Religious Freedom Is On The Decrease In India

Religious Freedom Is On The Decrease In India

Ewelina U. Ochab

4,762 viewsJan 12, 2019, 10:35am

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2019/01/12/religious-freedom-is-on-the-decrease-in-india/#6dc03ad403bc

Religious freedom in India continues to deteriorate and it has been on a gradual decline for at least a decade. As a result, the plight of religious minorities is reaching new levels. This despite the fact that the right to freedom of religion or belief is clearly recognized in the 1949 Constitution of India. Also, India acceded to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and so pledged to adhere to the international standards of human rights enshrined in the treaty. Nonetheless, these guarantees prove not to be enough yet again.

Guwahati Commerce College students stage a protest and raised slogan against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Guwahati, Assam, India on Friday, January 11, 2019. India's lower house passed legislation that will grant citizenship to members of certain religious minorities but not Muslims. The legislation is yet to be approved in the upper house. (Photo credit: David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Getty Images) 
Guwahati Commerce College students stage a protest and raised slogan against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Guwahati, Assam, India on Friday, January 11, 2019. India's lower house passed legislation that will grant citizenship to members of certain religious minorities but not Muslims. The legislation is yet to be approved in the upper house. (Photo credit: David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)  GETTY
In its annual report, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) identifies several limitations to the right to freedom of religion or belief and challenges faced by religious minorities in India. For example, Hindu extremism is on the rise with several of cases of harassment, intimidation and violence being committed against Hindu Dalits, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Christians and Sikhs. USCIRF identified groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS), Sangh Parivar and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) who are responsible for an organised campaign of alienation against non-Hindus or low-caste Hindus.

Indeed, the issue is serious. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Ahir, reported that in 2017 alone, 111 people were killed and 2,384 injured in communal clashes. The level of violence is expected to increase as the perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity for their crimes. Similarly, as the victims of such atrocities are forgotten by the government, they have little faith in ever seeing any justice done. This can only lead to ever-growing mistrust between the government and religious minorities in India. Nothing will change unless the government takes decisive steps to address the issue of religiously motivated violence.



Furthermore, the discrimination of religious minorities in India is far-reaching and deeply enshrined in law. For example, anti-conversion and anti-cow slaughter laws are predominately used to discriminate against religious minorities or to justify extrajudicial killings, violence and forced conversions of non-Hindus to Hinduism.

Anti-conversion laws have been adopted in several states, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujrat, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. Such anti-conversion laws prevent people from practicing their faith freely, their guaranteed right under international law. These laws do not only adversely affect the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief, they also violate the special protection of the rights of minorities enshrined in Article 27 of the ICCPR as they are predominantly deployed against religious minorities.

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USCIRF reports that the anti-conversion laws have been used against Muslims and Christians engaged in proselytization. The report tells the stories of how liberal the provisions are used, for example: 

A Catholic nun, along with four tribal women, were detained in June 2017 based on suspicion of induced conversion. In April 2017, three Christians were arrested in the Khandwa district based on allegations that they were converting people. In July 2017, Christians protested in Ludhiana, Punjab, after Sultan Masih, the pastor of the Temple of God Church, was murdered in public based on suspicions of his engaging in the conversion of others.”

While conversion from Hinduism to other minority religions has been closely enforced with the threat of such conversions triggering criminal charges, conversion (including forced-conversions) of non-Hindus to Hinduism continues to be practiced with relative impunity. According to USCIRF, “These ceremonies are based on the view that all individuals born in India are Hindus by default, even if their communities have practiced other faiths for several generations.”

The anti-cow slaughter laws have deep roots in Indian tradition. The laws have been upheld by India’s most powerful Court, the Supreme Court of India. However, in recent months a new phenomenon has emerged; “cow protection” lynch mobs. USCIRF reports that such groups have murdered at least 10 people in 2017. Furthermore, groups of mobs have instigated a campaign of harassment and intimidation against individuals who work in the dairy industry (an industry that does not perform cow slaughter).

The issues are pilling up for religious minorities in India. In order to ensure that everyone enjoys the right to freedom of religion or belief, India needs to put in place an urgent and comprehensive response. Cases of religiously motivated violence or violence against religious minorities need to be fully investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice. Victims of such atrocities need to be provided with assistance. The anti-conversion laws need to be repealed to give full effect to India’s international law obligations.

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భారత్‌లో మతస్వేచ్ఛ లేదు

భారత్‌లో మతస్వేచ్ఛ లేదు
23-06-2019 01:22:01

2018 మతస్వేచ్ఛ నివేదికలో అమెరికా తీవ్ర ఆరోపణలు
వాషింగ్టన్‌/న్యూఢిల్లీ, జూన్‌ 22: భారత్‌లో మతస్వేచ్ఛ లేదని.. ముస్లింలు, ఇతర మైనారిటీ వర్గాలపై హిందూ సంస్థలు దాడులు చేస్తున్నాయని అమెరికా తీవ్ర ఆరోపణలు చేసింది. ఆవులను తరలిస్తున్నారనే వదంతులతో ముస్లింలపై దాడులు జరుగుతున్నట్లు పేర్కొంది. 2018 అంతర్జాతీయ మతస్వేచ్ఛపై అమెరికా విదేశాంగ శాఖ రూపొందించిన నివేదికలో ఈ అంశాన్ని ప్రస్తావించారు. ‘2018 ఏడాదంతా ముస్లింలపై దాడులు కొనసాగాయి. ఆ మూకలకు అధికారులు వత్తాసు పలికారు. భారత్‌కు చెందిన కొన్ని ఎన్జీవోలు ఇదే చెప్పాయి. ఒక్క నవంబరులోనే ఇలాంటి దాడులు 18 వరకూ జరిగాయి. ఏడాదిలో 8 మంది చనిపోయారు. పోలీస్‌ కస్టడీలో ఉన్న ముస్లిం పశువ్యాపారి చనిపోవడంతో జూన్‌ 22న యూపీలోని ఇద్దరు పోలీస్‌ అధికారులపై హత్యానేరం కింద కేసులు పెట్టారు.
 
నగరాలకు ముస్లిం పేర్లు తీసేసే ప్రక్రియ కొనసాగుతోంది. అలహాబాద్‌ను ప్రయాగరాజ్‌ చేశారు. భారత చరిత్ర నుంచి ముస్లింల పాత్రను చెరిపేసేలా కుట్ర జరుగుతోంది. కావాలనే కొన్ని మతాల వారిని లక్ష్యంగా చేసుకుని హత్యలు, దాడులు, దోపిడీలు, వివక్ష కొనసాగుతోంది. మతస్వేచ్ఛ లేకుండా చేస్తున్నారు’ అని ఆ నివేదికలో వెల్లడించింది. ఈ నివేదికపై బీజేపీ మండిపడింది. ఇది మోదీ ప్రభుత్వంపైనా, బీజేపీపైనా వివక్ష చూపుతూ బురదజల్లే ప్రయత్నమని ఆ పార్టీ ఎంపీ అనిల్‌ బాలౌనీ శనివారం ఆగ్రహం వ్యక్తం చేశారు. కుట్ర ప్రకారం మైనారిటీలపై దాడులు జరుగుతున్నాయని పేర్కొనడం పూర్తిగా సత్యదూరమని ఆయన పేర్కొన్నారు.

Husband arrested for Instant triple talaq

Thane man divorces wife by triple talaq, gets arrested
A resident of Thane in Maharashtra, Aamir gave divorce to his wife, Sakeena by saying 'talaq' three times and asked her to leave, following which Sakeena approached police and filed a case against her husband and in-laws.

Saurabh Vaktania
Thane
June 22, 2019UPDATED: June 22, 2019 13:13 IST
Thane man divorces wife by triple talaq, gets arrested
A 32-year-old man has been arrested for giving divorce to his wife by simply saying 'talaq' three times. (Photo: PTI/Image for Representation)
HIGHLIGHTS
A 32-year-old man has been arrested for giving divorce to his wife by saying 'talaq'
A case was also registered against the husband's mother, brother and sister-in-law
The wife, Sakeena, said that her in-laws harassed the woman over dowry
A 32-year-old man has been arrested for giving divorce to his wife by simply saying 'talaq' three times. The incident happened in Bhiwandi in Thane, Maharashtra.

A case was also registered against the husband's mother, brother and sister-in-law who allegedly tortured and harassed the woman over dowry.

Bhiwada Inspector, Kalyan Kharpe said, "Based on the complaint, we have arrested the husband and a case has been registered against mother Alimunnisa, sister-in-law Uneja and brother-in-law Zuber."

According to police, the case has been registered under sections of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance and IPC Sections 498A, 406 and 323.

Police is further investigating the matter.

The wife, who was identified as Sakeena, had married Aamir Mukhtar Aamir Momin on May 28, 2016.

Speaking to India Today TV, Sakeena said, "Everything was normal for the first 15 days of marriage, however, things started changing soon. My in-laws started harassing and torturing me for dowry."

"They kept demanding something or the other. Whatever my father could arrange, he provided it to them. But they either wanted electronics or furniture," she said.

"When I got a job offer, I told my in-laws that I will contribute financially to the family as well. They took money from me. Everything was fine."

Meanwhile, Sakeena got pregnant. She went to her parent's house in Mumbra for delivery, which upset her in-laws. "I went to my parents' house in Mumbra after which they [in-laws] never accepted me back," she said.

"Since, I wanted my marriage to work, I went back to stay with my in-laws on my parent's suggestion. However, I was continuously harassed, tortured and beaten by them for dowry," Sakeena said.

Sakeena even accused her in-laws of taking all her money she had saved from her earnings.

Aamir gave divorce to Sakeena by saying 'talaq' three times and asked her to leave, following which Sakeena approached police and filed a case against her husband and in-laws.

Govt brings talaq bill on the 1st day of Lok Sabha, protests force vote

Govt brings talaq bill on the 1st day of Lok Sabha, protests force vote
The bill was tabled following a division of votes, with 186 members supporting it and 74 opposing it

By Our Special Correspondent in New Delhi
Published 22.06.19, 3:39 AMUpdated 22.06.19, 3:39 AM
2 mins read

Asaduddin Owaisi
Asaduddin Owaisi
(PTI)
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The Narendra Modi government on Friday introduced a fresh bill on the first day of the Lok Sabha to ban instant triple talaq, underscoring the political message by breaking a parliamentary convention amid protests by the Congress and some other Opposition parties who claimed that the proposed legislation violated the Constitution.

Despite the reduced numbers of the Opposition, the protest was so strong that the bill could only be introduced after a vote. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, was tabled following a division of votes, with 186 members supporting it and 74 opposing it.

The voting was forced by the AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi.

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The government appeared equally determined to push the bill on the first working day of the new Lok Sabha. Conventionally, the motion of thanks on the President’s address to the joint session of both Houses of Parliament is the first agenda before a new Lok Sabha. The government, however, chose to introduce the instant triple talaq bill first, which was viewed as an attempt to underline its political agenda.

“This is not a matter of religion, caste or community. It is about the justice and dignity of women and we are committed to protect it,” law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, seeking to counter the opposition to the bill.

The Congress and some other Opposition parties geared up for a protest the moment Prasad rose to move the bill. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was the first to oppose. “I am not defending triple talaq, but I am opposing the text, draft and thrust of this bill,” he said.

Tharoor termed the bill a “class legislation” and argued that its scope should be extended to women of all communities and not single out one community.

“Abandoning or deserting wives and dependents is not unique to the Muslim community, then why not make a law that universally criminalises the abandonment of family and dependents without taking responsibility instead of just focussing on one community?” he asked. The Congress leader demanded that the bill be sent to a standing committee for more consultation.

“Criminalising a civil wrong done by a particular community, that is, the Muslim community, alone is discriminatory. That would be a violation of Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution,” said N.K. Premchandran of the RSP.

Hyderabad MP Owaisi asked: “A non-Muslim man gets a year’s imprisonment while a Muslim man three years for the same (act). Doesn’t it violate Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution?” he asked. Raising the strongest objection, Owaisi asked why the BJP was not concerned about Kerala’s Hindu women as it was opposing the Supreme Court’s Sabarimala judgment that lifted the ban on the entry of women of child-bearing age in the temple.

Owaisi’s demand for voting was accepted. Since the sitting arrangement in the newly constituted Lok Sabha hasn’t been finalised yet, the voting took place through paper slips, and not electronically, consuming a lot of time.

The instant triple talaq bill had been passed by the Lok Sabha in December last year but got stuck in the Rajya Sabha. As that bill lapsed with the end of the term of the previous Lok Sabha, the government promulgated an ordinance to enforce the law and has now moved a fresh bill.

లోక్‌సభలో ‘ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌’ రగడ

లోక్‌సభలో ‘ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌’ రగడ
Jun 22, 2019, 04:43 IST
 Triple talaq Bill introduced in Lok Sabha amid Opposition protest  - Sakshi
బిల్లు ప్రవేశపెట్టిన కేంద్ర మంత్రి రవిశంకర్‌ ప్రసాద్‌

తీవ్రంగా వ్యతిరేకించిన కాంగ్రెస్, ఇతర ప్రతిపక్షాలు 

న్యూఢిల్లీ: కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం మరోసారి ‘ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌’ బిల్లును లోక్‌సభలో ప్రవేశపెట్టింది. ఈ సందర్భంగా బిల్లును వ్యతిరేకిస్తూ ప్రతిపక్షాలు ఆందోళనకు దిగాయి. కేంద్ర న్యాయశాఖ మంత్రి రవిశంకర్‌ ప్రసాద్‌ శుక్రవారం ముస్లిం మహిళల (వివాహ హక్కుల పరిరక్షణ) బిల్లు–2019ను లోక్‌సభలో ప్రవేశపెట్టారు. అయితే ఈ బిల్లు రాజ్యాంగ వ్యతిరేకమనీ, దీనిపై డివిజన్‌ ఓటింగ్‌ నిర్వహించాలని ప్రతిపక్షాలు డిమాండ్‌చేశాయి. ఈ సందర్భంగా బిల్లుకు అనుకూలంగా 186 మంది సభ్యులు మద్దతు తెలపగా, 74 మంది ఎంపీలు వ్యతిరేకించారు. అనంతరం రవిశంకర్‌ ప్రసాద్‌ మాట్లాడుతూ..‘ఇది మతానికి సంబంధించిన విషయం కాదు. మహిళలకు న్యాయం చేకూర్చడానికి సంబంధించినది. ఈ బిల్లును సమానత్వం, న్యాయం కోసం తీసుకొస్తున్నాం. ఇప్పటివరకూ దేశవ్యాప్తంగా ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌కు సంబంధించి 543 కేసులు నమోదయ్యాయి. ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌ చెల్లదని సుప్రీంకోర్టు  తీర్పు ఇచ్చాక కూడా 200 కేసులు నమోదయ్యాయి. ఇది మహిళల ఆత్మగౌరవానికి సంబంధించిన అంశం. ఇందుకోసం మేం కట్టుబడి ఉన్నాం’ అని స్పష్టం చేశారు.

అందరికీ ఒకే శిక్ష ఉండాలి: కాంగ్రెస్‌
ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌ బిల్లుపై  స్పీకర్‌ ఓం బిర్లా  చర్చకు అనుమతి ఇవ్వడంతో కాంగ్రెస్‌ ఎంపీ శశిథరూర్‌ మాట్లాడుతూ.. ‘ఈ బిల్లు కేవలం ఓ మతాన్ని.. ముస్లింలనే లక్ష్యంగా చేసుకుని తీసుకొచ్చారు. భార్యలను కేవలం ముస్లిం పురుషులే వదిలివేస్తున్నారా? ఈ బిల్లు సివిల్, క్రిమినల్‌ చట్టాలకు విరుద్ధంగా ఉంది. మేం ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌ను సమర్థించడం లేదు. కానీ ఈ బిల్లును మాత్రం వ్యతిరేకిస్తున్నాం. దేశంలో ఎవరు భార్యను వదిలేసినా ఒకే శిక్ష పడేలా చట్టం ఉండాలి’ అని సూచించారు.

రాజ్యాంగాన్ని ఉల్లంఘించడమే: ఒవైసీ
ఏఐఎంఐఎం అధినేత అసదుద్దీన్‌ ఒవైసీ స్పందిస్తూ..‘ముస్లిం మహిళలపై ఇంత ప్రేమ చూపుతున్న బీజేపీ శబరిమల ఆలయంలోకి హిందూ మహిళలు వెళ్లడాన్ని వ్యతిరేకించింది. ‘ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌’ బిల్లు రాజ్యాంగ హక్కులను స్పష్టంగా ఉల్లంఘిస్తోంది. ఎందుకంటే ఓ ముస్లిం పురుషుడు చేసిన నేరానికి మూడేళ్ల జైలుశిక్ష విధిస్తామని బిల్లులో పొందుపర్చారు. ఇదే తప్పును ముస్లిం కానివారు చేస్తే ఏడాది జైలుశిక్ష మాత్రమే పడుతుంది’ అని విమర్శించారు. ఆర్‌ఎస్పీకి చెందిన ఎంపీ ఎన్‌.కె.ప్రేమ్‌చంద్రన్‌తో పాటు పలువురు ప్రతిపక్ష ఎంపీలు కూడా ఈ బిల్లును వ్యతిరేకించారు.  ట్రిపుల్‌ తలాక్‌ బిల్లును 2018, సెప్టెంబర్‌లో ఓసారి, 2019, ఫిబ్రవరిలో మరోసారి కేంద్రం లోక్‌సభలో ప్రవేశపెట్టింది. లోక్‌సభలో ఆమోదం పొందినప్పటికీ రాజ్యసభలో మెజారిటీ లేకపోవడంతో మోదీ ప్రభుత్వం ఆర్డినెన్స్‌ ద్వారా చట్టాన్ని తీసుకొచ్చింది.

Triple ‘talaq’ Bill introduced in Lok Sabha amid Opposition protest

Triple ‘talaq’ Bill introduced in Lok Sabha amid Opposition protest
Special Correspondent NEW DELHI,  JUNE 21, 2019 14:22 IST
UPDATED: JUNE 21, 2019 20:26 IST
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 Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad speaks in the Lok Sabha on June 21, 2019. Photo: LSTV
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad speaks in the Lok Sabha on June 21, 2019. Photo: LSTV  

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Parliament proceedings
The treasury wins with 186 “ayes” to the 74 Opposition “no” votes.
The government on Friday introduced The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, also known as the triple ‘talaq’ Bill in the Lok Sabha, the first legislation of the Modi government in its second term, amid protests by Opposition members, who claimed it was violative of the Constitution. 

The Bill was introduced after the Opposition asked for a division of votes, with the treasury winning with 186 “ayes” to the 74 Opposition “no” votes. 

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the Bill, asserted that the legislation was about gender justice and equality. The bill was not about religion but a “question of dignity of women and we are committed to safeguard it”. There were 543 cases of triple ‘talaq’ reported in the country. Even after the Supreme Court judgement banning the practice, more than 200 cases were reported, necessitating, in his view, a Bill that addressed the issue. “The job of Parliament is to legislate and it is up to courts to interpret the law,” he said.


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Several Opposition members stood up to protest as soon as Mr. Prasad was asked by Speaker Om Birla to table the Bill. The Speaker asked Congress member Shashi Tharoor, Revolutionary Socialist Party’s N.K. Premachandran and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi to present their views. 

Mr. Tharoor said he was against the practice of triple ‘talaq’, already voided by the Supreme Court order, but opposed the Bill as it conflated civil and criminal law. The Bill was a “textbook example of class legislation” as it was pointed at one community — Muslims — even though abandoning wives was not unique to it. 

Mr. Owaisi said the BJP’s “affection” for Muslim women and this advocacy of gender justice was suspect, considering the party’s opposition to the entry of Hindu women into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The Bill violated constitutional rights as it stipulated a three-year jail term for Muslim men, whereas a similar offence by non-Muslim men attracted only a year of jail term. 

Mr. Premachandran made similar points opposing the Bill. 

The Bill had faced objections from Opposition parties from the beginning. They had claimed that jail term for a man for divorcing his wife was legally untenable.

The new Bill is a copy of the ordinance in force. Bills that are introduced in the Rajya Sabha and are pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

However, bills passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha lapse with the dissolution of the Lower House. The government had promulgated the ordinance on triple ‘talaq’ twice — in September 2018 and in February 2019 — as the contentious Bill remained pending in the Rajya Sabha, though it was passed by the Lok Sabha.

"Triple Talaq Bill Is Unconstitutional", Says Asaduddin Owaisi

"Triple Talaq Bill Is Unconstitutional", Says Asaduddin Owaisi
"Triple Talaq Bill is unconstitutional. It is a violation of the Constitution's Article 14 and 15," said All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi.
All India | ANI | Updated: June 21, 2019 18:55 IST
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If Triple Talaq Bill becomes a law, it will be injustice against women: Asaduddin Owaisi


NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday claimed that the controversial Triple Talaq Bill is unconstitutional, saying it would be a great injustice against Muslim women if the Bill became law.
"Triple Talaq Bill is unconstitutional. It is a violation of the Constitution's Article 14 and 15. We already have the Domestic Violence Act 2005, CrPC Section 125, Muslim Women Marriage Act. If Triple Talaq Bill becomes a law it will be even greater injustice against women," he said outside the parliament.

"If a man gets arrested, how will he give allowance from jail? The government says if a Muslim man commits this crime the marriage will remain intact and he will be jailed for three years if punished by the court. He will be jailed for three yrs but marriage will be intact. What law is Mr (Narendra) Modi forming," Mr Owaisi questioned.

"I would like to ask him (PM Modi) what kind of justice is this that if such law is implemented on a non-Muslim man then he goes to jail for one year and a Muslim man goes to jail for three years," he added.

The controversial Triple Talaq Bill was introduced on Friday in the Lok Sabha in the midst of stiff opposition from the Opposition parties which are against criminalising the offence.

The Opposition raised strong objections at the introduction itself. After a brief discussion, the motion for tabling the bill was put to vote. 186 members voted for introduction and 74 against.

Speaker Om Birla then allowed Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to introduce the bill. Earlier he put up a stiff defence of the government move saying the issue was not of religion but of women.

"The rights of Muslim women will be protected. It is about justice and empowerment of women. People have chosen us to make laws. It is our work to make laws. Law is to give justice to the victims of Triple Talaq," he had said in the House.

There was a commotion in the Lok Sabha when the minister sought to introduce the bill. The Speaker had to intervene to let the Minister speak on the bill amidst the ruckus.

Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor had claimed that the Bill does nothing to improve the status of Muslim women. Mr Owaisi, on the other hand, argued that the Bill places burden of proof on women.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 seeks to replace an ordinance by the government in February and to make instant triple talaq a penal offence.

4 COMMENTS
Last year, The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, was passed in Lok Sabha but it lapsed after the dissolution of previous Lok Sabha with the bill pending in Rajya Sabha.

JD (U) not with ally BJP on Triple Talaq, will oppose it in present form

JD (U) not with ally BJP on Triple Talaq, will oppose it in present form
JD (U) secretary general and national spokesperson also alleged that the Triple Talaq Bill was never discussed inside the NDA to take alliance partners on board.
INDIA Updated: Jun 21, 2019 19:08 IST
Anil Kumar
Anil Kumar 
Hindustan Times, Patna
nitish kumar,JDU,BJP
PM Modi with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar during 'Satyagrah Se Swachhagrah' programme in Motihari in Bihar. JD (U)’s stance doesn’t pose a threat to the passing of the bill in Lok Sabha since the BJP has majority on its own but it will have an impact in the Rajya Sabha(PTI file photo)
Chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) distanced itself from the BJP-piloted Triple Talaq Bill in Lok Sabha saying “we are opposed to the bill in the present form”. However, the NDA constituent has not made it clear if its 16 MPs will vote against the bill in the lower house.

Reiterating party’s stand on the bill, the day it was tabled in the Lok Sabha, JD (U) secretary general KC Tyagi said “we will not support the present bill. It is a delicate matter and efforts should be made to solicit the opinion of all concerned for arriving at a consensus.”

Tyagi said JD (U) president has already written to the Law Commission of India explaining his party’s viewpoint.

JD (U) secretary general and national spokesperson also alleged that the Triple Talaq Bill was never discussed inside the NDA to take alliance partners on board.


JD (U)’s stance doesn’t pose a threat to the passing of the bill in Lok Sabha since the BJP has majority on its own but it will have an impact in the Rajya Sabha- where 6 JD (U) MPs opposition to the bill could make its passing even tougher. The NDA’s current strength - (after the inclusion of 4 TDP MPs on Thursday) of 109 is way short of the half-way mark of 123 in the Upper House - will fall further if the 6 JD (U) MPs decide to either abstain or vote against the Bill.

JD (U) had also opposed the bill passed by the previous Lok Sabha in December last year stating “nothing should be imposed on the minority community (Muslims) without having wide-based consultations.”

Triple Talaq is not the only point of divergence between the allies; Nitish’s party has been at odds with the BJP’s core issues of Uniform Civil Code, Ram Mandir and Article 370. It has maintained an independent stand on these subjects which do not gel with the line pursued by BJP.


Earlier this month, chief minister Nitish Kumar said that the move to abolish Article 370, impose a Uniform Civil Code and construct a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya should either be settled through mutual dialogue or court ruling.

Among other things, the JD (U)’s decision to not join the Union cabinet frees the party from the burden of collective responsibility (by virtue of being a part of the cabinet) and grants it greater room to take a stance independent of the BJP.

Now, the gaze will shift on the other ally-the LJP-from the state,” admitted a JD (U) leader, unwilling to be named.

ఓబీసీలకు చట్టసభల్లో రిజర్వేషన్లు

ఓబీసీలకు చట్టసభల్లో రిజర్వేషన్లు
22-06-2019 03:28:56
మొత్తం 2400 కులాలు.. వాటిలో కడు పేదరికంలో 1400
ఏపీ మంత్రివర్గంలో ఓబీసీ, ఎస్సీ, ఎస్టీ, మైనారిటీలకు 60 శాతం ప్రాతినిధ్యం
మా సీఎం ఆలోచనను కేంద్రం, అన్ని రాష్ట్రాలు పాటించాలి
రాజ్యసభలో విజయసాయిరెడ్డి ప్రైవేటు బిల్లు
న్యూఢిల్లీ, జూన్‌ 21(ఆంధ్రజ్యోతి): ‘‘దేశ జనాభాలో ఓబీసీలు 50 శాతానికి పైగా ఉన్నారు. అయినా ఆ వర్గానికి తగినంత ప్రాతినిధ్యం చట్టసభ ల్లో లేదు. జనాభా ప్రాతిపదికన ఓబీసీలకు చట్టసభల్లో రిజర్వేషన్లు కల్పించాలి’’ అని వైసీపీ ఎంపీ విజయసాయి రెడ్డి ప్రతిపాదించారు. జనాభా ప్రాతిపదికన బీసీలకు చట్టసభల్లో రిజర్వేషన్లు కల్పించడానికి రాజ్యాంగ సవరణను ప్రతిపాదిస్తూ ఆయన ప్రైవేటు బిల్లును ప్రవేశపెట్టారు. ఆ బి ల్లు శుక్రవారం చర్చకు వచ్చింది. ఈ సందర్భంగా విజయసాయి సభలో మాట్లాడారు. ‘‘ఇటీవల జరిగిన లోక్‌సభల్లో ఎన్నికల్లో 20ు కన్నా తక్కువగా ఎన్నికయ్యారు. ఓబీసీల్లో 2400 కులాలున్నాయి. వాటిలో దాదాపు 2200 కులాల వారు చట్టసభల గడపే తొక్కలేదు. దాదాపు 1400 కులాలు తీవ్రమైన పేదరికంలో ఉన్నాయి. ఉమ్మడి ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్‌లో 50.4 శాతం ఓబీసీలు ఉన్నారు. ఏపీ సీఎం తన మంత్రివర్గంలో ఓబీసీ, ఎస్సీ, ఎస్టీ, మైనారిటీలకు 60 శాతం ప్రాతినిధ్యం కల్పించారు. ఒక్కో వర్గానికి ఒక్కో డిప్యూటీ సీఎం పదవి ఇచ్చారు. ఇదే సామాజిక న్యాయం. దీన్ని అన్ని రాష్ట్రాలు, కేంద్రం పాటించాలి’’ అని విజయసాయి సూచించారు. ‘‘వివిధ కమిషన్లు విస్తృతంగా అధ్యయనం చేసి ఓబీసీల అభివృద్ధికి పలు సూచనలు చేశాయి. అందులో కేల్కర్‌ కమిషన్‌ చేసిన 40 సిఫారసుల్లో రెండింటిని మాత్రమే ప్రభుత్వం ఆమోదింది. ఎస్సీ, ఎస్టీ అట్రాసిటీ చట్టం తరహాలో ఓబీసీల అట్రాసిటీ చట్టం కూడా అవసరం

It is only a game — but try telling that to the effigy-burners

It is only a game — but try telling that to the effigy-burners
Suresh Menon MAY 28, 2019 21:29 IST
UPDATED: MAY 28, 2019 22:35 IST
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Now the anticipation is greater, and the baggage heavier; a loss might be more upsetting than before
Five years ago, the Meerut Police booked some students for sedition for cheering Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi in an Asia Cup match. The UP government later dropped the charges. Yet that initial knee-jerk reaction said something about the times we live in. Things haven’t changed, as we await yet another India-Pakistan encounter, this time at the World Cup.

George Orwell wrote about the “lunatic habit of identifying with larger power units, and seeing everything in terms of competitive prestige”. Thus victory is seen as vindication of a political system, economic status, literary heritage and anything else politicians and fans can think up along the lines of “mine is bigger (and better) than yours”. This manner of arriving at a country’s self-worth through the success of its sportsmen is not unique, but is at its perverse best here.

We need to be prepared for the lunacy — win or lose — on June 16, when the two teams meet in the World Cup. Chants of patriotism and nationalism are one thing, but to act as if the result of a cricket match reflected these is both silly and dangerous.

“After all, it’s only a game,” is how the captains like to characterise their encounter. Virat Kohli said so in England recently; his counterpart Sarfaraz Ahmed endorsed that view. But it’s not the players who are responsible for the baggage, for the belief that somehow a loss diminishes a whole nation and everything it stands for. There are historical, psychological, even geographical reasons for this. Supporters sometimes go the other extreme, stitching the national flags together to show unity and singleness of purpose, but this usually happens on Test tours, not so much in white ball cricket.


To be at a venue — even a neutral one — during a match is to be enveloped by a fervour that is almost religious in its intensity.

Loss to the other has led to players having their effigies burnt, homes stoned, families threatened, cars vandalised, and given rise to talk about match-fixing. The pressure on the players can only be imagined. “The nation would brook no failure,” wrote Sachin Tendulkar of the 2003 match, “It did not matter to them (fans) what happened in the rest of the tournament as long as we beat Pakistan.”

He went on to add, in his autobiography, “This is why I played cricket, to be out in the middle for my team, on the world’s biggest stage, against India’s arch rivals.”

So much for it being “only a game.” This is a player buying into the prevailing narrative, just as fans and politicians and the media all do. It is the commercially sensible reaction, after all; it sells books, gives politicians air time and attracts advertising. The chest-thumping and flag-waving fans unwittingly become pawns in a larger game, contributing to the narrative by bringing their own insecurities into play, and looking for validation.

Sub-plots
Two sub-plots have attached themselves to the World Cup since 1992: South Africa’s apparent tendency to choke (unfair but convenient), and India’s unbeaten record (6-0) against Pakistan. Neither seems logical or inevitable, and it is reasonable to assume that the anomaly will be resolved sooner or later, perhaps at this year’s World Cup even. Those looking for patterns in the two cases have been foiled by the absence of any; the best that pundits can do is declare that since it has happened before, it is likely to happen again. But that’s not how sport works.

Thirty-three years ago in Sharjah, Javed Miandad hit the most famous six in an India-Pakistan One-Day International. It came off the last ball of the match, Pakistan won, and India were so traumatised they managed to win only four matches against them in the next ten years, while losing 20. In fact, over the next 17 years till the 2003 World Cup, India had only 29 wins to Pakistan’s 52.

And then came another six — this time by Tendulkar off a Shoaib Akhtar 150kmph express. That seemed to swing the advantage India’s way. The record is 24-21 in their favour since.

Increase in intensity
With bilateral series ruled out, and multi-nation tournaments the only platforms for an India-Pakistan match, the intensity has only increased in recent years. Drum-beating by politicians on either side has contributed to the noise too.

No one has been able to explain, though, the lopsided results over 27 years. India have batted first always, except in 2003 when they won by six wickets. Otherwise the margins of victory by runs have been 43, 39, 47, 29 and 76. Perhaps there is no single reason for this, not even, as one writer has suggested, Pakistan’s inferiority complex (sometimes writers too see patriotism in criticising the other).

There might have been a brief period when the teams played each other regularly when it was only a game. Now the anticipation is greater, and the baggage heavier; a loss might be more upsetting than before. The players are aware of this but in sport you cannot win to order. That is its charm.

గురి తప్పిన ఆనందాలు, ఆవేశాలు!

గురి తప్పిన ఆనందాలు, ఆవేశాలు!
కె. శ్రీనివాస్
మంచివ్యాసం తప్పక చదవండి 

20-06-2019 03:31:46

మన ఉద్వేగాలను, సంస్కారాన్ని ఉన్మాదాలకు తాకట్టు పెట్టినందువల్ల, సున్నితత్వాలను కోల్పోతున్నాం. సామరస్యాన్ని మరచిపోతున్నాం. మాంచెస్టర్‌లో ఇండోపాక్‌ మ్యాచ్‌ చూడడానికి కెనడా నుంచి ఒక జంట వచ్చింది. వారిలో ఒకరు పుట్టుకతో భారతీయులు, మరొకరు పుట్టుకతో పాకిస్థానీ. వాళ్లిద్దరూ భారత్‌–పాక్‌ క్రికెట్‌ జెర్సీలను సగం సగం కలిపి దుస్తులుగా కుట్టించుకున్నారు. కేవలం క్రీడావినోదం కోసం వాళ్లు అక్కడికి వచ్చారు. అంతే కాదు, రెండుదేశాల మధ్య శాంతి కోసం కూడా వచ్చారు! కానీ, ఈ జంట గురించి మన మీడియా పెద్ద హడావుడి చేయలేదు. యుద్ధానికి బదులు శాంతిని కోరుకోవడం ఇప్పుడు ఓల్డ్‌ ఫ్యాషన్‌ మాత్రమే కాదు, దేశద్రోహం కూడా.

వెస్టిండీస్‌ను బంగ్లాదేశ్‌ ఓడించిందంటే, ఆశ్చర్యంగా మాత్రమే కాదు, ముచ్చటగా కూడా ఉంటుంది. సాధారణంగా ప్రేక్షక స్థానంలో ఉండి, రెండు పక్షాల పోరాటాన్ని చూస్తున్నప్పుడు, మనకు తెలియకుండానే మనసు బలహీనుల పక్షం మొగ్గుతూ ఉంటుంది. సినిమా చూసినా అంతే, తోటరాముడు మాంత్రికుడిని ఓడిస్తే సంతోషం కానీ, లావుపాటి ప్రతినాయకుడు బక్కహీరోని తొక్కేస్తే ఏం ఆనందం ఉంటుంది? చిన్నదేశాల వాళ్లు, అణగారినవాళ్లు, విజేతలవుతారని ఎవరూ ఊహించని వాళ్లూ– ఇటువంటి అండర్‌డాగ్స్‌ పెద్ద ప్రత్యర్థిని ఓడిస్తే, ప్రేక్షకులలో ఉండే సహజన్యాయ అభిరుచికి ఏదో సంతృప్తి దొరుకుతుంది. అట్లాగే, ఓడిపోతే బాగుండని మనం అనుకునే పక్షంలో ధాటిగా, నిపుణతతో ఆడేవాళ్లు ఉంటే, వాళ్ల మీద కూడా అభిమానం కలుగుతుంది. ప్రేక్షకత్వం ఒక్కోసారి తటస్థత కూడా. దెయ్యంలో అయినా మంచి గుణం కనిపిస్తే గుర్తించడం, నిష్పక్షపాతమైన క్రీడాస్ఫూర్తి కలిగి ఉండడం మంచి విలువలని మనకు తెలుసు.

ప్రపంచకప్పు క్రికెట్‌ పోటీలో భాగంగా ఇంగ్లండ్‌లోని మాంచెస్టర్‌లో జూన్‌ 16 నాడు ఇండియా–పాకిస్థాన్‌ ఆడాయి. ఈ ఆటకు ముందు విపరీతమైన ఆసక్తి, ఉత్కంఠ, ఊహాగానాలు, బెట్టింగ్‌. ఆరేడేళ్ల నుంచి ఇండియా పాకిస్థాన్‌ ద్వైపాక్షిక క్రికెట్‌ ఆడడం లేదు. ఏడాదిగా ఇతర వేదికల మీద కూడా ఆడలేదు. దాయాదుల పోరు– అని మీడియా బాధ్యతారహితంగానో, అలవాటుగానో పిలిచే సందర్భం కాబట్టి కొంత, ఈ విరామం తరువాత ఆడుతున్న ఆట కాబట్టి మరి కొంత, జూన్‌ 16ను ప్రత్యేకమైన రోజుగా చేశాయి. అయితే, చాలా కాలంగా పాకిస్థాన్‌ జట్టు బలహీనంగా ఉంటున్నది. ప్రపంచకప్పులో గత ఆరు మేచ్‌లలో పాకిస్థాన్‌ ఓడిపోతూనే ఉన్నది. క్రికెట్‌ మెరుగుదలకు పాకిస్థాన్‌లో పెద్దగా జరుగుతున్న ప్రయత్నం కూడా ఏమీ లేదు. క్రికెట్‌ ఆటగాడు ప్రధాని అయినంత మాత్రాన పాక్‌జట్టు అకస్మాత్తుగా ప్రతిభాశాలి అయిపోదు కదా? అయినా, సరే, టోర్నమెంట్‌లో భారత–పాక్‌ మేచ్‌ చుట్టూ అమితమైన ఉత్కంఠ ఆవరించింది. ఆడుతున్న ఇంగ్లండ్‌లో ఈ మేచ్‌కు ప్రత్యేకత ఏమీ లేదు. అన్నిటిలాగే, ఇది కూడా ఒకానొక మేచ్‌, అంతకు మించి ఏ ప్రాధాన్యమూ లేదు– అని భారత కెప్టెన్‌ విరాట్‌ కోహ్లి అన్నాడు. ఇదేమీ యుద్ధం కాదు, కేవలం ఆట మాత్రమే– అని పాకిస్థాన్‌ క్రీడాకారులు కూడా వ్యాఖ్యానించారు. కానీ, భారత్‌లోనూ, బహుశా పాకిస్థాన్‌లో కూడా ఒకరకమైన ఉద్రిక్తతా పూర్వక ఆసక్తి ఆవరించింది. కానీ, క్రికెట్‌ను జాగ్రత్తగా గమనిస్తున్నవారెవరికైనా తెలిసిన విషయం– భారత జట్టు ముందు పాక్‌ జట్టు తీసికట్టు అని. అనుకున్నట్టుగానే పాక్‌ ఓడిపోయింది. పాక్‌ కెప్టెన్‌కు కొవ్వు పెరిగిందా, తిండిపోతయ్యాడా, నిర్లక్ష్యం చేశాడా–అన్నవన్నీ క్రీడారంగ చర్చలే కానీ, ఫలితం మాత్రం పాక్‌ ఓటమి. అది కూడా ఏమంత హోరాహోరీ కాని ఆట. చప్పగా ముగిసిన క్రీడ. అయినాసరే, భారతీయ మీడియాకు పూనకం తగ్గలేదు. అదేదో ప్రపంచయుద్ధంలో మనమే గెలిచినట్టు పతాకశీర్షికలన్నీ పులిమేశారు. ఇది కూడా మరో సర్జికల్‌ స్ట్రయిక్‌– అని సాదాసీదా వ్యక్తి అనుకుంటేనో, లేదంటే ఓ వ్యంగ్యచిత్రకారుడు చిత్రిస్తేనో పరవాలేదు కానీ, భారతదేశ నూతన హోంమంత్రి, పాక్‌కు మరో దెబ్బ, భళిభళీ అంటూ ట్విట్టర్‌లో వీరంగం వేశారు. బలహీనంగా ఉన్నట్టు స్పష్టంగా కనిపిస్తున్న టీమ్‌ మీద సాధించిన గెలుపు (అది టోర్నమెంట్‌లో భారత్‌ను ముందుకు తీసుకుపోయి ఉండవచ్చు) ఏ విధంగానూ అంత హంగామాకు తగినది కాదు. రోహిత్‌ సెంచరీ ఒక్కటే చెప్పుకోదగ్గ విశేషం అందులో. మరి ఎందుకు మనం బలహీనప్రత్యర్థిపై విజయానికి అంతగా సంబరపడుతున్నాం?

క్రీడలు, రాజకీయాలు పరస్పరం సంబంధం లేనట్టు ఉండడం కూడా సాధ్యం కాదు, వాంఛనీయం కూడా కాదు. దక్షిణాఫ్రికా అనుసరించిన వర్ణవివక్ష విధానాలకు వ్యతిరేకంగా మనం ఆ దేశంలో ఏ ఆటా ఆడలేదు. 1975లో కావచ్చు, డేవిస్‌ కప్‌ డబల్స్‌ పైనల్స్‌ దాకా వచ్చిన భారత్‌, ప్రత్యర్థి దక్షిణాఫ్రికా కావడంతో కప్పు వదులుకుంది. సోవియట్‌ యూనియన్‌ మీద నిరసనగా మాస్కో ఒలింపిక్స్‌ను అనేక దేశాలు బహిష్కరించాయి. అది వేరు. భారత పాకిస్థాన్‌ దేశాలు బహిష్కరించుకోవు, ఆటలాడతాయి, ఆ ఆటలద్వారా రాజకీయ, సైనిక, మత భావోద్వేగాలను తీర్చుకోవడానికి ప్రయత్నిస్తాయి. దాదాపుగా దేశవిభజన నుంచి ఇది జరుగుతున్నదే. ఇంతకాలం తరువాత ఇప్పుడు వెనుకకు తిరిగి చూస్తే, భారత– పాకిస్థాన్‌ల మధ్య వివిధ రంగాలలో అంతరం పెరుగుతూ రావడం కూడా గుర్తించవలసిన క్రమం. ఆర్థికరంగంలో కానీ, వైజ్ఞానికాభివృద్ధిలో కానీ, అంతర్గత శాంతి భద్రతల అంశంలో కానీ పాకిస్థాన్‌ చాలా దయనీయస్థితిలో ఉన్నది.

మహమ్మదాలీ జిన్నా పాకిస్థాన్‌ ఏర్పాటు ద్వారా సాధించదలచుకున్న లక్ష్యాలను విస్మరించిన పాలకులు, సైనిక బలగాల ముందు బలహీనులై, దేశాన్ని  నియంతృత్వంలోకి తోశారు. ప్రచ్ఛన్నయుద్ధ కాలంలో, సోవియట్‌ యూనియన్‌కు అనుకూలంగా ఉండిన భారత్‌కు వ్యతిరేకంగా అమెరికా పాకిస్థాన్‌ను ప్రోత్సహిస్తూ వచ్చింది. రష్యా ఆక్రమణలోని ఆప్ఘనిస్థాన్‌కు వ్యతిరేకంగా, ఆ ప్రాంతంలో తన ఆధిపత్యాన్ని నెలకొల్పుకోవడానికి పాకిస్థాన్‌ను అమెరికా ఒక పావులా వాడుకున్నది. వీటన్నటికి తోడు మతఛాందసవాదులకు సైన్యంలోను, అధికారగణంలోను ఉన్న ప్రాబల్యం, ఆ దేశ పురోగతికి ప్రతిబంధకంగా మారింది. ప్రచ్ఛన్నయుద్ధ అనంతరం పాక్‌ మీద ఆధారపడడం అమెరికా తగ్గిస్తూ వచ్చింది. ఇన్ని దశాబ్దాల కాలంలో, అమెరికా పంచన ఉన్న పాకిస్థాన్‌కు వంచన తప్ప మరేమీ దక్కలేదు. భారత్‌తో జరిగిన అన్ని సైనిక ఘర్షణల్లోనూ పాకిస్థాన్‌ ఓడిపోయింది. తూర్పు బెంగాల్‌ను కోల్పోయింది. ప్రజలకు ఏ విధంగానూ మేలు చేయజాలని పాలకులకు, సైన్యానికి కశ్మీర్‌ వివాదం ఒక్కటి, తాము భారత్‌తో పోరాడుతున్నామని చెప్పుకోవడానికి మిగిలింది. ఈ నేపథ్యంలో చూసినప్పుడు, క్రీడారంగంలోనే కాదు, సైనికంగా కూడా పాకిస్థాన్‌ భారత్‌కు సమవుజ్జీ కాదు. ఎన్నికలకు ముందు మోదీ ప్రభుత్వం తాను జరిపినట్టు చెబుతున్న వైమానిక దాడి నూటికి నూరుపాళ్లు నిజం అనుకుంటే, అది కూడా పాకిస్థాన్‌ బలహీనతనే తెలియజేస్తుంది. తన అధీనంలోని భూభాగం మీద దాడి చేసి వందలాది మందిని హతమార్చితే, అసలు దాడేజరగలేదని వాదించేవాడు ఏమి శత్రువు?

ఇంత బలహీనమైన దేశాన్ని మన శత్రువుగా పరిగణించడం, ఆ దేశం చుట్టూ మన భావోద్వేగాలను అల్లుకుని, దేశభక్తిని కేవలం ఆ దేశాన్ని వ్యతిరేకించడానికే కేటాయించడం మనం మానుకోవాలేమో? మన దేశంలో టెర్రరిస్టు దాడులకు ప్రోద్బలాన్నో, భూభాగాన్నో అందిస్తున్నదని తప్ప, పాకిస్థాన్‌ ద్వారా మన దేశసౌభాగ్యానికి ఇతరత్రా జరుగుతున్న విపరీతమైన హాని ఏమీ లేదు. టెర్రరిజం ఎగుమతి దిగుమతి సమస్యను భారతదేశం స్వతంత్రంగా పరిష్కరించుకోదలచుకుంటే, సైనికశక్తితో సహా అనేక మార్గాలున్నాయి. భారత–పాక్‌ దేశాలను పరస్పరం శత్రువులుగా నిలిపి వినోదాన్ని, ప్రయోజనాలను సాధిస్తున్న శక్తులేమైనా ఉన్నాయా అన్నది దేశభక్తులతో కిటకిటలాడుతున్న ప్రస్తుత కేంద్రప్రభుత్వం ఒకసారి ఆలోచించాలి. భారతదేశ వనరులను పీల్చిపిప్పిచేస్తూ, మన దేశమార్కెట్‌లోకి ఆసాంతం దూసుకువస్తూ లబ్ధి పొందుతున్న సంపన్నదేశాలు, మన రాజకీయ వైఖరులను, మన విదేశాంగ విధానాలను శాసించే ప్రయత్నం చేస్తున్నాయే, అటువంటి పెద్ద శక్తులను కాక, ఒక అల్పజీవిని శత్రువుగా నిలబెట్టుకోవడంలో ఏమి హేతువు ఉన్నది?– అన్నది ప్రశ్న.

సోమవారం నాడు లోక్‌సభలో జరిగింది చూడండి. ఎంఐఎం ఎంపి అసదుద్దీన్‌ ఒవైసీ ప్రమాణం చేసేటప్పుడు, అధికారపక్షం వారు జై శ్రీరామ్‌ అని, భారత్‌మాతాకీ జై అని, వందేమాతరం అనీ నినాదాలు చేశారు. ఆ నినాదాల వెనుక ఉన్న భావనకు ఒవైసీ వ్యతిరేకమని వారి ఉద్దేశ్యం కావచ్చు. వారికి సమాధానంగాతన దేశభక్తిని, దైవభక్తిని, దళిత బహుజన అనుకూలతను చెప్పే ప్రతినినాదాలను ఒవైసీ ఇచ్చారనుకోండి. ఆయనను అట్లా సభలో ‘ట్రోల్‌’ చేయడం ఏ రకంగానూ సభ్యతాసంస్కారాల ప్రమాణాలకు అనుగుణమైనది కాదు. ఆ సంఘటన మంచి చెడ్డలు వదిలేద్దాం. కేంద్రంలో గెలిచిన అధికారపక్షం– కాంగ్రెస్‌ను, వామపక్షాలను, ఎస్పీ–బిఎస్పీలను దారుణంగా ఓడించింది. వారందరి ప్రమాణాల సందర్భంగా గేలిచేయడం కానీ, నినాదాలివ్వడం కానీ చేయని అధికారపక్ష సభ్యులు కేవలం ఇద్దరు సభ్యులున్న ఎంఐఎం విషయంలో ఎందుకు అట్లా ప్రవర్తించారు? వాళ్లు తమ శత్రుస్థానాన్ని ఒవైసీకే ఎందుకు కట్టబెడుతున్నారు? అమెరికా రష్యా చైనాలను వదిలి, మన దేశభక్తిని పాకిస్థాన్‌ మీదికే గురిపెట్టినట్టు, ఎందుకు ఇట్లా జరుగుతున్నది? చిన్నదేశాలు ఒకటైతే, లోకాన్నే జయించవచ్చునని తెలియదా? మనకు తెలియదు, అమెరికాకు తెలుసు.

మన ఉద్వేగాలను, సంస్కారాన్ని ఉన్మాదాలకు తాకట్టు పెట్టినందువల్ల, సున్నితత్వాలను కోల్పోతున్నాం. సామరస్యాన్ని మరచిపోతున్నాం. మాంచెస్టర్‌లో ఇండోపాక్‌ మ్యాచ్‌ చూడడానికి కెనడా నుంచి ఒక జంట వచ్చింది. వారిలో ఒకరు పుట్టుకతో భారతీయులు, మరొకరు పుట్టుకతో పాకిస్థానీ. వాళ్లిద్దరూ భారత్‌–పాక్‌ క్రికెట్‌ జెర్సీలను సగం సగం కలిపి దుస్తులుగా కుట్టించుకున్నారు. కేవలం క్రీడావినోదం కోసం వాళ్లు అక్కడికి వచ్చారు. అంతే కాదు, రెండుదేశాల మధ్య శాంతి కోసం కూడా వచ్చారు! కానీ, ఈ జంట గురించి మన మీడియా పెద్ద హడావుడి చేయలేదు. యుద్ధానికి బదులు శాంతిని కోరుకోవడం ఇప్పుడు ఓల్డ్‌ ఫ్యాషన్‌ మాత్రమే కాదు, దేశద్రోహం కూడా. 
కె. శ్రీనివాస్

Male circumcision & Female circumcision (genital mutilation)

Male circumcision & Female circumcision (genital mutilation)

Circumcision

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This article is about male circumcision. For female circumcision, see Female genital mutilation.

Circumcision

Circumcision central Asia2.jpg

A circumcision performed in Central Asia, c. 1865–1872

ICD-10-PCS 0VBT

ICD-9-CM V50.2

MeSH D002944

OPS-301 code 5–640.2

MedlinePlus 002998

eMedicine 1015820

[edit on Wikidata]

Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin from the human penis.[1][2] In the most common procedure, the foreskin is opened, adhesions are removed, and the foreskin is separated from the glans. After that, a circumcision device may be placed, and then the foreskin is cut off. Topical or locally injected anesthesia is sometimes used to reduce pain and physiologic stress.[3] For adults and children, general anesthesia is an option, and the procedure may be performed without a specialized circumcision device. The procedure is most often an elective surgery performed on babies and children, for religious or cultural reasons.[4] In other cases it may be done as a treatment for certain medical conditions or for preventative reasons. Medically it is a treatment option for problematic cases of phimosis, balanoposthitis that does not resolve with other treatments, and chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs).[5][6] It is contraindicated in cases of certain genital structure abnormalities or poor general health.[1][6]

The positions of the world's major medical organizations range from considering elective circumcision of babies and children as having no benefit and significant risks, to its having a modest health benefit that outweighs small risks.[7] No major medical organization recommends either universal circumcision of all males or banning the procedure.[7] Ethical and legal questions regarding informed consent and human rights have been raised over the circumcision of babies and children for non-medical reasons; for these reasons the procedure is controversial.[8][9]

Male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection among heterosexual men in sub-Saharan Africa.[10][11] Consequently, the WHO recommends considering circumcision as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention program in areas with high rates of HIV such as sub-Saharan Africa.[12] The effectiveness of using circumcision to prevent HIV in the developed world is unclear,[13] however there is some evidence that circumcision reduces HIV infection risk for men who have sex with men.[14] Circumcision is also associated with reduced rates of cancer-causing forms of human papillomavirus (HPV),[15][16] UTIs, and cancer of the penis.[3] Prevention of these conditions is not a justification for routine circumcision of infants in the Western world.[5] Studies of other sexually transmitted infections also suggest that circumcision is protective, including for men who have sex with men.[17] A 2010 review found circumcisions performed by medical providers to have a typical complication rate of 1.5% for babies and 6% for older children, with few cases of severe complications.[18] Bleeding, infection, and the removal of either too much or too little foreskin are the most common complications cited.[18] Complication rates are higher when the procedure is performed by an inexperienced operator, in unsterile conditions, or in older children.[18] Circumcision does not appear to have a negative impact on sexual function.[19][20]

An estimated one-third of males worldwide are circumcised.[4][18][21] The procedure is most common among Muslims and Jews (among whom it is near-universal for religious reasons), and in parts of Southeast Asia, and Africa.[4] It is relatively rare for non-religious reasons in Europe, Latin America, parts of Southern Africa, and most of Asia.[4] In the United States rates of circumcision decreased from 64% in 1979 to 58% in 2010.[22] The origin of circumcision is not known with certainty; the oldest documented evidence for it comes from ancient Egypt.[4][23] Various theories have been proposed as to its origin including as a religious sacrifice and as a rite of passage marking a boy's entrance into adulthood.[24] It is part of religious law in Judaism[25] and is an established practice in Islam, Coptic Christianity, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.[4][26][27] The word circumcision is from Latin circumcidere, meaning "to cut around".[4]

Female genital mutilation

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"FGM" redirects here. For other uses, see FGM (disambiguation).

Billboard with surgical tools covered by a red X. Sign reads: STOP FEMALE CIRCUMCISION. IT IS DANGEROUS TO WOMEN'S HEALTH. FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF UGANDA

Road sign near Kapchorwa, Uganda, 2004

Definition "Partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons" (WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA, 1997).[1]

Areas Africa, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and within communities from these areas[2]

Numbers Over 200 million women and girls in 27 African countries; Indonesia; Iraqi Kurdistan; and Yemen (as of 2016)[3]

Age Days after birth to puberty[4]

Prevalence

Ages 15–49

Ages 0–14

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision,[a] is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and within communities from countries in which FGM is common. UNICEF estimated in 2016 that 200 million women living today in 30 countries—27 African countries, Indonesia, Iraqi Kurdistan and Yemen—have undergone the procedures.[3]

Typically carried out by a traditional circumciser using a blade, FGM is conducted from days after birth to puberty and beyond. In half the countries for which national figures are available, most girls are cut before the age of five.[6] Procedures differ according to the country or ethnic group. They include removal of the clitoral hood and clitoral glans; removal of the inner labia; and removal of the inner and outer labia and closure of the vulva. In this last procedure, known as infibulation, a small hole is left for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid; the vagina is opened for intercourse and opened further for childbirth.[7]

The practice is rooted in gender inequality, attempts to control women's sexuality, and ideas about purity, modesty and beauty. It is usually initiated and carried out by women, who see it as a source of honour and fear that failing to have their daughters and granddaughters cut will expose the girls to social exclusion.[8] Adverse health effects depend on the type of procedure; they can include recurrent infections, difficulty urinating and passing menstrual flow, chronic pain, the development of cysts, an inability to get pregnant, complications during childbirth, and fatal bleeding.[7] There are no known health benefits.[9]

There have been international efforts since the 1970s to persuade practitioners to abandon FGM, and it has been outlawed or restricted in most of the countries in which it occurs, although the laws are poorly enforced. Since 2010 the United Nations has called upon healthcare providers to stop performing all forms of the procedure, including reinfibulation after childbirth and symbolic "nicking" of the clitoral hood.[10] The opposition to the practice is not without its critics, particularly among anthropologists, who have raised difficult questions about cultural relativism and the universality of human rights.[11]

Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz

Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz
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Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (Urdu: پسماندہ مسلم محاذ ‎) ("Marginalised Muslim Front") is an Indian Muslim social reform organization dedicated to the emancipation of the Dalit Muslims belonging to the "Arzal" class in the class system among Muslims. It was founded by Ali Anwar in Patna, Bihar. Anwar himself is an OBC Muslim.[1]

History
Anwar founded the organization after observing Caste oppression by upper class "Ashraf" Muslims on low-class Muslim, causing him to become a leftist and associate with the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He assembled a loose coalition of social reform organizations bringing awareness towards the plight of the Dalit Muslims and their complete neglect and persecution by the upper-class "Ashraf" (supposedly "Arab-descended") Muslims in India. The Mahaz is a broad front of a number of Dalit and Backward Class Muslim organisations from different states of India, particularly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Delhi.[1]

The position of the Mahaz reflects that of Anwar, who posits that lower class Muslims have been trying to marginalize the Dalit Muslims by slyly asking for quotas for "Backward-class Muslims" while excluding the Muslim Dalits from this label.[1] They oppose religion-based reservations on the basis of their assertions regarding Ashrafs hijacking them for their own purposes and thus want socio-economic conditions and not religion to be the basis of reservation.[2] Ali Anwar has said he has been networking with Muslim members across the political spectrum to raise the issue in the Parliament of India.[3]

Objectives
The Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz advocates for Dalit Muslims in relation to issues of personal law, reservation and electoral politics, as well as demands of legal action against officials who physically attack Dalit Muslims.[4] They have also advocated for the rights of Dalit Muslims to bury their dead in conventional graveyards instead of segregated ones in instances where there is prevalence of a caste-based discrimination.[5]

However, they do not advocate for the rights of women in Muslim societies, even though the women of the organization resent having to be in purdah while the ashraf women went about with "bob cuts aur lipstick".[6]

Accusations
Upper-class Muslims in India have tried to label the people of the Mahaz as "un-Islamic heretics", which the Mahaz protests as a form of propaganda against them.[1]

Marital Status By Age and Sex 2011

Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India
http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/population_enumeration.html
http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-series/c-2.html

Marital Status By Age and Sex  2011

Population
Persons    Males         Females
1210854977 623270258 587584719

Currently Married 
Persons    Males         Females
579584783 286507311 293077472

Separated 
Persons    Males         Females
3535202 1162448 2372754

Divorced 
Persons    Males         Females
1362316 452743 909573

India has the lowest divorce rate in the world

India has the lowest divorce rate in the world: Countries with lowest and highest divorce rates
In India, the divorce rate is less than 1 per cent!
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India Today Web Desk
Adoor/New Delhi
November 20, 2018UPDATED: November 20, 2018 14:39 IST

India has the lowest divorce rate in the world
As marriages continue to get less popular, divorce rates are increasing across the world. Though marriage is dependent on religion, family, culture, an individual behaviour, location, it is currently a stubborn global issue.

It might be merely a coincidence only, but developed countries face higher rates of divorce than developing countries.

Fact: The global divorce rate has increased upto 251.8 % since 1960. Every year, world organizations such as the UN record global divorce rates.
According to recorded data, the marriage and divorce statistics are dramatically changing due to a number of poignant factors. Most common reasons include:

Incompatibility
Infidelity
Drug/alcohol addiction
Physical/mental abuse
According to the studies, these countries have the lowest divorce rates in the world:

1. India 1 per cent
In India, the divorce rate is less than 1 per cent. Out of 1000 marriages, only 13 result in divorce.

The low divorce rate owes upto the society pressure, arranged marriages usually take place over months between two families and not individuals. If someone asks for divorce, they're usually shamed for going against the rules and parents.

2. Chile: 3 per cent
As seen in India, divorce is a subject that's frowned upon by Chileans.

3. Colombia: 9 per cent
The numbers are proof that contrary to the popular belief, Colombian couples are doing a great job and maintaining their family life and respecting their vows.

4. Mexico: 15 per cent
Mexico is a country where divorce is granted quicker than in the United States;l thus, the number is quite shocking. Couples don't usually go for divorces due to extreme respect for the catholic church.

5. Turkey: 22 per cent
The number of married couples in Turkey is measured by crude marriage rate, which is simply the total of marriages within a given geographical area. In the case of Turkish people, only 1.46 for every 1,000 marriages tend to resort to divorce.

Have a look at the countries with the highest divorce rates in the world:

1. Luxembourg: 87 per cent
With a population of approximately 500,000, Luxembourg is actually one of the smallest countries in Europe. It boasts an advanced economy and high purchasing power parity.

It's also one of the states in Europe with the highest population growth rate. And right now, it's also the top country with the highest divorce rate in the world.

2. Spain: 65 per cent
The number is quite surprising due to a popular belief in Catholicism in the country. There might be several reasons, mostly unknown but it can also be the financial difficulty the country has been facing in past few years.

3. France: 55 per cent
It is very ironical that Paris, the country's romance capital, has the highest number of divorces filed in all of France, having a crude divorce rate of 1.9 per 1000 resident population.

4. Russia: 51 per cent
Do you know a marriage fails every second in Russia? Research states that one-third of marriages fail in the first five years. In the next five years, a quarter of marriages come to a conclusion.

The divorce rate gradually falls by half in the forthcoming five years and further decreases as couples stay together longer.

5. United States: 46 per cent
The grounds for divorce in the United States are classified into two: at-fault and no-fault. At-fault divorces used to be the only way to put marriage into an end; and if the couple had differences, this prevents both of them from marrying another person legally. However, fault divorces can be avoided with certain defenses.

No-fault divorces, on the other hand, requires no allegation or putting the blame on either party. Common reasons that fall under no-fault category include irreconcilable differences, incompatibility, and unavoidable breakdown of marriage.

Hindus and Muslims: The true picture of divorce

Hindus and Muslims: The true picture of divorce
4 min read . Updated: 25 Jul 2017, 04:16 PM IST
Yugank Goyal
The differential impact of divorce across gender, while higher for Muslims than Hindus, and higher for women than men, is also higher in poor regions than in rich ones


Topics
mint-india-wire HindusMuslimsdivorce ratestriple talaqmarriageHindu womenMuslim womenDivorce rates in India
The judgement on triple talaq will be out soon. The debate in the past few months has starkly posed issues related to gender justice, secularism and the uniform civil code. And yet, there is practically no sound analysis based on data, despite how central empirics could be, to resolve such an issue.

Of the little bit that people have written, the data is dangerously misrepresented. For example, the oft-cited claim (including by Kapil Sibal on 26 May 2017 in this article) that 68% of all divorced women are Hindus while only 23.3% are Muslims, is flimsy and meaningless. Hindu women outnumber Muslims by five times, so it is only logical that the share of Hindu women in the divorced women population will be higher.

Some media reports have also suggested that the divorce rate among Muslims is lower than among Hindus (PTI, India Today, 8 April 2017). This is, again, plainly incorrect, as I show below. This claim was made by the women’s wing of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the data used comes from self-selected 16 family courts in a country with 439 family courts (as on May 2016), which gives a hugely incomplete and distorted picture. Flashed in the form of big, bold headings, incorrect data is a recipe for uninformed judgement.


I pulled out data from Census 2011 to see divorce rates in the two communities. Divorce stock ratio can be defined as the total number of divorced persons in a community to the total number of married persons in that community (I don’t call it divorce rate because rate is a flow, and the census only tells us stock, but analogically, it’s the same as divorce rate). This ratio is 2.0 for Hindus and 3.7 for Muslims. This means that for every 1,000 married Hindus, 2 are divorced, and for every 1,000 married Muslims, 3.7 are divorced (for India, this value is 2.4). Across gender, the disparity is wider (most men remarry but women can’t, hence the disparity). For every 1,000 married Hindu women, 2.6 are divorced, while for 1,000 married Muslim women, 5.6 of them are divorced. As for men, the ratio is almost the same (1.5 for Hindu men and 1.6 for Muslim men). This implies that population and marital status adjusted, Muslims are more likely to be divorced than Hindus, and Muslim women take up almost the entire burden of this difference. About 78.7% of Muslim divorcees are women; for Hindus, this figure is 64.2%.

17th Lok Sabha: Budget, triple talaq on Modi's to-do list

17th Lok Sabha: Budget, triple talaq on Modi's to-do list
The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha after the general elections will commence its business on Monday with the BJP-led NDA coming back to power with an improved majority and a massive mandate to rule the country for the next five years.

Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu

New Delhi
June 16, 2019UPDATED: June 17, 2019 02:52 IST
17th Lok Sabha session

The first two days of the session will be used for administering the oath of office to all Lok Sabha MPs. (PTI file photo)
A day before the first Parliament session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an all-party meeting on Sunday.

In Modi 2.0, with the theme Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, PM Modi reached out to the Opposition.

PM Modi tweeted, "We had a fruitful all party meeting today, the first one after the election results and before the start of the Monsoon Session. Thankful to the leaders for their valuable suggestions. We all agreed on the smooth running of Parliament so that we can fulfill people's aspirations."

With the key bills, including the triple talaq to be re-introduced in the Parliament session, the government aimed to reach out to the mass though the ruling BJP won the Lok Sabha elections with a thumping majority.

The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha commenced from Monday, during which the passage of the Union Budget and other key legislation.

PM Modi had invited heads of all the parties to discuss the "One nation, one election" issue and other important matters. Noting that there are many new faces in this Lok Sabha, PM Modi said that the first session of the Lower House of Parliament should begin with "fresh zeal and new thinking".

The allies have a comfortable majority with 353 members out of the 545 seats, but needs cooperation from the Opposition when it comes to Rajya Sabha where the saffron party only has 102 members in the 245-member upper house. Trinamool Congress (TMC) from West Bengal continued with its fiery mood and accused the Centre of interfering in state's matters.

Addressing media persons in Parliament Annexe, the venue for the all-party meet, TMC's Derek O'Brien raised the issue of "strengthening of federal structure" while accusing the Center of interfering in state matters. At Sunday's meeting, the Opposition demanded discussion on issues such as farmers distress, unemployment and drought should be debated upon in the Parliament. The Congress also raised issue of conduct of State Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

D Raja, Communist Party of India(CPI), told India Today TV, "There will be a meeting on Wednesday where we will express our views. We will see how far is this 'One nation one election' concept realistic and practical." Meanwhile, AAP leader Sanjay Singh also raised questions on the practicality of the agenda and said, "There is a huge difference between the Lok Sabha elections and the state Assembly elections. There is a two to three years' gap left of particular states, which are yet to complete their five-year term. How will this 'One nation one election' happen?" An all-party meeting is a customary exercise before the beginning of the first parliamentary session of the year.








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NewsIndiaSuspense looms over KCR's attendance at PM Modi's all-party chief meet on simultaneous polls
Suspense looms over KCR's attendance at PM Modi's all-party chief meet on simultaneous polls
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited chiefs of all political parties to attend the meeting, scheduled on June 19, to discuss simultaneous polls.

Asian News International
Hyderabad
June 17, 2019UPDATED: June 17, 2019 09:12 IST

Chandrashekhar Rao is busy in the preparations of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme inauguration which is scheduled on Friday. (Photo: Twitter/@TelanganaCMO)
HIGHLIGHTS
PM Narendra Modi has invited chiefs of all political parties to attend meeting on Wednesday
The meeting has been called to discuss 'one nation, one election' and other important issues

Telangana CM Chandrashekhar Rao may not attend the meet and might send a representative instead
Clouds of suspense loom large on whether or not Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K Chandrashekhar Rao will attend a meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss "one nation, one election" and few other important issues on Wednesday.

After an all-party meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited chiefs of all political parties to attend the Wednesday's meeting which will take place in the parliamentary library building in the national capital.

Chandrashekhar Rao has yet to respond to PM Narendra Modi's invitation. Chandrashekhar Rao's already packed schedule indicates that he may not attend the meet and could send a representative instead.

Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao is busy in the preparations of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme inauguration which is scheduled on Friday. Chandrashekhar Rao has personally invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis and Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy for the high-profile event.

A meeting of TRS Working Committee is also scheduled to take place on Friday which will be presided over by Chandrashekhar Rao.

Since Chandrashekhar Rao had not participated in the crucial Niti Ayog meet on Saturday in New Delhi, it is believed that he may send his representative to the Prime Minister's meet.

The meeting is scheduled two days after Budget Session of the Parliament commences. The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha runs from June 17 to July 26.

Wednesday's meeting will be followed by a dinner meeting with all lawmakers of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on June 20 to interact and exchange views with the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "adding that these two initiatives would go a long way in building team spirit among all parliamentarians."

According to official sources, among five key issues listed for the meeting include building a New India by 2022, when the country celebrates 75th Independence Day and 'one country, one election' policy.

Govt to provide 100% funding to develop schools, hospitals on waqf properties: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Govt to provide 100% funding to develop schools, hospitals on waqf properties: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/govt-provide-100-funding-develop-schools-hospitals-waqf-properties-mukhtar-abbas-naqvi-1547425-2019-06-12

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said all waqf properties across India will be geo-tagged and digitised and the government will provide 100 per cent funding to develop educational institutions and hospitals on such properties for the welfare of society.
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Press Trust of India
Press Trust of India 
New Delhi
June 12, 2019UPDATED: June 12, 2019 20:38 IST

Naqvi's announcement of geo-tagging of waqf properties comes a day after he spelt out the government's plan to empower the minorities | File Photo
All waqf properties across India will be geo-tagged and digitised and the government will provide 100 per cent funding to develop educational institutions and hospitals on such properties for the welfare of society, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Wednesday.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, while chairing the 80th meeting of the Central Waqf Council here, said there are around 5.77 lakh registered waqf properties across the country and their geo-tagging and digitalisation will ensure transparency and safety of records.

The Centre has decided to start a programme on a war footing to utilise waqf properties across the country for educational empowerment and employment-oriented skill development of the needy, especially economically backward girls in those areas which were deprived of these facilities since Independence, the minority affairs minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has decided to provide 100 per cent funding to develop schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, hospitals, multi-purpose community halls "Sadbhav Mandap" on waqf land under Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK), he said.

A programme on a war footing has been launched for 100 per cent geo-tagging and digitalisation of waqf properties across the country to ensure these properties can be utilised for the welfare of society, Naqvi said.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that while only 90 districts of the country had been identified for minority communities' development during the earlier government, the Modi government has expanded development programmes for minorities in 308 districts of the country.

A report of a five-member committee constituted to review waqf properties lease rule, headed by Justice (Retd) Zakiullah Khan, has been submitted, Naqvi told reporters.

The recommendations of the committee will ensure that waqf rules are made easy and effective for better utilisation of waqf properties and to free these properties, several of which are entangled in disputes for several decades, from disputes, he said.

The Central government is taking necessary action on the recommendations of the committee.

The Central Waqf Council is providing financial help to state waqf boards for digitalisation of waqf records so that state waqf boards can complete digitalisation work within the decided time frame.

"GIS/GPS mapping of the waqf properties has been initiated with the help of IIT Roorkee and Aligarh Muslim University. The Central Waqf Council has provided video conferencing facilities to 20 state waqf boards and it would be provided in the remaining state waqf boards by the end of this year," he said.

Naqvi's announcement of geo-tagging of waqf properties comes a day after he spelt out the government's plan to empower the minorities.

Several scholarships such as pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means will be provided to 5 crore students from minority communities, including 50 per cent girls, over the next five years, he had said on Tuesday.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had also said girls from minority communities who have dropped out of school will be linked to education and employment through "bridge courses" from reputed educational institutions of the country.

Madrassa teachers across the country will be trained by various institutions in mainstream subjects such as Hindi, English, Maths, Science and Computer so that they can impart mainstream education to the madrassa students, he said.

Sangh Parivar members

Sangh Parivar members
The Sangh Parivar includes the following organisations (with membership figures in brackets). They are also categorized.

Political
All Jammu and Kashmir Praja Parishad, literally, "People's Council", a political party active in Jammu from 1947 to 1963.
Bharatiya Jana Sangh, literally, "Indian People's Association" a political party that existed from 1951 to 1977.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian People's Party (100 million, March 2015)[53]
Occupational and Professional
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, literally, Indian Farmers' Association (8m)[54]
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Indian Labourers' Association (10 million as of 2009)[54]
Bharatiya Railways Sangh, Indian Railways Workers' Association
Fishermen's Co-operative Societies (2.2m)[54]
Samskar Bharati, Organisation of Indian Artists[55]
Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, All India Lawyers' Council[56]
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, All India Students' Council (2.8m)[54]
Akhil Bharatiya Shaikshik Mahasangh, All India Teachers' Federation (1.8m)[54]
National Medicos Organisation, Organisation of Medical Practitioners[57][58]
Akhil Bharatiya Poorva Sainik Seva Parishad, (ABPSSP) All India Ex-Military Servicemen Council.[59][60][61]
Economic
Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Nativist Awakening Front[62]
Vitta Salahkar Parishad, Financial consultants' association
Laghu Udyog Bharati, an extensive network of small industries.[63][64]
Sahkar Bharati, Organisation of co-operatives
Social Services
Deen Dayal Shodh Sansthan, for the development of rural areas on the basis of Integral Humanism (1.7m)[54]
My Home India - organization to promote nationalism and cultural assimilation between Northeast India and rest of India. Provide helpline to Northeast India people across the country.
Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, Organization for the development & growth of India in all fields of human endeavor (1.8m)[54][65]
Vivekananda Medical Mission, Sociomedical Services (1.7m)[54]
Seva Bharati, Organisation for service of the needy (founded in 1984)
Sakshama, an organization working among the blind[59][60][66]
Nele (a part of "Hindu Seva Pratishthana"), Home for destitute Children[67]
Lok Bharati, National NGO's Front
Seema Suraksha Parishad, Seemanta Chetana Mancha an organization working among the people of border districts[59][60]
Exclusively Women
Rashtra Sevika Samiti, literally, National Volunteer Association for Women (1.8m)[54]
Shiksha Bharati (2.1m), to provide education and training for skill up gradation to underprivileged girls and women.[54][68]
Durga Vahini, Women's wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Religious
Vishwa Hindu Parishad, World Hindu Council (2.8m)[54][69]
Bajrang Dal, Literally, Team/Crew of Hanuman (2m)
Hindu Jagarana Vedike, literally, National Volunteer Association for men to protect the Hindus
Dharm Jagaran Samiti, Organization for conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism[70] and their coordinating committee "Dharam Jagaran Samanvay Samiti"[69][71]
Muslim Rashtriya Manch, National Front of Muslims
Rashtriya Hindu Andolan, based in Maharashtra calls for the deletion of "secular" from the Indian Constitution[69]
Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, a sociocultural organisation with the aim to spread the knowledge of Gurbani to the Indian society.[55]
Hindu Rashtra Sena, propagating for the establishment of Hindu Rashtra.[69][72]
Regional based
Hindu Munnani, a religio-cultural organization based in Tamil Nadu.[73]
Hindu Aikya Vedi, Hindu United Front based in Kerala[74]
Educational Organizations
Ekal Vidyalaya, Involved in free education and village development in rural areas and tribal villages of India.
Saraswati Shishu Mandir, School
Saraswati Vidya Mandir,School
Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan , Educational Institutes
Vijnana Bharati, Science Forum[59][60][75]
Socio-Ethnic
Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, Organisation for the improvement of tribals
Youth for Seva, Organisation for the improvement of children
Friends of Tribals Society
Anusuchit Jati-Jamati Arakshan Bachao Parishad, Organisation for the improvement of Dalits[76]
Bharat-Tibet Maitri Sangh, India-Tibet Friendship Association
News & Communication
Organiser, Magazine[77][78]
Panchjanya (magazine)
Vishwa Samvad Kendra, communication Wing, spread all over India for media related work, having a team of IT professionals
Hindustan Samachar, a multi-lingual news agency.[79][80][81]
Think Tanks
Bharatiya Vichara Kendra, General Think Tank.
Hindu Vivek Kendra, a resource center for the promotion of the ideology of Hindutva.[82]
Vivekananda Kendra, promotion of Swami Vivekananda's ideas with Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi as a "Public Policy Think Tank" with 6 Centres of study.
India Policy Foundation, a not-for-profit Think Tank[83]
Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, a Think Tank on educational reforms.[84]
India Foundation, a Think Tank[85]
Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY), All-India history reform project
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF)[86][87]
Overseas
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, literally, Hindu Volunteer Association overseas wing of RSS
Hindu Students Council, Overseas Hindu Students' Wing
National Hindu Students' Forum, Hindu student group in UK
Sewa International,UK based Charity[88]
India Development and Relief Fund, USA based charity[88]
Children
Others
Samskrita Bharati, promotion of the Sanskrit language[55]
Central Hindu Military Education Society, to encourage more Hindus to join the Defence Services[89]
Kreeda Bharati, Sports Organization.[59][60][90]
Samskar Bharati, Cultural unit[91][92]