Home Blog Page 5138

Even after Supreme Court delivered a unanimous judgement, Bloomberg calls Ram Janmabhoomi a ‘disputed site’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Even after Supreme Court delivered a unanimous judgement, Bloomberg calls Ram Janmabhoomi a ‘disputed site’

From denying the existence of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya to calling the Ram Janmabhoomi a ‘disputed site’, the ‘liberal-secular’ establishment has time and again attempted not only to slander Hindu belief system but also deny Hindus their rights.

With only days remaining for the historic groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the ‘liberal-secular’ establishment has yet again tried playing their dirty tricks by referring to the holy site of Ram Mandir as a ‘disputed site’. Even after years of a relentless campaign to stall the court case and keep Hindus away from their claim at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, the secular establishment is still trying to weave new narratives.

Continuing such propaganda, the Bloomberg media network on Sunday not only expressed its disappointment over the Bhoomi Pujan event at the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya but also referred to it as a ‘disputed’ site.

In its report, the Bloomberg went on to make ridiculous claims saying that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend a groundbreaking ceremony next month for the construction of the Ram Mandir, which according to Bloomberg is being built on a ‘disputed site in northern India where a 16th-century mosque was torn down by Hindu hard-liners in 1992’.

“A century-long dispute over the site was resolved last year following the BJP’s landslide election victory. In November, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the temple trust, saying that Muslim petitions would be given five acres at an alternative site,” read the report insinuating that the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Hindus only after BJP’s election victory in 2019 general elections.

The Bloomberg’s narrative to refer the holy site of Ram Janmabhoomi as a ‘disputed site’, despite the fact that the country’s highest court has already delivered a judgement in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, is nothing but sheer intellectual dishonesty.

On November 9, 2019, in a historic judgement ending a dispute spanning centuries, the Supreme Court of India had handed over the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri masjid land to the Hindu parties, making way for Hindu devotees to have a grand Ram Mandir at the birthplace of Lord Ram. 

The five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, delivering a unanimous judgement in the Ram Janmabhoomi case, had ordered the Union government to provide five acres of land at an alternate site at a prominent location in Ayodhya to the Sunni Waqf Board to rebuild the Babri Masjid which was demolished in 1992.

Most importantly, the Supreme Court had mentioned that there is adequate material in ASI report to conclude that the disputed Babri Masjid was not constructed on vacant land, but there was already a structure underlying the disputed structure. The underlying structure was not an Islamic structure, the Supreme Court had said.

Despite the country’s highest judiciary delivering a 929-page unanimous judgment in favour of the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the ‘liberal-secular’ establishment does not respect the Supreme Court’s judgement but rather indulges in such false narratives to incite Hindus ahead of the historic event, for which the indigenous faiths of the country have waited over five centuries.

While the site was legally disputed when the case was going on, after the apex court delivered the verdict, the dispute no longer exists. The land now belongs to the Hindu litigants, and the Muslim side has no right on it. Moreover, no Muslim side has filed any petition against the Supreme Court verdict, therefore, the site is no longer disputed, it belongs to the Ram Mandir now.

Perhaps, the media networks like Bloomberg, who often laments over deteriorating rule of law and democratic values in the country post-Modi-phenomenon, should at least have some respect India’s independent judiciary if not for country’s indigenous faiths and culture.

From Shamshad trapping Priya impersonating a Hindu to killing her and her daughter: The complete story of the Meerut love jihad case

जयन्ती मिश्रा
-
0
From Shamshad trapping Priya impersonating a Hindu to killing her and her daughter: The complete story of the Meerut love jihad case

Love Jihad is gruesome to the unimaginable levels. Who would have thought that Shamshad would cheat on Priya after becoming her lover? Who would have known that he would not show mercy to the 11-year-old innocent child who called him daddy? Who would have thought that Priya and Kashish will die together? Nobody would have imagined that the person they were living with will bury them in the same house in an 8-feet deep pit. Did they think Shamshad will pour twenty packets of salt over their dead bodies to dry them out?

There are countless questions troubling everyone who has learned about the brutality Priya and her daughter Kashish faced. The story of the mummified and broken skeletons has caused a shockwave across the nation. Everyone is showing this case with a new angle. Every day someone comes forward with new updates in this case. However, many things are hidden behind the curtains. Today, we are trying to uncover the gruesome details of the case and give you a clearer perspective about the case.

Chanchal’s version of the story of Priya and 11-year-old Kashish

Priya, a divorcee, was living alone away from her family after getting separated from her husband, Rajiv. She often got worried about the future of her 2-year-old daughter. However, being a strong woman, she was trying to stand on her feet so that she can take responsibility for herself and her daughter without caring what the society says about her. She would have never imagined that Shamshad, who operates a fake account by the name Amit Gurjar, will contact her on Facebook.

In the year 2012-13, she came in contact with Shamshad alias Amit Gurjar on Facebook. They started talking regularly and slowly bonded with time. One day, Shamshad called Priya to meet him in Meerut, and they allegedly got married. Priya started to believe that her life has taken an unexpected but beautiful turn. While she kept on believing that her lover, then the husband is from the Gurjar community, the reality was different.

Priya is not alive to tell the true story. We do not have to share her pain. However, there is one person who can narrate what she went through. This person supported Priya and her daughter at every moment of their lives, and even now, when they are not between us, she is trying to get justice for them.

Priya and Kashish

That person is Priya’s friend Chanchal Choudhary. Priya shared every detail of her life with Chanchal till the last moment. She was aware of Shamshad’s behaviour and knew that the person with whom her friend was living is capable of doing anything. Chanchal is the one who fought with society to get justice for her friend Priya. She made sure that her killer gets arrested, but even though there was ample evidence against Shamshad, the path to justice was not easy.

Priya’s friend Chanchal

Chanchal is a 26-year-old woman who lives with her family. If society sees police circling a house every now and then, they will make stories. No one asked the real story behind so many visits by police. The attitude of the society, the weak-kneed attitude of the administration and snail-like speed of the justice system almost broke her many times during the struggle.

When the media started to report Chanchal’s struggle, we tried to contact her. Chanchal’s narration of the story dug out countless skeletons that were more than enough to make anyone’s stomach churn. Priya’s story is one of those that are capable of breaking the myth that there is nothing like Love Jihad in this country.

OpIndia’s conversation with Chanchal

When we contacted Chanchal, we had a list of questions, just like any media house. However, while talking to her, we realized that it would be better if we let her decide what and how to tell. When she heard Priya’s name, she got quiet for a while and then started narrating the story.

She told that Priya got divorced in 2012 and moved to her house in Modinagar as a tenant. After a while, Chanchal and Priya became good friends. Priya used to work in a parlour and leave Kashish with Chanchal whenever she leaves for work. Chanchal and her family used to take care of Kashish during the day, and Kashish will get back to her mother in the evening. Kashish won everyone’s heart in a jiffy, and the bond between Chanchal and Kashish got stronger with time.

Photograph of Chanchal, Priya and Kashish when they used to live in Chanchal’s house as tenants in Modinagar

Chanchal said that Priya loved her daughter a lot and often got worried about her future. Around that time in 2012, Shamshad contacted her on Facebook via a fake ID using the name Amit Gurjar. He created a web of lies to lure Priya. He gained her confidence and started to share his dreams for the future with her. Priya believed him and slowly fell in love with him. He even promised her that he would buy a shop for her so that she can open her own parlour and made her leave the job. 

Chanchal said that Priya used to tell her everything. From her first meeting with Shamshad as Amit to when she came to know the reality, Chanchal was aware of everything. She said that everything was fine in the beginning. He used to take them shopping and to eat at restaurants. In 2015, Shamshad and Priya got married in a temple and they started living together based on the fake marriage. Shamshad’s identity was a secret for a while after marriage.

Slowly after the marriage, it got harder for Shamdhad to maintain his fake identity. Priya came to know that the person living with her is not Amit, but his real name is Shamshad. She told Chanchal about it and narrated how he is abusing her every day.

The news shocked Chanchal as well, but there was nothing both friends could do. Chanchal tried to talk to Shamshad and requested him to stop abusing her friend. Every time Shamdhad started to cry and apologized for his behaviour. He used to tell Priya that his family has only wronged him and he wants to do something good for her.

Why Priya lived with Shamshad after learning the truth?

The reason Priya decided to continue her relationship with Shamshad was the fear of society. She was afraid how society will react if, after a divorce, she gets separated from a man again. She was scared for the future of her daughter. She was afraid that people would make her daughter’s life miserable. She always thought that no one would accept her daughter. According to Chanchal, Shamshad shifted homes several times after the marriage. Priya’s friends tried to tell her that people like Shamdhad are not loyal in relationships, but she wanted a father’s name for her daughter.

While there was a lot of struggle going on in their lives, Priya bought her house in Kashiram at an affordable price. Shamshad and Priya lived there together. During their stay in Kashiram, his true radical face became more prominent, and his attitude changed towards Priya. When Priya used to go out for work, he used to tell her, “Women who work outside are prostitutes.” He started to question Kashish’s clothes and wanted to stop her schooling. He would say to Priya, “What kind of clothes you buy for her? Dress her properly and teach her Urdu.”

Chanchal said that Priya told her many times that Shamshad was pressurizing them to convert to Islam. He used to force them to go to Jamaat. Priya always ignored his arguments saying, “Kashish’s name is already Islamic. There is no need to convert, and after all, you can call me anything out of love at home.”

Shamshad used to force Priya to go to Jamaat and follow Islam

Perhaps Priya thought that she would be able to save her identity, her name and her religion. But it was not possible for her. She forgot the fact that living and facing all those things in the hand of the person who betrayed her was a big mistake.

As long as Priya stayed in Kashiram, she had a temple at home. She sent Kashish to the school of her choice. However, her life was changed drastically the day she shifted to Shamshad’s house in Bhud Bharal of Meerut. The only thing that did not change was Chanchal’s support. She was with Priya at every step.

Chanchal said that they had a huge house, but Shamshad did not let her have a temple. Priya used to burn incense sticks, and Shamshad used to get irritated by the smoke. Priya had deep regard for Sai baba, and she loved her religion and God. He used to beat her and force her to stop worshipping, but she did not give up her religion. When she left Kashiram, she sadly asked Chanchal to take her temple. She said, ”Chanchal, take my temple to your house. I cannot see them getting disrespected. He will disrespect my God. I cannot tolerate that and will fight with him.”

Chanchal said, ”I was not able to bring the temple to my house due to lockdown. It is still in the house at Kashiram. Shamshad refused to give space for the temple in his house.” According to Chanchal, Shamshad used to bring men at home, and when Priya objected, he fought with her over it.

Priya started to get more suspicious of Shamsham in her last days. As soon as she comes across any documents related to her, she would immediately forward them to Chanchal. After the fight, she used to tell Shamshad that if anything happens to her, Chanchal will take care of her daughter. She will not leave you.

Chanchal gets emotional while talking about her friend. She can’t forget the time they spent together. While talking about a one and half-year-old quarrel between Priya and Shamshad, she said, “Things got really tense at that time. We also filed a complaint against him at the police station. But he managed to take her back home. I don’t know if it was my fault that I let her go or it was her fault that she believed him again. But if they were careful at that time, Priya would have been alive.”

Chanchal believes that if Priya’s family would have been there for her at that time, the situation will be different. At many occasions, Priya felt alone and broken without any support. She used to think that she cannot bother her friend every time she fought with him. However, though she skipped telling Chanchal about the fights, she got a gist of it almost every time.

Chanchal said, “Shamshad took full advantage of the lockdown. He tried to create differences between Priya and me. He tried to accuse me and turn Priya against me. He tried to stop her from meeting me. Still, she kept contact with me as she trusted me. Shamshad once called me to meet after a fight. I refused to go saying that he called me a bad person. Why would I meet him? He said that Priya has left went to Kashish’s school angrily. Please come quickly. He came to pick me. When we reached the school, Priya had already left. I did not tell Priya that I was with Shamshad. Otherwise, she would have thought that I am under his influence. Later, Priya called me from her neighbour’s house and told me about the fight. She told that Shamshad twister her arm and tried to strangulate her throat.”

28 March 2020 to 30 March 2020 – mother-daughter’s murder and Chanchal’s suspicions

According to Chanchal, it is not clear if it happened after planning or all of a sudden. But Priya started to complain her about the fights before lockdown. Priya left with her daughter several times, but Shamshad brought her back every time after apologizing. The fights, however, kept on happening. On 28th March, Priya’s phone got switched off. As Chanchal was in constant touch with her, she tried calling her several times. When no one answered, she thought her number is in the blacklist.

Last conversation between Priya and Chanchal. After that, Priya’s phone was switched off on 28th March

In the last call, Priya had told Chanchal that Shamshad brings a lot of men to the house. They stay in the house. He also refused to believe that corona is spreading. It was getting hard for her to track who all are coming to her house. She told Shamshad that they live alone at the house, and it is not right for so many men to come here. He fought with Priya and said, “It is my house. I can bring anyone with me.”  When Chanchal learned about this, she said she would talk to Shamshad. However, the next day Priya’s phone was found switched off.

In the last conversation, they talked for 19 minutes and 9 seconds

She tried to call Shamshad. He picked up the call and said he is out for some work and will call once he is back. She kept trying Priya’s phone during that time, but it remained switched off. She called Shamshad again in the evening. Shamshad said that Priya is very angry and does not want to talk to anyone. After trying everything, she finally called Priya’s neighbours on 29th or 30th March. Priya had given her those numbers to use in case of any emergency.

Chanchal and Priya

When she called one of the neighbours, they told her that both Priya and Shamshad are not at home. She got more suspicious. She requested the neighbours to go to her house, and she talked to Shamshad on neighbour’s phone. Shamshad did not expect Chanchal will have neighbours’ number.

He got nervous and said, “she ran away with all the money after stabbing him.” To which Chanchal asked how he can stay calm after Priya stabbed her and ran away with the money. He started hurling abuses and said, “It is your trick. I understand everything. You are the reason behind all this. I will tell everyone.” Chanchal, after hearing a fake story from Shamshad, understood that either he had sold them or killed them.

Screenshot of the messages

Chanchal said that Shamshad tried to be clever and sent a vague message on 31st March from Priya’s phone. The message was from Kashish, and it read, “Didi, we are safe wherever we are. We left the house after the accidentally stabbing daddy. We took the money. Please do not do anything; otherwise, we will be great trouble.”

He tried to build a scenario where Chanchal stop blaming him and avoid calling Priya. Chanchal kept on saying that Priya is her friend and she will call her even if she is in the last corner of the earth.

Chanchal’s visit at Pakharpur police station on 15th April

Days were passing by, and Chanchal did not get any information about Priya. Finally, on 15th April she went to Pakharpur police station to file a complaint. However, the police gave a clean chit to the accused Shamshad. Later on, when she raised her voice against the police’s irresponsible behaviour, police visited Chanchal’s house and tried to persuade her and her family not to pursue the matter. The neighbours started to question why the police came. Chanchal had to answer every single one of them, but that did not stop her from visiting police stations so that they take some action in the case.

Complaint filed by Chanchal on 15th April

During one visit to the police station, she noticed Priya’s scooty. She told them that the scooty belonged to Priya. But despite the evidence, police did not take any action. However, they started asking her if she is okay to visit Bihar for investigation. Chanchal said that she will help the police in every possible way and will visit Bihar as well.

Priya’s scooty outside police station

Shamshad was worried as Chanchal was actively trying to get justice for her friend. He started to threaten her and said that he would tell people that she is a prostitute. Chanchal did not back off. Chanchal called several Hindu organizations to get help in Priya’s case. Some groups visited the police station with her, but it did not help.

Chanchal’s DP on Whatsapp in memories of Priya and her Daughter

Finally, on 2nd July, she signed a letter in which she said that she does not want to pursue any further in this case as it is causing mental stress. She did not have any hope left for her friend. She can only pray for getting justice for Priya.

On 12th July, she talked to Manish Lohia of RSS. There was again the light of hope in the case. What followed after that is now clear in front of everyone. Chanchal cannot stop thinking about how Shamshad can be so cruel to someone who lived with him for over five years. She loved him, took care of him, made sure he gets good food, and even then he killed her and her daughter. She feels helpless thinking about the last moments of Priya in which she might have looked at her daughter in vain and maybe thought about Chanchal as well.

While talking to OpIndia, Chanchal expressed her gratitude towards Manish and said it is because of him that the world knows what Shamshad did to Priya and Kashish. Chanchal thanked Manish so many times during the conversation that OpIndia tried to learn his views on the incident.

Chanchal and manish Lohia

Manish’s coversation with OpIndia

In a conversation with OpIndia, Manish said that he is actively working to spread awareness against Love Jihad since 2007. He is associated with Dharma Jagran Samanvay, a wing of RSS. He was previously associated with Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. When he came to know about the case, he contacted Chanchal on 12th July.

He said that Chanchal was very angry with the previous false assurances and refused to talk. He then assured her that she is her sister, and he will do everything in his power to help her. After this, she explained the case and said she was duped before in the name of help. Within two days of conversation with Chanchal, Manish contacted higher officials to discuss the matter. A new case was registered on 14th July. SSP informed him that CO Bhupendra would look into the matter.

Manish continuously kept contact with the CO. He requested him to put everything on surveillance. He also asked him to find out where Priya’s phone was last used and when it was switched off. The administration had to work faster in the case due to continuous pressure from the organizations. Police arrested Shamshad, but a few days later he was released after interrogation.

When the organization contacted police for the update, they told Manish that further inquiry would be based on the statements of Chanchal. Manish helped Chanchal in organizing all the evidence. When the officers felt that it is not possible to delay the case further, they picked Shamshad again and questioned him strictly. Shamshad broke down and revealed the truth.

When Manish was asked for his views in the case, he said that based on evidence it is clear that Shamshad was regularly pressuring Priya to go to the mosque, recite Islamic prayers and read Quran and followed strict Islamic customs.

He said that it is also clear that he was at his good behaviour only when he wanted to have physical relations with her; otherwise, he used to fight every day. He said that Shamshad framed a vulnerable girl who was living alone with her daughter after the divorce. He projected himself as someone from the Gurjar community and married her. He went to temple with her and even let her keep fast on Karwachauth. However, when Priya came to know about his reality, he started to force her to convert to Islam. He said that Shamshad did not show mercy to the innocent child who used to call him daddy. He may have abused her too.

Shamshad used to visit temple and asked Priya to keep Karwachauth fast for him

According to Manish, it is a clear case of Love Jihad. It was a pre-planned drama to convert Priya. If Islam is so pure, Shamshad would not have hidden his identity. He kept a name that belonged to a community that dominates the area.

In his words, the conclusion is,

“It is my endeavour that more such cases come into the light so that girls become aware of men with such a mindset. If they feel that after leaving such a person where they will go, or they will get alone, they have to keep in mind that while living with such men, their life will be in danger. No one hides their identity for love. They hide their identity for religion. When the situation gets messed up, the girl thinks that where will she go? In today’s time, we talk about women’s freedom, but these people pressurize them to wear a burqa. We only want that Priya and her daughter get justice, and Shamshad gets death penalty for his actions.

Updates on mother-daughter murder case so far

So far, police have arrested Shamshad in the case. They are looking for his brother-in-law and his wife, among others. It is alleged that his brother-in-law was with him on 28th March at the time of the incident. They murdered the mother-daughter duo, and on 29th morning, Shamshad dug up an 8-feet deep pit in the bedroom to dump the two bodies. He sprinkled 20 packets of salt on both of them to ensure they get mummified quickly. He plastered the floor again so that no one gets suspicious.

What happened on the night of 28th March: According to some media reports, Priya tried a lot save herself. She not only scratched Shamshad with nails but also attacked him using a knife from the kitchen. When Shamshad’s wrist got cut with the knife, he got angry and strangled Priya. She could not breathe and died on the spot. Then Shamshad murdered Kashish in the bedroom by suffocating her using a pillow. The incident took place around midnight on 28-29 March.

Shamshad’s confession: When police started the investigation, Shamshad did not tell anything at first. But later when he asked for how long he had to stay in the police station, the inspector replied he could leave once they find mother and daughter. Then Shamshad told the police that he had killed them and they are buried in his bedroom.

The police did not believe him at first, but when he kept repeating it, the police decided to visit his house at around 4 AM. They dug up the said location in the bedroom and recovered two skeletons in pieces. A video of the recovery was also released by the police in which the police can be seen recovering the skeletons.

How he skipped police custody and arrested again: Reports suggest that Shamshad escaped from police custody on Wednesday. The police later arrested him after an encounter. He was shot in his both legs. The police admitted him in the district hospital where he was treated for the injuries.

What led to the murder: During the investigations, a lot of angles are emerging in the matter. It is alleged that Shamshad was already married and his wife’s name was Afsana. He had three kids with her. She came to Meerut some time ago to claim the Shamshad’s property in Bhud Bharal, but Priya wanted the said property on her name for a safe future.

They both used to fight a lot, and there was a fight between them on that night as well. The argument was over a transaction of Rs.3 lakh, and it escalated at around 10 PM. Priya was cutting vegetables when Shamshad tried to attack her. After his hand got injured by the knife, he strangled her. When she died due to suffocation, he stabbed her dead body several times before throwing it in the bathroom. Then he went to a doctor to get stitches.

The arrest of Nakul Sharma, who saved Shamshad: Police also arrested a man named Nakul Sharma along with Shamshad. He was caught because of a video of Nakul going viral. He was heard saying that he will pay 1 lakh to save Shamshad. Reports suggest that Nakul was helping Shamshad in misleading police. He also helped him in erasing all the evidence. He was arrested after his name appeared during the investigation.

Plan to kill Chanchal: During the investigation, police found that Shamshad planned to kill Chanchal too. Two men were helping him in the planning. Police did not take any strict action on her complaint and used abusive language while talking to her. Instead of finding Priya, they blamed Chanchal and pointed fingers on her character.

Action against officers for inaction: SHO, inspector and sub-inspector are under investigation for inaction in the case. Inspector Veer Singh was suspended on Friday. SSP made it clear that anyone who is found guilty will face strict action. Shamshad may be booked under NSA in future based on the investigation.

The inspector who used to call Chanchal late night around 12 AM has been suspended. Instead of talking about the case, he tried to have a personal conversation with her. Audio of Inspector Veer Singh has also gone viral over social media.

Afghan journalist and founder of Khaama Press talks about Talibanisation, ISI involvement in terror and evolving India-Afghanistan relations

Dr. Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar
-
0
Afghan journalist and founder of Khaama Press talks about Talibanisation, ISI involvement in terror and evolving India-Afghanistan relations

Khushnood Nabizada served as the chief of staff to Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Government of Afghanistan from May 29, 2016, to June 02, 2019. Khushnood is known for his fearless and straightforward views on a number of topics relating to modern-day Afghanistan, be it Talibanisation, inefficiencies and corruption in the Afghan government, the involvement of Pakistan in Afghan politics or evolving India-Afganistan relations.  

This is an exclusive interview with a rising star of Afghanistan – Khushnood Nabizada, political expert, journalist and owner as well as founding editor of The Khaama Press News Agency, the largest online news service of Afghanistan.

The questions asked by the interviewer are in italics, followed by the answers by Khushnood Nabizada.

Yours has been a story of living under the scourge of the Taliban from a very young age. You were only in class 5th when Taliban occupied your home province of Baghlan and you had to immigrate to Pakistan, only to return to your country in 2003. Today you occupy a pre-eminent position in journalistic and political circles in the country. How do you see your own personal journey vis-a-vis that of your country over these past two decades?

My life story and journey have been quite different than many of my family members, friends, and colleagues. My family fled to Pakistan as refugees when the Taliban took power …I was only 16 when I returned back to the country after the fall of the Taliban and as the eldest son of a poor and homeless family, I had to work beside my father in order to feed a large family with 10 members. In addition to attending school, I used to teach English language and computer programs in a local institute and was earning only USD 40.00 per month. I had only night times to study, prepare for classes and do my assignments. I was very grateful to the almighty God who had given me excessive energy and passion to work hard.

Parallel with studies, and work, I was working on my personal capacity building in the areas of calligraphy, graphics, design, web development and leadership. In 2009, I established a web development firm together with one of my university friends and started to make some money for life. I loved journalism and had a dream in my mind to establish my own news agency through which I can serve my country and provide awareness to the society which needed to learn about democracy, globalization, pluralism and diversity. I managed to establish Khaama Press in October 2010 with the help of one of my colleagues, named Ahmadshah Ghanizada, who is now living in Canada. Ahmadshah is a founding member of Khaama Press and he is truly one of the reasons that KP succeeded to become a well-known and popular newswire service in the country. In 2015, I joint the government as an advisor to the Minister of Urban Development and Housing of Afghanistan and in 2016 I was promoted as the ‘Chief of Staff’ for the ministry which is a very key position in the Afghanistan governmental system.

During the time I was at the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, I played an important role in fighting against corruption, reforming the organization and capacity building of the employees. I have travelled to many countries including Canada, UK, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, China, Russia and India. The more I travelled, the better I understood how I could work to be of help to my home country which burns in terror, poverty and extremism.

I have been a close observer of the evolving geopolitics of Afghanistan and have been interested in its history as well. The country has dramatically changed over the past century, from the days of the Great Game between Russia and the UK, the creation of the Republic of Afghanistan in 1973, the Saur Revolution, the Soviet war efforts in Afghanistan against Mujahideen insurgents, the collapse of the Najibullah government in 1992, the Taliban years, the NATO invasion of Afghanistan and the country today. All these ties into various competing forces and players in the country.

Thomas J. Barfield wrote an interesting piece, published in Iranian Studies in 2004, on the question of the legitimacy of authority and government in a multi-ethnic country such as Afghanistan, with its tribal heritage, and how that has led to difficulties in establishing national order. What are your thoughts on this?

Afghanistan’s conflict has historical roots and therefore it has always been a battleground for the different super-power countries.

Afghanistan has been the battleground for many decades due to its strategic geographical location and as well as being a multi-ethnic country failed to become a ‘one nation’ and end its internal conflicts. There are different mentalities and serious disagreements between major ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Afghans have zero-tolerance against each other when it comes to tribal and ethnic issues. The reason behind this is the historical injustice and inequality that exists in the country from over 200 years back. An illustrative example is the anger and disappointment of many Pashtuns including President Ghani about Abdul Rashid Dostum promotion to Marshal. In addition to large gatherings that opposed this promotion neither the palace officially announced Dostum’s new rank and nor President Ghani participated in his ceremony. Afghans cannot end the war and stand on their own feet until they do not become ‘one-nation’ or use a different model of governance such as India to distribute power based on different states/provinces.

Speaking of multiple stakeholders and players in the region, geopolitically several international entities have a lot to gain or lose from the developments in Afghanistan, be it Pakistan, Iran, India, USA, Russia and other countries. How do you see this complex interplay of forces affecting Afghanistan today?

A weak administration paves the way for the interference of foreign countries in the internal affairs of a country. The Afghanistan government failed to manage the game well in order to gain maximum advantages for the country. The nearly 2 decades presence of the international community in Afghanistan could be counted as a great opportunity for a war-torn country like Afghanistan, but unfortunately, the programs and aids were not managed the way Afghanistan could receive the utmost benefits. Now, Afghanistan has been used as a battlefield by the regional countries for their proxy wars. Iran, Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia and U.S.A fight their wars in Afghanistan territory with almost zero harm to their own states.

You have commented on the continued involvement of the ISI in the internal workings of the politics of Afghanistan. What are the ways in which this continues to happen, how is it adversely affecting the country and how can this be minimised?

Pakistan is one of the key players in the region that sees a war-torn and destroyed Afghanistan in its favour. Pakistan has been supporting the insurgency for long years. Al Qaeda and the Taliban have had their safe havens in Pakistan for years. They were supported financially and politically both by Pakistan and its close alley Saudi Arabia. ISI, of course, has been behind the game as the main player. If the Afghanistan intelligence service is supported for further capacity building and is equipped with all the necessary and new technology and devices, in addition the key ISI-backed individuals who are within the system structure must be identified and sidelined in order to limit ISI’s access to secrets and critical information.

You have been a critic of the inefficiencies and corruption of the government in Afghanistan in the past. You spoke of how democracy failed in 2014 due to the ‘mismanagement of the government, corruption and systematic election frauds’. The question of the legitimacy of the government with an extremely low turnout (with 1.8 million Afghans have gone out to vote) remains. You have also in the past commented on how international funds and finances meant for the development of Afghanistan have been mismanaged. How do you think this broader question of corruption, misrule and inefficiency can be handled?

During the past 19 years, over 100 billion US dollars were raised for Afghanistan development and rehabilitation, but unfortunately, you can see no tangible projects that have been implemented to represent this large amount of funds that were allocated for Afghanistan. Parts of these funds are said to be taken back as administration costs and hiring foreign TAs. Other large portions were spent in non-infrastructural projects that were not very beneficial for the national economy and some were spent by President Karzai to keep tribal elders and the opposition pleased. As a result of administration incompetencies and corruption, Afghanistan lost a critical opportunity that cannot be undone. Since 2014, the international community has reduced its aid to Afghanistan which has negatively affected the country’s economy. Economical activities and development projects have become very limited as a result of increasing violence and flee of investors.

Being an Indian, I am most interested in the position of, and prospects for, Indo-Afghanistan ties. Afghanistan and India were both part of the Non-Aligned Movement. They have both been close to the Soviet Union in the past. Today, they face an increasingly aggressive China and an intrusive Pakistani intelligence. In the face of the looming US pullout, how do you think the Indo-Afghanistan ties stand and can be developed so as to present political leverage in the region against hostile forces? How important a role can and must Russia play to facilitate this?

India and Afghanistan have a relationship based on mutual interests and respect which is a two-state relation. Also, we have common values that strengthen our relationship. India’s diversity can be a good example of inspiration for Afghanistan to build our future on the values and differences that are parts of the history and identity of each ethnic and minority community. India is a multi-ethnic state, its model of governance and administration is more likely very suitable for Afghanistan.

In the new era, India has been a great ally and friend to Afghanistan, contributing around 3 billion USD to Afghanistan’s development funds, mainly invested in the community development and infrastructural projects.

India has also been very generous in contributing to Afghanistan’s education sector. It has so far provided around 40,000 scholarships for the Afghan students to study in the Indian universities.

The USA and Taliban recently signed a peace treaty. However, hours later hostility was seen on the ground and the supposed cessation of hostility was not quite ubiquitous. How do you see this moving forward, especially considering the power vacuum that may be developed once the USA leaves? How important is the element of decentralisation and of empowerment of local governments in this?

The peace process has to be understood as a process, not as a project, and it should be built on the concepts of peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding. All these three aspects of the peace process are equally important.

At the same time, we have to know that the Afghanistan peace process is multidimensional and there are many players and factors that have influential powers on the process. I want to make it clear that from an Afghan point of view there is a difference between the US-Taliban deal and reaching a sustainable peace in Afghanistan. The country is still suffering from the deadlock of the last presidential election. Yet the members and structure of the high peace reconciliation council are not officially formed and any disagreement between the president and the chairman of the high peace reconciliation council over their share in the government will highly affect the peace process. And we have the experience of a National Unity Government (NUG) in which both sides could not agree on a single agenda over the last six years and of course, the concerns for their future collaboration is always there. 

Leading sustainable peace is very challenging. Some factors and elements need to be taken into consideration. There are both regional and international influences, and the partners’ corporations are essential. Afghanistan needs a more active foreign policy to get engaged at all levels because Afghanistan’s insecurity is also a threat to the world. The peace process needs the support of both national and international players. 

We must also not forget that the peace deal with Taliban does not mean the end of extremism in Afghanistan. There are several terrorist groups that are actively operating and have created a safe haven in the country.  Also, Taliban is not only one group, there are different divisions and levels that operate under the name of the Taliban.  Therefore when talking in reference to the peace in Afghanistan, we need to be very careful and analyze all these facts and aspects. There are many questions and concerns that still need to be addressed. The civil society, media and local institutions should be included and have their voice in the peace process. 

At the same time, the country needs a national dialogue to create a platform where every group, including minorities, women and youth can share their concerns and views. It is essential that all the Afghans come together and hold a dialogue on their differences and shared values.  The majority and minority concept is no longer appropriate, and everyone deserves to be treated the same in front of the law and see their images and identities reflected as citizens of the country in the power structure.

We cannot end the four decades of war and conflicts without creating an inclusive narrative of peace by all its meanings and aspects. What happens with religious communities and minority rights and freedom, and what about the women’s rights or freedom of speech? Personally, for me, as a journalist, freedom of expression, and the values of freedom of speech must become strengthened day by day. The young generation has their views and ideas that have to be included in decisions that are going to be made for the future of the country. Our today’s democracy is a significant achievement, even if it is weak and fragile. We must seek possibilities and ways forward to a better tomorrow!

Afghanistan has historically been a culturally diverse nation, with Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh and Buddhist elements. There have been myriad communities and tribes, cultures and sects that have lived together. However, today we have seen unsettling developments in the last two decades, with the Talibanisation of Afghanistan, be it with the infamous explosion of the Bamian Buddha or the persecution of minorities such as Hindus and Sikhs. What are strategic and decisive steps, according to you, that can be taken to correct this worrying trend?

I would like to highlight our rich history and culture are results of the contributions made by all  Afghans and every ethnic group has played their roles in building the country and our civilization is built on the values and contribution of all community divisions. Denying this fact is our weakness, and the major problems and conflicts we have today are because some groups such as religious minorities are excluded from the political structure. Indeed, Afghanistan is a country of minorities, there is no majority, but certain ethnic groups claim to be the sole owners of the land, which is not a true mentality and that is a real cause of these deep and long-run conflicts.

Unfortunately, the religious minorities have suffered throughout the history, but there is no other way than to accept and respect the religious diversity for a peaceful country.

In order to put an end to the internal ongoing- conflicts in Afghanistan, a strong and fair administration is required to first accept equal rights for all the ethnicities, respect diversity and proceed based on the values of pluralism to accept every ethnic and religious group. It will help the country for nation building-  ‘one nation’ ideology.

Soft power has a major role to play in today’s political scene, be it through sports, science, movies, literature and fine arts or market entities. India recently signed 5 pacts to help develop educational infrastructure in Afghan provinces, the Afghan cricket team has been in the limelight lately, and Bollywood has had a rosy relationship with the Afghan masses. How do you see the Indo-Afghanistan ties being strengthened going forward, using the element of soft power?

Very crucial, as you have mentioned soft power like literature and art, which I believe should be used as a social objective to foster peace and democratic values.

Afghanistan is a country of diversity, and the values of differences should be accepted and respected as the country’s rich culture and history. Also, the country needs an active and inclusive cultural policy that cultural activity fosters peace and dialogues between the nations.

Cultural programs will further strengthen the friendly relationship between both countries. India and Afghanistan can enter into a bilateral agreement wherein India assists Afghans in the areas of cinema, music, movies, sports and fine arts.

Afghan women make up just around 36% of the national workforce. Women’s empowerment is crucial for the transformational economic growth of the country. We may have come to some distance from the dark days of Taliban rule but women’s empowerment has been an area where Afghanistan needs more work, particularly in terms of providing economic opportunities, education and skills. What are your thoughts on this?

Compared to the Taliban and Mujahideen’s time, the women’s role and representation have dramatically changed and they are now at the front-end. Afghan women now have access to health and education as their basic rights, which they did not have in the past. However, the presence of women in the system has been more symbolic just to indicate their presence for the donor community and they were not in the decision-making levels. Women who make 50% of the community population can play key roles in the developments, health, education, peace and prosperity of their countries.

Afghan women must be given further opportunities to make ways in the decision making levels and are given executive positions in the government, so the changes they cause must be felt and seen. Their leadership skills and potential capabilities should be seen as an asset for the development of the country.

Coronavirus has presented a unique challenge for Afghanistan, as it has for the world. Covid-19 is spreading rapidly in Afghanistan, and with no vaccine and scant medical resources, people are turning to remedies such as using opium in the hopes of beating the pandemic. Afghanistan has recorded more than 34,000 confirmed cases and over 1,000 deaths in a population of nearly 39 million, though, with only 7 testing facilities in the entire nation, the real figures may be much higher. The tragedy is the effect of conflict on the preparedness of the Afghan government. People in conflict zones have precarious housing and work situations, with destroyed infrastructure like roads and hospitals and heightened demands on the health-care system. How do you see the way forward for Afghanistan during this period of crisis?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disaster for all the nations, but it affected Afghanistan more economically. Afghanistan is a landlocked state with no direct route to the water. During the pandemic time, Afghanistan neighbours closed borders for a while and mainly the shortage of food items in the Afghan market caused the rapidly increasing of the prices that overall resulted in the poverty increase. The municipalities, however, arranged a program to distribute bread for the poor families, but unfortunately, this move was not successful and did not help the people in need.

The Afghanistan government has confirmed over 34,000 cases with over 1,000 deaths, however the actual figure can be way higher than what is announced. The number of testing facilities are very limited and the awareness about the C19 is very low in the rural areas. However, the mortality arising out of Covid-19 is said to be much lower than any other country, which is apparently because of the lifestyle and the foods used.

The Covid-19 has affected the Afghanistan education sector to a larger scale. Other countries in the world managed to set up online classes in order to minimise its impact and the students could still pursue their education, however this option did not work for Afghanistan due to the absence of internet services in most parts of the country and also lack of the required technological devices including smartphones, tablets and computers. Only a small portion of the population in the capital Kabul could have access to online classes during the pandemic time.

A large portion of the Afghan population have lost their jobs during the pandemic as a result of which crimes have increased to a large scale. Dozens of Afghan citizens are killed everyday and every week by the robbers.

If this pandemic doesn’t end sometime soon, Afghanistan’s security situation will get worse, the health and education sectors will suffer too much.

Kargil Vijay Diwas: Congress treated Atal Bihari Vajpayee no better than they treat PM Modi

Abhishek Banerjee
-
0
Kargil Vijay Diwas: Congress treated Atal Bihari Vajpayee no better than they treat PM Modi

It is July 26, which is Kargil Vijay Diwas. Who is celebrating? The whole country for sure. But did you know that it wasn’t always like that? In fact, the UPA government ignored Kargil Vijay Diwas during its entire first term in power. It is not difficult to guess why.

Article by HT

You might have noticed a strange new tradition among liberals nowadays. Saying kind words about Atalji followed by insults thrown at PM Modi.

While I am thrilled that liberals have grown to respect Atalji so much, we cannot forget how liberals treated him when he was Prime Minister.

While you have probably heard of the time when Sonia ji called Narendra Modi “maut ka saudagar,” here is something you may not have heard. And it makes for an interesting and somewhat ironic story.

Article by Tribune India

In Sep 1999, shortly after the Kargil War, Sonia Gandhi addressed a campaign rally at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh where she allegedly called Atalji a “gaddar.”

The embarrassed Congress issued various clarifications, such as saying that Sonia Gandhi had never explicitly named Vajpayee in her remarks. I do not know how convincing that is. In 1999, the BJP did not buy the excuses either. One of the BJP general secretaries demanded that Sonia ji should issue a public apology.

The name of that General Secretary? Narendra Modi.

The fact is that the Nehru dynasty could never reconcile itself to a non-Gandhi ruling over India. It could be Vajpayee, it could be Modi. It could even be P V Narasimha Rao, a lifelong Congressman. The formidable PVNR did not rule while being under the thumb of the Nehru dynasty. In Congress, it is the family which is the party.

There is a reason why Congress ecosystem gives credit to Dr. Singh for the 1991 reforms and not to P V Narasimha Rao. And who can forget how PVNR was humiliated even in death? Who can forget how the body of a former Prime Minister of India was not let inside the Congress HQ?

Today the Congress Party loves Vajpayee because he is no more. And because the liberal ecosystem benefited from his deep generosity. You will see Congress leaders sharing how Atalji restored Nehru’s portrait after he became External Affairs Minister in the Janata Government.

Atalji had a big heart. We already knew that. Do the Congress leaders tell you about the incredible pettiness with which they had Veer Savarkar’s plaque removed from Andaman Cellular Jail as soon as UPA came to power?

We should be grateful that Atal ji lived a long life and survived well into the Modi years. When he passed away, he received a farewell that fitted his stature. Otherwise, who knows what kind of indignity the UPA would have inflicted on him had he passed away during their rule?

Incidentally, the Congress has just launched centenary celebrations for P V Narasimha Rao. They spurned his dead body 16 years ago. Today they have come with folded hands, begging for a share in his legacy. Good to know.

We are going to keep reminding them though: how the Congress treated Vajpayee, Rao and the heroes of Kargil. Sab yaad hai. Sab yaad rakha jayega.

‘For people like me, India was home and always will be’: Afghan Sikh who migrated to India in 1994 at the start of the Afghan Civil War

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘For people like me, India was home and always will be’: Afghan Sikh who migrated to India in 1994 at the start of the Afghan Civil War

700 persecuted Sikhs of Afghanistan will soon arrive in India after the Indian government decided to permit them to come and live in India. It has been reported that the government is completing all necessary formalities in order to ensure that they are here before Independence Day. Furthermore, 11 Afghan nationals were granted 6-month Visas and are expected to reach here on Sunday.

Under such circumstances, an Afghan Sikh was interviewed by Amaan, who tweets under the username @Amaanbali, for his blog. Sardar Iqbal Singh migrated to India from Afghanistan during the initial stages of the civil war. His daughter was around a year old when they came to India. He moved to India with 17 other families.

Iqbal Singh told Amaan, “I moved to India in 1994 after the start of the civil war in Afghanistan. The circumstances then were different and I think it was a wise decision. I got married in 1988 and by the time I moved, Jaspreet (daughter) was a year old. I did not want (her) to suffer in any way. I still remember withdrawing all the cash I had and closing my bank accounts in Jallalabad. It was an emotional day.”

Iqbal Singh said that life was initially difficult in India when first arrived her with his family. They stayed at Gurudwara Singh Saheba at West Delhi. Over the next couple of years, all his savings dried up. However, after the initial eight years, his hardships were comparable to that of any ordinary Indian.

He said, “I live an average life of an Indian in a metro city who goes to work and comes back in the evening to his family, so my hardships except for the first 8 years are more or less same as any other person. Say Aggarwal Sahib who sells bags in Karol Bagh faces same problems that I do. We aren’t racially discriminated, nor are we looked down upon by anyone. Indian Sikh community has deepest respect for Afghan Sikhs and they always meet us to ask about Sikhism in Afghanistan.”

Iqbal Singh said that illegal property captures, kidnappings, murders, rapes and threats were some of the numerous issues that Afghan Siklhs face. He also said he could resettle in Afghanistan if the Taliban were wiped off the face of the Earth but he does not dwell in fantasies. He said that there was a time when he as a Afghani blamed the United States for the chaos but now, he realises that both sides are to be blamed.

When he was questioned why he chose India as the country to migrate to, Iqbal Singh said the financially well-off migrated to western countries but “for middle class people like me, India was home and will always be.” He also revealed that he steers clear of answering questions around the Citizenship Amendment Act because there have been occasions during the recent protests against the Act when his statements were mosreported.

“I steer clear of answering this one because during recent Delhi Anti CAA protests, our market in Karol Bagh was flooded with young boys and girls seeking our opinion on CAA and modifying statements for their reporting. We have also given a video statement thanking Govt of India for enabling us to get the documents and passport. We can call ourselves Indian now and some people seem to have problem with that too. Turns out there is no home for poor,” he stated.

Iqbal Singh revealed that when he came to India, he had to sell his property at a much lower price than the market value due to compulsion. Now, he owns a mobile accessory shop in Delhi after renting a space from a Hindu landlord. He spoke very highly of the landlord and said that he is not forced to pay him on the occasions when he is late on the payment.

The Afghan Sikh, who is now an Indian, said that the financial welfare of the incoming Sikhs from Afghanistan is the only thing that needs to be taken care of by the Government. He said it was a very good thing that the persecuted Sikhs from Afghanistan will be coming to India.

Left dominated Wikipedia displays bias against conservative voices yet again, ‘downgrades’ reliability of Fox News after ‘discussion’ by Wiki Editors

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Left dominated Wikipedia displays bias against conservative voices yet again, ‘downgrades’ reliability of Fox News after ‘discussion’ by Wiki Editors

Wikipedia, the online crowdsourced encyclopaedia which have been facing controversy due to its obvious leftist bias in its editorial decisions, have categorised a major American media house, Fox News, as being unreliable. Fox News is considered to be leaning towards right-wing, and is disliked by left-wing intellectuals.

Earlier, Fox News was categorised as a green-level source on the Reliable sources/Perennial sources of Wikipedia, but not it has been downgraded to yellow-level, which means editors are advised to exercise caution while quoting Fox News for articles. A discussion on the reliability of Fox News website is still going on Wikipedia editors and administrators. In the discussion for Fox News, there was no consensus on its reliability, the media house has been still downgraded to yellow level by the administrators saying that there was no consensus.

Administrators overrule editors

The downgrading of the news network followed an intense discussion on Wikipedia. During the discussion, while most contributors said that the talk and opinion shows on the network are biased, the network is pro-Trump, and they have been criticising rioting and violence in the name of the Black Lives Matter protests, the normal reports of the network are reliable. Several editors pointed out that Fox News appreciates fact-checking of its reports and issues corrections whenever errors are pointed out, which proves that the news network is reliable.

It is notable that while the discussion was on reliability of Fox News as a source of Wikipedia articles, almost everyone who opposed it cited the talk and political commentary shows on the network, and not their plain news reports. Such shows generally tend to be biassed towards one narration or the other, and opinion articles and shows are not used as a source for Wikipedia articles. There was no major complaint of regular news reports of the network being biased. Despite the fact that most people agreed that their new reports are not biased, and only their opinion shows are biased, three Wikipedia administrators concluded the discussion saying that “there is no consensus regarding the reliability of Fox News”, and then went on to downgrade it. They have mentioned that for science and political referencing there is no consensus regarding the reliability of Fox News, but for other subjects it is generally considered reliable.

Consensus on Wikipedia

Although all editorial decisions in Wikipedia are supposed to be decided by consensus among editors, the reality is different. Being a crowdsourced platform where any internet user can make contributions, it is virtually impossible to arrive at a consensus on most subjects. The consensus is not at all possible in where there are diverse views, and often, it is select few Wikipedia administrators take a decision after closing the discussions. And they make the decision based on their personal opinion, not based on majority views. There is no voting on Wikipedia, and no matter how strongly one makes a point, it may be overruled by others. In theory, an article should represent all different views on it, but in reality, only one side’s opinion prevails, which often happens to be the left-liberal view.

Perhaps reacting to the Fox News downgrading, The co-founder of Wikipedia, Larry Sanger, who is no longer involved with Wikipedia, tweeted on Saturday that “consensus” is not possible on Wikipedia. He said that it stopped being something that can be taken seriously in around 2002.

Larry also said that when he was associated with Wikipedia, the policy was the presentation of many competing theories on a wide variety of subjects, which suggested that the creators of Wikipedia trust readers’ competence to form their own opinions themselves. But “Wikipedia DESPISES this view today”, he said.

He said that after the last version of “Neutral point of view” policy that he had wrote in 2002, the policy has changed a lot and now it is complete opposite.

Wikipedia vs OpIndia

Wikipedia’s already known left bias was evident in the way OpIndia is represented on it. 3-4 years ago, when a simple neutral article on OpIndia was published on the Wikipedia, it was deleted by leftist editors saying the website is not worthy of a Wiki article. But one year later, the same people who had deleted it created a new page on OpIndia, which is highly negative towards the portal. The senior editor who wrote it made baseless allegations against OpIndia in the article, and anyone who tried to counter that was silenced with threats of ban, and any such edits were removed.  With a pronounced Left bias in the platform itself and even in the community-driven editors, the OpIndia page on Wikipedia really did not stand a chance at neutrality.

In another instance, Wikipedia’s left-liberal bias was evident on the page on Delhi riots. While the Wiki page portrayed BJP leader Kapil Mishra as the mastermind behind the riots, the editors had refused to even mention the name of AAP leader Tahir Hussain, after the videos of him leading the riots from his house had went viral on social media. The editor who is also behind the negative article on OpIndia had said that IC official Ankit Sharma, who was stabbed multiple times and was tortured to death, “was not notable enough” to be mentioned in the Wikipedia article.

The co-founder of Wikipedia, Larry Sanger, who is no longer involved with Wikipedia had gone on the record to talk about the bias of the online encyclopaedia. Sanger had written that it has long forgotten its original policy of aiming to present information from a neutral point of view, and nowadays the crowd-sourced online encyclopaedia “can be counted on” to cover politics with a “liberal point of view”.

The downgrading of Fox News on Wikipedia as a reliable source despite having no consensus on it is the latest example of the attempt of the left-wing to silence right-wing voices.

11 Afghan nationals granted 6-month visas to India, including abducted Nidan Singh and girl who was kidnapped to be converted to Islam

OpIndia Staff
-
0
11 Afghan nationals granted 6-month visas to India, including abducted Nidan Singh and girl who was kidnapped to be converted to Islam

In the aftermath of the deadly attack on a Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurdwara in Kabul by the Islamic State (IS) terrorists and rise in cases of abduction of minorities, the Indian government has reportedly issued a 6-month long visa to 11 Afghan nationals. As per the report, they are expected to reach the National Capital by Sunday. Reportedly, minorities such as Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan living in a state of vulnerability under the Taliban Regime in the country.

According to a community leader in Kabul, Chhabol Singh, 11 people who have received short term visas include Nidan Singh Sachdeva who was abducted last month and the 15-year-old girl who was kidnapped to be forcefully converted to Islam. Chhabol Singh is a member of the management committee of the Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Darbar Karte Parwan in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Reportedly, the President of the managing committee, Gurnam Singh, revealed that the 6-month visa has also been issued to the families of brothers killed in the gurudwara attack. According to the family members, they did not want to leave their homeland but there was nothing left for them in Afghanistan. They are reportedly hoping for a new start in India. “Our plan is to first evacuate the families of those who lost one or more family members in the terror attack. Our first list has nearly 150 people. More will follow. No one from the Sikh community wants to live here,” he was quoted as saying.

Afghans nationals reach Delhi

According to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee President, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the tickets and accommodation were arranged for the 11 Afghan Nationals who are scheduled to reach Delhi via Kam Air flight under Vande Bharat Mission.

As per the report, the decision of the government came in the backdrop of multiple appeals made by the Afghan Sikh community to the Indian embassy. They had also written a letter addressing the Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking immediate evacuation after the deadly attack on the Gurudwara.

On Sunday, the first batch of Afghan nationals reached Delhi and received a warm welcome.

First batch of Afghan Nationals reach Delhi
First batch of Afghan Nationals reach Delhi

MHA allows 700 Afghan nationals to come and live in India

Reportedly, the Indian government is fulfilling all necessary formalities to bring the said Afghan nationals to India before Independence Day. The report noted that about 600 Sikhs had applied for such long-term visas to India after the attack on Gurudwara that occurred on March 25 this year and left 27 dead.

A government official informed, “To begin with, over 700 such individuals have been identified and the required formalities are underway to bring them to India before 15 August.” Reportedly, the Afghan minorities who will arrive in India include those who have received security threats and have relatives in India.

“Kill as many Kaffirs as you can”: ISIS calls upon Muslims in India to annihilate ‘disbelievers’ by spreading Coronavirus and carrying weapons

OpIndia Staff
-
0
“Kill as many Kaffirs as you can”: ISIS calls upon Muslims in India to annihilate ‘disbelievers’ by spreading Coronavirus and carrying weapons

Amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, the Islamic State (ISIS) has been relentless in its anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda. Reportedly, in its online publication named ‘Voice of Hind’, the ISIS has urged all jihadists associated with the organisation to unleash terror in the country by being carriers of the deadly disease.

As per the report, the terror outfit has released a 17-page special ‘lockdown edition’ of its magazine and has asked sympathisers to kill the Kaffirs and annihilate the disbelievers (Hindus in this case). Reportedly, the magazine features the cover image of Tablighi Jamaat who attended the Nizamuddin Markaz event and spread the Chinese virus throughout the country.  ‘Voice of Hind’ also carried the image of Delhi Anti-Hindu riots with a message that read, “Believers stand tall its time for Kaffir (disbelievers) to fall.”

As per the report, the Islamic State has recommended several ways to Muslim fundamentalists to kill the disbelievers. The terror outfit has asked fellow jihadists to arm themselves with chains, ropes, and wires to choke Kaffirs to death. The magazine stated, “Keep yourselves armed at all times to never miss a chance to kill as many Kaffirs as you can. Tools like scissors and hammers can come in useful to kill the Kaffir.” 

Terror outfit praises Jamaatis for spreading Coronavirus

The Islamic State has also asked its followers to spread coronavirus as fast as possible to annihilate the Kaffirs and the police with less effort. Reportedly, the magazine praised Tablighi Jamaat and its chief Maulana Saad for spreading the Coronavirus. The terror outfit has also urged radical Islamists to avenge the arrest of ‘activists’ from Jamia Millia Islamia who have been arrested for masterminding violence during the Delhi anti-Hindu riots.

UN warns against rise of Islamic State in Karnataka and Kerala

A United Nations report on terrorism has cautioned that there is a sizeable number of ISIS terrorists in the Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka, adding that the ISIL Indian affiliate (Hind Wilayah), which was announced on May 10, 2019, has about 180 to 200 members. According to the 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, “One Member State reported that the ISIL Indian affiliate (Hind Wilayah), which was announced on 10 May 2019, has between 180 and 200 members. According to the report, there are significant numbers of ISIL operatives in Kerala and Karnataka.”

Kerala: Travancore Devaswom Board appoints Arabic teachers in schools under it

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kerala: Travancore Devaswom Board appoints Arabic teachers in schools under it

In yet another attempt to push its anti-Hindu agenda, the CPI-M led Kerala government has now decided to utilise funds of Hindu owned schools under the Travancore Devaswom Board to employ Arabic teachers.

According to Organiser, Travancore Devaswom Board, whose responsibility is to administer temples in Kerala, has now decided to appoint Arabic teachers in schools which come under its management in Kerala. The Devaswom Board has been tasked by the Kerala government to fill the vacancies of schools managed by various temples. The board has now decided to recruit Arabic teachers and has also finalised a list of four candidates.

The board, which is mandated to administer Hindu temples, has now shortlisted Shameera, Bushara Beegum, Mubash and Sumayya Muhammed for the post of Arabic teacher.

Image Source: Organiser

Incidentally, the board has not recruited any Sanskrit teachers, even though Sanskrit is an Indic language and is mentioned in the 8th schedule of the constitution, while Arabic neither belongs to the country nor understood by any significant population.

The board will also fill the teaching vacancies for the subjects like Mathematics, Music, Social Science, Hindi for several schools that are managed by Hindu temples, which in turn is by regulated by the Communist Kerala government.

Travancore Devaswom Board is an autonomous body constituted under the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act XV of 1950. It is entrusted with the task of administrating 1248 temples in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore comprised in the State of Kerala.

These temples were earlier administrated by the ruler of Travancore before the integration of the Princely states of Travancore and Cochin in 1949. The Boards, which are constituted by the state government comprises of members, who are nominated by the government and the local community.
 

Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt to be summoned in connection with investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt to be summoned in connection with investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has declared that Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt will be summoned in the investigation into the death of accomplished actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Mahesh Bhatt will be summoned by Mumbai Police on the 27th of July. The senior NCP leader has made it clear that the Bollywood director will have to testify before the Police.

Furthermore, the managers of Karan Johan and Mahesh Bhatt have also been summoned on the same date. It has also been clarified that should the need arise, Karan Johar will be asked questioned in the matter as well. The development comes after actress Kangana Ranaut had said in her interview to Republic TV that Sushant Singh Rajput was ‘systematically sabotaged’ by filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt, Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and film critic Rajeev Masand. Kangana Ranaut also questioned Bhatt’s involvement in the relationship between Sushant Singh Rajput and his girlfriend.

After the actor was found dead in his apartment in June, a raging debate around nepotism in the movie industry has ensued. Calls have also been made for a CBI investigation into the matter. The Mumbai Police has also summoned numerous prominent individuals from the movie industry during its investigation into his death.

Rajeev Masand was called in for questioning who is accused of defaming Sushant Sinmgh Rajput by allegedly writing ‘blind items’ against him. Masand is alleged to have indulged in attempts to character assassinate the talented actor by attributing terms like ‘skirt-chaser’, ‘overpaid outsider’, an actor with ‘questionable veracity’ and ‘temper tantrums’, to Sushant Singh Rajput.

Veteran Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was summoned for questioning as well and Yashraj Films was instructed to submit a copy of the contract it signed with the actor. Ever since his death, Sushant’s family has alleged foul play in his death which is said to have been a suicide.

1...5,1375,1385,139...7,600Page 5,138 of 7,600