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Sweden joins other European countries to ban China’s Huawei, ZTE from upcoming 5G networks, calls China biggest threat

OpIndia Staff
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Sweden joins other European countries to ban China’s Huawei, ZTE from upcoming 5G networks, calls China biggest threat

Joining the ranks of other European countries, Sweden has become the latest country to ban Chinese telecom groups Huawei and ZTE from its 5G mobile networks.

According to the reports, Sweden’s telecoms regulator on Tuesday said they have decided to ban Huawei and ZTE from new installations ahead of next month’s 5G spectrum auctions after country’s armed forces and security services advised them.

Accusing China of spying and ‘technology theft’, the telecom regulator has now given directions to telecoms operators to remove equipment made by the companies from their existing infrastructure for core functions by 2025.

The Swedish telecom regulator said that four wireless carriers who are expected to bid for frequencies in an upcoming spectrum auction for the new 5G networks must not use equipment from Huawei or ZTE. The ban on Chinese equipment now opens opportunities for Huawei’s main rivals, the Swedish company Ericsson and Finland’s Nokia.

Klas Friberg, head of Sweden’s security services, said that China is one of the biggest threats to Sweden. He added that China was aiding its economic development and military capabilities by “extensive intelligence gathering and theft of technology, research and development”.

“This is what we must consider when building the 5G network of the future. We cannot compromise with Sweden’s security,” Friberg added.

Sweden follows US and European countries to ban Chinese 5G infrastructure

The ban against Chinese tech-giants by Swedish authorities comes after western countries, including the US and its allies, had decided to exclude Chinese telecoms equipment from the planned new 5G mobile networks.

Many European countries, joining hands with the US, have been imposing strict controls over Chinese companies developing 5G networks, alleging that Huawei and ZTE equipment may be used by Beijing for spying.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had designated Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. as national security threats, in a move to drive out the Chinese manufacturers from the US market. Earlier in May, the US administration had issued an order barring Huawei and its suppliers from using American technology and software.

In July this year, the United Kingdom had ordered to remove Huawei equipment from its 5G network by 2027, becoming one of the first European countries to do so.

Jio joins hands with Qualcomm to develop 5G

Amidst the ban on the Chinese tech-giants Huawei and ZTE Corp, Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms Ltd. has joined hands with networking major Qualcomm Inc. to develop 5G solutions and accelerate efforts to bring the high-speed network to the world.

In a statement, Jio said that it’s wholly-owned US-based unit Radisys Corp. has partnered with Qualcomm Technologies to “fast track the development and roll-out of indigenous 5G network infrastructure and services in India. It also added that they have achieved over 1Gbps milestone while conducting trials on the Jio 5G NR solution, leveraging the Qualcomm 5G RAN Platforms.

Jio and Qualcomm also said that they intend to work together to fast-track the development and roll-out of indigenous 5G network infrastructure and services in India. Currently, only a few countries, including the US, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland and Germany offer 1 Gbps speeds to 5G users.

With Jio venturing into developing 5G network and its support infrastructure, India need not to rely on equipment developed by Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE, thus removing a potential security threat to country’s infrastructure. India is expected to auction 5G airwaves in 2021.

Eros Now apologises for publishing vulgar Hinduphobic content on Navratri

OpIndia Staff
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Eros Now apologises for publishing vulgar Hinduphobic content on Navratri

Eros Now, a digital OTT platform owned by Eros International Media Ltd, has apologised for publishing offensive Hinduphobic content on Navratri. The company wrote, “We at Eros love and respect our cultures equally. It is not, and it has never been, our intention to hurt anyone’s emotions. We have deleted the concerned posts and we apologise for having offended anybody’s sentiments.”

Eros Now’s offensive Navratri posts

On Thursday morning, the hashtag #BoycottErosNow started to trend on Twitter. The reason was the posts published by Eros Now on its social media platforms. Several Netizens posted screenshots of the now-deleted posts on Twitter and Facebook. The posts shared by Eros Now had vulgar texts with photos of Katrina Kaif (Do you want to put the ratri in my Navratri), Ranveer Singh (Be naughty, sweet to mithai bhi hoti hai) and Salman Khan (You need a dandi to play dandiya – I have one) among several others.

Eros Now’s vulgar posts on Navratri

Images of Kareena Kapoor Khana and Katrina Kaif wearing skimpy outfits were also posted to celebrate various days of Navratri by Eros Now on its Instagram account.

Kareena Kapoor in skimpy outfit for Navratri

Interestingly, Eros Now then went ahead and ‘hid’ replies which were still critical of their Navratri posts.

Hidden replies by Eros Now

The continuous attack on Hindu festivals

Hindu festivals have always been under attack by the woke and so-called liberal sections of society. Earlier, lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat, who represented Kathua rape victim’s family but failed to attend over 100 hearings, shared a controversial caricature. She was criticized heavily for posting Hinduphobic content during the festival. During Rakshabandhan this year, PETA put up hoardings across the country, urging people to avoid leather products that have nothing to do with Rakshabandhan whatsoever.

The Delhi Government has ordered the schools to ‘sensetize’ students against bursting crackers during Diwali via WhatsApp and other methods as they won’t be attending school due to Covid-19 restrictions. Interestingly, the air quality of Delhi is on the decline due to stubble burning, which is often ignored by the section that blames Diwali for the pollution every year.

The mocking of Hindu festivals is not limited to India. The niece of Senator Kamala Harris posted a caricature in which Kamala was depicted as goddess Durga and President Donald Trump as Mahishasur. After backlash, she quietly deleted the post.

Government of India issues warning to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey over misrepresentation of Indian map

OpIndia Staff
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Government of India issues warning to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey over misrepresentation of Indian map

After micro-blogging site Twitter disrespected country’s sovereignty by depicting Leh as part of China, the Modi government has written a scathing letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey expressing disapproving over misrepresentation of map of India.

Ajay Sawhney, Secretary of Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) has written a stern letter to CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey conveying strong disapproval of the government after the social media platform mentioned Leh as the part of China.

In his letter, the secretary IT reminded Twitter that Leh is headquarter of Union Territory of Ladakh and both Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir are integral and inalienable parts of India governed by the Constitution of India.

According to sources in the ministry, Ajay Sawhney, on behalf of the government, has asked Twitter to respect the sensitivities of Indian citizens. He added that any attempt by Twitter to disrespect sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected by the maps, is totally unacceptable and also unlawful.

Giving a warning to Twitter, Secretary IT also mentioned that such attempts not only bring disrepute to Twitter but also raises questions about its neutrality and fairness as an intermediary.

Twitter shows Leh as part of China in live broadcast

On October 18, Nitin A Gokhale, national security analyst took to Twitter to say that Twitter was marking Leh as part of the People’s Republic of China. Gokhale, who was doing a live session from Leh, said that Twitter marked his location as, “Nitin A Gokhale was live. Jammu and Kashmir, the People’s Republic of China”.

While reporting it on Twitter, he said he had tested multiple times, but it kept showing the location as the People’s Republic of China. The location remained the same after he entered Kushak Bakula Airport as his location. Another user (@rohitpandita000) went live on Nitin’s request, and the result was the same.

Later, following the controversy, Twitter stated that the issue was ‘technical’ and added that the issue of tagging of Leh as part of China in location tag for the live broadcast has been resolved. As per media reports, a Twitter spokesperson in an email said that they were made aware of the issue and it has been rectified.

INS Kavaratti: ‘Made in India’ ASW stealth corvette to be commissioned into Indian Navy today. All you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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INS Kavaratti: ‘Made in India’ ASW stealth corvette to be commissioned into Indian Navy today. All you need to know

On 22nd October 2020, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of Army Staff will commission the indigenously built ‘INS Kavaratti’ into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. ‘INS Kavaratti’ is the last of four indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes under the ‘Project 28’.

The Indian Navy, in a statement, said, “Designed by Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design, the ship portrays our growing capability in becoming self-reliant through indigenization.

‘INS Kavaratti’ – the ‘Made in India’ warship

The name Kavaratti comes from erstwhile INS Kavaratti, which was an Arnala class missile corvette. The older Kavaratti played a vital role during Bangladesh’s liberation war in 1971.

It is a ‘Made in India’ warship designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organization, Directorate of Naval Design(DND), and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

It is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and a sensor suite capable of detecting and prosecuting submarines. ‘INS Kavaratti’ is also capable of self-defense. The weapons and sensors suite of the warship is predominantly indigenous. It has good endurance for long-range deployments.

With 90 percent indigenous content and use of carbon composites for the superstructure, it perfectly showcases the commendable feat achieved in Indian shipbuilding.

The ship will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as a combat-ready platform. It has already completed sea trials of all the installed systems onboard.

Importance of INS Kavaratti

The induction of ‘INS Kavaratti’ into the Indian Navy will enhance its preparedness amid ongoing tension with China. It showcases the growing capability of the Indian Navy, GRSE, and the nation in becoming self-reliant through indigenization. It is being touted as a significant step in India’s national objective of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. The warship was delivered amid strict Covid-19 restrictions, which makes it a praiseworthy achievement in itself. INS Kavaratti is the fourth and last one of the Kamorta Class Stealth ASW Corvette. INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, and INS Kiltan have already been commissioned in the Indian Navy.

All you need to know about Mohammad Shahabuddin, the dreaded mafia don and once Lalu Yadav’s close aide who made Siwan tremble

OpIndia Staff
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All you need to know about Mohammad Shahabuddin, the dreaded mafia don and once Lalu Yadav’s close aide who made Siwan tremble

Mohammad Shahabuddin is one such name which every child in Bihar is acquainted with, especially those living in Bihar’s Siwan district, the fiefdom of four-time Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddin aka Saheb (as Shahabuddin is referred to in Siwan), who has ruled Siwan with fear, especially during the days of Lalu Yadav’s Jungle Raj.

This is why, for those who have lived or even for that matter visited Siwan, the area where the dreaded gangster’s writ still influences the way of life, it’s almost impossible for them to be unaware of Shahabuddin’s ancestral bungalow located in Pratappur’s Terdighat. It is said that there can be no count of how many people have been killed and buried in the backyard of the Siwan’s strongman’s ancestral house.

Siwan: Pratappur encounter and Mohammad Shahabuddin

Apart from this ancestral house, a huge white bungalow greets visitors at Muslim Tola. The house, known as “Saheb ka bungalow”, is built on about 4 acres of land belonging to the family. Shahabuddin used the bungalow as his office when he was not in jail. On March 15, 2001, something happened in this white house, that took the country by the storm. People remember the incident as the infamous Pratappur (Siwan) gunfight.

On March 15, 2001, Shahabuddin’s bungalow was raided by a police team headed by then Siwan police chief Bachchu Singh Meena, resulting in a fierce gunbattle in which 12 people, including two policemen, were killed. In a way, it was an encounter between RJD- the then ruling party of the state and the state police. The police had then suffered major losses with two of its men being killed in the shootout along with the supporters of the don. Ten others were also killed while several police vehicles were burnt down. The police recovered three AK-47s from the spot. But they could not catch hold of Shahabuddin. He had fled. The police filed several cases against him.

RJD chief-Lalu Yadav was then busy in building a front against the BJP because whenever the BJP comes to the centre, the opposition parties start suddenly working on their ‘secularism’ image. However, when this incident happened, the then de-facto Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD supremo Lalu Yadav who was to leave for Delhi to hold talks on the formation of the People’s Front, had to cancel his trip.

Following the Pratappur (Siwan) gunfight, the district’s atmosphere had become very hostile. As tensions ran high in Siwan, the Bihar Mounted Police, three columns of the Central Reserve Police Force and one column of the army moved in from Ranchi in neighbouring Jharkhand and other places to assist the police to maintain peace and step up their offensive to arrest Shahabuddin. Prohibitory orders were also clamped in the district.

But even before the police could know, the MP had reportedly fled the district. But this had not come as a surprise as Shahabuddin was known to be the right hand of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. Since he was Lalu’s beloved, he became a law unto himself and was free to do anything in the state. Siwan soon turned into a bastion of murder, rape, extortion and kidnapping and was leading all big and small districts of Bihar. Many people were disappearing every day from the Siwan district, of which Shahabuddin was the unchallenged ‘ruler’.

What led to the infamous Pratappur encounter

Pratappur village was 17 km from Siwan and Mohammad Shahabuddin used to run a parallel administration in the district, carrying out all his illegal businesses freely from there. Pratappur had in one way become the crime capital of Siwan. The district was out of bounds for the police. The dreaded gangster ran his own “kangaroo courts” to settle family and land disputes in the area. He gave two hoots to the police and administrative officials. He thrashed them on a regular basis. He would even shoot at the policemen and get away with it.

In 2001, one day, Shahabuddin’s men attacked Siwan DSP Ashwini Kumar. In a few days, Siwan Sadar’s DSP Sanjeev Kumar was at one of matriculation exam centres. Sanjiv Kumar had come with a force to comply with a warrant against local RJD chief and a wanted criminal Manoj Kumar Pappu. Shahabuddin and his supporters were also present. Shahabuddin had come to provide “assistance” to one of his ‘boys’ taking the exam. When DSP Sanjeev Kumar tried to nab Manoj Kumar Pappu, in the presence of ‘MP Saheb’, the infuriated Shahabddinu slapped DSP Sanjeev Kumar in front of the public. This news was not covered in the media because of the terror of the mafia don.

One can imagine how close was Shahabuddin to Lalu Yadav from the fact that he was the only person in Bihar, who would sit alongside Bihar CM with a pistol tucked to his waist. No one could have dared to touch Shahabuddin.

However, a sense of anger and desperation was prevailing among the police officials of Siwan. The Manoj Kumar Pappu episode had enraged the police to another level. That time Bacchu Singh Meena was the SP of Siwan, under whom the police showed unbelievable courage and decided to raid Shahbuddin’s house in Pratappur.

The MP’s supporters were already sitting prepared. The police didn’t even imagine that so many people would start firing with AK-47 and assault rifles at them simultaneously from inside the MP’s house. It is known that Shahabuddin was also leading the attack and firing at the police.

Besides the Bihar Police, teams of Uttar Pradesh police from Deoria were also deployed on SP Meena’s request. After a 10-hour long gun battle and more than 4000 rounds of bullets fired, 3 policemen and 8 of Shahabuddin’s accomplices were shot dead while several police vehicles were burnt down. When police eventually entered the gangster’s home, to their shock, they found a considerable amount of weapons, including Pakistan-made assault rifles, AK-47s, grenades, several 9 mm pistols, and ammunition in Shahabuddin’s home.

The immediate fallout of this episode was the transfer of SP Bacchu Singh Meena, and the DM the very next day. The matriculation exams were postponed for three days. Siwan came to a standstill.

The RJD MP managed to escape and reappeared from nowhere a few hours later and declared: “अगर बच्चू सिंह मीना को राजस्थान तक भी दौड़ा कर मारना होगा तो मारेंगे, लेकिन मारेंगे ज़रूर” (I’ll kill Bacchu Singh Meena even if I’ve to chase him to Rajasthan. No one can save him now.) The next of the encounter, he was seen giving interviews to news channels. Shahabuddin had infact, told star news that his men fired in self defense and he was not going to surrender under any circumstances.

Police claimed to have recovered an AK-47 rifle, a 9mm pistol and some hand-grenades from the MP’s house. The then Director-General of Police RR Prasad and other top police and administrative officials had then camped in the village. Chief Secretary Mukund Prasad had then confirmed that two columns of the army from Ranchi and one column from Danapur (Patna) had been deployed in Siwan. Besides, three companies of central paramilitary forces had also been rushed there. According to official sources, the state government had also deputed four additional district magistrates and four executive magistrates in Siwan.

Mohammad Shahabuddin synonymous with terror

However, this was not the stand-alone episode when Shahabuddin and his gang had open fired at policemen.

In 1996, a day after polling for the Lok Sabha elections concluded in Siwan, Shahabu– as Mohammad Shahabuddin was also popularly known, along with his supporters had opened fire on the vehicle of the then Superintendent of Police (SP) SK Singhal in the heart of Siwan and forced the police officer to run for his life. Singhal, then SP of Siwan, had escaped a murderous attack on him by the henchmen of Mohammad Shahabuddin, while he was investigating a complaint against him during the parliamentary polls.

For the uninitiated, SK Singhal is currently the DGP of Bihar. The post became vacant due to Gupteshwar Pandey’s early retirement and joining politics, for which DG Homeguard SK Singhal became the first choice of the Bihar government.

The 1996 incident was said to be the first public display of Shahabuddin’s terror that was stamped in the minds of the people of Siwan. This incident is also remembered because it was the first time Shahabuddin was seen standing opposite Lalu Prasad. By this time his relationship with RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav had strained and Sahabuddin was seen hobnobbing with rebel leader Ranjan Yadav.

Shahabuddin was the Janata Dal MLA at the time from Jiradei constituency, was contesting the Lok Sabha election from Siwan seat. In 1996 he was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time. It is said that during the elections in Siwan, then Shahabuddin’s opposition candidates were not even allowed to put up their posters, such was Shahabuddin’s terror in the district at that time.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Shahabuddin, furious with the Pratappur encounter, had vowed to kill Siwan’s SP Bachhu Singh Meena and also threatened policemen from the surrounding districts with the help of whom his house was raided. Some traders started leaving the district while some refused to open their shops out of fear. It is said that the then Siwan’s DM, Mohammed Rashid Khan had provided tactical support to Shahabuddin in all his misadventures which had greatly miffed the police officiers in Siwan.

Many believe that the Pratappur encounter was nothing but a political gimmick. The incident was then portrayed as an issue of security for Muslims. The rebellions in the RJD camp- like Ranjan Yadav, the once-trusted aide of Lalu Prasad in 1990s who had turned hostile towards the latter, linked the incident to the ‘protection of minorities’. Some leaders also said that it was a ‘conspiracy’ to kill Mohammad Shahabuddin because of his loyalty towards Ranjan Yadav.

The Bihar government transferred Siwan’s district magistrate and superintendent of police and ordered an inquiry into killings of 11 people at Pratappur residence of controversial RJD MP, Shahabuddin. The government’s action followed the submission of a report by a team led by the then Excise Minister Shivanand Tiwari, which made an on-the-spot inquiry and charged the police with being utterly brutal. Tiwari had termed it as ‘cold-blooded murder’ and alleged that the encounter was a fake one.

The kin of the deceased was given government jobs and Rs 2.5 lakh as compensation. In his report, Shivanand Tiwari had, in turn, called the raid as police brutality and claimed that the policemen disobeyed the orders of their superiors. In his report, Tiwari recommended action against the police officials. A case of murder, attempt to murder and possession of illegal arms was also registered against Mohammad Shahabuddin. This action was a grim reminder to the Bihar administration that the state is nothing but an empire of crime.

Mohammad Shahabuddin- the terror of Siwan

The Siwan district, in the 90s and early 21st century, became Shahabuddin’s fiefdom and he was its unchallenged ruler. Shahabuddin entered into politics under Lalu’s shadow as a member of Janata Dal’s youth wing. He got the advantage of his influence through muscle power. He contested on Janata Dal ticket in the 1990 Bihar Assembly elections and won. He also won in 1995. His political stature grew further when he won the 1996 Lok Sabha elections for the first time. He acquired more power with the RJD coming to power in the State in 1997.

In 2009, the court banned the mafia don from contesting elections. But, such was his hold in the party, that RJD instead started giving tickets to his wife- Hina Shahab, for Siwan Lok Sabha seat. However, luck kept eluding her. She lost the 2009 and then the subsequent 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well.

Shahabuddin’s Terror

Shahabuddin, known as “Sultan of Siwan”, is now serving life imprisonment in the Tihar jail in connection with several cases including the kidnapping and murder of CPI(ML) leader Chandrashekhar Prasad aka Chhote Lal Gupta in 1999 and a double-murder case. Interestingly, CPI(ML) today is preparing to enter the assembly elections by forming an alliance with the RJD.

In fact, the 2004 double-murder case was one of the most visible symbols of the reign of terror that Shahabuddin ran in Siwan for nearly a decade and a half before he was jailed in 2005. Chanda Babu’s three out of four sons were the victims of Shahabuddin’s atrocities. His two sons – Girish Raj (20) and Satish Raj (25) – were drenched in acid before being killed at Pratappur by henchmen of the mafia don, while his third son Rajeev Raushan, who was the only eyewitness in the double-murder case, was later murdered in Siwan on June 16, 2014.

The four-term former MP of Lalu Prasad’s RJD-Md Shahabuddin had stepped into politics and crime during his college days. The first case against Shahabuddin was registered in 1986 at the age of 19. Thereafter, several criminal cases against him got added to the list. A history sheet was opened in his name in Hussainganj police station and he was declared an ‘A’ category criminal. Interestingly, this ‘A’ category criminal holds a master’s degree in arts and has done a PhD in political science.

Contested from jail

Despite being arrested eight months before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from inside the jail. Over 500 booths were looted on the polling day allegedly on his directions. Despite the re-election, he won the seat. However, Om Prakash Yadav of the JD(U) had then given him a tough fight by securing over 2 lakh (33 per cent) votes. This had hurt Shahabuddin’s ego and after that, the massacre of JD(U) activists begun. Several JD(U) workers were killed. The head of the village, where Om Prakash Yadav had got more votes, was killed and his house was set on fire. Om Prakash Yadav is currently the National Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party Kisan Morcha and the incumbent MP of Siwan in Bihar.

Bihar Assembly elections: NDA set to return to power as migrant workers may put their weight behind Modi

Nirwa Mehta
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Bihar Assembly elections: NDA set to return to power as migrant workers may put their weight behind Modi

As Bihar gears up to vote, the first full-fledged state assembly election after the Chinese coronavirus pandemic hit, the word on the ground is that the NDA is all set to return to power with the BJP emerging as single largest party. In fact, the support to NDA is more so because of Modi government in centre which has been a boon to the poor in the lockdown where economic activity was hit badly.

Amidst the pandemic, as we stared at uncertainty and hopelessness, the images of hundreds and thousands of migrant workers, especially from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, making their way back from states like Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra filled our screens. So-called experts were quick to draw conclusions that this will affect the upcoming Bihar elections adversely. However, the reality seems to be quite different.

Neeraj Kumar, a political observer from Patna, while speaking to OpIndia said that migrant workers feel that had it not been for the lockdown, more and more people would have died and most would have been the poor like them who could not afford healthcare. “I recently visited six districts of Bihar, where migrant workers had returned during lockdown in large numbers. If there is one thing that has increased their faith in Modi government tremendously it is the food security. The fact that the poor worker did not have to worry about where he will get his next meal when he had no work and no money coming in, made their support for government stronger,” he said.

Migrant workers were mostly unhappy with the states where they had to return from, especially Delhi and Maharashtra. The state governments of these states left them to fend for themselves and with no other option and no money and food, they left for their home states. On foot. Hungry, broken when they reached Uttar Pradesh they finally managed to get food. “It was only when the migrant workers reached Uttar Pradesh they managed food. Arrangement for food was made on the highways. In fact, some even felt they were better treated in Yogi’s Uttar Pradesh than in Nitish’s Bihar,” he added.

It is also why Yogi Adityanath is roped in as one of the star campaigners for Bihar. In fact, Yogi is campaigning in more rural areas than urban where he could communicate to people who got direct help from him and his government during coronavirus crisis, Neeraj Kumar added.

“Whether it was sending Rs 500 to women under the Jan Dhan Yojana or the free ration which is now extended till November or the Shramik Special trains which not only brought them home for free but also gave them food during the journey, the migrant workers whose livelihood depends on daily work have decided to extend their support to Modi. It is because of this that Nitish government may be back,” said Kumar.

The migrant workers, while happy with the BJP, are not too satisfied with the way their own chief minister Nitish Kumar handled the COVID-19 situation. “Nitish Kumar promised jobs under MNREGA, but many of the migrants never got that. Similarly, an app, ‘Bihar Corona Sahayata’ was launched through which Rs 1,000 were to be transferred to workers from Bihar stuck in other states. Here also, perhaps out of 20 who registered, 5 got benefit,” Kumar said explaining how there has been a dissatisfaction amongst people on how Nitish Kumar government handled the pandemic crisis.

“People feel that Modi worked and came to their rescue when Nitish Kumar didn’t,” he said. “Even the central government help of free gas cylinders proved beneficial to the poor and downtrodden. As many as 90% of migrant workers who returned during the lockdown are happy with PM Modi,” he added.

What could work against the BJP is the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act. The Muslim vote which had tilted in BJP’s favour after the passing of Triple Talaq Bill, especially Muslim women, is now gone with the passing of CAA. The protests and misinformation surrounding the Act made the Muslim women wary of BJP again. “In fact, the strategy of letting women lead the protests was more than just a shield against police using force. Women were there to tell the Muslim women who supported Modi for Triple Talaq that Modi still does not care about Muslims. The misinformation regarding the Act furthered their agenda and cut into the votes,” he added.

“People’s faith towards Modi is intact. It is Nitish Kumar whom people are unhappy with. The resentment is such that Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) might get seats in double digits because those who are upset with JDU but still want BJP to win will now vote for LJP instead,” Neeraj Kumar said.

“The NDA is coming back to power, that is for sure. The BJP will be single largest party with at least 90 seats. And while people want a BJP Chief Minister, it will be left to seen whether Bihar goes Maharashtra way after the results are out,” he concluded.

Bihar Assembly elections for 243 seats will be conducted in three phases between October 28 to November 7. The results will be announced on 10th November.

Do you want courts to conduct proceedings from ‘Chaupals’? Delhi HC raps AAP govt for not giving funds to district courts

OpIndia Staff
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Do you want courts to conduct proceedings from ‘Chaupals’? Delhi HC raps AAP govt for not giving funds to district courts

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court slammed the Kejriwal-led AAP government for not sanctioning funds for the basic requirements of the district courts. The High Court said that the district courts generate huge revenues via the collection of fines, traffic challans, and court fees. Still, the Delhi government failed to sanction funds for basic requirements. It further asked the Delhi government if they wanted to kill a golden egg-laying goose.

A bench comprising of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said, “Rs 115 crore collected through virtual traffic fines by district courts. What do you (Delhi government) want? You want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg?”

More than 200 crores collected as court fees, challans, and fines

Reetesh Singh, Officer of Special Duty (Examination), informed the high court that the district courts in Delhi collected fines of Rs. 80 crore and sold court fees worth 90 crores in 2018-19 that were deposited with the Delhi government. In 2019-20, the district courts collected Rs.89 crores as fines, and Rs.102 crore court fees were sold. From July 2019 to 12th October 2020, the traffic courts collected traffic challans worth Rs. 115 crore.

After learning about the funds collected, the bench said, “Despite the aforesaid finances generated by the district courts, they are being starved of funds for the basic requirements of running a court which cannot be countenanced.”

The subordinate judiciary ‘running from pillar to post’ for funds

The court was informed that the sanction of funds could not be further delayed as around 150 more judicial officers joined the office in the coming months. It also directed the Delhi government to purchase 23 vehicles for judicial officers out of 119 requested by the courts. The court also noted that the Delhi government had collected Rs. 3.4 crore from the candidates as fees who applied for the posts.

The bench also mentioned that the Delhi government is making the subordinate judiciary “run from pillar to post” to get funds sanctioned to recruit supporting staff. The court further said, “Thank God we have our own funds.” While rapping the Delhi government, the court asked if they want the judicial officers to conduct the proceedings from ‘chaupals’.

Delhi High Court to issue funds intermediately

In its order [PDF], the bench has directed the Delhi High Court to release Rs. 2.52 crore immediately from its own fund to facilitate the recruitment process. The funds will be returned to the Delhi High Court when the Delhi Government sanctions funds to the District Court. The process must complete before 31st December 2020.

“Islam is in crisis all over the world” and all the other things the French President said

Abhishek Banerjee
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“Islam is in crisis all over the world” and all the other things the French President said

Earlier this month, the French President Emmanuel Macron took the stage at city hall in the Paris suburb of Les Mureaux to deliver one of the most consequential speeches of his career. A series of policy pledges to tackle what he calls Islamic separatism.

Incidentally, the day that Macron chose for this announcement was Oct 2. It is not clear whether the French President meant this deliberately as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. However, two things are clear. First, the speech involves a level of plain speaking that is quite unusual for a head of state. Second, the speech completely changes the way France (and potentially the rest of Europe and even the West) looks at Islam.

The following is a collection of some of the upshots from the speech, translated loosely into English. We shall not go into details of his policy announcements, which are very specific to domestic governance in France. Rather, we will look at the introduction to the speech, where Macron explains what he has set out to do and why. The full text of the nearly hour long speech, in French, is available from the French Government website [pdf].

“Who has put the Republic in danger?”

The French President lays it out thus:

“There are two objectives for why I am speaking to you today. The first is to define the reality of our problems without any taboos. Who is it today, in our society, that has put our Republic in danger and our ability to coexist? The second is to share with you the decisions made by the government on how to tackle the situation. These decisions are the result of careful consideration of nearly 3 years.”

“The problem is not secularism”

The President laid this out firmly:

“The problem is not secularism. I have said many times that secularism in France means the freedom to believe or not to believe and to worship however you want, subject to public order. Secularism means the neutrality of the state and does not mean that religion must be erased from the public sphere. Secularism is the glue that holds France together.”

In France, they take secularism (in French: laïcité) with overwhelming seriousness. The state maintains the strictest possible distance from religion, bans all religious symbols in government buildings including public schools and forbids public servants from wearing them.

A bit of historical context is needed here. The French Revolution saw religious authorities as part of the complex that supported the tyranny of the king. The 1789 revolution was followed with the Declaration of the Rights of Man. It explicitly rejected religion as the basis of government and laid the foundation for modern secular law. At the time, the US had just finished fighting the revolutionary war, in which France had been their ally against British colonial rule. The Declaration inspired the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution and was also the basis of the UN’s declaration of universal human rights in the 20th century.

“Islamic separatism aims to form a counter-society“

The President describes his opponent thus:

“It is Islamic separatism that we have to attack. Islamic separatism is a conscious effort, a politico-religious one. It repeatedly breaks with the values of the Republic and aims to form a counter-society. This takes the form of taking kids out of school, developing sports and cultural communities that become an excuse for teaching principles that do not conform to the laws of the Republic. This indoctrination negates our principles such as equality of men and women and the dignity of the human being.“

A “counter-society” that does not respect the dignity of the individual. Ouch!

“First it forms a parallel society, but its ultimate aim is to take over“

The President explains further:

“The problem is this ideology which believes that its laws are superior to those of the Republic. I have often said that people are free to believe or not to believe, but every citizen, with or without religious belief, must absolutely respect the laws of the Republic. And let us name it and tackle it : it is in Islamic separatism that we find a desire and a methodical organization to destroy the laws of the Republic and create in its place a parallel system, based on different values and a different organization of society. At first, this is only a parallel society, but the ultimate aim is to take control of everything.“

I warned you. This level of plain speaking is unusual for a modern head of state.

“Islam is in crisis all over the world“

The President gave his personal view

“A lot has been written, said and analyzed in this regard, about what our country is facing right now. I have the humility to admit that I am no specialist, but let me tell you in a few words what I think. Islam is a religion which is in crisis all over the world. This is not just happening in France, this hardening of attitudes is happening all over the world, including in countries where Islam is the majority religion. Just see the example of our friend Tunisia, how different it was thirty years ago. And Tunisia is one of the most educated and developed in that part of the world….“

And with this, President Macron went on to lay out his ideas for tackling the problem as he saw it. For instance, requiring that all kids must attend public school, instead of possible indoctrination via “home schooling.” Closing down places of worship that are suspected of spreading radicalization. A national effort to shut down establishments that have practices that violate core French values, such as gender equality, for example by having different times for men and women to use a swimming pool. He would also crack the whip on elected officials, who might “compromise” on these values in certain neighborhoods, due to pressure from the local public.

While Macron’s speech did not receive the kind of attention you would expect, possibly due to English being the language of global discourse, the usual suspects did cry out.

Al Jazeera upset with Macron’s speech

And then, two weeks later, came the public beheading of a school teacher Samuel Paty in a suburb of Paris. It touched something within the already alarmed French public and set off a public reaction that has become a mass movement. For days now, crowds have thronged public squares across France, holding up placards, banners and in mourning. This one reads : “I defend liberty against barbarism.“

Support for Samuel Paty

No leaders. Just people. Gathering to sing La Marseillaise, the French national anthem. Below are the powerful lyrics of the song.

French Anthem

October 22, 1947: The day when Pakistan-backed tribal Lashkars invaded Jammu and Kashmir to plunder, rape and destroy

Jinit Jain
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October 22, 1947: The day when Pakistan-backed tribal Lashkars invaded Jammu and Kashmir to plunder, rape and destroy

A two-day national symposium on ‘Memories of 22 October 1947’ is being organised in Kashmir by the National Museum Institute in collaboration with the Union Territory Government of Jammu and Kashmir on October 22 and October 23, 2020, to mark the violence and atrocity faced by residents following the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan’s Pashtun tribal militias, aided by the Pakistani military.

Ahead of the national symposium, billboards have been put up at several places in Srinagar to inform people about the exhibition and create awareness among them about the horrors meted upon their ancestors by the invading Pakistani intruders on October 22, 1947(Black Day).

Billboard informing J&K residents about invasion of Kashmir by Pakistani militias on October 22, 1947(Black Day)

“A museum or an exhibition will become one of the platforms to document, reconstruct and to bring alive the historic narrative of October 22, 1947. Remembering the violence and atrocity of the invaders and the valour displayed in overcoming this challenge will be a tribute to the people who laid down their lives in the first battle of independent India. The said exhibition or memorial will be the first of its kind in this direction,” the official statement by the organisers as quoted by ANI said.

The official statement also added that it is important to present such a historic narrative to the people in order to have a dialogue with them. It sought to clear hazy sense of history some people in Kashmir had, especially with regards to Pakistan’s claim on the territory. The statement said that people should be aware of the challenges faced by the nation just months after securing independence.

Billboard informing J&K residents about invasion of Kashmir by Pakistani militias on October 22, 1947(Black Day)

“Pakistan invaded Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947, and brought in its wake horrifying mass plunder and vandalism. Thousands of men, women and children were mercilessly slaughtered by the intruders. Four days later, on October 26, 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, merging his state with India. Following the accession of the state to India, Indian troops were airlifted to Srinagar, the state capital to repel the tribal invasion,” the statement noted.

Pakistan Army launched ‘Operation Gulmarg’ to snatch Jammu and Kashmir

Soon after the partition, the Pakistani leadership, both civilian and military, was desperate and determined to expand its territorial area. Several attempts were made by Pakistani leaders, including Mohammad Ali Jinnah to convince Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir to accede to Pakistan. However, Singh had remained adamant on his demand to have an independent princely state.

Soon after the independence, the Pakistani Army prepared a plan called ‘Operation Gulmarg‘ and put it into action. According to the plan, 20 Lashkars (tribal militias), each consisting of 1000 Pashtun tribals, were to recruited from various Pashtun tribes, and armed at the brigade headquarters at Bannu, Wanna, Peshawar, Kohat, Thall and Nowshera by the first week of September. The armed Lashkars were expected to reach their launching point in Abbottabad on October 18, and subsequently cross into Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947. The primary objective of the Operation was to capture Srinagar by October 26, 1947.

The 20 Lashkars were to be divided into a group of 2—10 militia tribes were expected to attack the Kashmir Valley through Muzaffarabad and the remaining ten were expected to join the rebels in Poonch, Rawalkot and Bhimber from where they were to advance to Jammu.

Simultaneously, Maj. Gen. Akbar Khan, who was entrusted with the operation, devised a plan to make the Kashmir rebellion appear like a revolt waged by the people of Jammu and Kashmir against their non-Muslim rulers. The aim here was to take the cover of civilian unrest for the impending military action. Through a concerted attempt, rebellion against Maharaja Hari Singh was ginned up and rebels were encouraged to take up arms against the Hindu ruler.

As a prelude to this plan, Pakistan stopped the supply of essential goods like petrol, oil, food, sugar, salt etc. to Jammu and Kashmir, effectively blockading the state and thereby actively stoking rebellion against Maharaja Hari Singh.

Pakistani Pashtun tribal militias and Pakistani Army regulars invade Jammu and Kashmir

The weeks of planning and illicit manoeuvrings under Operation Gulmarg culminated into the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir which marked the commencement of the events that led to the first Indo-Pak war. In the wee hours of October 22, 1947, scores of Pakistani Pashtun tribal militias, in connivance with the Pakistani state and army surreptitiously crossed the border from Garhi Habibullah into Jammu and Kashmir and attacked the town of Muzaffarabad.

Several accounts claim that the tribal raiders, raised by the Pakistani Army, were aided by the traitors of the 4 KI guarding the outposts at Lohar Gali and Ramkot. Many Muslim forces tasked with protecting the sovereignty of Jammu and Kashmir mutinied and colluded with the rampaging Pashtun tribesmen to defeat the forces deployed by Maharaja Hari Singh.

These rebels provided crucial information to the armed raiders about the troop deployment and position and helped them prevail over them. Even before the sleeping residents of Muzaffarabad could realise, the town was already under the control of invading Pashtun militias. Documented accounts state that hundreds of women were raped and abducted, houses looted and men slaughtered on the streets.

After wreaking havoc in Muzaffarabad, the Pashtuns marched towards the prosperous town of Baramulla, even though the path to Srinagar was clear. Here too, the Pashtuns killed innumerable men and women, looted houses and then set them on fire. Out of 14,000 population at the time, less than two thousand had remained. Most of them were either killed in the Pashtun onslaught or fled the village for safer places.

The ‘Lashkars’ wreaked havoc, killed, raped and looted Hindus and Muslims alike

The invading tribal groups had no regard for anyone. They ran riot, leaving chaos, destruction and killings in their wake. They even raped nuns, who were performing their duties at St. Joseph Hospital and schools in Baramulla. Even doctors, paramedics, and nurses tending to the sick and incapacitated were not spared. They were, too, subjected to a brutal assault by the invading tribesmen.

As Pashtun tribesmen and Pakistani regular army soldiers were busy looting Kashmiris in Baramulla, defiling their women and vandalising the properties, Maharaja Hari Singh sought an intervention from India to stop the devastation, which was contingent upon his signing of Instrument of Accession.

After Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India on October 26, 1947, the Indian Armed forces were airlifted to the Kashmir Valley the next day. The Army launched an aggressive offence against the rampaging Pashtuns and stopped their march towards Srinagar. In the subsequent months, the Indian Army purged the state of the Pashtun tribesmen and Pakistani regulars and forced them to retreat to what is present-day Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

For years, Pakistan perpetuated the myth that tribal raiders were liberators who had come to Kashmir to fulfil their religious obligation of jihad and avenge the deaths of Muslims killed in the communal riots in Jammu. However, in reality, the tribesmen were not carrying out any religious war or jihad. They were there to brazenly trample upon the sovereignty of Jammu and Kashmir, rape and dishonour the women, plunder and pillage Kashmiri, regardless of their religion.

They were aided, provided and instigated by the regulars in the Pakistani army. Whose motive, to this day, remains to add the region of Jammu and Kashmir to the territory of Pakistan and push India’s northern border further down.

France: Charlie Hebdo cartoons projected on government building to express solidarity with deceased teacher who was beheaded by Islamic terrorist

OpIndia Staff
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France: Charlie Hebdo cartoons projected on government building to express solidarity with deceased teacher who was beheaded by Islamic terrorist

Days after the barbaric beheading of teacher Samuel Paty on the streets of Paris by a terrorist for showing the cartoons of Prophet Mohammad to his students, support continues to pour in for the deceased teacher.

The people of France, defying threats to their life, on Wednesday assembled near a government building in Montpellier to condemn the killing of Samuel Paty. Amidst heavy security, the locals projected huge images of Charlie Hebdo cartoons and the images of Samuel Paty on a local government building as a symbolic tribute to the deceased teacher.

Reportedly, the images were projected onto two town halls in the Occitanie region — Montpellier and Toulouse for over four hours on Wednesday evening. Carole Delga, the mayor said that the decision to project the image was to state “there must be no weakness in the face of the enemies of democracy, facing those who transform religion into a weapon of war… those who intend to destroy the Republic.”

Paty, a history teacher in the greater Paris area, was murdered by a Muslim immigrant terrorist on Friday after he had shown his students cartoons of the Prophet of Islam from Charlie Hebdo during a class debate on freedom of expression. A Muslim youth had stabbed a 47-year-old teacher in his throat while shouting “Allahu Akbar”.

French President pays his tribute

Earlier on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron too paid his respects to the deceased teacher who was beheaded near Paris last week.

At the memorial service at The Sorbonne, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that France ‘will not give up cartoons’. He also added that Paty was killed by ‘cowards’ for representing the secular, democratic values of the French Republic.

Taking to Twitter, Macron also shared an image of Paty to express his solidarity with the terror-victim.

The cartoons of Prophet Mohammed have been used by Islamic terrorists as a justification to carry out several attacks especially in Europe. In 2015, Islamic terrorist had attacked offices of Charlie Hebdo after the satirical newspaper had published cartoons that depicted Muhammad, which is strictly prohibited in Islam.

Offended by Charlie Hebdo’s actions, two Islamic terrorists had attacked the office of Hebdo in 2015 and had killed 12 people. The terrorists had stated that the attack was an act of revenge for depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

The attack on Paty was the latest attack over the Charlie Hebdo cartoons, who was beheaded for showing those cartoons to his students.

The Friday’s terror attack on Paris has now prompted a strong response from the French government, including banning of radical Islamic organisations that expressed support to the terrorist. The French government has taken steps to dissolve radical Islamist organisations in the country.

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