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Islamic country organises fireworks for Diwali while Hindus in India spend it in silence: Read how

OpIndia Staff
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Islamic country organises fireworks for Diwali while Hindus in India spend it in silence: Read how

There are some things in life that are so beautiful and yet, within a particular context, they can appear utterly tragic and even obscene. We can perhaps think of a million things that fall under that category but what we are referring to here is the celebration of Diwali in Dubai with a majestic display of fireworks. The Consulate General of India shared a video of a fireworks display at the city in UAE.

While Dubai is celebrating Diwali with fireworks, the same is banned in much of India on the occasion of Diwali. Numerous state governments have banned firecrackers across the country and the National Green Tribunal has stepped in to ban firecrackers in numerous cities and towns nationwide. The cracker ban has endangered the livelihoods of hundreds and thousands of people associated with the cracker industry.

Meanwhile, Police officials across the country are pretending to be heroes while they project cracker sellers as some sort of dreaded criminals. They are even posting pictures on social media broadcasting their stellar achievement of ruining someone’s Diwali. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, E Palaniswami, was requesting state governments to lift the ban to protect the livelihoods of people in his state but then, the NGT moved swiftly to put the final nail in the coffin.

Madhya Pradesh and Assam have bucked the trend apart from some other states. Celebrations were already expected to be muted this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic but state governments across the country have ensured that they remain that way. It is indeed tragic that an Islamic country organised fireworks for Diwali while Hindus are treated as criminals for the same in India.

So our children remember the joys of celebrating Deepawali: Why OpIndia is launching Mission Loud and Bright Diwali 2021

Nupur J Sharma
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So our children remember the joys of celebrating Deepawali: Why OpIndia is launching Mission Loud and Bright Diwali 2021

Diwali this year has been more unusual than ever before over the course of the lifetimes of most of us. Festivities were expected to be muted this year anyway given the pandemic but the ban on firecrackers has ensured that they never take off. Like most people, we at OpIndia were mightily distressed as well. And thus, we announced our mission for a loud and bright Diwali 2021.

Our announcement was motivation as much by ideological commitment as it was by by emotional turmoil. There is only so much news one could cover regarding the reckless destruction of livelihoods at the time of festivities without feeling an impulse towards ensuring that such a thing does not occur again.

Most of all, we were motivated by the image of that little girl banging her head against the vehicle crying profusely because the police was taking her father away to jail for the great sin of selling crackers. No child deserves to have the smile robbed off her face on the occasion of Diwali because her father was selling crackers. It is monstrous, it is inhumane, it is morally reprehensible.

Similarly, we felt compelled to act when we covered the evident distress among those invested in the cracker industry as they suffered massive losses. Considering all of this, we felt we had take a stand. As such, the words in our announcement are just our first thoughts and nothing concrete has been planned yet.

Plans will evolve going forward and we will rely on our many well-wishers for their valuable inputs and suggestions on how to move forward. As of now, we do have certain ideas regarding how to proceed and the areas we need to focus on. The initiative will require volunteer work and contribution for it to succeed. Here, we shall highlight some of the areas that we need to focus our attention on.

Schools

Propaganda and the brainwashing of the populace works best and begins at schools. For years now, attempts have been made to brainwash children against the use of firecrackers. The children of today make the laws in the future. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we make an attempt to address children in schools directly and authorities at schools over the issue of firecrackers.

In a just world, perhaps, we wouldn’t have to travel to such lengths to ensure the continuity of our traditions but we are not living in a just world. Therefore, we ought to make a concerted effort to speak with school authorities in order to ensure that propaganda against crackers and other Hindu traditions are not peddled.

At the same time, parents ought to be convinced to approach school authorities as well if they discover their children are being brainwashed into toxic ideologies.

Liaising with Traders

We will attempt to establish relations with firecracker manufacturers and traders in order to learn more about the matter and secure research that elaborates on the alleged causal links between firecrackers and pollution. As far as we are, there is no legitimate research that states that crackers are to be held responsible for the poor air quality in numerous cities and towns across the country.

For governments across the country, firecrackers have become an easy scapegoat to avoid taking any real actions to curb pollution. The cracker ban has become an annual ritual for governments to pretend that they are taking the matter of pollution seriously while for the rest of the year, no actions are taken at all to address the real concerns.

As a consequence of the arbitrary cracker ban, hundreds of thousands of those associated with the cracker industry will be impacted. Their very livelihood is today threatened. We will attempt to coordinate with them in order to prevent another such catastrophe in 2021.

Legal Activism

The most important avenue will be the legal front. We will collaborate with those already fighting for the cause and explore how we can meaningfully contribute towards the same. The battle to save Diwali will be fought in the Courts has to be fought in the Courts as well and we will attempt to ensure that the Hindu community collectively puts their best feet forward.

The odds may not be in our favour but efforts have to be made nonetheless. What we believe is that the cracker ban is completely unjustified and through arguments based on research, we would attempt to overturn the state sanctioned persecution that has been unleashed against the cracker industry.

The NGT has stepped in to ban firecrackers in cities and towns across the country on the occasion of Diwali. Numerous state governments have gone the same way. And in certain states, the Judiciary has banned crackers as well. Therefore, we need a collective effort at all levels to overturn the efforts to outlaw firecrackers.

We rely on you, dear readers

OpIndia has been fortunate to have a dedicated set of readers who have stood by us through thick and thin. Through high and lows, our readers have encouraged us, strengthen our resolve and provided the much needed moral support required for a platform like OpIndia to succeed. In this initiative as well, we do hope that our readers will engage meaningfully in order to ensure its success.

We seek ideas and suggestions on the best possible path forward. Ideas and suggestions can be sent to us on our emails. Furthermore, the initiative will require a great deal of volunteer work. Therefore, contribution towards that end will always be greatly appreciated.

Why we fight

The ban on firecrackers is as much an affront to our cultural sensibilities as it is towards the role that we expect our governments to perform. As citizens, we expect out governments to create employment opportunities, not destroy them. We expect our governments to make genuine efforts to curb pollution, not engage in arbitrary actions that not only have zero impact on pollution but also destroy livelihoods in the process.

We want Hindus to be able to celebrate their festivals without fearing that they will be put in prison for celebrating it in the manner we have always celebrated. We don’t want Hindus to be harassed by the police on the eve of their most important festival. We don’t want the Police posing as Superman while projecting firecracker sellers as some of dreaded criminals.

We do not want little girls banging their head against police vehicles in a desperate attempt to stop them from taking away their father to jail on the eve of Diwali. We do not want Hindus to be projected as criminals for bursting firecrackers on Diwali. We do not darkness to prevail on the lives of those associated with the cracker industry during the festival of lights.

The only thing we want is for the Indian state to stop waging a war against the traditions of the dominant culture of this country. We want the state to stop waging a war against its own citizens. But above all, we want our children to celebrate Diwali in the manner we have when we were kids. We want our children to be able to carry on the traditions of our ancestors. Our legacy is what we wish to pass to them, it is the most valuable heritage that we possess. And that is why we must resist.

There is no fixed plan in place yet. But we hope to put one in place soon. And we do hope to play our part in ensuring that 2021 is the loudest and brightest Diwali in history.

Wrote to all CMs in September, licences for firecracker shops were assured before banning crackers, paving way for losses: manufacturers to NGT

OpIndia Staff
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Wrote to all CMs in September, licences for firecracker shops were assured before banning crackers, paving way for losses: manufacturers to NGT

The Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturer’s Association (TNFAM), a group that represents firecracker manufacturers in the state of Tamil Nadu, has said that various state governments had granted them temporary license to produce and sell crackers before imposing an arbitrary ban on crackers ahead of Diwali.

In a written submission to the NGT in the first week of November, the crackers manufacturers association had mentioned that they had written letters to all Chief Ministers of the states as early as September 9 2020 September itself, requesting to issue temporary license for fireworks shop ahead of Diwali. The association had informed the tribunal that many Governments had responded to them positively that it will do the needful and started the process of issuing licenses.

The TNFAM said, with this confidence fireworks were produced and sent to the wholesalers of all state. It added that huge loans were availed by manufacturers and dealers for the production and purchase of the same and none of the governments had informed them saying that fireworks will not be allowed this year as soon as they got the representation from the firecracker industry.

Image Source: NGT’s order banning crackers in NCR, dated November 5/ Page 17

“Though fireworks are daily burst there were only 15 fresh Covid-19 cases on November 5 in the entire district. Nowhere in the world has any country banned fireworks during the Covid pandemic while celebrating their festivals,” the association said rejecting the argument that crackers aggravated the coronavirus pandemic.

Firecracker ban can hurt 8 lakh workers and 1,200 firework factories

Further, in its submission, the TNFAM had stated that there are more than 1200 fireworks factories and more than 8 lakh people are directly or indirectly employed in the industry.

In its submission before the NGT, which heard the petition a ban on fireworks across NCR, the TNFAM had informed that if the fireworks are banned at the last hour, nothing will be left of the firecracker Industry or of the 8 lakh workers.

“That the proposed suggestive ban on the use of firecrackers has sent shivers down the spine of the sellers who are anyway facing acute financial hardship owing to the present pandemic,” the crackers industry had submitted before the NGT on November 8.

Image Source: NGT’s order banning crackers in NCR, dated November 5/ Page 17

Interestingly, the TNFAM had pointed out to research data that highlighted how 42% pollution is because of stubble burning and not by the burning of crackers per se. It had also submitted a IIT research paper to show that fireworks accounted for less than 0.1 per cent of the air pollution.

States imposed ban after granting license to sell, says crackers industry body

However, after promising and positively responding to the crackers industry that they would not ban the sale of firecrackers, various states have imposed arbitrary bans on the sale of crackers ahead of Diwali citing air pollution amidst the rising number of coronavirus cases.

Reportedly, the ban on sale and bursting of firecrackers by five states may result in 45 per cent loss of market this Deepavali season for manufacturers in Sivakasi, the fireworks hub of India that accounts for 90 per cent of crackers produced in the country.

Rajasthan was the first state to ban the sale and bursting of firecrackers followed by Odisha, Delhi, West Bengal, and Karnataka, which had been issuing the licence to set up cracker shops till the November 4.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) also imposed a total ban on the sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the NCR from November 9 till December 1, 2020. While passing the order the Tribunal had said that the order to ban crackers will also apply to all cities/towns in the country where the average of ambient air quality during November fell under ‘poor’ and above (worse) category.

It seems like NGT, without taking the consent given by various states to produce and sell crackers and also the promise made by them not to impose any ban on firecrackers, imposed a ban on sale of crackers pushing the entire crackers industry towards huge financial losses.

Watch: French embassy extends greetings on Diwali in several regional languages

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: French embassy extends greetings on Diwali in several regional languages

On the occasion of Diwali, the French embassy in India has put out a video sharing greetings on the auspicious Hindu festival. While several foreign embassies in India have followed suit, the case of the French embassy is extraordinary. Emmanuel Lenain, the official ambassador in India, tweeted, “We wish you all a very happy and prosperous Deepavali!”

In a video shared by Lenain, the Consulate General in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Puducherry and Chennai had shared greetings for Diwali in Indian languages of the particular region. For instance, French Consulate General in Mumbai, Sonia Barby, wished Diwali in Marathi while the Consulate General in Bengaluru greeted on the festival in Kannada. The Consulate General in Kolkata shared the same message in Bengali, followed by the Consulate General in Puducherry and Chennai in Tamil.

Australian High Commissioner shares Diwali wishes in Hindi

Barry O Farrell, the Australian High Commissioner to India, had shared a video wherein the greetings for Diwali was conveyed in Hindi. “Do you know that Australia is the most beautiful and diverse country on the planet? We are proud of this. There is 1 person of Indian origin for every 35 people in Australia. The ties between the communities is so strong that even Diwali is celebrated in Australia. I have celebrated Diwali on several occasions with my friends,” the video stated.

The video further added, “On this special occasion, I want to convey my greetings on behalf of the Australian High Commission. Despite the challenges involved in celebrations this time around, I hope that you continue the festival with ease and safety even this time. Have a happy Diwali!”

‘None of our allies in the Middle East want to see Donald Trump go, Joe Biden should follow his policies in ME’: US’ Syria envoy

OpIndia Staff
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‘None of our allies in the Middle East want to see Donald Trump go, Joe Biden should follow his policies in ME’: US’ Syria envoy

Retiring American diplomat and Syrian envoy James Jeffrey has created quite the flutter with his interview to Defense One. The parts of the interview that gained the most attention were the ones in which he admitted that US officials lied to sitting President Donald Trump in order to prevent him from withdrawing troops from Syria.

The admission was regarded by people across the board as open insubordination and treasonous with one US Representative calling for the US officials to be punished for lying to the Commander-in-Chief of the US military. The revelation was indeed explosive, however, it threw shade on the numerous compliments James Jeffrey showered upon Donald Trump.

The Syrian envoy said that the manner in which Donald Trump approached Middle-East was vastly better than the previous administrations which brought chaos to the region. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama with their ‘transformational approaches’ in the Middle-East have “made things worse” and “weakened us,” he said.

James Jeffrey said that Donald Trump has succeeded in achieving a “stalemate” in numerous hot and cold conflicts in the region which is the best that any administration could hope for. He said that Donald Trump, instead of undermining allies in the region, tried “to build up our alliance system and basically stop nagging at them, show that Washington has their back including their domestic situations — they can do pretty much what they want, but they’re going to have to step up and do things.”

The revelation that would come as a surprise to most of his critics is that Donald Trump is especially liked in the Middle East. “Nobody really wants to see President Trump go, among all our allies [in the Middle East],” James Jeffrey said. “The truth is President Trump and his policies are quite popular among all of our popular states in the region. Name me one that’s not happy.” He went to the extent of saying that if he were to given any advise to Joe Biden, it would be that he should tread the path forged by Donald Trump.

Praising the accomplishments of Donald Trump is hardly ever tolerated. The only occasions on which he garnered immense praise from the Washington establishment is when he bombed Syria and appeared on course for a war against Iran. However, even James Jeffrey admits that Trump and his policies are immensely popular in the Middle-East.

Jeffrey is someone who had signed an open letter in 2016 condemning the then presidential aspirant describing him as “erratic”. By the end of four years of the Trump presidency, the Syrian envoy says that the US President has looked at the Middle-East through a geostrategic lens and focused on Iran, Russia and China while keeping the metastatic “disease” of Islamic terror in check.

Watch: Arnab Goswami wonders if Congress will file FIRs against Obama and send him to Taloja jail for criticising Rahul baba

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Arnab Goswami wonders if Congress will file FIRs against Obama and send him to Taloja jail for criticising Rahul baba

The scathing assessment of Rahul Gandhi by former US President Barack Obama saying the Gandhi-scion had neither ability nor passion to do politics became one of the embarrassing moments for the Congress party in recent history.

As Obama’s remarks against Rahul Gandhi went viral on the internet, several people took to social media to express their view on the controversy. Some created a meme fest on social media platforms even as some Congress loyalists were upset against Obama for his remarks, who inturn demanded an apology from the former US President for interfering India’s internal affairs.

However, Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami had a different take on the whole issue. Arnab Goswami, who is one of the many victims of Congress party and its allies’ witch hunt, mocked the Congress party saying that they should immediately file an FIR against Barack Obama in Maharashtra.

Taking a dig at the Congress party, Arnab Goswami advised the Congress party, one of the coalition partner of Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, to misuse their state power to silence their critics as they usually do to deal with their critics.

He advised them to send their complaint against Obama to Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh with an express instruction asking him to surround Obama’s house with 70 policemen and to pick him up for expressing his opinion on the Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi.

“I insist that the Congress party should ask Mumbai Police saying He (Obama) should be picked up, not allowed to wear his shoes and take him before the Alibaug jail and after two days he should be put to Taloja jail. That is the only thing Obama deserves,” said Arnab Goswami

Ironically, Arnab Goswami’s hilarious take on the Obama controversy reflects a sad reality of our times as the entire sequence of events fancifully narrated by Republic TV chief was inspired by the real events. Last week, the Mumbai Police had barged into the residence of Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami and had assaulted him and his family before dragging him to the Raigad police station in connection with a 2018 suicide case.

The Mumbai Police, acting on the behest of the Maharashtra government, has been carrying out a witch-hunt against Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami after he had questioned the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition government in Maharashtra over lapses in various criminal cases such as Palghar Hindu Sadhus lynching case, Sushant Singh Rajput case, ‘Fake TRP’ scam, etc.

In an attempt to silence him, the Maharashtra government had not only forced people to falsely implicate Arnab Goswami but had also re-opened a 2018 closed suicide case against Arnab Goswami and had arrested him from his residence.

In his debate show on Saturday, Arnab Goswami, juxtaposing the entire sequence of events, dared the Congress party to do the same against former US President Barack Obama for expressing his opinion on Rahul Gandhi.

The entire witch-hunt against Arnab Goswami and Republic TV had started when he had dared to question Sonia Gandhi after the Palghar lynching. He had gone on to question her regarding her silence and thereafter, over 200 FIRs were filed against him by Congress. He was also physically attacked by Congress goons.

Rahul Gandhi is someone who lacks aptitude and passion to master the subject: Barack Obama

Barack Obama – the former President of the United States of America, has made a rather interesting assessment of the Congress prince Rahul Gandhi and had described the Congress leader as someone who lacks aptitude and passion to master the subject.

In his new book – ‘A Promised Land’, former US President Barack Obama highlighted the inability of the Gandhi-scion to understand the way of politics as he says Rahul Gandhi lacked both aptitude and passion to master the art of politics.

The former President has opined on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stating, “Rahul Gandhi has a nervous, unformed quality about him as if he were a student who’d done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject”.

According to a book review by the New York Times, the autobiography by Obama is ‘more political than personal’. The book is reportedly is a harsh self-assessment by Obama of his Presidential tenure and his life including his first stirring of social awareness in his teenage years. The book also talks about his VP and the current US President-elect Joe Biden along with various other issues.

The mild critique of Rahul Gandhi by Obama comes just days after Congress’ yet another dismal performance in the recently concluded Bihar election. Many critics have pointed out how Rahul Gandhi’s incompetence to lead the party resulted in Congress managing just 19 of the 70 seats it contested, pulling down the Mahagathbandhan.

Following the embarrassment that caused due to the disclosure, the Congress party is trying hard to undo the damage inflicted upon them. As soon as the reports about Obama’s critique against Rahul Gandhi went viral on the internet, the Congress leaders rushed to defend him by claiming that the assessment of Wayanad MP was not true.

Some Congress leaders even called for unfollowing Barack Obama on Twitter after he had expressed his opinion. Congress MP Tariq Anwar went a step ahead to conform to the views of former US President Barack Obama on Rahul Gandhi by admitting that Rahul Gandhi lacked aptitude and passion for politics ten years ago.

Why Nehru deserves the flak he gets on his birth anniversary and every other day — and how Sonia and Rahul are to blame

Abhishek Banerjee
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Why Nehru deserves the flak he gets on his birth anniversary and every other day — and how Sonia and Rahul are to blame

It’s Nov 14, the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru. Or as they used to call it back when I was a kid in school: Children’s Day. The tradition goes back to 1955. Because nothing says democracy like school children being herded together to celebrate the dear leader.

For the Hindu right in India, Nehru is not a popular man. To put it mildly. The laundry list of accusations against him is long. From being too cozy with the imperial British to giving in too easily to Muslim communalism to refusing to respect Hindu sentiments, such as with the rebuilding of Somnath Temple. Then, there is the matter of sidelining other leaders in the Congress for the benefit of himself and his family.

There is the matter of letting the left capture all the intellectual spaces. On the economic front, four lost decades of Nehruvian socialism. On the foreign policy front, aligning with the USSR and other sinister dictatorships, instead of seeking more natural allies based on shared democratic values. Disasters in Kashmir and with China. We are still paying the price for both. And of course, the unseemly act of assuming the Bharat Ratna while occupying the Prime Minister’s chair.

There is no way that list is exhaustive. Beyond these, there is a dark underbelly of conspiracy theories, tasteless accusations about his personal life, often circulated in coarse language.

Let us ask the question that matters: is the Hindu right being unfair to Nehru?

The other side accuses the Hindu right of irrational hatred towards Nehru, even an unhealthy obsession with him. They point to all the good things he did, the democratic institutions that started out under him. And most of all, the man died over fifty years ago. Like all figures in history who wielded great power, he had his dark sides. Which figure in history is perfect? So, why be unforgiving towards only one man? Why not take the bad with the good like we do with everyone else in our shared national history?

We can’t. Because Nehru is not part of our shared national history, yet.

I am an Indian. Is Nehru part of my shared national history? I would like him to be, but he is not. Because someone is still actively claiming Nehru as part of their private history. They won’t share with me.

I am talking of course about the Nehru-Gandhi family, still very much active in politics. Still very much claiming Nehru’s legacy as their personal inheritance and asking for votes in his name. I am not part of that family. How can I share.

During the 2012 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress campaign was led by Rahul Gandhi himself. The campaign slogan was:

“Nehru ji ko yaad karenge, Rahul ji ke saath chalenge“

From Nehru to Rahul in a straight line. Nehru’s great grandson is leading Nehru’s party simply because he is Nehru’s great grandson. And Nehru’s great grandson is leading Nehru’s party and asking for votes in Nehru’s name.

That is how jealously Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi have guarded Nehru as their own and only their own. So how can Nehru belong to all of us?

There is more. The year 2014, when PM Modi won the 16th Lok Sabha election, also happened to be the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru. On this occasion, the Congress organized a grand celebration. They invited political parties from across the world, including the Communist Party of China. The BJP however was not invited. Congress leader Anand Sharma explained thus:

“We have not given any invitation to the Prime Minister. We have invited all those who truly believe in democracy and the ideals of Nehru.”

Apparently, the Communist Party of China made the cut for truly believing in democracy. The BJP did not.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and their party can’t have it both ways. Either Nehru belongs to all of us. In which case, we should all come together and look at Nehru just as another towering figure in India’s long history. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. And sometimes great.

Or Jawaharlal Nehru is just their own. Belonging to their family and nobody else. In which case, the other side will treat him as a Congress leader and nothing more. The political opponents of the Congress have no moral obligation to sing the praises of a Congress leader. They will see him in the worst possible light. It is only natural.

Today, Jawaharlal Nehru stands apart from the pantheon of independence era leaders and heroes : Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas, Dr. Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, C. Rajagopalachari and the like. Nobody can be perfect but the nation looks up to all of them, as a whole.

Who reduced Nehru ji from independence era hero to just Congress leader? It was his own party and in fact his own family. And until they release him, Pandit Nehru will deserve all the flak he gets. On his birth anniversary and every other day.

Deep State? Washington Post Beirut Bureau Chief celebrates US officials lying to US Pres Donald Trump to ensure troops remain in Syria

OpIndia Staff
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Deep State? Washington Post Beirut Bureau Chief celebrates US officials lying to US Pres Donald Trump to ensure troops remain in Syria

Washington Post Beirut Bureau Chief, Liz Sly, cheered for what appears to be insubordination towards the elected President of the United States by US officials in order to ensure that Donald Trump could not pull out the troops from Syria. Liz Sly celebrated the fact that US officials lied to the sitting US President and the American people about troop levels in the middle-eastern country.

Tweet by Liz Sly

The report cited by Liz Sly quotes retiring American diplomat and Syria envoy Jim Jeffrey as saying, “We were always playing shell games to not make clear to our leadership how many troops we had there.” The report states that the actual number of troops in Syria currently are a lot more than the 200 Donald Trump initially agreed to leave behind in 2019.

“What Syria withdrawal? There was never a Syria withdrawal,” Jim Jeffrey continued. “When the situation in northeast Syria had been fairly stable after we defeated ISIS, [Trump] was inclined to pull out. In each case, we then decided to come up with five better arguments for why we needed to stay. And we succeeded both times. That’s the story.”

The report states further, “Officially, Trump last year agreed to keep several hundred U.S. troops — somewhere between 200 and 400, according to varying reports at the time — stationed in northeast Syria to “secure” oil fields held by the United States’ Kurdish allies in the fight against ISIS. It is generally accepted that the actual number is now higher than that — anonymous officials put the number at about 900 today — but the precise figure is classified and remains unknown even, it appears, to members of Trump’s administration keen to end the so-called “forever wars.””

People on social media were outraged by the callous manner in which the Washington Post journalist approached the matter. There is general bipartisan consensus regarding a desire to end American involvement in foreign wars that never seem to end. The anger among the people was evident after they became aware that unelected officials sought to defy the elected Commander-in-Chief of the military.

US Representative Jim Banks called for US officials to be punished for lying to the elected president of the United States. “Intentionally misrepresenting a matter of national security to the commander-in-chief is a dereliction of duty and should be punished,” he said. “I can’t think of anything more dishonorable.”Some have called it ‘sedition’ and insubordination.

Netizens from across the political spectrum see this as further evidence of the ‘deep state’ which is totally unaccountable to the electorate. It is pertinent to note that Donald Trump has himself referred to the ‘military-industrial complex’ that wishes for wars to continue until perpetuity. In September, Donald Trump spoke out against leaders of the pentagon who “want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.”

Donald Trump has been very vocal about withdrawing troops from Syria and ending wars abroad. His Middle-East policy has been radically different from his predecessors and he has succeeded in securing historic peace deals between enemies in the region. Jim Jeffrey complimented his policies and said that they have brought stability to the region. He also expressed hope that Joe Biden, the presumptive president-elect, would stay the path laid down by Donald Trump.

Congress joins hands with Gupkar Gang that vows to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, to fight DDC together as an alliance

OpIndia Staff
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Congress joins hands with Gupkar Gang that vows to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, to fight DDC together as an alliance

The Congress party on Friday joined the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) ahead of the District Development Council (DDC) elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), colloquially referred to as Gupkar Gang, is an alliance of several political parties seeking restoration of the erstwhile state’s special status.

Unsurprisingly, the Congress party, which has been extremely vocal against the abolishing of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, has also joined the controversial alliance.

Reportedly, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) attended a five-hour-long joint meeting of National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu to deliberate on strategy and finalisation of candidates to be fielded commonly in the District Development Council (DDC) polls.

“It was conveyed to Dr Farooq Abdullah Sahab – Chairperson of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) – by the Congress High Command that the Congress wants to support like-minded secular parties like National Conference to strengthen the secular fabric of J&K and for the welfare of people of J&K and Ladakh,” NC’s Devender Singh Rana informed after the meeting.

Earlier on Friday, two Congress leaders had participated in a meeting of the alliance at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s ‘Fairview’ residence. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monga speaking to the media outside Mufti’s residence said, “We stand by the alliance. We will contest this election to defeat the divisive forces.”

Congress to contest DDC elections as part of Gupkar Gang

After another meeting of PAGD alliance at NC headquarters ‘Nawa-i-Subah’, NC provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani had confirmed by saying that Congress has assured it will be part of the Gupkar Gang alliance and part of the seat-sharing arrangement for the DDC elections.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said, “We have started an adjustment process with the like-minded secular parties like NC and other political parties to ensure victory for our candidates. We have discussed the suitability of the candidates. There will be broader formation in which better candidates will be fielded and we have talked to work it out”.

The newly formed People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) also announced that they would be participating in the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections as a single unit to take on the BJP.

The Gupkar Gang has also released the first list of 27 candidates for DDC polls. Among the candidates who filed their nominations, 21 are from the National Conference, four are from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two are from the People’s Conference.

Other than the National Conference and the PDP, the Peoples Conference, the CPI (M) and the Awami National Conference are part of the PAGD alliance. 

Jammu and Kashmir bars political leaders from UT from flying abroad

Meanwhile, as many as 33 politicians of Jammu and Kashmir have been barred them from travelling abroad.

Reportedly, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had handed over a list of around 37 people after August 5 last year when the special status of the erstwhile state was removed.

The list had names of various political leaders from National Conference, PDP, JK People’s Conference including Ali Mohammed Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather, Nayeem Akhtar, Sajjad Lone his brother Bilal Lone, Wani, Basharat Bukhari among others.

Initially, the list was valid for three months which was later extended after a review. However, the list has been updated and pruned as the number of people came down to 33 after some of the leaders were taken off from the lookout notice.

Interestingly, the names of former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are not in the list.

Are you suggesting we invite Corona?: Netizens question TimesNow as it suggests ‘Corona Rangoli’ designs for a ‘Covidified Diwali’

OpIndia Staff
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Are you suggesting we invite Corona?: Netizens question TimesNow as it suggests ‘Corona Rangoli’ designs for a ‘Covidified Diwali’

Times Now has been receiving backlash on social media for an article published by the news channel on Friday. In the article titled, ”Covidified’ Diwali: Decorate your homes with these ‘Corona Rangoli’ designs’, Times Now could be seen promoting the idea that having ‘Coronavirus’ as a decoration symbol in Rangolis was the new normal.

The article was published on the occasion of Dhanteras, a day prior to the celebration of Diwali. The article notes, “A major part of the festivities is when we sit outside our houses and create beautiful and colourful ‘Rangoli’. It is said that this is created in order to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, who represents prosperity and joy on an auspicious day like Diwali.”

Times Now conceded that the purpose of Rangoli is to bring in good luck, joy and prosperity. But in the succeeding paragraphs, the article read, “Albeit large gatherings, with the lovely decorations in our homes, the ongoing pandemic cannot have an adverse impact on the festive feeling. Speaking of rangoli designs, a lot of designs are available on the internet that is inspired by the current circumstances brought about by COVID-19. A lot of ‘corona rangolis’ have also been made by people across India.” As such, it is inconceivable as to why the news channel will encourage decorating homes with Rangolis, resembling the deadly Coronavirus that has claimed more than 1.3 million lives worldwide, in the succeeding paragraphs.

Screengrab of the Times Now report

Netizens call out the bizarre suggestions of Times Now

Netizens were irked at the blatant desecration of Rangolis on the occasion of Diwali. One user wrote, “Dear Vineet Jain (owner of Times Group), please stop dictating people on how to celebrate festivals; I am requesting you with folded hands. Festivals are not social awareness campaigns. May you and your loved ones have a great day and I hope that my request will be considered.”

One user pointed out that Rangoli is made to welcome Maa Lakshmi into the house. She questioned Times Now that with this stunt, are they asking Hindus to invite Coronavirus into the house.

Another user pointed out the bigoted nature of the article and said that he would report it to Twitter.

Another user, Sourav Singh asked, “Amazed with stupidity of a media house. How do you hire such fools and what actually are qualifications to write such bizarre articles? Do you have any idea why Rangoli is made in a particular way? BS”

Tired of virtue-signalling during Hindu festivals, Twitter user (@Aadhivaseel) wrote,” Fine, Diwali is not an awareness programme and it is a Hindu festival. Let people enjoy as per thier cultural norms. Don’t try to exaggerate. Please”

Preeti Sharda said that she would not use a genocide tool of Coronavirus, unleashed by China, to decorate her Rangolis.

It must also be mentioned that social media activism about air pollution gains momentum, prior to Diwali, but the activism subsides as soon as the festival is concluded.

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