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Humans of Bombay gets called out for glorifying illegal immigration

OpIndia Staff
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Humans of Bombay gets called out for glorifying illegal immigration

On January 6, Humans of Bombay published a post about the struggle of a man named Varun who spent years to get a visa for the United Kingdom so that he can reunite with his family. Except, it ended up glorifying what seems like illegal immigration.

As the story goes, it was about a man whose mother moved to the UK when he was 9 years old in the hope of a better future. When she got a job, the man who was a boy then, moved to the UK with his father. As they were on a dependent visa, the husband could not work and the son could not study. After 2.5 years, their visa expired. Though they should have moved back to India, they decided to stay in the UK. The father moved to his family in London and the boy stayed with his mother in London, without a valid visa.

They applied for a visa 5-6 times but did not get it. In 2016, his grandmother (Nani) passed away in India and his mother returned. The man wanted to join his mother and “begged” her to take him along, his mother told him to “Stay and build his future”. The idea was, if he had taken a flight to India, he would not be able to re-enter London without a visa. I had to stay back,” the man told Humans of Bombay.

He moved in with his father. His grades were good but he could not “legally” attend any university. His family consoled him over video calls. In 2020, he decided to move to India but could not because of Covid. He enrolled on an online course at an Indian University. As he lived for most of his life in the UK, of course as an illegal immigrant, he started reapplying for the visa. After multiple rejections, he was granted a visa in October last year.

“I finally had my visa in my hands. At 1st it felt unreal because I’d been waiting for this moment for 12 years. I cried as a huge burden was off me. I applied for jobs and soon got one as an accountant. And now, I’m studying to become a CA,” he told Humans of Bombay. For 12 years, the man lived in the UK as an illegal immigrant.

Netizens criticized Humans of Bombay for glorifying illegal immigration

Several netizens were taken aback by the story as it glorified illegal immigration. Instagram user the mountaingirl_ said, “Are we here glorifying illegal immigration? Didn’t quite get the jest of the story.”

Instagram user calling out Humans of Bombay

Instagram user relikatunga expressed anguish over an unrealistic desire to move to the UK for a “better life” and said, “I don’t understand Indians’ obsession with moving abroad. This guy lost 12 precious years of his formative years with his mother. How does moving to UK help? It’s ridiculous and impractical. Living and spending time with family in your formative years is so important.”

Instagram user calling out Humans of Bombay

Another Instagram user drop.of.stardust said, “So this is the story of a family that chose to not let the child come back, chose to give him the life/tag of an illegal immigrant because he won’t get a visa again if he returns to India. With due respect to the reunion angle, wondering who thought this was a good story to share out loud.”

Instagram user calling out Humans of Bombay

Instagram user kangaaaru asked Humans of Bombay not to glorify illegals as victims and said, “Don’t glorify illegals as victims. I am surprised how they allowed to overstay in UK. Also, what does he mean by not allowed to enrol in university? You Can get student visa on Indian passport (based on context, op isnt stateless).”

Instagram user calling out Humans of Bombay

Instagram user shwetachoudhary said, “Usually I am a fan of your stories, but this story is very disturbing. I live in London and know plenty of people who indulge in illegal immigration. There is nothing sad or emotional about this video people like this thrive on taxpayers’ money and are a burden on the system. Shame on you to promote such a story!”

Instagram user calling out Humans of Bombay

Instagram user piya_debose said, “Are we then encouraging and glorifying illegal immigrants who squat in a country they do not belong? India isn’t so bad to live in and make a living. Sorry, this didn’t feel right.”

Instagram user calling out Humans of Bombay

Humans of Bombay has a history of getting called out for dubious stories

This is not the first time Humans of Bombay made headlines for the wrong reasons. In July 2022, they promoted a fundraiser for a woman named Muskaan for her higher studies at Harvard. Netizens found discrepancies in the fundraiser and called out both Muskaan and the platform for promoting the fundraiser. Pointing out the discrepancies, a popular Twitter user @befittingfacts said, “Muskaan Bawa is collecting ₹25 Lakh in Milaap and ₹23.62 Lakh in Ketto for her ‘Education’. In Milaap she is from Dharmshala and in Ketto she is from Chandigarh.”

Several questions were raised and Humans of Bombay was forced to remove the post and issue a statement. They offered to refund the money but claimed they did the background check before publishing the story. They asked the donors to mail them and offered help in getting a refund from Ketto, a crowdfunding platform whose link was shared with the story.

Delhi: Man acquitted by SC in Chhawla gang-rape and murder case just 3 months back gets arrested for murder

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Man acquitted by SC in Chhawla gang-rape and murder case just 3 months back gets arrested for murder

On February 4, Delhi Police said in a statement that they have arrested a man identified as 35-year-old Vinod for involvement in the murder of an auto-rickshaw driver. As per reports, Vinod was acquitted in the Chhawla gang rape and murder case of 2012. The incident took place in Section 14 of the Dwarka area in the wee hours of January 26. The other accused in the case has been identified as Pawan.

During the interrogation, Vinod told police that on January 26, they boarded 44-year-old Anar Singh’s auto-rickshaw. Upon reaching Dwarka, they tried to rob Singh. When he resisted, they stabbed him in the neck. Singh was a resident of Munirka.

As per the police, when Singh got stabbed, he started screaming and rushed out of the auto for help. The attackers got panicked and fled the scene. The crime was captured on a CCTV camera. DCP added, “In the CCTV footage, they were seen walking towards Ranhola and then returning to the Dwarka area, where they parted their ways. The direction in which Vinod went was not covered by any CCTV camera, so his further movement could not be traced.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dwarka, M Harshawardhan, told news agency ANI that Vinod was recently released from jail after 10 years where he was lodged for his alleged involvement in the Chhawla gang-rape and murder case. He was one of the three men who were acquitted by the Supreme Court in the matter.

The police team raided multiple locations to arrest the accused. They raided Vinod’s aunt’s house but he was not found there. Pawan’s address was revealed by his relatives. He was arrested from his Faridabad house on January 29. Initially, the police were not aware that the second accused was acquitted by the court in the Chhawla gang rape and murder case. His identity was revealed by Pawan during interrogation. DCP said, “Both Vinod and Pawan said that they killed the auto driver for robbing him. Vinod said it was his first crime after the acquittal.”

The Chhawla gang-rape and murder case

On February 9, 2012, a woman was kidnapped from the Chhawla camp. Days later, the police recovered her body in Rewari, Haryana. In autopsy, it was revealed that she was attacked with sharp objects and glass bottles. Police arrested three accused Rahul, Ravi and Vinod in connection to the matter. On February 19, 2014, a Delhi court sentenced them to death. The verdict was upheld by the High Court on August 26, 2014.

Perpetrators inflicted brutalities on the victim

It took the police three days to arrest the perpetrators. All three were residents of the same neighbourhood as the girl and had been released from Tihar Jail just a few days before the incident.

The interrogation of the three accused revealed chilling details of the fate that had befallen the girl. The accused had reportedly mutilated and poured acid into the victim’s eyes, inserted a broken liquor bottle into her vagina and abandoned her in the mustard field in Haryana to die. According to the girl’s autopsy, she had died on February 13, a few hours before her body was recovered. For more than three days, the girl bled to death and the forensics test confirmed rape. 

Supreme Court acquitted the accused

The matter reached the Supreme court. On November 7, 2022, the Supreme Court set aside the conviction stating there were faults in the investigation. The court said, “The law does not permit the courts to punish the accused based on moral conviction or suspicion alone. The court has noticed many glaring lapses during the trial. The court is left with no alternative but to acquit the accused, though involved in a very heinous crime.”

Following the verdict, the victim’s father said the family lost the hope in judiciary. he said, “For over 10 years, we fought in the courts hoping that our daughter will get justice. But after the Supreme Court decided to acquit all three accused, we lost our faith in the judiciary. We have also lost the will to live.”

‘Can’t open a pandora’s box for power’: After Tripura CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma says demand for separate Tipraland state not acceptable

OpIndia Staff
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‘Can’t open a pandora’s box for power’: After Tripura CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma says demand for separate Tipraland state not acceptable

Ahead of the assembly elections in Tripura, the ruling BJP has made it clear that the demand for a separate state for tribals in the state is not acceptable. After chief minister Manik Saha said that the demand to form Greater Tipraland by splitting the state of Tripura will not be possible, Assam CM and BJP’s chief trouble-shooter in North East Himanta Biswa Sarma echoed the same opinion.

Talking to India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai in Guwahati, Sarma said that accepting the demand will open a pandora’s box, as it will trigger a series of similar demands in other states in the region. Referring to the demand for a separate state raised by Tipra Motha party, he said that this demand can’t be accepted. Himanta Biswa Sarma said whether BJP wins of loses the elections, if Motha sticks to the demand, BJP will not form any alliance with the party led by Pradyot Manikya Debbarman, the scion of Tripura’s royal family.

“For power, we can’t create a pandora’s box in the northeast”, the Assam CM said alleging that Motha is demanding a separate state only to grab power. “If you do something in Tripura, that will trigger similar kind of demands in other states”, he added.

He said that BJP has told Tipra Motha that they are ready to discuss on anything, except the demand for the Greater Tipraland state. If Motha continues with the demand even after the elections, then BJP will not have any kind of relationship with the party, he said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said that one can’t create a mess out of hard-earned peace in the region, as many such similar demands in the northeastern states have been eliminated with the initiative of the Modi government. He said that peace and development have come to the states after much difficulty after 2014, and all of them will go away if the separate state demand is accepted.

He said tribal organisations can demand more autonomy and greater financial authority, but they should not ask for a division of a state. ‘We don’t open a pandora’s box, whether we are in power or not’, he said.

The Assam CM said that there are lots of fault lines in the northeast, there are fault lines with the rest of the country, among the states, and within the states. It was a fragile co-existence, but lots of disputes have been resolved after 2014, and several fragilities and disturbances have been eliminated. Therefore, if any demand for a separate state is accepted in the northeast, it will create tremendous problems, and hard-earned peace, tranquillity and development will be lost, he further said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed confidence that BJP and NDA will return to power after the upcoming elections in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. He said that BJP is certain to join alliance governments in Meghalaya and Nagaland, and it will return to power in Tripura too.

Yesterday Tripura CM Manik Saha also said that the demand of Greater Tipraland by the Tipra Motha will not be possible. He said that Tipra Motha is trying to create division between tribals and non-tribals in the state.

Manik Saha also said that the Greater Tipraland state is not feasible, as its proposed boundary not only goes through Assam and Mizoram but also goes through Bangladesh. “Will they accept the proposal of Greater Tipraland? It is not possible,” Saha said.

Other parties contesting the elections, Congress, CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress have also not agreed to the Greater Tipraland demand by Tipra Motha. It is notable that Congress and CPI(M) have formed an alliance for the elections in Tripura.

Yesterday, Himanta Biswa Sarma commented that Pradyot Manikya Debbarman’s family had founded Tripura, and now he wants to divide the state.

Tipra Motha has fielded candidates in 42 of the 60 seats for the February 16 election. BJP has nominated 55 candidates, while its ally has fielded IPFT has named 6 candidates. Congress is contesting in 13 seats and CPI(M) in 43 seats. TMC has fielded candidates in 28 constituencies.

The Greater Tipraland demand

The demand for a separate state for tribals in Tripura has again come up in the state ahead of the elections, as Tipra Motha has made it one of their primary demands, and included it in their election promises. The party wants to carve out tribal-dominated areas in Tripura to form the new state. Tribals in the state keep demanding a new state for them from time to time, as the indigenous communities in the state have become minorities due to the influx of Bengalis from East Pakistan during the partition.

While indigenous people were the majority in Tripura before the independence, the situation changed drastically after the independence and partition, as Hindus displaced from East Pakistan moved into neighbouring Tripura in large numbers. A second wave of Bengali migrants entered the state during the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971, further reducing the share of tribals in the state’s population.

The result is, now Bengali is the language spoken by the majority of the population in the state. Around two-thirds of the population list Bengali as their mother tongue, while less than 25% of people speak Kokborok or Tiprakok, the mother tongue of the largest tribal group. Kokborok is a Sino-Tibetan language and an official language of the state.

Hindu daughters not eligible for inheritance if mother converted to Islam: Ahmedabad court denies daughters’ claim on converted mother’s property

OpIndia Staff
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Hindu daughters not eligible for inheritance if mother converted to Islam: Ahmedabad court denies daughters’ claim on converted mother’s property

A local court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat dismissed a lawsuit by three Hindu girls who sought the retirement benefits of their deceased mother. The court said that since their mother had converted to Islam, her daughters are no longer entitled to any benefit.

The court declared the deceased woman’s Muslim son as her legitimate heir and denied any benefit to the three daughters because they are Hindu and not entitled to any benefit under Islamic law.

As per reports, Ranjan Tripathi lost her husband, a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) employee, in 1979, leaving behind a pregnant wife and two daughters. On the grounds of sympathy, BSNL let the widow work as a clerk. She did not, however, remain with her family for a long time, and her three girls were cared for by their paternal family.

After leaving her family, Ranjan moved in with a Muslim man. The three daughters filed a maintenance lawsuit against her in 1990, alleging abandonment and they won that lawsuit.

After her conversion to Islam, Ranjan Tripathi took the name of Rehana Malek and married the Muslim man in 1995. She had a son with him before passing away in 2009.

Once Ranjan (Rehana) passed away, her three daughters filed a lawsuit in the city civil court, asserting their right to her provident fund, gratuity, insurance, leave encashment, and other benefits by alleging that they are Class I heirs because they are her biological daughters.

However, the court noted that according to the law, if the decedent was a Muslim, her Class I heirs cannot be Hindus. Only Muslims may be the immediate heirs of a deceased Muslim.

Hence, legally, the daughters are not eligible for inheritance because their mother converted to Islam and the daughters are Hindus.

Protests held across Bangladesh over China’s mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims

ANI
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Protests held across Bangladesh over China’s mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims

A series of protests were held across Bangladesh to mark the anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre, the local media reported, adding that activists highlighted Chinese atrocities and ongoing genocide against minorities, predominantly Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province.

This is an important day marking the 26th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre that took place in 1997 when Chinese forces allegedly killed and imprisoned thousands of innocent Uyghurs while they were participating in a peaceful demonstration in Ghulja in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) demanding religious and cultural freedom and equal rights. 

Various NGOs and civil societies, Ulemas, and other organisations observed the 26th Anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre to support the legitimate demand of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities being suppressed by China through various events and programs in different parts of Bangladesh, several media reported.

To mark the day, Sanchetan Nagarik Samaj organized a Human Chain and protest demonstrations in Bangladesh’s Gazipur city highlighting Chinese atrocities and ongoing genocide against Uyghur Muslims.

Protesters expressed solidarity with the Uyghur Muslims and condemned China for adopting its double standard on minority issues and committing genocide on innocent Uyghurs. Protestors were carrying banners and posters highlighting Chinese atrocities on Uyghurs.

Meanwhile, in Dhaka, Bangladesh Sampriti Saangsad (BSS) Welfare Association organized a bicycle rally and protest meeting. the bicycle rally started from Nikunj Police Plaza, went through Gulshan Area and United Hospital, and ended at the Police Plaza.

They held a brief protest meeting at the Police Plaza, which was chaired by the Founding Chairman of BSS Taufiq Ahmed Tafsir. He stated that on this day in 1997, Uyghur protesters in Ghulja took part in a non-violent protest calling for an end to religious repression and ethnic discrimination in the city by the Chinese Government and added that Muslims of Bangladesh continue to stand with Uyghur Muslims. 

Students of various schools and colleges, journalists, leaders, and activists of political parties participated in the event, various media reported.

In National Press Club, Islamic Progotoshil Janata Front organized a Press Conference which was attended by 120-150 participants including Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon leader, Ameer Maulana Abu Zafar Kashemi, Senior leader of Jamiayet Ulamaye Islam Bangladesh Maulona Shahidul Islam Ansari.

Bangladesh Mohajir Welfare and Development Committee (BMWDC) organized a protest demonstration near Dhaka University. The participants carried posters, and placards highlighting the Ghulja massacre and distributed leaflets among the student of Dhaka University. A team of BMWDC went on to submit a memorandum to the Embassy of China later in the evening.

In Khulna, the Khulna Metropolitan Students Union (KMSU) organized a human Chain and a protest rally at the Royal intersection in Khulna, and Bangladesh Social Activist Forum (BSAF) organized the Human chain and protest rally at Shaheb Bazar, Zero Point, Rajshahi to highlight China’s inhumane treatment of minorities and Uyghurs, according to local media.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Islamic Front organized a discussion meeting at Bangabandhu Hall, Chittagong Press Club, Chittagong. The event was attended by about 500 persons including Maulana Nurul Islam (President of Chittagong South wing of Bangladesh Islamic Front), Maulana M.A. Matin (Chairman of Bangladesh Islamic Front), and S.U.M Abdus Samad (General Secretary of Bangladesh Islamic Front).

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

Centre bans 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese links

OpIndia Staff
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Centre bans 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese links

In a new round of bans on apps with Chinese links, the central government on Tuesday imposed an ‘urgent’ and ’emergency’ ban on around 230 Chinese apps, including 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps. In accordance with the recommendations of the Union home ministry, the action was initiated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. However, the list of banned apps has not been released.

The apps were banned by the govt exercising its power under section 69 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. This power enables govt agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any digital information in special circumstances. “These 138 betting or gambling apps and 94 loan apps were engaging in money laundering, and were a threat to the financial security of our nation,” said a source close to the ministry. The apps are being operated from offshore entities, including Chinese ones.

The decision was taken when it was assessed that these apps are covered under Section 69 of the IT Act, because they include material that is damaging to India’s sovereignty and integrity. The measure is being orchestrated in response to numerous complaints of extortion and harassment against users of the mobile apps operated by those businesses and individuals who took out small loans. Reports claim that the developers of these apps are Chinese nationals who recruited Indians and made them operational directors. People who are in a dire financial situation are compelled to take out loans only to discover that the interest rates grow by as much as 3,000% annually.

Those who promote these applications pressurized the borrowers when they are unable to pay the interest. They threaten to send unpleasant messages to their connections, revealing their doctored images and embarrassing them in public. A number of these cases have been exposed in other states, such as Telangana and Odisha.

Attention was brought to the problem after a number of persons committed suicide, especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, after taking out such loans or losing money to betting apps. States like Telangana, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as the central intelligence agencies, then urged the Union Home Ministry to act against these apps.

When borrowers are unable to pay the interest, those who promote these applications pressurize them. They threaten to reveal their altered photos and publicly disgrace them by sending offensive messages to their connections. In several states, a number of these cases have come to light.

Following a string of suicides, mostly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, by people who took out such loans or lost money to betting apps, awareness was brought upon the issue. The Union Home Ministry was then urged to take measures against these apps by states like Telangana, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh as well as central intelligence agencies.

Based on these details, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) examined 28 Chinese loan lending applications six months ago. They did, however, find that 94 programmes were available through internet marketplaces and that others worked via linkages from other sources.

On mobile devices, several apps are no longer accessible. Sources claim that independent links or websites are still able to be used to download betting apps and games.

According to a warning from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), since gambling and betting are prohibited in the majority of the nation’s jurisdictions, it is also unlawful to advertise these betting platforms and their substitutes in accordance with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, the Cable TV Network Regulation Act of 1995, and the IT Rules of 2021.

The ministry barred 54 Chinese apps that were a security risk to India, last year. The apps included Tencent Xriver, Onmyoji Chess, Equalizer & Bass Booster and Dual Space Lite.

The 54 apps, according to the government, reportedly obtained crucial rights and gathered private user information. According to a statement from the IT ministry, the material was being used improperly and transferred to servers in a enemy nation. These apps either have identical functionality to one another or have similar privacy and security risks.

The government had restricted 47 related apps on August 10, 2020, after banning 59 apps in June 2020. Later, 43 other apps were restricted on November 19, 2020, and 118 additional apps were blocked on September 1, 2020.

Nearly half of the top 20 free apps in India in the first half of 2020 were developed by major Chinese tech companies, including TikTok and Helo from ByteDance, the popular mobile game PUBG from Tencent Holdings, and UC Browser and VMate from Alibaba Group Holding, the company that owns the South China Morning Post. These apps aren’t on the download charts, since the ban.

Bihar: Locals raise slogans against CM Nitish Kumar, set fire to posters of CM and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav during ‘Samadhan Yatra’

ANI
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Bihar: Locals raise slogans against CM Nitish Kumar, set fire to posters of CM and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav during ‘Samadhan Yatra’

Locals at Dighari Panchayat in Korha block of Katihar on Sunday raised slogans against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his ‘Samadhan Yatra’, claiming that they were not allowed to meet him.

The protesters also set fire to posters featuring the chief minister and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Nitish Kumar embarked on the statewide ‘Samadhan Yatra’ on January 5. 

During the yatra, which will pass through 18 districts, public feedback will be taken on the work done in the state over the last 18 years.

Earlier, on January 25, the Bihar chief minister had toured several blocks of the Bhojpur district, as part of his ‘Samadhan Yatra’.

At an event on the sidelines of the yatra, at Tirthakoul village of Sandesh block, a farmer, who was in the audience, stood up and demanded the provision of canal water for irrigation.

The Bihar CM visited two blocks of the Bhojpur district during his yatra. Earlier, on January 19, the CM addressed another event at Tirthakoul village of Sandesh block, which was also attended by his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.

The CM was seen marching in the company of his security escorts. There was a crowd of supporters around him chanting ‘Nitish Kumar Zindabad’.

The yatra is aimed at reviewing the implementation of government schemes and holding meetings with officials.

Kumar kicked off the yatra from West Champaran’s Bettiah. A detailed schedule of the yatra has been published by the Cabinet Secretariat Department of Bihar.

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

Indian ‘Liberals’ praise Pervez Musharraf after his death, paint him as the messiah of peace ignoring that he was the butcher of Kargil

OpIndia Staff
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Indian ‘Liberals’ praise Pervez Musharraf after his death, paint him as the messiah of peace ignoring that he was the butcher of Kargil

Hours after it came to light that Pervez Musharraf had died, Indian liberals started to heap praise on the former Pakistani military dictator, known in India as the butcher of Kargil.

While ignoring the fact that Musharraf masterminded the 1999 Kargil War that claimed the lives of 500+ Indian soldiers, they glorified him for being a ‘cricket enthusiast’ and the ‘messiah of peace.’

Leading the pack of liberals was none other than Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who said that he found Musharraf smart and clear in his strategic thinking. He tweeted, “…Once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007. I met him annually in those days at the @un & found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP”

Vikrant Gupta, the Managing Editor of Sports Tak, also glorified Pervez Musharraf for being a sports lover and welcoming the Indian cricketers with open arms.

He tweeted, “India toured Pakistan in 2004 and 2006 when Pervez Musharraf was Pakistan President and welcomed the players with open arms. Famously told MS Dhoni not to cut his hair (saying the long locks suited him) and was an instant hit with the Indian team.”

Sudheendra Kulkarni, who downplayed Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), hailed Musharraf for supposedly doing course correction after the Kargil War.

“He made a sensible proposal for peaceful resolution of the #Kashmir dispute. RIP,” Kulkarni tweeted a picture with the former military dictator. It is notable that Kulkarni has become a big supporter of Pakistan in India, and had even asked the Indian government to financially help Pakistan.

CNN-News18 sports journalist, Saikat Ghosh, also ignored the bloodied past of Pervez Musharraf and hailed for asking MS Dhoni to not cut his long hair. “Pervez Musharraf will be remembered for this one act,” he tweeted while attaching a video of the incident. According to him, the Pakistani dictator will be remembered for a random moment from a cricket field, and not for how he captured power in Pakistan through a coup and his bloody war against India.

In 1984, in response to the Pakistan Army’s intrusions into Kargil, India launched ‘Operation Meghdoot’ and took control of Siachen and its tributary glaciers. Musharraf, who was heading those failed Siachen missions for Pakistan, vowed to occupy Kargil in response, and that personal ambition of Musharraf was the main trigger for Pakistan’s misadventure in Kargil in 1999.

Musharraf was the leading strategist behind the Kargil war, as he ordered the infiltration of Indian territory as the Pakistani Army’s General. In fact, when the then-PM Nawaz Sharif ordered the retreat of Pakistan forces due to international pressure, everyone knew that a coup has become inevitable since General Musharraf disagreed with Sharif.

The personal ambition and ego of Musharraf led to the deaths of thousands, mostly Pakistanis, during the Kargil war but instead of reflecting on that, the megalomaniac engineered a coup to seize power for himself.

Pervez Musharraf and his role in increasing Pakistan’s terror activities and hostility toward India

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Pervez Musharraf and his role in increasing Pakistan’s terror activities and hostility toward India

On February 5 (local time), former President and military dictator of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf died due to a heart attack while receiving treatment for his prolonged illness. Musharraf, who is infamously known for his role in instigating the Kargil war and the increase in terror activities in India, was suffering from amyloidosis. It is a rare disease that affects the connective tissues and organs in the body. Musharraf, who was 79 at the time of death, was suffering from abnormal functioning of multiple organs due to the build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid.

The early life of Musharraf

Parvez Musharraf was born in August 1943 in Delhi, India. Following the partition at the end of British Rule, his family moved to Pakistan. For seven years, Musharraf was in Turkey as his father was posted as a civil servant in Ankara. In 1956, his family moved to Karachi. For his education, Musharraf attended Christian schools, before moving to the Royal College of Defence Studies in London for higher studies.

At the age of 18, Musharraf joined the Pakistan Military Academy. When war broke out between India and Pakistan in 1965, Musharraf was already a part of the Pakistan Army. He also participated in the 1971 war that led to Pakistan’s partition and the formation of Bangladesh.

Musharraf also served in the special service commando group of Pakistan’s armed forces. In October 1998, he was promoted to the rank of General and named Army Chief by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the dismissal of General Jehangir Karamat.

Musharraf’s role in the Kargil war

Though the infiltration of Kargil started in 1999, it was not the first time Musharraf had floated the idea. When Musharraf was a Brigadier, he proposed the Kargil infiltration to then-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. However, she refuted the plans and things did not go the way Musharraf wanted. It is believed that a decade later, he played a key role in the 1999 Kashmir infiltration. The infiltration started early in 1999, however, it turned into a wrong strategic move for Pakistan leading to the Kargil war from May to July 1999.

The initial plan of the Pakistani Army was to capture as many posts as possible on the heights across LOC vacated by the Indian Army during the winter. Not to forget, the Kargil war started only a few months after the historic bilateral peace declaration between Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.

From March 1999 to May 1999, Musharraf ordered the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and terrorists in the Kargil district. When India discovered the infiltration, a full-scale war broke out in the region. Soon after the war began, Sharif decided to withdraw the support of the terrorists in July. It is believed that the pressure from the international community had become unbearable for the Pakistani government.

Sharif’s decision did not go well with the Pakistan Army and it is rumoured that the decision led to the coup soon after. The war officially ended on July 26, 1999.

On October 12, 1999, Mushraff was scheduled to return to Pakistan but Sharif attempted to prevent the plane carrying him from landing at Karachi airport. The attempts were foiled by the Pakistani Army which seized control of the airport. Sharif’s actions led to the forceful removal of his government by Musharraf. The Pakistan Army, under his leadership, seized control of the civilian government and on October 14, Musharraf passed an ordinance suspending the Constitution of Pakistan while serving as the Chief Executive of the country.

Musharraf’s role in terrorist activities in India

The Kargil war was not the only occasion when Musharraf played a role against India. In an interview in 2019, he admitted to training Kashmiris to wage a war against the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, taking pride in these ‘Mujahideens’, touting them to be “Pakistan’s heroes’.

Terrorists like Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Jalaluddin Haqqani, and others were always considered to be “Pakistan’s heroes”, Musharraf confessed.

In the interview, he said, “In 1979, we had introduced religious militancy in Afghanistan to benefit Pakistan and to push the Soviets out of the country. We brought Mujahideen from all over the world, trained them, and supplied weapons. They were our heroes. Haqqani was our hero. Osama bin Laden was our hero. Then the environment was different but now it is different. Heroes have turned to villains.”

He added, “Kashmiris who came to Pakistan received a hero’s reception here. We used to train them and support them. We considered them Mujahideen who will fight with the Indian Army then various terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba rose in this period. They were our heroes.”

Later, Musharraf said that the assassination attempt on his life back in 2003 on the Jhanda Chichi bridge was carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammad and hence, he always considered them as terrorists. He said that because of the terrain of the area back then, they had pressed the button late, and hence their assassination attempt had failed.

In 2018, in an interview with The Guardian, Musharraf admitted that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) helped cultivate the Taliban to counter then-Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai’s government, for harbouring officials thought to favour India. “We were looking for some groups to counter this Indian action against Pakistan,” Musharraf said, “That is where the intelligence work comes in. Intelligence being in contact with Taliban groups. They were in contact, and they should be.”

Musharraf always displayed his hate towards India although he claimed otherwise. He was also contemptuous of the favourable opinion towards India in western countries.

“India is the greatest democracy, promoter of human rights and democratic culture’? All bullshit,” he said, “There are no human rights. The religion itself is anti-human rights. In the rural areas, if even the shadow of an untouchable goes on a pandit, that man can be killed.”

The political life and death

In 2001, a referendum was held in Pakistan to determine if Musharraf can continue ruling the country. He won and his term was extended for five years. There were allegations that he got the voting rigged in his favour. In August 2008, he lost the elections and the ruling coalition agreed to launch impeachment proceedings against him.

In 2012, Musharraf tried to make a political comeback but got disqualified. He was then arrested and put under house arrest. He faced treason charges for an attempt to fire Supreme Court judges. In 2016, he was allowed to leave Pakistan on bail for medical treatment. After that, he did not return to Pakistan and died while receiving treatment for his ailment.

Pakadua Vivah in Bihar: Boy flees after a girl’s family allegedly gets him forcefully married to her in court, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Pakadua Vivah in Bihar: Boy flees after a girl’s family allegedly gets him forcefully married to her in court, video goes viral

On Friday in Bihar, a family of a boy alleged that another family forcefully took him to a court and got him married to their daughter against his will, after spotting them talking to each other. While the girl maintains that they were in a relationship, the boy refused this and claimed that the wedding was conducted forcefully by forcing him to put sindoor on her forehead.

The case took place in the Nalanda district of Bihar. Gyani Kumar, son of Parshuram Paswan, resident of Mohini village had gone to Bihar Sharif with her sister as she was appearing for an examination. There he met the girl, Gudiya Kumari, daughter of Rajkumar Paswan of the village Mananki in the Rahui Thana district. According to the version of the girl’s side, Gyani had called Gudiya to meet.

As they were talking to each other, the girl’s family saw this, and immediately took the couple to court and got them married. The boy claimed that they forced him to put sindoor on the girl’s forehead, and they were declared married.

However, as soon as the boy’s family learned of this, they arrived at the scene and rejected the wedding, and stopped the further proceedings of the marriage. As a result, a ruckus started between the two families, with the boy’s mother pushing the girl away from her son.

A video of the incident has gone viral, where the boy, the girl and the boy’s mother are seen narrating their own versions of the story.

Talking to reporters at the spot, the boy’s mother said that when Gyani Kumar had reached the town along with his sister for her examination, the girl’s brother abducted him and got him forcefully married to Gudiya. She said that just because her son was talking to the girl does not mean that they were in a relationship. The mother Sangeeta Devi said that she is not happy with the marriage.

Gyani Kumar also repeated the same, saying that he was forcefully married by the girl’s family, and he didn’t have any relationship with the girl. He said that he knew the girl and they used to talk, but he didn’t want to marry her.

However, the girl Gudiya Kumari claimed that they were in a relationship for the last six months after they met on Facebook. She also said that the boy himself had proposed the marriage, after which both of them went to Bihar Sharif court and got married.

In the meanwhile, during the ruckus between the two sides near the court, the boy absconded from the spot. After that, both his family and the girl’s side launched a search for him.

The Police said that no complaint has been lodged in the matter so far. If and when any complaint is filed, appropriate action will be taken, the police said.

It is notable that such incidents of forced marriage or Pakadua Vivah keeps happening in Bihar, where powerful families of girls abduct earning boys and get them married forcefully. This ensures that they don’t have to pay a dowry to get a good son-in-law.

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