CM Bommai announces raising 7,500 NCC cadets, govt to bear their training expenses
Bengaluru, Jan 23: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the state government will ensure 7,500 new National Cadet Corps cadets are raised and their training expenses of Rs 12,000 each is borne by it.
He also announced restarting the modernised Government Flying Training School at Jakkur in the city, which has been defunct for the past six years.
During an event to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of eminent freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the youth not showing interest in the NCC activities these days.
The Chief Minister said he would discuss with the senior IAS officials of the state to raise 75 NCC units in schools.
"We have decided to set up 75 units of NCC in schools and colleges, where 7,500 new NCC cadets will be raised. The state government will bear the expense of Rs 12,000 for each of the cadets," Bommai said.
The government would discuss with the defence ministry officials to revise the NCC programmes for school children who find it tough, he said.
"There are 44,000 cadets in our schools. The state government will bear the expenses of these 44,000 cadets and they will be shifted to the colleges. This way, we will have over 50,000 cadets in the colleges," Bommai said.
Speaking about restarting the government flying school, Bommai said the institution had stopped functioning for more than six years.
Underlining the need to restart the flying school located in a prime area of the city off Ballari Road between Yelahanka and the Kempegowda International Airport, Bommai said, "If we have to save this property, there is a need to start activities here." According to him, about 100 people will be trained here.
The Chief Minister also informed the audience that a Women Self-Defence Training Centre, sports training institute and a heli-tourism centre will also start in the area.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
