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‘Aapka paigam London pahucha diya hai, achha kaam ho raha hai’: Fraud, funding, forced religious conversion, tales from Gujarat

Nirwa Mehta
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‘Aapka paigam London pahucha diya hai, achha kaam ho raha hai’: Fraud, funding, forced religious conversion, tales from Gujarat

Bharuch, on the mouth of river Narmada, is about 200 kms from Ahmedabad. I have very early memories of visiting the place with family. My grandmother was born and brought up in Bharuch and I have grown up hearing stories of how she had seen Gandhiji walk towards the Dandi beach on the historic Salt March in 1930.

Earlier in January, I was in Surat covering the stories of forced religious conversion as well as cases where loopholes of Disturbed Areas Act were exploited. You could read them here, here and here. While in Surat, I borrowed my cousin’s car and drove about 80 kms to Bharuch to learn more about the recently reported mass religious conversion cases.

Amod is a taluka in Bharuch district. It falls on the ‘Dandi heritage route’.

Dandi Path, Amod Taluka

When you take the right turn from the national highway towards Amod Taluka, which has a population of about 1 lakh people (in 2011), you are welcomed with huge masjids which are well constructed with beautiful stonework. Even cities don’t have such huge masjids as this little town with a population of about 32% Muslims had.

Masjids in Amod Taluka

For a small town, the place does have a lot of masjids, as one can see from above map.

Little further, you take a left turn on the main road and drive on a single lane state highway/road which takes you in the interior of the taluka. If you have ever driven on state highways in India you would remember seeing those blue boards which point you to some obscure villages which are further in the interior.

I always wondered how these villages were. As a city girl, I had never been to a ‘village’ and for me they were always a romanticised concept heavily inspired from movies.

In Amod when I took the left turn towards Kankariya village, the roads started getting narrower and there was hardly anyone else on the road. Occasionally one would see a herd of cows and buffaloes walking back home to the villages. I missed the turn towards the village because the signboard was rusted and the text on it had faded. I called up my source for direction to the village.

When I took yet another turn towards the village, the road got even narrower. Babool trees planked both sides of the narrow road and my mobile phone network disappeared.

I was on my own in a strange place where I knew no one.

It was in this village that in the past few years mass religious conversion to Islam had taken place of tribals from the Vasava community.

I spoke to a few people in the village who were lured to convert to Islam on the promise of money, food and job offers. They opened up on how they were lured and what finally got them to speak up and file a police complaint against it. Since there is a threat to their life and there have been attacks on some of them, I am not revealing their real names.

Prakash (name changed) converted to Islam in 2018 and became Salman Patel. In November 2021, he filed a police complaint against 9 people. On November 15, 2021, Amod Police had registered an offence under the Gujarat Freedom for Religion Bill. Following the complaint accused Abdul Aziz Patel (Ajitbhai Chhagan Vasava), Yusuf Jivan Patel (Mahendra Jivan Vasava), Ayub Barkat Patel (Raman Barkat Vasava), Ibrahim Punabhai Patel (Jitubhai Punabhai Vasava) all residents of Kakariya village in Amod taluka were arrested. 

On December 16, Bharuch Police arrested six more accused in the case. Yakub Ibrahim Shanker from Patan, Rizwan Mehboob Patel from Palej, Thakorbhai Girdharbhai Vasava, Sajid Mohammed Patel and Yusuf Patel from Amod while Ayub Bashir Patel from Jambusar were arrested. 

How poor tribals were lured to convert to Islam

When you enter the Kankariya village, you can see that there is only one house in the village that is a ‘pakka house’, the two-room house of the village sarpanch. “We are very poor people here. We work in the fields here, most of which are owned by Muslim landowners. For us, even Rs 500 is a big deal,” Prakash said.

Thakorbhai Girdharbhai Vasava, one of the accused named in the original FIR, was one of the shop owners. Shabbir and Samaj Bakerywala, also accused named in FIR, were his suppliers. They lured Vasava to convert to Islam first back in 2008-09, Prakash said. Subsequently, he took Ajit Chhagan Vasava (also named as an accused in FIR) and converted him to Islam a few months later. After them, about 5-6 people from the village converted to Islam.

The seventh person to convert to Islam from the village in 2009 was the one who would carry out bhajan and aarti in the village temple. That is when the villagers protested. The villagers asked Thakor and others to either revert to Hinduism or leave the village. All 7 men then left the village. While Thakor left the village for good, the remaining six returned to the village and decided to revert to Hinduism sometime in 2009-10.

Except, Ajit Vasava, who had reverted to Hinduism, has now started to convert people to Islam again. Between 2010 to 2018, 37 tribal families were converted to Islam. This continued till 2021 till the FIR was filed.

“In a village where we live in jhopdis and don’t have permanent structures like homes, Ajit’s house was turned into an ‘Ibadat Ghar’ (prayer house). It was built at the expense of Rs 16 lakh,” Prakash said. He added that the Ibadat Ghar was used for offering namaz and preaching Islam. A maulana, who used to run a madarsa too, would come from Achhod (a nearby village) for preaching,” he said.

Money, insulting Hindu gods and goddesses and brainwashing: How tribals were converted to Islam

“It was a racket they were running. They would call for money, including foreign funds, by claiming that they are giving it to us as they promised us money if we converted to Islam. But if they would ask for Rs 1 lakh per person converted, they would pay us only Rs 500 to Rs 2,000. Crores would come in our name but they never reached us,” Prakash said.

He further said that Ajit would claim entire village has converted to Islam and call in money in their name.

When inquired what were they taught upon conversion to Islam, Prakash said that they were taught how to do the namaz (Islamic prayer). “We were told that there is nothing like Hinduism. Hinduism is not a religion because everyone prays to different gods. ‘How can there be so many gods?’ we were told,” said Prakash.

He further informed that they regularly defamed Hindu gods and goddesses and used derogatory terms for them to ‘prove’ that Hinduism is bad and Islam is the one and true pure religion. “We were told about the story of Parvati and Ganesh. How when once Goddess Parvati was having a bath and Ganesh ji was standing guard. They said that Lord Shiva got angry and beheaded Ganesh ji. ‘What kind of father would not recognise his own son?’ they would ask. They further said that it was cruel to kill an innocent elephant to use the head for Ganesh ji. ‘If Lord Shiva was a real god, he would have brought back his son to life’, they would tell us,” Prakash said.

He further said how derogatory language was also used to defame Lord Ram. “They told us that it is not good to worship Lord Ram. ‘Lord Ram wasn’t god, he was a king, a human and so why should we worship another human? we were told,” he said. They were also told how the prasad offered to gods often have flies on them. “If your (Hindus) god was that powerful, will they let the flies be on food? If that god cannot get rid of flies from prasad, how will he protect you?” they were told.

“We were told that in the Godhra carnage, (PM) Modi and (HM) Shah actually burned alive Muslims inside the train and then claimed that Hindus were killed. They told us that there was no temple at the Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya and that it will always be a mosque,” he said.

Prakash also said that they were told how women must be kept in pardah and not let them go out without burqa. “They also wanted to train us for jihadi attacks. They inspired us for suicide attacks and told us that by dying for the deen (religion/faith) we will get jannat (heaven). We were told that it is not a crime to kill kaafirs (non-Muslims), who do idol worship. These radical things were told after a few years of us being Muslims,” he said.

Funding for forced religious conversions

“Aapka paigam London pahucha diya hai, achha kaam ho raha hai (your message has been conveyed to London. You guys are doing a good job),” One of the prime accused in the conversion racket, Haji Abdullah Fefdawala can be heard saying in a video that had gone viral earlier.

Fefdawala in above video says that he is from London. “I came to know about you guys that you have embraced Islam. I have come to specially meet you. I will pass on your message in London that Allah has accepted you. Now you are our brothers as per Kalma. We will provide all possible help we could,” he said. In the undated video, he could be heard saying that he has passed on the message in London that he is in Kankariya village in Amod where 37 families had turned to Islam. He thanked ‘Ajit bhai’ for the help. He then asks ‘Ajit bhai’ if they need any help with respect to food, houses or any such financial aids.

Currently, an arrest warrant is issued against Haji Fefdawala. Originally from Nabipur near Bharuch, he currently lives in London.

In October last year, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Vadodara city police found that city-based American Federation of Muslims Of Indian Origin (AFMI) had routed hawala funds for activities including construction of 400 flats for ‘displaced’ Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims near Ghaziabad. It was also accused of funding maulvis near the Indo-Nepal border.

Salauddin Sheikh is one of the trustees of AFMI. Sheikh started the trust after getting influenced by Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in Mumbai a few years back. His name had also surfaced in the Uttar Pradesh mass conversion racket where Umar Gautam is one of the prime suspects.

Haji Fefdawala is also accused of giving a provocative speech in Vadodara in 2019 and had invoked the 2002 Gujarat riots which took place in aftermath of the burning down of a train in Godhra where Hindu karsevaks returning from Ayodhya were burnt alive. He had said that in 2003, he set up the trust in the UK where he contacted about 125 donors and started sending donation money to India. Fefdawala had said that the money was collected to strengthen the community so it can ‘defend itself against attacks from other religions’. For an hour, Fefdawala continued to speak about ‘strengthening community’ in Gujarat.

The said event was also attended by Salahuddin Sheikh and Umar Gautam, who were recently arrested for their involvement in hawala and religious conversion. It is believed Fefdawala has routed ‘donations’ of over Rs 150 crore in the past 18 years to India.

In December 2021, after Vadodara Police sent a report, the Union Home Ministry cancelled the FCRA licence of AFMI trust. Police have also started the process of issuing Red Corner notice for Fefdawala and Mustafa Thanawala, two of the biggest beneficiaries of the Trust.

Hawala and terror funding

According to a report by Indian Express, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Vadodara City, said that the money through the trust was misused for various Islamic activities including illegal religious conversion, construction of mosques and funding individuals for activities in Kashmir and near the India-Nepal border. Fefdawala and Thanawala have reportedly disabled their communication channels and are not responding to the summons. The investigation further revealed that Salauddin Sheikh had arranged for money for two people for carrying out religious conversion to Islam.

In November 2021, a charge sheet filed by the SIT revealed that of the Rs 80 crore received by AFMI which are under probe, Rs 1.65 crore were siphoned off by presenting fake invoices in collusion with one IH Kasuwala Trust. The Police have also accused that the Trust routed foreign funds for fuelling the February 2020 anti-Hindu riots in Delhi as well as the anti-CAA protests which turned violent as well.

Salauddin Sheikh along with Umar Gautam of Indian Dawah Centre are currently booked under various sections of the IPC and are currently in the custody of the Uttar Pradesh ATS.

One of the prominent ways to fund such activities is routing through over-invoicing and GST refunds said a source in the know of the things. “If the government is really serious, they would check these sales of diamonds from Surat. Over invoicing or under-invoicing for diamonds and textiles, two of the main products from Surat, are very prominent ways to route money to India ‘legally’ while hoodwinking the authorities. Most of the money is routed through Dubai from Pakistan,” he said.

Most of the money routed in such a way is used for terror funding, he added. “A person sells diamond worth Rs 10 to person B in say Dubai. He creates an invoice of Rs 1,000 and pays Rs 1,000 in Dubai. Money is then withdrawn immediately in India and taxes are paid on this remittance. This is the new legal way of hawala,” said the source.

He further said that quite often some Trusts bring in money from foreign countries in name of ‘funding madarsas and uplifting of poor people of community’ but then they get diverted to terror funding. Recently, one such Trust based in Surat was in news for their ‘good work’ carried out during the coronavirus pandemic. However, sources in the know of the things say that the Trust has dubious links and charity is a facade.

Other such shady trusts are in Bharuch which run hospitals. Quite prominent hospitals in Bharuch are also centres for religious conversion. “Women are brought from the tribal belt and are trained to be nurses. Eventually, they are promised better life, money and job and converted to Islam,” said a source in Bharuch who helped the tribal families of Kankariya village to file police complaints and revert to Hinduism.

A source in Surat said that some prominent lawyers, businessmen of the Muslim community are also involved in such money laundering but escape the law because of the lackadaisical attitude of the administration.

The face of Congress party’s ‘ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’ campaign Priyanka Maurya set to join BJP

OpIndia Staff
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The face of Congress party’s ‘ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’ campaign Priyanka Maurya set to join BJP

The face of the Congress party’s ‘ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’ campaign, Priyanka Maurya is set to join BJP. Although the party has not yet confirmed her entry, Priyanka Maurya visited the party office on Wednesday 19th January 2022. Priyanka Maurya had earlier alleged Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s associate Sandip Singh of demanding bribes for giving a ticket from the Sarojini Nagar assembly constituency of Uttar Pradesh.

Priyanka Maurya, the Vice President of Mahila Congress in Uttar Pradesh said “A slogan was raised saying ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon. But it remained only a slogan and did not come to reality as a girl was denied a chance to fight the elections. I had worked hard in my assembly constituency. I put in my heart and soul thinking that I would help people. But the Congress party had predecided the candidate and I turned out to be just another pawn for them. Party’s manifesto ‘Shakti Vidhan’ which depicts my picture on the front is where the party used me to attract the votes of women, OBCs.”

She added “They used me to attract voters from castes like Maurya, Kushwaha, Shakya, and Saini. When it came to giving to me what was rightful, they sidelined me. I condemn those who just use faces like me just to attract the votes of the OBCs. Because I had put in my whole energy when I worked in my constituency. And yet I was not given the opportunity, despite the fact that I was named at the top in every place.”

On being asked if she had been in talks with anyone there in the BJP office, she said “Yes, I am in talks with the people here and I am here only to talk further with them.” Priyanka Maurya was preparing for the election from Sarojini Nagar seat of Lucknow. Congress has field Rudra Daman Singh from this seat. On being denied the ticket, Priyanka Maurya had alleged that the Congress party is an anti-women party. She had also called the ‘ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’ campaign a sham.

Pakistan-backed law firm in the UK requests London police to ‘arrest’ India’s army chief and home minister for killing Islamic terrorist in Kashmir

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan-backed law firm in the UK requests London police to ‘arrest’ India’s army chief and home minister for killing Islamic terrorist in Kashmir

Pakistan has continuously propagated false narratives against India on whichever International forum it gets a chance to speak at. In another such attempt, Pakistan has deployed a law firm to appeal the UK govt to take action against India over alleged war crimes. Stoke White, a Pakistan-backed law firm in the UK, has requested the UK police to arrest Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane and Union Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah over war crimes in Jammu & Kashmir.

The request by this law firm is specially made in concern with Islamic terrorist Zia Mustafa who was killed during a gun battle between security forces and terrorists in Poonch district in October 2021. Zia Mustafa was a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and the mastermind of the Kashmiri Pandit massacre of Nadimarg which took place in 2003. He was arrested in March 2003 and when he was being taken to identify the terrorists’ hideouts in the jungles of Poonch district, an encounter took place between the terrorists and the police forces, in which Zia Mustafa was killed by the terrorists. It is evident that the Pakistan-backed firm has been lobbying for a jailed terrorist who was killed by other Pakistan-sponsored terrorists during an operation

What is there in the complaint

The law firm Stoke White has submitted a 40-page document as evidence to the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit. The law firm has requested the Police to take some action against India’s Chief of Army Staff, Home Minister, and eight other top military officers. It has alleged them of the so-called crimes against activists, journalists, and civilians in the UT.

Stoke White Investigations firm, on its website, has said that “Within the framework of the Global War on Terror and counterterrorism, acts of abuse are directed against those Muslims dissenting against Indian occupation by conducting legitimate protest, seeking legal recourse through the law, and embarking on peaceful civil society advocacy.”

Inside the report, it is mentioned that “There is strong reason to believe that Indian authorities are conducting war crimes and other violence against civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.” The report is made by Khalil Dewan. He claims in his report that a Kashmiri was tortured by two Israeli intelligence officials. Testimony of this Kashmiri person is also included in the report which says “The interrogators were not of Indian origin, they were white and had an American sounding accent. They wanted to know about my views on foreign affairs and were disinterested in the Kashmir conflict.”

Legal Forum of Kashmir, a Kashmiri legal activist group, said that it had collaborated in preparing the document submitted to the UK Police. The group tweeted saying, “Our work with Stoke White through people on the ground to help prepare this report and identify the war criminals was fraught with endless difficulties.”

Legal Forum of Kashmir claims that the “report also provides unique evidence of the presence of Israeli intelligence operatives during interrogations and torture of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir.”

In this report, the law firm has also backed Pakistan’s claim that Pakistan has no control over terrorist groups which operate from Pakistan. In reality, there are so many proofs that have proved this claim wrong time and again. The Stoke White firm has also reported the arrests of the Kashmiri students who were celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in a cricket match.

About Zia Mustafa

The law firm has said that its report is based on over 2,000 testimonies taken between 2020 and 2021. The request of taking action against the Indian Chief of Army Staff and Home Minister along with top military officers was made to the UK police on behalf of Zia Mustafa. The report has also mentioned the revoking of article 370 and called Zia Mustafa a ‘freedom fighter’.

When Zia Mustafa was arrested in 2003, he was the district commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He had been involved in the killing of 24 Kashmiri Pandits. These Kashmiri Pandits were living with their families in their homes in village Nadimarg in Pulwama district. During his interrogations after arrest, Mustafa had told the police that LeT leadership in Pakistan had asked him to carry out a massacre in Kashmir.

Kashmiri Pandits’ Massacre in Nadimarg in 2003

Most of the Kashmiri Pandit families living in Nadimarg had left the place during the 1990’s Kashmiri Pandit genocide and exodus. A few families had still stayed back till 2003. They were around 50 of them. On March 23rd, terrorists dressed in army fatigues came to the place. They lined up 11 men, 11 women, and 2 children in front of their homes. All of them were shot dead. After this incident, everyone else of the Kashmiri Pandit community left the place never to return. Zia Mustafa had carried out this heinous act. His arrest was declared on 10th April 2003.

Killing of Zia Mustafa

In October 2021, Jammu and Kashmir police had said in a statement that “Zia Mustafa, a Pakistani LeT terrorist was taken to Bhata Durian for identification of terrorist hideout during the ongoing operation in which 3 army jawans and a JCO were martyred. During the search when the team approached the hideout, terrorists again opened fire on joint team of police & army personnel in which 2 policemen and an army jawan sustained injuries. Mustafa also sustained injuries &he could not be extracted from the site due to heavy fire.”

Later police had confirmed his death saying that his body had been retrieved from the encounter site.

The ‘universal jurisdiction’

The London-based and Pakistan-backed law firm has requested the UK police to take action against the Indian Chief of Army Staff, Home Minister, and eight other Army officials by the principle of universal jurisdiction. By this, countries are authorized to prosecute individuals accused of crimes against humanity committed anywhere in the world.

Hakan Camuz is the director of this firm and he has said “We hope that the report would convince British police to open an investigation and ultimately arrest the officials when they set foot in the U.K. Some of the Indian officials have financial assets and other links to Britain.”

He further added “We are asking the U.K. government to do their duty and investigate and arrest them for what they did base on the evidence we supplied to them. We want them to be held accountable.”

Human rights lawyers across the world are increasingly using the principle of universal jurisdiction. This is done mostly when the cases are not filed in corresponding countries or in the International Criminal Court, located in The Hague. Earlier, a German court had convicted a Syrian police officer for committing a crime against humanity in Damascus. The police officer was allegedly overseeing the abuse of thousands of detainees in the jail of Damascus a decade ago.

Madhya Pradesh: Hindus in Ratlam put up ‘on sale’ signs outside their houses fearing persecution from Muslims, Govt takes cognisance

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Hindus in Ratlam put up ‘on sale’ signs outside their houses fearing persecution from Muslims, Govt takes cognisance

Something akin to Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana, where Hindus were forced to leave their homes over communal violence, is underway at a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district. Hindus in the village have threatened to leave their homes alleging threats from Muslim community and inaction from the local administration.

The Hindu villagers have alleged that they are living under constant fear of persecution from a particular community, presumably Muslims, and have submitted a memorandum to the district collector on Tuesday, warning them that they would leave the village of Surana in three days if the administration fails to address their concern.

Surana, a village located under the Ratlam district, is a small hamlet with a population of close to 2,200. Over 60 per cent of people in the village are Muslims while the remaining 40 per cent are Hindus. A group of Hindus who had reached the office of SDM Abhishek Gehlot on Tuesday, told media that communal harmony prevailed in their village for year but recently, tensions have flared following excesses from members of the other community.

The two communities lived in a calm and peaceful manner for decades, but of late, attacks and abuse of Hindu families have risen dramatically, the locals told media. They have alleged that Hindus are being browbeaten and bullied with the registration of fake FIRs against them.

As tensions grip the region, the Hindus have put up ‘on sale’ signboards outside their houses, realising that walking away from their life’s possessions is better than dealing with an intractable adversary and an indifferent administration.

The Police had recently organised a meeting in the village between the two communities. It said the things are under control, though they have filed a complaint lodged by one Mukesh, who had alleged thrashing by some locals. During the meeting, Hindus had accused Muslim natives of being involved in illegal acts. They accused police of registering false cases against them and slapping them with NSA.

MP govt takes cognisance of Hindus in Ratlam

In their memorandum addressed to chief minister, the villagers had sought land tracts somewhere else as they did not wish to live in their native village, anymore.

On Wednesday, state home minister Narottam Mishra took cognizance of the reports and sought a report from the district officers. “None will be allowed to spread terror and we will take the required action,” said Mishra.

Tamil MPs of Sri Lanka write to PM Modi for seeking intervention in implementing the 13th amendment of Sri Lankan constitution

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil MPs of Sri Lanka write to PM Modi for seeking intervention in implementing the 13th amendment of Sri Lankan constitution

Tamil Politicians from Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces have written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over seeking his intervention in the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. On Tuesday, the delegation of politicians met with the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Gopal Baglay and handed over the letter to seek India’s help in safeguarding Tamil interests in the country.

In a seven-page letter, the leaders have asked for India’s help in ensuring unfulfilled promises made by the Colombo government while implementing the 13th amendment and to seek a long-term political solution in this regard. The amendment highlights rights given to the Tamil community and increases their influence in the politics of the region. Led by senior Tamil leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R. Sampanthan, the letter was signed by influential constituent party leaders including Mavai Senathiraja, Dharmalingam Sithadthan, and Selvam Adaikalanathan, former Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran and former MP Suresh Premachandran.

The MPs have appealed to PM Modi to urge the Sri Lankan govt to keep its promises to fully implement the provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which ensures a measure of power devolution. The letter also requests India to put pressure to ensure implementation of “the clear commitments made by all sections of government from 1987 onwards and enable the Tamil speaking peoples to live with dignity, self-respect, peace and security in the areas of their historic habitation, exercising their right to self-determination within the framework of a united, undivided country.”

The letter to the Indian PM also highlighted some of the shortcomings in the 13th amendment, and said that the efforts by the Sri Lankan govt should go beyond it. Saying that some in the Tamil community say there are limitations in the amendment, the letter says, “every effort made thereafter moved in the direction of surpassing the 13th Amendment towards a federal structure.”

What is the 13th Ammendment to the Consitution of Sri Lanka?

In 1987, The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord was signed between then Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and J. R. Jayewardene with a view to tame the insurgency led by LTTE. The resolution between the two countries led to the drafting of the 13th Amendment to the Srilankan Constitution paving more power to the hands of Tamilians in the region. Since then, through the accord, India has repeatedly affirmed its position to secure and preserve the rights of the Tamil linguistic minority in Sri Lanka. The amendment also confirms Tamil as an official language of the Island nation alongside Sinhalese, with English as a ‘link language’.

It was also the result of the 13th amendment that the Northern and Eastern regions got independent provincial councils. However, the Hardliners among Sinhala politicians have called for the complete abolition of the Provincial Council system. Moreover, several questions have been raised earlier over the practicality of the amendment throughout the country. “There have been a lot of promises made on the Tamil national question from time to time. Ours is a request to implement them”, MA Sumanthiran, TNA leader said.

The Letter also highlighted interventions made by the Indian leadership at various moments in this issue, including PM Modi’s speech in the Sri Lankan Parliament in 2015 pressing on the issue of ‘co-operative federalism’. The letter now requests PM Modi to “Ensure Tamil speaking people live with dignity, self-respect, peace and security in the areas of their natural habitation, exercising the right to self-determination within the framework of a united undivided country”

In an interesting development, the move comes barely a week after India extended a USD 900 million loan to Colombo to build up its depleted foreign reserves while the country grapples with a shortage of essential commodities currently.

It is also not the first time that Lankan leaders have asked India to intervene on the Tamil issue. In 2016, The former Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran expressed confidence that India would intervene to set up a federal government in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

Vadodara: FCRA license of NGO AFMI Charitable Trust cancelled for illegal mass conversion, funding anti-CAA protests using foreign funds

OpIndia Staff
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Vadodara: FCRA license of NGO AFMI Charitable Trust cancelled for illegal mass conversion, funding anti-CAA protests using foreign funds

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoked the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) license of the Vadodara-based American Federation of Muslims Of Indian Origin (AFMI) in December 2021. The action was taken by MHA based on a report sent by the Vadodara Police in which it was alleged that the NGO had been siphoning off foreign funds for “illegal Islamic activities”. It was first reported in July 2021 that AFMI had allegedly used the foreign funds received mainly from the United Kingdom for mass conversion practices.

The Vadodara Police has also begun the process of issuing a red corner notice against two of the alleged benefactors of the NGO named Abdullah Fefdawala and Mustafa Thanawala. These two had sent hawala funds to Salahuddin Sheikh, the managing trustee of the NGO, between 2016 and 2021.

In July 2021, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Vadodara Police initiated a probe against the NGO for alleged misuse of foreign funds that came to light following a case of illegal conversions against Sheikh booked by Anti-Terrorist Squad of Uttar Pradesh Police. During the investigation, SIT found that the NGO siphoned off close to 19 crores of the foreign funds received mainly from Al-Falah Trust of the UK along with some other benefactors.

During the investigation, SIT summoned Fefdawala of Al-Falah Trust. He was co-accused in the case of hawala transactions of about Rs 60 crore routed via Dubai. Another accused Thanawala from Dubai was also summoned. Neither of them responded to the summons, after which the Police initiated the process of issuing a red corner notice.

DS Chauhan, Assistant Vadodara city Commissioner of Police, Crime, was quoted by the Indian Express saying that the Police had submitted the report in the case related to the misuse of foreign funds to the Central Government. He said, “We have informed the MHA as well as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) about the investigation findings into the misuse of the foreign funds that were meant for the specific purpose of the trust. However, the money was routed to fund various Islamic activities, including illegal religious conversions, construction of mosques, funding individuals for various activities in Kashmir and the areas of the Indo-Nepal border… The IB also must have submitted a second report to the MHA, as is the process, which could have led to the cancellation of their FCRA Registration.”

He further added, “The two accused did not respond to the summons. They have also disabled their email addresses and phone numbers… Our investigation has revealed that Sheikh also facilitated money to two persons in Bharuch district to execute illegal religious conversions to Islam.”

On November 24, SIT filed a 1,860-page charge sheet in the case. They named Fefdawala and Thanawala as two wanted accused in the case and mentioned numerous activities of AFMI Trust where the NGO misused the funds received under FCRA. The charge sheet said AFMI Trust, in collusion with IH Kasuwala Firm, siphoned Rs 1.65 crore using fake invoices. It added, “AFMI Trust knowingly presented accounts of expenditure of Rs 94.65 lakh (of the Rs 1.65 crore) to the government agencies.”

Involvement in Delhi Riots of 2020

The NGO has also been accused of providing funds to support the Delhi Riots of 2020 and CAA protests along with other criminal activities aimed at strengthening Islam. The Police alleged the NGO was involved in illegal conversions of people of the Hindu community to Islam.

The Uttar Pradesh mass conversion racket

The Uttar Pradesh police filed a case in June 2020 against Umar Gautam of Dawah Centre. Gautam was accused of the illegal conversion of a Hindu girl. During the investigation, it was revealed that Umar Gautam, who himself was a convert, ran a racket to convert Hindus to Islam. He lured poor and marginalized people in the Hindu community and did not even spare hearing and speech impaired students of an institute in Noida.

The Bharuch mass conversion case

On November 15 2021, a case was registered at Amod Police Station Part A under Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act under sections 4, 5, 4-G along with Indian Penal Code section 120 (B), 153 (B) (C), 506(2), 153A (1), 295 (K), 466, 467, 468, 471, Atrocities Act section 3 (2) (5-a), 3 (2)(5) and Information Technology Act, 2000 section 84-C against nine accused. The nine accused were: Shabbir Bakerywala (Amod), Samaj Bakerywala (Amod), Abdul Aziz Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Yusuf Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Ayub Barkat Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Hasan Tisli (Achhod, Amod), Fefdawala Haji Abdullah (Nabipur, currently, London, UK), Ismail Achhodwala alias Delawala (maulvi) (Achhod, Amod) and Ibrahim Patel (Kankaria, Amod).

As per the FIR filed, the accused had promised jobs and money to Hindu Vasava tribal families in the area and got them to convert to Islam in 2018. The complainant has accused them of a nationwide racket of religious conversion and alleged that they were given death threats if they complained against the religious conversion. The accused had threatened that they are well connected from Kashmir to Pakistan, the FIR states.

In December 2020, Bharuch Police issued an arrest warrant against Abdulsamad Mohammad alias Dawood Suleiman Patel (Bakerywala), Shabbir Mohammad Patel (Bakerywala), Hasan Isha Patel (Hasan Titli), Ismail Yakub alias Ismail Achhodwala (maulvi), all residents of Amod as well as Abdullah Aadam Fefdawala from Nabipur, Bharuch, who is currently residing in London, UK.

How 21st-century invaders are capturing Chhatrapati Shivaji’s forts the way even Mughals didn’t

Suyash
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How 21st-century invaders are capturing Chhatrapati Shivaji’s forts the way even Mughals didn’t

To be on the wrong side of history is a choice – more so when the attempts to reclaim an invader identity are unapologetic. Be it inventing fictional military commanders in his cavalry to claiming false religious associations with forts built by him, the attempts to paint Chhatrapati Shivaji a ‘secular’ king have come a long way. For the unabashed Chhatrapati of the Hindavi Swarajya that he was, Shivaji Maharaj was no bigot.

Unlike his Islamic contemporaries, Chhatrapati Shivaji treated his subjects equally and became one of the most revered rulers in the history of Indian Civilization. While he remains equally relevant in the present political discourse, nefarious attempts to appropriate him for personal political gains or scoring religious goals should be called out.

Recently, a leaflet calling out celebration of ‘Urus Sharif’ for a Sufi Saint on Lohagad Fort situated near Pune, made its way on social media. Starting with the ‘Sarv Dharm Samabhav’ rhetoric, the poster asked people to participate in the celebration of ‘Urus’ for some ‘Umar Shahwali Baba’ whose tomb supposedly lies on the Lohagad fort, scheduled on January 17. Flagging the event, Malhar Pandey, a resident of Pune tweeted about the sudden urge to hold a celebration for the bygone ‘saint’ with no recent cultural relevance or any historical identification.

Malhar Pandey, a history buff and President of social organization Zhunj raised some serious concerns about the political ploy to reclaim obscure ideals in order to highlight distinct Muslim identity in Maratha history and heritage – often devoid of facts. In his tweet, he said, “There is no contemporary evidence which shows that there existed a mosque on Lohagad fort during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s time or Sambhaji Maharaja’s time. Under the name of secularism, the Muslims have encroached many forts before, with help of politicians.”

Talking to OpIndia about the incident, he mentioned that any such celebration of Urs has no historical or cultural relevance and is an altogether new fabrication. “There is no evidence of any celebration of such event during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s time or at any point when the Lohagad fort was in the control of the Marathas until 1818. Also, it is impossible to suspect any such happening after the Marathas, as Lohagad was under strict British regulation until the 20th century” he added.

Pandey, who hails from Pune also suspects political intent in order to charge up Muslim sentiments behind this act. According to the Poster, Haji Hussain Baba Sheikh, a veteran Shivsena leader is the chairman of this event while NCP MLA Sunil Shelke from Maval is the guest invitee.

Alleged tomb of Umar Shahwali Avliya at Lohagad. Image Courtesy: Kevin Standage Photography

We went a little ahead to trace the roots of ‘Umar Shahwali Baba’- if at all he existed. Pune based historian Ashutosh Potnis found his mention in the Bombay state gazetteer of Pune from 1889. He added, “Sheikh Umar Avlia was part of Sufi saints who arrived in the Deccan from Arabia in the 14th century. With the support of local sultans, he settled down at Lohagad. Sheikh Umar Shahwali Baba – The Sufi Saint who is being venerated today is said to have destroyed the temple of a local deity situated on the fort when he made it his base. Adds Potnis, “The Bombay Gazetteer mentions that a local folk deity was desecrated by him. The site of Umar Shahwali’s tomb is likely where the shrine of this folk diety once stood.”

Moreover, Lohagad being a protected monument under ASI, the archaeological department at Bombay has already denied permission for conduction of any religious function there. If at all, venerating an iconoclast can be morally downright for some, the recent phenomenon also violates the legal framework for heritage laid down by the ASI. Shah’s jerkwater tomb stayed silently for years and while he died in irrelevance, nobody was aware of his questionable past. One fine day, a group of people start celebrating him to make religious identities to be associated with Lohagad at par with each other. It seems the celebration is more of a political exercise than a spiritual one.

The Lohagad fort case stands out, yet is not an isolated one. Several forts in Maharashtra, who have failed to get attention from authorities for restoration have come under the radar of this religious expansionism. Last week, Yuvraj Sambhaji of Kolhapur wrote to the Archeological Survey of India to flag the attempts to build a mosque on Fort Raigad – which once stood as the capital of Hindavi Swarajya.

This came after a video of miscreants attempting to move stones in order to raise a structure at the Madari Morcha of Raigad emerged. Later, it was found that a part of the precinct was already painted, and a ‘chadar’ was laid in an attempt to assign Muslim identity to an already existing structure. “It is unfortunate that illegal construction activities are allowed to go on in an iconic place like the Raigad Fort,” Sambhaji wrote in the letter.

Another Fort, Kille Vishalgad lies in abysmal neglect while also withstanding the legacy of commander Bajiprabhu Deshpande whose jerkwater Samadhi near the Pavankhind lies in neglect. Even though, The state government has made sure that funds are raised for the illegally encroached Dargah of Baba Rehan standing in Reinforced concrete. Instead of clamping down on the continued illegal encroachment of the Dargah, the government has sanctioned funds for building pavements along the road to the structure instead.

All of this, when the traditional temples on the fort remain to be in a state of absolute decay. Local historians say Malik Rehan once attacked Vishalgad in a siege and died on the battlefield. With unapologetic religious undertones, Baba Rehan Dargah stands atop Vishalgad while the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s enemy is being reclaimed on his own property.

The above cases are mere eyeopeners to how determined encroachments are being made to claim unjust stakes in heritage. Beyond Historical narratives, some Islamists have gone forward to enroach on-ground heritage sites out of no facts, context and participation in history. In February last year, an attempt to rename the Fort of Vandangad in Satara was done by the state forest department as ‘Pir Vandangad’ (Pir suggesting Muslim saint). While the fort lies in a restricted forest area, it too has been encroached by the Abdal Sahab Dargah Trust.

The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti had criticised this move while the issue of renaming the fort has now been resolved. Recently, a panel of history aficionados comprising of Dr Vinay Sahastrabuddhe (Director, ICCR), Sunil Deodhar (National Secy, BJP) and Vaibhav Dange have also submitted a memorandum to prevent illegal construction activities on many historic forts to the Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal.

While conservation of our built heritage continues to be a challenge, the battle of illegal encroachments is a violation of the rules-based order. The attempts of encroachments over Chattrapati Shivaji’s heritage reveal the brazen tactics adopted by the Islamists of late. Moreover, the inventive ways employed to appropriate places of cultural import underscores the challenges in safeguarding our heritage. As if the falsification of history through bastardised narratives was not enough, 21st-century invaders have now claimed a direct stake in the prized heritage of Hindus itself. It is a message to the Hindus that invasions and conquests would continue as Islamists buckle down on usurping Chhatrapati Shivaji’s forts in ways even Mughals didn’t.

4-yr-old Swarnav tracked down by Pune Police, was kidnapped last week from Balewadi

OpIndia Staff
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4-yr-old Swarnav tracked down by Pune Police, was kidnapped last week from Balewadi

The Pune City Police has been successful in tracking down a 4-year-old boy after a week-long search operation in the city. Swarnav Chavan aka Duggu was abducted from the Balewadi area on the morning of January 11 while he was on his way to a daycare centre.

Last week, social media platforms were abuzz with a missing notice of Swarnav Satish Chavan (4 yrs) being kidnapped near the Balewadi Police station. It was told that Swarnav was on his way to his daycare centre with his 12-year-old cousin. CCTV footage was found of a man carrying Swarnav on his two-wheeler. His parents Dr Satish and Prachi Chavan had lodged a complaint about his search in the Chatushrungi Police Station.

Pune Police charted out a week-long search operation within the city. Many task forces were created for the search of Swarnav. It is being reported that over 300 policemen were involved in his search and special confidentiality was maintained throughout.

Today, the search team was successful in locating Swarnav at Punawale near Wakad. According to Punekar News, The boy was dropped by the kidnapper with a local labourer near a Private institution today. The labourer was asked to look after the boy until the kidnapper came back. Eventually, the kidnapper never returned and Swaranv started crying. After finding a mobile phone number in his bag, the labourer dialled Dr Chavan (Swarnav’s father) who then contacted the police. The Police team reached the spot and handed over Swarnav to his parents.

Swarnav’s Father, Dr Satish Chavan had earlier shared appeals on social media seeking any information regarding his missing child. Social organizations, Whatsapp groups, influencers and Politicians were keeping an eye on the case by sharing SOS calls of Swarnav’s missing note on social media. Today, Siddharth Shirole, BJP MLA from Pune had shared the news of the successful tracking of Swaranav by Police on Twitter.

The Police Police has informed that Swarnav who was kidnapped from Balewade High Street has been found today and appears to be in good health.

The investigation to trace the kidnapper is on and the Police has refused to reveal any further details.

Congress model of ‘farm loan waiver’: Farmland in Rajasthan auctioned after farmer died without repaying loan, BJP slams Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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Congress model of ‘farm loan waiver’: Farmland in Rajasthan auctioned after farmer died without repaying loan, BJP slams Rahul Gandhi

On Wednesday, a deceased farmer’s land in Dausa, Rajasthan was auctioned two and a half months after his death, for non-payment of the loan amount. The farmer’s family reportedly had asked for a reasonable time span to repay the loan of Rs 7 lakh but was denied by the bank. About 15 bigha 2 biswa land of the farmer was auctioned for to Rs 46 lakh in Ramgarh Pachwara village of Dausa.

According to the reports, Kajod Meena, resident of Jamun Ki Dhani of Dausa district had taken a loan of Rs 3.5 lakh under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) from the Rajasthan Marudhara Gramin Bank of Ramgarh Pachwara. The farmer could not pay the loan for several years and after 2017 the outstanding loan amount accumulated to more than Rs 7 lakh including interest and penalties.

The bank issued notices to sons Rajulal and Pappulal after father Kajod Meena died last year. Due to the poor financial condition of the family, the sons also could not repay the KCC loan and the bank decided to order for attachment of the land.

Mithlesh Meena from Ramgarh Pachwara SDM office confirmed the development saying that ‘the bank had called the farmer’s family for settlement but they didn’t appear, so as per law their land was auctioned’. It is reported that the family of the farmers had remained hopeful with the promise of loan waiver made by the government a couple of years ago.

It is pertinent to note that in 2018, Rahul Gandhi in Jaipur had promised farm loan waiver within 10 days if Congress was voted to power. He specifically also mentioned that Congress was not making false promises and that it had already implemented the same in Punjab and Karnataka. He had also attacked PM Modi for writing off Rs 3.5 lakh crores of 15 industrialists and had ‘confusingly’ assumed that the loans were ‘waived off’.

BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the Congress Government for betraying the farmers and snatching away their lands. “On one hand Uttar Pradesh govt has waived loans of 36,000 cr of lakhs of farmers but Rahul Gandhi who promised loan waiver in Rajasthan in ten days publicly has betrayed farmers and today their lands are being snatched away while Gehlot govt looks on! KISAN KI DUSHMAN CONGRESS”, he tweeted.

Misinformation about loans ‘written off’-

Rahul Gandhi has always had difficulty in understanding the difference between loans being ‘written off’ and loans being ‘waived off’. In December 2020, Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the Modi government had ‘waived off’ Rs 2,37,206 crore loan of the industrialists. According to him, the huge amount, which was ‘waive-off’ by the government, could have been provided for 11 crore families in the difficult time of COVID, each with Rs 20,000. In the financial year 2019-2020, scheduled commercial banks, both private and public sector banks, in an effort to restructure the stressed assets, had reportedly ‘written-off’ Rs 2,37,206 crores of loans.

Also, many times in the past, Gandhi has repeated the lie. According to him, the Modi government has in his tenure waived loans of 5.50 lakh crore, 3.50 lakh crore, 3.00 lakh crore. 2.50 lakh crore, 1.50 lakh crore, 1.40 lakh crore, 1.30 lakh crore, 1.10 lakh crore owed by richest industrialists.

In November 2016, Rahul Gandhi had spread lies and claimed that the Modi government had then waived off loans worth Rs 1.1 lakh crores of big industrialists. During campaigning for Gujarat assembly polls in 2017, Rahul Gandhi repeated the same trite, he inexplicably increased this figure by 20,000 Crores to Rs 1.3 lakh crores. In Karnataka, he went a step ahead and conjured up another grand figure, Rs 2.5 Lakh crores that were waived-off.

Loan Write off

In April 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had schooled Rahul Gandhi when he again tried to spread misinformation by terming ‘bad loan write off’ by banks as ‘loan waiver’. ‘Write-off’ is a process of balance sheet cleaning up exercise undertaken by banks to depict the real status of the bank’s assets and liabilities. The write-offs are not loan waivers as claimed by the Congress party and its ecosystem, she had said.

Write-offs are a purely technical, accounting entry. Loans, which may not be repaid by the borrower in the normal course of business are written off. Even when these loans are written off, various recovery procedures like recovery suits filed before the Debt Recovery Tribunal and action initiated under SARFAESI Act continue. Hence, the writing-off a loan is not simply a ‘waive-off’.

Loan waive off-

Reports mention that loan waive off is an offer made by the government to the borrower where he is no longer under burden to of paying back the loan amount. The government can offer the loan waive off considering the genuine change of the borrower’s financial condition.

After completing 2 years of office, CM Ashok Gehlot in 2020 had again vowed to waive the farm loans taken from nationalized and commercial banks. He had also blamed the commercial banks for not cooperating and had informed that loans availed from scheduled banks were not to be waived off.

Grooming Jihad in Madhya Pradesh: Minor girl lured into marriage by Arbaaz posing as Vishal, gang-raped and pressurised to accept Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Grooming Jihad in Madhya Pradesh: Minor girl lured into marriage by Arbaaz posing as Vishal, gang-raped and pressurised to accept Islam

A horrifying case of Grooming Jihad has come to light from the Khandva district in Madhya Pradesh, where a man named Arbaaz, who masqueraded as Vishal, and his friend Sadiq, reportedly gang-raped a 10th stand standard girl from neighbouring village Harsud after luring her into a relationship. The girl was also forced into converting her religion and embracing Islam.

The Harsud police station in Khandwa district has filed a case against the accused, charging them with sections including rape and sexual abuse. While Sadiq, a government employee, is already under arrest, the police are still searching for Vishal alias Arbaaz who is on the run.

As per reports, Arbaaz created an account under the false identity of Vishal and befriended a girl on Instagram. Gradually, the friendship turned into a love relationship, following which Arbaaz, posing as Vishal, invited the 10th standard girl from Harsud over to Khandwa under the pretext of marriage.

The girl, who was head over heels in love with Arbaaz, promptly accepted his invitation and left her home for Khandwa. She was also carrying a red saree and jewellery, hoping to wear them in her marriage with Vishal alias Arbaaz. However, upon reaching Khandwa, she was taken as a hostage by Arbaaz and taken to the official residence of his friend Sadiq, who is an employee in the Municipal Corporation.

In her statement to police, the girl said, “I left the house on Monday night with a wedding dress and jewellery. After I reached Khandwa and met Vishal there, I came to know that his real name was Arbaaz Khan and he was a resident of Khanshawali village. He took me to a government building behind the collector’s bungalow with the help of Sadiq.”

Here, they took turns to rape her, according to reports. The duo also clicked objectionable pictures and videos of the girl and threatened her with making them viral. After being gang-raped, they forced the girl to renounce her faith and accept Islam. Arbaaz reportedly assured her that he would marry her if she became a Muslim. When she resisted conversion attempts and threatened them with police action, Sadiq and Arbaaz locked her up and fled from the place.

The girl somehow managed to escape her captivity, after which she approached the police and narrated her ordeal to them. Based on her complaint, the police rounded up Sadiq but they could not get hold of Arbaaz who was absconding. They have now launched a manhunt to determine his whereabouts and arrest him.

The Hindu Jagran Manch also took cognisance of the case where a girl was entrapped by a Muslim man pretending to be a Hindu. District president Anish Arjhare said the matter is a love jihad case and urged authorities to take stringent steps to bring the culprits to book.

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