The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur, in recognition of its “outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods”, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Culture.
The jury headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi unanimously decided to select Gita Press, Gorakhpur as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize, the statement said.
Modi recalled the contribution of Gita Press in promoting the Gandhian ideals of peace and social harmony. He observed that the conferment of the Gandhi Peace Prize on Gita Press, on completion of hundred years of its establishment, is a recognition of the work done by the institution in community service, the statement said.
Wrestlers protest | Sakshi Malik, Babita Phogat engage in a war of words
Wrestler Sakshi Malik accused BJP leader and former wrestler Babita Phogat of siding with the government during their protest against the WFI chief while Phogat claimed that Malik has become a “Congress puppet”.
Malik and her husband Satyawart Kadian on June 17 said that the wrestlers’ protest was not politically motivated and in no way inspired by Congress as it was BJP leaders Phogat and Teerath Rana, who had helped them in taking police permission for the sit-in at Jantar Mantar.
On June 18, Malik tweeted that they had taken a dig at Phogat and Rana about how they tried to use the wrestlers for their selfish motives but the satire was not understood for the lack of sense of humour.
Phogat, who had mediated between the wrestlers and the government during the grapplers’ three-day protest in January, tweeted a long reply, saying she had nothing to do with the protest and was against the agitation on road from day one.
“I repeatedly told them to meet Prime Minister or Home Minister for a solution but you saw solution with Deepender Hooda, Congress and Priyanka Gandhi, who themselves were accompanied by rape accused people,” she said.
“People of this country have understood that you have become a Congress puppet. Now is the time that you reveal your real motive because people are asking questions now,” Phogat further said. Rana too denied the allegations that he had used the wrestlers for selfish motives.
Manipur violence | RSS appeals for peace, says no place for hatred in democratic setup
In a statement, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale also urged them to ensure a seamless supply of relief materials to those displaced due to the violence, along with “necessary actions to maintain peace and harmony”.
Stressing that there is no place for hatred and violence in a democratic setup, the RSS said both sides should overcome the trust deficit, which caused the present crisis, and initiate dialogue to restore peace.
Hosabale said the RSS stands with the displaced people and other victims of the Manipur crisis “numbering more than 50,000 during this period of terrible grief.”
On June 17 night, hundreds of women in several districts of Manipur took to the streets to condemn the violence. Meitei women holding fire torches formed human chains on the streets in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Kakching districts from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. They raised slogans demanding implementation of the National Register of Citizens.
Cyclone Biparjoy | Very heavy rains in north Gujarat; 3 Rajasthan districts face flood-like situation
Remnants of cyclone Biparjoy caused extremely heavy rains in the last 24 hours in parts of north Gujarat as its intensity gradually reduced from a very severe cyclonic storm to a “depression”, officials said on June 18.
Authorities were on their toes in Banaskantha and Patan districts and relocated thousands of people residing in low-lying areas to safer places, they said.
Cyclone Biparjoy lay as a “depression” over south Rajasthan and it was likely to maintain its intensity on June 18 and bring rainfall in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Amirgarh taluka in Banaskantha district was battered with 206 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 6 pm on June 18, the State Emergency Operation Centre said. Danta and Dhanera talukas in Banaskantha district received 168 mm and 164 mm rainfall, respectively.
In Rajasthan, Jalore, Sirohi and Barmer districts were reeling under a flood-like situation due to heavy rainfall caused by the cyclone, an official said on the day. No loss of human life and livestock has been reported so far, he said.
Officials said the Army and the National Disaster Response Force have been requested to remain on standby in case of any eventuality.
Secretary, State Disaster and Relief, P.C. Kishan said four-five small anicuts were damaged in Barmer due to heavy water flow, whereas several big dams are overflowing in Pindwara, Abu Road and Reodar. He also said there is an alert of heavy rain in the State for the next 15-20 hours.
In Mann Ki Baat before U.S. visit, PM Modi seeks blessings, recalls horrors of Emergency
Ahead of his state visit to the United States of America, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 18 addressed a special out-of-turn episode of Mann Ki Baat, where he sought the blessing of the people for the trip and also recalled the horrors of Emergency, saying that as the “mother of democracy we can never forget June 25”, the day Emergency was imposed.
Modi said that usually the episode is put out on the last Sunday of every month but that since he was travelling to the U.S. this month, he wanted to speak to the people before that.
He hailed the progress that is being made towards a tuberculosis-free India by 2025, spoke of how dairy farming is picking up pace in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla, India’s strong disaster response strategy as seen in the preparations for cyclone Biparjoy, the need to conserve nature through means like rainwater harvesting and afforestation, and the continuous hardwork of the nation’s sportspersons, which was bringing India international laurels.
However, the Congress took the opportunity to take a dig at the Prime Minister’s silence over the ethnic violence in Manipur, where over 100 have been killed, hundreds more injured and tens of thousands internally displaced.
Heatwave in U.P. and Bihar kill nearly 100
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar warned residents over 60 and others suffering various maladies to stay indoors during the daytime.
All the fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, totalling 54, were reported in Ballia district, some 300 kms southeast of Lucknow. Authorities found out most of those who passed away were over 60 years old and had pre-existing health conditions, which may have been exacerbated by the intense heat.
S.K. Yadav, a medical officer in Ballia, said in the past three days, some 300 patients were admitted to the district hospital for various ailments aggravated by heat.
Due to the gravity of the situation, authorities cancelled leave applications of medical personnel in Ballia and provided additional hospital beds in the emergency ward to accommodate the influx of patients.
On June 18, the district experienced a maximum temperature of 43°C, surpassing the normal range by five degrees. The India Meteorological Department issued an alert saying heatwave conditions will last until June 19 in parts of Uttar Pradesh.
The state’s health minister, Brijesh Pathak, said that they have opened an investigation into the cause of death of “so many people” in Ballia.
In eastern Bihar, scorching heat has engulfed most of the state, leading to 42 deaths in the past two days. Among the fatalities, 35 occurred at two hospitals in the state capital of Patna where over 200 patients suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting were being treated.
Badminton | India’s Rankireddy and Shetty triumph in Indonesia Open, create history
The Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on June 18 won a historic men’s doubles title at the Indonesia Open in Jakarta, Indonesia, becoming the first doubles pair from the country to claim a Super 1000 event.
The pair thrashed Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yika of Malaysia in straight games 21-17, 21-18.
They became the first ever Indian pair to reach the final of any Super 1000 tournament after a sensational comeback to get the better of the Korean combination of Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae 17-21, 21-19 21-18 in a thrilling semi-final on June 17.
In Brief:
Blinken kicks off meetings in Beijing on high-stakes mission to cool soaring U.S.-China tensions
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 18 kicked off two days of high-stakes diplomatic talks in Beijing aimed at cooling the exploding U.S.-China tensions that have set many around the world on edge. Blinken opened his program by meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for an extended discussion to be followed by a working dinner. He’ll have additional talks with Qin, as well as China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping, on June 19. Blinken is the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years.
Netanyahu says Israel will move ahead on contentious judicial overhaul plan after talks crumble
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government intends to move ahead on contentious plans to change the country’s judicial system after talks aimed at finding a compromise solution appeared to be crumbling. At a meeting of his Cabinet on June 18, Netanyahu said the opposition hadn’t been negotiating in good faith and that his government would move ahead cautiously on the overhaul. “This week, we will begin the practical steps. We will do them in a measured way, responsibly, but in accordance with the mandate we received to make corrections to the justice system,” he said.
Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
