Tag: Society

Civil society groups seek help from opposition parties to ‘save’ MGNREGA

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New Delhi: Alleging that the NDA government is on its way to gradually doing away with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), many civil society groups and labour organisations have appealed to opposition parties to support their demands for an increase in budgetary allocation for the scheme.
In a briefing held for the Members of Parliament on March 14 at the Deputy Speakers Hall, Constitution Club, New Delhi, the civil society members urged them to raise the issues of crores of labourers and workers who have “not been paid since December 2021”.
They highlighted the issue of inadequate funding, adverse changes in the attendance system as well as the method of payment. The broad aim of the briefing was to help MPs defend peoples’ right to work under the MGNREGA.
MPs of the opposition parties who attended the event were Sanjay Singh (Aam Aadmi Party), Digvijaya Singh, Uttam Kumar Reddy and Kumar Ketkar (Congress Party), S. Senthilkumar (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), Jawhar Sircar (All India Trinamool Congress Party) among others.
They deliberated upon the ways to force the government to enhance budgetary allocation and reverse the recent amendments in the mode of payment which has proved “disastrous” to the interest of workers.
Beginning the presentation, Jean Dr ze, visiting Professor at Ranchi University, alleged that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has unleashed an unprecedented three-pronged attack on MGNREGA — inadequate funding, the introduction of an Aadhar-based Payment System (ABPS) and the inception of a real-time attendance system through the National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) app.
Prof Dreze claimed that this year’s funding is only Rs 60,000 crore which is the lowest allocation ever in the history of the programme.
“Funds run out and projects come to a halt. The wages get delayed and are accumulated for months,” Prof Dreze said, adding that the introduction of digital attendance has deprived the workers of their wages due to technical and network glitches.

“Aadhar-based Payment is so complicated system that even many bankers fail to understand its functionality and the majority of workers cannot be paid through this system. It is illegal and criminal not to pay wages to workers for the work that they have done” he added.
Other speakers who expressed their concerns and shared the problems of workers were Nikhil Dey (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Rajasthan), James Herenj (NREGA Watch, Jharkhand), Ashish Ranjan (Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, Bihar), Richa Singh (Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, UP), Anuradha Talwar (Paschim Bangal Khet Mazdoor Samiti, West Bengal) and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan among others.
They presented testimonies to show that the Aadhar-based Payment and Mobile Monitoring Software App are “depriving a large number of workers of payment” of wages to them. They said that according to the data from the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), only 43 per cent of NREGA workers are eligible for ABPS.
“The current changes in MGNREGA impact 15 crore workers across the country which is a huge number. We want a political response from opposition parties to support people on the ground to give them their rights under the law,” Dey said.
Civil society members requested MPs to issue a Privilege Notice in Parliament to demand an explanation from the Rural Development Minister on his remarks to the media suggesting that the state government should also contribute to the wage liability under the programme, contrary to the provisions of MGNREGA.
Assuring the civil society members of full support, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said that workers’ plight is genuine.
“The intent of this government is always opposed to the ideals of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005. They are cutting down all social service budgets. I am all for the support which is expected from us,” he said.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the BJP government admitted in Parliament while responding to his questions that the dues of states under MGNREGA run over Rs 3,000 crore.
“It is very surprising to know that out of guaranteed 100 days of work, the labourers are getting only 34 days of work due to lack of adequate funds. We will raise the issue in Parliament but at the same time we should also think about starting a people’s movement,” he suggested.
Other MPs also pledged support and said they will do their level best to help highlight the plights of the workers.
MGNREGA Sangharsh Morcha is a coalition of organisations working with rural labourers and workers around the country. It is in the midst of a 100-day dharna at Jantar Mantar, to protest against “recent attacks” on the scheme.
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#Civil #society #groups #seek #opposition #parties #save #MGNREGA
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 15, 2023
Telangana’s Red Cross Society wing spreads awareness on do’s, don’ts of CPR

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Hyderabad: A cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) awareness programme was organised by the Telangana branch of the Indian Red Cross Society in collaboration with the Press Club of Hyderabad on Monday.
Live demonstration on the dos and don’ts while performing CPR was carried out at the program that saw attendees including the chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society, Telangana, Ajay Misra, head of the Emergency Medicine Department at NIMS, Dr Ashima Sharma.
The chief guest for the event was Ajay Misra, chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society-Telangana. The keynote address was delivered by Dr Ashima Sharma, head of the Emergency Medicine Department at NIMS, Hyderabad.
Ajay Misra while speaking as the chief guest of the event said, “Today, every 60 seconds, about 112 cardiac arrests take place, out of which 80 percent of them take place outside hospital settings where immediate medical help is not available.”
“Less than 2 percent of the people are aware about the concept of CPR, out of this number also, a small percentage of them can give effective CPR treatment to the patient,” he added.
The Telangana chapter of the Indian Red Cross Society in the coming months will be organising at least one CPR programme in every district of Telangana.
Dr Ashima Sharma, while delivering her keynote address said, “Training people is important because we need a large number of first responders so that the golden hour of survival can be utilised before medical help reaches the patient.”
“The first job is to dial 108 and ask for an ambulance and then perform CPR after identifying if the person is conscious or not as the procedure only works if the person is unconscious, do not bother and waste time checking the pulse, that is the doctor’s job,” she added.

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#Telanganas #Red #Cross #Society #wing #spreads #awareness #dos #donts #CPR
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 14, 2023
Narco-Terror Is One Of The Biggest Threats To Society: LG Sinha

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SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said that the Narco- Terrorism has become a potential threat to our society.
While attending the Attestation cum Passing out Parade of Recruit Constables of 29th BRTC Batch at S.Prithinandan Singh Police Training School, in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, LG Sinha said the JK police and army are committed to deal with challenges of narco terror in a comprehensive manner.
The Lt Governor congratulated and welcomed the new recruits to one of the finest police forces in the country.
I am confident that you will discharge your responsibility towards the nation with utmost sensitivity, commitment and dedication, added the Lt Governor.
“The integrity, dedication and professionalism of JK Police are pivotal in the fight against terrorism. We all take pride in the excellence & professionalism displayed by J&K Police in handling narco-terrorism and enforcing the rule of law,” said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor stressed upon the future-ready policing strategies to tackle the new forms of internal security challenges.
“These are challenging times for our police forces as the world today is facing conventional & non-conventional threats and we need to be vigilant,” the Lt Governor said.
“We believe in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and peaceful coexistence. There is no place for subversive elements in a civilized society,” observed the Lt Governor.

Today, Narco-Terrorism has become one of the biggest threats to the society. The UT Administration, J&K Police and our Security Forces are committed to dealing with challenges of narco terror in a comprehensive manner
J&K UT is on the march and is being transformed. It is our sacred duty to provide a safe, secure and right environment to fulfill the aspirations of the common man, he said. (KNO)

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#NarcoTerror #Biggest #Threats #Society #Sinha
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 3, 2023
“Comedy must be constantly changing, like society”

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Taking advantage of her great professional moment on both radio and television, comedian Eva Soriano (32 years old, Reus, Tarragona) returns to the small screen with ‘Showriano’, a Movistar Plus+ format (premiering on Wednesday, March 1), produced by El Terrat (The Mediapro Studio), which will have his personal label and in which he will gather well-known guests every week on a set turned into a nightclub, where there will be no shortage of improvisation, humor and music together with a piano. The presenter takes on her second solo professional challenge after ‘La noche D’ on TVE.
How did you get convinced to present this project?
They gave me carte blanche. As the name of the program itself indicates, the idea was developed by El Terrat, Movistar Plus+ and me. In this format there is a lot of me. I like to do entertainment and when they told me that I wanted to do it, I said of course.
-How are we going to notice his seal?
–To begin with, the name is already a declaration of intent. Nobody can present the program but me, because then it would be crazy. I am part of the whole gear and the conception of space. I feel great because they consult me and ask, and that doesn’t always happen. Here is a proposal in which they told me that this was made for me, to have a good time. It’s like the most expensive prom party in history.
–We see him sing in all the programs he presents. Do you have that thorn stuck in not having dedicated yourself to music?
I am a frustrated singer. All part of the frustration. I sing in all the productions I do, both in theater and on radio. I do it from love. I am not a professional singer, but all the productions will be from the program, so that it is the common thread for the viewers.
–Is it more complicated to make humor and comedy through music?

It’s complicated, it’s insane and it’s crazy. What are we going to do? Also. There’s a part of the show that’s going to be improvised, and that’s completely real. We are not going to know the story that the people who want us to make a song to suit them are going to bring us. I think that’s the basis of comedy. Something improvised that turns out well is the host and incredible, everyone celebrates it, but sometimes it also turns out to be crap. Failure is also the basis of comedy. In the risk is the adventure and improvisation is what it has.
Do you have any tricks in case you go blank during an improvisation?
–Basically, the output that never fails me is an assonant rhyme with pot, cunt or something like that. There are certain tools that you know will make you laugh. If I see myself between a rock and a hard place, I’m going to use them.
–It is your second television project after ‘La noche D’ (TVE). Do you feel that you have learned to present a great show like this?
-Yes and no. ‘La noche D’ helped me to get to know myself as a professional and to know what I like and what I don’t. And, above all, it was a school. However, ‘Showriano’ has an added risk, which is that it is a very mine project, in which I am on top of it and have participated actively. There are some added nerves that I did not have on TVE. And here I have a responsibility that I did not have in other programs.
–He debuted on a general channel, where the battle for the audience is more cruel. Is it better to work on a payment platform without such high pressure for data?
–I think that almost all my colleagues will agree that we cannot work with figures. It is not a mathematical science. The numbers are what they are, and of course we have to accept the audiences, but you can’t work that way thinking for people to see it because in the end you are killing creativity, which is the art of this profession. I am not in favor of giving too much importance to audiences because I would be doing things to please and that is not good because it puts you in a dynamic that leaves you without personality.
Good moment
–It closed the previous year without stopping chaining projects. Are you taking advantage of your good moment?
–My main problem is that I like almost everything I do. Every project I do compensates me in some way. If you start with a bit of enthusiasm, you always work better. But it’s true, I’m not going to deny it, in which there are days when I end up exhausted. That later I take a nap and move on? Well too. I think that you have to take advantage of the good times, without going crazy, because there is a point of mental health that you have to take care of. I take it as a long-distance race in which you have to be there and train more and more, but taking into account what you like.
–Josema Yuste complained that she could no longer make jokes with homosexuals. Do you think that humor should advance or be a boundless terrain?
–As a comedian you cannot set subjective limits. In the end, what we do is humor from our experiences and we live in a society. There is a review point towards your person that must be constant. Just like I’m saying this now, I can skate tomorrow too because I’m human, as Chenoa would say. I conceive of comedy as something that must be constantly changing like society. If it changes, your speech must also evolve. As an individual I have to do a job in which I have to progress.
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#Comedy #constantly #changing #society
( With inputs from : pledgetimes.com )

February 27, 2023
Div Com, Commissioner SMC Hold Meeting With Trade Federations And Civil Society Bodies

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SRINAGAR: The Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri and Commissioner SMC, Athar Aamir Khan along with senior officials from Srinagar Municipal Corporation on Saturday held a detailed meeting and discussion with the representatives of various trade federations to discuss the proposed property tax within Srinagar Municipal limits.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Kashmir Hoteliers Association, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industries, KCIF, KTMF, CCIK, Kashmir Economic Alliance and many other trade federations and civil society bodies attended the meeting.
Div Com and Commissioner SMC gave a detailed presentation to all stakeholders about the property tax. The process and method of property tax calculation was discussed with the members present.
It was impressed that the property tax adopted by J&K is a progressive model. The tax to be collected will go into the account of the local bodies only and will be used for the development of the respective city only. The Tax rates are among the lowest in the country, they informed.
The members present calculated the model test cases of commercial as well as residential properties.
The tax is to be paid annually not monthly and Residential properties up to 1000 sqft have been exempted from the tax so are the agricultural land and the religious places.
The tax slabs have been kept in a very progressive manner so that the distributive Justice is taken care of.
Meanwhile, the property tax will be effective from 1st April, 2023.

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#Div #Commissioner #SMC #Hold #Meeting #Trade #Federations #Civil #Society #Bodies
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

February 26, 2023
IOS organises two-day conference on “Indian Muslims and Plural Society”

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New Delhi: Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi, organised a two-day National Conference on “Indian Muslims and Plural Society” in hybrid mode from February 15 – 16.
Inaugural session
The inaugural session commenced with Prof Haseena Hashia, Assistant Secretary General, IOS, welcoming the guests and participants.
Prof M.H Qureshi, an eminent Geographer, talked about India witnessing numerous migrations over the last several centuries. “We have Nordics, Mediterranean, and Mongols—people from Central Asia, Persia and even Arabs who arrived in India through its southern-western coastal region. Therefore, India has immense diversity, he said.
He said that the Arabs came to the Kerala coast and brought many traditions that became part and parcel of India.
Professor Mehrajuddin Mir, former Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir, said that the concept of pluralism was how to live together, tolerate others’ thoughts and ideas, and even understand opponents’ miseries for solutions to live in diversity. All religions have various sects, and thus, their practices differ. The conflicts are, therefore, intra-religious, interreligious and social, he noted.
Professor Mir quoted Indian Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, who recently spoke about how one Imam and one Pundit shaped his career to understand brotherhood and oneness.
Professor Akhtarul Wasey, former President, Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in his presidential address, said that Muslims came to India as traders and invaders. But once they came here, they delved into the culture and traditions of India and became one who enriched the nation to encourage pluralism. Muslims have contributed to India’s prosperity.
He said that how Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam became a global personality of Indian origin—a Muslim. The country couldn’t think of its missile programme without his theoretical contributions, he said.

Technical Session I
The 1st Technical Session began with the theme, “Genesis of Pluralism in India.” Professor Arshi Khan, Department of Political Science, AMU, Aligarh, as Moderator & Chairperson.
Dr. Ram Puniyani, Human Rights Activist and Writer, said, “There is a misconception in the country, especially against Muslims.” The alliance of civilizations defines plurality. Religions don’t have any nationality. They are universal. The Kings in India, whether Muslim or Hindu, ruled the nation for centuries with people of different faiths as their core governance teams. There was nothing like Muslim Kings or Hindu kings then, he explained.
He observed that calling Indian cultures as Hindu is a bigoted idea. Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad brought secular spirits into the country. We have Sufi and Bhakti traditions that describe the morality of religions and humanity in India.
Professor Mohammad Sohrab, MMA Jauhar Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, described pluralism as a definition both from a conceptual and theoretical perspective. Primarily a religious and moral philosophy, pluralism was the acceptance of diversity. It is more than tolerance of differences. The conception of ‘We’ was essential to assess pluralism through organic social bonding. Pluralism in the Islamic context of acceptance and the country’s scenario today should be understood in the context of how the nation’s spirit developed in Madinah during the time of the Prophet, he elaborated.
He said that pluralism demands that your neighbour be considered an asset, not a liability. Diversity with pluralism creates resilience, but diversity without pluralism brings disaster, he concluded.
Gurtej Singh, IAS, Chandigarh, spoke about how India’s constitutional and political federalism paved the way for the constitution. The atrocities against Sikhs and their resistance were part of history, he said. The examples of pluralism can be understood from the Guru Granth of Sikh religion.
His book Sikh and Indian Civilization sheds light on how Sikhs were projected during partition.
Sanjay K. Rai, a social activist from Lucknow, mentioned that “diversity doesn’t accept dictators.” He highlighted the importance of multicultural societies. Linguistic Pluralism was the need of the hour in today’s context. Societies with pluralism also impact by technological growth. Communities can’t be defined through one particular race or culture. He felt that there can’t be nation-building and growth without taking Muslims along who constitute 15-20% population in India. The One Nation, One Culture concept can only work in some countries. One can’t find books on Hitler in Germany today. Mussolini’s home has been destroyed in his country as people don’t want him to be remembered. It symbolizes how those going against pluralism perish from the leaflets of history, he concluded.
Mr. Gurdeep Singh, a Sikh leader from Bhatinda, Punjab, stressed that it was high time to focus on the future, in view of the experiences of the past and present to grow in a plural society. Mistakes could be there in the past, but remembering those only won’t solve the purpose. It will hinder progress. He warned that today’s rulers in India were breaking the very ascent of Indian culture and unity.
He said that when Kashmiri Muslims are tortured, others in the country feel their pain.
Dr. Lubna Naaz from the Department of Islamic Studies, Women’s College, AMU, spoke on “An Islamic Perspective on Peaceful Coexistence.”
Technical Session-II
Focused on the theme, Role of Islam to Strengthen Pluralism in India, the Technical Session II started under the Chairperson, Professor M. Ishaque from the Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia.
Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani, Former General Secretary, All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Delhi, highlighted that two things are required to be properly understood: the Creator, and the Creator’s motive. He said that Sufis always made one feel the independence to think and lead life. Islam always propagates the rights of neighbours, relatives and much more. Sufi Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti wore similar dresses like Indian Sadhus to ascertain people of his time, irrespective of their religious faiths, connected with him.
He said that Swami Dayanand and Raja Ram Mohan Roy kept Hindu philosophy out of their movements but promoted social reforms in the societies applicable to all faiths for social betterment. “Faith is vital, like Allah’s mercy, unlike social practices that change with time,” he said. India’s beauty was in its diversity of religious thoughts. In pre-Islam Arab tribes kept fighting for generations on a single issue of their forefathers, but the scenario has changed. Islam accepts variety in pluralism, from religious to traditional to social practices. Islam as a religion must not change its basic principles. It is a Sanatan religion with firm principles, he concluded.
Prof Faheem Akhtar Nadvi, Head of the Department of Islamic Studies, MANUU, Hyderabad, emphasized that the role of Islam in strengthening pluralism in India is vital. Pluralism is a society where people of all religions reside and respect each other. India is one of the best examples where pluralism has stayed for centuries. He emphasized that India will grow only when pluralism is projected in practice.
To be Continued..
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#IOS #organises #twoday #conference #Indian #Muslims #Plural #Society
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 25, 2023
Trial of the ‘Hong Kong 47’ symbolises China’s attempts to dissolve civil society

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When Hong Kong police arrested dozens of pro-democracy politicians, lawyers, scholars, journalists, NGO workers and activists in early morning raids across the city on 6 January 2021, a sense of terror spread across the city.
Under Beijing’s new national security law, the most influential members of Hong Kong’s civil society were accused of “conspiring to subvert state power” by holding primaries for pro-democracy candidates in the Hong Kong legislative election.
In the following months, many who had been active in pro-democracy activities fled the city. Some who tried to escape got arrested at the airport.
Observers say the current trial of the group, who came to be known as the “Hong Kong 47”, symbolises the death of the city’s civil society and is an extension of Xi Jinping’s crackdown on their mainland Chinese counterparts. During Xi’s decade in power, China’s fledgling civil society has almost completely dissolved after a series of crackdown on human rights lawyers, liberal scholars, journalists, NGO workers and underground churches.
Chinese authorities want to send the same chilling message to Hong Kong that, as on the mainland, critical voices deemed a threat to the regime will be severely dealt with, veteran Chinese activists say.
“The Communist Party believes civil society is a threat to a dictatorial regime. They need to crackdown on the most outspoken voices in society because those are the free voices that refuse to bow to government control,” said Dr Teng Biao, a former mainland rights lawyer who called for the abolition of death penalty and has himself been detained in extralegal “black jail.”
“[The party] feared the influence of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movements and liberalism would spread to mainland China,” said Teng, now a visiting professor at the University of Chicago. He noted Hong Kong’s pro-democracy groups have supported mainland dissidents and their families for decades and staged vigils to commemorate victims in the Tiananmen crackdown for 30 years.
Among those arrested were Hong Kong’s most outspoken figures in its previously robust civil society. They include legal scholar Benny Tai, a key initiator of the primaries, dozens of pro-democracy lawmakers and district councillors, journalist-turned-lawmaker Claudia Mo, young activists Joshua Wong, Tiffany Yuen and journalist Gwyneth Ho, as well as political novices such as Winnie Yu, a health worker unionist and Mike Lam, founder of a retail chain.

Former law professor Benny Tai, a key figure in Hong Kong’s 2014 Occupy Central protests who was arrested under Hong Kong’s national security law, is escorted by correctional services officers. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
“We believed we were doing something open and transparent, how could we have guessed [the authorities’] ridiculous, twisted mentality?” said Ted Hui, an opposition lawmaker who fled Hong Kong just a month before the mass arrests. Hui, who faced a raft of criminal charges over the 2019 anti-government protests, said he too would have been arrested if he had not escaped.
In the following months, more than 50 civil groups including unions, rights groups, independent media outlets and political parties shut down, often after being contacted by so-called “middlemen” who delivered threats or admonishments.
Since the national security law was imposed, more than 230 people have been arrested on national security charges, including newspaper editors following police raids on outspoken media outlets such as Apple Daily and the Stand News. Politically sensitive books have disappeared from bookshops and libraries.
Chang Ping, an influential mainland Chinese writer who was fired from the state-owned Southern Weekend newspaper for his liberal views and denied a work visa in Hong Kong, said the city was now experiencing a “condensed” version of China’s crackdown.
He noted how the Chinese authorities crackdown on not only political activities but also the non-political initiatives aimed at raising people’s consciousness of rights. Groups that have been closed included those advocating patients’ rights, education rights and gender equality.
“They are repeating this pattern (of crackdown) in Hong Kong as they fear this sense of rights will extend to political demands,” Chang said.
William Nee, a researcher at US-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders, said the Chinese leadership “go after what they see as the ultimate source of instability in Hong Kong – anyone dedicated to electoral democracy, anyone opposed to their authoritarian rule.”
“Going after the most vocal and capable pro-democracy leaders is a way to systematically crush dissent and instil fear in the population,” he said.
In the short term, the government has succeeded in “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” – silencing critics by making an example of the most outspoken ones.
“Those going to trial may be detained for two or three more years before final judgement, so the government can’t lose in its effort to wipe out the leadership of civil society even if the court of final appeal should ultimately grant acquittal to an accused,” said China law expert Jerome Cohen at New York University, on the 47.
Staff members from Hong Kong’s Apple Daily pose at newspaper’s headquarters in June 2021. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
Sociologist Prof Chung Kim-wah, who fled Hong Kong last year after receiving threats from national security police over his independent opinion polls, believed the crackdown in Hong Kong has been even more intense than in China in the past few years, with more than 10,000 arrested over a range of public order charges over their involvement in the 2019 anti-government protests.
Chung said he expected prosecutions to intensify in the years to come “to frighten and intimidate more people into silence.”
Eva Pils, a law professor at King’s College London, said “by trying to understand these trials in mainland Chinese terms, we are beginning to normalise political persecution in Hong Kong – which is no doubt what the central authorities want us to do.”
But observers say that Hong Kong civil society’s strong roots cannot be so easily eradicated.
Hong Kong’s robust civil society has enjoyed a long history of fighting for ordinary people’s rights and checking the power of the government. Even under persecution, like their mainland counterparts, Hong Kong activists, NGO workers, journalists and lawyers are finding ways to continue their mission through less sensitive work. For instance, some journalists whose media outlets have closed turn to operating bookshops while others found new media outlets focused on non-political issues.
“The crackdown sends a chilling message to society, but it also appeals to people’s sense of justice and inspires people to get involved,” said a mainland Chinese NGO worker who declines to be identified for fear of reprisals. “The ‘Blank paper’ movement is an example.”
Ted Hui says he looks forward to a day when he could return to Hong Kong, although it might be a long wait.
“We have to compete with (the Chinese Communist Party) to see who will last longer,” he said.
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#Trial #Hong #Kong #symbolises #Chinas #attempts #dissolve #civil #society
( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

February 16, 2023
Anti encroachment drive: No Landless, poor to be disturbed: Div Com assures Civil Society delegation

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Jammu, Feb13 (GNS): A delegation of the civil society members today called on Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar at his office and discussed the issue of ongoing anti-encroachment drive.
The delegation comprised Devender Singh Rana, Khalid Hussain, Suhail Qazmi, Sahil Ji Maharaj, Arun Gupta, President Chamber of Commerce, Jammu, Rajeev Gupta, Mahant Mohan Giri, Mahant Rajesh Bittu, Mahant Rajeshwar Giri, Vinay Hindu, Mohammad Aslam Qureshi, Choudhary Iqbal, Haji Ashraf, S. Ravinder Singh, S. Manpreet Singh, Anwar Khan, besides other prominent citizens.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Avny Lavasa was also present during the interaction.
The delegation informed the Div Com about the concern and sense of insecurity prevailing among the poor people with regard to the ongoing anti-encroachment and demolition drive being carried out by the administration. They urged the Divisional Commissioner that poor people may not be targeted during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive.
Stating that no one was opposed to the action against the land grabbers, they said that there was a need to safeguard the interests of the poor who have constructed small dwelling units.
Responding to the issues raised by the delegation, the Div Com assured that no landless person/ family would be affected by the government during the ongoing anti encroachment drives carried out to retrieve encroached state land. However, he reiterated that big encroachers would not be spared.
“Clear instructions have already been issued to the concerned authorities not to target the poor and the landless public,” he assured.
The delegation members also assured to extend full support and cooperation to the administration in the ongoing drive. The delegation said that the Jammu Civil Society is united and committed to maintain amity, tranquility and order in the city as per its glorious ethos of peace and harmony.

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#Anti #encroachment #drive #Landless #poor #disturbed #Div #assures #Civil #Society #delegation
( With inputs from : thegnskashmir.com )

February 13, 2023
How a new treatment for diabetes offers hope for millions | podcast

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More than 100,000 people with type 1 diabetes in England will be offered an “artificial pancreas”, in a revolutionary new treatment for managing the condition.
The so-called closed-loop system uses an algorithm to determine the amount of insulin that should be administered to the user and reads blood sugar levels to keep them steady. For thousands of people in the UK, living with diabetes means regular finger-pricking, insulin injections and blood monitoring. But those time-consuming and sometimes stressful processes would become automated by the new treatment, which is being called a “holy grail” for those with diabetes.
Hannah Moore hears from those living with diabetes, such as Jade Byrne and nine-year-old Eddie Haigh, with his father Ian Haigh. She also hears from Dr Charlotte Boughton, who helped conduct the research trials, and the NHS diabetes specialist Prof Partha Kar.

Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/REX/Shutterstock
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#treatment #diabetes #offers #hope #millions #podcast
( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

February 13, 2023
Women need to be at centre of decisions for future-ready society: Smriti Irani

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Agra: Union minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said women have to be at the centre of any discourse and decision for a future-ready society.
Speaking at the G-20 Empower Inception meeting, the women and child development minister said India is keen to play a key role in finding pragmatic global solutions for the well-being of all and, in doing so, manifest the true spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family).
Irani particularly emphasised the scale of India’s self-help group (SHG) story and highlighted the importance of women’s leadership at the grassroots levels and efforts towards ensuring the availability of banking and financial services to every woman.
“If you want to get your future right, if you want to be future-ready, make sure that women are at the centre of the discourse and that women are at the centre of your decisions,” the minister said on the first day of the two-day meet.
Besides, she also cited the quest for gender justice in India through a gender inclusion fund in the National Education Policy, construction of toilets for every household and introduction of a menstrual hygiene protocol.
The summit aims to provide an opportunity to develop a roadmap, frame policies and for mobilising common strengths towards promoting equality and women-led development.
Irani also underlined that the three focus areas under India’s G20 presidency are — “Women’s Entrepreneurship: A win-win for Equity and Economy”, “Partnership for promoting women’s leadership at all levels including at grassroots” and “Education, the key to women’s empowerment and equal workforce participation”.
In his special address, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant focused on how India holds the G20 presidency at a time the world is facing several challenges such as those of recession, climate change, the need for climate finance and more.

Kant said India’s G20 presidency will be inclusive, decisive, outcome-oriented and action-oriented and nobody can achieve this more than the women of the world.
He said to further increase India’s rate of growth, it would be essential to raise the per capita income of women and put them in positions of leadership.
Kant talked about various initiatives taken by India that have been driving women’s empowerment, such as the Jan Dhan Yojana, the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana as well as recent budgetary provisions aiming to scale up the SHGs.
He said the recommendations of the G20 Empower initiative may find a place in the Leaders’ Communique and shall resonate with India’s ambitious outcomes.
Women and Child Development Secretary Indevar Pandey said in the 21st century, global growth will come from the countries of the South and India has the potential to demonstrate the leadership of the Global South by showcasing women’s leadership and innovation and highlighting their concerns and potential.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 11, 2023