Sonia, Rahul pay tribute to Nelson Mandela on birth centenary
New Delhi, July 18: Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her successor Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid tributes to South African anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela on his birth centenary.
In a letter to the African National Congress, Sonia Gandhi described Mandela as a man of "indomitable spirit and extraordinary courage".
"For me personally, it was an immense privilege to meet him, and to experience his magnetic charisma, the warmth of his personality, and the strength of his convictions.
"...I and my colleagues at Indian National Congress, join you and your comrades in the ANC in celebrating Madiba's (Mandela's) life and in saluting his memory," she said.
Rahul Gandhi also recalled his meeting with the South African leader, saying: "We spoke at length about the need for a nation to forgive its oppressors and to heal, but to never forget the oppression unleashed on it.
"...he told me that it was India's freedom struggle and the life of Mahatama Gandhi that had helped shape his beliefs."
Gandhi wrote that Mandela's birth centenary is also a time to remember the historic, cultural, and political bonds between the people of South Africa and India.
"These bonds were further strengthened during the struggle for South African independence and in the long years that Madiba was in prison, when the INC stood shoulder to shoulder with the ANC in solidarity against oppression, apartheid and colonial exploitation," he said.
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UP: Passenger falls to death while spitting 'paan' from moving bus
Sultanpur (UP), Nov 30: A 45-year-old passenger fell to his death from an air-conditioned Uttar Pradesh roadways bus allegedly after he opened its door to spit 'pann' as the vehicle moved through the Purvanchal Expressway here on Saturday, police said.
The incident took place on the 93-km milestone of the expressway around 10.30 am when the bus was en route to Lucknow from Azamgarh.
"As the bus reached near Bihi village in the Baldirai police station area, a passenger opened the door of the moving bus to spit. He lost balance and fell onto the road, resulting in his death. He had opened the door to spit 'paan'," a police official said.
"The bus was stopped immediately, and Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) officials along with the police were informed," the official said.
Baldirai Station House Officer (SHO) Dheeraj Kumar said that UPEIDA personnel rushed the victim to the local Community Health Centre via ambulance, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
"The deceased was identified as Ram Jiavan, a resident of Chinhat area in Lucknow. His wife, Savitri, was also travelling with him on the bus," Kumar said.
He added that the bus has been taken to the police station for further investigation and the body has been sent for post-mortem.
