The communist government in North Korea had publicly executed two teenagers for watching and circulating South Korean drama shows among their friends, media outlet Radio Free Asia quoted two eyewitnesses as confirming. The execution of the minors aged 16 or 17 was carried out in October this year, the report said.
According to the report, the teenagers were taken before the public, sentenced to death, and then shot down by a firing squad at an airfield in the city while residents in the area were forced to watch the execution.
“They said, ‘Those who watch or distribute South Korean movies and dramas, and those who disrupt social order by murdering other people, will not be forgiven and will be sentenced to the maximum penalty–death’,” a resident of the city of Hyesan, on the border with China, where the execution took place, was quoted by RFA as saying.
“Hyesan residents gathered in groups at the runway,” she said. “The authorities put the teen-aged students in front of the public, sentenced them to death, and immediately shot them.”
The students met in early October at a high school in North Korea’s Ryanggang Province, which shares a border with China, where they watched many Korean and American drama productions.
This is not the first time such atrocities have been carried out on people living in North Korea. The communist country strictly controls the lives of its citizens and all television and radios are tuned into state propaganda. If anyone is caught watching or listening to foreign broadcasts, they face harsh punishment.
Last year, a North Korean man had been sentenced to death for smuggling the South Korean Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ on USB through China and sold their copies after seven high school students were caught watching the show.
A student who bought the USB from the smuggler is given a life sentence while six others who saw it with him have been sentenced to five years of hard labour. Teachers and school administrators are also fired and banished to work in remote areas in mines, the report said citing sources.
Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, and Ashok Soota, as well as Malaysian-Indian businessman Brahmal Vasudevan and his lawyer wife Shanthi Kandiah, found a place on the 16th edition of Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list, which was published on Tuesday. According to Forbes, the unranked list “highlights top altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic causes.”
Adani reportedly pledged Rs 60,000 crores (USD 7.7 billion) when he turned 60 in June of this year. The funds will be used toward healthcare, education, and skill development through the Adani Foundation, which was established in 1996. Every year, the charity assists over 3.7 million people in India. According to the press release, the promise placed him among India’s most generous benefactors.
Shiv Nadar, a self-made billionaire, and philanthropist is one of India’s most generous benefactors, has donated about USD 1 billion of his assets to different humanitarian causes through his namesake Shiv Nadar Foundation over a few decades. This year, he contributed Rs 11,600 crore (USD 142 million) to the foundation he founded in 1994 to create an equal, merit-based society via education.
Nadar, who co-founded HCL Technologies, has used his foundation to establish educational institutions like schools and colleges as well as to encourage art and culture. He stepped down from executive roles at the IT services company in 2021.
Ashok Soota, a tech billionaire, has contributed Rs 600 crore (USD 75 million) to the medical research fund he established in April 2021 to investigate aging and neurological disorders. He began SKAN, which stands for Scientific Knowledge for Ageing and Neurological Ailments, with a Rs 200 crore investment, which he has subsequently tripled. “There are only two kinds of people doing [medical] research in India. One is the people doing drug discovery, and the other is the people doing research in national and state-level institutions, which are starved for funds,” Forbes release read.
Soota, who has a holding in Bangalore-based software services firm Happiest Minds Technologies, says SKAN has been collaborating with the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Brain Research on Parkinson’s disease studies and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences on stroke research. SKAN awarded a Rs 20 crore grant to Soota’s alma mater, the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, in June 2021, to support cooperative research initiatives, establish a lab, and sponsor a professorship and three faculty scholarships.
Malaysian-Indian Brahmal Vasudevan, CEO and founder of Kuala Lumpur-based private equity firm Creador, and his lawyer wife, Shanthi Kandiah, help Malaysian and Indian communities through the Creador Foundation, a non-profit they co-founded in 2018.
They committed 50 million Malaysian Ringgit (USD 11 million) in May this year to assist develop a teaching hospital at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Kampar campus in Perak state. “We are delighted that this has spurred others to join this cause, and it appears the project is now fully funded,” Vasudevan told Forbes Asia.
In May, the couple contributed 25 million pounds (USD 30 million) to establish the eponymous Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation, which would pioneer technologies to help the aviation sector transition to zero pollution.
“We felt that the creation of this institute could hopefully make a meaningful impact on studying ways of reducing, if not achieving, zero pollution one day,” said Vasudevan.
Forbes Asia today unveiled the 16th edition of its annual Heroes of Philanthropy list, which highlights leading altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic causes such as education and the environment, among others. The full list can be found here.
In a recent interview with the Times of India, Bollywood entertainer Swara Bhasker remarked that ‘speaking up’ for people and values has cost her severely in her career and that she sometimes struggles even to pay her EMIs on time. This interview followed after Swara participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi.
In the podcast with journalist and author Harinder Baweja, Swara stated that the public and political culture has deteriorated and violence on the streets has normalised in recent times.
Swara Bhasker also admired Rahul Gandhi when she was asked about her participation in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. She said that she has been admiring Rahul Gandhi since 2018 and that he speaks for people and not ‘sensationalisation.’ She said that she joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra to lend solidarity with the movement.
Rahul Gandhi is a ‘resolved politician’
When the interviewer asked if Rahul Gandhi was a reluctant politician and was in politics because of his predetermined sir name, Swara Bhasker replied ‘No,’ explaining that it is all propaganda around his name in politics. Bhasker stated that she believes Rahul Gandhi is transforming the political culture of the country. She stated that Rahul Gandhi is a ‘resolved politician not fitting the narrative.’
Apparently, Swara Bhasker went into full fangirl mode for Rahul Gandhi, saying that there are more politicians needed who are like Rahul Gandhi. Showering more praises on Gandhi and covering up the failure of the Bharat Jodo Yatra to make up for the election in Gujarat, Swara defended that Rahul Gandhi dissociated his movement from elections because he wanted to speak up for overall transformation.
‘I am a competent actor’
On being asked if she is seen as a troublemaker, Swara Bhasker said that she faces such remarks often. She said that she is a far ‘competent actor’ but fails to come across such deserving opportunities. Smartly skipping mentions of her recent flops, Swara Bhasker stated that she has given many blockbuster movies and web series but she fails to get more work owing to her ‘openness in speaking up.’
“I’m a far better actor and a far more competent, and effective actor than the opportunities that come my way. I have a far better track record in terms of my career. I’ve been part of six or seven blockbuster films and like a whole bunch of web series shows, led them. I’ve never had bad reviews pretty much. There shouldn’t be a reason for me to feel like I don’t get enough work but clearly, I don’t,” she said.
Born in ‘different India’
Swara Bhaskar recalled how a brand endorsement of her was cancelled as the brand stated that she brought disrepute to the brand by participating in the protests, which were violent at times, burning the CAA-NRC discourse.
Swara Bhasker stated that she was born in a different India as she was not trained to be bigoted when she was a child, implying that all the kids born presently get professional training in bigotry.
Again taking on her rant on Hindutva, Swara stated that she finds the ‘Right Wing’ discourse so misogynistic and sexist. Swara Bhasker, known very well for her anti-Hindu and anti-Modi remarks in the recent past, at last, invoked the ‘Muslim persecution’ element in her responses to a question. She hailed herself for speaking up for ‘Muslim Solidarity’ by narrating a story of herself getting praise from a Muslim in past.
Though Bhasker felt herself a capable performer, recent films in which she appeared were not favourably appreciated by audiences. Her film “Jahan Chaar Yaar,” which was released on September 16, 2022, tanked at the box office. The trailer for the film was so bad that it was practically forgotten after its release on August 22, 2022.
Swara Bhasker’s virtue signalling with poor professional choices the cause of her undoing
While Bhasker held forth on how the public and political culture deteriorated in India, adding that violence on the streets had become the new normal, she did not elaborate on how Islamists have been going on a rampage, indulging in violence, vandalism, and arson. It is worth noting that Bhasker, who is trying to project moral superiority by raising concerns about the violence-stricken streets of India, had supported Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who painted a target behind former BJP leader Nupur Sharma, galvanising Islamists across the country into launching ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ protests against the beleaguered leader.
Bhasker later backed Zubair after Sharma filed a complaint against the Alt News co-founder for sharing an edited version of her clip that led to Islamists issuing threats to her and her family. Instead of standing in solidarity with Sharma, Bhasker tried to dismiss her concerns and rationalise a preposterous explanation proffered by Pratik Sinha, another Alt News co-founder with a history of peddling fake news.
Instead of holding Islamists and violent protesters who took to the streets on the pretext of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad, a concept which is alien to India and is characteristic of Islamist regimes in the Middle East, where the Muslim majority often use the false excuse of blasphemy to settle scores with minorities and whip up a communal frenzy against them.
Bhasker also berated Nupur Sharma on Twitter, indirectly giving a free pass to those who took to the streets against the former BJP leader for her remarks on Prophet Muhammad that were distilled from authentic Islamic hadiths. While slamming Sharma on the microblogging platform, Bhasker also used the occasion to needlessly politicise the issue and attack Navika Kumar and Times Now for providing their platform to the former BJP leader.
She sounds like a vile person, But blaming only #NupurSharma is a cop out- We all know the leaders who started it, fanned it, won elections off it & the ecosystem that kept it alive. Hate is a ? .. India ?? Is burning in it now! Oh, also Hi @navikakumar@TimesNow having fun?
While Bhasker went hammer and tongs to criticise Nupur Sharma and side with Mohammed Zubair, she studiously avoided making critical remarks against the Alt News co-founder arrested for his Hinduphobic social media posts from the past. Instead of calling out Zubair for his derogatory posts against Hindu Gods and Goddesses, ironically the same charge that he accused Nupur Sharma of, Bhasker projected Zubair’s arrest as a “shameful witch-hunt” and demanded his release.
The glaring hypocrisy in the above case highlights Bhasker’s virtue signalling and her utter disregard for her morals and ideals, which she selectively leans on for matters that are in convergence with her political ideology.
Bhasker also recently came out in support of actor Richa Chadha after she suffered a severe blowback on Twitter for her unwarranted comments mocking Indian braveheart’s supreme sacrifice during the Galwan clashes.
Bhasker’s unsolicited support for Chadha backfired as social media users condemned the actor for supporting a person who made a facetious comment on the Indian Army and undermined its ability to capture PoK.
Such hypocritical and anti-India stances have contributed to Swara Bhasker’s declining popularity among the masses, who saw her as a hypocrite who lectured the country on morality and ethics while not following them herself. Her alignment with anti-India forces has also played a part in diminishing her professional opportunities.
However, above everything else, Bhasker has fallen from the grace of the movie producers because of her own poor professional choices. She has been a part of movies that lack a coherent story, gripping screenplay, or entertaining masala that would attract people to the theatres. Producers do not want to plunk down their money on someone who is awful at their primary skill and then have the gall of pontificating to others on matters of socio-political import, only to end up exposing their own hypocrisy.
The World Bank increased its estimate of India’s GDP growth to 6.9 percent for 2022-23, up from the 6.5 percent predicted previously. The World Bank has raised India’s GDP growth prediction for the current financial year due to the country’s strong economic performance.
According to the World Bank’s latest India Development Update, retail inflation is expected to be 7.1% in 2022-23. The report, on the other hand, has shown a deteriorating external environment. The report indicated that spillovers from the United States, the European Union, and China have an impact on India. Furthermore, the bank sees India as one of the fastest-growing big economies.
According to Dhruv Sharma, Senior Economist at The World Bank, India’s GDP has recovered pretty well from the past year’s downturn. The story of the recovery has been primarily driven by healthy domestic demand. He stated that India is more resilient now than it was ten years ago and that all initiatives undertaken in the last ten years have assisted India in navigating global headwinds.
India’s economy has rebounded fairly robustly following the contraction that occurred during the pandemic year. This story of the rebound has been driven largely by robust domestic demand: Dhruv Sharma, Senior Economist, The World Bank pic.twitter.com/mdnWPMhUG2
“Rupee has depreciated by just about 10% over the course of this year. India has not fared that badly compared to other emerging markets,” Sharma said.
In addition, India, according to Auguste Tano Kouame, is tremendously ambitious. He stated that the government has done a number of things to strengthen the economy and is working hard to make it more vibrant.
India is very ambitious. The government has done a number of things to make the economy resilient and is putting a lot of effort to make the economy dynamic: Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank pic.twitter.com/ZGLCegYSP4
The Reserve Bank of India predicts the Indian economy to grow by 7% in the fiscal year 2022-23, down from 7.2 percent before. India’s GDP increased by 6.3 percent in the September 2022 quarter (Q2FY23), compared to 8.4 percent in the same quarter the previous year.
In the June 2022 quarter, the Indian economy grew by 13.5%. (Q1FY23). The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee forecasted GDP growth of 6.3% from July to September 2022.
On Tuesday, the Income Tax Department conducted searches at the residence of promoters of the renowned real estate company Vamsiram builders in Hyderabad, Telangana. The IT officials also raided the office premises of the promoters in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Nellore in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh.
According to the reports, the Income Tax agency raided the homes of Subba Reddy, chairman of Vamsiram Builders, and his brother-in-law Janardhan Reddy on Road No. 45 in Jubilee Hills. Raids have been launched in as many as 15 locations. Devineni Avinash, currently a member of the YSR Congress party, is also under the scanner. Devineni Avinash’s name has cropped up in shady financial transactions related to a development project.
The #IncomeTax (IT) department officials were conducting searches on the premises of leading real estate developer Vamsiram Builders.
Vamsiram Builders, which captured valuable properties in prime strategic spots like Banjara Hills in the center of Hyderabad, has over 80 high-profile projects to its name in the region. It has been alleged that the ongoing I-T raids are part of the Central government’s attempt to put pressure on the ruling BRS party ahead of the state assembly elections next year.
The number of I-T raids has increased in the state in recent times. Earlier in November, the residence of BRS Minister Malla Reddy in Hyderabad was also raided by IT officials. The IT investigators also verified Reddy’s tax records and the educational institutions he and his family members possess.
The residence of Minister Gangula Kamalakar was also raided by the ED officials as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged granite fraud. Recently, the CBI also launched the searches, under sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), at the offices and residential premises of several granite companies and the residence of Telangana Minister Gangula Kamalakar in Karimnagar.
It was reported that illegal funds routed from a Chinese corporation owned by an individual implicated in the leaked Panama Papers to Telangana-based granite enterprises were discovered when the properties of several granite exporters, including minister Gangula Kamalakar, were investigated.
In 2022, many infra companies like Phoenix group, Sumadhura, Vasavi, and Sahithi were also searched by IT officials. Reports mention that the companies raided by the IT officials are believed to be the major financiers of the ruling BRS.
In the current case, the IT officials are looking into the financial transactions of the Vamsiran Builders. As per the reports, the company has undertaken more than 80 projects in two states including the construction of luxury villas and commercial projects. The IT officials are inquiring about the financial transactions of this company.
The destruction of temples and religious sites of other Faiths by aggressive Islamists has long been an unfortunate part of world history. In India, the Islamic invaders entered India and began the process of ‘Islamisation’ of the country nearly a thousand years ago.
The easiest way for them to achieve the set goal was by destroying the Hindu structures and prominent Hindu places of worship in India. As a result, the Babri Masjid was built in 1527 on the birthplace of Lord Ram under the rule of the Mughal emperor Babur.
Many more Hindu structures and temples were demolished and converted into Islamic places of worship in India. One such mosque is the Deval Masjid which is located in the Bodhan area of Telangana’s Nizamabad district.
Conversion of Hindu temple into Deval Masjid
According to the reports, the structure of Deval Masjid was originally a Hindu-Jain temple that was built around the 10th century CE by the Rashtrakuta King Indravallabha (Indra III).
The temple was renovated during the period of Kalyani Chalukya ruler Someswara who had then named it ‘Indranarayan Swamy Temple’. The conversion of the Indranarayan Swamy temple into a Mosque dated back to the year 1323 when Muhammad Bin Tughlaq encroached on the Bodhan fort, which was under the protection of warrior Kakatiya commander Sitaramachandra Sastri.
Shastri protected the 100-pillared structure for many years but was forced to surrender by the army of Tughlaq. Shastri was forcefully converted to Islam, was made to accept the suzerainty of Tughlaq, and was named Alam Khan.
But he reconverted to Hinduism as soon as the Tughlaq’s army left. The next time Tughlaq’s army invaded Bodhan, they took no prisoners, and instead surrounded the Podana (Bodhan) fort and destroyed it.
They beheaded the Kakatiya commander Sitaramachandra Shastri and converted the Indranarayan Swamy temple to Deval Masjid.
Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi
The Gyanvapi Mosque complex is a disputed structure built over the ruins of the old Kashi Vishwanath Temple by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after it was desecrated multiple times by Islamic monarchs such as Qutb al-Din Aibak and Aurangzeb.
To this day, parts of this ancient temple are clearly visible on the outer walls of the mosque, especially the western wall which has been kept intact. Moreover, there is enough historical evidence of the demolition of the temple, the building of the mosque, and the rebuilding of the temple at the current adjacent site.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex, which is adjacent to the disputed mosque complex and where devotees can do puja and prayers, was built by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780.
Gyanvapi mosque was built by destroying the Kashi Vishweshwar Temple
A Varanasi court on May 12 this year allowed a videographic survey of the disputed structure. Varanasi’s Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar issued guidelines for the same and added that a report of the survey must be submitted by May 17.
A 54-member team, led by advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra, surveyed the Gyanvapi complex basement and the western wall on Saturday (May 14). According to the reports, the survey team opened eight vaults of the disputed structure of Gyanvapi mosque.
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Hagia Sophia was a Church for the most part of its history, but it is now a mosque. It was built in the sixth century in the Turkish capital Istanbul, at the site of an earlier church destroyed by fire, which in turn was built after the first church was also destroyed by fire.
The current structure was completed in the year 537 as the Church of Justinian I (named after the Emperor who started its construction). It remained a church for hundreds of years, till the time the Ottoman forces invaded the city.
After capturing the city, Ottomans converted the Church into a mosque in 1453. Invader Sultan Mehmed II had ordered to stop all Christian rites and prayers at the Church and had ordered to immediately convert it into a mosque.
On May 29, 1453 Byzantine Empire ended when Ottomans breached Constantinople’s ancient land wall after besieging city for 55 days. The fall of Constantinople further led to Hagia Sophia, a church being converted into a Mosque. (4/n) pic.twitter.com/8xqxKrxFys
It remained a mosque till 1935 when it was converted into a museum by the first president and founder of the Republic of Turkey, after the fall of the Ottoman empire.
Initially, religious rituals were banned in the museum, but later in 1991 a pavilion was allowed to be used as a prayer room and minarets were allowed to use for voicing the Islamic prayer Azan.
In 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his intention to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque, and it was officially declared a mosque in 2020. Thus, it is a mosque now, where regular Islamic prayers and rituals are held.
While non-Muslims can visit the site as tourists, they are not allowed entry into prayer rooms and have to follow the usual rules enforced at Islamic sites.
Al Aqsa masjid in Jerusalem
A source of major resentment in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the religious divide between the Israeli Jewish people and the Palestinian Muslims. The Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism where Jews turn during prayer is in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The Temple Mount complex is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. the Western Wall, and the Dome of the Rock (an Islamic shrine that is instantly recognizable because of its gold-plated dome).
However, before the construction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, there was a grand Jewish temple in the same location on the Temple Mount.
This Jewish Holy Temple, called the Second Temple, was the holiest Jewish site of worship until it was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the 70 A.D. as punishment for a Jewish revolt.
The Second Temple was constructed in 516 BCE after the First Temple or Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE. The Foundation Stone, the holiest site for the Jews at present, is located on the floor of the Dome of the Rock.
However, the Jews are not allowed to visit it as it is located inside the Islamic shrine.
Kaaba & the surrounding mosque in Mecca
According to Islamic historians, prophet Mohammed was banished from Mecca in 620 CE. Upon his return in 629/630 CE, he ‘cleansed‘ the Kaaba of idols.
Abdullah bin Masud noted, as per the website Wiki Daiyah, “Allah’s Apostle entered Makkah (in the year of the Conquest) and there were three-hundred and sixty idols around the Ka’ba.
He then started hitting them with a stick in his hand and say: ‘Truth (i.e. Islam) has come and falsehood (disbelief) vanished. Truly falsehood (disbelief) is ever bound to vanish.’” [Quran 17: 81]
Mohammad destroyed 360 idols of pagans inside Kaaba. His followers have been following in his footsteps.
In October last year, Bangladeshi author in exile, Taslima Nasreen, had raked up the issue in the backdrop of the concerted attacks against minority Hindus in Bangladesh on the occasion of Durga Puja.
She said that Prophet Mohammed had himself destroyed 360 idols of pre-Islamic Arab Gods at Kaaba and that the Bangladeshi Muslims were just following his footsteps.
On December 5, Deoband’s Maulana Rao Musharraf lashed out at Shahi Imam Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui of Ahemdabad for his statement against giving tickets to women candidates. In his statement, Musharraf alleged that earlier women used to visit mosques but they stopped as Imams molested them and clerics tried to rape them.
Criticising Siddiqui, Maulana Musharraf said, “In Islam, women are not prohibited from going to the mosque. Muslim women had stopped going to the mosque because the Imam of the mosque used to molest women. Their disciples beat them and used to try to rape women.”
He added, “Islam decrees equality of women. When women go to perform Hajj, there is no hindrance. Islam decrees, both men and women go to perform Hajj. There is no restriction on going to the mosque. Nor is it written in the Quran and Hadith that women are not allowed to go to the mosque.”
He pointed out that women have become Prime Ministers in Islamic countries that share borders with India. Giving an example of Pakistan and Bangladesh, he said, “When Sheikh Hasina can become Prime Minister in Bangladesh. Benazir Bhutto can become Prime Minister of Pakistan. Why not in India? Everyone is free in India. There is no restriction on anyone. Everyone can vote and has the right to contest elections. These Maulanas make such statements to spread fundamentalism. It is conservative and separatist. It is necessary to ban the statements of such Maulanas.”
Imam Mufti Kaari Arshad Gaura of Saharanpur also criticised Siddiqui for the statement. He said, “There are several rights in Islam that have been given to women but not men. We are seeing in the media that some people are saying women should not do this, women should not do that, and claim it is against Sharia. I feel that such statements come to the fore during elections and are given by some people to create disturbance in society. Our country is a democratic country. It runs on the constitution. I believe that such statements should not be highlighted. If someone wants to get information on laws in Shariat, then he or she should not believe the statements given by the Imams. They should approach Darul Ifta and get the answers in writing.”
‘Giving tickets to women is against Islam’
Notably, Siddiqui recently opposed the idea of giving tickets to women candidates. He questioned if no men are left to do politics and that the political parties are giving out tickets to women to contest elections. In a statement on December 4, Siddiqui said, “Those who give election tickets to Muslim women are against Islam, weakening the religion. Are there no men left?” Speaking to the news agency ANI, he said, “You just saw namaaz being offered, did you see any woman? And in Islam namaaz has been given the highest importance. If women coming out in open like this were allowed in Islam, they would not have been barred from the masjid. Why they are barred from mosques? Because there is a place for women in Islam. Therefore who are giving tickets to Muslim women are revolting against Islam”.
In world full of bitterness and hate, it was the outpouring of support and comfort from the ones who know how important words are that made the day of this new author who was bummed after only two people turned up for her author signing event.
Only 2 people came to my author signing yesterday, so I was pretty bummed about it. Especially as 37 people responded "going" to the event. Kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed.
First time author Chelsea Banning on Monday took to Twitter to lament that only two people had turned up at her author signing event even though 37 had responded that they would come. She said she was kind of upset and ‘a little embarrassed’. The tweet garnered a lot of attention with support and encouragement pouring from all quarters. Including some of the bestselling authors of our time.
Terry Pratchett and I did a signing in Manhattan for Good Omens that nobody came to at all. So you are two up on us.
Neil Gaiman, award winning author of bestsellers such as American Gods, Stardust and the comic book series The Sandman, said that Terry Pratchett and himself did a signing at Manhattan for Good Omens, a novel written by the two British authors in collaboration, and nobody had come up for it. “So you are two up on us,” he said.
Join the club. I did a signing to which Nobody came, except a guy who wanted to buy some Scotch tape and thought I was the help. 🙂
Margaret Atwood, award winning Canadian author shared how once when she did a signing, nobody had come except for one person who had walked in to buy some Scotch tape and he mistook her for the store help.
At my first SALEM'S LOT signing, I had one customer. A fat kid who said, "Hey bud, do you know where there's some Nazi books?"
Adding to more such book signing disasters, author Stephen King, while responding to another author said how once when he was sitting alone for book signing for Salem’s Lot, a ‘fat kid’ came and asked him about ‘Nazi books’. These days, Stephen King and Twitter’s new owner billionaire Elon Musk often spar on the microblogging platform.
I did a signing in Cambridge and only one person showed up. He didn't buy a book; he just wanted to tell someone that he'd had a dream about being a wizard.
Science Fiction author Gareth Powell said how once he did a signing in Cambridge and only one person showed up who also wanted to tell someone he had a dream about being a wizard.
Many bestselling authors have had their moments of setbacks. While on topic of wizards, Harry Potter author JK Rowling was rejected 12 times before Barry Cunningham, who ran the children’s literature department at Bloomsbury picked it up.
And while Chelsea is thrilled at the turn of events, it is an absolute delight to see the celebrities come out and share their stories of struggles to comfort a newbie.
As India witnesses 30th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition that took place in the year 1992, several Muslim Twitter users are trending hashtags like ‘Babri Zinda Hai’, ‘6 December’, ‘Babri Masjid’, etc on Twitter to post hateful comments against the Hindu community. On December 6, 1992, hundreds of Karsevaks had brought down the disputed structure at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
One Twitter user named Baseri Faizal termed the day as ‘Black Day’ and stated that the ‘Babri Masjid was martyred to build a temple there’. “Be kept barren, but that place in India is being remembered as Babri Masjid on 6 December! And there will always be a very deep impression on the name mark and it cannot be erased so easily,” he tweeted.
#BabriMasjid was martyred built a temple there, Be kept barren, but that place in India is being remembered as Babri Masjid on 6 December ! ?And there will always be a very deep impression the name mark cannot be erased ❌ so easily !! #BlackDay ⚫ 6 December pic.twitter.com/kLjA1IpbNH
Another one named Mohammed Nayeem posted a video of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi in which he could be heard saying that the Muslims never fought for the land but for their rights. Owaisi in the video could also be seen instigating the crowd against the Hindus. “Babri Masjid we can never forget you!! InshAllah 6 December 1992 was a black day,” Nayeem captioned the video.
A fan house of AIMIM leader Akhtarul Iman shared a few images from the incident that happened in the year 1992 and said that wounds allegedly given by Hindus were still fresh. “It was Nehru who got the idol installed in the mosque, it was Rajiv Gandhi who got the lock of Babri opened, it was Narasimha Rao who got Babri martyred! Babri Masjid is alive and will remain alive in our hearts till doomsday,” the tweet read.
अपने सीनों में मेरे ज़ख्म को ताज़ा रखना , मेरी तामीर का फिरसे तुम इरादा रखना मस्जिद में मूर्ति रखवाने वाला नेहरू था, बाबरी का ताला खुलवाने वाला राजीव गांधी था, बाबरी शहीद कराने वाला नरसिम्हा राव था! बाबरी मस्जिद ज़िंदा है और क़यामत तक हमारे दिलों में ज़िंदा रहेगा#BabriZindaHaipic.twitter.com/THrrfkEYIZ
Meanwhile, many more users shared the image of the disputed structure of the Babri Masjid and indicated that ‘the fallen shall rise one day’. Many also posted hateful comments against the Hindu community stating that the Masjid was illegally demolished.
Ilyas, a Muslim Twitter user alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) and the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members illegally demolished the disputed structure. He also called the then BJP members as ‘terrorists’. “6th December 1992. 30 years ago, a Mob of RSS, and BJP Terrorists attacked Babri Masjid and illegally demolished it. Culprits were never punished instead they were glorified by the majority of the Indian society,” he tweeted adding the hashtag that read ‘Babri awaits justice’.
Mohammed Saquib Anwar who identifies himself as ‘Anti Islamophobia social media activist against injustice’ tweeted, “30 years have passed, 300 years may also pass, but Babri Masjid will be built at the same place, Insha Allah, right by the hands of Gurba.”
30 साल गुज़र गये हैं 300 साल भी गुज़र सकते है लेकिन बाबरी मस्जिद इंशा अल्लाह उसी जगह तामीर की जायेगी गुरबा के हाथों ही सही,
निकल के सहरा से जिस ने रूमा की सल्तनत को उलट दिया था, सुना है ये क़ुदसियों से मैंने वो शेर फिर होशियार होगा ! — डॉ अल्लामा इक़बाल रह०#BabriZindahaipic.twitter.com/1PwQLmD4Rw
— Md Saquib Anwar محمد ثاقب انور (@MdSaquibAnwar14) December 5, 2022
One named Mohammed Sadab Sheikh also tweeted and posted hateful comments against the Hindu Kar Sevaks. “Babri Masjid was not just a mosque, it had history engraved on it. And on December 6, 1992, its demolition by Hindu Kar Sevaks raised a question about India’s future as a secular nation. 30 years of Babri Masjid Demolition. We will never forget, will never forgive,” he said.
Babri Masjid was not just a mosque- it had history engraved on it. And on December 6, 1992, its demolition by Hindu Kar Sevaks raised a question over India’s future as a secular nation. 30 years of #BabriMasjidDemolition We will never forget, We never forgive. #BabriZindaHaipic.twitter.com/tWtfrpOdGa
Dr Asma Zehra Tayeba, a woman activist of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, also President of Shariah Committee Hyderabad tweeted, “We shall not forget. And We will remember this day.’Yaume Shahadat’. Masajid is center markaz of the Muslim community. The fall of the Babri masjid and the conditions of Muslims in the last 30 yrs need introspection. Today is Yaume Ehtesaab also. We have to face Yaume Hashr.”
#babrimasjid We shall not forget. And We will remember this day.’Yaume Shahadat’.Masajid are centre markaz of Muslim community. Fall of Babri masjid and conditions of Muslims in last 30 yrs need introspection. Today is Yaume Ehtesaab also. We have to face Yaume Hashr… pic.twitter.com/8ITFO52IE6
The Babri structure was symbolic of brute strength, of how native culture was subjugated, and how the universally adored Lord Ram was shown his position by the invaders. It was a dark symbol of tyranny and barbarism. On December 6, the disputed structure in Ayodhya was brought down by various Hindu activists in 1992. While the day is termed the ‘Black Day’ by the Islamist community, the day is marked as Shaurya Divas by others.
BJP leader T Raja Singh from Telangana saluted the kar sevaks on whose sacrificial foundation the “Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple” in Ayodhya is taking shape with complete grandeur. “First martyr Ram Kothari on 6 December 1992. Tribute to Sharad Kothari and crores of people who sacrificed their lives in Karseva! Jai Shree Ram,” he tweeted.
6 दिसम्बर 1992 #शौर्य_दिवस पर प्रथम शहीद राम कोठारी – शरद कोठारी एवं कारसेवा में अपना बलिदान देने वाले कोटि-कोटि जनों को श्रद्धांजलि!
उन सभी कारसेवकों को कोटिशः नमन जिनकी बलिदानी नींव पर अयोध्या में “श्रीराम जन्मभूमि मन्दिर” सम्पूर्ण भव्यता के साथ आकार ले रहा है।
One of the Hindu activists also shared a video of the former Governor of Rajasthan Kalyan Singh who could be heard saying, “No Regret, No Repentance, No Sorrow, No Grief.” “Remembering brave Son of Maa Bharti Ram Bhakt Kalyan Singh Ji on Shaurya Diwas. Feeling Proud of Shaurya Diwas. Jai Shree Ram,” tweet by Sameet Thakkar read.
No Regret, No Repentance, No Sorrow, No Grief….
Remembering brave Son of Maa Bharti Ram Bhakt Kalyan Singh Ji on Shaurya Diwas.
On November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court of India favoured Ram Lalla Virajmaan and handed over the disputed land to the Hindus in its landmark judgment. The court had asked the central government to form a trust that will take over the construction of Bhavya Ram Mandir. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was formed in February 2020. On August 5, Bhoomipujan was performed at Ram Janmabhoomi to begin the construction of the temple in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders and saints. The construction of the temple is expected to complete by December 2023.
On December 5, The News Minute editor-in-chief Dhanya Rajendran endorsed Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police’s statement where he had asked not to make hasty arrests in “mutual romantic cases”. She further “hoped” that other states implement such directions as well. In her tweet, she said, “This is such an important directive from the TN DGP. I hope other states emulate it. Don’t make hasty arrests in mutual romantic cases: TN DGP to police on POCSO cases.”
Source: Twitter
Rajendran in her tweet missed out on a very important detail in her tweet. The statement by the TN’s DGP C Sylendra Babu came in the light of the circular issued to the Investigating Officers of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act not to make hasty arrests in mutual romantic relationships, especially for the couples in the tribal communities in the hilly areas. Her tweet gave the impression that the direction from the DGP was targeted to all the cases that fall under POCSO Act which is not true.
Rajendran gave context after netizens called her out
The tweet by Rajendran resulted in sharp criticism from the netizens following which she gave “context” to the matter. Replying to a Twitter user who called it preposterous, she said, “Direction talks about a case involving two minors.” The Twitter user Barbarindian had questioned if the direction was for cases where the girl was minor but the man was not. He asked, “Even if the girl is say 16 and the man 25? This is preposterous.”
In a follow-up tweet, she said, “For everyone who thinks this is a change to IPC etc, nope. The directive is asking cops to use discernment case by case. That arrest should not be the first thing to fall back on.”
For everyone who thinks this is a change to IPC etc, nope. The directive is asking cops to use discernment case by case. That arrest should not be the first thing to fall back on. https://t.co/oBMHafoYlb
In an interesting conversation under the tweet by Rajendran, a Twitter user Monteskw pointed out that based on her tweet, it appeared that the DGP was reading down a legal provision. Replying to him, the Assistant Resident Editor of The News Minute Ranjitha Gunasekaran tried to explain the situation and clarified that this was not the case where one of the partners is an adult.
Gunasekaran said, “HCs and SC have said POCSO not intended to criminalise consensual relations between minors.” When the Twitter user pointed out that only bail was given by the court and the charges were quashed in a matter, she pointed out remarks made by the Madras High Court in 2021 where the court suggested POCSO was not for adolescents and teenagers indulged in romantic relationships.
HCs and SC have said POCSO not intended to criminalise consensual relations between minors
When the Twitter user pointed out that the High Court did not ask the Police to act in the way it has been projected and the Law “doesn’t recognise any romantic relationships involving minors. In isolated cases courts may give relief,” Gunasekaran specifically mentioned that the circular did not stop the officials from investigating the matter and only says not to make hasty arrests. Her tweet was retweeted by Rajendran. Interestingly, her tweet did not project the situation as explained by Gunasekaran which led to sharp criticism from netizens.
The circular does not say not to investigate. Doesn’t say not to arrest. Says not to make “hasty” arrests in such cases. If arrest to made, SP rank official must permit. Else inquiry as per CrPC. If arrest not made, it must be recorded in case file with reason
Speaking to OpIndia, Chairperson National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights Priyank Kanoongo said, “We are issuing a notice to the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil Nadu police. A similar circular was issued by the Maharashtra Police and it was later withdrawn after our circular. It is nothing but an attempt of appeasement in the backdrop of Tribal communities.”
It is notable that on November 29, Kanoongo issued a statement on Twitter. In a series of Tweets, he said, “A large number of cases of exploitation and abduction of minor girls for marriage in the name of love are coming to the fore in the country. Meanwhile, there has been a new debate which is very dangerous and needs to be called out in the public. POCSO law is there in India to protect children from sexual abuse which has been updated from time to time by the Government of India and the Parliament of the country. It is one of the best laws in the world that considers sexual intercourse with minor children as rape and does not accept the consent for sex before 18 years.
जिसे भारत सरकार ने,देश की संसद ने समय समय पर अप्डेट किया है। ये दुनिया के श्रेष्ठतम क़ानूनों में से एक है जो नाबालिग बच्चों से शारीरिक सम्बंध बनाने को बलात्कार मानता है व 18 वर्ष तक यौन सम्बंध हेतु सहमति को स्वीकार नहीं करता है।
हर क़ानून की तरह इसके कुछ मात्रा में दुरुपयोग…
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) November 29, 2022
He further added, “Like every law, it can be misused to some degree. The possibility of rape cannot be denied, but the increasing incidents of trafficking and sexual exploitation of girls by luring them into love by organized gangs cannot be ignored, from which POCSO is a weapon to protect. To save such criminals the gang that sees a child in Kasab and a misguided youth in Burhan Wani has been activated.”
में भटका हुआ नौजवान और देखने वाली गैंग इसमें सक्रिय हो गयी है। लिबरल गैंग,NGO’s इत्यादि द्वारा किशोरवय लड़के लड़कियों के 18 साल से पूर्व रोमांटिक सम्बन्धों को जायज़ बनाए जाने की माँग का एक नया नरेटिव गढ़ा जा रहा है।
इसलिए सुनता सावधान रहे।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) November 29, 2022
He said, “The liberal gangs and NGOs etc. are creating a new narrative demanding legalisation of romantic relationships between adolescent boys and girls before the age of 18 years. This gang has become more effective ever since we have started challenging the cases of legalizing the marriage of minor girls in the name of personal law in the courts and the discussion has started for the protection of the girl child in the country.”
जब से पर्सनल लॉ के नाम पर नाबालिग लड़कियों से निकाह को वैध ठहराने वाले मामलों को हमने न्यायालयों में चुनौती देना प्रारम्भ किया है व देश में बच्चियों के संरक्षण के लिए चर्चा शुरू हुई है तबसे ये गैंग अधिक प्रभावी हो गयी है।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) November 29, 2022
It is notable that in the last few years, several High Courts have justified marriage between an adult Muslim man and a minor girl stating that Muslim Personal Law allows a girl to get married if she has attained the age of puberty that is 15 as per the Islamic law.
The circular issued by TN DGP
A consultation meeting was held with various stakeholders on the implementation of the POCSO Act in the state. Madras High Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee, POCSO Committee and other stakeholders attended the meeting. Following the meeting, a circular was issued on December 3 addressing all District Superintendents and Police Commissioners instructing them to first issue a notice under Section 41A of the Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Source: TN DGP Circular
Under Section 41A of the CRPC, the police have the power to call any person to appear before the police to address a complaint registered against him or her. It further suggests that if the person continues to oblige the summons issued under Section 41A, there is no need to arrest that person. An arrest can be made if the person fails to appear at the police station or show unwillingness to identify himself or herself.
Source: Legislative.gov.in
In the circular, DGP asked the police officials to take permission from the higher officials before arresting the accused. However, it has been clearly mentioned that such an approach has to be taken on a case to case basis. The arrests in such cases can be made only with permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or the Superintendent of Police (SP). In case of permission has not been sought, the officers should make a record in the case diary of why the accused was not arrested explaining the situation based on the investigation.
The circular further pointed out that around 60 per cent of the POCSO Act cases registered in the state involve mutual romantic relationships and men are often arrested and prosecuted due to the provisions under the ACT. The situation with the youths from the Tribal communities in the hilly areas was the main reason behind the circular where it is common for young men to marry girls under the age of 18.
It was pointed out that in such cases when girls get pregnant after the marriage and approach the government healthcare facilities for delivery, the hospital informs the police resulting in a case under POCSO Act against the husband. A recent case of a 17-year-old boy in district Cuddalore was mentioned in the circular where a case was registered against him for tying a mangalsutra around a 16-year-old female friend’s neck. It was allegedly a playful act. However, the police got involved and the girl was sent to the Children’s home.
The circular read, “In several Adivasi and tribal cultures, it is not a taboo for a male to marry a girl who is less than 18 years of age. The state is encouraging the tribals to use the facilities in government hospitals for delivery for good reasons. When a 17-year-old tribal wife goes for delivery to a government hospital, information is sent to the police, a case under the POCSO Act is registered against her husband and he is arrested. If this continues, tribal women will not go for delivery to hospitals and would instead, avail the services of tribal midwives. That apart, Adivasis and tribals will get more and more alienated from the mainstream society, which is not conducive for the state.”
Source: TN DGP Circular
Furthermore, the circular noted that most of the cases registered under POCSO in mutual relationships often end in acquittal. The reasons mentioned were either the survivor marries the accused or the survivor turns hostile.
