British envoy draws attention to plastic pollution in oceans
Kolkata: Juxtaposing the naturalness of silk with the artificiality of plastic, British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith on Saturday drew attention to the health of rivers and plastic pollution in the oceans.
"It is incredibly appropriate that we are celebrating rivers at this particular point in time.. They reflect not only health of the country but also, as we have been increasingly reading in the last few days, health of the oceans, particularly relevant here in Asia," Asquith said at the closing ceremony of "Silk River India Walk" at the Victoria Memorial Hall here.
Britain joined nearly 200 countries in signing a United Nations resolution in Nairobi earlier this month to cut plastic in the sea.
"So much of plastic runs down the river into oceans... What I love is we are surrounded by something very different...silk. It is soft, beautiful, natural and valuable in sharp contrast to plastic, which is cheap, hard, artificial and ugly," he said referring to the 20 hand-woven and hand-painted Murshidabad (Bengali) silk flags crafted as part of the Indo-British Silk River partnership.
The Silk River project explores the unique relationship between London and Kolkata.
Working at 20 locations alongside the Hooghly and the Thames to reinterpret a shared heritage, Silk River aims to raise cultural awareness about the Indo-British relationship by engaging diaspora communities.
The 20 scrolls will be exhibited at the Central Hall of Victoria Memorial Hall here from December 19 to December 31.
The project was a collaborative effort -- between Kinetika, UK, and its various Indian partners, including ThinkArts, Murshidabad Heritage Development Society, Crafts Council of India West Bengal and West Bengal Tourism. It is supported by the Arts Council England and the British Council.
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SC asks HC, Maharashtra govt to evolve mechanism to ensure production of accused before trial courts
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has asked the Bombay High Court and the Maharashtra government to evolve a mechanism to ensure that accused are produced before trial judges either physically or virtually on every date so that the trial is not prolonged.
The apex court, while dealing with an appeal challenging the Bombay High Court order denying bail to an accused, said a "sorry state of affairs" was being depicted as the trial proceedings in the case was being prolonged due to non-production of appellant before the trial judge either physically or virtually.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan was informed that this was not a solitary case but in many cases, such a difficulty arises.
"We, therefore, direct the registrar general of the high court of judicature at Bombay, secretary, Home, state of Maharashtra and secretary, Law and Justice, state of Maharashtra to sit together and evolve a mechanism to ensure that the accused are produced before the trial judge either physically or virtually on every date and the trial is not permitted to be prolonged on the ground of non-production of the accused persons," the bench said.
In its order passed on December 18, the apex court noted that material placed on record revealed that in the last six years, out of 102 dates, the accused was not produced before the court either physically or through virtual mode on most of the dates.
"We may say with anguish that this is a very sorry state of affairs. If an accused is
incarcerated for a period of approximately five years without even framing of charges, leave aside the right of speedy trial being affected, it would amount to imposing sentence without trial," the bench said.
It said such a prolonged delay was also not in the interest of the rights of the victim.
The bench said a copy of its order be forwarded to the registrar general of the high court and the secretaries of Home and Law and Justice of Maharashtra government forthwith for necessary action.
The bench delivered its verdict on the appeal challenging an order of the high court which had rejected the bail plea of the appellant in a case registered under the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The apex court allowed the appeal and granted bail to the appellant on a bond of Rs 50,000 with one or more sureties in the like amount.
It directed that the appellant shall continue to appear before the special judge on every date regularly.
