Thiruvananthapuram, July 6 (IANS) With the Kerala unit of the CPI(M) deciding to take corrective steps after its drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, eyebrows are being raised over the party welcoming into its fold a former BJP and RSS activist with criminal cases against him.

Among those who were present to receive Sharon Chandran into the party at Pathanamthitta, were State Health Minister Veena George, Pathanamthitta District Secretary, KP Udayabhanu and other top district leaders.

Incidentally Chandran was released from jail last month and the charges against him among others include, Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).

Defending the entry of Chandran into the party, Udayabhanu said KAPPA was not a permanent label as in it there is a period, after which it is lifted.

“He was an active worker of the Sangh Parivar and he was used for undesirable activities. When he realised what he was doing was not right, he decided to reform himself and now he has joined our party.

“Anyone who is involved in politics will have various cases and just because of that, one cannot be termed as a criminal,” said Udayabhanu.

Pictures of the grand entry of Chandran into the CPI(M) surfaced on Saturday and those seen in them include George and other leaders.

Chandran has multiple criminal cases against him which includes attacking a woman and is named in the only KAAPA case filed in the jurisdiction of the home police station at Malayolapuzha in Pathanamthitta.

With this becoming news, strong reservations have been expressed by a section of party workers in the district.

This act has taken place even as the central leadership of the party has asked its Kerala leadership to ensure that no party worker indulges in any activities which bring disrepute to the CPI(M).

–IANS

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Dharamsala, July 6 (IANS) As a mark of reverence on the 89th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, an icon of ahimsa (non-violence) and karuna (compassion), on Saturday, ‘Never Forget Tibet: The Dalai Lama’s Untold Story’ was released worldwide.

The documentary, directed by Jean-Paul Mertinez, explores details of the Nobel Peace Laureate’s incredible escape into exile for the first time on film in his own words, with the Indian political officer who led him to safety — late Havildar Mander Singh.

Featuring the Tibetan community in exile and those with historic ties to Tibet, the film explores the Dalai Lama’s compassion for a world seemingly in crisis today and seeks to find out what can be learnt from his inspirational life story, Tibetan culture and its ancient spirituality.

Inspired by the book ‘An Officer and His Holiness’ by Rani Singh, the film is narrated by British acting legend Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) and features music from Grammy-nominated artist Anoushka Shankar.

The film is produced by Compassionate Films and the Executive Producers are Templeheart Films, Lyndon Baldock, Gavin Patterson and Rani Singh.

The worldwide digital release has been made possible with the collaboration of The Italian Buddhist Union, Rome, Italy.

The feature-length documentary will be available on world’s leading streaming platforms, including Apple TV+, Amazon and Google Play.

In 1959, the occupying Chinese troops suppressed the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa and forced the 14th Dalai Lama and over 80,000 Tibetans into exile in India and neighbouring countries.

On reaching India after a three-week-long and treacherous journey, the Dalai Lama first took up residence for about a year in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand.

On March 10, 1960, just before moving to Dharamsala, which also serves as the headquarters of the exiled Tibetan establishment, the Dalai Lama said: “For those of us in exile, I said that our priority must be resettlement and the continuity of our cultural traditions. We, Tibetans, would eventually prevail in regaining freedom for Tibet.”

Currently, the government-in-exile is based in Dharamsala, a town in Himalayan foothills where a community of Tibetans lives in exile with the Dalai Lama, hoping to sustain their struggle to secure complete autonomy in their Chinese-ruled homeland, Tibet.

–IANS

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Srinagar, July 6 (IANS) The movement of Amarnath pilgrims towards the cave shrine was temporarily halted on Saturday from both north and south Kashmir base camps due to heavy rain in the area.

Officials said that the movement of Yatris from north Kashmir’s Baltal base camp and from south Kashmir’s Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp has been temporarily halted due to heavy rain along the twin routes.

Yatris from Baltal base camp have to cover a 14 km-long track to the cave shrine on foot or on ponies, while those using the traditional Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp have to cover 48 kms which takes four days (one way).

The Pahalgam-cave shrine axis involves Pahalgam to Chandanwari (24 kms), Chandanwari to Sheshnag (13 kms), Sheshnag to Panchtarni (5 kms) and Panchtarni to Cave Shrine (6 kms).

Those taking the 14 km-long Baltal base camp route return the same day to the base camp after ‘Darshan’ inside the cave shrine.

–IANS

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Jalna (Maharashtra), July 6 (IANS) Shivba Sanghatana chief Manoj Jarange-Patil will embark on a 7-day campaign across Marathwada to drum up awareness on the pending issue of Maratha quotas and appeal for restraint by the community, from Saturday.

The awareness drive, planned in multiple phases, will start from Hingoli and end in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on July 13, covering other districts like Beed, Nanded, Osmanabad, Latur, Jalna; he will address massive rallies over the next one week.

Briefly interacting with media persons, Jarange-Patil said in Jalna that the government will have to consider the Hyderabad gazette which mentions the ‘Maratha-Kunbis’ and ‘Kunbi-Marathas’ and also take suitable steps to implement the demand of ‘sage-soyare’ (bloodline).

The reference was to the upcoming four-day long visit of the Justice Sandeep Shinde Committee to Hyderabad from Monday, to verify and collect the details of the state gazette there pertaining to the Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha communities.

Leaving his village Antarwali-Sarati for Hingoli along with thousands of supporters this morning, Jarange-Patil will be welcomed at Balsond with a 30-foot mammoth garland of roses, lifted by a crane.

After offering respects before a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he will start the peace-cum-awareness march around 11.30 a.m., wending through different areas before culminating at 3 p.m. with a public meeting.

To a query by the media on whether he would put up candidates for the October Assembly elections, Jarange-Patil said he would take a decision on the issue after July 13 when the ongoing peace-cum-awareness campaign will end.

Earlier, the Shivba Sanghatana leader had threatened that if the state government failed to accept all his demands, the Marathas would contest all the 288 seats in the Assembly polls and also specifically target to defeat the ruling MahaYuti candidates of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party.

–IANS

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Srinagar, July 6 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir DGP, RR Swain, lauded his men and expressed gratitude to the President of India, Prime Minister, and the Defence Minister for awarding Shaurya Chakras to five personnel of the Union Territory’s police force for the first time.

For the first time in the history of J&K Police since it was established in 1873 and after Independence, five personnel of this organisation have been awarded Shaurya Chakras for their courage and bravery while serving the nation.

Shaurya Chakra is normally awarded to the personnel of the three Defence forces.

Lauding his men for being bestowed with this honour, DGP Swain in a statement thanked President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for recognising the valour and sacrifices of J&K Police in the service of the nation.

The five Shaurya Chakra awardees from J&K Police include selection grade Constable, Saifullah Qadri (posthumously), Dy SP Mohan Lal, Sub-Inspector, Amit Raina, Sub-Inspector, Feroz Ahmed, and Constable Varun Singh.

–IANS

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