New Delhi: Some students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has claimed that the administration has imposed thousands of rupees fines on them for participating in protests and “banned” them from registering for the next semester.

The amount of fine varies from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, the students claimed and accused the administration of “harassment”.

However, JNU chief proctor Rajnish Kumar Mishra has denied the allegations, saying the actions are taken after following due procedure.

Among the students, who have got notices, are student activists — former JNU Sudents Union (JNUSU) vice president and PhD scholar Simone Zoya Khan and Kaushik Raj.

Kaushik has been served notice for the 2018 protest in which, he claims, he did not even present.

As per the notice dated August 29, Kaushik has been directed to submit Rs 10,000 by September 5 “in any case”.

“…He is therefore directed to deposit the amount of Rs 10,000. Otherwise, he may not be allowed to register during the coming semester until he gets clearance from the office,” the notice signed by the chief proctor read.

Speaking to PTI, Kaushik, who is in his final year of PhD, alleged that the fine imposed on him is erroneous as he was not present during the protest in 2018 where several students gathered in a seminar room against compulsory attendance.

Kaushik fears that he will not be allowed registration for the new semester and all his hard work will go waste. 

“I was not present during the protest. Even during the proctorial enquiry, I made the oral and written deposition that I was not present. Still I am being fined. I know five-six more students who have received a similar notice,” Kaushik said.

Simone Zoya Khan, who is also in the last year of her PhD, said that the university is targeting student activists for organising demonstrations.

Simone has also been served notice for the same 2018 protest. She was then JNUSU vice president.

Simone said she could not take the risk and arranged the fine money as she has to submit her thesis this year.

“It is not fair. The university is targeting the students. Dozens of false and unfounded complaints are brought against students. The yearly fee at the varsity is Rs 200-300 and they are levying a fine of Rs 15,000. How is this fair?” Simone asked.

In a statement, All India Students’ Association said that the action by the JNU proctor office is politically motivated. The student organisation has accused the administration of targeting students from marginalised backgrounds with heavy fines.

Chief proctor Mishra said that the imposition of fine is not a new thing and all the actions are taken after following due procedure.

“We are not stopping students from taking admission. This is a regular procedure based on several proctorial enquiries. It is not a new thing,” Mishra told PTI over phone.

Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) also said that proctorial enquiry has been levied against several students over the protest for offline classes at School of International Studies on June 20.

“It is to bring to the notice of all of you that two of our fellow classmates, Poshal Gyamba and Sakshi Sinha have had a proctorial enquiry levied against them with respect to the ‘protest demonstration for offline classes’ at SIS-1 on 20th of June. The report also mentions fellow students Harshit Raj Chaudhary and Raghav Gill, although they haven’t been summoned yet,” the DSF said.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Delhi: JNU Imposing Fines of up to Rs 15,000 Over Earlier Protests: Students appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Mumbai: A special NIA court here on Monday rejected the bail plea of human rights activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elghar Parishad-Maoist links case.

Navlakha, arrested on August 28, 2018, moved the court for bail more than six months ago and in his plea has also cited health issues while seeking relief. He was initially kept under house arrest, but was later sent to judicial custody and lodged at the Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, had earlier vehemently opposed the human rights activist’s plea for bail and described him as a member of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Special NIA court Judge Rajesh J Katariya, who previously heard prosecution and defence arguments over the matter, on Monday rejected Navlakha’s bail plea.

Details of the order were not yet available.

The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the ‘Elgar Parishad’ conclave, held at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017, which police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the  outskirts of the western Maharashtra city, located around 200km from Mumbai.

The Pune police, which probed the case initially, had claimed the conclave was backed by Maoists. The NIA later took over the probe into the case, in which more than a dozen activists and academicians were named as accused.

Navlakha and several other activists were charged under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The human rights activist had moved the court for bail in February through his advocate Yug Chaudhry on the merits of the case.

As per the NIA, Navlakha “inculcated” Maoist sympathies among students and others.

Navlakha’s plea said his activities, at the most, border only on communication, which is wholly “insufficient” to attract any charges under UAPA, an anti-terror law.

Further, Navlakha’s plea said the NIA charge-sheet fails to connect him with a larger conspiracy.

The plea also stated the veteran activist has criticised the Maoists and is implacably opposed to Naxal violence as his published writings (which pre-date his arrest) show.

There was no material in the entire charge-sheet which shows the  applicant has in any manner intended or supported a claim of cessation or caused any disaffection towards or against India or committed any act which disrupts the sovereignty or territorial integrity of India, the plea said.

Further, the plea said the prosecution, through its entire investigation, nowhere speaks of any terrorist act being committed. It added there was not a single allegation against Navlakha of being involved in planning, preparation, procurement, funding or commission of any terrorist act.

As per the plea, there was no material in the charge-sheet to show Navlakha has anywhere, by words either spoken or written or by any visible representation, attempted to bring hatred, disaffection against the Government of India.

The activist’s bail plea claimed he suffers from high blood pressure and other ailments, including a lump in the chest, severe pain in the neck and lower back, and has a history of intestinal polyps.

Navlakha has been in jail since April 14, 2020, and there was no need to keep him in custody as the probe into the case has been completed, his bail plea contended.

It also said the trial, once it starts, is going to take a long time to complete as there are 15 accused persons, and the charge-sheet is a 30,000-page document with over 150 witnesses.

“To continue to subject the applicant to prison custody at his advanced age until the trial is completed would be extremely unjust, harsh and cruel and antithetical to the spirit of justice,” the bail plea added.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Elgar Case: Special NIA Court Denies Bail to Activist Gautam Navlakha appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Police personnel conduct a flag march at Eidgah Maidan on the eve of the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at Chamarajpet, in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

Hubballi: Ganesh Chathurthi was celebrated at the Idgah grounds here on Wednesday amid tight security arrangements, hours after the Karnataka High Court gave the go ahead for it.

Amid chants of vedic hymns, Sriram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik  along with his supporters installed the idol of Lord Ganesha and offered prayers on the occasion.

“We performed the prayers within the legal framework. Some miscreants had attempted to stop us but we performed our Pooja, which is not only a matter of joy for the people of Hubballi but also across north Karnataka,” Muthalik told reporters at the Pooja Pandal.

Muthalik termed the day as ‘historic’ as the long-cherished dreams of the Hindu community was fulfilled.

According to him, the district administration has granted permission to conduct pooja for three days at the site. 

Elaborate security arrangements were made at the Idgah ground to avert any untoward incident.

In a late-night hearing on Tuesday, the High Court upheld an order of the Dharwad municipal commissioner allowing the Ganesh Chaturthi festival to be held at the Idgah maidan in the city.

Justice Ashok S Kinagi held that the property belonged to the Dharwad municipality and Anjuman-e-Islam was only a lease holder for a period of 999 years at a fee of RS 1 per year.

Anjuman-e-Islam had claimed that the property in question was protected under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which says no religious place of worship can be converted.

The high court said in the case of the property in question, it was not a religious place of worship and was allowed for prayers only during Bakrid and Ramzan. During other times, it was used for purposes like a marketplace and a parking lot.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Karnataka: Ganesha Festival Celebrated at Hubballi Idgah Ground Amid Tight Security appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Mumbai: A special court here has directed poet-activist P Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case who was recently granted bail on medical ground by the Supreme Court, to reside in Mumbai and not to leave the city without its permission.

It also restricted Rao from having a “gathering of visitors” at his residence in Mumbai, and asked him not to indulge in any “criminal activities, similar to the case against him or otherwise” and not to contact any co-accused in the case or any other person involved in similar activities.

The apex court had granted bail to Rao on August 10.        

His bail conditions were set by the special court hearing cases related to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently, the details of which were made available on Saturday.

The bail conditions mandate Rao to reside within the area of greater Mumbai and not leave the city without prior permission of the NIA court.

He shall furnish the detailed address of his residence in greater Mumbai and his contact number, along with the numbers of his three close relatives and persons residing with him, the court said.

It directed the accused not to make any statement to media – be it print, electronic and social – regarding the case.

He shall not commit any other offence either of similar or any other nature and not indulge in any activity regarding which present crime is registered against him, the court said.

Further, Rao has been directed not to contact or communicate with the co-accused or any other person involved in similar activities.

He shall not make any call either domestic or international to any person indulging in similar activities through any mode of communication, Rao’s bail condition reads.

The accused has been asked not to tamper the prosecution witnesses, either personally or through any other person.

He shall not abscond or try to flee away from justice. There shall not be any gathering of visitors where applicant shall reside at greater Mumbai, the court said.

The court has asked the accused to furnish a fresh bond of Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties in the like amount.

The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The Pune Police had also claimed the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) later took over the probe in the matter.

Rao was arrested on August 28, 2018 from his Hyderabad residence and is an under-trial in the case. An FIR was lodged by the Pune Police on January 8, 2018 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Stay in Mumbai, No Gathering Visitors at Home, Don’t Contact Co-Accused: Varavara Rao Bail Terms appeared first on SabrangIndia.

New Delhi: Protest by a group of HIV-positive people alleging shortage of certain antiretroviral (ARV) drugs continues for almost a month, officials from the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) held a meeting with them and assured fresh supply of medicines.

The officials on Thursday claimed that fresh supplies were being expedited and airlifted to priority locations. However, the protestors said they will continue the dharna until “all HIV patients in India start receiving one month of medicines.”

They have been alleging complete unavailability of certain drugs, including those for children living with HIV, and random shifting to another class of drugs for most of the patients.

They say non-availability of drugs for the next few weeks could lead to serious complications.

Official sources said the officers have been in constant touch with the protestors from the day they launched the dharna at NACO’s Chanderlok office premises.

In the beginning, discussions were held with division heads of NACO and subsequently escalated to the next level-the director of NACO.

Particular efforts have been made to ensure safety of the protestors in terms of making available drinking water, electricity and basic amenities at the NACO office premises, a source said.

“In today’s meeting, the NACO director assured two representatives of significant improvements in the ARV fresh supplies that are being expedited and airlifted to priority locations.

“While the representatives acknowledged these improvements in stock availability and dispensation for one month, especially in Delhi and many other states, they continued to raise anecdotal issues of ‘stock-out’ of ARVs in few states as well as lay instances of patients not receiving drugs,” an official source said.

A protestor told PTI on Thursday, “We are protesting since July 21. Due to heat and outside food, people have started falling ill. We were here on August 15 like prisoners. Entire India was celebrating Independence Day but we were here. The building and the toilets were locked. We had to walk down to the ground floor for basic facilities. One thing that keeps us on our toes is the need of our brothers and sisters in the community.

“Today, we held a meeting with NACO officials and they assured us that every patient in Delhi has started receiving one month of ART. We were asked to call off the protest but we were firm and our response was very clear that we will continue our protest till all HIV patients in India start receiving one month of medicines,” he added.

NACO Additional Secretary and Director General Alok Saxena said the organisation will continue to hear voices of the community and that it believes in the culture of working in partnership with them to design and implement strategies outlined under the National AIDS Control Programme.

He urged the representatives to end the dharna, especially since their demand for ARV drug dispensation for at least one month at a time is met with. Also, he said, since NACO is a government office, protests during weekends will be non-productive.

He also appealed to the representatives to repose their faith in the system, end the protest and vacate the NACO premises, sources said.

“The focus has been on non-confrontational cooperative partnership. Community representatives are always included in meetings of technical resource groups and other consultations of NACO, prior to any major policy or programmatic decision,” the official source said.

“The director said once the protestors lift the dharna, NACO and People Living With HIV (PLHIV) networks can jointly evolve timelines so that the entire machinery is responsive and work is done to everyone’s satisfaction in a time-bound manner.

“Also, according to past practice, key members of the network volunteering to help in streamlining the systems to ensure seamless delivery of ARVs to PLHIV could come to NACO office and engage with officers,” the source said.

The dharna, however, is yet to be called off, he said.

Health ministry officials had earlier said there was enough stock of all ARV drugs at the state level and fresh supply orders for procurement of the next lot of several drugs had been placed.

Individual ART centres may have this issue at times, but the medicines are immediately relocated from nearby centres, they had said.

The government had recently told Lok Sabha that there is adequate stock of ARV medicines for around 95 per cent of people living with HIV in India.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Over a Month, People With HIV Continue Protest at NACO’s Office Alleging ARV Drug Shortage appeared first on SabrangIndia.

New Delhi: Over 6,000 citizens, including grassroot workers and women and human rights activists, have urged the Supreme Court to revoke the remission of sentences for 11 men convicted of rape and murder in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case.

“The remission of sentences for the 11 men convicted of gang-rape and mass murder will have a chilling effect on every rape victim who is told to ‘trust the system’, ‘seek justice’, and ‘have faith’,” they said in a joint statement.

The statement was given by activists Syeda Hameed, Zafarul-Islam Khan, Roop Rekha, Devaki Jain, Uma Chakravarti, Subhashini Ali, Kavita Krishnan, Maimoona Mollah, Hasina Khan, Rachana Mudraboyina, Shabnam Hashmi, among others.    

The civil rights groups include Saheli Women’s Resource Centre, Gamana Mahila Samuha, Bebaak Collective, All India Progressive Women’s Association, Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Pragatisheel Mahila Manch, Parcham Collective, Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, Amoomat Society, WomComMatters, Centre for Struggling Women and Sahiyar.

Demanding that the remission must be revoked, the citizens noted that the early release of these murderers and rapists only strengthens the impunity of all men who commit rape and other acts of violence against women.

“We demand that women’s faith in justice be restored. We demand the remission of sentences for these 11 convicts be immediately revoked and they be sent back to prison to serve the remainder of their life terms,” the statement said.

Eleven convicts, sentenced to life imprisonment, walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy. They had completed more than 15 years in jail.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai on January 21, 2008 had sentenced the 11 to life imprisonment on charges of gang-rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano’s family. Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay High Court.

Bilkis Bano was 21-years-old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the violence that broke out after the Godhra train burning. Among those killed were her 3-year-old daughter.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Over 6,000 Citizens Urge SC to Revoke Remission of Convicts in Bilkis Bano Case appeared first on SabrangIndia.

New Delhi: Facing flak over the Rohingya issue, the BJP on Wednesday asserted that the illegal migrants are a “threat” to national security and that the Modi government will never compromise on the issue.

The BJP’s reaction came after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday hit out at the Centre over Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri’s tweet that Rohingya refugees will be shifted to apartments in the city.

Puri put out a tweet saying India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country and all Rohingya refugees would be shifted to EWS flats in the east Delhi’s Bakkarwala area.

Thereafter, the Union Home Ministry issued a clarification denying any move to shift Rohingya Muslims in Delhi to economically weaker section (EWS) flats and directed the Delhi government to ensure the “illegal foreigners” remain in detention centres pending their extradition.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia described Rohingyas as a “threat to national security” and said, “Arvind Kejriwal is doing the politics of appeasement keeping the national security at bay.”

Bhatia further asked why was it that in the meeting held on July 29, chaired by the chief secretary of Delhi, “a hasty decision was taken that all these infiltrators would be shifted to the houses being built for EWS.”

He said there were news reports in which the facts were “meant to mislead the public. The Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that.”

He further said “the law of our country says that Rohingyas will be deported and this jurisdiction lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

Courtesy: The Daily Siasat

The post Rohingya migrants are ‘threat’ to national security: BJP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

New York: Salman Rushdie was on a ventilator with a damaged liver and may lose one of his eyes after the Mumbai-born controversial author was stabbed in the neck and abdomen by a man on stage at a literary event in upstate New York.

Rushdie, who faced Islamist death threats for years after writing The Satanic Verses, was stabbed by a 24-year-old New Jersey resident identified as Hadi Matar on stage on Friday while he was being introduced at the event of the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York.

A bloodied Rushdie was airlifted from a field adjacent to the venue to a hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania where the 75-year-old writer underwent surgery.

Rushdie, who won the Booker Prize for his novel “Midnight’s Children”, was unable to speak.

Rushdie “will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged,” the writer’s agent Andrew Wylie told The New York Times.

 “The news is not good,” Wylie said.

The suspect was from Fairview, New Jersey, State Police Troop Commander Major Eugene J Staniszewski said in a Friday evening news conference.

Police are working with the FBI and local authorities to determine the motive.

Authorities are also working to obtain search warrants for several items found at the scene, including a backpack and electronic devices, Staniszewski said.

Authorities believe the suspect was alone but are investigating “to make sure that was the case,” Staniszewski added.

Rushdie was stabbed in the neck as he was on the stage at the Chautauqua Institution, a not-for-profit community on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York State, where approximately 7,500 people are in residence on any day during a nine-week season.

Staniszewski said Rushdie was provided medical treatment by a doctor who was in the audience until emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene.

Replying to a question about Matar’s nationality, Staniszewski said, “I don’t know yet.”

Asked how he would describe Rushdie’s condition, Staniszewski said, “We are trying to get an update and it is something that we are watching closely.” 

Staniszewski said the authorities do not have any indication of a motive “at this time. But we are working with the FBI, the Sheriff’s Office and we will determine what the cause of this was and what the motive for this attack was”.

Rushdie was about to speak at the special Chautauqua Lecture Series event exploring the theme of “More than Shelter” for a “discussion on the United States as an asylum for writers and other artists in exile and as a home for freedom of creative expression”.

He was joined by Henry Reese, co-founder of the Pittsburgh non-profit City of Asylum, the largest residency programme in the world for writers living in exile under the threat of persecution.

Staniszewski said at approximately 10:47 am local time, Rushdie and Reese (73) had just arrived on stage at the Chautauqua Institution for the event. “Shortly thereafter, the suspect jumped onto the stage and attacked Rushdie, stabbing him at least once in the neck and at least once in the abdomen.”

Staniszewski said several members of the staff at the institution and audience members rushed the suspect and took him to the ground. A trooper with the New York State Police, who was at the institution, took the suspect into custody with the assistance of a Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputy.

Reese was transported via ambulance to a local hospital, treated for facial injuries and subsequently released, authorities said.

The State Police are being assisted by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI in the investigation. Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt will determine “appropriate charges as the investigation continues,” authorities said.

A preliminary review of Matar’s social media accounts by law enforcement showed him to be sympathetic to Shia extremism and the causes of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a law enforcement person with direct knowledge of the investigation told NBC News.

Chautauqua Institution president Michael Hill said the organisation is holding Rushdie and Reese as well as their families “close in prayer at this hour”.

“What we experienced at Chautauqua today is an incident unlike anything in our nearly 150-year history. We were founded to bring people together in community, to learn and in doing so, create solutions through action, to develop empathy and to take on intractable problems. Today, we are called to take on fear and the worst of all human traits. Hate,” Hill said.

The leadership at the Chautauqua Institution rejected past recommendations to increase security at events, two sources told CNN.

The recommendations for basic security measures, such as bag checks and metal detectors, were rejected because the leadership feared it would create a divide between speakers and the audience, and would change the culture at Chautauqua, the report said.

Counter Extremism Project (CEP) CEO Ambassador Mark Wallace said his thoughts and prayers go out to Rushdie and his family after he suffered the “senseless” attack on his life.

“Rushdie is a champion of free speech who has lived under the threat of assassination since the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa against him in 1989. Despite the continuous calls for his execution by the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, Rushdie has refused to be intimidated. His bravery and commitment to his values should be celebrated in this difficult moment.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Eminent Author Salman Rushdie on Ventilator, Likely to Lose an Eye, Liver Damaged appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Beijing: Climate change may increase the mortality rate due to excessive heat six times by the end of the century, according to a modelling study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina, US noted that ambient heat during the night may interrupt the normal physiology of sleep.

Less sleep can then lead to immune system damage and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic illnesses, inflammation and mental health conditions, they said.

The study found that the average intensity of hot night events will nearly double by 2090, from 20.4 degrees Celsius to 39.7 degrees Celsius across 28 cities from East Asia, increasing the burden of disease due to excessive heat that disrupts normal sleep.

The findings show that the burden of mortality could be significantly higher than estimated by average daily temperature increase.

The results suggest that warming from climate change could have a troubling impact, even under restrictions from the Paris Climate Agreement that aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

“The risks of increasing temperature at night were frequently neglected,” said study co-author Yuqiang Zhang, a climate scientist at the University of North Carolina.

“However, in our study, we found that the occurrences of hot night excess (HNE) are projected to occur more rapidly than the daily mean temperature changes,” Zhang said.

The study shows that the frequency and mean intensity of hot nights would increase more than 30% and 60% by the 2100s, respectively, compared with less than 20% increase for the daily mean temperature.

 The researchers estimated the mortality due to excess heat in 28 cities in China, South Korea and Japan between 1980 and 2015 and applied it to two climate change modelling scenarios that aligned with carbon-reduction scenarios adapted by the respective national governments.

The team was able to estimate that between 2016 and 2100, the risk of death from excessively hot nights would increase nearly by six-fold.  This prediction is much higher than the mortality risk from daily average warming suggested by climate change models.

“From our study, we highlight that in assessing the disease burden due to non-optimum temperature, governments and local policymakers should consider the extra health impacts of the disproportional intra-day temperature variations,” said Haidong Kan, a professor at Fudan University in China.

“A more complete health risk assessment of future climate change can help policymakers for better resource allocation and priority setting,” said Kan, the corresponding author of the study.

The researchers also found that regional differences in temperature accounted for many of the variances in night time temperature, and areas with the lowest average temperature were projected to have the largest warming potential.

 “To combat the health risk raised by the temperature increases from climate change, we should design efficient ways to help people adapt,” said Zhang.

“Locally, heat during the night should be taken into account when designing the future heat wave warning system, especially for vulnerable populations and low-income communities who may not be able to afford the additional expense of air conditioning,” the scientist said.

The researchers said stronger mitigation strategies, including global collaborations, should be considered to reduce future impacts of warming.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Climate Change May Increase Mortality Rate by 6 Times Due to Excess Heat: Lancet Study appeared first on SabrangIndia.

An event to honour International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree here on Saturday was called off by the organisers after a complaint was filed against the author alleging there are some objectionable comments about Indian deities in her novel. 

The felicitation event was to be hosted by cultural organisations Rangleela and Agra Theatre Club. 

“The event was called off due to a controversy over a complaint against the International Booker prize winner Geetanjali Shree,” Anil Shukla, a functionary of Rangleela, told PTI. 

“A man named Sandeep Kumar Pathak from Sadabad in Hathras district has filed the complaint against the writer. In the complaint, he has blamed Geetanjali Shree for alleged objectionable comments on Lord Shiva and mother Parvati,” he said. 

Spokesperson of the event Rambharat Upadhyay said that in his complaint, Pathak mentioned that the comments have “hurt the sentiments of Hindus”.

In May, Shree became the first Indian author to win the International Booker Prize for her novel “Ret Samadhi”, which was translated into English as “Tomb of Sand” by American translator Daisy Rockwell. 

Set in north India, “Tomb of Sand” is the tale of  80-year-old Ma, who insists on travelling to Pakistan, simultaneously confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition, and re-evaluating what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a woman and a feminist.

Upadhyay also said Pathak had tweeted requesting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the DGP for an FIR against Shree.

Shukla said people are disappointed over the cancellation of the event.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Booker Winner Geetanjali Shree’s Event Cancelled in Agra After Complaint Against Her appeared first on SabrangIndia.