5th World Coffee Conference to be held in Bengaluru from Sept 25
Bengaluru (PTI): The fifth World Coffee Conference will be organised from September 25 to 28 at the iconic Bangalore Palace here.
The four-day event will be organised by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) in collaboration with the Coffee Board of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Government of Karnataka, and the Coffee industry.
The event is scheduled to be inaugurated on September 25 by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, CEO and secretary of the Coffee Board of India K G Jagadeesha said in a statement on Saturday.
"World Coffee Conference-2023 is expected to draw participants from over 80 countries, including 2400 plus delegates, 117 speakers, 208 exhibitors, over 10,000 visitors, and more than 300 business-to-business meetings," the statement read.
The participants profile, includes ICO member country representatives, coffee growers, coffee roasters, coffee curers, farm-to-cup coffee industry, HORECA, caf owners, coffee nations, policymakers, start-ups, R&D, and students, it added.
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Signboards banning non-hindus erected in Uttarakhand villages, police initiates probe
Dehradun: Signboards prohibiting the entry of "non-Hindus" and hawkers have surfaced in several villages across Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, triggering a police investigation and raising concerns among Muslim organizations. The boards, reportedly installed outside various villages, have led to the Uttarakhand Police taking action, with local authorities working to identify those responsible for putting them up.
Uttarakhand's Director General of Police (DGP), Abhinav Kumar, confirmed that he has instructed local police and intelligence units to investigate the matter. Rudraprayag Circle Officer Prabodh Kumar Ghildiyal stated that several of these signboards have already been removed, and efforts are underway to remove others.
The text on one of the boards, found outside Nyalsu village, reads: "It is prohibited for non-Hindus/Rohingya Muslims and hawkers to do business/roam around in the village. If found anywhere in the village, punitive action will be taken." The directive was allegedly issued by the local gram sabha.
Local village heads have confirmed the presence of these boards. Pramod Singh, the pradhan of Nyalsu, claimed that the boards were installed by villagers to prevent unverified hawkers from entering the area, citing concerns over the safety of women in the village. Similar statements were made by village heads from other areas, though some retracted their initial confirmations.
The issue came to light following a meeting between Muslim delegations and DGP Kumar on September 5. The delegations expressed concerns over what they described as a rise in anti-minority incidents in the state, accusing right-wing groups of targeting the Muslim community.
Uttarakhand has witnessed communal tensions in recent years, with incidents of violence and threats against Muslim communities becoming increasingly common. The latest incident occurred in Nandanagar town, Chamoli district, where a mob attacked properties belonging to Muslims following the arrest of a Muslim man accused of inappropriate behavior. Despite assurances from local police, reports suggest that several Muslim families have fled the town due to safety concerns.
Police continue to investigate the situation, with further action expected in the coming days.
