Indians in Russia to seek PM Modi's support to build Hindu temple, more flights to India
Moscow (PTI): The Indian community in Russia are eagerly waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow and will be seeking his support to build a Hindu temple in the country, a new Indian school building and the availability of more direct flights to India.
Prime Minister Modi will be in Moscow from July 8 to 9 at the invitation of President Putin for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit to be held on Tuesday.
Indian diaspora members in Russia expressed excitement over PM Modi's visit to Russia while talking to PTI Videos here.
The diaspora members also expressed their wish for a Hindu temple, a new Indian school building and the availability of more flights to India.
"There are few things which remain missing in the society. For example, we would demand a Hindu temple through Prime Minister Modi. There are a few troubles with airlines as only Aeroflot works. If any other airline like Air India operates flights to Russia, then the frequency will increase along with the availability of seats," Rakesh Kumar Srivastava, an Indian from Patna living in Russia said.
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With Hinduism spreading in Russia in recent years and the number of Indians growing, the community is feeling the necessity of having a Hindu temple in the country to meet their spiritual needs.
"We have only one hope from Prime Minister Modi that something should be done for the Indian diaspora so that the diaspora students receive good education, and the schools should be strengthened. And the Indian diaspora which is importing goods from India is facing few troubles, they should also be looked into so that the India-Russia relations are strengthened further," Dilip Kumar Minglani, another Indian living in Russia said.
"Because I am a mother, I wish for a new building for the Indian school. The current building is quite old and if we get a new building then the future of the students will be secure," Pojja Chandra, an Indian hailing from Uttar Pradesh and living in Russia said.
An Indian doctor in Russia has urged Prime Minister Modi to seek recognition for Ayurvedic medicines in Russia.
M Mathew, an Ayurvedic doctor in Moscow said that Ayurveda is not recognised as an approved medicinal system in Russia and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise this issue with Russian authorities during his visit.
"Even though it's a huge market, we are handicapped in one way because Ayurveda is not recognised as an approved medicinal system in Russia. So, I humbly request our prime minister, when he is visiting Moscow, to raise this issue with Russian authorities and obtain approval from the Health Department of the Russian Federation for Ayurveda as an alternative medicine," he said.
Dr Matthew said that if approved, it will boost the Ayurvedic pharmacy sector in India.
"This will enable us to sell many products and enhance our business volume as well," the doctor from Kerala said.
Also, many Russian women dressed in Punjabi attire were seen performing Bhangra in front of the iconic Red Square in Moscow ahead of Modi's Russia visit.
Pramod Kumar, an Indian living in Russia said, "Every year we organise events during Baisakhi. Teams of Bhangra and Gidda come here and we have also taught the same to Russian boys and girls. We want to strengthen India-Russia relations, we want to strengthen the same and we are working day in day out on this."
A Russian woman participating in performing Bhangra said Modi's visit will further strengthen India-Russia ties.
"Our main aim is that we are trying to strengthen cultural ties between India and Russia, we are promoting Indian culture and festivals. Sometimes we also travel to India to exchange culture between us and India. We are happy that Prime Minister Modi is coming, our relations will become stronger. It is a great occasion and it makes us happy," Milana, one of the dance performers said.
"It is a very big event that he (Prime Minister Modi) is coming here. We have been preparing for this event for many days, we will be happy to see him here. I learnt a little bit of Hindi so I can tell that I will be happy to meet PM Modi," Natalia, said another dance performer.
VIDEO | Russian women dressed in Punjabi attire perform Bhangra in front of Red Square in Moscow to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival later in the day.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 8, 2024
"It's a very big event that he is coming here. We have been preparing. Mai Modi Se Milkar Khush Hai (I will… pic.twitter.com/hvxBIRxXBk
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Delhi riots 2020: HC to hear Umar Khalid's bail plea in UAPA case on Monday
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court will on Monday hear the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid in a UAPA case related to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal riots here in February 2020.
The bail pleas by other co-accused in the case -- student activist Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima, 'United Against Hate' founder Khalid Saifi and others -- are also listed for fresh hearing before a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur.
The cases were earlier before a bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait but the judge was recently transferred to the Madhya Pradesh High Court as its Chief Justice.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
The violence had erupted during the protests against the CAA and NRC.
Umar Khalid, who was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020, has assailed a trial court order of May 28, which refused to grant him bail in the case. Notice on his appeal was issued by the high court in July.
The pleas of Imam, Saifi and other accused were filed in 2022 and have been listed before different benches from time to time since then.
Sharjeel Imam, in his appeal filed in 2022, has assailed a trial court order of April 11, 2022 which refused to grant him bail. The police had arrested Imam in the present case on August 25, 2020.
On May 28, the trial court had rejected Umar Khalid's plea seeking regular bail for the second time, saying its previous order dismissing his first bail application had attained finality.
"When the Delhi High Court has already dismissed the criminal appeal of the applicant (Khalid) vide order dated October 18, 2022, and thereafter, the applicant approached the Supreme Court and withdrew his petition, the order of this court as passed on March 24, 2022 (on the first bail plea), has attained finality and now, in no stretch of imagination this court can make analysis of the facts of the case as desired by the applicant and consider the relief as prayed by him," the trial court had said.
On October 18, 2022, the high court had upheld the dismissal of the first bail plea and said the city police's allegations against Umar Khalid are prima facie true.
The high court had said that admittedly, the anti-CAA protests "metamorphosed into violent riots", which "prima facie seemed to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings" and the statements of the witnesses indicate Khalid's "active involvement" in the protests.
