Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement in response to the desecration, decapitation, and removal of a bronze Gandhi statue in Davis, California by unknown attackers:
“I condemn this malicious act in the strongest terms, and I call upon the FBI to investigate it as a possible hate crime intended to intimidate Indian-Americans, among others. The desecration of a statue of Gandhi, who championed peace and non-violence and who continues to influence countless nonviolent struggles for justice including in America, serves as a sad reminder of how important his teachings remain.”
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti and India Water Foundation (IWF), celebrated World Wetland Day 2021, to raise awareness about conservation and rejuvenation of Wetlands.
This year’s World Wetland Day theme shines a spotlight on wetlands as a source of freshwater and encourages actions to restore them and stop their loss. Highlighting the interconnectedness of all water bodies and their role in maintaining each other’s Aviralta (e-flow) and Nirmalta (cleanliness), Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Jal Shakti said, “NamamiGange is the first of its kind program where Wetland Conservation is integrated with Basin Management Plan.” He added, “The innovative work done by NMCG for wetland conservation linked to River Rejuvenation would help the entire country as a model framework”. He said that all stakeholders have to act as custodians of the environment for creating a sustainable future. On the occasion of Wetland Day, a massive scientific and community-based program to develop Health card and management of 10 wetlands in each of the 50 plus Ganga districts was launched.
Shri Rattan Lal Kataria, MoS Jal Shakti Ministry while emphasising the integral role of wetlands in the socio-ecological system said, “Wetlands are very important for maintaining the country’s biological diversity.” He said that a lot of information is available on wetlands, regulatory frame work is also present, but there is a need to strengthen them at the grassroots level and raise awareness among the people. Speaking about role of wetlands in addressing various environmental issues, Mr. Atul Bagai, Head India Country Office, UNEP said, “We need to see how wetlands can be useful to address the issues of desertification and migratory species. We hope in regards to wetlands conservation, India will again show the leadership that it has shown in a lot of other areas.”
Shri Pankaj Kumar, Secretary of Jal Shakti, while sharing that the awareness about wetlands has heightened in recent times said, “NMCG not only looks at rejuvenation of Ganga but the overall river basin including its cities and their wetlands.” He said that events like World Wetland Day encourage us to continue this holistic approach. Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, NMCG added that, “This is not just a celebration but a call for action to conserve wetlands and that is why we haveorganised capacity building workshops for wetland conservation.” Mr. Mishra shared that a futuristic guideline for monitoring of Ramsar sites and wetlands through Wildlife Institute of India and support of MoEFCC is being developed. Dr Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation,shared that this year commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention and by now India has around 42 Ramsar sites. He suggested encouraging cooperation among several ministries to further scale up wetland conservation.
The works of Wetlands are widely known, although when it comes to maintaining these functions, municipalities lack knowledge. An innovative attempt to develop Guidelines for protection and conservation of Urban Wetlands by NMCG with the help of the prestigious School of Planning and Architecture in the form of a toolkit called, ‘Urban wetlands/water body management guideline – a toolkit for local stakeholders’ was released at the event. ‘Framework for Ecological Monitoring of Ramsar Sites and Other Wetlands in India’ was also released. The Wetland Quiz, received enthusiastic participation throughout India and winners were announced by Ms.BhawnaBadola, CEO, Tree Craze Foundation during the function. Posters for spreading awareness on wetlands by WWF-India were unveiled by the Minister and MoS, Jal Shakti.
Dr. PSN Rao, Director, School of Planning and Architecture, Dhananjay Mohan, Director, Wildlife Institute of India, Vivek Saxena, Country Director, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Dr. Ritesh Kumar, Director -South Asia, Wetlands International and Suresh Babu, Director, WWF-India shared their views on wetland conservation.
Wetland Day celebrations kickstarted on 1st February, 2021 with a series of workshops on various aspects of wetland rejuvenation and conservation designed by WWF-India in association with NMCG for District Ganga Committees. Similar capacity building workshops in association with Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will be organized on 3rd February 2021 for Ganga Praharis, Ganga Doots, Ganga VicharManch, Professors, teachers and students by Wildlife Institute of India.
Numerous programs were organised by volunteers and independent organisations in the Ganga Basin to engage with communities and sensitize them towards wetlands which includes events at AsanConservation Reserve, Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve etc. DG, NMCG expressed satisfaction that activities at the community level are taking place at hundreds of places along the Ganga.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) has been notified on 12.12.2019 and has come into force w.e.f. 10.01.2020. The Rules under The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) are under preparation. The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted extension of time upto 09.04.2021 and 09.07.2021 respectively to frame these rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to question in the Lok Sabha today.
Jammu and Kashmir is affected by terrorism sponsored and supported from across the border for the last three decades. The ceasefire violations by Pakistan are reported from the IB/LoC in Jammu and Kashmir only. The Government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism.
Immediate and effective retaliation is undertaken by the security forces in cases of ceasefire violations/ cross border firings. There has been a substantial decline in the terrorist attacks over the last three years, due to a slew of pre-emptive measures undertaken by the Government.
The details of the incidents of ceasefire violations, terrorist attacks, civilians and security force personnel killed/injured in ceasefire violations and terrorist attacks along with the number of terrorists killed in counter attacks during each of the last three years in Jammu and Kashmir are as under: –
Type of incident
2018
2019
2020
Ceasefire violations
Incidents
2140
3479
5133
Civilian killed
30
18
22
Civilians injured
143
127
71
Security Personnel martyred
29
19
24
Security Personnel injured
116
122
126
Terrorist attacks
Incidents
614
594
244
Civilian killed
39
39
37
Civilians injured
63
188
112
Security Personnel martyred
91
80
62
Security Personnel injured
238
140
106
Terrorist killed
257
157
221
The last DG level meeting of BSF and Pakistan Rangers was held from 08-10 November, 2017 at New Delhi. During this meeting, the issue of cross border firing was discussed, in which it was agreed upon by both sides to ensure that no such firing takes place. In case of any firing, the other side must exercise maximum restrain and immediate contact through all available means of communication be established to avoid further escalation. Flag meetings are also held on ground, on need basis, between Commanders of different level.
No assessment is made to ascertain the losses to the exchequer due to such attacks. However, compensation is provided to the civilians, security force personnel, etc. for the losses due to such attacks.
Government has been consistently raising the issue of cross border terrorism and has placed high emphasis on international cooperation in combating the menace of terrorism including in bilateral, regional and international fora. Some of the steps taken by the Government to curb terrorist activities are as under:
Kinetic operations: actively identifying the terrorists and their tactical supporters, seeking them through operations like cordon and search giving proper response if they resort to violence while being arrested etc.
Preventive operations: actively identifying the strategic supporters of terrorism and initiating investigations to remove the camouflaging layers and exposing their mechanisms of aiding and abetting terrorism such as funding, recruiting etc.
Night patrolling has been intensified and Nakas have been set up on all likely infiltration routes. The vehicles coming from borders areas are being thoroughly checked.
Coordination meetings are being regularly conducted and high-alertness is being maintained by all the forces deployed in the area.
Sharing of Intelligence inputs on real time basis among all Security forces operating in J&K.
Further to expose Pakistan’s connection with various terrorist outfits in the international arena, Government of India is also using the various evidence collected during investigations of terror attacks for inclusion in bilateral and multilateral discussions.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply to question in the Lok Sabha today.
Las Vegas, NV, Sep 29, 2020 — The 100 Black Men of Las Vegas is thrilled to announce their “Lock in The Vote” Voter Registration Drive. The press and public are invited to attend this event Saturday, October 3 rd , 2020 from 11 AM to 3 PM PST at Nevada Partners on 690 W. Lake Mead Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89030.
With the historic 2020 General Election right around the corner, the nonprofit created the event, “Lock in The Vote”, aimed to target Generation Z to take what’s important to them to the polls. Many young people across the country have sparked waves leading massive protests due to the social injustices and police brutality in America during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Voting is the key element to the start of change in America. Every eligible citizen should exercise their right to be heard at the polls. This election is vital to our future as new lines will be drawn for redistricting, in which could mean more or less representation in the House for your neighborhood. We are here to encourage millennials to get active and involved. Take your protest to the polls, that’s where the true difference is made,” stated Mel Tillar, 100 Black Men Las Vegas, Community Advocacy Committee Chairman.
The 100 Black Men of Las Vegas will have speakers’, special guests, and performances in efforts to express the true essence of voting and completing the U.S. Census.
“It’s time to make the choice to invest in your own future. If you decide your vote doesn’t count you will have made the decision against your own self-interest and interest of the communities you came from. Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does”, said Monica Ford, President of Nevada Partners.
Partnered with The 100 Black Men on this amazing venture is Nevada Partners, Squad Goals to the Polls, Tulips, The Center, Faith Organizing Alliance, and The City of Las Vegas. KCEP-FM Teen Talk will be broadcasting live from the event also featuring aspecial performance by local artist Larry Dub. We are encouraging young adults from age 18 to 25 to attend. For more information, contact Rhonda Nolen at (702) 908-9577.
Joint Statement; Libyan Dialogue: Comprehensive Agreement on Transparent and Objective Criteria and Mechanisms to Occupy Posts of Sovereignty
Libyan Dialogue; Bouznika , Morocco – The delegations of the Libyan High Council of State and the Tobruk Parliament announced at the end of their meetings, that they reached a comprehensive agreement on the transparent and objective criteria and mechanisms to occupy the posts of Sovereignty.
Berlin, Germany., September 21, 2020 — According to a joint statement read by Driss Omran of the Libyan House of Representatives, in the presence of minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, the delegations of the Libyan High Council of State and the Tobruk Parliament announced at the end of their meetings in Bouznika Morocco, that they reached a comprehensive agreement on the transparent and objective criteria and mechanisms to occupy the posts of Sovereignty. Both parties also agreed to continue this dialogue and to resume these meetings during the last week of September. The objective is to complete the necessary measures to ensure the implementation and activation of this agreement.
The two parties to the dialogue called on the UN and the international community to support Morocco’s efforts to create the right conditions and a conducive climate to achieve a comprehensive political solution in Libya. They also reiterated their thanks and gratitude to the Kingdom and to King Mohammed VI for the support and assistance to overcome the Libyan crisis. These talks aim at achieving the hopes of the Libyan people and their aspirations to build a civil and democratic State that is governed by peace, security and stability.
The two delegations also affirmed that their meetings took place in “a friendly and fraternal atmosphere marked by understanding and consensus”. These talks were held as a result of the two Libyan delegations’ awareness of the current situation in the country, as extremely dangerous situation is threatening its security, territorial integrity and sovereignty. this situation has become worse following foreign interventions that only revive war, regional and ideological alignments.
Both parties also emphasized that these meetings take place in accordance with Article 15 of the Libyan political agreement reached in Skhirat, Morocco and following the conclusions of the Berlin conference. In addition, these talks took place on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions. The foreign intervention in the the Libyan affairs caused a division of the political and institutional powers and caused the citizens to lose confidence in the legislative and executive institutions.
About Friends of Morocco:
Friends of Morocco (FOM), active since 1988, is an organization of Americans and Europeans, mostly returned volunteers, with experience in Morocco with an interest in promoting political, educational, cultural, charitable, social, literary and scientific exchanges between Morocco and the rest of the world. FOM is a non profit organization with the headquarter is in the USA and chapters around the world. The main objective of Friends of Morocco is to promote Morocco and to build bridges and connect people who have fallen in Love with this country, adopted its culture and made it their 2nd home. Friends of Morocco is a nonprofit organization with branches around the world.
Contact:
Elle P. Wolfgang
Friends of Morocco
Berlin, Germany
015213454385
tcprelease@gmail.com
http://www.freundevonmarokko.de
