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Ladakh’s Tso Kar Wetland Complex now a Wetland of International Importance

By
The Commune
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India has added Tso Kar Wetland Complex in Ladakh as its 42nd Ramsar site, which is a second one in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.

Expressing happiness, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar shared this information in a tweet message today.

The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake of about 438 hectares to the south, and Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline lake of 1800 hectares to the north, situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh, India. It is called Tso Kar, meaning white lake, because of the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water.

The Tso Kar Basin is an A1 Category Important Bird Area (IBA) as per Bird Life International and a key staging site in the Central Asian Flyway. The site is also one of the most important breeding areas of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) in India. This IBA is also the major breeding area for Great Crested Grebe (Podicepscristatus), Bar-headed Geese (Anserindicus), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadornaferruginea), Brown-headed Gull (Larusbrunnicephalus), Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadriusmongolus) and many other species.

The aim of the Ramsar list is “to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits”.

Wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation. They are, in fact a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change would be working closely with the UT Wetland Authority to ensure wise use of this site.

(Published from PIB)

Man receives death threats after registering in loan app in Bengaluru

By
The Commune
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In Bengaluru, the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has registered a case against a company for threatening a borrower and pushing him to suicide who had registered himself in their app for getting loans.

Vivek, a youth from Palayanur, Chengalpattu district borrowed ₹4,000 from an app and was unable to repay it on time. The app company involved had intimidated Vivek following which his friends had posted content taunting him. Unable to bear insult, he jumped into the well and committed suicide.

The police have registered a case against the app company under three sections and are investigating the complaint lodged by him for threatening to pay more interest.

Notably, in the past couple of weeks, three persons including a jobless techie and an agriculture extension officer have ended their lives allegedly owing to harassment from representatives of such apps over repayment of loans. Officials have stated that there are at least 60 such loan apps available on Google Play Store that ar not registered or recognized by the Reserve Bank of India as an NBFC making their operations were unlawful.

47 Hindu pilgrims who were granted visa to visit Pakistan cancel trip

By
The Commune
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The government of Pakistan had issued visas to those who had applied for visas to go on pilgrimage to holy places in Pakistan.

The Government of Pakistan on the 21st of December issued visas to 47 Indians who had applied for visas to visit the Sri Kadas Raj temples in the Sakwal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. They have been given permission to make this pilgrimage between December 23 and 29.

Pakistan High Commission in Delhi issued visas to a group of 48 pilgrims at 8 pm on Tuesday leaving no time for the organizers of the pilgrimage – Kendriya Sanatan Dharam Sabha – with no time to inform the pilgrimage aspirants about their visit to Pakistan. The Hindu yatra was scheduled to leave for Katasraj cluster of temples in Chakwal district of Pakistan via Attari land border on Tuesday. The Hindus were to celebrate Mokshda Ekadashi and Shri Gita Jayanti Utsav besides taking a holy bath in the pond of Katasraj’s cluster of temples.

Devotees from all over the world visit the Shadani Darbar Temple, which is considered to be more than 300 centuries old. The temple was established in the year 1706 by Sadhu Shadaram Sahib, who was born in Lahore in 1708.

UAE Fatwa Council: Islam allows the use of non-halal ingredients in medicine if it is used to save lives

By
The Commune
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As some, Islamic countries like Pakistan and Indonesia are contemplating the use of coronavirus vaccine because it may not be permissible under Sharia as the serum may contain pork, the United Arab Emirates’ highest Islamic authority, the UAE Fatwa Council, has ruled that coronavirus vaccines are permissible for Muslims even if they contain pork gelatin, Khaleej Times reported.

Pork gelatin is a common vaccine ingredient and under Islamic law of Sharia, pork is “0Haram” i.e. un Islamic, hence it is forbidden for Muslims. It is necessary under Islamic law that a product is Halal certified.

However, the UAE Fatwa Council, under the chairmanship of Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, issued a ‘fatwa’ (Islamic ruling) which now states that one of the important compliance with Islamic Sharia’ is the protection of the human body.

In Islam, under adverse condition like famine, and the only food available to eat is pork then the pork becomes halal and they may eat it. 

will allow the coronavirus vaccines to be used in compliance with Islamic Sharia’s objectives on the protection of the human body and other relevant Islamic rulings.

“Coronavirus vaccination is classified under preventive medicines for individuals, as recommended by the Islamic faith, particularly in times of pandemic diseases when the healthy happen to be prone to infections due to the high risk of contracting the disease, therefore posing risk to the entire society,” the Council explained.

The Fatwa Council was quite specific with its ruling to ensure there is no doubt in the minds of Muslims when it said, though the vaccine contains non-halal ingredients banned by Islam, it’s permissible to use it in implementation of the Islamic rule that permits the use of such products in case there are no alternatives

The fatwa council said as per Islamic jurisprudence, the pork gelatin is considered medicine, not food, with multiple vaccines already shown to be effective against a highly contagious virus that poses a risk to the entire society.

Nobel Prize winner ‘economist’ Amartya Sen illegally holds land of India’s first Nobel Prize winner

By
The Commune
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Indian Economist and winner of Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences Amartya Sen’s name has come up in a list of illegal plot holders.

His name has been mentioned in a letter sent by the Vishwa Bharati University to the West Bengal state government, Times of India has reported.

This letter has caused a lot of embarrassment as it lists out unauthorised occupants of the university land while claiming that dozens of its plots “have been recorded wrongly in favour of private parties”.

In what can be called a scathing indictment, the letter has information on the wrong recording of ownership in government’s record-of-right (RoR).

That has resulted in the university’s land being illegally transferred allowing private players to set up restaurants, schools and businesses on land which was procured by India’s first Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

On Amartya Sen, the letter states that he is illegally occupying 13 decimals of land, roughly over 5600 square feet (sq ft), which is over and above the 125 decimals land legally leased to his late father.

In 2006, Sen, who has considerable influence in India as a leading left intellectual wrote to the then vice-chancellor to transfer the land in his name, which was approved but the excess land was not returned to the university

The estate official has been quoted as saying in a report, “Sen is well aware that he is occupying a good quantum of university’s land unauthorisedly”. Also, the letter adds that the Sen family benefited by selling plots near the campus.

Islamic terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh who murdered American journalist Daniel Pearl freed by a Pakistan court

By
The Commune
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The Sindh High court in Pakistan on Thursday (December 24) has ordered the immediate release of Omar Saeed Sheikh, in connection with the abduction and brutal murder/decapitation of journalist Daniel Pearl who was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal reports The Hindustan Times.

Sheikh was also one of the three terrorists India was forced free when Indian Airlines flight IC-814, was hijacked by a group of Pakistani terrorists which was bound from Kathmandu to Delhi in December 1999. Later the highjackers took the plane to Kandahar which was at that time under the control of the Taliban.

The Sindh high court said the detention orders for Sheikh and three other accused were null and void, ordering their immediate release. The judge presiding the case in his ruling observed, “These men have been rotting in jail for 18 years without committing any crime,”.

However, the court said their names should be put on a no-fly list so that they couldn’t leave Pakistan. Also, Sheikh had and many Pakistani observers still think has connections with Al Qaeda. 

Omar Saeed Sheikh has spent 18 years on death row and his seven-year sentence for kidnapping was counted in the time already served, however, he is now a free man

Sheikh, a British citizen was born in London in 1973 of Pakistani origin, was freed by India along with Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar and terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar in December 1999. 

It was again a case of Islamic radicalism because Sheikh was quite a bright student and had attended the London School of Economics (LSC) to study applied mathematics, statistics, economics and social psychology.

However, when he came in contact with radical Islamists at the LSE, his already predisposition towards violence took a turn towards violent Jihad.

Daniel Pearl, a Jewish American in his capacity as South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal was investigating and researching links between militants in Pakistan and Richard C Reid, known as the “shoe bomber” who tried to detonate a bomb while on a flight from Paris to Miami in 2001.

However, he was abducted in Karachi in January 2002 and was later has his throat slit and beheaded his captors in Karachi and this gruesome act of cold-blooded murder in the name of Islam was captured on video and is still in circulation in social media.

SPB gets a chocolate statue in Puducherry

By
The Commune
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A 5.8 feet tall and 339 kg chocolate statue of SB Balasubrahmanyam has been designed in Pondicherry with 339 kg of chocolates to pay homage to the late singer SBP.

During the annual New Year and Christmas festivities at the ‘Zuka’ Chocolate Shop on Pondicherry Mission Road, statues of various celebrities are designed and displayed as shopping figurines. In honour of the late singer SB Balasubrahmanyam this year, a 5.8-foot-tall chocolate statue of him has been designed with 339 kg of chocolate. Made realistically in 161 hours, the statue has captivated the audience.

The statue displayed in the shop on Mission Street here is of 5.8 ft tall weighing 339 kgs. The statue is totally made of chocolate alone. It is being displayed in the shop to attract tourists in this Christmas and new year season. The team claimed that it took them 161 hours to create the statue weighing 339 kilos.

Earlier, statues of 12 celebrities including Army veteran Abhinandan, former President Abdul Kalam, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Rajinikanth and cartoon character Mickey Mouse were designed. Chef Rajendran, the creator of the chocolate statue, said that the chocolate statue will be on public display till January 10.

No continent left untouched: Wuhan Virus strikes Antarctica

By
The Commune
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Antarctica, which was until recently the only continent to be left untouched by COVID, has now recorded cases of coronavirus infection in its military base establishments. The 36 new infections are among people stationed at a Chilean research base and include 26 members of the Chilean army and 10 maintenance workers.

In a statement, the Chilean army said: “Thanks to the timely preventive action … it was possible to relieve said personnel, who, after being subjected to a medical control and the administration of a PCR test … turned out to be positive for Covid-19,” according to Newsweek. It reported that three crew members on a ship providing support to the base have also tested positive since returning from their mission to Antarctica.

Last week, three people on the Sergeant Aldea vessel were tested positive. After this, all 208 crewmembers are being quarantined aboard that ship, according to the navy. It said the vessel had serviced the base on the Trinity Peninsula between November 27 and December 10. The US National Science Foundation, the agency overseeing US programs in Antarctica, said it was aware of the reports of positive cases in passengers aboard the Sergeant Aldea.

Prior to these cases, Antarctica had remained the only coronavirus-free continent on the planet for nearly a year since the novel coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China. This feat was achieved thanks to the Antarctic Program imposing several restrictions by cancelling tourism, reducing research activities and staff, and locking down facilities at the most isolated place on Earth.

MNM chief actor Kamal Haasan derogates Hindu Goddesses

By
The Commune
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Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, the chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) known for his religious hatred remarks against Hindus, has caught into another yet another controversy.

While talking about women’s issues on a stage yesterday he said, “Gods too wear less dress. A few Gods don’t wear any dress. When the mind is not spoiled by seeing those Gods, how come it is spoiled while seeing my sisters”. This statement of the MNM chief has invited severe backlash.

While addressing the women audience Kamal Haasan said, “I have never felt shy to speak in front of women. Because my house was mostly dominated by women. Women play an important role in the transformation of the world. Even before Gandhiji, women took part in the freedom struggle. They say that women wearing less dress is the reason for the rape crimes. Gods too wear less dress. A few Gods don’t wear any dress. When you don’t get the urge on seeing ‘that’, how come you feel the urge while seeing my sisters. It is mutual consent when there is love but when they want to have that without love, then is the problem”, said Kamal Haasan.

He kept adding that, “Women voters are more than men voters. Women voters are 80 lakhs more than men voters. If women think, there will be a political change in Tamilnadu. In 234 constituencies, we have only 20 MLAs and 4 Ministers. Women in the party should work hard and you will get full support from the high command.”

This remark of his comes just within days after he refused the ‘poornakumbham’ honours offered by Hindu priests on behalf of a Murugan Temple in Kanchipuram on December 21.  According to sources, a member belonging to Kamal Haasan’s party and known to one of the Sivachariyars had approached to make arrangements for welcoming Kamal Haasan. Since the person was known to the priest, he had obliged to the request. However, they did not expect that the actor-politician would refuse it.

https://twitter.com/aeshani/status/1341817936625938433

Loyola College Sexual Harassment Case: State Commission for Women orders college administration to pay ₹64.3 lakhs to survivor

By
The Commune
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Coming as an interim relief, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women has ordered the Loyola College administration to immediately compensate (with interest and without delay) a sum of ₹64.30 lakhs to Mary, the survivor in the Loyola College sexual harassment case.

An order issued by the State Commission for Women stated that back wages of ₹30,000 for 81 months starting from April 2014 along with ₹25 lakhs for mental agony and sexual harassment, and ₹15 lakhs as compensation for filing false complaint, be paid with interest as claimed by the survivor.

On 15th December 2020, the State Commission for Women led by its Chairperson Dr. Kannegi Packianathan IAS visited the Loyola College and conducted an enquiry after the college administration failed to turn up despite two summons from the Commission.

The Rector of Loyola College, Rev Dr Francis P. Xavier, SJ., had cited old age and COVID-19 pandemic for not turning up. Following this, the Commission intimated the college administration about their arrival for the enquiry.

During the enquiry, the Commission had raised issue of original certificates of Mary not being returned to her to which the Rector had replied that they ‘may have been’ submitted at the High Court, where the case is pending.

Mary had also raised in her complaint to the Commission that she was not given a relieving order by Loyola College and was orally asked to ‘stay away from work’. As per rules, Loyola College has to inform the Directorate of Collegiate Education whenever a staff is terminated. However, no such letter was sent to the Directorate of Collegiate Education.

It is in light of this that Mary had approached the Commission in the hope of getting relief.

The Commission in its order stated that Mary had a very good track record  to be very good and that there was no reason for terminating her service. It also observed that Loyola College has abruptly stopped her from work deliberately and added that it views the matter to be a distressing case of a senior citizen.

“For the kind of trauma and physical and sexual abuse she has been submitted to, she has to be compensated, expeditiously”, the order noted.

The Commission in its order stated that there were other issues that surfaced during the enquiry. Funds from the old students were kept under Loyola College Society instead of getting accounted for in a separate Alumni Funds account duly registered under the The Societies Act. It also stated that Mary was subjected to intense suffering which must be alleviated immediately.

“The Commission hereby orders to pay back wages and compensation with interest for harassment mentally and sexually.”, the order said.

Mary has also filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court for taking action against the harasser, Father Xavier Alphonse, and has also challenged her abrupt termination of services by Loyola College.

To know more about the Loyola College sexual harassment case, click here.

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The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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