English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Mob-lynching protection bill draft released

Published

8 years ago

on

Mob-lynching protection bill draft released

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Youth and star activists gather to start Manav Suraksha Kanoon movement

By Lilly Paul

Like-minded citizens have come together to prepare a draft Bill, Protection From Lynching Act, 2017, looking at a new law against the rampant mob lynching taking place in the country. The draft of the proposed law, termed Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA), was released at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on July 7 by the National Campaign Against Mob Lynching.

The group has among its founding members youth leaders Tehseen Poonawalla, Shehla Rashid, Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mewani and Pankhuri Pathak.

The draft will be given to the NDA government first for their MPs to take up. If they do not, then there is a possibility that the draft would be given to any MP to be presented as a private member’s Bill. However, there seems to be a difference of opinion within the group on how to approach with this draft, Shehla Rashid not being for a private mention. This is a bit of confusion they have to clear up before they go ahead with it.

Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of BR Ambedkar, was also present at the release, along with Congressman Shehzad Poonawalla, civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad, JNUSU President Manoj K Pandey and missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed’s sister, Sadar Musharraf.

Many people like Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Swara Bhaskar, Manoj Jha and Jignesh Mevani conveyed their support through video messages.

The drafting committee for the Bill was headed by senior Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde. The committee also included activist and journalist Anil Chamaria, JNU professor Nivedita Menon, campaigner at Amnesty International Sanam Wazir, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, Delhi School of Social Work professor Manoj Jha, feminist author and publisher V Geetha, senior advocate Rebecca John and actress Swara Bhaskar and other activists.

The draft defines ‘mob’ and ‘lynching’ and proposes to make lynching a non-bailable offence. It puts responsibility on the concerned SHO of the area where the lynching took place and demands a time-bound judicial probe, with maximum time limit of six months. The imprisonment for the guilty can extend up to life imprisonment under the proposed bill. It also demands compensation for the victim’s family.

A website and an email-Id have been launched for people to send in their suggestions, queries and feedback on the draft. The draft has been uploaded on the website stopmoblynching.com.

People can register their support for the Bill and send their queries, comments and suggestions to the website. The members had also planned to take out a march – called Insaaf March – to the Prime Minister’s residence and hand him the draft (read the draft here) personally but since he is off to Hamburg for the G20 summit, this couldn’t be possible.

The campaign members will give a copy of the draft to the MPs of their area asking them to support the Bill and will conduct events to keep the campaign going. The campaigners will also take out a march to Parliament when the next session of the Parliament begins on July 17.

The members said that they had earlier decided to name the Bill Nagrik Suraksha Kanoon but later changed it to Manav Suraksha Kanoon because not just Indian citizens but African nationals have also been harassed and assaulted by mobs and since this Bill has been drafted to save any human subjected to barbarism by mob.

On being asked if they were hopeful about the government giving a green signal to their Bill, Tehseen Poonawalla said with all seriousness: “Our Prime Minister is a very kind hearted man, he condemns violence taking place in any part of the world. He was the one who said don’t kill the Dalits, kill me instead. When you have such a Prime Minister why wouldn’t one be hopeful? We have all our faith in him.”

Teesta Setalvad, who will be launching the draft in Mumbai, said: “Any citizen of this country, who seeks help from the police or the authorities should not be denied help as it happened with Junaid’s brothers or Najeeb’s mother. I extend my support to this Bill and every aware citizen of this country should support it.”

Student activist and one of the members of the drafting committee, Shehla Rashid said: “The onus is completely on the Prime Minister, he should accept and stand up for this Bill thereby giving the message to cow vigilantes, Not in My Name. We don’t want this Bill to be presented as a private Bill because such bills get nowhere. We want the government to take it up.” Here is where the confusion arose in the route the draft should take. Other members told this correspondent that they had no objection to this draft moving through as a private Bill.

Said Rashid: “When a person is lynched, the message is very clear: ‘you do not belong to our society’. When a mentally challenged woman is lynched, the message is that mentally disabled people have no right to live in the society. When a Muslim is lynched or a Dalit is flogged in public, it is meant to terrorise the whole society.”

Prakash Ambedkar said: “If the government accepts this Bill, a message will go across the country that they do not support the culture of lynching.”

Prior to the draft release, an online petition was floated by actor Swara Bhaskar on Change.org demanding a ban on cow vigilante groups. The petition at present has received over 27,000 signees. The petition titled ‘Walk the talk, enact Manav Suraksha Kanoon’ was addressed to the Prime Minister.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

India and Russia vow to walk together against terrorism, reaffirm strategic partnership

PM Modi and President Putin reaffirm India-Russia unity against terrorism, deepen energy and trade cooperation, and discuss peace efforts amid the Ukraine conflict.

Published

2 hours ago

on

December 5, 2025

By

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday underlined that India and Russia “walk together in the fight against terrorism,” reinforcing a decades-old strategic partnership that remains steady amid global geopolitical churn. The leaders issued the joint statement following talks at Hyderabad House in Delhi, where they also announced steps to boost trade, economic cooperation, and energy collaboration.

India-Russia stand firm on counter-terror cooperation

PM Modi described President Putin as a “dear friend” and highlighted Moscow’s consistent support to India on counter-terror efforts. Russia had earlier strongly condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, allegedly linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, and reiterated solidarity with India’s fight against terrorism in all forms.

The joint remarks emphasized that the bilateral friendship, rooted in trust and mutual respect, has remained resilient for decades despite global challenges.

Focus on energy, trade and use of national currencies

A key highlight of the engagement was Russia reaffirming “uninterrupted shipments” of fuel to India. PM Modi expressed gratitude for Russia’s commitment, noting energy cooperation as a crucial pillar of the relationship. While he did not specifically mention oil purchases, given ongoing Western pressure, he emphasised cooperation in civil nuclear and clean energy.

The two countries also discussed expanding economic ties, including a possible free trade agreement. President Putin said bilateral trade was being targeted to reach USD 100 billion, and acknowledged progress toward using national currencies for payments — a remark expected to draw global attention.

Putin shares peace plan insights on Ukraine conflict

Putin briefed the Prime Minister on Russia’s perspective for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing Ukraine war and appreciated India’s continued role as a “champion of peace.” PM Modi reiterated India’s consistent position on dialogue and diplomacy.

Agreements across jobs, health, shipping and minerals

Officials exchanged multiple agreements covering employment mobility, health, shipping, chemicals and cooperation in critical minerals — further broadening the strategic footprint of the partnership.

Continue Reading

India News

RBI cuts repo rate to 5.25%, paving the way for cheaper loans

The RBI has cut the repo rate to 5.25%, aiming to support growth as inflation softens. The central bank also raised GDP projections and announced liquidity-boosting measures.

Published

7 hours ago

on

December 5, 2025

By

Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the key repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25% on Thursday, signalling relief for borrowers as banks are expected to offer lower EMIs on home and vehicle loans. Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced the move after the conclusion of the three-day Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.

RBI prioritises growth as inflation eases

Malhotra said the decision was unanimous, with the central bank choosing to focus on supporting economic momentum despite concerns over a weak rupee. The repo rate was earlier cut in June from 6% to 5.5% amid easing inflation trends.

The RBI now projects Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation at 2% for FY2025-26, significantly softer than earlier estimates. For the first quarter of FY2026-27, inflation is expected at 3.9%, lower than the previous projection. The governor noted that rising precious metal prices may contribute to the headline CPI, but overall risks to inflation remain balanced.

GDP outlook strengthened

In a strong upward revision, the central bank increased the GDP forecast for the current financial year to 7.3%, previously estimated at 6.8%. Growth for the October–December quarter has also been revised to 6.7%.

The last quarter registered a six-quarter high expansion of 8.2%, reflecting resilient demand and steady credit flow.

“The growth-inflation balance continues to offer policy space,” Malhotra said, reiterating that the RBI’s stance remains neutral.

Other key decisions

Alongside the repo rate cut, the RBI announced adjustments to key policy corridors:

  • Standing Deposit Facility (SDF): 5%
  • Marginal Standing Facility (MSF): 5.5%

To improve liquidity and strengthen monetary transmission, the RBI will conduct forex swaps and purchase ₹1 lakh crore worth of government bonds through Open Market Operations (OMO).

RBI reviews a challenging year

Reflecting on 2025, Malhotra said the year delivered strong growth and moderate inflation even as global trade and geopolitical uncertainties persisted. He added that bank credit and retail lending remained healthy, providing support to the economy.

Continue Reading

India News

IndiGo flight chaos deepens as over 500 services cancelled, passengers stranded for hours

Over 500 IndiGo flights were cancelled nationwide, leaving passengers stranded without food, clarity or their luggage as airports struggled to manage the disruption.

Published

7 hours ago

on

December 5, 2025

By

IndiGo flight

India’s largest airline continued to face massive operational breakdowns, triggering frustration among travellers at major airports across the country. From piles of unattended suitcases to passengers waiting over 12 hours without food or clarity, the disruption stretched into its fourth consecutive day.

Long delays, no communication leave passengers anguished

Several travellers at Delhi airport described the situation as “mental torture”, as thousands of unclaimed suitcases lay scattered across the terminal. Many slept on the floor, while others expressed anger over the lack of communication from airline staff.

One flier said he had been waiting for over 12 hours without any explanation: “Every time they say one-hour or two-hour delays. We were going to a wedding but don’t even have our luggage.”

A passenger in Hyderabad recounted a similar ordeal, saying the flight was delayed indefinitely with no food, water, or updates from the airline. At the airport, some travellers blocked an Air India flight in protest over the lack of arrangements.

Goa and Chennai airports also witnessed tense moments. Videos from Goa showed fliers shouting at IndiGo staff as police attempted to calm the situation. At Chennai, CISF denied entry to IndiGo passengers due to heavy congestion.

Major metro airports impacted; cascading cancellations nationwide

Flight cancellations and delays were reported across multiple airports:

  • Over 200 flights were cancelled in Delhi
  • More than 100 each in Mumbai and Bengaluru
  • Around 90 in Hyderabad
  • Dozens more in Pune, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai and Bhopal

Pune airport stated that parking bay congestion worsened the situation, as several IndiGo aircraft remained grounded due to lack of crew. Other airlines continued operations without disruption.

Airport authorities said they had mobilised additional manpower for crowd control and passenger support.

IndiGo admits planning lapses, says more cancellations expected

The airline acknowledged a “misjudgment” in assessing crew requirements under revised night-duty norms, which it said created planning gaps. Winter weather and airport congestion further aggravated the crisis.

IndiGo informed the aviation ministry and DGCA that some regulatory changes—such as the shift in night-duty timings and a cap on night landings—have been rolled back temporarily to stabilise operations.

The airline warned that cancellations may continue for another two to three days, and from December 8, schedules will be trimmed to prevent further disruption.

In a message to employees, CEO Pieter Elbers said restoring punctuality would not be an “easy target”.

Airline issues apology amid nationwide frustration

In a late-night statement, IndiGo apologised to customers and industry partners, acknowledging the widespread inconvenience caused by the disruptions. The airline said all teams were working with authorities to bring operations back to normal.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com