Expressing its concerns over the recent amendment to the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 (aka UP anti-conversion law), United Christian Forum (UCF) has submitted a detailed memorandum to UP Governor Anandiben Patel highlighting the misuse of the law by right-wing extremists and alleged police bias. The Forum, on August 19, also demanded that the legislation be repealed as well as the recent amendment to the law, which was passed by the UP legislature this month.

The memo titled, “Memorandum pertaining to Concerns Regarding the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024” said that it aims to draw the Governor’s attention to  the stringent measures proposed under the recent amendment bill against fraudulent or forced religious conversions; the role of police in colluding with Hindutva groups whilst turning a blind eye to offenses committed against Christians, and “the correlation between increased violence and the enactment of the anti-conversion laws.”

UCF pointed out that in many cases false complaints under the anti-conversion law were filed against members of minority communities by third parties who were not related in any way to the alleged victims of fraudulent conversions, thus revealing the communal agenda behind such harassment tactics. The memorandum also conveyed its worry over the recent amendment bill to the UP anti-conversion law and observed that “The broad and ambiguous language of the Bill emboldens individuals and groups to target religious minorities under the pretext of preventing fraudulent conversions. The provision allowing ‘any person’ to lodge a complaint widens the door to accusations driven by personal, political, or communal biases, leading to a wave of violence and harassment against these communities.”

The representation also referred to the study published by Article 14 wherein the latter analysed over 100 FIRs filed under the UP anti-conversion law and found out that 63 of them were registered by third-parties, including 26 from extremist groups. The memorandum said that the terms like “force, fraud, and allurement” remain undefined and vague under the law, with a possibility of categorising “any collective gathering of Christians… as an attempt to allure people to Christianity.”

The Forum maintained that existing criminal laws are already equipped to handle cases related to fraudulent and/or forced conversion, “yet the Bill imposes disproportionately severe penalties under the guise of preventing unlawful conversions.” The memo further cited media reports to highlight weaponisation of anti-conversion laws by mob and police to target religious minorities, wherein false cases linger for years against accused even as legal costs continue to grow, thus resulting in violation of accused’s right to life and liberty.

False and third-party complaints

In its memorandum, UCF provided details about several complaints which it claimed were either false, filed by third party, or involved police complicity. The details of these complaints and related FIRs can be found below:

1. Sonbhadra: FIR No. 0269/2023

Details of the case: On November 29, 2023, in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, 22 individuals were apprehended by the police with arrests made across various police stations in the district. The charges against the pastors include allegations under the Uttar Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021 with a total of 42 individuals implicated in the said. The complainant’s status as a leader of a fundamentalist group suggests that the FIR against the 42 pastors is driven by motives.

The copy of the complaint/FIR can be found here:

2. Azamgarh: FIR No. 0286/2022

Details of the case: On July 30, 2022, six Dalit women were arrested in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh while celebrating a child’s birthday – the son of one of the ladies. Local extremists witnessed the congregants praying for the child and reported it as an event where forced conversion was being carried out. All six women were booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.

The copy of the complaint/FIR can be found here:

3. Maharajganj: FIR No. 0410/2023

Details of the case: On August 20, 2023, Santosh Nishad from Maharajganj District in Uttar Pradesh was hosting a prayer gathering and get-together at his house when a group of approximately 10 individuals trespassed his property and physically assaulted him, accusing him of engaging in fraudulent religious conversions. On the evening of August 21, Pastor Santosh was taken into custody at the Nichlaul police station. The said FIR was registered under IPC sections 323 and 506 and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 leading to his imprisonment. Pertinently, the complainant later testified in the Maharajganj Sessions Court that he had been coerced into filing a complaint against the accused.

The copy of the complaint/FIR can be found here:

4. Azamgarh: FIR No. 0370/2022 

Details of the case: On November 23, 2022, a complaint was lodged in the Azamgarh district, alleging fraudulent religious conversions by Prashant Singh as the complainant, who claims to be a leader of the Bajrang Dal. As a result, the said FIR was registered under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, naming Harkhuram and Achhelal as the accused. Achhelal Rahi was subsequently placed in judicial custody on November 24, 2022. Notably, Harkhuram, one of the accused in the FIR, had passed away 12 years earlier.

The copy of the complaint/FIR can be found here:

5. Azamgarh: FIR No. 0397/2023

Details of the case: On September 10, 2023, in a village in Azamgarh, a prayer meeting was abruptly interrupted when a neighbour falsely accused them of religious conversion. The police swiftly arrested Brijesh, Parmeshwar, and Poonam Yadav, the wife of Brijesh Yadav. Poonam, who was three months pregnant, was taken into custody along with her innocent one-year-old daughter. They were all charged under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 and the said FIR was registered against them.

The copy of the complaint/FIR can be found here:

6. Ayodhya: FIR No. 0206/2024

Details of the case: On June 23, 2024, Sarju Prasad was illegally detained for almost 48 hours without the registration of an FIR when a prayer gathering at his home was disrupted in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, by journalists alleging fraudulent religious conversions by the police. The two online complaints were filed alerting the police regarding this illegal detention, accompanied by tweets addressing the police regarding this incident. The FIR bearing number 0206/2024 at Police Station Cantonment under the anti-conversion law was subsequently filed against him on June 26, 2024, and was he subsequently arrested and has been in judicial custody since then.

The copy of the complaint/FIR can be found here:

Conclusion

Even as the Forum highlighted the grievous violence and atrocities that have been committed against the Christian community, it also suggested several recommendations to Governor Anandiben Patel to ameliorate the situation. Its recommendations include:

1. Repealing the existing Anti-Conversion Law
2. Suspension of the 2024 Amendment Bill
3. Strengthening training for the police and judicial officers: Enforcement of comprehensive training programs for police personnel and judicial officers focused on safeguarding religious freedoms, handling complaints ethically, and conducting unbiased investigations.
4. Victim support in cases of false complaints: Establishment of support systems for individuals wrongfully accused, including legal assistance and psychological counselling to mitigate the trauma and financial impact of such actions.
5. Strengthening Community Relations: Undertaking initiatives that strengthen community relations and promote tolerance among different religious groups instead of using punitive legislation which may exacerbate communal tension.
6. Public Awareness and Education: The Government to prioritize public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the constitutional rights related to religious freedom and the importance of respecting diversity.

The copy of the memorandum can be found here:

Related:

United Christian Forum submits detailed memorandum to Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju highlighting targeted violence against Christian Community; demands repeal of anti-conversion laws | SabrangIndia

Sharp increase in violence against Christians, 161 incidents of violence in 75 days of 2024 | SabrangIndia

Environment of targeted hate and violence against Christians: Report | SabrangIndia

The post United Christian Forum submits memorandum to UP Governor Anandiben Patel; demands repeal of UP anti-conversion law and its recent amendment appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Collected Works sell sans Annihilation of Caste and the Riddles in Hinduism!

Who is afraid of the writings of Babasaheb Ambedkar? Both, the Modi and Phadnavis governments respectively; or so it seems.

For an average social scientist, Ambedkarite, a student of Indian freedom and inequality, when discussing Ambedkar and his most critical works, some names come immediately to mind.

These are, or are they or not, the Annihilation of Caste, or Riddles in Hinduism?  Even State and Minorities , Shudras and the Counter Revolution, Women and the Counter Revolution ?  Not for this regime(s) however. This government(s) – Centre and Maharashtra — would have us believe that the seminal or important works of this man are only his writings on the Roundtable Conference or his works related to Poona Pact, or his debates with Gandhi.

Now imagine a set of books, the official collection, copyright of which is with the Government of Maharashtra, re-branded as the (truncated) Collected Works of Bhimrao Ambedkar (CWBA) but without these seminal texts that cast a sharp and critical look at caste-ridden Hindu society.

This is exactly the farce that is being played out at India’s premier Book Fair currently on in the capital right now. The Delhi Book Fair. The Ambedkar Foundation, a Government of India body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the sole publisher of Babasaheb’s writings and speeches in Hindi, is selling the Collected Works without 11 books from the set ! Among the missing books in the Collected Works in Hindi are Anhilation of Caste and Riddles in Hinduism.

The official explanation is that the Ambedkar Foundation is in the process of publishing a new set of the Collected Works –and in the intermediate period — this truncated Collected Works is what they have to offer to the readers. But none at the Foundation (whom this writer spoke to), knows exactly when the new set of books will be published. This is the status of the Hindi edition of the CWBA.

For the English originals, the situation is more complicated. As the Foundation has not received the No Objection Certificate or the NOC from the Maharashtra Government, the copyright holder of these works, the Foundation cannot publish the English versions of the CWBA. It’s intriguing that the Maharashtra government that holds the publishing rights for the writings and speeches of Babasaheb is resisting sending this NOC to the central government affiliated Foundation!

In the meanwhile, citizens of the country have no option but to buy a truncated set of the Collected Works.  These acts of the Modi and Phadnavis  governments come at a time when the year is being celebrated, nationwide, for the 125^th Birth Anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has himself taken the lead in these celebrations. The Indian Parliament has held a two days special session to mark this occasion; a special commemorative coin has also been issued.

Is this celebration, then, just a façade for the Modi Government ? On the outside there are clever moves to appropriate Babasaheb; the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have declared him a ‘thinker’ or a ‘Guru’. But in essence, while this shallow eulogising continues, the radical social scientist and critical thinker in Babasaheb is being white-washed.

Dr. Ambedkar, while delivering his concluding speech before the Constituent Assembly, had forewarned us about the problems with hero worship. This regime, adept at ‘event management’ is simply trying to appropriate an idol. By suppressing Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s critical works, the RSS driven regime is trying to rob the revolutionary essence contained in the writings of Babasaheb.  While both the BJP and the RSS want to appropriate Babasaheb, his writings are, in a sense, too hot for them to handle. As a symbol to garner votes, Babasaheb is a welcome appropriation to the Hindutva  pantheon. But their affection for him ends there.

Why are Ambedkar himself and the Ambedkarite movement a Catch 22 for the RSS and the Sangh Parivar ?  Because, it has always faltered in its dealings with the issue of Caste. The centrality of caste in the democratic discourse of Ambedkarite stream of thought is a stumbling block for the avowed objective of the RSS in establishing upper caste Brahamanic hegemony in the country. In the Anhilation of Caste, Ambedkar actually advocates the demolishing of certain Hindu religious texts to enable Hindus to be really free. His writings are therefore extremely problematic for any organisation that seeks to re-affirm or consolidate caste hegemony.

And therein lies the rub. With Ambedkar and his legacy of radical critical thought, a searchlight is shone on aspects of the Indian (read Hindu) social and political structure that reactionary forces like the RSS and the BJP would prefer to conceal. In this year of the 125^th Birth Anniversary of Ambedkar, the choice is clear. Dr BR Ambedkar’s writings and thoughts need to be recognised in their completeness. In toto. By hollowing out his Collected Works of their seminal portions, the regimes in Delhi and Maharashtra seek to sanitise this legacy. A strong vibrant Dalit tradition will not so easily allow this mis-appropriation.

 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches

(The writer is a senior journalist, former managing editor India Today group and presently researching at the Jawaharlal Nehru Univreristy (JNU) on Media and Caste relations)

The post Who is afraid of the writings of Babasaheb Ambedkar? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The complaint states that the speech was “shockingly riddled with flagrantly false statements aimed at tarnishing the image of Indian National Congress by levelling false and unfounded allegations, with a clear objective of trying to create an atmosphere of communal disharmony amongst the gathered crowd and the individuals viewing it on other media platforms”.

Congress took objection to his statements that Siddaramaiah had released all PFI workers from custody and that Congress has given an election promise that if elected, it will lift the ban against PFI. It also highlighted his statement that if Congress wins the state elections, the entire state of Karnataka will be afflicted with communal riots.

Shah had also said, “If the Congress is voted even by mistake, then it will lead to all-time high corruption, appeasement and all-time high dynastic politics, and the entire state will suffer from riots.” He further

The complaint further states, “These statements, which were widely reported in the media, make two things amply evident; (i) the statements made by Shri. Amit Shah are designed to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, and are thereby punishable under Section 505 of the IPC and other provisions of the IPC; (i) the statements indirectly threaten and try to mislead electors into voting for a particular political party and candidate, thereby being punishable under Section 123 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951”.

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The post B’luru: Congress files complaint against Amit Shah for hate speech appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On September 5, the third death anniversary of journalist Gauri Lankesh, SabrangIndia along with premier independent news portal The Wire, the Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) and the Delhi Union of Journalists (BUJ) organised a webinar titled ‘Attack on Free Speech in Times of Covid-19’ where several senior and independent journalists, activists as well as representatives of media unions shared their experiences on how there was concerted attack on press freedom and a clear bid to crush any voice that doesn’t parrot the regimes narrative, and how such instances have only increased amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.  

The event was moderated by SabrangIndia co-founder Teesta Setalvad, who is a senior journalist and also a human rights defender with a formidable repertoire of fighting for the rights of oppressed and persecuted people hailing from various socio-cultural minorities. Setalvad was also a close friend of Gauri Lankesh, the fearless journalist who was slain for standing up to right-wing extremists. In a moving tribute to Lankesh, Setalvad said, “Gauri’s journalism was her passion and her activism represented grace and civility. For Gauri, the personal was the political.” She said, “This Webinar is a tribute to her memory, the journalism and values that she stood for. The journalism of Gauri Lankesh inspires us. I feel like in some way she is watching over us.”

Gauri’s sister, filmmaker and poet, Kavitha Lankesh also joined the webinar to share her memories of Gauri. She said, “I feel a little numb. I wonder what would Gauri say to all that is happening these days, especially given the lockdown. We should pledge to continue the fight started by Gauri. These days most media are not talking about the issues that #GauriLankesh used to raise. We must continue and keep the work and voice of Gauri alive.” 

The Wire co-founder Siddharth Varadarajan, who has also faced state repression and been targeted for his fearless reportage is a kindred spirit and was a co-organiser of the webinar. “Many channels are actively discrediting independent media. Vibrant democracy needs a vibrant independent media. We need greater solidarity,”said Varadarajan who was targeted for reporting on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath attending a religious ceremony amidst the Covid-19 crisis. Varadarajan is not new to being in the regime’s crosshairs. He and his publication were put through the ringer for their reportage in the infamous Jay Shah case. He was also accused of defamation in a 2012 case before the Madras High Court in connection with reportage on late J Jayalalitha when he was working for The Hindu. “Cases against journalists go on for years. The Madras HC threw out a case against me after 7 long years! The pressure is going to mount. The media will continue to be targeted,” said Varadarajan.

Activist and poet Meena Kandasamy talked about Tamilian journalists who have been recently targeted by India’s right-wing. The Southern States have always opposed Brahmanical fascism owing to the strong influence of the Dravdian movement she said. Moreover, due to a general perception of India’s “cow belt” as representative of the whole of the country, the South often gets ignored by ‘national’ news media. “We have to look beyond the English-speaking and cow belt mainstream and look elsewhere,” said Kandasamy.

Kandasamy also shared examples of how right-wing stooges target those who dissent against the Hindutva ideology. As an example, she mentioned Nelson Xavier from News 7 who was portrayed as anti-Hindu only because he was studying at a Christian-run college. “The cohesive action of the Right targets journalists even remotely connected with the Periyarian struggle,” she said adding that it is near impossible to find someone in Tamil Nadu not influenced by the legendary social reformer. She also said that women were often subjected to doxing and Tamilian Muslims were threatened by the label of ‘terrorists.’ She described the journalism landscape as one where journalists are locking accounts for fear of being monitored by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) groups.

From the South, the conversation went towards the North where Kashmiri journalist Gowhar Geelani said, “Kashmir is being used as a laboratory for experiments that will come to other parts of the country as well.” Geelani said, “Journalists are supposed to be storytellers, but in Kashmir, many times, they have become the story themselves!” He summarised the suppression of freedom of speech using short mnemonics of three ‘P’s, ‘F’s, and ‘C’s.

The three Ps referred to the People, the Politicians and the Pulpit that have been silenced and kept from expressing any form of dissent. He also mentioned an extra ‘P’ of the newly introduced ‘media policy’ that empowered the bureaucrats and clerks to decide what content is ‘anti-national’ or ‘seditious.’ Following this, the authorities then go after the media and journalists like Aasid Sultan (still in custody.)

Geelani then explained the three Fs – Fear, FIRs and a False narrative. He said that the government creates a fear that very few people manage to fight against. Those who raise their voice, face FIRs lodged against them and their family. This suppression leads to a false narrative about the State.

The government thus uses the three Cs – Censorship, Criminalisation of opinions and a Controlling narrative – to manufacture consent and reduce journalism to a Public Relations (PR) mechanism.

“There is no freedom of expression and there is no expression after freedom. That is only for the police, government and people of authority,” he said.

Similarly, editor of Imphal Free Press Pradip Phanjoubam, said that reporters faced a similar censure in the Northeast. “It’s like Alice in Wonderland – we don’t know what the law is,” he said.

He said the current government is of the view that any criticism can break the government. Manipur has seen a lot of political volatility in the recent past on account of questionable defections. The BJP had only recently managed to gain a foothold in the Northeast and was clutching on to Manipur fiercely. Phanjoubam said people have been arrested on frivolous grounds and that the numbers of those arrested could match those in Kashmir. People were arrested for saying “the Chief Minister shouldn’t waste time during the Covid pandemic.” 

From Jharkhand, freelance journalist and poet Jacinta Kerketta said that censure of speech acts as a sign of demise in any democracy. Even prior to the lockdown, the situation was such that either side of the political spectrum blamed the other. In recent times, people have also become more territorial. Adivasis are not allowed to roam around freely in their own land.

“If we, Adivasis, have to ask for permission before going anywhere then who are we,” she asked. She also spoke about how self-styled right-wing vigilantes often tried to derail efforts to educate Adivasis by questioning the religion and political affiliations of the educators. 

Kerketta said, “The Covid lockdown has created a lockdown in the minds of people. Freelance journalists are told to toe the line in their writing. Adivasis don’t even want to write because of the dangers in the field of journalism.” She said people were fearful and thus focusing on self preservation in face of open hostility. “There is now a helplessness with which people engage in writing and speech,” said Kerketta.

On the other hand, Founder of Simplicity news platform D. Andrew Sam said that he enjoyed great support of the journalism community during his time of arrest. Sam was arrested for reporting mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis by the city administration. “We were reporting facts, but government officials contradicted our reports and used their resources to misinform the public by playing down the figures,” said Sam. Many journalists came to the police station but found that the charges against him were jumbled in a false narrative with even rumour being spread about him being booked for harassing a woman! He said that journalists will always have to work with people who try to keep information opaque.  However, he managed because of the support and pressure put by the community.

Following the accounts of the individual journalists, President of Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) Sujatha Madhok said that the journalism produced during the pandemic has been wonderful. “Unfortunately, the issues portrayed are not something a government at any level wants us to talk about,” she said. She also highlighted how the lockdown was being misused by media houses to sack journalists, the fear of economic hardship thus hanging over their heads, making journalists vulnerable.

She emphasised that young journalists need to unionise, organisations need to ally and activists need to be reached out because censure has become a problem for the entire nation. Madhok pointed out that while journalists may not be very well-connected, employers are and thus are very concerned about what information goes into the open. She also said that the lockdown has been convenient in picking up people due to limited protests.

Building on this, Founder of the Free Speech Collective Geeta Seshu, said that no case lodged by a journalist between 2014 and 2019 has reached conviction despite detailed complaints. Additionally, journalists are absolutely unaware of their rights.

Seshu criticised the Information and Broadcasting Minister for objecting to India’s ranking given by Reporters Without Borders when he ought to have looked at data and facts. The government said that it will use the Disaster Management Act on any media house giving news that could upset the masses, said Seshu. Thus, there can be no argument that free speech in India is under attack. “The message from the top is that any kind of news that is critical or differs from the government narrative will face a crackdown under the guise of controlling panic,” she said. 

Moreover, she observed a weakening of journalists due to self-censorship and a growth of the regime’s lapdogs in the media who claim to speak for the nation. Sheshu said, “In these last five months free speech has been under attack. There is self censorship. There is also a very partisan media that uses inflammatory programming to attack the very journalistic values that we need to uphold.”

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The post Indian journalists decry attack on freedom of press amidst Covid-19 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

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

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

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

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Today at the stroke of the midnight hour, thanks to the collective efforts of the Sabrangindia Team and the never dying support of friends, comrades all, Sabrangindia turns one.  November 26, Constitution Day. This was a re incarnation of Communalism Combat, a print magazine born out of the fires of hatred, and our commitment to real, meaningful journalism alive between 1983 and 2012.

It's been a harsh journey made fulfilling by the experiences of a new vibrant medium. The internet. Today in one day we have crossed all past records of readership.  

Thank You will never be enough to all of you. Write for us. Endorse the spirit committed to a Free Media. And believe in what we always have:

Hate Hurts Harmony Works.

Editors

A GLANCE AT OUR TOP STORIES OVER THE LAST YEAR

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It was a sad day for many of us when we saw Karan Johar’s video requesting not to ban an Indian film in India. Film ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, that features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, ran into trouble after Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) said it won’t allow release of any movie in India that featured Pakistani artistes . It is due for release on October 28, ahead of Diwali.

Karan assured his audience in the video that he won’t work with Pakistani artistes anymore. He requested Indians to not stop another Indian’s film. He asserted that the film was made with Fawad Khan at a time when  Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Pakistan. Those were different times. Indian Government was keen to collaborate culturally with Pakistan. It was in that spirit of cross-cultural friendship that Dharma Productions had worked with Fawad Khan.

Karan Johar’s video  was however, a sad testament of the times we live in. Bullied by an extra constitutional entity Karan had to come to his film’s rescue. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) like Shiv Sena is mostly known for discriminating against Indians. They violate law of the land in the name of language, state and religion. Their targets change with time.

Film maker Anurag Kashyap tweeted that  Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the nation for visiting Pakistan. Kashyap expressed the helplessness of the artistes who had only followed their PM in extending a hand of friendship towards their Pakistani counterparts. Why should only the film makers suffer for their decisions? After all these decisions  were taken before Uri attacks. Just like Prime Minister's decision to visit Pakistan.

Karan Johar remained silent for long. Most civilians expect their Governments to protect them. Like any law abiding citizen Johar  expected the law of the land to protect his interests. In past when Monisha Koirala had gone to Bal Thackeray to seek “justice”, the courts had intervened strongly. Bal Thackeray was shown his place. That of an extra constitutional arbitrator.

This time Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had a meeting with Karan Johar and Raj Thackeray. The extortionist and the victim were made to sit together by the elected Chief Minister of a state.

All the films featuring Pakistani artistes and yet to release will need to pay up 5 crore for the Army fund, said Raj Thackeray. There was no statement on the same from any government official. A patriotic extortion!

While Government of Maharshtra bowed down to the pressure of an extortionist the Government in Center has kept quiet. And because one must say it more than ever before…this is the same Government that attacks students, educational institutions, supports extortion of money from artistes, makes wimps out of bold film makers, stays quiet when Dalits , Muslims, people in wheelchairs are attacked…

Is this our new MAKE IN INDIA mantra? Make Indians WEAK?

Welcome to new India where an elected Government gives in to extortion! Welcome to India where artistes must bow down!

The post Who rules Maharashtra – Fadnavis or Raj Thackeray? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad [ABVP] and Bharatiya Janta Party [BJP] should remember what West Bengal did to Congress, not too long ago.
 
Congress Chief Minister Sidharth Shankar Ray over saw killings of thousands of young men and women in the seventies. Congress claimed to have killed ‘anti-national’ Naxals. People in Bengal, especially those who were part of the Left movement and those who lost their children, say – without using the word ‘allegedly’ – that Ray killed whoever he wanted to indiscriminately. He killed the students he thought were Naxal sympathizers. He killed many who challenged him politically. Almost any body who supported the strong farmer’s movement was [identified as the ‘enemy of the State’ and decimated] his target.
 
Ray primarily targeted a large section of the educated youth of West Bengal, the urban intelligentsia, the sympathisers and supporters of the peasant struggle. This was in the wake of Naxalbari uprising in North Bengal which was triggered by police firing on the peasants. The thinking, thriving, actively dreaming youth! When the young [People] died Bengal smelled of death for years! So did Sidharth Shankar Ray and his party, Congress…blood was never washed from their hands. Especially the blood of farmers and the youth.
 
So much so that the State was scared to pay him the honour that a Chief Minister deserves.
 
“The Tricolour flew at half-mast in Punjab on Monday for Siddhartha Shankar Ray, but not in Bengal, where the veteran Congress leader was born and the state he served as Chief Minister. The north Indian state gave its former Governor the honour he deserved but Ray was let down in the place he called his own. While the Punjab government promptly announced a two-day state mourning for Ray, the best Bengal could come up with was a local holiday on Monday. The gun salute by the State Armed Police during his last rites at Keoratala was merely to show respect to a dignitary. It was far less than the state funeral accorded to Jyoti Basu,” wrote Times Of India in its November 9 e-edition, 2010, soon after Ray’s demise.
 
Even Mamata Banerjee, the present Chief Minister of Bengal, who was known for her proximity to Ray, was ‘scared’ of Ray or Ray’s image. If the activists of Bengal are to be believed, Ms Banerjee “requested” Ray not to visit her during her marathon hunger strike in December 2006. Such was the ignominy Ray was exposed to for nearly 30 years after his rule, even while he was not always an inferior administrator.
 
Congress was such a shamed party in Bengal for so many decades that perhaps Ms Banerjee had little choice but to launch her own party. Perhaps she realised that it is impossible to win an election in Bengal from a party which has actively indulged in a genocide. So she launched a party, fought an election championing farmer’s right and defeated Communists. Perhaps the Communists made the same mistake. They stepped into the same shoe that Congress wore between 1972-1977. They started dictating terms with the same arrogance. Towards the end of their and thus like the party of the land owners– the Congress– they targeted Bengal’s peasants, who are still strongly attached to their farm land. They also actively antagonised the women, the minorities and the youth.In its regime of 35 long years, Communist Party of India Marxist (CPIM)  was  accused of not giving academic positions to non CPIM scholars. Not even to Marxist scholars who refused to subscribe to CPIM. 
 
BJP and its bachcha elements in ABVP and Viswa Hindu Parishad [VHP] show the same arrogance today being n ew to political power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Their attack on FTII students, IIT students, Hyderabad Central University students, Benaras Hindu University students, Allahabad University students, Lucknow University teacher/students and of course Jawaharlal University students indicates that they think their sun will never set. The same arrogance that we have seen in other ruling parties in past.

 
What we are seeing in BJP additionally is its lack of political patience. Never before has a Government attacked the educated youth across the country so violently, openly, visibly. It is strange because one expected the popular Prime Minister to win over his detractors. What his people did instead is to alienate the ones who were with him! BJP and its associates have targeted the Dalits, the tribals, the minorities, the women. They have been so indiscriminate in their attacks that they have even attacked their own people  like Swadeshi Jagran Manch [SJM] – the economic wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS]. It has completely bypassed the advice of SJM while embracing FDI in nearly a dozen sectors. A quick visit to SJM’s website will illustrate the anger of SJM against Modi-Jaitley raj
 
Never before has a Government forced its ‘sleepy’ opposition to wake up so quickly. Never before has a Government created so many new educated leaders – across the country – to oppose them so soon. Never before has the nation been so strongly divided since independence into Caste Hindu and Dalits, Left and Right, Hindu and Muslim. The change is palpable in spite of most mainstream media houses working overtime to talk about how Bharat has become swatch/clean and strong.
 
A Government that works against its youth can’t have a future. You don’t touch anyone’s child if you want to rule their hearts. The socialist, Youth Congress and Leftist student band wagon have feudal, semi-feudal, corporate friendly parents back home. Many of them had voted for the ‘development friendly’ BJP Government. If you hit their children what will they do with your development?
 
What will Radhika Vemula do with our Prime Minister’s development Mantra? Is Najeeb’s mother thinking of development right now?
 
What West Bengal did to Congress…India may do to BJP if the attacks against its youth do not stop.
 
A nation needs its Left, Right and Center! It needs a good government and a strong opposition! The fight in our institutions is not a fight of ideology alone…ideology evolves. This a nasty battle for power…absolute power should stop, must stop.
 
Our humble suggestion thus to all the political parties is: Leave the kids alone!
Don’t push Rohith and now Najeeb’s mother…endlessly…ceaselessly…You are calling the mothers out on the streets and you know how that ends.
 
[1] SJM website: http://www.swadeshionline.in/
 

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