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ABC News journalist brings in bizarre correlation against Will Smith’s reported meeting with Sadhguru to spread misinformation on CAA

OpIndia Staff
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ABC News journalist brings in bizarre correlation against Will Smith’s reported meeting with Sadhguru to spread misinformation on CAA

Avani Dias, the South Asian correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, took to Twitter on Monday to bring in a bizarre correlation between actor Will Smith’s reported meeting with spiritual leader Sadhguru to disseminate false information about an Indian law that she claimed did not offer Muslim refugees citizenship in India. Her tweet alluded to the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) that fast tracks the citizenship process of religious persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

“Will Smith has been seen for the first time since The Slap and he’s in India. Reports he’s seeing Sadhguru, a spiritual leader who runs an ashram and once called a Muslim student ‘Talibani’ The guru also supports a law which doesn’t offer Muslim refugees citizenship in India,” she said in a tweet on Monday.

The tweet now stands deleted.

However, after being slammed by several social media users, Avani Dias deleted the tweet. Avani’s tweet was full of false information. Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul replied to her tweet by stating that there is no rule in India prohibiting Muslims from becoming citizens. He lambasted her, accusing her of spreading false information deliberately.

Reply by Aditya Raj Kaul.

Thereafter, blatantly justifying her tweet, she said, “I never said that it’s “against citizenship to Muslims”. I said the act does not allow Muslim refugees citizenship in India, which is correct – read the legislation.”

The tweet by Avani.

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a Twitter user, replied by saying that all of her arguments are bogus. He reinforced Aditya Raj Kaul’s position, saying that the law simply expedites citizenship for minorities in neighbouring Islamic nations and that other Muslims are allowed to apply for citizenship through normal channels.

The tweet by Abhijit Iyer-Mitra.

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra made another tweet requesting action against Avani Dias. He wrote, “An @abcnews correspondent deliberately misrepresents a law & when pointed out, locks replies but doesn’t acknowledge the mistake or delete the tweet…”

CAA expedites the citizenship process for persecuted minorities from neighbouring Islamic countries

The tweet made by the ABC journalist is patently wrong as the Citizenship Amendment Act is non-discriminatory. The current legal procedure for attaining Indian citizenship by any foreigner of any type through Naturalization (Section 6 of the Citizenship Act) or Registration (Section 5 of the Act) remains in place, and the CAA makes no changes to it.

It only applies to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian immigrants who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014, owing to religious persecution. Muslims from these three nations are not barred from becoming citizens under the legislation. Hundreds of Muslims have been given Indian citizenship in the last few years after migrating from these three nations.

All future migrants will also be granted Indian citizenship if they are proven to be eligible, regardless of their number or religion.

Also, Avani’s statement about Sadhguru supporting a discriminatory law is also baseless as the law itself is non-discriminatory and is actually inclusive supporting the persecuted minorities in the countries neighbouring India.

Images of Chhabra riots prime accused Asif Ansari at Rajasthan CM’s Iftar party go viral, BJP demands strict action

OpIndia Staff
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Images of Chhabra riots prime accused Asif Ansari at Rajasthan CM’s Iftar party go viral, BJP demands strict action

A massive controversy kicked off in Rajasthan on Monday after pictures of Asif Ansari, the prime accused in last year’s Chhabra riots attending state CM Ashok Gehlot’s Iftar Party emerged on social media. The state wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded CM Gehlot’s resignation and arrest for sheltering terrorists.

Communal riots had erupted in the Chhabra region on April 11 in 2021. As per reports, Kamal Singh Gurjar was stabbed by Fareed, Aabid, and Sameer on April 10 in Chhabra, Baran district in Rajasthan, during an argument over car parking. The stabbing incident had escalated into a major communal tension the next day.

Sharing pictures of Asif Ansari posing with dignitaries at Ashok Gehlot’s residence during his Iftar party hosted on April 23, 2022, BJP leader Amit Malviya Tweeted, “Ashok Gehlot hosted an “official” Iftar party on 23 Apr. In attendance was Asif Ansari, main accused of Chabbra riots, in which several homes and shops of Hindus were burnt down. The man who should have been in jail was enjoying CM’s hospitality! Sheltering rioters is secularism?”

Pratap Singh Singhvi, BJP MLA from Chhabra Rajasthan also shared news clips to condemn Congress’ appeasement politics. He slammed Ashok Gehlot for hosting Asif, the prime accused of the communal violence that broke out in Chhabra on April 11, 2021.

Singhvi accused the Rajasthan police of allowing an accused in the Chhabra violence at the residence of the Chief Minister and said that the matter should be investigated.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan legislative assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria slammed the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and said, “It is unfortunate for the state of Rajasthan that the Rajasthan Chief Minister invites those people who are accused in violence cases.”

Seeking an apology from Ashok Gehlot, Kataria added, “Congress is playing a cheap politics of vote bank, by allowing such accused to sit next to the CM.” He blamed the Congress government for spreading communal violence by allowing accused people in their Iftar parties.

“They are doing this only for their vote bank and this is why the whole state is in trouble,” Gulab Chand Kataria added.

‘CM sheltering terrorists’, BJP MLA demands Rajasthan CM’s arrest after pictures from his Iftar party go viral

BJP MLA Madan Dilawar also reacted angrily to the news, accusing the CM of sheltering terrorists. “The main accused, the terrorist of the Chhabra violence was present at the CM house. The house of CM has now become a hub for terrorism.” He slammed the CM for hosting a terrorist at his residence. He requested the Rajasthan Police to arrest the CM. “I request the police of Rajasthan to arrest the CM Ashok Gehlot,” he added. 

Chhabra communal violence

On April 11, 2021, communal violence erupted in Chhabra in the Baran district in Rajasthan. The altercation began over a parking space and escalated after a stabbing incident. Fareed, Aabid, and Sameer stabbed Kamal Singh Gurjar during a dispute over parking in Baran. After the incident, a group of people allegedly reached the police station to demand action against the three accused. The police detained the accused and interrogated them. After learning about the police action, some people gathered at the Dharnavada intersection on April 11 morning. People of both communities started stone pelting at each other leading to a stampede in the market.

While at least six shops were set on fire, other shops were looted and ransacked. Vehicles parked in the area were also set on fire. The vehicles of the fire department were also attacked by the rioters. Around 12 police personnel also got injured while trying to control the violence.

Later, police had to resort to lathi-charge and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. OpIndia had then spoken to one of the most prominent Gurjar leaders, BJP’s Vijay Singh Bainsla to get the ground reality.

Those who want CM Uddhav Thackeray to chant Hanuman Chalisa are ‘neech’ and ‘h*rami’: MVA Minister Vijay Wadettiwar

OpIndia Staff
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Those who want CM Uddhav Thackeray to chant Hanuman Chalisa are ‘neech’ and ‘h*rami’: MVA Minister Vijay Wadettiwar

Sitting MVA Cabinet Minister from Congress Vijay Wadettiwar has made unparliamentary remarks on Hindus over the Hanuman Chalisa Row. Wadettiwar, who was giving a speech in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur, said those who want Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to chant the Hanuman Chalisa are ‘neech’ and ‘har*mi’.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar was giving a speech at a health camp organised by party workers in Chandrapur’s Ballarpur. During his speech, he spoke on the recent Hanuman Chalisa row in Maharashtra that was sparked by the challenge of MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana to recite Hanuman Chalisa as a protest in front of CM Uddhav Thackeray’s House ‘Matoshree’. Wadettiwar said, “Some people have questioned CM Thackeray to recite Hanuman Chalisa or else they will recite it in front of Matoshree. Tere baap ka kya jata hai? Tu Kaun hai Chot*e? H*rami…(What does your father got to do with this? What kind of a bugger are you?)”

Wadettiwar remarked that one can recite Hanuman Chalisa wherever one wishes to but to ask Uddhav Thackeray to do so the same is wrong. “Tere baap ka Naukar hai kya?” (Is the CM the servant of your father?). Such neech, nalayak and h*rami people have come to use the Hanuman Chalisa to divide people. As you all know, among Hindus, there’s a tradition of seeking the blessings of Hanuman before marriage. Now, these buggers will tell us to read the Hanuman Chalisa?” Wadettiwar asked.

The objectionable segment of Vijay Wadettiwar’s speech was flagged on Twitter by BJP state Vice President Chitra Wagh who asked how can chanting the Hanuman Chalisa be seditious. “We oppose going to someone’s house for a protest, but how can reciting Hanuman Chalisa be sedition in India? Also, I condemn such ministers (like Wadettiwar) who use such filthy language about women,” Wagh wrote on Twitter.

It should be noted that sedition charges were slapped against the Rana duo who were planning to recite Hanuman Chalisa as a protest against Uddhav Thackeray’s Mumbai House ‘Matoshree’. The couple was arrested on Saturday and is currently facing a judicial trial for 14 days in Mumbai.

Bollywood celebrities and assorted activists distorting Sanatan Dharma: The significance of saat pheras, sindoor and kanyadaan

Sharmi Adhikary
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Bollywood celebrities and assorted activists distorting Sanatan Dharma: The significance of saat pheras, sindoor and kanyadaan

Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, despite having a Hindu Punjabi marriage, did only four pheras. Dressed in Sabyasachi Mukherjee ivory ensembles, they even went the white wedding way merrily cutting cakes and sipping champagne at the affair. While their faithful fans fawned over their pictures, there were also voices that questioned their distortion of Sanatani traditions usually followed during a Hindu marriage ceremony. The loudest being that if they do not believe in the customs followed since ages or the sanctity of marriage being almost like a religious affair for Hindus, what makes these celebrities influence the youth the wrong way at a time when the Hindu civilization is already fighting an existential war to hold on to its age-old practices. 

Close on the heels of their wedding pictures being splashed, a video clip went viral on social media where a bride questioned the very premise of kanyadaan, maangbharna and the pheras citing that they breach the concept of equality. The lady in the video proudly stated how she ensured a kunwardaan was held simultaneously with a kanyadaan at her wedding while she put sindoor on her groom’s forehead, too.

Since social media is quite a powerful avenue of influence for the masses, these videos, loaded with erroneous information, cloud the mind of those who are not really well versed with the significance of the various traditions that complete a Hindu marriage. Remember last September’s Manyavar-Mohey television commercial where Alia Bhatt called for a kanyamaan instead of a kanyadaan? Pseudo-feminists might have cheered yes, but there’s no denying that it not only proved the lack of research on the part of ethnic wear brands but also exposed Bhatt’s cluelessness about her Indian ethos and culture. 

As misinformation abounds, here’s an attempt to deconstruct the reason why for ages Hindu weddings have featured the rituals of kanyadaan, maangbharna and pheraas. These are traditions that sanctify a Sanatani wedding gloriously because of the meaning they carry. Unless our youth understands what they mean, it becomes only too easy to be misled by jargons spewed by deracinated activists, celebrities and intellectuals who unfortunately hold a vice-like grip over the consciousness of a large number of Indians. 

What power is in the Sindoor

The sindoor, also known as the kumkum, is a symbol of fertility. In ancient India one of the primary aspects of marriage was taking a family forward, the groom’s applying kumkum on the parting of the bride’s hair enhanced her fertility while the bright red colour signified power and passion. Earlier the vermillion was prepared with organic or herbal substances such as turmeric, lime, alum, mercury or saffron. The application of this powder from the forehead to the point of the pituitary gland stimulated the reproductive organs of the woman as well as regulated her blood pressure and controlled stress. While this is the scientific explanation of the practice, the sindoor gave a radiant glow to the face of a married woman who wore it like an adornment. 

While ‘feminists’ deride this mark of marriage with baseless explanations, sindoor was also worn by women of the Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilizations for its medicinal value. It is said that when Hanuman asked Sita what the red mark was on her forehead, she explained it was her ‘love for Bhagwan Ram’. Hearing that, Hanuman went on to apply sindoor all over his body to mark his devotion to Bhagwan Ram. Such was the power in the fragrant red powder. 

Decoding the Saat Pheras 

While one cannot question the personal choices of celebrities, the moment they start influencing the youth it becomes a cause for concern. According to Sanatani traditions, a Hindu marriage is complete only after the seventh phera is taken by the couple doing parikrama around the auspicious havan. In the case of a Gujarati or Sindhi wedding that number should be four, signifying Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Wonder why the Punjabi wedding of Bhatt and Kapoor was made short of the saat pheras! However, these pheras or vachans are significant because they reaffirm the concept of bonding and equality in a unique way. 

In the first phera the groom promises to take care of his bride, their children and the family while the bride undertakes the responsibility of looking after the groom’s home and his food. The second vachan is about the groom promising to protect his bride under all circumstances. In return, the bride promises to stand by her husband through thick and thin. In the third phera the groom promises to work hard and in return, the bride promises to effectively take care of the income and expenses. The fourth vachan is about the groom entrusting the responsibility of his household to his bride and respecting her wise decisions. The bride promises to fulfil her duties to the best of her abilities for a respectful living.

Then the groom promises to consult his wife on all important matters. In return, the bride promises to support her groom in all his endeavours. The sixth vachan is where the groom promises to remain committed and loyal to his bride while the bride promises to remain faithful to her husband. The final phera has the groom promising to lead his entire life with his bride, who is also his friend. The wife promises to spend her life with him till the very end.

The value in Kanyadaan

There is way too much misconception about kanyadaan that has been singlehandedly pushed forth by shoddy Bollywood films through the years. The worst part though is that despite having the right explanations in our scriptures, most Hindus slept through the process. This affected an entire generation’s understanding of the beautiful custom. Kalidasa’s Kumaarsambhav has chronicled the ritual of kanyadaan wonderfully during the Shiv Parvati vivaah.

There are two Daan that have the highest status in Sanatan culture, one being that of a kanyaa, who is Lakshmi swaroop. No one willingly parts with their Lakshmi (a good fortune in the name of health, well being, peace of mind and prosperity). When a father and a mother do that, they are in a higher position to give away their fortune (non-philosophical concepts like ‘giving away the bride’ don’t exist in the Sanatani tradition) to the less fortunate. They attain the position of a king and a queen almost. But since our Dharma is absolutely anti-Aham or arrogance, the givers fold their hands and say, “We are giving our Lakshmi to you.”

To this, the father of the groom and the groom fold their hands and express gratitude saying, “Thank you for bestowing on us your Putri Ratna (a gem of a daughter). This scene is elaborated in great detail in Valmiki Ramayan between Raja Dasharath and Raja Janak. If during a wedding we care to understand our Sanskrit shlokas, it happens exactly this way till date where the daughter is considered not a burden but a fortune that is being parted with.

Daan is not alms, bheek, charity or any such negative emotion in our culture. It is the parting of your good fortune for the betterment of another household and with that the society in general. Now, if only ignoramuses read up and understand the beauty in our dharmic traditions before they lunge to insult them.   

Did Hrithik Roshan donate to an outfit that helped Rohingya Muslims settle in India for their Jahangirpuri fundraiser? Here is what we know

OpIndia Staff
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Did Hrithik Roshan donate to an outfit that helped Rohingya Muslims settle in India for their Jahangirpuri fundraiser? Here is what we know

On April 23, a Twitter user AminaaKausar claimed that actor Hrithik Roshan donated Rs 1 Lakh for the rehabilitation of Muslim settlements in Khargone, Jahangirpuri, and other locations via a Ketto fundraiser started by controversial NGO Miles2Smiles. In her tweet, she posted a few screenshots, out of which one had the name Hrithik Roshan as the top donor.

Source: Twitter

Several Twitter users raised questions over the name. A Twitter user Abeyyarsun questioned if she was sure it was the actor himself, to which Amina said she had confirmed before posting.

Source: Twitter

Many Twitter users raised questions if that was the actor or someone using his name.

Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter

One of the users who raised objections was The Hawk Eye. He dug up further to the claims and said, “For funds collection, some kiddish tactics also used like actor Hrithik Roshan donated 1L, however, there is no such entry. The top two donors with 1L are anonymous (well-wisher). The handle with 30K followers went one step ahead & “yes, I confirmed it” when someone raised suspicion.

OpIndia’s investigation

We checked the fundraiser to get more information if Roshan had donated or not. In the list of top donors, the name Hrithik Roshan does not appear.

Hrithik Roshan
Screenshot of the fundraiser. Source: Ketto

There are some fan accounts that claimed that they had asked the PR agencies, and they denied that Hrithik Roshan made any such donation.

Another important aspect of Ketto is you can put any name while registering the account or making the donation and it will show that name. It does not matter if it matches your real name or the name on the card or account that you have used. It makes the whole claim even more suspicious.

Source: Ketto

Notably, celebrities have donated to a fundraiser on Ketto before. To refresh memory, actress Anushka Sharma and cricketer Viral Kohli had raised 11 crores on Ketto last year. They had donated 2 cr themselves for the cause. Many social media users, therefore, raised suspicions as to why an actor of Hrithik’s stature would donate a paltry amount for the fundraiser. If the person was indeed Hrithik, why the name was changed (in case the screenshot by Amina was real)? There are many questions that need answers.

Anushka and Virat had donated Rs 2 cr for the fundraiser they started. Source: Ketto.

It is notable that Hrithik Roshan had joined hands with several NGOs in the past and spoke openly about it. In 2020 he helped Akshay Patra to provide 1.2 lakh meals for daily wage workers and senior citizens.

In case he had donated, there would have been some buzz around. The NGO that ran the fundraiser did not say or post any screenshots on their own or verify the claims made by Amina. Though the questions are being raised, Amina’s tweet is still there on Twitter.

We tried contacting Hrithik Roshan’s manager but could not verify if the actor had indeed donated to the said fundraiser. This is a developing story, and we will update when more information is available, or his manager or PR agency clarifies their stand on the matter.

The fundraiser for Muslim victims by Miles2Smile

A fundraising campaign was started to help the ‘victims’ of anti-encroachment drives across the country. Various state governments, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation authorities in the national capital, had razed down building belonging to encroachers, following which a campaign has been launched, apparently with the aim of helping the ‘victims’ of the anti-encroachment drive. Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of the alleged ‘fact-checking’ website Alt News, put out a tweet to support the fundraiser.

Several other left-liberal ‘journalists’ also shared the links of the alleged fundraiser asking people to fund Muslim ‘victims’. They shared the links to fundraising events started by the Miles2Smile Foundation. The organisation had raised funds for the alleged victims and had previously raised funds for illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants settling in the country. The Miles2Smiles Foundation claims to be an organisation that provides relief and rehabilitation to distressed individuals or groups and educational upliftment of the marginalised and underprivileged.

According to Aasif Mujtaba, the founder of the Miles2Smiles Foundation, the organisation had set up a learning centre at a Rohingya camp at Nuh in Haryana. The organisation had raised funds for the construction work for the Rohingya Refugees at Nuh in Haryana and had also built housing units, he had claimed on Twitter in January this year.

After sending an MP and MLA to jail, MVA props NCP leader Fahmida Hasan Khan to ‘chant prayers of every religion’ outside PM residence

OpIndia Staff
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After sending an MP and MLA to jail, MVA props NCP leader Fahmida Hasan Khan to ‘chant prayers of every religion’ outside PM residence

After MVA Government thwarted the efforts of MLA Ravi Rana and MP Navneet Rana to chant Hanuman Chalisa in front of Udhhav Thackeray’s house, The NCP now wishes to retaliate the same in front of the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi. NCP Mumbai north district working President Fahmida Hasan Khan has written to HM Amit Shah for seeking permission for the same.

On Monday, Fahmida Hasan Khan expressed that she wishes to chant ‘prayers of every religion’ in front of 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. While speaking to ANI, she also made a condescending religious remark saying, “If Hindutva, Jainism elevates for country’s benefit to reduce inflation, unemployment, starvation, I’d like to do it.”

In the letter dated April 23, 2022, Khan asks Home Minister Amit Shah to permit her to read prayers of all religions outside the PM’s residence. “I request you to grant me the permission to read Namaz, Hanuman Chalisa, Navkar Mantra, Guru Granth and Novino in front of the beloved Prime Minister’s house. Please covey me the date and time for the same.”

This comes a day after, the Independent politician couple from Maharashtra’s Amravati, MLA Ravi Rana and MP Navneet Rana were arrested by the Mumbai Police for planning to chant the Hanuman Chalisa as a protest in front of CM Uddhav Thackery’s house ‘Matoshree’. The duo was booked on sedition charges and is currently facing 14-day judicial custody in two different Mumbai Jails. Fahmida Hasan khan is a known Muslim face for Sharad Pawar’s NCP and is a popular female face in areas with a high Muslim population in North Mumbai.

Pakistani boat ‘Al Haj’ apprehended on the Indian side of Arabian sea with heroin worth Rs 280 crores

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani boat ‘Al Haj’ apprehended on the Indian side of Arabian sea with heroin worth Rs 280 crores

On Monday, April 25, the Indian Coast Gaurd and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist department jointly apprehended a Pakistan boat ‘Al Haj’ with nine crew members on board on the Indian side of the Arabian sea. They seized heroin worth Rs 280 crore from the vessel, which has been brought to the Indian port of Jakhau for further probe.

The India Coast Gaurd shared the information about the same on Twitter. “In a joint Ops with ATS #Gujarat, @IndiaCoastGuard Ships apprehended Pak Boat Al Haj with 09 crew in Indian side of Arabian sea carrying heroin worth approx 280 cr. Boat being brought to #Jakhau for further investigation. @DefenceMinIndia @MEAIndia @HMOIndia @SpokespersonMoD”, Tweeted the department.

According to a defense spokesperson privy to the case, the Indian Coast Guard ships intercepted and apprehended the Pakistani boat ‘Al Haj’ when it ventured into the Indian waters.

According to the statement, officials discovered heroin worth Rs 280 crore on the boat, and the boat and its crew members were taken to Jakhau port in Gujarat’s Kutch district for further investigation.

In a thread of Tweets, news agency ANI reported that with advanced intelligence, a coast guard boat with two Gujarat ATS operatives caught the boat attempting to return to Pakistan. The people on board were attempting to throw the narcotics packet in the water.

The media house quoted an ICG official as saying that the packets were recovered and the ICG boat started the pursuit of the Pakistani fishing boat. The boat was capable of high speed and was stopped forcibly as the Indian boat had to fire at the boat to prevent its escape.

One crew member suffered an injury and two others suffered minor bruises. The boat being heavier, ICGS Ankit in the vicinity was diverted for towing assistance. The Pakistani boat ‘Al Haj’ is expected to reach Jakhau port by 3 pm today, ANI quoted ICG officials as saying.

Congress supporter Jignesh Mevani’s journey from being Mukul Sinha’s sidekick to ‘Dalit leader’ to ‘Independent MLA supporting Congress’

Anurag
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Congress supporter Jignesh Mevani’s journey from being Mukul Sinha’s sidekick to ‘Dalit leader’ to ‘Independent MLA supporting Congress’

Jignesh Mevani is a Gujarat-born politician currently serving as a Member of the Gujarat Legislature Assembly as an independent candidate from Vadgam. In September 2021, amid much fanfare, where it was speculated he will be joining the Congress formally, he said that he will support the party instead since his term as an independent MLA was not yet over. Mevani rose to prominence ahead of 2017 Gujarat state assembly elections.

Mevani’s father was a clerk at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and his mother was a clerk at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). He did his schooling at the Swastik Vidyalaya and then the Vishwa Vidyalay Madhaymik Shala. Mevani did graduation from HK Arts College, affiliated with Gujarat University.

In 2004, he completed a diploma course in Journalism and Mass Communication. Later, ‘lawyer-activist’ Mukul Sinha pursued Mevani to get a degree in Law. He completed his LLB in 2013 from DT Law College and practised as a High Court Lawyer. Mukul Sinha is father of cofounder of propaganda website Alt News, Pratik Sinha.

From 2004 to 2008, he worked as a reporter for the Gujarati Magazine Abhiyan in Mumbai. His early days of activism started with trade union wings. In 2008, he returned to Gujarat. During his college time, he used to idolise Mukul Sinha. Eventually, on his return to Gujarat, Mevani got a chance to meet Mukul Sinha at Jan Sangharsh Manch’s (JSM) office. On the day of the meeting, he joined the organisation as a volunteer.

Jan Sangharsh Manch

Jan Sangharsh Manch was formed by Mukul Sinha and his wife, Nirjhari Sinha. The organisation has been accused of floating theories, refuted by court appointed committees, that then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi had a role in the riots and that the Godhra carnage was not a preplanned conspiracy. Mukul and Nirjhari, along with other so-called activists, fought tooth and nail to call the eyewitnesses of the Godhra carnage liars, as evidenced in the Nanavati-Mehta Commission Report.

The organisation tried to whitewash the Godhra incident in which 59 Karsewaks were burnt alive. They used various narratives like ‘fire was started from inside, ‘short circuit’, and ‘spontaneous scuffle’ to prove the Muslim mob had no role in burning down the train.

As per the Commission’s report, a member of Jan Sangharsh Manch, a ‘civil rights organisation’ started by ‘activist-lawyer’ Mukul Sinha, filed a statement and questioned the criminal conspiracy angle of the state government and claimed that after the ‘evidence’ collected by him, it “appeared to him that burning of coach S/6 was because of the spontaneous scuffle and fight that had taken place between Ramsevaks and Muslim vendors on the platform of Godhra railway station and not because of any conspiracy hatched earlier.”

Mevani’s association with Sinhas

After joining JSM, he led a survey under the organisation in 2009 in Surendranagar and Ahmedabad districts on land allocation to the Dalits. Till 2015, he continued the project and filed multiple RTIs on the process. During these years, he was pursued by Mukul Sinha to get a law degree that he eventually used to fight cases under the organisation’s banner. While he was with Sinha, he also joined Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 and became Gujarat’s Spokesperson for the party.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Mevani had said, “It was at Mukul kaka’s office where, for the first time, I understood atrocity in the real sense of the term. When I heard stories of undertrials in POTA, I was not able to sleep for many nights.”

In an interview with Dalit Camera, he alleged POTA was being used to target Muslims. Under the organisation, he participated in many trade union strikes, rallies and dharnas. He formed the Gujarat Industrial Security Force Society, which comprised 2,500 members. The whole group sat on a hunger strike in Gandhinagar. On the fourth day, 176 of them fainted.

He further stated that while working with Sinha, he became left-conscious and got aware of the caste and class. Interestingly, during college time, he was not seen as a Dalit or Dalit leader. It was only after joining JSM that he was drawn towards it.

After the death of Mukul Sinha in 2014, Mevani continued fighting cases for JSM in High Court.

Mukul Sinha’s brainchild ‘Truth of Gujarat’

Sinha and his son Pratik had started a propaganda website named “Truth of Gujarat”. It was basically a website to propagate anti-Modi content and spread lies about the carnage of Hindus and whitewash the attack by Islamist mob in the Godhra train burning incident. They tried to blame the victims for their own death.

Notably, in 2004, pro-Congress ‘activist’ Shabnam Hashmi organised a seminar in Delhi “Rebuilding Justice and Hope in Gujarat: The Agenda Ahead”. Amongst those present in the seminar were: actresses Sharmila Tagore and Nandita Das, lawyers Indira Jaisingh and Nitya Ramakrishnan, and journalists Praful Bidwai and Rajdeep Sardesai, along with many known critics of the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. They all tried to figure out ways to ‘fix’ Modi legally, where Sinha gave a presentation to ‘prove’ the Muslim mob setting the train to fire was ‘false’ and that the fire was an ‘accident’.

Truth Of Gujarat website was seeded by such propaganda. The website of Truth of Gujarat is no longer functional. The last working archive of the website is from December last year when it seems like the website was hacked. Though there was no direct connection found between Mevani and the Truth Of Gujarat website, but was involved with the Sinhas while they actively worked on the propaganda website. 

Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation report in final stage, however, POJK refugees fear the worst: The ramifications of keeping 24 seats vacant

Vijay Kranti
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Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation report in final stage, however, POJK refugees fear the worst: The ramifications of keeping 24 seats vacant

The Delimitation Commission, appointed by the Election Commission of India on the instructions of the NDA government is in the last stages of finalizing its report on Jammu & Kashmir. Although the leaders of ‘Gupkar Alliance’ have opposed the delimitation exercise, the New Delhi government strongly hopes that this exercise will be fair in giving due representation to every stakeholder of J&K and hence will rehabilitate peace and democracy in the troubled State. But if fears and objections raised by the community of displaced persons from Pakistan Occupied J&K (POJK) come true even partially, this exercise is doomed to nullify all the gains Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have promised the nation from their historic step of dilution of Article-370 and removal of clause 35A from the Indian Constitution. 

Despite repeated requests of the members of the community of displaced Indians from POJK the Commission has refused to even entertain their request that the old practice of keeping 24 seats, assigned for POJK should be changed and these seats should be filled from among the members of this community.

The POJK community’s argument is that by keeping 24 seats vacant in an Assembly of 111 seats and holding elections only on the remaining 87 seats over the past 70 years, the nation had surrendered the fate of the entire population of J&K to the Kashmiri leadership who have been holding the State as well as the nation to ransom on the strength of 46 seats for Kashmir Valley alone. Out of the remaining 41 seats, leaving 37 to Jammu and just 4 for Ladakh had left no chance for the State to live in peace. And after the near-complete ethnic cleansing of the Kashmir Valley for over three decades now, it will be living in a fools’ paradise to hope for any improvement.

In his written answer of 21 August 2020 to the ‘POJK Refugee Forum’, a common platform of Indian families from Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimber, Dev Batala and Ali Beg etc which have been lying under illegal occupation of Pakistan since 1948, the Secretary of the Delimitation Commission has taken shelter under the Section 14(4) of the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.’ Quoting this Section he writes that, “until the area of the Union Territory of J&K under the occupation of Pakistan ceases to be so occupied and the people residing in that area elect their representatives…….  24 seats … shall remain vacant…. And shall be excluded in delimiting the territorial constituencies as provided under Part-V of the Act….”. 

Reacting to this terse response of the Commission O.P. Dutta, the Co-Convener of the Forum and a senior journalist with his family roots in Muzaffarabad laments, “It is shocking that the Commission has not only rejected the right of POJK community of displaced persons in India to the 24 Assembly seats which are kept vacant in the name of their own homeland. But it is more shocking that the matter has been left pending infinitely till the day POJK returns to India. Unfortunately, this is what suits the separatist and anti-Indian forces of Kashmir to maintain their constitutionally gifted hegemony over the State. ”

In 1951 when the rest of India went through a well-organized exercise of delimitation to carve out Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies, Sheikh Abdullah the ‘Prime Minister’ of J&K was given a free hand to decide the structure of the State Assembly. In an Assembly of 100 seats, he introduced the idea of keeping 25 seats vacant in the name of POJK  and assigned a lion’s share of 43 seats to the Kashmir Valley, 30 for Jammu and just 2 seats for Ladakh.

The latest composition of the State Assembly was adopted in 1995 when J&K went in for the second reorganization exercise. Later in 2002 when the rest of India went in for the fourth delimitation, the National Conference government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah refused to participate in it in the name of ‘autonomy’ the State enjoyed under Article-370. Rather, using its absolute majority in the State Assembly the Farooq government introduced the 29th amendment in the State constitution to ensure that the composition of the State Assembly could not be changed until 2031.

The Kashmir dominated  State government was also known for the social engineering in its delimitation exercise of 1995 which manipulated constituencies like Rajauri, Punch Haweli and Kalakot to keep the tilt in favour of Muslim voters. The worst example is the Buddhist dominated Padum-Zanskar constituency within which far away located Muslim dominated areas of Lankarche (194 km), Barto (213 km) and Barso (213 km) of Kargil were integrated to ensure that Muslims constituted 60 per cent of the voters. When challenged by the Zanskar Buddhist Association the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi refused to take up the case on the ground that Article-370 kept the issue out of its jurisdiction. 

What worries the people from POJK about the provision of keeping 24 Assembly seats vacant is the misuse of the resulting brutal majority by Kashmir Valley. This majority was used in adopting and imposing laws over the entire population of the State which were illogical, inhuman and detrimental to the interests of a federal India. For example, in 1982 the National Conference government of J&K passed a law which opened the gates for the return of those residents of J&K who had migrated to Pakistan between 1947 and 1954. The law even offered them to come and take possession of their ancestral properties in the State along with all rights due to a ‘State Subject’. 

There were a plethora of laws which barred various communities, living in J&K for ages from enjoying even basic rights like voting or contesting in the State Assembly or any kind of civic elections; taking up State government jobs; getting their children admitted into State-run institutions of higher education; owning immovable property in the State, or even taking loans from State cooperatives and banks. These communities included refugees from Pakistani Punjab who had settled in Jammu in 1947; the ‘Balmiki’ community of scavengers; Gorkha families of soldiers of the Army of erstwhile Maharaja who are living in the State for generations; POJK ‘displaced persons’ settled outside J&K and even family members of Indian civil services, banks and scientific institutions who worked all their life in J&K.

Another law took away all civic rights, including government jobs and rights in their parental property, from the young women citizens who married outside the State. In the case of the Balmiki Samaj, the Punjabi scavengers (earlier known as ‘Bhangi’) the birth certificate of a new child in such families were obliged to be stamped to announce that the person was qualified to take up no State government job other than a ‘Bhangi’. To add insult to the injury to these communities, the State government quite liberally bestowed all citizen rights to those Muslims from Tibet and Xinjiang who had taken refuge in Kashmir following the occupation of their countries by China in the early 1950s.  

Although the Delimitation Commission is trying to sell its draft report by referring to the juggling of some constituencies and forking out some additional seats to the SC and ST communities, critics of the draft report have shrugged it off as just a cosmetic exercise. The real fear of those who want to see an effective end to Kashmir Valley oriented separatism is a genuine exercise in Delimitation which is free from old constitutional manipulations aimed at keeping the final power in the hands of Gupkar gang and those powers who have vested interest in keeping the State on a permanent boil.

Keeping the 24 Assembly seats vacant till POJK returns to India is a sure recipe for undoing all the gains that the dilution of Article-370 and abrogation of 35A have achieved or the Modi-Shah duo intended to achieve for integrating J&K as a peaceful and prosperous member of the Indian Republic.

West Bengal: Four children injured while playing with crude bombs they found near a mosque in Malda, investigation underway

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Four children injured while playing with crude bombs they found near a mosque in Malda, investigation underway

On Sunday, four kids were injured in a crude bomb explosion while playing football in West Bengal’s Malda district, according to authorities. The crude bombs, according to officials, were concealed in a trench nearby a mosque where the children were playing.

The incident occurred in Gopalganj’s Kaliachak police station area. Two of the four children were discharged from the hospital after getting preliminary medication, while the other two are being treated at the Malda Medical College and Hospital.

The children took up the explosives and began playing, mistaking them for balls. Police stated they are looking into who stored the crude bombs beneath a litchi tree next to the nearby mosque.

Police have cordoned off the area, according to Superintendent of Police Amitava Maiti. The other bombs recovered would be neutralized on Monday, he added. A team of local police and a bomb squad arrived on the scene, and an inquiry is currently ongoing.

It is notable that on March 25, police seized 200 crude bombs from Margram village in Rampurhat II CD Block in West Bengal’s Birbhum district. Margram is only a few kilometres from Bogtui hamlet, where eight people were burnt to death after the purported murder of a TMC leader called Bhadu Sheikh.

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