Veteran poet Imroz passes away at 97
Mumbai, Dec 22: Noted poet and artist Inderjeet alias Imroz, known for his enduring relationship with poet Amrita Pritam, passed away in Mumbai on Friday at the age of 97 due to age-related issues, family sources said.
Alka Kwatra, Pritam's daughter-in-law, told PTI that his last rites were performed at the Dahanukarwadi crematorium at Kandivli in north Mumbai in the presence of family and close friends.
The funeral pyre was lit by Pritam's granddaughter.
Amiya Kunwar, a close acquaintance of Imroz, said he was suffering from health issues for some days and had been hospitalised.
Born on January 26, 1926 in Lyallpur, Punjab, Imroz met Amrita Pritam in the 1950s when she was already a well-established figure in Punjabi literature. They lived together for over 40 years until Pritam died in 2005.
Imroz began writing poems after Pritam started keeping unwell, and even after her death, he wrote several poems dedicated to her.
One of Pritam's most celebrated works, 'Main tainu phir milangi,' is said to have been dedicated to Imroz.
Noted artist Prakash Joshi said the passing away of Imroz is an end of an "era and a poetic dream".
"The relationship between Imroz and Pritam was a beautiful chapter in the field of Indian art and literature," Joshi said.
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India urges Bangladesh to take strong measures to ensure safety of Hindus
New Delhi (PTI): Amid reports of tension in Bangladesh's Chittagong following provocative social media posts, India on Thursday urged Dhaka to take action against "extremist" elements and ensure the safety of the country's Hindu community.
During a weekly media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned the alleged attack on the members of the Hindu community in Chittagong.
The tension was the result of "incendiary posts" on social media, he said.
"We have seen many videos circulating on social media. It is condemnable," Jaiswal said.
The MEA spokesperson underlined that it is Dhaka's "special responsibility" that the minorities be given security.
"In Chittagong, incendiary posts were made on social media. Those provocative things were related to the Hindu community. A disturbance happened and some members of the Hindu community were threatened and many properties were looted," he said.
"Extremist elements" are behind this and such things can lead to an increase in communal tension, Jaiswal told reporters.
He also said, "It is our request to the government there to control and take action against these elements and take strong measures to ensure the safety of people of the Hindu and other minority communities."
India on October 12 said it had noted with "serious concern" the reported attack on a Puja mandap and theft at a revered Kali temple in Bangladesh and urged Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities and their places of worship.
To a query on a statement posted on the Awami League's verified social media handles in which Sheikh Hasina congratulated President-elect Donald Trump, with the words 'prime minister' in parenthesis affixed before her name, Jaiswal said, "What I have said before, you consider that our position."
"We have said from this place before that she is a former prime minister of Bangladesh, so that is where it stands," the MEA spokesperson said.
Hasina fled to India from Bangladesh on August 5 after being ousted from power following an unprecedented anti-government resistance.
To a query on a workshop being organised by Delhi-based think-tank Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), he shared details and the context of the event.
"As an important neighbouring country of India, developments in Myanmar are of interest to us and other stakeholders, including the academic community, think tanks and our business community," Jaiswal said.
On November 5-6, one particular workshop on Indian experience in constitutionalism and federalism was held, where "they invited stakeholders from various segments of the Myanmar society", he said.
"It is our understanding that such interactions, we hope, will contribute to deliberations on developing a Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned solution to address the country's current challenges," the MEA spokesperson said.
"India remains on its part, a steadfast supporter of democracy, peace and stability in Myanmar," he added.
Jaiswal was also asked about the way forward after the recent disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops at two friction points in eastern Ladakh.
"Disengagement has moved forward, patrolling has commenced at both Depsang and Demchok. Patrolling has started at places as per the agreement. Some reports have come that there were some roadblocks in it. But those reports are not correct. I think, the (Indian) Army has also issued a clarification on this, that report is not correct," he said.
On India-US economic ties and the existing issues in it, Jaiswal said, "Talks are going on between the two countries and whatever issues are there in economic ties, both countries need to think deeply and find agreements and work will be done on it."
"We would want to have talks on the issues, so our ties become stronger," Jaiswal added.
