Connect with us

India

Pro-Khalistan Activist Amritpal Singh declared fugitive- What is happening in “India’s Bread Basket” Punjab?

Published

on

Internet services were suspended across the state of Punjab on Saturday and are still suspended as of now on Sunday, officials confirmed. According to press sources, Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De and a supporter of the Khalistani movement, has been the target of Punjab Police operation.

The Department of Home Affairs and Justice, Government of Punjab, stated that all mobile internet services, all SMS services (aside from banking & mobile recharge), and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, aside from voice calls, shall be suspended. The Punjab Police today conducted a large crackdown on “Waris Punjab De,” detaining 78 activists in the Jalandhar area in response to criticism regarding the allegedly worsening peace and order situation in the state. Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan activist, evaded capture despite a significant police presence in the Jalandhar neighborhood of Shahkot. The police asserted that they had taken 373 ammunition, a revolver, seven 12-bore rifles, and one 315-bore rifle from the demonstrators.

Also, read India: Violence Against Women on Holi Reeks of Communal and Racial Tensions

Is Amritpal Singh still on the run?

The radical preacher Amritpal Singh is still on the run, according to the Punjab Police, who also stated that a big search operation has begun to apprehend the leader of the Waris Punjab De organization.

The statement followed earlier today’s media reports that stated Singh and a number of his allies had been detained by the Punjab Police.

According to a statement from Punjab Police, the state has begun extensive Cordon and Search operations against Waris Punjab De members.

Read here, Khalistan Movement – India’s Unity Under Threat (A Brewing Civil War)

What led to the Crackdown?

On Thursday, in an anomalous course of events, a group of men armed with swords and guns stormed a police station in Ajnala, on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of Lovepreet Singh, also known by his alias “Toofan,”.Singh was being held on kidnapping charges and assault on a Chamkaur Sahib-based resident Varinder Singh. Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan, who is a close associate of “Waris Punjab De” leader Amritpal Singh, had turned to activism during the farm agitation at the Delhi border. Lovepreet Singh, a Sikh preacher, and modest farmer has long advocated for Sikh causes.

Amritpal Singh, 30, who has gained notoriety in Punjab over the past six to seven months as a Sikh preacher and infamous sympathizer for Khalistan, was at the epicenter of these events. He claims to be a devoted follower of Bhindranwale, a militant leader who supported Khalistan and was assassinated in the infamous operation Blue Star on June 6, 1984.

Lovepreet Singh was released from jail the following day, but this entire incident has raised numerous issues with Punjabi politics, government, and law and order.

Also, read Demolition Drives in Kashmir- Is India following the Israeli Model in Kashmir?

Who is Amritpal Singh?

Born in 1993, Amritpal Singh Sandhu hails from Jallupur Khera village in Baba Bakala tehsil of Amritsar district. He is said to have studied up to the plus two levels before he left for Dubai for work in 2012. Singh, a 29-year-old Dubai-returned Sikh who recently moved to Punjab, has abruptly entered the religiopolitical scene after taking control of Waris Punjab De, an organization that actor-activist Deep Sidhu founded before his supposed accident caused death in February 2022.

“We (Sikhs) have become a community of slaves” – this is a message Amritpal Singh, the head of Waris Punjab De, is heard proclaiming in most of his speeches.

His surrounding social media activity suggests that he had been advocating for Sikh causes for at least the previous five years or so. He joined the anti-farm law demonstrations, notably the Deep Sidhu-related faction of the movement. According to Deep Sidhu’s statements at the Shambhu Border, his branch of the movement was distinct from the farm unions since he advocated for a more comprehensive political and social reform of Punjab rather than just the repeal of agricultural regulations. He believed that the movement should’ve been carried forward even after the repelling of the controversial farm laws. 

According to Quint, apparently, Amritpal never met Deep Sidhu and the two interacted only through social media.

However, the ministry of home affairs is reported to have told the Punjab government to keep a watch on his activities. Captain Amarinder Singh has asked the government to take action against him and a Shiv Sena faction wants him booked under UAPA. His Twitter account was withheld in India on 7 October 2022, reports The Quint.

Read here, Sopore Massacre 1993- When 57 Civilians Were Killed in Kashmir

What does the Socio-Political scene in Punjab look like?

There have been a number of political responses to this, with the Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar denouncing the crackdown while the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress supported it. Following the announcement of the crackdown on Singh, a number of political figures from various parties have pleaded for peace in Punjab. However, the general public’s perception of him is sharply divided, with supporters applauding his efforts to resuscitate Sikhi and his anti-drug campaign in addition to the enormous crowds at his events. Critics, on the other hand, charge him of usurpation and with attempting to destabilize Punjab.

Also, read India: School Principal Booked After Students Recite Iqbal’s Poem- What Makes Muhammad Iqbal a Contentious Figure in India?

Anxieties over the rise of a potential militancy in Punjab?

The Khalistan movement, which was previously seen as more of a foreign diaspora concern, is currently making news in India due to farmer protests, but the subject is becoming more prominent due to the recent series of events and the emergence of Amritpal Singh as a pro-Khalistan leader. Anxieties are being risen along the lines of this crisis turning into a potential threat of militancy in Punjab.

Harjeshwar Pal Singh, an assistant professor of History based in Chandigarh thinks that it will not lead to a rise in militancy because there has been strong criticism within the community against the ways adopted by Amritpal Singh.

Author of Panjab: Journeys through fault line, Amandeep Sandhu enunciates the larger problems which have been plaguing the state and which might have come into the forefront with such issues. The rise of someone like Amritpal Singh, in Sandhu’s opinion, is evidence that numerous governments have historically failed to address various issues at their root.

While the state has been apparently working to put Punjab’s violent history of bloodshed and militancy behind it, these images have brought back memories of those times. Anxieties are being risen along the lines of this crisis turning into a potential threat of militancy in Punjab.

Read here, How Practical is the Secular Democracy of India? Curbing of Religious Freedom in Kashmir

WELCOME

MZEMO

GET EXCITING NEWS

Continue Reading

Featured

“The Kerela Story” Controversy in India

Published

on

A recent Indian movie- The Kerela Story has stirred a huge controversy in India. The film professes to portray the tale of Hindu and Christian women who were persuaded to join the Islamic State (IS) organisation has caused a huge uproar in India. Many opposition leaders have denounced the film The Kerala Story, which is based in the southern state of Kerala. Some have referred to it as propaganda and an effort to sabotage religious harmony of India. The Kerala Story is the most talked-about movie right now, followed by The Kashmir Files. The movie is being viewed through many different lenses; where some people want it to be banned, while others want it to be promoted across all of India.

Also, read UN Defender Demands End to Crackdown on Kashmiri Activists

The Kerela Story Controversy Over Misrepresentation of Facts

The Kerela Story, which was released on May 5, has become embroiled in controversy over misinterpretation of facts. Months before it was released, The Kerala Story started to cause controversy. When the preview of the movie claimed it presented the “heart-breaking and gut-wrenching stories of 32,000 females” from Kerala who had joined the IS, some legislators from that state urged for its ban in November. This was refuted by the fact-checking website Alt News after a thorough investigation that found “no evidence” to support the claimed number.

Women who converted to Islam are the main subject of the movie. As the film’s release date approached in April, it was confronted with legal issues and growing criticism. The Kerala High Court declined to block the distribution, but the film’s producers agreed to take out the controversial 32,000 women number from the teaser. “The compilation of the true stories of three young girls from different parts of Kerala” was added to the description of the video on YouTube. This sparked numerous complaints from online users over claimed misinterpretations. Now that these facts have been brought forth, producer Vipul Shah has responded by saying that they are irrelevant and that these figures don’t matter.

Many acts of violence, including rape culture, hand-chopping, beheading, and trauma perpetrated to defenceless women, are graphically depicted in the film in the context of the Muslim culture and promotes islamophobia.

The film, according to a number of politicians in Kerela and Muslim leaders, would jeopardise religious harmony, demonise Muslims, promote Islamophobia, and might also humiliate the southern state.

Read also, Muslim OBC Reservation scrapped by BJP government of Karnataka

The Kerela Story Receives Both Criticism and Praise

According to analyst Taran Adarsh, the film’s box office success has been “extraordinary” for a low-budget production without any major performers. He thinks that it has made more than 560 million rupees ($6.8 million, £5.4 million) in five days, which he describes as “a feat for any new release”. On the other hand, many mainstream critics have criticised the movie for its performances and “lack of nuance”. One of the critics said that the movie’s ideas about Islam and [religious] conversion appeared to have come from hate-filled WhatsApp groups.

Audiences of The Kerela Story have praised and criticised the film, respectively, from various social groups. The “Kerala Story” has now sparked a major political uproar throughout the nation. While some states have made the movie tax-free, others have outrightly condemned it and proposed to ban it. It appears to be a point of disagreement between the states governed by the BJP and the opposition parties. A number of political organisations and parties, including the TMC, INC, and DMK, as well as some Muslim political groups, have been condemning the release of the film.

Also, Read Israeli Filmmaker Nadav Lapid Sparks Outrage in India after calling <em>The Kashmir Files</em> “Vulgar Propaganda”

West Bengal on The Kerela Story

West Bengal is one of the first states that has banned the controversial movie. It is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee herself that has imposed a ban on the Sudipto Sen-directed movie “The Kerala Story.” “This is to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and to maintain peace in the state. What is ‘The Kashmir Files?’ it is to humiliate one section. What is ‘The Kerala Story? It is a distorted story,” Banerjee said.

However, The Kerala Story is currently playing across the nation without incident, thus the Supreme Court today demanded to know why film was being banned in West Bengal.

The West Bengal government responded to the Supreme Court’s order banning the screening of the movie “The Kerala Story” in the state on Tuesday. The government defended themselves by claiming that the movie contains hate speech and is based on fabricated information, which may cause racial strife and problems with law and order in the state.

Read here, India- The Killing of Gangster-Turned-Politician Atiq Ahmad

Tamil Nadu on The Kerela Story

In the state of Tamil Nadu, The Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association decided to halt the film’s screening on Sunday as “a precautionary measure”. The action has been taken to uphold law and order and safeguard their properties against forces opposed to the movie’s subject. Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association president Tiruppur M. Subramaniam said, “The film has been taken out of almost all theatres. The film was screened only in the cities. Since it is a Hindi film and has no recognisable faces, it will not have patronage.”

Also, read UN Defender Demands End to Crackdown on Kashmiri Activists

Madhya Pradesh and Kerela on The Kerela Story

On the other hand, the state of the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh has made the film tax-free. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said “The film shows how the (life of) daughters who get entangled in the trap of love jihad gets destroyed. It also exposes the design of terrorism. While we have already brought a law against (forced) conversion, the film creates awareness about the issue. This film should be watched by all and that’s why the Madhya Pradesh government is declaring the film tax-free.”

Moreover, the Kerala High Court has refused to ban the release of the movie stating that the film is “inspired by true events”.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that The Kerela Story has gained the support of senior members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave it a favourable review at a recent political rally. Additionally, some party members have held screenings and given away free tickets.

Read here, The Saudi-Iran Deal and its Implications

What the Filmmakers of The Kerela Story Have to Say?

Sudipto Sen, the Kerala Story’s director, claimed that the film’s objective goes beyond the purview of traditional cinematic creativity. Additionally, he claimed that the nation had long been in denial about the long-running Kerala problem. Sen told a group of Indian American reporters during a virtual news conference that “The country was in denial of the long-existing issue in the state of Kerala. The Kerala Story is a mission which is beyond the creative boundaries of cinema, a movement that should reach the masses all over the world and raise awareness,”.

“The film’s subject was hidden from the masses and deserved to be told. We made the film to initiate deliberation worldwide,” said the producer of the film, Vipul Shah.

“This is a very bold, honest and true film which in the beginning got no support, today stands at the point of releasing worldwide with a spectacular box office success in just 6 days,” added Vipul Shah.

Also, read Festival turns bloody after Hindutva Mob Burnt Centennial Mosque

The Kerela Story draws Parallels with The Kashmir Files

The Kashmir Files, another controversial film with deep polarising representation of Kashmiri Muslims, that became one of last year’s biggest hits from Bollywood, has been compared to The Kerala Story. That movie, which focused on the 1990s exodus of Hindus from Kashmir, had a small production cost and no big actors, and was praised by Mr. Modi and other BJP leaders despite receiving mixed reviews.

Read here, Dehumanizing Representation of Tribals and Muslims in the Oscar fame RRR

WELCOME

MZEMO

GET EXCITING NEWS

Continue Reading

Featured

Karnataka Elections: Setback for Modi

Published

on

Set back for Modi and BJP in Karnataka elections

On Sunday, Modi’s party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a setback in the state elections of Karnataka. BJP won 66 seats out of 224 seats while the main opposition party in India Congress won 135 seats. Janata Dal (Secular) won 19 and others won 4 seats. The vote share of Congress also increased by more than 4% in the previous election which was held in 2018. With Karnataka’s loss, the BJP has been evicted from all five states of South India.

These elections are crucial since India is going for national elections next year.

Modi Campaigned Himself

BJP’s setback came even as Modi himself held 19 rallies and 6 road shows across the state before the elections. Other senior politicians from the BJP, including central ministers were also seen relentlessly campaigning in the state. The party was hoping to ride on Modi’s magic to overcome anti-incumbency. However, it seems like Modi’s magic failed in the state. This has raised questions about Modi’s charisma.

BJP has been capitalizing on the Modi factor in most of the elections. In Karnataka, the party had its entire bet on Modi’s magic. Therefore, BJP’s defeat in Karnataka also means Modi’s defeat. The win has thus given hope to the opposition party that Modi is not invincible after all.

Also Read: Muslim OBC Reservation scrapped by BJP government of Karnataka

Love Triumphs Hate 

For the last several years, BJP had tried to stoke communal tensions in the state. Karnataka is the same state where the BJP government last year banned Hijab in schools and colleges. The school education minister, B C Nagesh, who enforced the Hijab in educational institutions lost the elections by over 17,000 votes. The lone Muslim women elected candidate of Congress, Kaneez Fatima, has said that they will lift the Hijab ban. “God willing, we will reverse the hijab ban in the coming days and we will get those girls back to classrooms and they will be able to appear for their exams,” Fatima said. “They have lost two precious years.”

Congress has also promised to ban Bajrang Dal in the state in its election manifesto. Bajrang Dal is an extremist Hindutva outfit that has been at the centre of several communal tensions across India. During his rallies, Modi was seen exhorting his supporters in rallies to chant slogans in support of Bajrang Dal.

For many in India, especially Muslims, Karnataka election results provided some respite as it showed that communalism is not the only thing that matters to the voters.

Meanwhile, Congress had put its entire bet on issues of development, corruption and increasing prices of commodities. It also made sure to take a stand against BJP’s communalism and hatred as the promise of the Bajrang Dal ban shows.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a statement said, “The markets of hatred have closed down, and shops of love have opened in Karnataka.” “We contested Karnataka polls with love, not hate,” he said.

Also Read: Hijab Ban- Denying Education to Students

Karnataka Elections Crucial Before National Elections

Karnataka elections were crucial for Congress since the national elections will be held next year.

The results will also have an impact on the elections of four other states that will be held later this year. Karnataka will provide Congress with a template on how to take on BJP in these four states. Till now, Congress had been inconsistent with its strategy against Modi’s and BJP’s communal agenda. However, these elections have shown Congress how to make love triumph over hate.

Further, the result will give some hope to Congress for the national elections. The election along with the election of four other states later this year will also settle the debate over who heads the opposition alliance against BJP in the national elections next year. Other opposition parties have alleged that Congress always loses when in a direct contest against the BJP. However, the Karnataka elections will change those perceptions.

Also Read: Will India Ban Hijab in Educational Institutions?

National Elections Different from State Elections

Even though the Karnataka elections are being celebrated as a victory of Congress over the BJP and there are talks about its impact on the national elections next year, here is a word of caution.

Indian voters vote differently in state elections and national elections

In state elections, voters keep in mind the issues related to their state while in national elections they keep in mind the national interests. If the same voters that voted for Congress in the Karnataka elections keeping in mind their state issues feel that Modi and BJP best represent the nation’s interests, they will vote for Modi in the next elections.

Hence, we will have to wait and watch if the Karnataka elections will impact the national elections next year.

WELCOME

MZEMO

GET EXCITING NEWS

Continue Reading

Featured

Muslim OBC Reservation scrapped by BJP government of Karnataka

Published

on

Muslim Reservation under OBC scrapped by the BJP government

Muslim Reservation under OBC scrapped by the BJP government of Karnataka. On March 30, the BJP government in Karnataka announced a cabinet decision to eliminate the 4% Muslim OBC quota, which had been allocated to the two most powerful communities in the state, the Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Muslims have been considered a backward class in Karnataka for more than 100 years. Following closely behind, the government granted 101 Scheduled Castes (SC) internal reservations. Both of these choices have been the subject of heated political discussion. The state has become one of the most communally polarised in India due to the policies of the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government, particularly the most recent official statement regarding the updated reservation formula.

Read here, UN Defender Demands End to Crackdown on Kashmiri Activists

Why did the BJP make this decision?

The BJP was under pressure since the community led by Kudalasangama Seer Sri Jayamruthyunjaya Swami has been fighting for 2A status in the OBC list for the community for two years. The community derives strength from the numerically significant Panchamasalis, a sub-sect among Veerashaiva-Lingayats. The decision was made well before the Vokkaligas exerted any significant pressure on the BJP, which is trying to take over the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysore region.

An allegedly pre-dated government order regarding the transfer of category was published two days after the announcement of the elections and the rationale provided for this new reservation formula is blatantly communal, defying even the ‘neutral’ language of administration, reports The Wire.

Also, read Festival turns bloody after Hindutva Mob Burnt Centennial Mosque

Double-faced Politics of the BJP

In order to demonstrate its commitment to secularism, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been reaching out to Pasmanda (Backward) Muslims in North India. However, in the southern state of Karnataka, the same BJP has transerred socially and educationally backward Muslims from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category of society to the forward caste grouping, known as the Economically Weak Section (EWS). This clearly shows the double-faced politics of the BJP in India.

Read here, The Saudi-Iran Deal and its Implications

The Justification of the BJP Government

The BJP has used a 2010 ruling by the Andhra Pradesh High Court as a justification, which declared reservations for Muslims under the OBC quota as illegal, to support the withdrawal of the OBC quota for Muslims (Category II B). It has been maintained that the 1994 decision by the H. D. Deve Gowda administration to include Muslims in the OBC category was not supported by any factual facts.

No new reports or studies were cited for the change in the OBC status of Muslims. Chief Minister Bommai and Union Home Minister Amit Shah only said there is no provision in the Constitution for reservations for religious minorities reports The Indian Express.

Read here, Dehumanizing Representation of Tribals and Muslims in the Oscar fame RRR

Rallies organized by the Muslims

In the meantime, rallies were organised by the Muslim community in Karnataka in areas like Vijayanagara, calling for the reinstatement of the reservation that had been granted to them under the “2B” category after Muslim Reservation under OBC scrapped by the BJP government. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy took aim at the BJP administration on Monday, claiming that it planned to abolish the reservation in order to incite animosity between Muslims and Hindus and to gain electoral advantage. “The objective behind the decision is the policy of divide and rule employed by the BJP. They think that if Muslims hit the streets (to protest), they will benefit from it. Fortunately, Muslims have remained peaceful,” he said.

Also, read Pro-Khalistan Activist Amritpal Singh declared fugitive- What is happening in “India’s Bread Basket” Punjab?

Communities are Protesting the BJP-led Policy

On Monday (March 27), a large protest organised by the Banjara, Bhovi, Koracha, and Korama communities in Shivamogga district, Karnataka, descended into violence when people started throwing stones at former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s home. Banjara leader Sharda Pooryanaik, a former Shivamogga Rural (SC) JD(S) MLA, said in a media interview that “The government should have held consultations with various caste groups before bringing the changes…There have been demands for a proper caste census to arrive at the quota requirements.”

The Banjara community, a Scheduled Tribe in Karnataka but also on the list of Scheduled Tribes in bordering states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, was at the forefront of the protest on Monday. The Banjaras, who are part of the group that has been given a 4.5 percent quota, are displeased with the government because they “were earlier able to corner a large chunk of the Dalit quota due to their enterprising nature, and now fear their share will be restricted to only 4.5 percent of the total,” The Indian Express reported. This is according to the leaders of the most backward SC groups in the Shivamogga region, where the demonstrations took place after reservation under OBC got scrapped by the BJP government

Also, read India: Violence Against Women on Holi Reeks of Communal and Racial Tensions

Agitations criticized by the BJP

The agitations have been criticised by BJP officials, who claim that the Congress is behind it. Local Congress leaders have incited [the demonstration], according to CM Bommai. They are inciting violence because they cannot stand that the BJP has brought social justice to these communities. The Banjara community must resist giving in to this. The BJP has always stood up for the neighborhood and will do so in the future.

Read here, Demolition Drives in Kashmir- Is India following the Israeli Model in Kashmir?

WELCOME

MZEMO

GET EXCITING NEWS

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending