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Ousted AIFF President and NCP leader Praful Patel had written to FIFA instigating the international body to boot India out of FIFA: Read details of his letter

OpIndia Staff
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Ousted AIFF President and NCP leader Praful Patel had written to FIFA instigating the international body to boot India out of FIFA: Read details of his letter

At a time when the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was just two months away, India was not only stripped of the right to host the event, but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was also suspended with immediate effect on August 16. It has now been revealed that Praful Patel, the former AIFF president and NCP leader, wrote a letter to FIFA instigating the sport’s world body to boot India out of FIFA.

On August 16, Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and cited ‘third party’ intervention as the reason. In the letter written by FIFA, the body had elaborated on how Patel had told FIFA that the Supreme Court’s intervention may be a ‘third-party intervention. The development happened after the Supreme Court of India, in May this year, relieved Praful Patel from the post of AIFF President as he had completed the maximum permitted tenure of 12 years as per the Sports Code.

It has now been revealed that the ousted AIFF chief and NCP leader Praful Patel allegedly wrote a letter to FIFA in May of this year, instigating FIFA to put a ban on India. In the letter, Praful Patel wrote, “Appointment of CoA by the Supreme Court could be prime facie seen as a third-party influence.”

Though Praful Patel wrote that he “requests AFC and FIFA not to impose a suspension at this stage,” his letter provoked FIFA by implying that the Supreme Court decision is contrary to FIFA policy and that the body has a zero-tolerance attitude towards undue third-party interference/influence, and that several Member Associations (Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, Kuwait, Maldives, Zimbabwe, Kenya, to name a few) have been suspended to re-establish their autonomy.

Letter Praful Patel wrote to FIFA
Letter Praful Patel wrote to FIFA

The excerpt of the letter written by Praful Patel on May 23, 2022, to FIFA chief Gianni Infantini is as follows:

In my capacity as a FIFA Council member, I would like to bring to your kind attention the below recent developments concerning the AIFF.

On 18 May 2022. the Supreme Court of India issued an order regarding the current governance status of the AWE its elected Executive Committee, term clarification, and the appointment of a Committee of Administrators (“CoA”).

BACKGROUND

The AIFF’s Executive Committee was elected vide elections in December 2016. However, in October 2017. the High Court of Delhi disapproved of the Statutes/constitution of the AIFF and set aside the elections while appointing Mr SY Quarishi as the Ombudsman to manage the affairs or the AWE amend the Statutes, and subsequently, hold fresh elections.

However, the Supreme Court through an interim order dated 10 November 2017, constituted a committee of Administrators (also described as Ombudsmen) for formulating the Statutes of the AWE in consonance with National Sports Council (NSC), model guidelines, while keeping in view the Statutes of the AFC and FIFA so as not to undermine AIFF’. position vis-a-vis the two apex football bodies of which the AIFF is a member, the Ombudsmen were to complete their exercise in eight weeks and present the new Statutes to the Supreme Court for consideration. Unfortunately, it has been more than three years since.

This was not objected to at that point in time by the AFC and/or FIFA as a duty elected body In the form of the Executive Committee would still be in place to manage the affairs of the AIFF and then fresh elections would have been held on schedule under the new Statutes.

WAY FORWARD

Noting that the appointment of the CoA by the Supreme Court could be prima fade interpreted by both the AFC and FIFA as a case of undue third-party influence/judicial interference, I fear that a suspension by the AFC and/or FIFA will automatically prevent India and/or Indian clubs and players from participating in any international competitions, and deprive the AIFF of receiving much-needed development funds at a crucial juncture of development for the game in India.

Any suspension of the AIFF would also jeopardise the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2021 Qualifiers, which will be hosted by India from 8 June 2022 in the football-loving city of Kolkata and for which all preparations have been completed. Further, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be held in three States across India from 11-30 October 2022, the first time ever a FIFA women’s competition will be held in India, and which is widely expected to boost the women’s game in my country.

I would also like to point out that the Supreme Court has expressed a sense of urgency in resolving all the issues by July 2022. I request the AFC and FIFA to not impose a suspension at this stage, but to consider this important aspect of the Supreme Court order and enter into a dialogue with the CoA to receive a commitment that the said timelines laid down by the Supreme Court would be respected and strictly followed without allowing for delays on any account.

I also note that the AFC and FIFA have a zero-tolerance attitude towards undue third-party interference/influence and several Member Associations (Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, Kuwait, Maldives, Zimbabwe, Kenya, to name a few) have been suspended to restore their autonomy and that a different standard cannot be applied in the case of the AIFF. I am also cognizant that the aforesaid timelines set by the Supreme Court – though well-meaning and in the interests of an expedited process, – may not be acceptable to the AFC and FIFA.

Further, noting that the draft AIFF Statutes prepared by the Ombudsmen/CoA and circulated to the stakeholders needs to be in alignment with the AFC and FIFA Statutes, it is my duty to request you to expedite your feedback to the same, so that all comments can be tabulated per the Supreme Court order and placed before it by 30 June 2022.

Aside from Praful Patel’s letter to FIFA, two allegedly leaked audio tapes have recently caused quite a stir in both political and administrative circles. The audio, allegedly of a meeting between Praful Patel and at least 7 state football administrators on 6th August sparked a huge controversy. In the audio tapes, a man, purportedly former AIFF chief and National Congress Party (NCP) MP Praful Patel, was heard instructing the people about the ban threatened by FIFA on Indian football.

Since May this year, a lot has happened in the world of Football in India. On August 16, Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and cited ‘third party’ intervention as the reason. This means that the national team and all Indian clubs cannot compete in any international competition. Additionally, India may lose hosting rights for the U-17 World Cup that was to be held in October 2022.

OpIndia recently chronicled a timeline of events to explain what led to the suspension of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and how is NCP leader Praful Patel is related to all this controversy.

Uttar Pradesh: Nafees abducts, sexually assaults 22-year-old Hindu girl in Fatehpur, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Nafees abducts, sexually assaults 22-year-old Hindu girl in Fatehpur, arrested

On Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested a person named Nafees for abducting and sexually assaulting a Hindu girl in Fatehpur. The accused was reportedly in a relationship with the girl and had called her to meet in Fatehpur. He then raped her in the city corner hotel after threatening to kill her. The Police has charged the accused under section 366 and 367 of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the reports, the victim girl is a resident of the Gauriganj area of Amethi district and the accused is a resident of Badagaon. The duo reportedly knew each other. However, the incident is said to have happened on August 16 when the accused deceptively called the girl to Fatehpur and took her to the city corner hotel forcibly. He then raped her and threatened to kill her.

According to the police, the case under section 366, 367 was registered against Nafees as he had forcefully assaulted the victim. The incident came to light when the Police went to the city corner hotel for checking. The victim girl appeared before the Police to reveal the incident. Based on the complaint of the victim woman, the Police booked the accused and arrested him immediately.

Earlier on July 19, the Uttar Pradesh Police had registered a complaint against an auto driver named Rahmat Hasan for forcefully converting a poor woman and her two-year-old child in Ghaziabad. Hasan had posed himself as a Hindu and deceptively married the woman and converted her to Islam. He also circumcised the two-year-old boy and forcefully converted him to Islam.

On July 11, a case in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly was reported that said that a youth named Imran had concealed his religious identity to trap a Hindu woman. He had pressured her to convert to Islam and marry him. Imran also raped her and clicked objectionable pictures of her. He thereafter used the pictures to blackmail her into eating beef forcefully against her will and offer Namaz.

Also, on June 3 this year, Waseem Ansari had become Ravi Sharma to lure a 21-year-old girl from the Baradari area of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. The girl was sexually assaulted by Ansari who had blackmailed the victim saying that he would upload all her private pictures on social media. The Izzatnagar Police then registered an FIR against the accused.

Karnataka: Islamic groups furious over Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in schools, make a host of demands including ‘religious studies’, demand resignation of education minister

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Islamic groups furious over Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in schools, make a host of demands including ‘religious studies’, demand resignation of education minister

Muslim organisations have slammed Karnataka State Education Minister BC Nagesh for allowing Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in educational institutions. The Campus Front of India, the student arm of the radical Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), criticised the minister’s remarks and sought his resignation.

“Education Minister should focus on the development of quality education and infrastructure, not on Communal policies and statements,” the CFI said in a tweet on Thursday.

Shaafi Saadi, head of the Karnataka Waqf Board, questioned the government’s decision and presented many demands to the authorities. He sought a separate room for students to offer namaz on a daily basis, permission to celebrate Muslim festivals, and religious courses to be taught as part of moral education.

This criticism comes after Karnataka State Education Minister BC Nagesh gave the go-ahead to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in schools, describing it as a non-religious event that brings the nation together. Nagesh made the announcement on Thursday, stating that it has been held in schools even before Independence.

“Schools have complete freedom to celebrate Ganesh Chaturti this year and they can continue to do so just like every year,” Nagesh told reporters at a press conference in Bengaluru.

“Ganeshotsava was started in this country as a weapon of the freedom movement. Before that Ganapati puja was done inside the houses. On the orders of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Ganapati Utsav was started in schools, hostels and public places. It was not started after any government came to power. It was a weapon of the Independence movement. Such practices have been going on for generations and there is no question of stopping it. We have not given any new permission for religious practices,” Nagesh further said.

The Minister stated that educational institutions that previously celebrated Ganesha celebrations may continue to do so, but that other religious activities in schools are not permitted. Given the government’s strict position on religious dress in educational institutions, BC Nagesh’s comment has received criticism.

Karnataka Hijab row

Notably, major controversy erupted in Karnataka in January 2022 after a Udupi school prohibited hijab inside classrooms. Some Muslim girl students, supported by PFI had appealed against this in the Karnataka High Court. On February 25, the court reserved its decision on the case. Protests, allegations, and counter-allegations occurred in response to the hijab ban.

The Karnataka High Court declared on March 15 that wearing a headscarf does not constitute an essential Islamic practice as the petitioners failed to provide evidence in that regard. The Karnataka High Court dismissed all petitions contesting the hijab ban in Karnataka schools and decided that the rules for the uniform dress were fair and that students can not object to respective dress codes mandated by educational institutions.

A Full Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi pronounced the decision. The Bench ascertained that the petitioners’ basic rights were not violated by a uniform dress code at educational institutions.

Excise Policy corruption case: CBI raids residence of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and multiple other locations, all you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Excise Policy corruption case: CBI raids residence of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and multiple other locations, all you need to know

On Friday (August 19) morning, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residence of Manish Sisodia, who serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.

Besides Sisodia, the central agency conducted searches in the residence of 3 Aam Aadmi Party officials. CBI had raided more than 20 locations over allegations of corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022.

While dismissing allegations levelled against him, Manish Sisodia claimed, “CBI had come to our house. They are welcome. We (he and his party leaders) are extremely honest. We are building the future of millions of children.”

He added, “It is very unfortunate that those who do good work in our country are harassed in this manner. That is why our country has not yet become number 1 in the world.”


Amidst the controversy, AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has announced that Manish Sisodia is the “best education minister of independent India.”

Allegations of corruption against Manish Sisodia

At the heart of the controversy is the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-2022. The now-scrapped liquor policy of the Delhi government was originally proposed in 2020. After coming into effect in November 2021, it changed the manner in which alcohol was sold in Delhi.

Until then, only government-owned liquor vendors were permitted to sell alcohol. The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022 introduced private players in the market. The National Capital was divided into 32 zones and a total of 27 private vendors were to ply in each zone.

Every municipal ward had 2-3 liquor vendors operating in the area. The private liquor shops were allowed to attract crowds by offering discounts on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). They could deliver liquor at home, and even keep shops open till 3 am in the morning.

The drastic policy change resulted in a 27% increase in government revenue to ₹8900 crores. At the same time, it marked the complete exit of the Delhi government from the liquor business.

While the objective of Excise Policy 2021-2022 was to end black marketing and the liquor mafia, the AAP government soon came under fire over allegations of corruption. Naresh Kumar, who was appointed the Chief Secretary of Delhi in April 2022, found irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy. 

The Chief Secretary prepared a report and sought the response of Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the head of the Excise Department. The report blamed the Deputy CM for making changes to the excise policy without the authorisation of the Lieutenant Governor and providing ‘undue benefits’ to the liquor vendors.

Manish Sisodia reportedly waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the Coronavirus pandemic. He also caused loss to the Excise Department and benefitted liquor licensees by waiving the import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case.

All these changes were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993. The CBI had therefore registered a case against Manish Sisodia.

Virat Hindu Subramanian Swamy heaps praise on Mamata Banerjee, who declared ‘jihad’ against BJP, oversaw post-poll violence

OpIndia Staff
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Virat Hindu Subramanian Swamy heaps praise on Mamata Banerjee, who declared ‘jihad’ against BJP, oversaw post-poll violence

On Thursday (August 18), former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy met Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. The author of ‘Virat Hindu Identity: Concept and Its Power’ heaped praise on the West Bengal Chief Minister, despite being aware of her recent anti-Hindu remarks and the plight of the Hindu community during the 2021 post-poll violence.

In a tweet, he remarked, “Today I was in Kolkata and met the charismatic Mamata Banerjee. She is a courageous person. I admired her fight against the CPM in which she decimated the Communists.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Subramanian Swamy

The development comes amidst rumours about Subramanian Swamy, defecting to the Trinamool Congress. Last month, he praised the Trinamool Congress Chief for being an ‘intelligent leader.’ “We have to recognise talent even if we have ideological differences,” he had insisted.

Screengrab of the tweet by Subramanian Swamy

In November last year, he met Mamata Banerjee and compared her with the likes of Jayprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Chandrashekhar, Rajiv Gandhi, and P V Narasimha Rao.

Screengrab of the tweet by Subramanian Swamy

Post poll violence and anti-Hindu remarks of Mamata Banerjee

A staunch critic of the Modi dispensation, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had ignored the anti-Hindu antecedents of the West Bengal Chief Minister out of political convenience. The ‘Virat Hindu’ has compromised on his values to remain under the spotlight and it is not the first time he seems to be changing his ideology either.

Mamata Banerjee had courted controversy in May this year after she was heard saying, “Hum Kafir nahin hai“. While addressing a crowd on the occasion of Eid, she said, “Let them do what they want. We are not scared. We are not cowards. We are not ‘Kafir’.”

“We fight. We know how to fight. We will fight against them. We will finish them,” she continued. Netizens were in disbelief as the video went viral. Many expressed their concern over a sitting CM using the word in a public address, given that it is often used by Islamists to dehumanise non-Muslims.

Recently, she called for a ‘jihad’ against the BJP, a radical Islamist term that calls for the annihilation of the disbelievers of Allah. Mamata Banerjee later defended her remark by claiming that it meant ‘strong protest’ in Banga.

Under her leadership, goons associated with the Trinamool Congress wreaked havoc on Hindu BJP workers in the aftermath of the 2021 West Bengal Vidhan Sabha polls.

In a statement, Hindu rights outfit Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said, ” “More than 3500 villages and over 40-thousand Hindus, including our SC & ST brethren in great numbers, are badly affected by the violence.”

It pointed out how shops, houses, and crops belonging to Hindus were systematically destroyed in the post-poll violence. VHP highlighted that unspeakable atrocities were committed against women in the State.

Film Review: ‘Karthikeya 2’ story connects Dwapar Yug and the modern world, Nikhil Siddharth emerges as a promising new star

अनुपम कुमार सिंह
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Film Review: ‘Karthikeya 2’ story connects Dwapar Yug and the modern world, Nikhil Siddharth emerges as a promising new star

‘Karthikeya 2’ is a Telugu film. Lord Shri Krishna and his holy city Dwaraka make the theme of this film. As the film is related to Lord Shri Krishna, a part of this film takes place in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, a few important scenes in this film happen in Himachal Pradesh. In this way, collecting the varied geographical scenery of India is the beauty of the film ‘Karthikeya 2’. In fact, this is more than just a film. This is an experience.

A big media house mentioned that ‘there is too much of Shri Krishna in this film’. Actually, I too have a similar opinion. But then what is wrong with that? Has anyone ever asked why there is too much of ‘spice’ in the film Dune (2021), or why there is too much ring in the film series Lord of the Rings? Likewise, nobody asked why there is too much Hinduphobia in the film PK. Then why such a question now?

The film ‘Karthikeya 2’ starts with a story from the Mahabharat period – that is – the era of Lord Shri Krishna. The way director Chandu Mondeti has connected the Dwapar Yug and the current times through a story, it is commendable. The part of this film depicting ancient times has been explained through animation. This has also been the signature style of the ‘Karthikeya’ series. The first part also told some parts of the story through animation.

Today’s young generation should watch this film because they will get entertainment as well as knowledge of their history. They should watch it because it will also give them information about some stories of the city of Dwarka – submerged in the sea – from the Dwapar Yug. Parallelly, the film runs through the current times and everything is connected with each other. The writers have kept the story as simple as it could be. It has a definite rhythm. The characters are built in an interesting way.

Nikhil Siddharth is constantly evolving as an actor. He is already known for choosing different kinds of themes in his films. Be it ‘Ekkadiki (2016)’ or ‘Swamy Ra Ra (2013)’, these films have brought a different kind of experiment. Nikhil Siddharth has a strong screen presence, despite being present in most of the frames, he does not bore the audience.

Some of the scenes of the film could have been shorter. Despite this, ‘Karthikeya 2’ maintains the grip on the plot and captivates the audience till the end. The negative characters played by Shantanu and Abhir are also portrayed with panache.

When it comes to acting, the discussion of a person becomes important, who is seen in the film for a few minutes and makes a lasting mark that proves his 40-year film career absolutely justified. It is none other than Anupam Kher who was a part of the previous film produced by Abhishek Agrawal – The Kashmir Files. Abhishek Agrawal is also producing a Ravi Teja starrer film ‘Tiger Nageshwar Rao’ and Anupam Kher is playing an important character in that film too.

Anupam Kher played a cameo in ‘Karthikeya 2’. He has delivered every word describing Lord Shri Krishna in such a way that, at one point, you feel that it is not the character anymore; rather it is Anupam Kher speaking from the bottom of his heart. No person could have played this character without reverence and devotion to Lord -Shri Krishna.

There is a character Suleman, Most of the events take place in front of Suleman and he is a witness to this journey of discovery of Shri Krishna. During this journey, he extends help to the protagonist and is surprised everywhere. The message of the film is that Ramayana and Mahabharata are parts of our history and not myths for us. And it is a message for the whole of Indians, including Hindus and Muslims. The stalwarts of ancient times were the ancestors of all of us.

‘Karthikeya 2’ can be placed in the category of adventure films more than a mystery-thriller. Showcasing the hills of Govardhan, lanes of Dwaraka, the desert of Bundelkhand, and rivers of Himachal Pradesh – this film is in a way a reflection of India’s unity in diversity. There is a message of distinguishing spirituality from superstitions. But this is achieved without insulting Hinduism. In fact, the core message of the film is that the ancients were people of knowledge and science and their accomplishments were remarkable.

This film should be watched to experience the acting of 37-year-old Nikhil Siddharth who has the potential of becoming the next pan-India star. This should be watched for producer Abhishek Agrawal, who is trying to give us something different than the usual Bollywood propaganda. This film should be watched to know that the stories of Krishna and Mahabharata can be told in an appealing, innovative way to the youngsters of today. It should be seen for its fine cinematography. Kaal Bhairav’s background music is superb and in harmony with the scenes.

The second film of the Karthikeya franchise has ensured that the third film in the series will be a pan-India hit film. Despite the flops of Aamir Khan’s ‘Lal Singh Chaddha’ and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Raksha Bandhan’, the film ‘Karthikeya 2’ has survived and its number of screens is being increased in the Hindi belt. There is also a surge in the collections of the film. However, Kartikeya 2’s biggest success will be opening the industry up to the ideas of the Indic narrative. It will be a good experience to watch ‘Karthikeya 2’ on the occasion of Janmashtami.

Sam Harris goes on a deranged rant yet again: Supports censoring Hunter Biden story, admits it was a warranted ‘left-wing conspiracy’. Details

OpIndia Staff
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Sam Harris goes on a deranged rant yet again: Supports censoring Hunter Biden story, admits it was a warranted ‘left-wing conspiracy’. Details

Sam Harris has been slowly but surely sliding into insanity for a while now, ever since the USA was gripped by the Donald Trump phenomenon. In an interview on the YouTube channel Triggernometry, Sam Harris has now admitted that the censoring of the Hunter Biden laptop story was a warranted “left-wing conspiracy” to ensure that Joe Biden could unseat Donald Trump. He has also gone on record to support the censor of the story, saying that even if there were corpses of children found in his basement at the time, he would not have cared. Sam Harris is one of the intellectual leaders of the “New Athiest Movement” and calls himself a Rational Atheist.

In a short clip from the almost 90 minute interview shared by Jack Posobiec, the senior editor of website HumanEvents.com, Sam Harris said that he supported the censoring of the Hunter Biden laptop story.

In the full interview, for at least a good 6-7 minutes, Sam Harris essentially defends censoring the Hunter Biden story because it was far more important to him to unseat Donald Trump. He draws a comparison to the 2016 Hillary Clinton email fiasco saying that the fact that an investigation had to be opened days before the election. Hillary Clinton herself and several others who support her, including Sam Harris, believe that the investigation into her emails back in 2016 cost her the elections, or she would have been President. Citing this incident, Harris says, “We will get 4 more years of Trump if we actually give this a fair hearing”, referring to the bombshell “laptop from hell” belonging to Hunter Biden.

“It is like a coin toss for, the Hunter Biden laptop thing, I do understand how corrosive it is for an institution like the NYT to show obvious bias and inconsistency and dishonestly – it is like they couldn’t even frame it honestly – how I would frame it is – listen I don’t care what’s in the Hunter Biden laptop – at that point, Hunter Biden could have had corpses of children in his basement and I would not have cared, right? There is nothing. Firstly, it is Hunter Biden, not Joe Biden and whatever the scope of Joe Biden’s corruption is – if we could go down that rabbit hole endlessly – like he was getting kickbacks from Hunter Biden’s deal in Ukraine or wherever else, like China – it is small in comparison to the corruption Trump is involved in. It does not even stack up to Trump University. Trump University as a story is worse than anything that could be there in the Hunter Biden laptop”.

Sam Harris then talks about Twitter shutting down the account of The New York Post and censoring the story, saying that people allege it was a Left Wing Conspiracy to deny Donald Trump the Presidency. He admits that it was “absolutely a conspiracy” but says that the conspiracy was “warranted”.

The flabbergasted host prods Harris further asking in dismay how he can be satisfied with a left-wing conspiracy to stop the democratic election of a leader he might not like. To that, he first tries to say it wasn’t the “left-wing” (after saying it was), but when caught, he goes back to saying that “it was a conspiracy out in the open – it doesn’t matter what part is a conspiracy and what part is out in the open. If people get together and talk about what should we do about this – it’s like there was an asteroid heading towards earth and people huddled around in a room with all of our friends to discuss what we could do to deflect its course, would that be a conspiracy?”. He then claimed that Donald Trump was an existential threat similar to an asteroid hitting the earth.

When asked about destroying democracy to protect democracy, deranged Harris tries to defend his rant by claiming that he was not suggesting that ballots be stuffed, BUT, political opinion is already being inundated with misinformation, biased takes, outright lies etc, and therefore, since it is already happening, he says “the question is what can be done with your own biases to get a better outcome”. Harris here essentially defends the entire Left ecosystem lying, obfuscating and censoring information that they deem uncomfortable for their political position.

In this segment, Harris goes on to say that “we could have known that Biden would be comatose in office, and he still would not be worse than Trump”.

It is pertinent to note that this is not the first time that Sam Harris has gone completely unhinged.

Earlier, Sam Harris was heard saying, “Osama bin Laden, as a person, is far more understandable to me and far less reprehensible, personally, psychologically, than Trump.” The entire context of the conversation is not yet known but that is not entirely necessary as the atheist has said the same thing in the past as well.

In an audio clip uploaded to his Facebook account on the 19th of February 2020, he explains his position in detail. Sam Harris says, “I find Trump more despicable than I found Osama bin Laden… With Osama bin Laden, it’s just obvious to me that he could have been a mensch in some sense, right? He’s making serious sacrifices for ideas that he deeply believes in. He’s committed to a cause greater than himself.”

The deluded atheist continued, “I don’t doubt he had real ethical connections to the people in his life that he cared about. He’s a real person, right? And in some ways, he is kind of a moral hero in a very bad game. And so, therefore, he’s kind of prototypically evil when viewed from my game. he’s a person of actual substance- he’s just committed to the wrong ends, whereas Trump is the negation of all those things.”

Sam Harris is recognised across the ‘atheist community’ as someone who oozes intellect and rationality. However, quite clearly, he is further evidence of the fact a lack of religious faith does not automatically translate into a more rational worldview or more rational opinions.

Sanyasi Rebellion: A forgotten chapter from the fight against British Rule gets much-needed attention as the motion poster of the film 1770 releases

Gopal Tiwari
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Sanyasi Rebellion: A forgotten chapter from the fight against British Rule gets much-needed attention as the motion poster of the film 1770 releases

The motion poster of the film ‘1770’ was recently released. The film is based on the Bangla novel ‘Anand Math’ penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The story of the novel and the film revolves around the armed struggle by the Hindu Sadhus against the British East India Company in the second half of the eighteenth century – particularly in the year 1770.

The second half of the eighteenth century is marked by unparalleled anarchy in the history of India. With the Marathas holding on to the power in the North and West even after the battle of Panipat and the Mughal dynasty being ineffective outside certain parts of Delhi, it was regional Islamic rulers and the British East India Company who were in the middle of a power tussle in the various parts of the country.

The battle of Plassey marked the rise of British power in Bengal in 1757. Image Source: India Today

At this juncture, common Hindus were persecuted by both regional Islamic rulers and the British East India Company on a religious and financial basis. When various kingdoms in the country were disintegrating and kings were abdicating their thrones out of fear of consequences, it was the tenacious armed revolution headed by the Sanyasis that fought the invader for as long as they could. No wonder this Sanyasi Rebellion caught the attention of one of India’s most revered screenplay writers V Vijayendra Prasad, who went on to write the film ‘1770’ which is being directed by Ashwin Gangaraju who is known for assisting SS Rajamouli on Baahubali.

The film 1770 will depict the story of the Sanyasi Rebellion. Image Source: Cinestaan.com

The turbulent times before the Sanyasi Rebellion

Although the East India Company entered and settled in Calcutta in 1688, the year 1765 marked a turning point for both India and the East India Company. The East India Company opened its first Diwani in Bengal in 1765. As a result, they were put in charge of controlling and collecting taxes for Bengal. In those days, Bengal comprised of today’s West Bengal, Bangladesh, Assam, and parts of Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The first year they were in power, the British doubled the Diwani amount; the next year, they raised it by 10%. A lot of their policies had a bad impact on the economy, one of which was the 1770 famine.

The treaty of Allahabad followed by the battle of Buxar gave Diwani rights of Bengal to the East India Company in 1764. Image Source: IAScurrent.com

Hindu Sanyasis travelled to various places of pilgrimage at the time, a practice they still continue. Followers of the Adwaita doctrine of Adi Shankaracharya were divided into ten groups based on their schools of thought and functional responsibilities in the Sanatan Dharma. These ten sects are collectively called ‘Dasnami’ sects. They are Giri, Puri, Bharati, Ban, Aranya, Parbat, Sagar, Tirtha, Ashrama, Saraswati. Unlike popular opinions, these Sadhus would also get involved in trade and would keep a decent amount of money for meeting operating costs, travel expenses and for procuring weapons as they would fight for Dharma. These sages were also funded by local landlords in whichever area they would go for pilgrimage.

However, the landlords in Bengal were unable to pay the Sadhus after the new taxation system was enforced as the East India Company took over the reigns. Common people were also not in a position to survive the brutal tax regime. Britishers forced them to pay taxes in cash and sell all their crop produce to the East India Company. This policy broke the domestic economic structure of villages pushing farmers and peasants into a situation where they had neither cash nor kinds to barter with. It was then that the common people in Bengal, mostly Hindus, were led by the Sanyasis who fought against the British Rule and registered significant victories in certain areas of Bengal from 1763 to 1802.

The Sanyasi Rebellion

The sadhus and sanyasis became the vanguard for the poor, oppressed, and brutalised Hindu majority’s eventual rebellion. The Hindus of Bengal were too damaged to fight back since they had been emotionally destroyed, financially devastated, and subjected to religious persecution, first by the muslim conquerors and then by British authorities. The roving groups of sadhus, particularly those from the Naga, Giri, and Puri sects, offered reassurance and encouragement. These sects’ sanyasis were the ones who started fighting back against the Muslim and British overlords. They gave the persecuted Hindus direction and inspired them to rebel against injustice.

The major battles in this revolt took place in the years 1763 (Capture of Dhaka Factory), 1766 (Battle of Malda and killing of two officers of the company), 1770-1771 (Battle of Ghodaghat and winning a fort in Purnia), 1784 (Recapturing Dhaka Factory), and 1791 (Battle of Gobindganj). In each of these battles, the troops of untrained peasants led by Hindu Sanyasis forced British military to step back and went on to capture important forts like Purnia, Malda, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Murshidabad, Kuchbihar. For a few months after every victory, the locals ensured a short-lived self-rule which would be eventually over once the East India Company struck back after the Sadhus left the forts.

Hindu Monk Bhabani Charan Pathak is credited for organizing these revolts against the East India Company. He led the Hindus from the front in all these battles and he made the supreme sacrifice in the battle of Gobindganj in 1791. However, under the leadership of Devi Chaudhurani, the rebellion continued for 11 more years till 1802.

The Fighting Techniques used by Sanyasis

Though in most of the battles, Sanyasis and their army of common peasants and farmers relied on traditional weapons like swords, daggers, bow and arrows, etc., they also used cannons against the British forces which they had seized from the enemies after victories. The troops were highly unorganized providing them with all the advantages of guerilla warfare and in the deep forests along Ganga and Brahmaputra. The Sanyasis, on two occasions, also led the fights from boats in rivers as the factories of the East India Company were established on the banks of rivers. Besides, in the battles of 1770-1771 and 1784, the Sanyasis – otherwise characterized as the epitome of honesty and truth – skillfully deceived the enemy to secure the wins and minimize the losses.

A portrait of Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak who led the Sanyasi Rebellion. Image Source: Rattibha.com

Coordination between the common people and revolutionary monks

The sanyasis were incredibly quick and had the ability to vanish at any time. They were very skilled at hiding themselves. Their key survival strategy against the British army, a military behemoth, was their dexterity. The British forces were unaware of the timing or location of the strikes. Sanyasi groups would usually target the fortress of the East India Company, their factory, and the residences of the landlords loyal to the Company. The peasants and farmers acted as their intelligence agents and kept them informed of the Company’s movements and whereabouts. The vast majority of the collected cash was set aside for arming themselves to the teeth, training camps for young hires, and supplying food and water to famine-stricken rural residents.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and ‘Anand Math’

19th century Bangla author and poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is one of the most influential writers in Bangla. He is credited for adapting the stories of the Sanyasi rebellion into his novels. The most popular among his novels are ‘Anand Math’ and ‘Devi Choudhurani’. Both of them are based on the battles fought under the leadership of the sanyasis.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote Bengali novels based on the Sanyasi Rebellion. Image Source: Free Press Journal

‘Anand Math’ was written in 1872. In ‘Anand Math’ novel the rebels bow to the motherland singing the song ‘Vande Mataram’. These words went on to become the most revered slogan of the freedom struggle against British Rule. After independence, this song was declared as the National song of India. This song had shaken the roots of the British Empire.

Adaptations of ‘Anand Math’

The novel ‘Anand Math’ was adapted into a movie in 1952. It was directed by Hemen Gupta. Actors like Prithviraj Kapoor, Ajit, Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar, and Geeta Bali played significant roles in this film. Hemat Kumar composed the music for this film. ‘Vande Mataram’ sung in this film by Lata Mangeshkar went on to become a rousing success. Now, in 2022, writer V Vijayendra Prasad is adapting this novel into a film which will be directed by Ashwin Gangaraju.

Anand Math was adapted into a film in 1952 by Hemen Gupta. Image Source: Radio Times

Motion poster of 1770 released

Shailendra K Kumar, Sujay Kutty, Krishan Kumar B, and Suraj Sharma came together to produce a grand film based on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel Anand Math. The film is titled 1770. The motion poster of the film ‘1770’ was recently launched on social media. The film will be released simultaneously in six languages – Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Bangla. The film is being produced under the banner ‘SS1’ Entertainment and PK Entertainment.

Director of the film ‘1770’, Ashwin Gangaraju said, “This subject was very challenging for me. But, with legendary V Vijayendra Prasad writing adapted stories and screenplays, I am sure that the way we have this written, is going to be a blockbuster cinematic experience.”

He further said, “As a filmmaker, I am more attracted to stories that have a background that shows a particular period, where emotions matter more, and where there is scope for larger-than-life action. I was initially a little skeptical about this. However, when I spoke to Ram Kamal Mukherjee and got to know his approach towards it, I gained confidence.”

He added, “Not long after that, I met producers Shailendra Ji, Sujay Kutty sir, Krishan Kumar sir, and Suraj Sharma in Mumbai. We had a long discussion about the film and how they wanted to take the film project ahead. Their attitude toward working together, and the compatibility of their minds made me connect with them immediately.”

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ and the novel ‘Anand Math’. V Vijayendra Prasad – the Screenwriter of the film ‘1770’ – said, “I think, ‘Vande Mataram’ was a magical slogan. It was a mantra given by Maharshi Bankim Chandra to the nation to fight against oppression and injustice. In ‘1770’, we are dealing with the story of many unknown warriors who ignited the fire of the freedom movement. The cast of the film will be announced by Diwali.”

Dahi-handi to be recognized as a sport in Maharashtra, CM Shinde says ‘Govindas’ will now get jobs under sports quota, insurance cover

OpIndia Staff
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Dahi-handi to be recognized as a sport in Maharashtra, CM Shinde says ‘Govindas’ will now get jobs under sports quota, insurance cover

On Thursday, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde announced that Dahi Handi will now be recognized as an official sport in the state. Citing the occasion of Janmashtami, he also said that ‘pro-dahi-handi’ competitions will be introduced in the state.

“Dahi-handi will be recognized under the sports category in Maharashtra. Pro-Dahi-Handi will be introduced. The Govindas will get jobs under the sports category. We will provide insurance cover of Rs 10 lakhs for all Govindas”, said CM Eknath Shinde on August 18.

This is after Dahi Handi Utsav Samanvay Samiti wrote to the CM requesting to make Dahi Handi an adventurous sport. “This has been a long pending demand. Rather than playing it only once a year on the day of the festival, we hope for more competitions and events such as pro kabaddi will be organized so that the Govindas can practice, play and have a healthy competition throughout the year”, said the committee member Arun Pati.

He was further quoted saying, “This will help the Govindas to have advanced practice and remain healthy and fit to perform the human pyramid across the year. We will like to form a committee along with members of the government and plan further activities to make it an adventure sport for youngsters”.

The decision to grant sports status to Dahi-Handi comes after the ban on it imposed by the previous Uddhav Thackeray government for the last two years. The Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP govt had banned mass celebrations of Dahi-Handi citing Covid-19 pandemic, and banned the formation of human pyramids, which led to protests by BJP and Hindu organisations. The ban on Dahi-Handi came amid ongoing attacks on Hindu festivals by left-liberals, as petitions were filed in court demanding to ban it alleging that the ritual is unsafe. As a result, the Supreme Court imposed several restrictions on Dahi Handi, like a limiting the heights of the human pyramids to 20 feet, and disallowing minors to take part in it.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had issued directions that the SC’s order on height and age restrictions should be followed while performing the Dahi Handi. The Court had also questioned the then government over categorizing Dahi Handi as an adventure sport. Later, Swati Patil, a Mumbai-based activist also filed a PIL against the breach of the HC order and raised concern about the casualties and injuries caused during the Dahi Handi celebrations.

“The human pyramid formed by the Govindas to break the handi is a symbol of Lord Krishna eating the curd from the earthen pot (handi). The festival should be celebrated as a festival rather than naming it as a sport or outdoor game. We have other outdoor games like Kabaddi and Kho Kho where the players don’t even have a good playground to play. The government should try to revive the existing outdoor games rather than a human pyramid as an adventure sport”, Patil had said.

To note, in July this year, the Maharashtra government led by CM Eknath Shinde decided to withdraw all the legal cases filed in connection with the alleged agitations during the Dahi Handi. CM Shinde had announced that all such cases up to March 2022 would be withdrawn.

‘Don’t believe the rumours’, Yuzvendra Chahal urges fans to put an end to the gossip around his married life as trolls abuse Dhanashree on Instagram

OpIndia Staff
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‘Don’t believe the rumours’, Yuzvendra Chahal urges fans to put an end to the gossip around his married life as trolls abuse Dhanashree on Instagram

On August 17, choreographer and wife of cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, Dhanashree, removed Chahal from her surname on Instagram and reverted to Dhanashree Verma.

Dhanashree changed her surname on Instagram. Source: Instagram.

Around the same time, Chahal posted a cryptic story that said, “New Life Loading.”

Story by Chahal. Source: Instagram.

News portals like Hindustan Times’ HTCity added fuel to the fire by claiming Chahal posted “New Wife Loading” on Instagram, though they eventually deleted the tweet after spreading the rumour.

HTCity’s now deleted tweet

In the most recent story on Instagram, Chahal urged his fans not to believe any rumours. He wrote, “A humble request to you all to not believe in any sort of rumours pertaining to our relationship. Kindly put an end to it. Love and light to everyone.”

Story by Chahal. Source: Instagram.

However, by the time Chahal published the story, the unclear message led to mushrooming of several rumours around their married life as fans assumed they might be getting divorced. What added more fuel to the fire is the fake news published by Twitter handles portraying themselves as News Agency ANI about the couple filing for divorce. To clarify, ANI had to publish a tweet informing about the fake handles.

The couple that got married in 2020 is adored by the fans overall. However, the rumours that spread today led to Dhanashree getting several hate messages from the trolls.

Trolls attacked Dhanashree on Instagram. Source: Instagram

So far, Dhanashree has not issued any statement on the matter.

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