ANHAD ( Act Now for Harmony and Democracy ) has issued a strong statement in defence of Faisal Khan and protesting hos arrest.
The text of the statement may be read here :
“We strongly condemn the UP police and demand Faisal Khan’s immediate release. It is very clear that growingly all those who talk of peace, love, harmony and are trying to bring communities together are being targeted. Those in power both in Uttar Pradesh and the Centre only want to spread hatred.*
Faisal Khan, National convenor of Khudai Khidmatgar is a well known Gandhian peace activist, who has been working for bringing various religious communities together and promoting harmony and love. He was on a five-day pilgrimage (Yatra) from 24-29 October 2020, to participate in Chaurasi Kosi Yatra. He visited various temples and had conversations with priests about philosophy, literature, our shared heritage and spreading peace and love through religion. He said the main purpose of every religion is to bring people together.
He was arrested yesterday on 2nd November by UP Police under section 153A, 295 and 505 and is now in a jail in Mathura because he did his namaz in one of the temples, he was allowed to do that by the temple staff.
Instead of appreciating the coming together of people of diverse faiths like the case in Kerala where a Hindu marriage took place in a mosque, he has been targeted for disharmony.
The Karkardooma Court in Delhi through Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat has directed the Delhi Police to provide hard copies of the chargesheet to all accused in the Delhi Riots in the matter State of NCT of Delhi vs Tahir Hussain and Ors heard on October 21, 2020. Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad represented the State whereas various lawyers appeared for all applicants through the WebEx application.
The order said, “The court directs that the Investigating Agency shall provide the physical copy of chargesheet and accompanying documents to every accused person by next date, without fail.” The ASG while rejecting the State’s submission that its provision of the chargesheet’s soft copy on a pen drive to the accused was sufficient compliance of Section 207 of the CrPC added that, “Even though, it may be desirable to have soft copies of the chargesheet the law still mandates that a hard copy has to be made available to the accused. The provisions of the IT Act cannot be made applicable or overwrite provisions of Section 207, CrPC as it stands today.”
Section 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure makes the supply to the accused the copy of police report and other documents compulsory.
The Judge explained further that, “The Investigating Agency is duty bound to supply hard copy of the chargesheet with accompanying documents to the accused. The soft copy is a copy made available for the benefit of the accused/counsel. Accordingly, the court also cannot ask for supply of soft copies in the particular manner which is more comfortable of handy to him.”
The ASG elaborated on the provision and said that, “There is a proviso (in the CrPC) that if any document is voluminous, then instead of furnishing a copy thereof, the court can direct that he be allowed to inspect it either personally or through pleader in court. This proviso indicates that hard copy has to be supplied as this proviso would not apply to soft copy. Moreover, not every accused would be comfortable with a soft copy and the purpose of supply of copy is to provide the accused with necessary material set against him.”
The court sternly responded to the State submission that they would require 15 days’ time to obtain sanction for funds from the Delhi Government to provide hard copies of the charge sheet for all the accused. It said, “The Court is not impressed by the submissions made by the Investigating Officers. Once the charge-sheet has been filed by the Investigating Agency, voluminous as it is, then with some alacrity, a copy of it has to be provided in hard copy to every accused which is also the direction of the court. They may require sanction of funds for the said purpose; however, they were supposed to act promptly.”
The single bench was hearing applications filed by Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jahan @ Pinky, Meeran Haider, Tahir Hussain, Shadab Ahmad, Natasha Narwal, Asif Iqbal Tanha for a hard copy of the chargesheet. Narwal had also sought an OCR searchable digital copy of the chargesheet.
The matter is expected to be taken up today, when the DCP, Special Cell has also been ordered to be present.
ICICI Bank and Axis bank announced a convenience fee for deposits in cash recyclers during non-business hours and bank holidays effective from November 1, 2020.
As per the new rules, Rs. 50 will be levied for a transaction carried out on bank holidays and on working days between 6:00 PM and 8:00 AM.
Further, the ICICI bank will also levy a convenience fee if the cash deposit in ATMs exceeds Rs. 10,000 per month as single or multiple transactions.
However, the bank will not impose this rule on senior citizens, student accounts, basic savings bank account, Jan Dhan accounts and accounts of incapacitated and visually impaired persons.
Meanwhile, Axis Bank began levying the convenience fee from August 1. It levies Rs. 50 for cash deposit transactions done after banking hours – 5:00 PM to 9:30 AM – and on bank holidays.
Other banks such as Bank of India, PNB, Axis Bank and Central Bank are also considering charging customers for such transactions. Further reports state that Bank of Baroda will also start charging its customers from November 1.
Regarding withdrawals, it is being discussed that the first three transactions in a month will be free following which there will be a fee of Rs 150. Similarly, deposits three times in a month may be free but thereafter a charge of Rs 40 will be levied on each transaction.
The Gujarat High Court has expressed its displeasure at the state government’s inaction in protecting the rights and interests of the tribal people by rejecting their claims to land for cultivation and conversion of forest land to revenue villages. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nathand Justice JB Pardiwala was hearing two Public Interest Litigation petitions in the matter Action in Community Research and Development v. State of Gujarat (PIL No. 159/160 of 2020) on October 26, 2020.
Advocate AJ Yagnik appeared for the petitioner NGO in this matter. The bench has also directed the State Government to respond to the writ petitions by December 2020.
The bench remarked that, “We are sad to note that almost 18 years have elapsed, but, as pointed out by Mr. Yagnik, there is no further progress in the matter. The directions were issued with a view to see that the interest of the tribals across the State of Gujarat is protected.”
These earlier directions were issued on writ petitions moved in the year 2011-2012 seeking appropriate directions from the court pertaining to forest claims of the tribal community. The court through its order dated May 3, 2013 disposed of both the writ petitions and directed the Government to give cogent reasons for rejection or modification of the claim. The respondent State was also directed to expedite the process of deciding the pending 1,28,866 claims and the process of recognition of community rights over forest resources and also expedite the process of conversion of forest settlement villages into revenue villages.
The NGO’s 2020 plea submitted that the 2013 directions are yet to be implemented by the State. So, this division bench has now directed the State to file its response to the allegations in the writ petitions and slated the hearing for December 2, 2020.
Makers of television game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and its host Amitabh Bachchan were charged with an FIR in Lucknow for allegedly “hurting Hindu sentiments” during Friday’s Karamveer special episode.
For a prize money of Rs. 6,40,000, special guests actor Anup Soni and social activist Bezwada Wilson had to answer the question, “On 25 December 1927, Dr BR Ambedkar and his followers burned copies of which scripture?”
The answer was “Manusmriti” which guests unsurprisingly selected correctly.
Following the answer, Bachchan also elaborated on the historical incident by saying, “In 1927, Dr. BR Ambedkar condemned the ancient Hindu text Manusmriti to ideologically justify caste discrimination and untouchability and he also burned copies of it.”
Manusmriti is an ancient Hindu scripture that supports the caste system. Dalits and other socially backward communities have been most vocal in denouncing the scripture. Moreover, the burning of the scripture in 1927 is a well-known fact – such that is typically used to frame questions for the infotainment show.
Yet, many people on social media lashed out at the show and the host for indulging in a “culture war.” The incident has started off two hashtags on Twitter “BoycottKBC” and “SupportKBC.”
KBC has been hijacked by Commies. Innocent kids, learn this is how cultural wars are win. It’s called coding. pic.twitter.com/uR1dUeUAvH
Manusmriti is the beacon of discrimination and Dalits continue to be harassed. Thank you KBC for bringing awareness to this issue!#supportKBC not #boycottKBC. Please read before commenting. https://t.co/rk1KYphb2E
Both the show makers and Bachchan have refrained from commenting on the incident. However, KBC has not faced such a predicament for the first time. In 2019, netizens had criticised the show for referring to Chhatrapati Shivaji as simply “Shivaji” in a question regarding contemporaries of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. Sony TV channel eventually apologised, stating that the channel regretted the “inadvertent” mistake.
Today, November 3, Telugu revolutionary poet P Varavara Rao turns 80 years old. Perhaps if he was not in jail, his wife, daughters, nephews, nieces, would have made it into a day of big celebration. Perhaps he would have wanted to keep it low key instead, maybe just spend the day with his friends and family, sharing a meal, languid conversations, perhaps even a poetry reading or two. Instead the poet and activist will spend another day in jail. It just marks another year that he has been under punishment for his activism.
His nephew N Venugopal, a journalist and poet himself, who often finds himself as the voice of the family sharing news and health updates of the aged Rao, shared a personal look into his last two birthdays. The one in 2018 was still spent with family and friends, as Rao was under House Arrest. By the time his birthday came around in 2019, he was lodged in November 3 in Suraksha Block – Phansi Ghat in Yerawada (Pune) jail.
Venugopal recalls that the Pune Police had raided Rao’s house, searched for over seven hours, and arrested him to take him to Pune on August 28, 2018. However the Supreme Court intervened on August 29 and told police to release Rao and keep him under house arrest. Rao approached the court to seek relief, filing two petitions in Telangana High Court. Venugopal recalled that one petition was struck down after a couple of weeks. “The second petition was still under process but it was almost certain that it would also be struck down. Then came November 3, his 78th birthday and we wanted to make it a pleasant, memorable birthday celebration for him. As he always relishes being with people, we managed to bring in a number of family members, friends and lawyers. All the title pages of his 40 books were printed to display at home. Reprints of two of his translations of writings of Ngugi wa Thiongo were released on the occasion,” recalled Venugopal. The second petition was dismissed on November 16 and Pune Police arrested Rao on November 18.
SabrangIndia had reported that On August 28, police raided homes of several social activists across India, under the guise of investigating them for being involved in planning and instigating the Bhima Koregaon violence on January 1, 2018. These included the homes of Ranchi-based Father Stan Swamy, Mumbai based human rights activists Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves, Hyderabad-based activists Varavara Rao and Kranti. Varavara’s daughter Anala and her journalist husband Kurmanath were also not spared as their electronic items were also confiscated. Activists Gautam Navlakha and Karthik were raided in Delhi. Arrests followed on different dates.
Varavara Rao spent his 79th birthday was celebrated in Yerwada prison and this is how he Venugopal says the poet described it in his letters:
“All my co-prisoners in this block took care to bring me out from my feeling of loneliness and celebrated my birthday expressing wishes with Greeting Cards, sweets and snacks….”
“..just like it happened one year ago during House Arrest, in this jail life of eleven months and a half, today my birthday celebrations began in the morning and continued till 1 pm tea time and 2.30 pm lock-up time with greeting cards, wishes, flowers, tea, snacks, etc. For some time now Vernon has been propagating that I complete 79 and enter 80 today. All co-prisoners from fundamentalist Sanatana Hindutwa prisoners to Islam fundamentalists offered me a variety of sweets, snacks, greeting cards ending the spree with chocolate at 2.30. Among them there are prisoners who are waiting for death penalty, Hindutwa believers, Hindu religious people, to innocent, implicated and convicted. Two Ambedkarites are there. Five are Muslims. Only two are political prisoners among them. One of the prisoners on death row is a good artist. He painted a black panther and wrote a caption ‘black is beautiful, black is hunter’ and gave it to me as a greeting card.
People of such varied beliefs calling me uncle and celebrating my birthday so fondly brought tears to my eyes. A fundamentalist on death row, whose father died recently, tells me ‘you are my father figure’. He gave me a box of sweets and got emotional and turned back. I could not control my tears. “My father used to be your height, resembles you. Whenever I see you, I remember him,” he says. Another prisoner on death row walks along with me as many times as I walk. Except a Santana Hindutwa person, who came in Narendra Dabholkar murder case, all the others affectionately call me uncle. One is a Dalit Christian under-trial from Dharavi. Another is a Tamil Naidu under-trial who has a sister in Hyderabad. Yet other is an activist of Vanchit Agadhi, follower of Prakash Ambedkar… How strange are human relations…..”
It is now his 80th birthday on November 3 2020, and Venugopal states that since his return to jail on August 25 with a “stable and normal” certificate Rao is still in frail health and is physically weak. He is given a sponge bath by co-prisoner Vernon Gonzalves. Rao still has a urine bag with a catheter attached. However, “despite the physical weakness and problems, he is in good spirits” the nephew states, adding “when Varavara Rao was asked about his health he spoke about Stan Swami, who is older than him, being brought to jail and suggested holding protests for Stan.”
On October 29 the Supreme Court asked Bombay High Court to expedite Varavara Rao’s bail application hearing on medical grounds. A bench comprising of Justices UU Lalit, Vineet Saran and S. Ravindra Bhat expressed concern about the bail application filed on medical grounds not having been listed before the Bombay High Court since September 17, 2020 and directed the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court to list the same at the earliest. The Court also directed the High Court to examine whether Rao would be required to be treated in a speciality hospital.
Though the Supreme Court did not itself order the release of the poet, it asked the aggrieved family to approach the Bombay court taking cognisance of the violation of his fundamental Right to Life due to inhumane jail conditions.
The three Judge Bench was hearing a plea filed by P. Varavara Rao’s wife, Pendaya Hemlatha who moved the Supreme Court on October 15 in a writ petition for the immediate release of her husband filed on behalf of Senior Advocate Sunil Fernandes, as reported by SabrangIndia. Her plea stated that Rao’s continued custody amounts to cruel and inhuman treatment, violating Article 21 of the Constitution of India and violative of his dignity in custody. It further states that his release from Taloja Central Jail is important because he suffers from various co-morbidities and that the jail environment is not exactly conducive to his feeble state of health.
Telangana’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar on November 2, 2020 threatened to burn down any movie theatre that screened Roudram Ranam Rudhiram (RRR) movie for portraying a respected tribal leader in traditional Muslim attire.
Kumar accused Director S. S. Rajamouli of distorting historical facts by adding in a scene wherein Komaram Bheem, played by Jr. NTR, is seen applying surma, wearing an amulet and donning a Muslim skull cap.
Kumar threatened Rajamouli of physical violence by saying, “If you are going to make a film by undermining Komaram Bheem, by undermining the rights of Adivasis and by undermining the sentiments of Adivasis, we will hit you with sticks.”
Unsurprisingly, his comments have sparked another movie-related debate on social media, only a day before the bypolls on November 3.
“RRR” फ़िल्म पर विवाद शरू हो गया है , फ़िल्म में हीरो कोमराम भीम को मुस्लिम टोपी में दिखने पर भारी विवाद उठ चला है कई भाजपा नेताओं साथ कइयों ने इस लुक को राजामौली को धमकी दी है कि लुक में चेंजिंस किया जाय अन्यथा फ़िल्म रिलीज नही होने देंगे,#RRRMoviehttps://t.co/gmevqXwArX
The Hindu-Muslim debate seems to have redirected people’s attention once again only, in this case, the person in question – Komaram Bheem – may not have been a Hindu at all.
The famous leader was from the Gond tribe in Telangana. It may be noted that even people from the Gond communities were disappointed to see Bheem as a Muslim at the end of the recent trailer. However, unlike the BJP spokesperson and other extreme right elements, the community hopes for a satisfactory answer from Rajamouli and NTR.
Moreover, Gond tribe, like many Adivasi tribes, is associated with naturalistic beliefs and religion like animism. Yet, certain Hindu supremacist accounts on Twitter choose to force Hinduism on these tribes.
What?!
Gond tribals are not Hindus? Komaram Bheem was not Hindu?
“Gonds call themselves descendants of Mahabharata warriors and they worship Gandhari and Hidimbi”
Meanwhile, the director’s explanation of the film not being a biopic but a fictional story is lost amid the rising political discourse. Three years ago, another film Padmaavat had faced a similar situation where actress Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bansali were threatened of physical assault by the Karni sena. Yet, unlike the seemingly arbitrary reasons for the rage against the movie in 2017, the dissent against Rajamouli’s movie may take a much more communal colour.
Faisal Khan, runs Khudai Khidmatgar, an organisation that aims to promote communal harmony in the country. He and three others from his team were arrested on November 2 in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. An FIR was registered against him and the others for allegedly offering namaz, the Muslim prayer, in the Nand Baba temple premises without permission.
Khan has been on a communal harmony tour, visiting many places, including temples, meeting people and on the last day of the ‘84 kos’ trip had visited the famed Nand Baba Mandir on October 28. Initial videos of his interaction with the attendants, and the priest at the temple showed that it just takes a warm gesture to start relationships. His interactions with the Hindu men seemed to be what the millennials call ‘friendship goals’, the banter ranged from anecdotes from socio religious history illustrating communal harmony. The clip ends with the priest offering him a small leaf bowl of prasad, and inviting them to stay for a meal.
However, soon after this video, some more images of Khan and an associate offering namaz in the temple courtyard went viral. It was then that things took a turn for the worse. It was alleged that Khan offered the namaz in a Hindu temple without permission of the authorities. The priest who had been talking to Khan in the earlier clip then reportedly registered an FIR, following which Khan was arrested on November 2. According to Khan’s associate as it was noon and time for the Zuhr namaz the Hindu priest himself said the Muslim visitors could offer their prayers in the premises. “We thought we would leave the place and offer namaz, but after they said it was a prayer of devotional songs we offered our namaz after their permission,” stated Khudai Khidmatgar.
Peace activist Faisal Khan, is the National convenor of Khudai Khidmatgar, an organisation founded by freedom fighter Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan better known as Frontier Gandhi. According to the organisation’s statement issued after Faisal Khan was arrested, he was on a five-day yatra or pilgrimage, from October 24-29, 2020, to Braja, or the land of the Hindu god Krishna.
Pawan Yadav, spokesperson Khudai Khidmatgar has stated that those present at the temple allowed Khan to offer namaz in the temple compound itself. He stated that the temple priest and others told Khan, “You are already in the home of God so why do you need to go anywhere else?” After Faisal Khan completed his prayers they stayed on and accepted the lunch invite in the same temple.
Khan returned to Delhi, but three days later he was told that “some people” were “not happy” with what happened on October 29 and will lodge a police complaint. The Uttar Pradesh police arrested Khan on November 2, charged him under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR, which was registered on November 1 with the Barsana police station in Mathura, names has been registered against Faisal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Aalok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta, reported The Quint.
The organisation has opposed “all the allegations put on Faisal Khan, his associates Chand Mohd., Nilesh Gupta and Sagar Ratna.” They state that Khan and the team focus on communal harmony, and work to “counter any forms of religious extremism in this society”. They added that “many Hindu religious institutions have appreciated and acknowledged the work of Faisal khan for his uncompromised work for peace and brotherhood.”
However the organisation has apologised for any sentiments hurt and stated, “If anybody individual or organization feels that we have hurt their sentiments then we are sorry for that but still want to add it was never our intention.”
According to a report by The Quint, after his arrest in the evening on November 2 Khan was taken to Jamia Nagar police station, and then handed over to Uttar Pradesh police. The news report quotes the FIR stating: “Without informing or taking permission from those at the temple premises, they offered their namaz here. Those who came with them took photos of them praying and posted it on social media, after which it became viral. This is also being shown in the news. Because of their acts, the sentiments of the Hindu community have been hurt. We are apprehensive that they will incorrectly use the image of the temple. We also have our apprehensions regarding this organisation and if it is getting funding from foreign Muslim institutions and has relations with them. We would like an investigation as we are worried that they did this to hurt the harmony in the area.”
It quotes Yadav refuting all charges adding, “Selective pictures are being shared on social media. Those in the temple are right there behind them when they are offering prayers. No one was hiding anything and nor did anyone at the temple have a problem at all. If they did have one, they would have stopped them right there right?”
According to India TV news, the temple authorities, meanwhile, conducted a ‘purification’ ritual at the courtyard where Khan is shown to have offered namaz. The India TV, headlines it as ‘2 Muslim’s among 4 named in FIR’. The men at the temple are now demanding ‘strict action’ against Khan and his team for ‘hurting religious sentiments’.
The entire statement of Khudai Khidmatgar may be read here:
*Khudai Khidmatgar Statement on the Arrest of Gandhian Peace activist Faisal Khan*
November 2, 2020 Delhi
Gandhian social activist Faisal Khan, National convenor of Khudai Khidmatgar a Gandhian Organization being established by Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was on a five-day pilgrimage (Yatra), dated 24-29 October 2020, to the holy land of Krishna, Braja. He was participating in the ancient Chaurasi Kosi Yatra of Govardhan. In his Yatra he met with several peoples as well as the priest of various temples.
One can see the videos, pictures of his yatra which are available on his Facebook profile. There were great discussions about the philosophy of Hinduism, verses of Tulsidas g, Raskhan g and Rahimdas.
On the last day of his pilgrimage, Faisal Khan visited the holy temple of “Nand Baba”. He paid his obeisance there. That was the time of his afternoon prayers, so he asked for a suitable place. The people who were there in the temple allowed him to offer prayers in the temple compound itself by saying that you are already in the home of God so why do you need to go anywhere else. Hearing it, Faisal Khan completed his prayers. After it he and other members stayed in the Temple for some more time and they had their lunch in the same temple. Everything was fine. On 29th October the Yatra was completed and he returned to Delhi with all. After 3 days he got the information from some local media people that there are some people who are not happy with the incidents which took place on 29th October and they are going to complain to the police. Then today on 2nd of November he has been arrested by UP Police under section 153A, 295 and 505 and being taken to Mathura. In few TV Media false stories are being shown. We strongly oppose all the allegations which are put on Faisal Khan, his associates Chand Mohd., Nilesh Gupta and Sagar Ratna. Khudai Khidmatgar believe in Peace, Love and Communal Harmony, Faisal Khan as an individual has been working, for the last three decades, on these issues and the objective of Khudai Khidmatgar is also the same. We focus to counter any forms of religious extremism in this society. Many Hindu religious institutions have appreciated and acknowledged the work of Faisal khan for his uncompromised work for peace and brotherhood.
Faisal Khan and we all as the members of Khudai Khidamatgar have full faith in Humanity as well as the Rule of Law. Our efforts were, are, and always will be for the betterment of the society.
We are continuously trying to put our views from different platforms through a disciplined and inclusive approach. In the end. we also want to say that if anybody individual or organization feels that we have hurt their sentiments then we are sorry for that but still want to add it was never our intention.
Thanks and Regards *Pawan Yadav* Spokes Person Khudai Khidmatgar
