National
Jallianwala Bagh a shameful act: British envoy
New Delhi:India today marks the 100th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, one of the worst atrocities of British colonial rule for which London has yet to apologise. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who reached Amritsar last night, paid his tribute to those who lost their lives and laid a wreath at the memorial this morning.
British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith, who too paid his tribute, called the Jallianwala Bagh massacre a “shameful act in British-Indian history”. “The events of Jallianwala Bagh 100 years ago today reflects a shameful act in British-Indian history. We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused. I am pleased today that the UK and India have and remain committed to developing further a thriving 21st century partnership,” Asquith said.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, political leaders and hundreds of people are expected to visit the memorial in Amritsar today.
“Today, when we observe 100 years of the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre, India pays tributes to all those martyred on that fateful day. Their valour and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Their memory inspires us to work even harder to build an India they would be proud of,” PM Modi tweeted.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, as it is known in India, saw British troops, under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer, fire on thousands of unarmed men, women and children holding a pro-Independence demonstation in Amritsar on Baisakhi in April 1919. It is one of the darkest chapters of India’s freedom struggle against the British occupation.
Top Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JuH) on Thursday came out in support of the Centre’s decision of abrogating provisions of Article 370, saying Kashmir is an “integral part” of the country and the welfare of people in the Valley lies in their integration with India.
In the resolution passed in its annual general meeting held in New Delhi, JuH rallied for a united India.
“It is our belief that the welfare of the people of Kashmir lies in getting integrated with India. The inimical forces and the neighbouring country are bent upon destroying Kashmir. The oppressed and beleaguered people of Kashmir are stuck between opposing forces,” it said, without mentioning Article 370.
“JuH stands steadfastly for the unity and integrity of the country and has accorded it paramount importance. As such it can never support any separatist movement, rather it considers such movements not only harmful for India but also for the people of Kashmir,” it said.
It also said that the current situation in Kashmir demands that peaceful initiatives be launched to maintain peace and security in the region, especially in the view of the repercussions of clash of “atomic powers”.
The Muslim body also appealed to the government of India to protect the people of Kashmir and their property while respecting human rights.
“It must use every possible constitutional means for bringing back normalcy in the region and winning the hearts of the people of Kashmir,” it said.
New Delhi: BJP working president JP Nadda on Sunday gave a detailed presentation on the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status at the RSS meeting with its affiliates here, while senior party leader Ram Madhav addressed concerns raised over the issue of NRC in Assam, sources said.
Leaders of Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP, and its affiliates lauded the government for its landmark move on revoking provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
The sources said Nadda also shared details about the government’s various plans for improving the overall condition in the Kashmir Valley.
On the other side, Madhav briefed delegates on the issue of the National Register of Citizen’s in Assam and also responded to the concerns raised in the meeting over several genuine citizens being left out of the final list, majority of whom, they claimed, are Hindus.
Concerns were raised at the meeting on Saturday during a presentation made by RSS affiliate ‘Seema Jagran Manch’ on the final list of the NRC in Assam, published on August 31, that left out over 1.9 million people, the sources said.
The sources said concerns were raised on several genuine citizens being left out, especially those who settled in Assam from neighbouring states, and Madhav addressed those.
Over 200 delegates of 35 RSS affiliates are attending the coordination meeting, first such after the Lok Sabha elections.
The three-day-long meeting began on Saturday, where a wide variety of issues are being discussed, ranging from the economy to national security.
Eminent lawyer and former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani passed away early on Sunday morning at his New Delhi residence. He was 95 years old.
Jethmalani, who served for many years in the Supreme Court, was suffering from prolonged illness. He is survived by his son, a well-known lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, and daughter who lives in the US. His other daughter Rani Jethmalani had pre-deceased him.
Born in Sikhapur of Sindh province on September 14, 1923, Ram Jethmalani was one of the highest-paid lawyers in the Supreme Court of India and had appeared in many high profile criminal cases. He had also served as India’s Union Law Minister was also the chairman of the president of Supreme Court Bar Association.
Widely respected as the doyen of criminal law, Jethmalani started his career as a lawyer and in Sindh before partition. He became a member of Rajya Sabha in 1988 and later went on to become the Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs in 1996 in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. He also held the portfolio of urban development in the NDA government.