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Tahir and Tasavvur take a Dalit minor girl to the jungle under the pretext of offering a lift and gang rape her, both arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Tahir and Tasavvur take a Dalit minor girl to the jungle under the pretext of offering a lift and gang rape her, both arrested

On Thursday, May 25, 2023, a shocking incident of gang rape of a minor girl from the Dalit community unfolded in the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh. Following the incident, the police swiftly took custody of the accused individuals, Tahir and Tasavvur. It has been revealed that they deceived the victim by offering her a lift while she was going to her aunt’s house. The appalling crime has deeply shaken the people in the locality.

As per reports, the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Hazrat Nagar Gadhi in Sambhal district. The victim’s mother lodged the complaint regarding the incident. According to the complaint, the 16-year-old victim, originally from the Majhola police station area in Muradabad, was going to her aunt’s village.

Upon disembarking from the bus at a place called Sirsi, she allegedly encountered two young men named Tasavvur and Tahir, who were standing there with a motorcycle. Noticing the girl alone, they engaged her in conversation and gradually gained her trust. They eventually persuaded her to accompany them.

During their conversation, Tahir and Tasavvur enticed the victim with an offer to drop her off at her aunt’s house. Trusting them, the girl agreed and they took her along on their motorcycle. They then transported her to a secluded jungle in Baripur Bhamraua, which was a short distance away. In the jungle, Tahir and Tasavvur took turns sexually assaulting the victim.

After the rape, they issued threats to deter her from disclosing the incident and quickly fled the scene. The victim immediately contacted her family to inform them about the traumatic ordeal. Without any further delay, the girl’s relatives rushed to the police station and registered a formal complaint.

The police have registered a case against Tahir and Tasavvur, including charges under the POCSO Act and other relevant sections, and subsequently arrested both of them. Further investigation and legal action are underway in the case.

Union Jack was not lowered on 15 August 1947 as claimed by Manmohan Singh’s former media advisor, it was skipped as Nehru didn’t want to offend British: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Union Jack was not lowered on 15 August 1947 as claimed by Manmohan Singh’s former media advisor, it was skipped as Nehru didn’t want to offend British: Read details

After the union govt announced that a Chola-era sceptre named ‘Sengol’ will be installed at the new parliament building, and it was used as a symbol of the transfer of power in 1947, the Congress party has been alleging the govt of lying about the sceptre. The govt has said that the historic sceptre ‘Sengol’ was received by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947, to represent the transfer of power from the Britishers to India. The same spectre will be handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the head priest of Madurai Adheenam on May 28.

Several left-wing publications, including The Hindu and The News Minute, have claimed that while there is no doubt that the Sengol was given to Nehru by the seers of Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam, they claimed that it was just a gift by the Math to the first PM, and it was not used a symbol of the transfer of power. Following that, Congress leaders started to quote those reports to allege that the govt is lying about the history of the Sengol. After boycotting the inauguration of the new parliament, they also started to target the government over the Sengol issue.

On the other hand, Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam has slammed the Congress party and the media for their claims, and has asserted that they have records to show that the sceptre was used to represent the transfer of power. According to the Math and the govt, the sceptre was first handed over to Lord Mountbatten by the seers of the math, who gave it back to them, after which it was handed over to Nehru.

However, the Congress party continues to claim that Sengol was just a personal gift to Nehru, and there is no symbolism attached to it. Pro-Congress journalists have also started to play their role in this row over the Indic symbol of the transfer of power.

On 27th May 2023, journalist Pankaj Pachauri, who was the media advisor of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, tweeted to comment on the symbol of the transfer of power. Pachauri claimed that handing over the Sengol was not the symbol of the transfer of power in August 1947, and the actual symbol was the hoisting of the tricolour and simultaneous lowering of the British flag union jack. Pachauri also identified the BJP and its supporters as ‘Keertan Mandali’.

Pankaj Pachauri tweeted, “The real “transfer of power” was when the Union Jack (A) was lowered and our Tiranga (B) was hoisted in front of the outgoing colonial head, peacefully. Now the Keertan Mandali never respected the Tiranga or the Independence so inventing a spectre for spectacle! So…”

Pachauri also posted screenshots from a video which showed a familiar footage of the Union Jack and then the Tricolour going un on the same pole.

Union Jack was lowered on 16th August 1947

In this tweet, there is an attempt being made to depict that the symbol of the transfer of power was not the ‘Sengol’ but rather the lowering of the British flag, the union jack and then the hoisting of the Indian flag. However, this is not the case. While Pankaj Pachauri has claimed that the union jack was lowered and the tricolour was hoisted during the transfer of power in 1947, it must be noted that this was not done simultaneously.

And if at all, only the change in the flags is to be called a transfer of power, it becomes necessary to make it clear that the process did not happen all at once in a single go. While the tricolour was hoisted on 15th August 1947, the union jack was not ceremoniously lowered in Delhi. The reasons behind this disclose the colonial mindset of Jawaharlal Nehru – the ideological predecessor of a so-called journalist like Pankaj Pachauri.

Contrary to popular belief, the iconic imagery of the union jack being lowered and the tricolour being raised on Independence Day, August 15, 1947, which is shown in many movies and documentaries related to Indian independence, is a misrepresentation. In reality, the union jack was never officially lowered on that historic day. While it was originally planned that the union jack will be lowered and the tricoloured will be hoisted on 15 August, it actually didn’t happen, and the tricolour was simply hoisted by Nehru on that day at Princess Park in Delhi.

The lesser-known fact regarding the union jack not being lowered on Independence Day, August 15, 1947, is documented in a confidential and personal report (No.17) dated August 16, 1947, authored by Rear Admiral Viscount Mountbatten of Burma, who served as the Viceroy, Governor General, and Crown Representative of India.

Mountbatten’s account of the events on August 15 is documented in the report stored at the India Office in London, referenced as L/PO/6/123: FF 245-63. In this record, Mountbatten said, “At six pm the great event was to take place – the salutation of the new Dominion flag. This programme had originally included a ceremonial lowering of the Union Jack, but when I discussed this with Nehru, he entirely agreed that this was the day they wanted everybody to be happy, and if the lowering of the Union Jack in any way offended British susceptibilities, he would certainly see that it did not take place, the more so as the Union Jack would still be flown on a dozen days a year in the Dominion.”

Let’s have a closer look at the chronology of the events. After attending the Independence Day ceremony in Pakistan on August 14, Mountbatten returned from Karachi. It was during this time that Indian leaders informed him of their desire for him to assume the role of interim Governor General of India for a short duration. This proposal was formally presented during the midnight session of the Constituent Assembly on August 14 and was unanimously accepted. Following this momentous decision, Nehru delivered his renowned “Tryst with Destiny” speech and raised the Indian flag for the very first time.

The 15th of August, 1947 commenced with the official swearing-in ceremony of Mountbatten in the Durbar Hall located in the Viceroy House, now known as Rashtrapati Bhavan. The primary event was scheduled to take place at Princess Park near the India Gate. Initially, the plan was for the union jack to be lowered and the Prime Minister to hoist the tricolour, followed by a modest parade. However, the program underwent a last-minute change, as noted in Mountbatten’s memoir, altering the planned sequence of events. Thus, lowering the British flag was skipped, and only the Indian flag was hoisted by the first PM, and this was done at Princess Park, not Red Fort, as commonly believed.

In fact, Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the tricolour flag for the first time at the Red Fort on August 16, 1947, marking the day after India gained independence. This is also acknowledged in a press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB). It is possible that the union jack may have been lowered on various locations and government buildings across India during the programs held on August 15, 1947. However, it is important to note that it did not occur at the Red Fort in Delhi on that day.

However, in a popular video, it is shown that the union jack is lowered and the tricolour is hoisted at the same time. The two events did not occur simultaneously. Symbolically, they were designed to mark the end of British rule and showcase Indian independence. On August 15, 1947, no Independence Day celebrations were held at the Red Fort.

On the night of August 14-15, 1947, the tricolour flag was hoisted at the Council House which later became the Parliament House. On August 16, 1947, at 8:30 AM, the tricolour flag was unfurled at the Red Fort. The intention was to avoid causing any offence to the sentiments of the British by removing the union jack during the ceremony, which is why the plan to lower the union jack on August 15, 1947, was not included in the program.

To prove that the incident did take place, Pachauri later posted the video from where the screenshots were taken. But it is clearly seen that the video is a montage of various moments from various places, from Pakistan and India. The video which shows the simultaneous lowering of the union jack and hosting of the tricolour could be a creative representation, or it could be from a different place. However, given that film cameras were expensive and rare equipment in those days, it is unlikely that they were available in some other place where such an event could have taken place. Therefore, the footage is most like a creative representation.

There is no historical evidence that such an event took place in Delhi on 15th August 1947. Available records show that while such an event was planned, it was cancelled.

Therefore, even if the union jack was lowered and the tricolour was hoisted simultaneously somewhere else, it can’t represent the transfer of power.

Sengol will be adopted as the national symbol

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a decision to adopt the Sengol as a national symbol of the Amrit Kaal. The new building of Parliament will witness the very same event, with Adheenam Priests repeating the ceremony and vesting the PM with the Sengol.

The same Sengol from 1947 will be installed by the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha, prominently close to the Speaker’s podium. It will be displayed for the Nation to see and will be taken out on special occasions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla are slated to dedicate to the nation the new Parliament building on May 28.

The establishment of Sengol makes the spirit of 15 August 1947 unforgettable. It is the symbol of the promise of boundless hope, boundless possibilities and a resolve to build a strong and prosperous nation. However, the Sengol was soon forgotten after it was given to Nehru. It was lying at Anand Bhawan museum in Allahabad, where it was mislabeled as the ‘walking stick of Jawaharlal Nehru’.

BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani says Congress is claiming Sengol was a gift to Nehru to cover up its misappropriation

OpIndia Staff
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BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani says Congress is claiming Sengol was a gift to Nehru to cover up its misappropriation

A political row erupted on Friday, May 26, after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that the BJP government’s assertion that the historic sceptre ‘Sengol’ was used as a symbol of the transfer of power is ‘bogus.’ Today (Saturday, May 27), Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Jethmalani took to Twitter to voice his disapproval of the lies Congress has been peddling over the Chola Dynasty Sceptre, which would be installed at the new parliament building on May 28 following its inauguration.

Launching a counter-offensive, the Rajya Sabha MP said that Congress’ claim that the Sengol or the Sceptre was not a symbol of the transfer of power but a gift to Jawaharlal Nehru, appears to be a cover-up for the flagrant misuse of a priceless emblem of Indian sovereignty.

“The Congress (notably my glib of tongue friend Jairam Ramesh) is at pains to point out that the narrative of the Sengol as a symbol of transfer of power is a fake one spun by the BJP. Seems to me a major reason for this Congress defence is a cover up for a case of blatant misappropriation of a priceless symbol of India’s sovereignty by passing off the Sengol as a gift to Nehru,” a part of the RS MP’s tweet read.

Mahesh Jethmalani asserted that the Congress intended to show that the Sengol is the personal property of the Nehru family which is why they claimed that the sceptre was a gift to Jawaharlal Nehru. He added that the Gandhi family could misappropriate the historic symbol in this manner, this is why the Sengol was placed in Anand Bhavan, the Nehru family residence (now owned by the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Trust, with Sonia Gandhi as President).

Notably, Anand Bhavan is the ancestral house of the Nehru family located in the present-day Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh. It was constructed by Motilal Nehru in the 1930s to serve as the residence of the Nehru family when the original mansion Swaraj Bhawan was transformed into the local headquarters of the Indian National Congress.

The Rajya Sabha MP also informed that Anand Bhavan, where the Sengol was placed as a ‘gift’ to Nehru from Mountbatten, is embroiled in a house tax issue for Rs 4.35 crores with the local municipality because the Bhavan was probably being used for commercial purposes.

It is important to note here that ever since Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that a Chola Dynasty Sceptre named Sengol will be placed at the new parliament building on 28 May after its inauguration, the Congress party has been making a major hue and cry about it. On Friday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed there is no documented evidence of Lord Mountbatten, C Rajagopalachari and Jawaharlal Nehru describing the ‘Sengol’ as a symbol of the transfer of power by the British to India. The senior Congress leader said claims to this effect are plain and simple — ‘bogus’.

Jairam Ramesh relied on reports by some media houses, including the Hindu and The News Minute, which claimed that there is no evidence of the Sengol being presented to Mountbatten and he giving it back as a symbolic gesture, saying it was directly ‘gifted’ to Nehru by the seers.

These reports were then used by Congress leaders and others in the opposition to mock the government over the issue. Jairam Ramesh said that the claim that the sceptre was used as a symbol of the transfer of power is bogus, calling it “Wholly and completely manufactured in the minds of a few and dispersed into WhatsApp.” He also said, “The sceptre is now being used by the PM & his drum-beaters for their political ends in Tamil Nadu. This is typical of this brigade that embroiders facts to suit its twisted objectives.”

Responding to these claims, Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam posted an official release on its Facebook page strongly, saying that Adheenam’s records support the govt version. They said that it has been documented in multiple sources that the Adheenam was invited to conduct a ritual to symbolise the transfer of power.

US State Department working with media houses and global ‘fact-checkers’ to peddle its narrative. Here is what we know so far

Dibakar Dutta
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US State Department working with media houses and global ‘fact-checkers’ to peddle its narrative. Here is what we know so far

On Wednesday (May 24), ‘America First Legal’ (AFL) took to Twitter to expose how the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department is working with private media outlets to peddle deep state propaganda.

A centre-right non-profit organisation, AFL, secured documents against the GEC under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Earlier this month, it filed a lawsuit against the ‘private parties’ which conspired with the US federal government to conduct mass surveillance and censor the free speech of American citizens.

AFL noted that millions of conservative Americans were targeted for their social media posts on vaccine mandates, election integrity, and Covid-19 vaccines.

The organisation revealed that the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department continues to work closely with George Soros-funded ‘fact checkers’, associated with the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to control the global media narrative.

America First Legal pointed out that the fact-checkers, currently coordinating with GEC, are also funded by the likes of Omidyar Network, Google, Facebook, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Opindia reported in May 2021 that a concerted manner by the Left ecosystem, in cahoots with their big business masters, was underway. We emphasised how they prop up dubious networks such as IFCN to hijack a particular phenomenon and sustain their monopoly over the narrative.

IFCN also received its initial funding from the National Endowment for Democracy, which is in turn funded by the US State Department.

“Members of this vast cartel range from independent foreign journalists to professional fact-checkers to American mainstream media organizations like the Associated Press and USA Today. Notably, Poynter’s IFCN received a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize nomination,” AFL pointed out.

The GEC has been working with IFCN affiliates in countries such as Tunisia and propagating their ‘fact-checking methods’ to censor politically incorrect narratives. According to America First Legal, email exchanges show IFCN pestering the US State Department to ‘fund’ more of their programmes in Egypt.

AFL highlighted how the cabal of media outlets discredit those who are not willing to toe the narrative of the Biden administration. It highlighted how one David Mikkelson of Snopes, infamous for rampant plagiarism, wanted to kick out right-wing news outlet Daily Caller from a Google group on combating fake news.

This was despite the fact that another member in the same group pointed out that leftist news organisations such as MSNBC and CNN had the same ‘source credibility’ as Daily Caller.

“The work of the international fact-checking cartel might be admirable if it actually lived up to its “commitment to Non-partisanship and Fairness,” but their methods appear strongly biased towards the promotion of State-approved talking points,” AFL noted.

‘America First Legal’ pointed out that news organisations, which were earlier known for investigative journalism began to treat the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department as the ultimate harbinger of truth.

It pointed out the case of The Washington Post, which maliciously attempted to discredit the Hunter Biden story covered by The New York Post. The explosive story was about Hunter Biden’s problematic emails with a Ukrainian gas company executive from Burisma in the run-up to the 2020 US Presidential elections.

AFL also highlighted how The Washington Post was more than willing to allude to the dubious ‘Russian disinformation’ conspiracy theory, which was fed by the GEC.

“Mainstream media outlets eagerly rely on the GEC as an authoritative source based on its credibility and presumed access to accurate intelligence,” AFL emphasised.

It stated how a GEC officer persuaded a journalist named Michael Gordon, working for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), to cover the US State Department’s talking points on the Covid-19 vaccine and so-called Russian disinformation.

The development took place, one day before the official transfer of power to the Biden administration. In another instance, a New York Times (NYT) reporter was introduced to the GEC for his story on ‘Russian anti-vax disinformation.’

Email transcripts, accessed by America First Legal, show the GEC threatening journalists to compile its talking points in the form of a report and publish it imminently.

AFL stated, “The GEC’s financial support of these media organizations also implicates the supposed “independence” of their reporting.” It pointed out how news outlets such as New York Times and Associated Press are dependent on funds from the US Department of State.

While speaking about the development, the Vice-President of AFL Gene Hamilton said, “Over the last two years, we have proven to the American people that there is–in fact–an intricate web of individuals and organizations that influence everything you see presented as objectively ‘true’ or ‘fact’ in the media.”

“While it is undeniably true that all governments throughout history have conducted campaigns to influence foreign audiences, it is now undeniably true that the same tactics and techniques are being used to influence perceptions amongst the American people domestically,” he added.

“We will continue to expose this influence operation to the American people and to bring accountability where we can,“ Gene Hamilton concluded.

US House Select Committee on China recommends including India in NATO Plus

OpIndia Staff
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US House Select Committee on China recommends including India in NATO Plus

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, the US House Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has recommended that India should be made a part of NATO Plus. 

NATO Plus, now known as NATO Plus 5, is a security agreement that brings together NATO and five associated states – Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea – to strengthen global defence cooperation.

Bringing India on board would allow for smooth intelligence exchange between these countries, as well as quick access to cutting-edge military technologies.

The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), chaired by Mike Gallagher and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, unanimously adopted a policy proposal aimed at bolstering Taiwan’s deterrence and expanding NATO Plus to include India.

The committee holds that imposing economic sanctions on China in the event that it plans to attack Taiwan is the most effective way for key allies such as the G7, NATO, NATO+5, and Quad members to participate and negotiate a joint response and that broadcasting this message publicly has the added benefit of bolstering deterrence.

“Much as we do joint contingency planning for warfighting, we need to coordinate with US allies in peacetime.” To achieve this, the Committee recommended that Congress approve legislation akin to the STAND with Taiwan Act of 2023, which requires the crafting of an economic sanctions package to be used in the event of a PRC attack on Taiwan.

The committee also recommended that the United States support Taiwan’s participation in international organisations and amend the TAIPEI Act.

“Winning the strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party and ensuring the security of Taiwan demands the United States strengthen ties to our allies and security partners, including India. Including India in NATO Plus security arrangements would build upon the US and India’s close partnership to strengthen global security and deter the aggression of the CCP across the Indo-Pacific region,” the Select Committee recommended.

Indian-American Ramesh Kapoor, who has been working on this proposal for the past six years, said this is a crucial development. He hoped that the recommendation will be included in the National Defence Authorisation Act, of 2024, and eventually become law. 

About the Select Committee 

The Select Committee on the CCP, according to its official website, is “committed to working on a bipartisan basis to build consensus on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and develop a plan of action to defend the American people, our economy, and our values.”

Karnataka Congress takes a U-turn after minister Priyank Kharge talked about banning RSS, CM Siddaramaiah says the party didn’t talk about it

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka Congress takes a U-turn after minister Priyank Kharge talked about banning RSS, CM Siddaramaiah says the party didn’t talk about it

Days after Congress MLA from the Chittapur assembly, Priyank Kharge, caused a massive controversy by claiming that the Congress government will not hesitate to ban Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the newly elected Congress government in Karnataka has taken a significant U-turn on Saturday by denying the previous statement.

No one other than the chief minister Siddaramaiah himself has rejected any such assertion. Siddaramaiah declared that any outfit disrupting social peace and harmony will face harsh punishment and clarified that the party has not discussed outlawing RSS. He made these remarks while talking to the media.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s son and a member of the state cabinet Priyank Kharge had equated RSS and Bajrang Dal with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and warned to ban the two Hindu outfits in the state.

“We will not hesitate to ban organisations which indulge in moral policing. It might be RSS or Bajrang Dal or any other communal organisation,” the minister threatened. “We will change the laws brought by the BJP government. If any individual, organisation threatens peace and acts against the constitution, the government has the capacity to initiate proper action against them,” he had emphasised earlier.

Kharge also said that the Congress govt will withdraw the ban on hijabs in govt colleges which have uniform norms.

Basavaraj Bommai, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former chief minister, asked Congress to prohibit the RSS if they had the courage to do so. Nalin Kumar Kateel, the state head of the BJP in Karnataka, insisted that the Congress administration wouldn’t last if any attempt was made to ban the RSS or the Bajrang Dal.

In response to the proposed ban on the two organisations, senior BJP leader and former minister R. Ashoka issued a challenge to the newly elected Congress administration, declaring that if they closed even one RSS branch, the party would have no presence in Karnataka.

“Your father was unable to ban RSS. It was not done by your grandmother. Even your great-grandfather wouldn’t do anything. What can you do now,” he questioned.

He maintained that there were 15 to 20 Congress governments in the nation and the party held a majority in Parliament. He proclaimed that Congress is currently in a pitiful situation across India and is rapidly disappearing. He then dared the government, if it had the guts, to abolish RSS. “Your government won’t last long for three months,” he declared.

Notably, Congress had compared Bajrang Dal with PFI and Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and promised to ban the group in its Karnataka election manifesto which led to a major backlash and the party tried to do damage control with the help of its senior leaders including former Karnataka chief minister M. Veerappa Moily and present deputy chief minister D. K. Shivakumar.

In addition, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal sent a defamation notice to the party for aligning Bajrang Dal with outlawed terrorist organisations and demanded compensation in the amount of Rs. 100 crore.

Two-year-old sentenced to life imprisonment after North Korean officials catch his parents with a Bible: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Two-year-old sentenced to life imprisonment after North Korean officials catch his parents with a Bible: Report

The US State Department released its 2022 International Religious Freedom Report on May 15, wherein it revealed how the communist government in North Korea imprisoned a two-year-old toddler for life after the authorities found a Bible in the possession of his parents. The child along with his entire family was jailed in a political prison camp in North Korea in 2009, the report read.

The report also documented several additional incidents of Christians being killed in North Korea, including the execution of a woman and her grandchild in 2011 by North Korea’s firing squad.

Some other Christians were subjected to “pigeon torture,” in which they were suspended for days with their hands tied behind their backs, unable to sit or stand.

Some were tortured with sleep deprivation, including a lady in solitary confinement who committed suicide in 2020 after jail officers refused to let her sleep.

The report read that these atrocities on Christians happen in North Korea as they are perceived as a “hostile class” and a “serious threat to loyalty to the state.”

Notably, while North Korea’s constitution provides religious freedom to its citizens, the Kim Jon-un administration continues to restrict religious activity in the country. Shamanic practitioners in North Korea face punishments ranging from six months in a forced labour camp to three or more years in reeducation camps. Christians, on the other hand, risk execution or sentences ranging from 15 years to life in a prison camp, imposed on up to three generations of the immediate family of the person found guilty.

The report provided estimated figures on such incidents, stating that approximately 70,000 Christians, as well as individuals from other faiths, are imprisoned in North Korea.

It further stated that Christians imprisoned in these camps have described harsh conditions and different sorts of physical abuse. According to the report, 90% of reported human rights violations against both Shamanic believers and Christians were committed by the Ministry of State Security.

The State Department, citing a report by Korea Future, a non-profit organisation in North Korea said that the North Korean government persecutes individuals who engage in religious practises, possess religious items, have contact with religious people, or share religious beliefs. Individuals who are persecuted may be imprisoned, detained, forced to work, tortured, denied a fair trial, deported, denied the right to life or subjected to sexual abuse.

The report by Korea Future, which interviewed 151 Christian women who were abused, discovered that the most common forms of abuse in North Korea were arbitrary arrest, torture, deportation, forced labour, and sexual violence.

Several refugees who had fled North Korea recounted textbooks that featured sections on Christian missionaries. The missionaries were accused of a variety of “evil deeds,” including “rape, blood-sucking, organ harvesting, murder, and espionage,” according to the textbooks.

Such atrocities on people living in North Korea are very common. The communist country strictly controls the lives of its citizens.

North Korea publicly executes two teenagers for watching and distributing South Korean films

Last year, the North Korean government publicly executed two teenagers for watching and circulating South Korean drama shows among their friends, media outlet Radio Free Asia quoted two eyewitnesses as confirming. The execution of the minors aged 16 or 17 was carried out in October 2022.

According to the report, the teenagers were taken before the public, sentenced to death, and then shot down by a firing squad at an airfield in the city while residents in the area were forced to watch the execution.

In 2021, a North Korean man had been sentenced to death for smuggling the South Korean Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ on USB through China and sold their copies after seven high school students were caught watching the show. 

A student who bought the USB from the smuggler is given a life sentence while six others who saw it with him have been sentenced to five years of hard labour. Teachers and school administrators are also fired and banished to work in remote areas in mines, the report said citing sources.

West Bengal: CM Mamata Banerjee apologises for the Egra Blast after 11 days, says ‘could have avoided it’

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: CM Mamata Banerjee apologises for the Egra Blast after 11 days, says ‘could have avoided it’

On Saturday, 27th May 2023, West Bengal’s chief minister and Trinamool Congress Party supremo Mamata Banerjee apologised to the people of the East Medinipur district for the blast in an illegal firecracker factory in Egra that took place on 16th May 2023. She said that the blast that took 12 lives could have been avoided.

Eleven days following the explosion, the TMC chief arrived at Khadikul village. During her visit, she personally distributed compensation cheques to the families who had lost their loved ones and those who were injured in the tragic incident.

During this time, she said, “Today, my eyes have been opened, and I bow my head and humbly apologise for this incident. It is clear that had the intelligence system functioned effectively, this unfortunate accident could have been averted.”

Mamata Banerjee further said, “The families of the victims who lost their lives in the explosion at the firecracker factory in Egra will receive a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh. Additionally, one family member will be offered a job as a home guard. I have brought the appointment letters of the same. Furthermore, in the unfortunate event of a lightning-related fatality, a support amount of Rs 2 lakh will be extended to the bereaved family.”

Mamata Banerjee added, “Our government has decided that a report will be prepared under the leadership of the Chief Secretary in the next two weeks regarding this incident. Under this, a cluster of green crackers will be created. The owner of the illegal factory and two members of the family of the main accused have been arrested.”

On May 16, seven people died, and several got injured in a blast at an illegal firecracker factory in Egra of district Medinipur, West Bengal. The factory building collapsed after the explosion. five more people died during the treatment.

China will save Pakistan from bankruptcy, Imran Khan to blame for the current financial crisis: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

OpIndia Staff
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China will save Pakistan from bankruptcy, Imran Khan to blame for the current financial crisis: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

On Friday, May 26, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, stated that an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not been reached, but that China’s backing will be critical in keeping the country from default.

PM Sharif stated in his address to industrialists and businesses in Karachi that Pakistan has ‘successfully fulfilled all of the rigorous conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’, underscoring the government’s commitment to complete the IMF programme.

Lauding China, Shehbaz Sharif stated that China has shown its support for Pakistan’s growth by rolling over its commercial debt. It is notable that in March this year, China rolled over a $2 billion loan to protect Pakistan from an economic collapse. 

“In the understanding of our Ministry of Finance, the gap in IMF conditions was of x amount but for them (IMF) it was x+1, but even that gap was filled with the help of our ‘dost mumalik’ (friendly nation) China. As I speak, it is done and only some paperwork is left,” Sharif said. 

He further added that China also rolled over commercial loans of over $1.3 billion for Pakistan. 

“They completed all the procedures for these rollovers two or three months ago. I have not seen such friendship and brotherhood,” Sharif said.

He went on to say that Pakistan draws positive sentiments from friendly nations, demonstrating a shared desire to see the country flourish.

The Pakistani Prime Minister did not miss the opportunity to attack former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government, pointing out that the previous government had flouted the IMF agreement.

“You all know that the previous government violated the IMF agreement,” PM Sharif said. 

For the past year, the country has been plagued by political uncertainty, which has continued even now. This prevailing instability caused price rises, worsening the problem of inflation.

The Pakistani PM also emphasised the importance of investors willing to take risks and invest in Pakistan, referring to them as ambassadors for the country.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has also sought US intervention for the completion of the IMF bailout programme, as it has requested the US to convince IMF to strike the staff-level agreement which earlier could not be reached.

According to Pakistani media reports, finance minister Ishaq Dar informed the US envoy that the current Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement would expire on June 30, 2023. Consequently, the IMF would have to make a decision to complete the pending 9th Review under the EFF programme.

Bihar: Snake found in mid-day meal served to students in a school in Araria, dozens fall sick after over 100 students consume the ‘Khichdi’

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Snake found in mid-day meal served to students in a school in Araria, dozens fall sick after over 100 students consume the ‘Khichdi’

On Saturday, 27th May 2023, a severe problem occurred at a government school in Forbesganj, Araria district, Bihar, when a snake was discovered in the mid-day meal provided to the children. Numerous students fell ill after consuming the food and were hospitalized in Forbesganj for necessary medical care.

Before the incident came to light, over 100 children had already consumed the food. The ‘Khichdi’ meal was served to a total estimated number of more than 150 students at Amauna Middle School, which is operated by Jogbani Municipal Council. As soon as the snake was discovered in the mid-day meal, pandemonium ensued within the school premises, leading to the arrival of numerous parents seeking information and assistance.

At approximately 9 am, an NGO delivered cooked food to the school, which was then consumed by approximately 150 children. Meanwhile, the remaining children were in the process of being served from the NGO’s pot. Subsequently, dozens of students who had consumed the meal fell ill and started vomiting, and they were immediately rushed to the Forbesganj hospital.

In the meanwhile, the atmosphere in the school quickly turned chaotic when a dead snake was discovered within the food, causing a commotion among the students and staff.

Word of the incident quickly spread, resulting in a significant gathering of parents and local residents within the school premises. Faced with the escalating situation, the school teachers took the precautionary measure of closing the entrance from the inside. Meanwhile, enraged individuals outside the school were attempting to forcibly break through the gate.

Senior officers including the SDM, the SDO and the DSP reached the spot to take stock of the situation. An investigation into the incident has started.

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