On May 1, Punjab Police arrested a Sikh leader and the alleged main conspirator of the violence in Patiala, Barjinder Singh Parwana from Mohali in Punjab. Parwana has been accused of instigating Sikhs against the ‘Khalistan Murdabad March’. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Patiala, headed by Inspector Sharminder Singh, arrested Parwana from Chandigarh airport in Mohali, where he had arrived early morning from Mumbai.
Inspector General Mukhwinder Singh Chinna said in a statement that 20 teams were constituted for his arrest. Two more people have been arrested in the matter along with Parwana. So far, six people have been arrested in the Patiala Violence case with 3 arrests on Saturday.
Patiala Violence
On April 29 Anti-Khalistan March was attacked by pro-Khalistani elements in Patiala. Local Shiv Sena leader Harish Singla had organized anti-Khalistan protests against Sikhs For Justice’s call to celebrate Khalistan Day.
Both sides clashed during the march, that further led to an attack on the famous Maa Kali Mandir in Patiala. Stones were pelted at the Temple, and the property was damaged. Reports emerged that shops located outside Temple were also damaged in the violence, and money was stolen from the shops. Videos of the incident showed that Hindu owners of the shops were beaten up by Nihang Sikhs.
After the clash, Shiv Sena distanced itself from Singla and expelled him from the party. Local Hindu leaders called for a bandh on April 30 against the attack on the Temple. FIR registered by Hindu leaders detailed how the attack on Temple happened and pointed out that it could have been a pre-planned attack on the Hindu temple.
After the violence, Patiala IG Rakesh Agarwal was removed, and local SSP and SP were transferred. Six FIRs have been filed in the case and an investigation is underway.
Days after being accused of sexual abuse and assault of a woman, another woman has recently accused actor Vijay Babu of harassment at workplace in an Instagram #MeToo post. The Instagram page ‘MeToo Kerala’ has featured the story of the victim in which she has revealed that the actor leaned forward and forcefully kissed her without her consent in a meeting.
Malayalam actor Vijay Babu has already been booked in an earlier rape case after an actress accused him of physical assault. In a new development, a post from the Instagram page ‘MeTooKerala’ has noted a similar incident when the actor allegedly assaulted another woman during a meeting at his office. The incident is from November 2021 when the victim sought a meeting with the actor-cum-producer for a ‘work-related-thing’. During the meeting, personal issues were also being discussed for which the actor asked whether he could help.
The victim has revealed that Vijay Babu was drinking alcohol and also offered her the same. All of a sudden, the accused allegedly leaned towards her to forcibly kiss her on the lips. “Suddenly, he just leaned to kiss me on my lips, without any question, without any consent. Luckily, my reflex action was super quick and I just pulled myself backwards and maintained a distance from him,” the post reads. The victim further states, “I looked into his face, and he then asked me: Just one kiss?”
The actor-producer reportedly started apologizing for the incident and requested the woman not to reveal it to the world. She notes that she discontinued her work describing what the actor did to her as ‘cheap and scary’.
Earlier accusation of rape against Vijay Babu
Earlier in April, a woman accused Vijay Babu of assaulting her after she refused to have sex with him. She noted in a Facebook post, “One day he stamped on my stomach when I refused to have sex on my periods. He spat on my face and forced himself on me. I was too traumatised to realise what was happening at that time but today I realise I was raped.” She said that Babu had physically assaulted and sexually exploited her from March 13 to April 14, 2022.
The woman in a Facebook group named ‘Women Against Sexual Harassment’ elaborated on the details of her accusation in a post dated April 27. Reportedly, the actor is absconding after the earlier case of rape charges has sent shock waves in the state. Apparently, the actor has moved to the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail after police issued a lookout notice in this case.
Kochi City Police Commissioner CH Nagaraju has noted that a police case against Vijay Babu was registered on the same day as the complaint was received on April 22. While the law prohibits publicly revealing the victim’s name in such cases, the actor in a Facebook live, revealed the identity of the victim saying that he will file a defamation case against her. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m the victim. The law of this country protects her and she is at ease while I’m the one who is suffering. I will file a defamation case. I won’t let her get away that easily,” he said in the video. For revealing the identity of the victim, Vijay Babu has invited additional charges against him.
Earlier, similar allegations were levelled against the actor by co-producer Sandra Thomas which were later withdrawn. Kerala film actor’s organisation AMMA, of which Vijay Babu is a member has sought an explanation from him regarding the barrage of allegations against him regarding the harassment cases. As per reports, the police is also considering impounding his passport if he does not surrender.
A Kerala court has sentenced a Catholic priest to 18 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually abusing four minor boys at a seminary in Kollam district five years ago.
According to the reports, the 35-year-old Christian priest Father Thomas Parekkulam, a member of Chennai-based SDM minor seminary, was found guilty of sexually abusing four minor boys who were the students of a seminary in Pullamala in the district wherein the accused was serving as a rector.
A case was registered against the priest in Puthoor under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Additional District and Sessions Judge (POCSO) KN Sujith has sentenced the priest to five years each in three cases and three years sentences in the fourth case. The court has also ordered him to pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each for every case.
The court also considered the trauma suffered by the victims of the sexual attacks and recommended to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to award adequate compensation to the victims commensurate to the physical as well as mental trauma suffered by them.
“The factual circumstances emerged in the instant case would show that attributing to sexual attack the victim boys were subjected to, they had suffered physical as well as mental trauma, and ergo, it is necessary to rehabilitate them,” the court said.
The accused pastor had escaped from the police custody and had absconded. However, the police arrested him from Chennai.
The case was registered and investigated based on a complaint received by the Child Welfare Committee in Thiruvananthapuram.
In the wee hours of April 29, the Khalistani flag was hoisted outside Deputy Commissioner’s office in Malerkotla, Punjab. A video surfaced on social media platforms in which Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of banner Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice took responsibility for the incident.
He said, “On the occasion of Khalistan Day, Singhs hoisted Khalistni flag on Deputy Commissioner’s office in Malerkotla. This is a message to Bhagwant Mann’s government. The date of the Khalistan Referendum to free Punjab from India is closing down in Punjab. Prepare yourself to go on the other side of Yamuna.”
The Police were swift in action, and the flag and banner were removed from the office. While the officials are sticking to the version that was done by miscreants to create law and order problems in the region, the security agencies are not taking the issue lightly and investigating the matter to avoid such incidents in the future. As per a report in the Tribune, the intelligence agencies are probing the matter. Notably, there was no CCTV camera outside the DC office where the flag and banner were hung.
Speaking to the media, a senior official said, “The miscreants that hoisted the alleged flag of Khalistan are not even aware of what Nishan Sahib means. We have initiated an investigation in the matter, but this is a deed of miscreants.” He further added that the investigation agencies would try to identify the miscreants who did it with the help of CCTV cameras nearby.
On April 29, a Khalistani banner was pasted outside the Superintendent of Police’s residence in Kurukshetra, Haryana and outside Police Line in Kurukshetra, Haryana. In a video message, SFJ’s Pannu said, “Today, the movement of ‘Haryana Banega Khalistan’ has been started across the world. Haryana and Himachal were parts of Punjab till 1966. A website has been launched for the movement. We will not give up an inch of Punjab’s land.” Notably, the video used a photograph of Khalistan supporter and actor Deep Sidhu, who had died in a road accident a few months ago.
As per a report in the daily Hindi paper Jagran, the Police confiscated the banner and initiated an investigation. In the light of SFJ’s call for hoisting flags outside DC offices in Haryana, the security was increased by the administration.
SFJ called for hoisting Khalistani flags
On April 15, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice called for hoisting a flag outside DC offices in Haryana. He had launched the “Haryana Banega Khalistan” movement with the call to hoist Khalistani flags. He had said, “SFJ will launch ‘Haryana BanayGa Khalistan’ campaign on April 29 to recruit volunteers who will advocate for the liberation of Haryana from Indian occupation through Khalistan Referendum.”
OpIndia tried to contact officials in Malerkotla and Kurukshetra but could not connect.
Senior Kerala politician and former MLA PC George has alleged that tea sold in Muslim-run restaurants is laced with “drops causing impotence”.
Speaking at an event in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, the former Kerala Congress politician said the restaurants run by Muslims used a certain drop that causes impotence. He said the Muslims were trying to turn men and women into “infertile”, hoping to “seize control” of the country.
PC George, a seven-time and a former legislator of the Poonjar constituency, also urged non-Muslims in the state to refrain from visiting restaurants run by Muslims.
In his speech, the veteran Kerala leader also accused Muslims of serving the food after spitting in it.
“Why should we eat their spit? Their scholars claim that their spit is a fragrance,” he had said, adding that the Muslims set up businesses in non-Muslim areas to pocket their money.
The senior politician, who quit Kerala Congress to form a Kerala Janapaksham Secular party, said Hindu and Christian women were reluctant to give birth to more babies.
“Muslim women are doing that very sincerely. I should congratulate them. They are moving towards the aim of seizing this Hindu Rashtra. Both Hindu and Christian women should beget at least four babies. I always put this demand before couples whenever I attend their marriages. Some of them happily agree to my suggestion,” he said.
Meanwhile, a day after his statement, a case was registered against George for alleged hate speech. He was taken into custody by the Thiruvananthapuram Fort police for making ‘hate speech’ against Muslims. Youth League state general secretary PK Firos had filed a complaint against George at Fort police station.
PC George – a vocal opponent of ‘Love Jihad’, wants India to be a ‘Hindu Rashtra’
PC George is one of the few lawmakers in the country who spoke openly about the menace of Love Jihad. Reasserting his stand on love jihad (Grooming Jihad), Poonjar MLA PC George had stated that the menace exists and that around 47 girls in his constituency had fallen victim to it.
He had also added that he had been closely following the issue, and most of the cases were reported from Erattupetta. He had said that Muslims are also infringing upon Christian majority countries and turning them Islamic.
“How far will this go? SC has said there is no love jihad. I know love jihad is real. I will say there is ‘love jihad’. When I’m saying where we are headed, don’t misunderstand. There is only one solution to put an end to this. Respected Bharath must be declared a Hindu Rashtra,” he had said.
George said he had always wanted India to be declared a Hindu Rashtra. “Hindus do not know how to retaliate. They are retreating out of fear,” he said. Last year, he had said that India must declare itself as a “Hindu Rashtra” to protect it from turning into an Islamic nation by 2030.
PC George opined that Islamists are planning to turn India into an Islamic country. Furthermore, he informed that the sinister plan was delayed due to demonetisation that was implemented in 2016.
The Madras High Court has given Mother Nature the status of a living person by declaring ‘parens patriae jurisdiction’. This will preserve all the respective rights, duties, and liabilities of nature, just like a living person. The Madras High Court has given nature the status of a ‘living person’ while underlining the importance of natural resources, including trees and plants.
The Madurai bench of the High Court, in its recent order on a petition filed by a former tahsildar-level officer, has made the observation giving special importance to the conservation of nature. Disciplinary action was taken against the officer for allotting a part of the classified government land in the name of some people. He had filed an appeal in the high court to cancel the same.
During the hearing on a petition filed by the officer named A Periyakarupan, who is a resident of Theni, the court said that indiscriminate destruction of nature would create many complications in the ecosystem and endanger the existence of flora and fauna. Periyakarupan was given forced retirement. Justice S. Sreemathi also referred to an earlier judgment of the Nainital High Court in which the court had declared the glacier, including the Gangotri and the Yamunotri rivers, as legal entities to preserve it according to parens patriae jurisdiction.
The court further said, “The past generations have handed over ‘Mother Earth’ to us in its pristine glory and we are morally bound to hand over the same in a similar fashion to the next generation. ‘Mother Nature’ is accorded the rights akin to fundamental rights, legal rights, constitutional rights for its survival, safety, sustenance, and resurgence in order to maintain its status and also to promote its health and well-being.”
The judge modified the punishment of compulsory retirement to stoppage of increment for six months without cumulative effect. The consequential monetary benefits shall be conferred on the petitioner. The court said that this punishment is imposed for the act done against ‘Mother Nature’.
Mumbai Indians, the most successful franchise in IPL history, has had a torrid time in this year’s IPL losing their first 8 games on the trot. Out of the contention for the playoff spots, Mumbai finally managed to win a game as they defeated the high-flying Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets with 4 balls to spare.
Even though Mumbai Skipper Rohit Sharma didn’t have a great game personally, scoring only 2 runs off 5 balls, still he would have been pleased to break Mumbai’s winless record this IPL on his 35th birthday.
Having won the toss, Rohit Sharma put Rajasthan in to bat and then never let them get away during their innings. Orange cap holder Jos Buttler anchored the innings with 67 off 52 balls but he wasn’t his usual fluent self as Rajasthan labored throughout their innings.
Captain Sanju Samson and veteran Ravi Ashwin played quick cameos to try and accelerate the innings but Rajasthan’s overseas batsmen Mitchell and Hetmyer could only manage 23 from 34 balls between them and that ensured Rajasthan couldn’t get enough impetus to push themselves to a big score. Debutant Kumar Kartikeya and Australian speedster Riley Meredith were the standout bowlers as Mumbai restricted Rajasthan to just 158 in their 20 overs.
In response, Rohit Sharma continued his poor form as he was dismissed for just 2 runs but his opening partner Ishan Kishan showed signs of returning to his best form as he gave Mumbai a quick start. The game was pretty much settled by the next 2 Mumbai batsmen as Surya Kumar Yadav and the impressive Tilak Verma put together 81 runs in just 56 balls.
Rajasthan got a sniff once they got Surya out for 51 off just 39 balls and Verma for 35 soon after, but the overseas pros Kieron Pollard and Tim David brought some calm back to the proceedings with a partnership of 33 off 23 balls. Even though Pollard was dismissed to a contentious catch in the last over, Daniel Sams hit the next ball for a six to see Mumbai off to their first victory of the season in the end.
Rajasthan next faces Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday in their quest to secure a playoff spot, while Mumbai will next face the table-toppers Gujarat Titans in their next match on Friday.
In the aftermath of the Jahangirpuri violence, when a Hanuman Jayanti procession came under a stone-pelting attack from Islamists, 108 former bureaucrats wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to condemn the ‘politics of hate’ allegedly practiced by state BJP governments.
Now there has been a counter-letter from 8 former judges, 97 retired bureaucrats, and 92 armed forces veterans who have slammed the group of ex-bureaucrats for their politically motivated letter.
Calling themselves ‘Concerned Citizens’, the signatories allege that the letter to PM Modi by the Constitutional Conduct Group didn’t have sincere motivations. The signatories termed the open letter by the former civil servants as empty virtue signaling.
“They are actually fueling the politics of hate that they seek to combat by attempting to engineer hate against the present government with their patent prejudices and false portrayals. The letter was the group’s way to let out its frustration against the public opinion which remains solidly behind Modi,” the signatories said.
The signatories also highlighted the similarities between the wordings of the letter from ex-bureaucrats and the wording used against India in leftist media in the West. They also highlighted the silence of these former bureaucrats during post-poll violence in West Bengal, highlighting their hypocrisy.
Earlier, 108 bureaucrats had written a letter protesting ‘politics of hate’ when illegal homes of rioters who targeted Hindu processions were being demolished using bulldozers.
Following the Assembly elections in May 2021, the state of West Bengal saw phenomenal anarchy and bloodshed. Several BJP activists were attacked, intimidated, and killed during the Trinamool Congress-sponsored bloodbath. After the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha elections, party thugs went mad and attacked BJP members in the state.
OpIndia reached out to some of the victims of the violence and spoke with them about their horrific experiences, which they claim were overtly sponsored by West Bengal’s state apparatus. Listening to the people’s and their families’ anguish, the amount of pain these people went through and are currently going through in West Bengal was evident.
When speaking, all of the victims attributed the entire sequence of occurrences to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, stating that their only fault was that they were affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Throughout the talk, they all said unambiguously that being a BJP voter is a crime and being a BJP Party Worker is a sin in Bengal. It is just by offering one’s life, that one is absolved of one’s sins.
Sangeeta Yadav, wife of Joy Prakash Yadav
The OpIndia team met Sangeeta Yadav, the wife of Joy Prakash Yadav, who was murdered by TMC henchmen on June 6, 2021.
Sangeeta said that she was not at home when the incident occurred because, after the elections, her husband dropped her and the children at the maternal house out of fear. “I took my children to my parents’ house, but my son returned with my spouse. We were terrified for days since we were aware of all the violence against BJP activists in Bengal,” she stated.
Joy Prakash Yadav.
She added that when her husband returned from the salon on June 6, 2021, there were 5-6 individuals waiting outside her house. “As soon as my husband arrived home, they began bickering and taunting him since the BJP had lost the election. They stated that they will bomb the entire family and end the game today. My husband then begged them to go without making noise”, she went on to say, adding that the assailants also admitted to being sent by TMC leaders Lallan Singh and Chandan Singh.
As per Sangeeta, they then threw a bomb on the face of her husband. The attack resulted in the immediate death of her husband in front of their son. Her mother in law also faced injuries and the explosion damaged her both ears.
Sangeeta also mentioned that, strangely, instead of coming to them and assisting them, the police went to the residence of Chandan Singh and Lallan Singh after the incident. The cops arrived at her home after visiting the TMC leaders. Furthermore, the perpetrators were not immediately apprehended but were being treated in a hospital at the cost of the government. “This is Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal, where a bereaved family, an unwell mother, and a widow are left to mourn while criminals are treated with public funds,” she remarked, her eyes crimson and filled with tears of profound grief and agony.
Sangeeta Yadav with her daughter.
Sangeeta said that she still gets threats to drop the case otherwise everyone in the family shall be killed. The main accused, Chandan Singh and Lallan Singh have yet not been arrested. She said that after the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation, she is hopeful that she will get justice.
Srikanta Khetarpal, brother of Kush Khetarpal
Srikanta Khetrapal is the brother of Kush Khetrapal who was killed by TMC goons in West Bengal. Kush went missing on May 5, 2021, after which his dead body was found a couple of days after.
Srikanta described how her 26-year-old brother Kush Khetrapal was subjected to the horrors of TMC goons as a result of his support for the BJP. Srikanta stated that Kush worked at a hotel and was frequently approached by TMC members Kanan Khetrapal, Sukumar Khetrapal, and Dilip Khetrapal when the former came from work. They had warned Kush of grave repercussions if he did not join TMC.
Srikanta Khetrapal
In response to the threat from the aforementioned TMC employees, the hotel owner stated that Kush was not permitted to work and that if he wanted to work, he should first apologise to the TMC workers. On that day, May 6, as Kush was on his way to the TMC office to apologise, TMC employees and others forcibly abducted him.
Kush’s body was discovered two days later, on May 8, at 5 PM, near the Baishtam pond. There were several minor injuries to the body as well as a significant incision on the skull, with the left ear gone completely.
Also, once the body was discovered, the police took it into custody, and soon after the autopsy, the body was cremated with the assistance of the aforementioned TMC leaders. The police and TMC goons also forcefully took his mother Bandana Khetrapal’s thumb impression on a blank piece of paper and utilised it to their advantage.
Kush was one of the three brothers in his family. He has a daughter. The family is struggling to meet daily needs as a working person is no more in the family.
Biswajeet Sarkar, brother of Avijit Sarkar
OpIndia interviewed Biswajeet Sarkar, the brother of Avijit Sarkar, who was assassinated by hundreds of TMC goons on May 2, 2021. Avijit Sarkar took to Facebook on Sunday (May 2) to share the horrifying account of brutality he endured at the hands of TMC goons.
The footage was posted just hours before he was lynched by the attackers. Biswajeet said that on the morning of May 2, TMC workers loaded in SUVs rushed to our local party office and surrounded it. “They surrounded the office, the NGO, and the temple after which they started hurling bombs all around. They even broke the gates of the temple and looted the donation box. They broke all the CCTV cameras around and as we rushed to escape, they dragged me and my mother and used the wire of the CCTV camera to suffocate us,” he said.
The NGO of Avijit Sarkar.
He further added that as some of them were torturing them, others dragged his brother and crushed his head with a big stone. “Avijit died at the moment. We saw him die in front of our eyes,” he stated wiping out his tears. “They also took out a pistol to shoot us but we anyhow managed to escape and saved our lives,” he added.
He said that even police were present at the spot and watching the whole incident. When asked about the perpetrators, Biswajeet said, “I gave all names to the police but they did not act. TMC MLA Paresh Pal and local councillor Sapan Samaddar openly said on the day of polling that on the day of the results, they will kill us. Everybody witnessed it. I clearly heard the goons talking to each other that they had an open hand from Paresh Da and Sapan Da to kill them.” He said that they even said that the Officer In charge of the local police station gave them a free hand to kill them.
Also, his mother was deceivingly made to sign 5 blank sheets by the police after Biswajeet was arrested and his brother was killed. “They made her sign papers and lodged a false FIR that 2-3 people came to our house and a scuffle broke down. They registered only one case under section 307 and that too was when my brother was dead,” he said.
Biswajeet alleged that the whole police department was responsible for his death and they even filed cases to deny the death of his brother. However, the actual case was registered through court.
Biswajeet Sarkar
“They are still threatening to kill me. As I speak about the murder of my brother, they threaten my mother saying that there will be ‘Khela Hobe’ with me,” he said adding that he doesn’t fear anyone.
“Mamata Banerjee killed my brother. Everything was happening at her behest,” Biswajeet stated angrily.
Gautam Halder, husband of Chandana Halder
Gautam Halder is the husband of Chandana Halder who was beaten to death by TMC goons on 2 July in West Bengal’s South 24 Parhgana district. They are residents of Ramchandarpur Village which falls under the Satgachhia Vidhan Sabha constituency of West Bengal. Speaking to OpIndia, Gautam said that he and his wife bother were BJP workers.
The death toll from post-election violence in the Diamond Harbor Lok Sabha constituency has risen to eight. Some TMC miscreants of Ramchandrapur village in booth No. 282 of Satgachhia, have beaten BJP wotker Gautam Haldar’s wife Chandana Haldar with bamboo sticks. #BengalViolencepic.twitter.com/Zyv812QfzS
Gautam stated that on July 2, while his cousin brother Swarup Halder was on his way back home, TMC goons attacked him and beat him with sticks until he lost consciousness. They also warned anybody who could come to his help. “After knowing about Gautam being beaten, I and my wife rushed to see him. We reached there and managed an ambulance to send him to a hospital. As we reached there and sent my brother in the ambulance, the goons came back and attacked us. They beat us mercilessly,” he said.
Gautam said that as they managed to escape, the goons chased them and beat them in the way. “They hit us with everything they got in their hands. We did not understand what to do,” Gautam said. After the goons left, Gautam took his wife to the hospital nearby where she was declared dead.
We also spoke to Swarup Halder. It was visible that Swarup faced problems even when speaking at a low volume. “They broke my both jaws and bother legs. I don’t know what was my mistake. God knows,” Swarup said looking at the ceiling with desperate eyes.
Gautam now lives with his two sons, one 9-year-old and another 16-year-old. While talking about his visit to the national capital, Gautam informed that he had left his two sons in the custody of his sister. He conceded that he is fearful for their safety.
Ranjit Barai, son of Ramprasad Barai
Ramprasad Barai, a more than 70-year-old man, died under mysterious circumstances in January 2021. Ranjit Barai, one of the four sons of Ramprasad, explained the series of incidents to us.
They are residents of the Dinhata sub Division in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. Ranjit said that his father was taken away by the police on the night of December 13, 2020. The reason behind the unlawful detention was entirely unclear as they rushed to their house at the midnight to take away a 72-year-old person.
“They broke 3 doors of my house and took away my ailing father with them. There was no case. They registered a case on January 1, 2021. All these days, the police illegally detained my father and did not even let us meet him. We did not even know if he was alive or dead,” stated Ranjit.
On January 13, the police forcefully took Ramprasad to the hospital on January 12, 2021. “They took him to the hospital on January 12. On January 13, they called and said that he is no more alive and we should go and take his dead body. I don’t know what happened. My father was a Shiva Bhakt his whole life,” Ranjit recalled.
Ramprasad Barai
“We don’t even know what happened to him,” said Ranjit angrily. He said that the condition of the Cooch Behar district is very bad.
Rituals being performed by sons of Ramprasad Barai.
Ranjit alleged that behind the death of his father, it was the Sitai constituency MLA Jagadish Chandra Barma. “The MLA threatened us to not say anything to the police. Police and the MLA were with each other. We still get death threats from them. You should know that Police went to my home 5 times to inquire where I am now,” said Ranjit.
The post mortem report of Ramchandra Barai.
Ranjit expressed his despondency, adding that he spends his nights in the woods because he is afraid of being killed. “If the police or TMC goons discover me at home in the middle of the night, they will kill me. They will surely kill me. This is why I go to the jungle every night since my father was killed and stay there till the sunrise,” concluded Ranjit.
Political violence in West Bengal by TMC henchmen is nothing new. TMC goons attacked BJP workers and leaders on a daily basis not just after the results of the 2021 assembly election, but also before and throughout the run-up to the 2019 national elections. Under TMC’s leadership, throwing petrol bombs, assaulting people, and even killings have become the norm in West Bengal. A year after the post-election violence, several BJP workers are still waiting for a safe atmosphere to return to their homes.
An Indo-Argentinian film based on the life of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore – ‘Thinking of Him’ is set to release in theatres across India on May 6, 2022.
The film, directed by Argentinian film director Pablo Cesar and co-produced by award-winning Indian filmmaker Suraj Kumar, explores Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s relationship with the Argentine writer Victoria Ocampo.
Victoria Ocampo, who had idolized Tagore after reading the French translation of ‘Gitanjali’, is said to have taken care of him when he fell ill during his Bueno Aires visit in 1924. The film is based on the events connected to Tagore and Ocampo during his stay in Argentina.
The movie ‘Thinking of Him’ stars Indian actor Victor Banerjee in the role of Tagore and the Argentine actress Eleonora Wexler playing Victoria. The film also stars the noted Bengali actress Raima Sen and Hector Bordoni in pivotal roles.
The story revolves around the relationship between Tagore and Ocampo. On November 6, 1924, Tagore had to stop in Buenos Aires for medical rest while he was going to Peru to attend the centenary celebrations of the country’s independence. Victoria came to know about Tagore’s visit and offered to take care of him. She had rented a beautiful mansion in a suburb of Buenos Aires and put up Tagore there. Tagore left Buenos Aires on January 3, 1925, after fully recovering from his illness.
The 34-year-old Ocampo had taken care of Tagore during his 58 days stay, which rejuvenated Tagore. She got a spiritual awakening and literary inspiration from the great Indian philosopher-poet.
Speaking about his shooting experience in India, director Pablo Cesar said, ‘It was a unique experience to shoot in India. I have known India since 1994, although it is difficult to know all of India. But over the years, I have understood many things about the idiosyncrasies and behavior of people from many places in India, a country that I personally admire.”
Victor Banerjee said that the film is about what Victoria Ocampo thought of Tagore, and it is not about what somebody else thought of Tagore.
