Month: November 2022

India-Bhutan Satellite Testament

India-Bhutan Satellite Testament To Special Relationship With People Of Bhutan: Modi

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday commended the Department of Information Technology and Telecom (DITT) Bhutan and ISRO on the successful launch of the jointly developed satellite by both countries.

“India Bhutan Satellite is a testament to our special relationship with the people of Bhutan. I commend @dittbhutan and @isro on the successful launch of this jointly developed satellite. @PMBhutan,” PM Modi tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the Department of Information Technology and Telecom (DITT) Bhutan and ISRO on the successful launch of this jointly developed satellite and said that the India-Bhutan satellite is a testament to our special relationship with the people of Bhutan, according to Prime Minister’s office.

In response to a tweet by the Prime Minister of Bhutan who presented a message from His Majesty The King on the successful launch of India-Bhutan SAT, the Prime Minister said;

“India Bhutan Satellite is a testament to our special relationship with the people of Bhutan. I commend @dittbhutan and @isro on the successful launch of this jointly developed satellite,” the official statement by Prime Minister’s office read.

The PSLV C54 carried the India-Bhutan SAT, along with India’s Earth Observation Satellite -06 and other satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, read the Ministry of External Affairs press release.

“Congratulations to team @isro and @dittbhutan on the successful launch of India-Bhutan Sat today,” tweeted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

“Today we have achieved a historic milestone in India’s bilateral cooperation with Bhutan as two special friends and neighbours. In a span of two years, the collaborative efforts of the dedicated team of space, engineers and scientists from ISRO and Bhutanese sides have culminated today in the launch of this satellite for Bhutan,” said Jaishankar at the launch of the satellite.

A high-level delegation from Bhutan led by Lyonpo Karma Donnen Wangdi, Minister of Information and Communications of Bhutan specially travelled to Sriharikota to witness the launch of the India-Bhutan SAT.

An 18-member media delegation from Bhutan who is on a week-long familiarisation visit to India was also at Sriharikota to witness the launch of the India-Bhutan SAT, read the release adding that India has assisted in the capacity building of Bhutanese engineers through hands-on training at the UR Rao Satellite Centre, in Bengaluru, on satellite building and testing, as well as on processing and analysing satellite data. (ANI)

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Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei passed away

Belarus FM Vladimir Makei Passes Away At 64

By LokMarg

Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei passed away at the age of 64, the Foreign Ministry of the country announced on Saturday.

“The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei has passed away, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus wrote on Twitter.
Details regarding the ‘sudden’ demise of the foreign minister yet remain unknown.

The president of Belarus also expressed grief over the death of Foreign Minister Makei on Saturday to the family and friends of Makei, CNN reported citing the statement published on the presidential website.

Makei was born in 1958 in Grodno Region of Belarus and graduated from the Minsk State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages in 1980 and Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria in 1993, according to his official bio on the foreign ministry’s website.

Fluent in both German and English, Vladimir Makei took hold of the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus since 2012.

He held the diplomatic rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Prior to becoming the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus, he was an assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus from 2000-2008.

From 2008-2012, Makei was the head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus, according to his official bio on the foreign ministry’s website. (ANI)

Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei visited New Delhi in early November and discussed several issues including bilateral economic ties, the Ukraine conflict, and multilateral cooperation with EAM Dr. S Jaishankar.

Notably, Belarus is among the few countries, which is reportedly supporting the Russian military amid the Ukraine conflict. (ANI)

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Protesters Chant Step Down CCP In Shanghai Against China’s Zero-Covid Policy

By LokMarg

Protests erupted in China’s Shanghai on Saturday night against Beijing’s strict COVID-19 policy. Several videos have emerged on social media which showcased people chanting slogans against restrictions imposed by the Chinese government to curb the spread of Covid.

The protests erupted after 10 people died and nine others were injured in an apartment fire in Urumqi. Saturday saw protests erupt in Shanghai with people calling to relax COVID-19 curbs across the country. Expressing anger over the stringent Covid policy, Chinese citizens took to the streets in large numbers.
According to a video posted by DW News East Asia Correspondent William Yang on Twitter, people at ‘Urumqi Road’ held a protest against Xi Jinping-led Chinese Communist Party (CCP), chanting slogans like “Step down the Communist Party” and ” the Communist Party, Step down. Xi Jinping, step down.”

In a series of tweets regarding the protests in Shanghai, William Yang said that countless people gathered on Urumqi Road and chanted slogans, “I don’t want PCR test, I want freedom.” In another tweet, William Yang said, people in ‘Urumqi Road’ also called for ending the lockdown in Xinjiang.

“Citizens chanting #Xinjiang, end lockdown, #Xinjiang, end lockdown,” Yang wrote on Twitter.

Continuing the thread, he said that a scuffle broke out between people and police at the site of a protest in Shanghai. In a tweet, William Yang said, “Police surrounded the last few dozens of protesters at the scene in Shanghai and some women were reportedly taken away.”

“Incredible footage from #China’s #Shanghai, where countless people gathered at a road called “#Urumqi road,” chanting the slogan “Step down, the Communist Party” very loudly,” William Yang wrote on Twitter. Notably, the Chinese government has been adhering to strict COVID-19 policy in order to curb the spread of the virus ever since the pandemic emerged in China. The restrictions imposed by the Chinese government include strict lockdowns, travel restrictions, and mass testing.

Meanwhile, Joyce Karam, senior US correspondent at The National, also posted a video on her Twitter handle in which people were seen protesting against COVID-19 restrictions in Wulumuqi Road. “Rare protests erupt in #China’s largest city over Covid restrictions & gov. rules. “We want freedom” the crowd chants in this video from Wulumuqi road tonight,” Karam tweeted.

While sharing the protest video on Twitter, Axial Vibe Studio Co-founder Vivian Wu wrote, “Scale of the protest tonight in Shanghai. Notice police didn’t do anything but stand calmly watching ppl protest and shout. It’s not benevolence. My guess: they need to ask for directives from the top authorities. Police might be stunned as nobody dares to do so for decades.”

Earlier on Friday, a fire in a residential high-rise in Urumqi, where many residents have been placed under lockdown, set off public anger and questions about China’s zero-Covid policy. Chang Che, a freelance writer covering Chinese technology and society and Amy Chang Chien covering news in mainland China and Taiwan, writing in The New York Post (NYT) said that the protest erupted after the fire killed 10 persons in the region, with residents calling for the lifting of lockdowns.

Chinese commenters on social media shared reports and footage of the blaze that killed 10 people and injured nine in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, demanding to know if Covid restrictions had hampered the rescue or prevented residents from escaping their apartments or the building. Late Friday, videos circulated widely on the Chinese internet showing throngs of residents in Urumqi marching to a government building and chanting “end lockdowns.” (ANI)

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CCTV footage of Satyendar Jain

Jain’s Jail Luxury Continues: House-keeping service In His Cell

By LokMarg

The latest video that has emerged in a series of purported CCTV footage of Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain inside the Tihar jail, shows house-keeping services being provided to the jail cell of the Aam Aadmi Party leader.

The purported footage that emerged according to the sources on Sunday morning was dated September 13, 15 and October 1 in which the visuals show men sweeping the floor of the jail cell and also arranging the Minister’s bed. In the visuals dated September 12, Jain was seen interacting with other people inside his jail cell.
This is ostensibly the fourth CCTV footage that has emerged relating to the jail Delhi Minister. The first purported visuals, which appeared on November 19, showed the Minister getting a full body massage. The second purported footage surfaced on November 23, a day after Jain’s counsel claimed inside the trial court that the Minister had lost 28 kg of weight during his custody. In the footage, Jain was seen having an elaborate and extensive meal. Interestingly, sources had said that the Minister had gained 8 kg weight instead.

In the third purported footage that came out on November 26, the Minister was seen having a conversation with some people, including currently suspended Jail superintendent Ajit Kumar.

Earlier on Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed AAP over the November 26 video of Jain and termed it as “AAP ka darbar of Bhrashtachar”.

Shehzad said this was the third video in the series — first AAP made a ‘spa’ in Tihar where Delhi’s health minister Satyendra Jain got a ‘maalish’ from a child rapist and AAP labelled it as physiotherapy.

Then he was served 5-course meal but he claimed he was being starved.

Now a video shows how he was allowed to hold a “darbar” inside jail, he added.

Slamming Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Poonawalla asked whether Jain was kept as a minister despite getting no relief from courts so that he could do “Vasooli” and can also get VIP maalish?

The BJP leader demanded that Satyendra Jain be sacked and Kejriwal should apologise to the entire nation for defending a child rapist as a therapist and insulting physiotherapy.

Earlier on November 22, Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia were aware of Satyendar Jain getting a massage in jail after a video of the minister had surfaced.

“The whole matter was in the knowledge of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, but they are trying to fool the people that this was physiotherapy being done by a rapist,” Shehzad Poonawalla had said while talking to ANI.

Poonawalla had said that the person whom Kejriwal and Sisodia were passing off as a physiotherapist was actually a potential rapist and that too a rapist of young children who is involved in cases and the section 376 of IPC under the POCSO Act.

Poonawalla had said that this shows that Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were not just passing off physiotherapy but actually defending “corruption therapy”. (ANI)

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modi about Indian musical instruments

Export Of Indian Musical Instruments Increased, USA, UK Biggest Buyers: Modi

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, while lauding Indian classical music and its craze outside the country, said that the exports of Indian classical musical instruments have increased and their biggest buyers include developed countries such as USA and UK.

The Prime Minister was addressing the 95th edition of the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.
“The export of musical instruments from India has increased by 3.5 times since last year. It shows the interest of the world in Indian classical music. In the last eight years, musical instrument exports have increased by 3.5 times; electrical musical instrument exports have also increased by 60 times. This indicates that the craze for Indian culture and music is increasing across the world,” PM Modi said.

“The biggest buyers of Indian musical instruments are developed countries like USA, Germany, France, Japan and UK,” he added.

The Prime Minister mentioned a Greece artist Konstantinos Kalaitzis who did a rendition of Vaishav Janato, a song said to be Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite, and said that the artist weaved all his India-related experiences in a book.

“Konstantinos Kalaitzis, an artist from Greece has done a beautiful rendition of Vaishav Janato – Bapu’s favourite song. Not only this, Konstantinos has visited India regularly in the last 42 years to study India’s classical music and dance traditions. He has studied the contribution of many great personalities of Indian music,” he said.

“He has beautifully weaved all his India-related experiences in a book titled ‘Indian Music’ having nearly 760 pictures. Most of these pictures have been clicked by him. Such enthusiasm and fascination about Indian culture in other countries are really heartening,” PM Modi added.

Highlighting the richness of the Indian culture, the Prime Minister said that the genres of Indian music have left an “indelible mark on the world”.

“In our culture, classical music is considered divine. All our Gods and Goddesses are shown playing many musical instruments. From flowing rivers to the chirping of birds we can find music everywhere. Our genres of music have not only enriched our culture but have also left an indelible mark on the world,” he said. (ANI)

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Mallikarjun Kharge To Campaign in Gujarat

AICC Chief Kharge To Campaign In Gujarat For Four Days

By LokMarg

With the Gujarat elections round the corner and the first litmus test of Mallikarjun Kharge as Congress president, the grand old party is seeking to boost its poll prospects in the state by addressing about two dozen public meetings.

Mallikarjun Kharge has devised a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata party, which has been in power for over two decades, in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress is gearing up by bringing some of its highest-ranked leaders to campaign in the second phase to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The areas which will witness polling in the second phase in Gujarat hold much importance to Congress as Saurashtra and the tribal belts have been strongholds of the party and the top leaders who will be campaigning in the second phase include Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and a host of senior leaders.

Kharge is scheduled to campaign for two days before the first phase of the Gujarat assembly election that will take place on December 1.

Kharge will also campaign for the second phase in Gujarat on December 1 and 2, the sources said on Saturday

The Gujarat assembly polls have been declared to be conducted in two phases on December 1 and 5 before the announcement of results on December 8.

Voting for 89 assembly seats will take place in the first phase, while for the remaining 93 assembly seat voting will be held in the second phase of polling.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also expected to join and campaign for the party in Gujarat in the second phase of polling.

“His (Rahul Gandhi) tour will however depend on a break in ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’,” they said.

It is pertinent to mention that even after the Congress has got a non-Gandhi president after 24 years in Mallikarjun Kharge and the leader, has plunged in the election campaign in poll-bound states, the dominance of the Gandhi family is visible even after a month of the change of top leader at the AICC.

Kharge’s picture is still missing from the official hoarding board of the Congress headquarters and it is yet to find a place in the rooms of the party’s key office-bearers.

This was not the case when Sonia Gandhi took the leadership role and when Rahul Gandhi became general secretary and later party chief.

Soon after he became president, Kharge started meeting leaders and workers by giving appointments at his home. He also plunged into the electoral campaign for Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat elections.

He has started meeting workers at Congress headquarters between 11 am and 1 pm without an appointment. After Rahul Gandhi resigned as party chief in 2019, this process of meetings came to a virtual standstill, party leaders said.

“Soniaji and Rahulji also used to meet but it all stopped due to the coronavirus. It has started again and people can meet without any prior appointment,” Naseer Hussain, Congress MP, and coordinator attached to Kharge told ANI on November 22.

Kharge has fully taken over but the Congress apparatus is apparently slow to react.

When Sonia became president, her photo was placed on the official board of the party headquarters at 24 Akbar Road in Delhi.

Photos of Sonia along with that of other veteran leaders were put up in the room of every Congress office-bearer at Congress headquarters.

Rahul Gandhi’s photo also made it to the rooms of AICC office-bearers soon after he was appointed general secretary.

His photo was all over the AICC after he became the party chief in 2017 and photos of other members of the Gandhi-Nehru family who have held party posts also adorned the walls.

In fact, Rahul Gandhi’s picture was replaced by that of Sonia on the official board of the party within 24 hours when she became the interim president in 2019. Photos of the two leaders were already in AICC rooms.

Nasir Hussain sought to play down the delay in putting up of Kharge’s photo.

“I have not seen where the picture has not been put up, it has been used in the posters for publicity and manifestos. Rest of the places it will also be put up soon,” he said.

The situation is likely to give ammunition to the BJP to continue attacking the Congress on “family rule”.

Though the Gandhi family has followed the protocol and has extended due courtesies to Kharge, the “Congress system” appears slow to react giving rise to various questions. (ANI)

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Uttarakhand Police Gangster Act

Uttarakhand Police To Confiscate Criminals’ Property Under Goonda Act

By LokMarg

For effective action against criminals and to control crime, Uttarakhand Police will confiscate the illegally acquired property of the accused in all the cases filed under the Gangster Act in the state from December 1.

A two-month-long special campaign will be carried out following the direction of Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar.

According to the Police Headquarters, along with this, strict action will also be taken against the criminals carrying rewards and wanted criminals in the campaign. By announcing rewards on the wanted accused in various cases, special teams will be formed at the district level and the wanted and rewarded criminals will be arrested. Special Task Force (STF) has also been directed to arrest the prize and wanted criminals.

In due course, the property of the accused in the UKSSSC Paper Leak case will also be attached.

DGP Ashok Kumar said that as per the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Uttarakhand Police is determined to make the state crime and criminal-free.

In this campaign, awards will be given to those who do good work from the Superintendent of Police to the station in charge and action will also be taken against those who show laxity in their work and those who fail, said an official statement. (ANI)

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Irene Cara death

Oscar-Winning Flashdance Singer And Actor Irene Cara Passes Away At 63

By LokMarg

Oscar-winning singer and actor Irene Cara, who rocketed to pop stardom singing the title tracks to ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance,’ passed away at the age of 63.

Her publicist, Judith A. Moose, announced the news on social media, saying that the cause of death is “currently unknown.”
“Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief,” Moose wrote in a statement, adding, “She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”

According to a report by US-based entertainment portal Variety, Cara first gained notoriety as Coco Hernandez as a High School of Performing Arts (now Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School) student with aspirations of becoming a famous actress.

Cara not only performed in the movie, but also sang ‘Fame,’ the film’s soundtrack. That song and ‘Out Here on My Own,’ another Cara-sung number from ‘Fame,’ would later be nominated for an Academy Award for best Oiginal Song’.

Despite director Alan Parker’s initial scepticism, they were successful because composer Michael Gore called him shortly after working with Cara in the studio to inform him that they had a vocal powerhouse on their hands.

Since Cara had performed on stage and on television since she was a young girl, many similarities between her and her character influenced her acting.

With ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling,’ a contagious song of empowerment that she co-wrote and sang, Cara would go on to score an even bigger hit.

The romantic drama from 1983 about a dancer who aspires to be a ballerina found huge commercial success.

The film won an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’ and a Grammy award for ‘Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

The number gained fresh popularity after she re-recorded the song with DJ BoBo for 1997’s ‘The Full Monty’,

Also among Cara’s films are ‘City Heat’ with Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood; ‘Certain Fury’ with Tatum O’Neal, and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ in the 1990s.

She was married to stuntman and director Conrad Palmisano from 1986 to 1991. (ANI)

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President Assent to Three Bills

Do Something For People Languishing In Jails For Petty Offences: Prez

By LokMarg

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday urged courts to help people languishing in jails for petty offences who are not aware of their fundamental rights or fundamental duties that are laid down in Part IV-A of the Constitution.

The President made the remarks while addressing the valedictory function of the ‘Constitution Day’ celebrations, organized by the Supreme Court in the national capital.
President Murmu said, “
Aap logon ko uske liye kuchh karna chahiye. Saalon saal nahi chhuratein hain unko
. (You [courts] should do something for these people. They are languishing in jails for many years).”

The President added that such prisoners have been languishing behind bars for petty offenses such as slapping.

She also pointed out that many, who have taken the lives of others are roaming free but those booked for petty offenses are still lodged in jails.

President Murmu said, “Increasing the number of jails does not qualify as development. We should introspect, instead, on why there should be jails in the first place.”

She said the courts are for the people and by the people and, hence, must think about the people.

Getting emotional as she spoke about her childhood days in her native village, President Murmu said villagers hold three professions — teaching, medicine, and law — in high regard. She said doctors and lawyers take professional vows to help people in need.

She said as Jharkhand governor, she had the opportunity to work for people languishing in jails for petty offenses.

She also acknowledged the contributions of the former chief justice of Jharkhand High Court DN Patel and the chief of Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority Pradip Kumar Mohanty, in this regard. (ANI)

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Thakur On Ramiz's World Cup Remarks

No Country Can Overlook India: Thakur On Ramiz’s World Cup Remarks

By LokMarg

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has said India is a major power in the world of sports and no country can overlook the country.

He was responding to a query about remarks of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja that if India does not come for Asia Cup, Pakistan won’t go for the 2023 World Cup to be hosted by India.
“Wait for the right time. India is a major power in the world of sports & no country can overlook India,” Thakur said.

Earlier in October, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had indicated that Asia Cup could be held at a neutral venue.

After Shah’s remarks about holding Asia Cup at a neutral venue, PCB issued a statement it can impact Pakistan’s visit to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

“The overall impact of such statements has the potential to split the Asian and international cricketing communities and can impact Pakistan’s visit to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and future ICC Events in India in the 2024-2031 cycle,” PCB said,

Following PCB’s statement, Thakur had said that India will host the 2023 WC with all teams.

“It is an internal matter of BCCI and it will handle the issue smartly. We have not done anything wrong yet while hosting international tournaments before. We have hosted World Cup successfully before and all teams participated happily. We will host the tournament next year and all teams will play in it,” Thakur had said in October.

BCCI President Roger Binny also said that touring Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023 is not the board’s call, but they will rely on the government’s decision.

“That is not our call. We cannot say where our team has to go. We need to take clearance from the government if we leave the country, or other countries come here. We cannot take that decision on our own, we have to rely on the government,” Binny had said.

2023 will mark the first time ever that India will host the marquee cricketing event by itself. It co-hosted the 1987 World Cup with Pakistan and the 1996 World Cup with Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The tournament made its return to India in 2011 when it co-hosted it along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India also emerged victorious in the 2011 edition of the tournament. (ANI)

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