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Supreme Court advocate J Sai Deepak pens a heartfelt note about Vivek Agnihotri’s newly released movie ‘The Kashmir Files’

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court advocate J Sai Deepak pens a heartfelt note about Vivek Agnihotri’s newly released movie ‘The Kashmir Files’

On Saturday (March 12), Supreme Court advocate J Sai Deepak thanked director Vivek Agnihotri for ‘The Kashmir Files’ and urged his followers to support the movie wholeheartedly.

In a tweet, he wrote, “…I repeat nothing, could have prepared me for the visceral impact of The Kashmir Files. As a hardcore movie buff, if there is a movie in my memory that captures d sheer power of d cinematic medium to give expression to facts, it has to be The Kashmir Files”.

J Sai Deepak pointed out that the makers of the film were confident about their research and that they refrained from putting up ‘escapist’ and ‘evasive’ disclaimers at the very start.

The Supreme Court advocate had appreciated the non-linear style of movie narration, which was adopted by director Vivek Agnihotri for ‘The Kashmir Files’. He emphasised that the story constantly revolved between the past and present and that proved effective in showcasing the genocide committed against the Kashmiri Hindu Pandits.

“The way the movie brings together Kashmir, student politics, education, the Marxist negation of documented facts & its extra-warm relations wid Islamists is a testament to the work Vivek Agnihotri has put in over the years. In that sense, this movie is the culmination of his previous efforts,” he added.

J Sai Deepak then pointed out how each character in ‘The Kashmir Files’ reflected a generation of Kashmir and its respective vantage point. “Effectively three generations have been captured in the movie, telling us that three generations of Kashmiri Pandits have suffered in independent Bharat,” he added.

The Supreme Court advocate also emphasised why remembering history and its periodic reinforcement is essential to ensure that the lived experiences of victims are not denied in society.

“The naming of the characters, from Pushkar Nath Pandit to Sharda Pandit to Bitta and Radhika Menon, and the use of these fused characters to represent multiple real personalities is a testament to Team Vivek Agnihotri’s deep emotional and intellectual investment in the movie,” he said.

J Sai Deepak further remarked, “The movie is not a mere collage of known events. Even that would (have) been an achievement given the current state of Bollywood. But the movie goes much beyond that & invests in multiple layers in every scene, from faith to loss of the home to hope to the realisation of apathy & finally the denial.”

The Supreme Court advocate was in awe of the cast of ‘The Kashmir Files’. He tweeted, “I think everyone who was part of this movie consciously embraced the trauma and chose to channel it…If watching the movie has such a deep impact, I can’t begin to imagine what making it & playing the characters would (have) done to those involved.”

J Sai Deepak conceded that he could not hold back his emotions after watching the film, despite years of training to the contrary.

“Some dear friends have often called me a *robot*, but this movie shattered the robotic barrier…This movie is as real and as authentic as it gets & I think deep gratitude is in order for d super talented cast of the movie,” he wrote.

He was also in awe of Bollywood actor Anupam Kher for playing the character of one ‘Pushkar Nath Pandit’. The ‘realistic’ performance of the veteran actor in the movie swayed J Sai Deepak.

“This has to count as Anupam Kher ji’s finest work ever. Even if he manages to do a better job in any other movie, which I doubt is possible, nothing is ever going to come close to this role. He was born for this role. It seems as if his life journey prepared him for this role,” he added.

“For once, I don’t have the words to capture Anupam Kher Ji’s performance except to say that his character spoke to me like an elder from my own family. He has channelled his heritage & the pain of our people through this performance. To me, his Karmic account has been settled,” the advocate continued.

While speaking about the performance of actress Bhasha Sumbli, he tweeted, “Aptly named *Sharda* in the movie, she represents not just the trauma suffered by the women of the Kashmiri Pandit community, but the genocide of all that Sharda stands for – spirituality, knowledge, family, language, script- Civilisation.”

J Sai Deepak emphasised, “From being forced to eat rice soaked in the blood of her husband to the prescient passing image of the *saw mill* when she drops her son Shiva at the school, you know all through the movie what she is going to be put through & you brace yourself for it. And even that doesn’t prepare you.

He had also applauded the performances of actors Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Chinmay Mandlekar and Darshan Kumar.

“As for the rest of the cast, Puneet Issar, Prakash Belawadi and others provide the perfect supporting foil through their representation of the role of the State establishment and media during the *genocide*, not exodus, of Kashmiri Pandits,” he pointed out.

The Supreme court advocate further added, “What’s poignant throughout the movie is that the characters keep chanting Om Namah Shivay, even when their end is near. The punarsthapana of the Shiva Linga by the third generation of Pandits after the amendment to Article 370 represents Civilisational hope and resurgence.”

Lastly, he said, “This generation finally has the good fortune of seeing this Civilisation’s history being captured on the big screen by gutsy and brilliant filmmakers such as Vivek Agnihotri. It’s time to push the Overton Window further in favour of Dharma and Desha.”

“If you believe that you don’t have the guts to watch this movie, effectively you have lost the right to opine on this Civilisation. If you can’t even watch, you can’t be expected to stand up for Civilisation when the time comes. So grow a spine, watch, internalise & channel,” concluded J Sai Deepak.

‘The Kashmir Files‘ film is based on the genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus by the fanatic Islamists in Kashmir in 1990 and the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus following that. The film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar, and Mrinal Kulkarni are in lead roles.

The film was opposed by many Islamists before its release. A petition was also filed in the Bombay high court after the trailer of the film was published on YouTube. The petition sought a ban on the release of the film citing that it could potentially hurt the sentiments of the Muslims in the country.

The Bombay high court had dismissed the petition clearing the way of releasing the film ‘The Kashmir Files’.

Schools in Japan ban girls from tying their hair in ponytails, say it can sexually excite men

OpIndia Staff
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Schools in Japan ban girls from tying their hair in ponytails, say it can sexually excite men

In an absurd decision, schools in Japan have now banned female students from tying ponytails inside the schools. The schools have claimed that this hairstyle has the potential to sexually excite a male.

Japanese schools are infamous for imposing rules which would otherwise seem abnormally strict and absurd to people from other countries. From regulating the length of the socks to the colour of the undergarments, Japanese schools have always come up with these absurd rules that surprise people elsewhere.

According to reports, a former middle school teacher in Japan has told VICE World News that the school administration mentioned that the girls who expose the nape of their necks could sexually excite boys.

The teacher further said, “They are worried boys will look at girls, which is similar to the reasoning behind upholding a white-only underwear color rule. The students are compelled to accept these norms because there is very little criticism against this.” It is notable that according to a survey done in 2020, one out of ten schools in the southern prefecture of Fukuoka had banned ponytails.

This is not the only arbitrary and regressive stricture in Japanese schools. In fact, Japanese schools have imposed many such draconian rules, and students never get any explanation behind imposing them. For example, a bob hairstyle is allowed even though it reveals about as much of the neck as a ponytail does, while an undercut is strictly prohibited. The students are also not allowed to dye their hair, and if it is not ‘black or straight’, they must prove it is the natural colour or style of their hair.

According to Asao Naito, an associate professor of sociology from Meiji University, these rules may vary from school to school and across the generations but the intended impact of these rules is to ensure that no one stands out from the crowd.

These absurd rules sound similar to some of the rules imposed over the years in North Korea by Kim Jong Un. The North Korean leader has banned so-called ‘non-socialist’ hairstyles such as the spike and mullet, along with dyed hair. According to the new laws, men and women can only keep one of the 215 other authorized hairstyles.

Punjab CM-elect Bhagwant Mann issues orders to withdraw security of 122 former ministers and MLAs

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab CM-elect Bhagwant Mann issues orders to withdraw security of 122 former ministers and MLAs

Even before swearing-in as the CM of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann of AAP has issued orders to withdraw the security of many former ministers and MLAs in Punjab on 12th March 2022. AAP has won 92 out of 117 assembly seats of Punjab in the recent assembly elections and Bhagwant Mann is set to take oath as the new CM of the state on 16th March 2022 in Bhagat Singh’s native village.

As per a reports, Mann has issued an order on Saturday, according to which the security of all Congress and Akali Dal leaders has been withdrawn. As per this decision, security cover provided by Punjab police to 122 former ministers and former MLAs will be withdrawn. This will mean the ministers the outgoing Congress govt who lost their elections will lose their security cover.

The Badal family and former CMs Captain Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi are exceptions to this order as they have been provided the security on the instructions of the Union Home Ministry.

Talking about the decision, Mann said that “the security of the people of Punjab is more important than the security of few people”. He said that police stations are lying vacant due to security provided to VIPs.

Punjab’s CM designate Bhagwant Mann has staked his claim to form a government in the state after meeting Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday 12th March 2022. He said, “I met the Governor, handed over the letter of support from our MLAs, and staked claim to form the Government. He told me to tell him wherever we wanted to hold the swearing-in ceremony. It’ll be held at the native village of Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan at 12.30 pm on March 16.”

Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as the winner in the recent Punjab assembly elections. It has secured a massive victory shattering aside the Congress and the SAD-BSP alliance together. Many prominent leaders including the outgoing chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, SAD supremo Prakash Singh Badal and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh were defeated in the assembly elections. This is the second state after Delhi where AAP is forming its government.

A day after Aam Aadmi Party’s massive victory in Punjab assembly elections, the pro-Khalistan secessionist group “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) had sent a letter to Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann saying that AAP clearly won the elections by deceptively bagging the votes of pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Punjab who support SFJ’s secessionist referendum for the independence of Punjab from India.

NDTV claims Gandhi family to offer resignation tomorrow, Congress denies it, accuses NDTV of peddling “unsubstantiated propaganda”

OpIndia Staff
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NDTV claims Gandhi family to offer resignation tomorrow, Congress denies it, accuses NDTV of peddling “unsubstantiated propaganda”

Earlier this evening, NDTV reported that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi would be tendering their resignations at Congress meet that is scheduled to take place tomorrow. “Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to offer resignation at Congress meet tomorrow: Sources,” said a tweet posted by the official Twitter account of NDTV.

The tweet came in light of the disastrous poll performance by the Congress party in 5 states, including Uttar Pradesh, where the party managed to win a paltry 2 seats out of the total 403 Vidhan Sabha seats.

NDTV reported the imminent resignation of the Gandhi family. Source: Twitter

However, soon after NDTV reported the imminent resignation of the Gandhi family from the Congress, party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala issued a clarification, calling the news of resignation by the Gandhi family members fake. Slamming NDTV and accusing it of carrying unsubstantiated propaganda at the behest of the BJP, Surjewala tweeted: “The news story of alleged resignations being carried on NDTV based on unnamed sources is completely unfair, mischievous, and incorrect. It is unfair for a TV channel to carry such unsubstantiated propaganda stories emanating from imaginary sources at the instance of ruling BJP.”

After being called out for peddling fake news, NDTV issued a clarification, stating that Congress has denied Gandhis offering resignation at the meet tomorrow.

NDTV later posted a clarification. Source: Twitter

Decimation of Congress in recent assembly elections

The Congress party’s performance in the recent assembly elections has been disastrous. In Uttar Pradesh, it has managed to win just 2 seats. Having taken charge of a drowning Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has firmly sunk the party. Congress’ family bastions Amethi and Rae Bareli, where the party had some hope of attracting votes in the name of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, have also completely slipped out of the Gandhi family’s hands under her leadership. The party drew a big fat zero in both Amethi and Rae Bareli in the 2022 UP Assembly elections.

Likewise in other states, Congress has lost Punjab where it was in power for the last term. In the 117-seat assembly, Congress has got just 18. Congress has also lost in Manipur, a 60-seat assembly, where it has been reduced from 23 to 5. In Goa, Congress has secured 12 seats out of 40, while in Uttarakhand, it got 19 out of 70 seats.

However, this is not the first time when the Gandhis of the grand old party are offering their resignations. In fact, they usually offer resignations to themselves as the key positions are held by Gandhis only. After the recent defeat, the discontent among leaders and workers was reflected in the response of Congress senior leader and MP Shashi Tharoor, also a member of the G-23, a group of dissident Congress leaders who have been advocating a tectonic shift in the leadership for the last two years.

Pakistan: Shahzaib Khan kills his 7-days-old daughter because he wanted a baby boy, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Shahzaib Khan kills his 7-days-old daughter because he wanted a baby boy, arrested

The Pakistan Police launched a manhunt for a father who killed his 7-days-old daughter just because he wanted his newborn to be a son. The father who has been arrested now was identified as Shahzaib Khan. He had escaped after firing several shots at the newborn girl.

According to the reports, the incident happened on Sunday in the Mianwali city of Pakistan’s Punjab province when Khan pointed a gun at his family members to hand over the baby girl ‘Jannat’ to him. He then shot five bullets in her body leading to her instant death.

The Police registered a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the girl’s maternal uncle Hidayatullah Khan and arrested him on the charges of murder. Hidayatullah Khan said to the Dawn that he tried to save the child but Shahzaib had pointed a gun at all the family members. “He had pointed the gun at me and the other relatives and threatened to shoot us if we moved closer”, he was quoted.

Shahzaib Khan had been married to Mashal Fatima two years ago and their daughter was born a week ago. His wife Fatima was quoted saying that Shahzaib was enraged when their daughter was born and left the house for a few days. He returned and murdered the girl. She added that he first hit her and cursed their daughter. Later, he pulled a revolver and fired rounds into her body.

The incident created outrage on social media with people condemning the killing as ‘barbaric’ and ‘brutal’. Tehseen Qasim, one of the social media users said that the only solution to stop the brutality was hanging such culprits publicly.

Another one named Misbah Munir said that she felt terrible for the mother. “I’m disgusted to the core. I feel terrible for the mother. Look at the beautiful daughter she had. Women lead the world, it’s 2022 FFS. #Mianwaliincident #mianwali #WomenDay2022”, the tweet read.

A women’s group in Pakistan, Aurat Azadi March also condemned the incident to say that the incident showed the country’s reality in terms of the treatment of women and girls. “We need to wake up to the reality of this country and fight against such injustice and oppression”, the tweet added.

It is important to note that in some parts of Pakistan, the birth of baby girls is considered an insult to the manhood of their fathers. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Gender Gap Index, Pakistan stands at the 153rd position out of a total of 156 countries. This is anything but a clear indication that gender-based violence in Pakistan has worsened over the years.

“We will avenge his act of contempt”: SFJ that claimed AAP used Khalistani funds and votes to win Punjab threatens Arvind Kejriwal

OpIndia Staff
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“We will avenge his act of contempt”: SFJ that claimed AAP used Khalistani funds and votes to win Punjab threatens Arvind Kejriwal

Following the banned Khalistani organization SFJ’s letter to Punjab Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann requesting that the AAP allow a Khalistani referendum, another video has emerged in which Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the organization’s head, can be seen intimidating Kejriwal who believes Punjab is at his feet.

Pointing out to the moment when Bhagwant Mann touched the feet of Arvind Kejriwal after winning the elections, Pannun said in the video, “The newly elected chief minister has not only placed his turban on Kejriwal’s feet, but he has placed the turban of the whole Punjab on his feet. If Kejriwal wants to represent that Punjab is at his feet, he has challenged our collective fortitude, and we will undoubtedly avenge his act of contempt for us.”

He went on to say, “we will definitely avenge this act of contempt. I ask all of our supporters to disrupt their road show on March 13 and swearing in of Bhagwant Mann on March 16. We will absolutely teach a lesson to those who have challenged the dignity of Sikhs. The shoes on which the Punjabi turban has been placed must be used to strike Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann in the face.”

Pannun announced a reward of one lakh dollars to whosoever restores the dignity of Punjab. He said, “Kejriwal should no longer be visible in Punjab.” He should be spotted in either Delhi or Haridwar. I call on all of our Sikh brothers to reclaim and restore the dignity of Punjab.”

Reiterating his resolve for Khalistan, he said, “…Punjab’s solution is Khalistan, Punjab’s independence.  What if the AAP forms the government in Punjab? We can’t wait another five years. We must act immediately. Whoever comes forward will get a one-lakh-dollar reward from Sikhs for Justice.”

The pro-Khalistan leader recently stated that the AAP had attempted to gain the trust of pro-Khalistan voters by falsely claiming that the 2022 elections are significant for both Punjab and the SFJ because if the AAP comes to power in Punjab, pro-Khalistanis will have new hope to strengthen and accomplish our mission.

SFJ claims AAP used Khalistani funds, votes to win Punjab assembly elections

Interestingly, Pannun mentioned in an earlier video that now that the AAP is in control and the people of Punjab have successfully ousted anti-Khalistan politicians, Badal and Captain Amarinder, Khalistan referendum voting should go easily in Punjab.

A day after Aam Aadmi Party’s massive victory in Punjab assembly elections, the pro-Khalistan secessionist group “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) has sent a letter to Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann saying that AAP clearly won the elections by deceptively bagging the votes of pro- Khalistan Sikhs in Punjab who support SFJ’s secessionist referendum for the independence of Punjab from India.

In a letter released by the SFJ, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the anti-India outfit, made a sensational allegation that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP treacherously used Khalistan votes and funds to win Punjab.

Accidental firing of missile into Pakistan from India: Islamabad demands a joint probe, wants to know whether ‘rogue elements’ launched it

OpIndia Staff
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Accidental firing of missile into Pakistan from India: Islamabad demands a joint probe, wants to know whether ‘rogue elements’ launched it

A day after the Indian Defence Ministry clarified that the accidental firing of a missile into an area of Pakistan on March 9th 2022 was due to a technical malfunction, Pakistan, Saturday sought a joint inquiry to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident. It has asked New Delhi to explain “if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements”.

Pakistan said it has taken note of India’s statement and that the “grave nature of the incident” raises several fundamental questions about security protocols and technical safeguards against the accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearized environment.

The statement issued by Pakistan
The statement issued by Pakistan

“Such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the Indian authorities,” it said, listing several questions.

Pakistan demanded that India explain the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches, as well as the specific circumstances surrounding this incident.

It went on to say that India should clearly explain the type and specifications of the missile, as well as its flight path/trajectory and how it eventually turned and entered Pakistan.

It also wanted to know if the missile had a self-destruct mechanism, and if so, why it didn’t work.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office also wanted to know if Indian missiles were kept primed for launch even during routine maintenance.

It questioned why India did not immediately notify Pakistan about the accidental launch and instead waited until Pakistan announced the incident to seek clarification.

“The whole incident indicates many loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in Indian handling of strategic weapons,” it added.

India’s “decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is not sufficient as the missile ended up in Pakistani territory. Pakistan demands a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident,” it said.

Pakistan called on the international community, stating that due to the short distances and response times, any misinterpretation by the other side could result in counter-measures in self-defence, with serious consequences.

“Pakistan, therefore, calls upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment, and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region,” it said.

‘Missile accidentally fired into Pakistan during maintenance’: India

India on Friday issued a statement acknowledging that on 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile that unfortunately landed in an area of Pakistan. Fortunately, there has been no loss of life due to the accident.

The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry, said the Defence Ministry in a statement.

The Ministry also added that while the incident was “deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident”.

The acknowledgement came a day after the Pakistani Army claimed that a ‘missile’ from India was launched from Hisar, violated the Pakistani airspace and fell in Mian Channu city in Khanewal district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. The incident allegedly took place on Wednesday (March 9) evening.

DG ISPR alleged that the ‘flying object’ travelled 124 km from Sirsa in India to land in Mian Channu city of Pakistan. Genera Babar, however, made it clear that the flying object was not shot down and that it fell on its own.

Congress leader justifying rapes by ‘mards’ of Rajasthan vs the ‘liberal’ reaction to ‘ripped jeans’ statement by Tirath Singh Rawat: The shameless hypocrisy

Jinit Jain
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Congress leader justifying rapes by ‘mards’ of Rajasthan vs the ‘liberal’ reaction to ‘ripped jeans’ statement by Tirath Singh Rawat: The shameless hypocrisy

A significant incident took place earlier this week, that perhaps got drowned out in the cacophony of the assembly elections result. While the nation’s attention was glued to the unfolding poll results in 5 states, Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal made an utterly reprehensible comment when he tried rationalising Rajasthan being on the top of the list of states with the highest rape cases.

During his address in Assembly, Dhariwal said the state is at number one in rape cases because it has always been a region of ‘manly’ persons. He said, “There is no doubt in the fact that we are at number one in rape cases. Why are we ahead in rape cases? Is there some fault within us? What can we do? Rajasthan has always been the state of ‘mards’ (men).”

Not just that, Dhariwal’s crass remarks on sexual violence evoked laughter from his fellow Congress lawmakers, who had no qualms in chortling at statements that sought to justify the preponderance of rapes in Rajasthan rather than raise their voice against Dhariwal’s despicable justification.

Naturally, Dhariwal’s condemnable speech sparked outrage across social media platforms. Several conscious citizens who felt offended at Dhariwal’s remarks took to social media to express their revulsion at the brazen justification of rapes given by the Congress minister. Dr Satish Poonia, State President of the BJP in Rajasthan, slammed the Congress party and its ministers for making a shameless confession of being number one in rape and insulting the women.

Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission of Women (NCW), also took cognisance of Dhariwal’s statement, saying her department would take strict action against the minister. Several notable Twitter users, including author Shefali Vaidya, also voiced their protest against Dhariwal and expressed shock at the statements made by a person holding an important constitutional position.

However, even as condemnations were pouring in on Twitter and other social media platforms, the self-described liberals, who share their ideological moorings with the Congress party, turned a blind eye to the statements made by Dhariwal. They went about their business as if Dhariwal never made those disgraceful remarks rationalising the growing number of rape cases reported in Rajasthan.

One could have granted the benefit of the doubt to the liberals for not denouncing Dhariwal on Thursday given that it was the day when election results of five states had been announced. Liberals perhaps were sunk in their misery after the election results showed BJP returning to power in 4 out of 5 states, one of them the mighty Uttar Pradesh, often hailed as the gateway to the central government.

The studied silence of ‘liberals’ over the ‘rape by mards of Rajasthan’ comment by Congress minister

However, two days since the election results were announced, the left-leaning liberals are yet to take cognisance of Dhariwal’s speech, let alone issue an unequivocal condemnation. The left-leaning liberals, who bill themselves as crusaders fighting for the safety of women, remained woefully callous and indifferent to the plight of women in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and their minister’s appalling justification.

Dhariwal’s statement was not just insensitive and insulting towards the victims of rape and sexual assault, it, in a sense, conveyed a fatalistic acceptance among the government that the state topped the list of states with the highest number of rapes on account of it being a ‘manly’ state. In fact, the minister was almost gloating over the prevalence of rapes in Rajasthan, linking it to the manhood of the state. The statement betrayed the Congress leader’s belief in male chauvinism, a notion that men are superior to women and therefore the latter should always remain subordinate to the former, even if that entails enduring sexual assaults.

But since Dhariwal belonged to the Congress party, his utterances were forgiven, perhaps even papered over, by the dint of maintaining a studied silence over it. None of the women’s right crusader or self-proclaimed feminists dared issue a statement against Dhariwal or the Congress party that harboured individuals with such problematic convictions. Instead, they focused their energies on analysing threadbare the election results of the assembly polls, particularly that of Uttar Pradesh.

‘Liberals’ launch a concerted attack against BJP and RSS for Tirath Singh Rawat’s ‘women wearing ripped jeans’ remark

By contrast, the left-leaning liberals had fallen over themselves to condemn and attack the former chief minister of Uttarakhand, Tirath Singh Rawat, for his comment on women wearing ripped jeans. Rawat had in March 2021 made unsolicited remarks on women’s attire when he took to Twitter to express his shock at a mother wearing ripped jeans and boots while she was on a flight with her children.

Rawat’s tweet elicited sharp reactions from a variety of people. From celebrities to journalists, to politicians, everyone pounced on the opportunity to assail the Uttarakhand CM and share their pictures in ripped jeans. Countless opinion columns and articles were written, attacking Rawat for his comment and linking his personal opinions to that of his party.

Anti-BJP propagandists masquerading as journalists exploited Rawat’s predicament to the hilt, contending that his remarks demonstrated BJP’s regressive ideology and their penchant to control what women wore. For days on end, social media platforms were rife with campaigns targeting BJP and RSS for remarks made by Rawat. An elaborate and concerted attempt was made to malign the Sangh and the BJP, in a bid to cast a dent in their women supporter base.

The Liberal reticence on calling out Rajasthan minister for his obnoxious remarks betrays their shameless hypocrisy

But tragically, this spirited initiative to fight for something as serious and significant as women’s safety was conspicuously missing in the wake of Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal’s trivialising remarks on the prevalence of rapes in the state. Sure, women have every right to choose what they want to wear without men passing moralistic judgments on their choices. But they also have a right to lead a dignified life, one that is not marred by the spectre of rapes and sexual assault.

This, however, is not important enough to warrant the attention of left-leaning liberals, who are otherwise champing at the bit of outraging against everything under the sun, of course so long as the protest is directed against the Modi government. Since Dhariwal is a minister in the Congress government, he is allowed to get away with these indiscreet utterances, no matter how condemnable and appalling they are.

The stark dichotomy between the liberals’ reaction to Rawat and Dhariwal’s comment underscores the double standards of the left-liberal intelligentsia. They would make a beeline to attack non-left leaders on the perceived impropriety but turn a blind eye to unambiguously obnoxious behaviour and statements made by their own leaders. As their deafening silence on Dhariwal’s statements illustrates, the Left’s insistence on being the champion of women’s rights and safety is nothing but hogwash. For the Left, the ideals of feminism, women’s safety are not paramount. Instead, they are mere tools that can be weaponised at will to defeat their political and ideological opponents.

Screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ cancelled in Jammu theatre, 16-year-old boy assaulted, two girls manhandled: Eyewitness confirms incident to OpIndia

Siddhi Somani
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Screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ cancelled in Jammu theatre, 16-year-old boy assaulted, two girls manhandled: Eyewitness confirms incident to OpIndia

Amid the rising box office collection of ‘The Kashmir Files’, the makers of the movie are facing a new controversy regarding a few scenes depicting late IAF Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna’s death in the film. On Friday, the screening of the film at the Wave Cinemas in Jammu was cancelled and the people who had bought the tickets were being thrashed and abused by the authorities at the multiplex.

“We are here in Wave Cinemas, Jammu, Just now the authorities here stopped the screening of THE KASHMIR FILES. People are being thrashed and assaulted! Big propaganda is running to Muzzle the voice of truth”, tweeted one of the users who claim to have witnessed the chaos on March 11.

In the video shared by the user, a few people were seen arguing with the authorities of the multiplex asking the reason as to why the screening had been cancelled. One of the boys in the video could also be heard saying that he was hit by the authorities.

Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on Saturday took cognizance of the incident and demanded an explanation from the Wave Cinemas for allegedly initiating the chaos. “Dear Wave Cinemas, please explain on what basis have you done this?”, he tweeted on March 12.

Meanwhile, another user also claimed that he was present at the Wave Cinema when the incident took place. He said that the authorities had stopped screening due to the Court orders. He added that the authorities had assaulted a 16-year-old boy and manhandled the two girls seen in the video. “It was absolute chaos and the authorities were trying to protect the one who assaulted”, he added in his response to Agnihotri’s tweet.

Speaking exclusively to OpIndia, Akash said that people had booked the tickets to the show and were not notified about the cancellation of the screening. “We had booked 12 tickets for the show. We entered the mall and saw a huge commotion going on the second floor. There were around 50 people who were arguing with the staff and a few policemen there. The authorities had not informed us about the cancellation of the show earlier. They said they had court orders and so were not screening the movie. There was a lot of confusion”, he added.

Further, he stated that people were actually unhappy about not being notified about the cancellation of screening. “A lot of them had come from Kathua especially to watch the movie. There was even an incident of a few staff members (3 of them) who had put their hands on a 16-year-old boy. Also, they had pushed two of the women present there. There was a huge argument between the policemen and the people who had come to watch the movie”, he confirmed to OpIndia.

16-year-old boy who was slapped by the authorities at Wave Cinema, Jammu (Image sent by Akash)

It is important to note that a court in Jammu and Kashmir had restrained the promoters of the movie from showing scenes depicting late IAF Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna in the movie the Kashmir Files. This is after Nirmal Khanna, wife of the IAF officer, had approached the court seeking removal or amendment of scenes depicting her husband. She had alleged that the scenes shown in the movie were contrary to facts.

Additional District Judge Jammu, Deepak Sethi had then observed that the order is subject to objections, alterations or modification if any by the other side. According to the reports, the court further had stated that if no relief is granted to the applicant without serving prior notice of the application on the defendants, the suit of the applicant would become infructuous and hence would be defeated by delay.

Earlier today, Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri shared the success of the film and said that the movie had made Rs 4.25 crores worldwide on the very first day of its release. “A new beginning. A new revolution. Started with a very small film with the biggest tragedy of the oldest civilization. Gratitude to every Indian”, he tweeted.

The film that was released on March 11 is at present running on more than 1000 screens and is expected to pocket Rs 14-15 crores of the net by the weekend. As reported earlier, the film was released initially on 700 screens but the rising occupancy and the terrific response of the audiences to the trailer, to know the heart-wrenching story of the Kashmiri Pandits has got theatres to play the film on 1000 plus screens at present. The number can rise through the weekend.

The film is inspired by the true stories of Kashmiri Pandits and stars senior actors like Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi. The other acclaimed names like Darshan Kumar, Bhasha Sumbali, Chinmay Mandlekar, Puneet Issar, Mrinal Kulkarni, Atul Srivastava, and Prithviraj Sarnaik have also played important roles in the movie.

The film takes viewers back to 1989, when due to rising Islamic Jihad, conflict erupted in Kashmir, forcing the great majority of Hindus to flee the valley. According to estimates, roughly 100,000 of the valley’s total 140,000 Kashmiri Pandit inhabitants migrated between February and March 1990. More of them fled in the years that followed until just about 3,000 families remained in the valley by 2011. The movie based on video interviews with first-generation Kashmiri Pandit victims of the Kashmir Genocide was originally slated to be released in theatres on January 26, 2022, but was postponed because of the increasing number of COVID-19 instances. It has now been released and is open to watch in theatres.

Government took every care to protect the interests of employees during disinvestment of Air India: What Madras HC said dismissing plea by Air Corporation Employees Union

OpIndia Staff
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Government took every care to protect the interests of employees during disinvestment of Air India: What Madras HC said dismissing plea by Air Corporation Employees Union

On Friday, the Madras High Court dismissed a plea filed by the Air Corporation Employees Union seeking directions to the Central government to protect their rights and service conditions before the government proceeds with Air India’s disinvestment and privatisation.

According to reports, the Madras High Court has said that it is fully convinced that the centre has protected the Air India employees’ interests while considering the ailing public sector airline.

The High Court also noted there was no enforceable right asking for court’s intervention, and an economic policy decision cannot be subject to judicial audit in a routine manner.

“An economic policy decision in furtherance of larger public interest cannot be subjected to judicial audit habitually or routinely merely on the ground that there was no opportunity of hearing afforded to the employees,” the judgment said.

The Madras High Court was hearing the plea filed by the Air Corporation Employees Union, who had alleged that the Air India disinvestment process was rushed without adopting due consultative process with the workers.

Dismissing the plea that claimed disinvestment was done in a non-transparent manner, the Madras HC bench of Justice V Parthiban observed that the government appeared to have taken every care not to jettison the interests of its employees.

“Considering the fact that Air India Ltd before the disinvestment initiative was a sinking company, a fortuitous transformation has happened for their own good…this Court would have no hesitation to hold that at the end of the day, the Government handed out a fair, reasonable, just and equitable package to the employees,” the court noted.

The court also stressed that the interests of the employees were sufficiently protected by the measures taken by the government, both before and after signing the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Talace Private Limited of the Tata Group.

“Therefore, it is too late in the day to stall the process of disinvestment merely on such a slippery challenge,” it added.

Last year, the employees union approached the court with a petition to restrain the union government from disinvesting Air India without fully protecting the employee service conditions. 

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