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YouTuber Happy Goldsmith apologizes for depicting the assassination of PM Modi in gaming video, claims he is getting death threats

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YouTuber Happy Goldsmith apologizes for depicting the assassination of PM Modi in gaming video, claims he is getting death threats

Manpreet Singh, a 20-year-old YouTuber from Punjab, who sparked controversy for his GTA gaming video in which he had ‘brutally killed PM Modi’, has issued an apology, alleged it was meant to be a joke, and people took it seriously. The video was uploaded on his YouTube Channel Happy Goldsmith.

In a three minute video, Manpreet Singh apologized for his earlier video and said he now understood it was a mistake to create such a video. In his statement issued in Punjabi, Singh said, “A clip from a 4-month video is being circulated on social media. Because of that video, my family and I are getting death threats. People are messaging and calling me on social media, abusing and threatening me. I know I committed a mistake.”

He further added that when the video became viral, he made it private and put up a story on Instagram apologizing for the same. “But after that, I am facing a lot of hate. People are connecting a character of a gaming video to real life. I would like to tell you that it was a gaming video. I understand it was a mistake,” he added. Singh claimed he started creating gaming video sometime back and still learning it. “It was my foolishness to create such a video, and I am suffering because of that. I am ready to face the punishment, but it was made for entertainment only. It was a joke. I was not aware people would take it seriously. It was an old video, and it is not right to connect it to the current scenario. I have removed the video.”

He claimed the netizens were exaggerating the content of the video, and his intentions were to make it humorous. “I apologize, and I am ready to face the consequences,” he said.

Earlier, he had posted a tweet apologizing for the same.

Was it really a humorous video?

Singh, who has a fan following of close to 3,00,000 on his YouTube channel, often uploads streaming videos related to GTA5, Valorant and Farmer Simulator. Hailing from Bagha Purana, Punjab, Singh had uploaded the controversial video four months ago. He narrates the commentary in the Punjabi language.

In the now-deleted video, Singh informed his followers about what was going to happen. He said, “The Police that is providing security to Modi would work with us today. He thinks the Police would protect him, but he is wrong.” He then shows how his fellow protestors have blocked the road from which PM Modi’s car would leave and narrates how he was planning to block his way and ‘teach him a lesson.

When the character of PM Modi drove away in the car, he followed him and, after chasing the car down the road, made the vehicle go off-road. He then chained the vehicle to his tractor and pulled it back to the place where all the protestors were. Singh’s character then shot at the glass and said, “I am not going to shoot him as Police has asked us not to shoot him.” He used a hammer to break the glass and then changed the weapon to a baseball bat.

He said, “Let him come out. I will teach him a lesson with this,” and waved the bat in the air. PM Modi’s character came out of the car and started running. Singh’s character, who was wearing a Sikh turban, chased him down the road and hit him with the baseball bat multiple times. The PM’s character fell down on the road soaked in blood. One may wonder where was the humour in the video when he hit the PM’s character multiple times while saying, “He has troubled us a lot.”

Singh had laughed over the controversy

Earlier, in a now-deleted stream, Singh checked the social media posts and laughed at how his video was making rounds on social media.

He had claimed that he would not delete the video irrespective of the controversy. While using a cuss word, Singh had said, “It was a game” and added, “Bloody Modi Bhakts have come”.

It is notable that dozens of gaming videos are available on YouTube where a character depicting PM Modi is shown attacked and assassinated using various ways.

Veer Baal Diwas to be observed on 26th December to pay tribute to martyr sons of Guru Gobind Singh: PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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Veer Baal Diwas to be observed on 26th December to pay tribute to martyr sons of Guru Gobind Singh: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a big announcement on Sunday 9th January 2022, on the occasion of ‘Guru Parv’ that is the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh ji. He said that ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ would be celebrated every year on 26th December from this year onwards. It will be a fitting tribute to the courage and pursuit of justice of the Sahibzadas.

PM Modi announced the celebration of Veer Bal Diwas on twitter. In his Tweet, he has said, “Today, on the auspicious occasion of the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, I am honoured to share that starting this year, 26th December shall be marked as ‘Veer Baal Diwas.’ This is a fitting tribute to the courage of the Sahibzades and their quest for justice.”

Remembering the ideals of bravery

In a following tweet, PM Modi hailed the bravery of Mata Gujari, Guru Gobind Singh ji and his sons Sahibazades. Two of the four Sahibzades were torchered and killed by Mughals in 1705. The PM said in his tweet, “The bravery and ideals of Mata Gujri, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the 4 Sahibzades give strength to millions of people. They never bowed to injustice. They envisioned a world that is inclusive and harmonious. It is the need of the hour for more people to know about them.”

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He further said, “‘Veer Baal Diwas’ will be on the same day Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji attained martyrdom after being sealed alive in a wall. These two greats preferred death instead of deviating from the noble principles of Dharma.”

Who were the Sahibzades?

The four Sahibzade Khalsa warrior princes were the sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Guru Gobind Singh ji had four sons – Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. All four of his sons were initiated into the Khalsa and all were executed by Mughal forces before the age of 19. Sikhism honors the illustrious martyred sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji in the prayer of ardas for their valor and sacrifice as ‘Char Sahibzade’, that is the four princes of the Khalsa warrior order.

Ajit Singh was martyred at the age of 18, on December 7, 1705 CE at Chamkaur after he volunteered to leave the besieged fortress and face the enemy on the battlefield. Jujhar Singh was martyred at the age of 14, on December 7, 1705 CE at Chamkaur where he earned the reputation of being likened to a crocodile for his fierceness in battle, when he volunteered to leave the besieged fortress with five of the last Singhs standing, and all achieved immortality on the battlefield.

Zorawar Singh and his younger brother Fateh Singh were captured with their grandmother Mata Gujari, the mother of Guru Gobind Singh. They were imprisoned with their grandmother and put to death by cruel Mughals on the orders of Aurangzeb, who attempted to suffocate them ​inside a brick enclosure. At the time of martyrdom, the ages of Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were 9 years and 6 years respectively. This sacrifice is seen as the bravest sacrifice for Dharma by any young boys in the Indian history and this is why PM Modi has announced that the day of their martyrdom will be observed as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’.

Guru Gobind Singh was also killed by a Mughal assassin in 1708, a year after the death of Aurangzeb.

Andhra Pradesh: Islamists attack police and BJP workers after opposition to illegal construction of mosque in Kurnool

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh: Islamists attack police and BJP workers after opposition to illegal construction of mosque in Kurnool

A mob of Islamists attacked police and BJP workers in Bandi Atmakur in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh for opposing illegal construction in the area, including a mosque. The situation in this area was tense after the incident which took place on Saturday 8th January 2022. Muslim mob also pelted stones on the police who were trying to control the situation. Several BJP leaders have been injured in this attack.

BJP leader from Shrisailam, Budda Srikanth Reddy was also present on the spot. BJP’s National Secretary Y Satya Kumar said that the incident took place after people opposed the construction of an illegal mosque. Andhra Pradesh BJP general secretary Vishnuvardhan Reddy has also issued a statement on the incident.

Tension sparked in Bandi Atmakur of Kurnool district after a mob allegedly attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Budda Srikanth Reddy and others on Saturday. There had been a conflict between Hindus and Muslims over the construction of a mosque behind the Padmavati school.

Andhra Pradesh BJP General Secretary, Vishnuvardhan Reddy, in a press release stated that, “The BJP leaders including Srikanth Reddy and others questioned the government over illegal constructions at Bandi Atmakur town. When they were questioning it, some people attacked the BJP leaders and damaged their vehicles in front of the police. It is shameful and unfortunate. The BJP is condemning it and demanding a stern action on it.” Vishnuvardhan Reddy termed the incident as a murder attempt on Srikanth Reddy and others and demanded a thorough investigation.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) DG Sawang said, “Some people were trying to instigate clashes in Kurnool district. Police will take stringed action on those who tried to provoke people in the name of religion.” The DGP directed the Superintendent of Police, Kurnool to visit Atmakur and control the law and order situation.

The Muslim group also gheraoed the police station and attacked BJP workers. The police also had to fire in the air to control the situation. A heavy police force has been deployed in the area. Srikanth Reddy’s car got damaged in this violence. Muslim mob also pelted stones at BJP workers and police. The BJP has demanded that a case of an attempt to murder should be registered against the people involved in the incident. There is also talk of the death of a young man, but it has not been confirmed.

The British Sikh Association condemns the security breach of PM Modi, demands an apology from the Punjab government

OpIndia Staff
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The British Sikh Association condemns the security breach of PM Modi, demands an apology from the Punjab government

The British Sikh Association has criticised the security lapse that occurred during PM Modi’s visit to Ferozepur in Punjab, stating that the PM is a democratically elected head of the Indian government who represents the entire country, not just one state.

The cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event and his security breach at Ferozpur, Punjab, on January 5 has turned into a significant debate. The British Sikh Association, based in the United Kingdom, has issued an official statement and has taken up this issue, reminding those who disrupted PM Modi’s visit that the state would have benefited enormously from his presence at the occasion.

“It is a sad indictment of the security arrangements surrounding his visit that allowed a handful of an unruly mob to hamper the visit planned to exercise his democratic right to meet and greet the public. In fact, the nation was waiting to see what message the Prime Minister had for the people of Punjab whom he holds in the highest esteem.” the statement by the British Sikh Association read.

It also praised the Prime Minister for his role in the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor and for using Indian diplomatic representations to promote the teachings and lives of the Sikh Gurus across the world. The statement, written by Lord Rami Ranger CBE, also notes PM Modi’s commemoration of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Gobind Singh, and Guru Tegh Bahadur’s birth anniversaries.

Recognizing PM Modi’s reverence to the Sikh Gurus, the statement read “On an unparalleled scale, I recall how the Prime Minister celebrated the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh faith Guru Nanak Dev Ji. In the same way, the 350th birth anniversary of the tenth Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the 400th birth anniversary of the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was acknowledged and celebrated through the efforts of Modi Ji. No other Indian Prime Minister has shown such reverence to the Sikh Gurus.”

British Sikh Association condemns security breach of the PM Modi
The statement is written by Lord Rami Ranger CBE

In a major declaration, the British Sikh Association also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision of the removal of three farm laws. “As a mark of respect for the Punjab farmers, Prime Minister Modi revoked the three farm bills enacted democratically by the Parliament. If anything, the people of Punjab should have shown their respect and gratitude to the Prime Minister for taking back those contentious bills that too on the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.” the statement read.

The British Sikh Association has urged leaders of Punjab to apologise to Prime Minister Modi. “I urge the leaders of Punjab to extend an unequivocal apology to the Prime Minister and show their utmost remorse for the way he had to cut short his visit. It is worth noting that the Prime Minister does not depend on Punjab for his strength in Parliament. In fact, Punjab depends on the Prime Minister’s goodwill for its future development. Being a border State, Punjab needs the central government to help fight terrorism and the drug epidemic unleashed by India’s neighbour with dire consequences to future generations.” the statement adds.

PM Modi’s security breach 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi on Wednesday (January 5) following a major security lapse. He was expected to launch projects worth Rs 42,750 crores and attend a joint BJP-PLC-SAD(D) rally in Ferozepur. Due to adverse weather, PM Modi was supposed to visit the National Martyrs Memorial by road rather than helicopter, according to the MHA. The Prime Minister’s convoy was halted by demonstrators some 30 kilometres from Hussainiwala, stranding him for 15-20 minutes on a flyover. The MHA called it a severe breach in the Prime Minister’s security, and his cavalcade was rerouted to Bathinda airport.

Punjab government appointed Viresh Kumar Bhawra as the new DGP of the state, replacing Siddharth Chattopadhyaya, who was made the DGP less than a month ago following the serious lapses in the PM’s security on his visit to Punjab.

Backlash against Javed Habib after ‘thook haircut’ videos emerged, Karni Sena protests, Bhopal BJP MLA calls for boycott

OpIndia Staff
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Backlash against Javed Habib after ‘thook haircut’ videos emerged, Karni Sena protests, Bhopal BJP MLA calls for boycott

On Sunday morning, members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena protested in front of Salon franchises owned by Hair-stylist Javed Habib, whose act of spiting in the hair of a woman while a demonstration has created a controversy. Large protests erupted on Sunday in Madhya Pradhesh with BJP MLA from Bhopal Rameshwar Sharma giving calls for boycotting Javed’s brand in a public meet.

Protestors from Karni Sena also took out bike rallies near Javed Habib outlets in Vijay Nagar and Tukoganj in Indore. Karni Sena district President Rishiraj Singh Sisodia, while talking to reporters, claimed that Habib had insulted women by his act of spitting. He said he will ensure not to let stores linked to Habib operate in Indore and to make him suffer financially. “The signboards bearing the name of Habib will be pulled down and destroyed. The administration can take whatever action it wants against us”, said Sisodiya.

Kamlesh Sharma, station in-charge at Tukoganj police clarified that no salon was vandalised during the protests. However, it was Amit Dantre who runs a Jawed Habib store in Tukoganj, Indore who openly came out and expressed his displeasure over Habib’s act and has decided to give up his franchise to set up a new establishment. “As the incident sparked row, we have changed the branding of our salon in honour of women. I had taken the franchise of Jawed Habib 6-7 years ago and left the franchise after this incident.” Dantre added.

In another incident, Rameshwar Sharma, the BJP MLA from Bhopal’s Huzur Assembly seat, gave calls for boycotting Javed Habib’s salons. “How are people behaving? They spit in food and even on women’s hairs. Hindus should spit on those who believe in the culture of spitting. No one should go to outlets of those who spit. Instead, you should spit there,” Sharma said while addressing a crowd in Bairagarh.

On January 06, a video had emerged on social media of Javed Habib spitting in the hair of a woman he was styling during a hair-styling workshop. Following the incident, a case was registered against him in Muzaffarnagar by the victim. Following the outrage, another video of Habib spitting on another woman’s hair and gone viral on social media. The National Commission for Women had taken cognizance of the issue and said that the apology issued by Habib did not seem like an apology at all.

How Ram Mandir’s construction began, here Nizam and Owaisi’s name will be written off: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Telangana

OpIndia Staff
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How Ram Mandir’s construction began, here Nizam and Owaisi’s name will be written off: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Telangana

On Sunday (January 9), Assam Chief Minister launched an offensive against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi during his visit to the Southern State of Telengana. He made the remarks while adressing a gathering at the Vishnupriya Gardens in Warangal.

During his speech, Sarma stated, “There is none who can stop the progress of India. The way Article 370 was abrogated, and the construction for the majestic Ram Mandir has commenced… (The day is not far when) the name of the erstwhile Nizam will be removed. Even the name of Owaisi will be removed. The day is not far.”

He further emphasised, “This is because the soul of the nation has awakened. India is no more the land of pseudo secularists or those who indulge in communal politics. People will no longer tolerate them”.

Sarma further said, “The history of India says that Babur, Aurangzeb, and Nizam cannot live long. I am sure that the legacy of Nizam will come to a complete halt and a new culture based on Indian civilization will emerge”.

Earlier in the day, Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced his arrival at the Hyderabad airport. In a tweet, the Assam CM wrote, “While BJP Telangana President Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar ji received me inside the airport, thousands of BJP (Telangana) Karyakartas lined up outside chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”

He added, “The enthusiastic reception at Hyderabad proved how the people of Telangana are fed up with the misrule of TRS government and are yearning for a change.” Several BJP leaders, including Devendra Fadnavis, are scheduled to visit the Southern State to oppose the recently passed Government Order (GO) 317. Under the new ‘zonal’ system of job allocation, teachers can be transferred to the allocated location based on favouritism instead of seniority and nativity.

The protest against GO 317

BJP has been protesting against the controversial order of GO 317 that laid down the guidelines on employee transfer. MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar had called for a protest against the order on January 2. The police, in its statement, alleged there was no permission for the protests. Along with BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, 150 party workers were detained by the Police.

China: Uyghur woman in Xinjiang sentenced to 14 years in prison for teaching Islam and keeping copies of the Quran

OpIndia Staff
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China: Uyghur woman in Xinjiang sentenced to 14 years in prison for teaching Islam and keeping copies of the Quran

According to reports, an Uyghur woman abducted from her home in China’s Xinjiang region in the middle of the night more than four years ago was sentenced to 14 years in prison for providing Islamic instruction to children in her neighbourhood and hiding copies of the Quran.

Hasiyet Ehmet, aged 57 and a native of Manas (Manasi) county in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang, has not been heard from since she was kidnapped by Chinese officials in May 2017.

After RFA (Radio Free Asia) first reported on Hasiyet’s case, a source with knowledge of the situation told RFA’s Uyghur Service that authorities have sentenced the woman to 14 years in prison — seven for teaching the Quran and giving religious lessons to local children and another seven years for hiding two copies of the sacred text during a period when police began confiscating religious books from Manas county residents.

According to sources tracking the incident, officers from the county’s No. 3 police station had stormed into Hasiyet’s home and placed a black hood over her head, ignoring her plea to put on different clothing or fetch her medicine before taking her away. Hasiyet Ehmet was sentenced to 14 years in prison, according to a Manas county court official.

“It was because of teaching kids the Quran and hiding two copies of Quran when authorities were confiscating them, and later getting caught,” the official said. Hasiyet’s spouse was convicted of “separatism” charges and sentenced to life in prison in 2009, nine years before her arrest.

Hasiyet had stopped teaching children two years before her arrest because of health problems and had refrained from attending public events, but still, she was arrested and punished.

Persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China

For years, Chinese authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have tortured a number of Uyghur Muslims as part of a campaign to monitor, control, and assimilate members of the Islamic community in an effort to stop religious extremism and terrorist activities.

Since 2017, 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities are reported to have been incarcerated in a network of detention centres in Xinjiang. Beijing has disputed numerous and documented complaints that it has abused Muslims in Xinjiang by claiming that the camps are vocational training institutes. The strategy of the Communist Party of China (CCP) is to strip Uyghurs of their religious and ethnic identity and assimilate them into the dominant Han Chinese ethnicity. While Uyghur Muslims are often subjected to re-educational programs, forced labour, and digital surveillance, their children are indoctrinated in orphanages.

Censorship, propaganda, and disinformation by Beijing to deny accusations of widespread mistreatment of Uyghurs

To counter damning international reports, the CCP censored all Western news detailing the atrocities perpetrated against the Uyghurs in the detention camps. Several international journalists who covered the Uyghurs’ captivity were expelled from China, while academics, activists, and survivors who tried to reveal China’s deception were ridiculed and hounded. Those who spoke out against the unlawful arrest of Uyghurs in China were either silenced or imprisoned.

The crackdown on Uyghur Muslims was followed by a propaganda effort in which detention camps were depicted as “vocational training” education centres, complete with staged media tours for official sources interviewing “graduates” who praised the system.

Simultaneously, the CCP’s disinformation arm swung into action, dismissing Uyghur persecution as a figment of Western fiction and sowing confusion about the size of the “education centres” and the abuses suffered by the detainees, while also portraying Beijing as a victim of violent extremism and Western propaganda.

Initially, the CCP kept its Xinjiang internment camps for Uyghur Muslims a secret. When word of their existence began to circulate in the international media, China’s immediate reaction was to deploy censorship to limit its dissemination in Chinese media while strongly denying their existence.

When overwhelming evidence to the opposite became clear, China reversed course and started a propaganda campaign claiming they were just “education centres” where the ignorant Uyghur people might learn useful skills.

The Taliban appraisal of China and disdain for Uyghurs

Soon after US forces left war-torn Afghanistan, the Taliban said that China is a “friend” of Afghanistan and that it hopes China would help in the country’s restoration.

Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, told the South China Morning Post that the extremist Islamic organisation currently controlled 85 percent of Afghan land and will ensure the safety of Chinese businessmen and employees.

During the interview, Shaheen stated that the Taliban had convinced China that it will not host Uyghur terrorists from China’s Xinjiang province, some of whom had previously fled to Afghanistan to avoid Chinese persecution.

China is concerned that, under Taliban administration, Afghanistan might become a base for the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a separatist group linked to Al-Qaeda that is conducting an insurgency in China’s Xinjiang autonomous region. Uyghur Muslims live in the northwest Xinjian area, which shares an 8-kilometer border with Afghanistan.

Four Supreme Court judges test positive for Covid-19 after farewell party for a retiring judge, over 150 staff quarantined

OpIndia Staff
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Four Supreme Court judges test positive for Covid-19 after farewell party for a retiring judge, over 150 staff quarantined

Covid-19 scare has enveloped the Supreme Court of India as Four judges have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 150 staff members are either positive or under quarantine until now. Earlier on Thursday, the news of 2 judges being tested positively for Covid-19 had appeared. As of now, four judges of the Supreme Court and over 150 court officials have tested positive for Coronavirus.

With four judges getting infected, the positivity rate among the judges has reached 12.5%.

Apart from four judges, five of the eight top court officers designated as Registrars, who are in charge of various sections which feed pending cases on a daily basis to the benches for hearing, have also been quarantined.

Now it has been learnt that a farewell party for a retiring judge may have been turned into a superspreader event, and an already infected judge may have spread the virus among the people who had attended the party.

The development came after a farewell party was hosted on Tuesday, January 04, by The CJI for retiring Justice R Subhash Reddy. Initially reluctant about the gathering of more than 30 judges, who had travelled to different locations during the winter break, The CJI agreed to host a high-tea for the retiring Justice.

However, it is was learnt that one of the judges who had mild fever during the event had mixed freely with all the judges. The said judge reportedly tested positive on Thursday and was admitted to Medanta hospital later.

The Supreme Court had already switched to virtual mode due to the emerging third wave of Covid-19 in the country. In the wake of the rising number of cases of omicron variant of Covid9, the apex court had decided to conduct all hearings through virtual mode for two weeks with effect from 3rd January 2021. However, later the CJI said that the court will not return to physical hearing for at least 4-6 weeks.

The CJI said on Thursday, “Unfortunately, again the problem has started and we are also conscious of this and It seems, we may not be able to hear cases through physical mode for the next four to six weeks. Apart from switching to virtual hearings, the court had decided that only extremely urgent matters especially those involving stay and bail will be listed before the courts.

Bishnoi community in Rajasthan to build a memorial for Black Bucks killed by Salman Khan: Read why they consider the deer sacred

OpIndia Staff
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Bishnoi community in Rajasthan to build a memorial for Black Bucks killed by Salman Khan: Read why they consider the deer sacred

The Bishnoi community in the Kankani village of Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district is reportedly going to construct a grand memorial to honour the blackbuck killed by Salman Khan. The people of this village consider deer sacred. At least 200 youths belonging to the Bishnoi community are involved in the initiative. In 1998, Salman Khan had hunted a blackbuck near the shooting location of his film Hum Saath Saath Hain. He was sentenced to five years in jail after a court delivered the verdict in a case filed by the Bishnoi community.

Memorial for the black buck killed by Salman Khan

The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan considers deer as sacred and that Salman Khan had killed a blackbuck while he was in Jodhpur for the shooting a film had enraged the community and hurt their sentiments. Now, a grand monument and an animal rescue centre are being built at the same place where the deer was found dead. A huge statue of Panch Dhatu of black deer will be erected at the site, and a rescue centre will also be built for the treatment of animals and birds.

What does the community say?

A member of the Bishnoi community said, “After the construction of this monument, we will pass our learning Guru, Jambhoji Maharaj, to the next generation. Jambhoji Maharaj said that ‘sar kate rukh bache to bhi sasta jaan’, which means that even if the head is cut off, the youth of the Bishnoi community should be ready to save the environment, trees and animals at any cost.” He further added that about two hundred youths from the Bishnoi community have taken this initiative to build a memorial on seven bighas of land and for this, the work of levelling has started with two dozen JCBs.

Why deer is sacred for Bishnois?

The Bishnois are known for their love for nature worship and wildlife conservation. It was this community that pursued this matter with a conviction for the killings which is deemed to be a crime, not only towards the animal but also to their faith. The Bishnois of Jodhpur consider the blackbuck to be the reincarnation of their religious Guru Bhagwan Jambeshwar also known as Jambaji. A Bishnoi, therefore, would never tolerate the killing of wild animals or the cutting down of a tree. The origins of the Bishnois community date back as far past as the late 15th Century.

A preacher called Guru Jambeshwar established the sect. While some believe the term ‘Bishnoi’ is a derivative of Vishnu, the principal deity of the Bishnois, others believe it means twenty (Bish) nine (noi) in a local Rajasthani dialect. This alludes to a list of 29 commandments laid down by Jambeshwar, which all Bishnois are required to follow. They have been known to make many sacrifices for the protection of animals, especially the endangered blackbuck. They can even sacrifice their lives to save this creature.

The legal provisions and contribution of Bishnois

Blackbucks and chinkaras are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. The Bishnois consider the former as sacred. They follow what is perhaps the world’s only environment-friendly religion and recognize the rights of birds, animals and trees to live in peace and harmony with humans. Reports show that in 2016, over 1,700 people who were involved in wildlife crimes in Rajasthan were arrested due to the efforts of this community.

One of the commandments of Bishnois says that they should not cut trees and save the environment. Another commandment talks about how protecting animals is a major cause of them. “Provide shelters for abandoned animals to avoid them from being slaughtered in abattoirs,” it reads, making clear the Bishnoi’s reverence of all life on the planet. This can be deemed as one of the biggest reasons the Bishnois wished to see any poacher convicted – even if it were a film star.

Out of their 29 commandments, many talks about preservation of nature and animals. Their 23rd commandment says that they can not sterilize bulls, another one asks them to not eat meat, always remain pure vegetarian. It was the commitment to their principles that they fearlessly lodged complaint against Salman Khan.

Black Buck Killing Case

23 years ago, in 1998 when Salman Khan and few of his other co-actors were in Jodhpur for the shooting of a film scheduled at the location, they went on a safari. At that time Salman Khan had shot a black buck. On April 5, 2018, the Rajasthan Sessions Court convicted the star and sentenced him to five-year imprisonment. Salman’s lawyers appealed against the sentence, and the matter is still pending in the Rajasthan High Court. His co-actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari were acquitted.

MP ex-cop removed from WhatsApp group by DGP for saying those who voted for Muslim League stayed back in India: Why he was right

OpIndia Staff
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MP ex-cop removed from WhatsApp group by DGP for saying those who voted for Muslim League stayed back in India: Why he was right

A retired top cop was recently removed from the Whatsapp group of Madhya Pradesh State IPS officers for saying that Muslims, who voted in favour of the Muslim League, stayed back in India.

As per reports, the ex-police officer was identified as Maithili Sharan Gupta. While responding to a remark by Javed Akthar that the forefathers of Indian Muslims chose India as their home, Gupta had shared the link of a Youtube video in the WhatsApp group of IPS MP.

The former Special DGP (Police Reform) had challenged the conventional belief that the forefathers of the Indian Muslims voluntarily chose to go to Pakistan. He wrote, “Those who voted for Muslim League, instead of going to Pakistan, they stayed back in India. Post-Independence, our black Britishers let them sit on the heads of Hindus.”

The message further added, “They were given more rights under the law and this is the root cause of all problems. They were made education ministers, subsequently, they changed your history.” Gupta was asked to delete the supposedly ‘communal’ WhatsApp message by incumbent State DGP Vivek Johri.

“Such political/communal post should have no place in this group. Pl delete,” Johri had said. When he refused to comply with the diktat, Maithili Sharan Gupta was removed from the group by the admin.

While speaking about the matter to The Indian Express, the retired cop said, “A very junior officer called me and asked me to delete the post. But I told him that I found nothing objectionable in it and refused to delete it.”

On learning about his removal from the WhatsApp group of IPS MP, Gupta said that it was a small issue as compared to the suffering of the Hindu community. He added how it was important to make people aware of the plight of Hindus.

Muslims oversaw creation of Pakistan, many stayed back despite voting for Muslim League

During the provincial elections in 1946, it is an undisputed fact that Muslims voted overwhelmingly for Muslim League which had stirred up religious passions with its demand for a separate Islamic State at the time. The Muslim League asserted that Hindus and Muslims cannot co-exist in the same country and thus, Muslims should have a country of their own carved out of India itself, post-independence.

In total, 87% of seats were won by the Muslim League in India in 1946. A closer look at the numbers shows how the demand for a separate Islamic State bolstered the political demand for a separate state. The table below shows a comparison between the seats won by the Muslim League in 1937 and 1946. As one can see, the number of states that were won by the Muslim League of Jinnah went up manyfold in 1946. In every state, the rise in the popularity of the Muslim League was substantial. In states like Bihar, for example, from zero seats in 1937, the Muslim League won a whopping 34 seats out of 40 seats.

In Madras, the increase was from 9 to all 29 seats. The pattern holds across all states, or provinces, as they were called during that period. It is to be remembered that though the two-nation theory itself existed for much longer, a formal political demand was made for a separate state for Muslims in 1940. It was in 1940 that Jinnah formally announced the demand in Lahore that the Muslim League formally recommitted itself to creating an independent Muslim state, including Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, the North-West Frontier Province and Bengal, that would be “wholly autonomous and sovereign”.

The resolution guaranteed protection for non-Muslim religions. The Lahore Resolution moved by the sitting Chief Minister of Bengal A. K. Fazlul Huq was adopted on 23 March 1940, and its principles formed the foundation for Pakistan’s first constitution. The formalisation of the demand in 1940 led to a huge surge in the Muslim population supporting the Muslim League and by extension, supporting the demand for a separate Islamic State called Pakistan, which would be carved out of India.

Source: University of Chicago

It is thus intriguing when several apologists claim that most Muslims stayed back in India out of choice and that most Muslims at the time did not want a separate Islamic state. There can be no denying that there was opposition even from the Muslims at the time to the idea of a separate state, however, political statements and what counts during voting are two rather separate concepts.

If Muslims wanted a separate Islamic State and voted overwhelmingly in its favour, why did so many Muslims stay back? The obvious argument that is presented, sans facts, to counter the overwhelming support for the creation of Pakistan is that if most Muslims at the time supported the two-nation theory, then why did so many Muslims stay back. And if they indeed did stay back, it only means that they rejected the two-nation theory.

After partition, several leaders were in support of the full exchange of population, including leaders like BR Ambedkar. In his book on Partition, Ambedkar clearly outlines how and why he was in favour of a full population exchange between India and Pakistan, which would essentially mean that all Hindus and other religious factions other than Muslims would come back to India and all Muslims from India would go to Pakistan. In fact, he had even written a basic framework on how the issues arising out of full population exchange could be dealt with.

Sardar Patel had, even after the partition spoken extensively about how Muslims had helped create Pakistan. His famous quote from his speech in Kolkata, 1948, bears testament to the fact. He had said, “Most of the Muslims who have stayed back in Hindustan, helped in creating Pakistan. Now, I don’t understand what has changed in one night that they are asking us not to doubt their loyalty”.

Further, one has to remember that the demand for full population exchange was supported by several stalwarts at the time. A report in Sunday Guardian says, “Dr Mookerjee, accompanied by Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, went to plead with Gandhi for agreeing to Jinnah’s proposal for an exchange of population, the old man’s flat reply was that partition was on a territorial basis and not on religious grounds. Hence, no question of exchanging Hindus from Pakistan with Muslims from India. This was when the division was exclusively on the criterion of religion, Hindu and Muslim”.

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