‘SC VERDICT ON GAY SEX UNACCEPTABLE’
Be they Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, religious heads and leaders in Kashmir Valley have unanimously rejected the landmark verdict of the Supreme Court that scrapped Section 377 – a 158-year-old colonial law – to de-criminalise consensual gay sex. Jammu and Kashmir’s Grand Mufti and vice-chairman of State Muslim Personal Board, Nasir-ul-Islam, reportedly said the verdict is unacceptable. He said the next civilian government to be elected in J&K should make a law to criminalise homosexuality in the state.
“It is adultery. We cannot allow it,” he said. “But I don’t mean this community should not be treated with dignity and respect. They should be treated as humans, but we can’t allow unnatural sex here.” Chuni Lal, President of Hindu Welfare Society, a representative organisation of all Pandits (Hindus) in the Valley, termed the verdict as immoral and illegal. “It is unnatural, immoral and illegal. There is no acceptability of this in our society. Only male and female can do sex in a legal form; all others are wrong,” he said. Similarly, Jag Mohan Raina, Chairman of All Party Sikh Coordination Community, which represents 11 Sikh religious organisations, reportedly said the Sikh religion opposes same-sex intercourse.
HAPUR LYNCHING CASE: SC DIRECTS IGP, MEERUT TO SUPERVISE PROBE
The Supreme Court (SC) on September 5 directed the IGP, Meerut to supervise the investigation of lynching of a man in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh by a mob of alleged cow vigilantes. The SC also said that the IGP will adhere to and follow the court’s judgment while conducting the investigation in the case. The apex court had on August 13 directed the IGP, Meerut to submit a report on the lynching case. The direction had come after the Supreme Court took serious note of a petition accusing the police of tampering with evidence to project a communal lynching by cow vigilantes as a road rage case.
The petitioners had requested the SC to set up a special investigation team to probe the incident and protect the witnesses from intimidation, harm and violence. Petitioners Samiudeen, his brother Yaseen and Dinesh Tomar, who witnessed cow vigilantes brutally assault one Qasim for alleged cow slaughter on June 18, even when there was no evidence to suggest so, told the court that Tomar was forced to write a false report.
COW ATTACKS BJP MP LIADHAR VAGHELA
BJP’s Lok Sabha MP Liladhar Vaghela was injured after a stray cow reportedly attacked him outside his residence on Thursday evening. He was admitted to the ICU with broken ribs after being attacked by the cow. According to reports, the 83-year-old MP from Patan, Gujarat, was out for a walk when a stray cow attacked him outside his residence in Sector 21, Gandhinagar.
The octogenarian MP was rushed to the Apollo Hospital by passers-by and admitted to the ICU after initial examination. Doctors said that he has sustained injuries to his ribs and head. Prior to being elected to the Lok Sabha, Vaghela was a cabinet minister in Gujarat. According to local media, the senior politician has sustained two fractures and clotting in the head. After the accident, the doctors have kept him in the ICU as his condition is quite critical.
IF ARRESTS AREN’T BACKED BY PROOF, IT’D BE VIOLATION OF RIGHTS
A week after Maharashtra police arrested five activists for alleged links with the Maoists, chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), HL Dattu said the body had been flooded with letters from various organisations and activists seeking its intervention on the issue, and said if the arrests were not backed with evidence it would be a serious violation of human rights. Dattu reportedly said, “We don’t know what evidence is there against the activists. But if there is nothing against them, then it would be serious violation of human rights”.
He further said, “Whenever there is action against the human rights defenders, we (NHRC) step up for their rights. We always ask the governments and police about the reasons for the action. We have asked Maharashtra police as well but haven’t heard anything from them so far.” NHRC had, on August 29, taken suo motu cognisance of the arrests and issued notices to Maharashtra government and police.
MUZAFFARNAGAR RIOTS: NON-BAILABLE WARRANTS ISSUED AGAINST 6 PEOPLE
Non-bailable warrants (NBWs) were issued against six people for not appearing in court in connection with a murder case during the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013, a report said on September 5. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ankur Sharma has issued non-bailable warrants against Ravinder, Prehlad, Bishan, Tendu, Devender and Jitender and directed police to produce the accused persons before the court on October 4, lawyer Mohsin Zaidi said.
According to a complaint filed by Mohammed Waseem, his son Shahnawaz was stabbed by eight people in Kawal village on August 27, 2013. The incident led to widespread tension in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining districts in which more than 60 people were killed.
NEPHEW OF PRAJAPATI DEPOSES, REVEALS POLICE PLOT
Kundan Prajapati, nephew of Sohrabuddin’s aide Tulsiram Prajapati, in his deposition mentioned the names of the four police officers who told him they wanted to kill his uncle. Kundan, a key witness, had earlier written a letter stating the reasons for not appearing before the court, in which he had also mentioned he apprehended a threat to his life. In his deposition on Monday, he told S J Sharma, Special Judge of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, Tulsiram feared being killed in an encounter. “A month before my mama was killed by police, he had shared his fears of being killed in an encounter. I had accompanied my uncle with my friend from Ahmedabad-Udaipur, to a court hearing.”
Kundan, in his statement, also told the special CBI court Prajapati had shared with him how he was being used by Gujarat Police to track Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi at Hyderabad, after which Gujarat Police took them to Valsad, Gujarat, and then allowed him to go to Bhilwara and arrested him again.
MADRASA TEACHERS DEMAND SALARIES
On Teachers’ Day, hundreds of ‘madrasa’ teachers in Uttar Pradesh protested over non-payment of pending salaries for the last 30 months. Hundreds of teachers gathered at Parliament Street in the national capital on September 5 and demanded that their pending salaries be paid. At least 25,000 teachers have not been paid salary by the central government, they alleged.
In a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the religious school teachers raised concerns over non-payment of salaries for the last 30 months. “We are not being paid because we are teaching at madrasas. This is the discrimination of the BJP government,” said Azaz Ahmad, head of Islamic Madrassa Modernisation Teachers’ Association of India (IMMTAI). Chaman Kamal, a member of IMMTAI, said they held a meeting with the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on the issue. National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairman Ghaiyurul Hassan Rizvi has assured he would take up the issue of pending salary of nearly 50,000 madrasa teachers who have not been paid for the last 30 months.
NEW PRESIDENT OF SOCIETY FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY
Retired JNU professor Anand Kumar was unanimously elected president of the Society for Communal Harmony, an NGO, to fill the post left vacant by the passing away of veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar last month, the organisation said on September 7. Kumar (67), a well-known activist academician, fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, former president of the Federation of Central Universities Teacher’s Association and national president of the Indian Sociological Society has held several high posts in the academic field.
The Society for Communal Harmony has had six presidents in the past, namely Dr B N Pande, P N Haksar, Sadiq Ali, Rabi Ray, Somnath Chatterjee and Kuldip Nayar.