Chief Minister MK Stalin’s fiery response to the NEP, which he claims will push Tamil Nadu ‘backward by 2000 years,’ reflects the deep-rooted resistance within the state against the Union government’s continued disregard for federalism and linguistic diversity. Stalin has further emphasised that the NEP, with its centralised approach, ignores the unique educational needs of each state and is a blatant effort to homogenize education across India.

This is what you call an Opposition! Bravo! @mkstalin https://t.co/am1ZuKwZvt

— Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) February 22, 2025

Tamil Nadu’s long-standing resistance to Hindi imposition

Tamil Nadu’s resistance to Hindi imposition is deeply entrenched in its socio-political fabric. The anti-Hindi movement in the state has a long and vibrant history, beginning as early as 1937, when the C. Rajagopalachari-led Congress government in the Madras Presidency attempted to introduce Hindi in schools. This triggered a massive outcry, leading to widespread protests by students, teachers, and political leaders who saw this as an attempt to undermine Tamil language and culture

The language protests reached a boiling point in 1965 when the Indian government attempted to replace English with Hindi as the sole official language of the country. Students, intellectuals, and political leaders took to the streets, culminating in violent protests that ultimately forced the Centre to relent and retain English as an associate official language alongside Hindi. These events cemented Tamil Nadu’s defiant stance against linguistic imperialism.

Nehru’s 1959 promise and the betrayal

In the wake of these protests, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1959, assured the people of Tamil Nadu that English would continue as an official language for as long as non-Hindi speaking states wanted it. However, successive governments have tried to renege on this promise, subtly pushing Hindi through policies like NEP. The so-called three-language formula is nothing but a tool to coerce non-Hindi speakers into learning Hindi while Hindi-speaking states face no such compulsion to learn southern languages.

A flawed model: Hindi-speaking states lagging in education

The Centre’s argument that Hindi is necessary for national integration crumbles under scrutiny. Hindi-speaking states consistently perform poorly in education, employment, and economic indicators. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, the heartlands of Hindi, have some of the lowest literacy rates in the country, proving that Hindi is not a magic wand for progress. If anything, Tamil Nadu, which has refused to embrace Hindi, has done far better in education, employment, and social development.

The NEP and its assault on federalism

The NEP is not just about education; it is a direct attack on the federal structure of the Constitution. Education, which was originally in the State List, was forcibly moved to the Concurrent List in 1976, taking away states’ autonomy over a crucial subject. The NEP exacerbates this by allowing the Centre to dictate syllabi, control educational institutions, and impose a uniform framework that disregards regional languages and cultures. The Tamil Nadu government’s demand to restore education to the State List is, therefore, not just about resisting Hindi but about reclaiming constitutional federalism.

Succinct. Articulate. Objections to Bill both national and a federal, serious federal concern. This unikn govt is a hatchet regime rejecting the tenets of the Indian Constitution! @mkstalin https://t.co/2tyC8P3bU7

— Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) February 23, 2025

Mohan Bhagwat’s questionable advice to ‘ditch English’

Amid this policy battle, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has added fuel to the fire by advising Hindus to stop speaking English and embrace Indian languages instead. Ironically the RSS that claims itself to be a merely ‘cultural outfit’ is not simply the backbone of the three times elected Modi regime, but often wades in everything that is political.

Withholding funds: The centre’s strong-arm tactics

Tamil Nadu’s refusal to implement the NEP has led to the Union withholding Rs 2,150 crore in education funds, a clear act of coercion. This financial strangulation tactic is reminiscent of colonial-era policies where dissenting states were punished. The Union’s message is clear: ‘Implement our policies or face financial retribution.’ But Tamil Nadu is not one to bow down and its chief minister M.K. Stalin in fact said he is not ready to accept NEP even if centre offered Rs. 10,000 crores.

Tamil Nadu’s resistance to the NEP and Hindi imposition is not just about language—it is about protecting the rights of states, preserving linguistic diversity, and upholding the federal structure of India. The state has historically been at the forefront of social justice movements, and its current stand against NEP is another chapter in its fight against central overreach.

The Union must realise that a one-size-fits-all policy will never work in a country as diverse as India. Until then, Tamil Nadu will continue to resist, unyielding and unapologetic.

Related

Indian federalism is a dialogue: SC

The post Rejecting NEP embodies Tamil Nadu’s fight for federal autonomy appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“We used to begin with Saare Jahan se Accha, Hindustan Hamara and end with Vande Mataram… When the newspapers did not dare touch upon these subjects, it was only the Congress Radio which could defy the orders and tell the people what was happening, most crucially not to lose hope and keep up the struggle.”

– Usha Mehta

The movie ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’, directed by Kannan Iyer and produced by Karan Johar, was released on Amazon Prime Video on March 21, 2024. This Sara Ali Khan-led movie is based on the life on Usha Mehta, a 20-year -old freedom fighter[1] who believed in Gandhi’s way of non-violence and peace and played a crucial role in re-igniting the ‘Quit India Movement’ in the year 1942 after the British government had arrested all the leaders of the Congress party and banned the party. The film carries a powerful message on the crucial role that both technology and communication plays, in bringing change. While in the film we see the power of such communication in positive change, a post truth world, especially in New India has lived through a decade of the denial of information, communication and the transmission of pervasive propaganda. That is why this powerful depiction, set in the Bombay of the early 1940s portrays the ingenuous use of recently introduced radio technology by these intrepid young freedom fighters and how their simple and courageous idea was tumultuously effective in communicating, and arousing, Indians from Kandahar to Kanyakumari.

The movie shows us the birth of an underground ‘Congress Radio’, also known as ‘Azad Radio’. The idea comes to Mehta and her two young colleagues and friends after they experience the violent crackdown on the Gowalia Tank Quit India Rally of April 8, 1942 and are concerned with the agitation dissipating with a leaderless population, worried and fearful after the crackdown.

The cost of the choice made by these three young persons, who jostle personal revolts within the family and risk their lives is matched by the raw courage that such a project demanded—radio was banned by the British government! The challenge in collecting funds for the almost unattainable project (the Rs 4,000 in gold is gifted by Usha Mehta’s ‘bua’ (aunt) when she observes her niece’s fledgling project floundering) and running it night after night at 8.30 p.m., often changing locations to avoid detection, is the stuff of your gripping, favourite thriller, except more haunting.

Historically, this radio station, ran for three months from August 27, 1942 through November 1942, before being shut down after a brutal and violent crackdown and the operators being arrested. Usha Mehta served five years rigorous imprisonment and on her release from the Yeravada prison found a passionate throng of 20,000 waiting to greet her!

This movie comes as a breath of fresh air in the current environment, where history is being continuously distorted, from manipulating facts and events to releasing propaganda movies, all undertaken with the single-minded objective—furthering the ideology of the present regime, that of the Hindutva right wing that has played a peripheral role, in India’s struggle for independence.

The movie serves then as a reminder, besides opening welcome channels of information for a generation less familiar to the enduring legacies and roles of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Maulana Azad and Jawaharlal Nehru, Ram Manohar Lohia among so many others, in obtaining freedom.

Gandhi, who has been target of most vicious attack by the ultra-right wing, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) and its octopus like fraternal organisations is depicted as the mesmerising leader he was. Gandhi not only inspired millions like Mehta and her idealistic colleagues to join the battle for ‘Azaadi’ but also –often at deep personal cost—adopt the vows of abstinence (Brahmacharya!). The movie has poignant moments depicting this. Not just leaders, but ordinary Indians, from all walks of life, gave of their selves, from Dargahs to temples, Indians and their places of work and worship contributed to the cause, for freedom. ‘Karo or Maro’ was the sentiment that vibrated on India’s streets, in towns and farflung villages.

This article is not a typical film review in which we dissect or examine the performances by the actors, which include Sara Ali Khan, Sachin Khedekar, Emraan Hashmi, Anand Tiwari, Sparsh Shrivastava, Madhu Raj, and Abhay Verma. It is about the era and the message that the film brings us today.

Today, there is almost a sense of hopelessness, many of us silently watching (and bemoaning) the crass erosion of Constitutional values and fundamental freedoms. Deeply rooted values of co-existence, sharing, fraternity and tolerance are slowly being replaced by an ideologically imposed intolerance, religious fanaticism and majoritarianism. To ground this malevolent project begun in 1925 when the RSS was founded, the legacy of revered freedom fighters, such as Gandhi, Maulana Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru, is also being twisted and manipulated. To replace these icons, a manufactured, non-existent history is also being politically promoted. In this version of distorted history, Muslims, communists and socialists have no role or part in the freedom struggle of India. With ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’, one gets to see and hear young freedom fighters, including Mehta, rise and live by Mahatma Gandhi’s slogan of ‘Do or die’ and see the unveiling of a revolution under the nose of a tyrannical government.

The plot:

The storyline of ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ is rooted in a true life account of the Congress (Azad) Radio run by, among others Usha Mehta. Revolving around the courageous actions of Usha Mehta, which is played by Sara Ali Khan. Since the start of the movie, a minor Usha Mehta  is shown as someone who is willing to stand up against the oppressive acts of the Britishers. The same was depicted through a scene where Mehta is seen protecting her teacher, a supporter of Gandhi, from the state police’s brutal beatings when he is found sharing with the young, stories of Gandhi’s Dandi March, Salt Satyagraha (Surat, 1930).  The film then transitions to Mumbai in 1942, where Usha, now a masters student at Wilson College, can be seen enthusiastically participating in protests led by the Congress party, albeit without the knowledge of her father, a Judge under the British. Her benevolent aunt (bua) appears to silently observe the transition in Usha. After attending several meetings, eventually, Usha becomes a member of the Congress party.

Mehta’s resilience, grit, and valour is not limited to battling against the Britishers, but also family ties, especially her doting father. Usha’s father (played by Sachin Khedekar), a judge in British India, expresses disdain for those Indian fighting the rule of the Britishers, deeming Indians to be incapable of ruling a country. Mehta’s ideals are really challenged when her own father, a Winston Churchill fan, asks her to stay away from a Congress protest against Britishers. The few scenes of clash between the father-daughter, are poignant and beautifully scripted (Darab Faruqui is the dialogue and script writer) especially the lines when Usha says that her father’s love is a shackle and burden for her larger, more passionate goal, her country’s freedom. The poignant depiction of the personal cost of a larger political battle.

After the brutal crackdown on the August 6, Quit India Rally where the resounding cry of “Karo or Maro” (Do or Die) rent the air, all major leaders of the Congress are arrested and Indians are left rudderless. Mehta and her young colleagues observe the growing dissipation of the fervour among the people and after intense discussions, identify the cause. Spot on. Communication and binding of people to a common cause through such communication is what is missing. Radio had been recently introduced to the elite echelons in India and her Judge father listens to broadcasts from then prime minister, Great Britain, Winston Churchill on this contraption. Radio it has to be. But how? Usha Mehta and her friends have also observed a Parsi couple (the Engineers) using music on the radio for dance classes and thereafter persuade Firdaus Engineer (for a cost) to design the transmitter for their underground radio broadcast. Congress Radio is set for transmission.

So, it is after the arrest of leaders such as Gandhi and Azad, that Mehta and her companions – Kaushik (Abhay Verma) and Fahad (Sparsh Shrivastava) sets out to revive the dissipating, Quit India movement. The trio chooses the medium of radio to spread Gandhi’s message of non-violence and self-dependence as they recognise that the newspapers fall under the control of rulers and are only catering to the agenda of the ruling regime. It becomes important for them to get access to a medium that is independent, out of control of an oppressive regime. Armed with Engineer’s (played by Anand Tiwari) designed transmitter, Usha establishes an underground radio station, for vibrant, everyday method of mass communication.

Soon enough, the underground radio starts connecting those who had gone underground and receives support from the likes of Ram Manohar Lohia (played by Emraan Hashmi). As the radio starts gaining audience and momentum, with Lohia’s speeches also being transmitted, the British intensify a high-stakes game of cat and mouse to ‘destroy’ the Congress Radio and discover those behind this radio show. John Lyre (played by Alexx O’Nell), portrayed as the antagonist, is tasked with apprehending Usha and shutting down the radio station.

The content transmitted on Congress Radio?

“Recorded speeches” of the Congress leadership, other broadcast messages linked to freedom, secularism, and internationalism. Congress Radio regularly spoke up on the atrocities committed by British soldiers and administrators. In one broadcast, the broadcast addressed the topic of mass rapes by British soldiers, calling them the “most bestial thing that one could imagine” and asking for citizens to stand up to rape; other broadcasts discussed the plights of one woman raped in a police van and another who had been carrying food to political prisoners before being sexually assaulted, both in the Central Provinces. Another broadcast touted the values of secularism and spoke about the need for unity between the Hindu and Muslim communities.[2] The station also carried messages to workers and peasants, Indian soldiers, and students, directing their participation in the Quit India Movement. The station also took the message of the Indian movement beyond the country and preached internationalism.

Crucial for us to remember that independent radios had been banned by the Britishers during World War II. The film then shows Mehta taking multiple risks to keep the Congress Radio running. Towards the end, when it is certain that the Britishers will be able to locate the radio and arrest those running it, Mehta makes a conscious choice to still run the radio and its final telecast. For her, getting Lohia’s message to the Indian people for a mass uprising and acts of civil disobedience was more important than her own life and liberty. By the last minute of the transmission, when Lohia’s message and call is finally delivered, it has an electrifying impact, Countrywide attacks and protests against offices of the British empire are unleashed. Mehta gets discovered and is arrested. Even facing arrest, she does not let the British officers stop the song ‘Vande Mataram’ from playing on her radio. Enduring violence and assault while she is arrested, slogans of ‘Bharat chhodo’ and ‘Karo ya Maro’ never leave her lips. Usha Mehta does not divulge the whereabouts of Ram Manohar Lohia to her oppressors.

Behind great leaders and movements are the footsoldiers, creative and courageous as Usha Mehta and her real life colleagues, Vithalbhai Jhaveri, Vithaldas Khakar, Chandrakant Jhaveri and Babubhai Thakkar.

Takeaways from this movie:

While watching this movie, one cannot stop ourselves from drawing certain parallels to the current political scenario of India. To watch a group of young people challenge the oppressive British regime, which had supressed all “mainstream media”, by countering the misinformation and false narrative being spread amongst the citizens, the very act of conception and running of Congress Radio was and is a emancipatory act. It is acts such as these, courageous and many that a mass revolutionary movement make. The film brings alive to us today, the harsh realities that India and Indians lived through in their fight for Independence and democracy. The simple objective that Mehta and her companions had was to motivate Indians to unite in their contribution to the freedom struggle. To act and raise their voices against atrocities by the British.

Alongside the themes of expansive and inclusive nationalism, other messages resonate. At a point when young Fahad praises Ram Manohar Lohia, a founder of the Congress Socialist Party, to the point of idolatory,  Mehta calls him out for indulging in ‘andh bhakti’. She also cites Lohia’s own example of criticising Jawaharlal Nehru even while he looks up to him by stating “He (Lohia) idolises Nehru but wouldn’t hesitate to criticise him if the need arises”. The film consistently promotes the message of questioning everything and everyone, especially those that we hold in high regard.

This movie also reminds us of the importance and power of dissent. Today, the right to express dissenting opinions has come under increasing pressure due to governmental reactions to criticism, non-violent activities and opposition. In addition to direct suppression by the state, a concerning trend has arisen whereby individuals and groups may choose to self-censor rather than risk the consequences of speaking out. The movie also shows the importance of unifying strength and solidarity to fight against oppressive forces.

The main task that faced the Congress Party, including Mehta and Lohia, was to bring people together in uncertain times and re-ignite their trust into the freedom struggle and the Congress Party. Mehta and her colleagues’ broadcasts through the ‘Congress Radio’ helped boost the morale of the Indian populace and freedom fighters by informing them about the movement’s progress and encouraging continued resistance against British rule.

Mehta realised that it was only when resistance resonated in unison and mass participation of people transcending boundaries of class, caste, and creed, took place, could the pursuit of freedom be realised. The freedom of India was a result of collective rebellion.

One particular scene from the movie, where Fahad explains his reason for joining the Congress Party after having left the Muslim League is enduring. In that scene, Fahad, who suffers from polio, reveals that he does not resonate with the objective of the Muslim league anymore (he was once a member) as his goal is independence of India and not the division of India into two parts. Today, when certain people claim to selectively blame sections and communities, they do so out of ignorance, even malice. People of all traditions, faiths Adivasis, Dalits and farmers gave their life for the struggle for India’s independence. Today there are also consistent attempts to erase the role that Muslims and Muslim leaders played in attaining India’s independence. With its unbiased depiction of the times of Gandhi and the Indian freedom struggle, this movie sets the record straight.

Usha Mehta’s underground radio remains a poignant reminder of the struggle for Indian independence, highlighting the innovative methods adopted by freedom fighters to challenge colonial rule and inspire their fellow citizens. Mehta, an ‘unsung hero’ remains a beacon of hope for Indians struggling against colonial oppression, and her legacy lives on as a reminder of the power of courage, determination, and dedication. Her life story provides an inspiration to all who are, even today, fight for justice and freedom in the face of adversity.

By bringing in this precious vignette of a long drawn out struggle for freedom from colonial yoke, that too through such a powerful narrative, this film very tells us of myriad roles (here it is the three-month long transmission of Congress Radio) that make change happen. Behind the actions (and successes) of towering leaders are actions of hundreds of thousands of unsung heroes.

Towards the end of the movie, there is a message that is particularly poignant: One doesn’t fight a tyrant to win; one fights them because they are tyrants.

As Mehta says in the film, not every fight will result in victory, but that should not stop one from fighting the (right) fight.

(This piece was written by Tanya Arora and then contributed to by the Sabrangindia Team)

[1] Usha Mehta was actually 22 years old when she ran this operation with her colleagues

[2] http://www.wr6wr.com/newSite/articles/features/mahatmashams.html, The Mahatma’s Hams

Related:

Films building up  a majoritarian narrative: Swatantraveer Savarkar

“Ae Watan Mere Watan” – A Brief Introduction to the film by Yogendra Yadav

Déjà vu, a film that depicts the chilling effects of corporate-contract farming, resonates with Indian farmer’s protests

Farmers protest: Documentary ‘Kisan Satyagraha’ barred from Bengaluru film fest

The post Congress Radio, the power of revolutionary change: Lessons from ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’, the film appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As per the analysis of the data revealed in the parliament on February 8, 2024 by MoS, Ministry of External Affairs, only 9,26,24,661 Indians held passports in 2024, which is less than 10 percent of the population. This means that NTA is virtually forcing students to provide Aadhar ID, violating the landmark privacy judgement of the apex court delivered in Justice K.S.Puttaswamy (Retd) vs Union of India in 2018 (also known as Aadhaar judgement). In the Aadhaar judgment while the Supreme Court had upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar Act, 2016, it also struck down some of the provisions of the Act and declared that the ambit of Aadhaar should be limited. It had noted that the government cannot make Aadhaar a prerequisite for availing non-welfare benefits or services.

Why NTA should provide other options to students

CUET UG is a common entrance test for hundreds of universities in the country, including central, state, and private universities for various courses and programmes. Its test centres are spread across the states covering virtually the whole of the country. Given the sheer number of candidates who apply for CUET entrance test across the country, it is imperative that the process remains as inclusive, open, and least intrusive as possible. In 2023, a total of 16 lakh students had registered for CUET UG across 242 universities, revealing the scale of the entire exercise.

In the circular issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on September 5, 2018, which is a nodal agency for Aadhar, it noted that “It must be ensured that no children are deprived/denied of their due benefits or rights for want of Aadhaar. Some instances have come to our notice that few schools are denying admission to children for want of Aadhaar. Such denials are invalid and not permitted under the law. It is also to be ensured that no child should be denied admission and other facilities for lack of Aadhaar.”[1]

Thus, UIDAI had recognised that Aadhar was contributing to the exclusion of school students. In the present case, NTA can be seen doing something similar, which was earlier flagged by UIDAI at the school level. While NTA may justify its conduct, arguing that in the case of school students, they were minor children and therefore the comparison cannot be drawn between the two cases. Nonetheless, this does not address the issue of compulsory requirement of Aadhar, since for availing non-welfare services only voluntary provision is provided in the law. In addition, a minor who has created her Aadhar card with the consent of her guardian is provided with an option to cancel the same upon attaining majority age.

The concern also arises as NTA refuses to consider other government issued identity proofs, including voter ID, driving licence, education board certificate, among others. This is problematic as the aforementioned documents are valid legal documents, but in spite of that, NTA refuses to accept them, raising concerns over legitimacy of non-Aadhar ID proofs.

Additionally, the privacy risks posed due to the collection and use of Aadhaar data is another aspect which NTA needs to consider. As the Aadhar details are linked with others private information like PAN Card, bank account, driving licence, to name a few, NTA ought to be well aware of the risks posed due to leakage or misuse of Aadhar data. Furthermore, the privacy policy is not readily shown on CUET UG registration website, which makes it difficult to assess the standards and policies adopted by NTA to secure and process the data of the registering students.

Privacy rights, Aadhar and CUET

In the landmark privacy rights judgment delivered in 2017 by the nine-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, it was unanimously held that the right to privacy is a fundamental right of citizens and part and parcel of Article 21. In a separate judgment delivered in 2018, while upholding the Aadhar Act, it struck down Section 57 of the Act which provided powers to private entities for mandating Aadhaar ID for availing their services. The court had noted that there was no nexus between giving such powers to private entities and the intended aim of the legislature, which was to enhance welfare services of the citizens and prevent leakages. Similarly, though the NTA is a government body, the CUET UG entrance test has no nexus to the intended aim of the Aadhar Act, which is to improve welfare services. Therefore, it can only voluntarily ask for Aadhaar ID of registering students, but cannot force them to submit one. The doctrine of colourable legislation ensures that whatever is prohibited directly is also prohibited indirectly. Hence, the Aadhar Act cannot allow NTA to indirectly force the student to submit their Aadhar ID for the purpose of CUET entrance test, as it will violate students’ right to privacy.

Furthermore, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP), virtually exempts Central Government and all its entities (NTA being part of it) from providing any data protection measures required under the Act, as most of the provisions of the Act does not apply to the Central Government or any entity of the Central Government. While DPDP Act is yet to be notified in the absence of the rules, the lack of data protection norms makes the situation no better.

As the CUET UG 2024 deadline stands extended till March 31, 2024, we wait for NTA to make the registration process more inclusive and less intrusive.

The relevant documents and screenshot can be found here:

Note: We would like to acknowledge Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) for sharing the relevant material with us and bringing forth this issue.

(The author is part of the Legal Research Team)

[1]https://uidai.gov.in/images/resource/Circular-School-06092018.pdf

Related:

State-sponsored Doxing: Is it even legal?

SC upholds Aadhaar’s Constitutional Validity, but partially addresses Privacy Concerns

Linking Aadhaar to Social Media

The post CUET UG 2024 registration process is pushing students to compulsorily provide Aadhaar details, violating the privacy judgment of the apex court appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Every other day we report hate speeches targeting Muslims, Christians, Mosques and Churches made by named perpetrators — leaders and mobs —that incite violence and hatred.

In recent weeks, since January 2024, speakers have provoked their audiences to desecrate Muslim religious places. At least three such hate speeches have been delivered by Bharatiya Janata Party legislators and far-right leaders wherein calls have been made to attack and destroy Muslim places of worship.

Within a month they achieved their desired result.

March 2024 (Provocation & Crime): In the month of March, a video showing the slogan of Jai Shri Ram being displayed at a Mosque through laser lighting went viral. The video, posted by Hate Detectors on ‘X’, showed Jai Shree Ram being displayed over Surat’s Jama Masjid during a Hindu wedding. The incident took place in Gujarat.

The video can be viewed here:

In #Gujarat‘s #Surat, #JaiShriRam slogan displayed during #Hindu wedding lighting at Surat’s Jama Masjid. pic.twitter.com/KFl2espc7S

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) March 4, 2024

March (Provocation): In March, Hindutva Watch reported a contentious speech delivered by BJP legislator Balmukund Archarya in Jaipur, Rajasthan. In his speech, Archarya can be heard raising a call for turning historical monument of Qutb Minar into a temple. He also mentioned the mosques of Kashi and Mathura, declaring that the Shahi Idgah Mosque and the Gyanvapi Mosque will suffer the same fate as the Babri Mosque.

The speech:

“Just like Ram has been brought back in Ayodhya and his idol has been established there, we have to follow the suit in Kashi and Mathura as well. We will, one day, visit our God in Qutb Minar as well. We will pray to red Hanuman in Red Fort. I have gotten another news that there used to be an ancient temple in Madhya Pradesh, and our God will be established there once again.”

The video is attached:

Details of more such speeches made are at the bottom of the copy.

February (Crime): In the month of February, the Observer Post had reported that on February 17, a Hindu monk by the name of Maharaj Hiranmoy Goswami led prayers inside the Adina Mosque in Malda with the support of a few young guys. The aforementioned action had sparked a heated dispute, necessitating the police’s intervention.

According to the article, local sources had stated that on Saturday afternoon, people from outside the state, aided by a few Hindu teenagers in the area, and started conducting religious ceremonies, such as puja, inside the mosque grounds. The local Muslim community became enraged by this conduct, which led to instability in the neighbourhood. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which was in charge of the Mosque, had then submitted a complaint upon which an FIR was then filed.

Another separate incident had taken place in February where during Saraswati idol immersion, miscreants had pelted stones at a mosque while passing through the area. The said incident had taken place in Bahera, Darbhanga of Bihar on February 16. As per a report in Maktoob Media, on the night of 16 February at around 7 pm, a procession for the immersion of goddess Saraswati was taken out in Badi Bazar of Baheda town on Basant Panchmi. News of “communal clashes” had emerged from the area.

“Under the Bahera police station area, a clash broke out between two communities during idol immersion. The officials reached the spot and brought the situation under control,” Darbhanga district magistrate Rajeev Raushan told media.

In one of the videos of the procession from Bahera, accessed by Maktoob, a mob can be seen and heard shouting the alleged slogans and vandalising the properties near the mosque. The video further substantiated that the procession moved towards Badi Bazar mosque, the Jama Masjid of the town, the Hindu mob allegedly raised slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and Hindu religious songs were being played loud on DJ. The parked vehicles near the mosque were torched and broken by the mob. They pelted stones and bricks at the nearby houses. It is essential to report that the Bahera Police had booked more than 400 identified and unidentified individuals, both Hindus and Muslims, for allegedly inciting communal violence and attacking police personnel.

Other instances of incendiary speech in February and before:

February (Provocation): In the month of February, Rashtriya Karni Sena President Suraj Pal Ammu delivered an instigating speech in Aligarh, which he has referred to Harigarh in his speech.  The leader of this far-right extremist organisation asked for his audience to be ready to demolish the Gyanvapi mosque in Kashi to reclaim it. He repeatedly encouraged violence. The video of the same had been published by the handle of Hate Detectors on ‘X’ in February.

The speech:

“Are you all ready to commit a scandal in Mathura? The new government here is of SP (Samajwadi Party), are you ready to have cases filed against you? How many of you are ready for that?”

“Who all are happy with the beginning of worship (by Hindus) at Kashi? This could have happened when Manmohan Singh’s government was there, right? But this miracle could only take place during the tenure of the real son of Gujarat and India, Narendra Modi. This is his blessing.”

“Our country feels proud when the CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath walks and talks, feels like the son of a lion is there.”

Slogans of Jai Shri Ram are raised by the audience.

“I think Ayodhya and Kashi are equidistant from here. One day, if I declare it to the Karni Sena that the structure that is standing in Gyanvapi needs to be demolished, will you be ready for that?”

“Gyanvapi khallaas karne ko tayar ho kya? (Are you all ready to destroy the Gyanvapi structure?)”

The audience answers with a loud “yes”.

The video can be viewed here:

Rashtriya Karni Sena President #SurajPalAmmu giving a #HateSpeech calling for #Karsevaks at the mosques of #Kashi and #Mathura in #UttarPradesh‘s #Aligarh. pic.twitter.com/anpaoXLHrP

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) February 14, 2024

January (Provocation): In the month of January, repeated hate offender, BJP MLA T. Raja Singh, had delivered a hate speech in Saswad, Pune in Maharashtra on January 31. The speech had been reported by Hindutva Watch. While the speaker targeted the Muslim community on many issues, such as Love Jihad and cow slaughter, we have extracted the part where he had raised calls for demolition of Muslim religious places.

Extracted speech:

“Hey (Asaduddin) Owaisi, you are crying so much over one Babur structure, we are not done with Kashi and Mathura till now. We are also not done with the Punyeshwar Temple in Pune. Every temple of ours that was destroyed by the jihadis and another structure was built upon it will not be left, I will promise you that.”

“Till now, we are only asking you about three temples, but we have not forgotten those fifty thousand temples that you destroyed to build illegal structures over. Once India becomes a Hindu nation, we will take accountability of every temple destroyed. Every jihadi will get what they deserve.”

Hate speech is not Free Speech as we at Citizens for Justice and Peace have frequently argued. It is the specific element and ingredient of call or provocation to violence that distinguishes the two. Simple slur or abuse do not qualify but when made by groups, individuals in positions of social, economic and political power against a section that is discriminated and marginalised –threatening that sections fundamental and constitutional rights to equality and dignity –speech gets criminalised and qualifies as hate speech.

In the instances reported here, speeches that calls for demolition (or defilement) of Muslim places of worship are only three such reported instances that have been covered by the team of SabrangIndia. Though there may not be a direct geographical or causal link between these words and the violent acts listed above, arguably the permissible climate of hatred they propagate has the power to enable these crimes and acts of violence.

Related:

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Haldwani Violence: Cautioning police against overreach CPI-M delegation demands independent inquiry

Assam: Hindutva group issues ultimatums to Christian-run schools

Assam government repeals Muslim Marriage Act, terms it ‘obsolete’

Trend of divisive politics continues, 3 hate speeches by Assam CM in poll bound states

The post Conspiracy or Coincidence? Mosques defaced in March after spate of hate speeches provoking the crime weeks before appeared first on SabrangIndia.

First, several Hindi newspapers published articles (well-coordinated!) saying that the Bihar Education Department has ‘abolished’ holidays for ‘Hindu’ festivals and increased holidays for ‘Muslim’ celebrations. Soon, we witnessed a well-coordinated propaganda both in the print media and on social media platforms. Predictably, several senior BJP leaders and “influencers” amplified the Fake-News. Commercial electronic (TV) News Channels promptly started “debates” on this issue and conveniently invited representatives of the dominant, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to amplify this out of context and spread more lies and fake news. The social media storm around this has been created to create the impression that “Hindu masses” are also angry as they see this propaganda as “real.”

1 of 5

So much so that the Bihar education department has now been compelled to issue a “clarification” regarding school holidays for the academic session 2024. The announcement clarified that there were/are no changes in the number of holidays next year and that all schools have always remained open and celebrated the birth anniversaries of great men. The education department made the clarifications in response to the rumours circulating around the recently released school holiday calendar 2024.  This is what the Bihar government has had to do.

Bihar school holiday 2024 calendar out, BSEB clarifies different lists for Urdu and general schools

What is the actual context? 

 Every year the many state governments release a list of holidays for schools. There are different calendars issued for different set of schools. They issue a different list of holidays for Madarsa and Maqtabs. By picking up and highlighting only the Holiday list of the Madrasas and Maqtabs and making out as if these holidays applied to all educational institutions, this barrage of fake information was spreading falsehood, stigma and prejudice. [For example the Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education gives Friday as a weekly holiday even under the Adityanath’s leadership. This may be read here. 

The Nitish Kumar-RJD combine has increased the summer vacation holidays from 20 to 30 days, therefore many festivals that fall during that period are not mentioned separately as holidays. The BJP has cynically used this as an opportunity to deliberately spread a fear/hate campaign. 

Propaganda examples

ना रामजी का, ना कृष्ण जी, ना शिव जी, ना महान सम्राट अशोक का है बिहार!
–ईद : 3 दिन
–बकरीद: 3 दिन
–मुहर्रम : 2 दिन
– शुक्रवार (जुमा): मुस्लिम बहुल क्षेत्र में अघोषित छुट्टी
–रामनवमी : 0 दिन
–रक्षाबंधन: 0 दिन
–महाशिवरात्रि: 0 दिन
–श्रीकृष्ण जन्माष्टमी : 0 दिन
– सम्राट अशोक अष्टमी: 0 दिन

ये कोई दूसरे देश का कैलेंडर नहीं, लालू–नीतीश के तुष्टिकरण का खामियाजा पूरा बिहार भुगत रहा है।

#ThagbandhanAppeasement
#SanatanVirodhi  

ना रामजी का, ना कृष्ण जी, ना शिव जी, ना महान सम्राट अशोक का है बिहार!

-ईद : 3 दिन
-बकरीद: 3 दिन
-मुहर्रम : 2 दिन
– शुक्रवार (जुमा): मुस्लिम बहुल क्षेत्र में अघोषित छुट्टी

-रामनवमी : 0 दिन
-रक्षाबंधन: 0 दिन
-महाशिवरात्रि: 0 दिन
-श्रीकृष्ण जन्माष्टमी : 0 दिन
– सम्राट अशोक अष्टमी:…

— BJP Bihar (@BJP4Bihar) November 28, 2023

Muslim-only IT park, religious quota, Shadi Shagun scheme, interest free loans to Waqf, Haj pilgrimage subsidy, salaries to Maulvis, free UPSE coaching – Secularism in this country has transmogrified into Appeasement. This is not welfare; this is warfare.

Muslim-only IT park, religious quota, Shadi Shagun scheme, interest free loans to Waqf, Haj pilgrimage subsidy, salaries to Maulvis, free UPSE coaching – Secularism in this country has transmogrified into Appeasement. This is not welfare; this is warfare.

My views on @CNNnews18: pic.twitter.com/rdDI3ErCFV

— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 28, 2023

Bihar govt has slashed the school holidays on the occasions of Janmashtami, Rakshabandhan, Shivratri. However, ‘3 holidays have been given during Eid’. Urdu schools to get weekly holiday on Friday instead of Sunday

Bihar govt has slashed the school holidays on the occasions of Janmashtami, Rakshabandhan, Shivratri.

However, ‘3 holidays have been given during Eid’.

Urdu schools to get weekly holiday on Friday instead of Sundaypic.twitter.com/Tvbzte6hJE

— Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) November 28, 2023

The Bihar government has enforced discriminatory policies by removing holidays for many Hindu festivals in schools & granting three-day holidays for one-day Muslim festivals. This is a clear example of appeasement politics, which is a great injustice to the Hindu community.

The Bihar government has enforced discriminatory policies by removing holidays for many Hindu festivals in schools & granting three-day holidays for one-day Muslim festivals. This is a clear example of appeasement politics, which is a great injustice to the Hindu community. pic.twitter.com/FjEwn7nfSv

— ADV. ASHUTOSH J. DUBEY (@AdvAshutoshBJP) November 28, 2023

VIDEO | “Does Bihar CM Nitish Kumar want to form Islamic Republic of Bihar?” says Union minister and BJP leader @girirajsinghbjp on reports of #Bihar government’s decision to reduce the number of holidays for the state’s schools during Hindu festivals and increasing it for Muslim festivals.

VIDEO | “Does Bihar CM Nitish Kumar want to form Islamic Republic of Bihar?” says Union minister and BJP leader @girirajsinghbjp on reports of #Bihar government’s decision to reduce the number of holidays for the state’s schools during Hindu festivals and increasing it for Muslim… pic.twitter.com/YdGOWjk9hn

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 28, 2023

Background: Indian national holidays

Being a culturally diverse country, there are many festivals celebrated in various regions across the country. There are only three national holidays declared by the Government of India: Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August), and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). Apart from this, certain holidays which are celebrated nationally are declared centrally by the Union Government. Additionally, various state governments and union territories designate additional holidays on local festivals or days of importance as holidays as per section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. National holidays are mandatory holidays declared by Government of India which are applicable for all states and union territories of India.

Central holidays: In addition to the three fixed national holidays, the Union Government of India declares additional days as holidays which are largely followed by central government offices and affiliates. In addition to designated fixed holidays, few other days are designated optional from which a select number of days can be chosen according to individual convenience. (Central holidays ‘Optional’) State holidays: In addition to the above, various state governments and union territories designate additional holidays on local festivals or days of importance as public holidays as per section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. Besides, they declare their own State days as holidays, birth anniversary days, festivals and others as holidays as well.

Editor’s take: This is one more example of “Hit and Run Sabotage” Propaganda. There has been a history of such fake propaganda campaigns by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) BJP especially during the election time. Many media houses also add to the confusion and promote Fake News. It takes about a week to 10 days for people to understand the facts, the news channels never apologise on their own for peddling essentially false information. Ultimately the damage is done, especially during an elections campaign. 

Related:

Hate speech promoting divisive beliefs and defending acts of violence against Muslims delivered in Bihar, UP

Bihar: Clash between two Durga immersion groups, chaotic mobs vandalise and loot neighbouring Muslim-owned shops

Bajrang Dal convener mastermind of Bihar Sharif violence, say police

The post Bihar: How festival holidays become target of fake news appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In response to the disturbing statistics of crime against women in the state, the CM has stated that the Assam government is planning to introduce legislation to legally establish the marriageable age for all communities and put an end to multiple marriages.

However, amidst these efforts, a noteworthy aspect is the absence of ‘Love Jihad’ as a recognised criminal offence. Despite the rhetoric surrounding the term, the Modi government, in official communications and Parliament replies, has repeatedly denied having any specific definition or data on ‘love-jihad’ cases. In 2014, when the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh was asked about ‘love jihad’ cases, he had said, “What is love jihad? I need to understand its definition.”

Moreover, an RTI response to Ashoka University professor Aniket Aga, revealed that the National Commission for Women (NCW) does not maintain any specific data under the category of complaints related to ‘love-jihad.’ This absence of concrete data raises questions about the basis and implications of associating the term with criminal activities.

While the concerns of ‘love-jihad’ are being addressed at the state level and intended for becoming part of public policy, the prevailing crimes against women in Assam remain an urgent challenge. The state has sadly retained the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of crime against women in India for the 5th consecutive year, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures for 2021. The rise in dowry-related crimes, including a stark increase in dowry deaths, as well as instances of acid attacks, paint a distressing picture.

One concerning trend is the rise in dowry-related crimes. Cases of dowry deaths have seen an increase in recent years. In 2021, 198 women lost their lives due to dowry-related incidents, compared to 150 cases in 2020. Additionally, there were nine reported cases of acid attacks on women in the same year.

The data reveals that out of the total reported cases of crime against women in Assam last year, 12,950 were related to cruelty by the husband or his relatives under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The state also recorded 5,866 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women, with 3,362 of them being cases where the abductions were carried out to compel marriage.

The CM of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has also recently stated that while he wants peace between Hindus and Muslims, ‘love-jihad’ should not occur, and cited cultural differences between the communities as the reason for his stance against the alleged phenomenon. Never mind that such a statement violates basic tenets and principles established in Articles 14, 15, 19, 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution.

Love-jihad is a supposed trope that Hindutva politicians have birthed, they claim that there is a conspiracy against Hindus hatched by Muslims to marry or lure Hindu women by coercion or persuasion. However, while love jihad is not regarded as an actual phenomenon, many hardliner extremists in India have misused to blame Muslim men and persecute people in interfaith marriages or those who convert to different faiths. In fact, it has often been the case where the bogey of love-jihad has been used to accuse people, in certain cases, the family of the people accused has denied outrightly that this is a false concoction, such as in the case of an alleged abduction of a minor in Uttarakhand. The alleged incident was used to stoke communal fires, however the uncle of the child denied any religious motivation or angle as was being claimed by right-wing forces.

Civil society has challenged these false claims by legal measures. For instance, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has filed a petition challenging anti-conversion laws which are often utilised to target cases of conversion and inter faith marriages in 9 states in India, which include Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka. In fact, the amended petition has included states which have legislation that make religious conversion by marriage illegal in the four states of Uttarakhand, UP, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

In the case of hard evidence to substantiate these claims and legislature, there is to date no substantial evidence to display on the alleged phenomenon of forced conversions by Muslim and Christian groups or individuals. The Modi government itself was asked thrice about forced conversions in parliament, however the government gave inconclusive replies or gave a denial in parliament in 2021 itself.

Related:

Anti-conversion law of Uttar Pradesh: a litany of misuse

Hatebuster: Is it Love Jihad or just love?

Love Azaad: CJP’s map tracking hate crimes against those who dare to love

Shraddha Murder Case Turns Communal, Right-Wingers Term it Love Jihad

The post Love-Jihad now part of public policy in Assam appeared first on SabrangIndia.

This investigative report by SabrangIndia aims to shed light on the alleged links between certain individuals employed and associated with ISKCON and who appear to be producing anti-Muslim propaganda videos. One such video, titled “The Kerala Story,” garnered attention for its portrayal of Muslim women and the implications it made about their beliefs and intentions. The controversial video, along with others, has been widely circulated on social media platforms, raising questions about the individuals who are associated with ISKCON and their role in disseminating prejudiced narratives.

ISKCON itself has had a significant impact on the lives of its followers and has fostered spiritual growth for many. However, the fact that some notable persons associated with this organisations’ are dishing out steady doses of anti-Muslim propaganda raises questions about the actual association, origin and spread of such content that is in direct conflict with the organization’s stated values and its stance on promoting unity and shared civilizational values in India.

When the movie The Kerala Story had hit the theatres and was roundly criticised widely for being Islamophobic, this video had gone viral too and was disseminated widely. It was a sleekly produced, organised effort at demonising a Muslim woman, with the implication that all Muslim women are the same – she was shown to both be a fundamentalist and a narrow-minded person. The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen and Vipul Shah made news and drew wide comment on its released in May 2023.

When SabrangIndia investigated this association –between associates and employees of ISKON and such content, the YouTube channel Bhakti Life stands up as an example. Some of the creators of video content on Bhakti Life are associated with ISKCON. One such video, The Kerala Story—the Bhakti Today version, was particularly insidious due to the wide viewership it had garnered thus far.

The Kerala Story – a stereotype gone wrong

The video, called Kerala Story– the Bhakti Today version, short story version of the controversial film depicts an interaction between three female friends, of the same age, having a discussion that veers into religion. The show depicts a black headscarf-wearing Muslim girl who immediately pushes the narrative of propagating Islam, deriding other religions, especially Hinduism. The other girl, counters her back, with a (seemingly more) reasonable and knowing tone insinuating that it is (only) the Muslim girl who has a hidden agenda. The episode fundamentally and insidiously tries to show Muslims as violent and even anti-India.

One of the characters even insinuates that religion should be preached by knowledge and not by ‘violence or money’. The implication is clear – Muslim women are fundamentalists, out to denigrate Hinduism and worse still, in cahoots with whoever is out there to convert Hindu women to the ‘cause of Islam’ aka the Kerala Story. In fact the video thumbnail bears uncanny resemblance to the film’s poster.

Coming close on the heels of the full length feature film, The Kerala story, criticised widely for taking insidious liberties with facts as well as for questioning the motive of Muslim women in mixed faith groups of friends, the video can only be called undisguised Islamophobia. According to the UN, Islamophobia is “Islamophobia is a fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world.”

This video called Kerala Story– the Bhakti Today version has over 3.2 Million views, and the channel, Bhakti Today, has over 2.55 lakh subscribers. It is run by Ashwin Chaudhary and Prema Rupa. When we dug deeper, we found that these two were employed by Food for Life in Vrindavan. Prema Rupa is recorded as working at FLF as a ‘Client Relationship Officer’ from 2017 onwards, according to her LinkedIn account. The FLF website notes her to President, and describes her role as “Assistant to the President, FFLV USA. Premarupa assists FFLV USA President and takes care of the communication with all the donors and sponsors in the USA. She also assists the Indian Media department with her creative energy when required.” Ashwani Choudhary similarly seems to be employed by FLF as Head of Media since 2017. This organisation according to its website declares its mission of ‘serving humanity through love and compassion’.

Intriguingly, Food for Life, is located on the campus of the Sandipan Muni School in Vrindavan which in turn is listed on this ISKCON website as a part of ‘World Wide directory of official ISKCON Centres & Branches’

The decidedly Islamophobic nature of several of the videos on Bhakti Life, including the clearly biased ‘The Kerala Story’ video-the Bhakti Today  Version‘, and the apparent links of the creators of the content, including occasional scriptwriter for the channel, Amogh Lila Das, with ISKCON raise some grave concerns about the values propagated by sections of this organisation.

And sure enough, on the YouTube channel Bhakti Today, well known preachers or Gurus can be seen making significant contributions. For instance, the writing credits of The Kerala Story-the Bhakti Today Version, video, which demonises Muslim women has been given to H.G Sundar Gopal Prabhu from Pure Devotion. Pure Devotion is an NGO with its offices in Rajasthan, operating in Vrindavan, purportedly to help old widows there. Though his links to ISKCON are not immediately clear, HG is an honorific His Grace that is added to senior members of ISKCON.

Sure enough in other videos on Bhakti Today, one can see the now disgraced (and suspended for a month) ISKCON preacher HG Amogh Lila Prabhu.

Amogh Lila Das also frequently appears on yet another channel called My Ashray. In the about section the channel is ascribed to HG VIGYAN VIHARI PRABHU, who writes the channel is ‘inspired from International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) founded by HDG A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.’ On the website of ISKCON Delhi, Mr Vigyan Vihari is listed as its media head.

On My Ashray, Amogh Lila Prabhu picks up common communal tropes and weighs in. For example in this video, it will be difficult to ascertain if the speakers is a spiritual guru and not a crude propagandist. “Even in Europe there are people are victim to Love Jihad, they are there in Syria. Citing a case study on “one of their Brahmachaaris’, Amogh Lila Das narrates, “experienced the death of his father. Other Brahmacharies also wished to pay their respects and asked him if they could visit him at his home in Kerala. He replied to them that if they wish to come then they should come in ‘pants-shirt'”, essentially Western clothes and not the saffron robes typical to ISKCON preachers. If they were to go to the place in their saffron clothes, the shopkeepers there would refuse to sell them anything. Amogh Lila Das further argues into proclaiming how the movie Kerala Story is a ‘true story’.

Here is Lila Das weighing in into the Gyanvapi controversy at a news channel saying ‘While there should be an investigation, there is barely any need for one because it is so clear, structure wise, that is Shiv Ling, this structure is that of a Shiv Ling.” Here’s another problematic video where he says “Hindus are dhakkans and deserve to be converted because they are not ‘strong’ enough’. A variation of this is now increasingly seen in Maharashtra where speakers like Raja Singh often make the same claims.

Yet another YouTube Channel called Braj Girls has also uploaded a video about a skit against ‘Love Jihad’. Braj Girl is also noted to be the name of a band of school girls that is mentioned on the Food for Life website. This skit displays the story of Shradha who marries a man named Afthab against her parents’ wishes and ends up being abused and murdered by the man. The video discourages going against parents’ wishes, and seeks to seemingly generalise the case of Afthab. The skit also ends by a young girl saying, “‘The daughter from a new generation who spoiled the culture (sanskaar)-filled atmosphere, this new generation daughter then found herself cut in pieces.”

Love Jihad is widely seen as a Hindutva project to criminalise consensual inter-faith marriages in India. Other countries, none of them democratic, in the past have seen such experiments happen, for e.g., Nuremberg race laws in Germany under the Nazis and apartheid laws in South Africa and even strictures against interracial marriage in USA, and similarly the more recent, ban on Palestinian spouses of Israeli citizens from living in Israel.

There seem to be many such channels. Here’s another channel run by Venugopal Charan Das and called Associations which, among other videos about ISKCON and strictures about life, love and bhakti, inserts an insidious video about how Muslims slay ‘cows’ during Baqarah Eid. This is another channel that was started in 2014 and went dormant till three years ago, only to return a year ago with content that was dramatically different. The mixture is the usual – spreading the ISKCON message through videos with click bait titles like ‘kya ISKCON desh ko divide kar raha hai?’ But a video like this which weighs into the Kerala Story yet again, belies the fact that the channel is only about ‘to step into the light of knowledge and not to stay in the darkness of ignorance.’

What is ISKCON? 

In the late 1970s, at the peak of its popularity, the Hare Krishna movement attracted approximately 10,000 followers living in communes across the United States. Originating from the teachings of Sri Chaitanya of Bengal in the 16th century, this Hindu sect, formally known as Gaudiya Vaishnavism, was introduced to America by the Indian guru A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in the 1960s. The movement’s distinctiveness lay in its repetitive chanting of the phrase “Hare Krishna,” a practice believed by its adherents to hold great spiritual power and benefit all.

During the 1960s and ’70s, the Hare Krishna movement gained prominence in the counterculture, according to The Grunge, capturing the attention of influential figures within the hippie movement. Their appearance and chants became easily recognisable and were featured in popular movies, plays, and songs of the time. Public dancing and chanting became trademarks of the movement.

However, in the years that followed, alleged former members began to speak out about the reality of life inside Hare Krishna communes. As a result, the movement faced a significant decline in numbers, largely due to high-profile scandals involving allegations of corruption, widespread abuse, and even murder. Today, there are no longer Krishna boarding schools in the United States, reflecting the changes and challenges the Hare Krishna movement has undergone since its introduction to the country by Swami Prabhupada in 1966.

The movement has now become a global phenomenon and many of its devotees are not Indian nationals. However, in India too they have a burgeoning presence, with the ISKCON temple in Delhi being an iconic testimony to the significant and influential nature of the organisation.

The question is, why are some of the prominent associates of this a 57 year old credible organisation that has presence in countries like Malaysia and routinely gets government contracts, including serving meals for the governments’ mid-day meal scheme contract in Karnataka, openly using some of their own media personnel to produce sleek anti-Muslim propaganda.

Is it a case of going with the flow, or is there a disdain for shared civilisational values of India that has always made space for diversity. The answer to the question, either way, is worrying.

Related:

India tops online anti-Muslim hate posts, 3rd largest spike in Islamophobic tweets: 2022 Report

“246 churches burnt in 2 day, somebody strong is playing games in Manipur”: Father Jacob G Palackappilly

Patriotism, Religion and RSS Ideology

The Aesthetics of Violence and Ideology

The post Why are ISKCON employees producing anti-Muslim propaganda videos in India? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Order was passed by a division bench consisting of Justice Alexander Thomas and Justice C. Jayachandran was of the view that the impugned order was only an ad interim interlocutory order, that was intended to ‘preserve the subject matter of the list’.

The original applicant, a trans-woman, wanted to apply for the post of House Keeper (Female) in the Homeopathic Medical College. She was aggrieved that both the selection notification as well as the rules of recruitment had prescribed that appointment to the said post would be confined only to women candidates. It was submitted by the applicant that the PSC had devised a software accepting applications only from women candidates. The original applicant claimed that since she could legally claim only to be a trans-woman, her online application was not accepted by the software system of the PSC.

The applicant further contended by the applicant before the Tribunal that by virtue of Section 3(b) of the Transgender Persons Act, 2019 (hereinafter, ‘TGP Act, 2019’), it has been stipulated that there shall not be any unfair treatment in or in relation to, employment or occupation.

At the point when the applicant approached the Tribunal in this regard, it passed an interim order directing the PSC that the applicant may submit her application in physical form, which would thereafter be accepted by the PSC for the time being.

It is on in appeal, being aggrieved by the said interim order that the PSC filed the present petition before the High Court.

The PSC, represented by Standing Counsel for the PSC P.C. Sasidharan contended that differentiation on basis of gender was made since one of the prime duties to be discharged by the incumbent in the post was to take care of the safety and other needs of the women who stay in women’s hostel. It was also submitted that the incumbent would also have to be prepared for night stay in the women’s hostel concerned, and that there would be serious safety issues if the concerned incumbent is not a woman.

The counsel for PSC further added that in a case of this nature, the Tribunal ought to have given reasonable opportunity to the PSC to file their written response, and heard both sides and assessed the prima facie nature of the case and the balance of convenience.

“Annexure-A2 selection notification was issued on 31.12.2022 and the last date for submission of application was on 01.02.2023 since the online application was not accepted on account of the software restrictions, the applicant has approached the Tribunal on 23.01.2023 and the ad interim order as per Ext.P2 has been rendered on 24.01.2023 which appears to be before the prescribed last date for submission of the application, namely 01.02.2023. Therefore essentially, the said ad interim order has been issued only to preserve the subject matter of the lis so as to keep the litigating claims of the petitioner in the above lis alive,” the Court observed.

However, the Court conceded that in a case of the present nature, the petitioner also ought to have been given an opportunity to present their case to defend at the interlocutory stage, so that the Tribunal could pass a reasoned order, it did not find it necessary to interfere with the present interim order.

Thereafter Court directed the Tribunal to facilitate early hearing and dispose of the main matter within 3 months. Senior Government Pleader Unnikrishna Kaimal, and Advocates Kaleeswaram Raj, Thulasi K. Raj, and Aparna Narayan Menon appeared on behalf of the respondents.

Case Title: Kerala Public Service Commission v. Aneera C. & Ors.

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The post Kerala High Court Upholds Tribunal’s Order Directing PSC To Provisionally Accept Trans-Woman’s Application For Post Confined To Women Candidates appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Love jihad” is now entrenched in the public landscape. The term is today wielded by an aggressive majoritarianism, woven into a dominant caste Hindu narrative of religious extremism, Islamophobia, and communal hatred that has crept into Indian courtroom discourse as well.”

– Teesta Setalvad, co-editor, Sabrangindia & Secretary, Citizens for Justice & Peace, 2020

The epithet “jihad” (in fact Jihad is an Islamic term that means “an obligation to lead a principled life” has been deliberately misinterpreted to become a slur). This slur has been devised by aggressive forces of bigoted majoritarianism and supremacy to slur and stigmatise all that is Islamic and Muslim.

From the Covid-19 Pandemic lockdown (2020) onwards when “respectable” television channels too telecast such slurs on their Hindi and even English language network telecasts, the term #CoronaJihad first gained ground.

Thereafter in the past three years, every couple of months, a well-oiled ecosystem of targeted hate speech that starts with BJP functionaries giving the “dog whistle” top-down in their public (read election) speeches is then picked up systematically by far rightwing speakers in their publicized diatribes. Then promptly comes the next level. What amplifies this systemic hate-mongering is the use these epithets that are then put to in several commercially driven “media” channels which –regardless of the first principles of independent and no-partisan content– create television debates constantly amplifying the term. Finally, these are morphed into easy to digest (sic) hate clips on WhatsApp groups and social media platforms!

Over past months the order can be reversed, with compliant media outlets actually generating the telecasts to provide fodder for the public diatribes!

The result? Open display of bigotry, Islamophobia and hate against Muslims is normalised.

The latest epithet to be added to a long, prejudicial terms is #Gaming Jihad.

Following its “success” in disseminating propaganda about the Covid-19 pandemic being spread because of one two day public gathering at Nizamuddin in mid-March 2020 (#CorononaJihad), it was “Hindu women being targeted by the Muslim men, terming it ‘Love Jihad’”.

Then came “Hindu majority being ‘out-populated’ by the Muslim community”= #‘Population Jihad;

Then it was “Muslims illegally capturing government land”=‘Land Jihad

Let’s not forget vicious propaganda unleashed against Islamic educational institutions #MadrassaJihad!

Now there is one more slur. Another different, yet similar, form of world manipulation and propaganda is being promoted systemically by the electronic media channels. Hysteric efforts are being made by media persons with clear allegiance to the Hindutva right to brainwash people into believing that another form of threat to Hindu children exists and this is #Gaming jihad.

What is this ‘#Gaming jihad’?

Reports on News Bharati (June 5, 2023), DNA (June 9, 2023) and Firstpost (June 8, 2023)were amongst the first to come out on this issue of “Gaming Jihad”. Here is how the propaganda on television channels works:

#Gaming Jihad: Muslim youth along with “Maulvis of Masjids (Mosques) use the medium of mobile games like ‘The fortnite’ to brainwash Hindu and Jain kids into converting to Islam by saying reading Aayats from Quran that can help them win games in. According to this narrative that feeds into the insidious “conversion to Islam” theory peddled even in movies like the Kerala Story, this phenomenon, #GamingJihad has come as a “shocking development” at a time when Hindu girls were just becoming aware of the Islamist concept of the ‘Love Jihad’ through movies and “news”. Thus, to fulfil their ultimate goal (which is to ensure a huge demographic shift!) , the “Islamic extremists” have now come up with new concepts to trap the Hindu girls and convert them to radical Islam.

The reports on these channels go further.

Propaganda Narrative behind #Gaming Jihad goes further Once kids do win the game by a set of tricks allowed by the app itself (The fortnite) they start believing that it is the power of these Quranic Aayats and would then be prepared and willing to even convert away from their religion.

Thereafter, says this narrative, these newly appointed Muslim youths in this network are then used to take Hindu and Jain kids onto another ‘Discord‘ chat app, show them Zakir Naik videos to brainwash them to the next level. The perpetrators, says this narrative, mainly use these games and chat apps to target teen-aged Hindu and Jain boys to convert to Islam.

The Citizens for Justice and Peace team has analysed these electronic media channels spawning the latest brand of slur.

The reports on #GamingJihad also say that though the concept of ‘#Gaming Jihad’ is new to India, its roots can be found in Pakistan.

Deconstruction of Propaganda Narrative:

There are no specific allegations that can be pin-pointed in these reports and programmes. It could be individual reports of a criminal complaint filed in some parts of the country, often where the BJP is in power. The television journalists (anchors) do little ground level homework to question or query the police version of the complaint or speak to the alleged “victim complainants.” Within hours that one incident becomes the basis for a new level of hate propaganda

The Ghaziabad case- the “racket of gaming jihad”

In early June 2023, reports of the Ghaziabad police catching a man, Abdul Rehman, who reportedly used to teach ‘verses from the Quran’ to minor children playing video games in the name of “winning” these games became public. A former member of the local mosque committee, Abdul Rehman was alleged to be “committing jihad by brainwashing these minor children to convert to Islam”, as was reported by the Firstpost on June 8, 2023.  It was then alleged that Abdul Rahman used to tell minor children about the greatness of Islam, and the weaknesses of their religion, as provided by the First post.

If the report provided by the Firstpost right-wing media is to be believed, this type of “jihad” case came to light when the parents of a minor boy, hailing from Ghaziabad, were shocked by their son’s actions. Their minor son, for the past few days, used to leave home on the pretext of going to the gym five times a day, but in reality, he was offering prayers at a mosque. After this, the minor’s father lodged a complaint in the police station. On May 30, the police registered an FIR in the said case, in which the cleric of the mosque in Sanjay Nagar Sector 23 of Ghaziabad, Abdul Rehman, and the accused named Baddo was mentioned.

As provided by the DNAIndia newspaper just a day later on June 9, 2023, the police have named both of them as accused. Abdul Rehman has been arrested by the police, but Shanawaj Masud Khan of Sajia Apartment, P.S. Mumbra, Thane, Maharashtra, who is believed to be the mastermind of this Cyber Gaming Jihad, is still out of the grips of the police.

This whole story of the Ghaziabad police busting an online conversion racket seems to be somehow inspired by the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’, as is indicated in in the DNAIndia report, which depicts a group of non-Muslims women converted to Islam “by brainwashing them” and thereafter they are recruited by the ISIS. Kerala story was released on May 5, 2023.

Media coverage of the said issue

As soon as these reports were released, Aaj tak and Times Now were one of the first channels that took up this opportunity to unleash extremely unprofessional content.

Aaj Tak released a one-hour Black & White with Sudhir Chaudhary over the same, with the following description ‘There has been a big disclosure on religious conversion in Ghaziabad. An online gaming conversion racket was busted in which it was found that 4 children were influenced and changed their religion. Is mobile converting your child’s religion?’

Sudhir Chaudhary, who was hosting the show, started the show by telling his audience about how at least four cases of minor boys falling prey to this new type of ‘Jihad’ have surfaced in India, and how they viewed can express their opinions on the same by tweeting with the hashtag of gaming jihad. It is clear that the motive behind urging the viewers of the show was to ensure that the said hashtag starts trending on Twitter, and the reach of their propaganda increases.

The anchor then starts peddling his own theory (unsubstantiated by any factual cases), alleging that it is possible that four lakh minor  boys might have fallen victim to this ‘#Gaming Jihad’. We have attached a picture below depicting how Chaudhary has made this baseless exaggeration in his show, with the aim of instilling fear in the mind of its audience, convincing them that this is a conspiracy of the Muslim community.

Chaudhary called this form of #Gaming jihad a part of the Islamic conversion business model, something that all the Hindu parents must be wary of. He also called this the work of an international racket of conversion, aimed at converting Hindu young men into hardline Muslims. While Chaudhary was giving this report, videos showing Muslims walking on road, and offering prayers were also being shown. He also purported that this gaming jihad was made specifically for Hindu boys, as Hindu girls were anyway being targeted under Love Jihad.

The said video can be viewed here:

https://www.aajtak.in/programmes/black-and-white/video/sudhir-chaudhary-show-conspiracy-of-jihad-in-mobile-games-tmc-distributing-2000-notes-more-analysis-1710360-2023-06-06

Times Now Navbharat and TV9 Bharatvarsh also dedicated news segments on the said issue, both of which used this term “online gaming jihad”, and spread hatred and instilled fear in the minds of the Hindu population. The anchor of the TNN said that “the most dangerous thing is that the accused Maulvi not only committed jihad and converted the minor boy, but also made him a 5 time namazi.” (someone who prays five times a day).

Right wing leaders and agencies were quick to act

The right-wing ecosystem stepped in. As reported in the Indian Express, Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, on May 6, said a committee will be set up to look into online games related to religious conversion. Lodha told media persons, “There are shocking things happening in the name of online games. Such games are targeting the youth and small children. They are being lured to change their religion.”

“To check this religious conversion menace under online games, the state government’s women and child development ministry will constitute a committee. It will look into the online games and related aspects. We will submit the report to home ministry,” Lodha had added.

Lodha also said that the home department will play a crucial role in this matter. After the matter came to light, he said, we got to know a person who was involved with it fled. The matter will have to be proved and those involved behind such gaming will have to be nabbed, he added.

Apart from this, on the same day, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), an agency of the central government, also wrote to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) to initiate an enquiry against online gaming platform “Fortnite” and instant messaging social platform “Discord” for their alleged involvement in religious conversion of a minor boy in Ghaziabad.

“The Commission has come across a news article, wherein it has been informed that two men including a Caretaker of a Mosque in Ghaziabad and a man from Mumbai were involved in religious conversion of a minor boy through an online gaming platform, Fortnite,” said NCPCR’s Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo in a letter to Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, Meity., as reported by the Indian Express. The commission said, “The minor boy was lured into conversation through the said gaming platform, Fortnite and then brainwashed into religious conversion over another social platform, Discord.” The commission also requested for an enquiry to be initiated against Fortnite and Discord and an action-taken report submitted within 10 days.

It has become so easy for channels, such as Zee News, Aaj Tak, Times Now and Network18, to show up any single instance, act or crime as a “conspiracy of the Muslim community.” All they need to do is add the epithet ‘#Jihad’. As soon as some piece of news is reported, the pattern swiftly emerges. Political figures, elected representatives feed on such “news” panel discussions generated by an identifiable set of electronic media channels. Repeat offenders among news anchors are Sudhir Chaudhary, Arnab Goswami, Deepak Chaurasia, Amish Devgan, Anjana Om Kashyap and Rohit Sardana. They serve the perennial need of the regime in power to stigmatise and target one section of Indians, Muslims reducing their existence to a cornered lot, suffering physical and mental indignity and harm, always threatened by physical violence.

Was adding the epithet, “jihad” to this issue at all warranted?

The question Indian media needs to ask itself, and this is a serious professional challenge, is whether this level of unprofessional media conduct befits these electronic media outlets. Be it print media where tested principles laid down by the Press Council of India apply or broadcast and digital media, where guidelines of the News Broadcasting and Digital Statutory Authority (NBDSA) apply, each and all of these instances violate time-tested provisions. This is not to mention provisions of Indian criminal law, weak as they be in their application towards hate-driven inciteful speech and utterances. In the global world too, every standard known has been and continues to be breached with impunity lending voice to the argument made since 2020 that #GenocideJournalism is what is at play, cynically and systemically in India today.

Related:

Times Now Navbharat: Where hate sells like hot cakes daily

TIMES NOW NAVBHARAT USES ‘MAZAAR JIHAD’ IN A SHOW, CJP SENDS COMPLAINT

NBDSA: CJP ESCALATES COMPLAINT AGAINST TIMES NOW NAVBHARAT’S ‘ZAMEEN JIHAD’ SHOW

ANOTHER COMPLAINT TO TIMES NOW ON POLARISED DEBATE OVER MADRASSA SURVEY IN UP

RW mobilises masses; people get on streets to demand “love jihad” law

The post What lies behind the latest Islamophobic slur ‘#Gaming jihad’? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
Hadiya’s father Asokan had earlier approached the police claiming Hadiya was brainwashed into converting to Islam. His allegation ranged from Love Jihad to the conspiracy to turn Hadiya into a sex slave for ISIS! The National Investigation Agency started probing allegations and the Kerala High Court showed utter disregard for an adult woman’s choice by calling her marriage a “sham”. The Kerala HC not only annulled her marriage, but also awarding her custody to her parents.
 
The Bench comprising Justice Surendra Mohan and Justice Abraham Mathew had made some controversial observations like: “a girl aged 24 years is weak and vulnerable, capable of being exploited in many ways” and “her marriage being the most important decision in her life, can also be taken only with the active involvement of her parents.”

The matter eventually wound up in the Supreme Court when Hadiya’s husband challenged this decision. The SC finally heard from Hadiya in person in November 2017 where she not only reiterated that she married Shafin of her own free will, but also insisted that she converted to Islam without any influence or pressure. The SC directed that Hadiya be sent to Shivraj Homeo Medical College in Salem to complete her education. Last month Hadiya sought the court’s permission to live with her husband.
 
But on March 6, her father Asokan came up with a new conspiracy theory naming new people who allegedly influenced and brainwashed Hadiya and planned to sell her as a sex slave in Yemen. He continued to reiterate that despite being an adult Hadiya was unable to take any decisions about her life and needed guidance. However, the court took note of Haiya’s choice and restored her marriage and stated in it March 8, 2018 order:
“Hadiya alias Akhila Asokan is at liberty to pursue her future endeavours according to law.”
 
The entire order can be read here.
 
While Hadiya’s marriage to Shafin Jehan was restored on Thursday, the NIA investigation into cases of fake marriages conducted on the pretext of supplying sex slaves to Middle Easter terrorists will continue.     

The post A Truly Happy Women’s Day for Hadiya as SC restores marriage appeared first on SabrangIndia.