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Ajay Pandita’s family slams Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for politicising his killing

OpIndia Staff
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Ajay Pandita’s family slams Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for politicising his killing

Late Ajay Pandita’s family has launched a blazing attack against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for attempting to politicise the murder of the Jammu and Kashmir sarpanch. Coming down heavily against the Congress party, late Ajay Pandita’s daughter, Niyanta said on Friday that Congress should not politicise the assassination of the ‘son of India’. She added that there was no need to play politics over her father’s death and that the family demands nothing but justice for Mr Pandita’s murder.

In conversation with Republic TV, Niyanta said, “I couldn’t comprehend the need to politicise the matter. He suffixed Bharti to his name because he wanted to be associated with the country and not with any political party. I am naive about politics but what I do know is that whatever my father did was not anything to politicise. We want justice nothing more.”

Ajay Pandita’s father also criticised Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for needlessly politicising death of his son. “What does Shashi Tharoor know? Ajay made the supreme sacrifice for the country. Nation trumps politics. His statement is completely wrong. We want justice. Political leadership will twist and turn this incident, but all we want is justice.”

Shashi Tharoor claimed murder of Ajay Pandita was an attempt to create “Congress-Mukt Bharat”

Earlier in the day, Thiruvananthapuram MP–Shashi Tharoor while referring to the killing of Congress sarpanch Ajay Pandita claimed that the murders of the Congress leaders from ‘Kashmir to Kerala’ was an attempt to create a ‘Congress-free Bharat.’ Politicising the unfortunate killing of Ajay Pandita, Mr Tharoor added that party leaders were being killed for upholding secularism and democracy which is what all the enemies of the ‘Idea of India’ want.

“The message is clear: “Congress-mukt Bharat” is what all enemies of the Idea of India want,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said while alluding to the killing of Ajay Pandita.

Ajay Pandita shot dead in Anatnag

The Kashmiri Pandit Sarpanch was shot dead on Monday by terrorists in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Congress Sarpanch of Lokbowan Larkipora, identified as Ajay Pandita, was fired upon by the terrorists who later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.

According to the police sources, the sarpanch had gone to work in his orchard when he was attacked by the terrorists. The area has been cordoned off soon after the shooting.

‘You have a parallel information system in place’: RS Prasad takes a jibe at Rahul Gandhi citing Gandhi’s meetings with Chinese officials during Doklam crisis

OpIndia Staff
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‘You have a parallel information system in place’: RS Prasad takes a jibe at Rahul Gandhi citing Gandhi’s meetings with Chinese officials during Doklam crisis

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday lashed out at Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi for asking PM Narendra Modi to share facts about on the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. 

Sharing an old July 2017 Tweet by Rahul Gandhi where he has acknowledged meeting the Chinese envoys during the Doklam crisis in the year 2017, RS Prasad took a jibe at the former Congress President saying: “Rahul Gandhi is asking the Prime Minister to share in public facts about sensitive China border issues. I think Mr. Gandhi has a parallel information system in place. Did he not meet the Chinese envoy during the Doklam crisis? Denied it initially but accepted it after public outcry”.

The Union Minister was appalled that Rahul Gandhi wanted to discuss such a sensitive, nation’s defence-related issue over a public platform.

Rahul’s attack on PM

Hitting out at PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi had on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that the PM was “absolutely silent” even as the Chinese walked in and occupied Indian territory in Ladakh.

“The Chinese have walked in and taken our territory in Ladakh. Meanwhile, the PM is absolutely silent and has vanished from the scene,” Gandhi tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi and China

It is pertinent to note here, that the Gandhi-scion, not once but twice, was caught meeting Chinese officials, raising suspicion among the policymakers regarding the intent of his secretive meeting with the Chinese.

The first meeting had taken place in 2017, when Rahul Gandhi had a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui, especially at a time when India and China were in the middle of a stand-off at Doklam. At first, the Congress party had denied such meetings and had termed news reports suggesting that the Gandhi-scion had indeed met Chinese officials as ‘fake news’.

Again in 2018, Rahul Gandhi had himself revealed regarding the secret meeting with a couple of Chinese ministers during his trip to Kailash Mansarovar in September 2018. The meeting was kept secret initially but later Rahul Gandhi had revealed the details of the meeting accidentally leading to people to speculate even more as to why both the Congress party and China were trying to hide the meeting.

Ravi Shankar Prasad tore into Rahul Gandhi for raising questions on standoff with China over Twitter

Meanwhile, this was not the first time the Gandhi-scion was being castigated for unnecessarily using the Sino-India border issue to target the Modi government. On Wednesday, Prasad had slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for raising questions on India-China border standoff on Twitter.

“Rahul Gandhi should know that on international matters, like China, questions should not be asked on social media. Also, he is the same person who asked for evidence after Balakot airstrikes and 2016 Uri attack,” said Prasad.

A group of retired armed force officers had slammed Rahul Gandhi for his “ill-conceived” statement on standoff with China

Prior to this, a group of retired armed force officers slammed senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “ill-conceived” and “ill-timed” statements and tweets questioning the handling of India-China border disputes by the armed forces and the Government of India.

Lashing out at the Gandhi-scion, they said that the Congress leader’s tweets and statements on border dispute with China “betray his lack of knowledge or are a convenient attempt to ignore historical blunders of Jawaharlal Nehru era”.

Castigating him for the past blunders made by his great grandfather the retired officers asked: “Does Rahul Gandhi not know that Tibet was handed over to China on a platter by Mr Nehru and China constructed roads through Aksai Chin and later occupied it when Nehru was the prime minister.”

Babita Phogat lashed out at the Congress leader over his alleged ‘love for China’

On the same day, wrestling champion Babita Phogat had also lashed out at the Congress leader over his alleged ‘love for China’. She wrote on her Twitter account, “One thing I want to ask Rahul Gandhi. Is he inclined towards India or China? Nowadays his love for China overflowing. Does he have no faith in India?” Phogat had hinted at the Congress party’s strange fixation with China.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot alleges Rajya Sabha elections could have been done 2 months ago but BJP delayed it, BJP says he is doing political drama

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot alleges Rajya Sabha elections could have been done 2 months ago but BJP delayed it, BJP says he is doing political drama

On Friday, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot along with Deputy CM Sachin Pilot accused BJP of delaying the Rajya Sabha elections so that the ruling party can buy MLAs. Chief Minister held a press conference in Jaipur seven days before the Rajya Sabha elections. The elections are scheduled to be held on June 19 on the 3 Rajya Sabha seats in the states.

Ashok Gehlot stated, “The Rajya Sabha elections could have been conducted two months ago, but it was postponed for no reason because the BJP’s horse-trading was not complete.” Gehlot further added, “We are united. Not a single vote of our MLAs will go to anyone else in the Rajya Sabha elections and our two candidates will emerge victoriously. Two CPI(M) MLAs will support us in the election.”

Gehlot said, “A complaint has been lodged with the SOG so that investigation about those who are involved in this organized crime of money transfer could be conducted.” Gehlot said that it is evident from the political scenarios in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh and now the trick is being applied here in Rajasthan.

We will win two seats-Sachin Pilot

Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot said that the Congress will emerge as a winner in the coming Rajya Sabha elections. Statistics show that even the independent MLAs stand with Congress. He said that both of the candidates are going to win the Rajya Sabha elections. Sachin pilot clarified, “We were unable to meet the MLAs in three months due to lock down that’s why we have called a meet in this hotel.”

BJP responds

Rajasthan BJP President Satish Poonia responded to the allegations denounced by the Rajasthan CM. He said, “A political drama has been going on in Rajasthan for the past few days and it is being done by the CM himself. The matter is the Rajya Sabha election. A man in a position of responsibility is saying unnecessary things, he has spoken baseless things.”

Satish Poonia added, “I have been observing him since last few days, he has been speaking as a man who has become mentally unstable and says whatever comes to his mind. His statements reflect despair.”

He clarified that not a single membe of Congress is inncontact with them. He said, “The one wants to join us, the one who trusts the polity of Modiji, the one who wants to leave the inefficient government of Congress, we will surely welcome them.”

Setback to Congress before Rajya Sabha elections

On 19 June, the Rajya Sabha elections will be held countrywide on 18 seats of Upper House. While, in the last three months, a total of eight MLAs of the Congress party resigned in Gujarat that brought down the tally in the state to 65. Five MLAs resigned back in March while three resigned on 4th June just before Rajya Sabha polls scheduled for 19th June.

The remaining Gujarat Congress MLAs were shifted to Wildwinds Resorts at Abu Road in Rajasthan. Earlier, four Congress MLAs were seen at Ambaji that is close to the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. Gulab Singh Rajput, Congress MLAs, said that MLA would discuss the strategy for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Police demolish Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu following objections by Muslims: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Police demolish Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu following objections by Muslims: Report

In a shocking incident, the Kattuppasathy Madasamy temple in Sammenkulam village in Tenskasi town of Tamil Nadu was destroyed by the local police, following a complaint by the radical Islamists in the area, reported The Organiser. The Hindu temple, built on a privately owned Patta land, was revered by the Nadar community. The community which is primarily into business and agriculture occupation would conduct poojas and religious festivals annually at the temple. But, in the Muslim-dominated Tenskasi district, the Hindus have been at the receiving end of the apathy of the police, administration, and the facade of communal harmony.

As per locals, radical extremists from Popular Front of India (PFI), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), and other Muslim organisations objected to the temple’s renovation work. They claimed that it affected the privacy of Muslim women living in the vicinity. After taking cognisance of the matter, the district administration and the police bulldozed the temple without following due process. Meanwhile, the protests by the Hindus fell on deaf ears.

Pacchaimaal, the son of village head Subbaiah Nadar, had complained about the matter to the District Magistrate. Reportedly, there are 160 Hindu Nadars in the village but they are outnumbered by the Muslims. He said that his community members were illiterate and worked in the agricultural sector for a living. Pacchaimaal said that they had a forest deity temple and would change the earthen base with a new one in the month of Chitrai.

Allegations of Police High Handedness

Amidst the nationwide lockdown that was imposed in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, the festivals had to be cancelled this year. But, the Nadar community had to change the earthen base to protect the existing ones from being eroded during the rainy season. As such, they put up a cement structure at the temple site.

But, radical Islamists objected to the renovation work, claiming that it would give an opportunity to the devotees to stare at their women taking a bath. Pacchaimaal, who said that Hindus lived in harmony with the Muslims in the area, conceded, “Being the majority, they objected and complained to the district administration and police. Within no time, the police descended on the village with JPCs and razed our temple ignoring all our pleas.”
 
He added that there was no restriction on having the temple on the Patta land and that his family members were the ‘hereditary trustees.’ Pacchaimaal informed that the authorities were reluctant to listen to the Hindus and refused to consider the fact that the Nadar community had been worshipping at the said temple for generations. The cops justified their move by claiming that the temple was on a Promboke land and that no permissions were obtained for the same.
 

Copy of the complaint to the District Magistrate by Pacchaimaal

Allegations of Muslim Appeasement

Reportedly, the Nadar community felt that the district administration and the police authorities wanted to ‘please the Muslims.’ The incident also legitimises allegations against AIAMDK and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapadi Palaniswamy that he is trying to please the Muslim vote bank, ahead of the assembly polls that are scheduled for the following year. Hindu Maha Sabha leader Tha. Balasubramaniam has assured to rebuild the demolished temple in a grand manner. Several other Hindu organsiations such as Hindu Munnani had also come forward in support of the Hindus in the area.

Pacchaimaal emphasised that they neither encroached upon any government property nor started new construction. He informed that only renovation work was underway at the temple site. He warned that since a mere complaint by the majority Muslim community led to the demolition of the temple, it might have repercussions from the Hindu community. “We assure you that none will be affected by our temple. Only some with connection with fundamental outfits want to destroy communal harmony and hide the truth. We request the authorities to allow us to build a temple on our Patta land immediately” he was quoted as saying. 

Bharat Mata Statue Controversy

This is not the first time that such an incident has come to light from the State of Tamil Nadu. A controversy had erupted after a Christian missionary organisation Christians of the Church of South India (CSI) filed an objection over the statue of Bharat Mata with Kanyakumari police claiming that the statue was hurting their “religious sentiments”. After their complaint, the Kanyakumari Police had covered the statue, causing outrage amongst the villagers.

The incident sparked off protests as members of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Hindu Munnani, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other villagers staged demonstrations and later removed the cover. The protest was spearheaded by BJP leader Tarun Vijay and local RSS Swayamsevaks who later secured an order from the District Collector to reinstate the Bharat Mata statue to the original position.

Test positivity rate, deaths per million and ‘secular’ states: What the media won’t show you about coronavirus data in India

Abhishek Banerjee
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Test positivity rate, deaths per million and ‘secular’ states: What the media won’t show you about coronavirus data in India

For our media, intellectuals, academics and activists, Gujarat is extra special. Gujarat being one of the worst Coronavirus affected states has come in very handy for India’s ‘secular’ lobby. They desperately needed an excuse for Delhi and Maharashtra.

But early signs have appeared that things are finally beginning to change in Gujarat. Most significantly, the test positivity rate in Gujarat has finally dropped to the national average.

Right away, you can understand what this indicates. Gujarat tested over 6500 people yesterday and found 513 cases. Delhi tested lesser people, around 5000, but found 1877 cases! In other words, the disease has spread much further in Delhi than in Gujarat.

This means at the very least that Gujarat is testing “enough,” or at least right about the national average, compared to the spread of the disease.

What is test positivity rate

Because there is a lot of misinformation around, let us explain in very simple terms what is the test positivity rate. This is the number of confirmed cases detected as a percentage of the number of tests.

In other words, the more widespread the testing, the bigger the denominator. Which would make the test positivity rate drop.

Conversely, if a state were to restrict testing, the test positivity rate would go up. Again, this should be simple to understand. For example, if you tested 100 people who are already in a Covid hospital ward, you would find all 100 of them positive. The test positivity rate would be 100%.

Now suppose you expand testing slightly. You only test those who are already showing severe symptoms such as shortness of breath. Not all of them would have Coronavirus, but the likelihood would be extremely high. The test positivity rate could be as high as 80%.

Suppose you expand testing even further, to those with mild symptoms. The test positivity rate would continue to drop. If you start testing even those who have come in contact with those having a fever, the rate would be even less. The wider you cast the net, the less likely you are to find someone who tests positive. Ultimately, if you tested all 130 crore Indians, the positivity rate would be close to 0%.

Tough questions

We should note here that neither India’s overall test positivity rate of 7.3% nor Gujarat’s 7.8% is reason to relax. Both numbers are still very high. But there is no longer any doubt that when it comes to testing, Gujarat has moved ahead on the curve compared to other hotspot states like Delhi and Maharashtra.

In particular, Delhi is doing the worst of all, with a terrifying test positivity rate of 35%!

That means our intellectuals and activists are going to have to do what they dislike most in the world: ask tough questions to the ‘secular’ governments of Delhi and Maharashtra. If they care about intellectual honesty, that is.

For three months, our intelligentsia has had Arjuna-like sharp focus on just one target: Gujarat. This, however, is a pandemic. So there is more than just one target. This means asking what ‘best CM’ is doing. It will hurt, I know.

Not just other states in India, we will have to look at countries across the world. By now, I hope you have noticed the clever sleight of hand in the way the Indian media reports Coronavirus statistics.

Indian media’s sleight of hand

The number of tests was reported as a percentage of population to show that India is lagging behind in testing.

The number of confirmed cases was reported in absolute numbers to prove that India is among the worst affected nations in the world.

If we strive for consistency instead of opportunism, we would see a very different picture.

India has seen about 6 deaths per million people, which is among the lowest in the world. The US has seen 341 deaths per million, which is more than 50 times as many. The numbers for major European countries are France (449), Germany (104), Italy (564), Spain (580) and UK (605).

In other words, the West has seen Coronavirus deaths at a rate that is generally 50-100 times more than India. The “best” performer is Germany, which has done 17 times worse than us.

Conclusion

No gap in testing and data collection can explain a gap as large as this. We are just going to have to accept that we are doing better than the West. For most Indians, that is cause for celebration. But not for all. Think of those Indians who have to write articles for New York Times, Washington Post and BBC. They need to eat too.

As for Gujarat, our intellectuals will need to find better reasons to criticize than words of some racist Brit from the last century.

Threat to kill CM Yogi Adityanath “with a bomb” along with blasts at 50 other places in Uttar Pradesh sent to police on WhatsApp, FIR registered

OpIndia Staff
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Threat to kill CM Yogi Adityanath “with a bomb” along with blasts at 50 other places in Uttar Pradesh sent to police on WhatsApp, FIR registered

The Uttar Pradesh police received a threat message against CM Yogi Adityanath. In a Whatsapp message sent to the social media cell of UP Police’s integrated emergency response centre UP112, a person threatened to kill Cheif Minister Yogi Adityanath “with a bomb”. He has also warned of bomb blasts at 50 different places in Uttar Pradesh.

In the written message on Whatsapp an unidentified person has said that “we will blow up the entire state and the Uttar Pradesh government will keep watching.” The message was sent to the WhatsApp number of UP112.

UP police lodged an FIR

The Lucknow police have taken to Twitter to inform that an FIR, in this case, has been lodged in Gautam Palli police station. The crime branch and cyber team cell have been informed and the search for the unidentified person behind the Whatsapp message has begun.

The police have informed that security around Yogi Adityanath’s residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Kalidas Marg and all VIP areas has been beefed up, and is being monitored by the Lucknow police and concerned authorities.

Maharashtra ATS nabbed one Kamran Amin Khan for threatening to kill Yogi Adityanath ‘with a bomb’

It is pertinent to note here, that last month Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended a 25-year-old man named Kamran Amin Khan from the Mhada colony in Chunnabhatti area of Mumbai for threatening to kill Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ‘with a bomb’. He had sent the death threat to Yogi Adityanath as a Whatsapp message to the social media cell of UP Police’s integrated emergency response centre, UP112.

On being interrogated, Kamran had confessed to the crime. 

Maharashtra ATS called it a ‘prank’

Using dump data, the cell phone number used by Kamran to send the threat message to kill Yogi Adityanath was tracked to Chunabhatti. An ATS officer informed that the accused was nabbed using technical expertise and human intelligence. Reportedly, Kamran has no criminal record but has a history of drug abuse. “His actions seem to have been a prank. Even his number is saved on Truecaller as ‘Yogi Ji’,” the officer was quoted as saying.

Earlier threats against CM Yogi Adityanath

On May 5 2020, the Uttar Pradesh Police had nabbed a Bihar constable named Tanveer Khan from Ghazipur after his contentious Facebook post on April 24, calling for the killing of the State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, went viral on social media.

Reportedly, there was a state of concern in the police department when it was discovered that the accused was a cop himself. The UP police nabbed Khan from Nalanda with the help of the Dipnagar police in the Nalanda district.

Earlier, on his Facebook timeline, Tanveer Khan has written: “Azaans are not happening in the areas of Dildar Nagar and Kamsarobar, Yogi should be shot dead.”

Swara Bhaskar says she abused a child ‘in her head’ but doesn’t seem to be sure if child was real or fictional

OpIndia Staff
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Swara Bhaskar says she abused a child ‘in her head’ but doesn’t seem to be sure if child was real or fictional

In the wake of the ongoing anti-racism protests around the West, Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker is trying hard to make the headlines herself. After West Indies cricketer Darren Swamy accused his teammates in the Indian Premier League of calling him by a racist nickname, Swara Bhasker has taken upon the mantle of ‘social justice’ herself. Darren himself snubbed Swara by asking not to use his incident to make a big issue out of it, rather he asked it to be used for educating each other so that it does not happen again.

Amid this, netizens reminded the actress of crass remarks she had used herself in the past for a four-year-old child actor. A user reminded her of the occasion on which she had called a four-year-old child ‘ch**iya’ and ‘kam**a’ on live television.

The incident was narrated by Swara herself during a TV chat show while telling about her first days in the entertainment industry. Talking about an ad film that she was shooting with the child actor, she said in the show that the ‘ch**iya’ and ‘kam**a’ child had called her aunty, while she had just entered the industry.

When this was pointed out today by social media users, Swara Bhasker chose to defend herself saying that she had said the crass word ‘in her head’ and the child did not hear it. She claims that it was a ‘fictional retelling’ of an event.

However, in another tweet, Swara Bhasker claimed that the child himself was ‘fictional’. And she also adds that the child didn’t hear the abusive words that she had used for him. By saying that the child didn’t hear it, Swara Bhaskar implies that using abusive words for others is OK as long as the subject of such words don’t hear it.

It appears that the actress tied herself in knots while trying to justify using crass words against a child on live television. One time she says that her words were a ‘fictional retelling’ of an event while on other occasions, she claims that the child himself is ‘fictional’, while she also said that child didn’t hear it.

In the video, however, it is clear that Swara Bhasker is referring to a very real event. She described her experience in one of her initial shoots for an ad for a soap and narrated that she was addressed by a child as ‘aunty’, which prompted her to abuse the child in her head. When the video first surfaced on social media, it created an outrage then as well since people did not take kindly to a child being abused for the purpose of comedy.

Punjabi Singer singer Jazzy B glorifies Bhindranwale in his latest song, justifies Khalistan by saying Sikhs do not get respect in India

OpIndia Staff
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Punjabi Singer singer Jazzy B glorifies Bhindranwale in his latest song, justifies Khalistan by saying Sikhs do not get respect in India

Recently, Indian-Canadian Punjabi Singer Jaswinder Singh Bains known as Jazzy B, who is currently residing in the UK, released a song “Putt Sardara De” under a Canadian music label Revolution Records. The song glorifies Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in 1984 during Operation Blue Star, which led to the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and anti-Sikh riots across the country, and also supports the demand for a separate Khalistan nation for sikhs. Amrit Bova wrote this song.

In the song, they glorified keeping arms in large numbers. The lyrics suggested that Sikhs deserve Khalishtan and Sikhs know how to take revenge for what happened to their community in India. There is a clipping on a speech by Bhindranwale in the song as well. They suggested that no one should mess with the Sikhs as they have an aggressive history. Also, they are hungry for prey, just like Bhindranwale.

The song depicted some controversial clips, including a speech by Bhindranwale. They mentioned the Sikhs who are currently spending time in Indian jails. In an approximately five-minute-long song, Jazzy B managed to pick the side that completely goes against India’s interests. In an interview, he said that he made the song because of the atrocities done to Sikhs in the past. He added because Sikhs do not get the respect they deserve in India, they must fight for Khalistan.

Jazzy B heavily criticized social media

Many users, including Sikhs, did not like how Jazzy B promoted Bhindrawale and Khalistan. They raised objections over the song. Jazzy B gave a reply in a tweet and said people do not know who Bhindranwale was. He added that he considers Bhindrawale as his hero and asked the users to listen to speeches that are widely available on Youtube and other video sharing websites.

Jazzy B and his association with Khalistani movement

This is not the first time Jazzy B has come out openly to support the demand of Khalistan (separate country for Sikhs). He released the song “Shaheed Kaum De” in 2017 on similar lines. In many interviews, he has openly supported Khalistan and said that Sikhs deserve a separate nation because they never got the treatment they deserve in India.

In a recent interview after his latest song, he said that the Sikhs do not have any identity in India. Many Sikhs in India have openly opposed the Khalistani movement and do not want anything to do with these groups.

SJWs are not looking for solutions, but drama: Tweets by Swara Bhasker over the Daren Sammy episode prove it

Shashank Bharadwaj
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SJWs are not looking for solutions, but drama: Tweets by Swara Bhasker over the Daren Sammy episode prove it

Following the controversy over Daren Sammy’s recent allegations regarding his former teammates at Sunrisers Hyderabad referring to him as ‘Kalu’, the so-called liberals and the social justice warriors in India seems to be eyeing an opportunity to use the controversy to create more faultlines within the society rather than finding solutions.

On Friday, Bollywood entertainer-cum-ultra-left activist Swara Bhasker tried to use the ongoing Daren Sammy controversy to create more divisions within the sporting community after she asked Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team members to ‘show some decency’, ‘spine’ and apologize to Sammy for using the ‘Kalu’ remark on him despite Daren Sammy himself having pointed out that he was ‘pleased with the clarification’ issued by fellow cricketers.

Sammy’s video

Earlier this month, Daren Sammy had come up with a post claiming that he was subjected to an alleged racial slur during his days with IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad. Former West Indies captain Sammy had said that his SRH teammates had called him ‘Kalu’ and claimed that he only came to know about the racist tone attached to the word after watching a show by Hasan Minhaz recently.

In a video posted on his Instagram account, Sammy had asked his teammates to explain themselves or apologise.

The allegations of racism by Daren Sammy against fellow cricketers, which came to the fore during the ongoing George Floyd racism incident, had fuelled a new controversy with people across the spectrum voicing their opinion on the issue.

Daren Sammy ends controversy by putting out a clarification

Following his allegations, Daren Sammy, on Friday morning, also put out another tweet stating that he has had an ‘interesting conversation’ with one of the players from Sunrisers Hyderabad, to whom he referred to as his ‘brother’. He stated that he was now looking to not focus on the negatives but educate others about racism. 

He also clarified that the fellow teammate had reassured him that he had operated from a place of love when he had referred to him as ‘Kalu’.

Image Source: Darren Sammy

Daren Sammy’s statements that he got reassurances from the ex-teammates, however, did not keep certain social justice warriors at peace. Swara Bhasker, who seemed to have found another opportunity to stoke conflict amidst the teammates, tried to further provoke Daren Sammy.

Despite Sammy’s confirmation, Bhaskar tries to provoke him against SRH

Bhaskar, however, was not pleased by the news report that Sammy is pleased after a conversation with a former teammate over the issue. She took to Twitter to demand Daren Sammy not to move on from the incident and questioned the former West Indies captain for his comment that he had operated from a place of love. She insinuated that he should not accept the explanation by the players and should keep demanding an official apology. She asked whether Sammy would take the ‘place of love’ explanation if somebody had used the ‘N’ word on him.

Image Source: Swara Bhasker

While equating the nickname ‘Kalu’ to the ‘N’ word, Bhaskar here is deliberately ignoring the facts that it is a rather common surname in India and though it literally means a person with dark skin, it is not necessarily a racial slur in the usual context. In Odisha, even Lord Jagannath is called ‘Kalia’ by the people, referring to his black complexion.

On the contrary, the ‘N’ word in western countries comes with the historical context of slavery and social and judicial atrocities against the blacks.

Trying to create a further divide between the former teammates, Bhaskar demanded an apology from SRH players and asked them to ‘show a spine’. She also tagged Indian cricketers Ishant Sharma and other players of SRH and tried to shame them despite Daren Sammy clarifying on the issue.

Sammy’s reply

Replying to Swara Bhasker, Daren Sammy took to Twitter to tell her about using such opportunities to educate people about racism so that it does not happen again rather than making a big issue out it.

“Don’t get me wrong I’m not condoning what was done/said. I’m saying let’s use this opportunity to educate each other so it doesn’t happen again. One can only apologize if he/she feels wrong about something. I’m confident & proud to be black. That will never change,” Sammy replied.

Opportunism of Social Justice Warriors

Swara Bhasker’s desperation to drag the issue despite Daren Sammy’s insistence to seek a reconciliation only exposed the intentions of these ultra-left wing activists to create a ruckus out of a non-issue.

It is also pertinent to note that the term ‘Kalu’, which Sammy alleged to be a racist term, may not always have a racist connotation. In a country like India, where nicknames are more commonly used by friends and family than the real names, it is rather normal for people to refer someone by a nickname, as Sammy himself referred to it as from the ‘place of love’.

However, using such an incident to create a new controversy by self-proclaimed social justice warriors of the country like Swara Bhasker only proves that these ultra-left wing ‘activists’ do not intend to provide a solution to any specific issue but rather try to add more fuel to it in a hope that these conflicts could be used to create more faultlines in the society.

What is important here, is the distinct difference in the attitude towards an issue. While Sammy seems to have followed a healthy, positive approach of speaking to teammates and allowing them to clarify over any potential misunderstandings, with an intention to create awareness, Bhaskar, who is nowhere related to the incident, just wants to stoke the issue further to generate more negativity.

‘U for Ugly’ row: West Bengal education dept suspends two teachers of govt-aided school following outrage over racist content in textbook

OpIndia Staff
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‘U for Ugly’ row: West Bengal education dept suspends two teachers of govt-aided school following outrage over racist content in textbook

Following complaints lodged by parents with the state education department, the West Bengal education department has suspended two teachers of the government-aided school-Municipal Girls High School, located in Burdwan city of East Burdwan district of West Bengal. The school attracted the ire of parents after an illustration in one of its textbooks described dark-skinned people as “ugly”. 

According to reports, in the alphabet section, the book shows the image of a black person as an illustration of the word ‘ugly’. The word was used as an example of words starting with U. As per a report in a local portal, the book is named ‘Child’s Study’ and is written by one Ruma Roy.

The incident had come to light after parents of children studying in that school outraged and lodged a complaint regarding the same with the state education department.

Sudip Majumdar, the complainant who is a college professor, said: “I was shocked when I saw the picture of a black boy’s face to give an example of ugliness. How can it be possible?’’ he asked.

West Bengal Education Minister passes the blame on to the school

According to Majumdar, the textbook in question was part of the course books referred by the education department. This allegation was refuted by the Education Minister, Partha Chatterjee, who passed the blame on to the school: “The textbook was introduced by the school itself. The two teachers have been suspended because we have zero tolerance for such acts which may have prejudices into students’ mind.’’ The minister said that the govt has not issued the book, and it is not printed in any govt press.

The suspended teachers also put the blame on each other. Shrabani Mullick, one of the suspended teachers said: “Though I am the administrative head of the primary section of the school, the issue should be looked after by the teacher-in-charge.”

Meanwhile, the suspended teacher-in-charge Barnali Ghosh said: “Though I am the teacher-in-charge, everything of the school is monitored by Shrabani. I have no clue why the book was selected for teaching.’’

Sishir Kumar Pal, the publisher of the book, admitted that it was a major mistake of their part: “I will inquire about how it happened. We will rectify the mistake and print the book again. We will give the rectified books to the schools at our cost,’’ he said.

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