Posts tagged ‘Bihar’

27/02/2015

Mufti-Modi meeting clears decks for BJP-PDP government in J&K – The Hindu

Decks were cleared for the first ever formation of a BJP-PDP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir following a “historic” meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PDP chief Mufti Mohammed Sayeed where the two leaders gave their approval for a common minimum programme (CMP) for governance. The swearing-in will be on March 1.

PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: PIB

Clearly the PDP expects the NDA government to resume dialogue process with Pakistan and Hurriyat leaders as Mr. Sayeed emphasised, after the meeting, the need to engage with Islamabad. The government, he said, must take off from where former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee left when he had extended a hand of friendship to the then Pakistan leadership. “History has given us another chance. We want to repeat history.’’

“It was a war of nerves,” he admitted to a questioner when asked about the BJP and the PDP reconciling two extreme ideologies but added that “common ground has been found” and both sides were “flexible”.

Repeating the BJP slogan of sab ka saath sab ka vikas, he said, the Prime Minister has won the mandate of the people of the country and has full legitimacy to decide on this alliance and adding that “this had to be done’”.

“We will now give a healing touch to the State,” he said.

via Mufti-Modi meeting clears decks for BJP-PDP government in J&K – The Hindu.

02/03/2014

The Right to Inherit Isn’t Working for Indian Women, Says U.N. Study – India Real Time – WSJ

As their husbands, fathers, and brothers migrate to cities in search of work, women across India have become the backbone of the country’s agricultural sector.  Nearly 80% of all rural women in India labor in the fields.

A study released Sunday by United Nations Women India and Landesa, a  U.S.-headquartered nonprofit working to improve land rights for women and men, found that despite their time spent working in orchards, cotton fields, and rice paddies, and changes to inheritance laws, women rarely inherit the land that has sustained them and that they have sustained.

In 2005, the government of India amended its inheritance laws to ensure daughters enjoyed equal rights to inherit their parent’s land and property. But the law seems to be having little impact.

The survey of more than 1,400 women and 360 men in agricultural districts with large numbers of women farmers in three Indian states, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, found that just one in eight women whose parents own agricultural land inherit any of it.

This has significance far beyond intra-family squabbles over divvying up the family fortune. It is fundamental to India’s rural development and progress on a host of development indicators.

Simply, if women farm the land but don’t own it, they are little more than migrant laborers tilling fields owned by others. Without legal control over the land, or any documentation that they have rights to the ground they farm, they can’t access institutional credit, such as bank loans.  Nor can they take advantage of agricultural extension programs, such as government offers of subsidized seeds and fertilizers. All of this stymies agricultural development.

It also limits agricultural production. This doesn’t just mean women have fewer tools for climbing out of poverty, it can also mean that their children are stuck there too: Researchers have found that women simply direct more of their income than men towards their children’s education and nutrition, which in turn lowers child mortality and helps reduce diseases of poverty.

The 2005,  Hindu Succession Amendment Act giving sons and daughters equal rights to inheriting family land and property was heralded as an important step forward for India’s women.

The study published Sunday, is the first substantial evaluation of the impact of that amendment and indicates that many women have yet to benefit from the legal changes.

via The Right to Inherit Isn’t Working for Indian Women, Says U.N. Study – India Real Time – WSJ.

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08/02/2014

Maoists torch 10 vehicles of road construction company in Bihar – The Times of India

MUZAFFARPUR: Armed Maoists torched ten vehicles of a private road construction company at a village in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district.

About 200 armed Maoists stormed the workshop of the JMB construction company at Misraulia village late Friday night and vandalized the camp before torching ten vehicles, Senior Superintendent of Police Saurabh Kumar said.

The attack took place as they did not fulfil their demand for levy, he said.

Kumar said a case has been registered against unidentified Maoists in this connection.

via Maoists torch 10 vehicles of road construction company in Bihar – The Times of India.

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14/01/2014

Another ancient university’s remains found in Bihar – The Times of India

Remains of an ancient university have been discovered in Bihar, which is home to Nalanda and Vikramshila universities, officials said on Tuesday.

Main stupa of Sariputta in the ancient Nalanda...

Main stupa of Sariputta in the ancient Nalanda University, Bihar, India. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

\”We have discovered remains of another ancient university at the Buddhist monastery site of Telhara in Nalanda district,\” Atul Kumar Verma, director of state archaeology, told IANS.

Telhara was visited by Chinese traveller Heuen Tsang in the 7th century AD, and it was mentioned as \”Teleadaka\” in his account, Verma said.

Describing it as a major discovery for Bihar\’s history, Verma told IANS over telephone that remains of \”Tiladhak\” ancient university are spread in a big area and will take more time for full excavation – just like Nalanda where the excavation took years.

\”It is a positive development in the field of excavation in Bihar. After discovery of remains of 4th century ancient Nalanda and 8th century Vikramshila university, this is the discovery of remains of third ancient university in the state,\” Verma said.

Verma said that Tiladhak ancient university was set up in 5th century during the Gupta period.

via Another ancient university’s remains found in Bihar – The Times of India.

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02/01/2014

Calcutta anger as double gang-rape victim set on fire and burns to death | South China Morning Post

An Indian teenager who was gang-raped in two separate attacks has died after being set on fire, sparking protests in Calcutta.

rape_parent.jpg

The girl, 16, was assaulted on October 26 and again the day after by a group of more than six men near her family\’s home in Madhyagram town, just north of the city.

The second rape occurred as she was returning home after reporting the first attack at a police station.

A rape victim\’s dead body is covered in floral tributes before a protest march in Calcutta on January 1. Photo: EPA

She was set on fire on December 23 and died in hospital late on New Year\’s Eve, police said.

\”She gave us a dying declaration in front of the health officials that she had been set on fire by two people who were close to the accused when she was alone at home on December 23,\” local policeman Nimbala Santosh Uttamrao said.

Police made their first arrests on Wednesday, two months after the initial crime, local police chief Rajiv Kumar said.

\”The accused tried to kill my daughter by setting her on fire to hush up their crimes,\” the victim\’s father, a migrant taxi driver from India\’s poorest state, Bihar, said. Neither he nor the victim can be named for legal reasons.

Several hundred activists on Wednesday protested in Calcutta over the crime, which was shocking in its brutality, even after a year when sex crimes were widely reported in India.

Rampant rape, assault and harassment of women in India were in the spotlight in the past 12 months after the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in December 2012 sparked nationwide outrage.

The parliament has since passed tougher laws to punish rapists.

Despite the reforms, new cases of rape continue to be reported daily from across the country in the Indian press.

Activists say rape victims in India often face severe threats and intimidation from their attackers after the assault, while police often discourage them from lodging complaints.

via Calcutta anger as double gang-rape victim set on fire and burns to death | South China Morning Post.

03/10/2013

India corruption: Laloo Prasad Yadav jailed for five years – BBC News

Former Indian railways minister Laloo Prasad Yadav has been sentenced to five years in prison in a notorious case known as the “fodder scam“.

Laloo Prasad Yadav (C) arrives in court in the eastern Indian city of Ranchi on September 30, 2013

He was jailed on Monday after being found guilty of embezzling state funds intended to buy food for cattle while he was Bihar state chief minister.

He has always denied the allegations. His family has said he will appeal.

The sentencing is seen as a landmark step in tackling corruption in India where it is a major national issue.

Yadav now becomes one of the first politicians to lose his parliamentary seat after a recent Supreme Court ruling which bans convicted legislators from holding office.

On Wednesday, the government withdrew a controversial order which would have overturned the Supreme Court ruling and allowed

via BBC News – India corruption: Laloo Prasad Yadav jailed for five years.

23/09/2013

Food security law may leave out many dalits, tribals

Times of India: “A good number of dalits and tribals may be left out of the ambit of the ambitious Food Security Act, with the socio-economic caste census reporting lesser number of households of the two communities than found by the decennial census, a fraught prospect that has led to jitters in the government.

As per the preliminary figures of socio-economic caste census (survey),1702 tehsils across 27 states have fewer SCs and STs than found in the decennial population census 2011. The census figures of SC/ST population exceed the survey numbers by 1%.

It implies that fewer SCs/STs would be part of the poverty list to be shortlisted by the much-awaited survey. Once finalized, the survey is to serve as the blue book of poor households for entitlement schemes and its first big use would be in the implementation of food security scheme that Congress has called a “game-changer”.

The discrepancy has been found in the poorest states like Bihar (124 tehsils), Madhya Pradesh (163), Odisha (132) as also in Andhra Pradesh (450) and Maharashtra (154). However, the absolute number of households in Andhra is not high because the tehsils are small in size, sources said.

According to sources, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has shot off letters to 26 chief ministers and the administrator of Daman and Diu, seeking proactive initiative to detect omissions.”

via Food security law may leave out many dalits, tribals – The Times of India.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/political-factors/indian-tensions/

09/09/2013

India has 40% of world’s child brides, survey finds

Times of India: “Jhumki’s (name changed) red and white sakha-pola (wedding bangles) and sindoor jar sharply with her starched uniform. She was forced by her father to marry when she was barely 11 but she feels lucky to be allowed to attend school.

Is this a Child Marriage in 2009?

Is this a Child Marriage in 2009? (Photo credit: Nagarick)

Forty-six per cent of women (between the ages of 18 and 29) in India were married before the age of 18, according to the National Family Health Survey-3. It is estimated that there are 23 million child brides in the country, around 40% of child brides globally. Global human rights NGO Breakthrough, working in districts of Hazaribagh and Gaya (in Bihar) and Ranchi in Jharkhand found that over 60% of women between the ages of 20-24 were married before 18.

Breakthrough, which launched its ‘Nation Against Early Marriage’ campaign in Ranchi recently, has so far reached 35,000 women and expects to expand the campaign nationwide and target 100,000 women in the coming months. The NGO — which had spearheaded the successful ‘bell bajao’ campaign against domestic violence — hopes to change the culture that drives and perpetuates early marriage to replace it with one where the lives, rights and personhood of girls is valued. Worldwide, 60 million girls become child brides every year, of which around 30 million belong to South Asia alone.”

via India has 40% of world’s child brides, survey finds – The Times of India.

08/05/2013

* Indian government to deploy 10,000 more personnel in four states to fight Maoists

Times of India: “With the government moving towards a fight to finish war against Maoists in Red Zone, the Union home ministry has decided to deploy additional 10 bBattalions (10,000 personnel) of paramilitary forces in four highly naxal-affected states — Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar.

CRPF, Central Reserve Police Force (www.crpf.n...

CRPF, Central Reserve Police Force (www.crpf.nic.in), Group Centre Pune, at Talegaon, on Old Mumbai Pune Highway (NH4) (Photo credit: Ravi Karandeekar)

Five (5,000 personnel) out of the 10 battalions will be drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) while the remaining five will be spared by SSB, BSF and ITBP for anti-naxal operations.

Disclosing the decision in response to a Parliament question, the ministry said that the additional 10 battalions had been sanctioned on the basis of requests made by the respective state for stepping up operations against the Red Ultras.

At present, a total number of 532 companies (53,200 personnel) of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the seven Maoist-affected states — Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.

Officials in the ministry said that Jharkhand — which is currently under the President’s rule — would see the maximum deployment where the security forces had already been engaged in intensive operations against the Red Ultras under the leadership of ex-CRPF chief K Vijay Kumar who is posted there as one of the advisors of the state governor.

“Idea is to continue the intensive operations against Maoists before the onset of Monsoon in these states”, said an official.”

via Government to deploy 10,000 more personnel in four states to fight Maoists – The Times of India.

17/11/2012

* Muslims help in construction of Hindu temple in Bihar

It is gratifying to learn that Hindu-Muslim relationships are not always about antipathy and violence.

Times of India: “While violence over the expansion of a Hindu temple near Charminar in Muslim-dominated Hyderabad’s Old City is hogging media attention, in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, Muslims have been quietly helping Hindus construct a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, ahead of the Chhath festival.

Muslims help in construction of Hindu temple in Bihar

“Muslims are not only donating money for temple construction, they are also actively involved in ensuring that it should come up soon,” Rajkishore Raut, president of the Shiva Temple Construction Committee, told IANS.

Raut, a school teacher, said the construction of the temple was a fine example of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.

Mohammad Sadre Alam Khan, a villager, said that dozens of Muslims, including village head Akbari Khatoon, have contributed in one way or another for the construction of the temple.

“This is a positive development for the village as a whole,” Khan said.

Another villager, Lalbabu Sah, said that villagers of both the communities were working jointly for the construction of the temple.

“The construction of the temple will strengthen harmony between the two communities and pave the way for greater cooperation in future,” Sah told IANS.

Sitamarhi town, which had a history of communal conflict, witnessed rioting in the mid-1990s. Muslims comprise around 16 percent of the 105 million people of Bihar.

Just months ago, Muslims observing Ramadan helped in the construction of a Jain temple in Bhagalpur town in the state.

Mohammad Janeshar Akhtar even demolished a portion of his house in Bhagalpur to enable the movement of a 70-foot truck laden with a granite stone block meant for an idol in the temple.

Other Muslims had helped widen the street so that the vehicle could reach the temple without difficulty.

Earlier this year, some Muslims had helped in building a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Durga in Bihar’s Gaya district.

Muslims there not only donated money but engaged in the actual construction of the temple.

Earlier, a Muslim had donated land for a temple dedicated to god Shiva in Begusarai district. Mohammad Fakhrool Islam had given his land for the temple in the Muslim-dominated Bachwara village.

via Muslims help in construction of Hindu temple in Bihar – The Times of India.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/political-factors/indian-tensions/

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