Card swiping machines, ATMs deal major blow at Numasih

Hyderabad: Merchants at the enduring Numaish 2020, especially cloth sellers from North India, were deeply dissatisfied this year. There are those who lost up to 40 per cent due to various reasons, even as the 45-day long exhibition is nearing conclusion.

At the 80^th All India Industrial Exhibition popularly known as Numaish, cloth traders are experiencing losses with almost 40 per cent of stock yet to be disposed of. For the last few years, traders — specifically ones from Kashmir, Delhi, Lucknow, Rajasthan, and other states — saw declining sales.

Irrespective of the number of visitors, which has mostly remained constant compared to previous years, merchants are eager for customers.

According to the stall owners, the dwindling number of customers has vexed sellers during the last two to three years.

This year, traders claimed maximum losses. “With only two-three days before the closure of the exhibition’s ending, diminishing sales mean greater losses, as 60 per cent of the business decreased this year compared to previous years. That too, due to the last year’s fire,” said Ahmed Khan, the owner of a silk sarees and dress materials stall.

While there were various reasons for the low trader, price increases on various items were deterrents.

Vendors have also had to shell out huge amounts for rent which includes insurance, power connections and etc.

“Higher rents have resulted in greater prices on items, thereby hampering purchasing power,” said a stall owner.

Under the condition of anonymity, a stall owner from J&K lamented, “Kashmir is facing shut down for around six months due to national issues. With business at a halt in the Valley, some traders hoped to make some money at Numaish. This year buyers are scarce.”

Card swiping machines, ATMs deal major gust

With the annual exhibition set to end on February 15, traders hope business will pick up. While most patrons are anticipating last day discounts, the vendors are ready to yield on maximum markdown.

But customers who are visiting the stalls are unable to transact digitally as there are technical difficulties like card swiping in machines via network-related problems on the exhibition premises. “During afternoon hours, the machine works, but as the increasing presence of visitors jams the network signal,” a seller complains.

Vendors don’t mind paying extra rent if stalls have a WiFi facility that easily facilitates digital transactions.  

Moreover, stall owners venture with the customer to an ATM outside the premises, to complete a transaction. “The ATMs in the exhibition grounds are also running out of cash. So we are forced to leave for transactions,” a trader claimed.

Joshua Peter, a Numaish visitor, loves purchasing Pashmina shawls. But when attempting to do so with his debit card, the machine didn’t comply. “My family and I had to unfortunately leave without buying some items that we wanted,” he added.

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Brussels: Acknowledging that Indian government has taken positive steps to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, the European Union (EU) on Friday said that the remaining restrictions, notably on internet access and mobile services, which were imposed in the region following the abrogation of Article 370 should be “lifted swiftly”.

Two-day visit by 25 foreign envoys

EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Virginie Battu-Henriksson made the remark following a two-day visit by 25 foreign envoys including representatives by the EU to Jammu and Kashmir.

“The visit presented a welcome opportunity to see the situation on the ground and to interact with local interlocutors,” said Henriksson in a statement.

“The visit confirmed that the Government of India has taken positive steps to restore normalcy. Some restrictions remain, notably on internet access and mobile services, and some political leaders are still in detention. While we recognise the serious security concerns, it is important that the remaining restrictions be lifted swiftly,” she added.

The second batch of foreign envoys, including those from Germany, France and Mexico, visited the newly-formed Union Territory on February 12-13 to witness the ground situation in the region six months after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

Representatives from various countries

The group comprises representatives from Afghanistan, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, the European Union, France, Germany, Republic of Guinea, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Namibia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Rwanda, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

During the visit, they held meetings with Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir Justice Gita Mittal and Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu Envoys also met more than 100 members of civil society from across the section of Kashmir including engineers, doctors, lawyers, and students.

Civil society members told envoys that internet blockage continues to remain an obstacle in the restoration of full normalcy and they believe that full Internet should be restored.

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Hyderabad: Shocking incident reported in the city while Bajrang Dal activists went ahead and destroyed a mall’s assets in Gachibowli area. Till now, no arrests have been made by the police. People say that security failure on Valentine’s Day in Hyderabad.

A group of persons affiliated to right-wing Bajrang Dal were seen destroying Valentine’s Day decorations in a mall located in Gachibowli area of Hyderabad. Amidst slogans like ‘Valentine’s Day Band karo’ and ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ were raised by them.

Just like every year, the Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the RSS family, comes out in protest against those celebrating Valentine’s Day. This year is no different. The activists claim that they have readied over 30 teams across the state to keep vigil over young couples out on a date on Valentine ’s Day in Hyderabad. The group claims they will also enforce this vigil statewide.

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Gulbarga: A massive protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) took place at Gulbarga.

The protest saw not only the participation of Muslims but people from all walk of life and religion also gathered to raise their voice against the unjust CAA-NRC-NPR.

Addressing the gathering, the managing director of Siasat Daily, Zaheeruddin Ali Khan said that we all have to fight against this unconstitutional CAA, NRC and NPR.

He said: “The central government is trying to make the Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, nomadic tribes and downtrodden communities’ to de-voters.”

“Once a person comes under a doubtful voter, then S/he cannot be able to vote for 10 years, neither apply for any government schemes nor purchase any property,” he further added.

Protests broke out in different parts of the country against the divisive CAA which excluding Muslims, grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

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If anyone truly deserves the credit for Kerjiwal’s extraordinary victory, it is the women of Shaheen Bagh

By Aijaz Zaka Syed 

New Delhi: So the aam aadmi’s ‘jhadu’ (broom) has swept away the toxic garbage that the BJP had flooded the national capital of Delhi with. The credit for the spectacular performance by Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party is being attributed to his brand of development politics and doles like free ‘bijli aur pani’ (electricity and water). The AAP government had also done a commendable job by paying attention to the pathetic state of Delhi’s overcrowded and ill-equipped schools and hospitals. 

The former corruption crusader, Kejriwal, survived the most vitriolic, vicious and no-holds-barred campaign in India’s history. Modi’s BJP unleashed more than 300 MPs, dozens of central ministers and chief ministers, not to mention the full force and resources of the Central government on Delhi with federal ministers, openly calling Kejriwal a ‘terrorist’ and demanding his head. That the AAP leader defied all of this to win 62 out of 70 seats in the Delhi assembly right under the nose of Modi and Amit Shah is quite something.  Not a mean feat by any means.   

Good governance

How did he do it? By cleverly and consciously refusing to take BJP’s bait and getting drawn into the deliberately divisive and deeply polarising issues that the Hindutva party feeds and thrives on. He kept it simple. While the BJP as usual deployed its tried and tested dog-whistle politics, ranting about the “persecution of Hindus” in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and about throwing out “traitors and termites” (read Indian Muslims), Kejriwal talked about good governance and the promises he has delivered, like the good old ‘bijli aur pani’ issues. 

After weeks of confused silence and pent up frustration over the ever-expanding protests against the CAA-NRC-NPR, BJP poured out all that anger and fury in Delhi with central ministers brazenly calling for “shooting the traitors!” (desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro salon ko!) right in the national capital when Parliament had been in session.  The target of their ire, however, was not Arvind Kejriwal but Shaheen Bagh.

The crowded, impoverished neighbourhood in Delhi’s Okhla has been the epicentre of protests for two months with thousands of women, young and old, protesting against the brazenly discriminatory citizenship law and this regime’s stealthy assault on the very identity and existence of the country’s 200 million Muslims.

The protest site near the Jamia Millia Islamia, the great university founded by Maulana Mohammed Ali Jauhar, is being compared to Egypt’s iconic Tahrir Square. However, even the Tahrir or Freedom Square did not witness such determined, sustained and peaceful protests for so long.

What makes Shaheen Bagh truly historic and epic is the fact that this is an all-women affair representing all age groups, from school and college students to housewives to grannies in their 80s and 90s, defying the diktats of an incredibly vindictive regime.

Credit goes to women of Shaheen Bagh

If anyone therefore deserves the credit for Kerjiwal’s extraordinary victory, it is these women of Shaheen Bagh.  For it is not Kejriwal or his AAP but Indian Muslims and the women of Shaheen Bagh in particular who have borne the brunt of the BJP’s brazen and blistering hate campaign all these months. It had been unprecedented even pitted against its own eventful record. 

In its desperation to wrestle Delhi from the AAP, the BJP pulled out all stops, including restrictions imposed by law and the Election Commission as well as civilised conduct. If Anurag Thakur, honourable minister in the Modi cabinet, exhorted his supporters to “shoot the traitors,” another BJP leader and Member of Parliament Parvesh Verma repeatedly warned Hindus that if they didn’t vote for BJP, Muslims would invade their homes and rape their women. 

In response, all the benign apparatchiks of Election Commission did was to ban them from campaigning for 48 hours. As for BJP, in a snub to EC, it fielded both Thakur and Verma to open the key budget debate in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively. 

Not surprisingly, this poisonous rhetoric by the top leadership of the party produced instant results with at least two gun attacks at Shaheen Bagh and one at the Jamia, with the shooters demanding ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and expressing loyalty to the Parivar.  Mercifully, no one got hurt in these ‘incidents.’  But you never know what the future has in store, if this mindless and perpetual vilification of a voiceless minority continues on the watch of the leaders of the world’s greatest democracy. 

One thing is for sure. Hate hurts and has real consequences.  We saw what the mindless demonisation and hatred of Jews eventually resulted in Hitler’s Germany.  It produced a catastrophe or Holocaust with seven million Jews being killed or gassed on the watch of an indifferent and slow to act world community.    

Genocide

According to many genocide watchers, who have studied the history of Nazi Germany as well as what happened in Palestine, the Balkans, Rwanda and Burma next door in more recent history, there are all the ominous signs that suggest we in India, God forbid, may be heading in that direction. 

One of the first and clearest signs and preludes to the unthinkable is this deliberate otherisation and disenfranchisement of an entire community.  This happened in Nazi Germany beginning first with a special identity card system being introduced for the Jews.  In 1935, the Nuremberg laws stripped millions of Jews of their German citizenship.  They were made to wear a special badge clearly setting them apart from other Germans. Then came their dispossession with their businesses and assets being taken over by the state and being handed to the majority. Finally, they were segregated and kept in concentration camps before being paraded to their final destiny.

Disturbingly, all these parallels are already being witnessed under this order, with thousands being already declared ‘illegal’ overnight and kept in detention centres in Assam and elsewhere.          

But I would like to believe that we Indians are more tenacious and would never accept and give in to this fascist tyranny. The ‘aam aadmi’ or ordinary people of this country that Kejriwal’s party claims to represent are essentially decent and reasonable human beings, as people everywhere are.  It is these ordinary people who have been resisting and standing up to this totalitarian regime, protesting alongside Muslims, against its unabashedly fascist policies and hateful attempts to divide and destroy India, the shining jewel of democracy, in the name of religion and other holy cows. 

But for these attempts to succeed, India’s leading politicians like Kejriwal must take a firm and uncompromising stand against the politics of hate and exclusion being played by the ruling party and its hydra-headed Parivar. Reasonable and right-minded people everywhere heaved a sigh of relief over AAP’s victory.  But this was not BJP’s rout by any stretch of the imagination. The party’s vote share only grew, polling 40% of votes.   

What we badly need is a nation-wide movement of concerned citizens and a coalition of secular forces and organisations that really care for this country and its wellbeing.  Kejriwal may have won this election but he did not do so by confronting Hindutva fascism. Far from it. He played the same soft Hindutva card of the anti-corruption movement that had catapulted him to the national stage. As Mihir Sharma puts it so well, “Kejriwal did not step up to Modi, he side-stepped him! This is a victory of not just cowardice, but of submission to the BJP’s core values.” 

He hasn’t had the courage to take a stand on burning issues like the CAA and NRC or about what Shaheen Bagh’s women have been clamouring for months, braving bitter cold and assassin’s bullets. In fact, he declared that given a free hand, he would clear Shaheen Bagh in a couple of hours, and that nobody had the right to block traffic indefinitely!

India badly needs credible leaders with a soul and spine, who can confront tyranny and hate with hope and inclusion in these divisive times, not opportunists trying to be all things to all people. 

Aijaz Zaka Syed is an award-winning journalist and former editor. Email: aijaz.syed@hotmail.com. Twitter: @AijazZaka

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Kolkata: Accusing the BJP and other Hindutva outfits of attempting religious conversion, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that her administration has thwarted such bids at two places.

Addressing BJP legislature party leader Manoj Tigga while speaking in the state Assembly, Banerjee said “stop religious conversions”.

She said such attempts were made in Malda and Alipurduar. “We have thwarted these efforts. Why are your people doing all these,” she asked Tigga.

Banerjee had earlier raised the allegation of forced religious conversion against the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an affiliate of the Sang Parivar.

On Feburary 2, a clash broke out between the activists of VHP and the Jharkhand Disom Party at Alampur in Malda district after JDP activists stormed the venue of a mass marriage ceremony.

The VHP had organised the mass marriage programme for 100 couples.

JDP alleged that the mass marriage ceremony was only a eye-wash for inter-faith conversion of tribal women. JDP alleged that tribal women were being converted by marrying them off as per Hindu tradition.

Speaking in the House, Banerjee also said that she would soon write to other Chief Ministers requesting them to desist from conducting the National Population Register (NPR) exercise in their states.

She also reiterated her stand that she won’t allow the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, as also the National Population Register or National Register of Citizens in the state.

The Chief Minister said that some states have started the NPR exercise, but she would write to other Chief Ministers, urging them not to undertake the exercise as it was a “precursor to NRC”.

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Lahore: Wanted Global terrorist Hafiz Mohammad Saeed will most certainly be released soon after the verdict of the Financial Action Task Force ( FATF ), according to informed sources who added that there are intentional loopholes in the verdict which permit that.

FATF meeting

The FATF meeting in Paris from February 16 will decide whether or not Pakistan finally needs to be blacklisted for failing to act against terror.

The lawyer of the Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, who along with an aide was convicted by an anti-terrorism court on Wednesday, says they will appeal the judgement in the Lahore High Court.

According to Dawn newspaper, Saeed’s counsel argues that his client was convicted for no other reason than due to FATF “pressure” ahead of its upcoming meeting.

Pakistan’s leading daily said besides involvement in foreign theatres, and the ensuing opprobrium this has brought to Pakistan, the fact is that LeT/JuD terrorists have also contributed to instability within the country.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) led LeT has maintained links with the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda, as well as with elements that evolved into the Punjabi Taliban.

Considering these precedents, it can only be welcomed that Saeed has been sent to prison.

Another major point that the conviction of the JuD chief raises is that, in Pakistan, militant groups are proscribed while their leaders and cadres continue to operate as per routine.

Proxies

Informed sources said that Pakistan Army continues to provide logistics, training and funds to these terrorist outfits and use them as proxies against its neighbours, India and Afghanistan.

Many of these outfits are engaged in the illegal drugs trade and earn handsome revenue to maintain their cadres.

The Government of Pakistan in June 2018 made a commitment to work with the FATF to plug the loopholes. But a review by the intergovernmental organisation in October 2019 revealed a “lack of progress” by Pakistan Government to address its terror financing risks.

The FATF noted that Pakistan had only largely addressed five of the 27 items on the action plan, with varying levels of progress made on the rest. The FATF had then set February 2020 as the deadline for Pakistan to tighten the legal framework to curb money-laundering and squeeze the flow of funds to the terrorist outfits.

The organization warned if Imran Khan Government had failed to plug the loopholes by then, it would take actions, which might include calling on financial institutions of other nations to be cautious while dealing with counterparts in Pakistan.

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Islamabad: Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi is now the father of five daughters.

Good News

The former all-rounder took to Twitter to share the “good news” with his fans. Afridi tweeted a picture where he along with his four daughters are seen with the new-born baby.

“The Almighty’s infinite blessings & mercy are upon me…already having been granted 4 wonderful daughters I have now been blessed with a 5th, Alhamdulillah. Sharing this good news with my well-wishers… #FourbecomeFive,” tweeted Afridi.

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A screenshot of an alleged tweet by AAP MLA Amanatullah is circulating on WhatsApp. The purported tweet portrays the politician dedicating his win in the recently-concluded assembly polls in Delhi to the victory of Islam and saying, “Islam will win across India.”

The text on the tweet reads, “After 13 rounds, I am leading by 72000 votes. Today, Shaheen Bagh won, Islam won Inshallah. Soon, Islam will win all over India. I want to thank all my Muslim brothers and sisters. Everyone showed their strength together and stayed united. We will repeat history.”

Below the purported tweet is a message that warns members of the Hindu community – “You vote on free water and electricity and they are voting to make India an Islamic society. But remember that your kids will pay the price.”

Alt News has received multiple fact-check requests on its official mobile application.

The screenshot is also floating on Facebook.

FAKE TWEET
A Twitter search with words picked up from the tweet yields no results. However, at the likelihood that the tweet may have been taken down, Alt News performed a preliminary analysis. Needless to say, the tweet turned out to be a fake one.

On February 11, Amanatullah Khan had posted a tweet which starts with the same sentence as the viral tweet – “13 राउंड पूरे होने के बाद 72000 वोट से आगे चल रहा हूँ। (fter 13 rounds, I am leading by 72000 votes.)”

It is evident that the viral tweet has been manufactured by adding sentences below the one tweeted by Khan. Both have the exact date and time – February 11, 2020 at 12:08 PM. However, there’s a mismatch in the font and uneven alignment of sentences, as pointed out below.

A screenshot of a fake tweet is making the rounds on social media portraying Amanatullah Khan in favour of transforming India into an Islamic society. The AAP leader has emerged as a prominent target of the disinformation brigade in the wake of Delhi assembly elections. Earlier, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had shared a video of Khan with the false claim that he spoke of creating ‘Sharia’.

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New Delhi: Former IAS Officer Shah Faesal has been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) that allows detention without trial for up to three months and multiple extensions.

PSA against Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti

The Jammu and Kashmir administration had on February 5 invoked the stringent PSA against former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.

Both Abdullah and Mufti were under preventive detention since August 5 last year when the Narendra Modi government announced the abrogation of Article 370 revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcating it into two Union Territories. Faesal was detained on August 14, 2019, a week after the scrapping of special status of the erstwhile State.

SC issues notice to J-K administration

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the plea of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s sister challenging his detention under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978.

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The brusque message from the MEA came after Erdogan on Friday during his address to joint session of Pakistan’s Parliament

NEW DELHI: Criticising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments on Kashir, India on Saturday asked the country not to interfere in its ‘internal affairs’ and to “develop proper understanding of facts including threat of terrorism emanating from Pakistan”.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a statement: “India rejects all references to Jammu & Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India.”

“We call upon the Turkish leadership to not interfere in India’s internal affairs and develop proper understanding of the facts, including the grave threat posed by terrorism emanating from Pakistan to India and the region,” he said.

The brusque message from the MEA came after Erdogan on Friday in his address to joint session of Pakistan’s Parliament, compared “the struggle of Kashmiri people with that of fight by Turkish people against foreign domination during the World War I”.

The Turkish President was quoted as saying by Daily Sabah: “And now, we feel the same about Kashmir today. It was Çanakkale yesterday and Kashmir today; there is no difference between the two,” Erdoğan said, adding that Turkey will continue to support Pakistan.”

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Katihar: Former JNUSU President and CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s convoy was attacked on Friday in Bihar’s Katihar town, the police said.

According to the police, shoes and slippers were thrown at Kumar’s convoy while he was going towards Bhagalpur after holding a meeting at Rajendra Stadium in Kaithar.

Some people, who had gathered to protest against the Left leader, are said to be behind the attack. Slogans like “Kanhaiya Go Back” could also be heard.

According to sources, the attackers are suspected to be associated with right wing groups.

Though the Communist Party of India (CPI) leader was not hurt in the incident, two vehicles of his convoy were damaged while a driver sustained minor injuries.

The police, however, prevented the situation from slipping out of control by escorting Kumar’s convoy.

The former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader is on a state-wide ‘Jan-Gan-Man Yatra’ to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

During his one-month-long journey, he is scheduled to mark his presence in almost all major cities and towns of Bihar. He would also conduct around 50 public meetings.

The Left leader began his ‘yatra’ from Bettiah on January 30.

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Hyderabad: Ahead of NPR exercise which is likely to start in the month of April, resident of Old City of Hyderabad launched unique campaign against the controversial process.

They started displaying notice board outside their houses asking NPR enumerator not to knock on their doors until the additional questions are removed from the form of the exercise.

Residents’ views

Talking about the campaign, a resident of Panjeshah, Najam Rasheed said that people are thinking of alternate way of expressing their stand against the controversial laws as government is not allowing democratic way of protests.

Another person, Mohammed Faheem told that government must consider the fact that general people are confused over NPR and NRC.

Difficulties in conducting NPR exercise

It may be mentioned that if NPR exercise is conducted in Telangana State without addressing the apprehensions of the people, it is likely that enumerators may face a lot of difficulties in obtaining the details of the residents.

If cops accompany them, it will lead to panic in the society.

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DMK president MK Stalin condemned the attack by Chennai Police on peaceful protesters.

CHENNAI: The Chennai Police has reportedly lathi-charged peaceful protesters during a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Chennai on the evening of February 14.

Thousands of demonstrators, including women and children had gathered at Washermanpet to voice their protest against CAA and NRC.

However, a scuffle broke out after the police demanded the peaceful demonstrators to vacate the protest site.

The situation got tense after the police used force and also resorted to lathi-charge to disperse them and clear the area.

Police also detained over 100 protesters after a scuffle.

Following the detainment of demonstrators by the police, more people gathered and held a protest demanding their release.

Spontaneous protests also broke out in Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Pollachi and other places as the news of the incident spread.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin condemned the attack by Chennai Police on peaceful protesters.

Stalin also urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw the cases against those arrested and demanded action against the police officials.

People were peacefully demonstrating demanding the state government to pass a resolution against the CAA.

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Acting upon the orders of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a North Korean trade official was shot and killed after visiting a public bath while he was meant to be in quarantine for a coronavirus precaution.

According to The National Post, the execution of the trade official who had been placed in quarantine after travelling to China came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a decree that the country would “rule by military law” against anyone who left quarantine without approval.

North Korea is isolating anyone who has travelled to China or has had contact with Chinese people.

According to another report, one more official who tried to cover up his travels to China has been exiled to a farm within the country.

Closing off its border with China, North Korea has severely limited travel between the two countries.

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Hyderabad: It is estimated that nearly 300,000 children up to the age of 19 years are diagnosed with cancers worldwide; and only 20 per cent of them survive to live beyond their teenage.

The situation is equally grim among the low-income sections in India, and the medical fraternity is trying to help such children live long and lead a healthy life, said doctors at Hyderabad-based Continental Hospitals on the occasion of ”International Childhood Cancer Day” on Saturday.

The World Health Organization”s Global Childhood Cancer Initiative has set a global target to achieve 60 per cent survival rate among the children suffering from cancers by 2030.

The Continental Hospitals said that it is committed to play a constructive role in reaching the benchmark set by the WHO.

The hospital celebrated the young heroes who not just survived childhood cancers but are leading a healthy and successful life. Their lives are filled with optimism and will surely encourage others with similar ailments to fight until they defeat the cancer in their body.

The doctors stressed the need to ensure that hope is not lost in cases of childhood cancers. Such children need right advice from doctors and family around to keep the spirits high and help them fight the disease.

“Fighting a deadly disease like cancer at a tender age makes these young one real heroes, and such survivors teach this world the true meaning of challenging the adversary and emerging victorious. At Continental Hospitals, we have witnessed many young heroes who fought the battle and recovered fully to lead the future by setting an example for others,” said Vinodh Maddireddy, Consultant and Radiation Oncologist, Continental Hospitals.

Five years ago, a young boy Prakash (name changed) was diagnosed with pineoblastoma (advanced brain tumor/cancer), a dreaded tumor with a low rate of patient survival. The patient required the entire brain and spinal cord radiation and six months of toxic chemotherapy with three very strong drugs. Each passing day and the challenges faced by this brave young man were difficult to see for anyone around him. The most sophisticated hybrid-radiotherapy at Continental Hospitals, helped the patient cope with side-effects; and today after five long years, the young man, now 24-year-old has completely defeated cancer in his body and is leading a happy and successful life.

In another case, a 12-year-old kid Arshad Rahman was diagnosed with high-grade glioma of the thalamus (a form of brain tumor) and his condition was quite peculiar because the patient was not eligible for a biopsy. Instead, the team at Continental Hospitals took a radiotherapy approach in addition to oral chemotherapy. The medical team left no stone unturned to ensure the spirits of the child are kept high, and this resulted in the successful treatment of the dreaded disease. Today, the child leads a normal life and attends a normal school and is acting like any other kid in his class.

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Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which seeks fast-track citizenship for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who came to India before December 31, 2014, continue unabated across India for sixty harsh days and sixty long nights. Nationwide protests broke out soon after the contentious citizenship law was passed on 12 December 2019 by the Modi government. Demonstrations, slogans and debates grip the country.

Anti-CAA-NRC movement is being considered as the biggest movement of India after freedom movement. The protesters are demanding the roll-back of CAA and NRC. The Quint traces the journey of this movement to see how the events have unfolded over the last 60 days.

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Hyderabad: City police on Saturday rejected the permission to hold a day sit in protest of women against CAA and NRC at Indira park Dharna Chowk on February 16.

Additional commissioner of police law and order DS Chauhan has rejected the application of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) to hold a protest at Dharna Chowk near Indira park on Februray 16.

Mushtaq Malik, Convenor JAC today told that Hyderabad police are acting in a partisan manner by denying permission to peaceful protest. Although Telangana High court has directed the Hyderabad police to consider the JAC’s application, but the police have once again denied permission on flimsy grounds.

“Irrespective of police permission, women will hold a protest at Dharna chowk, the police have been totally ignoring the High court orders” said Mushtaq Malik. He also said that if Hyderabad police is under the impression that, by repeatedly denying permission to JAC they can bring down the morale of public, they are totally wrong.

He fuirther told that JAC had earlier planned a forty eight hours peaceful sit in protest by women at Darulshifa play ground but the police denied the permssion, another attempt to hold similar protest at Eidgah Mir Alam too went in vain. Aggrieved with the police attitude of denying permission the JAC had approached Telangana High court.

Mushtaq Malik informed that, after hearing the writ petition Justice T Vinod Kumar directed the Hyderabad police to consider the application of JAC for holding a peaceful sit in protest at Dharna Chowk. “Although JAC is giving an under taking with the police officials to hold peaceful protests, but citing various reasons the police are denying the permission” said Mushtaq Malik.

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A British scientist who is leading the fight against coronavirus has admitted last night that predictions of 400,000 UK deaths are ‘not absurd’.

When asked about the killer coronavirus, which is causing increasing alarm all over the country, Professor Neil Ferguson, of the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said ‘this is the one I’m scared of’. He said though he was not predicting 400,000 deaths, the figure ‘is possible’.

According to a research 60 per cent of Britons could be affected by the coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19. 

Professor Ferguson warned that one per cent of people who get infected might die.

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Danish’s favourite club is Barcelona and his idol is Lionel Messi.

NEW DELHI: A video of a 10-year-old boy from Kerala has grabbed the eyeballs all over the internet from his zero-degree corner kick.

Danish P.K a class 5 student of Presentation School, Kozhikode scored the ‘corner-kick’ goal for Kerala Football Training Centre (KFTC) club.

The viral video of the goal was first shared by the boy, Dani’s mother Novia Ashraf on Facebook on February 9.

The post went viral after it was shared by former legendary striker I.M. Vijayan on Twitter with the caption, “Superb”.

In the video, Dani could be seen curving the ball directly into the net out of the reach of the opponent”s team goalkeeper.

The video has already garnered over 11.4k views as well as 294 retweets and 1.4K likes. The 10-year-old boy’s video set the internet on fire and impressed netizens.

According to The Indian Express reports, Danish’s father, Abu Hashim told that football was Dani’s favourite sport and he had been playing it from a young age.

Hashim further added that Dani’s favourite club is Barcelona and his idol is Lionel Messi.

Netizens reacts

A user wrote, “This was such a superb kick. Indians certainly do not care about football. This could too bring us laurels.”

Another wrote, “Nice kid with a classic kick. Praise our future champions of India. Direct to goal post from 0 degree dimension in less than a second. Jai hind!”

A post read, “What a player…too good…”Wow! Simply outstanding…Have a great future ahead” a user wrote.

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