Here’s your wrap of news for the week gone by: Farmers from Punjab who are marching towards Delhi to protest against the central government’s farm laws have faced numerous hurdles including police barriers, tear gas and water cannons. While security has been beefed up significantly in Haryana, many farmers are still continuing their march towards Delhi. Farmers from six states have been planning the protests for two months, after the centre cleared three laws meant to bring reforms and improve farmers' earnings by allowing them to sell their produce in the commercial market, anywhere in the country. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved on Tuesday a draft ordinance outlawing religious conversions by marriage, coercion, deceit or enticement, and prescribed up to 10 years imprisonment for those found guilty, becoming the first state to propose a law for regulating interfaith relationships. The announcement came roughly a month after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath vowed to end “love jihad”, a term used by right-wing activists to describe marital relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women, but one that the courts and the Union government do not officially recognise. Bilkis Bano, fondly known as the Shaheen Bagh ‘dadi’, along with world para-badminton champion Manasi Joshi, climate activist Ridhima Pandey and ‘gaana‘ singer Isaivani are among the Indians listed in BBC’s 100 Inspiring and Influential Women of 2020. The list, released Tuesday, was divided into four categories — knowledge, leadership, creativity and identity. The Delhi high court has said that an adult woman is “free to reside wherever she wishes and with whoever she wishes.” The high court said this on Wednesday while hearing the habeas corpus plea of a woman filed by her brother who had alleged that his sister was kidnapped. A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar, after interacting with the woman via video conferencing, said that the woman, Sulekha, could reside with one Babloo if she so wished. Sulekha was and produced in the court via video conferencing where she said that she left with and married Babloo of her own accord. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the state government has decided to put on hold the implementation of the Kerala Police Act Amendment. This came after a political storm over the controversial amendment to the Police Act. The new law stipulates either imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both to those who produce, publish or disseminate content through any means of communication with an intention to intimidate, insult or defame any person through social media. The Opposition had alleged that the new law would curtail freedom of expression. --------------------------------------------------------- Follow Feminism In India: Website: https://www.feminisminindia.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/feminisminindia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/feminisminindia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feminismini... Telegram: https://t.me/feminisminindia Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cjuLbv
