There was a restriction on the export of Indian mangoes to the US earlier, where the US was allowing imports but it had to be subsequently linked to the export of Indian cherries and fodder. The US has now agreed to easier rules to allow the export of Indian mangoes and pomegranates in return for the entry of American cherries and Alfalfa hay as well as pork. A framework agreement for implementing the 2 Vs 2 Agri market access issues had been signed between the department of agriculture and farmer’s welfare and the US department of agriculture. The exports of mangoes and pomegranate will start from January-February 2022 and pomegranate aril exports will start from April 2022 along with the exports of Alfalfa hay and cherries.
Pakistan boat with 10 crew caught in Indian waters
A boat, named 'Yaseen,' was caught by an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Ankit during an operation on Saturday night. The boat caught by ICG in the Indian waters off the Gujarat coast was a Pakistani boat with 10 crew members on board. The ICG ship apprehended a Pakistani boat during night ops on 08 Jan. The boat was brought to Porbandar for further interrogation. On September 15 last year, the ICG had in a similar operation caught a Pakistani boat with 12 crew members in the Indian waters off the Gujarat coast. In fact, there has also been a rise in cases of such boats being used to smuggle drugs through the state coast.
Christian priest booked for outrageous remarks
Partly quashing an FIR filed against priest P George Ponniah who was booked under different sections of the IPC including outraging religious sentiments, Justice G R Swaminathan said such immunity would be available only to rationalists or satirists or even academics under the Constitution.
The judge, while batting for an individual’s decision to convert from one religion to another, however said “religious conversions cannot be a group agenda.” The judge made the observations while hearing a petition of Ponniah against whom a case was filed by the police for saying Bhooma Devi and Bharat Mata were sources of infection and filth.
The priest had also made critical remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a state Minister during a meeting at Arumanai in Kanyakumari district in the state. The Madras High Court has ruled that offending remarks against Hindus cannot claim immunity after outraging religious beliefs of others and stated he cannot be equated as a neutral commentator or a stand-up comedian like Munawar Faruqui.
1500 attend monkey’s funeral in an Indian village
In several parts of India, monkeys are considered sacred for their association with Lord Hanuman. The monkey that frequented the village of Dalupura in India’s Madhya Pradesh state was known to people.
Pained by the monkey's death, the residents of this village in Rajgarh district organised its last rites. A funeral procession with hymns was chanted as people carried the bier to the cremation site. Following the last rites, villagers collected money and organised a feast for more than 1,500 people. Cards were printed and distributed, inviting villagers to the feast. A video of the feast went viral showing hundreds of people seated in rows under a massive pandal.