The Taliban has managed to recapture Afghanistan after 20 years of warfare with the United States of America. However, its control over the country is still not yet settled as numerous terrorist groups are still active. In recent times, Taliban has attempted to sign agreements with Jihadist outfits in their bid to ensure that the authority of the Talibs is not challenged.
Dr. Antonio Gutierrez, senior research fellow at British think tank RUSI, said in an article recently that Taliban has managed to negotiate deals with Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT), Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ) and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The deal gave the Talibs greater control over the outfit and banned them from committing acts of terror against other countries apart from restricting their freedom of movement.
There are numerous others, however, which have refused to sign agreements with the Taliban, the most prominent among them being Al-Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban, says Gutierrez. Al-Qaeda was not too happy with the Doha Agreement, the deal between the USA and Taliban that assured US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and is unnerved by the cooperation between the two after the withdrawal as seen with the promise of US aid to the war-torn country under Talib rule.
In fact, Al Qaeda suspects that Taliban has been providing assistance to the USA in eliminating their members. Suspicions gained further prominence when Asim Umar, head of bin Laden’s terror outfit in the Indian subcontinent, was killed in a raid in an area that was under the complete control of the Taliban.
According to sources cited by Gutierrez, Umar was initially unwilling to travel to Musa Qala in Helmand but eventually agreed to do so. Once there, he was made to wait without definitive reasons until he was eliminated in a raid. Gutierrez also writes that one source in the Afghan security forces confirmed that Taliban was providing information on Al Qaeda members. Another IMU leader is suspected to have been murdered by the Taliban themselves. Only three weeks earlier, he had protested against the Doha Agreement.
Such actions of the Taliban have made terrorist outfits such as the Al Qaeda feel threatened and they are taking measures of their own to counter it. According to Gutierrez, Al Qaeda is attempting to build an ‘anti-deal lobby’, the Doha Agreement mandates that Taliban prevent terrorist outfits from using Afghan soil to launch attacks against other countries.
Taliban claims that this lobby was responsible for a series of attacks on NGOs and journalists in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, they are attempting to pursue their strategy of restricting the movement of these outfits. Jihadists from Central Asia were recently told to prepare to be transferred to their designated areas and registered. That their weapons could be snatched away remains a distinct possibility.
The Haqqani Network, which has four ministerial berths in the interim Afghan Government, is perceived to be an outfit that the Al Qaeda can rely on. The latter has urged the TTP to move to the Loya Paktia region, which is under the Haqqani Network. Al Qaeda, too, is looking to move to Paktia and turn it into their new base of operations.
What is the future of Afghanistan under the Taliban?
The developments indicate that even after Taliban has managed to win control over Afghanistan, its hold over the country is not yet secure. The group is facing an imminent threat from the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), which is accusing it of apostasy for cooperating with the United States.
The ISKP, which had carried out the Kabul Airport Attack, could find support among Al Qaeda and other Jihadist outfits as they are threatened by the prospect of the Taliban working with the USA or Russia and China. Whether they are capable of carving out a better position for themselves in the negotiation table is something that will become clear only in the months and years to come.
Veteran journalist and political analyst Uday Mahurkar along with co-author Chirayu Pandit in their book Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition write about the visionary that Savarkar was and how he had envisioned the national security problems India is facing today. Speaking to OpIndia, Mahurkar said that Savarkar was the visionary of India’s national security and diplomacy.
“All the national security related problems India is facing today were predicted by him, right from war against China, Pakistan as well as the problem in Assam. He had even predicted the rise of radical Islam and the problems India is facing today because of it,” Mahurkar said.
The book, which also critically evaluates Savarkar critically, documents how Savarkar tried to prevent the partition of India in 1947. “It should be read and understood to prevent second partition in India. He really tried till very end to prevent the partition,” Mahurkar said. He further said but for Savarkar’s militarisation policy in late 30s and early 40s, India would’ve lost more land even in border states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat apart from what it lost in Kashmir.
Elaborating on the book, Mahurkar said that the book also speaks about the policies of Congress, Muslim appeasement, Savarkar and Hindutva. “it is about understanding his Hindutva,” he said. “Savarkar predicted war with China 8 years before it happened and even advised Nehru to arm India with nuclear bombs soon after the partition. But because we did not listen to him, it took us over 25 years to progress but by then China had overtaken us by leaps and bounds,” Mahurkar said.
On Savarkar being one of the most hated personalities by Congress and its supporters, Mahurkar said that Savarkar is a symbol of India’s integrity and unity and those who want to keep India divided will continue to hate him.
Mahurkar further said how in India, we recite poetries of Iqbal, who turned Islamist just few years after writing ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’ and who envisioned creation of Pakistan much before Jinnah did. He said it was Iqbal who wanted separate homeland for Muslims. “The book should be read if we want to ensure India does not have another partition,” he said.
The book will be available in bookstores on 12th October 2021 and is up for preorder here.
A colourful display of the abysmally low IQs of Congress supporters was witnessed on Twitter recently after drugs worth Rs 9,000 crores were confiscated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI) officials from Mundra Port in Gujarat’s Kutch.
Since the port is managed by the Adani Group, Congress supporters and sympathisers, who harbour inexplicable animosity for the business conglomerate, rushed to Twitter to accuse the chairman of the group, Gautam Adani, of using the port to smuggle the contraband.
A bevy of Congress supporters, whose collective IQ is inversely proportional to their devotion towards Rahul Gandhi, posted tweets claiming that because the heroin was seized at a port controlled by Adani, it must be Adani who is smuggling drugs. Please do not ask how.
One of the Twitter users questioned if this is why Adani has been given control of airports and ports in the country.
Source: Twitter
Another social media user accused the Adani Group of making big profits through illegal trafficking and funding the BJP.
Source: Twitter
Still another Twitter user insinuated that Adani Ports is responsible for importing the drugs because the port where the contraband was seized was managed by Adani Ports.
Source: Twitter
A Twitter user went so far as to equate seizure of drugs at a port to Bollywood celebrities who were found to be in possession of drugs. The user accused the media of going gung-ho on Bollywood drug addicts but are now silent because the consignment was caught in a port handled by Gautam Adani’s group.
Source: Twitter
Even NCP functionaries were not far behind in displaying their low-IQ on Twitter. Saleem Sarang, National General Secretary of NCP, posted a tweet alleging that the media is not holding Adani accountable for the drugs seized at Mundra port.
Source: Twitter
If Congress supporters are to be believed, the managing authorities are to be blamed if any contraband is seized from their respective premises. By this logic, the Kerala government must be responsible for all those people who stuff their backside with gold and get caught every day. Similarly, perhaps Arvind Kejriwal and Uddhav Thackeray are to be blamed if criminals are caught for smuggling illegal items in Delhi or Mumbai.
While Congress supporters continue with their campaign to slander Gautam Adani and his business group for the seizure of drugs at Mundra Port, it is worth noting that the ship that carried the contraband was from Iran and the containers that held the drugs were from Afghanistan. The ship was caught just after entering the Indian waters. As per reports, DRI officials were alerted about the drugs and the operation was carried out over several days to finally seize the major heroin shipment.
Ports handle cargos worth lakhs of crores and it is due to the collective efforts of port authorities and government officials that contraband like drugs and illegal items are caught successfully.
Congress displaying low IQ over Adani hate
It is not the first time that Congress supporters and leaders are caught spreading misinformation against Indian companies. Rahul Gandhi spent most of 2018 and 2019 howling about how the Rafale deal was for the sole benefit of Reliance, without any factual basis. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had used the picture of Adani advertisement on a train to claim that govt had sold Railways to Adani. After her social media posts got called out as fake and misleading, Priyanka Vadra had to delete them.
Heroin worth Rs 9,000 crores smuggled from Afghanistan caught at Mundra port, Vijayawada-based firm under scanner
Initial investigation has linked the smuggled contraband to one Aashi Trading firm based out of Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada. As per reports, DRI had got a tip-off about the consignment and has been working to seize it for the last five days.
The investigating agencies found that the consignment was declared as “talcum powder” by the Vijayawada based firm. As per sources quoted by news reports, the exporting firm has been identified as Hassan Hussain Ltd., based in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
But for pea-brained Congress supporters, Gautam Adani is responsible for smuggling carried out by a Vijayawada firm because the port was managed by Adani Ports. The important nuggets of information such as—the firms involved in smuggling, where the contraband was imported from, the ship being caught after entering Indian waters—are too hard to process and comprehend for slavish Congress supporters.
Justin Trudeau surprised everyone when he announced a midterm election in mid-August dissolving his minority Liberal Govt in Canada which stands with the support of Jagmeet Singh’s NDP. The logic given by the Prime Minister was that there were crucial decisions to make for the Federal Govt in the wake of recovery from the pandemic and he, therefore, sought a fresh mandate.
When COVID hit Canada, it hit the economy harder. Many jobs were lost due to the strict social distancing norms. Trudeau had then introduced CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) which gave financial assistance to thousands of Canadians directly affected by job losses. He also increased the child benefits of people.
The vaccination drive which stumbled initially was mitigated by delayed successful delivery. The Liberal Party of Canada had hoped that rising on his populism and handling of the pandemic would help them push towards a majority. They also hoped to bank on catching the Conservatives off guard. After the 2019 debacle, Andrew Scheer had given up the leadership to Erin O’Toole in 2020 who is not as popular and inspiring as his predecessor or opponents. But as it turned out, the results were yet another Liberal minority Govt with almost similar numbers as two years ago.
While Trudeau’s economic efforts to help the common man earned him accolades, the national debt soared to a record high. In fact, the timing of the declaration of election in the midst of a pandemic itself became an issue especially when one of the provinces Alberta is facing the worst of COVID’s fourth wave and hospitals are overwhelmed. The timing of the announcement was also unfortunate as NATO forces, of which Canada is a part, were facing an evacuation in Afghanistan. And while the Taliban was an issue too, the dipping relations with China on the issue of Huawei was also an issue.
The Justin Trudeau record has been more noted for its symbolism rather than its substance. While his videos where he said “need to counter the ‘she-cession’ and turn it to a she-covery” went viral, his feminist image received a serious dent when Wilson-Raybould resigned in the SNC-Lavalin affair. Corruption allegations were also made as his Finance Minister Bill Morneau had to resign due to his involvement in the WE charity controversy.
An important electoral issue was the reconciliation of indigenous people especially in the wake of mass graves discovered in residential schools in British Columbia this year. In many stores and malls, the Canadian flags are still half-mast to mourn the departed children. The unaffordability and the rising inflation, skyrocketing housing prices with the concern of a property bubble have been yet another matter of concern amongst the polling Canadians.
Although the results of postal ballots might take yet another day, the direction of the election results is pretty clear. Justin Trudeau has been awarded a minority Govt while the supporting NDP also grows in size a bit. This indicates that neo-left leader Jagmeet Singh might exert more pressure to increase the taxes on the rich and raise the subsidies and consequently debt which might put a strain on the already struggling economy. His inclinations towards pro – Khalistani elements has always been evident. For India, these elections mean the status quo. But for Canada, the whole election was just a $600million expenditure to get a deja vu of 2019 and the same but new Trudeau 3.0 Government.
Despite receiving a bomb threat, the New Zealand Women’s cricket team (also called White Ferns) is likely to play their third ODI against England on Tuesday (September 21), reportedEspn Cricinfo.
According to the cricket news website, a member of the White Ferns’ management had received the threat about a bomb being planted at their hotel. It was also told that a bomb would be placed on the team flight during their journey back to New Zealand. Following the threat, the team announced a lockdown yesterday (September 20) and the New Zealand cricket Board began an investigation into the case. Meanwhile, police, counter-terrorism and other law enforcement agencies initiated a probe into the matter.
It was speculated that the New Zealand Women’s cricket team did not train earlier due to the bomb scare and the reluctance of some of the cricketers. However, a spokesperson for the team clarified that there was no scheduled training session as it was a travelling day.
“As has been reported, the ECB has received a threatening email relating to NZC. Although this did not specifically reference the White Ferns it was treated seriously, investigated, and deemed not credible. The White Ferns have now arrived in Leicester and, as a precaution, security around them has been boosted,” he added.
The NZC spokesperson emphasised that the ‘bomb scare’ was a hoax. He remarked, “Reports their training has been cancelled are false. They were not scheduled to train today as it was a travelling day. NZC will not be commenting further on the matter.” The White Ferns will now play their third ODI against England at the Grace Road in Leicester. The remaining two ODIs in the 5-match series are scheduled to take place in Derby and Canterbury. The England Women’s team is leading the series by 2-0.
England, New Zeland had called off Pakistan tour over security concerns
Ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in UAE, the England Men’s team was scheduled to play 2 back-to-back T20Is on October 13 and 14 in Pakistan. On the other hand, the Women’s team was scheduled to play 2 T20Is and 3 ODIs. On Monday (September 20) night, the ECB decided to pull a plug on their tour of October, leaving Pakistanis high and dry.
“The mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff remains our highest priority and this is even more critical given the times we are currently living in. We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments,” the ECB said in its statement while pulling out from the Pakistani tour.
An hour before the start of the 1st ODI match with Pakistan at Rawalpindi on September 17, the New Zealand cricket team had decided to ‘abandon’ their tour of Pakistan over security concerns. The ‘B’ team of New Zealand was scheduled to play a 3-match ODI series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, followed by a 5-match T20 series against them in Lahore.
“Following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour. Arrangements are now being made for the team’s departure,” read a statement posted on the website of the New Zealand Cricket Board.
Pakistanis wishe death to New Zealand team
After NZC had called off the series, several Pakistani cricket fans took to Twitter to express their anger. However, some of them went to the extent of wishing death upon the cricketers of the New Zealand team. One Pakistani user (@jani_karam) wrote, “Allah kary Nz ky players ka jahaz crush hojay ahr sab players mar jy (Let Allah crush the plane carrying New Zealand players and ensure their death)”
Screengrab of the contentious tweet
Following outrage over the remark, the Twitter user locked his profile. The contentious tweet is in violation of guidelines laid down by the microblogging site. At the time of writing, it could not be ascertained whether the tweet had been deleted.
Screengrab of the contentious tweet
Another Pakistani named Faheem Khan had written, “We need to bomb the entire team of New Zealand. This is what they deserve for foiling Pakistan’s plans within 30 minutes.”
Hindu rituals and traditions are suddenly at the centre of woke and left activism. Just how we await for an auspicious day or festival to begin anything new, the woke leftist activities too wait for such days to do the ‘shubhaarambh’ of their ‘social messaging’ campaigns. The only difference, our new beginning starts with breaking a coconut while their new beginning starts with telling how breaking a coconut is regressive and illogical.
A very recent example being clothing brand Manyavar’s ad film featuring Bollywood entertainer Alia Bhatt. The advertisement portrays ‘Kanyadaan’ as an oppressive practice and suggests ‘Kanyamaan’ as an alternative.
But what is Kanyadaan?
Author Nityānanda Miśra in a YouTube video addressed the three problematic messages in Bhatt’s recent ad film.
‘Daughters are considered property/ wealth’
Busting some myths, Nityānanda Miśra begins by explaining the meaning of ‘dhan’ straight from a Sanskrit dictionary. As per the book, dhan apart from wealth also means ‘something that is loved and considered to be valuable.’
In Sanatan, not just daughters but even sons are considered to be ‘dhan’ which is known as ‘putradhan.’ Quoting a Sanskrit shloka, he further explains how even ‘vidya’ or knowledge and education is considered to be dhan.
“विद्याधनं सर्व धनं प्रधानम्” which means knowledge is the most valuable thing that can be given to anyone.
‘Women are not to be given in charity’
Questioning the ‘regressive’ Hindu culture, the ad film in its second objectionable messaging says why should women be given away as charity at the time of marriage.
According to Miśra charity cannot be equated to merely wealth or money. In Sanatan, the concept of ‘daan’ expands from knowledge to even life known as ‘vidyadaan’ or jeevan daan’ respectively.
Demystifying the concept of ‘kanyadaan’, Miśra further informed about the concept of ‘putradaan’ as well. He also cited a shloka from the epic of Mahabharata to further his point.
‘From Kanyadaan to Kanyamaan’
Miśra begins by questioning why is ‘kanyadaan’ even considered an insult to the daughters by the ad filmmakers. He then read aloud a mantra which is recited at the time of the ritual of ‘kanyadaan.’
Explaining its meaning, the author says, “As per the mantra the parents of the bride have been referred to as Varun Devta meaning the lord of the oceans while the daughter is referred to as Surya Devta, the lord of the sun. While the groom is referred to as Vishnu Devta or the one who resides in the sky.”
“This signifies the sun’s movement at the time of sunrise from the horizon (as seen from the shore of an ocean) towards the sky indicating a new beginning,” he said further explaining how the concept of ‘kanyadaan’ is in fact ‘kanyamaan’ which need not be mentioned explicitly.
Before being accused of gender bias the author also explained how in Sanskrit, the word ‘dev’ is used to refer to male, ‘devta’ to female and ‘daivyatam’ to neutral.
As per other texts on ‘kanyadaan’, the mantra, japas and other actions performed at the time of the ritual signify the bride as Laxmi. The symbolic act of the bride’s father giving away his daughter to Narayan (the groom) is considered as him making his daughter the ‘grace’ of somebody else’s house.
Research, study and knowledge
It is time when brands realize that an airconditioned office, a fancy laptop and a bottle of beer are not the only prerequisites for a good campaign. Let’s take Bhatt’s ad film as a reference.
It is imperative to note that the shallow understanding of Sanatan culture arises when a layman tries to force-fit English meanings for non-translatable Sanskrit words. For example, the creative director or the copywriter without taking any extra effort to study the meaning of ‘dhan’ in Sanskrit equated it with wealth.
Similarly, ‘daan’ was exhibited as ‘monetary charity’ thereby denouncing the entire concept.
Even a cursory glance at the texts that decode the ritual of ‘kanyadaan’ would have suggested how the ritual is far from being regressive or ‘insulting.’
Talking about the marketing strategy, not sure how wise it was for a brand to tell its potential buyers that the occasion for which they are selling the expensive couture is rather regressive and should be done away with.
On September 20, an interview of Kisan leader Rakesh Tikait was aired on Sudarshan Channel’s show Chalte-Chalte. Hosted by Suresh Chavhanke, the show touched every possible issue that is believed to be the reason behind the blockade between the central government and various Farmer Unions resulting in almost 10-month long farmer protests.
During the interview, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait seemed to be making clear that his protests are not for farmers, but specifically against the BJP governments, in centre and states.
‘The government wants to help businessmen, not farmers’
During the interview, Tikait accused the government of helping the businessmen to buy produce at a lower price and sell it higher price in the market. He alleged that before the three Agriculture laws were enacted, the business houses had already built silos and warehouses across the country. He questioned if the business houses knew such farm laws were coming that would help them in increasing their hold on the food business.
Interestingly, Chavhanke pointed out that silos are being built since 1978 by private firms. That does not mean they were planning for these laws to get enacted. It is a common practice for the business houses to do market research and invest in sectors where they see a possibility of growth and profit.
The claim that corporates, especially Adani, have been making grain silos to ‘exploit farmers’ is one that has been peddled multiple times by various political parties and their media counterparts, including NDTV’s Ravish Kumar.
In reality, In 2005, Adani got into a BOO (Build, Own, Operate) agreement with FCI to set up grain silos in Moga and Kaithal. A 2008 report said that the silos were operational and 3 lakh tonnes of wheat produce was procured for FCI in the previous season. Interestingly, the grain silos operated by Adani and owned by FCI in Punjab, actually procure food grains at MSP.
In a statement, Adani had clarified that they only provide the infrastructure. They do not have any role in procurement and deciding the price.
‘Government should fix MSP’
Tikait alleged that the government should fix MSP; otherwise, the private sector would exploit the farmers in private markets. He claimed that if MSP is fixed for every crop, no one would be able to buy the produce at a lower price than the MSP fixed by the government. When asked that government cannot buy 100% produce, he said the law should regulate the price for private players as well.
While the suggestion looks good on the table, it is not feasible to impose MSP on every type of produce, especially perishable food items like vegetables. In such cases, the involvement of the private sector and last-mile availability of storage and processing can play a vital role. However, Tikait, during the interview, demanded that there should be no commercial activities near National Highways. It is unclear what was why Tikait is against the processing plants and storage facilities near National Highway as they would help the farmers to get the produce stored or processed near the farms.
Tikait claimed that the group of Kisan Unions had formulated the financial workflow for MSP that would make sure government does not have to spend any additional money on procuring produce. However, he did not present any data or provided any additional information during the show. He alleged that the government wants to talk only if the farmers agree to the new laws, which is not true. The government has asked to discuss the problems unions have in detail so that the laws could be amended if required. It is the farmer unions who are stuck at repealing the laws and do not want to discuss anything before the government does so.
Notably, in a recent interview with Rubika Liyaquat on ABP News, Rakesh Tikait failed to mention even a single problem that the unions have with the three Agriculture Laws. When Liyaquat asked repeatedly, he deemed her as someone ‘on the payroll of the government’.
‘UP government is giving wrong data’
Tikait claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government is providing wrong data on payments of sugarcane. He further alleged that the backlog had not been cleared. He also alleged that the Yogi government is delaying the payments.
Tikait- Maharashtra Sugarcane farmers gets rate of Rs 180, Tamil Nadu gets Rs 280, UP gets Rs 325.
Coming on the price of the sugarcane, Tikait said that the UP government is giving Rs.325 per quintal, which is higher than several other states, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra etc. Instead of protesting in those states, Tikait said that they would protest against the Yogi government and urge them to increase the price. When Chavhanke confronted him that his motives seemed political, he bluntly denied as said he would be happy if CM Yogi became PM and PM Modi became President, but ahead of the 2022 elections, he would protest against CM Yogi. Tikait did not explain why he is not protesting in states like Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu where the procurement price for sugarcane is much lower.
Allah Hu Akbar
When Tikait was asked about Allah Hu Akbar chants that he raised during Mahapanchayat, he repeatedly said that the constitution gives everyone the right to practice the religion of their choice. But, interestingly, when he was confronted with the fact that the said chant means Allah is the supreme God and it is unacceptable to Hindus, he started showing his Rudraksha Mala with Om pendant.
Chavhanke sarcastically said, “Does the Om pendant has Trishool, or you changed it with a cross? Because you can do anything….” He further questioned if Tikait’s father would be okay with him, stating Allah is more supreme than Bhagwan Shiv. Tikait chose to skip the question and changed the topic.
‘Owaisi is BJP stooge’
During the interview, two dogs appeared in the frame, and Chavhanke joked that Owaisi had arrived. On the topic, Tikait claimed that Owaisi was BJP’s stooge. When confronted by Chavhanke that if he feels Owaisi would take away ‘Muslim votes’ that he was planning to grab with the chants of Allah Hu Akbar, Tikait fumbled. He claimed he has no interest in fighting elections. Chavhanke asked if he would support anyone from the family to fight elections, Tikait ignored the question.
— Suresh Chavhanke “Sudarshan News” (@SureshChavhanke) September 20, 2021
The problem with ‘Jai Shri Ram’
Tikait said there was a tradition of saying ‘Ram Ram’ as a greeting. “But these people came and changed it to Jai Shri Ram. We don’t want to say Jai Shri Ram. What was the problem with Ram Ram?” he said. When Chavhanke said it was up to the person what he wanted to say, Tikait again tried to make it an issue and said, “No, but what was the problem with Ram Ram? They made it Jai Shri Ram. Why?”
Tikait peddles misinformation, equates privatization and monetization
Tikait claimed that the government was selling its assets to private players. When Chavhanke said the government is monetizing to earn money so that it can be invested in projects that would help the public, Tikait refused to agree.
During the interview, Tikait seemed to be making it clear that his interests are political and specifically directed against BJP governments.
“We want our Utopia now!” screamed the human rights, women rights, animal rights, farmers’ rights, birds rights, plants rights activists. “We want a borderless, casteless, genderless world,” the privileged protestors demanded holding placards dressed in dark-coloured clothes and colourful hair.
Silent went the passerby’s jostling to work to earn two square meals, facing discrimination and hunting for equal opportunities. Wondering if these fancy placards and persuasive slogans would make any real difference to their lives.
And this is why I fear the left. There was a time when people took to the streets to demand rights and opportunities to be a part of the nation’s growth and development or bring about a visible ‘positive change’. For example, the 72-year-long ‘women’s suffrage movement’ demanding rights to vote or the ‘abolitionist movement’ to end slavery.
However, protests today are used just like sticks to dismantle the progress cogwheel of any developing or ‘potential enemy nation’. For example Bilkis Dadi and her gang, who are infamous for squatting on roads in the national capital, against a Bill they barely understand. Or the farmers in the anti-Farm Laws protest who think the Government of India will take back NRC-CAA Bills if they scooch longer.
You may ask what’s to fear about a bunch of doofuses. The fear is that protesting or dissenting has turned into a professional industry. Make cool posters, spill a few rants, latch on to an ‘enemy’ (which is often an entity or a person working against the nation), click a bunch of selfies trampling the victims you are protesting for, hashtag on Instagram and there you are! A professional protestor with the perfect recipe to shoot to fame in minutes. Let’s look at a few examples.
Slaves of ‘modern protestors’
ISIS slaves
Who says slavery does not exist in the 21st century? Just the masters and slaves have donned a new mask.
Yazidis renew calls for international help as thousands of women taken as slaves by ISIS are still unaccounted for. One Kamo Zandinan is in search of her daughter who was kidnapped by ISIS at the tender age of four.
ISIS declared members of the ancient Yazidi religious minority infidels and embarked on a campaign of genocide. Women were enslaved, children kidnapped and men killed to erase their identity. To date more than 300 Yazidi’s remain missing.
“He was tying me and beating me hard with a whip because I refused to submit to his brutality, so he raped me,” read the account of a Yazidi woman. Countless such horrific stories are sure to send chills down the spine.
But a woman protestor was busy pooping on an overturned police car because only ‘black lives mattered.’ Catch hold of any one of the US rioters about the ISIS slaves and there would be a deafening silence.
Hashtag #PoopingForJustice trended after the woman protestor shat on a police car
Yazidis have been wiped out like some bad memory. But the gash by the Biden administration on Afghanistan is fresh. Locals beheaded for working for the US or Afghan Army, women whipped or stoned for not wearing a hijab, screams of men falling off the aeroplanes in a bid to rescue themselves.
These aren’t a distant memory but the headlines from a few days ago. We ask “Where are the riots, where are the flags and where are the placards?” They ask “Where is the master’s order? Where is the money?”
Right to Slaughter
The animal lovers in 2012 went topless and slipped in a mermaid tail beneath to spread the message to ‘go vegan.’ The PETA mermaid held signs that read “Sea Life, Not Seafood,” and encouraged people to give up on seafood.
PETA’s topless mermaid. Image Source: inforum
Interestingly, the campaign was mirrored in India in 2014 by Bollywood actor Richa Chadda who can be seen dressed as a mermaid holding a similar placard.
Richa Chadda in a PETA campaign. Image Source: PETA website
However, as the little mermaids pose for an Instagrammable photo, the US in 2019 produced a record 27.4 billion pounds of beef. What’s rather surprising is, as per a climate organization report, there has been an intense pushback from the meat industry resisting any attempts to address climate change and greenhouse gas emission issues.
So much so that multiple committees formed to study the carbon footprint and discourage meat consumption was disbanded within a few months of formation.
And now here’s a video from Karachi where a cow while being lifted using a crane around Bakri Eid fell to death as people around watched unmoved.
In Pakistan alone, as many as ten million animals are sacrificed every year on Eid. No matter who holds a placard or goes topless, can you point out a single policy change or impact these protestors have brought about to ‘Save Animals’?
Oppression as per convenience
“Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death.” This is the definition of Human Rights that we have known all this while.
However, talk to a professional protestor and he/she/it/them/they will say, “Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to ‘people chosen by us’, from birth until death.”
Is it not true? Black lives matter so let’s shit on the whites. Palestinian lives matter so let’s spit on the Jews. Kashmiri Muslims’ lives matter so let’s whitewash the Kashmiri Hindu exodus. Sunni lives matter so let’s tear down an Ahmadi Mosque. Dalit lives matter so let’s portray a Hindu Brahmin dragging a dead body with his sikha.
Notice how your human rights don’t necessarily belong to you but to the ‘protesting industry.’ They determine who are oppressed and who are the oppressors, they decide who should get their rights and whose rights should be snatched away. The victims and the protestors are mere puppets of these ‘industrialists.’
The dilemma
The more you get into this cobweb, the more you realize the so-called protestors are the real oppressors.
This is how it works: a regular non-Muslim citizen comes across an image of an Afghan woman hidden in a chador and Tweets about her getting freedom. The so-called voices representing the oppressed Muslim women will quickly denounce the social media user, call him/ her Islamaphobic and declare the burqa a personal and empowering ‘choice’.
In an example from 2018, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson remarked that Muslim women wearing the burqa “look like letter boxes”. Within no time, he was accused of Islamophobe, burqa-clad Muslim women took to the streets to assert their identity and were reports of “increased attacks on the Muslim community.”
A woman wearing a burqa protested near Boris Johnson’s constituency office. Image Source: The Conversation
PS: Meanwhile, the Hindu community is being preached by advertising and clothing brands to do away with ‘Kanyadaan’ to escape the ‘apmaan’. (*insert rolling eyes emoji*)
Here’s a recent example. Indian journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani in a bid to justify the real oppressors hailed the Taliban and expressed joy over them allowing women to protest.
Just look at the lies this woman spreads!! Trying to cover up the deeds of the Taliban!! pic.twitter.com/KZd2svZOj6
Sherwani whose clear agenda is to take on the ‘threat of Hindutva’ while sitting in India, very conveniently left out the aftermath of those protests in Afghanistan. The editor of TheWire, a left-leaning media house running well in a democratic country who shot this monologue in a bright lemon yellow saree also falsely claimed that ‘hijab’ has been a part of Afghanistan’s culture and will continue to be so, hence, one must not get perturbed by it.
See how the ‘voice of the oppressed’ further victimized and oppressed the group instead of helping them gain their rights and freedom?
These voices should have been up against the Taliban regime, showing the real culture of Afghanistan. However, they failed to do so and several Afghan women themselves took to social media to advocate their “real culture” and “identity.”
Now you understand why I fear the left who have championed the ‘art of protesting?’ Because these messiahs are here to amplify their agenda by feeding off the miseries of the oppressed.
So next time you think a placard is going to save your life. God help!
In the next part, we see ‘why are the Hindus on the common hitlist of the left, communist and Islamists,’ essentially all those who form a part of the ‘andolanjeevi’ group hell-bent to ‘dismantle Hindutva.’
Dalit leader and former BJP MP Hari Manjhi recently asserted that Dalits are also Hindus and slammed the media for weaving an insidious narrative where Dalits are differentiated from their Hindu brethren.
“We Dalits are also Hindus. Why is the media making such a stupid narrative,” Manjhi tweeted in response to a tweet by news portal ANI wherein it made a distinction between a Dalit and a Hindu while informing about the appointment of two deputy chief ministers in Punjab.
The ANI tweet that drew the ire of Manjhi said, “Two deputy CMs will be appointed along with CM in Punjab. 1 Hindu and 1 Dalit MLA to be appointed for the post.”
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra also expressed his stern disapproval over the tweet saying, “In my opinion, doing so is not appropriate in terms of unity and social harmony of the majority Hindu society. ANI is widely regarded as an authoritative source of news in the media firmament.”
The Home Minister also sought action and asked the news agency to punish the culprits in case exclusion of Dalits from the larger Hindu community was done intentionally. “I request the management of the news agency that this mistake should be rectified immediately. If anyone has done this intentionally, then strict action should be taken against him,” he said.
The tweet by ANI had gone viral soon after it was posted, with a raft of social media users taking strong objection over the blatant segregation of Dalits from Hindus. They alleged that Dalits are an integral part of the Hindu community and to pitch them as a separate community is akin to promoting the pernicious agenda of the left that seeks to undermine the Hindu majority by sowing seeds of discord within its various sects.
Media’s skulduggery in segregating Dalits from the larger Hindu community
Segregation of Dalits from Hindus is a distinction without a difference but something that has been studiously projected by the left intelligentsia and their collaborators in the media industry for the last several decades. The left “intellectuals” have assiduously asserted that Dalits and Hindus are too disparate communities. This narrative is then promoted ad nauseam by pliant media organisations to normalise the notion that Dalits and Hindus do not belong to the same larger group.
As a part of this effort, the left-leaning media enthusiastically highlights the Dalit identity of a victim of an atrocity or a leader elevated to a prominent position, without identifying them as Hindus. Their Hindu identity is intentionally swept under the rug lest it would undercut their meticulous effort of deracinating Dalits from their Hindu roots.
Additionally, the left-leaning media organisations indulge in fear-mongering and paranoia to fuel dissension between Dalits and Hindus. Seemingly ordinary incidents are twisted by giving a caste spin to them so that the narrative of Dalits living under a constant threat of persecution at the hands of “upper caste” Hindus could be reinforced.
For instance, the media organisations would rush to identify a victim of an assault as a Dalit, without obviously highlighting his Hindu roots. They would then point out the “upper caste” of the assailant to paint the incident as an act of caste discrimination, even though the motive of the said crime had got nothing to do with the victim’s caste. This is done with the ulterior aim of widening the social fissures and peddling a false narrative.
Intersectionality: The significance of mentioning the identities of victims and perpetrators
While several media houses and Left intelligentsia are driven by their motive to break the Indian society, the rationale behind highlighting the caste identity of Dalit victims has a separate origin altogether. The theory essentially believes that the victim would have been at a lower risk had her identity not been that of a Dalit and hence, mentioning the caste identity is essential as even if the crime is not motivated by caste animosity, the victim was at a higher risk by virtue of her caste. This sociological concept is called as ‘Intersectionality’, the point where multiple identities of an individual meet.
Intersectionality is thus a theoretical framework for understanding how aspects of one’s social and political identities (e.g., gender, race, class, sexuality, disability, etc.) might combine to create unique modes of discrimination. So when a Dalit victim is identified by his/her caste identity, it is an acknowledgement of the fact that his/her caste has played a role in the discrimination or atrocities meted out on him/her. In addition to this, in such cases, the identity of the perpetrators also holds significance since the crime is committed on the premise of existing caste inequities. The media houses, therefore, fall over themselves in case the perpetrator of such atrocities happen to be Hindus.
The duplicity of media when victims are Hindu Dalits and perpetrators are Muslims
By contrast, they refrain from placing emphasis on identities when the victim is a Hindu Dalit and the perpetrator of the crime is a Muslim. When the non-left highlights the identities in such cases, the allegation that is often levelled by left ideologues and media organisations is that non-left is blatantly ‘communalising’ an incident.
Apparently, as per the Indian left’s understanding, incidents are communalised only when the perpetrators happen to be Muslims and victims Dalit Hindus. When it is the other way around, the media organisations feel no compunction in harping on the religious and caste identities of the victims and assailants, to insinuate that the crime had religious or caste motivations even when none exist.
Behind this transparent hypocrisy, lies the imaginary and farcical construct of Jai Bhim Jai Meem, which the opposition parties in connivance with their supporters in the media have fabricated to persuade Dalits to ally with Muslims and chip away at the unity of the Hindu community. To prevent the trope of Jai Bhim Jai Meem from falling apart, the media organisations consciously refrain from invoking religious and caste identities when a Muslim perpetrator is found to have committed an act of brutality against a Dalit Hindu because of his caste and religion.
The political agenda behind conjuring up artificial distinction between Dalits and Hindus
All these shenanigans are a part of a larger political agenda that aims to prevent the consolidation of the Hindu majority and thereby undermine their outsize influence on the country’s electoral politics. The goal is to exploit the heterogeneity of the Hindu community and divide the various sub-groups on account of their diversity. So Dalits are pitched against Hindus, Jats against Gujjars, Dravidians against the Hindi-speaking, so on and so forth, so that their allegiance to the larger Hindu community could be diluted and they could be perpetually enmeshed into petty sectarian conflicts.
Political parties who have survived on minority appeasement for decades are also party to this insidious propaganda. They have enthusiastically partaken in the segregation of the Hindu community so that their opposition could be weakened while unabashedly continuing with their brazen pandering of the minorities.
The efforts to cast Dalits as a distinct community, radically different from Hindus, intensified after PM Modi was elected as the Prime Minister of the country. After his ascension to the country’s highest post, PM Modi has managed to bind disparate Hindu groups into a single cohesive unit and exposed the vile propaganda of the left and its collaborators in the media. It was the first time in decades that an overwhelming section of Dalits consistently voted in favour of the BJP in the 2014 elections and other polls since then.
This development and changing political dynamic has spooked the opposition political parties and their sympathisers in the media and the left ecosystem, who had gotten used to enjoying the privileges that came with having a favourable government at the centre—such as brokering ministries and landing plum positions in government-appointed committees or even better—be the recipients of prestigious government awards.
With the advent of PM Modi at the Centre, these media organisations and “intellectuals” were veritably stripped off of their privileges. They could no longer influence decisions taken by the government or have a say in policies formulated by them. In addition to this, the centre’s unapologetic move to do away with minority appeasement also gnawed away at the left’s “secular” sensitivities.
As they saw themselves being relegated to the fringes of the Indian political arena and found their convictions regarding “secularism” being fiercely challenged, the left-leaning “ideologues” and the conniving media took to fomenting internecine conflicts within the Hindu community so that their electoral supremacy could be subverted and a more pliant and heedful government could be installed at the Centre.
Hours after England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to withdraw both men’s and women’s teams from their scheduled tour of Pakistan, Pakistanis took to Twitter to cry foul over the cancellation. The development comes three days after the New Zealand cricket board recalled its team over security concerns.
Ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in UAE, the England Men’s team was scheduled to play 2 back-to-back T20Is on October 13 and 14. On the other hand, the Women’s team was scheduled to play 2 T20Is and 3 ODIs. On Monday (September 20) night, the ECB decided to pull a plug on their tour of October, leaving Pakistanis high and dry.
Pakistanis cry foul over ECB’s withdrawal from its scheduled tour
Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raza lamented that the cricket fraternity had failed the county at a time when it needed them the most. “Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment & failing a member of their Cricket fraternity when it needed it most. Survive we will inshallah,” he said. Furthermore, he claimed that it was a wake-up call for the Pakistan team to become the best in the world so that other teams line up to play against them.
Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment & failing a member of their Cricket fraternity when it needed it most. Survive we will inshallah. A wake up call for Pak team to become the best team in the world for teams to line up to play them without making excuses.
Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar urged the team to fight it out against New Zealand in the T20I World Cup. “Ab painja laganay ka time aa gaya hai. Chorna nahi hai ab (We have to arm wrestle them. We are not going to spare the New Zealand team)”, he announced. Akhtar also claimed that the ECB’s snub was no ‘big deal’ and that the country had witnessed worse circumstances than that.
So England also refuses. Its ok guys, see you all at the T20 World Cup. Specially @BLACKCAPS. Ab painja laganay ka time aa gaya hai. Chorna nahi hai ab @babarazam .
Pakistani columnist Farwa Munir blamed the ECB for being ungrateful and not returning the favour. “When people were dying in Your country with Covid_19 we go we play we save your cricket. But when it’s time that you come here to play with us but you pushed us back in 10 years. It’s selfishness,” Munir lamented.
When people were dying in Your country with Covid_19 we go we play we save your cricket.
But when it’s time that you come here to play with us but you pushed us back in 10 years.
Pakistani journalist Chaudhry Yasif too cried foul over the alleged ‘politicisation’ of cricket. While sharing a picture of Prince William and his wife Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, Yasif asked as to how Pakistan was safe for the royal couple but not the English cricketers.
Gentleman’s game ruined due to politics….
Prince william can safely play cricket in Pakistan but England can’t send their cricket team to Pakistan ?#PAKvENGpic.twitter.com/2l9KsBWwGL
Pakistani sports producer Zohain Hussain wrote, “ECB’s reason behind the withdrawal from Pakistan’s tour – ‘increasing concerns about travelling to the region’. If NZ’s unilateral decision was absurd, this is right up there, if not worse. #PAKvENG”
ECB’s reason behind the withdrawal from Pakistan’s tour – ‘increasing concerns about travelling to the region’. If NZ’s unilateral decision was absurd, this is right up there, if not worse. #PAKvENG
Other Pakistani netizens drew ‘sadistic pleasure’ from the heartbreaking losses suffered by the England cricket team during the 1992 World Cup and the 2016 T20I World Cup. While sharing pictures of the final match of the T20I World Cup between England and West Indies in 2016, one Jahan Zaib wrote, “Dear England, you deserved it.”
Another Twitter user shared the picture of the final match between Pakistan and England during the 1992 World Cup and wrote, “This moment seems so satisfying. #PakVsEng”
“The mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff remains our highest priority and this is even more critical given the times we are currently living in. We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments,” the ECB said in its statement while pulling out from the Pakistani tour.
It further added, “We understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB, who have worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket in their country. Their support of English and Welsh cricket over the last two summers has been a huge demonstration of friendship. We are sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on cricket in Pakistan and emphasise an ongoing commitment to our main touring plans there for 2022.”
New Zealand abandons cricket series in Pakistan citing security concerns
An hour before the start of the 1st ODI match with Pakistan at Rawalpindi on September 17, the New Zealand cricket team decided to ‘abandon’ their tour of Pakistan over security concerns. The ‘B’ team of New Zealand was scheduled to play a 3-match ODI series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, followed by a 5-match T20 series against them in Lahore. “However, following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour. Arrangements are now being made for the team’s departure,” read a statement posted on the website of the New Zealand Cricket Board.
