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Hindu and Jain boys brainwashed to accept Islam through video game Fortnite: The modus operandi and the lessons that parents need to learn

Sachin R
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Hindu and Jain boys brainwashed to accept Islam through video game Fortnite: The modus operandi and the lessons that parents need to learn

You may have read about the recent case from Ghaziabad (Hindu, Jain boys lured to convert to Islam through game Fortnite (opindia.com)) where Jain and Hindu underage boys were groomed to accept Islam. News about targeting children for conversion is not uncommon. Indian education sector under British rule was developed for the purpose of grooming our young. However, what is unique about this case is that this grooming happened on the internet using a game called Fortnite.

Fortnite is a very popular game in the “Battle Royale” genre where you have to survive in an ever-shrinking battle zone by eliminating other players or teams. The genre is not really important, what is important is as per this report (Fortnite by the Numbers: How Many Hours Are You Playing Each Week? | PCMag), players spend serious time in the imaginary world of this game. Almost 70% spend over 6 hours a week, and over 20% spend over 16 hours a week.

When the parents of the Ghaziabad Jain boy started noticing their gaming-addicted son was going out at odd hours regularly, they tried to investigate. Like typical desi parents, their concerns may have varied from a love affair to substance addiction. We don’t know for sure but I am willing to bet they must have been surprised to find out their son was going to a local Masjid for praying Namaz. New fear unlocked!

Further investigation by Police has revealed that the Jain boy and some other Hindu boys were groomed to follow Islam by an organised group of adults using Fortnite. The Muslim groomers used Hindu names online, built bonds with the victims and slowly poisoned their minds against their own religions. They also convinced the young boys of the supremacy of Islam by playing tricks such as miraculously winning losing games after reciting Islamic prayers.

Then the boys were sent videos of fugitive radical preacher Zakir Naik. The next step was getting the children in touch with a local Maulvi who took them into his Mosque. By the time this was discovered, some of the boys were so radicalised they were willing to leave home and shift to the mosque permanently. In 2023, nobody has the luxury to say they are oblivious to the reality of online grooming. We all know of extreme cases too where people moved to Syria based on online instructions. It is real and they ARE after your children. But this is still different.

How is it different?

1 Chatting: Even though I mentioned the game Fortnite, it is not relevant. There are plenty of other games too. What is important is that these games allow chatting with strangers. Many parents I know do not realise this potential risk.

2 Team and Trust: Your child is not just playing a game, he is building teams and creating bonds of trust with complete strangers whose identities are not verified. A groomer can exploit this to influence your children.

3 Time spent: As mentioned earlier, children spend an insane amount of time on these games. That’s not just time spent interacting with strangers, it is also less time for building real-life bonds with family and friends.

As with online grooming for sexual purposes, grooming for religious conversion follows largely the same tactics. A target is selected, engagement is built over time, boundaries are tested, the target is isolated, and the target is exposed to religious practice (sexualisation in case of sexual grooming) and control. This is often slow and gradual. As the target approaches this interaction in good faith, the groomer’s job of manipulation becomes easier. Imagine a salesman approaches you, your defences go up immediately. Now imagine you don’t know he is a salesman, so you befriend that charming kind person. What are your chances? Groomers will almost always target underage children who are more susceptible to emotional manipulation. When your children are at their most vulnerable and impressionable, some adults may be trying to exploit them should indeed worry you.

Are there any lessons for parents in this Ghaziabad case? May be there are. Here are some

  1. Gaming is not just past time. It is culture for your children. This acceptance will equip you to deal with the issue better. Parent participation may go a long way in building trust.
  2. Experts have warned, gaming is an issue if it is encroaching on parent-child bonding time. You may feel free when your child is glued to his game, but your parental responsibility is still on.
  3. Have a discussion with your children by treating gaming as yet another avenue where they may get exposed to the worst the outside world has to offer. You teach your children about strangers, good touch – bad touch etc. Make them aware of gaming specific online threats too.
  4. Teach children that anyone discussing religion is a red flag. Children must know that it may not be a casual chat, they may be the target of an organised gang and they must report it immediately.

As with every risk, the biggest lesson is knowing the risk exists. Share this with other parents and children so that gaming can remain a toxic online addiction and doesn’t become a place to groom children too.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets ‘friend’ Bill Gates in Beijing, says he is hopeful about US-China ties

ANI
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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets ‘friend’ Bill Gates in Beijing, says he is hopeful about US-China ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in Beijing on Friday, the State-run media Global Times reported.

“You’re the first American friend I have met in Beijing this year,” Xi told Gates according to a report in the Chinese State media. “I often say that the foundation of China-US relations lies in people-to-people ties. We have always placed our hopes on the American people, and hope that people of our two countries will maintain their friendship,” Xi said according to Global Times.

According to a report in the Chinese news outlet, Xi praised Gates and his foundation for their long-term commitment to facilitating global poverty reduction, health, and development as well as public welfare and charity work. President Xi also told Gates that China is willing to work with him and his foundation to continue strengthening cooperation in relevant fields, and provide support and help to other developing countries, the Global Times reported.

Gates said that he is visiting China for the first time since 2019. Gates is the latest high-profile business titan to visit the country in recent months, Fox Business reported.

The Microsoft co-founder on Wednesday tweeted: “I’ve just landed in Beijing for the first time since 2019, where I’m excited to visit with partners who have been working on global health and development challenges with @gatesfoundation for more than 15 years.”

The billionaire philanthropist had last met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015, and in 2020 Xi had written a letter thanking Gates and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging some USD 5 million to the country in its fight against COVID as per Fox Business.

On Thursday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it will provide USD 50 million over the next five years to help Chinese efforts to battle the disease.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a renewed collaboration with the Beijing Municipal Government and Tsinghua University to support the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI) “in its efforts to improve health outcomes worldwide through lifesaving therapies for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, which disproportionately affect the world’s poorest,” according to release by the foundation.

Meanwhile, as per Fox Business, China has been rolling out the red carpet for US CEOs in recent months.
Gates has retired from leading Microsoft and appears to be overseas to focus on the work of the global charitable organization he founded with his ex-wife.

Other high-profile visits to China this year included those by Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is expected to visit China soon.

During Musk’s three-day visit to China the Tesla chief checked in on the electric vehicle giant’s operations and met with China’s foreign minister.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon also visited China earlier this month during a trip to Asia to meet with employees there and in neighboring Taiwan, as per Fox Business.

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

‘Adipurush’ disappoints: As Taran Adarsh gives the movie 1.5 stars, here are some reviews by audiences

OpIndia Staff
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‘Adipurush’ disappoints: As Taran Adarsh gives the movie 1.5 stars, here are some reviews by audiences

Hours after ‘Adipurush’ hit the theatres, popular film critic Taran Adarsh took to Twitter on Friday (June 16) to express his disappointment with the much-anticipated movie.

In a tweet, he said, “One-word review: Disappointing. Rating – 1.5 stars. Adipurush is an epic disappointment…Just doesn’t meet the mammoth expectations…Director OmRaut had a dream cast and a massive budget on hand, but creates a huge mess. #AdipurushReview.”

The film, purportedly made on a budget of 700 crores, is based on the Hindu epic ‘Ramayana.’ It features Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, and Prabhas in lead roles. The movie is produced by T-Series and shot in both Hindi and Telugu.

Popular Youtuber and film reviewer, Shan Prasher, remarked, “They have made a disastrous movie. Director Om Raut believes that he is ‘Valmiki’ (author of the Hindu epic) but in reality, he is a 6th standard fail. He did not bother to read the original Ramayana.”

“Everything portrayed in the movie is wrong. All characters are sexualised…Not one thing but multiple things are wrong with this movie. If you are a true Sanatani, then, you will boycott this movie.,” he emphasised.

“Is this someone’s bad dream made it as a scene here? Which #Ramayan states that Sita mata was brought to the battlefield?” asked another user.

“With VFX and dialogues like these, (1.5 stars) for the movie was inevitable,” wrote one ‘djaywalebabu.’

Hindu blogger Pooja Sangwan expressed disgust at the dialogues of the movie ‘Adipursh.’ While listing some of the disturbing one-liners, she said, “Neither dialogues are good nor visual. Such a waste movie.”

Popular Twitter user, Mr Sinha, pointed out how the old TV series ‘Ramayana by Ramanand Sagar’ was way better than the characters showcased in ‘Adipurush.’

Twitter handle ‘Gems of Bollywood’ wrote, “When you pretend to be stylish Sita Mata in vanvas (exile) immediately after shooting #Thumakeshwari item number. And then your pink dress has to be digitally altered after outrage. Adipurush is a colossal mockery of Ramayan”

Popular user, Rosy, highlighted how Adipurush’, which is based on Ramayana, employs crass language throughout the movie. “Definitely not seeing an epic Like Ramayana being distorted like this,” she added.

Another user ‘Inferno’ pointed out how the characters in the movie were apparently copied from a video game ‘God of War.’

Social media users have given their verdict – ‘Adipurush’ has failed to live up to its hype and has distorted the Hindu epic of ‘Ramayana’ in this process.

West Bengal: Bomb-making material recovered in South 24 Parganas amid violence during nominations for Panchayat polls

ANI
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West Bengal: Bomb-making material recovered in South 24 Parganas amid violence during nominations for Panchayat polls

West Bengal Police recovered bomb-making material in 24 Parganas’ Bhangar on Friday following the recent violence during nominations for Panchayat elections.

A total of seven bags filled with husk-like material were recovered. Moreover, a division bench of Calcutta High Court, led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, on Thursday directed the election commission in West Bengal to request the deployment of central paramilitary forces in all districts of the state within the next 48 hours, ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections in the state.

The final day of filing nominations witnessed continued clashes across various parts of the state, including an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum’s Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown.

However, as per the officials, no casualties have been reported in the incident. As per the visuals, crude bombs have also been hurled in the area. Police have detained a few people involved in the clash.

In an effort to maintain order, heavy security deployment has been made in the South 24 Parganas district. Tension and unease prevailed in several areas, particularly the Bhangar block, where clashes between supporters of the ruling TMC and Naushad Siddiqui-led Indian Secular Front (ISF) over the past two days.

The two sets of supporters were seen on the roads, wielding sticks, as the police struggled to maintain law and order. Some police personnel, including the SDPO, sustained injuries during the clashes.

Canning sub-divisional police officer Dibakar Das said, “There was a clash between two groups. The mob attacked the police as well. I also got hurt on my hand during that time. Some policemen got minor injuries. 2 people were injured. We have arrested 17-18 people. The incident is being investigated.”

The Panchayat elections in West Bengal will be held in a single phase on July 8, with the counting of votes scheduled for July 11.

Look into the history, Ramcharitmanas was written in a mosque: RJD MLA Ritlal Yadav goes on an anti-Hindu tirade while blaming BJP for spreading ‘hate’

OpIndia Staff
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Look into the history, Ramcharitmanas was written in a mosque: RJD MLA Ritlal Yadav goes on an anti-Hindu tirade while blaming BJP for spreading ‘hate’

Ritlal Yadav, a member of the Bihar legislative assembly from Rashtriya Janata Dal has issued a controversial statement regarding the Ramcharitmanas. He stated that the holy text was written in a mosque. He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of creating a rift in society in the name of Hindutva.

“You are attempting to incite hostility among the communities. How much longer will this last? Ram Temple was formerly discussed. If you remember, the Ramcharitmanas was penned in a mosque. Look into the past. No threat existed to our Hindutva at that time. Our Hindutva wasn’t in danger back when the Mughals ruled over us for such a long duration,” he asked.

The legislator charged, “Where were they when an 18-year-old girl won the Bhagavad Katha contest globally? Why were they not speaking up that a Muslim girl promoted Bhagavad Katha as well as absorbed it? People should also learn from it. If you are a true flag bearer of Hindutva then expel all the Muslims from your party. Why did you introduce the triple talaq bill?”

Ritlal Yadav has come under criticism from Janata Dal (United), the ruling alliance partner of RJD in Bihar. Abhishek Jha, a party’s spokesperson, mentioned people speak according to their convenience. “These types of claims need to be avoided because this sends the wrong message to the public. Anyone is free to practise any religion. This a personal matter of the people. This kind of agenda suits the BJP. They create tension in the name of religion.”

A BJP spokesman, Prem Ranjan Patel also refuted Ritlal Yadav’s argument and pointed out that Sanatan Dharma is the oldest religion in the world. “People from all over the world have embraced its culture. It is ignorant to speak against such a religion. Those who use Ramcharitmanas in their speech must be knowledgeable. Collect the right information first before discussing Ramayana’s formation.”

Notably, there has been a rain of similar utterances from several politicians in the country. The education minister of Bihar, Chandra Shekhar, who is also from the RJD, recently stoked outrage when he remarked that Ramcharitmanas spreads hate in the society. He declared that it should be burnt like Manusmruti because it spreads hatred in society. 

“A nation becomes great with love and affection. Books like Ramcharitmanas, Manusmriti and Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar’s Bunch of Thoughts sowed the seeds of hatred and social divide. This is the reason why people burnt Manusmriti and took exception to a portion of Ramcharitmanas, which talks against education for Dalits, backwards and women,” he voiced while addressing the 15th convocation ceremony of Nalanda Open University.

A member of a State Legislative Council (MLC) from the Samajwadi Party, Swami Prasad Maurya caused a major uproar when he alleged that several crores of people have not read Ramcharitmanas. The revered Hindu literature, he commented, was “all nonsense.” He demanded that the government either ban the entire book or outlaw its offensive sections. He claimed that the scripture considered ‘Shudras’ to be of low caste and added that Tulsidas composed it for his own pleasure.

Afterwards, members of the Akhil Bharatiya OBC (Other Backward Classes) Mahasabha in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, burned copies of the Ramcharitmanas and declared their support for Swami Prasad Maurya. Following the incident, a First Information Report (FIR) was booked on a complaint filed by BJP leader Satnam Singh Lavi against Devendra Pratap Yadav, Yashpal Singh Lodhi, Satyendra Kushwaha, Mahendra Pratap Yadav, Sujit Yadav, Naresh Singh, S S Yadav, Santosh Verma and Saleem along with the SP lawmaker.

Another party leader Lalji Patel extended his support to the MLC and announced, “Ramcharitmanas is not a religious book. It is a book that creates a divide in society and insults backward caste people and Dalits. It should be burnt.” Additionally, he made an appeal to members of the backward class and encouraged them to burn copies of the Ramcharitmanas during the festival of Holi.

“This book is like any other novel and it is being wrongly used to propagate the Hindu religion. Tulsidas has just stated his opinion. He had written the book for his own pleasure. It is not a religious book. The copies of the said book should be burnt on the day of Holika. Only then will the backward class people and Dalits get their rights,” he added.

USA: Penn State professor caught sexually abusing his dog in a public forest, filming the act on iPad

OpIndia Staff
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USA: Penn State professor caught sexually abusing his dog in a public forest, filming the act on iPad

In the USA, a professor from the Pennsylvania State University has been caught and arrested for sexually abusing his pet dog in a public forest. He has been charged with multiple cases and has now been sacked from his job. He was arrested on June 13.

As per reports, Themis Matsoukas, a 64-year-old professor (now sacked) at Penn State University has been charged with animal cruelty, disorderly conduct, open lewdness, and indecent exposure among other charges. Matsoukas was caught sexually abusing his dog in the trail cameras installed in the Rothrock State Forest. As per reports, there are multiple instances where Matsoukas’s activities of sexually abusing his pet dog have been recorded in the cameras, with the earliest clip from 2014.

As per reports, after Matsoukas was again spotted sexually abusing his dog near a restroom in the Alan Seeger Parking Area and filming the activity on an iPad, the rangers in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources launched an investigation against him. The forest officials have stated that the spots that Matsoukas used for sexual activities with the poor animal were within the viewing range of public roads that lead to picnic spots and popular camping grounds in the forest.

Earlier in April, the rangers were yet to identify Matsoukas. In May, however, he returned to the same spot with an iPad and was seen walking naked and sexually abusing his dog. His car also matched with the vehicle spotted in previous instances.

The videos filmed by Matsoukas are explicit and feature him walking naked, masturbating, and making his dog perform perverse activities involving his private parts. When the local authorities gathered all evidence and finally confronted Matsoukas, he was reportedly ‘very nervous’ and uttered, “I am done. I am dead”. He later told the investigating authorities that he was doing sexual activities with his dog to “blow off steam”.

Matsoukas was a professor of chemical engineering at Penn State University for over 30 years. He has been sacked by the University after the charges against him were brought. He is scheduled to appear in court in July. Matsoukas has received multiple teaching awards at the University during his long career. The collie dog spotted in the videos was found at his house during the search by the authorities.

PM Modi’s power-packed US Visit: Yoga Day at UN, Congress address, and a state dinner showcasing strong US-India relations

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi’s power-packed US Visit: Yoga Day at UN, Congress address, and a state dinner showcasing strong US-India relations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation from US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to undertake an official state visit to the United States from June 20 to 23. The Ministry of External Affairs has announced that the visit will commence in New York, where the Prime Minister will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21. 

The following day, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Washington D.C. where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House. PM Modi is scheduled to hold meetings with President Biden on that day as part of their ongoing high-level discussions. Additionally, he has been invited by several Congressional leaders, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy and Speaker of the Senate Charles Schumer, to address a joint session of the US Congress on the same day.

On June 22, an impressive welcome ceremony will take place on the South Lawns of the White House, followed by a State Dinner hosted by the Bidens in honour of Prime Minister Modi. The dinner is expected to be an extravagant affair with outstanding entertainment, celebrating strong US-India relations. The event has generated significant interest, with requests for tickets pouring in daily.

On June 23, Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Bilnken.

In addition to the official engagements, PM Modi is scheduled to have interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian Diaspora.

A US senior administration official said in an interaction with news agency PTI, “I think the State Dinner will be really a celebration of the US-India relations with supporters and advocates coming from India, but also around the United States. We have a saying …it’s a very hot ticket. Hardly a day goes by when I haven’t received requests from people to get the last tickets to the state dinner. I believe it will be a wonderful celebration.”

In the lead-up to the visit, the Pentagon has expressed anticipation that this visit will establish new milestones in the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Notably, significant announcements pertaining to defence cooperation and the enhancement of India’s indigenous military industrial base are expected to be made during the visit, with the potential for historic achievements in these areas.

From the USA, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Cairo to pay a State Visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt from 24-25 June 2023. He is visiting Egypt following an invitation from President Abdel Fattah El-Sis during his visit to India in January to attend the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.

Apart from his talks with President Sisi, PM Modi is likely to interact with senior dignitaries from the Egyptian Government, some prominent Egyptian personalities, as well as the Indian community in Egypt. Relations between India and Egypt are based on ancient trade and economic linkages as well as cultural and deep-rooted people-to-people ties. During the State Visit of President Sisi in January 2023, it was agreed to elevate the relationship to a ‘Strategic Partnership’.

MP: Fazil Khan willingly accepts Hinduism and marries a Hindu girl in a Ram Mandir, says he is happy to accept Janeu in front of Lord Ram’s idol

OpIndia Staff
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MP: Fazil Khan willingly accepts Hinduism and marries a Hindu girl in a Ram Mandir, says he is happy to accept Janeu in front of Lord Ram’s idol

On Thursday (June 15), a Muslim man named Fazil Khan willingly converted his religion from Islam to Hinduism and married a Hindu girl. The man married his love Sonali Rai and accepted Hinduism as his new religion at Shriram temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Kareli district. The man will now no more be identified as Fazil Khan but as Aman Rai.

According to reports, a Janeu Sanskar ceremony was performed on Fazil Khan amid religious chants at the Ram Mandir. He then changed his name to Aman Rai swearing by the Ramcharitmanas, a revered Hindu-epic scripture on the life of Ram.

In the video of the event shared by IBC24 News, Fazil Khan, who performed ghar wapsi, is heard confirming that he reverted to Hinduism of his own volition. He said that Sanatan Dharma has always interested him. “Hindu caste mujhe acha lagta tha, isliye mein wapsi ki” (I love the Hindu religion that is why I did Gharwapsi), Fazil Khan is heard saying.

Fazil Khan added that his father was a Hindu by birth but he had converted to Islam and became Sheikh Abdul in order to marry his Muslim mother.

Speaking about the incident, Bajrang Dal district head Devendra Sharma also confirmed that Fazil Khan’s father had converted to Islam to marry a Muslim woman and he too is now thinking of reverting to Hinduism.

Fazil Khan further described the experience of the Janeu sanskar ceremony, performed as part of the ritual to revert to Hinduism in front of Lord Ram’s idol as incredibly gratifying. He said he was happy that he had accepted Hinduism.

He added that his desire to marry Sonali Rai, the woman he had been dating for the last five years, and his interest in the Sanatan Dharma led him to convert his religion from Islam to Hinduism.

Fazil Khan, who lives in Chichli in the Gadarwara tehsil of the district, and Sonali Rai who lives in Amgaon hamlet in the Kareli police station both met in the Damru Valley Shiv Temple in Gadarwara about five years ago. Following that, they both started talking and fell in love with each other. They eventually decided to get married.

Sonali Rai told the media that Fazil Khan had expressed his desire to revert to Hinduism, which is why she agreed to marry him.

While Fazil Khan has categorically said that he had accepted Hinduism of his own volition, various vernacular media outlets like Nai Dunia and Jagran tried to give a twist to the incident by suggesting that Fazil Khan took the decision to revert to Hinduism under duress. These media houses reported that Fazil Khan was under pressure after a copy of his marriage application went viral on social media and Netizens began criticising him for his decision to enter into an interfaith marriage.

How media twisted the incident to portray that Fazil Khan was pressurised to revert to Hinduism

These media reports suggested that the couple had submitted an application for marriage in the district in accordance with the Special Marriage Act of 1954, a copy of which was pasted on the marriage registrar board.

A copy of Fazil Khan and Sonali Rai’s marriage application (Source: Nai Dunia)

From there, these media outlets said that the application letter’s picture somehow reached social media platforms and quickly went viral. Internet users soon began talking about boycotting and organising a condolence meeting for those who were the witnesses to the marriage. After seeing these social media posts, Fazil Khan got worried and decided that instance to convert to Hinduism, the reports said.

Speaking about the aforementioned marriage application, Priyank Jain, the Yuva Morch district president confirmed to the media that the couple did submit a marriage application around January 21, 2023, but, somehow, the marriage did not take place and now the couple has gotten married as per Hindu customs after Fazil Khan reverted to Hinduism out of his own free will.

Fazil Khan, in the above video, can also be heard confirming that he accepted Hinduism of his own volition because he was interested in Sanatan Dharma. Fazil Khan’s words clearly invalidate the assertion’s made by these media outlets.

Jharkhand: Christian Missionaries from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh confronted by locals in Garhwa, handed over to authorities

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Christian Missionaries from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh confronted by locals in Garhwa, handed over to authorities

A group of Christian missionaries engaged in conversion activities in some areas of Jharkhand have faced backlash from locals.

The residents of the Tandwa neighbourhood of Garhwa city in Jharkhand on Wednesday, 14th June, caught a group of people connected with Christian missionary organisations who had travelled from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar for suspicious conversion activities. Afterwards, they were handed over to the police, a report in Jagran mentioned.

The people accused of converting locals in Garhwa are being taken away by the police. (Source: Dainik Jagran)

Police took those people into custody and interrogated them. Approximately 60 persons affiliated with Christian organisations are rumoured to have come to Garhwa from other states in order to convert people. They have organised themselves into various squads and have been located in various parts of the city.

The Jagran report mentions that the team also has women members. G. Raju, one of the people apprehended, identified himself as a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. He is originally from Andhra Pradesh and claims to be posted in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. A large number of religious literature related to Jesus Christ have been recovered from them.

The police are looking into the matter but are refraining from making any comments at the moment. A group of 25-30 locals from the Tandwa area requested to file a First Information Report (FIR) and book the concerned individuals for using misinformation and allurement to convert locals to Christianity.

There is significant anger in the populace as a result of the incident. The majority of those captured are reportedly from Munger and Guntur in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. A person named Ashutosh Anand son of Madan Prasad is reportedly the group leader and his current whereabouts are unknown. He is a native of Nawagarhi which falls under the Muffasil police station area in Munger and was living in the Tandwa Mohalla.

The locals have accused him of trying to convert people while living in a leased home with his entire family. He has reportedly been carrying out missionary and conversion activities for the past six years throughout Garhwa.

He called the campaign team from the southern state to Garhwa to intensify his campaign. The 60 members went to different areas of the city to share information with people about Christianity, distribute books and motivate them to get converted, as per the report. Some of them were housed in the city council’s shelter facilities, while others rented properties.

Those in police custody comprise G. Raju, Adaina, from district Kurnool, K. Nagesh, Prem Kumar, Praveen Kumar, B. Rajesh from Guntur, Ajay Ram from Kitasoti in Garhwa, Priya Bharti, Munni Devi, and Ruhi Devi all from Nauvagarhi, Munger among others.

Four people were recently arrested for a religious conversion drive and distributing related publications under the pretext of offering free education in Chakradharpur City, West Singbhum district, Jharkhand. Three women and a man in the Kendo panchayat of Devgaon used to make their way to the Neeche Tola’s Kolsai village and stated that they were there to encourage education and give out supplies like pens, pencils, notebooks etc., to the children.

The locals, however, discovered on June 7 that their kids had been provided books containing information related to Jesus Christ and the Bible. They objected to this and informed Sangeeta Savaiya, the local panchayat’s deputy head about it after which the instance was reported to Chakradharpur Police Station. The four accused were taken into custody by Sub-Inspector Vivek Pal after he arrived in the aforementioned area.

Centre renames Nehru Memorial Museum and Library at Teen Murti Bhavan as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Society, Congress fumes

ANI
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Centre renames Nehru Memorial Museum and Library at Teen Murti Bhavan as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Society, Congress fumes

The Centre recently decided to rename Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Society. Following this, the Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre’s decision to rename Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.

Slamming the Centre, senior leader and Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Pettiness & Vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) has been a global intellectual lamdmark and treasure house of books & archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum & Society. What won’t Mr. Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name & legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state. A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru.”

This came after a special meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, resolved to change its name to the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society. The Special Meeting was presided by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who is also the Vice-President of the Society.

Speaking to ANI, Vice Chairman, Executive Council, NMMLA, Surya Prakash said, “The passage of the resolution by the General Body of this Society is not a small step. It is rather a very big step to reiterate our commitment to democracy and to acknowledge our national political leadership.”

“Hon’ble Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, Vice-President of the Society in his address welcomed the proposal for change in name, since in its new form the institution exhibits the contributions of all prime ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi and their responses to various challenges faced by them. Describing Prime Minister as an institution and comparing the journey of various prime ministers to the varied colours of a rainbow, Shri Rajnath Singh emphasized that all the colours of a rainbow have to be proportionately represented in order to make it beautiful. Thus the resolution has given a new name, respect to all our previous prime ministers and is democratic in content,” the official release has stated.

In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed the idea of setting up a museum dedicated to all the prime ministers of India at the Teen Murti premises.

This project was approved by Executive Council, NMML in its 162nd meeting held on 25-11-2016. On April 21 last year, The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public.

Interestingly, during the inauguration, despite having received an invitation from the government, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family was present for the function. Three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have served as Indian Prime Ministers in the past.

The museum, which has seen a huge footfall, is a seamless blend that begins at the renovated and refurbished Nehru Museum building, now completely updated with technologically advanced displays on the life and contribution of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Housed in a new building the museum then goes on to tell the story of how our Prime Ministers navigated the nation through various challenges and ensured the all-round progress of the country. 

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