This is not all. The violence in the name of ‘cow slaughter’ by vigilantes, ‘love jihad’ killings targeting inter-faith relationships and marriages have added to the fire of anti-minority hatred. The enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA2019) has added to the woes of the Muslim community. Finally, the attacks on scattered prayer meetings of Christians on the pretext that these meetings are meant for conversions has kept up anti minority hate  and is getting intensified during the last few decades.

There is a gross violation of the rights of minorities and violation of the ‘Freedom of Religion’ in various forms. ‘Freedom of Religion’ acts have been implemented recklessly in various states. These laws as such are a big hurdle for the practice of one’s religion. This suppression of practice of religion added on with the hate against minorities has led to the total intimidation of religious minorities. We also witnessed the hateful rhetoric used during the 2024 national elections, the ongoing demolition of Muslim homes and the government’s renewed push to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA 2019)—a law that, especially when coupled with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), risks rendering millions of Muslims stateless and without legal protection.

This image of India being created by the acts by the BJP Government and Hindutva politics has had an adverse effect on India’s international image and standing. Attempts are on to mask up this image which reflects India’s falling position on various indices’ related to freedom and democracy. How does the Government and ruling ideological outfit of RSS deal with this reality? To begin with, India at official level does not recognise any of the agencies monitoring rankings related to human rights in particular. The government states that this is interference in the ‘internal matters’ of our country. The same Government shouts itself hoarse when the atrocities on Hindus take place in neighbouring countries. To raise concern about these atrocities is valid but the Government displays double standards on this.

To add up to the strategy of undermining the deteriorating condition of Indian minorities, now Mr. Ram Madhav, leader of RSS-BJP, in an article argues that this way of looking at violation of religious freedom is through a ‘Eurocentric lens’. In an endorsing way he presents the report of a US based think tank, “Changing the conversation about religious freedom: An integral human development approach”. As per this report “a crucial component of overall human flourishing and sustainable development has to be based on Integral Humanism”. He comments that religious freedom should not just be treated as relating to Human Rights. (I.E. June 14). This is a clever ploy to undermine the freedom of religion in the country.

As per Madhav invading Mughal armies ‘persecuted Hindus’. He puts the blame of Partition exclusively on Muslim League. In contrast to Madhav’s understanding the leader of India’s freedom movement, Gandhi saw diverse religions rooted in India and thriving with harmony. On similar lines Nehru saw our civilisation as a syncretic one. He writes “She (Bharat Mata) was like some ancient palimpsest on which layer upon layer of thought and reverie had been inscribed, and yet no succeeding layer had completely hidden or erased what had been written previously.”  

Madhav tells us about the concept of ‘Integral Humanism’ which was first propounded by Jacques Maritain in 1936. He was a Catholic Christian and has been appreciated by the highest priests of the Church. As per Madhav his concept of Integral Humanism argued to rise above religions to secure not only the material but ethical, moral and spiritual well-being of individuals. Articulating this in the context of Catholic Christianity, it might have aimed to oppose those who were trying to opt for non-Catholic sects of Christianity. He also argued for “The freedom which Christian democracy seeks to promote…”

In India this phrase was presented by BJP leader Deendayal Upadhaya, who also had an RSS background. He was part of a political outfit which is working for Hindu Nation. This ideology regards that India was enslaved by Muslim kings and then the British. This political ideology attributes many ills of Hindu society to atrocities of Muslim king in particular. The fact is that many of the ills regarding caste-Varna and gender hierarchy are mentioned in the earlier tomes regarded holy by Hindus. They are also unmindful of the fact that the administration of Muslim kings was full of upper caste Hindus at various levels.

In the four major lectures given by Upadhyay 1965 the ideology of ‘Integral Humanism’ was presented. This ideology argues against the federal structure of India and calls for ‘Dharma Raj’. As per him the Dharma is above parliament. It does argue for the predetermined role of Individual, i.e. subtly upholding caste-Varna system. It stands for status quo in society. Maritain advocated ‘Christian democracy’ while Upadhyay is part of the agenda of ‘Hindu Nation’. BJP has adopted ‘Integral Humanism’ as its ruling ideology.

The results of the Integral Humanism, which claims to be above religions, in practice adopts the values of Brahminical Hinduism and is raking up issues of temples (demolition of mosques), holy Cow (Lynching) Love Jihad and conversions as the core part of its agenda.

Integral Humanism is being put forward to undermine the values of Indian Constitution, rights of minorities, low caste and women in the present times. It may be a more sophisticated name for the agenda of Hindu Rashtra, something totally in opposition to the Indian Constitution.  

Related:

Right wing’s assault on mosques intensifies: UP Court to hear petition on Budaun’s Shamsi Shahi Mosque amid growing trend of similar targeting of minority shrines

Uttarakhand High Court orders security, condemns hate speech over Uttarkashi Mosque

Supreme Court urges UP government to maintain peace and harmony in Sambhal, prohibits the trial court from taking any further steps till January

The post Undermining religious freedom: Proffering ‘integral humanism’ as a right wing defence appeared first on SabrangIndia.

There were 10 such incidents of cow vigilantism that took place reportedly from May 28 to June end, where these vigilante mobs attacked people transporting cattle, with three incidents in Rajasthan, in Mal Ki Dhani, Jaipur on June 2 and one took place at an unspecified location on May 28, as per Hate Detectors.

There were another three that took place in Haryana Julana, and Pachgaon, Mewat on June 15, and Faridabad on June 18. Going ahead, one was reported by Hate Detectors in Maharashtra at Nagar Patti, Dhule on June 17, and another one in Vrindavan and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Another such incident was also reported in Khordha, Odisha. 

This is from Pachgaon, Mewat, Haryana. (15/06/2024)

The Cow Vigilantes armed with guns raided a village and assaulted 2 Muslims men over alleged cattle slaughter and selling beef. pic.twitter.com/XoPuiCzPoi

— Mohd Shahnawaz Hussain (@Mohd_S_Hussain) June 22, 2024

Churu, Rajasthan

On June 30th, a group of around 20 cow vigilantes brutally assaulted a driver and another man with him in Sadulpur, Rajasthan’s Churu District. The victims are named Sonu Banshiram, 29, and Sundar Singh, 35. They both hailed from Haryana and were transporting lemons from Jaipur to Punjab when they were stopped by the vigilantes on the highway. A huge number of the vigilante groups reportedly began chasing the truck after they allegedly received a ‘tip off’. After they got the truck stopped, they dragged the two men out, and beat them brutally. The police have informed the media that they got to know about the incident from a video uploaded online. 

A video of the incident has surfaced which shows the mob armed with sticks mercilessly beating the victims as they lie down helpless on the ground, as per a report in the Times of India.

Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, two Muslim brothers were brutally thrashed by a mob after they went to a shop to exchange an item. A video of the incident has come online. It shows the two young boys being brutally beaten mercilessly by the mob. According to report by NewsX, the police has stated that it was the victims that “started” the issue. 

In #UttarPradesh‘s #Bulandshahr, two #Muslim brothers were beaten up by mob when they went to exchange some item at shop of Santlal. The shopkeeper rejected to exchange it and the victims Faizan and Tazeem opposed. They were beaten up. The police arrested the victims. pic.twitter.com/w2ojtcrskl

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) July 3, 2024

Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, a 25-year-old doctor was brutally assaulted by a mob on June 30. The attack took place when Dr. Istekhar was returning home from his clinic and stopped to get petrol at a petrol pump when he was attacked. More attackers arrived to beat the doctor in a black car even as a passer-by tried to help. 

Dr. Istekhar has stated that he does not know the attacker’s. Around six people have been reportedly been detained after the incident, one of whom was identified as a “BJP Metropolitan President” based on a sticker on his bike, as per a report by The Observer Post. 

An FIR has been filed against Vasu, Rachit Sharma, Abhishek Chaudhary, Vipin Saini, Ranjit Thakur, Gaurav Rohila, and others. 

On June 30, Dr. Istekhar, 25, was brutally assaulted by a mob while on his way home from his clinic in Asalatpura, Moradabad. The attack occurred after he refuelled at a petrol pump near the Double Gate Bridge. The mob stopped him, verified his identity, and then subjected him to… pic.twitter.com/OoypTU7vN4

— The Observer Post (@TheObserverPost) July 4, 2024

Koderma, Jharkhand

As per journalist Meer Faisal, an Imam named Maulana Sahabuddin from Basramo Turkabad in the Barkatha area, was lynched by a mob in Koderma district on July 1st. A resident of Raghuniyadih, Sahabuddin was returning home on his bike when a mob surrounded him and accused him of hitting a woman on the road. After this accusation, they brutally beat him to death, hitting him viciously.

News has been arriving that the police is saying that this was not a case of mob lynching, but was an accident. However, the family are saying it was clearly a case of mob lynching and have named one man who is local leader Suraj Das as an accused as well. 

Khordha, Odisha

A mob arrived and forced their way into a house and seized meat from a fridge in the home on June 16. This incident had taken place only shortly after Eid al-Adha and a viral video has surfaced showing a group of cow vigilantes forcefully entering a Muslim household. The mob, chanting slogans of “Jai Shri Ram,” as they entered and raided the family’s refrigerator, seizing all the meat and the refrigerator itself on mere suspicion that it contained beef. 

Violence broke out between two communities in Balasore, Odisha, during a protest against animal slaughter on Eid ul Adha. A curfew has been imposed after ten persons were reportedly injured. pic.twitter.com/PEeznbt9RB

— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal001) June 20, 2024

Bhirbhum, West Bengal

In Noapara, Birbhum, West Bengal, another case took place after Eid, where a Muslim man named Tufan Sekh was brutally assaulted. He was surrounded by a mob and accused of dropping meat near a Hindu temple. After this, he was attacked by the mob and was seriously injuried. As per a report in The Observer Post, he was also tied to a pole for an hour after which the local police later rescued him and got him medical treatment. 

The report also states that the Association for Protection of Civil Rights is looking in to the incident and providing legal support to Tufan and his family. Further, a FIR has been registered against unknown people by the police who have arrested around 9-10 people, though their identities have not been released yet.

A person on ground told the Observer Post, “He was riding his bike with one of our family members, and was on his way to a relative’s house to distribute the sacrificial meat, one of the meat packets must have dropped out on the road from the main bag. My brother made a U-turn to retrieve it and was immediately surrounded by local residents. They accused him of deliberately throwing it in front of the Hindu temple to hurt their sentiments. This accusation makes no sense; if it had been his intention, he wouldn’t have returned to search for the missing packet.”

Medak, Telangana

The unrest in Medak began when the management of Minhaj Ul Uloom madrasa in Medak bought cattle to sacrifice ahead of Bakr Eid and a mob came and attacked the madrasa, which left several people injured in the process. The violence also escalated when the mob also went and attacked a nearby hospital where the injured were being treated. The mob, reportedly also pelted stones. The Medak police had arrested BJP figures who reportedly played key roles in the communal violence that erupted in Medak town on June 15. Those detained included BJP Medak district president Gaddam Srinivas, BJP Medak town president M. Nayam Prasad, the BJYM president, and seven others. Medak BJP MP Raghunandan Rao also appeared in court on June 20 for the cow vigilantes allegedly involved in the violence.

Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

In the early hours of June 12, an Imam named Maulana Akram was shot dead by unidentified people in Bhainsia village, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Akram who has been a resident of Rampur district, had been supervising the Badi Masjid in the village for the past 15 years. 

Police reported that he suffered a bullet injury to his chest. Villagers mentioned that Akram had no known enemies, and after receiving the information, the police arrived at the scene and found a 312-bore pistol nearby. Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Bhadoria has told the media that they have started investigating.

Akram is survived by his wife and six children. According to sources, he was sleeping when he received a phone call at 4 am. After stepping outside, he was shot by an unknown person and died on the spot. The attacker then fled the scene.

A mosque’s imam, #MaulanaAkram, was shot dead in #UttarPradesh‘s Moradabad in the early hours of Tuesday, June 11. Unidentified miscreants called Maulana Akram outside his house at 4 AM. in the morning and shot him in the chest.

“Maulana Akram, the Imam of the #Bhensia village’s… pic.twitter.com/yZHe8AnpiG

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) June 11, 2024

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh

As per a report in Maktoob Media, on June 12, Christian families in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, were reportedly attacked by a Hindutva mob. They were also given an ultimatum to denounce their religion within 10 days.

 The violent incident took place in Bade Paroda village, under Badanji Police Station. Three victims were hospitalised after the incident. 

As per the report in Maktoob Media, the lawyer of the injured has stated that all the attacks happening in the area since 2023 were aided by local police, and has also been forcing the families to flee their village.

One of the injured suffered a broken leg, according to the lawyer. Since 2023, Bade Paroda has been reportedly a tense area for violence against Christians, with Christian minorities often targeted by violence and intimidation.

Kaithal, Haryana

In Haryana’s Kaithal, a Sikh man was beaten by unknown people who also called him a Khalistani, as per a report in the Times of India. The Haryana Police have so far arrested two people in connection with the assault.

Following the incident on June 10, the Kaithal police created a five-member Special Investigation Team to investigate the incident. The arrested men have been identified as Ishu who is a resident of Singwal village in Jind, and Sunil who is from Shergarh village, according to Superintendent of Police Upasana.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the Congress, and the Shiromani Akali Dal have all condemned the attack and demanded immediate action against the perpetrators. The police complaint states that the victim was waiting at a railway-level crossing in Kaithal when the incident took place on the evening of June 10.

Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

On June 9, Mohammed Umar Qureshi, a Muslim vendor from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, was attacked by a mob in Bangana town, Himachal Pradesh. Members of the Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, and BJP reportedly beat him, stole his money, and forced him to chant Jai Shri Ram. 

Qureshi, who was working as a street vendor, told about the horrifying incident in a video that went viral on social media. He said the attackers asked for his Aadhaar card and permission letter, which he provided, but they still assaulted him despite that. After this he was taken to a closed shop, where 10-15 people continued beating him and looted his belongings.

According to Qureshi, the attack happened because he is Muslim. Furthermore, when he tried to file a complaint at the police station, the police refused to accept it. The attackers also laughed at him and confidently stated that they had the support of the state police and government.

Pune, Maharashtra

In Maharashtra’s Pune, members of the Christian community were thrashed by Bajrang Dal men over the suspicion of religious conversion. The incident reportedly took place in Chikhali village of Pune district, Maharashtra. A video of the incident has been widely circulated and can show the alleged members of the radical Hindutva outfit attacking the victims.

In #Maharashtra‘s #Pune, members of the #Christian community were thrashed by the #BajrangDal men over the suspicion of religious conversion. pic.twitter.com/blYE6TTOkq

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) June 13, 2024

Unnao, Uttar Pradesh

In Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, a Hindutva mob created a huge ruckus on June 7 over a container transporting buffalo meat from West Bengal to Mumbai. They were claiming it was cow meat. Following the uproar, a sample of the meat was sent to a lab for testing, which confirmed that it was indeed buffalo meat. A series of such similar mob vigilante attacks over trucks have taken place over the month. 

Raipur, Chhattisgarh

In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, two Muslim men, Chand Miya and Guddu Khan, were beaten to death reportedly by cow vigilantes on June 6 while transporting buffaloes in a truck. Their bodies were found in the Mahanadi River. A third man, Saddam Khan was also critically injured and receiving treatment in a hospital, only to succumb to his injuries a short while later. 

The incident took place when a group of youths began following it, eventually surrounding it on the Mahanadi Bridge. Reports indicate that the attackers laid spikes on the road to stop the truck, then forcefully pulled out the occupants and assaulted them. In a desperate attempt to escape, one of the victims jumped into the river.

On June 25, it was reported that one Raja Agrawal was arrested in connection with the lynching of three Muslim men. Interestingly, on Facebook, Agrawal described himself reportedly as a leader of BJP’s youth wing, BJP Yuva Morcha.

Raja Agrawal was arrested in connection with lynching of three #Muslim men in #Chhattisgarh‘s #Raipur. On Facebook, Agrawal has described himself as a leader of #BJP‘s youth wing #BJPYuvaMorcha. pic.twitter.com/A1u8KDAorU

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) June 25, 2024

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The post June 2024: 10 violent attacks against cattle transporters and 14 cases of communal violence in various states across India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As of now, it has been reported that seven people were killed during the violence. The report details that six were killed by police bullets, and one allegedly by the bullet of a civilian and local resident named Sanjay Sonkar. The report also documents that locals attest that the actual number of casualties would be around 18-20, as people are fearful of coming out and speaking given the fear of police brutality. 

As reports of “police excess” continue to come in, the fact-finding report specifies that no ‘written’ shoot-on-sight order was given, and in fact, and authorities were acting on ‘internal information’ when they fired. The report also suggests that there was a “planned conspiracy with marked outsiders that led to violence and arson”, including the burning of the police station, each of which is being used to falsely implicate and terrorise Muslim residents of the area.   The report states that, “the entire incident appears to be a well-planned conspiracy.” Even, Sumit Hridyesh, MLA of Haldwani, has asserted and said that the incident was the result of a well-planned conspiracy. Hridyesh had earlier also stated that the authorities acted in a hurry to demolish the mosque and madrasa. 

One reason for stating that “this entire incident appears to be a well-planned conspiracy,” was how deliberately “electricity (was cut off) around 5 p.m. anticipating that all the inverters would be exhausted by 7 or 8 pm in the evening. Consequently, the entire region experienced a blackout due to the power outage even as firing induced violence continued. (details below)

Background

Banbhoolpura is an area that holds a considerable Muslim presence. Observers have repeatedly stated that the violence that took place earlier this month was entirely unprecedented in Haldwani. However, Uttarakhand has been in the news prior to this incident for anti-Muslim incidents and hate speeches in the state. As the report states, this incident is not without precedent. Accusations of ‘love-jihad’, ‘mazaar-jihad’, and ‘land-jihad’ on Muslims have been spearheaded by several politicians from BJP. 

Similarly, the report details that prominent faces in the state government, including elected officials along with radical right-wing organisations have been involved in making speeches and comments that keep communal fires stoked. 

“The state government led by the Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami and radical right-wing citizen groups have together contributed to a highly polarising narrative with many disturbing elements. One strand of this discourse is about creating Uttarakhand as a ‘Devbhoomi’ the holy land for Hindus which would have no place for other religious minorities.” The report details that the CM Dhami has been mostly silent about unauthorised Hindu structures on forests and Nazool lands, while on the other hand he has boasted about the government’s destruction of 3000 Mazaars (shrines). 

The administration, according to intelligence provided by the Nainital Local Intelligence Unit, was well aware that unrest would occur if they went ahead with the demolition. The report details that officials gave conflicting statements and just three days prior to the incident, the government suddenly stopped drone surveillance that was being conducted earlier in the area. 

On January 30, 2024, the report chronologically documents that eviction notices were served which gave a two-day notice for the Mosque and Madrasa in Haldwani. However, despite pleas from local Ulemas and a legal intervention by Sofiya Malik in the High Court, a rather hurrief demolition was embarked upon. The High Court heard the petition of Sofia Malik who holds the leasehold over the land. The bench heard the matter on February 8 and gave the date for the next hearing on February 14 without passing any interim order. However, even while the matter was sub judice and before the High Court, the Municipal office sealed the structures on February 4, 2024.  

The day of violence

Thereafter, despite the matter being sub-judice, on the evening of February 8, 2024, the Municipal office, accompanied by police presence, started the demolition of the sealed Mosque and Madrasa.  As per the report, a large number of women came together to protest against the demolition. However, the women were allegedly abused, manhandled, beaten and forcefully removed. 

In the midst of this unrest, the police unsealed the Masjid and Madrasa. They even chose to ignore their earlier instructions to give the sacred items in the buildings to the Maulana.  The report details that the persons who were throwing stones at the police were masked, and from a different locality.  During this time, the report also details that some sanitation workers, mainly from the Valmiki Community, gave the police their support and reportedly organised members from their community against Muslims. This resulted in the conflict turning communal, states the report. During the vandalism and attacks on Muslims, chants of ‘Jai Sri Ram’ were also reported by locals, states the report. 

The report states that “some individuals wearing masks arrived at the police station and began stone- pelting and setting vehicles on fire. They appeared to have no fear of the police or gunfire as air-firing had been occurring until that point. All the vehicles and the Police van caught fire shortly afterward. Such an incident has never occurred in this city before…”

Prior to the time the police station was set to fire, the locals reported that the electricity was cut around 5 pm, by 7 pm, with inverters exhausted, the entire area was in a blackout. It was also around 7 pm that multiple incidents happened simultaneously. About three people were fatally shot and killed around this time. Furthermore, the report describes that it was during this power outage that unidentified people came and set the police station on fire, “During the blackout, some individuals reportedly arrived in masks and set the police station on fire. They appeared to be unfamiliar with the surroundings suggesting they were from different localities. Furthermore, their speech tones and accents were markedly different from those of the people of Banbhoolpura.”

 “During the blackout, some individuals arrived and set the police station on fire. They appeared to be unfamiliar with the surroundings suggesting they were from different localities. Furthermore, their speech tones and accents were markedly different from those of the people of Banbhoolpura.”

A total of approximately 1000 rounds of firing are reported to have been fired and locals learned later that night of the ‘shoot at sight’ order.

Narratives of police brutality

The next day, the report documents how, reportedly, the police carried out a harsh assault on residents near Malik ka Bageecha. Over 100 people were detained, and women and children too endured brutal beatings and assault. The wife of a journalist named Saleem Khan, was also reportedly brutally assaulted and injured.  Thus, despite four days having passed, when the team visited on February 14, 2024, the entire area continued to be deserted, and people are further being subjected to violence and brutality, as per the report. While, official records assert that only 30-36 people are detained, the report says that the reality paints a different picture the police have established detention centres where scores of people are being held against their will. According to former IFS officer Ashok Sharma, the police even used a local school to hold detained people which served as an ‘interrogation and detention centre.’

Watch Former IFS officer Ashok Sharma talk about what he witnessed and what he learned during his visit to Haldwani. @PCITweets pic.twitter.com/d0EpL5Ix0h

— FOEJ Media (@FoejMedia) February 15, 2024

Furthermore, even as the curfew set in, reports of police brutality continued to come in. These included reports of police entering homes forcefully and assaulting women, children, and men on the night of February 8, 9 and 10 as families continued to flee the region. 

Harrowing narratives from Haldwani continue. A Newslaundry report brings testimonies from the ground where an 18 year old Muslim boy named Kaif got his skull fractured after, he says, the police barged in his house and beat him, “About five cops broke the door of our house and barged inside. Then they thrashed me with lathis. I pleaded with them to spare me but they kept saying that I was pelting stones on February 8…they did not listen to me. Why would I pelt stones at the police? I don’t have a father, I have to earn for my family. I am a construction worker. I hardly earn Rs 100 a day. But they did not listen to me even once.” 

Related:

Haldwani: Police allege planned mob attack, as local Muslims state police harassing and detaining family members without evidence

Demolitions as retributive state policy used against minorities in India: Amnesty

 BJP MLA Nitesh Rane leads Hindutva Rally in Govandi, demands demolition of “illegal Masjids and Madrasa”

The post Haldwani minorities fear deaths to be higher than official figures, narrate tales of police brutality & complicity: Fact-finding report appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Supply Sodium Cynanide and a Rope to every Dalit student-Rohit to the VC a month before he took his life

This letter, dated December 18, 2015 has not been so widely quoted nor has it gone viral. It is a comment on all of us, especially those of us in the media, that we failed to read the warnings or feel the anguish.  After all it is since August 2015 that the social boycott and ostracizing of Dalit students, including Rohith was systematically afoot. That is close to five months ago.

Nearly a month to the day that he tragically gave up the struggle to live and took his own life, on December 18, 2015, a hand-written letter from Rohith Vemula to Vice Chancellor Appa Rao says it all. Taunting and tragic, the note will now be read as a precursor of what was to come. In a hand-written scrawl that hints at acute desperation, he says, “Your Excellency (addressed to the Vice Chancellor Appa Rao) “make preparations for the EUTHANASIA for students like me from the Ambedkarite movement…and may your campus rest in peace forever.”

The letter traces the officially sanctioned “social boycott” of Dalit students after they took on a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for his derogatory remarks to the Dalit students. “Donald Trump will be a Lilliput in front of you,” Rohith tells Appa Rao then offering a piece of chilling advice. “Please serve 10 miligram of Sodium Azide to all the Dalit students at the time of admission…Supply a nice rope to the rooms of all Dalits students..”The text of the letter can be read here and a scanned hand written copy seen here.

Now we know, and fret over the fact that his Rs 25,000 per month stipend (as of all his other suspended colleagues) was stopped after suspension and he had to borrow money, even from home, to survive the struggle. Now that he is dead we listen to the plight and anguish of his family. Why did we not listen before? As the isolation and anguish built up to make Rohith take a step so final that it signalled no return? Yes, we are all to blame.

“After the stipend was stopped, his family was struggling to support him. He borrowed Rs 40,000 from a friend and was living frugally. Almost every day, he used to say that his money was stuck,’’ said Velmula Sankanna, a fellow PhD scholar and one of the other five students who were suspended. “In December, Rohith wrote an angry letter to the V-C, sarcastically asking him to provide euthanasia facilities for Dalit students. Since then, he was scared to go to the administration building and ask about his stipend. He became silent and withdrawn. He said that he was falling into depression because he was being defeated by the system at every turn. He blamed himself, his caste, and the circumstances around him. He did not take much interest in anything except studies,’’ added Sankanna, a close friend.

We did not rise to feel, see or appreciate the seriousness implicit in the warnings. In August 2015, a questionable mode of ‘suspension’ of five singled out students of the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) followed by the arbitrary stopping of their scholarship stipend, further followed by their being locked out of their rooms from January 4, 2016. Yet they fought on, sleeping out near the shopping complex in the cold. Awaiting fair hearing, democratic space for protest(s) and justice.

From the night of January 4, 2016 until today the sleep out protests continue.

After the tragic and unnecessary loss of the life of a budding science scholar, a proud Ambedkarite, will justice and fair hearing happen? Yesterday in a fully articulated representation to PL Punia, Chairperson of the National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Commission, the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, University of Hyderabad (UoH) has demanded:

• Punish the Culprits under the SC/ST Atrocities Act:
• Banadaru Dattareya, Union Cabinet Minister of State for Labour and Employment
• P Appa Rao, Vice Chancellor
• Professor Alok Pandey, Chief Proctor
• Susheel Kumar, ABVP President
• Ramchandra Rao, MLC
• Remove P Appa Rao from the post of Vice Chancellor
• Employ a family member of Rohith Vemula at the University of Hyderabad and give his family Rs 50 lahs in compensation
• Drop the fabricated cases against five Dalit Research Scholars immediately and unconditionally
• Revoke the suspension of Students immediately and unconditionally

The Anger Spreads; Demands for resignation of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao

Anger and grief are potent combinations and both were visible in plenty at the mortuary of the Osmania Hospital on Monday, January 18 where Rohith Velumal lay, a day after he tragically ended his own life. His mother’s anguished cry says it all, ““I used to proudly tell everyone in my village that my son was doing PhD at Hyderabad University. Today, I have come to collect his dead body.’’ The family is from Gurazala near Guntur, his mother a tailor and father, Manikumar a security guard at the Hyderabad University. Rohith has two siblings, an elder sister and a younger brother.

Over 1200 students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) participated in a rally on Monday evening and have resolved to protest on Tuesday, January 19 and not allow the university to function until the current Vice Chancellor, Appa Rao steps down. Before the rally, his close friends and colleagues, along with his family were present at the cremation of Rohith in Hyderabad. (see Image story)

Simultaneous and spontaneous protests continued through the day yesterday at Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Mumbai and Delhi. The road outside Shastri Bhavan, the office of Smriti Irani, the Ministry for Human Resources Development (MHRD) was cordoned off akin to a war zone (see pictures). In Hyderabad, a visit from the chairperson of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Commission allayed feelings somewhat.

Though it is Rohith is the one who has made the most recent and most tragic sacrifice, the question is whether it will still open India’s eyes and hearts?

We read every other day not just of the social boycott of Dalit children in the mid day meal schemes. In ‘Dravidian’ politics ruled Tamil Nadu colour bands on Dalit students brand them with their caste. There is little political, social or cultural outrage. The television channels, packed as they are with ‘journalists’ most of whom sport a myopic caste consciousness of the elite Indian that simply excludes any mention of discrimination or exclusion while badgering home ‘the banner of tolerance’, rarely flag anti-Dalit atrocities as an institutional ill to be faced squarely then remedied.
In ‘progressive’ west India the discrimination takes similar forms, and examples abound. In Phugana, three young Dalit children, one a baby was burnt alive in a burst of Rajput rage.

Just like the Blacks fought (and have barely won) the Civil Rights battle in the West – last year’s incidents at Fergusson are evidence of how thinly layered this success is –it is privileged India, caste Hindus who need to hang their heads in acknowledgement, first, and the, shame.

We need to internalize what Dalit students experience when they enter schools, colleges and universities and break the glass ceiling and enter India’s famed institutions of higher learning, the IITs, the IIMs and Universities.

Not only is the percentage of Dalit students who enter higher educational institutions small. They are subject to insidious caste practices and exclusion that batters the hard earned self-esteem. A dangerous argument of ‘meritocracy’ cloaks well organized money and caste induced privilege.

This everyday institutional and societal exclusion and othering needs to be acknowledged squarely by each and one of us.

It is time we ask difficult ourselves some hard and uncomfortable questions.

What kind of history do we teach? Who are our heroines and heroes?
How many Dalits are there in the media, print and television?
How many Dalits in Institutions of power and governance?

The Dalit experience says that entering the corridors of elite educational institutions like Indian Institute of Technologies (IIT) and Indian Institute of Managements and Central Universities for scores of Dalit students is like walking into a living hell, where the fear of being shamed and humiliated hangs heavy on the heart and soul of every student.

Before Rohit, we lost Senthil Kumar and Nagaralu Koppalas, also in the Central University of Hyderabad. Have these earlier losses, deaths of young men in their prime been internalized and taught the UoH any lessons worth learning? The recent and continuing unfair suspension of Dalit scholars would appear to suggest that no lessons have yet been learned.

Is India willing ready and able to accept her Not So Hidden Apartheid?

The post Rohith’s death: We are all to blame appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The said report comprehensively provides the details of the many anti-Muslim and anti-Christian attacks that took place in the third quarter of the year 2023. The said report had been divided into four main parts. The attacks against both the religious minorities were covered separately by the report. 

Persecution and discrimination against Muslims (Part one)

The first part of the report, titled ‘Persecution and Discrimination against Muslims’, provides a detailed version of the targeted attacks and Islamophobia that the Muslim community had to face, mostly by the hands of the majoritarian groups. The attacks covered in the portion include the reported cases of verbal abuse, physical abuse, harassment, lynching, discriminations, grievous hurt and even death caused.

Attacks on Muslims:

These incidents of anti-Muslim attacks have been reported from the length and breadth of the country. The cases included in the report were reported from the state of Uttarakhand (1), Karnataka (2), Uttar Pradesh (9), Telangana (1), Madhya Pradesh (3), Rajasthan (5), Assam (2), Jharkhand (1), Haryana (2), Delhi (1) Punjab (1) and Maharashtra (3).

July: This month saw the Muslim community being attacked in the beginning for celebrating Eid. During the last days of Eid celebration, Muslims saw harassment by Hindu women for selling juice while another mob of Hindu men accused and harassed a Muslim on the false allegations of cow slaughter. Notably, 2 cases of extreme police brutality and custodial torture resulting in the death of the men detained on false cases and without any due process of law were also reported. The month also saw cases of Muslim men being attacked by Hindu groups for no other reason than their religious identity. While in one such case the Muslim man was forced to lick the feet of the Hindu oppressors, another case was reported where the Muslim man was forced to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and suffered physical abuse. Many other such cases were presented in the report for the month of July itself. Cases of moral policing, targeting and lynching based on rumours of theft, sexual harassment and rape of Muslim women were also reported. 

In one case, in Assam’s Burha Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary on 17 July, a clash between the forest department officials and displaced Muslim residents who were returning to the sanctuary due to flooding in their makeshift settlements, resulted in the forest guards resorting to violence. The firing by the forest guards left one Muslim woman dead and 4 Muslims hospitalised. 

July was also the month wherein a shocking incident of anti-Muslim killings had occurred. On 31 July, on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express train, a Railway Protection Force constable named Chetan Kumar Choudhary had opened fire, killing his superior officer, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena, and three other Muslim passengers for their faith. A video of him giving an anti-Muslim speech standing next to the bleeding body of a victim and asking people to vote for Modi and Yogi had gone viral. 

August: The month of August also saw enforcement authorities targeting Muslims and subjecting them to excessive force. In Rajasthan, one Muslim man had lost his life and two others were injured when a mob attacked them for ‘illegally’ chopping wood. The arrested included four forest officials. In the same month, a Muslim elderly couple was beaten to death with sticks as their son had ran away with a Hindu girl. At least 2 cases were reported where Muslim men were found dead, lynched and beaten due to their religious identity. The false narrative of ‘Love Jihad’ was also used to target Muslim men. 

The incident of a Hindu teacher encouraging her students to slap a 7-year-old Muslim child from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh had also been reported during late August. The said video, where the teacher had also made disparaging and stereotypical remarks against the Muslim community had caused an uproar. The teacher had made comments suggesting that his academic performance was influenced by his Muslim background. It is essential to note, that on September 29, the said teacher was arrested. 

September: Many incidents of hate crimes were reported in the said month. In Satara, a conflict between the communities had result in a large Hindu mob attacking a mosque and forcing their way inside it with iron rods and batons. The mob then killed one man and caused severe injuries to at least fourteen others. 

A protest against discrimination also saw the protesting students being arrested dragged and beaten in Punjab. The hijabs of Muslim female students were also forcibly removed. In three of the incidents included in the report for the month of September, young Muslim men were beaten to death. In one such incident that took place on 26 September in Delhi’s Nand Nagri area, a 26-year-old disabled Muslim man named Mohammed Israr died after a mob brutally attacked him. According to Israr’s father, Abdul Wajid, his son had eaten a religious offering, resulting in brutal mob violence.

Violence in Nuh:

The report also provides an overview of the communal violence that broke out in Muslim majority Nuh district of BJP-ruled Haryana state. A religious procession taken out by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal had met with stone pelting which had resulting in a deadly break out of communal violence, continuing for days, in many districts of Haryana. The trigger for violence were deemed to have been some threatening videos featuring the infamous cow vigilantes Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi. Another trigger was the anti-Muslim hate speeches that had been delivered by the leaders of these fringe groups before taking out the procession. 

The violence had continued for days, and resulted in six killings, injuries to dozens, and damage to hundreds of cars, homes, and places of worship. The aftermath saw the violence spreading and the Muslim community being openly targeted in the state by far-right extremists. Calls for violence against Muslims as well as their economic and social boycott were made. District panchayats had also taken out resolutions barring Muslim traders from entering their villages. 

The report also highlighted the illegal demolitions without notices, arbitrary police raids and arrests and abuse of law that had followed wherein even minors were picked up by the police and kept in police custody in contravention to the established laws. These aforementioned acts and illegal crackdown by the state had led to a big proportion of impoverished Muslim migrant families fleeing from Haryana.  The situation had become so dire that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had taken suo-moto cognizance of the demolitions and raised concerns about the ethnic cleansing of Muslims. 

Anti-Muslim hate speech:

The report provides a number of instances between July and September where prominent far-right leaders had delivered anti-Muslim speeches with impunity. Most of the names mentioned in the report are repeat offenders who have been continuously indulging in spreading their divisive and partisan ideology.

July: Speakers such as Sudarshan News chairperson Suresh Chavhanke, Hindu Jagran Manch leader Kamal Gautam, far-right leader Samiksha Singh, Kalicharan Maharaj, Antarashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) leader Praveen Togadia, and Hindu Rashtra Sena leader Dhananjay Desai had delivered anti-Muslim and anti-minority hate speeches. The speeches consisted of disseminating divisive rhetoric, fear-mongering tactics, anti-Muslim instigating slurs, and conspiracy theories targeting Muslims. Not only leaders of fringe outfits, but also members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted the Muslim community and delivered misleading speeches. On July 13, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam sparked controversy by attributing the rising vegetable prices in Guwahati to the Bengali-origin Muslim community, pejoratively referred to as ‘miyas’. Sarma claimed that ‘miyas’ charged higher prices compared to Assamese traders. Furthermore, he encouraged Assamese youth to compete vigorously with ‘miyas’ in business.

August: In the beginning of the month, protest rallies were organised by the VHP and Bajrang Dal in regards to the communal violence that had unfolded during their religious procession in Nuh. Rampant hate speeches had flown during these rallies. In one such rally, a demonstrator had issued a warning to local shopkeepers to dismiss any Muslim employees or face potential boycotting. In another one of their rallies, participants had chanted anti-Muslim slogans such as “Desh ke gaddaron ko goli maaron saalon ko” (“shoot the traitors of the country”) and “Allah kehne nahi dena, ek bhi mullah rehene nahi dena” (“we won’t let them say Allah, and we won’t let Muslims live”). Unauthorised Mahapanchayats had also taken place during the month in Haryana where open threats against Muslims were made in the presence of police. 

September: The report provides that a disturbing series of incidents unfolded across various locations in India where continuous hate speeches were delivered from September 21-24. As per the report, on September 21, a Hindu far-right leader delivered an inflammatory speech event, demonizing Muslims and calling for their ostracisation. The following day, a Bajrang Dal leader issued threats against Muslims, asserting that his organization would not tolerate the presence of mosques and Muslim shrines in India. On September 24, Hindu Raksha Dal leader Pinky Chaudhry delivered hate speeches against Muslims while employing anti-Muslim slurs and attempting to incite hostility against the Muslim community.

The IAMC report also presents the data and findings provided by the report of US-based journalist Raqib Hameed Naik which had documenting all verified instances of hate speech events organized by Hindu far-right groups against India’s Muslim minorities in the first half of 2023. The said report revealed that in the first 181 days of 2023, there were 255 recorded instances of hate speech gatherings targeting Muslims across 17 states in India, out of which 205 (80%) had been made in BJP-ruled stated and union territories. Furthermore, the said report had found that 51% of all the hate speech gatherings featured anti-Muslim conspiracy theories such as “love jihad,” “land jihad,” “mazar jihad,” “halal jihad,” and others. A concerning 33% of all the gatherings explicitly called for violence against Muslims. About 11% of events included explicit calls for Hindus to boycott Muslims. Disturbingly, 4% of all the events featured hate-filled and sexist speeches explicitly targeting Muslim women. Nearly 12% of events featured calls to arms.

Illegal Demolitions and Evictions:

The IAMC report lists eight incidents of illegal demolitions and evictions that took place between the three months. In the cases of illegal demolitions, complaints from the Hindutva organisations to the state administrations would lead to either sealing or demolition of mosques and other properties. In most of these cases, illegal construction or encroachment of government land or railway land would be citied. Many historical mosques and shrines were razed down under the garb of illegal construction. 

Cases of forced closure of meat selling shops, especially in the state of Uttar Pradesh, would also surface. The police administration, without any mention of law applicable, would close down meat shops or prohibit them from selling meat during Hindu festivals. 

Eviction drives would also be carried out under the garb of clearing encroachments from government land or railway land. On July 22, the administration in Uttarakhand’s Nainital City had conducted a demolition operation, bulldozing multiple structures with the assistance of six JCB machines. Even the Uttarakhand High Court had not come to the rescue of the people facing eviction and it was only after the Supreme Court had gotten involved that the eviction had been stayed. On the same day, 210 families residing in Nanke Daranga were accused by the forest department in Assam of ‘encroaching’ upon Daranga forest land.67 The notices issued by the department ordered the villagers to vacate the land within 15 days, citing illegal occupation and the threat of appropriate action under forest laws.

Other than the authorities, fringe groups on multiple occasions took hammers to the Muslims religious places and other structures and committed vandalism. Many such incidents have been documented by the report. 

Cow Vigilantism:

Ten cases of cow vigilantism have been recorded and presented by the IAMC report. From being attacked by swords by a group of cow vigilantes under Bittu Bajrangi, facing threats, harassment and abuses by members of VHP and Bajrang Dal to having their shops raided and closed illegally and forcefully, the so-called cow vigilantes wreaked havoc at the Muslim community shop owners and cattle traders. In addition to this, mob lynchings based on suspicions of cattle theft, illegal cattle trading/transporting and cow slaughter added to the fear faced by the Muslim community. 

Persecution and discrimination against Christians (Part two)

This part includes incidents of anti-Christian attacks have been reported in the three mentioned months from different parts of the country. The attacks covered in the portion include the reported cases of verbal abuse, physical abuse, harassment, lynching, discriminations, grievous hurt and even death caused. Details of the incidents where false allegations of forced religious conversion that are used as a justification by the majoritarian groups to harass Christians is also given. The cases included in the report were reported from the state of Maharashtra (1), Uttar Pradesh (4), Madhya Pradesh (4) and Delhi (1). 

July: The month of July had begun with the video of a Christian principal of a school, wearing torn clothes, being assaulted and chased by a mob of people donning a saffron scarf in Maharahstra. Claims were made by Bajrang Dal and some parents that the Christians principal had allegedly forced students to recite Christian prayers and installed CCTV cameras in the girls’ toilet. However, subsequent investigations by the Pimpri Chinchwad police found no evidence of forced prayer and clarified that the CCTVs were not inside the toilets but in common areas.

At least two cases of arrests of pastors and other Christian people being arrested based on the farce of forced religious conversions have been listed in the report. In all these cases, members of the Christian community were abused by Hindutva extremists. Even a Christian orphanage was abruptly shut down due to allegations of religious conversion attempts. Due to the bogey of religious conversion, Christian traders also faced prohibition from entering villages. 

August: Multiple incidents of community gathers being disturbed, vandalism, destroying bibles, harassment and even sexual assault have been report in this part at the hands individuals associated with extremist Hindutva groups. The report also provides the details of an incident where the law enforcement authorities themselves in committing discriminatory and intrusive acts. In late August, police in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, issued intrusive questionnaires to around 40 churches, requesting information on Christian activities over the past three months. The questionnaires covered various aspects, including Christian objectives, suspicious conversions, NGO operations, and foreign funding. 

September: More incidents of arrests under the allegations of illegal conversions have been provided in the report. Towards the end of September, Hindu extremists stormed St. Mary’s Convent School in Deori, Madhya Pradesh, accusing the school of disrespecting the Hindu god Ganesh and demanding a police investigation.

Violence in Manipur: A separate section under the same part had been dedicated to the violence engulfed state of Manipur. A brief overview of the clashes and tensions that existed between the Meitei community, predominantly Hindu, and the Kuki-Zo community, Christian tribal groups, has been provided. On May 3, after the Kuki-Zo community took out a protest rally against the Manipur High Court judgment on the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes, the ethnic differences exacerbated and violence broke out in the state. This violence has This has resulted in a large number of deaths, mostly from the Kuki ethnic community, acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, extensive property destruction, torture, and the forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people. Bouts of violence have been detailed in the report.

 Jammu and Kashmir (Part three)

The third part provides a glance into the affairs of the (now) Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Many incidents of injustices at the hands of the administration and law enforcement officers have also been highlighted. The report further details the curb on dissent and the gag on press freedom. 

The report details how, in late July, the Indian government suspended the passports of several Kashmiris, including journalists and critics, in a move viewed as an effort to suppress dissent in the region. Approximately ten individuals, both in Kashmir and abroad, received emails citing Section 10(3) of The Passports Act, alleging they posed a threat to Indian security. However, as per the report, they claimed there were no charges against them. The report also alleges that the police of Jammu and Kashmir is indulging in monitoring and tracking the social media of those individuals and entities involved in activities classified as “anti-national” on these platforms.

In the month of August, the Kashmiri administration removed works by award-winning writers, Basharat Peer and Agha Shahid Ali, from M.A English curricula at government-run universities, alleging “secessionist ideology.” The same move attracted the concerns of the Human Rights Watch over the escalating repression. The report provides that the HRW asserted that Indian authorities are “restricting free expression, peaceful assembly, and other basic rights,” and that “repressive policies and failure to investigate and prosecute alleged security force abuses have increased insecurity. Following this, on September 1, Kashmiri socio-political activist Waqar H. Bhatti was arrested due to a complaint made by a BJP leader, who had accused him of inciting religious discord through his critical remarks. He was later granted interim bail but faces charges under sections 153 A, 500, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. 

Recommendations (Part four)

The report provides the following recommendations-

• The Indian government should prioritise enacting and enforcing robust legislation that specifically protects the rights of religious minorities, addresses hate speech, communal violence, and targeted attacks, holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
• The Indian government should ensure that the right to freedom of religion is protected and available to each citizen without fear of persecution or coercion. 
• Independent oversight bodies should be established to monitor and report cases of abuse and discrimination against religious minorities as well as to address the issue of human rights violations and ensure impartial investigations
• The government should immediately take decisive action to halt the violence against Kuki-Zomi tribals in Manipur. The centre and state governments should enforce stringent measures to protect ethnic minorities and ensure their safety.
• The Union government must pass a national anti-lynching bill to protect religious minorities from Hindu militias and cow vigilante groups.
• BJP-led state governments must uphold every citizen’s right to a safe home and immediately stop bulldozing Muslim homes, livelihoods, and places of worship in the name of anti-encroachment drives.
• The international community should engage with the Indian government and express concern over the treatment of religious minorities.

The complete report can be read here:

Related:

Jaunpur UP: Jeevan Jyoti Church demolished citing “illegal construction on government land”

Escalating atrocities against minorities, US urged to issue sanctions against offending individuals: IAMC

BJP has strayed away from Nehruvian vales of secularism: IAMC report

The post Indian minorities must be protected, GOI needs to take steps: IAMC report appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Many videos have surfaced from the demolition site, depicting the bulldozers being at work.  As per the report, during the time of the demolition, forces from all the police stations of the circle including SDM Neha Mishra and Additional SP Brijesh Kumar were also present at the spot. 

The bogey of encroachment on government 

Unsurprisingly, the excuse of the Jeevan Jyoti Church being built on government land was used by the Uttar Pradesh government to justify the demolition. But even before the demolition, the prayer place had been locked. As per the media reports, a complaint about encroachment of government land by the said prayer place was made in the recent times. The afore-mentioned complaint was allegedly made in the month of September. To resolve the complaint, a notice was pasted at the gate by setting a time limit for measurement a week ago under the leadership of Naib Tehsidar Hussain Ahmed from the revenue personnel team, a report of TejasToday provided. 

The TejasToday report had alleged that an incident of stone pelting with the revenue team officials took place on the scheduled day of measurement. As per the report, when the revenue team reached the spot along with the police force, under the leadership of Naib Tehsildar, they found the gate locked. When no one was found and the lock could not be opened, the revenue team started returning from the spot. On the way, around 3 dozen masked youths on bikes reached the spot and reportedly started pelting stones targeting the revenue team. The stone pelting resulted in injuring certain members of the team as well as the policemen. The youth also pelted stones at the revenue team’s vehicle, broke the glass of the vehicle and fled from the spot. 

As a consequence of this incident, to avoid any other untoward incident, the place of prayer remained locked. 

As expected, during measurement by the Revenue Department team, the illegal construction was confirmed on the land of village society and mausoleum. Pursuant to this, the administration pasted a notice of demolition at the property by deeming it to be an ‘illegally constructed prayer hall’.  As per the report of the TejasToday, the notice showed that the said concrete construction has been done by the Christian Prayer Centre by occupying government land. The notice then provided that the illegal construction done on government land should be removed and vacated, or otherwise legal action will be taken. As per the report, the copy of the said notice had also been sent to village head Bhulandih, Jeevan Jyoti Trust and the accused Pastor Durga Prasad Yadav, who ran the prayer centre on his family property.

The team that arrived on Wednesday started demolishing the illegal construction with the help of seven bulldozers. In total, in 11 biswas (measurement of land), which includes the boundary wall built all around, the hall, rooms and other construction works, were demolished on Wednesday by the authorities. The said demolition work was reportedly carried out in the presence of SDM Neha Mishra, CO Gaurav Sharma, Naib Tehsildar Hussain Ahmed and Police Station Head Mahesh Kumar Singh. Revenue personnel, forces of all the police stations of the circle, PAC and fire personnel had arrived at the site. As per the report, SDM Neha Mishra stated that the demolitions were being carried out due to illegal constructions and all the illegal constructions will be demolished.

Demolition expenses of 2.83 lakh to be recovered the Church administration

It is crucial to highlight here that as provided by the report of Amar Ujala, the Uttar Pradesh administration will be recovering the cost incurred by the demolition of Jeevan Jyoti Christian Prayer Centre from the operators of the centre itself. Reportedly, a notice of expenditure of Rs 2 lakh 83 thousand has been given to the operators. SDM Neha Mishra has further that as per the system the government, the cost incurred by the cost while demolishing any kind of “illegal construction” will be recovered from the person concerned.

A bone stuck in the throat of a wolf

It is essential to note here that this is not the first time that Christian prayer centre has been targeted by the authorities and the far-right extremist. As per a report of the Hindu, the prayer centre was once bustling with visitors and devotees who came from nearby villages as well as from Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Mau and Varanasi districts of Purvanchal to listen to sermons and receive what they believed was ‘divine healing.’ Pastor Durga Prasad Yadav used to claim to cure all manner of illnesses, including cancer, epilepsy and TB, through prayers and touch.

It all changed when Sarvesh Singh, secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha Yuva, filed a complaint against the Centre in the month of August 2018. In September 2018, the police booked Mr. Yadav and over 270 others, including many of his associate pastors. They were charged with luring poor people to Christianity and spreading misinformation about Hindu religion, among other things.

The complaint by Mr. Singh also alleged that the pastor used to give prohibited medicine and drugs to the visitors and try to convert them under its influence, and indulged in false declarations and dangerous treatment methods. Therefore, the charges filed against Pastor Yadav and others also included administering drugs and other banned substances to people under the garb of medicine, cheating, defiling a place of worship, criminal conspiracy, inducing people to believe they will attract divine displeasure and causing hurt by poison. Notably, the case is still going on in the Allahabad High Court. 

Uttar Pradesh- bogus cases of conversion filed by Hindutva groups with the aim of harassing minorities

In the state of Uttar Pradesh, under the governance of the Yogi government, the Christian community has had to face a multitude of persecutions. On a regular basis, media reports would emerge regarding the selective targeting of places of worship and community gatherings of the Christians by the Hindutva organisations. The fringe outfits would make frivolous and false complaints against the religious minorities under the garb of forced religious conversions and the police and civil administration would act on their behest. The said baseless complaints would then be followed by arresting of pastors, demolition of historical structures and/ or prohibition of prayers at religious places. 

A recent report was released by Article 14 wherein a study of 101 FIRs registered under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 was conducted. The said report provided that more than half of the FIRs were filed in response to complaints by third parties, which meant that they had no legal standing and should not have been registered by the police. Most of the third parties were Hindutva outfits that were using the law to harass Christians, while the police registered cut-copy-paste FIRs based on “prior information” and saying “bad things” about the Hindu religion. The report sheds a much-needed light on the misuse of the anti-conversion laws against Christians, the vague allegations made by Hinduvta groups (similar to those made against Pastor Yadav) and the lack of application of mind by the police and authorities. 

Related:

Over 500 cases of attacks against Christians in 8 months of 2023

Christians attacked during prayers in national capital

Recent report provides 400 incidents of violence against Christians since January 2023, 155 reported in UP alone

Under Guise of Religious Conversions, Attacks by Hindutva Groups Worsen Situation for Christians in India

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In particular, regaining the Scheduled Caste voters it lost in the 2018 polls would be an uphill task for the BJP, if we go by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for Madhya Pradesh. The data depicts a pattern rather than an oddity when it comes to crimes against members of Scheduled Castes.

In the last five years, according to the NCRB data, the registered cases of crimes against members of Scheduled Castes increased by 22%, from 5,892 in 2017 to 7,214 cases in 2021.

Although Madhya Pradesh stands third in terms of cases registered, and Uttar Pradesh is on top in this ranking, with Rajasthan following, it has the highest crime rate of 63.60 against the national rate of 25.30. The crime rate against Scheduled Castes is calculated as number of crimes per 1 lakh population.

Nationally, the number of crimes against Scheduled Castes was 50,900 in 2021, and the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was invoked in a total of 45,610 cases. However, the number of cases in Madhya Pradesh was 7,214, and the SC/ST Act was invoked in 7,211 instances, marking a negligible difference in the crimes against members of Scheduled Castes and crimes that involved application of the SC/ST Act.

The crime rate (number of crimes per 1 lakh population) against Scheduled Castes in 2017 was 51.90, which dipped to 41.90 in 2018 and has kept increasing since.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar come in the top three states in terms of crime rate against Scheduled Castes at 63.60, 60.80, and 35.30, respectively. Uttar Pradesh, with the highest number of offences, stands at 9th rank in terms of the crime rate. Rajasthan was ranked second for 2020 and 2021, though it was first (the worst off) in 2019.

With atrocities against Dalits continually rising, the community remained unrepresented in the top executive position of the State.

Madhya Pradesh also has uncomfortable discrepancies between the share of the class category in the state population and their representation in top executive posts. Data suggests that there has been a positive partiality favouring the general category since the formation of the state in November 1956. Eighty-one per cent of the State’s chief ministers since inception belonged to the general category, which has a 6% population share.

There has not been a single chief minister from the Schedule Caste or Schedule Tribe communities, which have a population share of 15.06% and 21.90% in the State.

The Congress party’s Ravishankar Shukla became the first chief minister of the state from the general category, and since then, of 32 chief ministers, (22 from the Congress, seven from the BJP, and three from others) have ruled the state, but the BJP alone picked a backward-class leader as chief minister, six out of seven terms in power. No leader from the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities has been chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Source of all data: NCRB, Census 2011, and HT database

The author is a freelance journalist. The views are personal.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Cow militia thrashed truck drivers in Bhiwani district, Haryana

For instance, in the Bhiwani, district of Haryana, a shocking case emerged on August 12, where members of Acharya Azad Singh Arya’s cow militia violently attacked two mini-truck drivers, Junaid and Nasir. The brutal assault was carried out under the pretext of transporting cattle. 

According to the statement of a relative, the vehicle had proper certificates, “We had proper licenses to transport cattle. I request the Rajasthan and Haryana government to look into the mob attack and ensure justice to Junaid and Nasir.”

Bhiwani, district has gained notoriety due to its history of cow vigilantes taking the law into their own hands, often with fatal consequences. Notably, the region experienced the terror reign of individuals like Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi, with Monu Manesar facing accusations of killing two Muslims in the name of cow protection. 

Location: Nuh, Haryana

Acharya Azad Singh Arya’s cow militia unit thrashed a mini-truck driver for transporting cattle. pic.twitter.com/ACTwB0n3HS

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 13, 2023

(The incident actually took place at Bhiwani, Haryana)

An investigative piece in the August edition of The Caravan magazine by Harsh Mander has documented the disturbing growth of cow vigilante mobs and their operational methods. Mandar’s article explicitly points out that the rising communal tension in the Mewat region can be attributed primarily to the terrorising actions of cow vigilantes against Muslims.

Imam assaulted and blamed for alleged religious conversions in Meerut, UP

Adding to the distressing sequence of events, an incident in Meerut on August 12 involved the physical assault of an Imam over alleged conversion attempts. Although the audio in the video documenting the incident is unclear, it captures the assault on the Imam, including the involvement of a woman. The attackers are heard shouting, “We are Hindus. Why are you destroying our religion?”

Location: Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

Imam assaulted by a mob over allegations of religious conversion. pic.twitter.com/92YZca0nWa

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 13, 2023

Muslim man lynched over cattle theft in Assam

The unsettling trend of mob vigilantism targeting minorities continues in Assam, where a 40-year-old Muslim man, Hifzur Rahman, fell victim to a Hindu mob’s violent tendencies. On a fateful Saturday night in the Bamungaon area of Hojai’s Lanka on August 12, Rahman was lynched by the mob on suspicions of cattle theft. Despite the victim’s claims of innocence and proper legal procedures, he was assaulted by the crowd in the darkness of the night, leading to severe injuries. Later, police transported Rahman to a nearby hospital. Rahman, however, succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead despite all medical efforts. According to authorities, his body was transported for a post-mortem examination.

A 40-year-old #Muslim man, #HifzurRahman, was Lynched by a #Hindu mob on Saturday night over the suspicion of cattle theft in #Hojai, #Assam.

Sanjay Das, Nikhil Das, Tulendra Das, Uttam Chakraborty, Jayanta Chakraborty, and Sandhu Mazumdar were arrested. pic.twitter.com/5aHEpK0QSi

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) August 14, 2023

The incident prompted the victim’s family to report the heinous crime to the police, sparking an inquiry into the matter. Eight individuals were subsequently identified by the authorities as suspects in the lynching case. Six of these suspects, namely Sanjay Das, Nikhil Das, Tulendra Das, Uttam Chakraborty, Jayanta Chakraborty, and Sandhu Mazumdar, were apprehended and taken into custody. The gravity of the situation has raised concerns about the prevalence of mob and vigilante violence in the area. Legal actions are underway under Section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the arrested individuals.

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The post How hate spills onto physical targeted attacks on the streets: August 2023, India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

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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The post Hate-speech deployed by right-wing groups demanding UCC, Population Control Bill appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On February 2, 2023, during the ongoing special Budget Session of the Parliament, Lok Sabha member Shrimati Mimi Chakraborty (AITC) raised the question concerning the World Bank funded six-year project, which had been launched to improve the education and skills of young people of minority communities. She had asked for the details of projects and assistance provided to the States therein.

The Union Minister of the Ministry of Minorities Affairs, Smriti Zubin Irani, responded to the said question by informing the Lok Sabha that the Ministry had launched a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) namely Nai Manzil on 8th August 2015 with 50% of funding from the World Bank to benefit the minority youth who do not have formal school leaving certificate, i.e., those in the category of school–dropouts or educated in community education institutions like Madrasas. The scheme provided a combination of formal education (Class VIII or X) and skills and enabled the beneficiaries seek better employment and livelihoods.

She had further provided that under the said scheme, grants were not released to State Governments but to the Project Implementing Agencies (PIAS) empanelled for implementation of the scheme.

Detailing the beneficiaries of schemes, Irani submitted that under the scheme, 98,712 beneficiaries have been trained with more than 50% women beneficiaries.

The answer may be read here:

According to India CSR Network, the above-mentioned Scheme is carried out by selected Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) which are appointed through an open and transparent procedure that invites Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from firms. Under the system, 30% of the beneficiary seats are reserved for female candidates, and 5% are reserved for disabled people from minority communities.

India CSR Network also provided a state-wise data depicting the placement and post placement support that has been given under Nai Manzil scheme since inception of the scheme till date, which is as follows:

Source: India CSR Network

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The post Women are the majority beneficiaries of World Bank-funded minority scholarships appeared first on SabrangIndia.