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Diara Ghat: The place where Lord Ram celebrated Diwali for the first time ever and initiated the Deepdaan tradition

श्रवण शुक्ल
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Diara Ghat: The place where Lord Ram celebrated Diwali for the first time ever and initiated the Deepdaan tradition

Ayodhya, the holy city where Lord Ram was born, becomes a mesmerising spectacle during Diwali. For every Hindu, Ayodhya holds special significance on Deepavali. It ties us all together because of its connections to Lord Shri Ram. Every year, on this auspicious occasion, lakhs of diyas (earthen lamps), illuminate the ancient city of India, creating a surreal atmosphere that resonates with the essence of the festival. When it comes to lighting lamps on Diwali in Ayodhya, not just one, but several world records are set and shattered every year.

Decked heavily with around 24 lakh earthen lamps, the UP government is this year planning to create a new Guinness World Record, breaking last year’s record of lighting 15.76 lakh diyas across 37 ghats of Sarayu river.

Today, as Hindus across the world gear up to celebrate the most revered festival, let us talk about some interesting lesser-known facts about Diwali or Deepavali. Not a lot of people are aware of the place where Diwali was celebrated for the first time ever and from where Lord Shri Ram initiated the lamp donation or Deepdaan tradition. This historical place is called the Dyara or Diara Ghat, situated in the Sultanpur district next to Ayodhya.

The ancient name of Sultanpur was Kushbhavanpar. Kushbhavanpur got its name from Kush, who was the son of Lord Ram. A traditionally held belief is that Lord Ram’s son Kush founded the city situated on the banks of the river Gomti. Diara Ghat, located on the banks of the Gomti River, also known as the “Adi Ganga,” is roughly thirty kilometres from the district headquarters. This is the location where Diwali was celebrated for the first time ever, even before it was celebrated in Ayodhya.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shri Ram, who reached the Diara Ghat after defeating the King of Lanka, Ravana, had offered the first lamp at this place. Not only did the locals take part in the lamp donation ceremony to commemorate the safe homecoming of Shri Ram, Lakshman, and Sita from Lanka, but also the people of Ayodhya who had travelled from their hometown to welcome their Lord Ram. The fact that the festival of lights is thought to have originated in their town still makes the surrounding locals extremely happy.

Lord Ram rested at Hari Shyani

Legend has it that before giving away the lamp Lord Shri Ram had bathed in Dhoop. After that, Lord Ram rested in a village called Harishayani. It is believed that the village was named Harishayni because ‘Hari’ means Lord Vishnu, and Lord Ram is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and ‘Sayan’ means sleeping or to sleep.

The district gazetteer has also referred to all of this. The residents of Harishayani village still count themselves lucky to have welcomed Lord Rama as their guest.

Yogi government brought about significant change in the situation, raising hopes for a bit more!

For the commencement of Diwali, there is nothing more historic or sacred than Diara Ghat. The development of this ghat would enhance the Diwali festival’s grandeur and appeal. However, the government should put in more effort to develop this ghat.

Locals complain that the UP government, which is busy making arrangements for Deepotsav in Ayodhya, is ignoring Sultanpur’s Diara Ghat. Even though Diara’s conditions have improved significantly since Yogi’s administration took office, much work still has to be done. We would like to inform you that a concrete road has been constructed all the way to the Diara ghat.

Significance of Diwali in Diara Ghat

Every year, on the eve of Diwali, Deepotsav is also celebrated at the Diara Ghat, however, it is done in a much simpler way here compared to the one organised in Ayodhya.

Locals say that the government should take the initiative to develop this place as well so that it can become a centre of attraction for tourists. They want the Yogi government to build a grand Ram Mandir, like the one being made in Ayodhya, here too. Besides, locals say that the government should organise Deepotsav in Diara as well as this place holds equal historical and spiritual significance if not more than Ayodhya.

Israel revises death toll in October 7 Hamas terror attack from 1,400 to 1,200, mix-up with killed terrorists could be the reason

OpIndia Staff
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Israel revises death toll in October 7 Hamas terror attack from 1,400 to 1,200, mix-up with killed terrorists could be the reason

The govt of Israel on Friday announced that it has revised the death toll of the October 7 Hamas attack from around 1400 to roughly 1200 people. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat provided the revised number. The update comes as Israel continues to identify the victim of the massacre last month.

Lior Haiat didn’t provide details on the reason for revising the number of victims. But it is likely that some people included as victims have been now identified as Hamas terrorists. It is notable that Israel has said that around 1,500 Hamas terrorists were killed in Israeli response to the terror attack on October 7. This meant the authorities had almost 3000 dead bodies to process and identify.

Israeli authorities have continued for the past month their work to identify the victims of Hamas’s massacre in southern Israel in the surprise attack by land, air and sea. Thousands of Hamas terrorists had broken through the border fence and slaughtered families in their homes and on the streets, and a massive gathering near the border for a music festival. Apart from civilians, hundreds of soldiers were also killed in action.

The death toll is not final yet, as around 240 people remain abducted by Hamas in Gaza. Bodies of several hostages have been recovered during IDF operations in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, some people who were believed to be kidnapped by the terrorists now have been confirmed dead after forensic and other evidence gathered at the attack sites.

This week the Israel Antiquities Authority said archaeologists who joined efforts to identify victims had uncovered the remains of at least 10 people in houses burned during the grisly onslaught.

Of the 1200 deaths, 318 are military soldiers died during the Hamas attack on October 7, apart from 59 policemen. This means around 800 civilians died in the attack, as per the revised estimate.

In response to the attack, Israel declared war against Gaza Strip terror organizations and embarked upon an unprecedented air and ground campaign in the Strip that it says is meant to eliminate Hamas. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says over 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza, without differentiating between civilians and combatants. Those figures cannot be independently verified and are believed to include those erroneously killed by terror operatives amid the fighting.

Bombay High Court further restricts window for burning of firecrackers during Diwali: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Bombay High Court further restricts window for burning of firecrackers during Diwali: Details

On Thursday (10th October), the Bombay High Court imposed restrictions on the burning of firecrackers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). It has reduced the window for the activity to 2 hours on the occasion of Diwali.

As per reports, the court directed that firecrackers could only be burnt in MMR between 8 pm and 10 pm. “The SC order says people should burst firecrackers at a designated time and designated places. Also that if banned firecrackers are sold the senior PI of the area would be held personally responsible”, it said.

The matter was heard by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice GS Kulkarni. The court had earlier banned the transportation of construction debris during Diwali and restricted the burning of firecrackers between 7 pm and 10 pm in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The order was modified to further restrict the window for bursting firecrackers to 2 hours. The court said, “There were committees in Delhi and Punjab as well but the problem persisted. We are saying, please advise the govt. to come up with a statutory mechanism to monitor pollution. We should not have to be burdened with all this. This is Bombay! Please understand”.

“The statutory commission has wide powers…In the NCR region. We request the AG to ask the State to constitute such a statutory committee so that the problem of air quality management can be dealt with more effectively in Mumbai.”

The Bombay High Court expressed concern over sale of crackers with ‘banned chemicals’ and continued the ban on debris transportation in MMR till November 19 this year.

No blanket ban on firecrackers, only the ones with barium salt: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (7th October) directed Rajasthan and other states to follow its earlier order relating to firecrackers during the festive season and stated that it was the duty of everyone to manage pollution.

A bench of Justice AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh directed Rajasthan to take steps to minimise air pollution, especially during the festival season.
The court was hearing an application relating to the issue of firecrackers in Rajasthan.

One of the advocates urged the court to issue directions to comply with earlier orders. The lawyer told the court that the court’s earlier order was applicable to Delhi National Capital Region. The lawyer sought a pan India ban on firecrackers.

The court said there is a wrong perception that it is the court’s responsibility on the issue of the environment. The court remarked that it is everyone’s duty to manage pollution. The court remarked that every citizen has to see that Diwali is celebrated environment-friendly with fewer crackers.

The court also shared his observation that these days elders burst more firecrackers as compared to schoolchildren. The court also directed the state of Rajasthan to take immediate steps to control pollution in Udaipur. Meanwhile, another lawyer apprised the court about the other application that relates to stubble burning.

The court has asked the Meteorology Department to file its reply in two weeks. The court also remarked that they see that there is a blame game relating to the issue. Earlier the top court on September 22 rejected the plea seeking the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers containing barium chemicals.

Meanwhile, it also refused to interfere with the Delhi Government’s decision to put a complete ban on the use of firecrackers in the national capital. The top court was dealing with the issue relating to firecrackers.

One of the pleas was filed by BJP leader Manoj Tiwari in 2022, challenging the blanket ban on firecrackers during Diwali celebrations in Delhi. In 2021, the Supreme Court clarified there is no blanket ban on the use of firecrackers and only those fireworks which contain barium salts are prohibited.

Drug addicts, homeless people and their tents vanish in San Francisco ahead of Joe Biden-Xi Jinping APEC Summit

OpIndia Staff
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Drug addicts, homeless people and their tents vanish in San Francisco ahead of Joe Biden-Xi Jinping APEC Summit

Ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, drug addicts, drug peddlers and homeless people have suddenly vanished from the streets and sidewalks of the city. In its measures to clean up the city before international attention shifts to San Francisco, the authorities have pushed the homeless to other parts of the city.

According to The New York Post, residents and business owners believe city officials’ attempts to “herd” transients and addicts are simply a “Band-Aid” solution to a serious problem.

The city centred on seven crossings in the Tenderloin and South of Market, or SoMa, neighbourhoods, which are home to some of the more concentrated encampments where drug-addled people high on fentanyl and heroin can be seen passing out on the streets daily, the Post reported.

Roads are being repaired, railways stations getting deep cleaned more often than usual, and the city is getting power-washed as the Biden administration wants San Francisco to shine as the President of China Xi Jinping visits the city.

While this clean-up/ cover-up ahead of important events is often labelled as a ‘thing’ of the developing countries, in reality, even the global “superpower” is practising the same.

Locals in San Francisco believe that once the APEC Summit ends on November 17, the police presence will begin to decrease and the tents will reappear. People asserted that the problem requires a long-term solution, not just a “band-aid”.

North Beach and Chinatown are getting beautiful crosswalks installed by Public Works. Japantown’s Webster St pedestrian bridge was recently repainted. These venues are expected to be visited by APEC attendees. The Yerba Buena Gardens at the Moscone Convention Center has been decorated with new vibrant landscaping and murals, paid for by the “Clean California” grant. This comes as the 20,000 high-profile attendees arrive in town the following week.

Some US netizens called out the authorities for cleaning up the city for the Chinese President’s visit but otherwise let the drug addicts and homeless people set up tents on roadsides and make the city roads a mess.

An X user wrote, “San Francisco literally just cleaned the sh*t out of their city in anticipation of Joe Biden and Xi Jinping of China set to meet there Wednesday.”

One Noah Smith credited Xi Jinping for cleaning San Francisco as he wrote, “Xi Jinping cleaned up San Francisco downtown.”

Another one highlighted the tents set up near Mason Street and trash littered all around adding that homeless people pushed away by the public works department authorities returned as soon as the authorities left. “The City is so powerless that can’t clean up homeless encampments/drug dens from downtown SF. Junkies were right back after DPW cleaned the sidewalk. THIS will represent San Francisco during APEC,” the X user wrote.

APEC Summit

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum founded in 1989 to capitalise on the Asia-Pacific region’s growing interconnectedness. APEC is the principal forum for the United States to advance economic policy in the Asia-Pacific region in order to promote free, fair, and open trade and investment, as well as to advance sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The United States will chair APEC in 2023. The APEC Economic Leaders’ Week will be held in San Francisco. The theme of ALEW 2023 is “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.”

The APEC members include Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; the Philippines; the Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States of America; Vietnam.

After Samajwadi Party, another I.N.D.I. Alliance party RLD upset with Congress, questions seat sharing in Rajasthan elections

OpIndia Staff
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After Samajwadi Party, another I.N.D.I. Alliance party RLD upset with Congress, questions seat sharing in Rajasthan elections

As Lok Sabha elections are approaching, the cracks in the I.N.D.I. Alliance are widening day by day. After Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav called the alliance member Congress a “Chalu” party and hoped for its defeat in 2024, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has also attacked Congress for not accommodating allies in Rajasthan assembly polls.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a Samajwadi Party ally in Uttar Pradesh, lambasted the Congress for “only giving it one seat in Rajasthan and keeping it in the dark until the last minute.”

According to reports, RLD leaders were surprised that the Congress only awarded the party one seat, which is Bharatpur, with Subhash Garg getting nominated again by the RLD for the coming election.

It is worth recalling that the RLD and Congress contested as allies in the 2018 Rajasthan elections, with the RLD contesting two seats, Bharatpur and Malpura. Subhash Garg of the RLD won Bharatpur by 15,710 votes and was appointed minister, however, the party lost in Malpura.

“We were hopeful of at least five or six seats, but the Congress didn’t clarify its stand on our demands till the very last moment. This was done as a ploy so we don’t go solo or ally with any other party,” an RLD leader in UP told Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the RLD national campaign in-charge Prashant Kanojia reportedly said that the Congress party is not showing a “big heart” and is not accommodating regional parties. He added that such an attitude of the Congress party will bring consequences in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

This comes after the Rajasthan Congress on Saturday (10th November) issued its sixth list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections which included 22 names. With the current list, the party has announced candidates for 178 seats, leaving one seat for the Rashtriya Lok Dal in Bharatpur. Notably, the single-phase polls in Rajasthan will be held on November 25, and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

It seems that although the Congress party has allied with regional parties across the country out of its desperation to defeat Narendra Modi, the party is reluctant to relinquish its hold on even 3-4 seats in state elections.

RLD demanded Bharatpur, Anupgarh, Malpura, Udaipurbati, and Sardarshahr seats from Congress in this assembly election. The party, however, was unable to accommodate its regional ally. Consequently, reports are emerging that RLD supremo Jayant Chaudhary is upset with Congress although he has not taken an aggressive approach like Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Last week (November 6), Akhilesh Yadav escalated his attack on the I.N.D.I. alliance partner Congress. He also renewed his call for the ‘PDA’ which stands for Pichde (backward classes), Dalit, and Alpasankhyak (minorities). While addressing rallies in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Former UP CM trained guns at the grand old party accusing it of acting as a “B-team of the BJP”.

Earlier on 5th November, the SP Chief described Congress as a ‘chalu’ (cunning) party while appealing to the crowd not to vote for them. He also took a jibe at the the ages of Congress stalwarts and former chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath. He said, “How are people over eighty years old supposed to remember anyone?”

Bangladesh: Hindu families forced to sell their houses in Shailkupa, ‘land jihad’ carried out by Islamists through threats, assaults and temple vandalism

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Hindu families forced to sell their houses in Shailkupa, ‘land jihad’ carried out by Islamists through threats, assaults and temple vandalism

Ahead of the upcoming elections in Bangladesh, the Hindu community is facing the wrath of political violence. Several Hindu families have been forced to vacate their houses in Shailkupa upazila in the Khulna division of Bangladesh and sell them at giveaway prices to avoid religious persecution.

As per a report by Kalbela News, the minority community is facing threats from Islamists and hence many Hindu families are migrating to other parts of the country. For instance, the residence of a deceased Hindu man named Satyendranath Saha was encroached and a 4-storeyed building was constructed in its place.

‘Jubo League’ Chairman (Shailkupa upazila) Shamim Hossain Mollah and his father Sabdar Hossain Mollah were accused of infringing upon the property of the Hindu family. It must be mentioned that the ‘Jubo League’ is the youth wing of the ruling Sheikh Hasina-led-Bangladesh Awami League party.

While speaking about the matter, the daughter-in-law of Satyendranath Saha informed that the ‘Jubo League’ leader had taken their house and a Kali Mandir by force. Despite complaints to the local MP Mohammed Abdul Hyee, no action has been taken against the accused.

Interestingly, Hyee is also a leader of the Bangladesh Awami League party from the Jhenaidah constituency. According to Kalbela News, the case of Satyendranath Saha is one of the countless stories of minority Hindu families who have lost their property to encroachment by local influential Muslim leaders.

Everyone involved in this organised form of ‘land jihad’ are politicians and political workers. In order to intimidate the Hindu residents of Shailkupa into selling their homes, the Islamists have resorted to threats, assault and even vandalism of Hindu temples.

Idol vandalism, and temple desecration as intimidation

On Monday (6th November), a case of temple desecration and idol vandalism came to light in the Bijulia village of Shailkupa upazila. After learning about the incident, the local Hindus alerted the police. A similar case of idol vandalism took place in October 2022.

Islamists orchestrated it under the supervision of a Chhatra League (student wing of Bangladesh Awami League) leader.

“Last year, they broke the idol of Goddess Kali and discarded the head of the deity. There is an upcoming election in the country. I hope such incidents are not repeated this time…I hope we can live in peace,” a local Hindu woman said.

Hindus seek action from Bangladesh Awami League

In April this year, the Puja Committee in Shailkupa urged the Bangladesh Awami League to not give an election ticket to Mohammed Abdul Hyee for his inaction over atrocities committed against the Hindu community.

Local Hindu leaders have requested Sheikh Hasina to not give election tickets to party members who have a history of shielding those involved in temple desecration, destruction of homes and idol vandalism.

According to Kalbela News, the Hindus in the Shailkupa upazila have been facing threats of eviction from powerful Islamists for the past one and a half decades.

Hindus attacked in Comilla during protest march 

A protest march organised by the Hindu community came under attack in the Nazrul Avenue area in ​​the Comilla metropolis of Bangladesh. The incident took place on Friday (13th October) at 11 a.m.

In a video posted on YouTube by Global Television, members of the Hindu community could be seen running for cover. As per reports, a total of 5 people, including one woman, were injured during the attack.

One of them also sustained severe injuries to his head. Three of the victims were identified as Aditya Das, Sunil Das and Tanmoy Das.

The said demonstration was led by the Bangladesh Youth Unity Council, Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (HBCUC), Student Unity Council and Women Unity Council against the disturbing remarks made by an Awami League MP (Comilla-6 constituency) named Bahauddin Bahar about Durga Puja.

According to Rana Das Gupta, the General Secretary of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Bahauddin had demonised the annual Hindu Bengali festival as ‘Madjukto Puja‘ (festival of alcohol) on 4th October this year.

The Awami League MP also claimed that if alcohol consumption was decreased, then, the number of Puja pandals would go down. On Thursday (12th October), he yet again associated ‘Durga Puja with alcohol’.

Hindu protest attacked in Comilla, image via Kaler Kontho

On 28th September, Munshiganj district Mayor Faisal Biplab referred to Hindu MP, Mrinal Kanti Das, as ‘malaun’ (a derogatory term for Hindus), ‘nopungshak’ (impotent) and ‘chandal’ (a derogatory term for Dalits).

Miffed by the vicious targeting of the Hindu festivals, the members of the community took out a protest march and demanded action against the Awami League MP. However, the demonstration reportedly came under attack from Islamists belonging to the ‘Chhatra League’ and ‘Jubo League’.

Rajasthan: 4-year-old girl raped by sub-inspector in Dausa, locals raise slogans against Gehlot government and the police

ANI
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Rajasthan: 4-year-old girl raped by sub-inspector in Dausa, locals raise slogans against Gehlot government and the police

A minor girl was allegedly raped by a police sub-inspector in Rajasthan’s Dausa district on Friday, police said.

According to ASP Dausa Bajrang Singh, the accused has been identified as Bhupendra. A case has been registered into the matter, and the accused has been arrested.

The incident has sparked public outrage. Visuals from Dausa showed a large number of people protesting outside Rahuwas police station in the Lalsot area.

On Friday, BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena reached the police station in the Lalsot area, where hundreds of angry protestors were seen chanting slogans against the police and Gehlot government.

In a post on X, Meena wrote, “There is huge anger among the people over the incident of rape of a 7-year-old Dalit girl by a policeman in Lalsot. I have reached the spot to help the victim get justice to the innocent child. The police, which has become autocratic due to the incompetence of the Ashok Gehlot government, is not desisting from committing atrocities even on a sensitive occasion like elections.”

Later speaking on the matter, Meena told ANI, “I have come here to help the girl. The sub-inspector has been arrested. For me, elections come afterwards, and my first priority will be giving the family justice. It is a shameful incident.”

Expressing anger over the issue, BJP spokesman Shehzad Poonawalla said, “Humanity has been shamed once again in Rajasthan’s Dausa, where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had recently gone. A four-year-old girl has been raped by a sub-inspector in the Rajasthan police. When the father goes to file a case at the police station, he is beaten up…Today even ‘Rakshak’ has become ‘Bhakshak'”

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

24 lakh diyas at 51 ghats: Ayodhya aims to set World Record; Tribals from Jharkhand to take part in Deepotsav

ANI
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24 lakh diyas at 51 ghats: Ayodhya aims to set World Record; Tribals from Jharkhand to take part in Deepotsav

Ayodhya is all set to hold a grand Deepotsav on Saturday on the eve of Diwali, with over 24 lakh diyas at 51 ghats set to illuminate the city.

As part of the celebration, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Path is also being decorated with different types of flowers for Deepotsav. Decked heavily with around 24 lakh earthen lamps, the UP government is also planning to create a Guinness World Record.

People from different places, including tribal people from the Pakur district of Jharkhand, will witness the grand Deepotsav. Around 48 tribal people from the Pakur district of Jharkhand have arrived in Ayodhya to celebrate Deepotsav on Saturday.

The people of this tribe reside in the mountainous region and have come to Ayodhya barefooted to attend the grand Deepotsav. The Jharkhand Pradesh Shri Ram Janaki Charitable Service Trust has sent them here to participate in the Deep Utsav.

Tomorrow, they will light the lamp in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in their traditional attire.

The people from the Pakur district have come to Ayodhya for the first time. Earlier, the people from the Santhali community came to witness Diwali in Ayodhya.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Song ‘Abundance In Millets’ featuring Narendra Modi nominated for 2024 Grammy Awards, the PM collaborated in writing the song too

OpIndia Staff
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Song ‘Abundance In Millets’ featuring Narendra Modi nominated for 2024 Grammy Awards, the PM collaborated in writing the song too

A song featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been nominated for the 2024 Grammy Awards in the category “Best Global Music Performance”. Grammy released the list of 2024 GRAMMY Nominations, and it includes the song Abundance In Millets by Falguni Shah and her husband Gaurav Shah.

The Grammy nomination for the song says, Abundance In Millets, Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi).

The song Abundance In Millets was released to boost awareness around the importance of millets as the world is celebrating the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets. While the Shah couple has sung the song, it includes a portion of PM Modi’s speech on international millet year. In the snippet of the PM’s quotes, he is heard talking about adapting millets as part of our lifestyle. He says it will benefit the farmers of the country.

The song along with the video captures the cultivation of millet in India and narrates how it can play a crucial role in curbing hunger. The song promotes the consumption of millets among people from all walks of life as it is also very nutritious and can benefit the overall health of a person.

Besides singing the song, Falu (Falguni Shah) and Gaurav Shah also composed and wrote the song, along with Kenya Autie, Greg Gonzalez and Soumya Chatterjee. The song was written in both English and Hindi.

If the song wins the award, it will be the second Grammy for Falu, as she won the Grammy Award in 2022 for her 2021 album A Colorful World. She said the idea to write a song about millets came to her when she met PM Modi in New Delhi last year after her Grammy win.

On the Millet song, she said, “Prime Minister Modi has written a song with me and my husband Gaurav Shah.”

She said that PM Narendra Modi suggested to her she should write a song with a message of ending hunger during their discussion on the power of music to bring change and uplift humanity. As per her, the PM told her that India promotes millet because it is a super grain and has immense health and nutritional value.

After that, Falu asked if PM Modi will collaborate in writing the song, to which he agreed. She said that she was initially nervous about writing the song with PM Modi, but the whole collaboration happened in a very organic way.

“It’s one thing to write for him and it’s one thing to write with him. In the middle of the song, you will hear the speech that he has written and narrated in his own voice,” she said. Falguni Shah had added that she was “honoured” and “humbled” to collaborate with PM Narendra Modi on the millet` song.

Was another LeT commander killed in Pakistan? What we know about the killing of weapons seller Akram Khan by ISKP for alleged Taliban link

OpIndia Staff
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Was another LeT commander killed in Pakistan? What we know about the killing of weapons seller Akram Khan by ISKP for alleged Taliban link

On Friday, almost all India media houses reported that Akram Khan Ghazi, a senior commander of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was killed by unidentified bike-borne assailants in the Bajaur district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As per the reports, Ghazi was a recruiter for LeT who had radicalised many terrorists who had invaded the Kashmir Valley in several batches in recent years.

The reports came amid a series of several such mysterious killings of terrorists by unknown persons in Pakistan over the last several weeks and was reported as the second assassination of a terrorist in Pakistan in a week.

However, reports in Pakistani media and some social media accounts give a different angle to the development. According to these reports, Akram Khan was a trade leader and he was not a LeT terrorist. Moreover, against the reports of assassination by unidentified persons, ISKP (Islamic State – Khorasan Province) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

A social media account called OSINT J&K termed it ‘fake news’, saying that Akram Khan was a trader’s leader and not a LeT commander. The handle noted that this was the fifth target killing in Bajaur, and the last four were claimed by the ISKP.

Later, ISKP published a statement on its mouthpiece Amaq news agency saying that it killed Akram Khan. The terrorist group claimed that Khan was a part Afghan Taliban. It is notable that since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, ISKP has executed several terror attacks in the country.

Islamic State – Khorasan Province is an affiliate of the Islamic State, and several of its members who were in Afghan jails were released or had escaped during the chaos of the Taliban advancing to Kabul in August. After occupying Kabul, the Taliban had announced that they would curtail the operations of ISKP and capture its leader Shahab al-Muhajir. However, the group has continued terror attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The version that Akram Khan was a trader seems to be correct because several local social media accounts had reported the incident identifying him as a trader. The Khorasan Diary tweeted that Akram Khan was a leading trader who was shot by unknown attackers yesterday.

As per a report on the incident by Pakistan-based The News, Akram Khan was a trade leader running a business of weapons sales, and his late father Ashraf Khan had also remained president of the traders’ union several times. As per the report, Akram Khan was shot by unknown assailants in Inayat Kalay Bazar in the Bajaur Tribal district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Akram Khan was reportedly going for his afternoon prayer when unknown attackers opened fire at him near Inayat Kalay mosque. He was immediately shifted to a hospital but didn’t survive the attack.

The fact that the attack took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also indicates that Akram was not a member of LeT, as the terror group is primarily based on PoK and areas in Pakistan close to the Indian border. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and other areas of Pakistan’s tribal areas have seen a series of major terror in recent times. Terror groups like Lashkar-i-Islam and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan are active in the region, but there is no report of the presence of Lashkar-e-Taiba in the area near Afghan borders.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Akram Khan was not a LeT commander, he was a weapons trader. Moreover, the ISKP has said that they killed him, alleging that he is linked with the Afghan Taliban.

However, several terror leaders have been killed by unknown assailants in Pakistan in recent times. On 5 November, Khwaja Shahid, also known as Mia Mujahid, a key commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba and one of the masterminds of the 2018 terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Sunjuwan, Jammu and Kashmir which left six people dead including five Army personnel, was reportedly abducted and then found beheaded close to the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to reports. There were marks of extreme torture on his body.

He was a resident of POK’s Neelum Valley and was kidnapped by unidentified persons. The circumstances surrounding the incident are still unknown and no organisation has taken responsibility for the action.

One of the masterminds of the Dhangri terror attack Riyaz Ahmad alias Abu Qasim was shot and killed in September inside a mosque in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir by unidentified gunmen. He was originally from Jammu and crossed the border in 1999 as an exfiltrator. He was believed to be a major factor in the resurgence of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir’s border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. He moved to Rawalakot recently, however, he continued to operate out of the Lashkar-e-Taiba main camp in Muridke for the most part.

An anonymous assassin shot dead a key Hizbul Mujahideen commander Bashir Ahmad Peer also known as Imtiyaz Alam in Rawalpindi in March of this year. According to the report, he had been residing in Pakistan for more than 15 years when he was charged with ordering the murder of Zakir Musa, chief commander of the Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind which is an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Kashmir, in May 2019.

Former Al-Badr Mujahideen commander Syed Khalid Raza was eliminated in Karachi in February by unidentified gunmen in what the police called a targeted strike. Aijaz Ahmad Ahangar, a terrorist from Kashmir who served as the chief commander of the international terror organisation Islamic State was discovered dead in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province earlier this year. Taliban had reportedly assassinated him.

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