An FIR has been registered in West Bengal against Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut for allegedly spreading ‘hate propaganda’ and ‘inciting violence’. The complaint which led to the FIR was apparently filed by TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta.
The complaint states, “Ms Ranaut has posted several posts from her verified official Instagram handle bearing url: httpa://instagram.com/kanganaranaut?igshid=2yruw6zd7j in the ‘Story’ section. She has also distorted and maligned the image of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal – Smt. Mamata Banerjee. Hence she is to be charged against hate propaganda to incite violence in West Bengal.”
Kangana Ranaut has been highlighting the issue of post-poll violence in West Bengal through the ‘story’ feature on Instagram. She has shared multiple stories to highlight the ongoing campaign of violence against opposition party workers in the state.
Source: Instagram
Source: Instagram
Kangana Ranaut has referred to Mamata Banerjee as a demoness and compared here to Tadaka from the Ramayana. Only recently, she was permanently suspended from Twitter. Kangana Ranaut was responding to a tweet by BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta where he had said that the situation was alarming in Nanoor, Birbhum district. Dasgupta had said that a thousand Hindu families had fled into the fields to escape mobs targeting BJP supporters.
“I want to request everyone keep the focus on Bengal violence and pressurise the government to stop the genocide. Whole focus has gone to the suspension (of my Twitter account). It does not matter I can come via many platforms, let’s not make it about that,” she had told OpIndia.
As India goes through a deadly COVID-19 wave marred by various shortages, Hindu temples around the world have sprung into action to provide aid and relief. Hindu temples in places like Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, London, and the U.S. are now working towards providing various forms of relief and COVID-19 aid. All of this part of a collective effort from the Hindu diaspora to support India at this difficult hour.
Bangkok, Thailand
The Hindu Samaj Temple in Bangkok, Thailand is mobilizing support to help India fight the second wave of Coronavirus that is currently affecting the country. The temple is coordinating with the Indian embassy as well as the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in sending oxygen equipment to India.
On May 1, the members of the temple collectively raised enough funds to send 15 (ten litre) concentrators along with 500 oxygen masks. With RTAF as the transporter, the life-saving oxygen equipment was sent to the Indian Red Cross Society.
On May 5, the temple mobilized its members to send another batch of aid through the RTAF. Sudeep Sehgal, honorary secretary of the temple said, “After the first successful delivery, we are in the process of acquiring more concentrators and will continue our support to India during this difficult time. There is a flight leaving for India on 5th May with a further 10 (ten litre) machines donated by the Hindu Samaj along with donations from various other Indian organizations in Thailand.”
“On seeing the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic in India, the members of our organization felt an urgent need to help in any way it could on humanitarian grounds. Being in touch with relatives and friends of the community we learned of the short supply of Oxygen concentrators and Oxygen tanks… which prompted our members to raise funds for this cause.” Sehgal added.
United States of America
Hindu temples in the U.S. are also joining in the relief efforts. The Shree Radhey Shyam Temple in Bloomingdale, Georgia, USA is affiliated with SGVP Gurukul USA, which is raising money directly for medical aid to the SGVP Holistic Hospital in Ahmedabad, India, according to Piyush Shah, who volunteers with SGVP Gurukul USA. Their donation link is provided here.
The SGVP Holistic Hospital is treating about 120 patients a day, all of them COVID patients. According to Mr. Shah, the hospital has treated more than 6,000 COVID-19 patients in the last few months with over 98 percent favorable outcomes. The hospital’s approach for COVID-19 treatment is unique, resulting from the combination of modern medicine, ancient ayurvedic medicine, and yoga.
The Hindu charity is assisting the hospital in acquiring a sustainable supply of medical oxygen through on-site liquid oxygen storage and oxygen generation plant. Additionally, the hospital is seeking more respiratory support equipment which includes oxygen concentrators and ventilators.
“Once we have acquired the infrastructure we can increase the hospital’s capacity,” Piyush Shah said.
United Kingdom
In Britain, volunteers from three Hindu temples raised more than 600,000 pounds ($830,000) last weekend by cycling up to 20,127 kilometers (12,506 miles) on stationary bikes at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London. This distance is roughly three times the distance from London to New Delhi.
“I think every single person of Indian origin will have someone affected over there,” said Yogen Shah, aged 40. “And anywhere around the world that you have COVID, you feel for that human being, you feel for that person, whether they’re Indian origin or not.”
Looking for a way to help, members of the Hindu temple in Neasden decided to organize a fundraiser that would be socially distanced and attract young people. They decided on the bikeathon because they also wanted to bring London and New Delhi closer together — connecting the two capitals in spirit even though most travel is barred by COVID-19 restrictions.
Relay cycle challenge at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, to raise fund for Covid-19 fight in India
Organizers arranged a total of 12 stationary bikes in front of the temple. Joining with temples in Leicester and Chigwell, they attracted 750 riders.
Each volunteer got an hour on the bike — 50 minutes to clock up the kilometers and 10 minutes to sanitize the bike before handing it over. Each volunteer set up a fundraising page that goes toward an overall fundraising goal.
The stationary bike ride at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London’s Neasden neighborhood is one of many fundraising drives taking place across the U.K. as the Indian diaspora seeks to help India battle the raging Coronavirus pandemic.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
BAPS temples around the world are helping India fight the pandemic. With the support of members from the UAE’s Indian community, BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is working to create a supply chain of oxygen tanks and cylinders which will provide upwards of 440 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen per month starting this week, said Swami Brahmaviharidas on Wednesday.
“This oxygen will be provided to the needy through the government and BAPS’s own network of COVID hospitals,” stated Swami Brahmaviharidas.
Oxygen cylinders arranged by BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi for India
Swami Brahmaviharidas said the first round of relief being sent this week will include 44 metric tons of liquid oxygen, 30,000 liters of medical oxygen gas in 600 cylinders, and 130 oxygen concentrators. “Logistical support for these humanitarian efforts is being provided by the Transworld Group via air and sea,” according to Swami.
He said the BAPS Hindu Mandir sadhus and volunteers have joined community members in creating a dedicated supply chain of support and services.
“With these efforts, we also request everyone to join themselves in earnest prayer and devotion. May the Almighty show his grace and compassion on India and the world in these most devastating times,” said Swami Brahmaviharidas.
In its hour of need, Hindus and Hindu temples around the world are mobilizing to provide aid and relief to India. The Hindu diaspora around the world is spiritually connected to India, therefore these efforts at providing aid come as no surprise. These relief efforts showcase the solidarity of the Indian diaspora.
An audio clip of a conversation between a viewer and an Asianet News journalist from Kerala has gone viral where the latter can be heard making objectionable comments against ‘Sanghis’ and the Bengali community. Asianet News has since then issued an apology regarding the same.
The journalist in question, PR Praveena, is reportedly the daughter of senior Congress leader in the state, P Ramani.
In the conversation, the journalist can be heard saying that ‘Sanghis’ from Bengal are Pakistanis and ‘Sanghis’ getting thrashed is not important news in times of Covid-19. The viewer had called the journalist to ask why her channel was not broadcasting the atrocities being committed against BJP workers in West Bengal.
The journalist had told the viewer in a derisive tone, “We are not covering Bengal deliberately. Covid is the only thing that we are up against. Our relatives, our friends, our neighbours are dying because of Covid and we do not have even enough space to bury people. There is no use showing some Sanghis in Bengal being attacked.”
The viewer asked if Bengalis are not Indians. “No, no, they are from Pakistan,” the journalist responded in a taunting manner. Asianet News has since then apologised over the same and said that such inappropriate conduct is not acceptable. The channel has also said that they have taken appropriate action over the matter.
Post-poll violence had erupted in West Bengal after results showed a Trinamool Congress victory. Multiple BJP workers have lost their lives regarding the same. Senior TMC leaders were initially in denial of it but later, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced compensation for the victims.
On Friday (May 7), the resident doctors of 4 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals launched a social media campaign against BMC’s decision to compensating their stipend arrears with the money paid for Coronavirus duty. The healthcare professionals had been at the forefront of the Coronavirus duty since March 2020.
Rupsa Chakraborty, a journalist with the Hindustan Times, has shared visuals of resident doctors expressing their dissent on social media. With hashtags such as #BMCBetrayedUs and #BetrayedBetrayedStillWorking written on papers, the resident doctors mobilised their campaign on Twitter.
Despite the ill-treatment meted out to them by the resident doctors, they are still continuing their service at the time of the pandemic. They had demanded ₹1.2 lacs as stiped arrears for Coronavirus duty and have vowed to fast if demands are not met. The resident doctors will however continue with their duty.
Resident doctors denied dues totalling ₹1.2 lacs by BMC
Reportedly, the resident doctors were being paid ₹10,000 per month for duty in the Coronavirus ward since May 2020. As such, they received a payment of ₹80,000 for Covid work until December last year. The BMC administration had however discontinued payment for Covid work in January when Coronavirus cases fell. It had announced a hike in salary by ₹10,000 in September last year.
Despite the hike in salary arrears being announced in September 2020, about 3000 doctors in four BMC hospitals received the circular only in March this year. The BMC hospitals include KEM, Cooper, Sion, and Nair. While the resident doctors had been anticipating accumulated arrears for the hiked stipend, they received a rude shock from the BMC. The administration told them recently that the payment made for Covid work was an advance payment of the hike in stipends that was announced in September last year.
#BMCbetrayedus#BetrayedStillWorking Maharashtra Government GR states that resident doctors will get a hike in pay from May 2020 ( शासि विणणय क्रमांकः एमईडी 1015/प्र.क्र.262/15/शिक्षण-2,) BMC Administration has denied the hike of stipend from May 2020 as per the GR. pic.twitter.com/JsyEI1Nehs
— Resident Doctors KEM Hospital (@DoctorsKem) May 7, 2021
Now that the BMC has proposed to adjust the payment for Covid work in their hiked stipend arrears, the resident workers are being denied an amount of ₹1.2 lacs. Forced by circumstances, the Coronavirus warriors have taken to social media to share how the BMC has denied them of their dues. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors has threatened to go on a strike, if the matter is not resolved in 7 days. The resident doctors have received the support of senior doctors, working at the BMC hospitals.
While speaking about the matter, a resident doctor told the Times of India that a resident doctor received a stipend of ₹55000 while an MBBS doctor was being paid ₹80000 to MBBS doctors. He pointed out that a circular was released in June last year that a daily incentive of ₹300 will be paid to all health workers, besides ₹10,000 for those employed for Covid work. The resident doctor conceded that the circular did not mention that ₹10000 would be an advance payment of stipend.
BMC justifies move, claims resident doctors were not misled
In its defense, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has claimed that the amount has been paid in advance. Suresh Kakani, the additional municipal commissioner, claimed that resident doctors were never told that ₹10,000 would be an incentive. He alleged, “We wanted to bring their stipend on par with the rest and hence the hike of P510,000 was decided upon. But since we didn’t have an approval from the general body then, we gave it as an advance. We got the approval two weeks ago and accordingly adjustments would happen.”
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan will feature prominently in a new show by Zee. The first episode of the show, titled ‘Yaar Julahay’, will be aired on Tata Sky Theatre on the 15th of May. The show will appear on other DTH platforms as well. It has led to speculations whether the unofficial embargo on Pakistani artists have been lifted.
One central government source was quoted by reports as saying, “The embargo on Pakistani artistes was always a moral issue. At the time when hostilities were at their highest Bollywood filmmakers like Karan Johar were inviting actors from across the border to work in the country. The call to boycott Pakistani artistes was never legally binding.”
“Each episode of ‘Yaar Julahay’ features the immersive reading of a remarkable story that is as unique and complex as the subcontinent we live in. Each one of the featured writers has processed reality through characters that we can still identify with. It was a joy to work on these classic tales with Kanwal and Sarmad Khoosat because we have collaborated with them before and they always approach a project with a certain artistic sensitivity and deep respect for the material they are working with. Their sensibility was needed for a project as unique as this,” Chief Creative Officer – Special Projects at Zee Network, Shailka Kejriwal, was quoted as saying.
‘Yaar Julahay’ will have dramatic readings spread across 12 episodes. Stories by Gulzar, Saadat Hasan Manto, Ismat Chughtai, Munshi Premchand, Amrita Pritam, Qurratulain Haider, Balwant Singh and others will feature on the show and readers will include Armad Khoosat, Sarwat Gilani, Nimra Bucha, Fawad Khan, Sania Saeed, Irfan Khoosat, Yasra Rizvi, Samiya Mumtaz, and Faisal Quresh, reports say.
Mahira Khan will read Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi’s story, Guriya, on the show. Actor and director Sarmad Khoosat said that the show was inspired by the story telling tradition of ‘Dastangoi’.
He said, “We have interpreted ‘Dastangoi’ in a contemporary way and there is also live and recorded music along with suggestive details articulating the theme of the story. For instance, when I directed Mahira Khan for the story ‘Guriya’, the set was strewn with dolls that in a way told their own story. They created an eerie atmosphere that augmented the narration and enhanced the inherent mood of the reading.”
“This series attempts to introduce a newer audience to literature through a format that blends ‘Dastangoi’ with the Chamber Theatre technique where a reader has an environment, a minimal stage setting to not just read in but to perform, interpret and deliver a story in. In each reading, we have tried to maintain the integrity of the author’s voice even as we amplify it through the digital medium to reach as many people as possible,” he added.
‘Yaar Julahay’ is the initiative of Zee Theatre. The name of the show was inspired by a Gulzar poem. Following the Pulwama terrorist attack, an embargo on Pakistani artists had been put in place by the film industry heeding to national sentiment. However, it is not clear whether any such ban was proposed for the entertainment industry as a whole.
While the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has unleashed carnage on workers of BJP and other opposition parties in West Bengal following their victory in the Vidhan Sabha polls, today three prominent BJP leaders were arrested by West Bengal police for protesting against the ongoing attacks.
As per reports, they were arrested while conducting peaceful protests at the Gandhi Murti in Mayo road crossing in Kolkata. The arrested BJP leaders include Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly, Asansol MLA Agnimitra Paul, and Coimbatore (South) MLA Vanathi Srinivasan. They were protesting against the violence unleashed by TMC goons against women in West Bengal.
Roopa Ganguly, Agnimitra Paul, and Vanathi Srinivasan were charged with unlawful assembly. This is despite the fact that only 8 people had gathered near the Gandhi murti, contrary to the limit of 20 individuals as set by the administration. Despite this, they were arrested and taken to the Lal Bazaar central lockup. However, later they were released on bail. ‘Actually they arrested us to prevent from protesting, not for violating Covid-19 protocol’, state BJP women wing chief Agnimitra Paul said.
Violence on West Bengal by TMC goons
Meanwhile, SOS calls and messages continue to emerge from the state where certain party workers have been crying for help. The Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan who was on his way to meet the families of BJP karyakartas and supporters who lost their lives in the incidents of violence were attacked by the TMC goons. Hundreds of BJP party workers and supporters, along with their families were forced to flee their village along with their families to Assam. It is not just the BJP but even CPI(M) which has accused the TMC of killing its workers. Reports of attacks on BSF jawans have also emerged in the media.
Mamata govt denies extension of stay to NCW chief
On Thursday, National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma announced that she was refused a one-day extension of her West Bengal visit which sought to help women affected by the post-election violence in the state. The official reason for this refusal was the recently introduced partial lockdown measures in the state. The NCW chief had been on an official visit to Kolkata since May 5 in order to hear the grievances of women going through post-election violence. In order to better access the situation, the NCW chief had extended her visit for another day, however, this extension was quickly refused by the West Bengal TMC government.
After recovering 419 oxygen concentrators from a business establishment on Thursday, Delhi Police recovered 96 more a restaurant at Khan Market on Friday. And it has been found that all the business establishments from where the machines were found are owned by the same individual, entrepreneur Navneet Kalra.
On Thursday, Delhi Police had seized over 450 oxygen concentrators in multiple raids across the city. Among this, as many as 419 machines were recovered from businesses owned by well-known businessman Navneet Kalra. During the raids on Thursday, 32 oxygen concentrators with 9 and 5 litres capacity were found at the Nege & Ju bar, owned by Kalra. After police arrested three persons from the bar, they led the police to Khullar Farm in Mandi Village, where 387 more units were seized.
On Friday, Delhi Police raided other businesses owned by Kalra and recovered more oxygen concentrator. They seized 9 concentrators from Town Hall restaurant and bar at Lodhi Colony, and 96 units were found at the popular Khan Chacha eatery in Khan Market. Thus, a total of 524 units have been seized from restaurants owned by Kalra so far.
The first raid was conducted after the police received a tipoff from a WhatsApp message where Navneet Kalra had sent his account details to his acquaintances in lieu of a concentrator. According to police, during their raid at Nege & Ju bar yesterday, they found one person orking on a laptop and handling orders of oxygen concentrator by ‘Xpect Everything online portal’. Police have said that for oxygen concentrators were taken via the online portal as well as through WhatsApp groups.
Navneet Kalra imported the oxygen concentrators from China at around Rs 20,000-25,000, and sold them in Delhi for at least Rs 70,000, making a huge profit when the demands for the machines are very high in the city due to the shortage of oxygen for Covid-19 patients. Reportedly, they have sold around 50 units so far.
Navneet Kalra owns several eateries in Delhi, and owns the retail chain Dayal Opticals, which was founded by his father Dayal Dass Kalra. His restaurants among the most well known in Delhi, and are frequented by VIPs like celebrities and politicians.
The most famous eatery he owns is the kebab and rolls shop Khan Chacha in Khan market, which retained the name despite the change of ownership from the Khan family to Kalra. It was founded in 1972 as a small stall by Haji Banda Hasan, known as Khan Chacha. Later, his two sons Mohammad Saleem and Mohammad Javed were running the operations.
In 2009, the Khan family entered into a partnership with Navneet Kalra for expansion of the business. But the venture ended in 2016 and for reasons not clear so far, Navneet Kalra took over the ownership of the iconic restaurant along with its branding. While Kalra claims that he was assigned the rights of the brand through an agreement in 2012, the Khan family denies it saying that agreement is forged and fabricated. This resulted in a split in the partnership in 2016, and the Khan brothers started their own eatery named Rule The Rolls, located adjutant to Khan Chacha.
Khan Chacha has been popular with celebrities for decades, and Kalra’s other restaurant Town Hall is also not less popular. Run in partnership with restaurateurs Randeep Bajaj and Navneet Bajaj, the eatery is so popular with politicians that according to Vir Sanghvi, Rahul Gandhi is often seen waiting patiently for a table at Town Hall.
Navneet Kalra was felicitated by during the oath taking ceremony of Arvind Kejriwal led Delhi govt in 2020. He was among the 48 personalities honoured as ‘Delhi ke Nirmata’ by the AAP govt after it returned to power.
After the recovery of the oxygen concentrators in his restaurants, Navneet Kalra is in hiding, and Delhi Police has launched a manhunt to nab him.
AAP MLA Imran Hussain has come under the scanner over allegations of hoarding oxygen from the allotted quota to the Union Territory for making personal profits. Notably, he is the same Delhi cabinet minister who was caught last year flouting COVID-19 protocols and defying lockdown.
A Delhi High Court bench comprising of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli have issued a notice to the AAP cabinet minister Imran Hussain in this regard, seeking a reply from him over allegations of hoarding of oxygen. The bench was hearing a plea alleging hoarding of oxygen by political leaders.
The court order came after the petitioner’s counsel showed a Facebook post referring to the distribution of oxygen by Hussain and contended that there is hoarding at the back. The court then asked the AAP MLA to respond to the claim of distributing oxygen to the public for COVID-19 patients.
The court opined that it would have to be investigated from where the MLA was getting oxygen as even gurudwaras are distributing it.
“He may be getting it from Faridabad, you can’t really have a problem if he is not eating away from the allocated source and he has arranged his own cylinders,” the court observed while directing the cabinet minister to be present during the next hearing on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government counsel assured the court that whether it is BJP leader Gautam Gambhir or AAP MLA Imran Hussain, strictest possible action will be taken if any violation is found out.
It is pertinent to note here that Gambhir and his foundation have been working in Delhi to provide assistance in the battle against Covid-19. The cricketer-turned-politician had earlier tweeted that some crucial medicines for COVID-19 patients were available at his offices and those in need, can take it from there. He had also tweeted that he has arranged oxygen concentrators and those in need can avail the facility.
AAP govt opposes centre’s proposal to conduct an Oxygen audit in Delhi
Meanwhile, the AAP government in Delhi objected to the Union government’s request to the Supreme Court to carry out a detailed audit of oxygen utilisation in the national capital.
It may be noted that for all this while the AAP govt has been cribbing of receiving less than half of the oxygen supplies it needs. Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the centre has already supplied 730 MT of oxygen to Delhi on Wednesday, which was more than the Supreme Court’s order asking them to supply 700 MT of Oxygen. SG Mehta also insisted that there was a need for carrying out a simultaneous audit of oxygen utilisation in Delhi.
The Delhi government, however, continuing it’s blame game, objected to the audit and said that the Supreme Court should instead order an audit to look into the centre’s arbitrary allocation of oxygen and mismanagement of transportation to Delhi and other states.
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a massive testing campaign in rural areas of the State, amidst the rising Coronavirus cases. It has now come to light that only 3,551 individuals (about 5%) tested positive during the rapid antigen test conducted on 69,474 people, reportedThe Times of India.
The Yogi Adityanath government has initiated a 5-day door-to-door testing campaign in 97,000 revenue villages. Teams have been dispatched to visit every single home, check individuals for Coronavirus-related symptoms, conduct rapid antigen tests, isolate individuals who test positive and provide the necessary medicines.
प्रदेश में 05 मई, 2021 से ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में एक विशेष अभियान चलाया जा रहा है।
At the same time, the team deployed by the Uttar Pradesh government has been asked to arrange for telephonic conversation of Coronavirus patients with doctors. The team has been directed to provide necessary medical facilities to Coronavirus patients. Besides, they have been tasked to check oxygen saturation using an oximeter and conduct other tests to determine the health condition of the villagers.
Screening and testing done by monitoring committees: Govt spokesperson
While speaking on the development, a government spokesperson informed, “To prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in rural UP, a mass testing drive has been launched in villages. Teams are going to all houses to provide treatment and counsel patients. Door-to-door screening and testing are being done by monitoring committees.”
He further added, “Members of the monitoring committee and rapid response teams are starting work from early morning itself. The five-day campaign aims at identifying people with Covid symptoms in villages and getting them hospitalized. For this, members of the monitoring committees and OPTS have been provided medical kits and antigen test kits.”
Yogi Adityanath exhibits proactiveness in conducting 3rd phase of the vaccination
On May 1, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state has received about 1 crore Coronavirus vaccine doses to kickstart the third phase of the vaccination drive. The development comes days after the government had placed the order for vaccine doses following the Centre’s decision to immunise individuals between the age of 18-45 years.
While speaking to the media, Yogi Adityanath informed, “We ordered 1 crore vaccines. We have received vaccines for the 45+ category too. We have purchased directly from the companies. We have also floated global tenders for 5 crore vaccines in the state. I am sure that we will be able to take this forward successfully.” On April 19, the Centre had announced that individuals above the age of 18 years will be eligible for the Coronavirus vaccination programme from 1st May. The Union government had also permitted states to directly procure vaccines from the manufactures.
Black Hammer, a Black separatist, communist group, has acquired 200 acres of land in Colorado, the USA to establish an “ethnostate” i.e a sovereign state where citizenship is restricted to members of a particular racial or ethnic group, for “colonized people”. “Thanks to all of you, Black Hammer has successfully liberated 200 acres of land to build our city. FOR COLONIZED PEOPLE ONLY! We are located high up in the mountains, 10,000 feet in the air with RICH soil! We have one lake and three rivers on the land!”, the communist group announced the news on Twitter.
Announcement of the communist ethnostate on Twitter
The Black Hammer organization has its own website, where they state that their ethnostate, named Hammer City, will create a “city for all people of color to be free” with no “discrimination of nationality, gender, age or mental/physical differences.” By their own description, “Hammer City” will exclude all White people based on their race. According to Black Hammer, the communist ethnostate will provide residents with “jobs, housing, food, and healthcare” while retaining a “no cops, no rent, no Coronavirus” and “no white people” policy.
Black Hammer has a GoFundMe page for people who wish to fund Hammer City where they have accumulated over $64,000 in donations. In a justification for the fundraising through GoFundMe, Black Hammer wrote:
“On top of fighting against the police and horizontal violence, Black and Colonized people are battling coronavirus. The US government is exposing Black and Colonized people to the disease. Their negligence to our communities as well as pushing this narrative of ‘essential workers’ are killing us at alarming rates … Enough is enough. The Democrats and Republicans’ answer to our problem is to vote, while they continue to poison, cage, and murder us. The so-called “white left’s” response to us is recycled movements that continue to fail … It’s time we turn to each other and design, plan and build what we need to protect our families and communities. Hammer City is being built by Colonized people, governing ourselves, and designing our own city from a decolonized mindset.”
The Black Hammer organization has also been called out for its overt anti-Semitism. In a now-deleted tweet, Black Hammer’s Twitter account addressed critics who asked how the group would “keep warm in the mountains.” The tweet, which stated “don’t y’all already know it just takes a good book to burn and some nice wood … best believe we have plenty of copies to keep us warm all season long,” exhibited two pictures; one of a campfire and the other of holocaust victim Anne Frank’s biography.
Black Hammer’s tweet regarding Holocaust victim Anne Frank
This isn’t the only time the organization has referred to Anne Frank. On Tuesday, Black Hammer claimed that Anne Frank’s father “went abroad and killed African people everyday”, calling him a “bleach demon”.
Anne Frank’s father participated in an imperial army that went abroad & killed African people everyday, but we’re supposed to cry for the bleach demon ?
What makes it even worse is proceeds of her diary, which was filled in by her father, go towards genocide of Palestinians https://t.co/GDfaqwKwpJ
On the Black Hammer website, there is a section titled “Reparations”. Here, the organization gives ‘White’ people the opportunity to be a “good person on the right side of history” by allowing people to join the so-called ‘Reparations Corps’, making monthly reparation payments or offering skills to the Hammer City project. The organization advertises three distinct levels of reparation payments, beginning at the $40 ‘Che level’, named after the communist leader Che Guevara, and ending at the $199 minimum ‘Mao level’, named after Mao Zedong.
black hammer is FUCKING INSANE you can pay just 40$ and be cleansed of the sin of being white pic.twitter.com/0DDAjQT4kl
On their website, Black Hammer promises to give “poor and working-class colonized people full control” over their lives. The organization defines “colonized people” as “people of color,” who according to the organization had “suffered through generations of Colonialism: slavery, war, and poverty.”
Mocked online
The group’s efforts to establish a communist ethnostate for “colonized people” have been relentlessly mocked online. Many commentators online have noted that the land purchased by Black Hammer is not arable land and thus not suitable for agriculture. Commentators also noted the issue of water rights in Colorado, and how Black Hammer would need a permit to divert the water from the river, or to dig a well.
I’m gonna be real here that land is beautiful and completely unsuitable for what you want to use it for. You didn’t buy those rivers or the lake you just bought the land. Winter is brutal in the Rocky Mountains and it will start snowing around the 1st of September where you’re at
Plus they don’t have rights to any if that river water in Colorado. Also how much land are you left with if you have a third of a square mile with three *rivers* and a lake on it? Plus canyons and rocks aren’t really a place to farm or bug enough to ranch
You cannot simply drill a well without water rights nor can you divert water from a river. Well you can but you will be breaking the law. And wells in the mountains can go VERY deep, up to 1500 feet depending so unless you know how to do that you’re going to need a professional pic.twitter.com/aSpOs8oqRW
It is a reminder of the CHAZ, or the ‘Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone’ established by a large group of BLM (Black Lives Matter) protestors last year in Seattle, Washington, USA. The BLM protestors had occupied a roughly four-block area in Seattle’s Capitol Hill had declared it autonomous and ‘police free’. They had placed barricades and had been squatting on public areas, and looting local businesses to carry out the protests. After a few weeks of media glorification, the area was finally cleared by the Seattle police, as per the mayor’s orders. During the few weeks of CHAZ’s existence, violent crimes, especially crimes against women had been rampant in the area.
