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‘Film Industry has ganged up to punish us’: The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen says as the movie finds no OTT buyers

OpIndia Staff
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‘Film Industry has ganged up to punish us’: The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen says as the movie finds no OTT buyers

According to a recent report by Bollywood Hungama, the makers of the film, ‘The Kerala Story’ are now struggling to find a suitable OTT buyer. The report adds that till now, the makers haven’t received any favourable response from major OTT players. Interestingly, the director Sudipto Sen opened up about the future possibilities for the film. 

Responding to the reports of the film being ready for streaming, the director said, “No no. That’s fake news. We still haven’t got a suitable offer from any OTT platform for The Kerala Story.” He added, “We are still waiting for a good workable deal from any of the main OTT platforms. But so far, we have not got any offer worth considering. It seems the film industry has ganged up to punish us.”

Elaborating on what could the reason for punishment be, Sudipto said, “Our box office success has irked many sections of the film industry. We have a feeling that a section of the entertainment industry has united to punish us for our success.”

The Bollywood Hungama report added that when they contacted one of the leading OTT platforms to ask why a film as successful as ‘The Kerala Story’ has yet to get a digital outlet, they added that the response was not surprising. 

The officials related to the platform said, “We don’t want to get into anything politically controversial.”

Is The Kerala Story not being given OTT platform because of ideological bias?

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, an ‘industry insider’ stated that ‘The Kerala Story’ did fare well at the box office; however, the topic of the film and its subject matter is something that could invoke a tremendous amount of ire from a certain section of the audience. Given this fact, no major OTT player is ready to acquire the film.

On further reasoning, the insider alleged that the film is a “propaganda film” whereas the OTT platforms focus on intelligent, thought-provoking, and entertaining subjects. Reportedly, the insider said, “You must understand that The Kerala Story comes across as a propaganda film, while OTT channels have been focusing on more intelligent, thought-provoking, and entertaining subjects. In such a case, a film like The Kerala Story does not fit into the genres.”

It is important to note that Adah Sharma-starrer ‘The Kerala Story’ is one of the biggest and clean hits of 2023. The film broke several records at the box office but there were attempts to corner the film and ban it for the subject matter. The film brought a spotlight on subjects like forced/lured religious conversions, ISIS brides, and love jihad. 

The film was even banned in West Bengal initially and the makers had to plead before the Honourable courts to get its ban lifted, which was eventually lifted. However, there were reports of the court’s order not being followed in its entirety. 

Similar to the ban in West Bengal, many theatres in Tamil Nadu refused to play it, obviously for reasons other than the stated one, that is, ‘audiences are not coming up to watch the film and has rejected it’. 

And now, this claim by the makers that The Kerala Story hasn’t received any offer from any OTT buyer, tends to indicate what several outsiders have alleged against Bollywood insiders, that is, the industry has ganged up against them.

We will definitely kill Salman Khan: Fugitive gangster Goldy Brar

OpIndia Staff
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We will definitely kill Salman Khan: Fugitive gangster Goldy Brar

Recently, Canada-based fugitive gangster Goldy Brar gave an exclusive interview to India Today channel in which he issued a direct threat to Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The fugitive gangster claimed that Salman Khan is on their “kill list”. 

Brar said, “We will kill him, we will definitely kill him. Bhai saheb (Lawrence) had stated that he wouldn’t apologise. Baba will show mercy only when he feels merciful.” 

Apparently, Brar was referring to an earlier interview in which the jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi had stated that killing Salman Khan was his life goal.

Brar added, “Like we have said earlier, it’s not just about Salman Khan. We will continue our attempts against all our enemies as long as we’re alive. Salman Khan is our target, there’s no doubt about that. We’ll keep trying, and when we succeed, you’ll know.” 

This comes months after the actor reported that his close associate received threatening e-mails and claimed that his life was under threat. Subsequently, in March, the Mumbai Police filed a case against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar regarding the threatening emails sent to the Bollywood actor.

Reportedly, the threatening e-mail was sent to Prashant Gunjalkar, a close associate of Salman Khan. The email claimed that gangster Goldy Brar wanted to speak to Salman Khan. Additionally, Lawrence Bishnoi’s interview where he issued a threat against Salman was also referred to in the email.  

The threatening email sent to Salman’s associate read, “Goldy Brar wants to speak to your boss (Salman Khan). He must have seen the interview (of Bishnoi), and if he hasn’t, then make him watch it. If he wants the matter to be closed, then let him speak (to Goldy Brar). If he wants to speak face-to-face, then let us know. This time we informed you on time. The next time you will only be shocked.”

Afterward, the actor’s team filed a police complaint against the sender, identified as Rohit Garg, and notorious gangsters Goldie Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi.

Goldy Brar reveals why he killed Sidhu Moosewala

There have been several reports claiming that Goldy Brar is the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Punjabi singer-turned-Congress politician Sidhu Moose Wala that took place in May, last year.

While exclusively speaking with India Today, Goldy Brar again reiterated that the gang did what was needed to be done and have nothing to hide about it.

Brar said, “Sidhu Moose Wala was an egoistic person. He misused his political and money power. It was necessary to teach him a lesson, and he was taught one.”

He added, “He had personally harmed us, made some mistakes that were unforgivable, so we had to punish him. When a rich man has close ties with top police officers and when the government doesn’t do justice, how can we expect justice from the courts? So, we sought justice ourselves.” 

It is important to note that last month, Goldy Brar was named in Canada’s top 25 most-wanted fugitives list.

Regarding this, the Canadian High Commission in Delhi said, “Brar is the subject of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigation into the allegations originating from India. The offences committed in India are very serious in nature and merit the interest of the police in Canada.”

It added, “Brar is believed to be in Canada and represents a risk to public safety. He is currently under investigation but is not charged with any criminal offences in Canada.”

Goldy Brar, alias Satinderjeet Singh is said to be in his late 20s. He left India on a student visa for Canada in 2017. It is said that he executed Moose Wala’s murder from abroad. While the assailants who killed Sidhu Moosewala and their supporters were arrested in India, Goldy Brar remains a fugitive and a red corner notice was issued against him.

Earlier, in December last year, Punjab CM Mann claimed that the gangster had been detained in the US. However, on the 5th of December, Brar purportedly surfaced online in an interview and claimed that he was not held and nor was he in the US. Now, he has again resurfaced with this exclusive interview where he claims Bollywood actor Salman Khan is on their kill list.

Devraj Patel, known for “dil se bura lagta hai” meme, passes away in a road accident

ANI
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Devraj Patel, known for “dil se bura lagta hai” meme, passes away in a road accident

Comedian, actor and YouTuber Devraj Patel, on Monday, passed away in a tragic road accident in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

The incident took place in the Labhandih area under Telibandha police station limits. Devraj, hailing from Mahasamund district, along with his friend met with an accident after their two-wheeler was hit by a truck on the outskirts of Raipur, said Civil Lines CSP Manoj Dhruv. Devraj died in the mishap while his friend escaped with minor injuries, added the officer.

According to the officer, the young YouTuber was returning from Nava Raipur when the mishap took place. Police have detained the accused truck driver and also seized the vehicle.

He was best known for his “Dil Se Bura Lagta Hai” dialogue in viral videos. He has over 4 lakh subscribers on YouTube and more than 57,000 followers on Instagram.

CM Bhupesh Baghel expressed grief over the demise of the YouTuber.

Taking to Twitter, CM Baghel shared an old video of Devraj and wrote in Hindi, “Devraj Patel, who made his place among crores of people with ‘Dil Se Bura Lagta Hai’, who made us all laugh, left us today. The loss of amazing talent at this young age is very sad. May God give strength to his family and loved ones to bear this loss. Om Shanti.”

A few hours before his demise, Devraj posted a video on his Instagram account which he captioned, “Lekin may cute hu na dosto.”

Devraj also appeared in a guest appearance role in YouTuber Bhuvan Bam’s web show ‘Dhindora’. Further probe is underway, said the officer.

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

‘If Congress commits suicide how will it run its Mohabbat ki dukan:’ Ajay Maken fires fresh salvo against AAP chief over Delhi Ordinance

OpIndia Staff
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‘If Congress commits suicide how will it run its Mohabbat ki dukan:’ Ajay Maken fires fresh salvo against AAP chief over Delhi Ordinance

Ajay Maken, the leader of the Congress, has emerged as the voices and faces of the distrust his party continues to nurse against Arvind Kejriwal as he rallies support from opposition leaders against the Centre’s ordinance that took control of “services” away from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Capital. Speaking to NDTV on Monday, the senior Congress leader said that partnering with Arvind Kejriwal’s party would be as good as committing suicide.

The senior Congress leader continued to poke fun at Arvind Kejriwal, saying that if Congress teamed up with the Aam Aadmi Party, it would be like committing suicide, and if someone commits suicide, how can they run the “Mohabbat Ki Dukan?” he questioned.

Maken further alleged that the Delhi CM Kejriwal is seeking Congress’ help for the ordinance yet unabashedly ridiculing its leaders, including Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan.

Maken was taking a jibe at AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had earlier referred to Rahul Gandhi’s “Mohabbat Ki Dukhan” (shop of love) remark and urged him to comply with his promises. Saurabh Bharadwaj, the leader of AAP, made his statement after Congress showed hesitation in allying with AAP to challenge the Centre over the Delhi ordinance.

“Rahul says he is running ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukhan’ in the market of hatred. He claims that the BJP is spreading hatred. So, if Rahul Gandhi is running a ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukan,’ anyone who comes to him should be able to buy that love. The shopkeeper cannot decide whom to sell love to and whom not to. So, any customer who comes can buy ‘Mohabbat.’ If he said that his party spreads love, he has to demonstrate that as well,” said Bharadwaj.”

Congress and AAP continue to trade barbs over Delhi ordinance

Congress and AAP have remained at loggerheads over the Delhi ordinance issue. The war of words between the two, however, intensified after prominent opposition leaders met in Bihar on June 23 to hold talks for a united front against PM Narendra Modi and BJP in the 2024 election.

Media reports suggest that during the opposition meeting in Patna on Friday, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal had raised the issue of the Centre’s ordinance over control of administrative services in Delhi. While most other opposition parties have backed AAP in this matter, the Congress party has refused to do so. 

Subsequently, the AAP leaders did not stay for the joint statement and instead returned to Delhi after lunch.

After the Patna meet, AAP issued a statement from Delhi saying that any alliance with the Congress party would be difficult if the Congress refused to back AAP on the Delhi Ordinance issue. 

“Until the Congress publicly denounces the Black Ordinance and declares that all 31 of its RS MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant”, the AAP statement added.

Adding salt to the injuries, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made it clear that it is in no mood to accept Congress scion Rahul Gandhi as the leading face of the so-called “mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance) of the opposition parties. AAP’s national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar in a tweet advised the Congress party to not place a bet on Rahul Gandhi for the third time. She added that Congress should refrain from pressuring the opposition parties to accept him as their leader. 

Soon after the scathing attack by AAP, former AICC general secretary Ajay Maken criticized the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, accusing the Delhi CM of seeking help from the Congress party while simultaneously ridiculing its leaders.

In a video message posted on his social media handle Twitter, he said, “His ministers place prerequisites on our alliance, while their chief spokesperson publicly disparages our party and leaders on the day of the Opposition party meeting. To brazenly criticise and then demand support, is this how alliances are sought, Mr Kejriwal?” 

The leader further claimed, “Kejriwal’s political manoeuvres in recent weeks have left many baffled. However, let me elucidate the truth. His desperate attempts to evade imprisonment on corruption charges, wherein two of his colleagues are already jailed, are reasons for these actions.” 

Kejriwal’s proclamations of Opposition unity are not for cohesion but a “calculated move to sabotage it and curry favour with the BJP. Past actions of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Parliament, the Delhi Legislative Assembly, or elsewhere only reinforce their surreptitious alliance with the BJP”, he said.

He also alleged that AAP was using corruption money to fight elections in several states to ‘help the BJP’ and harm Congress.

“Kejriwal’s betrayals are infamous – just ask Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, and the founders of the Anna movement…,'” Maken said in a scathing attack on the Delhi CM.

“However, be assured Kejriwal, your deeds have not gone unnoticed. Your massive corruption and utilisation of these ill-gotten funds to sabotage the Congress in Goa, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal, Uttarakhand, and Assam, just to help the BJP, won’t be forgotten,” the Congress leader said.

He further alleged that “Under the guise of being an ‘aam aadmi’ (common man), Kejriwal “manipulated” Delhi’s citizens, using ₹171 crore of public money to build a “palace” for himself,”

“Your actions have unmasked the grim truth, Mr Kejriwal. You’re no longer a champion of the ‘Aam Aadmi’ or a crusader against corruption. Instead, you stand knee-deep in corruption, living a lavish lifestyle like a king in your ‘Sheesh Mahal’,” the former Union minister said.

Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance 2023

On May 19, 2023, the Government of National Capital Territory (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 was enacted. It modifies the Delhi National Capital Territory Act of 1991. The Act establishes the framework for the Legislative Assembly and the administration of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. 

“PM Modi decided on surgical strikes in 10 minutes”: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shares while addressing National Security Conclave

OpIndia Staff
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“PM Modi decided on surgical strikes in 10 minutes”: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shares while addressing National Security Conclave

On the 26th of June, 2023, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh addressed the National Security Conclave organised at Jammu University. The conclave discussed internal and external dimensions of the country’s defence mechanism, however, a strong focus was on Jammu and Kashmir.

The Defence Minister outlined four key principles that have been guiding the government’s approach to national security. As per the Union Minister, these include addressing security and sovereignty threats, protecting national interests, creating conducive conditions for progress and the well-being of citizens, and building alliances with friendly nations to tackle global challenges like terrorism.

Pakistan has no locus standi in PoK

Singh categorically asserted that despite illegally capturing PoK, Pakistan does not have a locus standi in POK as it has illegally occupied the area. He reminded everyone that the Indian Parliament had unanimously passed at least three resolutions, which state that PoK is a part of India. 

For the umpteenth time, Singh reiterated what every Indian and government believes, he said PoK is, was, and will remain a part of India.  

He said, “A large part of Jammu and Kashmir is under the occupation of Pakistan. People on the other side are seeing that people are living their lives peacefully in J-K. People living in POK going through a lot of suffering and they will raise demand to go with India.”

Raksha Mantri on Article 370 and dispute with China

Raksha Mantri stressed that BJP abrogated Article 370 and did justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who were unfairly treated for decades.

Singh stated that because of Articles 370 and 35A, the common people of Jammu and Kashmir were kept away from the mainstream of the country for a long time, it was a hindrance in taking action against any anti-national force.

On the ongoing conflict with China, Singh assured that his government is committed to protecting the sovereignty and unity of the nation. 

He highlighted that despite “perception differences” with China, there are some agreements and protocols following which the armies of both countries patrol at borders. He, however, held Chinese forces accountable for violating these “agreed protocols” which led to a violent dispute in East Ladakh in 2020.

Holding China responsible for the Ladakh dispute, Singh said, “The reason for the dispute that arose in East Ladakh in the year 2020 was that the Chinese forces ignored the Agreed Protocols. Chinese Army PLA tried to make some changes on LAC in a unilateral manner which was thwarted by Indian troops.”

PM Modi follows zero tolerance against terrorism

The Raksha Mantri further claimed that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government started effective action against terrorism and for the first time not only the country but also the world came to know what is the meaning of zero tolerance against terrorism.
He said, “Pulwama and Uri were both unfortunate incidents. Prime Minister took just 10 minutes to take a decision (on carrying out surgical strikes) which shows his strong willpower.”

Pakistan got rattled by the joint statement issued by India and US against terrorism

Rajnath Singh highlighted the recent joint statement that was issued after the prime minister’s meeting with US President Joe Biden. He argued that the joint statement is an indication of how India has changed the mindset of the world on the issue of terrorism.

Singh said, “Pakistan felt slighted by the joint statement from PM Modi and US President Joe Biden. They released the same old statement that India is removing the world’s attention from Kashmir. I agree with them – we have been successful in removing the world’s glare from Kashmir. I want to tell the government of Pakistan that it won’t gain anything by constantly citing Kashmir. Apna ghar sambhaliye (get your house in order).”

An excerpt from the India-US joint statement said, “They (Biden and Modi) strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks.”

Raksha Mantri highlighted that AFSPA has been removed from large parts of North East as the government has successfully controlled the problem of insurgency in North East India. He aspired that a time will come when we will remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir. 

Further while addressing a presser, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh also responded to Former US President Barack Hussein Obama.  
Singh said, “Obama ji should not forget that India is the only country which considers all the people living in the world as family members. He should also think about himself as to how many Muslim countries he has attacked.”

Navi Mumbai: Posters with ‘PFI Zindabad’ slogans found pasted on houses, Police launch investigation

OpIndia Staff
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Navi Mumbai: Posters with ‘PFI Zindabad’ slogans found pasted on houses, Police launch investigation

Recently, posters in support of the proscribed terror outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) were found glued to some houses in the Navi Mumbai area of Maharashtra. Reportedly, these posters had ‘786’ and ‘PFI Zindabad’ inscribed in green ink on them in English. The Police initiated a probe as soon as they got information about the same. Subsequently, they confiscated these controversial posters. The incident is said to have occurred on Saturday night, June 24. 

A day later, on Sunday, June 25, the Police stated that they have started an investigation into the matter and had registered a case against unknown individuals for pasting these posters in support of a banned terror outfit. 

Police officials informed that apart from pasting posters, there are also allegations that firecrackers were also found stuck to some houses.

According to media reports, the case pertains to the Panvel area of Navi Mumbai. In the morning hours of June 24, one man found something written on his house wall. On closer look, he found a poster stuck there. Slogans – ‘786’ and ‘PFI Zindabad’ were written in green ink on this poster and it was written in English. Within no time, there were reports of firecrackers and Agarbatti (incense sticks) stuck outside two other houses within the vicinity. 

When the locals communicated this to the police, the police immediately reached the spot and confiscated the firecrackers and posters. 

An FIR has been filed against unknown persons under IPC section 153A. The police are currently examining additional evidence, including CCTV footage from the location. The identity of the accused is yet to be determined. These posters are going viral on social media platforms.

Banned terror outfit Popular Front of India

In September 2022, the Government of India banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and all the individuals associated with it for 5 years. There were credible reports that they were allegedly involved in rioting that happened in various parts of the country, particularly at Hindu festival Hanuman Jayanti and others. The Delhi Police in its charge sheet had also claimed to have found PFI’s link in the Delhi riots in 2020.  

Further, this organisation and its office bearers are accused of hatching a conspiracy to make India an Islamic country by the year 2047, including taking funding and other support from abroad. Additionally, it was also alleged that many members of PFI were said to be influenced by the ideology of ISIS.

Instagram influencer Amaan Tanwar spews hate against non-Muslims, urges his followers to smash the skull of those who are anti-Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Instagram influencer Amaan Tanwar spews hate against non-Muslims, urges his followers to smash the skull of those who are anti-Islam

On Monday, June 26, a Twitter user The Right Wing Guy shared a reel of an Instagram influencer named Amaan Tanwar wherein the latter is seen inciting Muslims to commit violence against non-Muslims.

In the 0.20-second video, the Instagram influencer, going by the handle- amaantanwarofficial0001, is heard threatening non-Muslims with violence. He urges his Muslim brethren to stay united and smash the skull of those who are against Islam.

The video has since gone viral on Twitter, with several users asking Haryana Police to take action against the hate monger.

After Amaan Tanwar’s video started doing rounds on Twitter, we looked into his Instagram account and found him to be quite popular on the photo and video-sharing social media app with as many as 44.5k followers. He identifies himself as an ‘artist’ on social media.

Amaan Tanwar’s Instagram page is replete with inflammatory posts where he incites violence against non-Muslims. In almost every post, the social media user made a constant effort to inspire his Muslim followers to carry out acts of violence against non-Muslims.

A post which the influencer shared six days ago was captioned “Musalman” in Hindi. Amaan Tanwar threatened the non-Muslims in the form of two-line poetry saying that his Muslim brotherhood will annihilate non-Muslims from the country in pronto.

The Islamist is heard gloating in one message from May 31 that non-Muslims should consider their fate a hundred times before interfering with Muslims since they are not afraid of death.

In another hate-filled post posted on May 29, he again threatens non-Muslims. He theatened the non-Muslims to not challenge Muslims lest they (Muslims) would soon put an end to all of them (non-Muslims).

In another post dated May 26, Amaan Tanwar issues a threat by stating that he and his fellow Muslims are prepared to kill anyone who opposes their religion. “Baat agar Islam par aayegi toh goli sidha maate mein jayegi,” he said.

In one he posted on May 14, Amaan Tanwar threatens non-Muslims with revenge. Trying to project Muslims as being oppressed and persecuted by non-Muslims in the country, the Islamist influencer is heard saying, “tumhe jitno karno hai karlo humme pareshan, par ek baat yaad rakhiyo badlo zarro lenge yeh musalman” (trouble us as much as you can but always remember one thing, we Muslims will definitely take revenge).

“Badla zaroor legal Musalman,” read the cation of this video, which roughly translates to ‘Muslims will definitely take revenge.”

However, Amaan Tanwar has posted a lot more dangerous content on his Instagram profile than just these few examples.

Every other post on his timeline features the social media user either brazenly issuing veiled threats to non-Muslims or inciting his co-religionists to commit violence against non-Muslims.

‘Immense damage to humanity’: Elon Musk on Paul Ehrlich’s ‘Population Bomb’ ideas, Sanjay Gandhi’s forced sterilization of Indians during Emergency

OpIndia Staff
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‘Immense damage to humanity’: Elon Musk on Paul Ehrlich’s ‘Population Bomb’ ideas, Sanjay Gandhi’s forced sterilization of Indians during Emergency

During the Emergency, Sanjay Gandhi, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s son, had embarked on a gruesome mission, to sterilize as many Indians as possible. Encouraged by the tens of millions of dollars given by the World Bank, Swedish International Development Authority, and the UN Population Fund, the illegitimate government of India at that time treated its own people as livestock.

As per reports, after the Emergency was imposed in 1975, approximately 6.2 million Indian men were sterilized in just one year. Poor, uneducated men from undeveloped areas were the government’s favorite target. Sometimes, even the entire village was cordoned off by the police and the men were dragged for surgeries.

Paul Ehrlich’s idea of population control

In 1968, German physician Paul Ehrlich published his book ‘The Population Bomb’. The hastily written book was widely promoted by the author. Ehrlich had predicted a doom and gloom scenario for the whole world, telling that the planet has been overpopulated and soon millions of people will be starving to death.

“Hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death. No matter what people do, “nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate, the book said.

In 1970, the book saw a sudden jump in popularity after Ehrlich appeared on NBC’s Tonight Show in the USA.

Eventually, promoted by Ehrlich’s relentless fearmongering, the idea of the ‘Population Bomb’ became mainstream. Government and international organizations started promoting massive population control measures. However, in India, the idea caused a whole different level of perversion, the forced sterilization program led by Sanjay Gandhi.

Elon Musk calls it ‘an immense damage to humanity’

On 26 June, a Twitter handle @mezaoptimizer shared some excerpts from an article, describing how Ehrlich’s predictions about overpopulation leading to doom have been proven wrong. Ehrlich had predicted that England will cease to exist by the 2000s and over 65 million Americans will starve to death.

Ehrlich had recommended forced sterilization for India, as per the article. The then US President Lyndon Johnson reportedly told the PM of India that India can get the US govt’s financial help only if it carries out a mass sterilization program of its population. Encouraged by his mother, Sanjay Gandhi allocated quotas to CMs of states, especially UP and Bihar, to sterilize men in villages. Government officials were encouraged and pressurized to achieve targets for the given number of mass sterilizations in their respective locations.

The article highlights how Ehrlich went on to receive every single award for environmental science and activism possible. He has earned millions over the years and is now a professor emeritus at Stanford University.

Elon Musk responded to the tweet, saying how Paul Ehrlich caused immense damage to humanity.

As per reports, the institutions like Ford and Rockefeller Foundation played a key role in carrying out forced sterilizations in India. The USA, the country that lectures non-stop about human rights and democracy today, was on board with this program. World Bank President Robert McNamara even praised Indira Gandhi, saying, “At long last, India is moving to effectively address its population problem.”

During Indira Gandhi’s visit to Washington, an adviser had reportedly asked US President Johnson if he is considering giving aid to India. “Are you out of your f*cking mind? I’m not going to piss away foreign aid in nations where they refuse to deal with their own population problems”, was reportedly his response.

The forced sterilization of millions of Indian men remains one of the darkest, most horrific chapters in the modern history of the country. Over 2000 men had died during botched-up procedures.

Troll account Team Saath, of whom TV actor Sushant is the ‘brand ambassador and mentor’, demands the arrest of Professor Ranganathan for quoting Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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Troll account Team Saath, of whom TV actor Sushant is the ‘brand ambassador and mentor’, demands the arrest of Professor Ranganathan for quoting Gandhi

On June 26, the troll account Team Saath, which often gangs up against Twitter handles that do not side with its ideology, demanded the arrest of the author and Professor Anand Ranganathan for quoting MK Gandhi. In a tweet, Team Saath wrote, “Now this man should be dealt with in a court of law. Someone must come forward and take the bull by the horns.” They tagged Congress, Supriya Shrinate, Pawan Khera, and Ashok Kumar Pandey. There was a screenshot of Prof Ranganathan’s tweet included in the post.

Anand Ranganathan quoted MK Gandhi

In a tweet, Prof Ranganathan wrote, “Hindus should not harbour anger against Muslims even if the latter want to destroy and kill us all. We should face death bravely. If Muslims established their rule after killing all Hindus, we would be ushering in a new India. – Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the nation, April 6, 1947.” In the attached video, Prof Ranganathan opposed the idea of giving Gandhi prize to Gita Press over the notion that Gandhi was anti-Hindu.

His tweet was a direct quote from MK Gandhi. On April 6, 1947, Gandhi made a speech at the prayer meeting. During the meeting, he expressed his dismay over the fact that Hindus fought back against Muslims in Bihar. He accused Hindus of killing “Nationalist Muslims”. He said, “Hindus should not harbour anger in their hearts against Muslims even if the latter wanted to destroy them. Even if the Muslims want to kill us all, we should face death bravely. If they established their rule after killing Hindus, we would be ushering in a new world by sacrificing our lives. None should fear death. Birth and death are inevitable for every human being. Why should we then rejoice or grieve? If we die with a smile, we shall enter into a new life; we shall be ushering in a new India.”

What Prof Ranganathan said was a direct quote from MK Gandhi. It is available easily as part of ‘Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi’ and can be downloaded from Gandhi Ashram Sevagram’s website. The quote can be found in the last paragram of page 248 in “Volume Ninety-four : (February 17, 1947 – April 29, 1947)”.

In his statement, prof Ranganathan said, “To have a Gandhi prize, to begin with, is an insult to India.” He then narrated the story of Gandhi’s niece Manu who was forced to walk 30 miles amid ongoing riots to retrieve a scrubbing stone. The story was documented by Gandhi’s grandson Rajmohan Gandhi in his book ‘The Man, his people and the Empire“.

Page 560 of the book read, “Discovering the loss later in the day (15 Jan.) in Narayanpur, Gandhi asked Manu to walk back alone to Bhatialpur and retrieve the pumice stone. Though an old woman had thrown the stone away, Manu located it and hurried back.

Saying, “Take your stone,’ she threw the object before Gandhi, who laughed and said that Manu had passed a test. He added: If scoundrels had seized and killed you I would have danced with joy, but I would not have liked it a bit if you had run back out of fear… I said to myself, “This girl sings ‘Ekla Chalo Re with enthusiasm but has she digested the message?’ … You can see how hard I can be… I also realized it.“

He mentioned several of Gandhi’s quotes to prove how Gandhi Prize should not have existed. While all the quotes mentioned by prof Ranganathan are available in public domain, Team Saath targeted him for “insulting” Gandhi.

Though there are speculations on social media that actor Sushant Singh is inextricably linked to the account ‘Team Saath‘, they clarified that Sushant Singh is not the group’s founder but rather ‘The Goodwill Ambassador’. The account, the tweet said, is run by one ‘The Linguist’.

Recently, Team Saath targeted filmmaker Ashoke Pandit just days before the release of the film ’72 Hoorain’ that Pandit has co-produced. His account was suspended and continues to remain under suspension.

Barack Obama should spend his energy complimenting India, not criticising it: Former Commissioner of USCIRF

OpIndia Staff
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Barack Obama should spend his energy complimenting India, not criticising it: Former Commissioner of USCIRF

Barack Obama is drawing a lot of his flak over his answers to a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi even from voices within the USA now.

Former Commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Johnnie Moore has said that the former US President should focus his energy on complimenting India more than criticising India.

Moore’s statement was in regard to contentious remarks made by Obama during an interview with CNN news host Christiane Amanpour, just hours before PM Modi made his historic address at the joint session of the US Congress.

“I think the former president (Barack Obama) should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticising India. India is the most diverse country in human history. It’s not a perfect country, just like the US is not a perfect country, but its diversity is its strength… Even in that critique, President Obama couldn’t help but also compliment PM Modi, and I certainly understand why, having spent some time with him,” Moore said.

Further, the former Commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom added, “With your friends, it’s sometimes better to privately criticise than to publicly praise. It’s good geopolitics. Because there are plenty of people around the world who want to demonstrate that this is the twilight of democracy; it is not the twilight of democracy, it is the new dawn of democracy. So I disagree with the sentiment of the former President.”

Obama sparks row during Modi’s US visit

In an interview with CNN news host Christiane Amanpour, Obama suggested that the Indian Prime Minister must be told by the Biden administration about protecting the ‘Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India.’ He also hinted at another ‘partition’ of India, under the Modi government.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi (L) with Former US President Barack Hussein Obama

He said, “If President (Joe Biden) meets with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, the protection of Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India is something worth mentioning.”

Barack Obama also claimed, “If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, then, part of the conversation would be that if you do not protect the rights of minorities, then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart…That would be contrary to the interests of India.”

Nirmala Sitharaman’s retort

Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman in a fierce retort reminded the former US President that 6 Muslim nations were bombed by the US under his rule.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (Source: ANI)

“It was surprising that when the PM was visiting the US and telling people about India, a former US President (Barack Obama) was making a statement on Indian Muslims…I am speaking with caution, we want a good friendship with the US, but they comment on India’s religious tolerance. Perhaps 6 Muslim-dominated countries were bombed due to him (Obama)…More than 26,000 bombs were dropped,” she had said.

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