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Rakesh Tikait’s new brain wave: Says Modi made Indian team lose match with Pakistan. Here is how he explains the theory

OpIndia Staff
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Rakesh Tikait’s new brain wave: Says Modi made Indian team lose match with Pakistan. Here is how he explains the theory

There’s a thin line between satire and reality and in Indian politics the line is many times blurred and even crossed over. So-called farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday claimed that it was actually Prime Minister Narendra Modi who got Indian cricket team to lose the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan so that it can help him win elections.

He claimed that the BJP government at Centre can make the cricket team lose if it can bring them votes. He claimed that he had not really seen the match himself but he got to know from villagers that Modi government made India lose to Pakistan. He alleged that villagers claimed that when India will lose to Pakistan, as orchestrated by PM Modi, people will burst crackers and that will get people to vote for BJP in turn.

So as per ‘villagers’ whom Tikait spoke to, there are indeed people in India who would burst crackers when India loses to Pakistan? And how is that not more problematic than ‘PM Modi got Indian team to lose match’ conspiracy theory? This conspiracy is even wilder than the time Mamata Banerjee claimed coronavirus was a ‘panic’ created by PM Modi to ‘divert attention’ from the 2020 Delhi riots which took place during the anti-CAA protests.

When it was pointed out that cricket lovers may get offended at what he spoke about Indian cricket team deliberately losing match on Modi’s instructions, Tikait brazened it out and said why would anyone be offended by truth. “There are two types of Hindus, those who believe in Sangh ideology, who are most dangerous and others who are the peaceful kinds and are harmless,” he claimed.

Tikait further claimed that he himself is a sportsperson (?) and that his sentiments are hurt by this loss of Indian cricket team. While he did not elaborate which sport he played, he claimed that the BJP government carried out a hate campaign against one Muslim player on social media. The Muslim player he is speaking about is Mohammad Shami and there have been few things which are very suspicious about the ‘attack’. Most people were angry at the captain Virat Kohli and were upset at loss of early wickets. While the angry messages were mostly directed towards them, there were hardly any specifically on Shami.

Suddenly, some ‘journalist’ somewhere tweeted obscure screenshots from Instagram account to claims that Shami was being abused on religion lines. Amusingly, those were the only few screenshots which were making rounds. Everyone from the ‘liberal’ jamaat came out to condemn the attack on Shami, and rightly so. However, their stoic silence whenever he was abused by Islamists for being a ‘bad Muslim’ has been quiet deafening to say the least.

Back in January 2020, Shami was trolled by Islamists on Instagram after he posted a picture of his daughter standing at a Hindu puja ceremony with a caption, “Looking so sweet beta love you so much god bless you beta see you soon”. However, no such condemnation against these vicious attacks were made. This clearly shows that there is more to it than what meets the eye. Now that even Tikait has chosen to speak about it it just shows how this was the new ‘toolkit’ in the market.

Tikait further equated beggars and businessmen and claimed that beggars and businessman are not loyal to anyone, especially not the country. He claimed that a beggar begs on one crossroad and then moves on to another one where he gets alms, similarly, businessmen also do the same. They go wherever they see business opportunity. He again reiterated that whatever skirmishes took place after some people celebrated Pakistan’s win over India was all orchestrated by the government.

How Pakistani handles peddled the ‘Shami abused for being a Muslim’ propaganda and Indian ‘Left-Liberals’ amplified it

OpIndia Staff
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How Pakistani handles peddled the ‘Shami abused for being a Muslim’ propaganda and Indian ‘Left-Liberals’ amplified it

The India-Pakistan cricket match in the T20 World Cup was mired with controversies even before it began. After a dismal performance by the Indian team led to a 10 wicket loss, social media was awash with claims that Indian bowler Mohammad Shami is being blamed for the loss, ‘because he is a Muslim’.

Multiple reports, op-eds and social media posts poured in support of cricketer Mohammed Shami and shamed those who attacked him.

There was so much hype for two days that several players, including Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Lakshman, Virendra Sehwag and others, came forward in support of Shami. Unknown to the origin of the attack, the posts by these celebrated players gave a push to the propaganda to push the narrative that there is intolerance in India.

Tweets by celebrated players in support of Shami. Source: Twitter

Just at the time when anti-India elements were being called out on social media for celebrating Pakistan’s win, there were multiple tweets going around that Md Shami is being abused by some Indians. However, it is still a mystery for many as not many anti-Shami tweets or social media posts were visible. Meaning, there were only a few handles, mostly anon trolls, that were indulged in the hateful comments against Shami.

Many social media users even pointed out that they have not seen a single post abusing Shami but have seen hundreds of posts condemning the abuse.

Image via Twitter

Reports and OpIndia’s own investigation revealed shocking details of how the attack was designed and executed from the neighbouring country Pakistan. Republic News had pointed that a Twitter user Alitaza45896998 posted 28 abusive comments against Shami on Twitter.

Pakistani account that targeted Shami. Source: Republic TV

The now-deleted account was following 15 Pakistani accounts.

Alitaza account no longer exists. Source: Twitter

Several accounts were created on Instagram and Twitter for the sole purpose of attacking Shami. Once the propaganda was pushed to the point support messages started to pour in, these accounts disappeared from social media platforms. Journalists, activists, intellectuals etc., saw an opportunity in it and pushed their own agendas claiming that Indian ‘Hindu nationalists’ are abusing Shami, a Muslim player, and blaming him for India’s loss.

Bureau Chief, NDTV, Saurabh Gupta, said, “Communal behaviour is when one player is subjected to the worst form of abuses because the team lost. Mohammed Shami is a performing cricketer and is as responsible as any other member of the team for the loss. But the worst abuses are directed at him because of his religion.”

Tweet by Saurabh Gupta. Source: Twitter

CEDA Ashoka editor Ankur Bharadwaj said, “Perhaps American Football players will take the knee in solidarity with Shami.”

Tweet by Ankur Bhardwaj. Source: Twitter

Writer Harneet Singh tagged cricketer Virat Kohli and said, “Come on, Virat Kohli. Stand by your teammate Mohd Shami. Please make a statement of support for him & put an end to this bigotry for good. You are our Captain. Time to be a Leader now.”

Tweet by Harneet Singh. Source: Twitter

Journalist Purva Chitnis said, “The ugly communal head of hyper-nationalist cricket fans came out in the vilest manner as expected. Virat Kohli and the team should publicly speak up and stand firm behind #Shami. Will they or won’t they is the question…”

Tweet by Purva Chitnis. Source: Twitter

Alleged journalist Rana Ayyub said, “The Islamophobic hate against #shami with aspersions on his patriotism and his commitment to the country. If this and the state enabled hatred against Indian minorities is not worth taking a knee, I don’t know what is.”

Tweet by Rana Ayyub. Source: Twitter

Ayyub saw it as a chance to throw an op-ed in which she wrote, “Messages to and about Shami on social media were Indian bigotry at its worst: He was hounded, humiliated, and asked if he had sold his soul to Pakistan. Some asked if he deliberately gave runs to the Pakistani team; others accused him of being a traitor and an anti-national. The invective flooded his social media.”

The Print’s Nikhil Rampal said, “Neeraj Chopra had made a 2-minute video keeping the side of Pakistan’s player, also gave the message of brotherhood in sports. Shami is still ours. What is being proved with that kneeling hypocrisy?”

Tweet by Nikhil Rampal. Source: Twitter

Mojo’s Barkha Dutt wrote, “Is the Indian cricket team going to take a gratuitous knee for Black Lives Matter, entirely disconnected from the Indian reality, but stay silent on the bigoted online attacks against Mohd Shami? We expect better.”

Tweet by Barkha Dutt. Source: Twitter

She also quickly wrote an op-ed for WaPo in which she said, “Toxic, brazenly Islamophobic comments were left on his (Shami’s) Instagram page, suggesting that he was a traitor, one who could take the next flight out to Pakistan. Shami was singled out in a different way than other players, and the language used for him was directly related to his being Muslim. In fact, he is the only Muslim on the team’s playing lineup for this tournament — a fact that would have been irrelevant had the hate directed at him online not underscored his religion.”

Comments abusing Shami were part of a coordinated plan?

A Twitter User Counter-Propaganda Division did detailed research on how Pakistan’s propaganda against India was pushed by coordinated social media posts abusing Shami. It said the whole “Shami is getting abused” propaganda started around the time when a Twitter user ‘vaikivannavan’ published screenshots of people allegedly abusing Shami. The account no longer exists.

The group further pointed out who and how the thread on ‘Shami getting shamed’ was promoted on social media including a thread by Aj Jazeera’s host Sana Saeed.

Aljazeera’s Sana Saeed did a thread quoting the tweet. She said, “Mohammad Shami is an Indian cricketer; a bowler. These are comments on his IG right now, with people claiming he took money from Pakistan that he was playing for Pakistan and helped India lose because he is a Muslim.”

Tweet thread by Aj Jazeera host. Source: Twitter.

It’s interesting how one single tweet was promoted extensively by Pakistani Twitter users.

Media also played a role in spreading the propaganda. Media houses including Scroll, Dawn, Telegraph and several other published reports on how Shami was shamed.

The reality is, Shami is one of the most loved Indian cricketers and his fans will keep loving him for his performance. Moreover, the Indian team lost to Pakistan by a massive 10-wickets. Most Indians, who are cricket fans by default, know well that it was a multi-level failure by the team and blaming one bowler for it is non-sensical.

Moreover, on multiple occasions, cricketer Mohammad Shami has been at the receiving end of hateful, hurtful comments for sharing images of his family. Islamists on social media had shamed Shami for ‘not making his wife wear hijab’ and allowing his daughter to wear ‘Hindu’ dresses’. The concern and outrage that the ‘liberals’ are showing for Shami now were strangely absent on those occasions. No international op-eds were written about it either.

Chhattisgarh: As Baghel-Deo fight continues, police arrest two journalists for publishing content against Congress MLAs

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: As Baghel-Deo fight continues, police arrest two journalists for publishing content against Congress MLAs

Journalists of the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh are now facing collateral damage of the power struggle between the camps led by chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and the health minister TS Singh Deo after the Chhattisgarh Police arrested two journalists for allegedly spreading misinformation to destabilize the Baghel government.

The arrested journalists were identified as Madhukar Dubey and his technical assistant Avinash Palliwar who were booked under section sections 384 (punishment for extortion), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 501 (1) (B) (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) of the IPC.

An FIR was lodged at the Civil Lines Police station of Raipur district. The complaint was filed by two Congress MLAs Brihaspat Singh of Ramanujganj assembly seat and Kuldeep Juneja of Raipur (North).

Madhukar Dubey and Avinash Palliwar run a web portal zeroparty.in and they had reportedly published certain contents against ruling party MLAs talking against the chief minister of Chhattisgarh. The content was apparently part of a sting operation published on October 24.

Police seized their laptops, mobile phones and other digital devices and also removed all such contents uploaded on the portal. The police apparently have also disabled the portal.   

“The matter is related to the circulation of some contents by them which were called a sting operation. According to complainants who are MLAs the contents were misleading and fabricated and these were circulated with an intention to malign their image as well as the state government. The probe is going on in this matter,” the officer-in-charge of Civil Lines Police station Satya Prakash Tiwari stated.

He did not disclose anything specific about the content. But it seems that both MLAs had featured in the said sting, apparently filmed in a hotel as some media reports have claimed.

Brihaspat Singh is considered close to chief minister Baghel. The MLA often courted controversy for making controversial and derogatory remarks. He had called tribals as illiterate. He had created a controversy after he accused TS Deo and his relatives of assaulting him and planning to kill him. In the power struggle between the chief minister and health minister, Brihaspat Singh has vociferously supported Baghel.     

Barely three days back, both camps made a public demonstration of their muscle power when a senior party leader Pawan Agrawal close to the health minister Deo was manhandled on the state during a programme at Jashpur for speaking in support of health minister.

Rajasthan: Teacher who lost her job for supporting Pakistan in T20 World Cup says that her other family members were also doing same

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Teacher who lost her job for supporting Pakistan in T20 World Cup says that her other family members were also doing same

Nafisa Atari, the Neerja Modi School, Udaipur teacher who was terminated from her job has said that some other family members of hers were also supporting Pakistan team in the T20 World Cup against India.

She said that during the match, her family members had divided themselves into two groups each group supporting one team. She, along with half of her family members were rooting for Pakistan’s win against India in the T20 World Cup match. She claimed that they don’t really support Pakistan.

An FIR under section 153B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) has been lodged against her at the Amba Mata Police Station in Udaipur.

On October 25, a WhatsApp post of a teacher identified as Nafisa Atari, a teacher of Neerja Modi School, Udaipur, Rajasthan, started to get viral on social media platforms. In the post, Atari had shared an image of Pakistani players with the text, “Jeet gaye, we won”. Nafisa was heavily criticized for the post. She was subsequently terminated from her job.

Srinagar: Hindu student targeted by Islamists, threatening posts identify her as ‘police informer’ after medical college video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Srinagar: Hindu student targeted by Islamists, threatening posts identify her as ‘police informer’ after medical college video goes viral

After a viral video showed some girl students raising pro-Pakistan slogans, a Hindu student identified as Ananya Jamwal, studying at Sher E Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar (SKIMS), was targeted by Islamists. They alleged that Jamwal was behind leaking the video of SKIMS students celebrating Pakistan’s win in the T20 World Cup match against India.

However, Jamwal was not the one who shared the video. She only pointed out what was happening in the college and called out those who were supporting Pakistan. Reportedly, UAPA has been invoked against those who had raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

In a tweet, while urging everyone not to share fake information about her, Jamwal said, “When the traitors who were celebrating Pakistan win got exposed. I countered those who were supporting traitors, after that they all started harassing me by different means. I only countered them. I didn’t expose, anybody and I am not any police informer. They themselves got exposed.” She added, “A humble request please not to share wrong information.”

The targeted attacks against Jamwal

Several social media users launched a series of attacks against her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. One Twitter handle, Abdullah__Ghazi posted her photograph on Twitter and wrote, “Police informer and main culprit behind SKIMS FIR & UAPA identified as RSS member and worker Ananya Jamwal, an outsider Dogra who’s currently persuing [sic] her medical course from the college.” The tweet has now been deleted.

Ghazi’s now-deleted tweet. Source: Ananya Jamwal/Twitter

Though Ghazi deleted the initial tweet, there are several tweets still active on Twitter against Jamwal. In another tweet, he said, “Police informer and main culprit behind SKIMS FIR & UAPA identified as RSS member & worker Ananya Jamwal, an outsider Dogra who’s currently pursuing her medical course from the college. Sanghan along with other RSS workers launched a massive campaign against local Kashmiri.”

In a Twitter story, Jamwal had quoted one Firdous and said thousands of more Indians would join SKIMS in future. Ghazi termed it as an attempt of “demographic change”. The tweet by Ghazi was particularly serious because there have been multiple fatal attacks on non-Muslims and non-Kashmiris living in the valley in recent weeks. ‘Police informer’ is a tag Islamist terrorist paste upon persons they target to kill.

Ghazi claims to be a journalist from Kashmir Report. He also abused one Dr Monika Langah, who raised his voice in support of Jamwal. He said, “In the era of free speech and OS journalism, fascism and terrorist fanaticism like yours stands hell naked!”

Another user from Kashmir named Mehak Firdous published a story on her Instagram handle in which she claimed the hospitality of Kashmiris had been used against them as “some rogue elements are being hosted in the valley”. She further urged everyone to single out people like Jamwal.

Interestingly, all the attacks targeted towards Jamwal were based on fake information that she was behind informing police about anti-nationals celebrating Pakistan’s victory and raising pro-Pakistan slogans in SKIMS. The screenshot of Mehak’s post was shared by Jamwal. Mehak has since made her Instagram account private.

One Instagram user, Kashmirtweets, shared her photos and a screenshot of her stories, where the user urged everyone to check Jamwal’s story. In the screenshot that Jamwal had posted, there was some information about a student who was raising pro-Pakistan slogans in SKIMS after the T20 match. Jamwal, who had nothing to do with that account, only shared a screenshot.

Story by Kashmir Tweets. Source: Jamwal’s Instagram account.

Support pours in from across country

As the information on attacks towards Jamwal went viral on social media, several netizens came out in her support and demanded action against those who were threatening her. BJP leader Kapil Mishra quoted Ghazi tweet where he was threatening Jamwal and Langeh. Mishra called the attacks unacceptable and demanded action from Home Ministry.

Twitter user Apurva Singh quoted one of Jamwal’s tweets and said, “We are with you.”

Sapna, a Twitter user, said, “We Indians are proud of our courageous, fearless daughters. Maa Durga, protect you both and bless you with more power.”

Manu Khajuria, another Twitter user, said, “We need immediate action against those targeting a nationalist minority  #Dogra #Jammu girl student. Jammu’s patience is running thin with such elements. They neither deserve seats in a govt college or govt jobs. Enough with the appeasement.”

Activist Sonam Mahajan said, “We stand with Ananya Jamwal. Mehak Firdous and Rahila Bilal should immediately be traced by Jammu and Kashmir police and their jihadist connections be probed. In this era of targeted killings of non-Muslims in J&K, we can’t be taking any chances. Jammu has its daughter’s back.”

Some reports suggest that police took cognizance of the attack towards Jamwal and others. The matter has been forwarded to the cyber cell, J&K Police.

OpIndia tried to contact the concerned departments but could not verify if any action was being taken in the matter. We will update the story later.

Gujarat: A case about illegally constructed hotel was given communal twist just because hotel owner was Muslim

Nirwa Mehta
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Gujarat: A case about illegally constructed hotel was given communal twist just because hotel owner was Muslim

On Tuesday, October 26, an online portal, MuslimMirror.com, shared a video on its Twitter handle where some people were protesting against opening of a hotel. MuslimMirror claimed that the protests were because the hotel was owned by Muslims.

Muslim Mirror tweet

MuslimMirror claimed the hotel was being opposed because the owners were Muslims. It made its pinned tweet and in just few hours the tweet had gain quite an amount of reach.

Similar claims were made by usual fake news peddlers like this so-called Professor of Peace and Conflict Research Ashok Swain.

Tweet by Ashok Swain

Swain also claimed the ‘mob’ was protesting against hotel owned by a Muslim.

However, truth, as always is far from the fiction the so-called ‘liberals’ and warriors of secularism are portraying.

Hotel Blue Ivy on the 80 ft ring road in Anand has been in legal trouble since past two years at least over allegations of violation of margin limit. In fact, on 5 November, 2020, the Anand Vallabh Vidyanagar Karamsad Urban Development Authority (AVKUDA) in a letter had mentioned that the construction of Blue Ivy hotel had violated the conditions and margin permission as per the plan approved.

AVKUDA letter on violation of construction

Speaking to OpIndia, Dr Shailesh Shah, one of the petitioners against the illegal construction, said, “Our protest has been against the illegal construction of the hotel. It makes no difference to us whether the owner is Hindu or Muslim or anyone else. The fact that the margin limits were violated is a cause of concern and our protest is against the same.”

He added that he, along with other petitioners have been fighting a case against the illegal construction since 2019. Disturbed Areas Act has been in place in Anand, despite that it seems some builders have found a way to find loopholes to get their way. The above hotel has come up near a Siddhi Vinayak temple.

As per reports, right before the Disturbed Areas Act was implemented in the area, the documents for transfer of property were executed in 2019. On 4 December 2019, restaurant as well as gym had started operating in the premises. Subsequently, a special civil petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court. Even then the citizens had protested against the illegal construction of the building. In November 2020, the company, SK Finance and Investment was served a notice on construction carried out which was in violation of the conditions. Despite that, the builders continued with the construction activity.

Citizens had alleged that despite illegality of construction, the administration kept mum. Not only that, the citizens allege that they even tried to normalise the illegal construction by pushing through a revised map.

In November 2020, the Chitnish to Collector, Anand, had also written to the AVKUDA authorities regarding inaction of authorities on the illegal construction of Blue Ivy hotel.

Letter by Chitnish to Collector

As can be seen, in above letter dated 15 October 2020, the Chitnish to Collector had written to chief officer at AVKUDA regarding the application filed by the petitioners on the illegally constructed hotel and the inaction of the authorities.

However, Jamiat-e-Ulema gave it a communal twist and accused the petitioners of trying to spread communal disharmony. The Anand chapter of Jamiat had given an application. Speaking to OpIndia, Dr Shah said that the lawyer of the defendants, I H Syed, gave a communal twist to the case during one of the hearings where accused the petitioners of communalising the case which in fact is about illegal construction and violation of margin limits. “We would have taken it up even if the hotel owners were Hindus. What is violation of law is violation of law,” Dr Shah said.

High Court order

On 25th October, 2021, the Gujarat High Court has granted 3 more days up to 28 October, 2021 to carry out proper measurement of premises and indicate to what extent the unauthorised construction is carried out.

Blueivy Hospitality Private Limited

Blueivy Hospitality Private Limited has three Directors, Krishna Hitesh Patel, Hasanali Sunsra and Mustakali Sulemanbhai Sunsara. The Sunsaras belong to the Muslim Chelia community, concentrated mostly in Gujarat. Chelias run many such restaurants in Gujarat, many of which are in the highways. They usually claim to be vegetarian hotels on their hoardings and have generic names such as ‘Visamo’, ‘Bharat’, ‘Tusli’, ‘Abhilasha’

‘Takes Jihadist mindset of another level’: Venkatesh Prasad slams Waqar Younis over ‘Namaz’ comment

OpIndia Staff
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‘Takes Jihadist mindset of another level’: Venkatesh Prasad slams Waqar Younis over ‘Namaz’ comment

Veteran Indian Cricketer and pacer Venkatesh Prasad has slammed Waqar Younis for his ‘Namaz’ comment. Prasad said that the former Pakistani fast bowler and captain Waqar Younis took his Jihadi mindset to the next level through his comment.

Venkatesh Prasad said, “”Hinduon ke beech me khade hoke namaaz padi, that was very very special for me” – Waqar . Takes jihadi mindset of another level to say this in a sport. What a shameful man.”

In a talk show on Monday, Waqar Younis had said that it was very special for him when Mohammad Rizwan offered the Namaz in front of Hindus during the India Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup. Waqar had said, “The manner in which Babar and Rizwan batted, sensible yet aggressive, the strike-rotation, the look on their faces, it was amazing. The best thing, what Rizwan did, Mashalla, he offered the Namaz on the ground surrounded by Hindus, that was really something very very special for me.”

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had also condemned Waqar Younis for his Namaz comment. Bhogle had said that it was one of the most disappointed things that he had heard and that it was terrible for Waqar Younis to say such a thing. Bhogle further stated that he hoped genuine sports lovers in Pakistan were able to see the dangerous side to Waqar’s statement and joined in his disappointment.

West Bengal government bans panmasala and gutkha for one year

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal government bans panmasala and gutkha for one year

West Bengal Government has banned the sale of panmasala and gutkha in the state. The notice issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety, West Bengal prohibited the sale of articles of the aforementioned products containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients.

The notice said, “…in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (i) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006) read with section 26 thereof, prohibits sale of articles of food in which tobacco and/or nicotine are used as ingredients, as they may be injurious to health.”

It also cited section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 in its decision to prohibit the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article of food in the state for a period of one year.

It also said, “…NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and panmasala containing tobacco and/ or nicotine as ingredients, by whatsoever name it is available in the market, is hereby prohibited for a period of one year with effect from the 7th day of November, 2021, in the State of West Bengal, in the interest of Public Health.”

Indonesia: Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of former president, performs Sudhi Wadani ceremony, formally converts to Hinduism from Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Indonesia: Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of former president, performs Sudhi Wadani ceremony, formally converts to Hinduism from Islam

On Tuesday (October 26), Sukmawati Sukarnoputri performed the ‘Sudhi Wadani’ ceremony and formally re-converted to Hinduism from Islam. The ceremony took place at 9:30 am at the Bali Agung Singaraja at the Buleleng Regency in Singaraja city of Bali, the ancestral land of the family.

Sukarnoputri is the daughter of Indonesia’s founding president Sukarno and the third wife Fatmawati. She is also the sister of the 5th President of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri. She was married to Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Mangkunegara IX but got divorced in 1984.

The rituals had begun on Monday (October 25) itself and concluded on Tuesday morning. The ceremony coincided with her 70th birthday. Prior to her conversion, she sought the blessings of her sister Megawati Soekarnoputri. Sukmawati Sukarnoputri informed that it was hard to reach Megawati and as such, she wrote a letter to her. Her decision was also approved by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) General Chair. She said that religion was a private matter and the criticism of people did not matter.

Jro Made Arsana, who headed the Sudhi Wadana, had informed that no outsiders were invited and it was a close family affair. He added that Sukmawati Sukarnoputri had studied Hinduism and her conversion had been a long-standing process. The head of the Sukarno Center in Bali, Arya Wedakarna, has been entrusted by Sukmawati Sukarnoputri herself for the smooth conduct of the event. “Mrs. Sukmawati returned to Hinduism based on ancestral instructions, and based on a spiritual process,” he added.

Sukmawati’s decision to convert to Hinduism was influenced by her grandmother Ida Ayu Nyoman Rai Srimben, who hailed from Bali. She was supported by her brothers, Guntur Soekarnoputra, and Guruh Soekarnoputra, and sister Megawati Soekarnoputri. Even her children, namely, Muhammad Putra Perwira Utama, Prince Haryo Paundrajarna Sumautra Jiwanegara, and Gusti Raden Ayu Putri Siniwati had accepted her decision.

What is Sudhi Wadani ceremony?

Reportedly, Sudhi Wadani is a ceremony during which an individual professes allegiance to Hinduism and performs self-purification. In order to partake in the ceremony, an individual must adhere to the religious tenets of Hinduism and complete legal obligations. The latter involves signing on a stamped paper, reiterating that the conversion was wilful and not coerced. letter to adhere to Hinduism without coercion which is signed on stamped paper.

Gates of the Sukarno Heritage Area, image via CNN Indonesia

Prior to that, those interested to embrace Hinduism must write an application to the local Parisadha Hindu Dharma Indonesia and submit a photo and a photocopy of their ID card. For the Sudhi Wadani ceremony, witnesses must be present at the time of the event. There is no set age limit for interested individuals, as it is believed to be a ceremony of inner and outer purification. On officially converting to Hinduism, such individuals are required to carry out all teachings.

Prophecy of end of Islam in Indonesia

Sukmawati is one of the high-profile people in the country who has disavowed her allegiance to Islam and embrace Hinduism. Many Hindus believe that it is the beginning of the prophecy made by mystic Hindu priest Sabdapalon in 1478. He had cursed King Brawijaya V for converting to Islam. He had owed to return after 500 years at the time of natural disaster and political corruption. The mystic priest predicted to free the archipelago from the clutches of Islam and restore the glory of the Hindu Javanese religion.

He had predicted, “My lord, you need to understand, if you turn to Islam, your offspring would be damned, and the Jawi (the persons who understand the Javanese kawruh) will leave Java (or losing his Javanese-ness) and the Javanese will have to follow other nations. But one day, the world will be led by a Javanese (Jawi) who understands.” Prior to parting, Sabdapalon warned, “After 500 years from now I will return and restore spirituality all around Java. Those who refuse will be diminished, they will be food for the demons, I won’t be satisfied until they are all shattered.”

While warning the people of Indonesia about his resurrection, he added, “When Mount Merapi erupts and its lava and ashes fall to the South-West with a terrible smell, that is the signal that I will be coming soon.” Interstingly, in 1978, the construction of modern Hindu temples were completed on the island nation. Many Muslims reconverted to Hinduism and at that time, Mt. Semeru had erupted too. The Hindus believed it to be the prophecies of Sabdapalon turning true.

‘Insulate Britain’ protestors stick their faces and hands on the road with superglue, some regret later: Read what it is all about

OpIndia Staff
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‘Insulate Britain’ protestors stick their faces and hands on the road with superglue, some regret later: Read what it is all about

‘Insulate Britain’ protestors have superglued their hands and faces on motorway exits and live lanes of the motorway across London so that they can continue to demonstrate for longer without being removed by the police while also making the roads inaccessible to vehicles. The protestors have blocked roads in three locations across London, as the climate activist group resumed its campaign after a 10-day hiatus.

Liverpool Street, Upper Thames Street and Limehouse Cause were among locations that were blocked by climate change activists as police attempted to remove the protestors.

The group has been staging demonstrations since September 13 on major arterial routes in London and near the port of Dover, causing widespread gridlock and traffic disruption. They have demanded that the British government fund the insulation of all social housing by 2025 and that the government comes up with a plan by the end of 2021 to fund the retrofitting of all homes in Britain by 2030.

Social media is awash with images and videos of protestors glued to the roads as commuters and police desperately struggled to remove them.

Frustrated commuters engage with Insulate Britain protestors

Several videos and images have surfaced over the past month showing police and commuters hauling protestors off the road in the United Kingdom.

A furious commuter was seen dragging and tying an Insulate Britain protestor to a railing with his own banner.

In another video that has surfaced online, a distraught driver, whose ailing father was battling cancer, was not permitted to pass through by the Insulate Britain protesting mob. The driver is seen yelling at them, wishing that the protestors and their families meet the same fate as his father.

The unidentified driver seen near the blocked Liverpool Street Station shouted: “If anyone gets cancer, please let it be people you know. So you know what it’s like to have your loved ones unable to get treatment… I hope you know what it’s like. My father needs treatment and you sit here doing this.”

“If anyone gets cancer, I hope your parents… Are your parents alive? Do you know what it’s like? Someone trying to get treatment for cancer and you’re standing here like this. People are trying to get to the hospital. Of all places. If anyone gets cancer, please let it be your family, let you know what it feels like,” added the driver.

Frustrated drivers were seen exiting their vehicles to confront the neo-environmentalists. One van driver began to slowly ram the protestors as they stood and sat in the middle of the road. The police were then quick to intervene to force the driver to stop.

‘Insulate Britain’ protestors regret supergluing themselves on the road

While many activists exhibited no remorse for their action, some regretted agreeing to the bizarre way of demonstrating, which involved glueing themselves to the road. One woman who first glued her hand down was taken away by police and as she was released, she screamed and said she was “in agony”.

Another activist named Matthew told The Mirror that he was in the “head glued to the road stage of protest” and that he was partially regretting his actions.

“It’s not one of my better moves but it was to make a statement that things are fairly critical,” he rued.

Meanwhile, the public in London has expressed their anger at ‘activists’ who have blocked main thoroughfares, halting traffic on major arterial routes in the city. One man, who shouted as he walked by, said: “We all have jobs to go to.”

Another walked up to the protesters, looked down and said: “What are you doing in the middle of the road. I can’t get to work.”

One man walked up to the protesters and said: “Why are you doing this? Get a job. I was trying to get to work and have had to walk just to get there. I pay my taxes.”

A woman named Sherrilyn Speid, who spoke to GB News, expressed her anger at the protestors. “If I don’t go to work I don’t get paid. My son deserves an education. It’s completely wrong what they’re doing,” said Speid adding that the Insulate Britain protesters were “rude and laughed at me” when she asked them to move.

The ‘Insulate Britain’ protest

Meanwhile, reports suggest that more than 60 protesters blocked junctions at the north end of Southwark Bridge, Bishopsgate and the Limehouse Causeway on Friday, the 14th time they have staged protests since mid-September.

The Metropolitan police have, meanwhile, confirmed that hundreds of arrests have been made, with some people detained several times. Insulate Britain, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, wants the government of Britain to insulate all UK homes by 2030 to cut carbon emissions.

Figures within the British government, including the Home Secretary Priti Patel, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Prime Minister Boris Johnson have condemned the protesters’ actions. On 4 October, Johnson said that Insulate Britain, who were not “legitimate protesters”, were “irresponsible crusties”. 

Increased penalties for road disruptions, criminalization of infrastructure disturbance, and police “stop and search” powers were announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel at the Conservative Party Conference in 2021. Patel particularly mentioned Insulate Britain in her announcement.

In an interview, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, stated he totally understood the frustration shown by the Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain protesters, but added that it should be directed “in a way that is more constructive rather than destructive”, as their current methods are not “helpful” and only alienate people.

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