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We are protesting for our legal rights, not against Yatris: Mirwaiz
Mufti to Manmohan: Need sympathy not more force
Strict curfew in Kashmir: Women march to ‘Pather Masjid’ foiled; 5 injured
Ministers' group discusses caste census
Religious intolerance on rise in South Asia: Report
15,000 start Amarnath Yatra amid Kashmir turmoil
UAE group to bring affordable healthcare to smaller Indian cities
Curfew continues in many Kashmir towns
Girls outperform boys in Bihar's madrassa exams
PDP demands judicial probe into plot against Ma’dani
Kashmir's instigated violence: Who benefits?
Environment Media Award for VP Rajeena
State religion and social reforms
In MIT, a celebration of Faiz’s life and works

We are protesting for our legal rights, not against Yatris: Mirwaiz

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 10:38 AM PDT

By AIP Bureau

Srinagar: There are many anti-social agencies which are saying that Kashmiri people are against the Amarnath yatra as this is propaganda to put dispute in valley and we strongly condemn these statements and acts, APHC (M) spokesman said in a statement.

Mufti to Manmohan: Need sympathy not more force

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 10:34 AM PDT

By AIP Bureau

Srinagar: Former Home Minister of India and Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said response of union government to the current crisis in the state borders on an insult to people of Kashmir. Commenting on the official announcement at the end of the meeting convened by prime minister last evening to discuss Kashmir situation he said linking the genuine anger and anguish among people here with terrorism was nothing short of an assault on their self respect and dignity.

Strict curfew in Kashmir: Women march to ‘Pather Masjid’ foiled; 5 injured

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 10:31 AM PDT

By Bilal Furqani, AIP

Srinagar: Despite a strict security in Kashmir, scores of people including women and children tried to take a protest march to Pather Masjid today afternoon on the call given by Hurriyat (G).

Dozens of women demonstrators, led by the Dukhtaran-e-Millat Chief Asiya Andrabi, defied the strict security lockdown in the Srinagar and staged a noisy anti-India rally.

The women later dispersed after police tried to block the rally.

Ministers' group discusses caste census

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 07:48 AM PDT

By IANS,

New Delhi: A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee began deliberations here Thursday on the demand for a caste-based census.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of the differences on the issue within the cabinet and among major political parties including the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

During the budget session of parliament, the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) had vociferously raised the demand for a caste-based census.

Religious intolerance on rise in South Asia: Report

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 07:26 AM PDT

By IANS,

New Delhi: Religious intolerance is on the rise in South Asia, including in India, leading to discrimination and violent attacks against minorities, says a new report by Minority Rights Group International.

The report titled "State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2010", which was released Thursday, says that while religious nationalism was on the rise, the abuse of counter-terrorism laws too have led to a growing pattern of persecution against religious minorities globally.

15,000 start Amarnath Yatra amid Kashmir turmoil

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 07:18 AM PDT

By IANS,

Srinagar: The annual Amarnath pilgrimage kicked off from the Kashmir Valley Thursday with over 15,000 men and women beginning the climb to the cave shrine dedicated to Hindu god Shiva.

"More than 7,000 yatris began their uphill 14-km trek at 8 Thursday morning from Baltal to the cave. Another 1,100 yatris has left the Manigam transit camp for Baltal," a police officer said here.

"All the pilgrims are safe. Adequate security arrangements have been made at Baltal, Manigam and all along the route," he added.

The nearly two-month-long Amarnath pilgrimage ends Aug 25.

UAE group to bring affordable healthcare to smaller Indian cities

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 06:50 AM PDT

By Arun Kumar, IANS

Washington: A prominent woman-owned hospital group in the United Arab Emirates, begun by a woman who moved there from Nagpur, plans to bring affordable health care services to smaller Indian cities with a $24 million World Bank financing.

"The project will introduce high clinical and managerial standards and create new jobs where there is significant unemployment, especially in smaller Indian cities," the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group member, said on signing of agreements to finance Zulekha Hospitals Group's expansion plans.

Curfew continues in many Kashmir towns

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 06:50 AM PDT

By IANS,

Srinagar: Life across the valley remained paralyzed Thursday as curfew continued in many towns of north and south Kashmir while fresh curfew was imposed in the south Kashmir towns of Mattan and Koimohmore.

An indefinite curfew continued for the sixth day in north Kashmir's Sopore town and for the second day in Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama in the south.

Although authorities refuse to call it curfew, strict curfew like restrictions continued in seven police station areas of the summer capital Srinagar Thursday.

Girls outperform boys in Bihar's madrassa exams

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 06:49 AM PDT

By IANS,

Patna: Girls have outperformed boys in the examinations held by Bihar's Madrassa Education Board for the second consecutive year.

"Girls have outperformed boys in the madrassa results. Maulvi, Fauquania and Vastania topped in the Class 12, Class 10 and middle school examinations," Maulana Ajaj Ahmad, chairman of the Madrassa Education Board of Bihar, said Thursday.

PDP demands judicial probe into plot against Ma’dani

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 06:49 AM PDT

By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent

Kollam: A sitting judge of the Supreme Court should conduct a probe into the conspiracy of the IB and the Karnataka police to trap Ma'dani in fabricated case, said senior PDP leader Poonthura Siraj. The PDP leaders have reportedly sought permission to meet the Prime Minister with this demand.

Kashmir's instigated violence: Who benefits?

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 10:14 PM PDT

By Arun Chacko, IANS,

The current evidence in Kashmir is that the Valley is on fire, with serious widespread discontent and repeated protsts against alleged human rights violations by the security forces fanning violent demonstrations, resulting in mayhem and death. But this is only a partial, possibly distorted, reflection of the situation fanned by the mass media.

Environment Media Award for VP Rajeena

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 09:54 PM PDT

By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,

Kozhikode: VP Rajeena, sub-editor in the Madhyamam daily, has been selected for the Environment Media Award 2009. The award consisting of Rs 5001 and memento is instituted by the Kerala Forest Protective Staff Association state committee.

Rajeena's series of articles titled 'Inganeyaanu oru nagaram gramathe vizhungunnath' (meaning 'This is how a city swallows a village') published in the daily brought her the award. The series was about Neliyanparambu, the village where all the wastes of the city of Calicut are dumped.

State religion and social reforms

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 09:52 PM PDT

By Asghar Ali Engineer,

No one will dispute the fact that social reforms are urgently needed with breath taking changes taking place all around in our society. But two questions become important in this respect: 1) what is the role of state and 2) what is the role of religion? There are people who insist that state should play an active role and usher in these reforms. Secondly there are people who think religion can hardly be helpful and instead it becomes an obstacle in social change.

In MIT, a celebration of Faiz’s life and works

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:49 PM PDT

By TCN News

Cambridge, Massachusetts: A program to celebrate the life and works of one of Urdu's greatest poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz attracted a room full of Faiz fans to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on June 27, 2010.