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Lack of funds, hurdle in realizing the America dream of Bengal’s Ballet Boy

Kolkata/Mumbai: A teenager from Bengal’s Siliguri district is trying his best to gather funds which could help him pursue his dancing dream in America.

Dipesh Verma, the 18-year-old self-tutored ballet dancer, is the son of grocer and has been offered seats in some of the prestigious Ballet academies in America like – Ballet Academy East (New York), Berkeley Theater (California), Maryland Youth Ballet (Maryland), Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (Pennsylvania) and Nashville Classical Ballet Academy (Nashville). But lack of fund seems to be playing a truant for this teen, whose journey from Siliguri to Mumbai can be easily classified as a miraculous journey.

From Siliguri to Mumbai

Speaking to eNewsroom he said, “I come from a low-income family. My father runs a grocery shop and my mother is a homemaker. I wasn’t encouraged when I began showing interest in dancing, a dance form that is not very popular in India. So, I had to face a lot of resistance back home. But with every hurdle that I faced, my determination to become a ballet dancer got only stronger.”

He then added, “Back then dreaming of becoming a trained dancer was a distant dream. I was a government school student, with my father having minimal resources to fund the education of we three siblings. My determination to become a trained dancer often made me earn my father’s wrath. He till date thinks that I should have pursued education and not dance.”

Watch Dipesh Verma, the dancer in action:

 

 

YouTube tutored ballet dancer 

On being asked, as to why he chose ballet. He explained, “There is less competition here. Most of the boys are into hip-hop or other dance forms, so ballet was a good choice for me.” He then elaborated, “My financial constraint always restricting me from hiring a personal trainer. So, I heavily banked on YouTube tutorials. You can say, that California-based ballet dancer Sophia Lucia was my trainer in spirit. Her YouTube tutorial has made me reach where I am today.”

After completing his schooling, Dipesh bagged a scholarship at The DanceWorx Mumbai so he moved to Mumbai. But convincing his parents was a difficult task. “My elder sister and brother have been very supportive and are very happy with the fact that I am following my dream. They convinced my parents. My sister till date sends half of her salary (INR 4000) to me every month.”

Has talent but no finance 

dancer bengal ballet dance new york siliguri Mumbai dipesh verma
Dipesh Verma with his mentor Yeduha Maor

According to this young lad, who has been trying his best to realise his dream of being a ballet dancer in a top ballet dance company, his dreams wouldn’t have been materialised had he not been spotted by his mentor – Yeduha Maor, the ballet master of DanceWorx. “Yeduha sir has played an instrumental role in not just training me in ballet but also motivating me to apply for various scholarships offered to a ballet dancer. The result, you can see for yourself. I have been selected in five ballet academies, with a full scholarship. All that I have to bear is the travel and accommodation cost. But sadly enough lack of funds is kind of clipping my wings.”

He explains that prior to him; two of his batch mates from DanceWorx had managed to get immense public support. “Unlike me, the crowdfunding campaign of my former batch mates had got a lot of support. Today they are being trained at the best ballet academies of the world.”

Lack of fund to cut short his journey

Dipesh had dreamt of joining the Academy East ((NY) but is having to check other option. “I am kind of feeling helpless. I have bagged a full scholarship at BAE (NY) but I am not considering it as cost of living in NY is way high and I don’t have the funds. So, we are considering Nashville Classical Academy.” He then added, “My crowdfunding campaign which is about to end in a few days has not got many supporters. I have even requested them to extend my campaign and hopeful of getting an extension. But I presume lack of popularity and information on ballet could be playing a deterrent.”

Indian textile industry in deep economic crisis, gives ads to highlight job loss

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Kolkata: There was a time in India when people used to check newspapers for the job vacancy advertisements and openings in government and private sectors. But, on Tuesday morning, when Magsaysay award-winning journalist Ravish Kumar shared the ad featured on Indian Express on his Facebook page, he made many take note of the grim advertisement, which could have been missed by many.

The advertisement of the Northern India Textile Mills Association described how the Textile or Spinning industry is facing the biggest crisis, resulting in job loss at a mass level. After the agriculture sector, the textile industry gives a huge employment opportunity in India.

The ad used a table to highlight how the export of cotton yarn has been on a decline since 2018. In fact, in 2019, the industry witnessed an even more drastic fall. The present condition of the cotton yarn industry is such that every trimester the industry is only registering a loss and not a boot in its sales.

The association in the advertisement has also mentioned that the industry had faced a similar situation in 2010-11. And it also reasoned that high-interest rates and the state and central taxes was making the cotton yarn more expensive in the international market and hence the decline in export orders.

It mentioned that one-third of the spinning industry has been closed, rest are functioning at a loss. The association also claimed that they “have no capacity to” buy Indian Kapas/ Cotton in the upcoming season, especially when Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia are supplying cotton yarns at a cheaper rate. Approximately there will be 40 million Kapas/ cotton bales worth INR 80,000 crore produced by the farmers, which will not get buyers, in the coming crop season and hence would directly impact the farmers.

Significantly, in 2016, Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had announced 6000 crores packages for the textile sector and had claimed that they would be creating one crore job openings, but two years down the line, the jobs seem to have gone from this sector.

The crisis is such big that industry people are giving ads to draw the attention of the present government.

When eNewsroom talked to the senior economic affairs journalist Parajoy Guha Thakurta, to understand the gravity of India’s economic situation in the general and textile industry, in particular, he reacted, “The advertisement by textile industry association, confirms economic crisis in India.” He then added, “In January this year, when the National Statistical Commission had prepared a report that unemployment in India is at 45 years high, the government did not like it. Because of the government expressing unhappiness over the report, two members of NSC, among them one was Acting Chairman PC Mohanan, and another member JV Meenakshi had to resign from NSC. But post-Lok Sabha election, the government accepted the report that unemployment is at a 45 year high.”

“Now, this ad confirms crisis of Indian economy, but wait and see when government acknowledge it,” the economic analyst added.

आर्थिक रुप से फ़ेल सरकार अपनी राजनीतिक सफ़लताओं में मस्त है

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[dropcap]भा[/dropcap]रत के निर्यात सेक्टर में पिछले चार साल (2014-18) में औसत वृद्धि दर कितनी रही है? 0.2 प्रतिशत। 2010 से 2014 के बीच विश्व निर्यात प्रति वर्ष 5.5 प्रतिशत की दर से बढ़ रहा था तब भारत का निर्यात प्रति वर्ष 9.2 प्रतिवर्ष की दर से बढ़ रहा था। वहां से घट कर हम 0.2 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि दर पर आ गए हैं।

यह मेरा विश्लेषण नहीं है। फाइनेंशियल एक्सप्रेस के संपादक सुनील जैन का है। उनका कहना है कि चीन ने 2014-18 के बीच 1.5 प्रतिशत प्रति वर्ष की दर से वृद्धि की है। इसका लाभ उठाकर वियतनाम तेज़ी से इस सेक्टर में अपनी जगह बना रहा है। वियतनाम का निर्यात 13 प्रतिशत सालाना दर से बढ़ रहा है। 1990 में भारत जितना निर्यात करता था तब वियतनाम उसका मात्र 13 प्रतिशत ही निर्यात कर पाता था। आज भारत के निर्यात के 75 फीसदी के बराबर वियतनाम निर्यात करता है। वियतनाम भारत के मुकाबले एक छोटा देश है।

सुनील जैन लिखते हैं कि जल्दी ही वियतनाम निर्यात के मामले में भारत को ओवरटेक कर लेगा।

जब चीन ने टैक्सटाइल सेक्टर को छोड़ अधिक मूल्य वाले उत्पादों के सेगमेंट में जगह बनाने की नीति अपनाई तब इस ख़ाली जगह को भरने के लिए बांग्लादेश और वियतनाम तेज़ी से आए। अगर आप बिजनेस की ख़बरें पढ़ते होंगे तब ध्यान होगा कि कई साल पहले मोदी सरकार ने टेक्सटाइल सेक्टर के लिए 6000 करोड़ के पैकेज का एलान किया था। आज तक भारत का टेक्सटाइल सेक्टर उबर नहीं सका है। टेक्सटाइल रोज़गार देने वाले सेक्टरों में से एक रहा है। जून 2016 में मोदी कैबिनेट ने पैकेज की घोषणा करते वक्त कहा था कि अगले तीन साल में यानि 2019 तक टेक्सटाइल सेक्टर में 1 करोड़ रोज़गार पैदा किए जाएंगे और 75,000 करोड़ का निवेश होगा। तथ्य आप पता कर लें, आपको निराशा हाथ लगेगी।

फाइनेंशियल एक्सप्रेस की एक और ख़बर है। अप्रैल से जून की पहली तिमाही के नतीजे बता रहे हैं कि मांग ठंडी हो गई है और मुनाफ़ा अंडा हो गया है। 2,179 कंपनियों के मुनाफ़े में 11.97 प्रतिशत की गिरावट आई है। क्योंकि बिक्री में मात्र 5.87 प्रतिशत की ही वृद्धि हुई है जो बहुत मामूली है। इसका असर विज्ञापनों पर पड़ेगा। विज्ञापन घटने के कारण भांति भांति के चैनलों में फिर से छंटनी का दौर आने वाला है। क्या पता आ भी चुका हो।

अंतर्राष्ट्रीय तनावों के कारण चीन के मोबाइल निर्माता कम जोखिम वाले क्षेत्र की तलाश में थे। वियतनाम पहले से वहां तैयार बैठा था। 2010 से भारत का मोबाइल निर्यात तेज़ी से गिरता ही चला गया और वियतनाम का 21 गुना बढ़ गया है। दुनिया में स्मार्ट फोन का कारोबार 300 बिलियन डॉलर का है। इसका 60 प्रतिशत हिस्सा चीन के पास है। वियतनाम की हिस्सेदारी इस ग्लोबल निर्यात में 10 प्रतिशत हो गई है। जबकि भारत की हिस्सेदारी नगण्य है। 2010 में भारत जितना मोबाइल फोन का उत्पादन करता था उसका मात्र 4 फीसदी वियतनाम उत्पादित करता था। आज वियतनाम कहां है और भारत कहां है। भारत में इस वक्त मोबाइल फोन का अधिकांश असेंबल होता है, उत्पादन नहीं होता है। कल पुर्ज़े का आयात होता है और फिर यहां जोड़-जाड़ कर फोन बनता है। मोबाइल के कल-पुर्ज़ों का आयात ख़तरनाक रूप से बढ़ता जा रहा है।

वियतनाम में कारपोरेट टैक्स 10 से 20 प्रतिशत है जबकि भारत में 43.68 प्रतिशत।

मोदी सरकार आर्थिक मोर्चे पर फेल सरकार है। यह उसका छठा साल है। एक भी सेक्टर ऐसा नहीं है जिसे वह अपनी कामयाबी के रूप में प्रदर्शित कर सके। टैक्सटाइ का बुरा हाल है। मोबाइल का आप देख ही रहे हैं और आटोमोबिल ठप्प है। बैंक चरमराए से हैं। बेशक मोदी सरकार राजनीतिक रूप से सफल सरकार है। इसके आगे बेरोज़गारी जैसे मुद्दे भी बोगस साबित हो जाते हैं। नोटबंदी जैसा बोगस कदम भी मोदी सरकार की प्रचंड राजनीतिक सफ़लता की आड़ में सही हो जाता है। यही कारण है कि चुनाव में हारने के बाद विपक्ष अपने रोज़गार की तलाश में बीजेपी में जा रहा है। विपक्ष को पता है कि राजनीति बचानी है तो बीजेपी में चलो क्योंकि जनता नौकरी, पेंशन, बचत गंवा कर भी बीजेपी को ही वोट करने वाली है। मैंने खुद देखा है नौकरी गंवा कर और नहीं पाकर भी लोग मोदी सरकार के बारे में उफ्फ तक नहीं बोलते। ऐसी राजनीतिक सफ़लता कम ही नेता को हासिल होती है। इसलिए बेरोज़गारी बोगस मुद्दा है।

नोट- क्या इस तरह की ख़बरें आपको हिन्दी अख़बारों में मिलती हैं? आप वोट जिसे दें मगर इन ख़राब हिन्दी अख़बारों को जल्दी पढ़ना छोड़ दें। इनमें आपको आगे ले जाने का माद्दा नहीं हैं। इनके संपादक अब हुज़ूर के जी-हुज़ूर हो गए हैं। आप अख़बार के पैसे से डेटा लें और मौज करें। जानकारी जुटाने के लिए इधर-उधर नज़र घुमाते रहें वैसे भी सूचनाएं कम होती जा रही हैं। आपके पास विकल्प कुछ है नहीं। हिन्दी अख़बारों और चैनलों पर लगातार नज़र रखें। इनके ज़रिए भारत के लोकतंत्र को ख़त्म किया जा रहा है। आज न सही दस साल बात इस लेख को पढ़कर आप रोने वाले हैं। सो आज ही हेल्मेट पहन लें।

झारखंड में भाजपा को झटका! गिरिडीह मेयर का जाति प्रमाण पत्र रद्द

गिरिडीह/रांची: 16 महीने पहले गिरिडीह म्यूनिसिपल कार्पोरेशन के पहले मेयर बने सुनील पासवान की जाति प्रमाण पत्र को झारखंड के आदिवासी कल्याण आयुक्त के आदेश पे रद्द कर दिया गया है। जिसका सीधा मतलब ये होता है के भारतीय जनता पार्टी के मेयर, पासवान को ना सिर्फ मेयर पद से हटाया जा सकता है बल्के उनपे कानूनी कारवाई भी हो सकती है।

गिरिडीह म्यून्सीपालिटी को 2018 मे कार्पोरेशन का दर्जा मिला और उसी साल से झारखंड में निकाय चुनाव पार्टी के आधार पे भी शुरू हुये। पर दुसरे राज्यो के मुकाबले यहाँ सिर्फ मेयर और उप मेयर के पद को ही पार्टी सिम्बल पे लड़ा गया। गिरिडीह के सीट को अनुसूचित जाति के लिए आरक्षित किया गया था।

नोमिनेश्न के बाद स्कूर्टिनि के दौरान ही ज़िला प्रशासन ने जब अंचल से रिपोर्ट मांगा तो पाया था के बीजेपी, काँग्रेस दोनों बड़ी पार्टियो के उम्मेदवारों का जाति फरमान पत्र सही नहीं है। ज़िला प्रशासन ने काँग्रेस के समीर चौधरी के खिलाफ 420 का केस भी दर्ज़ करवाया था। पर वही बीजेपी के उम्मेदवार को क्लीन चिट दे दी थी।

ईन्यूज़रूम ने भी निकाए चुनाव के दौरान ही मामले को प्रमुखता से उठाया था

अब आदिवासी कल्याण आयुक्त के आदेश पे गिरिडीह अंचल अधिकारी ने मेयर सुनील पासवान का जाति प्रमाण पत्र को ही रद्द कर दिया और गिरिडीह आयुक्त और दुसरे अधिकारियों को सूचित करने के साथ समाचार पत्रो में भी प्रकाशित करने का आदेश दे दिया। जिससे पासवान का मेयर का पद जाना तए माना जा रहा है।

“हमलोग चुनाव आयोग को गिरिडीह अंचल अधिकारी की रिपोर्ट भेज रहे है। जैसा चुनाव आयोग का आदेश होगा, हम उस तरह की कारवाई करेंगे,” गिरिडीह के उपायुक्त राजेश पाठक ने ईन्यूज़रूम को बताया।

वहीं झारखंड मुक्ति मोर्चा की ज़िला प्रवक्ता और पासवान के विरुद्ध चुनाव लड़ चुकी प्रमिला मेहरा जिन्होने पासवान के उम्मीदवारी को चैलेंज भी किया था, कहती हैं, “चुनाव के दौरान ही भाजपा के कैंडिडैट का उम्मीदवारी रद्द हो जाना चाहिए था, और इससे जनता की पैसो की बर्बादी नहीं होती। पर अब कम से कम आदिवासी कल्याण आयुक्त के आदेश पे ही सही, ज़िला प्रशासन ने सही कदम उठाया।”

झारखंड मुक्ति मोर्चा ने इस मामले को लेकर कोर्ट में एक याचिका भी दायर किया हुआ है।

और अब पार्टी इसे और भी आगे ले जाना चाहती है। “पार्टी अब ज़िला प्रशासन को लिखेगी के पासवान को मेयर पद से तत्काल प्रभाव से हटाये और उनपे कानूनी कारवाई करे,” पार्टी के सेंट्रल कमेटी सदस्य सुदिव्य कुमार सोनू ने ईन्यूज़रूम को बताया।

सूत्र ये भी बताते हैं के झारखंड के कुछ और जिलों के मेयर को भी इस के बाद कुर्सी खोना पड़ सकता है।

वैसे मेयर पासवान ने पत्रकारो को ये कहाँ है की चुकी मामला कोर्ट में है इसलिए आदिवासी कल्याण आयुक्त के आदेश का ज्यादा महत्व नहीं है।

अब देखना ये होगा की क्या वाकई कोर्ट पासवान को कोई संजीवनी देगा या पासवान के गिरिडीह म्यूनिसिपल कार्पोरेशन के पहले मेयर होने का गौरव बीच में ही छीन जाएगा हमेशा के लिए। और इससे सत्ताधारी भाजपा को झारखंड विधान सभा चुनाव के ठीक पहले बड़ा झटका लग सकता है।

राजस्थान सरकार ने पहलू खान लिंचिंग प्रकरण में एसआईटी की घोषणा की

जयपुर: शुक्रवार देर रात को पहलू खान प्रकरण जिसमे में हाल ही में आए न्यायालय के निर्णय को लेकर राजस्थान मुख्यामंत्री कार्यालय (सीएमओ) में पुलिस के आला अधिकारियों के साथ अशोक गहलोत ने एक बैठक की। इस दौरान इस प्रकरण के घटनाक्रम एवं अनुसंधान में रही त्रुटियों पर भी चर्चा हुयी।

गहलोत सरकार ने एक एसआईटी की अनुशंसा की है। जिसके तीन सदस्या टीम 15 दिनो में सरकार को रिपोर्ट सोंपेंगे।

राजस्थान सरकार ऊपरी अदालत भी जाएगी मामले को लेकर।

बैठक के बाद मुख्यामंत्री अशोक गहलोत ने ट्वीट कर भी ये जानकारी दी, “बैठक में निर्णय किया गया कि अधीनस्थ न्यायालय के निर्णय पर अपील की जाए, जिसमें एक वरिष्ठ अधिवक्ता की सेवाएं ली जाएंगी। सम्पूर्ण प्रकरण की जांच के लिए एडीजी क्राइम की निगरानी में तीन सदस्यीय एसआईटी का गठन किया जाएगा। यह एसआईटी 15 दिन में अपनी रिपोर्ट प्रस्तुत करेगी।“

गहलोत ने ट्वीट कर भी ये जानकारी दी के, एसआईटी अनुसंधान में रही त्रुटियों एवं अनियमितताओं को चिन्हित कर इनके लिए अधिकारियों की जिम्मेदारी भी तय करेगी। यह एसआईटी ऐसे महत्वपूर्ण मौखिक एवं दस्तावेजी साक्ष्यों को भी एकत्रित करेगी, जो प्रकरण में एकत्रित नहीं किए गए।

मालूम हो की जब पहलू खान के लिंचिंग के दोषी 6 आरोपियों को अलवर के एक कोर्ट ने बारी कर दिया तो गहलोत सरकार की बहुत किरकिरी हुयी के वसुंधरा राजे के बीजेपी के सरकार में पहलू खान की निर्मम हत्या हुयी और उसे काँग्रेस के सरकार में भी इंसाफ नहीं मिला।

साल 2017 के अप्रैल की पहली तारीख को पहलू खान जो के मवेशी के दूध का कारोबार करता था। अलवर अपने घर मवेशी को लेकर जा रहा था। पर उसे और उसके साथियो, जिसमे उसका भाई रफीक खान भी शामिल था के गाड़ी को रोक कर बुरी तरह पीटा गया। इस घटना में खास कर पहलू खान की बेरहमी से पिटाई की गयी, तथाकतिथ गौ रक्षको के द्वारा।

पहलू खान की मौत अप्रैल 3 को इलाज के दौरान हो गयी थी। इस मामले में कुल 9 आरोपी हैं। 3 उसमे नाबालिग हैं। जिंका ट्राइल अलग से चल रहा है।

राजस्थान की काँग्रेस सरकार ने कुछ ही दिनो पहले मोब लिंचिंग और ऑनर कील्लिंग को रोकने के लिए नया कानून बनाया है।

South Asian academics, activists and artists condemn “intensified military suppression” in Jammu and Kashmir

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Kolkata: Around the time that 120 Harvard University’s faculty and students wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of India, seeking the immediate release of former IAS officer Shah Faesal another group of scholars, artists, social activists and others issued a statement of solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

These 251 signatories, of the ‘statement of solidarity’ have expressed their concern with regards to the “inhuman clampdown” in Jammu and Kashmir, since August 5, call themselves ‘concerned South Asians and friends of South Asia”.

The letter dated August 15, has been drafted by Kathmadu-based anthropologist Himali Dixit and curator Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati. It starts off by stating, “The stripping of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of special status and of statehood without consultation with the people of Jammu and Kashmir; and the implications of these recent developments for democracy, pluralism, and due process in India.”

“Article 370 of the Indian Constitution represented an historical understanding between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian state. On 5 August 2019, not only was Article 370 abrogated, but the very statehood of Jammu and Kashmir was abolished, bringing the region under New Delhi’s direct rule. The manner, in which these abrogations were accomplished, through executive order and in the absence of a state legislature, is a betrayal of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, whose elected representatives were never consulted. This is a sharp departure from democratic governance, and the constitutional validity of these decisions has been rightfully challenged,” wrote the signatories.

They further wrote, “We condemn the curtailment of civil liberties in Jammu and Kashmir: the blackout of telecommunications and internet services; the severe restrictions on media and on the freedom of movement, peaceful assembly, and protest; and the violent suppression of demonstrations. These are all violations of international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which India ratified in 1979.”

In the letter the signatories expressed their concern over the degeneration of Indian democracy. They expressed, “These actions of the Government of India exhibit a complete lack of respect for constitutionalism, secularism and democratic values. This does not bode well for India’s people, who have, uniquely in South Asia, benefited from decades of democratic rule. We are apprehensive of India’s future as a democracy and the implications that this degeneration will have on its population of 1.2 billion as well as on the rest of the subcontinent.”

Veena Das, Partha Chatterjee, A.S. Panneerselvan, Ayesha Jalal, Shahidul Alam, Kul Chandra Gautam, Gyanendra Pandey, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, M.V. Ramana, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Zia Mian, Sofia Karim, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Martha Nussbaum, and Sheldon Pollock are some of the 251 signatories, who issued the solidarity statement.

PM Modi’s Independence Day speech: A roadmap to one party- one leader rule

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[dropcap]A[/dropcap]daroniyo Pradhan Mantriji,

PM Modi

Badhai Ho, Sriman!

Your Independence Day speech at Red Fort ramp has endeared you to me more since it provided me a veritable road map to your elevation as Bharat Samrat . It proved your genius again when you dovetailed your ‘courageous’ decisions to revoke articles 370 and 35A of our constitution in order to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status not only to Sardar Patel’s dream of ‘one nation one constitution’ but also to your professed dream of ‘one nation-one election’. It was only your humility that stopped you from hyphenating the last to an untold dream– one party- one leader—to complete the project.

It’s another matter that Shyama Prasad Mookerjee had popularised the demand for EK Desh Ek Nishan EK Bidhan‘ But I appreciate the fact that the Hindu Mahasabha and later Jana Sangh leader is yet to emerge as a national icon in your New India beyond our Parivar.

In contrast, your appropriation of Gandhi- Sardar and Ambedkar sans Nehru would allow us to cover our uncomfortable disjunction between the Parivar and freedom struggle. Among the big three, Sardar is most handy for us since his achievement of national integration, ‘Bharat Ka Ekikaran‘ can be presented as an initial step towards your goals– Ek Bharat- Ek Chunao- Ek Dal- Ek Neta.

You have revealed your Man Ki Baat in so many words. You named introduction of GST to ensure one nation-one tax regime and one-nation -one-power-grid as steps towards enforcing your idea of India discarding the hackneyed one that called for unity in diversity in all forms.

Samajhdaro ke liye Ishara hi Kafi Hai

You rightly said that residents of newly created union territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir will be able to connect directly to your central government for fulfillment of their demands. There will be no need for intermediate powers which only had ‘promoted separatism, terrorism, dynastic rules and corruption’. You did not repeat your assurance on 8th August that statehood would be restored to J&K on opportune moments. Perhaps the timid responses from the muted valley prompted you to drop that concession.

Now that example should be followed by people of other states, particularly those are in the margin of our nation as well as those who are still ruled by political parties with questionable patriotic credentials. As far I could fathom your far sight, the facade of federalism will be there as long as it is needed, given the hazards of democracy. The assembly polls will be conducted simultaneously with the parliamentary poll till our lotus blooms at every corner of the land leading us to the presidential form of government formally. Then, as Indians will attain more Paripakkata  or maturity, you will outdo Trump, Erdogan, Duarte or Bolsonaro and usher us into a permanent revolution of Stalinist varieties, even to a higher form of it which Hitler and Mussolini had accomplished.

PM Modi

By that time, I hope you and our glorious Parivar will be able to mute all the anti-national libtards and siculars of the land. The mission to wipe out the residual army of parasites and termites who are the fifth columns of our enemies across the border and repository of separatism and terrorism will go along with it. There will be no more prosecution of our great Gomata-bhakts cum Deshbhakts for lynching the Pehlu Khans. In fact, I take this opportunity to record my gratitude that all our six brothers have been acquitted from the charge of killing that doodhwala Khan on the eve of Independence Day. Hame ekin hai ki ab sare ke sare khan appne jan bacchane ke khatir aap kee pahlu me rahena chahenge. PM Modi had already ensured it in Gujarat before moving to Delhi.

Ban Gandhi and Tagore

Being a Bong, the news is doubly relishable for me on the day of Rakhi Purnima today as it exonerates me and many like me from the legacy of an old idealist fellow called Tagore.

That man, incidentally, a friend of Gandhi, too longed for Hindu-Muslim unity and introduced a different kind of Raksha Bandhan ceremony during the first division of Bengal. Though they differed crucially, both were ideosyncrats in their understanding of Indian civilization and nationalism as a creed. Their readings were so different from our Sangh’s take home reading on Dharma and Itihasa that they must be banned as seditious literature immediately. Their ideas of Hinduism are so anachronistic to our ideas that you should stop swearing by Pujya Bapu since the name-dropping has served already your purpose. Also, you should also replace the national anthem that Tagore had penned with ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume‘– our Sangh anthem. Unlike the Jana Gana Mana that celebrates India’s historical plurality with a common destiny of all Indians in modern time, our anthem pins on our singular identity. It identifies India as Hindubhumi only and exhorts all believers in Hindu Rashtra to be valourous in the battle for the protection of our Punyabhumi and Rashtra-dharma.

What the promise of non-coercive government means

Sriman, aap ne aaj ghoshna ki aam admi k zindagi me sarkar ki dabao nahi hona chiye. Phir Mushkilo me sarkar ki abhab bhi na ho. Henceforth, government won’t be coercive and intrusive in common man’s life but will be available at the time of his distress. This was the essence of the axiom — minimum government and maximum governance– the mantra which you chanted during 2014 campaign. You were clear enough that your avaya mantra was only meant for business and industry, particularly those corporate A-listers who had been little restive over income tax on super riches and penal actions upon failing to meet Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR). They were also apprehensive over the arms-twisting by overenthusiastic taxmen who had apparently driven CCD chain owner to suicide recently. You reminded the taxmen and others whose hanky panky has tarnished your corporate-friendly image that wealthy men needed to be respected since they are your best hope to fight unemployment and poverty. Fair enough.

But the libtards around me mistook your promise of an unobtrusive and non-coercive governance as a licence to doubt, question or criticise you and our government while expecting police to protect them against our saffron vigilantes, both offline and online. I heard them heaving a sigh of relief that no more they would be called anti-nationals, urban Naxal or terror accomplice despite the latest changes in the anti-terror UAPA act. No more they will not languish in jail after being charged with sedition and conspiracy against the government/ State. That their complaints against Armed Forces Special Power Act and host of laws that have strengthened the police state will be changed while laws to protect citizens against corporate-state cyber surviellance will be come. The fools thought that democratic niceties will be allowed in the placid mainland when they are suspended at the recalcitrant margins.

Only laws that serve corporate-state will come

When you counted 1450 archaic laws that you have already thrown to the dustbin of history in last 5 years and another 60 in 70 days of your second coming, these protestniks and rightniks were clinging to their hopes that the colonial sedition act and related sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) would also be repealed. They thought you had a change of heart and the government won’t be coercive to evict millions of the traditional forest dwellers and protect them under Forest Rights Act. Since these buggers are not easy to satisfy, they wanted you to stop dilution or violation of environmental, forest, land, mines and water laws that allow desi and phoren corporates to plunder forests, tribal land, mineral and water resources in the name of development and GDP growth.

‘Ease of Living’: For whom?

No doubt, these Jholawalas are the worst enemies of our country and allies of Maoists, the biggest threats to our internal security as your predecessor Maun Mohonji had predicted. It’s pertinent to point out that his party’s first family still have such hidden agents in their charmed circle. You are right in your refusal to make distinction between violent and non-violent Jholawalas when they oppose exclusion of millions of foreigners from the NRC in Assam and its extension in rest of the land on the ground of discriminatory legal process as well as subcontinental history and human rights. These renegades who have deserted the Sanatan Dharma are throwing spanners in the Parivar’s final solution to our Punyabhumi’s perennial problems with millions of parasites and termites which we can’t crush by merely by lynching.

Before you elaborated on your intended ‘ease of living’ for common man in his ‘Rojmara Zindagi‘, fools around me were expecting a transfer of Rs 15 lakhs to their bank accounts as you had promised in your first coming. They do not appreciate that you need not repeat your Jumlas given your pardarshita in selling new one every time you hog a podium. These ungrateful guys refused to accept your claim of controlled price-rise by brandishing bygons which they said had cost them Rs 50 per kg. You know Bongs are so fond of Begunbhaja with their Khichuri, even some of our Sakha members broke the anusashan and joined the doubters.

The P-T missiles

But all fell silent when you thundered against our eternal enemy without naming it and called for global and regional unity against that land of Satan which exports nothing but terror.

You know it better that all of us that even most rabid doubters and dissenters lose their nerves whenever you throw the P-T missiles at them. Your blast over Balakot has earned you second term and your Mission Kashmir is likely to give you the third. By 2029, I hope you will be able to weed out all the troublemakers and fulfill your dream of one nation- one party -one leader. Waiting for that day, my Naman to NAMO, the redeemer of Indian glory and destroyer of all the evils of the largest democracy of the world. Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya …..

 

Opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not of eNewsroom. This is an open forum and we try
to give space to every school of thought.

 

India at 72, Do We Give It all Up? Or Rise Like The Phoenix Again?

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Happy Independence Day India, India stands at 72 a little shaken, a little stirred, yet a warrior still perhaps we are the only generation who were brought up in the 80’s and 90’s that saw the transition and rapid strides made by the country in an epoch.

From Scooters to flashy mobikes to the automobile boom, from snail mails to Star TV to the dotcom boom, to the IT boom and our emails in the palm of our hands, we have seen it all.

If a five year old child can have memories, then summing up 35 years is a lot to recount.

As an Army daughter I found my father in the mid 80’s riding a lambretta with my mother, two other siblings, with the Stepney flattened out for my older sister to sit on as we rode our way into the late 80’s then elated to bring a brand new Maruti Suzuki home, also adding a 4th sibling to our brood.

Rajiv Gandhi was the then prime minister of the country. As a young child there was a sense of awe to see a debonair PM at the helm of affairs. As the rest of the children who were studying with me at the Army Public School, the feeling of patriotism was high. Religion was never discussed at home or at school nor did our parents ever bother to indoctrinate us, the first feeling of ‘otherness’ sank in when I realized that my name had a different ring to it then the other students of the class.

When I was in class 3 studying at The Army Public School, Delhi the class teacher approached me and said- Saira Shah for next week’s special assembly, I am getting children from all faiths to read out verses from their holy book, please find something appropriate that you can read from the Quran, that is perhaps the first time, a sense of identity dawned on me, not of being othered, the feeling that I am part of this big family and my thoughts and voice matters.

So off I went to my Father requesting him to suggest a verse from the Quran.

I reckon he simplified verse from the Holy Quran 109:1-6 which reads as “To you your religion and to me mine” for an eight year old child was interpreted as ‘’All religions are equal in the eyes of God, unto you your religion, unto me my religion,” from the Holy Quran, nervous about my first stage appearance, I went to the podium and confidently delivered the line to thunderous claps.

A positive reinforcement of a Muslim child as part of a story to the new narrative of India that was building up was reassuring.

Freedom independence day New India at 72 80's 90's
Another video grab of India in 80’s and 90’s. Courtesy: Google/Youtube

The New India of the 80’s was aspirational, Doordarshan had started telecasting the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, every Sunday we sat glued to our newly bought television set- a Weston colour TV, entertainment for children remained largely an outdoorsy event which meant cycling, swimming or cricket outside with the neighbours children, while the occasional Spiderman. He -Man, Chitrahaar, Buniyaad, Nukaad, Idhar Udhar was the usual watch on the idiot box.

80’s was largely peaceful, with the economy growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent or 3.3 percent on a per capita basis, industry grew at a rate of 6.6% and agriculture at a rate of 3.6 percent.

The economy was further liberalised in 1991 with the dotcom boom of the late 90’ that saw India rise as an IT superpower and creating jobs for a pool of unemployed English speaking graduates that found succour in the ‘India Shining’ campaign, but despite these rapid growth strides and the progress we were making as a nation, a parallel narrative was being stirred in the India cauldron, we perhaps undermined the ‘blitzkrieg’ that was to come when in December 1992 a large group of right wing activists demolished the 16th century Babri Mosque in the city of Ayodhya, post which saw communal riots between Hindus and Muslims that led to the death of an estimated 2000 people, six weeks of riots further escalated in Mumbai resulting in the death of an estimated 900 people, that to my young eyes of a young girl studying in Ooty at a boarding school as trains to go back home for vacation were stalled was the beginning of an end, an inferno, the death of a secular dream, vividly remember my parents making their way to Meerut in an Army Jeep with ration stocked up for a month for my grandmother as curfew was imposed on our hometown Meerut, the enormity of what had transpired in the country had not yet hit home, the parents were largely successful in shielding us away from the gore of communalism.

The left leaning Congress party mired in corruption allegations was a spent force.

Circa 2019 as a New India is born again with the re election of Mr Narendra Modi, our parents did not witness partition, our grandparents did, however there is another partition of India happening in the hearts and minds of the people, the seeds of which were sown in 1992, but we were so blinded by utopia, that we failed to see the rot fermenting as a potent tonic as a new military carte-blanche approach to counter resistance and dissent is being used against citizens today.

So where do we the Generation X and the Millenials go from here? With a badly dismantled opposition, daily gagging of dissenting voices, slow murder of democracy, where do our guttered hearts go? As everywhere I go, the discussion amongst liberals and the minorities is about settling children abroad, away from the squalor of communal conflict and an economic meltdown and to think that most of us could not dream of acquiring another passport but the Indian one, the ones who could never ever imagine themselves to sing any other national anthem besides the ‘Jan Gan Man’, do we just give it all up? Or rise like the phoenix again?

Now is the time to reclaim the secular dream with all our heart and sinew and not get rattled by what is happening around us, look at ways to strengthen democracy, our present generation has a lot on our shoulders if we need to show our children more than a hundred reasons why India is still the land of opportunity and why being a proud Indian still matters.

Jai Hind!

Our Muslim identity is making it difficult for us to get justice, says Pehlu’s son Arif Khan

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Alwar/Jaipur: On the eve of Independence Day, when the news of all six accused in Pehlu Khan’s lynching case being acquitted reached Haryana’s Nuh district, a sense of dejection set it. The family of Pehlu Khan, which has been running from pillar to post, seeking justice in the April 2017 case, in which Pehlu, a 55-year-old dairy farmer was lynched by a mob comprising Hindu extremists, on suspicion of cattle smuggling, is devastated with the news of the acquittal of all the six accused.

A total of nine people, based on the lynching video that went viral had been charge-sheeted. Three of the nine accused are minors and are being tried at a juvenile court. Speaking to eNewsroom, from Nuh, Rafiq Khan, brother of Pehlu, who was also attacked by the lynch mob on April 1, 2017, said, “We are shocked with the verdict. These people are rich and have political patronage and hence have been let off by the law. We will appeal before a high court to challenge this verdict.”

Meanwhile, Pehlu’s son Arif Khan, said, “It seems like no one killed my father. He died on his own. He wasn’t even lynched. Since 2017, we have been running from pillar to post seeking justice. But it seems like no one is ready to believe our story, simply because we are Muslims. Had we been from the majority community, I am sure that we would have got justice. It’s painful to see all the killers of my father being let off. We are losing our faith in the Indian judiciary.”

He added, “We had great hope from the present Congress government of Rajasthan. We believed that we might get justice under a less communally charged political party. But it seems like they are also playing the same majority appeasement card. My father was lynched under the BJP government, but the charge sheet was made when Congress came in power, but just see the irony, instead of making a strong case against the accused, we including my dead father have been charge-sheeted. Now, that the accused have been acquitted, we will have to fight the case to prove that we, who had accompanied our father on that fateful day, are not cow smugglers.”

On being asked about the Rajasthan government passing the anti-lynching law, Rafiq, emotionally said, “All that we know is that in this country poor will always be denied of justice. All the accused are from the majority community and are financially well off, so they have bought their freedom. We are poor Muslims, so getting justice will be difficult for us.”

Despite the duo being dejected by the court’s verdict maintained that they would be knocking the doors of a higher court seeking justice. Speaking about the verdict Asad Hayat, one of the legal advisors of Pehlu’s family said, “Fair investigation forms the base of getting justice. In this case, the investigation was unfair. Also, the court refused to summon the NDTV reporter who had done a sting operation in which one of the accused had described how he had lynched Pehlu Khan in Behror. We had appealed before the court under section 311 of IPC, but the court refused to call the reporter or seek their recording by simply stating that media recording is not admissible.”

He further added, “We are yet to get a copy of the judgement. Tomorrow is a holiday, we shall now be getting it on Friday. But just let me highlight, one thing, which makes this case different from the two lynching cases of Jharkhand where the courts held the accused guilty of their crime. In this case, the identification parade was conducted within the court, before the honourable judge. Secondly, in this case, the investigation was not fair.”

Meanwhile, Qasim Khan, lawyer of Pehlu Khan and his family, said, “The charge sheet had been weakened to benefit the culprits. The viral video which formed the basis of the case and was also the primary evidence, in this case, had somehow been destroyed. The 70 odd pictures that the police had got from the same video was presented as secondary evidence before the court. This perhaps made the judge give the accused the benefit of doubt in this case. Needless to say, we are unhappy with the judgment and shall be challenging it before a higher court.”

However, Pehlu’s son pointed out that this perhaps would be the last appeal before the court. “We have already spent a lot of money. We are now scared to pursue our dairy farming business. Because of our Muslim identity, it becomes easy to label us as cow smugglers.”

No One Killed Pehlu Khan

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Alwar/Jaipur: A local court announced the verdict in the Pehlu Khan mob lynching case on Wednesday, August 14. The court of additional district judge no 1, Sarita Swami, gave benefit of doubt to six of the nine accused in Pehlu Khan lynching case.

A total of nine people were accused in this case, of which three are minors and are being tried at a juvenile court. The verdict was given after the judge had heard complete arguments of both the sides on August 7.

Speaking to eNewsroom, immediately after the verdict, Qasim Khan, the lawyer representing Pehlu Khan and his family said, “All of the accused have been acquitted by the court. It’s disappointing but we shall be appealing to the High Court.” The accused were given a clean chit based on mobile phone records and statement of a cow shelter.

On April 1, 2017, Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer and a resident of Jaisinghpura village, Haryana, was lynched by a group of cow vigilantes, when he and his two sons were passing through Behror, in a truck, which had cows. His truck was intercepted by youths working for Hindu Right-wing organizations and mercilessly beat him up. He was taken to a local hospital, where he breathed his last on April 3.

The dairy farmer was mercilessly beaten while transporting cattle on April 1, 2017. He had named the accused in dying declaration, but prosecution failed in getting justice for his family.

It was one of the first mob lynching cases in Rajasthan and later several lynched. Only in Alwar, from Akbar to Umar and many other beaten to death over cattle or cow transportation.

Significantly, Pehlu was lynched during Vasundhara Raje led BJP government, and his case chargesheet filed during Ashok Gehlot led Congress government, but it seems nothing changed for the family members who were waiting for the justice.