NDTV on Tuesday, in an official communication, claimed that a notice was served upon the media house and its promoters, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy by Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited (VCPL) stating that it (VCPL) has acquired control of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPRH).
VCPL owns 29.18% of equity in NDTV and asked to transfer all equity shares within two days. The right was exercised based on the loan agreement NDTV founders got into VPCL in 2009-10. However, NDTV has claimed that they were not informed about such exercise of rights.
With this, Adani group also said it will launch and open offer to buy another 26% shares from market, making it majority shareholder if the offer comes through.
What is hostile takeover
The term hostile takeover largely means when one company acquires another company against the wishes of the company getting acquired. It may happen when the acquiring company buys shares directly from shareholders of target company. In this case, the Roys have stated that they were not consulted before Adani Group made the open offer to buy shares to form majority stake after loan or other convertible debt instrument is converted into equity. Many times, companies offer ‘convertible debt instrument’ in which after certain stipulated time, the debt instrument can be converted into equity of the lender company. This is a very standard and legal procedure as prescribed in the corporate laws of India.
Here is how Adani made a bid for hostile takeover of NDTV
Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited (VPCL), is company incorporated in 2008. In 2009, it offered unsecured loan to NDTV’s holding company, Radhika Roy Prannoy Roy Holding Private Limited (RRPRH) worth Rs 403.85 crore. RRPRH held 29% equity in NDTV.
VCPL, in same year, had received unsecured loan from Shinano Retail Private Limited, which had obtained money from Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited, a part of Reliance Group. Shinano Retail was a fully owned subsidiary of Reliance Group. Since these documents are publicly available, NDTV was aware that it was obtaining unsecured loan from an entity that was linked to Reliance group. For its part, VCPL was owned by Shinano Retail and Teesta Retail Private Limited, another fully owned subsidiary of Reliance Group.
Note: Here is an unrelated article from 2016 on NDTV wherein it mentions how Teesta Retail is a fully owned subsidiary of Reliance Group. This is shared here to bust certain media propaganda that tries to cast aspersions on how NDTV was unaware. All the details of companies, ownership, shareholding pattern – they are all public documents and one would assume the Roys are not of unsound mind to not carry out due diligence before obtaining unsecured loans in crores from such entities.
Coming back. VCPL’s directors back then were also Reliance Group’s senior executives, so it was quite clear about the ownership of the company that had loaned over Rs 400 crore to NDTV.
In 2012, VCPL’s ownership changed and it was acquired by Nextwave Televenture Private Limited and Skyblue Buildwell Private Limited. These companies were linked to a senior executive, Mahindra Nahata, of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, another subsidiary of RIL. Nahata, who also owned Eminent Networks Private Limited, took over ownership of loan that VCPL owed to Shinano. Nahata invested Rs 50 crore in this. Again – all these transactions are in public domain and legal and very standard business practice.
VCPL transferred Rs 50 crore to Shinano and cleared the loan debt it owed. On Tuesday, Adani group took over VCPL, which had given Rs 403 crore loan to NDTV from Nextwave Televenture. NDTV had never returned the loan it took from VCPL. The loan came with terms and conditions that VCPL can convert 99.9% of its loan into equity “at any time during the tenure of the loan or thereafter without requiring any further act or deed on the part of the lender”.
Essentially, VCPL never needed the Roys’ permission to convert the loan into equity. The Roys knew that their stake in NDTV was diluted as back as 2009-2010 when they took unsecured loan convertible into equity from companies with links with Reliance Group. The Roys have to allot 99.5% of their equity shares to Adani owned VCPL through its arm AMG Media Network. After that, AMG Media Network will own 29.18% of equity in NDTV. Since it will own over 25% of equity in NDTV, AMG Media Network has announced open offer to acquire 26% of stake so as to become majority shareholder.
Adani has offered Rs 294 per share, i.e. little less than Rs 500 crore for 26% equity from open market. The Roys together still own about 32% stake in NDTV. But if the Adani deal comes through and Adani gets 55% ownership, it does have the right to make changes in the management and take control from the Roys. The only way the Roys can gain back control is buying more shares from open market and increasing their stake.
Interestingly, in May this year, Adani group’s AMG Media Network bought 49% equity in Raghav Bahl’s Quintillion Business Media Private Limited, the company that runs online website ‘The Quint’, which quite often humanises terrorists and gives context to rape accused.
While certain media houses, along with NDTV, are crying foul and going ‘haaye Modi’, the fact is that the rumours of Adani taking over NDTV have been making rounds since last year. In September 2021, NDTV’s shares hit the upper circuit on BSE after a daylong rumour that Adani was taking over NDTV. NDTV and Adani had both refuted the rumours. Analysts have believed that one of the major reasons for NDTV share prices to have rallied in past few months are because of the rumours of Adani taking over the media house.
On August 24, 2021, NDTV shares on the BSE were trading at Rs 78.65. The open offer came on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. On August 22, 2022, NDTV shares on the BSE were trading at Rs 356.9. Looking at NDTV stock’s movement from January till yesterday (up 227%) coupled with rumours of Adani taking over making rounds since over a year, everyone knew this was coming.
Year long stock movement of NDTV Ltd on BSE
In absence of any pathbreaking profit and allegations of insider trading on the Roys, which show they weren’t quite novices when it comes to stock trading, and bankruptcy looming over their heads as per auditor’s report as latest as 2019, one wonders what else could be the reason for such rallying of share price.
Meanwhile, we wait and see how the things unfold over next few days.
Today, let us remind you of an old incident. A special reminder is needed because we are Hindus and we tend to forget too much. Palghar incident from April 16, 2020, is still fresh in our mind, the way the missionary inspired mob killed 2 sadhus and their driver in Maharashtra. However, there was a similar incident that happened in Kandhamal, Odisha on August 23, 2008 that everyone seems to have forgotten. The incident involves the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his 4 disciples. Swami Ji’s body was cut with an axe 15 years ago on the day of Janmashtami.
The witnesses to this massacre were 130 girls, who were studying in ‘Kanya Ashram’ of Tumudibandh, and had come there on the occasion of Janmashtami. A young boy was also among the dead. The killers had AK-47 rifles, many assailants were also equipped with indigenous kattas. Most of the Maoists whose names surfaced in this massacre were Christians. Many people even described these arrests as ‘cover-ups’ because instead of Christian missionaries, the conversion gangs were protected by calling the massacre only the handiwork of Maoists.
Killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati: ‘Clean chit’ given to Christian missionaries under the guise of Maoists
It is no secret that Christian missionaries generally target poor and backward areas. The poor people are shown miracles in the name of cures from diseases, they are lured with food and money, and hatred for Hindus is instilled in them by holding Hindu gods and goddesses responsible for their plight. In this way, the missionaries are successful in getting the people of backward regions converted to Christianity. This has been going on for years and is not a recent phenomenon.
The same Christian missionaries were behind the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the result of the same Hindu hatred spread by them. Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda had claimed responsibility for the killing. This can give you an idea of how much Christian missionaries have infiltrated even the Maoist organizations that have shed people’s blood for years. Then you have people like Father Stan ‘Swami’ who were in jail in the case of Bhima-Koregaon violence in Maharashtra. After the Kandhamal massacre, Panda even said that he would kill LK Advani, Ashok Singhal, and Praveen Togadia.
Remember that these three used to be the firebrand leaders of Hindutva back then. After this statement of the Maoist leader, the liberal gang got an excuse to cover up the Christian missionaries’ role by saying that this is the work of Maoists, and Maoists are Hindus. However, no one talks about the penetration of Christian missionaries into Maoists. Today the situation has become such that in many areas it has become difficult to differentiate between Hindus (Dalits/Tribal people) and Christians, because even after conversion, they remain the same as they were before. Only one new thing is added – Hindu hatred.
Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati had close ties with the RSS and was associated with the ‘Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)’. He had been spreading awareness about Hinduism among the tribal society for 35 years by setting up an ashram in Chakapad. He had also opened ‘Gurukul Sanskriti Vidyalaya’, through which education was provided till graduation. He was vocal about Christian conversions and this was not liked by the missionaries. Swami was becoming an obstacle for them in the path of conversion in the area. Swamiji was also running a movement against cow slaughter.
2008 was the year when Maoist violence was at its peak in Odisha. 28 commandos of Special Security Force ‘Grey Hounds’ were ambushed by Maoists. Within a span of a few months, 17 police personnel were again killed in a landmine explosion. The following year, MP Sudama Marandi was also attacked, in the attack, three of his security personnel were killed. In the midst of all this violence, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was also killed.
Media ignored the murder of an old saint and his 4 disciples, the focus of the media was on defaming the Hindus
People who witnessed that period in 2008 know that the media did not give enough attention to this massacre. There was neither much concern about Christian conversions nor the influence of missionaries in the Maoist organisations. In the pre-social media days, the general public knew only what the journalists of a particular ideology used to tell them. And what was told after this massacre? That Hindus have persecuted Christians.
So, the initial massacre of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his 4 followers was not given priority in the news, but when Hindus protested, the nature of the protests became an issue. The massacre itself was forgotten by describing the Hindu protests as violent. ‘Journalists’ compared the protests to the riots in Gujarat after the Godhra massacre. Even today the incident of burning alive 59 Ram Bhakts, including women and children in Godhra, is not talked about and the culprits behind it, but the Hindus are definitely blamed for the riots that followed.
Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati also belonged to the forest dwellers of Odisha. He belonged to the Kanda Vanvasi society, which is considered very powerful. After penance on the Himalayas, he had come back for the betterment of society. When Sangh Pracharak Shyam ji went to his ashram, he saw how many struggles he was undertaking for his work. There were not enough utensils for cooking, and there was no provision of adequate lanterns for lighting, due to which it was difficult to study at night.
At that time, both of them together took out the yatra of Lord Jagannath in the villages and helped turn the tribal society back to its roots. Due to the revival of faith in Lord Jagannath, many converted Christians returned to Hinduism. Swamiji used to blow the conch shell and sprinkle holy water, which led to their formal return to Hinduism. Now you can understand how this renaissance led by Swamiji must have caused an uproar among Christian missionaries.
2008 में आज ही के दिन, इसाई मिशनरीज + वाम आतंक ने उडीसा के कंधमाल में वेदांत केसरी स्वामी #लक्ष्मणानंद सरस्वती की उनके आश्रम मे घुसकर नृशंस हत्या की थी,#SwamyLakshmananandaJi यह उन पर प्राणघातक 9वां हमला था, विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि ?? व पुण्य स्मरण, धर्म की जय हो अधर्म का नाश हो pic.twitter.com/sptNFzJjgV
This is the reason why the Vanvasi society became furious after the murder of Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati and was filled with resentment towards those who had converted to Christianity. This was followed by protests and violence, during which the media forgot about the murder of Swamiji, and focused on blaming the Hindus. We did not get to know the details about the massacre of a social worker over 80 years of age and his 4 disciples, the way we could get to know in Palghar.
Congress-BJD MPs were accused of attacking Swamiji, but no action on anyone was taken after arrest of the Maoists
A group of about 30 people had come to kill Swamiji and all of them had covered their faces. Swamiji started running the ashram only a year after his return from the Himalayas in 1966. It is also worth knowing that when he was killed, 70% of the district committee of Maoists were Christians. However, this was not the first incident when he was attacked. On Christmas day in 2007, Christians in Brahmanigaon started putting up their gate in front of the temple.
Hindus were enraged by this and in the subsequent conflict, 5 people died on both sides. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who reached the spot, was also attacked. Before his murder, there had been 8 murder attempts on him. Despite 8 attacks, the local police and administration were not serious about his safety. When he was murdered, his bodyguard was on leave and 4 constables engaged in his security had gone to the market. Those constables did not even have any weapons. Swamiji was gunned down with bullets, then his body was cut up using an axe.
Leaders of BJD and Congress were also involved in the attacks on him in the past. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Radhakant Naik was named in the attacks on him, who happened to be linked to a Christian organization called ‘World Vision’. When Swamiji was travelling by bus once, a Christian Lok Sabha MP from BJD blocked his way and attacked him. A week before the murder, he had filed an FIR over a death threat he had received. After his murder, the local SP and the station in-charge were suspended and the government action concluded with those suspensions.
A Christian missionary was murdered in Odisha in 1999, Bollywood even made a film about it
Even when Hindu saints are killed, Hindus are blamed by the media by highlighting the reactions from the protests that followed, but this is not the case with other religions. To see these double standards, we have to go back to 1999, when a Christian missionary named Graham Staines and his two children were murdered. The unfortunate incident got a lot of media coverage and Hindus were made the villains of the piece. Bollywood even made a film on this incident in 2019 called ‘The Least of These: The Graham Staines Story’.
Think, Bollywood made a film blaming Hindus for an incident in 1999, but for an incident that occurred 9 years later, there was not even a discussion. Graham Staines, who came from Australia, was active in Kendujhar district and was also accused of forceful conversion of Dalits and tribals. The UPA-1 government also conferred Padma Shri on his wife. In 2016, she also received an international award named after Mother Teresa.
What did Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati get in return for the work done by him for 4 and a half decades for the upliftment of the tribal society? Did the media remember his contribution even after the massacre or did the governments give him any respect? Graham Staines was even accused of proselytizing villagers by feeding them beef. Today you will find many articles in the media remembering Graham Staines, many books can be found on him, but nothing will be found about Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.
The Graham Staines murder case is also said to be a conspiracy to defame Hindus, as a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge DP Wadhwa had written in its report that the main accused was not associated with any organisation. But, the Minorities Commission denied this and blamed ‘Bajrang Dal’ in its own investigation. In the investigation of the judicial committee, it was also found that the work of Christian conversion was going on in the camp where the murder took place.
Today, the question arises how do Christian missionaries reach the Maoist areas where even the police are not able to go to the troubled areas? Think that places where Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati was not safe even on foot, how did Christian missionary Graham Staines roam fearlessly with his wife and children? Swamiji neither received Padma Shri, nor any international award nor any film on his murder will be ever made.
Communist-ruled China is amid an economic slowdown. With deflating property prices and Covid-19 lockdowns, the country is steering through a period of high unemployment and low growth.
This became evident in July this year when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) described its economic situation as ‘a worse-than-anticipated slowdown.’ It noted, “In China, further lockdowns and the deepening real estate crisis have led growth to be revised down by 1.1 percentage points, with major global spillovers.”
The international financial institution has projected a mere 3.3% growth in real GDP for the year 2022. Reportedly, this marks the slowest change in China’s economic output in the past 40 years (except 2020).
According to economist Raymond Yeung, unemployment has now hit an all-time high of 20% in Chinese cities. With decreasing consumption and prioritisation of essentials, the property market has taken a severe hit.
The situation has been exacerbated by drought, extreme heat, energy crunch and the country’s zero-Covid policy. On August 20, investment banks Nomura and Goldman Sachs further slashed China’s GDP forecast to 2.8% and 3% respectively from 3.3%.
Property crash in China
The property slump in China has been marked by a simultaneous decline in the production of cement and steel. Whiles speaking about the matter to The Guardian, climate expert Lauri Myllyvirta remarked, “Steel was recovering but is now falling again, which reflects the intense distress in the real estate sector. “
As per reports, over 50 million apartments are currently unoccupied in China. Unfinished housing projects and the inability of mortgage holders to make payments to the developers have added to the crisis.
According to S&P Global Ratings, about 40% of developers in China are in deep financial trouble. The latest case of Evergrande, defaulting on its debt payment of $US 300billion, exemplifies the situation.
% of unoccupied flats in various countries, image via SCMP/BRI
This is a matter of concern for a country where real estate forms 70% of the household wealth. Finance Professor at Peking University, Michael Pettis, highlighted that China’s property slump is the culmination of 30 years of unchecked rise in property prices.
“Property developers had historically depended on rising home prices and surging sales to justify massive leverage and overbuilding. But once the bubble began to deflate last year, these over-leveraged property developers ran into serious liquidity and credit constraints that made it impossible for them to complete their construction projects,” he said.
Pettis pointed out that real estate developers have not yet delivered 40% of flats they sold between 2013-2020 in advance. Although he ruled out a sharp economic contraction, the Finance Professor has predicted a prolonged period of low growth for China.
To boost growth and spending, the Chinese government has decided to lower interest rates and sell more bonds. Pettis is of the view that it will not yield results and households will avoid burdening themselves with more debt.
Banks inflating loan numbers
China is pressuring its banks to lend people money and pump credit into its economy. The coercive action has made Chinese banks boost loan volumes artificially, reported Bloomberg.
One of the tactics involved sanctioning loans to companies and then asking them to deposit the funds in the bank at the same interest. Another method employed by the State-owned banks was short-term financing to each other, which was then shown as a ‘new loan’ in record books.
This was confirmed to Bloomberg anonymously by executives, working at 6 different banks. With consumer demand at its lowest since 2007 and uncertainty at its peak, attempts at indiscriminate lending have not helped improve credit or stimulate loan growth.
This becomes evident from the case of a well-established electronics supplier in Zhejiang. According to Bloomberg, the company was offered loans by several banks at extremely low rates. Despite this, the firm refused to borrow any money.
“We’re not considering borrowing because our cash can fully cover our operations and modest growth. The Covid outbreaks and property downturn have had an impact on us,” the company’s CEO Albert stated.
According to Bloomberg, State-owned banks are also unwilling to lend to small businesses due to a lack of collateral and valid credit records. One electric vehicle component maker in Anhui told the news organisation that the firm received only 60% of the sanctioned loans due to low debt repayment ability.
Chinese banks, which are already under pressure due to the economic slowdown, also face the risk of non-performing loans. An estimated 30% of all loans are in the property sector and banks can face $356 billion in mortgage losses if borrowers continue to threaten a boycott.
As such, banks are squeezed between an over-demanding Chinese government on one side and risk management challenges on the other. “The pressure on non-performing loans to rebound increased as the downward pressure on the economy was gradually felt by the financial sector,” remarked CBIRC official Liu Zhongrui.
Rising unemployment in China
Amidst an economic slowdown, China is faced with a unemployment crisis. According to the country’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, unemployment outlays increased to $US 5.45 billion in June this year.
The figure is 3.6 times higher than the monthly payout by China’s unemployment insurance system for June 2021. There was also a 20% increase in beneficiaries, leading to a deficit of 22.7 billion Yuan. Reportedly, it is the biggest shortfall since March 2020 when a deficit of 15.6 billion Yuan was recorded by the insurance system.
According to the Economics correspondent of The Guardian, Peter Hannam, about 1-in-5 people in Chinese cities between 16-24 is looking for work. With more people graduating, the competition for jobs has become cut-throat.
Among the gathering clouds over the Chinese economy is rising the jobless rate among young people. About 1-in-5 people in cities between 16-24 is looking for work. (Source: @ANZ_Research) pic.twitter.com/4H6BLaFfTL
The Chinese government is incentivising companies that keep workers on the payroll. Large corporations can now receive up to a 50% refund of their unemployment insurance contribution from last year. The same has been increased to 90% for small and mid-size companies.
Interestingly, the unemployment insurance fund has been on the decline since 2019, when the Sino-American trade war broke out. Economist Takamoto Suzuki told Nikkei Asia, “There’s a strong possibility that the unemployment insurance system will end up running a deficit for the full year in 2022.”
He concluded, “If the fund balance persistently continues to decrease, it will become more difficult to engage in programs that citizens will welcome, such as extending the duration of insurance benefits or expanding eligibility for payments.”
While our eyes are fixated on the economies of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, China’s slowing economy and its ramifications are what will probably dominate the Asian and the world headlines in the months to come.
On August 23, BJP leader T Raja was arrested by the Police for his comments on Prophet Muhammad. Earlier, influencer and former AIMIM social media head Syed Abdahu Kashaf led the ‘sar tan se juda’ slogans against Raja. While Raja was arrested for “hurting religious sentiments,” Kashaf is roaming free despite issuing and standing by the death threats against Raja.
Who is Syed Abdahu Kashaf?
Syed Abdahu Kashaf is a Jawaharlal Nehru University pass out and works as a Digital Content Creator at Crimson Media Company. As per his online profile, Kashaf has worked as AIMIM’s and its chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s social media head from 2012 to 2019.
Kashaf calls himself a political strategist and Social and Civil Rights Activist. The “young and energetic” political strategist was described as an “influencer” by several media houses after he issued death threats to BJP’s T Raja. Interestingly, the more people tagged him and condemned ‘sar tan se juda’ slogans, the more he gloated over the remarks and happily retweeted the posts that were against him.
The blunt and remorseless attitude does not originate on its own. Such attitude is shown by a person only when he or she is sure that no one can touch him. The recent incidents, including that of Nupur Sharma, where the former Spokesperson of BJP had to hide from public view over the remarks she passed during a debate, the murders that happened just because the victims supported Nupur Sharma, no strong action against the likes of Munawar Faruqui, Mohammed Zubair and the other panelist Rehmani who provoked Sharma, are a few reasons anti-social elements like Kashaf are boldly openly giving death threats. Even the past incidents such as Akbaruddin Owaisi getting acquitted by the court in the case over his provocative speech in which he urged to remove Police for 15 minutes have fueled such attitude.
Here are a few posts that we came across on Kashaf’s social media accounts.
On August 22, Kashaf gathered hundreds of Islamists following the alleged derogatory remarks by T Raja against Prophet Muhammad. During the protest, he gave ‘sar tan se juda’ slogans and provoked the Muslims against T Raja. The video of the speech that he gave has gone viral on social media platforms. He not only published the videos from his social media accounts but also retweeted those posts that shared the video of him raising ‘sar tan se juda slogans’ and condemning him. The blunt showcase of the ‘I don’t care’ attitude shows he knows no one is going to come after him.
Syed Abdahu Kashaf chants “Gustak E Rasool saw ki ek he saza sar tan sejuda.. “ openly and even shares it via his official twitter account and @hydcitypolice has arrested Raja but not Syed Kashaf what nonsense is this? #ArrestSyedKashaf
On August 20, he shared a photograph with controversial comedian Munawar Faruqui who used derogatory language against Bhagwan Ram and Mata Sita. Gloating over the meeting, he said, “Reminder: This is #Hyderabad, not Bhagyanagar! Outsiders and hate mongers have no place here. I welcome Munawar Faruqui to our city. Kudos to the organizers, Azhar Bhai and Nisar. Most importantly, thank you, Cyberabad Police Commissionerate CP Stephen Raveendra Sir IPS, for retaining the faith in Police.”
In July 2020, Syed happily informed his supporters that he was booked under Sections 153, 504 & 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code for using derogatory remarks against PM Modi and HM Shah.
In February 2020, he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, “When Modi get scared he hides behind the impotent”.
In January 2020, when anti-CAA protests were rising, Syed published misinformation that the central government was fanning anti-minority sentiments. Calling PM Modi a liar, he said, “PM Narendra Modi, you are a liar, you have divided the nation by introduction CAA bill your representatives are speaking Anti Minority language. Did u even condemn the killing of 25 Innocent people who were peacefully protesting under democratic rights. You are a blunder we hate u.”
In December 2019, he shared a very derogatory video of an old lady from Hyderabad who was clearly misinformed about CAA and NRC.
In March 2020, Syed left AIMIM as a political strategist and started his own company named Crimson Media Co 2021. As per the company’s profile, it helps clients in political strategy building and provides a series of services, including campaign designing, surveys, polls, and more.
If you look at the company’s blogs, it clearly paints the picture that the company is looking for anti-BJP and anti-Modi clients. His experience with a party like AIMIM and posts that are openly provoking Muslims are a clear sign of what one can expect from the campaigns Crimson would design for the client.
While the likes of Syed Abdahu Kashaf, Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair, alleged comedian Munawar Faruqui, controversial influencer Faizu and others walk freely even after provoking Muslims, insulting Hindus and indulging in anti-India activities, Hindus are either hiding (Nupur Sharma) to save their lives or have already died (Kanhaiya Lal, Umesh Kohle, Kamlesh Tiwari) while trying to stand for Dharma.
Supreme Court counsel and renowned author J Sai Deepak launched his second book of the Bharat Trilogy on Tuesday at a function in Delhi. The book, “India, Bharat and Pakistan was launched by Historian Meenakshi Jain and Author-Scientist Dr Anand Ranganathan. The book is the second in the trilogy that seeks to understand India’s history from a decolonial approach. It is published by Bloomsbury India.
Several eminent people from various disciplines of arts, science, culture, and history including author Sanjeev Sanyal, and Ami Gantara graced the event with their presence. During the event, TV panellist and moderator Anand Ranganathan lauded the author for noting the facts straight in his new release named ‘India, Bharat and Pakistan’. He said that the second book in the Bharat Trilogy series written by the author was remarkable and was as good as Dr BR Ambedkar’s book named ‘Pakistan or the Partition of India’ which is based on a similar topic and the one by author Venkat Dhulipala named ‘Creating a New Medina’.
Elaborating on the book, author J Sai Deepak said that his recent release talks about the formation of Pakistan well before the year 1940 when the theory of two nations was pronounced. “The theory was pronounced in 1937, and 1940 as mentioned in Dhulipala’s book as well. But the germ for the separate country had started to take root in 1740 at the very least”, he said further adding that the only common thing between his book and Dr BR Ambedkar’s book is that they both speak as lawyers through their publications.
He suggested that there was a pre-existing division in the former country of Bharat which was escalated by the British and the Islamist leaders like Syed Ahmed Khan and Jinnah during the 1940s. “The only question that I have posed through this book is did the duo (British and the Islamist leaders) consciously collaborate with each other to lead towards the partition? Was there a conscious handshake between the British mindset and the Islamist mindset”, he said. Meanwhile, author Dr Meenakshi Jain congratulated the author for the second book in his series Bharat Trilogy.
About India, Bharat and Pakistan
The second book in the Bharat Trilogy, India, Bharat, and Pakistan, continues the subject begun in the first book, India That Is Bharat. It investigates the combined impact of European and Middle Eastern coloniality on Bharat as the successor state to Indian culture, as well as the roots of the Indian Constitution.
Through that purpose, the book follows the intellectual continuity of Middle Eastern coloniality from the development of Islamic Revivalism in the 1740s after the collapse of the Mughal Empire, which foreshadowed the concept of Pakistan, to the conclusion of the Khilafat Movement in 1924, which solidified the route to Pakistan.
The book also exposes the convenient partnership that developed between supporters of Middle Eastern coloniality and the British colonial administration, which led to the destruction of Indian civilisation. This book’s objective is to help the reader see parallels between today’s problems and the challenges encountered by the Indic civilization from 1740 to 1924. The book’s overarching objective remains the same as the first: to inspire Bharatiyas to pursue a critical decolonial study of Bharat’s history, particularly in the context of the Constitution, so that religious adherence to the constitution is counterbalanced by a sense of proportion, perspective, and purpose.
The first book – India, That Is Bharat
The first book of the trilogy, India, That Is Bharat, looks into the effects of European ‘colonial consciousness’, particularly its religious and racial underpinnings, on Bharat as the successor state to the Indic civilization and the beginnings of the Indian Constitution. It establishes the groundwork for its sequels by spanning the time period between the Age of Discovery, as symbolised by Christopher Columbus’ journey in 1492, and the reformation of Bharat through a British-made constitution—the Government of India Act of 1919. This covers international developments that led to Western countries forming the League of Nations, which had a tangible influence on this voyage.
Furthermore, the book connects the roots of ostensibly universal concepts like tolerance, secularism, and humanism to Christian political theology. In order to advance their shared contempt for the Indic way of thinking, it also explores the concept of Middle Eastern coloniality, which precedes its European equivalent. Decoloniality is presented as a requirement for civilisation in nature, religion, culture, history, education, language, and, most importantly, constitutionalism in order to save Bharat’s inherent indigeneity.
About J Sai Deepak
J. Sai Deepak is a former engineer who now works as an arguing counsel, particularly before the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Delhi. Sai, a mechanical engineer from Anna University, earned a bachelor’s degree in law from IIT Kharagpur’s Law School in 2009 and has positioned himself as a civil, commercial, and constitutional attorney.
Sai has been involved in numerous important cases, including those involving the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the Basmati Geographical Indications, and the Indian Penal Code’s Marital Rape Exception. Sai received the Young Alumni Achiever’s Award from his home institution, IIT Kharagpur, in 2019. In addition to giving lectures on constitutional matters, he produces plenty of material for prestigious newspapers and periodicals.
Days after two imams were arrested in Goalpara districts for their alleged links with terror outfits, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday designed Standard Operating Procedure to ensure that imams and other people coming to madarsas from other states register their names on the government portal.
“We have made some SoP that if any imam comes to your village and you do not know him, immediately inform the Police Station, they will verify, only after that, they can stay. Our Muslim community of Assam is helping us in this work”, Sarma said on August 22. He added that those who are from Assam, do not need to register their names on the portal.
We’re also making a portal for Imam & other people who are coming to madrasa from outside the state. Those who are from Assam, do not need to register their names in that portal, people from outside will have to register their names in the portal: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma pic.twitter.com/te7HUS3785
According to the reports, the government portal is being created only for Imams and other people who are coming to madarsas from outside the state. Assam CM however failed to specify when the SOPs or portal will be introduced.
This comes days after the two imams named Abdus Subhan (43) and Jalaluddin Sheikh (49) were arrested by the Assam Police from Goalpara district. Several incriminating documents, phones, and SIM cards were also seized from their possession. According to the Police, the two were associated with the terror outfits named Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) which is based out of Bangladesh.
The Assam CM then revealed that one of the arrested terrorists was found to be a kingpin who, besides working as an imam, was involved in expanding the terror network. The same was confirmed by Goalpara SP VV Rakesh Reddy who added that the accused would provide logistic support to those further associated with the two terror groups. “They were also recruiting people for new ‘jihadi’ sleeper cells in Goalpara and were getting logistical support from AQIS and ABT,” Reddy was quoted.
Reportedly, Abdus Subhan worked as a cleric of Tinkonia Shantipur Masjid under Mornoi police station and Jalaluddin worked as a cleric of Tilapara Masjid under Matia police station.
Earlier this month, CM Sarma had stated that Assam had become a hub of jihadi operations and also cited the seizure of five jihadi modules with links to Al Qaida-affiliated terror organizations in Bangladesh in the previous four months. “According to intelligence inputs, at least six ABT members from Bangladesh entered India illegally between 2016 and 2017 to set up terror modules and sleeper cells by indoctrinating local youths about jihadi ideology. While one of them, who was working as an Arabic teacher as well as an imam in Barpeta district, has been arrested, the others are missing”, he had noted.
He further mentioned that the madarsas in Assam were becoming the hub of all kinds of jihadi activities. Without generalizing the statement he had said that all those arrested in the past had some or the other connection with the mosques. “These people were working as preachers in mosques as a cover job. They aimed to wage ‘jihad’ against India and establish the ‘Shariat’ law. Several training camps were set up by them, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. “They were trained in tradecraft, radicalization, indoctrination, gun training, and bomb-making,” he had said.
The state administration apparently closed down over 800 madarsas and transformed them into ordinary schools months ago. According to Sarma, Assam has around 1500 madrassas, and efforts are being made to guarantee that they are registered and that the identities of the professors are documented.
On August 23, 2022, academic Madhu Kishwar wrote an open letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to warn him about the direct/indirect links between radical Islamic organisations such as Darul Uloom Deoband, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and the most lethal global terrorist organisations.
Friends, Sharing my Open Letter to @myogiadityanath ji, regarding direct/indirect Terror Links of Deoband, Nadwa & AIMPLB.
Attaching documentary evidence against the Islamic organisations and their purported link with terror outfits like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and other jihadi terror groups based in Pakistan for referral, academic Madhu Kishwar urged Yogi to take strict action against these anti-social elements and enemies of India.
“We are bringing into the public domain some alarming facts about the intimate links of Darul Uloom, Deoband and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow with the most lethal global terrorist organizations, in addition to their leading role in mentoring the openly genocidal tanzeem called Taliban. This brief note builds a strong case for a thorough investigation into the functioning and role of Deoband and Nadwa in promoting jihadi terror within India as well as globally. And if the charges we are levelling are proven correct, then Darul Uloom, Deoband and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow deserve to be shut down and the publications as well as the literature produced by these sinister organisations ought to be banned,” read the letter Kishwar wrote to CM Yogi Adityanath.
Madhu Kishwar also provided a note that detailed the links of these Islamic outfits with dreaded terrorist organisations to attest to her claims. The note attached first spoke about the Islamic organisation Darul Uloom Deoband and its purported role in promoting jihad.
Beginning with a brief history of the Islamic seminary in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the note attached for Yogi Adityanath’s perusal went on to detail Darul Uloom Deoband’s proximity to the Taliban.
The proximity of Darul Uloom Deoband to the Taliban
According to the note, researchers from the Kabul Centre and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), Deoband have alleged that Darul Uloom Deoband is the Taliban’s ideological fountainhead, mentoring many virulent jihadis.
“Darul Uloom Deoband (is the) The Indian Ideological Source of the Taliban. The Taliban learned their interpretation of Islam while studying at Deobandi seminaries in Pakistan. Mullah Omar, for example, the leader of the Taliban, attended the Deobandi Darul Uloom Haqqania madrasa in Akora Khattak, in Peshawar, Pakistan. So many Taliban leaders were educated at this same school that its head cleric, Maulana Sami ul-Haq, has been called the father of the Taliban“, read the note attached to the letter addressed to Yogi Adityanath.
The note further elaborated on how the Darul Uloom Deoband had in March 2001, extended its unwavering support for the Talibanis when the latter went on to destroy the 1,500-year-old Buddhas of Bamyan. It added how the Islamic seminary’s principal Arshad Madani had also glorified the Taliban after they came to power in August 2021.
Further explaining how Deoband is the lead agency for global jihad, the note read, “From Peshawar to Chittagong, the Deobandi madrasa movement has spread its evil tentacles all over the Indian subcontinent and beyond. They are one of the leading players in preparing Muslims around the world for violence against non-Muslims as part of global jihad. Over the past few decades, there have been hundreds of reports about Deoband being a fertile ground for honing youngsters to unleash barbaric forms of Islamic terrorism. There are plentiful examples of how Deoband has been exporting terrorist ideologies and tanzeems.”
The activist, in her letter further mentioned how Sana-ul-Haq, better known as Maulana Asim Umar, the head of Al-Qaeda’s South Asia branch was a Deoband product.
‘Deoband is a regular Refuge for Terrorists on the Run‘, writes academician Madhu Kishwar
Quoting an excerpt from a 2017 Times of India report that read, “The revelation has been drawn from interrogation report prepared by anti-terrorist squad of UP Police, which arrested in the past 10 weeks four illegal Bangladeshi immigrants linked to Bangladesh-based terror modules. All four had taken refuge in Saharanpur and were staying in Deoband, the Islamic seat of learning which attracts Muslim scholars from different countries,” Madhu Kishwar further added how there have been countless instances of jihadis seeking refuge in Deoband after committing terrorist attacks.
Further expressing her concern about how the “Commie-Islamist Combine distorted our history and misled the people of India by painting Deobandis in the colours of nationalism”, Kishwar stated that Darul Uloom Deoband’s ideological bent can be gauged by the fact that it has never issued a fatwa against suicide bombings nor has it ever accepted the sanctity of international borders between countries.
“Well-known terrorist organizations targeting India from our neighboring countries are using precisely this principle of pan-Islamic/global Ummah to “bleed India to death through a 1000 cuts.” Ironically, terrorist tanzeems inspired by Deoband are not happy even with Pakistan on account of its pretense to be a nation state, albeit an Islamic one. This despite the fact that in effect Pakistan is only a launchpad for terrorist acts and spread of jihadi Islam,” the note read.
It added, “International media provide regular reports of daily clashes between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani border forces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border / Durand Line. According to experienced analysts, this is because the Afghan Taliban and their cross-border affiliate the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) envision Afghanistan and Pakistan as one land mass governed by Nizam-E-Mustafa (puritan Islamic Law) and are deadly against Pakistan’s aspiration to be counted as a modern day nation state with pretentious trappings of democracy.”
International Terrorist Organizations’ Links and Support for Deoband and Nadwa
The activist also attempted to draw Yogi’s attention to the link between international terrorist organisations and Darul Uloom, Deoband and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, as well as the support the former provides to the latter.
“Yogi Adityanath Ji, you have already taken unprecedented measures to keep an eye on Deoband by positioning security forces near this Islamic seminary. You would not have needed to do that if Deoband was just a scholastic institution. However, it is equally important to connect the dots from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to Uttar Pradesh,” the letter read.
Global terror outfit Al-Qaeda funded by Muslim World League: Madhu Kishwar
Madhu Kishwar here goes on to present facts to establish the link between the Muslim World League, a so-called international non-governmental Islamic organization based in the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia run by members of the Saudi Royal family and the slain global terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
Citing Matthew Epstein and Evan Kohlmann’s testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations: Progress Since 9/11: The Effectiveness of the United States’ Counter-Terrorist Financing Effort, Kishwar stated that in conversations with former senior Al-Qaida lieutenant Jamal Ahmed Al-Fadl in 1993, Usama Bin Laden identified three Muslim charities as the primary sources of Al-Qaida financial and fundraising activities: Muslim World League (MWL), Benevolence International Foundation (BIF), and Qatar Charitable Society (QCS).
“These three organizations served a critical role in the Arab-Afghan terrorist infrastructure by laundering money originating from bank accounts belonging to Bin Laden and his sympathetic patrons in the Arabian Gulf, providing employment and travel documents to Al- Qaida personnel worldwide, and helping “to move funds to areas where Al-Qaeda was carrying out operations,” read the letter.
Kishwar further went on to uncover the link between Maulana Arshad Madani, the current Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband and the Muslim World League.
The letter read how Maulana Arshad Madani, Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband, President of Jamiat Ulama I Hind, and Vice-President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, boasted on his official website about being named a member of the Muslim World League in 2012 when he was Professor of Hadith at Darul Uloom Deoband. At the time, the Muslim World League was designated as a “Terrorist Organization.” On June 6, 2012, a Deobandi website reported Maulana Arshad Madani’s appointment as a member of the Muslim World League.
“Thus, for over four years, Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband and President of Jamiat Ulama I Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani was a member of the Muslim World League, even though it was an internationally designated ‘Terrorist Organization’.
The Muslim World League is run under the patronage of the Saudi Royal family. In 2014, Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh openly visited Darul Uloom Deoband and pledged to work closely with Darul Uloom Deoband during a ceremony organized in the minister’s honor by Deoband students and faculty members,” the letter read.
Nadwatul Ulama’s connection with Muslim World League and ISIS
After establishing how the global terror outfit Al-Qaeda was funded by Muslim World League, Madhu Kishwar, in her letter to the Uttar Pradesh CM further elucidated the link between Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow with the Muslim World Link and ISIS.
“Deobandi website had also carried the news about Maulana Muhammad Rabey Nadwi, President of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow and Chairman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) having been appointed a member of the Muslim World League before 2012 (when it was an internationally designated ‘Terrorist Organization’).
Maulana Salman Hussaini Nadwi, nephew of Maulana Muhammad Rabey Nadwi and then Dean of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow had also written a letter congratulating ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi lauding him as a Caliph of Muslims after he made his speech in July 2014 at Mosul’s Great Mosque, declaring the creation of an Islamic State with himself as its Caliph,” she wrote.
Kishwar further talked about the sordid history of the notorious Deoband-based radical Islamic organisation Jamiat Ulema-e Hind and its connections with Al-Qaeda.
Notably, in June last year, the Deoband-based organisation had also deputed its lawyers to defend alleged Al-Qaeda terrorists in Uttar Pradesh. The organisation had declared that it would provide legal assistance to the two terror suspects.
Meanwhile, to prove her point, Kishwar cited the incident wherein during the violent protests against the hijab ban in colleges in Karnataka, the radical Islamic outfit Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind stoked a controversy by announcing a reward to a Burqa-wearing protestor, Bibi Muskan Khan, who shouted provocative “Allahu Akbar” slogans against a group of Hindu students.
By citing the aforementioned incident as an example, Kishwar said that in addition to its long-standing involvement in global terrorist organisations, Deoband never misses an opportunity to incite Muslims to defy India’s sovereignty and laws on flimsy grounds, whether it’s engineered protests against the CAA, farm laws, or school uniforms.
Kishwar further threw light on the financial connection of Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband and President of Jamiat Ulama I Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani with Pakistan-based terrorist organisation by sharing the FCRA record of his radical Islamic outfit Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.
A sample FCRA record of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind shared by Madhu Kishwar
She alleged that Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind and Sheikhul Hind Educational Charitable Trust have been receiving crores of rupees from foreign sources. “As per the FCRA records, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind UK Limited has been donating regularly to Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind and is also operating in Pakistan as per the records of the Charity Commission for England and Wales,” the letter further stated.
“It needs to be expeditiously investigated whether the activities and support of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and uncle-nephew duo Maulana Arshad Madani and Maulana Mehmood Madani are linked to wanted terrorists and terrorist organizations based in Pakistan,” the letter added.
“How can a country like India allow a hydra headed monsters like Darul Uloom Deoband and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Luckow to flourish on the soil of democratic India even though these organizations endorse the use of barbaric forms of violence to achieve their goals and have direct and indirect links with designated terrorist organizations in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the rest of the Islamic world. Firstly, these organizations engineered a bloody Partition of India in 1947. Instead of banning them after the genocidal Partition, the Indian state allowed these Break-Up India Mafia to set up countless mini-Pakistans on the soil of democratic and secular India.
The result is that Islamic outfits are openly declaring that they have plans to turn all of India into Dar-al-Islam (land where Islam rules) by 2047. We cannot remain a mute witness to this dangerous game being played at break-neck speed. Therefore, we request you to initiate an urgent inquiry into the activities of Darul Uloom Deoband and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Luckow and shut down these sinister institutions immediately in the interest of the security of Uttar Pradesh as well as India,” Madhu Kishwar concluded her letter by urging Yogi Aditynath to take immediate and decisive action against radical Islamic outfits that she claimed posed direct threats to India’s sovereignty.
Notably, prior to this, on July 27, academic Madhu Kishwar along with over 20 academicians wrote an open letterto Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring to his notice the ‘Jihadi Islamic course curriculum’ being followed by state-funded Islamic universities, including Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Hamdard University.
In the letter, the academicians said that the continuous attacks on the Hindu society, culture and civilization are a direct result of such a curriculum. They had included a detailed note on how anti-Indic and anti-national curriculum is openly taught to the students in Islamic universities.
The 14ACMM court on Tuesday ordered an immediate release of suspended BJP MLA T Raja Singh, hours after his arrest for allegedly committing blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.
The court returned the remand application for the suspended BJP MLA and ordered his immediate release.
Telangana | 14ACMM Court returns the remand application for suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh; orders that he be released forthwith.
On Tuesday, the Telangana Police registered an FIR against Raja Singh, BJP MLA from Goshamahal for his alleged blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad. Later, he was arrested. This move came after severe protests broke in Hyderabad last night at South Zone DCP office where protesters demanded immediate action against Singh and chanted ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’, an Islamist chant calling for his beheading for ‘blasphemy’ against Prophet Muhammad.
According to the reports, the BJP MLA had posted a comedy video on Monday in which the demonstrators claim that he used abusive language toward Prophet Muhammad. Multiple people filed a complaint against Singh and said that he had hurt the religious sentiments of the Islamists.
Later, Bharatiya Janata Party suspended T Raja Singh allegedly for his post on Prophet Muhammad. In the letter issued by the Central Disciplinary Committee, it was mentioned that Raja’s views were contrary to Party’s stand on various matters, and he violated Rule XXV 10(a) of the constitution of the Party that reads, “Breach of discipline includes acting or carrying on propaganda against any program or decision of the Party.”
Notably, former spokesperson of BJP Nupur Sharma was also suspended on similar grounds after a clip of her remarks on Prophet Muhammad during a debate went viral on social media. Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair had shared an incomplete video of Nupur Sharma’s debate on Times Now where she was defending her faith after a fellow co-panellist mocked the Shivling discovered at the Gyanvapi compound. The row escalated after Zubair and his supporters on Twitter sought help from the Muslim accounts from the Middle East, creating a diplomatic nightmare for the Indian missions in the Persian Gulf.
The Adani Group on August 23 announced that its media arm would purchase a 29.18 per cent stake in New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV), and make an open offer to acquire another 26 per cent of the shares in the media giant.
The Adani Group’s media arm, AMG Media Network Ltd (AMNL) released a statement on Tuesday, providing details of its offer to indirectly acquire NDTV and launch an Open Offer.
The acquisition of a 29.18 per cent stake will be indirect and made through Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd (VCPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of AMG Media Network Ltd (AMNL), which is owned by Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL).
“AMNL’s wholly owned subsidiary VCPL holds warrants of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPR) entitling it to convert them into a 99.99% stake in RRPR. VCPL has exercised warrants to acquire a 99.5% stake in RRPR. Such acquisition will result in VCPL acquiring control of RRPR,” the media release said.
This will trigger an open offer to acquire up to a 26 per cent stake in NDTV in terms of SEBI’s takeover regulations, the organisation said.
“RRPR is a promoter group company of NDTV (NDTV. BSE: 532529) and holds a 29.18% stake in NDTV. VCPL along with AMNL & AEL (persons acting in concert), will launch an open offer to acquire up to 26% stake in NDTV, in compliance with the requirements of the SEBI’s (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011,” the release said.
NDTV has three national news channels –NDTV 24×7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit, besides having a strong online presence. The company recorded a revenue of Rs 421 crore in the financial year 2022, with an EBITDA of Rs 123 crore and a Net Profit of Rs 85 crore during the fiscal year.
“AMNL seeks to empower Indian citizens, consumers and those interested in India, with information and knowledge. With its leading position in news and its strong and diverse reach across genres and geographies, NDTV is the most suitable broadcast and digital platform to deliver on our vision,” the statement added.
In a democratic country, the easiest way to accumulate power is to idolise an individual, exaggerate his contribution to the country, and continue to bill oneself as his loyal follower. Over the years, the individual assumes a god-like significance, and his so-called followers seek legitimacy to extend their party’s rule by appropriating the self-crafted legacy of that individual and aggrandising his purported accomplishments. The relentless deification of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in India by the Congress party is a case in point.
Decades before India earned its hard-fought independence, a section of the elite political class belonging to the Congress party began rallying behind MK Gandhi, putting him on a high pedestal and exalting him to the levels that few other freedom fighters attained.
The veneration continued well into the decades after the independence as the leaders of the Congress, a party that appropriated Gandhi and studiously brushed aside his inadequacies and blunders, continued invoking him when they saw power slipping away from their hold and into the hands of their ideological opponents. The practice continues to date as the Congress party, now in opposition and staring at its imminent demise, desperately seek to turn the fortunes and mount a credible campaign to give a tough fight to the ruling BJP.
How Congress has deified Gandhi and elevated his stature to use it as a shield to ward off political crises
To this end, Congress leaders this year—on the occasion of the 75th year of India’s independence—ran a campaign on how the Gandhi-led Quit India movement laid the foundation for the country’s freedom from over two centuries of tyrannical British rule. The objective, of course, was not to celebrate India completing 75 years as an independent nation but an opportunity for the Congress party to once again lean on the alleged achievements of Gandhi and use them as a springboard to launch a political campaign ahead of the general elections slated to take place in 2024.
Every time Congress faces tough political headwinds or existential crises like it is facing today, it relies on Gandhi to extricate itself from its predicament and stage a comeback. The reliance on Gandhi stems from the fact that over decades, Congress has consciously elevated him as a leader beyond reproach, someone whose actions are beyond the realm of criticism. His contribution to India’s independence is exaggerated to such an extent that even a reasonable examination of his decisions elicits a sharp reaction from the Congress leaders of the day, who vehemently oppose a contrarian viewpoint that weakens their deification of Gandhi.
This approach entails glorifying the Quit India movement launched by Gandhi and the Congress on 8 August 1942, a crusade that the Congress leaders like to project as the one that ushered the country into Independence. Any objective assessment of the movement, let alone criticism, instantly results in vehement objection from the Congress party, which proceeds to label it politically motivated and thereby undermine its possible stinging inferences.
While Congress dismisses non-left ideologues’ objective assessment of Gandhi, it sweeps under the rug his criticism from their ideological compatriots
For instance, Congress and Gandhi loyalists have routinely dismissed scholars and historians as propagandists who have criticised Gandhi and raised questions about his decision-making, especially those coming from their ideological opponents, chiefly the Hindu-centric ideologues. Any well-meaning criticism and dispassionate scrutiny of Gandhi’s decisions from the non-left political observers has attracted fierce pushback from Congress and other political parties, which spare no time in branding such attempts as politically motivated without objectively evaluating the criticism.
Many independent historians have opined that Gandhi’s reckless decision to abruptly call off the Non-cooperation movement in 1919 and the Civil Disobedience movement in 1930 had grave implications, including delaying the country’s independence by decades. But relevant questions and opinions on such subjects have only resulted in drawing the ire of the Congress party, which dismisses such sincere attempts as political propaganda aimed at smearing Gandhi.
Even Jawaharlal Nehru, the foremost leader of the Left intelligentsia, of course after Gandhi, had been reportedly miffed with the latter for his rash decision to withdraw the Civil Disobedience movement, just when it was gathering steam and turning into a countrywide agitation. But Nehru, according to some historical accounts, stood with Gandhi because the latter favoured him and his support became a crucial lever to wrench control of the party, whose members were increasingly becoming disillusioned with Nehru’s policies and vision of independent India.
Similarly, criticism of Gandhi and his Quit India movement, including by their own ideological compatriots such as BR Ambedkar, Periyar, and others, who are often selectively cited and expediently idolised by the Left to discredit their ideological rivals, had been meticulously kept under wraps, for it would strip the veneer that the Congress and its cheerleaders had so thoroughly used to conceal Gandhi’s mistakes and blunders. Be it BR Ambedkar or Periyar, both had vehemently criticised Gandhi, but the Congress and the Left have conveniently chosen to turn a blind eye to it, selectively citing the opinions of these ideologues when it is politically and ideologically favourable to them.
Once a “star speaker” of Congress, Periyar Ramasamy was a staunch Gandhi critic
Periyar EV Ramasamy, one of the stalwarts of the Left, was a staunch critic of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Periyar, once a “star speaker” for Congress, opposed Gandhi vigorously and fervently criticised his idea of India. From once being a devotee of Gandhi, the schisms between the two ultimately turned him into a strident Gandhi critic. In his last speech made in 1973, Periyar said, “These are our five principles—the annihilation of God, the annihilation of religion, the annihilation of Gandhi, the annihilation of Congress and annihilation of Brahmins…Before we could annihilate Gandhi, the Brahmins did the task for us.”
Periyar, a contentious leader whose brand of politics involved harbouring deep hatred for the Brahmins and the North Indians, was so disenchanted by the Congress party and Gandhi that he observed 15 August 1947, the day India gained Independence as a “black day”. Even before India’s Independence, Periyar fiercely opposed Gandhi and movements launched by him. In the years to follow, Periyar’s revulsion for Gandhi only intensified.
In 1957 while calling for the burning of Gandhi’s pictures, Periyar said, “We were cheated by Gandhi. Our land (the Tamil land) has been enslaved to the Northerners and Brahmins by Gandhi. It is because of Gandhi that people lost all great qualities they had…(and) it is now impossible to live without being immoral, dishonest, deceitful and traitorous.”
Dr BR Ambedkar: The unrelenting critic of MK Gandhi who referred to him as the “Prophet of the Dark Age” over Quit India movement
But Periyar was not the only one who opposed Gandhi. Dr BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and one of the most articulate voices of the time, also made scathing observations on Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He vociferously opposed Gandhi’s decision to launch the Quit India Movement in 1942, declaring that it was the “patriotic duty of all Indians” to prevent such movements from creating “anarchy and chaos that would unquestionably help powers desiring of subjugating this country’.
On the Quit India Movement, Ambedkar witheringly said, “The Quit India Movement is both irresponsible and insane, showing bankruptcy of statesmanship. Freedom Struggle led by the governing class, from the point of view of the servile class, is selfish and a sham struggle. Gandhi is the prophet of a Dark Age.”
Ambedkar’s criticism of Gandhi did not just stop at the latter’s inclination to organise public movements without having objectives in sight. The first Law Minister of India also talked about how Gandhi’s politics was hollow and noisy. He said, “The politics of Gandhi is hollow and noisy. It is the most dishonest politics in the history of Indian polity. Gandhi was the man responsible for eliminating morality from politics and instead introducing commercialism into Indian politics. Politics has been denuded of its virtue.”
Ambedkar wrote an article titled “Is Gandhi a Mahatma” for a Marathi Magazine Chittra to deconstruct the undue veneration accorded to Gandhi. In the 1,800+ word article, Dr Ambedkar extensively talked about why he had a problem with Gandhi being referred to as Mahatma. He said he was sick of the question ‘Is Gandhi a Mahatma’. Explaining why the question annoyed him, he said, “Firstly, I hate all the Mahatmas and firmly believe that they should be done away with. I am of the opinion that their existence is a curse to the nation in which they are born. The reason why I say so is that they try to perpetuate blind faith in place of intelligence and reason. Secondly, I do not know what exactly people understand by the word Mahatma.”
Dr Ambedkar expressed his confusion why people fussed over Gandhi over the teachings like ‘Satya’ and ‘Ahimsa’ that originally came from Lord Buddha. “Nobody except an ignorant fool or congenital idiot would give credit to Gandhi for originality in this matter. There is nothing new in the pronouncement that ‘Truth and Non-violence’ are necessary for the preservation of human civilisation. There is nothing new that Gandhi has added to the maxim,” he said.
Dr Ambedkar also blamed Gandhi for the hostile relationship between Hindus and Muslims. He said, “Hindu-Moslem hostility is the result of the deceitful action on the part of Gandhiji. This immensely pained me. There is an old saying that benefits the occasion (Bagal mein chhurri Munh mein Ram): ‘God’s name on the lips and dagger under the armpit.’ If such a person can be called a Mahatma, by all means, call Gandhi a Mahatma.”
The Quit India movement and Gandhi also saw opposition from the Muslim League and the Communist Party of India
Besides Periyar and Ambedkar, the Quit India Movement also saw opposition from the Muslim League, the Communist Party of India, and the Hindu Mahasabha, although the motives for each one of them varied profoundly. The Muslim League opposed the movement because they thought without having agreed to the creation of a separate nation for the Muslims, the country’s independence would leave the Muslim minority at the mercy of the Hindu majority.
On the other hand, the Communist Party of India, which today proclaim its allegiance to Gandhi, had also opposed the Quit India movement launched by it. The exchanges of letters between PC Joshi, then general secretary of CPI and Sir Reginald Maxwell, then a home member of the Government of India, revealed that they acted as the lackeys and spies of the British Government.
Savarkar and the Hindu Mahasabha’s rationale for not lending their support to the Quit India Movement
Savarkar, one of the top Hindutva voices of the era, also opposed the Quit India movement. But his opposition to Gandhi and the Quit India movement stemmed from the lack of planning and preparedness or any clear sense of strategy before the launch of the programme spanning the entire country and devoted to the liberation of the country from the British crutches.
Author Vikram Sampath, who authored a two volume-memoir on Savarkar, mentioned in his book ‘Savarkar: A Contested Legacy’, that though the Hindutva ideologue agreed with the ‘Quit India’ slogan if it implied independence in the truest sense, he found its interpretation by Gandhi as being ‘wholly inadequate and unsatisfactory’. He dismissed the movement as a ridiculous jail-seeking programme that was not about ‘Quit India’ but about ‘Split India’.
The Congress and the Left would seldom acknowledge that Gandhi and his movements were opposed by many leaders, including those belonging to the Congress fold. Instead, they would sweep under the rug the critical remarks made by their leader and continue to harp on opposition from the Hindu Mahasabha and Savarkar to bolster their propaganda efforts to discredit the Hindu organisation and paint the freedom fighter as a British accomplice.
