Tag: freedom

Indian Independence Day: Celebrating a Nation’s Journey to Freedom

Commemorating Historic Struggles and Sacrifices
Indian Independence Day honors the tenacity of the independence warriors who overcame hardship, imprisonment, and even gave their lives to oppose colonial authority. A large-scale movement that brought together Indians from many areas, languages, and origins was headed by iconic leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, and numerous more.
Unity in Diversity: The Essence of India’s Independence
The nation’s psyche has been forever changed by the sacrifices made during India’s liberation movement. Every act of disobedience, from nonviolent demonstrations to vehement speeches, from passive resistance to militant revolt, had a part in the final victory over colonial domination. The celebration of Independence Day serves as a reminder of the cost incurred to achieve the independence and sovereignty that India enjoys today.
Reflecting on Progress and Aspiring for a Bright Future
The nation’s tremendous variety is underscored by the nation’s solidarity on Indian Independence Day. The festival crosses language, cultural, and geographical barriers, illuminating the many ways in which Indians gather together to celebrate their common past and future ambitions. The national flag, a representation of unification, flutters over the nation, serving as a reminder to people of the power of difference.

August 11, 2023
India criticised at UNESCO-sponsored press freedom event

[ad_1]
United Nations: Rana Ayyub, an Indian journalist writing for US media, has called for shifting global attention to media freedom in India as she spoke at a UNESCO-sponsored event at the world body.
“It is important for the world to shift its attention to India because we do not really talk about India as much and I really hope you do that in the days to come,” she said on Tuesday questioning New Delhi’s democratic credentials and its press freedom at the conference held on the eve of the World Press Freedom Day in the General Assembly chamber.
“When we talk about attacks in the press, we normally never look at India as much because India is seen as this place of democracy, you know, syncretic values and cultural pluralism.”

Earlier at the 30th Anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day Global Conference, New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger got the criticism of India rolling, saying that “in India, authorities have raided newsrooms and treated journalists essentially as terrorists”.
“In countries where press freedoms were strong, including the United States, journalists now face systematic campaigns to undermine their credibility, followed by attacks on the legal protections that safeguard their work,” he said.
Samantha Power, the administrator of the US government’s Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the launch of Reporters Shield, a programme to offer investigative journalists around the world insurance from defamation lawsuits and legal threats meant to “silence critical voices”.
Ayyub, who works for The Washington Post, said while seated at the General Assembly dais: “I have normally seen world leaders talk about democratic values right here at this podium (and) some of us journalists watching it on TV look at them and like, ‘Hey, you are anything but democratic.”
While detailing what she said were attacks on press freedom, she said: “I come from India, the land of democracy, which prides itself on, about democratic values. I love my country more than I love any other entity in the world, but which is why it is more important for me.”

She claimed that she was facing “legal warfare” through charges of money laundering and tax evasion and cases of defamation for her work as a journalist going back to an undercover assignment where she said she wore “eight cameras on my body” posing as a “Hindu nationalist”.
She referred to the killing in 2017 of journalist Gauri Lankeshwar, who had translated her book into Kannada and who she said had dismissed threats as “paper tigers”.
She said that she has been receiving threats of death and physical attacks on social media and at her house.
Mumbai Police, she asserted, were indifferent saying that the threats were only online.
Ayyub, who stressed her Muslim identity, claimed that “there is a sustained attack on the 200 million Muslim minorities on the lower caste in India systematically even as the country gears up to hold the G20 Summit in India, where world leaders are coming to India and (will be) talking about the virtues of democracy”.
Notably, the published list of speakers at the conference did not include anyone from China, either working there, or a dissident abroad.
[ad_2]
#India #criticised #UNESCOsponsored #press #freedom #event
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 3, 2023
Lt Governor pays tributes to legendary poet & freedom fighter Shri Sarwanand Koul Premi on his death anniversary

[ad_1]
JAMMU, MAY 01: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha paid tributes to legendary poet and freedom fighter Shri Sarwanand Koul Premi Ji on his death anniversary, today.
On May 01, 1990, Shri Sarwanand Koul Premi was killed by terrorists.
Remembering Sarwanand Koul Premi, the Lt Governor said Sarwanand Ji was a towering man of ideas and ideals. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest writers of his time with deep commitment for upliftment of downtrodden & weaker sections of society, the Lt Governor added.
“Sarwanand ji made great contribution to freedom struggle and infused new life in the bonds of our national unity. Throughout his life, he followed the universal and eternal values of peace, co-existence and cooperation,” said the Lt Governor.
Jammu Kashmir is called the heaven on earth, not only because of its scenic beauty, but the great personalities like Sarwanand ji, who dedicated his life to serve the others, observed the Lt Governor.
“Sarwanand ji was not only a famous writer but also a well known teacher in Kashmir valley who became the medium of divinity for many and inspired the masses to follow the ideals enshrined in our ageless culture and selflessly served the society,” said the Lt Governor.
[ad_2]
#Governor #pays #tributes #legendary #poet #freedom #fighter #Shri #Sarwanand #Koul #Premi #death #anniversary

( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

May 1, 2023
Top US official Donald Lu praises India’s press freedom

[ad_1]
A top US official has praised India’s press freedom and the importance of journalists in promoting democracy in the world’s most populous country.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu stated that “there is nothing that’s kept secret there. You have India as a democracy in part because you have a free press that really works.”
“I know the media market is changing. But I have such respect for the freedom of the press in India. There is nothing that’s kept secret there. You have India as a democracy in part because you have a free press that really works,” Lu told PTI in Washington.

“I can remember going into MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) once and seeing a senior person with files stacked up to the ceiling because he was processing a Right For Information request. And he was complaining bitterly about having to do this and I could only laugh because we have to do the same thing in our bureaucracy where if someone asks for a document, I have to spend several days finding the document for them because that’s what democracy does,” he said.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Top #official #Donald #praises #Indias #press #freedom
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
Freedom Caucus and progressives lock arms — and that could be bad news for McCarthy

[ad_1]
This alignment could create headaches for McCarthy, because he can only lose four members of his own party during any given floor vote in the closely divided House. And while the Senate has already passed its own bipartisan reversal of the Iraq war authorizations, most of the House GOP is not yet bought in on that issue, and there’s no consensus in the party about cutting Pentagon funding.

“Sometimes the political spectrum is more of a circle than a line. At some point, you might have sometimes-differing motives or different ranges, but you end up [at] the same conclusion, and that’s okay,” said Chip Roy.
|
Jose Luis Magana/ AP Photo
So if McCarthy’s right flank teams up with liberals in earnest — after nearly costing the California Republican the speakership — it could chip at his hold over his slim majority. It remains to be seen whether a concrete break with the speaker will materialize, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are paying attention to the dynamic.
As Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) put it: “Sometimes you have interesting bedfellows in Washington.”
The best-case scenario outcome for McCarthy, who’s been noncommittal on a quick floor vote to repeal Iraq war powers, is House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul’s (R-Texas) proposal to replace those war authorizations as well as a third authorization passed after the Sept. 11 attacks. That approach would likely be a no-go for liberals who are currently on the same page as many conservatives.
Ending Iraq war powers “should come to the floor as soon as possible,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a former Progressive Caucus co-chair who’s spearheaded a decades-long push on the matter. “And our Republican colleagues are also working to try to ensure that this comes to the floor as soon as possible. It’s way past time to get this done.”
Rebelling against leadership is hardly a new mode for Lee, who endured harsh criticism during the George W. Bush administration as the sole House lawmaker to vote against the post-Sept. 11 authorization. And other members of the Freedom and Progressive Caucuses are gadflies in their own right; Roy, for one, regularly upends the GOP conference’s plans.
“It’s a question of institutional power,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the House Rules Committee chair whom Lee cited as one of her top Republican allies on repealing war authorizations. “And I think there’s a sense around here, on both the left and the right, that we’ve abdicated too much of that — and not just in recent Congresses, but honestly probably going back decades.”

Ending Iraq war powers “should come to the floor as soon as possible,” said Barbara Lee.
|
J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
President Joe Biden has promised to sign the Senate-passed pair of war authorization repeals if they reach his desk.

It’s not just the war powers effort that’s bringing together the House’s opposing factions. They’ve also united to push for pumping the brakes on a potential ban of TikTok, airing fears of government overreach while more establishment colleagues share national security worries.
In addition, Progressive Caucus chief Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Freedom Caucus member Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) are jointly raising concerns about government surveillance laws ahead of a reauthorization deadline at the end of the year.
The left and right frequently align “on issues of war, civil liberties and privacy,” Jayapal said. “We do have things that we see eye to eye on, and I think we’re always going to look for those opportunities.”
It’s not clear yet how the war powers repeal might come to the House floor, whether as a stand-alone or attached to another must-pass vehicle. But Roy said that if it’s not brought up before the end of the year’s annual defense policy bill, he “can promise” it would “become an issue” during debate on that plan.
“We’re gonna have to deal with that at some point. And so this will be just another step along the way. I’ve been happy to work with Congresswoman Lee towards that end,” Roy said.
While McCaul may be able to find a war powers compromise that would satisfy a majority of House Republicans — according to longstanding conference tradition, the speaker needs majority-GOP support in order to bring legislation to the floor — the party probably can’t count on many Democratic votes for that plan.
Right now, liberals are pushing solely for a full repeal of the 2002 and 1991 Iraq authorizations.
“There’s nothing to replace it with,” said Lee. “That argument and strategy is muddying the water.”
Meanwhile, McCaul’s Democratic counterpart atop the Foreign Affairs panel is looking to help break the logjam on post-Sept. 11 war powers. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) signaled an interest in introducing his own replacement for that measure. But Meeks aligned with progressives on the Senate-passed measures repealing the 2002 and 1991 war powers authorizations, calling for a “straight repeal.”
If all else fails in the war powers debate, there’s always the wonky procedural gambit known as a discharge petition — which allows a majority of House members from either party to band together and force a bill onto the floor, regardless of leadership’s wishes.
Some liberals, like Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), have indicated they’re open to that option. But other progressive leaders have said that’s off the table for now, concerned it could blow up the fragile bipartisan consensus on war powers.
“The discharge petition is not the way to get bipartisan support,” Lee said. “We have the votes. So this should come to the floor as soon as possible.”
[ad_2]
#Freedom #Caucus #progressives #lock #arms #bad #news #McCarthy
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

April 6, 2023
Moulvi Syed Allavuddin: Hyderabad’s unsung hero of Indian freedom struggle

[ad_1]
Moulvi Syed Allavuddin who was a spiritual leader used to exhort the people of Nizam State, one of the strongest princely states of South India, to rebel against the British hegemony. He stood at the forefront of the direct fight against the British Government.
Moulvi Syed Allavuddin was a native of Hyderabad, the capital of the erstwhile Nizam princely state. He intensified his rebellious activities soon after the First war of Independence of India was started in 1857.
A rebellion started in Aurangabad which was part of Nizam State. The rebels who took part in the revolutionary activities in Aurangabad, escaped arrest and came to Hyderabad. They were arrested by the Nizam state police and kept in jail. The people and prominent citizens of Nizam state were angry when Nizam rejected their plea to release the arrested rebels. They met in Mecca Masjid on July 17, 1857, and decided to attack the British Residency in Hyderabad.

That afternoon at 4 pm about five hundred people led by Moulvi Allavuddin and another revolutionary leader Patan Turrebaz Khan marched ahead from Sultan Bazar with war cries to attack the British Residency, a symbol of British Supremacy. Nizam Nawab, being a friend of the British, informed the English officers of the imminent attack. The armies of the English and the Nizam moved strategically and confronted the attackers with additional forces.
Firing continued between the two sides throughout the night. The rebels retreated as the enemy forces gained an upper hand. The angry armies of the British and the Nizam cracked down on the people of Hyderabad. An award of four thousand rupees was announced on the head of Moulvi Syed Allavuddin.
Moulvi went underground. After taking shelter for one and half years from his close friend named Peer Mohammed, he started consultations with freedom fighters and revolutionaries like Syed Bhikkoo, Syed Lal, and Mohammed Ali to put an end to the hegemony of the British on his land and people. At last British forces arrested and sent Moulvi Allavuddin to the cellular jail in Andaman on June 28, 1859.
After leading a miserable life of 25 years as a prisoner, Moulvi Syed Allavuddin passed away in 1884.

[ad_2]
#Moulvi #Syed #Allavuddin #Hyderabads #unsung #hero #Indian #freedom #struggle
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 3, 2023
Can’t ignore Savarkar’s sacrifice in freedom struggle, says Pawar

[ad_1]
Nagpur: Nobody can ignore late Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar’s sacrifice for the country’s independence struggle but disagreements over him cannot be made a national issue today as there are many pressing matters to focus on, said Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday.
Defending Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is being targeted by the Bharatiya Janata Party for speaking about issues in India on foreign soil, he said this is not the first time an Indian has spoken about issues in the country while abroad.
Pawar was speaking at the Press Club in Nagpur, where he also visited Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s home.

To a query on whether he spoke to Rahul Gandhi about Savarkar and if the Congress leader would slow down in his criticism of the late Hindutva ideologue, Pawar said leaders of 18-20 political parties recently sat and discussed major issues before the country.
The BJP has accused Gandhi of repeatedly “insulting” Savarkar. It is also organising Savarkar Gaurav Yatra in his honour.
“I suggested that there is a need for us to deliberate on the way the country is being run by those in power,” he said.
Pawar said, “Today, Savarkar is not a national issue, it is an old thing. We had said a few things about Savarkar but it was not personal. It was against Hindu Maha Sabha. But there is another side to it as well. We cannot ignore the sacrifice made by Savarkar ji for the independence of the country.”
About 32 years ago, Pawar said, he had spoken in Parliament about Savarkar’s progressive views. He said Savarkar built a house in Ratnagiri and also constructed a small temple in front of it. “He deputed a person from the Valmiki community to perform puja in the temple. I think this was a very progressive thing,” said Pawar.

The NCP leader said there is no need to thrust Savarkar into the national narrative especially because there many other major issues concerning the common public.
On the BJP’s criticism of Gandhi, Pawar said the Congress leader also has the freedom to put his opinion like everyone else.
Asked if it is proper for a leader to speak about issues concerning India on foreign soil, Pawar said one should not give much importance to it as this has not been done for the first time.
The NCP leader leaders criticised the government in the past as well. “Only now such issues are being brought up repeatedly. If people feel agitated over something in the country and if an Indian talks about it, then I think those issues should be addressed.”
To a query if he thinks Lok Sabha and state elections will be held together in 2024, Pawar said they won’t happen at the same time.
During his Nagpur visit, Pawar also visited Union minister Nitin Gadkari at the latter’s home and called it a courtesy visit. On the request of Gadkari to Pawar, a sub-centre of Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Pune, is coming up in Nagpur. Pawar is the president of this institute.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
[ad_2]
#ignore #Savarkars #sacrifice #freedom #struggle #Pawar
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 1, 2023
BJP asks if Cong want complete freedom for Rahul to abuse others, seeks his apology

[ad_1]
New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday asserted that the law has to take its course if Rahul Gandhi abuses people and slammed the Congress over its criticism of his conviction in a defamation case, asking whether the opposition party wants “complete freedom” for him to “abuse” others.
BJP leader and former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad cautioned Gandhi, saying he will find himself facing “more troubles” if he doesn’t refrain from making defamatory remarks, while Union Minister Piyush Goyal asked the Congress leader to apologise for his series of “defamatory” comments.
Both the leaders also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for questioning the court’s order by noting that several judges hearing the matter were changed.
“They should come out of their dynastic mindset and realise that no one is above the law,” Goyal told reporters, while Prasad accused Kharge of contempt of court at another presser.
It was “grossly unfair” on the part of Kharge to make such comments, Prasad said.
Making such comments show that the Congress does not believe in the judiciary, he said and asked, “Does it want to keep even the judiciary in its pocket.”
“If they think that they would get action in their favour by levelling allegations against the judiciary and putting pressure on it, it is their misconception,” he said.
Asked whether Gandhi will be disqualified from Lok Sabha, Prasad cited the provisions made in the Representation of People Act in this regard and said it is for Speaker Om Birla to decide. “This is speaker’s decision. I don’t have to say anything on that,” he said.

On Thursday, a court in Gujarat’s Surat sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his “Modi surname” remarks.
The case was filed against the Congress MP for his alleged “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remark on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.
Goyal said, “We are all in public life and have to chose our words wisely and maintain basic decorum and dignity in public discourse. Gandhi has disrespected people and every democratic institution be in Parliament or democracy. He should apologise for his series of defamatory statements.”
The BJP leaders in this context mentioned various allegations levelled by the former Congress president, be it during his recent visit to Britain or in the Rafale case.
Prasad said Gandhi with his comments insulted people with Modi surname, asserting that it was very much defamatory.
“The Congress party and others are saying many things but they are not saying what Rahul Gandhi had said,” he said and asked, “Won’t any action be taken against you if you insult a surname in such a way?”
He said Gandhi got the opportunity to defend his case and his lawyers argued in the court before the verdict was given. He has been convicted in the case because the court was not convinced with the arguments made in his defence, Prasad added.
It has become Gandhi’s “nature” to weaken and defame the country as well as level the “filthiest abuse like accusations” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, Prasad said, cautioning him against continuing with such remarks.
A number of defamation cases has been filed against Gandhi for his remarks, he said.
Referring to the defamation case in Gujarat, Prasad said a similar case was filed against Gandhi in Patna by BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and its proceedings are underway.
The BJP leader also took a swipe at Gandhi for his remarks in a tweet after the court’s verdict in his case in Gujarat, asking if his faith in truth and non-violence meant insulting people by abusing them citing their caste.
“You will abuse freely, insult country’s Army, make fun of the Martyrs’ supreme sacrifices, insult patriotism, insult people’s votes, people’s manadate and say you are worshipper of ‘satya’ (truth) and ‘ahimsa’ (non-violence),” he charged.
Prasad said if the Congress leader has the right to abuse people, those aggrieved also have right to file case against him.
“Does Congress want Rahul Gandhi to have complete freedom to abuse people? There is rule of law in the country and it will prevail,” the BJP leader said, alleging that the Congress leader has a history of making defamatory comments and unfounded allegations.
“The law of India has it that if an individual or an organisation has been defamed with scurrilous statements, scandalous comments, abuses or any defamatory remarks, then he has a right to seek redress. But the Congress party has an objection. It wants complete freedom for Rahul Gandhi to throw abuses,” he added.
Prasad also lashed out at Gandhi for his recent democracy remarks in the UK, saying democracy is run by certain probity and propriety with regard to fair play.
“One of the most element of that is you please respect the popular verdict,” he added.
[ad_2]
#BJP #asks #Cong #complete #freedom #Rahul #abuse #seeks #apology
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Does Congress want complete freedom for Rahul to abuse people: BJP

[ad_1]
New Delhi: The BJP Thursday asserted that the law will take its course if Rahul Gandhi abuses people and slammed the Congress over its criticism of his conviction in a defamation case, asking whether the opposition party wants “complete freedom” for him to “abuse” others.
BJP leader and former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for questioning the court’s order by reportedly noting that several judges hearing the matter were changed.
Making such comments show that the party does not believe in the judiciary, he said and asked, “Does it want to keep even the judiciary even in its pocket.”
Asked whether Rahul Gandhi will be disqualified from the Lok Sabha, Prasad said it is for Speaker Om Birla to decide.
A court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his “Modi surname” remarks.
The case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remarks on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.
Prasad said Gandhi insulted people with Modi surname with his comments, asserting that it is very much defamatory. His lawyers argued before the court before the verdict was given, he said, noting that a similar case against the Congress leader is also proceeding at a court in Patna filed by BJP leader Sushil Modi.
Prasad accused Gandhi of insulting people by citing their caste.

In a swipe at Gandhi for his comments after the conviction that he believes in truth and non-violence, he asked if this means insulting people by targeting them for their surname.
“Does Congress want Rahul Gandhi to have complete freedom to abuse people? There is rule of law in the country and it will prevail,” he said, alleging the former Congress president has a history of making defamatory comments and unfounded allegations.
“The law of India has it that if an individual or an organisation has been defamed with scurrilous statements, scandalous comments, abuses or any defamatory remarks, then he has a right to seek redress. But the Congress party has an objection. It wants complete freedom for Rahul Gandhi to throw abuses,” Prasad said.
[ad_2]
#Congress #complete #freedom #Rahul #abuse #people #BJP
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Opposition gives notices in Parliament on freedom of speech, Adani row

[ad_1]
New Delhi: Amid the uproar over Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Parliament by the treasury benches and the opposition demanding JPC in Adani row, the Congress MP in Lok Sabha Manish Tewari has given an adjournment notice on the freedom of speech of MPs.
Tewari said in the notice, “Article 105 of the Constitution of India deals with the powers and privileges of the Houses of Parliament and of the members and committees thereof. Article 105(1) categorically lays down that ‘..there shall be freedom of speech in Parliament’, subject, of course, to the Constitutional text and rules made by Parliament itself.”
The Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari has given suspension of business notice in the Rajya Sabha over the Adani row.
The opposition has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in the Hindenburg report while the government is demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his statement in the UK.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Opposition #notices #Parliament #freedom #speech #Adani #row
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 15, 2023