RS adjourned till 2 pm after Oppn protests; minister says no shortage of electricity

Chamoli (Uttarakhand), Oct 23 (IANS) The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) is transforming the lives of rural women of Chamoli district by providing them with sustainable livelihood opportunities. They have gained financial independence as a result of these opportunities.

Implemented under the guidance of the Central government, the mission aims to empower women from economically weaker sections by forming Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and supporting them in income-generating activities.

The story is about the Dasholi development block of Chamoli. There women from eight village councils have joined hands under the Hariyali Swayatt Sahkarita Devar-Khadora, which was established through NRLM.

These women have gone for dairy farming as their main source of income. Their routine is that every morning, they collect milk from nearby villages and sell it to a milk dairy. The dairy has been set up under the Uttarakhand government’s Gramothan Project. This initiative has not only provided them with a steady income but also boosted their confidence and social standing.

Suman, a beneficiary of the project, told IANS that before joining the self-help group, most women had very limited sources of income and were financially dependent on others. Now, by working together, they are earning a respectable living. “We collect milk daily and supply it to the dairy. It feels great to contribute to our family’s income,” she said proudly.

Mamta, another group member, said that the dairy generates an income of over Rs 2 lakh per month, which is shared among the group members after expenses. “We never thought we could earn this much in our villages. The training and support from NRLM have completely changed our lives,” she added.

Under NRLM, women are also receiving regular training in bookkeeping, dairy management, and financial planning, helping them manage their small-scale enterprises efficiently. The initiative has encouraged savings, improved decision-making, and fostered unity among women.

The success of the group has inspired women from neighbouring villages to form similar groups and start their own ventures in poultry, vegetable farming, and handicrafts.

–IANS

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New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) Several analysts, former diplomats and politicians have severely condemned the serious security breach in London on Wednesday night when Khalistani extremists based in Britain tried to block the vehicle carrying External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Videos of the incident showing Khalistani goons protesting outside the Chatham House in London where the EAM was attending an event have gone viral on social media. One video showed a Sikh protestor running towards the EAM’s vehicle as he was leaving the venue after attending the think tank event.

“This freedom given to British Khalistani extremists for their anti- Indian activities is unacceptable. The British continue to ignore our repeated protests about the space they give to such elements with the convenient excuse of the right to peaceful protest,” former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal wrote on X.

“Protest against what? There is peace in Punjab that they want to disturb, as well as peace between Indian origin communities in the UK itself. Are they protesting against any curb on their right to promote violence, terrorism and separatism in Punjab and the right to tear the Indian flag and insult a visiting Indian leader,” wrote Sibal.

This is not the first time that anti-India and radical elements had organised demonstrations, attacks, as well as arson in London.

In March 2023, New Delhi had lodged a strong protest after Khalistani elements created ruckus at the Indian High Commission in London. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had demanded an explanation from the British authorities for the complete absence of the British security that allowed Khalistani goons to enter the High Commission premises.

“The UK wants to keep these elements in circulation as a point of pressure on India. This is apart from crass electoral considerations of their political class dependent on the votes of minorities in their respective constituencies,” stated Sibal, a seasoned diplomat who has also been the Indian Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia.

Reacting strongly to the Wednesday’s incident, the MEA also “deplored the misuse of democratic freedom” by such elements.

EAM Jaishankar has on several occasions slammed the Khalistani extremists who have been misusing freedom laws in several countries, including Canada, UK and the United States.

“Freedom of speech cannot be freedom to advocate violence, freedom of speech cannot be freedom to support separatism and terrorism in a foreign country,” the EAM has asserted on earlier occasions.

–IANS

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