Tuesday, 19 May 2015

8 killed, Several Injured in a Train Tractor Collision in Uttar Pradesh

At least eight people are feared dead and several injured in an accident when a tractor trolley collided with a passengertrain today early morning. The accident happened at an unmanned railway crossing on Najibabad Kotdwar road near Samirpur in Bijnor.

Train accident, Bijnor Train accident, UP Train accident

The reports confirm that four people died on the spot, while the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

"The train was going from Najibabad to Kotdwar, it collided with the tractor at Semapur level crossing. Three people died on the spot, 23 injured were taken to Semapur hospital. 19 people were referred to district hospital, one died in this hospital and the other three are under treatment," said Shailendra Lal, a police official.

In the meanwhile, the state government has announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the family of each deceased and Rs 50 thousand to each one of the injured.

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What Does the Death of Aruna Shanbhag Signify?


What Does the Death of Aruna Shanbhag Signify?

The rape of a medical student in December 2012  and her subsequent death brought the entire country to the boiling point. We vehemently demanded action against the offenders. The impact of the incident was such that the changes were made to the existing laws and the sacrosanct matter of   juvenile offenders and their punishment was also brought to the discussion table. 

This, of course, proves that we want the justice to prevail at all costs.

Aruna Shanbaug, Aruna Shanbaug case

A nurse called Aruna Shanbhag was unnaturally raped by a ward boy at KEM hospital in Mumbai in November 1973. After satiating his erotic hunger, he stifled her with a dog chain. Assuming her dead, he left her body on the spot of the crime he had just committed.   

Others discovered Aruna 11 hours later. Till then, she had lost a lot of blood and had become paralyzed. After a few years of futile medical endeavors, she was pronounced brain-dead; she remained alive like a dead body, like a zombie. 

Aruna Shanbhag, Aruna Shanbhag case

She remained comatose for 42 years and breathed her last on 18 May, 2015. Aruna was just 26 when she faced this horrific brutality. Her perpetrator was never prosecuted with rape charges. Only charges that were slapped at him were of robbery and attempted murder.  
 
Aruna did not get justice; even her family did not accept her. However, her fellow nurses at the KEM hospital gave her a helping hand. They not just worked hard to put her in the hospital, but they took all types of responsibilities pertaining the care that she needed.     
People demonstrated their anger, they registered their protest at the calamity that befell her. In spite of all this, can it be said that she got justice? The one word answer is - no.

Aruna Shanbhag case, Aruna Shanbhag, Aruna Shanbhag rape case

The approach towards the crime against women is still very loose. There are a number of people who are of the opinion that 'four decades ago women had to go through a lot'.

Rape is perceived as a means of entertainment in our popular cinema. Even the judicial system finds fault in the behavior of the victim instead of doing the same to the victimizer.  


In the December 2012 case, all the offenders were caught and brought to justice, tried and sentenced to their respective jail terms. While all that Aruna's attacker, who unnaturally raped her and stifled her to the deathbed for 42 long years, received was a seven years of imprisonment. After serving his term, he was free to lead a peaceful life.   

Actually, he was never punished for his real crime. It is a very horrific feeling for any woman that his rapistis roaming free and might attack another helpless woman any time of his choice and convenience.  

Aruna Shanbaug, Aruna Shanbaug case, Aruna Shanbaug rape

However, the plea for Aruna's euthanasia created quite a buzz. Although, the demand was raised in good faith, it obliterated the matter of her rape and subsequent brain death. No one seemed to pay attention to the fact that any kind of physical or sexual abuse to either male of female is a seroius crime and should be dealt with stern judicial measures.

The 2012 incident changed our perspective towards rape. We were forced to acknowledge that mental approach towards such incidents is not in tune with the changing time, it is simply regressive.    

We witnessed many political and social leaders holding the victim responsible for the unfortunate incident that befell her. They blamed her for getting out late in the night. They unsuccessfully tried to justify the male ego that she paid the price for crossing the limit.

Aruna Shanbaug, Aruna Shanbaug case

Over the years, we have heard people saying that eating chawing, wearing jeans, or use of mobile phones have increased sexual harassment. Many people have tried to justify  these arguments. However, it is nothing less than a relief that the majority of the Indian society has refuted these kinds of fringe statements.       


Aruna's prolonged illness and subsequent death will always remind us that how biased and parochial our thinking is towards sexual crimes. 

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Nepal PM Koirala to Visit India Soon to Discuss Re-Building Plans for Post-Quake Nepal

Monday, 18 May 2015

Nepal PM Koirala to Visit India Soon to Discuss Re-Building Plans for Post-Quake Nepal

Prime Minister of Nepal Sushil Koirala is expected to visit India soon to discuss plans for rehabilitation and reconstruction following the most ravaging  earthquake in Nepal's history that shook the country and took more than 9000 lives.

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Nepal earthquake

"Prime Minister Koirala will soon visit India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss matters relating to rehabilitation and reconstruction works in the country on long-term basis," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development Prakash Man Singh told the media.

He further said that the Nepal PM has already received the invitation from India. Sing told the media that Koirala will visit India at an opportune time in the foreseeable future; he did not give an eact dat for the visit.

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Nepal earthquake

Sushil Koirala has been in constant contact with the Indian givernment in the wake of April 25 earthquake. The quake engulfed more than 5.00,000 houses and damaged around 8,00,000 houses.

Sushil Koirala has earlier said that the Himalayan country will need around 2 billion US dollars to reconstruct the country, which is facing the aftermats od the most grim natural calamity  its history.  

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Massive Earthquake of 7.4 magnitude Hits Nepal with Epicenter Near Kathmandu

Manoj Vashishtha encounter: Rajnath Singh Assures the Family of a Fair Probe into the Incident

The family members of Manoj Vashishtha who was killed in a police encounter last week here in Delhi, have met the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh has given them an assurance that the alleged encounter will be thoroughly probed.  

Manoj Vashishtha encounter, delhi police encounter

Priyanka, the wife of the deceased, has said, "The Home Minister assured us that he has given directions for the formation of an SIT for the case and that the post mortem will also be video graphed. He also assured us that justice will be done, we are satisfied." 

Earlier, the Delhi government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the alleged encounter that led to the demise of Manoj. 


Manoj was shot-dead last Friday night in an encounter with the Delhi Police personnel. The incident took place at the Sagar Ratna Restaurant in Delhi's Rajender Nagar locality. 

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PM Modi Reaches South Korea, the Third Leg of His Three-Nation Tour

Sunday, 17 May 2015

PM Modi Reaches South Korea, the Third Leg of His Three-Nation Tour

Modi in South korea, India and South KoreaPM Narendra Modi has arrived in Seoul, South Korea, today morning. South Korea is the third and final leg of his three-nation tour, the other two legs being China and Mongolia.

South Korean vice Foreign Minister received the PM at the airport. The PM shook hands with the members of Indian community living in the country, who greeted him with enthusiasm amid the chants of his name, "Modi, Modi".  

During his two-day visit to thecountry, the PM will hold restricted talks with South Korea President Park Geun-hye, and then he would witness an agreement signing ceremony between the two nations.

PM Modi would meet the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon today. In the evening, he will go on to attend a dinner party hosted by President Park at her official residence.

Modi in South korea, India and South Korea

Tomorrow, PM would attend the sixth Asian Leadership Conference at the Shilla Hotel in the city; he would then take a tour of the Cheonggyecheon Stream. He will then meet the top-businessmen of the country in the afternoon. The PM will leave for Delhi in the evening.

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Goodwill Between India and Mongolia Significant for Asia-Pacific: PM Modi

Bihar Assembly Elections Will Be Held in September-October: Election Commission

Bihar Assembly Elections Will Be Held in September-October: Election Commission

election commission of india logo, Bihar assembly electionTerming it the mother of all elections, the Chief Election Commissioner of India Nasim Zaidi said that the assembly elections in Bihar would be held in September-October. The election commission (EC) has not finalized the schedule yet.

He said that the EC would have to take into account several things such as the weather conditions, festivals, exams, holidays, heavy monsoon, heavy rains, and floods before releasing the exact dates for the assembly elections. Zaidi did not give any info about the number of phases in which the elections will be carried out.

 BIhar Assembly elections, Date for bihar assembly elections
“Abuse of money is a big problem in Bihar. Therefore, this time we are going in for more systematic efforts. Certain legal amendments are yet to come from the Law Ministry. But within our powers, we have launched expenditure monitoring,” Zaidi told the media.

He said that the EC would map all the constituencies of Bihar into three categories. Police forces will be deployed in the most sensitive areas right on time.   

bihar assembly election 2015, Data for bihar elections

“…we will identify this time persons who serve as a channel for distributing bribe or for distribution of liquor, distribution of gifts. This assessment is still going on and we hope to come up with a re-strategised expenditure monitoring which we will roll out at an appropriate time,” said the Chief Election Commissioner.
Bihar assembly elections, BJP logo 


The BJP is all set to fight the combined strength of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitesh Kumar in the coming assembly elections. On one hand, these elections would be an acid test for Narendar Modi's wave  of popularity, and on the other, Lalu-Nitesh will be fighting for survival this time. A defeat in the assembly elections would political death for both Lalu and Nitesh.

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Goodwill Between India and Mongolia Significant for Asia-Pacific: PM Modi