On 30th March 2023, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that Hindus should not take the Ram Navami processions from what she referred to as the ‘Muslim areas’ and asked Hindu communities to be ‘peaceful’. On the contrary, the Islamists attacked Ram Navami processions in West Bengal and many other states in India, while Hindus were inherently peaceful in carrying out the processions.
As the term ‘Muslim areas’ caught attention against this background, it becomes necessary to know remarks by the Madras High Court in 2021 on hearing a petition in which Muslims in Tamil Nadu had similarly opposed the Hindu processions passing through the so-called ‘Muslim areas’. Notably, in their petition, the Muslims in Tamil Nadu had called the Hindu processions a sin.
V Kalathur in Tamil Nadu’s Perambalur district is a Muslim-majority area where Hindus are a minority. The majority community here has long opposed the Hindu processions taken from the temples. A petition was filed before the Madras High Court about the conduct of temple processions through a Muslim-dominated locality at V Kalathur in the district of Perambalur in Tamil Nadu.
Some local Muslims in the area have been objecting to the conduct of Hindu processions since 2012. The community had dubbed the Hindu festivals as ‘sins’. The petitioner had therefore approached the police for protecting the conduct of rituals and processions. The same was provided by the law enforcement authorities with restrictions.
When the matter came up for hearing before the Madras High Court, a 2-Judge Bench of N Kirubakarn and P Velmurugan noted that religious intolerance is detrimental to the secular fabric of the country. The Court noted that if such a ‘resistance’ to the conduct of religious festivals is reciprocated by another religious group, it might lead to riots and chaos.
While reading out the affidavit presented by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, the Madras High Court observed that objection to temple processions was raised from 2012 onwards. The Judges observed how no such problem existed before 2012. The Court pointed out how objections were raised by the Muslim community despite the Court granting permission to the Hindus to carry out temple processions (in accordance with Section 180A of the District Municipalities Act 1920).
The court said in its order, “Merely because one religious group is dominating in a particular locality, it cannot be a ground to prohibit celebrating religious festivals or taking processions of other religious groups through those roads. If religious intolerance is going to be allowed, it is not good for a secular country. Intolerance in any form by any religious group has to be curtailed and prohibited.”
The court further said, “In this case, intolerance of a particular religious group is exhibited by objecting to the festivals which have been conducted for decades together and the procession through the streets and roads of the village is sought to be prohibited, stating that the area is dominated by Muslims and therefore, there cannot be any Hindu festival or a procession through the locality.”
In this case, the judges simultaneously reiterated that due to the dominance of one religious group in the area, other religious groups and their processions cannot be removed from the area. The court argued that if such cases are accepted, no minority community will be able to celebrate their festivals in most parts of the country. The Madras High Court said that such protests will lead to religious fights, and riots, in which many people will lose their lives and many properties will be vandalized.
Notably, Mamata Banerjee had said on Ram Navami, “I want to request those who are taking out the Ram Navami procession, please do but do it peacefully. Kindly avoid Muslim areas as Ramzan is going on. Celebrate peacefully but don’t try to create violence. Don’t get provoked.”
She further said, “Some goon has said that ‘on the day of Ram Navami, we will come out with weapons and do a procession.’ I will not stop the procession of Ram Navami, but if weapons come out then action will be taken by the government. The month of Ramzan is also going on and during this time if anyone tries to do any wrong thing, he will not be spared. No one has the right to practice riot.”
Mamata Banerjee cited the occasion of Ram Navami to indicate that Hindus create violence in the so-called “Muslim areas” during Ram Navami processions and attack the community. She extended her support to the Muslim community and stated asked Hindus to be ‘peaceful’.
On Thursday, March 30, stones were pelted on a Ram Navami procession from the terraces of the buildings in the Shibpur area of Howrah. This led to a clash between the Hindu and Muslim groups, leading to violence and arson. Vehicles and shops were also torched during the attack. Several disturbing videos of the incident went viral on social media. A large contingent of police was deployed to maintain the law and order situation in the area. The cops conducted a flag march, fired tear gas shells, and chased away the rioters.
A man in Delhi named Azim has been arrested by Delhi Police for insulting saffron flags placed along a street in the Shastri Park area. He was arrested after a complaint was filed by a Shastri Park resident named Sagar after he saw his neighbour Azim trampling the flags.
On the occasion of Ram Navami, saffron-coloured religious flags were placed along A Block Street at Shastri Nagar. At around 12.30 on Tuesday, Azim tore some of the flags, trampled them and then dumped them in a drain. Sagar, a resident of Lane No. 8 in the area named filed a police complaint against Azim alleging that he has hurt the religious sensibilities of Hindus. The complainant also submitted a video of Azim’s act to the police.
Delhi Police booked Azim under IPC sections (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs). He was arrested after the FIR was registered based on the complaint.
Case registered under sections 153A and 295A IPC at PS Shastri Park against one Azim for allegedly insulting saffron flags that were placed along a street in the Shastri Park area on Ram Navami. The man was arrested and further investigation is underway: Delhi Police
The video of the incident has gone viral, which shows a person wearing a kurta-pajama tearing apart and then trampling saffron flags with his feet in the night. As seen in the 28-second video, after trampling the saffron flags, the accused returns to his home.
शास्त्री पार्क इलाके में राम नवमी मे लगाए गए भगवा झंडे को पैरों से कुचने par अजीम पर FIR darj अजीम ने गली में लगे हिंदू धार्मिक ध्वज का अपमान किया पुलिस ने IPC U/s 153A, 295A के तहत मामला दर्ज किया है। pic.twitter.com/096R0yAJoQ
It is pertinent to mention here that on Ram Navami this year, fanatics carried out acts of violence in various states of the country. The states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Bengal, and Jharkhand have been especially severely impacted by this violence. The administration was hesitant to let the procession this time after the violence on Ram Navami in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri last year. However, Hindu organizations took out a grand procession.
Tiktok has been penalised by the UK’s privacy watchdog with a fine of 12.7 million pounds ($15.9 million) for failing to block users under the age of 13 and exploiting their data without their parent’s permission. The decision comes as several Western governments have started to impose strict regulations on the enormously popular Chinese app.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said that, in violation of TikTok’s terms of service, over 1.4 million British children under the age of 13 used the app in 2020. The ICO said many were able to access the site despite TikTok setting 13 as the minimum age to create an account. According to the watchdog, TIkTOk “did not do enough” to delete these minor users, and the company utilised their data without getting permission from their parents.
The ICO said the data breaches occurred between May 2018 and July 2020, as the company didn’t do enough to check who was using the platform and remove the underage children from it.
Information UK Commissioner John Edwards said, “There are laws in place to make sure our children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world. TikTok did not abide by those laws. As a consequence, an estimated one million under-13s were inappropriately granted access to the platform, with TikTok collecting and using their personal data.”
John Edwards further said, “it means that their data may have been used to track them and profile them, potentially presenting dangerous, inappropriate content at their very next scroll.”
“TikTok should have known better. TikTok should have done better. Our £12.7m fine reflects the serious impact their failures may have had,” he added.
TikTok claimed that its 40,000-strong safety team analyses accounts for evidence of underage use and that it invests “heavily to keep under 13s off the site.”
The regulator had initially proposed a fine of £27 million, but it was reduced to £12.7 million. In the ‘notice of intent’ previously issued to TikTok, ICO had said that the potential fine could be £27 million.
Similar penalties have already been imposed on the platform. The app, which was then known as Musical.ly was found to have broken US privacy laws in 2019 by allowing children under 13 to sign up without parental permission. A settlement for $5.7 million was reached between the FTC and Musical.ly.
Since the majority of the largest international tech companies have their EU Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland typically conducts investigations into violations of the EU’s privacy regulations
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission opened a similar inquiry into TikTok’s handling of user data from minors in 2021, according to Irish media, and last November proposed an unnamed “preliminary range of fines” on the company.
In addition to these probes, TikTok has been charged with sharing user data with the Chinese government by numerous Western governments, an accusation both the company and Beijing have refuted. Nonetheless, TikTok has been prohibited from being used on government-issued devices in more than a dozen nations, including the major institutions of the US, UK and EU
According to TikTok, the prohibitions were put in place “without thought or justification” and on the basis of “basic misinformation”.
Other countries which have gone tough on TikTok
New Zealand
In a move to strengthen security protocols, New Zealand’s Parliament has officially decided to ban the use of TikTok on all the devices linked to Parliament or its MPs The decision was made due to concerns over potential security risks posed by the Chinese social media platform. This comes a day after the UK banned TikTok on government-issued phones.
TikTok will be banned on all devices with access to New Zealand’s parliamentary network by the end of March, said Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero. The announcement comes after a review of security procedures was conducted by the Parliamentary Service. It was found that TikTok’s data collection and privacy policies could potentially compromise sensitive information that is shared and stored on Parliament’s devices
France
France became the most recent country to join the list of countries that have outlawed the Chinese short video app TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese technology company Bytedance, on phones of govt officials over security issues.
India
The government of India permanently banned 59 Chinese apps, including ByteDance’s short video app TikTok, WeChat, Baidu, Alibaba’s UC Browser, Club Factory, BIGO Live and others in 2020. The apps were banned for their failure to comply with the user data handling norms of India.
On Wednesday, the Delhi Police refused to grant permission to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and another group to conduct processions in the Jahangirpuri area of the national capital on April 6, the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.
According to a statement given to ANI by the Delhi Police, the VHP and another organization had applied for permission to hold processions on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. However, due to concerns regarding the law and order situation, the organizers were not granted permission.
During a “shoba yatra” held on Hanuman Jayanti last year, clashes erupted between two communities in the area on April 16th.
The police have stated that they have implemented extensive security measures in the Jahangirpuri area in preparation for Hanuman Jayanti.
The Delhi Police and Paramilitary Force personnel are conducting patrols in the area.
Delhi Police had denied permission for Ram Navami procession in Jahangirpuri
Last month, the Office of the Police Commissioner (north-west Delhi) denied permission for carrying out an idol procession during Ram Navami in the Jahangirpuri area of Delhi.
A Hindu devotee had requested permission to organise the annual event but it was turned down by the police, citing the law and order situation.
“I am directed to inform you that your request for Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra on the occasion of Ramnavami Mahotsav on 30.03.23 has been considered by the competent authority but could not be acceded to from a law and order point of view,” the police said in a statement.
Violence at Jahangirpuri during Hanuman Jayanti in 2022
On April 16 last year, a Hanuman Jayanti procession was attacked by Islamists in the Jahangirpuri area of Delhi. The procession was moving peacefully but was stopped by one Ansar Sheikh and his accomplice near the Jama Masjid.
They initiated an argument, which quickly escalated into stone-pelting, resulting in a stampede in the procession. According to the FIR, the police attempted to take control of the situation, but Islamists disregarded the orders and set vehicles on fire.
They also pelted stones and glass bottles at the Hindu devotees. Later, a video of an Islamist named Sonu Chikna, firing shots at the procession, went viral on social media.
(This news report is published with inputs from news agencies)
India has strongly rebutted the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) for its declaration regarding India in which the group criticised the alleged acts of violence against minorities in India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), called out the group for its ‘communal mindset’ and ‘anti-India agenda.’ The Islamic nations’ body, according to the ministry, had its credibility tarnished by being used as a pawn by anti-India elements.
“We strongly condemn the statement issued by OIC Secretariat regarding India. This is one more example of their communal mindset and anti-India agenda. OIC only does its reputation damage by being consistently manipulated by anti-India forces,” a statement released by Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson MEA read.
India’s condemnation on 4th April came hours after the OIC Secretariat issued a statement and claimed that the Muslim community had been attacked in several states in India during Ram Navami processions. The OIC Secretariat mentioned that it is very concerned about the violence and vandalism targeting the Muslim community during the Ram Navami celebrations.
In the statement, the OIC Secretariat said, “It has followed with deep concern the acts of violence and vandalism targeting the Muslim community in several states in India during the Ram Navami processions, including the burning of a madrasa and its library by an extremist Hindu mob in Bihar Sharif on March 31, 2023.”
“The OIC General Secretary denounces such provocative acts of violence and vandalism, which are a vivid manifestation of mounting Islamophobia and systemic targeting of the Muslim community in India. The OIC General Secretary calls upon the Indian authorities to take firm actions against the instigators and perpetrators of such acts and to ensure the safety, security, rights and dignity of the Muslim community in the country,” the letter intimated.
Numerous clashes were recorded on March 31 and subsequently, during Ram Navami festivities in different states across India. Areas like Bihar and West Bengal experienced widespread violence, with the crowd throwing stones at the procession and torching vehicles and shops.
The conflicts even resulted in several deaths. Section 144 was imposed in Bihar’s Nalanda and Bihar’s Hooghly districts. A comprehensive report on the occurrences has been ordered by the Home Ministry.
On Monday, April 3, Congress MLA Brihaspat Singh slapped a cooperative bank employee on the premise of the Zila Sahakari Bank’s Ramanujganj Branch in Balrampur-Ramanujganj district of Chattisgarh. A controversy erupted as the video went viral on social media.
Raipur, Chhattisgarh| Viral video of Ramanujganj MLA Brihaspati Singh shows him slapping a person near the Central Bank branch in Balrampur district over a dispute over the withdrawal of money pic.twitter.com/GeyM9I07iC
As the video of the incident went viral on social media, the employees at cooperative banks in the Surguja division, which includes five districts, demanded action against the Congress legislator and declared a two-day mass leave that is Wednesday and Thursday.
In the video, it can be seen that the Ramanujganj MLA Brihaspat Singh grabbed a person by his collar and slapped him thrice while a large crowd gathered outside the bank.
The Congress MLA not only owned up to his outrageous act but also levelled serious allegations against the bank employees.
The Congress legislator said that bank employees mistreated him and defrauded farmers by fraudulently siphoning money from their accounts in exchange for paddy procurement adding that the bank employees did not release funds and also misbehaved with the farmers. He further accused them of making bogus signatures and hiding passbooks.
“I got angry and hit them. We will not tolerate injustice with farmers and will also not hesitate to break the rules if such a thing happens to the farmers,” MLA Brihaspat Singh said.
Meanwhile, a group of employees sought action against Singh in a memo they submitted to the Inspector General of Police (Surguja range) in Ambikapur town on Tuesday and addressed to chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. According to the notice, Singh allegedly hit and verbally abused peon Arvind Singh and clerk Rajesh Pal in front of numerous farmers while they were on duty.
RK Khare, president of Zilla Sahkari Kendriya Bank Karamchari Sangh Ambikapur, stated that the episode had angered and disappointed the cooperative bank employees. Government employees’ interests must be protected by public representatives, but where would they turn if the public representatives start torturing them, he questioned.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed Singh over the incident and demanded that the Congress MLA’s resignation.
कांग्रेस विधायक हताशा में आ चुके हैं, कांग्रेस विधायक नहीं दे पा रहे जनता के सवालों के जवाब, ना कोई काम करवा पा रहे हैं।
जनता के साथ मारपीट करने वाले विधायक को तुरंत पद मुक्त किया जाए। इस घटना ने छत्तीसगढ़ को शर्मसार किया है।
BJP State General Secretary Kedar Kashyap said, “Congress MLAs have come in desperation; they are unable to answer the public’s questions or do any work. The MLA who assaulted the public should be relieved of his post right away. Chhattisgarh has been disturbed by this incident.”
Troubles for the Prabhas starrer Adipurush do not seem to end anytime soon as a fresh complaint has been lodged at Mumbai’s Sakinaka Police Station against the film’s producer T-series and Retrophiles, director Om Raut and the artists. The complaint has been lodged by a person named Sanjay Dinanath Tiwari who claimed to be a preacher of Sanatan Dharma through Mumbai High Court lawyers Ashish Rai and Pankaj Mishra.
This comes after the makers of Adipurush on the occasion of Ram Navami (March 30) unveiled the poster of the film depicting Prabhas as Lord Rama, actor Sunny Singh as Lakshmana, and actress Kriti Sanon as Goddess Sita.
According to the official statement, Om Raut’s inappropriate depiction of the character from the Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas in the new poster for the movie has offended the religious sensibilities of the Hindu religious society. According to Sections 295(A), 298, 500, and 34 of the Indian Criminal Code, this complaint has been filed along with a demand for the registration of an FIR.
The complaint states that Adipurush was made on Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram’s biography in the Ramcharitmanas, a sacred text that holds special significance in Hinduism.
Shri Ram’s costume is contrary to the natural spirit of Ramcharitmanas
“Maryadapurushottam Shri Ram ji has been shown in this poster in a costume against the natural spirit and nature of “Ramcharitmanas” mentioned in the Hindu scripture,” the complaint added.
Adding to other allegations, the complaint reads, “All of the Ramayana’s characters are depicted in the newly released poster for the Bollywood film Adipurush without Janeu. In Hindu Sanatan Dharma, which has been practiced for many generations by adherents of Sanatan Dharma, Janeu holds special significance. In the Balakand of the Hindu sacred text “Ramcharitmanas,” Janeu is mentioned specifically.”
Adipurush poster depicts Sita Ji without vermillion
The complainant asserts actress Kriti Sanon who is playing the character of Goddess Sita is depicted in the poster without vermilion, making it evident that she is being portrayed as an unmarried woman. “This demonstrates that Bollywood filmmakers, directors, and artists have deliberately committed this error. Sanatan Dharma and its followers have been insulted due to such type of act. This indecent act is definitely condemnable ,” the complaint said.
The complainant alleged that Hindus are being intentionally targeted. It has also been claimed that the makers of the film are sending the wrong message and this may pose a law and order issue in the country.
It is pertinent to mention that ever since the release of its trailer, the film Adipurush has been faced with multiple complaints and petitions. In October last year, the National Cine Workers Union served a legal notice for criminal prosecution against the creators and performers of Adipurush, including director Om Raut, producer Bhushan Kumar, Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, and others. In the legal notice issued by lawyer Ashish Rai, the makers of the film were accused of disrespecting the Hindu faith and values.
It is notable that the Adipurush trailer released on October 2, 2022, became one of the most controversial teasers in Bollywood. Netizens have slammed the movie for very poor VFX quality that makes the characters look like cartoon characters, and for bad character design that makes Ravana and Hanuman look like Islamist invaders. The teaser also shows that the sets of the movie are inspired by video games and Hollywood movies a TV shows, and therefore, they do not look like how various places during that age are described in the epic Ramayana.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s central bank increased its key interest rate by 100 basis points (BPS) to a record 21% as the cash-strapped country sought to reduce severe food inflation and keep the trust of foreign creditors. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has hiked its key rate by a cumulative 1025 bps since January 2022.
The key rate of the SBP now stands at its highest-ever level as the country struggles with consumer price inflation, reaching its highest annual level of over 35% in March. The rupee depreciated to its lowest level ever as it closed at 287.29 against the dollar after falling more than 1% during the day, as reported by Reuters.
“The MPC considers the current monetary policy stance appropriate and stresses that today’s decision, along with previous accumulated monetary tightening, will help achieve the medium-term inflation target over the next eight quarters,” the bank stated in a statement and added that the early conclusion of the ninth review of the IMF program was critical to rebuilding FX reserve buffers.
The macroeconomic outlook has been affected by several significant changes that were acknowledged by the Monetary Policy Committee. The committee observed that significant import restraint had resulted in an important reduction in the current account deficit. Nonetheless, it noted that the Balance of Payments (BoP) position is still fragile since foreign exchange reserves are still at very low levels.
Investors polled by Reuters had mostly expected a rate hike of 200 basis points. According to Tahir Abbas, head of research at Arif Habib Limited, there are signs that a general economic slowdown is already inevitable, which is why the SBP may have refrained from a more aggressive rate hike.
“A majority of the high-frequency indicators already depict negative growth and a massive slowdown in the economy,” he remarked. “An aggressive rate hike won’t be of much help,” he further said.
Early in March, the bank increased its key rate by 300 basis points to 20%, outpacing market forecasts and probably doing so to satisfy an important International Monetary Fund (IMF) stipulation for the release of the awaiting bailout money.
Prices for food, drinks, and transportation have all increased by more than 45%, and the government is in discussions with the IMF to release its next tranche, which will be worth about $1.1 billion as part of a $6.5 billion rescue agreement reached in 2019.
A weakening currency, rising energy prices, and higher food prices because of Ramazan have all contributed to Pakistan’s high inflation rate, which has been exacerbated by global growth in consumer prices. Soaring prices have put pressure on household budgets and left many in dire financial crises.
The government started a programme to give free wheat to low-income families throughout the holy month to lessen the effects of record-breaking inflation and accelerating poverty. However, the initiative resulted in violence and stampedes, which has resulted in at least 21 fatalities since the beginning of Ramazan.
The desperation of people along with the paucity of food has led to violence, stampede, loot and robbery of food articles from trucks and distribution points.
Violence erupted in Howrah and Hooghly during Ram Navami celebrations. Islamists pelted stones at the procession and vandalized both public and private property. Several Hindus were also attacked by the Islamists during the violence. While the Islamists went on a rampage against Hindus, one picture of a man brandishing a gun went viral on social media after which, he was arrested in Bihar.
While Hindus were being brutalised and their religious procession was being attacked, Mamata Banerjee blamed Hindus for the violence, saying that Muslims would not commit violence during Ramzan because they would be busy in their Namaz and Roza. TMC used this image of a man brandishing a gun to blame Hindus and the BJP for the violence, claiming that it provided proof that the unrest was initiated by the people taking the Ram Navami procession out. BJP, on the other hand, said that TMC was trying to shield Islamists and shifting the blame.
It is pertinent to note that no visual, image or video, shows Sumit Shaw indulging in any violence. This is the only image, based on which, TMC is claiming that Hindus initiated the violence.
Image of Sumit Shaw brandishing a gun
The mother of the man, Sumit Shaw, spoke to the media saying that he had affiliations with TMC mostly. BJP shared the news snippet to say that TMC’s narrative had been exposed. “Sumit Shaw, the 19-year-old arrested from Munger, for flashing an illegal weapon, was closely associated with TMC MLA Gautam Chaudhary and attended their programs, claims his mother. Yet another instance of TMC planting their people, then arresting them to malign Hindus and BJP”, BJP tweeted.
Sumit Shaw, the 19 year old arrested from Munger, for flashing an illegal weapon, was closely associated with TMC MLA Gautam Chaudhary and attended their programs, claims his mother.
Yet another instance of TMC planting their people, then arresting them to malign Hindus and BJP. pic.twitter.com/n1SludpLkw
The mother of Sumit Shaw said that he used to essentially do political work for money. He would join the rallies of the party that gave him money. However, he was close to TMC MLA Gautam Chaudhary and had attended several of his rallies.
TMC on the other hand dug up pictures of Sumit Shaw with BJP functionaries and posted them as proof to claim that he was close to BJP.
.@BJP4Bengal ORCHESTRATED VIOLENCE ACROSS BENGAL on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. We have said this before & we will say it again!
Sumit Shaw has been closely associated with BJP leaders. He was recently arrested for the violence.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 4, 2023
It is a fact that Islamists went on a rampage against Hindus during the Ram Navami procession. It is a fact that politics plays very little role in such aggression and it is also a fact that Mamata Banerjee blamed Hindus for taking the procession out from a “Muslim area”. However, Sumit Shaw has today been made a political rallying point by TMC to make the aggression political instead of talking about the root of the problem – unbridled Islamism and minority street veto.
Be that as it may, Sumit Shaw and what his mother said reveals important aspects of the political reality of West Bengal. Here are 5 of them.
Politics in Bengal and ideology
One might believe that politics in West Bengal is closely tied to ideological moorings. With Bengal being a stronghold of communists for decades and then TMC taking over, claiming to fight against Hindutva, one might be inclined to believe that politics in West Bengal is driven by ideological considerations. While that may be true for a political party’s top brass, for the ground cadre, it is a career just like any other.
Sumit Shaw was clearly seeking a political career regardless of the political party, as revealed by his mother. She said he used to join the functions of whichever party was willing to give him money. She does reveal he favoured TMC, however, he was clearly a political cadre for hire. Such political enthusiasts are in all parties in West Bengal.
When the power shifted from the Communists to TMC, it was the very communist ground cadre that shifted their allegiance from CPIM to TMC. When BJP appeared to be strengthening itself in Bengal during the 2021 Assembly Elections, several leaders and ground cadres joined BJP from TMC. In fact, in Bengal, there is a rampant culture of “Para dadas”, which essentially means the local head goon. The local goon is often connected to a political party. Most of them are currently in TMC since it is in power. When the BJP appeared to be becoming a political force in Bengal, several of these local goons shifted to BJP. Currently, some of them remain in BJP while others have gone back to TMC.
Sumit Shaw had no political ideology per se. He was not ideologically tied to the BJP or the TMC. He was seeking a career and was willing to join any party that paid him, even though he clearly had an affinity towards TMC (as revealed by his mother). To use his presence to blame Hindus is a dishonest ploy by the TMC.
Violence a part of Bengal’s political culture
Why was Sumit Shaw in the crowd brandishing a gun? Was it because of his Hindu identity? Was it because of his political affiliation with either BJP or TMC? With what the mother said, it is extremely clear that Sumit Shaw was a political aspirant who would join any party that would give him the time of the day. What is the one thing that helps build political careers in West Bengal? It is certainly not political ideology. It is the muscle power one wields and their capacity for violence.
With what the mother said, it is entirely possible that Sumit Shaw brandished the gun because displaying his muscle power would further his political ambitions because that is the nature of politics in West Bengal. To say that his display of power is because he was attached to BJP is essentially trying to win a political argument by obfuscating facts and ground realities of Bengal.
What we know about Hindus and Ram Navami processions
Given that we already know how people change political parties in West Bengal and that ideological moorings don’t play a role in political careers largely, it is not beyond possibility that those who affiliate themselves with TMC or CPIM were also a part of the yatra. To claim that only BJP and VHP people participated in the religious festivity is saying that no ground cadre of the two parties identify themselves as Hindus and participate in Hindu religious festivals – a claim that is outlandish, given the reality of West Bengal.
It is a fact that only one individual – Sumit Shaw – has been arrested for brandishing a weapon during the Shobha Yatra. It was not a procession where Hindus were carrying weapons en masse, like religious processions of certain other communities. To assume that Sumit Shaw was from BJP betrays everything we know about Bengal and about what his mother said. Given that only one Hindu was present in the yatra with a weapon, clearly points towards the political motive of carrying a weapon and certainly not religious.
Liberals, their Hinduphobia and politics
Ram Navami and chants of Jai Shree Ram have been under Liberal and Islamist onslaught for years. Lord Ram has been a symbol of the Hindu Renaissance where for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Hindus united under one umbrella, one aim of rebuilding the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya which was demolished and desecrated by Mughal invaders. Recently, we have seen several lies being spread blaming Hindus for lynching Muslims when they refused to chant Jai Shree Ram. These cases have summarily turned out to be false with investigation pointing to no communal angle in these cases.
Ram Navami Shobha Yatras have come under attack year after year, with Hindus being brutalised at an alarming rate. Such attacks, especially when the procession passes through Muslim-majority regions, have become common in the last few years. For Hindus, Ram Navami remains one of the foremost festivals and a preeminently auspicious occasion in the Hindu calendar year. On this day, Hindus seek blessings from Lord Rama, provide food to the needy, perform rituals, and take out processions among other things.
The attacks are not just on the religious beliefs of Hindus but also an attempt to extinguish their resistance.
This is why absurd and irrational explanations are put forth by the Islamists and their allies in the Left ecosystem in their attempt to demonise Ram Navami processions. Instead of blaming Islamists living in ghettos, the Ram Navami processions are held responsible for the violence because they ‘dared to’ cross ‘Muslim areas’—arbitrarily created Muslim enclaves—where the mere presence of Hindus is enough justification for the Islamist attacks on them.
Whether by design or destiny, the attacks on Ram Navami processions are nothing but attempts to create grounds to associate violence with the festival and justify the curbs till it is eventually stopped altogether. This is what the Diwali festival faced when a posse of ‘liberals’ and ‘environmentalists’ ran motivated campaigns against it, associating it with pollution even though the bursting of firecrackers scientifically contributed an insignificant amount of pollution to the environment.
For that reason, it would be extremely easy for the Left and Islamist ecosystem to link this gun to Lord Ram and the man brandishing it to all Hindus. This is only an example of their inherent Hinduphobia and their nefarious designs to connect Hindu festivals with violence instead of blaming the true perpetrators of violence against Hindus – the Islamists. While they blame Hindus for violence perpetrated by Muslims to vilify chants of Jai Shree Ram and the religious processions, the same liberals would shield Islamists and never associate terrorism with Islam and the chants of Allahu Akbar, which are often raised when terrorists blow themselves up and murder scores of unsuspecting “Kafirs”. The two-nation theory, for example, where the Muslims claim that they are incapable of co-existing with Hindus because Islam is a separate nation and culture in itself, distinct from the ways of the “Kafirs” is entirely theological, however, they would much rather write it off to the political ambitions of Jinnah rather than call out the Islamic community for their supremacist, exclusivist ideas. On the other hand, the very liberals who call theological exclusivism political when it comes to Islam and the Muslim community would attach political violence to Hinduism because it suits their agenda of not only shielding the Islamists but also demonising Hindus.
TMC has turned Sumit Shaw into a symbol to vilify Hindus, shield Islamists and win political brownie points against BJP. BJP, on the other hand, is now left defending itself against these charges instead of talking about the failure of the Mamata Banerjee government in protecting Hindus, the malicious narrative of “Muslim areas” and the rampaging Islamist mobs. Shaw, in his attempt to win political points, perhaps did not expect to be turned into a symbol which would be used to blame Hindus while they were being brutalised. What is, perhaps, of utmost concern, is that in the political slugfest, Hindus who were tormented for days in Bengal will find no justice and the Islamists will continue to get emboldened because the State has become accustomed to dereliction of its duties in the quest for Muslim votes.
Amid frenzied speculations of Kannada superstar Kiccha Sudeep joining the ruling BJP, an alleged threat letter was received by his manager, prompting the police to register a case.
According to the police, Kiccha Sudeep’s manager Jack Manju received a letter from an unknown person, threatening to release the actor’s “private video” on social media. Acting on the complaint lodged by the actor’s manager, the Puttenahalli police registered a case under sections 504, 506 and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Some senior officers are also thinking to hand over the case to Central Crime Branch (CCB), sources said. Further investigation is underway in the matter, said police.
Meanwhile, speculations are rife that the Kannda superstar will be joining the BJP on Wednesday, ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections.
The counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly has been scheduled on May 13.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
