Latest news with #Sodha
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Time of India
Nandurbar SP Shravan Dath Sodha awarded DG Insignia for efforts in solving murder case
Nashik: was presented the DG's Insignia at a programme held at the Nandurbar district collector office by the guardian minister of Nandurbar, MLA Manikrao Kokate. He was presented with the DG's Insignia for his outstanding detection of a murder case in Parbhani, where he was earlier posted as deputy SP. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On April 28, a list of awardees for the DG's Insignia for their outstanding work in different categories was announced. The murder case was registered with the Selu police station. Despite the complicated nature of the offence, Sodha investigated the case in a scientific manner by gathering all the forensic, digital, technical, and circumstantial evidence, apart from taking statements of the eyewitnesses of the offence. On the basis of his investigation, the people accused in the murder were convicted by the court. Sodha was also presented the DG's Insignia during the district planning committee meeting organised at the Niyojan Bhavan of the district collectorate that happened on Saturday.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pahalgam terror attack: Centre exempts many more from repatriation to Pakistan
Amid countrywide crackdown to physically remove Pakistan citizens whose visas expired on April 29, 2025, the Union Home Ministry (MHA) expanded the list of categories exempted from deportation. The MHA issued guidelines that Pakistani Hindus who have 'applied for long term visas' (LTVs) and whose applications are 'under process' will be exempted from the deportation process. Exemption has also been granted to Hindu migrants who were eligible but had not yet applied for LTV, on the condition that they apply immediately. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where the concentration of Pakistani Hindus is the highest, conveyed to Seemant Lok Sangathan, a group that advocates for the rights of Pakistani minority migrants in India, that Muslim women who are married to Indian citizens and have applied for LTVs are 'not required to leave the country'. The FRRO in Jodhpur conducted a special drive from April 26 to 28 to register Pakistani Hindu migrants, and LTVs were granted to 362 persons. Earlier government officials had clarified that those who possessed LTVs will be exempt from the visa-revocation order and will not have to leave the country. On April 28-29, as many as 249 Pakistanis left India via the Attari integrated land port in Punjab while 527 Indians entered the country. As many as 537 Pakistani citizens left India between April 24 and 27, when the first deadline came to an end. 'Pakistani Hindus' LTV applications pending' Seemant Lok Sangathan president Hindu Singh Sodha said that there are 10,000 Pakistani Hindus whose LTV applications are pending with the MHA for more than two years. The LTV, granted for 1-5 years, is considered a precursor to citizenship. Mr. Sodha said that in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, after the government announced that it was revoking visas to Pakistanis and that they had 48 hours to leave the country, there was panic as the move would affect thousands. 'We wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and took up the matter with the State government. The FRRO informed us through a press note that other than LTV holders, those who have applied for the LTVs will also be exempted. It is a big relief. These people came to India seeking shelter from religious persecution. They applied for LTV following due process. You did not clear their files and now want to punish them by sending them back?' Mr. Sodha said. He added that several Pakistani Hindu refugees received calls from the police asking them to leave the country. The FRRO also cautioned the migrants from falling into the hands of touts and asked them to contact them directly in their office. It said that people whose Pakistani passports had expired and were yet to apply for citizenship should present their documents to the FRRO immediately so that necessary directions can be obtained from the ministry. Short-term visas to long-term visas for Hindus A senior police official in Rajasthan said some Hindu migrants who came here on short-term visas wanted to stay back and were being given LTVs. 'As a procedure, calls were made to all Pakistani visa holders. Some minority community members from Pakistan wanted to stay back on the grounds of persecution, so we asked them to apply for LTV,' the official said. A Delhi Police official said that they have been given a list of Pakistani citizens who have not left the country despite the visas being revoked. 'The procedure is that they will be taken to the FRRO office in Delhi, which will examine their documents and if found flouting the visa conditions, they will be sent to the detention centre in Lampur from where they will be deported to their country of origin,' said the official. In Maharashtra, a government official said that exit permits were being handed over to people and it was being ensured that they leave the country.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pak Hindu refugees get temporary breather, many apply for long term visas
Jaisalmer : With India revoking visa services to all but diplomatic, official and long-term visa holders, Hindu Pakistani citizens on short-term visas in India made a beeline to apply for long-term visas before the deadline ended on Sunday. Over Saturday and Sunday, over 800 Hindu Pakistani citizens in Jaisalmer prepared and submitted their long-term visa applications at the Foreigners Registration Office. Dalip Singh Sodha of the Seemant Lok Sangathan said, "We received assurances of relief from the govt. There is a possibility of relief for Hindu refugees from Pakistan, and we have high hopes from this decision." Under this relief, displaced Hindu refugees from Pakistan who came to India on short-term visas were asked to apply for LTV (Long Term Visa). If they apply for LTV within the deadline, they may be allowed to stay in India permanently, Sodha said. He said it is likely govt may issue specific orders for Hindu refugees from Pakistan, providing them relief for a certain period. "This could be a historic step, proving to be a lifeline for thousands of Hindu refugees displaced from Pakistan to India," Sodha added. By Sunday, over 800 Pakistani Hindu refugees had applied for long-term visas. However, Sodha said if the LTV applications are not completed within the specified time frame, concerned persons may have to return to Pakistan.
Washington Post
06-04-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Depression stole her drive to cook. Recipes like this brought it back.
Someone in my family once told me, 'I don't believe in depression.' It was a startling statement, insulting to those of us who have experienced depressive episodes, and my reply was quick and sharp: 'Depression doesn't require you to believe in it. It exists whether you want it to or not.' I'm a believer, and so is Meera Sodha. The London-based cookbook author and newspaper columnist had what she calls a 'breakdown' several years ago, severe enough to force her to step away from her Guardian column for a bit. Then one day her husband, Hugh, started to crack under the pressure of taking care of their baby and toddler along with his wife and himself. 'He said, 'Please, I'd really love it if you cooked me a meal,'' Sodha told me in a Zoom call from New York City, where she was on book tour. Get the recipe: Matar Paneer It was all she needed to hear, and it woke her up, literally and figuratively. 'I had always shown him love by cooking, and I think that's what he needed,' she said. She went from bed to kitchen, gathered ingredients, and made her version of one of their favorite dishes, a Malaysian dal. As she felt herself returning to life, she also realized that as a professional food writer, she had been doing this cooking thing all wrong. 'I'd cooked because it was a particular season or I was working on a particular vegetable,' subjects she was tackling for her column, she said. 'It's like, what would other people like for Easter? I didn't really think about myself.' Even her family was typically eating the results of her testing rather than, as she put it, 'the types of foods I had grown up eating myself,' or what she might crave in the moment. She paved her path back from depression with a determination to change. As she writes in her new cookbook, 'I would cook for pleasure, not work. I wanted to try to become more aware of my mood and feelings and work out what I wanted to eat, and slowly but surely, like kindling catching, I started to feel the fire in my belly again.' The orange notebook she kept in the kitchen, where she recorded thoughts about her day and her feelings — along with descriptions of dishes she made for her family — wasn't intended to become a cookbook. Eventually, she thought, it would be a keepsake for her girls. But when her editor and agent checked in on her, she told them she was coming up for air and might have the makings of her next project. The result, 'Dinner,' is Sodha's ode to the kind of simple family meal that rejuvenated her during and after a dark period. I've always loved Sodha's recipes — I'm particularly fond of her 2020 book, 'East' — but her newfound sense of freedom comes across in 'Dinner.' The recipes have a breezy, no-pressure vibe that feels like exactly what we all need in such a stressful, uncertain period. Think spicy sesame noodles with peanuts and Brussels sprouts, Sichuan-style charred green beans with crumbled tofu and mushrooms, and an herby fried-egg salad. Sodha has a way of bringing just the right fresh touches to even traditional recipes. The one I couldn't resist sharing after I tested it is Matar Paneer, an Indian pea and paneer curry that she enriches with a cashew puree and brightens with crunchy snow peas. To add even more depth, you blister the snow peas — and some cherry tomatoes — in a skillet before building the rest of the dish. The combination of textures and flavors makes the curry something you don't want to stop eating, which also makes it a particularly appropriate example of Sodha's other big message in 'Dinner': that lingering over the evening meal can help you press the reset button on a stressful day. As someone who has also struggled to keep in touch with my own cravings and my own household cooking obligations even as I pursue new recipes for this column and for cookbooks, I adore any dish that can meet all those needs. I made the Matar Paneer for work colleagues first, then took leftovers home, where my teenage son was too occupied by his current fixation on red meat to notice them. I heated them up for my husband and myself, and over a satisfying dinner we exchanged workday recaps and brainstormed weekend plans. Reset accomplished. Get the recipe: Matar Paneer
Express Tribune
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
The keepers of Sindh's myths and melodies
The bards of Sindh, known as Chaarans, have long been the custodians of oral tradition, their voices weaving tapestries of history, myth, and legend. These wandering minstrels once stood in the courts of kings, maharajas, chieftains, and nawabs, their verses resonating in grand halls, met with admiration and reverence. Their tongues carried the weight of royal epics, their memories safeguarded the chronicles of nations, and their songs breathed life into the annals of time. To hear a bard was to traverse the past, to live the triumphs and tragedies of those who came before. Even today, their gatherings, known as 'rehaan,' echo through select circles, preserving their art. Scholars debate the true meaning of Chaaran. Some claim it denotes a nomadic existence, a people never bound to one place. Others insist it signifies those adorned with four distinct virtues. Yet another school of thought asserts that Chaaran refers to those who recount history in a singularly poetic style. But beneath the uncertainty of definition lies an undeniable truth: bards are restless souls, forever yearning to sing the songs of their land and people. Their devotion has often met with the highest form of tribute. Legends tell of rulers so moved by a bard's tale that they offered their very heads in gratitude. Among such fabled accounts is that of Rai Dyach and the Sodha king of Nagarparkar, whose noble sacrifice stands as testimony to the power of poetry. Before partition of the subcontinent, the bards of Sindh and Hind shared a common legacy. Now, though divided by borders, they remain linked by tradition. Once, the art of poetry and storytelling was their passion; now, it has faded, a shadow of its former self. Once numbering in multitudes, the Chaaran clans are now splintered into nearly 120 branches across Sindh and Hind. Some remain in Sindh, their lineage extending into sub-groups — Naara, Maadha, Absorra, Chorrara, Gaadarr, Baacha, Gangaarin, Mesmaa, Merro, Beejal, Ratno, and Gaango — each thread forming part of the grand tapestry of the bardic tradition. Among the dunes of Thar and the lush landscapes of the Sindh barrages, dwell both Muslim and Hindu bards. While the Muslim bards have largely forsaken their ancestral craft, the Hindu bards persist, their voices still carrying echoes of bygone eras. They reside in Tharparkar, their settlements stretching across Khaaroro Chaararn, Naon Chorr, Chaaran Horr, Mithrio Chaaran, Rattan Jo Tarr, Paabohar, Raathi Chaaran, Bhopan Ji Werrhi, Gaddro Chaaran, Othehar, and Gaatro Chaaran. Here, they live in harmony with Thakurs, sharing both land and legacy. Proud of their Rajput heritage, the Chaarans mirror the customs of the warrior clans they serve. Their women remain veiled, their dignity safeguarded by the strictest traditions. Tall and striking, their men bear the hallmark of Rajput ancestry, their moustaches grand, their countenance noble. Disputes within their community are settled not in the courts of outsiders but within their own councils, the venerable Ghardero. To the Rajputs, bards are more than mere storytellers. They are blessed, revered as descendants of deities. To insult a bard is to invite misfortune; to seek their blessings is to walk in fortune's favour. Such is the reverence they command that Rajputs, in an act of deep respect, lay offerings at their feet, touching them in devotion. A bard's black-threaded necklace is a mark of his craft, and when he sings, he drapes himself in black, his voice carrying secrets only the wind remembers. The sacred deities born of bards find their places of worship in Tharparkar, with Dewal Dewi standing in Khaaroro Chaaran and Juma Dewi resting in Chachro. Another shrine watches over Nagarparkar, its sanctity upheld by the faithful. Here, bards are not only revered for their craft but for their unwavering simplicity — a trait that has earned them the title of 'bard faqirs.' Though they converse in Dhatki, their verses blend Hindi, Gujarati, Sindhi, and Dhatki into a lyrical fusion of tongues. It is said that their ancestors trained in the ancient languages of Pingal and Dingal at the fabled university of Bhoj. From their lips emerged a myriad of poetic forms — songs, couplets, elegies — each perfected under the guidance of seasoned masters. In the golden age of Sindh, bards were indispensable to history. During the reign of the Soomra dynasty, the bard Samang's hymns immortalised the valour of Dodo Soomro. Even Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the venerated Sindhi poet, paid homage to their legacy. His Sur Surath extols Beejal, the bard whose song so bewitched Rai Dyach that the king, enraptured, laid down his head in offering. The Kalhora era, too, bore witness to the rise of bardic fame, with luminaries such as Juman and Sadruddin of Dadu and Larkana carving their names into the annals of Sindh. Beyond the realm of poetry, the bards hold another power — the power to unite. As esteemed matchmakers, they arrange marriages among Rajputs, their proposals beyond refusal. They do not marry outside their caste, and their unions follow the sacred principle of reciprocation. Like Rajputs, they cherish their animals, yet their greatest treasure remains their song, for which they demand their due. Though these customs wane, the Rajputs still honour their debts, ensuring that each year, the bards are cared for. Their respect extends beyond Rajput courts. Even the Muslim chieftains and Nawabs of Sindh acknowledge the bards' might — not just as entertainers, but as truth-bearers. A bard's tongue can sing praise, but it can also rebuke, holding rulers accountable for their deeds. In past times, a sect known as the Moti Sarai upheld this tradition, their voices fearless against injustice. Yet today, they are but a whisper in the wind, gone from Sindh's soil. As the era of rajas and maharajas fades into history, so too does the bard's voice. Once, they were met with generosity, their words valued above wealth. Now, their language teeters on the brink of extinction, their stories left untold. But Sindh has always needed its bards — to remind its people of their duty, to sing of valour in times of war, and wisdom in times of peace. Their legacy is a call to remembrance, a melody that should never be allowed to fade. Ashfaq Azar is a writer, poet and journalist All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the author
