In a second instance this year, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ‘visited’ the Chinese embassy on Wednesday (6th November) to condemn the fire incident in Karachi wherein two Chinese nationals were injured. This comes after Chinese nationals were shot and injured on Tuesday (5th November) in Karachi’s SITE Industrial Area. Chinese nationals Wang Xing Zhong, Zheng Luwen, Zhou Baolin, and Wei Sixian were at the Liberty Mill in Karachi to install new machinery.
Reports say that the Chinese nationals arrived daily in a bulletproof vehicle, with protection provided by a private agency and Sindh Police’s Special Protection Unit (SPU).
“I have come here to condemn the attack on Chinese nationals and to inquire about the health of the injured. I am personally overseeing the process of apprehending those involved in this incident and ensuring they are given due punishment,” Shehbaz Sharif told Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong.
While the Pakistani PM claimed that China is Pakistan’s long-standing friend, it appears that India’s hostile neighbour is nothing but a puppet of China, a de-facto colony, the leader of which summoned from time to time only to be rebuked by China over failure to protect Chinese nationals on Pakistani soil.
Although the Pakistani PMO presented PM Sharif’s meeting with the Chinese ambassador as a ‘visit’ to offer condolences and assure action, the fact that Prime Ministers usually do not visit the embassies of other nations and ambassadors are summoned by PMO suggests China summoned the Pakistani PM.
Rampant attacks on Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects have China worried
In March this year, five Chinese nationals working on a dam project were killed in a suicide bombing in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. It was reported that a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of these Chinese engineers when it was heading to the CPEC-linked dam project site in Bakht Zahir.
Within hours, Prime Minister Sharif arrived at the Chinese embassy to ease tensions and offer his condolences.
Notably, attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan have become rampant in the recent past with reports suggesting that Baloch rebels are behind them.
In 2022, an explosion ripped through a van at the University of Karachi, killing three Chinese instructors and their Pakistani driver. In 2021, a bus explosion in northern Pakistan killed 13 persons, of these 9 were Chinese nationals.
In October 2024, Baloch militants ambushed a car near the airport, apparently killing several Chinese nationals. It was reported that two Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. The Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the suicide explosion.
China demands ‘better’ security, miffed over Pakistan’s failure to prevent attacks
Last month, Pakistan stated in a joint statement with China that it had committed to boost security for Chinese nationals and projects in the South Asian country, as Beijing demanded immediate security steps in response to an upsurge in attacks by Baloch rebels. China also sought a thorough probe of attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan.
“[The team] demanded that the Pakistani side properly handle the aftermath, spare no effort in treating the injured, thoroughly investigate the truth of the incident, apprehend and punish the perpetrators, and adopt stricter security measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan,” according to China’s foreign ministry.
China’s displeasure over Pakistan’s failure to protect Chinese nationals on its soil despite repeated pledges and commitments to prioritise the security of Chinese nationals can be understood from the fact that on 31st October 2024, raised concerns about Pakistan’s failure to protect Chinese nationals an in a rebuking tone that it was “unacceptable” for China that its citizens are time and again attacked and killed in Pakistan.
Chinese military inside Pakistan soon?
Fed up with Pakistan’s failure to protect Chinese nationals, China wants its own armoured vehicles and its own security troops to protect its citizens working in Pakistan. In September this year, it was reported that China and Pakistan were near reaching an agreement to establish joint security companies to safeguard Chinese nationals working in Pakistan. The proposed agreement would involve Chinese security troops working inside Pakistan, which Pakistan had earlier opposed despite China’s pressure. The arrangement might also result in Chinese nationals being transported around in armoured vehicles. The proposal involves incorporating advanced security measures like vehicle-mounted mobile security equipment and ballistic-protected armoured vehicles.
On Thursday (7th November), a federal appeals court in the United States gave its nod to a complaint against CNN for defaming Project Veritas with actual malice.
Project Veritas, a US-based conservative group known for investigative journalism, filed a complaint in 2021 against the leftist propaganda news network for falsely claiming that the former was banned from X (formerly Twitter) for ‘promoting misinformation.’
According to the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in the Northern District of Georgia, Project Veritas has reasonably argued for its claim of defamation by CNN and its ‘journalist’ Ana Cabrera.
BREAKING NEWS: Fake News @CNN Must Answer for its DEFAMATION against Project Veritas. 🔥
The 11th Circuit just handed down an amazing victory in the Veritas v. CNN Case.
The US-based conservative group highlighted in 2021 that it was de-platformed by Twitter for exposing private information and not ‘promoting misinformation.’ Project Veritas had asked CNN to issue a retraction, which the leftist propaganda news network refused to do.
Thereafter, the group sued CNN for defamation. At that time, the district court granted the motion to dismiss filed by CNN. However, on Thursday (7th November), a federal appeals court reversed its decision and revived the defamation suit.
“After careful review and with the benefit of oral argument, we conclude that Veritas plausibly alleged a defamation claim under New York law. And although the district court did not reach the issue, we also hold that Veritas plausibly alleged that the statements were published with actual malice, an additional requirement imposed by the First Amendment in a defamation suit involving public figures. Accordingly, we reverse the district court’s decision and remand for further proceedings,” the court ruled.
It further added, “We conclude that, at least at the motion-to-dismiss stage, Veritas plausibly alleged that the implications arising from Cabrera’s statements are not substantially true and thus are actionable under New York defamation law. We further hold that Veritas plausibly alleged that the statements were false and were published with actual malice.“
CNN is also facing another defamation suit from a US Navy veteran for smearing his reputation and falsely accusing him of illegal profiteering from refugees fleeing Afghanistan in 2021.
Devotees in Delhi’s Geeta Colony staged a protest as the artificial ghats constructed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for Chhath Puja rituals remained dry on Thursday.
The devotees took to the streets, chanted slogans, and expressed their discontent, frustrated at being unable to perform Sandhya Puja, which involves offering ‘Arghya’ to Lord Surya.
#WATCH | Delhi: People in Geeta Colony take it to the streets as the artificial ghats prepared for Chhath Puja remain dry and empty without water. pic.twitter.com/8cfF2bkmRC
A devotee, upon arriving at the dry artificial ghat, questioned the Delhi government’s arrangements, saying, “Why did they create all these facilities if they weren’t going to provide water? We could have celebrated the festival at home. We’ll continue our protest if water is not supplied.”
#WATCH | Delhi: "Why did they make all these arrangements if they were not going to give water? We could have celebrated the festival at home. We will take it to the streets if water is not provided…" says a devotee who reached the artificial ghats in the Geeta Colony and found… pic.twitter.com/gnv3qyvS9H
Another devotee, voicing his anger, remarked that they could have performed the rituals on their rooftops using tubs filled with water, accusing the government of “insulting” the devotees.
“There is no water here for us to complete Chhath Puja. The sun is setting, and our time to offer the ‘Arghya’ is slipping away. They could have informed us earlier; we could have done this on our rooftops. We feel insulted. The MLA has switched his phone off,” a devotee said.
Earlier in the day, Delhi CM Atishi stated that the Delhi government had built ghats across the capital to help Purvanchali residents feel connected to their roots.
“These Chhath Ghats have been built across the city so our Purvanchali brothers and sisters never feel far from home,” CM Atishi said.
Today marks the third day of Chhath, when Sandhya Puja is performed, a ritual dedicated to the setting sun. Families gather near water bodies at sunset, offering fruits, sweets, and thekua as prasad to Lord Surya, accompanied by hymns and prayers to Chhathi Maiya.
The Chhath Puja festival began with Nahay-Khay on the Chaturthi Tithi of Kartik Shukla Paksha, a day of purification and preparation, followed by Kharna on Panchami Tithi, Chhath Puja on Sashti, and will conclude with Usha Arghya on Saptami Tithi. The celebrations will end on November 8.
Chhath Puja spans four days, involving strict rituals and fasting to express gratitude to the Sun God for sustaining life on Earth. The festival is primarily celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Nepal, as well as by the diaspora from these regions.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Wednesday, 6th November, the Karnataka Board of Waqf claimed 17 structures in Karnataka’s historic Bidar Fort as its property. According to the reports, these properties are prominent landmarks of the fort, which is located in Bidar, the district headquarters.
Reports suggest that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the fort’s custodian, is ignorant of the development. The Waqf Board declared that 17 of the 60 properties on the Bidar Fort premises belong to it.
These include the well-known 16-‘Khamba’ (pillars) mosque and 14 tombs of several Bahmani royals and their families, including Ahmed Shah-IV, Ahmed Shah’s wife, Allahuddin, Hassan Khan, Mohammed Shah-III, Nizam, Sultan Ahmed Shah Wali, and Sultan Mahmud Shah.
A top Waqf Board official stated that notices have not yet been served to the ASI. “How can the Board issue a notice to the ASI, which has been the custodian and protector of the historical monuments for several decades? He claimed that a lot of ‘mischief and disinformation’ is being spread in the name of the Waqf Board, which is allegedly bringing a poor name to the Muslim community.”
“Ever since the controversy started, we decided to withdraw all the notices, because it’s unjust and illegal to evict people sitting on a land for a very long time,” the official added. On the other hand, Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairman Jagdambika Pal, meanwhile on Thursday, 7th November visited the state of Karnataka amid the ongoing Waqf row and opined that farmers were getting affected due to the Waqf Board.
“You have seen now that the farmers from north Karnataka are at the airport and they have handed over a memorandum which says that the (Waqf) board was claiming a piece of land that belonged to them. I have enquired whether they have the deed (for the land) or (proof of) ownership of the land. They (the farmers) are claiming that they have been here for more than 50-70 years but even then the board is claiming (their land). I will look into it,” Pal said.
“The farmers say that they have been here for almost 70 years, but despite that the Waqf board is claiming ownership of their land,” Pal added. The JPC was constituted to study the Waqf Amendment Bill, which was introduced this year in Parliament.
In another conviction of grooming gangs in the UK, twenty men were found guilty of rape and assault of young girls and have been handed over a total of more than 219 years in prison, an official statement of West Yorkshire police announced on 6th November. Among the convicted, Shahzad Nowaz (45) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and making threats to kill and sentenced to a total of 11 years. Nadeem Nassir (44) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and making threats to kill and sentenced to a total of 11 years. Sajid Adalat (48) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to a total of seven years. Sohail Zaffer (41) of Halifax, pled guilty to rape and supply of a class C drug. He was sentenced to a total of 42 months. Shazad Nazir (49) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to a total of 11 years.
Nadeem Adalat (39) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 14 years. He appealed the sentence and it was increased to a total of 16 years. Asad Mahmood (38) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to a total of 13 years. Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal (39) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to a total of nine years. Vaseem Adalat (38) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 12 years, which was increased to a total of 14 years and 6 months after an appeal.
Amir Shaban (48) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 10 years. Malik Quadeer (67) of Halifax was found guilty of five counts of rape and sentenced to 22 years. Mohammed Ziarab (55) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 10 years. Imran Raja Yasin (45) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 10 years. Kamran Amin (48) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 10 years. Mohammed Akhtar (54) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 11 years. He passed away while serving his sentence.
Twenty men have been jailed for more than 219 years combined after being found guilty of raping and abusing young girls.
Saquab Hussain (46) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to seven years and 6 months. Haroon Sadiq (40) of Halifax was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to 10 years. Shafiq Ali Rafiq (44) of Dewsbury was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to 12 years. Sarfraz Rabnawaz (39) of Bradford was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to 9 years. Craig Mitchell (55) of Halifax was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 12 years.
The men were found to have sexually abused and exploited four girls in Calderdale, ages 12 to 16, after a succession of individual investigations and prosecutions. It added that the detectives in Calderdale have carried out several highly sensitive and complicated investigations into various independent claims of child sexual abuse in the Calderdale area between 2001 and 2010 since the initial accusation in 2016.
“Due to court restrictions being put in place at an early stage to safeguard legal proceedings, we have so far been unable to share the outcomes of these investigations. The restrictions have now been lifted, allowing us to share details of three investigations where proceedings are no longer active,” the statement further read.
Two girls between the ages of 13 and 16 were sexually abused and exploited in Calderdale between 2006 and 2009 after which the first investigation was started in 2016. During two trials at Bradford Crown Court, nine men from Halifax were imprisoned. October 2021 marked the start of the first trial in which five individuals were pronounced culpable and four more met the same fate during the second one which began in January 2022. After hearing about the recurrent abuse of a vulnerable girl from 2002 to 2006, beginning when she was 13 years old, the second investigation was also started in 2016.
At Bradford Crown Court, one man was convicted in the first trial in August 2022 and six men were found guilty in the second trial, which commenced in October 2022. Three persons were found guilty in a third trial that began in January 2024. In 2018, a 12-year-old girl who had been sexually molested between 2001 and 2002 was the subject of a third investigation, in which a man was deemed guilty.
Firstly, I want to acknowledge the sheer courage of the victims and survivors in each of these investigations – not only for having the bravery to come forward initially but also for enduring the criminal justice system and the weight of criminal trials and reporting restrictions in place. Due to legal restrictions, it has not been possible to publicise these outcomes until now. I welcome the sentences handed to these offenders for the abhorrent abuse these young girls were subjected to, which was heard by the jurors in each trial over the last few years. Tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse is a top priority for West Yorkshire Police and our partners. This is an abhorrent crime which has a lifelong impact on victims and survivors,” stated Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith.
“I hope highlighting the prosecution of these offenders will serve as a reminder that we will continue to do all we can to put perpetrators behind bars and protect victims and survivors. It’s never too late to report child sexual abuse. I encourage anyone who was abused as a child to speak to someone and seek support. Reports of non-recent abuse are handled by officers who are specially trained in supporting victims and survivors and dealing with such sensitive cases,” the officer added.
The most recent prosecutions follow 15 men who were imprisoned for child sex offences in 2016, which police described at the time as their biggest probe into Calderdale’s grooming gangs. Investigators and victims cautioned the following year that grooming gangs nationwide were replicating the coordinated abuse that had been made public in Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford and Newcastle. As of August 2017, Operation Sanctuary, which looked into grooming gangs in Tyne and Weir and Northumberland had identified over 700 possible victims.
Last year, then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak established a task force led by the National Crime Agency to address the grave threat posed by these gangs. “The safety of women and girls is paramount. For too long, political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women. We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs,” he had declared.
The force was formed in response to a GB News program that documented this type of child abuse in more than 50 British towns and cities. With hundreds of cops trained across the country, it has made more than 500 arrests in its first year. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, called for life in prison for individuals involved in such activities and advocated for the deportation of foreigners engaged in this kind of abuse.
In the recent US Presidential elections, former President Donald Trump made a historic comeback winning a second term to become the 47th President of the United States of America. Donald Trump even won the popular vote along with the electoral vote. Notably, the US Senate is also now a Republican majority with 52 seats. For the first time since 2004, when incumbent George W. Bush received 50.7% of the national vote and Democratic opponent John Kerry received 48.3%, the Republicans won the popular vote.
While the Democrats and liberals are suffering a massive meltdown over the people of America ascending Donald Trump back to the helm of power, it is pertinent to understand what factors contribute to this paradigm shift.
Trump’s message on rising inflation resonated with the voters
Inflation was one of the major issues in the US impacting voter perspective. Under Biden’s presidency, persistent inflation drove up the cost of living, especially for food, housing, and petrol expenses. Many middle and lower-class voters felt the pinch of inflation in the last 4 years, and despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to contain inflation with interest rate hikes, the economic recovery appeared slow. The Republican leader’s campaign successfully capitalised on this dissatisfaction, positioning himself as the candidate capable of restoring economic stability and decreasing the expenses.
According to the national exit polling data from Edison Research, approximately 31% of voters stated the economy was their top issue, trailing only 35% who said that the state of democracy was most vital for them. Moreover, the voters who cited the economy as their top issue largely supported Trump against Harris, 79% to 20%.
According to the US government’s consumer price index, inflation increased by 20.1% during President Joe Biden’s first 45 months in office, as opposed to 7.1% during Trump’s first 45 months. This translated into annualised inflation rates of 5.4% under Biden and 1.9% under Trump. Year-over-year inflation soared under Biden at a four-decade high of 9% in 2022 before declining to slightly more than 3%. Inflation is an issue that directly affects households and is thus, a core issue for the voters.
While campaigning, Donald Trump argued that the US economy was in disarray and his assertion resonated with numerous Americans who were dissatisfied with the cost of living surge, as well as increased loan and tax burdens throughout Joe Biden’s tenure. During his campaign, Donald Trump restated his intentions to reduce inflation and boost the general economy, which included cutting taxes, imposing high tariffs on imported goods, limiting migration, and reducing red tape. A significant number of American voters, yearning for a change, found Donald Trump to be the right man at the right time to lift them out of the Biden administration-inflicted misery.
How PM Modi dealt with inflation in India
Notably, even in the Indian electoral context, inflation has traditionally been a key issue, given the impact it has on people’s day-to-day living. While inflation is a subject that can never be out of discussion around elections, over the past few years, inflation has not been a focal point of electoral narratives in Inda suggesting that its effect has not been as intense as it had been before Prime Minister Narendra Modi first assumed the office in 2014.
Among myriad factors, the fact that PM Modi has the best record on inflation among all Indian Prime Ministers since independence indicates why he remains the most popular leader and people trust his leadership when it comes to India’s economic growth and stability. When PM Modi took office in May 2014, the inflation rate was approximately 8%. By December 2014, it had reduced to half of that, or roughly 4%. This displays a government’s capability and intent, and when the people see the beneficial outcomes, they vote to approve the leader and his programs. While PM Modi’s first, second, and current third terms were not without problems, the Modi government overcame them, including the impact of the Covid epidemic. While several countries’ economies were severely impacted by covid, India’s economy was able to control the harm and recover. Something the Biden administration grappled with, and voters could not forget the difficulties they faced during Covid pandemic, especially the mandatory vaccination rules.
How the Republican Party trumped the Democrats on the issue of undocumented immigrants
Another important factor influencing voter opinions in the US was the immigration situation at the US-Mexico border. Under Joe Biden’s presidency, there was an increase in illegal immigration, and border security became a contentious topic. The Republican campaign, led by Donald Trump, emphasised an overburdened immigration system and promised stronger border controls, appealing to people concerned about national security and the economic impact of unfettered immigration.
While Kamala Harris, back in 2017, said that “an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal”, Donald Trump, during his 2024 election campaign, promised mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, also reviewing the refugee program. Even during the presidential debate with Kamala Harris, Donald Trump had vehemently raised this issue and accused the Biden administration of allowing an unchecked influx of illegal immigrants.
The assertion made by Trump was that illegal immigrants are taking jobs, that US citizens should be having, and they were “destroying” the country. The people of the US wanted the government to tackle the illegal immigration menace and stop further infiltration, however, the Democrats failed to offer a concrete action plan or even show genuine intent, while Trump capitalised on the prevalent public anger. This anger eventually translated into votes for Trump.
In the Indian context, the Modi government has been very clear about its stance on illegal immigrants, especially the Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingya Muslims. Akin to the Democrats, the Indian opposition parties invoke ‘humanitarian grounds’ to allow Rohingya infiltrators to live in India. The American and the Indian people have grown sick and tired of appeasement politics in the name of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), humanity and other high-sounding terms liberals invoke to justify jeopardising national security for political or ideological gains.
Rural White Americans remain loyal to the Republican Party, Hispanics and Latinos trumped the Democrats
The rural Americans, who in 2016 also largely voted for Trump, expressed their faith in the Republican leader once again. There is a perception among White Rural Americans that the Democrats are a party of liberal elites who despise and ignore them. It is worth recalling how Hilary Clinton had mocked Trump voters during the 2016 campaign by calling them a “basket of deplorables”. She went on to call Trump supporters Xenophobic, Islamophobic, Homophobic, racist, sexist and so on.
In fact, in 2008, Barack Obama had called the small-town people “bitter” and those who “cling to guns or religion”. Incidentally, the Indian liberal parties and their supportive ecosystem also resort to such name-calling and villainising the people for voting the BJP to power at the Centre or states. The Indian voters, particularly, BJP supporting Hindus are labelled as Hindutva extremists, Andbhakts, illiterates, Islamophobes and what not. Recently, Joe Biden called Donald Trump’s supporters as “garbage”. You cannot mock the people of your country for having differing opinions and then expect them to vote for you.
While the Democrats tried hard to project Donald Trump as a racist leader, the voting pattern among the Hispanics and Latinos suggests a different story, a major shift.
Another factor that helped Trump gain ground among the American masses was his message of “bringing jobs back” to America and preserving domestic companies. This resonated in critical swing states among manufacturing and blue-collar workers who were feeling alienated by global economic trends.
When Trump talked about the threat of illegal immigrants taking over jobs of the US citizens, he said that jobs of all legal American citizens are at risk. “We have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums. And they’re coming in and they’re taking jobs that are occupied right now by African Americans and Hispanics and also unions. Unions are going to be affected very soon. And you see what’s happening. You see what’s happening with towns throughout the United States,” Trump said during a presidential debate in September.
Latinos and Hispanic voters played a crucial role in Donald Trump’s landslide victory over Kamala Harris in the US presidential election. Both communities have traditionally supported Democrats.
Overall, Trump raised his Latino vote share to 45%, up significantly from 32% in his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Approximately 53% of voters in this group favoured Harris, down from an anticipated 60% who voted for Biden in 2020. A major reason behind this shift in loyalties is reported to be stemming from the support for Trump’s pledge to continue the construction of the Mexico border wall and carry out mass deportation of illegal immigrants. T
rump’s tactic to projecting Kamala Harris as a “communist” also seems to have helped bring Hispanics on his side given having a communist leader would be the last Hispanics coming from countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua would want. Notably, even the Arab Americans upset with Biden government over its handling of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, also voted for Trump. Reports suggest that the Arab Americans in Michigan’s Dearborn, which is home to the largest Arab American community, have voted for Trump in huge numbers.
Trump’s campaign raised real issues while Kamala Harris’s hollow rhetoric and woke agenda got rejected by the Americans
The leitmotif of Kamala Harris’s campaign centred around projecting Trump as a threat to democracy and women’s rights while advocating for reproductive rights and the woke agenda.
During the 2020 and 2024 elections, Democrats used aggressive rhetoric to characterise Donald Trump and his followers as threats to democracy, using words like “fascism” and comparing them to “Nazis” (something common with Indian opposition and liberals who call Modi government fascist and the PM Modi as “Hitler”). This fear-mongering gained traction in 2020, while Trump was still in power, as voters feared authoritarianism and questioned the integrity of democratic institutions.
By 2024, however, Americans were tired of this fear-mongering, especially since the so-called democratic collapse did not occur under Trump’s first term. The people seem to have found the constant framing of every election as a defence of democracy from the Republican ‘Nazis’ to be increasingly hollow, especially as they dealt with urgent economic issues such as inflation, rising property prices, and job uncertainty. For the average American, the Democrats’ rhetoric of existential crisis appeared divorced from their everyday issues.
When voters were more concerned with affording food, paying rent, or finding a stable job, the Democrats’ emphasis on abstract cultural disputes appeared irrelevant. People were also not in the mood to support a party that may in any manner be supportive of what Elon Musk once called the “woke mind virus”.
Celebrity endorsements are useless
The 2024 elections served as a reality check to the Democrats that the hollow rhetoric of protecting democracy, upholding social justice, or simply symbolic messaging by nominating a woman candidate is not going to help them. Among many interesting aspects of this election, one was the celebrity endorsements.
From pop sensation Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, rapper Cardi-B, to actor (and former Republican) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oprah, Harrison Ford, and even Beyonce among many others endorsed Kamala Harris. Many of them are now suffering a major meltdown as their supposed nemesis has been re-elected with a thumping majority.
This indicates that celebrity endorsements turned out to be as valuable to the democrats as LGBTQs stripping and protesting on the streets for Hamas. The sheer futility of celebrity endorsements in these elections reflects that aware and concerned voters opted to apply their brains rather than rely on what a pop singer or an actor supports or opposes.
Even the media endorsements mean nothing on the ground, although The Washington Post invited severe backlash over its owner Jeff Bezos’ announcing’ decision to go neutral instead of continuing its trend of endorsing the Democratic Party candidate. In reality, such endorsements or even the decision to not endorse any candidate hardly makes any difference on the ground. It only affects the party loyalists on both sides.
Real-world issues will decide the outcome of elections: A lesson for democracies across the world
The US election results serve as an eye-opener that the awakened voter voting on real issues may be a global phenomenon and democracies need to realise this. The aware voter, be it in America, India, or any other functional democracy will not fall for the “constitution in danger”, “right-wing is fascist, Nazi” or “anti-minority” rhetoric, but rather would evaluate the candidates based on the vision, ideology and policies they offer to solve their issues, secure their country and lead them on the path of development and prosperity.
In India, the world’s largest democracy, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections showed that while caste and religion-based politics may have not completely disappeared, the opposition’s constant fear-mongering around the constitution, the threat of the future of democracy, the threat of fascism did not work. Rather, people gave importance to what the government did for their welfare and national security. The need to have a strong leader who would safeguard people’s national interests on the global stage fuelled the nationalistic sentiments in both Indian and American voters. In a nutshell, economic priorities are paramount, polarised identity politics cannot substitute for issue-based campaigns. People are done with good vs evil, social justice vs fascism sort of polarising rhetoric. This no longer piques the interest of the voters.
The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) on Thursday (7th November) asked News 18 media to take down an exclusive interview of Hindu spiritual leader Bageshwar Dham Sarkar (also known as Dhirendra Krishna Shastri) that was shared on their platform in July 2023. NBDSA stated that they had sought a response from News 18 based on a complaint from one Pune-based techie Indrajeet Ghorpade, and the channel has failed to respond within a stipulated time period.
NBDSA directs News18India @News18India to take down the video of interview with Dhirendra Shastri aka Baba Bageshwar after finding that it promoted superstition and communal disharmony.
The complainant mentioned that in the interview, Bageshwar Baba promoted his supernatural powers and the channel allowed it to be shared, breaking the regulations of news broadcasting and digital standards. The complaint also alleged that Shastri promoted the idea of Hindu Rashtra and the love jihad “conspiracy”. As per the reports, Ghorpade who is an activist has earlier filed several complaints against the channel.
Following this, the NBDSA stated that Shastri promoted superstition during the interview and that his statements concerning Hindu Rashtra were divisive in nature. “The seer who was invited by the broadcaster made several claims during the broadcast, which promoted superstition. Furthermore, during the broadcast, several statements were made by the seer concerning Hindu Rashtra and religion, which were divisive in nature, such as that in order to live in India it would be mandatory to say ‘Sita Ram’ and that Islam asked men to trap young Hindu girls in love jihad and then kill them,” the NBDSA headed by former SC judge AK Sikri said.
Image- News18
It added that the response of News 18, claiming that what Dhirendra Shastri said was his own personal views and not the views of the channel, was not satisfactory. It mentioned that Shastri mentioned several instances of his alleged ‘supernatural powers’, promoting superstition and occult practices, like finding lost cattle and jewels of people, and making religious proclamations that were divisive in nature.
As per the original NBDSA order obtained by OpIndia, the show violated the principles of Self-regulation which enjoins the broadcasters to refrain from advocating or encouraging superstition and occultism. The complainant stated that Shastri during the interview claimed that he had superpowers and that he could find missing animals, and diamonds using his powers.
The broadcaster responded to the allegation stating that it was a live interview and Bageshwar Dham Sarkar chose to answer questions referring to his personal life and ‘experiences’. It further added that the channel in no way would be responsible for such statements. Further, it added that Bageshwar Dham Sarkar clarified that he had no magic and that his predictions are to be taken as indicative and not as ultimate truth.
However, the NBDSA observed that the program caused harm to the religious harmony between the communities and promoted superstition, occultism, and blind belief. “Such programs should not be broadcast,” it added.
Previous complaint by Ghorpade against News18 against ‘love jihad’ show
It is important to note that this is not the first time that the Pune-based activist techie has filed a complaint against News18. Ghorpade had dragged News18 and its anchor Aman Chopra in the year 2022 as well when the latter reported several incidents of love jihad during Navratri and Garba celebrations. Aman Chopra’s show at that time ‘Desh nahi Jhukne Dunga’ had reported about Muslim men allegedly beaten by local Hindu groups for entering into garba pandals by hiding their original identities. The men were then identified and handed to the police who booked them in three separate cases in Ahmedabad, Indore, and Akola.
NBDSA order obtained by OpIndia
In the complaint against News18, the activist said that the anchor made the following tickers, “Garba mein ghusne se pehle pehchan patra dikhana hoga par uska virodh ho raha tha, ki kagaz nahi dikhayenge, garba mein jayenge. 7 logo pe FIR, Akola mein bhi Ahmedabad mein bhi Indore mein bhi, aur fir kehte hai Kagaz nahi dikhayenge. Khabar kya hai? Garbe mein ladkiyon ki photo lene par pitai, pakde gaye sabhi 4 yuwak vishes samuday ke, Ahmedabad mein 2 Muslimon ki pitai.” “These were repeated by the anchor which portrayed the entire Muslim community as demons,” the complainant added.
Denying the said allegations, the News18 media broadcaster then had explained that the challenged program ‘Desh Nahi Jhukne Dunga’ was based on viral videos of three incidents showing certain individuals being beaten for deceptively attending Garba celebrations to record videos of women without their consent. In one of the cities, an FIR was also filed against such individuals. The broadcaster argued that these incidents were newsworthy, given allegations that some people were concealing or misrepresenting their identities to gain entry to the Garba events. The broadcaster also clarified that the program did not condone violence.
The broadcaster further noted that other TV news channels had also aired the viral videos, and the incidents were also given wide coverage by various newspapers. It explained that the challenged program also raised the question of whether it was inappropriate for members of the Muslim community to attend Garba celebrations and why some individuals were entering the event using falsified documents.
Given this context, the media platform questioned how the program could be viewed as communal or as promoting hate, as alleged by the complainant. The broadcaster pointed out that the incident involving seven individuals allegedly entering Garba festivities in Indore by concealing their identities was breaking news at the time.
In response to one of such incidents in Indore, the then Culture Minister of Madhya Pradesh had stated that Garbas had become a medium for “Love Jihad.” Additionally, the broadcaster, News18 in the year 2022 mentioned that the demand for identity verification prior to attending Garba celebrations was raised by local committees to ensure the safety of women and to maintain law and order.
The NBDSA, however, at that time also observed that the challenged broadcast was a news report on viral videos from Ahmedabad, Indore, and Akola, showing certain individuals being physically assaulted for just attending Garba celebrations. While NBDSA acknowledged that the broadcaster had merely reported on these incidents as they occurred in those cities, it noted that the tickers used during the interview gave a ‘communal tone’ to the broadcast. “These phrases created an impression that men from a specific community were miscreants or criminals aiming to deceive or harm women of another community,” the NBDSA said deciding to caution the broadcaster against using such language in future broadcasts.
Love Jihad downplayed by Islamist supporters, termed it as conspiracy
It is crucial to note that incidents of Love jihad have been downplayed by leftists and their supporters giving a clean chit to the Islamists who deliberately trap Hindu women into love affairs and then force them to convert their religion. The leftists Islamists and their supporters consider Love Jihad a hoax and usually term it a conspiracy. However, OpIndia has reported several such cases from across the country with relevant evidence and legal reports exposing the sickening mentality of the Islamist community. During the NIA raids on the banned terrorist organization PFI, the authorities also recovered several incriminating documents in which specific mentions of Love jihad were made. The Islamists had made calls to the Muslim community asking them to trap Hindu women and convert them. Monetary rewards for doing the same were also announced. However, the Centre imposed a ban on the terrorist outfit in the year 2022.
In the given case also, Pune-based activist Ghorpade downplayed the incidents of Love Jihad and called it a conspiracy. He, in his complaint against New18 in the year 2022 stated that the latter was trying to allegedly spread hatred in the society by ‘demonizing’ the entire Muslim community. Ignoring the safety concern of the women attending Garba, and the fact that the Muslims had hidden their original identity to enter Garba pandals, Ghorpade stated that the channel glorified the assault over the Muslim men in Indore, Ahmedabad, and Akola respectively. He said that Shastri also during the interview with News18 recently promoted the idea of Hindu Rashtra and the love jihad “conspiracy”. Following this, the NBDSA directed the media to take down the interview from all its platforms.
Five shows of News18 were issued notice by the NBDSA in 2022 accusing it of spreading ‘communal hatred’
In 2023, the NBDSA issued notices against 5 shows by News18’s Aman Chopra and alleged that the anchor instigated communal hatred by ‘deliberately’ targeting the Muslim community. “Chopra targeted, vilified, and castigated the entire Muslim community for the actions of a few miscreants and gave an incident a communal tilt,” the NBDSA had said as it fined Rs 25,000 to News18.
One show aired on 4th October 2022, in which Chopra, as per the complainant, termed police action of caning against the accused Muslims as ‘Dandiya’. The Muslims in Kheda, Gujarat. The accused Muslims had reportedly attacked the garba event after which police resorted to caning. The second show aired on September 29th, 2022 where Chopra allegedly reported about the Muslims barging into the garba events in Ahmedabad, Indore, and Akola. The complaint stated that the anchor allegedly portrayed all Muslim men as criminals trying to deceive Hindu women.
Gujarat Police flogging accused Islamists in the chowk in Kheda, Gujarat
The third show by News18 was aired on 5th August where the channel reported about sharp rise in the Muslim population in border areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bangladesh. The complainant then complained that the show and the channel tried to portray all Muslims as intruders. Interestingly, all the above three complaints were also filed by Pune-based activist Ghorpade.
The fourth show aired on January 18th, 2022 when the channel reported about UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s ’80-20′ comments. This time the complaint was filed by the Citizens for Justice and Peace and one Anuj Dubey who said that Chopra’s reporting was biased and partial. As per them, Chopra used statements like “20 were ganging up against 80 who were Hindus.” News18 India was fined Rs 50,000 and ordered to remove videos of the broadcast.
The fifth show that was challenged aired on July 28th, 2022, and was about the murder of Praveen Nettaru in Dakshina Kannada. As stated by the NIA, Praveen Nettaru was murdered by the PFI ‘killer squad’ to create terror in the Hindu community and establish Islamic Rule by 2047. Based on the complaint filed by one Utkarsh Mishra, the NBDSA stated that Chopra, rather than holding a few miscreants accountable for the murders and violence, actually attributed the violence to the religion itself.
Praveen Nettaru ran a chicken shop. He was killed by PFI Islamists. Image Source: File Photo
NBDSA favors minority to portray its anti-Hindu stance?
It is further important to note that the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has also allegedly been posing an anti-Hindu, anti-India stance. It has issued similar orders in the past too, sometimes downplaying the hijab issue or issue of religious conversion. It has evidently been siding by the minority community and issuing orders to several media houses whenever the latter attempted to expose the real faces of the Islamists.
1.Notice against News Nation for airing show on ‘conversion jihad’
In 2021, the NBDSA issued a notice against another media channel named ‘News Nation’ for airing a show about ‘Conversion Jihad’. An NGO called CJP (Citizens for Justice and Peace) had lodged a complaint with NBSDA taking umbrage to the “Conversion Jihad” show by News Nation TV, anchored by Deepak Chaurasia. The complaint said that the anchor called one Maulana Syed Ul Qadri a ‘factory of lies’ and made him apologize on behalf of the entire Muslim community.
The complaint also said that there was an “attempt” to promote “Islamophobic” ideas during the show and that some of its clips on Twitter, which received thousands of likes and retweets promoted hate against the Muslim community. The NGO claimed that such programs must not be aired as they may hurt the “composite and diverse” culture of India and that it may lead to violence.
News Nation TV had in turn said that the channel or the anchor cannot be held responsible for statements made by the guests in the program, but, had tendered an unconditional apology if the statements had hurt anyone. The NBDSA had ordered for the show to be deleted upholding the notion that any harsh reality being discussed in the media amounts to “Islamophobia”.
Conversion Jihad is a reality that the mainstream media, the organizations that govern the media, and the political class, on the whole, want to push under the rug. There are hundreds of cases where Hindu women have been forcefully converted to Islam either by deceit or force. There are other cases where Hindu women are even brutally murdered and/or raped when they find out the real identity of the perpetrator and refuse to convert to Islam. OpIndia has time and again reported several such cases from across India with legal pieces of evidence. All such reports can be read here and here.
2. Notice against Times Now Navbharat for airing show featuring love jihad
On June 3rd, 2023, activist Indrajeet Ghorpade had filed a complaint with Times Now Navbharat, raising concerns about the tickers and headlines displayed during the show, which he argued promoted ‘demonization and hatred against the Muslim community’. The show named ‘Love to banana hai, Hindu betiyan nishana hai’ talked about love jihad and the modus operandi of how Islamists trap Hindu women and then force them to convert to their religion. Ghorpade alleged that numerous generalized statements targeting the Muslim community were made without any factual basis. He also said that the murder of Shraddha Walker was repeatedly presented with a ‘communal slant, casting Muslim men in a suspicious light’.
“Shraddha Walker was incorrectly cited as an example of Love Jihad. Further, during the broadcast false generalized statements were made to target Muslim men, by stating, ‘Kyun har jageh, Hindu naam rakh ke ek Hindu ladko fasane ka kyun aata hai saamne ye bataiye? Aisa kyun hai ki jo ladki fasti hai woh Hindu hai aur jo ladka maarta hai woh Muslim nikalta hai baad mein? Kyun dhoka diya jata hai iss tarah se?’ Another panelist baselessly claimed that this is an organized crime against our (Hindu) women,” the complaint read.
NBDSA then imposed a fine of Rs. 1 lakh on Times Now Navbharat. It observed that several Muslims married Hindu girls, however the same did not warrant for news anchors to make generalized statements.
The order stated, “Some such instances should not lead to making generalized statements regarding inter-faith marriages by giving it a communal color. Every citizen, from whichever religion, has a right to marry a person of his/her choice, irrespective of the religion to which he/she belongs. Merely because a Hindu girl married a boy of another faith would not be tantamount to love jihad unless it is established that such a Hindu girl was duped or coerced into the marriage. Further, because of few incidents of such forced marriages, an entire community cannot be branded. Thus, it was not proper to generalize the incidents with the tickers such as ‘Love to banana hai, Hindu betiyan nishana hai’ Jihadiyon se Beti Bachao.”
3. Notice against Aaj Tak and its show ‘Black and White’ by Sudhir Chaudhary
This specific complaint was recently filed by activist Indrajeet Ghorpade, this time against the ‘Black and White’ show, hosted by Sudhir Chaudhary and aired on Aaj Tak. In the complaint, Ghorpade alleged that the anchor made false statements aimed to incite hatred and fear against the Muslim community. He wrote that “the broadcasters ignored the widespread discrimination faced by Dalits and Muslims, opting instead to air a show that portrayed Muslims as rioters and labeled Muslim areas as ‘mini-Pakistan.'”
The show by Chaudhary notably reported on the Islamist violence in Nalanda district of Bihar during Ram Navami celebrations in March 2023. As reported, a religious mob in Nalanda set fire to Hindu shops and their warehouses, causing extensive damage. Chaudhary while reporting stated that Islamists aimed at making India an Islamic country. “Today they have Muslim area, tomorrow they might want Muslim Bharat. Have you ever heard of Hindu area, Sikh area, Parsi area?” Chaudhary reported.
Complaining against this, Ghorpade stated that “the anchor failed to mention that a mosque was burnt down in Nalanda, Bihar, that Muslim shops and houses around the mosque were also burnt down and that the cops did not arrive for several hours while the burning was taking place, and when they did arrive, they misbehaved with Muslim women and looted the houses. The anchor kept blaming Muslims for the violence.”
Original document obtained by OpIndia
The complainant stated that, throughout India, areas are often segregated by caste and religion. A simple search on Google Maps for terms like Jain Colony, Hindu Colony, Sindhi Camp, Brahman Colony, or Parsi Colony reveals numerous such locations. Even when areas are not explicitly named after a specific religion or caste, ghettoization remains widespread across the country.
The NBDSA noted that there would have been no issue with the broadcast if it had limited its focus to analyzing incidents of communal violence. However, by displaying tickers like “Aaj Muslim ilaake, Kal Muslim Bharat,” “Aaj ilaaka, kal zilla, parso desh,” and “Aapne kabhi Sikh ya Parsi ilaaka suna hai” during the program, the broadcast took on a very different tone.
Similar directives against Aaj Tak
Apart from these three orders, the NBDSA issued similar directives to several other media houses schooling them on ethics and impartial stance. Another episode of the ‘Black and White’ show, hosted by Sudhir Chaudhary that covered former US President Barack Obama’s remarks on minority protections in India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US was taken cognizance of by the NBDSA. The NBDSA found that beyond violating the principles of ‘Objectivity and Neutrality’, the broadcast also breached the Specific Guidelines for Anchors, which require that “all programs must be presented in an impartial, objective, and neutral manner.”
Conclusion
The NBDSA is an ‘independent’ body established by the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA), which represents private television news, current affairs, and digital broadcasters. It identifies itself as the collective voice of news, current affairs, and digital broadcasters in India and is fully funded by its members. NBDA is one of the two major broadcast media federations, the other being the News Broadcasters Federation headed by Arnab Goswami.
NBDSA claims that its goal is to safeguard its members from engaging in unfair or unethical practices and to uphold the credibility of television news broadcasters, digital news media, and other related entities. Currently, the body is headed by former SC judge AK Sikri.
However, it has time and again been slamming notices to media houses that attempt to expose the sickening mindset of the Islamists. It has issued media houses for airing shows on love jihad, conversion jihad, hijab issues, Islamist violence, etc, ultimately downplaying the severity of these issues faced by the majority Hindu community. The Islamists target Hindu women, force them to convert to their religion, attack Hindu festivals, and create violence, they practice jihad (war) against the community with an aim to make India an Islamic nation by 2047. Very recently, the Islamsits (different from the entire Muslim community) have began practicing ‘thook’ and ‘unrine’ jihad where they contaminate the food being served to the customers. Several such incidents have also been recently reported by OpIndia.
It seems difficult to believe but Islamists have a unique agenda to fulfill and that is to make India an Islamic Nation by the year 2047, the year when India would complete 100 years of independence. Several proofs exposing the same have been gathered by the NIA during the raids on terrorist outfit PFI hideouts. Despite this, the media houses allegedly targeted for reporting the truth look concerning and almost like an deliberate act. The authorities involved need to thoroughly verify the incidents, ground realities, and concerns of the surviving majority community in India as well before allegedly giving clean chit to Islamists almost every time.
Further, in an attempt to ‘protect’ the minorities, the authorities allegedly ignore the seriousness of issues like love jihad, conversions, and Islamist violence, further allegedly doing injustice against the majority population of the country. The media should be impartial and ethical in reporting issues, definitely yes! But isn’t it the primary responsibility of the media to show the truth to society and make them aware of the realities? Reportedly, no action is taken against media houses or digital publishers when they attempt to allegedly shield minority people accused of various crimes. Is that what ‘ethics’ looks like? Is that what ‘journalism’ looks like?
In many of the cases mentioned above, several broadcasters allegedly targeted and schooled by the NBDSA based on the complaints from alleged leftist, Islamist supporters clarified that they were reporting what was already out in the public domain or that the opinions expressed during the shows by the studio guests if any were their personal, but to no avail. They also mentioned that in several of the cases like Muslims caught in garba events, police action had been taken and that FIRs had been booked, therefore the credibility could not be doubted. But eventually, the media houses were ordered to take down the reports, accusing them of allegedly portraying the Muslim community as ‘demons’.
In the given case also, the News18 media house has been asked to take down its exclusive interview with Hindu spiritual leader Bageshwar Dham Sarkar (also known as Dhirendra Krishna Shastri).
In a shocking move, the Canadian government has blocked access to Australia Today in Canada. Australia Today is a prominent Indian subcontinental diaspora media outlet based in Australia. Canada banned the outlet after it aired a press conference of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar alongside Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong during Jaishankar’s Australia visit. Australia Today also extensively covered Jaishankar’s visit to Australia, and also published an interview with him.
Social media handles of Australia Today have been blocked in Canada, and they are not accessible to the viewers in Canada, according to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
During the press conference in Canberra, minister Jaishankar raised the issue of attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton in Canada by Khalistanis, saying the incident showed how political space is being given to extremist forces in Canada. In the presence of Australian foreign minister, Jaishankar made several comments criticising the Canadian govt over its support of Khalistanis and baseless allegations against India accusing it of attacking Khalistanis in Canada.
During the regular media briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned Canada for blocking Australia Today, saying that it is an important diaspora media outlet in Canada. He said that the ban came just a few hours after Australia Today carried the press conference of EAM Dr S Jaishankar with Penny Wong. He added that the media outlet has published several articles on Jaishankar’s visit, and also published an interview with him.
Condemning the move, spokesperson Jaiswal said, “It looks strange to us. But nonetheless, what I will say that these are actions which yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On Canada blocking or banning the prominent outlet there- Australia Today, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "We understand that the social media handles, pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, has been blocked and are not… pic.twitter.com/r0Igyg3Ho0
Talking about the trigger for the ban, he said, “You would have seen that EAM in his media engagements, spoke about three things. One was Canada making allegations and a pattern has developed without any specific evidence. The second thing he highlighted was surveillance of Indian diplomats happening in Canada, which he termed as unacceptable. Third thing which he highlighted was the political space which has been given in Canada to anti-India elements.”
Concluding that Canada banned Australia Today for carrying the comments of EAM Jaishankar, Jaiswal said, “So you can draw your conclusions from that, why Australia Today channel was blocked by Canada.”
An appeal against the alleged customs restriction in 1988 on the import of Indian-British writer Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses” was dismissed by the Delhi High Court on 5th November. A division bench comprising Justices Rekha Palli and Saurabh Banerjee said that no such notification banning the book exists after the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and other officials were unable to produce the notification since the petition was filed back in 2019. The court also stated that as the notification banning the import of the book does not exist, the petitioner is free to procure the book.
The court highlighted, “In the light of the aforesaid circumstances, we have no other option except to presume that no such notification exists, and therefore, we cannot examine the validity thereof and dispose of the writ petition as infructuous.” Petitioner Sandipan Khan requested that the court issue a writ stating that the CBIC’s 1988 notification (No. 405/12/88-CUS-III), issued on 5th October and distributed to all state governments and Union territories on 6th October 1988, preventing the import of the book, was beyond the powers of the Indian Constitution. He sought authorisation from the publisher, an overseas reseller, or Indian or foreign e-commerce companies to import the famous novel.
However, the CBIC’s issues are not with the notification’s constitutionality but rather with finding it in the first place. The notification, according to Khan’s attorney, was not accessible through any website or authority at all. He argued that it could not be produced or filed with the court by the respondent authorities. He notified the court of the response to his 2017 RTI application, which indicated that the book was prohibited. The lawyer also brought forth a 2022 recording of a verdict issued by a coordinate bench, which concluded that the notification was untraceable and, as a result, could not be produced.
The case was initially heard on 6th May 2019. On 10th May 2022, the court notified the CBIC’s attorney that he was being given a “last and final opportunity to produce the impugned custom notification” following six adjournments without the subject being heard. The latter requested further time on 8th September of that year “to take instructions and produce the relevant notification which is relied upon by the respondent (CBIC) for preventing the petitioner from importing the book in question.”
The court then noted in November 2022 that CBIC’s counsel “states that the notification dated 05.10.1988 is untraceable and, therefore, cannot be produced.” It pronounced, “He seeks a final opportunity to make efforts to trace the said file. The respondent shall also file an affidavit as to the procedure to be adopted, in case statutory notifications are lost or misplaced.” However, the respondents still couldn’t find the notification and requested more time when the matter was heard again on 11th January of the next year.
The court reheard the case on 24th May of this year. This time too, the CBIC was unable to find the notification, as indicated in an affidavit on file. It did not, however, provide the affidavit that the court requested, which would have specified what should be done in the event that statutory notices are forgotten or lost. The court was stern about this oversight. “We are informed by the counsel for the petitioner that it is the stated stand of the respondents, on affidavit, that the said notification is untraceable. To be noted, the coordinate bench, via the aforementioned order, had directed the respondents to file an affidavit indicating the procedure to be adopted if statutory notifications remain untraceable. One last opportunity is granted for this purpose,” the court conveyed.
The final hearing on the matter took place on 5th November. The bench took note of the fact that none of the respondent authorities were able to produce the notification and that the “alleged author” of the notification had also “displayed his helplessness” by failing to submit a copy of it while the case was still pending. Khan will be able to take any legal action regarding the book, the court added, remarking that it has no choice but to assume that the contested notification does not exist. This implies that Khan can import the book to India and there is no customs restriction on it.
Rajiv Gandhi had banned “The Satanic Verses” in India
“The Satanic Verses” was the fourth novel by Salman Rushdie and it was released in September 1988. Rajiv Gandhi, the late prime minister, led the Indian government at the time. It’s interesting to note that India never explicitly banned the book, rather, they used the Finance Ministry to enforce a Customs Act constraint on book imports. Salman Rushdie was even prohibited from entering India by the Congress government. Eleven years later, in 1999, the Vajpayee government finally abolished the prohibition.
India essentially outlawed the book by prohibiting its import within ten days after it was first published in Britain on 26th September 1988. Congress MPs Syed Shahabuddin and Khurshid Alam Khan (father of former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid) spearheaded the call for the book to be banned. Shahabuddin petitioned for the same, arguing that it posed a threat to public order. The father of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Rafiq Zakaria, was also a leading voice in advocating for the novel to be prohibited.
Rajiv Gandhi did what was expected of him and gave in to pressure from Muslim members of his party. He complied with their demand, igniting a communal fire which only grew intense with time. South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Sudan all banned the book after India did. The Margaret Thatcher government refused to outlaw it, despite widespread demonstrations and book burnings in Britain. The protests quickly extended to Pakistan and there were even a few similar demonstrations in America.
As the protests against the book spread to new nations, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, waded into the controversy and issued a fatwa on Valentine’s Day in 1989. Iran quickly declared a $6 million bounty on Rushdie’s head. On Friday, 13th August 2022, he was brutally stabbed at least 10 times by a Lebanese Muslim Hadi Matar (25), before a speaking engagement in Chautauqua, New York. He was seriously injured and lost sight in one eye.
It’s tragi-comic and it is hilarious – if you are not a liberal. In social media posts (a topic too sensitive to hit the regular MSM), the “liberal” commentariat has been outraging over the “betrayal” by the retiring Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Chandrachud. The grief and angst against CJI Chandrachud is genuine. It is as if their spouse ran away with a neighbour, that too one they hated the very sight of. Not too long ago, this Justice was their hero and the toast of liberals. He was walking on water. Not only did he do what they wanted, but his soundbites gave them hopes of more goodies to come. That probably makes the pain that much more unbearable.
To really understand this angst, we need to take several steps back and look at the ecosystem, the players that control it and their agendas. While it is perfectly acceptable to grab a tub of popcorn and enjoy the breast-beating while it lasts, to understand is to be prepared.
The first thing we must understand is the Indian definition of “secularism”. It is NOT the same as the European one which simply keeps the church out of the state, often going to great lengths to do so.
Second, we must understand the ecosystem that gave us this definition and control it.
Then there is the wider global ecosystem, and the mechanisms put in place to attract coolies from 3rd world to lick and prosper or defy and remain in slums.
Finally, we must look at the CJ himself, his track record and public utterances.
Secularism is not church out-of-state and CJI Chandrachud did not submit to their anti-Hindu definition
At least that is what the Indian secularism in the Nehru-Indira-Sonia Gandhi era has been. It is much more. As an act of taqiyya, it pays fake respect to customs and rituals of the majority faith, something European seculars will not do – performing poojas to inaugurate construction, for instance. But the real goal has been very different.
Indian secularism is built around congenital, active, most often covert and at times blatantly overt hate for Sanatana Dharma. And this has been set, controlled and regulated by the hardcore left. Of course, Nehru himself was practically a communist as his generous praise of Stalin and the Soviet system shows, if you need any proof at all. His policies were communism with a coat of “socialist” paint.
Left’s hate is not without reason – after all, it is Hinduism that has acted as the last bulwark against a complete takeover by Stalinists, Maoists and other peddlers of rapist savage, mass butcher fringe left imported ideologies. They have been successful in Buddhist, Animist, Christian, and even in Islamic countries, for a while at least. But not in India. To ‘rectify’ this, Hinduism must go. There are no ifs and buts.
Sadly, the left and the corrupt, fascist looter dynasties it supports, hoping to enjoy power without responsibility and the license as well as state resources to pursue its pogrom, are very clear about this idea of “secularism”. It is the foolish Hindu, like a lamb led to slaughter, that sees false hope in their every tiny gesture, proof of faith in every fake temple run (on poll eve) and the occasional tilak on their foreheads. “Oh no! He sure can’t hate us, look! He prays”! His body language may show an obvious lack of engagement or respect and he may have an angry face even inside the temple – but so what? Unki beruki mein bhi iltifat shaamil hai as Begum Akhtar sings. We are living in hope against facts like a foolish unrequited or separated lover in ghazals.
This ecosystem doesn’t feel contented if a judge, or anyone for that matter, is a secularist in the classic sense of the term. You see, CJ Chandrachud is a practising Hindu – he is not an atheist or agnostic. He likes Ayurveda, does Ganapathi puja and so on. Of course, he is staunchly secular, respects other faiths and sings Christmas carols. You might foolishly think this should be good enough and he is the kind of secular Hindu that the left wants every Hindu to be. After all, isn’t this what they preach overtly?
No sir! You can’t be further from the truth.
The Left is not interested in such lip service to their ideals. After all, they are not Hindus (except in name) to be foolishly led or controlled. Whether it is Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot or Kim or their ideological coolies in India, they want total obedience. They want the CJ as well as every Hindu to be atheist, self-hating and a willing warrior in their pogrom of Hindus and their faith. If you don’t fit in, you are out. Convert or die as the left’s heroes – Aurangzeb and other such Sultans used to say. This expectation is not just from Hindus – it applies to any Christian or Muslim who doesn’t hate the majority community. President Abdul Kalam was out too. He was a devout Muslim who did not hate Hindus or Hinduism. That was a serious violation of the leftist idea of secularism. So, they hated him from their guts. Lesser mortals like Tarek Fatah who dare to respect the Hindu faith or try to be genuinely secular, face this all the time.
In fact, the CJI himself recently made it clear he understands the left’s idea of “judicial independence”. Although as a sitting CJ, he couldn’t name the left openly. He pointed out how some “pressure groups” expect total compliance and if you disobey, you are not “independent”. You must be a mentally retarded child to miss what he was obviously implying. That is an amazing clarity of thought on the part of his lordship. I wish every Indian understood this and acted accordingly. That level of intolerance and expectation of total subservience has been a standard feature of their ideology that has only resulted in rapist savagery, mass murders and crimes against humanity wherever they or their demi-Gods like Stalin, Mao ruled.
This clarity of thought and definition of judicial independence has obviously been with the CJ since day 1 – you don’t suddenly change stripes or ideologies. But somehow, the left has chosen to listen to whatever was convenient to them – his anti-majoritarian soundbites that came out of his secular instincts. Secularism, which may be pure, but to the left is not good enough as I pointed out earlier. They want hate – towards Sanatan Dharma. Nothing less will do.
Fooled by their own delusion, the Stalinist cabal suddenly woke up to the fact that CJ was not and is not going to be their puppet – and they are lashing out in violent, venomous attacks. Like Biden’s dementia crudely thrust into the face of US liberals on that debate evening, to a point where it couldn’t be denied or lied about any longer, the CJ’s idea of secularism, independence etc., were too much for them to swallow and hope for better days.
He is retiring soon and several of his recent words and actions – the Ganapati puja, with or without Modi present, his visit to Ayodhya, and his remarks about praying to the wrong God for guidance on the judgement all brought home the bad news – this man is no “secular” – at least not in the Stalinist definition of it. No amount of Christmas carol singing is going to rescue that image because it is not about being decent or liberal – it MUST be about living in hate. Once he retires formally, I can bet you the propaganda vitriol will switch into higher gear – as a warning to anyone who dares to cross them. I do hope the government can protect him as the dog whistling gets shriller.
I have kept for last the third point I made to start with – the global ecosystem that enables this.
As you must be aware, leftist hate for Sanatan Dharma is not of recent origin – but it was essentially an ideological pursuit untainted by money. I leave it to you to decide if that is any better than today. Of course, leftist “intellectuals” used to hang out at the doors of the Russian embassy for vodka bottles or free trips to Moscow but beyond that, it was just a labour of love. But the global woke ecosystem and the oil money of Islamist states like Qatar have thrown a new variable into the equation – $. Today, there is so much money, gigs, scholarships, jobs and favours chasing you if you have a credible track record of anti-Hindu hate that even observant Hindus will be tempted to suspend scruples and lick. After all, if you are an upper-caste/class elite used to good life but armed only with a degree in sociology or political “science” from JNU, Asoka etc, it makes you unemployable in any productive venture. Al-Jazeera boots or Soros orifices may look like el Dorado.
It is this ecosystem that Hindus face everyday, and CJ Chandrachud may face in his retired days!
