Kerala Assembly session begins on stormy note over solar scam

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Opposition raised slogans and held up placards against the Congress-led UDF government.

 Protesting LDF members walked out of the House. (Photo: ANI Twitter)

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly's budget session began on a stormy note on Friday as the LDF raised slogans and held up placards against the Congress-led UDF government, prompting Governor P Sathasivam to ask them to "sit quietly or leave".
As soon as the governor began his customary address at the beginning of the session, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan stood up and said the government was 'neck deep' in corruption.
The veteran CPI(M) leader wanted the governor to intervene in the matter amidst the row in the state over the alleged bar and solar scams.
Reacting to that, the governor said, "You have raised your democratic protest. You are opposing this government. That is enough. You should allow me to do my constitutional duty. I am noting all your objections."
As the governor continued with his address, opposition members were up on their feet, holding up placards and banners seeking the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other ministers over corruption allegations.
As Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the deputy leader of CPI(M) in the House, stood up, the governor said, "Mr Balakrishnan, this may happen to you also. If you have a right to protest, I am bound by the Constitution to deliver the address... better sit quietly or leave the House.
"I am aware (your) protest is not against me but the government. The entire nation is watching you. People are noting your objections... You have made your point and I have also noted it."
But the protesting LDF members thereafter trooped out of the House. The opposition members raised slogans and held up banners saying, "Don't want tainted ministry's policy."
The 14-day sitting is politically significant as this is the last session of the 13th Kerala Assembly before the state goes to polls later this year.
LDF had met the governor two days ago asking him to not deliver his customary address as the Chandy government was facing various corruption charges.
Solar scam accused Saritha S Nair, deposing before the Justice Sivarajan commission, had alleged that Rs 1.90 crore had been paid to a close aide of the Chief Minister and Rs 40 lakh to Power Minister Aryadan Muhammed for securing favourable decisions for their solar company. Both Chandy and Muhammed have denied the allegations.
Former Finance Minister K M Mani had to resign in the wake of bribery allegations levelled against him by hotelier Biju Ramesh.
Excise Minister K Babu, too, resigned after the vigilance court ordered the registration of an FIR against him the bar case. However, after high court stayed the decision for two months, Babu returned to the Cabinet after the Chief Minister refused to accept the resignation.
The Budget session is expected to conclude on February 25.
Describing the tenure of the UDF government as a "golden phase", the governor listed the achievements of the present Chandy dispensation, including the kick-starting of the Kochi Metro, Light metro and Kannur airport projects.
Over 25,000 tribals were given 'pattayams' (title deeds), Sathasivam said.
Opposition members, including Achuthanandan, who trooped out of the House, held a protest in front of the war memorial at Palayam.
The Left leaders undertook a march to the Assembly demanding the resignation of Chandy and the other ministers who are facing allegations in the solar and bar scams.
Kicking off the march at the memorial, Achuthanandan said the Left parties will continue with their protests until Chandy, Aryadan Muhammed and Excise Minister Babu quit their posts.

Kerala temple cancels daily rituals to mourn death of Muslim youth

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Shabeer was beaten to death by 4 men last week and the incident was captured in a video that went viral.

  Shabeer and his friend were taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries (Photo: Video grab)

Thiruvananthapuram: In a rare gesture, a temple in Thiruvananthapuram decided to put its daily rituals on hold for 2 days to mourn the death of a Muslim youth, who was beaten to death here earlier last week.
23- year-old M V Shabeer was an active member of the local Shiva temple at Puthennada near Attingal, and was the executive member of the festival committee in the temple. In a gruesome incident that was captured in video and shared widely in Facebook, Shabeer was beaten to death by four men last week following a dispute regarding an elephant running amok during last year’s festival.
Read: Caught on camera: Kerala youth beaten to death in broad daylight
The temple has also decided to do away with the annadanam and procession for the ten-day festival, that is set top begin on February 9.
“Since the priest wanted the temple to be opened, we did so on Monday and Tuesday but suspended the pujas. There was no blowing of the conch or the ringing of bells in those days. In the evenings too, the temple opened but did not offer any puja,” The Indian Express quoted the convenor of the festival committee, C Gouri Chandra, as saying.
According to local residents, Shabeer had been struggling to provide for his family- a mother and two younger brothers - after his father abandoned them. He even discontinued his education to support them, the report said, and added that the mosque that Shabeer was linked to never had any issues with him being a member of the temple committee.
Summing up, N Unni, another member of the temple committee said, “It was a friendship beyond religion. We never considered Shabeer as a Muslim in the temple committee”.

11 suspected ISIS operatives sent to 7-day NIA custody

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NIA said laptops, external hard disks, phones and SIM cards recovered from these accused have been sent for forensic examination.

 NIA said in its remand application that the accused have disclosed during their interrogation "their involvement in this case about recruiting and financing persons willing to join the Caliphate of ISIS at Syria".

New Delhi: Eleven suspected ISIS operatives, who were arrested from across the country for allegedly recruiting and financing people to join the Middle-East terror group, were on Friday remanded in seven days NIA custody by a Delhi court.
The accused, who had their faces muffled, were produced before District Judge Amar Nath amidst tight security and, according to lawyers who attended the in-camera proceedings, NIA had sought extension of their custodial interrogation by 10 more days.
NIA said in its remand application that the accused have disclosed during their interrogation "their involvement in this case about recruiting and financing persons willing to join the Caliphate of ISIS at Syria".
"They were also found to be in communication with some active members through chatting applications 'Signal', 'Trillion' and 'Skype' in order to motivate them to join ISIS in furtherance of activities of its ideologies, thereby luring youths to join this proscribed terrorist organisation.
"The identity and role of such associates is being ascertained," NIA said.
Advocate M S Khan, who appeared for nine out of these 11 accused, opposed NIA's plea contending that their remand application does not disclose as to whom they were in touch with in Syria.
Khan also argued that his clients have been in NIA's custody for the past 10 days and there was no need to extend police custody as NIA has already quizzed them in connection with the case.
The 11 accused who were remanded in seven days NIA custody are Mohd Aleem, Mohd Obaidullah Khan, Nafees Khan, Mohd Shareef Moinuddin Khan, Asif Ali, Najmul Huda, Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh, Mohd Abdul Ahad, Suhail Ahmed, Syed Mujahid and Mohd Hussain Khan.
Besides these 11 accused, four other co-accused Mohd Afzal, Imran, Abu Anas and Nasser Packeer were also produced before the court which remanded them in judicial custody.
Except Nasser, who was in judicial custody, all the other 14 accused were produced before the court after expiry of their NIA custody.
NIA, while seeking extension of custodial interrogation of the 11 accused, told the court that "they were involved in the conspiracy and planning with other associates and handlers of ISIS in order to motivate Indian youths" to join the terror outfit in furtherance of their activities.
The agency said that laptops, external hard disks, mobile phones and SIM cards which were recovered from the possession of these accused have been sent for forensic examination and the result is awaited.
"NIA has recovered voluminous incriminating electronic records from the systems of the accused persons. It is essential to cross check the version of the accused. During the interrogation, all accused persons have disclosed many facts about their involvement in this case and about recruiting and financing persons.
"The accused are required to be taken for pointing and identification of scene of crime, meeting points which are far away from Delhi," the agency said, adding that these accused were in touch with some active members of ISIS through chatting applications.
NIA also said that these 11 accused were required to be questioned further to ascertain the records and data and also the international ramification of their conspiracy.
The agency had earlier obtained the custody of the accused, saying their custodial interrogation was needed to unearth the conspiracy of ISIS to spread its reach in India.
The probe agency had informed the court that the accused were arrested for allegedly planning to carry out attacks ahead of the Republic Day.
NIA had said these accused were arrested from various places including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Aurangabad, and were produced in the respective courts and brought to Delhi on transit remand.
NIA and other central agencies have arrested 15 people for allegedly planning to carry out attacks ahead of the Republic Day.
They were arrested under several sections including Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and IPC. A case was registered by NIA on December 9, 2015 against unknown and unidentified persons involved in the activities of Islamic State (IS) in India and Asian Powers in Peace with India.

Tanzanian student case: Rahul seeks report from KTK govt

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NEW DELHI:  Voicing concern over a Tanzanian woman student being allegedly beaten up and stripped by a mob in Bengaluru, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has sought a report from the Karnataka government on the incident immediately. "Rahul Gandhi asks Karnataka Govt to explain and send report immediately," party General Secretary Digvijay Singh said in a series of tweets. "Strongly condemn incident with Tanzanian lady in Bangalore. Police must act strongly against the culprits," Singh, who is in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka, said. The Tanzanian woman student was allegedly beaten up and stripped by a mob in a case of "mistaken identity" after a woman was mowed down by a car in the city. The 21-year-old Tanzanian, who is doing her Bachelor of Business Management course, was dragged out of the car in which she was seated along with her three friends on Sunday night. The car was stopped by the mob shortly after they reached the accident spot on Sunday night, according to All African Students Union in Bengaluru. She was stripped by a section of the mob and pushed out of a slow-moving bus that was passing by as she tried to board it to escape, the Union's Legal Adviser Bosco Kaweesi had said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had termed the incident as shameful. Swaraj had spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and requested him to ensure stringent punishment to the guilty. Swaraj said Siddaramaiah informed her that a criminal case has been registered and four accused have been arrested. Official sources in New Delhi had said the High Commission of Tanzania has sent a Note Verbale to the External Affairs Ministry about the reported attack, requesting it to take necessary legal action against the guilty. According to the Bangalore police, the complaint by the Tanzanian girl was filed yesterday even though incident happened on Sunday.

Not afraid of Lavalin case: Pinarayi

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 ERNAKULAM: CPM Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan has said he is not subjected to any kind of fear vis-à-vis Lavalin case. “The CBI court had acquitted me. Currently no case exists in my name,” he said.

Pinarayi Vijayan was responding to KPCC president V M Sudheeran’s comment that the former should break his silence on Lavalin case. The KPCC president expressed this opinion yesterday in an open letter he wrote to Pinarayi, which also appeared in the media.

Pinarayi gave his reply at a press conference held as part of the Nava Kerala march, in Ernakulam on Thursday.

“The Lavalin case was disposed of by the court after a detailed hearing. Even I had sought a speedy trial in the case. The government doesn’t have the right to move the high court, questioning the CBI court,” he said.

Pinarayi also criticised Sudheeran severely. “Suhdeeran now travels in Abkari businessman Fitness Madhu’s car. His brother-in-law has a role in Abkari business,” Pinarayi alleged.

Pinarayi slammed Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s statement that there was no connection between VSSC espionage case and resignation of K Karunakaran. “Chandy has a feeling that the people will accept whatever he says. Whatever Chandy said about Karunakaram that time went on record and the TV channels have been re-telecasting those visuals a number of times,” he said.

Pinarayi beating around the bush: Sudheeran

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 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KPCC President Sudheeran has again criticised CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan, saying that the latter was beating around the bush without giving a logical answer to his demands and allegations over Lavalin case.

Sudheeran said he asked something and Pinaryi answered to something else. He opined there were many things Pinarayi needed to explain in connection with the Lavalin case.

Sudheeren was speaking at a public function as part of his Janaraksha yatra on Thursday.

“Pinarayi should explain how Rs 100 crore estimate decided by the Balanandan committee for the renovation hydroelectric power stations in Kerala shot up to Rs 374 crore. The Balanandan committee report which recommended the awarding of the contract to public sector company BHEL was scuttled to favour Canadian company SNC Lavalin. It was the CAG that found out that the contract with SNC Lavalain had incurred a heavy loss to State exchequer. Though a CBI court had disposed of the case, the high court rectified the CBI court’s procedure through an appropriate step,” Sudheeran said.

BJP’s door remain open: Kummanam

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KOCHI: BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan has said BJP’s door remain open for anyone wanting to join it. “Anyone who can get along with the policies of the party can walk in. We are ready to hold discussion with those who would like to join the party,” he said. Kummanam announced this decision after taking part in the Core party Committee meeting attended by National party president Amith Shah. He said the BJP would be contesting in the election this time with goal of winning it and ruling the State

13 students drown in India beach tragedy: police

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MUMBAI, India: Thirteen students reported to be on a picnic drowned on Monday after they went swimming off a beach on India’s west coast, police said.
The tragedy happened at Murud beach in the Raigad district of Maharashtra state, said assistant inspector of police Arvind Patil.
“A total of 155 students from Pune went to Murud main beach and some of them went swimming around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon,” he told AFP.
“Thirteen students are dead due to drowning. The victims were all aged between 19 and 23,” Patil said, adding that 10 women and three men died.
“Local people and police are engaged in rescue operations,” he added, saying it was not yet clear whether all the students had been accounted for.
The victims were enrolled at Abeda Inamdar College, an arts, science and commerce institute in the city of Pune in Maharashtra. Media reports said they had gone to Murud for a picnic.
Murud sits on the Konkan coast, which has dozens of beaches popular with locals who prefer it to the internationally renowned tourist state of Goa.
Murud is around 140 kilometers (90 miles) south of Mumbai.
Monday’s drowning tragedy was the latest in India, where many people are unable to swim.
In February 2014, 29 people died when a passenger boat capsized in the eastern state of Orissa.
A month prior to that incident, 21 people were killed when a tourist boat capsized off India’s remote Andaman Islands.

Saudi-French team discovers Bronze Age site in Al-Kharj

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RIYADH: A joint team of Saudi-French archaeologists, carrying out excavations on historical sites in Al-Kharj, discovered heritage artifacts belonging to the Stone and Bronze ages, and the Abbasid era, a major breakthrough for the promotion of heritage tourism in the Riyadh region.
A Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) official said here on Sunday that Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar recently received the Saudi-French team which is carrying out the archaeological excavation and detection work at Al-Yamamah historical site in Al-Kharj.
“During the meeting, the governor was briefed on the work in progress that include the team’s research work for the fifth year of the archaeological survey in Al-Kharj,” the official said.
“During this period, the team discovered a Stone Age site in the northwest Shadida hills and a mosque at the historic Al-Bina site in the middle of Al-Kharj municipality.
The mosque, according to these archaeological experts, dates back to the Abbasid Era.
The joint team, while carrying out excavation work on the Ayn Dalai site, discovered some material remains and the initial findings indicate the site dates back to the Bronze Age.
In a bid to create a quantum leap in the course of caring for heritage tourism, the Riyadh Governorate and Al-Kharj Municipality in collaboration with the SCTNH and Ar-Riyadh Development Authority is also working to rehabilitate the King Abdulaziz Palace and its surrounding area in Al-Kharj, to transform it into a historical center. The project includes establishing a museum for Al-Kharj Municipality inside the historical palace.
The SCTNH effort in this field aims to highlight the cultural dimensions of the Kingdom through discoveries of more archaeological sites, and then rehabilitating and opening them to the public view immediately, after completing the field work, to promote heritage tourism.

UN chief presses end to Israeli occupation of Palestine

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UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Israeli criticism of attacks on its settlement policy unsustainable in an opinion piece published Sunday by The New York Times, doubling down on comments earlier in the week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said encouraged terrorism.
In the piece entitled, “Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Israel,” Ban reiterates many of his earlier comments to Security Council last Tuesday, calling Israeli settlement activity “an affront to the Palestinian people,” adding that “it is human nature to resist occupation.” He also called for a freeze on settlement activity, which most of the international community views Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal or illegitimate.
“Criticism of the United Nations — or attacks against me — comes with the territory. But when heartfelt concerns about shortsighted or morally damaging policies emanate from so many sources, including Israel’s closest friends, it cannot be sustainable to keep lashing out at every well-intentioned critic,” Ban wrote.
Ban wrote that he would always stand up for Israel’s right to exist, but added: “the time has come for Israelis, Palestinians and the international community to read the writing on the wall: The status quo is untenable. Keeping another people under indefinite occupation undermines the security and the future of both Israelis and Palestinians.”
Ban’s criticism was sparked by Israel’s recent approval of 150 new homes in settlements on the West Bank. In the opinion piece, Ban also pointed out that last month Israel declared 370 acres in the West Bank, “state land,” which he said “typically leads to exclusive settler use.”

2nd Al-Ahsa mosque attacker came to kingdom on visit visa: MOI

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RIYADH: Investigators have identified the second suspect in Friday’s mosque attack in Al-Ahsa as an Egyptian national named Talha Hisham Mohammed Abdo.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Monday, the Ministry of Interior said the terrorist came to Saudi Arabia on family visit visa. His father, Hesham Mohamed Abdou Abdel Halim, is an expat residing in the kingdom.
Talha, 27, is still in under tight watch in a hospital, where he is under treatment for severe injuries inflicted by angry worshippers, who overpowered him during the attack.
Police had said Talha was with Abdulrahman Abdullah Sulaiman Al-Tuwaijri, a 22-year-old Saudi who detonated a bomb strapped to his body when security men stopped the duo as they tried to enter the Al-Ridha Mosque in Al-Ahsa’s Mahasin district last Friday.
Al-Tuwaijri died on the spot, along with four other people. Some 18 others were reported injured in the explosion and from gunshots fired by Talha.
Authorities are said to be looking for a third suspect.
Scholars have condemned the “heinous” attack and as a “failed attempt to destabilize the country and ignite sedition.”

British doctor seizes farm

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After months besieged on their farm at Centenary, 20 police armed with AK 47s on Friday forcibly evicted Phillip Rankin and his wife.

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The farm has long been coveted by British medical practitioner Dr Sylvester Nyatsuro and his wife Veronica, who are reported to be connected to Grace Mugabe. Mrs Nyatsuro is alleged to have planted invaders on the farm when she was over last year on a visit from the UK.

Zimbabwe human rights campaigner Ben Freeth said the police had shown no legal documents to justify their action, whichcomes while court proceedings are still going on. He said he had advised MrRankin to quote section 74 of the constitution which says no person may be evicted from their home without a court order. ‘The police just laughed at them’.

The police refused access to lawyers acting for Mr Rankin, loaded his furniture onto lorries along with Mr Rankin and drove off. We understand he was later released. Freeth added: ‘Despite the drought the Rankins are in the middle of harvesting wonderful crops this season. A message from another observer said: it’s the end of the month so who pays the workers, what happens to them now?’ (For video clips The Vigil has staged several demonstrations outside Dr Nyatsuro’s clinic in Nottingham questioning why a British citizen resident in the United Kingdom for the past 10 years should seek to dispossess a Zimbabwean citizen who bought his farm in Zimbabwe with the approval of the Mugabe government.

The Nyatsuros threatened legal action against us – a tactic they have successfully used to intimidate the media. We invited Dr Nyatsuro to our forum last week to explain himself. We were told they wanted to talk to us but he did not come. On Monday (25/01/2016) we emailed Mrs Nyatsuro that we would take further action if they did not drop their claim to the farm and requested a reply within 7 days (. In a phone call Mrs Nyatsuro said she was going to Zimbabwe the next day.

The behaviour of the Nyatsuros has disgusted Zimbabwe exiles in the UK and the Vigil is to protest outside their Nottingham clinic on Friday 5thFebruary (see Events and notices for details).

The Vigil will also be running the following petition to Prime Minister David Cameron calling for an investigation into the Nyatsuros.

Petition to UK Prime Minister DavidCameron

Zimbabwean exiles in the United Kingdom and sympathisers are appalled by the behaviour of Dr Sylvester Nyatsuro and his wife Veronica who run the Willows Medical Centre in Nottingham

Dr Nyatsuro is a British citizen, long resident in this country, yet he has illegally seized a farm in Zimbabwe owned by a white Zimbabwean farmer, Mr Phillip Rankin, who bought it with the approval of the Mugabe government. Dr Nyatsuro and his wife are reported to be connected to Grace Mugabe.

We are puzzled why a British doctor should want a farm in Zimbabwe since he and his wife are apparently in full-time employment here and have no known farming expertise in a country facing starvation

We ask your government to consider revoking Dr Nyatsuro’s citizenship on the grounds that ‘it was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of any material fact’ (see: Deprivation of British citizenship and withdrawal of passport facilities –file:///Users/GG/Downloads/SN06820%20(1).pdf: House of Commons Library). We also question his suitability to run an NHS clinic in Nottingham while farming in Zimbabwe.

Other points

• Zimbabwe’s friends abroad are increasingly anxious at the failure of the Mugabe government to declare a state of emergency so that international agencies can start campaigning for donor funds to alleviate food shortages. A ROHR supporter in Zimbabwe drew our attention to an article on the Masvingo Mirror website about the drastic effects of the food shortage (see: http://www.masvingomirror.com/2016/01/50c-for-sex-as-drought-ravages-mwenezi.html).
• Wehave been in contact with diaspora publisher Kennedy Madhombiro who is asking for poetry submissions from Zimbabwe Vigil members for possible publication. For contact details for those interested see:https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/24622132001/sizes/o/.
• Thanks to those who came early to help set up: Rashiwe Bayisayi, Benjamin Chigamba, John Chipudhla, Joseph Chivayo, Arnold Dube, Barbara Kachidza, Fungayi Mabhunu, Jenniffer Maritsa, Sharon, Nyasha and Tanatswa Moyo, Roseline Mukucha,Rosemary Mupunga and Chipo Parirenyatwa. Thanks to Sharon, Rashiwe and Roseline Mukucha for looking after the front table. Thanks to Benjami and Arnold for putting up the banners and thanks to ROHR Central London branch for bringing food to raise funds for ROHR.

For latest Vigil pictures /. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.

FOR THE RECORD: 41 signed the register.

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

• Nottingham demonstration against racist Zimbabwean doctor.Friday 5th February from 12 noon – 3 pm. Venue: outside The Willows Medical Centre, Church Street, Carlton, Nottingham NG4 1RJ.
• ROHR National Executive meeting. Saturday 6th February from 11 am to 1.30 pm. Venue: Strand Continental Hotel (first floor lounge), 143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. From the Vigil it’s about a 10 minute walk, in the direction away from Trafalgar Square. The Strand Continental is situated on the south side of the Strand between Somerset House and the turn off onto Waterloo Bridge. The entrance is marked by a sign at street level. It’s between a newsagent and an optician. Nearest underground: Temple (District and Circle lines) and Holborn.
• The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents us.
• Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF). Saturday 6th February from 6.15 pm. Venue: Strand Continental Hotel (first floor lounge), 143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. For directions see above.
• Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF) meets regularly after the Vigil to discuss ways to help those back in Zimbabwe to fight oppression and achieve true democracy.
• Monthly Itai Dzamara protest. Saturday 6th February from 2 – 6 pmoutside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London. The protest is to mark eleven months since Dzamara’s abduction by intelligence agents.
• Swaziland Vigil. Saturday 6th February from 10 am to 1 pm outside the Swaziland High Commission, 20 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB.
• ROHR Reading branch community outreach and general meeting.Saturday 20th February. Community outreach from 12 noon – 1.30 pm: Venue: Broad Street. Awareness campaign on deteriorating human rights in Zimbabwe. General meeting from 2 – 5 pm: Venue: RISC 35-39 London Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 4PS. For further enquiries contact: Deborah Harry 07578894896, Charles Mararirakwenda 07964731721, Joshua Kahari 07877246251, Shyline 07827493930.
• Zimbabwe Yes We Can Movement holds monthly meetings in London as the political face of ROHR and the Vigil.
• Zimbabwe Vigil Highlights 2015 can be viewed on this link:http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/746-zimbabwe-vigil-highlights-2015. Links to previous years’ highlights are listed on 2015 Highlights page.

Israeli academics face growing boycott pressures

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By Josef Federman and Collin Binkley | AP

HAIFA, Israel — Israeli anthropologist Dan Rabinowitz is a leader in his field, heading a prestigious school of environmental studies at Tel Aviv University, authoring dozens of publications and holding visiting teaching positions over the years at leading North American universities.

But the British-educated Rabinowitz fears that his younger counterparts may not enjoy the same professional opportunities for a very personal reason: They are Israeli.

As a global boycott movement against Israeli universities gains steam, Israeli professors say they are feeling the pressure from their colleagues overseas. Although the movement ostensibly targets universities, not individuals, Israeli academics say they are often shunned at the personal level. They experience snubs at academic conferences, struggle to get recommendations and can experience difficulty publishing their work in professional journals.

“This is highly personal and personalized,” said Rabinowitz.

The academic boycott is part of the broader pro-Palestinian “BDS” campaign, which advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement, BDS organizers say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian struggle for independence.

Israel says the campaign goes beyond fighting its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and often masks a more far-reaching aim to “delegitimize” or destroy the Jewish state. But the BDS movement’s decentralized organization and language calling for universal human rights have proven difficult to counter.

The BDS website says “the vast majority of Israeli intellectuals and academics have either contributed directly to the Israeli occupation and apartheid or at the very least have been complicit through their silence.”

And yet Israeli universities are widely seen as liberal bastions, and their professors are some of the most vocal government critics.

Already enjoying significant support in the U.K., the academic boycott has chalked up a series of accomplishments in the United States.

In recent years, the Association for Asian American Studies, the American Studies Association, the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association and the National Women’s Studies Association have approved boycott measures.

In November, a meeting of the American Anthropological Association overwhelmingly endorsed a motion supporting a boycott of Israeli universities.

Peretz Lavie, president of the Technion, Israel’s premier science and technology university, said the effect of such decisions has so far been minimal.

Lavie, who chairs the Association of University Heads in Israel, said relations between Israeli and American universities remain strong at the institutional and leadership levels, and praised this month’s decision by the Association of American Universities reaffirming its opposition to the boycott. The group, which represents 62 leading U.S. universities, said the boycott “violates academic freedom.”

Nonetheless, Lavie said the boycott movement has become a top concern for Israeli university leaders, particularly as it gains support at the “ground level” from U.S. student unions and academic associations.

“There may be a domino effect,” he said. “If we do not deal with it, it will be a major problem.”

Lavie is now leading a battle against the boycott. While acknowledging that Israeli government policies are open to criticism, he said that holding universities responsible for them is unfair and asked why countries with abysmal human rights records, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, have been spared.

“We have the feeling that these movements treat Israel differently than any other country in the world,” he said.

Rabinowitz counts the November vote by the anthropological association as one of the most painful chapters of his career. He said he personally tried to alter the boycott resolution twice — only to be rejected with little or no debate. He said the rejection by his colleagues was a “defining moment” for him. In a statement, the association confirmed Rabinowitz’s account, noting that the meeting was “highly charged.”

Ed Liebow, the association’s executive director, said the organization felt “a strong commitment” to take some sort of action. “The one thing we can’t do is nothing,” he said. The measure goes to the association’s more than 10,000 members for a vote this spring.

Although the American anthropologists have never before proposed a boycott of academic institutions, the association said it commonly takes public stands against governments accused of restricting academic freedom. It recently sent a letter to leaders of Turkey, criticizing them for allegedly curbing scholars there.

Ilana Feldman, a professor of anthropology at George Washington University and a boycott supporter, said the proposal, if passed, would not impede professors “in any way” from working with Israeli scholars.

Rabinowitz, however, said it is impossible to distinguish between a person and his institution, which becomes part of one’s professional identity.

Israeli academics say such feelings are increasingly common.

Rachelle Alterman, a professor emeritus of urban planning at the Technion, said she still has strong working relationships with colleagues around the world, but the pro-boycott camp is a “rising minority” in academia. She said it is less of an issue in the hard sciences like medicine and physics, and much more palpable in more subjective social sciences. Younger academics trying to establish a reputation are especially vulnerable.

Alterman said she has begun to feel a “coldness” from some colleagues at conferences that was not there in the past. She said some colleagues refuse to attend conferences in Israel, and editors at professional journals tell her it is difficult to find people willing to review papers by Israeli academics.

“I call it the dark matter. It’s there all the time, but elusive, hard to spot,” she said.

In one recent case, a British colleague coolly rejected a request to assist one of her graduate students.

“I am afraid that as part of the institutional boycott being observed by some academics in relation to Israeli organisations I am unable to help with your request,” the British professor wrote in an email.

Rabinowitz said the boycott efforts will backfire by undermining Israeli moderates and playing into the hands of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government.

“It is the best present they can give Netanyahu and the radical right in Israel,” he said

Abu Dhabi website for visitors available in 10 languages

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Dutch has now been added to the list of languages joining Arabic, English, German, French, Italian, Portugese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese.

Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has added yet another language to its online destination resource www.visitabudhabi.ae meaning the portal can now be read in 10 different languages around the world.
Dutch has now been added to the list of languages joining Arabic, English, German, French, Italian, Portugese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese.
The website offers extensive information on Abu Dhabi's attractions and experiences, culture and heritage, events and recreation activities. It currently achieves a daily hit average of more than 11,000, presenting it as a valuable source of information for potential visitors.
The hotel search option aggregates live deals and room availability from over 50 booking engines, giving visitors real-time information prior to their decision to book. The flight search functionality compares and displays real-time information from 50 booking engines and more than 25 international airlines in one screen, allowing visitors to find immediately the best fares to suit their travel plans to Abu Dhabi.
Mouza Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director Marketing and Communications, TCA Abu Dhabi, said: "As Abu Dhabi continues to develop and expand its attractions as it becomes a year round destination, attracting more visitors to reach record numbers year or year, we need to reach out and let as many people as possible know why they should visit our fabulous destination.
Since 2013 www.visitabudhabi.ae has scooped 20 top industry honours including in 2015, 3 Gold Stevie Awards, 3 Silver Stevie Awards and one Bronze Stevie Award. The site was also an Official Nominee in the 2015 Webby Awards.

Saudi may ease curbs on foreign ownership, visas

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Retail, wholesale will open fully once rules are approved

dubai - Saudi Arabia may further ease restrictions on foreign ownership in the economy and overhaul the visa system as the kingdom seeks to draw investors to help reduce its reliance on oil exports.
The world's biggest oil exporter is considering allowing foreigners to own 100 per cent of a company in at least four more industries, Mohanud Helal, secretary general of the Economic Cities Authority, said in an interview in Riyadh. Retail and wholesale will be opened fully, from a 75 per cent limit now, once rules are approved, Abdullatif Al 0thman, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, said on Monday.
As oil prices plummet to around $30 a barrel, authorities are racing to find alternatives to revenue from crude exports to finance a budget deficit of about 15 per cent of economic output.
Foreign investments in non-oil industries are also crucial to create jobs for Saudi nationals in the private sector in a country where youth unemployment stands at about 30 per cent. Almost 90 per cent of private-sector jobs created in five out of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Countries between 2000 and 2010 went to expatriates, according to the International Monetary Fund. Nationals filled over 70 per cent of public-sector jobs.
"The decision had already been made on some of the industries," Helal said. The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, known as SAGIA, has identified about four sectors in which full foreign ownership may be permitted, he added without elaborating. Calls made to SAGIA after office hours weren't immediately returned.
The slump in oil prices has already pushed Saudi authorities to cut spending, issue more debt and draw down the kingdom's foreign-currency reserves. Officials are also weighing plans to sell stakes in state-owned entities from hospitals to airports and even Saudi Arabian Oil Co, the kingdom's biggest oil company, known as Aramco.
The country is also reviewing its visa system by looking for ways to accelerate the process of issuing work and visit permits, according to Helal, who heads the regulatory body governing four economic cities, including King Abdullah Economic City.
"It is a very important and much needed step," said Mohammed Alsuwayed, the Riyadh-based head of capital and money markets at Adeem Capital. "We need foreign investors to contribute to the expansion of the Saudi economy, specifically the private sector and for them to better understand what or where they are putting their money in, they need to be allowed better access into the kingdom."
The kingdom last year started allowing direct foreign investments in its stock market, the Arab world's biggest. The benchmark Tadawul All Share Index has dropped 36 per cent over the past year, compared with a 27 per cent-decline in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
Authorities are looking at allowing visitors, including pilgrims, to visit landmarks in various parts of the country through tourist visas. Enabling workers to bring family in easily is another area which is being considered, Helal said.
"These are all things that are being looked at as we speak today and very quickly we will hear how some things are quickly changing to further the invitation of the international community," he said.

Woman uses sister's ID to give birth at hospital in Dubai

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The 27-year-old woman, K.I., who holds a Comoros Islands passport, allegedly used her sister's name in the hospital form before walking into the clinic of the doctor.

A housewife has faced charges in court for allegedly providing false details for an admission in the emergency unit of a hospital. She has been charged with forgery and use of a forged document when her case was heard by the Court of First Instance.
The 27-year-old woman, K.I., who holds a Comoros Islands passport, allegedly used her sister's name in the hospital form before walking into the clinic of the doctor. The incident allegedly happened on August 16, last year. K.I. admitted in the prosecution investigation that she managed to be admitted into the hospital where she gave birth, using her sister's name. A nurse at the hospital said that K.I. came to the hospital and was about to give birth.
"She claimed she was M.I. I put her name in our records as she gave it to me. She did not carry an ID." The nurse added that the woman came alone without her husband and claimed to them she had a medical record at that hospital.
"The doctor on duty asked me whether she had any medical file with us but I told her we could not find any as she did not carry a health card".
Even after K.I. gave them her full name they could not find any medical file for her at the hospital. A clerk at the hospital said that K.I. looked tired when she came to the emergency unit.
"She did not have any ID or health card. She gave a phone number which belonged to the name she gave and was registered in our electronic system.
"I found a file but the photo was not clear enough to match it with the face of K.I., whose features have changed." A verdict is expected on February 10.

Woman delivers 5 babies in 2 minutes

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She wanted three children with her husband and was really hoping for a baby boy.

Kim Tucci, a 26-year-old mum from Perth, Australia, has given birth to quintuplets - one boy and four girls - in just two minutes.
Only 30 weeks along when she went into labour, the five children were born at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Tucci has a nine-year-old son from a previous marriage and two daughters with her husband Vaughn. She wanted three children with her husband and was really hoping for a baby boy, according to Woman's Day.
In a Facebook post she said, "The babies and I are both doing very well, thank you for all your well wishes and support."
The new addition to couple's growing brood is made up of a son, Keith, and four daughters - Ali, Penelope, Tiffany and Beatrix.

Fuel prices in UAE drop further for February

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The price of diesel will be Dh1.37 a litre; E Plus 91 would be available at Dh1.40 a litre; Super 98- at Dh1.58 and Special 95- Dh1.47 a litre.

The Ministry of Energy has lowered the prices of petroleum products by up to seven per cent for February.
A high level committee chaired by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and participated by the CEOs of the oil marketing and distribution companies reviewed the average prices of oil at the international markets.
New price of diesel will be Dh1.37, plunging 14.90 per cent since January 2016 price level of Dh1.61 a litre.
The price of E Plus 91 has been at Dh1.40 a litre down 7.28 per cent month-on-month from Dh1.51 in January.
Super Octane-98 will be cheaper by 6.50 per cent to Dh1.58 from Dh1.69 a litre.
Special or Mumtaz-95 will be filled at Dh1.47 a litre, down 6.92 per cent from January level of Dh1.58 a litre.
Prices will be effective February 1.

The economists and energy experts have all praise for the UAE policy of economic reforms and petroleum price de-regulation.
The UAE lifted subsidies at a very auspicious time particularly from the point of view of the customer, said Dave Ernsberger, global editorial director Oil, Platts.
Prices have fallen substantially already in the wholesale markets, and this has been reflected at the pump, he said
"Early indications are that this trend may reverse soon though - crude oil has bounced back by almost 20 per cent in value at the end of January, and this will start to put upwards pressure on gasoline and diesel in February if the trend continues," said global editorial director Oil at Platts.
The maximum decrease was seen in the price of E-Plus 91 that dropped 7.28 per cent to Dh1.40 a litre; Super-98 fell 6.50 per cent from January to Dh1.58 and Special dropped 6.962 per cent. 
Since July, diesel plunged 33 per cent from Dh2.05 a litre to Dh1.37 a litre; E Plus-91 dropped 32.36 per cent from Dh2.07 a litre to Dh1.40 a litre; Super-98 is down 29.77 per cent from Dh2.14 a litre in July to Dh1.47 a litre.
Alp Eke, a senior economist at National Bank of Abu Dhabi said subsidies in UAE constitute almost six per cent of GDP or around $23 billion, according to 2014 IMF data, energy. But with recent pressures on the budget, energy subsidies are being gradually removed.
"Benefits of the subsidies will be felt in the long run, UAE economy will save only modestly but the benefit will add up in the future years. UAE has already reduced some of the subsidies starting from gasoline prices," Alp Eke said.
Petrol price de-regulation initially created upward pressure to consumer prices.
Since August through December, due to reduction of oil prices globally the gasoline price at the pump declined, he said.  For average UAE household spending on transportation is 11 per cent of the budget while major chunk is consumed by housing and utilities spending which is almost 40 per cent.

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Also Read: All you wanted to know about falling oil prices...

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The recent water tariff increase of 6.6 per cent introduced from January will put pressure on housing and utilities component of the budget, he said.
Abu Dhabi's consumer price index increased 5.28 per cent year-on-year in December 2015, mainly driven by cost of housing/utilities and furniture household maintenance.
Abu Dhabi has been ranked 33^rd most expensive in 2015, moving up 35 spots from last year.
Commenting on impact the lower petroleum prices would have on consumption, economic growth and cost of doing business, the economist said "the impact of removal of energy subsidies on the economy will be seen in the long run."
Partial or total removal of subsidies is initial steps to reduce burden on the budget and eliminate in-efficient allocation of resources, he said.
With additional resources available and less pressure on the budget, government spending will be more focused on diversification efforts investments to logistics, manufacturing will increase and will be able to reduce reliance.
For an average UAE household, spending on transportation is 11 per cent of the budget while the major chunk is consumed by housing and utilities spending which is almost 40 per cent.
Arab world biggest economy, Saudi Arabia last month followed the UAE's footsteps and by reducing subsidies on petroleum products by 50 per cent.
Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain have also taken steps to cut subsidies on petroleum prices, as oil revenues dip.

Delhi, Kochi among smart cities to get $7.5b makeover

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The plan is also intended to boost investment and create jobs for millions of people, but it has faced criticism for being a slow starter.

India named 20 cities on Thursday which it says will be provided with uninterrupted power and water supplies, proper sanitation and public transport in a $7.5 billion makeover to turn them into smart cities with living standards comparable to Europe.
India's cities lack basic infrastructure such as toilets and are bursting at the seams with the influx of tens of thousands of people from the countryside. Thirteen of them are in the WHO's list of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, topped by the capital New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to create 100 new smart cities by 2022 that will have internet connectivity, e-governance along with quality infrastructure such as waste management and efficient public transport.

The 20 cities named in the first list: Bhubaneswar Pune Jaipur Surat Kochi Ahmedabad Jabalpur Visakhapatnam Solapur Davanagere Indore New Delhi Coimbatore Kakinada Belgaum Udaipur Guwahati Chennai Ludhiana Bhopal

The plan is also intended to boost investment and create jobs for millions of people, but it has faced criticism for being a slow starter.
The federal government has struggled to pass reform legislation making it easier to acquire land and build roads and it was not immediately clear how it would be able to provide high-quality infrastructure to these cities within five years.
On Thursday, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu named the first set of cities that will be targeted for a transformation.

 

These include Chennai in the south, which was ravaged by floods last year because of flawed urban planning, as well as a part of New Delhi. Other proposed smart cities are the tourist destinations of Jaipur and Udaipur and Bhubaneswar in the east.
"This game-changing mission marks the end of a business-as-usual approach," Naidu told a news conference. About 35 million people live in the 20 cities.
What is a smart city?
The India Smart Cities Challenge is a competition designed to inspire and support municipal officials as they develop smart proposals to improve residents' lives. The Smart Cities Mission aims to promote economic growth, improve governance, and produce better results for India's urban residents.

Case of missing boy at Dubai Global Village solved

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Warrant officer Sulatan Abdullah Ali blamed the mother for negligence.

After Dubai's bustling Global Village closed its doors at 1.30am and everyone had gone, two policemen were surprised to find an unattended child crying near the entrance, apparently left behind by his parents.
The two officers - warrant officer Sultan Abdullah and Sergeant Yousuf Hassan Ahmed - tried to find out why he was alone at that time, and it appeared he was lost.
The 13-year-old boy told the cops that he had gone to the Global Village with his mother, and that she, his father and brother were staying at a hotel near Burj Khalifa.
The boy said he didn't know the name of the hotel or its location and insisted that the two cops take him back to his family.
The officers soon discovered that he had a mobile phone with the number of a neighboring GCC country. "We called the family number in the contacts icon, but with no avail as there was no credit in the phone."
The police then called all the hotels located near Burj Khalifa and finally traced the hotel in which the family was staying.
The officers soon took the boy to the hotel, where the family was waiting.
The father of the boy praised the Dubai Police for finding his son and bringing him back, which he said was evidence that Dubai is a safe place for visitors.
Warrant officer Sulatan Abdullah Ali blamed the mother for negligence. It appeared that she returned to the hotel in a cab thinking that the son had taken another cab and returned to the hotel.

കോവളത്ത് എസ്.എഫ്.ഐയും പൊലീസും ഏറ്റുമുട്ടി,​ ടി.പി ശ്രീനിവാസനെ മുഖത്തടിച്ച് വീഴ്‌ത്തി

തിരുവനന്തപുരം: ആഗോള വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമത്തിനെതിരായ എസ്.എഫ്.ഐ പ്രതിഷേധത്തിൽ കോവളത്ത് സംഘർഷം. സമരക്കാർ പൊലീസിനുനേരെ കല്ലേറു നടത്തി. പൊലീസ് ലാത്തിവീശി. വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമത്തിന്റെ മുഖ്യ സംഘാടകനായ ഉന്നതവിദ്യാഭ്യാസ കൗൺസിൽ വൈസ് ചെയർമാൻ ടി.പി. ശ്രീനിവാസനെ എസ്.എഫ്.ഐക്കാർ മർദ്ദിച്ചു. അദ്ദേത്തെ പ്രവർത്തകരിലൊരാൾ കവാലത്തിന് അടിച്ചുവീഴ്‌ത്തി. പൊലീസ് നോക്കി നിൽക്കെയാണ് ഈ അതിക്രമം. വാഹനം തടഞ്ഞ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾ വേദിയിലേക്ക് നടന്നുപോകാൻ തുനിഞ്ഞ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ മർദ്ദിച്ച് തിരിച്ചയച്ചു. വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമം നടക്കുന്ന കോവളം ലീലാ ഹോട്ടലിന് മുന്നിലെ റോഡ് ഉപരോധിച്ച വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളെ മണിക്കൂറുകൾ നീണ്ട സംഘർഷത്തിനൊടുവിൽ പൊലീസ് അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്തു നീക്കി.

ഇന്നുരാവിലെ 9മണിയോടെയായിരുന്നു സംഭവം. ഡെപ്യൂട്ടി പൊലീസ് കമ്മിഷണറുടെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലുള്ള പൊലീസ് നോക്കിനിൽക്കെയാണ് ശ്രീനിവാസന് നേരെ കൈയേറ്റമുണ്ടായത്. സോളാർ കേസിലുൾപ്പെട്ട മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി ചടങ്ങിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കുമെന്ന് കരുതി സംഗമം നടക്കുന്ന കോവളം ലീലാ ഹോട്ടലും കോവളം ജംഗ്ഷനിൽ നിന്ന് ബീച്ചിലേക്കുള്ള റോഡും ഇന്നലെ രാത്രി മുതൽ ഉപരോധിച്ച വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളാണ് സംഗമത്തിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കാനെത്തിയ ടി.പി ശ്രീനിവാസനെ മ‌ർദ്ദിച്ചത്.

ഇന്ന് പുലർച്ചെ മുതൽ റോഡിലൂടെ ആരെയും കടത്തിവിടാൻ സമരക്കാർ തയ്യാറായിരുന്നില്ല. പൊലീസ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥർ വിദ്യാർത്ഥി സംഘടനാ നേതാക്കളുമായി പലതവണചർച്ച നടത്തിയെങ്കിലും ആഗോള വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമത്തിലും മുഖ്യമന്ത്രിക്കെതിരായ പ്രതിഷേധത്തിനും പിന്നോട്ടില്ലെന്ന തീരുമാനത്തിലായിരുന്നു അവർ.

സർ‌ക്കാരിനും വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ കച്ചവടത്തിനുമെതിരെ മുദ്രാവാക്യം വിളിച്ച് പ്രതിഷേധം തുടർന്ന വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളോട് പിരിഞ്ഞുപോകണമെന്നും അല്ലാത്ത പക്ഷം അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുമെന്നും പൊലീസ് അറിയിച്ചെങ്കിലും പിന്മാറുന്ന പ്രശ്നമില്ലെന്ന നിലപാടിലായിരുന്നു അവർ. ഡെപ്യൂട്ടി പൊലീസ് കമ്മിഷണർ സഞ്ജയ്കുമാറിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലുള്ള പൊലീസ് സംഘം വിദ്യാ‌ർത്ഥികളെ അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്ത് നീക്കാൻ നടത്തിയ ശ്രമമാണ് കോവളത്ത് മണിക്കൂറുകളോളം സംഘർഷങ്ങൾക്കിടയാക്കിയത്.

അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യാനെത്തിയ പൊലീസിന് നേരെ കല്ലെറിഞ്ഞ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളെ പൊലീസ് ലാത്തി ചാർജ് ചെയ്തു. ലാത്തിചാർജ് ആരംഭിച്ചയുടൻ പലവഴിക്ക് ചിതറിയോടിയ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾ പല സ്ഥലങ്ങളിൽനിന്നായി പൊലീസിന് നേരെ കല്ലെറിഞ്ഞു. തുടർന്ന് ആറുറൗണ്ട് ടിയർഗ്യാസും പ്രയോഗിച്ചു. ലാത്തിചാർജിലും കല്ലേറിലും പൊലീസുകാരും വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളുമുൾപ്പെടെ നിരവധി പേർക്ക് പരിക്കേറ്റിട്ടുണ്ട്.

സംഘർഷത്തെയും പൊലീസ് നടപടിയെയും തുടർന്ന് കോവളം ജംഗ്ഷനും ബീച്ചും വിജനമായി. ലീലാ ഹോട്ടലിന് മുന്നിൽ നിന്ന് പലവഴിയ്ക്കായി ചിതറി ഓടിയ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളും പൊലീസും കോവളം ജംഗ്ഷനിലും ബീച്ചിന്റെ ഭാഗങ്ങളിലും പല സ്ഥലങ്ങളിലായി ഏറ്റുമുട്ടി. ടൂറിസ്റ്റ് മേഖലയായ കോവളത്ത് വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളും പൊലീസും തമ്മിലുള്ള സംഘർഷം വിദേശികളുൾപ്പെടെയുള്ളവരെ ഭയചകിതരാക്കി.

സംഘർഷമറിഞ്ഞ് സിറ്റിയിൽനിന്ന് കൂടുതൽ പൊലീസ് കോവളത്തേക്ക് തിരിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. സി.പി.എം , ഡി.വൈ.എഫ്.ഐ നേതാക്കളും സംഘർഷത്തിന്റെ പശ്ചാത്തലത്തിൽ കോവളത്തെത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. പൊലീസും നേതാക്കളുമായി പലതവണചർച്ചകൾ നടത്തിയെങ്കിലും സംഘർഷം നിയന്ത്രണവിധേയമാക്കാൻ തുടക്കത്തിൽ കഴിഞ്ഞില്ല.

അസി.കമ്മിഷണർമാരായ ജവഹർ ജനാർദ്, സുധാകരൻ പിള്ള, റെജി ജേക്കബ്ബ് തുടങ്ങിവരുടെ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമം നടക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തെ സുരക്ഷ ശക്തമാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.

വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ മന്ത്രിയുൾപ്പെടെ സംഗമത്തിൽപങ്കെടുക്കേണ്ട ഒരാളെയും ഇവിടേക്ക് പ്രവേശിപ്പിക്കില്ലെന്ന നിലപാടിലാണ് വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾ. ഹോട്ടലിൽ താമസിച്ചിരുന്ന ടൂറിസ്റ്റുകളും പ്രതിഷേധത്തിൽ കുടുങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. വിദ്യാർത്ഥിസമരവും ആഗോള വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമവും കണക്കിലെടുത്ത് ശക്തമായ സുരക്ഷാ വലയത്തിലാണ് കോവളം. എന്നിവരുടെ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ മുന്നൂറോളം പൊലീസുകാരെ കോവളത്ത് നിയോഗിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. അറസ്റ്റുചെയ്ത സമരക്കാരുമായി നീങ്ങിയ വാഹനം എസ്.എഫ് .ഐ പ്രവർത്തകർ തടഞ്ഞത് വീണ്ടും സംഘർഷത്തിന് ഇടയാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. വാഹനത്തിന്റെ ടയറുകൾക്കിടയിൽ കിടന്ന് തടസം സൃഷ്ടിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു.