Following the burning of the Quran outside a mosque in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on 28 June, police in Stockholm reportedly received three new applications to burn a Torah scroll and the Bible in front of the Israeli embassy in the country.
The Stockholm police acknowledged on Wednesday, July 5, that they had received a request from a man in his thirties to burn a Jewish and a Christian Bible outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm as “a symbolic gathering for the sake of freedom of speech.” Moreover, another request to burn a Quran “as soon as possible” was made in Stockholm by a woman in her fifties.
Both requests have not yet been rejected outright by the police, who maintained that each application is being considered separately.
Israel’s Ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman expressed his shock at the recent developments and remarked, “I am shocked and horrified by the prospect of the burning of more books in Sweden, be it the Quran, the Torah or any other holy book. This is clearly an act of hatred that must be stopped.”
“We have condemned the burning of all religious books, it is really a disgrace,” responded Aron Verständig, chairman of the Council of Swedish Jewish Communities.
Last week, when a judge overturned a prohibition on Quran burning asserting freedom of speech, police allowed the protest to take place in Stockholm.
However, the instance was denounced as “Islamophobic” by the country’s government. “The Swedish Government fully understands that the Islamophobic acts committed by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden can be offensive to Muslims. We strongly condemn these acts, which in no way reflect the views of the Swedish government,” the foreign ministry commented.
The ministry further added that Sweden had a “constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression, and demonstration”.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which has its headquarters in Saudi Arabia, has called for joint action to prevent further incidents of this nature. The 57-member body gathered at its Jeddah headquarter to discuss the event in which Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, stepped on the Islamic holy book, filled part of the pages with bacon, and lit several pages on fire.
Sweden’s Ambassadors have been summoned by countries like Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco in protest over the event.
Salwan Momika received permission from Swedish police in accordance with the country’s free speech laws, but later on, officials declared they had launched an inquiry into “agitation against an ethnic group” after learning that he had burned Quran next to Stockholm’s biggest mosque.
On 6th July, soon after launching Threads, a rival of Twitter, Meta’s chief Mark Zuckerberg broke his Twitter silence and taunted Twitter chief Elon Musk with a Spiderman meme. Zukerberg’s tweet was his first in 11 years. His last tweet was an appeal to his followers to tell the Congressmen to be pro-internet. By the time this report was published, Musk had not replied to the meme. Reportedly, Threads has already achieved the milestone of 10 million users.
Interestingly, before Zuckerberg published the “Spiderman clone” meme mocking Musk as Threads is basically a copy of Twitter. Musk had replied with a laughing emoji to a tweet by Twitter user cb_doge who had mocked Meta for “copy-pasting” Twitter.
Replying to a post by MMA fighter Mike Davis who questioned if anyone thinks Threads could become bigger than Twitter, Zuckerburg said, “It will take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully, we will.”
Source: Threads
In another reply to a post by TV personality Mark Cuban who questioned if Zuckerburg really wanted to open Threads for all as it apparently looked a “pretty nice” place with lesser users, Zuckerburg said, “The goal is to keep it friendly as it expands. I think it’s possible and will ultimately be the key to its success. That’s one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently.”
Source: Threads
Reports suggest that Threads has already been downloaded over 10 million times making it looks comparatively easy for Zuckerburg to achieve the target of one billion+ users. Not to forget, Instagram already has 2.35 billion active users.
Threads by Meta launched
On 5th July (local time), Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, officially launched the Instagram-linked app Threads which is a Twitter rival. It is widely seen as the most significant competition to Elon Musk-owned social media platform that has seen an array of changes since the billionaire took over in 2022.
In an official announcement on Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg said, “Alright guys! big news today. We are launching threads, an open and friendly public space for conversations. It takes the best parts of the Instagram experience and creates a whole new app around text, ideas and sharing what’s on your mind. You just signup with your Instagram account. Your followers are already there. And you just get into it and get started. It is available on the App Store now. The people who have tried it so far, the reactions have been really great.”
Threads are linked to the Instagram of the users. It provides a real-time platform just like Twitter and allows users to post text-based posts up to 500 characters. As per the official announcement by Meta, everyone who is under 16 or 18 as per the location, will be defaulted into a private profile when they join Threads. Apart from the people users follow on Instagram, they can find more people to follow and communicate with on Threads.
Meta has provided the option to control who can mention the users or reply to the Threads. There is an option to make the experience clean by filtering out words that users do not want to see in replies. Just like Instagram, users can unfollow, block, restrict, or report a profile, if needed. If a user has blocked an account on Instagram, it will be automatically blocked on Threads.
When you log in to your Threads account using the Instagram account, it will show the list of people you follow on Instagram. You can follow them immediately and whenever they join Threads, you will automatically start following them.
On 6th July 2023, United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that the UK will not tolerate any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London. The MP from Braintree town of UK said that he has clarified this with Vikram Doraiswami who is the High Commissioner for India in the United Kingdom.
James Cleverly tweeted, “Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable. We have made clear to Vikram Doraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount.”
Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable.
We have made clear to @VDoraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount.
This statement from the foreign secretary of the UK has come days after Khalistanis carried out an arson attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco city of United States. This attack took place on Sunday, 2nd July 2023.
As per reports, the extremists set the building on fire between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Sunday. However, the damage was limited and the staffers escaped unharmed.
The fire was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department. The local, State and federal authorities were also notified about the incident. A video of the incident has now gone viral on social media.
It is notable that, on 3rd June 2023, the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that India has urged its partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK, and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. He added, “This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government of these countries.”
Earlier this year, on 19th March 2023, pro-Khalistani elements had barged into the Indian High Commission in London and they had removed the tricolour from the premises. Amidst chants of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’, a man sporting an orange turban was seen scaling the walls of the building and pulling down the Indian flag. He then waved the Khalistani flag jubilantly while Indian officials at the building seized the tricolour from the man. Some of the Khalistanis were also spotted holding a poster of Amritpal Singh.
New Delhi immediately took cognizance of the matter and summoned the British High Commissioner. Following the attack on the Indian High Commission and the visible lack of effort by British law enforcement agencies to stop the wrongdoing, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a strongly worded statement. The statement read “An explanation was demanded for the complete absence of British security that allowed these elements to enter the High Commission premises. India finds unacceptable the indifference of the UK Government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in the UK”
Besides, hundreds of Sikhs gathered outside the British High Commission in New Delhi on 20th March 2023 waving Indian Flags and chanting slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai. The protests outside the British High Commission were seen by many Indians as the commensurate answer to the British indifference to the attack on Indian High Commission in London.
The Services Department of the Delhi Government on Wednesday ordered all departments to immediately stop the engagement of Fellows and advisors who were appointed without the approval of the Lieutenant Governor.
The official notification issued by the services department of the Delhi Government said that the appointments of fellows, Associate Fellows, Advisors, Dy. Advisors, Specialists, Senior Research Officers, and Consultants were made without the approval of Delhi LG.
The services department notification also mentioned that Delhi Legislative Assembly is not competent to appoint and engage such manpower without the approval of the Delhi LG and in view of that such engagements have to stop.
“All the departments shall immediately stop engagements of all the Fellows/ Associate Fellows/ Advisors/ Dy. Advisors/ Specialists/ Senior Research Officers/ Consultants, by whatever name, wherein approval of the Lt. Governor, Delhi has not been obtained till date,” the official notification read.
It also instructed the finance department to stop the release of the salary for such appointments.
“Finance Department, GNCTD shall direct all the PAOs not to release salary henceforth in respect of persons engaged as Fellows/ Associate Fellows/ Advisors/ Dy. Advisors/ Specialists/ Senior Research Officers/ Consultants, by whatever name, where the approval of Hon ble Lt. Governor, Delhi have not been obtained till date,” the official notification read.
Earlier on Monday Delhi LG Saxena terminated the service of 400 private individuals engaged in various departments of the Delhi government, citing that these individuals were engaged in a non-transparent manner and without the mandatory approval of the competent authority.
The Services Department found that several of such engaged private persons did not even fulfil the eligibility criteria of educational qualification and work experience as laid down in the advertisements issued for the posts.
The concerned administrative departments also did not verify the veracity of work experience certificates submitted by these private persons, which were found to be fudged and manipulated in many cases, it said.
The Lieutenant Governor accepted the proposal of the Services Department that all Delhi Government Departments, Corporations, Boards, Societies and other autonomous bodies under their administrative control, immediately terminate engagements of these private persons, wherein the LG’s or the competent authority’s approval has not been obtained.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Jetpur, located in the Rajkot district of Gujarat, has recently witnessed a startling case involving the conversion of Hindu youth. According to reports, Ashish Goswami, a resident of Jetpur, allegedly embraced Islam after establishing contact with a Muslim girl from Bangladesh through the social media platform Instagram. This unexpected conversion has left Ashish’s family in a state of shock, as they assert that he has been subjected to brainwashing. Media outlets have further revealed that Ashish had been watching videos featuring Zakir Naik.
As per reports, the incident involves the alleged brainwashing and conversion of a Hindu youth from Jetpur through Instagram. The 22-year-old individual, identified as Ashish Goswami, embraced Islam approximately six months ago with the intention of marrying a Bangladeshi Muslim girl. Following his conversion, Ashish left his family home and began residing in a mosque. Alongside the change in his religious affiliation, Ashish also adopted a new identity by changing his name to Sheikh Mohammad Alsami. Furthermore, he committed himself to performing the five daily namaz, as prescribed in the Islamic faith.
2 Muslim youths took Ashish to the government hospital for circumcision
The entire incident unfolded when Ashish, accompanied by two Muslim youths, visited a government hospital with the purpose of undergoing circumcision. As soon as Ashish’s family knew this, they swiftly arrived at the hospital. In addition to the family’s presence, Hindu organisations also intervened, making efforts to persuade Ashish regarding his decision.
In the case, Ashish’s father has made serious allegations, claiming that the Bangladeshi Muslim girl exerted pressure on Ashish to convert to Islam in order to proceed with their marriage plans. According to his father, Ashish spends the entire day at the mosque, diligently performing the five daily prayers known as namaz. Additionally, his father disclosed that Ashish used to watch videos of Zakir Naik on various social media platforms, including YouTube. These details shed light on the concerns raised by Ashish’s father regarding the influence and impact of external factors on his son’s decision.
Ashish Goswami, who has been subjected to brainwashing, is resolute in his determination to convert to Islam, leading to conflicts with his family. In an attempt to dissuade Ashish from undergoing the conversion, Hindu organisations also intervened. However, the situation escalated to such an extent that the family was compelled to involve the police for assistance. Currently, the matter is being handled by the Jetpur police station, where efforts are being made by the authorities to persuade Ashish Goswami and resolve the situation.
UPDATE: Ghar Wapasi
As per an exclusive report by OpIndia Gujarati, Sheikh Mohammad Alsami has reverted to be known as Ashish Goswami, as he has done a Ghar Wapasi and embraced Hinduism again. Kanaiyananda Maharaj, the leader of the local Hindu Dharma Sena and Mahant of Nrisimha Temple in Jetpur, was instrumental in the development. He along with local Hindu youths reached the young man’s house last night, and convinced him to return to Hinduism after a discussion and persuasion for around 2 hours.
Ashish Goswami agreed that he made a mistake, and consented to do a ghar wapasi. Mahant Kanaiyananda Maharaj admitted him back into Sanatan Dharma by applying sandalwood tilak on the young man’s forehead. The man also removed the Muslim-like beard he had grown in front of the Mahant with a trimmer.
In a shocking incident from Chandigarh, a 60-year-old woman was abducted and raped by an auto driver and his accomplice on Monday, July 3. The woman, who was heading towards a temple in Saketri, was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in the forest near Kaimbwala.
The police said on Wednesday that the woman was thrashed brutally by the accused persons who left her at the spot assuming her to be dead. The police also informed that one of the accused had been arrested.
According to the complaint lodged at the Sector 3 police station, the victim woman was walking towards Saketri Temple when two men in an auto stopped her near Kaimbwala. The two offered to drop the woman saying that they were also going to Saketri. Initially reluctant, the woman somehow agreed to go along with the accused persons in the auto-rickshaw.
The complaint further stated that the accused persons instead of dropping her at Saketri Temple, took her to another religious place. As the woman noticed this and objected, the accused took her to the nearby forest and sexually abused her. When the woman resisted, the accused brutally thrashed her and then raped her one by one. The injuries left the victim unconscious.
Meanwhile, the accused presumed that the victim has died and left the area, however, after around eight hours, the woman regained consciousness and managed to reach her home. Subsequently, she revealed her ordeal to her family.
The family of the victim then called a PCR vehicle that took her to a hospital in Sector 16. The woman’s medical examination confirmed sexual assault. Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The Joe Biden administration in the United States has appealed to a court in California to deny the writ petition filed by terrorist Tahawwur Rana challenging his extradition to India. Rana is a Pakistani terrorist wanted by Indian agencies for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The US govt has urged the court to deny the writ of habeas corpus filed by Rana’s lawyers. This comes about a month after a US court approved Rana’s extradition to India. Tahawwur Rana is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles.
“The United States respectfully requests that the Court deny Rana’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus,” said E Martin Estrada, US attorney for the Central District of California in his petition filed before the US District Court for the Central District of California.
Estrada said that Rana is unable to prove that India’s extradition request lacks sufficient evidence of probable cause. The statement came after Rana filed a petition challenging the extradition.
In July 2021, the United States administration requested a federal court in Los Angeles to extradite Pakistani-origin Canadian terrorist Tahawwur Rana to India.
Rana, who has been in US jail for more than a decade for supporting terrorist groups and plotting Mumbai attacks, faces extradition to India on murder conspiracy charges.
He was earlier convicted of his role in the Mumbai terror attacks, but US prosecutors had failed to prove a terrorism charge connecting him directly to the attacks.
However, Rana was granted early release from a Los Angeles federal prison because of poor health and amidst the coronavirus scare. The Pakistani-born terrorist was arrested again on June 10, 2020, in Los Angeles following an extradition request by India.
Rana committed fraud against the Indian govt by creating forged documents: US
The submissions to the court by the Biden administration in July 2021 said that based on the evidence submitted by India, Tahawwur Rana committed fraud against the Indian government through the creation and submission of forged documents. The purpose behind such fraud is irrelevant under the Indian criminal provisions, the document said.
“In any event, Rana knowingly allowed Headley to obtain the business visa and the cover that he needed to conduct terrorism-related surveillance operations in India, ultimately leading to the three-day terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Accordingly, the Court finds there is probable cause that RANA conspired to forge a document for cheating and use a forged document as genuine, in violation of IPC 120B, 468, and 471,” the submission said.
The situation in Manipur is complex, to say the least. It goes beyond the fight between ethnicities. Religious faultlines have only compounded the situation even though it is an aspect either ignored or selectively told as a “fight between Hindu Meiteis and tribals.” Illegal infiltration is at the heart of this problem. All in all, there is a sinister plot at play and history is witness to it. Misleading mainstream media reports too have openly taken sides, unsurprisingly so. However that may be, NorthEast, unfortunately, continues to bear the brunt.
Violence broke out between largely Hindu Meiteis and Christian Kukis on 3rd May during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in the Churachandpur district’s Torbung area to oppose the demand of the Meeteis for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
While the tribal groups have been opposing 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 government to submit recommendations to the union government for the inclusion of Meitei in the ST list. The court had issued the order after several petitions filed by Meitei activists seeking the said direction.
Meiteis have been seeking the ST status since 1981 when the then CM Rishang Keishing raised the issue in the state assembly. In 1995, they were granted the Other Backward Classes (OBC) status. Two sub-communities within the Meiteis – Chakpas (previously known as lois) and Thoubal Khunous (previously Yaithibis) – were already identified as Scheduled Castes (SC) in 1956.
The Meiteis have made multiple requests by submitting memorandums to the state and the Centre since 2013 in this regard but to no avail. In 2012, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) was formed which submitted the first such memorandum in November 2012 to the then Governor Gurbachan Singh Jagat.
In December same year, another memorandum was submitted by the STDCM to the then Congress CM Okram Ibobi Singh.
On 29 May 2013, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs wrote to the Manipur govt seeking a specific recommendation on the inclusion of Meiteis in the ST list; it also sought the latest socio-economic survey data and an ethnographic report on Meiteis. It has been 10 years yet no submissions have been made by the state in response to the Centre’s letter. This despite 30 representations made to the state and 10 to the Central govt.
Who are the Meiteis & why are they demanding ST status?
Meiteis, also known as Meetei or Manipuri, are the largest ethnic group in the state of Manipur comprising about 53% of the state’s population (as per 2011 census data). The majority of Meiteis are Hindus and some are Muslims, called the Pangals. They currently fall under the OBC category.
Interestingly, the Meiteis were included in the Scheduled Tribes list as a “tribe among tribes of Manipur” before the signing of the Merger Agreement of Manipur on 21 September 1949 into the Union of India. They were stripped of this ST status after Manipur merged with India. At that time, SC-ST status was not sought after, the reservation was not that big, and even govt jobs were not considered as important as they are today, and therefore the Meiteis didn’t object when they were moved out of the ST list.
Meiteir stage peaceful protest in Jantar Mantar in New Delhi
Notably, out of Manipur’s total area of 22,327 sq km, Meiteis are restricted to a mere 2,000 sq km area in the shrinking Imphal valley constituting East and West Imphal, Thoubal, Kakching, Bishnupur, and Jiribam. So the majority population of Manipur occupies a mere 10% of land in the state with no rights to purchase land outside this periphery. They cannot purchase nor occupy land in the hill districts of the state which accounts for 90% of the land in Manipur, as non-tribals are not allowed to buy land in the tribal hill areas.
According to the World Meetei Council, restoration of the ST status is a matter of survival. “Majority of the Meetei community live in a hand-to-mouth economy. Among the indigenous communities in the Northeast, Meetei is one of the smallest communities. Meetei is smaller than Naga, Khongjai(Kuki), Tai-ahom, etc,” says the Council on its website.
It further mentions, “Meetei community was isolated and not connected to MAINLAND INDIA in the past. And now with a small population of hardly 17 lakhs in India approximately 14 lakhs and 2 lakhs in Manipur and Assam respectively and the rest in other NE states and other cities of India, Meetei feels quite awkward socially and culturally. With 32.59% of the population living below the poverty line and a per capita income of Rs 70,000/- only, the community is among the poorest in India. The literacy Rate is 79% but drastically low in higher education due to economic backwardness.”
In December 2019, the Central govt extended the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Manipur following the demands of the Meiteis who fear losing their land.
Who are the Kukis and why are they against granting ST status to Meiteis?
The largely Christian Kuki tribe in Manipur comprises over 20 sub-tribes. They are also known as CHIKIM – Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi – and CHIKUMI. Chins are largely believed to have migrated from the Chin state of Burma (Myanmar). Some migrated to Bengal where they came to be known as Kukis.
Another major group of tribals in Manipur is comprised of several Naga tribes. However, the Nagas have kept themselves distanced from the current conflict. Although they also oppose the granting ST status to Meiteis, they have not taken part in the current protests and violence.
It is notable that only Meiteis and Nagas have been living in Manipur for thousands of years, and Kukis are relatively new to the region. Kukis migrated from Myanmar in the 18th and 19th centuries for various reasons, including persecution by more powerful groups in Myanmar. It is known as the Great Kuki Exodus. Kukis migrated in large numbers from the Mizo and Chill hills to Manipur during this Great Kuki Exodus in the 18th and 19th centuries.
An image shared by the Kuki-Zomi group ITLF with the tribes donning the separatist flag of Zomi Revolutionary Army for “Kukiland”
The migration of Kukis to Bengal, Mizoram, and eventually Manipur was owing to various factors. Meitei kings, who would face occasional raids by the Nagas, settled the Kuki tribes from Myanmar to act as demographic buffers. These tribes came to be known as Old Kukis or Khongjais. Immigrant Kukis were also settled by the British in the area for similar reasons.
Nonetheless, the common point in all these theories is that Kukis were not necessarily original inhabitants of Manipur, unlike the Meiteis and Nagas. However, they were taken into the fold by the Meiteis and then the British given the demands of the situation in those times.
However, the migration of Kukis from Myanmar didn’t stop after the great exodus, it continues even today, as the situation in Myanmar remains volatile, and the majority groups continue to target and attack other groups. This has resulted in ongoing tension in the state, as the Meiteis allege that local Kukis are helping Burmese Kukis to immigrate illegally and then settle in forest land.
It is safe to say that Kukis and Meiteis have been living side by side even with their fair share of differences.
But Kukis believe that the Meiteis do not have the characteristics of a tribe anymore. One of their arguments is that the Meiteis lost their tribal characteristics following the introduction of Hinduism around the 1730s by the King.
In an interview, prominent Kuki leader Wilson L Hangsing expressed his reservations saying, “If there are Meiteis who remember and identify which sub-tribe they belong to under the Meitei umbrella then they can demand the ST status. But for the entire Meitei community including the Brahmins, who are not indigenous, to demand the status is propaganda. All other castes are flexible, for example, a Kshatriya King can become a Shudra if he loses a battle. But others cannot become Brahmins, everyone knows that. Brahmin Meiteis have all come from Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.”
“Their ethnic identity may have been lost but their caste identity is still Brahmin. I don’t see how they can be reverted to tribals,” said the Kuki leader.
Kukis make up 26% of the Manipur population and occupy the majority of the 90% of land mainly in the southern hills comprising Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Tengnoupal districts.
Kuki National Organisation militants
The remaining area is occupied largely by the Naga tribe in the north consisting of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel districts. Nagas made up 17% of the state’s population. The Nagas have historically had amicable ties with the Meiteis barring some incidents of attack on Meitei kings. Many Nagas have also been absorbed into the Meitei population.
As far as the current situation is concerned, the Nagas have distanced themselves from the conflict. Both the Nagas and Kukis can purchase land in the Imphal Valley too.
Demands for a separate ‘Kukiland’ have also been made in the past since 1980. This began after the formation of Kuki-Zomi insurgent groups namely Kuki National Organisation (KNO), Kuki National Army (KNA), and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA). In a more recent development, Kukis now seek Kukiland Territorial Council on the lines of the Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam.
Illegal infiltration, encroachment, and drugs menace
At the outset, the conflict seems to be that of identity and demand for ST status. But there’s more. The influx of illegal migrants from across the border from Myanmar and Bangladesh, the cropping up of illegal villages, poppy cultivation and terrorism pose a direct threat to the state’s demography and resources. These have given rise to the demand for NRC among the Meiteis.
Manipur CM launches “War on Drugs” campaign in 2018 (Source: NorthEast Now)
Meiteis alleged that the Kukis who are in Myanmar and Bangladesh have been illegally crossing over the border, taking over land, and being sheltered by their distant relatives who moved to India decades ago. This has also facilitated the drug nexus.
Large areas of forest land are being occupied by the Kukis and converted into Poppy plantations, running a bustling opium trade. Illegal villages had been cropping up on forest land in the hill districts along with the poppy farms. These were largely in the protected and reserved forest areas of CHIKUMI districts. Most of these encroachers are Burmese Kukis and have migrated illegally in relatively larger numbers ever since the February 2021 coup in Myanmar.
Poppy fields destroyed by authorities
The N Biren Singh govt has been carrying out a large-scale crackdown against encroachment and poppy cultivation since coming to power. The security forces have been destroying poppy fields, but they keep coming back.
The govt also razed several illegally built Churches on lands under reserved and protected forests.
3 illegally-built churches razed by Manipur govt in April. (Source: Organiser)
Despite several notices from the govt to the villages, there has been no response but open defiance. Both the Meiteis and the Nagas have staunchly backed the state government’s eviction drives.
It is being alleged that the ST status for Meiteis was just an excuse for the violence, and the real reason is opposition to the crackdown on encroachment and poppy cultivation. It is also alleged that Churches also could be behind it after the govt demolished the illegal churches.
The Manipur govt had also launched a campaign against drugs in 2017 to combat large-scale illegal poppy cultivation. Illicit poppy cultivation is mainly being conducted in hill districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Kamjong, Churachandpur, and Tengnoupal.
According to data from 2017 to 2023, 2518 arrests have been made. Of these, interestingly, the highest among those arrested were Muslims (1083), followed by Kuki-Chin (873), Meitei (381), and others (181).
15,496 acres of poppy cultivation have been unearthed. Of this Kuki-Chin tribes recorded a total of 13,121.8 acres of poppy cultivation, Nagas recorded 2340 acres, and other communities accounted for 35 acres.
The crackdown is owing to increasing drug abuse and trafficking, particularly among the youth, which has sometimes also percolated the political corridors of Manipur.
Moreover, the Meiteis have demanded that the India-Myanmar border be sealed owing to the influx of “terrorist groups”.
Manipur and its encounters with conflict
The occupation of Assam at the hands of the Burmese for seven years (1817-1826) spilled over into the neighbouring state of Manipur as well. In Manipur, this period is known as Chahi-Taret Khumtakpa (seven years of devastation).
In 1992, at least 84 people lost their lives in clashes between Nagas and Kukis. In 1993, communal clashes between Pangals (Muslims) and Meiteis (Hindus) left at least 100 dead.
Pangals of Manipur (Source: NorthEast Live)
Interestingly, ever since, 3 May is marked as a black day or Shaheedi Memorial Day by the Pangals who have their own armed groups namely All Manipur Muslim Students’ Organization (AMMSO), All Manipur Muslim Girl Students’ Organization (AMMGSO) and Pangal (Manipur Muslim) Political Forum (PPF).
Another less talked about factor that has possibly played a role in the conflict is the existence of People’s United Liberation Front (PULF). It underlines that terrorism is another threat staring right into Manipur at least since 2006 when three Pangals named Salman Khurshid (23), Abdul Rahman (24), and Mohammad Akbar Hussein (20) were arrested by the Delhi police with arms and ammo.
In 2018, a bandh was called by the All Manipur Muslims Organisation Coordinating Committee (AMMOCOC) against the eviction drive conducted by the state. This after CM N Biren Singh had advised against communalising the eviction drive. “A particular community in the state, in the name of following the same religion, are encouraging the entry of illegal migrants in the state.”
The expert view
Experts who have been studying the NorthEast, particularly Manipur, have a very clear point of view. Some say that Kukis are not the original natives of Manipur and were settled here by the British from Myanmar. An expert, who did not want to be named, said, “In 1891 after the British defeated the Meiteis in the Anglo-Manipur War, they brought in the Kukis from Burma which was also under the Raj at the time. So the Christian-convert Kukis have since become trouble-makers considering that they demand a “Kukiland” which includes parts of Bangladesh, Burma, and parts of India. So they have a separatist-expansionist strategy. They are creating trouble wherever they go.” Some also believe that the conflict is being orchestrated from outside India.
This poses a dangerous challenge to the Meiteis. The STDCM claims that the population of Meiteis was 59% in 1951 and has come down to 44% in 2011. The Meitei body says the community is no longer the majority. “Looking at the trend of the demographic change, the number could fall further come the 2021 census data,” said STDCM working president in an interview.
The secret Kuki gameplan: Capture a vast territory in India's Far East & cut off India's access to friendly nations in South-East Asia.
Exactly like Pakistan cuts off our access to Central Asia & Europe.
A letter by another Kuki group called Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), which has now gone viral on social media, has drawn stark criticism from non-tribals and experts alike. In the letter, the group openly admits to the “distribution of lands and properties earlier owned by Meitei people.” It further casts speculation about whether there is inaction against the same by the Indian forces, saying, “timely intervention of Assam Rifles.” The group openly admits to and declares its “war for complete separation from the state of Manipur.”
Anthropologist and Author, Rami Niranjan Desai is of the view that the Kukis cannot be welcoming of illegal infiltrators just because they possibly share historical or ancestral ties with them. She also believes that if a community accounts for 30% to 40% of the population, it cannot be deemed a minority.
The Meitei community has an absolute right to demand inclusion in Scheduled list, if there is an objection you can vocalise it but you can’t become automatic weapon wielding anarchists. The Kuki militants have lost the war of perception at least. #ManipurRiotshttps://t.co/77khoamJwz
“According to me, a minority would be a community that accounts for a single-digit population, say 2% or so.” The tribals in Manipur account for about 47%. This becomes a key reason for the Hindu Meiteis to demand a level-playing field.
A brief summary
It is safe to say that the coverage of Manipur has been highly biased. Almost all mainstream media reports have made the pitch – that “Hindu majority Meiteis” are demanding ST status – without providing the context of their demand. The reports go on to talk about tribal casualties in detail, show the crackdown on encroachments and poppy cultivation in a bad light, and are limited to the simplistic majority-minority narrative.
The most underreported detail of the ongoing conflict has been the exodus of Hindus from the Kuki-majority Churachandpur district. Hindu activists have claimed that the 3rd May violence is not a tribal vs non-tribal conflict, but it was actually initiated by the Christian tribals to evict the Meiteis from Christian majority areas. Dr Khangembam Romesh, Assistant Professor in JNU, writes, “Kukis spreading Christianity among Meiteis had created multiple negative impacts on the region. The churches are communally coloured and effectively used to serve that purpose.”
A billboard put up by St Michael’s Church in Mahim, Mumbai, by [email protected]
The Hindu activists point out that the Tribal Churches Leaders’ Forum issued a statement supporting the tribal solidarity march. In response to the call by ATSUM, The Tribal Churches Leaders Forum (TCLF unanimously resolved to endorse the ‘Solidary March’ of ATSUM in a meeting held on May 1. “This solidarity March organised by the ATSUM is to collectively protect the social, political and religious interests of the tribal people of Manipur,” said the statement.
The faultlines in Manipur breach every spectrum of identity. The last and available census data of 2011 is from a different time. The world has changed manifold ever since, and India’s Manipur has not been immune to these changes. The recent conflict brings to the fore the ground realities of Manipur which are changing by the day. The demand for ST status by Meiteis losing ground and the aggressive opposition by Kukis are technical details of the main underlying problems that Manipur is facing today.
A screengrab from a video shared by Spear Corps of the Indian Army
Tracing the origins of the two communities may not be possible nor will it necessarily yield solutions to the present-day challenges. But it is to be noted that somewhere behind their ethnic identities, there is a layer of religious identity too which has been giving shape to a conflict that may blow out of proportion in no time until Indians “Look East” and “Act East.”
A dispute has arisen between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar regarding the party’s name and symbol, leading to a conflict within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The political turmoil in Maharashtra started as Ajit Pawar defected with over 30 MLAs in the party and joined the NDA government in the state to become the deputy chief minister.
Sharad Pawar, the NCP chief, travelled to Delhi today to attend the party’s national executive meeting. Prior to his arrival, a poster war erupted in the capital, featuring references to the blockbuster film Bahubali. These posters depicted the iconic scene from the popular South Indian movie, with Kattappa backstabbing Bahubali.
Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle Sharad Pawar and parted ways. The debate between the two leaders is going on over the name and symbol of the party. NCP chief Sharad Pawar arrived in Delhi today for the party’s national executive meeting.
#WATCH | NCP national president Sharad Pawar arrives at his residence in Delhi.
Even before his arrival, there was a stir in the political corridors of the capital. Old NCP posters and hoardings with pictures of Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel on them were removed from outside the party office in Delhi.
#WATCH | Old posters and hoardings of NCP that showed Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel on them are being removed from outside the office of the party in Delhi. A new poster with 'Gaddaar' (traitor) written on it is being put up there. pic.twitter.com/CjLoQmI5u9
New posters were put up there, on which ‘Gaddar’ (meaning ‘traitor’) is written. New posters were also put up outside Sharad Pawar’s residence in Delhi.
The posters read, “The entire country is with Sharad Pawar in this fight between truth and lies. India’s history is such that it has never forgiven traitors.”
Posters saying "In the fight of truth and lie, the entire country is with Sharad Pawar" and "India's history is such that it has never forgiven those who have betrayed" come up outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Delhi.
Amid the Sharad Pawar versus Ajit Pawar crisis, the Nationalist Congress Party Students’ Wing also put up a poster based on a scene from the film ‘Bahubali – The Beginning’. It shows ‘Kattappa’ stabbing ‘Amarendra Bahubali’ in the back.
Delhi | Amid NCP vs NCP crisis in Maharashtra, Rashtrawadi Vidyarthi Congress puts up a poster designed on a scene from the film 'Baahubali – The Beginning', showing its character 'Kattappa' stabbing 'Amarendra Baahubali' in the back. pic.twitter.com/ojq7EmXO7A
the caption on this poster read, “The entire country is watching the traitors who were disguised as close ones. People will not forgive such fake persons.”
Since Sunday, the political landscape of Maharashtra has been in turmoil following the unexpected swearing-in of senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar as the state’s deputy chief minister. In a significant move, Ajit Pawar, accompanied by eight other MLAs, joined the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde, asserting his claim over the Nationalist Congress Party, and its election symbol. He is believed to have the support of over 30 MLAs from the party.
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet – Aristotle
Since the time skill-oriented education has taken center stage in Indian ‘Learner’s’ discourse, and the entrepreneurial bug has bitten the youth and the oldies alike, I have been hearing all sorts of jeering and pejorative remarks being made by people from all walks of life regarding our school education.
The latest one doing the rounds is ‘How many times have you used the formula from algebra (a+b)2 = a2+b2+2ab in your life?’ Worst is, ‘How many times have you used this formula to buy 5 kg apples!’ Are you trying to mislead the youth? Yes, I feel you are. These people are usually those who play to the clapping and whistling gallery of youth.
First thing first– If our system of education (at foundation level- schools) was that bad then how come so many professors and deans in the top US and British universities are from India? They sure did their schooling from Indian schools- so did Sunder Pichai- CEO of GOOGLE (he completed schooling in Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Ashok Nagar, Chennai, and completed the Class XII from Vana Vani School Madras), and Satya Nadella- Chairman and CEO, Microsoft (Satya Nadella attended the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet), or Indra Nooyi -who was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of PepsiCo, (Nooyi did her schooling in Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in T. Nagar). They are running big American companies.
I agree that times are changing and yes we need to upgrade our school curriculum but we cannot just trash our earlier system. We have been doing some things right as well. In fact, very right. We also cannot say that Science, Math, and literature are meaningless!
If you want to look at American schooling for any comparison or inspiration- here it is
If you look at American school education, they teach very much the same things. From kindergarten through 5th grade, roughly ages 5-10, Science, social studies, languages, the arts, and physical education are brought in at various grades and are taught with varying amounts of inputs. Tenth graders are usually taught algebra or Geometry (I am sure they teach (a+b)2 = a2+b2+2ab there too!).
Occasionally, Algebra II or higher classes are offered to students who wish to take Advanced Placement math classes in later years of high school. For literature, students have already begun to familiarize themselves with notable authors such as Shakespeare. They do study American history and the civil war. For social studies, tenth-grade students are taught recent US History from the Colonization Era and to the Early 20th Century. In some districts, Advanced Placement coursework, such as geography, European history, or World Studies is first made available to students in this grade.
So what is different?
Yes, they do have a more practical orientation and let students learn how to apply the subject matter to deliver output. Our education policy is now going to cater to it. Yet Indian students do better than white Americans in America or the entire West
Indian students who migrate from Indian schools to American schools or go for higher studies to US universities do pretty well. Indian students, who at first glance seem to be educationally disadvantaged due to weaker English skills and little knowledge of American culture, actually have an edge in education over their native peers. This apparent educational advantage of immigrants’ children has been referred to as the “immigrant paradox”.
Studies have shown that children of immigrants in the US have very positive attitudes and behaviors toward education, and put in more effort. There could be several reasons why the Attitude of American students is negative in comparison to Indian students. One reason could be that they are fighting to achieve and have that killer instinct. They value education and are not complacent. This is a very big advantage for India.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. – Benjamin Franklin
School education lays the foundation for lifelong learning
Education has an element of human evolution- A good education not only teaches you skills but also helps you broaden your horizons, gain a better perspective, and teaches you to think for yourself. Education is not how well you can read and write but whether you can communicate with and understand the world around you. The importance of education is also reflected in areas of creativity and innovation. Education encourages thinking outside the box and experimenting with new ideas. For that fundamentals must be laid strongly and squarely in schools.
I did my schooling at an Indian school and found that my fundamentals and those of my peers in Physics, Chemistry, and Math are very sound. We are good at English (a foreign language) and Hindi too.
Google brain argument
Another weird argument given by some critics is that you can answer all questions of Amitabh Bachchan’s KBC show using Google and there is nothing tough about a quiz! So why remember things or have information in your head when it is available from hard discs from a computer? What kind of argument is this? This is a really dumb idea.
I would call Google brain ‘Khalee Bheja’. If you are a ‘padha likha’ or a literate person then you should be able to discuss things with others meaningfully and debate or argue a point intelligently- how do you do that with an empty mind or nothing in your head?
“The wisest route to a successful solution to nearly any problem begins with understanding its history.”—David McCullough
Values in place
I feel the most important content that is being missed out on in school education in India is imparting ‘Value education’. No point in having a great skilled engineer who is a social misfit, who is dishonest, and who is always criticizing everything including his own country. This should be taught right up the education pyramid- up to PG. From KG to PG in fact, if we want to build a meaningful patriotic society.
Emphasis on Skill Development
I have headed Business schools for close to two decades and realized the importance of sound school education in laying a strong foundation. Skill development is the new buzzword. Let me explain.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has given special emphasis on vocational education through integration and mainstreaming of vocational education with general education which will help students in acquiring various skills to meet the needs of the industries and to improve the quality of education.
Skill-based learning is an effective way for students to acquire knowledge and develop essential skills. It encourages students to actively engage in learning rather than memorizing information. With skill-based learning, students gain a deeper understanding of their subject matter as they practice analyzing, synthesizing, and applying information in various contexts.
The curriculum of skill development is more Industry oriented and teaches theory plus specific skills in a particular domain. They too require sound school education as a starter. As they say, ‘garbage in and garbage out’, you need to have reasonably well-informed school pass outs to get into skill development. For instance, they have a B Tech degree in cyber security which has computer science as the base. Therefore first the sound foundation of computer science is built and on top of that for each theory module, a practical orientation is provided. After that weightage is given to applying the knowledge to real-life problems. The rough and ready distribution is 30-40-30. This means 30% time for theory, 40% for related practical work, and 30% for actual hands-on learning. Here a student gets a degree but he or she is ready for Industry deployment from day one! I know some of my former students who did an MBA and are now into a ‘Risk management’ profile- whereas they had very little or almost zero exposure to this domain during their college days. They learn on the job which is a huge cost to the industry.
For all these, a sound school education with fundamentals in place is required.
Yet another example is collaborative teamwork. It could be a project-based learning approach where students work collaboratively to design and build a sustainable garden or renewable energy project, developing skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity.
Changes are being incorporated into the school curriculum to dove-tail it with higher skill-based education. The Department of School Education and Literacy is implementing the scheme of Vocationalisation of School Education.
It aims at integrating Vocational Education with general academic education in all Secondary/Senior Secondary schools; enhancing the employability and entrepreneurial abilities of the students, providing exposure to the work environment; and generating awareness among students about various career options so as to enable them to make a choice in accordance with their aptitude, competence, and aspirations. The scheme covers Government and Government aided schools.
“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.”—Sheryl Sandberg
