<p>A&nbsp;Jharkhand village has held a&nbsp;kissing contest.</p>

<p>The contest, held in Dumaria village, was organised by MLA Simon Marandi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports quoted Marandi as saying the event aimed at reducing the divorce rate and differences between married couples.</p>

<p>The contest was won by the couple sharing the longest kiss.</p>

<p>The kissing contest was part of an annual fair that includes tribal dance, archery, and running.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The kissing contest though was included only this year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


A Jharkhand village has held a kissing contest. The contest, held in Dumaria village, was organised by MLA Simon Marandi. News reports quoted Marandi as saying the event aimed at reducing the divorce rate and differences between married couples. The contest was won by the couple sharing the longest kiss. The kissing contest was part of an annual fair that includes tribal dance, archery, and running. The kissing contest though was included only this year.

Jharkhand holds kissing contest, for married couples

<p>A BJP leader was shot dead outside his house last night by unidentified assailants at Bagma village in extremist-hit Khunti district, police said.</p>

<p>His cousin and mother also suffered bullet injuries in the attack.</p>

<p>Superintendent of Police Ashiwini Kumar Singh, who rushed to the spot today after being informed about the incident, said the motive behind the killing of district secretary of the BJP&#39;s ST cell, Bhaiya Ram Munda, was yet to be ascertained.</p>

<p>&quot;We are investigating the incident from all possible angles to find out the motive behind the killing of the 38-year-old leader,&quot; the SP asserted.</p>

<p>A massive search operation led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ranveer Singh has been launched to apprehend the culprits.</p>

<p>&quot;Munda&#39;s cousin Birsa and mother Aguni Devi were initially admitted in a local hospital with bullet injuries. The doctors there referred them to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi. Their condition is stable now,&quot; the SDPO said.</p>

<p>Initial investigations suggest Munda was killed by suspected members of an ultra group over levy demands, he added.</p>

<p>The district committee president of the BJP, Kashinath Mahato, said he has found out from the villagers that a group of assailants dragged Munda out of his house before pumping bullets into him.</p>

<p>Mahato today sought adequate compensation for Munda&#39;s kin, a government job for a family member and education expenses of his children.</p>

<p>He said that the BJP state committee has assured a sum of Rs 2 lakh from the party fund to the victim&#39;s family.</p>


BJP leader Ram Mundi was shot dead outside his house last night by unidentified assailants at Bagma village in extremist-hit Khunti district, police said

A BJP leader was shot dead outside his house last night by unidentified assailants at Bagma village in extremist-hit Khunti district, police said. His cousin and mother also suffered bullet injuries in the attack. Superintendent of Police Ashiwini Kumar Singh, who rushed to the spot today after being informed about the incident, said the motive behind the killing of district secretary of the BJP's ST cell, Bhaiya Ram Munda, was yet to be ascertained. "We are investigating the incident from all possible angles to find out the motive behind the killing of the 38-year-old leader," the SP asserted. A massive search operation led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ranveer Singh has been launched to apprehend the culprits. "Munda's cousin Birsa and mother Aguni Devi were initially admitted in a local hospital with bullet injuries. The doctors there referred them to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi. Their condition is stable now," the SDPO said. Initial investigations suggest Munda was killed by suspected members of an ultra group over levy demands, he added. The district committee president of the BJP, Kashinath Mahato, said he has found out from the villagers that a group of assailants dragged Munda out of his house before pumping bullets into him. Mahato today sought adequate compensation for Munda's kin, a government job for a family member and education expenses of his children. He said that the BJP state committee has assured a sum of Rs 2 lakh from the party fund to the victim's family.

BJP leader shot dead in Jharkhand's Khunti district

<p>There are no surprises here. A report released by the women and child development ministry has declared Goa as the safest state for women and Delhi as one of the most unsafe places.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The findings of the first-ever gender vulnerability index (GVI) are expected to help identify the challenges women across India face in various states in terms of education, health, poverty and protection against violence. The findings are supposed to help policymakers in chalking out a plan to safeguard the fairer gender.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Goa is at the top position, followed by Kerala, Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur. States, where women are most vulnerable, are Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Delhi.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
According to the report, Goa&#39;s GVI is 0.656, more than the national average of 0.5314. The index scores are on a scale of zero to one. The closer the score is to one, the better the performance. Kerala&#39;s GVI stands at 0.634 and at the bottom of the table is Bihar with a GVI of 0.410.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Delhi ranks at 28 with a GVI score of 0.436 due to its infamous track record in the field of education and protection. Jharkhand ranks at 27, ahead of Delhi with GVI score of 0.450 while UP&#39;s GVI score is 0.434. The study was based on 170 indicators including the Census 2011.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Goa is the safest state for women; Bihar, Delhi are not

There are no surprises here. A report released by the women and child development ministry has declared Goa as the safest state for women and Delhi as one of the most unsafe places. The findings of the first-ever gender vulnerability index (GVI) are expected to help identify the challenges women across India face in various states in terms of education, health, poverty and protection against violence. The findings are supposed to help policymakers in chalking out a plan to safeguard the fairer gender. Goa is at the top position, followed by Kerala, Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur. States, where women are most vulnerable, are Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Delhi. According to the report, Goa's GVI is 0.656, more than the national average of 0.5314. The index scores are on a scale of zero to one. The closer the score is to one, the better the performance. Kerala's GVI stands at 0.634 and at the bottom of the table is Bihar with a GVI of 0.410. Delhi ranks at 28 with a GVI score of 0.436 due to its infamous track record in the field of education and protection. Jharkhand ranks at 27, ahead of Delhi with GVI score of 0.450 while UP's GVI score is 0.434. The study was based on 170 indicators including the Census 2011.

<p>Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, who were yesterday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2008-aarushi-murder-case-timeline-22357">acquitted by the Allahabad High Court of the charge of murdering their daughter </a>and domestic help Hemraj are likely to be released from a prison in Ghaziabad at 4 pm today, their lawyer said.</p>

<p>The couple will be released once the prison authorities receive the court order, the jailer confirmed.</p>

<p>&quot;We have not received the court order as yet. We will release them once we get it,&quot; Dasna Jail Superintendent Dadhiram Maurya told reporters here.</p>

<p>&quot;I think release orders will be received by jail superintendent by afternoon and the Talwars will be released by 4 pm,&quot;&nbsp;the Talwars&#39; lawyer, Tanveer A Mir told ANI.</p>

<p>The couple have been serving life imprisonment in Dasna jail since 2013, after they were held guilty of murdering their daughter by a CBI court.</p>

<p>The jailer told PTI there were two methods to complete the process of releasing a prisoner from jail.</p>

<p>&quot;Either the Allahabad High Court sends its order copy directly to jail authorities or it is sent through the CBI court concerned which awarded them life sentence,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Allahabad High Court had yesterday acquitted the Talwars of the 2008 sensational murder <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aarushi-talwar-murder-case-what-allahabad-hc-said-while-acquitting-talwars-22342">on the grounds that neither the circumstances nor the evidence </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aarushi-talwar-murder-case-what-allahabad-hc-said-while-acquitting-talwars-22342">was</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aarushi-talwar-murder-case-what-allahabad-hc-said-while-acquitting-talwars-22342"> enough</a> to hold them guilty.</p>

<p>The verdict ends, at least for now, the nine-year ordeal of the Noida couple who were sentenced to life by a Ghaziabad CBI court on November 28, 2013.</p>

<p>With the acquittal, the central question in the bizarre mystery resurfaces - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-judgement-leaves-twitter-clueless-users-ask-who-killed-aarushi-22348">who killed the 14-year-old teenager and the 45-year-old</a>&nbsp;domestic help.</p>

<p>&quot;There is a strong possibility that (the) incident was caused by some outsider,&quot; a bench comprising justices B K Narayana and A K Mishra had said, upholding the Talwars&#39; appeal against the CBI court verdict.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Chhath Pooja, an eco-friendly festival that highlights the enduring and devotional capabilities of women

Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, who were yesterday acquitted by the Allahabad High Court of the charge of murdering their daughter and domestic help Hemraj are likely to be released from a prison in Ghaziabad at 4 pm today, their lawyer said. The couple will be released once the prison authorities receive the court order, the jailer confirmed. "We have not received the court order as yet. We will release them once we get it," Dasna Jail Superintendent Dadhiram Maurya told reporters here. "I think release orders will be received by jail superintendent by afternoon and the Talwars will be released by 4 pm," the Talwars' lawyer, Tanveer A Mir told ANI. The couple have been serving life imprisonment in Dasna jail since 2013, after they were held guilty of murdering their daughter by a CBI court. The jailer told PTI there were two methods to complete the process of releasing a prisoner from jail. "Either the Allahabad High Court sends its order copy directly to jail authorities or it is sent through the CBI court concerned which awarded them life sentence," he said. The Allahabad High Court had yesterday acquitted the Talwars of the 2008 sensational murder on the grounds that neither the circumstances nor the evidence was enough to hold them guilty. The verdict ends, at least for now, the nine-year ordeal of the Noida couple who were sentenced to life by a Ghaziabad CBI court on November 28, 2013. With the acquittal, the central question in the bizarre mystery resurfaces - who killed the 14-year-old teenager and the 45-year-old domestic help. "There is a strong possibility that (the) incident was caused by some outsider," a bench comprising justices B K Narayana and A K Mishra had said, upholding the Talwars' appeal against the CBI court verdict.

Chhath, an all-women festival of the sun

<p>The mother of the 11-year-old girl, who died allegedly of starvation in Jharkhand&#39;s Simdega district a few days back as her family&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aadhaar-cannot-be-made-mandatory-for-govt-welfare-schemes-supreme-court-13841" target="_blank">ration card was not linked to the Aadhar card</a>, has accused the villagers of threatening and abusing her for &#39;defaming&#39; the village.</p>

<p>Koyli Devi, the mother of the victim, said she was &#39;living in fear&#39; as the villagers thronged outside her house and abused her family.</p>

<p>&quot;I have been living in fear; villagers abused me and asked me to leave the village. They thronged outside my house and abused me and threatened me as I raised the issue,&quot; she told ANI.</p>

<p>Following the threats, Koyli Devi and her family reportedly travelled 8 km from her village to the Patiamba village in the Jaldega block to take shelter.</p>

<p>The police then brought them back to Simdega and deployed a security team outside their residence.</p>

<p>The victim, Santoshi Kumari, died on September 28 after her mother was unable to feed her. The family was struck off from the government welfare rolls for not linking their ration card with the Aadhar card.</p>

<p>&quot;We went to get rice, but I was told that no ration will be given to me. My daughter died saying &#39;bhaat-bhaat&#39; (rice),&quot; said the girl&#39;s mother, Koyli Devi.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raghubar Das has assured that an action will be taken against those found guilty in the case.</p>

<p>Also&nbsp;read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aadhar-card-needed-to-stop-ghost-transactions-terror-funding-govt-to-supreme-court-15159" target="_blank">Aadhar card needed to stop ghost transactions, terror funding: Govt to Supreme Court</a></p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aadhar-card-enrollment-isnt-foolproof-petitioner-to-supreme-court-15196" target="_blank">Aadhar card enrollment isn&#39;t foolproof, petitioner to Supreme Court</a></p>

<p>Due to the increasing number of fraud cases, the Centre, for security reasons, had asked every individual to link their Aadhar card with the ration card, LPG, PAN card or any other, failing which many people were struck off the ration card rolls in the state.&nbsp;</p>


An 11-year-old girl died allegedly of starvation in Jharkhand's Simdega district a few days back as her family's ration card was not linked to the Aadhar card

The mother of the 11-year-old girl, who died allegedly of starvation in Jharkhand's Simdega district a few days back as her family's ration card was not linked to the Aadhar card, has accused the villagers of threatening and abusing her for 'defaming' the village. Koyli Devi, the mother of the victim, said she was 'living in fear' as the villagers thronged outside her house and abused her family. "I have been living in fear; villagers abused me and asked me to leave the village. They thronged outside my house and abused me and threatened me as I raised the issue," she told ANI. Following the threats, Koyli Devi and her family reportedly travelled 8 km from her village to the Patiamba village in the Jaldega block to take shelter. The police then brought them back to Simdega and deployed a security team outside their residence. The victim, Santoshi Kumari, died on September 28 after her mother was unable to feed her. The family was struck off from the government welfare rolls for not linking their ration card with the Aadhar card. "We went to get rice, but I was told that no ration will be given to me. My daughter died saying 'bhaat-bhaat' (rice)," said the girl's mother, Koyli Devi. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raghubar Das has assured that an action will be taken against those found guilty in the case. Also read: Aadhar card needed to stop ghost transactions, terror funding: Govt to Supreme Court Also read: Aadhar card enrollment isn't foolproof, petitioner to Supreme Court Due to the increasing number of fraud cases, the Centre, for security reasons, had asked every individual to link their Aadhar card with the ration card, LPG, PAN card or any other, failing which many people were struck off the ration card rolls in the state.

Jharkhand starvation death: Victim's mother accuses villagers of threatening, abusing her

<p>That India was once a flourishing country of various tribes can be substantiated from the diverse architectures of prehistoric megalithic monuments that dot the country from Kashmir in the north to Kerala down south, and from Manipur in the far east to Gujarat in the west. Despite this profuseness, the common man still remains oblivious of this major source of India&rsquo;s prehistory.</p>

<p>The term megaliths, having its origin in Greek etymology, is essentially a union of two Greek words of &#39;mega&#39; meaning large and &#39;lithos&#39;, suggesting stones.</p>

<p>Megaliths are burials of sorts of the deceased which the tribals across India had once raised, and continue to do after the death of their near ones. These are also commemorative stones which the tribals erect in the memory of their departed.</p>

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<h5>Megaliths in India are the fascinating creations of the ancient Indians.</h5>
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<p>Megaliths in India are the fascinating creations of the ancient Indians. It embraces a broad array of architecture, ranging from dolmens, menhirs, stone circles, and cairn circles among others. Also, excavations have revealed extensive burials patterns, such as sarcophagi, cist circles, pit circles, dolmenoid cists, cist within cist, urn burials, pot burials etc.</p>

<p>Excepting in a few states of India, ancient megaliths have been found all over. The peninsular part of South India accommodates a wide variety and a large density of these tombs. From Vidharbha in central India to Gujarat, M.P., Chhattisgarh and U.P., a wide array of megaliths are interspersed everywhere.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Menhirs in Manipur. (Others)</p>
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<p>In Chhattisgarh and M.P., many tribes still pursue an uninterrupted megalithic burial tradition. Rajasthan too once housed very ancient megaliths but they are mostly destroyed. Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir come with abundant ancient megaliths too. Jharkhand has a very thick density of megaliths. Here the broad assortment of megalithic types is very alluring where several tribes still raise these monuments after death. Odisha has many ancient megalithic monuments and many tribes still build megaliths after death. The North-Eastern part of India is thoroughly megalithic. Here megalithic tribes still build megalithic tombs after death in memory of the departed.</p>

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<h5>Tribals also erect menhirs in memory of significant incidents in their communities, families and villages.</h5>
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<p>The tribes of different states have varied names for their megaliths. The megalithic tribes of Jharkhand as Mundas, Asurs, Oraons and the Hos call a menhir either a birdiri or a burudiri, whereas for them a dolmen is known as sasandiri. Every tribal village of the state comprises of a burial ground called hargarhi, harsali or jangarha in which the sasandiris or the birdiris are placed. A megalith is also called a pathalgadha in the state. In Chhattisgarh and M.P. the Korkus call their menhirs Mundas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The memorial stones of both the Gonds and Bison-horn Marias are called Uraskal. The Gadabas of Orissa still erect menhirs as commemorative symbols for the deceased and also create stone circles which they call as sindibors. Dolmens in the Vidharbha region are called pandukal or pandukutti. Dolmens in the of Marayur region belong to the Iron Age and are called Valivadu or Muniyara.</p>

<p>In Central and South India, menhirs with names as varied as kaduvakal, virgal, birakal or virakal etc were once raised to honour the departed heroes of their communities. In Tamil Sangam literature menhirs are called nadukal.</p>

<p>Manimekalai, the great Tamil Buddhist epic by Chitalai Chathanar calls various burials to be &ldquo;cutovor&rdquo; and pit burials as totukulip or patuvor. The book also refers to dolmens as pantar- kal and urns burials as &ldquo;taliyar kavippor&rdquo;.</p>

<p>The Garos call their menhirs Kima whereas the Khasis have diverse names for their menhirs as Kinmou, Mounam, Moulaniti, Mongni or Moukni depending on the particular purposes for which they are raised where a dolmen for them is maokinthayi.</p>

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<h5>It was the British who brought the megaliths of India to the limelight.</h5>
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<p>However, the popular non-tribal names of menhirs are Birkhod, Birkol and Birakallu etc.</p>

<p>Tribals also erect menhirs in memory of significant incidents in their communities, families and villages. Menhirs are also set up as boundary stones of their villages. Modern research has revealed that several megaliths in the country as that of Vibhuthihalli, Hanamsagar, Nilurallu, Punkri Burwadih and Chano, like their European counterparts, have been made in accordance to astronomical orientations. These served as observatories of the transits of the sun and the moon, perhaps, to function as calendars of their communities.</p>

<p>Asota (Pakistan), Burjahom, Chokahatu, Katia Murbey, Karkabhat, Junapani, Brahmagiri, Maski and Hire Benekal are names of a few more megalithic sites of the country among the countless.</p>

<p>It was the British who brought the megaliths of India to the limelight. They were knowledgeable of megaliths since Britain is home to a vast number of these monuments. They were indeed surprised to find such a wide assortment of megaliths across all over India. Megalithic burials do find mention in Buddhist Tripataka and their other stories but very scantily in the Vedic corpus. However, as discussed above, there are references of various megalithic burials in the Dravidian Sangam literature.</p>

<p>Excavations of many megalithic burials have been conducted in several parts of India and the grave yields have been dated from Iron Age to the historical period. Excavation of megaliths has not been conducted in many of these monuments of the country, therefore, their fixed date has not been affirmed.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Road building has destroyed many a megalith across the country. In such a course buried pots have been unearthed from several megalithic sites of the Pathalgadda region of Jharkhand. It has yielded chalcolithic remains that may push the dates of many megaliths of Jharkhand to the Chalcolithic era. The megaliths of Asota and Burjahom have been dated to the Neolithic era and their excavation has, surprisingly, revealed no grave remains.</p>

<p>Many megaliths in Junapani and that in M.P. too seem to be non-sepulchral in nature as their excavation has yielded no buried bodies.</p>

<p>India, despite being a treasure house of megaliths, does not hold the coveted World Heritage tag, as do Britain and Europe. Much to the happiness of the tribals in India, Hire Benekal could have been the first ever megalithic complex to receive this prestigious label. Chokahatu in Jharkhand, on the other hand, is not only an enormous site, spreading to a few acres of land that house over 8000 megaliths. The Munda tribals still erect their sasandiris here, making it the only megalithic site in India in use for over 2500 years. The continuous uninterrupted usage of the megalithic site for over two millennia makes Chokahatu an obvious claimant of the World Heritage Status.</p>

<p>Megaliths are not protected as heritage monuments in most states, and they are being destroyed constantly by the villagers in greed of buried treasure. Many who know nothing of megaliths, cart away menhirs to their homes, using them as drain covers or as washing stones by their wells.</p>

<p>Scholars have done little or nothing in promoting the significance of a megalith. Little does one know that India is one of the rare countries in the world where many tribes continue to practice megalith-making as a living heritage since archaic times. &nbsp;Thus, without megaliths, the prehistory of India remains incomplete.</p>

<p>The common man is still ignorant of these ancient monuments of the humankind. Fortunately, one observes that among the younger generation, there is a growing surge of curiosity and interest in megaliths.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Someday megaliths will certainly become a major source of our country&rsquo;s prehistory which will, indubitably, persuade scholars to rewrite the unknown chapter of our country&rsquo;s past.</p>


Many who know nothing of megaliths, cart away 'menhirs' to their homes, using them as drain covers or as washing stones by their wells.

That India was once a flourishing country of various tribes can be substantiated from the diverse architectures of prehistoric megalithic monuments that dot the country from Kashmir in the north to Kerala down south, and from Manipur in the far east to Gujarat in the west. Despite this profuseness, the common man still remains oblivious of this major source of India’s prehistory. The term megaliths, having its origin in Greek etymology, is essentially a union of two Greek words of 'mega' meaning large and 'lithos', suggesting stones. Megaliths are burials of sorts of the deceased which the tribals across India had once raised, and continue to do after the death of their near ones. These are also commemorative stones which the tribals erect in the memory of their departed. Megaliths in India are the fascinating creations of the ancient Indians. × Megaliths in India are the fascinating creations of the ancient Indians. It embraces a broad array of architecture, ranging from dolmens, menhirs, stone circles, and cairn circles among others. Also, excavations have revealed extensive burials patterns, such as sarcophagi, cist circles, pit circles, dolmenoid cists, cist within cist, urn burials, pot burials etc. Excepting in a few states of India, ancient megaliths have been found all over. The peninsular part of South India accommodates a wide variety and a large density of these tombs. From Vidharbha in central India to Gujarat, M.P., Chhattisgarh and U.P., a wide array of megaliths are interspersed everywhere. Menhirs in Manipur. (Others) × In Chhattisgarh and M.P., many tribes still pursue an uninterrupted megalithic burial tradition. Rajasthan too once housed very ancient megaliths but they are mostly destroyed. Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir come with abundant ancient megaliths too. Jharkhand has a very thick density of megaliths. Here the broad assortment of megalithic types is very alluring where several tribes still raise these monuments after death. Odisha has many ancient megalithic monuments and many tribes still build megaliths after death. The North-Eastern part of India is thoroughly megalithic. Here megalithic tribes still build megalithic tombs after death in memory of the departed. Tribals also erect menhirs in memory of significant incidents in their communities, families and villages. × The tribes of different states have varied names for their megaliths. The megalithic tribes of Jharkhand as Mundas, Asurs, Oraons and the Hos call a menhir either a birdiri or a burudiri, whereas for them a dolmen is known as sasandiri. Every tribal village of the state comprises of a burial ground called hargarhi, harsali or jangarha in which the sasandiris or the birdiris are placed. A megalith is also called a pathalgadha in the state. In Chhattisgarh and M.P. the Korkus call their menhirs Mundas. The memorial stones of both the Gonds and Bison-horn Marias are called Uraskal. The Gadabas of Orissa still erect menhirs as commemorative symbols for the deceased and also create stone circles which they call as sindibors. Dolmens in the Vidharbha region are called pandukal or pandukutti. Dolmens in the of Marayur region belong to the Iron Age and are called Valivadu or Muniyara. In Central and South India, menhirs with names as varied as kaduvakal, virgal, birakal or virakal etc were once raised to honour the departed heroes of their communities. In Tamil Sangam literature menhirs are called nadukal. Manimekalai, the great Tamil Buddhist epic by Chitalai Chathanar calls various burials to be “cutovor” and pit burials as totukulip or patuvor. The book also refers to dolmens as pantar- kal and urns burials as “taliyar kavippor”. The Garos call their menhirs Kima whereas the Khasis have diverse names for their menhirs as Kinmou, Mounam, Moulaniti, Mongni or Moukni depending on the particular purposes for which they are raised where a dolmen for them is maokinthayi. It was the British who brought the megaliths of India to the limelight. × However, the popular non-tribal names of menhirs are Birkhod, Birkol and Birakallu etc. Tribals also erect menhirs in memory of significant incidents in their communities, families and villages. Menhirs are also set up as boundary stones of their villages. Modern research has revealed that several megaliths in the country as that of Vibhuthihalli, Hanamsagar, Nilurallu, Punkri Burwadih and Chano, like their European counterparts, have been made in accordance to astronomical orientations. These served as observatories of the transits of the sun and the moon, perhaps, to function as calendars of their communities. Asota (Pakistan), Burjahom, Chokahatu, Katia Murbey, Karkabhat, Junapani, Brahmagiri, Maski and Hire Benekal are names of a few more megalithic sites of the country among the countless. It was the British who brought the megaliths of India to the limelight. They were knowledgeable of megaliths since Britain is home to a vast number of these monuments. They were indeed surprised to find such a wide assortment of megaliths across all over India. Megalithic burials do find mention in Buddhist Tripataka and their other stories but very scantily in the Vedic corpus. However, as discussed above, there are references of various megalithic burials in the Dravidian Sangam literature. Excavations of many megalithic burials have been conducted in several parts of India and the grave yields have been dated from Iron Age to the historical period. Excavation of megaliths has not been conducted in many of these monuments of the country, therefore, their fixed date has not been affirmed. India, despite being a treasure house of megaliths, does not hold the coveted World Heritage tag, as do Britain and Europe. × Road building has destroyed many a megalith across the country. In such a course buried pots have been unearthed from several megalithic sites of the Pathalgadda region of Jharkhand. It has yielded chalcolithic remains that may push the dates of many megaliths of Jharkhand to the Chalcolithic era. The megaliths of Asota and Burjahom have been dated to the Neolithic era and their excavation has, surprisingly, revealed no grave remains. Many megaliths in Junapani and that in M.P. too seem to be non-sepulchral in nature as their excavation has yielded no buried bodies. India, despite being a treasure house of megaliths, does not hold the coveted World Heritage tag, as do Britain and Europe. Much to the happiness of the tribals in India, Hire Benekal could have been the first ever megalithic complex to receive this prestigious label. Chokahatu in Jharkhand, on the other hand, is not only an enormous site, spreading to a few acres of land that house over 8000 megaliths. The Munda tribals still erect their sasandiris here, making it the only megalithic site in India in use for over 2500 years. The continuous uninterrupted usage of the megalithic site for over two millennia makes Chokahatu an obvious claimant of the World Heritage Status. Megaliths are not protected as heritage monuments in most states, and they are being destroyed constantly by the villagers in greed of buried treasure. Many who know nothing of megaliths, cart away menhirs to their homes, using them as drain covers or as washing stones by their wells. Scholars have done little or nothing in promoting the significance of a megalith. Little does one know that India is one of the rare countries in the world where many tribes continue to practice megalith-making as a living heritage since archaic times. Thus, without megaliths, the prehistory of India remains incomplete. The common man is still ignorant of these ancient monuments of the humankind. Fortunately, one observes that among the younger generation, there is a growing surge of curiosity and interest in megaliths. Someday megaliths will certainly become a major source of our country’s prehistory which will, indubitably, persuade scholars to rewrite the unknown chapter of our country’s past.

Why Indian stone henges are not UNESCO heritage sites

<p>Durga Puja is the celebration of the war goddesses Durga&#39;s win over the evil demon named Mahishasur. The myth is that the Goddess was not born but created by the various Gods to slay the evil Asur or demon who had terrorised both the earth and the heavens where the gods reside. Durga Puja, thereby,&nbsp;symbolises the victory of good over evil.</p>

<p>The real Durga Puja is done during spring. The autumnal Durga Puja, performed in the month of Ashwin, is also known as the <em>Akal- </em><em><em>bodha</em>n</em>&nbsp;because of its unusual timing. The autumnal puja was believed to have been performed by Lord Rama in Rameshwaram with the intention of appeasing Goddess Durga so that he is able to defeat Ravana. The irony of this puja was that Ravana himself being a devotee of Goddess Durga agreed to be the priest in Rama&#39;s puja that was arranged to defeat him.</p>

<p>But there are other versions of the Durga Puja. According to one such version, the Durga Pujas of spring and autumn were actually harvesting festival, celebrating both the spring and the autumnal equinoxes.</p>

<p>The other version deals with the tribal lineage of&nbsp;Durga. According to many scholars, the term Dussera has been loaned from the non-Aryan tribes. Dussera is believed to have stemmed from two words of Dus or ten and Eras or Goddesses Incidentally, Era is the austric Santali word for a Goddess. In other words, Dussera would mean the celebration of Ten Eras or Ten Goddesses.</p>

<p><strong>How some of the tribes in Jharkhand celebrate the Durga Puja</strong></p>

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<p>A unique picture that captures the hybridisation of two faiths of both the Santals and the Hindus. Here the Santals dance the Dasainkodaku during their Dasain ceremony in the Mandapa of the Durga of the Hindus (Others)</p>
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<p><strong>The Santals</strong></p>

<p>The tribals being non-Aryan and non-Hindu have their own religious faiths and, therefore, their own gods and goddesses. The Santal tribe across the state and the country celebrate Dasain during the Hundur Pujo (or the Hindu&#39;s Puja) of the Durga Puja.</p>

<p>Dasain is a four-day long celebration of the Santals that commences from the mahasaptami or the 7th lunar day of the Autumn Durga Puja. The Santals worship Goddess Jaher inside their sacred grove called Jaher Than to procure power and strength.</p>

<p>The myth behind Dasain is that once there were two lovers among the Santals: Durga, a girl, and the boy was Devi. The lovers used to meet in the woods, and once it so happened that the Aryans kidnapped the happy couple. The news of their abduction finally reached their villages. The tribe-folks went door to door in search of Durga and Devi by beating their traditional drums. But nowhere could the couple be found.</p>

<p>The search party is supposed to have reached the seashore but even there they could not be located. It was raining cats and dogs, hence, they could not cross the ocean to search Durga and Devi. Since then, till the present day the Santals believe that the lovers are still alive and they could indeed be found, hence the custom of Dasainkodaku in which they dance in their own tradition, visiting every home in hope of finding both Durga and Devi.</p>

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<p>An Asur tribal smelting iron (Others)</p>
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<p><strong>The Asurs</strong></p>

<p>Asurs are a small Mundari tribe believed to be the first iron-smelting people of India. The Mehrauli iron pillar in Delhi is one of their most famous works.</p>

<p>The Asurs are found all over north India; their various groups are, primarily, settled in Latehar, Gumla, Lohardagga, Khunti and Hazaribagh and other districts of Jharkhand and even in the state of West Bengal.</p>

<p>These people consider themselves to be the descendants of the legendary Mahishasur, the mythological demon who was slain by the Aryan war Goddess Durga.</p>

<p>During the Navratri festival, the Asur people lock themselves in their homes, blocking every window and every point from where light can enter into their homes. In the evenings they would come out to mourn the slaying of their king Mahish-asur. The&nbsp;mourning stems from the belief that the Aryan Devtas had tricked as well as killed their king and other prominent Asurs and might as well do the same again. Hence such precautions.</p>

<p>Despite all these nuances, many among the tribes have been&nbsp;adopting the Hindu way of life, celebrating the Durga Puja like other inhabitants of the region.</p>


During the Navratri festival, the Asur people lock themselves in their homes, blocking every window and every point from where light can enter into their homes.

Durga Puja is the celebration of the war goddesses Durga's win over the evil demon named Mahishasur. The myth is that the Goddess was not born but created by the various Gods to slay the evil Asur or demon who had terrorised both the earth and the heavens where the gods reside. Durga Puja, thereby, symbolises the victory of good over evil. The real Durga Puja is done during spring. The autumnal Durga Puja, performed in the month of Ashwin, is also known as the Akal- bodhan because of its unusual timing. The autumnal puja was believed to have been performed by Lord Rama in Rameshwaram with the intention of appeasing Goddess Durga so that he is able to defeat Ravana. The irony of this puja was that Ravana himself being a devotee of Goddess Durga agreed to be the priest in Rama's puja that was arranged to defeat him. But there are other versions of the Durga Puja. According to one such version, the Durga Pujas of spring and autumn were actually harvesting festival, celebrating both the spring and the autumnal equinoxes. The other version deals with the tribal lineage of Durga. According to many scholars, the term Dussera has been loaned from the non-Aryan tribes. Dussera is believed to have stemmed from two words of Dus or ten and Eras or Goddesses Incidentally, Era is the austric Santali word for a Goddess. In other words, Dussera would mean the celebration of Ten Eras or Ten Goddesses. How some of the tribes in Jharkhand celebrate the Durga Puja A unique picture that captures the hybridisation of two faiths of both the Santals and the Hindus. Here the Santals dance the Dasainkodaku during their Dasain ceremony in the Mandapa of the Durga of the Hindus (Others) × The Santals The tribals being non-Aryan and non-Hindu have their own religious faiths and, therefore, their own gods and goddesses. The Santal tribe across the state and the country celebrate Dasain during the Hundur Pujo (or the Hindu's Puja) of the Durga Puja. Dasain is a four-day long celebration of the Santals that commences from the mahasaptami or the 7th lunar day of the Autumn Durga Puja. The Santals worship Goddess Jaher inside their sacred grove called Jaher Than to procure power and strength. The myth behind Dasain is that once there were two lovers among the Santals: Durga, a girl, and the boy was Devi. The lovers used to meet in the woods, and once it so happened that the Aryans kidnapped the happy couple. The news of their abduction finally reached their villages. The tribe-folks went door to door in search of Durga and Devi by beating their traditional drums. But nowhere could the couple be found. The search party is supposed to have reached the seashore but even there they could not be located. It was raining cats and dogs, hence, they could not cross the ocean to search Durga and Devi. Since then, till the present day the Santals believe that the lovers are still alive and they could indeed be found, hence the custom of Dasainkodaku in which they dance in their own tradition, visiting every home in hope of finding both Durga and Devi. An Asur tribal smelting iron (Others) × The Asurs Asurs are a small Mundari tribe believed to be the first iron-smelting people of India. The Mehrauli iron pillar in Delhi is one of their most famous works. The Asurs are found all over north India; their various groups are, primarily, settled in Latehar, Gumla, Lohardagga, Khunti and Hazaribagh and other districts of Jharkhand and even in the state of West Bengal. These people consider themselves to be the descendants of the legendary Mahishasur, the mythological demon who was slain by the Aryan war Goddess Durga. During the Navratri festival, the Asur people lock themselves in their homes, blocking every window and every point from where light can enter into their homes. In the evenings they would come out to mourn the slaying of their king Mahish-asur. The mourning stems from the belief that the Aryan Devtas had tricked as well as killed their king and other prominent Asurs and might as well do the same again. Hence such precautions. Despite all these nuances, many among the tribes have been adopting the Hindu way of life, celebrating the Durga Puja like other inhabitants of the region.

How Durga Pujo is celebrated beyond the Hindu community

<p>Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that the state will give assistance of Rs five crore each to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-flood-toll-reaches-253-126-crore-affected-19260">flood-hit Bihar</a> and Assam.<br />
&quot;A large number of people are affected by floods in Bihar and Assam. Jharkhand is with the people of these two states at this hour. Jharkhand will give assistance of Rs five crore to each of the two states,? an official release said quoting Das.<br />
The people of Jharkhand are with the people of Bihar and Assam, he said.<br />
Jharkhand had been part of Bihar part and the people of Jharkhand are in that state. People from Jharkhand have also gone to Assam for employment, he said.<br />
Das said that it is the duty of everyone to help during distress and the basic mantra of Prime Minister Narendra Modi?s Team India is also this. At this hour of distress all the people and states should help the affected states.</p>


Jharkhand will give assistance of Rs five crore to each of the two states

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that the state will give assistance of Rs five crore each to flood-hit Bihar and Assam. "A large number of people are affected by floods in Bihar and Assam. Jharkhand is with the people of these two states at this hour. Jharkhand will give assistance of Rs five crore to each of the two states,? an official release said quoting Das. The people of Jharkhand are with the people of Bihar and Assam, he said. Jharkhand had been part of Bihar part and the people of Jharkhand are in that state. People from Jharkhand have also gone to Assam for employment, he said. Das said that it is the duty of everyone to help during distress and the basic mantra of Prime Minister Narendra Modi?s Team India is also this. At this hour of distress all the people and states should help the affected states.

Jharkhand's CM Raghubar Das to help flood-hit states, Assam and Bihar

<p>Panic and chaos ensued after two blasts took place late on Sunday night in Hazaribagh railway station of Jharkhand.</p>

<p>The station where the blast occurred, falls on the railway line which goes to Kolkata from Delhi via Gaya and Dhanbad.</p>

<p>On Sunday night two blasts were heard from the railway station, following which chaos erupted in the nearby areas.</p>

<p>A boy lost his right hand in the blast and is being treated in a hospital in Dhanbad.</p>

<p>However, the type of explosive used in the blast it is yet to be diagnosed.</p>

<p>According to an eyewitness, the explosive which caused the blast was in a bag which was lying on the station.</p>

<p>The police has launched an investigating into the matter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(ANI)&nbsp;</p>


Panic and chaos ensued after two blasts took place late on Sunday night

Panic and chaos ensued after two blasts took place late on Sunday night in Hazaribagh railway station of Jharkhand. The station where the blast occurred, falls on the railway line which goes to Kolkata from Delhi via Gaya and Dhanbad. On Sunday night two blasts were heard from the railway station, following which chaos erupted in the nearby areas. A boy lost his right hand in the blast and is being treated in a hospital in Dhanbad. However, the type of explosive used in the blast it is yet to be diagnosed. According to an eyewitness, the explosive which caused the blast was in a bag which was lying on the station. The police has launched an investigating into the matter. (ANI)

Jharkhand: Twin blasts at Hazaribagh railway station

<p>Four persons were brutally beaten to death yesterday in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand over rumours of being child kidnappers.</p>

<p>Suspecting them to be child kidnappers, the villagers attacked them and also vandalised their car.</p>

<p>Out of the four persons who were in the vehicle, three managed to escape, while the remaining one was caught by the villagers and lynched.</p>

<p>However, the other three did not manage to make it too far, as the villagers caught up with them and they met the same fate as their companion.</p>

<p>After receiving the information about the mob action, the police who reached the village, were also attacked by the villagers and the vandalized the police car.</p>

<p>&quot;People were in suspicion that the people travelling in the car were the child thief. This is the reason they attacked the people and burnt the car,&quot; police station in-charge Mani Kant said.</p>

<p>(ANI)&nbsp;</p>


When the police got there, they too were attacked

Four persons were brutally beaten to death yesterday in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand over rumours of being child kidnappers. Suspecting them to be child kidnappers, the villagers attacked them and also vandalised their car. Out of the four persons who were in the vehicle, three managed to escape, while the remaining one was caught by the villagers and lynched. However, the other three did not manage to make it too far, as the villagers caught up with them and they met the same fate as their companion. After receiving the information about the mob action, the police who reached the village, were also attacked by the villagers and the vandalized the police car. "People were in suspicion that the people travelling in the car were the child thief. This is the reason they attacked the people and burnt the car," police station in-charge Mani Kant said. (ANI)

India: 4 lynched after villagers think they're child kidnappers

<p>Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine that has&nbsp;stealth technology and the ability to&nbsp;attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles while&nbsp;underwater or on the surface, was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).</p>

<p>The state of the art features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch an attack on the enemy using precision guided weapon. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval task force.</p>

<p>Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presided over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi. The submarine was launched by the Union minister&#39;s wife, Bina Bhamre.&nbsp;Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba was also present on the occasion when the submarine was separated from the pontoon on which it was assembled.<br />
<br />
Khanderi&nbsp;can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, from anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare to&nbsp;intelligence gathering, mine laying and&nbsp;area surveillance. Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Khanderi is the second of the six submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with M/s DCNS of France, as part of Project 75 of Indian Navy. The first one, Kalvari, is completing sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian Navy&#39;s submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8 this year.&nbsp;The Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with induction of the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on December 8, 1967.</p>

<p>India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki.</p>

<p>The MDL built this submarine and went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul, on May 28, 1994. These submarines are still in service today.</p>

<p>&nbsp;(PTI)</p>


Supreme Court has set up a team to look into charges against ex-CBI chief Ranjit Sinha's attempt to influence the coal scam probe

Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine that has stealth technology and the ability to attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles while underwater or on the surface, was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The state of the art features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch an attack on the enemy using precision guided weapon. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval task force. Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presided over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi. The submarine was launched by the Union minister's wife, Bina Bhamre. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba was also present on the occasion when the submarine was separated from the pontoon on which it was assembled. Khanderi can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, from anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare to intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance. Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark. Khanderi is the second of the six submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with M/s DCNS of France, as part of Project 75 of Indian Navy. The first one, Kalvari, is completing sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy. The Indian Navy's submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8 this year. The Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with induction of the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on December 8, 1967. India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki. The MDL built this submarine and went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul, on May 28, 1994. These submarines are still in service today. (PTI)

Coal scam case: India's highest court sets up panel to investigate ex-CBI director

<p>Having a face in the assembly elections in India is a basic necessity. Without this&nbsp;it becomes difficult for any political party to fight elections properly.</p>

<p>The BJP is repeating the mistake they made in Bihar&nbsp;by not projecting a chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh. Barring elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand post 2014, where candidate projection was not done, all other state elections were a referendum on the working ability of a face backed by fine ticket distribution and solid social base. Even the three states mentioned above saw massive caste consolidation because of long anti-incumbency, which allowed BJP to canvass without an overarching face.</p>

<p>In Maharashtra it became a case of Maratha versus&nbsp;non Maratha, in Haryana it was a case of Jat versus&nbsp;non Jat, and in Jharkhand tribal versus&nbsp;non tribal was the ruling sentiment allowing Punjabi-Khatri, ML Khattar to become chief minister in Haryana, Fadnavis, a Brahmin and Raghubar Das a non-tribal to becomes chief minister of Maharashtra and Jharkhand respectively. In Delhi, BJP did give a face but outsourced it from the opponent hence losing the upper hand against Arvind Kejriwal of AAP who looked far more credible.</p>

<p>Coming back to Uttar Pradesh, BJP has decided not to project a particular face despite RSS wanting one. The reason is simple. BJP after Kalyan Singh has not been able to produce a big OBC leader who could carry along upper caste with traditional BJP voters.</p>

<p>Despite the fact that Samajwadi Party is going through an existential crisis where father and son are fighting each other to control the party, Akhilesh Yadav has emerged as a popular face. BJP has faces in UP, but none enough to be projected as prospective candidate. BJP doesn&rsquo;t trust Varun Gandhi, and Home Minister Rajnath Singh has not been sent keeping in mind the OBC clout in the north Indian politics.</p>

<p>Despite remaining committed to soft Hindutva by sporting issues like exodus of majority community from villages and beef controversy, BJP neither has a pan UP face nor a substantive issue around which to&nbsp;consolidate&nbsp;different social segments. Same is the case with the Congress, which is a junior player in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>This leaves Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav in the fray who can associate governance with a face. Mayawati despite being a mascot of fine law and order, has remained aloof from UP politics, hence not been able to generate the&nbsp;verve&nbsp;necessary before&nbsp;elections. But she cannot be ruled out. Her campaign style remains different from that of BJP, Congress and SP. Her silent campaign was a surprise for many naysayers, even in 2007.</p>

<p>Akhilesh Yadav on the other hand got rid of his anti-incumbency by&nbsp;taking a stand&nbsp;on the issues of governance and induction of tainted leaders against his father and uncle&rsquo;s wish. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Even the bitter critics of Samajwadi Party would concede that Akhilesh today is being perceived as a leader rather than a mere inheritor. Even Indira Gandhi could only establish her leadership in the party after asserting herself electorally and organisationally.</p>

<p>Many argue that BJP could repeat 2014 by harnessing a majority vote to make the Muslim vote irrelevant in the elections. There lies the difference. It was a mandate for the challenger Narendra Modi who had captured people&rsquo;s imagination as a righteous leader. UP voted for a person who would rule India, hence caste lines broke under the euphoria. The assembly election in Uttar Pradesh will be constrained by caste equations and alliances if possible in the remaining time.</p>

<p>Even during Ram Temple agitation, Kalyan Singh, a Lodh remained an important face of BJP in the state. So for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and AAP in Punjab to campaign without a face is a high gamble. All elections in India at regional levels are being fought on faces. Whether it was Jaya or presently, Nitish, Mamta, Karunanidhi, Chandra Shekhar Rao, Shivraj Chauhan or Raman Singh, faces provide a connect with the masses.</p>

<p>The face as a marker of policy has evolved further because instead of ideology the face becomes the&nbsp;brand dominating the whole political discourse. This is one hard reality BJP will not be able to escape in Uttar Pradesh. People would like to know as to who will stay with them.&nbsp;This is the reason why Uttar Pradesh will see a direct fight between high profile Akhilesh Yadav, with or without a cycle against a low profile campaign of Mayawati.</p>

<p>People will vote the face they can trust, and Uttar Pradesh will decide that face very soon.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


A face becomes more than a marker of a politician's policy, it becomes the?brand dominating the whole political discourse

Having a face in the assembly elections in India is a basic necessity. Without this it becomes difficult for any political party to fight elections properly. The BJP is repeating the mistake they made in Bihar by not projecting a chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh. Barring elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand post 2014, where candidate projection was not done, all other state elections were a referendum on the working ability of a face backed by fine ticket distribution and solid social base. Even the three states mentioned above saw massive caste consolidation because of long anti-incumbency, which allowed BJP to canvass without an overarching face. In Maharashtra it became a case of Maratha versus non Maratha, in Haryana it was a case of Jat versus non Jat, and in Jharkhand tribal versus non tribal was the ruling sentiment allowing Punjabi-Khatri, ML Khattar to become chief minister in Haryana, Fadnavis, a Brahmin and Raghubar Das a non-tribal to becomes chief minister of Maharashtra and Jharkhand respectively. In Delhi, BJP did give a face but outsourced it from the opponent hence losing the upper hand against Arvind Kejriwal of AAP who looked far more credible. Coming back to Uttar Pradesh, BJP has decided not to project a particular face despite RSS wanting one. The reason is simple. BJP after Kalyan Singh has not been able to produce a big OBC leader who could carry along upper caste with traditional BJP voters. Despite the fact that Samajwadi Party is going through an existential crisis where father and son are fighting each other to control the party, Akhilesh Yadav has emerged as a popular face. BJP has faces in UP, but none enough to be projected as prospective candidate. BJP doesn’t trust Varun Gandhi, and Home Minister Rajnath Singh has not been sent keeping in mind the OBC clout in the north Indian politics. Despite remaining committed to soft Hindutva by sporting issues like exodus of majority community from villages and beef controversy, BJP neither has a pan UP face nor a substantive issue around which to consolidate different social segments. Same is the case with the Congress, which is a junior player in Uttar Pradesh. This leaves Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav in the fray who can associate governance with a face. Mayawati despite being a mascot of fine law and order, has remained aloof from UP politics, hence not been able to generate the verve necessary before elections. But she cannot be ruled out. Her campaign style remains different from that of BJP, Congress and SP. Her silent campaign was a surprise for many naysayers, even in 2007. Akhilesh Yadav on the other hand got rid of his anti-incumbency by taking a stand on the issues of governance and induction of tainted leaders against his father and uncle’s wish. Even the bitter critics of Samajwadi Party would concede that Akhilesh today is being perceived as a leader rather than a mere inheritor. Even Indira Gandhi could only establish her leadership in the party after asserting herself electorally and organisationally. Many argue that BJP could repeat 2014 by harnessing a majority vote to make the Muslim vote irrelevant in the elections. There lies the difference. It was a mandate for the challenger Narendra Modi who had captured people’s imagination as a righteous leader. UP voted for a person who would rule India, hence caste lines broke under the euphoria. The assembly election in Uttar Pradesh will be constrained by caste equations and alliances if possible in the remaining time. Even during Ram Temple agitation, Kalyan Singh, a Lodh remained an important face of BJP in the state. So for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and AAP in Punjab to campaign without a face is a high gamble. All elections in India at regional levels are being fought on faces. Whether it was Jaya or presently, Nitish, Mamta, Karunanidhi, Chandra Shekhar Rao, Shivraj Chauhan or Raman Singh, faces provide a connect with the masses. The face as a marker of policy has evolved further because instead of ideology the face becomes the brand dominating the whole political discourse. This is one hard reality BJP will not be able to escape in Uttar Pradesh. People would like to know as to who will stay with them. This is the reason why Uttar Pradesh will see a direct fight between high profile Akhilesh Yadav, with or without a cycle against a low profile campaign of Mayawati. People will vote the face they can trust, and Uttar Pradesh will decide that face very soon. (WION)

In Indian politics, face matters

<p>With the recovery of two more bodies on Sunday, the death toll climbed to 18 in the coal mine collapse at Lalmatia open cast coal mine of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) in India&#39;s Godda district.</p>

<p>R R Mishra, officiating CMD of ECL, a Coal India subsidiary, today said, &quot;Two more bodies were recovered. So in total 18 bodies have been recovered so far.&quot;</p>

<p>The fog was dense in the morning. But since there is less fog now so the rescue operation is still under way, he said.</p>

<p>Mishra said two more machines have been recovered .</p>

<p>&quot;In total, so far 18 machines have been recovered, &quot;he added.</p>

<p>Sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service, he said.</p>

<p>Mishra had on Sunday said, &quot;We are carrying on the rescue operation in a systematic manner so that the situation does not aggravate as the debris is too much and it should not fall.&quot;</p>

<p>Danger zones have been declared around the place of incidents to restrict the entry of people there. Moreover, police and Central Industrial Secutiry Force&nbsp;officials have been stationed to restrict entry of people in the danger zone, he had said.</p>

<p>Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDIL), the consultancy arm of Coal India Ltd, has deployed magneto meters along with imaging system for locating magnetic and conductive material up to a depth of 80 meters, the statement said.</p>

<p>The incident occurred at around 7.30 pm&nbsp;on December 29 when a massive mound of earth came crashing down on excavators at Lalmatia open cast coal mine of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), the worst such disaster in over a decade.</p>

<p>Rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident.</p>

<p>Senior officials of Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS) had arrived at the site and launched an inquiry into the incident.</p>

<p>Thirteen excavators and dump trucks which were swamped under the debris were recovered.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


The mine caved in last Thursday. Rescue operations continue

With the recovery of two more bodies on Sunday, the death toll climbed to 18 in the coal mine collapse at Lalmatia open cast coal mine of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) in India's Godda district. R R Mishra, officiating CMD of ECL, a Coal India subsidiary, today said, "Two more bodies were recovered. So in total 18 bodies have been recovered so far." The fog was dense in the morning. But since there is less fog now so the rescue operation is still under way, he said. Mishra said two more machines have been recovered . "In total, so far 18 machines have been recovered, "he added. Sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service, he said. Mishra had on Sunday said, "We are carrying on the rescue operation in a systematic manner so that the situation does not aggravate as the debris is too much and it should not fall." Danger zones have been declared around the place of incidents to restrict the entry of people there. Moreover, police and Central Industrial Secutiry Force officials have been stationed to restrict entry of people in the danger zone, he had said. Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDIL), the consultancy arm of Coal India Ltd, has deployed magneto meters along with imaging system for locating magnetic and conductive material up to a depth of 80 meters, the statement said. The incident occurred at around 7.30 pm on December 29 when a massive mound of earth came crashing down on excavators at Lalmatia open cast coal mine of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), the worst such disaster in over a decade. Rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident. Senior officials of Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS) had arrived at the site and launched an inquiry into the incident. Thirteen excavators and dump trucks which were swamped under the debris were recovered. (PTI)

India: Death toll from Jharkhand mine collapse climbs to 18

<p>Police in Dumka district of India&#39;s eastern Jharkhand state arrested seven Maoist rebels, including two women cadre, in a series of raids on Friday.<br />
<br />
The insurgents were associated with the Maoist outfit, Jharkhand Regional Bhakpa group, and were wanted in scores of cases.<br />
<br />
Acting on a tip-off, police along with paramilitary armed border force, the Sashastra Seema Bal, arrested a Maoist rebel - identified as Etwari Hembram alias Nareshda - who in turn told about whereabouts of the other six rebels.<br />
<br />
Dumka district superintendent of police, Prabhat Kumar, said that Hembram alone was wanted in about a dozen cases.<br />
<br />
&quot;We first arrested a Maoist based on a tip-off who turned out to be a sub-zonal commander. Based on the leads generated during his interrogation, we formed different teams and arrested six more Maoists from Gopikandar, Kathikund and Shikaripara areas,&quot; said Kumar.<br />
<br />
He added that police hoped to obtain substantial leads from the interrogation of the arrested rebels and nab their other associates.<br />
<br />
Police also recovered walkie-talkies, a truck-load of medicines, Maoist literature, uniforms among other things from the insurgents.<br />
<br />
Maoist insurgents seeking the violent overthrow of the Indian state have been fighting for decades, launching hit-and-run attacks against security forces from jungle camps across swathes of poor and rural central and eastern India.<br />
<br />
Maoists, who say they are fighting to free the poor and landless from exploitation of their land, continue to enjoy some support among the poor and violence remains common.<br />
<br />
According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, left-wing extremist violence has left 236 people dead this year, almost the same as for the whole of 2015. Almost half of the dead have been killed in Jharkhand&#39;s mineral-rich neighbour, Chhattisgarh state.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Acting on a tip-off, police along with armed border force arrested a Maoist rebel who in turn told about the whereabouts of the other six

Police in Dumka district of India's eastern Jharkhand state arrested seven Maoist rebels, including two women cadre, in a series of raids on Friday. The insurgents were associated with the Maoist outfit, Jharkhand Regional Bhakpa group, and were wanted in scores of cases. Acting on a tip-off, police along with paramilitary armed border force, the Sashastra Seema Bal, arrested a Maoist rebel - identified as Etwari Hembram alias Nareshda - who in turn told about whereabouts of the other six rebels. Dumka district superintendent of police, Prabhat Kumar, said that Hembram alone was wanted in about a dozen cases. "We first arrested a Maoist based on a tip-off who turned out to be a sub-zonal commander. Based on the leads generated during his interrogation, we formed different teams and arrested six more Maoists from Gopikandar, Kathikund and Shikaripara areas," said Kumar. He added that police hoped to obtain substantial leads from the interrogation of the arrested rebels and nab their other associates. Police also recovered walkie-talkies, a truck-load of medicines, Maoist literature, uniforms among other things from the insurgents. Maoist insurgents seeking the violent overthrow of the Indian state have been fighting for decades, launching hit-and-run attacks against security forces from jungle camps across swathes of poor and rural central and eastern India. Maoists, who say they are fighting to free the poor and landless from exploitation of their land, continue to enjoy some support among the poor and violence remains common. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, left-wing extremist violence has left 236 people dead this year, almost the same as for the whole of 2015. Almost half of the dead have been killed in Jharkhand's mineral-rich neighbour, Chhattisgarh state. (Reuters)

Seven Maoist rebels arrested in eastern India

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