Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar cancel Karachi Arts Council event after Pulwama attack
Mumbai : Veteran actor Shabana Azmi on Friday said she and her husband, lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar, have decided not to attend Kaifi Azmi's birth centenary celebrations in Karachi in the wake of Pulwama terror attack.
The couple was invited to Pakistan by the Karachi Arts Council for a two-day event.
@Javedakhtarjadu and I were invited for a 2 day event celebrating Kaifi's Centenary and were truly looking forward to it. I appreciate that our hosts the Karachi Arts Council mutually agreed to cancel the event at the nth hour in the wake of Pulwama attack, Azmi posted on Twitter.
"Karanchi art council had invited Shabana and me for a two day lit conference about Kaifi Azmi and his poetry. We have cancelled that," Akhtar added.
Azmi said after the attack, she feels weakened in her belief that people to people contact can force the establishment to do the right thing.
"We will need to call halt to cultural exchange... There is no way we can carry on with cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan even as our martyrs are laying down their lives for us. I stand in solidarity with the grieving families," she wrote.
Azmi, however, said one should differentiate between the establishment and the people.
"But lets not lose sight of the fact that there is a difference between the Pakistani Establishment and the people of Pakistan and vice versa. On both sides of the border stand sisters and brothers divided by circumstances with which they had nothing to do," she added.
In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's three decades of militancy, a Jaish suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district, killing at least 40 personnel and leaving many critically wounded.
Azmi condemned the attacks and said she stands united with the grieving families.
Will there be no let to these heinous attacks? These mindless killings. This utter disregard for human lives? Extremely shocking news coming from Pulwama. I strongly condemn the worst terror attack on CRPF convoy, she wrote.
Akhtar, who had penned the CRPF anthem which was launched in 2014, also took to Twitter to pay his condolences.
I have a special relation with CRPF. I have written their anthem before putting the pen to paper I met a number of CRPF officers and whatever I learned, my respect, admiration and love for these braves increased by many a fold. Today I share the grief of the dear ones of the martyrs, he wrote.
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MP CM Yadav announces credit cards, financial aid for cow keepers
Bhopal, Nov 2: The Madhya Pradesh government will provide credit cards to those rearing cows and their progeny, similar to those available to farmers, to help manage the upkeep of cattle, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced on Saturday.
“Along with the people growing crops, credit cards will also be made available to those rearing cows and their progeny to enable them to manage expenses on their care,” Yadav said during the state-level ‘Govardhan Puja’ ceremony at Ravindra Bhawan here.
He said that people who care for more than 10 cows will be given special financial aid, adding that the state government will invest and make arrangements for rearing 5,000 to 10,000 cows under the limits of municipal Corporations.
He said that people found guilty of slaughtering cows in MP will get seven years of imprisonment.
Earlier, he took part in the Govardhan Puja at his official house.
Later in Gwalior, where he attended two such events, Yadav said the state would protect the cow and its offspring.
Ministers and MLAs across the state also participated in Govardhan Puja.
Before holding this function at the state level, the BJP government in MP had organised ‘Shastra Puja’ (worshipping of weapons) on Dussehra in a similar manner, with the CM, his ministers and MLAs across the state joining in.
