Latest news with #Manch
Indian Express
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Uttarakhand, a women's group enters panchayat poll ring to knock out ‘pradhan pati' system
Posters with the picture of a young woman wearing a faint smile, and her educational qualifications highlighted in bold red, are plastered across the village of Jheepa in Uttarakhand's Almora district. Though at first glance it looks like any other poster, the message behind the absence of a man in the frame is not lost on anyone. Sunita Devi, 32, is vying to become the gram pradhan of Jheepa, which votes in the second phase of the panchayat elections on July 28. She is the president of a women's group called the Rachnatmak Mahila Manch that has thrown its hat in the ring for the first time since its inception in 2013, pledging to abolish the practice of 'pradhan pati (husbands of elected women officials running the show as their proxies)'. The decision to take the electoral plunge was taken at a cluster-level leader meeting of the nine 'shram sakhis' — heads of the 11 clusters falling under the group — on Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24, following which candidate selection was conducted in village-level meetings. Based in the Salt block of Almora and not yet registered as a political party, the Manch has 26 members contesting elections for the post of gram pradhan, six for block development councils, and one for zila panchayat president. Apart from this, the organisation has also extended support to 40 non-member candidates. Starting as a group with 150 women from 11 villages, the Manch now boasts of running operations in 150 villages of Almora and Pauri Garhwal, with over 1,500 members. An offshoot of the not-for-profit organisation Shramyog, the Manch, which charges its members a Rs 5 annual subscription to fund its activities, has spearheaded protests to demand higher compensation for victims of human-animal conflict, better MGNREGA wages, and better healthcare insurance. It has also helped women set up food processing units and connect their produce to markets. 'Almora saw a negative decadal growth rate due to migration in the 2011 Census. This prompted us to set up an institution to focus on the social capital of the region. Over the years, communal polarisation, unemployment, and alcohol consumption have risen across the state. Our group, comprising unions of ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, farmers, and women, hopes to instil a sense of community in the region and fight against these issues,' says Shankar Datt, one of Shramyog's founding members. Even as it lends voice to various causes, running the group is a challenging task for its members who meet each November, the only winter month when the women in the region are relatively less occupied as they do not have to work in the fields. 'We meet and discuss activities undertaken through the year, set targets for the following year and review our performance on the path to independence,' says Renuka, who joined the group in 2020. Aiming to build educated villages free of exploitation, safe for children and women, and based on the principle of social justice, the Manch's manifesto — it is called 'Humari gram sabha, humara raj, panchayaton se karwayenge sare kaaj (Our gram sabha, our rule – all work will be done through panchayats)' — promises to foster the spirit of community and abolish the practice of 'pradhan pati'. 'We will not offer money and alcohol to voters and also won't arrange vehicles to ferry them. We will encourage only permanent residents of the village to contest the polls, while every family will be involved in the development, decisions regarding which would be taken in the gram sabha,' reads the manifesto. Some of the Manch's other promises include planting and protecting one tree for every girl child born in the village, transparency in panchayat accounts and records, and accountability of government officials and employees. Devi, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 panchayat polls at the block-level, says women will be in charge of self-governance and decision-making if the Manch wins. 'We barely attend gram panchayat meetings as it is monopolised by men. However, this time there is a difference as women candidates have started to showcase their identity,' she says. With two of its members already elected unopposed as village heads, a section of the group alleges they have been 'hounded' by BJP workers. The Salt block has 138 gram pradhan posts, 40 development council seats, and five zila panchayat seats up for grabs. The results will be declared on July 31. The group's actions are seemingly resonating in surrounding areas of Jheepa. 'The Manch helped receive a compensation of Rs 6 lakh for the family of a man who was killed in a leopard attack by protesting and writing to the authorities. It has also worked in the van (forest) panchayats of the area. The group has made its presence felt over the years and could win a fair number of seats,' says Narayan Barthwal of Gingrai village, which is around 13 kilometres from Jheepa. However, BJP mandal president Sujeet Singh Chaudhary is confident of a 'comfortable victory' and says his party does not endorse the practice of 'pradhan pati'. 'We have fielded educated women who can lead villages well,' he says.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Call for govt action to restore iconic theatre in Cuttack
Bhubaneswar: Once the cultural heartbeat of Cuttack, the Janata Ranga Manch now stands silent and crumbling — a shadow of its vibrant past. More than two decades after the 1999 Super Cyclone left it in ruins, the iconic theatre in Banka Bazar continues to languish in neglect. Now, in a renewed push to save this landmark of Odisha's theatrical legacy, The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and the Manch's members have urged the state govt to step in before it's too late. Underlining the cultural and historical significance of the 72-year-old institution, INTACH's state convener, Biswajit Mohanty, said, "Janata Ranga Manch was not just a theatre but a symbol of Odisha's rich performing arts tradition. Its current condition is heartbreaking." He added that INTACH would send a formal request to the govt to declare Janata Ranga Manch a 'heritage site' and urge the preparation of a comprehensive restoration and development plan. Cuttack Mayor Subash Singh said, "Janata Ranga Manch is an iconic heritage site and must be preserved. The Cuttack Municipal Corporation has already submitted a proposal for its revival to the state govst and is awaiting approval and financial allocation." Established in 1953, Janata Ranga Manch served as a vital platform for staging plays by renowned playwrights and nurturing the theatre movement in Odisha. For over five decades, it hosted regular performances and was once considered the cultural heartbeat of the city. After being severely damaged in the Super Cyclone, the theatre has operated from a makeshift venue. Despite the challenges, its members continue to keep the spirit of Odia theatre alive. "Janata Ranga Manch was once the pride of Cuttack. All steps must be taken to declare it a heritage institution," said Deepak Samantray, co-convener of INTACH's Cuttack chapter. Echoing his sentiments, theatre activist Indrajit Ghosh said, "This institution has been the bedrock of theatre in the state. It deserves heritage status to honour its lasting contribution to the arts." Dr Ananga Dwivedi, advisor to the Manch, recalled that Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, during his tenure as the collector of Cuttack, visited the site and suggested developing an 'Adarsh Natya Sanghralaya' (model theatre museum) for its revival. "It is high time the state govt considered setting up the proposed museum," he said. Heritage activist Anil Dhir of INTACH said the organisation would submit a collective appeal to the govt urging immediate intervention. "This theatre is a living archive of Odia drama since 1953. Without timely action, we risk losing a vital cultural institution forever," he said.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Civil society organisation urges Bengal CM to block SBI's plan to shift key operations from Kolkata
A civil society organisation on Tuesday urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to intervene in the State Bank of India 's decision to shift Global Market Unit (GMU) and other core operations from Kolkata to Mumbai. In a letter to the chief minister, 'Bank Bachao Desh Bachao Manch' expressed concern over the "arbitrary" move by SBI to relocate key functions, including the GMU and three Centralised Processing Cells - Liability Central Processing Cell (LCPC), Centralised Cheque Processing Cell (CCPC), and Centralised Pension Processing Cell (CPPC) - from Kolkata, alleging that it would directly impact employment and state revenue. "This violates the tripartite agreement signed in March 2008 between the bank management and both officers' and staff federations, which had clearly stated that the forex treasury would continue to operate from Kolkata. The Central Global Back Office was also set up within GMU Kolkata in 2015 to strengthen Kolkata's role in global banking operations," the letter said. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Soumya Datta, one of the convenors of the Manch, said, "Nearly 150 permanent and over 200 casual employees will be directly impacted. More than 600 families will suffer. The state's exchequer will lose around Rs 25 crore annually in GST revenue from these units." The Manch demanded that the CM press for immediate steps to halt the relocation, implement the bank's past commitment to restore 50 per cent of forex operations to Kolkata and bring back the Income Tax and Government Accounts sections, among others, to Kolkata. Live Events "... we urge the chief minister to protect Bengal's interests and ensure Kolkata's rightful role in India's banking ecosystem is preserved," the letter said. The SBI has recently stated that decisions regarding the opening, shifting, or rationalisation of branches and offices are part of an ongoing business process based on evolving operational and administrative needs.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Residents' body asks Haryana govt to roll back hiked power tariff
Panchkula: Haryana govt's recent decision to hike electricity rates up to four times has sparked public outrage, especially in Kalka and Panchkula. After residents welfare associations (RWAs), Shivalik Vikas Manch has strongly opposed the move, demanding a complete rollback of the revised rates and a waiver of residential electricity bills for economically weaker sections. In a memorandum sent to CM Nayab Singh Saini and the power minister, Manch president Vijay Bansal criticised the govt's decision, citing severe impact on residents already grappling with job losses due to the closure of major industries like HMT Tractors and ACC Cement in Pinjore. He pointed out that unemployment in the area had surged, leaving people in no position to bear additional financial burdens such as inflated power bills. "Households which previously received a monthly bill of Rs 1,000, are now getting bills exceeding Rs 4,000," Bansal said. The senior Congress leader said electricity tariffs in BJP-ruled Haryana, which were already the highest in the region, had pushed industries to neighbouring states like Himachal and Uttarakhand.
The Irish Sun
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘He's giving red flags' warn Love Island fans after star admits he doesn't like girls who are ‘too much'
LOVE Island fans have slammed contestant Ben Holbrough after he called Shakira Khan 'hard work" and said he doesn't like girls who are "too much". During last night's series 12 premiere, taxi driver Ben, 23, told marketing professional Shakira , 25, her personality traits might not cut it for him. Advertisement 3 Love Island fans have slammed contestant Ben Holbrough after he called Shakira 'hard work" Credit: Eroteme 3 Taxi driver Ben told marketing professional Shakira her personality traits might not cut it for him Credit: Eroteme As the pair walked to the den, Shakira asked: 'What are you giggling at?' Ben replied: 'You.' When she asked why, he said: ''Cos you're hard work.' Shakira appeared surprised and asked, 'I'm hard work?' to which Ben replied, 'Yeah.' Advertisement read more on love island 'Why am I hard work?' she asked. 'Joking,' he said. 'I feel like you could be. I feel like you could definitely be hard work.' He later added: "I'm very picky. Certain things can put me off." When asked for some clarification, Ben said: "If you're too much. Do you know what I mean?" Advertisement Most read in Love Island Shakira said: "That's me all over." He replied: "You're a feisty one." Brutal twist rocks villa as bombshell enters during first episode The exchange sparked backlash on social media, with many fans accusing Ben of showing red flags. One wrote on X, formerly Twitter, 'Ben is giving massive red flags." Advertisement Another posted: 'Shakira is in love with Ben [laughing emojis] Ben is giving red flags, I'm sorry [laughing emojis].' A third wrote: "Ben saying he doesn't want someone that's too much to someone with a massive personality is soo funny to me." Elsewhere in the installment, Shakira entered the villa first alongside Advertisement Trying to learn what they both did for a living, Shakira set about telling Megan that she was 'too glamorous for a 9-5' and must do something more exciting for a job. Meg quickly set her straight revealing she was in fact a payroll specialist, with Shakira squealing that she was a "corporate girlie". While the comment might have sounded innocent to some, viewers at home were not impressed. One user wrote: "not too glamorous for a 9-5, oh dear". Another person asked: "what does 'too glamorous to do a 9-5' even mean?". Advertisement Someone else agreed, also wondering: "Too gorgeous to do a 9-5??? What does that mean?" In a shock move, one singleton has already been The girl was told to grab her case and go after the arrival of In scenes yet to be aired, Toni - who is American - will make Advertisement She is told to get to know the boys before choosing one to couple up with - leaving his girl being handed a one-way ticket back to the UK. Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. Love Island 2025 full lineup : A 29-year-old footballer with charm to spare. : A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. : A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. : A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa. : A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. : International business graduate with brains and ambition. : A gym enthusiast with a big heart. : A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. Ben Hullbra : A model ready to make waves. : An Irish actress already drawing comparisons to Maura Higgins. : A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. : A towering 6'5' personal trainer. : A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro : Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. : Beauty salon owner from Devon who runs 12 aesthetics clinics, boasting a famous clientele including former Love Islanders Departures : : Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. 3 Elsewhere in the installment, Shakira offended viewers within seconds Credit: Eroteme
