Sri Lanka’s parliament will convene Tuesday in its first session since a state of emergency was imposed as the country grapples with protests and mounting demands for the president’s resignation over a worsening economic crisis. The state of emergency is due to expire on Thursday next week unless it is ratified in a parliamentary vote. Sri Lanka’s opposition dismissed President Rajapaksa’s invitation to join a unity government as “nonsensical” and instead demanded his resignation over the country’s worsening shortages . meanwhile Sri Lanka’s central bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said he is resigning, only hours after all government ministers offered to step down amid the nation’s worst economic and political crises in decades. The resignation was submitted to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Cabraal said in a Twitter post Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear if the president had accepted the offer.

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कवि व निबन्धकार रामधारी सिंह दिनकर का जन्म 23 सितंबर 1908 को सिमरिया, मुंगेर, बिहार में हुआ था। ‘दिनकर’ स्वतन्त्रता पूर्व एक विद्रोही कवि के रूप में स्थापित हुए और स्वतन्त्रता के बाद राष्ट्रकवि के नाम से जाने गये। वे छायावादोत्तर कवियों की पहली पीढ़ी के कवि थे। एक ओर उनकी कविताओ में ओज, विद्रोह, आक्रोश और क्रान्ति की पुकार है तो दूसरी ओर कोमल श्रृंगारिक भावनाओं की अभिव्यक्ति है। इन्हीं दो प्रवृत्तियों का चरम उत्कर्ष हमें उनकी कुरुक्षेत्र और उर्वशी नामक कृतियों में मिलता है।

समर शेष है !
ढीली करो धनुष की डोरी, तरकस का कस खोलो ,
किसने कहा, युद्ध की वेला चली गयी, शांति से बोलो?
किसने कहा, और मत वेधो ह्रदय वह्रि के शर से,
भरो भुवन का अंग कुंकुम से, कुसुम से, केसर से?
कुंकुम? लेपूं किसे? सुनाऊँ किसको कोमल गान?
तड़प रहा आँखों के आगे भूखा हिन्दुस्तान ।
फूलों के रंगीन लहर पर ओ उतरनेवाले !
ओ रेशमी नगर के वासी! ओ छवि के मतवाले!
सकल देश में हालाहल है, दिल्ली में हाला है,
दिल्ली में रौशनी, शेष भारत में अंधियाला है ।
मखमल के पर्दों के बाहर, फूलों के उस पार,
ज्यों का त्यों है खड़ा, आज भी मरघट-सा संसार ।
वह संसार जहाँ तक पहुँची अब तक नहीं किरण है
जहाँ क्षितिज है शून्य, अभी तक अंबर तिमिर वरण है
देख जहाँ का दृश्य आज भी अन्त:स्थल हिलता है
माँ को लज्ज वसन और शिशु को न क्षीर मिलता है
पूज रहा है जहाँ चकित हो जन-जन देख अकाज
सात वर्ष हो गये राह में, अटका कहाँ स्वराज?
अटका कहाँ स्वराज? बोल दिल्ली! तू क्या कहती है?
तू रानी बन गयी वेदना जनता क्यों सहती है?
सबके भाग्य दबा रखे हैं किसने अपने कर में?
उतरी थी जो विभा, हुई बंदिनी बता किस घर में
समर शेष है, यह प्रकाश बंदीगृह से छूटेगा
और नहीं तो तुझ पर पापिनी! महावज्र टूटेगा

समर शेष है, उस स्वराज को सत्य बनाना होगा
जिसका है ये न्यास उसे सत्वर पहुँचाना होगा
धारा के मग में अनेक जो पर्वत खडे हुए हैं
गंगा का पथ रोक इन्द्र के गज जो अडे हुए हैं
कह दो उनसे झुके अगर तो जग मे यश पाएंगे
अड़े रहे अगर तो ऐरावत पत्तों से बह जाऐंगे
समर शेष है, जनगंगा को खुल कर लहराने दो
शिखरों को डूबने और मुकुटों को बह जाने दो
पथरीली ऊँची जमीन है? तो उसको तोडेंगे
समतल पीटे बिना समर कि भूमि नहीं छोड़ेंगे
समर शेष है, चलो ज्योतियों के बरसाते तीर
खण्ड-खण्ड हो गिरे विषमता की काली जंजीर
समर शेष है, अभी मनुज भक्षी हुंकार रहे हैं
गांधी का पी रुधिर जवाहर पर फुंकार रहे हैं
समर शेष है, अहंकार इनका हरना बाकी है
वृक को दंतहीन, अहि को निर्विष करना बाकी है
समर शेष है, शपथ धर्म की लाना है वह काल
विचरें अभय देश में गाँधी और जवाहर लाल
तिमिर पुत्र ये दस्यु कहीं कोई दुष्काण्ड रचें ना
सावधान हो खडी देश भर में गाँधी की सेना
बलि देकर भी बलि! स्नेह का यह मृदु व्रत साधो रे
मंदिर औ’ मस्जिद दोनों पर एक तार बाँधो रे
समर शेष है, नहीं पाप का भागी केवल व्याध
जो तटस्थ हैं, समय लिखेगा उनके भी अपराध

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Parties like the DMK and AAP also joined the growing chorus against the holding of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) at a time when COVID-19 cases were rising across the country.

At a meeting convened by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on a range of issues ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the seven chief ministers unanimously agreed on the need to file a review petition urging the Supreme Court to reconsider its recent order rejecting the postponement of the competitive exams.
Among the chief ministers who attended the meeting were West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Maharashtra’s Uddhav Thackeray, who is heading the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government, Punjab’s Amarinder Singh (Congress), Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren (JMM), Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot (Congress), Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel (Congress)and Puducherry’s V Narayanasamy (Congress).

A decision was taken to discuss the matter and evolve a joint strategy in this regard.

Sonia Gandhi said the Congress was on board on the issue and asked Banerjee, who proposed a joint appeal by the states in the apex court, to work out with Amarinder Singh and other chief ministers on the legal recourse. She said whatever steps need to be taken in the interest of students should be taken unitedly.

The Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said that the ministry was under so much pressure from the students and their parents to conduct JEE and NEET on the schedules dates. He also hinted that most students are ready and willing to write the examinations because most of them have downloaded the admit cards. “The Director-General of the NTA told me that around 7,50,000 JEE aspirants have downloaded their admit cards. This says that they want to write the exam,” he said.

However, a large number of students said that they downloaded the admit card just to know where their exam centre is and they still want the exam to be postponed. Interestingly, a lot of students took to social media, posting photographs of them burning their admit cards.

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“The Prime Minister has instructed party and around the country and in places where we are in opposition we will avoid protests on road and will convey our views in small groups or through video conferencing,” Manoj Tiwari said.

He added that the Prime Minister also thanked people working in airports and hospital for their efforts in containing the deadly virus.

“We will now proceed to distribute masks and sanitizers among the general public,” Mr Tiwari added.
The government on Tuesday suggested closure of all schools, colleges, universities, gyms, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres till March 31. Many states, including Maharashtra, have already closed educational institutions. In his address at the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Modi made a strong pitch for Parliament to carry out its business as per its schedule and took a swipe at those making calls, including writing letters, for the session to be aborted due to coronavirus, sources said.

What will happen if medical professionals and railway and airline employees also speak about not working due to the health scare, he wondered, asserting that parliamentarians must carry out their duties at a time when over 130 crore people of India are going about their business while taking precautions.

Though he did not name anyone, BJP MP and former Union minister Vijay Goel had written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairperson, urging them to consider adjourning their respective House sine die because of coronavirus as Parliament sees presence of a large number of people during sessions.

That Goel’s letter found its way in the media also did not go down well with the prime minister, the sources said. The Budget Session is scheduled to continue till April 3.

There has been speculation that the session may be curtailed in view of the health advisory against big gatherings.

When over 130 crore people of the country are facing a health concern, MPs should be seen to be doing their work, including to deal with coronavirus, and Parliament should function, Modi said, according to the sources.

Briefing reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said Modi heaped praise on doctors and other medical staff besides airline crews and all those involved in tackling the coronavirus crisis, saying they have worked positively and tirelessly. Joshi ruled out any curtailment of the session.

Modi also lauded the media for spreading awareness on the virus, and said no amount of praise for its work will be enough.

As the parliamentary party meeting ended, many BJP MPs were seen passing on the prime minister’s appreciation to reporters in the parliament complex.

Modi asked BJP MPs to spread awareness among the people in small groups and suggested that they should refrain from launching any mass agitation till April 15.

He told them to meet medical professionals in their constituency and praise them for the work.

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The Actor attended meeting had been organised by the JNU students’ union and the teachers’ association against the attack on students by masked men and women armed with lathis and iron rods on Sunday which resulted in more than twenty people getting injured and hospitalised.

Deepika, however, did not address the crowd. She stood by as former JNUSU president, Kanhaiya Kumar raised slogans and left just as current President Aishe Ghosh, who too was injured in the attack, began to speak.

Soon after news of Deepika making an appearance at JNU broke, social media was split into two sections.

On one hand, people lauded the actor for having taken a strong stance and condemning the attack on students.

Last month, when protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act resulted in violent clashes between the students at Jamia Milia Islamia and Delhi Police, most of Bollywood stood as mute spectators until they were practically coaxed to speak up.

This time around nevertheless, Bollywood has seen support pouring in from all corners as stars took to the streets to voice their dissent. In Mumbai, celebrities such as Anurag Kashyap, Swara Bhasker, Shweta Tripathi, Vishal Bharadwaj, Vishal Dadlani among others joined the protests at Carter Road.

Many have argued that Deepika would never have turned up at JNU had she not been in Delhi for Chhapaak promotions. Some even claimed that her appearance was a mere publicity stunt. But, even if that’s true, why is that a problem?
.
In the past few hours, Deepika has seen the very worst hatred on social media. “Anti-national”, “Urban Naxal”, “Pakistani” – these are just some of the things she’s been called.

गोपाल सिंह राजपुरोहित@Gopalrajdoli

I never imagined that actress like Deepika Padukone will support These JNU Goons and Afzal

Now Deepika shows True colour

This is my final decision that I will never watch any Film of these actress who Support anti nationalist goons #boycottchhapaak

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University officials have claimed a group of students, led by Ms Ghosh – who is President of the students union and Saket Moon – who is Vice President – broke into the server room on Friday and vandalised servers to hamper registration ahead of the winter semester.

Officials said they sought to restore servers but “miscreants” re-entered around 1 pm on Saturday and again damaged them. Servers were restored for a second time around 4 pm, university officials said.

JNU Students Union hit back and said the university administration used “masked” security guards to destroy the server room and attack students. “They were shamefully wearing masks. JNUSU president was openly slapped,” the JNUSU had alleged.

Meanwhile Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said “masked” men involved in the JNU attack will be exposed soon as the Home ministry has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said misunderstanding are deliberately being spread in JNU and others parts of the country to incite violence. “I feel that Home minister has ordered an enquiry and the masked men involved in the JNU attack will soon be unmasked.

Delhi Police is taking the help of video footage and face recognition system to identify those involved in the violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here on Sunday, government sources said. The violence was perpetrated by a group of masked men at the premises of the prestigious institution.

Police is taking the help of video footage as well as face recognition system to identify the culprits, the sources said on Tuesday. The police is also investigating the claim made by a group called Hindu Raksha Dal of being involved in the violence at the university.

The Delhi Police has registered two FIRs in connection with vandalism at the server room at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, police said on Tuesday. The FIRs were registered on the complaint of JNU administration on 5 January, they said.

The JNU administration had given the names of students union office bearers including its president Aishe Gosh in connection with the vandalism but police have not put her name or that of other students in the accused column of the FIRs.

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Kriti Sanon SAID : “It breaks my heart to see what happened at JNU! What’s going on in India is horrifying!! Students & teachers being beaten up & terrorized by masked cowards!! The constant blame game!Stooping so low for political agendas!Violence is NEVER a solution! How have we become so inhuman?”

Taapsee Pannu SAID : “such is the condition inside what we consider to be a place where our future is shaped. It’s getting scarred for ever. Irreversible damage. What kind of shaping up is happening here, it’s there for us to see…. saddening”

Meanwhile Hundreds of protesters who gathered at Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India since Sunday night in anger against the mob attack in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were forced out by the police this morning and moved to Azad Maidan, 2 km away. This after the police were told by the students that there was no leader of the protest and no one would listen to the requests to shift to Azad Maidan.

Policemen then physically removed from the popular tourist site that became the epicentre of the “Occupy Gateway” protest. The police say while some moved voluntarily, some had to be dragged away from the site after they refused to comply.

A police officer told there are no toilet or water facilities at the Gateway of India and it was becoming a challenge to control the crowd at what is one of the busiest sites in Mumbai.

Actor Anil Kapoor has strongly condemned the violent attack on the students and faculty members of Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) by masked assailants on Sunday night.

The actor said, “It has to be condemned. It was quite sad and quite shocking. What I saw was very disturbing. In fact, main poori raat soya nahi yeh soch soch ke ki what is happening. (In fact, I did not sleep all night because I was thinking about what is happening.) It has to be condemned. Violence se kuch hone wala nahi hai. Jinhone yeh kiya, they should be punished, absolutely.

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A mob of around 50 to 60 masked men and women, holding sticks and rods entered hostel buildings, assaulted students and vandalised the campus. many were injured and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. They were discharged on Monday morning, AIIMS Trauma Centre Chief Dr Rajesh Malhotra told ANI. A few students were reportedly admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital but there is no clarity on the exact number. Among those injured were the president of the students’ union Aishe Ghosh and faculty member Sucharita Sen.

“Mr Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, it is time to go!” Monday’s statement from the university’s students’ union said. “The JNU community has a single point demand. That either this V-C resign or the MHRD [Ministry of Human Resource Development] as the competent authority remove him! M Jagadesh Kumar is behaving like a mobster who perpetuates violence in the university he is supposed to administer

Masked goons, armed with sticks and stones, barged into Delhi’s prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on Sunday evening and beat up students and teachers, spreading chaos and terror. Nineteen students, all from Left-backed groups, and five teachers were injured and hospitalised. The Left students and the ABVP, the student wing linked to the BJP, have accused each other of involvement in the attack. Late in the evening, the JNU authorities called in the police, who held a flag march and declared the situation normal. But students and staff insisted that the miscreants are still lurking in the campus and that they were not safe. They also accused the university authorities and the police of complicity. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah has asked Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik for a report. Hundreds, meanwhile, gathered outside the city’s police headquarters to protest against the violence.

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Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) barred entry-exit at 19 stations, including Rajiv Chowk, to restrict the movement of those protesting against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. Seven metro stations were shut through the day due to the protests at Jama Masjid and India Gate.

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However, in the national and financial capitals of India, “no untoward incidents was reported”. Delhi Police PRO Mandeep Singh Randhawa said the force is closely monitoring social media and WhatsApp groups to check rumour mongering. At the August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai, there were peaceful protests during the three hours of agitation.

Over 2,000 police personnel at the venue did not come in the way of protesters, which earned the Mumbai Police plaudits on social media. Many protesters, before leaving, made it a point to shake hands with the policemen. Groups of youngsters were also seen singing while walking to the nearby Grant Road Railway station.

Amid protests against the amended Citizenship Act, BJP working president J P Nadda asserted that the law will be implemented and the National Register of Citizens will also be brought in. “Those who are opposing the citizenship law should meet them. These people have been living in India for 28-30 years but can’t admit their children in schools or buy a house as they do not have citizenship. Our rivals cannot see anything beyond their vote bank politics,” Nadda said.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa also tried to allay fears among the Muslim community, saying that it was his government’s responsibility to protect their interest. Calling for peace, amid protests against the CAA in various parts of the state defying prohibitory orders, he accused the Congress party of being behind it and warned them of consequences.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh slammed CM Mamata Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, for allegedly instigating people against the central government, the BJP leader said she is frustrated as her dream of becoming the prime minister did not see the light of the day.

“No Indian has the urge to destroy national properties. Those who have ravaged public properties and wreaked havoc in West Bengal for last few days in support of the chief minister of the state are the enemies of the country. These lungi clad infiltrators can be only identified through the NRC,” Ghosh asserted.

In Uttar Pradesh

A Lucknow man was killed as violence erupted in the state capital and some other parts of Uttar Pradesh with protesters, angry over the new citizenship law, pelting stones at police and torching vehicles.

Mohammad Wakeel (25) suffered a firearm injury when he was passing through an old city area where the clashes took place, his family said. But police denied that this had anything to do with the protests or the police action. The scattered incidents of violence were reported from Lucknow’s old city and parts of Sambhal and Mau districts.

Two buses were torched, one in Lucknow and the other in Sambhal. Mobs also targeted two police posts in the state capital, setting one of them ablaze. Police resorted to lathi-charge and used tear-gas shells at several places.

In Mau, protesters hurled stones, triggering a large deployment of UP’s Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). Several Aligarh Muslim University teachers held a silent march, days after the institute witnessed violence when students protested against the new legislation that they say discriminates against Muslim. The protesters, including several women teachers, marched from the AMU Teachers’ Club to the Purani Chungi Crossing.

In Karnataka

Two persons were killed in police firing at Mangaluru in BJP-ruled Karnataka as protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent, even as street demonstrations surged in southern cities. Police have clamped curfew in parts of Mangaluru until Friday night.

Police sources said protesters defying prohibitory orders attempted to lay siege to the Mangalore North police station and tried to attack police personnel, following which force was used to disperse them.

Two persons received bullet injuries in police firing and they later succumbed at a hospital, police confirmed. The deceased were identified as Jaleel Kudroli (49) and Nausheen (23).

In Assam, Bengal & Bihar

Protests against contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act continued unabated across Assam on Thursday but there was no report of any violence during the stir which was also the case in West Bengal and Meghalaya.

But, Bihar witnessed vandalism and arsons during the day on account of a state-wide shutdown called by Left parties to protest against new citizenship law and proposed NRC across the nation.

All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) strongly criticising the Vice Chancellors’ appeal to students not to join the stir. VCs of about 20 government and private universities in Assam, which experienced mass protests against the amended Citizenship Act and mayhem, had earlier made an appeal to students not to endanger their future but help in maintaining peace and harmony in the state.

Delhi

Thousands of students, activists and opposition leaders hit the streets in the national capital on Thursday defying heavy security clampdown and prohibitory orders even as authorities suspended mobile internet services and restricted traffic movement to quell the swirling agitation.

Opposition leaders D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat, Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dikshit and activists Yogendra Yadav, Umar Khalid were among over 1,200 people detained from areas around Red Fort and Mandi House — the sites of the two planned demonstrations.

Notwithstanding the restrictions, hundreds of flag-waving students and activists converged near the historic Jantar Mantar in the afternoon to voice their anger against the contentious law after police forcefully evicted protesters from areas around Red Fort and Mandi House. Permission for holding any demonstration in the two sites was not granted.

Maharashtra

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the financial capital against the Citizenship Act on Thursday, converging at the August Kranti Maidan, where Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 told the British to quit India.

The gathering included workers of political parties, students and a smattering of Bollywood personalities, who made out a strong case against the Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The protest in Mumbai was called by a slew of opposition parties like the CPI and civil society groups, but the gathering seemed to transcend all identities. Students from Assam, a few Mumbaikars hailing from Mizoram and others joined the locals in the protests that began at 4 pm and dwarfed a pro-CAA gathering organised outside the Churchgate railway station not far away. Bollywood personalities including actors Farhan Akhtar, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhaskar and film makers Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Saeed Mirza were also present at the Maidan.

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