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Pro-AAP blog editor accuses AAP worker of calling his children ‘suicide bombers’ for wearing Islamic outfit

OpIndia Staff
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Pro-AAP blog editor accuses AAP worker of calling his children ‘suicide bombers’ for wearing Islamic outfit

Rifat Jawaid, a pro-Aam Aadmi Party blogger, accused an ‘AAP fan’ of labelling his children “suicide bombers” for wearing Islamic attire. Rifat Jawaid posted a photograph on Twitter of a person who commented on one of Jawaid’s posts, stating that his children were dressed like suicide bombers.

Jawaid wrote, “You need more proof? This AAP scum from @ArvindKejriwal‘s party calls my 8-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son ‘suicide bombers’ because they wore Islamic dress for madrasah classes. Kitna zahar hai Musalmanon ke khilaf Kejriwal ke workers mein? They don’t even spare children.”

The profile of the Twitter user earlier mentioned, “AAP Fan of Journalist and Author Vinay Aggrawal.” The profile now stands locked and currently has no reference to AAP.

The profile on Twitter

It is worth mentioning that Rifat Jawaid has been a staunch advocate of madarsas operating in the country, the so-called education system that has come under the spotlight for its role in promoting Islamic radicalism and sowing the seeds of supremacist beliefs in impressionable children.

“Before you demonise Muslims by using Madrasa children, do educate yourself that Madrasas serve as permanent abode/hostels for some of the most underprivileged children of our society. There are orphans there too. Fear karma before you let your Islamophobia get the better of you,” Jawaid had tweeted in 2020 after questions were raised over madarsas acting as the fount of Islamic extremism in India.

It is one thing to preach online and totally another thing to practice in real life. Jawaid, however, has been among those who practice what they preach, at least as far as his support for madarsas is concerned. He has often shared pictures of his children, whom he had claimed to have studied in madarsas.

In one of the pictures shared online, Jawaid is seen holding a toddler along with three other children. “On our way to a parent-teacher meeting at the madrasah!”, he had tweeted.

Jawaid recently engaged in a verbal spat with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan. AAP MLA Naresh Balyan questioned Rifat Jawaid, the operator of the pro-AAP site ‘Janta Ka Reporter,’ about his involvement in the recent stabbing of Salman Rushdie. Balyan made the comment in reaction to Rifat Jawaid’s assertion that the AAP’s reign in Delhi is worse for Muslims than the Bharatiya Janata Party’s.

Back in April this year, Islamists and terror apologists poured on Aam Aadmi Party MLA Naresh Balyan’s timeline after he called out Rifat Jawaid ‘Talibani’ for labelling the Indian Army a “coward.”

In February this year, the pro-AAP blog Janta Ka Reporter referred to the students protesting against the burqa in Karnataka and chanting Jai Shri Ram as ‘terrorists.’ It is notable that the Janta Ka Reporter website has been accused of using soft porn to drive traffic.

Mass shooting in Bihar: 1 killed, 11 injured after bike-borne assailants opened fire at multiple locations in Begusarai

OpIndia Staff
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Mass shooting in Bihar: 1 killed, 11 injured after bike-borne assailants opened fire at multiple locations in Begusarai

A gruesome incident of mass shooting is reported from Bihar’s Begusarai after two bike-borne assailants opened indiscriminate firing at pedestrians along NH 31 and NH 28, leaving at least one killed and eleven others injured. 

As per reports, the attackers fired bullets while speeding along on their bike from NH 31 near Barauni thermal power station to Bachhwara on NH 28.

Begusarai superintendent of police Yogendra Kumar revealed mass shootings took place at four different places in the town. 

“Barricades have been put across the district. Two persons have been spotted on the bike in the CCTV footage from the Bachhwara area. Police are trying to identify them,” he said.

According to the initial reports, two people were shot at Malhipur in the district, three at Barauni Thermal Chowk, two in Barauni, two in Teghra, and two others in Bachhwara. A few of the injured were identified as Amarjeet Kumar, Gautam Kumar, Nitish Kumar, Vishal Kumar, and Deepak Kumar.

The victims were rushed to Begusarai Sadar hospital on Tuesday evening.

Pakistanis attack Congress MP Shashi Tharoor over a ‘Mughal’ meme on Pakistan’s abysmal fielding in Asia Cup final

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistanis attack Congress MP Shashi Tharoor over a ‘Mughal’ meme on Pakistan’s abysmal fielding in Asia Cup final

On Tuesday, September 13, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shared a meme mocking the Pakistan cricket team for their substandard fielding after the recently concluded Asia Cup in which the Sri Lankan Cricket team defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the final.

Shashi Tharoor shared a meme showing a man dressed in attire from the Mughal era trying to catch a cricket ball and dropping it. “Mughal era painting of a Pakistani fielder”, Tharoor tweeted adding that he had received the image on WhatsApp.

The Pakistani Cricket team lost to the Sri Lankan Cricket team in the Asia Cup by 23 runs. While the Pakistani team was lauded for their batting and bowling, they were chastised for their fielding after dropping a few catches in the final. Shadab Khan of Pakistan dropped two catches from the blade of Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the final, and the latter went on to play a critical 71-run innings to remain undefeated. Pakistan’s poor fielding performance spawned several jokes on social media.

While Tharoor’s tweet has attracted more than 4000 likes, many Pakistani netizens criticized the Congress MP for targeting Pakistan. One of the Twitter users wrote, “Pakistani fielder from the Mughal era? Do you mean North-West Indian fielder?”, while another said, “In a bad taste I would say! Let’s not mix these things.. let the things which happened on the field be on the field only”.

Another user named Zeeshan Ali meanwhile made fun of the Congress MP saying that though he has made an attempt to ridicule Pakistan, BJP would never accept him in the party.

User Asad Aziz Khan also mocked the Congress MP and said that Tharoor was actually talking about the Indian Cricket team but had unnecessarily slipped in Pakistanis. “Actually that pic he has shared for Indian fielders but he doesn’t have guts to say it out”, the tweet read.

Here are some similar reactions by other Pakistani Twitter users-

The Sri Lankan squad won the Asia Cup cricket event in 2022 with a resounding victory after defeating Pakistan in the finals. Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup for the sixth time, defeating Pakistan by a score of 23 runs. It was their first win since 2014. Sri Lanka appeared to be in trouble after having to bat first, losing five wickets for 58 runs, however Rajapaksa and Hasaranga joined forces for a good recovery, with Rajapaksa reaching his half-century and giving his team a fighting chance for the title.

The fielding turned out to be the ultimate difference maker in the final as Sri Lanka caught everything that came their way while Pakistan kept dropping Rajapaksa.

Gujarat: AAP workers attack BJP Yuva Morcha leader with knife in Ahmedabad. Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: AAP workers attack BJP Yuva Morcha leader with knife in Ahmedabad. Here is what we know so far

On Tuesday (September 13) at noon, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader was stabbed with a knife by workers of the Arvind Kejriwal-led-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The incident took place in the Gomtipur area in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat.

The victim was identified as Pavan Tomar. While speaking to Opindia, BJP Yuva Morcha (Karnavati Mahanagar) President Vijay Desai said, “Some AAP workers came to the office of Pavan in Gomtipur. Following a heated argument, one of them stabbed him with a knife.”

According to Vinay, the same AAP workers had earlier tried to rag Pavan in his neighbourhood. The victim is currently undergoing treatment at the Shardaben General Hospital in Saraspur in Ahmedabad.

“He is now being operated by the doctors. Pavan’s condition is serious. The severity of damage to internal organs can only be determined after the operation,” Vinay emphasised.

He informed that a complaint was lodged with the Gomtipur police station. In a tweet, Vijay Desai wrote, “The Aam Aadmi Party, which will lose in the upcoming assembly elections, is now doing this kind of hooliganism in Gujarat. It will not be tolerated at all.”

“I appeal to all the workers of to exercise restraint at this time and pray for a speedy recovery of Mr Pawan Tomar,” he added.

Punjab: An audio clip of Aam Aadmi Party minister discussing ‘extortion’ plan goes viral, Congress demands resignation

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: An audio clip of Aam Aadmi Party minister discussing ‘extortion’ plan goes viral, Congress demands resignation

An audio clip, allegedly of Aam Aadmi Party’s minister from Punjab, Fauja Singh Sarari, and his close aide Tarsem Lal Kapoor is making rounds on social media platforms in which the duo can be heard discussing an extortion plan to extract money from transporters and officials. Sarai is the minister of Freedom Fighter Defense services, Welfare Food Processing, and Horticulture departments.

In the audio clip, the duo was discussing the process of catching transporters and officials while illegitimate goods were being loaded on the trucks. One of them said the information about the truck loading could be extracted as the transporters had to inform the government 15 days in advance if their trucks were going for delivery. The minister questioned if it was possible that the truck driver and helper could escape, to which the person on the other side said it was not possible as the agencies had to raid in the middle of the loading process.

In a statement, the minister has denied the allegations levelled against him. He said, “The audio clip is fake and is a conspiracy against me.” Sarai also demanded legal action against the person(s) behind “creating” the clip and circulating it on social media. Notably, one of the ministers of the Bhagwant Mann cabinet has already been sacked over corruption charges.

Following the audio clip that went viral on social media, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira demanded the dismissal of Sarai from the cabinet. Khaira shared the clip from his Twitter handle and remarked, “This is an open and shut case.”

Khaira said he has hopes that Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann would sack and arrest Sarai in the same manner, he sacked former health minister Dr Vijay Singla. He added, “Sarari has not left anything to doubt, and his audio recording is already in the public domain.”

Khaira said if the government fails to take action against Sarari, people would believe that the dismissal of Dr Singla was just a drama. He said, “If the government does not act against Sarari, then public belief that the AAP government enacted a drama in Dr Singla’s case, as it wanted to project an image of zero tolerance against corruption ahead of Sangrur parliamentary by-elections, will be reaffirmed.”

Navbharat Times questions if Mohammad Shami was dropped from WC squad due to his religion, not because he concedes 9.54 RPO in T20Is

OpIndia Staff
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Navbharat Times questions if Mohammad Shami was dropped from WC squad due to his religion, not because he concedes 9.54 RPO in T20Is

Ever since Mohammad Shami got smashed around in the T20 World Cup in UAE in 2021, it has become a sin to criticise his performances as online trolls make it an attack on his religion. Indian selectors obviously recognized the fact that Shami is not a good T20 bowler and didn’t play him at all in 2022, so nobody envisaged him as a part of the T20 World Cup squad.

However, trying to trigger a communal argument, Navbharat Times has questioned if Shami hasn’t been included due to his religion. The fast bowlers India has selected for the World Cup include Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Harshal Patel.

Either the selected bowlers are India’s best performers over the years in T20s, like Bumrah and Bhuvi, or they have been the best death bowlers in IPL, like Harshal and Arshdeep. In fact, Arshdeep nearly defended 7 off the last over twice in Asia Cup when all hope was lost, showcasing his death-over abilities.

In the face of such stiff competition, Mohammad Shami missed out, as expected. Anyone who understands cricket knows that Shami doesn’t fit into the T20 side, he bleeds too many runs, as his career economy rate of nearly 10 RPO suggests. This is not test cricket where Shami can be absolutely unplayable, and this is not about religion. This is only about the players and where they play best.

For the benefit of Navbharat Times writers, Shami has played 17 T20 Internationals since his debut 8 years ago. During that period, he has conceded runs at 9.54 runs per over while taking a wicket at an average of 31.55. Maybe, just maybe, it is not about religion, it is more about the fact that Shami is below average in this format.

For the past year or so, there have been multiple attempts to divide Indian cricket fans along the axis of religion, and looks like Navbharat Times has joined the effort, but it won’t be so easy.

Kejriwal vs Gujarat Police: Kapil Mishra suggests AAP chief may plan an attack on himself to add to chaos ahead of state elections

OpIndia Staff
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Kejriwal vs Gujarat Police: Kapil Mishra suggests AAP chief may plan an attack on himself to add to chaos ahead of state elections

Gujarat Assembly elections are only a few months away. Amidst the election atmosphere heating up in the state, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal has already abandoned his duties as Delhi CM to campaign in Gujarat on a massive scale.

Following the videos of an argument between Kejriwal and Gujarat Police over security where Kejriwal claimed Gujarat Police made him hostage on the pretext of security, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra suggested Kejriwal may plan an attack on himself to add to the chaos ahead of the state elections.

Speaking to OpIndia, Mishra said, “Aam Aadmi Party itself wrote to Gujarat Police that there was a threat on Arvind Kejriwal’s life in Gujarat and he should get security. They had written in April that whenever Kejriwal comes to Gujarat, he should get adequate security as he may get attacked. Now Kejriwal is saying he does not need security.”

He added, “It seems he is planning an attack on himself that he does every time before elections. He wants to repeat such plans. It is notable that the list of the people who have gotten security in Punjab has Kejriwal’s name on the top. Someone who has Z+ security from Punjab Government, someone who has sought security from the Central Government and whose party itself sought security for its leader, gets security, and then claims he does not want security. This was a scripted act that Kejriwal performed in Gujarat.”

Mishra added, “The saddest part of the whole fiasco was that the police officer for whom he used unparliamentary language was a common man from Gujarat. He should not have behaved in such a manner with him. Kejriwal should have at least respected a common Gujarati man.”

The ‘attacks’ that happened on Kejriwal over the years

Kejriwal has a history of making tall claims that he might get attacked because of his rising popularity. In July 2016, Kejriwal released a short clip and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was so scared of his rising popularity that ‘anything might happen’. Kejriwal, at that time, asserted that he might get killed. However, following his tall claims, AAP faced defeat in Goa and Punjab. Kejriwal then calmed down and resorted to regular attacks on BJP and PM Modi.

Down the line, there have been some incidents where AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, were “attacked” with ink, slaps, and more. On May 4, 2019, a man slapped Kejriwal during a road show in the Moti Nagar area of Delhi. The incident happened when Kejriwal was standing in a vehicle and waving at the crowd. A man suddenly climbed the vehicle and slapped him.

In November 2018, a man smeared Red Chilli Powder on Kejriwal’s face. The man was identified as Anil Sharma. He came close to Kejriwal to hand over a letter and smeared his face with chilli powder.

In April 2016, Kejriwal was attacked with a shoe. The man was identified as Ved Prakash of Aam Aadmi Sena. He later alleged that the AAP government was selling fake CNG stickers during the odd-even scheme.

In January 2016, Aam Aadmi Party member Arjun Arora got fed up with his leader and threw ink at him during a meeting.

On April 8, 2014, Kejriwal was slapped by an auto-rickshaw driver in Sultanpuri, Delhi. Four days before the incident, another auto driver had tried to slap him but failed.

During Lok Sabha 2014 election campaign, people had thrown eggs and ink at Kejriwal and other AAP leaders when they went to Uttar Pradesh for campaigning.

In another incident during election campaigning in the same period, someone climbed his open jeep and hit him on his neck. The attacker was allegedly an Anna Hazare Supporter.

Back in 2013, a man named Nachiketa Veghrekar had thrown ink at Kejriwal during a press conference. Nachiketa was also allegedly Anna Hazare Supporter.

Attacks on other AAP leaders

In December 2020, Deputy CM of Delhi and AAP leader Manish Sisodia claimed that BJP workers attacked his house. The party had claimed that the incident happened in the presence of the Police.

In August 2022, Gujarat AAP leader Manoj Sorathiya was allegedly attacked by some people. The party blamed BJP for the attack.

In March 2022, AAP claimed that BJP workers attacked AAP leader Satyendra Jain’s convoy. Satyendra Jain is in prison now over money laundering charges.

Every time there is either an election on the line or any AAP leader is under investigation, someone from the party gets attacked, and AAP starts blaming the ruling party, BJP. It will be interesting to see if Gujarat falls for this drama like Delhi.

‘You are a Shudra, you are a prostitute’s son’: DMK MP A Raja’s provocative statements against Hindus sparks outrage, BJP condemns

OpIndia Staff
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‘You are a Shudra, you are a prostitute’s son’: DMK MP A Raja’s provocative statements against Hindus sparks outrage, BJP condemns

The Bharatiya Janata Party has vehemently condemned the provocative statements of DMK MP A Raja against Hindus and has also doubted the ‘state of affairs’ in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai turned to Twitter and released a video of Raja making the inflammatory remarks. Annamalai slammed the DMK MP, accusing him of appeasement tactics by focusing on a specific group.

Annamalai wrote, “Sorry state of political discourse in Tamil Nadu. @arivalayam MP has yet again spewed hatred against one community with the sole aim of appeasing others. The very very unfortunate mindset of these political leaders who think they own Tamil Nadu.”

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP A Raja stirred outrage after making insulting remarks toward Hindus. The senior DMK politician stated last week at an event in Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal that Shudras, the lower caste in the varna system, are the progeny of prostitutes and would stay such as long as they follow Hinduism.

“You are a shudra until you are a Hindu. You are a prostitute’s son until you are a shudra. Until you are a Hindu, you are a Panjayathu (Dalit) and until you are a Hindu, you are untouchable,” Raja said.

“I haven’t seen any religion like this. Lingayats in Karnataka are petitioning the Supreme Court saying that their way of worship and religious principles are different. They are asking themselves not to be declared Hindu. But what is the Supreme Court saying? The Supreme Court is saying that if you aren’t a Christian, Muslim, or Persian, you have to be a Hindu. Is there any other country having such cruelty?” he added criticising the Supreme Court.

Speaking at the event, A Raja said, “All individual institutions like Election commission, CBI, Supreme Court, Enforcement Directorate and even Parliament are being captive to this government. To show the truth, Viduthalai Magazine is much needed. Secularism, socialistic, and sovereign republic are what it has been said about India in the Constitution.”

A Raja jumped to Twitter to defend his position as the controversy over the DMK leader’s statements intensified. “Who are Sudras? Are they not Hindus? Why they have been insulted in Manusmrithi and denied equality, education, employment and Temple entry? Dravidian Movement as the saviour of 90% Hindus questioned and redressed these, cannot be anti-Hindus,” he wrote.

A Raja is the deputy general secretary of the DMK and a Member of Parliament for the Nilgiris electorate. Recently, speaking at a local body representative gathering in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, Raja warned the Centre ‘not to compel’ the party to resurrect the demand for a separate Tamil Nadu. It is pertinent to mention that A Raja was the Information Technology minister under Manmohan Singh’s UPA government when the 2G spectrum fraud was exposed.

The renaming of Rajpath and Central Vista: How the liberal Hammerwalas’ fixation with perpetual criticism has deprived them of their common sense

Virender Kapoor
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The renaming of Rajpath and Central Vista: How the liberal Hammerwalas’ fixation with perpetual criticism has deprived them of their common sense

“If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail

: Abraham Maslow

As a management teacher I observe – with pain though – that today journalists and amateur writers have changed their writing instruments. A hammer has replaced the pen and I would like to quote another apt slogan of the Parker Retro 51 pen—”Life is too short to carry an ugly pen!”, least a hammer.

As criticizers of PM Modi run out of ideas, they are desperately trying for helicopter shots in vain. Even if you want to fly a helicopter in the rarified atmosphere it will not take off, you can keep revving your engine and you will never even take off because rarefied air does not allow you to create the desired pressure. The journalists and opposition are trying to fly in a rarified atmosphere. Without realising it, they call it a stifling atmosphere. 

They would sometimes talk of fundamental rights, jobs, economy, and freedom of speech and sometimes use lofty English to say nothing; like someone would say the idea of doing all these is to keep the pot boiling – keeping the masses distracted. Everybody is scared today. But distracted from what? Scared of what?

We have very recently surpassed the economy of our Lords of the Kings in the UK and produced our own indigenous Aircraft carrier, the largest in our fleet today (not named INS MODI but INS VIKRANT). We are heading to be the third largest economy. There is food on the table, no power shortages, inflation well under control, over 200 crores vaccination jabs, Ayushman Bharat gives health coverage to poor people, and by September 2022, India is home to 107 unicorns with a total valuation of $ 340.79 Bn.

India’s foreign exchange reserves stand at a healthy $553.11 billion as of the week ended September 2. Over 23,000 Indian students, including some foreign nationals, were evacuated under the direct supervision of four union ministers from war-torn Ukraine. Our foreign policy is on the course, no one can bully us, and we are respected by the world. We are keeping a safe driving distance from the so-called big boys in the game. Is the government trying to hide all this? If yes, then you may be closer to the truth. Hammerwalas are using sniffer dogs to unearth a scam where there is none.

We are gagged they say, yet on every TV channel they keep abusing the government, they write whatever they want with their hammer and tongs on every news portal.

As a management teacher and an author, I always told my students that management and leadership are ‘just common sense’.

Tell me why for heaven’s sake we could not get an International Yoga Day earlier. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his UN address in 2014, had suggested the date of June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world. This is common sense in action– we got it so many decades later! United Nations made 21 June International Yoga Day—this was nothing short of a game changer—not a penny spent by us and we were catapulted into the international arena.

All the ‘hammerwalas’ must have thought ‘Why the hell it didn’t strike us? Modi baazi maar gaya re!’ Har Ghar Tiranga is also just an idea. It worked! Of course, other nations have been doing it for decades ago. ‘Par nakal ke liye bhee akaal chahiye’- ‘Oops! We missed this one too,’ they would have miserably pondered.

As George C. Marshall, former U.S. Army General, noted, “Morale is a state of mind. It is steadfastness and courage and hope. It is elan and determination.” And right now, the morale and hope of Modi detractors seem to be at their absolute nadir, which is why they are angling for outrage on seemingly benign issues.

Now, you have a problem with ‘Kartavyapath’. For god’s sake stop asking for only rights, have we ever spoken of our fundamental duties, which are eleven in number? Are these only meant for the armed forces and not every citizen including ‘Hammerwalas’.

The popular green spot for the public has been given a complete facelift with sandstone fixtures in this effort.

Don’t do hair-splitting, you will lose all your hair. OK, Rajpath was a literal translation of Kingsway, but couldn’t we connect it to something more meaningful, more actionable rather than a literal translation? Nah—you need common sense for that too.

A couple of more important landmarks created in recent years. As part of the Central Vista redevelopment project, over 7,000 employees of the Ministry of Defense now move to new office complexes. A senior defence official said ‘Since Independence, many of our employees have been working in dilapidated hutments. For the first time, they will move into proper offices. Some of the hutments are over 75 years old and some were stables back then. The existing hutments are spread over 50 acres as against 13 acres for the new modern complexes. The War memorial that was long overdue has also come in this integrated effort. The new parliament has a 150 per cent higher seating capacity and is built to last for 150 years. This is called killing four birds with one stone—common sense.

India Gate has not been named Modi gate or Rajpath as Shahpath or Modipath whereas Connaught place is now Rajiv Chowk where there was no objection. Every college, road, university, and hospital has only five great names—Nehru, Indira, Rajiv and not to miss, Sanjay—where Gandhi was a necessary appendix and not an annexure. We have not seen anything extraordinary named after V.P. Singh, Lal Bahadur Shastri or Narsimha Rao—not even a bus stop for Manmohan Singh as per my knowledge.

Of course, Mayawati has dozens of elephant statues and her own life-size statue in Lucknow. But that was done during her reign in Uttar Pradesh. She probably was acutely aware that given the propensity of Congress to adulate over only the Nehru-Gandhi family, she might as well create statues for herself and her party for posterity to know there existed a leader besides the ubiquitous presence of Gandhi family members.

I feel like humming the song sung by Paul and Mary and later by Trini Lopez.

‘If I had a hammer

I’d hammer in the morning

I’d hammer in the evening

All over this land’

Good luck to you Hammerwalas, but don’t hammer your own thumb in your exuberance- it hurts badly.

Mosque with two minarets funded locally, another one funded by Saudi Arabia, Maulana at Nepal border speaks about construction mafia, foreign fundings and more

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Mosque with two minarets funded locally, another one funded by Saudi Arabia, Maulana at Nepal border speaks about construction mafia, foreign fundings and more

Several recent reports have shown that demography is changing rapidly along India’s border with Nepal. The number of mosques and madarsas is constantly increasing along the border. From August 20 to 27, 2022, an OpIndia team visited several areas in Nepal bordering India to observe the ground situation. What follows here is the ninth episode of the series of reports documenting the facts noticed by the OpIndia team.

We came across a man in the Balapur neighbourhood, right in front of Jarawa police station, as we were returning from the Dang district of Nepal to Balrampur city in India. He appeared to be a Maulana and was waiting on the roadside to seek a lift. We gave him a ride in our car, and after a while, we started chatting with him about neighbourhood issues including those in our border areas. Speaking to us, the Maulana identified himself as Barkatullah Khan, a resident of Basantpur village, located in Tulsipur tehsil of Balrampur district in Uttar Pradesh. He was 60 years old.

There were not so many madarsas in my childhood days: Maulana Barkatullah Khan

When we questioned Barkatullah Khan about his early education, he admitted to attending a government school in Balrampur. We questioned him why he chose not to attend a nearby madrasa as the government school was located roughly 30 kilometres from his home.

In response to our question, Maulana Barkatullah Khan stated that there were fewer madarsas during his childhood than there are now. The Maulana, who identified himself as an adherent of the Ahle Sunnah, added that then, madrasas used to be located in a very limited number of areas.

Mosque with two minarets along the Indo-Nepal border built by local funding, those with one minaret funded by Saudi Arabia

According to Barkatullah, Saudi Arabia has provided funding for almost all of the mosques that have been built over the years along the Indo-Nepal border. The mosques with two minarets were built with funds from Indian Muslims, he explained, whereas the mosque with just one minaret was funded by Saudi Arabia.

The mosques constructed in the border region, according to Maulana Barkatullah Khan, are connected to Ahle Sunnah and other firs. Barkatullah stated that although the residents of Girdhardih village are impoverished, these mosques were built using funds sent by individuals who had left the village in search of employment.

Madarsas running on donation money

When asked which madarsa was the best in the neighbourhood, Barkatullah gave the name of one that was close to the Shaktipeeth Devipatan temple and was situated in the Etawa square of the Tulsipur market. He mentioned that the madarsa receives government funding.

Besides the aforementioned madarsa, the Maulana listed the names of various additional functional madrasas that are operating on donation money. Pointing to a neighbouring village that came up on our way, Barkatullah stated that practically every village has a madarsa, even if they are running with the support of voluntary donations by locals.

Land along the road costs Rs 15 lakh per bigha

When we asked Maulana about the cost of land near the mosques and madarsas, he said that it costs somewhere around Rs 15 lakhs a bigha (1 bigha is equal to 0.619 acres or 27,000 square feet). He further claimed that land costs roughly Rs 3 lakh bigha in areas that are not near a road.

When we asked Maulana Barkatullah whether only those earning in Gulf countries send money for the Mosques being built on the Nepal border, he answered in the negative. He confirmed that people who have relocated to Mumbai and other cities for jobs also send their contributions. Lauding the Sheikhs of the Gulf (in most of the Arab nations, members of the Gulf Royal Houses are referred to as sheikh and sheikha), Maulana said that during Ramzan he spends sacks full of money received from the Sheikhs. He continued, that many locals from the village also come to them asking for money.

Construction of shrines is a commission-based game: Maulana

The Maulana expressed his concern and explained how the legacy of cuts and commissions is pervasive in the region. He declared that no mosques, madarsas, or mazars could be built in this area without paying a commission to the local mafias. He added that there are established vendors of cement, bricks, bars, sand, and other items who offer a commission to clients. These vendors belong to various faiths and it’s almost mandatory that all construction materials are brought from these set vendors.

More Hindus than Muslims visit the shrines

As we were conversing, our vehicle arrived at the Tulsipur market, about 20 kilometres from the border. Pointing to a Mazar that could be seen from the market’s entrance, Maulana claimed that this specific tomb is visited more by Hindus than Muslims.

The mazars, in Maulana Barkatullah’s opinion, is a means of extorting money, and anyone in the area who wants to make quick money builds a Mazar on his piece of land. Over the passage of time, several highly educated people in the village have also become ‘believers’, said Barkatullah (becoming a believer entails adopting the Muslim faith).

Many villages are Muslim dominated

Maulana Barkatullah, who was conversing with us while seated in our car, concurred that many of the bordering villages along the Nepal border are largely Muslim now. Additionally, he listed some predominantly Muslim villages, including Semri, Chainpur, Sivli, Jeevali, and Basantpur. According to Barkatullah, these settlements have mosques and madarsas where people can live and eat for free. These Madarsas offer free classes in Arabic and Urdu as well. Barkatullah indicated a madrasa by the side of the road in the hamlet of Madarhwa. He described it as a private Madarsa.

Shia or Sunni on the paper, with many inner spins

According to Maulana Barkatullah, although they are referred to as Shia or Sunni in official documents, there are significant divisions among them. He claims that it contains Ahle Hadith, Wahhabi, and many more firs and that their mosques are likewise separated in the same manner.

Barkatullah exuded a great deal of rage for the Yogi administration. He claims that under the current administration, inflation soared and there are many animals roaming the streets. He claimed that since Yogi’s government came to power, they are not allowed to use loudspeakers in Mosques during Azan.

Maulana further lamented, “Be it Yogi Adityanath’s Gorakhpeeth or the Devipatan temple in Tulsipur, the morning there starts and ends with the playing of drums.” There are still loudspeakers in some mosques, but according to Barkatullah, it has to be played at a reduced volume.

Koilabas in Nepal predominantly has Manihar Muslim population

Maulana Barkatullah went on to speak to us about the history of Koilabas, a bazaar town situated in Gadhawa Rural Municipality in Dang Deokhuri District in Lumbini Province of southwestern Nepal. This is the first village in Nepal that is located near the Indian border. Sharing information on how the village is headed by a Muslim, the Maulana said that it predominantly has Manihar Muslim population.

He characterised the Muslims of Koilabas as prosperous businessmen. Barkatullah stated that these people are never spotted traversing the border areas but are always seen inside Nepal. He asserted that Koilabas would in the near future, once again become overcrowded.

Before we got to his house near the Tulsipur market area, Maulana Barkatullah spoke to us for almost 30 minutes. As soon as our car stopped near his house, Maulana exited, greeting us with Khuda Hafiz.

The first report in this series can be read here in Hindi: कभी था हिंदू बहुल गाँव, अब स्वस्तिक चिह्न वाले घर पर 786 का निशान: भारत के उस पार भी डेमोग्राफी चेंज, नेपाल में घुसते ही मस्जिद, मदरसा और इस्लाम – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Demographic change hits other side of the border too, Mosques and Madarasas mushroom in former Hindu dominated areas in Nepal: Ground report

The second report in this series can be read here in Hindi:  घरों पर चाँद-तारे वाले हरे झंडे, मस्जिद-मदरसे, कारोबार में भी दखल: मुस्लिम आबादी बढ़ने के साथ ही नेपाल में कपिलवस्तु के ‘कृष्णा नगर’ पर गाढ़ा हुआ इस्लामी रंग – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Islamic flags flying atop houses and mosques, madarsas influencing businesses: The creeping Islamisation of Nepal’s Krishnanagar

The third report in this series can be read here in Hindi:  नेपाल में लव जिहाद: बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी और नेपाली लड़कियों से निकाह के खेल में ‘दिल्ली कनेक्शन’, तस्कर-गिरोह भारतीय सीमा पर खतरा – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Rising cases of love jihad in Nepal and its Delhi connection, smuggling plaguing India’s border with Nepal: Ground report

The fourth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: बौद्ध आस्था के केंद्र हों या तालाब… हर जगह मजार: श्रावस्ती में घरों की छत पर लहरा रहे इस्लामी झंडे, OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Steady rise in mazars and madarsas adjoining Buddhist places of worship in UP’s Shravasti near Indo-Nepal border: Ground report

The fifth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: महाराणा प्रताप के साथ लड़ी थारू जनजाति बहुल गाँव में 3 मस्जिद, 1 मदरसा: भारत-नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी का ये है ‘पैटर्न’ – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Rising number of mosques, madarsa along Indo-Nepal border: Ground report on Islamisation of village of Tharu tribe that fought along Maharana Pratap

The sixth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: बौद्ध-जैन मंदिरों के बीच दरगाह बनाई, जिस मजार को पुलिस ने किया ध्वस्त… वो फिर चकमकाई: नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Dargah and mazar built around Buddhist and Jain temple premises, illegal mazar once demolished surfaces again: UP’s Shravasti near Nepal border

The seventh report in this series can be read here in Hindi: हनुमान गढ़ी की जमीन पर कब्जा, झारखंडी मंदिर सरोवर में ताजिया: नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी, असर UP के बलरामपुर में – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Muslim encroachment of temple land, Karbala built in temple compound, and more: Ground report on Islamisation underway along the UP-Nepal border

The eight report in this series can he read here in Hindi: पुरातत्व विभाग से संरक्षित जो जगह, वहाँ वक्फ की दरगाह-मजार: नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी, मुसीबत में बौद्ध धर्मस्थल – OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read here in English: Mazars built at places protected by Archaeological Department along India-Nepal border, Buddhist shrines in trouble- OpIndia Ground Report

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