Upset over the reported arrests and the seizure of the boats, the fishermen associations will hold protests across the state on Monday….reports Asian Lite News
The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 43 Indian fishermen and seized six fishing boats. The arrested fishermen have been lodged in the Kangesanthurai camp in Sri Lanka, according to a fisheries department official in Tamil Nadu.
Upset over the reported arrests and the seizure of the boats, the fishermen associations will hold protests across the state on Monday.
A Tamil Nadu fisheries department official while speaking to IANS said, “Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu are regularly attacked by the Sri Lankan Naval personnel and recently a fisherman from Ramanathapuram, Rajkiran (30) lost his life after the Sri Lankan Navy attacked the Indian fishing vessel.
Indian fishing boats attacked by Sri Lankan navy
“In this case around 500 fishermen from Rameswaram had sailed to the sea and they were attacked by the Sri Lankan naval personnel near Katchatheevu. 43 Indian fishermen were arrested and are now in the custody of the Sri Lankan Navy. 6 fishing boats have also been seized by the Sri Lankans.”
Political parties of Tamil Nadu have already contacted the Union Government and have requested to immediately speak to the Sri Lankan authorities for the release of fishermen from Tamil Nadu. The Union minister of state for fisheries, L. Murugan, who hails from Tamil Nadu has already commenced discussions with the higher officials of the Government of India.
He, however, said, there would be a review meeting of the SKM leaders at Singhu Border again on January 15 to assess if the government has lived up to its words…reports Asian Lite News.
Almost 15 months after the agitation began, triggered by the now-repealed three farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Thursday said they have suspended their protests after positive assurances from the government on their demands, but said a review would be taken on January 15.
“We are happy with the letter from the government. We plan to celebrate our win and return from the campsites at Delhi borders and other locations on December 11,” one of the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), Yudhvir Singh said.
He, however, said, there would be a review meeting of the SKM leaders at Singhu Border again on January 15 to assess if the government has lived up to its words.
“Our current agitation stands suspended. Battle has been won and the war to ensure farmers’ rights, especially to secure MSP as a legal entitlement for all farmers, will continue,” the SKM statement on the 378th day of the agitation in Delhi said.
Indian Farmers celebrate after formally ending year-long mass protests after Prime Minister Narendra Modi abandoned his push for agricultural reforms in New Delhi at Gazipur border on India December 9, 2021 (photo:Pallav Paliwal)
The farmers wanted to celebrate on Friday itself, however, in view of the solemn occasion of the funeral of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, who perished in a helicopter crash with 12 others on Wednesday, the celebrations will take place on Saturday, when the farmers return to their homes. The SKM leaders’ meeting started with a two-minute silence to the deceased in the crash.
The letter from the government had been in the making for two days as the farmers demanded additional assurances not mentioned in the earlier two drafts. The current one promises formation of a Committee that will include farmers’ representatives to discuss how to arrive at the minimum support price (MSP) among other demands.
The SKM said, “We dedicate the fabulous and historic victory of the struggle to around 715 martyrs of the movement, including those in Lakhimpur Kheri,” and added, “Farmers’ unity, peace and patience has been the key to the victory, and this will not be allowed to erode in any circumstance. We shall collectively stay alert and ensure that promises are kept.”
Meanwhile, the mood at the Singhu Border camp site on Delhi outskirts was jubilant since morning. On the one hand, hectic activity was going on for winding up the camp site, home to scores of farmers for the last 15 months. And on the other, SKM meeting was going on with eager media persons mingling with the overjoyed farmers.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a consortium of 40-odd farmers’ organisations from across India, had spearheaded the agitation from day one. The countdown for ending the agitation had begun on November 19, when the Prime Minister announced to repeal the law, but confusion continued even after Parliament repealed the contentious three laws on November 29 about the exact fate of the agitation.
The President had given his assent to the three Farm Bills on September 27, 2020. The three Bills were Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.
The farmers had maintained that repeal of the farm laws was just the primary demand, but there were other demands too and the agitation would not end till those were met. One of the main demands among those unmet then was legal backing for minimum support price, for which the Prime Minister had announced formation of a committee with representatives from the Centre, states, agriculture bodies, farmers, and academicians.
Ahead of these becoming laws and soon after that farmers across the platforms had embarked on agitation, some of them peaceful, some resulting in damage to government property, including the riotous agitation at the Red Fort on January 26 earlier this year. The SKM has claimed loss of lives of more than 600 farmers at various places during the agitation. Hundreds of these farmers — most of them from western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha — had been camping at various entry points to Delhi.
Thousands on streets in Gwadar as protests enter Day 17
Thousands of people, including women and children, continued protesting in Gwadar in Pakistan for the 17th day on Wednesday, demanding among other things, access to clean drinking water and an end to “trawler mafia”…reports Asian Lite News
Protesters from Gwadar, Turbat, Pishkan, Zamran, Buleda, Ormara and Pasni are taking part in the Gwadar Ko Huqooq Do Tehreek (Give Rights to Gwadar Movement) led by Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, a local leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami. They have vowed to continue their protest till their demands are met.
Thousands on streets in Gwadar as protests enter Day 17
Speaking on Dawn News programme earlier, Rehman said when the Gwadar port was inaugurated in 2002, and again when work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) began, the people of Gwadar were told that the projects would transform the province as well as the whole of Pakistan.
“But the residents in Gwadar do not have water, electricity, education, medical treatment or employment nor are they being respected … not a single penny of CPEC was spent on Balochistan. We got dead bodies instead,” he said, as per the report.
Rehman said the protesters were not asking the Balochistan government for employment opportunities but only protection for the means of livelihood they already had – fishing. “The federal and provincial governments and influential people are patronising the trawler mafia.”
“Allow us to earn a livelihood,” he demanded. “Give us respect.”
Talking about Balochistan Minister Buledi’s statement on action against fishing trawlers, Rehman said, “They (government) are giving us assurances again and again but they are a picture of helplessness and it was apparent that the trawler mafia is more powerful than provincial government. They are driving our marine life to extinction.”
He lamented the lack of clean drinking water, observing that in an era of technology, the residents of Balochistan who were living along the coastline could “see the water but can’t drink it”, the report said.
“There was a [desalination] project in an area at some distance from Gwadar. It was said it would provide 20,000 gallons of water daily. By God’s grace, not even 20 glasses of water have been desalinated,” he quipped, adding that Rs 1 billion had been spent on the project.
Rehman noted that people in Balochistan living close to the Pak-Iran border had families in the neighbouring country and imposing restrictions on their movement would be akin to breaking them apart. “We get cheaper items on the border with Iran. We used to get them for 500 per cent reduced price as compared to our own products before restrictions and security checkposts.
“If we are benefiting from a [fluid] border, then it’s the government’s responsibility to legislate for that. When our Constitution can be amended overnight to benefit one person, then why can’t [lawmakers] sit for the benefit of the entire public?” he questioned, the report added.
UNSC demands restoration of civilian-led transitional govt in Sudan
Three protesters were killed in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum as demonstrations continued against the military takeover of the country…reports Asian Lite News
According to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, protesters on Saturday gathered in the country’s major cities of Khartoum, Bahri and Omdurman, reports Xinhua news agency.
As the bridges linking the three cities were closed, the protesters could not reach the capital city which houses the government headquarters, Republican Palace and the Army Command.
Sudan
“Three protesters were killed after they were shot during the demonstrations in Omdurman city,” the non-governmental committee said in a statement, adding that 110 demonstrators were injured from live ammunition and tear gas.
Sudanese Police said it was forced to use tear gas after some protesters became aggressive.
“There were protesters who deviated from peacefulness and attacked the police forces and some important sites which forced us to use tear gas,” said the police in a statement.
On October 25, the General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency across the country, dissolved the transitional Sovereign Council and the government, and relieved the state governors.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was detained along with other civilian leaders, but was released.
However, the army chief denied the “arrest” of Hamdok, saying the Prime Minister was staying at Al-Burhan’s house and was safe, until being released.
Demonstrators continued their protests in Khartoum, rejecting the measures announced by Al-Burhan and demanding a civilian government.
Pakistans National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf has warned the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters of being mindful of the fact that the country will not tolerate or allow presence of any armed militia…writes Hamza Ameer
Yusuf stated that the TLP protesters had crossed the line by using force against security officials, that resulted in the death of at least three security officials, while dozens others were injured.
“TLP had crossed the red line and exhausted the state’s patience,” he said.
“Do not test the proposition. As the basic principle of national security, the state will never shy away from protecting each and every citizen from any form of violence,” said Yusuf, giving a clear caution to TLP from trying to taking matters into their hands.
Pak NSA warns TLP protesters
The NSA went on to say that any outlaws, who target security personnel, damage public property and create widespread public disruption, “would be treated like terrorists without any leniency”.
While the NSA has come out with clear plans of not bowing down to the TLP demands, the Imran Khan-led government has initiated and resumed negotiations with the proscribed group’s clerics, aiming to come down to a settlement and an arrangement, which would stop thousands of protesters, who have been marching towards Islamabad, causing massive chaos, violence and disruptions, leading to confrontation with the security forces.
As per details of the new round of talks, influential leaders were brought to Rawalpindi and Islamabad, where brief round of negotiations were held.
What seemed to differ in the new round of talks was the change of tone by the government officials, as senior ministers were directed to refrain from issuing strong statements against the banned TLP.
Details also revealed that the detained Saad Rivzi, the amir of TLP was brought to Islamabad along with at least three senior members of the TLP Shura, Maulana Shafiq Amini, Engineer Hafezullah and Pir Inayatul Haq for direct negotiations with the government’s negotiation committee.
While the negotiations are underway, some TLP leaders are still angry over government ministers branding the outfit as Indian agents.
“Why did they brand us Indian agents? The whole nation wants to know who is getting money from the enemies. We have asked the government to change the negotiating team which does not insult us after the meeting,” said a TLP leader.
The issue has pushed the country into a non-time bound unrest as authorities have blocked road routes leading to Islamabad by digging bunkers, blocking roads with containers and deploying thousands of security personnel across the Punjab province, with an aim to stop the protesters from what they call the red line and move towards the federal capital.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken notice of the ongoing anti-government march and has given the mandate to the negotiating team to ensure that the matter does not aggravate into further chaos in the coming days.
Tikait further said that no matter how long we have to stretch this protest, “We will not step back.” …reports Asian Lite News.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, who has been leading the farmers’ protest on the outskirts of the national capital for the past 10 months, said that he is certain that Monday’s Bharat Bandh (nationwide shutdown) will compel the Centre to listen to the voice of farmers.
Tikait said, “We are hopeful that this time government will listen to our demands.”
Denying that farmers only from western Uttar Pradesh are participating in this protest, he said, “Farmers from all over India are with us,” adding that this movement is not just restricted to any one region.
Tikait further said that no matter how long we have to stretch this protest, “We will not step back.”
Farmers mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at Delhi borders against the three contentious farm laws introduced by the Centre almost a year ago. The bills are as follows: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.
Having borne the harsh cold, sultry heat, heavy rains, farmers, who have been camping outside of Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-UP border, are ready to stay as long as it is needed. “Ruk jayenge 10 mahine aur (will stay for 10 more months),” said Tikait.
This was the third Bharat Bandh since the three agricultural laws were passed by Parliament.
He also said that the success of Bharat Bandh depends on the media as well. “If they will cover it properly and show everything that has been happening on the ground then this Bharat Bandh will be a success, otherwise not,” Tikait said.
As far as government is concerned, they will say whatever suits their narrative and benefits them the most, the farmer union leader said.
He further said that he does not think that this Bharat Bandh will affect people’s daily life, “People are disturbed with the rising inflation and prices of petrol and diesel. That is bothering them the most. This one-day deal is nothing in comparison to what problems masses have been facing in their daily lives.”
On political parties attempting to grind their own axes in the veil of supporting farmers’ cause, Rakesh said, “This is what political parties do.”
While addressing the farmers and mediapersons, the leader also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent trip to the United States of America (USA) by saying, “On his US trip he met people there, here we have been asking him to meet us once for so long but he (PM) is not willing to meet us.”
In the afternoon, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Anil Chaudhary visited the protest site at the Ghazipur border to show solidarity with the farmers. He and Rakesh Tikait had a small talk over snacks.
The organisers of the other three protests disowned the Khalistanis and said they were not associated with them, pointing to the barriers separating them from that group…reports Arul Louis
Four separate sparsely-attended protests were held outside the UN on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the the United Nations General Assembly.
The groups were separated from each other in enclosures put up with police barriers, advocating different causes.
The biggest group of them was that of about 100 Khalistan supporters waving yellow flags and carrying portraits of Simranjit Singh Mann, the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar).
The organisers of the other three protests disowned the Khalistanis and said they were not associated with them, pointing to the barriers separating them from that group.
One of the groups was the Indian National Overseas Congress, which supports the Congress in India and was protesting against what they said were human rights violations.
Another was a protest organised by a local gurdwara in support of the farmers’ agitation in India focused solely on the agriculturists’ issues.
They stationed themselves far from the Khalistanis and an organiser said that they did not have anything to do with that protest and distinguished themselves with green turbans.
The Hindus for Human Rights (HHR) organised yet another protest that
An organiser said that they were not associating themselves with the Khalistanis and their enclosed barrier next to that group’s was assigned by the police.
HHR protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and other laws and regulations, as well as what they called human rights violations and detention of activists in India.
They were joined by a representative of the New York State Council of Churches, a protestant organisation that also lists the World Council of Churches among its members.
Its executive director, Peter Cook, a protestant pastor who said he had been deported from India, asserted that his organisation opposed the CAA even though it gave citizenship rights to Christians fleeing persecution, because it “pits Christians against Muslims”.
The Khalistani protesters, who were not allowed by the police to demonstrate outside India’s mission to the UN, drove past it in cars flying their flags and raising slogans.
Supporters of Kashmiri separatists and Pakistanis, who held protests in the previous years, were not seen this time.
On September 13, hundreds of people also took to the streets in protest against such killings in Panjgur district in Balochistan province, local media reported…reports Asian Lite News.
Human rights defenders from Baloch, Sindhis and other communities living in the UK paid tribute to Sardar Attaullah Mengal who was one of the prominent faces of Baloch national struggle after Pakistan annexed the region in 1948.
The commemoration was organised by the Sindhi Baloch Forum (SBF) in London on Sunday, in which speakers highlighted various aspects of the political and nationalistic struggle of late Sardar Mengal, Beloch Affairs reported.
Sardar Mengal had devoted his life to the service of the Baloch people. He fought for a future where the Baloch people can live with dignity and with their cherished socio-cultural values against the atrocities of Islamabad.
Earlier, a photo exhibition was also organised at Broken Chair, a famous icon in front of the United Nations office in Geneva, highlighting the atrocities and the human rights abuses in Balochistan.
It highlighted the genocide of the indigenous Baloch people being carried out by Pakistan. It also highlighted how Pakistan had illegally occupied Balochistan against all International laws and treaties and continues to misgovern it till date. The region lags behind in almost every parameter of development.
Today Balochistan’s Human Development Index (HDI) ranks below 0.40 as compared to the other provinces of Pakistan that lie above 0.50. Within Pakistan, Balochistan lags far behind other provinces and 15 out of Pakistan’s least-developed districts are in Balochistan.
Meanwhile, enforced disappearances and arbitrary killings of Balochs have also become a new ‘normal in the region’.
On September 13, hundreds of people also took to the streets in protest against such killings in Panjgur district in Balochistan province, local media reported.
A large number of people, including women and children, gathered at the main chowk of the town. They marched on the streets and roads and chanted slogans against the local administration and police for their failure to arrest alleged killers, reported Dawn.
During the protest, people said about a dozen innocent civilians had been killed in Panjgur in a month, but not a single alleged killer had been arrested. (ANI)
The rally participants held banners and placards with slogans against torture, human rights abuses and illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan and Iran…reports Asian Lite News.
The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) held a protest rally in Hanover, Germany against the “fake encounters” in Balochistan province staged by Pakistani forces.
According to release by the movement, the protest began at 2:00 pm German time in front of the Hannover Central Station in Germany after the protesters marched through various streets to George Platz.
The rally participants held banners and placards with slogans against torture, human rights abuses and illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan and Iran.
Participants also carried pictures of enforced disappeared people who were killed in staged encounters by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). Participants chanted slogans during the demonstration and distributed hundreds of pamphlets to spread awareness among the people.
The protesters were addressed by scores of Baloch people who accused Pakistan of atrocities in occupied Balochistan. The speakers said that Pakistan was pursuing its earlier infamous “kill and dump” policy of forcibly disappearing Baloch, it continued the same process by killing the disappeared Baloch and burying them in mass graves.
The speakers explained that now the Pakistan state forces have adopted a new policy under which the victims of enforced disappearances are fake encounters. They raised the issue of over 20 fake encounters in a single month.
The FBM in its statement further said that Pakistan has changed the method of Baloch genocide to misled the world. “Pakistan is trying to give the impression to the world that it is taking action against the terrorists by killing the Baloch in its custody in the name of encounters by its terrorist force CTD.”
The statement clarified that the people killed in CTD’s encounters were previously abducted and disappeared by Pakistani forces and they were being killed in staged encounters to cover up Pakistan’s crimes against humanity in Balochistan. (ANI)
Protest With a demand to immediately stop fossil fuel investment, the Impossible Rebellion has started in London! (Extinction Rebellion/ Twitter)
“We need to take drastic actions now. People in countries further south are suffering terribly, there are already wars over resources because of climate change,” she stressed…reports Asian Lite News.
Hundreds of people on Tuesday blocked roads around Parliament Street and Whitehall, in central London, on the second day of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) protest to demand urgent actions from governments to tackle climate change, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
Several protesters lied in the middle of the street in front of a large green banner reading “Government in bed with climate criminals,” while others chanted and danced to the beat of drums.
“We’re here because the government is not telling us the truth about the reality of climate change and what it will mean to our children and grandchildren and for all the generations that will come after them,” Mary, one of the XR members, told Sputnik.
With a demand to immediately stop fossil fuel investment, the Impossible Rebellion has started in London! pic.twitter.com/hndmzKEGU5
According to the activist, authorities in the United Kingdom and across the world are trying to hide from people that climate is already breaking down and that there will be shortages of food and water because of this, and what is worst “they are not taking any action to stop this from happening.”
Asked about the UK government’s pledges to achieve the ‘net zero’ target by 2050 and boost the use of electric vehicles as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “Green Revolution,” Mary said they are “too little too late.”
“We need to take drastic actions now. People in countries further south are suffering terribly, there are already wars over resources because of climate change,” she stressed.
Juliana, a Brazilian national who joined the protest with her children, said she had brought them with her because “their future is at stake”
The so-called “Impossible Rebellion,” which XR said will last two weeks, started on Monday, with protests in other parts of central London. The ecological movement is also planning to target the City – the heart of UK’s financial sector – to protest against banks financing fossil fuel companies.
The protests have been peaceful so far, but the Metropolitan Police confirmed that a “number of arrests” have been made. (ANI/Sputnik)
