Canadian parliament celebrates Diwali

October 8th, 2009 Canadian Muslim group calls for burka banTORONTO — A Canadian Muslim organization is urging the Canadian government to ban traditional Muslim garments designed to cover a woman's face, saying they are medieval and misogynist symbols of extremism with no basis in Islam. The Muslim Canadian Congress has called on the federal government to prohibit the burka and the niqab because it says that practice of covering one's face has no place in a society that supports gender equality.

October 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Quite often the joyous mood of Diwali is marred by accidental burns while lighting fire crackers. To reach out and help during such mishaps, a helpline number will be launched next week which will be functional until after the festival is over.

October 3rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Every autumn, as India celebrates Diwali, the festival of lights, it spells danger for neighbouring Nepal where smuggled fireworks from Indian cities pose a severe fire hazard. The Nepal Police headquarters said searches have been intensified at Thankot, the major entry point to Kathmandu valley, and key check posts on the India-Nepal border in the Terai plains in the south to confiscate crackers and other powerful fireworks that are smuggled every year around this time.

September 24th, 2009 KARACHI - With the beginning of the Indian festive season, Hindus in Pakistan have started preparations for the festivals of Navratri, Dushhera and Diwali, The Daily Times reports. "The nine nights are sanctified in the Hindu religion, during which Saraswati and Durga are worshipped," said Narain Maharaj, a Hindu cleric belonging to the Maheshwari Meghwar community.

September 17th, 2009 Canada introduces bill supporting US desertersTORONTO — Canadian Parliament will consider a bill introduced Thursday that would allow American and other war resisters to stay in Canada. The bill, introduced by the Liberal Party's Gerard Kennedy, would allow other countries' military deserters to stay in Canada if their refusal to serve is based on sincere moral, political or religious objections.

September 14th, 2009 NEVADA - Hindus have urged New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia to add "Diwali" and "Holi" on the list of restricted trading days in the new law. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that Hindu workers in NSW would like to be home on these days to celebrate the festivals with their families, friends, and the community.

September 5th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The Election Commission of India (ECI) Saturday indicated that it could consider advancing the counting of votes in assembly elections to be held in Maharashtra and Haryana next month. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Navin Chawla said here that the long gap between the polling (Oct 13) and the counting (Oct 22) for assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh was kept in view of the Diwali festival season next month and also due to the tough terrain in Arunachal Pradesh.

June 12th, 2009 TORONTO - A Canadian parliamentarian has urged the prime minister to apologise to the Indian Canadian community for the 1914 Komagata Maru episode that saw a ship carrying Indians being turned away and 20 passengers being killed on reaching Indian shores. Komagata Maru was a Japanese ship which brought 376 Indians to Vancouver in British Columbia province in May 1914.

June 6th, 2009 TORONTO - The election of Meira Kumar as India's first woman and Dalit speaker figured in the Canadian parliament Friday, with Indian-origin MP Deepak Obhrai describing it as a 'miracle' of Indian democracy. Obhrai, 58, who as the parliamentary secretary to foreign minister Lawrence Cannon is the highest-ranking Indian in the government, said: "Wednesday, Meira Kumar was elected unanimously as the speaker of the 15th Lok Sabha, the lower house in the Indian Parliament." With her election, he said, Kumar has joined "other female leaders of India, the likes of Indira Gandhi, current President Pratibha Patil and business leaders like the CEO of ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar, all of whom inspire millions of women in South Asia".

March 31st, 2009 TORONTO - A Canadian court has upheld the government's ban on the entry of anti-war British MP George Galloway for a speaking tour. The Scottish member of the British House of Commons was barred last week from entering Canada for his links to the Palestinian Hamas group that is banned as a terror organisation in this country.

March 21st, 2009 TORONTO - Four Canadian soldiers have been killed and eight injured in attacks by the Taliban near Kandahar in Afghanistan. The soldiers were killed in two separate attacks triggered by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by the insurgents Friday, reports said.

February 10th, 2009 TORONTO - Labour unions in Canada, which as the biggest trading partner of the US will be worst hit by the 'Buy America' clause in President Barack Obama's stimulus package, have urged their government to hit back with a 'Buy Canadian' policy. The union leaders, who took their case to the nation's parliament in Ottawa Tuesday, said they would pressurise the government to announce the protectionist policy along with the proposed $40 billion stimulus package for the Canadian economy.

February 6th, 2009 TORONTO - The Sri Lankan envoy here has created a stir by warning Canadian MPs against sympathizing with the Tamil Tigers. By sympathizing with the Tamil Tigers who had carried out many suicide bombings, the envoy said, Canadians were putting themselves at risk of terrorism.

February 3rd, 2009 TORONTO - Tamils in Canada will march on the nation's parliament and take out candlelight vigils across cities to mark Sri Lanka's Independence Day Wednesday in protest against ``genocide'' in the island nation. Top political leaders are likely to address the rally being organized by the Canadian Tamil Congress and supported by 70-odd national bodies.

January 29th, 2009 TORONTO - A top Indo-Canadian leader in the Canadian government has urged Sri Lanka to work for a political solution to the Tamil problem. Deepak Obhrai, who is parliamentary secretary to the Canadian foreign affairs minister, said in the nation's parliament Thursday that a long-term political solution is the only way out of the ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka.