Home Blog Page 4200

Remembering Sushant Singh Rajput: An actor with a difference

Dibakar Dutta
-
0
Remembering Sushant Singh Rajput: An actor with a difference

On June 14 last year, the 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his apartment in Bandra in Mumbai. He had acted in a total of 12 films, with critically acclaimed performances in Kai Po Che, Kedarnath, and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. His untimely death was mourned by millions of his fans and supporters around the world. On his death anniversary, we look back at some of the rare qualities that set Sushant Singh Rajput apart from other actors in the Hindi film industry.

Sushant Singh Rajput excelled in academics

The deceased actor excelled in studies, which had earned him a seat at the renowned Delhi College of Engineering (also known as Delhi Technological University or DTU). He had an All India Rank of 7 in the DTU Entrance examination in 2003. In his pursuit of engineering, he had cleared a whopping 11 entrance exams including that of ISM Dhanbad. Sushant Singh Rajput was also an Olympiad Winner in Physics.

He was forced to leave engineering to pursue his career in acting. Recounting his experience in 2017, he said, “It was 2006, my final year in college when I dropped this bomb at home. They were shocked! So shocked that they couldn’t say anything and I took their silence as their approval…. It was hard at that time but now it’s different. My dad loves it when, on his walks, people call out to him, show him some recent clipping on me…he is really proud of me. But even today, almost all our conversations end with ‘beta, degree le leta.”

The 34-year-old actor was also offered a scholarship from the prestigious Stanford University. But, he declined the scholarship, dropped out of college and headed to his 1RK rented room in Versova. Sushant Singh Rajput was later given an honorary degree on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of DTU in 2015. He had recounted, “I am shocked with the invitation. Despite being a bright student, I left engineering in my third year to pursue my dream — Bollywood. It’s really touching that my engineering college wants to give me an honorary degree on their 75th anniversary.”

SSR wanted to be a pilot in the Indian Air Force

SSR wanted to be a pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF). While speaking to Hindustan Times, he had said, “Engineering wasn’t my choice. I wanted to be an astronaut, and later, an Air Force pilot. I remember tearing up my Top Gun poster when my parents told me that was not going to happen. Apparently, I was going to be an engineer. Maybe the drama I did that day should’ve given everyone a clue! But truly, I was gutted.”

In a tweet in 2018, Sushant Singh Rajput had tweeted about fulfilling his dream of spending atleast one day every 6 months with the Indian Armed Forces.

Pointing it out as Dream 80/180, he had written, “Spend at least one day, every six months with Indian Armed Forces and try to learn from the mindset of the Heroes and serve them with due respect in any way possible.” His fascination for the armed forces was evidently visible from his tweet.

Sushant Singh Rajput had a penchant for astronomy

SSR was intrigued by astronomical science so much so that he had purchased one of the highly advanced telescopes, the Meade 14″ LX-600. He had placed the telescope near the window of his house and watched the Saturn’s rings and stars in his spare time. Interestingly, Sushant Singh Rajput had also purchased a ‘lunar land’ on the far side of the Moon called the ‘Sea of Muscovy’ from the International Lunar Lands Registry. The property was registered on June 25, 2018.

His co-star and veteran actor Manoj Bajpayee recounted, “What I automatically recall about Sushant is his how much interested he had about everything in life. He was always curious to learn about everything — the unknown, space, about quantum physics, about acting, about filmmaking.” In a video shared by Hindi Today, SSR was seen passionately explaining about the position of planets in the solar system.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ Hindi Today)

Sushant Singh Rajput was not a beneficiary of nepotism. He did not attend the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD) or the FTII (Film and Television of India). The deceased actor, represented the hope of millions of middle-class individuals, hoping to make it big in Bollywood. Unlike other actors with negligible knowledge of the world, SSR was an avid-reader of non-fiction books. Far from the echelons of glamour and party, Sushant Singh Rajput would devote his spare time to reading and watching the stars. This made SSR an actor with a difference.

PM Modi kills the manufactured stories about his rift with Yogi Adityanath with just three words

OpIndia Staff
-
0
PM Modi kills the manufactured stories about his rift with Yogi Adityanath with just three words

For the last several days, a section of the media has been trying to portray a rift between Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and the central leadership of the BJP. The manufactured rift created by left-liberal media houses had suggested that all is not well in the relations between the CM and the top leadership including PM Modi, and the CM may be replaced if he does not listen to their commands.

However, now all those rumours should die, as today PM Modi indicated that he is happy with the works of the UP CM. In a rare development, the PM praised the Yogi Adityanath publicly on Twitter today evening for a scheme.

He tweeted “Very good initiative! @myogiadityanath”, while sharing a report by ABP Live on the ‘Elderline’ project launched by the UP CM.

The report titled “Yogi’s ‘Elderline’ Project Gets Overwhelming Response” informed how the country’s first scheme to provide emotional care and support, health and legal assistance to the elderly people in the state has become a success. The report said that the scheme is receiving an overwhelming response from the target beneficiaries. The scheme has been launched by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, and the Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to implement it.

This is a rare occasion that PM Modi has publicly praised a sitting CM for a specific scheme. The tweet came amid stories about a conflict between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a section of media. On 4th June, The Wire had suggested that RSS was trying to ‘defuse the tension brewing between Modi and Yogi’. The Deccan Herald had claimed that the UP politics is witnessing a “Yogi-Modi stand-off”. Reports had claimed that the central leadership was not happy with the handling of Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh.

The fact that PM Modi had not publicly wished Yogi Adityanath on his birthday on June 5 had also led to the speculations about the ‘rift’.

But with the three words “Very good initiative” tweeted by Modi while tagging the Twitter handle of Yogi Adityanath, all these rumours should now end. BJP has already clarified that the party will contest the next assembly elections under the leadership of Yogi.

Bhoomi Pujan for Bhagwan Venkateswara Mandir in Jammu conducted, the temple to be completed in 18 months

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bhoomi Pujan for Bhagwan Venkateswara Mandir in Jammu conducted, the temple to be completed in 18 months

On June 13, the Bhoomi Pujan for Bhagwan Venkateswara Mandir of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) in Jammu was performed. Union Ministers G Kishen Reddy and Jitendra Singh, along with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, attended the ceremony. 62.06-acre of land at Majeen Village near Jammu was allotted for the temple complex.

In a tweet thread, LG Sinha said that he took part in the much-awaited Bhumi Pujan ceremony of Venkateswara Swamy Temple by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) at Majeen, Jammu.

The temple construction is expected to be completed in 18 months in two phases costing Rs.33.22 crore. The LG added, “The prestigious project will also include a host of pilgrimage facilities and other Educational & Developmental infrastructure like Veda Pathshala- Classrooms, Hostel Building & staff quarters; pilgrims amenities complex, Kalyanamandapam Vahanamandapam etc.”

Ashish Kohli (DograJournalist) shared a video of the location where the temple is being constructed.

An official spokesperson of TTD said, “Once developed, the TTD infrastructure will be an attraction for pilgrims and tourists in addition to the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and Amarnathji Shrine. He further added that the temple would contribute to the economic growth of the region.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina was also present at the event. he said, “Jammu is a city of temples, and the addition of the most revered Balaji temple in the city would benefit the people.” He further added that the Balaji temple is a blessing for the people of Union Territory and the adjoining states. He said, “It will be an addition in the circuit of various important religious places, including the Vaishno Devi shrine, Bawe Wali Mata, Raghunath temple and Amarnath shrine.”

On April 1 2021, Lt. Governor Sinha-led Jammu and Kashmir administrative council had approved the construction of the temple. The land has been provided on a lease basis for a period of 40 years. TTD will construct the temple, amenities for pilgrims, a spiritual and meditation centre, a Veda Pathashala, residential quarters, parking and offices. TTD had announced temple construction back in 2019. Another temple was announced at Varanasi.

Kamal R Khan calls Mika Singh ‘anpadh gawar sooar’ after the singer released a diss track titled ‘KRK Kutta’: Here is how the feud started

Dibakar Dutta
-
0
Kamal R Khan calls Mika Singh ‘anpadh gawar sooar’ after the singer released a diss track titled ‘KRK Kutta’: Here is how the feud started

On Sunday, actor turned film critic Kamal R Khan (KRK) lashed out at singer Mika Singh over a diss track on him made by the singer. KRK compared the singer to a ‘sooar’ (pig) after Singh’s diss track called him a ‘kutta’ (dog). In the music video titled ‘KRK Kutta – barking dog’ specifically made to insult KRK, Khan’s face was morphed onto bodies of dogs, and bodies of several dancing women. Khan slammed the video saying that Mika is a very bad singer. He posted a video on his YouTube channel to respond to the diss track, where he also attacked Mika Singh for inconsistencies in his attacks against KRK, and narrated how Singh had been jailed for inappropriate behaviour.

The public feud between the two began last month after Salman Khan had filed a defamation suit against KRK over his scathing review of the movie ‘Radhe.’

While reacting to the lawsuit, Mika Singh had said, “KRK is a ‘gadha’ (donkey). Salman Khan should have filed the case on him a long time ago. KRK intentionally says nasty stuff to get attention, so that he keeps getting publicity. He makes personal attacks, he starts attacking family members. This is wrong. He talks absolute garbage, starts abusing people, he just says anything to anyone and the entire entertainment industry is silent. Someone needs to give him a proper reply.”

On May 29, KRK had referred to Mika Singh as a ‘chirkut singer’ (small time singer). “Now a Chirkut Singer wants to jump in the matter to get publicity. But I won’t give him. Kood Beta, Jitna Koodna Hai. Tujhe Toh Bhav Bilkul Nahi Doonga! Kyonki Teri Aukaat Hi Nahi Hai (Jump as much as you want but I won’t entertain you. You don’t deserve to be entertained by me),” he tweeted. 

Screengrab of the tweet by KRK

While speaking to Bollywood Helpline earlier this month, Mika Singh had vowed to answer KRK back with a song titled, ‘KRK kutta (KRK dog)’. He added that the rap song would be composed by singer Toshi Shabri. “I want to entertain people and make KRK popular, which would make him happy. He wants to be in the news. He wants publicity and now we will give him publicity. This song is our answer to him,” Singh announced. On June 9, the singer released the teaser of his diss track and announced that the full video would be released on Friday (June 11).

KRK had then warned him against releasing the diss track. However, as per his plan, Mika Singh went ahead and posted the ‘KRK Kutta’ rap song on his official Youtube channel on Friday. The video featured the singer, besides Vindhu Dara Singh in a cameo, and several common people. KRK, who had initially threatened to file a lawsuit against the track, tweeted, “After all the discussion with my lawyers, I have decided to not file defamation case because no use to fight a case for next 15 years. Therefore my videos about all of them are coming soon. Watch this review tomorrow morning.”

Screengrab of the tweet from KRK’s private account via Hindustan Times

While responding to his tweet, Mika Singh took a dig at him, “someone please tell my son to not do this. Once he threatens to file a case and then backtracks. Do whatever you want but don’t make your account private. You have many followers who want to send you dance videos on the KRK kutta song.”

Around the same time, a video had surfaced on social media wherein Mika Singh had allegedly stood outside the residence of Kamal R Khan. In the video clip, he said, “Dekh bhai, main tere ghar ke bahar khada hoon yahaan pe. Chaati chaudi kar ke khada hoon. Tu jahaan kahega, wahaan mil leta hoon. Tu saari umar mera beta hi rahega. Meri tere se koi ladai nahi hai (I am standing right outside your house. I am standing here with my head held high. I will meet you wherever you want. You will always be my son. I have nothing against you).”

KRK releases video, compares Mika Singh to a ‘pig’

In a video uploaded on his Youtube channel on Saturday (June 13) responding to the diss track by Mika Singh, KRK said, “The video that he (Mika Singh) made against me is as dirty as the face of this uncivilised, illiterate pig. Even I can morph his pictures onto porn videos. Since he is a pig, he wants to wrestle me in the mud. So, I won’t stoop to his level.” In his unhinged rant, the ‘Deshdrohi’ actor said that the stature of Mika Singh is lower than the driver of director Karan Johar. As such, he would not even allow the entry of singers such as Singh to his office premises.

While refuting the claims by the singer, KRK alleged that he has five bungalows on the road where Mika Singh lives. He claimed that he had sold one bungalow to a friend of the singer on his request. “So, he was standing opposite to his own house and claimed that I am not living there out of his fear,” KRK said. He also added that Mika Singh had earlier begged him for an invitation to his birthday party.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ Mika Singh)

KRK pointed out how Mika Singh and his brother Daler Mehndi were arrested by law enforcement authorities. “He is from such a disgusting family, where every member has gone to jail. And he claims to very powerful. He is only powerful in his dreams.” KRK added how Singh had kissed actress Rakhi Sawant ‘like a pig’ in 2006. He also reminded that the singer was arrested by Abu Dhabi police for sending nudes to an underage girl in Brazil.

Salman Khan sued Kamaal R Khan for Radhe review

Bollywood actor Salman Khan had sent a defamation notice to Kamaal R Khan for his review of ‘Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai.’ The latter shared the news on his social media account and said that the defamation notice was a proof of Salman Khan’s disappointment. He then said that he would not review Salman’s films anymore.

“I said so many times that I never review film of any producer, actor if he asks me to not review. Salman khan filed a defamation case against me for review of #Radhe means he is getting too much affected by my review. Hence I won’t review his films anymore. My last video releasing today,” he had tweeted. On May 13, KRK had reviewed Salman Khan’s latest release, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, where he kept referring to Salman Khan as ‘Daadu’ (grandfather)

Indian embassy in Turkey shuts up Turkish state-run publication for peddling Pakistani propaganda against India

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Indian embassy in Turkey shuts up Turkish state-run publication for peddling Pakistani propaganda against India

On June 10, Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency of Turkey, published a report alleging India has issued over 3.4 million fake domicile certificates to change the demographics of Kashmir. The Indian Embassy in Turkey refuted the claims. While tagging the official handle of Directorate of Communication, Turkey, the embassy said, “AA is falling prey to Pakistani Propaganda. Journalistic ethics demand that they should check the basis of issuing of Domicile certificate by the Indian Govt and report that too. Not just become the propaganda mouthpiece of a third country.”

AA relied on statements of a Pakistani spokesperson

The report published by Anadolu Agency was no less than Pakistani propaganda against India. In the report, AA quoted Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, saying, “India continues with its design to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory in clear violation of international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention. India has already issued over 3.4 million fake domicile certificates.” He further added, “The lives and livelihoods of the Kashmiri people have been severely affected in the aftermath of India’s illegal and unilateral actions on August 5, 2019.”

Pakistan’s frustration over the abrogation of Article 370

The Government of India abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and divided the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. Since that day, the neighbouring country of Pakistan has been showing its frustration over the decision and trying to paint a bad picture of India in front of the international community. On the contrary to what Pakistan and its allies suggest, abrogation of Article 370 opened doors to progress for the state. Notably, since that day, there have been 87% lesser reports of stone-pelting in Kashmir. There has been a significant fall in youth joining militancy in Kashmir as well.

The issue of domicile certificates

The report suggested that India issued fake domicile certificates, which is entirely baseless. The domicile certificates are being issued as per Indian laws. While answering a question in Lok Sabha on March 16, 2021, G. Kishan Reddy, Minister Of State In The Ministry Of Home Affairs, told the house that a total of 35,44,938 applications were received for domicile certificates. Out of these applications, 32,31,353 were approved. 2,15,438 were rejected as they lacked the required documents mandated by Rule 5 of the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate.

Hindu activist demands cancellation of resident permit of Kannada actor Chetan Kumar for hate speech against Brahmins

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Hindu activist demands cancellation of resident permit of Kannada actor Chetan Kumar for hate speech against Brahmins

A day after Bengaluru Police booked controversial Kannada actor Chetan Kumar, who also goes by the name “Chetan Ahimsa”, for making hate speech against Brahmins, a Hindu activist has written a letter to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer seeking cancellation of the residential permit given to the actor.

According to the reports, Chetan Kumar had stoked a controversy recently by making derogatory comments against the Brahmin community. The actor was accused of making disparaging comments about Brahmins in a video that had gone viral on the internet.

A complaint has been filed against the actor Chetan at the Basavangudi police station on the charges of hurting the Hindu sentiments and creating differences among religions and castes. A case was also registered against Chetan Ahimsa under IPC sections 153B (imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli­gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs).

Following the complaint against Chetan Kumar ‘Ahimsa’, Hindu activist Girish Bharadwaj has written a letter Foreigners Regional Registration Officer in Bengaluru seeking to cancel the temporary residency permit given to him. In his complaint, the activist sought action, Chetan Kumar, for making outbursts against a particular community, enraging the sentiments with a purpose to create rift & communal disharmony.

Chetan Kumar, who has acted in a few Kannada movies, is a citizen of the USA and residing in Bengaluru on a temporary resident permit.

In his complaint, activist Girish Bharadwaj has pointed out the recent vicious outpourings, derogatory and disparaging remarks, outbursts against the Brahmin community made by Chetan Kumar and accused him of raking up communal caste sentiments and caste conflagrations resulting in social disharmony in a country with a pluralistic ethos as India.

Mentioning the anti-Brahmin tweets of the actor, Bharadwaj said the actor has a dubious record of making unsubstantiated remarks, baseless allegations, diatribes against specific individuals and organisations that do not align with his political standing.

“His ingratiating, contempt arousing tweets and videos targeting a specific community is highly deplorable and should be abhorred by all in unequivocal terms. His coronary bursting rants are a litany of falsehoods & egregious attack on the most peaceful, progressive community in India,” the complaint said.

The complaint also mentioned that the actor has a history of peddling false information to please certain political parties and added that his recent hate speech could also be manifestations of his frustrations of lack of opportunities in the Kannada Film Industry where has been an abject failure.

“He is spreading his insidious logic to further his propaganda,” said the letter, requesting the FRRO to cancel his residential permit. The activist also urged the authorities to deport him immediately to his country for violating the provisions of the Indian Laws.

Mumbai: Video of a car sinking in a hole within seconds goes viral after incessant rains. Watch

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mumbai: Video of a car sinking in a hole within seconds goes viral after incessant rains. Watch

A viral video of a parked car sinking in a hole in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar has taken the netizens by surprise. In the widely circulated video on social media, a four-wheeler sank completely in a mysteriously created hole while it was parked in a residential compound. 

Several netizens raised concerns about the possibility of someone being in the car while it sank. Thankfully, there was no one inside the car when the incident happened.

The police has informed that the hole was actually originally a well on which concrete slab was placed. “Incident occurred due to land subsidence following rain. No one injured,” informed the traffic police. 

As per reports, the incident of Ram Nivas society located at Kama lane in Ghatkopar West. Reportedly, the society had covered half portion of the well by carrying out RCC work, several years ago. The residents eventually began parking the vehicle atop it unaware of the presence of the well. 

The car has been pulled out with the help of a crane from the 40 feet deep well.

Questions have been raised over the BMC and local authorities for failing to prevent the society from covering up the well in a botched-up manner.

Mumbai witnessed heavy rainfall from the wee hours of Saturday causing waterlogging at several locations. IMD too had upgraded its alert from orange to red indicating thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places.

Video of Andhra Pradesh ASP M Sattibabu giving provocative speech to Dalit youths goes viral

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Video of Andhra Pradesh ASP M Sattibabu giving provocative speech to Dalit youths goes viral

In an undated video that has gone viral on social media, the ASP of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh M Sattibabu can be heard preaching that one must be ready to die for ideology just like the terrorists who crashed a plane into the World Trade Centre in one of the most ghastly terrorist attacks witnessed by the US. 

Shared by Legal Rights Protection Forum’s Twitter handle, M Sattibabu speaking at Ambedkar India Mission’s meeting said, “Terrorist who crashed the plane into WTC didn’t do so for money, but because he was committed to die for the ideology he believed in. Need to have a similar commitment to our ideology. It’ll give us the courage to lay down our lives for our ideology.”

“The aim of this meeting is to nurture people who are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Ambedkar’s India Mission,” M Sattibabu added. 

Complaint filed against Andhra Pradesh Addl DGP and founder of Ambedkar’s India Mission

Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), the legal activism non-profit group, has filed a legal complaint against Andhra Pradesh Addl DGP and founder of Ambedkar’s India Mission for indulging in hate speech in the garb of his organization’s mission.

The complaint detailed several activities of the IPS officer who is the Additional Director General of Police, (Crime Investigation Department) in the Andhra Pradesh Government.

As per the complaint, Kumar’s organization “Ambedkar’s India Mission” is known for hate speeches against Hindus and peddling divisive communal/caste-based politics. 

In an instance dated 26th November 2020 (India’s Constitution Day), Kumar went live from the official Facebook page of his organization and abused the Hindu religion and sacred scriptures like Vedas and Puranas. The video, however, is no longer on Facebook.

In another viral video, Kumar can be seen praising the Britishers for giving them a God to pray when they were allegedly disallowed by the Hindu society, thereby, admitting that he is a Christian.

Demanding SC status for the SC’s who converted to Christianity, Kumar in an interview to The Times of India had confessed that he will represent only the SC Mala community and will oppose the inclusion of any other caste in the SC category list.

The complaint also stated that the officer has abused his position by running a private organization, thereby, violating Section 3 of The Police Forces (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1966.

Punjab Elections 2022: As political landscape warms up, will Dalit votes be the game changer?

Anurag
-
0
Punjab Elections 2022: As political landscape warms up, will Dalit votes be the game changer?

Punjab is less than a year away from assembly elections. This is going to be the first time in 25 years that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not contest the elections together. SAD and Bahujan Samaj Party have recently announced that they have formed an alliance for the upcoming assembly elections.

Notably, BSP and SAD were in an alliance in Punjab before the 1997 Assembly elections. In the 1992 Assembly elections, BSP had won nine seats in Punjab. A year before the 1997 elections, SAD and BJP came in alliance, and BSP went down to one seat in the state. Since then, BSP has failed to mark its presence in four consecutive state elections.

With the new alliance, all political parties are going all out to woo Dalit votes. In such a scenario, how does the prospect of a Dalit Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab look like?

The ‘ardaas’ incident

A few weeks back, a video of a Pathi went viral on social media in which he welcomed BJP’s decision to project a Dalit as the Chief Minister candidate of Punjab in the 2022 Assembly poll. In a special ardaas (prayer) he offered in the Gurudwara, Gurmel Singh Khalsa prayed for PM Modi’s long life and backed BJP’s reported decision to project a Dalit as CM candidate in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.

A complaint was registered by an advocate Harpal Singh Khara who alleged Gurmel hurt religious sentiment. Acting on the complaint, Punjab Police arrested the Gurmel, Pathi of the Gurdwara at Bir Talab village in Bathinda district.

A few days later, a similar incident, Harpal Singh, granthi of the Ravidas Gurudwara, Ambedkar Nagar, Sangrur, conducted a similar ardaas. According to the reports, some people approached him for the ardaas who were identified as BJP SC Morcha. He said, “Immediately after the ardaas, I even apologised for any offence that I may have caused to other members of the congregation.” He was reportedly dismissed from his job after the incident.

‘BJP believes in the inclusion of everyone’

Though PM Modi or BJP had not made any such promise about Punjab CM being Dalit, the ardaas and the aftermath showed that the subject of Dalit inclusion in Punjab politics is going to be an important point of contention in the coming months. In April, state organising secretary Dinesh Kumar had said, “After 1947, only Jatt Sikhs have been becoming CM. Sikhs and Dalits or other castes have never got any chance. We have already been asking why can a Dalit or member of some other community not become CM in Punjab when Jatt Sikhs have just 17% population. They (Dalits) also have the right (to become CM). They should get justice.”

Speaking to OpIndia, BJP State President Ashwani Kumar Sharma said, said, “Why can a Dalit not be CM in Punjab? BJP believes everyone who lives in Punjab has the right to be politically involved for the betterment of the state, let it be a Sikh, Dalit, OBC, Brahmin, or someone else. Interestingly, it is only after the recent incidents where Dalits spoke in favour of BJP, everyone wants to include them.” He further added if they were so concerned, why no party made a Dalit deputy CM of the state.

BJP State Secretary Sukhpal Singh Sran speaking to OpIndia over the recent incidents and the inclusion of Dalits in Punjab politics said, “What should we conclude from the recent arrest of the Pathi in Bathinda district? Are Dalits not even allowed to do ardaas in Gurudwaras? The arrest was against the teachings of Sikhism. Our Gurus have taught us not to indulge in casteism.” While talking about the BSP-SAD alliance, he said, “It is a politically motivated alliance. It is not a “gathbandhan” but a “thungbandhan”. They do not believe in the inclusion of the suppressed. They only want to use them as vote bank.”

He further added Congress, the ruling party of Punjab, is scared that the suppressed are now waking up, and BJP is supporting them to become more active in the state politics. “BJP’s ideology is based on ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina’. We believe everyone is equal. Guru Gobind Jihad said, ‘Manas ki jaat sabhaye Ek pehchanyo’ (We must treat everyone equal), and BJP do not discriminate among any caste or religion.” Condemning the attack on BJP leaders in recent months, Sran said that Congress and other parties are trying to spread misinformation about BJP and its leadership, but they cannot hide the truth for long.

No Dalit deputy CM since independence

Punjab had three Deputy Chief Ministers since independence. Notably, none of them was a Dalit. In the 2016 assembly elections Aam Aadmi Party had said they would appoint a Dalit as Deputy CM of the State if they come to power. While speaking at an election rally in 2016 at Doaba, a Dalit-dominating region, Arvind Kejriwal had said, “Every party talks about giving Dalit benefits, but no one wants to give the higher position as a minister. They only give you a choice for MLAs, that too because of the reservation. But AAP is not here to exploit you for votes. We will share the power with you. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram had stated that Dalits can only be brought in the mainstream if power is shared with them.”

However, their announcement did not make much difference in the election results, and Congress ended up winning the elections. The reason, some experts believe, the lack of originality in the announcement for Dalits in the manifesto. Except for the seat of Deputy CM, AAP did not promise anything more than what other parties had promised.

AAP is also eyeing the upcoming state elections in 2022, and the party is known for playing religion and caste cards very often. As there is an alliance between BSP and SAD, it may cut votes of the Aam Aadmi Party. Moreover, AAP only promised the post of deputy CM to a Dalit while BJP is talking about the possibilities of a Dalit Chief Minister based on the party’s ideology of inclusion of everyone.

Dalits in Punjab: discrimination that is visible to everyone but no one talks about

Dalits’ role in Punjab politics is hard to understand. According to the official data, the Scheduled Caste population in Punjab is 88.60 lac which is 31.94% of the total population of the State. Punjab accounts for 2.3% of the total population and 4.3% Scheduled Caste population of India. Though Dalits comprise almost 32% of the population in the State, their role in politics is almost non-existent.

Santosh K Singh published an op-ed titled “Dalit Politics and Its Fragments in Punjab – Does Religion Hold the Key?” in Economic & Political Weekly. He said, “There are standard reasons to explain this enigma. The most prominent being the dominance of the landed community of Jats and other castes. In other words, it is argued that because of the Jat Sikh dominance, the Dalit community was never able to chart its own independent, political journey. They continued to express themselves either through the Shiromani Akali Dal or the Indian National Congress, the two dominant political parties of the State, again largely led by the Jats. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), as the perceived face of Dalit politics, has been reduced to a mere footnote.”

Surinder S. Jodhka, in a January 2002 article titled Caste and Untouchability in Rural Punjab in Economic and Political Weekly, talked about how Dalits who have converted to Sikhs feel discriminated against. He said, “Though at the level of religious principle Sikhism has been anti-caste and has had an attraction for the Dalits of Punjab, caste prejudices have not been completely absent among the Sikhs. This has been so particularly among the dominant castes of landowning Sikhs of rural Punjab. While in most gurudwaras in Punjab there are no restrictions on Dalits entering the local shrines, there are several cases where Dalits felt that they are discriminated against by those who control gurudwaras.”

While researching for his paper, Jodhka interacted with several Dalits individually and in groups. He found that though the majority of the Gurudwaras Dalit Sikhs are not stopped from entering, they are not treated as par with their counterparts from the upper caste. He said, “During a group discussion with Dalits in a village of Ferozepur district, we were told that the upper caste Sikhs did not really appreciate their participation in the daily activities of the local gurudwara.”

Sadly, it took a pandemic to break the caste bias in Punjab. According to April 2020 reports, it was only after the Covid-19 pandemic hit India in March 2020, the caste practices faded out in some of the religious places in Punjab. Jat Sikh Gurudwaras reportedly sent food to Dalit houses daily during the pandemic. Notably, while Sikhism preaches for equality, there are separate Gurudwaras and cremation grounds for Dalits in Punjab.

Despite several anti-caste movements, including Adi Dharam, Arya Samaj, Singh Sabha, Sacha Sauda and several others, Punjab and casteism seem to have an unbreakable relationship. Even the government’s efforts to uplift the scheduled caste population have no effect due to a deep-rooted sense of caste-based biased. In many cases, Dalits face a lot of resistance when they try to bring Guru Granth Sahib for worship at home during wedding and other auspecious ceremonies.

Agriculture Laws and BJP’s chance in Punjab 2022 Assembly elections

If elections were to happen in Punjab today, it may be one of the most difficult elections BJP would have to face. Congress, AAP and SAD have infused so much hatred in the minds of the people of Punjab against BJP over the Agriculture laws enacted in September 2020 that it will be very difficult for BJP to win the election without playing aggressive politics.

In the past few months, several incidents of attack on BJP leaders have happened in Punjab. The ‘farmers’ are protesting on the borders, and some reports have suggested that political parties are using these protests to earn brownie points against BJP.

Keeping the current situation in mind, BJP has to come up with a foolproof plan to win the hearts of the voters again. It is clear that giving a good price for the crop is not going to work as despite getting payments for the produce in the bank account for the first time, farmers are still protesting at the Delhi border. While the union government under BJP is doing everything to ensure farmers have a better life, the anti-BJP atmosphere among farmers in Punjab is going to make it extremely difficult for the party to earn trust.

In such situations, exploring faces from SC/ST community for CM and other important posts may become beneficial for BJP. It is evident that Dalits do not have any role in the political scenario in Punjab and other parties are, at max, may announce Deputy CM post for the Dalits as they would not want to anger the Jat Sikh community in the state. However, on the other hand, as BJP has nothing to lose in the state, they can explore options for inclusive politics.

2022 elections may become a turning point for Punjab politics

Notably, SAD and BJP broke their alliance in September 2020 after Agriculture Laws were enacted. As BJP has all the room for contesting elections on their own in Punjab, the party should look for innovative ideas to attract voters. Other than schemes, it is important to announce the inclusion of all sections equally so that they become the decision-makers.

The Dalit community in Punjab is divided into several sections. Among those, Ravidasis and Valmikis are the most significant sections. These sections are associated with deras alongside rural Punjab. During elections, these deras play an essential role. Also, it has to be noted that the number of NRIs in the Doaba region is much higher than in other regions. The majority of the Dalit families have at least one NRI making the region extremely prosperous. Their impact is majorly seen in parts of Phagwara, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. However, despite their strong financial position, the Dalits of Doaba are unable to make any mark in the political arena in the state. This is where BJP can have the upper hand by giving them more political power.

The elections are still ten months away. Though it is too soon to speculate what BJP and other parties are going to plan for the elections, it will be interesting to see how the things unfold.

“Global decisions no longer dictated by small group of countries”: China hits back at the G7 summit

OpIndia Staff
-
0
“Global decisions no longer dictated by small group of countries”: China hits back at the G7 summit

Leading the Group of Seven discussions of China on Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on the leaders to come up with a consolidated approach to tackle the challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China. However, the G7 countries that have been looking for a strategic and coherent response to deal with President Xi Jinping’s growing dominance especially after China’s economic and military rise, have been now warned by the country.

Hitting back at the world’s richest democracies that are desperately looking for a blueprint to take on Beijing, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said, “The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone.”

“We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries,” he added. 

Currently, the leaders of the G7 – The United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, France and Japan – are using their gathering in the English seaside resort of Carbis Bay as an opportunity to showcase to the world that the richest democracies can offer an alternative to China’s growing dominance.

Meanwhile, Beijing has time and again hit back against what it perceives as attempts by Western powers to curtail China. Calling it a humiliation, Beijing says many major powers are still gripped by an outdated imperial mindset.

G7 backs global infrastructure project

On the second day of the summit, the G7 leaders backed a vast global infrastructure project plan for the developing and emerging countries as a counter to the Chinese “Belt and Road” project.

‘Build Back Better World’- an initiative put forward by the Joe Biden administration, the White House said the project would mobilize private sector capital in a “transparent infrastructure partnership” to meet the shortfall in the developing world that had been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“(B3W) will be global in scope, from Latin America and the Caribbean to Africa to the Indo-Pacific,” the White House statement said. 

“The aim is to help countries recover from the pandemic, focusing on the climate, health, digital technology and the fight against inequality,” it added.

PM Modi addresses G7 summit

Addressing the G7 summit virtually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for adopting a “one earth, one health” approach to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic globally.

“The prime minister committed India’s support for collective endeavours to improve global health governance. He sought the G7’s support for the proposal moved at the WTO by India and South Africa, for a TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver on COVID related technologies,” an official statement said.

As chair of the G7, the UK invited India, Australia, South Korea and South Africa to the 2021 summit as guest countries.

1...4,1994,2004,201...7,647Page 4,200 of 7,647