Aam Aadmi Party worker from Surat, Sapna Rajput attempted suicide on 13 August 2021 after a party leader allegedly subjected her to mental harassment. She has also lodged a complaint of extortion against him. She had reportedly tried to commit suicide by taking large number of sleeping pills and slitting her wrist.
In her complaint to police she had alleged that Aam Aadmi Party leader Gautam Patel got into argument with her over party work related issues. Patel allegedly told her that her husband Ajay Rajput had taken Rs 4,000 a year and a half back on loan and had not yet returned the money. He allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 for the same which Sapna paid.
As per Sapna, AAP leader Gautam Patel again called her on 13th August and threatened to finish off her political career. Subsequently, she attempted to end her life. As per police Sub-Inspector J R Desai, Sapna was depressed after the threats and harassment by AAP leader Gautam Patel. While Police have started investigation, Gautam has gone into hiding.
Soni Mishra suicide and ‘compromise kar lo’
In June 2016, AAP volunteer Soni Mishra had accused fellow AAP leader Ramesh Bhardwaj of sexual harassment. On July 19, 2016, allegedly depressed by no-action being taken by either the party or the police, Soni Mishra – the young political activist of the AAP consumed poison and ended her life.
Prior to her death, Soni Mishra had revealed that she had in fact approached Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to seek action against AAP leader Ramesh Bharadwaj. According to her, however, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal had not only failed to act against his party leader but also demanded her to strike a ‘compromise’ with AAP leader who had allegedly attempted to sexually exploit her.
Panic and chaos swept across Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Sunday as Taliban poured into the city, bringing a swift and shocking close to the democratically elected Afghan government and the 20-year-long American war in the country.
The Taliban’s lightning-fast takeover of Afghanistan caught the US administration flat-footed, which then scrambled a chopper to evacuate the members of the US embassy that were stranded in Kabul. The US embassy members were ferried to the Kabul airport by the chopper.
The US state department on Monday morning said all American diplomats have been moved from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul to the capital city’s airport, following a chaotic day in which Taliban fighters entered the city and the Pentagon dispatched fresh troops to evacuate U.S. personnel and Afghan allies. A Defence Department official on Sunday informed that 1,000 troops are being sent to secure the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“We can confirm that the safe evacuation of all embassy personnel is now complete,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. “All embassy personnel are located on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, whose perimeter is secured by the U.S. military.”
The photos of evacuation from the US embassy in Kabul bore a stark resemblance with the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975, leading many critics to call it Biden’s ‘Saigon moment’. Several social media users drew a parallel between the Afghanistan evacuation effort in Afghanistan and that in Saigon over four and a half decades ago.
US evacuation efforts in Kabul(Image Source: Twitter)
The captured pictures that are now doing the rounds on the internet depict a US military helicopter flying above the US embassy in Kabul, where a hasty evacuation effort was underway. However, for some observers, the images of evacuation in Afghanistan brought back the memories of the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war, when a similar chopper was used to evacuate Vietnamese partners gathered on the roof of a building near the US embassy in Saigon as North Vietnamese forces quickly overran the South Vietnamese capital.
Joe Biden was in the Senate when America pulled out of Saigon in 1975.
Social media is rife with posts comparing the withdrawal of forces by Washington to the fall of Saigon, an uncannily similar crisis that befell on the United States 46 years ago when Saigon, the capital of the US-backed South Vietnam, fell to Communist-ruled North Vietnam two years after the withdrawal of the American forces that had been in the country for 19 years.
Did the administration go to the archives of April 1975 and pull out the playbook for Saigon for this meeting? ?♀️ pic.twitter.com/BODgJBmObp
On April 30, 1975, the fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam war, resulting in the victory of the Communists forces and their hold over the territory for the next few months. Similarly, as much as the pictures between the two evacuation efforts bear a resemblance, the analysts now believe that the Taliban could establish complete control over Afghanistan soon, eroding the 20 years of American efforts to bring democracy and stability to the region.
The Vietnam War
The Vietnam war was started in 1954 when North Vietnam’s infamous General Vo Nguyen Giap vanquished the French imperial troops at the famous strategic spot, Dien Bien Phu. While the US had been in the country for over a decade, it formally joined the war against the North Vietnamese force in 1965 under the leadership of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
At the height of the Vietnam war, the US had over 5 lakh troops posted in the country. Later when Richard Nixon was elected as the US President in 1969, he took over the mantle of the Vietnam War from his predecessor and continued catapulting the United States to one of the most embarrassing defeats in its history.
The war resulted in an astounding number of casualties for Americans and their South Vietnamese protégés. Termed as one of the bloodiest wars, the conflict resulted in over 58,000 Americans and 2,50,000 Vietnamese.
The Fall of Saigon
In January 1973, the United States and North Vietnam had signed an agreement, known as the Paris Peace Accords. Within two months of signing the accords, the war-weary American forces began pulling out of South Vietnam.
However, by 1974, North Vietnam violated the agreement and resumed its attack on South Vietnam. By then, most of the US military had been withdrawn from the country, leaving only approximately 5,000 American troops behind and the US diplomats working in the Saigon embassy. The condition was also exacerbated by the House of Representatives’ decision that rejected President Gerald Ford’s $300 million supplementary military aid bill for South Vietnam in March 1975.
Meanwhile, the North Vietnamese Army continued its offensive and capturing southern cities between March and April 1975, forcing South Vietnamese to flee in large numbers. Just like Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as Taliban takeover became imminent, similarly. South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu had also fled South Vietnam on 21 April 1975, after biding a tearful farewell address, in which he said the US had broken a pledge to intervene if North Vietnam violated the 1973 agreement, and had “pushed the South Vietnamese people to death”.
The North Vietnamese forces laid siege to Saigon on 29 April 1975, raining rockets and shelling artillery incessantly onto Tan Son Nhut Air Base. The attack sent a panic wave among the US embassy personnel and the remaining Americans. The United States sent its choppers to evacuate its embassy members and South Vietnamese supporters. Hours after a US chopper evacuated the last of a dozen Americans stranded in Saigon, the Communists captured the city.
American chopper flying over a building in Saigon to rescue stranded Americans(Image Source: New York Times)
The fall of Saigon or the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam by the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong on 30 April 1975 marked the end of the Vietnam War and the start of a transition period to the formal reunification of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
When Saigon fell to the Communist forces, TV and newspapers carried pictures of a large group of Americans, soldiers and civilians on the roof of the US embassy, waiting to be rescued by their country’s military choppers. As each helicopter was overfilled and rose a few feet from the US embassy building, several stranded people clung on its skids and lunged at the aircraft carrier before the chopper could land.
People in Saigon were desperate to board a US helicopter as Communists’ takeover of the city became inevitable(Source: The Washington Post)
The predicament in Afghanistan and the hasty pullout of US diplomatic members from the Kabul embassy has therefore rekindled the memories of the culmination of the Vietnam War and the American withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1975.
The screenshot of an alleged news report by CNN has gone viral on the internet where the chyron of the channel could be seen complimenting the Taliban for “responsibly wearing masks”. The screenshot went viral on the day Taliban managed to capture Kabul following the US Exit after twenty years of warfare.
The screenshot shows CNN in poor light and has spread like wildfire on social media.
Source: Twitter
Some are also cursing CNN for the alleged report. The screenshot carried with it the caption, “CNN Praises Taliban For Wearing Masks During Attack”.
Source: Twitter
The truth about ‘CNN praises Taliban for wearing masks’
In reality, CNN did not praise Taliban for “wearing masks during attack”. The screenshot is, in fact, sourced from a satirical article published by The Babylon Bee on the 14th of August.
The Babylon Bee satirical article
The satire poked fun at the Biden administration as well as Brian Stelter, host of ‘Reliable Sources’ on CNN. Stelter is widely considered to be an incompetent idiot and has a reputation for peddling bizarre propaganda that no one believes apart from him and his crew.
The satire claimed that Stelter said, “Wow! In the midst of the battle and bloodshed, these noble desert knights of Islamic superiority are wearing masks! Bravo!” Another comical quote is attributed to Don Lemon, a CNN host widely considered a pompous propagandist, “All things considered, we ought to be praising the COVID-safe masks these majestic mujahideen warriors are wearing.”
Past gaffe of the news network
During the violent George Floyd riots, CNN had run a chyron that described arson and looting as “mostly peaceful protests”. The screen showed arson, a vehicle on fire but the chyron attempted to downplay what was obvious on the screen.
CNN’s ‘mostly peaceful protest’ fiasco
The news network had to suffer major embarrassment due to the chyron and was panned by people across the spectrum for its ridiculous assertion.
As India entered 75th year of Independence, Jamia ‘student’ and Delhi riots accused Asif Iqbal Tanha sparked controversy after openly hailing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
During a conversation with fellow Islamists on ‘Twitter Space’ on Sunday (August 15), the riot accused remarked, “Let me give you guys a piece of good news – Ashraf Ghani has resigned. Thanks to Allah! Slowly and gradually, it will lead to the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (governed by the Taliban). We need to take inspiration from them and learn how to struggle in the pursuit of ‘freedom movement. (Azadi)’.” The topic for the discussion was, “Are Muslims in India free?“
The presence of the Delhi riot accused in the discussion was further confirmed from the tweet of another Islamist named Mohammed Tanveer, who was also a part of Twitter space. As evident from the video, the microphone of all speakers was turned off and it was only Asif Iqbal Tanha who was heard heaving praises on the Taliban and thanking Allah for the same.
Tweet thanking Asif Tanha for participating in Space
Tanha’s desire to learn and follow the footsteps of the Taliban to secure Azadi or perhaps the ‘Jinnah vali Azadi‘ (a genocidal slogan that gained prominence during the Anti-CAA protests)is not without reason. In a statement made to the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, he had revealed that he wanted to turn India into an Islamic republic. Tanha, a Jamia Millia Islamia student and member of the Student Islamist Organization (SIO) since 2014, was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in May last year for purportedly being a part of a larger conspiracy behind the February riots in northeast Delhi in 2020.
Besides his desire to turn India into an Islamic country, he has made several other shocking revelations to the police. In his statement to the police, he revealed that he considered the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as anti-Muslim and therefore joined the students of Jamia Milia Islamia in opposing it. He also confessed to setting buses on fire under the garb of ‘peaceful protests.’
As per the report, Asif Iqbal admitted to orchestrating a march of 2500-3000 people from the Gate no 7 of Jamia Millia Islamia on December 12. He revealed that Sharjeel Imam gave a provocative speech to encourage ‘protestors’ to execute a ‘chakka jam’ on December 13.
Asif confessed to organising a ‘Gandhi peace march’ on December 15 from the Jamia metro station to the Parliament via Zakir Nagar and Batla House. He stated that the purpose of naming it after Mahatma Gandhi was to lure more people into joining the march.
Asif Iqbal further admitted that he delivered provocative speeches at several places in the country including Kolkata, Kota, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ujjain, Indore, Jaipur, Patna, Sabzibagh, Araria, Samastipur, Ahmedabad. Reportedly, he urged common Muslims to protest against the Indian and not to shy away from engaging in violence, if such a need arose.
Following his release from jail, he had informed about the development on the micro-blogging site. On June 22, Tanha had tweeted, “Assalam Alaikum Dosto, coming out of jail after 13 months and meeting my mother, family, friends and fellow activists, I feel like a caged bird who found a new sky. This sky is much higher, weather more pleasant and inviting for a long flight.”
Screengrab of the Twitter post of Asif Iqbal Tanha
It is pertinent to remember that when Tanha was applauding the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, UP-based journalist, Ali Sohrab was heard saying ‘Alhamdulilah’ in agreement in between Tanha’s remarks.
Screengrab of the Twitter profile of Ali Sohrab
He has been infamous for sharing objectionable and bigoted content on his Twitter page. Sohrab was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police from Delhi in November 2019 for uploading repugnant posts following the murder of Hindu samaj founder Kamlesh Tiwari. He was booked under sections 295A, 295B, 66, 67 IT act and was taken to Lucknow after securing his transit remand.
The encounter of a leader of the banned organization Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), Chesterfield Thangkhiew, in a police raid on Friday (August 13), has created quite a stir in Meghalaya. Incidents of vandalism and arson have been reported from Shillong and various parts of the Northeastern state of India after the death of the dreaded terrorist, who was suspected to be the mastermind behind a spate of IED attacks.
Meghalaya home minister resigns
Amid these spates of violence, the Meghalaya home minister Lahkmen Rymbui resigned from his post on August 15 (Sunday).
In his letter to chief minister Conrad Sangma, Rymbui expressed shock over the ongoing protests. He proposed a judicial enquiry into the death of banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council general secretary, Cherish Starfield Thangkhiew, who was killed in a police encounter on August 13.
“I hereby express shock at the incident where (L) Chesterfield Thangkhiew was killed following the raid of police at his residence exceeding the lawful tenets of the law. Considering the gravity of the situation, I would request you to relieve the Home (Police) Department from me with immediate effect,” he said.
According to R Chandranathan, the director-general of police, he allegedly attacked officers with a knife during a raid on his residence, prompting a retaliatory action in which he was killed. The terrorist had reportedly surrendered before the police in 2018.
Supporters hit the streets, resort to vandalism and arson
However, the death of the terrorist has created quite a flutter in the state. Hundreds of people in black clothes and carrying black flags took part in Thangkhiew’s funeral procession on Sunday. Several were seen lining up the streets in Shillong with black flags, condemning the police and the state government over the death of Thangkhiew. Many were also seen standing on the terrace of their houses holding placards. Several other supporters of Thangkhiew have taken to the streets to protest his death while others have been indulging in violence and vandalism.
Curfew imposed in Meghalaya
The resignation of the Home Minister came as the state imposed a 2-day curfew and snapped internet services in at least 4 districts to contain the situation.
The curfew came in the aftermath of an attempted bomb attack on the personal residence of Meghalaya’s Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Sunday. According to reports, petrol bombs were hurled at his residence. Luckily no one was just in the attack as the house was vacant. The Chief Minister stays at his official residence.
Besides this attack, a vehicle from Assam was also attacked in Shillong, seriously injuring the driver. A police vehicle of the Mawkynroh Police Outpost was also set ablaze by unidentified men in Jaiaw locality in Shillong this afternoon. Police personnel aboard the vehicle, including the officer in charge of the outpost, escaped the spot unhurt. Moreover, several incidents of stone-pelting were also reported from various parts of the city.
The attack on the CM personal residence and other incidents of arson and vandalism compelled the state administration to impose a 2-day curfew and snap the internet services to gain control of the situation.
The curfew in the Shillong Agglomeration area of the state capital was imposed from 8 pm on Sunday till 5 am on August 17. Internet services were suspended from 6 pm on Sunday for 48 hours in the districts of East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hillis and Ri-Bhoi. “No kind of gathering, public meeting or rally may be held. Exemptions only for medical emergencies, Covid-19 and hospital duty are applicable,” deputy commissioner Kumari Isawanda Laloo said.
“Additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been requisitioned to ensure compliance to the ‘total curfew’ order,” a top official in the secretariat familiar with the development said.
Meanwhile, a top officer of Assam police had urged the people from the state not to travel to Shillong till curfew continues. “Curfew has been imposed in Shillong due to Law & Order issues. People from Assam are advised not to travel to Shillong till curfew continues,” said GP Singh, special DGP, Assam Police, in a tweet.
Terming the killing of former Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) leader Cherishterfield Thangkhiew in an encounter at his house as “unfortunate”, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma Saturday said that the raiding police party had no intention to kill the former leader of the militant organisation, but only to arrest him. Sangma said the police had credible information of another blast being planned at a certain location in Shillong, In order to stop it, he said the police had to act swiftly.
Terrorist outfit in Meghalaya vows vengeancece
Meanwhile, the terror outfit has vowed to avenge the killing of their former leader. Thangkhiew’s brother Granary Starfield Thangkhiew said it all happened all of a sudden. “It is amply clear that they (police) came with the intention to kill and nothing else. Found a gun, no way, no way. It is clear by this action they came with one and only one mission, to kill my dear brother.”
“They could have come in the daytime like any other normal person or even summoned him to the police station; why early at 3 am when the whole world is fast asleep? They (police) just wanted to show strength like cowards, shame on them,” he continued.
HNLC general secretary cum spokesperson, Saińkupar Nongtraw alleged that the entire operation against Thangkhiew couldn’t have been carried out without approval from a senior minister in the Meghalaya government. “Without his permission, this wouldn’t have happened to a person. We will see how long he remains in that chair,” the rebel leader threatened.
Days after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had announced that it would celebrate the 75th Independence Day by hoisting the Indian Tricolour for the first time, it soon became mired in controversies on Sunday (August 15).
The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) had hoisted the Indian flag at the party headquarters at AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The celebrations were led by party Secretary A Vijayaraghavan. Soon after, ex-Congress leader Sabarinadhan KS alleged that the flag was hoisted at the same height as that of the Communist Party flag.
He stated that the party leaders must be booked for violating the Flag Code. It is interesting to note that the Flag Code[pdf] makes it clear that no other flag should be placed higher above the Indian Tricolour (in its vicinity).
In a Facebook post, he said, “The party Secretary hoisted the national flag at the AKG Centre, but in a way of humiliating the national flag. As clearly mentioned in the National Flag Code, no other flag or bunting should be placed higher than or above side by side with the National Flag…It’s an outright violation of law that happened at the AKG Centre. The party flag has been given prominence over the national flag,” Sabarinadhan’s post read. However, according to The News Minute, the CPI (M) flag was below the national flag in height.
Screengrab of the Facebook post of Sabarinadhan KS
Earlier, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President (KPCC) President K Sudhakaran had criticised the move of the CPI(M) to hoist the tricolour on the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day. Sudhakaran had remarked, “Those who celebrate Independence Day now are those who had propagated that August 15 was a danger…The party which used to call August 15 as Apathu 15 (Danger 15) has now started hoisting the national flag. I’m happy that CPM has recognised the legacy of Congress.
CPM is an organisation that rejected Gandhiji. They should show the gumption to accept mistakes of the past.”
CPI (M) defends decision, claims major role in Indian Independence Movement
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala had also dubbed the decision as ‘delayed wisdom.’ In its defence, CPIM leader MA Baby claimed, “It was the Communists who first demanded freedom for the country. This is the 75th anniversary of Independence. CPI(M), in the past too, has been part of the celebrations with the DYFI (Democratic Youth Federation of India, the party’s youth wing), organising events with mass people’s participation. It was P Krishna Pillai, the then State Secretary, who hoisted the national flag on the Day of Independence. On that day AK Gopalan was in jail.” CPI (M) State Secretary had also attacked KPCC President Sudhakaran alleging that he was ignorant about the Communists’ role in the Indian Independence Movement.
It is notable here that in Kerala, Congress and CPIM are locked in bitter political rivalry. However, at the national level, and even in other states, they are staunch supporters of each other. In recently concluded assembly elections, Congress and CPM were against each other just in Kerala, while in Bengal they had formed an alliance.
Security has been heightened in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat after Jain pilgrims visiting a Jain temple objected to selling of chicken biryani under the banner of ‘Jain Shikanji’.
अपडेट- बागपत (यूपी) में जैन मंदिर के बाहर चिकन बिरयानी बेचने, टूरिस्टों से मारपीट करने में 6 लोगों पर FIR हुई।
शराफत, सोनू, शहजाद, अरशद, नदीम, नौशाद पर IPC-147, 148, 149, 295-A, 323, 336, 307, 427, 436, 511 में केस दर्ज। 4 लोग पुलिस ने कस्टडी में लिए।#Baghpat#Up
— Sachin Gupta | सचिन गुप्ता (@sachingupta787) August 16, 2021
As per reports, pilgrims visiting the Jain temple objected to the chicken biryani being sold. Jainism prohibits consumption of non-vegetarian food.
Reports said that when the pilgrims objected, the owner of the stall then called up his associates who attacked them and even tried to set their bus on fire.
Attack on Jain pilgrims who came to Temple in Badot , UP. by local muslims. They started pelting stones and came in huge numbers with lathi and even tried to ignite the Bus carrying all the pilgrims. This is something which needs to be stopped immediately @myogiadityanathpic.twitter.com/sLQjg9D4Dr
Inspector Novendra Singh Sirohi has said that investigation is on and four have been arrested till now. Six, including Sonu, Sharafat, Shahzad, Arshad, Nadeem and Naushad are booked in the case. Police is currently on the lookout for other accused.
On Sunday, a function was arranged at the Parshwanath temple where many devotees had participated. At around 8 PM, one man was caught selling chicken biryani on a stall which had banner ‘Jain Shikanji’. When some people objected to the same, the seller got violent and called upon his acquaintances. The mob then attacked the devotees and even tried to set the bus on fire.
A case has been registered under sections 147, 148, 149, 295-A, 323, 336, 307, 427, 436, 511 of the IPC.
Amid the ongoing chaos in Afghanistan, the Press Secretary to Afghan Embassy in India Abdulhaq Azad on Sunday claimed that the official Twitter account of the Afghan Embassy in India is hacked. The statement came after several Tweets heavily critical of Ashraf Ghani, who stepped down from the post of the President and fled the country as the Taliban gained control, were posted from the embassy handle.
Abdulhaq Azad took to his personal Twitter account to share a screenshot of the official handle made available to him through a friend. “I have lost access to the Twitter handle of Afghan Embassy India, a friend sent a screenshot of this tweet, (this tweet is hidden from me.) I have tried to log in but can’t access it. Seems it is hacked,” Azad tweeted.
The screenshot of the post shared by the Press Secretary to the Afghan Embassy in India criticised Ashraf Ghani for fleeing the country at a time when the citizens are facing a major crisis. The post even made some extremely derogatory remarks against him.
The derogatory tweets critical of Ashraf Ghani by the Afghan embassy in India were deleted later. However, screenshots are being widely shared on social media.
Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, accused Ghani of “leaving the people to this situation”. “The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation,” Abdullah said. “God should hold him accountable.”
Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai forms coordination committee after Ashraf Ghani flees
Meanwhile, former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai has announced that a committee has been formed for a smooth transition of power to the Taliban as the current administration fled the country.
Karzai tweeted to inform that after president Ashraf Ghani and other senior officials of the Afghan government fled the country, there is the possibility of chaos and suffering among the citizens. Therefore, in order to prevent such chaos and to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, the Coordinating Council has been formed.
The Taliban, defying the US predictions that it would take at least 90 days to conquer Kabul, arrived in the city on August 15 itself, after capturing most of the provincial capitals in relatively bloodless operations. Afghan forces either fled or joined them after surrendering without a fight.
President Ghani, Vice President Amrullah Saleh, and other key ministers and officials fled the nation after the Islamic terrorists besieged Kabul. Following their departure, the Taliban ordered its people to enter the city and ‘prevent looting,’ as the city’s police and security forces have also fled.
On Monday (August 16) night, thousands of Afghan citizens were seen gathering at the Hamid Karzai international airport as Taliban terrorists took over the capital of Afghanistan.
Daily Mail reported that Afghans fled from their homes to the airport with large suitcases to avoid persecution at the hands of the Taliban. A situation of chaos broke out at the airport with over-crowding of citizens and non-existent security. Passengers were also seen waiting at the tarmac of the airport in long queues in the hopes of leaving the country at the earliest.
On the morning of 16 August, the situation at Kabul International Airport looked worse. Hundreds of people were seen hurrying along on a rather empty tarmac, falling over themselves to board a plane. Visuals were shared by BBC journalist Nicola Kareem.
This is, perhaps, one of the saddest images I've seen from #Afghanistan. A people who are desperate and abandoned. No aid agencies, no UN, no government. Nothing. pic.twitter.com/LCeDEOR3lR
However, far from evacuating the displaced people, the US embassy channelised its energy on the evacuation of its embassy staff to the Kabul international airport. A total of 6000 troops were sent to facilitate the evacuation process. “We can confirm that the safe evacuation of all Embassy personnel is now complete. All Embassy personnel are located on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, whose perimeter is secured by the US Military,” US State Department Ned Price
The US says all its embassy staff have been evacuated to Kabul international airport
The country has sent around 6,000 troops to assist with the evacuation process
A video shared by journalist Jack Posobiec showed how a US chopper left for the Kabul airport from the US embassy. The scenes at Kabul were reminiscent of how the United States embassy staff fled Saigon on choppers in 1975.
DPA News agency reported that besides the United States, the German citizens in Kabul are also being evacuated. In the wee hours of Monday, German citizens left the war-torn country and safely landed in Doha on a US aircraft.
#BREAKING The evacuation of German citizens from Kabul has begun, with staff from Berlin’s Kabul embassy arriving in Doha in the early hours of Monday on a US aircraft, dpa has learned pic.twitter.com/NTliFDPDTh
French govt vows to help local Afghans who helped the armed forces
In a statement, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian said, “In light of the extremely rapid deterioration in the security situation in Afghanistan, the French authorities have decided to relocate our Embassy to Kabul Airport; it remains in operation and is actively proceeding with the evacuation of any of our compatriots still left in the country. The Embassy and the Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs are in touch with all French nationals of whom they are aware in Afghanistan.”
It further added, “The methodical evacuation of our citizens has been underway for weeks, and a special flight was specifically chartered on July 16 following numerous calls by the Ministry urging our nationals to leave the country. France does not forget those who have worked for her. Since May, thanks to early planning and forecasting over recent months, Afghan employees of French entities in Afghanistan who could be in danger have been welcomed by our country, together with their families. More than 600 people have been taken in hand by the Ministry of the Interior, in conjunction with local governments and associations who partner with us.”
This is the French ambassador leaving Kabul’s Green Zone. Macron is convening a defense council meeting.
Is France about to ‘act’ while the US president is getting his butt wiped at Camp David? If you still defend the Biden administration, I have to assume you’re a dolt or evil pic.twitter.com/238jxevU56
The statement said that France will welcome the local civilians and their families who helped the French armed forces, including 1350 Afghans since 2013. “Despite the rapid pace of events, France intends to do its utmost to continue protecting members of Afghan civil society, rights workers, artists and journalists who are in particular danger due to their activities. Everything is currently being done to maintain — to the greatest possible extent — our capacity to issue visas at Kabul Airport, with the help of reinforcements, and enable them to evacuate. France is proving its solidarity with all those who defend freedom,” the statement concluded.
Taliban takes over Kabul in Afghanistan
After a month-long offensive against the Afghan army, terrorists associated with the Islamist outfit Taliban finally reached the gates of Kabul on Sunday (August 15). In a statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated, “Declaration of the Islamic Emirate not to fight in Kabul Praise be to God that with the help of God Almighty and the broad support of our people, all parts of the country have come under the control of the Islamic Emirate. However, since the capital Kabul is a large and densely populated city, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate do not intend to enter the city by force or war, but rather to enter Kabul peacefully.”
He further added, “Negotiations are underway to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely, without compromising the lives, property, and honour of anyone, and without compromising the lives of Kabulis. The Islamic Emirate instructs all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul, not to try to enter the city. Also, until the completion of the transition process, the security of Kabul city is referred to the other side, which must be maintained.” President Ashraf Ghani had relinquished his position and has reportedly fled the country.
It is being speculated that Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will become the new President of Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, while US-based Ali Ahmad Jalali will head an interim government for the time being before the Taliban forms a full-fledged government.
The Taliban has now taken control of Afghanistan. And they are doing exactly what you would expect. They are carrying out mass executions, forcing women and girls into sexual slavery, and worse. The liberal Americans climbed into their helicopters and conveniently flew away.
The rest of the world wrings its hands. We can only feel sorry for the women of Afghanistan, the LGBTQ community there and in general, anyone who loves freedom. In case we have forgotten, there is also a tiny population of Hindus and Sikhs still surviving in Afghanistan. Nobody knows for how long. We are not allowed to talk about that, because that would be against our secularism. In fact, our liberal are using the Taliban as an opportunity to lecture India’s Hindu majority about the perils of religious fundamentalism.
Anyway, the underlying assumption is clear. The Taliban and their attitude towards women, gays, human rights and civil liberties are all outliers. The Taliban is fringe.
Okay then, let us find out how fringe the Taliban really is. Which planet have they traveled from? Mars? Did they just arrive here from the distant past in a super sophisticated time machine built during the stone age?
I don’t want to be accused of XYZphobia here, so let me quote here the first sentence from the current Wikipedia article on the Taliban.
“The Taliban (/ˈtælɪbæn, ˈtɑːlɪbɑːn/; Pashto: طالبان, romanized: ṭālibān, lit. ‘students’ or ‘seekers’), which refers to itself as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), is a Deobandi Islamist movement and military organization in Afghanistan, currently waging war (an insurgency, or jihad) within the country.”
A Deobandi Islamist movement, Wikipedia says. In fact, the Wikipedia article on Taliban is incorporated within their series on Deobandism. But the Deoband is a town in Uttar Pradesh, not Pakistan. In fact, this has been known for a very long time. Let me refer here to this New York Times headline from 2002.
Taliban and ‘Indian connection’
They are talking about the Deoband school. So, why aren’t we talking more about this school, its teachings and how it may have inspired the Taliban? Why is there no curiosity in the media around this?
Let me now quote the beginning of the Wikipedia article on Deobandism.
“Deobandi (Hindi: देवबन्दी; Pashto and Persian: دیوبندی; Urdu: دیوبندی; Arabic: الديوبندية; Bengali: দেওবন্দি ; Odia: ଦେଓବନ୍ଦି) is an Islamic revivalist movement within Sunni (primarily Hanafi) Islam that formed around the Darul UloomIslamic seminary in the town of Deoband, India, where the name derives from, during the late 19th century. The seminary was founded by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, and several other figures in 1866, eight years after the Indian Rebellion of 1857–58; the Deobandi movement’s political wing, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, was founded in 1919 and played a major role in the Indian independence movement through its propagation of the doctrine of composite nationalism.”
Some more familiar names there, such as the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Also, that the Deobandi movement believes in “composite nationalism.” Glad they made that clear.
I will be honest with you. I don’t particularly enjoy the term “composite nationalism.” I prefer to say “idea of India.”
Again, why isn’t the media talking about this? Yesterday was Independence Day. The least we could have done is thanked the Deoband and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, considering that they played a major role in the Indian independence movement. Now we know.
So how does an organization as wholesome as the Deoband get linked to the Taliban? As Wikipedia informs us:
” … during the initial phase of its establishment the operating expenses are said to have been partially borne by Hindus because Deobandi philosophers of those times talked about the unity of Hindus, Christians and Muslims, multiculturalism and opposition to the partition of India….”
Oh wow! I can’t believe there is no Manmohan Desai movie about this. Anyway, I decided to read up more on this AAA (Amar-Akbar-Antony) style organization. Given its opposition to partition and possibly because of its composite nationalism, the Deobandi philosophy has spread its wings all across Akhand Bharat.
That’s not a bad start. That means this 15-25% of Pakistan’s Muslims is already committed to unity, peace and oneness with India. Now we know who watches all those patriotic Bollywood movies across the border. What else do we know about the Deobandis in Pakistan?
“Deobandi-affiliated groups such as the TTP, SSP, LeJ, etc. have a militant character“
Did you hear that? The Tehreek-e-Taliban in Pakistan has a “militant character.” To be fair, everyone has character flaws. That is why non-judgmental language is so important.
What other wonderfully mainstream things are the Deobandis associated with?
“Deobandi Islam is the most popular form of pedagogy in the Pashtun belt on both sides of the Durand Line that separates Afghanistan and Pakistan. Moreover, prominent Afghan and Pakistani Taliban leaders have studied in Deobandi seminaries.”
Did I say mainstream? I meant to say fringe.
Coming to Bangladesh, we learn the following:
“As with the rest of the Indian subcontinent, the majority of Muslims in Bangladesh are traditional Sunni, who mainly follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence (madh’hab) and consequently the Maturidi school of theology.[29][30] The majority of them are Deobandi along with Tabligh (51%)and Barelvi or Sufi (26%); the Deobandi, in the form of Qawmi institutions, own the vast majority of private Islamic seminaries and produce the majority of the ulema in Bangladesh.“
All mainstream! I see a mention of Barelvis, again a name derived from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. I also see the Sufis, who were much glorified in my school history textbook. And finally, also the Tablighis, those darling little angels. There was a short period last year when the media smeared them. But, we did make amends. Now the media falls at their feet. Nobody is more mainstream than the Tabligh-i-Jamaat now.
If you are having difficulty following who is fringe and who is mainstream, don’t blame me. Blame Wikipedia for having such a confusing table of contents in their article on Deobandis.
Wikipedia on Deobandi
“Associated political organizations” as well as “associated militant organizations.” Along with a list of “notable institutions” and even “scholars.” There’s a mix I thought I would never come across.
Let me quickly cover some bases here. I am definitely not saying that the Deobandis or the Deoband school are involved with illegal activities anywhere on earth, either at this point in time, or in history. I am also not saying that the Deobandis are an influential group spread across multiple nations, with the “mainstream” providing cover for the “fringe.” In fact, all I am trying to say is that the Deobandis are spreading a message of peace.
