The ‘farmers’ protest that has now continued for 22nd day along the Haryana-Delhi border causing massive inconvenience to the citizens in the NCR has now turned tragic after one of the farmers from Punjab allegedly died due to the cold.
According to the reports, a 37-year-old man was found dead at a site where thousands of protestors have camped along the border to protest against the three farm laws passed by the Modi government. The reason for his death is reportedly that inflicted by the cold weather. The death of the protestor at the campsite comes just days after another protestor, a Sikh priest, allegedly died by suicide near the Delhi-Haryana border. It has now been revealed that a nurse at his dispensary is alleging that Sant Baba Ram Singh was actually killed and could not have committed suicide by shooting himself.
The unfortunate death of protestors at the protest site along the border comes at a time when the so-called protest by the ‘farmers’ that started as a grievance against the farm laws turned political in nature. The protests that have been mostly hijacked by Islamists, radical-left elements and especially Khalistanis backed a few political parties to further their political agenda has now consumed two lives.
Farmers are the ‘scape goat’ for furthering opposition’s political agenda
As witnessed on social media platforms, most of the ‘farmers’ protesting against the Modi government have no clue about the farm laws passed by the centre. Instead, the farmers from Punjab, on the behest of Arhatiyas and opposition parties have camped near Delhi to make unrealistic demands such as repealing of the three laws that intend to bring reforms into the farm sector in the country.
In fact, the political parties and radical-left, along with the foreign-based Khalistani groups have attempted to hijack these protests so that they could create a political narrative over these farmer protests. Unfortunately, the desperation for these political groups to brainwash these innocent farmers to protest against the Modi government on the pretext that they have been at the receiving end of some sort of injustice has now caused the death of two farmers.
The delusions of protest organisers and opposition parties to oust the Modi government using farmers lives have now turned tragic. The so-called farmers protest organisers are now playing with fire and risking lives of thousands of poor farmers at a time when winter is setting in the northern parts of the country.
The farmer’s death at the protest site on Wednesday also reminds of a similar incident that had taken place in 2015 when an alleged farmer identified as Gajendra Singh from Rajasthan had hung himself at a rally in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal during his party’s rally against the Modi government’s land acquisition bill. Singh, who was a part-time farmer had sacrificed his life during the rally to make a political point even as AAP workers stood watching him.
Farmers death reminds oneself the sacrifices of infant at Shaheen Bagh
This dangerous game of proxy-wars against the Modi government by the political class was first seen during the Anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh in the Delhi. Just a year ahead, the Islamists, backed by political parties, had similarly camped at a public road in the national capital causing chaos in the national capital under the pretext of protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by the Modi government.
It is pertinent to note that Shaheen Bagh became the site of a heartbreaking tragedy after organisers of the Shaheen Bagh protests had used women and children for the purpose of Islamic zealotry. In doing so, a two-month-old child was sacrificed as it became the victim to the delusions of her parents at Shaheen Bagh. The two-year child had succumbed to poor health due to the harsh weather conditions during winter in Delhi.
A little infant had passed away due to the negligence of her parents, who had thought that her child was a showpiece of the protests at the Shaheen Bagh. To make a political point and garner some limelight, the parents had exposed the child to winters by bringing the child to protest site at chilling cold. The life of a baby was snuffed out by delusions and uninhibited political ambitions of a few.
A similar trend can also be seen at the ongoing ‘farmers protest’ where the political parties intend to use these dead bodies of innocent farmers to further their political agenda.
In recent years, Germany has reportedly witnessed a sharp rise in the cases of injuries caused by female genital mutilation (FGM). According to a report of DW, a women’s rights group has claimed on December 11 that last year almost 2000 patients were diagnosed in Germany who needed treatment for FGM.
The report said that as per the data provided by The TaskForce for effective prevention of FGM, the numbers have shot up 40% this year if compared with 1300 diagnoses following FGM in 2016. A survey was reportedly conducted by The TaskForce of German physician associations which showed that about 200 of these cases were minors, and half of whom were under the age of 12. The survey included only the females who received outpatient care by statutory health insurance providers. It did not include inpatient stays in hospitals or during private medical treatment.
The founder of The TaskForce, Ines Laufer, said that the figures recorded in the survey did not present the complete picture of the situation. “What we see from these figures is only the tip of the iceberg and represents perhaps 2 to 5 per cent of the actual mutilation victims who live in our country, because political leaders do not want complete data collection”, Laufer said. As per the report, the estimate of the women’s rights group said that over 20,000 girls may have undergone FGM because they or their parents came from countries with an FGM rate of above 75%, e.g. Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Mali, Somalia and others.
They attributed such a sharp rise in the FGM cases to the unusually large numbers of migrants allowed into Germany from the Middle East and Africa in 2015 and 2016. Laufer has demanded for the implementation of state protective measures to combat the problem particularly in case of minors. “We call for the implementation of state protective measures, such as regular medical checks and the introduction of mandatory medical reports to the law enforcement authorities if genital mutilation is found in underage victims”, Laufer stressed.
What is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Female Genital Mutilation or FGM comprises of procedures involving partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is usually carried out by traditional circumcisers. The process can cause a number of health issues including infections, cysts, infertility and complications in childbirth. It can also increase the risk of newborn deaths.
On December 16, reports suggested that a Sikh Priest identified as Sant Baba Ram Singh allegedly shot himself at Kundli, near the Sighu border. The 65-years-old priest in a purported suicide note said that he was pained to see the farmers’ plight. Kundli police station SHO Ravi Kumar said that his associates stated he shot himself with his licensed pistol. “He stated in a given statement to the police that he died by suicide. Our probe is on,” he said.
Questions raised by the nurse who treated him
While talking to anchor Aman Mohan Mohyal in his program ‘Hello Punjab’ on Hamdard TV, a caller identified as Amarjit Kaur from Chandigarh raised questions over the circumstances of priests’ death. During the call, Kaur said that she is associated with Sant Ram Singh for a long time. She said that it is impossible that Sant Ram Singh can commit suicide.
“Handwriting in the suicide note is not his handwriting,” said Kaur
Kaur further said that the handwriting on the suicide note that is being shown in the news reports does not match the handwriting she has seen. Amarjit Kaur said the person who encouraged people to come out of the problems and stay strong in life could not commit suicide. She said that he used to tell people that committing suicide is not an answer to anything, and they should not do it.
Kaur had worked in the Homeopathic dispensary in the Gurudwara at Nanaksar Singhra for four years. During her tenure at the dispensary, Sant Ram Singh used to come and meet the staff. He used to write down a few lines of Gurbani on a notepad every time he visited them. She said that the notepad is in possession of Bhai Praamjeet Singh, who is the head of the dispensary.
Someone has shot him: Kaur
Amarjit Kaur alleged that someone must have shot him. She said she could not say what could be the reason, but she was apparently sure that someone must have shot him. During the conversation, she kept insisting that Sant Ram Singh was strong enough not to kill himself and writing in the suicide note does not match his handwriting. When Mohyal asked Kaur who could be behind the death and if the government could have conspired against him, she said that that she said that government is not behind the death, but one of the members of the Gurudwara could have done it.
He never had a pistol in his possession
Though his followers stated to the police that he had committed suicide, Kaur claimed that Sant Ram Singh did not have a pistol in his possession. She further added that he was never left alone by his followers and guards. She said it is hard to believe that he found time to write down a suicide note but could not sign it. Kaur said those who were accompanying Sant Ram Singh could have stopped him from committing suicide. It is hard to believe that no one stopped him. Kaur also raised the question of why Sant Ram Singh was taken to a hospital in Panipat and not in a hospital nearby.
“He would have shot himself on the stage and martyred himself for the cause,” claimed Kaur
Amarjit said that if he wanted to kill himself for the farmers’ sake, he would have done it on the stage in front of everyone to make a stronger statement. She said,” Even if we believe that he had shot himself, he would have martyred himself and not committed suicide. There is a difference in suicide and become a martyr.” She added that committing suicide is a sign of weakness. Sant Ram Singh was there to encourage the farmers and not to make them weak.
Disfigured Ek Omkar
Suicide note of Sant Ram Singh (Image:Aaj Samaaj)
Another point that was raised during the conversation was the disfigured Ek Omkar on the top of the suicide note. Both anchor and Amarjit said that it looks suspicious and different from the handwriting of the suicide note.
In another jolt to the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress leader and Chairman of South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) Col. (Rtd) Diptangshu Chaudhury tendered his resignation from his post on Thursday. Retd. Col Chaudhury also tendered his resignation as the Advisor of the CMO’s Grievance and Monitoring Cell. Chaudhury is the third TMC leader to have resigned from their various posts after Trinamool Congress (TMC) stalwart Suvendu Adhikari’s resignation yesterday.
Diptangshu Chaudhury wrote in the letter addressed to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: “I do hereby tender my resignation from my office as Chairman, South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) and also as Advisor, Monitoring Cell on Programme Implementation of Govt Welfare Services in Chief Minister’s Office (Grievance & Monitoring Cell),” wrote Retd. Col Diptangshu. “I am also informing the same by email to his excellency Governor of West Bengal, being the constitutional head of the state,” he added.
Apart from Adhikari and Chaudhury, Asansol MLA Jitendra Tiwari had quit as the Chairman, Board of Administrators, Asansol Municipal Corporation and Abhijit Acharya quit as Vice-President of Paschim Bardhaman. Moreover, the party had expelled Kanishka Panda, who is perceived to a close aide of Adhikari. Panda, who was the general secretary of the party at East Midnapore, had reportedly questioned the party leadership for withdrawing Adhikari’s security.
This string of resignations, which comes ahead of West Bengal polls in April-May 2021, might bring in a lot of trouble for the chief of the ruling dispensation in West Bengal, who is eyeing at a third consecutive term. The political sphere is rife with rumours that the exodus of these TMC senior leaders are ascribed to Mamata Banerjee’s affinity towards election strategist Prashant Kishore and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
BJP reacts to the string of resignations of TMC MLAs
Reacting to these back-to-back setbacks to Trinamool, BJP Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayavargiya said: “Mamata Ji and his nephew have a greed for power. Her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) protects all the mafia – coal mafia, gold mafia etc. The old ministers who fought with Mamata are getting insulted. While there is still respect for Mamata ji in Trinamool, due to her defence of her nephew’s wrongdoings, she has fallen prey to their ire. See how all people are running away from Trinamool, as people know BJP’s government is coming”.
Adhikari’s exit might be a setback for the WB ruling dispensation
Speculations are rife that Suvendu is set to join the BJP during the Home Minister’s visit to the state. If that happens, the TMC might be looking at a major setback ahead of Assembly elections in the state. Adhikari’s exit from TMC might prove fatal for the party as he is believed to have influence in more than 80 Assembly seats in addition to the clout he retains in the party.
Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami on Thursday withdrew his anticipatory bail plea filed in connection with a case registered against him by Mumbai Police for allegedly assaulting a woman police officer.
According to the reports, Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami had moved the anticipatory bail application before a sessions court in Mumbai in November. Goswami had sought pre-arrest bail after an FIR was registered against him at NM Joshi Marg police station in central Mumbai for allegedly assaulting a woman police officer when the police team had barged into his house to assault and arrest him on November 4.
However, lawyer Shayam Kalyankar, representing Arnab Goswami said the anticipatory bail plea has been withdrawn as per Goswami’s instructions.
Along with Arnab Goswami, his wife also withdrew a similar plea for anticipatory bail in the same case. No reason was cited for the withdrawals.
Case against Arnab, family for allegedly assaulting woman cop
On November 4, hours after Mumbai Police had barged into Arnab Goswami’s residence to assault and arrest him in connection with a 2018 suicide case, an FIR was registered against Republic TV chief for allegedly assaulting an on-duty lady police officer. More than 30-40 cops had entered his house forcefully to arrest him in an already close case.
The FIR against Arnab Goswami was registered under sections 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
A woman cop named Sujata Tanvade claimed that she was assaulted by Arnab Goswami during his arrest in the morning. Not just Arnab Goswami, FIRs against his wife, son and two others were also registered for allegedly assaulting cops.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has taken down her Facebook post, which accused the Modi government of privatising Indian Railways by transferring its proprietorship to the Adani Group. The Congress scion was forced to back-pedal on her attempt to fearmonger after Facebook flagged her tweet as “misleading” content.
Facebook made Priyanka Vadra’s post unavailable after marking it as “missing content”. It stated that the independent fact-checkers, with whom the social media giant works, have identified and declared Vadra’s post misleading and false.
Facebook marked Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s post as unavailable calling it ‘misleading’
Moreover, PIB Fact Check, a dedicated platform set up to counter fake news related to government’s policies and scheme, on Wednesday, also flagged claims made by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Facebook and called it “misleading”. In a tweet, PIB Fact Check shared a screenshot of Priyanka Gandhi’s post and said a “false claim” is being spread that a private company’s stamp was pasted on Indian Railways train.
दावा: #फेसबुक पर एक वीडियो के साथ यह दावा किया जा रहा है कि सरकार ने भारतीय रेल पर एक निजी कंपनी का ठप्पा लगवा दिया है। #PIBFactCheck: यह दावा भ्रामक है। यह केवल एक वाणिज्यिक विज्ञापन है जिसका उद्देश्य केवल ‘गैर किराया राजस्व’ को बेहतर बनाना है। pic.twitter.com/vSmK8Xgdis
On December 14, Priyanka Gandhi shared a video showing “Adani Wilmar” written on the engine of a train. “The BJP government has put a stamp of its billionaire friend Adani on the Indian Railway, which was established through hard works of millions of people. Gradually, a large portion of railways will go to Modi ji’s billionaire friends. Farmers are fighting to prevent farming from going into the hands of Modi ji’s billionaire friends,” the Congress leader had posted.
While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra pulled down her tweet from Facebook, she continued to spread the same misleading news on Twitter. She has still not undone retweeting Hardik Patel’s Tweet in which the working President of Gujarat Congress shared the same video saying, “Adani’s fresh flour advertisements on Indian Railways are worth a watch. Now we can say with belief that the farmers’ fight is on the path of truth.”
Here is why Facebook taking down Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s tweet is a rare incident and how she can continue to lie like her brother Rahul Gandhi without ever getting fact-checked by Facebook
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had to pull down her tweet because in a rare incident, Facebook had marked the post as misleading information (rightly so, but rare nonetheless). The Congress party has religiously spread fake news almost everyday. Even their scion Rahul Gandhi has almost based his contemporary political career out of spreading misinformation, disinformation and plain fake news on several occasions.
If one notices, these posts have never really been marked by Facebook or its ‘independent’ fact-checkers as ‘misleading info’.
Does this mean that Facebook has suddenly decided to become spectacularly ‘neutral’ and has shifted focus to India well before the 2024 election?
Well, yes and no.
Facebook has not become neutral and suddenly woken up to the lies being spread by Congress, as many would like to believe. They might have shifted their focus to India, just like Twitter did recently, but that is not really why they marked the fake news by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as misleading.
According to Facebook guidelines, social media does not ‘fact-check’ political speech. Which is to say, that if a politician posts something on Facebook out of his own will, or makes his own video and post on the platform, even if it spreads lies, it will not be ‘fact-checked’ by Facebook or its fact-checkers. The rationale behind this is that political speech should be beyond the ambit of their fact-checkers and there should be no hindrance to the political discussion by those hoping to be elected.
In one recent case where Facebook had indeed marked and fact-checked a politician was Donald Trump. However, they did not label his posts under their ‘fact-checking’ policy. They found a work-around using their ‘community standards’ guideline, which basically says that the posts by Trump could have led to violence or disruption of peace.
To further simplify – while Facebook’s fact-checking program does not apply on politicians as long as they share their own content and don’t re-share fake news by any other page or platform, their posts can be flagged by Facebook if the platform thinks they violate their ‘community standards’. When Facebook does mark posts by a politician for violating ‘community standards’ as they did with Trump, it is not the ‘fact-checkers’ that Facebook collaborates with who do this, but another team of Facebook that is responsible for maintaining community standards.
So what happened in the case of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra?
Well, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had shared a third-party video that turned out to be fake, and hence, the fact-checkers could mark that tweet was misleading info.
Had she like her brother made her own video peddling these lies, Facebook would have essentially done absolutely nothing since it does not flag fake news by politicians since for them, it comes under the umbrella of ‘political speech’.
Therefore, if Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wishes to continue spreading fake news, she should learn from veterans like Rahul Gandhi and start making her own videos. Luckily for her and her brother, their lies are protected under ‘political speech’ as far as Facebook is concerned. For the public – well – their string of losses indicate otherwise.
In Odisha, every Thursday of the current Margashira month is a festival. Wherever you go, you will find the front door of every household cleaned, decorated and beautifully adorned with ‘Jhoti-Chita’, designs made with rice paste. The designs are of beautiful floral patterns, mostly lotus and include little pair of feet, drawn with rice paste.
The feet symbolise the auspicious feet of Maa Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. And the ‘Jhoti-Chita’ with little feet of Laxmi means the lady of the house, irrespective of her caste and socio-economic status, is humbly inviting Maa Laxmi inside her home to bless her family.
Images of Jhoti Chita on Laxmi Puja, courtesy: Wikimedia commons, Pinterest and Odishabytes
The phrase ‘irrespective of caste and socio-economic status’ is not used here arbitrarily. It is because the festival of Laxmi Puja on ‘Manabasa Gurubara’ (Gurubara means Thursday in Odia) is performed with the same rituals and fervour by all Odia married women, irrespective of their caste and socio-economic status. For Maa Laxmi has told so, and Maa Laxmi has mandated that she will bless every woman who cleans her home and performs the Puja on Thursdays of the Margashira month. And it is Maa Laxmi’s order that in her kingdom, no one will discriminate on the basis of caste. Intrigued? Read the story behind the festival.
The story of Laxmi Purana
Reciting the Laxmi Purana written by 15th century poet Balrama Das is a part of of the festival. The festival is centered around the story narrated in the book that is a part of every Odia household. The legend goes like this:
Maa Laxmi visits the home of Shriya, a woman of the ‘Chandal’ caste
One Thursday in the month of Margashira, Goddess Laxmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity, was out visiting her kingdom. As she roamed around the city in the morning, she observed that most households are unkempt, dirty, with their inhabitants still in bed. Laxmi was dismayed. She noted that even the women in rich, lavish households in the houses of merchants and powerful men were too lazy to clean their family homes. As she ventured further, she entered in the locality of low-caste ‘Chandals’ in the outskirts of the city.
There, to her surprise, Maa Laxmi discovered that a poor Chandal woman named Shriya has cleaned her hut, drawn Jhoti-Chita on her front door and has performed Laxmi Puja in her poor hut with fruits, flowers and humble offerings. Maa Laxmi was so pleased that she entered into the little hut and accepted Prasad that the poor women offered her. The Chandal woman was overwhelmed, seeing the goddess inside her house and worshipped Maa Laxmi with complete devotion.
Pleased with the habits of cleanliness and devotion of the Chandal woman Shriya, Maa Laxmi blessed her with limitless wealth, health and prosperity. She also said to Shriya that after her death, she will be granted a place in Vaikunthapuram, beside Laxmi and Vishnu.
Laxmi is insulted, driven away by Lord Jagannath at the behest of his elder brother
While Maa Laxmi was accepting the prasad offered by Shriya, Lord Balabhadra, the elder brother of Lord Jagannath, Laxmi’s husband, became aware of the incident. When Maa Laxmi returned to the Srimandira (Puri Jagannath Temple), Lord Balabhadra was outraged. He told Lord Jagannath, “Your wife has entered inside the homes of Chandals. She has eaten their food. She has lost her social status. How can she touch Chandal food? She cannot stay in this holy temple anymore. Laxmi has become impure.”
Lord Jagannath was reluctant. He pleaded with his brother. He tried to convince him, saying that may be the daughter of the Ocean god (Laxmi) was unaware of her grave mistake and asked him to forgive her, promising that he will command Laxmi not to visit the houses of persons of lower-caste in future. However, Lord Balabhadra was adamant. Finally, Lord Jagannath was convinced by his brother. He said to Maa Laxmi, “By accepting food and prasad from the hands of a Chandal woman, you have become a Chandal woman yourself. You can no longer reside in this holy temple. You have to go away.”
Maa Laxmi was angry. She protested. But Lord Jagannath was not to be convinced. Laxmi was insulted. She was angry and hurt. Too hurt to plead any further, she removed all her jewellery and left the Temple. Going away, Maa Laxmi said to Lord Jagannath, “In insulting and driving me away, you are setting a dangerous precedent o Lord. No man should ever insult his wife like this. I curse you that you will starve. You will suffer and unless I command so, you cannot eat again.”
Maa Laxmi is furious, she leaves the Temple and builds her own palace
Leaving Lord Jagannath’s Temple, a furious, hurt Laxmi walks away to the beach. There the Goddess of the universe summons Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect. She orders him to build her a new palace, which Vishwakarma immediately follows. Laxmi then summoned the ‘Ashta-betaalas’, the spirits. She orders them to go to the Jagannath Temple and wreak havoc. Following Laxmi’s orders, the Betaalas went to the temple, ate up all the food, destroyed all the grains in storage and carried away every single piece of treasure, utensil, and furniture.
Laxmi Devi was not done yet. She summoned Nidra Devi, the goddess of sleep and orders her to compel Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra to sleep for the entire next day. Then Laxmi summoned Goddess Saraswati. She requested her, “O Saraswati. You know what has happened. Let my husband and his brother suffer for the sin they have committed. If they go unpunished, no man on this earth will ever respect his wife. Women will be seen as helpless victims who can be tormented. This should never happen.” Saraswati smiled and nodded.
Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra go hungry, suffer poverty
On the next day, when Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra woke up, they were astounded. Not even a speck of grain or a single broom was to be found in the once lavish, rich Temple. There was no food, no wealth and even no expensive clothes on their bodies. Transfixed, the brothers ventured out in hunger. They begged on the streets, but seeing their condition, the people of the city drove them away, Goddess Saraswati was speaking in the voices of people. “Laxmi-drohi” has no place in the city,” everyone told. They begged from a Sadhu, who was kind enough to offer them water, but Laxmi’s anger worked and the water vanished. They begged from a Brahmin woman, but whatever food the kind woman tried to give, it all vanished. “Laxmi-drohi, Laxmi-drohi” was all they heard.
Finally, the destitute brothers, suffering from days of hunger and thirst, arrived at the very same palace that Laxmi had built. The maids at the palace gate first drove them away. But the brothers assumed the look of two brahmins and started chanting Vedas. Devi Laxmi, sitting in her room, asked the maids to invite the brahmins and offer them food. Laxmi, however, knew. She asked them, “ask the Bhrahmins whether they will accept food from a Chandal woman’s house.”
The brothers, unable to tolerate the hunger anymore, said desperately, “Yes, we will. Give us the grains and wood with some utensils. We will cook our food.” The maids gave the items to them. But Maa Laxmi was not done yet. “Hey Agni Dev, if the Lord and his brother get to eat now, no man will respect his wife on this earth. If humans were to be taught to respect their women and practise equality, these brothers must be taught a lesson” she said.
Agni Devta, the Lord of fire, nodded. And as a result, despite repeated efforts, the brothers could not light a fire. Weakened and utterly dejected from the pangs of hunger and insult, Lord Balabhadra pleaded to his younger brother, “Brother Jagannath. We will surely die now. Let’s go and plead the Chandal woman who owns this palace for some food. Let’s forget caste and differences. We need to survive.”
Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra realise their mistake
Utterly dejected, the starving brothers begged to the maids to give them food. Maa Laxmi was smiling now. She ordered the maids to invite the brothers in and offer them a meal. The maids invited the brothers inside the palace and asked them to sit. Maa Laxmi then entered into the kitchen herself and cooked the dishes that Lord Jagannath loved. She kept sending the dishes as the maids served the brothers. In the end, Lord Jagannath realised that the food tasted like Laxmi’s cooking. The brothers eventually realised that they have walked into Laxmi’s palace. Lord Balabradra then told his brother, “We committed a grave sin by hurting Laxmi. Please go, hold the hands of your wife and plead her for forgiveness.”
Lord Jagannath did as told. Maa Laxmi then told, “You drove me away calling me a Chandal woman. Now you ate the food offered by a Chandal woman, at the Chandal woman’s house.” Lord Jagannath could not bear it anymore. He held Laxmi’s hands and begged her to forgive him. Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra pleaded with Laxmi to come back to the Temple and forgive them.
Laxmi’s promise
Maa Laxmi had made the Lords realise their mistake. She asked them to promise that in their kingdom, there will no caste discrimination. “Promise me, Lord, that there will be no discrimination among our devotees on the basis of caste. I will reside only in the place where people love each other. Where Brahmins and scavengers will happily feed each other and where Chandals, Brahmins, merchants and scavengers will sit together to eat. In our Temple, no devotee will be turned away for his or her caste.” Lord Jagannath said, “So it will be”.
A festival of the masses, a message for humanity
This story of a woman’s will, her power and self-respect, the tale of equality and social harmony has been recited in every Odia household for centuries. Reciting the Laxmi Purana is a compulsory part of the ‘Manabasa Gurubara’ and the story has been depicted in movies, TV serials and devotional videos countless times. The Puri Jagannath Temple does not discriminate on the basis of caste and this legend has been teaching Odia people not just social harmony, but lessons of cleanliness, devotion, love and respect for generations.
This is a popular video where the Laxmi Purana is sung in by the famous Odia singers Namita Agarwal and Gita Dash.
While hearing a petition challenging the farmer protests against the three farm laws on the basis of the fundamental right of citizens to move, the Supreme Court remarked that the right to protest is a fundamental right but it cannot affect the other fundamental rights including the right to life of others. During yesterday’s hearing, the Supreme Court had said that the negotiations between the government did not work and asked the farmer unions to be impleaded so that their side could be heard.
Senior Lawyer Harish Salve said right to protest not absolute
During the oral submissions, senior lawyer Harish Salve appearing on behalf of the petitioner contended that the blockage of roads due to farmer protest, the supply chain has been interrupted leading to price rise in the national capital. He said that no fundamental right is absolute and that the “right to protest cannot be extended to holding a city to ransom”.
Salve : I will tell about the indirect impact. Due to the curtailment of movements of goods, there is price rise. Delhi has a population of 2 million plus which cannot sustain itself. All fruits, vegetables coming from across the borders.#FarmersProtest
Responding to Salve’s submission, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde clarified that the court recognised the fundamental right to protest but it cannot affect other fundamental rights.
CJI : One thing we will make it clear. We recognize the fundamental right to protest against a law. But that cannot affect other fundamental rights and right to life of others.#FarmersProtest#SupremeCourt
Advocate Salve urged the Court that the farmer unions should be held responsible for the acts of the crowds gathered in the protest. He said that the government should put in place a protocol for asking protesting individuals to identify themselves so that they can be held accountable for damages.
Salve :Unions who are organizing large crowds should be held responsible for the acts of crowds.
He refers to the Bombay High Court judgment imposing fines on Shiv Sena for public damages.#FarmersProtest#SupremeCourt
The CJI proposed an independent impartial committee
The CJI said that the purpose of the protest could only be achieved through dialogue. While asking the police to refrain from using force, he proposed an independent impartial committee that could hear both the parties and give its opinion. The CJI said that meanwhile the protests could continue in a non-violent manner and asked the government not to instigate violence. The court named journalist P Sainath to be included in the committee along with BKU and other stakeholders.
CJI : For that, we are proposing an independent impartial committee before whom both the parties can state their case while the protest goes on and that the committee will give its opinion, which we expect the parties to follow.
Responding to the submissions of senior lawyer P Chidambaram, who appeared on behalf of Punjab government, about the farmers being stopped by police, the CJI said that court could not predict whether a mob would turn violent or not. He said that it must be left to the authorities to decide.
CJI : It is not for the court to predict if the mob will turn violent. It depends on intelligence reports based on which the police acts. Whether the mob should be allowed to enter arrest must be left to the authorities to decide and not for the court to decide.
Lawyer appearing for the Bharatiya Kisan Union said that the farmers stopped the starvation of the country and not multinational companies. To this the CJI responded that Delhi would go hungry if farmers blocked the roads. The CJI added that the purpose of the protest would be fulfilled by talking and not by just sitting in protest.
Lawyer for BKU : During lockdown, only farmers stopped the starvation of the country and not multi nationals.
CJI : The grievance is that people of Delhi will go hungry if you block the roads.
The CJI recalled how 1997 farmer protest near Boat Club would have potentially destroyed everything if not for the rift that appeared among them.
CJI remarks that the farmers protest in 1997 near Boat Club had the potential to destroy everything but fortunately nothing happened because there was a rift among the unions.#FarmersProtests#SupremeCourt
The CJI asked the Attorney General whether the central government could give a commitment that the farm laws will not be implemented while the matter was being heard in the court. To this the Attorney General expressed difficulty. The CJI then asked the Attorney General whether the government could assure that no executive action would be taken under the laws in order to facilitate negotiations. The Attorney General said that he could tell only after taking instructions from the government.
The CJI said that the court will pass an order that the parties should be served and that they are at the liberty to move Vacation Bench.
On Tuesday, both Houses of the Maharashtra State Legislature unanimously passed a resolution not to take cognisance of any notice or summons issued by the High Court or Supreme Court in the breach of privilege proceedings initiated against Arnab Goswami by the Upper House of the state Legislature.
According to reports, the pre-emptive resolution comes after Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami had moved to Supreme Court challenging the breach of privilege motion. The apex court had issued a show-cause notice against the Assistant Secretary of the Assembly, Vilas Athawale, for his attempt to ‘intimidate’ Goswami for taking the matter of privilege motion to the court.
The Maharashtra alliance government, anticipating an adverse order from the judiciary, has now passed the resolutions to question the boundaries of the judiciary’s powers to issue notices to the assembly. The proposals stated that replying to such notices would mean accepting that the judiciary can keep a check on the legislature and would be “inconsistent with the Basic Structure of the Constitution”.
The resolution were passed by both the houses on Tuesday, the last day of the winter sessions of Maharashtra assembly.
Both houses pass resolutions, says judiciary cant encroach into legislative territories
In the lower house, the proposal was declared as passed unanimously by Speaker Nana Patole. It stated that Speaker Patole and Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal will not be responding to any notice or summons issued by the Supreme Court. Similarly, in the Legislative Council, the proposal was passed unanimously by Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar.
“The Constitution has set clear cut boundaries for the three organs of the government — the judiciary, the legislature and the executive. Each organ should honour these boundaries. No one should encroach on each other’s territories,” said Speaker Patole.
Meanwhile, Council chairman Nimbalkar said, “The legislature, secretariat, its secretaries and other officers responding to court notices and other correspondence means, in a way, accepting that the judiciary can keep a check on the legislature and it would be inconsistent with the Basic Structure of the Constitution”.
Maharashtra Assembly issued summons to Arnab Goswami asking him to appear
The witch-hunt against Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami began after a Breach of Privilege motion was moved in the Assembly by Shiv Sena’s Pratap Sarnaik on September 8. The Maharashtra government headed by Shiv Sena had used all its political might to harass Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami.
Pratap Sarnaik had accused Goswami of using “derogatory language” and “making baseless remarks” against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar and for frequently insulting ministers, MPs during TV debates.
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly had served four notices to Goswami and asked him to reach the assembly after he had criticised the Maha Vikas Aghadi government over its inaction in the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
On October 15 at 14:50, Arnab Goswami had got a notice from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly asking him to appear, in person, at 15:00 hours. Essentially, the state government gave Arnab Goswami merely 10 minutes to make a personal appearance in the Assembly, saying that if he does not, action could be initiated against him.
The Maharashtra legislature secretariat had earlier sought clarification from Arnab Goswami on September 16 over a breach of privilege motion against him during a two-day monsoon session of the state legislature for the alleged derogatory comments against Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.
However, Arnab Goswami had challenged the notice served upon him by the state assembly for alleged breach of privilege in the apex court. The Supreme Court had the slammed the Maharashtra Assembly secretary for his letter to Arnab Goswami where he had questioned him on how did he produce the letters sent to him by the Speaker and Privilege Committee with the court since they are confidential in nature.
On September 24, terrorists in Srinagar had shot dead Jammu and Kashmir High Court lawyer Babar Qadri. He had been shot at point-blank range at Hawal in Srinagar, killing him instantly. Now, in a major breakthrough, the SIT set up by the Jammu and Kashmir police to probe Qadri’s assassination case, has revealed that orders to kill the lawyer had come from within the Srinagar central jail, reports Times Now.
The SIT had detained three people for questioning. They purportedly told the police that the order for the lawyer’s assassination came from ‘central jail, Srinagar’. The trio had also revealed the names of people who ordered the assassination. Based on this, the SIT arrested two men from the Srinagar central jail and identified them as Muneer Aziz War alias Qari, son of one Abdul Aziz War of Hatmulla Kupwara and Tawseef Ahmed Shah son of Ghulam Mohammad Shah of Parimpora, Srinagar. These two were in jail for a stone-pelting and murder case.
The special Jammu and Kashmir police team are trying to find out how these individuals passed orders from inside the central jail. The police are also investigating if they received orders from someone outside the jail to carry out Qadri’s assassination.
J and K lawyer shot dead at point-blank range
According to the eye-witness accounts, two assailants, on the pretext of consulting over a legal matter had entered Qadri’s house at around 6 PM on September 24 and opened fire at him. The police said that the lawyer was shot at point-blank range, instantly killing him.
Babar Qadri was one of the truculent voices often seen on various Indian news channels debating issues related to Kashmir.
Presciently enough, Qadri had also posted a tweet 4 days before his assassination, alerting the Jammu and Kashmir police about a possible threat to his life.
Babar Qadri accused J&K Bar Association President and his aides of threat on his life
Hours before Qadri was brutally assassinated, the advocate had carried out a Facebook live session, making shocking revelations about the nexus between the state’s political elites, prominent Bar executives, and separatists.
Qadri also made a scathing attack on J&K High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom, alleging him of doing politics based on coercion on threats in Bar Association. It may be noted that Qadri was suspended by the bar association.
JK Bar Association was an extension of Hurriyat: Babar Qadri
Qadri further laid into Mr Qayoom, alleging that the J&K Bar Association President was operated on the basis of religion by him. He also added that Qayoom had rendered Bar Association as a tool of separatist leader Geelani’s politics, effectively making it an extension of Hurriyat.
The now slain advocate raised questions over Mr Qayoom’s commitment to jihad against the Indian government, accusing him of trying to foment unrest in the Valley at the cost of lives of innocent Kashmiri children, while his own children stayed away from the protest and the conflict.
