June 05, 2009 NEW DELHI: India’s first female parliament speaker on Wednesday said the independence achieved in 1947 had remained ‘meaningless’ for a majority of the Indian population.Speaking shortly after being sworn-in, Meira Kumar, a Dalit leader, hit back at the ruling Congress, saying the independence had only been a political freedom, as it has provided nothing to the minorities and lower castes in India. She said the independence would be meaningful to the deprived only when “we raise their living standard, resolve poverty crisis, provide them food, clothing and housing, opportunities for all-round progress and free them from exploitation, injustice and torture”.Service: In her address after her unopposed election as speaker, Meira said she would rise above politics and serve the nation. Answering female parliamentarians’ on what initiative she would take to empower women in politics, she said she hoped that all parties arrive at a consensus on this issue, since it has remained unsolved despite numerous attempts in the past. Meira said the election of 58 this year was an indication of the progress Indian women had made over the years. The speaker said the election of the first female Indian president two years ago, followed by a female speaker, carried a strong message of women empowerment.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in
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