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Pakistan: Communal tensions in Balochistan as a mob of 400 lynch a man to death, protests erupt across Quetta

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Communal tensions in Balochistan as a mob of 400 lynch a man to death, protests erupt across Quetta

Large scale protests and communal tension have erupted in Balochistan’s capital Quetta city after a mob of 400, most of them believed to be from Shia Hazara community, brutally lynched a Pashtun youth and severely injured his two friends.

According to the reports, a young man named Bilal Khan was lynched at a hair dresser’s shop in Hazara town area of Quetta on Friday night. Two other men, Nayaz and Khalil have been severely injured after a mob attacked the three in the city.

Reportedly, the horrific incident was filmed on mobile phones and the footage was shared on social media, triggering massive protest in the Baloch capital. Following the incident, the city of Quetta remains tense and partially shut down on Sunday.

The locals of the city alleged that the mob tortured three youths in the presence of police.

The video of the incident, which has now gone viral on social media, showed the three youths partially were naked and lying on the ground, attacked by the mob. The footage also showed that police rushing to the scene but deliberately chose to turn a blind eye while some accused escaped from the spot.

“All three boys were taken by the mob of around 400 people and were shifted to the shop of a hair-dresser where they were tortured, resulting in the death of Bilal and injuries to two others,” a police official said.

Protests against mob lynching of Pasthun youth

The gruesome incident has triggered tensions in Quetta and a large number of people, joined the family demanding the arrest of the culprits.

Reportedly, the protestors chanted slogans against the mob and marched on roads with the body of the deceased. The family, joined by a large of people gathered at the red zone of Quetta’s Zarghoon Road and staged a sit-in.

“We demand immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the murder of Khan and beating Khalil and Nayaz. The protest would continue till the arrest,” said Khan’s uncle while talking to media during the sit-in.

Meanwhile, the station house officer (SHO) of Brewery Road, a sub-inspector and three constables have been suspended for their failure to disperse the mob.

“The provincial government has initiated an investigation and the injured would be transferred to Karachi for better treatment,” Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal said on Twitter.

The Quetta police have arrested 12 people in connection with the lynching of Bilal Khan. Reportedly, the lynching incident is said to have occurred over a monetary dispute. However, others stated that the three youths, who belonged to the Pashtun community, had filmed some women of the Hazara community on their mobile phones, which led to the attack on them.

Fact-check: Did Antifa rioters break into a zoo and let loose giraffe, tiger and hippopotamus on the streets in America

OpIndia Staff
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Fact-check: Did Antifa rioters break into a zoo and let loose giraffe, tiger and hippopotamus on the streets in America

On Monday, images of hippopotamus and giraffe roaming on the streets went viral on social media with various claims that these animals were spotted in various parts of America after the violence over African American man George Floyd’s killing. One viral post claimed that hippo was roaming on streets in Chicago.

Some said that the animals were let loose by violent far-left group ANTIFA after the ‘activists’ broke into a zoo.

However, that is not true. The image of giraffe dates back to 2014.

Viral image from August 2014 of ‘Louisville Purge’

‘Louisville Purge’ was an online hoax orchestrated by a teen drawing inspiration from the film The Purge. He had taken to Twitter to announce a free-for-all violent purge across city. Since the ‘purge’ itself was a hoax, the image of giraffe from the purge also appears to be a hoax.

Hence, while the image is likely of a giraffe loose on the streets, it is not from the recent riots in the US.

One of the pictures of the hippo roaming in the streets is actually from South Africa.

Hippo from South Africa

Similarly, another viral image of the hippo roaming on the streets in US is actually from Spain from 2018.

However, there were reports of a tiger on the loose from Oakland Zoo. However, the Alameda County Sheriff later clarified that all animals in the zoo are accounted for and no tiger is loose on the streets.

Riots in America

On May 25, 2020, an African American man George Floyd was killed by a white police officer. A white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on the Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes until his body became unresponsive. The video which went viral was captured by a pedestrian, who repeatedly objected to the action of Chauvin, shows the cop trying to choke the black man with his knee. Despite the victim complaining about not being able to breathe, coupled with verbal protest from onlookers, the said officer was unmoved.

The incident provoked widespread protests and riots across several parts of the United States of America. The worst-hit was Minneapolis, where the death of George Floyd took place. The protests soon turned violent which resulted in widespread riots and looting. A woman ‘protestor’ even pooped on an overturned police car in middle of riots.

After receiving flak for its Hinduphobic content, Zee5 Tamil suspends release of controversial web series ‘Godman’

OpIndia Staff
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After receiving flak for its Hinduphobic content, Zee5 Tamil suspends release of controversial web series ‘Godman’

The controversial web series – ‘Godman’, which is facing a lot of criticism over its alleged Hinduphobic storyline, has been suspended from being released on OTT platforms Zee5.

A controversy had erupted a few days back over the blatant Hinduphobia pushed by OTT platform Zee5 through its new Tamil web series ‘Godman’. Several Hindu groups, including prominent voices BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, social media users had raised their voices against the anti-Hindu web series.

Following the controversy, the online platform Zee5 has now decided to defer the release of the show – ‘Godman’. The first episode was set to be aired June 12, but it has been suspended as of now.

In a statement released by Zee5, it said that they have decided to suspend the release of this show at this moment and claimed that the producers, show, ZEE5 had “no intent whatsoever of offending or hurting any community, religious or personal beliefs or sentiments”.

Zee5 Tamil statement on Twitter

“ZEE5 is a responsible content creator. The platform has been following stringent guidelines when it comes to self-regulating content and has proactively instilled a robust set of features in this regard,” the OTT platform said in its statement.

The media group also claimed, “ZEE5 was also one of the first industry players to have signed the Code for Self-Regulation of Online Curated Content Providers”.

Zee TV group chairman Subash Chandra intervenes

Reportedly, Zee TV owner Subhash Chandra had to personally intervene to allay the fears of Hindus and assured BJP leader Subramanian Swamy that the controversial Tamil web series ‘Godman’ will not be aired on his channel Zee 5.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had raised the issue after a Hindu group, Virat Hindustan, managed by an ex-IAS officer and Swamy’s confidante Chandralekha had apprised him of the issue.

Further, Subramaniam Swamy was reportedly contacted by the Kanchi Mutt over possible content aired in the web series which could be defamatory to the revered Mutt. Reportedly, Swamy swung into action and spoke to Chandra over the Hinduphobic content of the web series.

Web series ‘Godman’ accused of Hinduphobia

The teaser of the web series to be telecast on Zee5 is laced with liberal doses of explicit content and abusive dialogues. Several Hindu organisations and users voiced their protest against the web series, alleging that the series aims to cast Brahmins and Hindu saints in a bad light. The trailer of the web series featured Jayaprakash as a Hindu saint, who is seen making crass remarks against the Brahmins.

The trailer also faced a severe backlash on social media where viewers slammed the makers for besmirching Hindus with their anti-Hindu content.

However, initially, the Zee5 chose to brazen it out by ignoring the criticism made by the users and instead shot back saying that the series is not against any specific community, caste or religion. The media group added that the content showcased is in the interest of the public at large which would keep people well informed and aware of all aspects across the society.

Later, facing intense criticism for the contentious teaser, makers quietly marked the original trailer as ‘private’ and re-released a new trailer after muting a few dialogues. 

Complaint registered against the web series

A complaint was also registered against the director and producer of the ZEE5 original web series ‘Godman’ for allegedly depicting certain sections of the Hindu community in a bad light.

Tamil Nadu BJP Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy had filed a complaint with the Chennai police alleging that Godman web series is against the Brahmin Community. 

An FIR has been registered against the director of the show Babu Yogeswaran, producer Ilango Raghupathy, producer, under charges of promoting enmity between different groups. They are booked under IPC sections 63/20, 153, 153 (A), 295A,504, 505 1(B) and 505(2).

Standup comedian apologises for insulting Hanuman Chalisa, says he is a Hindu too and will never repeat such acts

OpIndia Staff
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Standup comedian apologises for insulting Hanuman Chalisa, says he is a Hindu too and will never repeat such acts

On Monday, a stand-up comedian named Alokesh Sinha apologised for hurting Hindu sentiments and using derogatory words against the Hindu faith in one of his alleged stand-up-comedy shows. Sinha had mocked the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in a derogatory manner in one of his shows in February resulting in a complaint being registered against him.

A video of Alokesh Sinha’s performance had gone viral on social media recently, where he was seen peddling his inherent hatred against Hinduism and Lord Hanuman. In the video, the alleged stand-up-comedian was seen insulting the Hanuman Chalisa by comparing it to anti-bacterial soap.

As the anti-Hindu ‘comedy’ of Alokesh Sinha went viral on the internet, several social media users flagged the Hinduphobic content and slammed the ‘comedian’ for using derogatory words against Hinduism under the garb of comedy. Apparently, the video was recorded a few months ago.

Many people from the Hindu community were hurt regarding the increasing Hinduphobic content on media platforms. Soon, a complaint with the Cyber Cell of Mumbai was filed against him by Ramesh Solanki, a former Shivsena leader.

In his complaint, Ramesh Solanki had informed the police that the ‘Stand-up comedian’ Alokesh Sinha has hurt religious sentiments of Hindus. A complaint was also registered against the venue partner – Habitat Mumbai for providing space to people who spread anti-Hindu propaganda.

Following the backlash, ‘Stand-up comedian’ Alokesh Sinha, seems to have realised his blunder. He decided to apologise for his cheap theatrics. In a video message shared by Ramesh Solanki, Sinha was seen apologising and expressing regret over his derogatory statements against the faith of Hindus and the Hanuman Chalisa.

Alokesh Sinha not only apologised for his anti-Hindu act but also informed that the video has been taken down by him. Sinha has also informed that he is a Hindu and he believes in Lord Hanuman too. Sinha added that he will never repeat such acts in future.

Manipur Handloom calls for stopping mass production of Lierum Phee in UP to protect livelihood of traditional weavers

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur Handloom calls for stopping mass production of Lierum Phee in UP to protect livelihood of traditional weavers

K Lamlee Kamei, director, Handloom & Textiles department, Manipur, is not happy with the mass production of traditional cloth Leirum Phee in Uttar Pradesh. He has requested the Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, to take necessary steps to safeguard Manipur’s traditional design and the livelihood of local weavers.

Hindustan Times stated that in a letter written to the Ministry of Textiles, Manipur’s Handloom & Textiles department said that ‘Leirum Phee’ designed as ‘Lengyan’ or muffler has cultural, historical and emotional value. The department has also started the process of getting a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for ‘Phee,’ which means cloth in the Meitei language of Manipur.

Popularized as Modi’s Gamcha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore Leirum Phee for the first time in public during his Independence day speech on 15th August 2019. He also wore it during his address to the nation on 14th April 2020 when he announced the lockdown extension due to Covid-19. On 31st May 2020, Economic Times tweeted a video in which they showed weavers from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, producing Leirum Phee to sell on e-commerce platforms. The news attracted backlash from the people of Manipur across social media. Many users expressed their displeasure on Twitter.

History of Leirum Phee

It is believed that the production of ‘Leirum Phee’ was started during the reign of King Loyumba, who ruled Manipur during 1074-1112 AD. It is traditionally woven on a handloom and has a significant role during wedding ceremonies of the Meitei community. In 2004, the state government started using it on every social and cultural event. It was officially used in the first India ASEAN Motor Car Rally in 2004.

Leirum Phee’s mass production caused outrage

After the video emerged and several media agencies picked up the news of Leirum Phee’s mass production in the state of Uttar Pradesh, many people outraged on social media. One user tagged Narendra Modi and stated that it is unacceptable to mass-produce Lengyan as it is a source of livelihood or many women in Rural Manipur. Civil bodies of Manipur, like the ACOAM-Lup, Kangleipak, AMESCO, and HERICOUN, among others, have criticized the government of Manipur for not taking the required steps to get GI tag for the traditional ‘muffler.’

On the other hand, some users supported mass production, stating it will popularize the traditional cloth and there is no harm if weavers from other states pick up the design.

George Floyd Case: After desecrating 142-year-old Cathedral in New York, rioters rip American flag, burn historic St. John’s church in Washington DC

OpIndia Staff
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George Floyd Case: After desecrating 142-year-old Cathedral in New York, rioters rip American flag, burn historic St. John’s church in Washington DC

On Sunday, rioters have reportedly vandalised and set on fire an over 200-year-old historic St John’s church near the White House, following the killing of a 46-year-old black man named George Floyd by a white officer, Derek Chauvin, on May 25, reports The Washington Post. A graffiti with “The Devil is across [the] street” was also sprayed on one of the walls of the church.

In one of the videos of the incident shared online, rioters can be been ripping down the Americal flag hanging outside the church and appear to toss the flag into a nearby fire. A glass door or window was also allegedly shattered.

“This church has been standing in our city since the early 1800s. Please avoid the area,” the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of the District of Columbia said on Twitter on Sunday.

Washington DC police said a small fire was deliberately set in the basement of the parish house, which holds offices and the church’s nursery. Under police escort, DC firefighters quickly extinguished it. Fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said the blaze did not appear to cause any significant damage. No one from the church was reportedly in the building when the incident took place.

St. John’s Episcopal Church was built in 1815 and its first service was Oct. 27, 1816. It’s often called the “church of the presidents.” According to the church website, every president since James Madison has attended at least one service there.

Rioters desecrate 142-year-old Cathedral in New York, Synagogue in Los Angeles with hateful graffiti

In a similar incident on Saturday, rioters had reportedly desecrated the 142-year old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan in New York.

Two walls of the Cathedral were desecrated with hateful graffiti and the stairs were spray-painted in black with the name of the victim. The walls were defaced with words such as ‘F*ck’, ‘BLM (Black Lives Matter)’, NJNP (No Justice No Peace) that were written in black letters. As per the report, the sacrilegious act was committed when a mob marched past the Cathedral towards Fifth Avenue. Later, workers had scrubbed down the graffiti at the iconic cathedral.

Similarly, Synagogue Congregation Beth El on Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles was also vandalised by rioters.

“F*ck Israel” and “Free Palestine” graffiti appeared on the synagogue.

The Killing of George Floyd

On May 25, a 46-year-old African-American man, George Floyd was reportedly murdered by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on the former’s neck for 7 long minutes until his body became unresponsive. A shopkeeper had called the cops on Floyd for allegedly trying to pass a ‘potential counterfeit bill’. Despite the victim complaining about not being able to breathe, coupled with verbal protest from onlookers, the said officer was unmoved. On being taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, Floyd was pronounced dead.

Riots in Minneapolis

On Wednesday night, Police cars were vandalised and pelted with rocks. To pacify the situation, the cops resorted to firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the frenzied mob. Windows of unmanned stores were broken. Shops were raided and looted, all in the garb of a peaceful protest. Home goods such as rugs and coffee makers were stolen and stores were set ablaze. The mob also breached the security and reached for the police precinct in the neighbourhood where Floyd died. The building was set of fire by the unruly mob, amidst slogans demanding justice for the victim. On Saturday, the riots spread across the country.

Smriti Irani gives befitting reply to the All India Mahila Congress after false claims were made saying Amethi is looking for its ‘lost’ MP

OpIndia Staff
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Smriti Irani gives befitting reply to the All India Mahila Congress after false claims were made saying Amethi is looking for its ‘lost’ MP

There is a saying that the “ideal mind is the home of the devil.” Congress, being out of power from many states and the Center, has nothing much to do since the Lok Sabha elections 2014. Being one of the most hard-working Ministers, Smriti Irani has been on the receiving end of attacks since she became HRD Minister. After winning the Lok Sabha election in Amethi against Rahul Gandhi, the attacks increased by several folds. Now, All India Mahila Congress came up with a tweet in which they posted a photograph of posters asking questions from “lost” MP Smriti Irani.

The made-up allegations and questions against Smriti Irani

In the poster, Smriti Irani was blamed for not taking care of Amethi. The poster mentioned that she only came for two days since she won the election and that too for a few hours. The people of Amethi are suffering from Corona and they are scared. People have seen her playing Antakshari on Twitter. However, she does not have time to address the problems of Amethi. In the end, the poster satirically asked if Irani will only come to Amethi to give a shoulder to a dead (Smriti Irani especially went to Amethi to attend the funeral of BJP worker in 2019 few days after winning the election).

Series of tweets torn down all the allegations

Smriti Irani did not take the allegations lightly and posted a series of tweets providing information on what she has done in the last few months for Amethi and asked a few counter questions to Sonia Gandhi in the process.

In the first reply, she said that she has records of eight visits spread over 14 days in the last ten months. She counter-questioned Sonia Gandhi how many times she visited Rae Bareli since she won the 2019 elections.

She mentioned that she had worked simultaneously with collectors of Amethi, Sultanpur and Rae Bareli to ensure every eligible person in Amethi gets benefits of Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojna. In the counter-question, she asked what Sonia Gandhi has done to ensure similar benefits for the people of Rae Bareli?

She asked why the opposition did not thank Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, for starting the construction of Medical College in Amethi? It has to be noted that since the BJP government was formed in UP, Smriti Irani worked extensively to initiate the construction of Medical College in Amethi.

In another tweet, Irani said that 22,150 residents of Amethi have returned via busses and 8,322 have returned via trains and that too after completing all the formalities required for transportation during the lockdown. She mentioned that she has a record of every person who has returned. In the counter-question, she asked Sonia Gandhi to provide data of the migrants who came back to Rae Bareli.

In the last tweet, she mentioned the location of the poster as block Shahgarh, Gauriganj, where these posters were pasted. She asked why the person who pasted these posters shied away from mentioned his/her name? Irani did not like them taking a jibe on giving a shoulder to someone and said that the people of Amethi would not forgive Congress for such remark.

In the last tweet of the series, she said that many leaders of opposition in Amethi broke the rules of lockdown that brought coronavirus to Amethi. She will not follow the footsteps as she cares for the health of the people of Amethi. Irani said that it looks like Congress does not like Amethi, but she loves Amethi and cannot do anything to harm anyone who lives there.

Not the first attack on Smriti Irani

This is not the first time that opposition leaders or stooges have attacked Smriti Irani on the social network. She has been facing such attacks since 2014, ever since she took on the battle against Nehru-Gandhi dynasty scion Rahul Gandhi. In the past as well, she has been mocked by the Congress party to which she replied in kind.

As abrogation of Article 370 paves the way for pride march in Lal Chowk, Muslim fundamentalists calls PrideKashmir ‘fascist’ agents of Israel and RSS plot to alter demography

OpIndia Staff
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As abrogation of Article 370 paves the way for pride march in Lal Chowk, Muslim fundamentalists calls PrideKashmir ‘fascist’ agents of Israel and RSS plot to alter demography

The abrogation of Article 370 promises a sea of change for the terror stricken Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Where it was once difficult to unfurl the Indian Flag, some now dream of holding a pride march. However, that hasn’t gone too well with a section of its resident population. After PrideKashmir announced a pride march in Lal Chowk, they have been showered with abuses on Instagram.

One user commented, “We know it’s a part of demographic change in Kashmir by RSS and Kashmiri Pandits. I don’t have issues with LGBT Community but it’s only propaganda by Kashmiri Pandits. We will not tolerate them anymore.” Others showered them with abuses and went to the extent of calling them cancer.

Source: Instagram

Others are commenting that PrideKashmir should protest for the rights of Kashmiri people instead of holding a pride march. Ironically, if Article 370 was still in effect, then homosexuality would be a crime in Jammu & Kashmir.

Source: Instagram

Another user commented that pride marches are something that ‘Indian fascists’ have learnt from Israel. “Pinkwashing did not work for Israel and it will not work for you,” he said. Needless to say, such remarks are deeply offensive and antisemitic.

Source: Instagram

One user said that India could change the laws made by government but will not be able to change the laws of Prophet Mohammed. He said that homosexuality is haram in Islam and so is PrideKashmir. Another user opined that most of such ‘viruses’ are coming from Hindustan.

source: Instagram

Others have also made deeply homophobic against PrideKashmiri for the post which called for pride march in Lal Chowk, Srinagar.

Source: Instagram

Not just on Instagram, but the screenshot of the post is being shared on other social media platforms as well. One user commented on Twitter that he cannot let Kashmir being overrun with such ‘un-Islamic’ ideas. In reply, one user said that pride marches bring plagues, locusts and ‘all other disasters. The person has a communist symbol on his handle name.

Muslim communities are known to oppress homosexual rights. Islamic countries not only ban homosexuality outright but some also punish homosexual people with lashes while others reserve the death penalty for them. Despite such bigotry, the LGBT community is often found supporting the most radical elements within the Muslim community.

Maharashtra govt tries to rope in 2nd, 3rd-year MBBS students to manage Coronavirus patients at Mumbai municipal hospitals

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra govt tries to rope in 2nd, 3rd-year MBBS students to manage Coronavirus patients at Mumbai municipal hospitals

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Maharashtra has been unable to break the chain of coronavirus. As the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government faces severe flak for its handling of the coronavirus situation in the state, the municipal hospitals in Mumbai have now issued circulars requesting 2nd and 3rd MBBS students (major as well as minor) to return to campus for COVID-19 duty.

Colleges attached with state-run hospitals urge medical students to join as COVID warrior

After many colleges attached with state-run hospitals like Cooper, KEM and Nair, LTM Medical College and Sion, Mumbai have issued circulars, appealing to medical students to volunteer to treat the coronavirus patients. The circular issued read that the Municipal Commissioner and the additional Municipal commissioner have requested 2nd and 3rd MBBS students (major as well as minor) to join as COVID warrior. Though making the decision voluntary, the circular reads that the number of days served by these students as a COVID warrior would be deducted from their UG bond service period.

It also read that Rs 30,000 honorarium along with a certificate which will “enhance your bio-data for the future” will also be provided after completion of service. Food and accommodation will be taken care of by the college, added the circular.

Similar circulars were also circulated by colleges attached to other municipal hospitals like Cooper, Nair and KEM recently.

The Maharashtra govt spent a meagre 7% of the total deposits on COVID-19 fund on health care

Information received under RTI has reportedly revealed that the Maharashtra chief minister’s coronavirus relief fund had received Rs 342.01 crore as of May 18. However, so far the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra has only utilised Rs 23.82 crore of the total funds in the COVID-19 related arrangements.

“The Maharashtra government has spent just a meagre 7% of the total deposits on COVID 19 fund on health care. While 16 per cent of the fund was spent on migrant labourers to meet railway fares and 0.23 per cent was spent on the deceased in the railway accident. I have written it the state CM Uddhav Thackeray & requested him to use COVID19 fund to improve the health care services,” said Mumbai based RTI activist Anil.

Rising coronavirus cases in Maharashtra

Maharashtra added 2,487 cases on Sunday, taking the state’s coronavirus tally to 67,655. The state also recorded the highest deaths in India. The death toll in the state increased to 2,286. Maharashtra accounts for nearly one-third of the total cases in India as well as about 40% of all deaths.

Meanwhile, Mumbai remains to be the worst-affected city in India, with more than 20,000 cases reported so far. 

How Motilal Nehru pulled a few strings and Jawaharlal Nehru signed a bond to get out of Nabha jail in just two weeks of ‘harsh conditions’

OpIndia Staff
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How Motilal Nehru pulled a few strings and Jawaharlal Nehru signed a bond to get out of Nabha jail in just two weeks of ‘harsh conditions’

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, or Veer Savarkar as he is popularly known, has always been ignored by historians and demonised by the Congress. The Congress government, post-independence, deliberately ignored him and did not honour him as he should have been. Be it attributing words like “traitor” or “homosexual”, Congress continues its saga of belittling the brilliance and allegiance of Veer Savarkar till today.

Congress maligning Veer Savarkar

Congress has on several occasions attempted to malign Veer Savarkar’s contributions to India’s freedom by branding him as a “loyal colonialist”. Overseeing the suffering he had undergone and the truthful motives behind all his actions, the Congress has tried to slander the freedom fighter sacrifices several times by portraying him a ‘traitor’ and a ‘British stooge’. Congress has gone to the extent of garlanding Savarkar’s statue with a shoe or blackening it to express their hatred towards that freedom fighter. They have purportedly given the reason as Savarkar writing petitions “begging for clemency” from the British while in jail in the Andamans, where he was incarcerated from 1911 to 1921. 

Jawaharlal Nehru buckled under pressure

When Congress members tell us today that Savarkar was “anti-national” because he sent ‘mercy petitions and clemencies’ to British in jail, I simply ask, what would they call Jawaharlal Nehru who had signed a bond with the British, merely after spending 2 weeks in the Nabha Jail in 1923.

According to the plaque at the Nabha jail site, Nehru was arrested along with K Santanam and AT Gidwani on September 22, 1923, for defying an order banning entry into the princely state of Nabha. He was awarded a jail term of 2 years. However, not being able to withstand the complexities, Nehru, only after two-weeks signed a bond, never to enter the princely state of Nabha again.

Prof Chaman Lal, renowned chronicler of India’s freedom struggle and an ex-professor at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) had confirmed that “Nehru was detained for a few hours in the Jaitu police cell, while he was kept for around two weeks in the Nabha jail.”

Prof Lal stated that compared to other jails where Nehru was kept, including Naini and Gorakhpur, he received ill-treatment at the hands of the police and jail authorities in Nabha. “Nehru was released from the Nabha jail only after he signed a bond that he would never enter the princely state again!” he said.

It is believed that Nehru’s father, Motilal Nehru, had even reached out to the Viceroy asking for a recommendation to get him released. K Santanam, a freedom fighter who was imprisoned with Nehru, in his famous memoir ‘Handcuffed with Jawaharlal’ had said: “Our imprisonment in the Nabha jail was not known to the outside world. Pandit Motilal Nehru got worried and tried to ascertain our whereabouts from various officials and non-officials in Punjab. Failing to get any reply, he approached the Viceroy himself who got the information from Nabha.”

“This took two to three days. The authorities of the Nabha jail suddenly changed their attitude and arrangements were made for our bathing. Our clothes were given to us and friends from outside were allowed to send fruits and other eatables,” Santanam had recalled.

In his autobiography, Nehru had himself mentioned that the atrocities, he and his colleagues, faced in Nabha Jail, prompted them to sign a bond of compliance with the British, to never enter the territory of Nabha, again.

“In Nabha Jail we were all three kept in a most unwholesome and unsanitary cell. It was small and damp, with a low ceiling which we could almost touch. At night we slept on the floor, and I would wake up with a start, full of horror, to find that a rat or a mouse had just passed over my face,” wrote Jawaharlal Nehru.

Ironically, Nehru who buckled under mere two weeks pressure is branded as a great leader, freedom fighter and a nationalist by the Congress, whereas Veer Savarkar who was given 2 life imprisonment of 50 years at the infamous Kaala Pani prison in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been termed a “traitor” and “British stooge” by the same people.

Veer Savarkar and his cellular jail ordeal

At Cellular Jail, Veer Savarkar was subjected to unconscionable torture and inhumane treatment that tested the very limits of his conviction. He was, reportedly, restrained in chains, flogged, and resigned to six months of solitary confinement. The British, made him pound coir with his bare hands where his hands were often dripped with blood. He had to manually turn a massive wheel, that would squeeze coconuts for oil and had to produce about 30 pounds a day. While this punishment was only given to those who were “not behaving with the guards”, Savarkar was often made to do it despite his good conduct.

Left all alone, he scraped poems on the prison walls. In order to torment him, the guards whitewashed the walls on which he scraped poems. By some accounts, he was often forced to eat rotten food infested with worms and insects as punishment for his ‘crimes’ against the government. Having to go through life all alone, being allowed to write letters once in a year and a half, to his loved ones and going through tremendous physical and mental torture in a compressed cell.

Following the closure of the prison at Port Blair, Savarkar was eventually deported to Ratnagiri Prison in May of 1921, where his torture continued.

Unlike numerous political prisoners who were driven to insanity or committed suicide, Savarkar showed remarkable resilience. He wrote strategic letters of ploy to the Britishers, not only for himself but for others also, to get out of jail, which the Congress has been shamelessly twisting for decades now. One here needs to ask, how many top leaders of the Congress had to suffer such harsh punishments?

Savarkar demanded complete independence from the British

Let us not forget that he was the one who formed the revolutionary secret society- Mitra Mela, which later got renamed to Abhinav Bharat Society in the early 1900s. Savarkar demanded complete independence from the British, a thought that was not yet conceived then. He also led the central role in starting the revolutionary movement in London, where he gathered people to fight for India’s independence.

We should never forget the harsh treatment meted out to him in the cellular jail of Andaman for eleven long years. He got a conditional release only to be detained in Ratnagiri for a significant part of his life. Criticizing is an easy task, but one should delve in deeper before coming to any conclusions!

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