Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured to ensure Bharatiya-origin Tamil community in the hill country same facilities as other communities in the country.
Wickremesinghe also promised to appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Bharatiya-origin Tamils of hill country further into the Sri Lankan society.
The President on Sunday said this while attending an event in Colombo to accept a consignment of medicine donated by the Union Territory of Puducherry and people of Bharat on the request of Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC), a leading political party representing the Bharatiya-origin Tamils in central hills.
Wickremesinghe stressed that the issues faced by the Bharatiya-origin Tamils would be gradually solved as the government resolves the ethnic issue in the country.
The consignment of medicine from Bharat received by CWC in memory of its founder, the late Saumyamoorthi Thondaman, who passed away 23 years ago on October 30. Thondaman’s great grandson, Jeewan Thondaman, CWC Secretary General and MP, handed over the stock of medicine to the President.
The President appreciated the service rendered by late Thondaman and said through non-violence he achieved citizenship for all the people of Bharatiya origin, who stayed back after the Sirima-Shastri Pact.
“He got citizenship for some people who should have gone under Sirima-Shastri Pact but decided to stay back in Sri Lanka.”
British colonial leaders, brought people from Tamil Nadu to work in tea, coffee and coconut plantations and by 1948 the population was around 11 per cent of the total population in the then Ceylon. The majority Sinhalese, who resented the increase in Bharatiya-origin Tamils in the island, demanded the successive government to send them back.
The government granted citizenship to nearly 5,000 under Ceylon Citizenship Bill but nearly 700,000 or about 11 per cent of the population remained stateless.
On October 30, 1964, then Prime Ministers of Bharat and Ceylon, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Sirimavo Bandaranaike, inked the Sirima-Shastri Pact or the Indo-Ceylon Agreement to grant citizenship to nearly 300,000 Bharatiya Tamils and to repatriate around 525,000 to Bharat and to negotiate on the citizenship of the rest of 150,000.
The issue of stateless for the community remained a major problem until it was resolved in 2003 granting citizenship to all Bharatiya-origin Tamils who had been living in Sri Lanka since the time of the Sirima-Shastri Pact was signed.
However, the community had been facing various issues, including land, proper wages, medicine and education and they had been denied of some of the benefits enjoyed by other communities.
President Wickremesinghe, who assured same facilities to those in the community, said that education and health issues would be attended by developing schools and taking hospitals which are under plantation sector under the government.
He also promised to provide land to build houses of their own, like other communities in the island nation.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with minor edits to conform to HinduPost style-guide.)
A trend calling for the boycott of Cadbury was run by netizens over claims of halal-certified gelatin made from beef being used in its products. Cadbury was also criticized for using PM Modi’s father’s name in its Deepawali advertisement in which a roadside vendor was named Damodar.
A screenshot was shared by one of the social media users where the company confirmed halal-certified gelatine derived from beef being used in its products.
PC: Twitter
Cadbury’s parent company Mondelez refuted the charges and put out a post saying all their products manufactured in Bharat were 100 per cent vegetarian and the screenshot wasn’t related to their Indian products.
A similar controversy emerged in July last year when a viral message claimed Cadbury was selling chocolates containing beef. OpIndia had fact-checked the charges and discovered that though the screenshot was from Cadbury’s website, it wasn’t related to their Indian products.
Although the screenshot is indeed from a Cadbury website, the company is right when it says that it is not related to products sold in India. The screenshot contains the URL of the site, which is Cadbury.com.au, which means it is the website of the Australia unit of the company, as .au is the country code top-level domain for Australia.
The webpage shared in the viral message is available in the Halal section of the website, which means that it is talking about products sold in Australia. noted.
This is not the first time the confectionary company had to respond to rumours about the ingredients of its products. People keep alleging from time to time that its popular chocolates contain beef. However, the packaging of its products contains a green dot, which means that it does not use any non-vegetarian ingredients. They only use plant-based and milk-based ingredients.
Halal is nothing but a form of food tyranny where items permitted according to Islamic law are forced upon non-Muslims. “Halal Products are universal products not only suitable for Muslims consumption, but also for everyone, including non-Muslims”, says Halal India, the official Halal certification authority in Bharat. HinduPost highlighted important rules for Halal that discriminate against non-Muslims.
Halal certification is not a Bharat-specific phenomenon and world over the Muslim Ummah (Community/Brotherhood) is imposing Halal on non-Muslims. Even Bharatiya companies and brands are acquiring Halal certification so that they may not lose out due to the lack of it. As per an Adroit Market Research study, by 2025 the global Halal market would touch USD (United States Dollars) 9.71 trillion.
It must also be pointed out that sponsoring Halal amounts to funding terror. Halal Certification is given by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind which donates it for their education, Halal Trust, scholarships, etc. Moreover, they provide legal aid to terrorists of Indian Mujahideen and several others. In other words, Halal organizations use money from the sale of Halal products for their welfare, maintaining and protecting Waqf Property, and several of these organizations have been found to be linked with terrorist activities.
One may ask can the products be Halal only for exports? No. It just means that the company decides to use the Halal logo only on exports. The local and export products are manufactured in the same unit.
The history textbooks of the 21st century Bharat find little to no space and mention of the unprecedented contribution of the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel towards the nation.
From undertaking essential reforms to contributing his political and diplomatic acumen in the Constituent Assembly, his aura inspired the people who succeeded him, Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar told IANS.
Has the country’s first home minister — popularly known as the “Iron Man of India” — been given his rightful place in textbooks?
Responding to this, the UGC chairman said: “Our youngsters need to be told about Patel’s contributions at the school level. He worked endlessly to weed out alcohol consumption, untouchability, and caste discrimination and led a tirade in favour of women’s emancipation in Gujarat and other places.”
The notion of integrating Bharat flowed in his blood as he integrated farmers’ satyagraha, such as Kheda and Bardoli satyagraha, into the national movement. His dream of creating a ‘Shreshtha Bharat’ materialised by setting up the modern all-India services system.
“For this, he was also given the title ‘Patron Saint of India’s Civil Servants’. Sardar Patel will continue to inspire us to keep India stronger and united,” the UGC chairman said.
He is remembered for his pivotal role in the unification of British India. Faced with the hurdle of amassing the diverse states that the motherland was fragmented into, Sardar Patel’s unwavering grit overturned most of these resilient rulers.
In addition to bringing the subcontinent under a single umbrella, Patel’s political involvements were unmatched. However, in textbooks, there is very little inclusion of Sardar Patel’s contribution, Kumar added. UGC believes that the need of the hour is to provide the students with more information by giving space to Patel’s enormous history of courage in the textbooks.
“With such inclusion, young minds would be stimulated to derive inspiration and work towards revamping the development of our country,” Kumar said.
Patel’s fraternal nature and skills are not forgotten even today. “For instance, in Gujarat, the Statue of Unity was built to commemorate this great figure,” he added. The 182-metre statue is the tallest in the world.
“However, this isn’t enough. Recently, with the rise in forces attempting to vitiate the Indian atmosphere, we must hark back to the history of this gallant debutant to fight against these unnatural forces.
“Teachers and principals of different government schools said that there is some content available in schoolbooks, on Sardar Patel but it is not enough. School going children to be told much more about Patel’s contributions from freedom struggle to his administrative abilities as a Home Minister,” Kumar said.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed)
Aleyamma Vijayan (Images courtesy IANS) & Joseph Vijayan alias AJ Vijayan (Images courtesy doolnews.com)
News18 Kerala reported that central intelligence agencies received a tip-off regarding a conspiracy to sabotage the Vizhinjam port project. Following this, the bank account details of a local ‘leader’ and his wife belonging to the Vizhinjam Samara Samiti (agitation committee) were scrutinized. Investigators found that an amount of Rs.11 crore had arrived in one account from abroad. As suspected, the dark hands of urban Naxals appeared behind this case.
It is alleged that these amounts were used to vandalize the project. Having instigated the ordinary fisherfolk in the region, the Latin Catholic Church spearheads the ‘agitation.’ They have allegedly used such funds that have attracted anti-social elements from far and near. Goons have blocked trucks carrying raw materials, entered the site, and were last observed dragging police barricades and flinging them into the Arabian sea.
Police are seen popping peanuts and watching such proceedings. One cannot blame them alone since it is believed that they have orders to stay put. When the estimated losses reached Rs.100 crores, contractor Adani approached the Kerala high court many weeks ago. The court ordered the communist government to throw out the agitators or call in the central armed forces. Kerala government did neither, and now the losses amount to Rs.150 crores and rising.
The Chinese lobby that controls Sri Lanka’s Colombo port is suspected to be behind the Vizhinjam strike. Central agencies are monitoring the visitors arriving at the protest site, tracking what is being preached and suspects are being photographed. The Home Ministry is taking the protests very seriously as it is a matter of national interest.
The Chinese group donates money to churches in Colombo. The funds are then transported to Dubai. From there, the faithful of the Latin Archdiocese bring the cash and pass it over to the Latin Church agitation committee leaders. Hindupost had reported the same when a video surfaced where believers from Dubai were seen handing over vast sums of money to the suspect anti-national Latin priests.
A campaign led by the Thiruvananthapuram Latin Catholic Church In front of the Secretariat was also attended by Elisa, a volunteer worker from the Sisters Hospitallers, a Catholic organization. They came under the guise of working with the Trivandrum Social Service Society (TSSS), an FCRA NGO receiving funds from foreign contributors. It is run by none other than the top priests of the Latin church.
TSSS is a Non-Governmental Organization with a registered office at the Latin Archbishop’s house compound near Vellayambalam in Thiruvanathapuram. Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus operates from Fathimapuram, just 30 km north of Vizhinjam. It is a shady conversion center that preys on weak and mentally challenged women.
Meanwhile, central agencies monitored the bank transactions of Samara Samiti leader Joseph Vijayan and his wife, Aleyamma Vijayan. Joseph Vijayan, alias AJ Vijayan is the elder brother of controversial Kerala transport minister Anthony Raju. The intelligence bureau found that foreign contributions have reached the account since 2017. There are preliminary indications that the Foreign Exchange Act (FCNRA) was violated.
Large amounts were transferred in the name of Sakhi, a non-governmental organization headquartered at Vanchiyur Convent Road, Thiruvananthapuram. Aleyamma is the founder and currently serves as the Secretary of Sakhi. A portion of the funds received by Sakhi (supposedly for women’s empowerment) was diverted for anti-national purposes.
It is feared that the current revelations are just the tip of the iceberg. Central agencies are camping at Vizhinjam and collecting further evidence. Coastal Watch, an organization, headed by Joseph in Kerala, is also under surveillance.
The central agencies have received information that special ‘training’ classes were organized to mislead the fisherfolk even before July 20. That was when the ‘agitation’ began in earnest. Construction work at the site has been stalled for more than 100 days. These anti-nationals began by citing various demands but now claim they will not withdraw unless the whole project is abandoned!
A covert operation was underway to push former Thiruvananthapuram Latin Catholic archbishop Maria Soosa Pakiam to participate in a hunger strike in front of the secretariat. Pakiam unofficially retired due to ailing health in February 2022. Pope Francis later officially accepted his resignation and named another priest, Thomas Netto, as the new archbishop of Trivandrum.
In early September, Pakiam and Netto participated in a day-long ‘relay’ hunger strike at the Vizhinjam port entrance. They were joined by other priests like Christudas, Eugene Pereira, and Freddy Solomon from neighboring districts. Suspiciously, Thiruvananthapuram Imam VP Suhaib Moulavi inaugurated the event, raising a few eyebrows. Following the arrest of top terrorists associated with the Popular Front of India, an enraged Moulavi asked the Islamic community to join hands and face the government, especially the central government.
More importantly, the fourth round of discussions was held by a cabinet sub-committee with the Samara Samiti and the Latin church authorities but failed to resolve the issue back then. The cabinet sub-committee was headed by transport minister Raju and Samara Samiti Convenor Fr. Theodosius D’Cruz represented the Latin church. To believe that Raju honestly represented the state of Kerala while his brother Joseph worked against it defies common logic.
In late September, videos emerged of a Latin catholic priest speaking on stage at the protest site. He said that the Ruler of Dubai had noted their protests and sent a messenger with a HUGE (emphasized) amount as a donation. Criminal pastors led by Saju Roldon had also threatened to burn the Vizhinjam police station if the protestors were arrested. Now, the central agencies are verifying those videos and are looking for the ones who arrived with an envelope filled with cash.
In 2013, Joseph tried his best to delay the project even further. Hiding its strategic importance to the nation, Joseph said constructing the Vizhinjam International Seaport project would significantly change the district’s shoreline. Back then, he was a specialist in ‘coastal concerns’ and claimed that the environmental impact assessment does not fully address the essential issue of coastal erosion. He added that the project would take 30 years to complete. Urban Naxals associated with The Hindu took this message and spread it far and wide.
In August, Joseph pulled in more leftist propaganda channels like the now disgraced The Wire and The New Indian Express (TNIE). The Wire claimed that accidents have become more frequent, and three fishermen lost their lives last year due to the turbulence in the sea! As usual, they backed up such allegations without an iota of evidence.
TNIE declared that Adani Vizhinjam Port Ltd appointed the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) to study erosion on the northern coast of the port from 2015 to 2021. TNIE added that Joseph is a former researcher with the International Ocean Institute. These are tall unsubstantiated claims that only publications like TNIE can come up with.
Another one who jumped in to create more confusion is The Telegraph Online. They mentioned the same story about Joseph and added another ‘researcher’ Sindhu Maria Napolean. Joseph’s Facebook page says he ‘studied’ Ocean Governance at International Ocean Institute.
NIOT ‘discovered’ coastal erosion has happened on the northern side (Poonthura, Valiyathura, Shanghumugham) and sea accretion in the south (Poovar, Adimalathura) since the work on the project started. Common sense tells us this is only natural when building such a huge port and is usually considered collateral damage. The initial agreement was signed based on such projections, and the Kerala state government agreed to compensate the victims living on these coastlines.
Joseph, (he is also the secretary of another NGO called the National Fishworkers Forum) approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), challenging its earlier environmental clearance. The tribunal accepted the contention and ordered monitoring of the coast. It also appointed an independent organization to monitor every condition stipulated in the Environmental clearance and CRZ clearance granted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoEF).
Uncontent, Joseph and his bunch of anti-nationals resorted to violence. He only had one aim: to prevent the port from coming up. Joseph, his wife, and a whole group of cronies now stand exposed. Vizhinjam is too vital for logistics, and the center must intervene.
Vizhinjam port is against the interests of some foreign countries, including China and Sri Lanka. Though it was approved in 2011, actual work began in 2015 after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave it the go-ahead. Today, the Chinese-owned Hambantota port in Sri Lanka is estimated to handle 90 percent of the Bharatiya transshipment cargo. This adds up to Rs.2,000 crores in lost revenue for Bharat annually.
Many of the larger Princely States tinkered with the idea of remaining independent in the run-up to Independence. The dramatis personae who thought of this third Dominion or Princestan idea were principally the Nawab of Bhopal Hamidullah Khan, Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes, egged on by the Nizam of Hyderabad.
These feudal princes were clear in their minds — why join either of the new Dominions on offer, stay out of the ambit. So Nizam in Hyderabad thought Osmanistan – he was the richest and had been accorded the title of ‘His Exalted Highness’ by the ruling British.
A jittery Nizam of Hyderabad who was living in a dream world of his own tried once again on July 9, 1947, to persuade the Viceroy to come in on his side in his fight to retain Hyderabad’s independence from both the Dominions. He dashed off a fervent and emotional missive to Mountbatten and he made a telling point in his letter, for the door appeared ajar and his understanding showed that he could kick it wide open.
The wily Nizam realised that clause 7 of the Indian Independence Bill gave him and the other bigger states leverage. He was disappointed that the British were choosing to shortchange their ‘loyal subjects’ bound by treaties for years. Of course he didn’t count for a resolute Patel who would simply not allow such a happening.
“My dear Lord Mountbatten,” the Nizam wrote to the Viceroy, “during the last few days, I have seen clause 7 of the Indian Independence Bill as reported in the Press. I regret that as so happened in recent months, the clause, though it was closely discussed with Indian leaders, was never disclosed to, much less discussed with representatives of my State.
“I was distressed to see that the clause not only contains a unilateral repudiation by the British Government of the Treaties which have for so many years bound my State and my Dynasty to the British, but also appears to contemplate that unless I join one or other of the two Dominions, my State will no longer form part of the British Commonwealth.
“The Treaties by which the British Govt many years ago guaranteed the protection of my State and Dynasty against external aggression and internal disorder have constantly been solemnly confirmed in recent years, notably by Sir Stafford Cripps in 1941. I thought I could safely rely on British arms and the British word. Having been persuaded in consequence right up to the last moment to refrain from increasing my Army and adapting my State factories for the manufacture of arms and equipment, nevertheless repudiation of clause 7 of the Bill has been made not only without my consent but without any consultation with me or my government.”
On July 16, 1947, the Secretary of State for India and Burma, the Earl of Listowel, had read out the Indian Independence Bill and therein was the contentious clause 7 that the Nizam was referring to:
“Clause 7, subsection (1) and the proviso to the clause deal with relations with the Indian States. Your Lordships will remember that the Cabinet Mission in their Memorandum of May 12, 1946, informed the States that His Majesty’s Government would in no circumstances transfer Paramountcy to an Indian Government. To that pledge we firmly adhere.
“But the time is fast approaching when the transfer of power to two Dominion governments will make it quite impossible for us to carry out our obligations towards the States, which depend for their fulfilment on the continuing responsibility of Great Britain for the Government of India. If we cannot in future discharge our obligations, we must clearly release them also from their engagements.
“We are, therefore, proposing that from the date when the new Dominions are set up the treaties and agreements which gave us suzerainty over the States will become void.
“From that moment the appointments and functions of the Crown Representative and his officers will terminate and the States will be the masters of their own fate. They will then be entirely free to choose whether to associate with one or other of the Dominion Governments or to STAND ALONE and His Majesty’s Government will not use the slightest pressure to influence their momentous and voluntary decision.
“But I think it can hardly be doubted that it would be in the best interests of their own people, and of India as a whole, that in the fullness of time all the States should find their appropriate place within one or other of the new Dominions. It would be a tragedy for India, if the States were not to enrich the Motherland to which they belong with the martial valour for which they are renowned, and which they have displayed so gallantly in two world wars, with the tradition of service that animates their rules, and with the advanced social institutions that some of them possess.
“Whatever the future relationship between the new Dominions and the States may be, it will require prolonged consideration and discussion before the final adjustment can be made. We, therefore, welcome the setting up by the Interim Government of States Departments, to handle negotiations with the Governments of the States. But the success of this negotiating machinery pre-supposes genuine goodwill and absence of suspicion on both sides.
“The assurance given by Sardar Patel, the Home Member, that it is not the desire of Congress to meddle in the domestic affairs of the States, is a welcome indication that Congress will not use its political strength to exert unfair pressure on their rulers. Sardar Patel’s statement that the federal subjects on which the States are invited to accede are limited to defence, foreign affairs and communications, and the moderation and reasonableness of his whole approach, are another sign that the Dominion of India will scrupulously respect the autonomy of the States. Mr Jinnah has also stated most emphatically that the Government of Pakistan will endorse the free choice of the States.”
The Nizam’s letter to Mountbatten went on to say:
“Your Excellency knows that while you were in England, I asked that my State should be accorded Dominion status when the British leave India. I had always hitherto felt that after more than a century of faithful alliance in which I reposed all my confidence in the British I should certainly be able to remain, without question, a member of the family of the British Commonwealth.
“Clause 7 appears to deny me even that. I still hope that no differences will be allowed to interfere between me and direct relations with His Majesty’s Govt. I was recently informed that your Excellency had undertaken to have a declaration in Parliament that the establishment of such relations can be made.
“My hope is that once established these relations will lead to a closer union between my State and the British Crown with which I have been for so many years in faithful alliance. I feel bound to make this protest against the way in which my State is being abandoned by its old ally, the British Govt. The ties which have bound me in loyal devotion to the King Emperor are being served.
“I hope Your Excellency will place my letter before HMG. I shall for the moment refrain from publishing it lest it should in any way embarrass my old friends and allies in the eyes of the world. I must nevertheless retain my right to publish it at a later stage if it should become necessary in the interests of my State.”
Neither the Viceroy, nor the Labour Government back home in Britain entertained any sympathy for Hyderabad, no matter how great his wealth, his past associations or the size of his state, to opt out of India. It was pointed out to him that HMG (His Majesty’s Government) would never accept a Dominion government, which was, as in Hyderabad’s case, completely surrounded by territory which in the circumstances would be hostile.
Mountbatten’s quick take on the matter was: It would be like Poland (referring to what happened during the Second World War, which had recently concluded) all over again. For him there was only one solution — for Hyderabad to sign up under the same three headings as had been accepted by the other Princely States, and then begin bargaining with Menon, Patel and Nehru for special concessions.
The advice was strong and solid, but the Nizam’s advisers both in his court and in the Political Department headed by that man Sir Conrad Corfield persuaded him not to take it.
He began to build up his Army to fight for his independence, confident that in the end his faithful ally — Britain — would come to his rescue. All of Mountbatten’s pleadings were in vain, not even his promise that he would secure considerable concessions from the Indian Union if the Nizam signed the dotted line, would make the stubborn Nizam change his mind.
As such, Hyderabad remained independent when British Raj ended, but as soon as their influence began to wane, Patel and Menon ambuscaded the Nizam. So long as Mountbatten remained Governor General of India, the charade of Nizam’s personal negotiations with Mountbatten continued as Patel and Menon held their hand.
Two days after Mountbatten departed from India, the Nizam indicated that he was prepared to accept the arrangement known as the Mountbatten Plan. Replied Sardar Patel who had by now hit his stride: “Tell him it is too late, the Mountbatten Plan has sailed for home.” Shortly thereafter, Operation Polo, or Police Action, was set in motion and the Indian Army moved into Hyderabad and occupied it. The Nizam was kept on as a figurehead.
Leonard Mosley writing in ‘Downfall of the Empire – The Last Days of the British Raj’, says, “As a Princely Order, their day was done and they knew it. They had been swallowed into the belly of India in a few short weeks after centuries of arrogant independence from the rest of the sub-continent. The act of gobbling them up had been a remarkable achievement on the part of India’s strategists … for it was almost bloodless … the Congress Party had two people to thank: Mountbatten for his blandishments and persuasiveness and V.P. Menon for his shrewdness in inventing the tactics and recruiting the Viceroy himself to carry them out.”
It was nothing short of the great double-cross for the Nizam who believed that the Crown Representative — Lord Mountbatten — would protect his interests at all costs. In fact, the Nizam’s belief was that he was double-crossed twice, first when the Crown and its Paramountcy didn’t come to his rescue at the time of Independence, and a second time when he tried remaining defiant and independent and his plans were circumvented by Sardar Patel and V.P. Menon using ‘police action’ to take over Hyderabad.
(Edited from an IANS article by Sandeep Bamzai, Editor-In-Chief of IANS and author of ‘Princestan: How Nehru, Patel and Mountbatten Made India’)
Seoul : A person is on his knees near Itaewon Station in Seoul on Oct. 31, 2022, in mourning of the deadly Itaewon crowd crush two days ago. (Yonhap/IANS)
The death toll from the Halloween stampede in Seoul has increased to 154, including 26 foreigners, officials said on Monday, as the country mourned the deadliest tragedy in years.
The death toll could rise further, as 33 others remain in serious condition, according to officials at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, adding that a total of 116 people sustained minor injuries, reports Yonhap News Agency. All but one of the fatalities have been identified, officials said.
The 26 foreign victims include five from Iran, four each from China and Russia, two from the US, two from Japan, and one each from France, Australia, Norway, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka, officials said.
Among those killed were one middle schooler and five high school students, all from Seoul, the Education Ministry said. Five other middle or high school students have been injured, and two of them were being treated at hospitals, it said.
The tragedy took place on Saturday night when a massive crowd of Halloween partygoers packed a narrow 3.2-metre-wide alley in Seoul’s entertainment district of Itaewon. Some of them began to fall over, causing others to fall down like “dominoes” and pile up on one another.
It marked the deadliest stampede in South Korea’s history and the worst disaster the country has seen since 2014, when the ferry Sewol sank in waters off the south coast and killed 304 people, mostly high school students.
The site of the accident is a downhill 40-metre back alley that links a busy restaurant district with a main street, where about six adults can barely pass at the same time.
Tens of thousands of people were visiting the area for Halloween festivities after the government lifted the outdoor mask-wearing mandate against the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year. A government probe in currently underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.
On Sunday, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced a week-long national mourning period starting Sunday and ordered the lowering of flags. The government also set up a mourning altar in central Seoul to allow people to pay tribute to the victims. On Monday, the President and the First Lady visited the altar where people have laid flowers and candies to mourn the victims.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed)
HinduPost Note
Some netizens have commented on the patronizing note adopted by a section of Westerners whenever such a tragedy occurs in Asia:
This happens when Asians are hate crimed: it's because Asians are racist. It happened after the Sewol ferry tragedy and the recent crowd surge accident: it's bc South Korea has a problematic culture. It even happened after 3/11 in Japan: they deserved it for WWII. All I have to
The Agra police have arrested two women, both Uzbekistan nationals, after they failed to produce a visa and original passport.
According to police, the two women allegedly possessed fake Aadhaar cards, bearing a south Delhi address, and were staying at a hotel in Tajganj.
Rs 33,000 in cash and two mobile phones were recovered from their possession.
An FIR has been registered against them under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using a forged document as genuine) and section 16 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
SHO of Tajganj, Bhupendra Baliyan, said, “The two foreign nationals were carrying fake Aadhaar cards. A photograph of their passports found in their mobile phones indicated that they belong to Uzbekistan. We are working with the local intelligence unit to investigate the case in detail. Delhi Police have been asked to verify the address mentioned in the Aadhaar. We have also contacted the embassy of Uzbekistan.”
As per the FIR registered on a complaint by sub-inspector Yogesh Kumar, the two women had checked in at the hotel on Saturday. They provided Aadhaar at the hotel reception to avail a room.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)
दीपावली के उपरांत बिहार, उत्तर प्रदेश में पूर्वांचल क्षेत्र एवं छत्तीसगढ़, झारखंड आदि में छठ पर्व मनाया जाता है। इसकी अपनी महत्ता है। हिन्दुओं का कोई भी पर्व बिना कारण, बिना किसी विशेष पूजा पद्धति के नहीं होता है। हर पर्व की अपनी महत्ता है, हर पर्व की अपनी विशेषता होती है एवं स्वच्छता आदि के विचार होते हैं। ऐसे ही छठ के हैं, ऐसे ही दीपावली के हैं, ऐसे ही होली के हैं! परन्तु यह देखा गया है एवं सोशल मीडिया के आने के बाद से इस पर्व के हिन्दू रूप को नकारने का प्रयास किया जा रहा है। एजेंडे वाली पोस्ट्स साझा की जा रही हैं:
वायरल और प्रचलित पोस्ट
इसे कहा जा रहा है कि यह लोक और आस्था का पर्व है और इसमें किसी भी प्रकार से पंडित पुरोहित की आवश्यकता नहीं होती है। इसमें आडम्बर नहीं होता है। इसमें कोई बाह्य प्रपंच नहीं होता है आदि आदि! ऐसा इस पर्व के लिए कहा जाता है। छठ के विषय में छोटे छोटे पोर्टल से लेकर सोशल मीडिया तक इन्हीं तथ्यों से भरे पड़े है। यह ऐसा है जैसे कुछ देहवादी एवं वामपंथी लेखक तथा लेखिकाएँ कहते हैं कि “हम धार्मिक नहीं हैं, आध्यात्मिक हैं! धर्म नहीं प्रकृति की पूजा करते हैं!”
परन्तु यह कोई स्पष्ट नहीं करता है कि किस धर्म में प्रकृति को ही ईश्वर मानकर पूजा गया है। यह पूरी की पूरी वामपंथी अवसरवादी लॉबी इस समय भेष बदलकर हर पर्व मना रही है। वह रक्षाबंधन पर प्रश्न उठाती है, वह विवाह पर प्रश्न उठाती है और मजे की बात यही है कि यही लोग अपने या अपने बच्चों के विवाह में एक एक धार्मिक परम्परा का पालन करते हैं, अपने प्रियजनों के स्वास्थ्य के खराब होने पर हर प्रकार के ज्योतिषी की शरण में जाते हैं। अपने अपने घरों में गृहप्रवेश की पूजा भी विधि विधान से कराते हैं, और यही कहते हैं कि उन्होंने अपने जीवनसाथी या घरवालों के मत की स्वतंत्रता का पालन किया। यहाँ तक कि उनके अंतिम संस्कार भी उन्हीं रीतिरिवाजों से होते हैं, जिनके विरुद्ध वह जीवन भर गालियों से भरे रहते हैं!
ऐसे ही छठ पर वह थेथरई करते हैं कि चूंकि यह पर्व संस्कृति से जुड़ा हुआ है, इसलिए इसे हर प्रकार से सिन्दूर अदि लगाकर मनाया जा सकता है। दरअसल सोशल मीडिया के आने के बाद ऐसे लेखकों एवं लेखिकाओं की सिन्दूर लगी तस्वीरें वायरल होने लगीं तो लोगों ने प्रश्न उठाए कि आखिर वह जिस मंगलसूत्र और सिन्दूर का विरोध करते हैं, उसे उनकी पत्नियाँ और परिवार की स्त्रियाँ क्यों लगा रही हैं, एवं वह भी साथ में यह पर्व मना रहे हैं।
तो एक नया सिद्धांत गढ़ा गया कि यह चूंकि लोक और आस्था का पर्व है, इसका धर्म के साथ कोई लेना देना नहीं है। इसलिए सिन्दूर लगाया जा सकता है। पांच वर्ष पूर्व लेखिका मैत्रेयी पुष्पा ने बस इतना कह दिया था कि आखिर छठ पर बिहारी महिलाएं माथे तक सिन्दूर क्यों लगाती हैं?
इस पोस्ट पर विवाद हुआ एवं लेखकों तथा लेखिकाओं का एक बड़ा वर्ग जो कुछ ही दिन पहले करवाचौथ के सिन्दूर को कहीं न कहीं पिछड़ा कह रहा था, वह सिन्दूर के गुण गाने लगा तथा कई लेखिकाएं तो माथे तक सिन्दूर लगाकर तस्वीरें पोस्ट करने लगी थी? किसी भी विचार का लेखक था, वह चिढ गया और मैत्रेयी पुष्पा को गाली पड़ने लगीं? परन्तु क्या यह अपमान मात्र प्रांत विशेष के पर्व का होगा, जिससे उनकी पहचान जुडी हुई है या फिर यह पवित्र सिन्दूर का अपमान था? यदि पवित्र सिन्दूर का अपमान था तो करवाचौथ आदि पर क्यों हिन्दू स्त्रियों का उपहास उड़ाया जाता है?
सिन्दूर को भी क्या धार्मिक या सांस्कृतिक प्रतीकों के रूप में विभाजित किया जाएगा? यदि सिन्दूर सांस्कृतिक है तो क्या मुस्लिम या ईसाई महिलाऐं सिन्दूर लगाती हैं?
एक प्रकार से छठ को बुद्धिजीवी वही बना रहे हैं, जैसा वह बंगाल में दुर्गापूजा के साथ खेल कर चुके हैं और जब वह धार्मिक रूप से दुर्गापूजा को नष्ट कर चुके हैं, तो वह पंडाल लगाते समय कभी जूते में बैठा देते हैं, कभी सैनिटरी पैड में बना देते हैं, कभी माँ को हिजाब में दिखा देते हैं और कभी उनके पंडाल को वैश्यालय का रूप भी दे देते हैं।
क्योंकि इतने वर्षों के निरंतर बौद्धिक आक्रमण के चलते बंगाल के एक बड़े वर्ग ने पूजा और पूजो को अलग अलग कर दिया है, और माँ को संस्कृति मान लिया, धर्म से अलग कर दिया। जबकि संस्कृति तभी जीवित है जब तक धर्म जीवित है। जब तक धर्म का पालन हो रहा है, तभी तक उससे सम्बन्धित सांस्कृतिक परम्पराओं का पालन हो रहा है।
जैसे गरबा तभी तक गरबा है, जब तक माँ की भक्ति उसके साथ है, अन्यथा वह एक प्रकार का नाच है! हाल ही में गरबा में मुस्लिमों के प्रवेश को लेकर इसी कारण विवाद हुआ था कि अंतत: उन्हें क्यों हिन्दुओं की पूजा में सम्मिलित होना है क्योंकि यह पूजा का नृत्य है!
आज अफगानिस्तान में केवल बुर्के वाली तहजीब है, संस्कृति मारी जा चुकी है। पाकिस्तान में मुट्ठीभर हिन्दुओं के कारण अभी धार्मिक संस्कृति शेष है, जब दानिश कनेरिया यह खुलकर कहते हैं कि वह अयोध्या में राम मंदिर आएँगे, दीपावली की शुभकामनाएँ:
Jai Shree Ram happy Diwali to all around the Globe .My aim is to visit RAM Mandir Ram Bhagwan I will come
स्पष्ट है किउनके लिए दीपावली प्रभु श्री राम जी के कारण ही है, वह ऐसे देश में भी स्पष्ट रहते हैं, जहां का लोक उनके धर्म की अवधारणा के ही विरोध में है! इसे ही धार्मिक संस्कृति कहते हैं, जो परम्पराओं को जीवित रखती है, जैसे ही उसका धार्मिक स्वरुप छीना जाएगा, वैसे ही दानिश कनेरिया जैसे हिन्दू जो विषम से विषम परिस्थतियों में अपने धर्म को थामे हैं, वह बिखर जाएंगे!
आइये देखते हैं कि छठ पर कैसे कैसे झूठ फैलाए जाते हैं और सत्य क्या है?
जैसे ही छठ के विषय में आप नेट पर सर्च करेंगे वैसे ही पन्ने खुलेंगे कि यह ऐसा एकमात्र पर्व है जिसमें पंडित या पुरोहित की आवश्यकता नहीं होती है! यहाँ तक कि एएनआई में भी यही लिखा है
“एक महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि छठ में किसी भी पंडित या पुरोहित की आवश्यकता नहीं होती है। कोई मूर्तिपूजा नहीं और पूजा कराने के लिए कोई पंडित पुजारी नहीं चाहिए!”
छठ पूजा पहले द्विजेतर जातियों में प्रचलित थी, धीरे धीरे सार्वभौम हो गयी। छठ पूजा सारे भेदभाव मिटाने वाला पर्व है! इसमें भगवान और भक्त के बीच कोई मध्यस्थ नहीं है!”
ऐसे एक नहीं कई पोर्टल हैं, ऐसी एक नहीं तमाम पोस्ट्स हैं, जो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल होने लगती हैं। परन्तु सत्य क्या है? एक प्रश्न उठता है कि क्या पंडित या पुरोहित होना अपराध है? जबकि सोशल मीडिया पर ही कई यूजर्स ने कहा कि पुरोहितों द्वारा पूजा कराई जाती है!
इस व्रत की प्रक्रिया बहुत कठिन है, यह बहुत कठिन व्रत है, शुद्धता का ध्यान रखना होता है। बिहार की ही लेखिका उषाकिरण खान लिखती हैं कि
“पांच दिनों का यह व्रत बेहद कठिन है, खासकर सर्वभक्षियों के लिए। पूरे कार्तिक मास में छठव्रती शाकाहारी बने रहते हैं। चौथ के दिन, जिसे नहाय-खाय कहते हैं, सबसे कीट-सुरक्षित कद्दू (लौकी)-भात का विधान है, वह भी सादा, बिना प्याज-लहसुन का। पर्व करनेवाली, जिसे परवैतिन कहा जाता है, के लिए यह दिन भी व्रत ही ठहरा। दूसरा दिन खरना का होता है- दिनभर उपवास के बाद रात को खीर का भोजन। इसके बाद अगले करीब छत्तीस घंटे तक निर्जला व्रत। इसी दौरान ठेकुआ पकाना और अर्घ के लिए भांति-भांति के सरंजाम सूप-टोकरा में जमाना भी पड़ता है। इसमें परिवार की स्त्रियां साथ देती हैं। अर्घ से पहले पुरुष सदस्य दौरा सिर पर लेकर घाट तक पहुंचाते हैं।
जो लोग कहते हैं कि इसमें संस्कृत के मन्त्र नहीं होते है, वह उषा किरण खान का ही यह लेख देखें जिसमें वह सूर्यदेव की आराधना करने वाले मन्त्रों का वर्णन कर रही हैं
“”आदिदेव नमस्तुभ्यम्, प्रसीद मय भास्कर।
दिवाकर नमस्तुभ्यम्, प्रभाकर नमस्तुते।।“
हर पर्व की अपनी पूजा पद्धति है तो एक की प्रगतिशील और दूसरे की पिछड़ी कैसे हो सकती है?
कई और लेखक हैं, जो वामपंथी लॉबी द्वारा फैलाए गए झूठ का खंडन करते हैं और छठ को पूर्णतया हिन्दू पर्व प्रमाणित करते हैं। पंडित भवनाथ झा ने अपनी वेबसाईट पर लिखा है कि इसकी परम्परा कहाँ से मिलती है। वह लिखते हैं कि छठ पर्व में भगवान् सूर्य की उपासना के साथ स्कन्द की माता षष्ठिका देवी एवं स्कन्द की पत्नी देवसेना इन तीनों की पूजा का महत्त्वपूर्ण योग है। इसी दिन कुमार कार्तिकेय देवताओं के सेनापति के रूप में प्रतिष्ठित हुए थे, अतः भगवान् सूर्य के साथ-साथ इन सभी देव-देवियों के नाम इस पर्व के साथ जुड गये हैं और कालान्तर में इसका स्वरूप बृहत् हो गया है।
धर्मशास्त्रीय ग्रन्थों में इसे स्कन्दषष्ठी, विवस्वत्-षष्ठी इन दोनों नामों से कहा गया है। उन्होंने बताया है कि यह व्रत द्रौपदी द्वारा भी किए जाने का उल्लेख प्राप्त होता है!
बिहार की लोक-परम्परा में सूर्य षष्ठी में छठी मैया की पूजा से सम्बद्ध अनेक गीत तथा लोक-कथाएँ प्रचलित हैं। इस परम्परा का सम्बन्ध भविष्य-पुराण की एक कथा से है, जिसमें कार्तिक मास की षष्ठी तिथि को कार्तिकेय तथा उनकी माता की पूजा का विधान किया गया है। भविष्य-पुराण के उत्तर पर्व के 42वें अध्याय में कहा गया है कि कार्तिकेय ने इस दिन तारकानुसार का वध किया गया था। इसलिए यह तिथि कार्तिकेय की दयिता कही जाती है। इस अध्याय के प्रारम्भ में मार्गशीर्ष अर्थात् अग्रहायण मास का नाम है-
येयं मार्गषिरे मासि षष्टी भरतसत्तम।
पुष्या पापहरा धन्या शिवा शान्ता गुहप्रिया।।
निहत्य तारकं षष्ठ्यां गुहस्तारकाराजवत्।
रराज तेन दयिता कार्तिकेशस्य सा तिथिः।।
यहाँ उल्लिखित मार्गषीर्ष को अमान्त मासारम्भ की गणना के अनुसार समझना चाहिए, क्योंकि इसी अध्याय में कार्तिक मास का भी उल्लेख है।
एवं संवत्सरस्यान्ते कार्तिके मासि शोभने।
कार्तिकेयं समभ्यर्च्य वासोभिर्भूषणैः सह।।
इस अध्याय में इस षष्ठी तिथि को सूर्य की पूजा करने का भी विधान किया गया है।
साथ ही एक अन्य कथा के अनुसार शिव की शक्ति से उत्पन्न कार्तिकेय को छह कृतिकाओं ने दूध पिलाकर पाला था। अतः कार्तिकेय की छह मातायें मानी जाती हैं और उन्हें षाण्मातुर् भी कहा जाता है।
वह एक और लेख में यह उल्लेख करते हैं कि ऐसा नहीं है कि इस पर्व के लिए पुरोहितों की आवश्यकता नहीं होती! सच्चाई यह है कि छठ-पर्व में पण्डित/पुरोहित पर्याप्त संख्या में मिलते नहीं हैं। जो हैं वे बड़े-बड़े लोगों के द्वारा अपने घाट पर बुला लिये जाते हैं। ये बड़े-बड़े लोग पर्याप्त दक्षिणा देकर विधानपूर्वक पूजा कराते हैं, प्रातःकाल कथा सुनते हैं। पण्डित/पुरोहित को आकृष्ट करने के लिए साम-दाम-दण्ड-भेद सबका प्रयोग तक कर बैठते हैं।
धर्मायण पत्रिका के सूर्य उपासना के लिंक में विख्यात विद्वान श्री अरुण कुमार उपाध्याय ने इस पर्व की वैज्ञानिकता पर बात की है। उन्होंने कई मन्त्रों के माध्यम से बताया है कि कैसे भारत में सूर्योपासना भारतीय ऋषि मुनियों की वैज्ञानिक सोच का परिणाम है एवं कार्तिक माह एवं छ संख्या का आपस में क्या सम्बन्ध है?
सोशल मीडिया पर भी कई पोस्ट्स इस विषय में कई साझा की कि कैसे वामपंथियों के इस जाल एवं वैचारिक कुचक्र से बचना है और छठ के प्रति दुष्प्रचार से बचें।
छठ के सम्बन्ध में कतिपय बातों का ध्यान रखें, जिससे कोई आपके भ्रमित न कर सके।
हिन्दुओं का प्रत्येक पर्व लोक-आस्था का पर्व है, केवल छठ (सूर्यषष्ठी) ही नहीं। होली, दीपावली, दशहरा जैसे लोक-आस्था के महापर्वों के सम्मुख छठ की व्यापकता बहुत ही कम है।
वैदिक ऋषियों की ही देन है सूर्यषष्ठी। षडानन स्कन्द की षण्मातृकाओं में से एक हैं षष्ठी (छठी) मैया। स्कन्द का एक नाम कार्त्तिकेय है और यह कार्त्तिक मास उन्हीं के नाम पर है। षण्मातृकाओं में से छठी माता हैं। इनका नाम देवसेना है। सन्तान जन्म होने के बाद छठे दिन छट्ठी (छठियार) में भी इन्हीं की पूजा होती है। षष्ठी देवी सन्तान के लिए अत्यन्त कल्याणकारी हैं और कुष्ट जैसे दुःसाध्य रोगों का निवारण करती हैं। ये सूर्य की शक्ति की एक अंश हैं, जो कार्त्तिक मास के शुक्ल पक्ष की षष्ठी तिथि के दिन सूर्यास्त के समय और सप्तमी के सूर्योदय के समय तक विशेष रूप से प्रस्फुटित रहती हैं। यह सब ज्ञान और विधान ब्राह्मण ऋषियों की देन है। शाकद्वीपीय (मगद्विज) अर्थात् सकलदीपी ब्राह्मणों से पहली बार यह विधि श्रीकृष्ण के पुत्र साम्ब ने सीखी थी। श्रीकृष्ण ने अपने पुत्र साम्ब के जीवन की रक्षा के लिए उन्हें निमन्त्रित कर के उसे यह सिखवाया था।
छठ व्रत में बिचौलिए ही नहीं, कईचौलियो की ज़रूरत पड़ती है यानि अकेले कर पाना अत्यन्त दुष्कर है। इसका कर्मकाण्ड बहुत ही विस्तार लिए चार दिनों तक फैला हुआ है। बहुत सारे लोग रहें तभी कोई व्रती इसे सही ढंग और सहूलियत से कर सकता है। यह कोई आसान पूजा नहीं है, जिसे बस एक पुरोहित बुलाकर झट से निपटा दिया।
डूबते सूर्य को अर्घ्य देना तो हिन्दुओं का अनिवार्य दैनिक कर्म है। दैनिक गायत्री सन्ध्याह्निक में प्रतिदिन डूबते और उगते सूर्य को अर्घ्य दिया जाता है। त्रिसन्ध्या जो नहीं करता वह व्रात्य है यानि धर्मपतित। और त्रिसन्ध्या में उदय होते, अस्त होते सूर्य के अतिरिक्त मध्याह्न में भी सूर्यार्घ्य दिया जाता है।
किसी भी कर्मकाण्ड और पूजा-विधान में पुजारी की आवश्यकता नहीं है, यदि आप उसे स्वयं ही कर पा रहे हैं। यज्ञ एवं अनन्त प्रकार के जो विधान ब्राह्मण ऋषियों ने दिये हैं उन सबमें से लगभग सभी को व्यक्ति द्वारा स्वयं ही करने का विधान है। जो स्वयं कर पाने में अक्षम हैं, उन्हें ही मदद के लिए पुरोहितों की व्यवस्था है। पर यह स्पष्ट बताया गया है कि स्वयं करने से ही अधिकतम लाभ है।
छठ में जटिल मन्त्रों की आवश्यकता नहीं!! केवल जटिल भोजपुरी गीतों की आवश्यकता है, जिनका अर्थ अधिकांश लोग समझते ही नहीं!! आज तक शायद ही किसी ने छठ में ‘बहँगी’ का उपयोग देखा हो पर ‘कॉंच ही बाँस के बहँगिया।।।’ गाये बिना छठ सम्पन्न हो ही नहीं सकता!—————-ये मन्त्र भोजपुरी में हैं।
एक बात और। केवल छठ में ही नहीं, सनातन धर्म के किसी भी पूजा-पाठ में ऊँच-नीच का कोई भेदभाव नहीं है। रक्षाबन्धन, दशहरा, दीपावली, होली, रामनवमी, एकादशी, कीर्त्तन, जागरण, सत्यनारायण कथा आदि किसी में आपने ऊँच-नीच का भेदभाव देखा है क्या? फिर केवल छठ में ही ऐसा यह झूठ क्यों बोलना!!“
यह जो छठ पर जातिगत भेदभाव न होने की बात कहकर इसे प्रगतिशील अर्थात वामपंथी घोषित किया जाता है, वह कितना बड़ा झूठ है, वह इस तथ्य से पता चल जाता है कि ऐसा कौन सा हिन्दुओं का पर्व है जिसमें ऐसा भेदभाव होता है? क्या दीपावली पर पटाखे चलाते समय, या होली पर रंग लगाते समय जाति देखकर रंग लगाया जाता है?
वरिष्ठ लेखक श्री भृगुनंदन त्रिपाठी जी ने भी सोशल मीडिया पर इस पर्व के हिन्दू स्वरुप के विषय लिखते हुए कहा कि लोकआस्था एवं शास्त्र का जब संगम हुआ तभी यह शक्ति बनी! अत: जो वामपंथी लोग आस्था एवं शास्त्र को अलग कर रहे हैं, उन्हें पता ही नहीं है कि इस पर्व का वास्तविक स्वरुप क्या है?
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यह कैसा कुचक्र पर्वों के माध्यम से रचा जा रहा है? यह ठहरकर सोचने की आवश्यकता है। हिन्दुओं का हर पर्व आस्था का ही पर्व है, क्या बिना आस्था के श्री कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी, या महाशिवरात्रि को मनाया जा सकता है? क्या दीपावली में आस्था नहीं है? क्या सकट में आस्था नहीं है?
अरुण कुमार उपाध्याय ने अपनी फेसबुक प्रोफाइल पर भी इस पूरे पर्व के हिन्दू रूप को प्रस्तुत किया है:
वामपंथियों का कुचक्र पहले ही बंगाल में दुर्गा पूजा को सेक्युलर बना चुका है, अब निशाना छठ पूजा के बहाने बिहार है, समय रहने चेतना होगा, नहीं तो पर्व को मात्र संस्कृति तक सीमित करने का दुष्परिणाम क्या हो सकता है, यह अभी तक लोग समझ नहीं पा रहे हैं! क्या लेखकों एवं विचारकों का एक बड़ा वर्ग अपनी क्षुद्र राजनीति के चलते उसी प्रकार का वोकिज्म छठ पूजा में लाना चाहता है, जो लाकर पहले ही ओणम जैसे पर्व हिन्दुओं की धार्मिक पहचान से अलग किए चुके हैं? जैसे दुर्गो पूजा पर जब पूजोफॉर आल चलाया जाता है तो वह लोग बांग्लादेश में अपने पीड़ित हिन्दू भाइयों के लिए बात नहीं करते हैं क्योंकि “पूजो फॉर आल” की अवधारणा पर चोट लगेगी?
यह पर्व ही नहीं सभी पर्व पूरी तरह से हिन्दू आस्था के पर्व हैं, एवं जो भी इनमें अब अपना एजेंडा चलाएगा उसका उत्तर भी इसलिए देना अनिवार्य है जिससे पर्व हिन्दू बने रहें!
A class IX student of Jamshedpur’s Saradamoni Girls’ School, Ritu Mukhi, set herself on fire by sprinkling kerosene on her body after returning home from school on October 14. She passed away on October 21, after struggling for seven days in Tata Main Hospital with 90 per cent burns.
The 14-year-old is survived by her mother, Saraswati Mukhi and her siblings. She was calm and introverted by nature and wanted to become a government officer to support her family. Her family’s hopes and dreams also came to an end with her death.
On October 14, when her mother and brother were out for some work, she sent her sisters to a neighbour’s house before setting herself on fire. When the flames intensified, she ran towards the street and fell unconscious. Hearing the commotion, people nearby ran to her aid and doused the fire.
The reason behind this drastic step is extremely shocking. In the statement given to the police, she said that she was appearing for her terminal exam when the invigilator, Chandra Das, accused her of cheating. Das slapped her and forced her to remove her clothes in front of everyone to check for hidden notes even after she protested.
The victim added in her statement that she was so embarrassed by the incident that she took the extreme step after returning home from school that day.
Das is lodged in jail and has denied the allegations, although several other students who were present in the class confirm the victim’s allegations. School principal Geeta Mahato has been suspended. Taking cognizance of the incident, Chief Minister Hemant Soren directed the administration to take necessary action.
When Jamshedpur Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav reached to console the victim’s mother, the latter kept saying that she couldn’t save her baby girl. She also requested Jadhav to get justice for her daughter.
This incident raises many questions about the system. Dr S.C. Sharma, a retired lecturer and academician of Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh, says that, “This incident may at first glance seem to be only the teacher’s fault, but in reality it is a question on the entire educational system and our social fabric as well.”
He added that, “the student took the decision while suffering herself and did not let anyone get a hint about the ‘war’ in her mind. Such reports are coming frequently from academic campuses. We move on after every incident with only regret and blame. Incidents of corporal punishment are a question on the whole system. Merely making laws to stop them will not work. There is a need for constant counselling of teachers-students-parents.”
In Jharkhand alone, there have been many incidents of harassment of students in schools in recent times. On September 27, Vikas alias Cyril Kujur, a teacher of St. Michael English Medium School of Gumla district, brutally thrashed 13 students when they refused to dance. Many students were injured and had swollen hands and feet.
Angered by this incident, people staged a sit-in in front of the school and protested. Eventually the accused teacher was sent to jail by registering an FIR.
A similar incident happened in Bokaro on September 22. In SS High School of Kasmar block, school teacher Vineet Kumar Jha thrashed a student, Rajkumar Mahato, badly. The student suffered a serious injury on his hand. In protest, students and parents blocked the main road outside the school and demanded action against the accused teacher. Later, the police pacified them by assuring of strict action.
On September 9, at a private school in Deoghar, a minor student of Class IX was allegedly thrashed and made to stand in the sun for three hours by a non-teaching staff, causing him to faint. He was rushed to his house, from where his family members admitted him to a hospital.
Two teachers of Modern English School in Itki block of Ranchi district brutally thrashed a sibling duo, resulting in injury marks on their bodies. Their father lodged an FIR at Itki police station on October 14.
Renu Tiwari, who was in charge of the primary section of a reputed school in Ranchi for almost three decades, says that, “along with the teachers, students and parents should be constantly counselled. Corporal punishment for children in school or any kind of discrimination against them comes under the category of crime.”
It is the responsibility of the school management to create an environment where children can feel safe. There can be many ways to control the indiscipline of the students. For example, complaints should be made to the parents and an undertaking should be given in serious matters. Corporal punishment is by no means a solution to the problem, Tiwari added.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed.)
A grooming case has come to light from Madhya Pradesh in which Sheikh Jahid has been accused of duping her by posing as a Brahmin for about 8 years. She has also alleged that he forced her to consume beef and embrace Islam.
PC: Subhi Vishwakarma Twitter account
Jahid was arrested by MP police on October 26 under the state’s anti-love jihad law for duping the woman by hiding his religious identity. The victim said Jahid had introduced himself as a Brahmin to establish a sexual relationship with her. Based on her complaint, police registered an FIR against the accused and his brother Sajid.
Reports say the incident occurred in Shujalpur in MP’s Shajapur District. The victim said she met Jahid 14 years ago when he identified himself as Gama belonging to the Brahmin community. She was divorced from her first husband when she came in contact with the accused. She stayed in Bhopal’s Karaund area at a relative’s residence and was employed with Airtel.
What began as a friendship, later developed into love and the accused established a physical relationship by promising to marry her. He raped her for more than seven years during the course of which she became pregnant.
Following her pregnancy, she asked the accused to marry him when she came to know of his true religious identity from the original papers submitted by Jahid during their court marriage. She learned he was a Muslim resident of the Dabripura region of MP’s Shajapur district.
The complaint highlights, the victim chose to remain silent back then due to her pregnancy. However, after their marriage and the child’s birth, Jahid began torturing the woman. He pressured her to convert to Islam and forced her to consume meat and offer namaz. When she refused to comply with his demands, he brutally thrashed her.
The victim also said she had tried to escape once but was unsuccessful. “I was fed up with day-to-day harassment. One day, I packed my bag and left Jahid’s house. But he forcefully brought me back. He then started bringing other girls home to have sexual relations with them after I used to leave for my office”, she has been quoted as saying.
The victim approached Hindu organizations with whose help she registered a police complaint. Members of Hindu organizations demanded strict action against Jahid. Both Jahid and his brother Sajid have been booked under the relevant sections of the law by the police. While Jahid has been arrested, the police are on the lookout for Sajid who is absconding. The police said that further investigations into the case were underway.
