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The NEET-JEE conundrum: What the students say, the poor communication by the Govt and what it can do to fix it

K Bhattacharjee
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The NEET-JEE conundrum: What the students say, the poor communication by the Govt and what it can do to fix it

For quite some time, it has been clear that the strategies adopted to combat the Wuhan Coronavirus by respective states just did not make any sense. With arbitrary lock down on random days of the week, most remarkably evidenced by the Trinamool government in West Bengal, it became clear that the strategies adopted to combat the virus had transformed into something else entirely. And the public suffered all such unnecessary inconvenience silently because of the hysteria that the mainstream media has been engaging in.

The hysteria has now started affecting the country in far graver ways. A dedicated campaign has been launched to demand the further postponement of the NEET and JEE exams which are conduct for the admission of students into medical and engineering colleges respectively. After students from across the county started vociferously making their demand on social media, global public nuisance such as Leftist activist Greta Thunberg has also jumped into the scene to lend her support to such students in India.

The campaign gained momentum after the government clarified on Friday that the entrance exams will not be postponed. The NEET is scheduled to be conducted on the 13th of September. The Medical Council of India, too, said that NEET could not be postponed any further as it would then adversely impact the academic years in the immediate future. Earlier, the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea that sought to postpone the exams. The Court had observed, “Life cannot be stopped. We have to move ahead with all safeguards and all… Are you (students) ready to waste one whole year?”

Soon after, as it so often happens, the political Left has hijacked the protest and steered it in completely different direction. They are attempting to turn it into another “students’ movement” against the government. Thus far, they do not appear to have any takers for their agenda as even students do not appear willing to jump on the bandwagon. Apart from the Left, certain other political actors also appear interested in pursuing the matter and are demanding that the exams be postponed.

Now, political parties are also entering the scene to demand the postponement of the NEET and JEE.

Should the NEET and JEE be postponed?

From a rational perspective, it is imperative that the NEET and JEE are not postponed further. Postponing the NEET further would mean that no new doctors would enter the profession for a year and at a time when doctors are already a scarcity in the country, such an outcome cannot be risked. Similarly, postponing the JEE too would lead to issues of unemployment in the country.

However, it is entirely futile to blame students for their apprehension regarding the upcoming NEET and JEE exams. In the recently conducted Block Education Officer (BEO) Exam in Uttar Pradesh, only 44% of the candidates appeared. Furthermore, in July, of the 1.97 lakh students who had enrolled for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test, around 47 thousand individuals could not appear for it.

At the same time, official communications have not been issued by relevant authorities to combat the hysteria that has been surrounding the Coronavirus crisis. Of the 3.17 million cases in India, 2.4 million have already recovered from the disease. There have been 58,390 deaths so far which brings the death rate to about 1.84%. It is also speculated that the spread of the virus is much more than those who have tested positive and thus, quite clearly, the virus is not as deadly as it was previously thought.

However, that is not the message that the public receives through the news channels and the policies of the government (at the centre and state) as of this moment. It is an endless spiral of doom and gloom and the governments have come across extremely hesitant in opening up the economy. The truth is, however, there is no longer any justification for keeping the country under any kind of a lockdown.

There is no evidence to suggest the current spate of extended lockdown by state governments is helping curb the spread of the virus. If anything, it can only delay the spread for a while, nothing more than that. The initial purpose of the lockdown was to ‘flatten’ the curve and give the healthcare infrastructure enough time to pump up production to deal with the massive requirements for masks and other products. The initial nationwide lockdown, and the one or two that followed, was necessary to buy the time required to prepare our hospitals to deal with the crisis. However, there is no justification for its continuation in any form.

Data from across the world also indicate that the virus is not as deadly for those under the age of 45, even more so for those without an underlying health condition. Therefore, it ought to have been communicated on a war footing that the virus is not as deadly as it was previously thought and the same ought to have reflected on policies of the government.

What the students say

In the absence of such communication, it is only natural that students are extremely cautious and nervous about the possibility of contracting the virus. Students we have spoken to have expressed their apprehension about contracting the virus and what happens if the contract the virus during the journey to the examination centre or during their exam.

Primarily, however, their concern is related to transportation and related costs as train and bus services are not operational across large parts of the country. One candidate told us, “I was in a super 30 batch, that had kids from not so supporting backgrounds from all over Odisha. They were from places like Koraput and Kalahandi. We all had to vacate hostels a day before the lockdowns were imposed and all of them had to go back in great difficulty. Most of them couldn’t carry much of their books. Now even after changing centres to their respective locations, they have been allotted the one in Bhubaneswar.”

She continued, “Some of these are girls. Our hostel has closed down (it was funded by a state PSU). They have to travel a day before the exams in order to sit for them. They are from poor families. Most of them don’t have anyone living in the city who could provide shelter to them. Where are they supposed to stay? What are they supposed to eat? Some might skip even after dropping for a year and working very hard just because of certain policies.”

Another student remarked, “Doubling examination centres will work at all. 70–80 students will get exam centres outside their city. They will have to travel hundreds of kilometers with their parents. Aged parents will be at high risk of contracting COVID. There would be chaos everywhere.”

Said yet another, “Many states have still imposed lockdowns which would increase children’s problem in arranging transport and stay if they reach the centre a day before. Public transport and trains are already shut by the state and central governments. How will poor children arrange private vehicles in these conditions and high demands of these?”

Another student told us, “I live in Hyderabad. I had selected the same as my preferred centre but I was allotted Bengaluru. Bus services are not available and so, I will have to take a flight. From the Bengaluru airport to the main city, it takes approximately 2 hours. Also, I am not supposed to carry cash or phone to the examination centre. How am I supposed to return after my exam? All my friends from Bengaluru have left for their homes.”

In addition to concern regarding contracting the virus, most were concerned regarding the health of their parents. It was pointed out that many students have parents with underlying health conditions, which remains a cause for concern for the students. The students we spoke to also told us that their demands for postponing the exams have nothing to do with politics.

The need for proper communication

Needless to say, the dates of NEET-JEE entrance exams are not going to affect the results of any elections but there is a need for the government to communicate properly with the students the necessity of conducting the entrance exams at the designated date and addressing the inconvenience that the students could face due to the exams being conducted on the aforementioned dates.

There is a concerted attempt underway, of course, to politicise the whole matter but the concerns of the students do appear genuine and not tantrums. The government needs to alleviate the COVID hysteria that has generated in the country, which is not validated by the data at all.

Apart from its affidavits in the Court, there has not been any communication between the government and the students and that needs to be rectified. Misconception and unrest arise in the absence of a proper line of communication. This absence will inevitably be filled by the likes of Great Thunberg and other politicians who would be more interested in milking the concerns of students for political gains rather than addressing them properly.

We are already witnessing various political parties entering the fray to demand the postponement of the NEET and JEE. Such an outcome could have been avoided if the communication was on the spot from the beginning. It can still be rectified but the communication needs to be proper and urgent if the government is serious about conducting the entrance exams on the said dates as it should be.

What is the way forward?

There appears to be a great disconnect between the policies of the state and central governments and the decision to conduct the exams on the 13th of September. While it has been conceded that normal life cannot continue to hang in a limbo for students, the same follows that public transport cannot remain nonoperational indefinitely.

In the absence of public transport, it is a very genuine concern on the part of the students regarding the conductance of the NEET and JEE. One student informed us that the students would be happy to appear for the exams if public transport was available and related avenues for accommodation was opened by the government.

Simultaneously, it ought to be communicated properly to students that Coronavirus is not as deadly as it was previously assumed to be. For instance, of the 58,390 deaths in the country, 22465 has occurred in a single state: Maharashtra. And Maharashtra has spectacularly mishandled the crisis.

Thus, even though the threat of the virus is serious, it can be effectively combated through adequate social distancing measures. And it might be unpopular to say such a thing but a lot of it at this point does depend on luck since complete isolation from human contact is simply not feasible. Furthermore, it is not clear how not opening up transport services curbs the spread of the virus when large numbers of students would gather at specific examination centres after travelling significant distance.

Therefore, if the government is intent on conducting the entrance exams on the dates announced, it appears extremely unfair to the students if they are conducted without ensuring that the rest of the country is opened up and they do not face inconvenience for their travel.

JEE and NEET debate: Greta Thunberg getting involved suggests there is big money behind destabilizing India

Abhishek Banerjee
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JEE and NEET debate: Greta Thunberg getting involved suggests there is big money behind destabilizing India

Right now, there is a major debate in the country about when to hold nationwide competitive exams such as NEET and JEE. There are good points on both sides. On the one hand, there are definite risks with holding exams in the time of pandemic. On the other hand, how long can we postpone exams? Should we let young people simply waste one of their most productive years? Striking a balance will involve some difficult choices.

But wait! Someone else wants to get involved in this debate. Someone all the way from a distant European country close to where Santa Claus comes from.

Greta Thunberg gets involved in JEE/NEET

Imagine if you were having an argument with your partner about the family finances. Say about how much to invest in fixed deposits and how much in mutual funds. Both of you make excellent points weighing the risks and the rewards. Obviously, there is no clear winner.

Then suddenly, there is a knock on the door. A complete stranger shows up and says that they are very passionate about supporting one of you. You would be puzzled. You would wonder: Why does this stranger care so much?

So keep aside for a moment which side you support in the exam debate. The question is: Why is Greta Thunberg so passionate about this?

When Greta posted this tweet yesterday, some people welcomed it. Others accused her of being ignorant or patronizing towards India. However, to get to the heart of this, one has to understand who, or rather what, Greta Thunberg is.

Greta Thunberg is not an individual who tweets on whims. She is a billion dollar brand. Her face and name are capable of raising millions of dollars for any venture. A lot of thought from a large, well paid and highly professional team goes into every venture which is backed by the brand.

Think about it: if big oil or big banks were tweeting about postponing exams in India, would you accuse them of being ignorant or patronizing? Not at all. You would be curious how the matter impacts their bottomline.

So the question is: why is a big brand like Greta Thunberg picking up the matter of NEET & JEE exam dates in India? How does it impact their bottomline? That suggests there is big money in the picture here. How did that happen?

Why is big money getting involved in a matter such as this? Probably because big interests want to destabilize India in every possible way. It’s simple really. The exams are highly competitive. A very small fraction will make it through. What if those who fail are made to blame Modi instead of themselves?

This is subversion 101 and it works. The anti-CAA protests spread like a rash across many college campuses. Someone wants to provoke the youth on a large scale and that someone has a lot of money. The same goes for abrogation of Article 370. Never have we seen top global newspapers on such a direct vilification campaign against India. Then, a “riot” at the exact moment when the US President landed in India. It is promptly labelled a pogrom by intellectuals all over the world. In perfect coordination, they all scream : Nazi! Nazi! Nazi!

Then, the Galwan Valley clash happens in mid-June. The next day the New York Times digs up a line from Amit Shah speaking about Article 370 in Aug 2019 and claims that India provoked China. Between Aug 5, 2019 and June 15, 2020, every global media outlet produced reams of reports about Article 370 and Amit Shah but nobody said there was a China angle anywhere. Did they just happen to figure out the China angle on the night of the clash? Or were they ordered (paid) to figure it out that night?

All this began with PM Modi’s second term, right when many would have concluded that BJP rule is here to stay, perhaps indefinitely.

How do we inoculate ourselves against foreign intervention? The key lies in realizing that Greta Thunberg or the New York Times are no different from a for profit corporation. And corporations only care about their bottomline. I am not saying that’s bad. Corporations have done a lot of good in this world. I am just saying that we all know what corporations want. And we protect our interests accordingly. A corporation may want us to drink 10 liters of their fizzy sugary drink per day. We know better. We watch their ads but we also watch out for ourselves. Not everything we see in an advertisement is bad: there are plenty of useful things that are advertised. We just know that we have to be conscious consumers.

The danger is when we don’t realize that something is an ad, or that something is a corporation. Like the New York Times. It’s a corporation. But it doesn’t “feel” that way. We are more inclined to think about the New York Times as a group of people with ideas. Even those who think the New York Times has an anti-India agenda are still ascribing emotion to them. One has to realize that NYT is a corporate machine. It does not feel love, hate or prejudice. It has no biases, only has a bottomline.

Something similar with Greta Thunberg. It is essentially a corporate brand. It has no emotions, no prejudices, no friends and no enemies.

Someone has turned these corporate machines: from the New York Times to Greta Thunberg to churn out stuff that undermines the Govt of India. That someone has a lot of money. We don’t know who it is, but they don’t wish us well. That’s for sure.

Pakistani newspaper weaves a ‘secular-liberal’ wet dream, says Prashant Bhushan should become Congress president to guide Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani newspaper weaves a ‘secular-liberal’ wet dream, says Prashant Bhushan should become Congress president to guide Rahul Gandhi

It is not a new phenomenon that Pakistan harbours unmitigated hatred for PM Modi, the first-ever Prime Minister of India, who called out Islamabad’s nuclear bluff, unhesitatingly ordered Surgical Strikes to keep Pakistan’s misadventures in Kashmir in check and has taken strong steps to expose and corner the terrorist harbouring country internationally.

Pakistan has long been behaving more like an opposition party in India, as Congress and the left. On several occasions, it has used their statements to peddle its narrative against India and has even endorsed Congress and the left multiple times.

To this end, an article was published recently in the Pakistani Daily ‘The Dawn’ titled “A tale of misleading names” where the author drew upon the recent political churning in the country, in a hopeless bid to see PM Modi deposed from his office. The author in the article argued that Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who has been convicted in contempt of court case, should join hands with former Congress President Rahul Gandhi to face the Modi juggernaut. 

The Dawn article weaving lofty dreams of Prashant Bhushan and Rahul defeating Modi together

Dawn hails Prashant Bhushan as a man of ‘impeccable integrity’

Along the predictable lines, The Dawn hails Prashant Bhushan as a man who has a “quest” to end the connection between crony capitalists and political class and has spoken for the democratic rights of Kashmiris, Muslims and Dalits. 

Comparing Prashant Bhushan to Arundhati Roy, another Pakistan-loving fake news peddler, the article lauded him for refusing tender an apology in the contempt case that he has been convicted in. The mention of the dubious individual Arundhati Roy gives away the motivation with which the article was written by the author in the Pakistani newspaper.

In addition, Bhushan’s history in the Indian politics, his association with the Aam Aadmi Party that “helped” catapult Arvind Kejriwal-led party in the Delhi elections in 2015 and his defiance to offer apology to the Supreme Court judges have been cited as instances by the Pakistan Daily to burnish his ‘political dexterity’ and ‘personal integrity.’ 

In his attempt to weave another ‘secular-liberal’ wet dream, the article’s author elevates both Bhushan and Rahul to imaginary heights of greatness and conveniently forgets that Bhushan is a habitual fake news peddler who does little else than filing dubious PILs in the Supreme Court, many of which end up being dismissed for lack of credibility. And Rahul Gandhi has been launched, and re-launched at least two dozen times by the leftist media and lobbies, only to fail again and again.

Dawn article makes the case for Prashant Bhushan to lead Congress

Similarly, lavishing praises on Rahul Gandhi, the Pakistani Daily acclaims him as the only credible leader in the opposition who has stood up to PM Modi. Expectedly, the article also mentions Rahul Gandhi as a politician who exposed the “secret Rafale deal”. It is pertinent to note here that Supreme Court of India had denied involvement of any corrupt practices in procuring the fighter jets. 

Contrary to the article’s fanciful conjectures, the Rafale deal had no secrets and even the Supreme Court had dismissed the cases that alleged otherwise. All the propaganda over Rafale only caused the Congress another humiliating election defeat, apart from exposing their own incompetency during 10 years of UPA rules where they had failed to get a single Rafale jet to the Indian Air Force.

The article also draws upon the recent utterances made by Rahul Gandhi that the Congress party, which seems to be suffering from a gradual implosion, needs to be led by a non-Gandhi. Thus, the author, after raising Bhushan on to a pedestal, is effectively making a case for him to become Congress president and lead the party through the current leadership crisis.

Dawn article hopes that Prashant Bhushan will be Congress president

The idea that Prashant Bhushan should be Rahul Gandhi’s guide and lead Congress party may trigger another massive meme-fest on Indian social media.

Conclusion

Pakistanis have probably forgotten than both Bhushan and Rahul Gandhi, along with their arsenal of leftist, anti-Modi political, legal and ‘intellectual’ supporters, had already tried their level best to defame and attack the Modi government multiple times, only to end up in miserable election defeats. The Pakistani sympathisers of Congress also seem to forget that unlike their country, India is a democracy where leaders are chosen by the people, not ‘appointed’ by the military.

Horrifying visuals of a woman crushing and killing a puppy under her feet go viral, netizens demand action

OpIndia Staff
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Horrifying visuals of a woman crushing and killing a puppy under her feet go viral, netizens demand action

In multiple videos that have gone viral on social media, a woman can be seen crushing at least two puppies on two different occasions in a moving car till they die.

Disclaimer: Disturbingly cruel visuals, viewer discretion advised.

In the video one can see the puppy cry in pain as the woman, who is believed to be one Pooja Dhillon from Lucknow, keeps crushing it. We could not see the video fully to see whether the puppy survived. Another video that has made rounds show the woman (presumably the same person) crushing another puppy at the back of her car. She is accompanied by a man who seems to be giving her suggestions on how to torture and kill the puppy.

In this one can see the puppy bleeding. The social media user has claimed that the puppy has died.

Netizens took to Twitter to urge authorities to take action against the woman for the cruelty meted out to the little puppies.

West Bengal: TMC leader enters house breaking a window, assaults woman and her new-born child after not finding her husband

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC leader enters house breaking a window, assaults woman and her new-born child after not finding her husband

With every passing day, violence by TMC workers has gone from bad to worst in West Bengal. In such a horrific incident, a woman, who had given birth to a baby just 3 months ago, was mercilessly beaten by miscreants led by a TMC leader. According to reports, the incident happened in Rabindranagar village in Jibantala in South 24 Parganas district.

According to the 26-years-old woman Madhumita Halder, TMC leader Bapi Mandal and his assistants broke into her house on Monday night and assaulted her and her newborn kid. She said that the miscreants entered the house by breaking a window in an attempt to kill her husband. But her husband was not in the house, and therefore the they started beating her. Bapi Mandal also kicked her on her stomach, causing her a massive pain as she had undergone caesarean surgery done just 3 months ago. It is also alleged that attempts were made to kill the newborn baby also.

Somehow Madhumita Halder escaped from her own house along with her baby, and went straight to the police station. She lodged a complaint against TMC leader Bapi Mandal and other attackers at the Ghutiari Shariff police outpost under the Jibantala police station for the assault.

It is unclear the motive behind the attack, and whether there is any political angle to it, as TMC workers are known to attack BJP workers in the state. A large number of BJP workers have been killed by TMC workers in a spree of political violence in West Bengal over the last few years, and this case can also become one of them.

Police have informed that they have received complaint for the assault, and probe into the matter have already started. Police teams have also started searching for Bapi Mandal and other attackers.

Child marriages in Maharashtra on the surge as families suffer from economic difficulties amid coronavirus woes: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Child marriages in Maharashtra on the surge as families suffer from economic difficulties amid coronavirus woes: Report

As per a report by journalist Kamlesh Sutar of India Today Group, child marriages in Maharashtra have registered a sharp rise in recent times, as families battle the economic woes caused by the coronavirus-induced lockdown. 

As per the report, several minor girls in the Beed district of Maharashtra, have been married off by their families in the throes of financial hardships, long before they attain the age of 18, the legitimate age for marriage for girls.

The lockdown, which has paralysed the economy and disproportionately affected the people belonging to the lower strata of the society, is reportedly the cause behind impoverished families choosing to stealthily marry off their daughters prematurely and thereby partially reduce the number of children to support and a chance to make the affair less expensive and hidden.

One of the minor girls interviewed by the journalist in the above video says that she was lucky to have completed her metric before being married off. Others less fortunate than her were being married off after they had completed their 8th and 9th standard. The rampant child marriages allegedly continued right under the nose of the administration, with no intervention from the authorities to stop the abominable practice.

District administration unaware of the child marriages happening under their jurisdiction

The report further states that after the issue of child marriages came to the fore, the administration sprang into action, stopping the marriage of one Divya(name changed). Divya’s father claims that the pressure of making ends meet is so high that he could hardly provide food for his family, let alone fund Divya’s higher education. 

The story is similar across the district, claims Divya, who says that girls are married off right after their primary education gets over, even if that means marrying them off before attaining the legal age of marriage. 

The reemergence of a social evil such as child marriage, that had taken several decades and conscious efforts by successive state governments to eradicate, bodes ill for the state already buckling the under the strain of coronavirus outbreak. Even as the state authorities are buckling down to the task of taming the coronavirus, they should also pay heed to the social aspects of the fallout from the coronavirus.

More than 200 cases of child marriages reported in Maharashtra from March to June 2020

The phenomenon of rise in child marriages is not unique to any single district alone. The scourge of child marriage is pervasive across the Maharashtra, from Kolhapur to Osmanabad, Latur to Sangli and several other districts of Marathwada.

Last week, a report in Times of India has stated that the Childline, the nodal agency for children in distress had made over 5500 intervention between May and July related to the issues of child marriage.

According to child rights activist Santosh Shinde, also a former member of Maharashtra’s State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, more than 200 cases of child marriage have been reported between March and June. While many cases of the child marriages have been prevented with the help of vigilant locals and child rights activist, there might be several cases across the length and breadth of the state which may have carried out stealthily, beating the watchful eyes of conscious locals and activists.

Former Pakistan Ambassador to Indonesia had sold off embassy building, was protected by govt because he was related to Musharraf’s wife

OpIndia Staff
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Former Pakistan Ambassador to Indonesia had sold off embassy building, was protected by govt because he was related to Musharraf’s wife

The anti-corruption body of Pakistan – National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has found one of country’s former ambassador guilty for illegally selling the embassy building in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

According to the reports, the National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan has filed a reference in court against former Pakistan Ambassador to Indonesia Major General (retd) Syed Mustafa Anwar stating that Anwar had sold the Pakistani embassy building in Jakarta at a throwaway price during 2001-2002.

The country’s graft body also alleged that the illegal sale of the embassy building had cost a loss of USD 1.32 million to Pakistan’s exchequer. According to NAB, the former ambassador Anwar was determined to sell the embassy building immediately after his appointment as an Ambassador to Indonesia.

The former Ambassador was in such a hurry to sell the embassy building that he had authorised an advertisement for the sale without even prior approval from the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, reports said. The accused was appointed as an Ambassador at Jakarta by the then General Pervaiz Musharraf administration.

No approval from Pakistan foreign ministry

As per the National Accountability Bureau’s court filing, Major General (retd) Syed Mustafa Anwar had only sent a proposal to the foreign ministry only after the commencement of the process of the sale began. The Foreign Ministry had, in turn, rejected the sale of the embassy building in Jakarta and communicated the same to Anwar in multiple letters.

Pakistani media has reported that Gen Anwar, flouting all rules, had sold the embassy building located at a prime location in Jakarta and had initiated the process of buying a new property for the embassy that was located at a distant, low-priced area.

Following the irregularities, the NAB has found Major General (retd) Syed Mustafa Anwar guilty under Section 9 (A) 6 of Pakistan’s National Accountability Ordinance for misuse of powers.

Interestingly, the then President of Pakistan General Musharraf, instead of proceeding against the former envoy for irregularities, had taken action against an officer who had complained to the Foreign Office of the alleged fraud.

As reported in Pakistani media, Musharraf had made the officer as an OSD till his retirement in 2007-08, only to keep him away from the foreign office. Musharraf had also given a further extension to Major General (retd) Syed Mustafa Anwar because he was a relative of his wife.

AAP leader Amanatullah Khan appeals for police protection for IB officer Ankit Sharma murder and Delhi riots accused Tahir Hussain’s family

OpIndia Staff
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AAP leader Amanatullah Khan appeals for police protection for IB officer Ankit Sharma murder and Delhi riots accused Tahir Hussain’s family

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan posted on his official twitter account and urged LG Delhi to protect the family of Tahir Hussain. He claimed that Tahir’s children approached him and informed him that they are facing a lot of problems since Hussain is currently in jail. He said that the children are unable to pay school fees as Hussain’s accounts are seized.

Charge sheet filed by Delhi Police has revealed that Tahir Hussain orchestrated the anti-Hindu riots in February 2020 in the national capital. He is also accused of leading a mob from his house and masjid which led to IB officer Ankit Sharma’s murder.

Khan was actively involved in giving speeches during anti-CAA protests in Delhi from December to February. He was spotted leading protests in Delhi in December that later turned violent. He had also claimed that Hussain is being framed as he is a Muslim.

Tahir Hussain’s involvement in Delhi Riots

In his confession, Tahir Hussain has said that he was involved in planning and executing of Anti Hindu Delhi Riots of February 2020. He said in his statement to the police that extremist Islamic group Popular Front of India (PFI) helped him in the planning and arranging funds. Tahir Hussain is also the main accused of the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma.

It is alleged that he, along with his followers, threw stones, acid packs, petrol bombs and more from the roof of Hussain’s house at the crowd. Since his name appeared as one of the accused in the riots, the left-leaning media is trying hard to clear his name and prove him innocent. However, the charge sheets filed by Delhi police mention there is enough proof against him.

‘Jesus Christ has returned to earth in form of Chinese woman’, claims The Church of Almighty God: Read how banned Chinese cult making inroads in India

OpIndia Staff
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‘Jesus Christ has returned to earth in form of Chinese woman’, claims The Church of Almighty God: Read how banned Chinese cult making inroads in India

The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has issued a warning to the leaders of the Church in northeast India that a Chinese cult is spreading its roots in the state. The Church of Almighty God is an infamous cult for China that believes Jesus has returned and living as a Chinese woman. It is alleged that the Church of Almighty God actively participates in spreading false teachings and false Gospel.

NBCC General Secretary Zelhou Keyho issued a letter to all executive secretaries and directors of Baptist associations. He wrote that he is concerned about the Church of Almighty God from China as they are making inroads in northeast India. He added, “The Church of Almighty God or Eastern Lightning cult is a well-organised group, aggressively moving forward with publications and creating many Facebook pages and colourful artwork that appears biblical and enticing.” The letter was sent on 19th August to issue a warning against the said church.

According to news agency IANS, the letter said, “Let us beware of this dangerous cult as they are actively spreading a false Gospel and false teachings. Let us research them and expose them and take every measure to shield our respective congregations from such false religion.” Keyho said that the Church is teaching that God is speaking through a woman and they refer her sayings as revelations from God. They are publishing and promoting her teachings through books, videos, computer-generated movies and other forms of media.

While talking to reporters, Keyho said “We are trying to create consciousness in our churches through different associations and even through the media.” He added that over 5.5 million Christians are living in Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur. A large number of Christians lives in other northeastern states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. According to him, such violent cult poses a threat to the Christians who disagree with them.

The strange story of the Church of Almighty God

The history of the Church of Almighty God alias the Eastern Lighting goes back to 1991. The cult believes that Jesus has come back to earth in the form of a Chinese woman named Yang Xiangbin. There is not a lot of information available about the woman, but it is believed that she was born in northwestern China.

The cult has a violent history and has been associated with more than 100 cases of violence. The Chinese government had to impose a ban on the cult as they started to pose a threat to the general public. The group was created in 1990 by a former physics teacher Zhao Weishan. They claimed Jesus was reincarnated in the form of a woman named Yang Xiangbin and called her Lightning Deng.

It operates from the US but has branches in over 35 countries including India. The founders Zhao Weishan and Yang Xiangbin took political asylum in the US and started their operations. They started with spreading the church’s teachings in China and added followers from other nations. Soon they realized the power of social media, and now they regularly post movies, religious content and audio lectures on the website and social media platforms.

During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a Church named Shouters gaining popularity. Li Changshou, alias Witness Lee led it. The Church of Almighty God was formed after Zhao left Shouters. A lot of teachings that the Church follows came from Shouters. The former members of the Church claim that it started as a normal next-door Church group. However, as time passed by, the leaders of the Church began to push people to bring more followers even if they have to indulge in violence to achieve the targets.

Notable cases of the violent history of the Church of Almighty God

While the content on the Church’s website does not give away their violent behaviour in the first glance, the controversies attached to the Church are more than enough to raise questions on their intentions.

  • In 2002, the members of the Church of Almighty God allegedly kidnapped 35 church leaders of China Gospel Fellowship. They held them hostage for two months and tried to convert them.
  • In 2012, the church took the “Mayan Prophesy” of doomsday quite literally and used the scenes of the movie “2012” to scare people that the doomsday is coming. They used propaganda videos, pamphlets and other material to lure people so that they join their cult. The result of their fear-mongering was widespread riots in China and several notable incidents including the stabbing of a woman and 23 students in Henan province. More than 100 members of the cult were arrested.
  • In 2014, the cult members killed a 37-year-old woman in McDonald’s in China when she refused to give her number. The cult members claimed that a demon-possessed her.
  • In 2019, the church members tried to influence elections in Isreal that led to the suspension of hundreds of account posting political messages in the Hebrew language.

The Chinese government has imposed a ban on the Church. However, the members of the Church are extensively working on spreading their cult to different parts of the world.

AAP may give ticket to Delhi riots mastermind Tahir Hussain’s wife: Report

OpIndia Staff
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AAP may give ticket to Delhi riots mastermind Tahir Hussain’s wife: Report

Current affairs publication Kreatly has reported that Aam Aadmi Party may give ticket for next elections to Tahir Hussain’s wife. Tahir Hussain is accused of orchestrating the riots in NorthEast Delhi in February this year and murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma. The article was also shared by BJP leader Kapil Mishra.

As per the report, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan conveyed it to the family that Tahir Hussain’s wife will be contesting the elections. The report further states that it was conveyed to his family that Tahir Hussain will get VVIP treatment in prison.

Tahir Hussain masterminded Delhi riots

As per the charge sheet filed by the Police, Tahir Hussain was the mastermind behind the February 2020 Delhi riots which claimed dozens of lives including that of Head Constable Ratan Lal and IB officer Ankit Sharma. You can read his disclosure statement here.

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