Daily News Dose: Centre bans PFI, affiliates for 5 years under anti-terror law | Sept 28, 2022

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. I'm your host, Vishnu, and these are the major news stories of the day:

1. Centre bans Popular Front of India and its affiliates for 5 years under anti-terror law

2. SilverLine survey to resume, geotagging to replace laying of survey stones

3. Vizhinjam protests: Kerala HC asks govt to arrange unhindered access to Adani port site

4. Navaratri: Kerala declares holiday for educational institutions on October 3

5. RTI documents prove Health Minister was in the loop regarding

purchase of unapproved anti-rabies vaccine in Kerala

Let's get into the details....

---------------------------------------------

1. The Popular Front of India (PFI) has been banned for a period of five years with immediate effect under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The notification proscribing the Islamic organisation was issued by the Union Government on Wednesday. Its associates and affiliates too have been banned. 

The ban follows the massive crackdown on the Popular Front by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the past few days. Several leaders of the front have also been detained.

The other organisations banned include Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation – Kerala.

As per the government notification, PFI and its affiliates have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential to disturb public peace and communal harmony of India and support militancy in the country.

It further said some of the PFI's founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India and that the front has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, both of which are proscribed organisations. It also said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

The Centre, through another notification, empowered the state governments to take action against the banned groups, which could include seizure of their properties and arrest of their members. 

------------------------------------------------

2. After a lull, the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd, also known as K-Rail, is set to resume survey for the semi-high-speed railway project SilverLine. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has given the nod to restart the Social Impact Assessment two months after the survey proceedings were halted owing to vehement protests.

The decision to proceed with the project groundwork was taken two weeks after receiving the concerned file.

With protests and court interventions marring the smooth progress of the ambitious project initially, the Revenue department felt the need for a political decision and forwarded the file, seeking the sanction of the chief minister. The Government took a stance not to rush through and waited for Onam festivities to be over. The chief minister consulted with the party before deciding to accord the sanction.

The new notification is expected to be out by next week, paving the way for the resumption of the survey as part of the social impact study. The Government has decided to go for geotagging instead of laying survey stones in the hope that it would lessen protests from the side of local residents.

The High Court had closed the pleas against the SilverLine project the other day, citing factors including the expiry of the deadline for issuing notification for the social impact study.

The court observed that the petitions wouldn't stand given that neither the social impact study nor the stone-laying process was completed. However, with the Government set to resume the survey proceedings, further cases may come before the court.

-------------------------------------------

3. The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the state government to provide unhindered access to labourers to the under-construction port at Vizhinjam.

The High Court had earlier asked the state government to offer police protection to Adani Ports for the completion of the project.

The court observed that the protest at the port can continue peacefully if it does not obstruct the employees and workmen at the Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd from entering or leaving the site.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 30.

Hundreds of fisherfolk, led by the priests of the Latin Archdiocese, have been protesting in front of the entrance of the Vizhinjam port for the past month asking the State government to listen to their various livelihood issues.

They have demanded the government halt the port project and carry out a proper study on its impact on coastal erosion.

-------------------------------------------------

4. The Kerala government has declared a holiday for all educational institutions on October 3 on account of Navaratri.

The decision was taken at a ministerial meet held on Wednesday. The institutions are free to reschedule the classes to another day, authorities informed. The state government had already declared October 4 and 5 as holiday.

Higher Education Minister Dr R Bindu informed that all universities and professional institutions under the department will not open on October 3rd due to Durgashtami.

The nine-day festival which began on September 26 will come to an end on October 5. These nine days are marked by the worship of the nine forms of Goddess Shakthi/Devi.

In Kerala the final three days of Navaratri - Ashtami, Navami, and Vijayadashami-are set apart for the worship of Goddess Saraswati - the goddess of wisdom and learning. Books are placed in the pooja rooms (worship rooms) of houses and temples for worship on the Ashtami day.

On Vijayadashami day, the books are taken out ceremoniously for reading after the worship of Goddess Saraswati. In Kerala, this day is also considered auspicious for initiating children into the world of letters which is called Vidyarambham. 

-----------------------------------------------

5. Amid concerns over the efficacy of anti-rabies vaccines being administered in Kerala, it has been found that vaccines which had not been cleared in tests by the Central Drugs Laboratory was bought and that too with the knowledge of the state government authorities, including the Health Minister. 

The efficacy of the vaccine was doubted initially as a few people who were bitten by rabid dogs died even though they were administered anti-rabies shots. A major drive to inoculate canines and humans thus came under a cloud over the quality of anti-rabies vaccine procured by the State health authorities. The vaccination programme was in response to the increasing menace of stray dogs in public places in Kerala.

Now, as per documents obtained by ‘Manorama’ under the Right to Information Act reveal that claims of Veena George, the Health Minister of Kerala, in the Assembly and the Health Department regarding the purchase of unapproved anti-rabies vaccine have been proven false. 

The documents also state that on July 12, the officials had informed the government that the state would be forced to buy vaccine stocks which were yet to be certified by the Central Drugs Laboratory considering high demand. Incidentally, the Health Minister later announced in the Assembly that the state had not purchased unapproved vaccines. Health Department officials also made a similar claim.

------------------------------------------

That brings us to the end of this episode. Be sure to come back tomorrow. As always, thanks for listening to Daily News Dose.