Midnight walkathon highlights women's safety
The event, organised by the Indian Women Network (IWN), was flagged off by District Collector S. Kandasamy, Modakkurichi BJP MLA C. Saraswathi and Mayor Nagarathinam. Over 100 participants, including B. Dhanasekar, District Governor, Rotary District 3203, R.R. Sathiyamurthy, vice-chairman, CII Erode Zone, Young Indians chairperson Yadhavi Yogesh, IWN convenor Subasri Sriram, and college students, took part in the walkathon, which began at 11 p.m. from Sengodampalayam.
Carrying the national flag, the participants walked through Veerappampalayam, Palayapalayam, and Kumalankuttai, before concluding the rally at the Collectorate at 12.30 a.m. on Friday. The route covered a distance of about 5 km.
Organisers said the walkathon aimed to create awareness that, in independent India, women should have the freedom and safety to move about without restrictions, even during late-night hours. They added that the initiative also sought to spark conversations about gender equality and public safety in both urban and rural areas.
The event concluded with the singing of the national anthem, reaffirming the spirit of freedom, equality, and unity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Vandita Mishra writes: The umpire in the spotlight
Dear Express Reader, The week of the 79th Independence Day ended with a press conference by the Election Commission of India that was both welcome and unsettling. On the face of it, the EC sought to address questions raised by the Special Intensive Revision exercise ahead of the election in Bihar — and even though Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar did not take Rahul Gandhi's name, on Gandhi's allegations of 'vote chori'. That the EC sought to address questions swirling around it, when its conduct of the exercise in Bihar has raised serious apprehensions of large-scale disenfranchisement, was reassuring. But its tone and tenor has raised more questions. Over an hour and a half, the CEC's main message was: The EC does not discriminate between parties and stands with 'the people'; in a vast and multi-layered electoral process, the onus is on those who raise objections about fake voters and compromised voter lists to follow the rulebook, laid out procedures and timelines for making such complaints; and if they do not do so, they must either make a declaration on oath or apologise to 'the people'. There was something off-key about what the EC said and some conspicuous silences. To begin with, a constitutional body was insistently proclaiming its oneness with 'the people' while refusing to acknowledge the people's representative — the EC could have respectfully acknowledged the Leader of Opposition even as it countered his allegations and disagreed with him. More importantly, if it wanted to paint itself above the political fray, and as an institution that is procedurally even-handed, it should have addressed the fact that it has been put in the dock today not just by Rahul Gandhi's allegations, but also by the government. Of course, Rahul Gandhi cast the first stone, with his allegations of manipulation of electoral rolls/turnout figures in Maharashtra and then with his charges of defective electoral rolls in Mahadevapura constituency in Karnataka. But subsequently, the ruling party, while taking aim at Rahul Gandhi, has also ended up (unintentionally) targeting the EC. Listen in to another press conference, held on Wednesday, only a few days before the EC's meet-the-press on Sunday, and you will hear BJP's Anurag Thakur essentially repeating all of Rahul Gandhi's allegations — but with a communal tinge. Like Gandhi, Thakur alleged the presence of fake voters, duplication of names, mass additions, doubtful addresses and dubious first-time voters in lists, and the misuse of government machinery. The difference was that Thakur picked constituencies won by Opposition leaders to make his case — including Wayanad, Diamond Harbour, Kannauj, Rae Bareli — and that he repeatedly drew attention to the names of the so-called doubtful voters, all Muslim. In Thakur's list: Mohammad Kaif Khan, whose name allegedly appears in three lists in Rae Bareli, Khurshid Alam and Shabana Khatoon, whose name allegedly appears more than once in Diamond Harbour, Mahmoona in Wayanad, Sabri Begum, Shah Mohammad, Mohammad Shahbaz, Nisar Bano, Rafiullah … The list went on, and Thakur's chilling recitation left his audience in no doubt about what was remarkable and what was to be noted — the religion of the allegedly fraudulent voter in the lists. He connected the dots from the 'farji (fake) vote' to the Congress/Opposition's 'appeasement politics' that patronises the 'ghuspaithiya (infiltrator) vote bank', amid 'Islamic radicalisation' and threats posed by 'ek varg' (one section) to 'national security'. If in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi made a political leap, not backed by evidence, from pointing out purported defects/inconsistencies in the electoral rolls/turnout figures to saying that the election result was manipulated by the BJP, Thakur was making a similar leap on the back of a dog whistle politics. But what was common in the telling of both Gandhi and Thakur is the implication of the EC. After all, it is the poll monitor under whose watch the election was conducted, be it in Mahadevapura or Wayanad, Diamond Harbour or Rae Bareli, whether it was the Opposition that won or the BJP. The EC did not show any awareness in Sunday's press conference that it is under attack now from more than the LoP it churlishly refused to name. It did not seem to recognise that it cannot just challenge Rahul Gandhi to sign an affidavit, take an oath, and leave it at that. More fundamentally, the EC's refrain — show me the evidence, in the proper format, by a certain date, or else — shifts the onus of keeping the electoral rolls pure from itself to the people and political parties. Just as in the ongoing SIR in Bihar, the Commission shifted the responsibility of proving their innocence, or their citizenship, on the voters, by asking them to procure documents or be excluded, it is now saying that if anyone raises concerns about its exercise, it is they who must explain themselves, not the EC. This has disquieting implications in a grim moment for India's democracy. It is a time when wide and unsubstantiated allegations of 'vote chori' by the leader of the main Opposition party threaten to drown out the genuine and specific concerns about disenfranchisement sparked by the EC's exercise in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi's allegations have also raised a sombre question: Having raised the pitch so high, where does the Congress, and the Opposition, go from here? How do they dial back from a spiral into a politics of nihilism? If they don't find a way back from the edge, what happens to the peaceful transition of power that India has always prided itself on, and which we have taken for granted? Does it pose a new challenge to the conduct of elections, their legitimacy? And what happens if the result of the Bihar election is a close one? It is a grim moment, also, because of the Modi government's response — first its attempt to speak for the EC, instead of letting it speak for itself, adding to doubts on the latter's fairness and independence. And then its subsequent misfiring at Rahul that has ended up wounding the EC. But this is a sobering moment, most of all, because the EC, the constitutional authority with a hard-won autonomy, seems not to recognise the full scale of its own and the polity's predicament. Urgent repair work is needed by a credible and impartial umpire, there must be cross-party conversations on voters' lists and shared protocols, and the focus must be on voter inclusion, not voter exclusion, if a free fall is to be avoided into a political dead-end. That's the challenge. So far, the EC has not stepped up to it. Till next week, Vandita
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Atmanirbhar Bharat: Turning crisis into opportunities for growth, security
On Independence Day, from the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi painted a bold vision for India's progress, declaring Atmanirbhar Bharat the foundation of a Viksit Bharat — a developed India built on the twin pillars of self-reliance and strong defence. His message was clear: India's path forward lies in turning challenges into opportunities and securing its place as a global leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the 79th Independence Day celebration at the Red Fort, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI) During COVID-19, Atmanirbhar Bharat had transformed crisis into opportunity, which led to a surge in economic growth. The Trump tariff threat, too, is bound to turn a crisis into opportunity for greater self-reliance and strength to counter any impending calamity. The 'Sudarshan Chakra' Initiative The ' Sudarshan Chakra', an overarching security architecture, will neutralize any threat and improve India's offensive capabilities. Self-reliance will turn India into a major production hub that will capture world markets. The US tariff threats stem from perceived trade imbalance, India's continued oil purchases from Russia despite US sanctions and frustrations over stalled negotiations. Such tariffs could disrupt India's export-driven growth, affecting sectors like automobiles, IT services, textiles and pharmaceuticals. Managing US tariff pressures with diplomacy The Modi government is ably and patiently navigating the tariff threat through dialogue and diplomacy, and has 'India First' in every policy formulation and strategy. India, today, is one of the fastest-growing economies of the world and, in the words of the IMF, the 'only bright spot in the otherwise dark horizon'. Despite constraints, our monetary and fiscal space has enabled accelerated growth and our external accounts are comfortable. Infrastructure and digital progress Hence, an over 7% sustainable growth rate can be made our baseline, given the robust foundations we have created. We are a $4.187 trillion economy, relentlessly pursuing the vision to be a $ 30-35 trillion economy by 2047. One of our major achievements has been to lift over 250 million people above the poverty line and, at the same time, to have digitized the economy in a big way. From 14 km of road space per day in 2014, we are now at over 34 km per day, which reflects our prowess in infrastructural development. And we have been the 'Vishwamitra' – the pharmacy of the world during Covid 19- which supplied medical equipment, pharma products and vaccines to several countries. This proves our capability and unstinted ability and resolve to weather any storm. The tariff threat, in fact, will give India the opportunity to nudge towards emerging markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Africa offers vast opportunities in infrastructure, agriculture and energy collaboration. Our Act East Policy will help in increasing exports in apparels and electronics. ASEAN nations provide dynamic consumer markets for Indian textiles, pharmaceuticals and machinery. The UK, EU and Australia are new avenues where India is already engaged in talks and we now have an FTA with the UK. By pursuing South-South cooperation, India can position itself as a global supplier beyond the West. Promoting Indian brands, semiconductor manufacturing Indian brands need to be promoted on global marketplaces like Amazon and indigenous platforms should be built to broaden market outreach. The first 'Made in India' chips will be in the market by the year-end. The country is now in mission mode with six semiconductor units in the pipeline and four new ones already approved. Our 'Make in India' punch has already taken off in renewable energy with the 500 GW of clean green energy drive by 2030 and thrust on indigenous defense production, as announced on the 15th of August by the Prime Minister. Initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and Global Bio-fuel Alliance will position India as a leader in renewable energy, potentially opening up the doors to tariff-exempt trade deals. India spends about 0.7% of its GDP in research and development compared to 2 to 3% in advanced nations. This is now increasing. The Startup India Mission with over 1.6 lakh startups needs to be scaled up. The National Quantum Mission, with a $1 billion outlay, will develop indigenous capabilities and reduce import reliance. India is already a global IT services powerhouse and diversification of exports by expanding cloud services, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing and fintech will help as these are sectors where tariffs are less likely to apply. By strengthening the intellectual property regime, India will be able to negotiate better terms in trade talks. By becoming a preferred alternative manufacturing hub, India can both absorb supply chains and build resilience against US tariffs. Building supply chain resilience Supply chain diversification is imperative to stymie Trump's policies and India must enhance its Production-Linked Incentive Scheme to lure global firms. Accelerating domestic production is most essential. Investments in infrastructure and reducing logistics costs can make our exports cost-competitive globally. India's logistics costs nearly 14% of the GDP as compared to 8 to 9% in developed countries. So we need to invest in faster cargo and port clearance and efficient warehousing and supply chains. Next-gen GST and tax reforms The Modi government has announced the 'Next Generation GST reforms' which would substantially reduce the tax burden across the country. The GST Council will also consider proposals for further ease of compliance using technology and faster refunds to exporters. Moving to a two-rate GST structure will catapult India at par with advanced economies. Compliances for MSMEs, which form the backbone of India's exports, are also being simplified and will strengthen the nation's manufacturing capabilities and make us more self-reliant. Easing regulations would attract companies relocating from China. Tourism, being tariff proof, must be propelled and, considering India's several beautiful locations, this is the right time. Other structural reforms, eliminating redtapism and enforcing strategic disinvestment and asset monetization to execute the Modi government's policy of 'Minimum government Maximum Governance' will help the endeavor for free enterprise. As mentioned above, India today is one of the world's fastest growing economies with a 6.3% growth and pacing to be a $5.5 trillion economy by 2028. There has been a great leap in economic reforms, healthcare, ease of doing business, infrastructural growth, enforcing a tech-driven digital India, serving the poor with several schemes and with the largest food security programme in the world and Nari Shakti. 80% of stand up India loans and 68% of Mudra loans have gone to women entrepreneurs. We are aiming at one nation, one tax and one market; we are a global e-payment leader and economic growth engine and have ensured a faceless tax system for a more accountable economy. India today is a new India — strong, secure and invincible, as ably proved after we have pulverized Pakistan. All this is due to our policy of 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas and sabka prayas. And it is this 'Nation First' commitment of a determined government, which is dedicated to the welfare of its countrymen, which will make us succeed- always and every time. The author is a former chairman, Haryana Public Service Commission and chairman, Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission. Views expressed are personal
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Vidhana Soudha Illumination Draws Massive Crowds Over Independence Day Weekend
Bengaluru: The special illumination of Vidhana Soudha with the colours of the Indian tricolour, initiated by Assembly Speaker U T Khader, attracted unprecedented crowds during the Independence Day weekend. Marking the 79th Independence Day, the iconic state legislature building was lit up in saffron, white, and green, creating a spectacle that drew people from across Karnataka and beyond. According to rough estimates, more than 45,000 people visited the site each evening between August 15 and 17. The surge in footfall led to traffic congestion and crowd management challenges, with police personnel deployed at the venue struggling to regulate the flow of visitors. On some evenings, authorities were compelled to switch off the lights earlier than planned to disperse the swelling crowds. The initiative, which Khader had launched as part of a permanent illumination programme for the Assembly, has won wide appreciation from citizens. Many described the sight of the heritage building draped in the tricolour as a 'proud and emotional experience' during the national celebration. (eom)
