Hours after Bombay High Court dismissed all petitions against cutting trees in Aarey Colony to clear space for the car shed of Mumbai Metro’s phase 3, authorities started cutting the trees late in the evening on Friday.
The moment the news of the same appeared, activists protesting against the project arrived at the spot to try and stop the felling of trees. While those could arrive at Aarey Colony, others stated urging people on social media to rush to the spot to save the trees.
While doing so, the activists used the tool they have using to try and scuttle the project, the use of lies. Many activists started spreading a rumour that this action by the government is illegal, as according to them, trees can’t be cut for 15 days after the order for the same is uploaded on the website.
Bollywood actress and anti-metro rail activist Dia Mirza tweeted that “there is supposed to be a 15 day waiting period after permission is granted and notice has been uploaded on official website”.
There is supposed to be a 15 day waiting period after permission is granted and notice has been uploaded on official website. But there is no waiting here. Our trees are being cut as citizens desperately plead to STOP this! @moefcc@PrakashJavdekar#Aareyhttps://t.co/nmVP7WllI7
The argument was given by many activists, saying that the government was violating rules by cutting without waiting for 15 days, hence the operation was illegal. Some of them also posted a screenshot of BMC website showing that the order issued by Tree Authority of The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai was uploaded on 4th October, hence the authorities can’t cut trees for 15 days as per the order.
But this is a false and misleading claim, as although it is true that the Tree Authority did impose a waiting period of 15 days, that period is already over. Activists are saying that the waiting period starts from the date of upload, which is completely false, because the waiting period starts from the date the order was issued, and the order to cut 2185 trees and transplant 461 trees was issued by the authority on 13th September. The order says “Permission for Cutting of 2185 trees (bearing Trees No. ***) and Transplanting of 461 trees (bearing Trees No. ***) is sanctioned by the Tree Authority vide its Resolution No. 33 dated 29.08.2019.
Tree Authority order
It further states, “As per the provision under Section 8 (3)(a) of the said Act, you are hereby directed that no tree shall be cut/transplanted until fifteen days after the permission is given by the Tree Authority. The tree authority also orders the Metro authorities to plant 13,110 trees within 30 days.
This clearly means that the Tree Authority had decided to allow cutting and transplanting of trees on 29th August, and it had issued the order to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd on 13th September. Therefore, the waiting period of 15 days is already over on 29th September, as it starts from the day the order was issued, not when it was uploaded on the BMC website. As the High Court dismissed all petitions against the order, this means the Tree Authority order remains valid, along with its issue date and the waiting period. The date of uploading the same on the website is not relevant in this case, as claimed by the activists.
The order may be uploaded on 4th October, but it was already on public domain. The petitions were filed in the Bombay High Court against this order only, therefore the activists can’t even claim that they were not aware of the order before it was uploaded.
The Uttar Pradesh police arrested a Maulana (priest) of Momin Masjid in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, for sexually assaulting and blackmailing a head female constable for over a year on the pretext of healing her son.
In a statement, the Bhagpat police confirmed the incident and said that the accused has been arrested and a complaint has been registered against him.
The head female constable posted in the Bhagpat police station was allegedly raped and blackmailed for over a year by a Maulana in the pretext of her son’s treatment. The Maulvi coerced the victim to give him lakhs of rupees for the healing of her son and for maintaining peace at her house.
According to reports, after the death of her husband in the year 2006, a woman resident of Bijnor got a posting as a constable in the dependent quota who later went on to become the head constable in the Bhagpat police station. On June 29 last year, the younger son of the female constable was injured in a road accident. The son also underwent treatment in ICU for several months. Fearing that her son is possessed by a jinn or evil spirit (a superstition making the possibility of spirits inhabiting human bodies, a fairly universal belief across cultures), she reached out to Maulana Zubair of the city’s Momin mosque on July 30, 2018, for the treatment of her son.
The Maulana, in turn, took advantage of her superstition and convinced the victim that her son was possessed by her dead husband. He then started forcing her to make a physical relationship with him assuring her to treat the son. He continued to scare the female head constable by warning her of his son’s death if she does not have physical relationship with him. Not only that, he also extracted lakhs of rupees from the woman.
Fed up by the mental and physical torture which lasted for almost a year, the head constable lodged a complaint at the Baghpat police station, after which the Maulana was arrested by police. Police has registered a case against the Maulana under relevant sections of IPC including section 376. The SC/ST Act also has been invoked as the woman belongs to Dalit community.
The highly mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) covers an area of 72,971 square km with an estimated population of over 1.8 million (as of 2015 records). The region is an extremely fragile and significant one with three of world’s powerful ornery and daedalian powers along with a conflict-ridden nation encircling it. Originally belonging to and part of India, Gilgit Baltistan is surrounded by Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor to the north, China’s Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region to the north-west, Ladakh to east and Kashmir to south. Geographic tri-junction of Himalaya, Hindu Kush and Pamir, Gilgit Baltistan possesses the most startling views of natural beauty. Apart from several high-altitude lakes, the region is also home to three of world’s longest glaciers outside of the polar region, including the world’s highest war field, the Siachen glacier.
But apart from its mountains, glaciers and green plains, the region has something else of superfluous significance and prudence: its strategic points. GB is home to some of the world’s most important and contentious strategic points capable of creating unremitting embroilments and fracases. The region holds extreme volatility and if gets subjected to desuetude can cause a ruckus in the entire regions of South Asia, Central Asia and China, ultimately affecting the entire world. The mountain province consists of 3 core divisions: Gilgit, Baltistan and Diamer, which in turn is further divided into 10 districts along with its Shaksgam valley – which was gifted to China by occupier Pakistan in 1963 border agreement – of 5,180 square km. The recent developments in the Jammu and Kashmir region with the removal of Article 370 and Indian minister’s statements on PoK has again bought the region of Gilgit Baltistan into limelight from being drowned in the darkness. Which makes it exceedingly important for us to understand the strategic importance of the region of Gilgit Baltistan.
Geographic location
The region’s trijunctionality, both in terms of political and geographical boundaries, makes it one of the world’s most significant geostrategic points. Situated between Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Pamir mountains, the high positioned GB oversees the entire regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, Kashmir, Ladakh, Xinjiang and Wakhan Corridor; making it a powerful game-changing military high point. Gilgit Baltistan is, uniquely, an introspection point of West, Central and South Asia along with China. It has passage to four nations, two of them (India and China) being Asia’s biggest powers. GB possess direct links for connecting all four regions which, if held to desuetude by loony wanton forces, has the potential of causing serious geostrategic conflicts.
Gilgit Baltistan Map
Gilgit Baltistan’s geo-strategic importance is multi-folded, in case of a two-front war against India, to become the most critical point of the war, capable of drastically affecting and determining the outcome. An advanced Air Force base in GB can devastate the enemy’s confidence and steer the movement of conflict to India’s side. High altitude points are still tremendously important aspects of warfare which can prove to be, if accessed properly, the big game changers.
Apart from warfare, the region of Gilgit Baltistan has the potential of completely destroying Pakistan’s Kashmir dream. The region is a comfy hotbed and safe haven of every major terror outfit gunged with religious radicalisation – which are sponsored, protected and fostered by Pakistan’s ISI and military for the pernicious purpose of attacking India – from Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) to Hizbul mujahideen. The region acts as a protective shield, the first line of defence, for the ‘original’ Pakistan of Punjabis and Pakhtuns and the first front of aggression against India. Under Pakistani control, the province has been morphed into a military-cum-terror state fundamentally designed to further the malicious agenda of annexing Kashmir. Controlling the first line of defence – the first and most powerful launchpad of aggression – can be a strategic boon for India.
Gilgit Baltistan is the sole, and most significant, the connection of Pakistan to China. Pakistan’s Khyber province, its otherwise northernmost part, has absolutely no access to Chinese soil and hence making GB the very string of China-Pakistan necklace. Losing GB will be a catastrophic and calamitous situation for Pakistan cutting the socioeconomic ties with Beijing. China’s ‘all-weather friendship’ with Pakistan is entirely based upon the geo-strategic significance of Gilgit Baltistan as it holds the pass to Pakistan and eventually to the Arabian Sea. India controlling Gilgit Baltistan will be an overarching knock-out punch to China Pakistan’s two front and ‘iron brotherhood’. Without China’s assistance, Pakistan will be left with no ‘godfather’ to feel protected both economically and militarily.
Economic Potential
Home to valuable earthy resources, GB is rich in minerals deposits. These include metallic, non-metallic, energy minerals, precious stones and different rocks of industrial use. The southern areas of this region have substantial deposits of nickel, lead, copper and zircon. In its northern regions, it contains deposits of iron, silver, gold, garnet and topaz. Almost all of its mining potential is untapped and capable of generating ample wealth.
Gateway to Afghanistan, Tajikistan and rest of the Central and West Asia, the region of Gilgit Baltistan is a potential economic epicentre of trade. The Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan contain large deposits of mineral resources, many of which still remain unexplored. Its unexploited oil and gas reserves are conservatively estimated at 4% each of the total global reserves. This untapped potential has attracted China too and it acted fast. In 2000, China’s trade with Central Asian Republics (CARs) was US $1 billion and over the next ten years, it leapt 30 times to reach US $30 billion. By 2013, the two-way trade reached US $50 bn and with that, China replaced Russia as Central Asia‟s largest trading partner.
Apart from China; US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi and India all eyes for the natural resources of Central Asia. India, being the most likely beneficiary from Central Asian reserves, is conscientiously working to access and establish trade routes to Central Asia for securing domestic and military energy demands along with ensconcing greater muscle power in the region. With China becoming the galloping horse in race to capture Central Asia, it is of paramount significance for India to have a land connection with Afghanistan and Central Asia. Gilgit Baltistan can be the wanton sabre in this war of wooden knives, providing strong land linkage and sociocultural connections to Central Asia for India.
The economic significance of Gilgit Baltistan is also embedded in its vast hydroelectric potential. Home to Indus and its 6 tributaries, hundreds of glaciers and lakes, including world’s second and third longest glaciers outside of polar regions, the rich water resource region has the potential of generating 40,000 MW of hydroelectricity. It consists of about 27% glaciers and snow deposits, the biggest in the world outside polar region. Proper management and harnessing of hydroelectric power potential of Gilgit Baltistan can generate US $21 billion per annum in revenues.
China’s nightmare
Anyone who looks at the map closely will notice the unprecedented significance of Gilgit Baltistan region to China. Part of the former ‘silk route’, Gilgit Baltistan is the ladder for China to reach its ambitious target of accessing the Arabian Sea. China envisages a mega infrastructure project connecting China’s Kashgar in Xinjiang to Balochistan’s Gawadar port. The project named China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – which is part of China’s larger Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an attempt to bring back the ancient silk route to life – is a US $60+ billion programme which consists of constructing infrastructure connecting the two ends. For China, CPEC is a means to increase its strategic presence in Pakistan and CPEC is part of a grand plan for enhancing influence through rail, road and pipeline connectivity to Central and West Asia while linking Gwadar to Xinjiang through Gilgit. Besides, Xinjiang is only 2500 km from the Arabian coast but is 4500 km from the Pacific coast. The flow of goods and fuel from Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Sea through Gwadar, Gilgit and eventually to Kashgar, the CPEC project provides a shorter, stronger and more direct link to the fulfilment of China’s increasing energy hunger. China plans to create a byzantine network of gas pipelines, road and rail in order to secure its energy demands and establish an authoritarian control over Pakistan.
Karakoram Highway (KKH) is another mega infrastructure project of China in Pakistan, a 1,300 km national highway project extending from Hasan Abdal in Punjab in Pakistan, Khanjerab Pass in Gilgit Baltistan to Kashgar of Xinjiang in China. The highway at points reaches an extremely close point to borders of Afghanistan, China and India, hence making it a critical geo-strategic region.
Both CPEC and KKH are tremendously significant strategic projects of China in Pakistan, the connection between China ambitions and Pakistan’s dreams. CPEC is also the backbone of China’s flagship BRI project and supposed economic renaissance of Pakistan. Both the projects pass through the Gilgit Baltistan making it the most fragile and volatile region for both China and Pakistan. Gilgit Baltistan is the key to the destruction of Chinese influence in South Asia; the string of China-Pakistan’s pearl necklace and also the Brahmastra for India against China. India controlling GB can turn out to be the worst nightmare for China and eventually for Pakistan too.
The region of Gilgit Baltistan is a marvellous throne of immense geostrategic importance adorned with the diamonds of its geographical location, economic potential and essentiality. The nation who coronates the throne becomes the king.
A special investigation team (SIT) of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police arrested absconding former MD of PMC Bank Joy Thomas today. They had been on the lookout for Joy Thomas and the bank’s former chairman Waryam Singh who were absconding ever since EOW arrested the HDIL chairman and managing director Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang, co-accused in the Punjab Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank scam on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the EOW also produced Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang before a local court, which in turn, sent the duo to police custody till October 9.
Bandra office and residential properties of Sarang and Rakesh Wadhawan were searched and property of Rs 3,500 crore belonging to the company was seized by the EOW during the investigation.
Bandra office & residential properties of Sarang & Rakesh Wadhawan being searched. Also searching for Joy Thomas & Waryam Singh. At present, Joy Thomas & Waryam Singh untraceable. Recording statement of some #PMCBank officials: EOW Sources #probe#PMCBankFraud#PMCBankFraud#PMChttps://t.co/OD9F67jabv
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police had filed an FIR on September 30 (Monday) against HDIL and Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank officials in the PMC bank fraud case. The persons named in the FIR include PMC bank’s former chairman Waryam Singh, former Managing Director Joy Joseph Thomas, Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) group promoters Sarang Wadhawan and Rakesh Wadhawan.
The EOW has filed cases under Sections 409 (Criminal breach of trust), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly), 465 (forgery), 466 (Forgery of record ), 471 (using forged document as genuine) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. EOW has also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The FIR says that irregularities worth ₹4,355.46 crores have been committed in the case, although the amount can go up during the course of the investigation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also initiated an investigation by registering a case of money laundering, another official said. ED officials raided six places in the city and suburbs and collected some important documents related to the case, he said.
The RBI has already dismissed the board of governors of PMC bank and has appointed an administrator. The bank has been put the bank under restrictions, putting a limit of ₹1000 withdrawal by depositors initially, which was later raised to ₹10000 and ₹25000. The bank is also not allowed to give any loan without the prior approval of RBI. The restrictions have been put for six months after RBI was informed about the PMC Bank fraud by a whistleblower inside the bank.
An official of the had EOW said that “the manager has lodged a complaint on the behest of the RBI appointed administrator. His complaint is the starting point of the probe”. He also said that although the police believe the scam amount to be above ₹6000 crores, the amount of ₹4,355.46 crores was mentioned by the complainant and the same has been mentioned in the FIR.
Borge Brende, President of the prestigious World Economic Forum, has showered praises on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he said that India now has a significantly enlarged global profile steered by decisive leadership.
He further added that India was a young economy with a lot of potentials and has shown remarkable strength and resilience amidst global slowdown.
Sharing his opinion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s website, Brende wrote that the stage was set for the country to realize its vision of becoming a five-trillion dollar economy in the next five years and 10-trillion dollar economy in the next decade-and-a-half.
India’s has been a dramatic rise, deserving of the global attention that it has commanded, the WEF chief said. He further added that India, steered by a decisive leadership, is rising to the occasion through a significantly enlarged global profile.
“India’s commitment to renewable energy through voluntary and ambitious renewable power capacity targets, a lead role in the Paris Climate Agreement negotiations and the International Solar Alliance shows its aspiration of becoming a leader in environmental security and climate change mitigation,” said Brende.
He pointed out that India has also expanded its global stature in space exploration through widely celebrated breakthroughs such as its recent lunar mission and its distinction of becoming the fourth country worldwide to shoot down a low-orbit satellite with a missile.
Recognising India’s leadership role in the region, Brende said that India is also more involved in global humanitarian efforts and development initiatives, including infrastructure development in Afghanistan, the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Ashgabat Agreement, the Chabahar port and the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway.
In his article, Brende has mentioned the rise of India’s rank in Global Innovation Index to 52nd spot this year stating that India is one of the few countries to have consecutively improved its rank for nine years. He also appreciated India’s leadership under PM Modi for undertaken groundbreaking structural reforms reflecting its growth ambitions and development priorities.
He wrote, “In the past decade, India has witnessed a mushrooming of start-ups, innovating across domains such as digital payments, online retail, education and software. The number of Indian unicorns has also risen every year.”
“Initiatives aimed at revamping India’s restrictive business regulations have already borne fruit. India’s 65-place leap in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings demonstrates an improved business climate and expounded investor confidence,” wrote WEF president.
Borge Brende also stated that initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat for universal health coverage in India, the world’s largest LED programme to improve energy efficiency, a sweeping rural electrification drive and a strong push towards broad-based energy access and security through the Ujjwala and Saubhagya schemes, among others, showed India’s ability to devise and implement a reform agenda which balances global aspirations with critical development imperatives at home.
Later speaking at the Indian Economic Summit on Wednesday, Borge Brende, the top most official of World Economic Forum (WEF) said that India can play a crucial role in the development of South Asia and sustainability of global economic growth.
The WEF, which organises the India Economic Summit in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
“India is one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world. The country is also a young economy with a lot of potential and has shown a lot of strength and resilience amid an economic slowdown globally,” Brende said.
He further added that the rise of advanced technologies has the potential to create economic and social value and it can boost the country’s goal of maintaining its growth momentum while attaining greater social inclusion and regional cooperation.
India is very advanced from many developed economies when it comes to the information technology sector, but there is a lot of scope for development in terms of infrastructure, Borge Brende added.
The not-for-profit organization which is committed to improving the state of the world entity by engaging different stakeholders is organising its 33rd India Economic Summit in New Delhi on October 3-4 under the theme — ‘Innovating for India: Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World’.
More than 800 leaders from 40 countries comprising senior public figures and leading representatives from civil society, arts and culture, science, business and academia is expected to participate in the event.
During the event, artificial intelligence and drones, start-up unicorns, infrastructure, environmental reforms, gender parity, education and South Asia’s economic outlook will be on top of the agenda. The programme will also underline the importance of South Asia’s relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and highlight how the two regions, defined by their demographic and digital dividends, will shape the world’s collective future.
The National Investigating Agency today filed a supplementary charge sheet against Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik alleging that the JKLF chairman had relations with Pakistan based terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin.
Malik was today presented in a Delhi court in connection with the terror funding case of 2017. The NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet which included names of Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Asiya Andrabi, Masarat Alam and Rashid Engineer. The charge sheet was filed under Sections 18/20/38/16 of the UAPA act. Extending Malik’s custody till October 23, Additional sessions judge Rakesh Syal put up the matter for hearing on the same day.
According to NIA, in the light of fresh evidence in the form of social media interactions, call records, oral and documentary proofs, the charge-sheeted accused are said to have close ties with the cross border terror masterminds Hafiz Saeed & Syed Salahuddin.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against Pakistan-based terrorists and sympathisers including 7 top separatists, 2 hawala conduits and some stone pelters in the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case of 2017.
The NIA had on April 2019 arrested the infamous JKLF chief Yasin Malik in custody for 12 days in the terror funding case. As per NIA sources, Yasin Malik had then admitted that he was instrumental in bringing together the disparate factions of Hurriyat Conference and formed the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), which spearheaded the violent agitations in 2016 in Kashmir Valley, by issuing “Protest Calendars” leading to economic shutdown for over four months.
Recently, after being dormant for a long time, a high-profile case involving the murder of four IAF personnel in Kashmir by terrorists, purportedly led by Yasin Malik, finally saw some movement after remaining stuck for almost three decades. Two charge sheets were filed by the investigative agencies mentioning Yasin Malik’s alleged role in the murder of IAF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan Finance Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi lost his temper when a reporter asked the names of the 58 countries which their Prime Minister has lauded for supporting Islamabad on its stance on the Kashmir issue at the UNHRC.
During a talk show on Pakistan TV channel Express News, the host Javed Chaudhry asked Qureshi to name these countries as he had repeatedly endorsed Khan’s statement that 58 countries had supported Islamabad on the Kashmir issue.
“On whose agenda are you working?” Khan snapped at talk show host Javed Chaudhry. “Are you going to tell me or decide which countries have or have not supported Pakistan at the UN? You may write whatever you want!” said the visibly irked minister.
When Qureshi was further pressed for endorsing Khan’s comment on his own Twitter handle, Qureshi blasted, “No! No! Show me the tweet I have written, not what Prime Minister Khan has written. You have said my tweet, show that to me. I want my tweet.”
Completely losing his cool, Qureshi started literally shouting at the show host and accused him of ‘running an agenda’.
Oddly still, even after the minister was shown his tweet, Qureshi audaciously commented that he found nothing wrong in the tweet. “I stand by what I have said. What is so surprising in this, whose agenda are you following?
Compelled by the disposition of lying through his teeth, Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan had audaciously commended 58 countries for supporting its Kashmir rhetorics in a Tweet posted on September 12, and most expectedly, Qureshi had endorsed this lie. It is, however, pertinent to note here that there are only 47 members in the UNHRC.
I commend the 58 countries that joined Pakistan in Human Rights Council on 10 Sept reinforcing demands of int community for India to stop use of force, lift siege, remove other restrictions, respect & protect Kashmiris’ rights & resolve Kashmir dispute through UNSC resolutions.
Time and again, Pakistan has made several attempts to internationalise the issue of Kashmir but has not received support. Most of the countries, including major powers agree that the Kashmir conflict must be resolved between the two neighbours.
Pakistan has been repeatedly snubbed by the international community on several platforms after it cried foul over India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, with many countries backing India on the matter. India has always maintained that the decision to repeal Article 370 was an internal matter.
After facing severe humiliation and isolation at the global stage, the terrorist state of Pakistan had finally admitted that there were no takers for the anti-India propaganda pushed by his country.
The Congress party has now issued a show-cause notice against Aditi Singh, party MLA from Rae Baereli, Sonia Gandhi’s Parliamentary Constituency, for defying the party call to boycott the special assembly session called by the BJP in UP Assembly to discuss sustainable development goals defined by the UN. She has been asked to file her reply within two days.
Congress issues show cause notice to party MLA Aditi Singh for attending special session of UP Assembly on Oct 2, the session had been boycotted by Congress. She has been asked to reply within 2 days. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/kDcbclB7uo
Congress workers, too, are protesting outside Aditi Singh’s residence for attending the session which was boycotted by the Congress party. Calls are also being made for her resignation.
.@INCIndia workers protest outside MLA @AditiSinghINC‘s residence after she attended the Special Session of the U.P Assembly, which was boycotted by the Congress.
Aditi Singh had justified her decision to attend the session by invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy. “If we want to pay true tributes to Mahatma Gandhi we will have to follow his path and it can only happen if country develops,” she had said. In the past as well, she has refused to toe the party line on certain matters and sided with larger national interests. Singh had gone against the party’s stand on abrogation of Article 370 and supported the move. Singh had also stayed away from the elaborate ‘peace march’ organised led by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Lucknow on Gandhi Jayanti.
Protesting over the prejudice and intolerance of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), veteran show host Lord Singh of Wimbledon has quit BBC Radio Four’s ‘Thought for the Day’ after 35 years, while blasting them for over-sensitivity.
According to the reports, Inderjit Singh, known as Lord Singh who has been a famous voice of the Today programme for over three and a half decades, said that the BBC tried to block him from discussing a guru from his religion who fought against the forced conversion of some Hindus to Islam in 17th century India.
A celebrated interfaith activist, Indarjit Singh hit out at the BBC for its ‘prejudice and intolerance’ after he was told that the broadcast may have offended Muslims, despite that fact that there was no criticism of Islam on the show.
Hitting out at the BBC, he said organisation’s ‘misplaced sense of political correctness’ forces contributors to say only non-controversial statements. Speaking to the reporters, Lord Singh said, “It was like saying to a Christian that he or she should not talk about Easter for fear of giving offence to the Jews.”
Lord Singh of Wimbledon, who is now 87, was let go after he threatened to quit instead of having his religious teachings insulted. However, he was not informed regarding who was actually offended by his broadcast.
After quitting the radio, Commission for Racial Equality advisor Lord Singh complained about his treatment but a review by BBC director of radio James Purnell rejected his complaint.
“The need for sensitivity in talking about religious, political or social issues have now been taken to absurd proportions with telephone insistence on trivial textual changes right up to going into the studio, making it difficult to say anything worthwhile. The aim of ‘Thought for the Day’ has changed from giving an ethical input to social and political issues to the recital of religious platitudes and the avoidance of controversy with success measured by the absence of complaints,” said Singh.
He said he believed Sikhism founder Guru Nanak and even Jesus Christ would not be allowed near Thought for the Day’ if they were alive today.
A BBC spokesperson said, that ‘Thought for the Day’ is a live topical segment and it was usual to make editorial changes so that it reflects the biggest news stories of the day. “We disagree with Lord Singh and don’t recognise his characterisation of Thought for the Day.” said the spokesperson.
Reportedly, Lord Singh discussed the achievements of Guru Tegh Bahadur on his ‘Thought For The Day’ show. However, he did not explicitly state that he was banned for speaking about Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Born in Amritsar, Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of the ten Gurus who founded Sikhism and is honoured and remembered as the man who championed the rights for all religious freedom. He taught liberation from attachment, fear and dependence.
During the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Islam was imposed on people and Hindu temples were demolished and turned into mosques. Guru Tegh Bahadur protested against the imposition of Islam amidst huge persecution and also refused himself to convert to Islam. As a punishment in 1675, he was beheaded in Delhi at the age of 54. The site of his execution has become an important Gurdwara known as Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib.
The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhaduria in a press release on Friday admitted that the downing of Mi17 chopper on February 27 was a big mistake of the Indian Air Force.
“Court of Inquiry has been completed and it was our mistake as our missile had hit our own chopper. We will take action against the two officers. We accept this was our big mistake and we will ensure such mistakes are not repeated in future,” said the newly appointed IAF Chief during a press conference.
IAF Chief on Mi-17 chopper crash in Srinagar on Feb 27: Court of Inquiry completed & it was our mistake as our missile had hit our own chopper. We will take action against two officers. We accept this was our big mistake and we will ensure such mistakes are not repeated in future https://t.co/TgNS9RsKqb
On February 27, the day Indian and Pakistani air forces were engaged in a fierce dogfight, a Mi-17 IAF helicopter crashed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam after it was hit by an Indian missile.
The helicopter was flown by Sqdn Leader Siddharth Vashisht with other members Sqdn Ldr Ninad Mandvgane, Kumar Pandey, Sergeant Vikrant Sehrawat, Corporals Deepak Pandey and Pankaj Kumar. It crashed at Budgam after taking off from Srinagar airport at 10.10 am, soon after Pakistani Air Force jets had attempted to violate the Indian airspace at around 9.30 am that day.
The fierce engagement had forced Pakistan to abandon its misadventure at Uri but the air defence system is believed to have fired at the helicopter by then, killing all the personnel and a civilian on the ground, officials had said at the time of the incident. A high-level probe had found at least four officers guilty for the crash.
An Indian Air Force court of inquiry confirmed that the aircraft became the unfortunate target of its own forces, contrary to Pakistan’s claim that they had shot it down. The probe confirmed that the ‘Identification of Friend or Foe’ (IFF) system on-board the helicopter was switched off and there was a “vital gap” in communication and coordination between the ground staff and the crew of the chopper.
The IFF helps air defence radars identify whether an aircraft or helicopter is friendly or hostile.
Moreover, elaborating on the Balakot strikes, the air chief said, “Air Force has achieved many important milestones in the last year including 26th February when we successfully targeted terror camps in Balakot. On 27th February in the aerial battle after attack by Pakistan, Indian Air Force lost one MiG-21 and Pakistan lost one F-16.”
Speaking on the future possibility of Balakot-like strike, he said, “If there is a terror strike (from Pakistan), it will be responded as per the government decision on it.”
Answering ANI’s question on whether Pakistan would be able to jam India’s communication with pilots as they did in case of Wing Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman, IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria said that: We have taken steps to ensure safe radio communication. They won’t be able to hear our communication.
IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria on ANI’s question that whether Pakistan would be able to jam India’s communication with pilots as they did in case of Wing Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman: We have taken steps to ensure safe radio communication. They won’t be able to hear our communication. pic.twitter.com/QvvMAsw2Tq
It was reported earlier that the Indian Wing Commander, Abinandan Varthaman, whose aircraft was shot down on February 27 during a dogfight with Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets and he was captured subsequently, could not hear instructions asking him to turn back because his communications system was jammed by Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force on Friday also showcased the story of the Balakot aerial strikes through a promotional video at the annual Air Force Day press conference, addressed by Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.
#WATCH Indian Air Force showcases the story of the Balakot aerial strikes in a promotional video at the annual Air Force Day press conference by Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. pic.twitter.com/GBRWwWe6sJ
In a brave retaliation to the ghastly Pulwama attack, India had conducted the Balakot airstrike in the wee hours of February 26 when Indian warplanes crossed into Pakistani territory and dropped bombs in the vicinity of the town of Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.
