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Published 22nd September 2016
According To Jain Cosmology A Perosn Who Recites Navkar Mantra For 9 Lakh Time His Or Her Soul Doesn't Enter Hellish Life In Next Coming Births.
Trilok Teerth Dham is built in shape of Jain Emblem. This temple is 317 feet in height out of which 100 feet is below the ground and 217 feet above the ground.[4] On top of the temple there is a 31 feet tall statue of Rishabhdev made up of Ashtadhatu (8 metals) in padmasan posture. This temple is dedicated to Parshvantha. This temple also has a 108 feet Manasthamb (tower of pride). The main idol was found in 1922 when jain saint anant kirti maharaj predicted that the idol was in the hill. As the name is pronounced trilok teerth will havefull depiction of three lokas i.e. Adharvlok Madhyalok & Urdhavlok.[5] This temple includes a meditation center, Samavasarana, Nandishwar Dweep, Trikaal Chaubisi, Meru Temple, Lotus Temple, Parshvanath temple, Jambudweep. Temple also has a dharamshala equipped with all modern facilities.
Published 24th September 2015
The state of New York is to turn off non-essential lights in state-run buildings to help birds navigate their migratory routes in spring and autumn. Migrating birds are believed to use stars to navigate but they can be disorientated by electric lights, causing them to crash into buildings. The phenomenon, known as "fatal light attraction", is estimated to kill up to one billion birds a year in the US. Millions of birds migrate through New York along the Atlantic Flyway route. Now those passing over the city by night will stand a better chance of making it further north.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that bright outdoor lights will be turned off between 23:00 and dawn during peak migration seasons in spring and autumn.
The state will join several well-known New York landmarks that have already signed up to the National Audubon Society's Lights Out programme, including the Rockefeller Centre, Chrysler Building and Time Warner Centre.
"This is a simple step to help protect these migrating birds that make their home in New York's forests, lakes and rivers," Mr Cuomo said in a statement.
He also announced the new "I Love NY Birding" website, which will provide information on bird watching and how to participate in the Lights Out initiative.
The National Audubon Society already works with other major cities to protect birds from strikes, including Baltimore, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Fatal light attraction appears to affect migratory songbirds such as warblers, thrushes and sparrows more than local birds, who learn where they can fly safely.
Daniel Klem, professor of ornithology and conservation biology at Muhlenberg College who pioneered the study of window strikes, told the BBC last year that the strikes were particularly worrying because the fittest members of the population were just as likely to die in this way as weaker birds.
"You may be killing some very important members of the population that would be instrumental in maintaining its health," he said.
Writing in the New Yorker earlier this month, US novelist and bird-lover Jonathan Franzen criticised the developers of a Minnesota stadium for neglecting to use a specially patterned glass that may reduce collisions.
Published 2nd August 2015
Contracts were awarded in 2001-02 for the next phase of Libya's Great Man-Made River project, an enormous, long-term undertaking to supply the country's needs by drawing water from aquifers beneath the Sahara and conveying it along a network of huge underground pipes.
Published 3rd June, 2015
Identity theft has become an epidemic in US, while in India the cases of identity theft are relatively low given the less number of online transactions and use of internet. While in India there is no reliable statistics available on the extent of identity theft, however it would be safe to assume a rapid escalation in identity theft cases with increase in the number of online banking and ecommerce transactions like online share transactions and owing to the fact that the customers are not technically adept with virtual world.
A major growing problem world over due to IT revolution is identity theft which has been referred to as the crime of the new millennium. Identity theft is the stealing and use of someone personal information used primarily for financial or monetary gain. Unlike your fingerprints, which are unique to you and cannot be taken by someone else for their use, your personal data like your bank account or credit card number, passwords, login Ids and other valuable identifying data can of course be used, if they fall into the hands of fraudster which can be used to make money at your expense & liability. On the internet, fraudulent transactions are the most prevalent crime committed by fraudster with the stolen identity like take over of the credit card account, use of stolen identity to create a new credit account, execution of fraudulent online share transactions etc.
Sometimes, however, it may not be made for financial gain but as an act of vindictiveness or revenge or obscenity. A classic example of this may be this. Suppose you have an account with Rediff and also posted your profile with your photos and very personal details. Now one day you are informed by your friend that while surfing ORKUT he found your profile with your name & personal details with a lot of pornographic content with obscene language. Thus, the thief has committed the theft of your profile with photos & personal details and by using the stolen profile created an obscene profile posing as you.
Published 1st June, 2015
Jaitley had proposed to raise the service tax rate to 14 percent to facilitate a smooth transition to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, which the government wants to roll out from April 2016.
Once implemented, GST will subsume service tax, excise and other local levies.
"To facilitate a smooth transition to levy of tax on services by both the Centre and the States, it is proposed to increase the present rate of service tax plus education cesses from 12.36 percent to a consolidated rate of 14 percent," Jaitley had said in Budget speech.
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Negative List Of Service Tax:-
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http://taxclick.org/type/services-tax/negative-list-of-services-under-service-tax-as-amended-up-to-interim-budget-2014
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Published 12th April, 2015
“Pooja from Keonjhar district in Odisha was sold as a bride when she was 17 to a 38-year-old farmer from Rajasthan. At her in-laws’ place, she was asked to satisfy the sexual urges of her five brothers-in-law as well. They gangraped her and tortured her if she resisted. This went on for four years and Pooja had to go through several abortions. She was forced to work on the day of her delivery too. She managed to escape in 2011 and has been working as a maid in Model Town, Delhi,” Naik recounts, talking about one of her brightest students.
Published 10th March 2015
The 2012 Delhi gang rape case involved a rape and fatal assault that occurred on 16 December 2012 in Munirka, a neighbourhood in South Delhi. The incident generated widespread national and international coverage and was widely condemned, both in India and abroad. Subsequently, public protests against the state and central governments for failing to provide adequate security for women took place in New Delhi, where thousands of protesters clashed with security forces. Similar protests took place in major cities throughout the country. All the accused were arrested and charged with sexual assault and murder. One of the accused, Ram Singh, died in police custody on 11 March 2013 in the Tihar Jail. According to some published reports, the police say Ram Singh hanged himself, but defence lawyers and his family suspect he was murdered. On 10 September 2013, the four remaining adult defendants were found guilty of rape and murder and three days later were sentenced to death by hanging. As a result of the protests, in December 2012, a judicial committee was set up to study and take public suggestions for the best ways to amend laws to provide quicker investigation and prosecution of sex offenders. After considering about 80,000 suggestions, the committee submitted a report which indicated that failures on the part of the government and police were the root cause behind crimes against women. In 2013, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 was promulgated by President Pranab Mukherjee, several new laws were passed, and six new fast-track courts were created to hear rape cases. Critics argue that the legal system remains slow to hear and prosecute rape cases, but most agree that the case has resulted in a tremendous increase in the public discussion of crimes against women and statistics show that there has been an improvement in the number of women willing to file a crime report. However, in December 2014, the two-year anniversary of the attack, the girl's father called the promises of reform unmet and said that he felt regret in that he had not been able to bring justice for his daughter and other women like her. A BBC documentary titled 'India's Daughter' based on the attack was broadcast in the UK on 4 March 2015.
The victims, a 23-year-old woman and her friend, were returning home on the night of 16 December 2012 after watching the film Life of Pi in Saket, South Delhi. They boarded an off-duty charter bus at Munirka for Dwarka that was being driven by joyriders at about 9:30 pm (IST). There were only six others on the bus, including the driver. One of the men, a minor, had called for passengers telling them that the bus was going towards their destination. The woman's friend became suspicious when the bus deviated from its normal route and its doors were shut. When he objected, the group of six men already on board, including the driver, taunted the couple, asking what they were doing alone at such a late hour. When the woman's friend tried to intervene, he was beaten, gagged and knocked unconscious with an iron rod. The men then dragged the woman to the rear of the bus, beating her with the rod and raping her while the bus driver continued to drive. Medical reports later said that the woman suffered serious injuries to her abdomen, intestines and genitals due to the assault, and doctors said that the damage indicated that a blunt object (suspected to be the iron rod) may have been used for penetration. That rod was later described by police as being a rusted, L-shaped implement of the type used as awheel jack handle. According to police reports the woman attempted to fight off her assailants, biting three of the attackers and leaving bite marks on the accused men. After the beatings and rape ended, the attackers threw both victims from the moving bus. Then the bus driver allegedly tried to drive the bus over the woman, but she was pulled aside by her male friend. One of the perpetrators later cleaned the vehicle to remove evidence. Police impounded it the next day. The partially clothed victims were found on the road by a passerby at around 11 pm (IST). The passerby called the Delhi Police, who took the couple to Safdarjung Hospital, where the female victim was given emergency treatment and placed on mechanical ventilation. She was found with injury marks, including numerous bite marks, all over her body. According to reports, one of the accused men admitted to having seen a rope-like object, assumed to be her intestines, being pulled out of the woman by the other assailants on the bus. Two blood-stained metal rods were retrieved from the bus and medical staff confirmed that "it was penetration by this that caused massive damage to her genitals, uterus and intestines".
Published 5th February 2015
दिल्ली चुनाव में अब केवल दो दिन बचे हैं. पिछले 10-15 दिनों में बीबीसी हिंदी की टीम ने दिल्ली के कई इलाक़ों में जाकर ये जानने की कोशिश की है कि महिलाओं के लिए सबसे अहम चुनावी मुद्दे कौन से हैं. आइए नज़र डालते है.
Published 21st December 2014
A gunman has shot dead two police officers sitting inside a patrol car in New York before killing himself. The head of the New York police said the men had been "targeted for their uniform". The gunman then ran into a subway station where he shot himself. Earlier he had shot and injured his ex-girlfriend and had posted anti-police messages on social media. President Barack Obama - who is on holiday in Hawaii - said he condemned the killings "unconditionally".
Published 21st December 2014
CAIRNS: The mother of seven of eight children killed in the northern city of Cairns was charged with their murder on Sunday (Dec 21), Australian police said, as grieving family members paid emotional tributes. The 37-year-old, who has not been named and remains under guard in a hospital, was charged with eight counts of murder after the bodies of the children - four girls and four boys aged between two and 14 - were found on Friday morning. She appeared before a magistrate at a bedside hearing in the Cairns Base Hospital, Queensland police said in a statement.
Published 21st December 2014
GUWAHATI: Three people were killed and four others wounded in a bomb attack early Sunday (Dec 21) in India's restive northeast, police said, the second strike in the area in less than a week. The blast shook west Imphal, state capital of Manipur, which borders Myanmar - an area that has been plagued by separatist violence for decades.
Published 21st December 2014
MINNEAPOLIS – Health officials are warning consumers to avoid prepackaged caramel apples because they are linked to four deaths and more than two dozen illnesses in 10 states. Caramel apples are most popular around Halloween, and the outbreak started just before then, in mid-October. But the commercially produced variety can have a shelf life of a month or more, and some may still be on store shelves.
Published 4th December 2014
United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU) and National Union of Bank Employees have called for a zone-wise relay strike between 2 to 5th December, demanding early and justifiable wage revision. Due to the relay strike, bank transactions in various parts of the country are likely to come to a standstill. In a regulatory filing, Chennai-based Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Indian Bank informed that the employee unions have served notice for the strike.
Published 4th November 2014
United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU) and National Union of Bank Employees have called for a zone-wise relay strike between 2 to 5th December, demanding early and justifiable wage revision. Due to the relay strike, bank transactions in various parts of the country are likely to come to a standstill.
In a regulatory filing, Chennai-based Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Indian Bank informed that the employee unions have served notice for the strike.
Published 29th October 2014
What is a Terrorist...? Interestingly enough, the Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the State Department all have different definitions of terrorism.
Department of Defense
“http://usiraq.procon.org/sourcefiles/InsurgentsvsTerrorists.pdf”
The calculated use of unlawful violence to inculcate fear, intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
“http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terror99.pdf”
[T]he unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives
State Department
“http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/20177.pdf”
[P]remeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.
A Common Theme
Though the definitions are a bit redundant, there are a few key words that each department shares in use:
-Unlawful
-Violence
-Intimidate
-Influence
For purpose of this website, we will subscribe to the Department of Defense's definition since they mention fear, religion, and ideology.
"You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea."-Medgar Evers [1]
"Kahless has been dead for a thousand years; but the idea of Kahless is still alive. Have you ever fought an idea, Picard? It has no weapon to destroy, no body to kill."
— Gowron, Star Trek: The Next Generation [2]
Fear, religion, and ideology are all intangible and therefore impossible to fully subdue, unlike an insurgency.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Above is a diagram of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow, a psychologist, first provided this concept in his paper titled "A Theory of Human Motivation"[1].
The base of the pyramid contains all of a human's basic needs. Once all or most these needs have been achieved, a person can move onto the next level of the pyramid.
Physiological Needs
These needs are absolutely necessary for a person to continue living. According to Maslow, these needs are ingrained into the human psyche, making them instinctual and thus takes priority over all other needs.
Safety Needs
Feeling safe and being safe both contribute to survival, but not as much as the Physiological Needs previously mentioned. This level does not only refer to security of one's home, but of the stability of ones life. For example: protection from natural disasters, having a reliable source of income, and keeping good health.
Belonging Needs
This tier includes a person's desire to be accepted among others. Each individual wishes to foster a relationships that involves friends, family, lovers, religious groups, society, and coworkers.
Esteem Needs
Once a person is accepted by a group(s), they will most likely seek a way to improve their own self-worth, social standing, and accomplishments.
Self-Actualization Needs
At this point, a person no longer cares for the opinions of others and only focuses and maximizing their own potential. This is an ongoing stage and is never fully satisfied. Unless one manages to answer the ultimate question to life, the universe, and everything. (It's not 42).
Now That You Understand What "Terrorism" Means...
Terrorism is not a new concept, it came into existence as soon as people gained the ability to control one another. Marrying the oppressed with unbridled fanaticism will give birth to offspring that is impossible to completely destroy. Freedom, Justice, Honor, Truth, Liberation, God; whatever the cause is, the imminent conflict may bring death to people but never the idea. And the idea is how a reform, reaction, or revolution begins.
The 1st Century Zealots and Sicarii might not have been the first terrorist organization, but their footprints paved the way for future generations of terrorists to follow. The environment that fostered their revolution was realized once their lands were taken from them.
The Roman Empire continued to take and take from the Jewish people; desecrating their traditions, openly mocking them, and leaving them with no identity. The government of Judea did nothing to liberate its own citizens, so they turned to extreme methods in order to regain their basic needs and the Zealots were formed. From the Zealots came even more radical terrorists --the Sicarii-- which eventually clashed with their own brothers.
We will see in the future how these exact conditions will give rise to a new form a terrorism.
The Roman Occupation of Jerusalem
In 63 BCE Roman forces, under the command of General Pompey the Great, conquered Jerusalem and adding the Jewish Kingdoms into the already vast Roman Empire. Then in 40 BCE, despite years of mounting tension, the Roman Senate appointed Herod the Great as King of the Jews.
In 37 BCE King Herod the Great defeats Antigonus II Mattathias, the last Hasmonian King who led the Jewish armies against the Romans. At this point, the Jewish nation has been fully dominated.
Into Pious Minds
The Kingdom of Jerusalem had always been a theocracy. Their laws were not of the world but of Grand Providence. High Priests would give directions according to the guidance provided to them by God. Therefore it was a great insult to the people of Judea for anyone, especially and the idolatrous Roman Empire, to entitle any man as "King of the Jews" (Remember that Jesus guy?).
So, in the eyes of his own citizens, King Herod was a living blasphemy. It also didn't help that he was ruthless and filled with contempt for his Jewish subjects. As a matter of fact, he was so hated that "The day of his death was marked in the Jewish calendar as a festival."[1]
Replacing Judea's governmental structure was not just an utterly detestable act against its citizens and God, it also greatly disrupted their lives and inherently took away a piece of their cultured identity.
"If you rob people of their identity, if you rob them of their democracy then all they are left with is nationalism and violence."
-- Nigel Farage [2]
"The value of identity of course is that so often with it comes purpose."
-- Richard Grant [3]
Reign of Terror
For the next sixty years the Zealots incite a colossal amount of terror throughout Judea. No Roman soldier, citizen, or sympathizer is free from harm. The Zealots continue to draw massive amounts of support to their cause all the while becoming more adept in the art of killing.
Though never mentioned by Josephus, Judas the Galilean is eventually executed [1] and is succeeded by his son Menaham. Menaham doesn't believe the Zealots are making a strong enough impact on the Roman empire and decides to resort to more extreme methods.
The Zealots only focused their efforts on Roman government or military officials, Menaham wanted to target anyone who did not support the Fourth Philosophy, even civilians and Temple priests. Menaham employed such methods as:
Kidnapping / Hostage Trading
Blackmail / Life Threats
Poison
Recruiting Gentiles and Criminals
Harming Women and Children
Eventually Menaham broke off and began the Sicarii. The void left by him was filled in by Temple priests. Two in particular: Eleazar son of Ananias who led the revolt from within the Temple; and Simon bar Giora who led the revolutionary army.
Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
Unlike some modern day terrorist attacks, which emphasize drawing attention to the guilty party, the Zealots and Sicarii preferred to stay out of Roman jails. They would instead blend in with a large crowd at a social gathering (i.e. a party, market, religious event), attack their victim, then slip away. When the victim finally attracted attention from bystanders, the Zealots and Sicarii would mirror the crowd and would act just as horrified and bewildered.
The Zealots and Sicarii probably used a 1st Century Roman daggers called Pugio (pictured at the top of the page) as their main instrument of death.
"The Sicarii committed mass murders in broad daylight in the heart of Jerusalem. The holy days were their special seasons when they could mingle with the crowd carrying short daggers concealed under their clothing with which they stabbed their enemies. Thus, when they fell, the murderers joined in cries of indignation, and through this plausible behavior were never discovered ... The panic created was more alarming than the calamity itself."[2]
Cloak and Dagger
"The toga was a garment that was only to be worn by free Roman citizens ... foreigners could not wear a toga in public."[3]
Since the Jewish community were considered outsiders, the Zealots and Sicarii probably wore a tunic and cloak like other contemporary foreigners. Effectively utilizing their cloaks would have allowed for quick and inconspicuous attacks, maintaining a low level of awareness.
The History of Hamas:
1947 - After WWII Palestine is fragmented between Muslim and Jewish territories.
1967 - Israel captures more Palestinian land during the Six Day War.
1987 - Hamas is formed by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
1989 - Hamas's first attack on Israel.
1991 - Independent Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades are formed.
1993 - Suicide bombs become regular tactics.
2000 - Hamas is better funded thus attacks become more violent.
2004 - 10 year truce is offered to Israel but denied. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is assassinated.
2005 - Israel pulls out of the Gaza Strip and "officially" ends the occupation.
2007 - Hamas ends truce claiming Israel attacked West Bank.
2007 - Fatah and Hamas break out into civil war.
2008 - Truce between Israel and Hamas. Broken four months later.
Position of Juxta
Palestinians lose their land through war and are at the mercy of United Nation authority. Their country is butchered and they are forced to share it with neighbors who do not share the same religious views. The Palestinians lose their identity.
The Kingdom of Judea is conquered by the Roman Empire and split apart into different territories.
An ineffective government compels the people of Palestine to seek a more desirable solution to end their suffering. Though extreme and excessive, the Palestinians support Hamas because it is seen as the only path to liberation and reclaiming what is rightfully theirs.
Jewish citizens having no other banner to unite under turn to support the Fourth Philosophy and the extreme methods imposed by the Zealots and Sicarii
Even with common goals, a civil war breaks out within Palestine between the Fatah and Hamas. This war is sometimes referenced as the Conflict of Brothers.
Zealots and the more radical Sicarii clash after the murder of The High Priest Ananias
The Causes of Terrorism Change with Political Winds
The causes of terrorism seem almost impossible for anyone to define. Here's why: they change over time. Listen to terrorists in different periods and you'll hear different explanations. Then, listen to the scholars who explain terrorism. Their ideas change over time too, as new trends in academic thinking take hold.
Many writers begin statements about "the causes of terrorism" as if terrorism were a scientific phenomenon whose characteristics are fixed for all time, like the 'causes' of a disease, or the 'causes' of rock formations. Terrorism isn't a natural phenomenon though. It is name given by people about other people's actions in the social world.
Both terrorists and terrorism's explainers are influenced by dominant trends in political and scholarly thought. Terrorists—people who threaten or use violence against civilians with the hope of changing the status quo—perceive the status quo in ways that accord with the era they live in. People who explain terrorism are also influenced by prominent trends in their professions. These trends change over time.
Viewing Trends in Terrorism Will Help Solve It
Viewing terrorism as the extreme edge of mainstream trends helps us understand, and thus seek solutions, to it. When we view terrorists as evil or beyond explanation, we are inaccurate and unhelpful. We cannot 'solve' an evil. We can only live fearfully in its shadow. Even if it is uncomfortable to think of people who do terrible things to innocent people as part of our same world, I believe it is important to try. You will see in the list below that people who have chosen terrorism in the last century have been influenced by the same broad trends that we all have. The difference is, they chose violence as a response.
1920s - 1930s: Socialism as a Cause
In the early 20th century, terrorists justified violence in the name of anarchism, socialism and communism. Socialism was becoming a dominant way for many people to explain the political and economic injustice they saw developing in capitalist societies, and for defining a solution. Millions of people expressed their commitment to a socialist future without violence, but a small number of people in the world thought violence was necessary.
1950s - 1980s: Nationalism as a Cause
In the 1950s through 1980s, terrorist violence tended to have a nationalist component. Terrorist violence in these years reflected the post-World War II trend in which previously suppressed populations committed violence against states that had not given them a voice in the political process. Algerian terrorism against French rule; Basque violence against the Spanish state; Kurdish actions against Turkey; the Black Panthers and Puerto Rican militants in the United States all sought a version of independence from oppressive rule.
Scholars in this period began seeking to understand terrorism in psychological terms. They wanted to understand what motivated individual terrorists. This related to the rise of psychology and psychiatry in other related realms, such as criminal justice.
1980s - Today: Religious Justifications as a Cause
In the 1980s and 1990s, terrorism began to appear in the repertoire of right-wing, neo-Nazi or neo-fascist, racist groups. Like the terrorist actors that preceded them, these violent groups reflected the extreme edge of a broader and not-necessarily violent backlash against developments during the civil rights era. White, Western European or American men, in particular, grew fearful of a world beginning to grant recognition, political rights, economic franchise and freedom of movement (in the form of immigration) to ethnic minorities and women, who might seem to be taking their jobs and position.
In Europe and the United States, as well as elsewhere, the 1980s represented a time when the welfare state had expanded in the United States and Europe, the agitation of the civil rights movement had produced results, and globalization, in the form of multi-national corporations, had gotten underway, producing economic dislocation among many who depended on manufacturing for a living. Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building, the most lethal terrorist attack in the U.S. until the 9/11 attacks, exemplified this trend.
In the Middle East, a similar swing toward conservatism was taking hold in the 1980s and 1990s, although it had a different face than it did in Western democracies. The secular, socialist framework that had been dominant the world over—-from Cuba to Chicago to Cairo-—faded after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and the death in 1970 of Egyptian president Gamal Abd Al Nasser. The failure in the 1967 war was a big blow—it disillusioned Arabs about the entire era of Arab socialism.
Economic dislocations because of the Gulf War in the 1990s caused many Palestinian, Egyptian and other men working in the Persian Gulf to lose their jobs. When they returned home, they found women had assumed their roles in households and jobs. Religious conservatism, including the idea that women should be modest and not work, took hold in this atmosphere. In this way, both West and East saw a rise in fundamentalism in the 1990s.
Terrorism scholars began to notice this rise in religious language and sensibility in terrorism as well. The Japanese Aum Shinrikyo, Islamic Jihad in Egypt, and groups such as the Army of God in the United States were willing to use religion to justify violence. Religion is the primary way that terrorism is explained today.
Future: Environment as a Cause
New terrorism forms and new explanations are underway, however. Special interest terrorism is used to describe people and groups who commit violence on behalf of a very specific cause. These are often environmental in nature. Some predict the rise of 'green' terrorism in Europe--violent sabotage on behalf of environmental policy. Animal rights activists have also revealed a fringe violent edge. Just as in earlier eras, these forms of violence mimic the dominant concerns of our time across the political spectrum.
Riveting Conclusion
Have you actually gotten this far? I mean without cheating? Really? Wow, thank you! Don't forget to use the bathroom after this.
It shouldn't be surprising that terrorism generally tends to flourish in similar environments. An oppressed country with a weak government unable to sustain its own citizens and, most importantly, left without a national identity.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs are not met. The citizens have no longer have a heritage to take pride in. Parents are forced to watch their children starve to death. No one has rights, no one is treated like a human.
Disgruntled crowds gather; riots begin; people have a cause, something to believe; they become unified; they call for a reform, reaction, or revolution; they want change, something to be corrected.
A brave leader grabs their hand; the system fails and the people achieve nothing; now extreme measures are taken, violence is inducted.
The government pushes back and either the movement or the government perishes; a new identity is born. The people are happy, for now.
Published 4th October 2014
What is biological or bio-warfare? It is the use of biological pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins derived from living organisms to kill or incapacitate one's enemies. So, from poisoned arrows (Scythians, and later the Viet Cong guerrillas) to poisoned wells (Sparta, Persia, Rome and others) to bombs with deadly bacteria (Japan, United States, Soviet Union and Iraq), the intentional use of biowarfare has been around for centuries.
Published 14th September 2014
The word "tip" started to be commonly used for a gratuity around the 1700s in England, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, although Cornell University professor Michael Lind found evidence of a craftsman asking a customer fortrinkgeld or "drink money" in German, for an apprentice dating-back to 1509, so the practice emerged before its current name. In fact, the practice of tipping in restaurants probably emerged from the idea of "drink money" -- the idea being that a server should have a drink (or a tipple) at the customer's expense.
Although tipping is now thought of as a distinctively American practice, it was actually an Old World tradition that did not take hold until after the Civil War. (The whole notion of gifting to "inferiors" did not mesh well with the ideals of democracy, writes James Surowiecki in The New Yorker.)
Tipping periodically causes controversyin countries around the world. It's been the source of social debate, and also a cause of strife between customers and servers.
In China, traditionally there is no tipping. However, hotels that routinely serve foreign tourists allow tipping. An example would be tour guides and associated drivers. Many Chinese people thinking tipping is a corrupt customs in Europe.
In Japan, tipping is not a part of the culture. Japanese people see tipping as insulting. There is no tipping in any situation in Japan – cabs, restaurants, personal care. To tip someone is actually a little insulting; the services you’ve asked for are covered by the price given, so why pay more?If you are in a large area like Tokyo and can’t speak any Japanese, a waiter or waitress might take the extra money you happen to leave rather than force themselves to deal-with the awkward situation of explaining the concept of no tipping in broken English. Tipping in Japan or leaving gratuity is often viewed as being rude. Although you may find someone willing to accept your cash handout, leaving a tip is not a part of Japanese culture and can possibly even be misconstrued as an insult!
On the rare occasion that you actually need to give a tip in Japan, do so by putting the money inside of a tasteful, decorative envelope and seal it. Hand it to the recipient with a slight bow; do not expect them to open your "gift" right away. Pulling cash out of your pocket in full view of the recipient is the worst way to give a tip in Japan. Many Japanese believe that good service should be the standard and therefore, tipping is not necessary. However, some staff that work for Japanese tourist companies are accustomed to receiving tips and may be grateful to receive a small gratuity. If you ever do decide to tip in Japan, do not give cash directly from your pocket or purse. Always place the money in an envelope before you hand it over. The following are some “tips” for tipping in Japan.
Though tipping the waiter may feel like something that’s always been part of the dining experience in America, the fact is, the act of tipping is a borrowed custom from Europe.
According to Michael Lynn, a professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel-Administration, tipping in the United States began just after the American Civil War in the late 1800′s. Lynn suggests that wealthy Americans traveling abroad to Europe witnessed tipping and brought the aristocratic custom back with them to “show off,” or prove their elevated education and class.
Tipping—which may have originated in the taverns of 17th Century England, where drinkers would slip money to the waiter “to-insure-promptitude” or T.I.P for short—wasn’t embraced by all Americans when the custom began to make its way into our country’s taverns and dining halls. A movement against tipping began in the late 1890′s as many Americans believed that tipping went against the country’s ideals and allowed a clear servile class that would be financially dependent on a higher class.
According to an article that appeared in The New York Times in 1897, there was a movement brewing against tipping in America. The anti-tipping group believed that tipping was the “vilest of imported vices” because it created an aristocratic class in a country that fought hard to eliminate a class-driven society. In 1915 six state legislators from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and South Carolina attempted and failed to pass an anti-tipping bill that would make leaving gratuities unlawful.
In 1916, William Scott wrote a stinging diatribe against tipping in his book, “The Itching Palm,” in which he stood up against the policy of paying for a
service
twice (once for the employer and once for the employee). He decried tips to be “democracy’s mortal foe” and creates “a servile attitude for a fee.”
In the American democracy to be servile is incompatible with citizenship. Every tip given in the United States is a blow at our experiment in democracy. The custom announces to the world…that we do not believe practically that “all men are created equal.” Unless a waiter can be a gentleman, democracy is a failure. If any form of service is menial, democracy is a failure. Those Americans who dislike self-respect in servants are undesirable citizens; they belong in an aristocracy.
Scott continues, “If tipping is un-American, some day, some how, it will be uprooted like African slavery”.
While diners and servers alike haven’t stopped grumbling about the tip system, there hasn’t been a serious legislative effort to end the practice since. What do you think?
On tinfoiler.com One Writer Writes As Follows:-
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As we all know, one of the biggest issues facing Americans right now is Socialism. At every turn Barack Obama and his cronies are trying to trick us into thinking Socialism is good and force use to accidentally become a Communist country. Yeah, some of the ideas sound good, and may help some people, but at the end of the day you have to look in the mirror and say to yourself “I am a Socialist, what would Jesus think?” Most of the American Socialist agenda has been created by Barack Obama, but some evil concepts have been around for longer, eating away at our society. One of the biggest Communist evils that has become accepted by modern Americans is the concept of ‘tipping’. Christopher Columbus would be rolling over in his grave if he knew that good Americans were ‘tipping’ each other at restaurants and bars. I never tip, and I’ve taught my sons to never tip. The concept of giving someone ‘a little extra’ just for the heck of it has Socialism written all over it. If I give someone a dollar, just because I feel good, what is that called in plain English? It is called a handout. And everyone knows the basic definition of Socialism is “giving people handouts”. So every time you tip your waitress or bartender you are just saying “Here you go, Comrade. I love Russia and Chinese communism. Heil, Hitler.”
When I go to Outback Steak House or TGIFriday’s, the waiters of these establishments often get upset with me for not tipping. I usually tell them that they are supporting China by accepting tips, but they often aren’t smart enough to understand what I am saying, which is why they work at a restaurant. I will then kindly explain that begging for a handout is not only wrong, but embarrassing. They are no different than homeless people asking for change, begging me for a dollar for bringing me a Salisbury Steak. This is the kind of thing that happens in China with all the Geisha women walking around like servants. Serving people is for foreigners, not Americans. Waiters should realize that and get a real job! One that Jesus would approve of.
Waiters should be happy with the salary they’ve been given, instead of begging for more like some Mexican boy trying to sell Chiclets and hemp necklaces to spring breakers in Cancun. Have some dignity. I’m not sure why this has become acceptable. I’d like to blame Barack Obama, but tipping has existed since at least the Clinton administration. So maybe it was that dang pervert, Clinton, who started this nonsense. How would those waitresses feel if everyone expected a tip from them? How would they like it if when they went to the local abortion clinic to pick up their birth control pills (because we all know what kind of morals waitresses have) the atheist handing out the pills asked for “ a little extra handout” to make sure the pills were effective. I don’t think that would sit right with them. Well, that’s how the rest of us Americans feel at restaurants!
As Christians and Americans we need to step up and stop these little Socialist concepts that have invaded our nation. Tipping is not okay. It leads to Socialism, which leads to atheism, which leads to loose morals, homosexuality and orgies. We’ve seen it happen to other countries, and now it is happening to us. Take a stand and stop tipping. Next time you have a delicious steak at Outback, instead of tipping cash, leave a bible verse with your payment. The waiter or waitress will be thanking you later.
Published 7th Sept 2014
Owen County Council member Angie Lawson, suspected of bilking the county of hundreds of thousands of dollars by using county credit cards to purchase everything from liquor to panties to $500 Visa gift cards, touts her experience, credibility and dedication to public service in a biography asking voters to choose her in November’s county clerk election.
Published 5th Sept 2014
Supporters on both ends of the same-sex marriage debate have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and settle the question of whether states can outlaw gay-marriage once and for all. For the plaintiffs: Several gay-rights organizations, 15 states and 30 businesses submitted friend-of-the-court briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, urging the justices to take up Utah’s marriage case and rule in favor of the three same-sex couples fighting to legalize gay-marriage nationwide.
Published 30th August 2014
High suicide rate are baffling. India's technology hub is a stressed out city. With around 9.4% of total suicide in the country being accounted to Karnataka and most of which occurs in Bangalore, India's IT hub-Bangalore has once again gained the dubious distinction of being the suicide capital of India. As we are all set to observe World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10, the issue of increasing suicide rate in Bangalore has become a talking point. As par the figures of National Crime Bureau of Investigation, the number of suicides in India has increased by 23% in last one decade. India recorded around 108,593 suicides in 2001. Whereas the figure stands at 134,599 in 2010. States like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for 57.2% of the total suicides in the country. A study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans), Bangalore, says 10 per cent of suicides in Bangalore is by youngsters between 10 and 14 years. A recent Nimhans study on reasons for the increasing number of suicides in the city showed that severe stress, competition at the workplace and lack of economic security were among the causes of most suicides. According to Nimhans, 57 per cent of suicides are sudden acts of frustration and thus most of the families are hardly aware that a member of their family is contemplating suicide. Suicide deaths in the city have increased astronomically after the IT boom in Bangalore, say experts. "Stress level in Bangalore is quite high. Right from a child to an IT professional, city has failed to provide social and mental security to its wide range of population. It is due to high level of stress and depression, a large section of people are committing suicide," said Manjula Raman, a city-based counsellor. SAHAI Helpline for Suicide Prevention and Emotional Distress, a Bangalore-based helpline service, was started in 2002. It is an initiative of Nimhans, Rotary Bangalore East, and Medico Pastoral Association, Bangalore. Those who want to get help from counsellors of SAHAI, they can dial 080 - 25497777. According to the helpline service, most of the callers suffer from stress and a sense of loneliness and deprivation. Generally, the helpline service counsel people over the phone. However, if a person is willing to visit the office of SAHAI, they are most welcome.
20th October 2011, Times Of India:-
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BANGALORE: The city has all the forces which could drive someone to commit suicide, be it rising expectations or living away from family, say experts. The IT capital has seen 12 suicides and about equal number of attempts to end lives in the past two months.
Bangalore police records show that in 2011 till September, the city saw 1,253 suicides. This means an average of 139 cases per month. In 2010, the figure was 1,778.
Explaining the reason behind the high suicide rate in Bangalore, Dr Shyam Bhatt, consultant psychiatrist at Manipal Hospital, said: "The problem with a city like Bangalore is that half of the population here is new to the city. They don't get adjusted to the new atmosphere easily and handle with high competition, work and social pressures. These forces are capable of driving someone to commit suicide."
Said an officer of the city crime records bureau: "At least 30%-40% cases are due to financial problems. In some cases, parents who were in severe debt had killed their children. This trend is disturbing.''
The all-India picture too is grim. According to an all-India study conducted by Dr G Gururaj, professor and head, department of epidemiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), the suicide rate has risen by 30% in India in the past three years. In 2008, the rate of suicide was 7/1000, which rose to 7.3/1000 this year. Also a study by WHO says that one person in India commits suicide every 5 minutes.
"South India is more prone to suicide compared to North Indian states. The reason is globalization, which has led to rise in expectations. South Indian cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad have made more progress than many cities in North India. This has led to a virtual rat race to achieve targets. When one fails to achieve a goal, it leads to depression and fatal steps like committing suicide," said Dr P Satish Chandra, director, Nimhans.
Also westernization is a major factor contributing to increase in suicide cases. "We are now following the system of western world. We have started living in nuclear families, where parents don't have time for their children and children don't have time for their old parents. This leads to isolation and depression and is the main reason behind high suicide rate in India," explained Dr Satish Chandra.
Dr Anand A Rao, clinical psychologist with Pragnya Brain Mind Clinic, said: "The reason behind more and more people committing suicide is because they withdraw from society and shy away from sharing their problems with family and friends. Such negative behaviour or thinking leads to depression and attempt to suicide, which can prove fatal."
Pragnya Clinic, which runs a 24-hour helpline to assist those with suicidal tendencies, receives only about 3-4 calls every month. "This shows that most people don't ask for help, they just take a drastic step,'' added Dr Rao.
DOCTORS' ADVICE* A family member or a friend should always monitor a person with suicidal tendencies* Professional counselling and emotional support help in bringing positive results* Yoga and meditation help in driving out depression and negative thinking
24-hour helplineSahai: 25492934, 25477375Pragnya Brain Mind Clinic: 26692888
2009 STATSWest Bengal reported highest number of suicides: 14,648, accounting for 11.5% of total number of suicidesAndhra Pradesh: 14,500 (11.4%)Tamil Nadu 14,424 (11.3%)Maharashtra 14,300 (11.2%)Karnataka 12,195 (9.6%)
(Source: National Crime Records Bureau)
15th June 2014, Times Of India:-
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In all, Bangalore saw 10 suicides in the past 24 hours.The first suicide, in Srirampuram, was around 11.30am when G Vijayalakshmi, 34, a resident of LN Puram hanged herself. The mother of two was undergoing treatment for an ailment for a long time. Within an hour, T Ratna, 45, a widow residing in RC Puram, was found hanging. She was reportedly suffering from recurring stomach pain.A 14-year-old girl, P Kokila, a resident of Okalipuram, who was taking English coaching at a centre on Magadi Road, returned home and hanged herself by her dupatta around 7pm.In the fourth incident, an alcoholic, Raja Manickam, 48, hanged himself at home after drinking heavily. He often threatened to end his life if he wasn't given money for buying liqour. Around 9pm Friday, he drank a lot, returned home and hanged himself.Techie hangs selfAmong those who allegedly committed suicide is software engineer K Praveen who committed suicide in his parent's rented house in Chennamana Kere Achchkattu area in Bangalore South early on Saturday morning. Praveen, the son of a retired Isro employee, was found hanging from a ceiling fan around 5am following a fight with his wife, Swati Pai. Investigation revealed that Praveen had bought a flat in Swati's name in Kumaraswamy Layout and Praveen's parents lived with the couple and their 2-year-old son till recently.Swati's parents, Suresh and Sudha Pai, returned from Mumbai after retirement and started living in the same flat. There were disputes and Praveen's mother was allegedly sent out of the house and his father, Krishnamurthy, joined her. Praveen and Swati fought over the flat and Swati threatened to file a dowry harassment case against him. A case was registered at KS Layout police station which was later mutually resolved."Praveen was upset over this. He'd visit his parents over the weekends and this Friday, he stayed with his parents. Early Saturday morning, he was found hanging," said a close relative.Other deathsA vegetable vendor at Victoria Hospital gate, and resident of Old Guddadahalli.G Sampangi, 30, consumed pesticide and died while being treated in hospital around 4.30pm. A family problem resulted in his death, police said.K Sunanda, 36 married to Sunil Kumar for 17 years, allegedly ended her life at home on Friday afternoon. Sunil Kumar, who had quit his job in a private company and was trying to get a role in Kannada films, was sleeping in the bedroom when she allegedly ended her life in the hall of their flat.Reshma, 22 and wife of Javed Iqbal, a private company employee, hanged herself at home in Kashi Vshwanatha Extension in KR Puram, Bangalore East. They were married two years ago. She had objected to Javed visiting his parents' home. When Javed returned late at night, he found his wife dead. An electrician, Raju, 27, was found hanging in a building under construction in Rajiv Gandhi Colony off Cunningham Road early Saturday morning.
24th August 2014, IBNLive:-
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“South Bangalore tense after youngster commits suicide following alleged police harassment”Protests broke out late on Saturday after a 24-year-old youngster committed suicide in South Bangalore following alleged police harassment.
The deceased in his suicide note has alleged that a police inspector arrested him and kept in custody for 3 days without filing an FIR and tortured him.
Local residents held protests against the police after the incident. Police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Five platoons of reserve police were called in to restore calm. The situation is reported to be under control as of Sunday morning.
The deceased had also mentioned in his note that he was arrested following a complaint from the family of the girl he loved.
30th August 2014, Deccen Herald:-
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Software professionals may be flocking to Bangalore, but the metro has earned the dubious distinction of seeing the highest number of suicides by the jobless and poor in the country.The underbelly of the dazzling city that is home to high-profile software companies and a population of over 10 lakh shows a disturbing trend compared to 53 other metropolitan cities. The number of suicides due to unemployment in Bangalore in 2013 has almost doubled compared to that of 2011, while suicides owing to poverty have quadrupled.According to the recently-published “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2012” report, 89 people ended their lives in Bangalore due to unemployment last year, while in 2011 the figure was 47. The number of women who committed suicide has risen from a meagre four to 15.
The figures for 2010 — 52 people were in the list, of which nine were women — also show that the number for Bangalore was not as high as last year. A total of 456 people, including 46 women, committed suicide due to unemployment last year across the country. A comparison with other metros shows that Bangalore is way ahead: Delhi recorded 70 cases and Mumbai 46 in 2012. Chennai, which registered 77 such incidents in 2011, had just seven last year.An analysis of the figures also showed that Bangalore accounted for more than 50 per cent of suicides by jobless in Karnataka, which had 166 cases. Though Maharashtra had 258 such cases, its capital Mumbai saw just 46 such cases. Bangalore also accounted for more than 50 per cent of suicides due to poverty among metro cities, with 123 cases out of the total 214. Of the 54 women who ended their lives due to financial conditions, 40 were from the silicon capital.Delhi, the national capital, was way behind, with 35 cases, and Mumbai and Vishakhapattanam saw 12 each.The report shows that the number of suicides due to poverty grew four times in 2012 compared to 2011's figures of 29, including 16 women, which was even lower than the 52 in 2010.Though unemployment and poverty-related suicides are on a high trajectory— the number of suicides due to career problems and professional harassment is less.Bangalore has registered only five such cases, including that of two women, last year — down from 19 in 2011 and 17 in 2010. Mumbai last year registered 28 such cases out of a total of 186, while Coimbatore and Jabalpur had 10 each.
Published 29th August 2014
A list legendary Tripuri kings is given in the Rajmala chronicle,a 15th-century chronicle in Bengali verse written by the court pandits of Dharma Manikya (r. 1431). The chronicle traces the king's ancestry to the mythological Lunar Dynasty. In the 8th century, the Kingdom shifted its capital eastwards along the Surma river in Sylhet near present Kailasahar town of North Tripura. The religion of the Tipra had 14 deities known as choddha devta (in Bengali) and is still preserved in the Choddha Devta Mandir in Old Agartala, which is maintained by the Tipra priests known as Chontai's, who oversee the festivals of the Kharchiand Ker according to traditions. It was similar to the Chinese folk religions.
Rajmala mentions that Tripuri used to be known as Kirata in older times. The root word of Kirata is not clear, it may be Kwrak, meaning strong, or Kirithaya>Kiritya>Kirata what is fearless. Kirata is mentioned in the Yajur and Atharva Veda. Similarly the Kirata is mentioned along with Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races in Srimad Bhagavatam. The Kirata is mentioned in the Ramayan in Ayodhya kanda's sarga 15 section, with their hair tied up in knots, shining like gold and pleasant to look upon, bold enough to move under water, terrible, veritable tiger-men, so are they famed. Similarly Kirata tribe was mentioned in Mahabharata on the Vanaparva section 39. The Kirata had been described as golden yellow people which are the skin color of modern Tripuri, though over the thousand of year of living in present Tripura the colour had changed more yellow to Dark golden. One of the most skill full archer of that time Eklabya was none than a Kirata, Bhima's wife Hadimba was a Kirata women and Ghototkoch of Mahabharata was a Kirata king, apart from the facts mentioned in the Rajmala that Tripuri king Trilochana had participated in the mythological Kurukshetra war.
According to Tripuri legends passed through generations the first Father and mother of Borok people vis-à-vis the human race were Donghorfa and Donghorma, or also pronounced as Dangaima Dangaifa. The Aryan people could not pronounce it properly so the Donghorfa was split in to two words dong+horfa, the dong word was omitted and Horfa was misspelled and mispronounced in to Harappa, that is Horfa>Harappa. If we look at the history of Tripura, the kings of Tripura were titled as Fa till the Ratnafa who took title of Manikya. For example Muchungfa, Khichungfa, Rajafa, Achongfa etc. So it was this Donghorfa from which the Harappa had originated. In India none other than kings of Tripura took the title of Fa. It is one of the proofs of Borok race's king ruling the Harappa civilization and naming the city after the king's name. similar example exist in the name of most of cities/ towns of Tripura, Amarpur, Udaipur, Kalyanpur Dharma nagar, Agartala (Agarfa) etc.
History reveals that Kailashahar and Unakoti date back to the 7th century AD as there are rock cut images which are proof for this. King Jujhar Fa had a 15th generation descendant who began the Tripurabda or the Tripuri calendar. He prayed to Lord Shiva in a place Chhambulnagar. This lay on the banks of the Mau River. It is believed that this Chhambulnagar lay near present day Unakoti Hill and that this descendant prayed in Unakoti. So it is also held that Kailashahar was earlier known as Chhambulnagar. It comes from the link that Shiv or Har lives in Kailash and since they believed Shiva lived here this place came to be known as Kailash Har which got changed to Kailashahar. In the 7th century history says that a king Adi Dharmapha ruled here and performed a big yagna with a lot of pomp and grandeur. Kailashahar is believed to be the capital of the Tripuri kingdom.
Today Kailashahar or Chhambulnagar is the headquarters of the district of North Tripura and is also a nagar panchayat. Located on the border of India and Bangladesh, it is connected to Indian cities mainly by road. It had an airport but today it is closed and the nearest railhead is Kumarghat. Not many people live here and those who are almost in poverty but we can find some rich people too in this place. People of varied culture, religion and ethics are found here. Kailashahar, the cultural town of Tripura has a population of around 20,000 and more and has a literacy rate of 82% which is more than the national average. Bengalis are found in majority here and there are many tribals and other indigenous population which harp the growth of economy here.
If one comes to this city, one would find that the Hindu religion is dominant here and the temples in this area are testimony to this. Islam is also a religion which is followed by people here and there is a mosque in the main bazaar. Many people also follow Buddhism here. Besides this, Christianity is slowly growing here. This town has many settlements here and is a famous tourist spot. Kailashahar, the earlier capital of Tripuri kingdom, is a place which has picturesque backgrounds and a lovely scenic beauty. This erstwhile capital is bereft of its past glory but tourism would surely bring it back to its original form.
Located around 14kms from the city of Agartala, Chodoo Devotar temple is famous as it has been named after 14 Goddesses. Kharchi festival is a festival that is celebrated here where thousands of devotees attend and pay homage to the Deity. Ama is the mother of the Tripuri or the people of Tripura named with many names and forms. She is called the Hachwkma or Parvati, Sangrongma or Mother Earth, Khuluma meaning Goddess of Knowledge. Mailuma or Goddess of Wealth Skal or Goddess of evil. Regarded as the Goddess of birth and embodiment of origin of mankind it is believed that the Maharaja Manikya got a dream that an idol of Tripura Sundari should be installed by shifting the idol from where he found it before dawn. As it was shifted, dawn broke and wherever it was the temple was built at today’s Matabari. The temple is on a small convex hill which is shaped like a tortoise. Lake Kalyansagar lies on the eastern side. Entrances to the temple are from the west and the north.
The roof has four slanting Chhaar Chaalas which hold a circular structure in the middle which has the shape of a lotus in Looking like a modified Buddhist stupa it is on a raised terrace, with innumerable ancient paintings inside. Stone inscriptions, and shlokas inscribed are a common feature in the temple. The main idol is made of touch stone and is more than a meter high and is installed on an altar made of stone. The Goddess has two forelimbs in a gesture of a Devi with a crown on her matted hair, and a wreath of severed heads. With an oval face and she stands on Lord Shiva in Shavasana. The idol was made during the 10th or 12th century. Another idol inside the temple is known as Chotto Ma or Chandi. There is a Lord Vishnu image here which is worshipped like a black geode. Vishnu and Devi Shakti worshipped is found only here thus conjoining the Vaishnav and the Shakta culture. Considered as one of the pithas, in earlier days, it was accessible by foot, boat, palanquin or an elephant.
Unakoti is a historic Shaiba pilgrimage spot and dates back to 7th – 9th centuries if not earlier. While the marvellous rock carvings, murals with their primitive beauty form the chief attraction, natural beauty including mountain scenery and waterfalls are an added bonus. As per Hindu mythology, when Lord Shiva was going to Kashi along with one crore gods and goddesses he made a night halt at this location. He asked all the gods and goddesses to wake up before sun rise and proceed for Kashi. It is said that in the morning, except Shiva himself, no one else could get up so set out for Kashi himself cursing the others to become stone images as a result we have one less than a crore stone images and carvings at Unakoti.These carvings are located at a beautifully landscaped forest area with green vegetation all around which add to the beauty of the carvings.
Unakoti hill, literally meaning,one less a crore in Bengali, hosts an ancientShaivite place of worship with huge rock-cut images and stone idols of Lord Shiva. It is the prime tourist spot of Unakoti Tripura District in the KailashaharSubdivision in the North-eastern Indian state of Tripura. It is Shaiba pilgrimage and dates back to 7th – 9th centuries if not earlier. The marvelous rock carvings, murals with their primitive beauty, waterfalls are not to be missed.
Maharajah Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman Manikya Bahadur, who ruled Tripura from 1923 to 1947 was widely criticized for his religious intolerance. In 1942, the Rai of the Riang area, Debi Singh Riang was dismissed by the Maharajah and Khagendra Riang Chowdhury of Bangafa was appointed as the new Rai. He increased the tax on Ganga Puja by 100%. This caused widespread discontent among the Riangs and lead to the outbreak of a small scale rebellion under the leadership of Ratanmani Noatia, aVaishnava sadhu. The rebels formed a parallel government, looted the granaries and houses of wealthy Chowdhuries. However, towards the end of 1943, the Maharajah of Tripura with the help of his loyal soldiers drawn from the Tripuri andJamatia was able to rout the rebels and arrest the instigators. The Mahajarah's forces arrested more than 300 civilians, including around 200 women and children. Ratanmani Sadhu was taken to the Maharajah's palace, where he was brutally tortured before the execution. In 1946, the Maharajah decided to evict close to 500 Muslim families from the outskirts of Agartala. Despite huge outcry from other parts of India and intervention by the leaders of the Indian National Congress, the eviction was carried out.
Maharajah Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya suddely died on 17 May 1947. After his death, Regent Queen Kanchan Prava Debi took up the administration and decided to merge the Kingdom with India, despite the advice from most of her ministers like Durjoy Kishore Debbarma for a merger with Pakistan. Maharajah Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur assumed power in 1947 and ruled until 1949, when the kingdom merged with India.
Published 27th August 2014
Hindi films have been banned in Manipur since 2000. And while many are questioning the rationale and morality of the ban in the Internet age, Manipur is also talking about the choice of the film's leading lady, a blooper in its trailer and much more.
Published 27th August 2014
New Delhi: Allegations are flying left, right and centre in the alleged forcible conversion case involving a national level woman shooter in Jharkhand. Tara Sahdev had accused her husband Ranjit Kohli alias Raqibul Hasan of marrying her on a fake identity and then forcing her to convert to Islam. Kohli, who was arrested in Delhi on Tuesday and sent to three-day transit remand on Wednesday, denied the charges and claimed he was a Sikh. "I am from a Sikh family. My name is Ranjit Singh Kohli. Tara is lying," he said.
Published 27th August 2014
Bihar Police may take lessons from the recently released Rani Mukerji starrer ‘Mardaani’ to check human trafficking in the State. The State CID Inspector General (Weaker Section) Arvind Pandey issued instructions to all district SPs, GRP SPs and Commandants of Bihar Military Police (BMP) on Tuesday to arrange shows of the movie for their subordinate police officials to take lessons from it.
Published 27th August 2014
The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs 35,000 on the then Saharanpur DM for arbitrarily suspending arms licences of several persons belonging to a particular community after the last year's communal riots. Passing the above order on seven writ petitions filed by Rakesh, Brahma Singh and five others, Justice Sudhir Agarwal dismissed all the petitions after the state counsel informed that the aforesaid orders of suspending the arms licences have been withdrawn by the present Saharanpur DM. But the court imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 each on all the seven writ petitions.
Published 27th August 2014
NAGPUR: Lakadganj police on Monday conducted sweeping raids at different places, including city's red-light area of Ganga Jamuna, following an instruction issued by Deputy commissioner of police, Zone-III, Nirmala Devi S. Three minor girls were rescued from a brothel during the raid and 25 persons were arrested from three gambling dens.
Published 27th August 2014
China are the lords of bridge construction, the 2,050ft-long Oakland bridge that spans San Francisco’s bay in fact started its life in China. It was moved over in massive chunks all the way from Shanghai. China are also winning a significant number of big infrastructure contracts as African nations begin working on developing their bridges, roads and railways. Ex-soviet countries like Serbia and Bulgaria have also been employing Chinese companies to sort their stuff out.
According to Engineering News Record, five of the world’s top ten contractors, in terms of revenue, are now Chinese. Good on them, they’re taking over. Perhaps they will eventually begin a new wave of colonial invasions. Now that really would be interesting. Give us Europeans a taste of our own medicine perhaps! They would leave us with some wonderful bridges though.
The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is the world's longest bridge.It is a 164.8-kilometre (102.4 mi) long viaduct on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway.
The bridge is located on the rail line between Shanghai and Nanjing in East China’s Jiangsu province. It is in the Yangtze River Delta where the geography is characterized by lowland rice paddies, canals, rivers and lakes. The bridge runs roughly parallel to the Yangtze River, about 5 to 50 miles south of the river. It passes through the northern edges of population centers (from west to east) beginning in Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou and ending in Kunshan. There is a 9-kilometre long (5.6 mi) section over open water across Yangcheng Lakein Suzhou. It was completed in 2010 and opened in 2011. Employing 10,000 people, construction took four years and cost about $8.5 billion.[1]Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge in the world in any category as of June 2011.
Published 21st August 2014
Daslakshan Parva (Festival of the Ten Virtues) is the Paryushan festival as celebrated by the Digambara Jains. Normally, Eating, drinking and being merry are associated with festivals but Paryushan is the opposite. During Paryushan Jains practise penances, vows, fast and study. If not fasting, they refrain from eating root vegetables. There are two categories of festivals: eternal and non-eternal. The non-eternal festivals are further divided as those that relate to people and those that relate to historical events. Dipawali, Mahavir Jayanti, which celebrate the liberation and birth of Lord Mahavir respectively, are people related festivals.
Paryushan, on the other hand, is an eternal festival relating neither to people nor to any historical event. It is the time to celebrate the natural qualities of the soul. Just as the soul does not have a beginning or an end, Paryushan does not have a beginning or an end. It falls three times a year but is only celebrated once around August/ September because at this time, business being quiet, businessman can take time off for spiritual pursuit. Also it is the time of the monsoon retreat when insects flourish, causing the monks to stay in one place.
In the Digamber, The ten cardinal virtues, Dashlakshan Dharma, are celebrated during Paryushan to remind jains of the characteristics of the soul. The ten dharmas or the virtues of the soul are forgiveness, humility, straightforwardness, contentment, truth, sensual restraint, austerities, charity, non-possessiveness, and celibacy.
The real purpose of Paryushan is to purify our soul by staying closer to our own soul, to look at our own faults, to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed knowingly or unknowingly, and apply vows to destroy karmas. The main cause of all sorrows and sufferings is impurity of soul. In this period each and every individual tries to purify his soul through different spiritual practices. We try to forget about the needs of our body and our business so that we can concentrate on our-self. Some main objectives to celebrating this festival are.
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To observe tolerance whole-heartedly,shunning anger.
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To observe the virtue of humility subduing vanity and passions.
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To practice a deceit-free conduct in life by vanquishing the passion of deception.
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To keep the body, mind and speech pure by discarding greed.
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To speak affectionate and just words with a holy intention causing no injury to any living being.
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To abstain from all the pleasures provided by the five
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To practice austerities putting a check on all worldly allurements.
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To give four fold charities
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To enhance faith in the real self as against non-self i.e., material objects
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To observe the great vow of celibacy; to have devotion for the inner soul and the omniscient Lord
Before we discuss the ten Dharmas, it is important to understand two common viewpoints found in our scriptures. The Vyavahar view, in crude terms, helps you to live more easily and peacefully with the outside world. It also builds up your reserve of good deeds (punya karmas). The Nischay view helps to enhance and blossom the soul’s natural qualities. In Jainism the Vyavahar view is always considered the ‘by the by’. The Nischay view is considered to be the most important as it leads to contemplation and understanding of the true nature of the soul with the aim of its purification, the ultimate goal of practicing Paryushan. Merely practising the Vyavahar Dharmas may bind punya karmas, leading to material gain in this life and the next.
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Das Dharma of Daslakshan Parva
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The Dharmas are all prefixed by the word ‘Uttam’ (Supreme) to signify that they are practiced at the highest level by the Jain monks. The householder practises them to a lesser extent. It lasts over a period of ten days, each day being dedicated to one of the ten Dharmas. In the sections below a) stands for the Vyavahar view and b) for the Nischay view.
1) Forgiveness UTTAM KSHAMA
a) We forgive those who have wronged us and seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. Forgiveness is sought not just from human colleagues, but from all living beings ranging from one sensed to five sensed. If we do not forgive or seek forgiveness but instead harbor resentment, we bring misery and unhappiness on ourselves and in the process shatter our peace of mind and make enemies. Forgiving and seeking forgiveness oils the wheel of life allowing us to live in harmony with our fellow beings. It also attracts punya karma.
b) Forgiveness here is directed to oneself. The soul, in a state of mistaken identity or false belief, assumes that it consists of the body, the karmas and the emotions – likes, dislikes, anger, pride etc. As a result of this incorrect belief it inflicts pain upon itself and is thus the cause of its own misery. Nischay Kshama Dharmateaches the soul to correctly identify itself by encouraging it to contemplate in its true nature and hence achieve the state of correct belief or Samyak Dharshan. It is only by achieving Samyak Dharshan that the soul ceases to inflict pain on itself and attains supreme happiness.
2) Modesty/ Humility. UTTAM MARDAV
a) Wealth, good looks, reputable family or intelligence often lead to pride. Pride means to believe one to be superior to others and to look down on others. By being proud you are measuring your worth by temporary material objects. These objects will either leave you or you will be forced to leave them when you die. These eventualities will cause you unhappiness as a result of the ‘dent’ caused to your self-worth. Being humble will prevent this. Pride also leads to the influx of the bad deed or karmas.
b) All souls are equal, none being superior or inferior to another. In the words of Srimad Rajchandra: “Sarva Jeev Che Sidh Sum, Je Samje Te Thai – All souls are akin to the Sidh; those who understand this principle will achieve that state”. The Nischay view encourages you to understand your true nature. All souls have the potential to be liberated souls (Sidh Bhagvan). The only difference between the liberated souls and those in bondage is that the former have attained liberation as a result of their ‘effort’. With effort, even the latter can achieve liberation.
3) Straightforwardness – UTTAM AARJAV
a) The action of a deceitful person is to think one thing, speak something else and do something entirely different. There is no harmony in his thought, speech and actions. Such a person loses credibility very quickly and lives in constant anxiety and fear of his deception being exposed. Being straight-forward or honest oils the wheel of life. You will be seen to be reliable and trustworthy. Deceitful actions lead to the influx of karmas.
b) Delusion about one’s identity is the root cause of unhappiness. Be straightforward to yourself and recognize your true nature. The soul is made up of countless qualities like knowledge, happiness, effort, faith, and conduct. It has the potential to achieve omniscience (Keval Gnan) and reach a state of supreme bliss. Again, the body, the karmas, the thoughts and all the emotions are separate from the true nature of the soul. Only by practicing Nischay Arjav Dharma will one taste the true happiness that comes from within.
4) Contentment – UTTAM SHAUCH
a) Be content with the material gains that you have accomplished thus far. Contrary to popular belief, striving for greater material wealth and pleasure will not lead to happiness. Desire for more is a sign that we do not have all that we want. Reducing this desire and being content with what we have leads to satisfaction. Accumulating material objects merely fuels the fire of desire.
b) Contentment or happiness, derived from material objects, is only perceived to be so by a soul in a state of false belief. The fact is that material objects do not have a quality of happiness and therefore happiness cannot be obtained from them! The perception of ‘enjoying’ material objects is indeed only that – a perception! This perception rewards the soul with only misery and nothing else. Real happiness comes from within, as it is the soul that possesses the quality of happiness.
5) Truth – UTTAM SATYA
a) If talking is not required, then do not talk. If it is required then only use the minimum of words, and all must all be absolutely true. Talking disturbs the stillness of the mind. Consider the person who lies and lives in fear of being exposed. To support one lie he has to utter a hundred more. He becomes caught up in a tangled web of lies and is seen as untrustworthy and unreliable. Lying leads to an influx of karma.
b) Satya comes from the word Sat, which means existence. Existence is a quality of the soul. Recognising the soul’s true nature as it really exists and taking shelter in the soul is practising Nischay Satya Dharma.
6) Self-Restraint – UTTAM SANYAM
a) i)Restraining from injury to life – Jains go to great lengths, compared to other world religions, to protect life. This encompasses all living beings, from one-sensed onwards. The purpose of not eating root vegetables is that they contain countless one-sensed beings termed ‘nigod’. During Paryushan the Jains also do not eat green vegetables to reduce harm to the lower sensed beings.
ii) Self-restraint from desires or passions – These lead to pain and are therefore to be avoided.
b) i) Restraining injury to the self – This has been elaborated upon in Nischay Kshma Dharma.
ii) Self restraint from desires or passions – Emotions, e.g. likes, dislikes or anger lead to misery and need to be eradicated. They are not part of the true nature of the soul and only arise when the soul is in a state of false belief. The only method to free oneself from these is to contemplate on the true nature of the soul and in the process commence the journey to liberation or moksha.
7) Penance – UTTAM TAP
a) This does not only mean fasting but also includes a reduced diet, restriction of certain types of foods, avoiding tasty foods, etc. The purpose of penance is to keep desires and passions in control. Over-indulgence inevitably leads to misery. Penance leads to an influx of punya karmas.
b) Meditation prevents the rise of desires and passions in the soul. In a deep state of meditation the desire to intake food does not arise. Our first Tirthankara, Adinath Bhagwan was in such a meditative state for six months, during which he observed Nischay Uttam Tap. The only food he consumed during these six months was the happiness from within.
8) Renunciation – UTTAM TYAG
a) Contrary to popular belief, renouncing worldly possessions leads to a life of contentment and assists in keeping desires in check. Controlling desires lead to an influx of punya karma. Renunciation is done at the highest level by our monks who renounce not only the household but also their clothes. A person’s strength is measured not by the amount of wealth he accumulates but by the amount of wealth he renounces. By this measure our monks are the richest.
b) Renouncing the emotions, the root cause of misery, is Nischay Uttam Tyag, which is only possible by contemplating on the true nature of the soul.
9) Non-attachment – UTTAM AAKINCHAY
a) This assists us in detaching from external possessions. Historically ten possessions are listed in our scriptures: ‘land, house, silver, gold, wealth, grain, female servants, male servants, garments and utensils’. Remaining unattached from these helps control our desires and leads to an influx of punya karmas.
b) This assists us in being unattached from our internal attachments: false belief, anger, pride, deceit, greed, laughter, liking, disliking, lamentation, fear, disgust, male sexual desire, female sexual desire and hybrid sexual desire. Ridding the soul of these leads to its purification.
10) Supreme Celibacy – UTTAM BRAHMCHARYA
a) This means not only refraining from sexual intercourse but also includes all pleasures associated with the sense of touch, e.g. a cool breeze on a hot summers day or using a cushion for a hard surface. Again this dharma is practised to keep our desires in check. The monks practice this to the highest degree with all their body, speech and mind. The householder refrains from sexual intercourse with anyone except his or her spouse.
b) Brahmacharya is derived from the word Brahma – Soul and charya – to dwell. Nischay Brahmacharya means to dwell in your soul. Only by residing in the soul are you the master of the Universe. Residing outside your soul makes you a slave to desires.
Saturday, 16 August 2014 - 9:13am IST
Eleven Taliban-linked militants were killed and 13 members of the Pakistani security forces wounded in attacks on two air force bases in the west Pakistan city of Quetta on Thursday, officials said.
The attackers did not get inside either facility, but the raids marked the third time since June that Pakistani airports had been targeted. They will raise more questions about how secure such facilities are.
Published 14th August 2014
"Premature pregnancy and motherhood are an inevitable consequence of child-marriage. Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than women in their twenties." -State of the World's Children 2007, UNICEF defines child marriage as marriage before 18 years of age and considers this practise as a violation of human rights. The harmful consequences of child marriage are segregation from family and friends, limiting the child's interactions with the community and peers, lack of opportunities for education. Girl children often face situations of bonded labour, enslavement, commercial sexual exploitation and violence as a result of child marriage. Because of lack of protection child brides are often exposed to serious health risks, early pregnancy, and various STDs especially HIV/AIDS. There are many reasons why parents consent to child marriage such as economic necessity, male protection for their daughters, child bearing, or oppressive traditional values and norms. Globally more than one third of the women between the ages 20-24 were married before they reached the age of 18. Approximately 14 million adolescent girls between the ages 15-19 give birth each year. Girls in this age group are twice more likely to die during child birth than women in their twenties. Rate of child marriage are higher in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
According to the 2001 census there are 1.5 million girls, in India, under the age of 15 already married. Of these, 20% or approximately 300,000 are mothers to at least one child. The 2001 census also estimated the average age of marriage has risen to 18.3 for females. The male average is 22.6 years. But child marriage is still widespread across the nation. States like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Andra Pradesh still have average age of marriage below the legal age of eighteen for females. Because of the early and often closely timed pregnancies before their bodies are able to handle the stress of pregnancy, adolescent mothers give birth prematurely or to low weight babies. The health of the child and mother are at risk and often they do not survive. Child marriage also makes girls more vulnerable to domestic violence, sexual abuse and inability to complete primary education. It is also found that infant mortality rates are higher than the national average in the states where child marriage is highly prevalent.
According to NFHS-III survey 47.3% of women aged 20-24 were married by age 18. Of these, 2.6 percent were married before they turned 13, 22.6 percent were married before they were 16, and 44.5 percent were married when they were between 16 and 17. In some states the percentage is quite high: Rajasthan 65.2%, Uttar Pradesh 58.6%, Madhya Pradesh 57.3%, Jharkhand 63.2%, Chhattisgarh 55%, Bihar 69% and Andra Pradesh 54.8%.The states where prevalence is low are Himachal Pradesh 12.3%, Punjab 19.7%, and Kerala 15.4%. Child marriage in India has grave implications for population control as adolescent brides are likely to have high fertility and a number of unwanted pregnancies. States where child marriage is most prevalent is also where there is the highest population. Child marriage is low among women who have had access to higher education and secondary education. Marriages in India are often unregistered, and are socially binding if not legally, which makes it hard to survey. In 2006 the government of India update legislations regarding child marriage and passed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006:-
In response to the plea (Writ Petition (C) 212/2003) of the Forum for Fact-finding Documentation and Advocacy at the Supreme Court, the Government of India brought the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) in 2006, and it came into effect on 1 November 2007 to address and fix the shortcomings of the Child Marriage Restraint Act. The change in name was meant to reflect the prevention and prohibition of child marriage, rather than restraining it. The previous Act also made it difficult and time consuming to act against child marriages and did not focus on authorities as possible figures for preventing the marriages. This Act kept the ages of adult males and females the same but made some significant changes to further protect the children. Boys and girls forced into child marriages as minors have the option of voiding their marriage up to two years after reaching adulthood, and in certain circumstances, marriages of minors can be null and void before they reach adulthood. All valuables, money, and gifts must be returned if the marriage is nullified, and the girl must be provided with a place of residency until she marries or becomes an adult. Children born from child marriages are considered legitimate, and the courts are expected to give parental custody with the children's best interests in mind. Any male over 18 years of age who enters into a marriage with a minor or anyone who directs or conducts a child marriage ceremony can be punished with up to two years of imprisonment or a fine.
The Act was brought into force in Karnataka on 1.10.2007 and the State Rules were notified on 6.2.2008. Wide publicity has been given through electronic media, news papers and satellite programmes regarding the provisions of the Act to the general public.
Implementation of Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2006
Child marriage is a gross violation of human rights that puts young girls at risk. A marriage where either of the contracting party is a child is considered as child marriage. Child or minor under this law is defined as 18 years in case of girls and 21 years in case of boys.
The Reasons for Child Marriages are as follows:
A girl child is generally considered to be a burden, and traditionally the attitude of the society has been to get her married as early as possible.
The justification used by parents and community is that of having to pay lower dowry when the bride and the groom are young. What they seem to forget is that giving or receiving dowry is crime under the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961.
The demand for a younger bride creates an incentive for families to marry the girl child early and avoid high dowry payments for older girls.
Safety of the girl child from sexual violence and inability of the parents to guarantee such safety is yet another justification for child marriage. Early marriage is a way to ensure chastity and virginity of the bride.
Parents see marriage as a way to secure the girls future socially and economically.
Lack of education and awareness about the consequences of the child marriage, poor implementation of the law and lack of will and action on the part of the administration are important reasons for the continuation of child marriage.
Consequences of Child Marriage:-
All children have right to care and protection; to develop and grow in to a complete and full individual , regardless of their social and economic situation. Child marriage is a blatant violation of all these rights. Child marriages denies children their basic rights to good health, nutrition, education and freedom from violence, abuse and exploitation.
When the person in the marriage are children their body and mind are put to grave and heinous danger. Most often the child is not even aware of what really awaits her/him as a consequence. Marriage by its very institutions imposes certain social responsibility and the persons in it. It also provides the legal sanction for engaging in sexual activity and procreation. This amount to sanction for child sexual abuse and rape.
Child Marriage resulting in early motherhood means, placing both the young mother and her baby at risk. This leads to increase in infant mortality and maternal mortality.
As child marriages are rampant in northern districts of Karnataka, many NGO’s have been fighting a war against the Child Marriages. A Writ Petition No: 11154 of 2006 was filed in the High Court of Karnataka. The main grievance of the petitioner is that the state has to implement the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 and take necessary steps to prevent unlawful Child Marriages. It is for the state to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed under article 14,15,19,21 and 23 of the constitution. It is also stated that mass marriage organized on 18.05.2007 at Javalagiri village, Sindhanur Taluk, Raichur District which was participated by the Chief Minister of Karnataka and to investigate the same and also seeking direction to the respondents with regard to preventive measures taken to prohibit child marriages and further direction with regard to action taken by the Government in various Departments to take legal action on the individual or organization etc., and such other relief’s.
It is submitted that, there is no doubt that the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929, was in existence even before and after Independence. This act stands repealed after the New Act called the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 was enacted by the Union of India.
The New Act is significant as it indicates Zero tolerance of the Government towards any incidence of Child Marriage and shows the total commitment of the Government to prohibit and prevent this rampant social evil.
The Government of Karnataka also framed rules called the Prohibition of Child Marriage(Karnataka) Rules 2008 vide Notification No: WCD 377 SWW 2004 dated: 06.02.2008.
As per the provisions of sub section (1) of section 16 of the of
Act 2006, Child Marriage Prohibition officers have been appointed at State, District, Taluk and Hobli levels consisting of officers from various departments like Health, Education, Labour, Revenue etc., Four divisional level workshops were organized for the child marriage prohibition officers to orient them and also to build capacity to implement the PCM Act 2006 effectively. 293 child marriages were prevented during 2009-10, 2010-11 by these officers with the co-operation of local NGOs.
Regarding Child Marriages reported to have taken place on 18.05.2007 at Javalagiri village, the same has been investigated by the Deputy Director, Women Child Development, Raichur, in his report he has stated that out of 97 pairs of marriages that took place, 4 child marriages were prevented. Hence, no child marriage occurred on that date at Javalagiri Village.
The State Government has taken necessary measures to implement to Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 by creating awareness among the public and by conducting workshops and awareness camps.
As per the directions of the High Court of Karnataka, in its order dated: 23.02.2010 the Government of Karnataka issued Government Order dated: 09.03.2010 for setting up a core committee consisting of 10 members with a view to prepare an action plan to prevent Child Marriages. The same is produced at Annexure -5.
Meanwhile as per the directions of the High Court, the Director, Women & Child Development called two meetings on 03.03.2010 and 20.04.2010 with a view to discuss and analyze the issue of Child Marriage and finalize an action plan ( The proceedings of the meetings are produced at Annexure – 6 and 7.
The High Court of Karnataka while disposing of the Writ Petition no. 11154/6 on 10.11.2010 (Aneexure-8) directed the State Government to setup a Core Committee in order to prepare an Action Plan to implement the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 effectively. The Government nullifying its previous order dated: 09.03.2010 issued a fresh order dated: 22.11.2010, setting up a Core Committee under the Chairman Ship of Justice Dr. Shivaraj V. Patil, former Supreme Court Judge (Annexure -9) with the following objectives.
To create awareness on the consequences of Child marriage on overall development of girl child.
To analyse the existing constitutional and legal measures against child marriage.
To analyze the situation and provide suggestive strategies to prevent child marriage.
To expose the extent to which the practice is in vogue.
To suggest ways and means to eradicate the practice from society and also prevent it to the extent possible.
Persons who can punished under the law include :
Who ever performs, conducts, or directs or abets any child marriage.
A male adult above 18 years marrying a child.
Any person having charge of the child including parent or guardian or any member of organization or association, promoting, permitting, participating in a child marriage or failing to preventing.
Punishment:
Two years of rigorous imprisonment or Rs. 1.00 lakh fine or both
Under this Act all offences are enquirable and non bailable.
Following officers are child marriage prohibition Officers:
Deputy Commissioner, Deputy Director & Programme Officer of Women & Child Develop.t Dept, Child Development Project Officer, Tahsildar, labour Officer, Block Education Officer, Revenue Inspector, Village Accountant.
Whom to contact:
Contact the nearest child marriage prohibition Officer and register a case in nearest police Station.
Published 12th August 2014
Oscar-winning actor-comedian Robin Williams, who gave memorable and inspiring performances in ‘Good Will Hunting’, ‘Dead Poets Society’ and ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’, has died of an apparent suicide.
According to police in Marin County, California, Williams, 63, was found “unconscious and not breathing” just before noon yesterday inside his home in Tiburon, California, following a 911 phone call.
Published 12th August 2014
Dawood Ibrahim kaskar, son of a police officer, is India's most wanted man. He is boss of Mumbai-based organized crime syndicate D-Company, reputedly international drug trafficking, counterfeiting, weapons smuggling. He is declared a global terrorist by the U.S.Dawood Ibrahim, the son of a police constable Ibrahim kaskar, was born in Mumka village in Ratnagiri in the Indian state of Maharashtra on December 26, 1955. He was brought up in Dongri, a poor of Central Bombay with a large but not exclusively Muslim population. Dawood Ibrahim is also known as Sheikh Dawood Hassan.
He was the head of the organized crime syndicate D. Company in Mumbai. He was on the wanted list of Interpol for organized crime and counterfeiting as well as No.4 on the Forbes' World's Top 10 most dreaded criminals list of 2008.He was accused of heading a vast and sprawling illegal empire. After the 1993 Bombay bombings, which Ibrahim allegedly organized and financed, he became India's most wanted man. According to the United States, Ibrahim maintained close links with al-Qaida's Osama bin Laden. Hence, the United States declared Dawood Ibrahim a "global terrorist" In 2003 and pursued the matter before the United Nations in an attempt to freeze his assets around the world and crack down on his operations.The Bush administration imposed several sanctions on Ibrahim and his associates. Indian and Russian intelligence agencies pointed out Ibrahi's possible involvement in several other terror attacks, including the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan denied any knowledge of his existence, Indian intelligence agencies, such as Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) belived that one of his addresses included White House, Near Saudi Mosque, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan as per Interpol, and is provided protection, by Pakistan intelligence agencies, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
The past few years have seen a dramatic decline in Dawood's fortunes from the heady heights of the life depicted in "Portrait of a Don". One of the main reasons that contributed to his called decline is the assassination of Shared Shetty, Dawood's financier and long term confident, carried out by Dawood's long time rival Chotta Rajan. News media outlets reported the murder as a sign of a dramatic shift of power between the crime lords. The loss of Shetty was the followed by the declaration by the United States Treasury Department declaring Ibrahim a global terrorist because of his links with Osama bin laden. Ibrahim then lost one of his closest aides, Pakistani Underworld Don Shoaib Khan in 2005. Washington added that they will request the United Nations to list Ibrahim "in pursuance of relevant Security Council resolutions". The UN listing would require all UN member states to freeze Ibrahim's assets and impose a travel ban. Ibrahim is also suspected to have connections with terrorist organizations , and in 2002 was linked to the financing of increasing attacks in Gujarat by Lashkar-e-Toiba. New Delhi handed over to Islamabad a list of 38 most wanted criminals, including Ibrahim.
In January 2002, a month after the parliament attack, Indian officials had meetings with Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice in the U.S.A list of the Top 20 most-wanted terrorists in Pakistan was handled to the US. Ibrahim was wanted in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
Ajmal Amir Kasab, a guman arrested for participation in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 173 inclusive of 164 civilians and security personnel and 9 terrorists, confessed to authorities according to reports that Ibrahim's organization provided arms and explosives to the Lashkar-e-toiba group that were used to carry out the attacks. Another major blow was given to Ibrahim by the arrest of ten members of his gang by Mumbai Crime Branch on November 21, 2006. They were extradited from the United Arab Emirates, from reported in India Today that Dawood Ibrahim provided the logistics for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.In June 2009, his brother and close associate Anees Ibrahim was shot dead In June.Mohammed Iqbal Natiq, then 35 years old, is the rare overnight success story of a self -made Bombay journalist. He edited and published an Urdu weekly called Raazdaar(The Confidante)…
After working as a freelance journalist and columnist in established papers, Natiq launched his own paper from Dongri in 1969 at the age of 26…
In two years, Natiq managed to turn around his life, going from struggling journalist to successful newspaper owner and editor. From owning his own press to driving a spanking new white Ambassador, Natiq began to rise, rubbing shoulders with the elite.
One man who openly admired him and proudly proclaimed his friendship with him was Dawood [Ibrahim]. “Bande mein dum hain (this guy has some substance),” he used to tell his friends. Both Natiq and Dawood hailed from Ratnagiri, but more resilient a bond than their common native place was the intrinsic chutzpah they both had…
Natiq was a frequent visitor in the darbar of Likha, in keeping with the long time motto of crime reporters; to be where the action is. On this visit, he took one look at Likha and saw all was not well...
A few mandatory pleasantries later, Iqbal asked “What’s the matter? You’ve been issued a transfer order or something?”
Likha replied with the ferocity of a man plagued by an issue, “Does anything different ever happen here? Either the Pathans trouble someone else, or they’re fighting amongst themselves. I’m so tired of them!”
Iqbal gave a lopsided smile and reclined in his chair. His expression spoke more about his take on the issue than his tongue chose to. Almost like a quip, he said, “Sahab,Sholay.”
“Sholay?! Have you lost your mind, Iqbal?” Likha replied, more confused than ever.
Iqbal’s smile morphed from humorous to mysterious. “You use iron to combat iron,” he said.
The famous line that the handicapped Thakur Baldev Singh of Sholay had told the cop in the film had become so famous that whenever repeated, it conveyed its meaning in its perfect sense.
Understanding dawned. Sceptically, he asked, “But who will deal with the Pathans?”
Iqbal spoke with authority, “There is a boy, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.”
Likha recoiled at the name “You mean Ibrahim’s son? No way!”… Iqbal nodded and rose to leave. As a parting shot to the already reeling Likha, he said, “Everybody in the locality knows that the boy is courageous.”…
Days passed and Likha remained gloomy over the deterioration of the law and order situation in his jurisdiction. Then, one day a small encounter scripted the destiny of both the cops and the crime bosses.
It had been a idyllic morning thus far, unmarred by anything unpleasant. As Likha was on a routine patrol, his jeep turned from Khada Parsi junction towards JJ Hospital. Soon he realised he was stuck in a massive traffic jam… Furious, he jumped out and charged towards the source of the jam... What Likha saw made him speechless.
A Pathan was bleeding profusely from his head and mouth and a youth, his shirt torn, was hitting him left, right and centre. “Now I have to break up these measly fights too,” he thought at first, resigned. But then he saw the boy; barely 20 years old, short in stature, and beating up a taller, stouter Pathan. The sight amazed him... Curious, he pulled the boy away by the scruff of his shirt and asked, “Hey, what’s your name?”
The boy stared right back into his eyes and replied, “Dawood. Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. I’m the son of a cop!”
Senior police inspector Ranbeer Likha froze. One word rang in his ears like a prophecy. “Sholay!” An idea took root in his mind.
Swiftly, he pulled him out of the crowd and shooed bystanders away… He could not think of anything other than the brilliant idea that had been planted in his head by Natiq… Trying to collect himself, he asked Dawood, “Let’s go sit in the car”.
Dawood eyed him quizzically and sat in the jeep quietly, but with an air of composure far beyond his years, calling another lad nearby and telling him, “Inform them at home that I’ll be a little late today.”
“You like to fight with Pathans?” Likha asked, sitting next to him.
“It’s not that I like to; if we don’t fight, we’ll perish,” Dawood tried to explain.
“Why don’t you do something that makes your fight with the Pathans aid us as well?” Likha asked, tentatively… “Defeat the Pathans for me and I will handle the rest.”
It was then that the balance of power shifted in Dawood’s mind; the baton passed from Likha to Dawood. Instead of being Likha’s main man, Likha would now be his main man. Such was the thinking of Dawood. So the foundation of a new rule was laid, and at last, a don was officially born.
Monday 11 August 2014
India is the first country to mandate a minimum spend on corporate social responsibility initiatives. In a country facing multiple socio-economic challenges – can it work? India is the first country in the world to mandate corporate social responsibility. On 1 April this year, the government of India implemented new CSR guidelines requiring companies to spend 2% of their net profit on social development.
Published 8th August 2014
Two Mars-bound spacecraft are both in excellent health ahead of their September arrivals in orbit around the Red Planet, managers for both missions report. India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) is more than 80 percent of the way to Mars and performing well, according to a Facebook update posted July 21 by the Indian Space Research Organization. MOM is expected to enter orbit on Sept. 14.
Published 7th August 2014
India's Mars Orbiter Mission's antenna is ready for the Mars Orbit Insertion with only 14 per cent of its journey to the red planet left to be covered. MOM successfully completed the characterisation of its Medium Gain Antenna, which will be used for communicating with earth during the critical Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI), ISRO said in a post on its Mars Orbiter Mission Facebook page.
Published 8th August 2014
Feeling dizzy? This is what the view looked like from NASA’s next-generation Mars spacecraft as the flying saucer-shaped vehicle did a test in June. According to the agency, the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) met all of its test objectives even though the parachute didn’t deploy as planned. And in a briefing today (Aug. 8), agency officials said they have a plan to deal with the issue for the next flight, which will be in summer 2015.
Published 8th August 2014
About 1,000 people embarked on a rally in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Saturday to protest what they said was their abandonment by the federal and state governments. The protesters were largely made up of survivors of Boko Haram attacks on Gwoza, and families of Gwoza residents who are still trapped in the local government. Scores of soldiers and armed police officers tried to prevent the protesters from embarking on their rally.
Published Aug 9, 2014
Ikatan Usahawan Kecil dan Sederhana (IKHLAS) admitted that they were currently distributing pamphlets on Israeli products throughout the country to enable people to boycott the products. The non-governmental organisation’s (NGO) Kedah chairman, Sarjahan Abu Bakar, said the move was an effort to cripple the economy of the Zionist regime for what it had done to innocent Palestinians.
Published 9th August 2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday accused the Congressparty of "disturbing the social fabric" of India by engaging in "old vote bank politics". Without naming the party, Modi said "those who have suffered a massive defeat in the elections are still not able to desist from engaging in old vote bank politics", in an obvious reference to the Congress. "They are engaged in disturbing the social fabric," Modi said at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first national council meet here at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium after the general election.
Published 9th August 2014
Counties Manukau Detectives investigating the homicide of Davender Singh have arrested a 31 year old female and a 28 year old male in relation to his death. The arrested woman and man will appear in the Manukau District Court this morning (Saturday 9 August) jointly charged with Mr Singh's murder. Detective Inspector Dave Lynch says that whilst Police are pleased to have made early arrests, the investigation is still in its infancy.
Published Friday, Aug. 08, 2014
The Union County couple charged with child abuse after a boy was found handcuffed to their porch with a dead chicken tied around his neck are facing possible foreclosure proceedings. Wanda Larson, a county Department of Social Services supervisor at the time, and her boyfriend Dorian Harper remain in jail onfelony child abuse charges. Larson was the 11-year-old boy’s guardian.
Published July 24, 2014
In what is being called a “barbaric” act, a woman private tutor in Dakshindari was caught on CCTV, “thrashing and kicking on chest” a three-and-a-half-year old boy on Tuesday. The child’s mother, Shalini Agarwal, said her son had already grown phobic of the tutor, Pooja, hired three days ago, and had started refusing to take tutions from her. A complaint has been filed at the Lake Town police station with officers saying there are on the lookout for the tutor.
Updated July 22, 2014
Hours after he was arrested, the man who was caught on a video caning three young children said he was acting on the orders of their parents.
"Parents themselves told me that I must put fear in the children, so that they study and behave well,'' KV Rao, the main manager of a school for visually challenged children in Andhra Pradesh, told the police who asked him why he had beaten the children.
Published 8th August 2014
Nigeria's military fought gun battles with Boko Haram Islamists in two key northeastern towns on Friday, after the militants killed dozens of people and drove soldiers out of Gwoza town two days ago, security sources and the military said. On Friday the military launched strikes to push the rebels out of Gwoza, the security sources said, and the garrison town of Damboa, which the militants sacked a month ago. Both towns lie on roads linking Nigeria to Cameroon and Chad.
Published 9th August 2014
Highest total or score by a team in test match is made bySri Lanka = 952 for 6 declared against India at Premadasa stadium in Colombo, back in August 1997..
Batting first, Indians had declared at 537 for 8 wkts, thinking they'll put pressure on home team to dismiss then twice but Sanath Jayasuriya (340 off 578 balls) and Roshan Mahanama (225 off 561 balls) made them chase leather for almost two days, putting up 576 runs which is still the test partnership record for second wicket and only second over 500 run stand, ever, by any team.
Arvinda de Silva nailed in another century (126) on day 5 and both captains agreed to call off the match as draw.
903 for 7 declared by England against Australia at The Oval is the only other time a team has scored over 900 runs in an innings.. opener Len Hutton scored 364 while Maurice Leyland contributed 187 runs, Joe Hardstaff 169 and 53 from Arthur Woods. Chuck Fleetwood Smith conceeded 298 runs in his 87 overs which is still the most by a bowler in an innings!
England won the match by an innings and 579 runs, the biggest victory by any team against anyone till date.
849 allout by England is the only total in 800s, made in a timeless test match at Sabina Park in Jamaica against West Indies back in year 1930. Opener Adam Sandham made marathon 325 from 640 balls while Les Ames struck a quickfire 149 off just 174 balls. Half century contributers were Bob Wyatt (58), Patsy Hendren (61) and Jack O'Connor (51).
West Indies replied with 286 allout but instead of asking to follow-on, visitors elected to bat again, made 272 for 9 declared, setting imposing 836 for West Indies to chase to which they returned with 408 for 5 before both captains mutually agreed to call off this timeless test match.. after 9 days of play.
Highest test score by Sri Lanka = 952 for 6 wkts dec, vs India.
Highest test score by England = 903 for 7 wkts dec, vs Australia.
Highest test score by England = 849 All out vs West Indies
Highest test score by West Indies = 790 for 3 wkts dec, vs Pakistan.
Highest test score by Pakistan = 765 for 6 wkts dec, vs Sri Lanka.
Highest test score by Australia = 758 for 8 wkts dec, vs West Indies.
Highest test score by India = 726 for 9 dec, vs Sri Lanka.
Highest test score by South Africa = 682 for 6 wkts dec, vs England.
Highest test score by New Zealand = 680 for 8 dec, vs India.
Highest test score by Bangladesh = 638 all out, vs Sri Lanka.
Highest test score by Zimbabwe = 563 for 9 dec, vs West Indies.
Published 1st August 2014
Mr. Stein countered my radical proposal by expressing a tentative willingness to lower the corporate tax rate a few percentage points. The program host then read an astute listener’s email, stating that even a much lower tax rate, like 10 percent, would still be unfair, because some corporations would find ways to have Congress carve out exceptions and exemptions that would unfairly reduce their liability vis-à-vis their competitors. I agree. This reinforces my contention that the only truly fair rate is zero.
Published 1st August 2014
Laid-off. Downsized. Mutual parting. No matter what you call it, being fired sucks. But it doesn’t have to.
Take a look at some of the world’s best and brightest. Baltimore’s evening news program jettisoned Oprah Winfrey for being too emotionally invested in her stories. Apple ousted Steve Jobs when he was in his 30s, only for him to return triumphantly in his 40s. Even Walt Disney was fired from The Kansas City Star for (ironically) not being creative enough.
Updated On: July 28, 2014
Telecom operator Uninor today said it has entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest ever retail expansion by any company in the world, on a single day. The company said that it has opened up 362 retail outlets at the same time in one day.
31st July 2014
Jake Reisch, then a junior at Cornell University, sketched out his idea for Audiarchy, a company that would rent headsets for trendy silent discos (DJ shows where people listen to music through wireless headphones instead of a normal speaker system). The panel of VCs and entrepreneurs in his Entrepreneurship & Private Equity class on hand that day in May 2012 thought he was onto something.
Published 28 July 2014
The City of London police has started placing banner advertisements on websites believed to be offering pirated content illegally. The messages, which will appear instead of paid-for ads, will ask users to close their web browsers. The move comes as part of a continuing effort to stop piracy sites from earning money through advertising.
Published July 28, 2014
The Obama administration has accused Russia of violating a 1987 nuclear missile treaty by testing a ground-launched cruise missile and says the U.S. is prepared for immediate high-level dialogue with Moscow over the matter. An administration official told Fox News in a statement that the violation "is a very serious matter which we have attempted to address with Russia for some time now." The New York Times first reported the accusation.
Published 28th July 2014
David Cameron has said he and fellow European leaders have agreed that "strong" economic sanctions should be imposed on Russia as soon as possible.The prime minister was speaking ahead of Tuesday's meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels in which details of measures are expected to be finalised.
Published Friday, February 14 2014
Dhaka:- A steroid used for fattening cattle is proving hugely popular in Bangladesh's brothels to make young sex workers look older and plumper despite the dangerous side effects on their health. British Charity Oxfam says an estimated 200,000 women and teenage girls work in Bangladesh's sex industry and as many as 90 percent of them may be addicted to Oradexon or similar steroids.
9th March 2012
“Hashi cannot be sad ever. Sadness is a part of our lives, so we don’t bother with sadness. My parents will not be able to identify me anymore. There is a huge difference between my present appearance and the malnourished look of my childhood. I am healthier than before and fit to serve a lot of customers in a day.”
- Hashi (which means happiness), a seventeen-year-old sex worker at Kandapara brothel in Tangail
Published on March 20, 2012
A brilliantly photographed series on the dangerous, grueling lives of teenage sex workers in Bangladeshi slums. For the last eight years, Maya has been working as a prostitute at Kandapara brothel in Tangail. She earns about 300-500 Taka per day ($0.85 – $1.22) serving around 15-20 customers every day. Maya’s four-year-old son Halim lives with her parents in another town, Barisal. Maya can’t save enough money for her child as she has to pay a lot of bills and is in debt.
Published 28th July 2014
Tucked off a two-lane highway in a hilly, wooded section of central Massachusetts, a group of Roman Catholic monks has embraced a centuries-old tradition they hope can sustain their aging members in a world of rapidly rising health costs.
Published 28th July 2014
The government will initiate in August a major campaign to curtail the rampant practice, mainly in China, of uploading Japanese anime and manga on the Web for public viewing without authors’ permission, NHK said Monday. As the popularity of Japanese-made animated movies and cartoons soars worldwide, thanks in part to the government’s effort to promote their export, a growing number of websites, especially those operated by Chinese, are offering their online versions for free in violation of the rights of their copyright owners.
Published 28th July 2014
Unable to pay her mortgage, Manoli Herrera turned over her apartment to the bank and moved into one of six abandoned buildings occupied by other jobless families in Sanlucar de Barrameda, a seaside town on Spain’s southern coast.
Published July 26, 2014
Tribune Publishing Co. CEO Jack Griffin isn't selling off newspapers. He wants to acquire more of them.
Despite all the speculation about a sale of Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and/or the other Tribune dailies, Mr. Griffin is setting his sights — at least at the start of his tenure at soon-to-be-independent Tribune Publishing — on buying smaller newspapers in or near his existing markets.
Published July 26, 2014
After less than four months at the helm of Tribune Publishing, CEO Jack Griffin is ready to chart a new course.
The newspaper company is facing industry headwinds that include annual revenue declines, cost-cutting and the steady loss of print subscribers. Griffin, a longtime magazine executive, sees a chance to diversify and, if that's executed properly, help rewrite the playbook for newspapers in the digital age.
July 24, 2014 at 9:25 AM
Chicago officials will review more than 9,000 red-light traffic tickets issued during questionable increases in camera activity, according to the Chicago Tribune. At the center of the issue is Redflex Traffic Systems, the Arizona-based firm that ran the program involved in a corruption scandal.
Chicago's review comes after the Tribune examined 4 million tickets issued since 2007, finding unexplained spikes in the writing of tickets, caused by malfunctioning equipment, human intervention or both.
22 July 2014 - 7:55am IST
Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), a city-based NGO on Monday unearthed a huge edible oil adulteration racket carried by several shops. CGSI in a meeting claimed that almost 64% of the loose edible oil (namely sesame oil, coconut oil, groundnut oil, mustard oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed, soybean, godtel), is mixed with palm oil, thus putting the consumer's interest at stake.
22nd July 2014
Inching closer to the red planet, India’s ambitious Mars Orbiter spacecraft has covered more than 540 million kilometres, about 80 per cent of its journey for its rendezvous with the planet scheduled for September 24.
The spacecraft has covered a distance of more than 540 million kilometres on its heliocentric journey to the red planet, ISRO said today.
“Yes, that is very close to a whopping 80 per cent”. Mars Orbiter Mission and its payloads are in good health”, ISRO said on its social networking site.
July 20, 2014
Indian democracy is dishonoured from time to time by brutal massacres of the country’s historically oppressed communities — mostly Dalits and Muslims. But its even greater disgrace is that mass killers who periodically target people only because of their religion or caste are rarely punished. This legal impunity of mass murderers indulging in hate crimes derives from deep institutional prejudice, which scars India’s otherwise independent judicial system.
Markandey Katju | Jul 21, 2014, 12.37 AM IST
This expose is by Justice Markandey Katju, who was chief justice of Madras high court before becoming a Supreme Court judge. He is now chairman of the Press Council of India.
Published 20th July 2014
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc. The term originates from the red lights that were used as signs of brothels. There are areas in many big cities around the world which have acquired an international reputation as red-light districts.
Some red-light districts (such as De Wallen, Netherlands, or Reeperbahn, Germany) are places which are officially designated by authorities for legal and regulated prostitution. Often these red-light districts were formed by authorities to help regulate prostitution and other related activities, such that they were confined to a single area.With the confining of such industries to a single area, such districts became a destination for originally sailors but also tourists.
In India, Khalpara is located at Siliguri, the most important town in North Bengal of West Bengal. Khalpara is known for the oldest trade in the World, prostitution. Siliguri, being the busiest business town in North Bengal, flesh trade business at Khalpara, red light area was developed since long ago. Khalpara is not simply a prostitution area at Siliguri, it is now considered as a major ‘wholesale trading’ centres of children and prostitution from eastern Nepal districts and other North Eastern parts of India. Khalpara is presently a hub of prostitution. Children of tender ages between 6-9 years are taken from Nepal and other North Eastern states in India to Khalpara and from Khalpara they are sold to different brothels Like Sonagachi red light area in Kolkata, Grant Road brothel in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi and other places. A report says that nearly 12,000 women are trafficked from Nepal to India in connection with prostitution business and among them 70 per cent are children. One NGO in Nepal is working against child prostitution at Khalpara red light area and they are trying to keep the child sex workers away from this dreaded flesh trade.
In the year 2008 Samarajit Jana, an official from India's AIDS control programme, said "The state government had no choice but to join hands with the sex workers as they seem to be doing a better job in tackling trafficking". Younger girls are usually helped to get back to their home village. Adults are usually given housing and job training. "I was kidnapped and forced to entertain old men, but now all that is past as I am trying to make a new beginning in life," said Anjali, a 16-year-old girl who was rescued by prostitutes ( may be in the year 2008 ) from one of the brothels crammed into Sonagacchi's crowded maze of alleyways. Anjali is among hundreds of poor girls shifted to one of six new government-sponsored rescue centres across the state. They learn embroidery and sewing among other crafts.
More than 5 million people are already HIV positive. Governments, both local and national, do little to tackle the increasing risk of a large-scale AIDS epidemic. Large red light areas like Sonagachi are at the centre of a problem that may soon spiral out of control and affect millions of people in Bengal and the neighbouring state of Bihar. Sex workers are socially shunned and prostitution is illegal, which makes the women in Sonagachi extremely susceptible to extortion, blackmail, rape or murder by local gangsters, pimps and the police.
In India, trafficking and profiting by selling a person for sex is illegal, but paying for sex with an adult prostitute is not. India's Ministry of Women and Child Development wants to change the laws to allow police take stern action against clients, but critics have stalled the plan. Prostitutes and groups working with them fear such a move would force the trade deeper into the shadows. The DMSC (Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee) now spread its campaign across the state and elsewhere in India. Durbar in Bengali word means unbeatable or unstoppable. Durbar seeks to build a world where all marginalized communities live in an environment of respect, rights and dignity. Durbar hopes for a new social order where there is no discrimination by class, caste, gender or occupation and all individuals communities live in peace and harmony as global citizens.
Published 20th July 2014
Belgium officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal monarchy in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters as well as those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. One of the world's highest tax rates, and the highest of Western European countries, has been imposed on the citizens of Belgium. On average, Belgium taxpayers are taxed a marginal rate of 54.9%. The country's growing unemployment and a lackluster economy have attributed to its high taxes, according to economists.
Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups: the Dutch-speaking, mostly Flemish community (which constitutes about 59% of the population), and the French-speaking, mostly Walloon population (which comprises 41% of all Belgians) Education is compulsory from 6 to 18 years of age for Belgians. Among OECD countries in 2002, Belgium had the third highest proportion of 18- to 21-year-olds enrolled in postsecondary education, at 42%. Though an estimated 99% of the adult population is literate, concern is rising over functional illiteracy. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Belgium's education as the 19th best in the world, being significantly higher than the OECD average. Education being organised separately by each, the Flemish Community scores noticeably above the French and German-speaking Communities.
Belgium is a constitutional, popular monarchy and a federal parliamentary democracy. The bicameral federal parliament is composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Representatives. The former is made up of 40 directly elected politicians and 21 representatives appointed by the 3 Community parliaments, 10 co-opted senators and the children of the king, as Senators by Right who in practice do not cast their vote. The Chamber's 150 representatives are elected under a proportional voting system from 11 electoral districts. Belgium has compulsory voting and thus holds one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the world.
Belgium is one of the 20 wealthiest countries in the world. The living standard in Belgium is very high. However, this does not apply to all of Belgium’s inhabitants: a significant number of Belgians live on the margin of society and they cannot manage because of a lack of financial means. 7.7% of the Belgian and 6.9% of the Flemish population live below the poverty line: they do not have sufficient means to live properly in Belgium – meaning according to Belgian standards. Some 420,000 children in Belgium are growing up in a poor family, with most of them living in Wallonia and Brussels. Brussels scored the worst, faring worse than trailing countries Bulgaria and Romania: 4 in 10 children grow up in a poor family in the capital.
This poverty is not only caused by a shortage of money; economic poverty often goes hand in hand with social exclusion. They are denied several basic human rights, such as an income, housing, health care, education, a job, social and political participation. Through this isolated position on the edge of society, many of them fall into a vicious circle which continues to exist from generation to generation. This dead-end situation often gets worse when they face other hardships such as divorce, bankruptcy and illness.
Published 16th July 2014
Vicky Summers laughed off public fury over footage of a teen performing sex acts on 24 men for a £2 cocktail. She admitted stripping off, giving oral sex to strangers and acting out sex positions for booze. The 22-year-old once slept with 10 blokes in a week as a dare when she visited Kavos in Corfu. Vicky told how she would share a litre of vodka with two pals before going out on a pub crawl. She would then down 10 double vodkas and 15 shots.
7/17/2014 @ 6:36PM
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan plans to borrow as much as $1 billion from foreign institutions to aid Nigerian security forces in fighting the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. According to a report by Nigeria’s Premium Times, the Nigerian president sent a letter to Nigeria’s parliament on Wednesday seeking approval for the loan, stating that the government needed the money to “upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the armed forces.”
July 18, 5:21 PM
The "like" button may not always do justice for the high esteem in which some Facebook users hold products advertised on the social media network, but a "buy" button just might. Foregoing a "love" button, Facebook is testing out a "buy" option that allows users to purchase goods and services directly from merchant listings on the social network.
July 19, 2014 8:55 am
Jihadists have killed 270 Syrian regime fighters, civilian security guards and employees since seizing a gas field in Homs province, a monitoring group has said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Friday described Thursday’s takeover of the Shaar field as “the biggest” anti-regime operation by the Islamic State (IS) since it emerged in the Syrian conflict last year. The watchdog, updating an earlier toll of 115, said it had documented “the death of 270 people killed in the fighting or executed” since Thursday.
July 18, 2014 8:43 pm
We’ve got it all wrong, says Carlos Slim, the Mexican telecoms tycoon and world’s second-richest man: we should be working only three days a week. Attending a business conference in Paraguay, Mr Slim said it was time for a “radical overhaul” of people’s working lives. Instead of being able to retire at 50 or 60, he says, we should work until we are older – but take more time off as we do so.
Last Updated: Jul 17, 2014 10:45 AM ET
An Air Force fighter jet has been shot down by an air-to-air missile fired from a Russian plane, a spokesman for Ukraine's Security Council said Thursday. Andrei Lysenko also said Ukrainian troops had been fired upon by missiles from a village just inside Russia. Officials in Kyiv have recently accused Russia's armed forces of being directly implicated in attacks on Ukrainian troops battling an insurgency near the border. Lysenko said in a televised briefing that the pilot of the Sukhoi-25 jet that was hit on Wednesday evening was forced to bail out after his jet was shot down. He provided no further details.
TNN | Jul 17, 2014, 05.41 PM IST
NEW DELHI: The Antrix, commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has earned Rs 4,408.07 by providing different professional services to its national and international clientele in the past 22 years. Besides, the ISRO also launches satellites of foreign countries on commercial basis under contract between respective foreign customer andAntrix.
Published: 8:05AM Thursday July 17, 2014
Either Singapore or Japan will have a team in Super Rugby in 2016 with governing body SANZAR confirming today that one of those nations will be home to the 18th team. SANZAR had already committed to expanding the competition from its existing 15 teams to 17 in 2016 by adding Argentina's first team and a sixth from South Africa, and an Asian team has now received the green light. "Asia is a region that has been the focus of considerable investment by the International Rugby Board in recent years and is a strategically sound location for the evolution of Super Rugby," SANZAR chief executive Greg Peters said.
Jul 16, 2014, 04.00AM IST
MUMBAI: The Tata Group, which has been restructuring and realigning its philanthropic and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to address emerging societal challenges and also conform with the new regulatory requirements on Tuesday revealed that it has spent in excess of Rs 8,000 crore on CSR activities over the last decade between a medley of Tata trusts and group companies.
Published July 13, 2014
As Brazil 2014 heads towards it’s conclusion with tonight’s final between Argentina and Germany, many commentators are already hailing the tournament as having been the best World Cup of all time. Many point towards the openness of play, backing up their argument with the fact that 170 goals have been netted so far, just one short of the current record for the most ever scored at a FIFA World Cupset at France '98.
Published July 14, 2014
With Germany finishing the tournament triumphant, we take a look back at each and every new Guinness World Records title set during four weeks of incredible football action.
7/16/2014 @ 10:41AM
How happy are your employees? Every company and entrepreneur should take a moment to consider this big question. The happiness of your best people determines a lot, from productivity and engagement to overall retention. Happy workers are more likely to dream big, work hard, and stick around for years to come.
15 July 2014 Last updated at 04:01
When authorities in India's Bihar state began a mass recruitment of primary school teachers in 2003, many believed it would lead to an improvement in the quality of education. Bihar's primary schools did not have enough teachers, so the new recruits were welcomed. To fill in the hundreds of thousands of vacancies, the appointment rules were relaxed - the teachers were hired on presentation of degree certificates verified by the city or village council officials and they did not have to write any competitive examination.
16 July 2014 Last Updated at 12:24
China says the oil rig that sparked a major diplomatic row with Vietnam by drilling in disputed waters has finished work and is being removed. In a statement, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said it would now assess the data collected by the rig. China moved the rig into waters near the Paracel Islands - which Vietnam also claims - in May.
16 July 2014 Last updated at 09:01
The arrest on obscenity allegations of a woman who makes art based on her vagina has sparked debate in Japan. Tokyo-based artist Megumi Igarashi, 42, was arrested on Saturday for sending data that could be used to create 3D models of her vagina. She had sent it to people who had donated money for a project to make a vagina-shaped kayak using a 3D printer. The arrest made headlines in national media and triggered discussion on Japan's obscenity laws
15 July 2014 Last updated at 23:19
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have moved into parts of northern Iraq abandoned by the army in the face of an advance by jihadist-led rebels. The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil met members of an elite female unit as they prepared to go to the frontline. Morning assembly is in full swing at a military facility on the outskirts of Sulaimaniya, a city in the autonomous Kurdistan Region. The troops look serious and focused despite the scorching heat of the Iraqi summer. Standing straight in their fatigues with Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, this looks no different than any other training camp.
16 July 2014 Last updated at 15:22
Parents of the schoolgirls abducted by militant Islamists in Nigeria have denied playing politics by refusing to meet President Goodluck Jonathan. Tuesday's meeting failed to take place because proper protocol had not been followed, their spokesman said. Mr Jonathan said the parents had called off the meeting after being manipulated by the BringBackOurGirls campaign group.
Boko Haram captured more than 200 girls in the town of Chibok on 14 April. The row broke out as the alleged mastermind of a twin bomb attack in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, was extradited from Sudan back to Nigeria.
Published July 15, 2014
A new report detailing the extent to which the radical Islamist group Boko Haram is using brutality and murder to spread terror among Nigerian villages reveals that 2,053 people have been killed in 95 attacks in the first half of 2014. Human Rights Watch, which authored the report, also said that the militant Islamist group is increasing its use of bombs, detonating 14 explosions that killed 423 people during that same period.The blasts, including several apparent suicide bombings, occurred in a brothel, a technical college, marketplaces and, on two occasions, in venues where people were watching soccer matches.
Jul. 16, 2014 | 05:12 PM
KINSHASA: Women and children are being kidnapped by armed gangs and forced to work as sex slaves in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday. "Victims have been held as sex slaves - sometimes for months at a time - and sexually assaulted violently by several men, several times a day," MSF psychologist Ana Maria Tijerino said in a statement.
Last updated: July 16, 2014 | 05:07 PM
ROUMIEH, Lebanon : Plans to build a new wing for “high-risk” inmates at the country’s largest prison came under fire Tuesday for not doing enough to separate serious criminals from inmates who had committed lesser offenses. “What are the reasons behind not dividing the thousands of prisoners and their families from high risk prisoners?” asked Father Hady Aya of Justice and Mercy Association, a local organization that works to reform Lebanon’s prisons.
15 July 2014 Last updated at 20:01
The leaders of the five Brics countries have signed a deal to create a new $100bn (£58.3bn) development bank and emergency reserve fund. The Brics group is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The capital for the bank will be split equally among the five participating countries. The bank will have a headquarters in Shanghai, China and the first president for the bank will come from India. Brazil's President, Dilma Rousseff, announced the creation of the bank at a Brics summit meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil on Tuesday.
Last Updated: Saturday, July 12, 2014, 02:47
Mombasa: A prominent Kenyan businessman was shot dead in Kenya's port city of Mombasa late Friday, police and eyewitnesses said. The murder of transport magnate Shahid Bhat, which occurred along a road near Mombasa's airport, comes amid mounting insecurity in the coastal region. "The gunmen shot at him as he was driving along the road, and as they escaped they shot at another pick-up vehicle, wounding a child," Mombasa county police commander Robert Kitur told AFP. I'm a news story. I'm a great place for you to let your users know what's new with your company. You can choose what news stories appear on your page. Double click me to change me and your own content. To customize me and change my font click on the Design tab in the property panel.
3 June 2014 Last updated at 11:57
A youth group is urging Russians to stop drinking Coca-Cola, in protest against sanctions the US has imposed over the Ukraine crisis. The Food Patriotism group marked the start of the school year in Moscow's Gorky Park, with placards and T-shirts proclaiming slogans such as: "For Russia, say 'no' to Cola," and "Defend our children from overseas poison." Twenty people set off metre-high fountains of Coke by mixing it with mints to cause a chemical reaction. "Imagine that happening in your kid's stomach," one activist tells Dni online newspaper.
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