INDIA

Amidst the persistent protests by farmers, primarily from Punjab, against the Central Government's perceived indifference towards providing a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) and implementing other crucial agricultural reforms, the ongoing 'Delhi Chalo' march has become a focal point of contention. In a display of defiance and innovation, some young farmers have taken to the skies with kites in hand, utilizing them as unconventional weapons against the drones deployed by the government, specifically by the Haryana Police. These drones have been dropping tear gas shells on the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border near Ambala. The farmers' ingenious tactic involves attempting to entangle the drones' rotors using the long threads attached to their kites, symbol...

Twitter handles of at least two journalists reporting independently from the ongoing farmers protest have been taken town. Reports reaching The Kashmiriyat, said that the twitter (now X), handles of Punjab-based journalists Sandeep Singh and Mandeep Punia were blocked in India on Wednesday afternoon. Additionally, the handle of Gaon Savera, the organization Mandeep run has also been taken down in India. The Twitter handles of journalists Sandeep (@PunYaab), Mandeep (@mandeeppunia1) and Gaon Savera (@GaonSavera) covering the farmers' movement have been blocked in response to a legal demand by the government of India. Earlier, Haryana government has declared the suspension of mobile internet services, bulk SMS, and all dongle services offered on mobile networks in the districts o...

Ahead of the farmers’ march to the national capital on February 13, 2024, reminiscent of the 2020-21 agitation, the Delhi Police has taken preemptive measures by invoking prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) across the entire city. Farmers are intensifying their demand for immediate legislation on Minimum Support Price (MSP), a promise made to them in 2021 following a year-long agitation. The Modi-led government's imposition of three farm laws has sparked widespread opposition from farmer unions across India. Police have sealed the borders of Delhi to prevent farmers from entering the city. Tragically, hundreds of lives were lost during the year-long agitation. Farmers express concerns that the government plans to privatize farming, which they...

A Muslim family was forced to chant Jai Shri Ram slogans in Mumbai, Maharashtra. A distressing 26-second video, reportedly filmed on January 24, has surfaced, depicting a horrifying incident outside the Panvel police station. The footage captures a Hindutva mob assaulting a Muslim man while his wife and young daughter plead for assistance. The victim, identified as Asif, narrated the harrowing events that led to the brutal attack. Asif, accompanied by his family, had embarked on a journey from their village in Kankavli to Mumbai on January 19. However, their train ride aboard the Madgaon LTT Express turned into a nightmare when a group of 30-40 individuals initiated chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ upon spotting them. Despite Asif and his family maintaining composure, the situation ...

A Muslim man has died of cold as he slept under open sky for two days after being evicted by the government in Assam. For two consecutive nights, Boyat Ali endured the biting cold of winter while sleeping under the open sky in Panchratna NC, a riverine village situated in Assam's Goalpara district, over 150 km away from the state capital, reported Maktoob media. On January 10, Ali and his family, along with 130 other families, were forcibly evicted from Panchratna N.C and Panchratna as part of an operation conducted by the Forest Department. The eviction drive aimed to clear the Panchratna reserve forest of what the forest authority termed "illegal encroachment." Tragically, just two days after the eviction, on January 13, Ali, a Muslim of East Bengal descent, was found dead in hi...

In Assam, a Hindu group has issued threats to Christian schools, demanding the removal of religious symbols or face severe repercussions. According to Muslim Mirror report, an unidentified Hindu group has purportedly issued an ultimatum to Christian schools across Assam, demanding the elimination of religious emblems such as crosses, chapels, and statues from their premises. The threats, conveyed through anonymous letters, underscore the gravity of the situation if the stipulated conditions are not met. Christian schools and organizations have voiced profound apprehension over these threats, asserting that they contravene the principles of religious freedom and undermine the country's secular foundation. These institutions maintain a responsibility to uphold the tenets of their...

Tensions erupted in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday as followers of Islamic cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, who is also the chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, courted arrest to protest the killings in Haldwani the previous night. Stone-pelting incidents occurred, leading to a significant deployment of police and paramilitary forces. According to Hindustan Times, on Thursday, Raza had called for a 'Jail Bharo' protest, urging his supporters to willingly get arrested in connection with the Gyanvapi mosque dispute and on Friday, the cleric was detained by Uttar Pradesh police. On Thursday, Raza Khan declared his intention to surrender for arrest in protest against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement in the Assembly, suggesting that Muslims should voluntarily relinquish their clai...

On Thursday, clashes erupted between Muslim locals and Uttarakhand Police after Mariyam Mosque, along with its adjoining Madarsa, was demolished in Bhanbhoolpura area in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, in an 'encroachment drive'. A large number of angry residents, including women, took to the streets as the two religious structures were being bulldozed. The protesters broke down barricades, argued with the police personnel, and hurled stones at everyone involved in the demolition. The locals also set vehicles and the local police station on fire. In the chaos, five Muslims were killed, and over 250 persons, including 12 policemen, were injured. To maintain peace, four companies of paramilitary forces were deployed. Additionally, the entire state of Uttarakhand was put on high alert with a s...

Human rights organization Amnesty International stated on Wednesday that the widespread "unlawful demolitions" of Muslims' homes, businesses, and places of worship, using JCB bulldozers and other machinery must cease immediately. In two companion reports titled "If you speak up, your house will be demolished: Bulldozer Injustice in India" and "Unearthing Accountability: JCB’s Role and Responsibility in Bulldozer Injustice in India," the rights group documented the "punitive demolition" of Muslim properties in at least five states, with a prevalent use of JCB-branded bulldozers or diggers as the preferred brand in a hate campaign against the minority community. Amnesty International called on the Centre and state governments to immediately halt the de facto policy of demolishing peopl...

Rajvardhan Singh Parmar, the national president of Maharana Pratap Sena in Ajmer, Rajasthan, has asserted that the Ajmer Dargah is a sacred Hindu temple. A letter has been addressed to CM Bhajan Lal Sharma regarding this matter. In the letter, Rajvardhan Singh Parmar, President of Maharana Pratap Sena, emphasized that their organization has long been advocating for an investigation into the Dargah located in Ajmer. Parmar insisted that the said Dargah is a revered Hindu temple, not a Dargah. Parmar highlighted that despite previous efforts, the Congress government did not take their concerns seriously, labeling it as anti-Hindu sentiment. He stressed that the people of Rajasthan are in support of this demand. During the Jan Jagran Yatra across various districts of Rajasthan, Pa...