Conspiracy | SabrangIndia

Hate-speech deployed by right-wing groups demanding UCC, Population Control Bill

sabrang — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 08:54:50 +0000

In a series of rallies held in different parts of India, spanning from the north to south west, Hindu right wing organisations have raised protests and arguments over the Waqf Board Act, alleged encroachments on Hindu properties, and population issues – from population to land ‘Jihad’, these protests were invested with blaming Muslims and Christians of a heavy conspiracy against the Indian Nation.

Dhanbad, Jharkhand

One such rally took place in Randheer Varma Chowl, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, where Hindu Janajagruti and Tarun Hindu organised a protest against the Waqf Board Act and the perceived conspiracy of “Land Jihad.” The participants demanded the repeal of the act and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code. They argued that previous governments had unfairly favoured Muslims through the Waqf Board, leading to the usurpation of Hindu homes, fields, shops, and temples. The protesters also claimed that this was a conspiracy against the Indian nation. The rally garnered attention on social media with a video posted on Twitter account of HindutvaWatch on July 12, 2023.

Location: Dhanbad, Jharkhand

Hindu Janajagruti organised a rally to protest against the Waqf Board Act and the conspiracy theory of “Land Jihad”. pic.twitter.com/FjNb6W9hTH

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) July 12, 2023

Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

Similarly, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bajrang Dal organised a rally at Ramlila Maidan where fear-mongering against Muslims took place, and a population control bill was demanded. Posters at the gathering urged people to abandon secularism and embrace the slogan “Vande Mataram.” One poster also read “Scrap the Constitution’s Article 30, institute the teachings of the Veda-Purana to be compulsorily followed.”

There was, according to the video, a heavy presence of Police. The following video capturing the event was shared on Twitter on July 12, 2023.

Location: Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

Bajrang Dal organized a rally where its members indulged in fear-mongering against Muslims and demanded a population control bill.

Fact-check: https://t.co/kqSR3YjJ0y pic.twitter.com/nnn9Sr7OC1

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) July 12, 2023

Jalna, Maharashtra

Moving west to Jalna, Maharashtra, a rally organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj featured a speech by Dhananjay Desai, President of Hindu Rashtra Sena. Desai’s address was filled with hate speech and conspiracy theories targeting Muslims. The video of the event was posted on Twitter on July 13, 2023.

Durg, Chhattisgarh

Further north in Durg, Chhattisgarh, and a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) delivered a communal speech stoking fear against the Muslim community. The speaker alleged that ‘Jihadis’ would acquire land by exploiting religious institutions such as Waqf boards, shrines, and graveyards. Furthermore, the leader claimed that intruders of Pakistan, Rohingya, and Bangladesh nationalities and ethnicities had also settled in Chhattisgarh, and expressed disappointment with the government for providing them with ‘Jaati Pramaan Patra’ (caste permits). A video recording of this event was uploaded on July 12, 2023.

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Delhi violence: What is happening in case involving the conspiracy FIR under UAPA?

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 11:24:36 +0000

Image Courtesy:outlookindia.com

After the Delhi violence in the north east region of the National Capital, the Delhi Police had registered an FIR on March 6 last year booking 18 people under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, 1959 and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

People implicated under this FIR 59 of 2020, are Tahir Hussain, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima Khatoon, Safoora Zargar, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmad, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Taslim Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Faizan Khan, Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid. Safoora, Asif, Natasha, Devangana and Faizan are out on bail.

During human rights defender Ishrat Jahan’s bail arguments in August this year, the Delhi Police questioned the maintainability of her plea. As we have previously reported in SabrangIndia, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP), Amit Prasad (appearing for Delhi Police) argued that Jahan’s bail application was not maintainable because it was filed under section 439 (Special powers of High Court or Court of Session regarding bail) of the Criminal Procedure Code whereas, the special court can only hear cases filed under section 437, which deals with the provisions of when bail matters may be taken up in case of a non-bailable offence.

Pradeep Teotia who is representing Ishrat Jahan, argued that the court had heard bail applications under section 439 and that the prosecution knew this beforehand and still did not point it out earlier. He had said, “Rule of practice and Rule of law are different. Prosecution wants to derive sadistic pleasure that I will continue to be in custody? I can file a new application. The Court has already heard the application on merits.” He contended that this objection does not matter as his arguments and prayers will remain the same. The court will now hear Ishrat’s matter on September 10.

Soon after, in the ongoing bail hearing of Umar Khalid, his lawyer, Senior Advocate Trideep Pais withdrew his bail application under section 439 and filed a new one under section 437, as we have reported in SabrangIndia. On September 6, 2021, Pais submitted to the court, “I have moved an application under section 437, and removed section 439. I don’t want it to come in the way. There is no impediment for the court to consider under the relevant provision.” He alleged that the Police was indulging in “dilatory tactic”. To this, the APP Amit Prasad argued that he would file a reply to this application. Today on September 8, the arguments in his case were adjourned to September 23 and the court will now hear his bail plea under a fresh application.

Co-accused Khalid Saifi, represented by Rebecca John, also withdrew his bail plea under section 439 of CrPC and later filed it under Section 437 of the CrPC.

Shifa-Ur-Rehman

Jamia Alumni Association President, Rehman was arrested on April 26, 2020. Advocate Abhishek Singh, appearing for Shifa-ur-Rehman, argued today, on September 8, that the objection raised by prosecution on the maintainability of bail plea filed under section 439 of the CrPC is a “wrong preposition”.

He relied on a couple of judgments to argue that, “The application for regular bail before the special court will lie only under section 439 and not section 437 because of the NIA Act. The NIA act or the UAPA act does not provide for application of bail. Section 43D (5) is just a restriction to grant bail. So, the application will be dealt with section 439.”

He clarified that he argued on the issue of maintainability because he anticipated that this issue may arise later. He said, “I knew it may arise in future. I read it in the media so I dealt with it beforehand.”

Judge Amitabh Rawat added that in one of the cases (referring to Ishrat Jahan), the State has questioned the maintainability of the application. “The prosecution took this technical objection. There were some arguments but some co-accused withdrew their applications without the court’s findings…I understand their anxiety but there are no findings of this court…I have faced this objection for the first time.”

Shifa’s hearing has now been adjourned to September 21.

Meeran Haider

Meeran Haider’s lawyer, Faraz Maqbool appeared today, on September 8 and raised the same issue. Maqbool said, “We are also in a similar situation where we don’t know if the prosecution is taking the objection with regards to maintainability”. He sought a clarification from the court whether or not he is supposed to file a fresh application.

Judge Rawat responded by saying that he might have to adjudicate on this issue and pass an order if bail pleas under section 439 are maintainable or not. “I think they (prosecution) are going to take it. Whether or not it is written, since they have taken it in one case. The difficulty is that some co- accused have withdrawn 439 and filed fresh 437 [applications]….and some are agitating under section 439, so I will have to give a finding to avoid confusion, and this will keep angering the accused because what to do…”

Advocate Maqbool argued that APP Prasad should clarify if he is going to take any further objection about the maintainability in Meeran Haider’s case. Without offering any clarity, Prasad said, “In any case a finding has to come from this court. Mr. Teotia (Ishrat’s counsel) has made it clear that he wants a finding from the court. Whether I take that objection or not will remain at the root of the matter.” His matter has been scheduled for hearing on September 18.

Student activist Meeran Haider from Jamia Millia Islamia University was summoned to the Special Cell Police Station, Lodhi Road on April 1, 2020, and after being questioned for almost all day, was arrested the same day by the Special Cell.

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Red Fort case is Conspiracy to cause embarrassment: Delhi Police

Sat, 29 May 2021 07:33:24 +0000

Image Courtesy:hindustantimes.com

Delhi Police crime branch has named 16 suspects in the charge sheet filed on the Republic Day violence allegedly by a section of anti farm law protesters. According to media reports the Delhi Police has charged that the violence was “a deep-rooted, well-orchestrated conspiracy.” It stated that the accused used the “very auspicious occasion” to hoist the Nishan Sahib and Kisan Flag at Red Fort “in order to cause embarrassment and humiliation at the national and international level to the people of this country” reported Indian Express.

The charge sheet was filed on May 17 in a Delhi court reported Hindustan Times and the police stated that the accused came well equipped to “cause mayhem” and then use the Red Fort premises as their ‘new protest site.’ It has also been alleged that the group of protesters who are accused in this case had a “preconceived and well-coordinated” plan to break the agreement between police and farmer leaders about the three routes for the tractor rally on Republic Day.

As reported by SabrangIndia on January 26, there was unprecedented chaos in the city and an emergency meeting was called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah who then directed additional security forces to remain on alert in Delhi. Earlier that day a group of protestors reached the ramparts of the Red Fort, and others entered the city from various points. This was a shocking turn of events as lakhs of farmers have been protesting peacefully on the borders of Delhi, and not one single incidence of violence or chaos was reported till then. The Farmers had planned their Republic Day tractor march after consultations with and permission from Delhi Police. However, as some breached the barriers, chaos ensued.

Months later, the Delhi Police charge sheet has alleged that protesters had a “pre-conceived and well-coordinated” plan to break the agreement between police and farmer leaders about the three routes for the tractor rally on Republic Day.

According to news report the police stated that the protesters wanted “to conquer/get hold of (Red Fort)” and then “make it a new protest site for farmers” adding that the “episode of violence is the outcome of a deep-rooted well-orchestrated conspiracy as the arrested persons along with other known and unknown persons, leaders and instigators (who have not yet been arrested), had deliberately, intentionally, and knowingly chosen the very auspicious occasion of the country viz Republic Day 2021, to hoist Nishan Sahib and Kisan Flag, in order to cause embarrassment and humiliation at the national and international level to the people of this country.”

The charge sheet as quoted by IE reads: “The very purpose of this conspiracy was hatched/orchestrated in two parts, i.e., firstly visit Red Fort to conquer/get hold of it and secondly to make it a new protest site for farmers protesting against the newly enacted Bill/Act,” it added. According the news report the police FIR estimated that “1,000 people, on 30-40 tractors and around 150 motorcycles and cars,” forcibly entered the Red Fort premises, “where they chased and assaulted policemen, looted their anti-riot gear, held some hostage inside a public toilet and vandalised the ticket counter.”

The 3,224 page charge sheet was submitted before a duty metropolitan magistrate in Tis Hazari court, reported HT adding that Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu has been named in the charge sheet along with 15 others. All of them were arrested in connection with the case filed by the police, since then Sidhu and 12 others have been released on bail. According to HT, the other three accused, identified as Maninderjit Singh, a Dutch national of Indian origin, Khempreet Singh and Jabrajang Singh, are still in judicial custody.

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Why do investigations into the Delhi riots appear to be a conspiracy in itself?

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 13:39:16 +0000

Image Courtesy:thequint.com

Delhi Police is attempting to criminalise a democratic and protest, say, anti-CAA-NRC-NPR activists, as it continues to be linked to, and blamed for instigating the communal riots of North East Delhi that took place in February. While scores of activists have been arrested, remain in jail, and are regularly called in for questioning on their participation in the anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests, even though the investigations are on the cases related to the communal riots, none of the political leaders whose controversial speeches are a matter of public record, have even been mentioned in any official investigation. None of the politicians have even been called for questioning, or asked to join any ongoing investigation into the riot cases.

Activists, writers, lawyers, university professors, scholars who were an active part of the anti CAA movement held a press conference in solidarity with those who have been arrested, named in first information reports, or been called for extensive questioning and investigations. Activists such as Harsh Mander, Kawalpreet Kaur, Umar Khalid, Prof Apporvanand, etc have all been made to face tough questioning by the Delhi Police. While politicians such as Kapil Mishra and Anurag Thakur, whose controversial speeches circulated widely before the Delhi riots have not even been mentioned in any police report.

This, stated the activists, is an attempt at whitewashing facts and steering the narrative of the sequence of events in another direction. They state that Delhi Police believes that there was a conspiracy behind the February communal violence in Delhi, however it appears that the “actual conspiracy” was a very different one from the one which Delhi Police is propagating.” The activists alleged that the investigation into the Delhi 2020 carnage itself is a conspiracy.

“No major episode of communal violence is spontaneous: it is always planned, organised and facilitated. Such violence requires first the creation of hatred. In Delhi we saw the build-up during the Delhi elections of a climate of hatred spawned by hate speech by senior leaders targeting the protestors against CAA NRC NPR – unprecedented level of communal venom in any election in Delhi,” said Harsh Mander, who was once an IAS officer and has seen how riots can be controlled if the administration is willing, adding, “the critical factor in any riot conspiracy is the role of the state, and particularly the police – no riot can go on for more than a few hours except if the government wishes for it to do so.” He alleged that there is a “complicit partisan role of the police in the Delhi riots as was recalled by testimonies of survivors recalling “the police enabling, encouraging and actually indulging in hate violence”.

The conspiracy behind the Delhi violence he said is this “effort to punish and crush the largest non-violent protests in independent India.” According to Mander, who too has been questioned by the police, “every day the Special Branch which normally investigates grave crimes like terror is busy summoning mostly young people, and sometimes seniors, grilling them ,intimidating them, and sometimes as Umar has testified, making them create false evidence.”

Umar Khalid, the former JNU scholar, had been called for questioning twice in two months and had this week, shared how he was told that another person being questioned was presented by a prepared statement by the police, to implicate him.

Khalid said the process began in March when a video clip of a few seconds from a long speech he had made on civil rights was shared out of context, by the right wing IT cells. The clip was then picked up, and still reported out of context with none of the media having seen the full speech where he spoke about non violence and satyagraha as forms of protest. The clip was shared by the RW on March 3 and an FIR was lodged against Khalid on March 6, filled by a ‘secret informer’. “there is a chronology to this investigation”, said Khalid. He asked the Delhi Police how they missed the rally by Kapil Mishra on December 20, 2019, even though section 144 was in place and gatherings banned in Delhi. “Why is the Delhi Police silent?” he asked.

Kawalpreet Kaur, AISA leader and activist who too had been questioned and her phone seized, said the police was attempting to spread fear in students activists with such actions. The attempt she said was to curb dissent but added that student activists must stand up to that fearlessly, “We must remain united.” This was echoed by Khalid, and Mandar too, who said that there was a need to stand in solidarity with those, “languishing in prison for months without bail in the name of this so-called conspiracy We are gathered here today above all in the defence and solidarity with these young people.”

Mandar added that all activists now facing Delhi Police action now “did participate in the non-violent movement against CAA NRC NPR, and are proud to have done so. During the protests some WhatsApp groups were made. Now every word exchanged in these groups is being examined with a defective microscope by the police, their meaning and context deliberately and mischievously misinterpreted, the truth ripped into shreds and reimagined to create the mythology of a conspiracy of hate, violence and insurrection.”

He added that the protests, “were to uphold the Constitution, and the idea of an inclusive and humane country of equal citizenship, which is the proudest legacy of our freedom struggle. The young people and we protested because we love our country dearly, and we seek to make this country better for all its citizens, of every religion, caste, class and gender, by holding the state accountable to stand by its duties to the constitution. It is a travesty to describe this as a crime against the nation. The purpose of the state is transparent; to destroy the basic guarantees and freedoms of our constitution.”

He, and the other activists have stated strongly that the “effort of the Indian state, facilitated by the Delhi Police, is to crush our voices, our dissent, and our struggles to uphold our constitution. We declare here – and hope those holding highest office in the country hear us loud and clear – that the government will never succeed in silencing us, and will never succeed in taking away from us the dream we inherited from our freedom struggle, of together building a country which is just, and equal, and kind.”

The following is the entire press statement released by the activists:

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Savarkar’s Bust Erected in DU and Ravidas Temple Demolished in Tughlaqabad

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 05:29:31 +0000

A while ago Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar’s statue were destroyed in many parts of Uttar Pradesh. Now a Ravidas temple has been demolished by DDA in Delhi.

From economic crisis to the tensed situation in Kashmir the country is going through a sensitive times. A while ago Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar’s statue were destroyed in many parts of Uttar Pradesh. Now a Ravidas temple has been demolished by DDA in Delhi. In Delhi University a bust of Savarkar, who had apologised many times to the British government, was erected. In these various incidents one can see the pattern of divisive politics and conspiracy to spread animosity in the society. Senior journalist Urmilesh discussing the various aspects of this pattern in this video.

Courtesy: News Click

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PADS Condemns Modi Government’s Conspiracy Against People of Jammu and Kashmir

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 06:39:38 +0000

The parliament of India on 6th August put its stamp of approval on bills abrogating article 370 and downgrading the state of Jammu and Kashmir to two union territories. When the representatives of the people of India were deciding the fate of the state, the people of J&K were forced into collective house arrests. Armed forces imposed curfew like restrictions on movement, all means of communications were blacked out, hundreds of politicians and party activists, including former chief ministers of the state were behind bars. It is clear that the Modi government lacked the courage to face the reaction of the people of the state to its actions, and hid behind bayonets of the Indian army and a legal scam in parliament. With these steps the Republic of India has grievously damaged the civil political bridge between it and the people of Kashmir.

Actions of the Modi government are a fraud not only on the people of J&K, but also on Indian constitution and democracy. Article 370 was a result of careful negotiations within the constituent assembly between stalwarts like Ambedkar, Patel and Nehru and representatives of J&K.No one can deny that it was stamped by the requirements of the time. Its spirit has been repeatedly violated by all governments of India, and it had become more of an empty shell. However, constitutional morality demands that an agreement that has been entered by two parties be amended or abrogated only by mutual consent. What Modi govt has done is nothing short of legalised bullying. Furthermore, it has indulged in a legal trickery. What the constitution expressly prohibits it from doing, it has done through back-door. Article 370, as drafted in the constituent assembly, is a fairly fool-proof document. It can be amended only by the concurrence of the constituent assembly of the J&K, a body which has ceased to exist. It is a legal question whether the next best option, an elected legislative assembly of the state can concur with its amendment. Modi government dissolved the elected assembly of the state last year, and has not allowed a new assembly to be elected. It has usurped the rights of the people of the state, unilaterally given to itself the right to abrogate article 370, and done what the constitution does not permit it to do.

Constitution of India is driven by an inclusive spirit that accepts the diversity of India, and refrains from imposing a forced homogeneity on Indians. Its various schedules allow for specific political and administrative provisions for different conditions in different parts of the country. Besides Kashmir, many such provisions are in place in the North-East of the country. Such provisions allow autonomous political development in such regions, and make their association with India voluntary to an extent, rather than forced.The Hindutva ideology of RSS followed by the Modi governmentis diametrically opposed to the idea of nationhood in the constitution. It wants India to be a Hindu rashtra, privileging one religious community over all others. The primary aim of the RSS and the Modi government is to solidify a majoritarian politics among Hindus around an aggressive and violent nationalism. Demonisation of Muslims is an integral component of this majoritarianism. Devaluation of the only Muslim majority state in the country is part of this politics.

It is extremely worrying that significant sections of Indians are falling for the majoritarian bait. While the people of J&K, whose political fate has been decided by the Modi government, are locked under curfew and Indian forces are using pellet bullets against Kashmiris who are coming out in opposition to government’s move, many people in the rest of India are approving government’s action in the name of their country. They have forsaken their political wisdom. They are not asking a simple question. Do they want their country of 1.3 billion to be one which uses more than one third of its armed forces against eight million inhabitants of a small valley, whose population is less than one percent of Indians, actually less half of the city state of Delhi. As for the anti-India insurgency, all indicators prove that the level of violence as shown in the number Indian soldiers and unarmed civilians killed has increased manifold under the Modi government. Ordinary people everywhere want peace with dignity.

Against this basic instinct of ordinary people, organisations like the RSS and parties like the BJP thrive in an environment of violence and hatred. It is in their interest to keep the cycle of violence in Kashmir going.

Actions of Modi government on article 370 have also exposed the bankruptcy of almost all Indian political parties. Their opportunistic politics is driven only by the logic of power, and they cannot see that majoritarian bullying, through which strong oppress the weak, is not democracy. Most regional parties have not even responded to the blatant attack of the Modi government on the constitutional federalism in the country by unilaterally breaking a state and turning it into centrally administered territories.

People’s Alliance for Democracy demands that

1. The government of India immediately take back recent changes in the status of J&K. If it wishes to abrogate 370 it should do so only through a dialogue with the people of the state, or their elected representatives.

2. All restrictions on the daily lives of the people of J&K be revoked immediately, political leaders and activistsin the state be released at once, and people be allowed to express their reactions to the government move freely.

PADS appeals to the people of India to not fall for the ruse of majoritarian nationalism. Their democratic rights will be respected only in a country which is inclusive and does not reduce parts of its population to prisoners of its nationhood.

Battini Rao, Convenor, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) battini.rao@gmail.com

Courtesy: Counter Current

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Complaint Against Met Dept for Colluding with Seed & Pesticide Makers to Predict Rainfall: Farmers, Maharashtra

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 05:20:39 +0000

Farmers from a village in Marathwada’s Beed district filed a police complaint on Friday against the India Meteorological Department (IMD), accusing it of colluding with seed and pesticide manufacturers and inflating monsoon forecast figures, reports PTI

This complaint has been filed at Dindrud police station in Majalgaon tehsil of Beed district, alleges that officials at the Pune and Colaba Met Department “colluded” with manufacturers and caused losses of lakhs of rupees to farmers who sowed their fields based on the IMD forecast.

Gangabhishan Thaware, 54, a farmer from Anandgaon village in Beed district and a complainant, said IMD officials misled farmers with a forecast that said there would be ample rain during the kharif season in June and July. “Farmers sowed their fields based on the IMD forecast, but after a brief initial spell, there has been no rain and farmers are staring at a bleak future. The sowing operations having gone waste,” Mr. Thaware said. In the complaint, he has added, “Farmers in our region completed pre-sowing operations before June, based on the IMD forecast which said there will be ample rains in June and July. They spent lakhs of rupees on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and labourers wages. But it hasn’t rained since. IMD officials and seed and fertiliser companies who colluded and gave an inflated monsoon forecast are responsible for the plight of farmers and should be taken to task.” Mr. Thaware said farmers have also written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking his intervention.

Dr. P.K. Nandankar, senior scientist, IMD, Pune said information they provide are advisories to the Central and State governments to aid the planning process. “It is up to citizens, including farmers, to interpret them. Every monsoon has a couple of dry spells, and our forecasts had made it clear that the usually arid Marathwada region is going through a dry patch.”

Dismissing the farmers’ allegations, Dr. Nandankar said newspapers had reported extensively on the dry spell in Marathwada. He added that IMD bulletins are sent to the State Department of Agriculture twice a week, and agricultural universities are updated through messages and alerts to help them advise farmers better.

“Our daily 30-page forecast bulletins are not region-specific and cover the whole country. Our short-range forecasts give approximate weather conditions over a five-day period. If we say, for instance, that Marathwada will receive 700 mm rainfall this monsoon as compared to its average 500 mm, we are not exaggerating but merely making a long-term prediction. It entirely depends on how people and farmers use this data,” he said.

An official at Majalgaon police station said they have received the farmers’ complaint and were looking into the matter.

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Modi’s War on Cash: Can the Govt be Trusted with the Money of Millions of Indians?

Sun, 11 Dec 2016 05:09:03 +0000

The “Ice Nine” Solution Could be a move to use the hard-earned savings of millions of Indians to Bank Roll Bad and Unsustainable Debt

Is there a more doubtful, even sinister move behind the war on cash?- Steal from hard earned savings and wealth of the vast majority to bankroll bad and unsustainable debt? Even worse, freeze access to a citizen’s own money and earnings as was done in Greece during the crisis of 2015?

“This war has been in full swing in Europe and the U.S. for a long time. Governments plan to use negative interest rates, confiscatory taxes and other techniques to rob savers of their wealth. In order to do this, they have to force savings into digital accounts at large government-controlled banks. As long as savers can hold cash, they can avoid many of these confiscation techniques. Therefore, governments must eliminate cash.” Jim Rickards- author of The Road to Ruin.

The demonetization blitzkrieg of the NDA government was served to the unsuspecting Indian public as a moral crusade to destroy the twin evils of black money and counterfeit notes. But as the days went by the stated objects of the demonetization fell apart and the government did a series of embarrassing flip flops to put forth the view that the object was to usher in a cashless society where the digitally baptized citizens would swipe their plastic cards and waft to and fro in digital wallets with consummate ease.

If the overt objectives of the demonetization, i.e eradication of black money and counterfeit notes were indeed laughable, then other concerns about its covert objectives gave rise to legitimate concerns. What then is the hidden agenda of the demonetization exercise?

The answer lies in the crisis plaguing the Indian Public sector banks. Beset by bad debts caused by profligate borrowing by the corporate elites the public sector banks are saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs). Conservative estimates place the NPA at Rs 6 trillion.

Moreover, ‘gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 9.5 per cent of total advances in 2015-16, up from five per cent the year before.’ The bad news keeps piling up ‘But as most banks didn’t adequately provide for these loans, it has put pressure on their solvency position. If PSBs were to currently provide for all their bad loans, it would erode 66 per cent of their total net worth..’ The PSU banks have reported a loss of Rs 17,672 crore in 2015-16, down from a profit of Rs 36,350 crore in 2014-15.’ This has a ripple effect ‘their stock prices have tanked, eroding crores of rupees in market capitalisation. The Nifty PSU Bank Index declined from a high of 4,419.25 in January 2015 to 2,913 on July 20, 2016.’

Another nail in bank sector’s coffin appears to be severe erosion in the bank deposit base. As a business report states ‘Indian banks are staring at a deposit erosion of Rs 1.5-2 lakh crore between September and November as foreign currency non-resident deposits (FCNR) mobilized in 2013 mature around that time. This could result in an acute liquidity shortage and a possible de-growth of balance sheets.’ The savings from the household sector fell to 9.8% of GDP reaching the lowest level in 25 years.

Thus deposits being mobilized from the household sector of the economy appear grim. The problem of liquidity crunch and the accumulating corporate bad loans is made worse in a fractional reserve banking system where the mountain of credit rests on a sliver of liquidity base. In the event of financial panic involving banks, investors would take their deposit from banks in physical cash and bolt for safety.

There are basically two approaches to the problem. First is to make money readily available to satisfy the demand and hoping thereby to calm the panic and stop the bank run. This is a classic central bank function as the lender of last resort. The second approach is to say no and freeze the system. This approach is also called “Ice Nine”.

The term “Ice Nine” is from the novel “Cat’s Cradle” written by Kurt Vonnegut in 1963. This substance was discovered by a character in the book, a Dr. Felix Hoenikker, which could freeze another molecule of water when it came into contact with it. “Ice Nine” had the awesome capacity to freeze rivers, lakes and oceans.
In a financial panic, a “Ice Nine” approach means taking draconian measures to prevent or severely restrict withdrawal of physical cash from bank accounts, shutting down ATM’s and ordering asset managers not to sell securities. In other words this means financial repression or lockdown.

“Ice Nine” was put to deadly effect in the Cyprus banking crisis in 2012 and the Greek sovereign crisis in 2015. The financial repression was brutally enforced: Banks were shut down and the ATM machines were taken out. The banks blocked the depositors from withdrawing physical cash from their accounts. A mad scramble for cash started. In Cyprus the Laiki Bank was shut down and the bank of Cyprus was restructured by the government. Deposits above the insured amount of e 100,000 was transferred to a bad bank where the chance of recovering any sum was next to impossible. At the bank of Cyprus, the meat cleaver was applied with deadly effect: around 47.5% of the uninsured deposits over e 100000 were used to recapitalize the bank. Financial commentators whose humour was on the dark side called it the Cyprus haircut. Some called it a bail-in. Others called it simply an officially sanctioned theft.

The Cyprus haircut got policy status in the newly formed global organization by G20 called the Financial Stability Board (FSB). In an arcane technical report FSB made it clear that in the event of bank losses the depositors should absorb the losses. The bank deposits could be used to write down and convert into equity all or parts of the unsecured deposit lying with the bank.

The Cyprus haircut was applied with deadly effect in the Greek crisis during 2015. The modus operandi was the same: the banks were shut down and the ATM machines stopped dispensing cash. Credit cards were declined by merchants and the people resorted to quasi barter system to keep trade and commerce going. Depositors realized that their bank deposit was not theirs and could be frozen any time. In other words they could get a Cyprus haircut.

The demonetization shock therapy administered by the corporate friendly neo-liberal government of Modi could in all probability be another bail-in for the Public sector banks plundered by the corporate elites. Ominously the key ingredient “Ice Nine” (freezing or restricting cash withdrawals) seems to be essential part of the package.

The government’s “Ice Nine” has grave implications for the household sector savings in bank accounts. This includes senior citizens having deposits in the banks who are struggling against medical and other costs and who are dependent on interest from fixed deposits. Will their sequestered cash lying frozen in bank accounts be used to wipe out the bad bank debts of the corporate elites? Will the sequestered bank deposits suffer negative rate of interest from which there is no escape?
At risk is also the informal sector of day workers, small businesses and farmers who would be locked in digital wallets and pummeled by transaction costs, bank fees and service taxes. Gone are the days when one could withdraw cash freely and transact without burdensome charges or fees. It is standard operating procedure for governments wedded to neo-liberal policies to lessen corporate tax and income tax in favour of regressive indirect taxes, levies, and charges falling on the wretched of the earth. For neo-liberal ideologues there is no greater pleasure than in extracting wealth from the bottom of the pyramid.

With “Ice Nine” in place for freezing cash in bank accounts or digital wallets, it is unlikely that the meek shall inherit a digital Eldorado. In a deadly run up to a cashless society it is more probable that they shall get a surgical haircut- Cyprus style.

(The author is a lawyer from Bangalore,India.He writes for the Economic and Political Weekly and has contributed to the Monthly Review and Global Research.He's an avid reader of websites with alternative views.His writings are available at sapientpen.blogspot.in; twitter handle: @sapientpen)

James Rickards – The Death of Money – 04-30-15

Also Read:

1. Can The Move Towards a Cashless Society Lead to Alternative Currencies?

The post Modi’s War on Cash: Can the Govt be Trusted with the Money of Millions of Indians? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Organisation & Planning Helped Godse Pull the Trigger on the Mahatma

Sun, 11 Sep 2016 17:40:03 +0000

Organisation and Meticulous Planning Helped Godse Pull the Trigger on the Mahatma

Nathuram Godse shot Bapu thrice and killed him. But he was inept and incapable of succeeding without the support of an organisation. The accused enjoyed countrywide support, easy and unlimited funds and supplies. This could not have been possible without organisational involvement. There were two organisations with whom all the accused were closely associated — the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha. For some strange reason, despite clues and confessions, these two organisations were never investigated ..

Why? We will never know. Godse and Narayan Apte, the other accused who was executed for his role in the murder, were known to boast and brag, but were not known to deliver. According to Manohar Malgonkar's The Men Who Killed Gandhi, to impress Vinayak Savarkar, Godse and Apte used to brag about various schemes to attack Muslims, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Muslim League. Their modus operandi was to seek Savarkar's blessings for their schemes and then seek finance and support from members of the RSS, Hindu Mahasabha and staunch Savarkarites.

One of the first schemes they sold was to raid the revenue agencies of the Hyderabad Nizam close to the border with the Bombay Province. For this, they collected funds, then approached Dixit Maharaj — brother of Dada Maharaj, who was a head of a sect of affluent Hindus — and asked him for one of his large cars.

Three weeks went by. When no news of raids on the Nizam were reported, Dixit Maharaj came looking for his car and found Apte romancing his girlfriend in the car he had borrowed for the raid. Next, the duo came up with a proposal to blow up the Pakistan assembly with a mortar. They secured Savarkar's blessings and collected funds, but did not deliver. When news came that two special trains carrying arms and ammunitions, Pakistan's share, would travel to the new nation, the duo sold a scheme of blowing up both the trains using bazookas. This time too, no action.

Then they decided to buy a Sten gun and use it to strafe fleeing Muslims. They abandoned it after not being able to even cock it. The final scheme they attempted to sell was to set up a supply chain of arms and ammunitions to fight the Kabalis invading Kashmir: they planned to recruit and train young Hindu fighters to fight the Kabalis, but by now their backers had lost faith in them, writes Malgonkar.

There was a link between all the failed attempts on Bapu's life and his murder. There were five known attempts on Bapu's life, which failed. In each one of them the common factors were Poona, Godse, Apte, RSS and Hindu Mahasabha members, according to the report of the Kapur Commission, which inquired into the conspiracy to murder the Mahatma, and press reports. Except for the last attempt, all happened prior to independence and were not investigated.

The first was on June 25, 1934, in Poona; second in July 1944 in Panchgani; third in September 1944 in Sevagram; fourth on June 19, 1946, somewhere in the Western Ghats between Karjat and Khandala; and fifth on January 20, 1948, in Birla House, New Delhi. All failed. Except in the first and fourth, no one was caught and none was investigated; in the three others Apte, Godse and the participation of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha members was reported, according to the Kapur Commission's report.

Who Put the Gun in Godse's Hand?

What is chilling is that unlike popular perception that Godse took advantage of an opportunity to murder Bapu, it was methodically planned. Although five attempts failed, these preparations helped Godse and Apte succeed.

Since 1946, after the Direct Action Day killings in Calcutta — where Hindus and Muslims clashed — and the retaliatory massacres in its wake, whenever Bapu was in Delhi and conducted his public, multi-faith evening prayers, every time the Aayats from the Koran were read, people would rise up and protest. The protests turned progressively severe and aggressive. Apte and Godse had even boasted about carrying out one very aggressive protest at the Sweeper's Colony in Delhi where Gandhi stayed. "We scared him off," they had boasted in Poona.

The last failed attempt and when Godse eventually murdered Bapu were at the time of his evening prayers. The plan was to create an impression that people were angry with Bapu for his insistence on reciting Islamic prayers and the murder happened as an eruption of spontaneous fury against his obduracy. Godse and Apte did not have the capability to sustain such a long-term campaign. Only a cadre-based organisation could sustain such a campaign.

Till two days before Bapu was murdered, Godse did not possess a gun. Miraculously, on January 28, 1948, Godse and Apte procured one of the best pistols of that time from Gwalior. The most efficient, a favourite of close-range killers: a fully loaded "fascist special" Beretta 9 mm semi-automatic. Dattatraya Parchure of Gwalior was arrested for helping them procure the gun and he confessed everything. But in the high court appeal, a clever defence lawyer got him acquitted, citing a procedural lapse in his arrest. What is shocking is that how Godse acquired the gun and where it came from was never investigated.

They could not have procured the gun without the help of a pan-national organisation. Even better: a pannational organisation with a fanatically loyal cadre who were willing to abide by aadesh, orders, from the headquarters. No courts or inquiry commissions ever absolved the RSS of involvement in the Gandhi murder: they could not because they were not asked to pass judgment on the RSS' involvement.

The fact remains that although on January 30, 1948, at 5.17 pm, Nathuram Godse did pump three bullets into Bapu's chest from point-blank range and murdered him, the loaded gun was put in his hands by his patrons and supportive organisations — and the aadesh, the order, came from them too.

(The writer is the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, the author of "Let's Kill Gandhi" and the managing trustee of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation)

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How Gujarat’s Top Cops Deserted Residents of Gulberg Society

Sat, 18 Jun 2016 05:02:44 +0000

Where were the Top Cops when Armed Mobs Surrounded and Attacked Gulberg Society?

Analysis with Chart

Commissioner of Police PC Pande

Curfew was declared in the Meghaninagar area where the Gulberg Society is located at 12.54 pm (according to the Police Control Room Records—PCR). By then, according to data of the PCR itself, the Gulberg Society had already been surrounded by a mob of 4-5,000 armed with weapons.
(12.38 p.m., PCR Records). In law, the Commissioner of Police, PC Pande has the responsibility of declaring curfew on time.

At 2.09 p.m. PI Meghaninagar KG Erda even asked for Central Forces but the PCR records show no deployment of paramilitary forces in the area till late in the evening, a decision that should have been taken by the Commissioner of Police, PC Pande.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Sector II, MK Tandon

He finds himself more comfortable in the Revdi Bazar area between 2 and 3 p.m. immediately after he received a call from his boss, Commissioner of Police PC Pande informing him of the attack on the residents of the Gulberg Society in the Meghaninagar area. (Revdi Bazar is five kilometres away from the Gulberg Society)

When the PCR sent a message to Tandon mentioning that Shri Ahsan Jafri and other residents of the Gulberg society were in danger, Tandon was still seen in Revdi Bazar area which was apparently calm, with no incidents of violence.

In spite of Meghaninagar PI KG Erda desperately seeking additional deployment at Gulberg around 2.30 p.m. MK Tandon leaves the Revdi Bazar area only after he was ordered to do so by City Police Commissioner, PC Pande around 3 p.m. Ironically, Revdi Bazar where Tandon appears to have sought asylum falls under the jurisdiction of his counterpart Shivanand Jha who during those crucial minutes was in the comfort of his own office at Shahibaug.

Click on the Chart for Zoom

DCP Zone IV, P.B. Gondia

Not only did Tandon shy away from the engulfed and burning Gulberg society, even his deputy,
DCP Zone IV, PB Gondia inspite of being repeatedly informed by PCR (Police Control Room) about the attack on Gulberg Society stayed away from the worst affected areas and from attending
to the helpless cries of residents. He preferred to stay at the Kuber Nagar area, 6 kilometres away.

Gondia arrives at the Gulberg Society a few minutes before 2 p.m. on that fateful day only to leave the place in less than one hour, leaving a free way of passage to the armed mob. Later that afternoon Gondia moves to the Kalupur area which does not come under his jurisdiction.

The safety of the entire Meganinagar area during the most crucial periods of the day, from 11.30 a.m.-3.30 p.m. was left on PI KG Erda’s shoulders despite the fact that Erda had himself asked the PCR to inform his bosses about the gravity of the situation and also to ensure that senior officers remain physically present as things were beyond his control. Today, KG Erda is an accused in the trial but P.B.Gondia, M.K. Tandon and P.C. Pande have escaped the investigator’s net.

Clearly evident is the fact that the top Gujarat officers turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to the pleas of victims under attack for reasonsbest known to them. The entire Meghaninagar area was left unmanned by senior police personnel even when a residential society along with a neighbouring police chowkey were set afire leading to huge casualties. Among the 70 persons maimed, massacred and burnt to ashes, were former parliamentarian Shri Ahsan Jafri.

KG Erda

(Source: Phone Call Records Analysis Co-Related with PCR Records,Citizens for Justice and Peace)

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