As per several media reports based on user experiences, the Twitter web is down and is facing periodic crashes in parts of the world Today. Many people reported being unable to access the website. When the feed page initially loads, a window that says “Something went wrong, but don’t worry – try again” appears.
According to reports, the outage began at 3 AM and peaked after 7 AM. Twitter users complained on Friday that they were having problems reading feeds on web and that some of them were unable to sign in.
Twitter down? Several users complain about login issues
Many people are having issues with the Twitter website, according to the outage tracking website Downdetector. But not all Twitter users have yet been impacted by the issue. 93% of Twitter visitors had issues with the web, but just 6% experienced issues with the app, according to Downdetector. Twitter has not yet released an official statement on the matter.
Source: Downdetector
Notably, this follows after Elon Musk started the layoff procedure at Twitter, ordering to shut all facilities for existing employees for a while. As reported by OpIndia, Twitter has informed staff that it would reduce its worldwide workforce on Friday, November 4th. As stated in the message, workers will get an email by 9 AM PST on November 4th clarifying whether they have been laid off or not, and employee badge access to Twitter’s facilities would be “temporarily” disabled.
As Elon Musk became the new owner of Twitter, he immediately began overhauling the company’s operations and development strategy. On the first day of taking over Twitter, Elon Musk fired CEO Parag Agarwal, legal head Vijaya Gadde and CFO Ned Segal. The layoffs are part of Musk’s effort to cut Twitter’s expenditures. The memo is vague on the number of layoffs, but Musk will probably let go between 50 and 75 per cent of Twitter’s 7,500 employees.
According to employees who witnessed the talks, Musk’s group of senior advisers from outside spent the last week selecting which engineers and technical managers should be kept on board, mostly based on their most recent codebase contributions.
Musk attempted to back out of the purchase of Twitter in May, claiming that the firm undervalued the number of bot and spam accounts on the social media network, sparking a series of litigation between the two sides. However, Musk switched stance earlier in October and stated that he will proceed with the acquisition on the original conditions.
Massive protests erupted in Pakistan’s Peshawar district and other parts of the country hours after former Pakistan PM and Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was shot in his leg as he led a rally against the government in Wazirabad on Thursday. Pakistan Tereek-e-Insaaf party workers took to the streets to register their protest against the alleged assassination attempt on Khan.
According to the reports, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the Corps Commander’s House in Peshawar and raised their voices against the incident, the video of which went viral over the internet. In one of the videos, the security personnel could be seen preventing the PTI workers from approaching the Corps Commander’s residence.
It begins: After attack on Khan, PTI demonstrators advance on the Peshawar Corps Commander’s residence.
Will the military blink first and allow snap elections?
The Pakistan Tereek-e-Insaaf party also happened to share several videos of the protest on social media in which the protesters could be seen torching the vehicles and raising slogans in support of Imran Khan. The demonstrators also raised slogans against Nawaz Sharif.
عمران بنو گے؟ ہاں بھئی ہاں!
جہلم کا عمران خان اور اس مٹی سے وعدہ ہے کہ جان جاتی ہے تو جائے لیکن غلامی قبول نہیں کریں گے اور خون کے آخری قطرے تک اپنے کپتان کے ساتھ اس حقیقی آزادی کی جدوجہد میں شانہ ںشانہ کھڑے رہے گے۔ #عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لاین_ہےpic.twitter.com/EtZqv1iVen
Meanwhile, Pakistani journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan also shared videos of the protest showing the PTI party workers vandalizing public properties. The protesters in the video could be seen vandalizing a Police APC in the Peshawar district of Pakistan. “This is unprecedented. Not in 75 years of history has this been witnessed in Pakistan”, he tweeted.
Khan (70), was attacked in Wazirabad, Pakistan’s Punjab province, about 100 kilometers from Lahore, as he was on his way to Islamabad with supporters to put pressure on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to call early elections. A volley of bullets appeared to be fired from an automatic rifle as Khan and other leaders of his party stayed on the vehicle’s roof.
According to PTI leaders, Khan was hit in the right leg but was not in danger. Reportedly, Khan was lightly injured and was taken to the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore for treatment. After being shot, Khan was seen waving to the supporters on television before being carried to his bulletproof truck. The attacker has been arrested.
Furthermore, the firing caused panic among the marchers which triggered a stampede in which many people got injured. During the incident, one PTI worker was killed and 13 others were reported injured, including party leaders Ahmed Chattha and Faisal Javed.
Notably, the arrested assailant who fired at Khan with an AK-47 stated that he attacked the former Pakistan PM because he was misleading the public. He added that Azaan was going on at a nearby mosque and Khan was playing music. Meanwhile, Khan blamed the attack on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, and Maj Gen Faisal. The Pakistan Army also condemned the attack on Imran Khan while Pakistan’s Prime Minister has directed the Interior Minister to submit an immediate report on the incident.
According to an unsigned internal document obtained by The Verge, Twitter has informed staff that it would reduce its worldwide workforce on Friday, November 4th. As stated in the message, workers will get an email by 9 AM PST on November 4th clarifying whether they have been laid off or not, and employee badge access to Twitter’s facilities would be “temporarily” disabled.
This news comes just a week after Elon Musk became the new owner of Twitter and immediately began overhauling the company’s operations and development strategy. Since then, Twitter has been rife with a conjecture regarding the timing and breadth of the planned layoffs.
This information was also shared by Journalist Benny Johnson. In a tweet, Benny wrote, “Cuts at Twitter begin under Elon Musk as employees receive emails informing them to go home and not return to the offices on Friday.”
“By 9AM PST on Friday Nov. 4th, everyone will receive an individual email with the subject line: Your Role at Twitter.” pic.twitter.com/htPIOy86pe
“In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday. We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward,” the document reads.
“Given the nature of our distributed workforce and our desire to inform impacted individuals as quickly as possible, communications for this process will take place via email. By 9 AM PST on Friday, Nov. 4th, everyone will receive an individual email with the subject line: Your Role at Twitter. Please check your email, including your spam folder,” it further adds.
Elaborating on denying access to its facilities, it reads, “To help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data, our offices will be temporarily closed and all badge access will be suspended. If you are in an office or on your way to an office, please return home.”
At last, the memo reads, “We acknowledge this is an incredibly challenging experience to go through, whether or not you are impacted. Thank you for continuing to adhere to Twitter policies that prohibit you from discussing confidential company information on social media, with the press or elsewhere. We are grateful for your contributions to Twitter and for your patience as we move through this process.”
The layoffs are part of Musk’s effort to cut Twitter’s expenditures. The memo is vague on the number of layoffs, but Musk will probably let go between 50 and 75 per cent of Twitter’s 7,500 employees. According to employees who witnessed the talks, Musk’s group of senior advisers from outside spent the last week selecting which engineers and technical managers should be kept on board, mostly based on their most recent codebase contributions.
Musk said investors overpaying for the deal
Before the Twitter deal, Elon Musk stated that he and his investors are unquestionably overpaying for Twitter, but he also expressed delight at the purchase of the social media behemoth. He described Twitter as a “languished” asset for a long period. “Myself and the other investors are obviously overpaying for Twitter right now. The long-term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value,” Musk stated.
Musk attempted to back out of the purchase of Twitter in May, claiming that the firm undervalued the number of bot and spam accounts on the social media network, sparking a series of litigation between the two sides. However, Musk switched stance earlier in October and stated that he will proceed with the acquisition on the original conditions.
On the first day of taking over Twitter, Elon Musk fired CEO Parag Agarwal, legal head Vijaya Gadde and CFO Ned Segal.
MoS Home Nisith Parmanik’s convoy was attacked in Setai, Coochbehar in West Bengal on Thursday, November 3. As per reports, miscreants with sticks, and stones had showed up to confront the minister’s convoy.
WB | The gathering even had sticks, stones & other weapons despite police presence. They surely didn't show up with sticks to shower flowers. How this happened is a question that needs to be asked. BJP workers won't sit quietly if their minister is attacked in front of them: MoS pic.twitter.com/52irPIuRVC
Speaking to the media, minister Nisith Parmanik stated that the route for his convoy was mapped by the state police and asked how could his convoy be under such threat. He added that the miscreants carrying sticks and stones were gathered despite the police presence. “BJP workers won’t sit quiet when their minister is attacked in front of them”, he added.
however, the Bengal police have claimed that the scuffle broke out because the minister’s supporters argued with the people holding black flags. Coochbehar SP has stated that the minister had about 50 bike riders accompanying him and a scuffle broke out between the supporters on bikes and the people carrying black flags.
MoS Home Nisith Pramanik had a program. There, when he was going on the way, some people were standing with black flags. There were about 50 bikes with the minister in his convoy. The boys on the bike got down and attacked the people with black flags: SP Coochbehar (03.11) pic.twitter.com/WZJchMGFEx
Bengal BJP has blamed the ruling TMC for the incident, saying that six of their supporters have been injured after the clash with the miscreants who were from TMC. The TMC has denied the allegations.
Nisith Parmanik was traveling to attend a meeting with BJP workers in the Brahmottar Chatra area.
Days after a car carrying terror suspect Jamesha Mubin exploded mid-journey in the Ukkadam area of Coimbatore, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recovered incriminating evidence that unearthed his sinister plans to punish non-Muslims (Kafir).
As per a reports, the central agency found a flowchart at Mubin’s house that divided humans into 3 categories – children, youth and elderly. The controversial note also emphasised that ‘Jihad is a duty’ and that the ‘weak’ groups such as children and the elderly could not execute Jihad.
“It is thus the duty of the youth to wage Jihad or the Holy war, which is conveyed through the jottings in his diary,” observed Rahul Shivshankar of Times Now. In another note recovered from Mubin’s house, humans were divided into 2 categories – Muslims and Kafirs (non-Muslims).
The National Investigation Agency has also recovered a children’s slate from the residence of deceased Jamesha Mubin that threatened to harm those who commit blasphemy (or insult Allah).
Notes recovered from the residence of Jamesha Mubin, image via The News Minute
“Allahuvin illathin meedhu kai vaithaal veraruppom (Will destroy anyone who dares to touch the house of Allah)”, the writing on the slate warned. It also featured a drawing, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the flag of the Islamist terror outfit ISIS.
A set of four scribblings were recovered from the residence of the main conspirator of the Coimbatore car blast which showed that Mubin was a sympathiser of terror outfit ISIS. One of the chawk scribblings also mentioned ‘Vaal yenthu’ (take up the sword). Other notes mentioned Islam and the Hadith.
Slate recovered from the house of Mubin, image via The News Minute
Besides, the Coimbatore police have also recovered 75kg of chemical materials, including charcoal, potassium nitrate, sulphur, aluminium powder and highly restricted items such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate and nitroglycerin from Mubin’s house.
Coimbatore terror plot: What we know so far
On October 22, Jamesha Mubin was caught on CCTV, loading a large object (LPG cylinder) wrapped in a white bag onto his Maruti 800 car. It was around 11:25 pm. Mubin was accompanied by 3 other men, namely, Mohammad Riyaz, Feroz Ismail, and Mohammad Navaz Ismail.
At around 4 am on October 23 night, the car carrying Jamesha Mubin exploded mid-journey in the Ukkadam area of Coimbatore. The incident took place adjacent to the Kottai Easwaran Temple.
Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the two commercial cylinders onboard the car had exploded while the other remained intact. As per reports, the remains of Mubin’s body were unrecognisable.
A total of 6 people, namely, Mohammad Thalka, Mohammad Azarudheen, Riyaz, Nawaz, Afsar Khan and Feroz were arrested in connection to the case. It also came to light that Mubin was interrogated by the NIA in 2019 in connection to the Easter bomb blasts.
“He was one among the five people we had to examine in 2019 since he had been attending Bayan classes at a Coimbatore mosque of the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ),” a source told The Indian Express.
It later came to light that Jamesha Mubin was motivated by the Islamic State and engaged in preparing for jihad. Reportedly, he was on a suicide mission to destroy a large area including a Hindu temple using his car bomb.
On October 27, the case was transferred to the NIA by the Centre, following the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. An official said, “The Union home ministry decided to hand over the Coimbatore blast case to the NIA.”
A day later, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi criticised the Tamil Nadu government for delay in engaging the services of the NIA.
In Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, a person named Mohammad Kaleem slit the throat of his 16-year-old sister, for having an affair with a Hindu boy named Arun. The accused was apprehended, and the sharp weapon used in the brutal murder was recovered from his possession.
The incident took place in Damodarpura village of Katra Bazaar police region. According to reports, mother Taslima lived in the house with her 16-year-old daughter Sajrulnisha and 22-year-old eldest son Kaleem. When Taslima returned home on the evening of 2 October 2022, she found the door locked.
She began questioning the girl after knocking on the door for a long time and when the girl opened the door eventually. At the same time, Taslima noticed Arun, the village boy, hiding behind the cupboard. He fled when he saw Taslima. Taslima then called Kaleem and told him about the incident.
Kalim eventually returned home and began arguing with his sister. In response, his sister also argued. Subsequently, he became enraged, and Kalim struck her on the neck with a sharp object kept nearby, causing the sister’s neck to be severed from the body.
Taslima reported that there was blood all over the house. Following the incident, Kaleem rode his motorcycle to the police station while carrying his sister’s neck in a bag and explaining to the officers, “My sister was in love with a boy of another religion.” That is why I beheaded her. This is her head. “Arrest me.”
The officers were taken aback when they saw the sister’s head in the bag. He was then apprehended. However, the police claim that the girl’s head was found on the spot and that Kaleem was apprehended 6 hours after the crime on the basis of the informer’s input.
An FIR has been registered against the accused on the complaint of his mother Taslima. The body of the victim has been sent for postmortem and the accused has been arrested, CO Munna Upadhyay informed.
Taslima, the girl’s mother, stated that she has two sons and two daughters. Her eldest child is married. Kaleem, the eldest son, had also recently married. The younger son works in another town. Her husband, Mohammad Salim alias Babu, had committed suicide by hanging a few years ago.
Dubbed as ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Congress kickstarted its 3,570-km march from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 this year. The march will last over 5 months and will cover 12 States before terminating at Srinagar. Currently, the Bharat Jodo Yatra is moving past Telangana, where Muslim “intellectuals” and leaders aired their grievances to Rahul Gandhi. In Hyderabad, Rahul Gandhi also delivered a speech from a temporary stage erected in front of Charminar Mosque, a stronghold of AIMIM.
After lunch, at Hanumannagar, Rahul Gandhi interacted with a delegation of Muslim intellectuals, including senior advocates, educationists, retired bureaucrats, leaders of community organisations, social activists, writers, employee representatives and professionals from different fields. These Muslim ‘intellectuals’ reaffirmed their faith in Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, there were several issues discussed between the Muslim intellectuals and Rahul Gandhi ranging from the supposed persecution of the Muslim community to the preservation and protection of Waqf properties.
An educationalist called Farhana Khan told the media that Rahul Gandhi gave several “assurances” that seemed genuine to her. We have given representations on many issues, including about security for Wakf properties, which are being looted by leaders and politicians.”
Saba Quadri, a social worker, said, “Muslims have been under attack always. On whether Congress would protect Muslims if it comes to power, he said that Congress has always been a secular party and I will stand by its ideology.”
Former special chief secretary Shafiquzzaman and Senior High Court advocate Qudsia Tabassum raised contentious issues that have seen increased decibels within the Muslim community to further a victimhood narrative after several Islamists have been arrested, especially in the Delhi Riots case. Quasi Tabassum reportedly spoke to Rahul Gandhi about the “misuse” of UAPA, under which many Muslims are being “victimised”. She alleged that sections of UAPA are being used to deprive Muslims of basic fundamental rights and demanded an end to “harassment of Muslims”. Shafiquzzaman, on the other hand, furthered the usual trope of Muslims being under attack from the police. Interestingly, he also said that Congress should have better Muslim representation and local leadership.
According to a report by Indian Express, Rahul Gandhi heard these “concerns” patiently. What is far more troubling is that it appears that Rahul Gandhi has committed to diluting UAPA, in accordance with the demands of the Muslim leaders. Reportedly, Rahul Gandhi agreed that the UAPA and other laws were being abused to target sections of society. He said Congress would address the issues raised by the community leaders.
Interestingly, only recently, former Supreme Court Justice Lokur released a “Citizens Report” where the investigation into the Delhi Riots were misrepresented to demand the dilution of UAPA, under which, several Islamists are being tried for the rampant and planned violence against Hindus in Northeast Delhi in 2020. While talking about Chargesheet 59, which is a 17,000-word chargesheet, the report by Justice Lokur and others only focuses on how UAPA should not be applicable to the speeches made by Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and others in an attempt to dilute their offences.
Rahul Gandhi remains mute when Christian priest teaching him about Jesus, insults Hindu deities, had earlier said ‘Bharat Mata can give scabies’
On September 9, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi met a rabid anti-Hindu pastor, George Ponnaiah, as part of his ambitious mass mobilisation programme‘ Bharat Jodo Yatra.’
Rahul Gandhi was seen learning about Jesus Christ from the pastor. “But, He is not God? Or is he God? Jesus is also God?”
A man in the background was heard explaining how the connection between Jesus Christ and God using the different states of water. “It is Like water, which is in 3 states – solid, liquid and gaseous form.”
He then proceeded to explain that Jesus Christ is God and also the son of God. “So, Jesus Christ is a form of God?” inquired Rahul Gandhi. At that point, Father George Ponnaiah intervened and claimed that Jesus is the ‘real God’, unlike ‘Sakthi & other Hindu gods. The rabid Hindu hater said, “He (Jesus Christ) is a real God, revealed as a human person. Not like Sakthi and all.” Rahul Gandhi had remained a mute spectator while Hindu faith was insulted by the Padre.
Earlier, the same pastor that Rahul Gandhi met, had insulted Bharat Mata claiming that she causes “scabies” and had also threatened the Hindu community. “We are now the majority (in the Kanyakumari district) from 42 per cent we have crossed 62 per cent. Soon we would be 70 per cent. You cannot stop us. I am saying this as a warning to my Hindu brothers”, the pastor had said earlier.
On 3rd November 2022, the teaser of the new film ‘The Kerala Story’ was released. The film produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and directed by Sudipto Sen depicts the heartbreaking and gut-wrenching stories of 32000 women from Kerala who were radicalized to join the ISIS (Islamic States of Iraq and Syria) terrorist ranks. It is notable that many of these Muslim women from Kerala joining ISIS were converted with the motive of sending them to the terrorist organization ISIS.
The trailer shows a Muslim woman in front of the international border narrating her story. The character played by actress Adah Sharma says that earlier she used to be Shalini Unnikrishnan and wanted to serve the people as a nurse. She further tells that she was forcefully converted to Islam and renamed Fatima Ba, and subsequently sent to ISIS to become a terrorist and ultimately get locked up in an Afghanistan jail.
‘The Kerala Story’ narrates the pain of 32000 such converted Muslim women from Kerala who were sent to ISIS as terrorists only to get buried in the deserts of Yemen and Syria. A dreaded game of converting a normal girl to an ISIS terrorist is being played in Kerala for the last few years. Increasing radicalization in the southern state because of the activities of Islamist organizations like the Popular Front of India and its other allied outfits is responsible for this trafficking of girls to the gulf.
Makers of the film promise authentic and unbiased portrayal
The teaser for “The Kerala Story,” which promises to be a very authentic, unbiased, and truthful tale of events that shocked Kerala, is both matter-of-fact and powerful in its stance. While most people would avoid the topic, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah was adamant to present this gruesome story on the big screen, supported by 4 years of exhaustive study. Director Sudipto Sen visited the region, including some Arab nations, talked with residents and the relatives of the victims, and was astounded by what he saw.
At the time of the announcement of the film in March 2022, Vipul Shah had said, “In this movie, you will be confronted with a human tragedy that will leave you reeling. During the first meeting with Sudipto (writer-director), I burst into tears as he described it to me and shared his extensive research that spanned three to four years. I decided to produce this film on the same day that occurred. We want to create a film that is very realistic, impartial, and accurate to the events depicted.”
Kerala has been the target of Islamists since 2009
According to a recent investigation, approximately 32,000 females from the Hindu and Christian faiths in Kerala and Mangalore have converted to Islam since 2009. The majority of these girls eventually wind up in Syria, Afghanistan, and other regions with a high concentration of ISIS and Haqqani influence. The movie will reveal the truth about this conspiracy and the suffering of these ladies.
Though the conversions started in 2009, ISIS involvement in Kerala was initially traced in 2013. As early as 2014, ISIS established roots in Kerala, with modules encouraging religious conversions and aiming to attract professionals to join its troops in Afghanistan and Syria. Plenty of Kerala men and women are said to have joined the ISKP (Islamic State of Khorasan Province) in recent years. The United Nations warned in its 2020 terrorism report that there are a substantial number of ISIS terrorists in the Indian state of Kerala.
Furthermore, a National Investigation Agency’s charge sheet filed in July 2020 in connection with the murder of Special Sub Inspector Wilson revealed a strong association between ISIS terrorists active and growing in the state. The NIA is currently investigating cases related to IS operating recruitment centers in Kerala. Several non-Muslim women have also been radicalized and converted in the last few years and have been sent to Afghanistan and Syria to fight for the Islamic State.
Converting and radicalizing women in Kerala
When Mini Vijayan, a military official, claimed that her daughter Aparna had been forcibly converted to Islam, the issue of Kerala women being converted and recruited by ISIS received additional widespread attention in 2016. Aparna was linked to Sathyasarani, also known as the Malappuram-based Markazul Hidaya Educational and Charitable Trust. She arrived at the courthouse with a woman named Sumayya. Aparna informed the authorities that she had converted to Islam and did not want to rejoin her mother. When Aparna disappeared from her Kochi dormitory as a B. Tech. student, she married Aashiq, an auto driver from Malappuram.
Such episodes have been documented in several instances. When the NIA began looking into the Love Jihad and ISIS connection cases in 2017, they discovered that two Hindu girls called Athira and Akhila (who subsequently changed their names to Hadiya) had been lured by Sainaba, a PFI member.
The Malappuram connection
These ladies were all discovered to be associated with the Markazul Hidaya or the Sathyasarani Trust in Malappuram. Hadiya’s conversion and marriage to Shafeen Jahan were not unrelated events, according to the NIA, that testified in court, but rather the result of a planned operation by Sathyasarani and PFI. According to a sting operation against Sathyasarani and PFI, the founding member of PFI acknowledged on video that their ultimate objective is to turn India into an Islamic state. Additionally, it was announced that the NIA had received the investigative report.
The Sathyasarani Trust in Malappuram, also known as the Markazul Hidaya, a PFI-run organization, appears to be the unifying theme connecting these conversions and “education.” Individuals associated with this center included Aparna, Hadiya (Akhila), and the ladies who traveled to join ISIS. The records of 70 Hindu and Christian girls’ conversions were found during an investigation by law enforcement officials. The girls were there, according to the trust, to study religion.
This is just a tip of an iceberg
Sathyasarani is only one of several institutions. Its supporters continue to reject any affiliations with extreme organizations or terrorist organizations. In Kerala, several of these facilities are in operation. Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation is the primary source of literature used by 95% of these brainwashing centers. Numerous converted females have also mentioned how enthralled they were by Naik’s talks. 5,975 persons in the state reportedly converted to Islam between 2011 and 2015, according to government statistics. 1,410 people converted alone in 2015. Women under 35 make up a staggering 76 percent of the new converts.
What is the key legal hurdle?
This is remarkably similar to incidents of forced conversion in Sindh, Pakistan. The only difference is that because of India’s strict laws against child marriage, the victims are now adults. As a result, the cases simply get dropped or stagnated because the girl and her Muslim husband are safeguarded by the law for acting of their own free will, this introduces more issues for the family members and police. The family and authorities are unable to prove pressure or indoctrination without the girl’s clear confession.
Conclusion of The Kerala Story
Radical Islam has deeply rooted itself in Kerala. The sheer volume of radicalization, conversion, and recruiting centers operating is still far from grabbing the attention of the national media or directing it toward the issue. However, it is undeniably a matter of grave concern. In the post-ISIS world, using women as tools and weapons—whether through sex slavery or recruitment for terrorism—is no longer a secret. The governments, both state and union, must take it seriously and devise effective solutions to combat the problem. Now that the film ‘The Kerala Story’ is about to release soon, there is hope that this serious issue will come to the center of the popular discourse.
Days after The Wire retracted its Fake stories on Tek Fog and Meta targeting the BJP, the National Union of Journalists- India NUJ(I) has condemned the portal for publishing fake stories, and slammed press organisations for supporting the portal. The NUJ(I) issued a statement on 3rd November 2022 and called out various press organizations for maintaining convenient silence over the faults of ‘The Wire’ and issuing prompt statements against the police inquiry in ‘The Wire-Meta Story’. The statement by NUJ-I came after a large number of media and journalist bodies issued statements condemning the police for the searches at The Wire office and the homes of its editors.
The organisation stated that while press organisations and guilds remained silent on The Wire forging documents in its Meta story, these groups were prompt to condemn the police investigation after an FIR was filed against the portal. It is notable that a lot of liberal and left-leaning media houses have reported the whole Meta versus The Wire episode in a manner that may suit the stand of the serial fake news-peddling propaganda website ‘The Wire’, and left-wing media organisations have issued statements defending the portal.
NUJ(I) President Ras Bihari has signed the statement and it is also published on the social media handles of the organization. The statement says, “The NUJI) represents the Press fraternity of India, it is as much our bounded duty to strive to maintain the freedom of the press as it is our duty to be vigilant against fraudulent and fake news reporting. It is in this regard that the timing of statements issued by certain press associations and guilds has disturbed our conscience. If the various press organizations and the guilds had been prompt in condemning The Wire reports, which were based on forged and fabricated documents, then their statements after the Delhi Police inquiry would have carried an imprint of fairness. It is pertinent to reiterate that in addition to the forgery and fabrication of documents, The Wire’s reports are also a classic example of a lack of journalistic diligence and a willful abdication of responsibility.”
It is further said in the statement, “However, the fact is that these press associations and guilds maintained a studied silence in the face of undeniable forgery that formed the core of The Wire reports. In contrast, their promptness in issuing a statement against the police inquiry, that seeks to trace the genesis of the forgery, makes these associations and guilds seem like partisan players. It would bode well for all responsible press organizations and guilds to collectively exercise restraint whilst seeking to interfere in the present case, which noticeably lays on a shaky edifice of fraud and fabrication. As journalistic organizations, it is our primary responsibility to ensure that the truth, for whatever purpose, must not be suppressed. Premature endorsements will not only prejudice investigations that seek to unearth the veracity of news reports but set a grave precedent that will imperil Journalistic ethics and transparency. In a case where ‘The Wire’ has itself demanded an investigation by leveling allegations of forgery against its own team member, as responsible press organizations and guilds our stand cannot be partisan.”
NUJ (I) statement concluded with a remark that said, “The freedom of the press is sacrosanct and all attempts must be made to resist any move to muzzle the press. However, those who are serial fake news peddlers should not be given the leeway to utilize the card of freedom of the press to escape the consequences of their deliberate actions over months and years. The NUJ(I) calls the law enforcement authorities to undertake a swift inquiry and unearth the entire sequence of fraud and forgery in The Wire-Meta story and bring the true facts to the public domain. We also call upon the members of our fraternity to apply the same standards upon ourselves that we seek to impose on others.”
The controversy is being investigated by the Delhi police as on October 29, BJP’s Amit Malviya filed a complaint with Delhi Police against The Wire, its editors, and reporters and said they published a series of stories with the intent to tarnish his reputation. Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered under Sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery with the purpose of cheating), 469 (forgery for harming reputation), 471 (using forged document), 500 (defamation), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR was lodged after The Wire took down Meta stories that claimed Malviya was able to take down Instagram posts critical to the government, no questions asked.
It is notable that the Editors Guild had issued a statement yesterday criticising the police for conducting a search at the Wire office and the homes of its editors in relation to the FIR filed against them on the complaint of Malviya. Earlier, the Guild had withdrawn its reference to the Tek Fog story made in a statement earlier this year, where they had demanded a Supreme Court probe on what has been proved to be fake now.
PCI along with Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Association, Working News Cameraman Association, Indian Journalist Union, Digipub News India Foundation and KUWJ express concern over searches conducted by Delhi Police at the Wire Editors and reporter houses. pic.twitter.com/CATcWpKH00
The Press Club of India, along with the Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Association, Working News Cameraman Association, Indian Journalist Union, Digipub News India Foundation and KUWJ also issued a statement expressing concern over the police searches. Digipub had already issued an individual statement a day before. Similarly, another leftist body Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) also voiced concern over the police action against The Wire.
Other organisations that came in the support include The National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ), Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ), The Committee to Protect Journalists- Asia, The Network of Women in Media India, Mumbai Press Club, International Press Institute, and others.
Apart from the groups, a large number of left-liberal journalists have also come in the support of The Wire.
All of them are broadly making the same point, that The Wire committed a mistake and they have apologised for it, therefore there should not be any police action against the portal. Some even claimed that The Wire was actually the victim as they were misled by false information. But, all of them chose to ignore that the FIR was filed not because of a ‘journalistic mistake’, but for forgery of documents, cheating, criminal conspiracy and other such serious criminal charges. The Wire used forged documents to attack BJP in the Meta story, and therefore mere apology is not sufficient, police need to find out who had forged the documents and why.
On Wednesday, November 2, a student named Shivansh Jain was allegedly punished by his teachers namely Justin sir and Jasmeena Khatun for chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogan after the school assembly. The incident occurred on Wednesday in the Christ Senior Secondary School in Guna, Madhya Pradesh.
The incident, however, only came to light on Thursday after the family members and a few social organisations staged a protest in front of the school campus.
News agency ANI shared a snippet where parents and members of social outfits gathered outside the Christ Senior Secondary School in Guna earlier today and recited the Hanuman Chalisa to protest against the punishment meted out by the school teachers.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: People gathered outside Christ Senior Secondary School in Guna earlier today in protest and chanted bhajans, a day after one student was allegedly punished for chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ after the national anthem in the school assembly. pic.twitter.com/sZDIKiISdH
The victim student Shivansh Jain reportedly told the media what transpired in the school on Wednesday, “After the national anthem I raised a slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, in the meantime, Justin sir came, he asked me to come out of the line and said, what are you saying, go to the Father. After that, my Hindi teacher came and asked me to meet the class teacher. When I met the class teacher, she said that I should raise it at home”.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: People gathered outside Christ Senior Secondary School in Guna earlier today in protest and chanted bhajans, a day after one student was allegedly punished for chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ after the national anthem in the school assembly. pic.twitter.com/sZDIKiISdH
“After that, I reached the classroom. One of my classmates has been chosen as vice-captain of the red house so my class teacher, Jasmeena Khatun said that one boy is making the class proud and I am tarnishing the class’s name. After that, ma’am made me sit on the ground for the next four periods,” he added.
The mother of the traumatised child told the media, “He came back home and locked himself in a room. He did not eat food and started crying. After that, he narrated the entire story, following which I told the entire incident to his father.”
The principal of the school, meanwhile, has refuted the allegation. Father Thomas defended his school teacher’s actions by pinning the blame on the student. He claimed that the boy did not raise the slogan for patriotism, but more for entertainment. A disciplinary committee meeting will be arranged, and the issue will be resolved, he added.
A few parents and some organisations are protesting outside the school after a students was reportedly punished over chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’. DEO has taken statements. FIR will be registered on the basis of complaints that are being given: Guna ADM Virendra Singh Baghel pic.twitter.com/RdY3cQYOec
Guna ADM Virendra Singh Baghel also responded to the incident. He said, “A few parents and some organisations are protesting outside the school after a student was reportedly punished over chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. DEO has taken statements. FIR will be registered on the basis of complaints that are being given.”
Following the uproar, the school administration released a circular stating that such instances will not be repeated in the future. ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ will be chanted after the national anthem, it said.
Christian missionary school punishes students over Jai Shri Ram slogan, apologises after two days
In a similar incident that happened in March this year, two Hindu students were punished by the administration of a Christian missionary school for greeting each other with ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The incident took place at St.Mary’s school in the Vapi district of Gujarat.
The members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal reached the convent school and protested against the conduct of the convent school. Following that, St. Mary’s principal Savio Cathino and discipline Head Kalpesh Bhagat apologised to the parents of the two Hindu children.
OpIndia, in January this year, chronicled 19 such incidents in which Christian missionaries have toyed with Hindu children’s emotions and tormented, brainwashed, or forced them to convert or exploited them in some other way, while media, on its part, maintained a stoic silence.
