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The Indian Express invokes 2023 UNESCO inscription to secularise Garba and vilify Hindu groups for Muslim ban: Here’s how the newspaper’s arguments are flawed

Shraddha Pandey
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The Indian Express invokes 2023 UNESCO inscription to secularise Garba and vilify Hindu groups for Muslim ban: Here’s how the newspaper’s arguments are flawed

Islamo-leftists have a penchant for vilifying and sermonising Hindus about their religious beliefs and festivals. Diwali is reserved for guilt-tripping Hindus for bursting firecrackers, Holi for an agenda on ‘consent’ and animal rights, and similar narratives accompany festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Karwa Chauth and so on. For Navratri, particularly Garba events, the Islamo-leftist coterie has assigned the imperative of inclusivity and secularism. In a latest bid of vilifying Hindus for celebrating their festivals the way they want and with whom they want, The Indian Express has lamented that Hindu groups are ‘pushing out’ Muslims even as Garba is recognised by UNESCO as an event that promotes unity in diversity. 

The Indian Express invokes the 2023 UNESCO inscription commending Garba as inclusive, to argue that ‘pushing out’ non-Hindus makes the festival exclusionary 

On 19th October, The Indian Express article headlined, “How saffron groups are ‘pushing out’ non-Hindus of Navratri events”, cherry-picks a few incidents of confrontations and announcements at Navratri Garba events in Gujarat to weave a narrative that there is a systematic “saffron” campaign of exclusion against Muslims that contradicts the UNESCO’s recognition of Garba as inclusive. 

“In 2023, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee, while awarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage tag to the garba had said: “…a means of collective celebration, garba promotes unity in diversity and fosters social equality by bringing together people of all genders, religions and socio-economic backgrounds. Every generation redefines garba through new performing styles, lyrics and dress while keeping the circle of feminine energy/Shakti intact,” the Indian Express article reads. 

“The inscription by UNESCO read, “…Garba fosters social equality by diluting socio-economic, gender and religious structures. It continues to be inclusive of diverse and marginalised communities, thus strengthening social bonds,” it adds. 

Citing the UNESCO inscription, The Indian Express contended, “And yet the religious divide continues to broaden with right-wing Hindu groups, particularly the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, giving memorandums to police asking to keep “non-Hindus” out of Navratri celebrations.” 

Amusingly, UNESCO inscription text, The Indian Express cited, itself defeats the newspaper’s argument that Garba is becoming non-inclusive and broadens the religious divide. 

The UNESCO inscription essentially hailed Garba as a devotional dance performed by the devotees of Shakti, the divine feminine energy, by installing the image of Maa Amba. 

While the UN body said that Garba dilutes socio-economic, gender and religious structures, and is inclusive of diverse and marginalised communities, it nowhere indicated that Garba’s inclusive character encompasses ‘welcoming’ non-Hindus, particularly Muslims. 

In fact, even if the UNESCO inscription’s aspirational ‘unity in diversity’ framing is interpreted as inclusion of even non-Hindus into Garba celebrations, Hindus are not dependent on a UN body to decide how and with whom Hindus should or should not celebrate their festivals. 

Garba is strictly a religious dance, a form of worship of Maa Durga; it is not a cultural or faith-neutral public disco non-Hindus can partake in. 

When common Hindus or ‘saffron groups’, be it the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or the Bajrang Dal, issue guidelines for participants to apply Tilak, perform aarti, and restrict non-Hindus from entering Garba pandals, they are essentially exercising ordinary religious and associational rights.  

Although the commercialisation of Garba events warrants a serious debate, as it is to a great extent diluting the spiritual purpose of this form of worship, it does not mean that Hindus are obliged to admit people who do not believe in the Hindu Goddess and consider it a Shirk or Haram to associate partners with the Islamic god, Allah, just because a bunch of low-on-self-respect liberals are too keen to reduce Hindu festivals to cultural-regional celebrations that transcend religious boundaries. 

In fact, several incidents cited in The Indian Express article itself involve identity mismatches or Hindu-sounding aliases: Razzak Pathan identified on an event card as Aayush Patel. 

While The Indian Express highlighted a few incidents of Hindu groups preventing the entry of Muslim men to Garba Pandals, the newspaper made no mention of the numerous cases of Muslims creating a ruckus, desecrating the Pandals, secretly recording Hindu women dancing, and furthering their rape jihad agenda. 

Hindu festivals, including Durga Puja and Garba, are inclusive; they bring people, specifically devotees of Maa Durga, together regardless of caste, skin colour, gender, social status or political ideologies. However, this inclusivity is not by default extended to Muslims or Christians or any community or individuals who are not adherents of Hinduism or devotees of Maa Durga. 

There are a few questions from The Indian Express and anyone of the view that a Muslim ban from Garba events undermines inclusivity: 

  • Why is it that those who cannot even stand a Hindu, the Kafir of the highest order, even uttering the facts mentioned in Islamic texts, want to participate in festivals of Hindus? 
  • Why do those who kill a Hindu youth over a drop of colour splashing on them during Holi want to participate in a dance performed in honour of Maa Durga? 
  • Why do those who don’t want to say Bharat Mata ki Jai and sing Vande Mataram because it glorifies Maa Durga want to do devotional dance for the Hindu Goddess? 
  • Why is it that only Muslim men want to participate in Garba celebrations and not Muslim women? Does Islam restrict only Muslim women from partaking in festivities of non-Muslims? Muslim women should stay in Burqa or hijab, but Muslim men can dance in honour of Maa Durga? 
  • Why is it that Muslim men who are eager to participate in Garba functions get infuriated and resort to hurling abuses against Muslim women who want to participate in Garba? 
  • Why are Hindu festivals burdened with the idea of accommodating and promoting ‘inclusivity’? 
  • Why is it that Muslims, who believe in the idea of Islamic exclusivity and supremacy, particularly in Islamic countries, conveniently invoke democracy and secularism in Hindu-majority India to secure broader societal access? 

Just recently, a Muslim woman, who claims to be a Bombay High Court lawyer, said online that her heart bleeds that Garba events are being allowed to be organised in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, saying that the ‘sacred land of Islam ‘should not permit such “haram activities”. 

The performance of Garba is essentially a religious affair that does promote inclusivity within the Hindu fold. It is not an irreligious cultural event like a Halloween party.  

Garba is strictly a Dharmic dance performed by the devotees of Maa Durga during Navratri in her honour for liberating the world from the terror of demons and in celebration of the victory of Dharma over Adharma. It is a celebration of the feminine form of the divine. Garba is not a government scheme that every ‘minority’ citizen has a right to. 

Even for availing Sarkari scheme benefits, there are certain criteria. If any non-Hindu, particularly Muslims whose faith clearly directs them not to associate partners with their God, Allah, or partake in the celebration of the festivals of polytheists like Hindus, want to join Garba celebrations, they should revert to Sanatan Dharma, invoke devotion for Maa Durga and maybe then they can be allowed to participate in Garba events. 

Restricting Muslims or anyone from entering Durga Puja pandals who does not have genuine devotion for Maa Durga is not discriminatory but simply the preservation of the sanctity of Garba. 

In fact, if Muslims or non-Hindus are so secular and are interested in performing Garba, why don’t they organise Durga Puja in mosques?  

Wouldn’t it be, perhaps, the greatest display of secularism, inclusivity, unity in diversity and the liberal-coveted pre-2014 ‘idea of India’? 

However, The Indian Express will not indulge in any such advocacy. This is apparently because a significant section of Hindus, intellectuals and the mainstream media ecosystem have been conditioned into believing that since Hindus form India’s religious majority, and their polytheistic faith is inherently tolerant and accommodative, they must bear the burden of upholding the mythical syncretic culture, ‘Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb’, inclusivity, idea of India and whatnot, while other communities are largely exempt from shouldering this burden. 

Delusional leftists, especially those in media, have been playing a key role in secularising, rather, de-Hinduising Hindu festivals. 

Onam, the Hindu festival rooted in the Hindu scriptural legend of the greatness of King Mahabali (also known as Raja Bali) and how Lord Vishnu, in his Vamana avatar, gave him a boon that he could come back to meet his subjects once a year, has been reduced to a mere harvest festival. 

In Tamil Nadu, Hindu-hating Dravidianists have been executing a similar playbook to secularise Pongal or Makar Sankranti and dissociate it from its Hindu religious roots. Just as Onam is being labelled a ‘cultural’ festival in Kerala, Pongal is being promoted as a ‘Tamil’ festival of agrarian gratitude in Tamil Nadu. 

This de-hyphenation of religion from Hindu festivals has also been noticed in movies and commercial ad films over the years, with Diwali becoming ‘festival of lights’, Holi becoming ‘festival of colours’ and Garba being reduced to a folk dance. 

It is interesting that the same people who argue that Hindu processions should not stop outside mosques, pass from ‘Muslim areas’ or play loud religious music there to preserve ‘communal harmony’, want Hindus to lay a red carpet for Muslims to enter Garba events even though their religion prohibits them from partaking in the festivities of non-Muslims, and perhaps molest Hindu women or unleash violence. 

The Indian Express invited “journalists” to demonise VHP over its call to bar Muslims from Garba events 

It, however, is unsurprising that The Indian Express is vilifying Hindus for pushing back against de-Hinduisation of Garba. 

 Days after the VHP gave calls for barring Muslims from Garba events in late September 2026, The Indian Express hosted an interview with “author” and “journalist” Girish Kuber, conducted by another “journalist” Shubhangi Khapre, where the two repeatedly railed against the issue, even referring to the VHP as “Hindu Taliban” and describing its appeal as a “fatwa.” 

They even claimed that Garba is a commercial event, and Hindus should allow Muslims to celebrate Navratri in their homes. 

Liberals advocate unrestricted access for Muslims to Garba,  

While The Indian Express chose to selectively highlight the Hindu reactionary measures and totally skipped any mention of the root cause, the Muslim crimes, OpIndia has extensively been documenting how Garba events have also faced desecration and violence; this sacred celebration has been targeted for love and rape jihad by Islamists. 

On 17th October 2026, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) woman municipal councillor and her family were harassed and threatened twice while travelling to a Raas Garba event in Ahmedabad by Muslim men. 

In September 2025, during Navratri, Muslim boys were caught filming female participants of a Garba celebration at a college in Mumbai’s Virar West. On checking one of the boys’ phones, the organisers reportedly found multiple videos of girls, alongside obscene chats and conversations that outlined plans to lure Hindu girls into relationships and “ruin” them. 

Some of the leaked messages contained disturbing instructions, with one explicitly urging that not a single Hindu girl be “left untouched” after entering the Garba grounds. In the same college, obscene comments were also made by posting videos of students on the Discord App during the Dandiya program. 

In a garba programme in Benisar Bari area in 2025, Muslim youths forcibly entered the pandal and molested the women. The Muslim men forcibly danced with women. When other participants resisted, stone pelting began. At least 5 people were injured, and police vehicles were damaged. Police later arrested 12 people in connection with the incident. 

Last year, two Muslim youths, Suhail Siddiqui and Saif, were caught infiltrating during the Navaratri event in Kanpur. They made obscene comments about the Hindu girls. After a complaint from a female police officer present at the venue, both were arrested. 

A Maa Durga idol was damaged on 21st September 2025 in Mumbai’s Mankhurd area. The incident happened near a mosque where Muslims objected to the sound of drums being played during the welcome procession of the idol. 

Last year, one Mohsin Khan threw eggs from the 16th floor of the building during a garba event at the JP North Gardgarn City Society on Mira Road East in Mumbai.  

In October 2024, it was reported that in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur, Muslim youths molested a woman returning from the Garba event. 

In another incident during 2024 Navratri, a Muslim youth named Feroz attended a garba event using a fake Hindu identity in Ujjain. Feroz posed as Rahul and entered the Garba Pandal with condoms. Yes, you read it right: he was carrying condoms at the Hindu religious event and was caught by the activists of Hindu Jagran Manch. 

In the Guna district, it was reported that five Muslim boys entered the Garba Pandal under suspicious circumstances, as told by the police and were detained in 2024. 

In October 2023, it was reported that one Fareed Shah attempted to enter the Garba Pandal in Hyderabad’s Begumpet Hockey Stadium by posing as a Hindu person named Ashish to lure a Hindu girl. He was stopped by Bajrang Dal activists.   

In October 2022, it was reported that 8 Muslim men were detained by the police in Indore for trying to enter garba venues by concealing their identities. In another incident from the same year, it was reported that a Muslim person was arrested for passing lewd remarks about Hindu women at a Garba Pandal in Palsikar colony. 

On 1st October 2022, a Hindu youth named Madhusudan Modi was attacked with a knife by three Islamists named Shahrukh, Zubair, and Samir at a dandiya event held in Bikaner in Rajasthan. These Muslim youths were molesting girls who had come to play Garba. 

On 1st October 2022, six Hindu students were attacked by four accused, identified as Rathod Amin Gulab Nabi, Nizami Moin Nurmahammad, Ganchi Amanbhai Firozbhai, and Chauhan Mahamadnuman Mahamadhanif, for objecting to Islamic songs being played during a Garba event at BK Patel Arts & Commerce College of Savli in Vadodara. The four accused attacked the Hindu students with iron belts and stones. 

On September 30 2022, some Muslim youths forcefully entered the Garba venue in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The Muslim youths, however, fled as soon as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists arrived. 

In the same year, seven Muslim youths were arrested by the police from the Garba pandal of Pandharinath in Indore. They were reportedly making videos of Hindu girls. 

In 2023, OpIndia reported that in Gujarat’s Bharuch, Muslims of the Ikhar village had threatened the Hindu tribal community not to organise Navratri and said they would pelt stones if the event was held, declaring that it was a ‘Muslim area’. 

Bottom line

Hindus preserving the ritual integrity and sanctity of their festivals dedicated to their Goddess, checking for identity fraud in such large gatherings, and urging organisers to set criteria are not attacks on secularism, pluralism or religious tolerance. Rather, these are precautionary measures in the wake of a reported pattern of entry by mostly Muslim men under false pretences. A UNESCO recognition of a living Hindu tradition does not obligate its practitioners to secularise or open it on terms set by the left liberals who take delight in otherwise mocking Hindu festivals and traditions.

Instead of peddling the ‘exclusion’ narrative, The Indian Express and the overenthusiastic leftist lot will do better if they understand that true unity in diversity is not when Hindus relinquish their sacred boundaries; instead, it is when these boundaries are respected by each community.

French cities burn, but BBC calls protests ‘Mostly Peaceful’: How Western media applies double standards to France and India

Shriti Sagar
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French cities burn, but BBC calls protests ‘Mostly Peaceful’: How Western media applies double standards to France and India

Violent protests that were initially portrayed as student demonstrations in France have escalated into widespread unrest, with shops looted, public buildings attacked and a historic town hall set ablaze. On Saturday, 17th October, clashes broke out across Paris and several other major French cities as masked rioters set fires, damaged public property and confronted riot police. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.

However, despite the damage, violence and chaos visible in these scenes, the Foreign media continued to describe the protesters as “mostly peaceful” or “mainly peaceful”.  Instead of holding the perpetrators accountable or accurately capturing the sheer destruction on the streets, prominent international outlets have systematically softened their coverage, reframing rampant rioting as civic activism.

The coverage of the French unrest, when compared with the reporting of CJP demonstrations in India, offers a striking example of how the framing of protests can change depending on the country involved and shows clear hypocrisy and double standards.

The BBC’s sanitisation of French unrest

The BBC published a report on Monday, 19th October, in which they wrote, “On Saturday over half a million ‘mainly peaceful protesters’ demonstrated against rising living costs and dwindling access to decent public services, including a good state education.” 

The BBC report further went on to describe the anarchists damaging the country and looting the stores as “masked activists”. According to the BBC, the rioters were students who were peacefully protesting for good state education and by looting the stores and erasing the nation’s history, their education will be improved.

BBC also described police security action as hitting people and wrote, “Riot police fired tear gas and turned water cannon on crowds. They were seen hitting people with batons in several places,” and turned a blind eye when videos clearly showed rioters hitting the police van and throwing stones at them. 

In another report published on the same day, whitewashing the French protests, BBC described protests across France as mostly peaceful, even as footage in its report showed a car burning, masked rioters clashing with police and businesses being looted. Further said, “Half a million people had filled cities across France to protest over the country’s future.” 

The report further said that people seeking to exploit the disorder were present alongside the ‘largely peaceful demonstrators’. The BBC report’s wording shows clear hypocrisy because it paired the description “mostly peaceful” with itself adding the images of burning vehicles and clashes.

Double standards: BBC’s framing of violent demonstrations in India

When covering India’s so-called students’ protest by CJP, the BBC shows its clear bias towards a Western country like France. Recently, the BBC published a report on far-left anarchist and National President of the All India Students Association (AISA), Neha Bora, calling her a ‘fiesty Gen-Z protester’.

Neha Bora is known for stoking unrest and self-proclaimed status as a student activist, and she recently made a controversial remark, publicly citing the August 2024 “Gen-Z movement” in Bangladesh as an inspiration for Indian demonstrations. 

Bora expressed a desire to replicate similar events in India after receiving support from anti-India Bangladeshi figures like Nahid Islam. Further highlighting her apparent admiration for such destructive turmoil, she was recently seen wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with the Jolly Roger symbol of the Straw Hat Pirates from the popular “One Piece” manga, which has been prominently linked to deadly uprisings across Asia and the world, including Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The BBC later published an article on protests in France with the title, “Are student protests being manipulated ahead of France’s Presidential Election?” The hypocrisy and the double standards are clearly visible in the wording of the title. For anti-India BBC, an anarchist like Neha Bora is a ‘fiesty Gen-Z protester’ who is taking on Modi and in France the protest is manipulated, and the rioters are peaceful. 

BBC went on to connect the French unrest with the upcoming Presidential Election. Basically, the rioters damaging India are hailed as heroes by Western media like the BBC, but when French protesters hit the streets, they become ‘manipulated’ ahead of elections.

France 24 covers Indian demonstrations as France faces unrest

France 24, a French state-owned international news broadcaster, has also drawn attention for its coverage of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demonstrations in India. While France was dealing with widespread unrest at home, the broadcaster was reporting on the Indian movement and presenting it through the lens of youth activism and Gen-Z dissent.

France 24 described CJP’s planned unrest in the National Capital as a rally called by an online movement. The Western media outlet further went on to describe the CJP rioters as young protesters and wrote, “But hundreds of young protesters defied the crackdown to march close to Connaught Place’s Central Park, many of them waving flags in a show of defiance.” 

And, as with the BBC, France 24 also described anarchist Neha Bora as a student activist, and Abhijit Dipke was hailed as a hero who created unrest in the national capital during the July protests when thousands of naive students trusted him as a founder of a supposedly “neutral” banner. But it was just a political prop, leaving behind a trail of broken promises, hijacked protests, and exposed falsehoods. Dipke came as a so-called well-wisher for the NEET candidates and created immense public disruption across India. 

France 24 also celebrated the resignation of Union Home Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and wrote, “Protests organised by the CJP in July over exam irregularities forced the resignation of the education minister, marking a rare climbdown by Modi’s administration.”

The anti-India France 24 started covering French protests when it was all over social media and known by the world, but in the earlier stage it was not covering the protests and also still calling them a students’ protest after the country was almost destroyed.

The network’s behaviour reveals a deep-seated editorial double standard. While domestic destruction in France is downplayed, delayed, or rationalised under the guise of noble student demands, protests in sovereign developing nations like India are eagerly magnified and romanticised. By ignoring real violence at home while glorifying political disruptors abroad, France 24 displays pure hypocrisy, using external reporting to lecture other democracies while minimising the breakdown of order on its own soil.

The New York Times and the pattern of bias

The New York Times (NYT), another prominent anti-India outlet. While covering the current French protests, NYT wrote, “Unrest Mars Day of Protest in France, as Student Movement Turns National”. For the NYT, the whole country is destroyed, and visuals all over social media of burning buildings are from students’ protests, and they are protesting for the improvement of the education system.

NYT also describe the violent riots in France as peaceful marches, and wrote, “Riots broke out in several French cities alongside peaceful marches of tens of thousands of people demonstrating against rising living costs and poor school conditions.” Further added, “Many rallies stayed peaceful as weeks of student-led protests evolved into a national display of discontent.” 

For an anti-India media outlet, NYT burning the cities, looting, and damaging property is peaceful protest, and when the Indian government took security measures to thwart all this, they described it as ‘Rough treatment by the Police’. NYT also described CJP’s planned unrest as Gen Z protests just to show it as similar to regime change operations in Nepal and Bangladesh, for which anarchist Neha Bora was wishing. 

NYT also went on to indirectly describe Dipke as a peaceful and non-violent leader and wrote, “Mr Dipke was seen wearing the same T-shirt he had on Saturday, with an image of Mohandas K. Gandhi, India’s leader of nonviolent protest.”

Outlets like the BBC and France 24 remain heavily invested in pushing anti-India rhetoric and glorifying political agitation abroad, while willfully ignoring critical domestic issues back home, ranging from major civil unrest in French cities to scandals like the Pakistani grooming gangs in the UK. 

How gold is tied to the US dollar, oil and global finances

श्रवण शुक्ल
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How gold is tied to the US dollar, oil and global finances

Gold has occupied a unique place in human history for thousands of years as a symbol of wealth, security and financial stability. In modern times, its price is determined by forces extending far beyond jewellery demand or mining production. The movements of the US dollar, crude oil prices, interest rates, wars and central-bank policies form an interconnected and dynamic financial system that influences the value of gold worldwide. 

Interestingly, the price of gold depends very little on who is mining how much and in which country the mines are located. Instead, the price is dictated by macro liquidity, capital flows, and sovereign risk management at a global scale.

Understanding these relationships is particularly important for India, where gold is simultaneously a household asset, a major import, and an increasingly significant component of national foreign-exchange reserves.

The scale of gold’s appreciation over three decades is striking. In 1996, gold averaged approximately $388 per ounce, compared with around $4,150 in early October 2026, an increase of nearly eleven times. In Indian currency, prices rose from approximately ₹5,071 per 10 grams in 1996–97 to ₹1,49,570 in October 2026, nearly thirty times higher. The larger rupee-denominated increase reflects not only gold’s international appreciation but also the depreciation of the Indian currency against the dollar. These figures explain why gold has remained an important store of household wealth despite substantial short-term fluctuations.

However, gold’s long-term rise has never been uninterrupted. Prices declined during the technology boom of the late 1990s, surged after the 9/11 attacks and the Iraq War, and rose dramatically following the 2008 financial crisis. Gold crossed $2,000 during the Covid-19 pandemic and recorded a remarkable 64% increase in 2025. Each episode demonstrates how investors respond to changing global economic conditions, financial uncertainty and monetary policy.

The relationship between gold and the US dollar is crucial. Because international gold prices are quoted in dollars, a weaker dollar generally makes gold cheaper for buyers using other currencies, supporting demand. Conversely, a stronger dollar does the opposite. Interest rates add another dimension. Unlike government bonds, gold generates no interest or dividends. When interest rates rise, investors can earn higher returns from interest-bearing assets, making gold relatively less attractive.

But these relationships are not absolute. The events of 2026 provide a curious exception to usually observed patterns. Gold reached approximately $5,600 per ounce in January, driven by geopolitical uncertainty and expectations of monetary easing. When the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February, conventional expectations suggested that gold would climb further. Instead, it declined sharply, losing approximately 27% from its peak by the subsequent correction.

The reason behind the fall was the third pillar of the dynamic trio: crude oil. The conflict disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime passage handling approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Brent crude surged from around $72 to $120 per barrel, raising fears of worldwide inflation. Higher oil prices increase transportation, fertiliser, manufacturing and electricity costs. Central banks respond to persistent inflation by maintaining or increasing interest rates, strengthening interest-bearing assets and potentially the dollar. Consequently, the same war that creates demand for gold as a safe haven can also generate economic conditions that push its price down.

The growing importance of gold also extends beyond just private investors. Following the freezing of approximately $300 billion in Russian foreign-exchange reserves in 2022, central banks accelerated efforts to diversify their holdings. They went on a gold-buying spree. Global central-bank purchases exceeded 1,000 tonnes annually between 2022 and 2024. By the end of 2025, gold represented approximately 27% of central-bank reserves, compared with 20% a year earlier. India’s Reserve Bank increased its holdings from about 795 tonnes in September 2025 to 881 tonnes by March 2026. These figures reflect a growing preference for assets that are not dependent on another government’s financial system. 

Holding the world’s largest private stock of above-ground gold, Indian households treat the metal as core multi-generational wealth rather than mere jewellery. When escalating import bills and depreciating exchange rates compel governments to raise tariffs to curb outward trade deficits, domestic consumer behaviour adapts. Instead of liquidating family holdings, Indian households transition toward lighter ornaments, exchange old metal, or utilise formal gold-backed loans to access liquidity while keeping the physical asset intact.

India’s gold imports reached approximately $71.98 billion in FY2025–26, adding pressure to the trade balance alongside expensive crude oil. Higher import duties and a weakening rupee further complicate domestic pricing. Meanwhile, gold exchange-traded funds are attracting growing investment, although physical gold remains dominant.

The larger lesson is that gold is neither a guaranteed protection against every crisis nor an asset that rises continuously. Its price reflects competing forces: geopolitical fear, oil-driven inflation, interest rates, currency movements and central-bank diversification. Gold’s enduring importance lies less in predictable returns than in its ability to preserve wealth and diversify financial risk over long periods. Understanding gold investment requires following not just bullion markets, but the wider global economy.

Read the complete article here in Chapter One Magazine.

India, the petrol pump of the world

Dhruv Mishra
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India, the petrol pump of the world

India imports nearly 90% of the crude oil it consumes, yet it is the world’s second-largest exporter of refined petroleum products. India’s strength lies in developing an industrial capacity to transform crude oil from different sources into the petrol, diesel and aviation fuel the world needs. As wars, sanctions and disrupted shipping routes reshape international oil markets, India’s refining capability has become a significant economic and geopolitical advantage.

India’s refining capacity stands at approximately 258.1 million tonnes annually, making it the world’s fourth-largest refining nation in terms of capacity. In FY2025–26, domestic petroleum consumption reached around 243 million tonnes, while exports totalled 61.5 million tonnes. These figures establish an important distinction: India’s refining industry serves domestic energy requirements while simultaneously operating as a major export-oriented manufacturing sector. Petroleum product exports earned approximately $53.8 billion in FY2025–26, making refining a substantial contributor to foreign exchange earnings.

At the centre of this refining power is Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar complex in Gujarat, the world’s largest single-site refinery, processing approximately 1.36 million barrels daily. Reliance accounts for more than 70% of India’s refined fuel exports. However, Jamnagar’s greatest advantage is not merely its size but its technological sophistication.

Crude oil varies considerably in density and sulphur content. Light, low-sulphur crude is relatively easy to process and generally commands higher prices. Heavy, sulphur-rich crude is cheaper but requires advanced refining technology. Indian refineries, particularly Jamnagar, possess sophisticated conversion units capable of processing varied types of crudes from Russia, the Persian Gulf and Venezuela into valuable fuels meeting international standards.

This flexibility allows Indian refiners to purchase crude oil at discounted prices from whoever and wherever, maximise the production of diesel and petrol, and benefit from the difference between crude acquisition costs and refined-product prices. Deep-water ports, storage infrastructure and blending facilities further enable rapid changes in suppliers when geopolitical circumstances shift.

The strategic value of these investments became evident after the Russia-Ukraine war started in 2022. Western restrictions redirected Russian crude away from traditional European customers. India increased its purchases substantially, with Russia’s share of Indian crude imports rising from approximately 2% before the war to 35.8% in FY2024–25. Indian refineries processed these barrels, while alternative crude supplies and finished fuels were redirected through global markets, helping maintain overall availability.

It is not just a robust refining industry that makes this possible. India’s government has consistently stood firm on its priorities to purchase crude oil irrespective of Western pressure, keeping the needs of a 1.4 billion population ahead of geopolitical drama. Washington initially supported continued Russian oil purchases within the G7 price-cap framework to prevent global price spikes. In 2025, the Trump administration imposed punitive tariffs on India, citing Russian oil imports. The European Union subsequently restricted imports of refined products manufactured from Russian crude, requiring Indian exporters to segregate supply chains. Reliance adapted by switching its export-oriented Jamnagar refinery to non-Russian feedstock.

The 2026 Gulf conflict introduced another major disruption. Restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz threatened a route carrying approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies. India, itself heavily dependent on Gulf energy, responded by diversifying imports towards Russia, Venezuela and other suppliers outside the affected route.

Meanwhile, disruptions to Russian refining, Chinese export restrictions and constrained Gulf shipments increased international demand for Indian diesel. In September 2026, India’s diesel exports reached approximately 620,000 barrels daily, including around 280,000 barrels destined for Europe. These numbers demonstrate how India’s refining infrastructure has become particularly valuable when established suppliers cannot deliver.

Yet this success carries significant costs. Higher international crude prices increase India’s import bill, inflationary pressures and currency vulnerability. Government interventions, including fuel-tax reductions and export levies, must balance profitable overseas sales against affordable domestic supplies. Complex refineries also require substantial energy and generate environmental costs.

India’s future position will depend on the duration of geopolitical disruptions, Western sanctions policies and its ability to maintain diversified crude supplies. Peace could reduce extraordinary refining margins, while prolonged instability could increase demand for Indian exports but impose greater costs on the domestic economy.

India’s defining advantage is flexibility. Oil-producing nations remain tied to their reserves, while India’s sophisticated refineries can switch suppliers, process varied crude grades and serve multiple markets. That capability has transformed India from a major petroleum importer into a critical intermediary in global energy security.

Read the complete article here on Chapter One Magazine.

Symbiosis professor Ahmar Afaq under scrutiny over sending lewd messages to over a dozen Hindu female students, urging them to read the Quran and convert to Islam: Details

Shraddha Pandey
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Symbiosis professor Ahmar Afaq under scrutiny over sending lewd messages to over a dozen Hindu female students, urging them to read the Quran and convert to Islam: Details

A major controversy has erupted at the Symbiosis Law School in Nagpur, as several Hindu female students have accused Assistant Professor Dr Ahmar Afaq of sending sexually explicit messages to them, urging them to offer Namaz and convert to Islam. 

What are the allegations against Symbiosis Law School Assistant Professor Ahmar Afaq?

Reports say that the matter came to light after a Hindu female student showed the purported sexually explicit messages allegedly sent by Professor Ahmar Afaq to her father. The student’s father approached the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which then raised the matter with the college administration and met the Nagpur Police Commissioner. 

According to reports, Professor Ahmar Afaq used to send messages to female Hindu students crossing ethical bounds, mixing sexual advances with direct urging and pressure to adopt Islamic practices like offering Namaz, reading the Quran and converting to Islam. 

Symbiosis administration forms committee for probe; accused Ahmar Afaq sent on leave 

A complaint has been lodged by the victim, and the Symbiosis Law School administration has taken its cognisance. 

A high-level committee has been formed to probe the matter and recommend action. Until the investigation is complete, Ahmar Afaq has been sent on leave and will not be allowed to attend the campus.  

Symbiosis Law School Nagpur Director Dr Sukhvinder Singh Dari confirmed that the professor under scrutiny has been directed not to visit the campus or participate in academic activities pending the outcome of the inquiry. 

The varsity administration has also said that the probe will also extend to similar allegations against Ahmar Afaq at a university in Hyderabad where he was previously employed. 

As per Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5) Nityanand Jha, 15-17 people from various organisations gathered at the Symbiosis Law School’s Nagpur campus at about 11.30 am on Saturday (17th October). The local police facilitated talks between the protesters and the administration, following which the professor was placed on leave. 

Tensions, however, escalated at around 6:45 pm on Saturday, when approximately 15 to 20 people, along with the complainant student and her father, arrived at the university. 

Some local media reports say that after the complainant’s father confronted Professor Ahmar Afaq, the latter turned violent and attacked him. Refusing to be intimidated, the complainant’s father also reportedly slapped Afaq. 

Meanwhile, the varsity’s internal inquiry committee convened an open-house session, with over 100 to 120 students appearing. After police intervention, a delegation of six to seven people met with the Symbiosis Law School administration. 

As of Sunday (18th October), a formal complaint is reported to have not been filed with the police.  

Amid the outrage, several social media users have brought up Ahmar Afaq’s old Facebook picture of him posing with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Many are raising questions about alleged political patronage. 

Nagpur Symbiosis Law School students, alumni, and parents launch online petition demanding fair inquiry 

While the Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur, administration has initiated a probe into the complaints against Assistant Professor Ahmar Afaq, students, alumni, and parents linked have submitted a formal representation to the college administration.  

An online petition titled Upholding Symbiosis Values: Zero Tolerance for Misconduct has been launched, which delves into the allegations against Ahmar Afaq and raises several demands to ensure the safety of students. 

“We, the students, alumni, parents, and concerned members of the academic community associated with Symbiosis Law School (SLS), Nagpur, respectfully submit this representation to express our serious concern regarding certain recent developments on campus, the concerns raised by members of the student community, and the perceived lack of timely and transparent communication from the institutional administration,” the representation reads. 

The representation raises concern about alleged sexually explicit and religiously sensitive communications by the faculty member in question. 

“Concerns have been raised regarding communications allegedly exchanged between Assistant Professor Ahmar Afaq and a female student, which have reportedly been perceived as inappropriate and religiously sensitive, purportedly indicating towards Conversion Grooming gangs and radical activities. 
It is further understood that these communications subsequently became the subject of a confrontation on campus involving members of the student’s family and the faculty member, followed by a formal complaint,” it states. 

The signatories have demanded answers from the college administration about the action taken so far, to ensure the safety of the concerned student and preserve relevant evidence. 

“Given that some of the concerns relate to electronic communications and events occurring on campus, we respectfully request that all potentially relevant records be preserved in accordance with applicable law and University policy. This may include, where legally permissible and relevant: Electronic communications and associated records; Records relating to Student Council and institutional appointments; Relevant administrative correspondence; Campus CCTV footage and other available security records; and any other material that may reasonably assist an impartial inquiry,” the representation adds. 

Besides pressing for institutional accountability and the need for a free and fair inquiry, the Symbiosis Law School students, alumni, and related parents have also raised serious concerns about the recruitment, appointment, background verification, and institutional role of one professor, Saqib Rasool Bhat. 

The representation states that Bhat, who served “as a faculty member in International Law and was understood to have been serving during a probationary period”, has a “close professional association with Assistant Professor Ahmar Afaq.” 

The signatories of the representation have raised concerns not only about Bhat’s closeness with Ahmar Afaq but also the former’s ideological-political activism. It also highlights certain anti-India communications of Saqib Rasool Bhat. 

 “It has also been represented to us that Mr. Bhat had a close professional association with Assistant Professor Ahmar Afaq. In view of the concerns separately raised regarding the conduct and institutional influence of Mr. Afaq, the nature and extent of such professional associations may reasonably warrant examination as part of a broader and impartial institutional review,” the representation states. 

“Concerns have further been raised regarding Mr. Bhat’s previous academic and public activities, including allegations of involvement in forms of ideological or political activism that some members of the academic community consider inconsistent with the University’s expectations of neutrality, inclusivity, and a responsible academic environment. There are also concerns that views or communications perceived by students as being hostile towards India or inconsistent with the University’s institutional ethos may have been expressed or promoted within the academic environment,” it adds. 

Controversies linked to Symbiosis Law School in Nagpur 

The Symbiosis Law School in Nagpur is reported to have courted several controversies in recent years.  

In May 2025, a final-year student, Isha Kumari, at Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur, was suspended by the varsity administration after being found in a hotel room with Rejaz M. Sydeek, a Maoist sympathiser and independent journalist from Kerala, who was arrested by authorities and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over his post against Operation Sindoor on Instagram. Sydeek had condemned Operation Sindoor carried out by the Indian Armed Forces against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir.  He had also criticised the crackdown against Naxalites. 

Bombay HC lawyer Rukhsana Sayed, aka Advocate Ms Alvi, says her heart bleeds over Garba event in Saudi Arabia, invokes ‘democracy’ on question of banning Muslims from Kashi, Mathura: Dissecting the Muslim hypocrisy

Shraddha Pandey
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Bombay HC lawyer Rukhsana Sayed, aka Advocate Ms Alvi, says her heart bleeds over Garba event in Saudi Arabia, invokes ‘democracy’ on question of banning Muslims from Kashi, Mathura: Dissecting the Muslim hypocrisy

Rukhsana Sayed, who claims to be an advocate at the Bombay High Court and runs an X account with the name ‘Advocate Ms Alvi’, published a post on 17th October, lamenting the organisation of a Garba event in Saudi Arabia. Advocate Ms Alvi said that her heart bleeds seeing a reel of a Hindu family going to a ‘Haram’ Garba event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the ‘sacred land’ where the Islamic prophet Muhammad was born and the Quran, Muslims believe, was revealed. 

“My heart bleeds when I saw this reel. A sacred land of a Muslim where Islam came, where Prophet Muhammad PBUH was born and brought up, and where the Qur’an came. That same place they started all such haram activities,” Alvi wrote. 

In an apparent attempt to solicit a response and action against Garba events in Saudi Arabia, Advocate Ms Alvi tagged the Saudi Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, and the anti-India outfit Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). 

Amusingly, when social media users, Hindus specifically, called out her bigotry, intolerance, and borderline dogwhistle against the Hindu family seen in the posted video, Advocate Ms Alvi doubled down on her Islamist fanaticism. She also used derogatory language for Hindus.  

While it is known that the entry of non-Muslims into the entire city of Mecca is banned, the Garba function the Hindu family was reportedly going to attend was to be held in Jeddah, which is far away from Mecca. This essentially means that Advocate Ms Alvi believes that the entire Saudi Arabia is a ‘sacred land’ and thus festivities of other religions should not be allowed as they are “haram” in Islam. 

“Aray paglo, it’s our “sacred place”…!! Do you understand that meaning? Islam not permitting dance, music, and all so stop abusing me. Audacity of those whose festivals are not complete without doing mujra in front of mosques, drinking, molesting women are giving me lectures,” she wrote. 

Ironically, while Rukhsana Sayed, also known as Advocate Ms Alvi, wants celebration of Hindu festivals like Navratri or Garba to be banned in Saudi Arabia since it’s the ‘sacred’ place of Islam’s origin, when confronted with the argument that Muslims should be banned from Ayodhya, Mathura, Kashi or other places sacred for Hindus, she retorted, “India is a Democratic Country..!!” 

Alvi was recently upset with her co-religionists for probably not giving outright Sar Tan Se Juda calls against a television actor Arjun Bijlani’s wife Neha Swami Bijlani for wearing a T-shirt with Arabic text: “Allah, Rasul Mohammed”. She even wanted the Hindu actor’s wife arrested. 

“I’m shock to see responses from few Muslims, ‘Bohot choti si baat hai’, ‘Kia hua bola toh,’ ‘Usko malum nahi tha’ ‘Wo Muslim nahi hai’ ‘It’s ok bhai itna tension mat lo (to him) ‘ “Kitna acha hai dekho Maafi bhi mang liya ” Agar ap ko wo “Allah Rasul Mohammed” Naam ek T-shirt par dekh kar bura nahi laga toh phir ap ko apne ap k Taqwa wa eeman ko check karna hoga, Afsous wa Lanat hai aise Musalman pe jo Huzur Paak ﷺ ke naam ki touheen dekh kar bhi ranj na hue ho ..!!” she wrote. 

Muslim exclusivity in Islamic countries, convenient invocation of democracy and secularism in Hindu-majority India: The Islamist hypocrisy no one wants to talk about 

There is a prevalent misconception that Indian Muslims are the most liberal, tolerant and inclusive Muslims across the Indian Subcontinent, if not the whole world. However, the alarming reality is that a significant section among the Muslim community believes in the idea of Islamic exclusivity and supremacy. This delusion births bigotry, which they even realise is bigotry, let alone acknowledge it. 

Just look at the asymmetry: Saudi Arabia permanently bars non-Muslims or Kafirs from the entire city of Mecca and the ‘sacred’ precinct of the Islamic prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina. There are checkpoints, visas, road points, and strict laws to enforce this exclusivity; violations of these rules attract fines, deportation, and stricter punishments.  

Saudi Arabia does not permit construction of churches, Hindu temples or public non-Islamic worship across the kingdom. Many Islamic or Muslim-majority countries either restrict by law the construction of temples and non-Islamic places of worship or tolerate persistent attacks. In Pakistan, except for a few temples, most old Hindu temples are either destroyed, desecrated, or occupied and repurposed by Muslims. Be it Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan or any other Muslim-majority country, non-Muslim festivals are often curtailed or banned since Muslims cannot stand ‘Haram activities’ on ‘Islamic lands’. 

However, in countries like India, where the Muslim population is significant but there is a secular democratic form of government, the reverse is demanded by Muslims as a matter of right.  

Quite conveniently, a Muslim woman, supposedly a high court lawyer, says that Muslims cannot be banned from Hindu holy cities like Ayodhya, Mathura or Kashi since India is a democratic country. The same person who invokes India’s democracy and Constitution to assert right for Muslims to move around freely across the country, including in the cities Hindus hold sacred, never does and never will demand that Mecca or Medina be opened to non-Muslims, or construction of Hindu temples be allowed in Islamic nations. Rather, they would press the demands for restriction on observance of non-Muslim festivals across the all the land claimed under the name of Islam, be it Saudi Arabia or any other Islamic nation.  

No wonder, a significant section of Indian Muslims were furious when the United Arab Emirates, a Muslim nation, permitted the construction of a grand Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Such is their intolerance and bigotry that when floods devastated the UAE a few years back, several Islamist from India, Pakistan and other countries claimed that Allah was punishing the UAE for allowing the construction of a Hindu temple in the Islamic country. 

Islamic texts are very unambiguous about the status of non-Muslims under Muslim rule. Kafirs are treated as dhimmis with conditional and subordinate rights.  In Dar-al-Islam, public spaces, unlike in secular democracies, are not required to be religiously neutral. 

Clearly, when Muslims are a minority inside a secular liberal and non-Muslim-majority state like India, the same Islamic doctrines of Muslim exclusivity do not require them to accept reciprocal limits; rather, the host country’s own rules and values, be it democracy, secularism, equality before the law, are invoked to maximise access and minimise restrictions on Muslims. This is not accidental; this is a strategy.  

The same Islamist lot that glorifies the medieval Muslim tyrants like Aurangzeb, who ordered the demolition of numerous Hindu temples, imposed Jizya and introduced policies designed to humiliate Hindus and other non-Muslim communities, also cries hoarse that Muslims have been relegated to second-class status and India’s secularism is dying under the Modi government, which is supposedly ‘pro-Hindu’. 

The hypocrisy is hard to miss, unless you are an absolute leftist lackey of Islamists. This Muslim hypocrisy is a minority-protection strategy of an expansionist religious system that does not accept permanent minority status as theologically final.  

If we go by the logic of Indian Islamists, why should Hindus tolerate mosques, festivals, and even Azans or any other Islamic practice in the Hindu-majority country? 

Islamists have two strong beliefs: first, “what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is also mine”, and “until Islamic victory, the war is never over”.  

On one hand, somehow Indian Muslims are religiously incapable of tolerating the fact that a city in Islamic Saudi Arabia is allowing private organisation of a Garba celebration. On the other hand, they cry secularism and inclusivity are in danger when Hindus advocate restricting entry of Muslims in Garba events.  

Not only Garba, from the Ram Janmabhoomi case, Kashi, Mathura, Sambhal and several other cases wherein Hindu temples were demolished, encroached upon and/or repurposed as mosques, but Muslims also fight tooth and nail to retain their control by any means, even violence. In fact, a huge section of Muslims harbour this sentiment that one day, when the Nizam changes, they will destroy the Ayodhya Ram Mandir and rebuild the Babri Masjid. 

The same Islamist lot that boasts of the global Muslim Ummah having over 50 Islamic countries is vehemently opposed to the idea of Hindu Rashtra. This is because secular liberal laws and values of tolerance in non-Muslim countries, be it India or the West, are nothing but a ladder to climb to the peak of dominance and authority. 

Be it Garba or temple disputes, or Waqf, any other issue, Islamists defend exclusive Muslim ‘sacred’ geography and treat any equivalent Hindu claim as an ‘attack on democracy’. Even though it sounds like a cliché, secularism, tolerance and inclusivity are a one-way street, a burden only the Hindu majority bears despite all the Islamo-leftist vilifications. ‘Sacred’ exclusivity is non-negotiable and sacrosanct when Muslims control the state; however, the same exclusivity or proposition of it is denounced by Islamists like Rukhsana Sayed aka Advocate Ms Alvi, as majoritarianism, violation of democracy, death of the ‘idea of India’ and whatnot.  

As ‘cockroaches’ of France and Italy resort to violence in the name of ‘protest’, read what could have happened if CJP anarchists were left unchecked in India

Shriti Sagar
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As ‘cockroaches’ of France and Italy resort to violence in the name of ‘protest’, read what could have happened if CJP anarchists were left unchecked in India

The initially portrayed student protests in France have now escalated into widespread violence, with shops looted, public buildings attacked, and a historic town hall set ablaze. Similar scenes unfolded in Italy, where demonstrators clashed with police in central Milan, forcing shops to close and tourists to flee.

On Saturday, 17th October, violent clashes broke out across France, spreading through Paris and several other major cities. Masked rioters attacked shops and public buildings, set fires and confronted riot police, while security forces used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds.

In Paris, tens of thousands marched through the city’s eastern and northern sectors, chanting slogans like “Everyone hates the police” and “Macron, resign”. Riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons at major gathering points like Place de la République and Place de la Nation to break up violent crowds. Several central Metro stations were shut down, and strict security cordons were set up around the Champs-Élysées, government centres, and the presidential Élysée Palace to prevent protesters from storming official premises.

In Lyon, anarchists set the city’s tourism centre on fire, prompting riot police to use tear gas and water cannons. In Marseille, demonstrators entered the municipal headquarters, overturned a bust of Marianne, a national symbol of France, and smashed furniture and television sets, and spray-painted anarchist symbols before police cleared them out. In Lille, protesters broke into the mayor’s office and vandalised the premises.

Looters also targeted high-end retail outlets like Apple, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès in Bordeaux and Paris, setting fire to parked vehicles and erecting burning street barricades.

The most tragic symbol of this destruction occurred in the city of Limoges, where the 143-year-old historic town hall (Hôtel de Ville) was set ablaze by rioters. Built in 1883, the landmark’s decorative clock tower collapsed late Saturday night as crowds watched and cheered.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed over 1,200 arrests nationwide, including around 110 in Paris, attributing much of the targeted vandalism to far-left militants operating on the fringes of peaceful demonstrations. 

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the destruction, saying, “Peaceful protests have their full place in our Republic. Looting and attacks have none.” 

President Emmanuel Macron echoed this stance on social media, writing: “There is no place for violence in the Republic. Those who broke, attacked and looted will be brought to justice and punished.”

Italy: Clashes empty Milan’s central shopping district

The wave of street agitation quickly crossed the border into Italy, where similar scenes of chaos unfolded in central Milan. Demonstrations that were ostensibly organised against wars and the rising cost of living rapidly escalated into violent riots outside the iconic Milan Cathedral (Piazza del Duomo).

Masked rioters threw paving stones, rocks, and improvised missiles at riot police, erecting barricades out of outdoor cafe tables and setting them on fire. A Carabinieri police vehicle was severely damaged during the melee. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons to clear the crowded square and protect the landmark shopping arcades.

The violence resulted in injuries to at least two police officers and the detention of around 50 agitators. Expressing strong disapproval of the disorder, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on social media: “Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not,” condemning the “hooligans who exploit demonstrations to sow chaos, attack those responsible for ensuring security and hold entire cities hostage.” 

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala noted that while “the reasons for the protests were understandable,” the “violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable.”

The Indian parallel: CJP’s attempted anarchy and the July protests

While European cities are grappling with rampant street violence, similar tactics were attempted in India by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Operating under the guise of student protests over allegations surrounding the NEET paper leak and demands for the resignation of the Union Education Minister, the group attempted to incite widespread public unrest first in New Delhi and subsequently across the nation.

During protests at Jantar Mantar and near Parliament, CJP organisers pushed demonstrators into violent confrontations with law enforcement. On 20th July, supporters of the party turned a march toward Parliament into a violent clash near Kerala Bhawan. Despite the Delhi Police explicitly denying permission for the march, protesters charged at security barricades, attempted to breach the security perimeter, and pelted stones and bottles at police personnel. The Rapid Action Force (RAF) was forced to execute lathi-charges to restore public order and maintain the safety of the capital’s central administrative zones.

In response to the growing threat of street violence, the central government granted preventive detention powers under the National Security Act (NSA) to Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar. A notification in the Delhi Gazette gave the police chief authority under Section 3(2) of the Act to issue preventive detention orders from 19th July to 18th October against individuals posing a threat to public security and national order. The Delhi Police subsequently clarified that such NSA delegations are routine administrative renewals, but the preventive powers allowed law enforcement to keep a strict check on professional agitators.

The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which on 1st September quashed blanket FIRs registered against the general pool of protesters to distinguish casual participants from habitual offenders. However, the apex court added a critical condition: the Delhi Police remained fully authorised to investigate and take strict legal action against 2,873 agitators identified via facial recognition technology who possessed serious prior criminal antecedents and were involved in acts of violence or property damage during the demonstrations.

Preventative action: Foiling European-style chaos in New Delhi

Having observed how student-led demonstrations were manipulated into violent uprisings in European cities as well as regime-change disruptions in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, the central government and the Delhi Police took firm preventive steps to ensure New Delhi did not suffer a similar fate.

On 10th October, CJP founder Abhijit Dipke and co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police immediately upon landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The party had planned an unpermitted mass demonstration at Jantar Mantar targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over electoral roll revisions (Special Intensive Revision).

Following his detention, Dipke held a press conference where he criticised the security arrangements, claiming that police presence and traffic restrictions had disrupted life in the national capital. He further alleged that several opposition leaders who supported the demonstrations, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, and Pinarayi Vijayan, had been detained, and questioned the security provided to the Chief Election Commissioner.

Inflammatory rhetoric: Leftists’ calls for bloodshed and regime change

While the Central government is putting all its efforts to prevent chaos in the country, leftists like Prashant Bhushan and Neha Bora are openly calling for violence, bloodshed and regime change.

During an X Spaces audio discussion on 11th October, Supreme Court advocate and former AAP leader Prashant Bhushan openly discussed street uprisings, stating: “The only way to get back power is revolution.” He went on to remark in Hindi, “Problem ye hai na ki dekho, aur hamare paas options kya hain? Options toh yehi hain ki bhai hum revolution ke through kuch kara lein. Ab us revolution mein toh bahut khoon kharaba hoega” (The problem is, what other options do we have? The only option is to bring about something through a revolution. Now, in that revolution, there will be a lot of bloodshed).

Days later, on 15th October, Bhushan reiterated his stance to reporters, openly stating that the agitations were aimed at regime change: “There will definitely be a regime change. We all want a regime change. Is there anything wrong with that?”

Similarly, far-left anarchist and National President of the All India Students Association (AISA), Neha Bora, publicly cited the August 2024 “Gen-Z movement” in Bangladesh as an inspiration for Indian demonstrations. 

Bora expressed a desire to replicate similar events in India after receiving support from anti-India Bangladeshi figures like Nahid Islam. Further highlighting her apparent admiration for such destructive turmoil, she was recently seen wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with the Jolly Roger symbol of the Straw Hat Pirates from the popular “One Piece” manga, which has been prominently linked to deadly uprisings across Asia and the world, including Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines. 

The leftist ecosystem in India has been obsessed with the fantasy of somehow imposing a similar model to Bangladesh and Nepal in India to oust the democratically elected Modi government. Starting unrest under the guise of student protests, then damaging property and creating chaos in the country, and then calling for bloodshed and regime change. 

Modi government prevents European-style riot scenes

The sequence of events highlights a recurring strategy utilised by radical elements: invoking student issues to gather initial crowds, escalating the situation through property damage and police confrontations, and ultimately using the resulting chaos to demand non-constitutional regime change. While self-proclaimed defenders of democratic institutions cite constitutional values when convenient, their willingness to endorse destructive street tactics risks plunging urban centres into anarchy.

Through timely intelligence, strict enforcement of law and order, and proactive preventive detentions from June through October, the Modi administration and the Delhi Police prevented arson, looting, and widespread damage to public property. By holding bad actors accountable and keeping street agitation from spiralling out of control, Indian law enforcement successfully prevented New Delhi from mirroring the destructive scenes seen in Paris and Milan.

‘State not the owner of temple properties’: Read what the Supreme Court said in its verdict slamming the Tamil Nadu government for illegally acquiring temple land

Aditi
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‘State not the owner of temple properties’: Read what the Supreme Court said in its verdict slamming the Tamil Nadu government for illegally acquiring temple land

The Supreme Court on Friday (October 16, 2026) declared a gift deed of temple land to the Tamil Nadu government as void ab initio, holding that the state government is the custodian of temple property and cannot acquire it through a gift from a temporary trustee.

A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh on the Tamil Nadu government, holding that it wrongly deprived the temple of its land for years. The Bench also set aside a Madras High Court decision that dismissed a petition that challenged the gift deed of the temple land to the state government.

“The administration of property belonging to a religious/charitable institution carries with it a duty of preservation, not a power of unfettered disposition,” the Supreme Court said, setting aside a gift deed that transferred the temple land to the state government in violation of the law.

Facts of the case

A Special Leave Petition (SLP) was filed before the Supreme Court concerning 1 acre and 10 cents of land in Kodumudi Village, Erode District, belonging to the Nagapalayam Mariamman-Ponnachiamman Temple. The SLP challenged a gift deed executed on August 30, 2017, by S. Bhoopathy, a temporary trustee, transferring the land to the Tamil Nadu Government, represented by the District Collector and Tehsildar. The transfer was stated to be for the construction of a Taluk Office. The Tehsildar accepted the gift, and the Revenue Department mutated the land in the name of the Taluk Office. Subsequently, a Taluk Office was constructed on the land with public funds.

Villagers challenged the transfer of the land through a writ petition in 2017 but later withdrew it. Later in 2019, the hereditary trustee challenged the transfer before the Madras High Court, arguing that the gift violated Section 34 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 (HR&CE Act). However, the High Court dismissed the writ petition in March 2019, holding that Section 34 of the HR&CE Act did not expressly prohibit a gift.

The Court also held that whether the land in question fell under the Act was itself a disputed question of fact unsuited to writ jurisdiction. The hereditary trustee was allowed to file a civil suit, but he did not pursue the matter further. In August 2019, temple devotees were allowed to file SLPs against the Madras High Court judgment. The current SLP was filed by the temple devotees, represented by K. Ramalingam, seeking the setting aside of the gift deed.

While the appeals were pending, the State government filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court in February 2022, admitting that the land was inam land granted to the deity for support and maintenance. The government also said that the Revenue Department decided to cancel the gift deed and take the temple land on a renewable lease for a fixed lease amount. The Fair Rent Committee fixed rent at ₹13,235 per month for three years.

What the Supreme Court observed

While analysing the arguments presented by both sides, the Supreme Court explained why temple properties are treated differently from ordinary properties. The Court said that the distinction was made so that the wealth, land, buildings, jewellery and specie, given to temples through faithful offerings by devotees and endowments of kings, is preserved and remains with the deity.

The Court said that every custodian of the temple property, including the State, holds it in trust for the deity. “That wealth, once given, ceases to belong to the donor, to the priest, to the trustee, or to the State; it vests in the deity, and every hand through which it subsequently passes holds it only in trust for the deity and, through the deity, for the community of worshippers it was meant to serve,” the court said.

“A temple property is held for the deity and not for gratuitous disposal by whoever happens to hold the office of trustee, however well-intentioned,” it added.

The law prohibits transfer of an inam property belonging to the deity

Examining the application of the HR&CE Act on the concerned temple property, the Apex Court said that Section 34(5) expressly excludes inams covered by Section 41 from the operation of Section 34. Section 34 of the Act governs alienation of ordinary immovable trust property and permits the Commissioner to sanction an exchange, sale, mortgage, or long lease if necessary or beneficial to the institution. Section 41 permits governmental sanction for such transactions provided they are not carried out through a gift deed. Thus, a gift of inam property cannot be validated even by the Government.

Section 41(1) governs inam property granted for a religious institution’s support or maintenance. It declares any exchange, gift, sale, mortgage, or lease exceeding five years null and void. The Court noted that since the State itself admitted in its affidavit that the temple land is inam property, it is clear from the perusal of the legal provisions that the transfer of the temple land by way of a gift deed is null and void.

“Tested on this anvil, the Gift Deed dated 30.08.2017, executed by temporary trustee in favour of the Government of Tamil Nadu, is null and void under Section 41(1) of the 1959 Act,” the Court held.

Screenshot from the judgment

The Bench observed that under the HR&CE Act, the Legislature deliberately prohibited an inam property from being transferred as a gift. “A gift of an inam property dedicated to the support of a deity is, in consequence, void ab initio and no sanction, however solemnly accorded, could have breathed life into it,” the Court stated.


Screenshot from the judgment

Furthermore, the Court said that if the temple land was not admitted to be an inam property by the State in its affidavit, the gift deed would still be void as no Commissioner sanction, prior publication of objections or Government approval was obtained, as required under Section 34 of the Act.

The Court further ruled that even the registration of the gift deed was not valid. It said that Section 22-A of the Registration Act, 1908, as applicable in Tamil Nadu, requires refusal of registration of a transfer of religious-institution property unless the competent authority’s sanction is produced. Since a gift of inam property could never receive valid sanction under Section 41, the registration of the deed had no legal effect.

Hereditary Trustee’s authority not unconstrained

The Court also examined the hereditary trustee’s power in transferring the temple through the gift deed. It observed that a trustee’s authority over the trust property is not “unconstrained”. “Sections 27 and 28 of the 1959 Act oblige every trustee, permanent or temporary, to administer the institution’s properties “as carefully as a man of ordinary prudence would deal with such affairs, funds and properties if they were his own”, and to obey all lawful orders issued under the Act,” the Court noted.

The top court said that a gratuitous transfer, not involving any consideration, of the trust property, which in the present case is temple land, to the government cannot be considered an act of prudence.

The State was wrong in treating the temple land as its own

The Bench strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu government for acting as the owner of the temple property for over four years. “The State, acting through the Commissioner and other functionaries under the 1959 Act, is a custodian and regulator of temple properties, not their owner,” the Court held.

The Court noted that the State government continued to treat the property as its own despite an earlier affidavit by the Assistant Commissioner (HR&CE) acknowledging that the property belongs to the deity. The government changed its stand only after it was ordered by this Court to clarify its stand with respect to the property in an affidavit. The Court rejected the state’s argument that the use of the temple land for a public purpose, which in the present case was the construction of the Taluk Office, legitimised the transfer.


Screenshot from the judgment

“The State’s belated concession cannot obscure the fact that for over four years the property of the Temple was treated as that of the Government on the strength of a deed which, by the State’s own admission, had no sanction in law,’ the Court asserted.

The lease remains, but the State has to pay costs to the temple

The Supreme Court declared the gift deed transferring the temple land as null and void, but it did not annul the lease in favour of the land, considering that the Taluk Office served a public purpose. However, noting that the temple was wrongfully deprived of its property, the Court recalculated the rent as ₹31,000 per month, to be paid retrospectively from March 8, 2019. The rent is to be revised every three years.

The Court granted the government three months’ time to pay the arrears of rent from March 8, 2019, after adjusting the amount already paid. Additionally, taking note of the fact that the state government not only accepted the gift of the temple land in violation of the law but continued to defend it, the Supreme Court imposed a cost of ₹1,00,000 on the government to be paid to the temple within a period of eight weeks.

The Supreme Court directed State and HR&CE authorities to strictly follow Sections 34, 34-A and 41 of the HR&CE Act before effecting or sanctioning any exchange, sale, mortgage, or lease of religious-institution property.

What triggered the stampede at a Durga Puja pandal that claimed 19 lives in Kolkata

OpIndia Staff
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What triggered the stampede at a Durga Puja pandal that claimed 19 lives in Kolkata

At least 19 devotees were killed, and 25 others were injured in a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening, 17th October, during Maha Saptami. The tragedy occurred around 7:15 pm as a large crowd gathered to visit the pandal amid heavy rain.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the injured at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital to meet the injured and the families of the deceased. Police have launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on crowd management, possible confusion over announcements, and entry and exit arrangements.

What triggered the Kolkata Pandal stampede?

According to preliminary accounts, a sudden rush of devotees, heavy rain,fall and confusion over crowd movement have contributed to the stampede. A large number of people were waiting on the narrow Radha Madhab Saha Lane to enter the pandal when a downpour began, and the crowd surged forward.

Visitors already inside the venue were caught in the rush and struggled to move towards the exit because people ahead were blocking their way. Several people fell down a flight of stairs near the exit and were trampled by those behind them.

Adhikari said a misleading announcement by the puja committee may have added to the confusion. He also pointed to the possible role of whistles blown by private security guards.

“Initial input from the ACP who was present at the spot suggests that the incident was triggered by an announcement made by a private security agency and the blowing of whistles,” the chief minister said.

However, the exact sequence of events is still being investigated.

Eyewitnesses describe overcrowding and confusion

Eyewitnesses said continuous rainfall and overcrowding made the situation difficult to control. Speaking to ANI, Vinay Kumar said that despite police personnel being present, the crowd became unmanageable during the sudden rush. “This tragic incident occurred due to continuous rainfall. There was an excessive crowd here, and they did not want to get out in the rain. The police administration was fully functional, but the crowd could not be handled,” he said.

Locals also questioned whether enough police personnel had been deployed at the venue. Sanghamitra Bhowmik, a resident of Chorbagan, told PTI, “I have not seen adequate police presence this year. This resulted in the mismanagement.”

A senior police officer said investigators would examine whether there were lapses in crowd management or violations of safety rules during the construction of the pandal.

“There must be some lapses, but these should be probed. Whether lapses were on the part of the organisers or they had flouted the rules to erect the pandal will be checked,” the officer told PTI.

A forensic team visited the site late on Saturday to collect evidence. Police are questioning the organisers, examining CCTV footage and gathering details about the security guards and other personnel deployed at the venue. Officers assigned to the location will also be questioned.

State orders safety checks at Durga Puja Pandals 

Following the tragedy, Adhikari announced a high-level committee to inspect major Durga Puja pandals across West Bengal. The panel will review crowd management, exit routes, lighting and structural safety. It will include Disaster Management Principal Secretary Rajesh Sinha, Fire Services Director General Anuj Sharma and Additional Director General of Police Javed Shamim.

The chief minister urged organisers to follow safety guidelines and ensure that elaborate decorations do not put visitors at risk. He also called for wider exits, better lighting and the removal of bottlenecks created by temporary rope enclosures. Where complex structures restrict movement, organisers may be advised to limit rituals to the inner sanctum and use LED screens outside.

According to Kolkata Police, a suo motu case has been registered at Girish Park Police Station under Sections 105, 110, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the organisers and others in connection with the stampede. Police have detained 14 people and are questioning them.

Government announces compensation; PM Modi expresses grief

The West Bengal government has announced ₹25 lakh in compensation and a Group D government job for the family of each deceased victim. A toll-free helpline, 18003455678, has also been set up to help people seeking information about those affected.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each person killed, while those injured will receive ₹50,000 each.

“The stampede in Kolkata is extremely distressing. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi,” the Prime Minister’s Office posted.  

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the incident and said he had spoken to the chief minister about the tragedy. “I pray to Maa Durga that all the injured individuals recover swiftly,” he posted on X. 

The investigation will now focus on how the crowd surge began, whether announcements and security arrangements contributed to the confusion, and whether any lapses by the organisers or authorities played a role in the loss of life.

Marine insurance renewal: What businesses often miss

OpIndia Staff
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Marine insurance renewal: What businesses often miss

A marine insurance policy renewal might seem a routine task, but it provides an opportunity to review whether the existing coverage matches the current risks of shipping. Changes in cargo value, trading routes, and business operations might impact insurance requirements over time. Businesses dependent on transit insurance should note these changes during policy renewal to prevent gaps in coverage. 

Keeping an eye on what is often missed during renewal makes the renewal process more effective. Continue reading to explore the main points that every business should not miss.

What are the common marine insurance renewal mistakes businesses often make?

Renewing marine cargo insurance is essential. Below are common mistakes businesses often overlook during renewal:

Continuing with outdated cargo values

Cargo values may change due to inflation, increased raw material costs or changes in product prices. However, businesses often mistakenly opt to renew with an outdated cargo value, leading to underinsurance (the insured amount is below the actual value of the shipment). 

This affects claim settlement in the event of loss during transit. Businesses should therefore assess the worth of goods before each renewal to avail comprehensive financial protection. 

Not noticing changes in modes of transport 

Businesses switch from a single mode of transport to road, rail, air or multimodal transport. The policy may not adequately reflect the transit risks if these changes are not addressed during renewal. 

Businesses should therefore share the latest transportation details to ensure comprehensive coverage for every shipment. 

Not reviewing policy terms and exclusions

Policy terms include specific inclusions, exclusions and claim criteria. During policy renewal, reviewing these will help businesses understand what is covered and determine whether they need more coverage for shipping operations. 

Delaying renewal

If policy renewal is delayed until the end of the term, make sure to review policy coverages and requirements. On-time renewals confirm businesses with shipping details, evaluate possible risks, and ensure no disruption of transit insurance. 

Why does marine insurance renewal matter?

Marine insurance renewal allows businesses to keep their goods and products protected. Cargo values, routes and transportation options can vary over time. To match these changes, reviewing the policy during renewal is a must. It also lets businesses adjust the insured value, review policy terms, and confirm which assets are covered or excluded. 

On-time policy renewal prevents gaps in coverage and supports seamless claims processing by keeping policy data up to date and accurate. Regular policy reviews enable businesses to manage changing risks with confidence. 

Conclusion

Marine insurance can help businesses manage the financial risks associated with transporting goods through domestic and international routes. Features such as digital policy management, certificate issuance, claims tracking, and risk assessment support can simplify policy administration and help businesses identify potential transit risks.

During marine insurance policy renewal, take time to review your coverage and ensure it aligns with current business needs. Timely updates to cargo values, transport details, and policy terms confirms ongoing protection of your shipments. A timely renewal also minimises the likelihood of coverage gaps and supports smooth business operations.

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