Concern over religious freedom, US lawmakers write to Modi

February 27, 2016

Washington, Feb 27: Expressing serious concern over violence against religious minorities in India, 34 top American lawmakers have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate steps to protect their fundamental rights and bring the perpetrators to justice.

"We urge your government to take immediate steps to ensure that the fundamental rights of religious minorities are protected and that the perpetrators of violence are held to account," the lawmakers, including eight Senators, said in a letter to the Prime Minister.

relegious"Of particular concern is the treatment of India's Christian, Muslim and Sikh communities," said the letter dated February 25, which was released to the press today by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

Among others the letter was signed by Senators Roy Blunt, Amy Klobuchar, James Lankford, Al Franken, Tim Scot, Ben Sasse, John Boozman and Steve Daines.

The letter was signed by 24 members from the US House of Representatives including Joseph Pits, Keith Ellison, Brad Wenstrup, Jim Costa, Trent Franks, Ted Poe and Mark Walker.

"We also urge you to take steps to control the activities of groups, such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and instruct Indian security forces to enforce the rule of law and protect religious minority communities from religiously- motivated harassment and violence," the lawmakers said.

"On June 17th, 2014, more than 50 village councils in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh adopted a resolution banning all 'non-Hindu religious propaganda, prayers, and speeches' in their communities," the letter said, adding that the Christian minority community has been dramatically affected.

"The ban effectively has criminalised the practice of Christianity for an estimated 300 Christian families in the region one day after a mob, which included members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, seriously injured six Christians in the village of Sirciguda.

"Since the ban was implemented, Christians in the Bastar District reportedly have been subjected to physical assaults, denial of government services, extortion, threats of forced expulsion, denial of access to food and water, and pressure to convert to Hinduism," they alleged.

Expressing concern over beef ban in India, the lawmakers said this is increasing tensions and encouraging vigilante violence against the Muslim community.

They also raised additional concerns about the lack of recognition of Sikhism as a distinct religion, which prevents members of the community from accessing social services and employment and educational preferences available to other religious communities.

Congressmen and Senators applauded Prime Minister Modi about his statement on religious freedom and communal harmony, including his promise in February 2014 that his government would "ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others."

"We urge you to turn these words into action by publicly condemning the ban on non-Hindu faiths in the Bastar District of Chhattisgarh, and the violent assaults and other forms of harassment against religious minorities throughout India," the letter said.

Comments

Fair talker
 - 
Sunday, 28 Feb 2016

The more they oppose these minority religions, the more Hindus are attracted towards minority religions.

Soon Chattisgarh will be come Ekghar, and other Painthees ghars will become Muslims or Christian ghars.

The same happened after math on public anger due to 9/11 in US.

Mohammed SS
 - 
Sunday, 28 Feb 2016

Well done...!!! if Modi have no time to think about our people than at least some body else is there to care about minorities, we learn lesson about BJP and we pray once for all we condemn Modi/RSS ruling, and bring peace in India with the help of outside lawmakers

Maqbool
 - 
Sunday, 28 Feb 2016

Appreciate this gesture by American Lawmakers .

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News Network
June 8,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 8: The Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday announced that former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has decided to contest the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

"Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has decided to contest the Rajya Sabha elections at the request of our party legislators, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and many other leaders of the country. Tomorrow, he will be filing nomination for the election. Thanks to the former PM for agreeing to everyone's consensus," JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy said.

The elections to fill the vacant 18 Rajya Sabha seats from seven states are scheduled to be held on June 19.

Four Rajya Sabha seats are up for grabs in the state, Congress has already nominated senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its candidate.

The ruling BJP will field candidates for two seats.

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News Network
June 28,2020

Mangaluru, Jun 28: In an attempt to curb fast spreading Coronavirus and to bring discipline among the public to follow the guidelines and also as it was found difficult to control the visitors, the City Corporation Mayor Diwakar has ordered closure of the office for one week with immediate effect from Monday.

Public will be banned from entering the MCC building for a period of one week from Monday, he said.

In a circular the Mayor has requested the public to co-operate and help the administration to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

However, a help desk will be set up outside the MCC building where people can submit their applications and requests.

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Agencies
July 8,2020

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rationalised by up to 30 per cent the syllabus for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21 to reduce course load on students amid the COVID-19 crisis, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced on Tuesday.

The curriculum has been rationalised while retaining the core elements, the Human Resource Development said.

Among the chapters dropped after the rationalisation exercise are lessons on democracy and diversity, demonetisation, nationalism, secularism, India's relations with its neighbours and growth of local governments in India, among others.

"Looking at the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country and the world, CBSE was advised to revise the curriculum and reduce course load for the students of classes 9 to 12.

"To aid the decision, a few weeks back I also invited suggestions from all educationists on the reduction of syllabus for students and I am glad to share that we received more than 1.5K suggestions. Thank you, everyone, for the overwhelming response," Nishank tweeted.

"Considering the importance of learning achievement, it has been decided to rationalise syllabus up to 30 per cent by retaining the core concepts," he added.

The Union minister said the changes made in the syllabi have been finalised by the respective course committees with the approval of the curriculum committee and the Governing Body of the Board.

"The heads of schools and teachers have been advised by the board to ensure that the topics that have been reduced are also explained to the students to the extent required to connect different topics. However, the reduced syllabus will not be part of the topics for internal assessment and year-end board examination.

"Alternative academic calendar and inputs from the NCERT on transacting the curriculum using different strategies shall also be part of the teaching pedagogy in the affiliated schools," a senior official of the HRD ministry said.

For classes 1 to 8, the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has already notified an alternative calendar and learning outcomes.

According to the updated curriculum, among the chapters deleted from class 10 syllabus are-- democracy and diversity, gender, religion and caste, popular struggles and movement, challenges to democracy

For class 11, the deleted portions included chapters on federalism, citizenship, nationalism, secularism, growth of local governments in India.

Similarly, class 12 students will not be required to study chapters on India's relations with its neighbours, changing nature of India's economic development, social movements in India and demonetisation, among others.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a nationwide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed.

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