A leave application of an Inspector from Muzaffarnagar has been going viral on the internet. The application written in chaste Hindi cites his angry wife’s demand to go to ‘Mayka’ for Holi as the reason for seeking leave from work. The innocent honesty as well as the reason cited are making the letter go viral on social media.
The letter which was written to the SP by Inspector.
The letter, which is written in the third person and addressed to the Superintendent of Police says, “The applicant respectfully wants to say that his wife hasn’t been able to visit her home on Holi in the last 22 years of their marriage, because of which she is mad at the applicant. She is asking the applicant to go to her home this Holi to celebrate the festival. For this, the applicant needs leave of 10 days. Therefore, it is a humble request of the applicant to offer a leave of 10 days, beginning 04.03.2023.”
The applicant Ashok Kumar is serving the UP Police as an inspector in Farrukhabad district.
‘Wife is angry’: UP cop’s #Holi leave letter goes viral
However, the cop was not granted leave for 10 days as sought in the application. After receiving the leave application, the Superintendent of Police reportedly granted a leave of only 5 days.
This news is the second this year when Police officials are asking for leave citing angry wives. Only two months ago, a newly wedded cop applied for leave citing his wife’s anger over his inability to be with her due to workload. The letter had gone viral on social media, especially on Twitter.
This letter was written in a rather funny language, it said, “The applicant was recently married and his wife is angry because he can’t take leave to be with her. Whenever the applicant calls her, she immediately gives the phone to mother without saying a word. The applicant has promised to be with his wife on the occasion of Nephew’s birthday, and therefore requests you to grant a leave of 7 days, beginning 10.01.2023.”
There was another similar incident from Bhopal where a Police Official cited his wife’s wrath while applying for leave. This incident is from December 2020.
On the one hand, the UP Police is being more and more assertive and tough on criminals and mafias, but seem to be heeding to all requests of their wives.
On 7th March 2023, Jan Adhikar Party president and former MP Pappu Yadav shared a video from his Twitter handle in which a Bihari worker shared the details of the violent incidents which allegedly occurred in Tamil Nadu against the Bihari workers. Pappu Yadav has accused the Bihar state government of booking journalists for suppressing the case. Notably, the state government and the police are denying claims of alleged violence against workers from Hindi-speaking areas, especially from Bihar, working in Tamil Nadu.
In the caption of the video he shared on his Twitter handle, Pappu Yadav wrote, “Is that also a lie? Is this also a rumour? How long will Bihar’s leaders continue to be a toy in the hands of Tamil Nadu police? The way Bihar Police is filing cases against journalists to suppress this matter, then what is the difference between the BJP government and them?”
क्या यह भी झूठ है? क्या यह भी अफ़वाह है? कब तक बिहार के नेतृत्वकर्ता गण तमिलनाडु पुलिस के हाथों का खिलौना बने रहेंगे?
वैसे बिहार पुलिस जिस तरह से इस मामले को दबाने के लिए पत्रकारों पर केस कर रही है तो बीजेपी की मक्कार सरकार और इनमें क्या अंतर रह गया? pic.twitter.com/jC0BkfWmyC
In the video shared with this tweet, a Bihari youth who worked in Tamil Nadu narrated an incident of alleged violence. He said, “This incident took place with me on March 3. I returned to my room after finishing my job that day, at around 7 pm. Two people came and started beating me. They snatched the money and mobile that I had. They asked me something, about the name of a particular place. As soon as I told them, they started beating me. Both of the attackers were Tamils.”
“They attacked me with a knife. I sustained these injuries. I somehow escaped from there. They attacked me with a knife and I have wounds in the chest, and in my back. The owner for who I worked, took me to the hospital and ensured that I get treatment. However, the hospital did not take any police cases. My owner told me that if we ask for a police case, this hospital may refuse to treat me. We told them that I got injured at the building site I was working at,” he further added.
In the video, another young man says that when he (the victim) spoke in Hindi, they attacked him with a knife. Another young man says Biharis are being slaughtered like animals, and there is a great injustice happening there.
It is notable that Pappu Yadav has been vocal about the alleged violence against the Bihari workers in Tamil Nadu right from the beginning. On 6th March 2023, he tweeted, “I am not ready to accept that nothing has happened to the Bihari people in Tamil Nadu. The government is hiding the matter under pressure. Is it a coincidence that many labourers from Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP died there in 10-15 days? According to the police, all of them were killed in an accident or in a mutual fight. How did this happen?”
तमिलनाडु में बिहारी लोगों के साथ कुछ हुआ ही नहीं,यह मैं मानने को तैयार नहीं हूं।सरकार दबाव डाल मामले को छिपा रही है।
क्या संयोग है 10-15 दिनों में बिहार,झारखंड,यूपी के कई मज़दूरों की वहां मौत हुई, पुलिस के अनुसार सब के सब दुर्घटना में या,आपसी लड़ाई में मारे गये?
Even before that, on 5th March 2023, Pappu Yadav said that he visited the house of Pawan Yadav, a resident of Dhadhour village in Sikandra Jamui, who was killed in Tamil Nadu. Pappu Yadav wrote in that tweet, “People who enjoy political gains on account of Bihar are either busy playing Holi or have become the pawns of the Tamil Nadu administration. But we will fight for justice.”
तमिलनाडु में मारे गये सिकंदरा जमुई के धधौर गांव निवासी पवन यादव के घर गये। उनके न्याय की लड़ाई लड़ेंगे।
बिहार के बल पर राजनीतिक सुख सुविधा भोगने वाले कोई होली खेलने में तल्लीन हैं तो कोई तमिलनाडु के प्रशासन के पिट्ठू बन गये हैं। पर हम तो लड़ेंगे, न्याय लेकर रहेंगे। pic.twitter.com/Ete0NNjZSw
It is pertinent to note that the Tamil Nadu police have called the videos claiming the violent hate crimes to be fake. According to the police, most of the viral videos claiming the alleged hate crimes have no connection with the migrant Hindi-speaking labourers.
As Lent season is observed by millions of Christians worldwide, culminating in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ according to biblical teachings, Kenyans are left to ponder whether Eliud Simiyu, the self-proclaimed Jesus of Tongaren from Bungoma, will align with the scriptures.
As per the Bible, Jesus Christ faced immense suffering during his arrest by the Pharisees, and this culminated in what is known as the Passion of Christ, which included his crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven.
An online user has made a sensational claim that Jesus of Tongeren has expressed concern about his safety as the Easter season approaches.
According to a post by a netizen, Yesu, who is currently in Bungoma, alleges that his life is at risk as Easter approaches. Some locals have reportedly been overheard suggesting that he should be crucified during the Easter period, similar to how Jesus was crucified.
However, they have also assured Yesu that if he is indeed the Messiah, he will rise from the dead on the third day and ascend to heaven, so there is no need for him to worry.
The post elicited some humorous remarks on the internet.
“Have the residents identified the two thieves yet? It has to be real you know,” a Twitter user.
“Surely we must test his faith like the way Jesus Christ was tested,” another one commented.
The New Jerusalem sect, which is based in Lukhokwe village in Tongaren Constituency, is led and founded by Mr Simiyu.
He asserts that he is the authentic Jesus of the Bible and possesses the ability to carry out miracles.
The church members are prohibited from using their given names and instead referred to as angels or prophets (ess).
Born in 1981, Mr Simiyu’s parents, Francis and Cecilia Simiyu, passed away during his childhood. He was raised Catholic and received his primary education at Mukuyu Primary School in Tongaren, Bungoma County.
After completing Form One at Mukuyu Secondary School, he discontinued his education and pursued farming instead.
In 2001, at the age of 20, he got married and now has eight children. His eldest son is currently studying at a technical college in Kiambu County, while his second child, a daughter, is set to join university.
According to his neighbours, in 2009, Mr Simiyu was struck in the head during a family dispute and taken to the hospital for treatment. Following his release from the hospital, he began preaching.
Bungoma ‘Jesus’ claims he turned water into tea
But he started asserting himself to be the Jesus, ‘demonstrating’ miraculous abilities ever since he announced himself as a divine being.
During an interview with NTV, the wife of the man asserted that her husband converted water into a copious amount of tea that was savoured by the villagers, and some even took some home.
The woman had asserted that her family was ostracised in the village due to her husband’s claims that he is Jesus. His wife, identified as Prophet Benjamin, had previously claimed that her husband has the power to heal the sick and perform other miracles.
On International Women’s Day that falls on March 8 every year, women usually all over the world are honoured for their ability to multi-task or for attempting to stand parallel with the men in earning as well as in social life ‘after’ handling their household work very efficiently and with patience. But the sad part to highlight here remains the same viz their fight for equality and their demand for equity!
As we observe cultural, political, and socioeconomic women-made achievements in various fields today, the day also serves as a clarion call for a society that should be free of gender bias, stereotypes, and discrimination and would value diversity, equity, and inclusion instead.
Women have been demanding equality for decades now and this year the theme for International Women’s day is ‘Embrace Equity’, which goes a step further and refers to offering varying levels of support depending upon the need to achieve greater fairness of outcomes. “Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome,” notes the International Women’s website.
While women have been demanding equity and equality worldwide for years now, things aren’t different in India where the system of relationships, beliefs, and values embedded in political, social, and economic systems between men and women is patriarchal. It structures gender inequality. It allows men to be in positions of power and prestige, however successful the women are.
Equal opportunities but unequal treatment
Men and women, to say in India these days, are offered equal job opportunities, but men are valued and assigned crucial assignments, they are paid more, their opinions are valued more, and they enjoy more privileges because of their sex. Women, on the other hand, are often undervalued in every sense above mentioned and are also ‘characterized’ if at all they get a promotion at the work.
While women are often asked their marriage and children plan at the time of hiring, men are never asked such. Over and above this being discriminatory and gross invasion of privacy, it also show underlying patriarchal mindset that women, of marriageable or childbearing age, may not be around for a few months, years should they choose to have a child and hence are deprived of projects which could enhance their careers.
Their story is no different at home. In fact, the ones who chose not to work at the offices are made to face the inequality at larger sects. They are not valued, their views, and opinions are not considered and they are looked at only from the specs of working burden. Yes, this still happens in India and as an Indian, I feel ashamed of this injustice happening to women around.
Why raise our daughters and sons differently?
We have progressed, but society still holds different morals and values for men and women. The way gender is structured currently constitutes a serious injustice. When we envision a better society where men and women are treated equally, we must raise our girls and sons equally.
We do a disservice to our sons by instilling in them a dread of vulnerability and fear. We instruct them to hide their actual selves because they must ‘be a man’. That they must not cry or appear vulnerable or show emotions – as they are for the ‘girls’.
Further, we do a much greater disservice to women by raising them to cater to the fragile egos of men. We instruct girls on how to limit themselves and just remain smaller in respect. We advise them to not have extremely great ambitions. “You can have ambition but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not too successful. Otherwise, you’ll threaten the man”, we still teach. How these lessons are ever going to bring about the change and cater to the demands of equity put forth by women today?
Society still looks down upon man if his wife is the primary breadwinner. We have been conditioned such that men are providers and women are nurturers. That for women to have personal ambitions, career aspirations is looked down upon as ‘being selfish’ but men having same is ‘he has to’. Till we normalise for women being ambitious and not pull her down by making it her sole responsibility to ‘hold the family together’, we will take much longer to achieve the equity.
Over years, times have changed
Things in big cities might have changed and I can’t totally deny the progression. But when it comes to smaller regions, things haven’t changed really. If a woman here is the family’s breadwinner, she is asked to act otherwise, especially in public. She is advised to pretend to safeguard her husband’s ‘dignity’ and to protect her marriage. Why should a man feel threatened by a woman’s success? And why only she is asked to believe that marriage is the most important thing that she needs to prioritize in this world? Marriages are beautiful indeed. But why not teach men also to aspire to marriage and prioritize it?
It’s easy for society to say that ‘Oh but women are more likely to accept their less respect in marriage.’ Yet the truth is just more challenging and intricate. I believe that in India, the terminology of marriage frequently reflects ownership rather than partnership.
We use the word “respect” to refer to the behaviour that women are expected to exhibit towards males; the opposite never happens. In India, both men and women have been known to claim, “I did it for the peace in my marriage,” at various points. Nonetheless, the context in which they both utilize this expression differs greatly. When a man says ‘he did something for peace in his marriage’, he generally talks about giving up smoking, drinking, etc. Yet when a woman claims to have taken action to bring about marital harmony, she typically refers to quitting her job—her passion.
I know a woman who clearly hates housework but pretends to like it since she was trained to be a good housewife. The issue with gender in India is that it places more emphasis on how we should be than how we actually are. Imagine how liberating, joyful, and easy it would be to be free from the burden of gender expectations!
There is no denying the differences between boys and girls, but socialization tends to emphasize the difference. Take cooking for instance. Today women in general are more likely to do the housework than men, the cooking and cleaning stuff. But I’ve hardly seen this happening the other way around. Is the ability to cook a gene given to women? Indeed, I had begun to believe that yes, perhaps women are born with a cooking gene until I realized that the majority of the great cooks in the world are males, whom we respectfully refer to as “the chefs”. And more than anything, cooking is a survival skill. Men and women both must know how to cook, maybe not elaborate fancy meals but basic meals to make sure they can cook for themselves at least.
Today there are more opportunities available to women as compared to 60 years ago. But what affects even today is the society’s attitude and mindset towards women and the issue of gender inequality. Gender inequality is I suppose a very uncomfortable topic to have a conversation on because it no longer continues to be a conversation. People start debating leading to no conclusions.
Men and women are different. Let’s not deny that. But it’s time to adopt whatever is good for society and moreover, whatever is fairer to both men and women! Society needs to value equality and embrace equity till we have things in our hands. I am sure none of us wants our coming generations to keep debating on gender equality and equity.
India tore into Pakistan after its foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, broached the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at a Security Council debate on ‘Women, Peace and Security.’
Responding to his remarks on the Indian union territory, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj on Tuesday said that it is ‘unworthy’ to even respond to such ‘malicious and false propaganda.’
She termed his statement as baseless and politically motivated. Speaking at the open debate, Ruchira Kamboj remarked, “Before I conclude, let me dismiss the frivolous, baseless and politically motivated remarks made by the delegate of Pakistan regarding the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“My delegation considers it unworthy to even respond to such malicious and false propaganda,” she added.
“Rather, our focus is where it shall always be positive and forward looking. Today’s discussion is critically important to strengthen our collective efforts to accelerate the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. We respect the topic of the debate and recognize the importance of time. As such, our focus shall remain on the topic,” she stated.
On the eve of International Women’s Day, at the Council debate held under Mozambique’s President for this month, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Zardari made a pointed reference to Jammu and Kashmir, earning a sharp retort from Ms. Kamboj. “The most egregious atrocities and crimes against women and girls occur in situations of foreign occupation and suppression of the right to self-determination to peoples,” he said at the Security Council debate on ‘Women, Peace and Security.’
Calling for the establishment of a monitoring mechanism for crimes committed against women and girls in territories under foreign occupation, Zardari had said, “To ensure implementation of the WPS strategy, it is essential to establish a monitoring mechanism for crimes committed against women and girls in territories under foreign occupation, including Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,”
India has formerly conveyed, that the entire territories of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are, and shall always be part of India, to Pakistan.
The country has continued to reiterate that it wants to have friendly relations with its hostile neighbor Pakistan, on a normal basis and that Islamabad has the responsibility of fostering such a relationship in a setting free from terror and animosity.
During the 1980s, a young and energetic Singer ruled the Punjab Music industry for a short period but became an icon forever. Amar Singh Chamkila, or Chamkila (which means “that glitters” in Punjabi), was one of the leading singers of his time and perhaps the most popular Punjabi singer who ever lived. His popularity not only grew at an exponential pace, but it also threatened the careers of other legendary Punjabi Singers of that time.
Early life and beginning of the music career
Born on July 21, 1960, to a family belonging to the Scheduled Caste Chamar community, Chamkila’s real name was Dhanni Ram. He was born in the village of Durgi in the district of Ludhiana, Punjab. He was the youngest child of Kartar Kaur and Hari Singh Sandila. Chamkila wanted to be an electrician in his younger years but failed in the venture. For some time, he reportedly worked in a cloth mill.
From the beginning, Dhanni had an aptitude for music but apparently did not see it as a career at first. At the age of 18, he met his mentor, the legendary Punjabi Singer Surinder Shinda, for the first time. By that time, Dhanni was already fluent in playing the harmonium and dholki. When Shinda heard him singing for the first time, he knew he had discovered his ‘shagird’ or protege.
Dhanni was hired to help Shinda in the concerts and write songs for him. For some time, he worked for Shinda but slowly moved away as he felt he was not being appreciated enough. By that time, he had already worked with folk music legends, including K Deep and Mohammad Sadiq.
Chamkila’s struggle to find the right partner
Dhanni joined hands with female folk singer Surinder Sonia who had previously worked with Shinda. She stopped working with Shinda after he started working with Gulshan Komal, and Sonia felt sidelined. Sonia and Dhanni released their first album ‘Takue Te Takua’ in 1980. Music producer Charanjit Ahuja gave music for the songs. Dhanni had written songs himself, and his words made the album an instant hit across the state.
Within months after the release, Dhanni decided to part from Sonia as he felt he was being underpaid by Sonia’s manager, who happened to be her husband. This was the time when he finally adopted his stage name Amar Singh Chamkila. With the birth of Chamkila, the music industry of Punjab changed forever.
For some time, Chamkila struggled to find the right female partner. He joined hands with Amar Noorie, Usha Kiran, and others, but things did not work out.
Amarjot Kaur’s entry into the life of Chamkila changed everything
Chamkila’s colleague and famous Punjabi singer Kuldeep Manak suggested he should approach Amarjot Kaur. When her name was suggested to Chamkila, she was not a well-established singer in the industry. The chemistry between the two struck the right chords, and they formed a permanent association thereafter.
Chamkila was known for writing suggestive and boyish songs. The double-meaning lyrics, close-to-heart music, and catchy beats of the songs made the duo famous overnight. Even at a time when it was extremely difficult to get national, let alone international, exposure, Chamkila’s music started to make rounds in every possible corner of the world. Gulzar Singh Shaunki, in his book ‘Awaz Mardi Nahin’, which is Chamkila’s biography, mentioned that at the peak of his career, Chamkila did 366 shows in 365 days.
It was the time when his popularity started to threaten his fellow singers. At the same time, Punjab was going through insurgency, and the Khalistan movement was at its peak. The pro-Khalistani, as well as religious leaders, disliked the majority of his lyrics. As per reports, he was getting threats from Khalistani terrorists who tried to extort money in the name of protection.
Amidst the hate and threats, the popularity of Chamkila and Amarjot continued to rise at an incredible pace. They were regularly booked for wedding parties and other events. Reportedly, Chamkila and Amarjot used to charge Rs 4,000 per performance in the 1980s. If we compare the currency price from 1980 to 2022, it will make around nine lakhs per performance. The actual amount that Chamkila earned during his short-lived career is unknown. However, his fame and the high fee were one of the reasons the anti-social elements targeted him.
Chamkila’s strategy to create a cult following worked perfectly
Chamkila did not limit himself to paid programs. One of the reasons he gained such popularity was his free appearances, especially in rural areas. He created a cult-like fan base by performing for free in open-air concerts that are known as Akhade in Punjab. Chamkila, Amarjot and their crew picked up their instruments, a harmonium, a dholki and a Tumbi (Chamkila played Tumbi, a one-string Punjabi instrument) and went to places to perform without taking a single paisa. Hundreds of people would listen to their music and enjoy a few hours of relaxation amidst the growing insecurity in Punjab. The demand for their music rose, and the duo recorded around 100 songs together. It is believed that they had about 100 more songs in their kitty that were never released.
From taboo topics to religious songs, Chamkila sang everything
Chamkila was known for writing bold and controversial songs. He would touch the taboo issues such as sex, drugs, social inequality, extra marital affairs and tried to give a social message using his music. A unique blend of traditional folk music and modern instruments at events popularized his style further.
Though the religious leaders were unhappy with the lyrics and they also warned him, his three devotional songs, Baba Tera Nankana, Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di Haan and Naam Jap Le, created a soft corner towards him. Reportedly, he was called by a five-member committee at the Golden Temple to seek forgiveness for his alleged offences with the lyrics. However, the religious leaders expressed happiness with the song ‘Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di Haan’ and suggested that Chamkila shift his focus to devotional songs.
His song ‘Baba Tera Nankana’ talked about the partition. In the song, he questioned Baba Nanak why he did not bring Hindu and Muslim on the same platform and teach them there was no difference between them. “Paani vand le zaalima dharti maa roi”, a line from the song’s last stanza, roughly translates to, “The cruel divided waters and the Mother Earth cried”. The song’s main line is “Satho baba kho leya tera Nankana”, which translates to “They snatched Nankana from us”. Nankana Sahib is one of the most revered holy sites for Sikhs that is now located in Pakistan. First Guru of Sikhs, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in Nankana Sahib.
The other devotional song Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di Haan, was an imaginary conversation between the sword and arrow of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
There is one more song, ‘Ni Tu Narkan Nu Jaave Sarhand Di Diware,’ that talks about the murder of two of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s sons, 8-year-old Zorawar Singh and 5-year-old Fateh Singh who were buried alive into walls on the orders of Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb. The song talked about cursing the “wall” that it will suffer in hell as it allowed the sons of Gobind Singh Ji to be buried in it.
Chamkila is still popular
In 2007, one of his unreleased songs on folk hero Jeona Morh called Kaadha Soorma was remixed and released by Punjabi MC. Imtiaz Ali is also making a movie on Chamkila’s life, with Diljit Dosanjh playing the role of Chamkila and Parineeta Chopra playing the role of Amarjot Kaur.
Chamkila’s death and conspiracies around it
Chamkila was threatened and attacked multiple times, but he escaped safely. However, on the fateful day of March 8, 1988, Chamkila and Amarjot were gunned down by motorcycle-borne assailants with AK47s.
As per the statements of the eyewitnesses, at around 2 PM, Chamkila, Amarjot and others reached Mehsampur, Punjab, to perform. As they got out of the car and started walking to the stage, masked assailants came on a motorcycle and emptied their magazines on the duo. The villagers who heard the gunfire rushed to the spot and tried to chase the assailants, but they escaped.
To date, it is unclear who killed them and why they were killed. There are a few theories behind their assassination. The first theory suggests the Khalistani terrorists killed them as they denied paying protection money. The second theory suggests Amarjot’s family killed them in the name of honour. The third theory suggests their rivals gave a bounty for their murder. The real reason, however, remains a mystery.
A day after a Muslim couple was married according to the Islamic wedding rituals at a Hindu Temple premises in Rampur of Shimla district, the Himachal Pradesh unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad released a statement saying that it does not support the nikah ceremony organized in a Hindu temple. As per reports, the wedding took place in Thakur Satyanarayan temple complex premises run by Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad condemned the incident and said that it shall never support Islamic rituals being conducted in a Hindu temple. “The wedding happened at the Thakur Satyanarayan temple which is managed by the VHP but the temple is looked after by the local temple authorities who are responsible for conducting religious events and daily temple affairs. The temple is also rented for marriages and other social events within the community,” the statement roughly read in Hindi.
It added, “VHP has nothing to do with the recent nikah that was conducted at the temple. We shall never support Islamic rituals being conducted at the temple premise. We strongly condemn the incident and are of opinion that Hindu rituals should only be practised at the Hindu temple.”
Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s statement
The VHP also asked the temple authorities to be aware of the fact and directed them to not allow any such event at the temple in the future. As per the statement, the VHP has formed a committee to look into the matter and has assured to take proper action in the case.
It was reported earlier that a Muslim couple got married according to the Islamic wedding rituals at a Hindu Temple premises in Rampur of Shimla district on Sunday. The wedding took place in Thakur Satyanarayan temple complex premises managed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad. People of the Muslim and Hindu communities came together and witnessed the Nikah ceremony which was performed on the temple premises in the presence of Maulvi, witnesses and a lawyer.
“Vishwa Hindu Parishad runs the temple and the district office of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Vishva Hindu Parishad and RSS are often accused of being anti-Muslim. But here a Muslim couple got married on the Hindu temple premises. This is an example in itself that Sanatan Dharma always inspires everyone to move forward by including everyone,” Thakur Satyanarayan Temple Trust Rampur General Secretary Vinay Sharma had opined.
However, the VHP said that it shall never support any kind of Islamic rituals being conducted at the temple premise. As per the statement, the VHP has formed a committee to look into the matter and has assured to take proper action in the case.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the progress toward gender equality is “vanishing before our eyes,” and it will take 300 years to bridge that gap, according to the official release from the UN.
While addressing the UN session of the Commission on the Status of Women on Monday, Guterres said, “It takes on even greater significance at a time when women’s rights are being abused, threatened, and violated around the world. Progress won over decades is vanishing before our eyes.”
He also recalled the incidents where women’s rights were taken away and said that in Afghanistan, women have been erased from public life. He further stated that in many other places, women’s sexual and reproductive rights were rolled back.
“In some countries, girls going to school risk kidnapping and assault. In others, police prey on vulnerable women they have sworn to protect. Gender equality is growing more distant. On the current track, UN Women puts it 300 years away,” the UN Chief said.
“Maternal mortality is increasing. One woman dies every two minutes during pregnancy or childbirth; most of those deaths are preventable,” Guterres added.
He further stated that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic had forced millions of girls to drop out of school. Meanwhile, mothers and caregivers were forced out of paid employment, and children were forced into early marriage, according to the release.
From Ukraine to the Sahel, crisis and conflict affect women and girls first and worst. And at the international level, some countries now even oppose the inclusion of a gender perspective in multilateral negotiations, Guterres told the Commission on the Status of Women.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946, according to the statement.
Guterres said the international community must also create a safe digital environment for women and girls, outlining his third point. In this regard, the UN is working to advance a code of conduct for information integrity on digital platforms, aimed at reducing harm and increasing accountability.
The Secretary-General stressed that promoting women’s full contributions to science, technology and innovation is not an act of charity or favour to women, but a “must” that benefits everyone.
“The Commission on the Status of Women is a dynamo and catalyst for the transformation we need. Together, let’s push back against the push back on misogyny, and forward for women, girls, and our world,” he 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)
In a major development in the Delhi liquor policy case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would interrogate MLC K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, on March 10 in Delhi. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader in the case on December 12 in Hyderabad for over seven hours.
The development comes days after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Manish Sisodia, former deputy chief minister of Delhi and one of the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party, in connection with the case. According to the Enforcement Directorate, she is a member of the ‘South Cartel,’ which allegedly received payments in the case.
The ED complaint alleged that Sameer Mahendru, the Managing Director of Indospirit Group, was contacted by the cartel members who expressed interest in his business, based on his assertion. He soon became ‘like family to Kavitha,’ and his alleged affiliation with their group was solidified via numerous phone conversations and meetings with her.
The summon was issued a day after the arrest of her frontman Arun Ramachandra Pillai, who allegedly played a key role in benami investments and bribery. Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai and liquor baron Amandeep Dhall have been arrested by the ED as part of the probe into money laundering using the Delhi Excise Policy. In the remand report of Arun Pillai, the ED proclaimed, that he was a benami of Kavitha in the case.
A Delhi court ordered Pillai to be placed in ED custody until March 13 and Dhall to be kept in prison until March 21. The CM’s daughter was notified the next day.
She refuted the accusations in her reaction to the news and stated that she would seek legal advice. In her statement, she remarked, that the centre can’t unnerve her party with such attacks.
తెలంగాణ తల వంచదు
Ahead of our March 10 dharna along with the opposition parties and women organisations demanding the Women’s Reservation Bill at Jantar Mantar, I have been summoned by the ED on March 9th.
“I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM Shri KCR, and against the entire BRS Party will not deter us,” the statement read.
“Under the leadership of KCR Garu, we will continue to fight to expose your failures & raise voice for a brighter and better future for India,” it further read.
The Delhi liquor policy, which was introduced in November 2021, was revoked by the AAP administration last year after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, demanded a CBI investigation.
ED submitted its initial chargesheet in the matter last year. The investigating agency has so far conducted around 200 search operations in this case after filing a FIR and taking cognizance of a CBI case that was launched on the lieutenant governor of Delhi’s recommendation.
Officials reported, that the conclusions of the Delhi Chief Secretary’s report, which was submitted in July, indicated that there were likely violations of the GNCTD Act of 1991, the Transaction of Business Regulations (ToBR) of 1993, the Delhi Excise Act of 2009, and the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010.
The ED raided around thirty locations in Delhi and Punjab in October.
The ED and the CBI charged, that unlawful actions were taken when changing the Excise Policy. As per the agencies, the licence holders received improper favours, the licence fee was waived or lowered and the L-1 licence was prolonged without the responsible authority’s consent. In order to avoid detection, the recipients produced fictitious entries in their books of accounts and channelled illegal gains to the charged individuals, the inquiry revealed.
The scam, which was launched in response to a referral from the Union Home Ministry, is said to have cost the exchequer Rs 144.36 crore.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday participated in Holi celebrations at Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur district and said that everyone is celebrating the festival of colours together and there is neither a caste nor a class or regional divide.
“I wish everyone a very Happy Holi. Holi always inspires to not to keep any kind of hatred, or jealousy towards anyone in our mind. There are occasions when our everything is dedicated to the nation – these festivals are giving us that inspiration. There is neither a caste nor a class or regional divide. Everyone is celebrating Holi together. What can be a bigger occasion to give a message of unity?” said CM Yogi.
The festival of Holi which celebrates the spirit of inclusiveness and humanity heralds the onset of spring after winter in the Indian subcontinent. The festival marks the victory of good over evil and is celebrated on two days – Holika Dahan and Holi Milan.
Meanwhile, keeping the traditional fervour and essence of the festival alive, devotees thronged at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan of Mathura district on Wednesday to offer prayers on the occasion of Holi.
Devotees in large numbers were seen at the temple with sweets and colours in their hands.
Mathura holds a long history and significance of the festival of Holi.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna visited his beloved Radha’s town Barsana from Nandgaon in Mathura to celebrate the festival with her.
Earlier on March 7, devotees celebrated Holi enthusiastically at the famous Priyakant Ju Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan.
However, Barsana, a small town situated approximately 42 km from Mathura is famous for its Lathmar Holi celebration. Women run after men with ‘lathis’ or sticks and playfully hit them during this celebration. The men, on the other hand, come prepared with a ‘dhal’ or shield.
In Barsana, Mathura and Vrindavan areas, respectively known as the towns of Radha and Krishna, Holi begins from Basant Panchami and continues for more than a month.
Thousands of devotees and tourists visit Mathura and Vrindavan to witness this frenzied version of Holi.
The festival of colours is celebrated across India with zeal. People throw “gulaal” or dried colour on each other and sing and dance to mark the festival. On this day people celebrate the victory of good over evil and officially welcome the spring season.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
