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3-year-old girl Ariha Shah separated from her Indian parents by German authorities: Read about her heartbreaking story

OpIndia Staff
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3-year-old girl Ariha Shah separated from her Indian parents by German authorities: Read about her heartbreaking story

On Thursday, 16th March 2023, Arindam Bagchi – the spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry said in a press conference that the foreign secretary is dealing with the issue of the 3-year-old girl Ariha Shah who is in German child rights custody for the last one-and-half year. It is notable that the Indian parents of the 3-year-old Jain girl are struggling to get their daughter’s custody from the German government. The girl was taken into custody by the German authorities because of suspected sexual abuse.

During the press conference, Arindam Bagchi said, “It is a sensitive case. Foreign Secretary is dealing with the case. Both the embassy and foreign ministry have been in close touch with parents and German authorities to find a way forward. It includes baby-infant child and there are issues related to privacy.” The parents of the child came to India last week and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help in bringing their daughter back from German foster care.

Dhara Shah, mother of the kid Ariha Shah said, “In September 2021, our daughter was taken away by German child services. She accidentally hurt her private part and we took her to a doctor. The doctors sent us back saying that she was fine. Then we went for a follow-up check. My daughter was again said to be fine, but the doctors, this time, called child services and gave them my daughter’s custody. And we later learned that because of the nature of her injury, they suspected sexual abuse.”

Earlier on 25th February 2023, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “This is something of great sensitivity, something which we deeply care about, and our embassy has been in very close touch with the parents and German authorities in trying to find a way forward.”

Ariha Shah was 14 months old when German authorities took her into custody

The Shah family members have also started an online petition to gather public support to get their daughter back into custody. In this petition, the details of the ordeal are also described. According to this petition, Ariha Shah’s father was posted in Germany on a work visa as a software engineer. In September 2021, the infant Ariha Shah was accidentally hurt by his paternal grandmother. When her parents brought her to the hospital, they were charged with sexual assault and the baby was taken away.

It is said in the petition that the criminal inquiry was concluded without charges in February 2022, but Ariha Shah is still in the custody of German authorities. Berlin Child Services has filed a civil custody case to terminate the parental rights of the Shah couple. This lawsuit will take 2-3 years to complete, the petition says.

It further mentions, “The parents are fighting the case in Germany but fear that Child Services are dragging it out in order to take advantage of the “continuity principle” of child law under which if a child has spent a significant time with the state-appointed carer, it is said to be settled there and should not be shifted back to the parents, even if they are found to be fit.”

The petition also adds, “The German child services are completely insensitive to the baby’s cultural and religious identity, insisting on a meat diet for her though she comes from an observant Jain family. They say they plan to have her adopted by a German family. This is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to which both India and Germany are parties.”

Therefore, Ariha Shah’s parents are demanding that the baby Ariha Shah be repatriated to India and placed with the maternal family or a Jain family under the care and responsibility of Indian child welfare authorities. The family has alleged that the German authorities are deracinating little Ariha from her Jain roots and conditioning her to a European life, which is in stark contrast to the teachings of Jainism. It is notable that similar steps have been taken earlier in the case of Indian children in foster care in Norway, the USA, and other countries.

The mother of the kid underlines cultural differences adding to the problem

In a video appeal to PM Narendra Modi, Dhara Shah – mother of Ariha Shah – said that there are many problems related to cultural nuances that are also adding up to the problems faced by the parents in Germany. She mentioned that the Shah family hails from Gujarat but the interpreter in the hospital and the one with the German authorities is an Urdu-speaking individual. She also noted that parents feeding a toddler with their hands is considered forced feeding in the western country while it is looked at as love and care in India.

Likewise, she mentioned a few more differences between the two cultures and emphasized how the couple faced multiple problems arising from them as they faced the case. She also insisted that the authorities of the same hospital where the child was first examined have clarified that there was no sexual abuse with the child. In an emotional appeal to the Prime Minister, she urged with folded hands to bring back her daughter Ariha Shah.

She said, “We’re not getting a fair trial there (in Germany). We need to bring the child into our custody. We appeal to PM Modi to personally pay attention to this case & help bring back my daughter. A case of sexual abuse of the child was registered against us. Later, this case against us was closed & the hospital ruled out sexual abuse of the child. But still, we haven’t got Ariha’s custody.”

The external Affairs Minister raised Ariha Shah’s issue to his German counterpart

In December 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised this issue during a discussion with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.

Informing about this in a joint press conference, he said, “We have concerns that the child should be in her linguistic, religious, cultural, and social environment. This is her right. And our embassy is pursuing the matter with German authorities, but it was also a subject which I had brought up with the minister.”

Has Kejriwal dumped his friend? Netizens speculate as Delhi govt asks Manish Sisodia to vacate his bungalow and allots it to Aatishi

OpIndia Staff
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Has Kejriwal dumped his friend? Netizens speculate as Delhi govt asks Manish Sisodia to vacate his bungalow and allots it to Aatishi

Jailed former Delhi deputy minister and AAP senior leader Manish Sisodia’s official residence in Delhi has been allotted to newly state Education Minister Atishi, a notice issued by Public Works Department Secretariat read on Friday. Sisodia’s family has been given five days till March 21 to vacate Bungalow No. AB-17, Mathura Road, Delhi.

The letter added that only 15 days retention period is permissible under the relevant rules.

Manish Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on 28 February, just two days after he was arrested by the CBI on 26 February in the excise policy case. On the same day, minister Satyendar Jain, who is in jail since May last year after his arrest in a money laundering case.

The AAP government’s hasty move to ask Sisodi to vacate his bungalow has left Netizens wondering if Arvind Kejriwal, the party’s chief, had abandoned his close friend Manish Sisodia.

Sharing a video of Arvind Kejriwal refusing to talk about Sisodia in public, alongside a PWD notice issued to Sisodia to vacate the bungalow, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala wrote, “Kejriwal ka Motto Kaam khatam, paisa hajam, Manish Sisodia kaun ho tum ? After publicly snubbing Manish Sisodia now Manish Sisodia’s official residence, Bunglow No. AB-17, Mathura Road allotted to newly-sworn in Minister Atishi; Sisodia’s family given 5 days, that is till…

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya pointed out that Manish Sisodia was removed from the post of minister immediately after his arrest, while Jain was kept as minister for 9 mothers after his arrest. He also said that before Sisodia’s arrest, Arvind Kejrwal had promised to look after him and his family, but now his family has been asked to vacate the govt house so that it can be given to Aatishi.

Sharing the same video of the Delhi PM, another Twitter user @delhichatter quipped in Hindi that Kejriwal dropped Sisodia out of his life and the party like a hot potato. “He threw Manish uncle out of tea like a fly,” he wrote in Hindi.

“Kejriwal ditched Sisodia,” @Mohit_ksr captioned a funny meme he shared on Twitter.

Some others also tweeted funny memes in response to Kejriwal’s treatment towards his close confidante Manish Sisodia.

Some people posted unparliamentary tweets that we can’t publish here.

Meanwhile, according to the official letter from the Public Works Department dated March 14, Atishi has been asked to give her acceptance within eight days of the issuance of the letter.

The bungalow which Sisodia has been directed to vacate was allotted to him in 2015 when the AAP government came to power in Delhi. Justifying the AAP Government’s decision an official said, “It is a routine exercise. Since Sisodia had resigned, his bungalow will be reallotted to Atishi.”

Notably, after the resignations of Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, both currently in Tihar jail in alleged corruption and money laundering cases, respectively, two Cabinet berths had fallen vacant. Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were later inducted into the Cabinet. 

Sisodia was arrested by CBI on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on 6 March had sent Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to judicial custody in Tihar jail till 20 March, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

ED arrested Sisodia on March 9 and on March 10 had gotten his 7-day custody which expired on 17 March. The ED filed a petition seeking an extension of Sisodia’s custody, which the court heard today and extended by 5 more days.

Opposition MPs write to President Draupadi Murmu and Attorney General over social media ‘trolling’ of CJI Chandrachud

OpIndia Staff
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Opposition MPs write to President Draupadi Murmu and Attorney General over social media ‘trolling’ of CJI Chandrachud

On Thursday (March 16), several Opposition Parliamentarians wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking strong action against those trolling Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on social media.

The letter, written by Congress leader Vivek Tankha and signed by 12 like-minded politicians, alleged that the CJI was being harassed on social media platforms for heading a Constitutional Bench in the Sena Vs Sena case.

“While the matter is subjudice, the troll army, presumably sympathetic to the interest of the ruling party in Maharashtra, has launched an offensive against the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India. The words and contents are filthy and deplorable, which has garnered views in lakhs on social media platforms,” he claimed.

The Congress leader further alleged that the CJI was being trolled at the behest of the ruling BJP government and sought immediate intervention from the President.

“We expect immediate action not only against the persons indulging in troll, but also against people behind it, i.e., supporting and sponsoring it,” he further pleaded.

Vivek Tankha also fired off a letter to the Attorney General of India and wrote, “As the first law officer of the country, it is your beholden duty as the protector of Law and the Constitution on behalf of the Union of India to take the following prompt and strict actions.”

“Seek a report from the Police Commissioner of Delhi about the names and details of the people involved in the trolls and the ones supporting and encouraging them,” he dictated.

The Congress leader further added, “Direct the Ministries of IT and Law to demonstrably ensure visible action against the despicable trollers and their IDs as what is at stake is the Majesty of Law, the Dignity of Court and image of our Constitutional Institutions.”

“On the basis of the information which is sought from the Police Commissioner and the two Ministries, initiate strong and exemplary legal action against the despicable troll leaders and their sympathisers,” Vivek Tankha emphasised.

“We parliamentarians & law abiding citizens cannot be mute spectators to such filthy & vicious attack on judiciary whilst hearing in progress,” he lamented in a tweet.

‘Entrepreneur’ Sana Sheikh, accused in forced circumcision & conversion case, gets funding for her ‘modest clothing’ brand in Shark Tank

OpIndia Staff
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‘Entrepreneur’ Sana Sheikh, accused in forced circumcision & conversion case, gets funding for her ‘modest clothing’ brand in Shark Tank

The Sambhajinagar-based ‘Entrepreneur’ Sana Farheen Shahmir Sheikh who is accused by one Deepak Sonawane of forcefully converting and circumcising him during their relationship, got Rs 20 lakhs funding from the popular TV show Shark Tank for her clothing brand named ‘Forever Modest’. Sana made the sharks close their 100th deal at the show for a clothing brand that offers a wide range of ‘modest’ clothing for people who opt for clothes that cover most of their body parts.

According to the reports, Sana who has recently been granted anticipatory bail by the Bombay High Court in the Deepak Sonawane case asked for Rs 20 lakhs for a stake of 10% in her company. She impressed the Sharks (judges of the Shark Tank show) and later asked all of them, Namita Thapar, Amit Jain, Vineeta Singh, Peyush Bansal and Aman Gupta to be a part of the deal, for Rs 20 lakhs for 20% equity.

Sana was recently granted anticipatory bail in connection to a case related to a Dalit man named Deepak Sonawane, who stated that Sana forced him to embrace Islam before marriage. He also said that he was tortured and humiliated by the woman and her family.

It was reported earlier, that Sana had lured Deepak into a relationship and later forced him to convert his religion to Islam. Deepak was also tortured and humiliated for money by the family members of the accused who got constant support from the influential local MP Imtiaz Jaleel at every step in this matter.

Sana accused by Deepak Sonawane of forced circumcision and conversion

Deepak Sonawane studied mechanical engineering at the Marathwada Institute of Technology in Sambhajinagar. Sana was his classmate. Both first became friends and then fell in love with each other. She later lured the former into marriage and asked him to embrace Islam and read Namaz.

The victim then met her parents and told them that he was a Dalit and that he had no intentions to convert his religion to Islam. He also said that he loved Sana but would not change his religion for marriage. However, he was later abducted by Sana’s family members and was tortured. They urinated on him and performed his forceful circumcision (Khatana). The accused said that they would make Deepak Muslim before he would marry Sana. They also threatened Deepak saying that they would kill his family and make his video of circumcision viral over the internet.

Further Deepak Sonawane had also given a detailed account of how he was extorted by these Muslims and how they hurled casteist abuse at him. He said that Sana his mother had demanded Rs 11 lakhs and threatened to defame him on the internet. Later they demanded an additional Rs 25 lakh and registered a fake rape case against him as he refused to give the money.

According to Deepak, Sana Sheikh and her family were supported by local AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel at every step. He filed several complaints at the local police stations and approached several police officers but none of them took his case seriously. He said that the police refused to register the case due to the involvement of the AIMIM MP.

Notably, Deepak was granted bail by the sessions court in the rape case filed against him. The victim then said that the judge had to give the bail because the allegations were fake, though the sections are meant for an unbailable offence.

Bombay HC grants anticipatory bail to Sana

However, on March 2, Sana and her family approached the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the case filed by Deepak in which he claimed that he was tortured, looted, forcefully circumcised and forced to convert his religion to Islam. Granting relief, the bench dismissed the allegations of ‘love jihad’ and said, “It appears that the colour has been tried to be given of love-jihad, but when love is accepted then there is less possibility of the person being trapped just for converting him into the other’s religion…Merely because the boy and girl are from different religions, it cannot have a religious (sic) angle. It can be a case of pure love for each other.”

The woman meanwhile claimed that the case was deliberately given a ‘love jihad’ angle after Deepak was asked to perform some financial transactions for the woman’s family. The Bench then noted that the man in the complaint had agreed that he was in love with the woman and that he had good relations with her family. “When the initial relationship was good and the caste or the religion was not the barrier for them, then the question of raising the issue of caste or community or religion at a later point of time will not arise,” the Court noted.

On the ‘claims’ of forceful circumcision, the court said that the expert was unable to say whether the circumcision was natural or was due to any surgical intervention. The expert was also unable to say when it would have been done. The Court also said that there was an inordinate delay in lodging the FIR by Deepak and that the delay affects the story which ‘may’ lose its importance.

‘Forever Modest’ hosts an Islamic clothing collection

‘Entrepreneur’ Sana Farheen Shahmir Sheikh who attained anticipatory bail in the case is the founder of the clothing brand named ‘Forever Modest’. According to the brand’s official website, the brand is believed to have launched in the year 2022 at Connaught Place in Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.

Screenshot from Forever Modest website

Sana through her brand offers a wide range of ‘modest’ clothing for people who opt for clothes that cover most of their body parts. Her brand website features a wide range of varieties of Islamic styles of clothing which include Jilbab, Hijab, Abaya, Kaftan and more.

collections by modest forever (website screenshot)

As per her Instagram bio, she is also the founder of Kloud Kampus which is believed to be a computer training school. It is worth noting here that Sana and her family members have been accused by Deepak Sonawane of looting and torturing him. Deepak mentioned in his complaint earlier that Sana and her mother had demanded Rs 11 lakh from him after performing his forceful khatna. Later they also demanded Rs 25 lakh. It is quite possible that Sana might have utilized this money for establishing and developing her ‘Forever Modest’ clothing brand.

screenshot of Sana Farheen Shahmir’s Instagram profile

The woman and her family have been granted anticipatory bail by the Bombay HC. However, Deepak Sonawane has said that he would appeal in the Supreme Court, against the High Court order giving anticipatory bail to the accused.

Sixth-grade student kidnapped in Bihar for ₹40 lakh ransom, recent surge in kidnappings stir memories of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ‘Jungle Raj’

OpIndia Staff
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Sixth-grade student kidnapped in Bihar for ₹40 lakh ransom, recent surge in kidnappings stir memories of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ‘Jungle Raj’

It appears that the era of kidnapping and ransom is returning to Bihar, during the JDU-RJD alliance in the government. In the latest such incident, a sixth-grade student named Tushar Kumar was abducted in Patna, the capital of Bihar, on Thursday. A 40 lakh ransom was demanded by the captors over WhatsApp. They made the call using the young boy’s cellphone. The police have opened an investigation after receiving the complaint and registering a case.

The incident took place in the Kanholi village, which lies near the Bihta police station. The family members of the student received a call over the messaging app WhatsApp from the kidnappers seeking Rs 40 lakh in ransom. Furthermore, they threatened to kill the family if they alerted the authorities about the incident.

The boy is the only son of Raj Kishore Pandit, a middle school teacher, in nearby Shrirampur. The father said, “Tushar left the house wearing a black T-shirt about 6.30 p.m. on Thursday, but they had no idea where he went. After a while, he spoke to his mother and let her know that he was returning home. They then received a call from his mobile demanding 40 lakh. The phone is presently switched-off.”

Station in-charge Sanovar Khan confirmed the information concerning the kidnapping. He added that the boy’s phone is currently off since Thursday evening, and is being continuously monitored via surveillance.

Paliganj Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Awadhesh Saroj Dixit, the in-charge officer assigned to the case, noted that a written report of the kidnapping of a child had been received at the police station around 11:00 p.m. on Thursday. “His father filed a written grievance,” he said. He also went to meet the family.

“There is information of asking for money through WhatsApp call, which is being verified,” he added and informed, that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) team has also been constituted in relation to the case. “Technical help is being utilized by the police to take further action,” the officer conveyed.

Similar cases in the recent past

Recently, the family of Dr. Sanjay Kumar, head of the pharmacology division at Patna’s Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), reported him missing. He is also related to comedian and actor Shekhar Suman.

Madhubani DPO Rajesh Mishra, a resident of Muzaffarpur, went missing last month. He left the house alone, according to reports, and when he didn’t return until the evening, his family went out in search of him. When they were unable to locate him, they proceeded to the Ahiyapur police station and filed a complaint. 

Early this month, Suman Sourav, senior manager of a mobile company was abducted from the Patna junction of the Danapur division. His mobile number was used to send a WhatsApp message to his mother Sarita Devi, warning her to deposit 25 lakhs to his account in two days, otherwise, she would lose her son.

Even the leaders of the ruling coalition aren’t safe in Bihar. Just a few days ago, Sunil Rai, a leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, was kidnapped in Bihar’s Saran area by unknown people. He was taken from outside his office near the market committee under the jurisdiction of the Muffasil police station by a group of unidentified individuals. Sunil Rai was rescued by Saran police in the Chhapra district on 15 March and two kidnappers were arrested, identified as Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Alamtab Khan.

Last year, Bihar Law Minister and RJD leader, Kartik Kumar, who was accused in a 2014 kidnapping case, had to resign amid protests by the opposition.

Lalu Yadav’s Jungle Raj

The 15-year Lalu Prasad Yadav administration was known as the ‘Jungle Raj’ because the state’s economic and social standings fell below those of other Indian states. Bihar’s law and order was at its lowest point, abduction was on the rise, and private armies sprang up everywhere during his government rule. Murder, rape and kidnapping became a full-fledged industry. Although Rabri Devi, his wife, served as the state’s CM for 8 of these 15 years, he was the mastermind behind her tenure.

Even leaders, bureaucrats and elected representatives weren’t safe. Everyone, from businessman to common people, lived in fear. It was a reign of terror for the residents of Bihar. While the state’s safety and security was continuously crumbling Lalu’s government was busy in minting money through scams. Politicians, mafias, and authorities have never had such a criminal nexus in the history of independent India.

Now, Janata Dal (United) is sharing power with the party after ditching BJP in August last year. The rising cases of kidnapping, poor state of law and order and spike in crimes, is a clear indication that state is devolving into its old days of ‘Jungle Raj.’

Economic crisis in Pakistan results in a shortage of life-saving medicines

OpIndia Staff
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Economic crisis in Pakistan results in a shortage of life-saving medicines

Expressing grave concerns over the shortage of different medicines including life-saving drugs, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) demanded the government to ease the process of opening letters of credit (LCs) for drug manufacturers, Dawn reported.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, the PMA said that it had already warned the government that the failure to open letters of credit (LC) for the import of raw materials would result in an acute shortage of medicine. 

The PMA demanded that the government take appropriate measures immediately to save the lives of innocent people in the country, the Dawn reported.

The drug makers have blamed the financial system for the crisis in the healthcare system by claiming that commercial banks are not issuing new Letters of Credit (LCs) for their imports.

The deteriorating economic crisis has badly affected the health care system, the pharmaceutical industry is struggling to replenish its supplies amid a shortage of essential life-saving drugs and other surgical instruments.

Faced with chronic shortages of medical equipment and anaesthetics, doctors at major hospitals are forced to stop performing surgeries, Pakistan Tribune reported.

The lack of forex reserves in the country has affected Pakistan’s capacity to import the required medicines or the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) used in domestic production.

As a result, local pharmaceutical manufacturers have been forced to slash their production as patients suffer in hospitals. Doctors are forced to not perform surgeries due to the shortage of drugs and medical equipment.

As per Pakistan media reports, the operation theatres are left with NIL stock of anaesthetics needed for sensitive surgeries, including for heart, cancer and kidney. The situation might also result in job losses in hospitals in Pakistan, further increasing the miseries of people.

Pakistan medicine manufacturing is highly import-dependent with almost 95 percent of the drugs requiring raw materials from other nations, including India and China. For most of the drug manufacturers, the imported materials have been held up at the Karachi port due to a shortage of dollars in the banking system.

The drug manufacturing industry has said that the cost of making drugs is constantly increasing due to rising fuel costs and transportation charges and the sharp devaluation of the Pakistani rupee.

Recently, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) called for the intervention of the government to prevent the situation from turning into a disaster. However, the authorities rather than taking immediate steps are still trying to assess the quantum of the shortage.

Drug retailers in Pakistan’s Punjab have said that government survey teams carried out field visits to determine the shortage of crucial medicines. The retailers revealed that the shortage of some common but important drugs is impacting the majority of the customers. These medicines include Panadol, Insulin, Brufen, Disprin, Calpol, Tegral, Nimesulide, Hepamerz, Buscopan and Rivotril, etc.

Earlier in January, Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) Central Chairman Syed Farooq Bukhari said that some 20-25 per cent of pharmaceutical production stands sluggish at present, The Express Tribune reported.

He further said, “The worst medicine crisis would erupt in the country if current policies (ban on imports) remain in place for the next four to five-week.

Earlier this month, the Pakistan government and the IMF staff concluded the ninth review of the USD 6.5 billion bailout package without a staff-level agreement. The Pakistani government had hoped that they would be able to convince the IMF about implementing the conditions in a gradual manner. However, Islamabad’s hopes were dashed during the IMF mission’s 10-day visit to Pakistan.

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

Son of terrorist killed in Kashmir caught in Katihar after suspicious movements, Pakistani numbers found on phone of Nasir Waza

OpIndia Staff
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Son of terrorist killed in Kashmir caught in Katihar after suspicious movements, Pakistani numbers found on phone of Nasir Waza

On Wednesday, 15th March 2023, Bihar police arrested a youth suspiciously roaming in the Shaheed Chowk of Katihar. The arrested youth is identified as Nasir Yusuf Waza, the son of a notorious terrorist Yusuf Waja who was killed in Kashmir in an encounter. Nasir Waja entered Bihar from the Nepal route. Several Pakistani phone numbers have also been found on his mobile phone. Police are investigating further in this case.

Nasir Waja was caught doing recce near Shaheed Chowk in Katihar. Locals claimed that he roamed from Shaheed Chowk to the Nagar police station area for several hours. This made people suspicious of him and the police were informed. During the initial interrogation, Nasir Waja said that he is a resident of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir.

Some papers from Finland have been recovered from Nasir Waja. These papers showed that he had lived in Finland for many years. He is also married there. He returned to India in 2021. Police are trying to ascertain the motive for his visit to Katihar. Efforts are also being made to trace the places he visited in Katihar. According to police, he was in contact touch with Pakistani phone numbers saved on his phone.

Nasir Waja told in the investigation that he spent several hours at Katihar railway station. Investigations have revealed that Nasir Waja was going to West Bengal from Katihar. Air and railway tickets have also been recovered from him. In this case, the Bihar Police have also contacted the Jammu and Kashmir Police and sought information regarding Nasir’s family members.

Law enforcement agencies are also trying to find out why he went to Finland after his father terrorist Yusuf Waja was killed in an encounter. Information about how he reached Katihar and how long he was staying here is also being obtained.

Katihar SP Jitendra Kumar said, “A youth has been arrested under suspicious circumstances. In the interrogation, it has been found that he is from Kashmir. Something can be clearly said in this matter only after interrogation.”

According to reports, after reaching Katihar from Nepal, he was going to Kolkata by train, but he missed the train. Therefore he checked into a hotel at Shaheed Chowk in the Nagar police station area.

It is notable that suspected terrorists are repeatedly caught in Bihar in the recent past. Earlier, on 3rd February 2023, in a joint operation with the Bihar police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted an extensive raid in the Kuwa village under the Chakia police station in Motihari, Bihar, and took eight people including three PFI members into custody. Popular Front of India (PFI) is a banned Islamic organization.

‘Mother’s love in Norway no different from mother’s love in India’: Norwegian ambassador says Rani Mukerji’s ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway’ has ‘factual inaccuracies’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mother’s love in Norway no different from mother’s love in India’: Norwegian ambassador says Rani Mukerji’s ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway’ has ‘factual inaccuracies’

Rani Mukerji’s Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway hit the theatres on Friday, March 17. Norwegian Ambassador to India Hans Jacob Frydenlund has reacted to the movie calling it ‘factually incorrect.’

Sharing a screenshot of the Op-ed he wrote for the Indian Express, Hans tweeted, “It incorrectly depicts Norway’s belief in family life and our respect for different cultures. Child welfare is a matter of great responsibility, never motivated by payments or profit. #Norwaycares.”

In the op-ed written for the Indian Express, Hans stated that given Rani Mukerji’s acting ability, it is tough to be unmoved by it, and movie-goers may walk out of the theatres thinking of Norway as an uncaring country.

Criticising the movie makers for a negative portrayal Norway, Hans said that the cultures of the two countries might be different but human instincts are the same. “A mother’s love in Norway is no different from a mother’s love in India,” stated the Norwegian Ambassador to India adding that it is important for him to put forward the Norwegian perspective. 

Hans stated that the film has ‘factual inaccuracies’ and the story is a ‘fictional representation of the case’ and that he needs to put forth the ‘Norwegian perspective’.

He said that in the film, cultural differences (between India and Norway) have been shown as the primary factor in the case, which is ‘completely false’. He also ‘categorically’ denied that ‘feeding with hands and sleeping in the same bed would be the reason for placing in alternative care’.  

Referring to the real-life case that inspired the film, Frydenlund wrote, “The film projects cultural differences as the primary factor in the case, which is completely false. Without going into any details of this particular case, I categorically deny that feeding with hands and sleeping in the same bed would be the reason for placing children in alternative care. Not in this case and not in any case.”

Giving his own example, Hans stated, “as a father of three, have beautiful memories of the time my children were growing up, of feeding them with my hands, of reading bedtime stories to them as they cuddled and slept in the same bed with us.”

Going forward, he added, “Yes, we have different cultural practices. Yes, we might have different parenting traditions in Norway. But our human instincts are not different. A mother’s love in Norway is no different from a mother’s love in India.”

He also said that he has been in India for nearly four years and experienced “first-hand the deep-rooted pride Indian take in their cultural heritage and rightly so’. He also spoke about how Indians celebrate ‘annual events such as the Bollywood Festival Norway, Oslo Durga Puja and the Mela festival’.

Adding that he hoped the movie would not dissuade Indians from visiting Norway, Hans added, “I sincerely hope this movie will not discourage Indians from coming to Norway. I hope this film will be seen for what it is and I trust the viewers to understand that this is a fictional representation. For those involved, there is no denying that the experience was traumatic.”

Helmed by Ashima Chibber, the trailer of Rani Mukerji starrer Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway begins with a shot of Mrs Chatterjee (Rani) blissfully going about her days in Norway with her husband and two children, Shubh and Shuchi. But, the family is soon in crisis when officers from the country’s child protection authority rush in unannounced and take their children away. What ensues is a fight of the Indian mother against the entire legal system and administration of a foreign country, Norway, to get back her kids.

Story of Sagarika Bhattacharya, the inspiration behind Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway

The film is inspired by the 2011 true story of NRI couple Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya. The couple had gotten married in 2007 and moved to Norway to start their new life.

In 2010, the couple welcomed Avigyan, followed by Aishwarya the following year. Avigyan was apparently diagnosed with “autism-like” symptoms in his early childhood and was placed in a family kindergarten near the family’s house. The family was apparently under Norway’s child welfare service also called Barnevarne’s surveillance for months, and in May 2011, officials removed the couple’s children from their care under the guise of poor parenting and placed them in foster care as per a local Norwegian court’s directive.

They objected to Sagarika hand-feeding the baby, comparing it to forced feeding. They also had issues with children sharing a bed with their parents, which is fairly prevalent in Indian households. They also charged Sagrika with slapping her toddler, as well as the children not having enough room to play in the house and having “unsuitable” clothes and toys.

What followed was two years of upheaval and arduous custody fights, the intervention of the Indian government, multiple protests, and a harsh spotlight on a variety of topics, including cultural differences, racism, the reception and treatment of mental health in women and children, and more.

The CWS, in February 2012, announced that the children would be handed over to Arunabhas Bhattacharya, the children’s uncle and an unmarried dentist. Meanwhile, Sagarika and Anurup’s marriage had broken down.

After the intervention of the Government of India, the Norwegian court overseeing the case allowed the children to return to India in April of that year, under the condition that they reside with Arunabhas.

But still, Sagarika’s battle was far from over. She petitioned the Child Welfare Committee in Burdwan (West Bengal) to have her children transferred to her care. She said that her husband’s parents were unwilling to allow her to visit her children and that the children were being neglected. This claim was backed up by the Child Welfare Committee in their report. Sagarika was certified as psychologically fit to raise her children in November 2012.

According to a report published by NDTV, despite the verdict, police officers refused to let Sagarika reconnect with her children. Sagarika was reunited with her children in April 2012, after months of back and forth between police authorities, the Child Welfare Committee, and the Kolkata High Court.

‘Subjecting India’s choices & challenges to international scrutiny is dishonourable’: Varun Gandhi takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi after declining Oxford Union invite

OpIndia Staff
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‘Subjecting India’s choices & challenges to international scrutiny is dishonourable’: Varun Gandhi takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi after declining Oxford Union invite

On Friday (March 17), BJP leader Varun Gandhi took a dig at his cousin brother, Rahul Gandhi, for seeking foreign intervention in India’s internal affairs during his Cambridge University talk.

Varun Gandhi, who represents the Pilbhit constituency in Lok Sabha, informed on social media that he has turned down an invitation to speak on India’s political affairs at the University of Oxford.

“I have declined the invitation for a debate at the Oxford Union. India’s polity regularly offers us a space to critique & provide constructive suggestions to improve our policies,” he said in a tweet, posting an Indian Express report informing that he has declined the invite.

“Subjecting India’s choices & challenges to international scrutiny, for me, is a dishonourable act,” he further emphasised. The archive of the tweet can be accessed here.

Varun Gandhi was invited to speak on the motion ‘This House Believes Modi’s India is on the Right Path’, and the invite was sent to him by Matthew Dick, president of the Oxford Union. “I am pleased to extend an invitation for Mr Gandhi to speak in an upcoming debate of ours. The motion is This House Believes Modi’s India Is On The Right Path,” the invitation letter stated.

It further said, “Against the backdrop of ever-strong popularity among voters, it is imperative to discuss whether the BJP’s direction under Modi has been more polarising than unifying. The question then becomes: what (or who) is the right path for India as it forges ahead into the future?”

However, Varun Gandhi declined the invite saying that such issues should be raised “within India to Indian policymakers”. He had also said that he believed the topic was one “with a predefined conclusion”. “Such comment must be offered within India to Indian policymakers. I see no merit or integrity in vocalising internal challenges in an international forum,” he wrote in his letter to the university informing about his decision to not attend the event.

“I believe the chosen topic is not one that offers much scope for debate or dispute,” Varun Gandhi added. Talking about the topic, he said that the country has been “on the right path for development and inclusiveness”.

The development comes weeks after Congress scion Rahul Gandhi courted controversy for defaming India abroad and pleading with foreign powers to meddle in India’s internal political affairs.

Rahul Gandhi and his anti-India propaganda

While delivering a lecture to the MBA students of Cambridge University on February 28 this year, Rahul Gandhi spoke about the Hathras case, the Pulwama attack and the Pegasus row to peddle his anti-India propaganda.

While delivering a presentation, he lied that the Israeli spyware Pegasus was being used to monitor his phone. Rahul Gandhi claimed that terrorists saw him in Kashmir but could not cause harm as he was promoting the idea of non-violence and peace.

Rahul Gandhi even compared the BJY to Gandhi’s Dandi March, drawing equivalence with the freedom struggle against the British, painting himself as carrying the legacy of Gandhi (they are not related), of fighting against tyranny.

He randomly called out a Sikh man from the audience and claimed that Sikhs have been rendered second-class citizens in India by the Narendra Modi government.

Despite being well aware that the global Khalistan movement has been trying to brainwash the Sikh community, he exploited the opportunity at Cambridge University to present a distorted image of India to the world.

During an interactive session, organised by the Indian Journalists’ Association (IJA), Rahul cried foul over the lack of foreign intervention to safeguard democracy in India.

Is Nepal’s Pokhara International Airport another Chinese debt trap? Concerns raised over steep interest rates

OpIndia Staff
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Is Nepal’s Pokhara International Airport another Chinese debt trap? Concerns raised over steep interest rates

The Pokhara International Airport in Nepal inaugurated by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on January 1 this year is becoming a matter of concern as the airport has since its inauguration received not even a single international flight. The country fears that the project might become another expensive venture which fails to provide returns.

A recent article by Adhiraj Regmi in Khabarhub discusses the issue.

The Pokhara International Airport project replaced the existing Pokhara Airport, which was commissioned in July 1958 to boost the country’s civil aviation sector and contribute to economic and social development, as well as tourism. While it is anticipated to handle one million passengers a year and also serves as the aerial gateway to the Himalayan and Annapurna regions in Nepal, the project could be accomplished only after China’s bank agreed to fund the construction of the Airport.

China is Nepal’s largest foreign lender and has made significant investments in the nation’s infrastructure. Nepal agreed to a $215 million loan from China’s Exim Bank in 2017 to help finance the development of the Pokhara International Airport. According to the Khabarhub article, despite the public and government authorities’ early enthusiasm, the airport’s bleak operating outlook and lack of readiness have contributed to the pessimism.

While the loan was initially welcomed by Nepal for providing it with a much-needed boost in the construction of its infrastructure, several serious questions have been raised over the loan’s conditions. Chinese loans have famously high-interest rates and based on certain estimates, the rates may even be significantly, even multiple times more than those offered by foreign lenders. This may result in long-term increases in Nepal’s interest payments, which might substantial strain on the nation’s resources.

Asian Development Bank backed out of the project

As previously noted, the new airport has been built to offer more flight options to local, national, and international travellers. It aims to promote tourism in the Pokhara region, one of Nepal’s most well-known tourist attractions. Initially, the Asian Development Bank was willing to fund the project after JICA performed a feasibility analysis and suggested it be built in phases.

Further, because of the many detours and conflicts of interest involved, the previous administration planned to build the massive project all at once. ADB then abandoned the project as a result of the government’s approach.

One claim concerns the position and functioning of Barshaman Pun, a former Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation in the Nepalese government. Pun and the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to offer a $215 million financing for the Pokhara International Airport project. Several opponents stated that because the MOU was struck during Pun’s tour to China, the loan was given without going through a formal procedure of competitive bidding.

The controversy revolving around the Chinese loan

China has been making significant investments in Nepal’s infrastructure, and as a result, Nepal now seems to be more dependent on Chinese funding for its development initiatives. China is Nepal’s biggest foreign financier, and Nepal has launched further infrastructure projects with Chinese support in addition to the Pokhara International Airport project.

Chinese loans are blamed for having interest rates that are considerably higher than those of other international investors. The interest rate charged by the Chinese government is over 300% more than what the western countries charge. Moreover, loans from China have payback terms that are about 15-20 years shorter. The cost of borrowing on the loan is much greater than the rates on loans offered by other international financial organizations, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

The World Bank and ADB would lend money to Nepal at an interest rate of 0.25 to 0.75%. Also, the Japanese financing for the Nagdhunga-Thankot project carries a low-interest rate of 0.01% and a 40-year payback schedule with a 10-year grace period. The Chinese financing for the Pokhara airport project, however, has a higher interest rate of 2% and a 25-year payback period.

The Communist regime in China has been infamous for pushing developing nations into its vicious debt trap by lending out money for investment projects and later using it to ensnare the sovereignty and strategic assets of the nation. As of 2021, the country had lent out $1.5 trillion to 150 countries, far more than that of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Reportedly, if Nepal had looked into alternative financing possibilities, it could have been able to acquire a loan at a cheaper interest rate. The high-interest rates are a major worry for Nepal since they might eventually result in a heavy debt load.

A sizeable sum of foreign cash would be needed for loan repayment, which Nepal might not be able to produce. Further, Nepal may potentially need to raise taxes or reduce public expenditure to repay the debt, which might hurt the country’s economy. According to research, 42 of the 165 nations (since 2000) have obtained financing from China equivalent to or higher than 10% of their GDP.

The Uganda airport incident

Due to the Ugandan government’s failure to repay a debt, Chinese lenders, the Export-Import Bank of China, have taken control of the country’s assets, including the Entebbe International Airport in Uganda.

The financing conditions and repayment schedule were identical to those for the Pokhara International Airport. Uganda attempted to renegotiate the agreement, but the Chinese government rejected its most recent trips and requests to change the initial provisions. As a result, Uganda is forced to give up control of its sole international airport.

One of the clauses that Uganda attempted to amend was the need for the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to seek approval from the Chinese lender for its budget and strategic plans. The agreement gave Exim Bank the sole authority to approve withdraws of funds from the UCAA accounts. Another problematic clause was that any dispute between the parties would be resolved by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission.

As many as 13 such clauses were deemed unfriendly to Uganda by people with knowledge about the matter. Apart from having the power to approve annual and monthly operating budgets, which it could reject, the Exim Bank of China also had attained the right to inspect the government and UCCA books of accounts.

The railway project in Kenya

A similar instance is said to have happened in Kenya where China funded the building of a railroad line between Nairobi and Mombasa. There are worries about increased costs because the project’s financing was granted without going through a competitive bidding procedure.

Also, the Kenyan government later released three unforeseen contracts using which, a railway, a passenger and a freight service were funded, designed and built by China. The Standard Gauge Railway, a USD 4.7 billion rail project that originates in Kenya’s coastal area and was started six years ago, has been the subject of several criminal investigations, crippling the nation’s economy with debt.

Specialists on China and Africa claimed that given the secrecy surrounding Chinese loan arrangements, the findings released by Kenya in the contract were exceptional. Kenya also owes China an inordinate amount of bilateral debt since China is its main commercial partner.

Chinese loans are criticized for being frequently granted without transparency or accountability, which some claim can result in corruption and inefficiency. There are worries that the projects may not have the anticipated economic advantages and that the loans may not be utilized efficiently.

Hambantota Port Capture

Sri Lanka struggled to repay the $1.1 billion loan it received from China for the development of the Hambantota port. In order to fulfil its financial commitments, Sri Lanka ultimately had to turn over the administration of the port to China on a 99-year lease.

The Hambantota port, with its strategic location near busy Indian Ocean shipping routes, was touted as good for Sri Lankan commerce. But it wasn’t profitable, and the government is said to have defaulted on those Chinese loans. Considering that the Hambantota port has come to represent China’s debt-trap diplomacy, many nations are hesitant to accept Chinese financing for their development initiatives.

Inadequate revenue streams to pay off the loans

The inadequacy of the revenue sources available to repay Chinese loans is one of the primary issues. At Pokhara International Airport, the primary source of revenue is landing fees and passenger charges. This income, however, probably won’t be enough to pay the loan’s debt servicing expenses.

Concerns have also been raised over the airport’s capability to accommodate up to 1.5 million passengers annually. Given the current status of Nepal’s tourist sector, several experts have argued that this projection may be too optimistic and problematic.

The possible effect of these loans on Nepal’s capacity to sustain its debt is another issue. The World Bank estimates that Nepal’s public debt was 34.4% of GDP in 2019, which is low when compared to other developing nations.

However, Nepal’s growing reliance on Chinese financing for infrastructure development might result in a sharp rise in its debt load, which could have detrimental effects on its macroeconomic stability. Even if this is still within reasonable limits, adding more debt with a high-interest rate might pressure the economy.

This may lead to less money being spent on social welfare programs and more money being raised through taxes and loan repayment costs. Moreover, Chinese finances often come with conditions such as the use of Chinese contractors and equipment. This might result in project inefficiencies and expense overruns, which would produce inferior results.

Similar problems have plagued Chinese-funded projects in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other nations, with delays and cost overruns resulting in poor returns on investment. In the current case also, China CAMC Engineering secured an engineering, procurement and construction contract from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) in 2014, two years before the Chinese bank executed the loan to the country.

Chinese loans come with a lack of transparency

It has been observed that China finances development projects for various nations but offers no transparency. It withholds the conditions of its loans, which increases the challenges of the recipient nations to evaluate the risks involved in taking on the debt.

International financial institutions have also criticized the absence of transparency in Chinese finances, claiming that it makes it more difficult for them to aid nations that are having trouble repaying their debts. There also have been reports of corruption and lack of transparency in the procurement process of these projects, which might drive up their costs and diminish their efficacy.

The Pokhara International Airport’s location is situated near Chhinne Danda in the western Nepali city of Pokhara’s Kaski District, 800 meters above sea level. The property is conveniently located along the Prithvi Highway and approximately three kilometres east of Pokhara’s current domestic airport (Kathmandu-Pokhara). It aims at boosting the country’s civil aviation sector and contributing to economic and social development, as well as tourism. However, the country needs to be careful to make sure it does not fall into the debt trap of other nations that have had difficulty repaying Chinese loans for infrastructure projects.

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