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‘I smell’ confession wins homeless the right to shower next to St Peter’s square

Vatican City, November 14, 2014: Pope Francis has ordered the installation of showers for the homeless just next to St Peter’s square after a street dweller declared himself too smelly to eat with a bishop.

In an initiative sparked by one of his closest aides’ encounter with a down-and-out man on the streets of Rome, the pontiff has given his blessing to an upgrade of public toilets intended to serve the millions of pilgrims and visitors who flock to the Vatican every year.

Next week, work will begin to install three showers to enable the homeless in the area to wash themselves and their clothes just meters from where the Argentinian pope lives in his modest apartment, having eschewed the splendor of the palatial residence put at the disposal of pontiffs.

Similar initiatives are already underway at 10 parishes across Rome at the bidding of Konrad Krajewski, a Polish bishop who currently serves as the pope’s official almoner — the person in charge of delivering charity to the poor.

Krajewski, who remains widely known as father Konrad despite his lofty position, launched his initiative after a chance meeting with a homeless man from Sardinia, on one of the main streets leading to St Peter’s in October.

The archbishop had just come from hearing confessions in the Church of the Holy Spirit and was in contemplative mood as he strolled down the Via della Conciliazione and bumped into the man.

“He told me that he was turning 50 that day and that he had been living on the street for 10 years,” Krajewski recalled in an interview with Italian daily La Stampa on Thursday.

Moved, Krajewski issued an impromptu invitation to dinner which his new acquaintance initially declined, saying simply: “Puzzo” (I Smell).

Clerical persuasion prevailed however and over a Chinese meal, the man explained that while Rome was good at ensuring the homeless do not go hungry, staying clean was more complicated.

Krajewski promptly sprung into action. A construction firm volunteered to install the showers in parishes that did not already have them and a substantial donation from celebrated Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli also helped.

And the bishop insists he could not give a hoot if well-to-do visitors to the Vatican turn up their noses at having to share the toilets with the homeless.

“The Basilica exists in order to keep the Body of Christ, and we serve Jesus’s suffering body by serving the poor,” he said, echoing Pope Francis’s statement on his appointment that he wanted the Church to be a “poor Church, for the poor.”

- afp / ucan

FIR at Bhiwandi against miscreants burning green flag on social media

Mumbai, November 15, 2014: An FIR against unknown offenders for creation and circulation of an offensive video on the social media sites has been lodged at Bhiwandi police station in Thane district.

The FIR was prompted after Raza Academy; Bhiwnadi lodged a complaint in this regarding a video. The news of circulation of reportedly offensive video immediately spread amongst Bhiwandi Muslims who then gathered in front of Bhiwandi Kumharwada police station to register their grievances. They also demanded arrest of miscreants behind uploading of the same on the social media sites, a release from Raza Academy said.

The video purportedly shows some miscreants abusing Muslims and burning a green flag with a moon crescent and a star – generally associated with Muslims, as the crowd outside the police station believed.

Yaqub Shaikh and Shakeel Raza, corporators from Samad Nagar, too reached the police station along with Raza Academy member Sharjeel Raza and many others. They requested police officers to register FIR and to investigate the matter. An FIR no 14/72 under section 66A IT Act 2000 and section 295 of the IPC was registered.

With an aim to calm down the Muslim mob gathered in police station, DCP Prag Muneer called up Shakeel Raza and assured of timely investigation and arrest in the matter. The corporators then calmed down the people and appealed them for maintaining peace in the area and not to pay any heed to the rumors, the release said.

- tcn

Bombay HC stays 5% reservation for Muslims in jobs, allows in govt educational institutions

Mumbai, November 15, 2014: Bombay High Court on Friday stayed Maharashtra government’s decision to give 16% reservation to Marathas in public service and educational institutions. The court also stayed reservations to the Muslims in public service but allowed 5% reservation to the same community in educational institutions.

The HC bench headed by chief justice Mohit Shah was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PIL) filed against the reservation on the ground that they were not constitutional.

The matter would be now heard again in January 2015.

On June 25, 2014 eyeing the state assembly elections, previous Congress-NCP government had approved 16% reservation for Marathas and 5% for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions. Soon after the declaration of reservation by state, PILs challenging reservation for the two communities were filed by social activist Ketan Tirodkar, Anil Thanekar, I S Gilada of Indian Health Organization and others.

The HC had admitted all the petitions and issued notice to the Advocate General. Former journalist and activist Ketan Tirodkar argued that Marathas are not a caste but a linguistic group and asserted Marathas are a dominant community, not a backward one. The petition also argued that the decision violated a Supreme Court order that had made it clear that reservations could not cross 50 per cent.

The government, on the other hand defended its decision on reservation to Marathas and Muslims contending that the two communities were socio-educationally backward and also economically poor.

It said the decision was based on the report of a Committee headed by former minister Narayan Rane set up to look into the Maratha community status in Maharashtra and recommendations of Rajinder Sachar Committee and Mahmoodur Rahman Committee. Both these committees had recommended reservation for Muslims.

The court was of the view that the comparative data provided by the government justified its decision to introduce reservation for Muslims in government educational institutions it excluded private educational bodies from the purview of reservations for the minority community.

Political blame-game

“This government did not present the case in a proper manner in the High Court,” NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said to DNA. “The ruling highlights the failure on part of the new regime to protect the quota decision of the Congress-NCP government,” he added.

While Shiv Sena sought an explanation from the BJP for its failure to defend quota to Marathas, it raised questioned the Minority ministry of state for its proper representation of Muslims case before the court as the government could convince educational backwardness of Muslims in the state.

“The picture now is that the reservation was brought only for the sake of Muslims. Minorities Affairs minister Eknath Khadse should tell people what kind of discrepancies remained in convincing the court of the government’s commitment to provide quota for Marathas,” Sena leader Diwakar Raote said to DNA.

Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has indicated that his government will challenge the HC order before the Supreme Court. “The state government is fully supportive of the quota for the Marathas. We will approach the Supreme Court against the HC ruling. We will take measures to ensure that the quota remains,” Fadnavis told reporters here.

If there appears any lacuna in law for providing reservation to Maratha then the government will do necessary amendments during the winter session of the State Legislature at Nagpur that starts from December 8, he said.

- tcn

Minority students’ body asks government to take action against fundamentalists in Assam

Guwahati, November 15, 2014: More than 500 All BTC Minority Students Union (ABMSU) on Thursday staged a demonstration against the anti-social elements who are trying to bring division in the society in the name of religion and slammed the state government for its failure in check the violence and illegal activities in the state that have increased in recent time.

“We want to live peacefully and we want development. We condemn all the anti-social elements including Islamic fundamentalists and alleged Jehadi elements which seem to be increasing in the state. We appeal to the government to identify all such elements and take necessary steps to rid the state of this,” ABMSU general secretary Lafiqul Islam Ahmed said.

ABMSU also submitted a memorandum to the chief minister citing various demands, including that the Home department should find out all educational institutes supposed to be providing training of alleged jehadi activities at Madrassas.

“We do want that a proper investigation should be in place to find out if illegal activities are going on at Madrassas. But overall students should not be harassed in the name of investigation and the issue should not be generalized,” Ahmed said.

The students’ body that represents the minority students of Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) also expressed its concern at the increasing presence of Hindu fundamentalist groups such as the RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal.

“We are worried that these elements can spoil the peace and harmony of the state. The government should be careful of these elements as well. We also appeal to the government to bring peace in BTAD as several banned militant outfits have been creating trouble in the area,” he said and urged the government to take proper care of the victims of various violence and riots, which have hit the BTAD area over several decades.

Meanwhile, Sadou Asom Goria Moria Deshi Jatiya Parishad (SAGMDJP) burnt effigies of BJP MP Ramen Deka for his alleged statement against Islam. The activists of SAGMDJP demanded that the BJP MP should be booked for his communal statement which is against the integrity of the country.

- tcn