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Lucknow, Sep 19 (IANS) The iconic Burlington Crossing in Lucknow has been named after Ashok Singhal, the former international working president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

The executive committee of Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has renamed six places, including roads, parks and a stadium after Hindu ideologues, freedom fighters, soldiers, late politicians, and social workers hailing from the city and outside.

According to official sources, the road leading to Meena Bakery Crossing in Rajajipuram has been renamed after noted Shia cleric Maulana Mirza Mohammad Athar, who was the founder president of All India Shia Personal Law Board.

The trisection near the statue of Maharaja Suheldev Rajbhar at Lalbagh has been named after the Suheldev Rajbhar, the legendary king of the medieval India, who ruled in Shravasti and fought with the Muslim invaders.

Incidentally Suheldev Rajbhar is the ideologue of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), a former ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

It has also been decided to rename a park in Azad Nagar Colony after a freedom fighter, though the name has not been finalised yet. The mayor will choose from the names of 1857 revolt heroes Mangal Pandey, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Sarojini Naidu, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Babu Kunwar Singh.

A road in Aliganj area will be named after freedom fighter Sohan Lal Saxena, street near the Amiruddaula Public Library after artist Prof Sukhvir Sanghal, Alambagh Teripulia Trisection as Khalsa Chowk, a park in Sanjay Gandhi Puram Colony after Chandra Shekhar Azad, the street near Ashiana Power House as Digambar Jain Temple Marg.

The decision to rename the streets comes barely weeks before the municipal polls are scheduled in Lucknow.

--IANS
amita/dpb

Dubai, Sep 17 (IANS) Leg-spinner turned batter C.P. Rizwaan will lead the 15-member UAE team in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 Australia, the Emirates Cricket Board announced here on Saturday.

Vriitya Aravind will be his deputy in the mega sporting spectacle, scheduled to take place from October 16-November 13.

The selection committee chairman, Dr. Tayeb Kamali, said, "Qualifying to play against top national teams of the world at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup marks a milestone with UAE Cricket's growing strengths in the T20 format. We extend our deep appreciation to all who have invested their time and efforts as we arrive at this unique moment in Emirates Cricket's history."

"We wish our team the very best as they continue to make their mark on international cricket at the ICC T20 World Cup."

While a number of players have been rested for this tour, Robin Singh, Director of Cricket and National Teams' Head Coach, is buoyed by the inclusion of a number of the country's young talent that have proven their worth to wear the country's flag.

"This team has a solid representation of experience and youth. It must be emphasized that UAE Cricket's youth have continued to show their worth at various successful ICC and Asian Cricket (age-group) campaigns, and, it is their time to showcase these proven talents to the cricketing world alongside those (selected) experienced players."

"To represent your country is of great pride and our (coaching) team has complete belief in the maturity and skills of this group of players, and we expect them to surprise a few teams with their performances."

In continuing their preparations and before leaving for Australia, in early October, the UAE will play Bangladesh Cricket in a 2-match T20I series, at Dubai Sports City's Dubai International Stadium on September 25 and September 27.

UAE's ICC T20 World Cup Squad is; C.P. Rizwaan (Captain), Vriitya Aravind (Vice Captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, Basil Hameed, Aryan Lakra, Zawar Farid, Kashif Daud, Karthik Meiyappan, Ahmed Raza, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Sabir Ali, Alishan Sharafu, and Aayan Khan.

Reserves; Sultan Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Vishnu Sukumaran, Adithya Shetty, Sanchit Sharma

--IANS

cs/bsk

Chennai, Sep 17 (IANS) Well-known Malayalam actor Neeraj Madhav, whose performance in the just released Tamil film, 'Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu', has come in for much praise, is on cloud nine that he has also written and sung for A. R. Rahman in the film.

Taking to Instagram, the actor posted a picture of himself with director Gautham Vasudev Menon and music director A. R. Rahman.

He wrote: "Yes, I wrote and sang for A. R. Rahman! Manifest and dreams do come true!

"I was trying so hard to keep this to myself, those who watched 'Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu would already know, but now I can tell the world!"

"During my speech at the 'Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu' audio launch, I happened to sing a verse dedicated to A. R. Rahman in front of him. The next thing I know, I'm sitting with the legend himself in his studio and making this track!"

"True fanboy moment ! 'Venthu Thaninthath Kaadu' in theatres now. My Tamil debut as an actor and a rapper! #bucketlist #ARR #VTK"

--IANS
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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 17 (IANS) The Congress in Kerala on Saturday demanded immediate intervention of the Prime Minister or the President in the ongoing tiff between State Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

State Congress president K.Sudhakaran told the media in Alappuzha that all levels of decency has been breached in the war of words between the two 'heads' of the state.

"Things have reached a low and all what we hear is the tiff between the two is akin to two groups of youth taking on each other. It's high time that either the president or the prime minister intervened. Also the point raised by the Governor that there has been a threat to his life has to be taken very seriously," said Sudhakaran.

Khan has been taking on the Vijayan government and his party frequently, but it was on Friday night for the first time that Vijayan broke his silence and slammed Khan saying that his utterances does not befit the post he holds terming it "nonsense".

Backing Vijayan was CPI-M state secretary M.V.Govindan who slammed Khan and said he is deeply upset because he was expecting "something" which he did not get and hence was upset.

"It's now being doubted by many if Khan is functioning according to the rule book. He is taking cover under the media and uttering things which he should not. Now he says his life came under threat at the Indian History Congress in the company of renowned historian Irfan Habib who conspired,is really not tenable," said Govindan.

Left Democratic Front convenor and veteran CPI-M leader E.P.Jayarajan said the post of the Governor should be abolished.

"Vijayan is one Communists who calls a spade a spade and always tells things on the face. He is not one who plays behind the curtain. So Khan stops engaging in things which lowers his status," said Jayarajan.

However, coming to Khan's defence was BJP Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.Muraleedharan who said there is no point in Vijayan trying to air threats against Khan.

"If he does it, then he doesn't know who Khan is. Khan is just taking forward the policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fight against corruption. Vijayan can do all such acts in his party committee's and it would be best if he keeps Raj Bhavan out," said Muraleedharan.

--IANS
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By Atul Aneja
New Delhi, Sep 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed to the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries on Friday the mantra of fusing technology with traditional assets to foster their collective rise in the post-Covid era.


With New Delhi set to hold the rotating presidency of the SCO, PM Modi nailed three areas where India can make a significant contribution to the eight countries of Eurasia - a region with which India has for thousands of years established deep commercial and spiritual links.

PM Modi cited start-ups, traditional medicine, and food security as domains where India can pioneer a collective initiative for the region.

"Today, there are more than 70,000 Start-ups in India, of which more than 100 are unicorns. Our experience can also be useful for many other SCO members. For this purpose, we are ready to share our experience with SCO member countries by establishing a new Special Working Group on Start-ups and Innovation," PM Modi said.

Referring to food security which has been disrupted due to Covid and the Ukraine war, the Prime Minister homed on to millets - a traditional grain grown in the SCO - as the "superfood" to fight hunger. The PM proposed that the SCO should hold a "Millet food festival".

"Millets are a superfood that have been grown for thousands of years, not just in SCO countries, but in many parts of the world, and is a traditional, nutritious, and low-cost alternative to dealing with the food crisis. The year 2023 will be celebrated as the UN International Year of Millets. We should consider organising a 'Millet Food Festival' under the SCO."

PM Modi also announced that India will set up an SCO working group on traditional medicine. "WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine was inaugurated in Gujarat in April 2022. This will be WHO's first and only global centre for traditional medicine. We must increase cooperation on traditional medicine among SCO countries."

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative

By Brij Khandelwal
Agra, Sep 17 (IANS) Over a dozen reported cases of monkey attacks on unsuspecting tourists at Taj Mahal has created a scare and alarmed visitors. Though the security services have now woken up and are keeping a vigil, the sight of rampaging gangs of simians has become a major problem for the authorities in the Taj city.


The Archaeological Survey of India has put up hoardings and cut-outs to warn tourists to stay away from monkeys, as some tourists try to get friendly with the primates and pose for selfies. Officials said that they were trying to seek help from the Agra Municipal Corporation and some NGOs to round up the monkeys. But so far, no one has come forward with a solution. They say that the state Forest and Wildlife Departments are not supporting them or giving permission to catch the monkeys.

Locals have now demanded drastic action against violent and aggressive monkeys who have made life hell for people living in the old city areas.

Agra, these days, is living in the scare of bovine, canine, and simian menace. Even tourists have become victims. Two years ago, there was a hue and cry when a monkey snatched a new-born from the lap of a mother and killed the infant in Runukta village, 20 kms away.

The district authorities had then made a number of promises but nothing much happened. "The elected representatives have ignored the problem, but the condition is appalling as citizens live in constant fear of attacks from the monkey. Thousands of violent monkeys live in this area along the river Yamuna, as the faithfuls regularly feed them bananas and bread," the local MLA, Purushottam Khandelwal, expressed his helplessness.

Mukesh Jain, trustee of a local NGO Satya Mev Jayate, said: "We have been regularly approaching the authorities with our suggestions and even an offer to help financially, but for some strange reasons, the administration has been dragging its feet. Twice efforts have been made to shift some monkeys to forest areas, but the green activists have stalled the process of transfer."

The situation is grave. Estimates of the simian population vary from 20,000 to nearly a lakh. "Their population is more in the old city areas where terraces are contiguous. People are no longer able to enjoy terrace facilities as the monkeys have been regularly attacking women and children, in particular," Vijay Nagar colony resident Sudhir Gupta said.

The whole of Braj Mandal, from Mathura, Vrindavan to Goverdhan and Bateshwar in Agra is living under threat from simians who now resort to all kinds of tricks to snatch food or attack women and children. Their population has gone up phenomenally. During the pandemic lockdown, they became more violent as food supply was snapped.

Green activist Dr. Devashish Bhattacharya said: "The dwindling forest cover, and fewer fruit-bearing trees being planted has compounded the problem. The need is to develop forests and plant more fruit-bearing trees rather than ornamental ones. The monkeys too are a part of the ecological system, they too have some rights. Let us provide for them instead of cursing them."

Tourist guides are now warning visitors in advance to remain alert against monkeys. Last year a video went viral of a group of monkeys snatching a water bottle from a foreigner. A tourist, guide Ved Gautam said: "We always warn our clients of sudden bovine, canine or simian attacks in and around monuments in Agra."

For some time now, tourists have been avoiding lonely romantic walks along the pathways which are lined up with dense green foliage.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel keep an eye on the monkeys. Two years ago catapults were used to shoo away the monkeys but after a furore by animal rights activists, catapults and sling shots disappeared. The CISF personnel and the staffers of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), are at their wit's end trying to cope with the simian nuisance. "Cats, dogs, monkeys, bees, are proving to be big safety menace in the Taj premises," said a local tourist guide.

Frequent attempts are made to contain the simian menace in Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan visited by thousands of tourists and pilgrims daily. A Former Divisional Commissioner engaged an NGO, Wildlife SOS, to round up 10,000 monkeys, but the plan did not materialise due to lack of permission from appropriate authorities. But now the situation is really alarming. Monkeys are seen in armies marching from one area to the other. The city has more than 50,000 monkeys.

Due to provisions of the Wildlife Act, monkeys can not be attacked or rounded up without adequate safeguards and precautions. Plans to shift the monkeys to other areas have failed, as no district wants to shelter them.

Indeed, the state faces the biggest threat to peace in the form of exploding simian population in Agra and neighbouring religious shrines in Mathura district and Vrindavan. Pilgrims are almost daily attacked in Vrindavan. Usually, monkeys target spectacles or purses which are returned only when some eatables or cold drinks are offered to the monkeys.

Civic authorities seem helpless in tackling the menace. "We have written so many times to the Municipal Corporation but there has been no action," an ASI official said.

Agra Development Foundation Secretary, K.C. Jain has petitioned the Allahabad High Court, which has asked for detailed plans to contain the simian menace in Agra.

Jain requested everyone to plant fruit bearing trees this monsoon season. Jain said: "On one hand there is large scale deforestation, on the other hand, trees that are being planted are basically ornamental and can not support monkeys. The whole Agra region is infested with Vilayati Babool, Julie flora, with thorns. We have demanded government agencies clear these trees and plant fruit bearing trees to attract the simian population."

--IANS
brij/kvd

New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) After three years of serving as the treasurer of Khushii, Anirudh Khaitan has been unanimously elected by the board and the senior leadership team to take over as the president of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

Founded in 2003 by legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, Khushii believes in the transformation of children through education.

Khushii focuses on the holistic development of children. Its first-ever project -- The Neemrana Project -- had a massive outreach, monitoring and evaluating 4,80,000 rural and urban beneficiaries.

Khushii today reaches out to approximately 50,306 beneficiaries in 48 schools and 12 learning centres across 12 states pan-India through its 'Shikshaantra Plus' programme.

Its differentiating quotient in addressing a child's mental well-being under the 'Manoshakti wing', and enabling the development of life skills through 'Shiksha Aur Vikas', has been made possible with the support of its 43-plus corporate partners. Their long-standing association and support speak highly about Khushii's credibility and impact.

Additionally, Khaitan serves as the vice-chairman of Khaitan Education Centre, currently running Khaitan Public School, Sahibabad and is a director of Bengal Education Society, which simultaneously runs Khaitan World School, Ghaziabad. He is also the co-chair of FICCI ARISE (Alliance for Re-imagining School Education), a countrywide body of schools across India. He strongly believes that education is the founding stone of a developed nation.

His belief, experience and expertise in this field are bound to help Khushii make a deeper impact.

Speaking on the need to reach out to every child, Khaitan said, "The need to reach out to every child possible is essential. I pledge to expand Khushii's reach to 2,50,000 children by the end of 2025. I look forward to achieving this ambitious goal with the unceasing support of our long-standing patrons, corporate partners, my fellow office-bearers and the passionate team.

"We take it as my responsibility to take forward the vision of Mr. Kapil Dev to ensure that each and every child under Khushii's reach to march forward towards a better and brighter future and no one is left behind."

Khushii is focused on building brighter futures for our nation's children by offering a holistic approach to empower those who do not have access to quality education and, most importantly, need to take care of their social and emotional health.

--IANS

san/akm

Lucknow, Sep 17 (IANS) The Ayodhya verdict has not dampened the Muslims and after the Varanasi verdict, the community is bracing up for a legal battle - howsoever long drawn it may be.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (AIM), the Gyanvapi mosque management committee, has said that they will file a revision petition before the Allahabad high court.

Rekha Pathak, a woman plaintiff in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri case, has already filed a caveat in the Allahabad high court to ensure that her side would be heard before any relief is given to the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid when it files a revision petition against the rejection of its application in the matter by the Varanasi district judge on September 12.

AIM joint secretary S M Yasin said that the timing to file a revision petition in the high court by the panel of lawyers would be decided after going through the court order in detail.

AIM lawyer Merajuddin Siddiqui said that the AIM would challenge the court order that said that the suit is not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, The Waqf Act, 1995 and the UP Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) said a committee of lawyers will study the district court's judgment and accordingly challenge it in the high court.

Muslim petitioners involved in the Gyanvapi mosque case said that they will consider approaching the Allahabad high court with their request to throw out a plea by a group of Hindu women to pray at a site at the mosque complex.

"There is always an option to move the high court. Our team of lawyers will study the judgment first, especially the ground on which our plea was rejected, and then will move the high court," Mohammed Touhid Khan, a counsel of the AIMC in the case, said.

Khan is also a part of the team that has been formed to study the judgment.

Muslim cleric and senior All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said the community respects the judgment of the district court and "the option to move the high court and the Supreme Court is open".

Athar Husain, secretary, Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), a trust of the Sunni Central Waqf Board that is taking care of the construction of the mosque in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village, said, "Having complete faith in the Indian judiciary, all the law abiding citizens, including Muslims, believe that the applicability of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, will ensure that the character of no other religious place in India will be changed now, as this is a part of the Ayodhya verdict of the five-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court and it has to be accepted in totality by all Indians."

The AIMPLB has already termed the Varanasi district court's decision on the maintainability of the Gyanvapi mosque case as 'disappointing' and has urged the government to implement the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, with full force.

AIMPLB General Secretary, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, said the preliminary decision of the district judge's court was "disappointing and saddening".

Rahmani said in the midst of the Babri Masjid controversy in 1991, Parliament had approved that the status quo at all religious places, except the Babri Masjid, would be maintained as in 1947, and no dispute against it would be valid.

Then in the Babri Masjid case, the Supreme Court upheld the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, and declared it mandatory, he pointed out.

"But in spite of this, those who want to serve hatred and who do not care about the unity of this country, raised the issue of the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi and it is a pity that the district judge's court ignored the 1991 law and allowed the petition," Rahmani said.

He added, "Now, this sad phase has come where the court has initially accepted the claim of Hindu groups and has paved the way for them. It is a painful thing for the country and the people."

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 17 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s summons to Karnataka Congress President D.K Shivakumar in connection with the Rs 74.93 crore disproportionate assets case has thrown a spanner in the party's efforts to wrestle power from the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections.

This has come at a time when Shivakumar has announced that he will mercilessly initiate action against MLAs who are not taking up a proactive role in 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by former party president Rahul Gandhi. He also stated that he would not share any information with Opposition leader Siddaramaiah regarding prospective candidates.

Shivakumar, who is aspiring for the chief minister's post, has also managed to get an upperhand in the party affairs against his competitor and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah

As per party insiders, with this development Siddaramaiah camp will have an upper hand.

The ED has taken up the case filed by the CBI against Shivakumar in 2020. The CBI had raided 14 locations in Bengaluru and other places. Adding to his woes, he will also have to attend an inquiry before the Income Tax department on September 27. Shivakumar was sent to Tihar Jail in connection with this case.

Sources are drawing similarities between AAP leader Satyendra Jain and Shivakumar case. Jain, who was the Health Minister between 2015 and 2017, has been sent to jail in a disproportionate assets case. The ED had arrested Jain's wife and associates and seized Rs 4.81 crore assets.

At a time when Assembly elections are fast approaching, ED notice to Shivakumar is also said to be a setback for the Congress party and might impact 'Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka.

--IANS
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Prague, Sep 17 (IANS) The European Union (EU) must strengthen food security, improve the sustainability of agriculture and promote the use of modern techniques, the member states' Agriculture Ministers agreed in Czech capital Prague.

"Ministers agreed that the EU must now act in a coordinated way to maximise sustainable increase in agricultural production and accelerate the use of modern techniques in agriculture," the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU said on Friday in a statement after the meeting.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict, the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and advancing climate change "are having a major impact" on global food security and world food prices, Xinhua news agency reported.

One of the main solutions to sufficient food production while ensuring sustainability, according to the Ministers, is to use innovation, research and modern technologies, including precision farming, to further reduce pesticide and fertiliser consumption.

"We have a major challenge in the Union to sustainably increase agricultural production, reduce food waste and ensure that people around the world have access to quality food. It may be time to rethink some traditional approaches to food production in favour of new modern techniques," Czech Agriculture Minister Zdenek Nekula said in the statement.

The Ministers discussed science, innovation and modern plant breeding methods in agriculture, and agreed that the EU "must react as quickly as possible" to the development of modern trends and change the outdated legislative framework by which it regulates the use of modern plant breeding methods.

"We urgently need drought, frost, disease and pest-resistant crops that require fewer pesticides and artificial fertilisers," Nekula said, noting he was "pleased" that European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski "has clearly said the European Commission's readiness to bring forward proposals for plant breeding legislation in the short term."

Citing data from the UN, the statement said up to 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021, and nearly 1.3 billion tonne of food, or nearly one-third of food produced for human consumption, were lost or wasted globally in 2020, calling for more efforts to sustainably increase agricultural production and reduce food waste.

--IANS
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