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The Kashmir Files: The real stories of brutality presented in the movie

Siddhi Somani
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The Kashmir Files: The real stories of brutality presented in the movie

‘The Kashmir Files’ movie has made thousands of people realise the harsh reality of Kashmir and the brutal genocide that had been converted up or denied for all these years. Some even are finding it hard to accept that the movie is based on true stories and that the victims of the episode were never heard. The dialogues of the movie like – “The truth of Kashmir is so true that people may find it unbelievable”, “Broken people don’t speak, they just need to be heard”, “This is a huge war of information, narratives”, have shaken the widely held notions established by decades of whitewashing and denials.

The film takes viewers back to 1989, when due to rising Islamic Jihad, a huge conflict erupted in Kashmir, forcing the great majority of Hindus to flee the valley. According to estimates, roughly 100,000 of the valley’s total 140,000 Kashmiri Pandit inhabitants migrated between February and March 1990. More of them fled in the years that followed until just about 3,000 families remained in the valley by 2011.

The movie which is based on video interviews with first-generation Kashmiri Pandit victims of the Kashmir Genocide begins with the episode of the year 1990 when the then CM of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah had tendered his resignation. Abdullah had lost control back in 1984, probably after he had visited a conference in Kashmir and shared the platform with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front’s (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik. Later Ghulam Mohammad Shah, who was supported by the Congress party had replaced his brother-in-law Farooq Abdullah and assumed the role as the state Chief Minister.

Shah’s govt which was supported by the Congress party had allegedly furthered the Islamist agenda in the Valley. The Islamists were given political space under Shah’s rule- Hindu temples were flamed, mosques were built instead and slogans like ‘Islam Khatre me hai’ (Islam is in danger) were raised. In 1986, the state was placed under President’s rule as Congress withdrew its support from the Shah-led government. Further, in November, the President’s rule was revoked after the infamous Rajiv-Farooq accord paved way for the NC-Congress alliance to take over the reins of the administration. The coalition ministry headed by Farooq Abdullah was again sworn-in, pushing the state into the quagmire of uncertainty.

Reportedly, the Islamisation of Jammu and Kashmir had already begun in the 1980s when the government led by Sheikh Abdullah had changed the names of around 300 areas in Kashmir to Islamic names. It is since then, that the Kashmiri Hindus were deliberately targeted and referred to as ‘Mukhbirs’, or informants of the Indian military. They were named in the hit list of the Islamist terrorist organisations.

The film ‘the Kashmir Files’ revolves around the family of Pushkar Nath Pandit, a character portrayed by actor Anupam Kher, whose son gets named in the hit list and then gets killed by the terrorists, daughter-in-law gets killed in the public and grandchild gets a bullet in the head. The pain of the family shown in the movie makes the audience question how can human beings be so cruel against fellow humans, in the name of religion. Here are nine incidents depicted in the movie and the way they happened in reality.

Attack on the judge of Srinagar High Court-

The movie has a scene that shows the frightened Hindu community of the Kashmir Valley following the killing of a Srinagar High Court judge in the broad daylight. This is from November 1989 when the terrorists had shot Kashmiri Pandit, retired Judge Nilakanth Ganjoo in broad daylight in Maharaj Bazaar, Amira Kadal. Justice Ganjoo was being watched after he had given death sentence to Maqbool Bhat, the leader of JKLF, whom he had found involved in the murder of Amar Chand, a CID Police Sub-Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police, resident of Nadihal village of Baramulla district.

In an interview to the BBC Hard Talk almost twenty years later, JKLF leader Yasin Malik had confessed that he had killed Justice Ganjoo. Malik was heard saying that the JKLF had shot Justice Nilkanth Ganjoo as he had announced the hanging of Maqbool Bhat. According to the reports, earlier in September 1989, the organisation had also shot Pandit Tika Lal Taploo who was a lawyer by profession and the President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kashmir Chapter.

The brutal death of the two prominent members of the Kashmiri Pandit community had made the entire community sceptical towards the law and order situation in the State. The fearful Hindus had started to feel deeply concerned about the security of their life.

Warnings through newspaper Al-Safa to all Hindus to leave Kashmir immediately-

The film aptly shows the threats received by the Hindu community to leave the Kashmir valley as a result of the rising Islamic radicalism and terrorism in the valley. The scene in the Kashmir Files where the Hindu women are deliberately harassed by the Muslim ladies and small children leave the viewers painful and agonizing. The Hindu community had no access to basic survival needs like food, and water. No grocery shops in the valley allowed the Kashmiri Hindu women to enter and purchase food items. Further, those Hindus who arranged for the grains or opened grocery shops for the community were either killed or threatened to leave.

A small boy aged between 5-7 in the movie is seen chanting slogans to get rid of the Hindu community. “Al Safa, Hindu Dafa”, he shouts in front of a diplomat’s (Mithun Chakraborty) car as Hindu women cry out their torture. The scene is again a real pick with a bit of cinematic liberty from the year 1990 when Srinagar-based newspapers named Aftab and Al Safa published the warnings of the Islamist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen threatening all Hindus to leave Kashmir immediately.

Al Safa, a popular Urdu daily of Srinagar twisted no words to tell the Pandits to leave the valley within hours if they wanted to save their lives and honour. Loudspeakers fixed on mosque tops had blurred a profusion of warnings of similar type. Anti-India demonstrations were seen on the streets with demonstrators going mad with anger, hate and revenge. Fear stricken Pandits had no source to find that could assure them at least the safety of life. Wall posters in fairly large letters, proclaiming Kashmir as the ‘Islamic Republic of Kashmir’, became a common sight in the entire Valley. Even the news bulletin, Radio Kashmir announced the names of the Kashmiri Pandits gunned down by terrorists daily. However, the newspapers Al Safa and Aftab later denied to claim ownership of the statements and had issued clarification regarding the same.

Killing of Four Indian Air Force Officers, 10 injured-

On 25 January 1990, Yasin Malik had fired 40 rounds at the Indian Air Force personnel who were waiting for their vehicle at the Rawalpora bus stand. Four Indian Air Force personnel, Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, Corporal DB Singh, Corporal Uday Shankar and Airman Azad Ahmad were killed and 10 other IAF personnel were injured.

According to the reports, the shots were fired from the 2 to 3 automatic weapons and one semi-automatic pistol in presence of 1 head constable and 7 constables of the Jammu and Kashmir Police post, who did not react.

Nearly 30 years after the brutal killing of four unarmed officers, the TADA court in Jammu in the year 2020, framed charges under Sections 302, 307, Sections 3(3), 4(1) of TADA Act 1987 and Section 7(27) of the Arms Act of 1959 read with Section 120 against Yasin Malik and six others involved in the attack.

Justifying the killing of Kashmiri Hindus

A clip in the Kashmir Files shows a senior journalist posed at the ‘Kashmir news’ justifying the brutal killing of the Kashmiri Hindus. The clip roughly says that ‘the Kashmiri Pandits, though in minority, were trying to snatch the benefits of the Kashmiri Muslims and so were forced to flee from the state’.

Pertinently, the scene is the prime pick from the year 2004, when the ‘liberal’ journalist Barkha Dutt had contextualised the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. In the video, Barkha Dutt could be seen talking about how the Kashmiri Pandits were comparatively wealthy and had good jobs. She adds that this led to gradual resentment among the majority of Muslims. In 2004, when Barkha Dutt had been in journalism for almost 10 years, a show called “Kashmiri Pandits: The forgotten minority” was aired where Dutt began the show by showing ravaged colonies of the Kashmiri Pandits and some sound bytes from the persecuted Hindus.

Later she said, “What all this has bred is a violent and relentless hatred. Personal friendships between Hindus and Muslims have survived over the decades, but politics in the state is completely polarised along religious lines. In fact, some say if there was a plebiscite in Kashmir today it would be worse than partition because voting would be completed along religious lines”. When Barkha Dutt talked about ‘friendship between Hindus and Muslims” and “Politics of hate ruining that friendship”, she openly toed the line of Kashmiri separatists who wanted to blame Governor Jagmohan for the genocide. The program was an attempt to shield murderers like Yasin Malik of JKLF and the religious hate.

Nobody pointed out the reality that the relative economic affluence of the Hindu community was mostly because they invested in education, thus ending up with good jobs.

Yasin Malik supported by the then government and ‘intellectuals’-

The then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah had allegedly developed prime contacts with the Islamist organisation JKLF and its leader Yasin Malik for retaining the political power under the veils of Islamisation of Kashmir. He had tendered his resignation and that did anything but furthered the push to Islamist cries for ‘Azad Kashmir’. Despite Malik’s terror links, the erstwhile governments and the left-liberal media establishment had tried to portray him as a peace icon and messiah of the Kashmiris. Abdullah had shared the stage with Malik in a conference held in Kashmir and had asserted that he had attended the conference on behalf of the Congress Party to know the sentiments of the organisation.

As shown in the film, terrorists like Yasin Malik got tacit support and endorsement from those in power and the ‘intellectuals’. It is important to note that in the year 2006, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had invited Malik to a meeting in his official residence in New Delhi. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also held talks with terrorists on the part of his crucial outreach programme with the Jammu and Kashmir political leaders, separatists and other groups. The images of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh happily greeting the terrorist Yasin Malik has become one of the most dismaying images of the recent past.

Also, Malik had met far-left anti-India propagandist Arundhati Roy, who has always been at the forefront of instigating Kashmiri youths to wage war against the Indian state. Actress Pallavi Joshi in the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ portrays the character of one of the so-called ‘intellectuals’ where she is shown sharing camaraderie with the terrorists in the shades of Roy in real. Her dialogues like, “Sarkar to unki hai lekin system Hamara hai (It’s our system and their government)” display how deeply the ‘Left-liberal’ ecosystem has been entrenched with the government machinery.

Arundhati Roy with JKLF leader Yasin Malik (File Photo)

It is worth noting that recently, after the abrogation of Article 370 from the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah had said that the Kashmiri people ‘do not feel or want to be Indian’ and they would rather prefer to be ruled by China, instead of India. Also, the Congress party in India had condemned the government’s proposal on Article 370, abrogating the special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Woman made to eat the blood soaked rice-

One of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the film directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri is where a woman is force-fed rice soaked in her husband’s blood. This is the recreation of a brutal murder from 1990 when terrorists had come searching for engineer BK Ganjoo, who had hidden in a rice barrel. He would have been alive today had his location not been disclosed to the terrorists by his own neighbours. He was shot dead by the terrorists who fired multiple rounds at the rice barrel allowing the blood to drip out of the container. The rice soaked in the blood was then forcefully fed to Ganjoo’s wife.

Women stripped and raped in public-

As mentioned, the film ‘the Kashmir Files’ revolves around one family and their sufferings during the 1990 Kashmir genocide. The daughter-in-law of a Hindu resident Pushkar Nath Pandit (Anupam Kher) is shown being stripped and brutalised in public. However, in reality, many Kashmiri Pandit women were kidnapped, raped and murdered. The slogans by the Islamists in Kashmir openly stated that they wanted ‘their Kashmir’ without Pandit males but with their womenfolk. Hindu women had to face horrific crimes as they witnessed the escalating Islamic militancy and terrorism in the region. They were sexually abused several times by several Islamic militants who professed to be morally superior in their jihad.

Girija Tickoo tortured, cut into half-

What comes as a shock in the movie is the killing of Sharda, daughter-in-law of Pandit. She is shown given away by the jihadists to the mechanical saw machine alive, cutting her right from the middle of her body. This in reality had happened to Girija Tickoo in June 1990. Tickoo was a Kashmiri Hindu from Bandipora who worked as a laboratory assistant in a university in Kashmir Valley. In the aftermath of the ‘Azadi Movement’ by JKLF headed by Yasin Malik, Tickoo had fled with her family and settled in Jammu. One day, she received a call from someone who claimed the situation was better in the valley and she could come back to collect her salary. She was assured of safety, and the person alleged the area was safe to travel to.

On the 4th of June 1990, Girija came to the valley to collect her salary and met her local Muslim colleague at her home. She was not aware that Jihadi terrorists were tracking her movement. Girija was kidnapped from her colleague’s home and was taken to an unknown location. Everyone, including her colleague and people in the locality, watched her being taken silently. After a few days of the kidnapping, her dead body was found on the roadside in horrible condition. The autopsy revealed she was brutally gang-raped and tortured. Girija was cut into two pieces using a mechanical saw while she was still alive, right from the middle of her body. Her family still awaits justice, just like the hundreds and thousands of other Kashmiri Pandits whose suffering has been deemed as ‘propaganda’ by the ‘liberal’ section of the media and society.

The Nadimarg massacre of 2003-

In yet another scene, where Vivek Agnihotri recreates the massacre at Nadimarg village in Jammu and Kashmir, viewers are left in shock to see Hindus being shot at point-blank range one by one. On March 23, 2003, 24 Hindu Kashmiri Pandits in the village of Nadimarg in Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir were killed by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. The armed militants came dressed in counterfeit military uniforms and dragged the Hindus out from their homes, lined them and shot them with automatic weapons. The victims, 11 men, 11 women and 2 small children ranged from a 65-year-old to 2-year-old. The policemen posted there fled the scene. The killers disfigured the bodies of the victims, looted their houses and took away the ornaments from the bodies of the dead women.

The Kashmir Files is undoubtedly a brilliant, brutal narration of the harsh truth of Kashmiri Pandits that took almost 32 years to come out in open. The movie, based on video interviews with first-generation Kashmiri Pandit victims of the Kashmir Genocide was originally slated to be released in theatres on January 26, 2022, but was postponed because of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and elections. It has now been released and is running successfully all over India.

Savarkar, Kashmir, Constitution: Books and movies questioning established narrative upsets leftist intelligentsia, here is why

Sneha
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Savarkar, Kashmir, Constitution: Books and movies questioning established narrative upsets leftist intelligentsia, here is why

“If you don’t like a book, you should not read it”. “If you don’t like a book, write a better book”. “If you don’t like a movie, don’t watch it”. “If you think a movie is biased, make your own movies”. These were some of the standard responses from the leftist ecosystem every time their books or movies faced any criticism.

These gatekeepers of academia and Bollywood were certain that they can block anyone who attempts any such thing through their influence. That is why they could throw around these taunts all the time, never expecting a mainstream book or movie to come out with the other perspective. However, some people inclined to the non-left did take up the challenge. And that has, of course, rattled the well established ecosystem.

A slow stream of books and movies opposing, countering and questioning the established leftist narrative appeared on the horizon in recent past. Supreme Court advocate J Sai Deepak’s India that is Bharat, historian Vikram Sampath’s books on Savarkar and very recently filmmaker Vivek Agnihoitri’s Kashmir Files appeared and challenged the leftist version of events from India’s past.

As these narrative challenging works appeared, the leftists ignored their own advice of ignoring these works or writing something better, as they often advised. Every attempt was made to scuttle this works, then discredit them, and then good old mudslinging on the individuals in the end.

Not only did they themselves not like these works (without reading or watching), they didn’t want anyone else to like them either.

People who endorsed J Sai Deepak’s book had to face the ire of quite a few leftist trolls online.

One stopped being a scholar of repute just by liking a well written book, because the content was not consistent with the lies perpetrated by the left cabal for years.

Vikram Sampath perhaps faced the worst of these personal attacks, because he wrote about the man the left loves to hate, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. In a concerted attempt to tarnish his image, and in the process discredit his works on Savarkar, several slanderous allegations were made against him.

In a letter directed to Royal Historical Society (RHS), 3 academicians from the US accused Sampath of plagiarism demanding action against him, Sampath is a member of the RHS. When this allegation didn’t get any traction beyond the leftist Twitter trolls, Sampath was accused of plagiarism in a speech he gave back in 2017 at the India Foundation.

Fed up of these allegations, Vikram Sampath took legal recourse and filed a defamation case against the 3 US academicians, Ananya Chakravarti, Rohit Chopra and Audrey Truschke. In response, Aurangzeb’s PR agent Audrey Truschke published a letter online against Sampath, signed by several notable personalities. However, there was one problem, people mentioned in the letter did not even know they had signed any such letter.

The deranged left not only resorts to false allegations, they aren’t even beyond forging signatures in order to take down their ideological opponents. That was not all, the Wikipedia page of Vikram Sampath was repeatedly vandalized by leftist Wikipedia editors as they continued to try and write an alternative history.

For last 3 decades, the Indian left as well as Congress has either tried to deny the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus, or tried to blame Governor Jagmohan, or at times even the victims themselves. Anyone trying to even correct this false narrative was always going to face serious challenges. Once Vivek Agnihotri managed to make a film on the plight of Kashmiri Hindus, he got previous little support.

The movie studio didn’t promote the film, there very previous few shows allotted to the film, several centers didn’t even bother to screen the film. Then the reviews, serious attempt was made to dismiss the film through industry’s leading film reviewers.

When all that didn’t work and the film still became a roaring box office success, the left resorted to their usual scheme, Wikipedia vandalism. Just like Vikram Sampath and Sanjeev Sanyal’s pages, Vivek Agnihotri’s Wikipedia page was vandalized.

Since Wikipedia is the “ultimate truth” in today’s world, this is the default reaction of left to anyone who opposes their narrative, attack their Wikipedia page.

To all the hurt and angry leftists, who can’t tolerate anything written or made by the ideological right, we have only one advice, if you don’t like it, produce a better work yourself.

SC permits Malayalam news channel MediaOne to resume operations, I&B ministry had revoked license based on national security concerns

OpIndia Staff
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SC permits Malayalam news channel MediaOne to resume operations, I&B ministry had revoked license based on national security concerns

The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed the Central government’s ban on the Malayalam news channel ‘MediaOne’. By overturning Kerala HC’s decision that upheld the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s decision not to renew the channel’s licence, the apex court bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath ruled that the channel can resume operations in the same manner as before the security clearance was revoked.

The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal filed by Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited against the Kerala High Court decision upholding the central government’s move to not renew the licence of its TV channel, MediaOne, on the ground of “national security and public order”.

“We order and direct that Union Govt order revoking security clearance to Madhyaman Broadcasting Ltd stands stayed. Petitioner be allowed to run MediaOne on the same basis channel was being operated before security clearance was revoked,” the Court said.

MediaOne had gone off the air after the channel’s “security clearance” was revoked by an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on January 31. The injunction was sent to MediaOne’s parent corporation, Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, a group owned by the radical Islamist organisation Jamaat-e-Islami.

MediaOne channel goes off air, high court upholds Centre’s decision to revoke licence

It may be recalled that on February 9, 2022, the Kerala High Court had upheld the Centre’s ban on Malayalam news channel MediaOne, dismissing petitions filed by the channel against the government order.

The Central Government had on February 2 informed the Kerala High Court that its decision to revoke the licence of the Malayalam news channel MediaOne was based on credible national security concerns flagged by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Reportedly, the regional television channel was found to be supporting the radical Islamist organisation Jamaat-e-Islami.

It becomes imperative to mention here that in the month of July last year, a Kerala-based journalist had revealed how Islamist organisation Jamaat-e-Islami has been receiving funds from Saudi Arabia universities to ‘Islamise’ India. The outfit was banned on February 28, 2019, by the Government of India following the terror attack in Pulwama as it was suspected of funding the terror organisation Hizbul Mujahideen.

I&B Ministry suspends MediaOne for biased coverage of anti-Hindu Delhi riots

MediaOne TV has been blocked from broadcasting for the second time in recent years. The channel was previously banned for 48 hours by the Centre in 2020 for breaking the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1998 for its shoddy ‘coverage of the Delhi riot’.

The Ministry had alleged that MediaOne accused the Delhi Police of remaining inactive during the violence, and the channel also blamed police for vandalising shops and fruit carts.

‘147 foreign nationals from 18 countries evacuated under Operation Ganga, evacuation from Kharkiv, Sumy most challenging’: says EAM S Jaishankar

OpIndia Staff
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‘147 foreign nationals from 18 countries evacuated under Operation Ganga, evacuation from Kharkiv, Sumy most challenging’: says EAM S Jaishankar

On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared the details of Operation Ganga which was launched to evacuate stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine war. “India evacuated 147 foreign nationals from 18 countries during its evacuation mission”, he said in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of the Parliament.

He said that India launched Operation Ganga, thereby undertaking one of the most challenging evacuation exercises during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He also said that Indians were dispersed across Ukraine, posing logistical challenges for the government. “Despite the challenges posed by the serious ongoing conflict, we have ensured that about 22,500 citizens have returned home safely,” Jaishankar stated adding that there are still a few people – in double digits – who are stranded in Ukraine. “We are tracking them,” S Jaishankar said on March 15.

Further, Jaishankar mentioned that most of the Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine were students pursuing medical studies in Ukrainian universities and were dispersed throughout the country. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine had started a registration drive for Indians in the month of January 2022. Around 20,000 Indians had registered. “In view of the continued buildup of tensions in February, the Embassy issued an advisory on 15 February 2022, advising Indians in Ukraine whose stay isn’t essential to leave country temporarily. It also advised Indians not to travel to Ukraine or undertake non-essential movements within Ukraine”, he added.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian students evacuated from Ukraine hail from 35 states and UTs of India with over 1000 students each from Kerala, UP, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar and Rajasthan. He further said that evacuation of students from Kharkiv, Sumy was most challenging and that Sumy evacuation materialized only because of PM Modi’s intervention.

Amid the war, more than 600 Indian nationals were stuck in the conflict ridden city of Sumy who were moved to a safer location by the Indian Embassy in Ukraine. Along with the Indian nationals, students from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal were also rescued. They were brought back to India through the humanitarian corridors in Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Maripol. The human corridor in Sumy was announced only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia to provide a safe passage to evacuate the Indian nationals stuck in Sumy.

The Russian government had informed that upon request by the Indian government, they had worked on halting the war and creating a humanitarian corridor for evacuation.

India rescuing foreign nationals under ‘Operation Ganga’

It is important to note that on March 12, Nepal PM Sher Bahadur Deuba had thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the evacuation of four Nepali nationals from the conflict zone of Ukraine. Earlier, on March 9, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina had thanked PM Modi for rescuing nine Bangladeshi nationals from Ukraine under ‘Operation Ganga’.

Also, a Pakistani national had expressed gratitude towards the Indian embassy in Kyiv and PM Modi for rescuing her amid the evacuation process for the Indians stranded due to Russia’s aggression. Apart from Nepalese, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, even Tunisian students were rescued under Operation Ganga.

About Operation Ganga-

Operation Ganga was launched on February 26 to evacuate nearly 20,000 Indian nationals who were stuck in Ukraine amid the conflict. Several special flights had been running from Poland, Romania, and Hungary to bring the students home. Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet had also joined the mission operating multiple flights from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to Delhi and Mumbai.

“47 additional officials of the Ministry of External Affairs were dispatched. Along with our embassy personnel, these officials went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the success of Operation Ganga. Under the operation, 90 flights were operated – 14 of these were Indian Air Force planes. Most private airlines also participated,” S Jaishankar said on March 15.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation had earlier informed that the Indian government had been working 24/7 to ensure that all Indians could get out of Ukraine safe. “There were 19760 odd children in Ukraine. Before the war broke out, through the advisories, about 4800 children had already left”, he had said.

It must be mentioned that the Ukrainian airspace was closed for civilian aircraft from the day the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out. As such, the Indian embassy in Ukraine had to coordinate with the embassies of neighbouring countries in Poland, Romania and Hungary for the creation of safe evacuation channels. Under ‘Operation Ganga’, Indians were first taken in batches from Ukraine to bordering countries via buses/commute arranged by the embassy. They were then airlifted to Delhi or Mumbai through chartered Air India flights.

The Indian government had sent its 4 Union Ministers, namely, Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and General (Retd) VK Singh to Hungary, Romania and Moldova, Slovakia, and Poland respectively, to coordinate the Operation Ganga

Teenagers join fight against Russian forces after basic training, Ukraine had earlier provided ‘military’ training to children: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Teenagers join fight against Russian forces after basic training, Ukraine had earlier provided ‘military’ training to children: Details

Amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia, teenagers in Ukraine are ‘voluntarily’ taking up arms to defend the Ukrainian city of Kyiv.

As per a report published by the BBC, a group of young boys, who were just out of school, underwent three days of basic military training and headed for the war zone.

One of the teenagers who had volunteered to fight for Ukraine was a 19-year-old Maksym Lutsyk. He was joined by his 18-year-old friend Dmytro Kisilenko. They were both students prior to taking up arms.

Lutsyk told the BBC that he was trained in weaponry and backwoods skills while serving 5 years in the Scouts. Besides the duo, several others had come to the training centre on their own accord.

“When they waited outside for the bus that was going to be taking them to the training base, they looked like friends on the way to a festival – apart from the guns. Each had been given custody of a Kalashnikov assault rifle,” reported BBC.

The teenager recruits were then issued military-grade body armour, uniforms, helmets and infantry kneepads. Dmytro said jokingly, “I got used to my gun. I learned how to shoot and how to act in the battle, also many other things that will be very crucial in the fight with the Russians.”

He conceded that if Russian forces successfully breach Kyiv, the Ukrainian army might have to surrender and the war would be over. Dmytro informed that his parents are proud of his decision to join the Ukrainian territorial defence force, adding that he was earlier engaged in making Molotov cocktails.

The teenager remarked, “…It is human nature to feel scared, and of course deeply in my soul I feel a bit scared, as no one wants to die, even if it’s for your country. So, death is not an option for us.”

On the other hand, his friend Maksym did not inform his mother about his decision to volunteer in the war out of the fear of worrying her. He said that he hoped to see Ukraine’s flag flying in the Russian Federation.

“I feel much more confident than I was before, because we get enough knowledge in tactics, in martial arts, in tactical medicine and in how to do something on the battlefield,” he emphasised.

The BBC report concluded, “The professional army is a couple of miles ahead (from the checkpoint where teenager volunteers are stationed), directly facing the Russians. But if the Russians come, like all the volunteers, Maksym and Dmytro will be firing out of the trenches they helped dig into the surrounding ground, where boxes of Molotov cocktails are waiting.”

Ukraine and its ‘child soldier’ problem

Earlier, several videos had surfaced on social media where children as young as 8 were heard giving calls for defending Ukraine. One such video was posted by popular Twitter user, Red Bait (@red_baiting).

“My father Stephan Baida is a defender of Mariupol. In 2014, he liberated Marinka, Shirokino and Mariupol and now he is defending Mariupol till the last. I am 8. That’s how much my father is fighting,” the child ‘soldier’ was heard as saying.

He called upon all Ukrainians and Europeans to defend the city of Mariupol, which is located in the Eastern part of the country. “Give them weapons, close the sky! Mariupol is Ukraine. Ukraine is me,” the minor boy announced.

The problem with Ukraine’s child soldiers is not new. Eighteen-year-old Yaroslav Hrytsiuk, who returned from Canada to fight for his home country Ukraine, had confessed about receiving military training in high school.

“Born in Ukraine in 2004, Mr Hrytsiuk said he has been battle-trained. He learned how to use Kalashnikov assault rifles and bayonet knives as a younger teenager in Ukraine before he came to Canada in 2021 to stay with relatives and pursue a better education,” reported The Globe and Mail.

Prior to the breakout of the full-fledged war, The Daily Mail had reported on February 5 as to how Ukraine had placed school children, including 4-year-olds, in military training camps in the hopes of thwarting a Russian invasion. The children were trained either with wooden replicas of Ak-47 or with live rounds.

While speaking about providing military training to her two 4-year-old sons Taras and Bohdan, their 35-year-old mother had remarked, “I don’t think they understand the war and what is happening but they love everything to do with the military. If they want to be soldiers when they grow up and fight to defend their homeland I will not stop them.”

In January, The Sun had reported how the Ukrainian military conducted training for young children.

Military training to a minor child by the Ukrainian military, image via The Sun

The article read, “CHILDREN get to grips with guns as they prepare to defend their country from a looming invasion threat. Some were shown how to use live weapons yesterday, while others were taught how to hold wooden replicas of Russian Kalashnikov rifles in case they need to use the real thing.”

It further added, “The Ukrainian military held a training day in Kyiv, where civilians of all ages were given expert tips from experienced weapons instructors.”

A day after Russia invaded the Eastern European country, the Official Twitter account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on February 25 this year called upon civilians, of all ages (including ‘minors’) to join the armed conflict.

Screengrab of the tweet by Defence of Ukraine

“Today, Ukraine needs everything. All procedures for joining are simplified. Bring only your passport and identification number…There are no age restrictions,” read the tweet.

Even in 2014, Ukrainian media were seen hailing a 17-year old boy for working as a sapper for 2 months in a conflict zone. BBC reported, “Speaking from hospital, he told 5 Kanal that he had lied about his age to enlist in a volunteer battalion. But his commander seemed to be aware of how young he was.”

Ukraine has been using child soldiers to fight Russian forces in complete violation of international human rights laws, with the media aggravating the issue with glossy coverage and sensationalisation.

Bail to ‘woman’ Ishrat Jahan in Delhi anti-Hindu riots ‘despite embargoes in UAPA, CrPc’: Details and break up of conspiracy charge sheet in 50 points

Nupur J Sharma
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Bail to ‘woman’ Ishrat Jahan in Delhi anti-Hindu riots ‘despite embargoes in UAPA, CrPc’: Details and break up of conspiracy charge sheet in 50 points

Former Congress councillor, Ishrat Jahan, who was arrested on the 26th of February 2020 for her involvement in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots has been given bail by the Karkardooma Court, Delhi. The bail plea was moved against FIR 59/2020 which details the larger conspiracy to unleash violence in Delhi, in which, Ishrat Jahan was instrumental, according to the charge sheet. The bail was granted to Ishrat Jahan after the order was reserved in the bail application last month.

The court in its order broke down the chargesheet by the Delhi Police and put forth several conditions on the basis of which bail was granted.

The conditions of bail ordered by the Court:

  1. Ishrat Jahan is to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with two local sureties.
  2. The court said that while on bail, the accused, Ishrat Jahan, was not allowed to leave the NCT of Delhi under any circumstances without the prior permission of the Court.
  3. She will not indulge in any criminal activity.
  4. She will not tamper with evidence or contact any witness in the case.
  5. She will cooperate with the investigation and not influence the investigation in any manner.
  6. She will attend every hearing of the court when directed to do so.
  7. She will not indulge in any activity, for which she is being tried.

What were the arguments put forth by Ishrat Jahan and her lawyers arguing for bail in the case

The lawyer for Ishrat Jahan, Pradeep Teotia, argued that Ishrat Jahan had been framed in the case due to “political vendetta”. She was arrested in FIR 44/2020 in which bail was granted on the 21st of March 2021. Once bail was given, on the same day, she was arrested in the present FIR (59/2020). The counsel said that she had not violated any conditions of her interim bail that she had got on account of her marriage and therefore, she should be given bail in the current matter.

The counsel argued that under section 43D of UAPA, there is no explicit bar to grant bail to the accused, moreover, according to him, there has been no prima facie evidence that Ishrat Jahan was involved in the conspiracy to commit violence during the Delhi Riots.

The counsel said that Jahan was not a member of any banned outfit or WhatsApp group that was perpetuating violence and that there is no video/CCTV evidence to suggest that she led a mob or indulged in violence. Throwing Amanatullah Khan under the bus, the counsel said that she was not a part of the meeting called by him to form JACT. It was alleged that the video footage shows her trying to calm the mob, and not incite the mob and no words uttered by her could be termed as ‘related to terror’.

The counsel also said that the arrest of the accused in the present FIR would mean “double jeopardy” due to FIR 44/20.

The counsel said that the prosecution has failed to show incriminatory messages exchanged between Amanatullah Khan, Devangana Kalita and the accused Ishrat Jahan. The only chat, the counsel admitted, is between Jahan and co-accused Tasleem, which are not ‘incriminatory’. It was also said that the prosecution has alleged 100 calls between Jahan and Khalid Saifi, however, no such calls were made.

Interestingly, the counsel admitted that 29 “0-second calls” were exchanged between Amanatullah Khan and Ishrat Jahan. However, there was no explanation provided as to why so many zero second calls were made between the two.

Portion of the bail order

Ishrat Jahan argued that she had only protested against CAA in Khureji where no riot took place.

Interestingly, Jahan’s lawyer also said that Bheem Army has not been made a co-accused in the case and that the witnesses produced by the prosecution are not ‘trustworthy’. The counsel also dismissed all the witnesses, whose names have not been disclosed since they are state witnesses, by saying that there was either a delay in recording the statements or that the statements are too long and false.

What were the arguments put forth by the prosecution arguing against bail in the case

The prosecution first cited the provisions of CrPc and UAPA saying that the court had no jurisdiction pronouncing bail and hold a mini-trial on the merits of the case and that in a conspiracy case, the role of every individual is not in question and it is not necessary that they have participated in every act of the conspiracy since there are multiple accused, but only that they have played their role to further the conspiracy.

The prosecution further said the Delhi Riots were not a spontaneous outburst of violence rather it was a criminal act of causing planned violence under a deep-rooted conspiracy and this contention of the prosecution has been appreciated by the High Court in another case.

Portion of the bail order

The creation of 23 protest sites, including Khureji, were not organic in nature and were indeed planned in a meticulous manner. The prosecution said categorically that the sites of the protest were strategically chosen next to Masjids. There were multiples teams to handle every protest, similar placards were made and the coordination to gather people at the protest site was evident from the chats included in the charge sheet.

The prosecution further said that as alleged by Ishrat Jahan, the protest sites were not dominated by women but were actively planned and coordinated with men. The prosecution here insinuated that the women were only a front for the protest.

Portion of the bail order

Saying that there were similar threads between the December 2019 and 2020 violence as similar patterns were followed – blocking roads, attacking police personnel and the public and destroying property.

The prosecution said that the riots occurred in two phases – that of December 2019 and 2020 in which several police personnel were injured.

Portion of the bail order

The prosecutor said that the weapons recovered, including petrol bombs being used to potentially create large explosions, large slingshots, stones, sharp weapons, guns etc show that the violence was premeditated. Saying this, the prosecutor vehemently reiterated that there was no doubt that all the accused were a part of the conspiracy, acting in a cold, calculated manner to create violence, create Chakka Jam to instigate large scale communal riots to embarrass the government of India and bring it down to its knees while the then President of USA, Donald Trump, was in the country.

What the prosecution said on the role of Ishrat Jahan in the Delhi Riots and the conspiracy thereof

The prosecutor also detailed the role of Ishrat Jahan in the conspiracy to spread large scale communal violence according to the chargesheet.

  1. The prosecutor said that Ishrat Jahan attended a meeting organised by AAP leader Amanatullah Khan and at Alia Madrasa at Khureji in connection with the initiation of the protest. She along with Khalid Saifi was instrumental in the organisation of the 24/7 protest site at Khureji. On the 26th February 2020, she had said that the “revolution has reached the 2nd stage”.
  2. On the 26th of February, Ishrat Jahan along with Khalid Saifi instigated people to attack police personnel and it was in this connection that FIR 44/20 was registered.
  3. She was a part of the conspiracy hatched by JCC and other groups to instigate violence.
  4. She delivered provocative speeches to instigate people against “other community” (Hindus) as well as the government of India.
  5. As the main organiser of the protest site, she called other speakers to the site like Sharjeel Imam, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Meeran Haider, Nadeem Khan etc to monitor the site and deliver speeches.
  6. She was involved in raising funds from unaccounted and illegal means to be used in the protest.
  7. She forced documents to hide her tracks.
  8. Illegitimate funds were used to acquire weapons for the riots.
  9. Her purpose was to create an Islamic state.
  10. She was aware of the purpose, objective and process of the conspiracy.
  11. At the Khureji protest site, women and children were used as a human shield and this was a part of the larger conspiracy hatched at DPSG.
  12. She is connected to all other accused in the case like Amanatullah Khan, Khalid Saifi, Tasleem Ahmad, Natasha Narwal, Safoora Zargar and others.
  13. There were 1097 calls and messages between Ishrat Jahan and Amanatullah Khan between 1st December 2019 and 26th February 2020.
  14. There was a deposit of Rs 4 lakh found in her account from one Mahadev Vijay Kaste. Kaste said that, on the instruction of his boss Samir Abdul Sai where he was working as a driver and took a loan against gold worth Rs 4,31,700. The gold itself was given to him by his employer and he was asked by his employer to transfer Rs 4 lakh to Ishrat Jahan.
  15. When interrogated, Samir Abdul Sai said that Imran Siddiqui was his business partner, who was a relative of Ishrat Jahan and also wanted to hide the track of the money because it was to be used for the protests.
  16. Siddiqui confirmed the transfer of the money to Ishrat Jahan.
  17. To hide the transfer of money, a fake agreement was drawn up between Siddiqui and Sai, however, the agreement does not have the signature of Siddiqui.
  18. The date of the agreement is shown as 26th November 2019 but the entry by the Notary is made on 13th April 2020.
  19. The partnership deed was prepared after Siddiqui was asked to join the investigation
  20. Apart from this, cash of Rs 1,41,000 was deposited in Ishrat Jahan’s account and the same could not be explained by Jahan.
  21. One witness, Peter, said that Ishrat Jahan had got illegal funds to organise the protest and acquire arms through Abdul Khalid. One country-made weapon was also recovered from JCL arrested under FIR 44/20.

It was based on this evidence that the prosecutor said that there was prima facie evidence against Ishrat Jahan and that the bail application should be dismissed.

What the court said while granting bail to Ishrat Jahan – Break up of the conspiracy in 50 points

The court made several observations while releasing Ishrat Jahan on bail, particularly, that of her being a woman.

  1. The court said that section 437 CrPc places additional conditions for releasing someone on bail even if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are guilty by death or life imprisonment. Notably, the court says that it especially gives these provisions for women.
  2. 43D of UAPA also has special provisions to provide bail to the accused. The court then said that if the court believes that the charges in the charge sheet are prima facie true, according to this section, bail cannot be granted to the accused.
  3. The conditions of a conspiracy are generally based on circumstantial evidence and it is not necessary that the conspirators knew of all the details of the conspiracy.
  4. The present case pertains to a large scale conspiracy to create violence in Delhi in 2020.
  5. Sharjeel Imam formed a group called Muslims Students of JNU (MSJ) and started distributing pamphlets at mosques against CAA/NRC.
  6. There was coordination between Sharjeel Imam and Arshad from the Students of Jamia group for the distribution of pamphlets from the 6th of December 2019 onwards.
  7. United Against Hate (UAH) organised a protest on the 7th of December 2019 and Sharjeel Imam wanted students of AMU, JNU etc to join the protest.
  8. The protest on the 7th was attended by Sharjeel Imam, Yogendra Yadav, Umar Khalid and others. It was there, according to the charge sheet, that the idea for Chakka Jam was initialised.
  9. On the 8th, a meeting took place at Jungpura and a WhatsApp group was formed on the same day. Subsequently, a protest was planned for the 10th of December.
  10. Sharjeel Imam then made his seditious speeches at Jamia and violence ensued.
  11. Chakka Jam began after the meeting of Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha and Umar Khalid in Jamia on the 13th of December 2019. This model of Chakka Jam then spread to the rest of Delhi.
  12. Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) was constituted on the 17th of December 2019 and Gate 7 was declared as the protest site. Safoora Zargar then made a Whatsapp group called JMI Coordination Committee for communication with JCC members in which several accused were present including Amanatullah. The mobile number for this was activated with forged documents.
  13. Shaheen Bagh protest site was then created to show as if the protest was being led by women but the reality was different. It was the brainchild of Sharjeel Imam.
  14. On the 22nd of December, Jamia Awareness Campaign Team (JACT) is formed for mass local mobilisation. It is on the 23rd of December that a meeting between Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi and Meeran Halder is held at Shaheen Bagh where it is decided to create a protest site at Khureji as well (this is the protest site that Ishrat Jahan was responsible for).
  15. On the 24th of December, a protest takes place at Jantar Mantar and it was attended by many including Yogendra Yadav, Umar Khalid etc. Provocative speeches were also made by all present. On the 26th of December, a meeting took place between Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Nadeem Khan, Rahul Roy, Sabha Dewan and others and they decided to create DPSG (WhatsApp group).
  16. They decided that the protest sites would be women-centric to avoid police action.
  17. The protest sites were to be set up in Muslim majority areas.
  18. On the 28th of December, the DPSG Whatsapp group was formed with the top people included.
  19. All the groups, according to the charge sheet, were working in tandem.
  20. 23 protest sites had been developed and throughout January, Sharjeel Imam continued to give provocative speeches.
  21. On the 8th of January, a meeting took place in the PFI office at Shaheen Bagh between Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi.
  22. On 14th January, news of President Donald Trump visiting India surfaced in the news.
  23. On 15th January, Sharjeel Imam went to the Khureji site for local mobilisation at the request of Amanatullah.
  24. Meeran Haider was supervising 8 protest sites.
  25. A conspirational meeting took place on the intervening night of 23rd and 24th January between Pinjra Tod members and Umar Khalid where it was decided to get local Muslim women to start collecting weapons. The plan was to escalate the protests.
  26. On 24th, Sharjeel Imam continued to propagate and instigate Chakka Jam through his Facebook post.
  27. On 24th January, Safoora removed Asif Iqbal Tanha and Chandan from the JMI group because they were summoned by the police.
  28. On 6th February, a protest site came up at Jahangir Puri. Umar Khalid met with the protesting folks and said that since the area is dominated by Bangladeshis, they should be made aware of CAA and NRC.
  29. On 11th Feb, there was a flurry of activity by Rahul Roy and Anjali Bhardwaj after the formal dates of Trump’s visit were announced.
  30. On 13th Feb, they decide that artist protest sites were becoming unsustainable, so they change tact and get Mahila Ekta Yatra to start visiting protest sites and reporting in the DPSG group.
  31. On the midnight of 16th and 17th Feb, a secret meeting took place at Chand Bagh where several accused including Natasha and Devangana were present. The decision to do Chakka Jam and violent protest as Trump visited was taken at this meeting.
  32. On 17th Feb, Umar Khalid delivered a speech at Amravati, Maharashtra, clearly referring to the visit of Donald Trump.
  33. Owais Sultan Khan, a member of the DPSG group was repeatedly messaging about the secret meeting and plan to create violence. He said that locals did not want violence and Chakka Jam but outsiders were planning the violence. He said that Athar had spoken about violence and Chakka Jam.
  34. Between 18th to 21st Feb, the DPSG group become unusually silent and no rebuttal was offered about the secret meeting and plans for violence.
  35. On the 22nd Feb, people from Madina Masjid, Seelampur, moved to do Chakka Jam at Jaffrabad.
  36. Immediately after Chakka Jam, a JCC meeting was called to escalate protests in Muslim majority areas and use violence.
  37. The protestors from other sites come to Jaffrabad to learn the modus operandi from an ongoing, successful Chakka Jam.
  38. Bhim Army calls for a march to Rajghat to protest against CAA and NRC.
  39. On the 22nd of Feb, Owais Sultan specifically says that if something wrong was to happen, Athar would be blamed. He said that when the local woman pleaded with the Pinjra Tod members and others to not do Chakka Jam, they said, “Kafan baandh ke aaye hai, aur jo humare saath nahi wo desh ka gaddar hai”.
  40. On the 23rd of February, Janhavi, Rahul Roy and Tabrej were involved in the clandestine transportation of several women to Jaffrabad via Shaheen Bagh. They were received by Devangana, Natasha and Gulfisha. According to the charge sheet, they were the ones who started stone pelting the police officers initially.
  41. On 23rd, Owais Sultan again asked why comments about Chakka Jam were deleted and why packets of red chilli powder have been distributed to women.
  42. In secret meetings held on the 22nd and 23rd of Feb, violence was openly discussed including collecting and using arms. This was revealed by 3 witnesses who were present at the meeting.
  43. In the Supplementary Chargesheet, it is clearly shown that protestors were being mobilised. This is prior to 26 out of 33 CCTV cameras becoming dysfunctional on the 24th Feb.
  44. The large scale mobilisation was done to create riots in Chand Bagh where even Ratan Lal was murdered. The violence started 10 minutes after the last CCTV camera became dysfunctional.
  45. As per the charge sheet, on the analysis of 33 CCTV cameras of Chand Bagh and Mustafabad and 43 CCTV cameras of predominantly non-Muslim areas of Khnjuri Khas, Karawal Nagar, Sonia Vihar and Jyoti Nagar, shows that not only the riots were premeditated and preplanned but also began when the Muslims living in Chand Bagh, Mustatabad area mobilized and came out of lanes and bye-lanes passing through Chand Bagh and descended on Main Wazirabad road with Yamuna Vihar and Bhajanpura localities having a mixed population to put into effect a violent chakka-jam and mount a brutal attack on police personnel and non-Muslims community while at the same time, the footages from the PWD cameras at the places inhibited by non-Muslims communities showed the life to be tranquil.
  46. The court said that the footage does show premeditated and planned violence erupting.
  47. When the violence erupted, Anas Tanvir posted in the DPSG group saying that the development was premeditated and disturbing.
  48. In the group, when messages about the planned violence started being posted, Rahul Roy said that people should refrain from posting such messages because they were being shared in other groups.
  49. After riots erupted, the group started adding other people to show humanitarian concern.
  50. After riots began on the 24th, a flurry of calls and messages were exchanged, including between Umar Khalid and Natasha of Pinjra Tod. Several accused reached a common place to meet.
  51. The first arrest was made on the 11th of March and after that, people were asked to delete their messages in the group.
  52. The court said that it is true that firearms were collected and different roles were assigned to different people in the furtherance of this conspiracy.

The court said that for the purpose of the bail application, sections of UAPA must be analysed. The court also acknowledged that taken at its face value, everything that happened and is mentioned in the charge sheet amounts to acts of terrorism.

Portion of the bail order

As for the role of Ishrat Jahan, the court said that the charge sheet pertains to various individuals who played different roles in the furtherance of the conspiracy. The court said that at this stage, the court has to determine whether the charges against the accused are prima facie true and citing a case, the court said that the burden to determine that at this stage is “light”.

As per the charge sheet, the court was of the opinion that Ishrat Jahan was not a part of the groups and that the idea of Chakka Jam was not hers and that while she was a part of the Khureji protest site, the site itself is not in North East Delhi, where the riots took place.

The court said that it is true that violence erupted at Khureji as well and police were attacked, but for that, FIR 44/20 is already there. Even if she was connected with several of the accused, the court was of the opinion that she was not present in NE Delhi and was not visible in the CCTV footage. The court said that the statement of the witnesses say that she made provocative speeches and it is true that it might have led others to partake in the violence. Further, about the money, the court said that the aspect was already covered in FIR 44/20.

The court said that the money received by Jahan connects her to Khalid Saifi, who was connected to the riots and it needs to be reiterated that bail does not mean that the court is discharging her of the accusations.

Saying this, the court said that it is inclined to grant bail to Ishrat Jahan despite the provisions in CrPc and UAPA that don’t allow for the same.

Portion of the bail order

The court also specifically mentions that Ishrat Jahan is a woman.

It would therefore appear that the court took the decision to give bail to Ishrat Jahan despite embargoes in CrPc and UAPA and also because she is a woman.

Arrest of Ishrat Jahan

Jahan was arrested on February 26 for the charges under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault on public servant), 332 (voluntarily causes hurt to public servant), 307 (attempt to murder), 109 (abetment), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Arms Act.

‘Ever Forward’ vessel now stuck near Washington DC, earlier ‘Ever Given’ of the same company was stuck in Suez canal for a week: Details

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ever Forward’ vessel now stuck near Washington DC, earlier ‘Ever Given’ of the same company was stuck in Suez canal for a week: Details

On Sunday (March 13) night, a massive cargo ship named Ever Forward, owned by the ‘Evergreen’ corporation ran aground after departing from the Port of Baltimore at the Seagirt. The development comes a year after another vessel named Ever Given, owned by the same company had blocked the Suez canal for over a week.

As per reports, the 1096-ft vessel was stranded at the Chesapeake Bay near Washington DC while it was en route to Norfolk in Virginia. Interestingly, both the Ever Forward and Ever Given are operated by the same Taiwan-based container shipping company called Evergreen Marine Corp.

William P. Doyle, the Executive Director of Maryland Port Administration, had informed, “The ship’s grounding is not preventing other ships from transiting to the Port of Baltimore. Efforts have been underway since last night to try and free the ship and will continue today. The Coast guard is monitoring the situation!”

Ironically named the ‘Ever Forward’, the US Coast Guard is unsure about what caused the vessel to run aground. Meanwhile, the Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corp had hired divers to inspect the vessel for possible damages and help in refloating the ‘Ever Forward’.

As per a report in CBS Baltimore, Maryland-National Capital Region Sector Commander Capt. David O’Connell said that the Craighill Channel is 50 metres deep but the vessel got stranded in shallow waters of 25 ft depth.

A senior researcher at the Citizen Lab, John Scott-Railton, had explained the possible causes that led ‘Ever Forward’ to run aground. He informed, “Looking at charts, #EVERFORWARD may have slightly deviated from dredged navigation channel into shallower waters after departing Baltimore. And got stuck.”

Raialton added, “The #EverForward’s AIS track is… interesting. People may read it as: she missed a waypoint (didn’t make a turn) heading from Craighill Angle into Craighill Channel. Caveat: accidents = complicated & AIS tracks can be imprecise so take all guesses w/big grain of salt!”

The researcher informed that in all likelihood, the vessel missed a crucial turn. He said that the wind speed was not substantial and the draught was not strong.

“The #EverForward is aground in a shoal area of ~24 feet of water. She lists as 42.6 feet of draught (depth below waterline). Takeaway: VERY stuck. Getting her un-stuck & back into the 51-foot deep Craighill Channel is likely to be a big production,” he tweeted.

John Scott-Railton remarked that even a high tide could not help in refloating the ‘Ever Forward.’ He pointed out, “Investigating what led #EverForward to plow into the shoal’s mucky bottom may take a while. Pilot error? Rudder malfunction? Key info will live in the Voyage Data Recorder.”

“Meanwhile, just to make the storyline more interesting, the #EverGiven will soon arrive at the #SuezCanal. Battling very strong headwinds at the moment. We hope she has calmer winds during her transit. No ghusts!” he concluded.

Suez Canal blocked by ‘Ever Given’ in March 2021

A huge container ship named ‘Ever Given’ ran aground the Suez Canal in March last year after being blown off course by a “gust of wind”. It resulted in a huge traffic jam of vessels at either end of the crucial international trade route.

The cargo ship, which is four years old now and is registered in Panama, was on its way to Rotterdam in the Netherlands from China when it got stuck in the Suez Canal. Estimates said, the block was holding up goods worth 9.6 billion dollars a day, that is 400 million dollars an hour.

Weighing 220,000 tonnes and running 400 metres long, the “mega-ship” Ever Given had jammed itself diagonally across a southern section of the canal and thereby blocked shipping traffic. On March 29, 2021, the container ship was finally refloated.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) had demanded $916 million in compensation from the owners of the giant Ever Given vessel. The high compensation was sought to cover the revenue loss, reputational damage and cost of salvage operations.

In June 2021, it was reported that the negotiation could not be finalized since March, leading to the ship being anchored in a lake between two stretches of the canal. The ship inspired some of the best, most creative memes in the year 2021.

Suez Canal is a crucial lane that links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and is the fastest maritime link between Asia and Europe. The watercourse, which is around 193 km long, was built by the Suez Canal Company in the mid-1860s and was officially opened in 1869.

Threats, allegations of foul play and sit-in protest: AAP candidate who lost Kapurthala assembly seat ends her 4-day dharna on a bitter note

OpIndia Staff
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Threats, allegations of foul play and sit-in protest: AAP candidate who lost Kapurthala assembly seat ends her 4-day dharna on a bitter note

On March 14, Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate from Kapurthala Assembly seat, Manju Rana, ended her 4-day protest with a roadshow. Rana had been sitting on ‘dharna’ outside the counting centre at Virsa Vihar since the results were announced, and she lost to Congress candidate Rana Gurjeet Singh by over 6,200 votes. The election commission officials and police officials tried their level best in those four days to convince her to file an appeal in High Court as per the procedure, but she kept creating ruckus outside the counting centre.

The result and accusations of foul play

On March 10, after it was announced that Manju Rana, a former Judge, lost the Assembly elections to Congress candidate Rana Gurjeet Singh, she alleged foul play by the police, administration and counting staff. Rana sat on protest and alleged all of them were involved in helping Singh to win the election and indulged in foul play during polling and counting. Rana lost the election to Singh amidst the AAP wave across Punjab. Notably, Singh won the seat for the fourth time.

‘If I am my father’s daughter, I will see you’: Rana threatens Congress candidate

On the day of counting, Rana had allegedly threatened Singh of consequences post results were announced. In a video shared by Web Khabristan, Rana could be heard threatening the winning candidate Rana Gurjeet Singh with dire consequences. She said, “If I am my father’s daughter, I will see you. I will see how you live peacefully here [in Kapurthala] with me in the same city.”

Rana alleged at booth number 3 though only 292 votes were polled, the counting showed 635 votes. “How could this be possible? We are asking all the officials, but no one has a satisfactory answer.” Her followers alleged Rana had proof of the foul play, but the election commission was not listening to her plea.

‘It is my government. I will pull your tongue and file cases against you’: AAP candidate Manju Rana to Rana Gurjeet Singh

During these four days of dharna, Deepti Uppal, Deputy Commissioner, and other officials tried to convince her that she had to file a plea to raise the objection, but Rana did not listen to any of them. A video went viral where she could be heard arguing with police officials. She told DSP not to argue with her and threatened to cut his tongue if he kept talking. She said, “It is my government in the state. I will pull your tongue and file cases against all of you.”

When DSP tried to tell her that he was sitting quietly, she said, “You are still arguing with me. You have no right to talk to me.” When DSP said it was her who was arguing and not him, she said, “I am not arguing. I will slap you if you keep talking.” She further alleged DSP was mentally torturing her, and he must be removed from the premises.

Dharna ended with a roadshow

On March 14, she ended her protest, saying her health was not good as she was not eating correctly for the last 4-5 days. She said, “As I was sitting on protest, I could not take proper diet that resulted in complete hair fall. I am thankful to the AAP leaders, including Raghav Chaddha, Sandeep Singh, and CM designate Bhagwant Mann, for giving me a chance to contest the election.” She had covered her head while giving her statement and alleged she had lost all of her hair.

While ending her protest, she said the SSP, Kapurthala assured her that legal action would be taken based on her complaint. She said, “Even my party wants that since it has now come to power, I must not confine myself to a dharna and move out and work for the people. Since I have been a judge, they want to use my legal knowledge and go about in villages and city areas to help people solve matters of the people in the best possible ways.”

DC Uppal said, “Any candidate who is not satisfied with the counting procedure has to file an election petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which she is free to do. Her allegation of more votes from a ballot unit than polled was proven wrong to her right in front of the election observer. To settle her second issue that one person voted at two booths, she has to move the court. Only the court can allow us to open the re-sealed EVMs and VVPAT machines now and verify any complaint.”

Punjab Assembly elections results

On March 10, the results of the Punjab Assembly elections were announced. Aam Aadmi Party won the majority with 92 seats. CM designate Bhagwant Mann would take oath as Chief Minister on March 16.

‘The Kashmir Files’ success: Local businesses offer discounts, incentives to encourage people to watch the movie

Suyash
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‘The Kashmir Files’ success: Local businesses offer discounts, incentives to encourage people to watch the movie

The Kashmir Files has truly become the people’s film. Looking at the overwhelming response the film has garnered in just four days of its release, it is clear that the masses are finally ready to acknowledge brutalities inflicted on the Kashmiri Hindus by Islamic terrorists in the valley. While the film has been made tax-free in the states of Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat among others, private businesses in many cities are coming forward with discounts and attractive offers to encourage people to watch the movie.

From small-scale service providers, influencers to internet entrepreneurs, businesses across the country, incentives are being given to customers, employers, etc to watch the film through discounts on products, services, casual leaves to watch the film, etc.

Chirag Barjatya, a fitness entrepreneur who runs a wellness coaching service, Project Fitness Company announced on Twitter that customers on his website will get flat Rs. 500/- off on showing a ticket of The Kashmir Files. Overwhelmed by the response Chirag formulated a code ‘TheKashmirFiles’ which could be used by his customers to get the discount on any of the products on his website.

In Gujarat’s Palanpur, Jalaram Breakfast House has rolled out an interesting offer on delicacies. Owner Jayesh Thakkar has invited people after they watch The Kashmir Files to his store and provided they show the ticket, a plate full of Fafda and Khova Jalebi will be offered for free. Similarly in Palanpur, The Om Sanatan Pujapa Bhandar has offered a packet of premium scented essence sticks worth Rs. 70/- for free for people who watch The Kashmir Files movie.

A jeweller in Palanpur, Shree Keshar Gold Palace has offered a discount of Rs. 500/- on the making charges of jewellery in Gold, silver or diamond. The inventive ways by business establishments to encourage people to watch the film are paving a way for an ecosystem of civilizational awareness among the masses. Satkar Infotech, a technical service provider in the city has decided to offer free service on repair of printers.

Nana Garud who runs a restaurant named ‘Hotel Khandesh’ in Pune’s Pashan has decided to give a 20% discount to all the watchers to The Kashmiri Files. A board placed at the entrance says, “An offer for all the nationalists, submit the ticket of The Kashmir Files and avail a 20% discount on your bill.”

In a similar tone, Delhi’s Hashtag Pizza offers a 50% discount on the bill on the ticket of The Kashmir Files. Hashtag Pizza is owned by Delhi BJP Politician Harish Khurana who has also congratulated filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on the success of the film. Internet and WhatsApp groups are brimmed with offers to all the watchers of The Kashmir files while netizens are sharing the same on Twitter.

Incentives from independent businesses have come as an encouragement for the masses to come out and watch the film in large numbers. In 4 days, the film has collected Rs 42.20 crore at the box office. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film intends to record the truth behind Kashmir Hindu Genocide which unfolded in the Kashmir valley in 1990 on the silver screen. With its successful release and people finding innovative ways to support the story, the exercise in economic solidarity has become a new trend.

PM Narendra Modi praises ‘The Kashmir Files’, says it presents the truth, so certain people are running a campaign against it

OpIndia Staff
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PM Narendra Modi praises ‘The Kashmir Files’, says it presents the truth, so certain people are running a campaign against it

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday, while chairing the BJP parliamentary meeting, lauded the recently released movie on the Kashmiri Hindu genocide- ‘The Kashmir Files’. He said that the movie presents truths based on facts. He asserted that movies on celebrities and major events after independence should be made, just like The Kashmir Files. 

In a snippet from the meeting shared by BJP leader Amit Malviya, PM Modi slammed the so-called liberals who have tried to dismiss the entire plot as fiction even though it is based on real events. He asserted that the entire “Jamaat” (ecosystem), who pretend to be proponents of freedom of expression and speech are completely flummoxed since the release of the movie. They are doing all it takes to discredit the movie, which is actually based on true events.

The entire ecosystem has launched a full-fledged campaign to discredit the film: PM Modi

“Instead of engaging in healthy debates based on facts and truths, this entire ecosystem has launched a full-fledged campaign to discredit the film. An individual has shown the courage to expose the truth, but this ecosystem is hell-bent on shaming his efforts. They also do not want to understand or allow others to do the same. They do not want to accept the truth, nor do they want the truth to be revealed in front of the world. The type of campaign that has been launched against the movie in the last few days is astounding”, PM Modi stated.

“My intention is not to advocate for a specific film, all I want to say is that it is critical to present the facts in their entirety to the world. There can be varied aspects to it. Some will see one aspect while someone else might see it from a different perspective. The people who feel that this movie is not up to the mark, are free to make another movie… who is stopping them,” Modi further added.

The Prime Minister, slamming critics for peddling various conspiracy theories to shamelessly deny the brutal genocide of Hindus in the 1990s, said these people are flabbergasted that the truth, which had been shrouded for so many years, has finally come out in the open, and that too with facts that validate the claims.

“Through such films, people come to know about the truth and understand who was responsible for any incidents in the past. Who exploited or who did the correct thing, films like these try to project,” asserted PM Modi as he lauded the filmmakers’ efforts to bring to light the harsh reality that had been buried for years.

PM Modi added that more good films should have been made narrating the thoughts and ideas of Mahatma Gandhi so that the world can know more and more about him. “People make tall claims like freedom of speech and expression, but have you seen any movie made on the Emergency of 1975. Why? Because there has been a constant effort to suppress the truth.

Modi went on to explain how this particular ‘ecosystem’ had reacted negatively when his government declared August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the pain caused by the country’s partition cannot be forgotten and that the day commemorates the struggle and sacrifices of the people of India. These people, on the other hand, were agitated by my announcement. The partition was a significant event, but no one has dared to make a film about it, according to Modi. 

Liberals, genocide deniers discredit The Kashmir Files

The Kashmir Files, the latest film from writer and director Vivek Agnihotri has set the cat among the liberal pigeons. The film, which was ignored by everyone before its release, has stunned everyone with the overwhelming response at the box office. With success, come the detractors, and Kashmir Files has had plenty of them- people who tried to dismiss the entire plot as fiction even though it is based on real events.

Perturbed by the success of Kashmir Files and people’s reaction to the genocide of the Kashmiri Hindu community in 1990, the Congress party had also officially stepped in to defend the radical Islamists who carried it out.

On January 19, 1990, amid repeated attacks against the minority Hindu community, mosques in Kashmir had issued a warning to Kashmiri Hindus while terming them as Kafirs. They had three options, leave Kashmir, convert to Islam or be killed. It has been over 30 years, but the pain, agony and tears of tens of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits still echo the valley. As per records, around 219 Kashmiri Pandits were killed at the hands of Islamists. While some studies suggest around 100,000 Kashmiri Pandits left the valley during the 1990s, the number may be as high as 300,000, according to a survey by the Hindu American Foundation.

During that period, not only Hindus were forced out of Kashmir, but temples were destroyed, houses were burnt to ruins, and millions were rendered homeless.

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