Dalit writers forced to leave Marathi literary meet

October 13, 2016

Pune, Oct 13: Noted Dalit writer Pradnya Pawar and Dalit scholar Raosaheb Kasabe were reportedly forced to leave a Marathi literary meet over their "objectionable" comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The meet was organised at Patan in adjoining Satara district by Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad and the alleged incident took place on Sunday when a mob asked the duo to leave the event for "hurting" the sentiments of the Maratha community with their remarks on the 17th century warrior king.

Kasabe was invited as a special guest, while Pawar was nominated president of the two-day event which was dedicated to Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"The first day (Saturday) of the meet was quite good as I and Kasabe delivered our speeches and received an overwhelming response from the attendees. However, on the second day, when the event was underway, a mob of over 100 people came to the venue and asked us to leave.

"The organisers asked us to pack our bags and requested us to leave citing security reasons," Pawar said, adding that they left the venue immediately.

She wondered if their speeches were objectionable, why was there no immediate uproar. "We were told by the mob that we were Dalits and we should not speak anything (on Marathas). They warned us of dire consequences if we spoke further and asked us to leave," she said.

Pawar, the daughter of late Marathi author and poet Daya Pawar -- known for his rich contributions to Dalit literature -- described the incident as an act of "cultural terrorism and censorship on free speech".

When contacted, Kasabe said he tried to initiate a dialogue with those in the mob, but they were not in a mood to listen.

"I asked them who am I? Have you read my writing? Did you know what exactly I said yesterday? But, they were ignorant and were just demanding an apology," he said.

Kasabe said he even offered an apology to them if they were hurt due to their "ignorance".
He alleged that the mob was "sent" by local Shiv Sena MLA Shambhuraj Desai, who had a "political rivalry" with Vikramsinh Patankar of the NCP, one of the organisers of the literary meet.

When contacted, Desai told PTI, "After coming to know from those who attended the event and hearing the speeches of Kasabe and Pawar, where they made objectionable comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I wrote a letter to the SP and the local administration, seeking action against those who had hurt the sentiments of the Maratha community." He, however, denied any role in the mob's action. Satara SP Sandip Patil said the police were probing the incident.

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India’s Tougher Pilot Fatigue Rules: Why IndiGo’s Operations Crashed Into Turbulence

News Network

December 6,2025

New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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