Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the second tranche of relief measures under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on Thursday. The first tranche of announcements on Wednesday had focused on providing relief to MSMEs, NBFCs, MFIs and HFCs, electric distribution companies and others. The second tranche focused on farmers, migrant workers, small traders and others.
Nirmala Sitharaman announced that three crore marginal farmers have already availed agricultural loans worth Rs 4.22 lakh crore. 25 lakh new Kisan credit cards holders have been sanctioned with a loan limit of Rs 25,000 crore, added Sitharaman. She further said that Interest Subvention and Prompt Repayment Incentive on crop loans, due from March 1, has been extended up to May 31 2020.
Source: PIB/Twitter
The Finance Minister also announced additional liquidity support for farmers and the rural economy during her second trance of announcements. FM Sitharaman said that 63 lakh loans worth Rs 86,000 crore have been approved between the 1st of March and 30th of April. Refinancing of Rs 29,500 crore has been provided by NABARD to cooperative and rural banks in March this year.
Nirmala Sitharaman said that Rs. 6,700 crores have been provided to state agencies for procurement of agricultural produce. Rs 4,200 crore has been provided under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to states during March 2020 for rural infrastructure.
Source: PIB/Twitter
Nirmala Sitharaman announces Relief Measures for Migrant Workers
The second tranche of announcements of the Finance Minister also included relief measures for migrant workers. The relief measures included affordable housing under the PMAy through a PPP mode. In addition to that, it was announced that migrants who are neither NSFA or State Card beneficiaries in the state they are stationed at will be provided 5 kg of grains per person and 1 kg of Chana per family per month for two months. An estimated 8 crore migrants are expected to benefit. Several other relief measures were also announced by Nirmala Sitharaman.
Chandannagar Police Commissioner Humayun Kabir, an IPS officer considered to be close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the first to attribute a “taunt” to the communal clash in Telinipara, Hooghly, West Bengal, where the houses of many Hindus were burned by a mob on late Sunday evening and again on early Tuesday afternoon.
According to a report by Swarajya, the IPS officer had told the media that some Hindus subjected a small group of Muslim men to ‘corona’ taunt. This had allegedly triggered the Muslims, who then went on to attack the Hindus with socket bombs, gas cylinders fitted with detonators, swords and other lethal weapons, iron rods and bricks.
It is pertinent to note here that Chandannagar Police Commissioner Humayun Kabir is the same officer who was removed as Murshidabad district police chief by the Election Commission before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls on charges of favouring the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The IPS officer had said that some Hindu men hurled the “taunt” after a few Muslims from the Urdi Bazar in Chandannagar had recently tested positive for coronavirus. And it was because of this “taunt”, according to the Bengal government, that the enraged Muslims went back to their locality and informed other fellow Muslims about the taunt. They, then, returned with lethal weapons and attacked the Hindus, but police intervened promptly and peace was restored, claimed the officer.
Even if one is to believe this narrative, this Telinipara incident gives us an insight into the prevailing situation in Bengal, where a mere “taunt” can lead Muslims to attack Hindus and vandalise and torch houses and properties belonging to them, highlights the Swarajya report.
The IPS officer, Humayun Kabir had reportedly further said that after taunting the group of Muslim men, Hindus blocked access to a public toilet that is used by Muslims. The latter objected and the verbal clash that ensued eventually snowballed into a communal clash.
BJP MP Locket Chatterjee condemned the Telinipara incident, criticises WB police and Govt
Hooghly Lok Sabha MP Locket Chatterjee and others had stated that after some Muslims who returned from a pilgrimage to Ajmer very recently, tested positive for coronavirus, locals of Chandannagar became alert and tried to restrict the entry of outsiders into their localities.
“Muslims were roaming around wantonly and Hindus got alarmed. The Hindus of Chandannagar felt the Muslims were deliberately roaming around all over the place to spread the deadly virus and ensure a lot of people got infected. So Hindus erected barricades to protect themselves. Muslims broke through the barricades and attacked Hindus on late Sunday evening for erecting the barricades,” said Chatterjee.
The BJP MP furthered that West Bengal police’s inaction and callousness on Sunday had encouraged the Muslims in the area who again attacked the Hindus on Tuesday in a more ferocious manner. Chatterjee said Tuesday’s attack was premeditated and well-planned where the Muslims used socket bombs, gas cylinders fitted with detonators to attack the Hindus.
Police Commissioner Kabir said on Wednesday that a huge quantity of explosives has been seized. “Our bomb squads are there. As of now, we have recovered petrol bombs and socket bombs. They have also used cylinders as explosives.”
“The recovery of explosives points to the fact that one particular community stockpiles weapons and explosives. Why is that so? This is a grave failure on the part of the police. How can explosives be stockpiled under the nose of the police, and that too during the ongoing lockdown” asked BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha.
Internet ban by WB Govt after Telinipara incident
“The state government imposed an Internet ban only in order to ensure that the truth does not come out. People all over the country got to know about the horrifying attacks on Hindus on Tuesday and how properties belonging to Hindus were attacked and set ablaze. The state government wants to prevent a repeat of that. We do not know what is happening at Telinipara and Chandannagar,” said Lok Sabha MP Chatterjee, alleging that police and WB government were trying to conceal the truth and give out a false version of the unfortunate happenings at Chandannagar.
She further alleged that WB police were instead arresting the Hindus who had erected barricades to prevent the entry of outsiders into their localities. “The indiscriminate and one-sided arrests have spread fear and led people to believe that the police are biased. This bias, they apprehend, will embolden Sunday night’s and Tuesday afternoon’s attackers to launch another wave of attacks,” the MP said.
The gagging of the local media by the Hooghly district administration has also raised doubts about the state’s intentions. The gag order issued by the district magistrate also includes visuals of violence and statements about it by politicians.
“This is a blatant attempt to browbeat the local media and stop it from presenting the truth,” said Lok Sabha MP Chatterjee.
Tuesday’s violence
On Tuesday, there were fresh cases of violence, the videos of which have now gone viral on social media. It is alleged that the Hindu homes were set on fire and bombs were hurled by a Muslim mob. Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee has alleged that the attacks were preplanned and the police stood as a mute spectator. Chatterjee further alleged that lethal weapons were transported in ambulances and women and children were also attacked.
West Bengal govt focuses on ‘misinformation’
As Bengal burned, the Home Department of the West Bengal government claimed that Telinipara is peaceful and warned of ‘strict action’ against those who were trying to ‘disturb the peace’. As per reports, 56 persons have been arrested and police raids are on to nab the culprits. Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed to maintain law and order and mobile internet services are suspended.
After an intense political drama for over a month, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray crossed a major hurdle by getting elected to Maharashtra Legislative Council unopposed.
According to the reports, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday made his debut as a legislator, even though indirectly, after he and eight others were declared elected unopposed to the state Legislative Council.
Apart from Thackeray, Council Deputy Chairperson and Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe, four candidates of BJP – Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, Praveen Datke and Ramesh Karad, NCP’s Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari, Rajesh Rathod of the Congress were lected for the nine seats, which fell vacant on April 24.
All the nine candidates elected unopposed
“All of them were elected unopposed. The result was officially announced on Thursday after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended at 3 pm,” the official said.
On Tuesday, four candidates – BJP’s Sandeep Lele and Ajit Gopchade and NCP’s Kiran Pawaskar and Shivajirao Garje had withdrawn their nominations. Another independent candidate Shehbaz Rathod’s nomination was found invalid during scrutiny.
Thackeray, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on November 28 last year, had to become a member of either Houses of the state legislature by May 27, as he had not contested the assembly election. Initially, he tried to get himself nominated to the Maharashtra legislative assembly. However, he had faced some criticism on social media for running away from direct elections. it was also pointed out that there is no history of a nominated member becoming chief minister, and it would set a bad precedent.
Later, Uddhav Thackeray had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi pleading him to intervene to avoid the constitutional crisis in the state.
Uddhav Thackeray had to choose the Legislative Council route to remain as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra as byelections to the assembly could not be held due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the second tranche of Modi government’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” package worth Rs 20 lakh crores to restart the economy following the coronavirus lockdown.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced comprehensive relief measures on Wednesday to support various sectors including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Discoms, NBFCs, Micro Insurance Institutions, etc. The Modi government had also announced various relief measures for real estate sectors and also extended deadlines for various taxpayers.
▪️ Rural Poor ▪️ Migrants ▪️ Urban Poor ▪️ Farmers ▪️MSMEs ▪️Unorganised Workers ▪️Migrant Labours ▪️ Small Businesses ▪️ Street Vendors ▪️ Middle Income Group ▪️ Tribals /Adivasis and the needy among others#IndiaFightsCoronapic.twitter.com/qVfj7jdbtV
— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 14, 2020
The Finance Minister Sitharaman had said the announcements will be made in many tranches. In the first tranche, Modi government had announced 16 included six measures for MSMEs, 2 for EPF, 2 for NBFCs and MFIs, 1 for discoms, 1 for contractors, 1 for real estate sector, and 3 tax measures.
Second tranche of announcements under “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” economic package
Finance Minister Sitharaman on Thursday said that the second tranche will be relating to migrant workers, street vendors, housing, employment generation for tribals and small farmers. A total of 9 steps will be announced today, she added.
“There are nine steps that will be announced – three for migrants, one for street vendors, one on housing, one on employment generation for tribals, two for farmers etc,” said Finance Minister.
The Finance Minister also said that the Modi government, within hours of announcing Lockdown 1.0, had come up with the PM Gareeb Kalyan Yojana, to provide money and food to the poor. “This may not be the last one though, we may come back and announce more”, clarified Finance Minister.
Relief for Farmers and Rural Economy
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 3 crore marginal farmers have availed agricultural loans worth over Rs 4.22 lakh crore. These farmers, who availed the loans through the RBI, were initially given an interest moratorium of three months, which has now been extended till May 31, 2020.
25 lakh new Kisan credit cards holders have been sanctioned with a loan limit of Rs 25,000 crore, added Sitharaman. She added that Interest Subvention and Prompt Repayment Incentive on crop loans, due from March 1, has been extended up to May 31 2020.
Image Source: PIB
Finance Minister also announced additional liquidity support for farmers and rural economy. FM Sitharaman said that 63 lakh loans worth Rs 86,000 crore have been approved and refinancing of Rs 29,500 crore has been provided by NABARD to cooperative and rural banks in March.
She added that more than 6,000 crores have been provided to state agencies for agricultural procurement. Support of Rs 4,200 crore provided under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to states during March 2020 for rural infrastructure, she announced.
The Modi government also sanctioned working capital limit of Rs 6,700 crore for procurement of agriculture produce to state government entities.
Image Source: PIB
Support for Urban poor
To reach out to the urban poor, the Modi government has permitted states to utilise the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to set up shelters for migrant labourers and provide them food and water, said Finance Minister.
“At least Rs 11,000 crore was sent for this purpose. We are taking care of them,” said FM Nirmala Sitharaman.
The central government has supported self-help groups, which have produced 3 crore masks, 1.20 lakh litres for sanitizers. FM Sitharaman also said that the Modi government has provided employment opportunities to the urban poor through SHGs. Further, 7,200 new SHG have been formed since March 15, 2020 to generate employment, she added.
Image Source: PIB
Relief for Migrants
Finance Minister said that the Modi government is supporting migrant labourers who have returned to their home states by creating work under the MNREGA. She added that the government is planning plans to continue MGNREGA work during the monsoon – plantations, horticulture, livestock-related work.
“For migrants who are going back home, we have generated 14.62 crore person-days of work, which is 40-50% more than before the coronavirus lockdown. We have enrolled them 2.33 crore wage seekers in 1.87 lakh gram panchayats who via MGNREGA will get enrolled and get jobs. They will be actively engaged, annual expenditure is Rs 10,000 crore, we will provide for more if needed,” said Finance Minister Sitharaman.
Average wage rate rose to Rs 202 from Rs 182 in last Financial Year, said Finance Minister. FM Sitharaman also said that a drive being undertaken to enrol returning migrant.
Image Source: PIB
Finance Minister said that migrants who are neither NFSA or state card beneficiaries in the state they are stationed will be provided 5 kg of grains per person and 1 kg chana per family per months for two months. The government has allocated Rs 3,500 crores allotted to 8 crore migrants.
This will be done through the states, which are aware where the migrant workers are currently staying, added Finance Minister.
Image Source: PIB
FM Sitharaman said that the Modi government will implement ‘One Nation One Ration Card. The scheme will cover 67 crore beneficiaries in 23 states covering 83% of the PDS population. The beneficiaries will be covered by national portability by August 2020.
“In order to benefit migrants, the govt is coming up with the National Portability Cards (One Nation One Ration Card) which can be used in any ration shop in any part of the country as migrants move from state to state,” Finance Minister said.
This initiative is a technology-driven system, as announced as a pillar of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.
Image Source: PIB
For migrants and the urban poor, the government has announced affordable rental accomodation under PM Awas Yojana.
“We are incentivising manufacturing and industries to build affordable housing units on their properties and looking to convert vacant buildings in metro cities for housing. This will be done via PPP mode through concessionaire agreements – which will constitute small rents and then make up, similar to the road toll. Detailed guidelines will come from ministry soon,” said Finance Minister.
Image Source: PIB
Labour codes: Benefit for workers
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman added, “We are committed to making labour codes for workers welfare and our agenda is their welfare. Minimum wage will become universal – this is what we are working on. Removing regional disparity in minimum wage thorough national floor wage concept is on the table.”
Compulsory appointment letters and annual health check-ups will be made mandatory and inter-state migrant workers will be defined so that they can better receive initiatives, FM Sitharaman announced. Portablity of welfare benefits is being considered, the Finance Ministry added.
“ESIC benefits are being looked at expanded to all establishments, even for those with less than 100 employees and for establishments with 10 or less employees will be voluntary. We want to make ESIC coverage mandatory for small units where workers are engaged in hazardous jobs.”
The Modi government also said that re-skilling of retrenched workers will be looked at and also issued a diktat that all occupations should be open for women with night working rights, social security for unorganised sector workers.
Image Source: PIB
Interest Subvention on MUDRA – Shishu loans
The government has also announced the following for small businesses under the MUDRA scheme, which has been disrupted the most due to the coronavirus, and, in turn, do not have the capacity to pay EMIs. Finance Minister announced Rs 1500 crore interest subvention for MUDRA-Shishu loan
“A Loan moratorium has already been granted by RBI. The current portfolio of MUDRA-Shishu loans is Rs 1.62 lakh crore. The Modi government will provide interest subvention of 2% for prompt payees for 12 months,” said Finance Minister. This will be a Rs 1,500 crore benefit, said FM Sitharaman.
Image Source: PIB
Relief for Street vendors
FM Nirmala Sitharaman also announced relief measures to support 50 lakh street vendors. For street vendors, the government has announced Rs 5000 crore special credit facility.
The Modi government also announced that it will launch special scheme within a month to facilitate easy access to credit to street vendor. The initial working capital up to Rs 10,000, said FM Sitharaman.
“Digital payments will be incentivised through monetary rewards and enhanced working capital credit would be made available for good repayment behaviour. Will provide liquidity of Rs 5000 crore,” said Nirmala Sitharaman.
Image Source: PIB
Special measures for Housing
Finance Minister also announced some relief measures for middle income group with annual income of Rs 6-18 lakh as the credit linked subsidy scheme introduced in May 2017 which was to last till March 31, 2020 will be extended to March 31, 2021.
“Over 3.3 lakh families previously benefited, and additional 2.5 lakh middle income families will join in. Jobs creation, steel, cement and heavy duty material will improve. Will have immediate impact on demand-side,” said Sitharaman.
“This wil lead to investiment over Rs 70,000 crore in housing sector, said FM Sitharaman
Image Source: PIB
Support measures for Tribals/Adivasis
Finance Minister said that employment creation will be done in tribal areas through Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds.
“The government says it has already received proposals worth Rs 6,000 crore to help generate employment for tribals and Adivasis for afforestation and plantation works, artificial regeneration etc. Considering the monsoon is approaching, these projects will kick off soon,” added Finance Minister.
Image Source: PIB
Support for Farmers
In support for farmers, the Modi government announced various measures including Rs 30,000 crore additional emergency working capital fund through NABARD.
Finance Minister announced that through KISAN Credit cards, 2 lakh crore will be made available to 2.5 crore farmers giving them access to institutional credit. She added Regional Rural Banks and Rural Cooperative banks will be the main source for credit and NABARD will extend additional refinance support of Rs 30,000 crore for crop loan requirement of rural coop banks and RRBs.
FM Sitharaman said that the additional emergency working capital fund through NABARD will be immediately released for small and marginal farmers so that post-harvest rabi produce and preparatory work for Kharif crops are supported. State cooperative banks, district cooperative banks and regional rural banks have been roped in. Will directly reach and benefit 3 crore rural farmers, said FM.
“Fishermen and animal husbandry farmers will be considered under this scheme. Will seek to enrol more farmers for KISAN cards so that they benefit,” said Sitharaman.
‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ – A mission for self-reliance
In his fifth address to the nation over the Coronavirus pandemic, on Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an economic package under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ amounting Rs 20 lakh crore to revamp the economy which is facing a serious crisis due to the Chinese epidemic. The economic package includes the recent announcements made by the government and the Reserve Bank of India on supporting key sectors of the country.
In his speech, PM Modi said the economic package would be around the 10 per cent of the GDP.
“I announce a special economic package today. This will play an important role in the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’. The announcements made by the government on coronavirus, decisions of RBI and today’s package totals to Rs 20 lakh crore. This is 10 per cent of India’s GDP,” PM Narendra Modi said.
The Prime Minister also said the package would help every section of society, including workers, farmers, the middle class, industrial units and the MSME sector.
The stimulus will play an important role in the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ (Self-reliant India Campaign), PM Modi said.
“India’s self-reliance will be based on five pillars — economy, infrastructure, technology-driven system, vibrant demography and demand. When India speaks of self-reliance, it does not advocate for a self-centred system. In India’s self-reliance there is a concern for the whole world’s happiness, cooperation and peace,” PM Modi said in his address.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the second tranche of relief measures under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The second tranche focused on farmers, migrant workers, small traders and others. The first tranche of announcements on Wednesday had focused on providing relief to MSMEs, NBFCs, MFIs and HFCs, electric distribution companies and others.
Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a scheme will be launched by the Government under PMAY to provide affordable rent to migrant labour and urban poor. Government funded housing in the cities will be converted into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) under PPP mode through concessionaire. Manufacturing units, industries, institutions and central and state government organisations will be incentivised to develop ARHC on their own land and operate.
Source: PIB/Twitter
In addition to that, migrants will be enabled to avail the Public Distribution System from any Fair Price Shop in India by March 2021. Currently, 20 states have been integrated into the intra-state portability system. By August 2020, 67 crore beneficiaries in 23 states covering 83% of the PDS population will have been covered. The biggest announcement, perhaps, was that migrants who are neither NSFA or State Card beneficiaries in the state they are stationed at will be provided 5 kg of grains per person and 1 kg of Chana per family per month for two months. An estimated 8 crore migrants are expected to benefit. Rs. 3500 crores will be spent on this and the costs will be incurred fully by the Government of India. However, state governments are expected to implement the same.
Source: PIB/Twitter
The Finance Minister also announced that MNREGA will support returning migrants. 14.62 crore person-days of work have been generated till the 13th of May 2020. The actual expenditure till date is estimated to be around Rs. 10,000 crores. Earlier, the Government had permitted state governments to utilise State Disaster Response Fund (SRDF) for setting up shelter for migrants and provide them food and water.
The leftist cabal of media in recent years has made sure that the terrorists who are hailed as martyrs by the Islamic separatists in Jammu and Kashmir are humanised and forcefully fed into our collective memory while the Indian security forces who along with their families are the first victims of the Islamic separatist movement or “Jihad” as Islamists call it are wiped off from the memory of this nation.
Not only this, but the Islamists intelligentsia has also created a narrative and an ecosystem where hatred against the Army personnel is normalised. The recent “sheroes” of Barkha Dutt and Ravish Kumar Ladeeda and Ayesha Renna who celebrated the Pulwama massacre and are ardent sympathizers of Afzal Guru and supporters of the separatist movement in Kashmir have been lifted to glory and are being hailed as ‘Burqa-clad empowered Muslim’ women.
There are multiple such terrorist sympathisers who have spewed venom against the Indian security forces as well as India on multiple platforms labelling the army as “rapist/oppressors” and very recently “war criminals” (by Mehoor Parvez) but the leftist cabal of media always finds a way to justify such hatred against Indian army, resulting in apathy towards the soldiers.
It is the result of this common apathy that the perpetual attacks on Army personnel are forgotten and buried in an unvisited corner of our conscience. The Kaluchak Terrorist attack which took place exactly 18 years back on this same day, 14 of May has been wiped off from our collective memory.
14 May 2002, Kaluchak, Jammu and Kashmir: The Massacre
Mid May is that time of the year when Army children are eagerly waiting to revisit their hometowns and enjoy summer vacations with their extended family members who otherwise are very far away from their parent’s military posting area. May 2002 would have been the same but Operation Parakram, the biggest ever military stand-off on Pakistani border by India as a response to The Parliament Attack of 2001, was still going on and there was a possibility of a full-blown Indo-Pak War.
In the early hours of 14 May 2002, three Pakistani terrorists managed to sneak into Indian territory from Samba region. While wearing Army uniforms, they reached the highway few miles away and boarded a Himachal Pradesh Roadways bus going towards Jammu city. On entering the Jammu district, the armed terrorists masquerading as army-men asked the passengers to disembark from the bus in Kaluchak (about 15km from Jammu).
The passengers mistaking the terrorists for security personnel due to the army uniform assumed that they were being asked to get down because of some security measure. Suddenly, the terrorists started shooting at the passengers and driver. The driver Prem Kumar and 6 passengers (including woman and children) were killed and many others were injured as the terrorists threw a grenade while they were disembarking the bus.
The sounds of the gunshots and grenade explosion diverted the attention of nearby sentries of Army Camp Colony, giving terrorists an opportunity to lob hand grenades towards security perimeter and storm into the nearby family quarters of Khetarpal Vihar Lines of Kaluchak military station. In the Khetarpal Vihar, like most of India, little children were getting ready to go their nearby Army School Kaluchak or Army School Ratnuchak for one of the last few days before summer vacations begin and as a result, many of the army quarters’ front gates were open or unlocked just like any other morning.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t ‘just’ any other morning, the heavily armed terrorists entered the army family quarters, whose gates they found open and brutally shot down whoever they saw in the homes.
A two-month-old infant, Gagandeep, was killed while she was in her sleep, a child was gunned down while in the bathroom, a schoolgirl was shot dead in front of dressing table as she was getting ready for her school. A woman stood at the door to block it, that didn’t allow one of the terrorist to enter their home; another woman dragged away some of the children to a corner, while another faced all the bullets to save her little son. The loss of lives of women and children falling victim to inhumane terrorists (who enjoy massive support from the human rights lobby) added to the agony of their surviving kith and kin.
By the time security forces rushed to the scene and launched the operation to hunt down terrorists, 21 people(8 women, 10 children and 3 army men) lost their lives in the Kaluchak military station, apart from the 7 killed in the bus. Also, 47 people were severely injured in the Kaluchak. Many of the army quarters were partially damaged and carried bullet marks and were bathed with the blood of innocent women and children whose family members stand for the nation’s security. One barrack and several vehicles were destroyed in the ensuing encounter. All the terrorists involved in this attack were 19-20 yrs old and all were from Pakistan(1 from Faisalabad & 2 others from Gujranwala). This attack invited a huge rage from army families across all the cantonments and military stations, particularly in Northern Command, they demanded an attack on Pakistan, as such there was already a massive build-up of troops along the border.
Subedar Attar Singh and his wife were heartbroken and grief-stricken for life as they lost both of their children, Subedar Attar Singh said, “As a father, I can never get over the death of my own children. I only wish they had fired at me and not at my innocent children”. Subedar Gurdev Singh, who was at a forward post on the border ready to sacrifice his own life for the nation when the cowardly terrorist attack took away the lives of his wife and daughter said, “We want war with Pakistan only to reply to the numerous terrorist strikes against our people.”
Brigadier Preeti Arora who was commandant of 166 Military Hospital, Jammu said that she would never be able to forget the scenes on 14 May in her rest of the life. The dying children and cries of the wailing mothers wallowing in pain and loss of their beloved kids still echo in her ears. She further said that the need of the hour is for common people to learn from the sacrifices of defence personnel and stand up against terrorists.
While remembering and narrating the horrible course of events that took place that day Ashish Tripathi whose father was posted on the border during that time for Operation Prakaram says, “I was about their age group (11 years at that time), I wore the same army school uniform like them but while I completed my school in that uniform those children getting ready for the school never made it to school again and left the world. The attack was emotionally traumatizing for all of the Army children and families. We carry immeasurable anguish from the horrific memories of that day. The incident filled our minds with terror, trauma, and loss that we will haunt us for life.”
Timeline of the Kaluchak Massacre
All political parties in India condemned this attack and criticised Pakistan in one voice. (thankfully, no silly theories emerged as all the terrorists were identified as Pakistani citizens, unlike the Pulwama attack of 14th February 2019 in which 40 CRPF personnel martyred and hundreds of soldiers injured and instead of grieving the loss, the media made celebrities out of Ayesha Renna who wrote “Pulwama se panga nahi, bye bye” with an attached image of the list of the martyred CRPF Jawans. And the politicians were busy in indulging in divisive conspiracy theories to link the terrorist attack which was a part of the Islamic, Jihadi movement in Kashmir to the upcoming elections.)
The international leaders condemned this attack in the harshest words including George Bush of USA, European Union Presidency and leaders from Russia, Japan and Germany. Australia listed Lashkar-E-Taiyyaba as a terrorist organisation. Parvez Musharraf taken aback by the international backlash condemned this terror attack and got Hafiz Saeed arrested but ironically he carried on with his warmongering speeches.
Though Indian Army pressed on the government to attack Pakistan for this attack, the government couldn’t proceed with such request as Pakistan was serving as a military base for US troops involved in Afghanistan operations against Al-Qaeda.
The attack was gradually forgotten by the public as the government in states and centre changed in the subsequent elections and affected army persons moved out to different places of postings, yet a handful of us do remember that unfortunate day when Islamic terrorism manifested it’s brutality in this unimaginable and horrific terrorist attack, sparing not even an infant.
The financial assistance for the family who lost their kin at that time was just ₹1 lakh for the dead and ₹75k for the seriously wounded. No amount can ever compensate for the loss of lives of the innocent children, women and duty-bound courageous men, yet this financial assistance is insubstantial.
Reading about this brutal attack I realised that this too has been buried too deep in our memory as a nation to be forgotten like all other countless, incessant and unrecognized sacrifices of our army men. The nation, a youth which will wake up indifferent, unaware of the brutality that our army men have suffered and the loss they have borne to celebrate a social media hashtag of “Thursday Throwback”, and not realizing not all ‘Throw Back Thursdays’ will have happy memories; and somewhere a father, a mother, a family who readily sent their youth to fight for the country on the border will still be carrying the trauma and grief of the loss of their loved ones, how will it ever be able to empathise with them.
The apathy has been systemised but we need to remember that peace reigns because these army men stand its guard and to let their memory fade away, their sacrifices forgotten will make for our collective sin as a nation.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch has recorded the statement of over 166 Tablighi Jamaat members who were present in the Nizamuddin Markaz event in the month of March. Maulana Saad’s sons and relatives have also been interrogated.
As per a report in ABP News, during the interrogation, most of them made this revelation that they wanted to leave Markaz but Maulana Saad had stopped them.
The report also claims that the Crime Branch has revealed that according to the evidence they’ve gathered it divulges that the Jamaatis were intentionally made to stay in Nizamuddin Markaz despite the notice from police.
Passports seized
Earlier, the Crime branch had seized passports and important documents of around 700 Jamaat members. They were also interrogated over their involvement in the case. The motive of the Crime Branch is to know that on what basis they have got the visa and who helped them in getting such a visa. The Home Ministry is notified regarding the case so that further action can be taken against these Jamaatis.
Reportedly, Maulana Saad is intentionally not getting his Coronavirus test done from a government hospital to avoid interrogation from the Delhi police. The Crime Branch is working on all angles to collect evidence against the preacher of the orthodox religious sect.
Last month, the government had blacklisted over 960 foreign Jamaatis who had flouted visa norms.
Charges against Maulana Saad
On March 31, the Delhi police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Maulana Saad under the Epidemics Act 1897 for allowing religious congregation in the month of March, despite repeated warnings from the center and the state government. On Wednesday, the Tablighi Jamaat Chief was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
On April 16, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a money laundering case against the Maulana Saad and nine others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on predicate offence that was registered by Delhi police. The agency had begun investigating the trust and the transactions of the trust that belonged to the Tablighi Jamaat chief
Digvijay Trivedi, a lawyer representing the sadhus on behalf of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the Palghar lynching case, died in a road accident yesterday. The accident happened on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway near Manor on Wednesday morning when Trivedi was heading towards Dahanu court in his car.
According to reports, the accident took place on the Gujarat lane of Mendhwan bridge at Manor at around 9.30 am. The car skidded off the road and turned turtle, killing Trivedi instantly, while a woman accompanying him was injured. It is believed that Trivedi was overspeeding and lost control of the car, causing the fatal accident. The woman, who was yet to be identified, was admitted at a hospital.
Trivedi was going to the Dahanu to attend the hearing in the Palghar Sadhu lynching case, where he was representing the victim Hindu saints on behalf of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Yesterday he was scheduled to present his side of the case before the court.
Trivedi also handled the legal cell of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a political party in Mira-Bhayander, where he belonged to.
The Maharashtra CID has arrested a total of 141 people in the case so far, which includes 10 minors. The minors have been sent to juvenile home. Among the adults, 101 people have been remanded to judicial custody, and the rest are in police custody.
Palghar Lynching Case
On 16th April 2020, two Seers associated with the Juna Akhara, 70-year-old Kalpavrishka Giri Maharaj, and 35-year-old Sushil Giri Maharaj along with their driver 30-year-old Nilesh Telgadewere were on their way from Mumbai to Gujarat to give Samadhi to another Guru. At Gadakchinchale village, a wild and frenzied crowd of over more than 100 people attacked them. The villagers deemed them as thieves and started attacking them. The police claim that their team which had rushed to the spot to rescue the 70-year-old man also came under the attack of the violent mob.
But later videos of the heinous act emerged that completely debunked the claim of police. It was seen that the sadhus were in the custody of the police but later the police personnel handed them over to the mob. Then the mob had beaten them to death in front of the policemen.
A Twitter user named Aishwarya Subramanyam has highlighted a curious issue where Robert Hoffman, an American actor is trying to raise funds for a 12-year-old child who lives in a Mumbai slum. He introduces her as the ‘slum princess‘.
When we read that someone is trying to raise funds for a poor child, all that comes to mind is “Wow, it is a noble initiative. We must help.” But this is a curious case. The American actor does not want to raise funds to help the child receive an education or a better life. The goal of the fundraiser is very specific. They want the child to become a model.
The white hero’s fundraiser for the poor brown slum girl
Yes. The American actor, who, as per the details in the gofundme page, has met this child and her family and is in constant touch with them, wants the child to earn money by becoming a model. And no. He doesn’t want her to ‘grow up to be a model’. He wants her to become a model now.
She’s a beautiful little girl, and he thinks she should be a model — and wants to help her become one. So far, so White Saviour.
He’s created an Instagram account where he posts on her behalf: https://t.co/6gpcQ96rEM And has christened her “Slum Princess” ?
— Aishwarya Subramanyam (@otherwarya) May 13, 2020
Instagram page
The Instagram page, (presumably created and managed by the actor since the Instagram policy has the minimum age restriction at 13 years) holds numerous photographs of the 12-year-old girl in different poses. Displaying her long flowing hair, her smiling, beautiful face, her eyes. All the photographs have one common theme. “Look at this pretty 12-year-old girl living in the eww-so-poor Indian slum”.
The gofundme page, where Hoffman has so far managed to raise a sum of 980 dollars against the goal of at leats 20,000 dollars, is a whole another story.
Goals of the fundraiser: portfolio, cellphone and money to start a modelling career
The fundraiser page explicitly makes it clear that the people involved with it want the child to become a model. They mention that for becoming a model, the child will first need to get money to have “photographs taken”, buy some nice clothes, afford transportation to castings, and “maybe even a proper home where she can bath properly and stay clean”. Oh, the unclean, dirty Indians.
— Aishwarya Subramanyam (@otherwarya) May 13, 2020
The fundraiser page clearly states that the child needs at least 20,000 USD for portfolio, clothes, bath, transport and other expenses she needs to maintain a modelling career. The actor also insists that he is trying to ensure that some best quality professional help the child become a model.
The priorities are sorted. To become a model she needs constant Instagram, and for Instagram and other ‘professional’ needs of a model, the first thing needed is a cellphone.
Snapshot from the fund raiser page
Poverty porn
The highlight of the Instagram page and the fundraiser is the poverty. There are ample descriptions of how the family sleeps on the floor, sometimes struggles for food and how they do not have a proper house.
The page also says that the child suffers from poverty because India has a caste system. As if countries without a caste system do not have poverty. Hoffman should be aware that his country USA has millions of homeless people and nearly half of them, almost 47% live in California, where he is from. Hoffman also thinks that India is ‘poor’ because the British exploited India ‘during World War 2″.
From the fundraiser site that Hoffman is running for the child
Potential endangerment of the child
The fundraiser page also reveals some disturbing details. The child’s mother is for some reasons, not in the picture. She lives with a father, a brother and lot of cousins, uncles and aunts. But the fundraiser page specifies that steps have been taken so that whenever the child goes anywhere for modelling work, she will be accompanied by an ‘adult male guardian’.
With all the emphasis on a modelling career, it is also not mentioned why all those adult males or females who have a ‘protection net’ around her are not able to ensure a healthy upbringing for the child, one where a 12-year-old is not required to earn money to meet the family’s basic needs. It is mentioned that she goes to a government school, and since government schools in India are free, it is also not understood why the adults in the child’s family want to depend on the child’s income.
Though the page mentions that the primary focus will be the child’s education, they also insist that after she starts earning money, the first thing will be to arrange a personal tutor for her.
Did the child have a choice?
The disturbing aspects of this whole story revolve around the fact that a 12-year-old is being prepped to become a model, not in future, but now. The page mentions that she ‘has been told’ that she can become a model and earn to fulfil her needs. Whoever put the notion of becoming a model, it is not understood why they did not ask her if she wants to become a doctor, a teacher, an astronaut or a sportsperson? Why are adults around the child are deciding what she has to become to buy comforts for her family, at an age where she should be studying, playing and dreaming about all the career options she can choose from when she is an adult.
The page draws lofty platitudes of giving a better future to the child, but under all those sweetness and confetti, there is an invisible word that is hanging heavy, ‘grooming’. The child is being ‘groomed’ to become a model. The ‘best professionals’, accompanying adults and all those promises are just potential dangers that she is about to, or already being put through.
Hoffman’s reluctance to engage an NGO
After Aishwarya’s post regarding the issue generated significant concerns on social media, the American actor reportedly reached out to her. In the interactions that followed, it is clear that the actor does not want to address or even acknowledge the legitimate concerns raised by many regarding the safety and wellbeing of the child.
— Aishwarya Subramanyam (@otherwarya) May 13, 2020
In the interaction with the actor, Aishwarya has tried to raise concerns regarding the issue. She has told the actor that the focus should be the education and safety of the child, and not a modelling career at such a young age. She has also highlighted that if he wants to help the child and ensure that she gets a better life, the proper way would have been to involve an NGO which can assign an experienced professional who deals with underprivileged children.
She also raised the cultural and social issues of a non-parent foreign national being in-charge of a 12-year-old girl’s life. She also pointed it out that there have been cases where foreign nationals and organisations have been found to be taking advantage of underprivileged children in the worst possible way, including running paedophile rings in the name of orphanages. But from Hoffman’s responses to Aishwarya’s suggestions, it is clear that the actor only wants her to delete her social media post because it is giving ‘negative attention’ to the fundraiser campaign.
The underlying potential for exploitation
There have been countless instances in India where foreign nationals running ‘charity projects’ are found to be actually exploiting poor, underprivileged children for selfish gains. Poverty porn is extremely addictive to the white colonial ego. Even if we close our eyes and believe that the actor here is a compassionate person who wants to genuinely help the poor child, still there will be several questions, how do we help an underprivileged child realise her true potential? We may try and ensure that she gets a healthy safe environment, but should we dictate that the only ticket out of poverty for her is a modelling carreer? At the age of 12?
Is it not prudent that all the goodwill and help is directed towards the child getting a proper education and ensuring that she grows up to be an aware, conscious woman who decides what she wants to be in future?
Also the disturbing trend of ‘marketing’ the child’s beauty to earn her a better lifestyle is quite unnerving. Why is it being mandated that the child has to become a model to start earning now? If the concerned individuals do care for her, why can’t they just ensure her a safe environment where she grows up and then decides whether she wants to be a model or not? Why is a 12-year-old child being made to ‘sell’ her looks so a privileged adult male from a developed country can get his philanthropy fix?
The President of India Ram Nath Kovind has decided to forgo 30 per cent of his salary for a year and also to drastically reduce spending on travel and ceremonial banquets.
According to the reports, the President of India has decided to forgo some part of his salary to make more resources available for the fight against coronavirus.
President office to follow austerity measures
As the Chinese pandemic coronavirus has engulfed the country, President Ram Nath Kovind has instructed officials at Rashtrapathi Bhavan to bring in austerity measures.
The President of India will also not to ride the new limousine that was to be procured ahead of the next Republic Day parade. The Rashtrapathi Bhavan’s state banquet will also be a simple affair to save resources, reported Hindustan Times.
A brand-new limousine was to be procured this year to replace Mercedes-Benz S Class (S600) Pullman Guard for the use of the President. The plan has now been postponed in the wake of the Chinese pandemic.
Reportedly, lavish arrangements including flower decorations on Rashtrapati Bhavan premises will also be limited. No new construction work will be sanctioned in the world’s second-largest presidential estate for the next year.
“Menu and guest list will be trimmed for all future banquets. We will ensure full honour for the state guest but we will also be careful not to show off. There will be no opulence,” said an official according to Hindustan Times.
Another official said that the Rashtrapathi Bhavan aims is to reduce costs by 20% so that the money can be spent for the poor. The President’s Estate will also stop all new construction work, but the limited ongoing work will continue.
“Money will be utilised for poor people. But stop in work doesn’t mean cut in money for contract workers. Idea is to reduce consumption by those who are better off in the Rashtrapati Bhavan,” said the second official.
First family of the country leads the coronavirus fight
Last month, President Ram Nath Kovind had donated his one month salary in the PM CARES fund means to fight against novel coronavirus.
Joining the battle against the Wuhan originated coronavirus, First Lady Savita Kovind had taken an initiative to stitch face masks at Shakti Haat. Shakti Haat is a marketing outlet for self-help groups of Rashtrapati Bhavan, located inside the President’s estate. The face masks that the First lady stitched have been distributed at various shelter homes of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board.
