Gujarat: Tribal leader resigns from AAP over party's 'in principle' support to UCC
Rajpipla, Jul 9: An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader from Gujarat who fought unsuccessfully from a Scheduled Tribe reserved Assembly seat in the 2022 polls resigned from the party on Sunday opposing its "in principle" support to the Uniform Civil Code.
In his resignation letter addressed to AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Praful Vasava said the UCC was an attack on the Constitution.
Vasava, who lost from Nandod (ST) seat in Narmada district in the 2022 Assembly polls, in the letter said the AAP cannot talk about safeguarding tribal rights and at the same time express support to the UCC, which he claimed takes away special rights given to tribals.
Vasava accused the Centre over the killing of "tribals" in Manipur and urged the AAP to oppose fundamentalism and hate politics.
"UCC will threaten the constitutional rights, lifestyle and social structure of the tribals, Scheduled Caste, OBC, minorities and other communities," said Vasava in the letter in which he said he was resigning from the primary membership of AAP.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the need for a common civic code at a public meet recently, the AAP had extended "in principle support" to UCC, with the party's leader Sandeep Pathak saying it should be introduced through consensus.
"The AAP supports UCC in principle. Article 44 (of the Constitution) also supports it," Pathak, who is the outfit's national general secretary (organisation) had recently told PTI.
While pushing for UCC, PM Modi had asked how a nation could function with dual laws governing personal issues.
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Himachal’s Sammoo village does not celebrate Diwali due to centuries-old 'curse’; Here’s why
Hamirpur: The residents of Sammoo village in Hamirpur district located in Himachal Pradesh are continuing a centuries-old tradition of not celebrating Diwali. No houses are lit during the festival, no special dishes are prepared, and no sounds of crackers are heard.
This is an ancient custom that people have been following for ages due to the fear of a curse from a woman who committed Sati on Diwali, according to a PTI report.
The legend goes that, many years ago, the woman who had left for her parent's home to celebrate Diwali received news that her husband, a soldier in the king's court, had died. The woman, who was pregnant, was devastated and burnt herself on her husband's pyre. It is believed she cursed the villagers, declaring that they would never again be able to celebrate Diwali.
As a result, the village has not celebrated the festival since, with elders reportedly warning younger generations that celebrations would invite misfortune, disaster, and deaths.
Bhoranj panchayat pradhan Pooja Devi stated that since she got married and moved to this village, she has never witnessed Diwali being celebrated. “Even if the villagers settle outside, the curse of the women won’t leave them. Some years ago, a family from the village settled far away were preparing some local dishes for Diwali when their house caught fire. The people of the village only worship Sati and light diyas in front of her,” Pooja Devi was quoted as saying by the news agency.
The report also cited another village elder, who has lived through more than 70 Diwalis without celebration, mentioning that whenever someone attempts to celebrate, tragedy strikes the village.
“For hundreds of years, people have refrained from celebrating Diwali. On the day of Diwali, if a family, even by mistake, bursts crackers and makes dishes at home, then disaster is sure to happen,” the report quoted another villager.
The people in the village have tried a lot of measures, such as havans and yagyas, to get rid of the curse. However, nothing has reportedly worked.
