The Pune police Crime Branch has arrested two doctors from Sasson Hospital in the luxury car accident case where two motorcycle-borne persons were killed earlier this week in Pune city.
As per the police, the doctors have been arrested on the charge of manipulating blood samples.
The minor accused was taken to the hospital for a medical check-up on the day of the accident on May 19.
The arrest came after it was discovered that the minor’s blood report was changed with those of another person who had not consumed alcohol.
Earlier, the Crime Branch unit on May 25 morning arrested the grandfather of the minor accused in the case.
The commissioner of Pune city police, Amitesh Kumar said that the grandfather of the accused was arrested and a separate FIR has been registered against him under IPC sections 365 and 368.
The driver Gangadhar had complained to police alleging that he was taken to the accused grandfather’s home against his will on the night of May 19 when Gangadhar was leaving the Yerawada Police Station.
The accused grandfather and his father allegedly threatened Gangadhar, snatched his phone and forcibly kept him confined in their bungalow in an attempt to force him to take responsibility for the crime instead of his minor grandson.
The minor ploughed his swanky Porsche into the two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike, killing them on the spot.
Two young IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh, identified as Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhia, were killed in the accident on the night of May 19.
The accused has been detained at an observation home on the order of the Juvenile Justice Board. He was earlier granted bail in the case but was later sent to the observation home for 14 days till June 5.
The accused teenager’s father, who was arrested earlier, is lodged in Yerawada Central Prison after he was granted judicial custody for 14 days.
Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of victims who died in the Pune accident also held a protest in front of PMC on Sunday demanding justice for them.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
China has accelerated the mass exodus of Rural Tibetans – villagers, nomads and herders – on the pretext of “poverty alleviation” and environmental protection since 2016, a recently published report by Human Rights Watch has revealed. While the Chinese authorities claim that these “relocations” are voluntary, the report claims otherwise. It highlights how China has been using extreme pressures to force Rural Tibetans to give “consent” to these relocation measures.
The HRW has released a 71-page report after analysing over 1,000 Chinese state media reports, government publications and corroborations by Tibetans. It also includes three case studies including video footage. It details how Chinese officials use various ‘methods’ and ‘arguments’ to obtain the “consent” of residents to relocate their villages. The HRW report, titled, “Educate the Masses to Change Their Minds –China’s Forced Relocation of Rural Tibetans” was released this week on 21st May.
According to China’s official data, more than 930,000 Tibetans in rural areas have been relocated since 2000. An alarming 76% of these relocations occurred after 2016. Since 2016, officials in the Tibet Autonomous Region have relocated or are currently relocating 500 villages with over 140,000 residents to new locations, often hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from their homes.
The Chinese authorities call this “whole-village relocation” program. The report highlights that it amounts to forced eviction (forced mass exodus) and is in violation of international law. While the Chinese government claims that relocation is ‘voluntary’, Tibetans are barred from returning to their former homes. According to the report, officials put pressure and threaten rural Tibetans not just to relocate but also to demolish their current homes within a year of relocating.
According to the report, this makes rural, unskilled Tibetans who were dependent on agriculture and allied activities, and who lived a nomadic lifestyle, become economically indebted to Chinese authorities and forced to do labour to earn a living after ‘voluntary relocation.’
Even surveys conducted by official scholars at relocation sites in Tibet found that many relocated individuals “cannot find suitable jobs to support their families” and that “satisfaction with relocation is low.” A 2014 review of an earlier relocation program in eastern Tibet revealed that even after 10 years, 69% of relocatees were still facing financial difficulties, and 49% wished they could return to their original homes on the grasslands.
China claims there is mass popular wish to relocate, report list extreme pressures that Chinese officials are using to coerce Tibetans
The Chinese government documents claim that there is a “mass, popular wish” to relocate because of unsustainable ecological conditions in a particular location. They make misleading claims that these relocations, done under coercion by authorities, will “improve people’s livelihood” and “protect the ecological environment.”
The 2018 White Paper on Poverty-Alleviation Relocation claimed that in all cases, “the poor have a strong desire to relocate, but are unable to relocate due to their own abilities and income levels.” It concluded by stating that in these programs “the Chinese government complies with the people’s desire for a better life.”
The acting China director at Human Rights Watch, Maya Wang said, “The Chinese government says that the relocation of Tibetan villages is voluntary, but official media reports contradict this claim. Those reports make clear that when a whole village is targeted for relocation, it is practically impossible for the residents to refuse to move without facing serious repercussions.”
Wang added, “The mass relocations of rural Tibetan villages are severely eroding Tibetan culture and ways of life.”
According to the report, as per the Chinese government policy in Tibet, every household in every village that is targeted has to give consent to relocation. The Human Rights Watch found multiple references in Chinese media that showed Tibetan villagers were initially reluctant to relocate.
In one instance, 200 out of 262 households in a village in Nagchu Municipality initially resisted relocating to a site nearly 1,000 kilometers away. However, the government asserted that everyone eventually agreed to move “voluntarily.” According to the Chinese officials, they get success in getting total consent because of “publicity work” and “door-to-door ideological work” carried out by their officials.
(A Chinese Communist Party deputy secretary of Gonjo county visits households to pressurise them to give consent to proposed relocation program in Sa-ngen, Tibet Autonomous Region, March 2024, Image Source – Human Rights Watch)
According to the report, higher-level authorities routinely characterize the relocation program as a “non-negotiable”, “politically critical policy” coming straight from the national capital, Beijing, or from Lhasa, the regional capital. Following the dictates from Chinese higher officials, the local officials exhibit no flexibility in implementation at the local level and use every means possible to obtain 100% agreement from rural Tibetans to relocate.
(A Tibetan villager giving consent to be relocated to Sinpori, a mass resettlement site 60 kilometers southwest of Lhasa. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)
(Google Earth image showing Sinpori mass resettlement site, December 25, 2020. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)
For this, Chinese government officials are systematically using extreme forms of pressure to coerce rural Tibetans into relocating from their long-established villages. These methods include persistent assurances of economic benefits, intrusive home visits, denigrating their intellectual ability and capacity to make decisions different from those of the officials, denigrating Tibetan culture and beliefs, and implicit threats of cutting essential services like water and electricity.
It also includes intrusive home visits and after each time, officials of increasing seniority visit families repeatedly at their homes putting pressure on them to give their “consent”. They openly threaten villagers who don’t give consent. They accuse them of “spreading rumors” and direct officials to crack down on such actions “swiftly and resolutely” which means initiation of administrative and criminal penalties against such residents.
Additionally, they lure villagers to relocate by claiming economic betterment, but each targeted village has to reach a ‘consensus decision.’ Therefore, if some individual Tibetan households are hesitant to opt-out, additional peer pressure is imposed on them.
(Official ceremony in August 2023, celebrating the mass relocations of 6,000 herders to Xiangheyuan. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)
The Chinese government’s efforts to assimilate Tibetan education, culture, and religion, along with relocating rural communities, severely damage Tibetan culture and lifestyle. These programs move farmers and pastoralists to areas where they can’t continue their traditional work, forcing them to become wage laborers in other industries.
Furthermore, in 2016 China’s 13th Five-Year Plan began and since then, Chinese authorities in Tibetan areas have been carrying out five main relocation programs, four of which take place in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).
Another relocation program is known as “individual household relocation”. Under this program, Chinese officials force ‘poorer households’ to relocate to sites which according to them are more suitable for income generation. Since 2016, it has forcibly relocated 567,000 people under this program in the occupied territories of Tibet.
Apart from relocation, the Chinese government is also subjugating the Tibetan population to adopt Sedentarization – The process by which a nomadic group transitions to a lifestyle of living in one place. Since 2000, 3.36 million rural Tibetans have been affected by other government programs which have forced them to rebuild their houses and adopt a sedentary way of life if they were nomads.
(Google Earth images from March 2009 to December 2022 show extent of urbanisation of the Sangmo village area in Tolung Dechen District as China is trampling nomadic lifestyle of Tibetans and economically subjugating them. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)
Under another relocation program called “Extremely High Altitude Relocation”, the Chinese governments have forced even Rich Tibetans to relocate.
The Human Rights Watch had earlier also highlighted the concerns of Rural Tibetans and how China has been taking steps to accelerate mass exodus of Tibetans. Earlier in 2007, HRW published a report titled, “No One Has the Liberty to Refuse”. Likewise, in 2013, it released a second report which was titled, “They Say We Should Be Grateful” which highlighted the increasing evidence of settlement and sedentarization of Tibetan herders.
Between 2017 and 2021, the Chinese officials also ran another relocation program, “Construction of Well-off Villages in the Border Areas of the TAR”. It relocated Tibetans and other local ethnic groups to newly built or reconstructed villages along Tibet’s borders to protect China from “infiltration” by “anti-China forces” in neighbouring Himalayan countries. Official media reports state that 241,835 people were “involved” in the program, but they do not specify how many were actually relocated.
Tibet has been under the illegal occupation of China for over 60 years and it has refused to negotiate with Tibetan leaders since 2010. The Chinese government describes Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lamai as a “separatist” seeking independence for Tibet, a claim denied by the Dalai Lama.
A case of land jihad has come to light from Nepal’s Mahottari district. Several Hindu organisations have stated that Rohingya, Bangladeshi, and illegal Muslim immigrants from other countries have hatched a conspiracy to grab the land of an ancient temple. Notably, the land belongs to the ancient temple of Laxminarayan Math, which locals refer to as Mathihani Math. This temple is said to be the largest monastery in Nepal and is hundreds of years old.
It is alleged that illegal Rohingya, Bangladeshi, and Muslim immigrants from India have been trying to grab the land of this ancient temple for a long time. For this, they hatched a conspiracy and initially established a temporary slum on the temple land and later set it on fire. After the mysterious fire incident, they started building permanent structures here. Subsequently, several Islamic organisations both in Nepal and abroad started donating money to construct these permanent structures. However, after several Hindu organisations registered strong protests, the Nepali administration prohibited any kind of construction on this land.
OpIndia spoke to Rajesh Yadav, President of the Hindu Samrat Sena Nepal, regarding this matter. Yadav stated that Mathihani Math is the main center of faith for Hindus not only in Mahottari but also in the entire border districts of Nepal and India. This temple complex spans thousands of square meters and houses a Gurukul where hundreds of students from around the world receive education in Sanskrit and the Sanatan way of life. It is believed that the first Gurukul in Nepal was established within this monastery. Additionally, there is a Gaushala on the premises. Every year, millions of Hindus participate in the parikrama (circumambulation) and festivities held here.
Rajesh informed OpIndia that around 20% of the population in the Mathihani Municipality of Mahottari is Muslim. This population has been increasing gradually due to the influx of Rohingyas, and Muslims from Bangladesh and India. About 2 years ago, temporary structures were erected by Muslim infiltrators on the vacant land of the temple. Initially, a few Muslim families started living here by setting up tents, and within just 2 years, around 80 Muslim families had settled in this area. There are 7-8 Hindu families living in this Muslim ghetto. However, local Hindu organisations consider this as a shield to disguise the conspiracy hatched by infiltrators.
(Names of Muslim ‘victims’ whose houses were burnt in the fire incident)
After some time, these illegal immigrants replaced tents with makeshift huts and declared the same place as their settlement. They started activities like scrap work, which later extended to setting up vegetable and fruit shops. About a year ago, the temple administration issued notices to these illegal immigrants to vacate the land but it did not affect them. It is alleged that some political parties have also provided protection to these infiltrators. Additionally, incidents like theft and robbery have also increased in this area.
Speaking with OpIndia, Rajesh Yadav further stated that in April 2024, a suspicious fire broke out in the slum area. All 80 huts were engulfed in flames, reducing to ashes. There were no casualties reported. It was reported that the fire, which started in the house of a Muslim family boiling an egg, quickly spread across the entire settlement. However, various Hindu organisations, including the Hindu Samrat Sena, say that the incident was a conspiracy. Following the incident, all Muslims started saying in unison that their identification documents and government papers were burnt in the fire.
It is alleged that this is a conspiracy to prove Rohingya, Bangladeshi, and other Muslim infiltrators as Nepali citizens. Soon after the incident, Muslim organizations from Nepal and other countries began rallying behind this settlement. On social media, the Muslim settlers were portrayed as helpless and vulnerable, and appeals were issued to help them. The first demand for this aid was to provide permanent homes for over 80 families. Some Nepali parties initiated efforts to convey this demand to the government, with leftist parties taking a lead role.
We were told that within a few days, crores of rupees were also collected. Crowds started gathering for donations on the temple land as well. Clothes, rations, and other essentials were the main items in this donation. Many Muslim groups in Nepal started organizing rallies from village to village. In this rally, the banner demanding permanent homes for all Muslims affected by the fire on the temple land was at the forefront. Upon seeing the signs of permanent construction, the temple management issued appeals to the Nepali administration to save their land. However, their appeal had no effect on the Nepali administration.
Finally, Hindu organisations intervened in this matter. Since May 2024, several groups, including the Hindu Samrat Sena, launched grassroots campaigns against this encroachment in villages and cities. People were also alerted about the possible conspiracy on social media. The Nepali government and local administration were also warned through memorandums that if the temple land was encroached upon, there would be protests. Seeing the increasing tension on both sides, the administration became vigilant.
It is said that in the first week of May, the Nepali administration initiated an investigation into this dispute. Until the investigation report is released, all types of construction, temporary or permanent, have been halted. Police patrols on the temple land have been increased. Despite administrative strictness, the Muslim side is not willing to vacate the land of the monastery. Still, some individuals from the Muslim community are clandestinely carrying out temporary constructions on that land. The Muslim community is being led by Kaleem Ansari who is the President of Ward Number 6 of Mathihani Municipality.
The list of those affected by the fire includes 7-8 houses of Hindus as well. Rajesh Yadav told OpIndia that this handful of Hindu families are themselves being victimised by the Muslims. Additionally, they are willing to cooperate with the Nepali administration in every way.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting to review the response and preparedness for Cyclone ‘Remal.’
Cyclone Remal is to make landfall today, at midnight between Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts, as per IMD.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast significant weather disturbances for the state of Tripura in conjunction with Cyclone Remal.
As per the IMD, from May 26-27, light to moderate rain and thunderstorms with lightning are predicted across Tripura. South, Gomati, Dhalai, Sepahijala, Khowai, and West districts are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall, with squally winds reaching 50-60 kmph, gusting up to 70 kmph. North and Unakoti districts are also expected to witness heavy rainfall.
“From May 27-28, the weather will intensify, with extremely heavy rainfall anticipated in Gomati and Sepahijala districts. Other regions, including South, Dhalai, Khowai, North, Unakoti, and West districts, will see heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and squally winds,” the IMD said.
From May 28-29, light to moderate rains will persist, with thunderstorms and heavy rainfall predicted for the North, Unakoti, and Dhalai districts. The remaining districts will likely experience thunderstorms with lightning.
IMD has urged the residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings and advisories issued by local authorities. Preparations should be made to secure homes and livestock, and emergency supplies should be gathered in anticipation of prolonged power outages and potential flooding.
Meanwhile, Eastern Railway has opened helpline numbers at Howrah and Sealdah as Remal is expected to build into an intense cyclonic storm.
Eastern Railway has already implemented various measures to ensure safety and minimize the impact which include activation of a disaster management team, round-the-clock monitoring of control rooms by the senior officers, regular monitoring of wind speed at multiple locations, continuous monitoring of cyclone-related information and keeping liaison with the Meteorological department.
Helpline Numbers issued at Sealdah: 033-23508794 (DOT) and 033- 23833326 (Auto Phone).
Notably, flight operations between Kolkata and Agartala have been suspended with the cancellation of all arrivals from Kolkata till Monday morning as Cyclonic Storm “Remal” intensifies over the Bay of Bengal.
According to Agartala airport authorities, all flight arrivals from Kolkata to the city have been cancelled till 9 am on May 27.
“All flights arriving from Kolkata to Agartala are cancelled till 0900 hrs on 27 May 2024. Passengers are being informed by the concerned airlines. Other flights arriving from Delhi, Bangalore, and Guwahati are operating normally. Updates for air traffic will be provided further,” Agartala airport authorities said in a statement.
The storm, expected to bring maximum sustained wind speeds of 110-120 kmph with gusts up to 135 kmph, is likely to make landfall around 11 pm on Sunday near Khepupara in Bangladesh and Sagar Islands in West Bengal.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
A shocking case has come to light in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, where Rizwan Khan raped a minor girl for six months and recorded her explicit video on camera. He even forced her into a physical relationship with his friends and made her do his household chores. Police have taken two accused into custody and started interrogation. A complaint was filed on 25th May in which the accused’s mother Mumtaz and another youth are also named.
According to media reports, the incident took place in the Sadar Bazar police station area of Agra. The aunt (mother’s sister) of the 17-year-old girl lodged a complaint with the police and revealed that the latter’s friend Nitin called her to meet him about 6 months ago. Both of them met in an unoccupied railway quarter where Nitin took her clothes and molested her. Rizwan Khan, who lived nearby, secretly made a video of the two on his mobile and started blackmailing the underage female.
He sexually violated her multiple times over the period of six months by threatening her with the explicit clip and also pushed her to do his household work. On 22nd May, she told her aunt about the atrocities being committed against her and refused to work at Rizwan’s place which angered him and his mother and they threatened to make the video viral she did not return to work immediately.
The aunt went to their place to talk to them but in response received death threats from the pair. The culprit also showed the lewd footage to the aunt and his mother forwarded it to the mobile phone of the girl’s cousin sister. The complainant has demanded strict action against them. The cops have also booked Nitin along with Rizwan Khan and his mother.
Action has been taken against all of them under sections 376(2)(n), 354, 354-B, 504 of the Indian Penal Code along with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act and Information Technology (IT) Act. According to media reports, two perpetrators have already been nabbed and questioned. The police are investigating the case and pursuing further legal action. OpIndia has a copy of the First Information Report.
On Saturday (25th May), another I.N.D.I. Alliance partner of Congress, VCK Founder Thirumavalavan made disparaging remarks against Sanatan Dharma. He alleged that “Sanatan terrorists are moving freely with weapons” while armed Maoists have to hide in the jungle. Notably, the Founder of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) Thirumvalavan presented the annual ‘VCK Awards 2024’ started by the party in Chennai. He gave the annual ‘Ambedkar Sudar’ award to actor Prakash Raj. The party gave several other awards to leftist ‘activists’ and political leaders.
Speaking at the event, Congress’ I.N.D.I. alliance partner VCK founder extended the grand old party’s “Saffron terror” conspiracy theory and claimed that Sanatan terrorists are roaming freely on stages with Ministers. VCK and Congress are in alliance under the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the VCK founder Thirumvalavan has been a close ally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and joined his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai.
He said, “Sanatana terrorists will take any position. They will take any decision. Those belonging to the ML movement (referring to Communist Party of India – Marxist Leninist Liberation) carry weapons, hide in forests, and live a life of clandestine. Sanatana terrorists are living within our house and roaming around with weapons. They’ve created a convenience where Sanatana terrorists can come to your house and kill you. A Marxist-Leninist person has to keep changing his name to remain absconding. He’ll be hiding in forests. For him to ‘finish a job’, things are not conducive. But Sanatana terrorists bear weapons and roam on stage in India. That’s important.”
The I.N.D.I. alliance leader added, “VCK understands that it is important to work with minorities to take on the terrorism of the right wing.”
“They’re not running and hiding anywhere, and don’t live a life of clandestine. Like how Maoists hide in Andhra forests, they don’t hide. They’re on stage, with Ministers. They roam around with weapons. In such kind of a situation, people like Prakash Raj should be protected, that has been my concern. Even if he says that there’s no need for any award, I wanted to shake his hand, wish him, and encourage him. I wanted to tell him to be careful, that’s why I took this initiative,” Thirumavalavan added.
Referring to the killings of Gauri Lankesh, Kalburgi, Narendra Dhabolkar, and Govind Pansare, he further alleged that the establishment is committing atrocities.
OBC should be politicised: VCK founder
He went further to note that Non-Dalits, especially, the OBCs should be politicised. He said, “Who is Modi? Who is Amit Shah? Who supports the politics of saffronisation of Tiruvalluvar by Governor R.N. Ravi? Who is Annamalai? Periyarism and Marxism should be spoken in the ‘Oor’, not in the Dalit neighbourhoods. The OBC communities should be politicised.”
Speaking at the party’s award show, Thirumvalavan claimed that Sanatan Shaktis can create a thousand Modis and if the incumbent PM loses, it can create individuals who are a thousand times stronger than Modi.
He further said, “It cannot be assumed that if PM Modi loses, everything will be fine. A thousand Modis can be created by Sanatana Shaktis (Sanātana). If Modi loses this election they can create people who are a thousand times stronger than Modi. After June 4th they will run away. But it should be prevented from coming back. It cannot be that we have defeated a party in the elections and everything is over.”
After receiving the award, Prakash Raj delivered a speech during which he reportedly mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him a test tube baby.
He said, “Our work does not end here. I don’t fear that he will come back. He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is now scared. We have to work towards ensuring that people like him shouldn’t come back again. Political parties will come and go, but people are permanent. If we elect the wrong party, it is the people who will lose. The fear, humiliation that people have faced in the last ten years…we have to work to ensure they don’t come back again.”
On Sunday (26th May), the Goa state President of the Aam Aadmi Party, Amit Palekar threatened a political commentator, Abhishek Banerjee, with arrest for writing a post about Francis Xavier and the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Taking to X, Palekar tagged the Goa Chief Minister and senior Police officials demanding immediate criminal action and arrest of Banerjee alleging that he made a post that “hurt the religious sentiments” of Goans and Catholic Christians.
Notably, on Saturday (25th May), author and Political commentator, Abhishek Banerjee shared a post about the Jesuits which was co-founded by Francis Xavier, and the religious outfits’s involvement in slave trading. Banerjee wrote, “This is Francis Xavier. Many middle-class Indians think the Jesuit order, which he founded, is some icon of education. The bitter truth is that the Jesuits used to own nearly 20,000 slaves at one point…More people should know about these horrors…”
This is Francis Xavier
Many middle class Indians think the Jesuit order, which he founded, is some icon of education
The bitter truth is that the Jesuits used to own nearly 20,000 slaves at one point…
Responding to the post, the AAP Goa President charged Banerjee with hurting religious sentiments and called upon the state administration to arrest him for sharing the post.
Palekar wrote, “Call upon CM @DrPramodPSawant to take immediate criminal action and arrest @AbhishBanerj for the below post by him and hurting the religious sentiments of lakhs of Goans not just catholics but us all Goans. @DGP_Goa @Goa_Cops. I hope you remember what our PM said during election speech in Goa unless it was fake.”
Call upon CM @DrPramodPSawant to take immediate criminal action and arrest @AbhishBanerj for the below post by him and hurting the religious sentiments of lakhs of Goans not just catholics but us all Goans. @DGP_Goa@Goa_Cops. I hope you remember what our PM said during election… pic.twitter.com/9hZc2XjQpx
Retorting to the AAP leader’s threat of arrest and criminal action over the post, Banerjee stated that he merely quoted well-documented facts. He replied, “Sir, I am merely quoting Encyclopedia Britannica. This is a well-documented fact.”
AAP leader alleges Jesuits’ ‘slave trade’ post hurt religious sentiments, the Jesuits website admits that it was involved in slave trading
It is pertinent to note that while the AAP leader alleged that the post hurt religious sentiments, the official website of the religious order, the Jesuits, admits to an inglorious history of slave ‘ownership, renting, and borrowing’.”
The website’s, ‘What we have Learned’ section, admits that the followers of the Jesuits “owned, rented and borrowed” slaves to build, expand, and sustain the missionary work and “educational institutions” of Jesuits in the US.
It states, “The Society of Jesus participated in the institution of slavery in North America from the colonial era until the passage of the 13th Amendment. The involuntary labor of the people the Jesuits owned, rented, and borrowed helped establish, expand, and sustain Jesuit missionary efforts and educational institutions in colonial North America and, over time, across the United States. The Jesuits’ use of enslaved labor is a legacy shared by all Jesuits and Jesuit institutions.”
It adds, “We learn more every day about the lives of the people the Jesuits held in bondage.”
(The Jesuits admitted about the Slave trade, media reports highlighting the extend of it and narrating the ordeals of the enslaved people)
Notably, the colonial powers driven by religious zeal followed the evil practice of the slave trade and committed other atrocities in virtually all their colonies to plunder their resources, cultural subjugation, and annihilation of their native culture and civilisation including in India.
Additionally, according to media reports in 2021, the Catholic order, the Jesuits, pledged $100 Million to “atone for slave Labour and sales”. As per reports, it was one of the largest efforts by an institution to atone for slavery and move to benefit the descendants of the enslaved people, the Jesuits once owned.
The church officials and historians said that the move by the leaders of the Jesuit conference of priests represents the largest effort by the Roman Catholic Church to make amends for the buying, selling, and enslavement of Black people.
(Document listing names of Some Slaves, Image Source – The New York Times)
According to the Rev. Thomas R. Murphy, a historian at Seattle University, the Jesuits believed that the enslaved had souls, but they also viewed Black people as “assets to be bought and sold”. At the time, the Catholic Church did not view slaveholding as immoral.
According to a New York Times report, the Jesuit records show that priests baptized the children of the enslaved, blessed their marriages, and required the people they owned to attend Mass (religious gathering). It also documents whippings, harsh plantation conditions, families torn apart by slave sales, and hardships experienced by people shipped far from home as the church expanded.
The report added, “Can a man serve God faithfully and possess slaves?” Brother Joseph Mobberly, S.J. asked in his diary in 1818. “Yes,” he answered. “Is it then lawful to keep men in servitude? Yes.”
(Snippets from media report stating that several top universities were built/sustained on enslavement funds)
Additionally, according to media reports, America’s most prestigious colleges and universities – Georgetown in Washington, DC, Boston College, Fordham University in New York, Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the university named for the founder of the Jesuits, St Ignatius of Loyola in Baltimore, Maryland – owe their existence to the money the Jesuits raised in the early 1800s from the sweat, toil, and blood, “drawn”, as President Abraham Lincoln said in his Second Inaugural Address in April 1965, “with the lash”.
Francis Xavier: From spearheading the Inquisition of Goa to tormenting the lives of local Hindus
Francis Xavier is the co-founder of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) along with Ignatius of Loyola and others. Apart from the Jesuits’ inglorious history of the slave trade, Francis Xavier spearheaded the Inquisition of Goa.
‘Saint’ Francis Xavier set foot in India in the newly established Portuguese colony in Goa on 6th May 1542 to spread the message of Jesus Christ. ‘Saint’ Xavier is a revered name globally, with many a teaching institution named after him across the breadth of India. However, he has a dark legacy of not only justifying practices like the Inquisition but orchestrating them, mass conversions of local populations in the Indian Subcontinent.
He thought of dark-skinned natives as ‘devils’. In The Letters and Instructions of Francis Xavier, he wrote that Indians made for poor vocations due to their lack of commitment — both to the order and to celibacy.
However, in the annals of Indian history, he began to be described as the Modern day ‘Goencho Saib’ (Father of Goa). Click here, to read about the atrocities committed during his period and why his arrival in India is considered a dark chapter that initiated the Goa Inquisition.
Hindu gods & their idols are as dirty as they are ugly & horrible to look at. Witnessing the destruction of temples & idols gives me so much joy. – St. Francis Xavier, the chief architect of the Goa inquisition that led to the conversion, torture, and murder of countless Hindus. https://t.co/wbthFqVxZG
Making denigrated remarks about Hindu deities, he wrote, “Indians being black themselves, consider their own color the best, they believe that their gods are black … the great majority of their idols are as black as black can be … and seem to be as dirty as they are ugly and horrible to look at. Witnessing the destruction of temples & idols gives me so much joy.”
On 26th May, Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal alleged in a social media post that she is getting rape and death threats since she accused AAP’s supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s Personal Secretary Bibhak Kumar of assaulting her. In a long post on X, Maliwal said that the threats were amplified after propagandist YouTuber and AAP cheerleader Dhruv Rathee made a “one-sided” video against her.
She called out party leadership and said that they tried to intimidate her into withdrawing the complaint she filed. “However, for Dhruv, I tried my best to reach out to him to tell him my version but he ignored my calls and messages,” she added while saying that Rathee ignored her messages and calls. Maliwal added, “It is shameful that people like him, who claim to be independent journalists could act like other AAP spokespersons and victim-shame me to the extent that I am now facing extreme abuses and threats.”
After the leaders and volunteers of my party i.e. AAP orchestrated a campaign of charachter assassination, victim shaming and fanning of emotions against me, I have been getting rape and death threats.
Moving ahead in the post, she said that in his 2.5-minute video against her, Dhruv Rathee failed to mention that AAP took a u-turn on its stand after accepting the incident happened. For those who are unaware, a day after the alleged assault, AAP leader Sanjay Singh on-camera admitted that Maliwal was assaulted by Kumar.
She mentioned how Rathee did not talk about the injuries revealed in the MLC report. He also failed to mention that Kumar’s phone was formatted before Delhi Police confiscated it. Furthermore, he did not mention Kumar was arrested from CM’s residence, the crime scene where the incident happened. She questioned, “How a woman who always stood for the right issues, even went to Manipur alone without security could be bought over by the BJP?”
Maliwal also shared some screenshots where she got rape and death threats as replies to the stories on Instagram.
Swati Maliwal Assault Case
On 13th May, the for Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief, current Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal accused the former Personal secretary of Arvind Kejriwal of assaulting her. In her complaint, Maliwal has alleged that Kejriwal’s personal Secretary Bibhav Kumar slapped” her at least seven to eight times while she continued screaming and brutally dragged her while kicking her in her chest, stomach, and pelvis area. According to the Delhi Police FIR, Maliwal described the events of May 13 when she had gone to the Civil Lines residence of Chief Minister Kejriwal. The Delhi Police have arrested Kumar in this case.
In Kumar’s remand application, Delhi Police submitted that the attack on the AAP MP could have been fatal.
The Police also mentioned in their remand request that Bibhav Kumar admitted to formatting his Apple iPhone 15, and the phone needs to be taken to Mumbai to recover the data, for which his police remand was needed. Notably, as per the Police, CCTV footage from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence during the period of assault on May 13 has turned out to be blank. It was also reported earlier that Delhi Police may add a destruction of evidence charge against Bibhav Kumar for deleting CCTV footage and formatting the phone.
Meanwhile, as the entire Aam Aadmi Party, except DCW member Vandana Singh, has started a campaign against Maliwal calling her allegations “false” and labelling her a “traitor and a BJP agent”, she recently warned her party against using such tags for her stating that she will take Kejriwal and company to court for every lie spread against her.
Dhruv Rathee and his AAP connections
Dhruv Rathee, though claims to be an intependent YouTuber, apparantly has deep and old connections with AAP. An X user Porus shared a video from 2015 that was shared on AAP’s official Facebook Page. That video contained Rathee’s name as “Video Editor”.
I got a solid proof to prove that he is a member of AAP IT cell , this will be the last nail in his coffin.
I'm here attaching a video which is posted from “AAP"s official facebook profile
Go the the end of that video and see who is the editor of that video, our own DR? pic.twitter.com/sMpiK0ZcSn
The authorities have booked a priest of a temple named Mahant Mukesh Goswami for allegedly installing a CCTV camera in a roofless women’s bathroom in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The examination of the CCTV cameras placed in the area produced some startling findings. The CCTV and its DVR contained recordings of 320 women and girls.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Vivek Chand Yadav, the CCTV and its DVR were discovered in the bathroom. The DVR included five days’ worth of data. The accused’s cellphone, which displayed live CCTV footage, was also examined. He is currently absconding. Two police teams have been deployed for his arrest and he has approached Allahabad High Court for anticipatory bail.
Meanwhile, police and corporation officials revealed that he has illegal constructions and shops on government land which faced bulldozer action. He was also arrested in Meerut in 2007 after he threatened and extorted Rs 50,000 from a doctor. Afterwards, he was arrested twice in 2018 for cutting and selling unauthorised wood. He was also running an illegal stall on the banks of Holy Ganga.
गाजियाबाद : महिलाओं के चेंजिंग रूम में CCTV कैमरा लगाकर Live फीड देखने वाले महंत मुकेश गोस्वामी के अवैध निर्माण पर बुलडोजर चला। महंत ने गंगनहर किनारे 10–12 अस्थाई दुकान सिंचाई विभाग की जमीन पर खुलवा रखी थी। महंत फरार है, तलाश जारी है।#Ghaziabad#Uphttps://t.co/xFflE7jRUZpic.twitter.com/xshzfFh6oS
According to authorities, the issue was discovered when a mother and her 14-year-old daughter went to the temple on 21st May and spotted a CCTV camera aimed at the roofless washroom. Vivek Chandra Yadav stated, “The woman noticed that the CCTV camera installed on the top was focused on the room where women change their clothes.” His cellphone, which he used to view the women was connected to the CCTV. Mahant Goswami became enraged and began to yell obscenities when the woman questioned him right away to inquire about the CCTV camera. According to the DCP, he threatened her with dire consequences if she told anyone about the camera. She then filed a First Information Report at Murad Nagar Police Station.
The official added, “After getting a complaint, the Muradnagar police lodged an FIR on Friday. When the police team reached the temple to arrest him, he was not there.” Police have registered a case under sections 354 (criminal assault on woman), 354 C (watching or capturing an image of women engaged in a private act), 504(intentional insult) and 506 (Criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against him and further inquiry is underway.
He mentioned that his mobile was also apprehended for analysis, however, no footage was found on it. Both the DVR and the mobile are being sent to the forensic laboratory for investigation. The device was confiscated on 22nd May while the offender was still at the temple. The police hold off on making an arrest until after the victim testifies in court in such cases. The perpetrator fled the scene as soon as she testified in court. Currently, police units are searching for him in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Haridwar.
On 25th May, a team from the irrigation department demolished the washroom. Additionally, other encroachment was cleared, a day earlier with a bulldozer. Heavy police force remained deployed in view of the protest. The Irrigation Department was in charge of Ganganahar Ghat twenty years ago. The culprit started living there after his arrival in 2004 and gradually settled in this place. He constructed several temples on the ghat (riverbank) and erected a washroom outside the temple. The CCTV was installed in a way that no one would able to spot it, per the police. Furthermore, the majority of the local girls used to visit this place. The motive behind the offensive act is also being probed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come forward to assist Kerala in a bid to alleviate the state from the economic crisis as the Centre has sanctioned borrowings up to Rs 21,253 crores.
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to social media platform X to announce financial support from the Centre to Kerala.
In a post on X on Saturday, Chandrasekhar mentioned, “PM @narendramodiji’s govt steps up to assist Kerala’s economic crisis Government of India sanctions borrowings up to Rs 21,253 crores till December 2024…..”
PM @narendramodi ji's govt steps up to assist Kerala’s economic crisis
Government of India sanctions borrowings up to Rs 21,253 crores till December 2024.
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar ??(Modiyude Kutumbam) (@Rajeev_GoI) May 26, 2024
The move comes as Kerala grapples with various economic challenges, including salary delays for government employees and stalled development projects.
In his post, Chandrasekhar revealed that the Government of India has sanctioned borrowings of up to Rs 21,253 crores for Kerala until December 2024.
This substantial financial aid aims to address the state’s pressing economic needs and facilitate the execution of critical projects for the welfare of its citizens.
While announcing the assistance, Minister Chandrasekhar emphasized the importance of utilizing the allocated funds efficiently and transparently.
He urged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to ensure that the funds are utilized judiciously for the welfare of the people, without any instances of leakages or corruption.
“I urge @pinarayivijayan to use funds properly for the welfare of the people of Kerala, without any leakages & corruption,” the Minister added.
In addition to the financial assistance, Minister Chandrasekhar called upon the Kerala government to take immediate action on key initiatives to address the state’s economic challenges effectively.
Payment of salaries and pensions for government employees, including those of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees, who have been facing financial hardships due to delayed payments.
Execution of the Coastal Protection and the Mini Harbour Project, vital infrastructure projects aimed at safeguarding coastal areas and promoting maritime activities.
Completion of the ongoing recruitment process for the Coastal Police Officers (CPO), ensuring the reinforcement of coastal security measures.
Acceleration of pending development projects, particularly focusing on Thiruvananthapuram, to spur economic growth and enhance infrastructure in the region.
Earlier, Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal had expressed concerns that there has been a reduction in the percentage of funds that the southern state is getting from the Centre.
“The funds collected by the Union (government) increased 11 times during this period but the increase in tax to Kerala is only 8.8 times which means there is a sharp decline. So the reduction is huge and that is why states like Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, and West Bengal are raising this issue,” Balagopal said.
Kerala Finance Minister further stated that the state government is facing a shortage of funds to meet the expenditure for its social schemes.”We are facing the problem of giving minimum necessary things as well. We have to give pensions to 62 lakh families who were entitled to one. However, the release of these pensions are getting delayed because of lack of payments from the Union,” he added.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
