On Tuesday, June 20, a former CNN producer John Griffin, of Stamford, Connecticut was sentenced to 19 years in prison. John Griffin was convicted of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. In addition to the 19-years jail term, Griffin has been sentenced to 15 years of supervised release.
In December, John Griffin of Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in federal court to using an interstate commerce facility to entice and coerce a minor into sexual conduct at his Vermont ski residence.
The government dropped two outstanding counts of inducement of a minor against Griffin, as part of the 2022 plea deal. Griffin originally pleaded not guilty in 2021. He has been ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
Furthermore, John Griffin is prohibited from having contact with minors under the age of 18, unless accompanied by an adult who has been permitted by a probation officer. He is also barred from attending places where children congregate, such as playgrounds, schools, and theme parks, unless he first obtains permission from a probation officer.
According to the plea agreement, the ex-CNN producer contacted a woman on a website during the summer of 2020 and convinced her to bring her daughter to his home for sexual activity.
Griffin gave the woman $3,000 to travel from Nevada to Boston, where he met them and drove them to the $1.8 million residence.
According to an unsealed court document, Grffin stated that “wanton whore” is a term that can be applied to “the core of any” female, and that “a woman is a woman regardless of her age,” as articulated in texts taken from the indictment.
Other than this, in 2021, Project Veritas, a US journalism venture published graphic texts and videos in which a CNN producer fantasized about molesting his own fiancee’s daughter. The CNN producer apparently also sought to solicit sexually explicit photographs from his fiancee’s teenage daughter, according to the undercover video and text message.
On June 21, Delhi Police’s Special Cell said they had arrested Mohammed Ayaz, one of the main conspirators of the murder of Head Constable Ratan Lal during the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of 2020. He was arrested from Karnataka on June 17. Ayaz was absconding for over three years. 53-year-old Ayaz is a resident of Chand Bagh in the Karawal Nagar Area. There was a reward of Rs 1 lakh announced by the Delhi Police on information leading to his arrest. He was arrested from a village in the district Chikkaballapur of Karnataka.
Notably, during the February 24, 2020 riots, a Muslim mob killed Ratan Lal while then-Assistant Commissioner of Police Gokulpuri Anuj Kumar and then-Deputy Commission of Police Shahdara Amit Sharma sustained serious injuries.
In a statement, Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said in January 2020, Ayaz and his brother Khalid along with others, initiated protests at Chand Bagh against CAA/NRC in the line of Shaheen Bagh protests. On February 23, a secret meeting was held in Ayaz’s house’s basement. In that meeting, they decided to bring iron rods, bricks and other materials to block the road as then-US President Donald Trump was scheduled to visit Delhi. The aim was to gain international media attention.
CP Dhaliwal said, “Thereafter, as per pre-planned conspiracy, the rioters blocked the road leading to Jafrabad Metro Station and consequently, different groups started rioting in various parts of North-East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi and the same continued till February 26, 2020,, resulting in the death of over 50 people, injury to hundreds of persons and huge loss of government and private properties. Over 750 cases were lodged in different police stations of Shahdara and North-East districts of Delhi in this regard.”
He added, “A huge mob gathered at the Chand Bagh protest site in the morning of February 24, 2020, and attempted to block the main Wazirabad Road. However, when the police team tried to stop them, Ayaz, his brother Khalid and other rioters started pelting stones and attacked the police party causing the death of Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal.”
As Ayaz was absconding, the police were keeping a close watch on the close contacts of Khalid and Ayaz. The technical and manual surveillance revealed they kept changing their hideouts. At one point, they were spotted in Manipur, where efforts were made to arrest them. The Police noted Ayaz’s location in Bengaluru in the first week of June 2023.
CP Dhaliwal said, “It was further revealed that he was in search of a suitable hideout in the rural area of Dibburahalli, around 100 km from Bengaluru. Following the trail, a team located him in the area of Dibburahalli, and he was nabbed on June 17.”
Ratan Lal Murder
A crazed Muslim mob mercilessly lynched Ratan Lal while he was trying to do his duty on the main Wazirabad Road, Chand Bagh. The 42-year-old police officer lived with his family in Amrit Vihar, Burari, Delhi.
Lal belonged to Fathepur Tihwali village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. His wife and three children survive Lal. The Sikar resident had joined the Delhi Police in the constable post in 1998. He married a Jaipur resident in 2004. Ratan Lal was posted at Gokulpuri Police Station. He lived with his family in a house in Delhi’s Burari area.
A mob attacked police officers stationed in Maujpur, Delhi’s North-East area, on February 24, 2020. Ratan Lal died from a bullet wound, according to the autopsy report. A video surfaced in March 2020 where a violent mob of rioters can be seen attacking the Delhi Police officers with stones and sticks.
The Special Investigation Team of Delhi Police had in June 2020 filed a 1,100-page charge sheet in the case of the murder of Ratan Lal and deadly attacks by rioters on IPS Amit Sharma and IPS Anuj Kumar. At least 17 accused had been named in the charge sheet. The police stated that the riots were engineered in Delhi through a conspiracy to malign the country’s image.
A Gujarati couple named Pankaj and his wife Nisha were held captive in Iran after being kidnapped, reportedly from Hyderabad. Within 24 hours of their family sending a WhatsApp message to Minister of State Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghvi, seeking help from the government, the couple was rescued. Now, their heartfelt message to Minister Sanghvi is doing rounds on social media.
In this heartfelt message, the Gujarati couple expressed their gratitude to Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi and all the persons involved in their rescue operation. The couple conveyed their appreciation, saying, “Dear Harshbhai Sahib, we can’t thank you enough. You have come to us as Lord Krishna on the day of Ashadhi Dooj.”
The desire of moving abroad had lured them into the trap of fraud agents. Like in many previous instances, the desire to go to the US at any cost became a nightmare for the young couple.
The Gujarati couple was kidnapped in the garb of taking them to America. But thanks to the prompt action of the MoS Home Harsh Sanghvi and the authorities, the couple was rescued within 24 hours of the family getting in touch with the Minister seeking help to rescue their kin.
The kidnappers sent a torture video, demanding ransom
As per media reports, the Patel couple who are said to be residents of Naroda, Ahmedabad left for America illegally. However, Pankaj Bharatbhai Patel was kidnapped before he and his wife could reach America. Reports claim that he was kept in Hyderabad from 3rd to 11th June and it seems that he was taken to Iran from there.
Later, the kidnappers sent a video to their family demanding ransom in exchange for their freedom. In the said video, the kidnappers made the young man lie face down in the bathroom and then stabbed him numerous times. In the video, Pankaj was seen crying and requesting his brother, “Brother, these people will kill me. Send the money soon.”
In the horrifying video, a kidnapper was also seen constantly cutting his ribs. This video is so terrifying that it is not even possible to publish it.
Soon after receiving the video, Pankaj’s family filed a police complaint. In the police complaint, the victim’s brother stated that Pankaj made a deal with an agent at Gandhinagar Sargasan for Rs 1.15 crores to illegally enter America. The agent told Pankaj, that he would first take the couple to Hyderabad and from there another agent would send them to America via Dubai, Iran route. However, his brother-in-law was kidnapped and kept in Tehran, Iran.
Gujarat Government swiftly retrieves kidnapped Gujarati Couple from Iran after getting a WhatsApp Message
After the unfortunate incident, the victim’s family reached out to the Mos Home Harsh Sanghvi seeking his help to rescue the couple. The family sent a WhatsApp message to Sanghvi around 9 PM on Sunday night, the 18th of June.
Within 24 hours, Pankaj and Nisha Patel were freed from the clutches of the kidnappers.
It is important to note that at this time Minister Sanghvi was busy in overseeing the preparations for Yoga Day in Surat and Ratha Yatra in Ahmedabad.
Despite that, the Home Minister dedicated two nights, Sunday and Monday, to get the case investigated by a high-level team of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. Additionally, he personally reached out to various agencies including the Ministry of External Affairs, GOI, Central IB, RA&W, and INTERPOL.
The Minister also contacted John Mai, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Iran, in order to trace Pankaj and Nisha. Resultantly, the couple’s location was eventually discovered, and with the assistance of the police, both of them were successfully rescued. After the rescue operations, the couple received necessary medical attention before arranging their safe return to India.
Dear Harshbhai Sanghvi, You have come to us as Lord Krishna on the day of Ashadhi Dooj – Pankaj and Nisha
Through the family, Pankaj and his wife Nisha sent a thank you message to Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi which has gone viral on social media. In this message, the Gujarati couple has written, “Dear Harshbhai Sahib, we can’t thank you enough. You have come to us as Lord Krishna on the day of Ashadhi Dooj.”
Thanking the Home Minister, the family wrote, “Our son Pankaj and daughter-in-law Nisha were held in Iran and held for ransom. We reported this to Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi through a WhatsApp message around 9 pm on Sunday night. Despite the fact that he was preparing for Surat’s Yoga Day program and Rath Yatra programs, he got the case continuously investigated by the high-level dedicated team of Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Ministry of External Affairs; Contacted GOI, Central IB, RA&W, INTERPOL, and sought help by contacting John Mai, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy in Iran, Tehran.”
The family further noted that the couple has left for their homeland due to the efforts of Home Minister Sanghvi Sahib.
They also rang the bells of caution for others and stated let nothing happen to anyone like what happened with us, let no one go abroad under the tutelage of agents illegally, this is the wrong way.
Reportedly, the agent who took money by luring Pankaj Patel to America is currently absconding. The Ahmedabad Police has launched a search operation to apprehend him.
Earlier, a youth from Talala was rescued from Myanmar
This is not the first time that the Gujarat government has come to the aid of Gujaratis stranded abroad. Earlier, a youth from Talala, Gujarat was illegally detained in a room in Myanmar. He was lured abroad on the false pretext of a job. Later, on the instructions of the Minister of State for Home Affairs Harsh Sanghvi, the Gir-Somnath police safely brought back the youth to India.
His father had filed a complaint at the Talala Police Station. Even back then Mos Home Harsh Sanghvi instructed the police to take this incident seriously and bring this young man back to Gujarat at any cost.
Minister maintained constant contact with the Immigration Department of the Government of India and the Immigration Department of Myanmar.
Afterward, Nirav’s bio-data, along with comprehensive details about his visa, passport, and his specific location in Yangon City, Myanmar, was provided to the Immigration Department of the Government of India. Working in collaboration with the Myanmar Immigration Department, the agencies successfully secured the release of Nirav, who had been detained in Yangon City, Myanmar, alongside other individuals trapped in similar circumstances. Finally, on February 19, Nirav Bamrotiya was safely repatriated to his hometown from Yangon City, Myanmar.
In this case, you can read a special interview with the victim Nirav and his father by OpIndia by clicking on this link.
Days after the Muslim community in India strongly objected to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as impractical and wrong, it has moved to issue a helpline number for Muslims amid the ongoing debate. The helpline number has been issued by Darul Uloom Farangi Mahal, Uttar Pradesh who stated that all the answers related to Qurbani, Haj, Umrah and more would be provided to the community through the helpline numbers.
According to the Zee News report, Darul Uloom Farangi Mahal has said that all queries of the Muslim community will be answered via the helpline numbers (9335929670, 7007705774). The queries raised on the helpline numbers which are to be active from June 20 to July 2 will be answered by Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali from 2 pm to 4 pm daily.
This is believed to be part of a novel campaign that has been launched by the community in Uttarakhand amidst the debate on the Uniform Civil Code and Love Jihad. However, it is not clear whether the helpline would answer only religious issues or other queries will also be answered by the Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali who is the chairman of the Islamic Centre of India and also a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
Earlier, several Muslim clerics and leaders of various Islamic organizations have said that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is impractical in a country like India which has a number of religious minorities, each with its own way of life.
“For the past many years, the issue of the Uniform Civil Code is being raised by politicians just before the elections. This time again, the issue has come up before elections. I have always stated that the UCC is not only going to affect Muslims but also Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Jews, Parsis, and other minuscule minorities living in the country. Every community has a different way of praying, performing rituals and ceremonies like marriage. So, to some extent, personal life is different. The freedom to practice one’s own faith and way of life is granted by the Constitution,” Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali had said.
Also on June 17, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) raised serious objections to the idea of implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. The Law Commission has recently invited suggestions from the public regarding the long-promised law. However, according to AIMPLB, this is a waste of resources.
VIDEO | "The BJP wants to use Uniform Civil Code as an issue in the upcoming (Lok Sabha) elections. As far as UCC is concerned, neither it is required nor it is useful for the country," says AIMPLB spokesperson SQR Ilyas. pic.twitter.com/Z7EPANewfi
Notably, the UCC calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. It has been an essential part of the election manifesto of the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party government over the past many years.
The AIMPLB organization termed the UCC unnecessary and described it as impractical and dangerous. Its spokesperson Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas stated that the country’s diversity is its identity and it should not be tampered with
The president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, also voiced his discontent against the idea of UCC and the destruction of unauthorized or illegal Mazars (Islamic shrines). He declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party should first destroy temples before discussing Muslim shrines.
He added that the government shouldn’t put their patience to the test and threatened reaction against the action. He alleged that a plot is underway to repeat the demolition drive presently underway in Uttarakhand, across the whole country. He announced that if the bulldozers continue to destroy illegal shrines, Muslims will reach the state to demonstrate against the government.
Also, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Shafiqur Rahman Barq, opposed the move of the Law Commission seeking fresh public opinion on UCC and said that it would only spread hatred in the country.
On June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his five-day visit to the United States and Egypt. The US visit is PM Modi’s first state visit to the US on an invitation by President Joe Biden. A state dinner is scheduled for India’s PM on June 22 at the White House, where President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will be the hosts. In an official statement, Prime Minister Modi said that this special invitation is a “reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between our democracies.” As expected, 17 organisations and 75 Senators and Members of Congress have written to President Biden asking him either not to host the State Dinner or to raise some specific issues.
On June 7 (local time), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), which has links to Islamic terrorist organisations, announced to have written a letter to the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, to rescind the invitation of State Dinner extended to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Seventeen organisations, including IAMC, signed the letter.
The organisations claimed that India is facing sharp democratic backsliding. The claim was based on April 20, 2023, Financial Times report titled ‘India’s Democratic Backsliding’. In the report, FT claimed the democratic values of India were on backtrack because a Gujarat court denied disqualified Congress MP Rahul Gandhi‘s plea against a 2-year sentence in a defamation case. FT called it bad news not only for India but for the whole world. In the letter, they cited four reports linked to CAA and NRC. They included a fact sheet by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom from February 2020. However, the report clearly mentioned that CAA was only meant for minorities in neighbouring Islamic countries. The report does point out Assam NRC controversies, but assuming NRC, whenever it comes, will have the same regulations and guidelines is far-fetched. OpIndia did a detailed analysis of the baseless claims made by IAMC and other organisations in the letter sent to President Biden that can be checked here.
Each organisation listed in the signatories has a history of anti-India and anti-Hindu activities. We explored the details of these organisations to understand what India is standing against on the international platform. In this article, we have delved into the antecedents of 16 organisations and 24 lawmakers who have undersigned the two letters and the findings are shocking – the organisations and lawmakers have links with Islamic terror organisations, Khalistanis, anti-India and anti-Hindu elements.
Indian American Muslim Council
For the uninitiated, Rasheed Ahmed is the executive director of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), a radical Islamist group that has alleged links with banned terror organisations such as the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and has a long history of lobbying against India.
The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). A detailed report by Disinfo Lab has exposed its links with the terror outfit Jamat-e-Islami.
IAMC founder Shaik Ubaid and member Abdul Malik Mujahid have headed the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan. According to DisInfo Lab, ICNA has established links with Pakistan-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rasheed Ahmed, who heads the IAMC currently, was the former executive director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). IMANA’s Director of Operations is Zahid Mahmood, an ex-Pak Navy official.
Similar reports covered by OpIndia on HfHR and Hamas-linked Islamist group CAIR can be read here and here.
Hindus for Human Rights
Rahul Gandhi is on a 10-day USA tour, where he spoke at the National Press Club, Stanford University and also, to ‘think tanks’, allegedly discussing relations between India and USA. The Hudson Institute tweeted images of Rahul Gandhi in deep conversation with these “think tanks”. Sunita Vishwanath was seated alongside Rahul Gandhi at this event at Hudson Institute. Sunita Vishwanath is the co-founder of HrHR, which has also signed this letter against Narendra Modi alongside IAMC. In a June 5 tweet, they said, “Extremely disappointed to see Sen Schumer Speaker McCarthy invite Modi to a Joint Meeting of Congress. The friendship between the US and India has long been bound by shared values of secular democracy and freedom. In India, those values are dissolving before our very eyes.”
Extremely disappointed to see @SenSchumer@SpeakerMcCarthy invite Modi to a Joint Meeting of Congress. The friendship between the US and India has long been bound by shared values of secular democracy and freedom. In India, those values are dissolving before our very eyes. pic.twitter.com/9fIWYsEqDf
— Hindus for Human Rights (@Hindus4HR) June 5, 2023
Investigating Info-warfare and Psy-war OSINT Disinfo Lab had conducted an investigation revealing that the ‘Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR)’ had been promoting the misleading narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’. The same organisation was also seen endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ event.
As per Disinfo Lab, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by two Islamist advocacy groups named Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI). Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA).
As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019.
“The AJA comprises of Hindu, Muslim, Dalit, Sikh and Christian groups, among others. They include the Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), a progressive Hindu group that opposes Hindutva; the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC); and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI),” the article read.
According to Disinfo Lab, the co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights, Sunita Vishwanath, also runs an organisation named ‘Women for Afghan Women’, which is funded by the Soros Open Society Foundation. Earlier, OpIndia reported in detail how George Soros had been fuelling a dangerous anti-India narrative through media and ‘civil society.’
Interestingly, Sunita Vishwanath, who was pictured alongside Rahul Gandhi, had tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC). “We are especially appalled by the most recent nightmare of the Kashmiri people, and the situation of 1.9 million people in India who are rendered stateless due to the imposition of the travesty called the National Register of Citizens”, she had said. It is pertinent to note that even during this USA trip, Rahul Gandhi endorsed dangerous lies and propaganda against CAA and NRC, which led to anti-Hindu riots in 2020 in India.
HfHR’s founding member Raju also heads EKTA. It is an associate organization of IAMC. The sole purpose was to have Hindus on the panel to project that the Hindus, in general, were against Hindutva. Interestingly, HfHR ran Facebook ads to promote previous USCIRF reports.
Interestingly, Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of HfHR, is also closely connected to George Soros and Islamist-linked IAMC. The in-depth analysis of the web can be read here.
Recently, HfHR released a toolkit against PM Modi’s US visit. OpIndia’s detailed report on it can be seen here.
Dalit Solidarity Forum
It is one of the organisations that claim to be working against caste discrimination in the USA. Dalit Solidarity Forum representatives were present at Gandhi’s event in the US on June 3 (local time). HfHR had shared a tweet about it.
— Hindus for Human Rights (@Hindus4HR) June 3, 2023
They were one of the supporters of filmmaker Leena Manimekalai who was criticised for derogatory scenes on Maa Kaali in her film “Kaali”. The forum organised paid screening of the film in the US in November 2022. The forum repeatedly said in tweets that they did not find any “issue” if the “actor dressed as Maa Kaali” smokes on camera.
Dalit Solidarity Forum Fund Raiser talent show*
5.30 pm, Sunday December 4th. Eastern Time (US and Canada)
They extensively supported the anti-Hindu bill SB 403 on so-called caste discrimination in the US that will put the Hindus in hiring positions under unrealistic scrutiny. Notably, the case which was the base of the bill fell flat in the US court but the propagandists continued to claim that there was caste discrimination in US companies.
Genocide Watch
Genocide Watch is a propaganda organisation that targets India and Hindus claiming minorities fear genocide in the country. In its April 2023 report, the organisation propagated the same old “CAA and NRC are against Muslims in India” story. While mentioning some particular cases, they claimed in July 2022, a Dalit boy was beaten to death for drinking water from a pot meant for the upper caste. Genocide Watch debunked the reports and decided to use it anyway. They also claimed by disqualifying Rahul Gandhi, the Modi government is turning India into an “electoral autocracy”. They further claimed India is on Stage 8 of committing genocide.
In January 2022, the organisation dubiously issued a “genocide warning” for India. In its report, the organisation claimed that there was the possibility of “genocide of Muslims” in India. In the report, Gregory Stanton, the founder and director of Genocide Watch claimed that there were early “signs and processes” of genocide in the Indian state of Assam and Kashmir. Notably, they mentioned it as “India Administered Kashmir”, declaring Kashmir to be a “disputed region”. He claimed to have noticed a similar scenario in Myanmar where Rohingyas were declared non-citizens and then expelled through violence and genocide. The report, which was published in Al Jazeera, quoted Amnesty India’s former chief Aakar Patel who warned to take the “threat of genocide” seriously. Amnesty India, the Indian chapter of Amnesty International shut its shop in India after it came under the radar for FCRA violations.
Interestingly, there was no mention of Hindus being killed by Muslims and other communities. They did not speak about Kanhaiya Lal, Umesh Kohle and several RSS/BJP activists who were brutally murdered by the Islamists. Why would they? It did not suit their agenda anyway.
Jubilee Campaign
Jubilee Campaign is another US-based organisation that frequently campaigns against India, claiming Christians and other minorities are being persecuted. In the past, they have invited members of IAMC for discussion on so-called minority persecution. In several tweets like here and here, they claimed India was using anti-conversion laws to target Christianity. Anti-conversion laws are meant to stop forced religious conversions. If Christians do not indulge in such activities, they won’t be breaking the law and get booked under the relevant acts.
Ajit Sahi with @IAMCouncil called on states to not be quiet on #India's #FoRB violations. He particularly raised concern of the #RSS – Hindutva organisation that wants to eradicate religious minorities from the country. pic.twitter.com/nT3BWzwsV2
Asian Children’s Education Fellowship is a US-based missionary organisation that works extensively in Nepal. The Hindu-dominating country is facing a serious threat of rampant conversions and missionaries play a vital role in it. Its founder Bryan Nerran was arrested and detained in India for seven months. He was booked under Foreign Exchange Management Act for travelling with USD 40,000 of undeclared cash. After then-President Donald Trump’s intervention, Nerran was released. Now, his organisation is one of the signatories urging President Biden to not host PM Modi for a State Dinner. Here is an old video of Nerren seeking donations for running conversion rackets in Nepal. In the video, he claimed to have converted 12,000 people in Nepal. “The Nepal Christian Children’s Education fellowship was able to pray for and to help in the conversion process of bringing 12000 Hindu-Buddhist children into the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
Speaking about the State Dinner invite, Narren called PM Modi a “genocidal warlord’. He wrote, “And here we are embracing a genocidal warlord again. We always pick the wrong leaders and make them super successful so they can kill their own people for the love of money.”
And here we are embracing a genocidal warlord again. We always pick the wrong leaders and make them super successful so they can kill their own people for the love of money. pic.twitter.com/2Cy8x0SKqs
CAIR is a US-based Islamist organisation with ties to the Islamic terrorist organisation Hamas. It identifies itself as a Muslim civil rights organisation in the United States that claims to protect ‘civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims’, The fact, however, is that CAIR is an Islamist group that has spoken against India and Hindus on several occasions. The organization has been vehemently pushing Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu propaganda in India.
In a tweet on June 19, CAIR called PM Modi “one of the most dangerous and extreme anti-Muslim bigots in the world” and urged its followers to write to the elected representatives in the US Congress to boycott him. They also released a form for sending letters to the Congress members that read, “The evidence of Modi’s expanding effort to place a boot firmly on the collective heads of India’s religious minorities is extensive. CAIR has already noted that under Modi his political allies have banned young Muslim women from wearing hijabs at school, ignored widespread lynchings of Muslims, and censored a BBC documentary about Modi’s role in an anti-Muslim pogrom.” All the things mentioned here have been debunked numerous times. So much so, the BBC documentary that has been banned in India claims PM Modi had a role in the Gujarat Riots of 2002 ignoring the fact that the Supreme Court of India has given a clean chit to him.
#India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of the most dangerous and extreme anti-Muslim bigots in the world, has been invited to speak to Congress on June 22. This is unacceptable Click below to urge your elected representatives to boycott Modi.https://t.co/0sJb0Nqt21pic.twitter.com/QhItxUAoK1
In 2022, CAIR released a report titled “Still Suspect: The Impact of Structural Islamophobia”, in which it said that there has been a rise in discrimination against Muslims living in the United States.
The CAIR, in its report, claimed that it had received 6,720 complaints nationwide last year involving a range of issues, including immigration, travel discrimination, law enforcement, government overreach, hate and bias incidents, custody rights, school incidents, and free speech incidents.
The CAIR claimed that government discrimination and bias continue to have a disproportionate effect on American Muslims and further demonstrate that our communities continue to be viewed with suspicion. The report also listed the impacts of severe structural and interpersonal Islamophobia in the United States.
Ironically, CAIR, which always complains about alleged Islamophobia in the United States, has been aggressively promoting Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu propaganda in India. We are aware of how CAIR had extended support for the extremely Hinduphobic ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva‘ conference.
It is noteworthy that CAIR has links with the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist terror organisation Hamas. Hamas has a long history of violating human rights. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by several countries including The European Union, the United States, Canada, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom etc.
Misión Vida para las Naciones, Church in the Republic of Uruguay
This is a Uruguay-based Christian missionary organisation. We could not establish a reason why this organisation became undersigned in the letter to Biden. OpIndia is looking for more information on its links to evangelists operating in India. We will update this report accordingly.
Global Christian Relief
Global Christian Relief is a missionary organisation that collects funds claiming Christians are being persecuted across the globe. It has targeted India on several occasions to collect money. For example, they have used the recent Manipur violence to collect funds claiming “Hindu mobs descended upon the state of Manipur, unleashing a torrent of death and destruction on the local Christian community.”
On its page on Christian Persecution, the organisation wrote, “In India, Hindu nationalists claim that to be Indian is to be Hindu, so non-Hindus—religious minorities like Christians and Muslims—are targeted for abuse. In these places, to be a Christian is to claim an identity other than the one claimed by the dominant culture, and that is often powerfully opposed.”
In reality, Christian missionaries are running rampant conversion rackets across India. In states like Punjab, hundreds of Churches have mushroomed. Several northeast Indian states now have a Christian-dominating population.
As per the website, Tim Kachuriak is the India Chair for relief. Still, we could not find any information on this person on their website, social media platforms or even in a Google search. Till the report was published, Tim remained a mystery who handles “relief” work in India.
Furthermore, there was no information on how they send money to India. There was no info in their 2021 annual report if they had sent any money to India. While asking for money for Christians in Manipur, there was no info on which organisation was helping them in India. Upon little research, we found that the group was linked to the “Global Ministry of Open Doors” earlier but now has separated ways. The group has been targeting India on social media since 2008.
American Sikh Council
American Sikh Council is a pro-Khalistan organisation that regularly spews venom against India. Recently, the organisation supported pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh and his followers. In an article published on March 31, ASC claimed India wants to portray Sikhs as terrorists. Interestingly, a large cache of weapons was recovered from the Amritpal-linked de-addiction centre. Furthermore, he was raising a private militia and giving weapon training to its members. The organisation urged USCRIF, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others to take action against India as “similar situations have led to genocide”.
The organisation also denounced a research paper titled ‘Khalistan – A project of Pakistan’ released in 2020 by MacDonald Laurier Institute (MLI) from Toronto, Canada. Calling it disgraceful, they claimed its author Terry Milewksi behaved like a “mouthpiece of the Indian regime”.
Then-ASC President Dr Gurdas Singh said, “This report is despicable and uncharacteristic of the MacDonald Laurier Institute unless the Indian powerbrokers have influenced them. In that case, it is a sad day for the great values that all Canadians hold dear to their heart. Canadians do not need a lesson on the patriotism of the Sikh Canadians, as they know better!”
They also demanded the release of Sikh prisoners, often called Bandi Sikhs, including those arrested on terrorism charges.
Human Rights and Grassroots Development Society
Only one organisation found with an internet footprint is from Nigeria. There is no information available if they are the ones who signed the letter or if this is some off-the-grid organisation based in the United States. OpIndia is seeking information on the organisation and will update this report accordingly.
International Commission for Dalit Right
International Commission for Dalit Right is a US-based organisation that claims to work for the rights of the marginalised. Its founder President DB Sagar was one of the attendees of the event organised by the Indian Overseas Congress to host disqualified Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Indian Opposition Leader @RahulGandhi recognizes the discrimination against Dalits, Adivasis, ethnic & religious minorities in #India; however, he didn’t talk much about his party, Indian National Congress’s strategic roadmap to deal these challenges. pic.twitter.com/ibqIPBnnkU
ICDR extended its support for the dubious and discriminatory SB403 bill that was passed in California, claiming there was caste discrimination in the US. Notably, the leading case on which the whole campaign to table the bill fell apart a few weeks before it was passed, but CA Senator Aishabb Wahab tabled the bill.
American Muslim Institution, or AMI, is a Washington-based Muslim group led by Ambassador Islam A Siddiqui. India-born Siqqiqui has served under several US Presidents, including Obama, Clinton, and others. In 1982, he founded the United Muslims of America or UMA. Though AMI is a signatory in the list of organisations, strangely, it has had zero activities on social media for over a year. Their last post on Twitter was on March 1, 2022, and on Facebook, the last time they posted something was August 9, 2022. Their website has details of old events, and one of the events that were scheduled for June 6, 2021, has been listed as an “upcoming event”. It is unclear if the organisation is still active.
Regarding its anti-India activities, AMI was one of the 30 signatories that wrote to President Biden to impose sanctions on India over one year after the Citizenship Amendment (Act) came to force in July 2021. The Quint covered it, and the image they used as a feature had a half-visible banner with IAMC’s logo.
Islam A Siddiqui has been quoted by IAMC multiple times in statements against India over the years. In July 2022, IAMC mentioned Siddiqui urging Secretary Bliken to “stop talking about India as a] secular democracy” as he claimed it was in the past.
“The Modi government’s actions indicate that they do not uphold those values,” he had said. He also urged the US to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern.
World Without Genocide
World Without Genocide is a US-based organisation that has openly published anti-India reports based on fake or misleading reports. In January 2023, it cited the dubious Reporters Without Borders report that ranked India at 150 out of 180 countries in terms of Press Freedom. The ranking was based on misinformation, misleading reports and fake reports. OpIndia has a detailed report on the ranking that can be read here.
In November 2022, the organisation called PM Modi “a dangerous man”. They claimed that the Indian government under PM Modi dismantled and subverted all major democratic institutions including the press and judiciary. “His ruling BJP party has taken away civil and human rights from hundreds of thousands of Muslims and other non-Hindus in India,” the organisation wrote which is completely false. On several occasions, they cited Genocide Watch’s warning against India.
On July 28, 2022, the organisation claimed since PM Modi came to power, BJP has targeted Muslims with discrimination and violence. “Mosques and #Muslims’ homes have been burned, people have been injured and murdered, and online incitement is widespread. The government does nothing to prevent harm,” it said. However, the notion is fake and misleading. The disinformation being spread by the organisation is appealing as it did not add a single source of the claims. Furthermore, the data available in the public domain makes it clear that India has a lot of government schemes specifically for Muslims and they are a large part of schemes like Awas Yojna, Ujjwala Yojna and more.
International Defenders Council
International Defenders Council is a US-based organisation that was registered in February 2023. Their website shows a “403 – Forbidden” error. The organisation is one of the signatories of Stand With Kashmir’s Boycott G20 In Kashmir campaign along with other anti-India organisations. There is not much information available about the organisation or its founders.
International Society for Peace and Justice
The International Society of Peace and Justice ISPJ is a US-based organisation that specifically targets India and the BJP-ruled Indian government. It is a close associate of organisations like CAIR, HfHR and IAMC. Its current president is one Rehan Khan who actively speaks against India. In February this year, he called on the USCIRF and the US Government to declare Gujarat 2002 as genocide.
We call on the @USCIRF and the US government to declare Gujarat 2002 as genocide: Dr. Rehan Khan, President, International Society for Peace and Justice
The organisation’s website actively talks about CAA/NRC and claims “Minorities in India do not have adequate legal help”. The website lacks information about the organisation and its founders which raises a lot of suspicion on the agenda of the organisation. The social media accounts of the website are also either non-functional or lack updates.
In May 2022, they organised a signature campaign against so-called religious freedom injustices in India. In a statement, Rehan Khan claimed, “We are trying to preempt and prevent the genocide in India”. Notably, the organisations like Genocide Watch and ISPJ have been making baseless claims of genocide in India that literally has no evidence. In fact, these organisations play ostrich when Hindus like Kanhaiya Lal, Umesh Kohle and many others got killed in the hands of Islamists.
Senators & Members of Congress who wrote to President Biden
On June 20, 75 US Senators and Members of Congress wrote a letter to President Biden to take up issues including “shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, and more.
In the letter, the lawmakers asked Biden to raise “areas of concern” directly with PM Modi in addition to the many areas of shared interests between India and the US. They reminded President Biden of his statement where he said that America Must lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.”
Apart from a State Department report, they cited unnamed reports claiming to be “independent, credible reports” that reflect “troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access.”
They claimed that religious freedom in India is showing worrisome signs as there has been an “increase of religious intolerance toward minorities and religiously motived violence by both private and state actors.” They also cited the dubious Reporters Without Borders ranking on Press Freedom that OpIndia has categorically debunked.
The letter was used by opposition leaders like Congress leader Supriya Shrinate.
Excerpts from a letter addressed to President Biden by 75 US Senators & Members of Congress urging him to take up these issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian media will not show you this. But read the content to know why we as Indians should be worried.… pic.twitter.com/ES4k5vtD8n
Twitter user Know The Nation wrote an extensive thread exploring the leaders who signed the letter.
Chris Van Hollen
The first name on the letter is Chris Van Hollen, and the next name on the list was born in Pakistan. He tried to visit Kashmir but permission was denied by the Indian government.
In February 2020, he and three other lawmakers wrote to the US Secretary of State requesting an assessment of human rights situation in Kashmir and the rights of religious minorities in India. They wrote, “We write as longtime friends of India regarding some of the troubling actions taken by the current government. More than six months after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government unilaterally revoked the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, the government continues to block most internet in the region. India has now imposed the longest-ever internet shut down by a democracy, disrupting access to medical care, business, and education for seven million people. Hundreds of Kashmiris remain in ‘preventive detention,’ including key political figures.”
They also targeted India for CAA and said, “In addition, the Indian government has taken other troubling steps that threaten the rights of certain religious minorities and the secular character of the state. This includes the passage of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, which is being challenged in India’s Supreme Court.”
Pramila Jayapal
The next name in the list was Pramila Jayapal who is known for her anti-India and anti-Hindu bias. In December 2019, she brought a Congressional resolution urging India to end restrictions on communications in Jammu and Kashmir. Her stand against Indian Government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in the state made the Indian-American community feel betrayed, cheated and saddened. Following her resolution, MEA Jaishankar cancelled his meeting with a group of United States lawmakers following their refusal to exclude anti-India Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from the delegation that was scheduled to meet him. “Don’t think her report has a fair understanding of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir or fair characterisation of what the Government of India is doing. I have no interest in meeting her,” External Affairs Minister revealed after speculations of cancellation of the meeting came forth.
Oh, the legendary Pramila Jayapal, renowned for her exquisite anti-India and anti-Hindu bias. Truly a shining example of fair and unbiased representation. We can all aspire to be as open-minded and inclusive as her.https://t.co/a78Vl6WjeH
Another name was Senator Richard Durbin who has mocked Indians for their Green Cards. In September 2019, he mocked and made a joke at a town hall when a man opposing his block on the S386 bill “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act” gave him a green card index. He joked that if Indians wanted green cards, they should settle for that while others laughed profusely and held up fake green cards.
Clearly, empathy and understanding are overrated qualities in a leader, as evidenced by Senator Richard Durbin's stellar performance mocking Indians waiting for their Green Cards.https://t.co/ilxKlyrJ2H
The next signatory on the list James P. McGovern was one of the 14 lawmakers who wrote to PM Modi in September 2019 to restore communications in Kashmir.
Barbara Lee
The next name on the list was Barbara Lee who is a self-styled Modi-hater. She had written a letter against PM Modi’s arrival in the US nine years after next a resolution to deny him a visa.
Breaking News: Barbara Lee, a self-styled 'Modi Hater' writes a letter against PM Narendra Modi's arrival in the US 9 years after sponsoring a resolution to deny him a visa!
Tammy Duckworth may have earned herself a shiny medal from the 'Indian American Muslim Council' for supporting a ban on Modi, but her anti-Modi tirade did not garner her any votes..https://t.co/NhdsBA1L2s
The next name on the list was Jamie Raskin who failed to report massive stock holding and payout for his wife. In January 2022, he claimed that India continued to struggle for human rights, especially under PM Modi which “affects not just India’s Muslim, Christian, and Sikh minorities, but also Hindus who dissent against the Hindu supremacist movement.” The statement was given at an event hosted by Amnesty International USA, Genocide Watch, IAMC and other organisations.
Oh, Jamie Raskin, you're a letterectual too! It is truly inspiring to see him navigate the treacherous waters of conflict-of-interest so effortlessly. Political integrity and transparency at its best.https://t.co/FG6BQuFATv
The next name in the list that caught the eyes was Bernie Sanders who claimed there was a “human rights crisis unfolding” after the abrogation of Article 370 and called it “unacceptable”. Notably, India had categorically denied any third-party mediation on Kashmir as it is an internal issue.
Juan Vargas
The next name on the list is Juan Vargas who tabled a resolution against India and demanded an independent investigation into the death of pro-Naxal Stan Swamy. “I am appalled by the abuse Father Stan faced while in custody. No one who fights for human rights should face such violence and neglect,” said Vargas.
Benjamin L. Cardin
Just days before PM Modi’s visit to the US, Ben Cardin raised concerns over so-called religious intolerance in India. “There are extra-judicial killings in India, there are religious tolerance issues here, women are particularly vulnerable here…these are national challenges. India must do better. It is particularly troublesome on human trafficking here,” said Cartin, another signatory on the list.
Judy Chu
Another signatory of the letter Judy Chu had urged India to restore mobile communication in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 along with the likes of Ilhan Omar.
As the world's largest Democracy, I urge India to demonstrate its leadership and lift restrictions on communications and provide the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir with the same rights as other citizens of India. 2/2
The next name on the list Sherrod Brown had expressed concerns over so-called human rights violations in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. He said, “I am deeply concerned about reported human rights violations in Kashmir and am worried by the Indian government’s heavy-handed tactics and its implications for other disputed territory in the region. Working toward collective peace and stability, is paramount to ending the current situation in Kashmir, while respecting the rights of religious and ethnic minorities who live there.”
In the past, Sherrod Brown wrote a letter to PM Modi, full of concern and raised the issue of human rights violations in Kashmir. It's heartwarming to witness his dedication in addressing global issues, one selective letter at a time.… pic.twitter.com/qZ53DKWXQ2
Bravo to Betty McCollum for her valiant crusade to single-handedly reduce India's religious freedom rating! Let's give her credit for undermining India's reputation based on personal biases and agendas.https://t.co/dPKuxLq2p1
Oh, Bonnie Watson Coleman, the world's leading epidemiologist, without a doubt! Her groundbreaking research on India being the 'epicenter' of the COVID pandemic is truly mind-blowing. Move over, WHO, we have a new expert in town!https://t.co/5G19Y1TcKY
The next name on the list is Suzanne Bonamici who had tried to meddle with India’s internal affairs after Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir.
She wrote, “Several Kashmiri-American constituents I represent were in Kashmir when the human rights crisis began to unfold in early August. I am deeply concerned by their first-hand accounts of this situation. With communications cut off, they cannot reach their families.”
Several Kashmiri-American constituents I represent were in Kashmir when the human rights crisis began to unfold in early August. I am deeply concerned by their first-hand accounts of this situation. With communications cut off, they cannot reach their families.
The next name in the list is Mark Pocan. In 2020, when PM Modi met then-President Trump, he quoted a Washington Post opinion piece written by none other than Rana Ayyub and questioned Trump for not mentioning “the unspeakable Islamophobic violence happening in India under Modi’s watch.”
As @realDonaldTrump pals along with @narendramodi, he makes no mention of the unspeakable Islamophobic violence happening in India under Modi's watch.
Perhaps, it's because they're allies in their anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Mary Gay Scanlon was one of the seven US lawmakers who had expressed concerns over farmer protests along with Pramila Jayapal. In a sharp reaction, India called their concern “ill-informed” and “unwarranted”.
Mike Levin
Levin was one of the 14 signatories who had written to PM Modi to restore communication in Kashmir along with Pramila Jayapal.
André Carson
The next signatory on the list Andre Carson had tried to meddle with India’s internal affairs claiming CAA was an attempt to make Muslims second-class citizens in India. Without understand the law and its importance, he said, “today, we witness yet another potentially devastating move by the Prime Minister, as lawmakers enacted his draconian Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. However, this action is not unexpected, considering the history of Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its connections to strident communalism. This is yet another attempt to effectively reduce Muslims in India to second-class citizens.”
He added, “In other cases, Modi has targeted India’s minority Muslim community, which identifies as uniquely Indian, with citizenship tests in a blatant attempt to deny that community’s constitutional rights and liberty…, as well as its sense of place. These citizenship “exercises” and new laws strike at the heart of India’s founding tradition as a multicultural society.”
He also made a bizarre claim targeting India that the government was making it difficult for the people of Kashmir to fight Covid.
My heart remains with the people of #Kashmir during this challenging time. The draconian restrictions placed upon them by PM Modi are not only taking away their basic human rights, but also making it more difficult to protect against #COVID19. These unjust restrictions must end!
Another prominent name on the list was Jake Auchincloss who recently expressed his “disappointment” as India continued to buy Russian oil. Lawmakers like him in the US and other Western countries have tried to pressure India to abandon Indian citizens’ interests and join them in the crusade against Russia.
Tony Cárdenas
Tony Cardenas, another signatory in the list also spoke against the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir. He called the situation in the valley “concerning”.
It is important that we understand the severity of the situation. The people of Kashmir need access to clean water, food, and access to information and school.
The dispute over Kashmir will only be solved when India, Pakistan, and the leadership of Kashmir come to the table.
Another signatory Susan Wild also issued a statement on Kashmir in 2019 and said, “I am deeply alarmed by the situation in Kashmir. The Indian government’s unilateral revocation of the territory’s special status early last month has endangered the region and led to mass detentions; a ban on virtually all channels of communication; and reported shortages of food, medical supplies, and other necessities across Kashmir.” For some reason, western leaders have a history and unrealistic itch to meddle with India’s affairs every now and then.
The next name in the list was Yvette Clarke who was accused of corruption while holding the office in 2019. After the Abrogation of Article 370, she expressed “deep concerns” and said, “Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has no right to do what he is doing to the people of Kashmir. And it is up to us to raise our voices for justice, to raise our voices for self-governance and for no discrimination based on religion. Prime Minister Modi should know better. We all must raise our voices.” She was quoted by the Pakistani media house Dawn.
The epitome of integrity and purity, Yvette Clarke set the bar high for public service with her impressive track record of corruption. She is a true inspiration to aspiring politicians.https://t.co/CtSEhwI83c
Pakistan, the self-declared ‘Riyasat-e-Medina’ has a history of crushing its religious minorities, particularly the Hindus. On June 12, several Pakistani Hindu students celebrated Holi on the Quad-i-Azam University campus in Islamabad. However, not a single moment of joy for the Hindus is tolerable to the Islamist Pakistani majority as many were outraged over the viral videos of the celebration of a Hindu festival with such fervour. Consequently, on Tuesday, June 20, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan issued a notice banning the celebration of Holi in the universities there.
Pakistan's Higher Education Commission bans Holi celebrations across all educational institutes saying that such activities portray a complete disconnect from the country’s sociocultural values and are an erosion of the country’s Islamic identity, reports Aaj News.
In a notice issued by the HEC Executive Director Shaista Sohail, it is stated that activities such as the celebration of Holi portray a complete disconnect from Pakistan’s sociocultural values. It is further claimed that the “fervour” displayed in the Holi celebrations at a university (in an apparent reference to the Holi celebrations at Quad-i-Azam University) has ‘affected’ the image of Pakistan.
“Unfortunately, it is sad to witness activities that portray a complete disconnect from our sociocultural values and an erosion of the country’s Islamic identity. One such instance that has caused concern was the fervour exhibited in marking the Hindu festival of Holi. This widely reported/publicized event from the platform of a university has caused concern and has disadvantageously affected the country’s image,” the notice stated.
The commission further stressed that ethnic, cultural and religious diversity does lead to an inclusive society, however, the manifestations of the same should not go ‘overboard’. It further suggested the students beware of the so-called ‘self-serving vested interests’ using them for their own ends. The commission, however, did not elaborate on who these ‘self-serving vested interests’ are.
“While there is no denying the fact that cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity leads towards an inclusive and tolerant society, that profoundly respects all faiths and creeds; albeit it needs to be done so in a measured manner without going overboard. The students need to be apprised to be aware of the self-serving vested interests who use them for their own ends far from the altruistic critical thinking paradigm,” the notice reads.
Displaying its blatant disregard for the Hindu festival, the commission termed the Holi celebrations as ‘incompatible’ with Pakistan’s so-called societal values and identity.
“Foregoing in view, it is advised that the HEIs may prudently distance themselves from all such activities obviously incompatible with the country’s identity and societal values while ensuring that they rigorously engage their students and faculty in academic pursuits, intellectual debates, and cognitive learning besides identifying, creating, and fostering avenues for extra-curricular activities and rational discourse,” the HEC stated.
This comes after videos of Holi celebrations at Islamabad’s Quaid-i-Azam University went viral earlier this month. Students are seen in the videos playing Holi with colours and rejoicing on the university campus.
Happy Holi ? ? Biggest Holi celebrations at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad Pakistan ? pic.twitter.com/ZciVSyctuI
Ashok Swain, a known Hinduphobe, was quick to draw parallels between India and Pakistan while reacting to the viral video of the said Holi celebrations. “Pakistani students celebrate Holi at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad; when Indian students celebrate Eid in Modi’s New India, they become anti-Hindu and anti-National,” Swain tweeted on June 14 in a desperate bid to project that Pakistan is somehow better than India in terms of religious freedom and tolerance. However, such people turn mute when the Pakistani authorities exhibit their true nature.
Pakistani students celebrate Holi at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad; when Indian students celebrate Eid in Modi's New India, they become anti-Hindu and anti-National. https://t.co/3pBoEIw98u
Ironically, the HEC director talks about ensuring that the students engage in intellectual debates and rational discourse. What rational discourse would prevail in a country trapped in the clutches of the Hindu-hating Islamists. What socio-cultural inclusivity Pakistan would achieve when it terms the celebrations of the festival of its religious minority as ‘incompatible’ with the country’s values. What sort of inclusiveness would there be in a country whose image is ‘affected’ by the celebration of a festival.
Notably, the Holi celebrations at the Quad-i-Azam University came months after the original date. In On March 6 this year, exhibiting their hatred for Hindus, the Islamists of Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) attacked Hindu students celebrating Holi inside Punjab University in Lahore. The attack left 15 Hindu students injured.
The ban on Holi celebrations in Pakistani universities is not surprising at all since the Pakistani government and even the judiciary have displayed deliberate incompetence in protecting the rights and dignity of religious minorities in Pakistan. OpIndia has documented countless cases wherein Hindu girls have been abducted and forcibly converted to Islam with the Pakistani courts handing over the victims to their abductors.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader, ST Hasan who is known for his inflammatory utterances has asked, “Why does anyone have a problem if we apply Sharia law to ourselves”? He was speaking against the under-consideration Uniform Civil Code in the country.
“India is a land of unity is diversity. Our country is a bouquet of colorful flowers. When our country got independence, Dr Ambedkar wrote that every person is free to practice and preach their religion. This is written in our constitution. Why is anyone bothered if we want to live our life as per Sharia,” he asked.
According to him, Islam was the first faith to grant women rights over their paternal property. “How it is divided amongst boys and girls is a separate matter. The Quran has commanded it. If a Muslim is a sincere believer, he cannot reject the Quran. Even I can’t do it. Only the instructions provided to us by the Quran will be followed.”
He challenged, “They can enact countless laws. We won’t be impacted. Muslims solely adhere to Quran, and they will divide their assets among their offspring in accordance with Sharia. Why is it a problem for anyone,” he questioned and added, “Regarding the issue of the second marriage, I would like to know what your issue is if a man took a second wife with the consent of his first one if she is found to have a serious illness or couldn’t conceive.”
He charged that the government had institutionalized immorality and indecency in the nation. “You granted homosexuality and live-in relationships constitutional legitimacy. How is it possible for you to state that don’t marry twice? How can you prevent someone from getting married to multiple women if you can cohabitate with multiple partners in live-in relationships,” he questioned.
“Muslims observe the rules that Allah provided us in the Quran. My point of contention is that no one is troubled by them in any way. These are our personal laws. We will push back strongly against your plans to obliterate them,” the member of Lok Sabha from Moradabad warned. “We have been abiding by the same laws for 75 years. What problems have they caused since then? Has anyone complained if a female’s share of the paternal property is lower than that of a male?”
“What is your problem,” he reiterated. He alleged that it is not about UCC but preparation for 2024 when the next general elections are scheduled to be held. “They want to cultivate the seeds of animosity between the Hindus and Muslims who live in this country. BJP leaders are competing to torture Muslims. They rise to prominence in the party in direct proportion to how severely they torment Muslims. This is well understood by the Muslims.”
He further proclaimed, “I informed you that Sharia law does not bother anyone and that the instructions are already there in the Quran. Every Muslim conforms to the Quran, and anyone who refuses is not a good Muslim. Who could reject the Quran? Any Muslim can be queried about whether or not they comply with the Quran’s teachings. If you don’t want to, switch your religion. How are we to commit to anything else?”
Notably, Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, gender, and sexual orientation. It has been in the election manifesto of the BJP for the past several years and recently 22nd Law Commission sought fresh suggestions from various stakeholders, including public and religious organisations, on the same.
ST Hasan is infamous for making outrageous assertions and provocative statements in an effort to attack the BJP. He recently blamed the government for spying on opposition leaders after an objectionable film started playing on a CCTV monitor installed at his Moradabad residence. He alleged that the government is using Pegasus to spy on them.
In 2021, he argued that the central BJP government’s interference with Islamic Sharia law during its seven years in power is to blame for the deaths brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. He expressed that the occurrence of two cyclonic storms in the space of ten days and the death toll from the coronavirus epidemic are the repercussions of the injustices committed by the administration.
In opposition to the Triple Talaq law in 2019, he voiced that an individual would become furious if he returned home to find his wife with another man. In that moment of rage, triple talaq is preferable to killing her or setting her ablaze. Endorsing Zaira Wasim’s decision to quit the film industry he stated that acting is the same as prostitution.
Over 830 lakh tonne paddy has been procured from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) benefitting about 1.22 crore during the ongoing paddy procurement operations of marketing season 2022-23.
Payments worth Rs 171,000 crore have so far been transferred directly into their accounts, an official release from the food ministry said Wednesday. Food Corporation of India, the nodal central agency, along with other state agencies undertakes procurement of paddy under the price support scheme (at MSP). Those procured paddy is then milled to make rice and distributed to the public under various food security schemes.
Farmers are not legally bound to sell their produce to government agencies but they are free to sell their produce anywhere at any prices they get.
Meanwhile, wheat procurement during the ongoing Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2023-24 has also progressed. The procurement of wheat so far is 262 lakh tonnes, which is well above last year’s total procurement of 188 lakh tonnes. About 21.29 Lakh farmers have already benefited from the ongoing wheat procurement operations with MSP payments of about Rs 55,680 crores.
Major contribution in the procurement has come from three procuring states: Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana with procurement of 121.27 LMT, 70.98 LMT and 63.17 LMT, respectively, the release said.
Before the harvest, during each Rabi or Kharif crop season, the central government declares the minimum support prices (MSP) for procurement.
“With the current procurement of wheat and rice, adequate food grains stock in Government granaries is maintained. The combined stock position of wheat and rice has reached 570 LMT which puts the country in a comfortable position to meet its requirements of food grains,” the release added.
India has three cropping seasons — summer, kharif, and rabi.
Crops sown during June-July and harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops that are sown during October-November and the produce harvested from January-March depending on maturity is Rabi. Crops produced after rabi but ahead of kharif are summer crops.
Meanwhile, third advance estimates of production of major crops for the agricultural year 2022-23 released by the agriculture ministry on Thursday pegged total foodgrain production in the country at a record 330.5 million tonnes, which is higher by about 15 million tonnes as compared to the previous year 2021-22.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In recent years, awareness regarding the physical and mental benefits of Yoga has skyrocketed among Indian youngsters and the elderly. The credit for this significant change goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in 2014 proposed a day dedicated to Yoga at the United Nations. Following his suggestion the UN adopted a resolution on December 11, 2014, recognising the 21st of June as the International Day of Yoga. The Yoga Day was first celebrated in 2015. PM Modi had back then appealed to the people to turn up in large numbers at the Yoga programmes to celebrate the day dedicated to health and well-being. His appeal had such a profound impact that Yoga gained prominence in schools, colleges and other institutions. The real impact of Yoga was observed when humanity faced the Covid pandemic.
During the Covid period, people professed trust in Yoga to keep their bodies and minds sound. Consequently, when the lockdown was relaxed, the number of yoga classes in parks spiked, several yoga centres emerged in offline mode, and many people began to adopt it online too. On the one hand, these initiatives benefitted those who required yoga as part of their fitness journey; on the other hand, Yoga enabled those who would never have believed that the field of yoga would unexpectedly emerge as a career or profession.
Women making successful careers in Yoga
Deepti Kulshrestha, a senior yoga teacher who has taught at Rishikesh Yoga Peeth for 15-20 years, toldOpIndia that yoga is spiritual to her and that she is grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the surge in its popularity. Deepti opines that only those who practise yoga from the heart may truly practice it. Deepti also said that she started her online yoga courses after the Covid pandemic. She has formerly trained numerous foreigners in yoga as a senior yoga instructor.
In a similar vein, 30-year-old Yogacharya Preeti Verma of Nityam Yoga Centre in Laxmi Nagar says that 5 batches of yoga are held at her centre. Each batch has at least 10-12 learners. In this manner, she teaches yoga to more than fifty people per day at a fixed amount. Preeti, who has been working in the arena of Yoga for the past 12 years, says that people used to conceive of Yoga as an old concept associated solely with sages and spiritual beings.
However, once Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about Yoga and its significance, people’s awareness and passion for yoga increased, whereas, after the Covid, people began to feel a need for it on their own. She adds that she provided free yoga classes to people during the Corona outbreak and observed that those who practised yoga recovered quicker from the Coronavirus.
We may further assess the continued importance of yoga and its rise as a profession by the fact that people working in various sectors see distinct possibilities in it today. Sissy Auguston, for example, who works in public relations, began teaching yoga lessons a while ago. In a conversation with OpIndia, she stated that she recalls yoga becoming more popular after the year 2015.
Sensing the increasing health challenges among people, Auguston started giving yoga classes, and as the number of people learning yoga with her grows, she plans to run her yoga classes in a separate space.
Formation of Ministry of AYUSH
While the history of Yoga in India dates back five to ten thousand years, India was assumed to be ‘backward’ in terms of being modern. The paradigm shift in this regard came about in 2014 when the Modi government took measures in this direction. Apart from awareness campaigns, one game-changing measure taken by the Modi government in 2014 was the establishment of the AYUSH Ministry.
The Ministry of Ayush was established on November 9, 2014, with the objective of revitalising our traditional medical systems and facilitating the optimal development and proliferation of Ayush healthcare systems. The Ministry prioritised education and research in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy, as well as supporting startups in these areas.
Following its formation, the Prime Minister in the year 2015 announced the observance of Yoga Day, and then came about unprecedented growth in the industry of Yoga. According to statistics on pages 12-13 of the Ministry of AYUSH’s Annual Report (2022-23), there was a substantial rise in the AYUSH manufacturing industry from 2014-15 to 2020. The Ayush manufacturing industry was only valued at Rs 21, 697 crores in 2014-15. By 2020, it expanded sixfold to 1,37,800 crores. Additionally, preliminary data from the AYUSH service sector shows a revenue collection of Rs 1,66,797 crore.
Last year, Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Union AYUSH Minister, had stated that by 2023, the Indian AYUSH sector will secure a market of at least US $ 23 billion. He stated that the Ministry of AYUSH is also implementing numerous initiatives to allow India’s AYUSH sector to meet this aim within the desired time frame.
WHO recognises the mettle of Yoga, craze surges in the United States
Moreover, in the yoga sector alone, the prominence of yoga has grown significantly in recent years, both locally and nationally, as well as internationally. In collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has also launched the WHOmYoga app to take yoga to a global scale, and facilitate people in any corner of the world to practice Yoga.
As a result of these efforts, the popularity of yoga extended beyond India to countries such as the United States. According to a report, over 36 million Americans practice yoga now, and over 48 thousand pilates and yoga facilities have opened in the United States. There, an average yoga practitioner spends $62,640 on yoga classes, workshops, and equipment. Consequently, the yoga sector in America is growing in a remarkable fashion.
In terms of the global yoga market, the report asserts that the business of yoga reached Rs 8 lakh crore in 2022, with the prospect of a 9 percent increase to Rs 9.6 lakh crore (96,42,18,86,40,000) between 2023 and 2028.
Annual Yoga Day enabling the generation of employment
In a similar fashion in India, not only are those who practise and teach yoga boosting the industry but so are those who manufacture yoga-related equipment, such as mats. Apparently, the Modi government is fully committed to assisting such startups.
In a similar fashion in India, not only are those who practise and teach yoga boosting the industry but so are those who manufacture yoga-related equipment, such as mats. Apparently, the Modi government is fully committed to assisting such startups. According to an article published in the Economic Times on 20 June 2023, the Ministry of AYUSH collaborated with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) to offer 34,000 yoga mats ahead of the International Day of Yoga. This remarkable endeavour is understood to be aimed at uplifting indigenous artists and showcasing their exceptional skills.
Moreover, MS Srinath, head of Noida-based yoga studio Pranav Yoga, told DNA last year that Yoga Day boosts his company by 30-40% every year in June and July. More than 300 yoga students were enrolled with him until last year, with 112 enrolling for permanent membership in these two months last year. Srinath also mentioned that the number of people signing up for yoga classes has increased in recent years.
India today slammed China for opposing a resolution to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir as a global terrorist at the United Nations Security Council and stated that the move exhibits double standards and a “self-defeating justification” of terrorism.
Several member countries co-sponsored the motion to blacklist him, but India noted that if it failed, “we have righteous reasons to believe that something is genuinely wrong with the global counter-terrorism architecture.” India and the United States had jointly moved the resolution to recognise Sajid Mir as a global terrorist and subject him to asset freezing, travel restrictions, and an arms embargo under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC.
India’s reaction was expressed in a statement that joint secretary Prakash Gupta read out at a high-level session on counterterrorism on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly. It observed, “If we cannot get established terrorists who have been banned across global landscapes proscribed by the United Nations – for petty geopolitical interests – then we really do NOT have the genuine political will to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism,” in a sharp attack without naming the country.
“In this day and age of accountability and transparency, can we have genuine listing proposals blocked without giving any reason for the same,” New Delhi questioned and added that “can we allow for the submission of proposals under the garb of anonymity?”
Breaking: India reacts on China blocking Sajid Mir's listing as Global Terrorist; Indian diplomat Prakash Gupta @PrakashMEA (Joint Secretary, UN Political at MEA) at UN counter terror meet terms the development done for "petty geopolitical interests" https://t.co/kLm1HFv9Rzpic.twitter.com/YPZJkroi66
The move to designate Sajid Mir, a senior member of LeT, was reportedly first put on hold by China in September and now has been stymied by it. He is one of India’s most wanted terrorists and has a bounty of $5 million placed on his head by the U.S. for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. US State Department revealed, “Mir was LeT’s operations manager for the attacks, playing a leading role in their planning, preparation, and execution.”
In a case involving the funding of terrorism, Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court sentenced him to more than 15 years in prison in June. In the past, Pakistan authorities had asserted that he had passed away, but Western nations had not been persuaded and had demanded proof of the same. Late last year, when Financial Action Task Force (FATF) evaluated the country’s progress on the action plan, the issue arose as a significant sticking point.
