Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Home Blog Page 868

Downplaying Hinduphobia and 2022 Islamist onslaught in Leicester: ‘The Scroll’ Editor fearmongers about Hindus after UK elections through anti-India propagandists

Dibakar Dutta
-
0
Downplaying Hinduphobia and 2022 Islamist onslaught in Leicester: ‘The Scroll’ Editor fearmongers about Hindus after UK elections through anti-India propagandists

Two days after the Labour Party swept the general election in the United Kingdom, ‘journalist’ Shoaib Daniyal on Saturday (6th July) left no stone unturned to fearmonger about the Hindu community in the country.

Daniyal, who works as the political Editor of the leftist propaganda site Scroll, wrote a vicious piece (archive) titled ‘How Hindutva is playing a silent role in British politics.’

The propaganda artist not only downplayed Hinduphobia in the UK as a ‘political construct’ but suggested that organisations with supposed ties to the BJP and RSS were influencing politics in the country through ‘Hindutva.’

Screengrab of the propaganda piece by Shoaib Daniyal

At the very onset, Daniyal whitewashed the role of Islamists in the 2022 Leicester violence by shrewdly labelling it as a ‘communal disturbance’ between Hindus and Muslims over an India Vs Pakistan cricket match.

OpIndia had reported in detail how Muslim mobs ran a rampage in Leicester, targeted Hindu temples, and peddled disinformation to justify their onslaught against Hindus as ‘reaction to sustained provocation.’

The Scroll propagandist claimed, “In Leicester, for example, it (INSIGHT UK) had played a key role presenting a Hindutva view on the violence, with its narratives being amplified by the controversial Indian Hindutva website, OpIndia.“

Hindu manifesto rattles Shoaib Daniyal

He lamented that Hindus were becoming a formidable political force in the United Kingdom despite constituting only 1.6% of the population.

The fact that the Hindu community has decided to stand up for itself and not let its vote go to waste has rattled the likes of Shoaib Daniyal.

“The influence of these Hindutva organisations has allowed them to lobby politicians for policies that fit their ideology…” he whined.

Screengrab of the Hindu Manifesto

As proof of growing ‘Hindutva politics’ in the UK, the Scroll propagandist highlighted how a Hindu manifesto [pdf] released ahead of the general elections in the country sought protective security funding for the community in light of the 2022 anti-Hindu Leicester violence.

Daniyal also seemed surprised that Hindus were demanding recognition of hate directed towards the community as a ‘religious hate crime,’ the absence of which helped Islamists like Mohammed Hijab to threaten Hindus in Leicester.

“Most contentiously, the manifesto calls for recognising “anti-Hindu hate as a religious hate crime”. For British Hindus who do not see eye to eye with Hindutva, this manifesto is controversial,” he wrote.

Reliance on anti-Hindu and anti-India propagandists

Shoaib Daniyal roped in the Director of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) UK, Rahiv Pandit, to suggest that a law against anti-Hindu hate or Hinduphobia in the UK is an agenda of the BJP and the RSS.

For the unversed, the organisation was formed in 2019 by Islamist outfits ‘Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC)’ and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI). Sunita Vishwanath is the co-founder of HfHR.

The organisation endorsed the anti-Hindu event ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference’ in 2021. It also came up with a “special toolkit” to propagate against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his State visit to the US in June 2023.

In October last year, the X (formerly Twitter) account of HfHR was withheld in India in response to a legal demand.

In February this year, OpIndia reported that the organisation hosted an anti-Hindu event with Dana Bergen as the speaker. Bergen is a member of the ‘Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), which received $6,50,000 from far-left billionaire George Soros.

Rajiv Pandit of HfHR (UK) downplayed Hinduphobia in the UK and claimed that a law to punish anti-Hindu crime would be akin to stifling dissent and criticism of PM Modi.

“Hinduphobia is a propaganda project,” he set the perfect stage for extremists to continue targeting the Hindu community in the near future.

In his article, Shoaib Daniyal cited an ‘academic’ by the name of Mukulika Banerjee to allege that discrimination against Hindus was not systematic. “Hinduphobia is a recent, made-up term,” she was quoted as saying.

In April 2023, news outlet FirstPost reported that Mukulika Banerjee was behind a nefarious Hinduphobic campaign that led to the disqualification of an Indian-origin student Karan Kataria from Student Union elections at London of School of Economics (LSE) over alleged ties to RSS and ‘Hindu nationalism’.

She is a close associate of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as well. As such, it is no coincidence that Mukulika Banerjee believes that Hinduphobia is a ‘made-up term’.

The Scroll propagandist had also sought the opinion of one ‘academic’ named Subir Sinha from the SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) in his article. Sinha went on to claim that ‘Hinduphobia’ was coined to deviate discussion on alleged ‘caste discrimination.’

In the past, Sinha had disseminated lies about the 2002 Gujarat riots, the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A by the Modi government.

He had also cast aspersions on the Indian democracy, made vitriolic remarks against Hindus and tried to falsely implicate Hindus in the 2022 Leicester violence. Sinha had also co-authored a dubious report titled ‘Modi Mirage’ in May this year.

Shoaib Daniyal also roped in UK-based ‘author’ named Amrit Wilson, who suggested that Hinduphobia is being ‘re-defined’ along the lines of anti-semitism to silence criticism.

“In 2018, Bob Blackman said at a meeting organised by the Hindu Forum of Britain that there was a need to learn how a new definition of antisemitism, regarded as controversial since it is seen as a means of silencing criticism of Israel, was adopted by institutions in Britain in order to do something similar for Hinduphobia,” she was quoted as saying.

For the unversed, Wilson made baseless claims about RSS provoking violence in Leicester in 2022 to deviate public discourse from the mayhem unleashed by the Islamists. She had amplified the conspiracy theory, originally peddled by Muslims, that a bus ferried RSS supporters to Leicester to stir violence on the behest of a Hindu temple.

The Scroll Editor whines about Hindus being vocal about their rights in UK

In its article, Shoaib Daniyal lamented how Hindus in the United Kingdom were being vocal about their rights and the atrocities committed against them to the policymakers.

“The sharpest example of Hindutva’s success can be seen on the ground in Leicester, in the charged post-riot environment. When Scroll visited Leicester it found that Insight was working on the ground, with some success, to persuade Hindus to boycott the (SOAS) inquiry,” he added.

The propaganda artist noted that Labour Party MP and UK’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, had made it clear that Hinduphobia (a term that he and his coterie has been trying to negate) has no place in the country.

“In spite of the ideological diversity within British Hindus, it is clear that Hindutva organisations have largely been able to successfully represent themselves as the sole spokespersons of the community to policy makers,” he further whined.

While the Scroll Editor was busy fearmongering about Hindus, he forgot to mention how 4 Muslims were elected in the UK general election solely based on their pro-Gaza and anti-Israeli stance. OpIndia had reported about one such controversial MP Shockat Adam.

Shoaib Daniyal and his past controversies

The innate ability of Shoaib Daniyal to peddle the dubious narrative of ‘Muslim victimhood’ and paint a doomsday image of religious minorities in India under the Narendra Modi government has drawn attention from across the border.

Several of his vicious pieces have been ‘reproduced with permission’ in the Pakistani newspaper Dawn between 2015 and 2020.

Screengrab of the stories by Shoian Daniyal, which were reproduced by Dawn

As early as 2016, OpIndia reported how Daniyal whined about naming a blood bank after late politician Balasaheb Thackeray but rationalised the naming of an actor’s son after tyrant and invader, Taimur.

When women’s rights activist Trupti Desai announced that she would enter the inner section of Haji Ali in 2016, Shoaib Daniyal (who otherwise masquerades as liberal) defended the prohibition of women in Dargah.

The Scroll propagandist was also seen resorting to mental gymnastics and glaring hypocrisy in a 2018 article, titled ‘Celebrating Bhima Koregaon is unpatriotic? So why not other British victories in India too?’

He had argued, “Holding multiple perspectives of the past is quite normal. The Indian peoples are a variegated lot and so are their histories. It is, therefore, possible to both mourn Bhima Koregaon as a victory for British colonialism and celebrate it for helping destroy a terrible system of caste apartheid.“

OpIndia had exposed how Shoaib Daniyal suggested the almost opposite thing in a 2017 piece titled ‘From Haifa to Jallianwallah Bagh: Celebrating the Raj’s military history will open a can of worms.’

At that time, he had claimed that celebrating memories of colonial wars and pride over the exploits of the British Indian Army was a case of ‘Commemorating Colonialism’. “It is then a curious act of historical masochism that Indians, as the victims of this very army of colonial occupation, now want to celebrate its exploits in service of the British Empire,” Daniyal selectively claimed in the case of Haifa but not Bhima Koregaon.

In June 2019, he courted controversy for suggesting that people were ‘not unhappy’ during the draconian Emergency period (1975-1977) imposed by the Indira Gandhi government. The Scroll propagandist left no stone unturned to justify the darkest chapter of Indian democracy.

“Voters don’t always punish authoritarianism. A lesson from the 1977 general election that is doubly relevant today.#replug,” he claimed in a now-deleted tweet.

True to his religious ideology, Shoaib Daniyal has recently extended his support to Parveen Shaikh, the pro-Hamas, ex-principal of The Somaiya School.

Shaikh was ousted from the educational institute after OpIndia exposed her divisive, intolerant and dangerous views. Daniyal was seen peddling his usual ‘Muslim victimhood’ trump card.

Unnao, UP: Bus-milk tanker collision causes 18 deaths, PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for kin of deceased

ANI
-
0
Unnao, UP: Bus-milk tanker collision causes 18 deaths, PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for kin of deceased

Following the accident in Uttar Pradesh’ Unnao which claimed 18 lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to kin of each deceased while Rs 50,00 will be given to the injured.

“The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Unnao. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000”, said an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh too expressed his condolences over the tragic accident. “The road accident in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. The local administration is busy treating the injured. I express my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this accident on their irreparable loss. May God give strength to their families to bear this sorrow,” posted Singh on X.

As many as eighteen people lost their lives and more than 30 were injured when a double-decker sleeper bus rammed into a milk container on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Unnao district, Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred at 5:15 am.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and instructed the district administration to ensure the injured receive proper treatment. He also wished for their speedy recovery.

On X, CM Adityanath said, “The loss of life in a road accident in Unnao district is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families. District administration officials have been instructed to reach the spot and speed up the relief work. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to give a place to the departed souls and provide a speedy recovery to the injured.”

The double-decker sleeper bus was travelling from Motihari, Bihar, to Delhi when it hit the milk tanker from behind on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway near Gadha Village in the Behtamujawar Police Station area.

Upon receiving information about the incident, police led by Circle Officer of Bangarmau, Arvind Chaurasia, rushed to the spot and began rescue operations.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak also reached the hospital in Unnao to meet the injured.

The Deputy CM assured proper treatment to the injured.”…18 people have lost their lives while several are injured and have been sent to Unnao district hospital. Injured are being shifted to higher-level hospitals. All hospitals nearer to Unnao are being put on alert,” Deputy CM Pathak told ANI.

He further said that most injured people are from Bihar and that the UP government is in contact with its Bihar counterpart.
“The trauma centre of KGMO is on alert, I have come and seen all the arrangements. Most of the injured people are from Bihar, and we are in contact with the Bihar govt. Reasons for the accident will come after investigation, our priority is to provide proper treatment to the injured people,” Brajesh Pathak stated. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Pakistan-based banned terror outfit LeT behind the Reasi terror attack, NIA reveals

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistan-based banned terror outfit LeT behind the Reasi terror attack, NIA reveals

The National Investigation Agency, which is investigating the terror attack in Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir, has established that handlers of the Pakistan-based banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were involved in the ambush.

Media outlets on Tuesday, July 9, cited NIA authorities as stating that the interrogation of the arrested accused Hakam Khan alias Hakin Din has revealed that LeT was behind last month’s attack on a pilgrimage bus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi.

According to NIA officials, the attack on the bus may have involved at least three terrorists. They added that Hakam Khan revealed during the interrogation that he provided shelter, logistics and food to the terrorists.

The officials added that the terrorists engaged in the attack had stayed with Khan at least on three separate occasions since June 1 and that Khan had also assisted and even accompanied the terrorists as they conducted a recce of the area.

The role of two Pakistan-based LeT commanders, Saifullah alias Sajid Jutt and Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi, who may have served as the attackers’ handlers, have also come to light during Khan’s interrogation, the official said.

The NIA searched five locations on June 30 in connection with hybrid terrorists and their overground workers based on information provided by Khan.

Notably, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation into the Reasi terror attack case on June 15 on orders from the Union Home Ministry.

On June 13, as many as 50 people were detained in connection with the recent terrorist attack on a pilgrims’ bus in the Kanda area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi. The SSP also revealed that the search operations were extended to Arnas and Mahore to uncover more evidence and apprehend any terrorists in hiding.

On June 9, nine people were killed and 41 injured when terrorists opened fire at a 53-seater bus, which was on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. This caused the bus to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge in Reasi.

The Reasi attack was followed by two other back-to-back terror attacks in the valley, the Kathua terror attack and the Doda terror attack.

Nihang Sikhs halt TV serial shoot in Mohali over dummy Gurdwara set claiming ‘sacrilege’, production team accuses them of assault

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Nihang Sikhs halt TV serial shoot in Mohali over dummy Gurdwara set claiming ‘sacrilege’, production team accuses them of assault

On 8th July, Nihang Sikhs halted shooting of an Anandkaraj (Sikh wedding) scene for a TV serial in Mohali, Punjab claiming the production team indulged in sacrilege by setting up a dummy Gurdwara. The incident took place in the Akalgarh region of village Gharuan in the district of Mohali. The shooting was done for the TV serial Udaariyaan produced by Sargun Mehta’s Dreamiyata Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

As per reports, the production team had set up a dummy Gurdwara set to shoot the scene of a Sikh wedding for the serial. However, someone informed a group of Sikhs claiming ‘beadbi’ or sacrilege was happening at the set. Nihangs rushed to the set and stopped the shooting. They claimed that sacrilege happened pointing towards Nishan Sahib and Palki Sahib being placed at the set. A symbolic ‘Swaroop’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib was also placed on the set. Three Granthis participated in the shooting.

Kharar police were called. The production unit accused Nihangs of assaulting and abusing them. Both parties were taken to the police station for further questioning. Nihangs warned they would launch protests if the “culprits” were not punished after which the police assured them appropriate action in the matter.

Nihang Sikh Baba Nihal Singh Barauli told police that they were called by one Baba Major Singh to the shooting spot. When they reached the site, they found Guru Granth Sahib’s Palki. Accusing producer Sargun Mehta of sacrilege, Nihang Sikhs demanded strict action against Mehta and her husband. Accusing Sikhs present at the set, Nihang Sikhs expressed their dismay saying that Sikhs were letting sacrilege happen in front of their eyes.

Punjabi actor Jarnail Singh also reached the shooting site. He agreed that sacrilege happened but added showing a Sikh wedding in a serial should be seen as a “good initiative”. He added that just like the Shiromani Committee banned taking Sri Guru Granth Sahib Swaroop at wedding palaces, there should have been guidelines for shootings as well. However, such scenes have been shot in the past.

Kharar DSP Karan Singh Sandhu said that the production team has assured the police that they would seek guidelines from Akal Takht or SGPC about shooting such scenes. He added that the production team accused Nihang Sikhs of creating ruckus and assaulting them. CCTV footage was being checked to understand what happened on Nihang Sikhs’ arrival. Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Bengal Police acts on whistleblower for sharing ‘old video’ of brutal assault of a girl allegedly by a close aide of TMC MLA in Taltala

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bengal Police acts on whistleblower for sharing ‘old video’ of brutal assault of a girl allegedly by a close aide of TMC MLA in Taltala

The West Bengal police have detained the person who shared the disturbing video allegedly showing Jayanta Singh, a close associate of TMC MLA Madan Mitra, violently attacking a woman with his gang. The incident which is believed to have taken place at the Taltala Club in Ariadaha reportedly happened in February 2021.

On July 10, Wednesday, BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X to inform that the whistleblower Subham, who goes by X handle @subhsays, who was allegedly the first to share the video, was detained by the WB police. The action against Subham was taken for sharing the ‘old video’ of the brutal assault.

Malviya informed that the police asked Subham to report to the police station in the middle of the night for some discussion. Upon reaching, Subham was detained and taken to the police station for questioning.

The BJP leader expressed disbelief that the WB police, working at the behest of CM Mamata Banerjee, deemed it right to take action on the whistleblower instead of arresting the goons seen savagely thrashing a girl in the video.

“Earlier in the evening, around 9:45pm, @WBPolice called @subhsays, who lives in Rampurhat, part of Birbhum district, and asked him to report to the police station in the middle of the night, for a discussion. They have now detained him and taken to the police station for questioning. This midnight operation is at the behest of Mamata Banerjee. Instead of acting against criminals, who brutalised the woman in Ariadaha (Taltala Club), Mamata Banerjee’s police is targeting the whistleblower. @India_NHRC and Calcutta High Court should take suo-motto cognisance,” wrote the BJP leader.

Yesterday (July 9, Tuesday), the Barrackpore police had taken to X to inform that the video in circulation was an old one from 2021. They also claimed that two persons had been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to reports, the police so far have identified eight persons in the video and the arrested ones are Guddu and Jugga. Jayant, who is not seen in the clip, has also been named in the FIR.

On July 8, outrage spread on social media following the emergence of a disturbing video. The graphic footage depicted Singh and his accomplices savagely beating the young woman, prompting widespread condemnation and serious concerns about women’s safety in the state. The purported video rapidly went viral on social media, fueling public anger and demands for justice.

The goon, identified as Jayanta Singh, is reportedly a close associate of TMC MLA Madan Mitra.

After the video of the incident went viral, TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta took to Twitter to claim that the incident had occurred in March 2021. He further said that the accused was Jayant Singh and two of the people visible in the horrific video are currently behind bars.

Pakistan: Zafar Lashari, Safdar, and others cut a woman’s nose for declining their advances, accused arrested after 8 months

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistan: Zafar Lashari, Safdar, and others cut a woman’s nose for declining their advances, accused arrested after 8 months

A horrifying video from Pakistan’s Dera Ghazi Khan area recently started doing rounds on social media in which some men were seen brutally assaulting a woman and cutting her nose. In the graphic video, the accused forcibly held the woman and tied her hands and legs with a cloth. The distressing footage shows the accused cutting her nose with a sharp knife, with blood visibly dripping down. The terrified victim could be heard pleading to kill her instead.

As per a Pakistani media report, the woman was heard speaking in the Seraiki language and begging for death rather than cutting her nose.

According to Pakistani media, the incident took place around 8 months ago but the Pakistan Police didn’t take any action in this matter on the pretext that “no complaint was filed” of the incident. Reportedly, the incident took place in the area of Shah Sadar Deen police station. 

After the video started doing rounds, Pakistan’s NCHR asked the District Police Officer (DPO) of Dera Ghazi Khan Syed Ali to provide the FIR and submit a detailed report on the incident. Subsequently, on Sunday (7th July), DG Khan Police arrested four accused including the main suspect Zafar Lashari and his accomplice Safdar. 

According to reports, the accused committed the horrifying act allegedly after the victim refused to have relations with them. 

Based on the complaint of the victim’s sister, the Shah Saddardin police arrested the suspects and registered a case under sections 334, 511, and 354 of the Pakistan Penal Code. 

Speaking to Dawn, the DPO Syed Ali confirmed that the police have arrested the suspects involved in the inhuman act.

Speaking with another Pakistani media channel, DPO Syed Ali claimed that the video could be from Muzaffargarh or DG Khan. He claimed that the victim had denied that her nose was cut.  

He said, “The video could be from Muzaffargarh or DG Khan. The video was attributed to a girl who was called to the police station, where she claimed that her nose was not cut but rather she was defamed.” 

After seeing the horrifying video, the victim’s sister Shehran Bibi stated the incident is 8 months old. The accused, Zafar Lashari, and others had cut her younger sister Salma’s nose. 

‘The final battle of Karbala is yet to come’: Chilling posters calling on Muslims to fight against ‘tyrants’ propped up in Maharashtra’s Satara

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘The final battle of Karbala is yet to come’: Chilling posters calling on Muslims to fight against ‘tyrants’ propped up in Maharashtra’s Satara

Communal tensions have erupted in the Maharashtrian town of Satara after chilling posters goading Muslims to prepare for the ‘Battle of Karbala’ were propped up at a busy square, sparking anxieties over a possible law and order situation.

Popular X account Legal Rights Observatory shared pictures of the alarming posters bearing inflammatory slogans that call on Muslims to prepare for the ‘Battle of Karbala’ in Satara against non-Muslims, presumably Hindus.

“Don’t be afraid, Muslims. The honour of the Almighty remains, Islam is still alive, and the Quran endures. What do these tyrants think of themselves for clashing with us daily? The final battle of Karbala is yet to come,” read a slogan on one of the posters.

“Huge banners propped up at #Karad in #Satara dist under @SataraPolice advising Muslims to prepare for the battle of Karbala n obliquely terming #Hindus as Zaalim i.e. atrocious, tyrant! Now all eyes are on SP Samir Sheikh whether he cracks the whip or lets them go on rioting to wipe out “tyrant” kafir Hindus!” the official X account of LRO tweeted along with pictures of the posters.

Calling on Devendra Fadnavis, Amit Shah, PM Modi, and Police officials among others to act against those who put up the posters, LRO tweeted, “Last time same SP flatly ignored action against those providing mobile numbers of local Hindu activists to #Pakistani radicals who called n threatened them with dire consequences!”

Kabala battle was fought between Shia and Sunni Muslims, but it is often used as a rallying cry to mobilise Muslims against infidels

For the uninitiated, the Battle of Karbala was a conflict in which adherents of Islam’s two main sects, Shias and Sunnis, bayed for each other’s blood to establish religious authority. Shias were considered heretics and apostates by Sunnis. The Battle of Karbala was fought between the army of the second Umayyad Caliph Yazid I, representing the Sunni sect and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Sunni and Shia Muslims have distinct perspectives on the Battle of Karbala. For Shia, it represents the irrevocable split with Sunni Islam.

While the battle of Karbala pertains to conflict between Shias and Sunnis, it is often used as a rallying cry by Islamists to dog-whistle against Hindus. Islamists often cite the predicament of Karbala, which was laid to waste in the battle, to intimidate the kafirs (infidels) with genocidal threats.

On 31st January this year, Mufti Salman Azhari made derogatory remarks against the Hindu community during his 56-minute-long speech in Junagadh city of Gujarat. In the contentious video that went viral on social media, the radical Islamic preacher was heard saying, “The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then there will be noise again. The dogs are having their time today. Our time will come tomorrow.” Azhari’s remarks came just days after the conclusion of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the place that Hindus reclaimed almost three decades after the demolition of the Babri structure, which in turn was built during the Mughal era on the ruins of a pre-existing temple.

“If you keep idols inside a mosque, then, it will not become an idol-worshipping place (referring to temples),” said Azhari, defending the tendency of Islamic invaders to appropriate religious structures of non-Muslims and pagans.

“You have kept one idol ( at Ram Mandir) but there were 360 idols at Kaaba. Even then, the Kaaba belonged to the Muslims. This did not stop the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj,” he continued. “…Dear Muslims, the revolution will begin from your homes. They (Hindus) do not dare to convert your mosques to idol-worshipping places (referring to temples). You have yourself abandoned the mosques,” Azhari further added.

While referring to the Hindus as ‘dogs’, he emphasized, “We have a saying – When the ground is left open, dogs take over the place. But if you keep using the ground, then, they won’t become the shelter for dogs.”

Similarly, in January 2023, Gulam Rasool Balyavi, a Janata Dal (United) MLC Thursday, vowed that Islamists would wage a war and turn every city into a ‘Karbala’ if any finger was pointed at Prophet Muhammad. Balyavi remarked while addressing a crowd in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. 

During his address, he alluded to the benign remark made by former BJP politician Nupur Sharma last year about Prophet Muhammad and Islam, which triggered a sequence of death and rape threats directed at her by Islamists across the world. He stated that Muslims will not tolerate insults to their master. 

“We are in Karbala ground…if you disrespect our Prophet, we will turn cities into Karbala,” The JDU leader said, essentially calling upon Islamists to kill anyone who is branded a blasphemer by Islamic fundamentalists.

How Varna of Vedic era has been corrupted into vote-bank and caste-wars in modern times. Evolution of ‘caste’ though ages

Rajiv Malhotra
-
0
How Varna of Vedic era has been corrupted into vote-bank and caste-wars in modern times. Evolution of ‘caste’ though ages

(Editor’s Note: Caste played an important role in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and upset some equations. It has become imperative that people understand the issue of caste and how it has evolved. As caste will most likely play an increasingly important role in Indian political discourse, following is an excerpt from Rajiv Malhotra’s book “Varna, Jati, Caste: A Primer on Indian Social Structures” co-authored with Vijaya Viswanathan, which is an important work towards understanding caste and issues around it. OpIndia will strive to cover more aspects and outlooks on this topic.)

During the early Rig Veda period we come across artisans, farmers, priests, and warriors. Society was basically egalitarian. We do not have evidence of a deep-seated, institutionalized, and hierarchical classification of people. Women and Shudras were also composing Vedic hymns and other seminal works. Even during the later Vedic and Itihasic period, the idea of varna was in its nascent form and not rigidly dependent on birth. Artisans such as metalworkers, chariot-makers and carpenters were not necessarily birth-based occupational jatis.

The Mahabharata states that one does not become a Brahmin by birth alone but also by conduct. It declares that a Brahmin could be born of a Kshatriya or a Vaishya mother. There was also some ambiguity regarding the relative position of the varnas and these were related to each other in a fluid way.

The Greek traveler, Megasthenes, who came to India during the time of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya (reign c. 321-297 bce), affirmed that slavery was unknown in India, that no Indian slave existed, and that all Indians were free. Greek writers refer to the Shudras as Sodrai and describe them as an important community of northwest India at the time of the Macedonian king, Alexander (326 bce). This is contrary to the view presented by modern scholars that Shudras and Dalits have been slaves since Vedic times.

Jati was largely ignored in ancient texts and appears to be a later phenomenon. Initially, jati generally meant a kinship group whose people followed the same occupation and a shared lifestyle. This jati structure within the varna system seems to have evolved a few centuries before the Common Era. Only later did these structures become more formalized.

The Manusmriti explains that jatis originated due to intermarriage between different varnas. This shows that different varnas did intermarry. Thus, sixty-one jatis are mentioned in the Manusmriti and more than one hundred are mentioned in the Brahmavaivarta Purana. S Kautilya, (more commonly known as the philosopher Chanakya) author of the celebrated Arthashastra, also refers to at least fifteen jatis which were the result of marriages between different varnas. During the post Maurya period (187 bce-320 ce) there were intermarriages between different varnas, and jatis were giving birth to newer jatis.

The origin of some jatis can also be due to the physical movement of communities. Such migrations allowed people to redefine themselves by combining their previous identity and their new profession. Their varna might change in this relocation. There are numerous examples of such migrant groups all over India. For instance, among the Brahmins such migrations led to numerous jatis like Vadamas, Andhra Dravidas, and Mulukanadu in the south. A group of Brahmins from Saurashtra in the west, became artisans in Madurai in the south and call themselves the ‘Saurashtra jati’, but this has not been accepted by Tamil Brahmins. The Kongu Gauda (Vellala) jati of Tamil Nadu are migrants from Bengal in the east.

The theory of apad-dharma (dharma in times of distress) in the Dharmashastras reveals a gap between theory and practice in the prescribed vocations of the varnas. One finds evidence that the textual prescriptions of different professions for the four varnas were often not followed in practice, Thus, the Manusmriti mentions that in times of distress, people switched from their traditional occupations to that of other varnas and jatis. It was documented that people changed their professions to suit their needs.

Buddhist texts also narrate that a jati was not rigidly tied to a particular profession. We find examples of a Kshatriya warrior working successively or concurrently as a potter, a basket-maker, a reed- worker, a garland-maker; and a Vaishya cook working as a tailor or potter, without any social pushback or loss of prestige. Jatis proliferated further in Gupta (fourth century ce-late sixth century ce) and post-Gupta times. It is also notable that Shudras had far more internal divisions among their jatis than did the other varnas.

Some medieval inscriptions indicate that very few donors that set up various endowments described themselves in terms of their varna or jati. Instead, the inscriptions provide only their names and those of their parents. This is because varna and jati were not the most important aspects of one’s identity in that period.

Things changed dramatically with the Muslim invasions. The Muslim period is characterized by the decline of towns, trade, and agriculture. The progress of the Indian masses was stifled, and they became helpless, immobile, and poor. This environment of despair was not conducive to either economic enterprise, trade, or industrial growth. At times, agriculture too could barely sustain itself. The best hope for many people was to just survive. The jatis were less enterprising and resorted to ossifying their hereditary occupations and to endogamy.

The Mughal rulers exploited the masses ruthlessly and this created economic inequalities. During Shah Jahan’s reign, from 1628-58, 37 percent of the entire assessed revenue collected was assigned to 68 princes and emirs, and a further 25 percent to the next 587 officers. This means as much as 62 percent of the total revenue of the empire was given to just 655 individuals The distribution of income became even more inequitable during Akbar’s reign (1556-1605), when the top twenty-five individuals took over thirty percent of the total revenue.

The ostentatious lifestyle and the monuments built during the Mughal period were based on aggression and pillage, not on new investment or education or infrastructure development. They had taken over one of the world’s wealthiest economies and lived the good life for a few centuries. Meanwhile, Europe had been in its ‘dark ages’ as a backward region of the world, but it suddenly accelerated ahead of everyone else.

The Mughals seized nearly all the surplus wealth by extortion, taxation, or direct confiscation. A stupendous amount of wealth was turned into unproductive luxuries for a few elites. This resulted in frequent and catastrophic famines. Such factors hampered economic dynamism. Artisans and traders lost mobility. Occupations became hereditary. The jati system became more rigid in matters of marriage and sharing food and disintegrated into opportunism and social stratification. There is considerable evidence that in the Muslim period, jati groups became defensive for survival and there was a collapse in social mobility.

By the time the Portuguese came to India in the sixteenth century, they found the society (both Hindu and Muslim) to be organized into various occupational jatis. They called them casta, meaning tribe, clan, or race. There is no precise equivalent for the word ‘caste’ in any Indian language. Gradually, the term ‘caste’ became accepted as equivalent to jatis. During British rule, jatis got re-characterized as the formal ‘caste system’.

Even during the colonial period, Indians had complex and multiple identities. Depending on the situation, one or another identity could take prominence. Therefore, hen colonial censuses attempted to ascertain caste affiliations, the responses ranged from names designating endogamous groups, to occupations, titles, and surnames. There was no single category that people universally claimed affiliation to, which corresponded to the Western framework of ‘caste’. British census officials have documented their frustration that many Indians did not seem to know their caste, and in many instances, had to be coached for the census forms.

The colonial classification system assumed that castes were well-defined standard entities whose members W could be enumerated, and characteristics clearly specified. Large volumes of data were accumulated through such censuses, and this needed to be put into meaningful templates. Colonial officers deliberated among themselves and considered different approaches to resolve this paradox. This system of tagging helped them ‘herd’ these groups to submission during their regime. They also deliberately tagged certain jatis “criminal” and enforced genocide against them.

All modern sociological studies on caste use these arbitrary colonial conceptualizations. After India’s Independence, the democratic system turned castes into vote banks which have been manipulated by politicians ever since to serve their vested interests.

In the present age of globalization, things are once again taking a different turn. Today, when food or any product gets delivered, nobody knows, or bothers to know, what the person’s caste or sexual orientation is. The free exchange of goods and services is driven by market competition and meritocracy, and nobody cares about the old social classifications. Regardless of one’s birth- based factors, one can work, get paid, advance in one’s career, and move socially with freedom. Efficiency and optimization are the key success factors overriding everything else.

Capitalism is making caste obsolete, but it does not free society from structural biases. The new dynamics brings challenges as well as opportunities. The only caste system left in the rapidly urbanizing India is the one enforced by the government’s formal caste identities given to people. This is India’s curse: the birth-defect enshrined in its Constitution. This is fodder for the toxic identity politics.

The chronological sequence of the evolution of Hindu social structure can be represented as follows: Varna -> Jati -> Caste -> Political Vote Bank -> Global Caste Wars.

(The article is an excerpt from the book titled “Varna, Jati, Caste: A Primer on Indian Social Structures” jointly authored by Rajiv Malhotra and Vijaya Viswanathan, and has been reproduced here with permission. The first edition of the book was published in March 2023 by Infinity Foundation. Interested readers can buy it from Amazon)

PM Modi awarded with Russia’s highest civilian honour, calls it an honour for 140 crore Indians

ANI
-
0
PM Modi awarded with Russia’s highest civilian honour, calls it an honour for 140 crore Indians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ceremoniously presented with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, Russia’s highest civilian honour, at St Catherine’s Hall of the Moscow Kremlin on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a two-day visit to Russia, expressed gratitude towards President Vladimir Putin for honouring him with Russia’s highest civilian award and said that the honour is of 140 crore Indians.

The Prime Minister also asserted that both countries believe that efforts should be made for global stability and peace.

PM Modi said, “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to you (President Putin) for honouring me with Russia’s highest (civilian) award. This honour is not just mine, this is the honour of 140 crore Indians. This is the honour of the centuries-old deep friendship and mutual trust between India and Russia. This is the honour of our special and privileged strategic partnership.”

Notably, the award was bestowed on PM Modi in the year 2019, but he received it physically today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the award to PM Modi, for his distinguished contribution to the development of a privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and friendly ties between the two countries.

“It is a testimony to Russia’s sincere gratitude for the sincere contribution you are making to strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between our nations…you have always advocated broader contacts with our country. Back when you were Chief Minister of Gujarat, you came up with the initiative of twinning your state with Russian regions,” President Putin said while conferring the award.

“Dear friend, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to congratulate you for this highest Russian award and wish you good health, success and all the best. To the friendly people of India, I wish peace and prosperity,” he added.

He also highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s role in elevating India-Russia ties to the level of strategic partnership and said both nations are working for global and regional security.

“You have been at the helm of the Indian government for 10 years. You have genuinely strived to elevate the Russian-Indian relation to the level of special and privileged strategic partnership. With your direct support, Russia and India are implementing large-scale trade, economic…nuclear and hydrocarbon energy in high-tech and space exploration,” Putin said.

He added, “Your contribution to building a resilient framework for Russian-Indian cooperation in the international arena, where both of our nations are defending the principles of multipolarity…working for the sake of stability, global and regional security, and working closely within the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.”

The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia. It is only awarded for the most outstanding civilian or military merit.

The Russian Embassy in India had in 2019 said, “On April 12, @narendramodi was decorated with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle for exceptional services in promoting special & privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian peoples. @mfa_russia @MEAIndia @IndEmbMoscow”.

The Russian President then appreciated PM Modi on being conferred the award and recalled his outstanding achievements in promoting partnership with Russia

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Order of St Andrew for outstanding achievements in promoting partnership with Russia,” he stated on X.

To this, PM Modi replied that the foundation of the friendship between the two countries is deep and the future of the partnership is bright.

“Honoured to receive this prestigious award. I thank President Putin and the people of Russia. The foundations of India-Russia friendship are deep & the future of our partnership is bright. Extensive cooperation between our nations has led to extraordinary outcomes for our citizens,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is on an official visit to Russia. He held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, he along with Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Rosatom Pavilion at the VDNKh Exhibition Centre in Moscow.

The Rosatom Pavilion is an expositional and educational complex with the largest and most modern exposition in Russia dedicated to nuclear energy.

PM Modi also addressed the Indian community in Moscow. He spoke about the ties between India and Russia and the contribution of the Indian diaspora in strengthening them. He also announced the opening of Indian Consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg.

The Prime Minister stressed the ties between India and Russia are giving new energy to Global Prosperity. He also praised the Indian community for giving new heights to the ties between India and Russia.

Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an informal meeting at the President’s House.

On Monday, PM Modi reached in Moscow for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Russian President Putin to attend the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport and Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov received PM Modi at the Vnukovo-II Airport.

Notably, PM Modi and Putin have met 16 times over the past 10 years. The last in-person meeting between the two leaders took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand in 2022.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Gautam Gambhir appointed as Head Coach of the Indian Cricket team

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gautam Gambhir appointed as Head Coach of the Indian Cricket team

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team, BCCI secretary Jay Shah informed on Tuesday.

“It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @GautamGambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted.

“His clear vision for #TeamIndia, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The @BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey,” Shah added.

The prolific southpaw, who played crucial knocks in the 2007 T20 World Cup finals and the 2011 ODI World Cup finals, has agreed to a three-year deal and will replace the iconic Rahul Dravid. Gambhir, crucial to India’s triumph in the 2011 World Cup, was interviewed via Zoom by the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee, headed by Ashok Malhotra and W.V. Raman. Despite Raman’s thorough presentation, the committee recommended Gambhir for the position.

Gambhir will officially begin his tenure in July and will serve until December 31, 2027, coinciding with the year of the next ODI World Cup. Despite never formally coaching a team, Gambhir has been involved with IPL franchises Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders as a mentor, leading the latter to its third IPL title on May 26, just a day before the head coach application deadline.

Initial reports suggested that the BCCI was considering Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer for the role. However, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah denied these claims, stating that the board did not approach any former Australian cricketers and was focused on hiring an Indian coach.

1...867868869...7,561Page 868 of 7,561

Contact: infoopindia.com

About us

News and opinion website that brings you reports and narrative from a perspective often ignored or suppressed by the mainstream media of India.

Follow us

© OpIndia.com