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‘I am a proud Hindu, I don’t celebrate Eid, but government will support those who want to’, Yogi Adityanath

Tension ran high in Uttar Pradesh Assembly as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath responded to Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary’s remark that Yogi is the CM only to ‘so-called Hindus’. Hitting back on the Samajwadi Party leader, Yogi said, ‘I am proud to say I am a Hindu. I do not celebrate Eid. But, if anyone wants to celebrate, then the government is duty bound to support them and provide safety.’ He further said, ‘We are proud to be Hindu. But we are not that kind of Hindus who wear a janeu (a sacred thread worn by Brahmin boys after reaching the age of 12) in their homes but go out and wear ‘topi’ when in public. Only hypocrites do that’.


He says, ‘I don’t celebrate Eid, I am a hindu, I am proud of my traditions and culture, I don’t celebrate Eid. But yes, if someone celebrates Eid peacefully, the government will support them. Protect them. I am not an opportunist who will wear a Janeu at home and go out and wear a topi and kneel”


The opposition was reacting to Yogi Adityanath’s response to journalists in Mathura where he unabashedly said he is a proud Hindu and has a right to Freedom of Religion as well.

In his address, Yogi also said that the previous government cared only for their own family and disrupting law and order situation and created a state of fear in the state.


He further said that the way the red flag (of communists) was brought down in Tripura, the red cap, which is symbolic of Samajwadi Party, will be brought down in UP. It is time for Saffron which stands for development.

Yogi completes one year of being in office later this month.

Bure Din: Vijay Mallya’s luxury yacht worth over Rs 600 crores seized abroad

Vijay Mallya’s super-yacht “Indian Empress” was impounded by port officials in Malta on Tuesday 6th March. As per reports, the seize is the result of a dispute over the liquor baron’s failure to pay the superyacht’s crew for more than a year. The value of the superyacht is estimated at 93 million USD and it is considered one of the most expensive and luxurious superyachts in the world.

Malta port officials boarded the super-yacht harboured in Malta port and took control of the luxury vessel. The yacht is now prevented from leaving the port. The seizure is the result of legal action taken by the crew.

Over 40 crew members, including several British, Indian and Eastern European workers have not received their payments for over a year since Vijay Mallya abandoned the vessel. Vijay Mallya is now involved in a legal battle over his extradition from the UK to India over loan fraud. According to reports, some of the crew, who are still stationed inside the yacht, have not received any payments since September 2017 and several attempts by them to obtain wages from the formula 1 tycoon and his companies have failed.

Danny McGowan, strategic organiser of the maritime union Nautilus International, has stated that after repeated attempts to receive the amount owed, the crew members manage to obtain 615,000 USD from the insurers of the vessel under the International Maritime Convention, but still a large amount is yet to be paid and maritime laws now give them the claim over the vessel to the value of unpaid wages. He also added that crew members who are not registered members of the union are also owed several hundred thousand dollars in unpaid wages. According to the maritime union, this is the first time a superyacht has been impounded in such a way.

Charles Boyle, the legal director of Nautilus International, stated that the superyacht sector is popular for its glamour and aristocracy, but the sad reality is that crew members often experience exploitation and abuse and that is why Nautilus has become increasingly involved undertaking the legal route when such incidents happen.

The ‘Indian Empress’ super-yacht is 95 meters long and contains a total of 16 state-suites for special guests. It also features a 15 seater cinema and a gym, sauna and even rumoured to have two Mercedez cars on board. The vessel is adorned with several vintage paintings including originals of Renoir and Chagall. Sir Elton John’s personal grand piano is one of its prized decors. The superyacht was reportedly originally owned by the Prime Minister of Qatar when its name was Al Mirqab. Vijay Mallya had bought it in 2006 and named it ‘Indian Empress’. The superyacht is registered in the Isle of Man.

Vijay Mallya has been absconding from India after it was disclosed that his company Kingfisher Airlines owes over 9000 crores to a consortium of Indian banks. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has submitted an extradition request to the UK government last year. He is wanted in India by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He owns numerous ultra-luxury properties around the world.

Petrol bombs hurled at BJP office in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Early morning today, petrol bombs were hurled at the BJP office in Coimbatore by unidentified men.


According to police, at around 4 am today, two petrol bombs were thrown at the party office located on VKK Menon Road near Gandhipuram in Coimbatore. While no damages were reported, the police had reached the party headquarters and deployed an adequate number of policemen to avoid law and order issues.

This attack comes a day after the Periyar statue inside Tirupattur corporation office in Vellore district was vandalised.


BJP town general secretary Muthukumaran and another person identified as Francis, who is believed to be a CPI worker, were arrested for allegedly vandalising in an inebriated state. Two days back, less than 48 hours after the BJP came to power in Tripura, a statue of Russian communist leader Lenin was razed down amid chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

Tamil Nadu politician threatens to chop off hands of anyone removing Periyar’s statue

Demolition of Lenin’s statue in Tripura is having after-effects in other parts of the country too. BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, H Raja, said on Tuesday that statues of the ‘Dravidian’ leader EVR Ramaswamy, who is perceived to be anti-Brahmin fanatic by many, deserves to suffer the same fate as that of the statue of Lenin in Tripura.

He posted on his Facebook page, “Who is Lenin and what is the connection between Lenin and India? What connection has India with communists? Lenin’s statue has been removed in Tripura. Today it is Lenin’s statue in Tripura, tomorrow it will be the statue of caste fanatic EVR Ramasamy.”

However, he was forced to delete his tweet after he was trolled viciously for his opinion. Various Dravidian parties have demanded his arrest following the post.

“No one dare touch EVR’s (Periyar) statue. H Raja made those comments to incite violence. He has been repeatedly doing this. He should be arrest and the Goondas Act slapped on him,” said DMK Working President, MK Stalin.

MDMK leader Vaiko went one step further and said, “Whoever touches Periyar’s statues, will have their hands chopped off.” Dalit party VCK leader, Thol Thirumavalavan, said, “Forget about Raja, not even his forefathers would be able to touch Periyar statue.”

H Raja had criticized Periyar severely in the past as well. He had accused Periyar of being anti-Dalit as well as anti-Brahmin. He had said, “From the beginning Periyar had an anti Dalit mindset. It can be seen from the fact that social reformation in the state stopped with the anti-Brahmin movement. That’s why mere statements were issued for atrocities committed against Dalits rather than initiating any concrete measures.”

BJP State Party President has distanced the party from the comments and said the comments were H Raja’s personal opinion.

UNICEF report says child marriages in India are on the decline

UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund / United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) in a press release has said that 25 million child marriages were prevented in the past decade. However, it said that there was much left to be achieved in future.


UNICEF also said that 1/3 of global child marriages happen in India. In a progress report titled ‘Ending Child Marriage in India’ [pdf] the organisation said:

“India has the largest number of child brides in the world — one third of the global total. Yet, recent data indicates that in the last decade there has been a significant decline in the prevalence of child marriage from 47 per cent to 27 per cent of the proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married before age 18 from 2005/2006 to 2015/2016. Child marriage among young men and boys has also seen a positive change.”

The report also said that there had been improvement in most affected states like Rajasthan. Community interventions and government programmes like Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram  had contributed to the fall in Child marriages according to the UNICEF South Asia’s progress report.

It says :

“A key strategy for the initiative has been to strengthen access to services through ongoing government programmes such as the Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK- National Adolescent Health Strategy), and the state skill development mission for continuing education for out of school girls, and for skill building have also been forged with private sector partners. Parents of these girls, and service providers are now increasingly talking about the need for girls to realize their aspirations through appropriate training, education and access to information and services.

Interventions like these are helping advocate for a greater push within government programmes and services to strengthen the outreach to adolescent girls and enhance their value in an environment free of discrimination and harmful practices.”

The UNICEF report drew heavily from India’s NFHS surveys and census data to track the progress. This news is positive, yet a huge amount undone work remains before the government and society as a whole.

Women labourers in Madhya Pradesh to get money during pregnancy and after childbirth

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced several welfare schemes on the occasion of his 59th birthday on 5th March. The state celebrated his birthday as ‘seva diwas’ or service day, and the CM spent time with children and the elderly in charity homes.

According to reports, the CM announced that women labourers after the sixth month of pregnancy will receive Rs 4000 from the state government. He stated that this amount is to ensure that they will not have to labour hard for the want of food and so that they can have a nutritious diet during these months. The program will also include a cash assistance of Rs 12000 after the delivery of the child.

Shivraj Chouhan said that he vows to serve the poor and work for the state’s development. He added that the BJP government in the state is dedicated to helping the poor in the society and he will ensure that no poor family is left without a home.

He also announced several other schemes including a compensation of Rs 2 lakh on the death of a family member below 60 years of age for the poor. The economically backward families will also get Rs 5000 to carry out the last rites for the departed.

He added that the poor in his state will be provided with electricity connections at the flat rate of Rs 200 a month. He further announced that the education from the first standard to PhD will be free for the children of the poor.


The CM spent time at the Bal Niketan orphanage among children. He also visited an old age home named Asra in Bhopal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several senior BJP leaders had conveyed wishes to him on his birthday.


The state BJP workers and MLAs celebrated his birthday by organising food camps, blood donation drives and free health check-up camps across all the districts of the state.

This is why Muslims and Buddhists are attacking each other in Sri Lanka

A 10 day emergency was imposed in the island nation of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, with clashes erupting between the Buddhist and Muslim community in parts of the country. The President Maithripala Sirisena has an option of extending it at the end of the duration.

Demographically the Buddhists Sinhalese form the majority of the Sri Lankan populace with a 75% population share. The Muslims are pegged to be about 10%.

As per local reports, the regions of Digana and Kandy saw the deployment of the army on Sunday after the police failed to quell local tensions. Tensions were result of mobs vandalising a Mosque and commercial establishments owned by Muslims, following the funeral of a Sinhalese truck driver named M. G. Kumarasinghe. He was beaten to death by youths suspected of belonging to Muslim community on 22nd February. A dispute over traffic accident is the reason being given by the Sri Lankan press for the death.

Ethnic violence was also noted in the country’s Ampara town on the night of 26th after an alleged Buddhist mob attacked a Muslim owned eatery and a Mosque, over rumours that the eatery laced its food with “sterilisation pills”. The situation appeared to have escalated to such a level that the country’s Health Services Director General had to assure the public that no tablet existed in western medicine which could cause infertility.

Even though these are the latest triggers for the current conflict, the true causes for the ethnic conflict go deeper. As per a Reuters report, divisions are appearing between the two groups in the past year over hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites and trying to forcibly convert people to Islam. The strife also possibly stems out of some Buddhists protesting the presence of Rohingya Muslims in the country.

These ongoing clashes too in Sri Lanka might just be a pixel in a much bigger conflict, with the country also witnessing similar communal riots in 2014. Back then the Sri Lankan government had deployed its army to quell clashes between Buddhists and Muslims centring around Aluthgama and Beruwala regions of the country, about 60 kilometers from Colombo.

The Bodu Bela Sena (BBS) led by Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara is considered as the main political force in conflict with the Muslims which has among other things, managed to get the Halal certification system abolished in the country. As per Gnanasara his main fight is against Islamic radicalisation.

With such a crisis enveloping on India’s doorstep, fears might increase about the country possibly facing a refugee onslaught like the one it was dealt with during the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.

CPM whistle-blower leaks proceedings of a secret party meeting after Tripura debacle

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A CPI-M insider got in touch with OpIndia and offered to share the details of a closed door meeting in which key party leaders were present. He says the Tripura election results were discussed but the changes needed for future survival of party were put in the back-burner again. The whistle-blower has been a staunch supporter of the party for a couple of decades. But he is now exasperated with the lack of reforms inside the party. Therefore he has decided to to expose the leaders of the party. Since none of the Lutyens media are trustworthy he has approached OpIndia for airing out his discontent.

The party leaders present in the closed door meeting were Sitaram Kachori, Pinarayi Ajayan, Brinda Carrot, Prakash Carrot and ten other leaders. As per the whistleblower, all leaders were alloted two minutes (despite it reminding them of capitalist conspiracy called Maggi) to put forward their comments and observations. However, the rest of the meeting was dominated by these leaders.

Though faint voices of dissent and demands for reforms in party policies were heard, much of it was brushed under the carpet though sheer mental gymnastics as per the whistle-blower. 

Mr Kachori: Good morning comrades. I thank all of you for putting forward your views. I have noted down your suggestions. It is indeed tragic that a strong left bastion has fallen. I have somehow managed to save our image in the media by telling Bharatiya Jingoistic Party has won because of money power. But we must seriously introspect on this loss. I know that our counterparts in China are doing an awesome job. But you must be aware that there is a certain amount of meritocracy in Chinese communist party. We can’t allow such a thing here. So we will have to figure out the way forward.

Manik Bekar: I take personal responsibility for this loss. R YES YES was campaigning right under my nose. But I did know that a larger number of  them were operating in the state.

Prakash Carrot : No point in pondering about what you could not do Mr Bekar. You have put us in a precarious position. I need to check with the party treasurer about our financial health now. I am afraid, we need to seriously cut down on our expenditures for the next few years.

Mr Kachori : That is indeed true. I will have to start using capitalist Uber company’s services for next few years for commuting in metropolises. I can’t manage my expenses with meagre Rajya Sabha pension. I am forseeing a day when I will have to downgrade my internet data plan.

Pinarayi Ajayan: Mr Kachori and comrades, please don’t feel helpless. Please remember that Kerala still is under our grip. Mr Bekar, I will forward you some of the you-know-whats we managed to do in my state. Might serve as a reference.

Brinda Carrot : But what went wrong with the people. How can they fall into the R YES YES propaganda trap. Who is the Sunil deodorant? Bekar saab, you should have highlighted major red flags in previous meetings.

Manik Bekar : That was punny, Mrs Carrot. I was confident about the devotion our people had for communist ideology. R YES YES people were given the you-know-what treatment. But, you should also ensure that the fear factor must not cross a certain threshold. You are well aware of this policy of ours Mrs Carrot. We cannot afford to loose the entire narrative to R YES YES and Bharatiya Jingoistic Party propaganda.

Sitaram Kachori : We are digressing a bit. Now we must discuss two other important points raised by our comrades. Should we embrace market economics like our Chinese counterparts have done? And secondly, I know Mr Carrot will vehemently oppose me, should we ally with Khangress party in future elections? These are two important issues. Mr Ajayan can pitch in about any other interesting suggestions as he is the only Chief minister we have right now.

Pinarayi Ajayan : See Mr Kachori, Khangress is an opponent in my state. You must remember that. If this stupid idea of yours is accepted publicly, I will lose my god, nay, Lenin damn CM position in next election. Khangress can be tacitly supported outside, but we cannot afford to do that in the only left leaning state of India. Also, please ditch your capitalist dreams Mr Kachori. North Korea and Cuba are still doing fine without Capitalist nonsense.

Prakash Carrot : Indeed. Look at our fellow comrades. They have nuclear weapons now. South Korea is pissing in its pants and now negotiating with Kim Jong Un.

Sitaram Kachori : Ok Comrades. Xi Jingping will be disappointed when I report to him in a scheduled video conference this evening. I may have differences. Yes it is pissing off sometimes, but I have to stick with all of you. I hate to use the term that R YES YES guys often resort to. This is my Karma.

Brinda Carrot : Awww. Don’t feel so bad Mr Kachori. We need to stay together in these difficult times. We can’t jeopardize the position of Mr Pinarayi Ajayan in the only leftist state that is left in India.

Pinarayi Ajayan : Mr Kachori, I am aware of the financial difficulties in the party. I can form some advisory committee in my state and give all of you some job. Like Sonia Ghandy’s National Armchair Council.

Prakash Carrot : That is a good idea, but I feel that is not the top priority item Mr. Ajayan. We need to strengthen the party and remain committed to ideology. Khangress is pro-capitalism and pro-America. I feel very very angry about these people.

Sitaram Kachori : Ok then. Comrades. This was a good meeting. I agree with Mr Carrot. Top priority must be given to rejuvenating the party. I think we should call it a wrap now. Please stand up when the communist manifesto plays and sit down when the National Anthem plays.

Please don’t ask OpIndia to reveal the identity of the whistle-blower. His life may be under threat already as he was one of the dissenters in the party. 

ICHR organizes conference to discuss clearing distortions in Indian history

The Indian Council of Historical Research organized a 3-day conference commencing on Monday on the need to clear distortions in Indian history. The event was organized by Indologist and guest professor at IIT Gandhinagar, Dr. Michel Danino and Rajaneesh Kumar Shukla, member secretary of ICHR.

“This is a very important conference of ICHR – an initiation towards history writing in the right direction. I am not saying that past direction was wrong but righteousness as a concept should always be taken care of. This conference is a step towards restoration of history from the historians having colonial perspective,” Shukla said.

He added, “In the past attempts achievements about civilization were belittled by those historians, damage done before independence, after independence and continues till now. Sincerely believe that this three days conference brings us to new scientific investigation and recent studies based on originals historical sources which will encourage us think in right perspective.”

The keynote address was delivered by Historian and Archaeologist, Ramachandran Nagaswamy, a Padma Bhushan awardee. He presented a paper titled ‘Listen to the voice of your Ancient leader’ at the event and spoke of the urgent necessity to study the Indian scriptures such as the Upanishads and the teachings of Ashoka and Manu among others.

Taking a dig at Romila Thapar, he stated, “Historians like Romila Thapar hold a view that Asoka expounded an idea new to Indian political and social theory, that Asoka did not see dharma resulting from the good deeds that were inspired by formal religious beliefs but as conformity to social ethics. According to these historians, Asoka’s dharma is not Buddhist in nature but it was a new and original idea to which he gave a definition. It is a distorted idea as Asoka himself repeatedly says (in his edicts) that what he thought was not his own, but the ancient paurani prakriti.”

On Manu, he said, “Manu defined dharma as something adored by learned scholars who are of sterling conduct, and who always remain impartial without pride and prejudices and who listen to inner voice is called dharma. This is the foremost definition given by Manu. Which has nothing to do with religion. But when we talk of secularism in modern times, we mean only anti-Indian ‘ism’ and portray minority virtuosity.”

The conference will also see a host of papers questioning the Aryan Migration Theory. Koenraad Elst, PhD in Asian Studies and noted author, will present a paper on the linguistic evidence regarding the issue. Dr. Michel Danino will present a paper titled, ‘Fabricating Evidence in Support of the Aryan Invasion–Migration Theory’.

Indic scholar, Shrikant Talageri, will present a paper titled, ‘The Rigveda and the Aryan Theory: A Rational Perspective’. Apart from the papers on AMT, various other papers will be presented during the 3-day conference including one by Historian Meenakshi Jain on ‘Islamic Iconoclasm and the Hindu Response’.

The Presidential address at the conference titled ‘Indian History: Emerging Perspectives’ was delivered by newly appointed ICHR Chairman and Archaeologist, Arvind Jamkhedkar.

3 years old girl raped inside bus in Kolkata, cleaner arrested

In a shocking incident, a three-year-old girl was dragged inside a bus and raped. The incident happened in Canal (west) road in northern Kolkata on Monday afternoon. According to reports, the 45-year-old cleaner of the bus, Sheikh Munna, has been arrested by the police.

The little girl was playing with her five-year-old brother when their ball fell near the luxury bus parked nearby. The little girl went to fetch the ball when Sheikh Munna, the cleaner, dragged her inside and closed the door. The girl’s brother was witness to the incident as he started banging on the door and pleading with Sheikh to let go of his sister.

The little boy, seeing that his efforts are of no use, ran to fetch his mother and informed her about the crime. The mother of the children, who is a widowed rag picker, ran with her son to the bus. Her cries had alerted the neighbours who together prised open the door of the bus and caught Munna.

According to an eyewitness, who is also the uncle of the child, the little girl was lying in a pool of blood on a seat when they entered the bus. Her clothes were torn and she was bleeding profusely. Sheikh Munna had blood on his hands and trousers. The neighbours reportedly thrashed Sheikh Munna before handing him over to the police.

The child was rushed to a private nursing home and then to the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. According to the doctors at the hospital, the child was bleeding profusely when brought. One senior doctor of the hospital has stated that the child’s condition was serious but she is expected to survive. He added that signs of brutalisation were clear on her.

An officer of Kolkata police has stated that Sheikh Munna was arrested at the crime scene after the neighbours called the police. He added that forensic experts have collected blood samples and strains from the scene and they are waiting for test reports from the hospital to officially confirm rape.

Crimes against women have been rampant in West Bengal. There are several earlier cases where the state machinery has failed the victims. This brutal rape of a three-year-old has left the city in shock.