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As VHP issues a checklist to ensure only Hindus participate in Garba events, read why Muslims have been barred from the sacred celebrations

Rukma Rathore
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As VHP issues a checklist to ensure only Hindus participate in Garba events, read why Muslims have been barred from the sacred celebrations

The entire nation is captivated by the celebrations and happiness that accompany the festive season. The Hindu community is presently engaged in the vibrant and enthusiastic observance of the auspicious Navratri from 22nd September to 2nd October.

However, how the liberal-Islamist alliance can permit the Hindus to celebrate peacefully? They have not strayed from their long-standing practice of targeting Hindus, particularly during significant occasionswith the intention of tainting the same. Hence, as anticipated, they persist in their vicious attempts to disrupt the joyful ambiance.

According to these elements, each community possesses the right to observe their sacred events per their preferences but the same privilege is not granted to the Hindu community as once again evidenced by the recent outrage. It is not that they need any justification to act outrageously over matters related to Hindus or Sanatan Dharma, but this time, the Muslim extremists and their apologists have been incited by the concerns expressed regarding the presence of Muslim males in garba programs across the country.

Importantly, Muslims target and do not even want to allow Hindus to organize Garba functions near their religious sites, however, it is conveniently painted as problematic when Hindus wish to celebrate their special days in a manner of their choosing.

How the fresh row started

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) recently declared that only Hindus will be allowed to attend garba programs during Navratri and those who wish to participate must provide their Aadhaar cards, apply a “tilak” to their foreheads and carry out Hindu religious rites. VHP defended the actions by maintaining that they were necessary to stop “love jihad,” which causes troubles every year amid the holy celebrations.

VHP national spokesperson Shriraj Nair voiced, “Garba is not merely a dance but a form of worship to please the goddess. They (apparent reference to Muslims) do not believe in idol worship. Only those having faith in the rituals must be allowed to participate.” According to him, the outfit had sent out advisories instructing garba organisers to verify Aadhaar cards of attendees at entry points, apply “tilak” to them and make sure they conduct puja before to admittance.

He added, “VHP and Bajrang Dal workers will monitor the events. Garba is a form of worship, not entertainment. Those who do not have faith in the goddess should not be part of it.”

According to VHP Vidarbha general secretary Prashant Titre, participants would also be sprayed with “gau mutra,” or cow urine, while volunteers from the Bajrang Dal would supervise garba pandals to make sure the rules were followed. Navin Jain, the convenor of the VHP’s Vidarbha Pran conveyed that non-Hindus should be excluded from garba events which he described as sacred worship as opposed to a dance or cultural program.

“Organisers should check the Aadhaar card of entrants to ensure only Hindus are allowed and a ’tilak’ be put on the forehead of men. Every participant should be asked to bow before the picture of the goddess at the entrance,” he stressed. Additionally, Jain urged that smoking and drinking of any kind be banned from these gatherings.

He mentioned, “People who do not have faith in goddess Durga should not attend such programmes. They go there with a certain mindset, which causes trouble for our sisters and hurts our religious sentiments. In the last few years, it has been seen that Hindu girls have been targeted for love jihad, prompting us to appeal to garba organisers to not allow such people.”

Many Bharatiya Janata Party leaders endorsed the decision, emphasizing that Hindus should have the freedom to organize their events as they wish, provided they secure permission from the relevant authorities. Predictably, the Congress-led I.N.D.I. Alliance, considering its voter base, opposed this in the name of secularism and attacked Vishva Hindu Parishad as well as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Why Muslims want to attend a Mushrik event and go against the teachings on Islam

According to Islam, a mushrik is a polytheist who engages in shirk (idolatry) by identifying partners with God. The Quran explicitly prohibits worshipping idols, deities or anyone else in addition to or instead of Allah. It is considered blasphemy and the greatest sin in the religion. A rational mind might question why the devoted adherents of this faith would choose to oppose the teachings of their sacred text by participating in an event that is fundamentally contrary to their preachings.

It cannot truly be the case that they believe in pluralism, respect other faiths and therefore wish to partake in such celebrations, as evidenced repeatedly by their actions, including stone pelting at religious Hindu processions, disrespecting and vandalizing idols of deities as well as asserting that exposure to Holi colours, performing yoga and even raising “Bharat Mata ki jai” slogan contradicts their beliefs.

This community which is characterized by a profound aversion to idolatry and believes that even calling their own country “Mata” infringes upon their religious convictions wish to attend events that are exclusively focused on the veneration of the nine forms of Goddess Durga?

Moreover, it is not that Muslims participate in the Garba events alongside their families. It is primarily the males who seek access to these programs without any females or children from their community.

This fact should already suffice for anyone to raise an eyebrow at anyone who mention their desire to take part in the cultural or religious diversity of India. Why is this courtesy granted solely to Muslim men and not to women? Are they not, after all, a part of the broader Indian society and deserving of the opportunity to experience the diversity of the country in which they reside?

Notably, all of this is labeled as religious freedom when it pertains to the second largest majority in the country, yet it transforms into intolerance and hatred when Hindus attempt to exercise their rights.

Fake names, problematic actions and more: What Islamists do in Garba events

Certainly, not every Muslim participates in or desires to attend the garba events, however, there exists a history of radical elements within the community exploiting the same as a platform to advance their malicious agendas. “Love jihad” which is frequently misrepresented as a conspiracy theory by Hindu “right wing” groups, by Islamists and their supporters, despite mounting proof indicates a rise during these events.

Guajara, known as the home of garba, once faced considerable challenges from this menace, especially during these events. Non-Hindus used to enter Garba celebrations pretending to be Hindus, tricked girls into believing them, took advantage of their vulnerability and ultimately wrecked their lives.

The same had been exacerbated by non-Hindu Garba classes as well which have been abused in the past to take exploit Hindu girls. These acts of desecration, which range from selling Chaniya Choli to erecting stalls at the Garba grounds and allowing non-Hindus to enter while concealing their identities ruined the glorious celebrations.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party government, the Hindu community and the active vigiliance of Hindu outfits came together to tackle the problem and effectively brought the situation under control there. Nonetheless, the such threats are far from over.

These allowances given to Islamists have resulted in various troubles for the Hindu community. A married Hindu woman failed to come home from a Garba celebration during the 2024 Navratri in Deesa Taluka of Banaskantha, Gujarat after which a police complaint was filed a young Muslim guy was accused by her spouse of enticing her to accompany him.

Likewise, Munna Abbas Banjara, Mumtaz alias Aftab Banjara, Shahrukh Banjara, Saif Ali Banjara and Ajmal Banjara gang raped a 16-year-old girl during Navratri, last year.

A woman retruning from a Garba event was reportedly harassed by Muslim youngsters near Jama Masjid in Alirajpur of Madhya Pradesh, the same year. Feroz, a Muslim youth, pretended to be Hindu a few days later in order to attend a garba ceremony in Ujjain. He into the pandal with condoms and pretended to be Rahul. Fortunately, he was apprehended by the members of Hindu Jagran Manch. It does not require much effort to understand his motives for bringing the contraceptive at the sacred event.

Five Muslim boys were caught by the police when they infiltrated the Garba pandal in the Guna district under dubious circumstances. During October 2023, Fareed Shah tried to lure a Hindu girl into Garba pandal at Hyderabad’s Begumpet Hockey Stadium by masquerading as Ashish. However, Bajrang Dal activists stopped him.

Eight Muslim men were arrested by Indore police in October 2022 for attempting to enter garba venues while hiding their identities. A Muslim was nabbed for making offensive comments about Hindu women during in Garba pandal in Palsikar colony in another incident that occurred in the same year.

Shahrukh, Zubair, and Samir, stabbed a young man called Madhusudan Modi with a knife at a dandiya celebration in Bikaner, Rajasthan in 2022. Girls who had come to play Garba were being harassed by these people.

Rathod Amin Gulab Nabi, Nizami Moin Nurmahammad, Ganchi Amanbhai Firozbhai and Chauhan Mahamadnuman Mahamadhanif attacked six Hindu students on the same day for playing Islamic songs during a Garba event at BK Patel Arts & Commerce College of Savli in Vadodara. The four accused used stones and iron belts to attack the Hindu pupils.

Some young Muslims  broke into the Garba event in Rajasthan’s Jaipur on 30th September 2022. However, the arrival of the Bajrang Dal and VHP activists caused them to flee. Seven Muslim youngsterswere taken into custody by the police from Indore’s Garba pandal of Pandharinath that same year. According to reports, they were filming Hindu girls. They even lied about their names and posed as Hindus when they were confronted by Bajrang Dal activists.

Conclusion

The instances discussed above represent only a fraction of the larger issue but they are adequate to highlight the significant concern. The guidelines set by Hindu organizations are not a result of a prejudiced or anti-Muslim mindset as depicted by the liberal community and opposition parties but rather arise from a legitimate concern rooted in actual events that have rendered garba events a primary target for Muslim extremists to assault Hindus, especially women.

If they are so adamant about the principles of secularism, then why do they not request the organization of such events within the premises of mosques, madrasas or other religious structures of Muslims? They do not, and they never will, because they are aware that religious tolerance and secularism are a one-way street in India and Hindus are forced to bear the burden of it, even compromising their faith to uphold a constructed narrative.

Any such audacity directed towards the Muslim community will not only result in them being labeled as non-secular which is the utmost affront to liberals but will also wreak havoc on the streets with “Sar tan se juda” slogans resonating throughout.

As violence breaks out in Leh, read how ‘activist’ Sonam Wangchuk has been provoking locals against the Indian State for the past several years

OpIndia Staff
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As violence breaks out in Leh, read how ‘activist’ Sonam Wangchuk has been provoking locals against the Indian State for the past several years

Leh, the dream spot for tourists, is currently in turmoil. What was a peaceful and tranquil area has now become a focal point of violent protests, claiming the lives of 4 individuals and injuring approximately 45 others. In the midst of all this is the so-called “climate activist” Sonam Wangchuk, who has consistently issued inflammatory remarks that appear to have goaded the locals into violence against the Indian State.

This is not the first time Wangchuk has been under the scanner. He had faced heat over allegations of violating lease rules recently, but now the scandal surrounding him has taken a serious turn. His previous speeches and hit videos show a disturbing trend of provocation, which has a direct link to the trouble brewing in Ladakh today.

Provocations caught on video

Several videos of Sonam Wangchuk have gone viral on social media in recent weeks. In one of them, he is seen advising protestors to wear masks and hoodies while coming out for demonstrations. Such instructions are usually linked to violent protests, where people hide their identities to avoid being caught on camera.

In that video, Wangchuk himself is seen wearing a mask and a hoodie, further raising doubts about his real intentions.

Targeting the Indian Army

In another viral clip, Wangchuk can be heard making dangerous claims about the Indian Army’s condition in the border areas. He says:

“You know that on India’s border, our soldiers are in the weakest state. Because here, the strongest regiments are deployed, the Ladakh Scouts, the Sikh regiments and the Gorkha regiments. Today, the morale of Ladakh’s people is broken because they have neither been given democracy nor protection. The Sikh regiments, too, are feeling weak because of the protests in Punjab, and the Gorkha regiments are suffering due to the Agniveer scheme. Even worse, some are now joining the Chinese army. This was the regiment once described as so fearless that if someone said they were unafraid of death, they were either lying or they were a Gorkha. But such upheaval is going on in the Indian Army today, and no media outlet is talking about it.”

These words are not just criticism; they actively question the strength of India’s armed forces at a sensitive border region. Coming from a figure like Wangchuk, these remarks carry the potential to sow doubt and resentment among the youth of Ladakh.

A dangerous call for the “Arab Spring” in India

Perhaps the most alarming video is one where Wangchuk openly invokes the Arab Spring, a series of violent uprisings that toppled governments in the Middle East.

He says, “If the government does not meet our demands, I will dedicate my life to overthrowing it. Do you know about the Arab Spring? There was a revolution in Arab countries, and six governments were changed. Libya’s government was overthrown, Yemen’s government was overthrown, and Syria went into civil war. If all of this was triggered by one man, Muhammad Bouazizi, then can’t people like us do the same?”

This statement is a direct call for violent revolution against the Indian State. By glorifying the Arab Spring, which brought destruction and civil wars, Wangchuk is clearly pushing impressionable locals towards anarchy.

Comparing India with its neighbours

In yet another clip, Wangchuk compares India unfavourably with its neighbours. He says that in Pakistan, even Skardu and Baltistan have their own assemblies, while China has five autonomous regions, including Tibet, which he claims enjoy more rights than Ladakh.

Such comparisons are not only misleading but also dangerous in a sensitive border state. They are designed to fuel resentment among the people of Ladakh and create a false narrative of discrimination.

Meeting with Mohammad Yunus

Sonam Wangchuk also met with Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus at the British High Commission in February 2020. Images show them hugging, adding another layer of suspicion about Wangchuk’s international connections. While this in itself does not amount to inciting violence, it is interesting that Wangchuk would meet Yunus, who has been spearheading and whitewashing the genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh.

Violence in Leh

The sad result of these inflammatory messages was evident on Wednesday, 24th September, when violent demonstrations erupted at Leh. Stone-pelting, burning of vehicles and police clashes made the city tense and volatile. 4 lives were lost and 45 injured by the evening. Shops were closed, streets vacant, and dread spread among ordinary citizens.

Officials say the violence did not arise out of nowhere. Rather, it was the culmination of months of speeches and videos that deliberately provoked people against the government. The young generation of Ladakh, who should have been focusing on education and development, ended up being dragged into dangerous confrontations.

A threat to National security beyond climate activism

Sonam Wangchuk is often introduced in the media as a “climate activist” or an “education reformer.” But the series of viral videos paints a very different picture. From casting doubts on the Indian Army to openly calling for an Arab Spring-style revolt to praising violent uprisings in other countries, his words have gone far beyond activism.

Update: Based on media reports, OpIndia had included in this article a video where Sonam Wangchuk was referring to regime change in Nepal and Bangladesh. OpIndia found that video was not an accurate representation of what Wangchuk was saying. This article has been updated to remove reference of that video.

Dear Arfa, if your ‘I Love Muhammad’ is so harmless then why is it leading to Muslim mobs attacking Hindus and police?

Jhankar Mohta
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Dear Arfa, if your ‘I Love Muhammad’ is so harmless then why is it leading to Muslim mobs attacking Hindus and police?

Dear Ms. Arfa Khanum Sherwani,

It is heartwarming to see your zeal for protecting “three simple words- I love Muhammad”. Sure, it is an expression of religious identity. Sure, it is the right of every Indian citizen to exercise their faith. But when you assert that Indian citizens have the right to express their religious identity, one would presume that would include Hindus as well. Does it, Ms Arfa Khanum Sherwani? And if you believe that Hindus too have a right to express their faith, why are you silent when the very Muslim community, of which you are a member, openly target Hindus for saying “I love Mahadev.”

In Bahiyal village of Dahegam, Gandhinagar district, Gujarat, on the night of September 24, 2025, Hindus were attacked during Garba celebrations. The violence was sparked by a social media post by a Hindu youth that read, “I Love Mahadev”. The post enraged your co-religionists, who then approached the man’s shop, forcing him to flee for safety. In his absence, the shop was vandalised and set ablaze, as CCTV footage later showed several Muslim men breaking into the premises and causing damage.

The unrest quickly escalated into full-scale violence. Stones were pelted, rods were wielded, and vehicles were set ablaze in a Garba- a Hindu religious event, which was held nearby. More than eight vehicles belonging to Hindus were attacked, and one shop was completely burnt down. Even police officers who rushed to the spot to restore order were assaulted, with two police vehicles sustaining heavy damage. Eyewitness footage from the site captured chaotic scenes of Muslim men hurling stones, while the cries of a Hindu mother searching for her son in panic could be heard in the background, underlining the terror caused by the mob.

According to local media reports, a shop owner, who was sitting outside at the time, recounted that a mob of nearly five thousand people descended during the night and deliberately targeted his shop. He explained that his village has only about 80 Hindu households, surrounded by a much larger Muslim population. The mob, armed with stones and weapons, stormed the premises and ransacked it, leaving Muslim ones untouched. He further noted that the attackers were not limited to young men but also included minors who had joined the violence.

The incident was clearly targeted at the Hindu community, as the Hindu man’s simple expression of devotion to Lord Shiva became the pretext for aggression. This was not a clash but a one-sided communal attack sparked by intolerance against Hindus and their devotion.

So tell me, Ms. Sherwani, if three simple words should never be considered threatening, why are Hindus violently punished for saying “I love Mahadev”? Where is your righteous outrage then?

Let me ask you this, Ms Arfa Khanum Sherwani – what if the Hindu youth had not fled? Do you believe your co-religionists, who were vandalizing the shop and indulging in violence, would not harm the Hindu boy? And if they did harm the Hindu boy, would you say that they had a right to do so because Muslims hold the exclusive right to feel aggreieved enough to strip non-Muslims of their liberty?

Tell us – do you believe that the mere expression of Hindu devotion is an affront to your faith? That the mere existence of Hindus is reason enough for the Muslim community to indulge in violence? Tell us, Ms Sherwani – do you believe Muslims have the exclusive right to express their religious identity, even though, that religious identity is so often based on stripping non-Muslims of their faith?

Since you seem so distressed about Muslims being “criminalised” for chanting it, let us look at how those three ‘benign’ words have actually been used by members of your community to wreak havoc across the country. These are not peaceful words of love. They are deployed as a war cry by Islamists. Frenzied crowds of Islamists have paired this chant with Sar Tan Se Juda (beheading) threats, stone pelting, arson, vandalism, and direct attacks on police.

Let us sample this poster.

‘I Love Muhammad’ poster

I am 100% willing to concede that you have the right to put up posters with “I Love Muhammad” – it is an expression of your faith and one should respect it. But, as a Hindu, whose community and its members are under siege, I ask you – why does your community feel the need to add, “If ever there is a war in your name, even cowards like us will stand in the first row”.

What war is your community waging, Ms Arfa? Who is war directed at? What will your community do if they emerge victorious? Do you know who else spoke about this mythical “war”? PFI. You know what they wrote? They wrote a document detailing how the impending war would mean annihilating Hindus – making a list of Hindus and murdering them. Turning India into an Islamic nation which would have no place for non-Muslims, for Hindus. Would you, Arfa, tell PFI and your co-religionists to ‘change their strategy, not their ideology’, like you told the Jihadis at Shaheen Bagh so that you can continue to keep up your secular pretenses?

Violence has broken out in multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat. Police were attacked and stones were thrown at them in various cities amid loud slogans of “Sar tan se juda” during the marches. A cleric even issued a death threat to an inspector involved in a similar incident in Bareilly.

Yes, the slogan can very well be a harmless expression of devotion and the Muslim community should have the right to express their faith. The problem is, however, that Islamists weaponise their faith as an expression of the exclusionist, supremacist ideology that ultimately and almost always, ends up in Hindus being attacked, persecuted, subjugated and massacred.

Hindus said “I love Mahadev.” Muslims responded with stone pelting, arson, and selective targeting of Hindu shops. Muslims said “I love Muhammad” but coupled it with riots, giving threats of beheading and violently clashing with police. Do you not think that instead of questioning the Indian state or Hindus, you should be questioning those who presumably besmirched the name of the faith you so lovingly espouse?

But we know it won’t be. We know you won’t question your co-religionists and that hardly comes as a surprise. This is not new behavior from you, Ms. Sherwani — your Hinduphobia is well established. In August 2024, you mocked Hindu faith by posting an image that replaced a Shivling with a dustbin, an act so vile that a police complaint had to be filed. In September 2024, you dismissed documented cases of Love Jihad, Spit Jihad, and Land Jihad as “fake propaganda,” willfully ignoring the testimonies of Hindu victims who suffered through them. Then in January 2025, you defended The Wire’s coverage that attempted to shield Islamists arrested in Hamirpur for forced religious conversions, choosing to attack the police instead of acknowledging Hindu families torn apart by coercion. The list is endless.

In truth, Arfa – you will never find resonance with Muslims like Dr APJ Kalam. You will never respect those like Arif Mohammad. You will never stand up for those from the Muslim community who put Bharat first and genuinely, truly consider Hindus as their brethren. You, Arfa, will only speak up when Islamists run rampage and target Hindus. You, Arfa, are the ideological backbone of the Jihadis.

Growing Hinduphobia in US: How ‘historian’ Audrey Truschke is fueling hate against Hindus by lying about the roots of violence in the West

Shraddha Pandey
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Growing Hinduphobia in US: How ‘historian’ Audrey Truschke is fueling hate against Hindus by lying about the roots of violence in the West

Normalisation of Hinduphobia is going on in the US in full swing. From politicians, anti-Hindu lobby, media, to academics, anti-Hindu elements from all walks of life in the US are instilling, promoting and perpetuating Hindu-hate. Audrey Truschke, a notorious anti-Hindu ‘historian’ who has a history of whitewashing heinous crimes committed by the Mughal tyrants against Indians, has authored a sinister propaganda piece fuelling hatred against Hindus by lying about the roots of violence in the West.

On 23rd September 2025, Religion Dispatches published Truschke’s propaganda piece titled: “WHAT IN THE WHAT?? Hindu Nationalism, Explained.” Laced with sheer hatred for the Hindu community in the US, this article argues that ‘Hindu nationalists’ or ‘Hindutva ideologues’ have been threatening the social fabric of America “for half a century”. The Aurangzeb fangirl claims that Hindus are influencing American politics by disguising their ‘political agenda’ as religious practice to ‘exploit’ religious liberty protections.

“In the last decade, they’ve injected their far-right ideas into California’s textbooks, inspired Steve Bannon, helped elect Trump, attacked local Democratic groups, tanked civil rights legislation, and intimidated Muslim Americans. Their latest agenda item is blocking Zohran Mamdani from becoming mayor of New York City,” the article reads.

‘Social fabric of America under threat’. Sounds familiar, right? Islamo-leftists in India, too, peddle a similar ‘India’s secular social fabric under threat’ narrative. In both cases, Muslims remain the perpetual victims while Hindu nationalists are their oppressors, even as reality is its exact opposite.

According to Truschke, Hindus should allow the Islamist lobby in the US to peddle anti-Hindu hatred, Hindus should not upset a Brahmin-hating, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, whose organisation, Equality Labs, runs on the sole agenda of fuelling hatred against Brahmins and undermining Hinduism, Hindus should quietly tolerate a known anti-Hindu, antisemite, Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayoral candidate, even as he makes anti-Hindu and anti-India remarks.

Not to forget, Mamdani had claimed that there were no Muslims left in Gujarat and of labelling Prime Minister Modi a “war criminal.” In 2020, Mamdani described Hindus aligned with Modi’s party as “fascists” and berated fellow New York politicians Jenifer Rajkumar and Kevin Thomas for not denouncing Modi. Mamdani also opposed the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, appearing at a rally in 2020 where derogatory chants against Hindus were raised.

Every Hinduphobic claim Mamdani has been making in political rallies and on social media is a product of his blatant hate for Hindus and fertile imagination. Audrey Truschke is fine with Mamdani peddling blatant lies to further his Muslim victimhood narrative.

While Truschke portrays Hindutva as an unprovoked ‘Hindu supremacy’ movement, the rise of Hindutva as a movement is rather a defensive ideology born from centuries of invasions, colonial exploitation, and political subjugation of Hindus, coupled with Islamist violence in independent India. Far from supremacy, Hindutva seeks religious-cultural self-assertion for a majority that endured temple destruction by invaders, including those by Mughal tyrant, Aurangzeb, whom Truschke has been whitewashing, forced conversions, and countless injustices and atrocities endured by Hindus, which find no mention in Truschke’s works or are downplayed and justified.

Islamists have been forming Muslim ghettos and no-go zones in the US, imposing Sharia laws in Muslim-dominated areas, and declaring ‘Sharia cities’, but Audrey Truschke wants Americans to believe that law-abiding and peaceful Hindus are a threat to America’s social fabric. Over the years, Hindu temples have come under attack in American cities, Hindus have been subjected to religious and racial hatred online, but Hindus are asserting ‘supremacy’. Indian Americans, particularly Hindus, have been major beneficiaries of the H1-B visas, and yet they could not stop the Trump administration from cracking down on the H1-B visas. So much influence in politics!

Truschke further dismisses Hinduphobia as ‘non-existent’ and to do so, she relies on references from ‘scholars’ and ‘progressive’ Hindu Americans. Now, Truschke’s ‘progressive Hindu Americans’ are none other than “Hindus for Human Rights” (HfHR), a George Soros-funded anti-Hindu and anti-India outfit run by Sunita Vishwanath.

“Hindu nationalists frequently allege that they’re targeted as a religious minority, victims of what they call “Hinduphobia.” Hindutva ideologues have popularized the concept of “Hinduphobia,” but scholars and progressive Hindu Americans reject this framework, noting that no evidence exists for systematic religion-based discrimination or oppression of Hindus in the US,” the Religion Dispatches article reads.

OpIndia has reported earlier how Vishwanath remembers her ‘Hinduness’ only when she has to sermonise Hindus and villainise them for not being tolerant (read subservient) enough towards Islamists and their Hindu-hate. She has also been seen with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, another Hindu in name and not spirit, during his controversial US visits.

Last year, The Wire published her op-ed on Janmashtami, in which she grotesquely compared the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza to the trials of Krishna and the Pandavas in the Mahabharata, even likening Israel to Kansa. By twisting Hindu epics to justify sympathy for Hamas, a terrorist outfit responsible for massacring Israeli civilians, Sunita insulted Sanatan Dharma and whitewashed jihadist violence.

Her organisation, Hindus for Human Rights, has repeatedly used Hindu symbols to delegitimise Hindu identity. In February 2024, HfHR hosted an event at UC Berkeley titled “Zionism and Hindu Supremacy: Partners Against Pluralism, “equating Hindu identity with “supremacy” and pairing it with far-left demonisation of Zionism.

Ironically, this group of ‘progressive Hindu Americans’ was created in 2019 by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and OFMI, Islamist advocacy groups with ties to Jamaat-e-Islami networks.

Coming back to Audrey Truschke’s verbal diarrhoea, the historian-cum-Islamist-PR-agent resorted to accusing American Hindus of indulging in violence. She attempted to give a historical context of the alleged embrace of violence by Hindu nationalists.

Predictably, Audrey invoked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, calling it an all-male “parent group of Hindu nationalism” and Nathuram Godse, the man who killed MK Gandhi. She, however, did not care to delve into the details of how RSS has, over the past decades, done selfless service towards the nation by engaging in social service activities to help people in need regardless of their social or religious background. Trushchke claimed that a BJP operative attempted to assassinate a ‘US citizen’.

While the matter is sub judice, Tushchke suggested that it was a random US citizen and did not care to mention that this US citizen is an anti-Hindu and Khalistani terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who repeatedly organises anti-India and anti-Hindu protests, incites violence against Indian diplomats and has also been issuing threats to blow up Air India flights and bomb cricket stadiums in India.

Audrey Trushcke further villainised Tulsi Gabbard, the United States Director of National Intelligence in the rump administration. Basically, for Islamo-leftists, you are a good and progressive Hindu if you are detached from your religious teachings, are self-loathing, ashamed of your Indian roots, and support Islamist and liberal agendas, and you are a bad, extremist, and violent Hindu if you are proud of your Hindu identity, are proud of your Indian roots, are a patriot and do not align with Islamo-leftist agenda. Thus, for Truschke, Sunita Vishwanath passes as a ‘progressive Hindu’, but Tulsi Gabbard doesn’t.

Being a typical self-praising leftist, Truschke did not forget to invoke sympathy for herself and propagandists of her kind. However, in her pursuit to present herself as a ‘brave scholar’ confronting Hindu nationalists and their ideology, she subtly equated Hindus with terrorists.

“Because of the ever-present threat of violence, writing about Hindu nationalism is dangerous. The risks Hindu nationalists pose transcend borders and incentivize scholars and journalists alike to soft-pedal or simply ignore Hindutva. Those of us determined to confront the problem head-on learn to live with violent threats and the well-grounded fear that, one day, a Hindu nationalist might act upon those threats,” Truschke writes.

Towards the end of her Hinduphobic rant, Audrey laments how several Hindu groups are ‘promoting’ Hindu nationalism globally and how this can be countered.

Normalisation of Hinduphobia in the US: The Islamo-leftist agenda at work with a renewed intensity

Hinduphobia is not a new phenomenon in the US or the West. It has always simmered beneath the surface of the so-called pluralistic and progressive Western world. In 1910, The Detroit Times published a highly derogatory article vilifying the Hindus. The piece titled “Hindoos (Hindus) Continue to Flock to the US” referred to Hindus and Indians as ‘Oriental scum’. “The dumping place for the scum of the Orient and India is San Francisco,” the article published in 1910 read.

In 1907, a mob comprising mostly white men, led by the Asiatic Exclusion League in Bellingham, Washington, drove out over 100 Asian Indian immigrant workers from the city. From the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 which barred immigrants from Asia, the Dot Busters group in 1980s which targeted Hindus Americans based on their religious an racial identity and assaulted them, to the individual cases of religiously-motivated hate crimes against Hindus post 2001, Hindus in the US, despite being a small minority which contributed massively to American economy has been subjected to hate, bias and violence.

Earlier, these Hinduphobic attitudes found manifestation in anti-Asian racism and labelling of Hindus as ‘caste-ridden savages’ and ‘heathens’, and attacks. It manifests today in temple desecrations, school bullying, media propaganda and online hatred. A 2022 Network Contagion Research Institute report documented a 1,000% increase in anti-Hindu slurs online, blending white supremacist “replacement” fears with Islamist narratives accusing Hindus of “genocide” in India.

In fact, the California textbook controversies, Trushcke cited in her propaganda piece, demonstrate prevalent academic Hinduphobia. During the contentious process of revising California’s K-12 history-social science curriculum, a proposal was brought up to replace the term ‘India’ with ‘South Asia, arguing that “India” did not exist as a unified entity before 1947. It also pushed for stereotypical representation of Hindus and Hinduism in textbooks.

Earlier this year, White and Christian supremacists ignited the H1-B visas debate after Donald Trump nominated American-born Indian Sriram Krishnan as senior policy advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

What began as an online attack slandering Sriram soon snowballed into a full-fledged campaign against H1-B visas for highly-skilled Indians. This was followed by derision and insults directed at Hindus and Hinduism.

And this anti-Indian and anti-Hindu campaign has paid off well for the bigots who partook in it as Donald Trump has backtracked from his earlier stance supporting H1-B visa and skilled immigration, and imposed a $1,00,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions submitted by aliens outside the US. While this rule applies only to new applications, the MAGA faction saw it as a victory for its anti-Indian and anti-Hindu smear campaign. And victories, small or big, only embolden the bigots.

Recently, Alexander Duncan, the Republican Senate candidate for Texas, called Lord Hanuman a ‘false god’ and objected to the construction of his statue in the US, saying that America is a ‘Christian’ nation.

In an X post published on 20th September, Duncan shared a video showcasing the 90-foot-tall statue of Lord Hanuman installed in the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in the town of Sugar Land, Texas, and wrote, “Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas? We are a CHRISTIAN nation!”

Weeks back, Donald Trump’s Trade Adviser, Peter Navarro, who Trump has unleashed as his attack dog to vilify India over its Russian oil purchases, resorted to slandering the Brahmin community. In an interview with Fox News, Navarro invoked caste and accused the Brahmins of India of “profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.”

So, you know, look, Modi’s a great leader… But I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping…when he’s the leader of the biggest democracy in the world. I would simply say to the Indian people. Please, understand what’s going on here. You’ve got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop…” Navarro said.

The Anti-Hindu lobby in the US has been actively running a sinister campaign to push a caste discrimination narrative aimed at undermining and villainising the Hindu community in the US, particularly the Brahmins. Many universities, including Harvard University, Colby College, Brown University, and California State University, have even added caste to their non-discrimination policy. In 2023, the California State Senate in the US passed legislation (SB-403) that banned caste-based discrimination in the State, although it was later vetoed. Not to forget the 2019 CISCO caste discrimination case, which was widely used to vilify the Hindu community as casteist and incompatible with American values. This case was dismissed after no wrongdoing was found.

In 2021, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in New Jersey was raided by the American authorities after a lawsuit alleging forced labour and caste discrimination was filed. The American legacy media targeted the Hindu temple and its authorities; however, this too turned out to be a case of all propaganda, not facts, intended to malign the reputation of Hindus in America. The US authorities recently closed the investigation in this case as none of the allegations were found to be true.

In 2024, the anti-Hindu lobby opposed House Resolution 113, which condemned Hinduphobia in the US.

In recent years, hate crimes against Indian Americans have also been on the rise. According to the FBI’s 2020 data, hate crimes against Indian Americans are up by 500 per cent.

Besides, politics and social media, even the American media and academia perpetuate anti-Hindu bias through selective outrage and erasure. OpIndia has on numerous occasions reported how newspapers like the New York Times, among others, have also been complicit in spinning and amplifying anti-Hindu narratives.

OpIndia earlier reported how DEI programs have been normalising hatred against Brahmins in the US. In their attempts to foment the same hate Nazis had for Jews, several DEI programs were creating prejudices against Hindus, particularly the so-called “upper-caste” Hindus like Brahmins, who are already at the receiving end of hate campaigns of the anti-Hindu elements.

The vandalism of Hindu temples in the US has become a new normal in the US. In September 2024, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento, California, was desecrated with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti. This act of vandalism came just days after a similar incident occurred at the BAPS Mandir on Long Island, New York. While Khalistani terrorists have been the frequent perpetrators of these anti-Hindu crimes, now the Christian supremacists are also intensifying opposition to Hindu symbols, statues and temples.

It was reported last year that in California, anti-Hindu incidents ranked second only to antisemitism, with 23.3% of religious hate calls tied to Hinduphobia. In July 2025, a video of a White American berating an Indian man with “Why are you in my country? I don’t like you guys here. There are too many of you guys here. Indians! You guys are flooding all the white countries. I am tired of it. Americans are sick of this sh**. I want you to go back to India…”

There has been a rising tide of racism and religious hatred against the Hindus in the US. While not all crimes against Indian Americans are driven by religious hatred, the online hate against Hindus has also contributed to this. It must not be forgotten that even the H1-B visas debate began with ‘Indians are taking over our jobs’, but soon turned into blatant Hinduphobia.

Today’s calls for ‘sending back’ Hindus to India, and removing Hindu idols and temples, will eventually descend to calling for the killing, even genocide, of Hindus.

The United Kingdom has seen it during the Leicester violence. Hindus were vilified by Islamists and their liberal cheerleaders. It resulted in targeted violence against the Hindu community there. In the US, now the likes of Audrey Truschke are building on innate racism in an attempt to convince Americans, and by extension, the West, that Hindus are meant to be hated. Once hate is normalised, violence will be justified.

US sanctions Indian nationals Sadiq, Iqbal Shaikh for supplying fentanyl-laced pills: Hindu alias used, illicit drugs trade, and more — Here is what OpIndia found about the Company

Anurag
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US sanctions Indian nationals Sadiq, Iqbal Shaikh for supplying fentanyl-laced pills: Hindu alias used, illicit drugs trade, and more — Here is what OpIndia found about the Company

On 24th September, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Indian nationals, Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh, for their involvement in supplying hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Furthermore, OFAC has also designated Shaikh’s India-based online pharmacy, KS International Traders, that operated under the name KS Pharmacy. Sadiq, according to September 2024 indictment, was using a Hindu name, Rakesh Sharma, as alias.

According to Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John K Hurley, the action was part of the continuing effort of the US government to protect families in America from the fentanyl crisis. He said, “Too many families have been torn apart by fentanyl. Today, we are acting to hold accountable those who profit from this poison.”

Role of online pharmacies in global drug trade

The sanctions have highlighted the growing role of online pharmacies in worsening the synthetic opioid epidemic in the US. According to the sanctions document, entities like KS Pharmacy frequently pose as legitimate sellers of pharmaceutical products. However, in reality, they are trafficking counterfeit pills that are often laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine. Earlier, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had warned that unsuspecting buyers across the US are being misled into believing they are purchasing genuine medication such as Oxycodone, Adderall, or Xanax.

The sanctions highlight the growing role of online pharmacies, particularly those operating out of India, in fuelling the synthetic opioid epidemic. These entities frequently pose as legitimate sellers of pharmaceutical products but instead traffic in counterfeit pills often laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had earlier warned that unsuspecting buyers across the United States are being misled into believing they are purchasing genuine medications such as Oxycodone, Adderall, or Xanax.

Operations of Sayyed and Shaikh

According to US authorities, both Sayyed and Shaikh collaborated with traffickers based in the United States and the Dominican Republic. They marketed counterfeit pills as discounted pharmaceuticals and used encrypted platforms to carry out transactions. Both were indicted in September 2024 by a federal grand jury in New York on narcotics-related charges.

Notably, the document suggested that Shaikh, the owner of KS International Traders, allegedly continued operating his online pharmacy despite being exposed in the Department of Justice indictment. OFAC noted that the company was being sanctioned for acting on behalf of Shaikh to further his criminal activity.

September 2024 indictment in New York

In September 2024, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed charges against 18 defendants for running a transnational network of fake online pharmacies distributing millions of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills. Among those named were Indian nationals Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh.

The indictment revealed that Sayyed operated under multiple aliases, including the Hindu name “Rakesh Sharma” and another identity, “Jonathan Acosta,” in order to conceal his origins and expand his reach in the illicit trade. Authorities alleged that the group, led by Dominican trafficker Francisco Alberto Lopez Reyes, sold counterfeit pills that resulted in multiple overdose deaths across the United States, including that of a 45-year-old army veteran. The investigation also exposed the industrial-scale “pill mills” in New York where drugs were pressed to resemble genuine pharmaceuticals, underscoring the global and sophisticated nature of the operation.

Sanctions implications

The designations mean that all property and interests belonging to Sayyed, Shaikh, and KS International Traders in the United States or controlled by US persons are blocked. Financial institutions and businesses have also been warned against engaging in transactions with them, as violations of sanctions carry civil or criminal penalties.

OpIndia investigation into KS International Traders

OpIndia has independently reviewed the sanctions documents and information on the pharmacy available online. Preliminary findings indicate that the company maintained a digital footprint portraying itself as a legitimate pharmaceutical supplier, while simultaneously being flagged in international monitoring reports.

Interestingly, there is a screenshot of the website operated under the name KS Pharmacy that has been pulled down. It is unclear if the website was brought down before sanctions were announced yesterday or earlier. However, OpIndia did find some of the archived pages of the website on the archive.org website which can be checked here. The screenshot below is similar to what has been included by the US authorities in the Sanction document.

Now-pulled down page of KS International Traders. Source: Archive.org

As per the information available on the archived page, the product list of the company was long. They were selling tablets of Lorazepam, Diazepam, Clonazepam Nozim, Sildenafil Citrate Cobra, Xanax Alprazolam, Alprazolam, Alpcore, and Ativan Lorazepam. Injections included Imupeg, Boldarix, Fondaparinux Sodium, Testosterone Enanthate, and Testosterone Cypionate. Capsules included Fildena Sildenafil softgel, Terraform Nutrition Anti Anxiety and Stress Relief,, and Orlistat.

During the investigation, OpIndia found that there was a website named ksinternationalpharmacy.com where the duo were selling pharmaceuticals. The website is no longer operational and displays the error: “Forbidden. You don’t have permission to access/on this server.”

The website is down.

Though the WhoIs information of the website was hidden under privacy options, an interesting aspect came to notice. KS International was exposed in the US court in September 2024 for its involvement in the illegal trade of pharmaceuticals laced with opioids. However, this particular website was registered in December 2024, which solidifies the concern that Shaikh continued to operate his pharmaceutical business.

Source: WhoIs

Upon reverse searching the GST number 27AAZFK8713F2ZQ, it was revealed that the GST number was issued on 27th June 2024, only three months before the US court verdict against the company.

Source: ClearTax

There is an Indiamart page of the company KS International Traders that claims to deal in wooden products, furniture, etc. The company, according to the profile, was registered in 2023 and operates from Mumbai. GST partner names have been mentioned as Saba Aslam Mistry and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh.

Source: IndiaMart

While the company claims to sell furniture on its Indiamart page, what is intriguing are the reviews of the products. While there is no way to confirm if the reviews were posted by actual customers or the company owners themselves, one thing is evident: they were in fact selling pharmaceutical products.

For instance, one “Steve” from the US wrote a review on 15th June 2025 for Alprazolam tablets and claimed that the product was of “quality,” the company is “trustworthy,” and delivery was “fast.”

Source: Indiamart

Another customer, “Scott Robert Howard” from the US, said on 11th May 2025: “These guys are the best. If you want good fire bars, they have them all day. I highly recommend. I’ve dealt with 5 people on Indiamart, and these guys are the best by far. The bars are absolutely fire.” He also bought Alprazolam tablets.

Another customer, “Ronald Coleman,” bought Diazepam tablets. One customer, “Al Destefano,” bought Oxydolar. Another one, and “Daniel Wilson” bought Clonazepam.

Alprazolam, Diazepam and Clonazepam 

All three, Alprazolam, Diazepam and Clonazepam are benzodiazepine tablets that are used to treat anxiety, panic disorders, and anxiety linked to depression. It works by enhancing neurotransmitter activity in the brain. While considered safer than barbiturates, it carries risks of abuse, dependence, and overdose, especially when combined with alcohol, opioids, or other depressants. Overdose can cause respiratory depression, ataxia, or coma, though rarely fatal. Flumazenil may reverse intoxication but can trigger withdrawal in dependent patients. Diazepam is a Schedule IV controlled substance, requiring strict medical supervision for long-term use.

Oxydolar

Oxydolar is a brand name with Oxycodone as active ingrediant. It is a prescription opioid painkiller used for severe or long-term pain when standard painkillers fail. It is available as tablets, capsules, liquid, injections, and slow-release formulations for sustained relief. While effective, it carries a high risk of addiction, dependence, and overdose. Common side effects include nausea, constipation, and drowsiness. Grapefruit juice should be avoided as it intensifies side effects. Doctors may combine oxycodone with naloxone to reduce complications such as opioid-induced constipation.

There is one more website of the company ‘www.kttradersandservices.in’ [archived link] which lists only furniture products. However, it seems that the website pulls testimonies from IndiaMart as it shows same testimonies. This website is only 99 days old. The domain name says KT Traders but the website clearly says KS traders and the information matches the company that has been sanctioned.

Conclusion

The US Treasury’s sanctions are the latest in a string of coordinated international actions to counter the flow of synthetic opioids. With fentanyl overdose remaining the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45, the crackdown on online suppliers from India underlines the global nature of the crisis.

Video shows Congress councillor leading violence in Ladakh? Sonam Wangchuk instigated violence, had instructed protestors to wear masks and hoodies to hide identity: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Video shows Congress councillor leading violence in Ladakh? Sonam Wangchuk instigated violence, had instructed protestors to wear masks and hoodies to hide identity: Details

On 24th September, violence erupted in Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh after a shutdown call by the Leh Apex Body’s youth wing spiralled into clashes, arson and chaos. The agitators, who were demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, torched the local BJP office, burnt a police van, and clashed with the security forces deployed in the heart of the city. The protests were in solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, which was ended after violence.

Amid this, an undated video of Sonam Wangchuk has emerged, where he seemed to have advised the protestors to come prepared for violence. BJP IT cell heat Amit Malviya posted the video on X, where Wangchuk allegedly urged the protestors to wear masks and hoodies, a common tactic of protestors planning violence to avoid identification.

In the video, Wangchuk can be demonstrating wearing a mask and a hoodie. However, OpIndia independently could not verify what he was saying.

In the meanwhile, it has also been alleged that Congress leaders in Ladakh were behind the violence in Leh today. BJP on Wednesday claimed that Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag incited the violence.

Malviya posted visuals showing Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag leading the violent mob. He posted on ?, “This man rioting in Ladakh is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward. He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?”

Echoing the allegations, BJP leader Sambit Patra said, “Today, in Ladakh, attempts were made to portray some protests as being led by Gen Z. However, when investigated, it was discovered that these protests were not led by Gen Z, but by Congress. Congress councillor Stanzin Tsepang is the councillor from the Upper Leh ward. He is the main instigator, and numerous photos have surfaced of him and his workers instigating the violence. He can also be seen marching towards the BJP office with a weapon in his hand. He is instigating the mob and targeting the BJP office… A video of this has also surfaced, and the BJP has also posted it. Councillor Stanzin Tsepang is with Rahul Gandhi.”

Patra also accused Rahul Gandhi of “repeatedly instigating” situations similar to what had happened in Nepal and Bangladesh. He said, “Congress has nefarious designs. ‘Bharat tere tukde honge Inshallah, Inshallah’ is Congress’s main line… This is Rahul Gandhi’s plan with George Soros, since they cannot win through the people, so we are working to break the country. Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly instigating the situation in the country that has happened in Bangladesh, Nepal, and is currently unfolding in the Philippines. What kind of leadership is this for the Congress?”

In another video posted by Amit Malviya, Congress councillor from Saspol, Smanla Dorjey Norboo, could be heard openly challenging the administration. He dared the govt to deploy more CRPF personnel, and claimed that even a larger security presence would not stop the protestors from reaching the BJP Ladakh office and dragging people out.

As per Malviya, he further said that he would personally come to stone the BJP Ladakh office, and he urged people from across Ladakh to travel to Leh on 24 September to carry out the attack.

The attack on BJP office did take place on 24 September, as threatened by the Congress leader.

Tension had been simmering since Tuesday evening after two elderly people sitting on hunger strike collapsed and were rushed to hospital. Their condition sparked outrage among students and youth activists, many of whom had already expressed discontent over the Centre’s delay in resuming meaningful talks with Ladakhi leadership.

On Wednesday morning, crowds began assembling near the hunger strike site. They later moved towards the BJP office in Leh town. Police and paramilitary forces had already been deployed in anticipation. Barricades were raised to control the agitators. However, as the protesters attempted to break through, stone pelting began. Police used teargas shells in retaliation to control the violence.

The situation quickly spiralled out of control when a police van was set ablaze. Soon after, protesters stormed the BJP office, setting it on fire amid chants in support of Wangchuk and against what they claimed to be the Centre’s “failed UT experiment.” Several other vehicles were also damaged in the melee.

At least four people have been killed in the violence, and 45 others were injured including 22 police personnel.

Ladakh violence: A manufactured crisis?

The violence that shook Leh on September 24 did not arise in a vacuum. Evidence suggests it was not a spontaneous outpouring of anger but the result of deliberate provocation and political manoeuvring. Tragically, it is the young people of Ladakh who are bearing the brunt of these power games.

Dialogue already on track

The Centre had already committed to addressing Ladakh’s demands. A High-Powered Committee (HPC) meeting was scheduled for October 6, with the government even agreeing to include new names suggested by the Apex Body, Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). In response to requests for earlier talks, September 25–26 was under discussion.

This was not the first attempt at dialogue. In July, talks were offered but did not progress as expected. Still, the HPC process had achieved significant outcomes: raising ST reservations from 45% to 84%, ensuring one-third women’s representation in local councils, granting official status to Bhoti and Purgi languages, and opening 1,800 government posts for recruitment.

A video recorded at Anshan just before the clashes shows LBA President Chhering Dorjay Lakrook telling a cheering crowd that a delegation would head to Delhi on September 26 for discussions with the Centre. Yet, within hours, optimism gave way to chaos.

Provocative rhetoric and escalation

On September 24, his supporters moved from the hunger strike site towards the BJP office and the Hill Council headquarters. Vehicles were set ablaze, police were attacked, and over 30 security personnel were injured in the clashes. Police were eventually forced to fire on the mob, resulting in casualties. By 4 PM, the situation was brought under control.

Notably, Wangchuk ended his fast the same day and left for his village in an ambulance, without taking visible responsibility for restraining his followers.

Centre’s official position on unrest

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has outlined the official position on the unrest. According to its release:

  • The government has been in continuous dialogue with Ladakh’s leadership through the HPC, sub-committees, and informal meetings.
  • The dialogue process has already delivered major benefits, including expanded reservations, official language recognition, and new job opportunities.
  • The issues highlighted by Wangchuk during his fast are already part of the HPC’s ongoing agenda.
  • Despite repeated appeals by community leaders to end his hunger strike, Wangchuk persisted, using provocative comparisons to movements abroad.
  • On September 24, the violence was triggered when a mob, allegedly influenced by such rhetoric, left the hunger strike site and targeted political offices, police vehicles, and government property. Over 30 policemen and CRPF jawans were injured before order was restored.
  • The government reiterated its commitment to Ladakh’s aspirations and appealed to the public not to share misleading or inflammatory content online.

Singapore shipping firm behind toxic Colombo port leak rejects $1 billion damages court order: Read about a tragic environmental disaster and an international legal battle

Shraddha Pandey
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Singapore shipping firm behind toxic Colombo port leak rejects $1 billion damages court order: Read about a tragic environmental disaster and an international legal battle

A month after the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ordered a Singapore shipping company to pay USD 1 billion in damages for causing Sri Lanka’s worst environmental disaster, the Singaporean company, X-Press Feeders, has refused to comply with the court order. The tragic environmental disaster caused by the sinking of the MV X-Press Pearl near Colombo Port in June 2021.

Speaking to news agency AFP, X-Press Feeders chief executive Shmuel Yoskovitz said he believed paying would have wide-ranging implications on global shipping and “set a dangerous precedent”.

Sinking of the Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl and Sri Lanka’s worst maritime pollution disaster

The MV X-Press Pearl was a 1,098-foot container vessel owned by Singapore-based EOS Ro Pte LTD, which is a part of the X-Press Pearl Group, and was operated by X-Press Feeders Pte LTD, a prominent Singaporean shipping company specialising in intra-Asia routes. The ship was en route from Hazira Port in India’s Gujarat state to Sri Lanka’s Colombo, carrying 1,496 containers, 81 labelled as “dangerous cargo”.

The vessel carried 25 containers of nitric acid, a corrosive chemical used in fertilisers and explosives, in addition to lead ingots, calcium carbide, and hundreds of metric tons of plastic nurdles. The plastic nurdles are used for manufacturing plastic products like bottles and bags, and are non-biodegradable. These nurdles are highly polluting when released into the environment.

On 20th May 2021, while the vessel was still in the Arabian Sea, a container holding 26 metric tons of nitric acid began leaking. The crew attempted to contain it; however, the acid’s fumes damaged the ship’s electrical systems. This led to a cascade of failures. For obvious reasons, ports in Qatar and India denied the vessel entry to offload the hazardous cargo. Thus, the vessel was forced to proceed to Colombo.

The MV X-Press Pearl anchored 9.4 nautical miles (around 17 kilometres) off Colombo on 25th May 2021. By 26th May, the nitric acid leak had triggered a fire, which burned uncontrollably for 11 days, despite efforts by the Sri Lankan Navy, Air Force, and international salvage teams. The fire spread to other containers, causing explosions and the release of toxic fumes visible from the shore.

Finally, on 2nd June 2021, the vessel split into two and sank in 180 feet of water near Negombo Lagoon, a UNESCO-recognised Ramsar wetland site.

Reports say that the scale of maritime pollution caused by this incident was one of the worst in many decades. Over 87 tons of plastic nurdles were spilt into the sea, washing ashore along an 80 km stretch of Sri Lanka’s western coastline, from Negombo to Kalutara. In no time, these pellets contaminated beaches, estuaries and mangroves, entering the food chain and drastically affecting marine life.

Image via AFP

The spilt chemicals and nitric acid contaminated coastal waters, killing thousands of fish, 417 olive ridley sea turtles, 48 dolphins, eight blue whales, and countless other marine species that washed up dead on beaches.

In addition, the fire released toxic smoke containing nitrogen oxides and heavy metals, harming air quality in Colombo. Seagrass beds, coral reefs, and plankton populations suffered long-term damage that disrupted the ecosystem.

The tragedy was not confined to sea and air but also had human and economic impacts. A fishing ban was imposed for more than a year in impacted areas. Consequently, over 20,000 fishermen and their families lost their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, tourism also declined due to polluted beaches. Cleanup costs exceeded USD 7 million initially. Funds were allocated for compensating affected fishermen. At a time when Sri Lanka was already going through an economic peril, this disaster exacerbated the country’s economic crisis.

Amidst all this, environmental groups like the Centre of Environmental Justice (CEJ) and affected communities approached Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court to seek accountability under the country’s constitution and the international laws, particularly, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’s “polluter pays” principle.

Besides, the MV X-Press Pearl ship’s Russian captain, Vitaly Tyutkalo, was arrested and barred from leaving Sri Lanka since June 2021. X-Press Feeders offered a fine for Tyutkalo’s release; however, the Lankan authorities rejected the offer.

Sri Lanka Supreme Court’s landmark judgment and the refusal by Singapore-based X-Press Feeders to pay damages

In July 2025, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka gave a 361-page verdict, ruling against X-Press Feeders and related entities, including EOS Ro Pte LTD. The verdict described the incident as causing “unprecedented devastation to the maritime environment” and violating fundamental rights.

The Lankan Supreme Court ordered that an “initial” USD 1 billion be paid to the government within one year, starting with USD 23 million by 23rd September 2025. The court said that future payments could be directed as needed for restoration.

Notably, the court calculated damages based on economic losses, ecosystem restoration costs, and long-term harm. The apex court emphasised the Singaporean company’s alleged negligence in cargo handling and failure to declare hazards properly.

The verdict received global praise and was hailed as a step toward global accountability. This verdict was supposed to be the culmination of four years of litigation and the quest for justice and accountability. However, a layer of conflict has been added to the case by X-Press Feeders, as the company has refused to pay the “initial” damages (USD 1 billion).

X-Press Feeders CEO Shmuel Yoskovitz recently told news agency, AFP, that his company will not pay the ordered amount and even called the court order a “hanging guillotine”. Yoskovitz argued that it would set a “dangerous precedent” for the global shipping industry by exposing operators to unlimited liability.

“We are not paying because the whole base of maritime trade is based on the limitation of liability. This judgment undermines this limitation of liability. Any payment towards the judgment could set a dangerous precedent for how maritime incidents will be resolved in the future,” Yoskovitz said.

He further raised concern that the absence of limitations could lead to higher insurance premiums, which would ultimately be passed on to consumers.

Yoskovitz apologised for the incident, adding that X-Press Feeders had already spent US$170 million to remove the wreck, clean up the seabed and beaches, and compensate affected fishermen.

“We are not trying to hide … We are willing to pay more, but it has to be under certain marine conventions and an amount that is full and final, and then it can be settled, and we can move on. But to live under this hanging guillotine – it is simply impossible to operate like this,” he said.

In August this year, X-Press Feeders issued a statement expressing dismay over the Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s ruling.

The Court has effectively pronounced the vessel’s Master (Captain Tyutkalo) and local Agents guilty of criminal charges before their trials have concluded, and in the case of the Agents, even before formal charges have been filed on some of the allegations. The shipping company said that the ship’s Master is languishing in Sri Lanka, unable to resume his life and career. Even during the trial, he was not present in the court or legally represented.

“The court’s intent to lay all blame and liability on the vessel’s owners and operators is blatantly apparent in their judgment on the Sri Lankan authorities’ role in the incident. It exonerates the actions of the Harbour Master and Director General of Merchant Shipping, despite their own experts boarding and inspecting the vessel and raising no alarm or immediate reason for concern, more than a week before the X-Press Pearl sank. It also ignores the vessel’s pleas for help and the refusal by three ports (in Qatar, India, and Sri Lanka) to offload the container before the fire started,” the X-Press Feeders’ statement reads.

Notably, in July 2023, X-Press Feeders secured a ruling from London’s Admiralty Court capping its liability at £19 million or USD 25 million, under the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC). Sri Lanka has appealed against this.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government has also sued the owners in Singapore’s International Commercial Court for unspecified damages. This case is reported to be on hold pending the London appeal.

However, how Sri Lanka plans to enforce the ruling extraterritorially remains unclear. The Lankan government has limited options, such as asset seizures in international ports, Interpol notices, or pressuring insurers. Besides, criminal probes could also target executives if they visit. However, in the absence of any reciprocity treaty between Singapore and Sri Lanka, the courts in Singapore or other countries where X-Press Feeders have assets are under no obligation to recognise the ruling.

Sri Lanka may also raise the matter at the state-to-state level, and the Singaporean government may ask X-Press Feeders to negotiate a settlement. In addition, Sri Lanka can also bring a claim in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS); however, given that arbitration requires the consent of both parties, this option may not yield much positive results for Colombo, as it is highly unlikely that X-Press Feeders or Singapore would give consent for the same.

While there has been a visible cleanup, experts warn of invisible long-term damage, including the persistence of microplastics in sediments and food webs for decades. This case reflects the tussle between national environmental justice and international maritime law. Sri Lanka wants accountability, Singapore’s X-Press Feeders offers accountability, but on their own terms. It remains to be seen if actual accountability will be secured or if this quest will go on for many more years with significant results.

Mumbai hoarding collapse: Probe panel indicts suspended IPS officer, BMC official & Ego Media — All you need to know

Rukma Rathore
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Mumbai hoarding collapse: Probe panel indicts suspended IPS officer, BMC official & Ego Media — All you need to know

The investigation into the hoarding collapse disaster in Ghatkopar of Mumbai, Maharashtra which killed 17 people and injured 80 last year identified “criminal conspiracy,” according to a high-level committee led by retired judge Justice Dilip Bhosale, reported The Indian Express.

It highlighted the involvement of businessman Mohammed Arshad Khan, BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) official Sunil Dalvi, suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid and Ego Media executives Bhavesh Bhinde and Janhavi Marathe.

The report stated, “The sequence of events not only points the needle of suspicion towards a criminal conspiracy hatched between Khalid, Bhinde, Marathe, Dalvi and Arshad Khan, in order to perpetrate illegalities and circumvent the BMC regulations, but it also seems that they have actually committed illegalities, which untimely led to loss of 17 lives in the incident on 13th May 2024.”

The Maharashtra cabinet adopted the report, its recommendations and findings on 23rd September after the committee delivered the same to the government in May. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led the council of ministers which also instructed the relevant departments to implement the suggestions within a month.

The committee was chaired by former Chief Justice Bhosale of the Allahabad High Court and consisted of the director general of police, the assistant commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, an income tax official, a chartered accountant and a structural engineer from IIT Bombay.

The shocking findings of the committee

According to the committee, Khalid authorised unlawful relaxations while he was the GRP (Government Railway Police) commissioner, such as expanding the size of the hoarding, extending its operational period and erecting a fourth hoarding without a tender which allowed for the systematic violation of municipal regulations.

The report conveyed that the officials were able to get around BMC regulations which stipulate that hoardings cannot be larger than 40 by 40 feet, because the land where they were erected was misclassified as “Railway property” under the Railways Act 1989. The land was partly held by the Police Welfare Corporation as well as partially by the Government of Maharashtra for Railway Police usage.

Ego Media was initially awarded three hoardings, each 40 x 40 feet, consecutively (3 x 1600 x 2 or 9,600 sq ft) for a period of ten years by a Railway Police e-tender. The three hoardings were expanded to a total frontage of 38,400 square feet after Khalid took office. He also increased their operational time from 10 to 30 years and sanctioned a fourth hoarding that measured 120 x 140 feet in tandem (16,800 x 3 or 33,600 square feet) all without requesting approval from the DGP (Director-General of Police) or issuing new tenders.

Monetary fraud and procedural shortcomings

According to the report, the order of money transactions, size increases and approvals amply demonstrated a coordinated network of misconduct. The accused directly caused the catastrophe by increasing hoardings beyond approved limitations, granting operating rights, allowing a fourth hoarding without a tender and enabling payment transfers, including one for Rs 84 lakh.

Additionally, it drew attention to procedural flaws in the procurement process and pointed out that Qicom, a competitor was denied permission to build a hoarding without being asked to submit a business proposition. The committee observed that these actions took place in defiance of the BMC and BPCL’s protests which significantly contributed to the fall of the hoarding.

Mohammed Arshad Khan, a long-time associate of Bhavesh Bhinde handled blank checks totalling Rs 84 lakh from Ego Media. He deposited them in several accounts and turned the money into cash that was presented to Khalid, based on the report which also revealed financial irregularities.

The investigation mentioned that Sunil Dalvi, the BMC senior inspector (Licence), N-ward at the time, maintained continuous communication with Bhinde throughout the hoarding construction process. He approved an unsecured loan of Rs 45 lakh to Ego Media directors Bhinde and Marathe without any security. According to the report, Dalvi was able to facilitate the financial irregularities as he was also the chairman of a credit society.

Khalid continued to be suspended and the other four listed by the committee in its report (Dalvi, Bhinde, Marathe and Arshad Khan) were already arrested but are currently free on bail.

The recommendations detailed in the report

According to the committee’s 21-point recommendations, hoardings should be regularly inspected, a nodal enforcement agency should be appointed, municipal authorities should be given full authority to take action against illegal structures. It further stated that size restrictions should be strictly adhered to, hoardings on terraces or compound walls should be prohibited and steps should be taken to ensure pedestrian and traffic safety, including making access accessible to people with disabilities.

An insider disclosed, “The inquiry highlights growing concerns over regulatory non-compliance in Mumbai, where illegal hoardings have repeatedly posed serious risks. By mischaracterising private land as railway property, bypassing tender procedures, and facilitating financial inducements, including cash dealings of Rs 84 lakh, the accused exploited loopholes in the system, putting public safety at risk.”

He unveiled that in addition to financial gains from the Rs 84 lakh cash transactions and Rs 45 lakh unsecured loan, the audit particularly outlined Bhavesh Bhinde and Janhavi Marathe whose company profited from an expansion in size, an extension of operational rights and permission of the fourth hoarding.

Anatomy of a colossal fraud

On 13th May 2024, a billboard on a petrol pump fell, killing 17 people and wounding at least 80 others, in Ghatkopar. Later, the BMC found out that it was operating without an Occupation Certificate (OC). The local civic authorities didn’t take any action on the petrol pump.

Meanwhile, Nine hoardings were granted to Ego Media in December 2021, according to a series of correspondence exchanged between Ego Media and GRP officials, according to an earlier report in The Indian Express. The company was allowed to run nine hoardings on GRP land, including four at Ghatkopar (including the fallen hoarding) and five at the Dadar Tilak bridge. However, only three of the 40 by 40 feet hoardings at Ghatkopar underwent the tender procedure.

The remaining six hoardings, five at the Dadar Tilak bridge and one at Ghatkopar, were leased to Ego Media without a tender process and the GRP lacked any documentation of their tendering procedure. After the Ghatkopar incident, four of the five hoardings at the Dadar Tilak bridge were taken down because they were too big and didn’t comply with BMC rules which limit hoardings to 40 by 40 feet.

The terms were further amended in favour of Ego Media by the GRP officials at the time of the time of awarding them hoardings. Quaisar Khalid granted a similar request on 7th July 2022 for Ego Media to prolong the contract tenure for the hoardings in Ghatkopar. Ego Media’s expenses were reduced when the GRP extended the contract and reduced the annual rate per square foot for the Ghatkopar hoardings by about 14%.

Numerous tender documents and correspondences between Ego Media and GRP regarding the Ghatkopar hoardings show that almost all of the key terms and conditions listed in the Ghatkopar hoarding tender document were modified after Ego Media received the contract in December 2021, providing the company with greater leeway.

Who is Bhavesh Bhinde

Bhavesh Bhinde was arrested from Udaipur after he absconded following the instance in Ghatkopar. The 120-by-120-foot hoarding that demolished the Ghatkopar petrol station was even recorded in the Limca Book of Records for its massive size.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation already imposed 21 penalties on him for unlawful hoardings. He was also booked under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act which addresses cheque and bounce issues. He even entered the 2009 Maharashtra legislature as an Independent from Mulund. The Bharatiya Janata Party accused that Bhinde was close to the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).

The Mulund police charged Bhinde with rape, molestation and criminal intimidation. The authorities arrested him two months ago after his girlfriend complained that he had sexually exploited her in the name of marriage. The Bombay High Court granted him anticipatory bail after his submission. According to the police, the chargesheet was filed and the case was being investigated.

Guju Ads which Bhavesh Bhinde once owned and ran was blacklisted by the BMC following many complaints made against both the company and Bhinde. He launched his own business, Ego Media Pvt Ltd, and despite being on the blacklist, he began to secure contracts for hoardings and billboards.

Statehood protest turns violent in Leh: BJP office set ablaze, police van torched, BJP accuses Congress leader for rioting – What sparked violence in Leh?

Anurag
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Statehood protest turns violent in Leh: BJP office set ablaze, police van torched, BJP accuses Congress leader for rioting – What sparked violence in Leh?

On 24th September, violence erupted in Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh after a shutdown call by the Leh Apex Body’s youth wing spiralled into clashes, arson and chaos. The agitators, who were demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, torched the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office, burnt a police van, and clashed with the security forces deployed in the heart of the city. Notably, BJP has accused Congress leader of participating in rioting.

The violence marks the sharpest escalation of the ongoing agitation spearheaded by controversial activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on hunger strike since early September demanding Ladakh’s constitutional and political rights. The violence also forced the District Magistrate of Leh, Romil Singh Donk, to invoke Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, banning assembly of more than four people, rallies, and unauthorised use of loudspeakers.

How the violence unfolded

According to media reports, eyewitnesses said that the tension had been simmering since Tuesday evening after two elderly people sitting on hunger strike collapsed and were rushed to hospital. Their condition sparked outrage among students and youth activists, many of whom had already expressed discontent over the Centre’s delay in resuming meaningful talks with Ladakhi leadership.

On Wednesday morning, crowds began assembling near the hunger strike site. They later moved towards the BJP office in Leh town. Police and paramilitary forces had already been deployed in anticipation. Barricades were raised to control the agitators. However, as the protesters attempted to break through, stone pelting began. Police used teargas shells in retaliation to control the violence.

The situation quickly spiralled out of control when a police van was set ablaze. Soon after, protesters stormed the BJP office, setting it on fire amid chants in support of Wangchuk and against what they claimed to be the Centre’s “failed UT experiment.” Several other vehicles were also damaged in the melee. Reports from the ground suggest dozens were injured in the clashes, with claims, unverified at the time of filing, that three to five young protesters were killed in police firing.

Wangchuk ends hunger strike, appeals for peace

Following the violence, Wangchuk issued a statement expressing sorrow over the turn of events and called off the hunger strike. He wrote on social media platform X, “Very sad events in Leh. My message of peaceful path failed today. I appeal to youth to please stop this nonsense. This only damages our cause.”

Wangchuk described the unrest in Leh as a “Gen Z revolution”, blaming the younger generation’s frustration for the violent turn of the statehood protests. He said the hospitalisation of two elderly hunger strikers ignited anger among Ladakhi youth, pushing them onto the streets. Wangchuk stressed that repeated neglect of Ladakh’s demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards had created deep social unrest. However, by shifting the blame onto Gen Z, the same demographic credited with toppling KP Oli’s government in Nepal, he was arguably trying to escape responsibility and cover up his own inability to rein in the protesters.

Later in the day, Wangchuk addressed a press meeting and ended his 15-day hunger strike. He said the decision was taken in view of the deteriorating situation. “Three to five young people have been killed because there was police firing,” he claimed. “We have reports that many people have been injured. We don’t know the exact count. This is not the way forward. We have decided to end the hunger strike.”

Notably, Wangchuk has been at the front of the protests for over five years seeking statehood for Ladakh. While he claimed to be peaceful in his protests, he admitted that the peaceful message had “failed today.”

Political responses and calls for dialogue

Following the violence, BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya accused a Congress leader of participating in rioting. In a post on X, he identified a rioter as Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward and wrote, “He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?”

Soon after, Wangchuk issued statement giving Congress a clean chit. In a statement, he said, “Congress doesn’t have such influence here that it can manage to get 5000 youth on the roads…A Congress councillor yesterday reached a hospital in anger because two people from his village were brought injured to the hospital…”

Political leaders from opposition parties accused the Government of India of delaying the dialogue. Sajad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Front wrote on X, “Whatever is happening in Leh is unfortunate. Ladakh, once peaceful, is now gripped by frustration & insecurity due to Govt’s failed UT experiment. The onus lies on the Govt, resume dialogue, act sensibly & fulfil Ladakh’s demand for Statehood & Sixth Schedule without delay.”

National Conference leaders, too, criticised the Centre’s handling of Ladakh since the abrogation of Article 370. Sheikh Bashir Ahmad said, “This is very unfortunate. Our belief is that the 5 August 2019 decision was never accepted by the people of Leh or Jammu and Kashmir. They have been demanding autonomy and legislative rights ever since. The Centre’s indifference has led to this explosion of anger.”

Tanvir Sadiq, another NC leader, said, “It is a matter of deep sorrow that everything is being mishandled. What happened in Jammu and Kashmir is happening again in Ladakh. We condemn the violence but call upon the central government to open its doors for meaningful dialogue.”

The demand for statehood and Sixth Schedule

The roots of the agitation in Leh go back to August 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated and the state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories, J&K with legislature and Ladakh without one. While many in Leh initially welcomed UT status, activists like Sonam Wangchuk started protests demanding legislative power and “constitutional safeguard”.

Notably, over 90% of the population in Ladakh belong to Scheduled Tribes. Leaders and activists argue that this makes it a natural candidate for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, similar to several northeastern states, which would allow the creation of autonomous district councils with powers over land, culture, and resources. Without these protections, Ladakhis fear that their land, jobs, and unique cultural identity are at risk of being eroded by outside interests.

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), coalitions of religious, social and political organisations, have been at the forefront of this agitation. Since 2020, they have held several rounds of protests and negotiations with the Centre. The last meeting, held on 27th May this year, led to the introduction of a domicile policy for Ladakh, but the core demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion remain unaddressed.

Centre’s meeting with Ladakhi representatives scheduled for 6th Oct

On 20th September, the Union Home Ministry had announced that talks with Ladakhi representatives would resume. The next round is scheduled for 6th October in New Delhi. A high-powered committee (HPC) was constituted on 2nd January 2023 to address these demands. However, Ladakhi representatives have claimed that the progress has been slow and unsatisfactory.

Wangchuk had expressed scepticism over the efficacy of these talks, calling them “non-result-oriented” and accusing the Centre of dragging its feet. He kept protesting and sitting on hunger strikes, claiming he was doing so to bring the attention of the people of India to Ladakh. However, the violence that erupted on 24th September may affect the dialogue between Ladakhi representatives and the Central government.

In the immediate aftermath, the KDA has called for a shutdown on Thursday, intensifying pressure on the Centre. With elections for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) scheduled next month, political stakes are also high.

District Magistrate’s order

In response to the spiralling unrest, District Magistrate Romil Singh Donk invoked Section 163 of the BNSS 2023, citing the need to prevent disturbances and maintain tranquillity. The order prohibits any procession, rally or march without prior approval, bans the use of loudspeakers, and forbids any statement likely to disturb peace. Most notably, gatherings of five or more persons have been prohibited within Leh district.

Source: Dainik Bhaskar

“Immediate prevention and remedial measures are necessary to maintain public order and tranquillity,” the order stated, warning of punitive action under Section 223 of BNSS 2023 for violations.

Conclusion

Wednesday’s violence has transformed Ladakh’s agitation from a peaceful, if persistent, campaign into a volatile flashpoint. For years, Wangchuk and others had claimed that the protests would remain non-violent. They claimed to draw moral strength from hunger strikes and symbolic marches. The eruption of violence may force the Central Government to harden its stance.

Legendary Kannada novelist SL Bhyrappa passes away at 94: Read how his books, from ‘Parva’ to ‘Aavarana’, enthralled readers for several decades

Shriti Sagar
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Legendary Kannada novelist SL Bhyrappa passes away at 94: Read how his books, from ‘Parva’ to ‘Aavarana’, enthralled readers for several decades

Well-known Kannada writer and Padma Bhushan awardee SL Bhyrappa passed away on Wednesday, 24th September, at the age of 94. He took his last breath at Jayadeva Memorial Rashtrotthana Hospital and Research Centre in Bengaluru. 

SL Bhyrappa had been under treatment for the past three months. On Tuesday, 23rd September, doctors said he suffered a cardiac arrest at 2.38 p.m. He was struggling with age-related ailments for some time and had collapsed during a morning walk a few months ago. 

He was shifted from Mysuru to Bengaluru for advanced medical care, but despite treatment, his health declined. According to the media reports, his cremation will take place in Mysuru on 26th September, the city where he spent many years of his life. On 25th September, his body will be left at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru so that individuals can pay their last respects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of his profound sadness on an X post. He said, “In the demise of Shri S.L. Bhyrappa Ji, we have lost a towering stalwart who awakened our conscience and penetrated deep into the soul of India. A fearless and ageless thinker, he richly enriched Kannada literature with his provocative works. His work inspired generations to think, inquire and interact more deeply with society.”

The Prime Minister also appreciated Bhyrappa’s interest in India’s history and culture and said it would keep inspiring generations. “My heart goes out to his family and fans at this hour of sorrow. Om Shanti,” Modi further added.

Early life and career

Born as Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa in Channarayapatna taluk in Hassan district, Bhyrappa grew up in Hassan and Mysuru districts and worked as a professor of philosophy in different regions of India, such as Gujarat and New Delhi. He had also worked as a member of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). He retired as a professor in the Regional Institute of Education (RIE) in Mysuru.

Though he toiled as an academic, Bhyrappa’s passion was always to write novels. His literary career started with Bheemakaya in 1958 at the age of 27. Such is the popularity of Bhyrappa’s books that his first novel is still being reprinted and sold.

In the next sixty years, he wrote 25 novels, and his last book was Uttarakanda (2017), a retelling of the Ramayana from the women’s point of view. Post this, he declared his retirement as a writer.

Bhyrappa was the most popular and best-selling Kannada novelist. His novels have gone into several editions, and even his first novels are continuously being reprinted. His popularity was not confined to Karnataka as all his novels have been translated into several Indian languages, English, and even European languages.

Among his most famous works are Vamshavriksha (1965), Gruhabhanga (1970), and Parva (1979), which is a retelling of the Mahabharata. He received the Saraswati Samman award for his novel Mandra (2001) in 2010. He received the Padma Bhushan in 2023.

Aavarana: One of his masterpieces

One of Bhyrappa’s most controversial novels was Aavarana (2007). Written after years of research, the book challenged the way India’s medieval past, the Mughal era, had been dealt with in school books and public discourse. He believed numerous unpleasant truths had been “imposed” in the interests of secularism.

The novel tied these debates in history to contemporary concerns such as interfaith marriage, religious liberty, and identity.

Although critics charged Bhyrappa with being anti-Muslim and politically motivated, his fans greeted the book as a courageous endeavour to counter “whitewashed” history. Controversy notwithstanding, Aavarana became a bestseller and was translated into several languages, and it is one of the most debated novels of contemporary Indian literature.

Parva, a different picture of the Mahabharata

Another of Bhyrappa’s signature writings was Parva (1979), regarded as his masterpiece. It repaints the image of Mahabharata, not as a mythological tale with gods intervening at every turn, but in realist tones based on human conflict and psychological tension. In removing gods and miracles and painting Mahabharata characters as humans, Bhyrappa rendered the epic as a historical and social chronicle.

The book delved into the interior lives of legendary figures such as Bhishma, Draupadi, Karna, and Krishna and portrayed them as human beings stirred by ambition, suffering, personal trauma and ethical conundrums.

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