Home Blog Page 7358

BSF refuses to exchange sweets with Pakistan Rangers on Republic Day over ceasefire violations

0

The Border Security Force (BSF), on Friday refused to exchange sweets with Pakistani Rangers on the Wagah-Attari border on India’s 69th Republic Day over ceasefire violations. The decision was taken after 13 people, including 7 civilians, were killed in the recent ceasefire violations in Jammu alone. Indian security forces have said they have retaliated to the ceasefire violations from across the border with ‘pin-pointed retaliation’


The BSF, however, was hopeful that the tradition of exchanging sweets at the border will be revived soon. Meanwhile, the BSF exchanged sweets with their Bangladeshi counterparts at Fulbari post in West Bengal.


It has been a long standing tradition to exchange sweets at the International Border with Pakistan on days of significance in either of the countries. Indian Republic Day is one such day when sweets are exchanged. Earlier the tradition was suspended for Diwali in 2016 when the BSF decided to protest the killings of jawans in unprovoked firing along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

Judge Loya’s death: Sister whose statements were used to claim foul play, alleges a media hit-job

0

Judge Loya, the judge who was presiding over the Sohrabuddin murder trial where BJP President Amit Shah was the main accused, passed away in December 2014.

But three years after the death, in November last year, a magazine named Caravan came out with a sensational story, which insinuated possible foul play behind the death, which was deemed as a natural death. Caravan’s story was later debunked to a large extent by an Indian Express article and an inconsistency, which the IE failed to address, was explored and debunked by us.

Things though refused to mellow down, and the conspiracy theories became so rife that the family of Judge Loya, in a press-conference had to come out and plead to the NGOs, lawyers and politicians to stop harassing them, as the death of Judge Loya, they believed, was natural.

Things were also taken to the Supreme Court by two petitioners Banduraj Sambhaji Lone and Tehseen Poonawalla, where the matter is now being heard.

Now as per a Times Now report, the would narrative around the ‘mysterious death’ of Judge Loya might start crumbling down:


As per the above video, Anuradha Biyani the sister of Judge Loya, whose statement according to Times Now formed the basis of the allegations of foul play in Judge Loya’s death, has questioned the report published in Caravan magazine.

The sister in a letter to Maharashtra’s state intelligence officer, as per Times Now claims that she has been misquoted by the reporter and was deceived into doubting her brother’s death. She has also claimed that she was the unwitting victim of a ‘hit-job’.

The sister claims that Judge Loya’s dead body reached Gategaon at about 11:30 and all family member, friends, judges were present at the cremation. She claimed that people used to raise suspicion over the death of Judge Loya, but she didn’t and still doesn’t have any suspicion over the death. This suspicion of the people, is what she could have referred to while talking to the Caravan journalist, and that she herself didn’t share the same thoughts.

Times Now also claims that she was unknowingly captured in a video by the Caravan journalist in Dhule, Maharashtra, which raises the question whether she was possibly a victim of a rogue sting operation. The sister also questioned as to why was her statement, which was taken about a year prior to her writing the letter, was only brought out ahead of the Gujarat elections.

So chiefly as per Times Now, four contradictions between the Caravan article and Biyani’s claims have emerged:

Caravan’s claim: Biyani recounted she saw blood on Judge Loya’s collar

Claim in letter: People used to express suspicion, hence reference to the same in the article

Caravan’s claim: Biyani had questions about the events of night of Loya’s death

Claim in letter: I spoke to a reporter about Loya’s death a year ago, the same was misinterpreted

Caravan’s claim: Sister claimed that she demanded a second postmortem

Claim in letter: I knew postmortem was conducted, I didn’t have suspicion about it

Caravan’s claim: Sister Biyani found the state of the body suspicious

Claim in letter: I have no suspicion about Judge Loya’s death

The Times Now’s anchor thus questioned whether the sister’s statements were misinterpreted to suit a narrative and was the Judge Loya case raised to coincide the Gujarat polls for trapping BJP leaders?

It remains to be seen if this expose by Times Now results in the investigating agency taking note, so that the matter is settled once and for all.

Man who burnt two buses to protest against Padmaavat, fails to correctly spell the movie’s name

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie Padmaavat is allegedly based on Alauddin Khilji’s conquest of the Chittor fort and Rani Padmavati’s subsequent self-immolation to protect herself from Khilji. Apart from being a fictional depiction of history, as claimed by Bhansali himself, it has also become a one stop outrage and rampage hub for a section of the Indian populace.

Ever since the movie Padmaavat (Padmavati, as it was earlier known) was announced, certain groups like Karni Sena have ganged up against the movie by alleging that it distorts Rajput history. This protest has incidentally been going for so long that, some might wonder whether the movie script, or the manual to distort history as Karni Sena might describe it, was even ready back then.

The protest has since its inception, transformed from vandalising movie sets to torching, stoning vehicles, and wrecking shops inside multiplexes.

With such spates of violence being reported from around the country, OpIndia decided to send a ground reporters to find out what exactly is going on, and why the protesters are so angry.

We quickly tracked down one group of protesters, who were running on the street with the essential toolkit to destroy public property. This toolkit generally comprises of bringing sticks, stones, petrol and most importantly, leaving one’s brain back home.

It was noted that the group was moving with vigour and frenzied purpose. We also noticed that one person in the group was so angry against Padmavaat, that he had single-handedly managed to set a couple of buses ablaze. It was also noticed that he was carrying a “Padmaavat Murzabad” poster where he had incidentally got the spelling of Padmaavat wrong.

When he finally decided to catch his breath, we approached him and questioned the motive behind his madness. Surprisingly he was ready to talk and claimed that he was angered when he was told that Bhansali was trying to distort his community’s legacy.

This seems to have provided him a fertile medium to channel his outrage, and he claimed that he was so consumed by the hatred for the movie that he replaced his Good Morning messages on WhatsApp with “Ashamed of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, death to his movie”.

We asked him to show the messages which he regularly sent to his friends and family. There too we noticed that he was spelling the name of the movie wrong and out of curiosity questioned him about the same.

He was very surprised and soon started contesting that the he is correct and it is us who are in the wrong. After he was provided sufficient proofs regarding the same, he blurted out that he might have made a mistake since he wasn’t too aware about the whole issue.

We then questioned him whether his anger peaked today after he watched the movie, rendering him filled with uncontrollable rage? To this he laughed at us and started giving us a lecture that money doesn’t grow on trees. It was later found out that he was planning on going to the movie in the second week, when the tickets would be cheaper.

There too he might be in for a rude shock after, as per exclusive information, one protester who was inside the theatre to break things at the end of the movie, fell asleep midway after finding the movie too boring.

Author’s note: The above piece is a work of satire, though the points made might ring true in a broader scheme of things 

Mohan Bhagwat hoists Flag on Republic Day at a school in Palakkad, despite circular from the Kerala government

0

After the Kerala government issued a circular which instructed only the head of government schools to hoist the flag on Republic Day. Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of RSS, despite the government circular, hoisted the Flag at the Karnakiamman Higher Secondary school.

The previous year, the district administration had restrained the chief of the RSS from hoisting the Flag. Many people had interpreted the circular as specifically directed towards restricting the RSS chief from unfurling the Flag. However, Bhagwat was undeterred as he went ahead and participated in the Republic Day celebrations at the school in Palakkad.


The Kerala government has been at loggerheads with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh with members of the Hindu organisation being murdered regularly by communists for political motivations. The government has come under heavy criticism for failing to maintain the law and order situation in the state. But the communist government chooses to shriek about fascism to deflect all attention from valid criticism of its failures.

With the deteriorating law and order in the state, massive radicalisation of its Muslim youth and Islamic outfits running an organized conversion racket, one would have assumed the Kerala government has enough in its hands already to focus on. However, the Pinarayi Vijayan led government seems to have decided that Mohan Bhagwat is more of a threat.

Siddharamiah’s govt asks for opinion of district police heads regarding withdrawal of cases lodged against minorities in communal incidents

0

According to a tweet by the official handle of BJP Karnataka, Siddharamiah has asked for the opinion of district police heads in the state regarding withdrawal of cases lodged against minorities in communal incidents.


The letter signed by AIGP (General) of Karnataka, addressed to 23 district police heads (including communally sensitive Mangaluru) asks for their clear opinion regarding withdrawal of cases lodged against minorities for the past five years. It also asks these district police heads to send in a copy of relevant documents along with their opinions to the office of AIGP ( Additional Inspector General of Police).

However the letter from AIGP does not contain any direct reference to PFI as claimed by BJP’s tweet. The Congress party and the Chief Minister have not responded to the tweet so far. The Siddharamiah government has been accused of dropping 175 cases against extremist Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) in 2015.

‘We had no idea about his caste till media told us’, people react to newspaper highlighting caste of Illiyaraja

0

The New India Express published a report titled : ‘Dalit Outreach through Illayaraja’s Padma’ .

Before this newspaper highlighted his caste identity, most of the people in India were not aware of his caste background. He is recognised as a music maestro alone. The Padma Vibhushan award given to him was a matter of joy to all his fans. Twitter users criticised the newspaper for bringing up caste of the music legend.


 


 


With this, we wonder when the media would stop injecting caste in every issue. Ilayaraja is known for his music. If the media can’t look beyond his caste, it is indeed a tragic indictment of debauchery that the profession of journalism has become.

Republic Day celebrations over the years : some memorable visuals

0

The Republic Day celebrations in India have been so much more than just commemorating the implementation of our constitution and our arrival as a democratic sovereign republic. The elaborate, vibrant festivities down Rajpath are a glimpse of our military power, culture, diversity and a salutation to our people.

Dr Rajendra Prasad, The First President of India presided over the Republic Day celebrations in 1950.

 

1953 saw the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh karyakartas marching down Rajpath on the Republic day. It is almost hilarious how the Congress party leaders don’t hesitate to brand them as terrorists nowadays.

 

Prominent monarchs and nation heads from across the world have traditionally been invited for the occasion. Here is a picture of Queen Elizabeth attending the 1961 event.

 

 

Image Credit: iStaunch 

Kiran Bedi, India’s First female IPS officer lead the police contingent in 1973. A proud moment for Indian Women.

Tourists from all over the world throng Delhi for witnessing the R-Day parade. One of the main attractions is the 61 Cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. It is the world’s only active cavalry regiment.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRaF_kilvCA]

Another principal attraction of the parade is the march of BSF’s camel regiment. The stunning sight of elegantly dressed camels mounted by BSF’s proud officials in big moustaches and turban is a favourite among the people.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVnSqpXBlwA]

In the 2016 R-Day celebrations, Indian Army’s dog squad made a spectacular march down Rajpath. The beautiful dogs are well trained for bomb disposal and counter-insurgency operations. The stunning visuals became popular worldwide soon.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=094IvyYj7p8]

In 2016, for the first time in the history of the R-Day parade, a contingent of the French Military marched. The then French President Mr Francois Hollande was the Chief Guest.

French soldiers march on Rajpath during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016.Photo By Pankaj Nangia

The next year, 2017 also saw a contingent from UAE taking part in the parade. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed was the chief guest for the celebrations.

This year, saw a Tableaux depicting the coronation of the legendary Hindu Kind Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and an unprecedented 10 ASEAN heads as the Chief Guests.

One article can’t capture the glorious history of Republic Day celebrations in our country. They have been and continue to be a proud representation of our heritage and emerging prominence as a global power.

The 69th Republic Day celebrations, a bearer of many firsts, call for an emotional celebration

As 26th January dawned upon us, the nation geared up for the 69th Republic Day celebrations. Even though this wasn’t the first Republic Day, it was a Republic Day of many firsts.

This Republic Day marked the first time when 10 heads of states belonging to the ASEAN countries were invited as Chief Guests. The normal practice till date being inviting one head of state. These chief guests included, Myanmar’s state councillor Aung San Suu Kyi, Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

When it came to the celebration itself, these were a few new additions like a first time tableaux for All India Radio (AIR), which also featured PM Modi’s popular Maan Ki Baat program:

What created the biggest flutter was Maharashtra’s choice of Tableaux, which was dedicated towards honouring legendary Hindu King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This Tableaux was themed around his coronation which took place at the Raigad fort in Maharashtra:

Not just this, what further garnished the Tableaux was the apt choice of “Jai Bhavani Jai Shivaji” reverberating around the Tableaux, which took one back, to one of the glorious periods of Hindu history.

Here’s a video of the Tableaux, as captured by @brakoo:


This predictably oozed emotions among many social media users:


What also set apart this Republic Day was the choice of recipients for the prestigious Padma awards, which were announced on Thursday. The winners included unsung heroes like:

  • Lentina Ao Thakkar, a Gandhian who has worked for the betterment of Naga hills since the 1950s.
  • Sulagatti Narsamma, a 97 year old lady who in the backward regions of Karnataka has performed over 15,000 traditional deliveries till date, all free of cost.
  • Sudhanshu Biswas, a 99 year old freedom fighter, who after ensuring independence for his country, kept working for its betterment by striving to provide Primary Education for children in rural India.
  • Professor Rajagopalan Vasudevan, who might have come up with one of the most important innovations in the 21st century, which is reusing our plastic waste to construct roads. These roads, may not only solve our recycling problems, they are also more durable and water resistant.

As mentioned at the start of the report, this Republic Day truly marked many firsts, which reaffirms the fact that there can be many positive accompaniments to an idea which holistically shall always remain constant.

No to Kaveri dispute, but yes to Mahadayi row. Here’s why Kannadigas feel Prakash Raj is an opportunistic hypocrite

0

Prakash Raj has been a vocal anti-BJP voice ever since his friend Gowri Lankesh had been murdered by unknown assailants. He has used every available opportunity to criticize the BJP and the Prime Minister. In his pursuit, he has not failed to lie repeatedly, in order to suit his agenda.

Now the south Indian actor is in the race for the hypocrite of the year award. He had refused to make any comment on the river dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka a year ago. Raj had said that he would only speak on cinema and not governance.

Raj says no comments on Kaveri dispute, walks out of interview

While being interviewed by a local channel named Janasri news on October 1 on his cinema ‘Idolle Ramayana‘, Prakash Raj had walked out because of a question on the Kaveri river water dispute. He had asked the media to be responsible while speaking on sensitive issues.

The anchor asked Prakash Raj : There is a Ramayana going in the state since one month. What do you think of the Kaveri issue. Is the SC right or wrong?

Prakash Raj replied : Actor, director, producer Prakash Raj is here to talk about films. Politics is a totally different issue. This issue is a very important, deep and sensitive topic. People are already angry. Water is not the only issue affecting farmers alone. Why do you want to drag me into controversy? You must relay this comment of mine to the people. Never come to me again.

The video of this episode is below :

On the Mahadayi dispute

However, in the case of Mahadayi river dispute he made a veiled attack on the BJP. This time he has nothing to lose and a lot to gain by presenting himself as a Kannadiga and an anti-BJP figure in the society.

Prakash Raj, in a short video posted on his Twitter profile requested all governments and parties to stop politicising the Mahadayi river dispute. He said that the Kannadigas have a right over river [Mahadayi] water flowing through Kalasa Banduri.


‘Party that is elected in a democracy should work for all people. Having a government in center and other states will not solve the issue. Making such a claim is a lie’ he claimed. This comment was solely directed at Amit Shah, state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa and Goa CM Manohar Parikkar who are working over a possible solution to the dispute.

“This problem is not un-solvable. Let us fight and get our rights [over the water]. I stand with the people on this issue,” Raj said. He asked the leaders of various parties not to politicize the river dispute. Further, he asked them to set aside their ideologies and not beg for votes using this issue.

Karanataka is #JustAsking Prakash Raj

The question that all Kannadigas are asking on social media is, where does Prakash Raj’s true loyalties lie? Does he change his stance based on the situation? Is he an opportunist and hypocrite? What is the source of his sudden love for Karnataka?


Is Raj’s change in policy on speaking on river disputes because he is a multi-lingual actor who has commercial stakes in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu? And is he playing up his ‘Kannada’ identity in the Mahadayi water dispute between Karnataka and Goa as he has no commercial stake in Goa’s cinema industry? #JustAsking..

Democratisation of Padma Awards : Modi is giving the country back to its common people

0

As a citizen of India, I was elated to see the list of Padma Awardees this year. Unlike the regular list, this one was not crowded with popular figures from Bollywood, FICCI, Lutyens or Indian cricket team. Apart from Illyaraja , MS Dhoni and Pankaj Advani, most of the awardees are less known people who have excelled in their own spheres. They are no where close to the power centers/lobbies/wheeler dealers of Delhi. Finally, I feel that the common man has been honored on the 69th Republic day.

The preamble of our constitution begins with ‘We the people’ and ends with ‘give to ourselves this constitution.’ It’s true that the constitution of India intends to empower, recognise and respect every citizen irrespective of his/her background. But that impression was dying slowly and steadily. An impression had been formed that one needs to be a part of this elite circle to deserve a Padma Award. That has been corrected to some extent by the current government led by Modi

Democratisation of Padma Awards

“Remember how Padma Awards were given earlier? We brought in a ‘small’ change – people can recommend names for awards, unlike the past,” the PM had said at the champions of change event organised by NITI Aayog on August 17 2017. The fruit of this qualitative change is visible in the list of Padma awards. 15,700 nominations were received for the awards this year. The number was 18,768 last year. The result of this de-lutyenisation of Padma awards is there for us to see in 2018. 

Some gems in this years list

A Gandhian from North East India, Lentina Ao Thakkar has been awarded Padma Shri this year. The awareness of freedom movement in this part of India is largely unknown to the people of India. Modi has recognised the contribution of North East freedom fighters like Rani Gadiniliu in the past. This is a welcome move.

The fact that medical services in rural India are poor is well known. In these regions, maternal and infant healthcare is essential to ensure safe deliveries. By honouring Sulagatti Narsamma, a 97 year old woman who helped expecting mothers deliver babies using her traditional knowledge, the government has recognized such unknown figures who are silently serving the people.

Primary education is of utmost importance as it shapes the future of the children of the country. By choosing Sudhanshu Biswas, who has worked selflessly for decades to provide Primary Education for children in rural parts of the country, Modi government has inspired more people to do the same in future.

Innovation is the key for future of India. Rajagopalan Vasudevan developed a method to make roads with plastic trash. He offered it for free to the government. Probably, he wouldn’t have dreamt of getting this award for his selfless deed. This recognition for a common professor brings a great deal of joy to common citizens of India.

The entire list of awardees this year is filled with remarkable people. By honoring common people of India , the country is reclaiming the space that was lost to a select elite of the country. And that is worth celebrating. Jai Hind!