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Kerala temples to continue firework display

  As the death toll in the Kollam fire disaster kept rising, the Travancore Devaswom Board, has boldly declared that it was not in favour of ban on such displays. The statement of Board which manages about 1,200 temples in Kerala has been a surprise to many. Even the Chief Minister of Kerala has said that the government cannot ban the display of fireworks at temples.   After the horrific tragedy that turned the Puttingal Devi temple premises into a burial ground, people of Kerala expected the state to take some sever steps. Senior congress leader A.K.Antony has also demanded for a ban on the display of fireworks at temples. But the government as well as the temple board has reacted in a different manner. They have stated that display of fireworks is a part of the rituals and they can be carried out after the needed guidelines were met. But how could one avert a mishap, if guidelines are ignored as in the case of Kollam disaster?

Two Indian students murdered in Ukraine

  In a gruesome incident that took place in Ukraine, two medical students of Indian origin were stabbed to death. They were identified as Pranav Shaindilya from Muzaffarnagar and Ankur Singh from Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh. Another student named Indrajeet Singh Chauhan from Agra, was also stabbed, but is now recovering in a local hospital. Based on the descriptions made by the survivor, three Ukrainian nationals were arrested who were trying to flee from the country.   The External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup has confirmed and condemned these attacks, and assured that every needed step would be taken to deal with the situation. Though the exact reasons behind the attack haven’t surfaced yet, it has created an atmosphere of chaos among the Indian students studying in Ukraine. It’s very common for the Indian students to pursue their Medical degree in Ukraine, which is very economical. But the latest incident would certainly let them think twice before they leap to reap the degree.

John Kerry- first US secretary to visit Hiroshima

  Who can every forget Hiroshima of Japan. It’s the place where the US flights have dropped their atom bomb named as “Little Boy” on 6th August 1945. The devastation caused by Little Boy is too huge to bear. It has resulted in 1,40,000 deaths either due to explosion or due to radiation. Three days later, another nuke was dropped on Nagasaki, concluding the World War II.    Though the world has condemned the bombings, many Americans are still of the view that it was a necessary step to defeat Japan. Keeping an eye on the sensitivity of the issue, no American higher diplomat has ever dared to visit the site. Now John Kerry becomes the first one to break the rule. Kerry has been touring in Japan as a delegate in the G7 foreign ministers meeting.  He has today visited the site in Hiroshima where the nuke has exploded and expressed his sympathy over the incident. But the US government has ruled out, that no apologies would be expressed about the incident. Well! Who will break that rule now!

Obama admits his worst mistake

  As his presidential term is coming to a closure, US president Obama seems to be making some confessions. In his interview to the Fox news yesterday, Obama has admitted his worst mistake during the Presidency. According to him, leaving Libya in a mess after toppling down the regime of Gadhafi was his worst mistake. US along with other nations in NATO have intervened in the civil war of Libya during 2011. In that war, NATO has supported the rebels who were fighting against the regime of Gadhafi.   With such intervention, the forces of Gadhafi got defeated and rebels took the charge over Libya. Gadhafi was shot dead by the rival forces in October that year. Though NATO has achieved the target of toppling Gadhafi, they have left the country in a political turmoil. Libya has remained in chaos since then, with numerous rival groups fighting for power. Looking at the situation, Obama certainly feels that NATO should have induced political stability before leaving the scene.

DMK manifesto is now... the talk of the nation

  Opinion polls might suggest Jayalalitha to retain power in the state of Tamilnadu. But Karunadhi is not the kind of person, who would give up so fast. Yesterday, he has released the manifesto of his party. His manifesto is quite interesting, wooing the young and women voters alike. Watch out!   - Free internet for students with a download facility of upto 10GB per month. This would of course be accompanied with subsidy on smart phones.   - Total prohibition of liquor in the state. De-addiction centres will be established to treat the alcoholics who get affected by the move.   - The completion of Sethu Samudram project which was being opposed on environmental as well as religious ground. This project would destroy the Ram Sethu, which is believed to be built the Lord Rama.   - Maternity leave to be increased from 6 months to 9 months.   - First generation graduates to get preference for government jobs. Education loan of college students to be written off. One lakh new jobs every year.   - Jallikattu- the violent sport between bulls and humans to be revived, despite the orders of Supreme court.   - The price of milk to be reduced by 7 Rs. per litre.

Sai worship resulted in drought... Shankaracharya

  The Shankaracharya of Dwaraka- Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, has once again raised the controversy Sai worship. Swaroopananda has claimed that the drought in Maharashtra is due to the result of worshiping unworthy people like Saibaba. It’s a known fact that Saibaba hails from Shiridi of Maharashtra and is being worshiped like a god, by millions in Maharashtra.   Swaroopananda has always been critical against the worship of Sai- the Sufi saint! In 2014 he ordered the removal of Sai pictures and idols from the temples which were placed along with other Hindu deities. Swaroopananda has also expressed his fury over the entry of women in Shani Shingnapur. "Shani is paap grah. Worshiping him will lead to rise in crime against women," said the Swami. Swaroopananda has made these remarks during his recent visit to Haridwar. His statements when publicised were certain to create a controversy.

A Madrasa with a Hindu Principal... at Jaipur

  In the narrow lanes of Jaipur, there lies `The Rehmani Model School`. It was located in the area dominated by the Muslim community, with majority of them being under privileged. Rehmani Model School was once a Madrasa, but has now been turned into a school. Still, most of the 1300 students in the school comprises of orthodox Muslims.   In a surprising move, the school management has now appointed Kailash Chandra Yadav, as a principal for the school. Interestingly Kailash has previously worked in Aadarsh Vidhya Mandir, which is affiliated to RSS. The news might be surprising to the readers but not to Kailash. "Students are students irrespective of their religion and education is important for all," says Kailash to a daily. Abdul Qayyum Akhtar, chairman of Rehmani Welfare Society has also expressed similar views- "To me the educational qualification of teachers matter, not their affiliations or their religion,’ said the Chairman. Who could differ with them!

Kerala hasn’t learnt from the fire accidents

  The fire tragedy in the Kollam district is certainly a shock to the people of Kerala. But the state seems to be living amidst such accidents. Since 1952, many such incidents have occurred across the state. Here are a few fire tragedies that has occurred in Kerala temples. - on 14th January 1952, 68 pilgrims were burnt to death in Sabarimala when the firework sheds have caught fire. Since them, the display of fireworks was prohibited at the temple premises. - Duryodhana temple in Kollam, only temple dedicated to Duryodhana in south India too has been a victim of fire tragedy. In 1990 at least 26 people were charred to death as the fireworks created a havoc. - Tragedy doesn’t strike a particular religion. The Kandashamkadavu church (Thrissur) festival in 1984 has resulted in a cracker blast, claiming at least 20 lives. These are just a few incidents that remind us of the flaring past. Even in January this year, Kerala has witnessed a fire cracker accident at `Maradu Kottaram Bhagavathy Temple` which has left a person dead. But no one seems to care to be cautious!

Earthquake in pak, tremors felt in India

The earthquake was measured 6.6 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was in the Hindukush mountain range, 282 km northeast of Kabul in Afghanistan. Strong tremors were felt across north India including Jammu, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and New Delhi after the powerful earthquake hit off the remote northern region of Afghanistan on this afternoon. There was no report of any loss of any loss of life or damage to property. As a precautionary measure, metro services were temporarily halted in the national capital.

Prince and Princess week long trip to India

  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on six-day-long tour of India and arrived in Mumbai earlier today. They chose to stay at the 26/11 site as a mark of solidarity and also laid a wreath at the memorial site to remember the terror attacks of 2008 in Mumbai. They also spoke to the hotel staff who were present when the iconic hotel was attacked. The couple will be participating in a cricket match between beneficiaries and representatives of three charity organisations at Oval Maidan in Mumbai after which they will visit Mumbai slums. Later in the day they are expected to receive an elaborate reception by Bollywood actors including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will meet and have lunch with Prime Modi on 12th of April. They are also expected to visit Bhutan in the trip and would later come back to India and are expected to visit the iconic Taj Mahal before they leave for UK.

Massive fire accident in kerala, 98 people killed..!

  Massive fire broke out at a temple in Paravoor in Kerala's Kollam district at around 3.30 am today morning during festivities that involved firecrackers, killing 98 people and injuring over 300. Kerala government has sought help from Indian Air Force to shift patients with third degree burns to either Trivandrum or Kochi for immediate treatment. Four helicopters including Mi-17 and ALH from Sulur are being used to shift patients out of the accident site. The temple, located in the coastal town of Paravur, in Kollam district, about 60 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram, was gearing up for a huge display of fireworks.But, tragedy struck when a spark from a live cracker landed in the building that stored these massive crackers. Local media reports quoting Kollam district authorities said that the temple authorities ignored warnings issued against holding a huge firework in the area vulnerable to such accident. The prime minister has announced Rs.2 lakh each as compensation to the next of the kin of the dead and Rs.50,000 to the injured. HELPLINE NUMBERS: 0474 2512344,  949760778,  949730869

Shoe hurled at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at a press conference

  While addressing the press conference about the upcoming implementation of the odd and even rule in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal was attacked with a shoe by one Ved Prakash who claims to be a member of the Aam Aadmi Sena Party and was there protesting about the issue of corruption. The shoe missed the target and the man was taken into custody by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers.   Ved Prakash alleged that fake CNG stickers were being distributed in Delhi ahead of the Odd-Even vehicular rule and also claimed that he had CDs of a sting operation done by him. The press conference was being held to announce the details about the Odd Even programme, starting from April 15 in the national capital.

Raj Thackeray challenges Owaisi

  MNS Chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday targeted the Owaisi brothers and challenged them to come to Maharashtra. He said “Come to Maharashtra, I will put a knife to your throat,” . This was in response to Asaduddin Owaisi's remark that he would not chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ even if a knife is put to his throat. He also slammed Shiv Sena for still being in an alliance with BJP despite them not giving enough credit to Shiv Sena in the government. He also questioned the government on the farmer suicide issue and asked what is the difference between them and the congress when they are not able to resolve the issue.

This is how PM Modi completes a multinational trip in just 97 hours!

  It is unprecedented to complete a PM's multination trip, involving US, in just 97 hours.This was on his latest trip to Belgium, US and Saudi Arabia between March 30 and April 2. PM Modi could manage to do it by traveling overnight, saving time by spending three nights on Air India One during his trip. If he wouldn't have chosen to do it then it would have taken him another six days at least to complete the trip. He only spent two nights at hotels, one being in Washington and the other in Riyadh.

Over 1 lakh CCTV cameras to be installed to ensure the safety of Hyderabad

  As part of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)'S corporate social responsibility initiative an MOU was signed with the Hyderabad police to extend financial assistance of Rs 1crore for installing CCTVs in the city. Hyderabad Police commissioner, M Mahender Reddy, said that the objective of installing cameras is to safeguard Old City's residents and that they expect with the 1 lakh cameras being installed, the city will become more safe and secure.   DCP (south zone) V Satyanarayana said that the cameras were being installed in areas where anti-social activities are known to exist. He also reiterated the fact that it is the need of the hour to keep an eye on them as they are giving the entire area a bad name. Cameras are also likely to be installed near places of worship and Charminar and Chowmahalla Palace. Kamatipura police station will be the headquarters from where the activity will be monitored. There would be almost a 100 CCTV camera's installed in area limits.

New twist in actress Pratyusha's suicide case

  Pratyusha's boyfriend Rahul Raj's ex-lawyer Neeraj Gupta has approached the police with fresh charges against Rahul alleging that he might have a role in the death of the actress and asked them to probe the murder angle as well. New twists came to the fore when he told police that Rahul was partying with an unidentified woman at an Andheri restaurant till 1.30am on April 1, the day Pratyusha was found hanging from a ceiling fan, and did not have a house party as he has claimed earlier. At a press conference he said " I have learnt that Rahul had a fight with the girl he was partying with. It needs to be found out whether she accompanied him home thereafter. How true are his claims that he went to church in the morning if he was drinking till late in the night?"   Also countering the claims that Rahul has been making, that, Pratyusha was heavily drunk before committing suicide, he said, "If she was so inebriated, could she have been in her senses to climb on a chair and tie her dupatta to the ceiling fan to make a noose? How old are the injuries found on her neck and cheekbone?"   Gupta, who claims to have known Rahul for six years, said Rahul has cheated several aspiring actors and that his modus operandi is to get a woman hooked to drugs and start forcing her to cough up money once she gets desperate for drugs. While Rahul is still in the hospital, police are waiting for the doctors to give a go ahead for him to be arrested.

Rajyasabha MP arrested for a dowry death

  No one seems to be free from the greed of dowry. In the latest incident, a Rajya Sabha MP from the BSP party has found to be guilty in harassing his daughter in law to bring more dowry. Himanshi Kashyap, daughter in law of BSP MP Narendra Kashyap, was found dead yesterday. She was shot dead in the house of honourable MP in Gaziabad (Uttar Pradesh). Though the family of MP claims the incident to be a suicide, police has found prima facie evidence to consider this incident as a result of dowry harassment. Whether Himanshi has killed herself, or whether someone has shot her... the motive seems to the demand for additional dowry.   Narendra along with his wife and son were arrested yesterday and a case has been filed to include all his siblings in the case. The victim's father, also a BSP leader, has alleged that his daughter, who was 8 months pregnant was tortured and gunned down over dowry by her in laws. It seems that her in laws have been torturing her to bring ‘Toyota Fortuner’- a luxury car as additional dowry. The certainly deserved the Police Jeep!

Manmohan Singh turns to be a professor

  Mr. Manmohan Singh might seem very calm and quite. His silence has often attracted much criticism rather than his deeds. But very few might be aware that our Ex-Prime Minister is an economics professor. After completing his masters in economics from Panjab University (PU), Singh has been appointed as a lecturer in same college. That was a way long back in 1957.   Manmohan has ultimately left the post in 1966 to be a part of UN secretariat. Now the Punjab University has requested Mr.Singh to deliver some lectures to the students and got a nod from him. “He is happy to be able to come here and interact with students," said PU vice-chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover. The ex-prime minister would be delivering some lectures through direct visits and some through video conferences. Students of PU can also visit him in Delhi. After Abdul Kalam, it’s good to watch one more leader taking up the responsibility of grooming the younger generation. Hope that Mr.Manmohan would speak a lot in his classes!

Bloggers get killed in Bangaldesh

  Little can you suspect that expressing one’s view on social media could be life threatening. But Bangladesh is witnessing a series of incidents, where people who pen their views against terrorism were being killed. Avijit Roy, Washiqur Rahman, Niloy Chakrabarti, Faisal Dipan... are just a few names to mention, who wrote online and got killed. In a latest addition, Nazimuddin Samad, a 28-year-old law student was killed last night.   Samad was critical of radical Islamists and has never felt shy in expressing his views online. A day before the murder, he expressed concerns over the country’s law and order in a Facebook post. This murder has certainly increased the fears among intellectuals who have dared to promote secularism among the country. Probably, that’s the reason why Samad got killed. To promote fear!