Sugarcane protests: Police vehicle set ablaze in Kolhapur

[email protected] (News Network)
November 14, 2012

 Maharashtra-farmer-protest-violence

Kolhapur, Sangli, November 14: Sugarcane farmers' agitation in western Maharashtra has turned violent again. The farmers, who are demanding better prices for their produce, clashed with police in Kolhapur and Sangli districts of the state today. According to reports, they indulged in stone-pelting, torched a police jeep and damaged state-run buses after the cops resorted to lathicharge to disperse them while they were staging road blockades.

 

Yesterday, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan met the farmers and appealed to them to call off their protests. He reportedly also urged them to refrain from violence and told them that the prices of sugarcane would be determined only after a discussion in the state assembly during the upcoming winter session.  After the meeting, the leader of the delegation that met with the CM said their talks were inconclusive.

 

The protests turned violent on Monday after the police arrested Raju Shetti, MP and chief of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, who has been leading the farmers' agitation. The protests have rattled the sugar lobby of western Maharashtra that is allegedly controlled by several politicians from the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.

Mr Shetti's detention sparked large-scale violence - protesting farmers torched two state transport buses and a police jeep in Pune district on Monday. Violent protests were also reported from other parts of western Maharashtra. One farmer was killed in Sangli, the epicenter of the agitation, when police opened fire to control a crowd of farmland activists. In Kolhapur, another farmer was killed in an accident during the agitation.

 

Activist turned politician Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that that farmers' interests are being compromised by politicians because their families and associates own sugar mills. "How many sugar mills in maharashtra owned by NCP men, BJP men, Cong people? Which ministers own sugar mills? That data wud explain why govt not giving better sugarcane prices and favoring sugar mill owners," he posted on micro-blogging site twitter today.  Team Kejriwal member Kumar Vishwas is expected to meet Raju Shetti in Pune's Yerawada Jail today. Mr Kejriwal is also likely to meet him soon.

 

Senior Congress leader Patangrao Kadam visited the family of one of deceased farmers yesterday. He has ordered an investigation into the police firing that led to his death.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 27,2020

Ayodhya, Jul 27: With days to go for the August 5 "bhoomi pujan" ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the mosques adjacent to the demolished Babri Masjid premises are spreading the message of a peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims.

There are eight mosques and two mausoleums located close to the 70-acre Babri Masjid premises mandated by the Supreme Court for a temple of Sri Ram.

Azaan and namaaz are offered in the mosques and the annual "Urs" is held at the mausoleums without any objection from the local Hindus.

The eight mosques located near the upcoming Ram temple premises are Masjid Dorahikuan, Masjid Mali Mandir ke Bagal, Masjid Kaziyana Achchan ke Bagal, Masjid Imambara, Masjid Riyaz ke Bagal, Masjid Badar Paanjitola, Masjid Madaar Shah and Masjid Tehribazar Jogiyon ki.

The two mausoleums are Khanqaahe Muzaffariya and Imambara.

"It is the greatness of Ayodhya that the mosques surrounding the Ram temple are giving a strong message of communal harmony to the rest of the world," Haji Asad Ahmad, the corporator of the Ram Kot ward, said. The Ram temple area is situated in Ahmad's ward.

"Muslims take out the 'juloos' of Barawafaat that goes through the periphery of Ram Janmabhoomi. All religious functions and rituals of Muslims are respected by their fellow citizens," the corporator said.

Asked for a comment on the presence of mosques near the upcoming Ram temple premises, the chief priest of the temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, said, "We had a dispute only with the structure that was connected to the name of (Mughal emperor) Babur. We have never had any issue with the other mosques and mausoleums in Ayodhya. This is a town where Hindus and Muslims live in peace."

"Muslims offer namaaz, we perform our puja. The mosques around us will strengthen Ayodhya's communal harmony and peace will prevail," he added.

Both Hindus and Muslims have accepted the Supreme Court verdict over Ram Janmabhoomi, Das said, adding, "We have no dispute with each other."

Sayyad Akhlaq Ahmad Latifi, the "sajjada nasheen" and "pir" of the 500-year-old Khanqaahe Muzaffariya mausoleum, said Muslims in Ayodhya are performing all religious practices freely.

"We offer prayers five times a day in the mosque at Khanqaah and hold the yearly 'Urs'," he added.

"What a scene would it be -- a grand Ram temple surrounded by small mosques and mausoleums and everyone offering prayers according to their beliefs. That will be representative of the true culture of India," Mahant Yugal Kishore Sharan Shastri, the chief priest of the Sarayu Kunj temple adjacent to the Ram Janmabhoomi premises, said.

Reacting to the presence of mosques and mausoleums near the Ram Janmabhoomi premises, Triloki Nath Pandey, the decree holder of the land as the "first friend of Ram Lalla" as mandated by the Supreme Court, said, "We do not have any objection to either those mosques or any other mosques. We will not trigger a dispute regarding any structure, Ayodhya must live in peace and communal harmony."

Mahant Raju Das, the priest of the Hanumangarhi temple, said, "The presence of the mosques tells the story of Ayodhya's communal harmony. A Ram mandir will be built and there will be no objection to the mosques or religious practices of Muslims."

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Agencies
January 19,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19: The CPI(M) will soon launch a nation-wide house-to-house campaign to explain to the people, the 'link' between CAA-NPR-NRC, party general secretary, Sitaram Yechury said on Sunday.

The intense campaign will take place all over the country, he said while briefing the media about the three-day central committee held at Vilapilsala near here.

The central committee also urged the people not to answer the NPR questions.

"The Central committee has called upon the people not to answer any questions concerning the NPR when the enumerators come to their houses...," the left leader said.

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Agencies
February 26,2020

Kochi, Feb 26: Kerala High Court on Wednesday imposed a ban on strikes in schools and colleges that impact the functioning of the campuses.

''The functioning of campuses should not be hampered by the strikes. The colleges are for study, not for strikes. There should not be any march or gherao on campuses. Do not incite anyone for a strike," a bench of Justice PB Suresh Kumar said in its order.

"The order applies to schools and colleges. Do not harm the rights of others. The college can be a venue for peaceful discussions or thoughts. If actions are contrary to the orders of the court, the authorities can take action. They can call the police and restore peace," the order reads.

The Kerala High Court issued the order while hearing a petition filed by 20 educational institutions against campus politics.

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