Rashad al-Alimi, the President of Yemen has authorised the death sentence awarded to Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in a 2017 murder case. Nimisha Priya is currently lodged in the Central Jail in the Yemeni national capital Sanaa for murdering a Yemeni citizen. The Indian nurse convicted of murder will be executed within a month unless her family manages to obtain a pardon.
Responding to this, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that they are aware of the sentencing and are exploring relevant options. “We are aware of the sentencing of Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Nimisha Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Nimisha Priya’s arrest and dispute over payment of pre-negotiation fees
Nimisha Priya, a native of Kerala’s Palakkad district, was arrested in July 2017 for allegedly murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Three years later, a trial court in Sana’a sentenced her to death in 2020, and her appeal was rejected by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.
However, the possibility of paying blood money to the deceased person’s family remained open. Her freedom was dependent on convincing the victim’s family, and their tribe leader to forgive her. Her death sentence could have been overturned if the victim’s family had forgiven her and taken the blood money instead.
Reports say that Priya’s family is making efforts to agree with the deceased victim’s family regarding blood money. In April this year, the convict’s mother Prema Kumari went to Yemen to get her daughter out of prison. This was the first time she met Nimisha in 11 years.
The negotiation bid was stalled due to a delay in the payment to Abdullah Ameer, the lawyer appointed on behalf of Nimisha Priya. The lawyer had demanded USD 40,000 in two instalments as pre-negotiation fees and stated that the legal proceeding would not move further until the entire amount is paid.
Reports say that initially, Ameer demanded $20,000 (Rs 16 lakh approximately) of which $19, 871 was already paid to Ameer in July by the Indian External Affairs Ministry.
The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council initially crowdfunded money for the lawyer’s fees, however, they later struggled with ensuring transparency to the donors regarding the usage of the raised funds.
Nimisha Priya had a dispute with Talal Abdo Mehdi over a clinic partnership
After finishing her nursing program, she went to Yemen in 2008 to support her daily-wage worker parents. She first worked in numerous hospitals in Yemen before deciding to create her own clinic.
Back in 2014, Priya got acquainted with Talal Abdo Mahdi, who promised to assist her in opening her clinic. A partnership was essential since Yemeni law requires all businesses to be started with a local partner. The duo, however, called the partnership off due to differences.
A year later, Nimisha Priya opened her clinic without involving Mahdi, which apparently enraged him who then reportedly started threatening Priya and took her passport to prevent her from leaving Yemen. Consequently, Priya filed a complaint against him, which resulted in his arrest in 2016. Mahdi, however, was released after some time.
In her plea filed before the Yemeni Supreme Court, Nimisha Priya’s mother alleged that Mahdi had stolen Nimisha’s wedding photograph when he accompanied her to Kerala on a month-long holiday. He manipulated the photograph to later claim that Nimisha was married to him.
Moreover, when the duo returned and Nimisha opened her clinic on her own, Mahdi allegedly embezzled her clinic’s revenue and also manipulated the clinic’s ownership documents. Priya further claimed that upon confronting Mahdi over the alleged embezzlement, he grew hostile and began taking money from Priya’s earnings against her will by using the morphed photograph to claim that the duo were married to each other. In addition, Priya’s plea states that while Mahdi was earlier harassing Nimisha, he soon resorted to physically torturing her and seized her passport.
Furthermore, when she approached Sanaa police in this regard, instead of acting against Mahdi, the police arrested her and jailed her for 6 days.
“After a while, Nimisha’s clinic began, Mahdi manipulated the ownership documents of the clinic. He also began to take money out of her monthly earnings after telling everyone that Nimisha was his wife Nimisha had alleged that Mahdi had been harassing her and her family for years. Mahdi also seized her passport. This was done to ensure that she would not leave Yemen. He tortured her under the influence of drugs. He threatened her at gunpoint several times. He took all the money from the clinic and her ornaments,” the plea states.
Yemeni national’s murder
In 2017, when the two were having a dispute, Priya injected him with sedatives in a bid to regain her passport from his possession. However, Mahdi died from an overdose and Nimisha Priya was convicted of the murder a year later and sentenced to death.
Priya’s family has been working to get the death punishment waived. Her mother, Prema Kumari, filed an appeal against the death sentence with the Yemini Supreme Court, but it was dismissed in 2023.
In July 2017, Priya allegedly approached the warden of a jail near her clinic, who advised her to drug Mahdi and then obtain her passport. However, Mahdi was a substance abuser, therefore the dose did not work for him as desired. Subsequently, Nimisha Priya allegedly attempted to sedate Mahdi again, this time with the help of her fellow nurse Hannan, however, Mahdi died from an overdose. The two panicked and chopped Mahdi’s body before putting it in a water tank.
The accused duo were soon arrested and in 2018, Priya was convicted of murder. A trial court in Sanaa sentenced her to death in 2020, and Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council rejected her appeal in November 2023. Meanwhile, Hannan received a life sentence.
While Priya was awarded the death sentence, she had the option to give blood money to Mahdi’s family since her death sentence could only be waived if the deceased victim’s family pardoned her.
The discourse on social media, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter), appears to be dominated by racists these days from White Supremacists and their lackeys. They are apparently about the H-1B visa program which permits high skilled foreign professionals to work in the United States. They characterized the program as corrupt, claiming it is intended to source low-cost labor from ‘third world countries,’ especially India, allowing companies to evade hiring American employees who would demand higher wages and shorter working hours.
Moreover, the white supremacists contended that this is leading to the displacement of American workers who possess superior qualifications compared to their Indian counterparts. They even turned to conspiracy theories alleging that large technology firms are deliberately sidelining American workers in favor of Indian employees as part of a nefarious conspiracy and started to peddle victimhood narrative.
The controversy was notably ignited by the appointment of Sriram Krishnan as Senior AI Advisor by President-elect Donald Trump. Many prominent Americans from the technology industry including Elon Musk and other sectors rallied in support of Indians, denouncing the white nationalists who explicitly asserted that race should be prioritized over skill when processing such visas. Unsurprisingly, the objection which initially alleged to be solely against Indian hires, quickly escalated into a comprehensive derogatory assault on Indians, Hindus, Hindusim and all things pertaining to it.
Racists across the spectrum joined hands to disparage India, claiming concerns over the ‘exploitation of H-1B visas’ while complaining about the supposed inability of Indians to assimilate into the ‘progressive American culture’ rooted in European foundations. They propagated egregious misinformation and engaged in overtly racist rhetoric, revealing their deep-seated animosity and cultural ignorance.
Failed comedian Leonarda Jonie, who is known primarily for her racist outbursts directed at Indians and was even removed from several social media platforms, including X united with far-right commentator Stew Peters in a dismal attempt to target Indians with a range of offensive slurs. Video of the interaction or rather verbal vomiting went viral online drawing widespread condemnation.
Stew Peters has repeatedly demonstrated a vehement hostility towards Indians and Jewish people, creating conspiracy theories that he promotes as factual to his equally racist followers. His claims, which include characterizing Indians as subservient to Jewish agendas and labelling the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing as fraudulent, serve as a clear indication of his deranged perspective and disturbed mind.
Cockroaches, parasites and wife-stealers
“India, I mean they steal everything from everyone, all of the most vulnerable including their wives. I have a friend of mine who this, you know Indian doctor. There are all kinds of these Indian doctors because it is really cheap to go to a doctor school in India, apparently. Then they come over here and all they do is push the big pharma (pharmaceutical industry) poisons that are killing millions causing them to die suddenly and drop dead,” Peter articulated his extensive understanding of India’s education system to a gleefully smiling Leonarda Jonie.
It is clear, even to those lacking knowledge on the subject, that the entrance examination for prospective medical students is exceedingly challenging for admission into institutions not referred to as “doctor schools.” Nevertheless, Peters, who devotes much of his time to envying others instead of focusing on improving his own situation, was ignorant of this simple fact.
He added, “But when they come over here, you know they present themselves in these white lab coats like some distinguished, high dollar earning and sophisticated doctor. Then they run around like cockroaches and parasites wiping cow dung on their face and sleeping with white men’s wives. Because he is a doctor and I can have a better life over here. And the next thing you know you are with some fat, fupa (fat upper pubic area), stinky like disgusting cow dung-ridden dot head Indian that will never assimilate into your culture ever.”
“They brush their teeth with this stuff. They eat soup that’s this stuff. They are disgusting parasitic people and then we want to embrace them. Fox tells you how excited you should be that all of these Indians are coming here and we are going to be so much more intellectually advanced and technologically sound because of the Indians. No, they are third-world parasites and they are pieces of crap. They are terrible people who have no moral ground or upstanding and you are right they don’t value the human life and they gang rape women. That’s who these people are,” Peters declared.
His fixation on cow dung and parasites evokes the well-known adage, “You see the world as you are.” While he may envision himself as a defender of the white race, the reality is that he is simply another individual struggling to cope with the fact that his inadequacies are highlighted by the achievements of someone with brown skin. Figures like Peters and Jordie engaged in mockery of Indians, mistakenly believing that their disdain would somehow contribute to improving the lives of disappointments like them.
Who is Stew Peters: Law breaker, thief and wife beater
Stew Peters who runs Stew Peters Network is a failed rapper and former bounty hunter turned conspiracy theorist. He is not only a race-baiter but also has a history of legal troubles. He hosts conspiratorial Stew Peters Show and even makes viral anti-vax propaganda flicks. His recent movie “Occupied” aims to reveal “Jewish supremacy” in the West and he has even shown the White House flying the Israeli flag. Earlier this month, he was detained for driving under the influence (DUI) in his hometown of Minnesota after he crashed an ATV.
On the evening of 1st December, Peters was taken into custody in Red Wing, a Minneapolis suburb, reported Rolling Stone. A neighbor became concerned that the man could have been driving under the influence of alcohol and called the police to the scene of the accident. The officer found Peters heading toward his house close to the scene of the collision. The police report stated that he first admitted to flipping the Can-Am ATV, telling the officer that “the f**k*r is top heavy,” and that he was on his way home to collect the vehicle with his trailer.
According to the police officer, he asked Peters if he had been drinking and where he was coming from. Peters told the police officer that he had visited a “buddy’s house” and had likely had “three beers.” He was described by the officer as “swaying slightly,” slurring his words, and having a “smell of alcohol emanating from his person.” Peters’ story then started to change when the officer requested him to do a field sobriety test. He reportedly went on to “change his story several times,” including abruptly asserting that he had not been operating the flipped car.
After being taken into custody, Peters was sent to a county prison facility to undergo an alcohol test. Peters blew a.19 on an alcohol breathalyzer test after a brief delay at the detention facility. The state’s legal blood alcohol limit is.08. According to the police report Peters denied knowing about the crashed ATV, drinking and driving while intoxicated.
After being charged with two gross misdemeanor DUI offenses, Peters was released from custody on 2nd December after posting a $12,000 bond. According to court documents, Peters must be linked up to an alcohol monitor and prohibited from using alcohol as a condition of his release.
In February 2021, Peters’ wife reported him to the police in Red Wing, Minnesota, charging that he had returned home from his bowling league inebriated, according to a report in The Daily Beast. According to the police complaint, she mentioned that he began to batter her and hurl household objects, such as pillows and boots, at her in a furious attempt to locate his phone.
When police arrived on the scene, they discovered Peters, who looked to be drunk. The report unveiled that his wife showed authorities video she had taken of her husband hurling objects at her and cursing at her. She nodded yes when questioned if she was worried Peters might attack her and mentioned, “That’s the reason that I had to call you guys.”
According to one officer on the scene, situations like the one that night were “happening too frequently,” and his wife informed officers that her husband frequently became violently intoxicated. His wife disclosed that she was scared to phone the police and usually remained quiet until Peters passed out. She told police that Peters had became enraged when he couldn’t find his wallet during a recent trip to Florida, stealing her purse and identity while leaving her feeling “trapped.”
She expressed, “I don’t know what he’s capable of doing when he’s drinking.” Peters provided police with conflicting accounts of how the confrontation started and how he became so inebriated. According to the report, Peters told officers, “I know how this goes, so I’m the guy that goes bowling and gets drunk, I come home, and the wife is pissed that I’m drunk.”
Peters protested that the arrest would ruin his bounty-hunting career as the cops handcuffed him. “You are ruining my kids’ lives, I’ll never earn a goddamn dime,” he cried. He refused to be swabbed in order to test for the virus after his detention, continuing to express his opposition to coronavirus procedures and claimed, “If someone sticks something up my nose while I’m in handcuffs you will be arresting me for something a lot more serious. I will physically resist anybody trying to do anything to my body.”
Peters faced charges of assault, disorderly behavior, and domestic violence. However, his wife then alleged that he had never physically harmed her and that she wasn’t concerned about her safety in an email requesting the lifting of a restriction that kept Peters from living with his family. After entering a guilty plea to a charge of disorderly behavior, he received a probationary term.
As a youngster, Peters was also found guilty of stealing audio equipment from the Radio Shack where he worked. In 2006, he was arrested in Florida for robbery of less than $300 with a firearm, illegal use of a blue light, and falsely posing as an officer. Those accusations were later withdrawn.
After working as a rapper under the moniker “Fokiss” and a radio DJ, Peters received his first taste of online fame as a bounty hunter, hiring bail bond businesses in Florida and Minnesota to apprehend defendants who had evaded bail. However, there has been criticism about his bounty-hunting work. His police-like attire prompted a 2015 legislative change in Minnesota that limited the amount of law enforcement attire that bounty hunters could wear.
Supporters of the clause argued that it was specifically directed at Peters and that defendants were deceived about whether they were being detained by police or a bounty hunter by his attire and vehicle, which resembled a police cruiser. Scott McNurlin, the sheriff of Goodhue County, told the Associated Press that the publicity-hungry Peters appeared to be trying to outdo Dog the Bounty Hunter, a well-known bail bondsman. “Anybody would think this guy is a cop,” he added.
Based on the allegations, it appears that Peters is incompatible with American or any other civilised society as he has a record of being a repeat offender.
The vitriol aimed at Indians by Peters and his ilk is clearly indicative that the matter is less about job occupation and more about race. Otherwise, there would be no need to invoke religious or cultural identities to belittle them and peddle a false narrative of racial dominance all the while lamenting the presence of Indians in prominent roles and in the workforce. Irony just died a thousand deaths.
The self-proclaimed MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters headed by Laura Loomer even attempted to exert pressure on Donald Trump by asserting that their votes were intended to elevate Americans to prominent positions, rather than those who came to the US from India. Curiously, Sriram Krishnan, an American by birth, seems to struggle with being recognized as such by them due to the color of his skin.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who is originally from Pretoria in South Africa, came in support of Sriram Krishnan. He acknowledged the shortcomings of the H-1B visa system that require rectification, however, strongly opposed the xenophobic attacks directed at individuals of Indian descent and supported the influx of additional highly skilled immigrants to the US. He pointed out, “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.”
The German government has accused Tesla CEO and entrepreneur Elon Musk of interfering in the country’s upcoming election after he endorsed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a report by Euro News.
Officials, including government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann, Social Democratic Party (SPD) co-leader Lars Klingbeil, and Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s largest opposition party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) condemned Musk’s comments on Germany.
“It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election through his statements,” Hoffmann said.
She added that although Musk was “free to express his opinion” it was worth noting Musk was recommending voting for a party that is “being monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution on suspicion of being right-wing extremist and that has already been recognized as being right-wing extremist in parts.”
SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil also criticised Musk, comparing him to Russian President Vladimir Putin and accusing him of election interference.
Klingbeil alleged that Musk’s public endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the country’s snap elections is a deliberate attempt to weaken Germany’s democracy and called for stricter regulation of major internet platforms like Musk’s X.
In an interview with Funke Mediengruppe on Monday, Klingbeil likened Musk to Putin, saying that “both want to influence our elections and are deliberately supporting the AfD, the enemies of democracy. They want Germany to be weakened and plunge into chaos.”
“We need to be much more proactive and effectively limit the power of the large internet platforms like Musk’s short message service, X. Here, a tech billionaire is trying to use his influence to influence the course of world politics,” Euro News reported.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz called Musk’s endorsement of the far-right AfD an unprecedented example of meddling between allied nations and highlighted the potential economic harm of AfD policies, such as their push for Germany to exit the European Union.
Merz said Musk had overlooked several of the AfD’s policies when drafting his op-ed, including its stated desire for Germany to leave the European Union, something Merz and many others argue would be extremely damaging to Germany’s economy, according to a report by Euro News.
Last week, Musk sparked controversy in Germany by openly endorsing the AfD.
In a post on X, Musk wrote, “The portrayal of the AfD as rightwing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you.”
Earlier, Musk had called Chancellor Scholz a “fool” after the collapse of his three-party coalition. Musk posted in German on X: “Olaf ist ein Narr.” The sentence translates to — “Olaf is a fool.”
In a major turn of events, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had lost a confidence vote in their parliament forcing the country into snap elections seven months ahead of schedule.
The vote on December 16 came after Scholz’s fragile coalition collapsed, sparking a political crisis in the largest economy of the European Union.
Only 207 lawmakers voted in Scholz’s support in the 733-member lower house, or Bundestag, while 394 members voted against him and 116 abstained. That left him far short of the majority of 367 needed to sustain in power. Following this, the snap elections for a new parliament will take place on February 23.
In Germany, Scholz – who previously served as mayor of Hamburg and finance minister before becoming the head of a new government in 2021 – accused the Free Democrats of wanting to block investment in the country.
Seen as a continuity candidate when he took over from Angela Merkel three years ago, he has framed next year’s election as an opportunity for voters to set a new course, casting the vote as a choice between a future of growth versus one of austerity, according to Al Jazeera.
If he gets a second term, Scholz said he would invest heavily in Germany’s creaking infrastructure and would not make the spending cuts he said the conservatives want.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On the night of 30th December, a temple at Vikas Nagar intersection in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh was vandalized by anonymous persons. The idol of the goddess was also damaged. Many members of the Hindu community notified the police, the next morning after learning about the incident. The Industrial Area Police have initiated an investigation and filed a case against unidentified individuals. The FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team also arrived at the scene and carried out an inquiry after learning of the occurrence.
Local councilor Ajay Tomar stated, “This is a very old temple. Anti-social elements have sabotaged the place. We demand that the accused be arrested within 24 hours. Otherwise, there will be a massive protest.” Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Mahendra Singh Solanki, the MP for Dewas-Shajapur expressed, “I came to know that there is a temple of Kalika Mata in Vikas Nagar area which has been attacked by anti-social elements.”
“I immediately reached the location after gaining information. I performed darshan and found out that the temple was not how it used to be earlier. The police are present there. They have been instructed to find out the perpetrators as soon as possible. I will also discuss the matter with the Superintendent of Police and other relevant parties. This has hurt our religious sentiments and I assure everyone that strict action will be taken against the culprits,” he added.
While the world is looking forward to the celebrations of the upcoming new year, India’s neighbouring country Bangladesh is facing another crisis. Reports suggest that the protesters in the country have now demanded the interim government installed after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government to abolish the 1972 Constitution, established during the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is speculated that the current interim government might make this historic announcement on the last day of the 2024 year.
As per the reports, along with abolishing the constitution, key positions such as President and Army Chief might also be eliminated if the interim government heeds to the demands put forth by the protesters. The ‘student’ organization that spearheaded the so-called revolution might further consider declaring a new republic to replace the existing government structure.
While there are speculations that the student organization might announce a new republic in Bangladesh, it remains unclear whether the nation will be declared an Islamic state or a secular republic. Reports suggest that this decision might escalate tensions for India as it might face diplomatic challenges under the evolving circumstances.
At present the interim government is in place in Bangladesh, replacing the ousted Sheikh Hasina government. This interim administration is led by Mohammad Yunus who has associations with several terrorist groups. Yunus has been known to extend significant support to fundamentalist groups, causing unease in several nations, including India. The United States has also expressed concerns regarding the ongoing speculations in Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi student leader Hasnat Abdullah has commented on the situation and said that the 1972 Constitution is a “Mujibist law” and it may be buried by 2024 year-end. Additionally, he has voiced strong criticism against India, stating the 1972 Constitution allowed India to interfere in Bangladesh’s affairs. Hasnat announced that a declaration will be made on the afternoon of December 31st at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, outlining the vision for the future of Bangladesh.
It is believed that the leader is in constant touch with the Pakistani administration. Recently, Yunus and Pakistan PM Sharif met at the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation meeting. It is reported that the two Islamic countries are also planning to escalate the business opportunities offering eased trade practices to each other.
The preparations for the grand festival of Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s ‘Sangam Nagari’ Prayagraj. Expected to host over 40 crore devotees from across the globe, this 45-day festival, from January 13 to February 26 will showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and spiritual traditions.
Dome City
In a perfect blend of modernity, grandeur and spirituality, a Dome City is being set up in Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. The fire-proof Dome City is almost ready and the rent of the cottages built in the Dome City will be up to Rs 81 thousand. A grand Dome City is being constructed in 3 hectares at a cost of Rs 51 crore. These Dome City cottages will offer a view of Sangam all around amidst the cold breeze. People will be able to see the Ganga and Yamuna rivers from inside the oval cottage. Its look has been kept like 360 degrees. The facility of attached toilet has also been provided.
Besides, tourists coming to Prayagraj Maha Kumbh will now be able to enjoy the panoramic view of Sangam through a speed motor boat. This service will start from the first week of January. It will be operated by the Tourism Department from the fort and Arail Ghat. Devotees will go to Sangam by boat, take a bath on the floating jetty there and then return.
In addition, the Tourism Department is running a special training program for Maha Kumbh. Under this program, guides, taxi drivers, vendors and sailors who take people on a tour of the city are being trained.
Special arrangements for cleanliness
As an estimated number of 40 crore devotees will be arriving in Prayagraj, maintaining cleanliness is a major concern for the administration. Keeping this in view, about 10 lakh green toilets are being installed in the entire Sangam area. The speciality of these green toilets is that they will not cause any dirt.
To keep Prayagraj Maha Kumbh clean, all the social organizations of Firozabad will collect and send 11,500 plates so that people do not use polythene and disposables.
Hospitals set in Mahakumbhnagar for devotees
In the Mahakumbhnagar in Prayagraj, special hospitals have been set up for devotees. Speaking about the Central Hospital, Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said “The 100-bed Central Hospital established in the Parade area of Maha Kumbh Mela, is well-equipped with facilities including OPD, general ward, delivery centre, ICU and operation theatre. Separate wards have been set up for males, females and children. The hospital also has diagnostic centres such as X-ray, biochemistry lab and ultrasound.”
Notably, the people have started receiving treatment in this hospital. In the last two days, the hospital facilitated the delivery of a baby boy and a baby girl who with the consent of their families have been named “Kumbh” and “Ganga” respectively. The Deputy CM congratulated the two families. He said that 231 doctors in different categories have been posted in the hospital, in addition, para-medic staff has also been posted.
Railways to run 3000 special trains for Maha Kumbh 2025
On Monday, the Indian Railways announced that it is launching a mammoth operation to manage the Maha Kumbh 2025, with 3,000 special trains scheduled for service, including 560 trains on ring rail routes. North Central Railway manager Upendra Chandra Joshi said that 560 ticketing points are being established at nine major stations in Prayagraj, such as Prayagraj Junction, Subedarganj, Naini, and Prayag Junction. The official said that these ticketing booths, along with sites across the fairgrounds, are expected to issue approximately 10 lakh tickets each day, aided by a new feature that allows people to reserve tickets 15 days in advance.
World largest Trishul to be seen in Maha Kumbh
Among many attractions to be seen in the holy city during Maha Kumbh, a massive 151-feet tall Trishul has been installed at the Mauj Giri Ashram of the Juna Akhara of the Sanyasis who belong to the Shaivite tradition of Sanatan Dharma.
Security Arrangements
Advanced Surveillance systems have been installed to ensure safety and security. This includes AI-powered crowd density monitoring with over 340 experts at key locations. Thousands of CCTV cameras and drones will be utilized for aerial surveillance. Some of the cameras will be AI-powered. Moreover, facial recognition technology will be used at entry points for enhanced safety.
For fire safety, four Articulating Water Towers (AWTs) capable of tackling fires up to 35 meters high, and 30 metres wide will be deployed. Over ₹131 crores have been allocated for fire safety measures. The AWTs are equipped with advanced technologies, including video and thermal imaging systems, to prevent fire incidents and enhance safety.
For the first time, underwater drones capable of diving up to 100 meters will provide round-the-clock surveillance in the Sangam area. On the other hand, a team of 56 cyber warriors will monitor online threats. Cyber help desks are being set up in all police stations.
To enhance safety and disaster readiness, a State-of-the-art Multi-Disaster Response vehicle will be deployed. They are capable of handling situations ranging from natural disasters to road accidents. This includes a lifting bag with a capacity of 10 to 20 tons, enabling the rescue of individuals buried under debris, and specialized machines to lift and move heavy objects weighing up to 1.5 tons.
Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister AK Sharma on Monday said that all preparations have been made for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. He further stressed that this 2025 event will be “unique” and “divine”, guaranteeing an extraordinary experience for all participants.
Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, “The Mahakumbh is starting from January 2025, but in reality, lakhs of people have already arrived at the Kumbh site. For this (Mahakumbh), we have made extensive arrangements… More than Rs 15,000 crore worth of projects have been implemented here. We have made all the preparations for the Kumbh… This time, the Mahakumbh will be unique, and divine, and I guarantee it.
The Mahakumbh held once every 12 years, is scheduled to begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26, 2025, in Prayagraj. The main bathing festival, known as the “Shahi Snan” (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).
As part of the preparations for the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, Uttar Pradesh Police will use underwater drones for enhanced security. Inspector-General of Police (IG) PAC East Zone Prayagraj, Rajeev Narain Mishra Speaking to ANI, said that an underwater drone was tested on December 25, and will be used by the water police and the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC).
“Efforts have been made to use all the new technology available to ensure the smooth conduct of this Maha Kumbh. In this sequence, an underwater drone has been tested today. It will be used by the water police and PAC. This is the kind of drone that can identify a person or object underwater. We can use it anytime as per our requirement. We are constantly making arrangements for all kinds of surveillance in water,” IG Mishra said.
The Maha Kumbh 2025 will showcase a vibrant display of India’s cultural diversity from January 10 to February 24. The Uttar Pradesh Culture Department is finalising preparations to present the rich folk arts of India during this period, a press release stated.
The Culture Department will set up 20 small stages at key locations across Prayagraj, allowing tourists, devotees, and locals to experience the country’s diverse cultural heritage over 45 days. Folk dance forms from various states across India will be performed on these stages.
On Monday, 30th December, several Hindu individuals associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal (BD) filed a police complaint against some Christians in Barnala village of Haryana’s Ambala district. The Hindus stated that the converted Christians assaulted them after they objected to the event where the deceitful conversion of Dalit Hindus was taking place in the name of prayer meetings.
As per the initial reports, a converted Christian now working as a Pastor, Vikram Aliyazar had organized an alleged prayer meeting in one of the rented premises in Barnala village. The Hindu activists revealed that the pastor had invited many Hindus to the event and was influencing them to convert their religion to Christianity.
Activists from Bajrang Dal acted on a tip-off and arrived at the scene to identify that many Hindus from the Scheduled Caste community had joined the event. Further tensions escalated as the activists questioned why so many Hindus were forced to join the event in the name of Christian prayers. The activists claimed that the organizers had been using manipulative and forceful tactics to convert the Hindus in the name of Christian prayers.
Following this, the organizers raised slogans and also allegedly attacked the activists using stones, injuring one of them. One of the Bajrang Dal activists talked to the media and confirmed that illegal conversion of Hindus had been taking place in the Barnala village for a very long time. “We got a tip-off this time after which we reached the spot. There we found that all the attendees of the so-called prayer meet were Hindus from the backward community. We then questioned the organizers about what they were doing to these people. On this, the organizers began abusing us and pelting stones at us,” the BD activist said.
Scuffle breaks out between Hindus and 'Converted' Christians amidst slogans of Jai Shri Ram and Hallelujah
In Barnala village of Ambala, Punjab, a missionary prayer meeting was organised in a rented apartment by recent convert Vikram Aliyazar, who now works as a pastor.… pic.twitter.com/VNMLqHwggE
He also added that one of the Hindu activists has been severely injured and has been admitted to the hospital for treatment. He said that the police were informed about the stone pelting after which the authorities reached the spot and calmed the situation.
The Hindus have filed a complaint in the case and demanded appropriate action against the organizers who were allegedly converting Hindus in the name of the Christian prayer meeting.
The Hindu activists claimed that the Hindus who have already converted their religion to Christianity should also not be offered any special benefits which are usually offered to the backward castes. “We have no issues. It is just that these people should not get double benefits. They are offered benefits by the missionaries and also by the government not knowing that they are converts. This must stop,” the activist claimed.
Meanwhile, another complaint has been filed by the pastor claiming that the Hindu activists barged into the event and allegedly interrupted the so-called prayer session. Pastor Vikram in the complaint stated that the Hindu activists raised slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and created an alleged ruckus at the event. He said that they allegedly pelted stones and attacked women and children who were attending the event.
“I have been peacefully holding prayers at this venue for the past four years. But this is the first time such an incident has happened. Several people were injured, and property was damaged,” he claimed. He also accused the police of taking no action against the Hindus and said that they were under the influence of the ruling party to file a cross FIR against him.
“If no action is taken, we will hold demonstrations on roads,” he claimed.
Station House Officer (SHO) Vikrant Singh of Panjokhra Police Station in Ambala meanwhile commented on the issue and said that complaints from both the groups have been received but FIR so far has been filed only based on the complaint by the Pastor. As per the police, Pastor Vikran has named Bajrang Dal President Devi Dayal in the FIR.
“Christian community members, a majority of them women and children, were holding prayers at around 12 noon in a rented hall in Barnala village area of Ambala on Sunday when some miscreants arrived there in vehicles and entered the hall chanting slogans of Jai Shri Ram, forced the participants to stop their prayers and started beating women and children. When I stopped them, they threatened to kill me,” he alleged.
However, Daya denied the charges and said that the organizers led by the Pastor hit the Hindu activists as they questioned about the ongoing conversion event that was happening in the name of a prayer meeting. He said that one of the activists was severely injured due to the stone pelting initiated by the organizers and demanded action against the illegal conversion.
After Sambhal, Kashi, and Kanpur, the Gauri Shankar Temple in Moradabad, which had been closed for 44 years, reopened on 30th December 2024. During an excavation on Monday, the government discovered Shivling, Nandi, and Hanumanji’s broken idols.
It has been revealed that the temple’s priest was killed during the 1980 riots. The Muslim mob vandalised the idols. Following this, the temple was closed. However, seven days ago, the deceased priest’s grandson filed an application with Moradabad DM Anuj Singh to reopen the temple. The local people had also staged a demonstration before the collectorate and demanded the temple’s reopening and restoration.
The police and administration team had previously visited a Muslim-dominated Jhabbu ka Nala Mohalla in the Nagfani area, where the temple was later found.
After this, DM Anuj sought a report from the Deputy District Magistrate Ram Mohan Meena regarding the temple. On December 27, the Sub-District Magistrate collected information from the people associated with the temple. It was found that a transgender named Mohini used to clean the temple. It came to light that some walls were built illegally making it difficult to reach the temple.
Following the riots in 1980, the temple’s sanctum sanctorum was blocked off by the construction of a wall. On Monday, these walls were demolished amid strict security, uncovering the temple.
At around 1.30 pm on Monday, Lord Hanuman’s statue started appearing on the wall of the temple. There is a place for Shivling on the ground, however, the Shivling is missing while Nandi is installed nearby. Some more statues have emerged on the wall, but they are broken. As per the administration, now the statues will be secured here and arrangements will be made for their worship.
According to Seva Ram, his great-grandfather Bhimsen used to take care of the temple and also perform puja. However, in the riots of 1980, a Muslim mob allegedly killed Bhimsen and his body was also not found. It is said that after killing the priest Bhimsen, the frenzied mob threw his body into the fire.
After this incident, the rest of Bhimsen’s family settled in Linepar area. Following this, the temple was also closed and gradually, the idols of the temple also disappeared. Sevaram has complained to the DM that whenever he goes to open this temple, Muslims do not let him open the doors of the temple. Moreover, he is threatened with dire consequences if he opens the doors.
1980 Moradabad Riots
Back in 1980, communal riots erupted in Moradabad that killed at least 83 people and left 112 others injured. Decades later, on August 8th 2023, the Uttar Pradesh government-led by Yogi Adityanath tabled an inquiry report into the 1980 Moradabad riots
The 496-page report submitted by a one-member commission of Allahabad High Court Judge MP Saxena in May 1983, which was kept under wraps for nearly 4-decades, busts the narrative that has been woven around the riots so far, pinning the beginnings of the violence to lies being spread about pigs being set loose among those offering namaz at the Eidgah in Moradabad. The report delves into the root causes and their domino effect leading to the 1980 riots.
The report established that the communal frenzy was a result of a pre-planned conspiracy hatched by Muslim League and Congress leaders. Refuting the entire ‘pig entering the Eidgah in Moradabad during the Eid namaz’ angle, the reports stated that a group of criminals supported by Muslim League leaders were responsible for the massacre.
the Moradabad riot was planned by local leaders of the Muslim League led by Shamim Ahmad and Hamid Hussain alias Ajji and their supporters. The report blames the political ambitions of Dr Shamim Ahmed Khan, who revived the Indian Union Muslim League in Uttar Pradesh and was trying to take on Hafiz Mohammed Siddiqui of the Congress Party.
The report mentions in detail the written testimony of as many as six Hindus who were present at the time of the riots and interestingly each testimony suggests that the massacre was not spontaneous but a premeditated one. The details shared by these eyewitnesses bust the popular narrative around the riots so far that pins the beginnings of the violence to rumours being spread about pigs being set loose among those offering namaz at the Eidgah in Moradabad.
In the year 1980, when Congress was at the helm of affairs in the state and at the centre, Moradabad’s politics was such that Dr Shamim Ahmed Khan had revived the Muslim League and was trying to take on Hafiz Mohammed Siddiqui of the Congress Party.
In March 1980, a Dalit Valmiki community girl, residing in Indira Chowk locality in Moradabad, was kidnapped by local Muslim youths led by one Mohammed Riyaz and gangraped. She had gone to clean a building.
Dr Shamim Ahmed Khan, in order to raise his status among the Muslims, sided with the accused. The Moradabad police, however, launched a probe and after much deliberation rescued the Dalit teenager and handed her over to her family. Local Muslims in the region were so enraged by the police’s timely intervention and prompt action against the accused that they started formulating a plan to exact revenge on the police and Dalit community members.
Hindus have across the centuries faced prejudices, hatred, discrimination and persecution at the hands of Islamic barbarians and then British colonial forces. The community despite its rich culture, history and contributions to the well-being of humanity have been perpetually villainised by those who can stand the fact that while many major ancient religions and civilisations have perished, Hindu Dharma living up to its ‘Sanatan’ character has managed to brave the invasions, colonisations and subjugations and yet prevailed. In the latest episode of Hindus being hated simply for existing, the American racists and Christian supremacists are using the H1-B visa debate to express and perpetuate the berating of Hinduism and Hindus.
How the H-1B visa debate started
While the rhetoric of the American racists and Christian supremacists about India and Indian Americans have carried an undertone of disdain for the Hindu identity, the ongoing discourse which started with the debate around the supposed ‘misuse’ of H-1B visas which permits highly skilled foreign professionals to work in the United States, exposes the broader hostility harboured against the Hindu community and their natural homeland—India. It all started after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that Indian-American Sriram Krishnan would serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Initiated by Laura Loomer, a notorious conspiracy theorist who called Krishnan’s appointment ‘disappointing’ and made an offensive generalisation that Indians as ‘third-world invaders’, the tirade against Indian immigrants snowballed into a full-fledged racial, ethnic and religiously-motivated online attack against Hindus. OpIndia’s detailed report on how Laura Loomer misrepresented Sriram Krishnan’s stance on H-1B visas including his advocacy for removing country caps on green cards, the controversies linked to the self-declared MAGA crusader can be read here.
Cow dung jibes, iconoclastic representation of Hindu Gods and normalisation of Hinduphobia in America
Back in 2019, a 22-year-old Adil Ahmad Dar, a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Kakapora in Jammu and Kashmir, rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a bus carrying the CRPF personnel leading to the martyrdom of 40 soldiers. The Islamic terrorist had recorded a video making Gaumutra or cow piss jokes about Hindus before carrying out the suicide bombing making it clear that the Jihadis are not fighting the Indian State but the Hindus.
While the Indian Islamo-leftist ecosystem in India has been normalising the Hinduphobic ‘gaumutra’ jibes, now the American Christian supremacists masquerading as ‘America First’ activists are throwing the same cow piss, cow dung jibes against Hindus in a debate supposed to be about ‘Indian immigrants’.
A video, though from March 2024, featuring a Hindu-hating ‘I know India very well’ charlatan Stew Peters calling Indians as “dot-headed cockroaches and parasites” has gone viral. In the video, Peters claims that Indians smear cow dung on their face and brush their teeth with cow dung and all sorts of falsehoods an average India-hating racist can spin based on reports of isolated incidents and pass it off as a pan-India phenomenon as if the Christian majority America is a Utopia or would become one by simply removing the ‘dot headed’ Hindu Indians.
Unbelievable racism in America.
Listen to this guy talking about Indians.
I don’t understand where so much hatred and misunderstanding come from in 2024. pic.twitter.com/zOhO2zPeTo
One “Pascal” shared an image of Maa Kali in her fierce form with a quote from ‘Saint’ Francis Xavier reading “All the invocations of the pagans are hateful to God because all their gods are devils.”
The American Christian fanatics quoting Francis Xavier is not shocking given the two share common hate for non-Christians, particularly the polytheistic faiths they dismiss as ‘pagans’ or ‘heathens’. It must not be forgotten that Xavier had a dark legacy of orchestrating the Inquisition, the destruction of the idols of Hindu Gods and temples, and mass conversions of local Hindu populations in the Indian Subcontinent.
Another one shared an image of Maa Kali and wrote, “America wasn’t created for people who worship demons.”
One Taylor Marshall who also believes that Yoga is ‘demonic’ shared images of Maa Kali and Lord Ganesh and wrote, “How are you a “high IQ engineer from India when these are your “gods”? You worship cringe superheroes and supervillains from an anciently scripted Marvel movie and call it a religion.”
Interestingly, back in 1911, the New York Tribune published the same image of Maa Kali with the headline “Oriental “Mystics” are gathering in Force for Invasion of America”. Back then it was ‘oriental mystics’ now it is engineers. The hatred for Hindus has only increased among the American Hindu-hating lot.
For American Christian supremacists, India is a Hindu collectivity, and it is imperative to stop the migration of Hindu pagans into America— a ‘Christian land’
One thing that has stood out from this anti-India discourse is a case of selective targeting of Hindus and Hindu Dharma. The American racist and Hindu-hating Christian supremacists did not extend similar criticism to other religious groups in India including Muslims and Christians. This selective derision of Hinduism reflects the particular animus these people have for the polytheist, idol-worshipping Hindus and has hardly anything to do with genuine policy debate on H1-B visas.
It is not merely about job competition or Indian immigrants somehow ‘occupying’ jobs that Americans should have got but about excluding Hindus due to their ethnicity and religion. The wave of anti-Hindu hate speech and derogatory content on the American side of X demonstrates how conveniently the Christian supremacists and the racist faction within the MAGA movement are venting out their deep-seated hatred for the Hindu community under the pretext of ‘America first’ rhetoric.
The American Hinduphobia
The American Christian supremacists berating India and Hindus is a fitting case of Hinduphobia which includes hate speech mocking the faith of Hindus which leads to the dehumanisation and delegitimization of Hindus like calling them ‘cow piss drinkers’, ‘cow worshippers’ etc, in addition to hate directed at India viewed as a Hindu collectivity.
As per the Hinduphobia Tracker, the definition of Hinduphobia is “any action and/or speech, written or spoken (academic, institutional, political and/or random), violence and/or discriminatory action/attitude, which is born out of hatred, fear, prejudice, animosity, hostility and/or bias against Hindus (people following Sanatan Dharma and/or various sampradayas of Hindus and/or various Panths under the Dharmic fold), as individuals, groups of a class of people, the faith they profess (Hinduism), their cultures, traditions, forms and methods of worship, scriptures, tenets and civilizational values and beliefs. Hinduphobia can be directed towards individuals and/or their property, toward the Hindu community as a whole, Hindu institutions, Hindu religious facilities (including temples and temporary religious structures), symbols of the Hindu faith, the native and civilizational land of Hindus conceived as a Hindu collectivity owing to religious prejudice, animosity, hostility and hatred.”
Are Hindus desperately rushing to America to ‘invade’ the ‘Christian nation’?
Laura Loomer joined by several anti-Hindu ‘America for Christians’ enthusiasts has been suffering a meltdown over the imaginary attempt by Indians, a term they use interchangeably for Hindus, to exploit H1-B visas to ‘invade’ the US, occupy their jobs and lands and drive the Christian Americans out of the US. However, this is far from the truth.
As per a Pew Research Center analysis, Christians comprised 47% of the global migrant population, Muslims 29%, Hindus 5%, Buddhists 4% and Jews 1%. There are about 1 billion Hindus in the world, however, only 5% are international migrants. The behind this, as Pew researcher Stephanie Krammer says is that “Hindus are so concentrated in India and people born in India are very unlikely to leave.”
“But Hindus are less likely to leave India than they are to leave many places where they are a religious minority. Even though India is home to 94% of the world’s Hindus, it is the source of only 57% of the world’s Hindu migrants,” the Pew research published in August 2024 reads.
As Pew Research says, “Hindus are underrepresented among international migrants compared with their share of the global population (15%)”, one wonders if a community so keen on ‘invading’ the West, particularly the Christian-majority nations, how come their migration rate is so diminutive.
Now compare it with Indian Christians, who make up only about 2% of the Indian population, however, 16% who have left India are Christian. The same goes for Indian Muslims, who are 15% of the Indian population but 33% of them now live abroad.
Overall, Hindus are far less likely to leave their homes/India and migrate to another country mainly because of cultural roots and religious affinities. Having said that, the migration to the US from India is highest among Hindus – most of them high IQ, high functioning professionals. Yet, the hate is driven towards Hindus and the Hindu collectivity based on religious hate. Probably, Hindus should either convert to Christianity and adapt themselves as per the ‘civilised’ standards of the American Christian supremacists, work like slaves, don’t build a good life for themselves in the US and be thankful to the racists for ‘tolerating’ them even as Hindu Americans have been the most peaceful and loyal community actively contributing to the growth of the United States in technology and other sectors.
Contrary to the jobs displacement narrative spread by American racists, Indian/Hindu immigrants do not generally ‘snatch away’ American jobs; instead, they contribute to the country’s economic growth, and job creation, and fill skill shortages in industries such as technology. Indians are favoured because of their high STEM education levels, proficiency in English, work ethic, and cultural fit in corporate workplaces. H-1B visas are also in line with the needs of US industries.
Furthermore, immigrants generate jobs through entrepreneurship and consumer spending, which contributes to overall economic growth. Immigrants are also more likely than native-born Americans to start their own enterprises, which helps to create jobs. Another aspect of this “immigrants taking away American jobs” issue is that as per a 2020 Pew Research report, most Americans opine that the immigrants, both legal and illegal fill jobs the US citizens do not want.
‘Uncivilised’, ‘demon-worshippers’, ‘heathens’ and whatnot: Where does this Christian hate for Hindus come from?
All the clichés about hygiene, caste, cows and so on are being used to suggest that all such wrongs are entrenched in the Indian culture which for them is Hindu culture completely neglecting the religious and cultural diversity of India. In the United States, Hinduphobia has been on the rise in the recent past. OpIndia has on many occasions reported how Hindu temples have come under attack, attempts have been made to weaponize caste to further target the Hindu community and how DEI programs are being used to instil hatred among American people against Brahmins.
One obvious question that comes to one’s mind is why the American Christian supremacists are targeting Hindus only in the garb of criticising Indians or Indian immigrants. Well, it is because these people deem Christianity superior and ‘civilised’ faith while non-Christian religions as primitive, alien and demonic. This sentiment, however, outrageous and disrespectful to the other religions, particularly, to non-Abrahamic religions, has been fuelling the Christian supremacists in Europe during the ‘Age of Discovery’ to take out campaigns against the ‘uncivilised’, ‘living in the dark’ heathens and ‘civilise’ them, to the ongoing racist attacks on Hindus in the US now to oust them and restrict further incoming of the ‘Indians’ [read Hindus].
This hatred for ‘pagan polytheistic religions’ among white Christian supremacists across the world is not a new phenomenon, it rather stems from the Christian religious text and its historical interpretation by those considering themselves ‘civilised’ and ‘superior’ by virtue of being Christians and the rest as ‘heathens’. From the time Inter Caetera papal bull was issued in 1493 by Pope Alexander VI which authorised Spain and Portugal to colonise, convert and even enslave non-Christians, British colonial era to the contemporary times, the Christian supremacists look down upon non-Christians and take utmost liberty to berate the deities and traditions of polytheists including Hindus since they perceive these communities as ‘uncivilised’.
They continue to perceive the world as divided into three parts: Christians—who have heard and accepted the gospel, infidels—Muslims and Jews who although monotheistic, refused the word of the gospel, and lastly, the pagan polytheists idolators who have either ignored or have yet not been acquainted with the gospel. In fact, the modern foundations of sovereign nation-states stem from the legacy of the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), or rather this Christian peace treaty’s ‘secularised’ version. In his book India That Is Bharat, Supreme Court lawyer J Sai Deepak argued that the modern standard of civilisation has its roots in Westphalian thought. And thus, calling a nation ‘civilised’ is actually a secularised way of calling it a ‘Christian nation’.
As noted scholar Gerrit Gong wrote in ‘The Standard of “Civilisation” in International Society’, “Paralleling the expansion of the European international system, the international society of European states-those countries which had European civilization in common-also began to extend its boundaries. Interaction with non-Christian and non-European countries underscored the international society’s need for a universally acceptable identity. Thus, in extending its domain, the international society which had earlier identified itself with Christendom and then with Europe came gradually to characterize itself as ‘civilized’.”
Since the ‘Hindu India’ despite not getting completely rid of the colonial hangover has not abandoned its Hindu religious and cultural roots to appear ‘civilised’ in the eyes of the Western Christian supremacists, they view India as an ‘uncivilised’ nation and the Hindu people as ‘demon-worshipping’ heathens and ‘third-worlders’.
The American racists and Christian supremacists are hating on the Hindu community that has been inherently peaceful and in the US, has only contributed to the country’s growth. It is amusing how conveniently the Hindu-hating lot attributes the success of Hindu Americans to the ‘liberal’ policies of the US and not to their intelligence or talent and attributes the wrongs be it India or in the US involving Hindus/Indians to their religious beliefs. There is a pattern to be noticed, in the US a debate started over H1-B visas and Indian immigrants became a hate campaign against Hindus and Hindu India, they did not attack Indian Muslims or Christians but only Hindus. In Bangladesh, a ‘student movement’ overthrows a democratically elected government and it all then comes down to persecuting Hindus. Why is it that all the issues not having any initial religious angle end up in the hating, mockery and violence against Hindus?
It is also amusing that Christian supremacists cry hoarse over Indians [read Hindus] ‘taking over’ their jobs and land and whatnot but maintain a convenient silence on US-based Christian missionaries arriving in India on tourist visas and converting Hindus, Sikhs, tribals and other communities to Christianity on the pretext of financial inducements and miraculously curing their diseases. OpIndia reported earlier how a US-based Christian conversion ‘research’ group Joshua Project has been actively involved in converting 24 lakh Indians to Christianity every year.
Conclusion
The racist and Hinduphobic rhetoric of the American Christian supremacists is evidently an extension of the same old ‘civilised’ vs ‘heathens’ and ‘superior’ vs ‘sub-humans’ mindset. The blatant demonisation of Indians/Hindus echoes the centuries-old opprobrious perception of polytheists as spiritually and culturally ‘inferior’ to Christianity which the Christian supremacists see as the sole source of spiritual and moral legitimacy. Due to the monotheistic exclusivism, Christian extremists look down upon those they ridicule as demon-worshipping-pagan-polytheists’, however, it becomes cruelly hilarious when these same people hate on Islamists using violent methods to somehow establish the supremacy of their religion.
The anti-Hindu/anti-India rhetoric raises concerns over the potential weaponization of the cultural identity of Hindus, social exclusion, and the furtherance of prejudice and hatred against Hindu Americans. It was never about immigrants, H1-B visas or American representation in jobs, this chagrin stems from highly-skilled Indians, specifically Hindus coming to the US, achieving success and building their lives in the country without completely turning oblivious to their religious and cultural roots while average Americans struggle with deciding which of 50+ ‘genders’ they belong to or whether to hoist American or Palestinian flag.
On March 19, 2024, in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district, two minor brothers, Ayush and Ahaan, were brutally murdered after being stabbed with knives. Their younger brother, 10-year-old Yuvraj, was injured in the same attack. The accused were two brothers, Sajid and Javed, who operated a salon near the victims’ home.
Following the incident, the main accused, Sajid, was killed in a police encounter, while his brother Javed was arrested. OpIndia spoke to Vinod Kumar Singh, the father of the deceased children, to understand the ordeal faced by their family after that.
While talking to OpIndia, Vinod Singh expressed satisfaction with the police investigation and their actions. According to the police charge sheet, Sajid had planned the murder as part of a superstitious belief involving exorcism and child sacrifice. Both Sajid and Javed were implicated in the crime. Vinod revealed that Sajid was convinced that he would have a child only after sacrificing another child and that would bring happiness in his life. However, the Maulvi who influenced Sajid was not arrested despite having been charged in the FIR.
Vinod shared that he had often helped Sajid and his brother financially during their difficult times. On the day of the incident, Sajid visited Vinod’s house to ask for monetary help of Rs 5,000. Vinod and his wife agreed to lend him the money but they never imagined that the person they were helping would destroy their family like this.
Day of the incident
Recalling the tragic day, Vinod said Sajid came to his house and behaved normally, raising no suspicions. Javed accompanied him but he was carrying a knife. Ayush had just returned from school at that time and was sitting at the cosmetics shop looked after by Vinod’s wife. Sajid then took Ayush to the terrace under the pretext of taking a walk. In the meantime, Javed also joined them.
Sajid and Javed, on the terrace, attacked Ayush with knives. Meanwhile, Yuvraj, the younger brother of the deceased two boys was sent out on the pretext of buying gutkha. Later, Ahaan, Ayush’s brother, went up to the terrace, where both brothers were murdered within just ten minutes.
As Sajid and Javed descended from the terrace after murdering Ayush and Ahaan, Yuvraj who was sent to buy guthka, returned. Sajid tried to kill Yuvraj with a knife, but the boy managed to escape, screaming for help. Hearing his cries, the family members reached the terrace to see what had happened. However, the two accused had fled by then.
False allegations against the woman
Vinod Singh shared that after the murder of his sons, some individuals tried to tarnish his wife’s reputation with baseless rumors. Allegations of an illicit relationship between his wife and Sajid were circulated. Denouncing those claims as completely false, Vinod stated, “If my wife was guilty, Sajid would have targeted me, not my children.” He urged people through OpIndia to ignore such unfounded rumors.
Ongoing court proceedings
Vinod stated further that the court hearings in the case are currently underway. The prosecution has presented four witnesses so far which are Vinod Singh, his wife, his mother, and his injured son, Yuvraj. Three testimonies have already been recorded and Yuvraj has been scheduled to provide his statement on the next court date.
“Additional testimonies, including those of police officers and government staff, are yet to take place. After the prosecution concludes presenting evidence, the defense may bring witnesses to testify on behalf of Sajid and Javed,” Vinod said.
Conspiracy to delay the case
While talking to OpIndia, Vinod said that a Hindu lawyer is representing the accused, which he says deeply saddens him. After the brutal murder of his children, lawyers had initially resolved not to defend the accused. However, this lawyer is now assisting the accused persons in the case, which saddens him.
“Javed’s lawyer frequently employs legal tactics to delay proceedings. These include filing applications for extended dates and requesting additional time to submit documents. Frustrated by the delays, I am planning to approach the Allahabad High Court to demand the swift resolution of the case. We want a directive for the lower court to deliver a verdict within a set time frame,” he said.
He also pointed out that Javed’s lawyer is a senior advocate with several Muslim junior lawyers working under him, some of whom are allegedly connected to Sajid’s in-laws. Vinod suspects these junior lawyers are contributing to the delays in the case. Despite these challenges, Vinod lauded the then SHO Gaurav Vishnoi who took swift action against the murderers at that time. He commended Vishnoi for staying connected with his family even after being transferred, treating them like one of his own.
Lack of regret from the accused and their family
Vinod expressed his anguish over the lack of guilt or regret shown by the accused and their family. “Javed regularly attends court but never displays any regret for his actions. Similarly, Javed’s mother, who is often present in court, has never expressed any remorse. Neither Javed nor his family feels even the slightest sorrow or shame for the tragedy they caused,” Vinod said.
“No one has called or visited us in the last six months. We feel isolated. This is not just my tragedy but the tragedy of the entire Hindu community,” Vinod added.
After the murders of Ayush and Ahaan, the family received Rs 2 lakh in financial aid under the Prime Minister’s Scheme as part of government assistance. However, Vinod expressed disappointment that the other promises made by the administration and political leaders are yet to be fulfilled. “We hoped that some meaningful actions would be taken to ease our pain, but nothing of the sort has happened,” he lamented.
Vinod revealed the deep emotional toll the tragedy has taken on his family. Although they are trying to return to normalcy, the memories of Ayush and Ahaan linger in every corner of their home. Their surviving son, Yuvraj, is now in class 5 and has resumed school, but the family remains deeply affected. “We avoid staying in the house because of the constant reminders of our loss,” Vinod said.
The family moved into their current house three years ago after selling their previous home in another part of Badaun. Reflecting on their situation, Vinod said, “If we still had our old house, we would have moved back there after the incident.” The tragedy has also taken a toll on the health of the children’s grandmother and mother, further adding to the family’s hardships.
Closure of businesses
Before the tragedy, Vinod’s wife contributed to the family’s income by running a small cosmetic salon from home. However, the parlor has remained closed since the murder of their children, leaving the family’s financial burden solely on Vinod, who works as a water tank builder. Following the incident, Sajid and Javed’s salon has been permanently shut down, and no Muslim-owned shops now operate in the neighborhood. A Hindu entrepreneur has since opened a new salon in the space previously occupied by Sajid and Javed.
The day after the murders, police shot the main accused, Sajid, in an encounter. According to reports, Sajid had fired at the police, prompting them to act in self-defense. On March 21, 2024, the police arrested the co-accused, Javed, who had been absconding, from Bareilly. The trial is currently underway in the district court of Badaun. Vinod Singh meanwhile also expressed frustration over the slow progress of the case, saying, “We are waiting for justice, but the system’s relax attitude has only added to our suffering.”
