32 dead, 28 injured as overloaded bus falls in drain in HP's Kullu
Shimla, Jun 20: At least 32 people were killed and 28 others severely injured when an overloaded bus fell into a deep drain in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, officials said.
The private bus (bearing registration number HP 66-7065) fell into the over 300-metre-deep nullah near the Dhoth Morh in Banjar tehsil of the district, Kullu Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said, adding that the vehicle was en route to Gada Gushaini.
Prima facie, it seems that overloading and negligent driving may have caused the accident, Banjar Patwari Sheetal Kumar said.
Officials said the death toll in the tragic accident has touched 32, and added that the injured were undergoing treatment at the Banjar Civil Hospital and the Kullu district hospital. Most of the victims were residents of various areas in Kullu district.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed grief over the tragic accident. In their condolence messages, they prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members, an official spokesperson said.
The chief minister has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, the official said, adding that Thakur also asked the administration to provide best possible medicare to the injured passengers.
Meanwhile, state Transport Minister Govind Singh Thakur left for Kullu from Shimla after learning about the accident.
The Kullu district administration announced an immediate relief of Rs 50,000 to the kin of each of the deceased and the injured.
Talking to PTI, Piyush Tewari, founder of SaveLIFE Foundation said, "It's a shame that mass-casualty bus crashes have become a norm in India, especially in hilly states like Himachal Pradesh."
"The state government must immediately order a summary audit of all roads, and engineers and contractors responsible for missing basic installations like crash barriers must be booked for causing countless deaths and injuries," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CBCI seeks repeal of ‘forcible conversion’ laws, cites rights violations
Bengaluru (PTI): The CBCI on Tuesday strongly demanded that the Centre repeal legislations it said were "inconsistent with religious freedom and the right to privacy", alleging that many innocent individuals were being incarcerated on "unfounded allegations of forcible conversions".
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India cited Article 25 of the Constitution, stating that it guarantees that "all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion."
The CBCI concluded its 37th general body meeting on February 10. During the week-long conclave, which began on February 4, it also elected Cardinal Poola Anthony, Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad, as its new president.
"As many innocent individuals are incarcerated on unfounded allegations of forcible religious conversions, we strongly demand the repeal of legislation that is inconsistent with religious freedom and the right to privacy," the CBCI said in a statement.
Recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to nation-building, the CBCI said his entire life was devoted to shaping "an India in which the people shall feel that it is their country, in whose making they have an effective voice, an India in which there shall be no high class and low class of people."
The CBCI alleged that the denial of rights to Dalit Christians has continued for decades as an indirect form of discrimination, despite repeated appeals for equality and justice.
"We express our concern over the denial of rights to minorities, as such acts weaken the democratic fabric of our society," it said.
"While maintaining our commitment to eliminate any form of discrimination within ecclesial communities based on caste or language, we urge the government to ensure that no citizen is denied fundamental rights to equality and freedom," it said.
"At a time when freedom and human rights are increasingly disregarded, we reaffirm our faith in the Constitution of India, which envisions the country as a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic, and secures to all its citizens justice, liberty, equality and fraternity," the statement added.
Pointing out that constitutional rights are often "unjustly restricted, particularly concerning the poor, the marginalised, Dalits and tribal people," the CBCI said it was important to advocate for the protection of fundamental rights for all individuals, regardless of caste, creed or language.
Encouraging youth to participate actively in public life and democratic processes, the CBCI said, "It has become the need of the hour that our youngsters, as exemplary Christians and responsible citizens of India, actively engage in politics as a vocation to service."
"In a context of polarisation and mistrust, we uphold the Church’s calling to foster dialogue, reconciliation and fraternity. The Christian faith has always inspired us to seek the path of forgiveness whenever we have been deprived of human dignity and rights," it added.
