Indian intelligence agencies believe that Pakistani terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed could target Hindu Temples in Jammu & Kashmir on the second anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 to spark communal tensions. According to reports, they have received information that Hindu Temples could be attacked on the 5th of August and on Independence Day on the 15th of August.
Consequently, security has been increased in the state. On Thursday, drones were spotted at three different locations in Jammu & Kashmir. The first was spotted at Samba’s Ghajwal police station area and ITBP centre, the second at Chliyari International Border area and the third at the Bari Brahma area. Consequently, a high alert has been sounded.
Drones have increased in the area. On Friday (July 22), the Jammu and Kashmir police shot down a Pakistani drone, carrying 5kg of explosives, at Kanachak near Jammu.
On June 27, the Indian Air Force tweeted that two low-intensity explosions took place in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station. The blasts took place at around 1:42 AM on Sunday and were so powerful they could be heard till 1 km distance. The drone dropped the bombs at a location close to the Helicopter hangar. The IAF suspected that these attacks were intended to target the strategic assets of the Indian Air Force located inside the airbase.
With August 5 and Independence Day approaching, security has been beefed up to thwart any possible mischief in the states by terrorists from across the border.
The day Icchadhari ‘protestor’ Yogendra Yadav in an opinion piece claimed that the farmer protest is protecting the ‘idea of India,’ a sting operation by Zee Hindustan on the very same revealed the ugly side of it.
National Highway 09 also known as Tikri Border has been shut for the past six months with alleged farmers protesting against the Farm Laws. What started with blocking the highway and eventually led to a siege of the Red Fort on Republic Day, the ‘farmer protests’ have now turned into a breeding ground for flesh trade, as per the report.
In a shocking revelation, a Zee Hindustan reporter disguised as a farmer unearthed rampant sex trade taking place at the protesting sites. In a blatant confession, a sex worker sitting just outside the bushes on Rohtak Highway revealed that she regularly gets customers from the protesting site who pay anywhere between Rs 100-500.
As per the report, multiple sex workers have set up their camps and tents close to the Tikri Border. The reporter was also taken on a tour of the site by a fake farmer who revealed the perks of participating in the protest.
The man can be heard saying that one gets alcohol, Rs 300 per day and sex. When the reporter spoke to a local on the condition at the borders, he revealed that almost everyone is intoxicated post 7 pm. So much so that at times they come in front of vehicles passing by. He also claimed that these farmers make video calls back home while drinking or from the sex sites to provoke their families to come to the borders.
In the visuals, one can see an alleged farmer lying on the roadside in an inebriated condition. When questioned, the local revealed that he had taken drugs. The intoxicated ‘farmer protestors’ also often create nuisance in the neighbouring areas, as per reports.
Haryana Police takes cognizance of the matter
Taking cognizance of the matter, SHO Vijay Kumar said that strict action will be taken against the flesh trade and an investigation will be initiated in this matter.
Kumar also informed that this is not the first time that cases of flesh trade from near the protesting sites have come to the fore. An investigation was carried out previously as well with enhanced patrolling in the area.
“People sitting at the borders are there for drugs”
A farmer in an interview with the news channel revealed that the BKU leader Rakesh Tikait himself is a fake farmer and gets people for Rs 300 to sit at the borders. “He is defaming the real farmers by doing this. The real farmers are working in the fields,” said the man.
“The ones sitting at the borders are all there for drugs,” he added.
Another farmer said that the Farm Laws are very much in favor of the farmers and the real ones are toiling hard in the field.
“Nobody is a farmer there. They are all mafias,” echoed other farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.
From Bhindranwale posters to cases of murder and lynching, the ongoing farmer protests seem to have very little to do with actual farmers.
Ahead of the high-level military talks with China on Saturday (July 31), India has stationed Rafale fighter jets at the eastern front with China in Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet trijunction, reportedThe Times of India (TOI).
On Wednesday (July 28), eight Rafale jets were officially inducted into the ‘Falcons of Chhamb and Akhnoor’ Squadron at Hasimara Indian Air Force (IAF base) in West Bengal. Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhsduria informed that the new fighter jets have ‘unmatched potential’ and can dominate and intimidate the adversaries whenever and wherever required. The 17 ‘Golden Arrows’, the first fully operational squadron of 18 fighter jets are also undertaking sorties in the Eastern Ladakh sector.
TOI reported that about 10 Rafale jets, contracted under ₹59,000 crore deal in September 2016, will arrive from France to India in batches before April 2022. Besides, Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI fighters have also been deployed at the Tezpur and Chabua air bases to counter China’s offensive. It must be mentioned that China has 4 times the number of fighter jets as compared to India. At the same time, it has upgraded its airbases in Kashgar, Hotan, Gargunsa (Ngari Gunsa), Lhasa-Gonggar, and Shigatse with fighter jets and bombers since the border standoff last year.
IAF has terrain advantage; has far superior fighter jets than China
Despite the numerical strength of China, the Indian Air Force has a ‘terrain advantage’ in both ground attack and aerial combat along the Line of Actual Control. China also faces a huge disadvantage as its airbases are located at high altitudes. The rarefied air limits fuel and weapon carrying capacity of the fighter jets. Quoting Indian Air Force officers, TOI reported that India’s bulk of fighter jets in the form of Mirage-2000s, MiG-29s and Sukhoi-30MKI, and Rafale are superior to Chinese fighters.
In particular, the Rafale jets are equipped with long stand-off weapons such as 300-km range ‘Scalp’ air-to-ground cruise missiles. The fighter jets have a combat range of 780 km to 1650 km and a meteor air-to-air-missile range of 120 km-150km. These missiles give Rafale fighters a higher edge over its Pakistani and Chinese counterparts. Although they are housed in Ambala and Hasimara air bases, Rafale fighters can operate from anywhere across the country. To add to that, IAF had ordered ‘Hammer’ air-to-ground precision-guided munitions to destroy hardened shelters and bunkers. They also have a strike range of 20-70 km.
China strengthened its positions at friction points in Ladakh
Earlier, it was reported that China had hardened its stance in the depth areas of eastern Ladakh, during the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic in India. According to the sources quoted by India Today journalist ShivAroor, far from reducing its presence in Ladakh as previously agreed, China had reinforced its positions with permanent accommodations and depots, a sign of hardening stance even as the talks between the two sides continue.
The images with the Indian military establishment and the ground intelligence hinted that China had no mood to vacate its aggressive positions along the line of control in eastern Ladakh. The grim details of China’s treachery were uncovered on a day when the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping expressed her commiserations to PM Modi over the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in India. “The Chinese side stands ready to strengthen cooperation with the Indian side in fighting the pandemic and provide support and help in this regard. I believe that under the leadership of the Indian Government, the Indian people will surely prevail over the pandemic,” Xi Jinping said.
Daljit Singh Jangpur alias Happy Bajwa, a Congress worker from Punjab who was the co-ordinator of Dakha Sports and Cultural Cell, consumed poison and died by suicide on Thursday in Dakha.
Before committing suicide, Bajwa, a resident of Jangpur village in Dakha circulated a 10-minute audio (suicide) note addressed to PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and posted in some WhatsApp groups.
As per reports, Bajwa was fed up with a property dispute and had a police case pending against him. In the audio note, he alleged that his voice was not being heard and that he could no longer bear the atrocities meted out to him by some co-villagers.
What Bajwa said in the audio note
As per The Times of India, Bajwa before ending his life said that he served the party for 30 years but could not even get the atta-dal scheme (a scheme to procure wheat and pulses at a subsidized rate) started for his family. He also alleged that the party did not come to his aid when several false cases were filed against him.
Bajwa was also heard saying that even after four-and-a-half years of Congress rule, no poor family associated with him in his village was benefited by the party. Schemes like atta-dal went to those with good cars and houses (of Akalis).
Despite Congress being in power, the party did not help him get justice when he was falsely accused in an attempt to murder case, the note said.
Bajwa sharing the names of the perpetrators alleged that the Akalis were creating hurdles in acquiring a land he had purchased. He also hinted that the accused were getting ready to file another false case against him.
Ending his note, Bajwa requested the PPCC president to take care of his family. He also said that now that Sidhu has been appointed as the new chief, their voices might be heard.
Want to be a Congressman again
Despite complaints, Bajwa in his audio allegedly said that if he gets another life he would want to become a Congress worker again. He said he toiled hard for the party, campaigned for Congress in many states including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
He had also worked in the by-poll elections of his constituency. Dedicating his life to the party, Bajwa had decided to not get married.
Congress and Akali Dal refute allegations
As soon as the audio clip went viral, political secretary to chief minister Captain Sandeep Sandhu, who contested elections from Dakha constituency claimed that Bajwa blamed the Akali Dal workers who ruined his life and not the Congress party. He just requested the party to take care of his family, he added.
On the other hand, Akali leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali too refuted the allegations and said that Bajwa was himself involved in wrongdoings.
Police arrests the accused named by Bajwa
Reports suggest that Bajwa on Thursday went to a nearby village on a tractor and consumed sulphas. When found unconscious Bajwa was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed.
On the complaint of Bajwa’s brother, police booked three co-villagers Pritam Singh, his nephew Baljinder Singh and Panch Manjinder Singh for abetting suicide. The three were accused of harassing Bajwa following a property dispute.
Two accused of which one is an elected member of the panchayat have been arrested by the police. The third is on a run and a manhunt has been launched to arrest him.
Dismissing the possibility of a political rivalry, DSP Gurbans Bains said, “As of now, we are investigating as per the victim’s brother’s statement who named the three men. The authenticity of the WhatsApp audio recording needs to be verified and we are not counting on that as of now.”
Navjot Singh Sidhu visits Bajwa’s family
Reportedly, Sidhu visited Bajwa’s house and announced an immediate grant of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased. He also assured the family that he will always stand rock-solid in support of the family.
Sidhu had also demanded immediate arrest of the accused named by Bajwa in the audio.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also took to Twitter to condole the death of his party worker.
Tragic news of our party worker from Ludhiana district Happy Bajwa committing suicide. Have directed @DGPPunjabPolice to immediately enquire into it and to bring the culprits to book. Anyone found guilty will not be spared.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 29, 2021
“Tragic news of our party worker from Ludhiana district Happy Bajwa committing suicide. Have directed @DGPPunjabPolice to immediately enquire into it and to bring the culprits to book. Anyone found guilty will not be spared,” he tweeted giving assurance.
Mercy Senthil Kumar, the daughter-in-law of senior DMK leader and minister I Periyasamy, stoked a controversy recently by demanding a law requiring the sanction of Vatican Pope to arrest Christian pastors and sisters across the world.
DMK Minister Periyasamy’s daughter in law Mercy Senthil Kumar calls for a Law to ensure “Pastors be arrested for any crimes only after due sanction by Vatican”. Chief Minister #MKStalin should tutor her basics that India will be governed only by the Indian & not the Vatican Laws.
According to a report by the Commune, Mercy Senthil Kumar attended a condolence event held in the memory of Naxal sympathiser, and Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence accused Stanislaus Lourduswamy, popularly known as Stan Swamy, at Dindigul.
Speaking at the event, Mercy Senthil Kumar claimed that she was at the event to give a voice to the death of Pastor Stan Lourduswamy, who, according to her, had dedicated his entire life to the service of people.
“Everyone is speaking out about Pastor Stan Swamy’s death. I’m here to add my voice to yours. We are all bound by our family circles, and we can only volunteer in our spare time. But what respect do we give to priests and sisters who dedicate their entire lives to service? A priest (Stan Swamy) has died. Today, 200 people gathered here to support Stan Swamy, and another priest and a sister will be struggling somewhere else tomorrow,” said Mercy as she paid her tributes to Naxal sympathiser Stan Lourduswamy.
Stan Lourduswamy, commonly known as Stan Swamy, was an undertrial prisoner in the Elgar-Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence case and died last week at a Mumbai private hospital due to an age-related illness. The 84-year-old Stan Swamy, an Indian Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, had been involved in anarchic activities for quite some time. However, his anti-India activities came to the fore after his role in the Elgar Parishad in 2018 surfaced during the investigation.
The video of her speech has gone viral on the internet now.
Continuing her speech, Mercy claimed that it was Christian fathers and sisters who brought education and rationality to India and that the majority of India’s educational institutions are in the hands of priests and sisters. She suggested that these Christian priests should be allowed to teach politics and law across the country.
“We should teach about sainthood in the colleges with Christians. This is because living the life of a saint is very difficult. We should see Christians pastors and sisters as heroes and heroines,” said Mercy Senthil Kumar, who is also the wife of DMK MLA Senthil Kumar.
Taking it a step further, Mercy suggested that a law should be introduced in the country that would require the Vatican’s Pope’s permission to imprison any pastors or nuns serving people worldwide.
The shocking speech by an influential DMK sympathiser asking for a law to ensure sanction by the Vatican to act against Christian clergy comes just a week after another prominent DMK supporter had stoked a similar controversy during a tribute event in the memory of Naxal Stan Swamy.
A prominent Catholic priest named Father George Ponnaiah from the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, a known supporter of DMK had recently indulged in hate speech activity against Hindus.
Hate speech against Hindus by DMK supporter Father Ponnaiah
During the public meeting at Arumanai, Father George Ponnaiah had said, “It does not matter how many temples you renovate and consecrate. No Hindu, no devotee of Mandaikattu Amman, is going to vote for you. If you won, then it is the alms we Christians and Muslims have thrown to you. You won not because of your talents.”
While speaking about the role of the Church in ensuring DMK’s victory, he added, “Bishops just signalled with their eyes and our workers including the Pentecostal movement workers went and canvassed for you (DMK and Congress).”
Father Ponnaiah had also insulted Bharat Mata by claiming that she is dirty and can cause scabies. During his public address, he had mocked BJP candidate MR Gandhi for not wearing footwear out of respect for Mother Earth (Bhumadevi/Bharat Mata).
“But we wear shoes. Why? Because the impurities of Bharat Mata should not contaminate us. The Tamil Nadu government has given us free footwear. This bhumadevi is dangerous, you could catch scabies from it,” the pastor brazened it out. Besides vulgar rhetorics and open polarisation, Father Ponnaiah had also made despicable remarks about PM Modi and Amit Shah.
The videos of his hate speech had gone viral on the internet, stoking massive uproar against the Christian priest. Following protests, the Christian priest was arrested by Tamil Nadu police.
Maharashtra Minister of School Education and Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad had recommended reopening physical classes in Covid-free zones from July 12. As schools opened for classes 8-12, as many as 613 students have tested positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra’s Solapur.
This has also raised concerns over the plausible lack of adherence to Covid-19 protocols for the safe opening of schools and colleges.
Early this month, Gaikwad while announcing the reopening of schools had said, “It has become a need of the hour to have a co-educational approach to reach out to the children of the last strata of the state.”
राज्यातील शेवटच्या घटकातील मुलांपर्यंत शिक्षण पोहोचवण्यासाठी मिश्रित शिक्षणाचा दृष्टिकोन बाळगणे ही काळाची गरज बनली आहे.ही बाब लक्षात घेऊन दूरस्थ शिक्षण आणि ऑनलाईन शिक्षणाला चालना देण्यासोबतच कोरोनामुक्त ग्रामीण भागांत कोरोना प्रतिबंधकतेची संपूर्ण खबरदारी घेऊन शाळा सुरु करीत आहोत. pic.twitter.com/LJLNfykOVE
The Minister had also mandated all teachers and staff members to be vaccinated before resuming physical classes to limit the spread of infection.
“Prior to the commencement of school, corona vaccination of all teachers and non-teaching staff in the respective schools should be done as a matter of priority,” she had Tweeted.
However, considering the spike in cases among children, whether or not enough precautions were taken before the resumption of physical classes is unknown.
The state being one of the most affected by the first as well as the second wave of the pandemic made it impossible for the schools to reopen. Schools in Maharashtra have been shut since March 2020.
Covid-19 cases on a rise
Maharashtra, which was the first to be hit by the second wave of the Chinese virus continues to record more than 6000 new cases. The state on Thursday recorded 7242 new Covid-19 cases and 190 fatalities, a slight jump from Wednesday.
Districts like Pune, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur remain the top contributors to the caseload.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has relaxed curbs in 25 districts allowing shops, theaters, eateries and gyms to function.
Contrary to the belief that Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was killed in a Taliban crossfire in Afghanistan, the latest disclosure by a US-based magazine suggests that he was “brutally murdered” by the terrorist group after verifying his identity.
According to the Washington Examiner report, Danish Siddiqui was neither killed in a crossfire in Afghanistan, nor he was collateral damage, however, he was killed by the Taliban, who shot him dead after verifying his identity.
“Siddiqui was alive when the Taliban captured him. The Taliban verified Siddiqui’s identity and then executed him, as well as those with him. The commander and the remainder of his team died as they tried to rescue him,” the report said.
Danish Siddiqui, who was on an assignment in the war-torn country, travelled with the Afghan National Forces to the Spin Boldak region to cover the clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban.
A report by PTI said that the Taliban attacked the Afghan forces when they reached a customs post. The Afghan forces split up, leaving Siddiqui with three other Afghan troops.
During this attack, Siddiqui and Afghan forces were hit by shrapnel, who escaped to a local mosque where they received first aid. Soon, the Taliban got to know that the Indian journalist was taking refuge inside the mosque. The local investigation suggests the Taliban attacked the mosque only because of Siddiqui’s presence there, the report said.
“While a widely circulated public photograph shows Siddiqui’s face recognizable, I reviewed other photographs and a video of Siddiqui’s body provided to me by a source in the Indian government that show the Taliban beat Siddiqui around the head and then riddled his body with bullets,” said writer Micheal Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
“The Taliban’s decision to brutally execute Danish Siddiqui and then mutilate his corpse has shown that they do not respect the rules of war or conventions that govern the behaviour of the global community”, the report said.
The report had expressed surprise at the mention of Danish’ death by the US State Department as a mere accident.
Taliban killed Danish Siddiqui, mutilated his body and drove a car on him
Earlier too, it was reported that the Taliban had mutilated the body of a fellow Muslim Danish Siddiqui simply because he was an Indian. Afghan Army Commander Bilal Ahmed had disclosed that the Taliban first shot Danish then ran a car over him after they got to know he is Indian since the Taliban hates India and Indians.
The Taliban had mowed down the car on Danish even after shooting him, displaying their hatred for Indians. The revelations by the Afghan commander had come at a time when certain sections of the “liberal-secular” media in the country were absolving the crimes of the terrorist group by claiming that the Muslim photojournalist was killed during a crossfire.
However, the latest disclosures regarding the manner in which Danish Siddiqui was killed has now put all other conspiracy theories to rest.
Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who shot to fame with his morbid images of burning funeral pyres in India, was killed while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban terrorists near a border crossing with Pakistan in Spin Boldak.
On Wednesday (July 28), the Mayor of the Township of Edison in New Jersey recognised July as ‘Hindu persecution awareness month.’ The development comes as a major victory for the Hindu community in the United States who have struggling to make universities and college campuses aware of the perils of Hinduphobia.
Twitter handle ‘Hindu on Campus’ shared the key development on Friday (July 30). In his historic proclamation, Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey noted, “Whereas, Hinduism is one of the world’s major religions, with over 1 billion global adherents; and whereas historically, as well as in the present day, Hindus have faced persecution and discrimination based on their religious beliefs, including in South Asia; and whereas, our own state, New Jersey, witnessed attacks in the late 1980s aimed at Hindu Indian immigrants, which were perpetrated by the Dotbusters…”
He further added, “Whereas, misunderstandings and stereotypes about Hinduism and those that practice it persists, and Hinduphobia — an aversion to or hatred of the Hindu faith and those that practice it — is still a very real issue; and Whereas, Hinduism, which encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems, espouses values of acceptance and peace, and Hindus have been trailblazers in various fields across the globe; and whereas, Edison has a large and vibrant Hindu population that is integral to the diverse ethnic and religious fabric of our town, and is home to several Hindu places of worship.”
BREAKING: Edison, NJ’s 5th largest municipality (with significant Hindu population) recognizes Hinduphobia & July as Hindu Persecution Awareness Month!
“Therefore, be it resolved that I, Thomas Lankey, Mayor of the Township of Edison, do hereby proclaim July as Hindu Persecution Awareness Month to memorialize the discrimination and injustice that members of the Hindu faith face, and to reaffirm our township’s commitment to the American ideal of the freedom to freely and peacefully practice one’s religion,” the office of the Mayor concluded.
‘Hindu on Campus’ informed that Edison is the 5th largest municipality of New Jersey, which hosts a large population of Hindu Americans. While thanking Hindu students for leading their cause to fruition, it said, “The proclamation issued by the Township’s mayor nods to the past and present discrimination that Hindus have faced in South Asia, as well as the richness and significance of Hindu heritage.”
The proclamation issued by the Township’s mayor nods to the past and present discrimination that Hindus have faced in South Asia, as well as the richness and significance of Hindu heritage.
Hindu on Campus highlighted that the Office of the Edison Mayor also recognised ‘Hinduphobia’, which is a grim issue of the day. It stated that the recognition of Hindu Persecution Awareness Month is significant, as it has received official governmental recognition now.
The proclamation by Edison Township to recognize Hindu Persecution Awareness Month is incredibly significant, because this meaningful time for Hindus across the globe has now received official governmental recognition.
Rutgers Student Association passes historic resolution recognising Hinduphobia
On April 24 this year, the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) passed a resolution (No. 1451-XX) to adopt a scholarly definition of Hinduphobia. This was the first time when a US university had institutionally recognised Hinduphobia through its student assembly. The scholarly definition of Hinduphobia was developed through the ‘Understanding Hinduphobia’ Conference.
Rutgers HSC emphasised that it was important to protect the interests of the Hindu students on the campus of Rutgers University. The adopted definition of Hinduphobia went as, “a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as fear or hatred.” Rutgers HSC informed that RUSA had not only recognised the working definition of Hinduphobia but would also incorporate changes made to the definition within 14 days of the conclusion of the ‘Understanding Hinduphobia Conference.’
On Thursday, the Assam Police arrested notorious Christian missionary Ranjan Chutia for allegedly indulging in forceful religious conversion activities in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.
According to the reports, the Dibrugarh police arrested the Christian evangelist Ranjan Chutia from his healing centre at Moran for misusing the religious and cultural creations of Srimanta Shankar Deva for religious conversion. The police arrested the notorious evangelist after Hindu Yuba Chatra Parishad lodged an FIR in Moran police station.
The complainant had alleged that the accused person misused the religious and cultural creations of Srimanta Sankardev for religious conversion and recreated Borgeet, Naam, Ghusha (Assamese religious devotional songs) to spread Christianity. The Christian missionary had changed the lyrics to add Jesus Christ’s name in these Vaishnav devotional songs.
Reportedly, Ranjan Chutia and other evangelists started a prayer house named “World Healing Prayer Center” and lured innocent people in the name of treating patients by healing prayer and the power of Jesus Christ. Through this venture, Chutia converted thousands of innocent Hindus into Christianity.
Various local organisations said that missionary Ranjan Chutia has converted thousands of people to Christianity in the name of providing good health and monetary help. Babul Bora, the Secretary-General of the Hindu Yuba Chatra Parishad, has appealed to the state government to intervene in the matter to stop the heinous conversion activities of the missionaries.
Meanwhile, at Batadrava Sattra, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev, missionaries have been given a stern warning against converting innocent people using the creations of Sankardev. Devananda Deb Goswami, the Sattradhikar of Batadrava Sattra, also condemned the conversion activities of evangelist groups and urged the state government to take immediate action.
The Dibrugarh police have arrested Ranjan Chutia, and a case has been registered under IPC sections 153(A) and 195(A). The accused has also tested positive for the coronavirus.
The National Gallery of Australia, in what can be considered one the single largest repatriation of art, has decided to return 14 artefacts of cultural significance to the Indian government. The 14 artefacts being repatriated includes six bronze or stone sculptures, a brass processional standard, a painted scroll, and six photographs. The collection is worth about $2.2 million (approximately Rs 16.34 crore). Some of them date back to the 12th Century.
The artworks, which are part of the gallery’s Asian collection, includes one object acquired from an art dealer named William Wolff and 13 objects connected to the notorious artefact smuggler Subhash Kapoor, who at the moment is awaiting trial as he is accused of running a global smuggling ring for artefacts through his “Art of the Past” gallery, informed the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Arch for a Jain shrine and Seated Jina from the Mount Abu region in Rajasthan, India from the 11th-12th century, (left) The divine couple: Lakshmi and Vishnu statue, from the 10th-11th century (right), source: National Gallery of Australia
The National gallery’s decision to return these artefacts was taken as they believed that six of the 13 artefacts obtained from Subhash Kapoor were stolen or obtained through illegal means from India. The rest, they decided to return on doubts over Kapoor’s practices.
Gujarati family group portrait, purchased in 2009 by the National Gallery of AustraliaUntitled portrait from Udaipur in Rajasthan, India. Purchased in 2009 by NGAManorath’ portrait of donors and priests before Shri Nathji, purchased in 2009 by NGA
Three more sculptures that were also sourced from Kapoor’s ‘Art of the Past’ gallery have been removed from the collection. The gallery asserted that further research will be undertaken to identify their place of origin before repatriating these artefacts.
Nick Mitzevich, director of the NGA, said the repatriation effort was the result of the NGA’s new provenance assessment framework and as the first outcome of this change, the gallery will be returning 14 objects from the Indian art collection to their country of origin. “This is the right thing to do, it’s culturally responsible and the result of collaboration between Australia and India.” asserted Nick Mitzevich.
Mitzevich added that the terms of the physical handover of the artworks will be discussed over the next couple of months.
Meanwhile, India’s High Commissioner to Australia, Manpreet Vohra, has welcomed Australia’s decision to hand back the works to India, where it originally belonged.
“India is grateful for this extraordinary act of goodwill and gesture of friendship from Australia,” Vohra said, adding that these are outstanding pieces and its return will be extremely well received by the Government and people of India.
Reportedly, both India and Australia are party to the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transport of Ownership of Cultural Property.
Prior to this, the Australian government, in November 2019, had announced to return three culturally significant artefacts, a pair of ‘Dwarapala’ (door guardians) from Tamil Nadu and one ‘Nagaraja (serpent king)’ from either Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, purchased from idol smuggler Subhash Kapoor during Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to India in January 2020.
An investigation into the National Gallery’s Asian Collection by former Australian judge Susan Crennan in 2015 had found 30 such ‘problematic’ artefacts, including the three idols which were returned in January 2020. As per media reports, all of them were sold by Subhash Kapoor. Kapoor is facing charges for trafficking antiquities worth over 140 million USD.
Besides this, on various previous occasions, Australia has repatriated Indian artefacts to India.
It is notable here that hundreds of priceless ancient idols and artefacts have been smuggled out from India over the decades. Many renowned art galleries and auction houses have been known to receive such items through middlemen and antique smugglers.
In fact, the Tamil Nadu govt’s idol wing led by AG Ponn Manickavel has been working tirelessly to bring back these stolen idols from various countries.
