Waqf Act usurped minority rights, criticises meeting
Speakers at the meeting, inaugurated by Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama president Syed Mohammed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, said the new legislation would lead to the alienation of hundreds of mosques, madrasas, and burial grounds. It would even undermine the existence of Muslims in the country, the meeting noted.
The meeting resolved to democratically oppose the Union government's move to alienate waqf properties. I.B. Usman Faizi presided, and Syed Ibrahim Khaleel Bukhari delivered the keynote address.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
14 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Debate over Age of Consent: Legal reform should not enable predators
RAGHAVENDRA KUMARAs the debate over lowering the age of sexual consent from 18 to 16 years gathers momentum, it is critical to pause and evaluate the issue not just from a legal or romantic lens, but through the prism of child and adolescent development, mental health, and long-term well-being. The guiding principle must always remain the 'Best Interest of the Child', as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to which India is a vs. Capacity: A Developmental MismatchWhile the physical appearance of maturity in adolescents may be misleading, neuroscience clearly demonstrates that the adolescent brain continues to develop well into the early twenties – especially areas responsible for impulse control, risk assessment, and emotional regulation. Legal consent assumes not only willingness but the capacity to understand consequences, resist coercion, and assess risks – capacities that are still under construction in many romance must not be the age of consent involves the risks of overestimating adolescent decision-making capacity, especially in emotionally charged or asymmetrical relationships. Consent must not be reduced to a checkbox or a technicality. It must reflect true autonomy, which many adolescents have not yet developmentally vs Criminalisation: A False BinaryIt is important to acknowledge that the current legal framework under the POCSO Act has occasionally led to the criminalisation of non-exploitative relationships between adolescents. However, this must not prompt a wholesale lowering of the age threshold. Instead, greater judicial discretion and contextual interpretation can be employed in such cases – particularly, when both parties are close in age and no coercion, manipulation, or exploitation is must not be compromised is the law's core protective intent. POCSO was designed to act as a safeguard against child sexual abuse, especially in a country where a majority of perpetrators are known to the child and where systemic redress is difficult. Any dilution of the Act must not come at the cost of weakening its shield against predatory Power Imbalance, and Risk AmplificationAdolescents are highly susceptible to grooming – a gradual process where an older individual gains trust with the intent to manipulate or exploit. Lowering the age of consent may provide legal cover for exploitative relationships, especially where there are differences in age, power, or access. This contradicts the very spirit of the 'Best Interest of the Child' doctrine, which obligates all institutions – legal, medical, and educational – to act in ways that prioritise safety, dignity, and reforms must not inadvertently enable predators or reduce the threshold of accountability under the assumption that a 16-year-old is capable of the same self-protective decision-making as an and Socioeconomic ImpactWe must also recognise that a legal shift of this magnitude will not impact all adolescents equally. Girls, especially from rural or economically marginalised backgrounds, are more vulnerable to early marriage, school dropouts, and forced pregnancies — all of which have lifelong health and social implications. A lower age of consent may further erode protections for those who already lack voice and agency, thereby entrenching Precautionary Principle: First, Do No HarmBorrowed from medical ethics, the principle of primum non nocere ('first, do no harm') applies just as forcefully to legal reform involving children. In matters of child rights and protection, the cost of a wrong legal decision can be irreversible. Before considering what freedoms to offer, the State must ask: Will this change increase vulnerability or reduce it?A Balanced Path ForwardRather than lowering the age of consent outright, judicial sensitivity, child-centred legal interpretation, and investment in comprehensive sexuality education may be better tools to resolve the tensions within adolescent relationships and the law. These approaches allow for a compassionate response without compromising protective commitment under the UNCRC and its own constitutional values require that all legal changes affecting minors undergo the litmus test of 'Best Interest of the Child.' It is this doctrine - not romantic idealism or moral panic – that must remain our legal and moral North Star.(The writer is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and Director, Mana Mandira Healthcare, Bengaluru)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Shah to visit Assam on Aug 29, join land protection drive & unveil new Raj Bhavan
1 2 Guwahati: Ahead of the assembly election early next year, Union home minister Amit Shah will join the state in its drive to protect its lands from encroachers here on Aug 29. Shah, who is also the cooperation minister, will address the panchayat members from NDA on the state govt's plan to form cooperatives in every panchayat. These cooperatives will use the vacant govt land on lease for cultivation and farming so that no encroachment on any vacant govt land can take place. Large swathes of forest lands in the state, illegally occupied by Bangladesh-origin Muslim people, are being cleared by the state govt. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, while addressing a press conference here on Friday, said, "The Union home minister will first inaugurate the newly constructed Raj Bhavan on Aug 29, which I think will be the best Raj Bhavan in the country. Thereafter, he will address a convention of the newly elected panchayat members of BJP and its ally Asom Gana Parishad." He further said the state govt is planning to form cooperative societies in every panchayat. "The responsibility of the cooperative societies will be to use the vacant govt land for agriculture, farming, or dairy. We want to inspire the panchayat members to use the vacant govt land for agriculture so that no encroachment can take place," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indian NRIs Are Getting Eligible For INR 2 Lakh Monthly Pension On Retirement. Invest 18K/M Get Offer Undo He said the vacant govt land will be given to the cooperative societies on lease. "Since Shah is also the cooperation minister, he will also address the panchayat members on this," he added. In the evening, Shah will attend the birth centenary of Assam's first non-Congress CM Golap Borbora. He will then return to Delhi. Borbora was arrested in 1975 during the Emergency for opposing the then Indira Gandhi govt and he spent 18 months in Tihar jail. He became the state unit president of the Janata Party in 1977 after his release from Tihar jail and led the party to victory with 53 seats. He was unanimously elected the first non-Congress chief minister of Assam in 1978, but his govt lasted for only 18 months. He was also a Rajya Sabha member from 1968 to 1974.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Debt-ridden Himachal turns to lottery to make a quick buck
Kullu: Cash-strapped Himachal Pradesh is trying its luck with lottery to turn its fortunes. The cabinet has allowed lottery operations that were shut down in 1999. Burdened by a Rs 1 lakh-crore debt, it hopes to make a modest Rs 50 to Rs 100 crore annually from sale of lottery tickets. The decision to reintroduce lottery in the mountain state after over a quarter century was taken in a cabinet meeting on July 31. The recommendation came from a cabinet sub-committee set up to give suggestions to boost state revenue. It seems to be inspired by other states that run lotteries. Neighbouring Punjab earned Rs 235 crore through sale of lottery tickets during the 2024-25 fiscal, while the tiny state of Sikkim made Rs 30 crore during the same period. Kerala tops the list — the southern state earned a jaw-dropping Rs 13,582 crore last financial year. Himachal, which is finding it difficult to meet the expenses of rebuilding the damage caused by this year's landslides and flash floods, hopes to mop up some much-needed funds this way. "Many states earn through lotteries. You will be surprised to know how much Kerala earns. Himachal Pradesh govt has decided to restart the lottery system in the state after a recommendation was made by a Cabinet sub-committee," said industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like NRIs Living In Greece Are Eligible For INR 2 Lakh Monthly Pension. Invest 18K/Month Get Offer Undo "We will follow the tender process to run the lotteries in Himachal Pradesh just as other states do," added Chauhan. The decision to reintroduce lotteries in Himachal has come at a time when the state's debt stands at a back-breaking Rs 1,04,729 crore, and the per capita debt has reached Rs 1.17 lakh per head, the second highest after Arunachal Pradesh. To make the financial situation even worse, the revenue deficit grant (RDF), financial assistance from the Centre, has come down from Rs 6,258 crore in 2024 to Rs 3,257 crore in 2025, and the GST compensation has been stopped by the Union govt. Govt is expected to introduce the bill on lotteries in the monsoon session of assembly, beginning Aug 18. Himachal Pradesh had banned lotteries, both state-run and from outside the state, in 1999 under Sections 7, 8 & 9 of the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998, during the tenure of chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. The lottery decision has not gone down well with opposition BJP. Former CM and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur criticised the move, saying: "Lotteries were prohibited because they ruined families, homes were auctioned, and people were driven to suicide." Lotteries are legal in 13 states — Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Assam. MSID:: 123044952 413 |
