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Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s fast… err.. farce on communal harmony

Nirwa Mehta
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Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s fast… err.. farce on communal harmony

Every day I go on a diet, which lasts exactly 6 hours, longer than the 5 hours ‘fast’ Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was supposed to undertake for ‘communal harmony’. The fast, which was to start at 11 am (and end at 4 pm) started a little late, since the Rahul Gandhi reached the venue at around 1 pm. Well, you can’t blame him. Delhi traffic gets the best of us and then combine it with early morning thunder leaving Delhi streets flooded with traffic jams, it is a miracle Gandhi reached the venue before the time window for fast came to an end.


Meanwhile, BJP leaders have accused Congress leaders of feasting just before going on fast, because one needs the energy to stay hungry for full six hours.


Congress leaders, obviously, were mocked for their seriousness ‘symbolic’ fast.


Amusingly, AS Lovely, one of the fasting leaders, defended the feast by claiming how it was at 8 am, 3 hours before the fast was to begin.


How lovely!

However, irony led a murderous mob when Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, both accused of engineering anti-Sikh riots in 1984 following Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, were spotted at Rajghat to ‘fast for communal harmony’. However, they were both allegedly asked to leave the venue.


Tytler and Kumar’s presence got a lot of flak in the protest which talks about ‘communal harmony’.


Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Maken, who is also seen in above picture allegedly feasting before the ‘fast’, clarified that they weren’t really asked to leave but the enclosure where they were was only for certain office-bearers of the party.

Perhaps this is how Congress and Rahul Gandhi is sending out their message to us. That their sumptuous breakfast before going on a ‘symbolic’ fast is how their talks about removing hunger, poverty and malnutrition are also symbolic. That, having people who allegedly led violent mobs, identifying and killing Sikhs, be part of a protest on ‘communal harmony’ is their way of showing how it really doesn’t matter to them. That person could and should be manipulated by ‘symbolism’ if it brings back to power.

All this talks about food has made me hungry. On that note, I’m off to make chhole-chawal for dinner. My diet, just like Congress leaders’ fast, is symbolic.

Rape Victim’s father dies in judicial custody; 2 police officers, 4 constables suspended

OpIndia Staff
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Rape Victim’s father dies in judicial custody; 2 police officers, 4 constables suspended

Two police officers and four constables have been suspended over the death of the father of a rape victim in judicial custody. Four other people, accused of beating the victim’s father, have also been arrested.


The father was allegedly assaulted by the BJP MLA’s brother and his accomplices few days earlier and had suffered multiple injuries. He was lodged in jail after an alleged clash between the supporters of the BJP MLA and the victim’s family. He was moved to a hospital after he complained of abdominal pain and vomiting.


The victim had attempted to immolate themselves outside the residence of the Chief Minister yesterday. But security present there stopped her from setting herself on fire before handing her over to the Police. According to the victim, she was raped by BJP MLA from Bangermau, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, along with his accomplices last year. But despite her complaints, the MLA escaped justice by using his influence.

Unnao Police has claimed that a case was registered at the Makhi police station on the complaints of the girl following which three accused, Shubham Singh, Brijesh Yadav, Awadh Narayan, were arrested and a charge sheet was filed in the Court.

An FIR has been registered against the MLA, his brother Atul and accomplices and ADG, Lucknow zone, Rajeev Krishna has said that the FIR registered post the April 2 incident, when Sengar’s supporters alledgedly thrashed the victim’s father and her brother, will be investigated by the crime branch of Lucknow Police as the victim has claimed that Unnao Police could be influenced by the MLA.

Sengar dubbed the entire incident a political conspiracy and denied all the allegations labeled against him. “It is a conspiracy hatched by my political opponents to tarnish my image and damage my reputation… I have no problems with any probe. Let a probe be conducted, and the guilty be given the stringent punishment. If I am found guilty in the probe, I am ready to face the punishment,” he said.

Hong Kong free to arrest Nirav Modi as per India’s request : China

OpIndia Staff
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Hong Kong free to arrest Nirav Modi as per India’s request : China

China has declared that Hong Kong could take its own decision regarding India’s request for the provisional arrest of Nirav Modi. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said that Hong Kong could accede to India’s request based on local laws and judicial agreements if a relevant request was made.

Geng Shuang, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a media briefing when asked about India’s request, “According to the one country two systems and basic law of the HKSAR, under the assistance and authorisation of the central government, the HKSAR can make proper arrangement on mutual judicial assistance with other countries.” He added, “If India makes a relevant request to the HKSAR, we believe the HKSAR will follow the basic law and relevant laws and under relevant judicial agreements with India with the relevant issue.”

V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs had told the Parliament last week that “the ministry has sought the provisional arrest of Nirav Deepak Modi by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the People’s Republic of China.” It was believed that China could be a hurdle, however, the Chinese government appears to have given the green signal despite simmering hostilities between the two countries in recent times.

Nirav Modi is wanted in the 12000 crore PNB scam that rocked the country earlier this year. He had fled India to avoid arrest.

Upper Caste boy allegedly shot dead by Dalit girl’s family for marrying her

OpIndia Staff
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Upper Caste boy allegedly shot dead by Dalit girl’s family for marrying her

A upper caste boy was shot dead in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh for allegedly marrying a Dalit girl. As per a PTI report, the boy was shot dead on the early hours of Sunday, in the city’s upscale Birhana road area, at about 500 yards from the Pheel-khana police station.

The boy has been identified as a 19 year old Sonu Singh, a.k.a Narul who lives in Kanpur’s Sirki Mohal area. Reports have claimed that Sonu had married a Dalit girl few months back with whom he had a relationship. Vernacular reports have claimed that the police are investigating about the murder being a result of the inter-caste wedding.

As per Circle Officer Ajay Kumar, about five bike laden assailants which included the girl’s uncle Ashish Sonkar apprehended Sonu and shot him in the head. As a result of the crime, the police reached the spot and found Sonu lying in a pool of blood. They rushed him to a hospital, but he died midway.

The Superintendent of Police (East) Anurag Arya has claimed that the girl’s family was opposed to the wedding and that the girl’s uncle had hired killers to eliminate the boy. He also claimed that all prime suspects have been detained by the police.

Rahul Gandhi won hearts today with his fast, RW trolls should read this to know how

Divya
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Rahul Gandhi won hearts today with his fast, RW trolls should read this to know how

Social media is going ballistic with memes on Rahul Gandhi’s fast for communal harmony. A medium that is overrun with Right Wing trolls is enjoying its moment in the sun over the alleged failure of the fast. But before getting carried away with this negativity (which BJP thrives on and encourages), let’s stop for a moment and look at the larger picture.

Why did Rahul Gandhi call for this fast? Why would someone who could savour the best of culinary delights sacrifice his food for 5 long hours?

This was mainly necessitated by the need to undo the political and socially vitiated fabric of India since 2014.

Oscar Wilde once said, “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives”. As we all know, Rahul Gandhi is all about love and forgiveness and it is to his credit that he is bringing Oscar Wilde’s words to life.

An Irish proverb too states that “laughter is the brightest in the place where the food is”. Can we deny the now often proven relationship between Rahul Gandhi and laughter? Contrast this with the sentiment inspired by the other brand leader in the race!

In fact, Virginia Woolfe went even further and said: “One cannot think well, love well and sleep well if one has not dined well”. Do we really need a leader (who prides his fasting prowess during the Navratras) when an empty stomach leads to lack of thinking and loving?

The great J.R.R.Tolkein once said “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world”.

And God, do we know how much of love, cheer and song we need in this Sanghi world!

Going forward, the Culinary Master Anthony Bourdain himself quotes “I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we are talking about unpasteurised Stilton, raw oysters or working for organised crime associates, food for me has always been an adventure”.

Rahul Gandhi has indeed proved his risk-taking abilities by focussing on food here, irrespective of what the haters say. Risk taking is an important attribute for a man desirable of holding the PMs chair.

Finally Julia Child succinctly wraps up the argument by saying “People who love to eat are the best people. Cannot really explain it better than that.

Credits: Nidhi R, Sadhvi K, Sadanand D, Pallavi G and 64 others.

10 Policemen booked in Gujarat for forcibly taking Bitcoins after kidnapping businessmen

OpIndia Staff
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10 Policemen booked in Gujarat for forcibly taking Bitcoins after kidnapping businessmen

Gujarat Police have booked a Police Inspector and 9 other policemen for allegedly extorting 200 Bitcoins worth about 12 crores. According to reports, in what appears to be the first virtual currency related crime in the country, the Gujarat police CID (crime) booked inspector Anant Patel and 10 others for kidnapping and extortion.

The police have filed an FIR after a complaint against Anant Patel and 10 other policemen was received for allegedly kidnapping a businessman named Sailesh Bhatt at a farmhouse in Gandhinagar and forcibly taking 200 Bitcoins from his smartphone.

The police have lodged the FIR after the complaint and a preliminary probe. Apart from the 10 policemen, a private individual has also been named in the FIR. The individual is a businessman and he allegedly helped the policemen with the transactions. Additional DG Ashish Bhatia stated that a team has been formed to investigate the high profile case. The police also added that they are yet to receive any substantial evidence regarding the alleged forcible transfer of the Bitcoins.

According to the FIR, the accused police officer Anant Patel, who is a local crime branch officer from Amreli, along with his accomplices allegedly took Sailesh Bhatt, his associate Kirit Paladia and his driver Mahipal forcibly to a farmhouse near Dehgam and kept them hostage. Patel then forced them to transfer the Bitcoins from their mobile phone.

The FIR also states that Patel and the other policemen also demanded an extortion money of Rs 32 crores to release Bhatt and Paladia. The complainants have accused that the policemen let the hostages go only after the extortion money of Rs 32 crores was transferred to them. The allegedly took another 78 lakhs to give back the bitcoins.

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency which is issued virtually through cryptography and it has been in news recently for providing exceptional returns on investments. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India had ordered all financial institutions to sever ties with firms dealing in cryptocurrencies within three months. There are approximately over five million investors who have bought Bitcoins or other major cryptocurrencies.

Rahul Gandhi pioneers ‘rapid fasting’ which might benefit millions of budding activists

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi pioneers ‘rapid fasting’ which might benefit millions of budding activists

In normal parlance, the act of fasting is deemed to be a day-long practice either for religious reasons or for activism purposes. In recent years, activist Anna Hazare has defined the “modern art of fasting” in this country, by sitting on various indefinite hunger strikes to pressurise the incumbent governments for enacting anti-corruption measures.

Famously Hazare had managed to go through a 12 day fast during the 2011 anti-corruption protests. Current Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too had indulged in high octane fasting 2006, when she supposedly went without food for 26 days.

Such long fasts have meant that the bar has been raised when it comes to fasting, and any small time activist who wants to use similar protest techniques, might need to make a similar effort for being taken seriously. This might create a lot of hurdles for budding activists, as who would want to go hungry for so many days.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi and the Congress though have now pioneered a new form of fasting which might make this act reachable for the common activists.

As per reports, Rahul Gandhi was all set to participate in a five hour fast in Rajghat on Monday from 11 AM to 4 PM to promote communal harmony. The announcement of the same was made by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken:


As this “rapid fasting” initiative might usher in a new era of fasting in the country, thereby benefiting millions of millions of budding activists, it might be almost certain that the complete credit for the initiative will be given to Rahul Gandhi.

Predictably this unusual act of normalising quick fire fasting resulted in a lot of jokes on social media:


After the news of this fast spreads, it remains to be seen whether some activists take things further by fasting at night when they would pass the time by sleeping or fasting between meals like lunch and dinner. This action by Rahul and Congress might also deflect attention from AIADMK activists who recently had decided to take a lunch break between their fast.

This five-hour fasting wasn’t incidentally the only goof up when it comes to Congress’ communal harmony initiative. The “communal harmony” protest venue also saw the arrival of 1984 Sikh Riot accused Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, which led to the party getting attacked for reducing the issue to a farce.

RSS worker sets himself on fire after being frustrated with social strife

OpIndia Staff
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RSS worker sets himself on fire after being frustrated with social strife

Rajasthan based RSS worker and owner of a medical store tried to commit suicide by self-immolation him on Sunday. 40-year-old Raghuveer Sharan Agarwal set himself on fire near Amrapali Circle between 5:30 am – 5:45 am, said Bhopal Singh Bhati, the station house officer of Vaishali Nagar police station.

As per reports, after setting himself ablaze, Raghuveer Sharan ran for about 100 meters chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.” The onlookers tried to deluge the fire and rushed him to SMS hospital where the hospital authority Dr SS Yadav confirmed that Raghuveer Sharan had 80% burns and his condition was critical.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police of Jaipur West, Ashok Gupta stated that the victim in his statement to the police stated two reasons for taking the extreme step. “He was facing some family issues and he was upset with the prevailing situation in the country and the incidences of caste-based clashes,” he said.

Recently the country witnessed violence during the Bharat Bandh called by some Dalit organisation to protest against the so-called dilution of the SC/ST Act. The violence claimed 10 lives. Two BSP Leaders have been arrested so far in UP for being the chief instigators of the violence.

The mainstream media has also jumped on the bandwagon and seems to have tried its best to instigate caste based hate. Recently, fake news about a Dalit being killed for owning a horse was peddled by the media. It was later found that he was killed because of personal issues and his caste was of no consequence to the murder.

BSP supremo Mayawati has also seen a political opportunity in this strife and has made a U-turn with respect to her previous stand on the SC/ST Act.

In fact, not only the caste card but India saw how a farmers march was hijacked by communists to manufacture social strife.

While the political dispensation and the mainstream media seems to be maintaining silence over this incident, one wonders if the deliberate attempts to manipulate caste based fault lines in the society for petty political gains will now stop.

Why it is cool to be a Hindu

Nithesh S
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Why it is cool to be a Hindu

A tweet by @dimpleatra caught my attention. The question made me ponder whether Hindus can call themselves as ‘cool’.


The question itself reminded me of the historian Arnold J Toynbee’s quote :

“It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a Western beginning will have to have an Indian ending if it is not to end in self-destruction of the human race. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation is the ancient Hindu way. Here we have the attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family”

Arnold Toynbee, British historian

Toynbee felt that ‘the only way of salvation is the ancient Hindu way’. In spite of this sweeping endorsement from a foreigner (which we somehow crave for), there is a need to explain as to why Sanatan Hindu Dharma is cool.

At the outset, I would like to clarify what I understand by the words ‘cool’ and ‘Dharmic’. Of course, the word ‘cool’ is a very subjective connotation. ‘Cool’ is something that is uplifting, attractive, agreeable or something without excessive restrictions. What is ‘Dharmic’? A Dharmic is someone who believes in fairness with all individuals and living beings. ‘Fairness’ is not a passive concept, but an active one. It is closely entwined with ‘righteousness’. Hinduism is a religion which considers ‘Dharma’ as its core concept.

Why is it cool to be a Hindu/Dharmic/Sanatani?

Primarily, is cool to be Dharmic because one is free to question the Supreme Lord. It is one of the key aspects of Hinduism. Unlike Abrahamic faiths which demands one’s total surrender to God with no doubts, Hinduism encourages free thought. There is nothing called heresy in Hinduism. An individual can be an atheist or agnostic and still be a Hindu. This is the most important reason why a Dharmic can claim himself or herself to be cool.

Secondly, one is free to imagine one’s god and give numerous pictorial descriptions to it. It is natural for one to invest his/her creativity in portraying Ganapati in different forms during Ganesh Chaturti. I have seen geeky Ganeshas, cool Ganesha idols wearing sunglasses and even a depiction of Ganesha on Mars. A Dharmic does not curb another beings’ creativity unlike some religions which ban portrayal of God.

Image Credits: Hiveminer.com

The fact that we have a rich cultural heritage in the form of dance, music and architecture is a direct result of this liberalism. Dharmics enjoy classical arts which celebrate life and human creativity while praising the Lord himself. Our dance forms are a testimony to this claim.

Thirdly, Hinduism recognises the natural urges of humans and provides a framework to satiate them. Artha and Kama are also placed alongside Dharma and Moksha in the list of Purusharthas. In fact, we were among the first people on earth to come up with a book about sex i.e. the Kamasutra by Vatsyayana. We have erotic sculptures on the premises of temples in Odisha. In fact, I have seen some erotic imagery in ancient temples of Aihole (Karnataka) as well. The guide told me that it could have been used for the purpose of sex education to common people. If that interpretation is correct, we can proudly claim that our ancestors were hipsters!

A sculpture in Khajuraho temple complex. Image Credits: India.com

We have been able to endure many invasions and assaults on our religion and way of life. The longevity of our ideas and Gods is something we should be proud of. The strength of Sanatan Hindu Dharma in spite of its liberalism is something that amazes me. If we were liberals how did we manage to contain Islamic or Christian onslaught in our land? We may be cool, but we are also proud of our religion. When push came to the shove, the dormant and tolerant Hindu civilisation gave birth to a warrior like Shivaji. We defended our faith and way of life but at the same time, we didn’t kill innocent people of other faiths.

There is another important fact about the coolness factor of Hinduism. India is the only land where Jews have not been persecuted. This fact is still recognized by Israelis. When reading an answer to the question ‘Why do Israelis love to travel to India?  by a person named Ben A Wise, I felt proud of India. Ben writes (emphasis added) :

India provides foreigners with a lot of freedom so long as they respect basic cultural tenets, and even if these are flouted, Indians are usually rather laid back, clement and tolerant. [..] A spiritual air pervades India. There is an ancient seeking that permeates the land. There is a softness and kindness that succours the heart. This balances the strict army experience and plants a seed that can be carried anywhere, and tended to during the course of a lifetime.[..] India is relatively safe. There are usually no terrorist threats and no antisemitism present.

Environmental activism and ‘eco-friendly’ practices are ‘cool’ today. Guess what, we have recognised the importance of forests, animals and wildlife centuries ago. The Bishnois in Rajasthan have sacrificed their lives for trees way back in 18th century. We have given an honourable position for animals by making them the vehicles for our gods. Even today we worship trees. Narasimha, Ganapati, Hanuman are important deities of Hindus. In a way, we have been ordered to conserve wildlife as some of our gods have physical features of animals.

Our festivals different names in different parts of India. Yet they have similarities. Some of our festivals are in sync with nature. Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Navreh, Vishu, Bihu marking a new year are celebrated during springtime (somewhere in mid-March). We celebrate along with the nature around the time when flowers are blooming and the dead leaves are being replaced by new foliage. The ‘new year’ is not randomly attached to the birth of an individual or God.

Last but not the least, we are cool because we have updated and corrected ourselves whenever our society took a wrong path. A true Dharmic will not justify anything in the name of God.

Sanatan Dharma offers freedom to the individual, yet guides the person in their spiritual journey. It allows creativity and encourages a questioning attitude to everything. Diversity, tolerance, bravery and courage are an integral part of Hinduism. Therefore it is cool to be a Hindu/Dharmic/Sanatani.

Two Rohingya Muslim men arrested in Manipur for alleged involvement in human trafficking

OpIndia Staff
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Two Rohingya Muslim men arrested in Manipur for alleged involvement in human trafficking

Two Rohingya Muslim men were arrested in Moreh, Manipur for their alleged involvement in human trafficking. The two men were arrested along with a woman, who is believed to have been trafficked and did not possess any valid document, from Muslim basti after the police received reliable information about some Rohingyas staying at a house with trafficked girls. According to the Police, the two men have confessed to having been involved in human trafficking across the border.

Dr. S Ibomcha Singh, Superintendent of Police, Tengnoupal District, said, “Following reliable information that some Rohingyas from Myanmar are staying at Muslim Basti with trafficked girls from foreign country to engage them in prostitution by inducement and force, the combined team rushed to the said area under my supervision and picked up two Rohingya along with a woman.”

The SP added that the arrested men have disclosed that they along with one Md Ismail of Mayang Imphal Bengoon under Imphal West district were involved in trafficking of Rohingya girls from Myanmar to different parts of the world including India.”

The two men have been identified as Mohammad Saifullah (34) and Mohammad Salam (25) and the woman is said to be Toiba Haut alias Nargis (20). The Police are also looking for the owner of the rented house, Maulana Ahmed Hassan, the arrested Rohingyans were staying in. Ahmed Hassan and Mohammad Ismail are still at large. A case has been registered and further investigation has been launched into the matter.

Manipur Police had arrested 3 other Rohingyas previously from Moreh earlier this year on the 22nd of March.

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