Latest news with #Samiti
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ganpati mandals decry hike in pothole penalty from ₹2,000 to ₹15,000, seek roll-back
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvaya Samiti, an umbrella body of Ganpati mandals from across the city, on Sunday urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to scrap the recent hike in penalty for potholes near Ganpati pandals from ₹2,000 to ₹15,000 per pothole. Representative Image (PTI) The hike will place unreasonable financial burden on organisers of the festival and leave them susceptible to penal action, said advocate Naresh Dahibawkar, chairman of the Samiti which represents around 2,000 Ganpati mandals. 'Such strict enforcement is not there even for contractors who construct poor roads,' said Dahibawkar. 'We will follow up with both the BMC and the state government to seek cancellation of the fine.' For several years now, the BMC has been levying penalties on Ganpati mandals for potholes found in the vicinity of Ganpati pandals after the festival. Till last year, the penalty was ₹2,000 per pothole. But on July 21 this year, the civic body issued a circular notifying a hike in the fine to ₹15,000 per pothole. Ganpati mandals across the city, including the richest and most popular ones, were alarmed by the decision. More so because they were expecting some concessions after the state government, on July 10, declared Ganeshotsav the state festival. At a meeting of the Samiti held on Saturday in Dadar, representatives of various mandals raised concerns about the hike, and unanimously resolved to urge the authorities for a rollback. 'Many mandals take the initiative to fill potholes after the festival,' said a mandal representative who attended the meeting. 'Yet, the BMC is targeting mandals. This is grossly unfair.' Mandal representatives also raised other concerns during Saturday's meeting, including BMC's insistence on undertakings for immersion of plaster of paris idols, the need for insurance coverage for both mandals and devotees, and coordination with traffic and police officers during the 10-day festival. After listening to concerns of various mandals, the Samiti resolved to take up the demand for scrapping the penalty hike with the civic body and the state government. It also constituted two sub-committees – one each for the eastern and western suburbs – to better address hyperlocal issues faced by mandals.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
RSS women's wing expresses concern over substance abuse among youth
1 2 Nagpur: The Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women's wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Sunday expressed serious concern over rising substance abuse among youth, including women. The organisation also mentioned opioid abuse among other substances. Opioids are natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs, including prescription medications. The Samiti, which held its national executive meeting headed by Pramukh Sanchalika, Shantakka, passed a resolution urging the govt to make it mandatory for educational institutions to include programmes against addiction as part of their activities. The organization blamed social media and movies for rising drug abuse. It also sought curbs over means of inappropriate entertainment and strict action against those involved in the drug trade. Drug addiction has also led to improper behaviour, provocative dressing, and antisocial activities, said the Samiti while also calling for having better-equipped de-addiction centres and an increase in their numbers. Citing a report by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Samiti said almost 25 crore young persons are addicted to some kind of substance. Drug abuse is also fast increasing among women, noted the Samiti. Based on the AIIMS report, the Samiti said 1.6% of women are addicted to alcohol, 0.26% to opioids, 0.34% to cannabis, and 8.9% to tobacco. It also mentioned a Supreme Court observation in December 2022, that 1.58 crore persons in the age group of 10 to 17 years are addicted to various drugs, and more than 75% of the addicts start the abuse before the age of 20 years. Praise for Operation Sindoor Rashtra Sevika Samiti issued a letter congratulating the Indian armed forces for the success of Operation Sindoor. It mentioned that the Indian air defence system foiled attacks by the Pakistani forces mid-air. "The country also gained on the diplomatic front by isolating Pakistan globally. Having two women officers brief about the success of Operation Sindoor signalled women empowerment. The entire Operation Sindoor has emerged as a symbol of assurance for country's safety," said a note shared by the Samiti. E-booklet on experiences during Emergency The Rashtra Sevika Samiti, which will complete 90 years in 2026, has also released an e-booklet on the sevikas' (women volunteers) experiences during the struggle against Emergency. The Samiti has termed the Emergency as a dark period for Indian democracy. The Samiti's national executive meeting was held in Nagpur from July 17 to 20. It was attended by 411 representatives from 38 regions of the organisation. The Samiti's volunteers will also be working on the events to mark the centenary year of RSS.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Crackdown on Bangladeshis: Hindu refugees feel the heat without docus, CAA still a mirage
Nagpur: With many states, including Maharashtra launching a crackdown on infiltrators from Bangladesh, the Bengali-speaking Hindus who fled the restive country to escape religious persecution are feeling the heat. "We were part of the exodus from erstwhile East Pakistan. Then there was another surge of refugees even after Bangladesh was formed, many of whom were settled in the forested areas of Gadchiroli. We Hindus escaped the communal cauldron to find refuge in India, and now we are being hounded again by police. We feel helpless when asked to prove our credentials in the ongoing drive against illegal Bangladeshis," said Subodh Biswas, national president of Nikhil Bharat Bangali Samanbay Samiti — a nationwide guild of Hindus from erstwhile East Pakistan. With many tossed in detention camps across states, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to file an affidavit, explaining the rationale behind the action. Most importantly, despite being Hindus, they cannot become Indian nationals through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) due to lack of documents, say Samiti leaders. The law opened doors to minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to become Indian citizens, but majority Hindus who fled Bangladesh under trying circumstances in the dead of night failed to carry documents with them. Biswas, who is based in Nagpur, told TOI that Bengali-speaking Hindus are now in a spot. "Maharashtra police are demanding documents to prove our nationality, which not many can produce," he said, adding hundreds of Hindus continued to stream into India even after Bangladesh was formed and most of them joined their community members in refugee camps and settlement zones in Gadchiroli. "They could have simply applied under CAA, but documents that need to be submitted include credentials from Bangladesh, which most Hindus don't have. They fled the country under compelling conditions and often to escape death. Who will help them retrieve the papers now," asked Biswas. This makes them vulnerable to police raids. There have been arrests in Maharashtra too. Two migrant workers were arrested in Akola and continue to remain in custody. There was another arrest in Nashik — the person was in India for 50 years, he says. Biswas said the Samiti has demanded that CAA conditions be relaxed for refugees. He also shared a letter issued by the police in Kanker district in Chhattisgarh, appealing to local villagers to share information on Bangladeshi infiltrators. Like Gadchiroli, settlement camps were also established in Chhattisgarh after the 1971 war. Manoj Mandal, the Samiti representative at Pakhanjur town of Chhattisgarh, said the state has also issued a toll-free number for locals to report on the whereabouts of Bengali-speaking people. This has created troubles for many Hindus. At times even personal scores are being settled. In Odisha, where detention camps were set up, said Nimai Sarkar, a former MP and now the state president of the Samiti. "Hindus fled for their lives and did not carry anything. How can they be expected to submit documents if they apply under CAA," he asked. A CAA applicant can put up any document like a birth certificate from Bangladesh, a passport, or even a paper that proves the applicant's grandparents were citizens of that country, said a source handling the cases.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Govt neglects language, says Bengali group
Dhanbad: Jharkhand has a huge population of Bengalis, particularly in pockets like Dhanbad and several other areas like Jamshedpur. The state govt has been deliberately neglecting their language, and the rights and sentiments of the community, the Bangla Bhasha Unnayan Samiti claimed. Holding a daylong meeting here on Sunday, members of the samiti said they would intensify their demand for granting the regional language tag to Bengali. Acting state president of the samiti, Rina Mandal, said, "Bangla speakers have never tolerated any form of disrespect or ignorance towards their language. It is unfortunate that despite 42% of the state's population being speakers of Bengali, the govt continues to discriminate against us." Former MLA and Bengali community member Phoolchand Mandal, termed the govt's neglect a "conspiracy" against Bengalis. "Bengali is a respectable and widely spoken language. It is used by a significant portion of the population to communicate, yet it does not enjoy the status it deserves. But such conspiracies to suppress the language will never succeed," he added. Tapan Roy said, "Bengali should be made mandatory in schools. Only then can the language and its speakers be truly respected," he said. Now, the Samiti has been planning to hold a series of public meetings and rallies across the state to expand and intensify their movement until Bengali is recognised as a regional language in Jharkhand, the members added.
The Hindu
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Musical tribute to Balamuralikrishna held in Vijayawada
A musical homage was paid to the legendary Carnatic maestro Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna here on Sunday, under the aegis of Subrahmanya Mahati Sangeetha Samiti. The event, which spanned from morning to evening at the Samiti's cultural auditorium, featured a series of vocal concerts that celebrated Balamuralikrishna's compositions and musical legacy. The performances were marked by both reverence and talent, as disciples of the renowned vocalist Modumudi Sudhakar, along with promising young artists such as Lanka Tejaswi, Bankupalli Vidyasagar, S. Satvika, Burra Neelakantha Shastri, Vemuri Venkata Vishwanath, Tushar Poornavalli, and Sriranjani, rendered various 'kritis' composed by Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna. Their renditions brought out the lyrical beauty and melodic richness embedded in his works. They were accompanied on violin by K. Subrahmanyaraju and B.V.S. Krishna, while Kundurthi Aravind and K.K. Adinarayanasharma provided rhythm support on the mridangam, enhancing the musical experience for the audience. In the evening, veteran vocalists Modumudi Sudhakar and D.V. Mohanakrishna graced the stage with their performances. Their nuanced rendering showcased their mastery and served as a fitting tribute to 'Sangeeta Neerajanam'— a musical offering. They were accompanied by Subrahmanyaraju on viloin, Aravind and Adinarayanasharma on mridangam, and Haribabu on ghatam. The event was properly coordinated by C.V. Rao and Rama Lakshmi, secretaries of the organising committee, according to a press release.
