Security

Seema Haider, ISI deep cover asset?

Unravelling Seema’s suspicious shades through a probe may throw light on this much publicised cross border love story Rohan Giri & Resham Natt India and Pakistan are hogging headlines yet again. Surprisingly enough, this time, it’s not over Kashmir or terror modules that routinely try to cross over into India to create unrest. Blooming bond of togetherness between two distant lovers living in two conflicting nations has occupied media outlets overtime. Seema Haider and Sachin Meena reportedly found true love while playing PUBG at a time when the whole world was trapped within confines of their homes during Covid- 19 Pandemic. Mesmerized and charmed by the way Sachin conversed, his accent, and way of playing, the couple soon began engaging in long talks via voice calls and video calls, which helped them discover, in early January, that they were meant to be together, leading them to hatch a perfect plan to be together in one nation, which was India. Indians have however been pondering over two questions that in animated discussions that surround ethicality and security. These two prominent issues have attracted a great deal of attention to three very intriguing aspects, (A) Illegal arrival of Seema Haider with assistance from her lover, Sachin Meena, who is a resident of India in the Rabupura district of Uttar Pradesh, all the way from Nepal via Dubai without proper documents. (B) The discovery of her possible links to Intelligence services after she was adamant and expressed wish to stay in India and not be deported back and lastly (C) Over her decision to take her children to other side of the border against wishes of her so-called divorced husband, Ghulam Haider. But who is this fearless woman that dared to walk onto the most dangerous path in her quest to be united with her loved one? Cross border love, prime mover? Seema Ghulam Haider (once a famous tik tok star and popularly known as Seema Haider, Seema Rind and Seema Jhakrani) is a Pakistani citizen with roots in the Baloch Community, born on January 1, 2002 (as per her passport) who has spurred a discussion over her entry in India to meet her lover, along with her four children. Earlier, she was married to Ghulam Haider, a Pakistani resident of Garhi Khairo Taluka of Jacobabad district in the Sindh Province, who currently resides in Saudi Arabia as a labourer. However, it is hard to comment on their current relationship and it is uncertain whether she is already divorced (a year ago using the conventional way of Triple Talaq on call), as she has stated in press interviews, or whether she is yet to divorce him (as stated by Ghulam himself that he hasn’t and will not give her a divorce). Though Ghulam Haider presented some shocking revelations, denying and refuting Seema’s claims of marriage being that of a forced union and a simple one involving the signing of some papers in the court since she was already in love with someone in the village and that relationship was never recognized. Though Seema claimed that her married life was certainly tough with rough patches, Ghulam has been in total agreement that their marriage was certainly a lovey dovey affair and that there was not even a single trace of domestic violence. “Hindustan Zindabad, tha, hai aur Hamesha rahega,” is what Seema Haider has been saying at more than one or more forums. Seema claims that her profound love for Indian culture and traditions convinced her to change religion and gave her a new reason and hope to stay in India. Her four children, Farhan Ali, Farwa, Fariha Batool have also converted and expressed their happiness over the decision. The four children have also changed names to Raj, Priyanka, Munni, and Pari respectively. But what is concerning here is that (A) Seema’s way of conversing nowhere reflects the Urdu accent though she claims that there have been significant changes in the way she speaks ever since she began staying with Sachin. (B) Seema’s over-exaggerated yet outpouring love for India and its culture as portrayed in her videos showing her without hijab, wearing a Radhe Radhe strap around her neck, vermilion on her forehead, the auspicious marriage thread around her neck, taking blessings from the elders in the good old Indian tradition of touching feet, engaging in Hindu prayers, worshiping the Tulsi plant and adopting a vegetarian lifestyle has consequently hinted at her ill motives. This has sparked debate on her possible involvement with the Pakistan’s dirty tricks department, ISI and its agents. Hhow can someone so quickly get so attached, connected and become a ‘bhakt’ of a particular religion is the moot question? This suspicious involvement with ISI was reported after media investigations found her family including Seema’s brother Asif and her uncle Ghulam Akbar serving in the Pakistan Army and with linkages to spy agency, ISI. One may be convinced that Seema who reportedly studied only till fifth grade has fluent yet evidently polished English -speaking skills, in-depth knowledge on computers usage, gaming and social media applications like Tik Tok and Instagram. This is quite surprising and very intriguing since she interacted with many users from Uttar Pradesh during PUBG. Seema didn’t come with her children, plain and simple love bird. She also carried baggage full of questions, suspicion, and allegations that would put her in a tough spot, raising questions on her past which will decide her fate. Seema’s journey to India not only threatened her life, jeopardized her survival and opened up upon her possible deportation to Pakistan. Ripples in Pakistan Seema Haider seems to have taken the 2001 Bollywood Blockbuster movie, Gadar too seriously! The Seema Haider case (booked under sections pertaining to the Foreigners Act and The Passport (Entry into India) Act for her illegal entry into the country) has sparked a devastating chain reaction sending shockwaves through Hindu minorities in Pakistan’s Sindh region. This appalling incident has set a vile horde of Muslim extremists hell-bent on terrorizing

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Factsheet : Manipur’s Recent Incident

Putting an end to violence, abuse is prerequisite to finding lasting solution to multi-tribe diverse Manipur state On recent undignified assault on Manipuri women and unrelenting ethnic clashes, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi stated that perpetrators of these crimes will not be spared or forgiven. An incident, where two Manipuri women of the Kuki tribe were paraded naked in broad daylight, went viral on social media, exacerbating the on-going turbulence in the region. While there have been significant on-going efforts from the government and civil society to stop these ethnic clashes in last few months, the event triggered widening gap between Hindus and Christians in the region. Historical background Continued violence in Manipur, a north-eastern state in India, has resulted in significant loss of life and property in over two months. This situation has highlighted the delicate social fabric and presence of non-state actors with divisive agendas. For several decades, ethnic clashes among various tribes and religious differences between Hindus, Christians, and Muslims have contributed to the state’s instability. This instability has been exacerbated by factors like infiltration and spread of drug mafias, illegal crossings from across the Myanmar border, circulation of fake currencies and activities of Islamist groups and Church proselytisers. It is important to note that Manipur became a state in India on September 21, 1949 following the signing of Manipur Merger Agreement between the Governor General of India and Maharaja of Manipur. In subsequent years, Indian Government granted Scheduled Tribe status to the Kukis, a large number of converted Christians, while the indigenous Naga tribe also saw significant conversions to Christianity through proselytization efforts. As a result, more than 90 per cent of Nagas are now Christians. On the other hand, Meitei tribe who practise Hinduism was not awarded Scheduled Tribe status and has since struggled to preserve its culture, traditions, customs and beliefs amidst rapid pace of religious conversions. Religious demography of Manipur over the years has been shown in Fig. 1. Fig.1. Religious demography of Manipur, Source: Census 1951-2011; CIHS Analytics. Christian population in Manipur consisting mainly of the Kukis, Nagas, and Meiteis (who are predominantly Hindus) is roughly equal in numbers across the state. The Meiteis have been protesting against their exclusion from Scheduled Tribe status, but these efforts have often faced violence and opposition from Christians affiliated with various denominations. In March this year, Manipur High Court ordered the state government to include Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes within four weeks. This directive of the High Court was fiercely opposed by several tribal organisations including the All India Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM). These bodies argued that inclusion of Meiteis would be unfair to other tribes, disrupt the state’s social fabric and their own economic and cultural systems. Conversely, the Meiteis firmly believe that without obtaining Scheduled Tribe status and other constitutional protections, they might face ethnic cleansing within a few decades. Inclusion in the scheduled list of tribes would grant the Meiteis access to educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities, as well as provide them with socio-economic benefits available to tribal populations from both state and central governments. The Meiteis, also known as Manipuris, reside in resource-rich and fertile valley situated in the heart of Manipur, as depicted in Fig. 2. Towards north of the valley, the Nagas are predominantly concentrated, while the Kukis inhabit the hills in both the northern and southern parts of the state. According to recorded history, the Nagas and Meiteis have been inhabitants of the region for a longer period compared to the Kukis, who are considered migrants and share close connections with the Chins of Myanmar and the Mizos of Mizoram. Timeline May 4th: The incident took place in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district. May 18th: Zero FIR registered at Kangpokpi police station which was later transferred to Thoubal police station where the incident exactly took place. As per the police statement, the FIR was registered against unknown miscreants regarding abduction and gang rape, leading to subsequent investigation. May 27th and May 28th: Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande visited Manipur to assess on-ground situation in the state (and region). He interacted with Governor Anusuiya Uikey, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh to discuss internal security situation in the state. May 30th: Home Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur and interacted with civil society organisations, defence personnel, civil servants, and prominent personalities to discuss and address the many ethnic issues in the region. First week of July: As per Manipur Police, a total of 129 nakas / checkpoints were installed in different regions of the state to ensure law and order is maintained. Over 650 people have been detained in relation to the case till now. July 19th: The video clip of these two women paraded naked in the Manipur district of Kangpokpi went viral on social media. July 22nd: Six persons (05 main accused and 01 juvenile) were arrested so far. Over 60,000 security personnel have been deployed in various regions of the state to ensure law and order is maintained. This includes armed forces, paramilitary forces, and police. Aftermath of the incident While most of the media coverage highlighted ethnic conflicts between the Meiteis and the Kukis to be the root cause of the incident, it is also crucial to look into other factors as well.

Business Cyber Security Security Technology

1.18K

Chinese Loan Apps: A Debt Trap to Death Trap

Rohan Chinese loan apps, which offer quick loans with minimal paperwork, have become increasingly popular among Indian borrowers. However, these apps have also been associated with incidents involving threats to borrowers and compromising their privacy. One distressing case occurred in Bangalore involving Tejas, a 22-year-old engineering student. Tejas faced severe torture from an agent due to his loan from a Chinese app named Slice and Kiss, which ultimately led to his tragic suicide. The questionable practices employed by these apps consistently undermine the privacy and security of citizens, while their excessively high-interest rates and lack of regulatory oversight present substantial challenges to the Indian economy. This analysis sheds light on the various aspects of this phenomenon, highlighting the challenges posed by Chinese lending apps in India and emphasizing their potential risks. Perilous for Indian Citizens Chinese lending apps expose borrowers’ personal and financial information to significant risks, potentially leading to severe breaches of privacy. These apps often impose exorbitant interest rates and concealed fees, trapping users in a cycle of debt. Many borrowers, often in urgent need of funds, remain unaware of the predatory lending practices employed, ultimately landing themselves in financial distress. Moreover, these apps are associated with unethical and aggressive debt-collection tactics. Borrowers who fail to make timely payments or encounter financial hardships often face harassment, intimidation, and public humiliation from collection agencies. Such practices can have profound psychological and emotional consequences, driving vulnerable individuals to despair and, tragically, even suicide. Furthermore, inadequate regulatory oversight and accountability for these apps amplify their risks. With inadequate scrutiny, these apps operate with impunity, exploiting the financial vulnerabilities of Indian citizens without facing appropriate consequences. Numerous reports have surfaced regarding representatives of these applications resorting to intimidation, harassment, and threats towards borrowers. Particularly during the Covid-19 lockdown, borrowers facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic have reported terrifying experiences, alleging they were subjected to coercive tactics regarding their debts. These threats often take the form of deceitful letters resembling official documents or the harassment of borrowers’ relatives. These networks facilitating fraudulent instant loans extend beyond Indian citizens, as Chinese youths and students have fallen victim to this practice. China witnessed a wave of incidents related to “loans for nudes,” where numerous cases emerged involving young female college students being coerced into providing explicit photos as collateral to ensure repayment to loan sharks. These instances shed light on China’s pervasive underground banking scandal, exposing the murky realm of loan sharks. The cases exemplify China’s growing consumerism, underdeveloped financial system, and lack of a comprehensive student loan program. The Chinese Underground Banking Scandal The Chinese Underground Banking Scandal sheds light on a disturbing reality that lies beneath the veneer of the financial system. This issue revolves around illicit financial operations conducted outside the purview of established banking institutions, operating clandestinely and evading regulatory oversight. An essential aspect of this scandal is the pervasive presence of underground banks operating as unlicensed and unregulated financial intermediaries. These clandestine institutions play a significant role in facilitating a wide range of illicit activities, such as money laundering, human trafficking, capital flight, tax evasion, and the financing of unlawful transactions. The scandal’s dark reality is characterized by exploiting economic loopholes and manipulating financial regulations. With inadequate regulation and enforcement, underground financial networks flourish, enabling criminals to clandestinely transfer substantial amounts of money across borders, obscuring these funds’ origins and actual purposes. Moreover, the Underground Banking Scandal carries global implications, involving transnational networks engaged in illicit financial transactions. These networks contribute to the challenges faced by international efforts to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and other forms of transnational crimes. It is important to note that not all Chinese loan applications are directly involved with underground banking, and vice versa. However, an interconnectedness can occur when funds originating from loan applications enter the underground banking system. In such cases, underground banking networks may exploit or utilize loan application activities for illicit purposes, including money flows, money laundering, cross-border transactions, and regulatory challenges. Data Privacy and Security Concerns The rapid proliferation of Chinese loan applications in India has prompted severe data privacy and security concerns. These apps often demand extensive access to personal information, posing threats to users. The loan apps often necessitate comprehensive access to users’ personal information, such as complete names, addresses, phone numbers, social media profiles, bank account details, and even access to the user’s smartphone contacts. The sheer volume and sensitivity of the data collected endanger individuals’ privacy and raise the possibility of it being abused for unauthorised objectives. There have been reports and allegations that certain Chinese lending applications have been involved in misusing and manipulating user data. Data breaches and unlawful sharing of personal information with third parties have been reported. Such activities violate users’ privacy and raise the risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and other forms of cybercrime. As Chinese lending apps are international, cross-border data transfers are possible. User data acquired by these apps in India may be transferred and stored on servers outside India, often in China. This adds to the difficulties of data protection because different jurisdictions may have different data privacy laws and regulations. The Chinese government’s vast access and control over data raise concerns regarding the privacy and security of user data obtained by Chinese loan apps. Users could be subjected to unlawful access or surveillance by foreign entities. The data privacy and security concerns stemming from these loan apps in India are significant issue that demands immediate attention. The Indian government has been actively enhancing data protection and privacy laws to safeguard user information from unauthorized access or misuse. The Personal Data Protection Bill, currently under review, seeks to establish comprehensive regulations and mechanisms for protecting personal data, including stringent obligations on data handling, storage, and consent. Indian Government Actions Recognizing the potential risks involved with Chinese loan apps, authorities have taken steps to protect customers, maintain financial stability, and limit the illegal operations of these platforms. The Indian government has banned 138 betting applications

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Manipur’s unrelenting violence

Stakeholders’ consultation, inclusive development strategies, building cohesive communities under rule of law is the only way out. Recent unrelenting violence, loss of lives and property in India’s north eastern state of Manipur has brought to fore the fragile fabric, non-state actors that are at work with divisive agendas. Over the last few decades, ethnic clashes among many tribes and differences between Hindus, Christians and Muslims have created instability in the state.

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Bad actors, bad for the world

Websites like Hindu Profiles that peddle hate, target individuals and organizations Hitler style should be regulated, taken down Prachi Mishra A dubious website christened as ‘Hindutva Profiles’ has targeted India’s 148 key social and political leaders for attacks by hatemongers and Hinduphobes. Yoga guru Ramadev, retired major general G.D. Bakshi to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur figure prominently on the website’s ‘hit list’. These socio-political leaders have been targeted by anti-India, anti-RSS, and anti-Hindu agencies with global linkages that are running the website. Apart from issuing a ‘hit list’, Hindutva Profiles has taken recourse to spread of false propaganda against these leaders. The website claimed that RSS founders and key leaders of Hindutva forces sought inspiration from Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s fascist regime. But, the list in itself resembles a hit list as was common in Hitler’s regime. During Nazi Germany, the term ‘hit list’ typically referred to lists compiled by Nazi regime to target individuals or groups considered enemies or threats to their ideology. Nazi German lists were primarily used to identify and track political opponents, dissidents, Jews, and persecuted groups. The Nazi regime employed a systematic approach to identifying, locating, and persecuting those individuals and groups they deemed undesirable. Additionally, the Nazis created lists to target political opponents, such as members of resistance groups, communists, socialists, trade unionists, and other dissidents. These individuals were often arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to torture or execution. Use of hit lists was part of Nazis broader system of persecution, which included propaganda, surveillance, imprisonment, forced labour and genocide. And, by targeting RSS and BJP leaders, the website precisely serves the same purpose. Fig.1. Logo of website, Hindutva Profiles and its malignant tagline. Source: Hindutva Profiles Fig.2. Misinformation spread about Hindutva and its origins. Nazi-RSS-Mussolini connect has been falsely interpreted here. Source: Hindutva Profiles. The advent of technology has revolutionised our communication and information-sharing processes. While technology has brought significant advancements, it has also presented challenges in addressing rise of anti-Hindu sentiments and online hate speech. One disturbing manifestation of this issue is the existence of such websites that gained notoriety for promoting anti-Hindu sentiments and even managing and circulating this D-Day list. The website also has a page dedicated to the genesis of RSS and its affiliates. The information presented on the page is not only factually manipulated but laden with misinformation. If corrective measures were not rolled out in time, these individuals could be at threat from terrorist organisations and anti-India, anti-Hindu forces. To combat online hate speech, it is imperative for internet users, communities, and online platforms to come together. Reporting mechanisms, both within the websites and through external channels, are essential in flagging and addressing offensive content. Hindutva profiles just one among several such hate mongers. Hence, governments and legal entities should play a key role in implementing and enforcing laws that regulate hate speech on internet, ensuring that those who propagate hate are held accountable for their actions. To ensure security and safety of individuals, governments all over the world and their relevant agencies should filter content and impose a blanket ban on such websites. Fight against anti-Hindu sentiment and online hate speech requires a multifaceted approach. Online platforms must take responsibility for monitoring and removing hate speech, take measures to prevent their platforms from becoming breeding grounds for discrimination and persecution. (author is contributing research consultant, Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies, New Delhi based non-partisan think tank)

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598

Daily Mail Goes Bonkers on Leicester Violence!

An article titled ‘Violent ethnic clashes in Leicester last year’ by Abul Taher & Nicholas Pyke propagates agenda based myths far from reality First, the article heavily relies on unidentified “UK security sources” without providing specific names or verifiable evidence to support the writers’ claims. Lack of transparency in sourcing the write up raises questions on credibility and reliability of the information presented. The write up attempts to establish a false link between Indian political activists associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ethnic clashes in Leicester. However, the writers have no evidence whatsoever to establish a direct causal link between political activists in India and violent and murderous rioters. It’s grossly misleading to attribute the entire chain of incidents to a specific political party or its members. The writers audaciously misquote Charlotte Littlewood, a research associate at the Henry Jackson Society, a think tank that did a detailed study on the Leicester violence. Littlewood clarified the context and nuances of her statements. As per her tweet, she did not believe that attacks on Hindu homes should be dismissed as mere “spin.” She expressed concern about Hindus safety in the UK who face unjust blame for political events abroad. Littlewood stated that while she found links between those who led the Muslim onslaught and criminal groups in Pakistan, she did not find any evidence of BJP / RSS links with Hindu activists that resisted the violence. She mentioned that she had not seen the evidence presented by The Daily Mail regarding BJP involvement between the cricket match and marches. Littlewood acknowledged presence of individuals linked to Pakistan in the clashes and highlighted potentially problematic nature of evidence suggesting BJP involvement, as it would demonstrate disregard for peace and security in UK. She did not believe that BJP “escalated” the situation. She asserted that her comment was paraphrased and tensions were primarily local, with foreign influence becoming apparent after the initial Hindu march, exacerbating anti-Hindu and anti-Muslim sentiments, particularly online, as per findings of a report conducted by the US-based Network Contagion Research Institute. She reportedly said that the article appeared one-sided and would contribute to perception of a violent UK Hindu nationalist threat. The referenced study by Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) sheds light on significant impact of malicious narratives propagated through social media and digital platforms, highlighting their purported role in instigating the unrest. The study identified false reports and conspiracy theories fueling ethnic hatred towards the Hindu community, perpetuating Hinduphobic sentiments and intentions. Influencers such as Majid Freeman, known for his vocal support of slain ISIS fighters and Al Qaeda utilized social media platforms to propagate and amplify these false theories that directly impacted unrest in Leicester. Linguistic analysis done by NCRI revealed a significant disparity in mentions of words “Hindu” and “Muslim” on Twitter, with “Hindu” being mentioned over 40 per cent more frequently. The Hindu community was predominantly portrayed as conspirators and aggressors involved in a supposed global project seeking supremacy and dominance. NCRI’s AI models identified that over 70 per cent of incitements to violence were targeted against the Hindu community while only 30 per cent were against Muslims. These patterns of reciprocal escalation are likely to continue unless social media platforms take proactive measures to address the misuse of their products, which contributes to on-street violence and aggression against vulnerable communities. The Daily Mail’s article heavily relies on unidentified “UK security sources” and lacks transparency, casting doubts on its credibility. The article showcases chronic bias against Hindu community and reflects the institutional prejudice of The Daily Mail. Additionally, the misquotations and misrepresentations of Charlotte Littlewood’s statements further undermine accuracy of the article. This baseless reporting perpetuates unfounded allegations and contributes to misinformation, potentially causing harm and perpetuating negative stereotypes about the Hindu community.

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631

Freedom goes hyperbole!

Not just freedom to write and report by media professionals, globally threat to live freely and practice one’s Dharma is under attack K.A.Badarinath “Freedom is the goal of the universe. Nor love nor hate nor pleasure nor pain nor death nor life nor religion nor irreligion: not this, not this, not this.” This was one of the most comprehensive definitions to freedom provided by revered Swami Vivekananda, India’s greatest monk, Hindu philosopher in a letter to one Church sister Mary Hale on June 26, 1895. Freedom to write, think, interpret and see life as such is the essence of human life. And, this freedom is all the more significant in the context of press globally that routinely is at the receiving end for having spoken the truth or exposed inhumanity. From Syria, Russia, United States, United Kingdom to European geographies, freedom to responsibly write has been constantly under attack with no reprieve for reporters of media outlets, be it print, broadcasting corporations, radio or digital networks. In the name of region, religion, caste, creed, sex and otherwise, violence in all shades and hues is perpetuated without reprieve. It happens more so in the trumped up liberal societies internationally. Discussing freedom on international press freedom day becomes also pertinent as on this very day United Nations took upon itself 30 years back to protect freedom for media to report fearlessly on happenings across the globe. Well, in these thirty years, globalization and corporatization of media that was hitherto a commitment and conviction to societies and communities has made discharging this responsibility all the more difficult. Cutting edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics has given a new dimension to media that’s real time, hard to regulate and many a time sans responsibility. Discussing freedom makes sense when it’s exercised with responsibility. Political establishments, security agencies and terror groups have many a time seen free media as biggest hindrance to achieving their ulterior goals. For instance, Neither President Xi Jinping of China nor his Chinese Communist Party been a great votary of press freedom. Given a single party rule, the rigour of communist regimes made periodic attempts to even restrict human thinking, behaviour, families or even procreation. Same is the case with another military style communist regime led by President Kim Jong Un. These two are classic cases of turning respective communist parties into family enterprise or solo. Even in the most celebrated liberal democracies, freedom to live on one’s terms is skewed. Otherwise, there’s no plausible explanation for hatred heaped on minority Hindus either in US, UK, Canada, Australia or elsewhere. Constantly being targeted either in Columbia, California or elsewhere like Leicester in UK does not guarantee any freedom to even live, practice one’s ‘Dharma’. In countries run by religious fascism of extreme variety exemplified by Taliban in Afghanistan, military establishment in Pakistan, grooming gangs of UK and IS run Caliphate in Syria, threats to freedom is too grave to even discuss, decipher or interpret in saner terms. Gone are the days that hailed liberty, democracy and freedom centric slogans in these very countries. Constant threats to life, living spaces and eking out an earning honourably has become the basic issue in most of these ‘liberal minded’ societies that lecture the globe on freedom of every variety beginning with media to religion. A quick look in the mirror would reflect realities of life in these touted liberal democracies that time and again taken upon them to ostracise others on these very issues. Periodic reports dished out by USCIRF including latest speaks about non-availability of religious freedom in India. While credibility of this report or the team that trashes India needs to be called out, does this organization even recognize what’s happening in its own back yard? Gun running and violence related crimes due to factors like skin colour, religious faith or even the physical build of an individual is something the ‘most liberal democratic’ leadership in US refuses to even recognize. As per a last week’s BBC report that quoted not for profit organization, the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 160 mass shootings in United States so far in 2023. This report also puts the figures for mass shootings at 600 in each of the three preceding years. While freedom to live fearlessly is under threat, press and media freedom is a wee-bit complicated in both UK and US where lobbies, technology companies and access to information highway determine as to what messages are delivered to readers or narratives woven in conversations that are completely slanted and uni-focal. Freedom to live and report is definitely under threat. Threat perceptions have undergone a sea change. There’s no way any group, community or Dharmic people that can live unhindered. This may have to be recognized by all stakeholders. A global consensus on achieving freedom on different planes must be achieved. Lip service to freedom is like lip syncing in music. It’s not real. (author is Director & Chief Executive at non-partisan think tank, Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies based in New Delhi)

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Is it outright ignorance?

Western media’s refusal to acknowledge India’s Progress and transformative changes should be brought to closer scrutiny. K.A.Badarinath / Neha Dahiya Why’s it that several Western media editors are anti-India in their stance? Many media friends from Western world are either outright ignorant, pursue an editorial line given by their top management or oblivious to transformative changes that have turned this country into bulwark against tyranny, intolerance and is bustling with multifaceted activity. The view from London’s West Minister or US Capitol Hill may not fit into what’s on ground zero in India. Pathetic abhorrence about the country’s economic heft, celebration of diverse faiths, rule of law, thriving democracy and not for profit organizations that operate in multitude tantamount to driving a view point. It may not be easy for western trained minds to understand Indians sensitivity when casual and flippant comments are made. These commentators just may not fully comprehend this complex country, Hindutva, Modi or BJP and would have taken a line that’s far from truth. For that matter, rise of patriotic Hindus that love their country being equated with Mussolini’s forces is something that borders on ignorance par excellence. For instance, when The Guardian, The New York Times or BBC says 200-odd million Muslims in India are either being treated as second class citizens or subjected to genocide, do these responsible media outlets fully gauge the implications? I’m tempted to quote a recent research paper produced by Indian Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council member Shamika Ravi titled ‘A secular Democracy in Practice: Objective assessment of Amenities Programs in India’. The study that focuses on bottom 20 per cent households demolishes this preconceived view that minorities have been targeted in India. On the contrary, the study based on a nationally representative sample of 1.2 million households across 2015-21 shows no discrimination whatsoever against minorities. If at all, there’s bias in favour of minorities especially the Muslims who have been large beneficiaries of government schemes and projects to provide electricity connections, open bank accounts, access to toilets, mobile connectivity. In a few cases, the minorities dominated by Muslims have gained more than Hindus. The study cites the case of access to electricity provided to 71 per cent Muslim households while it was 68 per cent for Hindus. Bank accounts coverage in Muslim households was as high as 77 per cent. Even the myth that Hinduism purportedly dominated by ‘Brahminical order’ discriminates against low caste communities and tribes gets busted. While access to bank accounts for backward classes was 75 per cent, for scheduled castes and tribes it was over 70 per cent. Centre for Integrated and Holistic studies (CIHS), as a think tank based in New Delhi has recently put together a detailed report on State of Religious Minorities in India. The report’s in-depth analysis based on evidence and data provided by Indian Government and other agencies establishes that minorities have been big beneficiaries of specific schemes and projects for socio-economic progress of these faith-based groups. As per the report, 49,000 major infrastructure projects were sanctioned by Central Government for minorities including Muslims and their demarcated areas in last nine years till date. From schools, medical colleges, universities, top-notch health care centres, skill development institutes, service centres to sports facilities and handicraft hubs have either already become operative or in the process of execution. As per Ministry of Minority Affairs, students of religious minorities will have to study subjects that place them on par with other students. While the Ministry does not interfere in their traditional systems of education, it promotes subjects that enhance critical thinking, reasoning and incorporates scientific thinking. Religious minorities were allotted 35 graduation colleges, 177 residential schools, 1,572 school buildings, 23,473 classrooms, 14,311 smart classrooms and modern teaching aids, 689 student hostels, 94 ITI buildings, 20 skill centres, 15 polytechnics, 2,397 health projects, 413 sadbhava mandapas (community centres), 168 common service centres, 553 market sheds, 100+ hunar haats, 6,762 toilet and sanitation projects, 84 sports facilities, 27 working women hostels and one unani medical colleges. Central Government’s scheme for Education of Madrasas and Minorities (SPEMM) was reportedly rolled out. Madrasas which avail these schemes benefit from curriculum redesign and redevelopment that includes introduction of subjects like science, mathematics, social studies, Hindi, and English. Other skill development schemes like Seekho aur Kamao (i.e. Learn and Earn), USTTAD (Upgrading The Skills and Training in Traditional Arts / Crafts for Development), Nai Manzil, Haj Management were introduced by the government that were specifically for Muslims in India. A recent editorial in ‘The Guardian’ talked about laying an epitaph to multi-ethnic secular democracy in India. Again, this is a line that’s completely misplaced given that Election Commission of India is the most authoritative, independent and autonomous institution that does not allow elbow room for discrimination against any religious class, faith practice, castes, tribes or a political class. Even women representation in all four tiers of well-established Indian democratic structure has been on the rise. As per data provided by Law & Justice Minister Kiran Rijiju on December 9, 2022, Lok Sabha or lower house of Indian parliament has 14.94 per cent women members while upper house or Rajya Sabha accounts for 14.05 per cent. Similar is the case with state legislative assemblies, district councils to panchayats that represent lowest rung of Indian democracy at village level or clusters. If strong democratic institutions, law and order machinery coupled with judiciary were not enough, public scrutiny at virtually each level makes Indian democratic experience all the more unique though it’s a wee bit chaotic. This again demolishes Western perception that Indian democratic institutions ‘serve a particular ideology’. Western media reportage claims time and again that information gets censored routinely by the government and civil society organizations were hounded out. This is far from truth. As per Registrar of Newspapers for India, over 114,000 newspapers and publications in over 100 languages have formally been registered by the time Covid 19 set in India. This does not include scores of TV channels, websites

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‘Hatred against Hindus does not shock people’

Treated as ‘oppressors’, British Hindus face bullying, hatred, bigotry & slurs. Teaching on Hinduism with prejudice & colonial mind set Charlotte Littlewood Research I conducted last year for the Henry Jackson Society study found a 173 per cent increase in anti-semitic incidents in UK schools over the past five years. With the more general rise in anti-semitism a regular headline, what was almost more shocking than the research was just how little it shocked people. This year, we have looked into the experiences of Hindu pupils and found that 51 per cent of Hindu parents surveyed said their child had faced anti-Hindu hate in schools. Where are the protesters against this intolerance? Why is it that in an age of supposed anti-racism, attacks on both the longest standing victims of race hate and a people held under British colonial rule for hundreds of years draw so little concern? David Baddiel’s thesis rings true: Jews don’t count because they are not the right kind of victim. Contemporary anti-semitism draws on centuries-old bigotry that depicts them as “too rich” and “too powerful”. Now it seems this idea has barred another group of victims from victimhood: Hindus. For sections of the left, the world is divided into the “oppressor” and “oppressed”. Should you fall into the oppressor class you are everything that should be opposed and can never be a victim? Jews are viewed as white and powerful, imperialist and establishment, therefore deemed not able by definition to face racism and incapable of being victims. Hindus, it seems, have joined them. Last summer, more than 600 people took to the streets of Leicester in violent protest against alleged “Hindutva”, a term unfamiliar to many. To some it means Hindu nationalism, to others simply outward expression of “Hinduness”. While Muslim and Hindu youths had fought in what looked like gang-style territorial violence, there was little evidence of any political nationalist allegiances with India. Instead, concern over Hindu extremism lead to threats to find Hindus and “chop them up”, to “chase Hindus out of Leicester like they were chased out of Kashmir”, vandalism of vehicles and homes that displayed Hindu symbols and attacks on Hindu temples — all while the majority of mainstream media seemed to comment on any aspect other than Hindu-hate. Despite the evidence pointing towards youth gang violence dressed up as “Hindtuva” terrorism, reporting on the unrest in Leicester either endorsed the notion of “Hindutva” by giving a voice to key Islamist activists, or ignored the specific issues in Leicester by discussing nationalism on the subcontinent. Mohammed Hijab, for example, who declared at a pro-Palestine rally in 2021 that “we love death” and rallied the crowds in Leicester with anti-Hindu slurs, referring to them as “violent vegetarians” and declaring he was leading a Muslim patrol, was interviewed on Channel 4. The reporter described him as an influencer with conservative views. The results of our study showed parents reporting their children to have experienced anti-Hindu hate, with cases ranging from having beef thrown at them to physical assaults, being held accountable for politics in India and the caste system and being told the bullying will stop when they convert to Islam. But despite such harrowing case studies, less than one per cent of British schools have reported any form of anti-Hindu bullying incidents in the last five years. This particular form of hatred appears poorly understood and is at times fed by teachers with substandard and prejudicial colonialist teachings on Hinduism. Similar accusations have, of course, been made on teaching about Israel and Palestine in schools and a lack of consistent understanding and approach to defining antisemitism. The British Hindu community has joined the Jews in not being fit for victimhood. The perceived economic success of the community, the relative lack of engagement in issuing critiques against the West — indeed, enthusiastic embrace of it with a Hindu prime minister — bars Hindus from the class of the oppressed. India’s growing relationship with Israel has led far-left activists to associate Hindutva with Zionism, the death knell for leftist victim support. It is an uphill battle but we must challenge at every opportunity this narrative of “oppressed” and “oppressor” classes, which underlie antisemitic and anti-Hindu frameworks of thinking — or risk seeing intolerance and extremism continue on their upward trajectory. (Charlotte Littlewood is a researcher at the Henry Jackson Society. This article was first published in London-based The Jewish Chronicle)

Disinformation Hindus Media Misinformation

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Does ‘The Guardian’ understand Hindu way of life?

Making intolerable, unsustainable charges of caste bias on Hindus in UK, US or elsewhere is untenable. Get your facts right! UK based ‘The Guardian’ editorial board has made a completely flawed off the mark comment on caste related issues in India. In the edition dated April 17, 2023, titled, “‘Caste is anti-Asian hate’: the activists fighting ‘less visible’ discrimination in the US”, written by Claire Wang, shows a fabricated story of Thenmozhi Soundararajan. The comment centres around Soundararajan and a few others like her. Families of these individuals seem to have go through caste based discrimination purportedly for being dalits. For the moment, none may want to even question the facts narrated by these individuals that formed an organization in New York infamously known as Equality Labs. These individuals and the organization brand themselves as staunch believers of Babasaheb Ambedkar and were low caste Hindus. Equality labs branded itself as an organization that undertakes community research, cultural and political organising, popular education and digital security. In practice, it disproportionately spews venum on the very concept of ‘Hindu dharma’, sanatan way of living and instigating most Americans against minority Hindus. Personal grouses of few individuals that had difficult past has been trumped up as a community issue of low caste Hindus in India and elsewhere in the world especially US through Equality Labs. For Instance, Thenmozhi was a University of California Berkeley student who purportedly was tramautised by her teacher. Well, there’s no documentary evidence or veracity of her story is unknown. But, she’s taken upon herself to paint all Hindus with a Demonic brush which has conveniently been propagated by ‘The Guardian’. Unlike Thenmozhi and her gang, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar never attempted or discussed demonisation of Hindus or Hindutva. In contrast, Ambedkar consistently advocated for equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender, caste, colour, or religion. For ‘Dharmic’ practitioners, discrimination of every kind is anathema as Hindus believe in an all inclusive and just society. Political director of Equality Labs is neither a Dalit or a Hindu. Sharmin Hossain, originally from Bangladesh, tweeted about the need to demolish Hindutva citing rampant dominant caste bias. Self proclaimed Dalit activists in reality do not want California school children to study contributions of Hindu sages from low castes as part of World History. Otherwise, there’s no plausible reason for Thenmozhi and her friends to campaign for removal of Dalits contributions from world history books. She allied with groups such as the South Asian Faculty Group (SAFG), which opposed inclusion of sages like Valmiki, Ravidasa, and Vyasa that have low caste origins in the text books way back in 2016. On November 7, 2017, she was found provoking and harassing Dalit, Bahujan and other Hindu American children as well asa parents gathered for a public hearing in the California Department of Education (CDE) in Sacramento. Eventually, she was removed from the building by police and security staff for an hour. This group also lobbied with several entities or individuals to prejudice their nefarious agenda. For example, Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had once stoked a placard that read, ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy’. This action fuelled the anti-Hindu debate, and unsurprisingly that poster was designed by Thenmozhi Soundararajan. In reality, neither Dorsey had an inkling of what he was standing for nor Soundararajan. Falsification and manipulation by Thenmozhi didn’t stop here. During the organised Farmer’s Protest or Citizenship Amendment Act of India, Equality Labs, led by Thenmozhi manipulated information and pretended to be a victim. However, Thenmozhi and her self-identified Dalit community were never a discussion point in the protests that were centred around agriculture reforms and price issues. On Seattle City Council resolution relating to trumped up caste discrimination issues, First Hindu and Indian State Senator of Ohio, Niraj Antani, said, “I condemn in the strongest terms the ordinance passed by the Seattle City Council. Caste discrimination simply doesn’t exist now.” “Adding it to their non-discrimination policy is Hinduphobic and is a tool for those who are anti-Hindu to use to discriminate against Hindus in America, India, and around the world. Instead of passing this racist policy, Seattle should be passing policies to protect Hindus from discrimination, ” Niraj Antani added. On April 10, 2023, the California Civil Rights Department voluntarily dismissed a case against Cisco systems engineers Sundsar Iyer and Ramana Kompella who were victims of false allegations of caste based discrimination for the past three years. Iyer and Kompella were blatantly targeted because of their Hindu identities. Equality Labs promotes a narrative against Hindus citing upper-caste and Brahmins which is potentially dangerous, particularly given recent events in America and in India wherein, misinformation has lead to violent attacks on Hindus. For instance, the organisation has linked Hindu festivals like Holi to Hindu fascism and Brahmin dominance. Hindus and Hinduism is not exclusivist and its known for inclusivity. Equality Labs has been accused of supporting the Pakistani deep state-funded “free Kashmir” campaign and labelling Delhi riots, where the majority of victims were Hindus, as an “anti-Muslim pogrom.” Equality lab allied with radically anti-Hindu groups and participates in conferences like Dismantling Global Hindutva which perpetuates Hindu hatred and Anti-India agenda. It constantly looks for an opportunity to denigrate India and promote Hindu hatred using run of the mill speeches and activities from business interactions.

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