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Having a Biblical name, going to Church, attending Christian Gospel conventions does not make one Christian: Andhra HC

By
The Commune
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A petition that was filed against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in the Andhra Pradesh High Court was dismissed where the petitioner had claimed the CM who is a practicing Christian had visited the visit to Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams without sufficient declaration.

While dismissing the petition the High Court observed that “Merely attending the Christian Gospel conventions and attending the prayers in Churches, one cannot be considered as a Christian”.

The High Court also made it very clear that a person cannot be called Christian if they read the Bible or have a crucifix in the house and one also does not become a Christian by having a Biblical name or by attending a church sermon.

“Does one become a “Christian” just by having a biblical name or just by attending a Church sermon? Can one be called as a ‘Christian’ just because they read the Bible or have the Crucifix in their house? Admittedly, the answer will be negative”, the High Court said.

The High Court also held that it is part of the State tradition where a serving Chief Minister presents the ‘Pattu Vastralu’ to the deity. 

“In the opinion of this Court, he entered into the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam’s temples, in the capacity of the Chief Minister of the State, as a representative of the people of the state, and as such, he need not submit a declaration as provided under Rule 136 of the Rules.”, the Court held. 

There are extensive reports in the past that Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) centred around CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and his late father former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy is devout Christian family. Jagan’s brother-in-law Anil Kumar is a powerful televangelist with his own ministries.

Allegations have been made that ever since this devout Christian family-centred YSRCP came to power, the evangelical organisations are using the power of the state in carrying out mass conversions and are subsidised by the state with Hindu taxpayers’ money for it.

Also, ever since Jagan Mohan Reddy became CM, the number of attacks on Hindu temples have increased at an alarming rate and so far no one has been caught. 

BBMP ditches move to name roads after Muslim personalities after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, others object

By
The Commune
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The Bengaluru Brihat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has ditched its controversial proposal to name eleven crossroads in ward no. 135 Padarayanapura, Bengaluru after Muslim leaders. This scrapping of the proposal comes after objections from Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde and Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan.

On September 8, BJP councilors under then Mayor M Gautham Kumar had unanimously passed a resolution to name crossroads in the minority-dominated locality after Muslim leaders. Objecting against this move, Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde wrote to the BBMP, stating that recommending only the names of Muslim leaders was “not appropriate” and that this was “nothing but promotion of one particular community”.

“Such a decision taken by BBMP would also promote one particular community, which will create different scenes in other corporations and town panchayats where Hindus are in a majority, and the outcome of similar decisions cannot be imagined. Hence, it will be appropriate for BBMP to name such streets after freedom-fighters and national leaders who have fought for the country, which will also bring pride to Padarayanapura”, the letter went on to state.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya too sent a letter to the BBMP, demanding that the proposal be dropped. Expressing concern that any such move would lead to communal tensions, he stated in his letter that the measure “reeks of the same communal mentality of the two-nation theory and the Muslim League’s demand of separate electorates.”

Within hours the BBMP withdrew the proposal, citing the objections by the three MPs and one private citizen.

Respond, Not React: Sadhguru’s New Year message for COVID-hit world

By
The Commune
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isha sadhguru

As we turn the page on 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many lessons learned, Sadhguru’s message for the New Year is not to let despair and hardship come in the way of our efforts to preserve the ecosystem for the future. The Indian yogi, mystic and founder of the Isha Foundation also said that with conscious and responsible action we can move forward from the pandemic.

“The year 2020 will inevitably leave an indelible mark upon this generation for its ability to turn life upside down for all. Looking back at what the last century has been in terms of wars, pandemics and natural calamities, the first twenty years of the 21st century have been a blessing. In the midst of disastrous ecological signs unfolding, when all our efforts should be focused upon preserving the ecosystem for future generations, the viral pandemic is throwing all out of gear,” said Sadhguru in a statement to the media.

“But this pandemic, as disruptive as it is, is still a softball. With conscious and responsible action from the citizens, it can be put to rest. Human ability to respond rather than react is the solution, not only to duck the pandemic but to create new possibilities of a more civilized and sustainable world. Of course, there is a distance between possibilities and reality. In the coming year, may all of us have the Courage, Commitment and the Consciousness to make better Humans of ourselves and, in turn, a better world. Despair is not the way forward but Dedication to create what matters to all life is. Much love & Blessings,” Sadhguru added.

The U-Turns of KCR

By
Sudhir Kumar S
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The Telangana CM, KCR seems to have taken the electoral reverses he has suffered very seriously. Over the course of this week, he has done multiple U-turns that is currently baffling the crores of people in the state!

The first big U-turn was on Sunday, December 27th.

In a series of tweets released by the Telangana CM’s office, we were told that the government is “not a business entity”. It is “not government’s responsibility to buy and sell”. The tweet thread also told us that the government has incurred a total loss of nearly INR 7500 crores because the government purchased crops at MSP and sold at lower rates. And then we are told that the farmer now has the freedom to sell anywhere he/she wants! We are told that the new central government laws have anyway enabled this option and therefore there is no point in the government continuing to go to their homes and purchasing the same.

KCR and his party leaders have used very acerbic language to describe the new farm laws. KCR supported the alleged Bharat Bandh on December 8th and had his entire cadre participate in the bandh to disrupt normal life of the people. It was important to note that no farmers took part in those protests! Today, farmers are questioning him as to why he so vehemently opposed the laws; why he was so adamant on what crops should be cultivated by them and has now made this big U-turn. We are yet to hear from the CM himself on why his thought process has changed now.

The second big U-turn was on Monday, December 28th.

KCR bought in a very controversial Land Regularization Scheme (LRS) in September. He has also stopped registrations across the entire state of any non-agricultural property for more than three months. He ignored the criticism from many citizens who simply couldn’t register any property despite having all proper documentation. The state government garnered tens of crores of money just from the application fee of Rs.1000/- for the LRS.

On Monday, KCR’s government announced that registrations of “re-sale” plots is now allowed without having to wait for the outcome of the LRS. This basically means that previously registered land plots can now be sold and registered without any further delay. This helped clear a major confusion in the minds of lakhs of people, simply because many were questioning why the government should register the properties in the first place if those properties didn’t have requisite permission!

The second big U-Turn has bought a big relief to the lakhs of citizens across the state. Coupled with the High Court direction to resume registrations for the other non-agricultural properties, the uncertainty that KCR subjected the people for 3 months is finally gone. The LRS still hasn’t been finalized for new plots of non-agricultural lands though.

The third big U-turn was on Wednesday, December 30th.

KCR was very vehement in his criticism of the Ayushman Bharat program. He called it very inferior to the Arogyasree program that was already being implemented in the state. In his characteristic style, he used acerbic language to deride the program and asked anyone with guts to come to a debate with his minister at a local chourasta! Nearly two years after deriding the program, his government announced yesterday that they will now participate in the Ayushman Bharat program too!

Why these U-Turns?

Immediately after the loss in the GHMC elections, KCR scheduled a visit to Delhi and met the Prime Minister and many other Union ministers. There is a section of analysts who believe that some of these U-turns are a result of those interactions.

Another section of analysts believes that KCR has understood from the recent electoral reverses that some of his policies are hurting people more than benefitting them. The resentment in public was very strong for the hardships they had to undergo for reasons not known to them. Therefore, all these U-turns are seen as an attempt to course correct the mistakes of the past.

There is another section that is wondering whether KCR will dilute some of the centre’s provisions and then pin the blame on the BJP for any hardships people will face. For example, he has announced that he will remove procurement centres from the villages and farmers will now have to go to the APMCs with their produce. This section of analysts is wondering if KCR will tinker with purchasing at MSP and then pin the blame on the BJP.

Whatever the reasons are and however acerbic the criticism of these schemes by KCR was in the past, these U-turns are indeed very welcome and are of immense benefit to the citizens of the state. These will of course cause some strong political debates and perhaps churning also to take place. With these course corrections, KCR will now seek to get back the support of the people. The BJP will claim credit for these U-turns. In case you are wondering how the Congress will react, don’t bother! They are still debating whom to select as it’s state President after the current incumbent resigned after the GHMC elections.

 

PM Modi lays foundation-stone of AIIMS at Rajkot

By
The Commune
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Narendra Modi bureaucrats bureaucracy IAS officers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of AIIMS Rajkot through a video conference today. Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi recalled the efforts of the millions of doctors, health workers, scavengers and other frontline corona warriors who have constantly put their lives at stake to protect humanity. He lauded the efforts of the scientists and all those who provided food to the poor in this difficult period with full dedication.

He also remarked that this year showed that when India unites, it can effectively cope with the most difficult crisis. He said that India is in a much better position as a result of effective steps and India’s record of saving victims of the coronavirus pandemic has been much better than other countries. He added that efforts are in the final stages for producing the vaccine in India and making sure it rapidly reaches every nook and corner of the country. India’s preparation to run the world’s largest immunization campaign is in full swing, he said.

Speaking about the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) which will be constructed at Rajkot, PM Modi said that AIIMS Rajkot would boost health infrastructure, medical education and provide employment opportunities in Gujarat. He said that about five thousand direct jobs and many indirect jobs would be created. He lauded the efforts of Gujarat in fighting COVID-19 too. He credited the robust medical infrastructure in Gujarat, for Gujarat’s better handling of the pandemic. Two decades of relentless effort, dedication and resolve was behind this success of Gujarat in the medical sector, he said.

He added that in the last six years, work on ten new AIIMS has started and many have been inaugurated. Along with AIIMS, twenty super-specialty hospitals are also being constructed.

The Prime Minister emphasized that before 2014, different aspects of our health sector were working towards different directions and approaches. However, after 2014, the health sector has worked holistically and emphasis has been on preventive care, while also giving priority to modern treatment facilities. He said that the government has reduced the cost of treating the poor and, at the same time, also emphasized on increasing the number of doctors rapidly.

Listing the initiatives undertaken by the government to improve the health of the people, he said that under the ‘Ayushman Bharat” scheme, the work to establish about 1.5 million health and wellness centers in remote areas is being undertaken. Among those, about fifty thousand centers have already started functioning. About five thousand among those are in Gujarat alone. He said that about seven thousand Jan Aushadhi centers provide medicines at low cost to about 3.5 lakh poor patients.

The Prime Minister said that as diseases are becoming globalised, it is time for coordinated global responses for global health solutions. India will play a major role in the health solutions as it played in meeting the challenges of 2020, he stressed.

(Published from PIB)

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approves Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor

By
The Commune
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In a big boost to the upcoming Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor Project, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved proposals for the construction of industrial corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh at an estimated cost of the project of Rs. 2,139.44 crore and Tumakuru Industrial Area in Karnataka at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,701.81 crore, reports Swarajya.

The idea for this project was derived from transportation corridors like Eastern & Western Dedicated Freight Corridors, Expressways and National Highways, proximity to ports, airports, etc.

A press release from CCEA says, “The objective of Industrial Corridor Programme is the creation of greenfield industrial cities with sustainable, ‘plug n play’, ICT enabled utilities to facilitate the manufacturing investments into the country by providing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to industries”.

The developed land parcels in these cities will be ready for immediate allotment for attracting investments into manufacturing and positioning India as a strong player in the Global Value Chain.

The release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry read, “Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh and Tumakuru Industrial Area in Karnataka under Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) have been approved to kick start the development in Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor Project. These greenfield industrial cities will be self-sustained with world-class infrastructure, road and rail connectivity for freight movement to and from ports and logistic hubs along with reliable power and quality social infrastructure”.

The Krishnapatnam node is estimated to generate 98,000 jobs upon the completion of the first phase of development. However, the best part is that out of those nearly one hundred jobs, nearly 58,000 jobs is likely to be employed at the site which would give a big boost to the locals.

For Tumakuru node, employment of about 88,500 persons is estimated, out of which 17,700 persons will be from service industries such as retail, offices and other commercial opportunities in the initial development phase.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has already marked out Vasanthanarasapura in Tumakuru district for being developed into a major industrial hub as part of the Chennai-Bengaluru industrial corridor project. To ensure the success of the project, the Karnataka government will allot land free of cost to the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will be set up to create, develop, and manage the Tumakuru node. The State government will contribute 50 per cent of the investment in the form of land, and the Central government will match the contribution in the form of a grant to develop infrastructure, up to a maximum of ₹3,000 crores. In Vasanthanarasapura Karnataka, the government has identified 9,629 acres for the development of the node.

The Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) is one of the five special economic and industrial corridors envisioned by the Centre in a bid to boost manufacturing and industrial growth and to create jobs. It will link Bengaluru and Chennai, measuring a total distance of 560 km.

The main reason for developing CBIC is part of a long term plan that will accelerate the development of the regional industry and agglomeration in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. This will facilitate the development of a well-planned and efficient industrial base by providing smooth access to the industrial production units, decreased transportation logistics costs along with an improved delivery time and reduction in inventory cost and ensure increased private investments in manufacturing and industrial activity in the three states.

Financial scandals, embezzlement force Pope Francis to fire powerful Cardinal 

By
The Commune
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Following a financial scandal that has now come out in public, Pope Francis has formally stripped the Vatican Secretariat of State of its financial assets and real estate holdings.

The Pope signed a new law over the weekend ordering the Secretariat of State to complete the transfer of all its financial holdings to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) amid corruption investigation, ABC News reported.

Under the new law, the Peter’s Pence collections from the faithful, as well as other donations that had been managed by the Secretariat of State, will now be held and managed by the Vatican’s treasury office as separate funds that are accounted for in the Holy See’s consolidated budget. Peter’s Pence (or Denarii Sancti Petri and “Alms of St Peter”) are payments that are made by members of the Catholic community directly to the Pope to maintain the needs of the entire Church. The Church also gets money via fees for weddings, funerals and confirmations.

After years of criminal investigations into allegations of mismanagement of donations and investments by the Vatican’s Secretariat of State which resulted in losses of tens of millions of euros at a time of financial crisis for the Holy See, Giovanni Angelo Becciu, one of the most powerful cardinals in the Vatican and the longtime number two in the Vatican Secretariat of State, was removed in September after evidence emerged that he embezzled 100,000 euros ($117,440) from the secretariat to fund a charity controlled by his brother.

In another embarrassment for the Vatican, in October 2019, the Vatican began investigating how funds worth $200 million parked in Swiss bank accounts were used to finance a luxury property development in one of London’s upscale Chelsea district. When this news broke out, it was revealed that the company that managed the investment for the Holy See saw record profits. But is must be noted that the $200 million held in Swiss bank accounts was controlled by the Secretariat of State and was transferred to a Luxembourg investment fund called Athena Capital. The funds were then used towards the construction 49 luxury apartments at 60 Sloane Avenue. The Vatican is said to be engaged in the project since 2014.

In the Vatican, after the Pope, the most powerful individual is the one who is appointed as the Secretariat of State. He is the head of the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church and is also responsible for the political and diplomatic functions of the Holy See. More importantly, the Secretariat of State has access to millions of dollars in charity given by Catholics around the world, money which is managed without any oversight.

Europe’s anti-money laundering body Moneyval has also commenced its assessment of Vatican finances.

In August last year, Pope Francis announced renewed statutes for the governance of the Vatican Bank. To ensure the investigation is fair, he brought external auditors for the first time and introduced new ethical guidelines for members of the bank’s staff, all of which were unprecedented in the history of the Vatican.

When the investigation of suspected financial irregularities was being carried out, the Vatican police had also raided the offices of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State and its Financial Information Authority, or AIF, and had taken away documents and electronic devices. The Vatican itself had announced that the raids were prompted by complaints lodged in the summer by the Vatican’s bank and auditor-general about “financial operations carried out over the course of time”.

Five Vatican employees, including a top official at the Vatican’s Financial Information Authority (AIF) and a monsignor, were also suspended following the police raid. The Vatican Bank, better known as the Institute for Works of Religion, or IOR, for decades, has been embroiled in numerous financial scandals but due to the sensitive and secretive nature of the Catholic Church.

The Church is renowned for hiding secrets and coverups from matters of financial irregularity that never became public, to shielding paedophile priests for decades.

Idol of Shri Rama damaged by miscreants in temple in Vizianagaram district

By
The Commune
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Tension prevailed at the Ramateertham village of Nellimarla Mandal in Andra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district as news spread of unidentified miscreants vandalising a temple located on Bodi Konda hill and damaging the idol of Shri Rama.

On Tuesday, locals visiting the 400 year-old Kodanda Rama Temple on the Bodi Konda hill found that the idol had been damaged and the head had been separated from the idol. It is suspected that the vandals took the idol’s head with them or dumped it in the nearby forest. As news of the crime spread, locals began thronging to the temple. Investigation into the matter has begun, as SP B Rajakumari visited the temple and deployed a team to collect evidence against the miscreants.

Local Telugu Desam Party leaders S Ravisekhar and others rushed to the temple and staged a dharna at the foot of the hill. They demanded that the government take swift action against the miscreants and provide security to Hindu temples. BJP district president R Pavani and others also visited the temple and staged a dharna. They condemned the brutal incident and demanded that the government find the criminals and take measures to safeguard the temple. Nellimarla MLA B Appala Naidu also visited the temple and reviewed the situation.

Srinivasananda Swamy, Chairman of Ramateertham Parirakshana Parishad also visited the temple and stated that this offensive and disrespectful incident has pained the devotees visiting the temple. He said that the government should rapidly act on this issue to restore confidence among the public and provide protection to all the temples in the state.

The village of Ramateeertham is also home to the Sitaramaswamy Temple, another temple dedicated to Shri Rama.

The crime took place one day before Andhra Pradesh Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was set to visit the district.

Thanjavur boy designs world’s lightest FEMTO satellite for NASA launch

By
The Commune
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S Riyasdeen, a second-year Mechatronics student from Sastra University has been selected to be a part of NASA mission to make the world’s lightest satellite. Riyasdeen created a 37 mm sized FEMTO satellites VISION SAT v1 and v2 with a payload of 30 mm weighing 33 gms and is now the world’s lightest FEMTO satellite, the New Indian Express reported. He hails from Karanthai in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district.

“The satellites are named as VISON SAT v1 and v2 and both are of 37 mm in size and the payload is only around 30 mm with 33 grams weight and thus it has become the world’s lightest FEMTO satellites”, Riyasdeen was quoted as saying. He used polyetherimide thermoplastic resins as well as 3D printing technology.

Apart from polyetherimide thermoplastic resins, the boy deployed 3D printing technology to create the satellite. The competition was conducted by the National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA) and had 1,000 participants from 73 countries. The competition was held for students between the age of 11 and 18.

SASTRA is to fund up to ₹5 lakhs as incubation grant to Riyasdeen to fulfil his aspiration to establish a successful start-up, said SASTRA Vice-Chancellor S Vaidhyasubramaniam.

Shocking: 3 persons locked in a room for 10 years rescued

By
The Commune
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A voluntary charity organisation recently rescued three members of the same family who were locked in a room for the past 10 years in Rajkot, Gujarat. They had gotten information about these 3 persons from unnamed sources and immediately rushed to spot.

The volunteers were shocked to find the sorry state that they were in. Looking like beggars with matted locks and covered in human waste, they were too physically weak to even get up. Two brothers and sister had spent 10 years locked in a room without light or proper food. Shockingly, all three of them were well educated graduates While the eldest brother Amrish is a lawyer, Meghana, the sister is a psychology graduate, the youngest son is a BA graduate and a budding cricket player.

They had been rendered mentally ill and severely traumatized after their mother had passed away tragically. Following this, they had locked themselves in a room for the past ten years. They had been provided with food and water by their father Patel, who used to leave food outside the door of their room. Neighbours however suspect that this had been the act of the father who was very much into superstitions and had believed that his children had somehow been cursed.

They have now been cleaned up and admitted into rehabilitation centres where they are receiving care.

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