Latest news with #Ganesh
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Last rites of slain Maoist leader Gajerla Ravi held in his native Velishala village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district
Amid an outpouring of grief, the last rites of slain CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Gajerla Ravi alias Ganesh were held at his native Velishala village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on Friday. The mortal remains of the senior Maoist leader, who was killed in an 'encounter' in Alluri Sitarama Raju district in AP on June 18, were brought to Velishala by his family members on Friday morning. People from various walks of life, including writers, artists and revolutionary singers, came in droves to participate in the funeral procession of the slain Maoist leader, who had been underground for more than three and a half decades. Members of the Amarula Bandhu Mithrula Sangham and various mass organisations, leaders of various political parties, among others, took part in the funeral procession. Bhupalpally MLA Gandra Satyanarayana Rao, revolutionary singer Vimalakka and others paid their last respects to the mortal remains of Gajerla Ravi. Touching scenes were witnessed in Velishala as Gajerla Ravi's family members wept inconsolably during the his funeral held at 5 p.m. on Friday.
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Ganesha devotees vs historic lake: PIL in NGT to urge authorities to protect Dhamapur lake in Maharashtra
More than 500 years ago, in the lush forests of Sindhudurga district, two villages, Dhamapur and Kalse, came together and constructed an earthen dam, creating a water reservoir that acted as a flood mitigation measure. The Dhamapur lake, which is a World Heritage Irrigation structure of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, is now under threat from immersed Ganesha idols. A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune on June 10 against the immersion of idols and washing of utensils and clothes in Dhamapur lake, and to urge authorities to take greater ownership. 'If you take a bird's eye view of Dhamapur village, you will see that there is a Karli creek on one side and a plateau on the other. The region receives heavy rainfall, around 3,000 mm, and we can understand that there would have been flooding in those days. The earthen dam was built to stop the water flow, and a huge lake was created. After creating the lake, the villagers realised that the water could be channelled through the farm fields and then connected to the Karli creek. We see that the dynamics of this engineering were compatible with the biodiversity and ecosystem,' said Sachin Desai of the University of Life, a centre for sustainable livelihood and lifelong learning run by Syamantak Trust in Dhamapur. He further said that the canal that winds from the field is connected to the creek. 'So, the salinity of the creek water is reduced because fresh water continuously flows into it from the field,' Desai added. Around 15 years ago, the Syamantak Trust realised that the dynamics of the lake were not well-known among the local people, largely due to migration. 'We saw that they were constructing a skywalk inside the lake. This was something abnormal, and a student from our organisation, who went on to become a lawyer, filed a petition in the NGT against the skywalk,' said Desai, adding that they did a complete documentation of the entire village at the time. The result was that the court gave a stringent order against the skywalk. It was during this time that the organisation observed that over 200 idols were immersed in the lake. 'At one point, the villagers and even the people of Malvan town were complaining that there was significant siltation in the lake, which was reducing its water-carrying capacity. According to the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency – Vol. X, published in 1880, and old scriptures, the lake's depth was around 38 feet. In its history of 500 years, the lake has never shrunk. In 2019, for the first time, the water reached the dead level. We see the wisdom of old engineering and how modern techniques and technology have been harmful to the water body,' said Desai. A further survey revealed that the clay for Ganesh idols was being brought to the Konkan from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Ganeshotsav is a major festival in the Konkan, and though the use of Plaster of Paris in making idols is not allowed by law, shadu mati was not helping either. Yet, truckloads of the clay were coming to the region. 'Then second thing we found was that the idol makers were putting some kind of hard plastic to create the ornamentation for the idols. All this was being immersed in the lake,' said Desai. 'The collector sanctioned around Rs 10 lakh to the irrigation department, and an immersion tank was constructed. But which authority would ensure that idols were immersed in the tank? For the last two years, local volunteers have been trying to encourage villagers to immerse the idols in the tank. 'We have some statistics; Around 70 per cent of idols are going into the immersion tank. The rest are still going into the lake,' added Desai. On the request of the organisation, a few eminent Marathi actors like Anand Ingle, Parna Pethe, Pratima Kulkarni, Suhas Paranjpe, Umesh Jagtap, and the late Atul Parchure made video bites to appeal to villagers to immerse their idols only in the designated tank. The organisation also removed the clay and encouraged a local idol maker to recycle it into another idol. 'He made some miniature small clay idols and earned around Rs 70,000 from that,' said Desai. 'Our petition in the NGT is based on the fact that the irrigation department and the district collector are the trustees of the water bodies and all the natural resources. As a trustee, they have to protect this natural wealth and take steps to conserve it, which they are not doing,' Desai further said. There are eight tonnes of clay immersed in the lake. Desai said they are hoping that the irrigation department will take steps to stop further deterioration of the lake, and barricades and security personnel will be installed at the lake to prevent people from immersing idols in the water. Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Wait list capped at 25% in long-distance trains
MUMBAI: The Railway Board has capped the number of Wait List (WL) tickets in long-distance trains in an attempt to ease overcrowding on railway platforms across the country. According to the new rule, in force since June 16, the quota has been capped at 25% for each class of coach – Sleeper, 3AC, 2AC and 1AC. Until now, the number of WL tickets was arbitrary, varying between railway zones. Senior railway officials said that on the Central and Western railways, WL tickets used to comprise 20-40% of the total seats available in the trains. Sometimes, their number would go up to 500-700 on a single train. However, the circular issued by the Railway Board earlier this week states, 'It has been decided that the maximum current waiting list limits will be revised to 25% of the redefined capacity of each class available at originating as well as roadside stations. This logic will also be applicable for issuing of waitlisted tickets from remote locations as well as tickets booked under the Tatkal Scheme'. (Examples of 'roadside stations' would be Thane, Kalyan, Andheri or Borivali, from where passengers can board long-distance trains) Explaining how the new quota works, a railway official said that if a 3AC coach has 64-83 berths (depending upon the make of the train), then 25% of tickets would be set aside for WL passengers after this the booking for this coach was complete. Preference will be given to tatkal ticket booking, after which general ticket booking will follow. Also, passengers applying in concessional categories such as physically challenged, women etc, will not be included in the 25% quota. Railway officials say they are yet to assess the impact the new quota will have on revenue. In 2024-25, the Indian Railways earned ₹75,500 crore from passenger revenue, that is, the sale of tickets. 'All these years, there was a fixed percentage for WL tickets. That's why, during peak summer season or the Ganesh festival, the number of WL tickets in Sleeper and/or 3AC coaches was as high as the total capacity of these coaches. This used to cause chaos as WL passengers would travel with passengers with unconfirmed tickets, causing fights and arguments inside long-distance trains. The new quota will give us some control over this. Moreover, passengers would know whether seats are available in a particular train at the time of booking,' said a senior railway official. The new quota has brought some relief to the Railway Protection Force (RPF). 'The pressure on us to keep the crowds in check is immense. With fewer WL tickets being issued, this will make it more manageable,' said an RPF officer. This is one of the primary reasons for overcrowding at CSMT, Dadar and Panvel stations during the annual Ganesh festivals. It also contributed to the stampede at Surat railway station on November 11, 2023, where a massive crowd of passengers, many of whom were migrant workers heading home for Diwali and Chhath Puja, rushed to board a Bihar-bound train. Railway Passenger Associations have welcomed the move. 'This will hopefully ensure a peaceful journey. It will reduce quarrels inside trains, where WL passengers would gang up on valid ticket holders,' said Madhu Kotian, president, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Derek O'Brien writes: Unseeing the Northeast
'Even Ganesh idols come from abroad, small-eyed Ganesh idols whose eyes don't even open properly' — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, May 27. If the Prime Minister of India can propagate a hurtful stereotype against the 4.5 crore people living in Northeast India, are you surprised that fellow Indian citizens in the Northeast are labelled? Many have borne the brunt of racial prejudice and violence for decades. In 2014, the Bezbaruah Committee was formed after a teenage student from Arunachal Pradesh was assaulted and killed in Delhi. The Committee quoted a research report which found that nine out of 10 people from the Northeast faced racial discrimination in Indian metros. Another report quoted revealed that two out of three women from the Northeast frequently suffered various forms of discrimination. The most recent instance was the tragedy of the Meghalaya honeymoon which dominated news cycles till the heartbreaking catastrophe in Ahmedabad took over. Unsubstantiated facts and fabricated reports started doing the rounds on social media, running down a state which has so many natural gems: Elephant Falls, Umiam Lake, Double Decker Living Root Bridge, Mawsmai Cave and more. There was a concerted campaign to denigrate not just Meghalaya, but the whole of Northeast India. Vile messages, from targeting dietary habits to social customs, physical appearance to language, nothing was off bounds. There is little official data in the public domain to showcase the important role played by people from Northeast India, especially in the hospitality, aviation, and health sectors. Data from National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2020 suggests that one out of four women migrants from Northeastern India are engaged in the hospitality sector. Five years on, this figure might well be even higher. It also reveals that most are in jobs that are low-paid, informal, and devoid of social security benefits. I have an old connection and a special fondness for the Northeast. In 1991, I quit my job in advertising and started hosting quiz shows. During the first few years, these quizzes were held in cities across the Northeast: Guwahati, Shillong, Kohima, Imphal, Dimapur, and many more. These events were organised to promote a brand of instant noodles, which had a large market share in those parts. My professional fee for each show was Rs 2,500. Flights, trains, buses, mostly car rides — this was a beautiful opportunity to get to discover so much. To learn. To understand. To meet folks who were always welcoming. So it really stings to see people typecasting citizens from the Northeast. While writing this piece, I spoke to Tonshimla Leisan, a 30-year-old woman from Manipur, working as cabin crew in a reputed airline. Here is what she told me, 'A year ago, a group of youngsters kept looking at me and my mother in the Delhi Metro and kept laughing and I overheard them saying 'Chinese, Chi***es'. In the workplace, making a mockery of our unique names by our colleagues is another challenge we have to face. Many passengers motivate us for our hardworking and resilient nature, but others often try to put us down'. Two of the cabin crew members on Air India flight AI171, Lamnunthem Singson and Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, were from Manipur. Lamnunthem from the Kuki-Zo community, Kongbrailatpam from the Meitei community. It did not matter who was Kuki and who was Meitei. Manipur was united in grief. Bias and othering of residents of the Eight Sisters (states) increased manifold during the pandemic. A study by the Centre for Criminology and Victimology at the National Law University, Delhi, commissioned by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in 2021 on racial discrimination against people from the Northeast found that 'Northeast India seamlessly fits Indians' imagination of a Chinese person' and that they 'faced an increased number of acts of hate and prejudices against them'. In the recent past, Manipur was discussed twice in Parliament. Once, when opposition parties compelled the Union government to discuss the issue by moving a No Confidence Motion in 2023, and once, through the night in April 2025. Here is what Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, said on the floor of the House in April this year: 'President's Rule was imposed on 13 February 2025, zero violence in November, zero violence in December, zero violence in January, zero violence till 13 March and zero violence since then till today. So we should not try to create misconceptions.' Soon before the Home Minister spoke, here is what your columnist said in the Rajya Sabha: '3,80,000 kilometres. In the last 22 months, it is the distance the Prime Minister of India has travelled nationally and internationally. That is also the distance from Planet Earth to the Moon! But the Prime Minister could not take a flight to Manipur, just 2,400 kilometres away. We are discussing this in Parliament in the dead of night — at three in the morning. No TV channels, no prime time. Look at Manipur straight in the eye during the day.' The writer is MP and leader, All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party (Rajya Sabha). Additional research: Ayashman Dey
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Works on 72-ft tall clay Ganesh idol begin in Vij
1 2 Vijayawada: Preparations have begun for making the 72-foot-tall clay Ganesh idol under the auspices of Dundi Ganesh Seva Samiti for the upcoming Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations in Vijayawada city. Kesineni Venkat, son of Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, along with cine actor Suman and Dundi Ganesh Seva Samiti founder and Aryavysya Development Corporation Chairman Dundi Rakesh, initiated the work by performing a groundbreaking ceremony and offering special prayers. The event was held at the Labour Colony grounds adjacent to the Vidyadharapuram bus depot in One Town, Vijayawada. Speaking on the occasion, Kesineni Venkat said that it is a blessing for the people of Vijayawada, as the tallest clay Ganesh idol is being set up in the city in the Amaravati capital region. He emphasized the need to worship clay Ganesh idols to protect the environment. Dundi Ganesh Seva Samiti founder Rakesh said that they have been celebrating Vinayaka Chaturthi in a grand manner by installing tall Ganesh idol for the past four years.
