Two people assault a Bank of India employee in Gujarat
Nadiad: The police have arrested two persons for assaulting an employee at Bank of India’s (BOI) Nadiad branch.
Manish Dhangar is serving as an officer with the Bank of India’s Nadiad-Kapadwanj branch, handling the loan desk.
Today in Nadiad Branch of BoI two customers entered the branch and badly assaulted the officer on duty. In full public view they called the name of the caste and threatened to murder the officer concerned outside the premises. Where is the safety for Banker’s?@nsitharamanpic.twitter.com/a0S7i7SFIv
In his complaint, Dhangar said, “On Friday afternoon, a customer named Samarth Brahmbhatt reached the branch and started beating me. He slapped me three to four times and even kicked me. When the other staff tried to intervene, Samarth’s friend Parth, who was accompanying him, kicked me.”
According to Dhangar, Samarth was angry with him and the bank because repeated calls were made to him to submit a copy of his house insurance policy.
Samarth had threatened over the phone that he will not submit the insurance policy.
Samarth had taken a home loan from the bank. During the audit, it was found that the customer had not submitted his house insurance policy, which was required since the house was not mortgaged with the bank.
Washington: An earth-observation satellite jointly developed by NASA and ISRO that will help study Earth’s land and ice surfaces in greater detail is all set to be shipped to India later this month for a possible launch in September.
ISRO Chairman S Somanath visited NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the US state of California on Friday to oversee the final electrical testing of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite before being shipped to India.
“This mission will be a powerful demonstration of the capability of radar as a science tool and help us study Earth’s dynamic land and ice surfaces in greater detail than ever before,” Somanath said at the formal send-off ceremony organised at the JPL which was attended by senior scientists from the two space agencies.
Later this month, the SUV-size payload will be moved into a special cargo container for a 14,000-kilometer flight to the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
ISRO and NASA joined hands in 2014 to build the 2,800 kg satellite. In March 2021, ISRO sent its S-Band SAR payload developed in India to NASA for integration with the L-Band payload built by JPL.
“This marks an important milestone in our shared journey to better understand planet Earth and our changing climate. NISAR will provide critical information on Earth’s crust, ice sheets, and ecosystems,” JPL Director Laurie Leshin said.
Somanath said that the NISAR spacecraft will be integrated into the satellite bus at the U R Rao Satellite Centre for launch within the next year.
“This is one of the most complex satellites. The elements that are built by JPL are excellent,” Somanath said.
The event at JPL was marked by the ceremonial breaking of coconuts in front of a scale model of the satellite by NISAR project heads of NASA and ISRO Phil Barela and C V Shrikant respectively.
The JPL Director also presented the ISRO delegation with a jar of JPL lucky peanuts to be eaten during the launch of the satellite.
NISAR will gather radar data with a drum-shaped reflector antenna almost 12 meters in diameter. It will use a signal-processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to observe changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces down to fractions of an inch.
The satellite will help researchers detect slow-moving variations of a land surface that can precede earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.
Data about such movements could help communities prepare for natural hazards such as the Joshimath land subsidence.
Measurements of melting sea ice and ice sheets will improve understanding of the pace and impacts of climate change, including sea level rise.
Over the course of its three-year prime mission, the satellite will observe nearly the entire planet every 12 days, making observations day and night, in all weather conditions.
Bengaluru: Global technology brand Lenovo has announced the launch of its new laptop powered with the ‘AMD Ryzen 3 7320U’ processor in the country.
The ‘IdeaPad 1’ comes in Cloud Grey colour and will be available at Lenovo Exclusive stores, Lenovo.com, Amazon and across large retail stores, from February 8 at a starting price of Rs 44,690, the company said in a statement.
“Powered by AMD Ryzen 3 7320U with integrated AMD Radeon 610M graphics, this laptop enables users to effortlessly multitask, attend online classes, interact with friends and stream their favourite shows,” it said.
The new laptop features a 15-inch Full-HD anti-glare display with up to 220 nits brightness and stereo speakers by Dolby Audio, allowing users to “enjoy an overall immersive viewing experience for watching videos or gaming”.
“Our latest IdeaPad is an affordable but power-packed device with an extended warranty and best-in-class performance, that helps people achieve their goals while they are working, studying, creating, or just catching up with friends out of town,” said Dinesh Nair, director of consumer business, Lenovo India.
The laptop also features an in-built 720p HD camera which comes with a physical privacy shutter that adds another layer of safety to the experience and blocks unintended onlookers.
“AMD is excited to partner with Lenovo as they bring the new range of Lenovo Ideapad1 laptops to Indian consumers. AMD is redefining the everyday laptop experience with the new AMD Ryzen 7020 Series processors, bringing higher performance via a modern platform to consumers,” said Vinay Sinha, managing director of sales, AMD India.
“Based on the Zen 2 core architecture and AMD RDNA 2 graphics, these AMD-powered laptops will make multitasking easier, providing increased battery life and enabling better productivity on the move,” Sinha added.
Moreover, the IdeaPad 1Aalso provides a battery life of up to 14 hours, “which is perfect for those spending long periods of time online in meetings and classes, or for those who simply forget to regularly recharge their laptop”, the company said.
Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] – Details)
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Chennai: Cement major India Cements Ltd is looking at refurbishing its old plants located in Andhra Pradesh and Telungana at an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 1,600 crore to be funded internally, said a top company official.
Suffering a production cost disadvantage of about Rs 500 per ton as compared to the best in the market and in order to be at par with competition, India Cements has decided to refurbish its plants in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana acquired two decades back, Vice Chairman and Managing Director N.Srinivasan said.
The company has engaged Krupp Polysius and FL Smidth and submit their report on making the plants efficient.
“We have asked the experts to submit their report as how to make these plants as efficient to be on par with the competition. They are expected to submit the report soon,” he said.
According to Srinivasan, the refurbishment when started will take about 15 to 18 months to complete.
Since India Cements has a basket of vintage plants and technology with varying operating parameters, this has pushed the cost of production against its peers, he said.
The company has plants in AP and Telangana and they were acquired two decades ago.
In terms of consumption of fuel (coal and oil) and power, India Cements has found it is incurring an additional cost of Rs 500 per tonne of cement produced compared to the most efficient players in the industry.
The revamp programme is aimed at addressing this cost difference and improve the operational parameters of plants.
According to Srinivasan, the refurbishment programme will start with Malkapur and Vishnupuram plants in Telangana. It will not cover its modern plants like Sankari in Tamil Nadu and Banswara in Rajasthan.
India Cements has eight integrated cement plants – two plants in Andhra Pradesh at Chilamkur and Yerraguntla, two in Telangana at Vishnpuram and Malkapur, one at Banswara in Rajasthan, threein Tamil Nadu at Sankarnagar, Sankari and Dalavoi and two grinding units one near Chennai and the other at Parli in Maharashtra.
The combined production capacity is about 16 million ton per annum.
Srinivasan also said the company will increase volume of cement and sell more blended cement.
Meanwhile, aided by Rs 294.28 crore profit on sale of investments, India Cements closed Q3 of FY23 with a net profit of Rs 90.73 crore.
India Cements closed the quarter ended December 31, 2022 with a revenue from operations of Rs 1,219.46 crore (Q3FY22 Rs 1,108.46 crore) and a net profit of Rs 90.73 crore (Rs 3.30 crore).
The exceptional income item of Rs 294.28 crore is the profit on sale of investments made in Springway Mining Private Ltd.
According to India Cements, during the quarter under review, the company concluded the sale of investment held in its subsidiary Springway Mining Private Ltd (SMPL) for an agreed consideration of Rs 476.88 crore vide share purchase agreement (SPA) on October 10, 2022.
SRINAGAR: India Post is inviting applications for the engagement of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS)/ Branch Postmaster (BPM)/ Assistant Branch Postmaster (ABPM) for the year 2023, across India.
Candidates of the age 18-40 years as on the last date of submission of application and have passed the secondary school examination from any recognized board are eligible to apply.
Selected candidates will receive an emolument in the form of Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA), which is 12,000-29,380 INR per month for BPM and 10,000-24,470 INR per month for ABPM/Dak sevak. Candidates will also be provided with a Dearness allowance.
40,889 candidates will be selected on basis of system generated merit list.
The last date for application is February 16, 2023. However, the corrections in the application will be permissible from 17 to 19 February 2023.
Eligible candidates need to apply online through the online portal of India Post. For further information and to apply, click HEREHERE
While hate crimes and attacks on Muslims and minorities today have become a regular occurance, the past year perhaps will be a landmark in India’s modern history for the numerous incidents that were reported all year round. From Islamophobic slurs to the demolition of Muslim homes by state governments, religious bigotry today is in fact exhorted by Hindutva groups.
More importantly, these everyday incidents have also shown us how the mainstream media’s coverage of religious hate crimes is looked at when it comes to Muslims especially. To make sure that there is documentation of the ongoing epoch of Indian society, Siasat.com has been publishing a monthly hate report over the past year.
A major event that reverberated across India was when a flurry of anti-Muslim attacks was reported during the Ram Navami processions across the country. It was something unseen in the country in recent times, given that Ram Navami had never been marked with such violence or incidents of aggression (in Hyderabad now suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh passed derogatory statements at a rally).
Given all that has happened, opposition leaders and activists alike have voiced their concerns over what is happening. Many feel that such attacks on minorities have now mainstreamed hate, and are also an attack on the country’s secular democratic roots post-independence.
To provide a better understanding of what happened over the past year, Siasat.com also compiled a list of the most blatant hate crimes committed in 2022 by right-wing groups and alike.
January
The first month of 2022 witnessed an Islamophobic, misogynist incident wherein a bunch of depraved men decided to ‘auction’ Muslim women online. The whole attack was done on the infamous Bulli Bai app where Muslim women including prominent journalists, activists, and lawyers found themselves being ‘auctioned’.
The app was created on the GitHub platform. Soon after its expose, the Narendra Modi-led central government faced backlash which prompted Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to launch a probe. Four persons – 21-year-old Vishal Jha, 19-year-old Shweta Singh, 21-year-old Mayank Rawat, and key conspirator Neeraj Bishnoi were arrested.
In a separate incident, a group of people on Clubhouse hosted a chat under the topic ‘Muslim gals are more beautiful than Hindu gals’. The conversation soon went viral for its obscene, sexist remarks about Muslim women and their bodies.
One of the users was heard as saying, “See when people like me, RSS bhakts marry Mullis (a derogatory term for Muslim women), then they will ultimately be Hindus.” This was applauded by others, including women.
The two-minute shocking and odious chat even compared sexual intercourse with Muslim women with the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
In the same series of “discussion” on @Clubhouse, a Brahmin guy says that he has an ‘oedipus complex’ for his mother (a Muslim woman). Very sportingly, he is advised to murder his dad (Hindu man) so he can sleep with her “pink vagina”.
The Mumbai police arrested three people – Akash, Jeshnav Kakkar, and Yash Parashar.
Another horrendous hate crime was reported in Ranchi, wherein a Muslim man was allegedly thrashed, forced to lick his own spit, and chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ by BJP workers. The victim had allegedly abused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party’s Jharkhand president.
In another incident, a Muslim man was attacked by right-wing Hindu organisations for travelling with a Hindu woman in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. They took him to the police station and upon investigation, it came to light that they were a married couple.
मुस्लिम लड़का और गैर मुस्लिम लड़की MP उज्जैन से ट्रेन में जा रहे थे, हिंदू संगठन वालों को खबर लगी तो वहाँ पहुँचकर लड़के को पीटते हुए थाने ले गए, जाँच के बाद पुलिस ने बताया कि लड़का और लड़की दोनों शादीशुदा हैं, दोनों में पारिवारिक संबंध भी है, जिसके बाद पुलिस ने उन्हें जाने दिया… pic.twitter.com/Q6u0md3pMC
Here is the detailed report on hate crimes committed in January.
February
February was a melting pot for Karnataka with Hijab row and the murder of 28-year-old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha taking centerstage.
On February 21, Harsha was stabbed to death at Shivamogga following which massive protests broke out. Shops were damaged and vehicles were torched, forcing police to enforce Section 144. “#JusticeForHarsha” trended on Twitter.
Bajrang Dal activist Harsha who was stabbed to death
Six people – Mohammed Kashif, Syed Nadeem, Ashifullah Khan, Rehan Khan, Nehal, and Abdul Afnan – were arrested in connection with the case.
The Hijab ban issue started in December 2021 when six female students were disallowed to enter the classroom wearing hijabs in Karnataka. Soon it snowballed to other states. Incidents from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar were reported where young hijab-clad Muslim students were not allowed to enter educational institutions.
BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind from Telangana, in a blatant Islamophobic speech, said that Indian Muslims rely on Sharia law to get married four times but also rely on the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for offences like stealing. He then advocated that as per the Sharia law, the hands of robbers should be cut off.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in February.
March
March was dominated by several anti-Muslim incidents (including the Karnataka state’s decision to ban the Hijab in religious institutions). Hijab-clad students also fought for their right to wear headscarf in educational institutions. It eventually reached the Karnataka high court, which ruled that it was not an essential religious practice.
The judgement on the hijab row was also marked by other incidents like in Dakshina Kannada district where Muslim shopkeepers were not allowed to do business during temple festivals.
Calls were also made for the boycott of Halal food in Karnataka. There were sudden demands for non-halal meat. #SayNoToHalal started to trend on Twitter. Incidents of Muslim meat shop owners being assaulted were reported, mostly in Karnataka. The state government remained a mute spectator.
Eighteen-year-old Hiba Sheik, who was at the forefront of the hijab row was booked by Karnataka police alongside six other Muslim students over allegations of harassment. She took to Twitter to express that such threats will not intimidate her.
On March 11, Hindutva filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri released The Kashmir Files, based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the 90s. Its biggest supporter was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, while addressing a meeting of BJP MPs said, “Jo log hamesha freedom of expression ki jhande lekar ke ghoomte hain, woh poori jamaat bokhala gayi hai pichale paanch-chheh din se (Those who always carry the flag of freedom of expression, this entire group has been rattled these past 5-6 days).”
#WATCH | At BJP Parliamentary Party meet, PM speaks on role of film industry in presenting history. He also mentions ‘The Kashmir Files’; says “People who always raise flag of freedom of expression are restless. Instead of reviewing on facts, campaign being run to discredit it..” pic.twitter.com/mq8iqA6Ajk
Soon after, the film was released tax-free in many Indian states, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Tripura, Haryana, and Uttarakhand. Many incidents of Hindus declaring open threats to the Muslim community were reported in theatres across the country.
The month also saw a boycott of Muslim traders and halal food. Vendors, who had been doing business during various temple festivals for years were suddenly stopped and assaulted by right-wing workers, mostly in Karnataka.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed inMarch
April
Karnataka was once again in the spotlight as calls to ban Muslim traders and businesspersons gained momentum in April. Right-wing organisations including Bajrang Dal, Sri Ram Sene, and Hindu Vedike Jagran rallied stating that no Hindu should do business, buy products or use transportation from Muslims. A 72-year-old Muslim woman was forced to shut down her shop in Karnataka. BJP minister J C Maduswamy justified it by stating the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department (HRICED), 2002.
Muslim push cart vendors targeted outside Hanuman Temple in Dharwad. Sri Ram Sene members vandalize & destroy watermelon & other fruits.Ram Sene says #Muslim vendors shouldn’t do business outside temples. Cops present at the location did nothing to stop the vandalism #Karnatakapic.twitter.com/gu0pCjt0lj
Right-wing leader Bajrang Muni, a mahant of Maharshi Shri Lakshman Das Udasin Ashram in Khairabad town, UP, created an uproar when he gave an open rape threat to Muslim women in the presence of police personnel.
Bajrang Muni
On April 10, videos emerged of Hindutva supporters passing through mosques during a religious procession, who used provocative language. Incidents of arson, vandalism, and destruction of mosques in various Indian states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, West Bengal, Telangana, and Bihar were reported.
In Telangana, the Hyderabad police took cognizance and filed two cases at Shahinayathgunj and Afzalgunj police stations with regard to the Ram Navami procession, wherein BJP Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh sang an offensive song.
Rajasthan’s Karauli district witnessed high-scale riots after a bike rally organised on the occasion of the Hindu New Year, reported stone pelting.
A Muslim victim of Rajasthan’s Karauli violence
The incident occurred when a Shoba Yatra (bike rally) was going through a Muslim-dominated area and people raised anti-Islam slogans. Things went out of control when young Hindu men climbed atop a mosque and waved saffron flags as well as dancing on the roof of the structure.
Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district reported stone pelting incidents after provocative songs were played by a Hindutva rally. It soon engulfed into a full-fledged riot forcing police to use lathi charges and tear gas. However, Muslims bore the brunt when the state government, accusing them of inciting riots, ordered the demolition of their houses.
A similar situation was witnessed in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area where clashes and stone pelting between Hindus and Muslims erupted during a Hanuman Jayanti procession. It soon escalated to arson and damage to public property and Section 144 was imposed to bring law and order under control.
The local administration ordered razing down of Muslim houses and shops, stunning the entire nation. The drive was ordered by Delhi’s BJP chief Adesh Gupta who wrote to the mayor asking him to identify and demolish houses of “rioters”.
As the demolition was going on, Aaj Tak anchor Anjana Om Kashyap climbed onto a bulldozer and said, “You are now watching live images from the crane that is going to demolish an illegal construction.” Her reporting was condemned by many fellow journalists on Twitter.
Amnesty International India. also demanded that Indian authorities stop “apparent unlawful demolitions” of largely Muslim-owned properties in riot-hit cities. Terming it a “violation of human rights laws”, their statement said, “Such punitive demolition of family homes of suspects could also amount to collective punishment, violation of International human rights laws.”
However, India also got to witness incidents of kindness and brotherhood in cities where Muslims and Hindus were seen helping each other.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in April
May
In May, senior politician and leader of Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) party P C George made a bizarre claim that Muslims were deliberately mixing infertility drugs in others’ drinks so that they can increase its population.
Bihar’s BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul in a hate speech also said Muslims should be burnt, just like Ravana (a Hindu mythological demon).
This video is from Indian state of Bihar
BJP legislator Haribhushan Thakur delivered a genocidal speech where he called on Hindus to unleash large scale v!olence against Musl!ms. pic.twitter.com/8S1Aj8kkbY
Hate towards Muslims in the country reached different heights level when a video emerged showing the husband of a former BJP MLA councillor from Madhya Pradesh repeatedly slapping a senior citizen and asking if the latter’s name was Muhammad.
Similarly, a college professor was sent on compulsory leave after a video showing him performing ‘namaz’ in the college lawns went viral and Hindutva leaders demanded immediate action against him. Even the act of praying was
Nupur Sharma, the now suspended BJP spokesperson, during a primetime news channel debate, passed derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad. Alt News co-founder and editor Mohammad Zubair called out Navika Kumar and Times Group Editor Vineet Jain to allow hate to be spilled on prime-time news television shows.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in May
June
Suspended BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal who publicly insulted Prophet Muhammad faced the ire of the Muslim community internationally, especially after the Arab world expressed distress over the matter. As damage control, the BJP-run Indian government released a statement calling Sharma and Jindal as ‘fringe elements’ and assured the country is secular at heart.
Many cities saw violence leading to state governments, mostly BJP-run, ordering the demolition of Muslim households. As per the governments, they were accused to be key conspirators of the riots. On June 10, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested over 300 Muslims after violence broke out after Friday prayers.
The UP police also arrested Welfare Party of India activist Javed Mohammad accusing him as the key conspirator for violence. To make matter worse, Javed’s house was bulldozed without prior notice on June 13.
Activist Javed Mohammad (center) with his daughter Afreen Fatima
Alt News co-founder and editor Mohammad Zubair was booked by the UP police for using the word “hatemonger” while addressing Hindutva leaders – Narasinghanand, Mahant Bajrang Muni and Anand Swaroop – in a tweet. On June 27, Delhi police arrested Zubair alleging he had tweeted a questionable image with the purpose of deliberately hurting religious sentiments. Additionally, a journalist from Sudarshan TV lodged another complaint against him over Zubair’s fact-checking.
An Aligarh college professor was sent on a one-month compulsory leave after a video showing him offering Namaz on the college lawns went viral. The incident was reported at Sri Varshney College.
Hindutva priest Swamy Jitendranand Saraswati gave a derogative speech relating to Muslim women and children saying, “Raise loud slogans in such a way that it tears apart the womb of an anti-national woman bearing an anti-national baby.”
[English Caption]
Hindutva extremist Swamy Jitendranand Saraswati delivered hate speech.
He said “Raise loud slogans such a way that it tears apart the womb of an Anti-national woman bearing an anti-national baby” pic.twitter.com/UuPEaqsq0I
‘Economic jihad’ calls also continued as Muslim shopkeepers, auto drivers, etc were continuously targeted by right-wing organisations. In Kanpur, an elderly man selling garments at a nearby roadside was told to leave the premises by Yuva Morcha President of the Hindu Coordination Committee, Tushar Shukla.
कानपुर: कपड़ा बेच रहे मुस्लिम बुजुर्ग को दुकान हटाने को कहता दिख रहा ये शख्स हिन्दू समन्वय समिति का युवा मोर्चा अध्यक्ष “तुषार शुक्ला” है… महोदय @kanpurnagarpol मामले को संज्ञान में लेकर जाँच के बाद आवयश्क कार्रवाई करें… pic.twitter.com/jpLDl1BvHh
In Mangaluru and Belthangady, Hindus were asked to seek services from only Hindu auto and taxi drivers.
In Bengaluru’s famous Lalbagh Botanical Garden, a Muslim popcorn vendor was assaulted and accused of spitting into the oil used for making popcorn.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in June.
July
Hate crimes against Muslims showed no signs of slowing down as July bore witness to a series of incidents. Aside from the resurgence of the debate on the hijab ban, communally charged murders also took place.
The boycott of Muslim goods, vendors, and traders continued in July with many Hindu outfits asking not to encourage their (Muslims) business.
During NEET examinations conducted in July, Muslim women claimed they were made to remove their burkha and hijab when they reached the examination centre in Maharashtra’s Washim district.
Seventeen-year-old Mohammad Ashfaq was allegedly accused of posting inflammatory comments against Kodagu goddesses and women. Ashfaq received death threats on social media and calls for his arrest.
Clockwise from top: Praveen Nettaru, Mohammad Mashood, Mohammed Fazil
On July 19, a teenager named Mahood Mashood was killed after he was attacked with glass bottles by Bajrang Dal workers in an altercation in Sullia taluk, Karnataka. On July 27, BJP Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death by unidentified people on a bike in Bellare, Dakshina Kannada. Two days later, 28-year-old Fazil was also hacked to death in Mangaluru in front of a garment shop. This had created suspicion about the killings being murder for vengeance and were communally linked, and tension persisted.
The three back-to-back murders created communal tension resulting in chief minister Basavaraj Bommai visiting Nettaru’s family. He was criticized heavily by the Muslim community for ignoring the bereaved families of Fazil and Mashood.
Following the murder of Fazil, Hindutva leader Rishikumar Swami of the Kali Mutt in Karnataka’s Chikkamagalur made a speech saying, “If that was (murder of Fazil in Mangalore) done by our people, then I’m happy. Nine heads will be pending. There must be 10 heads against 1 head,” reiterated the seer who had called for the beheading of ten Muslims, to avenge the death of one Hindu.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in July.
August
As India celebrated her 76th year of Independence, the Muslims of India felt otherwise. In a surprise announcement that shook the nation, 11 convicts of the Bilkis Bano rape case and murder of Gujarat 2002 riots, were released. The state government backed the decision by stating the convicts were released on ‘good behaviour’ and had already spent 15 years in prison. Moreover, they said it was part of the BJP-led Gujarat government’s remission policy.
Many were aghast and taken aback when a video of the 11 convicts in front of the jail being welcomed with garlands and sweets surfaced. They were also facilitated by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a right-wing Hindutva organisation.
After the convicts’ release, many politicians condemned the decision and wide-scale nationwide protests were reported.
Protests at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi (Photo: Twitter/Amarjeet Kumar Singh)
A mob thrashed a 35-year-old man to death at Chakhabi in Bihar’s Samastipur district for allegedly trying to steal cattle. Similarly, a 50-year-old was beaten to death on suspicion of cattle smuggling in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh.
In Hyderabad, Masjid Khwaja Mahmood in Shamsabad was demolished by the local municipal corporation in the presence of a heavy police force, following which local Muslim leaders along with common people protested. In a similar incident, Madrasa Jamiul-Huda in Assam was demolished following the arrest of a madrasa operator on alleged terror charges.
On August 20, Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district reported the kidnap and rape of two minor Muslim girls, aged five and nine, by a 25-year-old Hindu man. He took the children on a bicycle on the pretext of buying ice cream and raped them. The elder sibling died while the younger one survived.
इस युवक का नाम कपिल कश्यप है, इसने घर के बाहर खेलती दो मासूम बच्ची सानिया और शिफा का अपहरण किया, गाज़ियाबाद पुलिस ने गिरफ्तारी के बाद जब इससे पूछताछ कि तो शिफा को जीवित बरामद कर लिया गया वहीं सानिया की लाश खेतों मे मिली, मासूम बच्ची के इस हत्यारे को सख्त से सख्त सज़ा मिलनी चाहिए। pic.twitter.com/YTZwkNyUgh
On August 29, a Muslim family in Uttarakhand was allegedly attacked by a mob of 10-14 persons over a dispute with their Hindu neighbours. Though FIR was registered, no arrests were made.
Speaking to The Wire, Parvez Ahmad said, “My younger brother has a gym, which was attacked by a mob of people wearing saffron clothes. While some had their faces covered, we could recognise some members of the mob from their clothes.”
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in August.
September
September welcomed Lord Ganesha, a Hindu god known as the ‘the remover of obstacles’. From throwing a chappal towards a mosque to playing songs with provocative words such as, “Khoon Se Iss Dharthi Ko Ham Nehlayenge, Hum Tujhko Teri Awkat Batayenge (We will bathe this earth with blood, will show you your social standing.)” and damaging vehicles, the festival was marred with unfortunate incidents.
On September 1, the food delivery app Swiggy received a request from a Hyderabadi customer asking them not to send a ‘Muslim delivery executive‘. The screenshot went viral giving rise to outrage.
In a separate incident, editor-in-chief of Sudarshan TV, Suresh Chavhanke who is known for his extreme right-wing views, told at an event that Muslim girls should marry Hindu boys in order to avoid divorce.
In Bihar’s Siwan district, an eight-year-old boy named Rizwan Qureshi was arrested by the UP police allegedly for inciting communal violence. Rizwan’s brother Azhar told Maktoob Media, “My younger brother was kept in a private ward and my family was initially not allowed to meet him. When my mother saw him, he was handcuffed and scared. He was so terrified that he was unable to recognise his own mother. The child was just crying to go back home.”
Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, chief of Dasna Devitemple, said at an event organised by the Hindu Mahasabha, that all madrassas should be blown up in the country.
Hindutva supremacist seer Yati Narsinghanand in Aligarh on Sunday said that “all the Madrassas should be blown up with gunpowder & the way China does, all the students of Mardrassas should be sent to camps where the virus called Quran can be removed from their brains.” pic.twitter.com/3iYGdtSwKw
Karnataka was back in the news after a call was made to ban the Karnataka Waqf Board by Hindutva leader and Sri Rama Sene founder Pramod Muthalik. He demanded that after visiting slain BJP worker Praveen Nettaru’s house.
In a heartbreaking incident, a jailer forcefully shaved off the beard of a Muslim inmate calling him a ‘Pakistani’. The incident happened in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district. It soon gained significance with many Muslim local leaders appealing for the suspension of the police official.
International news channel Al Jazeera came out with a special report on how Muslim domestic workers are changing their names to Hindu for employment. According to them, many people, especially Hindus and Jain communities, are afraid to employ a Muslim.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in September.
October
As the Dussera-Diwali festival season began in October, many states such as Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka reported incidents of clashes between the two communities. Garba grounds became another place where right-wing outfits targeted Muslims. Many right-wing organisations declared that no non-Hindu community people should be allowed to participate as they feared the emergence of ‘love jihad’.
in Karnataka’s Udupi district, a massive rally of 10,000 workers was carried out by the right-wing organisation Hindu Jagarana Vedike. Calls for a “Hindu Rashtra” were made and some workers were spotted carrying swords even as the state police walked alongside them. Udupi’s BJP MLA Raghupathi Bhat was also spotted at the rally.
In the Kawardha district of Chattisgarh, clashes broke out on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi (the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad) over the hoisting of green crescent flags.
Gujarat police publicly assaulted a few Muslim men who were allegedly accused of pelting stones at a Garba event. The men were tied to a pole and beaten in full public view. The police constantly asked the alleged accused to apologise.
Location: Kheda, Gujarat
Muslims flogged publicly!
In BJP ruled Gujarat, nine Muslim men who were allegedly arrested for throwing stones at a Garba event were tied to a pole and publicly flogged with a cane by the Police while the crowd chanted “Hail Mother India” slogans. pic.twitter.com/nDNPJ5heUW
On October 5, miscreants hoisted a saffron flag and carved Hindu religious inscriptions at an ancient mosque at Byathole village, Kandi Mandal, in Telangana’s Sangareddy district. The village elders including the sarpanch and other leaders of the ruling party hoisted a saffron flag on the mosque and inscribed the ‘Om’ symbol.
A saffron flag atop a mosque in Telangana’s Sangareddy district
In Kolkata’s Mominpur area, on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, clashes between two communities were reported after Muslim religious flags were allegedly vandalised. Around 40 people were detained.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in October.
November
Election fever gripped Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh with the Modi-Shah-led BJP wrestling with Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party (AAP) and Congress. While a major chunk of the media reported on the assembly elections and the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD) elections which the BJP had held the fort for 15 years before losing to AAP, hate crimes went unnoticed.
A 20-year-old Muslim man was lynched to death in broad daylight in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. The deceased, whose name the police were reluctant to divulge, was in a relationship with a Hindu girl and had gone to meet her when the girl’s family caught him and assaulted him with bricks and stones.
The Jamia mosque in Srirangapatna town of Mandya district Karnataka came under scanner as Bajrang Dal workers submitted a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) to the Karnataka High Court demanding permission for Hindu devotees to take bath in the kalyani (traditional water body) located on the premises of the mosque.
Jamia Masjid at Srirangapatna in Karnataka
A pediatric doctor working at Silchar Medical College and Hospital allegedly hurled insults at a Muslim couple, whose child was admitted with pneumonia symptoms. A video shows the father of the child accusing the doctor of how could he use words such as ‘topiwala‘ and ‘burkhawali‘.
Karnataka Congress MLA Tanveer Sait was threatened by Bajrang Dal worker Raghu Sakaleshpura over the latter’s announcement of installing the tallest statue of Tipu Sultan in historical towns Mysuru or Srirangapatna.
Raghu, in a video, had said, “I am issuing a warning to Tanveer Sait over his statement of installing the statue of Tipu Sultan. We will not allow the installation of even a one-foot-tall statue of Tipu Sultan. If that happens, it will be your anthima yatra (final yatra).”
A distraught Muslim student of the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) questioned his professor when the latter addressed him as Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist behind the 26/1 1 Mumbai attacks.
“These jokes are not acceptable. No! You can’t joke about my religion..that too in such a terrible manner,” the student stressed. The video, which was recorded by a classmate, went viral on Twitter. The professor was soon suspended by MIT. However, Karnataka state education minister B C Nagesh remarked that the incident was blown out of proportion.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in November.
December
A government school principal was arrested for letting his students sing a popular poem called Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua. A middle-aged man was beaten up black and blue for giving a helping hand to a Hindu woman. A young man was beaten because he ‘dared’ to have a coffee with a Hindu friend, December witnessed it all.
A first-year Muslim student accused her history teacher of using Islamophobic slurs during the class. According to her, while teaching a lesson on Gautam Buddha, the teacher mentioned Muslims are ruthless and they have no remorse.
The Jamia Masjid in Srirangapatna in the Mandya district of Karnataka witnessed a huge crowd of Hanuman devotees who tried to forcefully enter the mosque, turning out to be a hurricane task for the police force.
Further, a young Hindu devotee climbed atop a Muslim household where he replaced the green flag with the saffron one amidst chants of “Jai Shri Ram“.
The Kalaburagi railway station, formerly known as Gulbarga railway station, was repainted to white from green after pressure from the right-wing Hindu organisation Hindu Jagaran Vedike. According to them, the dome shape with green walls gave an impression of a ‘mosque.’
Bajrang Dal members interfered with Friday’s namaz in Gurugram’s Sector 69. In a video posted by Live Hindustan, Amit Hindu, a member of the Bajrang Dal, is heard saying, “It doesn’t matter if they have the authorization to pray at six spots or not. If prayers continue in the upcoming weeks, we will step up the protests.” This issue has been a recurring one in the city for several months in the past.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Nutan Hardo village of Kushinagar district, 44 Muslim families received eviction notices from the local administration claiming their houses were built on “encroached lands”. A report from India Tomorrow states that these families have been living there for generations.
Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Pragya Thakur called on the community to keep sharp objects such as knives in their homes to protect themselves from ‘enemies’.
#WATCH | “Keep your daughters safe and protected. Keep weapons at home. Sharpen the knife used to cut vegetables. If our vegetables are cut well, heads and mouths of our enemies will also be cut well,” says BJP MP Pragya Thakur in Shivamogga, Karnataka pic.twitter.com/LRURt8wPKq
“Love jihad, they have a tradition of jihad, if nothing they do love jihad. Even if they love they do jihad in that. We (Hindus) too love, love the god, a sanyasi loves his god,” Thakur said.
Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer movie Pathaan also made headlines in 2022 with the release of its first sone called “Besharam Rang” where the saffron coloured clothes worn by the actors were condemned by right-wing organisations and BJP politicians such as Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Singh and MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur.
The worst hit came when the Central Government decided to scrap the Maulana Azad Fellowship (MANU) fellowship, mainly for minority students, explaining that the scheme overlaps with various other fellowship schemes for higher education.
The decision was described as discriminatory, unjust and an attack on an individual’s proper access to higher education.
Here is the detailed report of hate crimes committed in December.
It is right to say that by the end of the year, religious intolerance has solidified its presence in the country.
New Delhi: India has approximately 21 judges per million population, the government said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, citing the sanctioned strength of the judiciary and census figures of 2011.
In a written reply to a question, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said for calculating the judge-population ratio for per million population in a particular year, the Department of Justice uses the criterion of using the population as per Census 2011 and as per available information regarding sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court, high courts and district and subordinate courts in the particular year.
Based on the population as per the Census 2011 which was 1210.19 million and as per available information regarding sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court, high courts and district and subordinate courts in the year 2023, the judge-population ratio in the country works out to be approximately 21 judges per million population, he said.
New Delhi: India on Thursday questioned the World Bank’s decision to appoint a Court of Arbitration and a neutral expert under two separate processes to resolve differences between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
Last week, India issued a notice to Pakistan seeking a review and modification of the 62-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) for management of cross-border rivers following Islamabad’s “intransigence” in handling disputes.
“I do not think they (World Bank) are in a position to interpret the treaty for us. It is a treaty between our two countries and our assessment of the treaty is that there is a provision of graded approach,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
India took the significant step of sending the notice to Pakistan conveying its intent to amend the treaty months after the World Bank announced appointing a neutral expert and a chair of Court of Arbitration to resolve the differences over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects.
New Delhi has been particularly disappointed over the appointment of the Court of Arbitration.
“India’s Indus Water Commissioner issued a notice on January 25 for the modification of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 to his Pakistani counterpart,” Bagchi said at a media briefing while replying to a question on the matter.
“This notice was issued with the intent to provide an opportunity to Pakistan to enter into government-to-government negotiations to rectify ongoing material breach of the treaty,” he said.
Bagchi said India called upon Pakistan to notify a suitable date for the commencement of inter-state bilateral negotiations under article 12(III) of the treaty within 90 days.
“I am not aware of a response from Pakistan as yet. I am not aware of any response or comment by the World Bank,” he said.
The World Bank’s role is procedural and it appoints neutral experts or the chair of the court of arbitration in case of differences between India and Pakistan on issues relating to cross-border rivers.
“I do not think they (World Bank) are in a position to interpret the treaty for us. It is a treaty between our two countries and our assessment of the treaty is that there is a provision of graded approach,” Bagchi said.
New Delhi considers the start of the two concurrent processes to resolve the dispute a violation of the provision of the graded mechanism prescribed in the pact and wondered what will happen if the mechanisms come out with contradictory judgements.
“The world bank itself, around five-six years ago, acknowledged the problem of having two parallel processes. Our interpretation and assessment is that this is not in consonance with the provisions of the treaty and hence we have been talking about a graded approach,” Bagchi said.
The spokesperson said India’s position on the matter has not changed at all.
“I do not know whether the World Bank has changed its position on it,” he said.
India has not cooperated with the Court of Arbitration.
Under the pact, any differences need to be resolved under a three-stage approach. However, in the cases of Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects, the World Bank started two concurrent dispute redressal processes at the insistence of Pakistan that India felt was a breach of the IWT, according to sources.
New Delhi: Meta has said that it took down over 22.54 million pieces of content across 13 policies for Facebook and over 12.03 million pieces of content across 12 policies for Instagram in December 2022 in India.
Between December 1-31, Facebook received 764 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism, and the company said it provided tools for users to resolve their issues in 345 cases.
These include pre-established channels to report content for specific violations, self-remediation flows where they can download their data, avenues to address account hacked issues etc, said Meta in its monthly report in compliance with the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
“Of the other 419 reports where specialised review was needed, we reviewed content as per our policies, and we took action on 205 reports in total. The remaining 214 reports were reviewed but may not have been actioned,” Meta added.
On Instagram, the company received 10,820 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism.
“Of these, we provided tools for users to resolve their issues in 2,461 cases,” it informed.
Of the other 8,359 reports where specialised review was needed, Meta reviewed content and took action on 2,926 reports in total.
The remaining 5,433 reports on Instagram were reviewed but may not have been auctioned.
Under the new IT Rules 2021, big digital and social media platforms, with more than 5 million users, have to publish monthly compliance reports.
“We measure the number of pieces of content (such as posts, photos, videos or comments) we take action on for going against our standards. Taking action could include removing a piece of content from Facebook or Instagram or covering photos or videos that may be disturbing to some audiences with a warning,” said Meta.
