West Bengal: Communal Violence Going On Over A Facebook Post, and 4 Other Updates

1. West Bengal: Communal Violence Going On Over A Facebook Post.

On Tuesday, a communal violence broke out in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. However, the reason behind this communal violence, as reported by PTI, is said to be a Facebook post which was posted last evening. The Centre has now ordered some 300 paramilitary personnels to rush to the site in order to placate the situation. The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee came out and announced that the violence broke out between two communities in Baduria of the Basirhat sub-division. The PTI sources said that three companies (about 300 personnel) of paramilitary forces were being rushed to the state to assist the local police in containing the situation. Banerjee criticised the religious leaders of both the communities and warned that a strict action can be taken against them.

2. Achal Kumar Jyoti Appointed As The Next Chief Election Commissioner.

The Law Ministry on Tuesday confirmed that Nasim Zaidi’s position of Chief Election Commissioner will now be succeeded by Achal Kumar Jyoti. The 64-year-old Jyoti was serving as the Chief Secretary of Gujarat when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He will be assuming the charge on 6th July, while Zaidi will demit the office on Wednesday. A 1975-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Joti had joined the three-member poll panel as an election commissioner on May 8, 2015, and would be in office until January 17 next year. He retired as the Gujarat chief secretary in January 2013. He will be the 21st CEC.

3. India’s U18 Girls Rugby Team All Set To Take Part In Paris World Games.

In a good news for the Indian Rugby team, the Under 18 girls team is all set to take part in the Paris World Games 2017 which will be commencing on 7th July. The team has been led by Odisha’s Sumitra Nayak. This is not the first international tournament for the U18 girl’s team, earlier, they bagged a bronze at the inaugural Asian U18 Rugby Sevens that held in UAE. The announcement was made at a media conference, today, where the team coach Nasser Hussain said, “We had a selection camp where 25 girls took part out of which 12 girls, five each from Odisha and West Bengal (and the other two from Delhi and Mumbai), was selected.”

4. India A Is In The Finals Of Asian Snooker Championship.

On Tuesday, Pankaj Advani and Laxman Rawat took India A to the finals of Asian Snooker Championship. While India A beat Iran A with 3-1 in the quarterfinals, it was Thailand’s team that was steered out in the semifinals with 3-0. Both Advani and Rawat, not allowed their Thai opponents to score more than a total of 30 points in their game and won all the three frames. India A will now be playing against Pakistan’s team in the finals which will be a treat for many. The Indian Express reported, Advani, saying “We are pleased with our form leading up to the final. It has been a clinical display of snooker by us and we’re looking forward to a mouth-watering contest in the final,” after a brilliant performance at the championship.

5. A Panchayat In UP Fines A Man For Giving Triple Talaq.

Something that’s turning out impossible for the government is already being implemented in Panchayats of Rural India. The Panchayat in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has slapped a fine of Rs 75,000 on a man for giving triple talaq to his wife, as ANI reported. The decision was taken after the Parents of the woman complained at the Panchayat. Both the man and woman belong to Turk background and triple talaq is not allowed in their culture. The man divorced his wife because she was unable to beget a child even after 11 years of marriage. However, the man has already married another woman. Along with the fine of 75,000 that the man has to pay on Friday, he has also been socially boycotted.

4th July 2017
Jyotsna Amla