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Madhya Pradesh: Three years after eloping with a man named Waseem against her family’s wishes, Jain girl commits suicide

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Three years after eloping with a man named Waseem against her family’s wishes, Jain girl commits suicide

On Tuesday (July 13), journalist Swati Goel Sharma took to Twitter to narrate the story of one young girl named Kirti Jain, who has reportedly committed suicide recently, three years after eloping with a man named Waseem Qureshi.

According to Sharma, Kirti Jain had eloped with Waseem Qureshi about 3 years ago. She hailed from a well-to-do family in Guna while the family of the man was poor. Nevertheless, Waseem began courting the girl while she was still a minor in school. Kirti eloped with the man soon after turning 18.

Kirti’s family has told that the person Waseem never even tried to meet Kirti’s family and the family had no idea about Kirty’s love affair. The couple had eloped directly.

However, the girl’s parents were successful in tracing her. They tried to explain to her the dangers of ‘love jihad’, set up meetings with the Jain leaders but Kirti insisted that she was marrying him out of her free will. As she was legally an adult. There was nothing the family could do.

All counselling sessions to prevent Kirti from returning to Waseem had failed. According to the girl’s brother Kuldeep, Kirti insisted that none knew Waseem better than her. She claimed that the man had vowed to leave non-vegetarian food, in line with Jain customs. The girl claimed that Waseem had promised her that she would not need to change her name or lifestyle. Despite her family’s efforts, Kirti had eloped with Waseem again.

The family had initially approached the police in the matter. However, they stopped pursuing the case after Kirti told the Court that she had willingly gone with Waseem. According to journalist Swati Goel Sharma, the deceased girl had even uploaded a video on social media giving her consent for marriage with Waseem.

However, opposite to what Waseem had reportedly promised, the girl converted to Zainab and got married to Waseem. It was only after she started living with Waseem Kirti figured out that the man had no source of income and had nothing to feed his family. To Kirti’s surprise, Waseem’s family turned out to be extremely poor.

According to Sharma, the girl got pregnant in her first year of marriage with Waseem. Given that the man had no money, the girl’s family gave ₹2 lacs for her delivery and medical care.

Her family, still miffed over her marriage with Waseem, told Kirti to not visit them. Kuldeep conceded, “We told her if you want to leave Waseem and come back, we will help you.” However, Kirti chose to stay with Waseem. After her child’s delivery, she began dialling home more frequently for money. The girl was reportedly confused about how Waseem managed to show off fancy bikes and take her to different places on dates while they were courting.

Even after her delivery, Kirti reportedly kept asking her parental family for money.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Kirti Jain remained out of touch with her paternal family. In the past week, her brother Kuldeep received a call from the police asking him to identify his sister’s body in the hospital. Kirti had committed suicide by consuming aluminium phosphide (available under the brand name of Celphos). By the time the family reached the hospital, she was already dead.

Her family claimed her body and cremated her as per Jain traditions on Sunday (July 11). Kirti’s husband was opposed to it and insisted that she should be buried under Islamic customs, as she was a Muslim. However, he failed to show any proof for the same to the police. As such, the body was handed over to her paternal family and not the in-laws.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Waseem and his family under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 304B (dowry death) and 498A (dowry harassment). According to Kuldeep, all the accused have been arrested by the Guna police.

Swati Goel Sharma had also shared a video, which was shot before Kirti was declared dead. In her dying testimony, she claimed to have consumed the poison by mistake. Meanwhile, her brother Kuldeep claimed that Kirti might have been forced to take poison and coerced into giving a statement to absolve the accused Waseem’s family.

Amid Punjab power crisis, CM Yogi invites Ludhiana industrialists to set up their business in UP, promises 24-hour power, perks

OpIndia Staff
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Amid Punjab power crisis, CM Yogi invites Ludhiana industrialists to set up their business in UP, promises 24-hour power, perks

Punjab is currently facing a major power crisis resulting in the shutting down of large industries across the state. Amidst the crisis in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reportedly offered 24-hour uninterrupted power at lower rates along with other perks to the industrialists of Punjab if they shift or set up new units in UP.

An invite was formally received by the industrialists in Ludhiana from the UP government to have a meeting with the CM. On Monday, a delegation flew to Lucknow and held a 3-hour meeting with the CM in his office.

TR Misra, businessman and chairman of Federation of Dyeing Factories Association, was quoted by Times of India saying, “On Sunday, I got a call from a senior officer of the UP government, who apprised me that UP CM Yogi Adityanath wanted to meet Ludhiana industrialists to discuss possibilities of setting up industrial units in UP. After giving our confirmation, we flew to Lucknow and held a long meeting with the CM, which lasted almost three hours.”

He further added, “CM Yogi has promised that, unlike Punjab, the industry will be given 24 hours of uninterrupted power supply, that too at cheaper rates. Besides, the UP government will also ensure proper safety and security of industrial units. We have been promised unmatchable incentives and option to set up industrial clusters at prime areas like near Yamuna Expressway near the upcoming Noida International Greenfield Airport, which would be India’s biggest airport.”

90% of labour in Ludhiana factories is from UP

The industrial associations and businessmen are discussing the proposals laid down by the UP government. A collective decision would be taken soon by them. Misra, while saying that the offers laid down by CM were lucrative, said, “the biggest advantage is that about 90% of the labour working in Ludhiana factories is from UP.”

Peaceful environment for the industry promised by CM Yogi

Gurmeet Singh Kular, head of the delegation that met the CM, said the meeting went quite well. He said, “The UP government has promised to provide support and fast track permissions for the industrial projects. CM Yogi also ensured a totally peaceful environment for the industry with law and order fully maintained.” As UP is part of the Eastern Corridor, it would provide cheap and easy movement of the goods.

Arvind Kumar, additional chief secretary, and other senior officials also met the delegation. Kular said that the government has promised to provide fully developed industrial areas to interested businessmen. The land price offered by the UP government was stated to be Rs.5,000 per square yard. Neena Sharma, secretary, infrastructure and industrial development, informed the delegation about the fiscal benefits available to the investors.

It has to be noted that the industrialists from Punjab had been planning to meet UP CM Yogi since March this year. However, due to Covid, the meeting got delayed. Misra said, “It is just a coincidence that it happened at a time when Punjab is reeling under power cuts.”

Navjot Singh Sidhu’s political saga: Is he shifting to AAP, again?

OpIndia Staff
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Navjot Singh Sidhu’s political saga: Is he shifting to AAP, again?

On July 13, while quoting a tweet by AAP Punjab, Congress Leader Navjot Singh Sidhu praised the opposition party and said that they had always recognised his vision and work for the state of Punjab. He said, “Our opposition AAP has always recognised my vision & work for Punjab. Be it Before 2017- Beadbi, Drugs, Farmers Issues, Corruption & Power Crisis faced by People of Punjab raised by me or today as I present “Punjab Model” It is clear they know – who is really fighting for Punjab.”

He also shared a video clip in which AAP leaders were inviting him to join AAP after he left BJP in 2016. He had joined Congress and won the 2017 election from Amritsar East which was represented by his wife with BJP seat till 2016. Notably, Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have been pursuing Sidhu for a long time. In 2020, it was reported that Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had said Sidhu was welcome to join the party. Even in June 2021, there were reports that AAP has been trying to get Sidhu onboard.

AAP leader had urged Sidhu to talk about the electricity problem

Punjab has been facing a severe electricity crisis for the past few weeks. Aam Aadmi Party has alleged on July 12 that Congress has been collecting funds from private thermal plants and ignoring the electricity crisis. AAP leader Bhagwant Mann had urged Navjot Singh Sidhu to talk about the issue on his social media accounts as CM Capt Amarinder Singh is unable to take the necessary steps to revoke the contract from the under-performing private thermal plants.

Sidhu’s continuous attack on CM

Notably, Sidhu has been attacking Punjab CM Amarinder Singh for a long time. He had resigned from the Punjab Cabinet after he was removed from the local bodies portfolio in 2019. He had attacked CM over inaction in incidents of sacrilege in 2015 and police firing that followed the incident. CM Singh had called the continuous attack “total indiscipline” by the elected member of the assembly.

Netizens speculate Sidhu may join AAP

After his tweet, netizens have started speculating if the tweet means there is something cooking between Sidhu and Aam Aadmi Party. Interestingly, National Spokesperson, Congress, Jaiveer Shergill published a tweet with a couplet by Iqbal that reads, “Na rakh umeed-e-wafa kisi parinde se, jab par nikal aate hain to apne bhi aashiyana bhool jaate hain. (Do not expect loyalty from a bird, when feathers grow, they forget their own home.).”

Others speculated that he may shift to AAP soon as he is not getting enough importance in Congress.

One user went ahead and cited ‘sources’ and claimed he would make the shift soon.

It is still unclear if Sidhu would shift to AAP for the upcoming elections or not. However, going by his history of shifting his party during assembly elections, it is quite possible that he would try his hands while contesting from AAP.

Trans couple Ahanu and Petrona: Read about how the mother is now the father and the father is now mother and breastfeeding the child

OpIndia Staff
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Trans couple Ahanu and Petrona: Read about how the mother is now the father and the father is now mother and breastfeeding the child

Daily Wire columnist Matt Walsh, on Monday, shared a video of a ‘unique’ couple on Twitter. Walsh was outraged by the content of the video and remarked that the baby that featured in it was condemned to ‘madness’. The video featured a transgender couple from Washington DC with their baby.

The couple involves a biological female, Ahanu, who claims to be the father of the child and a biological male, Petrona, who claims to be the mother. The video captures Petrona attempting to breastfeed the baby but failing at it because he cannot lactate. The couple uses supplements to complement the nutrient requirements of the baby.

“The baby has been able to latch, but I’ve not been able to produce any milk,” Petrona says. “Being able to even be a part of a process where I’m trying to create milk and my body, it makes me feel very excited. I’m this baby’s mother, so by doing this it’s helping me feel really connected to the pregnancy,” he says while confirming that he receives medication to stimulate male lactation.

Ahanu is the biological mother of the baby, as confirmed by a photo shared by Petrona in November 2020.

Ahanu and Petrona from Washington DC
Source: Twitter

The couple has complained in the past that Washington DC laws are ‘forcing’ them to label Ahanu as the mother while the couple insists that Petrona is the mother.

In January this year, Petrona accused Washington DC of ‘systemic transphobia’ and claimed that “only cisgender women are allowed to give birth” in Washington DC and only “cis Women are allowed to be the second parent of a child.”

Petrona also claimed that “we are legally not able to be considered our child’s Parent & Mother because we are Transgender.” “DC Code does not believe our family is legal,” said Petrona.

Ahanu and Petrona from Washington DC
Source: Twitter

In the last tweet of the same thread, Petrona claimed that “birthers” come in “all genders” and demanded that the DC legislature “change its laws to include Transgender people because Trans Birthers and Families don’t deserve to be discriminated against.”

Ahanu and Petrona from Washington DC
Source: Twitter

The term “birthers” is motivated by the belief that gender is a social construct and hence, all genders can give birth to children. While it is known that only women have the power to give birth to children, the social construct removes the privilege from women. The belief also leads to claims that it is not only women who menstruate but other genders do as well.

Consequently, terms such as “birthers”, “menstruators“, “vulva owners”, which normally would be considered derogatory, suddenly find favours among the left. But it is well known that only women are biologically wired to give birth.

Meanwhile, Ahanu, who identifies as a 2-spirit trans non-binary person, has her account protected on Twitter.

Ahanu and Petrona from Washington DC
Source: Twitter

Petrona has his account private on Instagram.

Source: Instagram

The couple has also featured on “9 Months with Courteney Cox” which features “intimate, shocking, and raw footage they capture reveals, truly in a way that has never been attempted before, all of the highs, lows, and unexpected twists of the story of life – before birth.”

According to Nerd Alert News, the episode captured the “struggle” of the couple “with family members over the decision to not gender their child.” A play, written by Petrona and produced by Angel Rose Artist Collective, was also streamed by Syracuse University’s LGBT Resource Center and Office of Multicultural Affairs to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2020. The play was titled “SIJSIWAYULU”.

The play is reportedly “about two transgender women reclaiming their Two-Spirit identity through Indigenous Salvadoran culture and diaspora while living in the United States,” according to The Daily Orange.

In the episode of “9 Months with Courteney Cox”, Ahanu says, “The gender binary was very violent, and growing up I had a gender assigned to me and it caused me a lot of unnecessary trauma.” Petrona, speaking of his family, claimed “their minds are filled with Christian supremacy.”

Petrona also says, “They’re stuck. There’s no escape. They’re trapped and to me, that’s really sad… world. “I do not know if anybody other than my mother knows that we’re expecting a baby. It’s really sad because they’re missing out.”

Apart from ‘Starlink’ services, Elon Musk’s SpaceX to partner with Indian firms to produce satcom equipment

OpIndia Staff
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Apart from ‘Starlink’ services, Elon Musk’s SpaceX to partner with Indian firms to produce satcom equipment

In a major development, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning to join hands with local manufacturers in India to produce satellite communications equipment, as per a report in Economic Times. The gears that SpaceX is aiming to manufacture in the country include antenna systems and user terminal devices.

The decision has come at a time when Elon Musk’s $74 billion rocket company has begun taking pre-orders of its ambitious high-speed internet program ‘Starlink’ in India. Starlink is Elon Musk’s futuristic satellite internet service which is expected to be launched in India by 2022.

Speaking about the development during SpaceX’s first official interaction with Department of Telecommunications (DoT) secretary Anshu Prakash on Monday, Matt Botwin, the company’s director (market access with the Starlink program) said: “SpaceX is excited to find ways to work together with the Indian industry for manufacturing products for its Starlink devices.”

“SpaceX always looks for opportunities to maximise the efficiency of its (global) supply chain, and is now looking forward to working with its partners in India to recognise those opportunities”, Botwin added.

The DoT had called for a meeting with global satellite companies, which included, officials from OneWeb, Viasat, Hughes, Airtel NSE 0.31 %, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, Department of Space, and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, to discuss comprehensive ways to locally manufacture satellite communications gear and also to talk over how to go about creating an enabling regulatory regime for global low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation operators to establish in-country gateways in India.

Speaking about SpaceX’s long association with India, Matt Botwin added that the company has been working with the Indian industrial sector for a long time, buying steel and steel-tubing for many of its rockets. The company is now looking forward to producing hardware and satellite components and components of (satellite broadband) networks in India, Botwin said.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX began pre-booking for its high-speed internet program ‘Starlink’ in India

On March 5, 2021, Elon Musk’s SpaceX began the pre-booking service of its high-speed internet program ‘Starlink’, in India. The official website of Starlink read: “The pre-booking service is available to Indian users at a refundable fee of $99 (₹7,265). Starlink is available to a limited number of users per coverage area at this time. Orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, of which Starlink is a venture, has already sent 1000 such satellites to the Earth’s orbit. In the future, the company plans to expand the number to a network of 12,000 satellites. Unlike traditional satellites, Starlink’s satellites are 60 times closer to the Earth, thereby facilitating high-speed internet.

Elon Musk gets Tesla to India

Besides getting its ambitious high-speed internet program to India, Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla Inc. had also set up its Indian subsidiary in Bengaluru, Karnataka, ahead of setting up an R&D unit and a manufacturing plant for its electric vehicles in India, in January this year.

The unit was registered as Tesla Motors and Energy Private Ltd and was incorporated on January 8. Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram, and David Jon Feinstein had been named as directors.

In December 2020, while responding to a Twitter user, Tesla chief Elon Musk had said that even if Tesla India may not happen in January 2021, it was still definitely happening in 2021. Earlier in October 2020, too, Musk had confirmed that his company’s plan to launch operations in India from the next year. While responding to a tweet about when Tesla plans to enter the Indian market, Elon responded, “Next year for sure.”

Madras HC imposes Rs 1 lakh fine on actor Joseph Vijay for evading entry tax on his imported Rolls Royce, asks him to be a ‘real hero’

Jinit Jain
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Madras HC imposes Rs 1 lakh fine on actor Joseph Vijay for evading entry tax on his imported Rolls Royce, asks him to be a ‘real hero’

The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a writ petition filed by Tamil actor C Joseph Vijay, popularly known as actor Vijay, seeking exemption from payment of entry tax on his Rolls Royce Ghost Motor car he imported from England. The court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the actor, asking him to be a ‘real hero’ and pay the due taxes.

Justice SM Subramanian, who heard the plea, came down hard against the Kollywood actor, asking him to not only pay the entry tax as demanded by the government within a period of two weeks but also imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh fine on the actor and directed him to pay the amount to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Covid-19 relief fund.

In a scathing observation, the Madras HC noted that the petitioner imported a prestigious and exorbitantly costly car from England but unfortunately has not paid the Entry Tax as per the rules.

The HC also noted that Vijay, a successful actor, had not bothered to mention his occupation in his affidavit.

“The petitioner, who is a reputed cine actor, is expected to pay the tax promptly and punctually,” the court observed in its order.

Slamming the actor for not fulfilling his duties of paying tax on time, the court said: “In the State of Tamil Nadu, cinema Heroes rosed as rulers of the state and therefore, the people are under the impression that they are the real heroes. Thus, they are not expected to behave like ‘reel heroes’. Tax evasion is to be construed as an anti-national habit, attitude and mindset and unconstitutional.”

The court also observed that the actors, who portray themselves as anti-corruption crusaders in movies to bring social justice in the society, are evading tax and acting in a privileged manner, which is not in accordance with the provisions of the law.

In his order, Justice Subramanian said the non-payment of Entry Tax by actor Vijay is an unconscionable act and that he has not respected his fans who paid money to watch his movies. “The reputed persons of this great Nation should realize that the money that reaches them is from the poor man’s blood and from their hard-earned money and not from the sky,” the order said.

The court further added that the observations were made with the hope that the petitioner and other similarly placed citizens of this great nation would promptly pay their taxes in consonance with law and make the nation proud, achieve the constitutional goal of social justice and put an end to inequities plaguing the society.

Actor Vijay had in 2012 moved the Madras HC seeking exemption for the Entry Tax imposed on his imported Rolls Royce car. The actor had submitted that he has already paid applicable import duty for the Rolls Royce to the Customs Department. However, the Assistant Commissioner (CT), Assessment Circle had told him that he had to pay an entry tax too.

Maharashtra cyber cell seeks help of 26 experts including IITians to find the culprit who duped actor Shabana Azmi of liquor bottles

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra cyber cell seeks help of 26 experts including IITians to find the culprit who duped actor Shabana Azmi of liquor bottles

Last month actor Shabana Azmi had taken to Twitter to inform that she fell prey to an online liquor delivery scam. According to reports, the Maharashtra state police have now cracked the case and identified the imposter who duped the actor. According to the Times of India, an official familiar with the case said the fraudster could be tracked only after the 26 domain experts including IIT graduates hired by the Maharashtra cyber cell, working at the behest of the Uddhav Thackeray government, helped crack the case.

Sanjay Shintre, Superintendent of Maharashtra Cyber Police said, “Accused in the Shabana Azmi online fraud case has been identified. We are tracking his movements and further investigations are on.”

The cyber cell said that the group of domain experts were hired in the month of June after a series of cyberattacks on the state infrastructure from outside the country. Interestingly, in June itself, Shabana Azmi had informed that she became a victim of an online payment scam.

On June 24, the veteran actor Tweeted that she had ordered alcohol online from Living Liquidz, a Mumbai based alcohol delivery platform. However, despite paying the amount upfront, the ordered item was not delivered. “BEWARE I have been cheated by them. #Living Liquidz I paid upfront and when the ordered item didn’t turn up they stopped picking up my calls!”, the actor wrote sharing the details of her monetary transaction with the alcohol delivery portal.

In her subsequent Tweet, the actor clarified that she was actually duped by fraudsters and she didn’t make the payment to the platform.

Azmi had provided details of the phone number and PayTM account where she had sent money. A cursory search for that number in the Truecaller app showed that the number is listed as ‘Liquor Fraud”.

As it is, it seems the phone number has already been flagged by several people for fraud and has been added in Truecaller as ‘liquor fraud’. Had Shabana Azmi just checked the phone number before paying for liquor delivery, she would have been saved from fraud and probably the Maharashtra government would not have to seek the help of 26 experts to find actor Shabana Azmi’s stolen liquor bottles.

UP government announces big cash rewards for Olympic athletes who bring home the medals

OpIndia Staff
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UP government announces big cash rewards for Olympic athletes who bring home the medals

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has announced hefty cash rewards for athletes who would win medals in the sporting events.

As per the spokesperson for the Uttar Pradesh government, sportspersons from the state winning gold medals in the forthcoming Olympics will be rewarded Rs 6 crores while silver and bronze medalists will get Rs 4 crores and Rs 2 crores respectively. In addition to this, all the participants from Uttar Pradesh, regardless of their performance in the Olympics, will be given Rs 10 lakhs each.

For those participating in team events, the government has announced a reward of Rs 3 crores each for gold medal winners and Rs 2 crores and Rs 1 crore each, respectively, for silver and bronze medal winners.

“The state government is making all necessary arrangements for better training of players under the Khoob Khelo, Khoob Badho Mission. It is leaving no stone unturned for their proper training and encouragement. Special coaches have been appointed for their training. Besides improving the condition of hostels, the government is constructing new stadiums in the state,” the UP government spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

The spokesperson also spoke about the work done for athletes in the last four years under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath. He said 44 hostels were set up for 890 players of various sports in 19 districts. The amount for sports kit was also increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500, he added.

Among the sportspersons who participated in the Olympic Games from Uttar Pradesh are Priyanka Goswami, Annu Rani, Seema Punia, Shivpal Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary, Meraj Ahmed Khan, Satish Kumar, Arvind Singh, Vandana Kataria and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.

Canada: British Columbia tribe announces discovery of another 160 unmarked graves near site of defunct missionary school

OpIndia Staff
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Canada: British Columbia tribe announces discovery of another 160 unmarked graves near site of defunct missionary school

On Monday (July 12), the Penelakut tribe informed that it has discovered 160 unmarked graves in the Southern Gulf Islands in the British Columbia province of Canada.

This is a fresh addition in the recent series of discoveries of unmarked graves and mass burial sites near former residential missionary schools.

As per reports, the island was once home to a missionary school named Kuper Island Residential School. The school remained operational between 1890 and the 1970s. The Penelakut tribe notified the other indigenous First Nation communities through an online newsletter. “We are inviting you to join us in our work to raise awareness of the Kuper Island Industrial School, and Confirmation of the 160+ undocumented and unmarked graves in our grounds and foreshore,” it said.

Penelakut tribe Chief Joan Brown added, “It is impossible to get over acts of genocide and human rights violations. Healing is an ongoing process, and sometimes it goes well, and sometimes we lose more people because the burden is too great. We are at another point in time where we must face trauma because of these acts of genocide. Each time we do, it is possible to heal a little more. Courage is not the absence of fear, courage is acting in spite of fear.”

Memo by Penelakut tribe, image via Vancouver Sun

The Penelakut tribe did not provide additional information about how the graves were discovered or whether any ground-penetrating radar technology was employed. Besides, no information was given about the possibility of children’s remains in the graves. Joan Brown invited community members to attend the March for the children in Chemainus on August 2 to remember the indigenous children who were forced into the Kuper Island Residential school programme. A majority of the deaths were caused due to neglect, tuberculosis, fires, injures from assault and rapes.

Reportedly, the school was often referred to as Canada’s Alcatraz due to the remote location of the school and the difficulty in escaping from it. It was run by Catholic Church, with funding from the federal government of Canada. It was only in 1969 that the government took over the administration of the school before shutting it down permanently in 1975. Records reveal that two sisters died while trying to escape from the school in 1959. Information is also available about a student, who committed suicide in 1966. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has records of 202 deaths of residential school students, including the Kuper Island Residential school.

Discovery of unmarked graves of the indigenous children in Canada

Earlier, 215 graves in Kamloops was found on May 27, 2021, and 751 graves in Saskatchewan were found just a week ago, on June 24. On June 30, another mass grave was reported near a former residential school in Canada. The Lower Kootenay Band, a member band of the Ktunaxa Nation, said that remains of 182 people were found in mass graves close to former St. Eugene’s Mission School in Cranbrook. The graves were spotted with the help of ground-penetrating radar.

According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a large number of indigenous children that attended residential schools never made it back to their home communities. Some children ran away while others died at the schools. These students are now called the “Missing Children”. The Missing Children Project documents and deaths and burial sites of such children who died while attending the residential schools. So far, the project has identified over 4,100 children who died while attending a residential school.

In a report published in 2015 after a six-year investigation into the now-defunct system, it was termed as “cultural genocide”. The report documented horrific details of abuse, rape, malnutrition and other atrocities suffered by the students who attended the school. As many as 150,000 were known to have attended the school system between the 1840s and 1990s. The recently discovered remains of 215 are believed to be new burial sites and not included in the list of over 4,100 students who died at the schools.

The recent discoveries have sparked outrage and pain among the indigenous populations in Canada. There have also been retaliatory actions where several churches have faced arson attacks.

PM Modi expresses concerns over tourists thronging markets at hill stations without masks amid raging pandemic

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi expresses concerns over tourists thronging markets at hill stations without masks amid raging pandemic

PM Narendra Modi on July 13 (Tuesday), while virtually addressing the CM’s of eight north-eastern states, expressed his concerns over the huge influx of tourists at hill stations, like Shimla, Manali and other areas, with most not following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.

Reiterating his government’s message that the Covid-19 pandemic is not over yet, PM Narendra Modi said that crowding of people at hill stations and markets without wearing masks is “worrisome.” Modi warned the tourists, flouting Covid protocols, that the third wave of the pandemic would hit the country only when we invite it.

While interacting with Chief Ministers of the northeastern states on the Covid-19 situation, Modi said: “It is true that tourism, business and business have been greatly affected due to coronavirus, but today I will say very emphatically that it is not okay to have huge crowds in hill stations, markets that too without wearing masks.” 

“The number of Covid-19 cases is rising. We need to take strict action to curb the situation at the micro-level”, PM Modi added.

Last week, amid the influx of tourists at various hill stations in the country, especially in Himachal Pradesh, the central government had issued a warning on Twitter. In a tweet, it said, “#Manali can wait, But Virus won’t. Ensure that you maintain 2 gaj doori in order to keep yourself & others around you safe. Be responsible, stay protected!”

Addressing a daily briefing on India’s Covid-19 situation, the Union Health Ministry official also said last week: “People travelling to hill stations are not following Covid-appropriate behaviour. We can nullify the ease in restrictions again if protocols not complied with.”

The government had raised concerns after pictures of tourist’s thronging the hill stations had gone viral on social media platforms. “Images of people thronging hill stations frightening”, the central government had remarked, adding that the people are resorting to “revenge travelling” after travel restrictions have been lifted.

Images from Manali, shared by News Agency ANI

Last week, ANI also shared pictures and videos of heavily crowded streets in hill stations including Manali, Simla, Kufri, Mussoorie etc.

Lakhs of tourists were seen huddled on the streets, that too without following any social distancing norm. Many were seen roaming around without their masks, leaving Netizens annoyed over people failing to adhere to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. Many castigated these tourists saying that irresponsible people like these will be behind kindling the third wave of the pandemic in the country.

As per latest figure, there are currently 4,25,471 active cases in India. Over 3.09 crore people have tested positive in India till now of which over 3 crore people have recovered. Over 4 lakh people have lost their lives to the Chinese virus in India.

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