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Indian Columnist and political commentator Sunanda Vashisht's speech has taken the social media by storm after she testified at the US Congressional hearing on Human Rights on November 14. Organised by Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan US congressional caucus was held in Washington to examine the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the context of the region's history. 

During her speech, Sunanda highlighted some of the crucial human rights situations in the Valley, India’s successful attempts to fight against insurgencies in J&K, milestones achieved post abrogation of article 370 and made several other important statements in the context of Kashmir's human rights violations over the years. The hearing also addressed the Valley's lockdown situation including restrictions on internet and communication.

Here’s her exact wordings addressed in the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission: 

 I would like to thank the Tom Lantos human Rights Commission, for inviting me to testify here as the witness. Today is worth remembering, that this commission is named after the late Congress man Tom Lantos, a Hungarian born Holocaust survivor. In July 2003, he said, Indians & Jews share a passionate commitment to respect for others, for the rule of law and for the mindless, vicious, fanatic Islamic terrorism. Am also reminded today, of American Journalist Daniel pearl, who was kidnapped and beheaded by Pakistani terrorists. His last word, my father is a Jewish, My mother is Jewish and I am a Jewish. Honourable members of the Tom Lantos Commission, I speak before you, the last words of Daniel pearl in my own words, my father is a Kashmiri Hindu, my mother is a Kashmiri Hindu, I am a Kashmiri Hindu, and her home and lives were destroyed by radical Islamic terrorism. As I begin to speak, I am choked by the thought of those voices, I represent here, because their voices were extinguished in most brutal fashion. I am the member of the minority Hindu community from Kashmir, victim of the worst ethnic cleansing witnessed in the independent India. I speak here today, because, I am a survivor.

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Not making it biased, keeping in mind the equality and respect of both the religion, the Supreme Court gave an alternate land of 5 acres to the Sunni Waqf Board for the purpose of building the mosque.  It was also cleared by the court that 5 acres is restitution for the unlawful destruction of mosque held way back in 1992 over the disputed area in violation of the status quo orders of the court.

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Crowborough Hotel to be functional on September 2020

North Shillong MLA and Chairman of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation Ltd Sanbor Shullai today submitted the ‘performance report’ to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. The Chairman was also accompanied by Managing Director (MD) Ciril V Lyngdoh and other official from the corporation.

Speaking to media person after the meeting Sanbor Shullai said that over the last two years the MTDC had generated over 6 crore revenue. Sanbor Shullai also said that the ‘Crowborough Hotel’ is in its final stage and it will be functional on September 2020.

“With the completion of Crowborough Hotel’, MTDC will generate another 4 Units which will be operated on lease in order to generate employments to local youth” He added.

Meanwhile Managing Director (MD) Ciril V Lyngdoh said that the MTDC will draft a ‘Vision documents’ for 20 years in order to generate revenue and employment from all units of MTDC.

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First edition of ‘North East Food Show’ kicks off in Shillong

The first edition of ‘North East Food Show’ by Meghalaya Government and Salon International de l’Agrolimentaire (SIAL) Group was inaugurated here today by Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Minister, Agriculture, Banteidor Lyngdoh.

Speaking during the Inaugural Session of the three days’ food festival Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said the North East has a great potential and he hoped that the food festival would provide the right organization, platform and network to farmers, entrepreneurs and all stakeholders in the food industry. “North East has a great potential and farmers and entrepreneurs are doing so well but there is a missing link somewhere and that is why it was important to have such a food festival in North East on a common platform,” he said. He added that the three days’ festival would bring together farmers, technology providers, entrepreneurs, buyers, chefs, hotels and all stakeholders in food industry in a single massive platform. “The objective of the food festival is to give exposure, connection and opportunities to the farmers and entrepreneurs of the North East,” he informed. He also said that the government intends to take the food festival forward every year making it an annual event so that it will not only be beneficial to the North East but the entire South East Asian region. “We are hopeful and targeting that this will be the biggest food festival in the South East Asian region,” said the Chief Minister.

A collaboration between the State Government of Meghalaya, Inter Ads Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, sole licensee of SIAL in India, the world’s largest food innovation network with over 50 years of global food innovation experience, the North East Food Show 2019 is platform of North Eastern India that is focussed on creating a global platform to ‘Inspire Food Business’ for this part of the country. The North East Food Show is also the curtain raiser to ‘Charting of a new course through food processing and supply chain management’ for the North East. A series of conferences, workshop and demos will be held which will culminate in the North East Chief Ministers’ Conclave on the last day in which key decision and policy makers from the Union and State governments along with key representatives from the industry will be present for deliberations.

The Chief Minister also virtually launched the Meg Tea Factory, Upper Shillong, the website of the Directorate of Food Processing and the Meghalaya Plastic Free Challenge Bags during the occasion.