Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated at a gathering to celebrate the completion of his government’s first-anniversary commemoration that his government will not execute the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). “The government has a clear position on the Citizenship Amendment Act,” Kerala CM stated, criticizing the CAA for undermining the country’s secularism.
No one in Kerala, according to the chief minister, has the authority to ‘discern nationality based on religion’. “The state government has a clear position on this matter. There will be no change in it,” he said.
Advocating for ‘secularism’, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said, “our country works on the principle of secularism as mentioned in the Constitution of India. Nowadays, attempts are being made to destroy secularism. A certain group of people are greatly concerned about this. In a recent incident, a group of people were determining citizenship on the basis of religion. Kerala government has taken a firm stand against this incident.”
He further stated that surveys are being undertaken in various regions of the country in order to instil communal animosity amongst people. “Several surveys are being conducted in different parts of the country to create communal tension among people. But here, a survey has been completed to identify the most impoverished families in our society. Further steps will be taken as part of this survey,” CM Pinarayi Vijayan said.
The Citizenship Amendment Act
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was notified on December 12, 2019, after President Ram Nath Kovind approved the Legislation. It became effective on January 10, 2020. Persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, including Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian populations, would be entitled to get citizenship in India under the CAA.
CAA applies to those who came to India before December 31, 2014, as a result of religious persecution in the aforementioned countries. They would be considered illegal immigrants, and the government would offer them Indian citizenship in accordance with the law’s provisions. According to the legislation, if a person of the specified religion from one of the three nations on the list does not have evidence of their parents’ birth, they may request citizenship after six years of stay in India.
The Ministry of Home Affairs required six months to draft the rules for the Citizen (Amendment) Act, 2019, as per an answer to a question in the Parliament on July 26, 2021. Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated last month in Siliguri, West Bengal, that the law will be executed after the COVID-19 epidemic was over.
On Thursday (June 2), two non-local workers were shot at by Islamic terrorists in Magraypora, in the Chadoora area in Budgam district of central Kashmir. One of them succumbed to the injuries while the other remained in a critical state.
As per reports, the deceased worker was identified as Dilkhush Kumar. He was a resident of Arniya village in the Vaishali district of Bihar. Dilkhush was rushed to the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar where he was declared dead on arrival.
Yet another brutal attack by Islamist terrorists on two migrant labourers in Budgam, Kashmir. Both rushed to the hospital. J&K Police says “ascertaining” details. Earlier today a Hindu Bank Manager was killed in Kulgam, Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/J4bWcUawrC
The other victim named Rajan, who belongs to Punjab, was also injured during the attack by terrorists. The duo worked as labourers in a brick kiln in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. His condition is said to be stable.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the victims were indiscriminately fired at by Islamic terrorists.
Preliminary investigation reveals that terrorists had indiscriminately fired upon 2 outside labourers identified as Dilkhush Kumar, resident of Arnia Bihar and Rajan, resident of Punjab – working in a Brick Kiln – at Magraypora Chadoora area of District Budgam: J&K Police
“Police has registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of law. (The) investigation is in progress and officers continue to work to establish the circumstances which lead to this terror crime. (The) area has been cordoned off and a search in the area is going on,” the cops informed.
Police has registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of law. Investigation is in progress and officers continue to work to establish the circumstances which lead to this terror crime. Area has been cordoned off and search in the area is going on: J&K Police
The development comes amidst a recent spike in the targeted killing of Kashmiri Hindus especially those employed under the Prime Minister’s Package in the Valley. Opindia had reported how Islamic terrorists shot dead a bank employee named Vijay Kumar, who hailed from Hanamangarh in Rajasthan.
He was the Bank Manager of Elaqahi Dehati Bank. Owing to concerns about their safety, Hindus began to leave Kashmir in large numbers, thereby prompting fears of another exodus.
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) June 2, 2022
Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting with Ajit Doval
On Thursday (June 2), Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting with Ajit Doval, the National Security Adviser and discussed the ongoing situation in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was attended by RAW chief Samnat Goel. Amit Shah is scheduled to meet Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday (June 3) in Delhi. The meeting will be attended by senior functionaries of the Union government and Ajit Doval.
Shailesh R Singh, the producer of many hit films, has announced his new film ‘Setu’ on 2nd June 2022. Vishal Chaturvedi will be directing this film. The film ‘Setu’ will be based on the Sethusamudram Ship Channel project that was sanctioned in 2004. In 2007, an interim judgment was passed on this project. According to reports, the film will be presented in the form of a courtroom drama about the same.
According to reports, Setu is a story of a common man who is pained by the government’s decision about the Sethusamudram project. He feels that the project is no less than a question of his very existence and therefore he decides to challenge the government in the court.
Shailesh R Singh (on the left) with director Vishal Chaturvedi. Image Source: Hindustan Times
Shailesh R Singh said, “Before meeting Vishal, I always thought that the only issue people had with regards to this topic was around the Ramayana. But after he narrated the entire issue, I realized that the problem was much deeper. Now, I know that it has a strong socio-economic, security, and national heritage relevance to it. I am intrigued by this subject and proud of the story that we plan to tell the audience through the film.”
Director Vishal Chaturvedi has also shared his vision of directing this film. He said, “Even after officially getting freedom from the British, India was never out of their clutches. Not only did they control our politics, lives, and thought processes, but also drained our natural reserves and heritage. Setu is one such thriller that will address what we lost, what we are losing, and what we can save.”
Shailesh R Singh, Polaroid Media, and Wall Craft Media are producing this film whereas Karma Media and Entertainment will present it in association with Almighty Motion Picture. The shooting of the film ‘Setu’ will start by the end of 2022 and it is expected to release on Diwali 2023. The cast of the film will soon be announced. This is going to be the 20th film of Shailesh R Singh. His previous films include commercially successful films like Tanu Weds Manu, Shahid, Aligarh, Madaari, Omerta, and Thalaivi.
What was Sethusamudram Project?
The Sethusamudram Project was initiated in 2004 with the aim of creating a new shipping lane connecting the Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mannar through the Palk Strait and Palk Bay. This has been embroiled in controversy since 2005 after the then Congress-led government proposed the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project and Manmohan Singh inaugurated the project. The project proposed a shipping canal across the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, and the Palk Straits to link the Arabian Sea with the Bay of Bengal. For this, a channel, passing through the limestone shoals of Ram Setu (also known as Rama’s Bridge or Adam’s Bridge), was to be dredged in the Sethusamudram sea between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Many petitions were filed against it as this project would require disturbing and demolishing the existing parts of the Rama Setu which Lord Rama and his associates had built thousands of years ago to cross the sea and go to Sri Lanka. Rama Setu is a cultural heritage of India. The dredging works in the Rama Setu region were stopped by the orders of the Supreme Court in September 2007.
A representational image of the Sethusamudram Project. Image Source: www.constructionworld.com
In 2007, the Congress Party, which does not believe in the existence of Shri Ram, had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court to argue that Ram Setu which is believed to have been built by Lord Ram, lacked scientific and historical veracity. However, ten years later, the Modi government scrapped UPA’s stand on Ram Setu and decided to leave Ram Setu untouched.
The counsels of the 21-year-old pharmacy student Nikhil Bhamre who was arrested in May 2022 for his social media post against Sharad Pawar are about to move court for his bail. It is notable that Nikhil Bhamre was arrested for allegedly defaming Sharad Pawar, when his social media post did not directly mention Sharad Pawar. Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and Nationalist Congress Party leader Jitendra Awhad had asked police to take action against Nikhil Bhamre.
Now the NCP has launched an massive effort to keep the youth behind bars for a long time, as the party has filed multiple FIRs in different cities for the same alleged crime. This will mean that Bhamre will have to seek bail in each case differently, which will cost a lot of money and time.
Multiple FIRs were lodged against him at various places in the state after Jitendra Awhad incited his party workers to do so. The counsels of the youth may urge the court to club all the cases together and direct the police not to register any further cases in the same regard in order to avoid the unnecessary harassment of the youth who has no prior criminal record.
Police had detained Nikhil Bhamre from Nashik for a critical social media post made against NCP president Sharad Pawar. The youth had posted a tweet allegedly against Sharad Pawar after which NCP leader and housing minister Jitendra Awhad had demanded action against him. Nikhil Bhamre was arrested from his rented accommodation in Nashik. He is from Dindori and belongs to a farmer’s family and was living in Nashik to pursue his studies.
In his tweet, Nikhil Bhamre wrote, “It is time to create a Nathuram Godse of Baramati for a ‘Gandhi’ of Baramati. Uncle, do apologize.” It is notable that Baramati in the Pune district of Maharashtra is the hometown of Sharad Pawar. The tweet by Nikhil Bhamre was probably responding to a recent incident in which Sharad Pawar quoted poetry by Marathi poet Jawahar Rathod to make derogatory remarks against Hindu deities.
The tweet was posted by Nikhil Bhamre on 11th May 2022.
Nikhil Bhamre shared the post on Twitter on 11th May 2022. Jitendra Awhad, on 13th May 2022 posted from his Twitter handle, “At what level is it all happening… Take strict action against this perverted man.” Jitendra Awhad tagged in his tweet the official Twitter handles of the Mumbai police, the commissioner of the Mumbai police, Maharashtra’s director general of police, Pune city police, and Thane city police.
Jitendra Awhad incited NCP workers to file multiple FIRs
After this, a functionary of the NCP Party, Mr. Anand Paranjape noticed the impugned Tweet and lodged a complaint with the Police Station Naupada, Thane on 13th May 2022. Naupada Police Station, Thane registered an FIR No. 124 of 2022 on 13th May 2022 in respect of the Tweet for offenses under Sec.153, 107, and 506 IPC – Sec. 153A and 505(2) IPC were added in the FIR later. The youth was detained on the same day in Nashik and thereafter, FIR No. 165 of 2022 was registered at Dindori Police Station, Nashik District on 14th May 2022.
In the same week, Marathi actress Ketaki Chitale was also detained by Mumbai police for sharing an allegedly objectionable Facebook post against Sharad Pawar. While reacting to the posts against Sharad Pawar, on 13th May 2022, Jitendra Awhad had said, “In Maharashtra, our youth will go to at least 100-200 police stations to register offense.”
After this, a series of FIRs were filed against Nikhil Bhamre of Nashik at various places in Maharashtra for the same so-called offense under similar sections. FIR No. 57 of 2022 was registered at Goregaon Police Station, Mumbai on 14th May 2022 for offenses under Sec.153, 500, 501, 504, 505, 504, 506(2), and 34 IPC in respect of the same impugned Tweet. FIR No. 83 of 2022 was registered at Cyber Police Station, Shivajinagar, Pune on 14th May 2022 in respect of the same impugned Tweet. Similar FIRs were registered in Mawal and Dehu Road police stations.
Rounds of courts and change-overs of custody of Nikhil Bhamre
Following the multiple FIRs, Nikhil Bhamre had to go through a series of courtroom appearances and frequent change-overs of custody from one police station to another. On 15th May 2022, he was produced before the Nashik court and was sent to two days of police custody. On 17th May he was again produced in the Nashik court and this time he was given Magisterial custody of two days.
On 18th May Thane police took him into custody and then he was presented before the Thane court on 19th May 2022. The court remanded him magisterial custody and he was taken back to Nashik. On 20th May, Pune police took him into custody, and on 21st May 2022, Nikhil Bhamre was produced before Pune court where he was again sent to the police custody for two days. After two days, the Pune court granted him magisterial custody. He was then transferred to Dehu road police custody. Recently, on 2nd June 2022, Nikhil Bhamre was produced before the Mawal court in Pune Rural.
What do Nikhil Bhamre’s lawyers say?
Nikhil Bhamre’s lawyer Advocate Suresh Kolte has said, “Filing multiple FIRs for the same offense is a violation of the Supreme Court order. Troubling someone with a pure political vendetta is simply a violation of human rights.” He said that he will plead to the honorable court that the multiple FIRs are filed in an organized manner and with a mala-fide intention and with ulterior motives to harass the youth.
He also said that he will seek that the court call for the investigation papers concerning various FIRs filed at different police stations in the state against the youth under similar sections and club all of them together and further seek the directions to the police from the court that no further FIR be registered under the same offense at a different place. Besides, Advocate Suresh Kolte is also going to apply for the bail of the youth.
According to the lawyers, no case is made out against the Bhamre in respect of the Tweet and the sections of the IPC applied in the FIRs are inapplicable. They maintain that the Tweet in question cannot even remotely be construed to be promoting enmity with different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth/residence, language etc. and or as an act prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
The petition before the court will argue that the arrest and detention of the youth is illegal, arbitrary, malafide and in colourable exercise of the powers vested with the police who have not followed the mandatory guidelines of the Supreme Court in Arnesh Kumar Vs State of Bihar. They have stressed that the filing of multiple FIRs against Nikhil Bhamre, filed in an organized and synchronized manner in respect of the same alleged offence/incident/occurrence/Tweet, is mala-fide, contrary to law and a gross abuse of the process of law.
The lawyers have also mentioned that Bhamre missed his sixth semester examinations because he was arrested.
The reaction of Maharashtra state unit of BJP
Maharashtra state social media cell coordinator of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prakash Gade said, “The BJP has taken the stand that it is anti-democratic to file cases at five or six places at the same time and not allow it to get even simple judicial help. If the justice that is being done to Nikhil today is to be done to all, then many NCP leaders will have to be booked. Scared of 21-year-old Nikhil Bhamre, Sharad Pawar has made his party workers file cases at six places. Sharad Pawar is scared of a 21-year-old boy. They are carrying out illegal activities by filing FIRs at 6 places in the same offense. If Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil does not stop this, the government will be reprimanded by the court. The dictatorial government will have to answer all this to the judiciary. The Maharashtra government is directly violating human rights. Soon this government will have to answer this in court.”
Citing the editorial policy, The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in a shocking move allegedly altered quotes from a female rape victim in its reporting to avoid ‘misgendering’ her transgender abuser. A recent insider report by ‘The Times’ of London, revealed that the media outlet replaced every reference as noted by the victim as ‘he’ or ‘him’ with ‘they’ or ‘them’ to avoid alleged misgendering.
According to the reports, the BBC had published a research story about a lesbian campaign called ‘Get the L Out’ on October 26, 2021, which was criticized by most of the readers as it was based on a small sample size of just 80 women. The campaign had interviewed gay women and had asked them to describe their ‘sexual and romantic’ experiences with transgender persons.
The article headlined ‘We’re being pressured into sex by some trans women’ featured testimonies by three women who seperately spoke to the media outlet explaining how they had been raped during an encounter. One of the women in her statement said that a transgender person had physically forced her to have sex after they went on a date.
The woman reportedly told the BBC, “I was too young to argue and had been brainwashed by queer theory so he was a ‘woman’ even if every fiber of my being was screaming throughout, so I agreed to go home with him. He used physical force when I changed my mind upon seeing his penis and raped me”.
But quote published by the BBC media outlet read, “[They] threatened to out me as a terf and risk my job if I refused to sleep with [them],” she wrote. “I was too young to argue and had been brainwashed by queer theory so [they were] a ‘woman’ even if every fiber of my being was screaming throughout so I agreed to go home with [them]. [They] used physical force when I changed my mind upon seeing [their] penis and raped me”.
Screenshot of the allegedly altered testimony from the original article (Source- BBC)
BBC used brackets to indicate that the pronouns has been changed to make them woke compliant, but didn’t mention what the original pronoun was. One of the sources associated with the The Times said that they were originally all male references but the ‘woke bros’ at the news website wanted to make them female because of misgendering. Reportedly, the pronouns were changed on the advice on the 14-member central diversity team. This team has has influence over the BBC’s style guide, which dictates that stories should adopt an individual’s preferred pronouns, regardless of their biological genders.
Angela Wild, the co-founder of ‘Get The L Out’, whose members believe the rights of lesbians are being ignored by much of the current LGBT movement, also slammed the editorial policy adopted by the BBC and accused it of manipulating the rape victim. “It’s really unethical and disrespectful to the victim. It’s a form of gaslighting for a woman who has already been through sexual violence”, Wild said.
The BBC, however, said that the edited quote was an example of where the BBC’s style guide. “It’s routine to have editorial discussions about different stories. Our only intention when deciding on language is to make things as clear as possible for audiences”, it was quoted. The BBC further did not deny the diversified style guide but stated that the final decisions were made by the news division.
Interestingly, the BBC style guide, which was last updated in November 2020 mentioned clearly that, “Where possible, use the term/s and pronoun/s preferred by people themselves, when they have made their preferences clear.” Reportedly, more than 20,000 people, including BBC employees have signed an open letter describing the story as ‘deeply flawed’ and ‘incredibly dangerous’ for the trans community.
On Thursday, the Internet was flooded with videos of the Srinagar Airport terminal filled with passengers waiting to catch a flight from Srinagar. Amidst, the ghastly murders of Hindus at the hands of Islamic terrorists throughout the week, the rumours of Hindu families fleeing from the valley were doing rounds. And the visuals of a crowded Srinagar Airport was being shared on social media claiming it to be exodus of Hindus from Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Srinagar Airport has refuted the claims, and said that the airport sees such crown on any regular day.
A video of high passenger traffic at the Srinagar terminal was shared by several social media users, including journalists and political parties. They were quick to call it the exodus of Hindus from Jammu and Kashmir after the increase in instances of tragic deaths of Hindus.
Congress backed INC TV’s handle on Twitter shared the video with a caption, “The view is of the crowd at the Srinagar airport. There are reports of mass exodus coming from there. BJP government is at the centre and also the central government in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the truth of #KashmirFiles.”
Screengrab of the tweet by INC Television
Mainstream Media Houses including ABP News and TV9 also reported the news of the crowd at Srinagar airport. While ABP News claimed that the people leaving Kashmir were migrant workers and Government officers working in the state, TV9 Uttar Pradesh Twitter handle said that Hindu-Pandit families from Kashmir are being forced to leave the union territory.
Screengrab of the tweet by ABP News
Screengrab of the tweet by TV9 Uttar Pradesh
Later, it was for popular handles on Twitter to share the video with similar claims. The widely circulated video caused much havoc and furore among the netizens who were shocked to believe the news of yet another exodus of Hindus from Kashmir.
Screengrab of the tweet by Ashoke Pandit
However, the Srinagar Airport Authority dismissed the reports on social media and termed them as ‘sensational rumour mongering’. Responding to a tweet making the claim that was deleted later, the authority said, “We strongly rebut this sensational rumour-mongering. We handle between 16 thousand to 18 thousand passengers every day. Today also the number of passengers is average. There is no heavy rush of minority community as rumoured by this tweet. Please do not spread rumours like this.”
We strongly rebut this sensational rumor mongering We handle between 16 thousand to 18 thousand passengers everyday Today also the number of passengers is average There is no heavy rush of minority community as rumored by this tweet Please do not spread rumors like this https://t.co/sxXAkuLHMe
— Srinagar Airport (@SrinagarAirport) June 2, 2022
The Srinagar Airport authority has called the video and claims of an exodus of Hindus ‘rumours’. With escalated violence of Islamic terrorism in Kashmir, the claims of 1990s-like genocide of Kashmiri Hindus have been quashed as fake news by the authorities.
On Thursday, Defence Minister of Israel Benny Gantz arrived in India to participate in bilateral talks to discuss defence cooperation in New Delhi. In the meeting between Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh with Benny Gantz, a “vision statement” was adopted by the two countries which will accelerate defence cooperation between the countries in future.
Israeli Defence Minister is on a two-day visit to India to mark the 30 years of diplomatic ties between India and Israel. He was received by Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and was presented the Tri-Service Guard of Honour. Playing wreath at National War Memorial, he paid tributes to the martyred soldiers. “This is a symbolic tribute as we prepare to mark 30 years of flourishing relations and defence ties between our countries,” Gantz tweeted.
I am humbled to begin my visit to India by honoring fallen troops and learning about the legacy of this nation at the @salute2soldier National War Memorial. This is a symbolic tribute as we prepare to mark 30 years of flourishing relations and defense ties between our countries. pic.twitter.com/iVy41J9dVz
Further, Rajnath Singh and Benny Gantz held a bilateral talk to discuss the future of defence cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, Gantz asserted, “India and Israel share common challenges of border protection and the war on terror and together we can strengthen the security and economic interests of the two countries.”
During the meeting, the two discussed issues relating to cross-border terrorism, defence cooperation pertaining to global and regional scenarios, military and industrial cooperation and joint work regarding research, production and development of new weaponry. Talking about the meeting, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter, “Warm and productive meeting with the Defence Minister of Israel, Mr Benjamin Gantz in New Delhi. Discussed key issues pertaining to defence cooperation and global & regional scenarios during the bilateral meeting. We place great value on our Strategic Partnership with Israel.”
Warm and productive meeting with the Defence Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Gantz in New Delhi.
Discussed key issues pertaining to defence cooperation and global & regional scenarios during the bilateral meeting. We place great value on our Strategic Partnership with Israel. pic.twitter.com/83b92V97MT
Singh further added that both the countries have adopted a ‘vision statement’ which will pave the way for defence cooperation in future. “There is a broad consensus between both the countries on further strengthening the bilateral strategic and defence cooperation,” he opined.
During his visit, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz is also about to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His official visit which was supposed to take place between March 30-31 was postponed to Thursday as Gantz had to face political turmoil from the opposition back home. According to local media sources in Israel, the bilateral meeting between India and Israel was held to boost partnership in the fields of air and missile defence.
Gantz’s visit to India has come at a time when the two countries are celebrating 30 years of full diplomatic ties. The two nations have inched close to each other since 2014 when PM Narendra Modi came to power and saw Israel as a strategic ally in the Middle East.
Israeli PM Naftali Bennett’s scheduled visit to India in April was postponed after he caught Covid-19. Earlier, Indian Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishanakar paid an official visit to Israel to sign the instrument of ratification of the International Solar Alliance in October 21. The heads of the two States have met during the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow on 2 November 2021.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has written a letter to the people of Maharashtra on 2nd June 2022 on the loudspeaker issue. In his letter, Raj Thackeray has appealed to people to take legal steps against loudspeakers in their own capacities. Raj Thackeray has also assured them of help in case of any crisis if the situation in Maharashtra turns turbulent.
In his public meeting held in Pune on 22nd May 2022, Raj Thackeray had said that he will send a letter to every household in the state through his party workers. He has today shared the letter with the post-bearers of his party. The letter gives a brief recap of how it all started and how the loudspeaker issue was taken up in Maharashtra by Raj Thackeray and his party.
In a recent tweet, Raj Thackeray has told his party workers, “After the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) got involved in the issue of trumpets on mosques, not only the state but also the politics of the country became agitated. Now we want to end this subject forever. For that, your thoughts must reach everyone. That is why one of my letters has been delivered to our office bearers in Marathi, English, and Hindi. Take it from them and get to work. All you have to do is take my letter to the houses in the area where you live because without widespread public participation, our movement will not be successful.”
In the letter given to the party workers to distribute among the people, Raj Thackeray has said, “The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had made an appeal to remove the loudspeakers from the Masjids and subsequently demanded that from 4th May, all loudspeakers should be banned. The very next day, the loudspeakers were removed. The early morning azaan fell silent. As per the Supreme Court directive, the loudspeakers restricted their noise decibels and timings. As per the information given by the police force, nearly 92% of Masjids followed this after the agitation by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.”
It is further said in the letter, “The ban on loudspeakers is not a new demand. Numerous demands were made since independence, however, they fell on deaf ears. A few approached the courts, the courts ordered action against the loudspeakers. The Supreme Court keeping the hazardous repercussions of the noise pollution in mind put restrictions on the decibels and timings.”
Claiming and underlining his party’s credit for spreading the awareness on this issue, Raj Thackeray wrote in his letter, “Nevertheless, the loudspeakers went beyond the restrictions set and continued blaring. It’s only when, we gave a hard-hitting solution, that we would play the Hanuman Chalisa if the loudspeakers were not curtailed; the picture started changing. This stand was much appreciated by our Hindu brothers and sisters and that is how it spread to all the corners of our country. Keeping this awareness spread in mind, the state and central machinery decided to do something. The results were seen almost immediately. In UP, under the government of Yogiji, one witnessed the removal of loudspeakers.”
Criticizing the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state for sending warnings and notices to workers of MNS, Raj Thackeray said, “My Maharashtra Sainiks spread this awareness and decision throughout our state. In return, the state government issued notices to 28,000 of my Sainiks. Many of them were arrested, so many were declared fugitives. It is such a tragic situation, that those who break the rules are spared and allowed to do what they like; and those who ensure the rules are followed, are punished. Nevertheless, keep this in mind-the agitation against the loudspeakers is not over!! With all your blessings, this will continue. It’s important that your support either directly or indirectly continues.”
Appealing to people to take part in this movement, Raj Thackeray wrote in his letter, “As per the Supreme Court order, in residential areas, the loudspeaker usage should be between 45-55 decibels only. (which is equivalent to the sound of the kitchen mixer). Wherever one finds this limit not being followed, organize a signature drive stating that the directive issued by the Supreme Court is not being followed and approach the local police station. Do keep in mind, that when you lodge a complaint against the loudspeaker usage beyond the limit stipulated by the Supreme Court; it is not an offense. Also, you are not lodging a complaint against the people responsible. All you are doing is bringing it to the notice of the police. It is the police force that will report this as an offense and it is only the responsibility of the police to take any further action. When you do inform the police and if they fail to take the appropriate action; they are liable to face the contempt of court from the court of law.”
He further suggested people tag the police in the posts about their activities regarding the loudspeaker issue on social media. In the letter, Raj Thackeray further said, “When troubled by the blaring of loudspeakers, you can dial 100 from any phone/mobile and keep the police informed. You can also tag the social media handles of the Police on Twitter and Facebook to keep them informed. Whenever you do inform the police, you must keep a copy of the complaint with yourself.”
Raj Thackeray assured people that if they get into any trouble while doing all this, workers of his party will help them. He wrote, “Now, the most important part. This letter will be delivered to you by my Maharashtra Sainik. Please save his name and number in your contact list. In any difficult or crisis situation, my Maharashtra Sainik will be at your service. We are completely aware, that Maharashtra is going through a very turbulent time. Water shortage, suicides by our farmers, and inadequate educational and health facilities are corroding our state. The skyrocketing prices of petrol and diesel and inflation have sent shock waves amongst the citizens. Unemployment is increasing and has touched monstrous heights. All these issues are extremely crucial, but alongside this, we can not overlook the noise pollution and the resulting mental torment and social peace.”
Before ending his letter, Raj Thackeray again maintained that he and his party is going to take this issue ahead until it is fixed once and all. He wrote, “Just like we came together and stood as ONE to stop the blaring of loudspeakers; I have immense faith that together we will solve and heal all the difficulties and issues that our Maharashtra is going through. Let’s put an end to this hindrance!!”
A local Tram in Poland’s Wrocław city is all set to showcase the legacy of two British-era Indian Maharajas who are known to have helped Polish children by giving them refuge during World War II. The Polish administration has decided to name a tram in the Wrocław city after Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Jadeja of Jamnagar and Rajarshi Shahi Maharaj of the Kolhapur Princely state who gave refuge during WW2 to a large number of Polish children in the war-torn 1940s.
India in Poland begins #AmritMahotsav celebrations! Amb Nagma Mallick with @SutrykJacek , Mayor Wroclaw inaugurated the #IndiaAt75 Tram-‘Dobry Maharaja’ named after the Maharajas of Jamnagar & Kolhapur who gave refuge during WW2 to over 6000 Polish, Wrocław, 31 May. #AKAMpic.twitter.com/YKGxa062pk
— India in Poland and Lithuania (@IndiainPoland) June 1, 2022
On Tuesday, May 31, the Indian Ambassador for Poland and Lithuania Nagma Mallick jointly with Wroclaw Mayor Jacek Sutryk inaugurated the tram dedicated to India’s 75 years of Independence. The Tram is interestingly named ‘Dobry Maharaja’ (Good Maharajas) recognising the work of Maharajas of Jamnagar & Kolhapur – a story much underlined while recalling the cultural and diplomatic ties between India and Poland.
On the tram, Grafitti symbolizing Indian culture and artistic motifs is drawn to mark the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The story of Polish refugees in India
When Germany invaded Poland that started the Word War II, around a thousand Polish women and children were put on a ship to them from the Germans. Some of them were from Poland and the others were from prison camps in Soviet Russia who were released due to the changed political equation because of the war.
The Polish authorities had left the ship in the sea, ordering the captain to dock in any country that agrees to shelter them. The ship tried to take refuge at several European and Asian countries, but all of them refused to let them enter. Therefore, the ship continued to sail and reached as far as Iran and stopped at a port there, but there also they were denied shelter.
After that, the ship continued eastwards, and reached India and docked at Bombay port. However, the British governor also refused to let the refugees disembark from the ship. The Polish Consulate in Bombay launched a public awareness campaign in India to save the women and children onboard the ship.
The Maharaja of Jamnagar with his adopted Polish children in Nawnagar. Image Credits: Wiki Commons
However, a ray of hope came from Maharaja Digvijaysinghji Ranjitsinghji Jadeja, the ruler of the princely state of Nawanagar in Gujarat who opened his doors and his heart to the unsettled Polish people. The Maharaja invited Polish orphans between 2 to 17 years of age, along with the women, to his hometown and took take care of their bare necessities. The Maharaja went ahead to take care that their Polish sensibilities were being preserved and even constructed Permanent dormitories for the children to enjoy their own space, food and medical care.
Poland to this day is grateful to the Maharaja Jadeja for his gesture. In Warsaw’s Ochota, a park goes with an unusual name, “Skwer Dobrego Maharadzy” which means Square of the Good Maharaja.
Polish Camp at Valivade near Kolhapur. Source: Vajiramias.com
Similar to Maharaja of Navnagar’s efforts, the Chhatrapati of Kolhapur too, stepped in to help the Polish immigrants in India. These Polish nationals were deported from Poland to Russia after the German invasion, and from Russia, they had reached India.
The Polish refugees were housed in labour camps run by Red Army in Siberia, and they were living in very harsh condition in cold Siberia. However, when Germany attacked Soviet Russia too, the country became involved in the war, and as now they were on the same side as Poland, they let a large number of Polish people to leave the Siberian gulags. Taking this opportunity, the Poles had moved towards warmer Southern countries, and around 5000 of them had reached India, who were sheltered by Chhatrapati of Kolhapur.
A camp for Polish Immigrants was also set up in Valivade village near Kolhapur. It housed about 5,000 Polish refugees during the World War II between 1943-1947. Soon, the settlement in Valivade became like a Polish town. According to British records, the town had its own church, a community centre, elementary grade schools and a high school and even a post office of its own.
Chhatrapati Shahaji – II of the Kolhapur princely state with help of the British administration made sure that all the needs of the Polish people are met. Thus, the two erstwhile Maharajas have played a huge role in shaping the history of India-Poland relations. The Polish nations remember their contributions to this date, where they are fondly remembered as the ‘Good Maharajas’.
A video of a young man from Punjab being tied to a tree has gone viral on social media. Reports suggest the young man, identified as Bitta Singh, belongs to the Dalit community. Singh was beaten up by the accused. The incident took place on May 23 in Uddat Bhagatram village of district Mansa. While a section of the village did not agree that the issue was caste-based, Punjab Mazdoor Mukti Morcha has described the incident as against scheduled caste.
A SC youth was tied and thrashed with sticks by 3 Jatts for objecting to playing obscene songs in Punjab’s Mansa. The AAP govt is becoming severe everyday.
— Suraj Kumar Bauddh (@SurajKrBauddh) May 31, 2022
Singh was admitted to the hospital, where he is getting treated for the injuries. Makhan Singh, who himself belongs to the Dalit community and is a member of the village panchayat, told BBC Punjabi that the incident was not caste-based but was a clash between two youths. “They have reached an agreement. Every section lives in communal harmony in this village,” he added.
In a statement, Bitta Singh said he was going to pay homage at a religious place (Dera) when he was dragged by a family with which he had an old feud. They allegedly tied him to a neem tree. The incident took place just 3KM away from a Police post. As soon as the Police received the information, they rushed to the spot.
Amrik Singh, in charge of Kot Dharmu police station, told BBC, “When we released the captive youth and took him to the police station, a mob arrived and forcibly snatched him away.” Singh added that a case had been registered against eight persons along with three unknown persons. The investigation is underway.
Notably, Singh denied allegations that it was a caste-based incident. He said, “The incident has nothing to do with Jats or Dalits. Some Dalit youths entered Lovepreet’s house over an old feud and tried to beat up his family. We were present at the spot after which the case was registered based on the statements made by Lovepreet Singh’s mother, Rani Kaur.”
The village is divided into two parts, just like the other villages in the state. The Jats, or the landlord’s community, live on the one side, and the Dalit community lives on the other side. A few days back, Lovepreet Singh, a young man from the Jat community, had a fight with Bitta Singh.
People from the Dalit community have alleged that they were prevented from entering Dera by the landlord’s family. Buta Singh, a member of the Dalit community, said, “We have constantly been protesting as Dera is a place of worship for all sections. The resentment between the two communities led to the incident. We went to file a complaint to Police, but instead of giving us justice, they turned against us. There is no other choice but to fight.”
The Dalit community has alleged that the Dalit youth was attacked. Gurmeet Singh Nandgarh, District Secretary, CPI (ML) Liberation, said in a statement, “The viral video of Dalit youth tied to a tree is a challenge to our community. Such incidents are on the rise in the state. We are fighting for our rights and will continue to fight.”
Bhagwant Singh Samao, President, Punjab Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, said, “Rich people are indulging in such incidents to oppress the Dalits. This is not the first time such an incident is happening in the state. They were common during Akali and Congress governments and continued under the AAP government. It is surprising that the Police booked the Dalit youth who was admitted to the hospital but did not take action against the attackers.”
Dera is the source of the problem, claimed villagers
Villagers claimed that Dera, located outside the village, allegedly distributed liquor during langar. People from far away come to attend Dera for liquor. Some villagers also go to the Dera for the same. The Jat family’s house is on the way to the Dera. They alleged this was the reason the family often got into fights with people passing by.
In a statement, Lovepreet said he had bought a new tractor and installed a music system on it. He was playing songs when a few Dalit youths came and allegedly asked him to stop the music, to which he obliged. However, it led to a feud between him and the Dalit group, which attacked him.
Meanwhile, the villagers have alleged that the outsiders are provoking the case for selfish reasons.
The law and order situation in Punjab
The law and order situation in Punjab is alarming. In the last week, multiple incidents have happened that raised a lot of questions about the AAP government. The recent murder of controversial singer Sidhu Moosewala followed by the murder of a woman and her daughter and a shooting incident outside Khalsa College in Chandigarh is only the tip of the iceberg. Notably, the Police called Khalsa College incident a ‘routine crime’. Last month, the Headquarters of Punjab Police’s intelligence department was attacked in Mohali. Multiple incidents have been reported where Police have recovered ammunition and drugs.
