According to news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) around 50 people are feared dead and over 350 people were injured after a passenger train hit derailed coaches of the ill-fated Coromandel Express late Friday evening in Odisha’s Balasore district.
Coromandel Express runs from Shalimar station in West Bengal to Chennai. According to reports, a goods train was also involved in the accident. Eight bogies of 12841 UP Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed after colliding with a goods train around 7:20 pm near Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district when the train was on the way to Chennai Central station from Shalimar station near Kolkata.
The impact of the accident was so intense that more than 12 to 15 bogies of the ill-fated train received severe damage. Many are feared to be trapped inside the train. Rescue operations are taking place at war footing. Four units of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), three units of NDRF and 60 ambulances were working to rescue the injured. Indian Air Force has been asked to help in the rescue operations.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has announced announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the train mishap in Odisha. The injured would be given ₹50,000.
Eastern Railway has informed that in view of the derailment of Coromandel Express, Sealdah-Puri Duronto Express scheduled to leave Sealdah at 8 pm on June 2, has been cancelled. Several other trains stands cancelled on this route.
The Odisha government has issued helpline 06782-262286. The railway helplines are 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore) and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he will be visiting the accident site on Saturday. Union Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav too will visit the site on Saturday.
However, the exact situation will be clear only on Saturday as it’s not very easy to carry rescue operations in dark.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrests Sujoy Krishna Bhadra alias ‘Kalighat r kaku’ after 11-hours of marathon interrogation. Bhadra also called Santuda, is a close confidant of Banerjee’s and once an all-in-all of Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee’s company, Leaps & Bounds. He was officially a director in the company.
However, it will be interesting to see if Bhadra remains loyal towards the Banerjee’s or opens up.
16-year old girl Sakshi, a resident of Shahbad Diary, JJ Colony near Rohini in Delhi was stabbed more than 20-times by a 20-year old man in full glare. He then thrashed her head thrice with a huge stone slab. The girl died. Police nabbed the man but the entire episode has raised numerous questions over the safety and security of females in Delhi NCR.
Apart from raising questions on the administation, it has raised a big question on the humanity, rather if at all people in Delhi are human or mere mechanical puppets?
The entire episode was being captured on CCTV and people saw the man thrashing the girl but they walked over. Not a single person dared to protest or hot this man to stop him. Even women were seen staring and move away.
Major setback for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had banned the film, ‘The Kerala Story’ on May 5, 2023. She also questions, “Why make films like Kashmir Files?” Mamata Banerjee known for her appeasement towards the minority community fundamentalists had made it clear that she would not allow any film that showed the community in negetive shade even if the film is based on facts.
On Thursday May 18, 2023, Supreme Court (SC) gave it’s nod to the film. West Bengal state government bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud asked the state government to allow people to watch the film.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud reprimanded the Mamata Banerjee government over imposing a ban order on the film, “Why ban the film? Who are you to decide what people should watch, let them decide what to watch.” He directed the producer of the film to put a disclaimer in the movie by 5 pm on May 20, 2023, on the claim that 32,000 Hindu and Christian women were converted to Islam.
Senior Congress leader and lawyer, Manu Singhvi said the state government banned after it had received an intelligence report of a communal violence, there was nothing personal against the film.
Hearing this Justice Chandrachud asked the West Bengal state government to maintain law and order as the film has been granted certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Back home in the state, an embarrassed Trinamool, tried to make up by saying it was due to the intelligence report but now the film will be released as per the Supreme Court order.
People in the state expressed their happiness over the Supreme Court order. However, the producer and director, Sudipta Sen, of the film will have to put up the message as per the order of the Apex court. The film will be released on Friday tomorrow.
“I know there was an illegal cracker factory in the area. I can assure you that it has nothing to do with Trinamool…,” was the reply of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a Press conference at Nabanna immediately after the news of bomb blast in Egra, East Midnapur surfaced. According to prima facie reports, nine people were killed officially. However, opposition claimed over 22 are feared dead.
People in the region were traumatised to hear a massive blast around 11 am in the morning. A massive blast took place at the factory in Khadikul village under the Egra police station. According to the police, the factory was operating illegally and the owner had been arrested last year and a chargesheet was filed. They said that efforts are underway to arrest the accused, identified as Krishnapada Bagh alias Bhanu Bagh.
Bharatiya Janata Party state President Dr Sukanta Majumdar said, “I earnestly request your kind intervention to direct the NIA to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the Egra bomb blast,” Majumdar said. Majumdar shared the letter on his Twitter handle he wrote.
Leader of Opposition and Bengal BJP leaderSuvendu Adhikari Tweeted, “This is the IC of Egra; Mr. Mousam Chakraborty. He is the one to be blamed for today’s horrific incident. The Mamata Police cadre was on the payroll of the perpetrator Krishnapada Bag.
The situation is grave and this was brought to the notice of the Mamata Banerjee in 2014, the powerful bomb blast had rocked Khargragarh. National Investigation Agency (NIA) Chief Ajit Doval had personally visited the place with his team. However, the state Chief Minister as always showed her defiance and made Doval understand that NIA was not welcome. Later, a special NIA court sentenced 19 people in Kolkata, convicted in the 2014 Burdwan blast case to varying jail terms. Those sentenced include four Bangladeshi nationals, who received a jail term of ten years. The punishments for the remaining convicts range from 6-10 years. The NIA team had also unearthed live bombs submerged in the water. Doval in his report had said that a large number of houses are employed in making bombs. He expressed his anguish that this may result into a serious bomb fiasco in future Banerjee had accused Doval and NIA of vindictive politics.
Years later in 2018, a bomb blast had rocked in Dum Dum’s Nager Bazar in North Kolkata. A seven-year old boy succumbed to his injury. Injured were removed to hospital. This incident once again raised questions at the planned module of bomb politics especially across Murshidabad, Berhampore, Midnapore and areas adjoining Bangladesh border. Once again, news-hounds repeated Kharagarh rhetoric, raised what NIA Chief Doval had warned in 2014. (My story from the archive).
Tuesday’s blast has once again raised those old questions. Dr Majumdar’s demanding NIA probe has reminded Doval’s conviction in 2014 when he wanted to sanitise the slipper cells active as he then called West Bengal is sitting on bombs.
According to BJP leader who had visited the place on Wednesday said,
The locals have also claimed that the local administration ignored their repeated pleas for action to be taken against the illegal fire crackers factory that has grown in the area.
Bengal Leader of Opposition (LOP) and BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikary had squarely accused the police for this blast in his tweet, “This is the IC of Egra; Mr. Mousam Chakraborty. He is the one to be blamed for today’s horrific incident. The Mamata Police cadre was on the payroll of the perpetrator Krishnapada Bag. Mamata Police personnel Surajit Sinha & Biswajit Maity acted as emissary between the two. They collected Rs. 50,000/- every month from the perpetrator in exchange for the ‘licence’ & immunity for carrying out illegal activities such as stocking up explosives. Also look how the Regional Tola-Mool Party workers are shifting the dead bodies.”
Adhikari on Wednesday tweeted after coming from Egra and meeting the affected people,
On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came up with few absurd proposals during a review meeting of ‘Utkarsha Bangla’ which was launched under vocational training programme courses in the state. However, I having a personal experience with a victim who left the project because she accused the management of creating a mess, not just that but those who stay in the hostel are not even served proper facilities like food, water etc. I did a story on this harassment sometime back which you may read by scrolling down.
Let’s take a glance at the proposals that Mamata Banerjee suggested:
(1) Crash course for doctors to fill the vacant positions at respective hospitals across the state. Instructing state Health Secretary NS Nigam to look into the matter, Banerjee said, “You please find out whether we can start a diploma course for doctors, just like we have for engineers. Several boys and girls will get the opportunity to enroll for the medical course.”
(2) The Chief Minister suggested crash courses for nurses. She came up with a proposal for ‘Civic Nurse’. She said, “One can learn how to push injections or help with the pathological preparations within a stipulated time period. There are senior nurses to help doctors during surgery etc. These nurses can competent after the crash course and start working.”
(3) Taking of Law & Order, which is in total chaos in the state. Recently we saw police accused of protecting the criminals who had gang-raped the minor girl in Kaliaganj and subsequently running for protection when villagers united. Banerjee also the Police Minister, suggested crash courses for seven days after which they can be posted at respective police stations.
“The regular MBBS course takes five years to complete and asserted that a diploma course would address the shortage of doctors in the state. The proposed diploma course, as per sources within the West Bengal health department, could be of three years,” added Mamata Banerjee.
The medical fraternity in the state criticised the proposal. West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF) founder-secretary Dr Koushik Sarkar called the proposal as ‘unscientific’ and asked the state government to rethink. “The proposal of a three-year diploma course is not all scientific. I will request the state government to think scientifically,” added Dr Sarkar.
Regarding the crash course for police, experts condemned the proposal by saying there are numerous details apart from uniform and leading protocols that make a young incumbent qualified police personel. A retired top cop on a television debate said, “How is it possible as it takes months for an incumbent to understand and learn the basic legal aspects. Apart from that there are numerous details that a police personel must learn like recognising if it’s a murder or suicide and if murder etc. Crash course for police is absurd as it will reflect on their performance.”
The social media is abuz with taunts, critisism and condemnation. A popular journalist with a Bengali satelite news channel posted, “I am planning to give up journalism and take medical crash course.” Others too have been posting against the proposal.
Well, just the begining of another heated controversy that will take shape of a storm in the coming days. Presently, we have state medical fraternity protesting against the proposal but if Mamata Banerjee tries to impliment her proposal then it will acquire a country wide protest. Perhaps everything is “choto ghotona” (petty incident) for West Bengal Chief Minister.
Today, is 162nd birth anniversary of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore. The day is also called 25e Boisakh since it falls on 25th of Baisakh as per Bengali Calendar. Though, we don’t need a particular day to remember him. For average Bengali, Rabindranath fondly Robi Thakur, is a household name. Hardly any day pass when we don’t remember him through his writings, poems, and not to forget his songs that is known as Rabindra Sangeet. Rabindra Sangeet in itself is a subject that may take volumes to write. However, Tagore in his own submission had said future generation may not be interested in his novels or other works including his short stories but his songs will always stay for eternity.
Even to pay tributes to Rabindranath Tagore we borrow lines, verses from his writings, poems, couplets. Enough to explain how vast, rich he is. Kobi Pronaam to the poet on 25 e Boisakh, his birth anniversary. A true friend, philosopher, and guide whom we look up to in pain, sorrow, happiness, love, even romance. We find Robi Thakur inspiring us with his writings, songs, poetry, painting, sketches… ‘tumi robe nirobe…hridoye momo…’
Rabindranath Tagore, was much ahead of his times, extremely modern thinker. A bohemian who wanted to break free from all orthodox rituals that not only created differences among people but deprive of the happiness they deserve especially women who were mostly ‘social comodities’ in average households in then society. The poet coined the philosophy of ‘achalayoton’. He hated fundamentalism and introduced ‘Rakhi Bandhan’ among Hindu Muslim, not restricted to brothers and sisters but used Rakhi thread as an expression of secularism. Infact, Jorasanko, the place where Tagore’s lived had immense significance in then society as it was believed that anything first began from the Thakurbari from food to fashion. Tagore himself was a foodie and loved to experiment with recipes.
I am sharing two videos stories on the Rabindra Jayanti celebrations at Rabindra Bhawan in Delhi.
I have tried to blend the two biggest legends of Bengal Renaissance, Rabindranath Tagore and the Great Master Satyajit Ray by using Satyajit Ray’s sketches of Rabindranath Tagore at the corners along with the famous quotes.
The atmosphere wore a solemn and gloomy look around the military camp in Rajouri, where the wreath-laying service of the five slain Indian Army soldiers took place on Saturday morning. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the location alongwith Army Chief General Manoj Pandey. Earlier, on Thursday Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Army’s Northern Command, Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, reached the ill-fated location and reviewed the ongoing anti-terror operation in Rajouri. Senior Army officials, administrative officials were present on the solemn occasion. The mortal remains were sent to their respective places for last rights.
On Thursday (May 5, 2023), Five soldiers from the elite Special Force were killed while while a Major-ranked officer was injured in Kesari Hill anti-terrorist operation. According to Defence spokesperson, a joint operation was launched on Wednesday and at 7:30 am on Friday, a search team established contact with a group of terrorists well entrenched in a cave. An encounter took place, the security forces killed a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), identified as Abid Wani.
Indian Army lost its five brave soldiers –
(1) Lance Naik Ruchin Singh Rawat from Gairsain in Uttarakhand (2) Paratrooper Siddhant Chettri from Darjeeling in West Bengal (3) Naik Arvind Kumar from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh (4) Havildar Neelam Singh from Jammu (5) Paratrooper Pramod Negi from Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh
The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a shadow organisation of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack.
Army later issued a statement in which it said: “On specific information about presence of (militants) in the Kandi forest in Rojauri Sector, a joint operation was launched on 03 May 2023. At about 07:30 hours on 05 May 2023, a search team established contact with a group of militants well entrenched in a cave. The area is thickly vegetated with rocky and steep cliffs.”
This incident has once again raised a big question mark on the initiatives of Pakistan which talks of peaceful negotiation with India on Kashmir and on the other hand is continuing the terrorist activities. The killing of five brave soldiers has taken place against the backdrop of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s meeting in Goa.
The ongoing agitation by state government employees in West Bengal enters 100-days on Saturday. These employees have been siting at the Shahid Minar (Ochterlony Monument) in Kolkata.
The members of the Sangrami Jautha Mancha (the platform) plans to take out a protest march on Saturday (May 6, 2023), against the defiant state government. The march will start from Hazra and travel through Harish Chatterjee Street, Harish Mukherjee Road and culminate at Hazra. “Tomorrow’s agitation will shake the state government. It’s a we expect over one lakh people to participate in tomorrow’s agitation,” Sougata Lahiri, members of Sangrami Jautha Mancha.
Speaking with the representative of Nonsense Talk News in Kolkata, Sanat Jha and Sudhakar Ray, members of Sangrami Jautha Mancha said, “The protest march will have big impact on the West Bengal state government that has been defiant towards us.”
The platform members have decided to continue with their crusade against state government as they say. “DA is our right and we shall get it.” Saturday’s protest march is just another initiative by the agitators to awaken the government that has been defiant towards these employees. “We don’t know if the state government will awake after Saturday’s protest march which is going to be really big but we want to assure all that our agitation will continue as we will see an end to this, Mamata Banerjee may turn a deaf ear and blind eye to our demands but we too vouch to get our demands, till them the agitation will continue,” said Debabrata Mukherjee, member of Sagrami Jautha Mancha.
On Wednesday, state government employees protesting for their demand of Dearness Allowance (DA) intensified their agitation against the “illegal” transfers. Earlier, the Mamata Banerjee government had transferred six people at Nabanna. On Wednesday, two people were transferred at Khaddo Bhawan (state food building) at Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata. “We are protesting against the autocratic order and will see an end to it, our agitation will not stop until the state government revokes the order,” said Debabrata Mukherjee, member of Sangrami Joutha Mancha that had paralysed the functioning of Khaddo Bhawan. “We will not let any work take place.
“We shall go for a bigger agitation if the state government continues to transfer. The state government should revoke the transfer order immediately,” said Arjun Sengupta, member of Sangrami Joutha Mancha.
“Our demand is revocation of the transfer orders,” added Mukherjee. Another member of the platform, Sudhakar Ray added, “These transfers are illegal and state government is showing a vindictive attitude towards us.”
Earlier this month, during the protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the members of the platform had expressed their dismay over the attitude of state government. “We work for Mamata Banerjee and she calls us barking dogs,” said Mukerjee and others present there.
On May 6, 2023, the members of Sangrami Jautha Mancha are planing to take out a protest march. More about this as the story breaks. Stay tuned to http://www.nonsensetalk.news for latest developments and happenings.
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