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Gang rape accused Biki Ali shot dead in Guwahati when trying to escape

On Tuesday (March 15), Biki Ali, a rape accused of a minor girl was gunned down on the outskirts of Guwahati when he attempted to escape from the custody of the police who were escorting him to the crime scene reconstruction.

According to the police, Ali tried to grab a pistol from one of the police personnel and attempted to flee from custody. It must be noted that a while back, Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma had made it very clear that he will have zero tolerance towards those who shoot at police officers.

During the escape attempt by Biki, two police officials were also injured and both are undergoing treatment. One of the officers is Twinkle Goswami, the in-charge of Panbazar women police station in Guwahati and she sustained minor injuries in her leg and hand.

The officer was admitted to the hospital and her condition has been declared stable.

As per the police, Biki Ali had snatched the service revolver from Twinkle Goswami and fired two rounds towards the police. The police under the rules of engagement returned fire, and the rape accused was killed.

Guwahati Medical College Hospital superintendent Abhijit Sarma said the deceased rape accused had sustained four injury marks – one in the chest and three in the back. “He was brought to our hospital after 1 AM, where he was declared brought dead. Details of gunshot wounds will be available after post-mortem,” the doctor said.

Biki Ali and along with four other youths – Faizur Ali, Puna Ali, Pinku Ali, and Raja Ali – were accused of gang rape of a minor girl in Assam. As of now, the other four accused are still absconding.

As reported, the minor was studying in class ten and was gangraped by Biki Ali and his friends. She allegedly had a relationship with Biki and on February 16, he took her to his home along with a friend, and both of them had raped her together and recorded the act.

To keep her quiet, they had threatened that they will upload the images and the videos on social media if she disclosed the incident.

The 16-year-old girl kept quiet and that is when Biki Ali blackmailed her into accompanying him to an Oyo hotel, where she was gang-raped by his friends Faizur Ali, Puna Ali, Pinku Ali, and Raja Ali in the hotel room.

They again made the video of the act and this time uploaded the videos on social media. 

The police booked all the five accused under section 376 (D) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and section 67(B) of the Information Technology Act. 

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Pune Airport to get new terminal building with enhanced capacity

New Integrated Terminal Building with enhanced capacity and world-class facilities is under construction at AAI’s Pune Airport, which will reduce congestion during peak hours at the airport.AAI has undertaken the construction of the Terminal Buildingat the cost of Rs. 475Cr.More than 55% of the work has been completed and construction of the new building is likely to be completed by August 2023.

The existing terminal building with built-up area of only 22,300sqm has the capacity to handle passengers up to 7 million passengers per annum (MPPA).

AAI has undertaken the work for construction of the state-of-the-art New Terminal with massive built up area of more than 5,00,000 sq.ft. The new terminal integrated with the existing terminal, will have a built-up area of 7,50,000 sq.ft. with passenger handling capacity of 16 MPPA.

The swanky new integrated terminal building (including old building) will be centrally air conditioned with provision of 10 passenger boarding bridges, 72 Check-in Counters and In-line Baggage handling system. The building will be an energy efficient building with Four-Star GRIHA rating. Provision of 36000 sq. ft. space for F&B and retail outlets has been reserved for refreshment/pleasure of the passengers. A huge canopy on city side of the existing building & new building together will give a magnificent look to the airport from city side.

The strongest intention of the project for new terminal building is the search for unity and continuity between the old and the new. Stretching over 360 meters in length, the Verandah is a unifying façade that not only provides protection from sun and rain but also serves as a grand urban fresco telling the story of rich social, historical, artistic and immaterial culture of Pune & Maharashtra. The facia of the public area below the great Verandah is supported with beautiful Maratha arches and decorated columns with a finish of local dark stone which is commonly seen in most of the heritage structures around Maharashtra. The new forecourt garden design is directly inspired by one of the most recognisable landmarks of Pune – The Shaniwar Wada Gardens.

To give a permanent solution to the parking issue, a multilevel car park (Ground plus three storeyed &two basementfloors) with a cost of Rs. 120 Cr. is also under construction and is likely to be commissioned by July 2022.The multi-level car parking will have capacity for parking of 1024cars and will be connected to the departure area of existing building with a sky bridge with provision of staircase, escalators & elevators at building side for dropping/ going up.

Hon’ble PM has recently highlighted the significance of modern infrastructure and transport facilities for Pune city, which has reinforced its identity in the fields of Education, Research & Development, IT and Automobile.

The revamped terminal building of Pune airport will be an addition to his vision of infrastructure led growth under PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

(Published from PIB)

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“Jai Sri Ram is dividing people, Allahu Akbar is uniting people”: Chennai’s New College students protest againt K’taka HC hijab verdict

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday (March 16) upheld the ban on hijab in schools saying that wearing of the headscarf is not an essential religious practice.

The court in its ruling stated that the prescription of school uniforms by the State is a reasonable restriction of the students’ rights under Article 25 and thus, the Government order issued by the Karnataka government dated February 5 is not violative of their rights.

The court based its order on  Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s book The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary which states “For Muslim women generally, no screen or hijab (Purdah) is mentioned, but only a veil to cover the bosom, and modesty in dress – footnote 3760 to Verse 53,”

In response to this verdict, male students of the New College in Chennai, which is a Muslim institution, held a protest in their college premises.

The protestors said that chants of ‘Jai Sri Ram’ divides people while the chant of ‘Allahu Akbar’ unites people.

A controversy erupted in Karnataka over the wearing of hijab by certain Muslim students after certain leftist portals reported that about 6 girls from Government PU college in Karnataka’s Udupi district were denied entry into classrooms for wearing hijab.

It had turned into a political slugfest with one side accusing the other of communalizing the matter.

The petitioners in the hijab case have now challenged the Karnataka High Court’s verdict in the Supreme Court.

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“Marry within Hindu Dharma, not outside”: Love Jihad victim Apoorva Puranik

In a moving video testimony, Love Jihad survivor Apoorva Puranik has asked Hindu girls not to marry Muslim men because our sanskar (traditions) is different from theirs.

Apoorva was brutally attacked by her husband Mohammad Ijaz after she left him. In the video recorded and posted by journalist Chiru Bhat, Apoorva Puranik says she was a victim of an alleged Love Jihad.

She is currently recovering in a local hospital in Karnataka’s Gadag after she was attacked by her husband Mohammad Ijaz, who had stabbed her 23 times with a machete because she defied by leaving.

She could be heard speaking in Kannada and requesting fellow Hindu women not to make the same mistakes she had made by getting involved in a relationship with a Muslim man and always have a discussion with parents before making any major decisions.

“If you witness any small changes in your society, inform your parents. Do not fear that they will make you quit your education. Or else, you will face the same fate as me. Please trust no one other than your parents. Saving life should be your first priority,” she added.

She also said Hindu women should not fall into the trap of Muslim men and requested them to marry within the Hindu dharma.

“It is safe to marry within Hindu dharma as our sanskar (traditions) is different from others. It is difficult to get adjusted to other traditions. If we want to uphold and protect our cultures and traditions, we should marry within our own community, and we will also be safe,” said Apoorva Puranik.

In her latest statement recorded by Chiru Bhat, Apoorva revealed that Ijaz had first sexually assaulted her and recorded the act which he used as a tool to blackmail her for marriage and had also threatened to hurt her and her mother.

“When I agreed to the marriage, he asked me to convert to Islam. I had to sign on all documents as I had no choice. I must say this is nothing but Love Jihad. Even after marriage, he was not taking care of me. I was brainwashed. I didn’t even listen to my parents,” the journalist quoted the victim.

She also said that Ijaz forced her to cook and consume meat after their marriage and treated her like a dog after she delivered a baby.

“Ijaz used to feed nonveg to my baby forcibly. Only after my marriage, I came to know that he was married for 14 years to his first wife,” she said.

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6 Caribbean Nations Join Save Soil Movement Led By Sadhguru, Sign MoUs

The global Movement to Save Soil initiated by Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, got off to a successful start with six Caribbean nations signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to save soil in their countries. The MoUs were signed with Conscious Planet, the initiative under which the Save Soil Movement has been launched. Leaders of the six Caribbean nations- Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana and Barbados- pledged to initiate concrete action in their countries to reverse and halt soil degradation and ensure long-term food and water security for their populations.

Acknowledging their support for the Save Soil Movement, Sadhguru said,“These small nations, these pearls in the ocean, [can] make that turn around” and demonstrate that every nation can and must save its soil in the interest of all future life on the planet. “You have a big footprint in the world. Leadership is in the size of your vision, not in the size of the nation. This [ecological effort] is one of the most vital things we will do in our generation,” he added.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, said that it was his “pleasure to participate in this initiative to sign this memorandum of understanding with Conscious Planet,” adding that “the issue of soil degradation, which could potentially become soil extinction, is a significant threat to the planet.”

Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados echoed these sentiments. “By 2050, if we don’t make the decisions now, we will not reach there safely. This conversation is very timely, because it’s trying to change generations of citizens who have come to believe that everything is instantaneous,” she said during the signing of the MoU on behalf of her nation.

 The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) predicts that soil extinction could become a reality if soil degradation continues at present rates. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that all the world’s topsoil could become extinct in 60 years and the scientific community has warned that by 2045, the planet’s food production could drop by 40% even as the planet’s population crosses 9.3 billion. 

The Save Soil Movement seeks to activate and demonstrate citizen support across nations, and empower governments to initiate policy-driven action to revitalize soil and halt further degradation. To enable this, the Movement aims to reach 3.5 billion people.

As part of the Movement, Sadhguru will embark on a lone motorcycle journey of 30,000 kilometres, passing through the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, across 27 nations in a 100-day journey. During his journey, Sadhguru will engage with world leaders, the media and leading experts in these nations to emphasize the urgent need for concerted action to Save Soil.  Starting from London on March 21, his journey will culminate in the Cauvery river basin, where Sadhguru has initiated the ambitious Cauvery Calling project. Cauvery Calling aims to enable the planting of 2.42 billion trees in private farmlands in the Cauvery river basin, to restore the severely depleted river and restore soil health in the region. Thus far, Cauvery Calling volunteers have enabled 125,000 farmers to plant 62 million trees towards this goal.

During his journey, Sadhguru will also appeal to global leaders to save the planet’s soil from extinction through two influential international platforms: the UNCCD’s 15th session of the Conference of parties (COP15) in the Ivory Coast and the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos. Both events are scheduled in May.

The Save Soil Movement is supported by various global bodies and agencies including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Faith for Earth, a UNEP initiative; the World Food Programme (WFP); and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

About Conscious Planet – Save Soil Movement

The Conscious Planet Movement to Save Soil is a global civil movement to inspire a conscious approach to saving our soil and planet. This is, first and foremost, a people’s movement. Its aim is to activate the support of over 3.5 billion people (over 60% of the world’s voting population) to make ecological issues an election priority for governments across the globe. 

The Movement aims to urge and support governments in formulating policies that will address soil health in their country and make farming activity more soil friendly to halt and reverse further soil degradation globally. The primary recommendation of the Save Soil Movement is for governments across the world to legislate policies that will mandate a minimum of 3-6% organic content in all agricultural soil in their country. 

World leaders, influencers, artists, subject matter experts, farmers, spiritual leaders, NGOs are among those who have pledged their support to rekindle humanity’s relationship with soil.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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Naxal violence has dropped by 77%, civilians and security forces death reduced by 85%: Centre

Maoist Odisha

On Tuesday (March 15), Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha that there has been a 77 per cent drop in the violence perpetrated by the Naxal or Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from an all-time high of 2,258 in 2009 to 509 in 2021 and the deaths of both civilians and security forces have also reduced by 85 per cent from an all-time high of 1,005 in 2010 to 147 in 2021.

The Minister informed the lower house that the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) districts, considered as LWE affected are being reviewed twice in the last four years and, “The districts reporting LWE violence also reduced from 96 (2010) to 46 (2021),” Rai said in the written reply.

The minister also informed that on the development front, the Modi government has implemented flagship schemes and has taken several specific initiatives in LWE affected states. Over the years the government has carried out the expansion of road networks, improving telecommunication connectivity, skilling, and financial inclusion.

Also, funds are provided to LWE affected States under the ‘Special Central Assistance (SCA)’ scheme to fill critical gaps in Public Infrastructure and Services in Most LWE affected districts. According to Rai, under SCA, Rs 2,423.24 crore has been released to the states in the last three years.

Also, 7,815 works have been completed in the time span and Rs 480 crore has been released in the current financial year.

“The steadfast implementation of the policy has resulted in a consistent decline in violence and constriction of geographical spread,” Rai mentioned.

The Minister also informed that efforts are being made to encourage Left Wing extremists to join the mainstream and states already have their own surrender cum rehabilitation policies which the Central Government supports and the ‘Surrender-cum Rehabilitation’ policy which is part of the Scheme reimburses the expenditure incurred by the LWE affected States on rehabilitation of surrenderees under the SRE scheme, said Rai.

“The rehabilitation package inter-alia, includes an immediate grant of Rs 5 lakhs for higher-ranked LWE cadres and Rs 2.5 lakhs for other LWE cadres. Also, “In addition provision also exists for imparting training in trade or vocation of their liking with a monthly stipend of Rs 6,000 for three years.”.

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Yoga to be introduced in Saudi Arabia schools as part of sports curriculum

After the kingdom of Saudi Arabia organised its first-ever yoga festival, yoga will now be soon introduced in schools as part of the sports curriculum because of its positive impact on mental and physical health, the president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, Nouf Al-Marwaai, said.

With the cooperation of the Ministry of Education, president Nouf Al-Marwaai said yoga would be introduced in the curriculum because of its multitude of health benefits.

On March 9, an introductory lecture was held that highlighted the cooperation between the SYC (Saudi Yoga Committee) and the Saudi School Sports Federation. 

Many of the participants were school principals and physical education teachers who were part of the lecture to with the aim of mobilizing the strategy from the Ministry of Education and the SYC reported Arab News.

Khalid Jama’an Al-Zahrani, a certified yoga instructor and founder of Ananda Yoga Studio, said, “As I started to dive deep in yoga, I never stopped discovering its incredible benefits as is it a whole and transformative sport that leads its practitioners to a calmer and clearer mind and stronger and healthier physique.”

“Our school system in the Kingdom has always ensured that all its activities are aimed at contributing to the development of the students, from both physical and academic aspects, and I believe that introducing yoga to the Saudi education system is a nourishing and effective move,” Al-Zahrani added.

Nouf Al-Marwaai is the first Saudi Yogacharya and she said there were many plans to expand the scope and objectives of the SYC and there plans that would allow the implementation of yoga in schools on a large scale.

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IOC buys 3 million barrels of Russian Ural crude at a discount price, US says it will not be violation of sanctions

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has purchased three million barrels of Russian Urals from energy and commodities trader Vitol making it the first purchase by the Indian refiner company since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February.

In late February, the IOC had apparently said it would acquire Russian oil on a delivered basis in order to avoid any complications related to insurance and fixing vessels and the company does not oversee any problems to paying for the cargo as oil as a commodity hasn’t been banned yet and they aren’t dealing with a sanctioned entity either.

However, the good news for India is that this commercial deal is in its favor and it is reported that Vitol sold these cargoes at a discount of $20-$25 a barrel compared to the current crude price dated by Brent.

Meanwhile, the United States has made it very clear that India buying Russian crude oil at discounted price is not a violation of sanctions.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference on Tuesday (March 15), “I don’t believe India) this would be violating that (sanctions).’ ‘But also think about where you want to stand when history books are written at this moment in time. Support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact,’,”. 

IOC has also bought two million barrels of Abu Dhabi’s Murban crude in addition to a million barrels each of the Cameroonian Kole along with the Nigerian Forcados and Akpo.

The sanctions imposed by the West on Russia have led to many companies and countries being forced to avoid purchasing oil from Moscow and this action has depressed Russian crude to record discount levels.

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‘Hijab not essential religious practice’: Karnataka HC upholds hijab ban

The Karnataka High Court has given its judgment on the Hijab row and has ruled that “Hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam.” and it is not protected under Article 25 of the constitution.

The court in its ruling states that the prescription of school uniforms by the State is a reasonable restriction of the students’ rights under Article 25 and thus, the Government order issued by the Karnataka government dated February 5 is not violative of their rights.

Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, who read out the operative portion of the judgment according to Live law, said, “Our answers to the questions are, wearing of Hijab by Muslim women does not form Essential Religious Practice in Islamic faith. Our second answer is prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which students cannot object to. In view of the above, the government has power to issue the GO of February 5 and no case is made out for its invalidation. No case is made out for the issuance of disciplinary proceedings against respondents and writ of quo warranto is not maintainable. All writ petitions being devoid of merits are dismissed,”.

However, it is clear that this judgment will not go down well with Muslim groups who think the Courts have not right interfere in  Sharia Law” and Islam is above the Indian constitution.

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The Kashmir Files Unearths The Genocide That Was Buried Deep By The System

Few people here decide the news narratives that are being set across the country. They discuss a few stories repeatedly using which they are able to set their narratives deep in the minds of the people.

They also focus on not letting the news stories that they do not want the masses to know. They are the ones who decide the academic contents, news narratives and movie stories. The question may now arise as to who they are.

In the film, Prof Radhika Menon tells student Krishna Pandit, “They may run the Government, but we run the system.”. This ecosystem comprising of the political-media-academic establishment had buried the genocide that happened and is now denying the right to justice for the community. If you have a doubt that your thinking ability may also have been affected by the impact of their narratives, then The Kashmir Files is the movie for you.

The movie is based on true events and tells us the blood shed history that no one has ever told before. Exactly 32 years ago, tensions erupted in the Kashmir Valley. Armed with the slogan “Convert, Flee or Die”, the terrorists slaughtered the section of Kashmiri Pandits. The movie revolves around Krishna Pandit and his grandfather Pushkar Pandit, who escaped and lives in the country’s capital. When they fled out of Kashmir, Krishna Pandit was a small child. He has no recollection of what happened then. Krishna’s grandfather tells Krishna that all their family members died in an accident. That was all Krishna knew.

Krishna, who is studying at a reputed university in the capital, once attends a gathering that calls for “Separate Kashmir”. Professor Radhika Menon then exclaimed, “Kashmir has never been an integral part of India.” The Indian Army is persecuting the people of Kashmir. So she speaks of the need to liberate Kashmir from India. Then, Krishna Pandit stood up and said, “The Pandits in Kashmir were slaughtered and so the Pandits left Kashmir.” “That is not true. Kashmir pandits left the valley on their own,” says Professor Radhika Menon. Immediately those in the crowd stop Krishna Pandit from speaking, saying that this is not true and there is no evidence for this. Then Krishna Pandit goes and talks to the professor separately, and then they two become good friends.

Meanwhile, Krishna Pandit’s grandfather Pushkar Pandit was fighting as an individual to abrogate Article 370. At one point, the controversy over Kashmir between the two becomes truly thrilling. Krishna Pandit decides to contest in the students’ elections. One day, Professor Radhika Menon approaches Krishna Pandit and convinces Krishna to raise the “Separate Kashmir” slogan. She also stresses that only by doing so can he win the election. Krishna’s grandfather tells Krishna, “The end of politics is only destruction.” The young Krishna reaches a state of confusion.

Krishna’s grandfather dies. According to his grandfather’s last wish, Krishna goes to Kashmir for the asthi visarjan of his grandfather. Then Krishna meets his grandfather’s friends in the valley. As guided by the professor, Krishna also meets key terrorists who demands separate Kashmir. After these meetings Krishna returns to the capital and speaks at his university political meeting. This movie is all about his vision of Kashmir then.

In the midst of this, Krishna finds answers to his question, was it the Indian Army or the Terrorists that killed his family? In a scene, when Anupam Kher asks a realistic question, “Kashmir pandits never took arms in their hands, then why should this happen to us?”, it leaves the audience numb. There are no words to praise the courage and bravery of the director Vivek Agnihotri, who portrayed the atrocities happened in the valley with the same intensity. Bollywood star Anupam Kher, who was affected by the Kashmir genocide, has been cast in the lead role. I don’t know if he could have played any other character so wonderfully in his lifetime.

The fact that the movie crew has given their full commitment to this film is the main reason for the huge success of the movie. Despite some criticisms on the technically element, the purpose of the movie is not distracted at any point. The movie, which faced innumerable political and religious afflictions, came to the screens and is currently has become the talk of the nation. The fact that it took 32 years for us to know about this genocide itself is a shame of Independent India.

 

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