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A section of Muslims were always scared, under every govt: Arif Mohammad Khan busts ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ narrative of Karan Thapar

OpIndia Staff
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A section of Muslims were always scared, under every govt: Arif Mohammad Khan busts ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ narrative of Karan Thapar

Former minister and parliamentarian Arif Mohammad Khan, in an interview with HTN’s Karan Thapar, has slammed the narrative of ‘Muslims living in fear’ and ‘minorities under attack’ that is peddled so incessantly by the mainstream media and left-liberals.

In a 25 minute interview in Karan Thapar’s show Up Front, Khan exposed the hollow agenda of left liberals and so-called ‘intellectuals’ who have been peddling the narrative of ‘Muslims living in fear’.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok9WTEcrcjA]

Karan Thapar asked Khan whether he feels alarmed by the BJPs’ political hegemony, seeing that it had secured 303 seats on its own and holds over 350 seats along with its allies. Khan replied that the people of India have chosen the BJP and he does not have any problem with the people’s mandate.

Replying to Thapar’s question on whether there are alienation and communalism after the BJP’s ascension to power, Khan stated that only the people who never ‘look beyond their noses’ think so. Khan insisted that the roots of communalism and alienation took hold in the Shah Bano case and with the opening of the locks at Ayodhya. He stated that India is a huge country and the alienation that we see today are the result of the deeds done back in the 80s, under the Rajiv Gandhi government.

Thapar then tried to peddle the narrative of ‘Muslim representation’. He stated that the BJP does not have a single Muslim MP in the Lok Sabha. He also asked Khan whether the fact that the BJP did not even field a Muslim candidate in UP, that has a 20% Muslim population worries him as Muslim himself.

Khan replied that the mentality of ‘Lack of Muslim MPs’ is coming from a colonial mindset. The British, through constitutional measure and administrative policies, have ingrained the ideas that only a Muslim can represent a Muslim. He insisted that this idea of a separate electorate is the very idea that eventually led to India’s partition. Khan replied that an MP serves the entire constituency, not his/her community, as the constitution of India commands.

Replying to Thapar’s question whether he feels the BJP is prejudiced against the Muslims, Khan stated that the seeds of problem are within and it is not right to blame others for our own problems. Slamming Thapar’s insistence on the issue of the lack of ‘representation’ of Muslims, Khan asserted that in the constitution of India, there is no room for communal representation.

Thapar then stated that time and again, BJP’s MPs and ministers have been known to issue anti-Muslim statements and even Amit Shah refers to Bangladeshi immigrants as ‘termites’. He added that a BJP minister has once said Muslims should go to Pakistan. Arif Khan then replied firmly that a party decides its candidates on winnability, not communal representation. He also stated that the media’s obsession with publicising and fanning the so-called anti-Muslim statements of persons creates much more divide and fear than the statement itself.

Khan stated that if an elected representative makes a ‘wrong’ statement, it is for the people to judge and decide whether that candidate deserves to be elected or not, it is not for the media to decide.

Thapar then pointed out that there are millions and millions of Muslims who feel insecure and scared. Khan stated that he is a Muslim and he does not feel scared. Upon Thapar’s statement that he (Khan) is a well-off man and he is talking about the underprivileged Muslims. Khan asserted that the average Muslim living in India is not even aware of such a narrative.

Khan stated that 99% of the Muslims are not even aware of the statements and narratives peddled about them. He stated that the media peddles them because they are considered news-worthy. Khan added that there is a certain section among the Muslims that has always claimed to be ‘insecure’ and has stated that their communal identity is threatened. It was prevalent during partition and also during the Shah Bano issue. But the country needs to accept the people’s verdict and ignore the tiny section that is always going to claim insecurity and fear.

Thapar then asked Khan how does he feel about the PM’s speech that the government is looking for ‘Sabka Vishwas’ and the minorities in the country have been cheated by subsequent governments. Khan replied that the word ‘minority’ is not defined in the constitution as it is interpreted in the popular narrative. He added that he objects to being defined as a minority because being called a minority means accepting social inferiority and he is not ready to accept the status.

Khan then explained that for over 150 years, the British have drilled into our psyche that we are not a nation of common people but we are identified by our respective religions, communities and caste.

Thapar then questioned Khan whether the RSS and the BJP have been trying to establish that Indians have one identity that is the Hindu identity. Khan replied that the RSS and the BJP have always propagated the culture of Indian-ness, a single cultural and national identity.

Thapar then asked Khan whether the Prime Minister was contradicting himself in his speech when he called for ‘Sabka Vishwas’ and also said ‘Secularism has been exposed’. Thapar said that the PM has promoted Sadhvi Pragya, Niranjan Jyoti and Giriraj Singh.

Khan replied that if ‘secularism’ means reversing the Supreme Court’s judgement and denying a divorced Muslim woman the rights that are granted to every other divorced woman under law, then that ‘secularism’ needs to be exposed.

Thapar brought up the claim that despite what the PM spoke, it has been found that 51% of Hindus voted for the BJP while only 8% of Muslims, 11% Christians and Sikhs have voted for the BJP.

Khan replied that any exercise that identifies or categorises a person on the basis of religion is against the letter and spirit of the constitution. He insisted that despite having the history of experiencing a partition of the country on religious lines, some of us are still using the religious identity in political arguments. He asserted that communal identity leads to divisions in the country.

Thapar then asked how should a new government that has come to power with a huge political mandate treat its minorities. Khan replied that the nation should treat all its citizens as Indians, as equal, regardless of their religious identities. The duty of a government is to make a level playing field and not give any special treatment based on religion.

Thapar then alluded whether Khan is implying that the special provisions for Hajj pilgrims should be stopped. Arif Khan caught the net being laid for him and stated that he is making assumptions and trying to lead the discussions into the arrangements made for pilgrims for Kumbh. He stated that making arrangements are a completely different issue.

Khan stated that the constitution of India permits no entitlement on the basis of religion. He further stated that we have been misleading our people and deluding ourselves all these years in the name of secularism.

In his last question, Thapar asked Khan what would be his message to the millions of Muslims who are apprehensive now. Khan replied that he will not address to a certain community but he will address all Indians to be better citizens of India. He quoted from a speech of Maulana Azad and stated that nobody can drown us till we allow ourselves to be drowned. He asked the people of the country to embrace their Indian identity, not to be nervous and contribute to nation building together.

The Nexus of Missionaries and Naxals vs India: The horrific Khunti gangrape reveals the conspiracy of Break India forces

Abhishek Banerjee
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The Nexus of Missionaries and Naxals vs India: The horrific Khunti gangrape reveals the conspiracy of Break India forces

On June 19, 2018, the small town of Khunti in Jharkhand was rocked by the news of a horrific crime:

” … five anti-human trafficking activists, engaged with an NGO supported by a Christian missionary, were abducted by motor-cycle borne armed men while they were performing street corner play (Nukkad-Natak) at RC Mission School in Khunti’s Kochang block, about 90 kms from the state capital. They were taken to a nearby forested area where the abductors raped them, video-graphed the carnal act and forced the victims to drink urine.”

Shocking. But there are many more layers to this story, each one more terrifying than the next. The Khunti gangrape was an outcome of a sinister conspiracy by Break India forces. If you are someone who cares about keeping India together, you need to know this story.

First of all, let us be grateful that the six accused have now been convicted and have received harsh life sentences.

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In particular, the court observed that :

“….the heinous crime was perpetrated not to satiate the sexual lust. Worst that it was done under a triangular pact to take revenge from the innocent women, who dared to venture in a Pathalgadi village”

There are some terms there which might need some explanation. First of all, what is Pathalgadi? Over the last two years, left-wing forces have been pushing a dangerously subversive movement across the tribal belt in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. A stone is planted at the entrance to the village, claiming independence from Central and State governments and declaring the gram sabha as the sovereign entity that governs the village. You can see it reported in The Hindu here:

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The entry of “outsiders” is prohibited into the Pathalgadi village. Including those running government schools and healthcare.

No prizes for guessing that Pathalgadi is a Trojan horse for Naxalism. In this case, the left wing terror group in question is People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI).

Wait, so if the government cannot run schools and healthcare and general welfare programs in Pathalgadi villages, who will? Who would have the money and the resources and the motive?

Who could it be?

The five women who became victims in the Khunti gangrape had angered the PLFI and the Pathalgadi leaders by entering prohibited villages to spread awareness against human trafficking by holding street corner performances (Nukkad Nataks).

How did they get their revenge?

Well, as Swarajya reports, these women were invited to perform their Nukkad Natak by an NGO called Asha Kiran run by the Church. After one performance, they were then pressurized to do a second performance, this time inside a missionary school run by Father Alphonse Aind. They went to the missionary school, accompanied by two sisters of the church: Sister Ranjita and Sister Vineeta.

That’s where the rapists were waiting for them. The women were picked up, taken to a remote location and gang-raped. And after that:

” … the victim stated that all of them were brought back to the church-run school, where both the sisters and the Father threatened them to not disclose the incident otherwise their family members may be killed.”

There you have it: Missionaries, NGOs and Naxals,  the ‘royal flush’ of Break India forces, all working together towards a common goal.

There are many things to understand here. Notice how the missionaries outsource their work to NGOs. Notice how closely they collaborate with Naxals and how carefully they calibrate their propaganda. Pathalgadi has its roots in a simple tribal custom of remembering heroes with a prominent tombstone. Think about the propaganda masterminds behind the missionaries who sat down with Naxals to come up with a way to twist a local custom into armed rebellion against the Indian state.

The history of India’s tribals has been twisted and subjugated to the cause of left-wing terror. With backing from soul harvesters.

This is a pity because the history of India’s tribals is one of resistance against oppression by the Church. The most prominent tribal hero in India is Bhagwan Birsa Munda, who was captured by the British, tortured in prison and died at the age of just twenty-five years. In 2000, the date chosen for the creation of Jharkhand was Nov 15, in order to mark the birthday of Birsa Munda.

In fact, Birsa Munda led an armed uprising against the Church, as far back as Christmas Eve in 1899.

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You can read all about it in A K Dhan’s biography of Birsa Munda (extract above), which is part of the Builders of Modern India series from the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt of India.

However, the popular narrative about Birsa Munda conveniently glazes over this fact. And the same missionary-NGO-leftist nexus tries to co-opt Bhagwan Birsa Munda as one of their own.

It is a testament to the power of the Nehruvian establishment, the Khan Market courtiers if you will, to pick and choose a historical narrative that suits them. And the helplessness of the “right wing” which has not been able to match them at this game so far.

Believe it or not, when Father Alphonse was caught and the Khunti gangrape conspiracy uncovered, the missionary ecosystem came out strongly in his defence.

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The popular Hindi saying that comes to mind is “Ek to chori, upar se seenazori.”

The Church in Jharkhand adopted a similarly defiant stance last year when a nun of Teresa’s order of Missionaries of Charity was arrested for selling babies.

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We have to understand what we are up against.

Is there any good news? Yes, for a start, we can be happy that the accused in the Khunti gangrape case have been convicted in less than a year’s time. Credit to the government of Raghubar Das for this. The other thing is that Jharkhand now has enacted one of the strictest anti-conversion laws in this country.

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But the most heartening thing is that awareness among tribals is rising. In Sept 2017, a group of people trying to convert tribals to Christianity from their traditional Sarna religion were arrested. It was the villagers who raised the alarm and called the police.

Only we the people have the power to save India.

Preview – Afghanistan v New Zealand: One side affair on cards?

Ritesh
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Preview – Afghanistan v New Zealand: One side affair on cards?

A battle between two sides which is a no match in the current scenario of the tournament. New Zealand is at the top of the table, whereas Afghanistan at the bottom. An easy win is expected from the Kiwis, and they will be one step closer to the seal the berth for the semi-final.

New Zealand has a pretty easy task so far in the World Cup. Their first three games scheduled against the bottom three teams in ICC Rankings. They should win this match just like the two previous ones. Their strength lies in their bowling and fielding, and when they click in batting, its a bonus for them. Their main aim should be winning it handsomely so when there is a fight for a semi-final berth based on run rate, and then they should not fall behind. So bat first score 350+ or bowl first and beat the opposition by 9 or more wickets at run a ball.

Afghanistan has more worries now. Their leading batsman and keeper Mohammad Shahzad have been ruled out of World Cup due to injury, Rashid Khan doesn’t seem to be in the right touch and overall they are not looking confident in the field. This is not a new thing for the fans watching cricket for a long time. The minnows generally succumb under pressure just like Afghanistan had against Sri Lanka in the last match. But they will learn from this and will want to prove to the world that they are not just the travellers in this tournament.

Taunton is known for high scoring games due to short boundaries, remember how Ganguly and Dravid smashed the Lankans here in 1999? A passing shower is expected as per the weather forecast.

Players to watch out

Matt Henry is the leading wicket-taker (7) in this tournament. He picked 3 in the first and 4 in the second match, so as per arithmetic progression a five-wicket haul is coming.

Mohammad Nabi is in good form. He picked four wickets against Sri Lanka (3 in one over) carrying his bowling form from IPL. Afghanistan would like to see him scoring as well. On his day, he can be the proper all-rounder you are looking for your team.

Afghanistan v New Zealand in ODIs

Overall: Matches 1, Afghanistan 0, New Zealand Won 1

World Cup: Matches 1, Afghanistan Won 0, New Zealand Won 1

Recent Form (most recent first): Afghanistan L L W L W, New Zealand W W W W W

ICC Rankings: Afganistan (10), New Zealand (4)

Upcoming Records

Hasmatullah Shahidi needs 113 more for 1000 Runs in ODIs, he will be the 9th Afghani player to reach the milestone.

Martin Guptill needs 93 more for 1000 Runs in World Cups, and he will become the second Kiwi batsman to reach the feat and fastest to reach 1000 runs in World Cup history along with Tendulkar and AB de Villiers (in 20 innings).

Squads

Afghanistan: Gulbadin Naib (capt), Aftab Alam, Asghar Afghan, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

The Hindu repeats ‘dara hua musalman’ narrative as Muslim mobs go on rampage and BJP workers are killed post Modi’s victory

OpIndia Staff
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The Hindu repeats ‘dara hua musalman’ narrative as Muslim mobs go on rampage and BJP workers are killed post Modi’s victory

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s massive victory in 2019 has visibly rattled the Lutyens media. While introspection would be an order of the day, the “liberals” have resorted to displaying angst against how their propaganda failed to influence the average voter. However, as the anger and shock of the result dissipate, the Lutyens media is back to peddling their ‘dara hua musalman’ narrative with The Hindu leading the way. The narrative that Muslims are scared in an India led by Prime Minister Modi is alive with no signs of dying down.

The Hindu today published an article headlined ‘Minorities in North India bear the brunt of post-election hate crimes’. The entire article tries to further the ‘dara hua musalman’ narrative basically insinuating that hate has triumphed and now, the Muslims of this country live in constant fear and threat from the majority Hindu population. The narrative also assumes that the Hindu population is inherently violent against Muslims and has been emboldened by the Modi government being elected to power.

The Hindu article bases its entire narrative on 2 incidents. One of the incidents is of Mohammad Qasim being shot in Begusarai. Qasim says he was shot because he is a Muslim, the police say that he was shot as a result of an altercation between him and one Rajiv Yadav as a result of which Yadav shot Qasim. Interestingly, in a Telegraph report dated 28th May 2019, Qasim is reported to have said that he knew his attacker. The Hindu report today, however, quotes Qasim saying he had no idea who his attacker was at that time, and hence, the version that he was shot because of an altercation cannot possibly be true.

The second incident that The Hindu article relies on is that of a Muslim man in Gurugram being beaten while being forced to chant Jai Shree Ram and his skull cap being thrown.

There were reports that the Gurugram police had examined over 50 CCTV footages in the locality and have found that there was a scuffle involving the Muslim man Barkat Ali and some other people. The argument also turned to push and shoving in which Barkat Ali’s skull cap fell down. The CCTV footage reportedly shows that nobody had deliberately removed Ali’s skullcap, rather Ali had picked it up and kept in his pocket.

The CCTV footage also reportedly showed that nobody had torn up Ali’s shirt either. The police, after examining over 50 CCTV footages also found that it was a minor brawl and seeing some men fighting, a sweeper nearby had rushed to separate the men and had asked them to calm down, following which the brawl had ended.

The police had stated that they had registered an FIR in the case. The statement by the victim had not mentioned him being forced to chant ‘Jai Shriram’ or being threatened to be fed pork. The police had also stated that from CCTV footage, it is seen that the entire incident was over within a minute.

The police had stated that some ‘anti-social elements’ were trying to paint the incident in communal colours. The victim Barkat Ali had reportedly stated that he is feeling unsafe in Gurugram and wants to go back to his home in Bihar. The police commissioner had, however, asked him to stay till the investigation was over.

Swati Goel of Swarajyamag.com had also done a ground investigation that revealed that Ali was in all probability lying about this ‘hate crime’. 

Even as The Hindu uses these two dubious cases of “hate crimes” to allege that Muslims were unsafe in Modi’s India, The Hindu has summarily ignored to take into account how Muslim mobs have gone on a rampage recently and how several BJP workers have been murdered brutally after PM Modi won a thumping mandate for the second time.

On 18th May, an agitated Muslim mob in the town of Mathura descended upon two Hindu lassi shopowners– both brothers, located at the crammed Chowk Bazaar of Mathura, close to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. Following a minor tiff, a burqa-clad woman brought along with her a bloodthirsty mob at the iconic ‘Nattho Yadav Lassiwale’ to exact revenge for the perceived inequity meted out to her. The mob indulged in brutally thrashing the lassi shop owners while addressing them ‘Kaafir’, a pejorative reference to non-Muslims. Pankaj Yadav and Bharat Yadav, the two brothers who were managing the shop at that time were severely injured in the attack. Though the brothers were taken for dressing their external wounds, the elder brother Bharat sustained internal injuries and within a week’s time on May 24, his health deteriorated and on the following day, he died. The post-mortem revealed that Bharat’s brain and nerves were damaged in the attack.

A Muslim mob had recently descended upon a temple and ransacked the house of worship because they did not like bhajans being played on loudspeakers. 5 were arrested in connection with this case.

Recently, a Muslim mob had also attacked a Dalit wedding procession, but the Lutyens Media seems to be mostly quiet because it perhaps does not suit the popular narrative of Muslim-Dalit unity.

While The Hindu has proven to be blindfolded when it comes to the violence unleashed by Muslim mobs, it also seems to be unphased by the number of brutal murders of BJP workers being reported from across the country after the thumping 2019 mandate.

In West Bengal, a BJP worker chanting Jai Shree Ram was stabbed to death and the wife of the victim had squarely blamed TMC goons for the murder.

After Smriti Irani defeated the Gandhi family scion and Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi her close aide and newly-elected Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, Surendra Singh was brutally shot dead by unidentified assailants in her constituency of Amethi.

A day after this episode, a BJP worker, Chandan Shaw, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bhatapara of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. In a separate incident the same day, another BJP worker, Nemichand Tanwar was also reportedly shot dead in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The family has alleged that he was killed as he didn’t vote for Congress.

Similar spurts of post-poll violence claimed another three BJP workers live in Tripura. BJP worker Shibu Das (20), a resident of Khayerpur area and fish trader Apu Das (56) were both attacked on the streets and killed in cold blood.

Prior to this, BJP worker Mithu Bhowmik was murdered in Fatikcherra area of northern Agartala on May 24, a day after the poll results were declared.

On May 26, it was reported that Mateen Patel (48), a BJP minority cell worker at Mohalla village in Akola district, Maharashtra, was beaten to death over Lok Sabha results.

Recently, BJP worker, a youth named Prem Kumar Reddy was clubbed to death in Telangana after BJP secured a victory in local body polls in the state. The BJP has squarely put the blame of the murder on TRS workers.

The Hindu essentially relies on 2 incidents where the police have summarily denied communal angles to allege that Muslims are scared in Modi’s India while ignoring cases where BJP workers were murdered in cold blood and Muslim mobs went on a rampage against Hindus of the country.

While the ‘dara hua musalman’ narrative suits the agenda that aims to not only demonise PM Modi but also Hindus who voted overwhelmingly in support of the Prime Minister, the truth is often deliberately pushed under the rug.

The Hindu at the very onset says “Street thugs have taken advantage of the post-election triumphalism to stage attacks on minorities in parts of north India”, while the entire report relies on two incidents that have several loopholes in the story. At one point in the article, while talking about the Gurugram incident, The Hindu report itself admits that there is no evidence to prove that the “victim” was made to chant Jai Shree Ram.

It is evident that the frequency of these motivated reports are only going to increase with BJP being in power.

For example, In April, it was widely reported that a Muslim inmate at Tihar jail, Nabbir, had claimed that he was branded with the ‘Om’ symbol on his back by the jail superintendent. He had also claimed that the authorities had forced him to fast during Navratri and he had been thrashed. He had made these allegations in front of the Metropolitan Magistrate Richar Parihar who ordered a probe into the entire matter.

The probe has now been completed and a report has been submitted to the court. According to the report that has been submitted, the inmate had levelled “False allegations” against the authorities. He was branded with the symbol by his own associate.

While the noise surrounding the allegations levelled by Nabir was shrill, the very media personalities and politicians who had outraged then have fallen silent now.

The Hindu proves that pesky little facts should never stand in the way of a good narrative, even if the truth is sacrificed, mercilessly, at the altar of propaganda.

Preview: England takes on Bangladesh after having lost to them twice earlier

Ritesh
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Preview: England takes on Bangladesh after having lost to them twice earlier

When the 2019 World Cup started, England, the favorites were expected to have an easy match against Bangladesh. Not anymore, Bangladesh has turned out to be giant killers. First, they beat South Africa in their opening game and then they almost won against the Kiwis. So England surely can’t take Bangladesh lightly.

After losing the previous game against Pakistan, the England team seems to be in a panic mood. Even though their batting has clicked in both the games, bowling is still a worry. It looks like their bowlers have no plan B when the opposing team goes after their bowling. Jofra Archer, their strike bowler, went for 79 in his ten overs. England think tank needs to work upon this weak link.

Bangladesh shouldn’t be disappointed after losing the match against New Zealand. They gave them a terrific fight and almost pulled out a win. The good thing about them is that they are no more minnows. Their batting is still their strongest point, and they should go all guns blazing against England’s weakest link of this World Cup. Bangladesh still needs to improve on their fielding, and they can’t keep dropping the dollies.

Bangladesh has won the last two clashes against England in World Cup and would be hoping to make a hat-trick on Saturday. The weather forecast is bright and shiny for Cardiff. The pitch could help the seamers as it has been undercover due to rain on the previous day.

Players to watch out:

Joe Root, the mainstay of English batting order, has the most number of runs (158) in the current edition. He scored the first hundred of the World Cup in the previous game and has a fifty on his name in the opening match against the Proteas. England would be hoping another excellent display from his willow, and if he clicks, England will surely score big.

Shakib Al Hasan, just like Root, is the mainstay for Bangladesh in this World Cup. He scored a half-century in both the matches and the second highest scorer after Root. His spin will play a vital role as English batsmen always been vulnerable against the spin bowling.

England v Bangladesh in ODIs:

Overall: Matches 20, England Won 16, Bangladesh Won 4

World Cup: Matches 3, England won 1, Bangladesh won 2

Recent Form (most recent first): England L W W W W, Bangladesh L W W W W

ICC Rankings: England (1), Bangladesh (7)

Upcoming Records:

Eoin Morgan has scored 360 runs in World Cup and needs 140 more to reach the 500 runs milestone in the World Cup.

Mahmudullah has scored 463 runs in World Cup and needs 37 more to reach the 500 runs milestone in the World Cup.

Mark Wood has taken 45 wickets and needs five more to become the 29th England player to reach the 50 wickets milestone.

Shakib has taken 26 wickets in World Cup and needs four more to become the 1st Bangladeshi bowler to reach the 30 wickets milestone in the World Cup

Squads:

England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Abu Jayed, Liton Das (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal.

Goa Congress chief says he is aware of his MLAs being in talks with BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Goa Congress chief says he is aware of his MLAs being in talks with BJP

Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar has stated that he is aware of his MLAs being in talks with the BJP to join the party. As per reports, Chodankar’s response comes after a Congress MLA held a meeting with his party workers to know their response if he joins the BJP.

On Thursday, Congress MLA from Cuncolim, Clafasio Dias had held an informal meeting with his party workers asking for their approval to join the BJP.

The BJP, which is in power currently in Goa, has 17 MLAs while the Congress has 14. Chodankar alleged in a press conference in Margao that the BJP is huge amounts of money and political muscle to lure MLAs. “You will not believe how aggressively the BJP is using its power to target our MLAs.”

Chodankar added that it is difficult for MLAs t to resist the BJP’s pressure.

Chodankar added that in the last year, BJP has poached 2 MLAs from Congress and 2 from the MGP. When asked by the media that whether he can assure none of his MLAs will join the BJP, Chodankar stated that he cannot do so.

In 2018, 2 Congress MLAs, Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte had joined the BJP. 2 MLAs from the Maharshtravadi Gomantak Party had split the regional party and joined the BJP in March.

BJP’s state president Vinay Tendulkar had stated recently that 2 more Congress MLAs are likely to switch to BJP soon.

Amit Shah tightens the noose, foreign funding NGOs to seek approval for change of key functionaries or face action

OpIndia Staff
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Amit Shah tightens the noose, foreign funding NGOs to seek approval for change of key functionaries or face action

The Home Ministry headed by Union Minister Amit Shah seems to be tightening the noose around NGOs registered under FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act). Vide a new notification, the Home Ministry had said that NGOs that get foreign funding need to seek approval from the government in case their key functionaries or office-bearers change.

The notification says that all NGOs that have got their registration under section 11 and 12 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010 had submitted details of the key functionaries and office-bearers at the time of applying for registration.

However, recently, several NGOs have changed their key functionaries or office-bearers after acquiring their registration without notifying and seeking approval from the government. These organisations have not updated the information on a real-time basis through an online application made for informing the government of such changes either.

The notification further states that all such organisations and NGOs that have got their registration through FCRA have to within a month seek approval from the government in case any change in the key functionaries and office-bearers have been in effect.

The NGOs that fail to comply will be liable to face penal action, as per the notification.

“All associations/persons who have granted a certificate of registration and who have affected any change/modification in the details of their officer bearers/key functionaries after their registration must inform the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the changes within a month failing which penal action shall be initiated,” the notification said.

This notification, however, only reiterates the rule position, reported Hindustan Times.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Enforcement agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate are probing individuals and a few NGOs that allegedly received slush funds from companies in a similar manner said a senior official who did not want to be named.

People rally behind Akshay Patra, donate generously after malicious ‘activists’ declared war against the organisation

OpIndia Staff
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People rally behind Akshay Patra, donate generously after malicious ‘activists’ declared war against the organisation

The Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) is under attack again from motivated activists for its mid-day meals and people have now come out to donate generously to the organisation to counter the malicious propaganda.

Recently, ‘Experts’ wrote an open letter to the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) demanding that they withdraw the compliance certificate that was awarded to the APF after their technical opinion on the matter was sought by the Karnataka government.

About three weeks after the open letter, a report was published on The Hindu by Archana Nathan where the argument was made that children are not eating the food provided by the APF because it was too bland. It also relied on a report by the Karnataka State Food Commission (KSFC) which claimed that children were not eating as much as they should because they did not find it tasty enough.

The campaign against Akshaya Patra was fuelled by anti-Hindu and bigoted ‘activists’ who had in the past, also written articles about how Brahmins obstruct the progress of the country. 

After the motivated and malicious campaign, Professor Anand Ranganathan took to Twitter to urge people to put their money where their mouth is. He said that the only way that the bigoted, Hinduphobic and malicious campaign against Akshaya Patra can be defeated, is if people open up their purse strings and donate to the organisation generously.


Professor Ranganathan also urged people to respond to his tweet with a confirmation after the donation was made.

The response that the Professor was got was overwhelming, to say the least. Several people donated to Akshaya Patra generously and responded with their confirmation receipt.


Among the people who responded, was also Sunil Jain, the managing director of Financial Express.


Several others joined the movement.


Some even said that the controversy helped them become aware of the good work Akshaya Patra was doing.


Others said that donating to Akshaya Patra was how they celebrated their son’s 4th birthday.


And the love just kept pouring in.


The responses included here are just an indication of the overwhelming support that Akshaya Patra received from Hindus after the ‘liberals’ declared war on the organisation. In just over 11 hours, social media users seem to have donated over Rs. 21 lacs to Akshaya Patra.

Earlier, Akshaya Patra had got a shining endorsement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself and had also received the Gandhi Peace Prize.

Read also: Here is what connects attack on Akshaya Patra, French NGO against Rafale and demonization of Amarnath Yatra

Akshaya Patra has been under attack from foreign-funded NGOs and a coterie of ‘civil rights’ organizations that have intimate links to ‘Urban Naxals’. We had earlier reported how the demand to terminate Akshaya Patra’s contract has been made by the Right to Food Campaign which represents a very specific section of ‘Civil Society’. This section receives funding from Christian organizations abroad, from George Soros’ Open Society Institute which has a very controversial record and has intimate links to ‘Urban Naxals’ and separatists.

Kolkata Beef Festival cancelled: Organisers claim it was apolitical, Bengalis say deliberate attempt to hurt Hindu sentiments

K Bhattacharjee
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Kolkata Beef Festival cancelled: Organisers claim it was apolitical, Bengalis say deliberate attempt to hurt Hindu sentiments

In the aftermath of the Lok Sabha Elections, we had asserted that the results marked the dawn of religious politics in West Bengal and that going forward, the results will be determined by the extent of religious polarisation among the electorate.

As a sign of the times, a beef festival that was supposed to be organised in Kolkata has now been cancelled after the organizers claimed they received threats from people and they believe they cannot ensure the safety of the attendees. They said, “If any one person is harmed, we would feel personally responsible, and we can not accept that.”

The organisers also said that the event was entirely apolitical. Considering the timing of the event, one finds it hard to believe but in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we ought to believe their version of events. According to Arjun Kar, one of the organizers, as reported by News18, they are “young chaps who just want to enjoy a night of fun and frolic”.

The menu for the ‘Kolkata Beef Festival’, which was eventually changed to ‘Kolkata Beep Festival’ after protests on social media, included some pork dishes as well. As per information received by OpIndia.com from sources, the menu initially did not include pork when the event was first announced, and it was added later on after Hindus registered their disagreement on social media.

While the organisers claim that the event was not politically motivated, it remains a fact that it got political as soon as it was announced. The name angered a great many Hindus and they registered their disagreement on Facebook. In turn, liberals rallied to the organisers’ defence and the matter only escalated further. Therefore, while the organisers may claim that the event was not motivated by politics, it was destined to take a political turn given the circumstances.

Arjun Kar further claimed they started receiving threats mostly from people who are not based in West Bengal. His claims appear to be motivated by his personal biases as an OpIndia.com reporter observed a great many Bengalis angered by the festival as well which they perceived to be an affront to their religious sensibilities.

“I never knew beef was this big a deal, in Kolkata at least,” Kar further stated. Perhaps, it had been the case but certainly no longer. Quite evidently, Bengali Hindus were greatly displeased with the celebration involving beef as well. And as anyone aware of Bengali culture would be aware, consuming beef is frowned upon greatly by the masses. There was also the impression that the very objective of the event, from the very beginning, was to hurt religious sentiments.

A Bengali youth OpIndia.com talked to said, “I personally am a very business minded individual but that was deliberately done to insult the religious sentiments of people. Why a beef ‘festival’ when it is considered as a sacred animal by so many people?”

Another Bengali youth based in Kolkata said, “I come from a Hindu household and fairly liberal as well. As someone from Bengal and resident of Kolkata, I have never raised questions over food preferences of anyone, after all, we are a diverse country. Unfortunately, the way this beef festival was organised showed that it was clearly an aim to insult the growing influence of the right wing in Bengal and at the same time with the malicious intent of insulting Hindu sentiments. This was further proven by the organiser’s comments, actions and views. It’s infuriating to see how far people go to show that they are liberals and vindicate everyone else who speak against them.”

A student, a Bengali again, who wasn’t aware of the nitty-gritty details of the particular incident due to personal commitments, told OpIndia.com that he was averse to ‘festivals’ involving beef as well. “I think the event was of political nature. It appears to me that beef which has sacred religious connotations in India’s cultural history and society was used as a prop for a mass event. It does leave a lot of room for speculations as to its real intention given the nature of the political and cultural situation in Bengal right now.”

OpIndia.com was told by sources that the organisers too made communally charged comments, as did their supporters. We could not independently verify whether the organizers did make such comments as Arjun Kar has apparently deactivated his Facebook profile. However, their supporters did brand those opposing the festival as ‘fascists’ and ‘communal bigots’ and make other insensitive remarks.

It’s a significant change from how things were a few years ago. In 2015, prominent CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya had participated in a beef festival organised in Kolkata in protest against a beef ban in some state. Even then, Left leaders had criticized Bhattacharya’s actions and said it would hurt the sentiments of certain sections of society.

This time around, Bhattacharya was the party candidate from Jadavpur. CPI(M)’s vote-share dropped by 15.04% while the BJP managed to increase its own by 15.15% in the seat which was won by Trinamool with over 47% vote-share.

One thing appears certain, however, that there’s a growing section of Bengalis who are proud of their Hindu identity and do not take kindly to such celebration of the consumption of beef. Liberal Bengalis may disagree and attempt to brand every critic of theirs as an outsider but unfortunately for them, quite evidently, that’s not the case.

Intriguingly, it’s the Bengali youth which appears more vociferous than ever in such matters. Political polarisation has occurred within the youth as well, as is quite evident from the Bengali youth OpIndia.com has talked to. As we have noted earlier, the youth of Bengal campaigned heavily for the success of the BJP in 2019 and slogans such as ‘Mandir Wahi Banayengey’ and ‘Har Ghar Bhagwa Chhayega’ have become extremely popular among the Bengali youth.

Kolkata has largely been considered a liberal hub by the intellectuals of the country. They were too blind to see the undercurrents that were flowing beneath the surface but finally, it appears to have broken into the public consciousness. Without going into the morality of the cancellation of the beef festival through alleged intimidation and threats, it can be safely said that Kolkata is at the heart of the Cultural Revolution that has gripped the country.

International Fact-Checking Network says its Indian signatory Alt News may have potentially violated IFCN Code of Principles

OpIndia Staff
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International Fact-Checking Network says its Indian signatory Alt News may have potentially violated IFCN Code of Principles

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has said that self‑proclaimed fact‑checking site in India Alt News may have potentially violated a clause of IFCN code. Alt News is a verified signatory of IFCN, which is a global network of organisations dedicated to combatting fake news on mass media and social media.


The clause the Alt News has potentially violated is related to the nonpartisanship policy of the organisation. On June 7th, a Twitter user with the account name @attomeybharti brought to the notice of the IFCN that co-founder of Alt News, Pratik Sinha is openly violating the neutrality clause. In his Twitter bio, Pratik Sinha has mentioned that he is a member of Jan Sangharsh Manch. This is a civil rights organisation founded by Pratik Sinha’s father Mukul Sinha.


It was also pointed out that Jan Sangharsh Manch has organised political events, and it is associated with the political party named the New Socialist Movement. The Manch is also has a known stand against the ruling party in India.


The nonpartisanship policy of IFCN states that its members should not have direct involvement in any political parties and advocacy organisations. It also says that the organisation must not support a candidate in any election, and it should not advocate or take policy positions on any issues which is strictly not related to fact-checking.

Nonpartisanship clause of IFCN code

 

The organisation should also the system it has put in place to prevent its employees from any such direct involvement with political and advocacy organisations. As Jan Sangharsh Manch is an advocacy group with a certain political ideology, it is evident that the co-founder of AltNews himself may be violating the rules of IFCN.

Pratik Sinha’s Twitter bio

The original tweet posted by IFCN didn’t mention Alt News by name, and just mentioned that one of their verified signatories in India is under the scanner. But later they replied to the tweet of @attomeybharti raising the matter with a link to their original tweet, thus confirming that they were talking about AltNews.

It will be interesting to know what step IFCN takes in this regard after their communication with Alt News. It may be noted that they are investigating the so-called fact checker on the matter of nonpartisanship, while the fact is that AltNews itself has been caught spreading fake news a number of times. Just yesterday they had claimed that the 3-year girl brutally killed by two Muslim men in Aligarh was not raped, but a day after their claim, the POCSO was applied in the case, indicating probable sexual assault in the case. They had also lied that girl’s eyes were not gouged out and one arm was not amputated, but the postmortem report clearly states both these assaults did happen with the girl. There is a long list of fake news peddled by this so-called fake news buster.

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