Rahul Gandhi to 'adopt' 22 orphaned children from Poonch affected by Pakistani shelling
The education of these children, many of whom were orphaned in the wake of Pakistani shelling, will be fully funded by Gandhi, with support continuing until they complete their graduation, The Indian Express reported, quoting Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra.
He said the first aid instalment will be released this week to ensure the students can continue their schooling without interruption.
'Why did you stop?': Rahul Gandhi interjects as Rajnath Singh details Operation Sindoor ceasefire | Watch
Gandhi, during a visit to Poonch in May, asked local party leaders to compile a list of affected children. Subsequently, a survey was conducted, and the names of the children were finalised after cross-checking government records.
During his visit, Gandhi also stopped at Christ Public School to meet classmates of Urba Fatima and Zain Ali, 12-year-old twins who died in the shelling.
Also Read | Cong's Manish Tewari hints with a song why he didn't speak in Op Sindoor debate, references Shashi Tharoor too
Speaking to the children, the Congress MP also offered some words of comfort.
'I feel very, very proud of you. You miss your little friends. I'm very sorry about that. Now, you feel a little bit of danger and a little frightened, but don't worry; everything will go back to normal. Your way of responding to this should be to study really hard, play really hard and make a lot of friends in school,' the publication quoted Gandhi as saying.
Poonch, one of the regions hit hardest by the Pakistani shelling, saw several civilians, including children, injured. Among the lives lost was Vihaan Bhargav, a young boy killed by shrapnel as his family tried to escape the escalating violence.
Operation Sindoor was carried out in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22 this year.
In retaliation, India targeted nine terror hubs across Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Pakistan and neutralised over 100 terrorists.
After the May 7 operations, India and Pakistan reached a cessation of hostilities understanding on May 10.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Geneva meet: Talks on Global Plastics Treaty resume today
STARTING TUESDAY, over 190 countries will get into a huddle in Geneva, Switzerland, to break an impasse and reach an agreement over the next fortnight on the first-ever Global Plastics Treaty that will create a legally binding framework to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. This will be the second installment of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) of the UN. Countries will push to address plastic pollution right from the production stage, which uses polluting oil and gas, to the challenges of plastic waste disposal and recycling. Negotiators will pick up from the previous meeting in Busan, South Korea, last December, where talks had collapsed over critical and unresolved issues. These issues and disagreements were over the draft treaty's provisions on putting a cap on production of polymers, elimination of harmful chemicals from plastic production and phasing out of harmful plastic products. As per the Centre for International Environmental Law, a US-based non-profit, the current draft text issued during Busan contains 370 brackets, which indicate areas of no agreement between countries. It was in 2022 in Nairobi that a resolution was adopted at the United Nations Environment Assembly to develop global rules to end plastic pollution. If successfully adopted, the treaty would be the most consequential one on environmental issues since the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The exponential growth in plastic production is one of the key drivers of plastic pollution. Globally, annual production has doubled, soaring from 234 million tonnes in 2000 to 460 million tonnes in 2019, while plastic waste has more than doubled from 156 Mt in 2000 to 353 Mt in 2019, as per a report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Production is likely to triple in a business-as-usual scenario by 2060, as per the UN EP. The talks on the global treaty will resume in the backdrop of a new Lancet report which said that 'plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding $1.5 trillion annually'. Civil society and environmental campaigners have termed the negotiations a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end plastic pollution and have called on countries to ensure significant cuts in plastic production. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
India Today
21 minutes ago
- India Today
Punjab village bans love marriages without family consent, sparks row
A village in Punjab's Mohali district has ignited controversy after its gram panchayat passed a resolution banning love marriages without family or community decision by the gram panchayat of Manakpur Sharif, located just 10 kilometers from Chandigarh, has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders and rights resolution, passed unanimously on July 31, prohibits couples who marry without the approval of their families from residing in the village or nearby areas. It also warns of punitive action against any villagers who support or shelter such 'This is not a punishment but a preventive step to protect our traditions and values,' said Dalvir Singh, the village explained that the resolution followed a recent incident in which a 26-year-old man, Davinder, married his 24-year-old niece, Baby. The couple has since left the village, but the incident has an impact for 2,000 villagers that are living here.'We are not against love marriage or law, but we are not allowing it here in our Panchayat,' Singh added. According to the resolution, the entire community shares the responsibility of preventing such unions. The panchayat has also urged neighboring villages to adopt similar move has sparked a backlash. Dharamvira Gandhi, Congress MP from Patiala, condemned the resolution, calling it a 'Talibani diktat.''Freedom to choose one's life partner is a fundamental right of every adult. The state must intervene and protect such couples from obscurantist attitudes,' he the resolution drew outrage from some quarters, local youth and villagers, speaking to India Today on the condition of anonymity, voiced support for the sarpanch.'We are with our Sarpanch on this decision and he is only authorised to speak over it. But we feel we have a legacy and reputation that should be carried. World is modern but we need to save our relations, our culture and our villages,' said one authorities have so far taken a measured stance over the incident. Sonam Chaudhary, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural), Mohali, said no formal complaint has yet been filed.'If the individuals are adults, they are legally free to marry whom they choose. Any future complaints will be addressed in accordance with the law,' she Aggarwal, Superintendent of Police (Mohali), emphasised the rule of law. 'This is not a banana republic. We will uphold the law and constitutional rights. As of now, no official complaint has been received. If it comes, we will act as per the law. No one has the right to take things into their own hands,' he told India the resolution was passed, the couple at the center of the controversy released a video on social media confirming that they married of their own free will. They also criticised local residents for tarnishing their reputation. Raj Lalli Gill, Chairperson of the Punjab State Women Commission, called the resolution unconstitutional. 'It's unconstitutional and decision by such Panchayat has no meaning. We will look into this. We haven't received any complaint against it,' she said.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Punjab
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Citing Malegaon blast case verdict, Yogi accuses opposition of ‘shielding terrorists'
1 2 Lucknow: Accusing opposition parties of "implicating innocent Hindus" while shielding actual terrorists in reference to the recent clean chit to the accused of the Malegaon Blast, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday alleged that Congress and Samajwadi Party repeatedly conspired against nationalists and were, in the Malegaon case, questioning the credibility of the country's constitutional institutions. "Will Congress ever apologise to the nation for its misdeeds?" the CM asked while addressing a public meeting in Meerut. He further said that the politics of Congress and SP was long centred on casteism, communal riots, and appeasement of mafia. Calling their approach to terrorism "soft", the CM demanded a public apology from Congress, stating that its politics rooted in casteism, riots, and mafia appeasement deeply harmed the nation. The CM was in Meerut to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects and participated in the bhoomi pujan of a Rs 2,517 crore Integrated Township project, spread across 295 hectares. The CM also provided financial assistance to young entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and housing scheme beneficiaries. Dedicating the township project to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the CM announced that its name would be 'Atal Shatabdi'. Located near the Rapid Rail corridor, this project aims to offer affordable and sustainable housing to residents of the National Capital Region. "The township will reshape Meerut's urban landscape with integrated residential, industrial, and commercial facilities, along with schools, technical institutes, and medical colleges. The project is expected to generate employment for lakhs and establish Meerut as a new hub of development," he said. Elaborating on the development in Meerut in recent years, the CM said that earlier known for its 'Chor Bazar' areas like Sotiganj, it was now gaining international recognition for its sports goods industry, thanks to initiatives like Rapid Rail, the 12-lane expressway, and the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. The country's first sports university, named after Major Dhyan Chand, is coming up in Meerut, he said, while the country's longest expressway connecting Meerut to Prayagraj will be completed by the end of the year, reducing travel time to Lucknow to just six hours. He also announced the commencement of survey work for the Meerut–Haridwar expressway and the integration of divisional offices under one roof as key developmental initiatives and announced new development projects as well, including the reconstruction of the Inner Ring Road and a new Circuit House. He urged people to purchase indigenous products over foreign goods to stop national wealth "from flowing into anti-national activities". The CM also announced that on the occasion of Rakshabandhan, women would be able to travel for free in state transport buses from Aug 8 to 10. He credited the govt's zero-tolerance policy for ridding Meerut of riots and crime and putting it on the path of development. "Eight years ago, Meerut was burning in the flames of communal violence. Today, it is surging ahead with infrastructure like the Rapid Rail and Expressways," he said. During the event, the Chief Minister distributed loans amounting to Rs 29 crore to 675 entrepreneurs under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyam Vikas Abhiyan. Financial assistance of Rs 64 crore was also extended to 881 self-help groups. Keys to homes were handed over to beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, and farmers excelling in their field were honoured with citation certificates.
