Indian-origin man in Singapore jailed for unlawfully setting off Diwali fireworks
Singapore: An Indian-origin man in Singapore has been jailed for three weeks and fined 5,000 dollars for setting off fireworks close to a housing complex during Diwali celebrations in the country last year.
Jeevan Arjoon, 29, bought the firecrackers from Little India shopping precinct and unlawfully lit them at 3.30 AM as Diwali night stunt on November 6, 2018, The New Paper reported on Friday.
The fireworks, shot up to seven-storey, were laud enough to be heard from the neighbouring public housing estate of Yishun.
The display lasted for five minutes. No one was hurt and there was no damage to any property, according to the report.
District Judge Marvin Bay said the court has to take a strict view of Jeevan's use and possession of fireworks, and sentenced him to three weeks' jail and 5,000 Singapore dollars (USD 3,685) on Thursday.
He said the detonation of fireworks can cause serious injuries and pose a risk of fire, noting that they were set off close to public housing.
The judge said that setting off fireworks at 3 AM could also cause considerable alarm to the public, particularly in this time of heightened concerns over possible acts of terrorism.
Jeevan, who was unrepresented, said in his mitigation that he was the sole breadwinner of his family and was taking care of his mother-in-law who was diabetic and blind.
The man, who had a record of giving false information to a public servant in 2017, was also convicted of giving false information to a police officer during investigation into the firework incident. He had tried to put the blame on someone else.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
