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New world record on Gandhi In Brief Jayanti created AsianVoiceNews
Asian Voice | 17th October 2015
BENGALURU: Venkat International Public School in Bengaluru has created a new world record after 4,600 students assembled at a single venue dressed as Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. “We are happy to have created a world record on assembling around 4,600 students, all dressed as Mahatma Gandhi at a single venue at Shri Kanteerava Stadium on the occasion of his 146th birth anniversary,” said the school's Executive Director Shekhar Balakrishna.
“We spent £30,000 for this,” he said. It took oneand-half hours to assemble all the students at the venue and was an exciting sight as the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi,
Sumitra Gandhi, witnessed the event, Balakrishna said. “It was a sight to cherish as the grand daughter of the Mahatma blessed the students participating in the event.” A previous such
record was made by a school in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu when around 2,900 students were dressed as Mahatma Gandhi in 2013. Balakrishna said his school wanted to instil Gandhian values among the students. “Apart from achieving the new world record, what moved us was to instil the invaluable doctrines and principles by which Mahatama Gandhi stood all his life and gave freedom to Indian Independence with the unique weapon of non-violent Satyagraha.”
Jaganmohan rushed Telangana proposes to hospital 12% quota for Muslims GUNTUR (ANDHRA PRADESH): YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who began an indefinite fast six days ago seeking special status to Andhra Pradesh, was on Tuesday forcibly admitted to a government hospital following worsening of his health. A team of policemen shifted Jagan from his fasting camp at Nallapadu to the Guntur Government hospital despite attempt by Jagan's supporters to prevent the move. Doctors, who monitored Jagan's health condition said that the ketones in his body have risen which may lead to kidney-related problems besides various complications. Other health parameters too were worrisome. Doctors treating him at the hospital also suggested that Jagan take a liquid diet to improve his condi-
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy tion though he wanted to continue with his hunger strike. They administered him fluids intravenously. The Leader of Opposition in AP Assembly has been kept under observation. Speaking to mediamen after Jagan's hospitalisation, his sister Sharmila alleged that CM Chandrababu Naidu made the 42-year-old leader break his fast as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the state on October 22 to lay the foundation stone for the state's new capital Amaravati.
15 Punjab farmers end life as pest ruins crop BATHINDA: The Whitefly, a common pest found in crops, has affected the cotton crop in Punjab's Malwa region, destroying not only the yield, but also the lives of the farmers involved. “It was just like the Japanese air strike in the film Pearl Harbour,” said Naresh Kumar Lehri, a seed and pesticide dealer at Singho village in Punjab's Bathinda district “They appeared out of no where and left a trail of destruction.” The pest has affected two thirds of standing cotton crop in the state, causing an estimated loss of £420 million. The whole agriculture sector lies in a mess as reports of at least 15 cotton farmers committing suicide circulated and dealers sell spurious pesticides. Farmers have blocked traf-
fic and demanded compensation while the Akali Dalled NDA has announced a compensation package of £64 million. Over the years, the whitefly has regularly attacked cotton plants only to be controlled by the use of intensive chemical pesticides. However, this year, despite introducing a new pesticide, the pest issue has spun out of control. “Since July, we have sprayed pesticide 10-12 times. Each spray costs about £33 per acre. But the whitefly was unaffected,” said a Manjeet Singh in Singho village, standing on four acres of his withered cotton crop.
H Y D E R A B A D : Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao has announced that the state assembly would pass a resolution for 12 per cent quota to the Muslims in the state and forward it to the central government. Reiterating his commitment towards increasing reservation for the community in education and employment, he said the panel studying the socioeconomic and educational status of Muslims in the state will soon submit its report. “Once we get the report, we will know the ground realities. We will pass a resolution in the house and we will go to the centre,” he said replying to a debate on minorities welfare. The Chief Minister told Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Akbaruddin Owaisi that
Chandrasekhar Rao the panel was working hard and evaluating all the data. He said he firmly believed that the state can only progress if all sections of people are happy and promised the Muslims will get their share in Telangana. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi had promised during the elections that Muslims will be provided 12 per cent reservation in proportion to their population. Muslims in Telangana currently enjoy 4 per cent reservation in education and employment under a separate category of backward classes.
Non-Muslims help repair Punjab mosque N A T H O W A L (LUDHIANA): While one part of the country finds itself drenched in anti-secularism, a village in Ludhiana finds itself untouched by religious differences. Nathowal in Ludhiana has a population of around 7,000 of which around 500 are Muslims and around 50 members are Hindus. The Sikh and Hindu community members are helping the Muslims repair an old mosque and even construct a second storey, bearing more than 65 per cent of the expenses. A contractor and president of Jamia Masjid, Mansa Khan said, “All three communities lived in peace here even before Partition. During Partition, 10 to 12 families migrated to Pakistan but 50 families
stayed back as our Sikh brothers didn't allow them to leave. Today, our relations are only stronger.” Repair on the mosque started six months ago. Of the £25,000 invested in the project, around £15,000 have been contributed by Sikhs and Hindus. They also ferry bricks, cement and sand for the construction. “Our village is more of a family. If a villager wants to donate money to a religious place he contributes equally to the gurdwara and the mosque. We will continue to uphold this spirit in the future. When we started work on the mosque, every villager pledged to help irrespective of his religion,” says Pyara Singh, block committee member and president of Gurudwara Dharamshalla in the village.
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Cong irked over Karnataka CM's non-invitation
BENGALURU: Congress workers staged a protest outside NASSCOM recently after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the nation's IT hub with Angela Merkel overlooked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The CM's absence in one of the two events was highly noticed and irked many from the party. State minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “This is a very unfortunate situation. Karnataka and Bengaluru are the hub of IT and computer science and startups... We don't compete with any other city in India but with world cities... I don't know whom to blame. NASSCOM as an organisation should have been more careful in seeing that proper protocol is maintained and respect is given to the state leaders... NASSCOM exists because of Bengaluru.” The party leaders have expressed their disappointment and said the BJP has disrespected their sentiments.
Karnataka minister apologises over insensitive remarks
BENGALURU: Insensitivity is a major illness suffered by almost every other political leader. The latest to trigger a controversy with his ill-made remarks is Karnataka Home Minister K J George who said “How can you say gangrape? Gangrape means four-five people,” when questions were asked him regarding the recent gang rape of a 22 year old BPO employee by the driver and cleaner of a van. By the time he realised the mistake it was too late. “I am very sorry...a rape is a rape whether it is one person or a gang,” he said. “See public perception of the gangrape is a group of people openly raping a girl or a lady. That is a public perception. It was two people involved. They were already been arrested when the question was asked, and what I feel it is condemnable heinous crime and we have taken action hands down.”
Modi calls Badal India's Mandela, creates media storm
CHANDIGARH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal the “Nelson Mandela of India,” igniting a social media storm. During a speech at the 113th birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, Modi said, “Badal Saheb is sitting here... he is the Nelson Mandela of India. He has spent so many years in prison that too for political reasons. What was the crime of people like Badal Saheb? Only that he had political views different from those in power.” The statement evidently did not go well down people's throats. Sadhvi Khosla, who is followed by the PM's personal account tweeted, “I am deeply saddened by the words @narendramodi in praise of corrupt #Badal My PM has let me down today.”
Private detectives to check sex determination tests in Punjab
CHANDIGARH: Punjab government said that it would engage private detective agencies to check if pre-natal sex determination tests were being performed by private ultrasound centres in the state. State Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said the administration took the decision to effectively implement the PNDT Act. The state government had been tough with the owners of these centres and as a result of which the sex ratio in the state has improved considerably, Jayani said. Principal secretary to health Vini Mahajan reiterated that the government has increased the cash reward to people giving information about ultra sound centres involved in illegal pre-natal sex determination tests in Punjab.
US Sikh group raises $210,000 for needy Punjab students
WASHINGTON: The Sikh Human Development Foundation has raised over $ 210,000 for a scholarship programme it provides for underprivileged children in Punjab. More than 350 guests from metropolitan Washington area came to show their support at the gala that also featured pop singer Jaz Dhami. The SHDF has been giving scholarships to bright but poor students in Punjab since 2001. Chairman Gajider Singh Ahuja said, “We need your help, They need your help.” Chief guest Gurcharan Singh Kanwal donated $ 50,000, and in recognition to his contributions, Kanwal and his wife were honoured with the SHDF Community Higher Education Empowerment Award. Board member Manpreet Singh said, “SHDF has been able to provide scholarships to over 4,000 students and more than 1,500 students have graduated and become professionals.”