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PFI national council appeals judiciary to protect religious freedom, personal laws

Media Release
October 12, 2018

New Delhi, Oct 12: The National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of Popular Front of India held at its headquarters in New Delhi stated that a series of seemingly liberalist and progressive judgments came from the apex court in recent months intensifies the apprehension among the religious minorities that they may pave the way for Uniform Civil Code.

A highly impactful judgment given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India was on the issue of religious conversion of Akhila to Hadiya and her subsequent marriage with a Muslim. On 9 April 2018, setting aside a Kerala High Court judgment which annulled the marriage, Supreme Court said that “the right to marry a person of one’s choice is integral to Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution”.  It was one of the most important judicial interventions in recent history of the country to protect the fundamental rights of ordinary citizens against powerful right wing forces who tried to block it.

The state interference in religious affairs is against the spirit Indian constitution. Consequently, every community has the freedom to practice their religious customs and personal laws. However, the judgment that upheld the 1994 Allahabad High Court verdict on the status of Mosque in Islam and on the entry of  women in Shabarimala temple in Kerala were alarming interference in the religious affairs of the respective communities. At a critical juncture when the country is awaiting justice for the illegally occupied and demolished Babri Masjid,a judgment negating of essentiality of Masjid in Islam does not give a positive message. The concern that such judgments would be misused by a communally motivated government was reaffirmed by the passing of Triple Talaq ordinance in the name of Supreme Court verdict. Hence it is high time the Supreme Court come forward taking a clear stand that the Ayodhya Masjid-Mandir title suit would be dealt with as per records and not according to any religious faith.  This has become an onus on the part of highest judiciary in the context of consistent statements by some unscrupulous leaders that Ram Mandir would be constructed on the site of demolished Babri Masjid at any cost.

The judgments decriminalizing homosexuality and adultery claim to protect individual freedom and privacy. It may be interpreted that Supreme Court is merely imitating permissive values and concepts, which have already resulted in the decline of family and other social systems. The same enthusiasm was not seen in protecting personal freedom and privacy of individuals while ratifying the government decision on Aadhaar. The majority judgment failed to see the danger in linking every citizenship rights and availing of government welfare schemes and services with Aadhar. Though most of the recent majority judgments were presented in the superficial language decorated with liberalism and progressiveness, they are borne with far reaching consequences ruinous to individual, family and society.

The National Executive Council of Popular Front applauded the commitment of the Supreme Court that is being repeatedly shown in all available contexts that the Indian constitution and its values are supreme. The meeting observed that at a time when overt calls and covert attempts are being made by those who control the centers of power to subvert the democratic and secular foundation of our constitution, this uncompromising constitutional commitment must be  seen as the ultimate hope of India.

The three days meeting of the apex body of the organization discussed the socio-political situations prevailing in the country. The meeting also reviewed the activities of the organization in different states.  The determination and steadfastness shown by Popular Front   leaders and activists of Jharkhand state in the aftermath of organization’s ban was commendable.  The meeting has applauded the High Court decision that revoked the ban and urged the state government to ensure freedom of association in Jharkhand.  The proposal by the Community Development Department to allot Rs. 15 million for post-metric scholarship during the academic year 2018-19 was approved.

Chairman E Abubacker presided over the meeting. Vice chairman O M A Salam, General Secretary Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Secretaries Abdul Wahid Sait, Anis Ahmed and other NEC members attended the meeting.

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Agencies
February 7,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 7: Kerala Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac on Friday began presenting the fifth budget of the CPI(M)-led LDF government for the 2020-21 fiscal by making remarks against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the unanimous resolution passed by the state assembly against it.

Stating the amended act was posing a threat to the basic credentials of the Constitution, he said the country was witnessing the biggest protests ever in the post-Independence era.

Students and women are at the forefront of the anti- CAA agitations and the hope of the country lies in the youth who hit the streets vowing they would not let the country down, he said.

Coming down heavily on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Isaac said a communalised government machinery, leaders who talk only about "disgust and hatred" and their party workers who consider violence as their duty was the current reality in the country.

"Generally speaking, it is the present India...The concerns triggered by Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are beyond words. The fear of detention centres are hanging above the head of over 19 lakh people of Assam who have lived as Indians till yesterday," he said.

Quoting from a poem 'Fear' by a 15-year old boy from Wayanad Dhruvath Gautham who wrote 'fear is country and silence is an ornament!,' Isaac said "even the imagination of our children is now filled with fear".

Referring to the stringent opposition raised by the Left government in the state against the CAA and NRC, the finance minister lavished praise on the joint protests led by the ruling LDF and opposition UDF against the central act.

Setting aside political differences, the rival fronts in the state had joined hands to protest when the country had faced existential threat which had become a model for other states, he said.

When Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala jointly protested at the same venue against CAA, Kerala became a model to other states, the senior leader added.

The state showcased the same unity while passing a resolution requesting the centre to repeal the CAA and filing a suit in the apex court against this under the Article 130, he said.

"The country's economy is heading towards a severe economic crisis like that witnessed in 2009," he said.

Earlier, the references to anti-CAA protests had found a place in the Pinarayi Vijayan government's policy address also.

While presenting the policy address in the House, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had read out references to anti- CAA resolution passed by the house, despite disagreeing with it.

Reading out the the anti-CAA stand of the state government, the Governor said "our citizenship can never be on the basis of religion as this goes against the grain of secularism which is part of the basic structure of our constitution.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi, Jul 30: Preparing for a long haul in the Eastern Ladakh sector in extreme winters, the Indian Army has an edge over the Chinese as it has deployed 35,000 troops there who have already done tenures in high altitude and cold conditions.

The Indian troops deployed there are mentally prepared for tackling the weather and terrain.
In contrast, the Chinese troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are not used to these conditions as they have been brought from mainland China and are not accustomed to high altitude extreme cold weather conditions.

"We are preparing to provide extreme cold weather portable cabins for around 35,000 troops that have been deployed in the Eastern Ladakh sector," government sources said.

"Our soldiers deployed there have already done a tenure or two in Siachen, Eastern Ladakh or Northeast and they are physically and mentally prepared for a longer deployment there," they said.

The Chinese soldiers deployed on the Indian front include mainly conscripts who join the PLA for a period of 2-3 years and then return to their normal lives, sources said.

Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a standoff situation all along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh from sub-sector north with both sides having deployed around 40,000 troops against each other over there.

The two sides have disengaged at three friction points including Patrolling Point 14, PP-15 and PP-17 and PP-17A.

At PP-17 and 17A, the Chinese have now maintained a small element of close to 50 troops and the remaining elements have gone back into their permanent locations.

The sources said the Army is also not much bothered about the Chinese build-up along the LAC as it has got more than two additional divisions from outside Ladakh sector.

India Army has more troops than what the Chinese have brought there, they said.

For the winter deployment, the Army already has a sizeable stock of clothes and habitat for troops as the Indian army deploys troops at the world's highest battlefield Siachen glacier and is prepared.

For additional requirements, the force is in the process of placing orders for additional tents and shelters from indigenous as well as foreign vendors.

The time for summer stocking is on and we are going to get the additional cabins and tents by that time, the sources.

Months of June, July, and August are considered to be the best time for stocking winter rations and ammunition. The snowfall is expected to start soon in the Eastern Ladakh area where the temperature is already low.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has given financial powers of Rs 500 crore per procurement to the defence forces to address any type of shortages of weapons, ammunition, and habitat.

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Agencies
April 23,2020

More and more Indians have become better prepared in the last one month, as far as stocking of their ration, medicine or money is concerned, according to the IANS-CVoter COVID-19 Tracker.

With the second leg of the lockdown half way through and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it's a long haul, 57.2% respondents said they have less than three weeks of stock while 43.3% said they have a stock that will last beyond that

However, if one breaks into weeks, most respondents said they are prepared for a week's time. 24.5% respondents said they have ration, medicine or money to last a week. This is closely followed by 21.9 % respondents saying they are ready for a month.

Meanwhile, 20.4 % said they are ready for a couple of weeks. There are 15.8 % who said they are ready for more than a month with food, ration and medicine. A tiny 5.6 % said they are ready with three weeks of stock.

However, there is 12.3% who still seem to live on the edge with less than a week's preparation.

But, the biggest takeaway from the IANS-CVoter COVID-19 Tracker is that in the last one month, a massive segment of society realised that the fight is long and the preparation should also be to last that long.

o put things into context, on March 16 when the tracker started, a whopping 77.1% said they have stock to last for less than a week. More than a month later on April 21, that number jumped to just 12.3%, which essentially means, people have become better prepared for a long-hauled lockdown period.

Similarly, on April 21, a sizable 21.9% respondents claimed they are ready with ration and medicine that will last them a month. On March 16, not even one respondent could claim they have a month's stock. In fact till March 22, just ahead of the announcement of the first lockdown, no respondent the IANS-CVoter tracker said that they have a month's preparation.

Similarly, when the tracker started, 9.9% said they simply ‘don't know'. As on April 21, that number is a big zero.

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