Category: National

Another similar flight had brought to Kochi 179 Indian nationals, including two infants, from Kuala Lumpur on Sunday as part of the “Vande Bharat” mission of the government of India, an airport spokesman said.

PTI

An Air-India Express flight carrying 178 Indian nationals, including five children and an infant, stranded in Dubai landed at the international airport here late Monday.

Another similar flight had brought to Kochi 179 Indian nationals, including two infants, from Kuala Lumpur on Sunday as part of the “Vande Bharat” mission of the government of India, an airport spokesman said.

The country has started repatriation of its citizens stranded in various countries, especially expatriates from Kerala in Gulf countries, since last Friday and around 1,900 people have so far arrived in the state by air and sea.

This move was the second phase of anti-worker policies, they allege.

Ten central trade unions on May 11 said they were considering lodging a complaint with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) against the “anti-worker” changes in the labour laws in some States, which they said was at the “instance of the Central government”.

In a joint statement, they said the recent blanket exemption given to establishments from the employer’s obligations under several labour laws for three years by the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments was a retrograde and anti-worker move. While the U.P. government had brought an ordinance for this, the M.P. government had reportedly said it would also do the same. The Gujarat government was also reportedly working on a similar exemption.

“As the mass of the working people have been subjected to inhuman sufferings owing to loss of jobs, loss of wages, eviction from residences etc reducing them to hungry non-entities in the process of 45 days lockdown, the government of the day at the Centre has pounced upon those working people..Now the government at the Centre has taken the strategy of letting loose their pliant state governments to take such anti-worker and anti-people autocratic measures, many other state governments are expected to follow suit,” the statement said.

This move was the second phase of anti-worker policies after six State governments increased the working hours form eight to 12 hours, it stated.

“Central trade unions consider these moves as an inhuman crime and brutality on the working people, besides being gross violation of the Right to Freedom of Association [ILO Convention 87], Rights to Collective Bargaining [ILO Convention 98] and also the internationally accepted norm of eight hour working day – espoused by core conventions of ILO. The ILO Convention 144 in regard to tripartism has also been undermined by the government,” it said.

The unions added that they were “seriously considering to lodge a complaint to the ILO on these misdeeds of the government for gross violation of labour standards” and that they would soon give a nationwide call to action.

The statement was signed by representatives of the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the All-India Trade Union Congress, the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the All-India United Trade Union Centre, the Trade Union Coordination Committee, the Self Employed Women’s Association, the All-India Central Council of Trade Unions, the Labour Progressive Federation and the United Trade Union Congress.

With inputs from The Hindu

Protests take place in Kathmandu

Nepal on Monday summoned the Indian envoy and handed a diplomatic note of protest over the construction of a link road that will reduce travelling time from India to the pilgrimage zone of Kailash Mansarovar in China’s Tibet.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra was met by Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali who conveyed Nepal’s territorial claims over the Kalapani region. The diplomatic note was in line with the statement from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which recalled the bilateral treaties and assurances, and urged India from carrying out any further activities in the region.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not respond formally till late on Monday though a social media post from the Embassy of India in Nepal stated that Mr. Kwatra had handed over a past statement of the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the Kalapani region located in the state of Uttarakhand. Nepal disputes India’s claims and maintains that the region is part of its sovereign territory.

In a telephonic conversation held with The Hindu on Sunday, Mr. Gyawali had stated that Nepal will strengthen border posts and deploy more forces in the country’s southern and western borders with India. Kathmandu also witnessed protests on Monday by the student organisation of the Nepali Congress, and the Rashtriya Seema Rakhsha Abhiyan.

With inputs from The Hindu

There was no confirmation on whether the deceased had tested positive for COVID-19

PTI

A 34-year-old migrant worker died on board a Pune-Prayagraj Shramik Special train on Monday and his post-mortem has been conducted, officials said on Tuesday.

The deceased, who used to work at a hotel in Pune, was returning to his hometown in Gonda in Uttar Pradesh. He died during the journey and the body was taken off the train at Majhgawan in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, the officials said.

The train reached the Majhgawan station just before 6:30 pm on Monday and left three hours later.

He had boarded the Uttar Pradesh-bound train with two friends, who were also working in Pune.

“The migrant worker died on the Pune-Prayagraj special train and his body was attended to in Madhya Pradesh. Post-mortem has been conducted,” RPF DG Arun Kumar said.

He said there was no confirmation yet on whether the migrant had tested positive for coronavirus.

Efforts are on to find out his medical history in order to ascertain the cause of the death and the GRP has already informed the deceased’s family about his demise.

The Indian Railways has operated 542 “Shramik Special” trains since May 1 and ferried home 6.48 lakh migrants stranded in various parts of the country amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, officials said on Tuesday.

Of the 542 trains run so far, 448 have reached their destinations while 94 are in transit.

On Monday, a statement issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Indian Railways will now run 100 “Shramik Special” trains on a daily basis to facilitate a faster movement of workers.

Amending laws is a quack remedy like demonetisation: Jairam Ramesh.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic cannot be an excuse to crush labour rights and their voices, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on Monday.

“Many States are amending labour laws. We are together fighting against corona, but this cannot be an excuse to crush human rights, allow unsafe workplaces, exploit workers and suppress their voice. There cannot be any compromise on these basic principles,” he tweeted.

Suspend labour laws for 2-3 years, employers’ associations urge government | State mulls over relaxing some key labour laws

Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said it would be dangerous and disastrous to loosen laws in the name of economic revival.

“In the name of economic revival and stimulus, it will be dangerous and disastrous to loosen labour, land and environmental laws and regulations as the Modi govt is planning. The first steps have already been taken. This is a quack remedy like demonetisation,” he tweeted.

Call to PM

At the party’s regular online press conference, Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil said the BJP-ruled States were amending labour laws in the garb of attracting foreign investors and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deny permission permission to the States to amend laws that would “strip workers of their basic rights”.

Madhya Pradesh pushes working hours from eight to 12 in factories

Mr. Gohil accused Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat of suspending labour rights. “This is yet another shocking but unsurprising blow to workers and labourers by BJP governments. If the Prime Minister has little concern for workers and labourers, then he should himself tell these States to not go ahead with amendments to the labour laws and not allow them in doing so. We would expect the him to intervene today itself,” he said.

It was ‘shocking’ to note that at a time when the country was dealing with an unprecedented pandemic, the government was taking this as an opportunity to deprive them of their rights. “This is shameful and once again highlights the true nature and priorities of this ‘Suit-Boot ki Sarkar’,” he stated.

Shameful that BJP-ruled States amending labour laws to lure foreign investors: Congress

Mr. Gohil argued that as these labour laws were in the Concurrent List, no such suspension could take place without the explicit approval of the Central government. “We, therefore, ask the Modi government to deny any permission that strip workers of their basic rights and have the potential of diminishing their livelihood. Also trade unions must be consulted before such an adverse step is taken,” he said.

With inputs from The Hindu

Air India is the only airline participating in the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate stranded Indians

PTI

Air India has sealed its headquarters in Delhi for two days to conduct a thorough sanitisation of the building after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said on Tuesday.

“Airlines House has been sealed for Tuesday and Wednesday,” an official said.

The employee posted at the Gurudwara Rakabganj Road building tested positive on Monday evening, he said.

The government-run Air India is the only airline participating in the Vande Bharat Mission, under which the carrier would operate 64 flights between May 7 and May 14 to repatriate around 15,000 stranded Indians from 12 countries on a payment basis.

India has been under a lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 70,000 people and killed around 2,290 people in the country till now.

They were atop a heap of mangoes on the Agra-bound vehicle coming from Hyderabad.

Five migrant workers were killed and 13 persons injured after their truck overturned on a highway in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh on the night of May 9, said district officials.

“Perched atop a heap of mangoes laden on the Agra-bound truck coming from Hyderabad, 15 migrant workers were headed towards Jhansi and Etah districts of Uttar Pradesh,” said Rahul Wasnik, Assistant Director, Narsinghpur administration.

Around 11.30 p.m. on May 9, the truck, with a driver, a co-driver and a cleaner in the driver’s cabin, overturned on National Highway 44 near Mungwani, 30 km from Narsingpur, he said.

‘Speeding may be reason’

“The deceased were crushed under the truck. Prima facie, speeding appears to be the reason for the accident. We are inquiring into it,” added Mr. Wasnik.

Eleven of the injured were admitted to the district hospital, while two critically injured were shifted to a medical college in Jabalpur, some 100 km away. Their identities are yet to be ascertained.

Condoling the deaths, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Senior officials of the government are on the spot to ensure complete treatment for the injured. I pray for their speedy recovery and strength to families of the deceased.”

On May 8, as many as 16 workers from Madhya Pradesh, attempting to walk back home along railway tracks, were run over by a freight train between Jalna and Aurangabad districts in Maharashtra.

With inputs from The Hindu

A handful of legal representatives were present in the court room, as previously agreed, with witnesses set to give their evidence via videolink.

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly USD 2 billion PNB fraud and money-laundering case, appeared via videolink before a U.K. court on the first day of his 5-day extradition trial on Monday, taking place in a part-remote setting due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.

The 49-year-old jeweller, who has been lodged at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest in March last year, joined the proceedings via the court’s common viewing platform (CVP) at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London dressed formally in a white shirt and black blazer.

The hearing got off to a delayed start as officials sorted out technical difficulties of connecting the court room to the prison.

Given the social-distancing norms being followed by prisons and courts, district Judge Samuel Goozee had conceded that Modi can follow the proceedings via videolink rather than the norm of being produced in person.

“It is important that if you have any difficulty with the audio or visual of the proceedings at any time, to let us know immediately, Judge Goozee told Modi, so that he can follow the court proceedings in an open way as per the law.

A handful of legal representatives were present in the court room, as previously agreed, with witnesses set to give their evidence via videolink.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), appearing on behalf of the Indian authorities, began by laying out the basis of the Indian government’s case. CPS barrister Helen Malcolm appeared via videolink to tell the court that Modi acquired eye watering amounts of money fraudulently from Punjab National Bank (PNB).

There is really nothing very complicated about this case. It covers three aspects – the fraud, then laundering of that fraud money and the rotation of goods around the Modi empire, she said.

The 5-day hearing which started on Monday relates to the Indian government’s extradition request certified by the U.K. government last year.

The case has been filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and relates to a large-scale fraud upon an Indian PSU through the fraudulent obtaining of letters of understanding (LoUs) and the laundering of the proceeds of that fraud.

Two additional charges of “causing the disappearance of evidence” and intimidating witnesses or criminal intimidation to cause death were added on by the CBI and certified earlier this year.

CPS barrister Nick Hearn, the co-counsel in the case, told the court at the last hearing in April, held via tele-conference, that the government of India’s representatives would be following the proceedings and giving instructions via the court’s online common viewing platform, given the COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

We have received comprehensive responses in writing from the government of India, which would reduce the likely length of cross-examinations, said Mr. Hearn.

It was also confirmed that the diamond merchant would not be giving evidence in the case, but his legal team plans to produce around six witnesses, including a jewellery expert as well as judicial and prisons experts.

Most of the legal cases in the U.K. have incorporated videolink and telephonic options where possible amid the social-distancing norms in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Modi had made a fifth attempt at bail in the High Court last month, which was rejected as the judge ruled that he continued to pose a flight risk. The jeweller was arrested on March 19, 2019, on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard on charges of fraud and money-laundering brought by the Indian government.

With inputs from The Hindu

The world is experiencing fear and uncertainty and the government’s priority must be to single mindedly focus in effectively dealing with this pandemic, the leaders say

In a joint letter to President Ramnath Kovind, eight political parties have condemned the recent arrests of activists and students in connection with the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) movement at a time when the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter has been signed by Sitaram Yechury, CPI (M) general secretary, D. Raja, CPI general secretary, Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI(ML) general secretary, Debabrata Biswas, AIFB general secretary, Manoj Bhattacharya, RSP general secretary, Sharad Yadav, LJD general secretary, Manoj Jha, RJD MP, and Thol. Thirumavalavan, MP and VCK president.

It is a time when the world is experiencing fear and uncertainty and the government’s priority must be to single mindedly focus in effectively dealing with this pandemic and the problems that have spawned from it, like the lakhs of starving migrant workers trudging back home, the letter says.

The arrests of women activists in Delhi under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were on “manufactured charges”. On April 10, M.Phil student Safoora Zargar was arrested for her association with anti-CAA protests. In addition, scores of students are being called for interrogation by the Special Branch and intimidated, the letter says.

Similary, the letter points out that the victims in the violence perpetrated in Jawaharlal Nehru University are being targeted while there has not been a single arrest of those outsiders who unleashed this violence against students and teachers. “It is also shocking to note that certain communities are being targeted while the perpetrators of communally charged violence, established in various video recordings, including prominent leaders of the ruling party, are moving around scot-free.” In case of the riots in northeast Delhi, the eight leaders accused the police of making one-sided arrests of young Muslim men and interrogating only members of the minority community, creating a sense of insecurity among them.

With a highly infectious disease such as the COVID-19, the government should have followed the example of other countries in releasing prisoners, but yet even the physically disabled and people with known serious medical conditions like Dr. G N. Saibaba and others are not being allowed to seek competent medical treatment. In Kashmir, the continuing detention of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and many others are condemnable, the letter says. The vindictive approach of the government in continuing the detention of RJD chief Lalu Prasad in spite of his ill health and the stringent conditions of his imprisonment is condemnable, the letter adds.

“The arrests of Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha in the Bhima Koregaon case even while continuing the detention of activists Sudha Bharadwaj and others without any evidence is another shocking example of how civil liberties are being trampled,” the letter says.

With inputs from The Hindu