Canada squandered approximately $8 million in an endeavour to uncover the purported “heartbreaking truth” behind the mass graves or unmarked graves at the Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. However, the outcome of this extensive effort revealed a surprising twist – there were no bodies recovered at all, rendering the entire scandal a hoax.
Carolane Gratton from the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations disclosed that substantial funding was utilized for various activities such as fieldwork, records searches, and securing the school grounds. Despite these efforts, no human remains have been unearthed as reported by the Western Standard.
The controversy erupted in 2021 when the First Nation announced the discovery of 215 children’s graves on the school premises, sparking widespread international condemnation of Canada and its residential school system. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even visited the site with a teddy bear in a symbolic gesture of compassion, declaring, “What happened decades ago isn’t part of our history, it is an irrefutable part of our present.”
However, the revelation that there were no remains cast a shadow over the entire narrative. Moreover, the allocation of the substantial funds remains shrouded in mystery.
In 2021, Rosanne Casimir, the chief of the Tk’Emlups Te Secwe’Pemc, expressed profound sorrow, stating, “An unthinkable loss that was spoken about but never documented.” She emphasised the community’s knowledge of the issue, which they sought to validate. Efforts were made to correlate documentation from old archives and engage in dialogue with local communities to reconcile government records.
By 2022, doubts about the existence of a “mass unmarked grave” emerged as no evidence supporting the claim had surfaced despite extensive funding and research efforts. A spokesperson for Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc confirmed the absence of remains and the lack of excavation activities.
Jacques Rouillard, a professor emeritus in the Department of History at the Université de Montréal, questioned the absence of any discovered bodies after months of scrutiny and condemnation. He queried, “Where are the remains of the children buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School?”
The national spokesperson of the Hindu advocacy group Sanatana Sanstha has welcomed the verdict in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, emphasising that the judgment acquits the group over its involvement in the murder of the man known for his deeply rabid anti-Hindu views while identifying himself as a “rationalist”.
“Concerning Dr Dabholkar’s murder, Sanatana’s innocence has been proved today. It has also busted urban naxals’ conspiracy to malign the Sanatana Sanstha. Former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chauhan, at the time of the murder, had claimed that Hindu organisations were behind Dabholkar’s death, which had led to a government clampdown on Hindu advocacy groups,” Rajhans said.
The video comes in the wake of the Pune court’s judgment in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case. The court sentenced two individuals to life imprisonment while acquitting Virendra Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave.
Rajhans said the smear campaign against Hindu organisations had led to their arbitrary arrests. “Vikram Bhave had to spend 2 years of his life in jail. Dr Virendra Singh Tawde, who offered free treatment to patients in Sanathana Ashram, was falsely implicated in the case and had to stay in jail for 8 years. Advocate Sanjeev Punalekar was kept in jail for 42 days in this regard. They were all framed for being members of Sanatana Sanstha and promoting Hindu interests. Today’s verdict vindicates Sanatana Sanstha”.
He also denounced the life imprisonment punishment handed down to the two individuals, expressing hope that they would strive for justice by appealing the verdict in higher courts.
Earlier today, a Pune court handed down life sentences to two individuals for the 2013 murder of activist Narendra Dabholkar, while three other accused were acquitted.
In a packed courtroom, Additional Sessions Judge P. P. Jadhav pronounced the verdict, stating that the prosecution had successfully proven the charges of murder and conspiracy against Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar. They were sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of ₹5 lakh each. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) confirmed that Andure and Kalaskar were responsible for Dabholkar’s shooting.
The Pune court acquitted ENT surgeon Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave in Narendra Dabholkar’s murder. Reportedly, the court has also removed UAPA charges against Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar.
Narendra Dabholkar, the leader of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was fatally shot in Pune on August 20, 2013. Two assailants came on a motorcycle and fatally shot him from behind. It was an execution-style killing that led to the belief that it was a premeditated attack. The assailants managed to escape despite the presence of a police nakabandi and chowki nearby indicating there was a possible lapse in security or surveillance in the area.
West Bengal BJP worker Gangadhar Koyal has moved the Calcutta High Court over the sting videos used by TMC to claim that Sandeshkhali rape allegations are fake, saying that the videos are fake and his visuals and audio were edited to make the video. He also sought security saying that he is facing threats to his life.
In the sting video that went viral in the state last week, Gangadhar Koyal claimed that that the rape allegations made by women of Sandeshkhali against TMC leaders are fake and that Suvendu Adhikari was the mastermind of the plot. In the video, he could be heard saying that Adhikari had instructed him and other local BJP leaders to “instigate three-four local women to level allegations of rape against three TMC leaders, including Sheikh Shahjahan.”
However, immediately after the video came out, Gangadhar Koyal, BJP mandal president of block number 2 of Sandeshkhali, said that the video is fake, and High-tech method were used to tamper his voice to create the sting video. He alleged that this has been done to tarnish the image of Sandeshkhali woman and Suvendu Adhikari. He had demanded a CBI probe into the matter.
Now Koyal has approached the High Court with the demands. Gangadhar Koyal said in the complaint that several fake videos featuring different persons have been released to prove the allegations against TMC leaders false. He sought the directions for a CBI probe into the sting videos.
He said that because of the fake videos, tensions have increased in the area, and there is a threat to his life. He further sought the security of central forces.
He sought a permission to file a case in the court, which was granted by Justice Joy Sengupta. However, the court said that a case can’t be directly handed over to CBI like this. Moreover, all the cases of Sandeshkhali are now in the Division Bench of the Chief Justice, the court added. The matter is expected to be heard by the court on Monday.
It is notable that Jaba Rani Singha, a local woman featured in the sting video, where she appeared to be saying that the rape charges against TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan are fake, has also asserted that the video is doctored. She alleged that her responses to different questions were edited to create the video.
She also alleged that the persons who had met her had later said that they were sent TMC’s TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee sent them. They allegedly asked her to quote a price for saying that the Sandeshkhali rape charges are fake, and when she refused, they doctored the video to make appear her saying that the charges are fake.
Notably, in the video, the audio and video of Jaba Rani Singha are not synched, they don’t match. Her voice can be heard when she is saying nothing on video, which gives credence to her allegation that the video is doctored. Jaba Rani Singha asserted that she is committed to the movement by the Sandeshkhali woman against the TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides.
On 8th May, Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, who was accused of an alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast under the UPA government, disclosed that Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers illegally questioned and tortured him to name prominent right-wing leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) including Yogi Adityanath.
Current UP CM Yogi Adityanath was the MP from Gorakhpur at that time.
He put forward the charge in a written statement presented before the NIA Special Court, pursuant to Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Lt Col Purohit stated in his 23-page testimony that he was tortured and forced to accept the blame for the explosion by senior Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) personnel.
The officer unveiled that he was brought into custody on 29th October 2008, even though the ATS did not record him as arrested and expressed that while he was not even formally detained, ATS had leaked bogus material to media outlets that reported on the agency’s success in breaking the case and naming him, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and others as the accused.
He mentioned that in August 2008, over a month prior to the Malegaon blast, “out of nowhere, the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) at a rally of party workers in Alibaug made a statement that it is not just that there are Islamic terrorists, but there are Hindu terrorists also. This is the first time the term ‘Hindu Terror’ was coined. This soothsaying statement was immediately followed by the unfortunate incident on September 29, 2008.”
He maintained that to “suit the political requirements” of the ruling government, a “fabricated” inquiry into the issue was conducted on the directions of former IPS officer Param Bir Singh, the late Hemant Karkare, who was the head of the Maharashtra ATS and others. He expressed that shortly after his arrest in Mumbai, he was transferred to a remote bungalow in Khandala to be grilled by the late Hemant Karkare and Param Bir Singh, the then ATS’s joint commissioner and others.
He conveyed, “Karkare and Param Bir Singh were time and again forcing me to give out the details of my intelligence network and, a list of my sources and assets who had assisted me in mapping SIMI and ISI and Dr Zakir Naik’s activities. I refused to divulge my source network as it is against the basic ethos of intelligence.” He went into further detail about how his senior army commander, Colonel PK Shrivastav, who is now retired, “stabbed him in the back” before turning him over to the ATS. His superior was the first one to strike him in police custody. He was then attacked by Param Bir Singh as well as he was restrained by six of the constables.
The Army official highlighted, “I was meted with treatment which not even any animal would experience and was treated worse than a prisoner of war of an enemy country. Karkare, Param Bir Singh and Col Shrivastav continued insisting that I should own up to the Malegaon bomb blast and that I should name senior right-wing leaders of the RSS and VHP, Yogi Adityanath, the then Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh. This torture continued incessantly till 3rd Nov 2008.”
He voiced that he could not even walk because of a fractured knee resulting from the abuse he endured. He added that his “custodial assassination was confirmed” as he was told preparations were underway to shoot him. He submitted that the officials had planted explosives and faked evidence, including RDX and accused them of being complicit in the extrajudicial executions of a witness, Sandeep Dange and wanted perpetrator Ramchandra Kalsangra.
Colonel Purohit argued that it was obvious that the entire case against him was orchestrated since witnesses began to become hostile which demonstrated that they had been coerced into making false statements by the ATS or their political overlords and that they had even been threatened, tortured, and apprehended sometimes at gunpoint. He remarked that they had permanently damaged the army’s prestige, undermined intelligence personnel’s morale and jeopardized national security.
Dawood met Naxal leader, wanted to supply arms from ISI to Naxal terrorists
He contended that his phone was unlawfully tapped and that there were “malafide intentions” behind the approval of his and others’ prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He outlined that as an intelligence official, he started investigating “fugitive terror accused and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) agent” Dawood Ibrahim and his encounter with declared fugitive Dr Ganapati, a prominent member of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) central committee.
“The meeting was to streamline the arms, ammunition, war-like stores and drug supply from ISI, Pakistan, to left-wing extremists and Naxalites in Dandakaranya special committee zone operating in entire peninsular India, especially after these supplies stopped getting into India from Nepal,” he mentioned. He declared that a second such report from 2006–07 focused on the founder of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Zakir Naik, who is currently on the run and his illicit funding. He insisted on closely examining the rise of left-wing extremism and Naxalism before starting work on a report. According to him, a few local and national officials were named in the papers.
After being formally shown as arrested on 5th November 2008 Col Purohit established that the ATS had constructed a narrative of “investigation around the individuals whom they always wanted to arrest, probably as directed by their political masters, and the case was built around the targeted individuals who are now accused.”
Viral Babar, Purohit’s attorney, delivered the written statement to the special court. All of the suspects who are facing charges for their alleged involvement in the explosion have been recording their testimony in the special court. The statements made by Col Purohit and a few other accused parties in opposition to the prosecution’s evidence have been completed by the court.
Malegaon blast case
The case concerns the events of 29th September 2008, at about 9:30 pm when a bomb concealed on a motorcycle exploded close to Hamidia Masjid in Malegaon, a textile town in the Nasik region of North Maharashtra that is sensitive to sectarian sentiments. The blast resulted in the deaths of six people and the injuries of 101 others. The ATS unit of the Maharashtra Police first probed the incident before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over in 2011. Col Purohit was accused of being a part of Abhinav Bharat, a trust established to uphold Hindu ideals but which was also accused of using him as a cover for assaults against Muslims. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur was also arrested in the case.
After spending years in custody, Lt Col Purohit was finally granted bail in August 2017.
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee has announced that it will hold a “shutter-down and wheel-jam” strike in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) today, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
It announced the decision after the police reportedly detained as many as 70 activists in a bid to prevent a ‘long march’ announced by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee to call on the government to comply with an agreement reached between the two in February.
The public action committee has been leading a rights movement to hold protests against the ‘unjust’ taxes that have been imposed on electricity bills and held a shutter-down strike over the taxes in August 2023, Dawn reported.
The protesters have demanded that electricity should be provided to consumers as per the production cost of hydel power in PoJK. After protests were held for months, a ministerial committee vowed that the cost would be worked out “because the government was committed to providing relief to its people.”
Earlier in April, the committee had announced that they would hold a march in Muzaffarabad on May 11 to protest the “non-fulfilment of the commitments” made in writing by an official reconciliation committee of cabinet members on December 23, 2023, in pursuance of a notification issued on February 4, 2024, Dawn reported.
On Thursday, police in Muzaffarabad carried out raids at the residence of Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the elected leader of traders, and several other members of the action committee. During these raids, eight committee members, including two student leaders, were detained.
The protests of more than a dozen activists in overnight raids in Mirpur’s Dadyal led to clashes following traders’ protest at Maqbool Butt Shaheed Chowk. Police used teargas against the protesters, which also landed in a school and injured several girls, according to Dawn report.
Traders pelted stones at the police. In response to the crackdown, Nawaz Mir released a video message from a hideout, saying that the protest scheduled for May 11 will now be held on May 10 due to the “brutal attitude” of authorities in Dadyal. (ANI)
Earlier, the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) issued serious warnings to the administration against the use of any brutal force against peaceful protestors.
Both parties have released warnings that they will organize international protests and demonstrations if the administration uses any force against the protestors who are raising their legitimate demands.
Currently, personnel from the Frontier Corps, Rangers, and Quick Response Force (QRF) of Punjab Province are on the streets of the area. According to a joint statement issued by the UKPNP and JAAC, the demonstrators are protesting and unjustified taxation, high electricity bills, uncontrolled inflation, severe shortages of essentials like and flour.
In addition, the people also demand ownership of local land and water resources and royalties to locals over the hydroelectric power produced in dams located in PoJK and Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit Baltistan.
UKPNP chairman Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri and JAAC’s former spokesperson Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan said that despite billions of dollars of remittances sent annually by the Kashmiri diaspora for the development of PoJK and POGB the people of these areas suffer from severe underdevelopment.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Between 1950 and 2015, the population share of Hindus in India declined sharply by 7.8% while Muslim share grew by 43.15%, Christians by 5.38%, and Sikhs by 6.58%, as revealed by a recent report submitted by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi (EAC-PM). However, the share of Jain and Parsi communities in the population mix has decreased in the last 65 years which is equivalent to three generations.
According to the study, the share of Hindus in India’s population saw a decrease from 84% in 1950 to 78% in 2015, while that of Muslims witnessed an increase from 9.84% to 14.09% in the same period.
As soon as the EAC-PM report was made public, the usual suspects started their attempts to discredit the study by first admitting that the findings of the report were true, but then, suffixing that with how the growth rate decline has been sharpest among Muslims in India.
Career propagandist and one of the dullest bulbs in most rooms, Dhanya Rajendran, took the same line of argument. When it was pointed out to her that the study shares X percentage change over Y years, defiantly, she claimed that fertility rates have gone down and that the X percentage change over Y years is insignificant data.
So? Look at census data and we all know how population increased in initial years and then fertility rates went down and they are going down further
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) May 10, 2024
NGO ‘Population Foundation of India’ run by the TATAs too toed to the same line.
As per a report in Times of India, the NGO, with Ratan Tata on the board, said that ‘population growth is not linked to religion’. In a statement, the Population Foundation of India said it is deeply concerned about recent media reports “misreporting” the findings from the study to spread alarm regarding the growth of the Muslim population in the country. “The study’s focus on changes in the share of majority and minority religious groups globally over 65 years should not be used to incite fear or discrimination against any community,” it said.
According to census figures, the decadal growth rate for Muslims has been declining over the past three decades. Specifically, the decadal growth rate for Muslims decreased from 32.9 per cent in 1981-1991 to 24.6 per cent in 2001-2011. “This decline is more pronounced than that of Hindus, whose growth rate fell from 22.7 to 16.8 per cent over the same period,” the NGO said. The census data is available from 1951 to 2011 and is quite similar to the data in this study, indicating that these numbers are not new, the organisation said. Noting that the TFR among all religious groups is declining, it said the highest decrease in the TFR from 2005-06 to 2019-21 was observed among Muslims, which dropped by 1 percentage point, followed by Hindus at 0.7 percentage point. “This trend underscores that the fertility rates are converging across different religious communities,” it said.
Rajdeep Sardesai, a veteran propagandist too tried to “fact-check’ the report.
Fact check: on Economic Advisory Council to PM ‘study’ on religious minorities population that has led to rather misleading interpretations . (Data courtesy: Population Foundation of India) According to the Census of India, the…
These NGOs and ‘journalists’ would want Hindus to believe that their ‘fact’ is far superior to the facts mentioned in the report. Essentially, the report says that the total share in the population of Muslims in India has increased drastically and that the total share in the population of Hindus has declined in India. It is a fact that in 65 years, the Hindu share in the population in India declined sharply by 7.8% while the share of Muslims grew by 43.15%, and Christians by 5.38%. It is also a fact that in the 65 years, the share of Hindus in India’s population saw a decrease from 84% in 1950 to 78% in 2015, while that of Muslims witnessed an increase from 9.84% to 14.09% in the same period.
NGOs and journalists like Dhanya claim that this FACT they acknowledge as well is irrelevant. Per them, it is irrelevant because the Total Fertility Rate of Muslims has seen a sharper decline compared to the Hindu Total Fertility Rate, thus causing a lower decadal rate of growth of the Muslim population. This is a hogwash, and let us see why.
The TFR argument and why it is irrelevant
TFR means the average number of children a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality. It is expressed as children per woman. It basically means the average number of children a set of women are producing.
When the NGOs and journalists make this argument, they too acknowledge that the Muslim TFR is higher than the Hindu TFR – which is to say that they acknowledge that on average, Muslim women have more kids than Hindu women. However, they argue that there is a sharper decline in the number of kids that Muslim women are having compared to Hindu women.
Let us simplify this.
Let us take the comparison of two women – M and H. M produces 10 children by the end of her reproductive cycle while H produces 3. M’s mother had produced 20 children in her time while H’s mother had produced 4. The ‘liberal’ argument is that it is true that between the mother and daughter, Ms family produced 30 children and Hs family produced 7. However, because from generation to generation, M produced 50% fewer children and H produced 25% less, liberals believe that there is no reason to ‘fear’ M’s family taking over. They also believe that pointing to the simple fact that even if M produced 50% fewer children, Ms still have 30 children between them while Hs have 7, is deemed ‘fearmongering’.
Now, let’s bear in mind that this supposed ‘faster decline in TFI’ has happened over decades. The counter-argument is that eventually, the TFR of Hindus and Muslims would ‘converge’ and be the same because the Muslim TFR is declining at a faster pace. That argument is completely misplaced. They are telling Hindus that we must not fear a complete demographic shift with the Hindu population becoming a minority because, in decades or centuries, the TFR of Muslims and Hindus could possibly be the same. What they won’t tell you is that firstly, this is speculation. TFR does not follow a linear pattern or a mathematical series. There are several examples of how some women, who for a long time don’t believe in raising a family eventually find joy in family pursuits and have multiple children. Or, how Hindu women are increasingly believing that their calling is becoming professionally proficient and not having families at all. There are generational, situational, cultural and circumstantial variables to TFR that simply cannot be foreseen. What is obvious, however, is that by the time this mythical conversion happens (which seems unlikely), the total population of Hindus would already be far diminished compared to Muslims.
Going back to our simplified example, even if the Ms TFR declined by 50% and the Hs TFR declined only by 25%, at the end of the day, you will still have 30 little Ms and only 7 little Hs. That is a fact that is unchanged.
TFR, Education and Kerala
There was an interesting argument made by Rajdeep Sardesai while trying to ‘fact-check’ the EAC-PM report. He says, “Fertility rates are closely linked to education and income levels, not religion. States with better access to education, healthcare, and socioeconomic development, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, exhibit lower TFRs across all religious groups. For example, the TFR among Muslim women in Kerala (2.25) is lower than the TFR among Hindu women in Bihar (2.88). Net net: focus on education, not religion and stop the dog whistles”.
He says that TFR is linked to education and socioeconomic development. He then proceeds to compare Kerala Muslim women with Bihar Hindu women. He says that Kerala Muslims have a TFR of 2.25 while Bihar Hindu women have a TFR of 2.88 – which means that educated Muslims produce fewer babies compared to uneducated Hindu women and therefore, the increase in population argument is bogus – since TFR is not dependent on religious group but education.
Of course, just like Dhanya, Rajdeep is not a bright bulb. Perhaps just less dim because at least his attempt at misleading the people is slightly more nuanced.
There is a reason why Rajdeep compared Kerala Muslim women with the Hindu women of Bihar – because comparing Kerala Muslim women to Kerala Hindu women would expose his sinister agenda.
According to census data and a study conducted, the TFR of Kerala Muslims was 2.25 while the TFR of Kerala Hindus was 1.53. In Bihar, in 2019, the TFR of Muslims was 3.63 while the TFR of Hindus was 2.88.
Clearly, whether it is the supposed “literate” society of Kerala or the “illiterate” society of Bihar, the Muslim TFR is higher. Unless Rajdeep wants to insinuate that the Kerala Hindus are literate but the Kerala Muslims are illiterate, while also saying that the Kerala Muslims are more literate compared to Bihar Hindus, his argument does not hold.
This also busts Rajdeep and the NGO Population Foundation of India’s claim that TFR is not related to religion but to education and financial stability. Regardless of those parameters, when apples are compared with apples, the Muslim TFR is higher compared to the Hindus of that same society given the same level of access to education, healthcare etc.
Muslims in Kerala were never ‘oppressed’. They were never really kept away from education and progress, as admitted by Rajdeep himself. There is a party quite literally called the ‘Muslim League’ which is in power and the Communist government of the state, for decades, has also espoused Muslim appeasement as state policy. There is no BJP-RSS and Hindutva to blame which elements like Rajdeep can attribute to keeping Muslim women illiterate or backward. Why then is the TFR still higher among Muslim women from Kerala compared to Hindus? In reality, a state like Kerala is the greatest argument against what Rajdeep wishes to propagate. A state like Kerala and the substantially higher TFR of Muslims compared to Hindus proves that TFR seems to be purely based on religion, even when all other factors are ‘liberal worldview’ compliant.
Other important factors like illegal migration and conversion
Apart from TFR, several other factors play a crucial role in the total population as well. The TFR argument deeply underscores the impact of unchecked Muslim immigration and the conversion of Hindus. Several countries and towns in the world have experienced devastating demographic shifts based on illegal Muslim immigration. PEW did research where they estimated the Mulsim population in low, medium and high migration scenarios. They concluded that even if there was no migration, the population of Muslims would increase drastically (the TFR argument). However, with high migration, the demographic change could be devastating.
With zero migration, there would be 7.4% Muslims in the region by 2050. With medium migration – 11.2% and with high migration – 14%.
It is to be kept in mind that while the EU sees unchecked migration, the situation in India is perhaps far more grim compared to Western countries. Even with high migration, the percentage of Muslims by 2050 remains at 14%. In India, the percentage of Muslims was already at the 14% mark in 2015. With unchecked immigration from Bangladesh and Myanmar, and state governments working to legitimise illegal migration and scams where these illegals get govt documents, the effect of migration, while not estimated yet, is potentially devastating for India.
Coupled with that, unchecked illegal conversions of Hindus regularly by proselytising faiths like Islam and Christianity also have an impact on the total population of Hindus.
Let us bear in mind that in neighbouring countries where Muslims (or their sect) constitute more than 50% – a majority, the community’s share witnessed an increase in the demographic mix. Bangladesh saw the steepest increase of 18.5%, followed by Pakistan (3.75%) and Afghanistan (0.29%).
According to the EAC-PM study, Pakistan witnessed an increase of 3.75% in the share of the majority religious denomination (Hanafi Muslim) and a 10% increase in the share of the total Muslim population despite the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Pertinent to note that while Muslims’ share increased by 10%, the study registers the rise of Pakistan’s majority as 3.75% as Hanafi Muslims constitute the majority ID in Pakistan, as per the study.
However, Hindus’ decline by 7.8% in India is the second most significant decline in the immediate neighbourhood, just after Myanmar’s 10%. Myanmar saw the highest decline in the majority community’s share in the overall population of the country.
In Pakistan, for starkly obvious reasons, there is no illegal migration of Hindus. There are also widespread illegal conversions of existing Hindus in the country, a fact documented by Pakistani courts and human rights organisations. It is obvious that the majority community thrived because of the higher TFR of Muslims in general coupled with zero migration of Hindus and other non-Muslims and rampant conversion.
Arguments to keep Hindus like frogs in boiling water
The arguments furthered by the Tata NGO, Rajdeep Sardesai, Dhanya Rajendran and others is a sinister sleight of hand. The arguments are tailored to keep Hindus boiling in the demographic fire, without really realising the catastrophe they are headed towards. Demography is indeed destiny for any country and India serves as a sobering reminder of what the consequences are when the Muslim population crosses a certain threshold. Kashmir is perhaps the most horrifying reminder of the consequences of an unchecked Muslim population – demands for a separate nation, Sharia rule and brutal oppression of Hindus is the norm when the Muslim population becomes the majority.
The influx of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslim population in India has repeatedly shown itself to be a national security threat. How can anyone forget the 2012 Azad Maidan riots where even the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial was desecrated by protestors? The agitation was initiated by Raza Academy to protest against the alleged atrocities on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
A group of thousands of Muslims united under the Anjuman Ahle Sunnatul Jamat (ASJ) flag went on a rampage in Malda, West Bengal in 2016 over late Kamlesh Tiwari’s “anti-Islam” remarks. More than thirty people, including police officers, were hurt in vandalism that targeted the Kaliachak Police Station, the Block Development Office and public property. Several vehicles were also set on fire.
India witnessed similar protests after Mohammed Zubair of Alt News shared an edited clip of former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma in 2022. Murderous slogans like “Gustakh-e-Rasool ki Ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda” were heard all over India and Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan and Umesh Kohle in Maharashtra lost their lives merely for supporting her.
Hindus can not celebrate any festival in peace as reports of stone pelting and attacks on their religious processions are a common occurrence during these events. A startling example of the same came to the fore when on 31st July, an Islamist mob attacked the Jalabhishek Yatra procession organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in Nuh, Haryana. The violence claimed six lives. Vehicles were burnt and stones pelted at the VHP’s Jalabhishek Yatra as extremists unleashed violence against the Hindus in the Muslim-dominated region of Nuh, Mewat in Haryana.
This year, Haldwani violence brought to light that when confronted with extremists, even performing official tasks may turn violent. The unrest transpired on the evening of 8th February after the administration took measures to remove encroachments which resulted in the loss of life and property. The rioting resulted in five fatalities and hundreds of injuries including male and female (at least 250) authorities.
The daily headlines are dominated by stories about the sexual abuse, murder and oppression of Hindu women at the hands of Muslim males in the name of love jihad or unrequited love. Neha Hiremath (24) the daughter of Congress Corporator Niranjan Hiremath, was the most recent victim of the dreaded phenomenon. She was repeatedly stabbed by Fayaz at B V Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering and Technology in Hubbali because she didn’t accept his relationship proposal. The two were studying there.
Hindus must realise that they are perhaps the most friendless people. They not only get persecuted by Abrahamics but also elements from their own community – like Rajdeep – who wish to ensure that Hindus remain immune to their own demise. The demographic threat does not disappear into the darkness if we close our eyes. Those like Rajdeep and the dubious NGOs certainly wish for you to believe it does. The only question now is will the Hindu community realise the imminent threat or continue to document their own end.
On Thursday (9th May), veteran Congress leader Jairam Ramesh courted controversy for sharing a news report, which claimed that the rise of India on the world stage under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a supposedly ‘a mirage.’
In a tweet, he wrote, ” Amazing that such a report would get such a prominent outlet. The devastating impacts of climate change? Wonder what the outgoing External Affairs Minister has to say about it.”
The article published by The Times of India relied on a dubious report, prepared by an NGO ‘Friends For Democracy’ which is run by the son of far-left billionaire George Soros.
Amazing that such a report would get such a prominent outlet. The devastating impacts of climate change?
The controversial report deliberately titled ‘Modi Mirage’ claimed to have surveyed just 3000 people, belonging to the UK, France and the USA, online to conclude that people in Europe view India less favourably under PM Modi as compared to previous regimes led by the Congress party.
The report prepared by Jonathan Soros-run-NGO alleged that 52% of British Indians dislike PM Modi while 65% of British Indians are supposedly concerned about religious violence in India spilling over to the United Kingdom.
Friends for Democracy claimed, “The majority of people in the US, UK and France are concerned about the state of human rights and democracy in India. So much so that they overwhelmingly want to see these issues made conditions of new trade and political negotiations.“
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) May 9, 2024
The NGO further alleged citing a report by V-Dem, “There is a virtual consensus among experts that concerns for India’s democracy and human rights under Modi are well founded.“
For those unaware of V-Dem, it is funded by the likes of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) and has been involved in anti-India propaganda for several years. OpIndia has previously reported that Soros has been eyeing a colour revolution in India.
Friends for Democracy further brazened out, “State machinery is being misused to oppress the opposition, as evidenced by a wave of arrests, Enforcement Directorate raids, and investigations opened against opposition leaders, while BJP own leaders enjoy total impunity. Twitter, X, and Apple have all sounded the alarm at illegitimate government abuse of their platforms.“
The report has been maliciously timed to coincide with the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in India in the hopes of influencing the political opinion of the electorates.
Anti-India activists behind ‘Modi Mirage’ report
Besides the NGO run by Jonathan Soros, several other anti-India propagandists had co-authored the report titled ‘Modi Mirage’ to allege that India’s global rise is a myth.
One of them happens to be Irfan Nooruddin, a Professor at Georgetown University in the United States. He has good ties with veteran Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who helped amplify the dubious report on India’s supposed perception in Europe.
The nature of the relationship is so strong that Nooruddin proudly flaunts engaging with Ramesh on the cover photo of his website.
Another co-author is Irfan Nooruddin of leftist lobby and good friend of @Jairam_Ramesh.
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) May 9, 2024
As pointed out by the popular X handle ‘Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network (SHHAN)’, Nooruddin has been involved in fearmongering about the state of Indian minorities in the US and calling for the interference of foreign nations in the internal affairs of the country.
“Vigilante groups – in a manner reminiscent of the darkest periods of American history – harass, beat, and murder Muslim men rumoured to be smuggling beef, dating a Hindu girl, or insulting a deity. No evidence is required…This offers an opening for the US government to call upon its alleged partner to speak more clearly and act more decisively to defend religious minorities.”
Prof. Irfan Nooruddin has been campaigning along with Jamat-e-Islami fronts to designate India as "Country of Particular Concern" by USCIRF. pic.twitter.com/5y5rv4HSBJ
— Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network (SHHAN) (@HinduHate) May 8, 2024
In September 2023, he was roped in by the controversial US federal commission ‘The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)’ to spread canards about India during a panel discussion.
Another academic by the name of Subir Sinha from the SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) in London has also been at the helm of whitewashing Islamist violence and falsely implicating Hindusidentifying the infamous 2022 anti-Hindu Leicester violence in the United Kingdom.
In the past, Sinha had disseminated lies about the 2002 Gujarat riots, the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A by the Modi government. He had also cast aspersions on the Indian democracy.
SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London will host an independent enquiry into the 2022 anti-Hindu #Leciester violence. The enquiry panel has 5 members all of whom have a history of #Hinduphobia and #HinduHate. Let's take a look at each one of them. 1/7 pic.twitter.com/fmMVzBZiZO
— Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network (SHHAN) (@HinduHate) June 9, 2023
Another co-author of the malicious report ‘Modi Mirage’ happens to be Riumbra Manuvie, who runs the controversial think-tank ‘Foundation The London Story (TLS)’.
In 2023, TLS had featured a ‘journalist’ favoured by ISIS, Meer Faisal, to give a clean chit to Muslim extremists who ran riots in Nuh in Mewat region of Haryana.
At that time, OpIndia had published a detailed story on Ritumbra Manuvie, who wrote multiple anti-India propaganda pieces for The Quint and The Print. She was also one of the organisers of anti-CAA protests outside the Peace Palace in the Hague city of Netherlands.
From Nuh to London: How a seemingly small Netherlands website spreads anti-Hindu propaganda and has links with ISIS quoted ‘journalist’, LeT linked org, leftists and more
Ritumbra Manuvie dubbed the Citizenship Amendment Act as ‘homeland purification’, encouraged the intervention of the European Parliament in India’s internal matters and misled people about Assam’s detention camps.
The propaganda artist was also seen endorsing the likes of Teesta Setalvad, who falsely tried to implicate erstwhile Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2022 Gujarat case. She carried out her disinformation campaign about CAA and NRC on the platforms of Oxford Law Faculty and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), well until November 2020.
India has been fighting a ‘perception war’ on all fronts since the start of 2023. On February 16 this year, George Soros exploited the Adani-Hindenburg controversy and launched a scathing attack on the Indian government.
He claimed, “Modi and business tycoon Adani are close allies. Their fate is intertwined…Adani Enterprises tried to raise funds in the stock market, but it failed. Adani is accused of stock manipulation and his stock collapsed like a house of cards.”
Soros accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of crony capitalism. “Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament,” he added.
The Hungarian-American billionaire also said that the ‘shakedown’ caused to the Indian markets due to the Hindenburg Research report will result in ‘much needed institutional reforms’ and ‘democratic revival’.
George Soros and his vicious ecosystem of NGOs, activists and journalists had been trying to prove PM Modi as an ‘electoral autocrat’ who needed to be ousted for the ‘greater good’ of this country. And it has been a work in progress for a long time.
The Hungarian-American billionaire has also tried to use international institutions, which are funded by him, including Freedom House and V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute to tarnish the image of India at a global level.
Sam Pitroda has been in the news, a lot, far more than Rahul Gandhi would like him to be. In between a rather depressing and sweltering election season, ‘Uncle Sam’ has been bringing some entertainment for the public with his truth bombs about the Congress’ manifesto and plans.
First, it was the inheritance tax that everyone in the Congress party was trying to claim they know nothing about. Pitroda announced that USA has it, so India should have it too. Even though Jairam Ramesh tried to distance Congress from Pitroda, he failed. How much can you distance the party from one of your most media-visible leaders who struts around as your Crown Prince’s most trusted advisor in big foreign lands and is seen sitting close to him, guiding him at every step?
As Pitroda was finally made to resign after the recent ‘South Indians look like Africa’ disaster, a clip of another superstar Congress leader is doing rounds in social media.
Big ?
Mani Shankar Aiyar says India shld give respect to Pakistan as it has Atom Bomb!
If we don't give them respect, they'll think of using Atom Bomb against India.
India showing muscular policy shld not forget that Pakistan also has Muscle (atom bomb) at Kahuta (Rawalpindi) pic.twitter.com/YYKFPfn2id
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) May 9, 2024
In the clip, the old ‘star pracharak’ and BJP’s lucky charm Mani Shankar Aiyar is seen saying that India must respect Pakistan because ‘unki bhi izzat hai’. Thanks for the news Mr Aiyar, we were not aware that Pakistan has any izzat.
He then proceeds to elaborate on his claim of Pakistan having izzat, saying that they have ‘atom bombs’. He then insists that the Modi government’s policy of not talking to Pakistan is very risky, because ‘some mad leader’ will go mad at the insult and may detonate their own bombs inside Lahore. If an atom bomb goes off in Lahore because some mad leader in Pakistan commits nuclear suicide, the radioactivity will reach Amritsar within minutes.
Curiously, Pakistani leaders claim the very same thing. They insist that every nation in the world, particularly India, must respect them because they have atom bombs. Sadly, nobody cares. One former minister named Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad had even claimed that they have Hindu-specific atom bombs that won’t harm the Muslims in India when detonated. Still, nobody cared.
Mani Shankar Aiyar further explains his logic, by saying that a muscular policy’ won’t work with Pakistan because of the atom bombs and hence the policy has been ‘failing’. Aiyer perhaps forgot that the UPA government policy of giving too much izzat to Pakistan had resulted in 26/11 and India’s inaction thereafter. But then, there is no reason to interrupt Mani Shankar Aiyer because he serves the purpose, of convincing Indians why Modi is necessary.
The video was shared 3 weeks ago by the channel ‘The Ewer (Chill-Pill)’. However, it seems to have escaped the social media buzz, because Sam Pitroda stole the show and hijacked the limelight away from Aiyar.
The full video can be seen here. The ‘atom bomb’ part can be seen from the 1.00.00 hour mark onwards.
Did Sam Pitroda steal the limelight away from MSA?
On 24 April, Sam Pitroda dropped the ‘inheritance tax’ bomb in the middle of a hot election season. Just when the Congress Party was busy trying to convince everyone that their manifesto isn’t a recipe for bankrupting India and they have good things planned, Pitroda literally told everyone that it is a very good policy for the government to take your inheritance away from your children. He even falsely claimed that even the USA does it.
Congress Party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh hurried to clarify, saying that it may be Pitroda’s personal opinion but not the Party stand, but it was already too late. Pitroda’s statements spread faster than lightning because as per Congress, it was Pitroda and Rajiv Gandhi who brought internet and telecom to India after all.
Congress had barely recovered from the inheritance tax disaster when Pitroda came again. This time, he had another bomb. “East Indians look like Chinese, South Indians look like they are from Africa, West Indians look like Arabs and North Indians look like White people”, the telecom revolutionary declared to a billion Indians with 5G internet connection.
Jairam did issue another clarification, but it was too much of a fiasco. Soon, Pitroda was made to resign from his position as the chief of the Overseas Congress.
Politically aware people who have witnessed the ‘neech aadmi’ unhe hatayiye, humko le ayiye’ remarks of Mani Shankar Aiyar in the past and have seen how it boosts the BJP’s campaign, were musing that Pitroda seems to be filling in the absence of MSA in the 2024 elections. However, it seems MSA was never away. He has been here all along, dropping his pearls of wisdom.
Barely days back, Congress had to face the embarrassment of being endorsed by Pakistan’s PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry. Whether they want it or not, their activities and statements are somehow aligned with that of Pakistan. And just like Pakistan, Congress hates Modi too. Mani Shankar Aiyar is a Congressi. A weird affinity for Pakistan is a feature, not bug.
Anyway, as both MSA and Sam Pitorda now have been distanced and sort of disowned by the Congress more or less, let us hope that they will use the telecom revolution Rajiv Gandhi bestowed upon us, and keep appearing with such gem statements once in a while to keep up the entertainment levels in politics.
Rejecting international pressure to halt the war in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that if “forced,” Israel will “stand alone” in its war against Hamas.
Netanyahu spoke after President Joe Biden said the United States would not provide offensive weapons for Israel’s long-promised assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
“As the Prime Minister of Israel, the one and only Jewish State, I pledge here today, from Jerusalem, on this Holocaust Remembrance Day, if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. But we know we are not alone, because countless decent people around the world support our just cause. And I say to you we will defeat our genocidal enemies,” Netanyahu said on Thursday.
The Israeli PM said that when Jewish people were defenceless 80 years ago, no nation came for their help.
“Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenceless against those who sought our destruction. No nation came to our aid, ” Israeli PM said in a fiery speech marking the country’s annual Holocaust memorial day.
“Today, we again confront enemies bent on our destruction. I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself,” he said.
Netanyahu added, “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails.”
Yom Hashoah, the day Israel observes as a memorial for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its allies in the Holocaust.
The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.
Israel has since, characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
On May 5, Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from the area of the Rafah border crossing and near an area where displaced Palestinians were sheltering in tents.
The barrage targeted the Kerem Shalom border crossing, killing four soldiers. Of all the Gaza border crossings, Kerem Shalom is equipped to handle the most humanitarian aid trucks daily. The crossing has been closed since the attack.
Hamas’s control of the border crossing allowed it to hijack humanitarian aid deliveries from Egypt.
In recent days, residents of certain Rafah neighbourhoods received phone calls, SMS messages, air-dropped flyers, and media broadcasts instructing them to evacuate to expanded humanitarian zones in Khan Yunis and the coastal area of Al-Mawasi.
The flyers included maps showing the affected zones, and aid organisations were updated on the evacuation plans.
Also receiving messages to evacuate were displaced Palestinians camping in a strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border known as the Philadelphi corridor. This buffer zone was created to prevent weapons smuggling after Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2006. But in 2007, Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from the PA.
At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Around 30 of the remaining 133 hostages are believed dead.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The 7th October Hamas attack on Israel, which witnessed mass rape, murder and kidnap of innocent citizens shook the entire world, however, the horrifying event was celebrated under the pretext of ‘resistance’ by extremists in different parts of the world. Likewise, Malmö, a coastal city in southern Sweden, experienced similar festivities on the fateful day, reported Ynet. With over 340,000 residents in the city and nearly double that number, if one considers its metropolitan suburbs, Malmö is the third-largest city in Sweden and is also regarded as the “most Muslim city” in the Nordic country.
40-year-old Irit Erlinski, a local kindergarten teacher, mother of three, and former Israeli, recounted, “On Saturday, even before I knew what had happened, there was already a convoy of cars beeping, and I said to myself that it was strange hearing wedding sirens so early in the morning.” It took her some time to grasp that they were celebrating the Israeli massacre.
All day long, there was a carnival with convoys of automobiles beeping excitedly, displaying flags of Palestine and Hamas, and even children dressed up as terrorists from Hamas. Erlinski noticed the difference right away in the most delicate location which is also the location of school of her kids. She added, “I went to the administrators, asking them to protect my son from the bullying he was experiencing at school, physically and verbally. I was very adamant. Two days later, people from welfare came to see why I was so nervous.” These violent celebrations and the subsequent anti-Israel protests that have been held in Malmö have involved thousands of Muslims residing in the area.
Interestingly, the seventh edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Sweden, with the city of Malmö serving as the host for the third time. A hundred thousand guests, an endless global celebration, flags, cultures, and some sparkles to the otherwise drab and languid metropolis. For the 50th anniversary of “Waterloo” and the nation’s first victory in the competition, there were even rumours of an Abba (Famous Swedish pop supergroup) comeback. The Swedes got ready for a week filled with peculiar performances, kitsch, awful music, and an excess of alcohol to make everything seem hazy. However, the plans were destroyed by the gut-wrenching terror attack on 7th October on Israel.
Now, Abba’s return was immediately forgotten, and the Middle East reality was thrust headfirst into an event whose primary purpose was escape. Nols Noling, the communications officer for the Malmö police remarked, “The song contest has become a reality.” After 7th October, the authorities recognized how difficult it would be to conduct a Eurovision contest in the city with the highest concentration of Muslims in Sweden. The official revealed, “Our intelligence works non-stop, and especially on social networks.”
He added, “We are prepared for any scenario, be it a shooting or a bomb or kidnappings. We have the tools and the personnel to handle it. There will be thousands of police officers from all over the country to help with security. But if the intelligence and the federal police discover that there is a concrete threat – one or more people with means, intention and purpose – then we will set the highest threat level 5 which has never been applied here before and then almost everything will be cancelled.”
A member of the Israeli delegation disclosed, “Usually, going to the Eurovision Song Contest is a trip that people fight over. This time everyone is trying to avoid it. They don’t want to go to Malmö because it is a Muslim and an unpleasant city. Everyone knows that it will be a travel which involves only hotel-concert hall, concerts-hotel trips, without any free time, without a traditional Israeli party, which is the most popular party at the Eurovision every year, and it feels like a bummer; and not just for us.” Eden Golan, the Israeli competitor who dedicated her entire life to be able to participate is forced into an advocacy battleground rather than performing a song and competing.
Incidents of vandalism in Malmo
Some of Malmö’s streets, particularly in the immigrant neighbourhood Rosengård, resemble an Arab city in the Middle East and conservative estimates place the number of Muslims there at 50,000, while there are likely even more. Some also address Malmö as “Ramallalmo.” Due to all of these factors, Malmö has emerged as one of the most intense hubs of opposition to Israel in Sweden and throughout Europe. However, the Eurovision, in which Israel is competing and the conflict in Gaza are suddenly a hot topic in the streets of the city.
The enormous Eurovision sign outside the “Malmö Live” concert hall, where it is scheduled to take place, was vandalised about a month ago with the words “Free Gaza” written on it along with red paint and what appeared to be bloodstains. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which also have a set day and place, occurred alongside the violent Saturday gatherings here. They are appealing for Israel to be eliminated from the Eurovision Song Contest and are protesting against Israel and the dispute in general.
The agitation appeared to be led by predominantly second-generation immigrants from the Middle East, and young Swedish leftists involved in the local movement. It presented an exemplary image of how leftists and Islamists feed off each other. One of the protesters wearing a black keffiyeh, a popular pro-Palestine status symbol complained, “We want the municipality to boycott the competition, to cancel it, to move it to another city or country. I think it’s a shame that a cultural event includes a country that is currently committing genocide.”
“Stop the Genocide” is written in white on the display window of a well-known hipster clothes boutique called “Bjork & Secondhand.” Beside the mannequins in the exhibit is a monitor that mimics a scoreboard from a Eurovision contest; however, instead of listing the participating countries, it lists all the “crimes” that Israel is alleged to have committed in Gaza. There are more placards with Palestinian flags inside the store, and there are more digital monitors with similar text behind the cashiers.
Meanwhile, Theresa from the company’s headquarters argued, “We want to stop the genocide and we use the shop window to provide information about the genocide conducted in Gaza. We criticize the Israeli government and its military operations. We don’t understand what the connection is between trying to prevent genocide and the anxiety among Jews in Malmö. There are many people who are against this genocide.”
However, a barista working at the adjacent “Espresso House” unveiled, “I think it’s not cool to do something like this to a country and its representatives who will come and stay here. But I can tell you clearly that since they started the campaign, their stores are full, much more than usual.”
Journalist Sofia Narbrand (50) has been a political editor of the well-known Swedish newspaper “Svenska Dagbladet.” She actively supported the city’s declining Jewish community and has taken part in pro-Jewish protests for more than ten years. She saw through her left-wing comrades’ contradictions a long time ago. She noted, “We are supposedly guilty for everything. Everything related to the West is bad, and Jews are the West. So, the Palestinians are the victims, here (in Malmö) and there (in Gaza). They are allowed to do whatever they like, and they can be forgiven for their attitude toward women, LGBT people, human rights, and their honour culture. It’s crazy self-hatred.”
She pointed out, “I like to be naive. We wanted to help them because we didn’t help the Jews in World War II, but all the trust we had was cracked. There are now discussions here about having separate days and hours for women and men in public pools. All the procedures taking place in the Ministry of Welfare and Immigration are done without a single word in Swedish. Single mothers earn less money than immigrants who decide not to work. There are teachers here who are afraid to report child abuse because they fear the parents’ reaction. That’s insanity. We thought we would pull them to the Swedish-secular culture, but the opposite is happening.”
She further divulged, “I want to go and show support for Israel during the Eurovision Song Contest, but the fear is already in me, and it upsets me, really upsets me, because I am a Swedish citizen just like them, and I am afraid to exercise the most basic right I have, to demonstrate. I go to pro-Israel demonstrations with sneakers and a small bag in case I have to escape. And what about them? They are not afraid to get together in their thousands screaming ‘from the river to the sea.’ They don’t see themselves as Swedes. They don’t care about us. It saddens me. We gave them everything, and we didn’t ask them to be blondes, only to respect the basic laws of the country that welcomed them, rescued them from the wars and gave them everything from day one. It’s not much to ask.”
The tense situation and the antisemitic incidents
The days between the 7th and 11th May, when Malmö is hosting both the competition and the two Eurovision semi-finals, are being held in this volatile atmosphere. This year’s organizers of the Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Malmö municipality, and the Swedish police are working nonstop in pursuit of a safe solution. A member of the Israeli delegation observed, “Normally, two months before the competition, we already have the entire itinerary, including security arrangements. But this time, everyone is telling us that due to security matters, no information will be provided to us until the last minute.”
“There was a Zoom conversation with all the participants and the EBU thought that all the mess outside would be under the responsibility of the Swedish police. But after a few minutes of conversation, several countries, including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Belgium, expressed grave fear for the lives and security of their delegations, and this already stirred things up, because it made it clear to the organizers that the participants were in panic. Besides, there is a huge fear of a cyber-attack that would stop the satellite broadcast or disrupt the vote and all of a sudden, the popular Eurovision slogan, ‘United by Music’ took on shades of ‘United by War’,” mentioned one person from the Israeli delegation.
Anti-Israeli graffiti in Malmö. (Source: Ynet)
Israel has already taken part in two Malmö Eurovision Song Contests. The Israeli entry “It’s Just Sport,” performed by Dafna Dekel, won the first one in 1992. The city’s characteristics were entirely different back then. Kobi Oshrat, the song’s composer, arranger, and conductor recalled, “I remember that when I was leaving for Malmö, I put on tefillin and they gave me a dollar bill to give it to someone poor, and we couldn’t find poor people in Malmö. There was no Muslim issue. The atmosphere was wonderful. Ehud Manor and I wrote a song for Dafna Dekal for her birthday called ‘Seventh of May’ and we sang it at a party for her. There were no security personnel and no instructions. We walked around freely.”
The next occasion was in 2013 when Moran Mazor sang the Israeli song “Rak Bishvilo” (just for him) and Malmö had already changed significantly. Alon Amir, then the delegation’s spokesman stated, “We were accompanied by at least five members of the Shin Bet and another 30 local policemen. We couldn’t move around freely. There were demonstrations held against us, and we always left through back entrances. Most of the delegation members were quite scared, but I attended a competition in Baku the year before, where we were guarded by dozens of Shin Bet and Mossad personnel, and they arrested about 40 terrorists who came to eliminate us, so as far as I was concerned, Malmo was considered a ‘summer camp.’ But it’s not a pleasant place. You feel like you’re in the crosshairs.”
Israel also participated in the 2009 Davis Cup, which was held in Malmö. A new chapter in the city’s relations with Jews and Israel began with this incident. The municipality decided to cancel the public match due to the possibility of disturbances. Although some questioned the competition’s sporting worth, the severity of the riots and their associated violence demonstrated that the decision was appropriate. Numerous antisemitic acts have been documented in Malmö since then, including the discovery of a can labelled “Zyklon B” outside the Jewish cemetery (Zyklon B was the poisonous pesticide used by Nazis to kill Jews in gas chambers), violent protests every time Israel and the Palestinians engaged in a military conflict and a local imam who called for the “slaughter of the Jews halal.”
This hatred even extended to the television series “The Bridge” which was filmed on the renowned Oresund Bridge which connects Malmö and Denmark. The show’s star, Kim Bodnia, left before the third season, citing discomforts she had living in the city as a Jewish person. Muslims were responsible for more than half of the events in the city that targeted Jews. According to Dr Persson, “Sweden is one of the places from which the most fighters left for ISIS but very few from Malmö. They say that Malmo is tough enough.” The approximately 3,000-person Jewish community in the area steadily declined to an estimated 500 or less now.
Peter is among the Jews who departed Malmö a few years back as a result of the drastic shift in the city’s population. He went to Sweden’s capital city of Stockholm, where he has been voting for the right-wing conservative “Sweden Democrats” in recent elections. The party is becoming more and more popular in Sweden. The “Sweden Democrats” struggled in their early years to distance themselves from their fascist and even Nazi origins (one of the party’s founders volunteered for the Waffen-SS). However, Jews like Peter also started to vote for the party when it declared a firm stance against immigration while also endorsing Israel. He claimed, “80% of Jews vote for this party.”
Dr. Persson noted that the ranking of the Israeli song will determine how strong the protests grow. “People will come here with the spirit of October 7 in mind. They don’t come here to have a quiet celebration. Now it is estimated that Israel will come in between third and tenth place, which means that they will make it to the final and that demonstrations will last longer, and they will become more violent if Israel competes for the first place.”
Demography is destiny
The situation in Sweden, especially in Malmö, as a result of the flood of Muslim immigrants serves as a sobering reminder of how demographics determine the destiny of any nation or location. It is important to remember that India has been dealing with this problem for many years. The minority Hindu population was targeted in Punjab during the Khalistan terrorism and the insurgency in Kashmir, all in the name of ‘freedom and resistance.’ The influx of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslim population in India has repeatedly shown itself to be a national security threat. How can anyone forget the 2012 Azad Maidan riots where even the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial was desecrated by protestors? The agitation was initiated by Raza Academy to protest against the alleged atrocities on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
A group of thousands of Muslims united under the Anjuman Ahle Sunnatul Jamat (ASJ) flag went on a rampage in Malda, West Bengal in 2016 over late Kamlesh Tiwari’s “anti-Islam” remarks. More than thirty people, including police officers, were hurt in vandalism that targeted the Kaliachak Police Station, the Block Development Office and public property. Several vehicles were also set on fire.
India witnessed similar protests after Mohammed Zubair of Alt News shared an edited clip of former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma in 2022. Murderous slogans like “Gustakh-e-Rasool ki Ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda” were heard all over India and Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan and Umesh Kohle in Maharashtra lost their lives merely for supporting her.
Hindus can not celebrate any festival in peace as reports of stone pelting and attacks on their religious processions are a common occurrence during these events. A startling example of the same came to the fore when on 31st July, an Islamist mob attacked the Jalabhishek Yatra procession organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in Nuh, Haryana. The violence claimed six lives. Vehicles were burnt and stones pelted at the VHP’s Jalabhishek Yatra as extremists unleashed violence against the Hindus in the Muslim-dominated region of Nuh, Mewat in Haryana.
This year, Haldwani violence brought to light that when confronted with extremists, even performing official tasks may turn violent. The unrest transpired on the evening of 8th February after the administration took measures to remove encroachments which resulted in the loss of life and property. The rioting resulted in five fatalities and hundreds of injuries including male and female (at least 250) authorities.
The daily headlines are dominated by stories about the sexual abuse, murder and oppression of Hindu women at the hands of Muslim males in the name of love jihad or unrequited love. Neha Hiremath (24) the daughter of Congress Corporator Niranjan Hiremath, was the most recent victim of the dreaded phenomenon. She was repeatedly stabbed by Fayaz at B V Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering and Technology in Hubbali because she didn’t accept his relationship proposal. The two were studying there.
The aforementioned incidents are only the tip of the iceberg of India’s dire future brought on by its rapidly changing demographics. Demanding that Hindus vacate their land on the grounds that it is reportedly Waqf property, infringing on government territory and the illegalsettlement of Muslim intruders in the nation all gravely compromise the security and stability of our country as they all are an integral component of shifting demography. Now, Europe is also enduring the same issues due to its liberal policies, vote bank politics and woke agenda as its common citizens bear the brunt.
