Radical Sri Lankan Buddhist outfit, Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), is aiming at setting up a “Buddhist-Hindu Peace Zone in South and Southeast Asia” with the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). This was revealed by Ven Gnanasara Thero, general secretary of BBS, at a press meet in Colombo on 6 October. The BBS is widely believed to have the tacit backing of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government.
Gnanasara Thero, who is a Buddhist monk, reportedly said the BBS has been talking to the RSS at the highest level. “We are hopeful of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon,” he added. BBS’s chief of research, Dr Chamila Liyanage, said Modi had impressed the outfit because he had said India is a “Hindu nation” and he is wedded to promoting Hindu culture.
COMMUNALISM, BIGGEST THREAT FACING STATE: AGP
Ahead of its national political convention on 14 and 15 October, leaders of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) said increasing polarisation along religious lines is the biggest danger facing Assam. “In recent times, we have witnessed the rise of communalism and polarisation along religious lines. This is very dangerous. It will destroy the unity and harmony of the state. We want to defeat all such evil forces and work for the development of the state and the region,” AGP general secretary Kamalakanta Kalita said on 8 October.
He added that such issues will be discussed in the national political convention. “Assam is a state embracing all kinds of religious identities and divisive politics will destroy it. So, we appeal to people to join the convention,” Kalita added. The AGP leadership is hopeful that the convention will help the party in rectifying its past mistakes.
NO LAW PERMITS POLICE TO FABRICATE FALSE EVIDENCE: COURT
No law permits any police official to fabricate false evidence to prosecute a person, a court in New Delhi said on 8 October while directing filing of a complaint against two policemen for creating fake circumstance against a cab driver and accusing him of raping a minor. Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Jain ordered lodging of a complaint against two policemen – sub-inspector Chanchal and constable Jugal Kishore – for fabricating false evidence against a maxi-cab driver Lalit Ratawal. The court order came while acquitting Ratawal, accused of raping a minor girl.
“No law permits any police official to fabricate false evidence or to give false evidence to prosecute a person; rather, on the contrary, law does not permit anyone to do so and also casts a duty on the police officials to investigate a matter in accordance with law without fear and favour, thus to my mind no previous sanction is required to prosecute the above erring police officials,” the court said.
BOY, ALLEGEDLY SET ABLAZE BY ARMY MEN, DIES IN HYDERABAD
Shaik Mustafa (11), who was set ablaze allegedly by unidentified persons at Army Garrison in Mehdipatnam on 8 October, died at a private hospital the next day. Doctors, who treated the boy, told that he suffered about 80 per cent burns and his vital organs were damaged. Mustafa, a student of a Madrasa, was found lying on the ground with burns in the Army Garrison compound at First Lancer in Mehdipatnam by locals. They shifted him to Osmania General Hospital. Later, he was shifted to DRDO Apollo hospital in Santoshnagar for better treatment where he died.
On 8 October Mustafa reportedly told the OGH doctors that unidentified military men allegedly set him ablaze. A team of doctors conducted post mortem examination at the Osmania General Hospital mortuary at around 10 a.m. Later, the body was handed over to the family members. Tension escalated in the Siddiquinagar area following the news of his death. A senior police official said that three teams have been constituted to probe the incident.
AMBEDKAR’S GRANDSON WANTS POLITICAL RESERVATION FOR SCs TO BE ABOLISHED
BR Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar has suggested abolition of political reservation for the Scheduled Castes, according to reports. His reasoning for the same being, “people have started voting for Dalit candidates in elections without any bias.”
“Political reservation should be done away with because voting for a Dalit candidate is not a big issue now. But educational and services reservation should stay as Dalits still face social discrimination,” Prakash Ambedkar was quoted as saying.
GOVT OPPOSED TO DALIT STATUS FOR CONVERTS
The Centre believes that granting Dalit status to converts from Islam and Christianity would encourage religious conversions, coming out against the demand that the list of Scheduled Castes be opened up beyond Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Union social justice minister Thavar Chand Gehlot was reported as saying on 10 October. “Allowing SC status to converts would provide a fillip to religious conversions. The demand is not constitutional and we want to work within the parameters of the statute for the welfare of these communities,” he added.
The unequivocal stance indicates that the Centre may oppose the demand of dalit Christians in the Supreme Court. The issue has been hanging fire as the UPA government, in its affidavit, continuously dragged its feet in the Court.
SUBEDAR ISHRAT ALI’S FAMILY FORCED TO EVACUATE MILITARY QUARTER
Military Police on 9 October reportedly ejected forcefully the family of Subedar Maulvi Ishrat Ali of Rajputana Rifle in his absence from their quarter in Delhi cantonment. Subedar Ishrat Ali had been issued a notice for disobedience for refusing to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Mata di’ instead of ‘Jai Hind’ and had filed a petition in the High Court against the orders to evacuate immediately his quarter.
According to Shahnaz Bano when she called the police by dialling 100, military police did not let the Delhi police in. ‘After this military police called a tempo and loaded our possessions on it saying, “Go wherever you want to go”. My husband is in Bikaner and son is not home. Where will I go with my possessions? Give me at least one week but they did not budge and got us ejected from the centre. ‘No one in the 3 Raj Rif Centre helped us. Hungry and thirsty for hours we stood there but no one even offered us a glass of water.’
COMMUNISTS ALL SET TO UTILISE RELIGION
Comrades, who never lose chance to denounce religion, is now all set to utilise religion as their political agenda. So, they have started to participate in religious ceremonies and festivals in Kerala and West Bengal. There is no intention of spiritual advantage behind it but material benefit, wrote Shameem Tariq in the Urdu daily The Inquilab on 10 October.
Citing some instances, he also added that Communist workers have been directed to participate not only in religious ceremonies but also in arranging religious places. The writer briefed that “Communists must understand this reality that religious believers are also lover of mankind. They stand against every type of oppression. But, Communists keep their eyes on only those who exploit believers in the name of religion.”
GUJARAT HC SCRAPS SNOOPGATE PROBE PANEL AFTER PLEA BY WOMAN’S FATHER
The Gujarat High Court on 10 October scrapped the two-judge panel, headed by Justice (retd) Sugnya Bhatt, formed to probe into allegations of snooping on a woman by the Gujarat government and Narendra Modi. According to reports, the high court scrapped the panel after the father of the woman in question filed a petition saying it was a private matter. The panel was formed by the then Modi government in Gujarat in November 2013. It was also supposed to probe BJP president Amit Shah’s
(then Home Minister) involvement in the issue.