Latest news with #Zamindari
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bihar govt to name new airport after iconic peasant leader — ‘only fitting tribute'
The Bihar government has announced that the upcoming international airport at Bihta near Patna would be named after social reformer and peasant leader Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, an nationalist icon whose efforts to mobilise farmers in Bihar is credited to have led to the abolition of the Zamindari system in India. In a speech at the 75th death anniversary of Saraswati Thursday, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary — a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — said it was the only 'fitting tribute' to the ascetic, whose Shree Sitaram Ashram in Bihta still stands as a symbol of the peasant movements in 1920s and 30s that captured the popular imagination in Bihar. The announcement comes on a day when the family of Saraswati's American biographer Walter Hauser scattered his ashes in the Ganga. 'We will send a proposal to the Centre to ensure it,' the deputy chief minister said. Bihar Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who also spoke on the occasion, said the state government was willing to help the ashram with digitisation. 'Bihar State Archives has already digitised some rare photographs of farmers' movement led by the Swami,' he said. This comes on a day when the family of the late American historian Walter Hauser, a disciple and biographer of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, scattered his ashes in the Ganga Thursday morning keeping with his last wish. Hauser died in 2019. To mark the occasion, two generations of the family – Hauser's son Michael, his sister Sheela, wife Elizabeth and niece Rosemary – have come down to India. Accompanying this group are two of Hauser's most prominent students, historians William R Pinch and Wendy Singer. 'It is the end of my father's physical journey but his legacies and eternal association with Bihar and Saraswati will remain forever,' his son Michael, a professor at the Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, said. Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary also acknowledged the growing importance of deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary within the National Democratic Alliance at the event. A Kushwaha OBC leader, Choudhary, a former Bihar BJP chief who was tasked with delivering the 2025 Assembly polls for the party, has, over the years, become one of its strongest leaders in Bihar. 'Samrat Choudhary is number two in our government,' Vijay Kumar Choudhary said at the event. Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More
Business Wire
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
SBSB Eastham Secures Take-Nothing Judgment on Behalf of FedEx Freight in $7.5 Million Service Center Dispute
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a complete defense victory, Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC (SBSB Eastham) has secured a take-nothing judgment for its client FedEx Freight, Inc. in a lawsuit filed by the Florida-based company Zamindari Real Estate Investment One, LLC. The plaintiffs were seeking more than $7.5 million in damages claiming FedEx had failed to maintain a leased service center facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, claims the defendants vigorously denied. When Zamindari purchased the property in question in 2013, FedEx Freight was the sole tenant, occupying a large warehouse and office building. The service center was built the year prior by the previous owner as part of a lease agreement and construction rider with FedEx. Once Zamindari took ownership, the company complained to its tenant that parts of the service center needed repair, including a sticking door, parts of the asphalt, roof, and other minor interior cosmetic problems along the front of the building. The two sides disagreed about which party was responsible for those repairs. Upon closer inspection by an engineering consultant, these issues were determined to have been caused by shifts in the facility's foundation due to soil moisture. The plaintiffs contended in the subsequent lawsuit that FedEx's refusal to cover the repairs led to the extent of the damage and sought monetary damages for repairs as well as attorneys' fees. FedEx contended that there was no contract regarding structural damage or upkeep between the two parties, that it did nothing to cause the damage, that it complied fully with the lease agreement, and that the plaintiff was solely responsible for addressing the issues with the property. After a full trial, the jury unanimously found in favor of FedEx Freight, resulting in a take-nothing judgment — meaning Zamindari recovered zero damages. This outcome highlights the outstanding advocacy of SBSB Eastham partner Don Jones and FedEx in-house counsel Rob Ratton and Shelby Walton. 'The facts of the case were on our side from the start, and we are pleased that the jury saw that,' said Mr. Jones. 'We maintained throughout the case that our clients had honored the terms of the lease but were not going to be forced to cover costs that were not their legal responsibility.' The case is Zamindari Real Estate Investment One, LLC v. FedEx Freight, Inc., Cause No. 2019-DCV-6141-D, in the 105 th Judicial District Court of Nueces County, Texas. About Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC SBSB Eastham is a group of experienced attorneys who have come together to form a law firm focused on client needs. The firm's goal is to be the go-to resource at every stage of the legal process, bringing deeper experience, deeper commitment and deeper insights to help solve the most complex issues. In consultation or in the courtroom, the firm will aggressively pursue a client's best interests. For more information about the firm and its team of attorneys, visit
