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Mangal Pandey Martyrd Today, 159 Years Ago: 1857

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The Man who Fired the First Salvo that then set off 1857 Revolt Against the British was hung on April 8, 1857

The First War of Independence began, metamorphically, with the salvo fired by Mangal Pandey. Resents had been brewing against oppressive British rule. The immediate provocation was the use of greased cartridges by the British. A rumour widely spread that the lubricant used was either cow or pig lard, which was repugnant to Hindus or Muslims, respectively. The belief arose among the sepoys that the British had deliberately used the lard on the cartridges.

Pandey was court-martialled by the British with speed and alacrity on April 6, 1857. At his hearing he insisted he had acted alone and in the name of India. He was due to be hanged on April 18 but the British, fearful of the widespread unrest, brought forward the date of execution and Pandey was hanged on 8 April 1857. Born on July 19, 1827, Akbarpur, a town near Faizabad. India, Pandey was hanged on April 8, 1857 at Barrackpore.
 
It was on a quiet and sleepy afternoon, a Sunday, in March 1857, that Mangal Pandey, an agitated sepoy in the English East India Company’s 34th Native Infantry marched on to the parade ground in Barrackpore, exhorting his comrades to join him in protecting their religion from the Europeans. When British officers arrived to arrest him, he drew his sword on them and then turned his musket on himself. As he was led off to the gallows just a few days later, Mangal Pandey passed into history and legend as the man who had fired the first salvo—into what was to turn into a nationwide uprising against the British.
 
The First War of Independence has been controversially taught through colonial historiography as a minor mutiny. Over the years, independent Indian historians have brought in the rational and more cohesive understanding. A commemorative postage stamp with his image on it was issued by the Indian government in 1984.
 
This video, made for an easy understanding of the Revolt of 1857 has been produced by Khoj – Education for a Plural India.
 

The greatest and the most widespread armed uprising which shook the foundations of British rule in India took place in 1857. The accumulating hatred against British rule which had resulted in numerous though localised, outbreaks burst forth in a mighty rebellion in 1857. The dispossessed rulers of Indian states, the nobles and the zamindars (landlowners) who had been deprived of their lands, the Indian soldiers of Britain’s army in India, and the vast masses of peasants, artisans and others who had been ruined by British economic powers and had been rising up in revolt in their isolated pockets, were now united by the common aim of overthrowing British rule. The introduction of greased cartridges which showed the British rulers’ complete disregard of the religious beliefs of the Indian people provided the immediate cause of the revolt. It was on this day 159 years, April 8, 1857, ago that Mangal Pandey was martyrd.
 
The uprising again began in Meerut on May 10, 1857 when the Indian soldiers killed their British officers and marched to Delhi. They were joined by the soldiers stationed in Delhi and proclaimed the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II as the Emperor of India. The rebellion spread like wild fire and the British rule ceased to exist over a vast part of northern and central India for many months.
 
The major centres of the revolt, besides Delhi, where some of the fiercest battles were fought were Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Bundelkhand and Arrah. Local revolts took place in many other parts of the country. Among the prominent leaders of the uprising were Nana Sahib, Tantia Tope, Bakht Khan, Azimullah Khan, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Kunwar Singh, Maulvi Ahmadullah, Bahadur Khan and Rao Tula Ram.
 
Mangal Pandey Indian soldier

 

Document:

From the Trial of Mangal Pandey

 
Proceedings in continuation of a native General Court-martial assembled at Fort William, and re-assembled at Barrackpore on Monday, the April 6, 1857, by order of the Major-General Hearsey, for the trial of Sepoy Mungul Pandy, 34th Regiment, Native Infantry, and all prisoners who may be brought before it.
 
PRESIDENT:
 
Subadar-Major Howahir Lall Tewary, 43rd Regiment, Native Infantry.
 
MEMBERS:
Subadar Bhola Opudeah, 17th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Hurruck Sing, 40th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Ram Sing, 9th Battalion, Artillery.
Subadar Amaunt Khan, 37th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Sewumbur Pandy, 34th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Dirga Ram, 70th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Khooda Buksh, 2nd Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Meerwan Sing, 70th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Sookhlal Misr, 43rd Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Ajoodhia Tewary, 70th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Jalim Sing, 43rd Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Dewan Allie, 9th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Mohun Sing, 65th Regiment, Native Infantry.
Subadar Lalla Ram Buksh, 8th Regiment, Native Infantry.
 
JUDGE ADVOCATE:
Captain G.C. Hatch, Deputy Judge Advocate-General, Presidency Division.
 
INTERPRETER:
Lieutenant JamesVallings, 19th Regiment, Native Infantry.
 
The Court re-assembled at the Mess House of the 34th Regiment, Native Infantry, at Barrackpore, at 11 a.m., the President, Members, Judge Advocate, Interpreter all being present.
 
Lieutenant and Brevet-Colonel S.G. Wheler Commanding the 34th Regiment, Native Infantry, being appointed Prosecutor, takes his place in Court.
 
Mungul Pandy, Sepoy, No. 1446, 5th Company, 34th Regiment, Native Infantry, is brought a prisoner in Court.
 
The Division Orders directing the re-assembly of the Court-martial at Barrackpore, and the Station Order directing the hour and place of the Court’s assembly, are produced and read.
 
The names of the President and Members of the Court are read over to the prisoner.
 
BY THE JUDGE ADVOCATE
 
Question:         Sepoy Mungul Pandy, do you object to being tried by the president or by any of the Members of this Court-martial?
 
Answer:           No, I do not object.
 
The interpreter, President, Members, and Judge Advocate make the prescribed solemn affirmation.
 
The following charge is read:
 
Mungul Pandy, Sepoy, No. 1446, 5th Company, 34th Regiment, Native Infantry, confined by order of Major-General J.B. Hearsey, Commanding the Presidency Division, on the following charges:
 
1st  – For mutiny, in having at Barrackpore, on the 29th March 1857, gone on to the parade ground in front of the quarter-guard of his regiment armed with a sword and musket, and then and there used words tending to incite the men of his regiment to turn out and join him in resistance to lawful authority.
 
2nd – For having, on the occasion set forth in the first charge, used violence against his superior officers Sergeant-Major James Thornton Hewson and Lieutenant and Adjutant Bempde Henry Baugh, of the 34th Regiment, Native Infantry, by discharging at them, severally, his loaded musket, and then and there striking and wounding with his sword the said Lieutenant B.H. Baugh and Sergeant-Major J.T. Hewson.
 
By order of the Major-General Commanding Presidency Division.
 
ASST. ADJT. GENL.’S OFFICER, (Sd.) A.H. ROSS, Major,
 
BARRACKPORE; Asst. Adjt. Genl., Presy. Divn.
 
The 5th April 1857.
 
BY THE JUDGE ADVOCATE
 
Question:         Sepoy Mungul Pandy, No. 1446, 5th Company, 24th Regiment, Native Infantry, how say you, are you guilty, or not guilty, of these charges?
 
Answer:          Not guilty. 

60 % Water Cuts in Hospitals, Fear of Shut Down in May: Marathwada

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Latur’s 600-bed Civil Hospital Reels Under Water Cuts due to Drought, Private Clinics also Affected

Acute water cuts due to the crippling drought in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra have put  tremendous burden and pressure on Latur’s 600-bed Civil Hospital that is now catering to a one hundred per cent rise in normal and emergency cases with patients preferring government facilities to the more expensive private ones. With the situation at a crisis level already in April, there is a real worry that in the latter part of May health services may have to be shut down, or curtailed.

“The average normal demand for water in our hospital is 1 to 1.25 lakh litres,” Dr Shailendra Chauhan, resident Medical Officer told Sabrangindia, “ Due to the cuts the Mahanagarpalika can only give us 30-40,000 litres per day. This is when pressure on our facilities is increasing. We normally catered to 30-35 normal deliveries every day; this figure has shot up to 50-60. Caesarian operations that averaged 10 a day are now up to 20.”

This means greater pressure on the 600-bed hospital that remains the main source for the region. The district does not have a hospital leaving this the major hospital for patients to turn to.

“This cut on the normal quota of water supply due to the drought, made more acute by increasing pressure of patients has forced us to cut the water supply by tap. Only limited and control water is supplied in drums, to the patients, “added the doctor.

This inevitably has had an impact on the overall cleanliness and while things are currently in control with private trusts and others chipping in by supplying water from tankers, there is a deep apprehension as to how the month of May will turn out. “Emergency road accidents, regular deliveries these are constants; how we will cope with these towards the latter half of May causes great concern. We just hope that we will not be forced to close down,” he adds on a somber note.

The Latur Civil Hpsital has 600 beds and due to acute water shortage in the Marathwada region is facing pressure of medical cases, normal and emergencies all being diverted to it as patients –faced with a huge economic crunch due to crippling drought—cannot anymore access the fancier and more expensive private medical facilities. There are 12 to 15 such in Latur.

The Latur Civil Hospital has a Staff of 425 Post Graduate Medical Students and 125 full-fledged Lectures/Associate Professors. The Nursing Staff is also vast numbering at 400-450. This entire team is currently under tremendous pressure in regular touch with the government administration and private organizations to alleviate the crisis.

On April 7, the Economic Times had reported that the situation is so grim that private doctors in the region are finding it tough to treat patients and are putting off surgeries. Many of these are being diverted to the government civil hospital that is facing a crush and burden.

There is presently an acute shortage of water as the Manjra dam and Dhanegaon river that used to supply water to the district has gone dry doctors. Bore wells within a 20-30 kilometres radius of Latur have run completely dry.

While basic medical services and access to basic drinking water threatens many ares of the state, including urban centres, Maharashtra will still go ahead and use huge quantities (nearly 60 lakh litres) of water on 20 IPL matches at three venues in the state between April and May 2016.

‘Break People’s Jaws if they don’t shout Bharat Mata ki Jai’ BJP Minister, Chhatisgarh

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Yet Another Call to the Mob, Now Another BJP Minister Openly Exhorts Cadres to Violence if they do not Shout ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’

 
The Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Brij Mohan Agrawal is the latest among a strong of ‘public figures’ exhorting cadres to violence over the ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogan as reported by the Press Trust of India .
 
 The event took place in the capital city of Raipur on April 7, 2016 . Brijmohan Agrawal said, "if any anti-national slogans are shouted in front of BJP workers, then they should respond with full force.” He was speaking at the Ekatma Parisar function held on Wednesday. He warned people against shouting anti-national slogans and said, "We have the power to rip out their jaws."He further mentioned, "It was unfortunate that even after 69 years of independence anti-national slogans are being raised."
 
He added, "Hamare karyakartaon ke saamne agar koi rashtra virodhi naara lagaye, toh uska jawaab puri takat ke saath dena chahiye ki hum log Bharatiya Janata Party ke hai.
(Translation: If someone were to shout anti-national slogans in front of our workers, they should answer with full force).

“Toh Bharatiya Janata Party ke iss sthapana diwas ke avsar par… jo rashtra virodhi naare lagayenge, unke jabde ko ukhadne ki hum takat rakhte hai, ye unko batane ki avashyakta hai
(Translation: On the occasion of BJP’s anniversary… we have to tell those who raise anti-national slogans that we have the power to rip out their jaws.)," he mentioned.

"Agar hindustan ki dharti pe tumne janm liya hai, hindustan ka tum ann kha rahe ho, hindustan ka pani pi rahe ho…tumhare marne ke baad bhi agar tumhe do gaj zameen milegi, toh voh hindustan ki dharti pe milegi. Isliye Bharat mata ki jai bolna padega
(Translation: If you eat Hindustan’s grain, are born here, drink the country’s water, and if you are buried in this land after you die, you have to say Bharat Mata ki Jai)," Agrawal threatened during the public event.
 
Agarwal is the last among a long line of leaders who have openly violated Indian law and threatened violence against citizens.

On the Second Death Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Fr Frans van der Lugt sj, Syria

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April 7, 2016
The city of Homs in western Syria, is the third largest city of the country after Aleppo in the north and the capital Damascus about 170 kilometres to its south. Its population consisting of Arabs, Sunni Muslims, Alawites and Christians- reflected the religious diversity of Syria. The city has a number of historic mosques and churches and is not far from the Krak des Chevaliers castle, a world heritage site.

Today Homs is a devastated city: bombed, battered and bruised by five years of a bloody civil war. Thousands have fled their homes to Damascus and even abroad. Many from here have died. For those who stay on in the midst of ruins, skeletal bombed-out buildings in a ghost-town, there is a feeling of hopelessness, of not knowing what to do and where to go. The children smile-but they seized with a fear which is palpable: those five years and below only know war. The youth talk aimlessly-searching for ways and means to escape from a world of hopelessness. The adults are still tongue-tied for any meaningful conversation. Many of them just want to wake up from what they hope –is just a bad dream. Sadly, enough, the tragedy which has gripped their lives is real!

However, there is a sudden   change in the moods of the adults and youth when they talk of one man: Fr. Frans van der Lugt. Their eyes light up, a sense of nostalgia envelops them, as they latch on to the person and message of this great human; because he still lives on in their hearts and minds, some of them do feel that there will be a new dawn!

Who was this ‘Abouna Frans’ as he was fondly referred to? Fr Frans van der Lugt, was a Dutch Jesuit priest who devoted his life to the people of Syria; when civil war erupted there in 2011 he chose to remain in the country, suffering the shortages and terrors of the conflict alongside both Muslims and Christians. He was born on April 10 1938 in The Hague, Netherlands- the son of a banker. He joined the Jesuits in 1959 and seven years later went to the Middle East. With the exception of a short break to complete his doctorate in Psychology, he spent the rest of his life from 1976 in Syria. In Homs he founded the Al-Ard institute, where handicapped children of all religions and ethnic groups found a home –of warmth and acceptance.

His twilight years however were shattered with the civil war. As the fighting intensified, Fr Frans moved to the Jesuit residence in Boustan –Diwan (the inner city). From there he shared the suffering of the inhabitants, refusing to leave, even as that part of the city continued to be bombed from all sides. His centre before long became a home for those who had nowhere to go: Muslims and Christians; women and men; old and young. It was a haven for them and Fr Frans was their refuge. His message to all was one of hope: of mercy and reconciliation, of justice and of peace! Listening to those who knew him, those who experienced his warmth, his love, his courage to give “all-of-himself” to those in need- would easily touch a heartless person.

Because there were several rebels in the old city- that part was under siege. There were no food supplies coming in nor were people being allowed in or out. Though a relatively ‘normal’ life continued just streets away, in the government-held zones, starvation was claiming lives in the rebel enclave. Fr Frans existed on olives and broth fortified with weeds picked off the streets. “The faces of people you see in the street are weak and yellow,” he told a journalist “Their bodies are weakened and have lost their strength.” With his training in psychology, he documented the spread of mental illness among those who found themselves besieged: “I try to help them not by analysing their problems, as the problems are obvious and there is no solution for them here. I listen to them and give as much food as I can.”

Frans was a healer – he touched the broken spirits of a battered people; he did not care for himself, if someone was physically sick, he did all he could (with the little he had) to make them well again. His forte   however, was to soothe the mental and the spiritual suffering they were going through. They sought his guidance and his direction- when they overwhelmed by the brutality around them.

Very ironically he was gunned down on World Health Day, April 7, 2014, by those who felt that this healer had no right to live to heal the brokenness of Homs and Syria. It was just three days before what would have been his 76th birthday. On hearing about his tragic death Muslims and Christians came together despite the hostilities around them – to bury him in the compound of the Jesuit Centre.

Fr Frans is revered as a Saint today by both Muslims and Christians. His tomb is visited today by people from all walks of life. They pray to him: so that he intercedes with his creator that justice and truth triumphs in Syria and in other parts of the Middle-East; for lasting peace and security in the region. They will never forget his words “the Syrian people have given me so much, so much kindness, inspiration and everything they have. If the Syrian people are suffering now, I want to share their pain and their difficulties”. This he did in full measure: he lived with them, he died for them.

On April 9,  2014 Pope Francis at the General Audience in Rome said “last Monday in Homs, Syria, Rev Fr Frans van der Lugt one of my Dutch Jesuit confreres was assassinated at the age 75. He arrived in Syria some 5o years ago and always did good to everyone generously and with love. He was therefore loved and highly esteemed by Christians and Muslims.

His brutal murder has deeply distressed me and has made me think again of the many people who are suffering and dying in that tormented country, my beloved Syria, which for too long has been the prey of a bloody conflict that continues to reap death and destruction. I also think of the many people who have been kidnapped, Christians and Muslims, Syrians and those from other countries, including bishops and priests. Let us ask the Lord that they may soon return to their loved ones and to their families and communities.

From my heart I invite you all to join me in prayer for peace in Syria and the region, and I launch a heartfelt appeal to the Syrian leaders and to the international community: Please, silence the weapons, put an end to the violence! No more war! No more destruction! May humanitarian laws be respected, may the people who need humanitarian assistance be cared for and may the desired peace be attained through dialogue and reconciliation.”

On February 10th 2014 The” Erasmus “blog in The Economist had a powerful article on Fr. Frans entitled ‘A Voice Crying in the Wilderness’- of the courage he demonstrated to tell the world of the pain, hunger and suffering of the people around him; a person who would never desert his people. Two months later the ‘Erasmus’ blog had these very moving words, “by staying in the heart of besieged Homs, during a takeover by rebels who included militant Islamists and then during a government siege, he was offering succour to all victims of the conflict—and a kind of reproach to all the belligerents.

He knowingly risked his life by remaining in a place where some Islamist rebels were active; but he also bore witness to the cruel consequences of the siege by refusing to leave when it would have been so easy to do so, and nobody would have blamed him. From the perspective he offered, all civilian victims were worthy of compassion, and fighters on both sides bore a share of blame. That sounds like a truth worth dying for—and it goes a bit further than religious dialogue.”

In a world torn asunder by violence and   hate; by discrimination and divisiveness; by powerful vested interests who do all they can to destroy the lives of ordinary mortals, Fr Frans is a beacon of hope; not only for the people of Syria-for whom he gave up his life- but for people everywhere –who yearn for a new dawn, a better tomorrow. He was relentless in his struggle to establish that better “tomorrow” for his people. He did NOT succeed in that endeavor. Despite the hopelessness and fear that have gripped their lives, many in Homs and in other parts of Syria are convinced that his martyrdom will not go in vain.

5th April. 2016
(Fr Cedric Prakash works with the Jesuit Refugee Service(JRS) in the Middle East. He recently spent some time in Homs, Syria where Fr. Frans lived and died)

Hate Speech: Who Would Know Better Than Amit Shah?

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Amit Shah, the BJP’s National President has given a clean chit to Baba Ramdev over his expressly uttered fantasies to ‘chop of heads of any and all, especially those in the much-loved skull caps, who refuse to utter Bharat Mata Ki jai.”


Image: Indian Express

Who better than Amit Shah to play judge and jury on hate speech?

First,  Shah told The Hindu that the "whole country" – specifically using "rashtra" a term with several connotations – is with the BJP on the nationalism debate, failing to explain what that meant for all of those people who refuse to chant Bharat Mata ki jai. Then, when asked about Ramdev, he reportedly told a TV channel "Baba Ramdev is not a member of the BJP. However, I want to know from those who talk of free speech, does it not apply to Baba Ramdev."

It should be reassuring to hear that the president of one of the country's largest political parties has suddenly become a champion of free speech, except if we remember this party and government’s discomfiture with political critiques and their rights to free speech.

Barely three days ago, on April 4, the BJP's own Information Technology cell chief Arvind Gupta announced that the party had against a journalist for using photoshop to joke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's closeness to the Saudi royal family. And despite several news reports about the government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) being misused to ‘morph’ pictures of the prime minister neither the government nor the BJP (a beneficiary of the morphing?) has yet filed a case against the ‘morph-ers!’

But before he became a champion of Baba Ramdev’s brand of free speech, Shah himself had spewed his own brand of free speech attracting censure from the Election Commission of India (ECI). He had even been charge sheeted for this very speech made in Muzaffarnagar in September 2014.

2014
In April 2014, during electioneering for the Lok Sabha Polls he made his famous ‘Revenge Speech” in Shamli. Shamli one of four districts of western Uttar Pradesh was swept by brute violence in September 2013 that left over 60 dead, over ninety per cent Muslims. The count of how many lost their lives, incidentally, by rights activists and the figures presented in court are much higher. The violence had also contained the characteristic revenge rapes of young Muslim women and girls and widespread displacement from which the local community still reels. Not just the ruling Samajwadi party, but sections of the BJP have been held responsible for the violence.

Modi’s close aide Amit Shah had then said ‘Apmaan ka badla toh lena padega’ The occasion was a meeting with Jat leaders, critical to winning the polls and the location was 40 km from Muzaffarnagar town. Here was a speech, brimming with vitriol. With him, present, was BJP legislator Suresh Rana, who is accused of instigating the riots last year. “This election is about voting out the government that protects and gives compensation to those who killed Jats,” Shah had said. “It is about badla (revenge) and protecting izzat (honour).” The use of such hate speeches and communal polarisation, not to speak of the ‘Modi magic’ had ensured the saffron party win in 71 out of the 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Amit Shah’s ‘revenge’ speech had received a great deal of media attention and had prompted the Election Commission to ban him from campaigning in the state. The EC move came a day after two FIRs were lodged against Shah. “The commission is, prima facie, of the opinion that…you have violated the provisions of model code of conduct… Therefore, the commission gives you an opportunity to explain your stand in making the above said statement before 5 pm on April 9, 2014, failing which the EC shall take a decision without further reference to you,” the notice said, while mentioning his objectionable remarks made at three places. The ban was lifted later.  Shah was charge sheeted for this criminal offence under section 123(3) of the Representation of People’s Act.

A year later in the lead up to the Bihar state polls, Shah did it again.

2015
Is Pakistan ‘code-word’ for Muslims, Mr Shah?

During the run up to the Bihar state polls in October 2015, Shah had used the ‘crackers in Pakistan’ metaphor as a threat cum warning ‘if the BJP lost elections in Bihar.’  He wording in the election rally at Raxaul was precise. “Agar BJP galti se bhi Bihar me haarti hai to jay-parajay to Bihar me hogi, pataake Pakistan me chhutenge (If BJP loses in Bihar by mistake, then victory-defeat will be in Bihar but crackers will be burst in Pakistan”).

(This, by the way, is a Sangh Parivar favourite. Using the Pakistan metaphor to constantly ‘other’ and target Indian Muslims. Remember, also, Narendra Modi’s controversial poll campaign in the lead up to the 2002 state elections in Gujarat by —barely months after the carnage of 2002 that rocked the state –repeatedly referring to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as “Miyan Musharraf” when talking in public meetings of his resolve to fight Pakistani terrorists. BJP even published advertisements asking people to choose between “Modi and Musharraf.”)

 
2016
And much more recently, while leading the saffron assault on the north eastern state of Assam where electioneering is on, Amit Shah vowed to calibrate nature and control how birds fly, under BJP rule. Mother Nature would, so to say, bow to the Borders drawn by the Rashtra.  'If BJP Wins Assam, Not A Bird Will Fly Across,' Amit Shah

In West Bengal, however,  out of respect –some would say electoral greed – for the 34 per cent Muslim vote across the state – Amit Shah magnanimously stopped his speech for the Azan (prayers)

So its clear that hate speech or political consideration, sedition or free speech, for the likes of Amit Shah it all really depends on who is speaking, where and when.

On Sedition, Freedom of Expression
And here is what Shah has had to say on BJP and the Sangh’s favourite buzz word, sedition "Sedition is being camouflaged as freedom of expression. In the name of expression of freedom, the debate on anti-national slogans is being turned in another direction," Amit Shah said. Citing the Emergency, when the Congress "crushed the voices of the common people during the period", Amit Shah said that it had no right to lecture others.

That is until Baba Ramdev stepped  in to threaten that millions of us could have been beheaded. But for the writ of the Rule of Law and the Constitution quite wisely being made the bedrock of India, 69 long years ago. Thank you Babasaheb and the Fathers and Mothers who formed the Constituent Assembly. And by the way, who did not compel anyone to say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.’

Another victim of state religion, free-thinker hacked to death by machete: Bangladesh

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Nazimuddin Samad, Image Source: Facebook

Late on the evening of yesterday, April 6, 2016, at approximately 9 pm in the evening, Nazimuddin Samad, a student of the Jagannath University, was hacked to death by unknown assailants in Dhaka’s Sutrapur.

Samad had been organising campaigns for secularism on Facebook, and a day before the murder, Samad posted about his concerns over the “deterioration of law and order” in the country, calling it a “public disgrace.”
A post on the Bangla secular blogging platform Mukto-Mona (“Free Mind”) has responded  to tonight’s attack saying, “Even though nobody has claimed responsibility for this murder, the modus operandi was very similar to all the killings carried out by the extremist Islamist militants in Bangladesh.”

Mukto-Mona, describes Nazimuddin was a courageous freethinker; he was vocal in his support for a secular and humane Bangladesh.

As he was returning from his university a few young men, who came there on a motorcycle, intercepted him at the Ekrampur crossing and started hacking him with their machetes. In the end, they made sure that Nazimuddin would die by shooting him in the head. Witnesses said the assailants shouted “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is great) as they killed Nazimuddin.

Even though nobody has claimed responsibility for this murder, the modus operandi was very similar to all the killings carried out by the extremist Islamist militants in Bangladesh.

An Inquiry into the killing has been demanded A timeline of the killings of secularists in Bangladesh is available at bit.ly/CFIBangladeshTimeline.

According to the statement here he regularly posted atheist and feminist criticism of Islam. He was critical both of the Islamist political parties, and against the failings of the current government. Shortly before he was killed, he wrote a post implying that the ruling Awami League party would fall if it did not make swift changes, writing (in Bengali): “The situation of the country, deterioration of law and order in the country, speak that maybe you cannot stay long in power.”

In earlier posts, Nazimuddin responded to a cleric’s violent speech against women which referenced the Quran, contrasting the speech with the claim that “Islam is the highest honor given to women!” He asked for justice for a girl known as Tonu, who had been raped and killed in the military area of ‘Cantoment’, Comilla.

Nazimuddin recently criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s support for madrassa (Islamic schools), which are increasingly associated with Islamist radicalism and militancy in the country. Nazimuddin had also shared posts from Washiqur Rahman Babu who was killed last year in a similar attack, carried out by two madrassa students who claimed they were acting on orders from someone associated with their Islamic schools.

In another post, he proposed a satirical strategy to overcome the aggressive push toward Islamism in the country, writing: “Please let’s have Sharia Law for just five years in Bangladesh. Rule the country with Medina Law. I guarantee you, after this 5 years, no Muslim of Bangladesh will ask for Islamic law! The loss and damage we will have after five years, it will take 1400 years to restore us to a modern country.”

Nurul Amin, assistant commissioner of Sutrapur division police, is reported as saying that the assailants must have kept an eye on Nazim’s activities ahead of the attack, and were aware of his route home. “We are investigating the case sincerely to know the motive of the murder,” he said.
President of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), Andrew Copson, commented tonight:

“It is clear from Nazimuddin’s Facebook posts and protest activity that he was a politically and socially engaged young man. He offered criticisms of certain radical religious figures and doctrines, thoughts of a kind that many people, not just atheists and humanists but also many religious people, express all over the world, every day.

“Every time a thoughtful and honest person like Nazimuddin is hacked or gunned down, apparently for doing nothing more than speaking their minds on secularist, political and religious topics, we and others will make a point of finding out what he said, what he did, what he wrote about, and sharing it. It will be seen by more people than ever would have seen it before. And we will remember his name and the growing list of names of those who were singled out and killed, by small-minded, hateful extremists who appear to think that words can be killed. They cannot.”

In 2015, four bloggers variously identifying as humanist, atheist and freethinkers, as well as one publisher of secular books, (http://iheu.org/huge-alliance-protests-government-response-to-bangladesh-blogger-murders/)were killed by groups of men in machete attacks. These men in their writings or actions had all defended freedom of expression and belief, and criticised radical Islamism or particular religious ideas (which they variously regarded as prejudiced or socially detrimental). While this kind of writing and activism, especially where it contains humanistic, atheist or secularist criticism of Islamism, appears to most likely to attract the hit squads, the range of hatred encompassed by Bangladeshi radical Islamists also extends to foreigners and other religions; an Italian aid worker and a Japanese investor were killed in September and October 2015 respectively, an Italian priest was shot in November but survived, and ISIS claimed responsibility for the stabbing of a Christian convert last month ostensibly as a “lesson to others”.
 

Mob Rule in Manipur Yet Again: Six Muslim boys brutally battered

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Six young boys, all of whom happened to be Muslim, students of Std IX at the Five Star English School, were brutally beaten up in Manipur on March 25 as they tried to watch Holi celebrations at the Thabal Chongba Ground on Thabal Chongba( Holi Day), March 25.

Speaking to Sabrangindia, the Director General of Police (DGP), Manipur , L.M. Khaute admitted that such an incident had taken place because ‘local people suspected they had come there for anti-social activities.’  The police have “registered an FIR though no accused have been named, a process that will be completed only after investigations are over,” said the DGP. According to local reports, at about 7:30 pm on the evening of March 25, six young boys, Md. Altaf Hussain, Iqbal Hussain, Shoib Akhter, Shazad Aalam, Thani Alam and Farid Khan were brutally beaten up, allegedly with sharp weapons.

One of the boys Shazad Aalam, who escaped from the scene, informed his brother about the attack. According to the accounts from the victims reported, when the boys tried to approach the Thabal Chongba Ground, they were stopped abruptly and asked where they were going. When they said they had come to watch the Thabal Chongba (Holi celebrations), they were subjected to brutal beating while local people remained silent spectators as nobody came forward to rescue the boys who were left critically injured.

Initially when the attack began, Farid along with Thani tried to save their three accomplices, they were also attacked by the culprits who, it is claimed also wanted to set them on fire.  Fortunately, some responsible persons including a senior member of the local Zilla Parisad tried to reach the spot but the culprits stopped them, allegedly using weapons. However, it was the pradhan of Iramsiphai who later reported the incident to the Wangoi police who rescued the boys.

While the victims who have suffered the assault have named Sanasam Thoi Singh, Mamang Leikai, Sorokhaibam Romen Singh, S.Modhu Singh, Gunamani Singh (Thang saba), the police states that they will name the accused in the FIR only after investigations have been completed.

Initially, reports suggested that the justification for the attack was that the victims had stolen a bike; however it transpired that the bike belonged to Farid Khan. According to the victims, the police have seized the bike from them and have kept it in their custody. Three of the victims are being treating in Rahman hospital in Assam. The perception that the young boys had come ‘for anti social activities’ is being investigated by the police.

Background
Manipur has joined the rest of the country in horrific acts of lynching. Barely five months ago, on November 5, 2015, The Times of India had reported that how a  body of the headmaster was found at Keirao Makating village in Manipur's Imphal East district early on Monday, the police said.Fifty five years old Md Hasmad Ali's body was found five km away from his house. A mob had beaten him to death after he was seen with a calf that was missing from the shed of one of the villagers.

Ali described as a kind hearted teacher lost his life to the lynch mob.

"Ali, a kind-hearted and honest teacher, was killed after being accused of a crime he could not have committed. The police know who his assailants are but are not taking action. We will not take his body from JNIMS for burial until justice is done," Md Rajauddin, convenor of a joint action committee against Ali's killing, had been quoted as saying to the Hindustan Times.

The gory incident had been also commented upon in the international media Naba Kanta, a senior police officer, had then told told the New York Times: "What is happening here is completely wrong – people taking the law into their hands. We face the problem of mob justice in this area, and we are trying to do our best to contain it."

The series of countrywide lynchings have come after te Modi regime’s push to pass laws banning beef in a number of states, causing uproar among other religious groups.

Several cases of violence have come to light involving Hindu mobs targeting people they suspect could be harming cows. One of the most high-profile cases involved the lynching of a Muslim man in Dadri on the outskirts of capital city New Delhi. Mohammad Akhlaq, 50, was beaten to death by a suspected Hindu mob on September 28, 2015 for storing and eating beef. However, a forensic test later revealed that the meat stored in his home was goat meat.

Thereafter, a Muslim man was killed by another suspected Hindu mob who accused him of smuggling cattle for slaughter. The incident took place in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh on October 14, just a few weeks after a Hindu mob threw a home-made bomb at a truck suspected of carrying beef in the Kashmir Valley.

Citizens’ Should File FIR Against Baba Ramdev for Hate Speech: Lawyers

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True to their sangh parivar lineage, BJP leaders are experts in the fine art of speaking with a forked-tongue. While relying on doctored videos to target students of JNU and the Hyderabad Central University, a month ago finance minister Arun Jaitley had thundered in Parliament: “Hate speech cannot be free speech”.

Now, faced with a national outrage over Baba Ramdev’s talk of “beheading lakhs” if law did not come in his way, BJP president Amit Shah has thought it fit to defend Ramdev’s hate speech in the name of freedom to speak. Meanwhile others in the BJP are trying to hide behind the claim that the dubious Baba is not from the BJP.  But no RSS or BJP leader thought it fit to challenge Ramdev over his obnoxious utterances at an RSS-organised Sadbhavna rally in Haryana. Worse, the Central Government under Narendra Modi, true to form, has maintained an un-dignified silence even as it is more than well known the proximity between the hate-spewing Baba and prime minister Narendra Modi.

If anything, the BJP’s verbal jugglery has further incensed peace-loving citizens across the country. A good indicator of this is the strongly-worded opinion piece written by Swami Agnivesh published in The Indian Express today, April 7.

“What Ramdev has done is criminal,” says Agnivesh. “He is sowing seeds of horrendous violence in the minds of unsuspecting people within an ambience of faith. This is incitement of the most dangerous kind”.  Since he does not expect the Modi government at the Centre or the BJP government in Haryana to prosecute Ramdev, Agnivesh has appealed to the chief justice of India to take “suo moto cognisance of this and initiate appropriate action”.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that citizens from across the country are trying to lodge complaints against the hate speech in their respective cities. SabrangIndia has spoken to several lawyers, including Mumbai-based senior counsel, Mihir Desai, who felt there was a strong case for citizens to lodge FIRs against Ramdev. Reproduced here is a draft for the FIR suggested by some lawyers.

Model FIR

To,
The Senior Inspector,
_____Police Station,
Rohtak, Haryana
 
Subject: – Complaint against Baba Ramdev under Sections 153A, 153B and 505 of the Indian Penal Code

I ________________________, resident of _______________________. I saw the speech of Baba Ramdev on ___________________________ or read the speech in ________________________.
I have come to complaint or sending the complaint as I find the speech very disturbing and a crime has been committed by Baba Ramdev and the same need to be investigated and strict action need to be taken.
 
[The text of the speeches made/ need to be quoted, especially those passages that clearly offend sentiments and provoke a communal atmosphere. Here we have quoted the relevant portions as published in newspapers, of Baba Ramdev’s speech]

  1. After they were printed/telecast, these statements have not been denied.
  2. Baba Ramdev is reported to have said on April 3, 2016 at a RSS sponsored function in Rohtak, Haryana: “Koi aadmi topi pehan kar ke khada ho jaata hai, bolta Bharat Mata ki Jai nahi bolunga, chahe meri gardan kaat do. Arey is desh mein kanoon hai, nahi toh teri ek ki kya, hum toh lakhon ki gardan kaat sakte hain. Lekin hum is desh ke kanoon ka samman karte hain. Koi aise khada ho ke bol de, isliye in hurdangiyon ke honsle buland ho jaate hain. Hum is desh ke kanoon aur samvidhan ka samman karte hain, nahi toh koi Bharat Mata ka apmaan kare, ek nahi, hum hazaron lakhon ke sheesh kalam karne ka samarth rakhte hain”.
  3. In Translation, this reads, “(Some person wears a cap and stands up. He says I will not say Bharat Mata ki Jai even if you decapitate me. This country has a law, otherwise let alone one, we can behead lakhs. But we respect this country’s law. If somebody stands up and speaks like this, that gives strength to hooligans. We respect this country’s law and Constitution, otherwise if anybody disrespects Bharat Mata, we have the capability of beheading not one but thousands and lakhs).
  4. Ramdev continued: “Mujhe ashcharya hota hai, kuch sansthayein bani hui hain, kehti hain Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna hamare dharm ke khilaaf hai. Yeh kaise ho sakta hai. Apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav dena kisi majhab ke khilaf nahi, aur agar koi majhab yeh kehta ho ki apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav mat do, woh majhab bhi desh ke hit mein nahi”.
  5.  In Translation this reads, “ I am astonished. There are a few organisations which say chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai is against their religion. How can it be? Giving honour to your motherland is not against any religion, and if any religion says that do not honour the motherland, such a religion is also not in the interest of this country).
  6.  Ramdev continued, ““Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna koi kisi dharm ki pooja nahi hai. Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna kisi ki aarti utarna nahi hai. Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna koi dharm pooja nahi hai, yeh toh apne rashtra ke gaurav ka, apne rashtra ke swabhiman ka, apne rashtra ki garima ka prashan hai, aur hum Hindu hon, hum Sikh hon, hum Muslim hon, hum Isai hon, hum sabse pehle Hindustani hain,” Ramdev said.
  7. In Translation, this Reads, “ Chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai is not worship of any religion. It is a matter of national honour, pride, prestige. We may be Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christians, we are Indians first”.
  8. It is a matter of concern that such inciteful hate speech was being made at a Sadbhavna rally was organised by the RSS to restore peace, harmony and brotherhood in Haryana which was witness to violence in February in the wake of the Jat reservation agitation.
  9.  The Entire Speech can be heard on the Video Tape that is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G4Wr1Xwijk
  10. The above statements are a grave threat to the peace, unity and integrity of India. In the light of the sensitive communal atmosphere in recent months, where senior functionaries of the government and its associates are being consistently made, these statements violate S.153-A, 153-B, 505(1) and (2)  of the Indian Penal Code.

 

  1. S.153-A of the Indian Penal Code states

(1) Whoever-

  1. by words, either spoken or written , or by signs or by visible representation or otherwise, promotes, or attempts to promote on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language , caste or community or any other ground whatsoever , disharmony or feeling of enmity , hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups castes or communities, or
  2. commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious , racial , language, or regional groups or castes or communities and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquility,
  3. ….shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine or with both.

 
6). S.153-B of the IPC states
(1) Whoever, by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, –

  1. makes or publishes any imputation that any class of person cannot, by reason of their being members of any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community, bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established or uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, or
  2. asserts, counsels, advises, propagates or publishes that any class of person shall, by reason of their being members of any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community, be denied or deprived of their rights as citizens of India, or
  3. makes or publishes any assertion, counsel, plea or appeal concerning the obligation of any class of persons, by reason of their being members of any religions. Racial, language or regional group or caste or community, and such assertion, counsel, plea or appeal causes or is likely to cause disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will between such members and other persons,

shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
 

  1. Relevant extract of Section 505 reads as under:

 
“ (1) Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement rumours or reports,

  1. …..
  2. with intent to cause or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to public or to any section of public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against the public tranquility, or.
  3. with intent to incite or which is likely to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community:

shall be punished with imprisonment which may extent to three years or with fine or with both.
 
(2). Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statements or report containing rumours or alarming news with intent to create or promote or which is likely to create or promote, on grounds of religion,……feeling of enmity, hatred or ill will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities shall be punished with imprisonment which may extent to three years or with fine or with both.”
 

  1. As per the above statements of Baba Ramdev, the minority community in various parts of India is likely to feel more insecure and threatened by these statements. Besides, such statements are bound to generate communal disharmony or feelings of ill will, enmity and hatred  between different religious groups. It is also an act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious groups and is likely to disturb the public tranquility.
  2. The above statements also amounts to imputing  that Muslims do not bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India or uphold the sovereignty and integrality of India. The statement also propagates and asserts that Muslims be denied or deprived of their rights as citizens of India. It lastly amounts to an assertion concerning Muslims which is likely to cause disharmony or feeling of ill will between Muslims and others. The statement also is likely to provoke some Hindus to commit offences against Muslims and also amounts to alarming news which is likely to lead to all the above.
  3. As per the 1991 census the Muslims constitute 12.12% of the population of India. The Hindus constitute 82.00%. Muslims constitute a minority religious community in most of the States.
  4. Such wide scale, alarming and false attack on Muslims, their population and their religious schools leads to an apprehension that such statements could create and contribute to an atmosphere of causing communal carnage elsewhere in the country, and that the minority Muslim community could face widespread persecution.
  5. As declared by the Supreme Court of India, secularism is part of the basic structure of our Constitution and these statements of Baba Ramdev attack the very fabric of our Constitution.
  6. I am making this complaint in my capacity of citizen of India and under my fundamental duty to uphold the Constitution of India as laid down under Article 52 of the Constitution. The offence is likely to have an all India impact and as such falls also within your jurisdiction.

_____ has committed an offence under S. 153A, S. 153 B and S. 505(1) and (2) of the Indian Penal Code. Hence, cognizance should be taken of this  complaint by treating it as an FIR, the matter be investigated into, and necessary action including arrest and prosecution be taken forthwith _______.    You therefore requested to

a) Register the present letter as an FIR and send me a confirmation of the same with case number
b) Investigate into the matter and
c) Apply to the relevant authorities for sanction to prosecute Shri Baba Ramdev

  1. Please keep the undersigned informed about the developments and let me know immediately about the steps you propose to take against _____.

 
Sincerely,
 
Name
Address
 
Annexures to the Complaint:

I. Video Recording of the Controversial Speech; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G4Wr1Xwijk

II. Text of Clipping from the Indian Express Website that first widely reported the speech:

If no law, would have beheaded lakhs who don’t say Bharat Mata Ki Jai: Ramdev
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/if-no-law-would-have-cut-the-heads-of-those-who-dont-say-bharat-mata-ki-jai-ramdev/

The Sadbhavna rally was organised by the RSS to restore peace, harmony and brotherhood in Haryana which was witness to violence in February in the wake of the Jat reservation agitation.
Written by VARINDER BHATIA | Chandigarh | Updated: April 4, 2016 2:37 pm

Referring to Muslims who refuse to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, yoga guru Ramdev on Sunday said if the country didn’t have laws, “hum toh lakhon ki gardan kaat sakte hain (we would have decapitated lakhs)”. He also said “if any religion says that do not honour the motherland, such a religion is also not in the interest of this country”.

Speaking at a Sadbhavna rally organised by the RSS in Rohtak — attended among others by Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat — Ramdev said: “Koi aadmi topi pehan kar ke khada ho jaata hai, bolta Bharat Mata ki Jai nahi bolunga, chahe meri gardan kaat do. Arey is desh mein kanoon hai, nahi toh teri ek ki kya, hum toh lakhon ki gardan kaat sakte hain. Lekin hum is desh ke kanoon ka samman karte hain. Koi aise khada ho ke bol de, isliye in hurdangiyon ke honsle buland ho jaate hain. Hum is desh ke kanoon aur samvidhan ka samman karte hain, nahi toh koi Bharat Mata ka apmaan kare, ek nahi, hum hazaron lakhon ke sheesh kalam karne ka samarth rakhte hain”.
 
(Some person wears a cap and stands up. He says I will not say Bharat Mata ki Jai even if you decapitate me. This country has a law, otherwise let alone one, we can behead lakhs. But we respect this country’s law. If somebody stands up and speaks like this, that gives strength to hooligans. We respect this country’s law and Constitution, otherwise if anybody disrespects Bharat Mata, we have the capability of beheading not one but thousands and lakhs).
 
Ramdev continued: “Mujhe ashcharya hota hai, kuch sansthayein bani hui hain, kehti hain Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna hamare dharm ke khilaaf hai. Yeh kaise ho sakta hai. Apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav dena kisi majhab ke khilaf nahi, aur agar koi majhab yeh kehta ho ki apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav mat do, woh majhab bhi desh ke hit mein nahi”.
 
(I am astonished. There are a few organisations which say chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai is against their religion. How can it be? Giving honour to your motherland is not against any religion, and if any religion says that do not honour the motherland, such a religion is also not in the interest of this country).
“Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna koi kisi dharm ki pooja nahi hai. Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna kisi ki aarti utarna nahi hai. Bharat Mata ki Jai bolna koi dharm pooja nahi hai, yeh toh apne rashtra ke gaurav ka, apne rashtra ke swabhiman ka, apne rashtra ki garima ka prashan hai, aur hum Hindu hon, hum Sikh hon, hum Muslim hon, hum Isai hon, hum sabse pehle Hindustani hain,” Ramdev said.

(Chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai is not worship of any religion. It is a matter of national honour, pride, prestige. We may be Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christians, we are Indians first).

The Sadbhavna rally was organised by the RSS to restore peace, harmony and brotherhood in Haryana which was witness to violence in February in the wake of the Jat reservation agitation.

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