The FIFA World Cup match between Morocco and Belgium, which resulted in a shock 2-0 win for the North African side, resulted in riots in Belgium’s capital Brussels. The Moroccan immigrants, who are present in large numbers in Belgium, went on a rampage after the win, destroying cars and scooters, and in one case, even the Belgian flag.
Belgium ?? ?? Towns And Cities Are Now Being Destroyed And Smashed Up Across Brussels As Riots By Non Natives Escalate Into The Night. pic.twitter.com/q3gA8SiWKu
Belgian police eventually detained twelve people and made one arrest. The riots were not limited to Belgium alone, as neighbouring Netherlands also saw riots in the capital city of Amsterdam and the port city of Rotterdam.
The Moroccan fans clashed with riot police in the Belgian capital as riots broke out around the city. Most of the supporters were wearing Moroccan flags. Police had to use tear gas, water cannons, and attempted road closures to disperse rioters in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, as well as Antwerp, a business hub and a very busy port.
According to police in the adjacent Netherlands, riot police attempted to break up a gathering of 500 soccer fans who attacked police with fireworks and glass in the port city of Rotterdam. Unrest was reported in Amsterdam and even at The Hague by the media.
Brussels mayor Philippe Close advised people to avoid the city centre and said officials were taking all possible measures to maintain calm on the streets. On police instructions, even subway and tram traffic had to be halted. “Those are not fans, they are rioters. Moroccan fans are there to celebrate,” said Close.
A hundred police officers were on duty, and residents were told to stay away from certain areas of the city centre. Several streets and metro stations were closed to stop the violence from spreading in the city. According to police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere, the situation became quiet at 7 o’clock local time and precautionary patrols continue to be placed in the affected neighbourhoods.
“The rioters used pyrotechnic material, projectiles, sticks, and set fire on the public highway,” the police stated. “Also, a journalist was injured in the face by fireworks. It is for these reasons that it was decided to proceed with police intervention, with the deployment of water cannon and the use of tear gas,” authorities further added.
Morocco’s shocking World Cup win over Belgium was a huge upset, and the vast number of Moroccan immigrants in Belgium and the Netherlands were celebrating that. However, things got out of hand as the celebrations turned violent.
Morocco, who started the tournament with a hard-fought draw against the 2018 finalists Croatia, was expected to lose the match against the Belgian side ranked number 2 in the world, however, Belgium looked totally listless as Morocco hit them with 2 late goals. The ‘Golden Generation’ of Belgian football is set to bow out without any major trophy unless they conjure up a miracle in their last match against a well-drilled Croatian outfit.
Morocco is now on top of the table in Group F, and a positive result against Canada in their last group game will be enough to push them to the next stage of the competition, against all odds. Their game against Canada is scheduled for the 1st of December, in what may turn out to be the biggest footballing game for both the sides involved. On the same day, Belgium face 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, who looked very impressive during their comfortable win against Canada.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has been surrounded by a lot of controversies over time. While the football fans are celebrating the sporting event, journalists from Israel are facing a set of challenges of their own.
On September 15, 2020, the United States mediated the Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In the aftermath, Sudan, Morocco, Oman and Jordan initiated attempts to ‘normalise’ relationships with Israel. Thanks to then-President of the United States, Donald Trump, there were at least talks of peace. However, the reality is far away from what the nations promised regarding maintaining peace in the Middle East.
The Israeli journalists faced hate while attempting to cover Qatar’s football fever. Those who called themselves ‘centrists’ got the taste of harsh reality. One such journalist was Raz Shechnik of Yediot Aharonot, who tweeted a thread explaining what he experienced. In the first tweet, he shared a video of approaching a man with a Palestinian flag. The football fan with the Palestinian flag bluntly refused to talk to him and said, “There is nothing called Israel, it is just Palestine.” The woman in the next frame wearing a hijab echoed similar sentiments.
רז שכניק, עוז מועלם
תשמעו, לא רצינו לכתוב את הדברים האלה. תמיד חשבנו שלא אנחנו, העיתונאים, הם הסיפור. בטח לא במפעל הכי גדול של הספורט העולמי לצד האולימפיאדה. אבל אחרי עשרה ימים בדוחא, אי אפשר שלא לחלוק אתכם את מה שעובר עלינו כאן. לא מתכוונים לייפות. אנחנו מרגישים שנואים, עטופי> pic.twitter.com/nMTApXtBWb
Raz tried to present an argument that the governments were making the situation hateful in the region. However, the man with the flag refused to agree. The man continued, “You just took land from them. Later, a group of Morocco fans walked away from the frame when they learned that Raz was from Israel.
While walking away, one of the Moroccan fans said, “Israel, no! Palestinians.” Raz kept saying, “We have peace. You signed a peace agreement,” but to no avail. Raz received similar treatment from the Arab, Brazilian and Korean fans.
Raz wrote that he did not want to write about the hate he received after all. The journalists were not the story, certainly not at the biggest sporting event next to the Olympics. However, after spending ten days in Doha, he couldn’t keep the sentiments to himself.
Raz said he felt hostile and unwelcomed during the event. He mentioned how a Qatari told him to fly away as fast as possible. He further told Raz that he was “really not blessed”.
Comparing it with the past experience, he had at Euro Cup and World Cup, Raz said it was not fun covering FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. He added, “In the street, we are accompanied by Palestinians, Iranians, Qataris, Moroccans, Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, and Lebanese with hateful looks.”
Raz said though the Saudis welcomed them with smiles, they walked away when they were told he was from Israel. In some cases, Raz and his team faced abuses. He said his team had to identify themselves as journalists from Ecuador.
Speaking about the experience while covering the match against Brazil, he said it was particularly unpleasant. Palestinians would stand around with flags whenever his team tried to talk to the Brazilian fans or take pictures. They shouted at his team and harassed them.
He said, “I got sober here for the first time. I have always been centrist, liberal and open, with a desire for peace above all else. I always thought that the problem lies with governments. But in Qatar, I learned how much hatred is in the people on the street. How much they want to wipe us off the face of the earth. To what extent everything related to Israel arouses intense hatred in them.”
The majority of people do not feel synced with Abraham Accord
In July 2022, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy published a report explaining how the normalisation of relations between the Arab countries with Israel was far from reality. As per the report, only 25 per cent of the people in UAE and 20 per cent in Bahrain were positive about the agreement.
Source: Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Similarly, Saudi Arabia stood at 19 per cent, Egypt at 13 per cent, Jordan at 12 per cent and Kuwait at 14 per cent positive for the agreements. Interestingly, Palestinians expressed the most positive view about the accords, with 34 per cent population supporting it in Gaza, 25 per cent in the West Bank and 48 per cent in east Jerusalem. Though Qatar was not on the list of countries in the poll, in November 2020, a similar study said 40 per cent of Qataris supported the Accords. By November 2021, there was an even split based on business and sports ties with Israel.
The study, as well as the experiences faced by the journalists at the event, made it clear that the differences between the Arab countries and Israel are not going to fade away with a few lines drawn by the pen. It will take a lot more effort not only from the leaders of these countries but also from the world leaders to bring peace and harmony to the region.
OpIndia tried to contact Raz over the matter. We will update the story if we get a reply from him.
A 103-year-old luxury fashion brand named Balenciaga has courted controversy over its disturbing portrayal of children for its Spring/Summer 2023 Collection.
Founded by the Spanish fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, the brand had recently updated the homepage of its website with pictures of two pre-pubescent girls in bondage-style gear.
The children were shown posing with teddy bears, which were dressed in fishnet tops, leather harnesses and collars with locks. Reportedly, one of the disturbing images also contained documents from a child sexual abuse case.
Balanciaga’s homepage.
•child with a BDSM stuffed animal with PANDA EYES •WHITE RABBIT on the bed • that picture of the bag looks innocent right? — zoom in & it’s what appears to be court documents arguing about some type of s*xual misconduct and p*rnography… ??? pic.twitter.com/kvbZeqe3En
While reacting to the development on Monday (November 28), the brand ambassador of Balenciaga Kim Kardashian said, “As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”
As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.
She appreciated the decision of the luxury brand to remove the disturbing images from their site and is evaluating her association with Balenciaga.
I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again,” she said.
As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children.
“As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children,” Kardashian concluded.
After drawing the wrath of social media users, Balenciaga was forced to tender an apology on November 22 this year.
“We sincerely apologize for any offence our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms,” the fashion brand said in a statement.
Two hours later, Balenciaga posted another statement, which read, “We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot.”
Screengrab of the Instagram stories of Balenciaga
“We strongly condemn ( the ) abuse of children in any form. We stand for children’s safety and well-being,” it tried to undo the damage in public.
Reportedly, the luxury fashion brand has filed a lawsuit against production company North Six, Inc. and its set designer Nicholas Des Jardins for a whopping $25 million for the questionable ad campaign. Gabriele Galimberti, the man behind the controversial photoshoot, has also cried foul over the matter.
Photographer cries foul
In a statement, he claimed, “I am not in a position to comment Balenciaga’s choices, but I must stress that I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same.”
He further added, “As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to lit the given scene, and take the shots according to my signature style. As usual for a commercial shooting, the direction of the campaign and the choice of the objects displayed are not in the hands of the photographer.”
“I suspect that any person prone to paedophilia searches on the web and has unfortunately too easy access to images completely different than mine, absolutely explicit in their awful content. Accusations like these are addressed against wrong targets and distract from the real problem, and criminals,” he asserted.
Gabriele Galimberti also told the angry netizens that they were targeting the wrong person and not real-life paedophiles. He also distanced himself from the image, featuring legal documentation about a child abuse case.
“Also, I have no connection with the photo where a Supreme Court document appears. That one was taken in another set by other people and was falsely associated with my photos,” Galimberti concluded.
This however did not stop netizens from calling for a complete boycott of Balenciaga over the sexual objectification of minors for the promotion of its latest collection.
In an attack on the Vizhinjam police station in Kerala on Sunday night, a group of protesters led by the Latin Catholic church damaged police cars and injured at least 29 police personnel in a demonstration against the construction of the Adani Group port.
After one individual and a few others were detained in connection with the violent protests on November 26, the mob attacked police officers with sticks and stones.
See organised xtian groups vandelising police station in Kerala. Police remaining mute spectator to all this. And we believe this police going to save us when we become minority in Kerala. This protest is funded by foreighn agencies to sabotage Vizhinjam port. Its Koodamkulam2.0. pic.twitter.com/wOzMbDMGQX
Protesters attempted to block a vehicle by smashing police jeeps. Two police officers reportedly suffered significant injuries. While the second officer was sent to a hospital in Vizhinjam, the first officer was taken to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.
As per reports, an all-party meeting is to be held today in Thiruvananthapuram after the violent attack on the police station.
#Kerala: Anti port protest in #Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram turns violent. All-party meeting to be held today to restore peace in the area. Around 2,000 fishermen marched to the police station last night and vandalized the office. pic.twitter.com/hkkiPYasoy
According to accounts, protesters reportedly stopped cars on Saturday carrying supplies and equipment to the Vizhinjam project site despite undertakings provided to the Kerala High Court, culminating in a confrontation. A handful of project supporters opposed the protestors’ presence during the fight.
On Sunday, charges were filed against at least 15 Latin Catholic priests, including Archbishop Thomas J. Netto, Fr. Christudas, Fr. Eugine Perera, and Lawrence Gulas, in relation to violent clashes in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, between those who supported and opposed the harbour project.
Construction on the seaport, which is being developed by the Adani Group, has restarted as a result of the court decision, the company told PTI. “It’s been 102 days since the work has been halted here due to the protests. We approached the state High Court, which gave us a favourable ruling. The court had asked us to restart the work but this is the situation today also. Now, let the court take a decision, “according to a spokesperson of the company.
After protesters, mostly Christians led by Catholic priests, erected a sizable shelter blocking its entrance and claimed that the port’s development had deprived them of their livelihoods, work at Adani’s Vizhinjam seaport in Kerala state, on India’s southern tip, has been suspended for more than three months.
Earlier, on August 29, the state High Court ruled that work at the Vizhinjam Port could not be suspended and that any concerns about the project might be lodged at proper forums.
Protests against the Adani Group’s Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose port in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala have been ongoing for some time, with the Catholic Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram taking the lead with fishermen pressing their demands under their leadership.
The protesters’ main demand is that the construction of a Rs 7,525-crore deepwater port and container transhipment facility in Vizhinjam on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram be halted and an environmental impact analysis be conducted.
The ongoing world cup in Qatar has given us many memorable upsets already. Whether it was Saudi Arabia shocking Argentina or Germany losing to Japan, the shocks have come thick and fast in Qatar. The trend continued today as unfancied Morocco defeated Belgium, the number 2 ranked team in the world.
Morocco, who started the tournament with a hard-fought draw against the 2018 finalists Croatia, was expected to lose the match against the star-studded Belgian side comfortably. However, Morocco shocked everyone by turning the tables on the Robert Martinez side and handing them a massive defeat.
Belgium’s golden generation, which is having its last World Cup together with Eden Hazard, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Witsel etc unlikely to feature in the next tournament, wants to sign off on a winning note. However, the performances during their first two games suggest that unless there is a miraculous improvement overnight, Belgium will not be having much joy in Qatar.
Unlike their first game against Canada, when Belgium got played off the park, they actually dominated the play against Morocco but failed to make their domination count. Despite having 2/3rd of the possession, they failed to create enough clear chances despite having Kevin de Bruyne, one of the best creative players in the world.
Belgium got lucky when Ziyech’s free-kick goal at the end of the first half was chalked off because of offside, however, Belgium refused to heed the warning. In the second half, Morocco took their chances and the goals by Sabiri in the 73rd minute and Aboukhlal in injury time settled the issue in favour of the African side.
Morocco is now on top of the table in Group F, and a positive result against Canada in their last group game will be enough to push them to the next stage of the competition, against all odds. Their game against Canada is scheduled for the 1st of December, in what may turn out to be the biggest footballing game for both the sides involved.
On Thursday (November 24), the former Commanding officer of the Technical Support Division (TSD) of the Indian Army revealed how Lt. Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit was implicated in the Malegaon Blast Case.
Colonel Hunny Bakshi made the revelations during a podcast with ANI News Director, Smita Prakash. On being asked about Lt. Colonel Purohit, he remarked, “Let me start by talking about Colonel Purohit as a person. He worked indirectly under me in South Kashmir between 2004-2005.”
“He is a 3rd generation army officer and that too a proud one. Very nationalist. The army did two inquiries, the first inquiry was one-sided so the court said that give him a chance,” Colonel Bakshi emphasised.
The Colonel further said, “And when he was given the chance, the army did not find anything against him. That’s a fact.” Colonel Hunny Bakshi then recounted the inquiries conducted against Lt. Colonel Purohit.
“Among all documents, he pulled out the one featuring his detailed plan about how he will go about the operation,” he said. He added that during the inquiry, a senior officer had accused Lt. Colonel Purohit of not following the mandate.
“If it was not in Army mandate, why didn’t you ask questions at the time of receiving inputs?” asked Colonel Hunny Bakshi. Two officers of the same unit had however pointed out that they were being briefed about the protocol followed by Lt. Colonel Purohit.
The retired army officer pointed out how conspiracy theories about ‘missing RDX’ were being flouted to build a foundation for the arrest of Lt. Colonel Purohit. He shared how a Mumbai ATS officer was seen rubbing an alleged explosive material on the floor of a ‘suspected’ house to frame Lt. Colonel Purohit
“The recovery itself becomes suspect on the ground that ATS Mumbai may have planted the RDX traces to implicate him and the accused persons in the case,” Colonel Hunny Bakshi read out the NIA charge sheet (page number 47-48).
Colonel Bakshi added, “This is all documented evidence… He is being implicated…When an agency briefs the army about such incidents, the latter becomes duty-bound to support the investigation”. He also pointed out that when a narrative is created in people’s minds, it takes time to dismantle it.
The 2008 Malegaon blast case
On September 29, 2008, bomb blasts took place in the Malegaon region of the Nashik district of Maharashtra which resulted in 6 deaths and 100 injuries.
Soon, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Purohit were arrested in connection with the blast, and as a result terms like ‘Hindu terror’ or ‘Saffron terror’ were popularized by some politicians and Leftist media after their arrests.
They continued languishing in jails till April and August 2017, following which they were granted bail. As many as 235 witnesses have been deposed in the trial so far.
Many reports and statements by former bureaucrats had pointed out that Lt Col Purohit was maliciously framed, with planted ‘evidence’ by the former UPA government to fan the imaginary ‘saffron terror’ narrative and distract the public from the scams of the Congress-led government.
It is important to note that one of the blast accused named Sudhakar Chaturvedi in the year 2017 had told the NIA court that the Mumbai ATS had tried to frame the then BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on the behest of the Congress-NCP government.
Also, in the year 2021, one of the witnesses made similar statements against the Maharashtra ATS. The witness told the Special NIA court that he was threatened, tortured, and kept in illegal custody by the Mumbai ATS and forced to take the names of five Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members including Yogi Adityanath, Indresh Kumar, Deodhar, and Kakaji.
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the Indian government is taking steps for the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) to produce clean energy. The Small Modular Reactors will have up to 300 MW capacity, and they are being built to fulfil India’s commitment to the Clean Energy transition.
Dr Jitendra Singh is the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Science & Technology, MoS (Independent) of Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.
The union minister revealed his address to a Workshop on Small Modular Reactors (SMR) organized by NITI Aayog and the Department of Atomic Energy. He said that the participation of the private sector and Startups needs to be explored in the development of this critical technology within India.
Jitendra Singh said that the exploration of new clean energy options is in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadmap for clean energy transition through bold climate commitments which are reflected in the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). He added that the Indian government has already taken steps for clean energy transition with penetration of non-fossil-based energy resources and achieving net zero by 2070.
The minister said in terms of base load power, nuclear energy can play a big role in the de-carbonization strategy. It is in this context that the role of nuclear energy will be critical for clean energy transition of not just India but for the entire world, Dr Singh added.
Small Modular Reactors (SMR), with up to 300 MW capacity, are flexible in design and require a smaller footprint. Being mobile and agile technology, SMR can be factory-built, unlike the conventional nuclear reactors that are built on-site. Thus, SMRs offer significant savings in cost and construction time. SMR is a promising technology in industrial de-carbonization, especially where there is a requirement of reliable and continuous supply of power. It is said that SMR is simpler and safer as compared to large nuclear plants.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, SMR designs are generally simpler compared to traditional reactors. They are also safer, due to inherent safety characteristics of the reactor, such as low power and operating pressure. Due to this, they use passive safety systems and do not require human intervention or external power to shut them down in case of emergencies.
“These increased safety margins, in some cases, eliminate or significantly lower the potential for unsafe releases of radioactivity to the environment and the public in case of an accident,” says IAEA.
SMRs also operate longer without the need for refuelling. While traditional nuclear plants require to be refuelled in 1 to 2 years, SMRs need refuelling every 3 to 7 years. SMRs are used for various purposes, like producing electricity, heating, water desalinisation and steam for industrial applications.
SMR is a very new technology developed in recent years. Akademik Lomonosov in Russia was the first Small Modular Reactor to be commissioned, which started commercial operation in 2020. The modular reactor is actually a floating plant, as it is placed on a barge docked in the Pevek harbour. After that, many such SMRs are under construction in various countries.
Dr Jitendra Singh also said that due to continuous efforts of the government towards renewable energy, India today stands at number four in terms of installed capacity of renewable energy across the world, after China, Europe and the United States. He added that these measures also conform to the Prime Minister’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat goal, where India contributes significant value to global value chain. It must be noted that India, comprising 17% of the world population, has seen its primary energy growing at a rate of 4% during the last decade, almost double the global growth rate of 1.3%. However, by historical standards, India’s share in global emissions is less than 5%.
On November 25, Congress shared a video of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra performing Aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh. The Gandhi siblings performed Aarti with the priests at Brahmapuri ghat on the banks of the Narmada river while holding Diyas and apparently reciting Narmadashtakam. The Congress leaders had reached the place as part of the ongoing Bharat Jodi Yatra.
Rahul Gandhi also presented a Chunari to the river before praying at the famed Shiva temple, one of the country’s 12 Jyotirlingas. The aarti was also attended by Priyanka Gandhi’s husband, Robert Vadra, and their son, Rehan.
As the Gandhi family continues to throw stunts to impress voters ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections this year, it can not be forgotten how former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept Gujarat deprived of Narmada water by sitting on the project to increase the height of Sardar Sarovar dam for years because the Congress government in the neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra felt they were at ‘disadvantage.’
Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India, laid the project’s foundation stone in 1961. Since then, it was hampered by objections from campaigners such as Narmada Bachao Aandolan founder Medha Patkar, who claimed that the dam’s water would force 40,000 villagers to relocate since their houses will be inundated. Earlier, Medha Patkar had joined Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodi Yatra.
The Congress party, which is now pretending to be a religious and devout party by worshipping at Narmada Ghat to secure some votes in the upcoming elections, kept the state of Gujarat parched for decades and decades. Interestingly, the then Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh had also opposed increase in the height of the dam by the Narmada Control Authority (NCA).
Earlier in 2017, former PM Manmohan even lied that Narendra Modi, as the chief minister of Gujarat, never reached out to Singh over the issue regarding the completion of the dam. This followed Narendra Modi’s accusation that whenever he went to PM Manmohan Singh to make a representation concerning the dam, the latter would profess ignorance about its halted development.
However, several reports emerged revealing that Modi had indeed met PM Manmohan Singh, not once but twice to discuss the Sardar Sarovar Dam project. According to one such report, Modi spoke with Manmohan Singh in 2009 to urge that the Sardar Sarovar Project be designated as a national project.
As per another report, Modi brought up the Sardar Sarovar project issue again in 2013 at a meeting with Manmohan Singh. During this discussion, Gujarat’s then-chief minister, Narendra Modi, mentioned putting a sluice gate on the dam and requested Manmohan Singh to obtain approval as soon as feasible.
On November 27, National Crime Investigation Bureau (NCIB), an NGO, published a tweet claiming that if a man stares at a woman for 14 seconds or more, he can be booked under Sections 294 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. The verified Twitter account, which uses the name NCIB Headquarters, posted a tweet in Hindi that translates to, “Important information: Seeing at any girl / woman for more than 14 seconds can lead to jail. Because knowingly or unknowingly or jokingly, staring at a familiar or unfamiliar girl / woman for more than 14 seconds is a serious crime under sections 294 and 509 of the IPC. Such cases come under molestation”.
NCIB’s name, Twitter handle NCIB Headquarters and its red and blue logo gives the impression that it is part of a police department. The description of the Twitter account also does not mention that it is an NGO. This is revealed only when one clicks the URL with .in domain given in the bio, as the website states that National Crime Investigation Bureau is actually a Non Government Organisation. Therefore, social media users were confused and surprised at the tweet, because nobody heard of any such provision in the IPC, as claimed in the Tweet.
Therefore, we investigated the tweet published by them and checked if there is any provision in the law under the said sections that deal with staring at a woman for a specific time.
NCIB, an NGO, published a misleading tweet. Source: Twitter
Section 294 of the IPC
As per Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with obscene acts and songs, whoever, to the annoyance of others, does any obscene act in any public place, or sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both.
Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Section 509 of the IPC
As per Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with the word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman, whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any words, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and also with fine.
Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Both sections have provisions that deal with obscene actions and intend to insult the modesty of a woman, which may include staring in case it makes a woman uncomfortable, however, there is no specification of the time frame in any of the sections. If we go by what the NGO tweeted, a woman who feels uncomfortable with any action (in this case, staring) of a man for less than 14 seconds cannot file a complaint, which is not true.
Therefore, there is no such provision for 14 second limit for staring at women in sections 294 and 509 of the IPC, as claimed in the Tweet. Therefore, it is a fake claim published by the NGO. The claim also suggests that staring at women for 13 or fewer seconds is legal, which is not true. A woman can feel uncomfortable being stared at for a lesser duration, and there can’t be a limit of 14 seconds.
The 2016 statement of the Kerala Excise Officer
However, this is not the first time this 14-second claim has surfaced.
In 2016, Kerala Excise Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh became the first person to say that if a person stares at a woman for 14 seconds or more, he may face prison time. In his statement, the IPS officer said, “A case can be filed against men who ‘annoyingly’ stare at women for more than 14 seconds. The stare need not really linger for a full 14 seconds to make it an offence. It is an offence if it makes a woman uncomfortable, even for a few seconds. Womenfolk should come forward to register complaints against such offenders.” He mentioned sub-sections of Section 354 of the IPC to back his statement.
OpIndia checked the provisions added under Section 354 as sub-sections A, B, C and D as part of The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 that was brought in light of the 2012 Nirbhaya Rape Case, also known as the Delhi Gang Rape Case.
Section 354 of the IPC
As per Section 354, which deals with assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will be there by outrage her modesty, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Section 354A deals with sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment. It says, a man committing any of the following acts:
Section 354A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures; or
A demand or request for sexual favours; or
Showing pornography against the will of a woman; or
Making sexually coloured remarks,
Shall be guilty of the offence of sexual harassment. Any man who commits the offence specified in clause (i) or clause (ii), or clause (iii) of sub-section (1) shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine or with both. Any man who commits the offence specified in clause (iv) of sub-section (1) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, with a fine, or with both.
Section 354B deals with assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe. It says, any man who assaults or uses criminal force to any woman or abets such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 354B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Section 354C deals with voyeurism. It says, any man who watches or captures the image of a woman engaging in a private act in circumstances where she would usually have the expectation of not being observed either by the perpetrator or by any other person at the behest of the perpetrator or disseminates such image shall be punished on first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year, but which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine, and be punished on a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than three years, but which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 354C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Explanation 1: For the purpose of this section, “private act” includes an act of watching carried out in a place which, in the circumstances, would reasonably be expected to provide privacy and where the victim’s genitals, posterior or breasts are exposed or covered only in underwear; or the victim is using a lavatory, or the victim is doing a sexual act that is not of a kind ordinarily done in public.
Explanation 2: Where the victim consents to the capture of the images or any act but not to their dissemination to third persons and where such image or act is disseminated, such dissemination shall be considered an offence under this section.
Section 354D deals with stalking. It says any man who follows a woman and contacts or attempts to contact such woman to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such woman; or (ii) monitors the use by a woman of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication, commits the offence of stalking provided that such conduct shall not amount to stalking if the man who pursued it proves that:
Section 354D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
It was pursued for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime, and the man accused of stalking had been entrusted with the responsibility of prevention and detection of crime by the State; or
It was pursued under any law or to comply with any condition or requirement imposed by any person under any law; or
In particular circumstances, such conduct was reasonable and justified.
Whoever commits the offence of stalking shall be punished on the first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine; and be punished on a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Again, in the case of Section 354 and its sub-sections A, B, C and D, there is no mention of the minimum time after which staring could be considered an offence. Furthermore, a woman does not have to wait for 14 seconds to decide if she feels uncomfortable with someone’s presence around her.
Verdict: The tweet published by NCIB, which is an NGO and not a government department, is misleading and fake. There is no provision for a timeframe in the Sections mentioned by the NGO or in the Sections that have been linked with such misleading statements previously.
On Saturday, November 26, a controversy erupted after prominent Hindi poet Anamika Jain Amber was stopped by the Bihar administration from reciting her poetry at the All India Kavi Sammelan at the Sonpur Mela. Jain was allegedly stopped by the Bihar administration officials at the directions of the Nitish Kumar-led government.
Anamika Jain Amber alleged that the district administration told her that she would not be allowed to perform on stage, and she then was left with no option but to return to Delhi.
Speaking about the incident Anamika Jain said, “I am disappointed at having been deprived of the opportunity to perform in the land of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.”
Jain also claimed that even the officials looked embarrassed when they informed her about the “orders from above” to stop her from performing.
Reacting to the controversy, BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand demanded an apology from CM Nitish Kumar. He accused the Bihar government of ‘cultural policing’ and suppressing the voices of those opposed to their political ideology.
While speaking to ETV Bharat, Nikhil Anand said, “Renowned poets from across the country were invited to perform at the event. However, Anamika Jain was stopped from performing at the eleventh hour, after the officials received orders from the top level.”
Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, when questioned by media about the controversy, said, “It is indeed sad that Anamika Jain was stopped from performing just because she read a poem in praise of Modi Ji and Yogi Ji. Other poets had to boycott the Kavi Sammelan in solidarity with Anamika Amber. Will the events like Kavi Sammelan be now seen through a political lens? I appeal to CM Nitish Kumar to punish those behind this insult of the poet, and stop defaming Bihar.”
“अनामिका अंबर को बिहार में काव्य पाठ नहीं करने दिया गया, बिहार सरकार ने उनका अपमान किया”
Although the Bihar government and administration are now denying that Anamika Jain was invited to the event, the program schedule clearly states that Anamika Jain was invited and was scheduled to perform on November 25 at the Sonpur fair.
Sonpur Mela programme schedule (Image: ETV Bharat)
Taking to Twitter, Anamika Jain slammed the Bihar government and wrote, “The Bihar government was so scared that I was not even allowed to enter Sonpur, I was stopped in Patna itself since morning. The entire team of poets went to Sonpur and returned after boycotting the program.”
Anamika Jain’s ‘UP Mein Baba Ba’ song in Bundelkhandi dialect, in which she praised Yogi Adityanath during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, had gone viral on social media and was used extensively during the election campaign by BJP.
