<p>West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee&#39;s&nbsp;remarks on the latest move by National Register of Citizen(NRC) has landed her in trouble as an&nbsp;FIR was lodged against her in Guwahati.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The FIR was lodged after a complaint was filed by advocate Tailendra Nath Das.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">FIR lodged against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Guwahati after complaint by advocate Tailendra Nath Das in connection with statement she made on Assam&#39;s National Register Of Citizens(NRC) <a href="https://t.co/xK7ZRqQiP7">pic.twitter.com/xK7ZRqQiP7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948934395502649345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In a public meeting at Ahmedpur in Birbhum district, the West Bengal chief minister reportedly described the current updation of the NRC as an attempt to drive out Bengalis from Assam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She allegedly asked the BJP government of the state to not to play with fire. Banerjee also warned the government that she would not remain silent if Bengalis were uprooted from the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP led government in Assam said that her statement amounted to contempt of&nbsp;Supreme Court.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The National Register of Citizens (NRC)&nbsp;published its first draft on Sunday.</p>

<p>The draft declared almost 1.9 crore Assam residents&nbsp;as &quot;legal&quot;&nbsp;while declaring the rest to&nbsp;await&nbsp;further stages of verification.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The total population of the state is around 3.29 crore.</p>


In a public meeting at Ahmedpur in Birbhum district, the West Bengal chief minister had described the current updation of the NRC as an attempt to drive out Bengalis from Assam

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks on the latest move by National Register of Citizen(NRC) has landed her in trouble as an FIR was lodged against her in Guwahati. The FIR was lodged after a complaint was filed by advocate Tailendra Nath Das. FIR lodged against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Guwahati after complaint by advocate Tailendra Nath Das in connection with statement she made on Assam's National Register Of Citizens(NRC) pic.twitter.com/xK7ZRqQiP7 — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × In a public meeting at Ahmedpur in Birbhum district, the West Bengal chief minister reportedly described the current updation of the NRC as an attempt to drive out Bengalis from Assam. She allegedly asked the BJP government of the state to not to play with fire. Banerjee also warned the government that she would not remain silent if Bengalis were uprooted from the state. The BJP led government in Assam said that her statement amounted to contempt of Supreme Court. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) published its first draft on Sunday. The draft declared almost 1.9 crore Assam residents as "legal" while declaring the rest to await further stages of verification. The total population of the state is around 3.29 crore.

FIR registered against Mamata Banerjee over statements on NRC

<p>The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has won the Sabang Assembly constituency bypoll.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Trinamool candidate&nbsp;Gita Rani Bhunaia won by a margin of 64,192 votes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Rita Mondal secured 41,987 votes, losing out to Gita Rani Bhunaia who secured 1,06,179 votes.</p>

<p>Though the BJP candidate secured only 37,476 votes, the party acquired a substantial increase in the number of votes in this election.</p>

<p>The BJP received about 5,000 votes in the 2016 Assembly elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted expressing his happiness on the significant rise in the BJPs vote share in Sabang.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy to see a significant rise in the BJP&rsquo;s vote share in Sabang, West Bengal. I thank the people for their support and assure them that BJP will leave no stone unturned in serving West Bengal. I appreciate the <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Bengal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4Bengal</a> Karyakartas for their effort.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/944918455362371586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The bypoll&nbsp;results&nbsp;made a major dent on the Congress party as&nbsp;it lost the seat it had won in the 2016 Assembly polls. Congress candidate Chiranjib Bhowmick secured only 18,060 votes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Secretary-General of the winning party said that the people voted for them because of the development they carried.</p>

<p>The opposition CPI(M) party has accused the winning party of indulging in a&nbsp;massive rigging.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Antara Bhattacharyya, the BJP candidate in the election has also accused that the elections were not &quot;free and fair&quot;.</p>

<p>The bypolls in the constituency were conducted after sitting Congress legislator Manas Bhunia resigned and moved over to the Trinamool Congress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trinamool candidate Gita Rani is Manas Bhunia`s wife.</p>


The Trinamool candidate won by a margin of 64,192 votes

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has won the Sabang Assembly constituency bypoll. The Trinamool candidate Gita Rani Bhunaia won by a margin of 64,192 votes. Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Rita Mondal secured 41,987 votes, losing out to Gita Rani Bhunaia who secured 1,06,179 votes. Though the BJP candidate secured only 37,476 votes, the party acquired a substantial increase in the number of votes in this election. The BJP received about 5,000 votes in the 2016 Assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted expressing his happiness on the significant rise in the BJPs vote share in Sabang. Happy to see a significant rise in the BJP’s vote share in Sabang, West Bengal. I thank the people for their support and assure them that BJP will leave no stone unturned in serving West Bengal. I appreciate the @BJP4Bengal Karyakartas for their effort. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2017 × The bypoll results made a major dent on the Congress party as it lost the seat it had won in the 2016 Assembly polls. Congress candidate Chiranjib Bhowmick secured only 18,060 votes. The Secretary-General of the winning party said that the people voted for them because of the development they carried. The opposition CPI(M) party has accused the winning party of indulging in a massive rigging. Antara Bhattacharyya, the BJP candidate in the election has also accused that the elections were not "free and fair". The bypolls in the constituency were conducted after sitting Congress legislator Manas Bhunia resigned and moved over to the Trinamool Congress. Trinamool candidate Gita Rani is Manas Bhunia`s wife.

West Bengal by-polls: Congress loses Sabang assembly seat to Trinamool Congress

<p>The Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/man-burnt-alive-in-rajasthans-rajsamand-in-suspected-case-of-love-jihad-26095" target="_blank">man who was burnt alive </a>in a case of suspected &#39;love jihad&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The announcement comes after the&nbsp;police recently recovered a partly burnt body of a man in Rajasthan&#39;s Rajsamand.</p>

<p>The victim was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The man is suspected to be a victim of &quot;Love Jihad&quot;.</p>

<p>The police have stated that the victim was burnt alive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A&nbsp;video had emerged on social media in which a resident of Rajsamand was seen beating the victim&nbsp;Afrazul. In the video, he is initially seen hitting the victim with an axe. Later, pouring kerosene on his body and burning him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The man is also heard as saying &#39;&#39;those who indulge in &#39;love jihad&#39; will be met with same fate.&#39;&#39;</p>

<p>Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate in the case.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The man is suspected to be a victim of 'Love Jihad'

The Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the man who was burnt alive in a case of suspected 'love jihad'. The announcement comes after the police recently recovered a partly burnt body of a man in Rajasthan's Rajsamand. The victim was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal. The man is suspected to be a victim of "Love Jihad". The police have stated that the victim was burnt alive. A video had emerged on social media in which a resident of Rajsamand was seen beating the victim Afrazul. In the video, he is initially seen hitting the victim with an axe. Later, pouring kerosene on his body and burning him. The man is also heard as saying ''those who indulge in 'love jihad' will be met with same fate.'' Accused has been arrested and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate in the case.

Rajasthan government announces Rs 5 lakh compensation for man burnt alive

<p>West Bengal government officials met on Saturday with the family members of the man who was burnt to death in Rajasthan&#39;s Rajsamand.</p>

<p>The officials visited the victim&#39;s residence in Malda, gave his wife a widow&#39;s pension and assured employment to his next of kin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/topic/rajasthan-government-announces-rs-5-lakh-compensat" target="_blank">compensation of Rs 5 lakh</a> for the family of the man who was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal. Afrazul was reportedly burnt to death because his attacker accused him of &#39;love jihad&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">West Bengal: State government officials met family of man burnt to death in Rajasthan&#39;s Rajsamand, at their residence in Malda; provided widow pension to deceased&#39;s wife &amp; assured employment to kin <a href="https://t.co/TiYGYpKCiq">pic.twitter.com/TiYGYpKCiq</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939510562345459712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A video of the incident went viral on social media showing Afrazul getting beaten by a local resident who is now arrested.</p>

<p>Afrazul is first seen getting hit with an axe and is later set on fire.</p>

<p>The accused is heard saying, &#39;&#39;those who indulge in &#39;love jihad&#39; will be met with the same fate,&#39;&#39; in the video.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A special investigation team (SIT) investigates the case at present.</p>


Mohammed Afrazul's next of kin were assured of employment

West Bengal government officials met on Saturday with the family members of the man who was burnt to death in Rajasthan's Rajsamand. The officials visited the victim's residence in Malda, gave his wife a widow's pension and assured employment to his next of kin. Rajasthan government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the man who was identified as Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant from Malda, West Bengal. Afrazul was reportedly burnt to death because his attacker accused him of 'love jihad'. West Bengal: State government officials met family of man burnt to death in Rajasthan's Rajsamand, at their residence in Malda; provided widow pension to deceased's wife & assured employment to kin pic.twitter.com/TiYGYpKCiq — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × A video of the incident went viral on social media showing Afrazul getting beaten by a local resident who is now arrested. Afrazul is first seen getting hit with an axe and is later set on fire. The accused is heard saying, ''those who indulge in 'love jihad' will be met with the same fate,'' in the video. A special investigation team (SIT) investigates the case at present.

Man burnt alive in Rajasthan: Bengal officials meet victim's widow, offer her pension

<p>Amidst the controversy over a nursery student&#39;s alleged sexual assault by two teachers at a city institute, another reputed school here today suspended a member of its service staff following a three-month old case of sexual abuse of a child inside the school.</p>

<p>A large number of guardians today demonstrated before the M P Birla Foundation Higher Secondary School, which said that it suspended its service staff after discussion with the police, pending further investigation.</p>

<p>In a statement, the school authorities said a complaint was received from the parents of a girl student about alleged sexual misconduct against her in September&nbsp;2017 but that the complaint did not point out any individual.</p>

<p>&quot;The parents had also lodged a complaint with the local police station. The school has been thoroughly cooperating with the police in the investigations,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>Hours of CCTV footage were reviewed by the school and the police, the statement said, adding that the police also questioned several members of the support staff and teachers.</p>

<p>&quot;We are committed to ensuring that the child gets justice. However, we also hope that no member of the staff of our school should be judged in the matter except according to law. We are confident that members of the staff are committed to the safety of the children. Anyone found wanting in this regard will be prosecuted as per law,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a section of guardians demonstrated before the school building for hours today alleging the school and the police did not take much action to find out and prosecute those responsible for the alleged molestation of the girl.</p>

<p>The guardians were joined by the mother of the child who claimed she has been still traumatised and unable to attend classes.</p>

<p>They refused to leave the premises even after it was announced that one service staff was suspended, and demanded increase in number of female attendants and periodic police patrolling during school hours.</p>

<p>After the guardians blocked the arterial James Long Sarani, police dispersed them.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police today formed a special committee to look into the allegations of negligence and false representation on part of the G D Birla Centre for Education where a 4-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on November 30 allegedly by two male PT teachers, who were later arrested.</p>

<p>A senior police officer said a complaint in this regard has been lodged with the Jadavpur police station.</p>

<p>The committee consists of representatives from the West Bengal State Education Department, West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the ICSE Board, New Delhi and Kolkata Police, he added.</p>

<p>The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) today sought the arrest of the principal of the G D Birla Centre for Education in connection with the incident.</p>

<p>Principal Sharmila Nath could have dealt with the matter in a sensible manner, WBCPCR Chairperson Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti told PTI.</p>


The school said it suspended the service staff member after a discussion with police

Amidst the controversy over a nursery student's alleged sexual assault by two teachers at a city institute, another reputed school here today suspended a member of its service staff following a three-month old case of sexual abuse of a child inside the school. A large number of guardians today demonstrated before the M P Birla Foundation Higher Secondary School, which said that it suspended its service staff after discussion with the police, pending further investigation. In a statement, the school authorities said a complaint was received from the parents of a girl student about alleged sexual misconduct against her in September 2017 but that the complaint did not point out any individual. "The parents had also lodged a complaint with the local police station. The school has been thoroughly cooperating with the police in the investigations," it said. Hours of CCTV footage were reviewed by the school and the police, the statement said, adding that the police also questioned several members of the support staff and teachers. "We are committed to ensuring that the child gets justice. However, we also hope that no member of the staff of our school should be judged in the matter except according to law. We are confident that members of the staff are committed to the safety of the children. Anyone found wanting in this regard will be prosecuted as per law," it said. Meanwhile, a section of guardians demonstrated before the school building for hours today alleging the school and the police did not take much action to find out and prosecute those responsible for the alleged molestation of the girl. The guardians were joined by the mother of the child who claimed she has been still traumatised and unable to attend classes. They refused to leave the premises even after it was announced that one service staff was suspended, and demanded increase in number of female attendants and periodic police patrolling during school hours. After the guardians blocked the arterial James Long Sarani, police dispersed them. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police today formed a special committee to look into the allegations of negligence and false representation on part of the G D Birla Centre for Education where a 4-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on November 30 allegedly by two male PT teachers, who were later arrested. A senior police officer said a complaint in this regard has been lodged with the Jadavpur police station. The committee consists of representatives from the West Bengal State Education Department, West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the ICSE Board, New Delhi and Kolkata Police, he added. The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) today sought the arrest of the principal of the G D Birla Centre for Education in connection with the incident. Principal Sharmila Nath could have dealt with the matter in a sensible manner, WBCPCR Chairperson Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti told PTI.

Kolkata: School suspends staffer on 3-month-old sexual abuse complaint

<p>In this day and age, whenever we read the newspaper, turn on the radio or television, log on to the Internet, or simply open our eyes and look around, we are confronted with all sorts of evidence confirming ever-present religious intolerance, which certainly raises red flags concerning the age-old perennial idea of the oneness of all religious traditions.</p>

<p>If this were the case, we would not have wars fought over religion, hate crimes against members of other faiths, discrimination, and so on. Instead, we would all gather together holding hands to dance happily around the campfire. It is all too easy to ignore differences at the expense of claiming some sort of illusory oneness that unites human beings across, racial, national, ethnic, and linguistic lines.</p>

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<h5>There still are some people in the world who advocate a liberal outlook on the interaction and interpenetration of religions.</h5>
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<p>Indeed the practices of a Roman Catholic parishioner in the Philippines or Sri Lanka might seem as alien to an Italian or American Catholic as an obscure ritual originating in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Yet thankfully there still are some people in the world who advocate a liberal outlook on the interaction and interpenetration of religions.</p>

<p>India, for example, has seen its fair share of communal violence over the centuries, especially since the painful years of the Partition that led to the division of Bharat into two modern nation-states based precisely on religious orientation. Much of that animosity continues today on all sides of the Indian border and recent atrocities against the Muslim Rohingya in Buddhist Myanmar remind us that intolerance more often than not flares up into mass violence on unprecedented scales. Amidst the almost daily accounts of religious tension and conflict echoing throughout South Asia, it is sobering to escape the constant attack on the senses experienced in South Asian cities and retreat to the countryside, where life slows down just enough to become quiet and even tranquil at times.</p>

<p>Roughly ninety kilometres south of Kolkata, lies a small, almost unnoticeable village called Naya, which is located in Medinipur District, West Bengal. I first went there in 2001, just a few months after the terrible attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. There, in the middle of rice paddy fields, along a pockmarked asphalt road with a tea stall on each side, my overcrowded bus stopped.</p>

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<h5>I met Gurupada Chitrakar, a member of a community known as Patuas because they paint pats, narrative scrolls that tell stories about ancient lore located in the Hindu epics and Puranas.</h5>
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<p>I alighted and immediately met Gurupada Chitrakar, a member of a community known as Patuas because they paint pats, narrative scrolls that tell stories about ancient lore located in the Hindu epics and Puranas, but also some about Sufi saints. These have been supplemented in recent decades by narratives about secular topics, such as ecological issues, environmental tragedies, and the pros and cons of globalisation. Indeed, they now dare sing about once-taboo topics such as HIV/AIDS and dowry death. They even sing about 9/11, the late Osama Bin Laden, and other such pertinent matters of global import.</p>

<p>Gurupada became my guide, as I pursued my studies of this remarkable community during a Fulbright Fellowship year in 2004-2005, which resulted in a museum exhibition held during 2006 in the United States and my illustrated book titled Village of Painters that accompanied the display of scrolls that I organised at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.</p>

<p>Gurupada introduced me to his teacher, the &ldquo;guru&rdquo; of the village whose poetic name was Dukhushyam Chitrakar, an individual who looked virtually twice his age but nevertheless beamed with charismatic authority. I spent many hours drinking tea and smoking bidies with him, as he told me about the Patuas&rsquo; unique position betwixt and between Hindus and Muslims, among whom his scroll-painting community lived side by side.</p>

<p>According to Dukhushyam, they are &ldquo;na Hindu na Musalman,&rdquo; neither Hindu nor Muslim. Instead, they inhabit a perpetual position between the two communities, acting as sorts of mediators between the two. I continuously learned about how they respected the customs of both Hindus and Muslims in their daily lives, respecting both mosque and temple. When communal violence would flare up, they would immediately take up the cause of tolerance. The best example of this that I encountered during my many stays in the village was their collective stance on the violence that surrounded the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.</p>

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<h5>We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring. Hindus and Muslims we&rsquo;re all brothers, brothers.</h5>
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<p>Gurupada Chitrakar sang me the following song he composed to go along with the unravelling of a scroll about the tragic incident that pitted Hindus and Muslims against each other, mostly motivated by political concerns. The song that I have translated literally from Bengali into English here goes like this:</p>

<p>We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
Some of us became Hindus.<br />
Again, some became Muslims.<br />
One mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
Adam&rsquo;s wife became pregnant.<br />
Sabil and Kabil took birth.<br />
Sabil and Kabil took birth.<br />
Those two brothers took two religions.<br />
Those two brothers took two religions.<br />
Look, look, there is proof in the scriptures!<br />
One mother&rsquo;s offspring.</p>

<p>We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
Marang Burung, say the Santals.<br />
And again the Christians say, they say God.<br />
And again the Christians say, they say God.<br />
Again, those Muslims say Allah.<br />
Again, those Muslims say Allah.<br />
Hindus say Bhagavan.<br />
One mother&rsquo;s offspring.</p>

<p>We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
Usurping religion, politics wanders from place to place.<br />
Abandoning all that, sir, everyone live in harmony.<br />
Abandoning all that, sir, everyone live in harmony.<br />
In the name of religion, fighting and killing place after place.<br />
Abandoning all that, sir, everyone live in harmony.<br />
That which is God (ishvar), is nature (prakriti) itself.<br />
Today, though, science is giving proof.<br />
One mother&rsquo;s offspring.</p>

<p>We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
Hindus and Muslims we&rsquo;re all brothers, brothers.<br />
But aside from human nature there is no other actual religion.<br />
But aside from human nature there is no other actual religion.<br />
How could we fight with these brothers, brothers.<br />
We, that is, how could we fight with these brothers, brothers.</p>

<p>We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
That&rsquo;s why, everyone get together and worry.<br />
Destroy this animosity encompassing castes.<br />
That&rsquo;s why we should all get together and move forward.<br />
Destroy this caste animosity.<br />
Lets&rsquo; go, we&rsquo;ll all say it together.<br />
We&rsquo;ll all say the slogan.<br />
One mother&rsquo;s offspring.<br />
We are the human race, one mother&rsquo;s offspring.</p>

<p>The clever reference to the Adam and Eve creation story shared by the Abrahamic faiths here serves as a perfect vehicle to bring Hindus and Muslims together into the same parivar (family). By claiming that Hindus and Muslims both descended from Cain and Able (Qabil and Sabil in Arabic), Gurupada urges us to be sensible and humanistic; otherwise, we would be just like lower simians.</p>

<p>&ldquo;How can one attack and kill one&rsquo;s own brother or sexually violate one&rsquo;s own sister,&rdquo; he asked me? Gurupada and his extended Patua clan have a point. We are, indeed &ldquo;one mother&rsquo;s offspring,&rdquo; ek mayer santan in Bengali, and could learn much from this simple wisdom. Feuding like the legendary Hatfields and McCoys of American folklore flies in the face of civility. Let&rsquo;s all remember our common source of humanity, and when spurred by anger to lash out at others who do not necessarily share our personal worldview, recall Gurupada&rsquo;s chant: One mother&rsquo;s offspring.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>

<p>Image Credit: Frank J. Korom</p>


Let?s all remember our common source of humanity, and when spurred by anger to lash out at others who do not necessarily share our personal worldview, recall Gurupada?s chant: One mother?s offspring.

In this day and age, whenever we read the newspaper, turn on the radio or television, log on to the Internet, or simply open our eyes and look around, we are confronted with all sorts of evidence confirming ever-present religious intolerance, which certainly raises red flags concerning the age-old perennial idea of the oneness of all religious traditions. If this were the case, we would not have wars fought over religion, hate crimes against members of other faiths, discrimination, and so on. Instead, we would all gather together holding hands to dance happily around the campfire. It is all too easy to ignore differences at the expense of claiming some sort of illusory oneness that unites human beings across, racial, national, ethnic, and linguistic lines. There still are some people in the world who advocate a liberal outlook on the interaction and interpenetration of religions. × Indeed the practices of a Roman Catholic parishioner in the Philippines or Sri Lanka might seem as alien to an Italian or American Catholic as an obscure ritual originating in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Yet thankfully there still are some people in the world who advocate a liberal outlook on the interaction and interpenetration of religions. India, for example, has seen its fair share of communal violence over the centuries, especially since the painful years of the Partition that led to the division of Bharat into two modern nation-states based precisely on religious orientation. Much of that animosity continues today on all sides of the Indian border and recent atrocities against the Muslim Rohingya in Buddhist Myanmar remind us that intolerance more often than not flares up into mass violence on unprecedented scales. Amidst the almost daily accounts of religious tension and conflict echoing throughout South Asia, it is sobering to escape the constant attack on the senses experienced in South Asian cities and retreat to the countryside, where life slows down just enough to become quiet and even tranquil at times. Roughly ninety kilometres south of Kolkata, lies a small, almost unnoticeable village called Naya, which is located in Medinipur District, West Bengal. I first went there in 2001, just a few months after the terrible attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. There, in the middle of rice paddy fields, along a pockmarked asphalt road with a tea stall on each side, my overcrowded bus stopped. I met Gurupada Chitrakar, a member of a community known as Patuas because they paint pats, narrative scrolls that tell stories about ancient lore located in the Hindu epics and Puranas. × I alighted and immediately met Gurupada Chitrakar, a member of a community known as Patuas because they paint pats, narrative scrolls that tell stories about ancient lore located in the Hindu epics and Puranas, but also some about Sufi saints. These have been supplemented in recent decades by narratives about secular topics, such as ecological issues, environmental tragedies, and the pros and cons of globalisation. Indeed, they now dare sing about once-taboo topics such as HIV/AIDS and dowry death. They even sing about 9/11, the late Osama Bin Laden, and other such pertinent matters of global import. Gurupada became my guide, as I pursued my studies of this remarkable community during a Fulbright Fellowship year in 2004-2005, which resulted in a museum exhibition held during 2006 in the United States and my illustrated book titled Village of Painters that accompanied the display of scrolls that I organised at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gurupada introduced me to his teacher, the “guru” of the village whose poetic name was Dukhushyam Chitrakar, an individual who looked virtually twice his age but nevertheless beamed with charismatic authority. I spent many hours drinking tea and smoking bidies with him, as he told me about the Patuas’ unique position betwixt and between Hindus and Muslims, among whom his scroll-painting community lived side by side. According to Dukhushyam, they are “na Hindu na Musalman,” neither Hindu nor Muslim. Instead, they inhabit a perpetual position between the two communities, acting as sorts of mediators between the two. I continuously learned about how they respected the customs of both Hindus and Muslims in their daily lives, respecting both mosque and temple. When communal violence would flare up, they would immediately take up the cause of tolerance. The best example of this that I encountered during my many stays in the village was their collective stance on the violence that surrounded the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. Hindus and Muslims we’re all brothers, brothers. × Gurupada Chitrakar sang me the following song he composed to go along with the unravelling of a scroll about the tragic incident that pitted Hindus and Muslims against each other, mostly motivated by political concerns. The song that I have translated literally from Bengali into English here goes like this: We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. Some of us became Hindus. Again, some became Muslims. One mother’s offspring. Adam’s wife became pregnant. Sabil and Kabil took birth. Sabil and Kabil took birth. Those two brothers took two religions. Those two brothers took two religions. Look, look, there is proof in the scriptures! One mother’s offspring. We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. Marang Burung, say the Santals. And again the Christians say, they say God. And again the Christians say, they say God. Again, those Muslims say Allah. Again, those Muslims say Allah. Hindus say Bhagavan. One mother’s offspring. We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. Usurping religion, politics wanders from place to place. Abandoning all that, sir, everyone live in harmony. Abandoning all that, sir, everyone live in harmony. In the name of religion, fighting and killing place after place. Abandoning all that, sir, everyone live in harmony. That which is God (ishvar), is nature (prakriti) itself. Today, though, science is giving proof. One mother’s offspring. We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. Hindus and Muslims we’re all brothers, brothers. But aside from human nature there is no other actual religion. But aside from human nature there is no other actual religion. How could we fight with these brothers, brothers. We, that is, how could we fight with these brothers, brothers. We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. That’s why, everyone get together and worry. Destroy this animosity encompassing castes. That’s why we should all get together and move forward. Destroy this caste animosity. Lets’ go, we’ll all say it together. We’ll all say the slogan. One mother’s offspring. We are the human race, one mother’s offspring. The clever reference to the Adam and Eve creation story shared by the Abrahamic faiths here serves as a perfect vehicle to bring Hindus and Muslims together into the same parivar (family). By claiming that Hindus and Muslims both descended from Cain and Able (Qabil and Sabil in Arabic), Gurupada urges us to be sensible and humanistic; otherwise, we would be just like lower simians. “How can one attack and kill one’s own brother or sexually violate one’s own sister,” he asked me? Gurupada and his extended Patua clan have a point. We are, indeed “one mother’s offspring,” ek mayer santan in Bengali, and could learn much from this simple wisdom. Feuding like the legendary Hatfields and McCoys of American folklore flies in the face of civility. Let’s all remember our common source of humanity, and when spurred by anger to lash out at others who do not necessarily share our personal worldview, recall Gurupada’s chant: One mother’s offspring. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image Credit: Frank J. Korom

Opinion: Religious tolerance in an age of intolerance

<p>The Odisha government is set to apply for geographical indication (GI) tags for Odishara Rasagola and Kandhamal turmeric after neighbouring West Bengal was granted it for the Banglar Rosogolla.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Odishara Rasagola is Odisha&#39;s variant of the sweetmeat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Odisha Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister Prafulla Samal said the state will &quot;soon&quot; apply for GI tags for the two products.</p>

<p>The state government has completed collection of primary data and will apply for GI tags for Odishara&nbsp;Rasagola and Kandhamal turmeric at the GI Registry office in January 2018, he said.</p>

<p>About the sweet Odisha has said it has been a part of the state&#39;s centuries-old ritual of offering prayers to Lord Jagannath and was mentioned in a 16th century Odiya epic.</p>

<p>Kandhamal turmeric is famous for being organically grown without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and has a demand in international market too.</p>

<p>The Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) for MSMEs at the Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC) here has already started preliminary research and field work necessary for submitting the application with the GI Registry at Chennai, sources in it said.</p>

<p>The GI status would enhance the trade value of the Kandhamal turmeric and its import to other states would become easy, he added.</p>

<p>The GI tag is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place.</p>

<p>The 15 items from Odisha which have already obtained GI tag comprise nadicraft items Kotpad handloom fabric, Orissa ikat, Konark stone carving, Orissa pattachitra, Pipli applique work, Khandua saree and fabrics and Gopalpur tussar fabrics.</p>

<p>The other handicraft products for which Odisha won the GI tag are Dhalapathar parda and fabrics, Sambalpuri bandha saree and fabrics, Bomkai saree and fabrics, Habaspuri saree and fabrics, Berhampur patta and saree and joda.</p>

<p>The state had also won the tag for agricultural products Ganjam kewda rooh, Ganjam kewda flower and Orissa pattachitra, the sources said.&nbsp;</p>


Odisha will also apply for a GI tag for Kandhamal turmeric

The Odisha government is set to apply for geographical indication (GI) tags for Odishara Rasagola and Kandhamal turmeric after neighbouring West Bengal was granted it for the Banglar Rosogolla. The Odishara Rasagola is Odisha's variant of the sweetmeat. Odisha Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister Prafulla Samal said the state will "soon" apply for GI tags for the two products. The state government has completed collection of primary data and will apply for GI tags for Odishara Rasagola and Kandhamal turmeric at the GI Registry office in January 2018, he said. About the sweet Odisha has said it has been a part of the state's centuries-old ritual of offering prayers to Lord Jagannath and was mentioned in a 16th century Odiya epic. Kandhamal turmeric is famous for being organically grown without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and has a demand in international market too. The Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) for MSMEs at the Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC) here has already started preliminary research and field work necessary for submitting the application with the GI Registry at Chennai, sources in it said. The GI status would enhance the trade value of the Kandhamal turmeric and its import to other states would become easy, he added. The GI tag is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place. The 15 items from Odisha which have already obtained GI tag comprise nadicraft items Kotpad handloom fabric, Orissa ikat, Konark stone carving, Orissa pattachitra, Pipli applique work, Khandua saree and fabrics and Gopalpur tussar fabrics. The other handicraft products for which Odisha won the GI tag are Dhalapathar parda and fabrics, Sambalpuri bandha saree and fabrics, Bomkai saree and fabrics, Habaspuri saree and fabrics, Berhampur patta and saree and joda. The state had also won the tag for agricultural products Ganjam kewda rooh, Ganjam kewda flower and Orissa pattachitra, the sources said.

After Bengal gets GI tag for 'rosogolla', Odisha to apply for 'Odishara rasagola'

<p>Coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal will encounter heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours due to depression over the Bay of Bengal, said the India Meteorological Department on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Officials have said&nbsp;that there is no need to panic as this will only last for about 24 to 48 hours and eventually move towards the north-east, Cyclone Warning Centre told media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to reports, there will also be heavy winds, blowing at the speed of 50 kilometers up to 60 kilometers per hour. Thus, advising fishermen to put their journey to the sea to a halt.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The chief minister also canceled the weekly holiday of field staff of the two departments as the farmers were struggling to save their crop affected due to the unseasonal rains, PTI reported.</p>

<p>A depression has been found over west central Bay of Bengal out of the Andhra Pradesh coast, situated 210 km from Machhlipatnam, 240 km from Vizag and 460 km from Gopalpur in Odisha, as per reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The district collectors are asked to report on the crop loss as soon as the rain stops, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>


Officials have said that that there is no need for panic as this will only last for about 24 to 48 hours and eventually move towards the north-east, Cyclone Warning Centre told media.?

Coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal will encounter heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours due to depression over the Bay of Bengal, said the India Meteorological Department on Thursday. Officials have said that there is no need to panic as this will only last for about 24 to 48 hours and eventually move towards the north-east, Cyclone Warning Centre told media. According to reports, there will also be heavy winds, blowing at the speed of 50 kilometers up to 60 kilometers per hour. Thus, advising fishermen to put their journey to the sea to a halt. The chief minister also canceled the weekly holiday of field staff of the two departments as the farmers were struggling to save their crop affected due to the unseasonal rains, PTI reported. A depression has been found over west central Bay of Bengal out of the Andhra Pradesh coast, situated 210 km from Machhlipatnam, 240 km from Vizag and 460 km from Gopalpur in Odisha, as per reports. The district collectors are asked to report on the crop loss as soon as the rain stops, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said on Thursday.

Heavy rainfall predicted in eastern coast due to depression over Bay of Bengal

<p>Over 80 elephants have entered a village in West Bengal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ANI reported that villagers and forest officials were trying to drive away the pachyderms from Sonakhali in West Midnapore and protect their&nbsp;paddy crop.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">West Bengal: Villagers and forest officers trying to drive away more than 80 elephants, which entered Sonakhali in West Midnapore, in a bid to protect their paddy crops. <a href="https://t.co/MIzHeBmhQ1">pic.twitter.com/MIzHeBmhQ1</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/930789367299186690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Man-animal conflict has become a major concern in Bengal and India in recent years.</p>

<p>News reports said 108 people were killed and 95 injured by wild elephants in the state in 2015-16.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week, a picture of a baby elephant set on fire had gone viral. The award-winning photograph,&nbsp;again taken in Bengal, was also emblematic of the man-animal conflict in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/powerful-photo-captures-elephant-calf-escaping-flaming-tar-balls-hell-is-here-23733" target="_blank">Powerful photo captures elephant, calf escaping flaming tar balls: &#39;Hell is Here&#39;</a></p>


The pachyderms had entered Sonakhali in West Midnapore

Over 80 elephants have entered a village in West Bengal. ANI reported that villagers and forest officials were trying to drive away the pachyderms from Sonakhali in West Midnapore and protect their paddy crop. West Bengal: Villagers and forest officers trying to drive away more than 80 elephants, which entered Sonakhali in West Midnapore, in a bid to protect their paddy crops. pic.twitter.com/MIzHeBmhQ1 — ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2017 × Man-animal conflict has become a major concern in Bengal and India in recent years. News reports said 108 people were killed and 95 injured by wild elephants in the state in 2015-16. Last week, a picture of a baby elephant set on fire had gone viral. The award-winning photograph, again taken in Bengal, was also emblematic of the man-animal conflict in the state. Also read: Powerful photo captures elephant, calf escaping flaming tar balls: 'Hell is Here'

Over 80 elephants enter village in West Bengal

<p>Nobin Chandra Das&#39;s name entered the record books on Tuesday, although there was little need for that.</p>

<p>He has been famous since 1868 -- when he invented the rasgulla.</p>

<p>He had been trying for some years before that to create a new sweetmeat.</p>

<p>He finally hit gold (silver?) when he concocted his mixture of cottage cheese and sugar syrup.</p>

<p>The magic though it is said is in how long the silver ball is boiled.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nobin was born in 1845. Just the right time, for this was the period of the Bengal Renaissance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And the music, literature, poetry coming out of the state needed something sweet to wash it all down.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nobin&#39;s first attempt at setting up a shop in Jorashinko in 1866 bombed but he hit pay dirt with his second attempt -- he had invented the rasgulla by then -- on Chitpur Road (today called Rabindra Sarani).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nobin&#39;s father had been a sugar merchant -- which might explains the sweet tooth -- who died a few months before Nobin was born.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The family fell on hard times thereafter and Nobin&#39;s childhood was spent in poverty.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But all of that changed after the rasgulla.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nobin by the way was dubbed the &quot;Columbus of the Rossogolla&quot;, a pun both on his discovery and his incessant need to create. The invention of other sweets were also attributed to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>But perhaps his greatest contribution to his ilk was that he changed the way sweetmakers were thought of.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Looked down upon till then, they began to be seen, after him, as artisans.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The creative gene was passed on to his son Krishna Chandra, who is credited with the invention of the rasmalai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The rasgulla -- and the rasmalai -- are now of course a part and parcel of Bengal.</p>

<p>And just as visiting dignitaries in other parts of the country are given replicas of the Taj, in Bengal they are fed on the rasgulla.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The state therefore got a bit of a shock in 2015 when Odisha said the rasgulla had actually been invented in Puri some 600 years ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bengal-finally-wins-the-rosogolla-war-24177" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Finally, Bengal wins &#39;Rosogolla war&#39; over Odisha</a></p>

<p>Expectedly, a tiff ensued with the two states battling it out, armed with history and legend.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Geographical Indications Registry put a stop to all of that Tuesday, saying the sweetmeat originated in Bengal.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/a-short-and-sweet-history-of-the-rasgulla-551" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;A short and sweet history of the </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/a-short-and-sweet-history-of-the-rasgulla-551" target="_blank">rasgulla</a></p>

<p>If you&#39;re Bengali then, celebrate; if you&#39;re Odiya, hang in there, there have been some noises that the Odisha government might continue the battle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As for the rest of us, we should just give thanks to Nobin Chandra and his legacy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Nobin, also called the 'Columbus of the Rossogolla', invented the sweetmeat in 1868

Nobin Chandra Das's name entered the record books on Tuesday, although there was little need for that. He has been famous since 1868 -- when he invented the rasgulla. He had been trying for some years before that to create a new sweetmeat. He finally hit gold (silver?) when he concocted his mixture of cottage cheese and sugar syrup. The magic though it is said is in how long the silver ball is boiled. Nobin was born in 1845. Just the right time, for this was the period of the Bengal Renaissance. And the music, literature, poetry coming out of the state needed something sweet to wash it all down. Nobin's first attempt at setting up a shop in Jorashinko in 1866 bombed but he hit pay dirt with his second attempt -- he had invented the rasgulla by then -- on Chitpur Road (today called Rabindra Sarani). Nobin's father had been a sugar merchant -- which might explains the sweet tooth -- who died a few months before Nobin was born. The family fell on hard times thereafter and Nobin's childhood was spent in poverty. But all of that changed after the rasgulla. Nobin by the way was dubbed the "Columbus of the Rossogolla", a pun both on his discovery and his incessant need to create. The invention of other sweets were also attributed to him. But perhaps his greatest contribution to his ilk was that he changed the way sweetmakers were thought of. Looked down upon till then, they began to be seen, after him, as artisans. The creative gene was passed on to his son Krishna Chandra, who is credited with the invention of the rasmalai. The rasgulla -- and the rasmalai -- are now of course a part and parcel of Bengal. And just as visiting dignitaries in other parts of the country are given replicas of the Taj, in Bengal they are fed on the rasgulla. The state therefore got a bit of a shock in 2015 when Odisha said the rasgulla had actually been invented in Puri some 600 years ago. Also read: Finally, Bengal wins 'Rosogolla war' over Odisha Expectedly, a tiff ensued with the two states battling it out, armed with history and legend. The Geographical Indications Registry put a stop to all of that Tuesday, saying the sweetmeat originated in Bengal. Also read: A short and sweet history of the rasgulla If you're Bengali then, celebrate; if you're Odiya, hang in there, there have been some noises that the Odisha government might continue the battle. As for the rest of us, we should just give thanks to Nobin Chandra and his legacy.

Nobin Chandra Das: The man who made the rasgulla

<p>The West Bengal health and family welfare department has suspended a government doctor for&nbsp;a Facebook post which accused the authorities of concealing the&nbsp;facts relating to dengue outbreak in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department suspended a Government doctor over a Facebook post that the authorities were suppressing facts relating to the dengue outbreak.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929235336529510400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Doctor&nbsp;Arunachal Dutta Choudhury&#39;s post on Facebook led to &quot;misrepresentation in the public and (are) derogatory to the hospital administration, the suspension order issued by the state health department said.</p>

<p>In the&nbsp;post, Chowdhury claimed that 500 people were admitted to the hospital on October 6. He wrote about the&nbsp;struggle in diagnosing the patients and added that&nbsp;many of the patients were lying on the floor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The doctor was posted at Barasat District Hospital in North 24 Parganas district.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The opposition party has blamed Mamta Banerjee government for trying to suppress the number of deaths due to dengue in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The post indicated that the authorities were concealing facts relating to the dengue outbreak in West Bengal

The West Bengal health and family welfare department has suspended a government doctor for a Facebook post which accused the authorities of concealing the facts relating to dengue outbreak in the state. West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department suspended a Government doctor over a Facebook post that the authorities were suppressing facts relating to the dengue outbreak. — ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2017 × Doctor Arunachal Dutta Choudhury's post on Facebook led to "misrepresentation in the public and (are) derogatory to the hospital administration, the suspension order issued by the state health department said. In the post, Chowdhury claimed that 500 people were admitted to the hospital on October 6. He wrote about the struggle in diagnosing the patients and added that many of the patients were lying on the floor. The doctor was posted at Barasat District Hospital in North 24 Parganas district. The opposition party has blamed Mamta Banerjee government for trying to suppress the number of deaths due to dengue in the state. (With inputs from PTI)

West Bengal: Government doctor suspended for Facebook post on dengue outbreak

<p>With the deployment and pulling out of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the states often becoming a tug-of-war between the Centre and state governments, the Centre has now clearly stated that CAPFs &ldquo;cannot substitute the state police force&rdquo; since their deployment is related to emergent or unforeseen crises.</p>

<p>This comes in the backdrop of an ongoing standoff between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the West Bengal government over the pulling out of central forces from the hill town of Darjeeling which has witnessed unrest for the past few weeks over demands of creation of a separate state.</p>

<p>In the past, too, there have been many instances where the Centre has found itself in situations where state governments have contested its decisions over either deployment or pulling out of central forces.</p>

<p>The Centre has now decided to set-up a state-level committee to examine and scrutinize the requirements of CAPF by keeping in view the internal security, previous scale of deployment, optimal utilisation of state resources, intelligence inputs and the availability of CAPFs in nearby locations.</p>

<p>This committee will be headed by ADG (Law &amp; Order) of the state and will co-op local representatives of the Intelligence Bureau and the CAPFs at the DIG/Commandant level.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The recommendation of the Committee must be specific and indicate the quantum of CAPF deployment and duration along with justification. Requests for extension of deployment and increase in the quantum must also be examined by the Committee on similar lines,&rdquo; the MHA has told the state governments.</p>

<p>Arguing its case, the Centre has said that &ldquo;state governments often make requests to the Centre for deployment of CAPFs even for occasions where State should normally be in a position to take all security measures from their own resources by dispatching police and state armed police&rdquo; and are &ldquo;are reluctant to de-induct CAPFs and keep requesting for extension which should not ordinarily be made unless there are adequate security for their extension&rdquo;.</p>

<p>With the new Standard Operating Procedures in place, the Centre hopes that the CAPFs will &ldquo;be able to meet more pressing commitments like guarding borders, fighting insurgency, anti-naxal operations and related situations which need immediate mobilization of forces&rdquo;.</p>


It comes in the backdrop of ongoing standoff between the MHA and the West Bengal government over the pulling out of central forces

With the deployment and pulling out of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the states often becoming a tug-of-war between the Centre and state governments, the Centre has now clearly stated that CAPFs “cannot substitute the state police force” since their deployment is related to emergent or unforeseen crises. This comes in the backdrop of an ongoing standoff between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the West Bengal government over the pulling out of central forces from the hill town of Darjeeling which has witnessed unrest for the past few weeks over demands of creation of a separate state. In the past, too, there have been many instances where the Centre has found itself in situations where state governments have contested its decisions over either deployment or pulling out of central forces. The Centre has now decided to set-up a state-level committee to examine and scrutinize the requirements of CAPF by keeping in view the internal security, previous scale of deployment, optimal utilisation of state resources, intelligence inputs and the availability of CAPFs in nearby locations. This committee will be headed by ADG (Law & Order) of the state and will co-op local representatives of the Intelligence Bureau and the CAPFs at the DIG/Commandant level. “The recommendation of the Committee must be specific and indicate the quantum of CAPF deployment and duration along with justification. Requests for extension of deployment and increase in the quantum must also be examined by the Committee on similar lines,” the MHA has told the state governments. Arguing its case, the Centre has said that “state governments often make requests to the Centre for deployment of CAPFs even for occasions where State should normally be in a position to take all security measures from their own resources by dispatching police and state armed police” and are “are reluctant to de-induct CAPFs and keep requesting for extension which should not ordinarily be made unless there are adequate security for their extension”. With the new Standard Operating Procedures in place, the Centre hopes that the CAPFs will “be able to meet more pressing commitments like guarding borders, fighting insurgency, anti-naxal operations and related situations which need immediate mobilization of forces”.

Central forces can't substitute state police: Home ministry to states

<p>The Calcutta High Court on Thursday revoked the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government&#39;s ban on the immersion of Durga idols on Muharram.</p>

<p>The court has allowed Durga idols&#39; immersion till 12 am on all days including&nbsp;Muharram and has asked police to ensure routes are designated for immersion and Tazia or Muslim religious processions.</p>

<p>The high court told the state government of Bengal that &quot;you are exercising power without any basis&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mamata Banerjee called the comments against her &quot;deeply insulting&quot; and said she did not believe in appeasement politics.</p>

<p>&quot;I do not believe in appeasement. These comments are deeply insulting. I believe in the religion of humanity that talks about the harmony among all the religions,&quot; Mamata Banerjee said.<br />
<br />
&quot;I will do what I can to keep peace,&quot; the West Bengal chief minister said, adding, &quot;Someone can split my throat but no one can tell me what to do.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had banned the immersion of Durga idols after 10 pm on September 30 and on October 1.</p>

<p>October 1 is also Muharram.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>If you get a dream that something will go wrong, you cannot impose restrictions,&#39; the high court told the West Bengal government</h5>
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<p>The government&#39;s stated reason for the ban was that it was worried about a law-and-order situation developing.</p>

<p>(People would have been allowed to start immersing Durga idols again from October 2. But PILs had been filed against the ban on October 1.)&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the high court told the government, &quot;If you get a dream, that something will go wrong, you cannot impose restrictions.&quot;</p>

<p>And asked it, &#39;Just because you are the state, can you pass arbitrary order?&quot;</p>

<p>The court added that &quot;&#39;there is a difference between regulation and prohibition.&quot;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had banned the immersion of Durga idols on October 1, which is also Muharram

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday revoked the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government's ban on the immersion of Durga idols on Muharram. The court has allowed Durga idols' immersion till 12 am on all days including Muharram and has asked police to ensure routes are designated for immersion and Tazia or Muslim religious processions. The high court told the state government of Bengal that "you are exercising power without any basis". Mamata Banerjee called the comments against her "deeply insulting" and said she did not believe in appeasement politics. "I do not believe in appeasement. These comments are deeply insulting. I believe in the religion of humanity that talks about the harmony among all the religions," Mamata Banerjee said. "I will do what I can to keep peace," the West Bengal chief minister said, adding, "Someone can split my throat but no one can tell me what to do. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had banned the immersion of Durga idols after 10 pm on September 30 and on October 1. October 1 is also Muharram. If you get a dream that something will go wrong, you cannot impose restrictions,' the high court told the West Bengal government × The government's stated reason for the ban was that it was worried about a law-and-order situation developing. (People would have been allowed to start immersing Durga idols again from October 2. But PILs had been filed against the ban on October 1.) But the high court told the government, "If you get a dream, that something will go wrong, you cannot impose restrictions." And asked it, 'Just because you are the state, can you pass arbitrary order?" The court added that "'there is a difference between regulation and prohibition."

Calcutta High Court revokes Mamata Banerjee's immersion ban

<p>Four states, all non-BJP ruled, moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to intervene in the hearing on whether the Right to Privacy can be declared as one of the Fundamental Rights under the Indian Constitution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The states include Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Senior advocate Kapil Sibal is representing the four states. He initiated his arguments before a nine-judge Constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar and said that the court needs to take a fresh look on the Right to Privacy in the light of technological advancements.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Privacy cannot be an absolute right. But it is a Fundamental Right. This court needs to strike a balance,&quot; he submitted before the bench, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The top court had set up a Constitution bench on July 18 after the issue was referred to a larger bench by a five-judge bench.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The petitioners have claimed that the collection and sharing of biometric information under the Aadhaar scheme is a breach of the &quot;fundamental&quot; right to privacy.</p>

<p>The Central government on July 19 submitted a report before the Supreme Court saying that Right to Privacy is a common law right and not a Fundamental Right.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The states include Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry.

Four states, all non-BJP ruled, moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to intervene in the hearing on whether the Right to Privacy can be declared as one of the Fundamental Rights under the Indian Constitution. The states include Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal is representing the four states. He initiated his arguments before a nine-judge Constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar and said that the court needs to take a fresh look on the Right to Privacy in the light of technological advancements. "Privacy cannot be an absolute right. But it is a Fundamental Right. This court needs to strike a balance," he submitted before the bench, PTI reported. The top court had set up a Constitution bench on July 18 after the issue was referred to a larger bench by a five-judge bench. The petitioners have claimed that the collection and sharing of biometric information under the Aadhaar scheme is a breach of the "fundamental" right to privacy. The Central government on July 19 submitted a report before the Supreme Court saying that Right to Privacy is a common law right and not a Fundamental Right.

Four non-BJP ruled states move Supreme Court in favour of Right to Privacy

<p>The recent communal clashes in Baduria Block of West Bengal came as a surprise to me. Surprise, not because I think that Hindus and Muslims never fight and hate each other unless instigated. No. That would be simplistic and utopian. Religion does cause animosity and hatred and there is a long history of Hindus and Muslims disliking each other in Bengal. Organisations, political or otherwise, can provoke and manipulate tensions in order to push people towards violence but they cannot do so unless there is a latent feeling of mistrust between them.</p>

<p><strong>So, why was I surprised?</strong></p>

<p>Towards the beginning of this century, I had taken a somewhat unplanned decision to start working in the rural development sector. I felt that I needed to spend time in rural areas in order to develop an understanding that one cannot get from academic literature such as Subaltern Studies. After a brief stint in Birbhum district, I landed up in an NGO in Baduria Block, named Swanirvar. If one takes a local train from Sealdah station towards Bongaon, one can get down at a station named Machlandapur. There is nothing special about the station. It is crowded with the unplanned growth of shops around it, a familiar sight in southern Bengal. One sweet shop was particularly popular though. After getting down from the station platform, I usually got into a &ldquo;trekker&rdquo;, an illegal four wheeler which managed to fit in an absurd number of people inside it. Sometimes, I used to stand on the back and enjoy the lovely wind as the &ldquo;trekker&rdquo; moved towards Baduria. It usually took about forty minutes.</p>

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<h5>So, once more, why was I surprised to hear about the communal clashes? This is because, although I had seen a lot of rivalries of different kinds in Baduria, I never saw communal rivalry</h5>
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<p>I usually got down a few stops before Baduria, at a village named Andharmanik. By West Bengal standards, this is a fairly developed area. The landscape is lush green, the soil is fertile, there are big ponds which are used for fish farming. Three crops a year is usual and poultry farming is also popular. But there are problems &ndash; arsenic poisoning of ground water being the most serious one. Also, population density is among the highest in the country and, therefore, landholding size is quite small. Over time as properties have become fragmented the size of agricultural land per household has shrunk further and further. The input of agriculture was already going up when I started working there, and it has gone up even more over time.</p>

<p>Swanirvar, by West Bengal standards, was a medium sized NGO, with 60-70 people working there. Except for two persons, who were Kolkata-based bhadraloks, and one person who was a&nbsp;local rural middle class, the rest of the staff were local villagers spread over Baduria and a few other adjoining Blocks. They worked on issues such as sustainable agriculture, pre-primary and primary education, adolescent boys and girls and Self Help Groups. In Andharmanik village, there was a large building which was both a training centre and the main office of the NGO. This is where I also stayed when I went there. I mostly worked with the microfinance team, trying to rescue a programme in bad shape, apart from helping out in documentation and setting up a small library.</p>

<p>I was not there to do ethnography but I had a good exposure to the rural society as well the semi-urban society of Baduria. This place was located only about 50 kilometres from Kolkata, and therefore the residents were not far away from metropolitan city life. However, they did not have the benefits that a Calcuttan like me had. There was a sense of grudge and perhaps even jealousy which came out every now and then. Their condition was much better than the condition of most villagers in West Bengal, but they preferred to compare themselves with Calcuttans rather than with the villagers from other parts of West Bengal. Among the young people who worked there this sense of deprivation was quite acute. It took me a while to realise that I was a bhadralok elite from Calcutta. It took quite a lot of time for some of the staff to accept me.</p>

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<h5>Hindus and Muslims sat down every day to have lunch together, Hindu and Muslim women belonging to Self Help Groups stayed together in the campus to have residential training</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;As this was my first serious exposure to rural society, I was quite surprised by the amount of animosity I saw among villagers. Once I went to document a farmer who had won an award his sustainable agriculture practices. I found that although he was an award winner, his own brother was not willing to accept his practices. When I asked why he explained that there was jealousy involved. His brother was jealous of the success he has had and therefore, stubbornly refused to adopt his practices. Later on, I have found this to be quite common in West Bengal. There were other cases of rivalry as well. Anyone trying to do pond based fish farming had to be on the guard against rivals poisoning their ponds at night.</p>

<p>And of course, in those days there was a party based rivalry. However, it was not as if party affiliation determined personal rivalries all the time. It could be the other way round as well. Same family but different party affiliation was not uncommon either.</p>

<p>So, once more, why was I surprised to hear about the communal clashes?</p>

<p>This is because, although I had seen a lot of rivalries of different kinds in Baduria, I never saw communal rivalry. The NGO I worked in had staff, both male and female, who were Hindu as well as who were Muslims. There were&nbsp;rivalry and competition among them. But this was never along religious lines. In a faction fight inside the organisation, a Hindu and a Muslim could be in one faction trying to supersede another faction consisting also of Hindus and Muslims. Hindus and Muslims sat down every day to have lunch together, Hindu and Muslim women belonging to Self Help Groups stayed together in the campus to have residential training. This was not the result of any special culture developed by the NGO. This was normal.</p>

<p><strong>Why was this normal?</strong></p>

<p>To explain this, we must avoid the trap of liberal sentimentalism. No, the innate humanity of the people did not bring Hindus and Muslims together in an enlightened alliance. This was because the primary identity of the people of Baduria was that of a Bengali. The Bengali language was the only language they knew. There were some who knew a little bit of English or Hindi but most people were at heart a Bengali. Since&nbsp;this was their primary identity, it was not unusual for Hindu and Muslim women to stay together for SHG training or the staff to have lunch together cooked by a woman named Jahanara who looked like a Hindu married woman. In fact, I never asked her whether she was Hindu or Muslim, the question itself never arose.</p>

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<h5>Local Bengalis have helped each other. It is their local pride, that their locality should not earn a bad name</h5>
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<p>Is the society fundamentally different today? There is no clear answer. There are stories of both Hindu and Muslim extremist organisations developing their strongholds in the region. However, my source, a former colleague, told me that the riot was engineered by outsiders and there are plenty of media reports available now to suggest that Hindus and Muslims have helped each other to bring Baduria back to normalcy. There is one small problem with such reporting. I will say local Bengalis have helped each other. It is their local pride, that their locality should not earn a bad name, that has motivated them to help each other. But we need ethnographers to spend more time there than journalists typically do to get a firm answer to the question.</p>


The shared bengali identity of Hindus and Muslims provided the bedrock of communal harmony in Baduriya, West Bengal.

The recent communal clashes in Baduria Block of West Bengal came as a surprise to me. Surprise, not because I think that Hindus and Muslims never fight and hate each other unless instigated. No. That would be simplistic and utopian. Religion does cause animosity and hatred and there is a long history of Hindus and Muslims disliking each other in Bengal. Organisations, political or otherwise, can provoke and manipulate tensions in order to push people towards violence but they cannot do so unless there is a latent feeling of mistrust between them. So, why was I surprised? Towards the beginning of this century, I had taken a somewhat unplanned decision to start working in the rural development sector. I felt that I needed to spend time in rural areas in order to develop an understanding that one cannot get from academic literature such as Subaltern Studies. After a brief stint in Birbhum district, I landed up in an NGO in Baduria Block, named Swanirvar. If one takes a local train from Sealdah station towards Bongaon, one can get down at a station named Machlandapur. There is nothing special about the station. It is crowded with the unplanned growth of shops around it, a familiar sight in southern Bengal. One sweet shop was particularly popular though. After getting down from the station platform, I usually got into a “trekker”, an illegal four wheeler which managed to fit in an absurd number of people inside it. Sometimes, I used to stand on the back and enjoy the lovely wind as the “trekker” moved towards Baduria. It usually took about forty minutes. So, once more, why was I surprised to hear about the communal clashes? This is because, although I had seen a lot of rivalries of different kinds in Baduria, I never saw communal rivalry × I usually got down a few stops before Baduria, at a village named Andharmanik. By West Bengal standards, this is a fairly developed area. The landscape is lush green, the soil is fertile, there are big ponds which are used for fish farming. Three crops a year is usual and poultry farming is also popular. But there are problems – arsenic poisoning of ground water being the most serious one. Also, population density is among the highest in the country and, therefore, landholding size is quite small. Over time as properties have become fragmented the size of agricultural land per household has shrunk further and further. The input of agriculture was already going up when I started working there, and it has gone up even more over time. Swanirvar, by West Bengal standards, was a medium sized NGO, with 60-70 people working there. Except for two persons, who were Kolkata-based bhadraloks, and one person who was a local rural middle class, the rest of the staff were local villagers spread over Baduria and a few other adjoining Blocks. They worked on issues such as sustainable agriculture, pre-primary and primary education, adolescent boys and girls and Self Help Groups. In Andharmanik village, there was a large building which was both a training centre and the main office of the NGO. This is where I also stayed when I went there. I mostly worked with the microfinance team, trying to rescue a programme in bad shape, apart from helping out in documentation and setting up a small library. I was not there to do ethnography but I had a good exposure to the rural society as well the semi-urban society of Baduria. This place was located only about 50 kilometres from Kolkata, and therefore the residents were not far away from metropolitan city life. However, they did not have the benefits that a Calcuttan like me had. There was a sense of grudge and perhaps even jealousy which came out every now and then. Their condition was much better than the condition of most villagers in West Bengal, but they preferred to compare themselves with Calcuttans rather than with the villagers from other parts of West Bengal. Among the young people who worked there this sense of deprivation was quite acute. It took me a while to realise that I was a bhadralok elite from Calcutta. It took quite a lot of time for some of the staff to accept me. Hindus and Muslims sat down every day to have lunch together, Hindu and Muslim women belonging to Self Help Groups stayed together in the campus to have residential training × As this was my first serious exposure to rural society, I was quite surprised by the amount of animosity I saw among villagers. Once I went to document a farmer who had won an award his sustainable agriculture practices. I found that although he was an award winner, his own brother was not willing to accept his practices. When I asked why he explained that there was jealousy involved. His brother was jealous of the success he has had and therefore, stubbornly refused to adopt his practices. Later on, I have found this to be quite common in West Bengal. There were other cases of rivalry as well. Anyone trying to do pond based fish farming had to be on the guard against rivals poisoning their ponds at night. And of course, in those days there was a party based rivalry. However, it was not as if party affiliation determined personal rivalries all the time. It could be the other way round as well. Same family but different party affiliation was not uncommon either. So, once more, why was I surprised to hear about the communal clashes? This is because, although I had seen a lot of rivalries of different kinds in Baduria, I never saw communal rivalry. The NGO I worked in had staff, both male and female, who were Hindu as well as who were Muslims. There were rivalry and competition among them. But this was never along religious lines. In a faction fight inside the organisation, a Hindu and a Muslim could be in one faction trying to supersede another faction consisting also of Hindus and Muslims. Hindus and Muslims sat down every day to have lunch together, Hindu and Muslim women belonging to Self Help Groups stayed together in the campus to have residential training. This was not the result of any special culture developed by the NGO. This was normal. Why was this normal? To explain this, we must avoid the trap of liberal sentimentalism. No, the innate humanity of the people did not bring Hindus and Muslims together in an enlightened alliance. This was because the primary identity of the people of Baduria was that of a Bengali. The Bengali language was the only language they knew. There were some who knew a little bit of English or Hindi but most people were at heart a Bengali. Since this was their primary identity, it was not unusual for Hindu and Muslim women to stay together for SHG training or the staff to have lunch together cooked by a woman named Jahanara who looked like a Hindu married woman. In fact, I never asked her whether she was Hindu or Muslim, the question itself never arose. Local Bengalis have helped each other. It is their local pride, that their locality should not earn a bad name × Is the society fundamentally different today? There is no clear answer. There are stories of both Hindu and Muslim extremist organisations developing their strongholds in the region. However, my source, a former colleague, told me that the riot was engineered by outsiders and there are plenty of media reports available now to suggest that Hindus and Muslims have helped each other to bring Baduria back to normalcy. There is one small problem with such reporting. I will say local Bengalis have helped each other. It is their local pride, that their locality should not earn a bad name, that has motivated them to help each other. But we need ethnographers to spend more time there than journalists typically do to get a firm answer to the question.

Why do recent communal clashes in West Bengal surprise me

<p>A major fire has broken&nbsp;out&nbsp;on the first floor of Howrah District Court in&nbsp;West Bengal. Reports said the situation is under control.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Situation now controlled, no casualties reported (ANI)</p>
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<p>There are no reports of casualties so far.</p>

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<p>Situation now controlled, no casualties reported (ANI)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Situation under control at the scene of accident in West Bengal

A major fire has broken out on the first floor of Howrah District Court in West Bengal. Reports said the situation is under control. Situation now controlled, no casualties reported (ANI) × There are no reports of casualties so far. Situation now controlled, no casualties reported (ANI) ×

Fire on first floor of Howrah District Court, West Bengal

<p>This year I have fallen in love with Pakistani grapes. They are bigger, brighter and seem seductive than the other grapes found in the market. I follow the &lsquo;when you want something you want the best&rsquo; policy. So I forget what Bangladeshis had with Pakistan once upon a time and am loving their grapes.</p>

<p>Back in 2013, one sunny day, my US professor expressed his concern about Bangladesh. He heard the news that Bangladesh was slowly drowning because of climate change.</p>

<p>I smiled. That&rsquo;s what the image of Bangladesh is to foreigners. Nothing new. To them, our country is poor, overpopulated and prone to floods.</p>

<p>But those days are gone, gone with the wind. Now that, over the past years, Bangladesh made frequent headlines in the world media. Consecutive killings of bloggers, non-Muslim individuals, and the recent terrorist attack in Gulshan have given Bangladesh a fresh identity.</p>

<p>These days, in the eyes of western citizens, Bangladesh has earned the fame as about-to-be an Islamic fundamentalist nation.</p>

<p>On that sunny day in 2013, I did what any Bangladeshis would have done in my place. I tried to tell my professor about the positive things about Bangladesh. I told him about Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Muhammad Yunus, and also proudly added that Amartya Sen was born in Bangladesh.</p>

<p>Later that year I was overjoyed when I met an Australian who&rsquo;d done his PhD on Yunus&rsquo; microcredit theory. Though, I wouldn&rsquo;t reveal him that Bangladeshis have mixed feelings about Yunus. I remember one of my relatives, a devout Muslim, had whined about Yunus&rsquo; Nobel Prize. He said the Jews and non-Muslim westerners had no sense that was why they picked a usurer for this Prize.</p>

<p>In April this year, some Islamic groups in the country protested the Bengali New Year&rsquo;s festivities, terming it un-Islamic and Hindu culture. In 1965, when Bangladesh was East Pakistan, the then government banned Tagore songs from Radio and Television. Two years after, Chayanat, a cultural organisation, started to celebrate Bengali New Year in the capital&rsquo;s Ramna Park to stimulate the Bengali spirit to resist Pakistani rule. It helped. Eventually, the historic mass upsurge took place in 1969.</p>

<p>A few months back, at a park in Dhaka, a school was having its annual school sports function. I heard a Hindi song play at top volume. Chaar Bottle Vodka, which means four bottle vodkas, was the refrain in the song.</p>

<p>The invasion of Hindi movie songs in Bangladesh is overwhelming. So are Indian TV channels. A greater number of households spend their evenings watching Indian TV serials. For the Bangladeshi TV channels lack quality entertainment programs. Typically all they like to broadcast is Talk Shows and news.</p>

<p>Albeit the rising violence against the Hindus in the country, India seems to be the obvious choice for us. According to an Indian government report published recently, one in three foreign patients in India is from Bangladesh.</p>

<p>When it comes to traveling, for most Bangladeshis the taste of first foreign land is India. Last year, tourists from Bangladesh topped the Indian chart; much more Bangladeshis visited Indian than they did the US.</p>

<p>Being Bangladeshi is being surrounded by India, and that is the reality. Naming our culture Hindu culture is ridiculous. It is no less ridiculous to ignore Rabindranath Tagore just because he is a non-Muslim. Tagore, in fact, is not a mere name, he is a culture himself. To deny Tagore means denying our own Bengali culture.</p>

<p>Necessity has no religion. During my stay in Ohio, USA, the first Bengali I met was a man from Kolkata. There was a lot more of Muslim students from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and even from India. But coming across a Bengali guy made all the difference, to whom I could speak Bengali, discuss Bengali literature and culture and, of course, enjoy Bengali food.</p>

<p>That day was a revelation for me as I found the answer to a most plaguing question: Which is more important, language or religion? The answer that came naturally to me is language. Because it&rsquo;s the necessity. I share an intimacy with language which I find lacking in religion. For me language is the present, religion is the future. We live in present, not in future.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Albeit the rising violence against the Hindus in the country, India seems to be the obvious choice for Bangladeshis

This year I have fallen in love with Pakistani grapes. They are bigger, brighter and seem seductive than the other grapes found in the market. I follow the ‘when you want something you want the best’ policy. So I forget what Bangladeshis had with Pakistan once upon a time and am loving their grapes. Back in 2013, one sunny day, my US professor expressed his concern about Bangladesh. He heard the news that Bangladesh was slowly drowning because of climate change. I smiled. That’s what the image of Bangladesh is to foreigners. Nothing new. To them, our country is poor, overpopulated and prone to floods. But those days are gone, gone with the wind. Now that, over the past years, Bangladesh made frequent headlines in the world media. Consecutive killings of bloggers, non-Muslim individuals, and the recent terrorist attack in Gulshan have given Bangladesh a fresh identity. These days, in the eyes of western citizens, Bangladesh has earned the fame as about-to-be an Islamic fundamentalist nation. On that sunny day in 2013, I did what any Bangladeshis would have done in my place. I tried to tell my professor about the positive things about Bangladesh. I told him about Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Muhammad Yunus, and also proudly added that Amartya Sen was born in Bangladesh. Later that year I was overjoyed when I met an Australian who’d done his PhD on Yunus’ microcredit theory. Though, I wouldn’t reveal him that Bangladeshis have mixed feelings about Yunus. I remember one of my relatives, a devout Muslim, had whined about Yunus’ Nobel Prize. He said the Jews and non-Muslim westerners had no sense that was why they picked a usurer for this Prize. In April this year, some Islamic groups in the country protested the Bengali New Year’s festivities, terming it un-Islamic and Hindu culture. In 1965, when Bangladesh was East Pakistan, the then government banned Tagore songs from Radio and Television. Two years after, Chayanat, a cultural organisation, started to celebrate Bengali New Year in the capital’s Ramna Park to stimulate the Bengali spirit to resist Pakistani rule. It helped. Eventually, the historic mass upsurge took place in 1969. A few months back, at a park in Dhaka, a school was having its annual school sports function. I heard a Hindi song play at top volume. Chaar Bottle Vodka, which means four bottle vodkas, was the refrain in the song. The invasion of Hindi movie songs in Bangladesh is overwhelming. So are Indian TV channels. A greater number of households spend their evenings watching Indian TV serials. For the Bangladeshi TV channels lack quality entertainment programs. Typically all they like to broadcast is Talk Shows and news. Albeit the rising violence against the Hindus in the country, India seems to be the obvious choice for us. According to an Indian government report published recently, one in three foreign patients in India is from Bangladesh. When it comes to traveling, for most Bangladeshis the taste of first foreign land is India. Last year, tourists from Bangladesh topped the Indian chart; much more Bangladeshis visited Indian than they did the US. Being Bangladeshi is being surrounded by India, and that is the reality. Naming our culture Hindu culture is ridiculous. It is no less ridiculous to ignore Rabindranath Tagore just because he is a non-Muslim. Tagore, in fact, is not a mere name, he is a culture himself. To deny Tagore means denying our own Bengali culture. Necessity has no religion. During my stay in Ohio, USA, the first Bengali I met was a man from Kolkata. There was a lot more of Muslim students from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and even from India. But coming across a Bengali guy made all the difference, to whom I could speak Bengali, discuss Bengali literature and culture and, of course, enjoy Bengali food. That day was a revelation for me as I found the answer to a most plaguing question: Which is more important, language or religion? The answer that came naturally to me is language. Because it’s the necessity. I share an intimacy with language which I find lacking in religion. For me language is the present, religion is the future. We live in present, not in future.

My love for Bangladesh makes me a Bengali, not necessarily a Muslim

<p>A demonstration over Trinamool Congress government&#39;s alleged anti-farmer policies turned violent on Monday with hundreds of protesters clashing with police in India&#39;s eastern city of Kolkata.</p>

<p>The peasant and farmers unit of the Left Front&nbsp;had given a call for a march to the state secretariat, Nabanna, demanding that the farmers be given&nbsp;fair price for their produce and release of all those involved in the anti-land grab agitation&nbsp;and atrocities on women and children.</p>

<p>State police along with paramilitary Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel baton charged the agitating protesters and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd which resorted to stone-pelting.</p>

<p>Several people were injured in the violence. As many as 60 Left supporters were&nbsp;injured in the incident. Around 30 policemen were also injured in the attack.</p>

<p>A thick security blanket has been thrown around the state secretariat and all its entry points have been blocked.</p>

<p>Left MP Mohammed Salim lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government saying she had turned the state into a police state.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from Reuters)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>An injured person after being allegedly beaten by police in Kolkata. (Facebook)</p>
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<p>State police along with paramilitary Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel baton charged the agitating protesters and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd which resorted to stone pelting (Reuters)</p>
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The protesters, demanding fair price for farmer's produce, were led by Left front parties

A demonstration over Trinamool Congress government's alleged anti-farmer policies turned violent on Monday with hundreds of protesters clashing with police in India's eastern city of Kolkata. The peasant and farmers unit of the Left Front had given a call for a march to the state secretariat, Nabanna, demanding that the farmers be given fair price for their produce and release of all those involved in the anti-land grab agitation and atrocities on women and children. State police along with paramilitary Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel baton charged the agitating protesters and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd which resorted to stone-pelting. Several people were injured in the violence. As many as 60 Left supporters were injured in the incident. Around 30 policemen were also injured in the attack. A thick security blanket has been thrown around the state secretariat and all its entry points have been blocked. Left MP Mohammed Salim lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government saying she had turned the state into a police state. (WION with inputs from Reuters) An injured person after being allegedly beaten by police in Kolkata. (Facebook) × State police along with paramilitary Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel baton charged the agitating protesters and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd which resorted to stone pelting (Reuters) ×

Farmer rally turns violent in Kolkata, several injured

<p>Two unsung heroes, Bipin Ganatra and Karimul Haque,&nbsp;from India&rsquo;s eastern state of Bengal have been conferred the Padma Shri award -&nbsp;the highest civilian award&nbsp;of the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>60-year-old Bipin Ganatra is&nbsp;a volunteer firefighter from West Bengal&#39;s capital Kolkata. Ganatra has dedicated the last four decades of his life towards&nbsp;firefighting and saving hundreds of lives.</p>

<p>Ganatra was only twelve when he lost his elder brother Narendra Ganatra to a fire. Since that day, he has not looked back. He has doused over hundreds of fires in the city of Kolkata, putting his own life at risk</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Bipin Ganatra is a 60-year-old voluntary firefighter from Kolkata. (Image source: PIB) (Others)</p>
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<p>He almost lost his life once, while dousing a fire that broke out at the warehouse on Strand Road in South Kolkata. He has also suffered injuries on several occasions.</p>

<p>An electrician by profession, he remains glued to&nbsp;news channels to pay attention to any news of fire breaking out in the city. He also calls the Fire and Emergency Department Headquarters in Kolkata at regular intervals to update himself with any news of a fire&nbsp;in the city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to WION, Ganatra said, &ldquo;I am very excited after I heard the news of the Padma Shri award being conferred upon me. I feel privileged that the President of India will give away this award to me. This instils in me a sense of responsibility and encourages me to work even harder and save lives around me.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Locally known as the &quot;ambulance-dada&quot;,&nbsp;Karimul Haque runs a 24*7 bike-ambulance service in Bengal&#39;s Jalpaiguri district.&nbsp;Haque is a tea garden worker, who ferries ill and the aged to&nbsp;nearby hospitals on his bike-ambulance.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Karimul Haque runs a 24*7 bike-ambulance service in Bengal&#39;s Jalpaiguri district. (Image source: PIB) (Others)</p>
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<p>Haque would ferry ill and the aged, sometimes even poor, who cannot pay a huge sum to reach the hospital. He even ferries pregnant women on his bike-ambulance to the hospital in case of emergencies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;The area I come from, Jalpaiguri is uneven and has rough roads and to find an ambulance in case of an emergency is a far-fetched dream for many villagers. This bike-ambulance has helped over 3,000 villagers in the last few years,&rdquo; said Haque.<br />
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Haque also provides door to door medical services. Besides this, he also sets up health camps in the region.<br />
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He also gets financial aid from the West Bengal state government amounting to Rs.4,000, of which, he spends half of it on the fuel for his bike-ambulance. Recently Bajaj Motors upgraded his bike-ambulance. Now, his upgraded ambulance has a waterproof stretcher and provision for oxygen cylinders.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


A 60-year-old voluntary firefighter and a tea garden worker who runs a 24x7 bike-ambulance service have been conferred the Padma Shri award

Two unsung heroes, Bipin Ganatra and Karimul Haque, from India’s eastern state of Bengal have been conferred the Padma Shri award - the highest civilian award of the country. 60-year-old Bipin Ganatra is a volunteer firefighter from West Bengal's capital Kolkata. Ganatra has dedicated the last four decades of his life towards firefighting and saving hundreds of lives. Ganatra was only twelve when he lost his elder brother Narendra Ganatra to a fire. Since that day, he has not looked back. He has doused over hundreds of fires in the city of Kolkata, putting his own life at risk Bipin Ganatra is a 60-year-old voluntary firefighter from Kolkata. (Image source: PIB) (Others) × He almost lost his life once, while dousing a fire that broke out at the warehouse on Strand Road in South Kolkata. He has also suffered injuries on several occasions. An electrician by profession, he remains glued to news channels to pay attention to any news of fire breaking out in the city. He also calls the Fire and Emergency Department Headquarters in Kolkata at regular intervals to update himself with any news of a fire in the city. Speaking to WION, Ganatra said, “I am very excited after I heard the news of the Padma Shri award being conferred upon me. I feel privileged that the President of India will give away this award to me. This instils in me a sense of responsibility and encourages me to work even harder and save lives around me.” Locally known as the "ambulance-dada", Karimul Haque runs a 24*7 bike-ambulance service in Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. Haque is a tea garden worker, who ferries ill and the aged to nearby hospitals on his bike-ambulance. Karimul Haque runs a 24*7 bike-ambulance service in Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. (Image source: PIB) (Others) × Haque would ferry ill and the aged, sometimes even poor, who cannot pay a huge sum to reach the hospital. He even ferries pregnant women on his bike-ambulance to the hospital in case of emergencies. “The area I come from, Jalpaiguri is uneven and has rough roads and to find an ambulance in case of an emergency is a far-fetched dream for many villagers. This bike-ambulance has helped over 3,000 villagers in the last few years,” said Haque. Haque also provides door to door medical services. Besides this, he also sets up health camps in the region. He also gets financial aid from the West Bengal state government amounting to Rs.4,000, of which, he spends half of it on the fuel for his bike-ambulance. Recently Bajaj Motors upgraded his bike-ambulance. Now, his upgraded ambulance has a waterproof stretcher and provision for oxygen cylinders. (WION)

Two from Bengal get Padma Shri award for selfless service

<p>Two people were killed and three injured after four unidentified gunmen opened fire at a Trinamool Congress party office in Kharagpur in India&#39;s eastern state of West Bengal.</p>

<p>The two dead have been identified as ruling Trinamool Congress supporters Dharma and Srini Naidu. Naidu is the husband of Puja Naidu, local councillor of the area.</p>

<p>The three injured have been admitted to a hospital in Kharagpur.</p>

<p>According to initial reports, some&nbsp;suffered bullet injuries to their stomach. One of them suffered a head injury. Meanwhile, all continue to remain in a serious condition at the hospital.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">West Bengal: Unknown persons opened fire at TMC&#39;s party office in Kharagpur (Paschim Medinipur district); 5 injured. <a href="https://t.co/6KoC9x8Ibz">pic.twitter.com/6KoC9x8Ibz</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/819176807119192066">January 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The four gunmen have fled and are currently untraceable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Locals allege that the gunmen had earlier hurled country-made bombs at the party office before opening fire. They also add that this is an incident of a&nbsp;factional feud within the Trinamool Congress. However, police remained tightlipped on the cause of the feud.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Kharagpur town police are searching for the gunmen.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The TMC party office at Kharagpur in West Bengal, where four unidentified gunmen opened fire, injuring five <a href="https://twitter.com/dna">@dna</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://t.co/wBKXC6Hq3k">pic.twitter.com/wBKXC6Hq3k</a></p>
&mdash; Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/pooja_news/status/819149401729994755">January 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>(WION)</p>


Locals allege that the incident was a result of a factional feud within the ruling Trinamool Congress party

Two people were killed and three injured after four unidentified gunmen opened fire at a Trinamool Congress party office in Kharagpur in India's eastern state of West Bengal. The two dead have been identified as ruling Trinamool Congress supporters Dharma and Srini Naidu. Naidu is the husband of Puja Naidu, local councillor of the area. The three injured have been admitted to a hospital in Kharagpur. According to initial reports, some suffered bullet injuries to their stomach. One of them suffered a head injury. Meanwhile, all continue to remain in a serious condition at the hospital. West Bengal: Unknown persons opened fire at TMC's party office in Kharagpur (Paschim Medinipur district); 5 injured. pic.twitter.com/6KoC9x8Ibz — ANI (@ANI_news) January 11, 2017 × The four gunmen have fled and are currently untraceable. Locals allege that the gunmen had earlier hurled country-made bombs at the party office before opening fire. They also add that this is an incident of a factional feud within the Trinamool Congress. However, police remained tightlipped on the cause of the feud. The Kharagpur town police are searching for the gunmen. The TMC party office at Kharagpur in West Bengal, where four unidentified gunmen opened fire, injuring five @dna @WIONews pic.twitter.com/wBKXC6Hq3k — Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) January 11, 2017 × (WION)

India: Unidentified gunmen kill two at ruling party's office in West Bengal's Kharagpur

<p>India&#39;s defence minister Manohar Parrikar has written a letter to&nbsp;West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, expressing his pain over the dragging of the army into a controversy.</p>

<p>In his letter, Parrikar said political parties and politicians may have the luxury of making wild and unsubstantiated allegations against each other but one needs to be extremely careful while referring to the armed forces.</p>

<p>&quot;Your allegation, in this regard run the risk of adversely impacting the morale of the country&#39;s armed forces and the same were not expected from a person of your standing and experience in public life,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;I take strong exception to your wild assertion,&quot;&nbsp;Mamata said in response to&nbsp;Parrikar&#39;s letter.</p>

<p>In his letter, Parrikar asserted that the army authorities were forced to put the record straight in the matter by presenting evidence of their communication with the concerned state agencies including rescheduling of the data collection operation on their request.</p>

<p>&quot;I have been deeply pained by your&nbsp;allegations as reported in the media.&nbsp;If only you had enquired with the concerned agencies of the State government, you would have come to know of the extensive correspondence between the Army and the state agencies including the joint inspection of sites carried out by them,&quot; he added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar&#39;s letter to WB CM Mamata Banerjee, expresses pain over dragging the Army into controversy <a href="https://t.co/LVAsdoscsl">pic.twitter.com/LVAsdoscsl</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/807080214287126528">December 9, 2016</a></blockquote>

<p>He further said that such exercise is being carried out by all formation of the army throughout the country for many years according to the dates convenient to them in consultation with concerned agencies of the state governments. Banerjee had earlier demanded &quot;withdrawal of the army&quot; from the state, alleging it has been done by keeping her government &quot;in the dark&quot;.</p>

<p>Trinamool Congress party leader Derek O&#39;Brien said, &quot;Letter has not reached the CM and it&#39;s already leaked to media. We will give a befitting reply when it comes.&quot;</p>

<p>On December 2, the&nbsp;presence of army personnel at toll plazas in eastern West Bengal state triggered a row with Banerjee remaining at the state secretariat overnight in protest, asking was it an &quot;army coup&quot;, drawing a stinging condemnation from the ruling government which said the remark showed her &quot;political frustration&quot;.</p>

<p>Accusing the&nbsp;government of &quot;deploying the army&quot; along a highway toll plaza at the second Hooghly Bridge, about 500 metres from the secretariat &#39;Nabanna&#39; in neighbouring Howrah district, Banerjee had said she would not leave the secretariat till the army was withdrawn from there.</p>

<p>(This article first appeared in DNA)</p>


Your coup allegations run the risk of adversely impacting the morale of the country's defence forces, he said

India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar has written a letter to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, expressing his pain over the dragging of the army into a controversy. In his letter, Parrikar said political parties and politicians may have the luxury of making wild and unsubstantiated allegations against each other but one needs to be extremely careful while referring to the armed forces. "Your allegation, in this regard run the risk of adversely impacting the morale of the country's armed forces and the same were not expected from a person of your standing and experience in public life," he said. "I take strong exception to your wild assertion," Mamata said in response to Parrikar's letter. In his letter, Parrikar asserted that the army authorities were forced to put the record straight in the matter by presenting evidence of their communication with the concerned state agencies including rescheduling of the data collection operation on their request. "I have been deeply pained by your allegations as reported in the media. If only you had enquired with the concerned agencies of the State government, you would have come to know of the extensive correspondence between the Army and the state agencies including the joint inspection of sites carried out by them," he added. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's letter to WB CM Mamata Banerjee, expresses pain over dragging the Army into controversy pic.twitter.com/LVAsdoscsl — ANI (@ANI_news) December 9, 2016 He further said that such exercise is being carried out by all formation of the army throughout the country for many years according to the dates convenient to them in consultation with concerned agencies of the state governments. Banerjee had earlier demanded "withdrawal of the army" from the state, alleging it has been done by keeping her government "in the dark". Trinamool Congress party leader Derek O'Brien said, "Letter has not reached the CM and it's already leaked to media. We will give a befitting reply when it comes." On December 2, the presence of army personnel at toll plazas in eastern West Bengal state triggered a row with Banerjee remaining at the state secretariat overnight in protest, asking was it an "army coup", drawing a stinging condemnation from the ruling government which said the remark showed her "political frustration". Accusing the government of "deploying the army" along a highway toll plaza at the second Hooghly Bridge, about 500 metres from the secretariat 'Nabanna' in neighbouring Howrah district, Banerjee had said she would not leave the secretariat till the army was withdrawn from there. (This article first appeared in DNA)

India: Parrikar writes to Mamata, says did not expect this from you

<p>The Capital Express train derailment in the Alipurduar district of India&rsquo;s West Bengal on Tuesday&nbsp;left two passengers dead and six injured according to the statement issued by Northeast Frontier Railway.</p>

<p>Of the two dead, one is an unidentified male and the other is unidentified female. The other six injured continue to be in a critical situation.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe into the accident.</p>

<p>According to the statement issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway, the cause of derailment was overshooting of red signal by the driver of the train.&nbsp;However, a thorough probe will reveal the actual cause of the derailment.</p>

<p>Around 9.15 pm local time, the engine and two coaches of the UP-Capital Express train derailed near the Samuktala Road station in Alipurduar district.</p>

<p>The derailment took place when the train was Guwahati bound from Bihar&#39;s Danapur.&nbsp;Several trains have been stalled across stations in West Bengal.</p>

<p>The stranded 150 passengers of the train were taken back to Alipurduar through the Khamakya-Alipurduar Junction Intercity Express.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>

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The cause of derailment was overshooting of red signal by the train's driver, according to the Northeast Frontier Railway's initial probe

The Capital Express train derailment in the Alipurduar district of India’s West Bengal on Tuesday left two passengers dead and six injured according to the statement issued by Northeast Frontier Railway. Of the two dead, one is an unidentified male and the other is unidentified female. The other six injured continue to be in a critical situation. Meanwhile, the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe into the accident. According to the statement issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway, the cause of derailment was overshooting of red signal by the driver of the train. However, a thorough probe will reveal the actual cause of the derailment. Around 9.15 pm local time, the engine and two coaches of the UP-Capital Express train derailed near the Samuktala Road station in Alipurduar district. The derailment took place when the train was Guwahati bound from Bihar's Danapur. Several trains have been stalled across stations in West Bengal. The stranded 150 passengers of the train were taken back to Alipurduar through the Khamakya-Alipurduar Junction Intercity Express. (WION)

India: Express train derails in state of West Bengal, 2 dead, 6 injured

<p>The governor of the Indian state of West Bengal today virtually disapproved of chief minister Mamata Banerjee&#39;s protest on the deployment of army at toll plazas in the state, saying &quot;one should be careful while making allegations against a responsible organisation like the army&quot;.</p>

<p>Keshri Nath Tripathi said, &quot;Don&#39;t let down the Army. Don&#39;t defame the Army,&quot; commenting on Trinamool Congress legislators action.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The party had staged a protest outside the state secretariat, saying the exercise was not in coordination with the state police as claimed by the Army.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In response to the governor&#39;s statement, Mamata Banerjee said he was speaking in the &quot;voice of the central government&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The Governor is speaking in the voice of Central Government! He was not in the city for about 8 days,&quot; she said in a statement.</p>

<p>&quot;Before making statements, all details should have been checked. It is very unfortunate&quot;, she said.</p>

<p>The presence of army personnel at toll plazas had triggered a row with Banerjee questioning if it was an &quot;army coup&quot;, drawing a stinging condemnation from the government which said the remark showed her &quot;political frustration&quot;.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Mamata dubbed his statement that one should 'not defame the army' as 'unfortunate' & that he was 'speaking in the government's voice'

The governor of the Indian state of West Bengal today virtually disapproved of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's protest on the deployment of army at toll plazas in the state, saying "one should be careful while making allegations against a responsible organisation like the army". Keshri Nath Tripathi said, "Don't let down the Army. Don't defame the Army," commenting on Trinamool Congress legislators action. The party had staged a protest outside the state secretariat, saying the exercise was not in coordination with the state police as claimed by the Army. In response to the governor's statement, Mamata Banerjee said he was speaking in the "voice of the central government". "The Governor is speaking in the voice of Central Government! He was not in the city for about 8 days," she said in a statement. "Before making statements, all details should have been checked. It is very unfortunate", she said. The presence of army personnel at toll plazas had triggered a row with Banerjee questioning if it was an "army coup", drawing a stinging condemnation from the government which said the remark showed her "political frustration". (WION with inputs from PTI)

Don't let down Indian Army: Bengal governor tells chief minister

<p>The Indian Army withdrew&nbsp;today from Bengal toll plazas after its 72-hour exercise came to an end.</p>

<p>&quot;As 72-hour exercise got over, we withdrew deployment from Palhit toll plaza and other areas yesterday night,&quot; chief public relations officer (defence) SS Birdi said.</p>

<p>West Bengal&nbsp;chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the army deployment at two toll plazas was made without any prior information to the state government. She also called it a &#39;black day&#39;&nbsp;and said that such a deployment takes place only during disasters.</p>

<p>The army, however, clarified on the issue by releasing a series of letters and said it informed state capital Kolkata&#39;s police. It was a routine exercise that is carried out every few years.</p>

<p>&quot;This is an exercise carried out for operational purposes. They are only collecting data of heavy vehicles&nbsp;which is an annual exercise being carried out every year. Similar exercises are also being carried out in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar from September 26 to October 1 this year,&quot; said Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), (Headquarters), Bengal Area, Major General Sunil Yadav.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress legislators staged a&nbsp;protest outside Raj Bhavan in Bengal, demanding the&nbsp;withdrawal of the army deployed at toll plazas.</p>

<p>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is in power&nbsp;at the Centre lashed out at Banerjee for dragging the army into politics and sought an apology from her and her party. BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said, &quot;It&#39;s very unfortunate, the kind of politics Mamata Banerjee has been doing after demonetisation. BJP is of the opinion that the issue of army deployment in Bengal has been politicised.&quot;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from ANI)</p>


West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said army was deployed without informing the state which was 'unprecedented and a serious matter'

The Indian Army withdrew today from Bengal toll plazas after its 72-hour exercise came to an end. "As 72-hour exercise got over, we withdrew deployment from Palhit toll plaza and other areas yesterday night," chief public relations officer (defence) SS Birdi said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the army deployment at two toll plazas was made without any prior information to the state government. She also called it a 'black day' and said that such a deployment takes place only during disasters. The army, however, clarified on the issue by releasing a series of letters and said it informed state capital Kolkata's police. It was a routine exercise that is carried out every few years. "This is an exercise carried out for operational purposes. They are only collecting data of heavy vehicles which is an annual exercise being carried out every year. Similar exercises are also being carried out in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar from September 26 to October 1 this year," said Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), (Headquarters), Bengal Area, Major General Sunil Yadav. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress legislators staged a protest outside Raj Bhavan in Bengal, demanding the withdrawal of the army deployed at toll plazas. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is in power at the Centre lashed out at Banerjee for dragging the army into politics and sought an apology from her and her party. BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said, "It's very unfortunate, the kind of politics Mamata Banerjee has been doing after demonetisation. BJP is of the opinion that the issue of army deployment in Bengal has been politicised." (WION with inputs from ANI)

India: Army withdrawn from Bengal toll plazas after 72-hour exercise

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