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Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun celebrates Rajouri terror attack, incites Kashmiri separatists to hold referendum

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun celebrates Rajouri terror attack, incites Kashmiri separatists to hold referendum

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun sheltered in the United States has mocked the terrorist attack in Rajouri on Friday, 22nd December. Four Army personnel were martyred in the attack and two soldiers have been injured.

In a press release issued under the banner ‘Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front (KKRF)’, Pannun justified and even celebrated the ambush on two military vehicles in Rajouri which occured on 21st December. The note has been shared on social media platform X.

The subject line on the press note read, “Ambush on Indian Soldiers Is “Consequence” of India’s Violence Against Kashmiris”. The note is dated same as the date of the terrorist attack.

Referring to Kashmir as “India occupied”, Pannun blamed the presence of the Indian Army and accused it of “genocidal violence”. Speaking the Pakistani ISI’s language, Pannun called for a referendum.

Giving the example of banned terrorist outfit “Sikh For Justice” Khalistan referendum aimed to separate Punjab from India, Pannun called on terrorists to organise a “Kashmiri Independence Referendum”.

As per the note, Pannun is also the co-spokesperson of Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front (Source: @saket71/x)

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is mentioned as co-spokesperson of KKRF in the press release.

A record of threats issued by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun against India and Hindus

A day after the Parliament security breach on 13th December, SFJ released a poster showing Pannun standing with a photo of the attack and text annoucing a reward for the accused.

The terrorist announced Rs 10 lakh in legal aid for the four accused in the Parliament security breach incident.

On 18th November, the terrorist issued another threat to shutdown the ICC World Cup final between Indian and Australia in Ahmedabad.

On 4th November, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun released a video issuing threats to the Indian government. He threatened to blow up an Air India flight and appealed to Sikhs in the world not to travel by Air India from 19th November onward, saying that it can be life-threatening.

An FIR was filed against him on 29th September for issuing threats ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup match between India and Pakistan.

He also threatened Canadian Hindus in September amid the tensions between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

How Khalistani Pannun works with ISI to stir the separatist movement in India

On September 23, National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated the properties of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in Sector 15 C Chandigarh.

As per a dossier shared by the NIA with other agencies in the world, Pannun wants to create Khalistan by cutting Punjab and parts of Himachal and other states and divide India into multiple parts.

The dossier noted that Pannun “has challenged the unity and integrity of India by audio messages” and “wants to create a separate country for people of Kashmir… and create a Muslim country”.

It added, “wants to seduce the Muslims (and) create a Muslim country that he wants to name as ‘Democratic Republic of Urdustan’, and that he is radicalising people in Jammu and Kashmir to enable the latter’s separation from the Indian Union.”

Billionaire Len Blavatnik, who has given $270 million so far, pauses donations to Harvard amidst anti-semitism controversy

OpIndia Staff
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Billionaire Len Blavatnik, who has given $270 million so far, pauses donations to Harvard amidst anti-semitism controversy

In a major blow to the University of Harvard, its major donor and billionaire philanthropist Leonard V Blavatnik aka Len Blavatnik has paused donations to the varsity amidst the controversy around its handling of anti-semitism on campus.

Citing a source privy to the matter, Bloomberg reported, “His family foundation has given at least $270 million to Harvard, but it’s pausing donations in the wake of university President Claudine Gay’s widely derided congressional testimony on antisemitism.”

Reports say that Blavatnik is the most high-profile donor to date to sever philanthropic ties with Harvard, following severe condemnation of University President Claudine Gay’s response to the Israel-Hamas war and testimony earlier this month at a congressional committee.

Earlier, Blavatnik had donated around $270 million to the University, including a $200 million gift to Harvard Medical School in 2018 – the largest single gift in the history of the institution.

Born to a Jewish family, Blavatnik’s move to halt funding to Harvard is yet another huge setback for the university’s fundraising initiatives, with several major donors already announcing to break their ties with the university following its widely criticised initial response to the violence in Israel and Gaza. The mounting donor backlash threatens to strain Harvard’s finances, which rely heavily on philanthropy. As per a Harvard Crimson report, “philanthropy accounts for 45 per cent of the University’s annual revenue.”

This comes after a massive controversy erupted on 5th December, during the first hearing on “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism” in Washington, DC. As reported earlier, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik confronted the Presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn during the hearing over the issue of rising cases of antisemitism on their campuses.

During the hearing, Harvard University President Claudine Gay, MIT University President Sally Kornbluth, and UPenn President Elizabeth Magill refused to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews on their respective campuses as bullying and harassment. When asked to offer a simple “yes” or “no” answer on whether advocating for the murder of Jews would violate the University’s bullying and harassment policies, Harvard president Claudine Gay was seen giving bizarre excuses of ‘context’.

The refusal to condemn as well as attempts to ‘contextualise’ calls for violence against Jews on campus by the presidents of UPenn, Harvard, and MIT University triggered outrage compelling them to ‘clarify‘ their stand.

As reported earlier Harvard’s Claudine Gay said, “There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students. Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community, or any religious or ethnic group are vile, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account.”

Later, in an interview with Harvard Crimson, Gay ‘apologised‘ and said that she failed to convey her ‘truth’ that calls for genocide of Jews have no place in the varsity. “I am sorry. Words matter. When words amplify distress and pain, I don’t know how you could feel anything but regret,” Gay said.

Notably, in November this year, more than 1700 Harvard alumni wrote a letter to the University President Claudine Gay and the Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana raising concerns over the rise in antisemitism on campus.

In their letter, open to signature by more alumni, the group has demanded that the management works on stopping antisemitism on campus or they will stop donations to the university. Over 1,700 members of the Harvard College Jewish Alumni Association (HCJAA) signed the open letter that condemned anti-Israel protests at the university campus amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Other billionaires who have severed ties with Harvard

It is worth recalling in October this year, Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and the Wexner Foundation severed ties with Harvard over the varsity’s tepid response to the controversial student union coalition letter blaming Israel for the Hamas terrorist attack. Idan Ofer and his wife Batia resigned from a Harvard executive board saying that their “faith in the University’s leadership has been broken” and that they “cannot in good faith continue to support Harvard and its committees.”

As reported earlier, Claudine Gay eventually tried to distance the university from the outrageous statement signed by the student groups, the Ofers asserted that the University administration did not make its support for the people of Israel amidst Hamas terrorist attacks evident.

Other than the Ofers, the Wexner Foundation also ended its 34-year-old partnership with Harvard and the Harvard Kennedy School over Harvard’s “dismal failure” to take a clear and unequivocal stand against Hamas’s barbaric terrorist attacks on 7th October.

Before this, corporate leaders including Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, announced that their companies would not hire those students who signed the pro-Hamas statement. As many prominent firms announced their decision not to consider hiring the signatories of the said joint statement, several of the signatories withdrew their signatures from the statement.

This was triggered after a student union coalition at Harvard University issued a statement on 7th October blaming Israel for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The letter issued by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups was co-signed by 33 student groups.

It is interesting to note that Harvard has been backing Claudine Gay even when she has been at the epicentre of the outrage over the calls for genocide of Jewish people on campus even when the White House directly condemned Gay and the UPenn president for their controversial testimonies. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates rebuked the presidents of both the universities. In a statement on December 6, Bates said that any statements calling for systematic killings of Jews are revolting adding that such calls are antithetical to American values. Notably, Dr Claudine Gay has been accused of plagiarising her 1997 Ph.D. thesis.

‘Forced to bring minor girls to him, police officers brutalised us on his orders’: Rajasthan’s former Congress MLA accused of rape and torture

OpIndia Staff
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‘Forced to bring minor girls to him, police officers brutalised us on his orders’: Rajasthan’s former Congress MLA accused of rape and torture

On Wednesday, December 20, a woman in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, filed a case against nine people, including former Congress MLA of Barmer Mevaram Jain and RPS officer Anand Singh Rajpurohit, accusing them of rape, assault and harassment. The accused also include two more police officers – Barmer SHO Gangaram Khawa and Sub Inspector Daud Khan and Pradhan Girdhari Singh Sodha. The high-profile case has been registered at the Rajeev Gandhi Nagar Police Station in Jodhpur.

In the FIR, she alleged that the former Congress MLA Mevaram Jain along with the accused police officers raped her and molested her minor daughter two years ago and also raped a minor friend of hers.

The victim went on to say that the Congress MLA had an affinity for young females and would frequently put pressure on her to bring other young girls to him. When the victim refused to comply with his demands, Mevaram Jain along with the accused police officers visited her house in her absence and molested her minor daughter.

The woman alleged that approximately five years ago, as a result of her father’s illness, she met Ram Swaroop from Barmer, who assured her that he would assist her.

He took advantage of her vulnerability to rape her, record the incident, and then continued to abuse her sexually.

She stated that in 2021, Ram Swaroop introduced her to Mevaram Jain, who was then the MLA of Barmer, at her flat, where the duo raped her and has been continuously raping her since then.

They also molested her minor daughter, raped one of her friends and insisted she bring other women to them.

She also alleged that the police officers and other accused threatened her against revealing the matter and coerced her into signing certain blank documents.

She said that the accused threatened her with Bhanwari Devi’s fate and said they would implicate her and the other victims in bogus cases when she protested against the sexual assault of her minor daughter. In fact, in November 2022, Ram Swaroop had also filed a false case in Barmer against five people, including two women, alleging sextortion and demand of Rs 50 lakh, she said.

The kidnap and murder of 37-year-old auxiliary nurse midwife Bhanwari Devi of Jodhpur in 2011 had created a big political turmoil jeopardising the political careers of two political heavyweight families of the Jodhpur region – the Madernas and the Bishnois and by unsettling the Ashok Gehlot government back in 2011.

Accused police officers inserted a stick in my private part to force us to comply with the former Congress MLA’s demands: victim states in the FIR

Recalling how she and her minor friend were brutalised on the former Congress MLA’s orders, the victim described how they were once brought to a police station, stripped naked, and beaten by male police officials, further exposing how the state police worked hand in glove with the former Congress MLA.

According to the victim, the police, in their effort to threaten and intimidate them to comply with the demands of the Congress leader, inserted sticks in her private parts. She recalled how the male officers placed a stick between both the legs of her minor friend and had two officers stand on either side to torture her. Even after all of this, when they refused to give in to their demands, Barmer SHO Gangaram Khawa asked Pradhan Girdhari Singh Sodha to get him a stick which he inserted in her private part, she alleged, adding that this happened in the presence of the Congress MLA and other accused officers.

Image credit: X user @MrSinha_

Forced us to lie on camera while holding a gun to our head: Victim makes some other serious allegations against the former Rajasthan Congress MLA and accused police officers

Anand Singh Rajpurohit, the RPS officer, and Barmer SHO Gangaram Khawa, according to the victim, put a gun to her head and demanded that she record a video in which she was made to take full responsibility and clear the Congress MLA of any wrongdoing. She was made to acknowledge on camera that she was a blackmailer and extortionist and was blackmailing the Congress MLA and his aides. She was also asked to admit that she did not know Congress MLA Mevaram Jain or RPS officer Anand Singh Rajpurohit personally. She was asked to acknowledge in front of the camera that she had no desire to pursue any case for the molestation of her minor daughter.

Who is Mevaram Jain?

Mevaram Jain was elected as the MLA from the Barmer constituency on a Congress ticket three times. He, however, lost the last election to BJP rebel Priyanka Choudhary. 

Over a year back, some explicit pictures/CD of Jain had surfaced, which Jain had claimed to be doctored, and he filed a case at the Kotwali Police Station in Barmer. He accused the editor and two reporters of a local newspaper of blackmailing him with a threat to make the CD public. In his complaint, the Congress leader had alleged that the three scribes were demanding Rs 10 from him in exchange for the CD.

The zonal unit of the Enforcement Directorate, Jaipur, has registered a case of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with this case after it was learnt that an exchange of Rs 5 crore had allegedly taken place in this case.

Mevaram Jain was also involved in a money laundering case. ED had registered a case against him.

Meanwhile, on Friday, December 22, the Rajasthan High Court, in the alleged rape case, granted a stay on the former Congress MLA’s arrest. The hearing, which took place in court number 6 on Friday, concluded with the decision to halt Jain’s arrest in connection with the charges of rape and engaging in obscene acts with a minor girl.

Reuters finds ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ in Ayodhya as city prepares to hold grand consecration event

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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Reuters finds ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ in Ayodhya as city prepares to hold grand consecration event

“Like many other Muslims, Indian tailor Safi Mohammad plans to send his wife and two sons away before thousands of pilgrims arrive at his hometown of Ayodhya next months for the inauguration of one of Hinduism’s most sacred temples,” this is the opening line of an article published by Reuters dated 20th December 2023

It is indeed a talent, nay, an art to be able to victimise Muslims on grounds of imaginary fears, to project the natural existence of Hindus as the problem itself and to hold the faith of Hindus responsible for the imaginary problem, all in one sentence. Reuters has found “Dara Hua Musalman” in Ayodhya a month before the city will witness the much-awaited grand inauguration of Bhavya Ram Mandir.

Albeit, truth is stranger than fiction. Hell, if Reuters can base an article on imaginary fears, I can surely take the liberty to tweak this phrase to say that ‘truth is more inconvenient than fiction’, especially if you look at it from the eyes of the Muslim voices quoted in the Reuters report.

Because the truth is that no such threat to Muslims exists anywhere in India for that matter, let alone in Ayodhya, particularly not from Hindus. The Ram Mandir that Reuters is demonising is coming into existence after a civilisational battle of at least 4 centuries, right from the day the Mandir was demolished by tyrannical Babur to create the Babri mosque in its place.

In order to revive their place of worship of the revered Bhagwan Shri Ram, all that Hindus have resorted to is people-led social movements, political movements and legal battles.

Anyone who can tell right from wrong, irrespective of which religion they belong to, will see that the existence of Babri masjid symbolised the tyranny of Jihadi, Islamist Mughal rule over Hindus. Anyone with an iota of consciousness would agree that such a symbol must be destroyed.

Another sentence from the Reuters report reads, “The temple, built on a site Hindus believe to be the birthplace of Lord Ram and where a Mughal-era mosque once stood, stirs bitter memories for Mohammad.” Then again, this is where truth becomes inconvenient.

Bitter memories why? Because of the destruction of Babri mosque by Kar Sevaks on 6th December 1992, the report implies. The demolition of the symbol of tyranny – a past that haunts and hurts Hindus to this day – saddens the Muslims, as Reuters tries to say in cleverly weaved words.

Of course, why should they mention the brutal, cold-bloodied murder of Hindus (Kar Sevaks) at the same spot by the administration in 1990, just two years ago? And why should they mention that years before the Babri demolition, a mere rumour of the demolition had sparked a violent and savage outrage in Bangladesh leading to the rape and butchering of Hindus there?

For Reuters to mention this in their report, it would perhaps take conversion of Hindus into an abrahamic religion, preferably Islam given by their tone.

The article also says that the demolition of Babri masjid sparked religious riots across the country “that killed nearly 2,000 people, most of them Muslims. The dead included his (Mohammad) uncle.”

Without citing any data, Reuters establishes that most of the victims in these communal riots, which mean both sides were involved, were Muslims. At this point, the article establishes how the Ram Mandir of Hindus is responsible for the death of Muslims.

What is the grounds for Mohammad’s fear as quoted in Reuters? That “anything can happen anytime.” Every year, billions and billions of Hindus celebrate Diwali marking the homecoming of Shri Ram. It is peaceful, it makes headlines and is celebrate by world leaders. Nothing happens to Muslims in Ayodhya, in India.

On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court announced the verdict handing over the land to Hindus for Ram Mandir, Hindus in their Hindu majority country celebrated peacefully, in fact, with restraint. Nothing happened to Muslims in Ayodhya, in India.

On 5th August 2020, PM Modi performed the Bhoomi Pujan of the land to mark the beginning of the construction of Ram Mandir. Hindus celebrated across the country and beyond. Nothing happened to Muslims in Ayodhya, in India.

It has been four years to the SC verdict, the temple is scheduled to be inaugurated on 22nd January 2024. The event is being discussed in great detail across the nation. Every Hindu in India and beyond is doing their bit to contribute to the divine inauguration. NOTHING has happened to Muslims in Ayodhya, in India.

So let me tell you what exactly has happened to Muslims since the verdict and what will happen to Muslims after the Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya and India at large.

Ayodhya has been thronged with tourists since the construction of the Ram Mandir began. In 2021, 1.57 crore tourists had visited the holy city. This number rose to more than 2.39 crore domestic tourists in 2022 and 1,465 foreign tourists.

This brings numbers of visitors to nearly 4 crore in 2021-22. Reports said this figure is estimated to touch 8 to 10 crores after the temple opens in January 2024. As per reports, the tourist footfall expected in Ayodhya by 2051 is a staggering three lakh people per day.

More pilgrims to Ayodhya Ram Mandir means more tourists to Ayodhya which further means more business for the city. The Ayodhya International Airport is soon to be open to travelers.

Vande Bharat trains will now also connect Ayodhya to the national capital, Varanasi and to Sitamarhi in Bihar. This circuit connecting through the Vande Bharat makes journey for pilgrims to the revered cities easier in terms of time and money too.

Another key highlight is the Ramayana Circuit (or Ram Circuit) which aims to connect major pilgrim sites in India and Nepal linked to the Ramayana.

A Mumbai-based real estate company The House of Abhinandan Lodha has invested nearly ₹300 crore in acquiring a 25-acre land parcel in Ayodhya and has laid out a plan to launch a plotted development project in January 2024.

CP Kukreja Architects and L&T submitted their master blueprint plan for Ayodhya in January 2022. The firms have identified more than 40 tourism spots and development of the same is being done in phases.

Add to that a solar city near the Saryu River, ferries, luxury river cruise, houseboats are only some of the many tourism-boosters to attract visitors and pilgrims alike. All this made possible with one grand Hindu temple.

This is what Muslims in Ayodhya are going to face; large-scale, unprecedented development all because of a temple. Reuters seems to know this too, but that’s not the line it wants to take.

After establishing just how much “fear” the Ram Mandir inauguration and Hindu visitors has created among Muslims, the article hails boost to economy under Modi government, believe it or not.

“Even as some of the residents around the temple expressed apprehension, several Ayodhya Muslims said there had not been any major violence under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also rules Uttar Pradesh, adding that the boost to the local economy from the pilgrims would help them too,” the Reuters report states.

There is no reading between the lines here. It is typical of the ecosystem to spin a narrative to make Muslims look like the victims at the hands of Hindus and the Hindu faith while they take advantage of the economic prospects brought about by this very faith they are demonising.

Talk about bake the cake and eat it too.

As a Hindu, it does make one wonder how exactly the thousands and lakhs of Hindu families that have been the victims of Islamist Jihad and terrorism are safe living amongst Islamists as the fear still very much looms over them.

The family of Kanhaiya Lal, whose throat was slit open by Islamists in Udaipur, which is still awaiting justice. His sons and wife cannot step out of the house without police security to this date. Kanhaiya Lal was also betrayed by a Muslim neighbour. Life in the area where the bereaved family lives has not been the same for any Hindu ever since Kanhaiya Lal was murdered by two Islamists for posting in support of Nupur Sharma.

Every single Hindu festival, right from Ram Navami to Durga Puja, has been attacked across cities for bigotted reasons like the procession was passing by a mosque, Muslims were being teased. Stones have been pelted at Hindu processions, public property vandalised.

Yet, when you ask Reuters, it is the Muslim in Ayodhya who feels threatened because of an imaginary threat perception in their minds against ‘kafir’ Hindus.

It is clear more than ever that such reportage by the likes of Reuters are attempts at obstructing the rare historic milestone of Ram Mandir that is being celebrate by Hndus. The ‘dara hua musalman’ rhetoric helps the sinister ecosystem

‘Which gay man without a uterus has a menstrual cycle?’ Smriti Irani to RJD MP Manoj Jha’s question on menstrual hygiene for the LGBTQIA community

Siddhi Somani
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‘Which gay man without a uterus has a menstrual cycle?’ Smriti Irani to RJD MP Manoj Jha’s question on menstrual hygiene for the LGBTQIA community

On Thursday (21st December), Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani clarified why she opposed the idea of allowing paid leaves to women during their periods. She said that she opposed the Menstrual Hygiene Policy in the Indian Parliament as she did not want women to face discrimination and harassment in the workplace over it.

Irani stated in Parliament earlier this month that menstruation is not a “handicap” and does not warrant a specific policy for “paid leave.” In an exclusive interview with ANI, Irani on Thursday (21st December) stated that the questions asked by several male ministers did not seek answers. “I could’ve said much more on the issue but I didn’t because the gentleman who asked the question never intended to find a solution for women,” she said while in conversation with ANI Editor Smita Prakash.

The Minister also said that she spoke in Parliament after suffering from personal experiences and didn’t want any other woman to face discrimination or harassment at the place of work. She said that for a woman to have such leaves, she’ll have first to inform her employers and HR that she is on her period. “Why should women be forced to publicize their period?” Irani asked.

“Now imagine a scenario in a private sector, okay, where if somebody has to implement it, your HR guy has to know, your accounts guy has to know. Why should a woman’s menstrual cycle be known to an employer? Imagine if it’s a single woman who chooses not to take those leaves that are so-called proposed to be granted. Can you imagine the harassment that women will have to face, especially on the work floor, right? Can you imagine we are saying more and more women have to come and join the workforce, especially on factory floors, and corporate houses? Imagine a floor with 20,000 women. Yeah, so we are creating new barriers for discrimination,” Irani was quoted as saying in the video.

The issue of providing paid leaves to working women on their periods was discussed in the Indian Parliament last week when the Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani opposed the idea saying that being on a period was not a ‘handicap’ situation and that there was no need for women to have paid leaves.

The opinion was then opposed by Minister Manoj Kumar Jha who questioned during the question and answer session asking, “What measures are being placed to make compulsory provisions for employers to grant a certain number of paid menstrual leave to female employees?”

To this, Irani then reiterated her point saying that period was not a ‘handicap’. “I can very particularly, in this House say that menstruation and menstrual cycle is not a handicap. It is a natural part of a woman’s life journey. Given that women today are opting for more and more economic opportunities, I will just put my personal view on this, as I am not the officiating Ministry. We should not propose issues where women, in some way, are denied an equal opportunity just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation,” she had said.

Parliament document obtained by OpIndia

Jha also claimed that in 1992-93, Bihar was the State under the leadership of Laluji which gave menstrual leave for the first time, followed by Kerala. However, during the interview with ANI, Irani said that it was not true and that no private sector had implemented or was asked to implement such a policy.

“The chair can pull him up for lying or insinuating, representing okay. But what measures are in place to make it compulsory for employers to grant leave? So Bihar may have, in 1992, a policy for paid leave for women in government, but does not have it in the private sector,” she said.

Irani also said that Jha never intended to find a solution for women. “Jha ji as part of the list of questions for oral answers asked me about measures for menstrual hygiene for LGBTQIA plus community. Now tell me, the LGBTQIA community that The Honorable member wanted a response for, which gay man without a uterus has a menstrual cycle?” she pondered.

Minister Manoj Kumar Jha placed the question as part of a list of questions for oral answers to be sought at a Rajya Sabha meeting on 13th December.

Rajyasabha document obtained by OpIndia

Irani emphasized part ‘C’ on the list of questions, saying that the question about promoting or providing a menstrual hygiene plan for gay men was meant to shock, provoke, or attract attention.

In her reply to the question, Irani on 13th December had said that it is imperative to create a congenial ecosystem for not only ensuring menstrual hygiene for all menstruating persons in the country but also to educate and sensitize the men and boys on this issue.

Conclusion

Though the times have changed and the societies in India have become moderate, things don’t seem to have changed for women. Even today, several girls are victims of molestation, sexual harassment, and abuse, especially at their workplaces. Also, they are made to feel different at their workplaces due to their demands for equity in opportunities.

In such a scenario, women additionally asking for paid leave for 4 days a month might hamper their professional growth and also portray a wrong picture in the minds of the professionals and other male employees. Companies might soon start avoiding hiring women on crucial projects or even stop hiring them into jobs due to the leave policy. Then the capabilities of the women employees in question would not matter.

Also, though India is adopting the modern way of life, it is very difficult for women to disclose their daily cycles to society. Ask a woman! Minister Irani has to be praised when she says, “Why should a woman’s menstrual cycle be known to an employer?” Menstruation is purely biological and it gives several indications of the well-being of a woman’s body. If the personal dates of the cycle of women are laid out in the open several judgements can easily be made by the society-leading to sexual harassment or abuse.

Menstruation and its associated activities are shrouded in silence frequently treated with shame, and associated with social taboos that limit menstruating people’s mobility, freedom, and access to normal activities. It becomes even more sensitive when a menstruating person is unaware of the emotional and physical changes she goes through while experiencing her menstrual cycle for the initial time. In these cases, women or young girls might find it more difficult to have access to those leaves even if they are very graciously provided by the government in another parallel world.

Instead of providing leaves, what society (especially men, and boys) can do easily is treat women like normal creatures and understand to the core that period is ‘normal’ and is just a biological process. Making girls, and women feel indifferent, and respecting them throughout is what is going to help women grow more. Period leave or any such policy-making women feel different from others won’t help at all.

Pakistan: Baloch people storm Islamabad to protest against ongoing genocide and extra-judicial killings, police resort to harassment and torture

ANI
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Pakistan: Baloch people storm Islamabad to protest against ongoing genocide and extra-judicial killings, police resort to harassment and torture

The Islamabad Police have released the detained women protesters after enduring 26 hours of alleged humiliation, harassment, and torture on the 28th day of the movement against the Baloch Genocide.

The Baloch Yakjahti Committee took to social media to share the distressing experience faced by the detained women while urging the Baloch nation to persist in their protests against the treatment of protesters in Islamabad.

Despite the release of the female activists, concerns linger as more than 200 male associates remain in custody. Reportedly, 162 of them have been shifted to Adiala Jail, while over 50 others are detained in various police stations across Islamabad.

The Baloch Yakjahti Committee expressed its determination to continue the movement against Baloch Genocide and extra-judicial abductions. “We shall continue our movement against Baloch Genocide and the extra-judicial abductions. The next step would be announced tomorrow through social media, stay tuned,” the Baloch Yakjahti Committee declared in a social media post.

The Long March, organised by the Baloch Yakjahti Committee, initially began as a protest against the Baloch genocide, triggered by the extrajudicial murder of four young Baloch individuals in district Kech. The march traversed various districts of Balochistan and Punjab, encountering severe brutality upon reaching Islamabad.

The Baloch Human Rights Council expressed deep concern over the “inhuman and brutal response” of the Islamabad police and the interim government. The council condemned the actions of the police, accusing them of beating and arresting Baloch activists, as well as targeting elderly men, women, and children participating in the march.

“These individuals seek justice for their loved ones who have been forcibly disappeared from different parts of Pakistan,” the Baloch Human Rights Council stated in a social media post. The council called for a condemnation of the use of brute force and urged the Pakistani authorities to uphold their pledge to respect human rights instruments.

“Instead of resorting to the use of brute force, the authorities in Pakistan should uphold their pledge to respect the human rights instruments they are signatories to, thereby ensuring justice for the victims and holding accountable those responsible for crimes against the Baloch,” the council added on X.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Karnataka: Principal of a govt girls college faces action for allowing students to participate in a Veer Savarkar memorial event

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Principal of a govt girls college faces action for allowing students to participate in a Veer Savarkar memorial event

The principal of the Government Pre-University College for Girls at Ijarilakmapur in the Haveri district of Karnataka has come under fire for reportedly allowing the institution’s students to participate in “Veera Savarkar Samsarane,” a program honouring freedom fighter Veer Savarkar. Bharatiya Janata Party leader KS Eshwarappa and his son Kanthesh graced the private function. The Karnataka education administration has taken cognisance of the issue and is prepared to take disciplinary action against Principal K Krishnappa.

Department officials claimed that on 12th December, the institution was inspected by Ritesh Kumar Singh, the principal secretary of the school education and literacy department, and Akshaya Sridhar, the chief executive officer of the Haveri district panchayat. They observed a drop in attendance and inquired about it after which they discovered that about ninety-five pupils were missing because they had joined in a group practice for the “Veera Savarkar Samsarane,” which was slated for 17th December.

Principal Secretary Ritesh strongly disapproved of the situation and instructed the CEO of the Zilla Panchayat to provide the education department with a comprehensive report on it. “Principal K Krishnappa exhibited negligence by allowing woman students to participate in private events outside the educational programmes organised by the department,” an official stated, citing the report.

The Pre-University Board Haveri’s deputy director, Umeshappa attested to the fact that the Principal Secretary had received a report on the occurrence. He confirmed that the pupils had participated in the program’s rehearsal even though he had not previously been aware of their engagement.

Allegations that K Krishnappa obtained the role of principal in 2021 by fabricating evidence regarding an ongoing disciplinary department investigation have added fuel to the fire around him. On 29th September 2023, the School Education and Literacy agency rescinded his promotion in response, based on department representatives.

The deputy director of the pre-graduate education department issued K Krishnappa instructions on 20th November to report to the school education department in Bangalore and transfer management of Ijarilakamapura College to a senior lecturer. He stayed on as the principal until his resignation on 17th December.

Discussions have arisen in the district over the timing of Krishnappa’s dismissal, which coincided with female pupils’ participation in the “Veera Savarkar Samsmarane” program.

Umeshappa remarked, “I have submitted a report to the higher authorities of the education department regarding the students sent for the Savarkar program, which is not an academic program.” He alleged that the report was turned in by directives from higher authorities and that K Krishnappa’s demotion and release from duty had nothing to do with the Savarkar programme.

Principal Secretary Ritesh Kumar addressed the situation and indicated that they have received the report and are looking into the matter thoroughly. In the meantime, Madhu Bangarappa, the Minister of Primary Education promised strict measures. He noted, “I’ll make it very clear when I took over this department, I wanted to review the textbooks, which I did, and all this is in favour of children, their studies, for their benefit itself and if at all something has gone wrong (on the Savarkar issue) related to the education, we will take stringent action mercilessly.”

Haveri District Youth Congress President Prasanna Hiremath claimed, “The principal violated norms by sending students to non-academic programs; the department officials have already initiated a probe and sent a report.”

K. E. Kanthesh, the honorary president of Rashtra Bhakta Balaga, the outfit that organised the program mentioned, “The demotion of the principal is not related to the student’s participation in the Savarkar commemoration programme. Veer Savarkar is a freedom fighter and we invited more than 600 schoolchildren who participated without hampering their classes.”

However, the principal continued to insist on his innocence and emphasised that he had no idea that students were present at the practice. According to him, they took part beyond official class hours which ended at 12 in the afternoon.

‘ISRO will develop its life support system tech for the Gaganyaan Mission’: Chairman reveals other countries not willing to share research

OpIndia Staff
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‘ISRO will develop its life support system tech for the Gaganyaan Mission’: Chairman reveals other countries not willing to share research

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had a year marked with various successful space missions, including the “universal history maker”, Chandrayaan-3. While the world showered praises on ISRO for its remarkable endeavours this year, ISRO chairman S Somnath recently revealed that no other country is willing to share tech on life support system for the upcoming human space flight mission, Gaganyaan. This, however, will not deter ISRO from its ambition as the space agency will be developing its indigenous environmental control and life support system (ECLSS).

Speaking at the Manohar Parrikar Vidnyan Mahotsav 2023, the ISRO chairman said, “We have no experience in developing an environmental control life support system. We were only designing rockets and satellites. We thought that this knowledge would come from other nations, but unfortunately, after so much discussion, nobody is willing to give it to us.”

Somanath emphasised ISRO’s historical focus on rocket and satellite architecture when expressing ISRO’s early lack of experience in ECLSS development. Despite efforts to collaborate, no government was ready to contribute critical knowledge, prompting the decision to design the system in-house.

Somanath emphasised ISRO’s commitment to indigenous development, using existing expertise and local industries.

He discussed the difficulties that the Gaganyaan initiative faces, underlining the nation’s commitment to skill development and design enhancement. Somanath underlined the importance of increased skills and confidence for successful human space exploration. “When we send humans to space through our Gaganyan programme, I think the amount of skill and confidence that we need to have has to be higher than what we currently have,” the ISRO chief remarked.

Somanath stated that the process for building confidence is currently taking place across ISRO with the assistance of national laboratories. “The rocket is the first component of the Gaganyaan programme. The rockets are always bound to fail; whenever it is ready for launch our tension and heartbeats go up because even if the rocket is built very safely having all the processes followed, something can still go wrong. And if something goes wrong, no one can fix it or adjust it. Thousands of elements must work flawlessly for a launch to happen,” he stated.

Explaining the technical aspects of the ECLSS, Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India said, “The ECLSS, a technological cornerstone, intricately manages air quality and water supply essential for astronaut survival in the challenging environment of space. Through meticulous mechanisms incorporating activated charcoal beds, catalytic oxidizers, and molecular sieves, this system impeccably regulates cabin air quality, ensuring a breathable atmosphere for the crew.”

Kesan further stated that the Oxygen Generation System splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen gas using cutting-edge electrolysis. This closed-loop mechanism assures a steady supply of oxygen for breathing while efficiently generating water from hydrogen wastes. The Water Recovery System also reclaims and purifies water from a variety of sources, including crew members’ urine and cabin humidity.

Notably, through decades of research, collaboration, and technological advances, NASA (United States), Russia’s Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (European Space Agency), and other space organisations have made major contributions to the development of their respective ECLSS systems. However, they have shown reluctance in sharing the ECLSS-related research with ISRO, thus requiring India to indigenously develop the ECLSS.

ISRO is preparing for unmanned flight tests of the mission’s ‘crew escape system’. The Indian space agency has already announced that it will soon commence the unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission as the first development flight Test Vehicle (TV-D1) is in the final stages of preparation. ISRO will launch a crew of two to three members into a circular orbit 400 kilometres above Earth as part of the Gaganyaan project. The mission will take one to three days and will focus on assuring their safe return to Earth.

Over 1 crore Ayushman cards created during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, more than 1.31 crore footfalls in 79,487 health camps

ANI
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Over 1 crore Ayushman cards created during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, more than 1.31 crore footfalls in 79,487 health camps

In a significant milestone demonstrating the strengthening of the country’s health infrastructure and propelling healthcare excellence in India, India has achieved a commendable landmark. 1,02,23,619 crore Ayushman cards have been created during the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, as per an official press release.

Under the ongoing Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the cumulative footfall has reached 1,31,66,365 in 79,487 Health camps conducted in 3,462 Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies, to date, it added.

Under the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ayushman cards are being created using the Ayushman app and physical cards are being distributed to the beneficiaries. To date, more than 23,83,473 physical cards have been distributed.

As per the release, a total of 6,34,168 Ayushman cards have been created at the health camps held yesterday

Screening of patients for TB is carried out by screening for symptoms, sputum testing, and using NAAT machines wherever available. Cases suspected to have TB are referred to higher facilities. By the end of Day 36, more than 49, 17,356 people had been screened out of which more than 3,41,499 were referred to higher Public Health Facilities, it added.

The press release said that under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMA), consent is being taken for patients suffering from TB to receive assistance from Nikshay Mitras. Attendees willing to be Nikshay Mitras are also being provided on-spot registration. More than 1,17,734 patients have given consent under PMTBMBA and more than 39,819 new Nikshay Mitras were registered.

Under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), monetary assistance is provided to TB patients through Direct Benefit Transfer. For this purpose, details of the bank accounts of the pending beneficiaries are being collected and accounts are being Aadhaar seeded. Details of 30,093 such beneficiaries have been collected, the release further stated.

In areas with a predominantly tribal population, screening of eligible population (up to 40 years of age) is being done for the detection of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) through the Point of Care (PoC) tests for SCD or through Solubility Test. Cases testing positive are being referred to higher centres for management. More than 5,08,701 people have been screened so far, out of which 21,793 were found to be positive and referred to higher public health facilities, as per the release.

As per the release, screening of eligible population (30 years and above) is being done for Hypertension and Diabetes and cases suspected to be positive are being referred to higher centres. Around 10,297,809 people have been screened for Hypertension and Diabetes. More than 4,82,667 people were suspected to be positive for Hypertension more than 3,45,898 were suspected to have Diabetes and more than 7,59,451 people were referred to higher public health facilities.

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was launched by the Prime Minister on November 15 from Khunti, Jharkhand to saturate the benefits of central government schemes across the nation. As a part of on-spot services under the Yatra, Health Camps are being organized at the places of halt of the IEC Van in the Gram Panchayats. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

UP: Abdul Rasheed gives triple talaq to wife after she turns down his demand of paying Rs 40 lakhs for donating kidney to her brother

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Abdul Rasheed gives triple talaq to wife after she turns down his demand of paying Rs 40 lakhs for donating kidney to her brother

In a bizarre incident, a man pronounced triple talaq on his wife over a WhatsApp call after learning that she had given her kidney to her brother who was battling for his life. The woman identified as 40-year-old Tarannum lives in Uttar Pradesh’s Bairiyahi village under the Dhanepur police station located in the Gonda district and her 44-year-old spouse Mohammad Abdul Rasheed is employed in Saudi Arabia.

The accused forced her to ask for Rs 40 lakh for her organ after she told him about the measures she took to preserve her sibling’s life. He then divorced her as she disregarded his advice. Her in-laws also threw her out and she is at present residing in her parents’ home.

Tarannum was reportedly married to Mohammad Abdul Rasheed of Jaitapur village approximately twenty to twenty-five years ago. When she could not conceive after five years of marriage, he remarried and moved to Saudi Arabia to pursue his career. She revealed that her older brother Mohammad Shakir had been afflicted with a kidney condition for the previous 18 months.

She mentioned that she talked to her husband who had approved before deciding to provide one of her kidneys to her brother. However, following the contribution, when he was given a new lease of life and returned home after his recovery, the perpetrator placed greater pressure on her to obtain the amount that she turned down. Afterwards, he called her to announce triple talaq to her utter shock.

Police filed a case based on the victim’s complaint and stated they would bring charges against the culprit as soon as he returned to India. Radheshyam Rai, Additional Superintendent of Police attested to the fact that a case has been registered and the required steps are being taken.

The nation had proclaimed triple talaq to be unlawful in 2019. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act forbids triple talaq and carries a maximum three-year prison sentence. According to the Supreme Court, anticipatory bail could be granted in these situations as long as the court hears from the complainant woman before approving pre-arrest bail.

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