Indian High Commission in Dhaka has issued an urgent advisory for Indian citizens and students in Bangladesh to avoid non-essential travel and minimise movement outside their residences due to the escalating unrest in the country.
The advisory comes in response to recent violent clashes between students and police in Dhaka, following the Bangladeshi government’s decision to close all public and private universities.
The protests have been driven by demands for reform of the country’s quota system for civil service jobs, which reserves positions for specific groups, including descendants of those who participated in the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.
On Thursday, protests intensified as students clashed with law enforcement in various locations across Dhaka. In Merul Badda, near Brac University, demonstrators blocked roads and engaged in violent confrontations with police, resulting in multiple injuries. By late morning, police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd, leading to significant traffic disruptions in the area, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Additionally, students obstructed the entrance to the Bashundhara Residential Area on Pragati Sarani and blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Jatrabari, severely affecting public transportation and causing widespread inconvenience. The Mirpur 10 roundabout and surrounding areas also experienced a heavy police presence, with many local markets and shops remaining closed.
The protests began in response to perceived police brutality and have evolved into a broader demand for justice for those injured or killed in previous demonstrations, as well as a call for a violence-free campus and rational reform of the quota system, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.
In light of the volatile situation, the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Indian Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna have established 24-hour emergency contact numbers for Indian nationals and students who require assistance:
High Commission of India, Dhaka: +880-1937400591 (also on WhatsApp)
Assistant High Commission of India, Chittagong: +880-1814654797 / +880-1814654799 (also on WhatsApp)
Assistant High Commission of India, Sylhet: +880-1313076411 (also on WhatsApp)
Assistant High Commission of India, Khulna: +880-1812817799 (also on WhatsApp)
The recent protests have been fueled by dissatisfaction with Bangladesh’s quota system, which sets aside a significant number of civil service positions for specific groups. This system has been a contentious issue in Bangladesh for years, with current demonstrations reflecting deep-seated frustrations over both the quota system and the response of law enforcement to peaceful student movements.
The Indian government continues to monitor the situation and advises all citizens in Bangladesh to adhere to the travel advisory and reach out to the High Commission or Assistant High Commissions if they are in need of urgent assistance.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Vikassheel Insaan Party president and former Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister of Bihar Mukesh Sahani’s father Jitan Sahani was killed at his partially constructed house in Jirat village, Supaul Bazar, Darbhanga. The body was discovered on the morning of 16th July. The authorities have arrested the murderer identified as 40-year-old Kazim Ansari who has confessed to the crime. The body of the 70-year-old man was found in his house and the belongings were in disarray. A First Information Report was registered under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The perpetrator had borrowed Rs 1 lakh in 2022 and then Rs 50,000 in 2023 on interest from the victim which turned out to be the motive behind the killing. Lack of funds forced Kazim Ansari to close his store and following his unemployment, he mortgaged his land at the interest rate of four per cent per month. He, however, could not return the money. He and his companion, Mohammad Sitara also known as Chhedi, went to meet Jitan Sahni on 12th July. They talked about the amount, lowering the interest rate and returning the land but their discussion escalated into an altercation.
Chhedi and Mukesh Sahni’s cousin Pramod who were present at the location verified the same. Afterwards, the culprit and his friends hatched a conspiracy to forcefully steal the loan documents. He also conducted a recce between 10-11 pm on the night of the incident, which was captured on CCTV camera. They broke into Jitan Sahani’s house from the back door at around 1:30 am. They then woke him up and demanded the papers.
Four individuals who were seen entering and leaving the property in the CCTV footage were taken into custody by the Special Task Force (STF). According to news reports, Jitan Sahani started abusing them and Kazim Ansari repeatedly stabbed him with a knife, while his associates held Sahani’s hands and feet. They also threw an almirah into the water when they couldn’t locate its key or the paperwork. They believed that it would save them from paying the loan.
The police have seized the accused’s clothes he was wearing at the time of the incident. A forensic investigation revealed that there was blood on them. Meanwhile, Purnia Lok Sabha MP Pappu Yadav also reached Mukesh Sahani’s residence who travelled to Patna from Mumbai after learning about the occurrence.
The daughter of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum divorced her husband on Instagram. The Sheikha announced her divorce in an Instagram post on Wednesday, 17th July. Two months after welcoming their first child, Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum declared the dissolution of her one-year old marriage to industrialist Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum. Her father, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in addition to being the ruler of Dubai.
“Dear Husband, As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you, I divorce you, and Idivorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife,” she wrote on the social media platform. The Sheikha used the age-old Islamic divorce custom known as triple talaq, in which Muslim males can dissolve a marriage by orally declaring their decision to do so three times while Muslim women have the legal authority to file for divorce through the procedure known as “khula” under Islamic law.
Sheikha Mahra gave birth to their daughter two months ago after the couple wed in a grand ceremony in April 2023. Shaikha Mahra is a supporter of women’s rights in the United Arab Emirates. Her husband and family have not yet released a statement to the public. Khaleej Times says that both parties have deleted their wedding photos from social media and unfollowed one another.
After the post was made public, several Instagram users first theorized that the princess’s account had been hacked, but there has been no evidence of that as of yet. Several netizens congratulated her and offered their best wishes for her decision and future. The princess earlier shared a photo of her daughter on social media with the remark, “Just the two of us,” which ignited rumours about her unhappy marriage.
On Thursday (18th July), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), looking into the NEET paper scam case, detained 3 doctors from the Patna AIIMS for questioning. This is hours before the court hearing slated in the Supreme Court today. According to the reports, all 3 detained doctors are from the 2021 batch. The CBI have reportedly sealed their rooms and taken their laptops and phones into custody.
The doctors’ detainment came a day after the CBI detained two additional people for allegedly stealing question papers for the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) medical entrance exam. The accused, Pankaj Kumar and Raju Singh, were arrested from Patna, Bihar, and Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, respectively.
Pankaj Kumar is a member of the paper leak gang, and he allegedly stole the NEET-UG question papers with Raju’s help. On Wednesday, July 17, a special court in Patna sentenced Pankaj Kumar to 14 days in CBI detention and Raju to 10 days.
The CBI has so far arrested nine people concerning the NEET paper leak case. It holds custody of 13 additional accused, including Rocky alias Rakesh Ranjan, the man in charge from Bihar.
On Thursday, July 18, the Supreme Court will hear several petitions related to the controversial medical entrance test. The top court put off the hearing of the arguments, including those seeking cancellation of the examination, re-testing, and an investigation into alleged malpractices in the conduct of NEET-UG 2024, to July 18. This was done because several parties had not yet received responses from the Center and the NTA.
The sanctity of the NEET-UG 2024 was breached according to the Supreme Court. The bench had asked for details from the NTA and the CBI, including the timing and manner of the suspected paper leak, and had stated that a re-test may be ordered if the entire process was impacted. The Court also inquired about the number of wrongdoers to determine the scope of the irregularities asserted by the petitioners.
Meanwhile, both the Centre and the NTA have submitted new affidavits to the Supreme Court. According to the Center’s affidavit, data analysis of the NEET-UG 2024 results undertaken by IIT-Madras revealed no evidence of “mass malpractice” or a specific set of students benefiting from it and getting unusually high marks.
According to the affidavit, undergraduate seat counseling for 2024-25 would take place in four rounds beginning in the third week of July. The NTA’s affidavit, filed along identical lines, stated that it conducted an examination of the distribution of marks at the national, state, and local levels.
The exam authority stated that the higher marks received by some NEET candidates were “not a systematic failure”. It further stated that the decrease of about 25% in the syllabus helped hopefuls do better in the medical entrance exam. Today, a bench consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear over 40 petitions related to the NEET-UG row.
The CBI, which is investigating the alleged anomalies in the medical entrance exam, has filed six FIRs. The FIR from Bihar is about a paper leak, while the others from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra are about candidate impersonation and cheating. The agency’s own FIR on a referral from the Union Education Ministry refers to a “comprehensive investigation into the alleged irregularities in the NEET-US 2024.”
The NTS administers the NEET-UG for admission to SARIS, OAS, MUSH, and other similar courses at both government and private institutions. This year’s exam was held on May 5th in 4,750 centers in 571 locations, including 14 outside India. More than 23 lakh applicants appeared for the test.
On 18th July, Swami Yashveer Maharaj issued a video statement calling out Islamists and so-called ‘seculars’ who are opposing the directions of Muzaffarnagar police to write names of the owners of the shops and carts of vendors on Kanwar Marg, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
The directions were issued to ensure there is no confusion about the owner of the shops among Kanwar Yatris. Notably, there have been reports that Muslims have been running shops, hotels, dhabas fruit carts etc. using the names of Hindu deities and misleading names. Yashveer Maharaj has been protesting against it for a long time.
In a video statement, he said, “We raised our voice that in Muzaffarnagar on Kanwar Marg, Muslim shopkeepers who run food stalls, fruit carts etc. keep the names of their shops on the names of Hindu deities or misleading names. When we demanded that all shops and carts should have the names of the owners/workers in bold letters written on the boards, the Police agreed to our demand and issued directions for the same. The shopkeepers are writing the names of the owners in bold letters as per the directions. However, fundamentalists like [Asaduddin] Owaisi are objecting to the directions of the police. There is a so-called journalist, Mohammed Zubair. He is the same Mohammed Zubair who provoked Muslims against Hindus with his posts and he has been to jail several times. He is facing several cases. There is a case registered against him in Muzaffarnagar as well. Hence, I request to the government that there should be no mishap with any Kanwar Yatri. If anything happens to any Kanwar Yatri, Mohammed Zubair should be held responsible for it. Thus, he should be arrested immediately and his accounts should be checked as well to see if he is getting foreign funding.”
He added, “The fundamentalists and seculars who are opposing the directions should think if Hindus continue to consume food at their hotel that has been spat on, urinated on and mixed with cow beef, then it is fine [for them] but if they [Hindus] oppose, it becomes a problem and they [fundamentalists and secular] start a campaign against it. We do not have a problem with hotels and dhabas owned by Muslims. They are free to run them. But they should run them in their name instead of running them in the names of Hindu deities and misleading Hindu names. If someone thinks this can continue, it won’t. We will not let it continue in Muzaffarnagar, at least. If someone tries to continue doing so, we will revolt against it and make it stop.” He then thanked police officials for giving directions to ensure law and order was maintained during Kanwar Yatra.”
Muzaffarnagar police issued directions to shops and carts owners to write names of the owners in bold letters
This year the Kanwar Yatra will start on 22nd July and conclude on 2nd August. In the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, the local administration has issued an order asking hotels, dhabas, and carts selling food items to write the name of their proprietors and operators running the shop or cart. However, alleged fact-checker Mohd Zubair, AIMIM Chief Asaddudin Owaisi, and Islamists have started to cry hoarse alleging religious discrimination.
Notably, the Muzaffarnagar SSP addressed the media where he shared information about the administration’s decision. Speaking to media channels, SSP Abhishek Singh said that dhabas, hotels, eateries, and carts selling food items that fall on the Kanwar Yatra mark have been asked to write the names of proprietors and operators. He added that this could avoid confusion for the Kanwariyas and avert arguments or confrontations as well as avoid any untoward incident. He added that eateries have started to follow the order out of their volition. Notably, there is no restriction on Kanwar Yatris from where can buy goods and they are free to shop anywhere.
In line with the administration’s orders, many cart sellers and eateries in the region have started to display names on banners or paper boards. Police personnel from police stations like Nai Mandi, Chhapar, Purkaji, Mansoorpur, and Khatauli have started to enforce the order. In the city area, many eateries near Meenakshi Chowk have started to put up posters with their names written on them.
Yashveer Maharaj’s campaign against misleading names of Muslim-owned shops
Last year during the Kanwar Yatra as well as days ahead of this year’s yatra, Swami Yashveer Maharaj made serious allegations that a large number of Muslim eatery owners hid their identity and displayed posters with fake Hindu names. He said that they have dotted the routes of the Kanwar Yatra. Given this, Swami Yashveer Maharaj demanded that the administration should ask eatery owners to display the names of their owners or operators.
He said, “Some people from a particular community operate shops during the Kanwar Yatra by putting up boards with the names of Hindu deities, due to which there is a possibility of hurting the sentiments of Shiva devotee Kanwariyas. The identity of people from a particular community operating shops by putting up boards with the names of Hindu deities should be made public. The police should run a campaign for this.” He also warned that if the administration doesn’t take action in this matter within a week, they will organise protests and agitations.
Islamists crying hoarse over the issue
The administration’s orders come in the wake of allegations that certain Muslim shop owners were deceiving and hurting the sentiments of Kanwariyas by using fake Hindu names and serving fast non-compliant food in the holy month. According to the administration, this has been done to avoid confrontation and avert any untoward incident that could create a law and order situation. However, Islamists have started to cry hoarse alleging that displaying the name of the shop/cart owner is “religious discrimination”.
Mohammed Zubair, who describes himself as a ‘fact-checker’ but often indulges in selective ‘fact-checking’ to push the left’s agenda, described the order asking vendors and shop owners to maintain transparency and display their names on their shop as ‘dangerous’ and whipped up hysteria claiming such a move had a potential of ‘discrimination on the grounds of religion’.
AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi went further and equated it with South Africa’s “apartheid” and Germany’s “Judenboycott”.
Another bridge fell in Bihar on Tuesday (16th July) evening, marking the 15th such incident in the state in the past four weeks. According to an official, the latest bridge that collapsed was located on the Parman River in Amhara village in Araria district’s Forbesganj block. It is believed that the bridge was washed away due to severe flooding.
Araria district magistrate Enayat Khan informed the media that the bridge was built by the Rural Works Department (RWD) in FY 2008-09. The bridge served as a link between Gopalpur and Majhua areas, connecting Forbesganj, Amhara and several other villages. However, it was destroyed during the 2017 floods, following which it was officially closed to vehicular traffic.
It has been alleged that due to poor construction quality, the bridge could not withstand the force of rising water.
Local villagers and Sarpanch of Madhwa Panchayat commented on the matter and said that the bridge was not in good condition and the officials were informed about it, but no action was taken. ”The condition of the bridge deteriorated and the leaders and officials had seen it for themselves. An assurance was given that the bridge would be repaired very soon. But the officials did not pay any attention and the bridge was finally washed away by water,” Vaidyanath Paswan, former Sarpanch, Madhwa Panchayat said.
”This bridge used to be the main link road, but today it has collapsed. If the water level rises further, then the traffic will be completely disrupted. In such a situation, if someone falls ill today, how will he be taken to the hospital?” Manoj Vishwas, a villager of Madhwa Panchayat asked.
Earlier on 4th July, two bridges in Saran district had collapsed due to heavy rainfall in the state of Bihar. No casualties were reported. As reported, both the bridges that collapsed were constructed over the Gandaki River.
On June 22nd, a portion of a bridge collapsed in the Darounda area of Siwan. This came 4 days after a bridge collapse was reported from the Araria district.
On June 18th, a large segment of an 182-meter bridge fell in Sikti, Araria. The bridge, built for Rs 12 crore, had recently been completed. Only approach roads on either side had to be built before its opening.
On March 22nd, one laborer was killed and eight others injured when three slabs of an under-construction bridge over the Kosi River in Supaul collapsed. The 10.5-kilometer-long bridge, valued at more than Rs 1,200 crore, is to be built between Bakour in Supaul and Bheja in Madhubani.
Prabin Kumar, the executive engineer (RWD) of the Araria division, stated that the current bridge collapse was ruled unsafe for usage in 2017. “However, it was repaired and renovated in Fiscal Year 2020-21. “Our office has sent a checklist of this bridge to higher-level officials in the department,” he said.
Two weeks ago, the state government suspended 15 engineers in connection with the string of bridge collapses. The decision was made after an inquiry team submitted its findings to the Water Resources Department (WRD).
The assessment concluded that engineers were negligent and monitoring was inefficient, which is the main reason for the collapse of small bridges and causeways across the state, Chaitanya Prasad, additional chief secretary of WRD was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
On 15th July, Delhi Police registered an FIR against Professor Nazim Hussain Al Jafri, Mohammad Nasim Haidar and Professor Shahid Tasleem of Jamia Millia Islamia University under Sections 3(1)(p) and 3(1)(q) of the SC/ST Act. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Ram Niwas Singh who was working as an Assistant in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University. OpIndia accessed copy of FIR.
Nazim Hussain Al-Jafri is the Official Registrar, Nasim Haider is the Deputy Registrar and Shahid Tasleem is a professor at the University. Ram Niwas Singh, who is a Dalit employee at the University, has accused them of misconduct including hurling caste-based slurs against him, dehumanising treatment and forcing him to convert to Islam.
In his complaint, Ram Niwas Singh said that he joined the University as an Upper Division Clerk on 30th March 2007 under the reserved category and is currently working as an Assistant in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. He was on deputation as an Assistant in IHBAS from 1st December 2015 to 30th November 2021 and rejoined Jamia on 1st December 2021. He sought No Objection Certificates from the officials at the University so that he could apply for high positions but the requests were rejected without any reason.
He added that he was transferred multiple times within the University merely after a gap of 2-3 months on the pretext of administrative reasons. He also filed a case at the National Commission for Scheduled Castes . He added that no one in the University was being denied opportunities for professional growth the way he was.
Upon learning about the complaint to NCSC, Al-Jafri called him to his office on 13th April 2023 at 12:30 PM as instructed by one Kaneez Fatima. He was made to wait outside Al-Jafri’s office for hours before getting called in. When he entered the office, there were some unknown persons along with Al-Jafri.
During the meeting, Al-Jafri said, “What kind of employee are you, Ramniwas? You are taking money from this University, your children are being raised here. You cannot directly go to the commission.” After a few minutes, the unknown person left his chamber. He then humiliated Singh and said, “You belong to a lower caste, you are a Bhangi, and you should remain as such. People like you get jobs based on reservations but still do not know their place. Do not forget that Jamia is a Muslim university, and your job is at our mercy.”
Source: Excerpt from FIR registered by Delhi Police
He was threatened to be implicated in a false and fabricated case of sexual harassment leading to his possible termination. He was asked not to approach higher authorities against Al-Jafri and casteist remarks were used by him.
Singh could only record the initial part of the conversion as Al-Jafri noticed the phone and snatched it away. A few days later, he noticed advertisements dated 29th April 2023 for the post of Assistant Registrar and Section Officer but there was no reservation for the SC/ST candidates. He then moved to the Delhi High Court seeking reservation as it was his constitutional right. On 16th June 2023, the Delhi High Court directed the University to keep one post vacant for the petitioners in each category under which they had applied.
Following the court order, Ram Niwas Singh was subjected to continuous torture at the University, as per the complaint. A false and fabricated complaint was registered at the behest of Al-Jafri by Professor Shahid Tasleem allegedly to hamper his professional growth. He was served a show cause notice without forwarding the actual complaint against him. Sometime later, he got a copy of the complaint to which he filed an official reply.
Furthermore, when he applied for the post of Manager on a deputation basis at Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure & Development Corporation (DSIIDC), his application was deliberately forwarded incomplete without his ACRs and Vigilance Clearance. It was only after he followed up with the office, that the Vigilance Clearance and ACRs were sent with a gap of over three months after the last date of application.
Singh pointed out that the show cause notice was mentioned in the Vigilance Clearance which he termed as a “blatant exhibition of caste-based discrimination”. When he talked to his former HOD Shahid Tasleem, he was informed that the Al-Jafri forced Tasleem to file a written complaint against him. Sometime later, he met Al-Jafri again in his chamber requesting him to stop the humiliation, caste-based discrimination and mental torture.
At that time, he was advised to convert to Islam by Al-Jafri, as per his complaint. He said, “Bring faith, and I’ll fix everything. Recite the Kalma, and everything will be fine. I’ll secure your children’s future too. What have you gained from Hinduism? Jamia transformed Sachin into Muhammad Ali and set his life. He got a permanent job as a driver because he brought faith.”
Source: Excerpt from FIR registered by Delhi Police
Singh said he met Al-Jafri several times to close the complaint but he was threatened repeatedly. Jafri kept saying, “I will never close your complaint. You challenged Jamia’s minority status, and you will pay the price for it. Jamia is an institution for Muslims, not for infidels.” He used derogatory language against Singh including “jahil”, “chamar”, “bhangi” and “kaafir”.
Jamia Millia Islamia and its history of controversies
Jamia Millia Islamia has been named in controversies multiple times. Atrocities against SC/ST employees have been reported on several occassions and the Vice Chancellor of the University was also summoned by National Commission for Scheduled Castes on 2023.
On 18th May, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Government of India, summoned Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia Professor Najma Akhtar to participate in an investigation initiated based on a complaint pertaining to the arbitrary scrapping of SC/ST reservation in recruitment to the teaching and non-teaching positions and promotions. The complaint was filed by Bhupendra Pal Singh Chamar, International President, World Dalit Counsel, and State President, Akhil Bhartiya Chamar Mahar Jatav Mahasabha on 11th May. Akhtar was asked to submit the facts and action taken on the allegations within seven days of the receipt of the notice.
In his complaint filed on 11th May, Bhupendra said that his organisation came across the matter of abrogating the constitutionally mandated government of India scheme of Reservation for SC/ST community in a publicly funded, Central University i.e. Jamia Millia Islamia. Bhupendra said that the SC/ST community has been deprived of the rights in the University without any intervention from the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission, or Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Government of India. He pointed out an advertisement published by the university on 29th April 2023, of non-teaching posts that violated the reservation roster of SC/ST. He further added that the university wilfully violated the UGC guidelines issued in October 2021 regarding the reservation roster. Notably, Bhupendra and Ram Niwas both filed complaints against missing SC/ST quota in posts mentioned in advertisements on 29th April 2023.
The matter related to SC/ST reservation is sub-judice
In 2022, Jamia VC was summoned by the commission over a similar matter based on a complaint submitted by one Harender Kumar. In his complaint, Kumar, who belonged to Scheduled Caste, alleged that he had faced discrimination by the University authorities. Kumar was appointed as a guest computer teacher in a school run by the University. He alleged that he was illegally terminated from the University from his job following a conspiracy hatched against him by the top officials of the University.
Kumar said that a fabricated complaint was filed against him through a female teacher by the Principal of the school. It was alleged that Kumar was asked to do menial work such as making tea and washing the utensils for the Principal. He said, “The genesis of the complaint was deeply embedded in caste and religion-based discrimination.” When Kumar resisted doing such work as it was a public denigration of his identity, a conspiracy was allegedly hatched against him, and he was falsely accused of harassing a female employee of the school.
The case of abolishing reservation for SC/ST in appointment and promotion
Jamia Millia Islamia, which is a Central Government-funded University, is under the scanner for doing away with the reservation for SC/ST in appointments and promotions based on the complaint by Kumar. Notably, Jamia Millia Islamia has been avoiding appointments and promotions of candidates from the SC/ST community despite being a Centre-funded university.
There is a pending case in the Delhi High Court challenging National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) order that granted Religious Minority Institute status to the University in 2011. The NCMEI had said in its order, “Jamia was founded by the Muslims for the benefit of Muslims, and it never lost its identity as a Muslim minority educational institution”. It added the University was thus, “covered under Article 30(1), read with Section 2(g) of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act”.
The order was challenged in the Delhi High Court soon after the orders were passed. Despite the pending case, the University scrapped SC/ST reservations and approved religion-based appointments and reservations in 2014, citing the NCMEI order of 2011.
The Centre had opposed the NCMEI order granting Jamia minority status
In 2018, the Government of India submitted a fresh affidavit in the Delhi High Court against the affidavit submitted by the previous government and opposed the minority status given to Jamia Millia Islamia University by NCMEI. As per reports, in the fresh affidavit, the GoI cited the Supreme Court’s decision in the Azeez Basha Vs Union of India case of 1968. The Centre said that the first affidavit submitted by the previous government did not consider the said judgment. In the 1968 judgment, the apex court had said that a university incorporated under an Act of Parliament could not claim the status of a minority institute.
On the 15th of June, the Madras High Court pulled up the Tamil Nadu police for siding with a radical faction of Muslims trying to stop another group of Muslims from observing Muharram with drums and music (PDF). Thameem Sindha Madar had approached the Madras High Court after the Tamil Nadu administration refused to permit it to observe Muharram with drums and music after a radical faction of Muslims had opposed it.
Sufi Muslim devotees in Ervadi town in Tirunelveli have traditionally been carrying out the Muharram procession with the beating of drums and music known as the Santhanakoodu procession and Kuthirai Pancha for years. This time, they faced opposition from a radical group of Muslim devotees who did not want them to observe Muharram with drums and music.
Thowheed Jamath opposed the processions claiming that playing music and beating drums during the Muharram procession had a corrupting influence on devotees and that Islam should be practiced in its pure and original form free from such rituals.
When the Muslim group approached the district and state authorities, they asked them to refrain from playing music during the Muharram procession as it could potentially lead to a law and order situation, thereby capitulating to the Thowheed Jamath which was restricting other Muslims of the area from practicing their tradition.
The court directed the administration to provide security for the processions and observed that the local police were wrong in not granting permission for the Santhanakoodu procession and Kuthirai Pancha.
In the order passed, the Madras HC said, “If one’s fundamental rights are under threat, the duty of the administration is to uphold the rights and put down those interfering with the exercise of the rights. Fundamental rights shall take precedence over fundamentalist forces”.
“The petitioner and his associates have the fundamental right to conduct their religious procession. This right stands protected by Article 19(1)(b) and (d) of the Constitution of India. This right has been exercised by the petitioner’s forefathers over centuries. It is not open to Thowheed Jamath to dictate to the petitioner’s group as to how they should conduct the festival. Thowheed Jamath has no right to prevent the petitioner’s group from going on a religious procession. It is unfortunate that the District Administration chose to succumb to the threats held out by the fundamentalist elements…If the District Administration is to take the easy and lazy option of prohibiting the exercise of the right by citing law and order issues, it would betray their impotence,” Justice Swaminathan said.
The judge further told Thowheed Jamath that if they did not like the Santhanakoodu procession and Kuthirai Pancha, they should simply stay indoors.
It is pertinent to note that in Ervadi Town in Tirunelveli District, there is a Muslin shrine in memory of Saints Hasan and Husain. It is known as Ervadi Dargha. Apart from this mosque, there are six other mosques in the town. Out of them, two subscribe to Thowheed Jamath principles. Further, it was the Ervadi Dargha that has been observing the tradition of observing Muharram with drums and music. The Thowheed Jamath essentially opposes any “corrupting” influence and wants Islam to be practiced in its purest form.
What did the court say about Thowheed Jamath and its brand of Islam
The court observed, “Religious beliefs and practices cannot be reduced into mono categories. Perceptions are bound to differ. That is why, there are different schools of philosophical thought. Admittedly, there are two principal sects, namely, Shia and Sunni. But they are not all. There is the rich and sublime Sufi tradition. They stand for syncretic culture. They do not stick to the rigid rules of orthodoxy. Their accent is more on love and harmony. Jalaluddin Rumi and his work “Masnavi” come to mind. He was the greatest dervish who believed in dancing one’s way to God. There are hundreds of classical musicians who are at the same time pious Muslims”.
While hailing Sufism, the court said that Thowheed Jamath is only comfortable with Islam as practiced in Saudi Arabia.
“Islam was founded in the 7th Century in the Middle East. It has spread to several parts of the world ever since. Thowheed Jamath would want Muslims everywhere to practice Islam as in Saudi Arabia. In fact, they would go back to the times of the Prophet Himself. They are not comfortable with the practices of acquiring local color and gloss”.
The court further said, “The people in Ervadi believe in Music, Beat of Drums and Horse and Chariot Processions. To expect them to conform to Saudi Arabian practice is nothing short of a Talibanic outlook”.
How the Tamil Nadu government capitulated to Thowheed Jamath
The Tamil Nadu administration and police not only denied permission to Ervadi Dargah to observe Muharram with drums and music, but also pleaded in court that the petition by the Dargah should be dismissed, and the decision of the administration to not grant permission must not be overturned.
The Special Government Pleader appearing for the revenue authorities submitted that there has been severe opposition from the adherents of Thowheed Jamath and that the writ petitions filed by the petitioners during the previous years suffered dismissals and that therefore, a departure need not be made.
The Government counsel, appearing for the district police further said in court:
“The Muharram festival was conducted without any obstruction or objection for several decades. The general public irrespective of communities and religion used to take part. Only in the year 2011, an objection was raised by the Thowheed group. Certain unpleasant incidents took place. FIRs were registered. Peace committee meetings were convened almost every year. It was decided that objectionable events such as “Kuthirai Pancha”, “Santhanakoodu Procession” etc., would not be conducted. There was consensus for conducting only four events. The police have been granting permission in line with the said decision. In the year 2019, again, four criminal cases were registered. As on date, no criminal case is pending. Either they ended in acquittal or were closed as “Mistake of Fact”. The jurisdictional police have stated that based on the order to be passed by the High Court, they are ready to provide protection to ensure that there is no breach of public peace”.
Essentially, the Tamil Nadu government adhered to the notions held by the Thowheed Jamath that Islam should only be followed in its purest form and traditions of the Dargah, of celebrating Muharram with drums and music, was essentially a “corrupting influence” on Islam. In its submissions, as recorded in the order, the Tamil Nadu government went as far as to brand the tradition of the Dargah as “objectionable events”.
The Madras High Court observed in its order that the Tamil Nadu government had ‘caved in’, essentially saying that it gave into fundamentalist elements. “The District Administration caved in. That is how, for the last fourteen years, customs such as Kuthirai Pancha and Santhanakoodu could not be observed”, the court observed.
In a shocking incident, a farmer in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur went to the District Magistrate’s office on 15th July, begging officials to protect his land from being “captured” by the local mafia. Sharing the video of the incident, the Congress party launched an attack on the BJP government. However, on 17th July, the authorities clarified that the farmer in the video still possesses the land and no land mafia has occupied it.
Madhya Pradesh: In Mandsaur, farmer Shantilal Patidar protested at the collector's office after his grievances went unheard. He arrived in an unconventional manner, rolling on the ground. Patidar sought attention for his plight, emblematic of widespread rural grievances at the… pic.twitter.com/u32CXYpWot
“This video describes the condition of farmers under Modi government. In Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, a helpless farmer kept making rounds of government offices, but his plea was not heard anywhere. At some places bribe was demanded and at other places people were sent away without any hearing. Ultimately, fed up, the farmer was forced to take this step. It is a well known fact that BJP and Narendra Modi are anti-farmer, it has been proved again today,” Congress posted.
Shankarlal, dressed in a worn-out dhoti, was spotted rolling on the floor of the Collectorate office with his hands folded, muttering, “What should we do now?” as officials and visitors looked on.
The old farmer claimed that despite numerous complaints, no action had been taken. He said that the alleged “inaction” of the officials prompted him to roll in the Collectorate’s halls to draw attention towards his plight.
“A local land mafia is troubling me. The Tehsildar makes a mistake, and the farmer suffers. They make the mistakes, and I suffer the consequences. I am unhappy with the government and the administration. The officers here are corrupt. We are so troubled… farmers are being cheated,” Shankarlal said.
‘Shankarlal has the possession of the land, nothing for us to do’: clarifies district collector
During a public hearing on Tuesday, Shankarlal filed an application with the district administration. Dismissing the claims of inaction by officials, the Mandsaur administration clarified that farmer Shankarlal continues to hold possession of the said land.
In an official statement, the Collector of Mandsaur Dilip Kumar said, “The applicant Shankar Lal, son of Phoolchand, is himself in possession of 1/2 of his land. The administration received the application sympathetically and heard the matter. Based on the facts, no person/land mafia has occupied the applicant’s land. The applicant Shankar Lal, son of Phoolchand, submitted an application to the district administration during the public hearing. The administration received the application sympathetically and heard the matter. Further action regarding the application was taken at a quick pace. The said application was examined.”
जनसुनवाई के दौरान आवेदक श्री शंकर लाल पिता फूलचंद द्वारा आवेदन दिया गया था। इनकी 1/2 भूमि पर स्वयं का कब्जा है। उक्त संबंध में कोई कार्यवाही लंबित नहीं है- कलेक्टर श्री दिलीप कुमार @JansamparkMPpic.twitter.com/SRl8HDtttp
According to the Tehsildar’s report, which was based on documents provided by the local administration, there are 2.5 hectares of land in Surkheda village, area number 604, and 1.01 hectares in survey number 625. Here, the aggrieved farmer Shankarlal and his family, which includes Anokhilal, Bhagwan Bhai, and Resham Bhai, sons of Phoolchand, as well as Baba Ghasiram, Karu Lal, Ramlal, Prabhu Lal, Mangi Bai, and Parvati Bai, children of Ghati, jointly own this land.
Collector Dilip Kumar further stated that half of this land was sold to Ashwin, the son of Narayan Rao, a Mandsaur resident, using a sale deed dated December 31, 2010. The transfer of the aforementioned land was authorised by the then Tehsildar, Sitamau, in the 2010-11 transfer registry. However, Karu Lal, Ramlal, Prabhu Lal, Mangi Bai, and Parvati Bai continue to hold the sold land and its possession has not been taken over by Ashwin.
“After examination, the facts regarding the application are that the land situated in village Surkheda, survey number 604 and 625, total area 3.52 hectares, was registered in the hands of joint account holders Shankar Lal, Anokhi Lal, Bhagwan Bai, Reshambai, son of Phoolchand, 1/2 and Sampatbai, widow of Ghasiram, Karulal, Ramlal Prabhu Lal, Mangi Bai, Parvati Bai, son of Ghasi, his share was 1/2. Out of which, co-account holders Sampatbai etc. sold their share of land to Ashwin, son of Narayan Deshmukh in 2010. And the said land was not occupied by the buyer Ashwin,” the Collector’s statement continued.
The collector also added that if Shankarlal has any grievance over the sale of the portion of the land by the other owners, he should approach the civil court. No land mafia has occupied the farmer’s land and the applicant Shankarlal still occupies the concerned land, the collector clarified on the matter.
“It is worth mentioning here that the applicant Shankar Lal, son of Phoolchand, is currently in possession of 1/2 land which is the applicant’s share and the land which was sold by co-shared person Sampatbai etc. in 2010 is also in possession of Shankar Lal, son of Phoolchand till date. On the basis of the report sent by the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue), Sitamau and the facts, no person/land mafia is occupying the land of the applicant Shankarlal, son of Phoolchand. If any person submits an application regarding illegal occupation of the said land, legal action will be taken by the administration,” the Collector added.
On Wednesday (17th July), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grave concerns about the changing demographic composition in the Northern eastern border state. He asserted that demographic change was a matter of concern. He emphasised that this is not a political issue but rather for him, this is a “matter of life and death”.
CM Sarma also highlighted how the demographic composition has drastically changed in Assam over the last several decades. He mentioned that Muslims who comprised around 12-14% of the total state population in 1951 have reached 40% now. He added that we have lost many districts.
Addressing a press conference in Jharkhand’s capital, Rachi, CM Sarma said, “Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, the Muslim population has reached 40 percent today. In 1951, it was 12 percent.”
1951 में असम में मुसलमानों की आबादी सिर्फ़ 14% थी। आज उनकी आबादी लगभग 40% है।
जनसांख्यिकीय परिवर्तन हमारे लिए राजनीतिक मुद्दा नहीं है, यह अस्तित्व का मुद्दा है। pic.twitter.com/B3nsAokVD2
He added, “We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me.”
#WATCH | Ranchi | Assam CM & BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "…Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, Muslim population has reached 40% today. In 1951, it was 12%. We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and… pic.twitter.com/N11lpEGUfg
It is pertinent to note that Assam CM Sarma has been vocal about the issue of illegal immigrants and has taken stern action against encroachment in the state.
Assam CM Sarma is the party in charge of the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections. Addressing the press, he blamed the JMM-led Jharkhand government for not taking stern actions against ‘illegal immigrants’ (ghuspatiye) who are trapping tribal girls and marrying them. He added that the administration was not doing due diligence and enforcing laws already in place. He added that after coming to power, the BJP will put in place laws to ensure that intruders don’t trap tribal girls and that nobody would be able to exploit them.
He said, “There is a problem of illegal immigrants coming from outside in Jharkhand and luring tribal daughters. All this is happening under the protection of JMM-Cong. Assam is a border state. I am fighting infiltrators every day, why has the Jharkhand government given up in this matter?”
झारखण्ड में बाहर से घुसपैठियों का आना और आदिवासी बेटियों को फसाना एक समस्या है। यह सब JMM-Cong के संरक्षण में हो रहा है।
असम एक बॉर्डर राज्य है। मैं रोज घुसपेठियों से लड़ रहा हूँ, इस मामले में झारखण्ड की सरकार ने क्यों हाथ ऊपर कर दिया हैं? pic.twitter.com/eoWqrpjrzC
He explained that the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants is the duty of the state government.
Earlier this month, on 1st July, Sarma had expressed concerns about the prevalence of criminal activities among people from a “particular religion”.
“I am not saying that crime is committed only by people of a particular religion but recent incidents since the just concluded Lok Sabha elections is a matter of concern,” Sarma was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
On 23rd June, he expressed concerns about the surge in communalism stating that the Bangladeshi-origin minority community is the only one in Assam which indulges in communalism.
Soon after forming a state government in June 2021, he expressed concerns about the population explosion. He had said, “Population explosion is the root cause of economic disparities and poverty among minority Muslims in Assam.”
