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‘Liberals’ demand National Flag be declared a dangerous weapon; file PIL in Supreme Court

Ajayendar Reddy
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‘Liberals’ demand National Flag be declared a dangerous weapon; file PIL in Supreme Court

The Indian ‘Liberals’ a.k.a the Adarsh Liberals have today filed a PIL in the Supreme Court demanding the national flag be declared a dangerous weapon under the Indian Arms Act of 1959.

This comes in the wake of HRD Ministry’s decision to fly the tricolour on a large flagpole in every Central University – a decision that enraged, scared and scarred the liberals of all hues all over India.

Indian flag
A group of goons with deadly weapons, as seen by an Adarsh Liberal.

“This decision will surely polarize the atmosphere further in this country,” tweeted a recently senior journalist.

“Actually, it will pole-rise India, Sir! :D” replied an irrepressible word player on Twitter.

Only this morning, the liberals were seen running helter-skelter fearing for their lives after a man waving the Indian tricolour was spotted at the India International Center where a seminar on “Injustice to Ishrat Jahan” was underway.

“I have not seen him but was told that not only was he waving the tricolour, he also started shouting “Vande Mataram” and that is when I was sure there was a nationalist terrorist amidst us and we were all going to die. Can you imagine the horror?” said a moon-faced media editor.

“What is this nuisance with the national flag? Do you know how dangerous it is? And to think all citizens old and young can carry it recklessly, you never know what could happen! This is much worse than US citizens being allowed to carry guns. The days of mass killings with the national flag are very much here,” said another sobbing activist lawyer.

Another freelance activist said that the national flag can poison the hearts and minds of people and demanded it be declared illegal under the UN Chemical weapons convention.

An open letter to Rajdeep “IAmAntiNational” Sardesai

Vivek Agnihotri
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An open letter to Rajdeep “IAmAntiNational” Sardesai

Dear Rajdeep,

It seriously doesn’t matter to me what’s your self-image: Nationalist or anti-nationalist. I don’t even care what people think about you. I don’t even see a reason why an honest journalist needs to advocate his ideologies in a national newspaper’s op-ed page. I don’t even know how many honest journalists can get this opportunity of ‘self-promotion’ as most of them are vernacular, non-lutyens journalists, struggling to find news in scorching heat of India that exists outside of Delhi.

Since your article is based on an absolutely wrong premise, besides self-pity, I think, as a true nationalist, its my duty to correct it and put it in right perspective before your lie becomes the mainstream narrative.

You write:

“In the 1990s, the country’s polity was divided by secular versus pseudo secular faultlines; now, another divide, and frankly far more insidious, is sought to be created between ‘national’ and ‘anti-national’ forces.”

In the 1990s, the country was divided between haves and have-nots. That’s why the main theme was ‘Garibi Hatao’. As it still does. Then liberalization happened. With liberalization, India got divided on a new fault line. Ones who wanted to make a better livelihood by working hard and those who wanted to milk liberalization with corruption. Corruption requires middlemen, brokers, pimps and sycophants. Thus a group mushroomed, disguised in the garb of secularism and unfortunately you chose to become their voice. Indians have been secular for thousands of years. I hope you know, words like ‘religion’ and ‘secular’ did not even exist until the advent of Christianity. I am sure your grandfather must have told you that Hindu civilization existed even thousands of years before Jesus Christ.

‘Secularism’ was a tool that corrupt Congress and the beneficiaries of its corruption used to protect ‘the ecosystem’ from millions of hungry, unemployed, exploited, oppressed but honest, hard-working common citizens. Secularism was invented to consolidate minority votes without isolating Hindus and without appearing to be a minority appeaser. With liberalization, came new multi-national businesses who wanted to overcome red-tapism and needed licenses whereas the ruling parties needed funds. Coincidentally, at the same time English news channels were also in red so they also needed funds. So news channels with power to make or break images needed money and corrupt Congress with money needed image. Thus emerged a new group – The Secular group.

Anyone who disagreed with their ‘Idea of (corrupt) India’ was labelled non-intellectual and thus the middle class, vernacular Indian who did not have the privilege to study in St. Xaviers, Christchurch, Doon, Scindia, Oxford or Cambridge was made to feel inferior in his own country. They were typecast as illiberal, regressive Hindus. Supporting Pakistan was seen as intellectual. Rejecting Hindu customs and traditions became an intellectual exercise. People who take pride in Hindu philosophy were systematically labelled ‘illiberal’. You were seen protecting, promoting and nurturing such voices.

Rajdeep, your grandfather must have also told you that everything that is traditional isn’t illiberal. Similarly, everything that’s rebellious in nature isn’t liberal. But Secular India had silenced the grandfathers of India. On TV channels, for sure. That’s how India was divided between organized and funded club members of a ‘Secular India’ and unorganized, simple, honest and truly secular Indians. They were denied entry into mainstream narrative of India. Nobody was talking for them. Nobody was listening to them. It was by design. You were one of the designers.

Since you love old Hindi songs you must have heard ‘Jiska koi nahin uska to khuda hai yaaron…’ and khuda listened to this hapless mass. A technological innovation came as their rescue. Social media happened. Of course, the secular brigade tried to monopolize it but the entry was open to all. It wasn’t a club. It was a platform. When so-called ‘smart trolls’ started exposing your secular club members of their lies and sinister intents, your wife tried to humiliate them and create further divide by labelling them as ‘Internet Hindoos’.

They weren’t Hindoos. They were Indians. They wanted to take pride in India. And you wanted to crush that pride. For that pride would have been counter productive to thekedars of ‘idea of India’. Two ideas, two Indias came out in open. One who loved India. And another who loved ‘idea of India. That’s how ‘nationalist’ and ‘anti-nationalist’ debate started. Nobody called you anti-national. You decided to ridicule nationalists. You started calling Modi supporters as ‘sanghis’, bhakts, and pseudo patriots, without even realizing that these people love Modi for he is a India Bhakt. They will drop Modi the day they doubt his integrity.

You misunderstood that Modi bhakts are also BJP, RSS bhakt. Your fundamentals were wrong. That’s why it took one evening of prime time for one of your ex-colleagues to demolish your game. Today you have become a victim of your own game. You have sensed that being anti-Hindu, anti-India is not paying dividends and it’s too late for you to be called nationalist. You don’t have credibility, and now it’s a matter of survival for you. If your grandfather was alive, he would have warned you that the race you, Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi and friends are running ends only in a dark well. Where even penance doesn’t help.

Nothing can be a more resounding proof than the fact that today you have to use an op-ed page to publicly justify your ideological defeat with a vicious hashtag #IAmAntiNationalist

 You write:

“Yes, I am anti-national because in a plural democracy I believe we must have a dialogue with Kashmiri separatists as we must with those in the North-East who seek autonomy. I will listen to student protestors in Srinagar or Imphal as I will to those in an FTII or a JNU.”

I would advise you have a dialogue with Arnab Goswami. With Subhash Chandra. Have a dialogue with Bhakts like me. With Internet Hindoos. Have a dialogue with the innocent Modi supporter who you had beaten up at MSG. But listening isn’t your agenda. If it were you, I would have listened to so-called trolls on twitter and understood why they are so angry with me. But you chose to whine all day about trolls and their abuse. If you can tolerate anti-India slogans I am sure you can also tolerate some abuse on your TL.

On your timeline thousands of ‘trolls’ keep screaming why you don’t show India’s growth story? Did you listen to them?

I want to have a dialogue with you. Listen to you. Understand you. But are you ready to invite me? To listen to my point of view?

Prosecute all those who break the law, incite violence, resort to terror but don’t lose the capacity to engage with those who dissent. The right to dissent is as fundamental as the right to free speech: shouting down alternative views, be they on prime time TV or on the street, is not my idea of India.

Forget Idea of India, first tell us what is India. Is Malda India? Are the states other than Delhi India? Are other CMs not Indian CMs? Is Ramchandra Guha the only Indian intellectual? Or the death of a journalist who was burnt for exposing corruption less secular than the lynching of Akhlaq? Or the turmoil, conflict, negativity, opposition, communalism, intolerance, awards wapsi… only themes of India?

Is Nemo the only dog in India?

If your channel is the only source of information, one would die believing India is Delhi. Modi its villain. Ramchandra Guha its Buddha. Kejriwal  its Christ plus Prophet. Those 5-6 panelists as Supreme Court. Regressive Hindus are killing innocent Christians, Muslims, Dalits, writers and now poor students. Rest of the population is starving without beef. And Sonia Gandhi never existed.

My grandfather told me a journalist’s only requirement is integrity. Integrity isn’t honesty. Integrity is the ability to tell the truth even when no one is listening. When was the last time you raised real issues of India? When was the last time you made your viewers hear a common man’s concerns. Hate Modi. Hate RSS. Hate Bhakts. Hate Hindus. But why this complete blackout of ‘Rest of India’. Do you work for ‘India Today’ or ‘Delhi Today’?

Yes, I am anti-national because I don’t believe in doublespeak on issues of nationalism. If support for Afzal Guru is to be seen as ‘sedition’, then at least half the erstwhile Cabinet in Jammu and Kashmir, where the BJP is in coalition with the PDP, would be held guilty.

I absolutely agree with your logic. And by that logic, and no doublespeak, you must also hold Arvind Kejriwal guilty for having partnered with Congress and Congress for partnering with Owaisi and Nitish for partnering with Lalu. Even you must be held guilty for partnering with corrupt and crony capitalist Ambani and your wife for partnering with your unethical enemy group: Times of India

What you have failed to understand is that ‘is hamam mein sab nange nahin hai, yeh nangon ka hamam hai’. You are one of them.

 If the Kashmiri youth today see Afzal as someone who was framed, they should be challenged to a legal and political debate but can they be branded as ‘jihadists’ simply because their views are repugnant to the rest of the country?

 You are again confusing issues. It’s not about Afzal. It’s about India. It’s about ‘India go back’. India ki barbadi’ ‘ India tere tukde honge’. It’s about that. Afzal, sedition law, FoE, Lawyers’ hooliganism etc are games journalists like you play to shift focus, confuse issues and keep the ‘ecosystem’ protected.

It’s about terrorism. It’s about alleged terror links of some students. It’s about supporting terror groups. It’s about terror funding. It’s about threat to India’s sovereignty. That’s why people are concerned. Leave sedition laws for the court. You tell us where do you stand? Without any buts. If you are seen protecting the rights of these allegedly terror-linked students, or seen spinning this news and covering them up, you won’t have to put any hashtag, because soon you will become a hashtag yourself – of all anti-nationals.

 Yes, I am anti-national because while I am a proud Hindu who wakes up to the Gayatri mantra, I also like a well done beef steak, which, according to BJP minister Mukhtar Naqvi, is a treasonous act, enough to pack me off to Pakistan. I celebrate the rich diversity of my country through food: Korma on Eid, pork sorpotel with my Catholic neighbours in Goa during Christmas and shrikhand during Diwali is my preferred diet. The right to food of my choice is again a freedom which I cherish and am unwilling to cede.

Unfortunately, your understanding and definition of Hinduism is limited to Gayatri Mantra, beef steak and shrikhand.  The day you will understand Hinduism you will regret that you had to waste all your productive life to learn secularism, tolerance, inclusiveness, nationalism etc. when all this wisdom was available in your grandfather’s diaries.

 Post-script: Last week, at the Delhi Gymkhana litfest, I suggested that the right to free speech must include the right to offend so long as it doesn’t incite violence. A former army officer angrily got up and shouted, “You are an anti-national who should be lynched right here!” When even the genteel environs of the Gymkhana club echo to such strains, we should all be very worried.

I don’t know much about club culture but I know one thing for sure: when journalists stop travelling beyond their studios to reporting facts, fighting over TRPs instead of truth, and using media to further their agenda or to defend and justify themselves, we should all be not just very worried but take time out to introspect.

The other day I was invited to a Times Now panel for an Arnab Goswami show where he was exposing the hypocrisy of Indian seculars and liberals. My views about Indian Secular gang are well-known and I expressed them frankly. Next morning, while walking in my park without a dog, a gentleman called me ‘bhakt’. Exactly like you do. Do you know, in Hindu philosophy, Bhakti is a human quality, attained only by honest people. He accused me of being critical of award wapsi gang who hate intolerant Hindus who support Modi and that too on a Arnab Goswami show who is exposing those who hate India and Modi who loves India and who has the support of Hindus who love India which is also loved by Modi…

If supporting India means supporting Modi and vice versa then I’d rather be called a ‘bhakt’ than being seen exchanging notes with terror support groups.

Yes, #IAmABhakt, of India

Vivek Agnihotri is a filmmaker, writer and columnist. His next film ‘Buddha In A Traffic Jam’ deals with Naxalism at India’s premier institutes.

Vivek tweets at @vivekagnihotri

How ScoopWhoop uses all tricks in the trade to white-wash JNU incident

Gaurav
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How ScoopWhoop uses all tricks in the trade to white-wash JNU incident

Has Scoopwhoop, which is essentially an Indian buzzfeed, plunged into news making and reporting now? From their latest video “Inside JNU – In search of the truth”, it certainly seems so. In the afore-mentioned video, Scoopwhoop has tried to present what they call the “truth” behind the anti-national sloganeering. The result is pathetic and hilarious.

The video starts off with a JNU student, Pankhuri Zaheer, narrating how JNU has been branded as anti-national and how they are being targetted by people. Nothing like an emotional tug to start the propaganda. By the way, Pankhuri Zaheer’s facebook posts show she addresses people as “comrades”.

Soon, this student narrates the incidents which led up to the “Bharat ki barbaad” slogans. She tells us how posters were put up in campus for a “cultural protest evening”, “against the juducial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat” and “for the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people”. She then claims that the program permission was cancelled 1 hour prior to the function once ABVP complained that it might harm the communal harmony of the campus.

Now comes the funny part: She says that after this ABVP came up with some provocative slogans. Listen to what she considers provocative:

She also admits that the program wasn’t successful, which means the students held the program even after the permission was cancelled. Candid admission of violation of administration orders? And these are the same people who now say let the administration handle the issue?

She says then the group moved to Ganga Dhaba and then the slogans by ABVP became even more “provocative”. What exactly? She tells us: “Kashmir mangoge, cheer denge” etc. And she claims, that in retaliation to these slogans, the slogans like “Bharat ki barbaadi” were raised. And she’s very clear in mentioning these were by students who weren’t by JNU.

Firstly, how does “Bharat ki barbaadi” become a retaliation to “Kashmir mangoge cheer denge”, even assuming her chain of events is true. The demand for free Kashmir can be made very well without demanding India’s destruction. Secondly, why are there no videos of these alleged provocative slogans by ABVP? We request her to present these. Thirdly, and this is something which Delhi Police might want to look into, she authoritatively says the students who raised the “Bharat ki barbaadi” type slogans, were not from JNU. How does she know this? Does she know those students hence she’s sure they are outsiders? She could very well help the cops here.

Scoopwhoop then inserts the disputed, poorly edited video which claims slogans like Pakistan Zindabad were raised by ABVP plants. So now, first we have the girl admitting that a group of students did raise objectionable slogans in retaliation to ABVP, and then Scoopwhoop claims that ABVP themselves raised those slogans. It would have been better if they had stuck to one narrative instead of contradicting themselves, that too based on a spurious video.

We then have another contradiction within this video. Pankhuri was earlier shown as saying the event was organized to protest “against the judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat” and “for the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people”, as is evident from the posters. But then Scoopwhoop shows another student who claims the event had nothing to do with Kashmir, but was on capital punishment. Who are we to believe? The poster, Pankhuri, or this new student?

Then hilariously, Kanhaiya’s friend regurgitates the same thing that the objectionable slogans were by ABVP, and also tried to say that the “Azaadi” slogans refer to freedom from social evils and not that they want a piece of land for themselves. Then why were the posters for “self-determination of Kashmiris”? Isnt this “Azaadi” of Kashmiris?

Next in the line of defence is whataboutery. A student casually alleges that ABVP students raise objectionable slogans with regards to Gujarat riots. Videos? Proofs? of course not. Don’t be stupid. He further states that they (meaning the students speaking now) allow such slogans because they believe in free speech and dialogue. Since we are on whataboutery, I wonder why such free-speech lovers of JNU were silent when Baba Ramdev was stopped from giving his speech at JNU.

The video ends with a not so subtle warning from “Comrade” Shehla Rashid, Vice President of JNUSU, saying these people are going to vote in the upcoming UP and West Bengal elections and BJP should watch out. Talk about being reduced to a vote.

JNU issue: If sedition laws must go away, so should our blasphemy laws!

Manithan
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JNU issue: If sedition laws must go away, so should our blasphemy laws!

Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) had gathered on the third anniversary of terrorist Afzal Guru’s execution and had allegedly shouted statements that went against the concept of Indian state. They had allegedly called for ‘breaking India into pieces and asked for Afzal to be born from every home’ ending with shouting few verses (which has got nothing to do with religion). Of these, Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid along with few other students had been arrested. Rahul Gandhi and several political leaders descended into the JNU campus, to express their solidarity with students who were alleged to have called for breaking India and for re-surging terrorism. ‘Freedom of Expression’ were the words in the mouth of every self-confessed intellectuals and liberals. Newsrooms were blaring with shouts of politicians and activists labeling the Modi government as Fascist, the JNU incident as Emergency and the students as innocents.

Kamlesh Tiwari had been arrested too in December with NSA invoked against him. He is behind bars till now. No Rahul Gandhi or Sitaram Yechury visited him. No news studios supported him. Let us not jump to conclusion about our intellectuals and liberals here, ‘Freedom of Expression’ were the words in their mouth, but I’m not sure where their mouth was. The whole bunch of FoEktards were busy doing something else when Malda was burning, when Muzaffarnagar was brimming and when Tiwari was probably hiding in the corner of his cellar anticipating his death.

Now, who are these FoEktards?

FoEktards is the portmanteau of Freedom of Expression and retards. This newly coined term denotes the set of self-confessed alleged liberals and activists who implement the Freedom of Expression concept in a selective manner, partly due to their agenda and mostly due to their pusillanimous attitude towards particular religions and thereby appearing as retards before our eyes.

According to FoEktards, Kamlesh Tiwari belongs to a Hindu organisation and hence, whatever criticism he has for any other religion will fall directly under Hate Speech. Sakshi Maharaj and Sadhvi Niranjan’s words describing any other religion become an incendiary Hate speech. Amit Shah’s call for vote becomes Hate Speech.

For these FoEktards,  a group of students calling for breaking India and resurgence of terrorism falls under Love Speech. Because they belong to Leftist groups and by birth, they have every right to criticise anyone.

Criticising Hinduism and any other religion must be allowed under the real Freedom of Expression (not the crap that our FoEktards peddle). And the one who criticises religions can be of any religion or consider himself irreligious. But for the FoEktards, they have every right to criticise religions (only Hinduism) but a Hindu cannot and should not criticise religions (Islam or Christianity). That is why they batted for M.F.Hussain but didn’t even batted their eyelids for Sitaram Goel. Husain’s story is known to almost any Indian, but the historian Sitaram Goel was hounded and put behind bars for publishing a well researched book. That is why these FoEktards hadn’t cried Freedom of Expression for Sanal Edamaraku or Salman Rushdie or Charlie Hebdo, but it is all over the news in case of JNU student’s arrest.

If calls for ‘Breaking India’ and ‘Resurgence of terrorism’ can be shown as Freedom of Expression, then the ‘Hate speeches’ of Kamalesh Tiwari, Sakshi Maharaj and any other Hindu group must also fall under Freedom of Expression.

Religion > India??

Kamlesh Tiwari was charged with 295A of the Indian Penal Code (Hate Speech in religious grounds), which is indirectly the Indian form of Blasphemy law. JNU students are charged with Sedition. Our FoEktards support the arrest of Kamlesh on grounds of Hate Speech but oppose the Sedition laws.

By opposing sedition law and by being a muted audience to Indian form of blasphemy laws, are our liberals and intellectuals sending a message that they consider religions to be greater than India? If a group of religious people can be offended by anti-religious statements of someone, then can’t a group of nationalist people be offended by anti-national statements of someone? If our liberals consider that only religious people (particularly Muslims and Christians) have the right to get offended and not the nationalist Indians (which includes anyone who considers themselves), do they consider those two religions above India? If the Indian government must arrest Sakshis and Sadhvis for shouting against other religious people and the same Indian government must not arrest Kumars and Khalids for shouting against other Indians, does it not send a message that our liberals do not respect India as much as they love those religions?

If our media and liberals demand insulation for religions from criticism, why can’t we extend the same to our nation? How could it be that ‘a religion can enjoy silencing its detractors but a nation cannot’?

Victims of Blasphemy law:

If you want Sedition laws in India to be removed but do not say so for ‘Hate speech in religious grounds’ law, then please take a deep look at the below table. The term Perpetrator is used because section 295A of Indian Penal Code identifies the person exercising his Freedom of Expression as a perpetrator of crime.

BlasphemyOp

The above table has been constructed with the help of Wikipedia article on ‘Hate Speech laws in India‘. I might have missed few more incidents involving hate speech in religious grounds. For a short brief on its history, the 295A was brought in force by British in 1927 after Muslims called for a Blasphemy law following the publication of Rangila Rasul book.

Absolute Freedom of Expression must be the end point of human struggles for Freedom. But, it is impossible to be practically applied in the present situation, that too for a country like India, which is surrounded by enemies on all sides. As of now, I would prefer Sedition law to remain albeit with few changes, like, removing the word ‘Government’ from it so that governments can be opposed from inside but not India and by applying it for criminals who wage war against India and urge for its breakup or secession. But, ‘hate speech in religion’ aka blasphemy laws must go away, as soon as possible.

Ending this post with a ‘This is Bill’ styled meme featuring Kamlesh Tiwari and our FoEktards:

KTiwari

Open Letter to JNUites from a Social Science Researcher of IIT

Vinod
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Open Letter to JNUites from a Social Science Researcher of IIT

Studying in the Humanities and Social Science department of IITs is tough in itself as you have to always justify your existence that what you are doing here, why not some other institute completely dedicated for humanities and social science. We struggle, we show our work which are beneficial academically at least and then suddenly some JNU happens and again the questioning and cross question restarts. I thought to constrain myself even this time about the seditious act going on in JNU but couldn’t.

These days I am saddened with the incidents happening in one of the premier institute of this country i.e. JNU and in such a situation, no one can be neutral even in abstract sense. I am getting the news through various media like Social Media, Mainstream Media and from my JNUites friends. I am appalled with the sheer of insensitivity of those students who were involved in anti-India sloganeering. I wonder about the “kind of motivation” they get for wishing “Bharat Ki Barbaadi” (destruction of India).

I learnt that they are claiming that it is a kind of witch hunt because the institution has never supported the government as well as the current establishment. It is fine argument to project itself victim but how it will justify trashing the nation as a whole and demanding secession. Being at a the centrally funded Institution, I am well aware of my responsibilities as a researcher and at the same time, I use my freedom of expression for criticizing the current government policies (there are many of them, which I don’t like) and even the head of the government but nowhere have I imagined the abhorrence towards my beloved country.

Our few liberated souls at JNU think that entire concept of nation is an idea and it’s kind of imagined one so it is fine to degenerate the country into pieces. Really! The country named India has its own long historical stance and this concept of India as a nation has been solidified over time. Continuous sacrifices has been made to protect its integrity and even these days our army are making sacrifices so that we could be protected from vices of our enemies.

JNU thrives on the idea of liberty while “claiming” its belief in equality and “promoting” fraternity. You celebrate killing of CRPF Jawans or beat Army men to prove your idea of fraternity. I heard that sexual harassment is widespread culture inside JNU campus, in fact JNU topped list of higher education institutions in this regard. Is it your dedication towards the gender equality or is it the shameless show of your libertarianism?

Suddenly numerous admirers of Voltaire have emerged on my facebook page for supporting “anti-nationals” by giving arguments about  freedom of speech of perpetrators involved in seditious act. Yes, I am borrowing the word “anti-national” from the utilitarian vocabulary because what you are doing there are completely an act of treason towards an Idea called India and for the sake of its safety, I will use as many tactics as you use for defaming and destructing this idea. Even Voltaire wouldn’t have thought that his argument will be used for protecting the culprits who desired death of such beautiful nation named India. The other party (to which people like me belong) is forced to use Karl Popper’s argument in this situation that “extreme of tolerance will cause disappearance of tolerant”.

No doubt, JNU has been a wonderful institution as long as we look into its academic achievement but when we hear such news, we become hopeless. How much disappointment this creates in the mind of genuine researchers, you guys won’t be able to ascertain? A centre of excellence is being marred just because of few extremely “liberated” and “politically motivated” individuals who are pursuing their agenda through the campus politics in the name of democracy and freedom of speech. When the freedom of speech will be used in such a dangerous and one-sided manner, it won’t leave enough scope for democracy.

Research is an achievement and you are being provided all the tools to master it. It should bring a sense of pride and you should be involved in removing all the existing malice and misconstrued notion in the society as you are at advantageous position in comparison to many of our fellow countrymen. Please, don’t defame the free thinking researchers’ fraternity. Being one of them pains me that some of us has reached at that level where they can harm the concept of our country. Mother India is trying to provide us all the resources necessary for our development and if you believe that certain sections are being ignored, complain to the country. Even on an extent you can hate it for being unequal but murdering it won’t suffice your agenda as well as wants and be sure, most of us won’t let you do that. Discuss, debate, dissent but please, don’t be disloyal.

Why Indian media is against Arnab but India isn’t

Gaurav
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Why Indian media is against Arnab but India isn’t

Indian media’s dislike for Arnab Goswami, Times Now’s thundering Editor, is well known. There have been many subtle media campaigns by channels like NDTV and CNN-IBN (sense over sensationalism) trying to counter Arnab’s style of vociferous, over the top news anchoring. The reason till now was simple: Arnab just got much better TRPs. Much, much better.

Now, Indian media-persons have found a new reason to hate Arnab, and hate him viciously: He was one of the few anchors, and thus Times Now was one of the few TV news channels, to take a strong stance against the JNU anti-nationals. Every other channel took much much softer stands against the JNU sloganeering. Their stands, were clear from their editors’ tweets:


But Arnab went the other way. Every day his panel discussion was about trashing all such arguments in favour of the slogans like “Bharat Ki Barbaadi” and “Bharat tere tukde honge”. His video which slammed Umar Khalid and gang has been viral on social media for days.

Why did he do it? Arnab Goswami is a hard character to judge.

Is he a BJP supporter? Not if you see his relentless tirade (perhaps the strongest) against Sushma Swaraj during the Lalit Modi issue.

Is he a “Right-Winger” who is not necessarily with BJP, but more with the cause? His debates questioning the practices of barring women in Hindu temples ought to suggest he is not.

Is he then a “Nationalist”, for taking up a pro-India stance in every debate which gives him a chance to do so? (for example, every debate with Pakistan on the other side). Probably.

One might very well argue that he is just TRP hungry and hence he chooses to be a “nationalist”, and to an extent that might be true. But studying his stances across debates, no one can say he is not a “nationalist”.

And that’s what has irked many from his fraternity. Take a look at one of the “sly” tweets by his former colleague Barkha Dutt, after his anti anti-nationals stand was clear:


The likes of Barkha were shocked. They suddenly realised how Arnab had beaten them completely. What the TRP ratings had been saying for long, was now much more visible. And this was caused them to raise the pitch against Arnab.

Soon, came the utterly shameful alleged attack on journalists by the Patiala court lawyers and a BJP MLA O P Sharma. Violence against anyone can never be excused, even less so by lawmakers and law practitioners. The left liberal media was deeply uncomfortable in holding these debates over the JNU issue because they couldn’t openly slam JNU and yet they couldn’t back them fully either. These lawless lawyers provided the perfect escape route for this section of the media. Once the incident at Patiala played out, the narrative in these channels changed from JNU sloganeering to Lawless lawyers and attack on media.

While the likes of Barkha Dutt, Nidhi Razdan, Rajdeep Sardesai changed their debate direction, Arnab held on to his old stance of anti anti-nationals. This further incensed the Left Liberal group. Eventually, Arnab even skipped the solidarity rally taken out by media persons, against the lawless lawyers. Apparently Arnab was attending to his ailing father, but such nuances are lost on “moral compass” wielding journalists:


And now, thanks to all the above escalations, things have reached to a hilarious situation where Leftist rags are suggesting people should Boycott Arnab. Of course, till a few months back boycotts were “communal” (read Boycott Dilwale).

What did this result in? A hashtag: #IndiaWithArnab, which was trending at number 1 on Twitter:

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And guess who were using this hashtag? “Bhakts”, or right-wingers, who have abused Arnab in the past (and will surely abuse in the future too). In fact, even as they were trending this hashtag, Arnab was reportedly bashing BJP. So what explains this?

Arnab is with India, hence India is with Arnab stupid! As I had said in a tweet earlier, the “Bhakti” of the “Bhakts” lies with India and whoever/whatever they perceive, at that moment, to be beneficial to India. And Arnab fits that criteria. He may go anti-BJP, anti-Hinduism, anti-Right Wing very soon, but the so called “Bhakts” will support him when he takes up the cause of the nation.

What should the Left Liberal media draw out of this entire episode? They have lost the pulse of the nation completely. This is reflected in multiple interactions but they just refuse to see this. Their TRPs are falling, their twitter mentions are almost always filled by abuse. Now they are getting abused by lawyers in person! Abuse is wrong (although it is covered under Freedom of Expression), but the Leftist media-persons need to introspect why are they facing this blowback.

Talk to any average India, see your WhatsApp groups, most people are incensed about the anti-national slogans in JNU. On the other hand the likes of Rajdeep and Barkha have tried their best to defend the accused. And the public also knows that these defences are not from their love for free speech. Sagarika has openly batted for restrictions on free speech in the past, Barkha has sued bloggers. Most glaringly, these so called crusaders of free speech were silent when Kamlesh Tiwari was arrested and charged with NSA. These are just positions taken by these star anchors to suit their ideological biases. And now, the average Indian is slowly waking upto this.

Arnab Goswami may still be a “nationalist” by convenience, convenience which high TRPs afford him, and that mask is yet to fall, but the masks have fallen off the likes of Rajdeep and Barkha.

I hate my country and I want you to stop questioning my patriotism

Guest Author
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I hate my country and I want you to stop questioning my patriotism

Gentle readers, I must inform you, my frame of mind as I write this is far from cheerful. Infact if I could afford a moment of candidness, last few years weigh heavily on my shoulder.

As you might have guessed I, of course, refer to persecution unleashed by that Rowlingnian blackguard, Narendra Modi. I tremble at the transformation of this country from a liberal democratic republic to fourth Reich under coercive majoritarianism of khaki chaddis.

This was not how it was supposed to happen. There we were happy as a clam, planning the succession of the prince charming with dimples, when all of a sudden, we found ourselves getting strangled by the intolerable intolerance, as bleak and as dispiriting as when Anne Frank had to hide in the closet, or when my maid failed to show up for a week.

If only that were the extent of our indignities, we could have stomached it, but no, that were not to be. To add insult to our injury, we find ourselves besieged by the internet hindus.

Nowadays my friends and I can’t express opinions on any subject without these black shirts jumping on us about “truth” and “accountability “.  And all said and done, it is their cultlike obsession with such primitive superstition which is of utmost concern, if not alarm.

What these simple-minded thugs do not realize is that our liberal order can not be based on such problematic constructs. Because truth is gendered, and patriarchal, also heteronormative and privileged.Which is why if we sincerely believe in a better future, we at all cost should ignore reality. If that doesn’t work we should shut our eyes and cover our ears unless it is gone. And since we wish for a better future, asking accountability for our exalted opinion is not just churlish but bordering on blasphemous.

Make no mistake, our mission is nothing short of sacred, we are guardians of light in this area of darkness, light first brought from the blessed Arabia by Muhammad Bin Qasim, and passed over to successive generations entrusted with protecting and spreading this divine revelation to this blighted land of superstitions, of idolatry, of ridiculous notions such as respect to all faith.

Which is why, the best thing to happen to this land is us, selflessly trying to bring the wretched subhuman Hindus to enlightenment. Which is why our real heroes are Afzal Gurus and Yaqub Memon, who sacrifice life to bring true civilization to the repellent barbarians, and not simpletons like Unnikrishnan and Hanumanthappa who died to save Brahammanical status quo.

It is necessary that we defend our right to curse this godforsaken land, to pray for its destruction because we must remember, our rights are inalienable , just like our morning tea and crustless toast.

– @doubtinggaurav

Free Speech: Kamlesh Tiwari vs JNU

Nitin Rivaldo
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Free Speech: Kamlesh Tiwari vs JNU

Kamlesh Tiwari comments on Prophet Mohammad. He gets booked under the National Security Act. He gets arrested as a threat to the national security of India.

He just made a statement. Police stations were torched by a mob of 2.5 Lakh Muslims in Malda. Yet he was a threat to the national security. Mullahs were offering 51 Lakhs for his beheading in open. Yet, he was a threat to the national security.

If I remember correctly, the Mullah who made an offering of 51 Lakhs wasn’t arrested. Because that would have been Fascism! Secularism put behind bars!

The threat to national security were those Lakhs of goons going on a rampage in Malda. But, Kamlesh Tiwari was arrested because what Kamlesh Tiwari said was portrayed to be provocative.

That’s like arresting a girl for getting molested because some people found her dress provocative.

No one cried free speech, dissent under threat. No one cried Fascism by the UP govt. There was pin-drop silence among the champions of free speech like Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi, Barkha, Rajdeep, Sagarika, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and other self-proclaimed intellectuals.

Media was forced to pick up the story. Even then, media didn’t debate”Why has Kamlesh Tiwari been arrested under NSA”, but they discussed, “Bhaiya, arrest kar liya hai, Ab dange kyon kar rahe ho? Phansi kyon maang rahe ho?” No one questioned 295A then?

An Editor of an Urdu daily Shirin Dalwi was arrested for publishing Charlie Hebdo cartoons. No one came out in her support. Not even people from the media. Op-eds by Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Sagarika, and others on Charlie Hebdo are great case studies of hypocrisy in their commitment to free speech.

In fact, Pratap Bhanu Mehta wrote :

Sometimes, such attacks are intended to draw attention to double standards. Can a country that bans hijabs stand the ground of free expression? If liberty can be curbed for equality, why not for piety? Suppose we now publish the cartoons, not as an act of disrespect for Islam but as an act of defiance against violence.

Today, suddenly same voices are championing calls for violence in the name of Free Speech.

Kya Free speech mein bhi odd even chal raha hai kya?
Malda mein Maun the! JNU mein ON ho gaye?

Their support for free speech is a Sin Wave. Crest in JNU, Trough in Malda/Charlie Hedbo.  What we are seeing is not a principled commitment to free speech but free speech used as a shield for a deeper sinister campaign.

Today, some JNU Students are chanting, “Bharat tere tukde honge, Insha-Allah, Insha-Allah. Afzal hum sharminda hai, tere kaatil zinda hain!”, “Bharat ki barbadi tak yeh jung chalegi.”

These are calls to violence. Does Jinnah’s call for “direct action” qualify as free speech? Would you support that?

No one is shutting JNU down. No one is arresting all students. But how can you support people like Umar Khalid?

It’s a political issue, painted as a free speech one. There is something sinister going on.

Remember Ishrat Jahan was sold as an innocent school girl by Barkha. This time, it is Umar Khalid’s turn, and he too incidentally is a student. If they could paint terrorists as victims, what keeps them from painting an Islamist like Umar Khalid a victim?

Look at their narratives. Ishrat Jahan was Bihar ki Beti. But, when evidences surfaced and she was found a terrorist, these messiahs of humanity changed their goalposts from “innocent girl” to “fake encounter”.

KPS Gill is considered a hero for putting an end to the insurgency in Punjab. Ever seen a campaign against him for fake encounters? Did you ever see the same intellectuals making sure he goes to jail? But the cops who killed Ishrat Jahan went to jail. Why? Because they killed a good terrorist, a terrorist who wanted to kill a person whom the ruling elite of politics, media and the intelligentsia hated.

If you take them to courts, these people sign mercy petitions. When SC orders execution, then you read headlines in the Indian Express like “And They Killed Yakoob!”

Matlab, Agar koi Terrorist mil gaya Hindustan mein. Mazaal hai tum use haath laga kar dikha do. We will make you pay the price. The Police, the IB, even call SC names.

So leave the terrorists alone. Leave the people offering money to behead Kamlesh Tiwari alone. Leave the mobs of rampaging extremists in Malda alone.

If you stand up for Kamlesh Tiwari, you will be called enemies of Muslims. If you touch these students with links to Jaish, you will be accused of saffronizing the universities.

These people promised Fascism, and because they don’t see it coming, they are ensuring that every incident is painted as Fascism. They promised riots, but because we don’t see those happening, they are propping pro-separatist forces to create riot like situation. They won’t mind seeing this country burn for political gains.

IB head Rajender Kumar who was framed by CBI and the puppets of Madam to nail Modi in Ishrat Jahan encounter said, “26/11 could have been averted had the then regime not targeted IB!”

“I hate India” is free Speech. “Bharat ke tukde honge, Khoon bahega, Afzal niklenge” is a threat of violence. If we don’t draw a line between the two concepts, we’re helping them draw a new line on the map. And remember the mayhem when a new line created. The last time it was drawn in 47!

It’s a dangerous game being played in the garb of supporting free speech at JNU. The irony is, threats to the national security are treated as victims, and victims like Kamlesh Tiwari are treated as a threat to the national security.

(adapted from Nitin Gupta’s Facebook post)

“Kejriwal-Insults-Hanuman” trends on Twitter as outrage over Kejriwal’s tweet grows

OpIndia Staff
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“Kejriwal-Insults-Hanuman” trends on Twitter as outrage over Kejriwal’s tweet grows

On Tuesday, Social media was filled with outrage over a particular tweet of Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal, has been steadfastly standing behind the “students” of JNU saying “targetting innocent students” will prove costly to Modi:


It is well known that Kejriwal leaves no stone unturned when it comes to getting a chance to attack Modi, and here too, he played his cards. Today, Kejriwal shared a cartoon which among other things, showed Hindu God Hanuman as an arsonist, with a club in his hand.

The cartoon, which was originally published in The Hindu, showed a rowdy, uncouth man in the form of Hanuman, flying with his tail on fire and a club in his hand, saying that he has done his job, and “now all attention is on JNU”. It appears that the cartoon was trying to make the point that all the anti-national slogans in JNU had been planted by BJP/Modi’s henchmen, “Hanuman” being one of them. This is not different from Kejriwal’s own stand. In his past tweets, based on a disputed video (against which ABVP has filed a case), Kejriwal has often said ABVP is suspected of these activities, even while disregarding all the videos which show JNU students like Umar Khalid chanting slogans:


Social media users expressed their in various forms, accusing Kejriwal of insulting Hanuman and Hindus:


Some also asked questions why The Hindu is being spared for such a post:


A lesson in free speech for our blabbering commentators

Mayuresh Didolkar
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A lesson in free speech for our blabbering commentators

In one of my articles elsewhere on net I argued that the biggest strength of left liberals comes from their ability to think as an institution. In India, as in abroad, the left liberals are a remarkably coordinated bunch and when under attack they show the remarkable teamwork displayed by a pack of grey wolves on hunt. And of course, they are not fazed by a setback. The “Indian Barbadi” episode on JNU campus, where the stunt of students backfired badly is a case in point.

The backlash was so severe that the lefties (and their loyal tontos in the media) knew some damage control was in order, so they went Plan B ; i.e. “Free speech defence”. Sagarika Ghose called the clampdown on the JNU students “ridiculous”. Rajdeep and Barkha (perhaps fearing a backlash for an overtly pro separatist stance) asked if our state is so weak as to arrest students for raising slogans. Sagarika even posted a US SC judgement on flag burning. Their overwhelming message- if you do not stand still and take separatist scums shouting slogans against your motherland, you are weak, you are dictatorial and you do not get free speech.

Actually, idiot sirs and madams, it is you who don’t get free speech. Your arguments are so self-contradictory that they are impressive only in their brazenness. You really must be counting on us to be exceptionally stupid or exceptionally coward to hope to get away with it. You are not, not today. And just to prove how hollow your arguments are, I am not even going to use the most basic argument that anyone with a modicum of decency will find self-suggesting- namely there is no bravery in being a traitor and that our sovereignty should be above such petty discussions. I get it; your moral decay is so deep that these things will not occur to you. Never mind, like they say, more than one way to skin the cat.

So first way to look at how wrong you are to make this as a free speech issue let’s consider the fact that if free speech can be used to attack sovereignty of the nation, then free speech can be used (with the same moral right) to attack free speech itself and hence any effort to suppress those separatists should not raise your eye-brow. This is a circular argument and one the late comedian George Carlin best summarized as follows “next time someone tells you they have a right to their opinion, tell them you have a right to your opinion too and your opinion is they do not have a right to their opinion”. Got it? Even the ancient Latin doctrine cautions non faciat malum,ut inde veniat bonum i.e. not to do evil that good may come. Or as once again the late George Carlin put it so well “fighting for peace is like f**king for virginity”.

In fact if you apply your mind well to the definition of free speech, you will see that the government and police response to this incident is exemplary in its upholding of free speech. The simple fact is that free speech allows you freedom to say things should change. It provides legitimacy to the act of protesting against an unjust law or government diktat. It does not give you a license to unilaterally revoke the law. Separate the two group of people protesting against government and you will see the police action is only on one of the two. The students who raised slogans of “India ki barbadi tak jung rahegi jung rahegi ( our war will continue till Indian state is not destroyed) are all facing action because they broke an existing law.

A law that states that “whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India, shall be punished with 5 imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”

It is an existing law passed by legitimate means through Indian legislature and the law enforcement machinery would have failed their duty towards the country if they had not upheld the law in this case. The other group, i.e. people like Sagarika who wishes to abolish the sedition law itself are free and will remain so because they have not broken a law but merely protested it.

Let me take an example away from this debate to clarify my point- let’s say you are one of those activists who feel the laws about domestic violence are hopelessly female centric and require change. Free speech guarantees that your demand to make the change will be heard. However, if you lose your patience with the system and start advising men “ sc**w this, laws are not fair so start beating women till you don’t win” you will be charged. It is so simple that you have to be clinically mentally challenged or deliberately obtuse not to see it. Breaking the law- crime, protesting the law- no crime. May be you should write it down on a cue card or something.

Having addressed the first part, whether the government was within its rights to take action, let’s move to part two. Is the existing law fair? And does it not abate free speech?

Actually no, once again. And to understand why, you need to understand the difference between free speech and consequence free speech. (The last term borrowed from the retired talk show host Jon Stewart, though me and Jon may have varied in our interpretation of the term)

Do I mean to use the popular argument that free speech should not include speech against the country? Not really and for my own reasons. Thankfully, there is no need to use it either. You see free speech is a mere guarantee that your spoken word will not become a reason for your persecution. Free speech is a guarantee that someone (your college/employer/community)/govt) will not punish you in one area for the crime of speaking your mind in an unrelated area. It means if you support Kejriwal and your boss supports  Modi, he cannot fire you from your job as a computer engineer (though in this case if you are a team leader he should fire you for poor judgement, hehe) because supporting Kejriwal is not a deterrent in discharge of your duties at work. But if you are working with Reliance petroleum and you write a blog suggesting all the oil refineries should be set on fire to rid the world of the polluting fossil fuels, he has a right, nay an obligation to act against you. In case of JNU, these students are using their free speech asking people to wage a war against the state. Sorry, free speech does not cover that. For that you would need to have consequence free speech.

Consequence free speech alone can guarantee you that whatever you say will have no consequences of themselves. It also means you can hurt sentiments of the majority of people, make changes without keeping the fairness of them in mind and never get a blowback of your words. For that to happen you need to be the top guy (or one of the top guys) in an authoritarian regime so it is a limited commodity enjoyed by a select few only. A few months back, Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, in a joint press conference with US secretary of state John Kerry, told a female journalist “ it is politically incorrect for a lady to address a gentleman when she is on her knees” (no kidding Sherlock !!) and continued as if nothing happened. That my friends, is consequence free speech. Ms. Ghose, if you wish to be part of a society where a foreign minister tells you not to open your mouth while you are on your knees, have at it. Not my circus, not my monkeys.

Of course the other group that can get away with consequence free speech are small kids and idiots. (Notice how quickly we are tired of criticizing Kejriwal). That is the other extreme of consequence free speech where people say “oh bachcha hain” or “oh he is an idiot” shake their head and walk away. This is hardly the position a true revolutionary will aspire for.

There is also the fact that most of the people advocating free speech on this issue have demanded actions against hate speech in past. Sagarika herself, even in this controversy tweeted that free speech is not hate speech. What she means is, we can prosecute people for their spoken words, just ask Aunt Sagarika when. A few months back, the same set of intellectuals that are protesting this crackdown had written an open letter to Times Now demanding ban on words like Anti nationals and terror sympathizers. The most ridiculous inconsistency of this particular argument, however, is when people like Shekhar Gupta chided government for taking action against Students in collusion of ABVP. So students protesting against state are kids, students protesting against the first set however are not students, they are merely part of an organization that has students in its name. I, like most Indians, simply don’t have the right education to get the logic of this.

A word to the students then. Your cause is despicable and your cry for help shows you to be morally coward. As someone noted on twitter today, the older generation of lefties at least had the moral fibre to own up sedition if they believed in it. For two days on television every students representative is saying the same thing “the posters were disgusting, we believe in united India but oh all the students arrested for this are a result of the government’s political vendetta”. The famous court judgement that said “nobody killed Jessica” in the Jessica Laal murder case comes to mind.

Here is the truth kids, whatever worth having is worth fighting for. You want to become revolutionaries, more power to you. But then don’t run go running to the constitution of the same country you are fighting against. The bar for fighting for freedom in this country is set pretty high by people like Bhagat Singh and Rajguru and Sukhdev. If you believe this government is dictatorship, learn to fight from those brave hearts and not from some coward professor who masterminded an attack and then spent years begging to the judiciary for his life. Facing a near certain death sentence Bhagat Singh fasted for 116 days to protest treatment mated to him and his colleagues in jail. His comrade in arms Jatindra Nath Das went on hunger strike to protest treatment given the prisoners by the British authorities died after fasting for 63 days. Those were the people who believed in putting everything on line to fight for the ideal they believed in. They did not count on a democratic regime to bail them out of trouble.

Those bravehearts sang “सरफरोशी कि तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल मे हैं देखते हैं जोर कितना बाजू ए कातील मे हैं” and we sing their praises even today. We have neither admiration nor sympathy for despicable cry bullies who run for cover at the first hint of trouble.

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