Bollywood’s pet PR agency run by entertainment journalist Viral Bhayani came under heavy criticism of netizens for a post he published on Instagram.
In this post, Viral Bhayani made light of the Hindu faith and Hindu Goddess Mother Sita saying that only her husband, that is Bhagwan Ram, and husband of Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani matter in India.
He wrote, “Nowadays only 2 husbands matter in India: Sita’s and Nita’s! smile emoji“
Screenshot of the controversial post by Viral Bhayani (image source: X)
A page combatting such anti-Hindu narratives on X lashed out at Viral Bhayani for the post and warned the latter to delete the insulting post.
Several other netizens joined in demanding that the post be deleted. Following the outrage, Viral Bhayani issued an apology.
Taking to Instagram, he wrote, “I apologise for this story, but I have no intentions to hurt any religious sentiments.”
He took to X writing, “Sorry if it hurt anyone. Im extremely sorry and have deleted the story.”
Screenshot of the apology issued by Viral Bhayani (image source: Instagram)
He added, “I deeply apologize on behalf of my team and myself for the story put up. It was just a forward and my team unintentionally put it up. But I realised that it was wrong and being an ardent follower of Shree Ram, i understand that I have hurt religious sentiments.”
Ayodhya Ram Mandir, and Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani’s pre-wedding celebrations were two of the most talked about events in the recent times. However, the apparent comparison that Viral Bhayani attempted to draw between Bhagwan Ram and Mukesh Ambani was in bad taste and trivialised the significant of the faith of crores of Hindus towards Bhagwan Ram.
Viral Bhayani is a content creator and entertainment reporter with 9.6 million followers on Instagram and over 10 lakh followers on X, formerly Twitter.
The Indian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) shall be implemented nationwide before the upcoming general election, according to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Center government. Furthermore, on 7th March Union Home Minister Amit Shah firmly reiterated that the CAA will be put into effect before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. On 6th March, the chief of police in Uttar Pradesh also stated that the authorities are prepared to execute the law in every situation.
The director general of police (DGP) Uttar Pradesh Prashant Kumar mentioned that the police personnel are gearing up for the national election. However, he stressed that strong preparations are underway to ensure the successful enactment of the CAA. He declared that Uttar Pradesh Police is ready to handle any conflict that is brought to their attention.
He noted, “The state’s law and order situation will not be let deteriorate in any manner. I assure everyone about it. We are fully prepared. We do data protection and also carry weapons and sticks which will be used lawfully if required.” He remarked that he is in communication with all religious leaders regarding the execution of the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
He also talked about updating resources including manpower and equipment. The top cop emphasised that there’s an atmosphere of investment and the ease of doing business is improving, hence nothing would be permitted to damage the state’s reputation. He vowed that there wouldn’t be any bloodshed as this was a part of his training and hard work. He mentioned, “Our field forces and equipment are ready to deal with any situation. We are exchanging information with all organizations.”
According to him, a team from the Election Commission spent three days in the state to assess the state’s law and order condition. The team also had discussions with state representatives during this period. He expressed satisfaction with the state of affairs and gave his word that the elections would take place in an environment free from violence and provocation. He pointed out that all our administrative machinery, field commanders, police commissioners, additional director general of police (ADG) zones and range chiefs are working to make sure that there is no law and order issue.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a significant announcement during his speech at the Republic Summit 2024. He highlighted that regulations pertaining to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 will be published before the upcoming Lok Sabha election in 2024. He announced, “CAA will be rolled out before the Lok Sabha elections. This is the law of the nation and nobody can stop it.”
He added, “The Constituent Assembly made a commitment with CAA. Millions of people from Bangladesh and Pakistan were migrating to India during the time of the country’s division. Then, the Congressmen had assured the nation that they would be welcomed, but they had forgotten their pledges in the frenzy to vote bank politics. It would be a betrayal if India forgot its commitment made on 15 August 1947 and did not offer them citizenship.”
“CAA is an act of the country, it will definitely be notified. It will be notified before the polls. CAA will be implemented by the polls, and there should be no confusion around it. CAA was a promise of the Congress government. When the country was divided and the minorities were persecuted in those countries, Congress assured the refugees that they were welcome in India and that they would be provided with Indian citizenship. Now they are backtracking,” he had observed while speaking at the ET (The Economic Times) Now-Global Business summit in the national capital in February.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the first-ever National Creators Award tomorrow at 10:30 am at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
The award has witnessed immense public engagement; more than 1.5 lakh nominations and around 10 lakh votes were cast.
Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion.
At 10:30 AM tomorrow, 8th March, I will be presenting the first ever National Creators Award. These Awards are a celebration of innovation, creativity and the remarkable spirit of the creator's community. https://t.co/3DSxBaeb7j
The National Creators Award is an effort to recognize excellence and impact across domains, including storytelling, social change advocacy, environmental sustainability, education, and gaming among others. The award is envisioned as a launchpad for using creativity to drive positive change.
The National Creator Award has witnessed exemplary public engagement. In the first round, more than 1.5 lakh nominations across 20 different categories were received.
Subsequently, in the voting round, about 10 lakh votes were cast for digital creators in various award categories. Following this, 23 winners, including three international creators, were decided.
The award will be provided across twenty categories including the Best Storyteller Award; The Disruptor of the Year; Celebrity Creator of the Year; Green Champion Award; Best Creator For Social Change; Most Impactful Agri Creator; Cultural Ambassador of The Year; International Creator award.
The categories also include the Best Travel Creator Award; Swachhta Ambassador Award; The New India Champion Award; Tech Creator Award; Heritage Fashion Icon Award; Most Creative Creator (Male & Female); Best Creator in Food Category; Best Creator in Education Category; Best Creator in Gaming Category; Best Micro Creator; Best Nano Creator; Best Health and Fitness Creator.
(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 caste system as we know it now is less than a century old, and the caste difference cannot be linked only to the ancient Varna system, stated the Madras High Court’s judgment as it condemned State Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks about Sanatana Dharma. Justice Anita Sumanth recognised that caste disadvantages persist, but added that the caste system as we know it today dates back less than a century.
The Court stated that Tamil Nadu has 370 registered castes and recognized tensions amongst castes. She went on to say that this hostility between people of different castes is due in part to the benefits provided to them.
“This Court agrees unequivocally that there are inequities based on caste present in society today and that they are to be eschewed. However, the origins of the caste system as we know it today are less than a century old. The State of Tamil Nadu has 370 registered castes and the State is a cacophony of pulls and pressures by groups of persons claiming allegiance to one caste or the other. This ferocity among persons belonging to different castes is also, in part, on account of the benefits made available to them,” the Court said.
The High Court said that Udhayanidhi Stalin was wrong in attacking the Sanatan Dharma over the current caste system. “The restrictive meaning attributed to the phrase Sanatana Dharma is clearly erroneous as Sanatana Dharma connotes that eternal, perpetual and universal code of conduct that is uplifting, noble and virtuous,” the court said.
Regarding whether these problems might be put wholly on the ancient Varna system, the Court stated, “This Court agrees unequivocally that there are inequities based on caste present in society today and that they are to be eschewed. However, the origins of the caste system as we know it today are less than a century old. Can one lay the blame for these torturous circumstances entirely on the ancient Varna system? The answer is emphatically in the negative.”
The Court accepted that people have attacked one another throughout history in the name of caste and ruled unambiguously that such acts are unacceptable.
To address past injustices, the Court stated that constant repair and damage control, as well as honest introspection on potential solutions to correct injustices and create equality, are required.
Furthermore, the Court held that the Varna system considers avocation rather than birth as the basis for partition. “The varna system does not contemplate division on the basis of birth, but based on avocation. The system was designed to work towards the smooth functioning of society centuries ago where the chief avocations were identified based on the then needs of society. The relevance of such a system today is itself moot,” it stated.
The order was issued in response to a petition brought by the Hindu Munnani against Stalin, State Minister PK Sekarbabu, and Member of Parliament (MP) A Raja, which questioned their continued office despite such statements. On September 2, 2023, at a conference hosted by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association in Chennai, Stalin stated that certain things should not only be resisted but abolished.
“Just as dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, and coronavirus must be eradicated, we must eradicate Sanatana,” he had stated, causing considerable indignation. Officers of the right-wing outfit Hindu Munnani then filed three writ petitions in the High Court, objecting to Stalin’s remarks.
They requested the issuing of a writ of quo warranto, requesting an explanation from Stalin, Sekarbabu, and A Raja as to why they were still holding public office after participating in a conference calling for the extinction of the Sanatana Dharma.
Stalin insisted that his remarks were not directed at Hindus or Hinduism, but rather against the caste system. On Wednesday, the Court condemned Stalin’s remarks but declined to remove him as a Minister. The Court stated that it could not issue such a directive unless Stalin was legally disqualified from holding the position.
The Court also stated that making unproven statements about Sanatana Dharma constituted promoting misinformation, but declined to issue a writ of quo warranto to remove Stalin as minister.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank Indonesia (BI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday for establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies – the Indian Rupee (INR) and the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) for cross-border transactions.
The MoU was signed by the Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das and the Governor, Bank Indonesia, Perry Warjiyo.
The MoU on establishing a framework for cooperation in the area of cross-border transactions in local currencies between India and Indonesia, aims to promote the use of INR and IDR bilaterally.
The MoU covers all current account transactions, permissible capital account transactions and any other economic and financial transactions as agreed upon by both countries.
“This framework would enable exporters and importers to invoice and pay in their respective domestic currencies, which in turn would enable the development of an INR-IDR foreign exchange market. Use of local currencies would optimise costs and settlement time for transactions,” RBI said in a statement.
This collaboration marks a key milestone in strengthening bilateral cooperation between RBI and BI.
“Use of local currencies in bilateral transactions will eventually contribute to promoting trade between India and Indonesia as well as deepen financial integration and strengthen the long historical, cultural and economic relations between India and Indonesia,” the central bank.
Indian rupee from being a relatively weak currency started its journey toward internationalisation. The value of a country’s currency and its usage for global trade are among the key indicators for gauging its economic stride.
Banks from over 20 countries have opened special Rupee vostro accounts in Indian banks in order to trade in local currency as part of gradual de-dollarisation plans, the Parliament was informed in 2023.
Simply put, vostro accounts enable domestic banks to provide international banking services to clients who have global banking needs.
The Reserve Bank of India in 2022 put in place an arrangement, allowing transactions in domestic currencies to promote the growth of global trade with an emphasis on exports from India and to bring in increasing interest towards the rupee.
The internationalisation of the rupee gathered steam following the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) announcement of a mechanism to settle payments for international trade in rupees, especially for India’s exports. The RBI allowed invoicing and payments for international trade in Indian Rupee on July 11, 2022.
Experts widely believe if the mechanism fructifies then it may go a long way in internationalizing the Indian currency rupee in the long run. A currency can be termed “international” if it is widely accepted worldwide as a medium of exchange. (ANI)
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Following the directive from the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with probing illegal madrasas has submitted its findings to the administration. The report advocates for the closure of approximately 13,000 unauthorised madrasas. Many of these Islamic institutions were discovered to be situated near the Nepal border. Moreover, investigations revealed that these illicit madrasas were established within the past two decades, with funding predominantly sourced from Gulf nations.
According to reports, Among the 13,000 madrasas flagged for action, a significant number is distributed across seven districts, including Bahraich, Shravasti, and Maharajganj. Notably, each border district hosts over 500 of these madrasas. However, when the SIT probed into their financial records, they encountered a startling revelation: these madrasas were unable to provide any account of their income and expenditure.
The team has raised suspicions that these madrasas were established as part of a meticulously orchestrated conspiracy. Funds potentially collected for terrorist financing may have been routed through hawala channels to construct these madrasas.
The suspicion continues to mount as during the investigation, officials questioned how the madrasas were built, to which the response was simply “with donation money.” However, when authorities pressed madrasa operators to disclose the donors’ identities, no information was provided, indicating a lack of transparency in the funding sources.
Apart from this, it has also been revealed that sexual abuse of children has also been happening in these madrasas. Also, it has come out that the children studying here have problems in getting a job. Out of the 23,000 madrasas scrutinised by the SIT, 5,000 received provisional recognition. Simultaneously, some institutions appeared disinterested in adhering to the standards required for recognition. Remarkably, only 5,000 madrasas in the state demonstrated no issues in this regard.
OpIndia prominently highlighted the issue of illegal madrasas in 2022, with over 25 ground reports addressing the matter on our website. These reports shed light on the demographic shifts observed in villages bordering Nepal, as well as incidents of love jihad in these areas.
On Thursday (7th March), senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain shared a video from his X handle appealing to Hindus to come forward and start worshiping in the disputed ‘Adina mosque’ in the Malda district of West Bengal. He said that he has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.
Notably, the disputed ‘Adina mosque’ was built by Sikandar Shah of the Ilyas Sultanate in 1373-1374 using the ruins of the Adinath Mandir which he destroyed at the time. The disputed structure is listed by ASI as a monument of national importance.
Advocate Hari Shankar Jain said, “In the Malda district of West Bengal, there is a so-called mosque. It is called the Adina mosque. It was built by demolishing a grand Hindu temple. This took place during the reign of Sikandar Shah who ruled that area from 1363 to 1374. He demolished the temple and built the mosque.”
He added, “It was a grand Hindu temple. Many of its symbols are still present. There are not one but as many as thirty-two photographs which clearly show that this was a grand temple and that it was demolished. In this regard, I have written a letter to the honourable Prime Minister. I have requested that Puja worship should take place in this so-called mosque and Hindus should be allowed to worship there. Because it is in the possession of ASI. It is the duty of the ASI that religious processions should take place at the monuments as per their respective religious character. As per section 16 of the Ancient Monuments Act, it is ruled that the place should be used for worship in the way it was originally meant to be as per the religious character.”
He further said, “I have written a letter to the honourable Prime Minister, honourable Home Minister, and all the concerned officials and urged that Hindu Puja Path should be started in this place. I request all my fellows and all the Hindus in the country to come forward to secure their rights.”
Notably, the disputed ‘Adina mosque’ is one of the biggest mosques in West Bengal. It made headlines in May 2022 when the Shivling in the wazukhana of the disputed structure in the Gyanvapi Complex of Varanasi was found during the advocate commissioner’s survey.
At that time, West Bengal’s state BJP vice president Rathindra Bose visited the ASI monument in Malda and shared information about it in an X post. He wrote, “What ancient history is sleeping under the Adina Mosque? Adina Masjid is the largest mosque in West Bengal located at Mauza No. 39 of Gajol Police Station in Maldah District. But this is not universally true.”
1.1 আদিনা মসজিদের তলায় কি ঘুমিয়ে রয়েছে সনাতনী ইতিহাস ?
— Rathindra Bose (Modi Ka Parivar) (@rathindraOFC) May 30, 2022
He added, “The Adinath Temple sleeps under this Adina Masjid. Jitu Sardar gave his life to save this temple. That history is unknown to many. He was martyred while protecting the temple from the British and Muslim rulers.”
1.2 এই আদিনা মসজিদের তলাতেই ঘুমিয়ে রয়েছে আদিনাথ মন্দির। এই মন্দির উদ্ধারে প্রাণ দেন জিতু সর্দার। সেই ইতিহাস অনেকেরই অজানা। ইংরেজ ও মুসলিম শাসকদের হাত থেকে মন্দির রক্ষা করতে গিয়ে শহীদ হন তিনি।
— Rathindra Bose (Modi Ka Parivar) (@rathindraOFC) May 30, 2022
He further wrote, “During Adina’s visit to the disputed place yesterday with local MLA Mr Chinmoy Dev Barman, this topic kept recurring in his mind. Kashi’s Baba Vishwanath regained his respect. Is it now Adinath’s turn?”
1.3 গতকাল আদিনা সেই বিতর্কিত স্থান স্থানিয় বিধায়ক শ্রী চিন্ময় দেব বর্মনের সাথে পরিদর্শনকালে বারবার মনের মধ্যে ঘুরে ফিরে এই প্রসঙ্গই আসছিল। কাশীর বাবা বিশ্বনাথ তো সম্মান ফিরে পেলেন। এবার কি তবে পালা আদিনাথের ?
— Rathindra Bose (Modi Ka Parivar) (@rathindraOFC) May 30, 2022
The call by senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain for Hindus to be allowed to worship at Adinath temple provides impetus to the ongoing movement of reclaiming Hindu religious structures and temples which were demolished by Islamists in the Mughal era to built mosques. Hari Shankar Jain’s son Vishnu Shankar Jain is representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi case as well.
As for the disputed ‘Adina mosque’, it was last in news in February this year when a group of Hindus led by a young priest named Hiranmoy Goswami performed puja inside its premises.
Goswami, who had visited the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-listed monument, spotted idols of Hindu deities and a Shivling. Soon after, he along with his followers began performing puja and reciting mantras next to the Shivling.
In the meantime, local Muslims in the area notified the police. Soon after, the Hindu priest was stopped from conducting rituals by assistant sub-inspector Navin Chandra Poddar, who told Goswami that he could not offer his prayers at the disputed mosque.
This led to a heated argument between Hiranmoy Goswami and the police official. On being asked about his crime, Poddar told the Hindu priest, “Your crime is that you are offering ‘pranam’ wherever you want. This cannot be done here.”
On Thursday (7th March) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Srinagar to unveil development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore. Taking to X, PM Modi shared some pictures of the majestic Shankaracharya Hill as he arrived in Srinagar.
“Upon reaching Srinagar a short while ago, had the opportunity to see the majestic Shankaracharya Hill from a distance,” PM Modi wrote. Notably, this is PM Modi’s maiden visit to the valley since the abrogation of Article 370 by his government. Notably, Shankaracharya Hill holds special importance for Hindus, and the Islamists have been attempting to ‘Islamise’ it by giving it Islamic names.
Upon reaching Srinagar a short while ago, had the opportunity to see the majestic Shankaracharya Hill from a distance. pic.twitter.com/9kEdq5OgjX
Hindus say that Adi Shankara, a Hindu scholar, saint and preacher, visited the temple on top of the hill. Adi Shankara is the name of both the hill and the temple atop. Hindus visit the temple during the Amarnath Yatra. During the yatra, Lord Shiv’s sacred mace is brought to the temple.
The Prime Minister calling the said mountains Shankaracharya Hill holds immense significance given the past attempts at Islamising the place as ‘Takh-e-Suleman’. There have been countless efforts to erase the Hindu heritage across the country, but none at the scale seen in Jammu and Kashmir.
Historically, the hills where the Shankaracharya Temple is situated have been known as the Shankaracharya Hill and Hariparbat, however, back in 2013, a major protest erupted in Srinagar after it was alleged that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) renamed Shankaracharya Hill to ‘Takht-e-Suleman’. The displaced Kashmiri Pandits alleged that the ASI has distorted the history of the ancient Hindu monument.
Back then, Predhuman K Joseph Dhar, an expert on ancient Kashmir history had said the ASI not only renamed the place but also replaced the earlier plaque with the one mentioning the name of the place as ‘Takht-e-Suleman’.
“It is a matter of great concern that ASI has given the name Takht-e-Suleiman (Throne of Solomon) to it, replacing the earlier plaque. How have they come to this conclusion warrants an answer,” Dhar said.
According to the new plaque, Shah Jahan, the Mughal ruler, built the roof of the Shankaracharya Temple in 1644 AD. However, it made no mention of King Gopadhari, who repaired the temple, or King Lalitaditya, who refurbished it centuries before Islam arrived in the valley in the 13th century.
“While the plaque informs the people that the roof of the temple was constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1644 AD, there is no mention of King Gopadhari, who [repaired] the temple, King Lalitaditya, who renovated it several hundred years before the arrival of Islam in the 13th century, and Dogra rulers, who placed the lingam of Lord Shiva, which was destroyed on the orders of Jehangir’s wife Noor Jehan, ” Dhar said.
During a protest in Pune against the alleged renaming of the Hindu heritage site after Islamic names, Rohit Bhat, Pune coordinator for Youth 4 Panun Kashmir had said that hat after throwing out Kashmiri Hindus and Nationalist forces from the Valley, a planned activity is going on to convert the state to an Islamic state and destroy and distort the places of worship and faith of Kashmiri Hindus, the aborigine of the Kashmir. He further said that it is a matter of shame that such a change in the name of the pious hill is even reflected in the official tourist website of the Jammu and Kashmir government.
As OpIndia checked the website of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC), it mentions the Shankaracharya Hill as Takht-e-Suleiman.
“The Shankaracharya temple is housed in the Srinagar district on the hill known as Takht-e-Suleiman. It is at a height of 1100 ft. above the surface level of the main city on the peak of the hill. The Shankaracharya Mandir in Kashmir is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is thought to be the oldest shrine for worship in the Kashmir valley. The temple as it is today has undergone many repairs throughout its life. Ever since under the rule of Lalitaditya and then repairs were undertaken by Zain-ul-Abideen after the temple got damaged in an earthquake. The repairs were also carried out during the Governorship of Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Dogra ruler, who is credited for the stone steps that form a part of the passage to the shrine. In 1925, the electrification of the temple was done,” the JKTDC website states.
Screengrab of the J&K Tourism Development Corporation website
It is pertinent to mention here that in the year 2014, the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah had ‘assured’ that “there is no proposal to change the name of the Shankaracharya Hill.” He even dismissed the claims of the renaming of the Hindu heritage site as a ‘figment of imagination.
“Let me be as clear as I can – there is NO, repeat NO proposal by the state to change the name of Shankaracharya Hill in Srinagar. I had wanted to stay out of this discussion since it was based on the figments of some very active imaginations but no such luck,” Omar Abdullah stated.
Notably, the most important information about its history is provided by an old historian named Kalhana in Rajatarangni, the renowned historical chronicler of the monarchs of Kashmir and Northwest India. Kalhana’s work is regarded as an authority in the study of the history of Kashmir.
According to Kalhana, the hill was originally known as Jeetlark or Jetha Larak later as Gopadari Hill. He further states that King Gopadhitya gave the Brahmins who had arrived from Aryadesa (Aryan region) land at the foot of the hill. The land grant was named Gopa Agraharas.
Hari Parbat renamed as Koh-e-Meran
After their ethnic cleansing and exodus attempts were made to even erase the remaining few traces of Hindu existence in Jammu and Kashmir. Hari Parbat, which overlooks the town of Srinagar, is home to a temple dedicated to Jagadamba Sharika Bhagwati, Gurudwara Chatti Patshahi, and other Muslim shrines. However, the name Koh-e-Maran has become popularised.
In the year 2016, a Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department advertisement explicitly referred to Hari Parbat as Koh-e-Marran, giving the name de facto validity. Koh-e-Maran means “mountain of snakes” in Farsi, the name is claimed to have originated during the Mughal era. The blatant attempt at Islamising the Hari Parbat was met with severe criticism and outrage by Kashmiri Pandits who alleged that it was part of “a deep-rooted conspiracy.”
In addition to the government, the local media outlets also contributed to normalising and popularising the Islamic names of Shankaracharya Hill and Hari Parbat. These media outlets went all out to pass off the Islamisation of Hindu religious sites as ‘syncretic culture’, ‘religious bonhomie’ and whatnot.
The Islamisation of Kashmir post-independence, however, started in the 1980s under the Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah-led government. According to a study, the drive for Kashmir’s Islamization had begun in earnest. Sheikh Abdullah had renamed around 2500 villages to Islamic names in the 1980s. The goal was to break away from Kashmir’s pre-Islamic heritage and traditions.
Excerpt from a study titled “Kashmir Conflict” by Priyanka Bachaya and Sumeet Bhatti
Several towns having Hindu names were given ‘Islamic’ names including Anantnag, which was renamed “Islamabad”; Ramghat Mohalla in Baramulla was renamed “Sayeed Karim Sahib”; Post Office Road in Baramulla was renamed “Shah Masal Market”; and others.
It is widely known that the separatists/Islamists referred to the town of Anantnag as Islamabad, which is known for the remnants of the Martand Sun Temple, which were destroyed by Sikandar Butshikan (Sikandar the iconoclast). Anantnag relates to Vishnu’s Sheshanag, but it also means “numerous springs” in Kashmiri. It is said that the history of the town’s name dates back to the Puranas.
There have been ongoing efforts to impose the name Islamabad instead of Anantnag to alienate the town from its Hindu history and roots While in the 1990s it was made mandatory by the Islamic terrorists later, their sympathisers and politicians furthered their agenda.
Back in 2010, Jammu and Kashmir’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar had called Anantnag as ‘Islamabad’ in the then-state legislative assembly.
Notably, the Martand Sun Temple is believed to have been built in the eighth century, but it was nearly destroyed multiple times between 1389 and 1413. The Martand Surya Temple, dedicated to the Sun God or Bhaskar, is said to have been constructed in the eighth century AD by Hindu king Lalitaditya. Lalitaditya was a surya (Sun) Dynasty Kshatriya.
Other than Islamist terrorists and politicians, Bollywood has also contributed in enormous measures to the Islamisation of the once Hindu land of knowledge, wisdom and science in addition to furthering Hinduphobia.
In 2014, filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj faced severe condemnation for slandering Hindu customs and hurting Hindu sensibilities by joining the ranks of Islamists and portraying Kashmir’s historic Sun Temple in his film ‘Haider.’
Shahid Kapoor starrer Haider went on to allude to one of the country’s greatest temples, the Surya Mandir, as Shaitan Ki Gufa in one of its songs, ‘Bismil,’ which features Shahid dancing inside the Hindu temple.
Kashmir, one of the cradles of Hindu civilization, had witnessed antagonistic foreign rulers from the early fourteenth century until the reign of Shah Mir in 1819 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh liberated the region. The indigenous people had a little respite from the violent Islamic invaders during the reigns of Sikh-Dogra rulers between 1819 and 1930.
Invasions, genocides, exoduses, Islamisation, politics and propaganda, Islamists have used all the means at their disposal to erase the Hindu history of Kashmir. Interestingly, Maa Sharada, a manifestation of Maa Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom, is revered as the tutelary deity of the Hindu Kashmir. Even the prayers refer to her as “Kashmira-pura-vasini” (she who resides in Kashmir).
Beginning in the 1930s, Kashmir was once again infected by Islamism, with critical figures like Sheikh Abdullah. Ironically, Sheikh Abdullah himself was a descendant of a Kashmiri Pandit Ragho Ram Kaul.
However, as the country experiences an unprecedented Hindu resurgence with the recovery of the Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Modi’s reference to Shankaracharya Hill by their original name rather than the imposed Islamic names demonstrates that Hindus will not perish in oblivion.
In a major legal development against child marriage in Assam, a district court in Morigaon has delivered a historic verdict by sentencing one man to life imprisonment while another has received a 20-year jail term in a child marriage case.
Samiran Baishya, Additional Superintendent of Police of Morigaon district said that, on March 6, in a judgment in connection with Moirabari police station Case No-182/21, under Section 120(B)/376DA IPC R/W-Sec 6 of POCSO Act and R/W sec 9/10/11 of prohibition of Child marriage Act, accused Amir Ali has been convicted rigorous Imprisonment for life and accused Ferdus Alom has been convicted for 20 years of Rigorous Imprisonment by the Additional Sessions Judge cum Special Judge (POCSO), Morigaon.
“It is to be mentioned here that while monitoring the process of trial it has come to light that one person, Merajul Islam, had threatened the victim and other witnesses to depose evidence in favour of the accused and also offered gratification. Accordingly, he was arrested from the court premises and forwarded to judicial custody. Case reference Morigaon police station case number 14/ 24 U/S 195A/214/506 IPC,” Baishya said.
Earlier, the Assam government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had launched a massive crackdown against child marriage with police arresting more than 4000 people across the state.
Recently, the Assam government repealed the Assam Muslim Marriages & Divorces Registration Act, 1935.
Meanwhile, CM Sarma had pledged that he will not allow child marriages in Assam as long as he is alive.
Earlier in a rousing speech in the Assembly, he challenged his political opponents, saying, “I would like to challenge you politically. I will shut down this shop before 2026.”
“Hear me carefully, as long as I am alive, I will not let child marriage take place in Assam. This will not be allowed to happen as long as Himanta Biswa Sarma is alive. I would like to challenge you politically, I will shut down this shop before 2026,” he had said.
The Assam CM has vowed to eradicate child marriage in the state by 2026.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
An incident of gang rape involving two minor sisters from Hamirpur was reported at a brick kiln in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. In this case, both the victim sisters committed suicide. On Thursday (7th March), reports emerged revealing that now the father of the victim has also committed suicide. Following the tip, the police officers arrived at the scene and took stock of the situation. The police have taken charge of the body and are investigating the case.
According to the reports, a family resident of the Sisolar police station area of Hamirpur used to work at a brick kiln in Ghatampur, Kanpur. Two of the girls belonging to the family were brutally gang-raped and a video of the incident was shot by the accused. After this both the sisters committed suicide by hanging themselves. In this case, the police have arrested all the accused.
It is alleged that after the arrest, the brick kiln operator pressured the family to resign and threatened them. Hurt by this, the victim’s father decided to commit suicide. The police reached the spot after receiving information about the suicide. The authorities then took possession of the body and sent it for post-mortem.
The accused persons, in this case, have been identified as Ramswaroop, Rajju, and Sanju who were closely associated with the brick kiln operator. They first made two minor girls drink alcohol and then gang-raped them. The accused also made a video of the incident and used it to blackmail the family.
Hurt by this, both the girls committed suicide by hanging themselves from a tree near the brick kiln on 29th February. In this matter, the police registered a case and arrested the three accused Ram Swaroop, Rajju, and Sanju. Objectionable photos of both girls were found in the mobile phones of Rajju and Sanju, which were sent by the police for forensic investigation.
It is claimed that since the event, the brick kiln operator has been pressuring the victim’s family for a compromise. Threats were also being issued to the family.
Following this, the victim girl’s father committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree along a drain about one and a half km from the village. Police arrived bearing details and took stock of the situation. According to Sisolar police, the Panchnama of the dead has been filled and the body has been sent for a post-mortem. Further investigations are underway.
