Home Blog Page 2664

Taiwan welcomes Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy that expresses concerns over China’s rise as a disruptive global power: Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Taiwan welcomes Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy that expresses concerns over China’s rise as a disruptive global power: Details

On Monday (November 28), Taiwan applauded the launch of the ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’ of Canada, which identified the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as an “increasingly disruptive global power” in the region.

In a tweet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan said, “We welcome the launch of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which expresses great concern over China’s disruptive rise & stresses the importance of Taiwan-Canada partnership.”

“Together, we’ll continue working to promote peace, security & prosperity in the region,” it further added. On Sunday (November 27), the Foreign Minister of Canada, Mélanie Joly, presented a road map to deepen the country’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region over the next 10 years.

The ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’ of Canada, as outlined here, criticised China for trying to exploit the rules-based international order after having immensely benefitted from it.

“China has benefitted from the rules-based international order to grow and prosper, but it is now actively seeking to reinterpret these rules to gain a greater advantage,” the document read.

It further added, “China’s assertive pursuit of its economic and security interests, advancement of unilateral claims, foreign interference and increasingly coercive treatment of other countries and economies have significant implications in the region, in Canada and around the world.”

Canada lambasts China over territorial expansionism, human rights violations

The decade-long roadmap pointed out that respect for sovereignty is a crucial component in a rule-based international order. “China is an increasingly disruptive global power,” it underlined.

“China is making large-scale investments to establish its economic influence, diplomatic impact, offensive military capabilities, and advanced technologies. China is looking to shape the international order into a more permissive environment for interests and values that increasingly depart from ours,” the document continued.

The ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’ of Canada [pdf] pointed out how China has been flouting the United Nations directives on disputes in the South China Sea, militarising the region, and committing human rights violations on Uyghurs, Tibetans, and other religious and ethnic minorities.

“Canada has been compelled to adjust warnings to Canadians travelling to China, as well as to the business community, to account for the growing risk of arbitrary application of Chinese laws,” the document read.

It clarified, “In areas of profound disagreement, we will challenge China, including when it engages in coercive behaviour—economic or otherwise—ignores human rights obligations or undermines our national security interests and those of partners in the region.”

Canada also vowed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and those victimised by the arbitrary application of China’s National Security Law.

“While remaining consistent with our One China Policy, Canada will continue our multifaceted engagement with Taiwan, which includes collaborating on trade, technology, health, democratic governance and countering disinformation,” the Indo-Pacific Strategy outlined.

“Canada will oppose unilateral actions that threaten the status quo in the Taiwan Strait,” it further assured.

Ongoing tensions between China and Canada

The Canadian government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) are at loggerheads over the latter’s alleged interference in the political affairs and electoral practices in Canada.

The growing tension between the two countries became apparent during an ‘unpleasant’ encounter between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the recently concluded G-20 summit.

“If you are sincere, we should communicate with each other in a respectful manner. Otherwise, it will be hard to say what the result will be,” Xi reprimanded Trudeau for allegedly leaking information to the media about their meeting that took place on November 15 this year.

Much to the displeasure of the Chinese Premier, Trudeau defended himself and said, “In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have…”

Diplomatic relations between China and Canada have been going through a rough patch since 2018. Opindia had reported in detail how China had provided covert funding to 11 Canadian federal candidates in the 2019 elections and facilitated the defeat of the Conservative Party in the 2021 polls.

China has also been using traditional tactics such as espionage to advance its interests and setting up illegal police stations in Canada to suppress anti-China sentiments across the world, spread communist ideology, and interfere in the governance and democratic process.

MIT Manipal initiates inquiry, suspends lecturer after controversy erupts over his alleged comment against a student

OpIndia Staff
-
0
MIT Manipal initiates inquiry, suspends lecturer after controversy erupts over his alleged comment against a student

On Monday, November 28, the Manipal Institute of Technology in Karnataka’s Udupi district issued a statement in response to the controversy sparked by a video that went viral on social media. In the video, a lecturer from Manipal was being accused of making an inappropriate remark toward a Muslim student in his class. According to the statement issued by the university, an investigation has been launched, and the professor has been barred from teaching until the investigation is complete.

The controversy erupted after many social media users took to Twitter to share a video wherein an infuriated student is heard arguing with his professor, accusing him of belittling him because of his religious identity.

Though it is unclear what the professor allegedly said to spark the outrage, the irate student is repeatedly heard accusing his lecturer of labelling him a terrorist.

“26/11 is not funny… being Muslim and facing such things in this country is not funny. How can you label me as a terrorist in front of everyone in the class?” the angry student can be heard asking the professor, who in response is heard telling the student that he is like his son. However, not in the mood to relinquish, the agitated student added, “Will you call your son a terrorist? How can you call me that? That too in front of so many people.”

The video went viral after Washington Post columnist and donation fraud accused Rana Ayyub took to her Instagram handle to share the video with the comment, “A muslim student registers his protest after a professor refers to muslims as terrorists. I feel terribly terribly sorry for the young minds in India who are witnessing this prejudice and hate even in spaces that are meant to be safe and shield them from this bigotry that is all pervasive. Huge respect for this young boy but this is not the time for us to laud his courage. Why are our children being compelled to protest in spaces meant to be their safe havens, in spaces meant to be impartial. I cannot imagine the toll it must take on his emotional health. #islamophobia.”

The statement issued by MIT, Karnataka, read, “The institute has already initiated an inquiry into the incident and the concerned staff has been debarred from classes till the inquiry is over. We would like everyone to know that the institute does not condone this kind of behaviour and this isolated incident will be dealt with in accordance with the laid down policy.”

“The institute prides itself with one of the biggest diversity on campus and is committed to uphold our constitutional values of treating everyone alike, irrespective of their caste, religion, region, gender etc,” it added.

MIT statement

However, not everyone on social media agreed with Manipal’s reaction to social media controversy, with some users calling it a ‘joke’.

The institute in the southern state’s coastal region meanwhile has denounced the occurrence and ordered an investigation. According to an MIT official, “The lecturer has been barred from taking any further classes. An enquiry team has been formed to probe the incident.”

For us to progress, our National character has to be changed: Here is why it may take 7 generations

Virender Kapoor
-
0
For us to progress, our National character has to be changed: Here is why it may take 7 generations

What is the biggest hurdle for a nation to progress? I feel it is the national attitude. Let me compare this with an industrial unit or even a disciplined army unit.

The most difficult to change even in such cohesive organizations is ‘people’s attitude’.

Let me illustrate this with an example of a college- a postgraduate college where two batches coexist, the juniors and the seniors. If the culture of the college is rotten then it is an uphill task for the new incumbent principal to change it. It seems simple but it has an inherent problem which I call the ‘trickle effect’.

The batches learn good and bad traits from each other on campus. You set things right and you will see some good results but not perfect results. This is a ‘collective bad culture’ you are trying to set right. When a senior batch goes out or passes out it leaves some bad traits with the juniors who now are seniors. They pass it to the incoming juniors. The reason is that when a new junior batch arrives you cannot insulate the two current batches. So it is passed on in small packets down the years- generation after generation. It becomes a residual debris which takes several years to change into a perfectly good culture.

Same problem is faced by a commanding officer of an army unit, but in a different form. It goes the same way for a new MD/CEO of a large corporation.

The biggest challenge for us is to change the attitude of 1.4 billion people – our understanding of things, our attitude and our perception in general- all put together it is the national attitude, national character. The ‘saab chalta hai attitude’ and acceptance of things as they have been running for the last six to seven decades are referred to by many in disgust as a DNA problem. They also say this because they know DNA cannot be changed- this is largely correct. People feel we are like this only and no one can set things right. People in disgust say the system is rotten to an extent that nothing can be done to set things right. People blame red tape, bureaucrats, politicians, government, Industry honchos, and businessmen and it seems it has gone into our blood- fair enough. Every year in winter, Delhi faces severe pollution problems and words like a gas chamber, living hell come out of the closets and the same debate starts all over again- but nothing is done and they also promise that next year at the same time they would be discussing (the same panel on TV) the same issue.

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. This is a building block of life if put in simple words.

What is a gene? A word which we so casually use almost routinely? A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity. Genes are made up of DNA.

Every person has two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent. Most genes are the same in all people, yet a very small number of genes a person has (less than 1 percent of the total) are slightly different between different people. These small differences contribute to each person’s unique physical features. This also impacts a person’s temperament. 

Scientists estimate that around 20 to 60 per cent of temperament is decided by genetics. Several studies indicate some genes that play a role in temperament. These genes are involved in communication between cells in the brain. Some variations of genes could contribute to particular traits related to temperament. For example, KATNAL2 gene variants are associated with self-discipline and carefulness. 

Gregor Mendel gained popularity and was honoured as the founder of the modern science of genetics. Though farmers had known for centuries that crossbreeding of animals and plants could favour certain desirable traits, Mendel’s pea plant experiments conducted between 1856 and 1863 established many of the rules of heredity more scientifically, now referred to as the laws of Mendelian inheritance.

Each generation we go back is expected to halve the amount of autosomal genetic material an ancestor gives to you. As this material is inherited in chunks, we only have to go back nine generations until it is quite likely that a specific ancestor contributed zero of your ‘autosomal’ material to you. Autosomal dominant inheritance is a way a genetic trait or condition can be passed down from parent to child. One copy of a mutated, altered (changed) gene from one parent can cause the genetic condition. A child who has a parent with the mutated gene has a 50% chance of inheriting that mutated gene. This process is random, as the process of recombination – the breaking of chromosomes into certain blocks – and transmission are both random events. 

A corollary to this is that one could inherit traits from ancestors as back as nine generations! From your great great-grandfather’s great grandfather’s great grandfather till nine ladders back!

That is why sometimes parents cannot figure out or determine how their child has acquired some trait which none of them has! If his grandfather was a miser, and his parents are not, he could end up being a miser- ‘dada par gaya hai’ is the conclusion. This is how complex is human nature. And at the level of a race or nation, it could become impossible to decipher the havoc.

Emotional Intelligence is a case in point

Anger is a very strong emotion. It was given to mankind by nature, millions of years ago when man had to save himself from predators. Fight or flight was the reaction because of a combination of anger and fear. Anger impacts the adrenalin flow/production which gives you that energy to fight or run.

Today predators don’t walk the cities but we still have a lot of ‘residual anger’ in us! That is why road rage, losing one’s cool, hitting out at someone on little provocation are still with us- the trickle effect.

DNA of 1.4 billion will take time to heal or repair 

If we start now it would take a consistent effort of seven generations or maybe nine to completely clean up the slate. But it is possible and that is the good news. So patience is required- we have started with clean India, stand up India and now it has to be ‘wake up India’ and ‘shake up India’.

I feel today more important than Skills, Science, Arts and Commerce is to work on the national attitude and build a solid national character. We should have set the course right immediately after independence, which we didn’t and we have lost a lot of time. Another corollary to this hypothesis is that it takes less time to write on a clean slate but a dirty slate needs to be first cleaned and then rewritten. We built great institutions, technical colleges, universities, science, medicine and other things but missed character-building. What we see every day on TV debates, the rot, frustration and helplessness is the result of this one big mistake. We are so busy learning new skills to build a nation, and become a great economy with high GDP growth but which way are we heading if this is the state of affairs?

Gross Domestic Character-GDC

We need to work on CQ- character quotient as a high national priority. Start top down and bottom up simultaneously. The executive and judiciary have to crack the whip hard from the top. ‘You sacrifice a few for billion happy tomorrows’. Will not be a bad deal.

Values and nation first kind of an attitude needs to build from KG upwards. You need to give it a top priority as a red hot priority in the school curriculum- you can alter habits if you alter them at the very beginning of a child’s life. If you want to become a superpower and a respected nation, a nation at peace with itself, then this has to be done first- we have no choice. We can change our DNA one step at a time. Wish we had a ‘National Gene editor’.

As Mark Twain said ‘A habit cannot be tossed out of the window. It must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time’. 

Hackers demand Rs 200 crores in cryptocurrency as AIIMS Delhi server remains dysfunctional for 6th day

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Hackers demand Rs 200 crores in cryptocurrency as AIIMS Delhi server remains dysfunctional for 6th day

A group of hackers have demanded an estimated Rs 200 crore in cryptocurrency from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, as its server remained dysfunctional for the sixth consecutive day.

As per reports, data of close to 3 to 4 crore patients could be compromised due to the breach detected Wednesday last week.

The AIIMS is reportedly managing critical emergency services, patient care, outpatient, inpatient and laboratory wings manually as the server remained down.

A team of the India Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN), Delhi Police, and representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs are probing the ransomware attack against the premier healthcare facility of the country.

The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police on November 25 filed a case of extortion and cyber terrorism against hackers for disrupting AIIMS services and hacking its server.

Reports quoting official sources said that internet services are blocked on computers operating inside the hospital on the recommendations of the investigating agencies.

The AIIMS server houses data of notable personalities and VVIPs, including former prime ministers, ministers, bureaucrats, judges, and other civil service officials.

In the meantime, authorities have managed to restore the NIC e-hospital database and application servers for e-hospitals. The NIC team is currently engaged in scanning and cleansing infection from e-hospital servers located at AIIMS, required for delivery of hospital services, media reports quoted sources as saying.

The team arranged four physical servers for restoring e-hospital services for databases and applications.

Concurrently, AIIMS network sanitisation is underway. Servers and computers are fed with antivirus solutions, and nearly 1,200 out of 5,000 computers have already been sanitised. Twenty out of 50 servers have been scanned and this activity is ongoing 24×7, the source said.

“The full sanitisation of the network is likely to continue for five more days. Thereafter, e-hospital services can be rolled out in a phased manner. Patient care services including emergency, outpatient, inpatient, laboratory etc services are being continued on manual mode,” a media report quoted a source as saying.

Gujarat: Allahu Akbar reverberates in campaign for AAP as ‘Muslim Fighters Club’ says AAP-Muslim ‘ilu-ilu’ in Ahmedabad

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gujarat: Allahu Akbar reverberates in campaign for AAP as ‘Muslim Fighters Club’ says AAP-Muslim ‘ilu-ilu’ in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad’s Juhapura based ‘Muslim Fighters Club’ organised a meeting on Sunday, November 27, 2022, a week before the polls, where about 3,000 Muslim families pledged their allegiance to the Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party. In presence of a Maulana who recited Islamic verses and amid ‘Naara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar’ chants, ‘Muslim Fighters Club’ extended their support to Arvind Kejriwal.

‘Muslim Fighters Club’ also coined two slogans for AAP. “Haath ma jhaadu leelu leelu, AAP-Muslim ilu-ilu’ which loosely translates to green broom (AAP election symbol) in our hands, AAP and Muslims have ilu-ilu (ilu is often used for I-Love-You) and ‘Vote for MAGI’ where MAGI stands for Manish Sisodia (M), Arvind Kejriwal (A), Gopal Italia (G) and Isudan Gadhvi (I).

The Muslim community that had gather there also accused Congress of taking advantage of Muslims. Imranbhai, who runs the club, claimed that the Muslim community has always been the victim of hate and only Kejriwal is the true well-wisher of Muslims. I have spoken to our Muslim brothers in Delhi and they have said their situation has improved. Arvind Kejriwal takes care of Muslims from every part of the world. He even takes care of Muslim refugees, he said. He said that he will not specify which ‘refugees’ he means, but asked the Muslims present in the audience to make calculated guesses.

In January 2020 it was reported how Aam Aadmi Party’s Amanatullah Khan and Kejriwal’s Delhi government was systematically settling illegal Rohingya immigrants in Delhi. Moreover, they have settled on the land of irrigation department of the Uttar Pradesh government which is about 5.2 acre land. The Khasra number 612 land is worth crores of Rupees which has now been taken over by illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis.

OpIndia had also reported how the poor in Okhla had alleged religious discrimination in ration distribution in Amanatullah Khan’s constituency. The locals had alleged that they were not provided ration because they were Hindus and ‘did not vote for AAP’.

Imranbhai further said, “Today we announce that we only have one leader, Arvind Kejriwal. Only he can take us forward. Today ‘Muslim Fighters Club’ has 3,000 families, tomorrow there will be 30,000 and then 3,00,000. But we are announcing that till our last breath we will vote for Aam Aadmi Party.

2002 rape survivor Bilkis Bano was also present in the meeting where she said that Kejriwal is an educated leader and has done good work in education sector. Hence, Muslims should vote for AAP, she said.

AAP candidate Bholubhai Patel’s cousin Parag Patel, who was also present there thanked the Muslim community for the support. “We Hindu-Muslims are brothers and we will always need each other,” he said. The Maulana present on the dais then recited Islamic prayers and also chanted Allahu Akbar.

What is Muslim Fighters Club?

Imranbhai of Muslim Fighters Club claims that it is a group of about 3,000 families which fights for the rights of Muslims and helps each other out during weddings and other such situations. The club has long been an AAP supporter but ahead of elections, they have come out vocally in support of AAP. They claim that the members of the club have influence over 7-8 constituencies of Gujarat. They have appealed to all Muslims of Gujarat to vote for AAP.

(With inputs from OpIndia Gujarati. You can read the report in Gujarati here)

Wannabe Bhindranwale Amritpal Singh says ‘India didn’t exist before 1947’, time to recall how Rahul Gandhi promoted this ‘India is not a nation’ trope

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Wannabe Bhindranwale Amritpal Singh says ‘India didn’t exist before 1947’, time to recall how Rahul Gandhi promoted this ‘India is not a nation’ trope

India, one of the oldest civilisations in the world, a civilisation that is at least 8,000 years old as per recorded evidence, has faced many attacks on it throughout its history. While military attacks have reduced in recent times, ideological attacks trying to deny India’s history continue to the present day. One of the frequent attacks on Indian history in recent times is that India didn’t even exist before 1947 when the Britishers left India after partitioning it.

At the time of independence, Home Minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel integrated 562 princely states into India, forming the current political boundaries of the country. However, that was just the political integration into a modern nation-state. India as a civilisation is not defined by that, it is defined by its history of thousands of years.

Recently, Amritpal Singh, the new leader of ‘Waris Punjab De’ after the death of Deep Sandhu, said in an interview that Britishers forcibly brought Punjab into India. He also said that India didn’t exist before 1947, and the Britishers created this country. Amritpal, who is a follower of terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, also said that Sikhs lost their empire to the British in 1849 and they want their separate empire back.

Just like his spiritual guru Bhindranwale, Amritpal Singh has been advocating for separate Sikh rule for Punjab, saying that Sikhs earlier stayed slaves to the British, and now are slaves to the Hindu government, as he attempts to instigate Sikhs against the Indian government.

Amritpal, who didn’t even follow the Guru’s command of 5 Ks earlier and cut his hair, spent a decade in Dubai, but has suddenly reappeared in Punjab this year as an Amritdhaari Sikh trying to promote the separatist ideas through the ‘Waris Punjab De’ group. Notably, the previous head of the group Deep Sandhu, who was accused in the 26 January violence at Red Fort, died in a road accident on GT road last year.

Amritpal, who is currently on a ‘Khalsa vaheer’ march across Punjab right now to spread his message, is not the first one to say that India didn’t exist before 1947. In fact, India’s main opposition party Congress scion Rahul Gandhi has been saying similar things for a while. Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly asserted that India is not a nation, but a union of states. A thought that denies India’s civilisational roots, and makes it an artificial country created by the British out of thin air.

“India is described in the Indian Constitution as a union of states and not a nation. One cannot rule over the people of a state in India. Different languages and cultures cannot be suppressed. It is a partnership, not a kingdom,” claimed Rahul Gandhi in the parliament during the last winter session.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi insisted that the power arrangement between the states and the centre is of a “negotiation” and insinuated that India did not have a single national identity, instead, the idea of India rose from an agreement or a negotiation between the provincial units.

We will be giving too much credit to Rahul Gandhi if we say that this idea of branding India as a union of states and not as a nation is his own, the idea has been promoted vigorously for years by Congress ally in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK).

Ever since DMK returned to power in Tamil Nadu in 2021, they have been actively pushing the idea that India is not a nation, but a loose union of states. The proponents of this theory use the constitution’s preamble as a crutch to support their argument while forgetting that the states at the time referred to princely states absorbed into India. The current states are not relevant to that statement at all.

DMK’s support for this union of states idea which promotes that every state is independent to make its own rules is supporting secessionist elements in Tamil Nadu, and helps DMK get the votes of these elements. With Rahul Gandhi now promoting this idea nationally, we will see more states along with Punjab and Tamil Nadu where secessionist elements may develop support.

This thought strikes at the very root of the Indian civilisation. 8,000 years of civilisational history is being denied under this idea, and India is portrayed as a loose amalgamation of states, from which, states can step out and become independent countries whenever they want.

This idea was pushed by DMK, brought into the national narrative by Rahul Gandhi, and is now being exploited by the likes of Amritpal to push for separatism in Punjab.

Mother-son spiked father’s drink, slit his throat before chopping his body into pieces: Chilling details emerge in Delhi’s Pandav Nagar murder case

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mother-son spiked father’s drink, slit his throat before chopping his body into pieces: Chilling details emerge in Delhi’s Pandav Nagar murder case

The Delhi crime branch has revealed several horrific details in the Anjan Das murder case. Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police crime branch arrested a woman in east Delhi’s Pandav Nagar for allegedly murdering her husband with the help of her son from a previous marriage. In eerie similarities with the Shraddha Walkar grisly murder, Das’ body was chopped up into 10 pieces by his wife and stepson, who then stored the dismembered body pieces in a fridge and disposed of them over several days.

Giving details of the horrific crime, Special CP Crime, Delhi, Ravinder Yadav said that Anjan Das was killed sometime before June 5 when a few of his mutilated body parts were found stuffed inside a bag at the Ramlila Ground in east Delhi’s Kalyanpuri.

Over the next few days, his legs, thighs, skull and forearm were recovered following which a case was registered under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence and giving false information) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Pandav Nagar Police Station.

Yadav further said that the accused had confessed to the crime. The accused Poonam, he said, was furious after she learnt that her husband Anjan Das had sold her jewellery and sent the money to his first wife, who lived in Bihar with their eight children. The Special CP Crime, Delhi further informed that the accused revealed that Anjan Das had ill intentions towards his stepdaughter and stepson’s wife, which is why they hatched the plan to kill him.

Poonam’s former husband died of cancer in 2017, after which she started living with Das. Deepak has told police that he agreed to the plan because Das allegedly harassed his wife.

The accused have told police that they murdered Das in June. They first spiked his drink and killed him once he was unconscious, police said. The duo then left the dead body in the house for an entire night so that the blood flowing out of the body to dry up. The next day, Deepak allegedly chopped up the body and packed the mutilated body parts in polythene packets which he stored in a fridge.

The duo subsequently disposed of the pieces, but a horrible odour began to emanate from the residence. To cover it up, the accused had their house painted, but residents complained to the police about the odour, prompting the police to initiate an investigation.

Following the recovery of body parts in June, police investigated the neighbourhood using CCTV footage and conducted door-to-door verification. The body was later recognised as that of Das’, leading investigators to Poonam and Deepak. Police grew suspicious of the two after discovering that Anjan Das had been missing for about six months, but the mother-son duo had not filed a missing person report for Das. Besides, there were anomalies in their statements when questioned.

Subsequently, they confessed to the killing, police said.

After being arrested from her house in Trilokpuri Monday, accused Poonam also admitted to the crime. She reportedly told the media, “He used to have ill intentions towards my children that’s why I did it. My son killed him with a knife, I didn’t do it.”

According to the police, Poonam was married off at the age of 14 to Sukhdev Tiwari, who eventually abandoned her and moved to Delhi. She, too, arrived in the city in search of her husband and found one Kallu, with whom she began a live-in relationship. She then met Das and fell in love with him. Kallu died in 2016 from liver failure, and she married Das the following year, in 2017.

According to the authorities, when Poonam married Das, she had no idea that the latter had a family in Bihar.

Das, a lift operator by profession, had previously sold Poonam’s jewellery and sent the money to his family in Bihar, the police further said, adding that the mother-son duo started plotting the murder in the month of March or April.

Police said they have recovered six pieces of the body so far.

Notably, CCTV footage provided by the criminal division showed the mother and her son entering and exiting an uninhabited plot of land at various times of day and night.

The method of operation in the aforementioned case is similar to that of the Shraddha Walkar murder case, wherein her live-in partner Aftab Amin Poonawala brutally strangulated her and later chopped her body into 35 pieces and dumped them at various locations in Delhi.

Espionage, electoral interference, and disinformation campaign against Conservatives: Here is how China is undermining Canada’s sovereignty

Dibakar Dutta
-
0
Espionage, electoral interference, and disinformation campaign against Conservatives: Here is how China is undermining Canada’s sovereignty

The Canadian government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) are at loggerheads over the latter’s alleged interference in the political affairs and electoral practices of the former.

The growing tension between the two countries became apparent during an ‘unpleasant’ encounter between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the recently concluded G-20 summit.

“If you are sincere, we should communicate with each other in a respectful manner. Otherwise, it will be hard to say what the result will be,” Xi reprimanded Trudeau for allegedly leaking information to the media about their meeting that took place on November 15 this year.

Much to the disdain of the Chinese Premier, Trudeau defended, “In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have…”

Diplomatic relations between China and Canada have been going through a rough patch since 2018. Following the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou by Canadian authorities, the Chinese government held Canadian diplomats Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig hostage over ‘espionage charges.’

In a major blow to bilateral ties, Canada shelved its ambitious ‘free-trade agreement’ with China in September 2020. The then Foreign Minister,  François-Philippe Champagne, had justified the move by citing the Communist nation’s coercive diplomacy.

Screengrab of the news report

“The China of 2020 is not the China of 2016. All the initiatives and the policies that had been put in place at the time – all that need to be reviewed. We’re looking at all of them with the lens of China of 2020,” he had said.

In April last year, Canada issued a strong statement condemning the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong by China and further ruffled the feathers of the Chinese Communist Party.

While the safe return of the two Michaels to Canada provided some much-needed respite in September 2021, things went downhill again over allegations of election interference.

Allegations of interference in Canadian elections

On November 7, 2022, Canadian media outlet Global News published an article alleging that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had briefed Justin Trudeau about covert funding to 11 federal candidates in the 2019 elections.

“The Chinese Communist Party…is using all elements of state power to carry out activities that are a direct threat to our national security and sovereignty,” CSIS told Global News.

The news outlet further informed that the candidates who received funding from CCP belonged to both the ruling Liberal party and the Opposition Conservative Party.

Screengrab of the article by Global News

Earlier in 2011, a Conservative MP named Bob Dechert came under the scanner over his relationship with a Xinhua News reporter, Shi Rong. A former Chinese spy Li Fengzhi informed that the “act of striking up a relationship with an elected official fits the modus operandi of Chinese spies”.

It is also believed that the interference of the Chinese deep State in the federal elections of 2021 led to the defeat of the Conservative camp. An analysis by Rapid Response Mechanism Canada found that CCP supporters floated conspiracy theories that Canada will cut all ties to China if Conservatives are elected to power.

In this way, it deterred several Canadians from voting for the party. Moreover, Conservative candidate Kenny Chiu, who had been critical of China’s policies and proposed a Foreign Influence Registry Act (to publicly identify those acting on foreign interests), became the target of a disinformation campaign.

CCP bots created a narrative on Chinese social media platforms, namely, Weibo and WeChat, that Chiu is supposedly against China. This cost him his MP seat as half of the electorates in his constituency comprised of Chinese Canadians.

According to The Diplomat, the ‘China factor’ contributed to the defeat of the Conservative party. “While the three major political parties mentioned standing up against authoritarianism and China in their campaign platforms, the Conservatives had more proposals against China,” it reported.

“Those messages did not work well among suburban voters, particularly among voters of Chinese descent,” the news outlet added while highlighting plans of Conservative leader Erin O’Toole to sanction Chinese President, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Party Congress among many others.

This led to the loss of Conservatives in the Richmond Centre and Markham Unionville electoral districts, where people of Chinese descent constitute 60% of the population.

Espionage, Chinese police stations and Canada’s fightback

China has also been using traditional tactics such as espionage to advance its interests in Canada. Earlier this month, the federal police booked an electric vehicle battery researcher named Yuesheng Wang (35) for sending trade secrets of Hydro-Québec to China.

Charges have been framed against him for espionage under the Security of Information Act. Our detection and intervention mechanisms allowed our investigators to bring this matter to the attention of the RCMP, with whom we have worked closely ever since,” said Senior Director (Hydro-Quebec) Dominic Roy.

According to a report by Safeguard Defenders, Chinese police stations are operating in three locations across Canada. This includes a private residence in Markham, a convenience store in Scarborough, and the address of the Canada Toronto Fuqing Business Association.

China’s official response is that the stations are set up to help expats renew their IDs or driving licences. The stations are reportedly covert hubs for China’s “involuntary return” program, which forces Chinese expats to return home for punishment if they are found to have violated Chinese law while abroad.

China’s objective behind operating such illegal police stations is to suppress anti-China sentiments across the world, to spread communist ideology, ensure the Chinese expats who violated Chinese law abroad and interfere in the governance and democratic processes of other countries.

Recently, the Canadian police have also launched a probe into the matter. “Our aim is to prevent intimidation, threats and harassment as well as any form of harm initiated on behalf of a foreign entity being applied to any community in Canada,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated.

In November this year, Canadian Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne directed 3 Chinese companies to sell their stakes in the critical mineral sector of Canada.

The companies included Sinomine (Hong Kong) Rare Metals Resources Co Ltd, Chengze Lithium International Ltd and Zangge Mining Investment (Chengdu) Co Ltd.

“While Canada continues to welcome foreign direct investment, we will act decisively when investments threaten our national security and our critical minerals supply chains, both at home and abroad,” he stated. For many, the Canadian government’s action against China is too little and too late.

Central government stops scholarship for madarsa students from Classes 1 to 8 across the country: Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Central government stops scholarship for madarsa students from Classes 1 to 8 across the country: Details

The Centre has stopped granting scholarships to madarsa students across the country from Classes 1 to 8. Madarsa children from Classes 1 to 5 were provided with a scholarship of Rs 1,000, while students from Classes 6 to 8 received the grant depending on their courses.

In 2021, close to 5 lakhs children from around 16,558 madarsas received government-sanctioned scholarships.

The decision by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, headed by Union Minister Smriti Irani, to stop scholarships for madarsa students was reportedly taken since the education of students of Classes 1 to 8 is free under the Right to Education Act, and since other essential items are given to them. Other essential facilities include mid-day meals and free books.

The government said this is why only students of Classes 9 and 10 were provided with scholarships, and therefore, only their applications have been forwarded to the concerned department.

UP govt conducts a survey of state madarsas and finds 7,500 unrecognised madarsas operational in the state

The Uttar Pradesh government had on September 1 announced that it would survey unrecognized madarsas of the state to ascertain information such as details of teachers and students, curriculum, and its affiliation with any non-government organization.

Danish Azad Ansari, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, had stated that the survey would be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which wants to check on the basic facilities provided to students in madrasas. The minister went on to say that the survey would help gather additional information such as the name of the madarsa and the institution that runs it, whether it is run in a private or rented building, and information about basic facilities such as drinking water, furniture, electricity, and toilets, among other things.

The survey identified over 7,500 unrecognized madarsas in the state, said State Minority Welfare Minister Dharam Pal Singh in October 2022.

FIFA World Cup in Qatar: Multilingual preachers at mosques, QR codes, and many other methods to propagate Islam among visiting football fans

OpIndia Staff
-
0
FIFA World Cup in Qatar: Multilingual preachers at mosques, QR codes, and many other methods to propagate Islam among visiting football fans

Qatar, which is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has come under scrutiny for the various restriction and bans imposed at the World Cup stadiums. Besides, the Islamic country has been drawing flak for utilizing a variety of strategies to convert people to Islam who have come to the country to attend the World Cup. According to a recent report, the Katara Cultural Village Mosque in Doha, Qatar’s capital, has become a hotspot for the proselytization of non-Muslim visitors.

As per media reports, at the mosque, multilingual male and female preachers explain Islam’s religion and ‘tolerance’ to tourists. Visitors are being encouraged to watch electronic boards on Islam which are on display in more than 30 languages and positioned in such a way that it allows visitors to view them on their phones. In addition, books ‘introducing’ Islam in different languages are being distributed amongst the visitors.

Furthermore, Qatar’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has erected a pavilion outside the 2022 World cup venue, where visitors are being ‘introduced’ to Islam and its teachings.

The report further suggests that the hadiths, which are words, actions, or habits of Prophet Muhammad, are found written on the walls of streets to attract non-Muslim tourists visiting Qatar to enjoy FIFA World Cup 2022.

Employees and preachers from the Qatar Guest Centre are stationed at the mosque’s entrance to promote Islam to the Eid Charity Foundation. They welcome non-Muslims and answer their queries about the mosque. They also arrange for visitors to enter the mosque after prayers in order for them to become acquainted with the inside ambience of a mosque.

Hotel rooms offering visitors QR codes to ‘learn’ about Islam

Qatar has also made an effort to feature Islam and Muslim culture throughout the first week of the tournament with sayings and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad posted around Doha and translated into multiple languages including English.

So much so that the FIFA World cup inaugural ceremony had also begun with a female vocalist dressed in a traditional burqa, a face covering outlawed in several European countries, reciting a Quranic verse.

According to several social media accounts, some hotel rooms in the country are also offering visitors QR codes to learn about Islam, and foreigners visiting Qatar for the tournament were invited to learn about Islamic attire.

Radical preacher Zakir Naik to preach Islam

How religion has grabbed the spotlight amid the football tournament can also be evidenced by the fact that the radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been reportedly ‘invited’ to preach Islam to football fans.

Recently, it was reported that Zakir Naik, the Islamic Preacher from India wanted for financial fraud and other crimes, reached Qatar to preach Islam. A video from 2016 went viral where he was seen converting people to Islam in Qatar. Though the video was old, there are speculations that his preaching on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup 2022 may be directed at conversions of visiting football fans.

After concerns were raised by India, Qatar clarified that Naik was not extended any official invitation to attend the FIFA inaugural ceremony.

Football fans embrace Islam in Qatar

On November 22, several Islamist handles claimed in a tweet that over 500 people (apparently tourists visiting Qatar to enjoy FIFA World Cup 2022) have converted to Islam. In the tweet, a pro-ISIS Islamic activist Majid Freeman wrote, “Allahu Akbar! We’ve heard from local daees in Qatar that 500+ people have embraced Islam recently.” Though no official media reports were found to support the claims.

Furthermore, reports emerged that a Mexican fan embraced Islam in a mosque in the Katara cultural village in Doha, on the second day of the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

On November 23, viral videos showed how a Brazilian family of six consisting of a father, mother, and four children (3 girls and a boy), was seen pronouncing Shahadah (testimony of faith), prompted by the preacher.

Qatar won the right to host the summer World Cup in December 2010 against all odds in 50 degrees celsius temperature, before FIFA moved the World Cup to winter for the first time in history to protect players from that heat. The tournament is now being held in the small Arabian country and about 1.2 million international visitors are expected in Qatar during the Nov 20- Dec 18 tournament.

It is notable here that Qatar has been linked with Islamic terrorism and has been accused of spreading Wahabism by many sources. Its links to numerous organisations that fund the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Al Qaeda etc have been highlighted in recent times.

1...2,6632,6642,665...7,599Page 2,664 of 7,599