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Herald Malaysia
2 days ago
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Catholic nuns' arrest over ‘false' charges rocks Indian parliament
The arrest and jailing of two Catholic nuns on false charges of human trafficking and conversion has rocked the Indian parliament, with opposition members seeking their immediate release. Jul 29, 2025 A screengrab of Sisters Vandana Francis and Preeti Mary, members of Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), who were arrested on July 25 by the Government Railway Police at Durg railway station in central India's Chhattisgarh state. (Photo: Youtube) RAIPUR: The arrest and jailing of two Catholic nuns on false charges of human trafficking and conversion has rocked the Indian parliament, with opposition members seeking their immediate release. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha (upper house), on July 28 called the arrests an example of "BJP-RSS mob rule." He was referring to the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (national volunteer corps), by their acronyms. Sisters Vandana Francis and Preeti Mary, who are members of Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), a Franciscan congregation of the Syro- Malabar Church, were arrested on July 25 by the Government Railway Police at Durg railway station in central Chhattisgarh state. Chhattisgarh is a BJP-ruled state, and its chief minister, Vishnu Deo Sai, defended the action, terming it a serious matter of "human trafficking under the guise of religious conversion." He asserted that the law would take its own course. However, Rahul Gandhi alleged "systematic persecution of minorities" and a "dangerous pattern" of targeting individuals for their faith. "Religious freedom is a constitutional right," he asserted. Francis and Mary had gone to Durg railway station to pick up three young women, aged between 19 and 22, to be employed as domestic help in three convents in the state. As the nuns and the girls were showing their tickets to a railway official, a mob arrived and surrounded them, said Father Josh Abraham from Raipur archdiocese, based in the state's capital. 'The members of the mob claimed to belong to Bajrang Dal, a militant Hindu group, and accused the nuns of forcibly taking away the girls for religious conversion,' the priest, who is a lawyer and gathered details of the incident, told UCA News on July 28. The railway police arrived and took away the nuns, the girls, and a boy who accompanied them for the journey from their homes to Durg. 'The police later took the three girls to a shelter home. The nuns and the boy were charged with human trafficking and religious conversion, and remanded in custody for 14 days by a local court,' Abraham said. The priest-lawyer said the police had said they would release the nuns and the boy in the evening, but instead jailed them. The girls are members of the Church of South India (CSI), a union of Protestant denominations. One of them allegedly told the police that she was taken to Durg without her consent. 'This could have been done by pressuring the girl which led to totally false charges being laid against the nuns,' Abraham alleged. He said the nuns' bail applications were filed on July 28 and hoped they would be released soon, as the 'charges against them are totally false and baseless.' Both the nuns are natives of Kerala, and their arrest and jailing caused a stir in the southern state. Parliamentarians belonging to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) from Kerala staged a protest in the parliament complex, waving placards that read 'Stop attacks on minorities.' Federal Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian, who is also from Kerala, refused to take a clear stand, saying 'the matter was subjudiced.' The BJP's Kerala state president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, was working closely with the federal and Chhattisgarh governments, as well as the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), to secure the early release of the nuns, he said. The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) was among the first to express its profound dismay and outrage at the action, saying it 'was reportedly prompted by false and baseless allegations of religious conversion and human trafficking.' In a July 27 statement, the KCBC's Vigilance Commission said that the 'distressing incident is part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern of increasing hostility toward Christians and missionary personnel across various Indian states.' It further expressed concern over the weaponization of anti-conversion laws by extremist groups, which posed a serious threat to the constitutional rights of religious minorities. 'We affirm that Catholic missionaries do not engage in forced conversions. Our service to society — particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, and social welfare — is driven by compassion and a commitment to the common good,' the KCBC said. It demanded that those responsible for the false accusations and arbitrary arrests of the sisters be held accountable under the law. 'Necessary legal and administrative action be taken to prevent such misuse of power in the future,' the statement said. The KCBC sought urgent intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end the harassment of Christians on false allegations of religious conversion across India. It also appealed to the government to adopt firm measures to curb religious fanaticism, prevent mob violence, and ensure that India remains true to its democratic, secular, and inclusive identity. "This act is a grave violation of human rights and an attack on religious freedom," said a KCBC spokesperson. Echoing similar sentiments, the CBCI, which is the apex body of Catholic bishops in India, urged both the Federal and state governments to intervene swiftly to ensure the nuns' safety and secure their release. "Such incidents create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among the Christian community," it noted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his government 'stands in solidarity with the affected individuals and will extend all possible support.' He wrote to Prime Minister Modi, seeking the nuns' immediate release. K C Venugopal, a senior Congress leader and parliamentarian from Kerala, condemned the arrests as "politically motivated" and "unacceptable." Venugopal wrote to Federal Home Minister Amit Shah on July 27, demanding action be taken against those who instigated the action against the nuns. Christians make up 2.3 percent of India's more than 1.4 billion people, about 80 percent of whom are
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
With PFI down, Pakistan-based Farhatullah Ghauri leads Al Ummah revival in south India
The ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) has created a vacuum, and multiple terror groups are trying to occupy that space. While the PFI has not been able to revive itself since most of its top leaders are behind bars, one old-time group, the Al Ummah, has been making inroads in the southern states. The blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru was an eye-opener for the agencies, since it had the Al Ummah signature. Further investigations have found that the entire responsibility of reviving the Al Ummah has been handed over to Farhatullah Ghauri, an operative based out of Pakistan. The Al Ummah is not an unknown outfit in south India. It was the same group that attempted to assassinate senior BJP leader L.K. Advani in Coimbatore in 1998. Founded by Syed Ahmed Basha in the early 1990s, the same outfit was responsible for the 1993 bombings outside the RSS office in Chennai, which claimed 11 lives. While carrying out terror attacks, the group, since its inception, has been actively urging the Indian Muslim youth to undertake terror attacks against pro-Hindu leaders and activists. The agencies say that the revival attempts being made by these groups cannot be taken one bit lightly. Al Ummah has had leaders who have been popular with the local Muslim population. An example of this was the funeral of Basha. There was a huge controversy around the funeral, with many questioning the need for a procession. In fact, there were also condolences that poured in from some political leaders, indicating the clout he enjoyed. Finally, the funeral took place on December 17, 2024, with 2,000 Tamil Nadu Police and Rapid Action Force personnel being deployed for security reasons. The Al-Ummah at the time of its formation had said that it was being founded to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition. However, later on, it operated as small groups such as the Base Movement and took on the system. Members of the outfit were unhappy with the conviction of Basha and the manner in which the system handled the Abdul Nasar Madani case. When it operated as the Base Movement, it attempted to target the judiciary and police officers. The Base Movement, however, failed to take off, and this set off the revival plans. The outfit decided that it would be called the Al Ummah itself, as the name resonates with many in south India. On encrypted messaging channels, the Al Ummah, led by the Pakistan-based Ghauri, 59, circulated messages indicating that it was time to revive. The message was titled: "Let us pledge to rebuild the Babri Masjid". Further, the cadres have also created a group called Sawt al Haq on the secure messaging platform, Signal. Created in December 2024, following the death of Basha, the messaging groups today have over 150 members, thus suggesting the rapid rate at which it has been growing. The first message to be posted on the group read: "The Sawt ul Haq team is proud to bring the story and history of Al Ummah to you. This is a humble attempt by Ustad Farhatullah Ghori and the team of Sawt ul Haq to share the profound efforts, sacrifices, and valour of the Mujahideen of Al Ummah. We aim to educate and inspire by honouring the luminous path they forged and the legacy they left behind. Through this platform, we seek to offer an informative experience that highlights the significance of their journey and the values they fought for. By exploring their history, we can better appreciate the sacrifices made and the lessons learned, ensuring their enduring legacy continues to inspire generations to come. We hope this effort serves as a reflection and connection with the remarkable individuals who laid the foundation for the battle of Ghazwa e Hind." In addition to messages, Ghauri has also posted several videos. He has posted a long video praising Basha and calling him a true warrior who never begged for mercy or concessions from the enemies. He also heaped praises on the Rameshwaram Cafe bomber. For the Al Ummah, Ghauri is their best bet. He is radical, an extremist, and knows the southern states well as he originally hails from Hyderabad. His first stint was when he joined the Darsgah Jihad-o-Shahadat or the Centre for Jihad and Martyrdom. In 1995, he left for Saudi Arabia and from there he began raising funds to finance the terror activities of the Al Ummah. Apart from the Al Ummah, he has helped in other terror missions such as the Akshardham attack in 2002 and the 2005 suicide bombing at the Task Force office in Hyderabad. These suggest clearly that Ghauri is a major threat, and hence the agencies are on his trail. The Intelligence agencies have warned the state police to keep a close watch on the gatherings, possibly by Al Ummah recruits. The agency also says that Jihadi groups are desperate for a strong terror group in the south, and in Al Ummah, they find their answer.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
A father and a daughter, and the political volatility of Bangladesh
Call it providence or whatever, veteran journalist, editor, author Manash Ghosh's fortuitous introduction to politics was to go a long way in helping him understand the crests and troughs of political leaders and ideologies in Bangladesh, India's eastern neighbour. As a cub reporter, he had gone to cover the Second Asian Highway Car Rally organised by a UN body, from Tehran to Dhaka. Instead, he ended up talking to a few locals. Years later, he wrote in his book, Bangladesh War: Report from Ground Zero, 'I got talking to three Bengali strangers. Great talkers, as most Bengalis are, they chronicled for me the events on their own — from Field Marshal Ayub Khan's downfall to General Yahya Khan's rise to power, and Sheikh Mujib's six-point autonomy movement....I asked them point blank whether they were from Sheikh Mujib's Awami League. Their immediate riposte was, 'Every Bengali today, whether Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist, in East Pakistan, is a committed follower of Sheikh Mujib and his Awami League.' That was in November 1970, barely months before the Liberation War. The cost of arrogance But why did the Liberation War take place? Among many reasons, was the supposed arrogance of West Pakistan's military and civil leadership. As expressed by Muntassir Mamoon who went to Pakistan some 25 years ago for his book The Vanquished Generals and the Liberation War of Bangladesh, 'The general assumption was that the people in East Pakistan, because they were Bengalis, were pro-Hindu. Rao Farman Ali, the person responsible for the murder of the intellectuals in 1971, said that the Hindus were influencing the East Pakistanis. Major General Umar, who was the Secretary of the Security Council of Pakistan in 1971, expressed the same opinion. By pro-Hindu, they actually meant pro-India.' Incidentally, Mamoon was asked, 'After the creation of Pakistan, why did Jinnah first go to Karachi instead of Dhaka? He should have first gone to Dhaka because 56 per cent of the population of Pakistan were in the East.' Probably, there lay the germ of the conflict. Cut to August 2024 when Sheikh Mujib's elder daughter Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power and banished from the country. Hasina's ouster was a little under 50 years after Mujib, once said to have had the support of every Bangladeshi, was killed on August 15, 1975. Ghosh, widely respected as an expert on Bangladesh politics, clears the cobwebs in his new book. As he writes in the epilogue of Blunders: The Power and the Plot Behind his Killing, 'There are striking similarities between what happened preceding 15 August 1975 — when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with 18 of his family members was killed — and that which occurred almost 50 years later on 5 August 2024 again in Dhaka when Mujib's elder daughter Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in a bloodless coup. While in the case of Mujib, the CIA station chief in Dacca was the specific actor, in his daughter's case, there were two actors — Peter Haas, the U.S. envoy in Dhaka, and an American Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu — who had already earned tremendous notoriety of being a past master in covert regime change operations having toppled, in the recent past, governments in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.' Power games It might appear surprising to a layman who bought into the claims of a student revolution in the country, but in Ghosh's view in the book, it was far from it. He writes, 'Hasina was anathema to Dhaka-based American diplomats who did not forgive her for rejecting out of hand their government's request to hand over the offshore St. Martin's island in the Bay of Bengal on a long lease to the Americans. The latter wanted to build a U.S. naval base for keeping an eye on Chinese and Indian naval build-up in the region. Washington wanted to have a regime led by someone who would be beholden to it and enjoyed its full trust and confidence.' It's quite possible that students and the people of Bangladesh did not understand the politics behind Hasina's removal. But what of Mujib's blunders after he had everything going for him? The picture is cleared by Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, who writes in the foreword of Ghosh's book, 'Mujib failed to punish the collaborators of Pakistan out of failed to foresee that these pro-Pakistan elements would take full advantage of his magnanimity and impede his policies for the benefit of Pakistan. One such example was the 1972 India-Bangladesh Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation. The treaty was being an instrument of India's hegemonistic and Pakistan conveyed their disapproval to had not recognised Bangladesh and this was used as an excuse to decry the treaty.' Incidentally, China recognised Bangladesh only after Mujib's assassination during the dictatorship of Gen Ziaur Rehman who was known for his anti-India stance. During the decade-long rule of Major Zia's widow, Begum Khaleda Zia, the Liberation War was dubbed an 'India-inspired controversy which robbed Muslim Bengalis of their religious rights and identity'. Tragic twist Indeed, Mujib was too trusting of those not worthy of his trust. He paid the ultimate price. His country suffered too. Recalls Ghosh in his thoughtfully written book, 'Mujib, or Bangabandhu, as he was popularly known, even after witnessing acts of betrayal by his supposed 'very close' confidants, like Mushtaq and Taheruddin sought to ignore the clear warning signals. He had been warned by Tajuddin not to be blind to the misdeeds of the venous snakes in the grass that abounded in the party.' Interestingly, in a rare departure from the spotlight on Mujib, Ghosh seeks to give Tajuddin (prime minister in exile in India) credit for much of the early success, writing, 'Bangladesh would never have been liberated had Tajuddin not been the prime minister of the interim government. His unique leadership capability to bring people of different political hues, professions and religious faiths under the liberation war fold remains unparalleled.' In fact, Tajuddin went back to Dhaka only after getting the Bangladesh currency notes printed in Nashik Press. It didn't prove a wise decision for him then. From 1971 to 2025, Bangladesh has experienced political volatility. Warns Ghosh, 'Political turbulence will gather steam and instability will continue to haunt this eastern neighbour of India. Hasina's Awami League is no pushover and far from a vanquished force.'
New Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP workers demand strict action over attack on Hindu activists in Karnataka
BELAGAVI: In response to the attack on Hindu activists in Ingali of Hukkeri a few days ago, BJP workers staged a protest in front of the Superintendent of Police's office demanding legal action against the assaulters. BJP district president Subhash Patil condemned the recent assault on Hindu activists. He stated that the incident took place when five members of a pro-Hindu organisation questioned a group that was allegedly illegally transporting cattle from a cowshed, following which the activists were tied to a tree and assaulted. The videos of the incident have since gone viral. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Yamakanamaradi Police Station. When the injured activists approached the police to file a complaint, they were allegedly abused with foul language and were denied the opportunity to lodge a complaint. Patil questioned whose influence the police were acting under and demanded an impartial investigation. The BJP has urged the police department to immediately arrest the attackers visible in the viral video, file an FIR and initiate strict legal action and take disciplinary action against the police officers.
India Today
25-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Pro-Hindu outfit member hacked to death near home in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur
A 30-year-old functionary of Hindu Munnani, a pro-Hindu outfit in Tamil Nadu, was murdered near his residence at Kumaranandhapuram in Tiruppur on Tuesday victim, Balamurugan, served in the legal wing of the Hindu Munnani. Police said Balamurugan had stepped out of his house around midnight. Reportedly, around 4 am, three unidentified men allegedly surrounded him near his home and hacked him to the incident, district police rushed to the spot, collected CCTV footage from the vicinity, and launched an investigation to nab the attackers. Further details are awaited. In July last year, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu president K Armstrong was hacked to death by six unidentified people near his residence in Chennai's Perambur Armstrong's murder, eight people were arrested. Thiruvengadam, a history-sheeter who was allegedly involved in the murder of BSP state chief, was killed in a police encounter near Madhavaram in Chennai, police added. Another gangster involved in Armstrong's murder, Seizing Raja was also killed in a police encounter.A few days after the former BSP chief's murder, a Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary was stabbed by bike-borne attackers in front of his home in Tamil Nadu's men attacked Sivasankar, a cable TV operator, when he was standing in front of his house in Thirupapuliyur on Saturday. They hacked him and escaped from the spot. Visuals captured on a nearby CCTV show the attackers running with 2016, a 40-year-old Hindu Munnani functionary was hacked to death by a four-member gang in Coimbatore. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), after its investigation, found that the murder was a case of mistaken identity. The original target was another Hindu Munnani member with the same name who had posted a social media post that was objectionable and hurt the sentiment of a particular community.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
