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‘Was called porn star, tried committing suicide,’ Uorfi Javed opens up about the physical abuse from her father

OpIndia Staff
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‘Was called porn star, tried committing suicide,’ Uorfi Javed opens up about the physical abuse from her father

In an interview with Humans Of Bombay, social media personality Uorfi Javed revealed why she decided to leave home at the age of 17. She explained that it all began when one of her photos was posted on a porn website.

“When I was growing up in Lucknow,” the actress said, “I didn’t understand why I couldn’t dress a certain way.” She shared that she experienced emotional and physical violence, and even considered suicide.

Uorfi revealed that her picture, in which she was wearing a tube top, was shared on porn websites when she was just 15 and everyone called her a ‘porn star’.

“When I was 15, someone uploaded my picture to a porn site. It was a normal picture. I uploaded it wearing a tube top as my Facebook profile photo. Someone downloaded it and uploaded it on a porn site without morphing, without anything,” she revealed.

“Slowly, everyone got to know about it. Everyone started blaming me a lot. I was told I am a porn star. I was like ‘Where is the video?’ But they said, ‘No, no she is a porn star’,” she added.

Further, she stated that even her father didn’t spare her and beat her so severely that she lost consciousness once. “Even my father was like ‘She is a porn star.’ I think my father was trying to gain sympathy from all this. He was telling everyone that porn site people are asking for ₹50 lahks.”

“I was like, that isn’t possible but I couldn’t say anything because they were beating me up at home. I was so confused and wondered that I am the victim here, why are you hitting me? But they were not ready to believe it. I endured that for two years. It was just too much to take from relatives, my own father. I was 17 when I ran away,” she shared.

When she was 17 years old, she eventually made the decision to run away to Delhi. She explained that she initially started taking classes to help support herself before eventually joining a call centre.

She subsequently made the decision to go to Mumbai, but because she was broke and had nowhere to reside, she remained at the residences of her friends there.

“I did odd jobs, giving interviews and even gave auditions. After a brief period of struggle, I cracked a TV Serial, and then tried my destiny in Bigg Boss OTT,” she admitted. Within a week, she was evicted from the show and she was again without a job. Then she made the decision to work with clothes.

“It didn’t sit well with the people. The world trolled me and called my choices rubbish and weird. I was questioned about my morality and character. But not caring about faceless people’s opinions on the Internet, I kept embracing myself and expressed self-acceptance through my choice,” she commented on being trolled for her clothes.

Watch the entire interview below:

‘The success of Project Tiger is a matter of pride for the world,’ says PM Modi during the commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger

OpIndia Staff
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‘The success of Project Tiger is a matter of pride for the world,’ says PM Modi during the commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger

After visiting the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Mysuru to attend a celebration of the 50th anniversary of ‘Project Tiger’ hosted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) at the Karnataka State Open University.

At the event, PM Modi unveiled ‘Amrit kaal ka vision for tiger conservation,’ a summary report of the ‘All India Tiger Estimation (5th cycle),’ along with a commemorative coin.

The Prime Minister also established the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), which will focus on protecting and conserving the seven primary big cats (Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, and Cheetah) of the globe to mark the milestone. Membership in the IBCA will be open to a range of nations with these species.

PM Modi addressed the gathering and during his speech, highlighted that India just celebrated 75 years of freedom and that 75% of the world’s tigers live in the country.

PM Modi called it an outstanding accomplishment and evidence of India’s dedication to wildlife protection. He also mentioned that ‘Project Tiger’ has played a critical role in the increase of the tiger population in India.

“The success of Project Tiger is a matter of pride not only for India but also for the world. Our country has not only conserved tigers but has also given them an ecosystem to flourish,” he noted.

He highlighted the fact that while making up only 2.4% of the planet’s geographical area, India contributes to around 8% of the known global diversity. He also pointed out that the first transcontinental transfer of the big cat, which was accomplished by India, was the successful reintroduction of the cheetah from Namibia and South Africa. He remarked that the country is presently the largest Asian Elephant range country in the world, with close to 30,000 elephants living here.

Twelve cheetahs were brought from South Africa, last February to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Eight cheetahs had previously been transported in September of last year from Namibia and released in the same park.

PM Modi asserted India’s dedication to protecting the environment and Project Tiger’s important role in the rise of the tiger population in the country. He proclaimed that the protection of a wide variety of flora and fauna as well as the resurgence of numerous endangered species, notably the cheetah, are results of India’s efforts to safeguard wildlife.

The PM affirmed, “India is a country which believes in the co-existence of economy and ecology. We are also the largest tiger range country in the world. The huge success and the increase in the number of tigers proves how much the country works towards saving our wildlife.”

The Prime Minister also released the most recent tiger census data according to which India had 2,967 tigers in 2018, but by 2022, that number had increased to 3,167.

Chhattisgarh: Minor fight between 2 kids becomes a clash between two communities in Bemetara, one Hindu youth killed and several including cops injured

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Minor fight between 2 kids becomes a clash between two communities in Bemetara, one Hindu youth killed and several including cops injured

On Saturday, April 8, a Hindu youth was attacked and killed with a sword by a Muslim mob in the Bemetara district of Chhattisgarh following a minor dispute between two schoolchildren. In this conflict between the Hindu and Muslim communities, about a dozen persons sustained injuries including police personnel. To handle the situation, multiple police units were deployed in the area.

The incident reportedly took place in the Bemetara district’s Biranpur village of the Saja assembly constituency. A bicycle collision occurred between two school students of the two communities at around 12 noon when they were riding on the road. As a result, the Muslim student hit the Hindu student. Soon others present on the spot joined the fight and a Muslim teenager hit the hand of the Hindu student with a glass bottle. In this attack, the Hindu student’s hand was fractured, and this triggered communal violence.

Hearing about the clash, more people arrived, the matter took a heated turn and then escalated into full-blown communal violence. Both sides started to attack each other with sticks and stones.

During this, some sword-wielding Muslims broke into the house of one Ishwar Sahu and started to hit them with swords. They dragged Ishar Sahu’s 22-year-old son Bhuneshwar Sahu out of the house, brought to a Muslim neighbourhood, and killed him with swords. However, according to the Muslims, he had gone there to attack Muslims and he was killed in a retaliatory attack.

The violence continues for around two hours after the killing of the Hindu youth, and therefore his body was lying at the murder spot for a long time. When the police team arrived in Biranpur village to settle the dispute after learning about the incident, the Muslim mob attacked them also, and pelted stones at the police team. Three police personnel including sub-inspector BR Thakur were injured in this attack. Several vehicles including a police vehicle were also set on fire by a mob and then tried to set some houses on fire.

This clash between Hindus and Muslims resulted in the injuries of over a dozen people. The injured have been admitted to Saja Primary Health Centre. And others who were seriously injured were referred to Raipur, the state capital.

Later the situation was brought under control when additional forces arrived at the spot. Police resorted to mild force to bring the situation under control and disperse the mob.

Bemetara SP Indira Kalyan Elesela said that several people have been arrested and the situation is calm now. He said that it was a minor dispute which turned into a communal clash between two communities. “A few people thrashed a child following which a clash broke out. The dispute between two groups eventually turned intense leaving a man dead. A few policemen were also injured in the incident and undergoing treatment,” the SP said.

The dispute’s alleged root is a 4-month-old issue

At Biranpur village, there was a communal dispute around four months ago because a Muslim youth married a Hindu woman. Hindu organizations were against this union. According to reports, there was a conflict between the two sides over this marriage. Nonetheless, the conflict ended at that point. But recently, Muslims killed a Hindu over a small dispute involving a bicycle collision. Reportedly the population of Hindus and Muslims in the village are almost equal.

Section 144 imposed, Biranpur turned into a cantonment

The police have identified those who were involved in the incident and detained some of them while the Hunt for other suspects is underway. According to reports, the following people have been accused of murder and assault: Jalil Khan, Nawab Khan, Rashid Khan, Baseer Khan, Shera Khan, Abdul Khan, Akbar Khan, Nazir Khan, Janab Mohammad, Ayub Khan, Aalim Khan, Shakeel Khan, Ismail Khan, Zaheed Khan, Kalam Khan, Anwar Khan, Hafiz Khan, and Amir Khan. Police have arrested nine accused meanwhile search is on to nab others.

In the village, section 144 has been imposed and Police were also stationed in various areas. DIG Anand Chhabra along with SPs of Bemetara, Kawardha, Rajnandgaon and Durg have taken charge in the village. The collector of Bemetara is also present in the village. Mobile phone services have been stopped by the police in the village.

VHP calls bandh, demands president’s rule

In protest against the violence, Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for a Chhattisgarh bandh tomorrow, 10th April. The VHP will also hand over a memorandum to the governor demanding President’s rule in the state. Addressing a press conference, VHP alleged that while more then 50 Muslims were involved in the killing of the Hindu youth, police have nabbed only a small number of people.

Hindu activist Kajal Hindustani arrested in Gujarat over alleged ‘hate speech’

OpIndia Staff
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Hindu activist Kajal Hindustani arrested in Gujarat over alleged ‘hate speech’

On Sunday, April 9, Hindu activist Kajal Hindustani was reportedly arrested by Gujarat’s Una police. This comes after a case was registered against her for an alleged ‘hate speech’. 

According to local media reports, Kajal Hindustani has been sent to Junagadh jail following an appearance in front of the Magistrate at his residence.

On March 30, the Ram Navami procession (Shobhayatra) was taken out in Una of district Gir Somnath, Gujarat. Following the procession, an event was organized where Hindu activist Kajal Hindustani was one of the speakers. The Dharmasabha took place at Raavanvadi near Trikon Bagh.

During her speech, Kajal raised several issues, including Love Jihad and Land Jihad. The local Muslims deemed her speech controversial and took the entire city hostage. There were reports of stone pelting at various places, and the city was on the edge for two days. In addition to this, the infamous Sar Tan Se Juda slogans were also raised against her. 

During Dharmsabha, Kajal said that if Muslim women marry Hindu men, it would benefit them. After her speech, Muslim leaders filed a complaint against her and demanded action. An FIR was registered against Kajal under Section 295A, 153A, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code.

(This is a developing story, more details awaited)

Netizens wish “journalist” Ajit Anjum a happy birthday by trending Pakoda King Ajit Anjum: know the origin of this meme

OpIndia Staff
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Netizens wish “journalist” Ajit Anjum a happy birthday by trending Pakoda King Ajit Anjum: know the origin of this meme

On Saturday, April 8, 2023, netizens trolled YouTuber Ajit Anjum on the micro-blogging site Twitter on the occasion of his birthday. Hashtags like “PakodakingAjitAnjum” kept on trending throughout the day.

Twitter users shared thousands of memes showing the photos of the alleged journalist as a pakoda seller. Many people congratulated Ajit Anjum on his birthday as they called him a pakoda king. The alleged journalist also posted a video on his YouTube channel where he fact-checked this trend himself.

Ajit Anjum has been called a Pakoda King for a while, but it picked up crazy momentum on 8th April 2023 – his birthday. A Twitter handle named sharing genes wrote, “Pakoda King Ajit Anjum. never before have I laughed so much after seeing a Twitter trend.” His post included a meme in which Ajit Anjum wearing a suit is seen selling Pakodas. His Pakoda stall has a board that reads Pradhan Mantri Pakoda Rozgar.

A Twitter user Manoj Kumar wrote that this is a grand insult on someone’s birthday. With this post, he shared memes in which Ajit Anjum can be seen frying pakodas. The meme is created by cropping Ajit Anjum’s photograph and pasting it to a photograph of the pakoda sellers.

Another Twitter account Doctor Wait posted, “Hearty congratulations to Mr Anjum Sahab on his birthday, may Allah Ta’ala keep you healthy and may you live long and may your chicken pakoda business continues to grow day and night. Pakoda King Ajit Anjum.”

One Twitter user Ninda Turtle wrote, “Success story of Pakoda King Ajit Anjum through Start-up India initiative.”

In fact, this trend of Pakoda King Ajit Anjum started as netizens shared an image of a tweet Ajit Anjum claims he never posted. The tweet read, “I (Ajit Anjum) will sell chicken pakoras if Yogi Adityanath returns to power in 2022 Assembly Elections.” The screenshot of the tweet went viral, as did the pakoda memes.

During the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, such tweets suddenly went viral on social media, in which Ajit Anjum could be seen pledging that he will sell pakodas if Yogi Adityanath wins.

In his clarification posted at that time, Anjum said, “New photoshop of misinformation about me. Anything is being made viral by writing in my name. This shows how much the Bhakts are angry with me. My Twitter handle is not verified but this game is going on by photoshopping the blue tick. These are fake people.”

Ajit Anjum had earlier promised to perform salutations for CM Yogi if he achieves the vaccination target

It is important to note that Ajit Anjum has a history of making false promises and not keeping them. Earlier in September 2021, during COVID, he had challenged UP CM Yogi Adityanath that he would salute him ten times if Uttar Pradesh manages to administer 9 crore doses in three months’ time from July 1.

In the video that he released on July 2, he said, “Under that mega vaccination drive, ten lakh people will get vaccinated every day. According to that, there is a plan to vaccinate 10 lakh people per day, i.e. three crore in a month and nine crore people in 3 months. If the state achieves the target, I will salute CM 10 times”.

Ajit Anjum had reportedly failed to recognize that the state had achieved the target well before the time. The netizens had then trolled him demanding to keep his promise of ’10 salamis’ to the CM.

PM Modi visits Theppakadu Elephant Camp and Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka ahead of a crucial BJP meet, posts stunning photographs

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi visits Theppakadu Elephant Camp and Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka ahead of a crucial BJP meet, posts stunning photographs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a 20 km ‘jeep safari’ at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on Sunday, as part of programmes to mark 50 years of ‘Project Tiger.’ The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district and partly in H.D.Kote and Nanjangud taluks of Mysuru District.

The Prime Minister also launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) on this occasion. He released the publication ‘Amrit Kaal Ka Vision for Tiger Conservation’, a summary report of 5th cycle of Management Effective Evaluation of Tiger Reserves. The PM also also released a commemorative coin on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger.

According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world — Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen armed with a pair of binoculars and a camera with a big zoom lens. He was carrying a Canon EOS R3 mirrorless camera fitted with a 600 mm telephoto lens from canon to view the forest and take its photographs.

PM Modi posted several photographs from the Tiger Reserve, showing him at various places in the reserve and interacting with workers there.

PM Modi’s visit to the Tiger Reserve signifies that the central government is committed towards tiger conservation. This reserve was brought under ‘Project Tiger’ in 1973.

The BJP stalwart also went to Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai National Park. He met Bomman and Bellie, stars of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ there. The camp was formed in 1910 for elephants used by timber traders. 

The working elephants, also known as kumkis now perform a variety of activities after the government acquired control of the forests. They are employed for both patrolling during the monsoon and providing rides to tourists. The prime minister also fed sugarcane sticks to the elephants.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to convene its Central Election Committee meeting today for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled for next month. The session will reportedly include members of the party’s Central Election Committee as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, along with party President J. P. Nadda, and general secretary B. L. Santhosh.

Earlier on Saturday, Amit Shah had a meeting to discuss and finalise the list of candidates for the elections at J. P. Nadda’s residence. Karnataka BJP president Nalinkumar Kateel, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other leaders were also present there.

The central committee of the BJP in Karnataka has purportedly chosen three candidates for each assembly seat and would present them to the Central Election Committee. The central leadership of the party will review these names before finalising the candidates.

In a meeting on April 4 with the party’s national general secretary Arun Singh, state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, co-in-charge Mansukh Mandaviya, Central Election Committee member Annamalai, former chief minister Yediyurappa, and his successor and current incumbent Basavaraj Bommai, the BJP’s core group in Karnataka created a shortlist of applicants.

In an earlier interview with reporters, the current CM stated that the BJP’s core committee meeting will include a discussion about the choice of candidates for assembly seats.

“Today, an important meeting is to be held under the guidance of BJP national president JP Nadda. During this meeting, a discussion over candidate selection for 224 assembly seats will be done. And tomorrow Parliamentary board of the party is also meeting,” he remarked.

With 104 seats won in the last assembly elections, the BJP was the dominant party by a wide margin over the Congress with 80 seats and the JD(S) secured 37 seats. The election is scheduled for May 10 of this year as informed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on March 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 13. The term of the current Karnataka Legislative Assembly is set to end on May 24.

While the BJP has not yet announced its candidates for the elections, the Congress has already produced two lists of the same.

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn part ways after six years of relationship

ANI
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Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn part ways after six years of relationship

American Singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift is roaring in her career with Era Tour, US leg being sold out but her love affairs are still suffering from instability in view of the fact that Swift has broken up with ‘Stars at Noon’ actor Joe Alwyn after dating for 6 years.

As reported by People, a US-based media house, news of separation is confirmed by a close source to the pair. Joe was also not present at any of the concerts in Era Tour. The couple parted ways a few weeks ago. “It wasn’t dramatic.”.”[The relationship] just ran its course,” a source confirmed to Page Six.

Swift has never commented about the status of her relationship neither has Joe ever given a firm response to the dating speculations. But several incidents have always proven how well the couple was in love.

Joe has always been sarcastic towards the media asking for his confirmation of the relationship. When asked by reporters about getting engaged with the singer-songwriter, he replied “If I had a pound for every time I think I’ve been told I’ve been engaged, then I’d have a lot of pound coins,” actor later added, “I mean, the truth is, if the answer was yes, I wouldn’t say, and if the answer was no, I wouldn’t say.”

The rock-solid couple has been dating since 2016, although they rarely share details about their love life. The 10-time Grammy winner and the ‘Harriet’ star have only made a handful of public appearances together over the years. They have always bonded over music, resulting in several collaborations during the Pandemic. The 2020 Sister albums ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ included the association of Joe and Swift making them win a ‘GRAMMY’ for ‘Folklore’ and a nomination for ‘Evermore’ in the 2022 ceremony under the same category. Joe used to write with the fictional name of ‘William Bowery’.

In her award acceptance speech, ‘You Belong With Me’ singer mentioned Joe by stating “Joe is the first person that I play every single song that I write, and I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine” which reflected the love and respect she has for the actor. 

Sachin Pilot announces hunger strike against his own govt claiming inaction on corruption, accuses Ashok Gehlot of being ‘hand in glove’ with Vasundhara Raje

OpIndia Staff
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Sachin Pilot announces hunger strike against his own govt claiming inaction on corruption, accuses Ashok Gehlot of being ‘hand in glove’ with Vasundhara Raje

After a calm for some months, the internal fight in Congress in Rajasthan erupted again today, as Sachin Pilot launched an attack on the Ashok Gehlot government on corruption issues. He alleged that the Gehlot govt is hand in glove with BJP leader and former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, and the govt has failed in fulfilling poll promises.

In the most dramatic move, Sachin Pilot announced that he will hold a one-day fast on 11 April demanding probes on corruption cases in Rajasthan.

Addressing a press conference today, Sachin Pilot accused the Ashok Gehlot government of not taking any action against Vasundhara Raje over corruption cases. He said that only a few months are left for the assembly elections, and therefore the Congress party needs to approach the voters with evidence of actions taken against corruption.

He said that Congress won the assembly polls by launching a massive attack on the BJP govt on corruption, and that is why the voters gave the mandate to the Congress party.

But now that no actions were taken against the corruption cases during the Vasundhara Raje government, now people can question whether they are hand in gloves. “Due to inaction by Ashok Gehlot government against corruption cases during Vasundhara Raje regime, our opponents can question whether they are hand in gloves,” he said.

Sachin Pilot said that he has written letters to the CM demanding action on corruption cases during the previous BJP government, but he has not received any reply to the letters. “I had written letters to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on March 28, 2022. However, I did not receive any reply. I again wrote a letter on November 2, 2022, seeking action in those cases of corruption whether it is about mining mafia,” he said.

Pilot further said, “We had fought hard while being in Opposition due to which we came to power. While in Opposition, we raised several issues of corruption during Vasundhara Raje government’s regime. Our credibility will be there when the allegations that we are levelled while being in Opposition are acted upon.”

He further claimed that while the central govt is misusing various probe agencies like ED, CBI, and Income Tax, and 95% of cases are false cases against opposition leaders, but Rajasthan govt is not even using its own agencies to probe corruption cases. This is a matter of great concern, as public should not think that Congress promises action against corruption but does not actually do it.

Sachin Pilot further said that on 11 April, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Jyotiba Phule, he will do a one-day hunger strike to reiterate that his government will fulfil the promise of action against corruption. He said that he is doing this so that the public does not feel that they are not doing any work or they have not fulfilled any of the poll promises. Every political is required to provide evidence so that people believe the promises made by the parties, he added.

The Congress MLA said that he has already informed the district administration about his one-day hunger strike at Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur.

Amul vs Nandini: Politicisation of Milk, and instigation of regional sentiments ahead of the Karnataka elections

Dibakar Dutta
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Amul vs Nandini: Politicisation of Milk, and instigation of regional sentiments ahead of the Karnataka elections

Ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections in May this year, social media is rife with misinformation about Amul taking over the State’s local dairy brand Nandini.

The controversy began on Wednesday (April 5) when the official Twitter handle of Amul posted an infographic with the caption, “The #Amul family is bringing in some Taaza into #Bengaluru city. More updates coming in soon. #LaunchAlert”.

The archive of the tweet can be accessed here. Soon after, vested political interests began trending hashtags such as ‘#GoBackAmul’ and ‘#SaveNandini’ on the micro-blogging platform.

In December 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called for greater cooperation between Amul and Nandini, which is owned by the Karnataka Milk Federation.

While inaugurating a mega-dairy plant in Mandya, Amit Shah had said, “Amul and KMF together will work together towards ensuring there is a primary dairy in every village of the state.”

“In 47 years, Karnataka has progressed in the dairy sector and the turnover has increased from Rs 4 crore to Rs 25,000 crore. Amul and KMF have to work together to boost the cooperative dairy in Karnataka,” Shah further added.

His statement was deliberately misconstrued to suggest that Amul might buy Nandini in the near future and thus sell the local dairy brand to ‘North Indian businessmen.’ Some vested interests went on to claim that Amul is trying to ‘root out’ Nandini and thus undermine Kannadiga identity and culture.

The controversy was re-ignited after Amul tweeted about its plans to launch its brand in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association has vowed to use only Nandini milk to support Karnataka’s dairy farmers.

It must be mentioned that the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is the second largest milk dairy in India, with over 2.4 million milk producer members and 14,000 milk producers’ cooperative societies.

Congress, JDS leaders add to the hysteria

Opposition political leaders in Karnataka are now trying to use the Amul-Nandini controversy to whip up regionalism ahead of the state elections. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah even appealed to the Kannadigas to boycott the Amul brand.

While speaking about the matter, he said, “In addition to language treason by the imposition of Hindi and land treason by trespassing within the state borders, now the BJP government is going to betray the farmers by shutting down Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which is the livelihood of millions of dairy farming families in the country.”

Congress leader DK Shivakumar suggested a larger conspiracy in the entry of Amul into the Karnataka market. “We want to protect our milk and our farmers. We already have Nandini which is a better brand than Amul…We don’t need any Amul…our water, our milk, and our soil is strong,” he told ANI.

Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy also resorted to regionalism over the Amul-Nandini row.

“Amul is being pushed into Karnataka from the backdoor with the support of the Central government. Amul is strangulating the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and the farmers. Kannada people should rebel against Amul,” he said.

“We as Kannadigas should oppose Amul and protect the interest of Karnataka farmers unitedly. Our people and customers should use Nandini products on priority and save the livelihood of farmers,” HD Kumaraswamy further claimed.

Toxic acids from the China-funded Narochcholai coal power plant could affect the holy Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka

ANI
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Toxic acids from the China-funded Narochcholai coal power plant could affect the holy Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka

Recent reports have emerged indicating that toxic acids, which evaporated from the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, may pose a threat to the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, the oldest living tree in the world with a written history, Colombo Gazette reported.

The development comes as China is making a comeback in Sri Lanka as Beijing first gave its consent on conditionalities for the International Monetary Fund to lend money to the island nation. 

Reports have emerged that indicate that China’s Sinopec has committed to invest in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota. In the past, China’s predatory practices in Sri Lanka have been well documented and the possible threat of environmental damage to the sacred Sri Mahabodhi Tree located in Anuradhapura is disturbing, according to the Colombo Gazette report. 

The Sri Mahabodhi Tree is grown from a branch of the sacred Bodhi tree in India’s Gaya.

The Sri Lankan President’s Media Division (PMD) said China’s Sinopec has committed to investing in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota at a meeting with the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

The decision comes as China seeks to consolidate its investments in the island nation’s ports and energy sector.

The previous government had leased the USD 1.5 billion Hambantota port constructed by China to state-owned firms on a 99-year lease. China had promised to set up a 15,000-acre industrial zone around the port which is yet to materialize, as per the news report. 

Beijing’s lending to the island nation and the investments worth billions of dollars has raised concerns regarding a possible plan to set up a military base in Hambantota.

The Sri Lankan President’s Media Division (PMD) said a meeting took place between the representatives of the Sinopec Group and Wickremesinghe on March 13. 

The PMD, in a statement, said, “President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government has taken a principled decision to expand the distribution of fuel & Hambantota has been identified as a primary energy hub”, reported Colombo Gazette. Sinopec has also committed to invest in a refinery in Hambantota.

Wickremesinghe’s meeting with the Sinopec comes ten days after Sri Lankan President ordered the country’s Petroleum Minister to swiftly revive the Trincomalee oil tank farm and incorporate it into the country’s economy. Emissions from the Lakvijaya(Norchcholai) power plant has already cast a negative effect on the environment and resident society.

Ecologists have assessed that clouds carrying dangerous acid deposits could move in the direction of Anuradhapura, where the sacred Sri Mahabodhi tree is located in Sri Lanka. Evidence regarding this has come from the trees near the plant which have already started showing symptoms of damage, as per the news report.

The leaves of taller trees have started turning yellowish due to the emission of gases from the power plant. It is expected that the effect of toxic emissions will also be felt on the Sri Mahabodhi tree. Furthermore, the acidic condition is also spreading towards the sea areas, as per the Colombo Gazette report.

Rebuilding such harmful coal power plants in future will pose a threat to the ecosystem. The Norochcholai Power Plant in Sri Lanka’s Northwestern province is about an hour away from the Sri Mahabodhi tree at Anuradhapura. The tree holds significant importance for Buddhists who visit and pay homage to the sacred tree.

Norchcholai is Sri Lanka’s largest thermal power plant and emissions from the 900MW coal power plant are said to be much above permissible standards possibly due to frequent breakdowns, intermittent operations and unexpected storage of fly ash in open pits. 

Sri Lanka’s first coal-fired thermal power plant and largest power station was implemented as a joint venture of the Ceylon Electricity Board with the aid of the EXIM Bank of China.

The power plant also gives rise to a large amount of solid waste, heat waste and water pollution due to the release of heated water and will have long-term environmental impacts.

The main issues regarding the plant are related to fly ash and bottom ash produced during the power generation process. Fly ash and bottom ash are by-products of the coal combustion process. Fly ash open dumping is also of significant concern as the yard is open to wind erosion and leaching.

Reportedly, several children in the areas surrounding the Norochcholai power plant have contracted skin diseases. China’s recent attempts to make inroads into Sri Lanka again are to be noted remembering the past experience of the negative effect of such penetration with regards to investments and conditional aid, as per the Colombo Gazette report.

The environmental impact of the Chinese-built power plant and its potential effect on the Mahabodhi tree should be a warning to Chinese-built projects, which fully disregard environmental norms and cause more headaches than solutions.

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

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