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As we bid goodbye to Maa, take a look at some of the stunning Durga Puja pandals and murtis from Kolkata

OpIndia Staff
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As we bid goodbye to Maa, take a look at some of the stunning Durga Puja pandals and murtis from Kolkata

Durga Puja, celebrated in West Bengal, mainly in the capital city Kolkata, is one of the largest and most opulent cultural events in the country. Every year the festival is celebrated with a lot of fun and fervour. People come from across the state, and sometimes even the country and the world, to experience the creative outburst. Every year, the pandal organisers pool all of their resources to come up with an out of the box idea to glam up the pandal. Many traditional themes, as well as current socio-economic and then ongoing political issues, have been depicted in Kolkata’s Durga Puja pandals for years now.

Though this year, there is a cap on gatherings, and social-distancing norms will continue to be followed as the pandemic rages on, it has not stopped the organisers from unleashing their creativity. This time too, the artisans have put together some exemplary work that would leave the visitors awestruck.

Here’s a look at some of the year’s most intriguing themes:

Sreebhumi Sporting Club Durga Puja

Sreebhumi Sporting Club in Kolkata has constructed a pandal that is a replica of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Based on the motif of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the club has created an iconic 145-foot pandal in Lake-town.

Speaking to ANI, Sujit Bose, Sreebhumi Sporting Club president said: “Every year, we built the pandal in form of a replica of iconic buildings. Earlier, we had built it on the theme of Paris Opera, Kedarnath and Puri temples among others.”

He went on to say that the 145-foot-tall Burj Khalifa pandal has specific lighting systems to give it a majestic look at night and that it was created in two months by roughly 250 employees.

The Sreebhumi Pandal is a replication of Burj Khalifa

Reports suggest that the laser light show at Sreebhumi Sporting Club pandal was stopped on October 12 after the pandal started drawing huge crowds.

While there were claims that the laser lights were turned off in response to concerns from pilots flying out of Kolkata International Airport, airport sources told NDTV they were unaware of any official complaint.

Sreebhumi Sporting Club, organisers of the Puja, however, denied that there had been complaints. They said the laser light was switched off to prevent overcrowding. Currently, only still lights are on at the pandal.

Singhi Park Durga Puja

Singhi Park Durga Puja, which is in its 80th year, is one of the popular Durga Puja in Kolkata. The illustrious history of Singhi Park Durga Puja dates back to 1941. The Singhi Park Sarbojonin Durga Puja Committee which has been organising the Puja here in Singhi Park have come up with interesting themes and beautifully sculpted Durga idol year after year.

Singhi Park Durga Puja, image via Twitter user @SreyashiDey

Durga Puja in Ekdalia, Ballygunge

The Durga Puja in Ekdalia, Ballygunge, Kolkata is organised by the Ekdalia Evergreen club, which is celebrating its 79th Durga puja this year. The president is Subrata Mukherjee. Ekdalia is known for their tall Durga idols and mesmerising decor and lighting. This year, what appears from the pictures is that the organisers have built a temple-like structure with intricate carving and statues of numerous dieties adorning the facade.

The Ekdalia pandal, image via Twitter user @SreyashiDey

Hatibagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja

The Hatibagan Sarbojanin Club based its pandal around the concept of ‘Pichutan,’ which signifies a craving or a longing for something you can no longer have. Simply described, it is a recreation of 1970s Kolkata. This year’s puja will be held in the manner in which it was performed several decades ago in old Kolkata.

This pandal was inspired by a little-known Rajasthani craft tradition. Kaavad is a type of transportable temple/altar built by the craftsmen of Bassi village in Chittor. Dwarkaprasad Jhangid, a renowned Kaavad artist, has been directing a team of craftsmen from Bassi village in the creation of several kaavads and the merging of them into one enormous pandal here in Hatibagan.

Image credit: The Indian Express

Beliaghata 33 Pally Durga Puja

The artisans have tried to put together another innovative theme at North Kolkata’s Beliaghata 33 Pally Durga Puja Pandal. The organisers decided to construct the entire pandal out of iron and steel. The organisers tried to recreate the last few decades by putting up a newspaper printing press and an old-fashioned television.

Image via YouTube
Image via YouTube

This is the same pandal that ran into controversy for playing Azaan (the Muslim call to prayer) during the 2019 Durga Puja. Following this, a local lawyer filed a complaint and named ten people, including the club secretary of the puja pandal and local TMC leader Paresh Paul. He is the primary organiser of this community Puja, who is also the local MLA.

Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja

The Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja is one of the popular Durga Pujas of North Kolkata. This puja started in the year 1969. This year, the famous Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja in central Kolkata has chosen as its theme the importance of vaccines to the efforts to end the Covid-19 pandemic.

“If 2020 was about the Covid-19 infection, 2021 is all about vaccination, the only weapon against the disease. So, this year, we are attempting to propagate the importance of vaccination from our Puja premises. The theme will revolve around the prevention of a pandemic and will specifically explore the significance of vaccination. Visitors will not be allowed inside the park but will have to get a glimpse of the Puja from the road. The goddess can be seen very well from a distance of 15 feet,” said the Puja committee’s general secretary Surendra Kumar Sharma.

The Md Ali Park Durga Puja committee focused its celebrations last year on the fight against coronavirus. Idols of Covid warriors such as doctors, health workers, and cops enacting situations were displayed at the goddess’s feet. Two health workers clad in PPE are seen attending a Covid patient. In another scene, frontline, Covid warriors like policemen are seen persuading people on the road to wear masks.

“We have covered the body of demon Mahisasura with the spiked Covid-19 virus as shown in pictures. He is the coronasura vanquished by the goddess,” the joint secretary of the puja committee Ashok Ojha had said.

FD Block, Salt Lake

This year’s Durga Puja pandal at FD Block in Salt Lake was created in the style of an old English castle. With a sparkling and colourful ‘chalchitra,’ the idol inside the pandal has been preserved fully traditional.

Image credit: India Today
Image credit: India Today

Kakurgachi Yuvak Brinda

The Kankurgachi Yubak Brinda Sharod Utsav committee decided to bring the historic Bengali theatre known as Jatra back to life this year. The pandal has been embellished with snippets of some of the greatest Jatras of the era. As for the idols, Karthik and Ganesha have been donned with props used in Jatras.

Image source: India Today
Image source: India Today
Image source: India Today

Shadhinota Dibosh Udjapan Samiti, Kakurgachi

This year’s Puja committee theme is based on traditional or indigenous art from different parts of the state. The pandal is wrapped in red embellishments, with Trishuls adorning the borders. Devi Durga sits in a traditional ekchala form in the pandal’s centre, surrounded by paintings by popular artist Jamini Roy.

Image source: India Today
Image source: India Today
Image source: India Today

Maniktala Chaltabagan Sarbojanin Puja

This year’s Chaltabagan theme is to depict the deity in a tribal setting. Everything has a tribal feel to it, from the pandal design to the idol. Devi Durga and her children are adorned in traditional tribal clothes and accessories.

The Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja Committee members have given the pandal the shape of a treehouse, made entirely out of bamboo. The pandal is encircled by a green canopy, the top of which is designed like a bird’s nest. The idol, like the rest of the pandal, is adorned with bamboo and taalpata and made in the colour of clay.

“This year we are going to worship Ma Durga as personifying ‘beauty of nature’. Only natural materials and ingredients have been used to prepare the throne of ‘Bodhon’,” said a committee spokesperson. 

Image source: Twitter
Image source: India Today

Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin Durgotsab

The pandal at Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin Durgotsab has re-created Mehboob Studio, the famous film studio in Bandra, Mumbai in 1954, complete with legendary movie posters like those from Deewar and Sholay, using artists who had lost their jobs due to the advent of digital art.

Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojonin Durgotsab, which has been organising Durga Puja for the last 79 year, are one of UltraTech seven wonders of Durga Puja 2021. This year, the committee is into the 80th year of celebrations.

Dumdum Park Tarun Sangha

Dumdum Park Tarun Sangha has dedicated its pandal to local grocery stores that have provided assistance to residents during multiple lockdowns when chain stores and shopping malls have been closed. The Puja has used jars from local shops for decorating in addition to recreating a “mudir dokan” (grocery shop). Annapurna is how Goddess Durga has been depicted.

Dumdum Park Yubak Brinda

Dumdum Park Yubak Brinda, which has been organising Durga Puja for the last 55 years, has picked Samudra Manthan as its theme for this year. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of Amrita.

The puja symbolises how individuals during the pandemic have suffered hardships and attempted to achieve their own kind of Amrita: regular living. The gods and devils are shown in the pandal using pictures with a unique south-Indian influence.

While it would be interesting to watch these innovative themed pandals, one should definitely not miss out on the idol of Mamata Banerjee depicting Goddess Durga being created by a group of three committees in West Bengal.

On September 2, three committees had collaborated to sculpt a statue resembling West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, with ten arms akin to that of Goddess Durga. The committees had decided that the statue will be placed along with the idol of the Goddess at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata.

This year, the festival commenced on October 11. The 10-day long festival begins with Mahalaya and is held in the month of Ashwin also known as Aswayuja, the seventh month of the Hindu calendar. Starting from the sixth day until the ninth day, the Pandals with grand idols of Goddess Durga are open for visitors. The tenth day, also known as Dashami marks the Visarjan (immersion in water) of the idol which too is done with a lot of fervour.

As 43 get arrested and Jamaat involvement emerges in Bangladesh Durga Puja attacks, MEA takes stock, PM Haseena speaks up: Details

OpIndia Staff
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As 43 get arrested and Jamaat involvement emerges in Bangladesh Durga Puja attacks, MEA takes stock, PM Haseena speaks up: Details

A day after radical Islamist mobs attacked Durga Puja pandals in Comilla, the chief of the police’s Chittagong Range informed that 43 accused were arrested on Thursday (October 14).

Dhaka Tribune reported that the police had detained one Fayez Uddin, the accused who posted the video of a Quran inside a Comilla temple. The cops had been questioning him and cross verifying the facts. While speaking about the matter, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Anwar Hossain remarked, “Investigators are going through security camera footages to identify those behind the matters and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”To prevent any law and order situation, additional security measures were taken. According to Deputy Commissioner (Comilla) Kamrul Hasan, the investigation team had been asked to submit their findings within 3 working days.

Citing sources, Hindustan Times reported that the Jamaat-e-Islami had been fanning communal sentiments in Bangladesh ever since the Taliban took over Kabul. With the objective of ‘Bangladesh Banega Afghanistan‘, JEI has been mobilising the radical Islamists in the country against the minorities and the Sheikh Hasina government. A diplomat in Dhaka said, “The basic idea behind October 13 incident was to embarrass Bangladesh’s government credentials and force a reaction from India.”

PM Sheikh Hasina assures Bangladeshi Hindus of justice

“Bangladesh is the land where different religions co-exist and everyone is allowed to follow their religion. Religion may be different but the festivals belong to all Faith. It has been our tradition where people participate in unison to celebrate different festivals. Sometimes, a group of miscreants orchestrate communal incidents and destroy the spirit of people. This is an unfortunate incident,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a statement.

She assured, “A probe has been initiated into the matter and we will nab those who are behind the attack. We will take action against the perpetrators, irrespective of their religion. We have done it before and we will do it again.”

MEA issues statement on the Durga Puja violence

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) took cognisance of the matter and issued a firm statement in this regard. Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated, “(We have taken notice of) disturbing, untoward incidents involving attacks on religious gatherings in Bangladesh. We note that the Government of Bangladesh has reacted promptly to ensure control of the situation including the deployment of the law enforcement machinery.”

“We also understand that the ongoing festive celebration of Durga Puja continues in Bangladesh with the support of the Government of Bangladesh agencies. High Commission in Dhaka and our Consulates in Bangladesh are in close contact with the authorities in Dhaka and (at) local level,” Bagchi concluded.

Islamic extremists vandalize multiple Durga Puja pandals

A Facebook post allegedly showing Hindus insulting the Quran went viral on social media on Wednesday (October 13) night after which the religious fanatics took to the streets to vandalize several Durga pandals. Denying the claims of insulting the Quran, Shibu Prasad Dutta, the general secretary of Cumilla Mahanagar Puja Udjapon Committee, informed that someone placed a copy of the Quran at a Durga Puja pavilion in Nanua Dighir Par early in the morning when the guard was asleep.

“The miscreants took some pictures of this and ran away. Within a few hours, using Facebook, the propaganda spread like wildfire with the provocative pictures,” confirmed a district official. He hinted at the role of some Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islam workers. Temples in Chandpur’s Hajiganj, Chattogram’s Banshkhali, Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj and Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua were brutally attacked with the Hindu devotees being thrashed. As many as three Hindus were killed in the violent clash.

Bangladesh: 18 crude bombs recovered from a temple a day after Islamic extremists vandalized multiple Durga Puja pandals

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: 18 crude bombs recovered from a temple a day after Islamic extremists vandalized multiple Durga Puja pandals

In the midst of Durga Puja celebrations, the members of the Rapid Action Battalion have recovered 18 bombs next to a temple The entire incident took place at the main gate of Rupsa Maha Shashan, a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali in Rupsha upazila area in Kulna, Bangladesh on Thursday, October 14.

According to reports, the Rapid Action Battalion found the crude bombs while they were conducting continuous search operations following multiple attacks that took place on Durga Puja pandals across the country on Wednesday.

The Rapid Action Battalion 6 (RAB) Director Lt Col Mostak Ahmed informed that the live bombs were found at around 5:30 PM and safely recovered by a bomb disposal squad at around 7 PM. The unit later neutralised the bombs in a safe, secluded and protected environment at the bank of Rupsha river, said Ahmed.

Lt Col Ahmed said a RAB 6 team was sent to check the entry point of the Shashan crematorium after their intelligence team was tipped off about the bombs.

During a search, the team found 16 of the bombs in a shopping bag and the other two on the ground. The bombs were wrapped in black tape.

Meanwhile, following yesterday’s incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples by religious fanatics and the subsequent discovery of these crude bombs, Border Guard Bangladesh and RAB personnel have been deployed in 22 districts, including Chandpur, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Sylhet, Chittagong and Gazipur, where the situation remains grim.

Islamists vandalise Durga Puja Pandals in Bangladesh

Yesterday OpIindia reported in detail how the vibrant festival of Durga Puja ended in violence and vandalism for the Hindu minority community of Bangladesh as Islamic extremists exhibited barbaric behaviour over a Facebook rumour.

A Facebook post allegedly showing Hindus insulting the Quran went viral on social media on Wednesday night after which the religious fanatics took to the streets to vandalize several Durga pandals. 

Reports suggested that as close to 150 households had been reportedly attacked and at least three killed in a violent clash on Wednesday (October 13).

Following the incident, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the criminals behind spreading communal attacks and propaganda to be identified and punished as an example.

Meanwhile, back in New Delhi, the external affairs ministry said that it was in touch with the high commission officials and noted the strict action be taken by the Bangladesh government.

Since the incident, the Bangladesh police have made over 100 arrests and the probe is still underway.

Who are Nihang Sikhs, in limelight after the brutal execution of Lakhbir Singh at the Kundli border ‘farmers’ protest site

Jhankar Mohta
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Who are Nihang Sikhs, in limelight after the brutal execution of Lakhbir Singh at the Kundli border ‘farmers’ protest site

The brutal execution of a Dalit Sikh labourer by Nihang Sikhs at the Kundli border farmers’ protest site just outside of New Delhi on Friday morning has sent shivers down one’s spine. He was found hanging with his limbs chopped off and tied near his body. A group of Nihang Sikhs were seen admitting to the murder on claims of disrespecting the Guru Granth Sahib.

Following the incident, a video went viral on social media in which the Nihang Sikhs were not only heard justifying the murder of the man in cold blood but also gloating about the sheer barbarity inflicted by them on Lakhbir Singh.

A video of the victim pleading to the Nihang Sikhs for mercy had also gone viral. In the audio, while Lakhbir Singh keeps begging them to bring him down, the assaulters were in no mood to spare the victim.

Notably, OpIndia has got access to the FIR filed in the case, which also mentioned Nihang Sikhs as the perpetrators.

While it may be difficult to forget the scars of this heinous act, this is only one of several recent incidents in which Nihang Sikhs have ruthlessly mutilated and killed people in recent times.

In April last year, a group of five Nihangs, armed with swords and iron rods, had attacked two policemen and chopped off the hands of ASI Harjeet Singh.

Two weeks after the aforementioned incident, a Nihang Sikh identified as Tej Singh allegedly attacked two locals in Mandayali village in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh over a small argument. While one victim’s four fingers were chopped off, the other received severe injuries on the head.

Who are Nihang Sikhs?

According to some sources, the Nihang warrior’s origin attires to the youngest son of Guru Gobind Singh, Fateh Singh.

According to the legend, little Fateh Singh wanted to play with his brothers one day while his bigger brothers were practising warfare tactics. But, they refused, saying: “At the moment you are too small.”

Left demotivated by his older brothers, young Fateh Singh went inside the palace and tied a dastaar (turban) as tall as one hand. He donned a blue dress and a small Khanda. He placed a Chakar (round disc carried on a belt or worn on the turban) on himself and carried his kirpan. Over his dastaar he wrapped a ‘dumalla’ and in his hand, he held a spear. He then approached his brothers who were playing and said: “Now I don’t look small.”

When Guru Gobind Singh saw his young son dressed in the warrior’s gear, he stated: “From this dress, the Nihangs will be formed”.

Meanwhile, according to one account, Nihangs originated with Guru Hargobind, who established schools to teach an elite warrior class known as the Akali Nihang after the Mughals murdered his predecessor, Guru Arjan Dev, for refusing to convert to Islam.

How to identify Nihang Sikhs

Nihangs are a Sikh sect, distinguished by their blue robes, called Khalsa Swarupa and decorated turbans (dastar bunga) surmounted with a chakram or steel quoits. Akali Naina Singh, a Nihang warrior and junior commander in the Shahid misl in the eighteenth century, is credited with inventing the towering pyramidal turban that is still worn by Nihangs today.

A Nihang donning the traditional dastar bunga, Image credit: cvltnation.com

Today, Nihang still wear miniature versions of five weapons (pancha shastra) in their turbans, namely the chakram, the khanda (sword), the karud (dagger), the kirpan, and the tir (arrow).

The Nihangs don iron bracelets or jangi kada around the wrist and chakram and iron chains around the neck. They wear leather shoes called jangi moze, with a sharp metal fitting at the toe that can be used as a weapon. Moreover, a buffalo skin shield serves as a back shield for the Nihangs. They not just carry modern weapons but are also loaded with traditional weapons like swords or kirpans, spears and small handheld daggers.

The Nihangs are typically armed to the teeth with not just modern firearms, but also traditional weapons, image source: cvltnation.com

The origin of the Sect

Nihang comes from the Persian term Nihang, which means crocodile, alligator, shark, or water dragon, and denotes ferocity and valour.

This particular sect traces its origin to the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Many people refer to the sect as “guru di laadli fauj,” or the guru’s favourite army.

The sect is believed to have emerged from the Akaal Sena, a band of soldiers of Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru. Later, the Akaal Sena converted into the 10th guru’s ‘Khalsa Fauj.’

After the fall of the first Sikh monarchy (1710-15), when Mughal governors were murdering Sikhs, and also during the onslaught of Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Durrani, Nihangs played a key part in preserving the Sikh Panth (1748-65).

Nihangs were crucial in defending the Sikhs during the frequent attacks of Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali in the mid-18th century. They were also the most powerful warriors in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army. In reality, the Nihang warriors are largely responsible for the fall of Multan in 1818 to Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Sarkar-e-Khalsa.

Following the British takeover of Punjab in 1849, Akali regiments were disbanded, and with military service as their sole vocation, their numbers gradually plummeted. In the 1892 census, just 1,376 people were listed as “Sikh Akalis or Nihangs,” and by 1901, the number had dropped to 431, with an additional 136 people registering as Akalis by caste. There were 457 men and 110 women among them.

The term Akali became linked with Gurdwara reformers who organised themselves into a political organisation, the Shiromani Akali Dal, during the Gurdwara reform movement (1920-25). The Nihangs are no longer called Akalis.

The last prominent Nihang known as an Akali was Akali Kaur Singh (1886-1953).

The lifestyle followed by Nihang Sikhs

According to professor Paramjit Singh, Judge of the Department of Sociology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Nihangs are said to have their own deras and a specific way of life.

“Those who are married are given the charge of taking care of the deras while the others move around the state. The deras have weapons, licensed firearms, horses and generally, everyone undergoes martial training,” informed the professor.

“Earlier, they used to live in makeshift deras called chhaavni or cantonments. But now permanent deras have come up at many places in the state, where they live learning martial arts like gatka, horse riding and wielding weapons,” said Paramjit Singh, adding most deras house gurdwara.

Nihangs’ earlier lived in makeshift deras called chhaavni or cantonments

The Nihangs gather money from neighbouring communities to run these deras. The attached agriculture areas are cultivated for livelihood in the larger deras. These people also own and operate schools, horseback riding centres, and martial arts academies in these deras.

Difference between Nihangs and other Sikhs

Khalsa Sikhs are of two types. Firstly, those who put on blue attire which Guru Gobind Singh used to wear at the time of battle and secondly, those who do not follow any particular dress code.

Nihangs are the ones who strictly follow the Khalsa code of conduct. “They do not profess any allegiance to an earthly master… Instead of saffron, they hoist a blue Nishan Sahib (flag) atop their shrines,” said Sikh historian Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon. 

Haryana Police arrests one Nihang Sarabjit accused in the brutal murder of Lakhbir Singh at Kundli border amidst chants of ‘Bole So Nihaal’

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana Police arrests one Nihang Sarabjit accused in the brutal murder of Lakhbir Singh at Kundli border amidst chants of ‘Bole So Nihaal’

The Haryana police have made one arrest in the brutal murder of Dalit labourer Lakhbir Singh at the Kundli border. The accused named Nihang Sarabjit was arrested by the Police. A media report suggests that the ‘Nihang’ was arrested after he surrendered claiming responsibility for killing Lakhbir Singh.

A video shared by news agency ANI shows the police taking away the accused in a police van amidst “Bole so Nihal” slogans.

As can be seen in the snippet, the Nihang Sikhs who have gathered around the police van, chant the slogan as the police lead the accused into the police jeep.

Reports suggest that the arrest is made based on suspicion, and further investigation is underway. 

On Friday, October 15, a gruesome murder was reported from the Singhu-Kundli border protest site where farmers have been camping for more months now against the three farm laws. A badly mutilated corpse of a man, whose hands were chopped and legs cut, was suspended over a police barricade, reportedly by Nihang Sikhs for allegedly committing blasphemy. The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Lakhbir Singh.

A video clip had emerged in which some Nihangs were seen standing around the injured man with his severed left hand close to his head. He is accused of desecrating a Sikh sacred book by the group.

According to the FIR, locals had informed the police that Nihangs had chopped off a hand of the man, later identified as Lakhbir Singh and strung him to a nearby scaffolding.

The FIR also mentions that there was a huge crowd of Nihang community members gathered at the place. However, none of them assisted the police in their investigation and protested against the police for removing the body of the decedent from the scaffolding.

Section 302, which deals with murder, and Section 304, which deals with death by negligence had been filed against unknown people in the case. An investigation has been ordered to probe the matter.

More than one and a half dozen girls missing from the Singhu-Kundli farmer protest site: Report

OpIndia Staff
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More than one and a half dozen girls missing from the Singhu-Kundli farmer protest site: Report

More than one and a half dozen girls have gone missing from the protest site of farmers at the Singhu-Kundli border, the hotspot that was in the news after a mutilated corpse of a man was found hanging on a police barricade on Friday morning.

According to a report published in Dainik Jagran, the protest site where the alleged farmers are camping since last November had gradually devolved into a crime hub, where all sorts of unlawful activities flourish in the name of protests. This has also made it difficult for women to safely navigate the place. Similarly, local shopkeepers have also complained of bullying and harassment at the hands of the so-called farmers who are dwelling at the protest site.

As per the report, the police have been constantly getting complaints of missing girls from the colonies situated close to the Singhu-Kundli border, but they are reluctant to take action on this matter. The heft of protesters in the area is such that even after complaints are filed against them, the law enforcement officials are not willing to initiate action against them.

Additionally, the local shopkeepers in the area claim that they have been attacked with swords and spears by the protesters. Recently, a video of the Khalistani flag being installed on a vehicle in this area had also gone viral.

The report of missing girls came hot on the heels of the death of a Dalit man, who was brutally mutilated and hung to a police barricade, allegedly for blasphemy against Guru Granth Sahib. But long before his ruthless murder, there have been reports of how the camping sites have turned into breeding grounds for criminals and thugs. In April this year, a girl from West Bengal, who came here to take part in the movement, was raped. The victim girl had died later, on April 30. In March 2021, there was an incident of firing at the protest site.

Man hacked to death at Singhu-Kundli border, preliminary investigation points towards involvement of Nihang Sikhs in the brutal murder

A man was found brutally murdered with his right hand chopped and hung to a barricade at the Kundli border farmers’ protest site just outside of New Delhi on Friday morning. The incident caused a huge outrage in the area and the farmers blocked the police from reaching the site. 

As per The New Indian, the man was hacked to death by Nihang Sikhs on Thursday night for allegedly desecrating the holy book Guru Granth Sahib. His right hand was chopped and tied near his body at the Kundli border, between Haryana and Delhi which has been occupied by so-called protesting farmers. 

An FIR was filed and an investigation ordered into the horrifying killing of a man at the Singhu-Kundli border. Sources privy to the details of the case told OpIndia that the man who was mercilessly mutilated and killed at the Kundli border was identified as Lakhbir Singh, son of Harnam Singh. Singh, 35, hailed from Cheema Khurd village and belonged to the SC community. He is survived by his sister, Raj Kaur, estranged wife Jaspreet Kaur, and three daughters. Singh had no criminal history and had no affiliation with any political party.

As per media reports, the incident occurred around 3.30 in the morning. There is another video viral on social media where the badly beaten, brutally injured victim is seen lying helpless on the ground while some angry Nihangs surround him. The man’s chopped hand is seen lying next to him.

Grooming Jihad: Waseem pretends to be ‘Akash’ trying to convert Hindu women to Islam, raped her, threatened to leak revenge porn

OpIndia Staff
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Grooming Jihad: Waseem pretends to be ‘Akash’ trying to convert Hindu women to Islam, raped her, threatened to leak revenge porn

On Thursday (October 14), a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against a man for raping, recording the incident of his heinous crime and trying to forcibly convert the victim to Islam, reported Live Hindustan. The incident took place in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

As per reports, the accused has been identified as one Waseem alias Akash. A complaint was filed at the New Mandi police station, following which a case was registered. As per the complaint, the accused lured the woman into his ‘love trap’ and raped her on multiple occasions. Waseem had also recorded the video of his crime and threatened to upload the clip online. He also tried intimidating the victim to convert to Islam.

During the investigation, it came to light that the accused Waseem operated under the alias of a Hindu name ‘Akash’. By withholding this critical information about his religious identity, he managed to win the trust of the victim and then continued to sexually abuse the victim.

Father-in-law’s brother forced Hindu woman to convert to Islam in UP

Earlier on September 30, the Jaunpur police lodged a case against one Mohammad Shalik for assaulting and forcing his brother’s son and daughter-in-law to convert to Islam. The case was registered under IPC sections 504, 506 and sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, based on the complaint filed by the victim, Manita Prajapati.

Manita Prajapati, a resident of Majdeeha village in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, had approached Shah Ganj Kotwali with her written complaint on September 30. In her complaint, Manita alleged that her deceased’s father-in-law’s brother had been forcing her and her husband Jitendra Prajapati to convert to Islam. When they refused, he started torturing them mentally and physically. He also assaulted Jitendra Prajati frequently to exert pressure on the family.

The victim further alleged that Mohammad Salik had previously attempted to murder her husband for refusing to comply with his demands. According to Manita Prajapati, her husband’s uncle had converted 25 years ago, when he moved to Saudi Arabia to earn a living. After he came back, he started exerting pressure on Manita Prajapati’s father-in-law Lorik Prajapati to adopt Islam. Lorik did not succumb to the pressure and blatantly refused to convert his religion.

Devotees in a Durga Visarjan procession get crushed under a speeding car in Chhattisgarh, 1 dead: What we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Devotees in a Durga Visarjan procession get crushed under a speeding car in Chhattisgarh, 1 dead: What we know so far

At least one person and around 20 people were left injured after devotees involved in the Durga immersion procession were mowed down by a speeding car in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur. A chilling video of the disturbing incident that has gone viral on the internet showed a speeding car running over an unsuspecting group of people gathered for Durga Idol immersion on Raigad Road in Pathalgaon, Jaspur.

1 dead, over 20 injured as car runs over Dussehra devotees

The person who has died in the incident is identified as Gaurav Aggarwal, 21, a resident of Pathalgaon in Jashpur. The injured have been admitted to the Pathalgaon Civil Hospital for treatment.

As per news agency ANI, two of the injured were referred to other hospitals after an x-ray established fracture.

The car, a maroon Mahindra Xylo, with a Madhya Pradesh number tried to speed away from the horrific accident. However, people present at the spot chased the car and thrashed the driver after stopping it. A report published by Republic TV says the car was loaded with a huge quantity of ganja and was on the run.

Chaos swept Jashpur following the incident, leading to traffic jams on all three major roads of the city. The car was later set ablaze by a furious mob. The police arrived at the location shortly after the incident and launched an investigation into the matter.

According to the reports, 2 people have already been arrested in the case. These include Bablu Vishwakarma, son of Radheshyam Vishwakarma, age 21 years resident of Singrauli, Baidhan, and Shishupal Sahu, son of Ram Janma Sahu, age 26 years, resident of Bargawan police station Bargawan district Singrauli. Both the accused are residents of Madhya Pradesh and were passing through Chhattisgarh. Necessary legal action is initiated against both the culprits.

Jathedar Baba Narain Singh, accused of chopping Lakhbir Singh’s leg, had recently called for beheading those who disrespect Guru Granth Sahib

OpIndia Staff
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Jathedar Baba Narain Singh, accused of chopping Lakhbir Singh’s leg, had recently called for beheading those who disrespect Guru Granth Sahib

On October 15, a man identified as Lakhbir Singh was murdered by Nihang Sikhs on the Singhu border. His dead body was found hanging on the Kundli border. Both these locations are sites of farmer protests, and Nihang Sikhs have been part of these protests since November 2020, when alleged farmers started protesting at borders around Delhi against the Agriculture laws.

One of the Nihang Sikhs who has been accused of chopping the deceased’s leg is Jathedar Baba Narain Singh. A video of Narain Singh calling for the beheading of those who disrespect Guru Granth Sahib Ji has emerged. The video is from an event in Amritsar that happened on September 24.

In the video, he talked about punishing those who disrespect Guru Granth Sahib Ji. While talking about an alleged case of disrespect of Guru Granth Sahib in the first week of September, where a man was caught smoking inside the shrine in Punjab, he said no action was taken by the Jathedars. At 4:40 minutes, he said, “The incident of disrespect did not bring any strong announcements from Jathedars. I am announcing from Akal Takht sahib. Whoever disrespects Guru Granth Sahib, the person must be killed immediately. That person should be beheaded.”

Notably, he is not the only Sikh spiritual leader who has called for murdering those who disrespect Guru Granth Sahib. A few months back, when an Army man was killed in a Gurudwara in Punjab over allegations of disrespecting Guru Granth Sahib, a video of Baba Ravinder Singh Joni started to make rounds. The video was made a few days before the incident. In the video, Ravinder Singh asked to burn the person alive who disrespects Guru Granth Sahib.

Taliban forcibly enter Gurudwara in Afghanistan, threaten worshippers, Sikh community urges India to raise SOS: What happened

OpIndia Staff
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Taliban forcibly enter Gurudwara in Afghanistan, threaten worshippers, Sikh community urges India to raise SOS: What happened

Islamic radicals who belongs to a ‘special unit’ in Afghanistan on Friday forcibly entered Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita at Karte Parwan, Kabul, Afghanistan. Puneet Singh Chandhok, the President of Indian World Forum released a statement and informed about the Islamic radicals desecrating the Gurudwara.

Releasing a statement, Chandok said, “Today heavily armed officials claiming to be from Spl Unit of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan forcibly entered Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita at Karte Parwan, Kabul. They intimidated the community at gurdwara & abused sanctity of holy place”.

He further said that they tried to ward them off, but eventually, the guards of the Gurudwara were threatened with dire consequences. They also raided the entire premises, including the school. “They’re not only raiding the gurdwara but also the entire premises of community school attached next to it. The pvt security guards of the gurdwara initially prevented them from entering but they were also threatened with dire consequences & also manhandled”, Chandhok said.

Chandhok said that there are about 20 Sikhs who are still trapped in the Gurudwara and urged the Indian government to raise alarm over the situation.

“They’ve also simultaneously raided the erstwhile residence and office of MP Narinder Singh Khalsa located adjacent to the gurdwara. Around 20 members of the community are present inside the gurdwara. I urge Govt of India to immediately raise concerns of Hindu & Sikh communities living in Afghanistan with their counterparts at highest level. Incumbent regime in Afghanistan should ensure its compliance to UN Charter & well being of minorities living there”, Chandhok said.

Hindus and Sikhs fled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan 

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban terrorists walked into Kabul, facing no resistance from the Afghan armed forces and declaring themselves as Afghanistan’s rulers. Panic and fear had swept across the country after the fall of Kabul, following which a multitude of city residents flocked to the airport, in a desperate attempt to fly out of the country. 

With India anticipating a humanitarian crisis emerging in Afghanistan, it had already laid the groundwork for initiating a swift evacuation campaign. Indians were dogged by primarily two concerns. Firstly, it didn’t share a contiguous border with Afghanistan, which meant that the evacuation had to be carried out at a broader level with an all-embracing approach. Secondly, India had no security footprint in Afghanistan.

“Our overriding concern was the security of our officials on the ground. So we prioritised it in our plan to exfiltrate them from Afghanistan should the Taliban gets hold of the country,” TOI quoted a senior official as saying, who wished to remain anonymous because of being unauthorised to speak on the issue.

During a press briefing on the 27th of August, the Indian government informed that so far, they have evacuated 550 people from Afghanistan in 6 flights. Out of the 550 people, 260 were Indians. 

“We have evacuated over 550 people in 6 separate flights, either from Kabul or Dushanbe. Of these, over 260 were Indians. GoI also facilitated evacuation of Indian nationals through other agencies. We were in touch with various countries, like [the] US, Tajikistan,” said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs (MEA), news agency ANI reported.

Further, the ministry said that the “vast majority” of Indians who wanted to return from Afghanistan have been evacuated out of the country. However, Bagchi said that he did not have the exact count of people who wanted to remain in the country. “Our overall assessment is that the vast majority of Indians who wish to return have been evacuated. Some more are likely to be in Afghanistan. I do not have the exact number for that,” he said.

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