On August 30, 2022, the Indian Business Association, a New Jersey based group that had organized an India Day celebration, offered a written apology to the mayors of Edison and Woodbridge, for including a bulldozer in the India Day Parade. The shocking inclusion of a yellow bullodozer with the image of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on a poster saying “Baba ka Bulldozer” had sent ripples among the local Indian American community as well as the huge community of Muslims of South Asian descent who live in this area.

In the letter addressed to Mayor Sam Joshi of Edison, and Mayor John E. McCormac of Woodbridge, the IBA offered “sincere apologies” for certain aspects of the parade that not only reflected poorly on the organization, but more importantly, “offended Indian American minority groups, especially Muslims”.

IBA president Chandrakant Patel, accepted that the parade should have been about celebrating Indian heritage and diversity, but, “Unfortunately there was a bulldozer among the floats in the parade, which is a divisive image that did not reflect our mission. It was seen quite negatively by many who are deeply impacted and insulted by certain activities that have been happening in India.”

The entire letter may be read here: 

Readers would recall that bulldozers have been pressed into service to demolish homes of protesters, dissenters and suspected rioters in at least three Indian states – the Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh, as well as Madhya Pradesh and Assam. They were also used to demolish the huts of alleged rioters in Jahangirpuri in New Delhi.

The ancestral home of Parveen Fatima, the wife of activist Javed Mohammed who was accused of masterminding the violence June 10 protests against Nupur Sharma’s Islamophobic and offensive words about Prophet Mohammed, was demolished by the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA).

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had justified the demolition of 16 houses and 29 shops in five areas across Khargone, just a day after communal clashes erupted during a Ram Navami procession. Mishra issued a warning, saying, “Jis ghar se pathar aaye hain, us ghar ko hi patharon kaa dher banaenge (We will turn the houses from where the stones were pelted to a heap of rubble).” Mishra squarely blamed Muslims for the attack and attempted to justify the retaliatory demolitions that took place without following due process of the law.

In Assam, shortly after coming to power, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma authorized a series of demolition drives starting July 2021, to clear land “occupied by encroachers” so that it may be given to indigenous youth for farming and fishing. Two such drives took place in Dhalpur in Darrang district, a region that is home to hundreds of families who migrated here from other flood-prone regions of Assam. The eastern Indian state has been facing river erosion for decades, and often entire villages are washed away when the mighty Brahmaputra either overflows or changes course during the monsoon. Their homes and agricultural lands submerged, these people had no other option to move to safer regions within the state. In fact, most of the families evicted during the drives in August and September had been living there for 40-50 years.

Related:

Bulldozer Injustice: Homes of alleged June 10 protesters to be demolished in UP?
Evolution of Bulldozer Injustice
Jahangirpuri Demolition: SC to take “serious view of demolitions after Mayor was informed of order”
Madhya Pradesh’s Home Minister blames Muslims for Ram Navami day violence, justifies mass demolitions
Lives in the Rubble at Kathputli Colony
NOIDA Shanties where Zohrabi Lived Pulled Down, Amidst Heavy Rain
Has Bombay healed?

The post Bulldozer is a divisive image: Organisers apologise for its inclusion at India Day celebrations in New Jersey appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“We will consider withdrawal of suspension only after suspended members apologise for their behaviour in Rajya Sabha,”  Ravi Shankar Prasad Union Law and Justice Minister told the media outside Parliament on Tuesday. His statement came after the Congress led other Opposition parties, and staged a walkout from the Upper House of Parliament, demanding that the suspension of the eight other members be revoked. 

Prasad, however, has maintained that he “expected the Congress would oppose such unruly behaviour by Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha,” reported NDTV, “We have never seen a Congress MP dancing on the Rajya Sabha table and tear papers,” added Prasad. He maintained that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -led NDA government had a clear majority in the Rajya Sabha for passing the farm Bills on Sunday, which led to the current scenario of protests and suspensions unfolding.

He earlier expressed his solidarity with RS deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh for the latter’s “humiliation” and “hurt”

माननीय हरिवंश जी!
आपका ह्रदय से अभिनन्दन।
राज्य सभा में उपसभापति पद पर हुए अपमान से आप आहात हैं और पूरा देश भी। महामहिम राष्ट्रपति को लिखा आपका पत्र बहुत प्रेरणादायी है। (1/3) pic.twitter.com/jwA3kZUUE1

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 22, 2020

Harivansh Narayan Singh, had written a long letter detailing his view of the manner of dissent expressed by Opposition leaders who were demanding a democratic vote on the farmers’ bill. 

Apart from declaring that he will “fast” for a day, he felt insulted as the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, when the Opposition MPs rebelled. He invoked Bihar, his humble upbringing, connection with Bihar, being influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, Lohia, JP etc. Harivansh Singh also went to the eight suspended Rajya Sabha MPs taking them tea and snacks. 

While it seems that they did not partake, this moved Prime Minister Narendra Modi who tweeted that he was impressed that Bihar’s ethos had inspired Harivansh Singh, an MP from Bihar to be “statesman like” in his conduct. The PM was also impressed that the RS Dy Chairman “personally” went to “serve tea to those who attacked and insulted him a few days ago”, and congratulated him.

To personally serve tea to those who attacked and insulted him a few days ago as well as those sitting on Dharna shows that Shri Harivansh Ji has been blessed with a humble mind and a big heart. It shows his greatness. I join the people of India in congratulating Harivansh Ji.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2020

However, as TMC member and MP Derek o Brien had stated earlier, the Opposition was not going to “just sit and watch” while he said “on Sunday September 20, the government murdered parliamentary democracy. They broke every rule of #Parliament. Did they hope that the opposition would just sit and watch?” He had also shared a nine minute video to explain what happened.

Around 1pm on Sunday September 20, the government murdered parliamentary democracy. They broke every rule of #Parliament.
Did they hope that the opposition would just sit and watch?

Here’s a 9 min video. pic.twitter.com/HMZbFiSXpo

— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) September 20, 2020

He also changed his profile photo in protest:h

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/UZ99MBC8dI

— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) September 22, 2020

The Rajya Sabha MPs had sat on an all-night vigil at Gandhi Statue in the Parliament compound. And were visited by their colleagues including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who said he went to “express solidarity with the eight suspended MPs” 

Exiting Parliament, stopped by the lawns near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue to express solidarity with the eight suspended Rajya Sabha MPs who’re on an all-night vigil. Spoke w/ ⁦@derekobrienmp⁩, ⁦@SATAVRAJEEV⁩ (who spent his birthday here!), E.Kareem & ⁦@manojkjhadu⁩ pic.twitter.com/JkPKsDVX62

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 21, 2020

Maharashtra’s political patriarch Sharad Pawar’s also announced a day-long fast to show his support to the eight suspended Rajya Sabha MPs. The opposition also boycotted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha, hours after it walked out of the Rajya Sabha reported NDTV.

Earlier in the day, according to the news report the Opposition had said it will boycott the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha till three key demands, including revoking the suspension of eight members, are met. The eight members of the Rajya Sabha were suspended on Monday for the rest of the session over the chaos in the House during Sunday’s passing of the farm bills. 

The members, including Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay singh, Congress’s Rajeev Satav and CPM’s KK Ragesh, refused to leave the complex. 

Related:

Agricultural Bills passed sans votes! Nation-wide, farmers rise in anger, Oppn United
The end of Parliament Democracy: Farmers’ Unions decry passage of Agri Bills in RS
Amendments to agricultural laws, dangerous for farmers: National Unions
Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s resignation, a public warning from Punjab farmers?

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