COVID-19: Pandemic Vs Propaganda

By

-

July 12, 2020

The Bharatiya Janata Party versus the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi battle was on full public display during the pandemic. BJP held its ‘Maharashtra Bachao’ (Save Maharashtra) agitation, with party workers across the state in black masks, unfurled banners slamming the Thackeray-led government over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. There were many attacks on social media, BJP leaders like Kirit Somaiya, has played a full-time blame machine by circulating videos and pictures of various hospitals and patients to show how this government has failed to overcome pandemic. Whereas Uddhav is doing a good job in the crisis. He did not allow a meeting similar to Nizamuddin in Maharashtra and handled the Bandra and Palghar incidents well. He is doing things well despite all the dirty tricks of BJP supporters and leaders. He kept Maharashtra united in the face of the crisis. Mumbai is an overpopulated city where many people travel by trains. Many hid their history and might have spread it to others while they were symptomatic. The cases are rising but it’s stable in rising not like the other countries. We should acknowledge the Government and help them in such crises rather than hurling attacks.

There are educated fools who go for walks don’t wear masks and don’t even follow rules. It’s not the government’s fault. They are trying their best to contain the spread. On the other hand, as part of its agitation, state BJP unit party workers were seen in social and broadcast media shouting slogans against the Thackeray government, holding placards in a symbolic protest. The protests were held outside their homes, state, district and city party offices in a move to roll out a campaign and to generate a sentiment against the government. BJP also made demands of an independent fiscal package worth Rs 50,000 crore for farmers, daily wage earners in the state to combat Covid-19. If you look at the pattern of Coronavirus spread throughout the world, you will know why it is more in Maharashtra and most in Mumbai. It has nothing to do with Government or governance. Why would anyone want to fail, they know their survival is on services they rendered to people? In India, the strongest economy is that of the state of Maharashtra and Mumbai is India’s biggest commercial and industrial hub. It has a flourishing diversified economy; it is most industrialized and home to India’s heavy industry. Entertainment, Fashion, Apparel, international trade, tourism etc. are the pillars of its affluence. Now I am not saying that the economy per se is responsible for spreading the virus but a bigger economy automatically causes bigger movement of people. This virus has been imported in India through travellers, traders, tourists and returning NRIs. Mumbai is the gateway of India; hence the virus is bound to find its way through the gateway. It started infecting the rich and through local transmission found its way into the poorer habitations.

Besides, lifestyle also plays a contributor. In Mumbai, almost the entire upper- and middle-class population lives in multi-storied buildings. Whether it’s the deluxe apartments of the rich or the chawls of the lower middle class, the residents share too many spaces and there’s a constant physical interaction between them. In lobbies, in lifts and in hallways they are coming physically close to each other. The poor who live mostly in slums and at least one hundred share a toilet each day; have statistically speaking, higher probability of contracting the virus. So, let us focus on saving lives and not get into a political blame game. In time to come, research will expose the weaknesses in our system. The Shiv Sena and other ruling parties did not take this lightly and slammed the Opposition for playing politics amidst a full-blown disaster. They also hit back on social media. The former CM has also alleged that the state and the city have reduced testing of patients in a bid to bring down the Covid-19 positive cases. Government is doing all that is possible, there is point in questioning their integrity.

It is our fault too, as soon as the lockdown is little relaxed, we have allowed Newspaperwala, Kachrawala, Doodhwala, Watchmen everybody passes through the floor by using elevators. Don’t you think it’s every individual’s responsibility to get a test done and make sure we don’t spread the virus in our building at least let alone the area. We just want to blame authority and government by getting influenced by political propaganda and forwards; do you think Uddhav Thackeray is a magician? Take a look at Mumbai, and see how people live there in such close proximity to each other. Wherever you go a huge crowd is running around. CoOVID-19 is spreading in Mumbai like any other state or city of India and the world and you want to find fault with only Uddhav Thackeray? Uddhav Thackeray has tried his best to stop COVID-19 spreading like many other heads of state across the world. All of them have succeeded in a few ways and failed in a few ways. It is immature to criticize only Uddhav and play random politics by taking advantage of such crises.

NCP chief Pawar says, ‘China’ a bigger threat than Pakistan

By

Afternoon Voice

-

July 12, 2020

Amid the border tension with China, NCP president Sharad Pawar has said, China is a “bigger threat to India” than Pakistan. China’s military might is “ten times greater” than India, the former defence minister said, adding that Beijing has “weaned away” India’s neighbours to its side.

The Centre should try to put international pressure on China through negotiations and diplomatic channels, Pawar said in an interview with ‘Saamana’. The second of the three-part interview series was published in the Marathi daily on Sunday.

“When we think of an enemy, the first name that comes to our mind is that of Pakistan. But we need not worry about Pakistan. In the long term, it is China that has the power, vision and programme to act against Indian interests. China is a bigger threat to India,” Pawar said. The “real threat to India is from China” which has become economically strong, he added.

“By creating a picture of camaraderie, you can’t resolve issues between two countries,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handshakes and hugs with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the latter’s India visit. Asked about the clash between Chinese and Indian soldiers at Galwan Valley in Ladakh last month, Pawar said, “When I say there should be no politics over the issue, it is because we can attack them. But the entire country will have to pay a heavy price when there is retaliation to the attack.” “Instead of striking, we should try to put international pressure on China through negotiations and diplomatic channels,” he said.

Pawar said China had turned not just Pakistan, but even countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka against India. “When Modi became prime minister for the first time, he went to Nepal to offer prayers at the Pashupatinath temple.

Modi praised Nepal, calling it India’s friend and the first Hindu nation. Now Nepal is not with us, but on China’s side,” the former Union minister said. India took the lead to liberate Bangladesh, and now the neighbouring country has signed a treaty with China, he said.

“China has weaned away all our neighbours to its side. This is the contribution of the recent period, Pawar said in an apparent reference to the Modi government.

He said Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi are always blamed for their handling of China and Pakistan. “But, during the tenure of Nehru, India and China shared warm relations,” he said.

Nehru was of the view that China will become a superpower some day and that India should maintain a cordial relation with it since tensions were not beneficial to either of the two countries, he said. Nehru introduced the Panchsheel treaty with China and there was peace in the region, the NCP chief said.

“Unfortunately, the Chinese leadership took a different stand and there was a conflict. This aspect cannot be ignored, he said. Speaking on the present state of the Indian economy, Pawar said Prime Minister Modi should consult economists and experts like Manmohan Singh to revive the economy.

“When Manmohan Singh was the Union finance minister, he gave a new direction to the Indian economy. I was also part of that Union cabinet. I credit Singh and late P V Narasimha Rao for the turnaround of the economy from crisis,” he said. “Modi should also take the help of experts. The country will support him in all the steps taken by him, he said, adding that the “country needs another Manmohan Singh”.

NIA arrests 2 key accused Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair in Kerala gold smuggling case

By

Afternoon Voice

-

July 12, 2020

Two key accused in Kerala gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, were taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Bengaluru on Saturday, official sources said.

Swapna is named as the second accused and Sandeep has been named as the fourth accused in the FIR taken by NIA and both have been slapped with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, (UAPA) along with first accused Sarith PS and third accused Fazil Fareed.

Already, Sarith PS was arrested by the Customs, while Fazil Fareed is still at large. NIA officials yesterday conducted a detailed interrogation of Sarith after reaching the customs office in Kochi where he is in custody.

According to the official statement issued by NIA, “Accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair have been detained in Kerala Gold Smuggling case. They are being examined and will be arrested in due course. They have been detained from BTM Layout in Bangalore.”

It is learned that both of them will be taken to Kochi after getting the transit warrant. The NIA sleuths carried out the arrest a day when customs officially asked the assistance of Kerala police for the investigation and the arrest of the duo.

Kerala DGP had constituted a special investigation team headed by Kochi City Deputy Commissioner of Police G Poonguzhali. The team he said will also coordinate with Customs and the NIA.

Meanwhile, Customs is carrying out multiple raids in Thiruvananthapuram including the house of Sandeep Nair in the outskirts of the city. According to sources, in the raid Customs has found crucial evidence to establish the case.

Customs officials also carried out a raid in a flat in Thiruvananthapuram city where former principal secretary to Chief Minister M Sivasankar used to reside.

The customs also seized the visitor’s register and recorded statements of the staff.

Is blasphemy law in modern times justified? – Part 3

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

July 11, 2020

In India due to the political scenarios the minorities are safe and have equal voices as majority. Here everyone is punishable under Blasphemy law. If we look into the history of India in 1953, the Tamil reformer EV Ramaswami Naicker smashed an idol of Lord Ganesha in public at the Town Hall maidan in Tiruchirapalli. Naicker, who was angered by Hinduism’s caste system, made a speech announcing his intention to do this before breaking the idol. Veerabadran Chettiar, an offended Hindu, filed a case under two laws. Section 295: Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years. Section 295-A: Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of citizens of India, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. The Tiruchirapalli magistrate dismissed the petition. On the first charge, he said that simply because the mud figure resembled Lord Ganesha it cannot become an object held sacred. He accepted an offence was made out on the second charge (295-A), but that law required government sanction for the case to be registered, which had not come. He dismissed that also. The petitioner appealed. The session’s judge dismissed the appeal. He agreed with the magistrate, saying the idol was the private property of those who broke it.

Also Read: Is blasphemy law in modern times justified? – Part 2

The matter went to high court. The judge said the idol broken did not come within the scope of “any object held sacred by any class of persons”. An idol in a temple or one in a religious procession would, he clarified, but not any object resembling a deity. Even a toy in such a shape would otherwise qualify as being sacred. No offence was made out, the judge said, and dismissed the appeal. On to the Supreme Court. On August 25, 1958, Justice BP Sinha said the high court was wrong to have imported meaning into the words “held sacred”. It was not necessary for the object to have been worshipped for it to be sacred. For instance, the Bible, Holy Quran and the Guru Granth Sahib were also objects held sacred. Sinha asked the judiciary to be circumspect in such matters and consider the feelings and religious emotions, irrespective of whether or not they share those beliefs, or whether they are rational or otherwise, in the opinion of the court. However, after making these observations, Sinha then dismissed the appeal saying the matter had become “stale” since five years had passed. What his observations did was not to set a precedent, which would have happened had the case been dismissed on merit. Two aspects were important here. First, a tolerance for offences against god shown by India’s lower judiciary. Second, and this is from Sinha, a reminder that such offences are likely to have consequences and, therefore, should not be encouraged. On April 20, 1960, the Allahabad High Court fined a man, Khalil Ahmad, for costs of Rs1,200 after he sued for getting his books released. He had written texts praising Yazid and Muawiya, saying they had a place in heaven according to Hanafi consensus. The state then seized his books. The judges cited Justice Sinha’s observation in ruling against him. There are not many blasphemy cases reported in India. In my years as a sessions court reporter in the 1990s and most of the case studies in legal volumes refer to events that happened 50 years or more ago. I would attribute this to a generally high tolerance in the population for the other’s faith, and a pragmatic and alert police force and judiciary. What is different in Pakistan?

Incidentally, Naicker, the idol-smasher was also the founder of the Dravidian movement that produced both of Tamil Nadu’s main political parties, DMK (Karunanidhi) and ADMK (Jayalalitha). Naicker’s successors converted an anti-Brahmin movement into a powerful political force that now does not seek to offend. Then the AIADMK chief, Jayalaitha, a Braahmin and both parties are inclusive. Naicker’s act is all but forgotten today and seen as political not religious. We see many political party leaders and workers making derogatory comments about each other’s religious faiths, but they just render apology after outrage by people and get scot free. Whereas a common man or the citizen of this nation gets prosecuted under judicial provision. Criminalizing criticism of religion is also difficult to reconcile with guarantees of freedom of expression and freedom of religion contained in such widely embraced documents as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Rights. It also has been demonstrated that blasphemy laws are more likely to be enforced against religious minorities than adherents of a majority faith. Equally disturbing, blasphemy laws are being repackaged as prohibitions on “hate speech.” Over the years there has been a campaign, led by some Muslim nations, to have the international community condemn “defamation of religion.” This rhetorical sleight of hand allows defenders of blasphemy laws to portray them as protections for persecuted believers rather than the enforcement of a theological orthodoxy.

Thankfully, India does not have a blasphemy law which punishes an individual for criticizing the concept of GOD or religious beliefs and no individual can be punished for leaving his/her religion or converting to another religion. Apostasy is not punishable in any way, but can be used as a ground for divorce (does not automatically lead to). Missionaries and Dawah groups are having a heyday in India. And we have communist parties too. Hinduism is India’s dominant religion, being polytheistic and pantheistic, does not have the concept of blasphemy, and laws pertaining to religion and blasphemy are absent in the Indian constitution. While India has no laws that specifically prohibit blasphemy, section 295A of the Indian Penal Code has been used as a blasphemy law. There have been widespread calls in India to repeal this regressive British era code. India is a multiracial, multilingual, multi religious country, where people of all hue and color are living together in peace. This uniqueness, harmony, unity in diversity is our well-acknowledged characteristics. We have to preserve it.
We have already witnessed our great country being mercilessly and quite meaninglessly divided on the name of religion and anyhow survived the holocaust caused by religious differences and hatred. We can’t risk large scale dissension on religious lines among any section of the society by any way intruding, introducing, imposing, influencing their customs, beliefs, practices or hurting their sentiments. Majority has to accommodate, compromise, sacrifice sometimes for the minority. Incidentally, minority is no longer a minority, going by its growth and size. It constitutionally enjoys equal footing and has a major say in policy matters, with wholesome participation and contribution in all spheres of lives. Religion is still a major influence, though its utility, credibility and relevance are often questioned. However, it is something eternal and personal. In our democracy, everyone has the freedom of belief and no one should try to criticize or interfere into it. We all talk about universal religion, but the time is not ripe yet. Even small things are sometimes grossly highlighted and misinterpreted by certain elements and they unnecessarily become the cause of communal tensions and violence. A system works on certain permissions and prohibitions. The law in its place serves its purpose at present.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Overcrowding of prisons, staff shortages, Covid-19 death surge, all is not well

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

July 10, 2020

At least 20 jails in Maharashtra are facing overcrowding that could lead to them becoming a possible coronavirus hotspot. Arthur Road jail in the city houses prisoners three times its capacity of 800, while Yerwada jail in Pune has over 6,000 inmates and Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai has over 3,000 inmates.

Before the March 24 lockdown, there were nearly 36,000 prisoners housed in jails across the state, including undertrials and convicts. Till Tuesday, 4,735 prisoners, most of them undertrials facing a maximum punishment of up to seven years, have been released from 37 jails as per the orders of local courts in each district since March 24. Most prisons in ‘red zones’ — COVID-19 hotspots areas — more steps towards decongesting prisons were required. Observing that the “bitter truth is that our prisons are overcrowded, making it difficult for the prisoners to maintain social distancing and that is the reason COVID19 deaths are on rise.

Prison officials say that decongesting jails will require releasing such convicts as well, who form a major portion of the prison population. An official from the Home Department told the media that the changes to the recommendations, including on the point of release of convicts, were being discussed.

Indian prisons have 17% more prisoners than their full capacity. Some prisons have more than double its capacity. When social distancing is key to breaking chain of infections, this kind of overflowing occupancy is a matter of grave concern. Sanitation facilities in prisons are terrible. The Maharashtra government has released 601 inmates from 37 prisons in the last few days to reduce crowding in view of the coronavirus outbreak.A total of 104 prisoners were released in the western region, 113 in central, 145 in south and 239 in east. These are from Central as well as district prisons. In the eastern region, 86 prisoners were released from Nagpur Central Jail, while in the western region, the number was 51 from Yerawada Jail.Mumbai Central Jail released 68 prisoners. These over crowded jails are vulnerable to many factors including coronavirus outbreak.

Indian prisons are known for overcrowded inmates. The sanitation facilities inside jails are horrible. Prison authorities need to ensure that inmates maintain six feet distance between each other. The authorities need to work out a plan. Having no plan to protect the prisoners from contracting novel coronavirus will be a violation of human rights.

As on December 19, the Tihar Jail had an inmate population of 17,534 while its capacity is 10,026.Maharashtra too faces a similar threat. The state has also proposed to release over 5,000 inmates, besides proposing to make Covid-19 tests mandatory for all new inmates.

Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail, which houses 3,231 inmates against a capacity of less than 1,000, has set up 20 isolation cells for sick prisoners. The high-security Yerwada Jail in Pune has 5,569 inmates and 18 kids (born inside prison). Government may take any security measures but tension remains. Haryana has also asked prison authorities to come up with a block-wise timetable relating to food and other services to prevent overcrowding. Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Maharashtra and Ladakh have identified vulnerable groups of prisoners like aged prisoners with respiratory diseases. They are given special attention. Rajasthan and Jharkhand are decongesting prisons by transferring prisoners to other, less congested prisons.

In Kerala, prison authorities are educating their inmates about the novel coronavirus and are asking them to remain conscious and cautious about their surroundings. On March 16, the Supreme Court directed all states and Union Territories to submit written replies on steps that are being taken to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus among prisoners and juveniles. On March 23, it suggested that prisoners convicted of or charged with offences involving jail terms of seven years or less could be considered for being released on parole or interim bail. Some prisoners who had been released from the Arthur Road Jail had approached private NGO’s that the living conditions at the jail are vulnerable. There is a serious question of violation of human rights at the jail. When more prisoners are accommodated than its capacity, prisoners are treated inhumanely. They suffer from health problems and the food served is pathetic. The prisoners at the jail are suffering from acute mental stress due to bad living conditions.

As per the Right To Information (RTI) data sought by the NGO, 2,844 prisoners were lodged at Arthur Road Jail on May 25. The next day, the number of prisoners increased to 2897. On May 27, the number increased to 2,819. On May 28, the number of inmates at the jail was 2,809, while on May 29th it was 2,797. On May 30, there were 2,779 prisoners, while on May 31 there were 2,766 inmates. Most prisons in India have vacancies greater than 20%. And the bigger, more populated heartland states post figures that are way higher.

India’s prisons are understaffed by at least 33 per cent with the highest vacancies found at the officer and correctional staff levels. This has increased the workload of the staff and is having an impact on the ‘correctional’ aspect of imprisonment. The findings are part of the India Justice Report 2019, an initiative of Tata Trusts.

According to the report, the nationwide prison occupancy rate stood at 114 per cent as of 2016. On any given day, there are over 400,000 prisoners in India. Much of this overcrowding is due to the presence of ‘undertrials’ – people in custody awaiting investigation, inquiry or trial – who constitute nearly 68 per cent of all prison inmates. For every convict, India has two undertrials in its jails.

The report says that overcrowding of prisons, staff shortages at all levels – officers, cadre staff, correctional staff, medical staff and medical officers – low salaries, poor training and long hours characterise prison administrations across states. Nationally, on average, vacancies ranged from 33 per cent to 38.5 per cent. These vacancies rose by 10 per cent between December 2012 and December 2016. With the exception of three states and Union Territories, all others registered high levels of vacancies in 2016.

The Model Prison Manual, 2016, has suggested one correctional officer for every 200 prisoners and one psychologist for every 500. Nationally, as of 2016, this ratio stands at one welfare officer per 2,033 prisoners and 21,650 prisoners for one psychologist. At the cadre level, as of 2016, only 15 states met the benchmark of six inmates per cadre set by the manual.

Maharashtra’s prisons nearing 800 deaths

By

Afternoon Voice

-

July 10, 2020

The overcrowded prisons are already a challenge to state and above all the numbers of Covid-19 cases across Maharashtra’s prisons are nearing 800 and the death toll stands at four. Meanwhile, 281 inmates and 93 prison staff have recovered till now. Last month, Bombay High Court had said the coronavirus tests being conducted on inmates lodged in jails and correctional homes in Maharashtra were not sufficient. The Nagpur Central Prison is the worst hit, with more than 200 inmates and 57 prison staff infected with the virus. A few days ago, 68 inmates out of the 300 at the Akola District Jail had tested positive for Covid-19.

The first set of cases in Maharashtra’s prisons was reported at the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai. More than 100 inmates and prison staff were found to be infected. Maharashtra’s prison department said on Friday 596 inmates and 167 prison staff have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) across the state till date.

The People’s Union of Civil Liberties, one of the oldest human rights groups in India, brought to the court’s notice that the number of tests being conducted in jails and correctional homes was terribly low. Maharashtra continues to be India’s worst-affected state by the coronavirus pandemic where the numbers of cases have crossed the 230,000-mark and the death toll stands at 9,667.

Is blasphemy law in modern times justified? – Part 2

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

July 10, 2020

Pakistan’s Blasphemy law stems from section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (6th October, 1860) XLV of 1860. It states that whoever “defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.” This law is phrased in vague terms therefore violating the principle of legality, and is often used to level false accusations at people from religious minorities. Asia Bibi is a notable example of a person against whom such a violation occurred. Victims of these false accusations are often presumed guilty, and can be convicted without substantive evidence. Independent human rights organisation Global Human Rights Defence receives a number of cases each month from the representatives of victims of the blasphemy law.

According to the 2012 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) annual report, “The government of Pakistan continues to engage in and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief. The USCIRF has designated Pakistan as “country of particular concern” since 2002. The report argues that “The country’s blasphemy laws, used predominantly in Punjab but also nationwide, target members of religious minority communities and dissenting Muslims and this frequently results in imprisonment.

Also Read: Is blasphemy law in modern times justified? – Part 1

The USCIRF is aware of at least 16 individuals on death row and 20 more serving life sentences. The blasphemy law, along with anti-Ahmadi laws that effectively criminalise various practices of their faith, has created a climate of vigilante violence. Hindus have suffered from the climate of violence and hundreds have fled Pakistan for India. Farahnaz Ispahani who was the media advisor to the President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2012, has blamed the successive Pakistani governments of pursuing a “slow genocide” against minorities to shore up their political base. These clauses can be grouped into two categories – the anti-Ahmadi laws and the blasphemy laws.”. There is widespread popular support for these laws in Pakistan, and that two prominent critics of these laws, Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti, have been assassinated in 2011. Hundreds of Christians are among the accused – at least 12 of them were given the death sentence for blaspheming against the Prophet in Pakistan. Mass anti-Christian violence occurred in the 2009 Gojra riots and in the 2013 Joseph Colony riot and the 2013 Gujranwala riot. Anti-Shia violence includes the February 2012 Kohistan Shia Massacre, the August 2012 Mansehra Shia Massacre and the particularly deadly January 2013 and February 2013 Quetta bombings. The Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan was targeted in the similarly deadly May 2010 attacks on Ahmadi mosques in Lahore.

A survey carried out by All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement Pakistan’s revealed that out of 428 Hindu temples in Pakistan only around 20 survive today and they remain neglected by the Evacuee Trust Property Board which controls those while the rest had been converted for other uses since 1990. However, in November 2019, the government of Pakistan started the restoration process for 400 Hindu temples in Pakistan. After restoration, the temples will be reopened to Hindus in Pakistan. Pakistan has various religious minorities. According to the 1941 census of India, there were 12 million non-Muslims in the provinces that today form Pakistan. During and after Pakistan’s independence in 1947, about 5 million Hindus and Sikhs emigrated, with Punjab alone accounting for migration of 3.9 million. 14.2% of Pakistan’s total population, including Bangladesh, was non-Muslim minorities according to 1951 census. In 1951, the Non-Muslim minorities population was 3.44% in Pakistan while in Bangladesh, the Non-Muslims had a majority share comprising 23.20 per cent of the total population in Bangladesh. After the partition, non-Muslims formed about a quarter of East Bengal’s population and 14% overall. By 1997, the percentage of Hindus remained stable at 1.85% in Pakistan, while Bangladesh has witnessed a decline with Hindus migrating from it because of insecurity due to fear of persecution, conflict, communal violence (as a result of newly-created Bangladesh’s assertion of its Muslim identity) and poverty, The percentage of Hindus in Bangladesh had dropped to 9.2% by 2011, with non-Muslims accounting for 10.2% of the population. Much of the decrease in minorities of Pakistan has occurred due to the events around the partition, the wars of 1965 and 1971. Various causes like religious violence and forced conversions are attributed as responsible for the decline of minorities. Forced conversions and marriages represent a significant threat to underage girls in Pakistan. Around 1000 girls belonging to religious minorities were estimated to be forcibly converted every year according to NGOs. In November 2019, Pakistan formed a parliamentary committee to stop the act of forced conversion in the country. According to Western religious freedom and human rights monitoring groups, religious minorities face severe discrimination in Pakistan.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Is blasphemy law in modern times justified? – Part 1

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

July 9, 2020

Blasphemy is one of the world’s most abused laws when it comes to overpowering the voices of minorities, rationalists as well as at many times most of the think tanks and intellectuals who often comes under a rain of questions over its legality in the present modern formations of the world. While often it is regarded as a judicious restriction over the freedom of speech and expression, it many a times is also viewed as an interference in the development of a scientific temper among people and also a practice of imposing the religious beliefs and virtues of one community over another. In this modern world where Freedom of Speech as well as Freedom of Religion are widely considered as fundamental and human rights, India despite being a pluralist countries with an incomparable diversity in its population, having a vast ocean of varied conflicting opinions has the Section 295-A in Indian Penal Code, 1860 which is a law against blasphemy under the guise of Hate speech. Same goes with Pakistan too. Mockery toward God, religion, a religious icon, or something else considered sacred in every religion. It has been held to be a common-law crime in the United States, India and Pakistan because of its tendency to stir up breaches of the peace. It is expressly made punishable. However, the rationale behind declaring blasphemy a crime is not only applicable in common law countries but throughout the world. Multiple countries across the world have blasphemy laws in their penal system despite having different demography and legal systems. The offense of blasphemy may relate to a particular religion or may be towards all religions and may carry penalty ranging from a mere fine in Italy to death penalty in Pakistan. However, many countries do not have blasphemy laws in their penal system. The United States of America ruled out Blasphemy law as unconstitutional as it was a violation of the Freedom of Speech.

India being a pluralist country & secular just like America, had no provision against blasphemy until the year 1927 when the Section 295(A) was incorporated in the Indian Penal Code, 1860 stating that “Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of citizens of India by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine, or with both”. But the question however is, is blasphemy law in modern India justified? If we speak about freedom of speech then we should notice that the anti-blasphemy laws do far more damage than good to society. They are used not to promote tolerance but as an excuse to commit violence. They do this in two ways: by encouraging extremist groups, and by restricting freedom of thought and religion itself. Without those rights a society inches towards becoming a religious dictatorship, as Pakistan is doing. The first point is important. By letting religious groups get their way, we encourage them like spoilt kids. We end up giving them a license to whip up outrage for their own political agendas or against others. It has happened in Pakistan for decades and it’s increasingly happening in India. In June the police arrested a member of the radical Hindu group called Sanatan Sanstha, who are prime suspects behind the murders of three Indian rationalists. These activists were targeted simply for campaigning against religious superstition and fake sadhus. And that’s just one example. All India Bakchod had supposedly offended Christians or when writer Wendy Doniger had her book banned because a Hindu outfit called it “vulgar” or when the movie Nanak Shah Fakir was pulled because hardline Sikh groups were angry. India is now full of religious groups who threaten violence if they feel wounded on behalf of their gods.

Same is in Pakistan, a Pakistani court sentenced a university professor to death for blasphemy under a law that critics say is often used to target minorities and liberal activists. Junaid Hafeez, 33, was arrested in March 2013 for posting derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed on social media. Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in conservative Muslim-majority Pakistan, where laws against it carry a potential death sentence. Even unproven allegations have led to mob lynchings and vigilante murders. Hafeez’s sentence was announced in the central city of Multan, where he was a university professor at the time of his arrest. Hafeez’s lawyer was killed in 2014 after receiving death threats during a hearing. About 40 people convicted of blasphemy are on death row in Pakistan, according to a 2018 estimate by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The acquittal last October of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who had spent more than eight years on death row for blasphemy, provoked violent protests across Pakistan, leaving large swathes of the country paralysed. Bibi now lives in Canada with her family. While many cases involve Muslims accusing Muslims, rights activists have warned that religious minorities — particularly Christians — are often caught in the crossfire, with blasphemy charges used to settle personal scores.

Rajgruha, gets round the clock security, one suspect gets arrested for vandalism

By

Afternoon Voice

-

July 9, 2020

Rajgruha, the residence of Dr. BR Ambedkar at Mumbai’s Dadar was damaged by an unidentified miscreant. The Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry in the vandalism of this place. This is not the first time that the Rajgruh is attacked, they the trustees former and present have a lot of animosity among each other, and above all the Maratha reservation bill verdict is to be declared by the court. There are possibilities that the irrelevant people took advantage of the situation. The act of vandalism has sparked huge chaos among the followers and politicians in Maharashtra. Leaders across the party lines have condemned the issue and have demanded strict action against the accused.

Dalit Atavist and journalist Gautam Korde told Afternoon Voice, “Vandalism and hooliganism are very low-level elements activities and they actually have no fixed political alignment. They don’t have bigger motives or even ideology, most of them might not even be aware of Ambedkar’s contribution. Only thing they know is that someone they don’t like or don’t subscribe to has mentioned or used Ambedkar in their political speeches. They make use of the heightened emotions and burn buses, vandalize. They do it because it’s fun for them and they can go away with it if they do it as part of the crowd.”

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that they will not accept any kind of attack. “Rajgruh acts as a motivation not only to Ambekarites but all communities. This is a holy place. A lot of books by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar have been left here for us. We will not tolerate such an act of insult. Strict actions will be taken against the culprits who were involved in this attack,” Chief Minister said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded swift action against the culprits involved in the vandalism at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s home ‘Rajgruha’. The pots and plants in the premises of ‘Rajgruha’ in Mumbai were smashed and some CCTV cameras were also damaged. However, the police have dismissed the political angle in the attack. Maharashtra AAP Secretary Dhananjay Shinde said that this vandalism was shameful and unacceptable.

Home minister Anil Deshmukh said that the government has decided to provide round the clock security to the place. He said that the police have started a search of the miscreants and soon they will be nabbed. Across party lines, all leaders condemned this attack.

Housing minister Dr Jitendra Awhad, who has visited the spot, said that Rajgruh is a holy place for them and the attack on this place will not be tolerated.

Maharashtra Congress president and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat said that such an act is ‘reprehensible’. “Rajgruha is the residence of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, which is a place of inspiration for Ambedkar followers like us. We condemn the cowardly attack and the attackers should be arrested immediately and severe punishment should be meted to them,” Thorat said, adding that many memories of Ambedkar are attached to this building. Ambedkar’s grandson and Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar said that people should maintain peace and no one should gather at large numbers at the place.

Meanwhile. Mumbai Police has detained a person on Wednesday afternoon in connection with the unsuccessful bid to vandalize Rajgruha. “The detained suspect looks similar to the one that was captured on the footage of CCTV (closed-circuit TV) installed at Rajgruha. The suspect is seen damaging potted plants inside the compounds of the house. He is being questioned. He will be arrested, if he is found to be involved in the vandalism bid,” said Viresh Prabhu, additional commissioner of police (ACP), (central region), Mumbai Police.

Mumbai Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against an unidentified person under Section 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50) and Section 447 (criminal trespass) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a complaint lodged by Bhimrao Ambedkar, one of the three grandsons of Dr. Ambedkar. The accused had entered Rajgruha from a three-feet high gate, which was open on Tuesday evening. He came bare feet and damaged potted plants and also shattered Rajgruha’s window panes with stones. However, CCTV cameras were not damaged, a police official said.

Why no reservations for Brahmins in India?

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

July 7, 2020

Today there was trending on Twitter #सवर्णो_की_भी_सुनो_सरकार, which means government should listen to upper cast community too. Many netizens expressed anguish and injustice done to these people. India is the only country in the world which has reservation system and that would be never abolished. Maratha community wanted reservation because it will uplift the poor and uneducated Marathas. It will help them to compete in the world otherwise they will probably become modern Dalits. In spite of knowing the fact that the cast system is curse for developing India, politics will never let it settled. Many educated, financially well people enjoying fruits of reservation and those people who are economically backwards are suffering. So far minorities and Dalits enjoyed every facility in the name of reservation not the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, unanimously passed a Bill without discussion that grants 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in education and government jobs. The Maratha community, which constitutes over 30 per cent of the state’s population, has been demanding reservation in government jobs and education for a long time. The Dhangar community too was demanding a similar reservation. Maharashtra Approves 16 Per Cent Quota for Marathas in Education, Jobs. The Bill provides for reservation of seats for admission in educational institutions and posts in public services to Marathas who have been declared as socially and educationally backward class of citizens.

If you are one of those stubborn caste-based reservation supporters, who believe that the purpose of reservation is to help people who were ill-treated, and rejected basic social rights, irrespective of whether they now need it or not, then obviously Maratha people do not need reservation. We have to eradicate the caste system completely. Profession based castes were existing for thousands of years in India; however, their movements resulted into social discrimination and then disrespect for each other. It had already created imbalance in the society and the reservation (in education) has been the next big thing over last 70 years. The communities belonging to reservation quota have got sufficient time to recover from their backlogs in terms of fairness in education and government jobs. Now is the time when those who benefited from the reservation should work to uplift their communities instead of encouraging them continuing utilizing the reservation? It will keep their social status as-it-is for ages. There won’t be sufficient willingness in the individuals from those communities to grow on their own. On other hand, nowadays people are choosing professions which were owned by some other caste in past. For example, a blacksmith may have chosen to become a goldsmith; or a carpenter is doing a dairy business (which has been possible just because of the kind of democracy we have). But the real issue is that if they have forgotten to show respect towards the other community.

Reservation will make the community weaker in the long run. Aim of reservation system was to overcome social discrimination. Considering that one generation lasts for 25 years, this reservation system has already covered generations and still not all people from backward class (I personally don’t like to use this term) are well benefited from this. On other hand, other communities which don’t have reservation quota, the situations have changed a lot over the past many decades. Not all people from these communities are wealthy. Despite of getting good marks, they don’t get admissions easily for their favorite course or colleges. Even if they get the admission, fees are very high and there are no scholarships or concessions. Whereas there is provision of scholarship and fee concession for people getting admissions through reservation quota, this has created unrest in communities which don’t have reservation quota. Brahmin community is one of these communities who are demanding equal reservation in jobs and education. Brahmins are not like the oppressed section of people but they should also be considered for reservation. In India there are many so called Forward Caste people who are struggling financially for all reason that Dalit and Marathas are suffering. There are so many live examples to understand how a section of so-called oppressed caste people get all the benefits though they are economically rich. Brahmins are no exception; they do suffer in many cases just like oppressed castes. I personally feel equality is being denied to Brahmins due to caste just like it was denied by so called Forward caste people to the so-called fraught caste. Reservation should not be seen as Tit for Tat. It should be considered as a chance of bringing equality. So, the concern to abolish reservation by so called Forward Caste is absurd. Similarly, ignoring economically backward Brahmins from reservation is absurd too. Moreover, talented and deserving brilliant Brahmin’s opportunity and ability has been killed by reservation policy of our country which gives facility only on the basis of caste. As a result of that they left India and migrate to west and established themselves. Most of the educated Brahmins are fairly settled in foreign countries by adding to their country’s development.

These days purpose of reservation system has changed by politicians from empowerment to a trigger point during elections to gain advantage out of it. Rather than creating harmony in society, it is now creating unrest. Our country needs better schemes than the reservations to overcome inequality and provide equal opportunities to all based on talent. But this is going to take many years. There should be reasonable cut off criteria for reservation seats. This is to make sure those courses like medical which deal with lives of people will have good students. The seats remaining after filling up reservation quota students (meeting cut off criteria as said in point number should be made open to all and strictly filled up according to merit list. Fee concessions and scholarships should be offered based on economic conditions and not caste based. With these changes hopefully everyone would get equal opportunity to get quality education without compromises. My heart cries when people cry foul for reservations, if this is really required by them then I must console myself thinking that they can’t grow up themselves without the help of these partiality shown by our government even when they have access to everything.