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Triple murder in Assam: Nazibur Rahman Bora kills wife and her parents, Sanghamitra Ghosh had eloped with him ignoring the objection of parents

OpIndia Staff
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Triple murder in Assam: Nazibur Rahman Bora kills wife and her parents, Sanghamitra Ghosh had eloped with him ignoring the objection of parents

A triple murder in Assam’s Kumarpatty area of Golaghat district has created shockwaves across the state where a 25-year-old Muslim man named Nazibur Rahman Bora killed his 24-year-old wife Sanghamitra Ghosh along with her father Sanjeev Ghosh and mother Junu Ghosh at their residence on 24 July.

The elderly couple tried to protect their daughter but all three of them were stabbed to death. The accused is a mechanical engineer from the Central Institute of Technology, Kolkata, and hails from the same neighbourhood. He surrendered to the police and was subsequently arrested on multiple charges, including murder, on the evening of 24 July.

Moreover, he has admitted to his crime. The police have registered a case under Sections 302 (murder) and 448 (trespassing) of the Indian Penal Code and are presently conducting an investigation. A team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Forensic Science Laboratory has arrived in Golaghat to help with the investigation.

Ankita Ghosh, the victim’s younger sister, was in a video conversation with the family from Jorhat University where she is a student. She witnessed the entire gruesome incident where the perpetrator broke into their home and savagely murdered the whole family with a knife.

The relatives immediately hurried to the location as soon as she informed her aunt about the horrific incident. However, the three individuals had already been killed by the time they arrived and he had fled from there. In addition, he also kidnapped his 9-month-old son after committing the horrifying deed.

The relatives notified the Golaghat police, who reached the scene. They began conducting search operations in multiple spots throughout Golaghat in order to apprehend the culprit. Later, he turned himself in at the police station after he realised the imminent risk of trying to escape after carrying out the homicide. He was carrying the 9-month-old child while entering the police station to surrender.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also met the grieving family and reiterated, “In Assam, be it Nazibur Rahman or any other individual, we stand firm in our commitment that crime has no place in our state. Our resolve remains unwavering – no criminal shall escape justice.”

The Director General of Assam Police assured that the instructions will be adhered to and an extensive probe will be conducted. He further added that previous lapses will also be visited and rectified.

The sequence leading up to the horrible event

Nazibur Rahman Bora and Sanghamitra Ghosh first connected on Facebook in June 2020, during the lockdown period and soon after started dating. The former had been staying in Golaghat at the time. In October 2020 they eloped to Kolkata, after which her parents filed a First Information Report against Nazibur Rahman Bora under IPC Section 366 (kidnapping).

Following the registration of the case, Sanghamitra was recovered from Kolkata and returned to Golaghat by the local police. However, the two had tied the knot there through a court ceremony in Kolkata before they were located by police.

Her parents lodged another FIR against their daughter in March of 2021 in which they charged her with theft, leading to another twist in the case. She was captured and held in custody for 37 days after the complaint was filed under IPC Section 380, and she moved back to her family home after securing bail.

The duo left once more for Chennai, Tamil Nadu in January 2022 and lived there for five months. She ended up being pregnant there and both moved back to his place in Golaghat in August 2022. She gave birth to their son two months later, in November.

Their marriage soured after some time and she escaped to her parents’ home in March of the next year and accused her spouse of torture and abuse. As a result, the police filed a case under IPC Sections 443 (wrongful confinement), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) against him. He was arrested and was later released on bail after being imprisoned for 28 days in relation to the case.

Tensions between the two families expanded afterwards with arguments developing over his wish to meet his wife and child. Sanghamitra Ghosh and her family members were named in an FIR submitted in April by his brother, who claimed that they had assaulted and beaten Nazibur Rahman Bora. The allegation is currently being probed.

Furthermore, everything took a dreadful turn on 24 July when the offender brutally murdered his wife, mother and father-in-law in their house which left the entire state shell-shocked and in despair. Now a case under sections 302 and 448 have been registered against him.

Udupi: Police files FIR against 3 Muslim students for secretly filming Hindu girls in the restroom; had denied communal angle

OpIndia Staff
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Udupi: Police files FIR against 3 Muslim students for secretly filming Hindu girls in the restroom; had denied communal angle

The Udupi district police have at last lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the Muslim students who clandestinely recorded private video of Hindu students in the washroom of the Netra Jyoti college in Udupi, a report published by Asianet News said.

As per reports, the police have filed two cases in the matter, one case is linked to three female students and college administration for the deletion of a video of a student filmed in the toilet. The second case pertains to uploading of a hidden camera video on YouTube channels.

Allegations arose that topless videos of Hindu girls were being recorded in the women’s washroom of Netrajyoti College in Udupi and subsequently shared with Muslim groups. The college management conducted an inquiry into the matter and concluded that the video had been deleted, closing the case. However, due to public outrage, a suo moto case has been registered at the Malpe Police Station in the Udupi district.

A case has been filed against three Muslim students named Alimatul Shaifa, Shabanaz, and Alia, who were responsible for creating the video, as well as against the management board of Netrajyoti College. They are charged with evidence destruction. The police have registered multiple cases under sections 509, 204, 175, and 34. The decision to register the case came amidst significant opposition from BJP leaders, various Hindu organizations, and women across the state. The police will now commence their investigation into the matter.

Besides, in response to the state government’s lack of seriousness in handling the case of the video shooting in the Udupi College toilet, the National Commission for Women has taken the initiative to investigate the matter. The Commission will dispatch a team to Udupi to conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident at the private college. Khushbu Sundar, the South India member of the National Commission for Women, will lead the investigation during her visit to Udupi. This decision was revealed by former member Shyamala Kunder.

Activist Rashmi Samant draws attention to Udupi restroom secret video, Zubair and leftwing media portals downplay the crime

Earlier this week, Hindu rights activist Rashmi Samant took to Twitter to question the silence around the Udupi toilet secret video incident, alleging that a concerted attempt is underway to suppress the case. Furthermore, she added that many of the girls featured in the video were depressed and disturbed to the extent they were contemplating self-harm or suicide. “Yet, this issue is not being condemned with the severity it deserves,” she wrote.

Drawing a parallel to the Ajmer mass rape incident from 1992, she wrote, “Let me remind you of what happened in Ajmer in the year 1992 where hundreds of girls were raped with the blackmail of releasing nude photos that were illegally solicited. I cannot bear to think that Udupi could have turned to another Ajmer.”

Activist Rashmi Samant faces police action for tweeting about Udupi incident

On 24th July, Udupi police launched a campaign to locate Hindu human rights activist Rashmi Samant after she raised the voice of Hindu female victims whose videos were allegedly recorded by girls of the Muslim community in washrooms of a private institution.

Advocate Adhitya Srinivasan, who represents Samant, shared the detailed ordeal faced by Rashmi Samant’s family. He said at 8 PM, a group of policemen visited Rashmi’s residence when she was not at home. The police questioned her parents. They were repeatedly asked about Rashmi’s whereabouts.

Police claimed there was no communal angle

A report published by The News Minute quoted police saying there was no communal angle in the case. The same was narrated by India Today during a panel discussion in which Rashmi Samant was also present. Both TNM and India Today said the police categorically denied any communal angle in the case.

TNM quoted ASP of Udupi Siddalingappa, saying, “We looked through the phone and didn’t find any such video. We thoroughly investigated the matter, and there is no evidence that the video was shared. It was a one-off incident in the college and had no communal angle to it. The purported victim doesn’t want to file a police complaint.”

The whitewashing of criminal intent

However, despite being categorically reported that the perpetrators and victims belonged to two separate communities, leftwing propaganda portal Alt News and its co-founder Mohammed Zubair rushed to accuse Rashmi and others who talked about the incident of spreading misinformation and giving the incident a communal angle. 

Mohammed Zubair, famous for whitewashing crimes against Hindus, launched a vicious attack against female right-wingers and activists, including Shafali Vaidya and Rashmi Samant, for raising their voices against the heinous incident. When Zubair was called out, he played the victim card and said when he exposes fake news; people accuse him of dog whistling.

In fact, Zubair relied heavily on The News Minute report that mentioned in the first paragraph itself that three Muslim girls were suspended for allegedly secretly recording videos of Hindu girls in the washrooms. TNM called it an apparent case of “bullying” but did not say it was a rumour that Muslim girls recorded a video of a Hindu girl. Here is an archived link to the TNM report. Subsequently, several leftwing social media users and their media organisations began downplaying the crime by three Muslim students, describing it as a ‘prank’.

‘Ahmadiyyas are not Muslims’: Jamiat backs Andhra Waqf Board after Centre denounces hate campaign against Ahmadiyyas

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ahmadiyyas are not Muslims’: Jamiat backs Andhra Waqf Board after Centre denounces hate campaign against Ahmadiyyas

On Tuesday, 25th July 2023, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind passed a resolution to assert that Ahmadiyyas or Qadianis are not Muslims. The top Muslim organisation in India came ahead to support Andhra Pradesh Waqf Boards that earlier passed a similar resolution against Ahmadiyyas and refused to identify them as Muslims. The union ministry for minority affairs wrote a letter to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board in this regard and asked who gave them the right to issue a Fatwa against the Qadianis.

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind said in its resolution said that the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board’s stance on Ahmadiyyas reflects the unanimous position of the entire Muslims. Jamiat’s latest stand has come in sharp contrast with the union ministry’s statement on behalf of the Ahmadiyyas who are a minority sect within the Muslim community.

Earlier, on Friday, July 21, 2023, taking a firm stance against the fatwa declaring Ahmadiyyas as non-Muslims, the Central Government confronted the Andhra Pradesh government and the Waqf Board in the state. The Ministry of Minority Affairs raised concerns about the religious rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and questioned the validity of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf board’s issuance of a fatwa against them.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs issued a strongly worded letter to the Andhra Pradesh government, condemning the Waqf Board’s resolution as a hate campaign with potentially far-reaching ramifications nationwide.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs’ Joint Secretary, CPS Bakshi, addressed a letter to the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh KS Jawahar Reddy, expressing disapproval over the Waqf board’s actions. He questioned the board’s authority to issue a fatwa that expels a community from Islam, emphasising that no entity should have the power to strip away the religious rights of any community.

Back in 2012, the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board adopted a resolution declaring the entire Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslim. Subsequently, this resolution faced a legal challenge, leading to the Andhra Pradesh High Court issuing an order for the interim suspension of the resolution. The controversy escalated in February 2023 when the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board labelled the Ahmadiyya Muslim community as infidels, citing the fatwa of Jamait ul Ulema. Furthermore, the board issued an official order designating them as non-Muslims. In response to this action, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry of Minority Affairs on 20th July 2023, to express their protest against the board’s decision.

The ministry has observed in its letter that the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board has issued another proclamation under the signature of its Chairman despite the High Court orders. A resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board in February 2023 categorically said, “In consequence to the Fatwa of Jamiat ul Ulema, Andhra Pradesh dated May 26th, 2009, the `Qadiani community’ is proclaimed as `kafir’ and not a Muslim.”

Questioning the authority of the Waqf Board to issue such a fatwa, the central Ministry of minority affairs clarified that the Waqf Act, 1995 is the primary legislation for the administration and management of Waqf properties in India and does not confer any power to State Waqf Boards to make such proclamations.

‘I have not married Nasrullah’: Anju calls the Pakistani citizen ‘just friend’, says went to Pakistan only for vacation and will return to India soon

OpIndia Staff
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‘I have not married Nasrullah’: Anju calls the Pakistani citizen ‘just friend’, says went to Pakistan only for vacation and will return to India soon

After several reports earlier suggested that Anju from Rajasthan who went to Pakistan to meet her Facebook friend got married and converted to Islam, the woman refuted to the claims and said that she would return to India by August 20 this year. She also said that she has gone to Pakistan only to explore the country and that the story of her marriage to Nasrulla is not true.

Earlier, a senior officer at Moharrar City police in Upper Dir district had confirmed to the Indian news agency PTI that Anju had married Nasrulla as per the Islamic rituals and had also converted her religion to Islam. The official had also said that Anju had changed her name to Fatima post nikah with Nasrulla.

However, she appeared in a video with her friend Nasrulla and stated that all the reports about her marriage to Nasrulla were false. In the video, Anju said, “I am here in Pakistan just like other people who come to visit the country. I don’t know why people are talking like this that I am here to get married and all. I am here for sightseeing and I have enjoyed my stay here.”

She also was heard saying in the video that she is safe in Pakistan. “I want to give this message to all that I have come here to Pakistan legally and with planning as it was not about two days that I came here all of a sudden, and I am safe here,” 35-year-old Anju from Kailor in India’s Uttar Pradesh added.

She also requested the Indian media to talk directly to her for details about her visit to Pakistan and stop ‘harassing’ her family back in Rajasthan. It is notable that a video of Anju and Nasrulla is going viral over social media in which the duo can be seen holding hands and enjoying their time in scenic locations.

As per Anju’s husband Arvind from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, Anju had gone to Jaipur to meet her sister, but after that, she went to Pakistan and informed him about her visit from there.

Meanwhile, Anju’s father Gaya Prasad Thomas talked to the media and said that his daughter had ruined the life of her two children. He also said that she should have divorced her husband before doing something like this. “The way she ran away leaving her two children and husband behind. If she wanted to do this, she should have divorced her husband at first. She is no more for us,” he said.

He also added that he had been not talking to Anju since her marriage to Arvind due to her eccentric behaviour. He said that he would never appeal to the Indian government to bring her back. “I pray to let her die there,” he said.

Earlier, it was reported that Anju travelled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan to meet her lover, 29-year-old Nasrullah, from Upper Dir. They met on Facebook four years ago and started liking each other soon. During questioning by Pakistani authorities, Anju claimed that she could not live without Nasrullah.

Unlike Pakistan’s Seema Haider who illegally entered India to meet her lover, Anju went to Pakistan on valid documents, and her Visa is valid for 30 days. Anju had to visit the police station in Upper Dir Bala as it is required by law that when an Indian national visits Pakistan, they must show their travel documents at the police station. Nasrullah accompanied her for the visit. Nasrulla was also quoted saying that the duo had decided to marry soon.

However, Anju in the latest video said that she would return to India and that she had no plans to marry Nasrulla, a resident of Pakistan.

Uttar Pradesh: Hindu boy forcibly circumcised, converted, and held hostage by Muslim girlfriend’s family in Noida; complaint registered

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Hindu boy forcibly circumcised, converted, and held hostage by Muslim girlfriend’s family in Noida; complaint registered

An alarming incident of forced circumcision of a Hindu boy has come to light in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He has been identified as Vishal and is a resident of Bulandshahr district’s Gulavathi police station neighbourhood. He has filed a complaint in which he stated that he is in a relationship with a Muslim girl and charged her family members with circumcising him.

The couple registered a complaint in the Bulandshahr district on 25 July and accused the Noida police did not pay heed to their grievance. An investigation is presently underway.

The victim previously worked for a business in the vicinity of the Phase 2 police station in Noida where he met the girl. The two first started talking and their bond swiftly grew into love. Afterwards, they decided to get married, but her family disapproved of their union. However, she continued her efforts to persuade them but to no avail.

Meanwhile, they also thrashed her for being in a relationship with a Hindu boy. Her family then invited him to their house on 21 July and spiked his food after which he passed out.

According to the victim, he was taken to a hospital while he was unconscious and circumcised there. He came to know about it after he regained consciousness. In addition to it, he was also pressurised into embracing Islam and the family members are also accused of keeping him hostage for two days.

The girl informed that she went to the Noida Phase-2 police station to complain about the situation, but no one listened to her. The duo brought a complaint to the Senior Superintended of Police of the Bulandshahr district, Shlok Kumar, eventually on 25 July and pleaded for justice.

The senior official mentioned that the case is associated with the Noida district and Deputy Superintended of Police Secunderabad has been asked to look into it. Furthermore, the girl has made the decision to live with her partner for the time being.

Bihar: One Md Shaqib Ahmed arrested for derogatory, obscene depiction of Lord Rama, insulting Hindus on Instagram

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: One Md Shaqib Ahmed arrested for derogatory, obscene depiction of Lord Rama, insulting Hindus on Instagram

On Tuesday, July 25, the Bihar Police arrested one Shaqib Ahmed (23) of Hajipur in Vaishali district of Bihar for posting derogatory comments and causing insult to Hindu deity Lord Ram on Instagram. The accused who has been arrested under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code is also said to have insulted the great warrior Maharana Pratap.

According to the complaint copy obtained by OpIndia, the accused identified as Mohammed Shaqib Ahmed is a resident of Masjid Chowk and had posted a derogatory comment on an Instagram post through his Instagram handle itts_shaqib. The post showed a human like figure in an obscene position and the accused happened to name the character as Lord Rama.

On being informed about the post, the Bihar Police went to the residence of the accused and investigated his electronic devices. The police also interrogated the accused and seized his Realme RMX2151 mobile device.

The police discovered that the accused had also made derogatory comments on Maharana Pratap and boasted Mughal Emperor Akhbar against him. As per the complaint copy, the accused has been arrested under section 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

Complaint copy obtained by OpIndia

Further section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 has also been pressed against the accused.

It is important to note that the arrest was made after social media activist Ashwini Shrivastava and the Bajrang Dal members took cognizance of the event and protested against the derogatory post. As per Shrivastava, members of the Bajrang Dal in Hajipur also reached the police station and demanded quick arrest of the accused.

Accordingly, the police initiated the action and the accused was nabbed from his home in Masjid Chowk, Hajipur, Bihar.

While talking exclusively to OpIndia, Shrivastava said that he was informed about the derogatory post by some social media users after which he verified the incident and demanded the arrest of the accused.

“Such cases are increasing in the country. There are about 10-15 cases occuring per day. People reach me through social media and seek action. It is observed that such cases are mostly spreading through Instagram. The government should take some stringent steps,” he said.

At present, the derogatory posts and comments made by the accused stand deleted. The accused has been arrested and further investigation in the case is underway.

Did BJP ‘abandon’ their injured Kuki MLA as claimed in interviews with Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt? Here is what documents show

Nupur J Sharma
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Did BJP ‘abandon’ their injured Kuki MLA as claimed in interviews with Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt? Here is what documents show

On the 24th of July 2023, Rajdeep Sardesai interviewed the wife of a BJP MLA who belongs to the Kuki tribe of Manipur. The Kuki MLA was allegedly attacked in Imphal by an irate mob in May of this year as the unrest raged on in the state of Manipur. Vungzagin Valte, the BJP Kuki MLA, was attacked in May allegedly by a Meitei mob and suffered critical injuries. According to the India Today report, he is now recovering from his injuries.

The wife of the injured MLA said that she was waiting for him to recover and to take him back to his constituency. Before this attack, Moinu Valte said that he had never taken a day’s leave before this attack and now she is just waiting for him to get well again and get back on his feet.

During the conversation with India Today, Maiinu Valte expressed her disappointment that despite her husband being a BJP MLA, none of the prominent leaders from the party visited him during his recovery. “There are a lot of tribal MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, but only three came to meet my husband,” she lamented.

Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted, “Hard to hold back the tears when Mrs Valte tells me: ‘my husband worked 27 years with SBI, never took a day’s holiday, never wanted to sleep.. today, he is bed ridden.. what have we done to deserve this?’ Sadly, only a few minister/MLA/MP have visited him in a small rented flat in Delhi as he recovers from a terrible assault in heart of Imphal .. MPs in parliament don’t even know his story. His family says CM called once! And he is a ruling party BJP MLA: thrice elected (once on Cong and twice on BJP ticket) . And the culprits are still not arrested. Whatever happened to empathy and accountability?’.

Barkha Dutt too interviewed the family of the BJP MLA. They told her that the Chief Minister of the State have called them only once and they have hardly heard from BJP after that. They also claim that they have got no financial assistant from the party or the government.

While looking and sounding extremely despondent, rightly so, the family claimed on several liberal channels that they had received no help from the party or the state government.

While the attack against Vungzagin Valte is heinous and requires state action, the claims of the family that they received no financial assistant is possibly untrue.

OpIndia accessed the receipt of the air ambulance that was hired by the government for the MLA after the terrible mob assault. The total charges that were incurred to ensure Valte reaches the Delhi hospital was upwards of Rs 46 lakhs.

Receipt of air ambulance

The air ambulance that took Valte from Imphal to Delhi for hospitalisation was from Bhopal. It went from Bhopal to Delhi, Delhi to Imphal and then back to Delhi, to be docked at Bhopal again.

Sources have further confirmed to OpIndia that the Chief Minister has provided a Rs 5 lakhs monetary compensation to the BJP MLA and his family to meet their expenses.

Interestingly, the son of the MLA had also told Rajdeep Sardesai that he wants people to pray for Manipur, however, he had also deepened the chasm between the Meitei and Kuki communities by saying that if this had happened to a Meitei MLA, their family would have come on television and done drama, which he does not want to do.

The media has been long playing a dangerous game to deepen the divide between the Meitei and the Kuki community in Manipur. These stories were amplified by the likes of Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt to essentially further the narrative that the government has been partial in their treatment towards the Meitei community, however, that is clearly untrue. In fact, the media has maintained studious silence over the killings of Meiteis and amplified the atrocities against Kukis, when it should have covered the violence from both sides with equal fervour.

OpIndia tried to get in touch with Joseph Valte, the son of the injured MLA, to confirm whether the party has provided air ambulance support and monetary compensation, however, Valte’s phone has been switched off. We will update this report with his response when we are able to get in touch with him.

The Manipur conflict and subsequent violence

In May 2023, violence erupted in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki tribes of the state. In May, during protests by tribal groups against the demand for ST status by the Meitei community. Protests by the tribal groups turned violent at various places in the state, where large-scale arson took place by the Kukis.

While the tribal groups have been opposing the demand of the Meitei community’s demand for ST status for years, the recent protests and violence were triggered by a Manipur High Court order on 27 March, directing the Manipur state government to submit recommendations to the union government for the inclusion of Meitei in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. The court had issued the order after several petitions filed by Meitei activists seeking the said direction.

The high court also criticised the state government for dragging the issue for over 10 years. In May 2013, the union ministry of tribal affairs asked the state govt to submit a formal recommendation along with the latest socio-economic survey and ethnographic report, but the Manipur govt failed to do so.

The demands by Meities started with a memorandum submitted to the governor in November 2012 by the Scheduled Tribes Demand Committee of Manipur Valley (STDCM). The committee then met Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh in December 2012 with the demand and then met prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh in July 2013 with the demand. However, the PM asked them to discuss the matter with the state cabinet.

Meities vs Kukis

As OpIndia wrote earlier, the current conflict between Meiteis and ‘tribals’ is the extension of the hills vs plains conflict that exists in almost all states in the northeast. Meiteis are the majority community in Manipur, comprising around 53% of the population, while tribal communities account for around 40% of the population. There are 34 recognised tribes in Manipur, broadly classified into Naga tribes (24%) and Kuki/Zomi tribes (16%).

While the Naga and Kuki tribes are included in ST list, most of the Meitei community people have OBC status, and some of them are listed as SCs.

Also, the majority of Meiteis are Hindus, with some of them are Muslims and some identify as animists, while the tribals are Christians. The Muslim Meitei community, known as Meitei Pangal, is also demanding ST status, along with the Hindu Meitei community.

However, the Meiteis are limited to only around 10% of the land in the state, as the rest of the state is classified as tribal areas. They live in the small patch of plain area in the state, the Imphal Valley, while the tribals reside in the protected Hill Areas, exclusively reserved for them. Being classified as non-tribals, Meitei people can’t buy land in over 90% of the state.

It is notable that Hill Areas in Manipur, comprising 90% of the total land in the state, are declared by the government under the provisions of Article 371C of the Constitution. The same Article also provides for the constitution of a Hill Areas Committee comprising MLAs from Hills Areas, while relevant laws passed by the assembly constitute village authorities. The committee and the authorities do not allow non-tribals to purchase land in the notified Hills areas.

The Imphal Valley has five districts, while the Hills Area has eleven districts. Apart from the Meteis, the valley is also home to other non-tribals, including people from other Indian states, and immigrants including illegal immigrants from Myanmar. On the other hand, only tribals are allowed to buy land in the hill districts.

The petition by the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union that resulted in the High Court order said that Meiteis had Scheduled Tribal status before 1949, but when the state merged with India in October 1949, they lost that status. When different communities in India were classified as Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) under Article 341 and Article 342 of the constitution, the Meitei community was not included in any of them, reportedly because they are caste Hindus. At that time, not having SC-ST status was not a big issue, but things changed later, and the Meiteis started demanding reserved status.

After the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, Meiteis were granted OBC status, and thus they became eligible for reservation in govt jobs and seats in educational institutions. In Manipur, the quota for ST is 31%, OBCs enjoy a reservation of 17%, and the same is 2% for SCs.

Apart from ST status, Meiteis are also demanding NRC in the state, alleging large-scale illegal immigration in the state, which is being opposed by the tribes.

While the violence was started by the protesting Kukis, in the conflict, severe human and property damage has been inflicted against both communities of the state.

As opposition parties get all set to bring a no-confidence motion against the govt, here is how PM Modi had asked them to do it, back in 2018

Anurag
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As opposition parties get all set to bring a no-confidence motion against the govt, here is how PM Modi had asked them to do it, back in 2018

On 25th January, the opposition alliance ‘I.N.D.I.A’ announced they would move a no-confidence motion against the Modi government in Lok Sabha. As per reports, the decision to submit the notice was taken during a meeting of the opposition parties at the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s office.

Reportedly, after much discussion, the opposition parties have thought this to be the best way to persuade the government to start a discussion on the Manipur issue. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and BRS MP Nama Nageswara Rao moved the motion. Reacting to the development, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “People have confidence in PM Modi and BJP. They brought a No Confidence Motion in the last term as well. People of this country taught them a lesson.”

Amidst the no-confidence motion against the government, PM Modi’s remarks from 2019 started to make rounds on social media, where he urged the opposition parties to work hard so that they could bring a no-confidence motion in 2023.

On 7th February 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. At that time, Lok Sabha elections were just around the corner. While concluding his 1 hour 37 minutes long address, the PM said, “Efforts were made to undermine me during the discussion on No-Confidence Motion in 2018. I put my views before the country and the world in the midst of the slogan shouting for over an hour and a half. I would like to wish you good luck that you get an opportunity to prepare yourself to bring No-Confidence Motion in 2023. These are the sentiments for the service to the nation. They have reduced themselves to 40 from 400 owing to their bloated egos. We have risen from 2 to [our] current position due to service to the nation. And you are living in falsehood.”

A no-confidence motion against the Modi government was moved in July 2018. During the discussion on the no-confidence motion, PM Modi addressed the house for around 1 hour and 30 minutes. During his address, PM Modi targeted Congress for bringing the no-confidence motion. He said that the Congress party was not confident about itself and suffered a lack of confidence. He added that lack of confidence was part of their entire work culture and cultural life. “They do not have confidence in anything,” he said and added the opposition showed a lack of confidence in several projects, including Swacch Bharat and International Yoga Day, apart from the Chief Justice of the country and Reserve Bank of India.

Insinuating what could be the reason for such lack of confidence, he said, “Earlier, a handful of people were enjoying the privilege, they used to consider it their exclusive right. When this privilege started being challenged by people’s mandate, their problems started soaring up. When the tradition of affecting the system was stopped, it was bound to trouble them. When the income from corruption stopped their restlessness increased.”

PM Modi prayed to Bhagwan Shiva and 125 crore people of the country to give power to the opposition to bring a no-confidence motion in 2024. He said, “I also pray to Lord Shiva, and I also pray to 125 crore people of the country that they should give you so much power that in the year 2024 too, you again bring a No-Confidence Motion. I wish them good luck.”

He ended his address by saying, “I once again conclude by inviting these great persons to bring the No-Confidence Motion in 2024, and I also urge the House to defeat this No-Confidence Motion.”

No-confidence motion moved

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and BRS MP Nama Nageswara Rao filed the No Confidence Motion against the Government in Lok Sabha. In a statement, CPI MP Binoy Viswam said, “This No Confidence Motion is a political move with a political purpose – a political move which will bring results…The No Confidence Motion will compel him (Prime Minister) to come to the Parliament. We need a discussion on the issues of the country, especially on Manipur, inside the Parliament. Forget the numbers, they know the numbers, and we know the numbers…”

Congress Whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore called PM Modi arrogant. He said, “INDIA alliance is together, INDIA alliance has proposed this idea, and yesterday it was decided. Today, the Congress party’s leader is moving it. We wanted to break the arrogance of Mr Modi. He is behaving as an arrogant person – not to come to the Parliament and make a statement on Manipur…We feel that it is our duty to use this last weapon.”

Given that the BJP has an overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha, the government is expected to pass the trust vote easily.

5-year-old child made to answer vulgar, explicit questions in Sony TV’s Super Dancer show, NCPCR asks channel to remove content

OpIndia Staff
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5-year-old child made to answer vulgar, explicit questions in Sony TV’s Super Dancer show, NCPCR asks channel to remove content

On 25th July, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) instructed Sony Pictures Networks (Set India) to delete videos from a dance reality show where the judges asked a child participant sexually explicit questions. The video went viral on social media after the popular Twitter handle Gems Of Bollywood shared it and sought action from NCPCR on the makers and channel for promoting such content.

In a letter undersigned by NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, the commission said that the commission came across a video on Twitter from kid’s dance show named Super Dancer Chapter 3 that was aired on Sony Entertainment Television. In the clip, the judges were seen asking the minor child participant vulgar and sexually explicit questions regarding his parents on the stage. The letter was addressed to the Grievance Officer of Sony Pictures Networks, Shaeesta Naqvi.

The following video contains sexually explicit content. Viewers’ discretion is advised.

The commission remarked that all the questions asked to the minor child were inappropriate and disturbing in nature. Taking cognisance under Section 13 (i)(j) of CPCR Act, 2005, the commission said the channel had violated provisions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. The commission also observed that the content presented in the video violated the guidelines laid down by NCPCR under “Guidelines for Child And Adolescent Participation In The Entertainment Industry And Any Commercial Entertainment Activity”.

NCPCR instructed the channel to immediately take down the said episode and explain to the commission why such questions were asked to the minor child participant on a kid’s dance show. The commission also instructed the channel not to stream any such content on the channel in the future. The channel is required to send an Action Taken Report to the Commission within seven days of receipt of the letter.

Details of the content of the video

The video that was shared on Twitter did not have all the problematic content. We also noticed that the video was uploaded on the child artist’s YouTube channel. At the beginning of the video, the child was shown farting on camera and was mocked by the voiceover in the background. When the artist arrived on the stage in a Lungi, one of the judges, Bollywood director Anurag Basu asked him if he was wearing anything under it. The child replied he was wearing underwear, and everyone laughed.

The following video contains inappropriate content involving a child, viewers’ discretion is advised.

While this was problematic enough, the judges did not stop there. The child said the underwear he was wearing was like his father’s. Basu asked if his underwear was better than his father’s. The child replied his underwear was better as his father’s underwear stinks. Then, another judge, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty questioned the artist why he went to smell his father’s underwear. The child replied he did not voluntarily smell but ‘died of the stink’, and the judges laughed again. The parents, especially the father, were visibly embarrassed by the conversation but could not do anything.

The child then said, “My mother spanks my father after pulling down his pants,” a dialogue that could have been avoided from being aired, but the channel went with it in the editing. The third judge, Bollywood choreographer Geeta, encouraged the kid by saying he was cute, while the father started to get visibly depressed by the conversation.

After his performance, the parents were called on the stage. When the child was asked about his age, he said he was five years old and said he loved his parents and often gave them kisses to show his love. Basu asked if his father had kissed his mother. Again, the question could have been avoided. The child said, “No, my father woos my mother on the bed.” His father was embarrassed but could not react. Shilpa mentioned that the judge noticed that the father was uncomfortable, but the trio laughed. The father was then asked for comments, to which he said, “I do not want to say anything. He is only five years old. He will say whatever he sees.” 

The problematic content involving child artists

This is not the first time such content has appeared on television shows and on social media. Gems of Bollywood shared such videos in the past as well. However, the outrage did not stop the makers of ‘reality shows’ involving kids from using vulgar content for promotional purposes.

Talent shows, especially dance shows, have often been accused of displaying children in an inappropriate manner, making them play roles of romantically involved adults sharing physical intimacy in the name of performance and even engaging them in dance moves and expressions totally unsuitable for their age. Sadly, those acts are often applauded and cheered on by judges and audiences alike.

In October 2022, a video featuring child artist and Instagram influencer Riva Arora made headlines as it featured her in a bar with actor Karan Kundrra who is almost triple her age. Kundrra played the role of one of her boyfriends in the video. Following the outrage and a notice from NCPCR, the video was removed, and Riva’s mother issued an apology.

In February 2022, Filmfare promoted a child artist recreating Gangubai Khthiwadi’s look from the film. Notably, Alia Bhatt played the role of a madame who was sexually assaulted by the mafia. Hundreds of videos featuring children recreating the same look led to outrage over social media. Filmfare removed the video after the outrage, but most of the content remains on Instagram.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee announces protest gheraoing homes of BJP leaders on August 5, BJP files complaint

OpIndia Staff
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TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee announces protest gheraoing homes of BJP leaders on August 5, BJP files complaint

On July 21st, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced a protest against Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in West Bengal by ‘gheraoing’ their homes on August 5. The announcement of the said ‘peaceful’ gherao was made by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee against the alleged delay in releasing funds for the state.

Banerjee, speaking at the TMC’s annual Martyrs’Day event in Kolkata on July 21st, urged party workers in Bengal to peacefully gherao the homes of BJP workers on August 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Banerjee further stated that TMC leaders would head to Delhi to stage a large protest against the BJP’s decision to ‘halt’ state funding.

“I announce from here with the permission of our leader, Mamata Banerjee,” he remarked. The way BJP is stopping our funds (to the state) – we will go to Delhi on 2nd October, on the day of Gandhi Jayanti…On 5th August, we will gherao all BJP leaders’ houses peacefully.”

Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the BJP-led Central government has stopped MNERGA funds due to their ‘vendetta politics’. He further announced that a protest will be staged at Delhi’s Krishi Bhavan on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). CM Mamata Banerjee also reiterated her nephew’s announcement.

It is the TMC’s first significant political maneuver against the BJP after it recently joined Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or I.N.D.I.A. to contest against NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024.

BJP hits back

The TMC’s planned protest announcement did not sit well with the BJP, as party leader Suvendu Adhikari filed a complaint at Hare Street police station against CM Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. In his complaint, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari said that TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee hurled threats and incited people to gherao homes of the BJP leaders. He went on to assert that CM Mamata Banerjee illegally validated Abhishek Banerjee’s threats as it would breach security protocol as several BJP leaders, including Adhikari, get security cover from the CRPF/CISF etc.

Moreover, Adhikari expressed his shock over how the TMC leaders delivered their speeches on July 21st, as well as the absolute lack of respect for the leaders of the Opposition party, as demonstrated by Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee. 

“They repeatedly called on their supporters to wrongfully restrain and wrongfully confine BJP leaders, thereby making it abundantly clear that their choice of words was deliberate and well thought out,” Adhikari complained.

While peacefully protesting against political leaders and governments over certain issues is absolutely legal, however, targeting the residences of political leaders where they reside with their families is not lawful. Looking at the track record of violence in West Bengal as recently seen during the panchayat elections, a ‘peaceful’ protest is highly unlikely and would pose a threat to the safety of BJP leaders and their families.

BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari earlier said that TMC’s upcoming gherao protests are endangering fundamental rights. He said that moving in and stepping out of one’s house is a constitutional right and if TMC violates this fundamental right his party will not let the TMC MPs enter the parliament. 

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