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China extends DNA sample collection to Tibet under ‘crime detection’ program, had earlier done so for Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang

OpIndia Staff
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China extends DNA sample collection to Tibet under ‘crime detection’ program, had earlier done so for Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang

China has begun collecting DNA samples from residents of Tibet, without their consent, under the pretext of crime detection, reported Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The blatant violation of human rights is not limited to the adult population but has been extended to even kindergarten children. Reportedly, the DNA collection drive began in 2019 as part of a policing campaign and involved inspection, investigation and mediation (also called three greats).

According to HRW, DNA was collected from residents in at least 7 villages, 2 townships, 2 towns, 2 counties and one prefecture of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). Besides, two government tenders were floated for the creation of local DNA databases.

The Human Rights Watch noted that the residents of Tibet, forcibly occupied and annexed by China 70 years ago, could not decline to provide their DNA samples.

HRW (China Director) Sophie Richardson said, “The Chinese government is already subjecting Tibetans to pervasive repression. Now the authorities are literally taking blood without consent to strengthen their surveillance capabilities.”

“A report from Lhasa municipality in April 2022 stated that blood samples for DNA collection were being systematically collected from children at kindergartens and from other local residents,” HRW noted.

“A report from a Tibetan township in Qinghai province in December 2020 stated that DNA was being collected from all boys aged 5 and above,” it further added. And it was undertaken without the approval of their caregivers, thus violating their privacy.

Given that DNA information is sensitive in nature, modern democracies have regulated and narrowed the scope of its collection. However, in Communist China, with little regard for human rights, it has been used to oppress the Uyghur community in Xinjiang province.

As early as 2017, the Chinese government had built a database of blood types and iris scans of 11 million Uyghur residents between the age of 12 and 65. According to Human Rights Watch, China has created a national database of 40 million people since the 2000s.

“Coercing people to give blood samples, or taking blood samples without informed, meaningful and freely given consent or justification, can violate an individual’s privacy, dignity and right to bodily integrity,” it emphasised.

Persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China

In the Xinjiang province of China, nearly 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities have been reportedly detained in a network of detention centres since 2017. By stating that the camps are vocational training schools, Beijing has refuted numerous reports that it has tortured Muslims in Xinjiang.

The Communist Party of China’s (CPC) objective is to integrate Uyghurs into the dominant Han Chinese ethnicity by stripping them of their religious and ethnic identities. While Uyghur Muslims face re-educational camps, forced labour, and digital surveillance, including their children being indoctrinated in orphanages.

The CPC restricts any news revealing the horrors committed against the Uyghurs in the detention centres in order to counteract scathing foreign findings. Several foreign journalists covering the plight of the Uyghurs have been expelled from China, while academics, activists, and survivors who try to expose China’s deceit have been mocked and harassed.

Those who speak out against China’s illegal detention of Uyghurs are either intimidated or executed.

Leftists ‘celebrate’ Rishi Sunak losing the British PM race, use Hinduphobic tweets to mock him for temple visit and Gau Puja

OpIndia Staff
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Leftists ‘celebrate’ Rishi Sunak losing the British PM race, use Hinduphobic tweets to mock him for temple visit and Gau Puja

On August 5 (local time), Rishi Sunak lost the election to become the conservative party’s PM face to Mary Elizabeth Truss, who has been serving as the Foreign Secretary since 2021. Sunak, who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Boris Johnson’s administration before resigning, managed to get only 42 per cent of the vote share compared to Liz Truss, who got 57 per cent vote share.

As soon as Sunak’s defeat was announced, the Leftists started floating anti-Hindu and anti-Hinduism tweets.

‘Professor’ Ashok Swain, a fake news peddler who is known for his anti-India rhetoric and Hinduphobia, said, “Despite all these antics, Rishi Sunak was soundly defeated by Liz Truss, and she becomes the new UK PM. Important to be true to yourself – UK is not UP.” He also shared the video of Sunak worshipping a cow in the tweet.

So-called Human Rights Activist Advocate Priyadarshi Telang said, “One can become Chief Minister of UP by eating Gobar (cow dung) and Gau Mutra (cow urine) but cannot become Prime Minister of UK Rishi Sunak.” He also congratulated Liz Truss on her victory.

Twitter user Farhan Ashfaq said, “The United Kingdom is saved from becoming Uttar Pradesh.”

Another Twitter user Daphin Chacko said, “Rishi Sunak finally realised that he is no Adityanath, that UK is no UP and that unlike the BJP here Conservative legislators cannot be bought over.”

Twitter user Gabbar0099 said, “Cow Pooja failed in UK”, and shared screenshots of Sunak doing Gau Pooja and a news report announcing Liz Truss’s victory.

Amin Syed, a Twitter user from Vancouver, said, “Rishi Sunak should have been reminded by his advisors that he is standing for UK premiership not UP.”

Another Twitter user Rajnish said, “Cow helps in winning elections in UP, not in UK.”

Twitter user Shaina said, “Liz Truss becomes UK’s new PM after defeating Rishi Sunak. Moral of the story: UK is not UP.”

Twitter user Political Aaramdev said, “Hello Rishi Sunak, Temple and Cow Politics will only work in UP, not in UK.”

Another Twitter user Shabina Hussain said, “Gau Mata refused to bless Rishi Sunak!”

Rishi Sunak had sought blessings from Gau Mata

On August 25, then-Prime Minister candidate Rishi Sunak performed Gau Pooja and sought blessings for the elections. Sunak was heavily trolled on social media for following Hindu customs.

Scroll and Quint wanted India to learn from Chile’s proposed far-left constitution, Chileans themselves overwhelmingly rejected it

Amit Kelkar
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Scroll and Quint wanted India to learn from Chile’s proposed far-left constitution, Chileans themselves overwhelmingly rejected it

Chile has overwhelmingly voted against a new proposed constitution that would have been one of the most ‘progressive’ constitutions anywhere in the world. Over 62% of the voters voted to reject the new constitution on Sunday, September 4, preferring to stay with Pinochet’s market-friendly version.

Back in 2020, 80% of the Chileans had voted for the need to draft a new constitution. However, the text of this new draft, which was deemed very far to the left, has been soundly rejected by the voters.

The process to revise the constitution was initiated after a wave of violent protests in 2019. People were protesting against the high cost of living and higher education, poor health care, and general economic inequality. Then centre-right government’s President Sebastián Piñera promised to draft a new constitution to address the concerns of the protestors.

After the 2021 elections, the government changed in Chile, and the left-wing politician Gabriel Boric Font rose to become the President. Boric’s government is largely tied to the new draft and the text reflected the far-left policies of his government.

Among the proposed changes in the new constitution, was the proposal to name Chile a “plurinational and paritarian” republic, rather than a democratic republic. This was to promote the idea that Chile comprises ethnic and identity groups, and not a group of united people. Interestingly, far-left politicians in India are also trying to push a similar idea recently that India is not a nation, but merely a union of states.

Far-left publications like Scroll and Quint want India to learn from Chile’s rejected draft constitution

While the Chileans may have rejected this draft, left leaning Indian websites like Scroll and Quint obviously found great merit in this proposed leftist version of their constitution, and in fact, wanted India to take pointers from it. Not just that, Amnesty International also hailed it as landmark step.

The comprehensive draft constitution, which comprised 338 articles, consisted of several problematic provisions which were outrightly rejected by the very Chileans who voted for the leftist Boric last year. However, the far-left nature of the draft was enough for Indian leftists to go ga-ga over it.

As mentioned earlier, the draft aimed to promote that Chile doesn’t consist of united people, and is just a coalition of various ethnic and identity groups. The very idea of Chile as a democratic republic would have disappeared with the new draft, becoming a “plurinational” republic instead.

The draft was deemed full of unworkable rights, including the right to abortion till the point of birth in a Catholic-majority country, unworkable new environmental laws, a publicly-funded national health service leading to additional taxes, and equitable political and even professional representation for minorities.

The provision prohibiting any job insecurity and granting the right to work by the constitution would have made it nearly impossible to fire any worker under any condition and would have certainly turned away all potential investors from the country.

Article 25 required the government to award reparations for past discrimination as well. The constitution, if passed, would have also renamed and restructured parts of the government to be more social-justice-oriented. It also proposed replacing the senate with a “chamber of regions”, again weakening the idea of a united Chile.

This draft full of impractical ideas and in conflict with Chile’s culture and heritage was expectedly defeated decisively by Chileans. However, Indian leftists, much like their counterparts in Chile and elsewhere keep searching for their utopia through these impractical ideas and try to push them at every turn, even when the people continue to disagree.

Instead of learning anything from this piece of leftist fantasy, Indian lawmakers should be more practical in their approach and bring changes to the constitution that address the problems faced by the common man, instead of chasing this leftist utopia.

Hyderabad: Groom Syed Nazeer makes a bolt from the wedding reception after seeing his first wife with policemen

OpIndia Staff
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Hyderabad: Groom Syed Nazeer makes a bolt from the wedding reception after seeing his first wife with policemen

A man celebrating his second marriage in Madannapet, Hyderabad, quickly turned into a run-and-chase affair after the groom saw his first wife arriving with police officials. Syed Nazeer, the groom who threw a reception party on his second marriage, thought it wise to dash off from the venue when he saw his first wife, Dr Sana Samreen, enter the venue with police officers. 

The incident took place on September 4 when Nazeer held a reception party on account of his second marriage. Nazeer had not informed his first wife about his second marriage. Therefore, Samreen’s arrival at the venue with police officials set Nazeer on his heels, sending him into panic and forcing him to escape from the rear entrance of the place.

Abdul Waheed, brother of Samreen, spoke to Deccan Chronicle about the incident. “My sister married Syed soon after he came from New Zealand in 2019. During the COVID-19 lockdown, he was stuck here, and we took care of his expenses. However, he demanded Rs 15 lakh, which we could not pay. He then began keeping away from my sister,” he said. 

Samreen, too, revealed that Nazeer continuously harassed her for money. She added that during the second wave of COVID-19, she served Nazeer’s uncle and gave most of her savings to him for his treatment after he had tested positive for the virus. The lady, who has a 22-month-old son with Syed, further added that she had filed a complaint against her husband for harassing her for money.

Then one day, Samreen learned that Syed was marrying again and that too, without informing her, after which she decided to take strict action against him. Samreen got police officials and crashed Syed’s wedding reception party, following which her husband fled from the place. Samreen then filed a written complaint against Syed at the Santosh Nagar police station, reported Deccan Chronicle. 

The decolonisation trend continues: Rajpath to be renamed ‘Kartavya Path’, was earlier named after King George V

OpIndia Staff
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The decolonisation trend continues: Rajpath to be renamed ‘Kartavya Path’, was earlier named after King George V

The name of New Delhi’s historic Rajpath is set to be changed to ‘Kartavya Path’, media reports said on Monday, September 5, 2022. Rajpath was a Hindi translation of Kingsway, the ceremonial boulevard’s name during British rule, named after King George V. He had visited India in 1911 when the decision to move the British Raj’s capital from Calcutta to Delhi was formally proclaimed.

The move is in line with the push for decolonisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recent days. Earlier, the Indian Naval ensign was changed this month to remove St George’s Cross from the ensign, and the Scottish hymn ‘Abide By Me’ was removed from the Beating Retreat ceremony during Republic Day celebrations. PM Modi had stressed upon deloconisation during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort this year.

As per media reports, the decision to change the name is likely to be endorsed by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) later this week.

Rajpath, along with Central Vista avenue, has undergone a major transformation under the Central Vista project. The Central Vista project involves the reconstruction of Central Vista Avenue, which runs between the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the India Gate and houses all of the union government’s significant buildings. This project is divided into two parts: a new parliament building and a new secretariat complex that will house all of the key government departments in one location.

A third component entails the development of the Rajpath and the surrounding region, which is usually accessible to the general public, as well as the creation of public utilities. 

The revamped stretch from Vijay Chowk to India Gate is going to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8, 2022.

Netizens try to crack cryptic post by Subramanian Swamy on “Tantrik Pujas in Tata & Sons”, black magic to sinister plan behind Cyrus Mistry’s death guessed

OpIndia Staff
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Netizens try to crack cryptic post by Subramanian Swamy on “Tantrik Pujas in Tata & Sons”, black magic to sinister plan behind Cyrus Mistry’s death guessed

Following the untimely demise of former Tata Group CEO Cyrus Mistry in a car accident on September 4, 2022, former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy posted a cryptic tweet making shocking claims about Ratan Tata.

In his tweet, Swamy called used “Rotten Tata” for Ratan Tata and said, “It is shocking that Rotten Tata and his Tamil underlings in Tata & Sons should slide into Tantrik Pujas by paying the Malayali Tantrik Pujaris to target their Company’s imagine enemies.”

Cryptic tweet by Subramanian Swamy. Source: Twitter

In the cryptic tweet, it appeared that Swamy tried to insinuate that the Tamils who worked under him in the Tata group paid some Malayali Tantrik to do some ‘tantra mantra’ against the “enemies” of the company. Notably, Swamy has earlier called Ratan Tata ‘corrupt’ and also said he is a ‘blot’ on the family’s name. At the same time, he had called Cyrus Mistry, an honest man.

It is noteworthy that when there was a dispute between Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry over the company in 2016, Subramanian Swamy suggested the government of India intervene in the matter, and went ahead to say that if necessary, the government should take over Tata Group. While mentioning several cases, including Air Asia, Docomo, Radia Tapes and Shiv Sankaran, Swamy said Ratan Tata has been hiding a lot. He claimed that Cyrus Mistry wanted to take the loss-making company forward.

Though Swamy’s latest tweet did not name Mistry or mention his death in a car accident, many believe that his tweet was pointing toward the accident. He has been using “Rotten Tata” for Ratan Tata for a long time now.

Netizens speculate over the cryptic post by Subramanian Swamy

Ekta A Thakur said, “Rotten Tata’s silence on Cyrus Mistry Death untimely demise is deafening as is the blackout from his coterie.”

Source: Twitter

Chauhan Deepak Kumar also went cryptic and said, “It is sad. May God bless his soul.”

Source: Twitter

DesiMakad quoted his own tweet where he talked about if there was more than just an accident in Mistry’s death.

Source: Twitter

In December 2012, Cyrus Mistry took over as the chairman of the Tata Group at the age of 44 after Ratan Tata stepped down from the post. In June 2022, his father, Kharbapati Pallonji Mistry, died at the age of 93. The family holds an 18.37% stake in the Tata group. Cyrus Mistry had a long legal battle with the Tata family. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had ruled in his favour, but the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Tata family. The Mistry family suffered a huge loss even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lucknow Municipal Commissioner orders demolition of the hotel where massive fire broke out resulting in death of 4, no approved map of the building found

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow Municipal Commissioner orders demolition of the hotel where massive fire broke out resulting in death of 4, no approved map of the building found

Following the fatal fire in a hotel in Lucknow, Lucknow Municipal Commissioner Dr. Roshan Jacob has said that the hotel’s premises will be sealed and the building will be demolished. He said that it will be done in accordance with established protocols, as the hotel did not have an approved construction map from the authorities. This follows after the commissioner surveyed the site of the incident.

The commissioner has also ordered that action should be taken on the authorities responsible for such negligence in granting permissions and doing favours. Action is also ordered on other such businesses failing to furnish the construction maps, floor plans, and relevant No Objection Certificates from relevant authorities.

This follows after four people were killed and ten others were injured in a major fire that broke out at Levana Suites hotel in Lucknow’s Hazratganj locality on Monday morning. 15 firetrucks and 13 ambulances were dispatched to the scene. To rescue those trapped inside the hotel, emergency response crews used iron rods to break the windows.

According to accounts, firefighters utilised external ladders to get access to the windows of rooms on the second and third floors where individuals were trapped. Two dead bodies were discovered when the fire safety crew examined the premises after finishing the rescue. As the fire was so severe, firefighters had to use excavators to dig apertures in the walls in order to throw water inside the first floor.

Lucknow hotel fire There was no fire exit which led to loss of life say reports
Image: Firstpost

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited victims at the hospital and ordered a thorough probe.

In a tweet, CM Yogi wrote, “In the incident of the fire in Lucknow hotel, met the injured at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (Civil) Hospital to know their well being and directed the concerned officials for their proper treatment. The Divisional Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police, Lucknow have been directed to investigate the cause of the incident.”

So far, 3 including the owner of the hotel have been arrested in the case.

‘Can students wear whatever they wish in institutes that have uniforms?’ SC asks during the hearing of Karnataka hijab row

OpIndia Staff
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‘Can students wear whatever they wish in institutes that have uniforms?’ SC asks during the hearing of Karnataka hijab row

On Monday (September 5), the Supreme Court of India heard a batch of appeals, which challenged the order of the Karnataka High Court that barred female Muslim students from wearing hijabs in government schools and colleges.

The matter came up before a 2-Judge Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia. Although the case has been adjourned till Wednesday (September 7), several key arguments were made in the apex court.

During the heading, Justice Gupta asked Senior Advocate Rajiv Dhawan, “Can you say that you want to wear a religious thing in a government educational institution?” He further added, “Our constitution says ours is a secular country and can in a secular country you say that a religious clothing has to be worn in a govt run institution. this can be an argument.”

When Senior advocate Hegde tried to make the issue about women’s liberty to wear the dress of choice, Justice Hemant Gupta reminded him that a female lawyer once appeared before the apex court in a jeans.

“..And she was asked not to. She can also say I will wear what I want…Mr Dave will tell us that a dress code is there for a golf course as well,” he said. Justice Gupta added, “It can also be the norm or rule that shorts are not allowed in a restaurant”

Advocate Hedge claimed that several female Muslim students were forced to choose alternate options, owing to the ‘hijab ban’ in government schools and colleges.

“One girl joined a private college where hijab is allowed. The second girl is doing 12th at a private school… this judgment will have bearing on a vast section of society,” he claimed. The Court asked whether ‘access to education’ will be denied if hijab is not entertained in government institutions.

Advocate Hedge claimed before the apex court that the Karnataka Government order, upheld by the Karnataka High Court, compromised the fundamental rights of Muslim students.

“You say educational institutions cannot issue a rule but what about the state unless there is a statute which prohibits dress code? So tell me can a student come in minis, midis, whatever they want,” Justice Dhulia asked.

He added, “…Tell me if the act prescribes something or not, then will the state executive power will come into play or not?”

During the hearing, Justice Gupta said, “You may have a religious right and can you take that right within an educational institution where a uniform is prescribed? You may be entitled to wear a hijab or scarf. Can you carry the right within an educational institution which prescribes uniform?”

He added, “They are not denying the right to education what they are saying as the state is you come in the uniform…”

During the hearing, the apex court was informed that the Karnataka government’s order to bar religious outfits in its institutes did not apply to minority educational institutions.

In government run-institutes in Karnataka, the college development authorities have been given the power to decide for themselves. The Court was informed that some PU Colleges have disallowed hijab in their institutions.

Prior to the adjournment of the matter for Wednesday (September 7), the Supreme court was informed that Christian minority institutions have also disallowed the wearing of hijab in their classrooms.

The Hijab row so far

In February this year, some Muslim students from a PU College in Udupi filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court to allow them to attend classes in Hijab. They were denied entry into classes after the college management made it clear that the hijab is not part of the uniform. Since then, the ‘students’ launched protests while being dressed in burqas.

The Muslim students had admitted to being in consultation with the PFI-backed Campus Front of India (CFI). Subsequently, the lawyers representing the Muslim students cited Sharia in the secular court to make a point on the hijab, claiming that it is an essential religious practice for Muslim women.

However, on March 15, the Karnataka High Court held that Hijab is not an essential practice in Islam and that the uniform is a reasonable restriction on the Right to Religion. Following the verdict, liberals and Islamists took to Twitter to cast aspersions on the independence of the Judiciary.

Amritsar: Clash breaks out between Nihang Sikhs and Radha Soami Dera Satsang Beas followers, shots fired

OpIndia Staff
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Amritsar: Clash breaks out between Nihang Sikhs and Radha Soami Dera Satsang Beas followers, shots fired

On Sunday, September 4, a clash broke out between Nihang Sikhs and followers of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas after the Nihang Sikhs of Tarna Dal Baba Bakala (Baba Pala Singh) group allegedly tried to enter the Dera premises to graze their cattle. Both sides reportedly pelted stones, used swords, and fired shots at each other during the clash. At least 12 people have been reported to be injured, including police personnel.

Following the clash, an additional police force was deployed in the area, and senior police officials took charge of the situation, including the Inspector General of Police. As per Police’s statement, a group of Nihang Sikhs wanted to enter the Dera premises to graze their cattle. The lands of both groups are side-by-side. The Dera followers stopped them from entering the premises that led to the clash.

The clash went out of control when one of the Nihang Sikhs allegedly attacked the security in-charge of the Dera, identified as Parmdeep Singh Teja. He sustained injuries on his shoulders. The Police were present at the scene when the incident took place. Jandaila Guru Police Station SHO Davinder Kumar tried to intervene and he was also attacked in the process.

As per The Tribune, the Dera followers alleged that Nihang Sikhs were heavily armed, and they tried to occupy their land. The Police had to use force to disperse the members from both sides. Senior Superintendent of Police Swapan Sharma said in a statement that the situation was now under control.

While speaking to the media, SSP Sharma said, “In the morning, the cows that belonged to the Nihang Sikhs came close to the Dera’s land. Both sides got into an argument, and it turned ugly. We were called by both sides. The police force was deployed on the National Highway where the clash took place. The Police used a lathi charge to disperse both sides. A few people got injured. There were some rumours that someone got killed. No one was killed in the clash. The injured were shifted to the hospital for treatment.” He added, “Some shots were fired in the air, that is why we had to do lathi charge.”

When asked about the reason for the clash, SSP Sharma said it was about the cattle. He said, “The reason was the cattle that entered Dera land. Notably, there was a minor clash between the two groups on September 3 as well, but the Police intervened and pacified the situation.”

The SSP (Rural), Swapan Sharma, said the situation was under control. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring appealed for calm. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also asked the people to maintain peace and harmony.

In a statement, ADGP Arpit Shukla said, “The clash between the two groups happened because of a land dispute. The persons who had an ulterior motive behind the clash will be identified and punished as per the law.” When asked if the Police have any information about the culprits who initiated the clash, he said, “We are at the initial stage of the investigation. The Police have recorded statements from both sides, and they are claiming they were not the aggressors. We have told them as well that anyone who was behind the clash will not be spared. Let us complete the investigation.”

Notably, ADGP Shukla categorically denied that it was a matter of religion. He said, “There are claims and counterclaims. The issue was related to a piece of land. It is not about any faith or religion.” He further added that if Police found anyone spreading rumours and fake information on social media, action would be taken against them.

Movie on the Malabar Genocide barred from showing scenes depicting brutality by Moplah Muslims against Hindus: What Director Ali Akbar said

Nupur J Sharma
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Movie on the Malabar Genocide barred from showing scenes depicting brutality by Moplah Muslims against Hindus: What Director Ali Akbar said

Upcoming Malayalam film ‘Puzha Muthal Puzha Vare’ by filmmaker Ali Akbar who changed his name to Ramasimhan Aboobakker after reconverting to Hinduism, has been stalled after the CBFC has imposed several cuts, that would according to the Director, whitewash the brutality that was heaped on Hindus during the Malabar Genocide of Hindus by Moplah Muslims.

Talking to OpIndia, Ramasimhan, previously Ali Akbar, said that the Revision Committee of CBFC imposed several cuts in the movie over 2 such meetings, where the true nature of the Malabar Genocide was depicted. According to the Director, if the cuts were to be accepted by him to release the movie, it would whitewash the brutality against Hindus and essentially project the Malabar Genocide of Hindus as an “uprising”, just as the Leftists want.

Pertinently, after the Kerala Censor Board had denied certification to the movie earlier this year, they referred the movie to CBFC for a Revising Committee review. Akbar suspects that the local Censor Board has influenced the decision of the Central Board and there is pressure from the PFI to stop the release of the movie. On being asked why the central board is behaving in this fashion, the Director said, “Please remember the famous dialogue of Kashmir Files by Vivek Agnihotri – The government might be ours, but the system is theirs”, referring to Islamists and Leftists. 

Ramasimhan says that the local officer in the Kerala Censor Board has been against his movie from the very beginning. It was only after he said that he would approach the High Court did she agree to a screening of the movie for registration of the certificate. Once the screening was done, the Director says that Ms Parvati, without giving any notice, referred the movie to CBFC Revision Committee. When the first Revision Committee meeting was held in Mumbai, very minor cuts were suggested that did not alter the character of the movie. Since the movie had scenes of violence, the CBFC had also said that it could only give an A certificate. Akbar says he was happy with the outcome and came back to his native place in Kerala.

However, to Akbar’s surprise, there was a second Revision Committee meeting was called. It was in this meeting that several cuts were imposed by the CBFC that barred him from showing scenes depicting the atrocities against Hindus by Moplah Muslims.

One of the first scenes that the CBFC censored in the movie was a scene where the Thuvur well incident was depicted. On the 25th of September 1921, on the barren hillside between Thuvoor and Karuvayakandi in North Kerala Chambrassery Imbichi Koithangal, one of the Khilafat leaders, held a rally with over 4,000 of his followers. During this meeting, more than 40 Hindus were caught hold of and taken to him with their hands tied behind their backs. 38 were murdered. 3 of the 38 were shot but the rest were beheaded and thrown in the Thuvoor well.

Besides the Thuvoor well incident, there were several other scenes which were cut. For example, Akbar tells OpIndia that in the movie, there was one dialogue that spoke about the Al-Daula (Islamic State) that was established in Malabar by Kunjahammed Haji. According to several records, this was evidently an ‘independent area’ that the Islamists had established where they had even imposed Jizya on Hindus. One lady, who was a part of the censor board, asked Akbar questions about what he knew about Shariat and Islam, and then proceeded to cut that dialogue altogether.

Akbar told OpIndia that during the 1921 Genocide of Hindus, the carnage was rampant. There was the forcible conversion of Hindus, the deliberate slaughter of cows was rampant just to insult the faith of the Hindus, several thousand were beheaded and temples were razed to the ground. In the movie, he had scenes where he depicted the forcible conversion of Hindus and the temples being razed by Islamists, these scenes were also disallowed by the censor board. In another scene, without really showing the cow slaughter, he had alluded to cows being slaughtered by Islamists and that too was cut.

Aside from such scenes, OpIndia was told that the censor board even told Ali Akbar to ensure that chants of “Allahu Akbar” and “Naara-e-Taqbeer” were not shown so frequently.

Essentially, all the cuts in the movie would strip down the essence of the movie, which was to show the genocide of Hindus by Moplah Muslims in 1921. He suspects that the censor board was under the influence of the Kerala officer who, according to him, is a Communist wanting to peddle the communist narrative of the 1921 genocide being a “peasant uprising” against “landlords”. In fact, this is evidenced by the fact that when the movie referred to the family of the Hindus Kings of the area as “Lords”, the censor board insisted that it be changed to refer to them as “Landlords”.

Ramasimhan, previously known as Ali Akbar, has now decided to approach the High Court against the cuts imposed by the censor board, he told OpIndia.

The Malabar Genocide of Hindus 

The Malabar genocide of 1921 was a systematic campaign of jihad against Hindus. The genocide, orchestrated by the likes of Variankunnath Kunhamad Haji, Ali Musaliar and others, led to an estimated death of 10,000 Hindus in Kerala. It is believed that as many as 100,000 Hindus were forced to leave Kerala in the wake of the massacre. The number of Hindu Temples that were destroyed in the genocide is speculated to be a hundred. Forcible conversion of Hindus was rampant and unspeakable atrocities were poured upon Hindus.

The Moplah pogrom was described by the likes of Annie Besant and Babasaheb Ambedkar in their respective published books. Annie Besant described the events in her book ‘The Future of Indian Politics’ as, “They murdered and plundered abundantly, and killed or drove away all Hindus who would not apostatize. Somewhere about a lakh, people were driven from their homes with nothing but the clothes they had on, stripped of everything. Malabar has taught us what Islamic rule still means, and we do not want to see another specimen of the Khilafat Raj in India.”

Babasaheb Ambedkar, in his book, Pakistan or the Partition of India, wrote, “The blood-curdling atrocities committed by the Moplas in Malabar against the Hindus were indescribable. All over Southern India, a wave of horrified feeling had spread among the Hindus of every shade of opinion, which was intensified when certain Khilafat leaders were so misguided as to pass resolutions of “congratulations to the Moplas on the brave fight they were conducting for the sake of religion”. Even after 100 years of the event, the wounds of the genocide remain afresh in the Hindu conscience.

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