Remember our post about new symbol of Hindu Muslim Friendship? Here are few snaps from the same temple..

The World Peace Centre has organised a programme at Rameshwar (Rui) village in Latur district on April 9 wherein a temple and a mosque will be handed over to the public. These structures, which were demolished due to religious conflicts in the past, have now been reconstructed jointly by the both Hindu and Muslim communities. A conference on communal harmony will also be held on the occasion.

“The ancient Ram temple was destroyed during the battle between the Peshwas and the Nizam of Hyderabad around 275 years ago, while the mosque and Dargah were destroyed about 63 years ago in violence during the Razakar movement,” said Vishwanath Karad, president of the organising committee.

Karad said Union power minister Sushilkumar Shinde and state minister for public works Chhagan Bhujbal will be present for the programme. tnnalong with Hindu and Muslim scholars and spiritual leaders who will express their views on Hindu-Muslim unity, religion and communal harmony.

Laturkar.com supports “Unplug Latur”, an initiative by Rotaract Club of Latur MidTown. All they request you to do is show your support to the fight against Global Warming by turning off your lights for only one hour on 26th March, 2010 between 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM.. I’m sure you will support the initiative..

The Maharashtra government has ordered a probe into the school boycott of HIV positive students in Latur district. The District Collector has warned school authorities to take back the students or face the consequences.

On Friday, LaturKar had reported how the education of some HIV positive children in Latur is being jeopardised. Not only are they HIV infected but they have also been victims of discrimination. Their school – Zilla Parishad School Hosegaon – is allegedly asking them to withdraw themselves from the rolls because other students and their parents are not willing to come in contact with them.

School Education Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has asked Latur Collector Eknath Dawale to submit his report regarding the school in Hasegaon village within two days.

After a meeting in the district collectorate, Patil told PTI,” This is a social issue and we are going to discuss it in the village. We have ordered the district collector to submit the report within two days.”

Ten students of an ashram, Sevalaya, which houses the orphans, HIV positive and AIDS affected children, are studying in the school. The ashram is managed by Amhi Sevak, an NGO.

In a shameful event for Latur and a pointer to the social stigma that is still attached to AIDS, eight HIV positive students of district council school at Hasegaon village in Latur district of Maharashtra were expelled from school due to the strong opposition from other students and their parents.

The students were expelled after 140 of the total 230 students’ boycotted classes as they fear that they may contract the disease from the positive children.

In fact, for the past few days, this school has been flooded with requests by parents for transfer certificates (TC).

Yesterday, district education officer D Joshi, his deputy S Sonawane, and other officials visited the village and had discussions with Sewalaya director Ravi Bapatley, but nothing positive was achieved.

The education officer said, “We are trying our best to clear the doubts and misconceptions about the disease, but the adamant wards and parents are in no mood to listen to us.”

“We even had doctor for the counselling who clarified to the parents that their children were safe even if they came in contact with the HIV positive kids,” he added.

The headmaster of the school Dharmraj Sathe had yesterday said, “We will give admission to as many Aids-affected children as we can because we know AIDS does not spread by dining or playing together.

But now it’s apparent that he had to bow to the pressure from other children and their parents.

The HIV positive children are staying in an ashram in Hasegaon village run by an non-governmental organisation Ahmi Sevak for orphans and HIV-positive children.

Eight students from this ashram, Sewalaya, were studying in the zilla parishad (district council) school. Since the past few days there were rumours in the village that if anybody dines or plays with the HIV/AIDS patients, they will also contract the infection.