Bhatkal: Volunteers of several organizations come together for solidarity march for Pulwama martyrs
Bhatkal: Volunteers and Members of several local organizations and institutions of Bhatkal joined a candle march organized in solidarity with the martyred soldiers of Pulwama attack.
The candle march which was organized by a bunch of Muslim youngsters of the town, was also participated by people of different communities and religions, loudly sending out the message of unity among the citizens of the country irrespective of religion and communities when it comes to issues like this.
The march began from Bhatkal Inspection Bungalow (IB) with over 200 youngsters accompanied by senior members and personalities of the town, marching silently towards Shamsuddin Circle with candle, torches and placards in hands, expressing their solidarity with the CRPF soldiers and their families.
The candle march dispersed at the same venue (Bhatkal IB), after marching across Shamsuddin circle, with three briefs speeches by prominent speaker.
Ex-Serviceman and currently an officer in Bhatkal Fire Department, Nazeer Ahmed Attar, said “We can’t do much for the soldiers from here, we can’t go and take their revenge. The least we can do is expressing our solidarity with them and to acknowledge the sacrifices they have made while serving us”.
“Wherever we see a soldier, we should respect them, we should take care of little things and make sure we don’t cause inconvenience to them, this is the least we as citizen can do in return for what they are doing for us”. He added.
JCI Bhatkal member Suresh Poojary, condemned the attack and advised youngsters to remain united in situations like this, and refrain from blaming one or the other community merely because the attackers belonged to that particular community, as terrorism cannot be attributed to any religion.
Former Majlis-e-Isah wa Tanzeem General Secretary, Dr. Haneef Shabab, lauded the efforts of youngsters of bringing several organizations and communities together for the solidarity march, and said “From what we have seen these youngsters do today, we can figure out that the future of the nation is in right hands, and that this kind of unity will not allow any external forces to come and divide us”.
Among major organizations that participated in the march were, SIO, PFI, JCI, members of Rotary club and others.
Prominent Businessman Qamar Sada, Social Worker Nazeer Kashimji, Misbah-ul-Haq Shaikh, Suresh Poojary and others were present during the march.
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14 India-bound ships in Strait of Hormuz stopped by Iran; 1 hit by bullets, 1 crosses: Sources
New Delhi (PTI): A convoy of 14 India-bound ships carrying crude oil and gas were stopped by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by firing at two of them while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leading to 13 of the vessels returning to different locations in the Persian Gulf, official sources privy to the development said.
An Indian-flag carrying ship, which was hit by bullets fired by the IRGC while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, was carrying crude oil and a window pane was broken, forcing it to stop the journey and return. The extent of damage to the second vessel was not immediately known but it also had returned.
However, another ship, which was Indian flagged and loaded with crude oil for the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, sailed through the Strait and is now heading towards India, the sources said.
Two Iranian gunboats approached the targeted tanker and fired at it without warning. Gunboats approached the vessel 37 kilometres northeast of Oman, causing other vessels to return without completing the crossing, the sources said.
The incident was reported in waters between the Qeshm and Larak islands, they said.
Out of the 14 India-bound vessels, seven are carrying the Indian flag, four have the Liberia flag, two are of the Marshall Islands and one of Vietnam.
Six of them are loaded with crude oil, three have LPG and four are loaded with fertilisers. Among the ships, five are bulk carriers. All 14 vessels were sailing in a row.
Thirteen of them were stopped by the Iranian Navy and were instructed to wait. Out of the 13 stranded vessels, seven vessels are drifting south of Larak Island, waiting for clearance from the Iranian Navy, the sources said.
The Indian government is understood to have been coordinating with the Iranian authorities for the safe voyage of the stranded India-bound ships, they said.
The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz reportedly escalated again on Saturday as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships attempting to pass. This came as the United States pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports.
Confusion over the Strait, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes, threatened to deepen the energy crisis.
The ceasefire between Iran and the US is due to run out by mid-next week.
Iran's joint military command said Saturday that "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces."
It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
