“padmavati” controversial, protesters burn tires, attack shops

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
“padmavati” controversial, protesters burn tires, attack shops
The lavishly-produced “Padmaavat”, a 163-minute film, centers on a Muslim ruler, Alauddin Khilji, and his battle with the Rajput king of Chittor, over the king’s wife, Rani Padmavati. The film-makers have repeatedly said the film takes its inspiration from an epic poem of the same name, but their assurances have failed to assuage the Karni Sena group. India’s Supreme Court last week cleared the way for the film’s release and has blocked state governments from imposing bans on it. Fears of violence mean the film has yet to open in several places, from the western state of Gujarat to central Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, all usually big markets for India’s film industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rules Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. ”It is a huge loss for us, because this is a big film that we would have liked to show in our theatres, Sandeep Jain, who owns seven theatres in Madhya Pradesh, told Reuters by telephone. Indian protesters burnt tires and vandalized shops on Thursday to oppose the release of a controversial Bollywood film, prompting cinema owners in several states to abandon plans for screenings. MUMBAI (Reuters) – Indian protesters burnt tires and vandalized shops on Thursday to oppose the release of a controversial Bollywood film, prompting cinema owners in several states to abandon plans for screenings. Television showed images of children cowering in fear on the floor of a schoolbus targeted by protesters in Gurugram, about 30 km (19 miles) from New Delhi, on Wednesday. “But there has been no support from the local administration.” Reuters could not immediately reach Madhya Pradesh authorities by telephone to seek comment.

HISTORY BEHIND PADMAVATI

Film Padmavati is based on the epic Padmavat, composed by medieval age Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi from the days of the Bhakti Movement, which produced Tulsidas, Surdas and Kabir among hundreds of others. Padmavat tells a story, which historians don’t value much, treating it as a work of fiction of the queen of Chittor named Padmavati, who was coveted by Delhi’s sultan Alauddin Khilji , known for his military conquests across India and strong market regulations in the capital to keep the prices of articles in control. Alauddin Khilji attacked and captured the Fort of Chittor in 1306. The Delhi sultan died in 1316. Padmavat was composed by Jayasi in 1540. Alauddin Khilji and Padmavat of Jayasi are separated by 224 years and over 650 kilometres (Jayasi’s grave is near Amethi). Padmavat has the distinction of being the first epic in people’s dialect Awadhi, the same language that the great poet Tulsidas used for his literary works, including the Ramacharitmanas. WHAT JAYASI WROTE IN PADMAVAT? According to Padmavat, its central character Padmavati was the most beautiful woman of her time. She was the princess of Singhaldweep (modern day Sri Lanka). She was extremely fond of her pet parrot named Hiraman, whom she treated as a friend. Padmavati’s father Gandharvasen does not approve of her friendship with Hiraman and ordered the bird to be killed. But, the bird flies away to escape punishment. It is trapped by a bird catcher, who sells it to Ratnasen, the king of Chittor. Impressed by its qualities, Ratnasen of Chittor keeps Hiraman as his pet. Hiraman describes the pristine beauty of Padmavati to Ratnasen, who develops a deep love for the Singhal queen. Ratnasen plans a clandestine visit, but with 16,000 of his guards and followers, to Singhaldweep.

RATNASEN AND PADMAVATI

Upon reaching Singhaldweep, Ratnasen resorts to extreme, austere prayers at a Shiva temple. The news reaches Padmavati, who visits the temple but fails to see Ratnasen. When the Chittor king learns about Padmavati’s visit to the temple and his missed chance, he is so anguished and pained that he decides to kill self. As Ratnasen prepares to commit suicide, Lord Shiva and Parvati appear before him and suggest him to march to the fort of Singhaldweep to claim Padmavati. Still disguised as an ascetic, Ratnasen marches on to the fort with his followers. But he was captured by the forces of Gandharvasen. As Ratnasen was to be executed, his followers reveal his true identity to the Singhaldweep ruler. A surprised Gandharvasen marries off his daughter Padmavati to Ratnasen and also hands him over 16,000 Singhal Padmini (the best grade women – Jayasi does not define the criteria for declaring a woman as the best grade).

PADMAVATI AND NAGMATI

While Ratnasen marries Padmavati in Singhaldweep, his first queen Nagmati longs for him in Chittor. She sends a bird messenger to Singhaldweep, sharing her feelings with Ratnasen, who starts his journey to Chittor. Ratnasen loses most of his followers to a storm in the sea lying between the mainland and Singhaldweep. But, his love and devotion for Padmavati impresses the sea god, who gives him valuable gifts. Laden with gifts and prizes, Rantasen and Padmavati land at Puri in modern day Odisha. Back at Chittor, Ratnasen has a hard time pacifying his two queens as both Nagmati and Padmavati crave for his absolute attention. Meanwhile, Ratnasen banishes a Brahmin named Raghav Chetan, who was apparently close to Padmavati.

ALAUDDIN KHILJI MAKES ENTRY

Before Raghav Chetan sets on his journey outside the kingdom of Chittor, Padmavati gives him one of her bangles. Accustomed to royal favours, Raghav Chetan seeks shelter at Delhi sultan Alauddin Khilji’s court. Alauddin Khilji asks Raghav Chetan about the bangle, upon which the banished Brahmin describes the beauty of Padmavati in a manner such that it incites lust in the sultan for the Chittor queen. He sets out to have a glimpse of the queen. Alauddin Khilji lays a siege of the Chittor fort and demands Padmavati for himself but fails to defeat the king. The siege continues without success and as a compromise, Alauddin Khilji is invited as a guest inside the fort against the advice of Gora and Badal, the valiant military generals of Ratnasen. During his stay as the royal guest, Alauddin Khilji captures a glimpse of Padmavati. As he is about to leave and Ratnasen comes to see off the Delhi sultan, Alauddin Khilji kidnaps the Chittor king and flees.

ALAUDDIN NEVER MEETS PADMAVATI

Padmavati asks Gora and Badal to free Ratnasen and bring him back. Gora and Badal devise a strategy and set out for Delhi durbar in the disguise of Padmavati. As they reach Alauddin Khilji’s royal palace where Ratnasen is held captive, they attack the guards present there and manage to rescue the Chittor king. Gora dies fighting the forces of Alauddin Khilji while Badal escorts the king of Chittor safely. But Jayasi brings up another twist in the tale. While Ratnasen was away, ruler of Kumbhalner Devpal sends a marriage to Padmavati. On Ratnasen’s return, a fight ensues between him and Devpal. In the battle, they end up killing each other. Jayasi says that upon the death of Ratnasen, both his queens Padmavati and Nagmati commit sati. Some time later, Alauddin lays another siege of Chittor with a bigger army. When it becomes clear that there is no way out, the women of the fort perform jauhar (the act of jumping into a massive burning flame to escape humiliation at the hands of enemies) while all the men die fighting. At the end of the war, Jayasi leaves the reader with a satire, saying that the great sultan Alauddin Khilji succeeds in converting only the fort made up of bricks and stones to Islam. Padmavati remains a dream for Alauddin Khilji, the mightiest ruler of contemporary India.  

Three killed in train accident near Milan

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
Three killed in train accident near Milan
A packed commuter train has derailed near the northern Italian city of Milan, leaving at least three people dead and around 10 seriously injured. Several people were rescued from the wreckage of the carriages that derailed next to the Pioltello Limito station in the morning rush hour. A problem with a track point is being investigated as a possible cause, police say. Witnesses said the train trembled for a few minutes before the accident. The Trenord train, carrying some 100 people, was heading to Milan’s Porta Garibaldi station from Cremona when it derailed at about 07:00 local time (06:00 GMT). The train was travelling at normal speed when the accident happened, a spokesperson for Trenord told Reuters news agency. Services in the area were halted for hours. “A train can derail for only two reasons; either through a structural collapse of the track or a collapse of the train. This is the first thing that needs to be cleared up,” said Raffaele Cattaneo, president of the regional council.

Italy’s deadly train accidents

July 2016: Two trains collided on a single track in Puglia, killing 23 people November 2012: Six people believed to be Romanian farm workers are killed after a van they were travelling in is struck by a train as it crosses railway tracks in Calabria June 2009: Freight train carrying liquefied petroleum gas derails in Viareggio, causing a large explosion. More than 30 people die January 2005: A head-on collision between a passenger and a freight train near Crevalcore kills 17 July 2002: A passenger train derails in Rometta Messina, killing eight people April 1978: Two trains collide near a ravine next to Murazze Vado. Some of the carriages fall into the gorge, killing 42 Sources: Ansa, Corriere della Sera

Newly chief judges appointed sworn in

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
Newly chief judges appointed sworn in
The chief justice Gopal Parajuli today administered the oath and secrecy of the office to the four newly-appointed chief judges of the High Court amid a programme at the premises of the Supreme Court (SC). The judges, who were sworn in, include Nahakul Subedi, Udaya Prakash Chapagain, Yagya Prasad Basyal, and Hari Kumar Pokharel. They were appointed as chief judges of the High Court at the recommendation of the Judicial Council. Subedi has been posted at the High Court in Tulsipur-Dang, while Chapagain at the High Court in Janakpur, Basyal at the High Court in Dipayal, and Pokharel at the High Court in Surkhet.

Diki Sherpa to summit Mt. Everest for women empowerment

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
Diki Sherpa to summit Mt. Everest for women empowerment
Diki Sherpa, a lady involved in the tourism sector for four years, is to ascend Mt Everest with the aim of ‘Positive thinking for gender equality, inclusive society championed from the highest peak’. Sherpa is planning to summit the Sagarmatha in the season to prove the capabilities that are equally to the men and are possessive to social culture. Diki Sherpa, who was born in Num-4 of Sankhuwasabha district, has received the training as a guide and has also received basic as well as advanced training in mountaineering. Sherpa had successfully summited Mera Peak (6,476 m) and Ramdung Peak (5,925 m) in 2017. Likewise, in 2017 itself, she had summited Mt Manaslu (8,163 m), the 8th highest peak in the world. She is now planning to scale the Everest in March 2018. “I am going to ascend Mt Everest with the goal of empowering women and to try and bring a change in the society’s male dominant perspective,” said Sherpa, “I want to play a role in creating a nation with gender equality, in addition to facilitating the economic prosperity of the country through tourism.” Sherpa has taken this initiative to increase women’s participation in the field of tourism and in areas of tourism where courage is required, in order to motivate women to move forward in economic, social, and political areas of the country.  

Daman whiteouts by snowfall

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
Daman whiteouts by snowfall
Along with the heavy rainfall, Wednesday afternoon the laden of snow has blocked the traffic in the Tribhuvan Highway, Daman to Simbhanjyang. According to Area Police Office, Palung, a two feet snow has accumulated on the road with a large number of travelers stranded on the highway. Meanwhile, a team of technicians equipped with salt and sand has been sent to clear off the road, according to Chief District Officer of Makwanpur, Chakra Bahadur Budha. Provided the weather improves traffic may resume by 11:00 pm, Budha said.

NA nomination finalizes EC nominations

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
NA nomination finalizes EC nominations
The National Assembly election candidates registration of nomination papers has been successfully filed up on Wednesday with 83 candidates receiving EC nominations. According to the Commission, 26 females, 14 candidates from marginalized communities, 15 from minority and disabled group, and 28 others have filed their nominations. The EC had signed the High Courts at Biratnagar, Janakpur, Lalitpur, Pokhara, Dang, Surkhet and Doti as the offices for the registration of nomination papers by these candidates. As per the constitution, 56 members at the rate of eight members per province, including three women, one dalit and one member from the backward area or minority community, would be elected to the 59-member National Assembly while the President will nominate three members at the recommendation of the government. There are 2,056 voters including the chiefs and deputy chiefs of the rural municipalities, the mayors and deputy mayors of municipalities, and the members of the State Assemblies in the National Assembly election. The Election Commission will allocate the election symbols to the candidates filing their nomination papers today on January 29 after scrutinizing their candidacies. As many as 21 political parties are in the fray for the election to the National Assembly that is taking place on February 7. The following is the list of nominations from the three major parties, CPN-UML, CPN Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress:

Brazilian former president loses appeal against corruption

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
Brazilian former president loses appeal against corruption
An appeals court in Brazil has unanimously upheld a corruption conviction imposed last July on ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. While he can still take his appeal to a higher court, the decision could rule Lula out as a candidate for October’s presidential election. The ex-leader, who governed from 2003 to 2011, had been favourite to win. Speaking at a rally in Sao Paulo after the ruling, Lula said he would still contest the presidency. Lula and his lawyers were convinced they would win this appeal. His supporters weren’t contemplating any other scenario either. They want him as their candidate in October’s elections and they say this conviction is designed to stop him running. But his critics will be pleased. They want him locked up in jail for the crimes he’s been accused of. They believe he and his Workers’ Party are corrupt and justice needs to be done. Lula and his lawyers say they will explore all avenues to get him absolved. But the fact that it was a unanimous vote will make it harder to convince other courts. As for whether he will run for presidency, he has said he will keep campaigning, no matter the verdict. The appeals process could buy him time to stay in the race for a few months but with a criminal conviction, another Lula term is looking much less likely. When left-winger Lula rose to power in 2003, he promised an end to corruption-ridden politics. Then in 2005 a huge vote-buying scandal nearly cost him his job. Despite that, he won the support of the poor by pouring billions of dollars into social programmes, and left office in 2011 with record approval ratings. The investigation, which began in 2014, sucked in more than 80 politicians and members of the business elite. In 2017, Lula was found guilty of accepting an upgrade to a beachfront flat he was buying from an engineering firm in return for help in winning contracts for Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil company. That conviction was confirmed by Wednesday’s ruling. He also faces other charges of money laundering, influence peddling and obstruction of justice. He has repeatedly denied those claims. “I know I haven’t committed any crime,” he told thousands of his supporters. On Wednesday, all three judges at the appeals court in the city of Porto Alegre said Lula had broken the law by accepting special favors over a seafront apartment from a construction company involved in a major corruption scheme. They increased his original sentence from nine-and-a-half years to 12 years and one month in jail. Even though the 72-year-old was sentenced in July 2017 and that conviction has now been upheld, he could remain out of prison for many months if he takes his appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.

Ex-olympic gymnastics team doctor jailed for 175 years

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
Ex-olympic gymnastics team doctor jailed for 175 years
The former US Olympic gymnastics team Doctor Larry Nassar, who testimony from nearly 160 of his victims and has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years after The judge dismissed Nassar’s attempted apology as insincere, saying he would “be in darkness the rest of his life”. Nassar pleaded to be guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault against girls and young women, including Olympians. This 54-year-old had already been sentenced to 60 years for possession of child pornography. “Because, sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again.” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar during the sentencing: “As much as it was my honour and privilege to hear the sister survivors, it was my honour and privilege to sentence you. She told the paedophile: “You have not owned yet what you did. I wouldn’t send my dogs to you, sir. Following seven days of emotional testimony from Nassar’s victims, he was given an opportunity to address the court. “What I am feeling pales in comparison to the pain, trauma, and emotional destruction that all of you are feeling,” he told the packed courtroom. “There are no words to describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred,” he added. His sentencing follows a week of harrowing testimony from scores of women, including Olympic gold medal gymnasts Aly Raisman and Jordyn Weiber. Their teammates, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles, also revealed they had been abused by Nassar. In 2015, USA Gymnastics – the sport’s top governing body – quietly cut ties with Nassar over allegations about his professional care. An investigation in 2014 resulted in a three-month suspension from Michigan State University (MSU), where he coached. But he continued to see patients until he was publicly accused of abuse in a 2016 report by the Indianapolis Star newspaper. Later that year, he was arrested and charged by Michigan officials with sexual contact with a child. A year later, he was sentenced for child abuse images found on his computer. Rachael Denhollander, who was one of the first women to publicly accuse Nassar, pointed the finger at MSU in court on Wednesday.  

CPN Maoist and NC confirms the NA candidates

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
CPN Maoist and NC confirms the NA candidates
Maoist Centre and the Nepali Congress today have finalized the names of their candidates for the National Assembly election. CPN MC has confirmed the 13 seats for the NA and still a seat from province-2 is yet to be decided upon. The CPN MC candidates are as follows:
Name of the Candidate Category Province
Bina Pokharel Women Province-1
Sashi Kala Dahal Women Province-2
Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal) Open Province-3
Ganga Parajuli Women Province-3
Dinanath Sharma Open Province-4
Khim Bahadur BK Dalit Province-4
Raj Kumar Kunwar Disable Province-5
Chandra Bahadur Khadka Open Province-5
Jeevan Budha Disable Province-6
Yutul Lama Women Province-6
Kali Bahadur Malla Open Province-6
Lali Ram Lohar Dalit Province-7
Hari Ram Chaudhary Open Province-7
Similarly, the Nepali Congress has listed their final candidates for the National Assembly election for Provinces 4, 6 and 7. A total of 12 seats have been finalized by the NC for the NA election. The names of the NC candidates are as follows:
Name of the Candidate Category Province
Brinda Rana Magar Women Province-4
Surendra Raj Pandey Open Province-4
Jeet Bahadur Nepali Dalit Province-4
Prakash Panta Disable/Marginalised Province-4
Bishnu Bahadur Shahi Open Province-6
Surya Devi Malla Women Province-6
Sita Ram BK Dalit Province-6
Gopal Prasad Sharma Disable/Marginalised Province-6
Badri Pandey Open Province-7
Tara Bhatta Women Province-7
Sheri Ram Parki Dalit Province-7
Chhatraraj Joshi Disable Province-7
(UPDATED)    

The super Blue Moon, to be waxed

Haribansh Chaudhary
-
0
The super Blue Moon, to be waxed
Some nights when we look up at the moon, it is full and bright; sometimes it is just a sliver of silvery light. These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits Earth, it cycles through eight distinct phases. The four primary phases occur about a week apart. The first phase of the moon exhibited on January 22, 2018  and the second phase to be waxed on January 31, 2018. What’s more, this Blue Moon will be a supermoon, or generally closest to Earth for the month. And it’ll stage a total lunar eclipse. So … each night this upcoming week will find the moon closer to Earth than on the night before. We give the moon’s distance for the upcoming week, as measured between the centers of the moon and Earth, at 0 hours Universal Time (or at 6 p.m on the previous date Central Standard Time). Jan. 23, 2018: 241,003 miles (387,857 km) Jan. 24, 2018: 238,058 miles (383,118 km) Jan. 25, 2018: 234,913 miles (378,056 km) Jan. 26, 2018: 231,719 miles (372,916 km) Jan. 27, 2018: 228,668 miles (368,038 km) Jan. 28, 2018: 226,077 miles (363,835 km) Jan. 29, 2018: 224,156 miles (360,744 km) Jan. 30, 2018: 223,164 miles (359,149 km) Source: The Moon Tonight

Phases of the moon

The moon, like Earth, is a sphere, and it is always half-illuminated by the sun. However, as the moon travels around Earth, we see more or less of the illuminated half. The moon’s phases describe how much of the moon’s disk is illuminated from our perspective. New moon: The moon is between Earth and the sun, and the side of the moon facing toward us receives no direct sunlight; it is lit only by dim sunlight reflected from Earth. Waxing crescent: As the moon moves around Earth, the side we can see gradually becomes more illuminated by direct sunlight. First quarter: The moon is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky and is half-illuminated from our point of view. We call it “first quarter” because the moon has traveled about a quarter of the way around Earth since the new moon. Waxing gibbous: The area of illumination continues to increase. More than half of the moon’s face appears to be getting sunlight. Full moon: The moon is 180 degrees away from the sun and is as close as it can be to being fully illuminated by the sun from our perspective. The sun, Earth and the moon are aligned, but because the moon’s orbit is not exactly in the same plane as Earth’s orbit around the sun, they rarely form a perfect line. When they do, we have a lunar eclipse as Earth’s shadow crosses the moon’s face. Waning gibbous: More than half of the moon’s face appears to be getting sunlight, but the amount is decreasing. Last quarter: The moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position. The sun’s light is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the moon. Waning crescent: Less than half of the moon’s face appears to be getting sunlight, and the amount is decreasing. Finally, the moon is back to its new moon starting position. Now, the moon is between Earth and the sun. Usually the moon passes above or below the sun from our vantage point, but occasionally it passes right in front of the sun, and we get a solar eclipse. [Infographic: How Moon Phases Work]  
1...6,7026,7036,7046,705Page 6,703 of 6,705