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Hillary Clinton hails mujahideen for driving out Russia, explains how by dropping enough weapons in Ukraine, an Afghanistan-like condition can be achieved

OpIndia Staff
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Hillary Clinton hails mujahideen for driving out Russia, explains how by dropping enough weapons in Ukraine, an Afghanistan-like condition can be achieved

On March 1, American politician and diplomat Hillary Clinton took a jibe at Russia and hailed how armed insurgents in Afghanistan had driven out Russia from Afghanistan in the 1980s. During a talk show on the news channel, MSNBC Hillary pointed out Russia had invaded Afghanistan in 1980, and they had a lot of help in terms of weapons and advice from the people in the war zone, including some of the advisors who were recruited to fight Russia.

“Russia invaded Afghanistan back in 1980, and although no country went in, they certainly had a lot of countries supplying arms and advice and even some advisors to those who were recruited to fight Russia,” She said.

Clinton further added that things did not go well for the Russians at that time as “a very motivated and then funded and armed insurgency basically drove the Russians out of Afghanistan”. She said though the situation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is different, if Ukraine is supplied with sufficient armaments, they can fight Russia and take back control of the land.

Clinton also pointed out how Russia brought a lot of airpower to Syria, but it took a long time to defeat the terrorist organizations. She said, “Now let’s be clear that Russia has overwhelming military force, but of course, they did in Afghanistan as well. They also brought a lot of airpower to Syria. It took years to finally defeat Syria in terms of insurgencies and democratic forces as well and others who battled the Russians, Syrians and Iranians.”

She added the US should keep providing Ukraine with weapons to continue fighting Russia. She said, “So I think we have to watch this carefully. We have to provide sufficient military armaments for the Ukraine military and volunteers, and we have to keep tightening the screws.”

Many social media users reminded Clinton that arming insurgents with modern weapons and giving them millions of dollars did not work out very well for the USA either.

What Hillary Clinton forgot to mention was, it was the weapons and funding provided by the West, especially the USA, that created the Islamic terrorist organisations like Al Qaeda and Taliban that eventually turned Afghanistan into a radical wasteland and killed and displaced millions of innocent people.

The Soviet-Afghanistan war and how USA helped create the Al Qaeda and Taliban

In December 1979, the Soviets forces invaded Afghanistan to support the then-Communist government against the Muslim guerrillas in the Afghan war that ran from 1978 to 1992. In April 1978, the left-wing military force under the leadership of Nur Mohammad Taraki overthrown Afghanistan’s centrist government, headed by Pres. Mohammad Daud Khan. The People’s (Khalq) Party and the Banner (Parcham) Party were the two Marxist-Leninist groups that took control of the nation. They formed the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan to run the government and formed close ties with the Soviet Union.

The then-Afghanistan government used forced tactics to suppress the domestic opposition. The devout Muslims and anti-communist population started rising against the government, leading to insurgencies among both urban and tribal groups that were collectively known as the mujahideen. The uprising prompted the Soviet Union to invade the Country. Around 30,000 troops entered Afghanistan, which resulted in toppling the then-communist government.

The United States and other countries backed mujahideen groups and helped them spread the insurgencies across Afghanistan. The support rebellion groups got from the US and other nations practically neutralized Russian Soviet forces across the Country. Notably, the airpower that Russia brought in the war was brought down by the rebellions by using shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles supplied by the US. Pakistan played a vital role in supplying weapons to rebel groups in Afghanistan too.

In 1988, the Soviet Union signed an accord with the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan to withdraw the troops. The withdrawal of the troops was completed on February 15, 1989, almost ten years after Soviet troops entered Afghanistan.

Mujahideens – The rebels that turned into Taliban and Al-Qaeda

Though Hillary conveniently praised the “highly motivated insurgents” of Afghanistan, commonly known as the mujahideen, to force Russia (then-Soviet Union) out of Afghanistan, she forgot to mention that those groups were the same that formed terrorist organizations like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The same Taliban that is now controlling Afghanistan forced US troops out of the country after a 20-year war. Al-Qaeda, another terrorist group formed out of the mujahideen, was responsible for the 9/11 attack in which thousands of Americans lost their lives. 

Over the years, Afghanistan has become a dysfunctional state where deaths and misery rules and human lives have no value.

Political brainwashing and lies: What was said by Smriti Shah and how Vision IAS is spreading anti-Hindu propaganda in the guise of UPSC coaching

OpIndia Staff
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Political brainwashing and lies: What was said by Smriti Shah and how Vision IAS is spreading anti-Hindu propaganda in the guise of UPSC coaching

On Monday, a controversy broke out when a video of a faculty from UPSC training academy – Vision IAS made rounds on social media wherein a faculty was seen calling the ‘Bhakti Movement’ as a cult inspired by the rise of Islam in India. It was learnt that on many such instances during her lectures, blatant Islamic propaganda and political brainwashing was often being peddled. When rightfully called upon by netizens over the communization and politicization of studies in the coaching centre, the institute issued an apology although siding with the concerned lecturer as their ‘esteemed faculty’.

Blame it on her ignorance or accuse her of peddling lies in the name of education, the subtle brainwashing exercised by Vision IAS faculty Smriti Shah stooped the lowest levels of Hinduismia. Her lectures are laden with assumptions derived out of a simplistic understanding of texts, rose-tinted understanding of culture while relating the assertion of identities as a political move. Not only the IAS training academy is accused of furthering political propaganda through its lectures, but the uncovering of layers has also exposed the rot of Hinduphobia that runs deep to the core of IAS education in this country.

Here are a few instances where lecturer Smriti Shah is being openly criticised over her credentials as a ‘tutor of hate’ all over social media.

Shaping Bhakti Movement as ‘Cult’

One fine day when a lecturer at Vision IAS academy, Smriti Shah asked her students about the origins of the Bhakti Movement, she prompted them saying “It was nothing but Islam arriving in India in the seventh century. It was very liberal and talked about equality. There was no caste system either.” She further elaborated that how the ‘Bhakti Cult’ was started as a reaction to the rise of ‘Liberal Islam’ accommodating its ideas of voicing against the discrimination and universal brotherhood”

Here, the cruel episodes of destruction and pillage of Hindu structures by Islamic Invaders were not mentioned, whereas, Smriti went on to say, “Islam had not arrived in India yet, but it had started showing its influence. It was free from any rigidity and casteism. There was a speciality of Islam that talked about complete devotion to one God (Allah). They were talking about the concept of one God.” Far from reality, furthermore, she painted the bottom-Up socio-cultural Bhakti movement within the Hindu fold as a singular ‘Cult’

Here, Smriti was seen peddling a narrative similar to controversial Indologist Wendy Doniger’s myth that the ‘Bhakti Movement’ was shaped by the principle of ‘absolute devotion to God’ in Islam. Many scholars in retaliation have proved that the social upliftment led by the religious movement was carved out of the principles from Hindu philosophies of Advaita Vedanta and Smartism. During the movement which spanned from the 7th to the 17th century, people from all strata expressed different variations of the absoluteness of the ‘Universal Divine’ and thus new regional deities such as Vitthala, Jagannath, among others emerged and stories related to them were being told.

The churn in the Indic society was definitely a reaction to Islam – wherein the poet-saints found new ways to connect with God as existing temples were being destroyed on a monumental scale as well as building new ones was not encouraged. Bhakti Poet Sant Tukaram in the 17th century has written, ” At the zenith of Kaliyug, will emerge astride Kalki and he will destroy the mlecchas (Muslim Invaders). Until the flag of Dharma flies again, (you) take solace in the name of Hari,”

Far from what Smriti propagated, The Bhakti Movement was an independent churn in the Hindu society to reorganise Dharma so as to fight the attempts of rampant Islamic conversions by force. However, this lecture of hers was not a single instance when she was found confirming the Islamist narrative of shaping the Bhakti Movement.

Polyandry, Draupadi and ‘purchasing’ wives

Another video of Smriti Shah which was making rounds on the internet was during her lecture on the concept of family and its evolution in India. Making sweeping generalizations while taking an example on the topic of polyandry, she narrated “In the agricultural communities from Punjab and Harayana, the livelihood depends on land. If you have five sons, you have to ‘purchase a wife’. You must have that much money to ‘purchase’ a bride for each of your sons. Once you get the bride, the chances of property division are also high, since now there would be five different families. To avoid the fragmentation of land-holding, you instead purchase one bride for all your sons.”

She stated further, “Polyandry solves two purposes, one – you have to purchase one woman instead of five and the second being your economic assets would be retained. Now when you question that this is illegal, the reference is then made to Draupadi, your culture,” “When Draupadi went Sati, she (the bride) will also go.” she added. Not only did the lecturer make misogynistic comments about ‘purchasing’ women, but she also generalize the regions of Punjab and Haryana by connecting unrelated events to social stigmas prevalent centuries ago to essential practices in Hinduism.

The Quintessential Diwali Gyan

Of what was written on the whiteboard, the students were seen being sermonised on ‘Walmartization’ this time. ‘The practice of giving gifts’ added Smriti Shah is not ‘our culture’. “We never had this culture of giving gifts during Diwali. It was always about lighting diyas and cleaning your homes because Laxmi Ji arrives. Nowadays, that Sonpapdi (Sweet) Box travels from one household to another until the date the expiry date doesn’t come.”

Not to derive anything from the ‘past’ or refer to any religious text, exchanging gifts during festivities has always been an act of sharing love among personal relationships, households and also on a community level. It is also seen as a way to stir the economy as more money is pushed into the market when it is spent on goods during festivities like Diwali. Alike the patronizing that goes on every Hindu festival about how it should be celebrated, the tradition of exchanging gifts also doesn’t need any validation of individuals like Smriti, who look hell-bent upon denigrating Hindu culture one lecture at a time.

Bashing the ‘theory of Karma’

At the Vision IAS academy, a class presided over by Shah was assembled for a lecture on ‘Social Issues’. The lecturer didn’t miss any opportunity here to make unnecessary and unrelatable connections on the social alienation by disabled people to the theory of ‘Karma’. She said, “The major issue is of social exclusion when it comes to the disabled people. One of the major reasons behind this is the public perception and so as to correct this wrong negative connotation with respect to the disabled population, Mr Narendra Modi has suggested the use of Divyang.”

Adding further she stated, “Terming any group as Divyang, do you think it is justified? There was an issue when Gandhiji called Dalits ‘Harijans’ – They belong to nobody but only to Hari (God). Ambedkar Ji had contracted this. A similar situation was created when this issue of the concept of ‘Divyang’ was being criticised. You are not changing the public perception, this is just a pseudo attempt being made.”

In 2016, with the launch of the Accessible India campaign, PM Narendra Modi had asked to use the word Divyang ‘specially-abled’ instead of Viklang (disabled).

But even the students were stunned when the Smriti Shah unapologetically claimed that the basic reason behind this wrong perception of the disabled population is ‘our theory of Karma’. She went ahead to say, “It is said that if you are differently-abled, it is the retribution of your past Karma. If you do not disable the Karma theory, then no point in pondering over ‘Divyang’ or ‘Viklang’. The right interpretation of the Karma theory says that an individual is morally responsible for his acts and not for his fate as the way we interpret it. This lack of Scientific temper regarding the Karma theory needs to be changed.”

Listen to Owaisi, Tharoor and Mahua Moitra

Another video has also emerged of Smriti Shah, where she is openly admitting to having taught exactly similar to what Asaduddin Owaisi had remarked about the Triple Talaq Bill. She said, “Oh, by the way, Owaisi is a learned person. He is a very well qualified and educated person, a lawyer and the thought process was the same.” In 2019, when the triple talaq bill was being passed in Parliament, Owaisi had claimed that the government is trying to penalize women by banning the practice of oral triple talaq.

She further said, “What I am trying to tell you is that a common rational person who has minimum awareness will debate on similar lines. Please listen or read to his speeches, (and) also listen to Shashi Tharoor. Also, listen to the new (MP) Mahua Moitra. What brilliantly she said that this concept of ‘Big brother’ is the first step to fascism!”

During the triple talaq issue, many ‘secular’ commentators took religious stances while arguing that the state serving a nation of Hindu majority should not interfere in the lives of its minority.

It is interesting that someone who has been employed to train IAS officers has advised the students to follow speeches of those who have clear communal undertones to what they have been spewing in public. Asaduddin Owaisi, for example, has in the past several times made communal speeches that targeted Hindus. Only recently, he extended his support to the Hijab row and said that one day, the PM of India would be a hijabi.

Asaduddin Owaisi had kickstarted his campaign for Uttar Pradesh 2022 state elections from Ayodhya claiming that the “Muslims of UP will win” and since then he had given several inflammatory speeches, instigating Muslims to choose an Islamic leader and not rely on the ‘Dallas (pimps)’ of other political parties. 

The Uttar Pradesh police had on September 9 last year registered two FIRs against the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in connection with his public meeting in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki. The Hyderabad MP was booked on charges of attempting to disturb communal harmony, flouting Covid norms and disrespecting the national flag.

Shashi Tharoor has himself claimed in the past that the Malabar Genocide of Hindus was a result of peasant uprising and not the genocide of Hindus by Moplah Muslims. With evidence to the contrary and the genocide being a direct consequence of the Khilafat movement, it is clear that Tharoor made these statements to whitewash the brutal genocide of Hindus.

Mahua Moitra, herself, had called for the murder of political opponents recently by terming them as “fascists”.

It is a contention that one has to deal with in the modern age. If those training IAS officers spew such hatred against Hindus and endorse those who do the same, the IAS officers that the country will get would surely be those who would not only be apathetic to the plight of Hindus but also harbour deep-seated hatred for them.

Indian origin MP Chandra Arya urges Canadian parliament to distinguish between the Hindu Swastika and the Nazi Hakenkreuz

OpIndia Staff
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Indian origin MP Chandra Arya urges Canadian parliament to distinguish between the Hindu Swastika and the Nazi Hakenkreuz

Chandra Arya, an Indian origin member of the Canadian Parliament issued a speech calling upon the members of the house and all Canadians to distinguish between the Hindu religious sacred symbol Swastika and the Nazi symbol Hakenkreuz. He shared a video of the speech on Twitter.

He said, “On behalf of over one million Canadians of several religious faiths and in particular Hindu-Canadians and as a Hindu-Canadian myself, I call upon members of this house and all Canadians to distinguish between the Hindu religious sacred symbol Swastika and the Nazi symbol of hatred called Hakenkreuz in German or the hooked cross in English.”

“In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, Swastika means that which brings good luck and well-being,” he added. He reiterated that Swastika should not be equated with the German symbol of hatred Hakenkreuz.

 He went on to say, “Please stop calling the Nazi symbol of hatred as Swastika. We support the ban of the Nazi symbol of hatred Hakenkreuz or the hooked cross. Calling it Swastika is to deny us Hindu-Canadians our religious right and freedom to use our sacred symbol Swastika in our daily life.” Later on, he also issued a written statement on his speech in the parliament.

The statement.

Arya is an MP from the Nepean constituency of Ontario province. He was elected to represent the Nepean seat in the House of Commons in the 2015 Canadian federal election, and he was re-elected in the 2019 election.

Swastika and the Hakenkreuz debate

There is a lot of fuss around the Swastika and the Hakenkreuz debate. Many people and groups have stood to equate the Hindu religious symbol with the Nazi symbol. However, both these signs are entirely different. The Swastika, a Hindu sacred emblem, was originally mentioned in the Vedas. The swastika is made out of the words ‘su’, which means “good,” and ‘asti,’ which means “to be.” In other terms, bliss. It can be traced back 6,000 years to rock and cave drawings.

Furthermore, the American Jewish Committee, one of the country’s oldest Jewish advocacy organizations, released a leaflet clarifying the distinction between the Swastika used for millennia by Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cultures and the deformed Nazi version of it.

Supreme Court rejects bail to 2020 Bengaluru riot-accused Mohammed Kaleem and 5 others: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court rejects bail to 2020 Bengaluru riot-accused Mohammed Kaleem and 5 others: Details

On Monday (February 28), the Supreme Court rejected the petition of the 2020 Bengaluru riot accused Mohammed Kaleem, seeking to challenge the decision of the Karnataka High Court that upheld the dismissal of his bail application by a special court.

The matter came up for hearing before a 2 Judge Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Dinesh Maheshwari. The accused was represented in the apex court by advocate Siddharth Luthra, who claimed that the name of Mohammed Kaleem did not exist in the original FIR and was added only after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) began its probe.

Advocate Luthra said that Kaleem was 68 years old and had already served 14 months in custody. He added that the charge sheet against the accused was pending. During the hearing, advocate Gaurav Agrawal also appeared for 5 other riot accused namely, Asif, Bilal, Atif, Ikramuddin and Pasha. He informed the court that the probe in the case against them was complete and that the accused had already spent 16 months in custody.

However, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the order of the Karnataka High Court and dismissed the petition.“We can’t have a society like this. This apart, there are charges under UAPA and damage to public property,” the apex court observed.

Karnataka HC had upheld the decision of special court to dismiss bail application of accused

The Karnataka High Court had earlier made it clear that a lack of ‘intent to strike terror’ cannot nullify terrorist acts defined under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, if the act in question is ‘likely to strike terror.’

A Bench led by Justices Pradeep Singh Yerur and Aravind Kumar had noted, “The role of accused persons – appellants has been established through prosecution witnesses, statements of protected witnesses, documentary/electronic evidence and CDRs of mobile numbers used by the accused during the relevant point of time.”

They further added, “Appellants with a common intention were part of unlawful assembly and with a common object to commit a terrorist act, destruction of public and private properties had disobeyed the promulgation of the orders issued under Section 144 Cr.PC.”

The Karnataka High Court observed, “In fact, in furtherance of the common objective to cause harm and destruction to the police station, they have attacked the police personnel who were on duty at the relevant date, time and place of incident. As a part of the conspiracy that was hatched with an intention to strike terror and cause fear in the mind of the public, the appellants have acted accordingly.”

2020 Bengaluru riots: The Background of the Case

On August 11, 2020, a Muslim mob went on a rampage and unleashed mayhem in Bengaluru over a Facebook post, which was allegedly derogatory to Prophet Mohammad. The post was uploaded by one P Naveen, the nephew of a Congress legislator Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy.

The frenzied mob of 200-300 Islamists vandalised the residence of the Congress MLA and set police vehicles on fire. They also attacked police personnel in DJ Halli and KG Halli with stones and deadly weapons. Government properties and the building of KG Halli police station were destroyed in the arson attack.

In September 2020, an independent fact-finding committee had published chilling testimonies of a few Hindu survivors, which proved that Hindus were selectively targeted and their homes and vehicles were damaged in the pre-planned carnage. 

During the deadly riots, 80 police officials had sustained injuries. The Bengaluru police had arrested over 300 people in connection to the case and registered a total of 64 criminal cases.

Poland’s Ambassador to India refutes Shiv Sena MP’s allegations that his govt is denying entry to Indian students, asks her not to spread fake news

OpIndia Staff
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Poland’s Ambassador to India refutes Shiv Sena MP’s allegations that his govt is denying entry to Indian students, asks her not to spread fake news

On February 28, Adam Burakowski, Ambassador of Poland to India, refuted the claims made by Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi that Indians are not being allowed by Poland to enter from Ukraine’s border. Chaturvedi had tagged Poland’s Embassy in India and said entry to Poland was being denied to lots of Indian students. She further alleged those students who were allowed entry on Sunday were sent back.

Burakowski requested Chaturvedi not to spread fake news and check her sources before posting anything on social media. He said the Polish government did not deny entry to anyone from Ukraine.

His reply irked the Shiv Sena leader, who lashed out at the Ambassador for calling out her misinformation. She said she would be happy to share the details of the students who allegedly made the claims. “I’d appreciate before screaming fake news having the basic etiquette to reaching out,” she added.

He added he was sure Indians were not denied entry by the Polish authorities and urged her to share the details of the students with the Poland Embassy in India. He further said the Embassy of Poland in India was in constant contact with Ambassador of India to Poland Nagma Mallick to coordinate the evacuation of the Indian students. 

When the Ambassador asked her to DM the details as he cannot share his number in Public, Chaturvedi bluntly refused to do so and said her number was in public and he could contact her after getting all the information. Here, Chaturvedi insinuated that the ambassador of Poland, who is actually coordinating and helping with the Indian government’s evacuation program from Poland, does not have all the facts, and she knows better.

Burakowski said so far, over three lakh refugees (of all nationalities) had crossed borders between Ukraine and Poland since Russia’s military action began on February 24, and there were 1200 Indians among them. Chaturvedi called for speaking through the official channel after that instead of talking on Twitter. Interestingly, it was her who initiated the conversation on the social media platform.

Another interesting aspect of the conversation was that Chaturvedi was irked to see the Ambassador replying to her personally when she ‘did not tag him in the initial tweet.

While the Ambassador had asked her to send details to the Embassy of Poland, Chaturvedi shared a photograph of the students who she claimed were denied entry in Poland or sent back from Poland. She was also irked by the fact that Indian Embassy in Poland had retweeted Burakowski’s reply to Chaturvedi.

India to operate buses on the Ukrainian side for Indians

As per the latest advisory by the Embassy of India in Poland, ten buses have started operating at Shehyni on the Ukraine side of the border.

The buses would take the Indian citizens to other border checkpoints for transit entry into Poland. The buses would drive through Krakowiec and Budomierz border checkpoints and drop students at the residential accommodation arranged by the Embassy at Rzeszow, Poland.

The aim is to reduce the crowding at Shehyni and provide Indian nationals safe environment. The buses are exclusively arranged for those who are stuck at the Shehyni border. The embassy has further urged the Indians lodged in Lviv to stay put and wait for the congestion at the Shehyni border to ease. The government of Poland had also earlier declared that Indian students will not be asked to produce visas.

Stranded Pakistani students use Indian flag, chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans to escape Ukraine, claims viral video

OpIndia Staff
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Stranded Pakistani students use Indian flag, chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans to escape Ukraine, claims viral video

While the Imran Khan government in Pakistan has been drawing flak for not paying heed to the Pakistani students stranded in the war-torn zone, a video has gone viral wherein claims are being made that Pakistani students are using the Indian flag to escape the crisis-stricken Ukraine as the Russians have given an assurance that Indians will not be harmed provided they displayed their national flag on their vehicle.

In the video being widely circulated on Twitter, a man is heard telling a Pakistani news anchor how Pakistani students are being compelled to use the Indian flag to get a safe passage out of the war-hit Ukraine as their country led by Imran Khan has turned a blind eye towards them.

Youtube channel Hindustan Special, which mostly reports news related to Pakistan, also shared a video on February 27, in which a man, who appears to be working for the media outlet, revealed how the Pakistani students in Ukraine have picked up the Indian flag and raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ to safely reach the border of Ukraine to get into another country.

He is heard saying that the Pakistani government has left its students stranded in the war-hit country, meanwhile, the Indian PM Narendra Modi has spoken to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who assured that Indians would be allowed to move out of Ukraine safely. Moreover, PM Modi had also spoken to the heads of countries bordering Ukraine and the nations had assured that Indians would be allowed entry without a problem. Accordingly, the Indian government has advised Indian students stranded in Ukraine to carry the national flag on their vehicles for safety.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan government is doing little to assure the safety of its student stuck in Ukraine. In fact, the Imran Khan government has asked students stranded in Ukraine to travel to Ternopil “to enable evacuations” as the situation improves. These helpless Pakistani students, according to Hindustan Special were left with no other option but to hire vehicles and paste Indian flags on the vehicles and raise ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans, pretending to be Indian, to safely reach Ternopil from where they could be evacuated.

Hindustan Special also shared accounts of Pakistani students stranded in metro subways in Ukraine. The distressed students can be heard saying that they have been stuck there without food and water with no one from the Pakistan embassy coming to their rescue. Slamming the Pakistani government, one of the students said, “The embassy is lying that they have evacuated all students. But we all are sitting here. All countries are evacuating their people, but Pakistan is not bothered.”

“Our only mistake is that we are Pakistanis,” lamented another Pakistani student, waiting to be evacuated from war-torn Ukraine.

In another video shared by the YouTube channel, A to Z- 2nd channel on February 27, an Indian student is heard revealing how they were provided with a safe passage through three nations as they reached the Hungary border just because they had an Indian flag pasted on their vehicle. “The respect and honour the soldiers and army personnel are displaying seeing the Indian flag is a matter of pride for us. We were being let go without any checking. This indicates that India has built a name for itself around the globe. I am proud Indian,” said the student.

In the same video, a Pakistani girl student is heard lamenting that their government is not bothered about them and have left them alone in a time of crisis. “Indians are better off than us, we are paying the price of being Pakistanis,” rued the distressed student.

Pakistani students stranded in Ukraine slam Imran Khan government

OpIndia had reported on February 25, how Pakistani students stuck in Ukraine have been lamenting their government’s indifference to their predicament amidst an escalating military offence carried out by the Russian forces. They have alleged that while India is actively evacuating its students in Ukraine via Hungary, the Pakistani government is doing little to rescue stranded Pakistanis.

Expressing concern at their plight, one of the students while speaking to Pakistani news channel ARY News conveyed her disappointment with the lack of initiative displayed by the Imran Khan government as compared to that exhibited by the Modi government in evacuating Indian students.

On Thursday, ARY News reported that there are more than 1,500 Pakistanis, including 500 students, stranded in strife-torn Ukraine. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Dr Noel I Khokhar claimed that all Pakistanis in Ukraine were safe and asked to move to secure locations.

Even though Pakistan’s Ambassador asserted that students stuck in Ukraine were safe, their parents back home accused the Pakistani embassy of papering over concerns raised by their children through glib assurances. They have alleged that the Pakistani embassy was only giving statements instead of their children’s safe evacuation from the war zone.

Stranded Indian students advised to carry National flag on vehicles for free and safe passage

Meanwhile, India has advised Indian students stranded in Ukraine to carry the national flag on their vehicles for safety. Speaking to news agency ANI, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy revealed that PM Modi had spoken to the heads of countries bordering Ukraine and the nations had assured that Indians would be allowed entry without a problem. Reddy advised that students who were travelling by road to the borders of Ukraine should display the Indian flag prominently on the vehicles.

Mission Ganga: The Evacuation Program to bring back Indian students from Ukraine

Since Russia’s declaration of military action against Ukraine on February 24, the Indians stuck in the war-hit zone are being evacuated by the government of India under the Mission Ganga program. The number of Indians stranded in Ukraine is reported to be anywhere between 16,000 to 20,000, with most media houses reporting them at 18,000. However, as of now, the official government figure is 16,000. So far, 907 Indians have been evacuated. Notably, the Indian government had issued multiple advisories urging Indians to leave Ukraine before the war was declared.

After SC refuses to deploy central forces in West Bengal, TMC unleashes the ‘Khela’ of violence during Municipal elections

Dibakar Dutta
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After SC refuses to deploy central forces in West Bengal, TMC unleashes the ‘Khela’ of violence during Municipal elections

On Sunday (February 27), elections in 108 municipalities in 20 districts of West Bengal were marred by incidents of violence, vandalism, assault, and election malpractices. The ‘fraudulent’ elections took place in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s decision to not deploy central armed forces for the civic body polls in the State.

As per reports, elections were conducted in over 2000 wards. A total of 8,160 candidates contested the polls and about 76.51% of eligible 95 lakh voters cast their votes. The polling began at 7 am on Sunday and continued till 5 o’clock in the evening. Elections were not conducted in 103 wards as TMC won most of the seats without any contest.

On the day of elections, goons associated with the Trinamool Congress hurled crude bombs, tampered with the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and attacked the candidates and agents belonging to the Opposition parties including BJP, Congress and CPI (M). This was despite the deployment of 44000 police personnel and 135 election observers, including 108 general observers and 10 special observers.

Reportedly, Trinamool Congress supporters attacked independent candidates in Dhulian (Murshidabad district) and Dalkhoola (Uttar Dinajpur district). The police had to resort to firing tear gas shells to pacify the situation. Crude bomb attacks also took place in polling booths in Garulia and Halisahar municipalities. A CPI(M) worker was assaulted in Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas. Left candidates in Barasat and a Congress candidate in Behrampore were also beaten up.

Clashes also broke out in Bhatpara municipality, the bastion of BJP MP Arjun Singh. PTI reported, “In Arambag area of Hooghly district, Left Front candidates were allegedly beaten up by goons affiliated to the TMC, a charge denied by the ruling party…BJP candidate of ward 8, Sanjay Sharma, alleged that the booths in Ramakrishna Mission School were captured by the TMC, a charge the ruling party rubbished,”

“Congress leader Isha Khan Chowdhury alleged that TMC supporters were not allowing the party’s candidate in ward 15 to enter polling station 155. In Jalpaiguri Municipality’s ward number 12, Congress candidate Narayan Chandra Sarkar alleged that he was thrown out of a booth by police while TMC members were campaigning at the same place for their party’s candidate,” the report added.

Journalist Soumyajit Majumder took to Twitter to inform how members of the press were targeted for their objective reporting during the civic body polls. He said, “At least nine journalists of different media houses were beaten up, thrashed and admitted to hospitals while covering irregularities in the civic polls in West Bengal, cameras were broken, mics were snatched and thrown into the drain.”

In another case of election fraud, the presiding officer at polling station 2 of Ward No 21 (Contai Municipality) was forced to sit outside the polling booth.

However, instead of acting against the TMC goons, the police instead detained the BJP candidate of Ward No 20 (Contai Municipality). Suvendu Adhikari informed that the BJP candidate for the ward was molested by Trinamool Congress hoodlums.

Meek response from State Election Commission and police

A senior State Election Commission official tried to downplay the complete breakdown of the law and order situation in West Bengal on Sunday. While speaking to the Press Trust of India, he claimed, “Sporadic incidents of violence were reported. We noted disturbances in a few areas and took action. The overall situation, however, was peaceful.”

“The SEC has become an agency of Trinamool Congress. We think it is high time to ask for the amendment of rules to ensure polling is not reduced to a mockery of democracy,” BJP leader Arjun Singh had said.

State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had lashed out at State Election Commissioner Saurabh Das for ‘abdicating’ his constitutional responsibility. He had met Das at Raj Bhavan on Monday afternoon.

In a tweet, the West Bengal Governor said, “SEC Shri Saurab Das briefed Guv Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar for over an hour regarding issues connected to municipal poll process.   SEC has been indicated to take all steps to ensure poll fairness and not holding elections to Howrah Municipality is failure of constitutional duty.”

While speaking to The Hindu, the Director-General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malaviya claimed that no ‘major incident of violence’ took place during the elections. Dubbing the civic body polls as ‘peaceful’, he alleged that there were no deaths/ cases of grievous injury but minor stray incidents. “We have carried out 797 preventive arrests and 51 persons were arrested on Sunday on the basis of specific incidents recorded in the day,” he concluded.

BJP calls for ‘bandh’ in West Bengal after violence breaks out during municipal polls

Aggrieved by the sad state of affairs that transpired during the civic body polls on Sunday, the West Bengal unit of the BJP called for a 12-hour statewide bandh on February 28. The saffron party has submitted a comprehensive list of 923 complaints to the State Election Commission.

The call for ‘bandh’ evoked some success, despite the stringent order of the Mamata Banerjee-led-West Bengal government. “The state government is opposed to strikes and bandhs as it disrupts normal life and causes inconvenience to people and affects their livelihood,” the West Bengal government had ordered. It made it compulsory for all government employees to attend offices on Monday.

BJP workers also held demonstrations on the railway track at Hooghly railway station. BJP MLAs Sankar Ghosh, and Anandamoy Barman were arrested for protesting against the election fraud committed by TMC, reported News9live

Congress MP writes to Lok Sabha speaker

On Monday (February 28), Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury fired off a letter to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, complaining about the obstacles in discharging his duties as a Member of Parliament.

“As a local representative, I am supposed to attend to the problems and needs of my constituents. Even if they call me at odd hours, | am duty-bound to visit them, listen to their problems and help them to the best of my abilities,” he wrote.

Screengrab of the letter by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury


He further emphasised, “However, the ruling party in West Bengal, directly and indirectly, creates hurdles in the effective discharge of my duties as a public representative. As you are aware municipal election in West Bengal is going on. The ruling party has unleashed a reign of terror and violence in the entire municipal election.”

“The ruling party goons are threatening candidates of other political parties with violence. I am mobbed/ gheraoed and heckled by the TMC goons wherever | go for campaigning or to attend to the problems of my constituents. My movement is completely restricted in West Bengal. The ruling party goons are doing all the violence and nuisance and are restricting my movement in collusion with the local authorities,” lamented Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Supreme Court bench said no to central forces deployment in West Bengal

On Friday (February 25), the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) party leaders Mousumi Roy and Pratap Banerjee, seeking deployment of central forces in the West Bengal local polls.

The Calcutta High Court had earlier declined to issue directions for the deployment of central forces for the elections to the 108 municipalities of West Bengal. The Supreme Court refused to entertain the petition and upheld the order of the High Court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had interjected, “Your Lordships have decided not to entertain this. But in the Tripura elections matter, the Court had asked if the government could do something. I may submit that we have no problems in deploying the forces”. Rejecting the arguments, Justice Chandrachud had said, “Thank you, Mr Solicitor”.

2021 Post-poll violence orchestrated by TMC

Using violence as an instrument to subdue their political opponents has become a distinctive feature of the TMC rule in West Bengal. Ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led retained power in the state, the persecution of dissenters and opposition workers has only intensified.

In an overwhelming number of such incidents, the victims have been BJP supporters and workers while the accused were said to be the supporters of the TMC party. More than a dozen BJP workers have lost their lives in the post-poll violence that ensued following the victory of the TMC party in the assembly elections.

There were reports that said women in West Bengal were raped, assaulted and, in some cases, even killed, just because they adhered to a different political ideology. Last year, a victim who was raped by the TMC goons in front of her father shared her harrowing ordeal with OpIndia.

She narrated how she was attacked and sexually assaulted by her perpetrators associated with the TMC party. In the aftermath of the assembly election results, TMC goons wreaked havoc, attacking and plundering the houses of their opponents. In one such attack, TMC goons lynched BJP worker Avijit Sarkar to death.

Jharkhand: Objectionable thing suspected to be meat thrown inside Kalibari Durga temple in Sahibganj, case to be registered

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Objectionable thing suspected to be meat thrown inside Kalibari Durga temple in Sahibganj, case to be registered

On Monday, i.e February 28, a group of unidentified miscreants threw an objectionable thing suspected to be meat inside the Kalibari Durga Temple located in Phulbaria of Rajmahal police station area in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand, raising tensions in the region, a report published in Live Hindustan said.

The temple authorities called up the local police and informed them about the incident, following which SDO Roshan Sah, Police Inspector Rajiv Ranjan, Rajmahal police station in-charge Praneet Patel, Teenpahar police station in-charge Anupam Prakash and Radhanagar police station in-charge Kundan Kant Vimal rushed to the spot. However, even before their arrival, a local resident, sensing soaring tensions in the region, prudently removed the objectionable thing from inside the temple. Following the incident, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers swarmed outside the temple and demanded the police to nab the culprits.

A meeting organised between locals, police officials and members of VHP arrived at the conclusion of settling the matter amicably and not allowing the incident to vitiate the prevailing harmony in the town. The police have been asked to identify the culprits and initiate strict action against them.

Meanwhile, the temple has been thoroughly cleaned following the incident after temple authorities alleged that the objectionable thing had sullied the premises.

The station in-charge assured the locals that police will file a case in this regard. People associated with the temple have been asked to lodge a complaint with the police station. SDO Roshan Kumar Sah said such incidents are unacceptable and action will be taken against the culprits. He further added that the situation is now under control and there is peace and harmony in the region. The District Magistrate has ordered the deployment of police officials near Kalibari Durga Temple to ensure law and order is maintained, and there is no escalation of tensions in the area.

Winning ‘hearts’ and PR war, but Ukraine has a “Nazi” problem that NATO and USA do not talk about

Jinit Jain
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Winning ‘hearts’ and PR war, but Ukraine has a “Nazi” problem that NATO and USA do not talk about

After failing to stop Russia from invading Ukraine, the western countries and their media outlets have unleashed a propaganda war that involves sharing old pictures from past conflicts to demonise Russia and lavishing praises on Ukrainian leadership for standing its ground against the invasion, seemingly to paper over their own inadequacies.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine came amidst heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO countries, with the former concerned about their precarious security apparatus as the latter mulled over its expansion in eastern Europe. Even as NATO and the US mount a propaganda blitz to counter Russia’s invasion, they have turned a blind eye to a festering problem that seemed to have played a pivotal role in Putin’s calculus to wage an armed conflict in Ukraine.

And that is Ukraine’s lingering “Nazi” problem. Over the years, neo-Nazism ideology has not only taken root in the Ukrainian conscience but has also gained the Ukrainian government’s imprimatur. This has naturally raised concerns in Moscow that was evident in the speech made by Putin days before Russia’s military offence in Ukraine.

In his address to the Russian people on February 24, Putin justified his country’s aggression against Ukraine as a peacekeeping mission and couched the forthcoming military operation by Russian forces as “denazification” of Ukraine. “We will seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine and put to justice those that committed numerous bloody crimes against peaceful people, including Russian nationals,” Putin said while justifying a military incursion in neighbouring Ukraine.

But, the west, in their eagerness to wash off their hands from the current crisis in Ukraine, have sought to understate these Russian concerns and pin the blame entirely on the authoritarian and revisionist impulses of President Vladimir Putin. They argue that Putin is driven by his desire to correct the “historical wrongs”, which they attribute to his refusal to accept the dismemberment of the USSR and the corresponding loss of Russian prestige and power.

Putin, they contend, is filled with a single-minded zeal to remedy what he considers as unjust and historical wrong wrought upon his country by the western powers. However, that is a one-dimensional and somewhat prejudiced take on the ongoing crisis. What the NATO and the United States fail to highlight, either wittingly or unwittingly, is the creeping emergence of the neo-Nazi supporters in Ukraine, who do not baulk at using intimidation and even violence to advance their agendas, and who often do so with the implicit approval of government agencies.

One such neo-Nazi group that enjoys Ukrainian state patronage is the Azov Movement, one of the 30-odd privately-funded “volunteer battalions”, that does much of the frontline fighting with Ukraine’s army against the pro-Russian separatists in the country’s restive eastern region. The Azov is not just known for their reputation of being ruthless on the battlefield but also for espousing a militant ideology that wreaked havoc in Germany in the second world war.

Ukraine’s dalliance with anti-semitic and bigoted forces

Azov Special Operations Department or Azov Battalion, as it is commonly known, is a right-wing extremist and neo-Nazi unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. Formed in 2014 as a volunteer militia during the Odesa clashes, the Azov Battalion was soon incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine, serving in the state capacity despite having allegiance to and drawing inspiration from the supremacist Nazi beliefs.

In fact, the Azov Battalion is a source of inspiration for white supremacists around the world. At the time of its formation in 2014, Andriy Biletsky, a veteran fascist and the founder of the volunteer group, stated that the mission of the group is to empower Ukraine to “lead the White Races of the world in a final crusade for their survival … against the Semite-led Untermenschen.”

neo-Nazi
Azov Batallion soldiers holding the flag of their neo-Nazi organisation(Source: Foreign Policy)

The logo of the Azov Battalion had Nazi undertones, comprising of two emblems — the Wolfsangel and the Sonnenrad — characterised as neo-Nazi symbols by the Anti-Defamation League. Both these symbols—Wolfsangel and Sonnebrad—have been used extensively by hate groups in different parts of the United States, signifying the Ukrainian group’s impact in motivating supremacist and bigoted organisations around the world.

The bigotry harboured by the neo-Nazi group was in full glory recently when the National Guard of Ukraine’s Twitter account published a video tweet claiming that its Azov fighters coated their bullets with pig fat to be used against Chechen forces fighting from the Russian side. The actual tweet read “Azov fighters of the National Guard greased the bullets with lard against the Kadyrov orcs.”

Chechnya is a Russian republic located north of Georgia. Chechen forces are the military force in charge of Chechenya’s defence. The republic is not an independent entity and is subject to Russian laws and regulations. However, the use of lard was deliberate, aimed at hurting the religious sentiments of the people of Chechnya, the majority of whom are Muslims. Pig is considered taboo in Islam and Muslims are religiously ordained to not touch swine in any form.

Azov Batallion and anti-semitic groups in Ukraine: A menace for European neighbours

While the Ukrainian government nurtures extremist organisations like Azov Batallion, it is their European neighbours who have to bear the brunt of this neo-Nazi ideology that is rapidly spreading its claws across the globe. According to Lower Class Magazine, a leftist German publication, Azov has a semi-underground corps called the “Misanthropic Division” that draws fresh blood among the ranks of neo-Nazi youth in France, Germany and Scandinavia. The new recruits are promised training with heavy and modern weaponry, including tanks, at Ukrainian camps alongside fascist fellow inductees.

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Volunteers of far-right group Azov Batallion(Source: The Diplomat)

Reportedly, foreign Azov volunteers are motivated by the call of the “Reconquista”—a pursuit to place the eastern European nations under the rule of a white supremacist dictatorship, drawing inspiration from the Nazi Reichskommissariat rule that controlled Ukraine at the time of World War II. A raft of Azov volunteers in Ukraine harbour this dream of reestablishing Ukraine as a white supremacist nation that has under its control large tracts of land from neighbouring European nations.

White supremacist organisations such as Azov Batallion blossomed under the aegis of the US, Canada military

Even so, the United States government is partly to be blamed for the ominous rise of the neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine. Over the years, the cooperation between the Azov Battalion and the American Military has only grown deeper. In 2018, it was reported that Azov Battalion had received teams of American military advisors and high powered US-made weapons. In November 2017, a US military inspection team had also visited the Azov Battalion on the frontlines to deliberate on strengthening cooperation and providing logistical support in their military operations.

Recently, Democrat Senate member in the United States, Bob Menendez, introduced legislation that sought to grant Ukraine $500 million for the purchase of arms and impose what he called “mother of all sanctions” on Russia should it dare to attack. However, what was striking was the absence of any mechanism to oversee if the weapons bought from the US aid would be used by white supremacist organisations like the Azov Battalion. The US legislators had no qualms with the arms they donated to Kyiv going into the hands of anti-semitic outfits like the Azov Battalion so long as they helped them in discouraging Russia from launching an attack into eastern Ukraine.

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Nazi Hakenkreuz flag waved by a team of Ukraine’s Azov Batallion fighters(Image Source: Twitter)

Another North American country, Canada, is too being accused of fostering neo-Nazis and war criminals in Ukraine. Earlier last year, many Jewish groups raised concerns regarding the involvement of Canadian troops in training neo-Nazis and war criminals from Ukraine. They pointed to a video that highlighted Ukrainian paratroopers singing a song to praise Stepan Bandera, an anti-Semite and Nazi collaborator whose organisation was linked to the murder of more than 100,000 Jews and Poles during the second world war.

A litany of human rights abuses has been listed against Azov and other neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine. Even the United Nations and the Human Rights Watch have accused Azov and similar other groups of committing atrocities in the pursuit of fulfilling their bigoted objectives. They are also known for sympathising with the Nazi collaborators, regularly staging torchlight marches for Nazis who wrecked unspeakable atrocities against Jews during World War II. Many of these neo-Nazis are also Holocaust deniers, alleging that the Holocaust was a construct fabricated by the Jews to keep in check white supremacy.

Several Jewish groups, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry, Yad Vashem, and the World Jewish Congress, are among prominent organisations that have condemned Kyiv for rehabilitating Nazi collaborators—a distinct characteristic of the far-right movements in Europe.

The US and NATO papers over Ukraine’s ‘Nazi’ problem to hide their own moral decadence

But partisans from around the world, who fall over themselves to denounce countries that do not align with their ideology, conveniently choose to gloss over evil on their own side. The western nations, who are otherwise swift and prompt in condemning anti-Semitism, look the other way, nay, they openly arm and encourage such fascist groups with neo-Nazi leanings, whom they treat as a proxy force to fight the threat posed to their hegemony.

For the west, white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups such as Azov Battalion are noble outfits, currently involved in buttressing their efforts to keep Russia under check. They do not consider Azov Batallion and groups similar to them as a global threat to democracy, peace and racial equity. They instead treat them as a stick to beat their opponents with, without dragging themselves into the ugly quagmire.

The lofty moral principles that the west often lays claim to, in its sanctimonious bid to project themselves as morally superior to their opponents, are after all not sacrosanct. They are extremely malleable, contingent upon the current aims and objectives of the west as witnessed in the current case of their support to neo-Nazi forces. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, threatened to expose the west for its moral decadence. It is to avoid this predicament that the United States and NATO glossed over Ukraine’s dalliance with the neo-Nazis while simultaneously rustling up a propaganda blitzkrieg, flooding the internet with poignant images of conflict and aggrandising Ukrainian leadership’s response to the unfolding crisis.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, without a doubt, is worthy of strongest condemnation, but that doesn’t absolve the west from nurturing and fostering an ideology that was responsible for plunging the world into a war over 8 decades ago.

Allegations of white phosphorus munitions being used by Russia and Ukraine emerge: Read if it’s considered a chemical weapon and is illegal to use it during war

OpIndia Staff
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Allegations of white phosphorus munitions being used by Russia and Ukraine emerge: Read if it’s considered a chemical weapon and is illegal to use it during war

Recently, Chinese mouthpiece CGTN has alleged that Ukraine used ‘banned’ White Phosphorus munitions against Russian forces.

Source: Twitter

On the other hand, the day military action was initiated by Russia against Ukraine, a few Twitter users alleged Russia used White Phosphorous munition against Ukraine at Sumy Town.

What is White Phosphorus

White phosphorous is a colourless, white or yellow, waxy solid. It does not occur naturally. It is manufactured using phosphate rocks. It smells like garlic. White phosphorous is a highly combustible substance that reacts with oxygen in the air. It can catch fire at temperatures as low as 10 to 15 degrees above room temperature. Due to its combustible nature, every country has strict regulations regarding its manufacturing and handling. It is used mainly in the military, and other applications may include as a component in fertilisers, food additives and cleaning compounds. Initially, it was also used in pesticides and fireworks, but many countries have banned its use in several sectors.

Military applications of White Phosphorus

Militaries across the globe use White Phosphorous or WP or chemical P4 in mortar shells, grenades and artillery shells. The main objective of WP shells is to provide smokescreens for troop movement, trace paths of bullets and as an incendiary (a substance that can cause a fire). When burnt, WP produces a large amount of smoke that can be used to provide a screen to friendly troops’ movement.

The smoke can also be used to mark the targets so that aircraft can drop bombs at the location. It can also be used by troops to give the signal for attack or evacuation. As it reacts with oxygen and burn at high temperatures, it is impossible to put it off. Once ignited, it will remain active till it completely burns out. In general, it can last up to 15 minutes, depending on the munitions.

Is White Phosphorus an incendiary or chemical weapon?

WP has not been categorised as an incendiary or chemical weapon by international agencies. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, has not listed WP in any of the three Schedules of Chemical Weapons. However, United Nations considers it as an incendiary chemical.

United Nations has pointed out that reckless use of such chemicals in weapons have harmed civilians. Notably, the general regulations of Protocol III on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons may apply when it is used in military actions. Protocol III specifically mentions it is not applicable on munitions that are illuminants, tracers, smoke or signalling systems thus making is confusing for many if the use of WP can be considered a war crime or not. Protocol III specifically does not ban the use of White Phosphorous in military action. It only restricts its use near the civilian population.

Effects of WP on humans

The main reason behind WP being considered incendiary is its effect on humans. When WP comes in contact with the human skin, it can cause both thermal and chemical burns. It can produce several chemicals when it comes in contact with the skin, such as phosphorus pentoxide that reacts with water in the skin and produces phosphoric acid that is highly corrosive.

The burn injuries caused by WP can damage underlying tissues that delay the healing process. WP can be systematically absorbed by the body and cause damage to the internal organs. It is notably that the particles of WP may remain in the wound and reignite once they come in contact with the air while changing the bandages.

Though WP is not banned by any agency for military action against the soldiers, it is considered prohibited to be used where there is a possibility of the civilian population during the war.

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