'English Vinglish' actress Sujata Kumar dies after battling cancer
Mumbai, Aug 20 : Actress Sujata Kumar, fondly remembered for playing late veteran actress Sridevis sibling in the film "English Vinglish" has died of cancer, said her sister Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, the actress-singer.
Suchitra tweeted that Sujata reportedly succumbed to cancer late on Sunday. "Our beloved Sujata Kumar has passed away and moved on to a better place leaving us with an umimaginable void. She left us an hour ago at 11.26 p.m. Life can never be the same again."
Suchitra, who is the former wife of filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, had earlier tweeted asking her fans and friends to pray for Sujata. "Please pray for my darling sister Sujata Kumar," she had tweeted.
On Saturday, Suchitra shared an update about her sister.
"It feels like somebody's plunged a hard cold knife into my heart and ripped the ground from under my feet as I sit outside ICU and pray for my big sister, my mother, my best friend, my darling Sujata Kumar as she battles for her life inside..."
Sujata worked in several TV shows like "Hotel Kingston" and "Bombay Talking". She also appeared in the Anil Kapoor-starrer "24" as Meghna Singhania.
Apart from "English Vinglish", Sujata has worked in films like "Raanjhanaa", "Salaam-E-Ishq" and "Gori Tere Pyar Mein".
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
