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‘This Much is enough for me’ by Virender Kapoor’: Story of a young woman and intellectual patronage

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This Much is enough for me, the latest book by bestselling author Virender Kapoor, was launched recently. A story of a woman named Arti who is on the brink of burnout, the book was launched at Residency Club Pune on March 27.

‘Balancing your life is a personal choice- this story tells you how,’ says the cover of the paperback. Here is a synopsis and an excerpt from the book:

Why this book?

Today young men and women are getting heart attacks, diabetes and hypertension at 40. Popping anti-depression pills, trying to struggle with panic attacks, stress and hospitalization is very common. Then they spend money to go for a detox camp and then ‘retox and detox’ never ending cycle keeps them on- dropping dead one day. What for? No one understands.

This book is no spiritual gyan or management jargons which people are fed up of, but a very beautifully told story, with a bit of appropriately placed romance and a wonderful way to convince your heart, mind and soul in several visually vibrant settings which takes over a reader immediately. Unputdownable, a page turner racy story which can change your life for sure. You can see the characters right in front of your eyes.

A brilliantly portrayed parable, set in modern-day India, tells the story of a bright and ravishingly beautiful unmarried, highly ambitious girl, on the verge of a total burn out, taking her into a downward spiral to the bottom of the ocean.

Arti the protagonist, reluctantly seeks ‘intellectual patronage’ of Guruji- educated, suave and charming man- advised by her colleague, Vasundhara.  Guruji, is selective and takes ‘high fliers in distress,’ under his wings, only by referral.

Arti is put on a stretcher, oxygen mask put on her face and wheeled inside the emergency area of the well-appointed hospital.

Doctors find all parameters within normal limits and the diagnosis pronounced is ‘nervous breakdown and a panic attack’. No damage to any of her organs- may be age was with her but not time. Said the senior physician.

                                                                  ***

Arti looks startled and amused and says ‘Guruji?’ ‘Me going to a guruji? Are you out of your mind young lady?’ ‘No Guru Shuru for me’

Vasundhara ‘Arti, he is different, Ek baar mill to ley yaar.’ she says. ‘OK if you are not convinced after meeting him, just drop it and I will not say this again.

Guruji is not that saffron clad, tantric Baba living in an ashram, but an IIT plus IIM combo – a double barrel so to say, matured well-read articulate persona, who is an avid golfer and socializes with movers and shakers of the world living his life to the fullest on his own terms. Yet very much grounded, very modern in outlook who himself changed tracks from crazy-corporate to cozy-comfort with a little adjustment and trade-off with his ego and irrelevant ambition.

Guruji shows her, how to live life on her own terms- turning around her attitude towards life. They visit several people who shifted gears to live a more meaningful and stress free life, some changed their professions- most of them.

He takes both the beautiful, girls to people who were on a similar fast track and changed their life.

Guruji pities’ the youth who do not know where to draw the line- they in fact do not know ‘How much is enough to be happy’. 

To know this much is enough for me is one single message which is the only key to live life the way you should.

‘Slow and steady at least finishes the race’- guruji

Ghaziabad: Brainwashed through online game, 17-year-old Jain boy started visiting mosque to offer namaz, was influenced by Zakir Naik, father files complaint

A strange case of religious conversion has come to the fore in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh wherein a 17-year-old boy belonging to a Jain family was brainwashed. Following the indoctrination, the Jain boy started visiting the mosque to offer namaz. When his family learnt about this, they questioned him. The boy admitted that he was influenced by the fugitive Islamist Zakir Naik and had become a Muslim. The father of the minor boy has complained to the Kavi Nagar police station alleging brainwashing and an attempt at religious conversion.

Reportedly, the victim’s family resides in the Rajnagar area of Kavi Nagar police station precinct. The complainant has stated that his minor used to step out of his five times a day on the pretext of going to the gym. One day, the complainant covertly followed his son and found out that the minor boy was not going to the gym but a mosque and offered namaz there. When the boy’s father confronted him, he claimed that Islam is better than other religions.

Upon checking the minor boy’s phone and laptop, his father found material pertaining to Islam including some illegal stuff as well. Meanwhile, the complainant learnt that his son came in contact with one Baddo residing in Mumbai through an online gaming application. His son had also bought computer parts from Baddo. Moreover, the minor boy used to talk to Baddo over the phone for hours in addition to this, several suspicious phone numbers have also been found in his phone.

According to the victim, his son is not yet mature enough. He was brainwashed into engaging in Islamic activities. He is now talking about leaving his home and living with the mosque’s Imam. The complainant has also stated that his son goes to the mosque in Sector-23 in Sanjay Nagar to offer Namaz and that the people there may be complicit in the conversion racket Not only that, but he has expressed concern about his son being involved in anti-national activities.

Meanwhile, Kavi Nagar ACP Abhishek Srivastava stated that a complaint has been a person that there was an attempt to convert his son to another religion through online activities. Now his son has been partaking in suspicious activities. ACP Srivastava also informed that a case has been registered against Sector-23 mosque’s Imam and the Mumbai resident Baddo under relevant sections and an investigation has been launched in the matter adding that necessary action will be taken.

Pakistan: 9-year-old Hindu girl kidnapped, converted to Islam and married to a 55-year-old Muslim man in Sindh province

The radicalisation of Pakistani Muslim society has resulted in yet another ghastly case of abduction and forced conversion of a minor Hindu girl in the country. According to news reports, a 9-year-old Hindu girl was kidnapped from her house earlier this month by a 55-year-old man in Sindh province who proceeded to marry her. He is also charged with converting her to Islam against her will.

India has registered a strong protest against Pakistan after learning about the severe incident and urged the latter to guarantee security and uphold the rights of its minority groups.

Notably, there has been a sharp rise in the number of horrifying atrocities committed against minorities, particularly Hindus in Pakistan during the past several years. Sindh is home to a lot of Hindus and hence Hindu women and girls are persistently targeted by the Muslims there.

Last year, in an alarming instance in the region, a Hindu woman, 44, was killed and her body was dismembered. The same year an 18-year-old girl was lynched in Sukkur for opposing her kidnappers. Such regular occurrences have led to the feeling of terror among the country’s minority.

According to Indian officials, 124 incidents of forced conversion and marriage of girls and women from minority populations, many of whom are minors, have been recorded in Pakistan in the previous year.

The government of India believes that by failing to take decisive action against the offenders, the local police and other authorities in Pakistan have exacerbated the level of fear among the nation’s already marginalised minority.

In March of this year, India heavily criticised Pakistan in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the same. The Indian government asserted that young girls from minority communities are being forced into becoming Muslims by a violent society and callous judiciary.

It further mentioned that Hindu and Sikh places of worship are often attacked, and their young females have been pressured into conversion. It also pointed out that the people who seek to speak out against these terrible deeds are repressed in the country with unparalleled ferocity.

In addition, the government had said that no minority community could now live in freedom or practise their faith in Pakistan. This month, a Sikh businessman was shot dead in Peshawar just before a Hindu doctor was assassinated in Sindh. It also brought up the atrocities against the Ahmadiyya community and highlighted that the country is persecuting them just for practising their religion.

It is important to note that India is keeping track of incidents involving assaults on Sikh and Hindu communities in Pakistan.

Communist groups DYFI and SFI to launch agitation supporting wrestlers, national president of DYFI, AA Rahim, targets PM Modi

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Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) jointly declared a nationwide protest in support of the wrestler’s protest from June 4. 

Wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat have been protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations and are demanding his arrest. “DYFI and SFI demanded the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan and to withdraw all false cases against the wrestlers immediately. Through this protest, we demand that the Prime minister should apologize for the police violence unleashed upon wrestlers,” DYFI national president AA Rahim said. 

On Tuesday, Olympic medalist wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik alongwith Vinesh Phogat reached Uttarakhand’s Haridwar to immerse their all medals including Olympic medals in the river Ganga on Tuesday evening, as a mark of their protest. 

Farmer leader Naresh Tikait on Tuesday intervened and stopped protesting wrestlers from immersing their medals in the river Ganga and said that there would be a Khap meeting over the issue. 

On Sunday, India’s Olympic medallist wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia along with Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were detained by Delhi Police while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where they planned to stage a demonstration.FIR has been filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act, said Delhi Police.

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

Rahul Gandhi mocks Sengol and Hindu culture in San Francisco, claims BJP wants to distract the public from ‘real issues’ using New Parliament Building

During his ongoing US visit, Congress’s disqualified MP Rahul Gandhi yesterday not only mocked Sengol and Hindu culture but also claimed the New Parliament building is an attempt by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to distract the public from real issues. He was speaking at a gathering of Congress supporters in San Francisco during his week-long visit.

Gandhi was replying to a query from a member of the Silicon Valley Christian Community who identified himself as one Mr Jay. He asked Gandhi’s view on the Lok Sabha seats being increased to 888. He insinuated that PM Modi is working on a plan (of delimitation) that would be based entirely on population and it will tilt the orientation towards the highly populous states which will get the lion’s share of the revenues and other benefits. He asked Gandhi about his views on the possibility of minorities becoming more vulnerable and so.

Gandhi said he was not aware how they [BJP] came up with the number 800 and what were the criteria used for it. He said, “These things should be done flippantly. India is a conversation. India is a negotiation between its languages. Between its people. Between its histories and cultures and that negotiation has to be fair for all states.”

Someone from the public informed him that it is based on population, to which he replied, “It depends on how the ratios change. It is currently based on population but you will have to see how the ratios change.”

By this point, Gandhi was visibly uncomfortable by the question and chose to mock the Sengol, New Parliament Building and PM Modi in one go. He said, “I think the Parliament House these are a distraction. The real issues in India are unemployment, price rise, the spread of anger and hatred, a crumbling education system, the price of Education [and] the price of Health Care. These are the real issues. BJP can’t really discuss them so then they have to do the whole skepta [Sceptre or Sengol] thing, you know lying down and doing all that. Aren’t you happy I’m not lying down? [he smiled and the audience applauded].”

First of all, he called Sengol ‘Skepta or something’. It is highly doubtful that Rahul Gandhi is unaware of how to pronounce Sengol. His party has been talking extensively about Sengol’s history from their point of view. The Sengol was placed in Anand Bhavan, the residence of the Nehru family located in Prayagraj. It was given to the Indian Government in the 1970s. Despite the Sacred Sengol or Sceptre being the hot topic of discussion in the last few days, Gandhi chose to pretend to be uninformed about it.

Interestingly, Gandhi was wearing Tilak on his forehead during his speech. It is important to point out that wearing Tilak (which might have been placed upon his arrival by the local Congress workers to welcome him) is a Hindu ritual. While donning a Hindu identity, Gandhi mocked Sacred Sengol which has a long history of being associated with justice in Hindu culture, especially in the Chola Empire. Not to forget, Sengol was placed in the Parliament in the presence of High Priests of various adheenams from South India.

Furthermore, he mocked the New Parliament Building and suggested it was a way to distract the public from the “real issues”. On the contrary, the reality behind the new building was that Congress itself had commissioned it during UPA-II. The old building is in bad shape and it constantly requires repairs, and facilities in the century-old building are sufficient for the functioning of the parliament of the world’s largest democracy.

Moreover, delimitation is scheduled for 2026 which will increase the number of MPs, and there was no space for the new MPs. The old building was not made for modern infrastructure and technology. Also, it was not earthquake-proof. All these problems have been addressed in the new building.

Gandhi did not stop there. He also mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for offering Sashtang Pranam to the sacred Sengol before its installation at the New Parliament building and reduced it to “lying down”. He said, “Aren’t you happy I’m not lying down?” The egoistic comment by Rahul Gandhi showed how much unaware he is of the Hindu culture. Sashtang Pranam is one of the ways to wipe out the ego. A Hindu kills his or her ego and recognises Bhagwan as the Supreme Power while offering Sashtang Pranam. It is a symbol of complete submission to the Bhagwan.

The Delimitation Commission of India will perform a delimitation exercise

Mr Jay and Rahul Gandhi both talked about delimitation as if it was being done by the Modi Government. In reality, the delimitation exercise is done by an independent body known as the Delimitation Commission of India.

The Commission is powerful enough to the level that its decision cannot be challenged in any court of law. The orders of delimitation are laid before Lok Sabha and respective State Assemblies but they do not have the power to modify any part of the order. The first delimitation exercise was performed in 1952 based on the 1951 census. At that time 494 Lok Sabha constituencies were formed. Later, the 1963 delimitation as per the 1961 census, the 1973 delimitation as per the 1971 census and the 2002 delimitation (with no change in LS seats) based on the 2001 census were performed.

After 2002, no delimitation exercise has been performed. The next delimitation is scheduled for 2026, if not postponed. Currently, there are 543 Lok Sabha seats. It has been speculated by several experts that the number of Lok Sabha seats may cross 800 depending on the current population of the country. However, there has been no official statement for the same by the Government of India. The New Parliament has 888 seats in Lok Sabha, but that does not mean the number will be increased to 888 in 2026.

The building has been built keeping the future possibilities of increasing the seat number in mind. Also, the Lok Sabha will also house joint sessions of the parliament. Whatever numbers are floating in media at this moment are only speculations.

Allahabad HC dismisses the revision petition of Anjuman Intezamia in the Gyanvapi case, big step forward for Hindu petitioners and advocate Vishnu Jain

On 31st May 2023, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the revision petition of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee in connection with the Gyanvapi case of Varanasi. The Anjuman Intezamia had challenged the maintainability of five Hindu women worshippers’ suit filed in Varanasi Court seeking the right to worship inside the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi. The High Court dismissed the plea.

Five women applicants filed contended that they should be allowed to perform regular Darshan and worship of Shringar Gauri in the Gyanvapi complex. The Muslim side had objected to the maintainability of the suit. On 12th September 2023, the Varanasi court held this suit to be maintainable. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee challenged the maintainability of the suit in the High Court. The High Court has now dismissed the plea clearing the way for hearing the case ahead.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain appearing for the Hindu women in this case shared the information from his Twitter handle. He wrote, “Revision petition of Anjuman Intezamia dismissed. Maintainability upheld.”

A so-called mosque structure in the Gyanvapi complex at Varanasi is contested under various cases between Hindus and Muslims. In a survey by the order of the court, a Shivling was found in the wuzukhana of the so-called mosque on 16th May 2022. On 12th May 2023, the Allahabad High Court directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi to determine its age. 

Purola Love Jihad: Hindus demand verification of ‘outsiders’ after two Muslim boys were caught abducting a Hindu minor girl. Full details

As many as 40 shops in the hill town of Purola in Uttarkashi, 145 km from Dehradun, remained closed for a second day in a row on Tuesday, a day after a protest was held by locals in response to a reported love jihad case involving two youths from a minority community.

The youths were caught while they attempted to abduct a Hindu minor girl on Friday. Reports claim that the majority of the minority community store owners who travelled from outside Purola likewise are said to have left the city late on Sunday night. However, the police have denied the claims saying that nobody has left the town.

According to the media reports, a minor girl was reported to be abducted by two youths from the Muslim community in the Purola region of Uttarkashi. One of the accused owned a cycle repairing shop and the other one was engaged in making handmade blankets in the main market area. The two trapped a Hindu girl studying in class 9 and abducted her to the Vikasnagar region of the state. One of them belonging to the minority community also promised her marriage.

Massive protests erupted in the city on Monday after the incident was reported and people enraged by the incident are said to have demanded the shutdown of shops owned by specific communities and outsiders in the main market. They also demanded verification of non-local businessmen who run their businesses in rented premises in Purola.

In reference to the love jihad incident that happened on Friday, Virendra Rawat, the local head of the VHP asserted that people from the minority community migrate to Purola as shopkeepers and daily wage earners but engage in their religious propaganda. These individuals quietly brainwash locals, particularly young ladies. There is insufficient police verification of these persons who eye on Hindu community women. While we do not oppose any one belief, this is unacceptable. Before things worsen, police and the administration should act decisively to put an end to such actions, Rawat added.

In the meantime, representatives of the local traders’ organisation, who also participated in the protest on Monday, met with Devanand Sharma, the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Purola. They demanded thorough verification of all the people who are not local and are staying and working in Purola.

“I have directed the local police to carry out a thorough verification drive. We won’t allow anyone to disturb peace and harmony,” said Sharma.

However, V Murugesan, additional director general of police (law & order) has denied reports claiming that members of the minority communities have left the city. “Nobody has left the town as it is not that easy to just leave businesses and homes behind in one night. The situation is completely under control. The accused, who were arrested, were produced before the local court which later sent them to jail,” he said.

The locals have declared that no shops owned or rented by non-local people will be allowed to open until police verification is executed. The police meanwhile have appealed to people to maintain peace and law and order. The police have said that no shopkeepers from the minority community have left the town and that the investigations are underway.

Pakistan’s PIA aircraft seized at Malaysia airport over non-payment of dues worth $4.5 million, second such incident in 2 years

Pakistan, which is facing a dire economic predicament, has faced a humiliating situation as its national carrier’s plane has been seized in Malaysia over non-payment of dues worth $4.5 million. A Boeing 777 operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been impounded at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport, leaving the passengers stranded.

Later the passengers of the flight were accommodated on an alternative aircraft,

Notably, Malaysian officials held back another Boeing 777 plane in 2021 for two weeks due to a similar issue. Later, after receiving a diplomatic guarantee from Pakistan on the payment of the dues, it was released and brought back to Pakistan on January 27, 2021, along with 173 passengers and crew members on board.

The aircraft with the BMH registration number was leased by Malaysia to PIA. According to a PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan, the corporation took possession of the aeroplane after a Malaysian court ordered it to do so at the lessor’s request. He argued that the disputed sum is $1.8 million, not $4.5 million, and it has already been paid. He said that the Pakistan government-owned airline will pursue legal action to get the carrier released.

In addition, PIA alleged that the leasing firm only owns one of the attached engines and that the airline owns the entire aircraft.

In accordance with the spokeswoman, the company’s assertion that warranted the confiscating order was incorrect, and as a result, PIA has hired a Kuala Lumpur-based legal team to represent itself in court.

Furthermore, the PIA representative informed that the passengers of the aforementioned flight have been accommodated on an alternative aircraft and that the contested Boeing 777 would continue to fly as a regular commercial flight from Kuala Lumpur.

Amid significant political unrest, Pakistan is also experiencing a severe economic crisis as a result of a considerable decline in its foreign exchange reserves, which has had an impact on imports and numerous international services. In order to decrease the debt-ridden country’s spending by 15%, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the foreign ministry to trim the number of its missions overseas, as well as their offices, employees and other expenses.

Maharashtra: Muskan Sheikh, Munni, and Shahrukh Sayyad lock and beat Nisha for two days and forcibly try to marry her to an old man, arrested. Read details

On 28th May 2023, the Waluj MIDC police of Waluj Mahanagar in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra arrested Muskan Sheikh, her mother Munni, and her friend Shahrukh Sayyad for abducting and beating a Hindu married woman Nisha Ingole and trying to forcibly marry her to an old unidentified man. The victim Nisha Ingole lodged the complaint after escaping. Following her complaint, the police have filed an FIR under sections and taken action in this case 323, 34, 343, 366, 504, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the FIR, the complainant Nisha lives with her husband Dinesh Ingole and her mother-in-law Laxmi Devidas Ingole in the Jogeshwari area of the Waluj MIDC near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. On 22nd May 2023, at around 3 in the afternoon, Nisha had a domestic disagreement with her husband over some minor issues. She went to Munni who lived in the neighbourhood and stayed for a night. The next day, at around 9:30 in the morning, as she was leaving back to her home, Munni, her daughter Muskan Sheikh, and Muskan’s friend Shahrukh Sayyad stopped her. Muskan Sheikh forcibly took her to Chittegaon saying that ‘your husband will not take you back in the home now, so you come with us.’

In Chittegaon, the three accused locked the victim woman in a room. They beat her as she demanded to be set free. They threatened to kill her. They later told her that they will marry her to a person named Shyam Narwade who is very rich. It is pertinent to mention that it is not confirmed if someone called Shyam Narwade even exists. The identity of the person who they wanted her to marry is still not proven. They also told her that the named person will take care of her. The victim woman resisted to this saying that she is already married.

After two days, the three accused took the victim woman to a building at the Deolai Square of the Beed-bypass road of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar where they took her to an unidentified old man and told her that she will be married to that man. As the victim was continuously resisting, the three again took her back to Chittegaon, locked her in the same room and brutally beat her.

The next day, when the three accused had gone away, the victim woman somehow escaped the abduction. She then contacted her husband and was thus rescued. The police have filed an FIR and arrested all the accused – Muskan Sheikh, Munni, and Shahrukh Sayyad – and further investigation, in this case, is going on.

What the husband of the victim told OpIndia

OpIndia contacted the family of the victim woman. Her husband Dinesh Ingole said, “We both had a fight on 22nd May in our home over some domestic issues. At that time she went to Munni who lives in the neighbourhood and stayed there as she wanted to wait till both of us calm down. But, Munni, her daughter Muskan, and Muskan’s boyfriend Shahrukh Sayyad did this to her. They locked her up for two days, beat her and tried to forcibly marry her to someone named Shyam Narwade. She somehow escaped and contacted me after two days. We filed a complaint after she came back home.”

Bareilly: Mohammad Alim posed as Kalava wearing Anand to lure a Hindu girl, raped her and tried to convert her, case registered

In the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, a love jihad case has come to the fore wherein a Muslim youth named Mohammad Alim posed as a Hindu named Anand, and wore kalava to lure a Hindu girl. He used to attend the same computer classes as the victim and after catching her in his love trap, the accused raped her, forced her to undergo an abortion, and threatened her. On the basis of the complaint lodged by the victim, the police are investigating the matter. 

In her complaint, the victim, a resident of the Deoranian police station precinct in Bareilly district stated that used to visit a coaching centre to learn computers. Here a Jadopur resident taking computer classes introduced himself to her as one Anand. He used to tie a kalava (sacred thread). The two soon became friends. 

Accused Alim posing as Anand promised to marry the victim. On March 13, 2022, the accused took the victim to Radha Swami Temple in Bareilly and filled vermillion in her hair line promising to marry her soon. Following this, the accused took the victim to the house of his friend Taleem where he established a sexual relationship with the victim and took pictures and videos of the same.

Threatening the victim to viral her obscene videos and pictures on social media, the accused took her to Rajrani Hotel located near 100 Futa Road multiple times and raped her. Meanwhile, the victim got pregnant and informed the accused about the same, however, Alim showed no mercy and sexually abused her.

The victim further stated in her complaint that when she went to the accused person’s residence in Jadpur, she learnt that the person she believed to be Anand was actually Mohammad Alim, son of Mohammad Sabir. She added that the family members of Mohammad Alim asked Alim get the victim’s child aborted, convert her to Islam and have a nikah with her. Subsequently, the accused made the victim take abortion pills following which the victim’s health deteriorated and the accused took her to a nursing home where the abortion was done.

The victim also alleged that accused Mohammad Alim threatened to kill the victim and her family members if she dared to tell anyone about his crimes. Following this, the victim reached the Deoranian police station and lodged a complaint against the accused. Meanwhile, the police have registered a case against the accused under the relevant section and initiated an investigation into the matter.