Monday, January 26, 2009

Two sets of laws work in India

Govt on Mangalore pub assault: Don't Talibanise India
25 Jan 2009, 2244 hrs IST, TNN
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NEW DELHI: Women and child development minister Renuka Chowdhury has termed the assault of girls and boys in a Mangalore pub allegedly by a Hindu group as an attempt to "Talibanise India" and sought an explanation from the Karnataka government.

"I am absolutely horrified at the insensitivity on the eve of Republic Day. I will seek an explanation from the state government as well as self-styled Sri Ram Sena," Renuka said.

"This incident is an attempt to Talibanise India. There is no place for these kinds of acts in India as it is a democracy," Chowdhury said, adding that BJP leaders should condemn the incident.

The minister also said it was time for chief minister B S Yeddyurappa to "wake up" and take action against the culprits. She said she would speak to Yeddyurappa on the incident.

About 15 to 20 activists, reportedly belonging to Sri Ram Sena, barged into the pub late on Saturday night and assaulted boys and girls dancing there, accusing the teens of behaving in an "obscene manner".


Mumbai: Pak girl beaten up for sporting tattoo in Urdu

22-year-old Saba Najam was at a Malad mall last week when some women beat her up and dragged her to the cops over a tattoo on her back; she left for Pakistan on Friday

By Vikas Mishra
Posted On Monday, January 19, 2009 at 02:52:24 AM

According to cops, Saba said she hadn’t known the tattoo would hurt anybody’s sentiments
A Pakistani national, who had come to pursue a course in production from Whistling Woods International Institute in Mumbai, was beaten up at a Malad mall last week for sporting a tattoo in Urdu on her back. The incident scared the girl so much that she left for Pakistan on Friday.

Saba Najam, 22, was roughed up at Hypercity Mall in Malad last Monday after some people spotted a tattoo in Urdu on her back. The incident took place at around 8.30 pm when Saba had gone to the washroom of the mall.

Some women suddenly approached her and assaulted her over the tattoo which read ‘Shukr Alham Du Lillah’, meaning ‘Thank you, God’.

Riyaz Ahmed Talukdar, a member of Jan Seva Sangh, a local NGO, had first spotted the tattoo on Saba’s back and informed his mother, Shabana Talukdar. Riyaz said, “When I saw the tattoo I was furious as holy words from the Quran were on her back.” Shabana, along with a few other women, then came to the mall in the next 15 minutes and confronted Saba in the washroom.

They slapped the girl several times before the mall management intervened.

“Since both the parties concerned are our patrons we simply referred the matter to the police,” said Manvir Singh, spokesperson of Hypercity Mall.

The group, along with Saba, were taken to the Bangur Nagar police station.

According to Bangur Nagar police, Saba apologised profusely and said she hadn’t known that the tattoo would hurt anybody’s sentiments.

Danaji Nalavde, inspector in-charge of crime at the police station, said, “There was nothing objectionable about the tattoo and there are no legal provisions under which we could have booked her. But since the group of people were agitated we asked Saba to give her statement in writing.”

In her statement Saba said she was sorry and that she would get the tattoo removed through laser surgery in the next three days. Nevertheless, the cops referred the matter to legal experts to see if they could book Saba for hurting religious sentiments or under any other legal provision.

On Friday night, however, Saba left for Lahore. Ravi Gupta, executive director of Whistling Woods told Mumbai Mirror that Saba seemed extremely disturbed after the incident.

“We had spoken to the cops who assured us that there was no case against her. We told her there was nothing to worry about but she was too scared,” he said.

Saba hails from Lahore in Pakistan and had come to Mumbai in 2007 on a student visa. She joined Whistling Woods in 2008.

She got the tattoo done from a tattoo parlour in Bandra in February 2008.

Saba was unavailable for comment. Meanwhile, Riyaz says he is happy Saba has left the country.

Monday, January 19, 2009

No row over Minister’s visit

Source

16 Jan 2009 02:55:02 PM IST
BHADRAK: The administration today put to rest the controversy surrounding the visit of Women and Child Development Minister Pramila Mallick, a Dalit, to the Akhandalamani temple at Aradi, 35 km from here, yesterday.‘‘There was neither any objection from the servitors’ association nor from the management committee of the temple on the Minister’s visit,’’ said Deputy Sub-Collector, Bhadrak, Sadhu Charan Sahu. Even no purification ritual was carried out after the Minister’s departure, Sahu confirmed.He conducted an inquiry after some sections of the media termed the visit as controversial. He also clarified that there is no bar on entry of Dalits into the temple. Pramila visited the famous Lord Siva temple on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. ‘‘The Minister arrived at the temple at 7.30 am, offered ‘bhog’ and puja through her family priest and left. Neither any objection was raised nor any purification of deity was carried out,’’ said Bhibhudutta Mishra, a servitor.‘‘According to the decision of the temple’s management committee I was the main priest on Makara Sankranti day and had accompanied the Minister and her family priest to the temple,’’ added Bibhudutta.According to Parameshwar Panda, family priest of Pramila, she visits the temple every year and sometimes even more than once in a year. There is no caste feeling nor any prohibition on the entry of Dalits.Not only Pramila, local MLA Netrananda Mallick, a Dalit, also visits the temple very often and goes through the route meant for servitors, Panda said and added even Bhadrak ADM Upendra Mallick, also a Dalit, went inside the temple and offered his ‘Rudrakhya’ puja.Sub-Collector and Chairman of the Temple Trust Board Bibhuti Bhusan Das said, ‘‘The servitors have intimated me in writing that there was no objection to the entry of the Minister nor any purification ritual was carried out. Like every day, Mahasnana (ritual bath) was done four times. No special Mahasnana was done after the departure of the Minister.’’

Above is in response to TOI's report

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Bravery and the ultimate sacrifice by ASI Tukaram Ombale

Source

गोलियां खाकर भी नहीं छोड़ा आतंकी को



Dec 02, 06:34 pm

मुंबई। औरों की सुरक्षा के लिए जो बंदूक लेकर चलते हैं उनकी जान भी खतरे में पड़ती है। लेकिन कुछ उल्लेखनीय ढंग से वीरगति प्राप्त करते हैं जिन्हें उनके बलिदान के लिए बारंबार याद किया जाता है।

अभी हाल ही में पदोन्नति प्राप्त कर सहायक सब इंस्पेक्टर का दर्जा हासिल करने वाले महाराष्ट्र पुलिस के 48 वर्षीय तुकाराम आंबले मुंबई में आतंकी हमले के दौरान एक हीरो की तरह शहीद हुए हैं। मुंबई आतंकी हमले में उभरकर सामने आए कई वीरतापूर्ण कारनामों में से एक सच्ची कहानी तुकाराम की भी है।

सलाम तुकाराम को जिसकी बहादुरी के कारण मुंबई पुलिस को आतंकी हमले का एकमात्र आतंकी हाथ लग सका है। अपने वाकी टाकी पर 26 नवंबर की रात प्राप्त संदेश के मुताबिक तुकाराम आंबले क्लास्निकोव एसाल्ट राईफल लेकर अंधाधुंध फायरिंग करने वाले आतंकियों का पीछा किया था।

आतंकियों के बारे में संदेश फैल जाने के बाद डीबी नगर पुलिस स्टेशन की टीम ने चौपाठी के लालबत्ती पर नाकाबंदी की। डीबी नगर पुलिस स्टेशन के सहायक इंस्पेक्टर हेमंत भावधनकर ने बताया कि हमें अपहृत स्कोडा कार पर दो आंतकियों के आने की सूचना मिली थी। हमने सूचना पाने के तत्काल बाद ही दक्षिण मुंबई में स्थित गीरगांव चौपाठी पर नाकाबंदी की।

उन्होंने कहा कि सूचना मिलने के कुछ देर बाद ही हमने देखा कि जिस तरह के कार का ब्यौरा दिया गया था। नाकाबंदी से 50 फीट दूर पर अपनी गति को कम कर लिया है क्योंकि यह कार यू टर्न लेने की कोशिश कर रही थी। इस प्रक्रिया में वह रोड डिवाइडर से भी टकराई। इसके बाद कार हमारी ओर आने लगी और अजमल कसाब [गिरफ्तार आतंकी] कार से उतर आया और आत्मसमर्पण करने जैसी मुद्रा में दिखा क्योंकि उसे दोबारा फिर से अंधाधुंध गोलीबारी करनी थी।

अपनी जान की परवाह किए बगैर तुकाराम आंबले कसाब के सामने आ गया और उसने आतंकी के एके 47 राइफल के बैरल को दोनों हाथों से कसकर पकड़ लिया।

तुकारम आंबले की ओर अपने बंदूक की नोक किए हुए कसाब ने ट्रीगर दबा दी। इस बहादुर पुलिसकर्मी ने सारी गोलियों को अपने सीने के अंदर समाने दिया, लेकिन उसने आतंकी के बंदूक के बैरल को नहीं छोड़ा।

गोलियां खाने के बाद तुकाराम गिर पड़ा, लेकिन कसाब [आतंकी] को नहीं छोड़ा। इसके चलते कसाब की गोलियां का शिकार तुकाराम की टीम के अन्य किसी सदस्य को नहीं होना पड़ा।

इस बीच, उसकी टीम के सदस्यों को दूसरे आतंकी इस्माईल को ढेर करने का मौका मिल गया और कसाब को धर दबोचा। इस निर्भय पुलिस कर्मी की बहादुरी के चलते एकमात्र सबूत के तौर मोहम्मद अजमल कसाब इस समय आतंकवाद निरोधक टीम के कब्जे में है। और उससे जांच टीम को मुंबई आतंकी हमले के कई महत्वपूर्ण सुरागों के बारे में जानकरियां मिल रही है।

अबतक प्राप्त जानकारियों के मुताबिक यह आतंकी प्रमुख आतंकी गुट लश्कर-ए-तैयबा के लिए पिछले डेढ़ साल से काम कर रहा था।