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Did Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP hire a professional actor Shahbaz Khan to show ‘frustrated youth of Gujarat’, netizens wonder

OpIndia Staff
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Did Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP hire a professional actor Shahbaz Khan to show ‘frustrated youth of Gujarat’, netizens wonder

With an eye on improving their electoral prospects in Gujarat ahead of the state’s assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday posted a video depicting ‘Gujarati youths’ discontent with the BJP.’ Netizens, on the other hand, were quick to raise doubts over the youth’s grievances. They pointed out how the frustrated youth in the AAP video is a professional actor who often flaunts his wealth online.

On Tuesday, the AAP Party shared a video, which was captioned, “This is the level of Frustration of Gujarat’s Youth against BJP. Youth says – @ArvindKejriwal is their last HOPE!”. In the 1.49-minute video, a ‘frustrated’ youth is heard telling Arvind Kejriwal, how in the last 12 years, the BJP government has done little for the development of the state. He rued how the BJP government, in the last 14 years has not been able to change a transmitter in his village.

He also complained in front of Kejriwal about the BJP government’s inability to open schools in the state for the past eight years. He also argued that there has been no growth in Gujarat in the last several years under the BJP administration and urged Kejriwal to take the reigns of the state in his hand and fight for the betterment of Gujarat’s youth.

“We need people like you, sir…do something…we’re pleading with folded hands,” said the young man, who introduced himself as Shahbaz Khan, a humble inhabitant of Dora village in Amod Taluka in Gujarat’s Bharuch District.

The youth further added that the people who have gathered there have not been paid, as is typical of the BJP, instead, they have been sitting there for hours in order to catch a glimpse of their leader Kejriwal.

He concluded his dramatic monologue by claiming that he is aware that he will be fired as a result of his speech and that he cares only about the country, said the youth.

As soon as the Aam Aadmi Party shared the video, Netizens started digging out details about this particular ‘frustrated’ youth. One social media user shared Shahbaz Khan’s Instagram bio where he identifies himself as an ‘actor’.

Interestingly, his Instagram profile shows he is a professional actor. His Instagram bio, in fact, reads “Shahbaz Khan, video creator, My passion acting Actor.” He has also shared a link to his Youtube channel in his Instagram bio. As can be seen, Shahbaz Khan has 259 followers on Instagram and has to date posted as many as 623 posts.

The Instagram page of Shahbaz Khan

Another social media user shared a video wherein this ‘humble’ youth could be seen driving an expensive car on the streets of Gujarat. “Gujarat ke gareeb log bhi car lekar ghoom rahe phir kis baat ki dikkat hai isko,” tweeted @delhichatter, which roughly translates to “If the poor youth of Gujarat are also roaming around in cars, then what is his issue”.

Another user going by the handle @BeingPolitical1 said that people should enjoy the entertainment being provided by ‘Lavanasur’, a moniker Arvind Kejriwal got after the Wikipedia page of the list of Chief Ministers of Delhi was vandalised last year.

Another video provided by Twitter user @nanditathhakur shows the ‘poor’ and ‘humble’ Shahbaz Khan laying in between bundles of currency notes.

Though a new player in Gujarat’s electoral politics, Arvind Kejriwal has interestingly been trying every trick up his sleeve to take on the BJP on their strongest turf in Gujarat. Last week, the Aam Aadmi Party chief announced cash for women in Gujarat should his party be elected to power. 

Publicity stunts are not new to Arvind Kejriwal. It may be recalled that during the election campaigning in Punjab, Kejriwal went on an auto ride and then went for dinner at the ‘auto driver’s home’ because the auto driver out of his whim decided to change routes. Though eventually, it turned out that the said auto driver was an AAP worker.

‘Why put Savarkar’s portrait in a Muslim area?’ Karnataka LoP Siddaramaiah on communal flare-up in Shivamogga

OpIndia Staff
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‘Why put Savarkar’s portrait in a Muslim area?’ Karnataka LoP Siddaramaiah on communal flare-up in Shivamogga

Former Karnataka chief minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Tuesday gave a bizarre explanation over communal tensions that swept Shivamogga district on Monday. The Congress leader insinuated that putting Savarkar’s portrait in a “Muslim area” had caused the communal flare-up.

“Why did they put Savarakar’s photo in a Muslim area and removed Tipu Sultan’s portrait?” Siddaramaiah questioned on Tuesday, a day after a row broke out over a Vinayak Damodar Savarkar banner displayed at Ameer Ahmed Circle on Independence Day. 

On Monday (August 15), the Karnataka Police imposed prohibitory orders in the state’s Shivamogga district as communal tensions flared up after a group of Muslim youths removed the flex banner with the image of Veer Savarkar. Savarkar’s poster was put up as part of Independence Day celebrations and the Muslim youths tried to replace it with that of the Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan.

Two men identified as Praveen Singh and Prem Singh were also stabbed by unidentified miscreants in two different places in the city. The former was stabbed in Ashok Nagar by bike-borne youths on his way home from Gandhi Bazar after shutting his shop, while another youth was stabbed in Upparakeri. 

Four men were arrested by the Karnataka police on Tuesday in relation to the stabbing that took place in the Shivamogga district on Monday. Nadeem (25), Abdul Rehman (25), Tanveer and Jabiullah have been named as the arrested accused.

Karnataka Congress puts up posters of Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan in Bengaluru to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence

It may be recalled that yesterday, the Karnataka Congress had placed posters of the Islamic dictator Tipu Sultan in Bengaluru’s Hudson Circle and several other places to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence.

The posters were later allegedly damaged by some people as per some reports. The Karnataka Congress had put up posters of Tipu along with several freedom fighters across Bengaluru.

The Congress party protested the damage inflicted to the posters by unknown people. Talking to reporters, State President DK Shivkumar said that some people are not able to digest the “Freedom March” by the Congress party. “Someone is trying to create disturbance in the state. They are not able to digest Congress’ Freedom March,” Shivakumar said.

Jammu and Kashmir: In yet another targeted attack, terrorists shoot a Kashmiri Hindu dead and leave his brother critical in Shopian

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: In yet another targeted attack, terrorists shoot a Kashmiri Hindu dead and leave his brother critical in Shopian

In another targeted terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, terrorists shot dead a Kashmiri Pandit on Tuesday, while leaving his brother critically injured in the Shopian district of the valley. The deceased was identified as Sunil Kumar and his injured brother as Pintu Kumar, the police said. Pintu Kumar was shifted to a hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Sharing information about the attack, Kashmir Zone police tweeted, “#Terrorists fired upon civilians in an apple orchard in Chotipora area of #Shopian. One person died and one injured. Both belong to minority community. Injured person has been shifted to hospital. Area #cordoned off. Further details shall follow.”

Soon after the attack, a joint team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Indian Army, and paramilitary forces cordoned off the area to trace the terrorists behind the attack.

Sharing more details of the brutal incident, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul quoted a Jammu and Kashmir police officer as telling him that there was a “J&K Police Guard at their residence but as soon as the minority Hindu brothers went to their Apple Orchard, the Islamist terrorists attacked them. One killed on the spot, other injured. Forces rushed to the spot.”

Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, and numerous other political figures denounced yet another targeted attack on Kashmiri Hindus. “Pained beyond words on despicable terror attack on civilians in Shopian. My thoughts are with the family of Sunil Kumar. Praying for speedy recovery of injured. The attack deserves strongest condemnation from everyone. Terrorists responsible for barbaric act will not be spared,” tweeted Sinha.

Such targeted attacks on Kashmiri Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir have been on the rise in recent times. Two grenade attacks took place in Budgam and Srinagar districts on August 15, Monday, while a policeman was killed in Nowhatta on August 14, Sunday. Similarly, a migrant labourer was killed in Bandipora last week.

Prior to this, terrorists killed a young Kashmiri Pandit named Rahul Bhat at Chadoora in Budgam in May this year. In the incident that took place on May 12, two Islamic terrorists fired bullets at Rahul Bhat, who was a clerk in the Tehsildar’s office. Reportedly, the youth was working in his office in the Chadoora area, when the terrorists barged in and opened fire on him at point-blank range. Bhat sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital in Srinagar, where he died a little while later.

In June this year, OpIndia reported how the killing of civilians by terrorists in the valley suddenly peaked from October last year. There have been about 11 targeted killings of Hindus in the previous 36 weeks, with the number certain to rise if we include other non-local Hindus and Muslim government officials who have also been targeted in the valley recently.

The continuous attacks on Hindus have prompted fears of another exodus like the one in 1990.

Two policemen guarding polio vaccinators shot dead in Pakistan; the country remains one of the last hurdles to eradication of polio

OpIndia Staff
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Two policemen guarding polio vaccinators shot dead in Pakistan; the country remains one of the last hurdles to eradication of polio

Two policemen guarding polio vaccinators in North-West Pakistan were shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday, 16 August. The incident occurred in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering South Waziristan. The gunmen escaped after the incident, and police are busy combing the area to identify and arrest the culprits.

The two assailants, who came on a motorcycle, were hiding near a small water channel before opening fire on the guards from a very close range, the local police informed.

The team of two polio vaccinators emerged unharmed from the attack but this is yet another setback to the polio vaccination drive in the country. Pakistan remains one of the two countries in the world where polio is still classified as an endemic, neighbouring Afghanistan being the other one.

Polio vaccinators in Pakistan have to be accompanied by police officials owing to a threat to their lives from various terrorist groups headquartered in Pakistan. These terrorist groups have spread all kinds of rumours about the polio vaccines, from pig fat and alcohol content in vaccines to these vaccines causing sterilization.

Another reason why all the terrorist organisations based out of Pakistan look at vaccinators suspiciously is that the US intelligence agency CIA staged a fake vaccination campaign to get a confirmation of Osama bin Laden’s residence in Pakistan. These terror groups and their leaders don’t want to be the next ones to fall prey to a US strike.

Many polio workers and their security guards have been killed in Pakistan over the years by terrorists, making it difficult for the world to get rid of the disease. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where the disease still remains endemic.

With total eradication not achievable due to the resistance shown against the vaccine in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the disease has started reappearing in previously polio-free countries like the US and UK. The United States registered its first case of polio in almost a decade in July this year. While the UK detected the polio virus in sewage samples in June this year, leading to the urgent vaccination of about a million children in the area. Both US and UK get plenty of immigrants from Pakistan.

Norway: Walrus ‘Freya’ killed by authorities because ‘selfie-hungry’ people won’t stay away from it, wildlife experts outraged

OpIndia Staff
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Norway: Walrus ‘Freya’ killed by authorities because ‘selfie-hungry’ people won’t stay away from it, wildlife experts outraged

The hunger for selfies with a glorious marine animal resulted in horrific consequences as the authorities of Norway’s Shetland euthanized the gentle giant 600KG female walrus affectionately called ‘Freya.’ She was the centre of attraction at the Oslo Fjord for almost a month.

Frank Bakke-Jensen, head of Norway’s fisheries directorate, said, “The decision to euthanize was taken on the basis of a global evaluation of the persistent threat to human security.” In the name of “human security,” a completely harmless and beautiful animal was killed just because the Norwegian authorities failed to control the selfie-hungry crowd of tourists.

Frank further added, “We carefully examined all the possible solutions. We concluded that we could not guarantee the wellbeing of the animal by any of the means available.” Interestingly, Norwegian authorities concluded Freya could not be shifted to another place at the time when African nation Malawi successfully relocated 263 wild elephants and 431 additional wildlife to ensure their safety and the safety of people living around them.

Notably, the Norwegian officials had previously pointed out that they were considering euthanasia (a toned-down term for what appeared to be a well-thought murder of a glorious animal) as the public did not adhere to their repeated call to keep distance from Freya.

People refused to stay away from Freya. Source: Orangdre/Twitter

Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of beauty and love. The female walrus that was named after her has been making headlines since July 17, when she was spotted for the first time. Notably, walruses do not travel this far and are often found in the northerly latitudes of the Arctic.

Walruses, a protected species under the local laws, feed on invertebrates such as molluscs, shrimps, crabs, and small fish. It often sleeps for over 20 hours a day. During the four hours that Freya was awake, she was seen chasing ducks, swans, and other birds and animals. For most of the time, Freya was seen sleeping peacefully near the rocks.

Netizens condemned Norway’s decision to kill Freya

As soon as the reports of euthanizing Freya the walrus hit social media, netizens condemned Norway’s decision. Wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham said, “I’ve just heard. The Norwegians have killed ‘Freya’ the walrus. What is wrong with this world right now? Savages. I’m so depressed. We do everything we can to highlight the plight of the natural world and this. Savages. No better here – fox hunting, Geronimo.”

Science writer and author Josh Luke Davis said, “Yeah, so they euthanized Freya, the walrus that had been doing the rounds of the North and Baltic Sea. Apparently, as people kept trying to get too close to take photos, so here’s yet another PSA that getting close to wild animals costs them their lives.”

Political commentator Keith Olbermann said, “Humans at fault, so the animal has to die? Why not forcibly remove the humans? Or, if the humans were putting themselves at risk, let them. If you want to go into the water near Freya, sign a waiver. You get hurt, tough shit. Look around: our species is NOT “better” than hers.”

Phil Demers, also known as Walrus Whisperer, said, “RIP Freya, the walrus. She was euthanized today by the Directorate of Fisheries in Norway because she was perceived as a “continued threat to human safety.” The real threat, of course, proved to be the crowds – and now Freya is dead. Abhorrent and unforgivable. What a tragedy.”

Photographer Greg Sheard had clicked some beautiful photographs of Freya. He wrote, “Freya the Walrus who I photographed earlier this year in Northumberland, has been put down in Oslo, Norway. They deemed Freya a threat because people were getting too close to her. Freya was innocent in all this, the Norwegian authorities should have handled this better.” He added, “When she visited Northumberland, volunteers were ensuring people kept a very safe distance away from her. To get the shots I have, I have a long 600mm lens and a bit of cropping. Why couldn’t the Norwegian authorities do the same and make people keep a safe distance.”

Naturalist Dr Jacquenlyn Gill said, “This sad outcome could absolutely have been avoided if Norway officials had bothered to consult with wildlife experts. As negative human-wildlife interactions increase, we need to be teaching people how to interact safely and respectfully with wildlife.”

Animal advocate and actor Dan Richardson said, “Freya – named after the Norse goddess of beauty & love, but treated by humans with ugliness & indifference. The government of #Norway just killed her. They can add that to the mass whale slaughter they also endorse. Waste of oxygen, all of those involved.”

Journalist Tove Danovich said, “I’m still mad about Freya the walrus. There are so many easy things that could have been tried, and instead, we jumped to killing a wonderful animal who thought she’d found a nice spot to hang out in the sun.”

The authorities had warned the public to stay away from the marine animal for their own safety. However, the selfie-hungry people did not adhere to the instructions and often went too close, sometimes with children. Norway was not the only spot where Freya was seen. Earlier, she was sighted in the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark.

‘Naked, butchered bodies of Hindu women were hung at beef shops in Kolkata’: Direct Action Day survivor recalls the horror

OpIndia Staff
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‘Naked, butchered bodies of Hindu women were hung at beef shops in Kolkata’: Direct Action Day survivor recalls the horror

On the 16th of August, 1946, Mohammad Ali Jinnah gave a call to fellow Muslims across India for a “Direct Action Day” on the streets of Kolkata (then Calcutta). Many provocative speeches were made and this resulted in one of the worst massacres in history – the Calcutta Killings. Sword-wielding Islamists went on a killing spree and nearly 10,000 people were killed and up to 15,000 wounded in a span of 3 days.

Today on the 75th anniversary of horrific ‘Direct Action Day’ also known as the 1946 Calcutta Killings journalist Abhijit Majumder shared a series of videos wherein Rabindranath Dutta, a survivor of the Direct Action Day and the subsequent Noakhali Riots was seen recalled the brutality Islamists had inflicted on innocent Hindu women during those days.

In a video shared by the journalist, Rabindranath Dutta recalled the inexplicable violence and brutality that Islamists had unleashed, especially on Hindu women during the 1946 massacre that started with the announcement of ‘Direct Action Day’ by the Muslim League. He reminisced how Islamists hung the naked, butchered bodies of Hindu women from hooks at Kolkata’s Raja Bazar beef shops.

The 92-year-old Rabindranath Dutta, who claimed to have written a few books on ‘Direct Action Day’ is further heard saying in the video that a police official Rabihari Mujumdar (the name is a little unclear in the video) also confirmed to him that during the massacre, girls studying in Kolkata’s Victoria College were raped, killed and their bodies were tied to hostel windows.

He mentioned how all these details are chronicled in his books also. Dutta lamented how Bengalis have forgotten the atrocities inflicted on them during those days.

Journalist Abhijit Mujumdar further Tweeted how the 92-year-old survivor of the Noakhali riots, which was a direct result of Jinnah’s call to fellow Muslims across India for a “Direct Action Day” on the streets of Kolkata (then Calcutta), narrated how he stood watching heaps of slaughtered Hindu bodies with pools of blood around his heels during the 1946 Noakhali Riots.

Mujumdar quoted Dutta as saying that during the 1946 carnage, most Hindu women’s bodies had breasts missing, just black bite marks at those places and the genitals.

Direct Action Day and the Noakhali Riots

Calls for a separate Muslim nation were running high in Bengal in the early 1940s. It was on 16th August 1946 that Direct Action Day was started and it is no coincidence that the 16th of August was the 18th Day of Ramzan, a day when the prophet had launched the Jihad against the pagans of Mecca and massacred them in the bloody Battle of Badr proclaiming the victory over Heathens and Infidels.

In Noakhali, which was not much affected during the Calcutta killings, the violence started on 10 October 1946. These Noakhali riots were a series of semi-organized massacres, mass rapes, abductions and forced conversions of Hindus to Islam and looting and arson of Hindu properties perpetuated by the Muslim community in the districts of Noakhali in the Chittagong Division of Bengal (now Bangladesh).

The slaughter of Hindus began on October 10th, the day of the Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, and lasted for almost a week. It is estimated that 5,000 were killed and hundreds of Hindu women were brutally raped. Thousands of men and women from the Hindu community were forced to convert. The forcibly converted Hindus were coerced to give written declarations that they had converted to Islam of their own free will. 

What is shocking is that these Noakhali riots were orchestrated by some of the most powerful Muslim leaders who went on to hold the reigns of Pakistan. These include Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy who was the then Chief Minister of Bengal and went on to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. 

Did you know: Muslim League politician who fought for separate Pakistan was a speaker in Indian assembly the night Nehru delivered his “tryst with destiny” speech

OpIndia Staff
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Did you know: Muslim League politician who fought for separate Pakistan was a speaker in Indian assembly the night Nehru delivered his “tryst with destiny” speech

When it comes to our collective recollection of the proceedings of the Indian constituent assembly on the night intervening 14th and 15th August 1947, most of us can only remember that Jawahar Lal Nehru gave his famous “tryst with destiny” speech that night.

Despite all the PR highlighting that speech by Nehru from that night, it is a fact that there were 4 speakers that night heralding a new dawn for India, including one who fought for the division of India and the creation of a separate Pakistan.

After Sucheta Kriplani started the program by singing Vande Mataram, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first of the speakers. He addressed the nation first reminding the people of India about their duties in an independent country. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the president of the constituent assembly at the time. Following Dr. Prasad was Nehru, the man becoming the first Prime Minister of India, and gave his ‘tryst with destiny’ speech.

However, the really interesting speaker was the one who spoke after Nehru, Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman, a Muslim League politician who fought for the division of India, and the creation of a separate Pakistan. Khaliquzzaman indeed moved to Pakistan in November 1947 after the partition where he became the first president of the Muslim League (Pakistan).

Khaliquzzaman was in fact the one to second the resolution moved by Nehru for all members of the Assembly to take an oath dedicating themselves in all humility to the service of India and her people.

Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman was apparently chosen to be the voice of Muslims in the constituent assembly since the other speakers, Prasad and Nehru before him, and Dr. S Radhakrishnan who spoke after him, were all Hindus.

Interestingly, Congress had several Muslim leaders at the time who stayed with India even after the partition but none of them was found suitable to be the voice of Muslims in the assembly. Khaliquzzaman was apparently on good terms with Nehru and other Congress leaders of the time so he was chosen as the voice of Indian Muslims despite fighting for a separate Pakistan from India.

Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman was initially associated with Congress, however, when the party didn’t appoint Muslims like him to office after sweeping United Provinces elections, he grew disillusioned with the party, joined Muslim League, and started his support for a separate Pakistan.

Khaliquzzaman was born in Chunar, a town in United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh), and was one of the most prominent Muslim League leaders on either side of the partition. He stayed behind initially at the time of partition, addressed the Indian constituent assembly, and eventually made his way to Pakistan in November 1947. In Pakistan, he became the first ever president of the Muslim League (Pakistan), later becoming governor of East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) before moving on to become ambassador to Indonesia and the Philippines.

Khaliquzzaman eventually died in Pakistan in 1973. In 1990, the Pakistani Post office issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honour under its ‘Pioneers of Freedom’ series.

‘Hindus killed for being Hindus’ series: 75 and still counting…here is a never-ending list of Hindus killed and brutalised in independent India

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hindus killed for being Hindus’ series: 75 and still counting…here is a never-ending list of Hindus killed and brutalised in independent India

This year, the independence we gained after India’s partition in the name of religion turned 75 years old. However, the threats posed by evangelical faiths, most prominently the virulent strain of Islam known as Islamism, are far from over. Being a Hindu and asserting one’s Hindu roots results in tragically devastating consequences, often resulting in one’s death. And there have been more than 75 Hindus who have endured the grim fate. 

For years, the media has worked tirelessly to depict Muslims as largely the victims and Hindus as overwhelmingly the offenders, establishing a false notion among minorities that they are being attacked by ‘fascist’ Hindus with active state cooperation. The grim fact is that Hindus have been disproportionately targeted by hate crimes in India. Hindus have been brutally killed and lynched for speaking out, in riots, especially by Islamists, and in other cases, simply for being Hindus.

They have the ability to attack at any time of day or night. They may enter shops and businesses disguised as customers and conveniently leave after stabbing or beheading the Hindu victim. They sometimes appear disguised in saffron and depart after ruthlessly attacking with sharp weapons. These perpetrators remain disturbingly undisturbed by radical Islam. They sometimes silently wait for their victim, whom they ambush and nonchalantly kill before walking away unfazed. No one is safe, neither sages, saints, nor ordinary Hindus. Neither house nor ashramas.

In the Kandhamal district of Odisha, a well-known and highly respected Hindu Sadhu named Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was brutally murdered by armed Naxalites and some Christian fanatics in 2008. The tribal-dominated Kandhamal district has long been the hotbed of forced conversions by evangelical organisations. Christian missionaries have been constantly targeting Hindu Sadhus working on the ground to prevent their rampant conversion efforts, with explicit help from Maoists.

Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, an 82-year-old cow-lover Sanyasi who had dedicated his life to the service of the Adivasis in the area, was murdered along with 4 of his associates in the Jalespata Ashram on the day of Janmashtami in 2008, while the Ashram’s devotees were getting ready for the festivities. His body was riddled with bullets and his dead body was brutalised further with sharp weapons by the murderers. The incident had sparked communal riots in the Kandhamal district, where tribal Hindus and Christians clash regularly, with the Naxalites supporting the Christians.

Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was a Hindu saint. For once we could assume that his love for his religion and habit of chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, considered a ‘war cry’ by petty Bollywood nerds like Anurag Kashyap and Islamists like Muhammad Zubair, might have triggered the Islamists, but what about Sarbananda Kaul, one of the most secular individuals who used to keep ‘Quran’ with him, yet Islamists murdered him along with his son and hanged him from a tree.

Sarbananda Kaul ‘Premi’ was also a well-known Kashmiri poet, freedom fighter and a famous scholar. He was known for his secular values. Premi wrote in Kashmiri, Urdu, and Hindi. His grasp on Persian was as strong as his hold on Sanskrit. He used to keep a copy of the Quran in his house of worship.

On the evening of 29–30 April 1990, three masked Islamic terrorists entered his home and kidnapped him and his younger son, Virendra Koul. The dead bodies of the father-son duo were found hanging on a tree on 1 May 1990. The Islamists had brutally scrapped off his forehead skin since Kaul regularly applied tilak.

Sarbananda Kaul was elderly. He was past his prime, but what about the ten children who were burnt alive on the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002?

Twenty years ago, on February 27 2002, an enraged Muslim mob burnt 59 innocent Hindus, including women and children, to avenge the demolition of Mughal-era Babri Masjid Ayodhya. A group of Hindus travelling from Ayodhya in Sabarmati Express were mercilessly burnt alive inside the train by a riotous Muslim mob. The raging mob of over 2,000 people had killed the innocent Hindus for the simple reason that they had visited Ayodhya to perform karseva for the Ram Mandir.

In the more recent incidents,  Chandan Gupta was killed in a communal clash that erupted over a flag march in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, taken out on Republic Day in the year 2018.

Prashant Poojary (29) a flower merchant was brutally murdered in broad daylight by six men atop two motorcycles who attacked him with sharp weapons at a market in Moodbidri when he was selling flowers as usual. Poojary, believed to be involved with the Bajrang Dal, was actively involved in stopping illegal cow slaughter and transportation.

A 50-year-old newspaper hawker Mannulal Vaishnav was hacked to death by his customer Rafique Khan with an axe in the Kho Nagoriyan area in Jaipur in 2019, after the former urged the latter to clear his long pending dues.

Similarly, a 27-year-old Hindu youth Kishan Bharwad was killed by Islamists on 25th January 2022, merely for being a Hindu. Kishan Bharwad hailed from Dhandhuka in Ahmedabad. He was killed in the morning when he was passing by the Modhwada locality on a two-wheeler. Like other killings by Islamists, the reason behind his murder was that the Muslims claimed he had hurt their religious sentiments and committed “blasphemy”.

Many more Hindus, like Harsha, Umesh Kolhe, Kanhaiyalal, and Praveen Nettaru, have lately become victims of Islamic intolerance. This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg. In actuality, there is a long list of people in independent India who were murdered solely for being Hindus. All of these Hindus were attempting to bring the Hindu society together. They were assisting anyone who desired ‘gharwapsi’ (revert to Hinduism from Islam or Christianity of their own volition) or for simply wearing their identity on their sleeves. Many of them were selflessly working towards cow protection. None of them deserved to die, yet they were hacked to death just because they were Hindus.

Kala Devi, 70, was murdered while lighting a lamp at home to symbolise support for India’s fight against the global corona pandemic.

M Lavanya, a 12th-grade student, was told that if she wanted to study, she should convert to Christianity or clean the toilet. She couldn’t bear the pressure and committed suicide. Some were killed as a result of love jihad, while others were killed as they were considered a threat to Islam.

As India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence, we present 75 names from independent India who were murdered only because they were Hindus:

  1. Praveen Nettaru
  2. Kanhaiya Lal
  3. Umesh Kohle
  4. Harsha
  5. Kishan Bharwad
  6. Rupesh Pandya
  7. Neeraj Ram Prajapati
  8. Mukesh Soni
  9. Kamlesh Tiwari
  10. Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati 
  11. V Ramalingam
  12. Dhruv Tyagi
  13. Palghar lynching- Kapilgiri Maharaj, Sushilgiri Maharaj and Nilesh Telgade 
  14. Gaurav-Sachin
  15. Prashant Pujari
  16. Sanjay Kumar
  17. Ankit Saxena
  18. Ratan Lal
  19. Ankit Sharma
  20. Gangaram Singh Chauhan
  21. Bharat Yadav
  22. Vishnu Goswami
  23. Subodh Singh
  24. Avinash Saxena
  25. Amit Gautam
  26. Chandan Gupta
  27. Ravinder Kumar
  28. Riya Gautam
  29. Yogesh Kumar
  30. Pankaj Narang
  31. Kala Devi
  32. Mithun Thakur
  33. Ravi Nimbargi
  34. Revati Singh
  35. Rajesh Kumar
  36. Nikita Tomar
  37. Dr. Sanjay Singh
  38. Rinku Sharma
  39. Sunny Sinha
  40. Rahul Rajput
  41. Rahul Solanki
  42. Shambhulal
  43. Bharat Vaishnav
  44. Ranjit Bachchan
  45. Priya-Kashish
  46. Nagaraju
  47. Dilbar Negi
  48. Hrithik Adarsh
  49. BK Ganju
  50. Sarvanand Kaul
  51. Vinod Kumar
  52. Tikalal Taplu
  53. Sadhu Saravanan
  54. Ajay Pandita
  55. Satish Bhandari
  56. Makhan Lal Bindru
  57. Girija Tikku
  58. Satinder Kaur
  59. Deepak Chand
  60. Hiralal Gujarati
  61. Rameshwar Ankush
  62. Alok Tiwari
  63. Prem singh
  64. Dinesh
  65. Veerbhan
  66. Bina Jha
  67. Karsevaks returning from Ayodhya in Sabarmati Express
  68. Krishna Razdan
  69. PN Kaul
  70. Neelkanth Ganju
  71. Rajni Bala
  72. Satish Kumar Tiku
  73. Ekta Deshwal
  74. Kanti Prasad
  75. Santola Devi

Such names and incidents cannot be summed up in 75 columns. This is a never-ending list with no end in sight. A new name is added to the list whenever the date changes. OpIndia has gone out to the relatives of several of the people on the list this year of Amrit Mahotsav. We’ll bring them to you one at a time.

We had not forgotten and will not forget these Hindus. You will be reminded of these as long as this threat exists. So long as you’re a kafir. So that you are aware of the perils of Islamism and evangelical Christianity.

‘It is our government now’: Goons in Bihar’s Sheikhpura go on a rampage, beat up shopkeepers for no reason

OpIndia Staff
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‘It is our government now’: Goons in Bihar’s Sheikhpura go on a rampage, beat up shopkeepers for no reason

Hours before the swearing-in of ministers of a new government in Bihar, miscreants went on a rampage in the Barbigha Police Station area of Sheikhpura district. The incident took place on the night of August 15. They not only broke goods at shops but also beat up the shopkeepers for no apparent reason.

As per reports, they thrashed at least a dozen shopkeepers. The eyewitnesses stated that the miscreants were saying that now the government has changed and their leaders would rule the state.

Following the incident, the angry shopkeepers blocked the Barbigha-Sarmera road for over three hours. The Police were informed about the incident and reached the spot and pacified the situation after persuading the shopkeepers.

Local shopkeeper Chandan Kumar said he and other shopkeepers were at their shops at Arjun Talkies Cinema Hall Chowk, which is located a short distance from Police Station. On Monday Night, Chandi Yadav, a resident of the nursery colony, came with his associates. They were carrying sticks and rods. As soon as they reached the market, they started creating a ruckus and vandalized goods kept at the shops.

Soon, without saying anything, they started beating the shopkeepers. The victims alleged that the attackers were saying that the government had changed. It is their rule now, and the shopkeepers could go where they wanted to go.

During the incident, those who were passing by the market were also beaten up by the miscreants. The victims alleged that the Police reached very late. The Police have arrested a youth identified as Sonu Kumar following multiple raids. Kumar was in a drunk state when the Police arrested him. The SHO said no FIR had been registered so far in the matter.

It is notable that since the JD(U) and BJP parted ways in Bihar and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar joined hands with RJD to form the government, there have been multiple criminal incidents reported, including the murder of a journalist.

As calls to boycott Laal Singh Chaddha taste success, here is how we need to learn from the global Left going forward

Ganesh R
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As calls to boycott Laal Singh Chaddha taste success, here is how we need to learn from the global Left going forward

As I write this, the concerted efforts by some activist Hindus to boycott Amir Khan’s copycat movie Lal Singh Chaddha appear to be successful. One hopes the main objectives behind the boycott are realised. 

But then, what exactly are the objectives?

This is extremely important – without a laser-like focus on objectives, we are just flapping about like a caged bird without any result. As we try to bring the Cheetah from Africa to revive its population in India, let us recall the beauty and grace of its run – not a wasted movement or moment.

To be focused on objectives, we must first know what those objectives are. Easy as it sounds, it often becomes blurred in the excitement of action. To a point where the actions even become counterproductive.

To me, objectives are very clear – send a message that gratuitous Hinduphobia has costs. Nothing  less and more importantly, nothing more.

As I have pointed out in other articles, today Hinduphobia not just has zero costs, it has enormous rewards. The easiest way one can achieve instant fame, recognition and rewards are to drop some anti-Hindu remark. It can be cleverly camouflaged as rationalism or pro-subaltern or pro-environment. Or it can even be left out there naked and direct like some of our ‘fact-checker’ Zubair’s tweets and FB posts (since deleted) were. Either way, it is a ticket to rewards and benefits.

Be it donations to your NGOs and fundraisers from overseas evangelist lobbies, a slice of George Soros’ billions set aside for regime change, OpEd chances in woke liberal magazines of the West, rewards and titles from the left ecosystem, lucrative academic gigs in American and European universities, Magsaysay awards, Booker prizes, Pulitzers perhaps one day even a Nobel – there are myriad ways one can cash covert or overt Hindupbobia especially if packaged well. 

To turn this situation 180 degrees is not going to be easy at all. LSC boycott is but a tiny step in that direction. The path is long and arduous.

But to achieve the main objective, sometimes one must pause, take stock, and sometimes even walk back a few steps. 

Why do I say this? It goes back to the objectives – end gratuitous Hinduphobia. 

Hindu activists have essentially copied the left’s patented tactic of boycott and de-platforming. They must learn to copy the carrot and stick approach of the global jihadi left in such matters as well. As ruthless and strict as their ‘punishment’ for violating the party line is, their reward systems are that much more attractive and provide a powerful incentive to toe the line. 

Hindus do not have the financial muscle to offer rewards even for simply refraining from anti-Hindu hate on the scale that can be offered for Hinduphobia. Frankly, despite eight years in power, the BJP government’s track record has been pathetic in this. On the contrary, in fruitless efforts to curry favour with the Stalinist left, their media and intellectual warriors are often provided platforms by Modi’s government, sometimes causing uproar and reversal as happened with a notorious fringe left American-Indian “journalist”. 

But in our own small way, we can try to tip the scales. This means that in addition to danda, we must have recourse to ‘saam’ and ‘daam’ as well. And a bit of ‘bhed’ thrown in. How?

We must be willing to offer a path out for those engaging in gratuitous Hinduphobia under certain qualifying circumstances. 

I know this sounds a bit oxymoronic but the fact is we cannot deal with each case of ‘hate’ exactly the same as others. All are not necessarily driven by deep-seated hatred towards our faith. Not everyone is a committed soldier in the Stalinist left’s pogrom on Hinduism. Not everyone has a quota or target to harvest a certain number of souls. And not everyone is a jihadi that believes in Ghazwa-e-hind.

Many are in it because it costs nothing to be in the good books of the woke left. 

Many, that are just starting out in the business of anti-Hindu hate will quietly abandon it when they know the costs and more importantly when they know it is also possible to win back the support of the Hindus and their dollars. If they believe nothing they do in repentance, genuine or otherwise, will ever make a difference, they are more likely to harden positions, like a cornered animal. As with a bear you encounter in the wild, offering a way out is often the best recourse.

Whether Amir Khan’s halfhearted apologies and regrets qualify for such a liberal approach toward his future endeavours is not for me to say. We must watch his track record carefully.

But just the fact that costs are imposed but rewards are also on the table causes a change in behaviour. Check out the recent track record of our Yugpurush and compare it with his past anti-Hindu soundbites.

And that is precisely what we want. Nothing more.

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