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Irom Sharmila decides to end her 16-year long fast, fight elections

[email protected] (Agencies)
July 26, 2016

Imphal, Jul 26: Human Rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila on Tuesday announced she would end her fast-unto-death protest on August 9 against the controversial Armed Forces Specials Powers Act (Afspa), after more than 16 years.

sharmila1

Speaking to media outside the Imphal court, the 43-year-old said would instead contest elections.

“I will break my fast as the government has failed to give any positive response... I will fight elections to resolve the issues,” she told a news agency.

Known as the Iron Lady of Manipur', Sharmila spent years being force-fed by the government through her nose as she called for the repealment of the act. She had been arrested under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code on charges of attempt to commit suicide and held at a prison hospital.

Sharmila began her non-violent protest in November 2000 after 10 people were killed by troops of the Assam Rifles near a bus stop at Malom, in the outskirt of Imphal.

The Afspa 1958 covers large parts of northeastern India and Kashmir, and gives security forces sweeping powers to search and shoot on sight. Seen by critics as a cover for human rights abuses, Sharmila was one of the strongest voices opposing the act.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court strongly rebuked the army, saying it cannot use “excessive or retaliatory force” even in troubled areas. With regards to Manipur, it said the situation was never a “war-like” threat to national security that warranted the act.

The apex court further directed a thorough probe into alleged fake encounter killings there.

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ahmed
 - 
Tuesday, 26 Jul 2016

Join S.D.P.I and contest in the upcoming election surely you will win.

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 30,2020

Udupi, Jun 30: The novel coronavirus has claimed another life in the coastal district. The throat swabs of a 48-year-old man who breathed his last two days ago tested positive today. 

With this, the covid-19 death toll in the district rose to 3.

The man, who was a native of Kalthodu in Byndoor, had returned from Mumbai on June 2. He breathed his last on June 28 at his residence. 

The deceased’s swabs were collected on the same day. The report came today. He was reportedly suffering from some illnesses.

The funeral of the deceased was held as per protocol. The swab samples of primary contacts of the deceased were also taken.

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News Network
July 31,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 31: Gyms in Bengaluru carried out sanitation work on Thursday following the Centre's nod to reopen gyms from August 5, after several weeks of COVID-induced lockdowns.

"We are taking all the precautionary measures prescribed by the government and will follow the guidelines very strictly. A thermal scanner, oximeter and hand sanitizers have been placed at the entrance of the gym. 

We request all other gym owners also to follow the guidelines strictly to keep their members safe and healthy," said Prasad Kumar, a gym owner in Bangalore.

He added, "The last few months have been very difficult for us gym owners and fitness instructors. We are very grateful to the government for allowing us to re-open. 

We are going to be very cautious when we open. Even before this COVID-19 pandemic, we used to sanitise all the equipment before and after every use so hopefully, this won't be too difficult for us. We are getting rid of the air conditioners to allow cross ventilation and open the space a little more."

According to Chandu Gowda, an actor and frequenter of the gym, working out at home was not the same as working out in the gym with the proper equipment.

"I'm very glad that I get to come back and work out as I used to before this lockdown. For an actor, working out is extremely important, not just for my physical health but also mental health. 

Doing exercises at home is never as good as exercising in a space dedicated to one purpose. I hope other members of the gym follow the rules and regulations religiously," Gowda said.

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News Network
May 1,2020

Mysuru, May 1: Four people who brought a dead man’s body from Mumbai for cremation in his native place in Mandya district in Karnataka have tested positive for Covid-19 virus, and now the administration is trying to find out if the man himself had been an undetected positive.

According to Mandya district deputy commissioner M V Venkatesh, the deceased man was a 53-year-old native of B Kodagalli of Pandavapura taluk, Melkote hobli in Mandya district. He died after suffering a heart attack at the U N Desai government hospital in Mumbai on April 23.

The cremation took place outside the man's native village after the local administration refused to allow it inside the village.

Wanting the final rites performed in his native place, the man’s family got the body embalmed and procured all the medical records and certificates from the hospital and brought it in an ambulance belonging to the Desai government hospital.

When they reached Pandavapura taluk in Karnataka on the evening of April 24, the local administration did not allow the body to enter the village but allowed the relatives to cremate it outside the village.

And since the family had come from Mumbai, the district administration quarantined all seven of the man’s relatives, and their samples were sent for testing on 28 April.

The results showed that the deceased man’s 25-year-old son, daughter-in-law, daughter, and two-year-old grandchild are positive for Covid 19. All of them have been admitted at the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences although they have no symptoms.

Deputy commissioner Venkatesh said that in the Desai hospital records in Mumbai there was no mention whether or not the man had been tested for Covid-19. “We are writing to Desai hospital to clarify if the deceased person was tested for Covid 19. It is also possible that the family got infected by the man’s son who works in the loan department of ICICI Bank in Mumbai and visits several offices in different areas of Mumbai,” he said.

The man’s ancestral B Kodagalli village now has been sealed off. Though tests done on other members of the family have come back negative, the Mandya administartions plans to repeat their tests.

So far 26 people have tested positive for Covid 19 in Mandya district.

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