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Journalism school linked to N Ram and ‘Project 39A’ now cry threats of vandalism, move lecture by man convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination online

OpIndia Staff
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Journalism school linked to N Ram and ‘Project 39A’ now cry threats of vandalism, move lecture by man convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination online

On Tuesday, Project 39A issued a statement declaring that a lecture by a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, AG Perarivalan would be held online after threats of violence and vandalism were allegedly issued to the venue partner, the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. The organizers of the event said that they were concerned about the safety and security of the speaker and the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai.

“There have been serious threats of violence and vandalism against the venue partner over our choice of speaker. We are committed to Perarivalan’s freedom to share his experience searching for justice through 31 years of imprisonment,” the notification read. “The 5th Project Annual Lecture will be held online on December 17,” it added.

Asian College of Journalism, one of the premier institutions for journalism has invited AG Perarivalan, convicted in the assassination of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, for a guest lecture. The guest lecture is organized by Project 39A, which is an initiative of the National Law University Delhi.

Asian College of Journalism, one of the premier institutions for journalism has invited AG Perarivalan, convicted in the assassination of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, for a guest lecture. Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) based in Chennai comes under the aegis of the Media Development Foundation headed by journalist Sashi Kumar. The Hindu’s N. Ram is also a founding trustee of the Media Development Foundation. The guest lecture is organised by Project 39A, which is an initiative of the National Law University Delhi. Project 39A also has a chapter at ACJ and the lecture by the convicted criminal will be held at the ACJ venue. 

The lecture of Perarivalan has been titled “The denial of justice and a quest unfinished”, which in itself indicates the institution’s intention of painting the criminal as an innocent victim of the Indian state. However, that is not all. The initiative by NLU Delhi, in collaboration with ACJ, has gone a step ahead and claimed that the Indian judiciary and the system in general dehumanised Perarivalan. They also claim that his release was ordered after “grave doubts were cast on his role in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination”. 

50-year-old A G Perarivalan, alias Arivu, is the son of Tamil poet Kuyildasan. On the 11th of June 1991, Perarivalan was arrested for his role in the assassination. He was convicted because it was proven that he bought the two nine-volt batteries used in the bomb belt and handed them over to LTTE chief Sivarasan, the mastermind of the operation. Perarivalan at that time had confessed to his crime under TADA (a law that has now been discontinued). It is pertinent to note that the release of Perarivalan was a product of politics and the result of technicalities. At no point in time, was Perarivalan proven innocent of the crime and he has remained convicted of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, however, ACJ and Project 39A have organised a talk to give a convicted criminal the platform to talk about his “innocence” after being convicted of being a part of the plot that led to the assassination of a former Prime Minister of India.

Jharkhand: Gurudwara puts up posters eulogizing Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and describing the Indian Army as ‘Hindutva terrorists’

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Gurudwara puts up posters eulogizing Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and describing the Indian Army as ‘Hindutva terrorists’

A Gurudwara in the Mango city in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand is said to have put up several posters extolling Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Brar, popularly known as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and denouncing the Indian Armed Forces.

One of the posters on display criticised the Indian Armed Forces and falsely accused it of Sikh genocide, referring to Operation Blue Star, which was the code name for the Indian military action carried out to remove Khalistan terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the Harminder Sahib complex in Amritsar in 1984 under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The poster described the Indian Army as ‘Hindutva terrorists.’ It added that the Indian Army along with the Indian Navy and Air Force used chemical weapons and turned the Sikh’s holiest shrine into a killing ground.

Poster in the Gurudwara

Other posters put up at the same gurudwara glorified a number of Khalistani terrorists. General Shabeg Singh, Bhai Kehar Singh, Bhai Satwant Singh, Jagtar Singh Hawara, Balwant Singh Rajoana, Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, Dilawar Singh Babbar, etc. are just a few of these names.

Poster in the Gurudwara

OpIndia inquired about these posters from the locals of Jamshedpur. A manager at a private bank who spoke on the condition of anonymity claimed he was astonished to see these posters. He stated, “I was stunned to see the poster while I was heading to my friend’s house for the shradh bhoj (prayer service) of his deceased maternal grandmother. I also discussed the same with one of my colleagues. The shocking thing is that up until this point, neither the media nor the administration has spoken out against such a seditious act.

We also spoke to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (Jharkhand unit) publicity chief Sanjay Kumar on this matter. In Jamshedpur, he claimed, there was opposition once these posters were put up. In spite of a complaint being made by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad district office-bearers in Jamshedpur, he claimed the Mango Gurdwara management refused to take down these posters.

Sanjay Kumar referred to the act as anti-national. The state government is aware of this issue, he said, but nothing has been done about it thus far. He claimed that despite the gurdwara being under its purview, the Mango police station in Jamshedpur never took any action in response to this despicable act.

When Sardar Bhagwan Singh, a member of the Mango Gurdwara, was contacted by OpIndia, he claimed not to know who was responsible. I’ll look into it, Bhagwan Singh said as he hung up the phone.

In a conversation with OpIndia, Sardar Shailendra Singh, the head of the Jharkhand Gurdwara Management Committee brazened it out by saying, “The picture of Bhinderwala, who is revered as a martyr by the Sikh community, is displayed. Sikhs do not consider him a terrorist but y’all he might be. His pictures are readily available in stores nowadays. His picture has been given a place among hundreds of Sikh martyrs. You send the picture to us if it involves insulting the army. We will take immediate action against those involved.

When we asked SHO Mango about this, he flat-out denied knowing about any such occurrence in the vicinity of his police station. The station’s in-charge, in turn, started requesting information from us regarding the location as well as other specifics.

Videos of Indian Army personnel thrashing Chinese PLA go viral on Twitter: Are they from December 9 Indo-China face-off?

OpIndia Staff
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Videos of Indian Army personnel thrashing Chinese PLA go viral on Twitter: Are they from December 9 Indo-China face-off?

Social media platforms on Tuesday evening were awash with videos of the Indian Armed Forces thrashing the Chinese PLA troops. Several users reposted the video claiming it was from the recent scuffle between Indian and Chinese armed forces in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang.

The video shows a contingent of Indian Army personnel beating the living daylights out of the intruding Chinese PLA forces. Several other social media users shared the viral video claiming that it was from the December 9 incident between the armies of the two countries.

While netizens claimed that the undated video shared on social media is from the recent skirmishes between the Indian and Chinese troops along the LAC in the Tawang sector, the clip is likely from another clash along the border.

Is the viral video from the December 9 clashes between Indian and Chinese forces?

Journalist Shiv Aroor took cognisance of the old video and issued a clarification over the attendant claims. Aroor tweeted the video, saying that while it is not clear when the video is from, it is certainly not from the December 9 incident.

Another Twitter user, Major Amit Bansal (Retd), a geostrategic expert, responded to Arror’s tweet saying that it was an old video as the area around the Yangtze, where the recent clashes took place, remains in the snow during this time of the year.

Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul called the video of Indian Army personnel thrashing the Chinese PLA interesting but added that the video is likely old. He, however, added that the video is from a similar area and post-Galwan 2020 clash.

He further cited a source, whom he believes to be trustworthy, to confirm that the video is from the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh. While the date of the video remains unclear, he added, the helmets and the deployment revealed that it is from Tawang. Kaul further quoted locals as saying that China has been attempting incursions regularly for years.

“On an average, there are 7-8 aggressive transgressions by the Chinese PLA in Tawang every year between May and October. Ongoing since last four decades. Indian troops were less in strength earlier as compared to PLA. Alert Indian troops are now equal to PLA since last few years,” Kaul said in a subsequent tweet.

Indian and Chinese PLA soldiers face off at Arunachal LAC

Clashes broke out between the Indian and Chinese troops on December 9 in the border area of the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, an official statement by the Defence Ministry of India said.

The Chinese PLA reportedly contacted the LAC in the Tawang sector, which was contested by Indian troops in a firm and resolute manner that led to a stand-off between the two sides. Though both sides immediately disengaged from the area after the clashes, the Chinese PLA suffered more injuries than the Indian Army troopers.

A report by India Today confirmed that around 200 Chinese soldiers were involved in the attack. As per the report, the Chinese PLA came heavily prepared with spiked clubs with nails on them, monkey fists (a crude weapon made of iron that is worn on the wrist), and taser guns and sticks.

The PLA troop was challenged by a group of roughly 50 Indian soldiers who confronted them and stopped their advances in a location. According to a report by The Print’s Snehesh Alex Philip, a backup Indian squad arrived at the location within a half-hour, following which a clash ensued. According to sources cited by the media outlet, this conflict began with stone-pelting before troops from both sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Messi vs Modric: Two greats of the game collide in the World Cup semifinal

OpIndia Staff
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Messi vs Modric: Two greats of the game collide in the World Cup semifinal

The first semifinal of the ongoing World cup in Qatar is set to take place tonight between Argentina and Croatia. Argentina, led by their charismatic captain and arguably the greatest ever football player Lionel Messi is set to face off against Luka Modric’s Croatia.

Argentina started their World Cup journey with a shock as they lost to Saudi Arabia in one of the biggest shocks in the history of the tournament, before rebounding with wins over Mexico and Poland. They followed it up with victories over Australia and Netherlands, even if the latter one was via penalties.

Croatia on the other hand drew with fellow semifinalists Morocco, and Belgium, but defeated Canada in between powering their way to the knockouts. Once in knockouts, Croatia defeated Japan in a penalty shootout 3-1, only to meet the tournament favourite Brazil in the quarter-finals, who were again defeated in a penalty shootout.

Croatia, runners-up in the 2018 World Cup, are proving to be absolutely impossible to beat, and that is the task presented in front of Argentina if they want to give Lionel Messi the farewell that he desperately wants.

Luka Modric, the only one to win the Ballon D’or during the Messi-Ronaldo era, guided his country to the world cup finals in Russia in 2018, and at the age of 37, he is again leading his country to another historic final.

However, standing in Modric’s way is Lionel Messi, the greatest player to ever play the game. Since this is a team game, there is little Messi can do on his own once Modric and co run the game by dominating the midfield.

Either way, we will see one of the greats of the game bowing out from the greatest stage after the semifinal tonight. Whether it will be Messi or Modric, we find out later tonight.

Surat: Man arrested for spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI

OpIndia Staff
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Surat: Man arrested for spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI

The Gujarat Police on Tuesday arrested a 33-year-old man from Surat for allegedly spying for Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, reports said.

The accused, Deepak Kishor Bhai Salunkhe, was arrested by crime branch sleuths from the diamond city, acting on intel provided by the military intelligence from the Pune-based southern army command.

The man, a resident of Surat’s Bhuvneswari Nagar, used to run a shop named Sai Fashions.

“The ISI agent is being handed over to the special operations group (SOG) of Gujarat Police for further proceedings,” the report said.

Salunkhe was operating as a financial module which was receiving/transferring money to serving officials as well as civilians in exchange for crucial and classified information, PTI quoted sources as saying.

“He was in contact with two Pakistan-based handlers, Hamid and Kashif, and was about to share sensitive information with them,” the report said.

China claims Indian troops crossed the border and attacked its soldiers

OpIndia Staff
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China claims Indian troops crossed the border and attacked its soldiers

The Chinese military on Wednesday said the Indian troops crossed the border and obstructed the PLA forces that triggered a fresh stand-off between the two countries.

The statement came hours after it said the situation along the border with India is stable. 

“As far as we understand, the China-India border situation is stable overall,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said earlier in the first official statement since the face-off last Friday. The two sides “maintained unobstructed dialogue on the border issue through diplomatic and military channels,” he said.

Indian and Chinese PLA soldiers face off at Arunachal LAC

Clashes broke out between the Indian and Chinese troops on December 9 in the border area of the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, an official statement by the Defence Ministry of India said.

The Chinese PLA reportedly contacted the LAC in the Tawang sector, which was contested by Indian troops in a firm and resolute manner that led to a stand-off between the two sides. Though both sides immediately disengaged from the area after the clashes, the Chinese PLA suffered more injuries than the Indian Army troopers.

A report by India Today confirmed that around 200 Chinese soldiers were involved in the attack. As per the report, the Chinese PLA came heavily prepared with spiked clubs with nails on them, monkey fists (a crude weapon made of iron that is worn on the wrist), and taser guns and sticks.

The PLA troop was challenged by a group of roughly 50 Indian soldiers who confronted them and stopped their advances in a location. According to a report by The Print’s Snehesh Alex Philip, a backup Indian squad arrived at the location within a half-hour, following which a clash ensued. According to sources cited by the media outlet, this conflict began with stone-pelting before troops from both sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks on the Indo-China clash in Tawang

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday addressed the lower house of the Indian Parliament over the scuffle that broke out between Indian and Chinese troops along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. Singh said that the attempt of PLA troops was contested by the Indian army in a firm and resolute manner. He added that the contestation led to a face-off between the two forces, resulting in a minor scuffle which prevented the PLA from transgressing into the Indian territory and compelled them to return to their posts.

“Our army valiantly fought back & forced Chinese troops to go back to their post. They foiled China’s bid to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC in the Tawang sector. Both sides have suffered some injury, none of our soldiers is seriously injured or dead,” Singh said in Lok Sabha.

Man claims to solve fertility issues and genetic disorders with artificial womb facility called Ectolife. Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Man claims to solve fertility issues and genetic disorders with artificial womb facility called Ectolife. Here is what we know so far

On Friday (December 9), a filmmaker and science communicator by the name of Hashem Al-Ghaili released a concept video of an artificial womb facility called Ectolife.

The said video claimed that it is the first-of-its-kind facility where 30,000 babies can be grown in a year’s time. It further added that the facility is powered by renewable energy, consisting of solar and wind.

As per the concept video, Ectolife has 75 labs with each having the capacity to accommodate upto 400 artificial wombs (also called growth pods). The facility uses artificial intelligence to monitor and cater to the growth of individual babies.

According to the Ectolife video, prospective parents must provide their eggs and sperm for in-vitro fertilisation. They will be provided with the option to choose viable traits, screen for birth defects, and produce ‘genetically superior embryos’ (embryos that are devoid of genetic issues).

The prospective parents can also genetically engineer their embryo, prior to implantation, by employing a ‘CRISPR-Cas 9 gene editing tool’ (currently used to correct a genetic mutation in embryonic stages for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).

The video claimed that Ectolife will extensively use AI technologies to provide nutrients that are customised to the needs of each child and monitor deviations from normal gestation.

It further added that parents can control what the child can see and hear through the use of 360-degree cameras and Virtual Reality (VR) headsets. They also can receive video of their child’s development 24/7 through their smartphone.

The concept video also talks about playing soft music and words to help in the learning process of the child in the early development stages. When the embryo is fully mature, the amniotic fluid-like solution will drain from the growth pod and the child will be removed from it.

Given that it will operate with minimal energy, such growth pods can even be used indoors. A similar concept video was earlier released in 2020.

According to Hashem Al-Ghaili, the innovation will be a breakthrough for couples with infertility issues, tired of waiting for the adoption, or worried about pregnancy complications. He also claimed that technology could make miscarriages a thing of the past.

As early as 2017, scientists made a breakthrough in artificial womb technology through the development of ‘Bio Bag.’ Reportedly, scientists grew 8 foetal lambs for a period of 3.5-4 months at that time.

Norway’s government mocks Twitter for identifying them as a ‘Nigerian government organisation’

OpIndia Staff
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Norway’s government mocks Twitter for identifying them as a ‘Nigerian government organisation’

The government of Norway on Tuesday, December 13, mocked Twitter for mistakingly labelling them as an organisation representing Nigeria.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared a screenshot of its own Twitter profile to call attention to the “Nigerian government organisation” label that the social media giant had placed on it.

“Dear @TwitterSupport, as much as we enjoy our excellent bilateral relations and close alphabetical vicinity with Nigeria, we would much appreciate if you could label us as Norway. P.S. That also goes for Prime Minister @jonasgahrstore and Foreign Minister @AHuitfeldt”, the Norway govt tweeted adding a wink emoji.

The Twitter handle pointed out how Twitter had mistakenly affixed the same label to the official Twitter handles of the Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the country’s Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt.

As rightly pointed out, in an apparent mix-up between the two countries’ names, the Twitter profiles of both the Norwegian PM and FM are also tagged as representing Nigeria.

Screenshot of the official Twitter profile of Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre
Screenshot of the official Twitter profile of Norwegian FM Anniken Huitfeldt

As seen in the aforementioned screenshots, there is a small grey flag followed by a description below the name and the Twitter handle of the relevant Twitter accounts on their profile page. In the year 2020, Twitter introduced these labels for accounts and tweets tied to government officials and “state-affiliated media”.

Labels on state-affiliated accounts provide additional context about accounts that are controlled by certain official representatives of governments, state-affiliated media entities, and individuals closely associated with those entities. 

The label can be seen on the appropriate Twitter account’s profile page, as well as on tweets that are posted from that account. Labels specify the country with which the account is associated, as well as clarify if it is run by an official representative of the government or a state-run media organisation.

Additionally, these labels include a small icon of a flag to signal the account’s status as a government account.

For instance, if we look at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter profile, the social media giant has given him the label of “India government official,” which adds more context to the account.

Screenshot of the official Twitter profile of Indian PM Narendra Modi

The social media juggernaut, however, misidentified the Twitter accounts of both the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and high-ranking government officials, giving the Norwegian government the chance to troll them.

UP: 80 persons of 12 Muslim families revert to Hinduism, accuse SP leader Azam Khan of forcing them to embrace Islam 12 years ago

OpIndia Staff
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UP: 80 persons of 12 Muslim families revert to Hinduism, accuse SP leader Azam Khan of forcing them to embrace Islam 12 years ago

On Sunday, around 80 people of 12 families in Muzzafarnagar quit Islam and embraced Hinduism in presence of Mahant Swami Yashveer Maharaj at Yog Sadhana Ashram, Bagra. The 80 members, belonging to the Dalit community, alleged that they were earlier Hindus and were forced to convert to Islam by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

According to the reports, the members said that Azam Khan had forced them to quit Hinduism and accept Islam 12 years ago. They also alleged that after the forceful conversion, Khan and his henchmen snatched the properties and wealth belonging to the Dalits. Fed up with everything, they quit Islam and accepted Hinduism in an elaborate ceremony organised to mark their reversion to the faith in presence of Yashveer Maharaj, one of the chef abbots at the Yog Sadhana Ashram.

Hindu ritual performed by Mahant Yasveer Maharaj (Image Source- Newstrack)

‘Azam Khan forced us to embrace Islam, he also appropriated our properties’, said Kavita, who reverted back to Hinduism

The members undertook Ghar wapsi by chanting Gayatri Mantra and by embracing the Hindu religious thread ‘Janeu’. Yashveer Maharaj also purified the members with the help of Gangajal. One of the members named Imrana who gave herself a new name on Sunday, Kavita, said, “12 years ago, Azam Khan had forced us to convert to Islam. He also snatched our wealth and properties. He did the same to many other Dalit families.”

Meanwhile, another one named Harjana, who will now be known as Savita, said, “Azam Khan has harassed many people. He forced people to convert to Islam. He is in jail because of his sins. Now we are happy after Ghar wapsi.” Reports mention that the 80 persons who did Ghar Wapsi on December 11 belong to the Dalit community and are residents of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.

Mahant Swami Yashveer Maharaj at Yog Sadhana Ashram, Bagra also confirmed the incident and said that SP leader Azam Khan had threatened many Dalits to convert their religion to Islam. “These Dalits were lured 12 years ago and were threatened to change their religion. Today these people were purified with the help of Gangajal and now they will be known as Hindus,” he added. According to the Mahant, he has done Ghar Wapsi of around 530 persons.

Samajwadi Party leader calls Gujaratis ‘cowards’ while challenging PM Modi to declare war on China

OpIndia Staff
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Samajwadi Party leader calls Gujaratis ‘cowards’ while challenging PM Modi to declare war on China

On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party leader IP Singh challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare war on China and said that the India-China face-off was becoming intolerant. He also cornered PM Modi and his government while referring to Gujaratis as cowards. “Prime Minister should declare war with China, now it is beyond tolerance,” he tweeted.

Further, while calling himself the son of a brave soldier, Singh said that he was not a Gujarati ‘coward’ and that he had the guts and courage to fight the Chinese. “I am the son of a brave soldier, I am not a Gujarati coward, we have courage and determination,” he added.

This is days after clashes broke out between the Indian and Chinese troops on December 9 in the border area of the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh. While no deaths were reported, there were reports of multiple injuries on both sides. As reported earlier, the Chinese had come heavily prepared with around 300 soldiers but didn’t expect the Indian side would also be well prepared to thwart their intrusion.

As per the reports, the Chinese PLA contacted the LAC in the Tawang sector, which was contested by Indian troops in a firm and resolute manner that led to a stand-off between the two sides. Though both sides immediately disengaged from the area after the clashes, the Chinese PLA suffered more injuries than the Indian Army troopers.

Later, Defence Ministry issued a statement and confirmed that the face-off had led to minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides. As a follow up of the incident, own Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquility,” it added.

Defence Minister lauds Indian Army, says they foiled Chinese bid to unilaterally change the status quo

Also today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the lower house of the Indian Parliament over the scuffle that broke out between Indian and Chinese and said, “Our army valiantly fought back and forced Chinese troops to go back to their post. They foiled China’s bid to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC in the Tawang sector. Both sides have suffered some injury, none of our soldiers is seriously injured or dead.”

Along with the Samajwadi Party, many opposition parties including Congress and RJD also targeted the Modi-led government and said that the central government should be honest with issues related to national security. “Again our Indian Army soldiers have been provoked by the Chinese. Our jawans fought in a resolute manner and a few of them have been injured too. We are one with the nation on the issues of National Security and would not like to politicize it. But Modi govt should be honest,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted.

The scuffle assumes significance given that it is the first such incident since the Galwan Valley clashes between India and China more than two years ago, heightening tensions between the two countries. On June 15, 2020, the Chinese troops attacked the Indian troops along the LAC near the Ladakh border. The clashes resulted in India losing 20 of its soldiers.

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