Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the first state in India to administer 20 lakh Chinese coronavirus vaccines. CM Yogi Adityanath has directed the state administration to update the vaccination details on the portal every day by 5 PM.
समस्त जिलाधिकारी व मुख्य चिकित्सा अधिकारी अपने जनपदों में वैक्सीनेट किए गए लोगों का डाटा नियमित रूप से प्रतिदिन शाम 05 बजे तक पोर्टल पर दर्ज कराएं। कोविड वैक्सीनेशन कार्य की नियमित मॉनिटरिंग की जाए: #UPCM श्री @myogiadityanath जी
On Sunday, the UP CM held a meeting at his official residence to take stock of the vaccination drive in the state. He said that the integrated command and control centre must be utilised for the vaccination purpose. Yogi said that while there has been a significant reduction in the infection rate, the threat of coronavirus still lingers. Hence, it is necessary to maintain vigilance.
ई-संजीवनी एप का व्यापक प्रचार-प्रसार किया जाए। अधिक से अधिक लोगों को इसके माध्यम से ऑनलाइन चिकित्सकीय परामर्श की सुविधा उपलब्ध कराई जाए व कोविड चिकित्सालयों की व्यवस्थाओं को चुस्त-दुरुस्त रखा जाए: #UPCM श्री @myogiadityanath जी
UP CM said that through the E-Sanjeevani app, more and more people have taken benefit of online consultation with doctors. As per reports, almost 6 lakh people have consulted doctors online through the app. He said that more people should be connected through the app.
On Saturday, 22,984 people were vaccinated in Uttar Pradesh. 364 vaccination sessions are conducted in which Covishield and Covaxin vaccines were administered. 14,85,447 people have been registered first dose while 5,29,142 people have been registered second dose in Uttar Pradesh. In India, over 2 crore people have been vaccinated till now. On Saturday itself 14,24,693 people were vaccinated in India.
The vaccination drive in India started on 16th January 2021 for frontline workers. For senior citizens and for people age 45 years and above with co-morbidity, the vaccination started from 1st March 2021. Prime Minister Modi took his first dose of vaccine on 1st March 2021 in the morning at AIIMS in New Delhi.
French billionaire and right-wing politician Olivier Dassault died in a helicopter crash in Normandy, France. He was 69 years old. Dassault was the grandson of Marcel Dassault, who founded the firm that manufactures the Rafale planes.
As per reports, the helicopter carrying him crashed shortly after taking off from Normandy coastal resort in Deauville where he had a holiday home. The pilot was also killed in the crash. The cause of the crash is not yet known.
Olivier was the eldest son of Serge Dassault and inherited his father’s estate along with his two younger brothers and a sister in 2018. His personal fortune is estimated to be about €6bn (£5.2bn).
Olivier Dassault aimait la France. Capitaine d’industrie, député, élu local, commandant de réserve dans l’armée de l’air : sa vie durant, il ne cessa de servir notre pays, d’en valoriser les atouts. Son décès brutal est une grande perte. Pensées à sa famille et à ses proches.
French President Emmanuel Macron took to Twitter to express his condolences on the death of Dassault. “Olivier Dassault loved France,” he tweeted.
The French air accident investigation bureau (BEA) reported that the aircraft, an Aérospatiale AS350 Écureuil, had crashed on take off from a private ground. The BEA has opened an inquiry and five investigators were being dispatched to the scene for investigation. As per reports, an involuntary manslaughter investigation is also underway.
Dassault was an MP for the conservative Les Republicans party since 2002 and was considered the 361st richest man in the world along with his siblings.
Chris Silverwood, head coach of the England cricket team, has announced that the rotational policy, which has come under intense criticism following the test series defeat against India, will continue into the summer. He further said that key players may be given breaks during the Ashes as well.
The statement has earned him great criticism on social media. Fans were unhappy with the possibility of England not playing their best 11 players during Ashes, considered one of the most prestigious tournaments in cricket.
— Kash Mahmood ??????? ?? (@kash786tango23) March 7, 2021
So basically he is saying that players will be rotated in the Ashes (the pinnacle of the Sport for an England player) so they can be fresh for a $1million+ IPL contact and limited overs cricket. https://t.co/ITZ4Kj36pP
How dare he destroy test cricket. If this is his attitude he shouldn’t be in the role. Rotation in the Ashes for crying out loud. https://t.co/q5JhiPyVW1
India hammered England 3-1 in the recently concluded 4-match test series with England failing to register any real challenge after going up 1-0 up in the series. The batsmen struggled to cope with Indian spinners on turning tracks.
The visiting side also faced criticism for its team selection which they changed frequently without any success.
While the ongoing atrocities on the Uyghur Muslims by the Chinese government are well known, the attempts of the Communist regime to Sinicize minority communities are not limited to the Uyghurs alone. The Sinicization project has intensified under the Xi Jinping regime, and its affect is being seen everywhere, from Chinese occupied Mongolia in North to Tibet in the South. The Sinicization project means eradication of all languages, cultures, religions and traditions that are not Han Chinese, all in the name of national unity.
The project is also going on in full swing in Inner Mongolia, the Chinese occupied Mongolian region that borders Mongolia to the north. The region saw large scale protests from locals there last year against a new directive aimed at reducing the use of Mongolian language in the region. The protests had started after the Chinese government had issued an order mandating Mandarin as the language of instruction in schools in place of Mongolian.
The new rule stipulates that three subjects, Chinese language and literature, ethics and law, and history, will be taught only in Mandarin in all schools in Inner Mongolia by 2022. This had triggered massive protests from people in Inner Mongolia, an uncommon sight in China. However, the protests were brutally subdued by the administration as schools were surrounded by armoured vehicles and dozens of protest leaders were arrested.
Chinese officials used both enticement and threats to make people accept the decision. Parents who had refused to send their children were threatened with layoff, fine, and expulsion of the students. Government and public sector employees were warned that they will be suspended or fired if they don’t send their children to schools. While students were also offered cash rewards to convince their peers to return to schools. Authorities had also announced that parents who sent their children to school would receive preferential access to government aid programs.
According to reports, at least 4000 to 5000 ethnic Mongolians were put under police custody last year for protesting against the new language policy. Arrest warrants were sent to the parents, along with printouts of their photographs in the protest venues taken from security cameras. In some places like Tongliao city where the protests were among the fiercest, cars were banned from the roads to prevent the protestors from gathering. Apart from that, social media posts about the protests were promptly deleted by the authorities.
President Xi Jinping openly called for Mongolians in China to switch to Mandarin language. ‘Inner Mongolia should unwaveringly promote the use of national common textbooks to correct “wrong ideas” on culture and nationality’, he had said on Friday. He also said that Inner Mongolians should “learn by heart that the Han ethnicity cannot be separate from ethnic minorities and that ethnic minorities cannot be separated from the Han ethnicity.” The Chinese president had added that the officials should do a good job in popularising the national common language.
Chinese government has defended the decision to impose Mandarin education on everyone, saying it will improve the education and employment opportunities for students from minority ethnic groups. Authorities also claim that Chinese-language books are of higher quality than Mongolian-language books. However, minorities like the Mongolians are not convinced with this, as they fear that it will lead to a gradual demise of their language and culture.
Mongolian is not the only language the Chinese government is trying to replace with Mandarin. The Communist regime has also implemented similar policies in Tibet and Xinjiang in the past. Earl, the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region had issued orders saying that Chinese and Tibetan languages were to be given “equal weight,” but now that policy has been changed. While Tibetan language has been retained in schools, Mandarin has been made the primary medium of instruction. A similar policy is also in place in Xinjiang, where Uyghur is being replaced by Mandarin in schools.
In order to implement the policy, the government has drastically reduced the number of teachers teaching in the minority languages. In fact, the government itself says that Mongolians should not complain abut the policy as they are not alone facing this, Tibetans and Uyghurs have already seen the language transition in their respective regions.
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is known by Southern Mongolia by the local Mongolian people, to retain its association with Mongolia. For much of history, it was part of the greater Mongolia nation. But in 1947, the Peoples Republic of China occupied it, and established it as an autonomous region.
Five members of a Hindu family were found murdered in their house in Abu Dhabi Colony, a short distance away from Rahim Yar Khan city in Pakistan. They were found with their throats slit with a sharp edged weapon on Friday. The Police are reported to have recovered the weapons of murder which include a knife and an axe.
One of the victims is believed to be 36 year old Ram Chand, a Meghwal Hindu. He reportedly ran a tailoring shop. According to a Pak daily, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has taken cognizance of the incident and directed authorities to arrest the culprits as soon as possible.
However, given the track record of violence against the Hindu minority in Pakistan, the directions of Buzdar does not inspire much confidence. The incident has left the Hindu community in Pakistan shocked. Social activist Birbal Das described Ram Chand as a peaceful man leading a happy life, The News International reported.
Atrocities against the Hindu community continues unabated in Pakistan. Late last year, it was reported that homes of Hindus belonging to Bheel community were attacked and looted by Islamists in Sindh.
In October, Islamists had burnt down houses of some Hindus in Sindh in order to exert pressure on them to convert to Islam. Rahat Austin had claimed that by carrying out such atrocities, these Islamists continuously try and create pressure on these marginalised Hindus to either take up Islam or have them work as slaves.
Forced conversions and abduction and rape of Hindu women continue in Pakistan while the international community turns a blind eye to the atrocities forced upon the minority Hindu community.
Superstar Mithun Chakraborty joined the BJP during the party’s massive rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Following the announcement, Trinamool Congress has come out in strong criticism of the actor who was once a Rajya Sabha MP from their party.
TMC MP Sougata Roy said, “Mithun Chakraborty is not a star of today. He is a star of yesteryears. He has changed parties four times. He was originally a Naxalite, then went to CPM, then he joined TMC and was made a Rajya Sabha MP.”
Sougata Roy went on to claim that Mithun Da was threatened by the BJP with the Enforcement Directorate. He added, “BJP threatened him with cases by Enforcement Directorate and he left Rajya Sabha and now he has joined BJP. He has no credibility, no respect, and no influence among the people.”
Mithun Chakraborty, after joining BJP, said about his decision of joining Trinamool Congress, “Trinamool made me an MP. I left and I will not point fingers at anyone. I will not say whose fault it was. I will say that it was my bad decision. We must end this discussion here.”
“I will have to hold someone’s hand if I have to fulfill my dream. You can call me selfish but there is only one reason behind my selfishness, I want to be with the poor people. I want to stand by the poor people. I want to fight for the poor people,” he said.
He told reporters, “BJP is making the government, that is for sure and if we can all fulfill Prime Minister’s dream that we will be able to make Sonar Bangla, then I will be the proudest man.”
Prime Minister Modi addressed the humongous crowd at the ground where he announced that the BJP wants ‘real poriborton’ in West Bengal. The state is set to go to polls on the 27th of March and the elections will be held in the state over right phases.
The Brigade Parade Ground was the site of BJP’s historic rally in Kolkata where Prime Minister Modi addressed a massive crowd, one of the largest ever, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections. The ground occupies a unique space in Indian history and has been the site of numerous events on momentous occasions.
Alok Bhatt, founder of the adventure tourism venture, Nature Connect Outdoors based in Uttarakhand, recalled the historical significance of the Brigade Parade Ground in a Twitter thread on Sunday. The ground is under the control of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command Headquarters and has the iconic Victoria Memorial in the background.
The ground was initially meant to be the parade ground for British East India Company forces stationed at Fort William following their victory at the Battle of Plassey.
Britishers developed this ground as a parade ground for the forces stationed at Fort William after it began marshal long its troop there following their victory in the battle of Plassey (June 1757)- primarily towards second half of 18th century! pic.twitter.com/BI1jZZPB93
Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das organised a protest at the ground against the Rowlatt Act during the rule of Colonial India. After Indian independence, Prime Minister Nehru held a public reception for Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin at the Brigade Parade Ground.
On 25 Nov, 1955, sea of humanity on lush green Brigade ground hosted Bulganin & Khrushchev- the two men, who from that point onwards went on to write a new chapter in world history- with Nehru, Bidhan Roy and Ajoy Ghosh playing a perfect host! pic.twitter.com/9K8njGqRrq
Then, following India’s victory against Pakistan that led to the formation of the independent state of Bangladesh, Mujibur Rehman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, addressed an event at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Rehman raised the slogan of “Jai Bharat, Jai Bangla” to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers towards the independence of his country.
West Bengal then was witness to the rise of the Left Front in the state. Communists organised numerous rallies at the ground, managing to fill the site to the brim.
Revolutionaries, professing allegiance to various branches of Left were spraying blood in the remote corners of the state and party leaders- led by Basu- kept filling Brigade ground with men & women holding red flag of liberation: this image from 87 defines that phase best! pic.twitter.com/LFvtDMApPg
Consistent with the revolutionary history of the Brigade Parade Ground, Mamata Banerjee organised a historic rally in November, 1992 as a leader of the Youth Congress. 19 years later, she would go on to become the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee organised one of the most talked about rallies of Brigade ground – youth Congress rally on November 25, 1992 and that was the start of Left’s downfall…… pic.twitter.com/nhiYkcRmbr
Many years later, Prime Minister Modi addressed a crowd with the smell of ‘poriborton’ in the air. It appears that the BJP is set to add another prominent leaf in the remarkable history of the Brigade Parade Ground.
A ground that has seen massive rallies for Indian independence to Communist rallies was on Sunday reverberating with slogans of Jai Shri Ram.
In the 1970s, China showed signs of the possibility of engagement with the Western World as it introduced economic reforms. It aimed as becoming a pillar for the global economy. Later, when China joined the World Trade Organisation, it became evident that the Dragon wanted to become relevant in terms of the world economy. It started participating actively in international organizations, and the economic changes in the country made it possible for it to come out of poverty. It took only a couple of decades for China to become a hub for manufacturing and a large global market.
What Western Countries believed was far from the truth
When China began to engage with the western world, it was believed that the U.S. policies aimed at integrating China with the global economy were working. The U.S. tried to tie China to the western world through bonds of trade and finance, hoping that when connected to the U.S., the Chinese society will have a chance to become more open. It was believed that the communist government of China would become a partner in global affairs.
China projected itself open to change and communication. The Chinese citizens started moving more freely, and hundreds of thousands of Chinese students started taking admission in western universities that was seen as a positive sign. As per reports, 372,000 Chinese students were in the U.S. during the 2019-20 session.
However, according to Michael Schuman, a journalist who had lived in China for over two decades, the average citizens in China are completely at the mercy of the government of CCP. It was evident that the Dragon was far from changing. During former President Barack Obama’s late years, there was minimal response from China to the engagement attempt initiated by the U.S. President Xi Jinping showed no interest in addressing the U.S.’s concerns about their unfair treatment of the American companies.
China’s oppression of Uyghurs
Reports suggest that back in 2014, re-education efforts in Xinjiang started to take shape as an experiment, and by 2017 the efforts were drastically expanded. Between August 2017 and August 2018, it was found that 39 concentration camps holding Uyghurs almost tripled in size. The world does not know what exactly happens in these camps. A few videos and reports have surfaced in the last few years that give a glimpse of the atrocities that Uyghurs have to face in these camps. Experts can only join the dots and assert what exactly is going on as China has categorically denied all allegations of any human rights violations when it comes to Uyghur Muslims or any other community in China per se.
Reports have suggested that the camps have prison-like conditions. The Chinese government has installed cameras and microphones to monitor its movement. They are being ‘re-educated’ to allegedly disconnect them from their religious faith and to teach them how to be ‘loyal’ to China and its communist government. Some reports have suggested that the female detainees had to face sexual abuse and rape. Some detainees committed suicide, while others have witnessed detainees committing suicide.
China is also using members of the Uyghur community as forced labour. Reports have suggested that between 2017 and 2019, over 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred to different parts of the country as cheap labour. Interestingly, several western companies have knowingly or unknowingly been using these forced labourers at their factories in China. In February 2021, 12 Japanese companies, including Toshiba and Sony, announced they plan to snub China for forcible employment of Uyghur Muslims.
China’s way of using technology is a major concern
In the last few years, several reports have clearly shown that the Chinese government is using technology to oppress its citizens. Alarmingly, it is not limited to Chinese citizens as China is allegedly using technology to increase its control across the globe. From throwing Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic Muslim minorities in concentration camps to increase surveillance on its own citizens while developing technology to identify Uyghurs among the crowd, the dark aspects of China’s growing ambitions have become a threat to the world.
China has been blamed for illegally collecting the data of millions of people around the world for years. In September 2020, a report by Christopher Balding and Robert Petter et al suggested that China has collected information on over 2.4 million people worldwide that included 10,000 people from India. What was more concerning that around 20% of the information collected by China was not in the public domain, and it could have only been collected using hacking.
China’s mass surveillance state
China has been investing extensively in developing an AI-based surveillance system. Several patent applications filed by Chinese companies in association with the Chinese government have shown how precise its system is. There were reports that China was also developing an AI-based system to identify good behaviour among its citizens so that it can incentivize it.
While the Chinese have tried to justify surveillance in the country on the pretext of national security, it has become a threat to civil liberty, privacy and freedom of speech, which anyway is non-existing in the country. Recently, China has blocked the Clubhouse app as it gave space to people from China, Hong Kong etc., to speak up about the atrocities of the Chinese government freely. China has blocked every possible social media application and developed its own apps to ensure its citizens cannot speak ill of the government.
Chinese oppression of Hong Kong’s democratic rights
Hong Kong is protesting against China for months, and it has no plans to stop anytime soon. On the other hand, China is far from giving Hong Kong a free hand to run the country independently. Recently, China passed a wide-range of security law for Hong Kong, making it easier to punish the protestors. The key provisions in the law included life imprisonment for crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, punishment for companies convicted under the law, damaging of public property to be considered an act of terrorism, cases to be tried in mainland China and more.
The most alarming aspect of the new law is that China will have the power to decide how the law would be interpreted. It also made it easier for the Chinese government to wire-tapped people of interest. The law is applicable not only to the people of Hong Kong but to the citizens of other countries living in Hong Kong.
Is it time to decouple from China?
China is not in the mood to listen to any western concerns. It is not paying heed to any concerns raised by the United Nations against the treatment of Uyghurs. Several countries, including the U.S., UK, Canada, Netherlands, and India, have shown concerns over possible espionage attempts by the Chinese government in recent times.
India has not only blocked Chinese apps but is also attempting to reduce Chinese investments in government projects. India has tightened its rules related to Foreign Direct Investment from neighbouring countries as an attempt to reduce Chinese penetration in the Indian market. Countries like the U.S. and U.K. have decided not to use Chinese companies for 5G roll-outs in the country, and other nations follow in the footsteps.
As China has become a visible threat to the global economy, the best idea would be to disengage with China in all possible aspects. In the last few years, China has rooted itself as a global hub for technology. To decouple, it is essential to identify and develop other markets as future technology hubs so that China’s thumping progression is at least slowed down if not stopped.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his first rally at Brigade Parade Ground ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections. PM Modi’s rally was the culmination of the BJP’s “Parivartan Yatra”, and more than 10 lakh people had reportedly attended the rally.
Addressing the massive gathering at Kolkata, Prime Minister Modi said that the iconic Brigade Parade Ground has been witness to many great leaders and has also seen people who have disrupted West Bengal’s progress. PM Modi also said that the people of Bengal never left their hopes for change.
This Brigade Parade Ground has been witness to many great leaders and also witnessed those who have disrupted West Bengal’s progress. People of Bengal never left their hopes for change: PM Modi in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/CH4ILL9ACZ
Slamming Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that West Bengal relied on her for ushering in a change, however, she broke the trust and insulted people of the state.
“Bengal needs Shanti, Sonar Bangla, Pragatisheel Bangla,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground. PM Modi also said that time has come for Bengal to achieve ‘Asol poriborton’.
The dream of ‘sonar bangla’ will be fulfilled. Today, I have come here today to assure you of Bengal’s development, to increase investment here, to protect Bengal’s culture and to bring change: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/h85gDwaoDT
Addressing the huge gathering, PM Modi said in this election, the left parties, Congress, TMC and their anti-Bengal attitude is one side, while the people of Bengal are on another side. The dream of ‘Sonar Bangla’ will be fulfilled, said PM Modi, while adding that he has come to Bengal to assure the state’s development, increase investment, and protect Bengal’s culture.
2021 election will be first step of progress in next 25 years, says PM Modi
PM Modi said the next 25 years are crucial for Bengal to recover from the damages of the last few decades, and the 2021 assembly election will be the first key step towards that goal.
“The next 25 years are crucial for the development of Bengal. The development here in the next 5 years will lay the foundation for State’s development in the next 25 years,” he added.
#WATCH | I have come here to make you believe in ‘Asol Poribortan’. Belief in Bengal’s development, in change of Bengal’s situation, in increasing investment & industries in Bengal, & in the reconstruction of Bengal: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/BZqfkDQ7OJ
“When India celebrates 100 years of Independence, Bengal will once again be in a position to lead the nation’s growth,” said PM Modi.
Pitching his development mode to seek votes in the upcoming election, PM Modi appealed to the voters saying that he had come to Bengal to make you believe in ‘Asol Poribortan’. “I have come here to make you believe that we’ll work hard for farmers, businessmen & the development of sisters and daughters. We will live every moment to fulfil your dreams,” he added.
PM Modi attacks Mamata, says she chose to take care of only her nephew
Launching a scathing attack on the West Bengal government, PM Modi said that it is very well how the democratic system has been destroyed in Bengal. Appealing to voters, he said that BJP would strengthen this system and will bring the change to re-establish public belief in government systems, in the police, and the administration.
Targeting Mamata Banerjee, PM Modi said while the whole of Bengal made Mamata its Didi, she only ended up being Pishi (aunt) to her bhaipo (nephew Abhishek Banerjee). The people of Bengal are asking only this one question from you, said PM Modi.
“They made promises to work for ‘Maa, maati, manush’. But you tell me, has TMC been able to bring change in the lives of common people here in the last 10 years?” asked PM Modi.
#WATCH | You are well aware of the condition of ‘Maa, Manush, Maati’. Mothers are being attacked on streets and in their houses. Recently, the cruelty unleashed on an 80-year-old mother has shown their cruel face to the entire country: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/OHEXCTlt3L
Highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, PM Modi said, “You are well aware of the condition of ‘Maa, Manush, Maati’. Mothers are being attacked on the streets and in their houses. Recently, the cruelty unleashed on an 80-year-old mother has shown their cruel face to the entire country.”
The Prime Minister’s statement came against the backdrop of the recent barbaric attack on a BJP worker and his 80-year-old mother by the TMC workers in Nimta in North Dum Dum city.
PM Modi mocks Mamata’s scooty drive, says she ran away from Bhawanipore
Taking a dig at the recent theatrics of Mamata Banerjee, who had unsuccessfully attempted to ride a scooty and failed, leading to a massive embarrassment, PM Modi said that when Mamata Banerjee rode a scooty, everyone was praying that she was not hurt. It is good that she didn’t fall, otherwise, you would have made the state as your enemy, where the scooty was manufactured.
#WATCH | Your (Mamata Banerjee’s) scooty took a turn towards Nandigram instead of going to Bhawanipore. Didi, I wish everyone well and don’t want anyone hurt. But what can I do if the scooty is destined to fall in Nandigram?: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/OycJdytWNk
The Prime Minister also mentioned how Mamata Banerjee took a turn towards Nandigram instead of contesting from her current constituency Bhawanipore. “Didi, I wish everyone well and doesn’t want anyone hurt. But what can I do if the scooty is destined to fall in Nandigram?” asked PM Modi.
Making serious allegations against Mamata Banerjee for deviating funds allocated to cyclone relief, PM Modi said that the government is experienced in corruption and play a lot and have done innumerable corruption. They have looted the people of Bengal and even plundered the relief money sent for Amphan, said PM Modi.
“The money that Centre is sending for the welfare of the poor in Bengal is being blocked by the state government. Didi does not want to work and not let anybody else work as well,” said PM Modi in his rally.
Tolabaazi, syndicate, commission cut! You have done so many scams that a ‘Corruption Olympics’ game can be organized. You have played with the hard-earned money of the people and their lives: PM Narendra Modi in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/kivWpQnE0j
Mocking Mamata Banerjee-led government, PM Modi said that the government was indulging in corrupt means through “Tolabaazi, syndicate, commission cut”, and it was befitting for them that a ‘Corruption Olympics’ game can be organized in the state. You have played with the hard-earned money of the people and their lives, PM Modi said.
“You’ve pushed Bengal towards separation instead of development, and thus the lotus is blooming. You’ve divided people into religious lines, and thus the lotus is blooming,” said PM Modi.
PM Modi pitches development, asks people to vote for BJP
Concluding his speech, PM Modi said he knew Didi for ages, and she is not the same person who raised her voice against the Left. She speaks someone else’s language now and is being controlled, PM Modi said. Urging the Bengali populace to vote for the BJP in the elections, PM Modi said that the party’s goal is not just to change power in West Bengal, but we want Bengal’s politics to be development-centric.
“Show anger, words should be audible across India”, PM Modi asked the people of Bengal to put an end to corruption, unemployment in the state of West Bengal.
PM Modi attacks Mamata over appeasement politics
Pointing out the growing appeasement politics of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, PM Modi said the mantra of governance is to support everyone, their faith and development and not just by appeasing some sections of the society.
He said once appeasement stops, there will be equitable development, thus stopping the illegal intrusion into the country.
जहां सबका साथ, सबका विकास, सबका विश्वास शासन का मंत्र होगा।
The Kolkata was the first of the Prime Minister’s 20-odd rallies scheduled to be held in the state ahead of the assembly elections. The rally also comes a day after the party announced its first list of 57 candidates for the polls. Two days before, the incumbent Trinamool Congress had announced its contestants for the 291 constituencies while leaving three seats for its ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
The Congress party has aligned with the left parties and radical Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui’s ISF to take on the TMC as well as the BJP in the battle for Bengal. The eight-phase Assembly polls for the 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal will begin on March 27. The results will be announced on May 2.
Mithun Chakraborty, the very famous veteran actor, has joined Bharatiya Janata Party. His presence at PM Modi’s rally in Bengal speaks volume. Best known for his unmatchable dance moves, boy-next-door looks and unique style, Chakraborty has won the hearts of millions.
Interestingly, during the last years of his career, he chose to do some low budget films like Gunda that were nowhere close to the mainstream Hindi film industry, but his presence in the films created a cult of followers who love such films. His dialogues have found their way to memes that further increased his popularity among the new generation.
Mithun’s Naxal connection
There is an old saying, “If you’re not a communist at the age of 20, you haven’t got a heart. If you’re still a communist at the age of 30, you haven’t got a brain.” Mithun was also one of those young minds that became part of the Naxalite movement. He was born in a lower-middle-class Bengali family, and during the late 1960s, like thousands of Bengali youth in their 20s, he also joined the communist party and Naxal movement.
Mithun Da ultimately quit the movement due to the death of his brother in a freak accident before eventually ending up in the film industry. But before leaving Naxalism for good, Chakraborty had a close connection with Charu Mazumdar, a fiery Naxal leader and Ravi Ranjan alias Bhaa. Interestingly, Bhaa was famous for his oration and manipulative skills. When police started a crackdown on Naxals in West Bengal, Mithun went into hiding and remained a fugitive from justice for some time.
After his brother’s death, though there was a chance of him being arrested, Mithun decided to leave Naxalism and return to his family. He joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, which he believed had helped exorcise the demons from his Naxal-connected past.
However, the label of being a Naxalite was not that easy to go. Before he could land in Mumbai (then Bombay), his name was already a topic of discussion among the film fraternity. Fortunately, he did not have to spend a lot of time looking for work and ended up doing Mrigaya in 1976, for which he also won his first National Film Award for best actor. By 1982, when his song ‘I am a Disco Dancer’ came out, he became a well-known name across the country.
There was, though, one film that made him anxious and reminded him of his Naxal past. He was offered the lead role in The Naxalites that was released in 1980. It was based on the movement he was part of. He was first reluctant to accept the offer as he believed it would bring back the memories of his dark past but eventually, he ended up doing it. The film did not do well at the box office.
Political connection ran through Left, TMC and now BJP
Mithun Da’s political journey goes back to the time of the Left. During the 1980s, Mithun had close connections with Subhas Chakraborty, which led to him hosting Hope ’86, an event organized to raise funds for flood relief. Mithun managed to bring big Bollywood names like Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha for the show that improved the image of the Left Front government at that time.
Mithun Chakraborty was in such close proximity with the CPM government that every time it organized a fundraising event, he would do free shows. However, with the death of former CM of WB Jyoti Basu, he started to distance himself from CPM.
When legendary actress Suchitra Sen died, he was in Kolkata. At that time, the head of Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee, offered him a ticket at the Keoratala crematorium in January 2014 during the last rites of the actress. He became a Rajya Sabha member in February 2014. However, he resigned from his post in 2016.
On the day he joined BJP, i.e. March 7, 2021, he said, “What I did not dream was that today I will be on the same stage with such luminaries and in only a matter of time that the leader of the world’s biggest democracy, Prime Minister Modi Ji, is coming on the same stage as well. What is this if not a dream?”
