opposition Meet’ in Bengaluru is all about grandiose statements and dreams of defeating Modi

ANI
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No leader, no seat-sharing agreement, no agenda yet: ‘Opposition Meet’ in Bengaluru is all about grandiose statements and dreams of defeating Modi

The second and concluding day of the opposition unity meeting in Bengaluru is set to begin here on Tuesday, with 26 like-minded parties closing ranks with a common aim of taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the next year’s Lok Sabha polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, on the other hand, will be holding a meeting of 38 parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the national capital on Tuesday. The NDA meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting of the NDA is being organized to mark the completion of 9 years of the central government under PM Modi.

Meanwhile, the first day of the Opposition party’s meeting started with the dinner meeting hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

After the dinner Congress leader BK Hariprasad said that the meeting started with a good signal and it would be the end of BJP in 2024.

On being asked about the NDA meeting scheduled to be held in Delhi, he said, “That would be National Disaster Alliance”.
Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav hoped that the people of the country would hand the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a massive defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“…2/3rd of the population is going to defeat BJP. I hope that the people of the country will give BJP a massive defeat…I am receiving inputs from all corners of the country that the BJP will be wiped out…,” SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said ahead of the Opposition meeting.

Meanwhile, the draft agenda of the joint opposition meeting set up a subcommittee for drafting the common minimum program and communications points for the alliance for the 2024 general elections for chalking out the joint program of parties, which includes rallies, conventions and agitation.

They plan to discuss the process for deciding seat sharing on a state-to-state basis and the name for the alliance is also on the table. The opposition parties may also discuss the issue of EVM and suggest reforms to the Election Commission. The opposition leaders also set up a common secretariat for the proposed alliance.

Moreover, several committees are expected to be formed which will hold meetings to deliberate on various issues pertaining to the alliance. Various groups and sub-groups may also be formed.

In this meeting, a convenor may be appointed and groups formed to decide on various issues apart from deciding on a common minimum program.

Sources said Congress is keen that the chairperson should be from the party as it is the largest party in the grouping. However, the party may not be not adamant on the matter and would be willing to go by the combined decision of opposition parties, sources said.

They said no one has any objection to the name of former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. She is also not a contender for the post of Prime Minister and is attending the two-day opposition meeting.

The sources said that opposition parties are keen not to make the 2024 Lok Sabha polls a battle between “a leader vs Modi” but to keep the focus on issues and make it a “Modi vs people” battle.

They said that some parties had proposed making Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar the convenor of the grouping in the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna last month and if there is a unanimity on the matter, the Congress would go along.

The sources said there is a proposal to make two-three subgroups or a coordination committee.

There is a suggestion that a group should be formed to decide on issues to be raised collectively against the Narendra Modi government. Any such group may also be entrusted with deciding the issues on which to hold agitations against the government and to stay away from issues that could help the BJP by causing “polarization”.

Sources said there is a proposal to form a group to decide on seat allocation in states.

They said that since leaders of 26 opposition parties cannot hold meetings in a short period, there is a proposal to form a group for coordination. “There is also a proposal to formulate a common minimum program,” a source said.

They said all issues will be discussed in the meeting and decision t taken on those on which there is an agreement.
The issues on which there is no agreement will be discussed further, they said.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal lashed out at the BJP-led government and said the opposition parties are all united by a common purpose – to protect democracy in this country, to ensure the Constitutional rights and the independence of our institutions.

“These all are under attack by the present regime of the BJP Govt. They wanted to silence the Opposition’s voice. They are misusing agencies to suppress the voice of the Opposition. The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Parliament is one of the biggest examples of that. The incident happening in Maharashtra is also an example,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that opposition leaders will hold discussions on many issues including EVM machines during the second joint opposition meeting in Bengaluru.

“Agenda of today’s meeting is to be one. The discussion will be held on many issues including EVM machines, Lok Sabha seat sharing, what will be the name of the front,” he said.

Moreover, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at BJP over the NDA meeting scheduled for Tuesday and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “suddenly thought of NDA” after the meeting of opposition parties in Patna last month.
Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference here that efforts are being made to infuse “new life” in BJP-led National Democratic Alliance after the success of the opposition conclave in Patna.

“PM and BJP are baffled. After the Patna meeting, the PM suddenly thought of NDA. Attempts are being made to breathe new life into NDA. Suddenly, it was reported that the NDA meeting has been called for tomorrow. This is a result of the meeting in Patna,” he said.

Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the Opposition parties have united to “defeat” the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while terming the Enforcement Directorate raids at the residence of State Minister K Ponmudi as “diversionary tactics” coming ahead of the second unity Opposition meeting.

Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport before flying to Bengaluru to attend the Opposition meeting, CM Stalin said,” “All Opposition parties have united to defeat the BJP-led Central government. We took the decision in Bihar to convene the second meeting in Karnataka today and tomorrow”.

“Opposition unity which started in Bihar last month will continue during the second meeting in Bengaluru,” CM Stalin added.

On being asked about the ED raids at the residence of State higher Education Minister K Ponmudi, Stalin said, “This was a false case initiated by the then Jayalalithaa Government against him thirteen years ago. The ED raids reflect the BJP’s frustration.”

“The raid is a diversionary tactic in the light of the Opposition meeting,” he added.

Aam Admi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chaddha said that the coming together of like-minded opposition parties is giving “sleepless nights” to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also claimed that the saffron party will not return to power at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The AAP leader said that “The alliance of like-minded opposition parties is giving sleepless nights to the ruling BJP. The coming together of leaders of non-BJP parties has made them live in fear”, adding, “The agenda of the meeting will be discussed during the meeting in Bengaluru”.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko said he hopes that the Modi government will lose the next elections as he arrived in Bengaluru to attend the two-day joint opposition meeting.

“This is a very important meeting, it will bring a change in Indian politics…I hope that Modi govt will lose”, Vaiko said.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said that something more “substantive” will be done in the opposition meeting being held in Karnataka’s Bengaluru.

“This is only the second meeting. Obviously, I hope that something more substantive will be done in this meeting because the last meeting was just the beginning. We wanted to see how many parties are attending, and what their individual points of view are. This is the second in the series of meetings, we need to have something more substantive,” he said while talking to the reporters.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the economic condition of the country was destroyed.

“BJP is the party which destroyed the economy of the country, not Opposition parties. After Narendra Modi became PM, the economic condition of the country was destroyed, prices were raised, farmers poor are in distressed condition and because of communal issues people are living in scary situations,” he said.

Siddaramaiah also hoped that the people of the country would give BJP a massive defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“BJP and PM Modi will not get a mandate this time, they will lose this time,” he said.

Karnataka CM also asserted that the influence of PM Narendra Modi is waning and that the decline of the BJP has initiated in Karnataka.

“Didn’t we defeat Modi in Karnataka, BJP’s loss in all the places, where Modi campaigned? During the Karnataka assembly elections, PM Narendra Modi visited the state 28 times. The decline of the BJP has begun in Karnataka. We’ll win the majority of seats in Lok Sabha 2024 polls, and BJP and NDA alliance parties will lose.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, party MP TR Baalu, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Raghav Chadha, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko and others leader arrived in Bengaluru to attend the meeting.

Earlier, hitting out at United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Opposition party alliance, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Monday termed it as “Bhanumati ka Kunba”.

“UPA and Opposition parties alliance is Bhanumati ka Kunbha’s, ‘Kahi ki Eet, Kahi Ka Roda, Bhanumati ne Kunba Joda (bringing together elements that don’t go with each other),” JP Nadda said addressing a press conference in the national capital.

He further said it is an alliance based on selfish interests and is only for photo opportunities.

“UPA neither has a leader nor does it has the power to take decisions. It is an alliance based on selfish interests and is only for photo opportunities. It is 10 years of corrupt governance and non-governance of the UPA government,” the BJP chief said. 

 (This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Bihar: Angry over bhajans being played in a Shiv Mandir on the second Monday of Shravan, four youths brutally lynch the temple priest to death

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Angry over bhajans being played in a Shiv Mandir on the second Monday of Shravan, four youths brutally lynch the temple priest to death

On Monday, July 17, while Hindus across the country were celebrating the second Monday of the auspicious Shravan (Sawan) month, a 70-year-old priest of a Shiv Mandir in Bihar’s Vaishali district was brutally lynched to death by unknown miscreants. He was reportedly beaten to death by four boys who took offence to the bhajans which were being played in the Shiv Mandir to celebrate the holy day. The priest was identified as Shiv Narayan Giri.

According to reports, Shiv Narayan Giri lived on the temple premises in Astpur Satpura village under Bhagwanpur police station in the district. On Monday, a group of devotees reached the temple to offer Jal (water) to the Shivling. They started playing bhajans on the loudspeaker to celebrate the second Monday of Shravan or Savan Maas (month). Mondays are dedicated to Bhagwan Shiv, and thus Mondays falling in the month of Shravan are often seen as the holiest days, especially by Shiv devotees.

Some youths in the neighbourhood took offence and demanded that the Hindu devotees turn off the music. The Hindu devotees agreed to turn down the volume, but the youths insisted that they cease playing it altogether, to which the devotees did not agree. This led to an altercation between the accused and the devotees.

At this point, suddenly four youths started assaulting Vikas Kumar, the nephew of Shiv Narayan Giri. Seeing this, the priest rushed to rescue his nephew but the miscreants in turn started brutally beating up the 70-year-old temple priest.

The miscreants kept assaulting the priest until he collapsed and fell to the ground and died on the spot. Seeing this, the miscreants fled the scene.

When the information reached the police, they rushed to the spot. The body of the deceased protest was sent to the Hajipur Sadar Hospital for post-mortem. The police registered a case and started probing the matter.

Meanwhile, Vikas Kumar, the nephew of the deceased priest told the media, “On the second Monday of the Sawan month, a large number of devotees had assembled at the temple to offer water (Jal) on the Shivling. Among them, some devotees started playing Bhajans in the temple. Some people from the village came and demanded that the music be stopped. I told them that we would lower the volume but they did not agree and insisted that the music should be stopped, When I objected, they beat me,” said Vikas Kumar, the nephew of Shiv Narayan Giri.

“As they were assaulting me, my uncle rushed to rescue me. The miscreants beat him up as well and he collapsed on the road. We placed him on the bed and called a doctor who declared him dead. We knew the accused and identified them,” Kumar said.

An eyewitness Raushan Kumar also said that four people punched the priest in his stomach following which he collapsed. “The body has been taken to Sadar Hospital Hajipur for post-mortem,” Raushan said. 

Update:

Initial media reports of the incident quoted the priest’s nephew saying the priest was killed by a group in an argument for playing bhajans. However, the Vaishali Police has denied it. In a statement, the Vaishali Police stated that the incident was not related to playing bhajans. Some local men used to sit and talk on the temple premises regularly. On the evening of 17th July, they started fighting among themselves for some reason. The temple priest came to intervene and pacify them. However, during the fight, the priest got hurt by the fighting men. He got hit in the chest and head and could not recover. The police have added that the priest was a heart patient and was under treatment in Patna.

One person named Sujit Kumar has been arrested in the case.

Kota reports 17th suicide by a student in 2023 as NEET aspirant hangs himself: Here’s what is leading to soaring student suicides in the city

Siddhi Somani
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Kota reports 17th suicide by a student in 2023 as NEET aspirant hangs himself: Here’s what is leading to soaring student suicides in the city

On Monday, July 17, a 17-year-old NEET aspirant who had just arrived in Kota to study for the medical entrance exam committed suicide, bringing the total number of student suicides in Kota this year to 17.

The victim has been identified as Pushpendra Singh, a native of Jalore, a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. He had only recently arrived in Kota and had signed up with a coaching facility to get prepped for the NEET exam. However, on July 17, he was discovered dead at his hostel. No suicide notes have yet been found by police. The police stated that they are looking into the situation.

Pushpendra and his cousin Lalu Singh, who was also studying for the NEET-UG, shared a hostel room in the Jawahar Nagar area. On Sunday at noon, Pushpendra sent his cousin to make arrangements for dinner. After around 20 minutes, Lalu came back and discovered the door locked from the inside. He noticed Pushpendra’s body hanging from the ceiling fan after peeking through the window. The boy was taken to a hospital by the police as soon as they arrived, but the doctors declared him already dead. 

The deceased’s relatives came to the town to pick up his remains and requested the authorities to take action to curb the soaring suicide rate. “Why is this happening in Kota? Our child was fine when he left home and when he last spoke to his parents. Why did he do this? He was in Class 11, he came here 7 days ago, there was no stress,” said the teenager’s uncle Indra Singh.

Uncle of deceased teenager (Daini Bhasker)

Earlier this month, the Kota police had registered a case of abetment against a coaching centre while investigating the suicide case of Bahadur Singh, 17, from Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh. The student’s brother had alleged that the coaching institute harassed the teenage boy and suspended him from the institute. “It led to depression and distress, pushing the boy to die by suicide,” the family alleged.

Meanwhile, the recent occurrence has once more drawn attention to Kota’s troubling record of student suicides. Every year, thousands of students from all over the nation come to this educational hub in Rajasthan to study for competitive tests to enter the best engineering and medical schools in the nation.

Over the past few years, there have been a number of student suicides at Kota, with many placing the blame on the stress of studying and students’ dread of failing. Last year, Kota had a total of 15 student suicides. But this year, the death toll has already reached 17.

In May this year around 5 suicide deaths of students from the city of Kota in Rajasthan were reported. Later the number continued to rise and to date around 17 students have committed suicide, possibly out of exam pressure. Some students happened to hang themselves while others are said to have jumped off the tall buildings.

What possibly is leading to an increase in students’ stress?

The Police, taking cognisance of the suicides, had earlier noted that no suicide notes were found in several of the cases. However, it is clear that these students could not cope with the examination pressure and thought of ending their lives.

“If we look at the pattern, the suicides are reported mostly in April, May, and June. Most of the fresh students arrive in the city around that time. Many of them fail to cope. The results of exams also come in the same period…which increases the number of suicides due to failures,” Assistant police superintendent (Kota) Chandrasheel Thakur was quoted as saying.

It is clearly possible to imagine the stress to which these students have succumbed. Many young lives have been affected over the years by the 14-hour days, tests held even on Sundays, relentless pressure to ace a challenging curriculum, shame and guilt associated with needing a break, fierce competition, and the fear of failing. Adding to this is the loneliness associated with being far from home and family.

The combination of a sizable population of young people with rising aspirations and an economy with demanding competitive potential has created a public health crisis that urgently calls for attention.

NCRB data reads 8% of suicide deaths comprised student victims

As per the Accidental Deaths and Suicides report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in the year 2021, around 8 percent of the total suicide cases from 1,64,033 deaths by suicide comprised of students. Of these, 14 percent were reported from Maharashtra (1,834 suicides out of 13,089), followed by 10 percent from Madhya Pradesh, 9.5 percent from Tamil Nadu and 6.5 percent from Karnataka.

Image source- ncrb.gov.in

National Education Policy’s complete implementation needed

Several proposals have been pushed to curb the rising suicide rates of students, some of which seem absurd. The Indian Institute of Science had proposed to install wall-mounted fans in hostel rooms last year and remove the ceiling fans. Others meanwhile have only partially addressed the issue, such as the recommendations made by the Board of Intermediate Education in Andhra Pradesh in 2017 to reduce student stress, which included offering yoga and physical education programmes and keeping a healthy student-teacher ratio.

It is tragically obvious that the bigger problem, that of the punitive educational system which is just not meant to support young intellects or equip them for today’s economic realities is still not being addressed. It seems that it will take time for the New Education Policy 2020’s vision which offers more academic flexibility to lessen the strain on students to be completely implemented.

Conclusion: What can help students?

At present to confront this growing issue, it is important that all-  students, parents, teachers, institutes, and policymakers run in coordination and learn from their past failures. It is also important for the stakeholders to establish a smooth and open communication system which might help and encourage the students to cope with the pressure. For this, the option of establishing and promoting student counselling centres or career counselling centres at the institutes can be considered.

Counselling sessions (Representative Image; Source- Adamas University)

Students also at their level need to understand the importance of mental peace and balance it with their student lifestyle. They need to give balanced or subjectively proportionate importance to education and their careers and need to adopt the culture of demanding guilt-free breaks whenever needed.

Further, now is also high time for the coaching centres and institutes to stop building pressure environments within the premises to keep the students prepped for their future. The constantly furthered pressure environment does nothing but increase the anxiety and depression level of the students leading to soaring deaths by suicide.

‘Do you want to promote p*rnographic books for children’? Barack Obama faces backlash over letter against book banning in USA

Anurag
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‘Do you want to promote p*rnographic books for children’? Barack Obama faces backlash over letter against book banning in USA

On 16th July (local time), former US President Barack Obama came in support of the librarians against the banned books. In a letter addressed to the librarians of America, Obama said that the free exchange of ideas is an important part of making sure that the citizens are informed, engaged, and feel like their perspectives matter.

Citing the First Amendment of the American Constitution that states freedom begins with the capacity to share and access ideas, he pointed out that some of these ideas often find space in the books. Remembering how writers including Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Walt Whitman and James Baldwin taught him about America’s character, he said reading about people whose lives were different from his showed him how to step into someone else shoes.

Criticising the call for bans on books, he said, “Today, some of the books that shaped my life — and the lives of so many others — are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. It’s no coincidence that these “banned books” are often written by or feature people of colour, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community — though there have also been unfortunate instances in which books by conservative authors or books containing “triggering” words or scenes have been targets for removal. Either way, the impulse seems to be to silence rather than engage, rebut, learn from or seek to understand views that don’t fit our own.”

He called such an approach “profoundly misguided” and “contrary to what has made this country great”. He said, “I believe such an approach is profoundly misguided and contrary to what has made this country great. As I’ve said before, not only is it important for young people from all walks of life to see themselves represented in the pages of books, but it’s also important for all of us to engage with different ideas and points of view.”

“It’s also important to understand that the world is watching. If America — a nation built on freedom of expression — allows certain voices and ideas to be silenced, why should other countries go out of their way to protect them? Ironically, it is Christian and other religious texts — the sacred texts that some calling for book bannings in this country claim to want to defend — that have often been the first target of censorship and book banning efforts in authoritarian countries,” he added.

The letter was issued in sync with a video posted by Kankakee Public Library in which Obama made a cameo appearance. As per Washington Post’s report, it is the first in a series of TikTok videos that the former President filmed with libraries across America to promote book access.

This is not the first time Obama has come out in support of the banned books. In 2022, calling books written by members of the LGBTQ community, he said, “Today, books that shaped my life — and many others — are being challenged in schools, bookstores, and libraries by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. Often, these “banned books” are written by or feature people of color and members of LGBTQ communities. This is a mistake. Not only is it important for young people to see themselves represented in the pages of books, but it’s also important for all of us to engage with different ideas and points of view.”

Obama faced criticism for supporting banned books

Obama’s letter received sharp criticism on social media. Author Matt Walsh said, “Was your life shaped by pornographic books about gay s*x? Because those are the books that we are “challenging”.”

Founder of Libsoftiktok Chaya Raichik said, “Obama admits his life was shaped by gay p*rn.”

Director-Producer Robby Starbuck said, “If you’ll sit down and read Gender Queer, then defend making it available to kids, I’ll do you the favor of running ads all over the country to let people know. You’ll never do it because you know it would disgust normal people that your party wants kids to read it.”

Gays Against Groomers said, “These books are not representative of who we are as gays and lesbians. It is demeaning and damaging to us. We want them banned because they are smut and sexualize children. Why don’t you?”

Call for bans on books in the US

As per reports, in 2022 alone, around 2,200 book titles were challenged. American Library Association (ALA) pointed out that such calls for a book ban have doubled in 2022 compared to 2021. In the past two years, 19 US States passed or considered bills that would punish those who provide minors with obscene or sexually explicit books, something that parents have been demanding in the US.

While the call for a ban on books is a matter of debate, it must be noted that most of the demands raised in recent years were directly linked to books containing sexually explicit content. Parents have demanded to ban such books, especially in school libraries. To understand the reason behind it, examining the link shared by Obama in the tweet thread where he shared the letter is necessary.

Sharing a link to the website of the association ‘United Against Book Bans, he wrote, “To learn how you can support librarians and defend the right to read, join the Unite Against Book Bans campaign led by the American Library Association at uniteagainstbookbans[dot]org.”

At first glance, the website may look fine, but the problem starts when it promotes books that contain sexually explicit content. Such books have been found in school libraries, creating concern among parents. There is a section named “Right to Read Day” that talks about the “13 most challenged books of 2022”. It read, “The American Library Association released its list of the Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022, which put on display what we already knew – that the books being most targeted for censorship are those written by or about LGBTQIA+ people and people of colour.”

OpIndia examined a few titles mentioned in the books to understand the content. The first book or graphic novel on the list is “Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe“. It was challenged 151 times for having LGBTQIA+ content.

Gender Queer is the most challenged book because of its sexually explicit content. Source: ALA

In 2022, famous Twitter user Libsoftiktok raised the issue with the book several times and mentioned how the book was being promoted in schools. The book that contains pornographic content was found in a 7th-grade classroom in Hollidaysburg Area, SD, PA. Libsoftiktok mentioned that the book was not available in any library in the district, and the teacher brought it into the classroom on her own. “This is how desperate they are to give your kids porn.”

It was found to be available in NJ High School as well. Several librarians were found promoting the book, as per Libsoftiktok. While the book is said to be suited for adults (Amazon has listed it for 18 years and above), parents were furious when they learned about the book’s availability in the school libraries and classes.

In November 2021, OpIndia reported how NPR was criticised for supporting the book. It was reported that a controversy swept across various school districts in the United States after parents and guardians strongly disapproved of the graphic novel Gender Queer being available in school libraries. Recently, some schools in South Carolina pulled the book off the shelves after parents objected to explicit drawings in the book.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has also ordered an investigation into how “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe, which has explicit drawings of sexual acts, was found in the Fort Mill School District. “These things are dangerous, destructive, harmful, and against the law in South Carolina,” McMaster said at a press conference.

The second book that OpIndia examined was “This Book is Gay” which is targeted at children. It teaches kids how to have sex and use sex apps. On page no 156, it gives instructions on how to use sex apps where it tells to upload photos on the app and find the nearest “homosexuals” to chat and meet.

In chapter 9, the author speaks about how it was okay to talk about sex and homosexuality to kids because children are informed about “straight sex” at five. Interestingly, in chapter 9, the author says she was not a gay woman but kept teaching children about homosexuality, how to find “partners”, and people with similar sexual orientation, along with other stuff across the book.

Ram Navami violence in Bengal: NIA yet to get access to records pertaining to 6 FIRs

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Navami violence in Bengal: NIA yet to get access to records pertaining to 6 FIRs

The Supreme Court on July 16, directed the West Bengal state and LoP Suvendu Adhikari to sit with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and conducted the exercise to establish whether all six FIRs pertaining to the Ram Navami violence in Bengal are related to the same incident or not. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the TMC government challenging Calcutta High Court’s order transferring the probe to NIA.

The NIA had filed six FIRs more than a month ago in connection with the Ram Navami violence in the TMC-ruled state. An NIA official reportedly confirmed to a media house that case diaries are yet to be handed over to the agency despite SC’s refusal to stay the HC order to transfer the probe to NIA.

The SC, while issuing the direction, noted that it will have to look at the heart of the incidents. It said that the question is whether the High Court has made any error. The bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud was quoted by Bar and Bench as saying, “HC has directed to hand over all materials immediately to …here there was a direction to the central govt to act in accordance with section 6(5) NIA…Show us prima facie.. that this case dealt with explosives..”

Representing Adhikari, senior advocate PS Patwalia argued that “the government can on its own or by recommendation by state, transfer probe to NIA as per Section 6 of NIA Act.” Patwalia argued that the Bengal government is sitting over the case records which were to be transferred to the NIA.

He further argued that the state has not mentioned anything about explosives in the FIR even as patients suffered “serious injuries from glass bottles, crude bombs.” He noted that the HC had found that there was a deliberate attempt by the state police to not invoke the explosive substances act.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Gopal Sankaranarayanan appearing for the state argued that PILs are being filed one after another by political opponents, adding that not every case can be transferred in this manner as it “demoralises the state police force.”

Patwalia responded that only one petition is by a BJP leader and the rest are by lawyers related to the Ram Navami procession. While the state continued to argue that the allegations of explosives being thrown have to be established still, the court said that such information must be forwarded to the Centre and cannot be stalled.

The state is making its case that only one FIR be transferred to the NIA but the remaining five have no grounds for transfer. While Patwari has submitted that all FIRs are pertaining to the same procession, the state has argued that all are different with different accused.

The CJI has now directed to check if the FIRs in the Ram Navami violence case overlap and to prepare a short notice on the same. The case has been scheduled for hearing on Friday, 21st July.

NIA attaches poultry farm used by ISIS-inspired terror group SUFA, owner Imran Khan and others were planning attacks in Rajasthan

ANI
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NIA attaches poultry farm used by ISIS-inspired terror group SUFA, owner Imran Khan and others were planning attacks in Rajasthan

 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached a poultry farm in Madhya Pradesh, which was used by members of an ISIS-inspired terror group ‘Sufa’ in connection with a conspiracy to perpetrate acts of terror in Rajasthan, the agency said on Tuesday.

The anti-terror agency attached the property on Monday under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. The property is located in village Julwaniya, Viryakhedi Road, Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.

As per the NIA, the property was owned by accused Imran Khan and was used by ‘Sufa’ members for radicalizing new cadres and training them in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The NIA had filed a chargesheet against Imran Khan and 10 other accused persons on September 22 last year, and it had recovered explosives and components used in the fabrication of IEDs, etc from the possession of the accused persons.

The NIA had earlier registered a case against ‘Sufa’, a newly formed local terror group, in April 2022, in connection with ‘Sufa’s criminal conspiracy to plan and carry out terrorist acts in Rajasthan.

The NIA investigations have revealed that ‘Sufa’ was deeply inspired by the activities of ISIS and was inclined toward the Jihadi ideology.

“Members of ‘Sufa’ had motivated other youth of the area also to join this group for carrying out terror acts. Investigations in the case are continuing,” said the NIA. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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