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Pulwama terror attack and how it has changed India in just a year

The bastards are at it again. The teenagers who killed the French priest, and the suicide bomber who attacked Germany, are ardent ass-kissers of <keyword id="174501" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="ISIS">ISIS</keyword>. So I have a little message for them and the likes of them. Before that, here' a blast from the past - a rite of passage you have to endure for the conclusion to fit right into your pocket. 
 
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What you are about to read does not have the blessings of God. He has made it clear that I am on my own on this one. He thinks I am crossing the line. So be it. 
 
This time, I want to be the judge of it. Not him. 
 
April 3, 2015. 
 
I am standing with my wife in a large playground. There are a thousand others. The Good Friday's service is in session. Veneration will soon follow. Hymns are being sung. Wife is mouthing the lyrics. I just stand solemn. By birth - she is an ardent Catholic, and am a liberal Hindu. 
 
The tempo picks up in the air. So many people at once. All dressed up. Prim and proper. 
 
The weather is wealthy. Perfect for the open-air setting. My arms are ambushed by a dense army of goosebumps. I surrender. 
 
There is promise in the atmosphere. Veneration commences. 
 
In the distant background, as we are entranced in the gospels, I hear the maghrib (after sunset prayer) from a mosque that is five buildings away from the playground we are in. 
 
Few notice. Rest ignore. 
 
I wonder – it is just one day, can't the Muslims leave it alone today! Dedicate the day to Christ? 
 
The breeze romances the trees. 
 
In a couple of seconds, from the far end of the street, bells from a Murugan temple start composing their rhythmic charm. It is Panguni Uthiram. A day on which Sri Deivanai married Lord Murugan. 
 
Man, this is not cool. 
 
I apologise to Jesus on behalf of the mosque and the temple. 
 
He sacrifices his life for the people, and he can't get a moment to himself? 
 
Is the mosque doing this on purpose? It is impossible for them to have been oblivious of the fact that today is Good Friday. 
 
What about the temple? Why are they playing foul! 
 
I shut up and listen. It starts to grow on me. The collaboration. Hymns here. Alla-hoo Akbar in this corner. Murgunakku Haro Hara in that corner. 
 
- 
 
The first thing I do is hate the mosque and the temple. If you ask me, Jesus deserved the full day to himself. 
 
In the playground, I see this kid running away from his mother's lap. He stumbles on a chair and falls on his face. The mother runs to his rescue. The kid is not crying. The mother pats his knees and wipes his face. She tells him that he is okay. He acknowledges. He is not a fussy kid. 
 
That is all the kid needed. He needed to be told that he is okay. 
 
I think that is what they are doing. The mosque and the temple. Telling Jesus that they are with him. An act of compassion. Standing by him. Holding his hands. 
 
I can only think of two options: 
 
First, neither the mosque nor the temple has any regard for its brother from another mother, despite sharing the same confederacy. 
 
Second, they feel for Jesus. That is their way of showing compassion. Besides, how else will they? These guys are super awkward socially, and they never show up in person anyway. They might as well use their proprietary branch offices to send a message to the man who was crossed today 1,980+ years ago. 
 
By all means, I will go with the second option. Sounds legitimate. Appropriate. Too candid to plead coincidence. 
 
- 
 
Don't you see that? 
 
They are all with each other, for each other. How do you know that the all three of them are not playing scrabble high over our heads right now? I am sure if you looked up right now you won't see them. Invisibility is their speciality. 
 
None of them hate each other. They are all celebrities in their own leagues. Think about it. If any one God was greater than the other, do you think he would allow the other newer or older God/s to evolve/survive? To be birthed in the first place? The way I see it, everything is God. Everything under the Sun is born and dead out of its own situation and discretion. It is not right to meddle with this sacred order. 
 
Despite their prophecy being solid, how come the Jews denied the claims of Jesus? How come who they refused to accept went on to change the face of the calendar for mankind? If Jesus was the ultimate son of God, how was prophet Mohammed allowed to jump into the picture? 
 
Religion is purely an art form. Each with its own structure, style, subject, and configuration. Each religion comes with its own painting. All subject to interpretation. Every picture is engineered with a special stroke, colour, depth, ambience, motive, and imagination. Regardless of their origin, form, or appeal, they share one common attribute - the quality of being unique. 
 
Art is to be cherished. It is not to be fought for, kill for, or be killed for. 
 
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ISIS, you take your God's name and kill folks because they are homosexuals, because they breastfeed in public, because they sell cigarettes. But what about Leishmaniasis? They are ripping your flesh apart and eating you alive, yet you have no punishments for them? 
 
You guys are over 200,000 in numbers. One Tsar Bomba would finish you off neat. To know a little sandfly is doing the job brings me immense joy. It'd not have been so, if you were any other people. 
 
I mean, I can never understand what in the world gives you guys this burning desire to wear your G.I. Joe-gone-rogue Halloween costumes and threaten people toward the blunt decoction of your religious rigidity. 
 
Anybody surrenders to a gun, man. You give me a gun. I will make you pee. It is not the question of who holds the trigger. The concern is what the trigger is going for. When it is for your uptight state of Mohammedan affairs, I feel that I should strangle your balls. Eyes, I mean. You don't need them, since you don't see the world you ought to be seeing it like. 
 
- 
 
All the people, who are not captured by you and videotaped by your 'Jihadi John' make fun of you (by the way is he still alive? Because his death is a greater mystery than the black hole). I am sure you know that. They call you heartless. No wonder it doesn't get to you. I even made a joke about you guys once. It goes like this. 
Q. Hey, you know why ISIS takes heads? 
A. Because they don't have one. 
 
Some kids pick up your flag on the street and what do they become? The Boko Haram. Brilliant. 
 
There are several other insurgency groups. But I am going to pick on you guys, since you guys seem to be having excellent PR, world over. 
 
Listen, all I have to tell you is this. The ISIS, the Boko Haram, the Hindus who led the burn attacks on churches in Delhi, the infants of the future crusades . . . why the hell can't we all be together? Come on, come shake my hand. I am a good guy. Come to my house. My mom makes this amazing avakai pongal. Taste it. Let's celebrate life. Not celibate it. 
 
I could come to your place too (so long as you don't kill me or put anything in my bum or mouth) and let me eat your fatteh. Let's exchange cultures. Let's exchange goodwill. Let's give each other life. We have facebook. We could be on each others' lists. Or as how Shay Mitchell put it in Mother's Day 'Tweet at me'? 
 
- 
 
Word is, it is not Leishmaniasis, it is the USA killing you guys using a sophisticated biological weapon, since you guys stirred a shitstorm in a pisscup. That might even be my own conspiracy. I even have vague theories to believe that you are the CIA's bastard children. The Snows sent to guard the wall. 
 
In the end all that matters is what you decide to do and do. If they or someone else asks you to eat shit, don't. 
 
If anyone out there is still waiting for the “real” son of God, well, you will only be spared the moon to dance with. It is just you and me now. Let's be good to each other. Our natural time will come anyway. Until then, if you are still interested in fighting something - take care of that mortality of yours. But so long as we are alive, can we forget about your religion, my religion, and their religion? Pray in your will. On your bill. Don't pry on another's. Don't tab another for your shit. 
 
Gods don't kill each other, man. Which is why we have so many. We have billions of Gods. You are a God to me. So am I to this cause. 
 
What's sinful is to not upgrade an amazing lifestyle such as realisation. 
 
The oldest and the foremost religion in the world is evolution. The rest is a combustion of mankind's masturbation. 
 
ISIS, as my wife would quote, "ISIS, you have put us in a crisis"; so before you can plunder us completely and impregnate Europe with Sharia like how the Nostradamus of the Balkans - Baba Vanga has predicted, here's what I have to rub my tits on your face for: 
 
Islam, like others, is still a religion. A religion is a business. A business needs people. Consumers. Consumers want benefits. Ones that fit their aspirations. If you give them something ill-fitting, they will discard it. If you want the world to wear your religion, you better have it well-stitched and make it look clean. Right now, the way you are flaunting it, it looks like you got into a drain and couldn't care less to get cleaned up. 
 
I am not sure if Islam will be the religion of the future. I have nothing against it. Nothing for it. What I do have, is fear. Because what you are asking of, or expecting people to do is insane. It's like my birth mom is still alive and I love her very much, yet you come, stone her head, kill her right in front of my eyes and then come tell me, "Call me, mommy." 
 
Fearing for my life, I just might. But deep inside I am going to curse you. Hate you real good. For you killed my mother. And you will never take her place. 
 
 
P.S. The offer of coming over to my place is valid only for those who have read the full article, and the offer expires upon reading this article.

ISIS - IT'S TIME YOU HAD AN ABORTION

<keyword id="6354495" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword> has been a political issue for the longest and as is with such politically charged situations, there are rumors abound. However, for a lot of us, the real timeline is either unknown or has become hazy over a period of time. So, here is a complete timeline of what has happened-bare facts of how the state of Jammu&amp;Kasmir has unraveled over the last seven decades. 
 
 
 
1947 – The British rule ended in India and the nation was divided into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority state of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Pakistan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Pakistan</a>. 
 1947 – The Pakistan tribal army starts attacking the <keyword id="3744025" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmir-region">Kashmir region</keyword> and the Maharaja of Kashmir signs a treaty of accession with India. War breaks out between India and Pakistan over the region. 
 1948 – India raises <keyword id="64132" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kashmir-issue">Kashmir issue</keyword> in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UN+Security+Council&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">UN Security Council</a>, which in Resolution 47 calls for a referendum on the status of the territory. It aslo calls on Pakistan to withdraw its troops and India to cut its military presence to a minimum. A ceasefire comes into force, but Pakistan refuses to evacuate its troops. Kashmir is for practical purposes partitioned. 
 1951 – Elections are held in the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir back accession to India. India feels that this makes a referendum <keyword id="6355835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN">un</keyword>necessary. The UN and Pakistan say a referendum needs to take into account the views of voters throughout the former princely state. 
 
 
 1953 - Pro-Indian authorities arrest and dismiss Prime Minister <keyword id="293003" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sheikh-Abdullah">Sheikh Abdullah</keyword>, leader of the governing <keyword id="43898" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Conference">National Conference</keyword>, as he takes a pro-referendum stance and delays formal accession to India. A new Jammu and Kashmir government ratifies accession to India. 
 
1957 - The constitution of Indian-administrated Jammu and Kashmir defines it as part of India. 
 
 
 1950s - China gradually occupies eastern Kashmir (<keyword id="71796" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aksai-Chin">Aksai Chin</keyword>). 
 1962 – a war starts between India and China and China defeats India in a short war for control of <keyword id="3978218" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="aksai-china">Aksai China</keyword>. 
 
1963 - Pakistan cedes the Trans-Karakoram Tract of Kashmir to China. 
 
 
 
1965 - A small war between Indian and Pakistan over Kashmir starts and ends in a ceasefire and a return to the previous positions. 
 
1971-72 - Another Indo-Pakistan war ends in defeat for Pakistan and leads to the 1972 Simla Agreement.This turns the Kashmir ceasefire line into the Line of Control, pledges both sides to settle their differences through negotiations, and calls for a final settlement of the Kashmir dispute. The Agreement forms the basis of Pakistani-Indian relations thereafter. 
 
 
 
1974 - The Opposition Plebiscite Front in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir drops demand for a referendum in return for extensive autonomy in an agreement with the Indian government. Sheikh Abdullah becomes chief minister, and his political dynasty continues to dominate the National Conference and state after his death in 1982. 
 
 
 1984 - <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> gains control over the Siachen Glacier, an area not demarcated by the Line of Control. Pakistan has been making frequent attempts to capture the area in the following decades. 
 1987 - Disputed state elections in Indian-administrated Jammu and Kashmir give a thrust to a pro-independence insurgency centred around the Jammu and <keyword id="307591" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kashmir-Liberation-Front">Kashmir Liberation Front</keyword> (<keyword id="94546" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="JKLF">JKLF</keyword>). India also accuses Pakistan of fomenting the insurgency by despatching fighters across the Line of Control, which Pakistan denies. 
 
 
 
1990 - The insurgency escalates after the Indian Army kills about 100 demonstrators at Gawakadal Bridge. Attacks and threats lead to the flight of almost all Hindus from the Kashmir Valley area of the state. India imposes Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir. 
 
1990s - The insurgency keeps on continuing, with Kashmiri militants training in Pakistan and India deploying hundreds of thousands of troops in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s the civilians that have been facing violence by both sides. 
 
1999 - India and Pakistan go to war again after militants cross from Pakistani-administered Kashmir into the Indian-administered Kargil district. India repulses the attack, accuses Pakistan of being behind it, and breaks off relations. 
 2001-2004 - Moves to boost relations between the two countries are punctuated by continuing violence, notably an attack on the parliament of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in <keyword id="41568" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Srinagar">Srinagar</keyword> in 2001. 
 
2010 - Major protests erupt in the Kashmir Valley of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir over the summer after a demonstrator is killed by the Indian army. The protests abate in September after the government announce measures to ease tension. 
 2011 August - Chief Minister <keyword id="19464" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Omar-Abdullah">Omar Abdullah</keyword> announces an amnesty for the 1,200 young men who threw stones at security forces during the anti-government protests in the Kashmir Valley in 2010. Indian <keyword id="64385" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-Human-Rights-Commission">State Human Rights Commission</keyword> confirms presence of more than 2,000 unidentified bodies in unmarked graves near the Line of Control. Activists say many may be people who disappeared after being arrested by security forces. 
 
 
 2013 February - <keyword id="3978220" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmiri-jaish-e-mohammed">Kashmiri Jaish-e-Mohammed</keyword> member <keyword id="165584" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mohammad-Afzal-Guru">Mohammad Afzal Guru</keyword> hanged over role in 2001 Indian parliament terror attack, prompting protests in which two young men are killed. 
 
2013 September - Prime ministers of India and Pakistan meet and agree to try reduce the number of violent incidents at their disputed border in Kashmir. 
 
2014 August - India cancels talks with Pakistan after accusing it of interfering in India's internal affairs. The decision comes after Pakistan's High Commissioner in Delhi consulted Kashmiri separatist leaders in advance of the talks. 
 During a visit to the disputed border state of Jammu and Kashmir, India's Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> accuses Pakistan of waging a proxy war against India in Kashmir. 
 
2014 October - Pakistan and India exchange strongly-worded warnings, after a flare-up of violence across their common border leaves at least 18 people dead. 
 
 
 2015 March - India's ruling <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> party is sworn into government in Indian-administered Kashmir for first time in coalition with local People's <keyword id="155982" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Democratic-Party">Democratic Party</keyword>, with the latter's <keyword id="427966" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mufti-Mohammad-Sayeed">Mufti Mohammad Sayeed</keyword> as chief minister. 
 
2015 September - Muslim separatist leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir close shops, businesses and government departments in protest at the enforcement of a colonial-era ban on eating beef. 
 
2015 November - One person dies in violent protests following a visit to Indian-administered Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
 
 
 2016 April - <keyword id="6375812" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mehbooba-Mufti">Mehbooba Mufti</keyword>, the leader of the People's Democratic Party (<keyword id="42369" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="PDP">PDP</keyword>), becomes the first female chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir following the death of her father and party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. 
 
 
 2016 July - Authorities impose an indefinite curfew in most parts of Indian-administered Kashmir after the killing of popular militant by security forces of <keyword id="2931728" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Burhan-Wani">Burhan Wani</keyword>, a popular militant and top commander of the <keyword id="50913" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hizbul-Mujahideen">Hizbul Mujahideen</keyword> group, sparks violent protests. 
 
 
 
2016 August - A curfew in most parts of Indian-administered Kashmir is lifted but schools, shops and most banks remain shut and mobile and internet services remain suspended. At least 68 civilians and two security officials have died and more than 9,000 people injured in over 50 days of violence according to official tallies. 
 
2016 September - India and Pakistan exchange a war of words after 18 Indian soldiers are killed in a raid by gunmen on URI base in Indian-administered Kashmir. 
 
2016 September - India says it has carried out "surgical strikes" against suspected militants along the de-facto border with Pakistan in Kashmir but Pakistan rejects the claims. 
 
 
 
Today: the area is still living under a tension. The civilians are still scared that either the militants or the army will cause them harm. The curfew has led to the loss of lives and business. The main source of income- tourism has been at halt since August. While the nations are still fighting over the land, the leaders have forgotten the fact that there are still people living in that heaven on earth. 
 
(image: IndiaTimes)

Kashmir: The Bare Facts of a region torn into pieces

In a shocking confession suspected Laskar-e-Taiba militant from <keyword id="3001" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pakistan">Pakistan</keyword> who was caught alive after the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/10-worst-terrorist-attacks-to-rock-India/articleshow/48237865.cms">attack</a> on a BSF convoy said, "It’s fun doing this." 
 
Naved, who says he hails from Faislabad in Pakistan, claimed before the media that he entered the Jammu region 12 days ago along with a fellow <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Top-5-most-wanted-terrorists-in-India-that-still-roam-free/articleshow/48100097.cms">terrorist</a> identified as Momin Khan. Khan was killed in retaliatory fire by BSF. 
 
This is the first suspected <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Ex-Pakistani-Investigating-Chief-makes-huge-revelations-about-how-Pakistan-was-behind-26/11-attacks/articleshow/48344978.cms">Pakistani</a> <keyword id="26935" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="terrorist">terrorist</keyword> to be captured alive after <keyword id="41304" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ajmal-Kasab">Ajmal Kasab</keyword>, who was nabbed during the dreaded <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Yakub-Memon-Hanged-on-the-day-he-was-born/articleshow/48276475.cms">terror</a> attack in Mumbai in 2008. 
 
 
"I came to kill Hindus," said Naved, dressed in a dark blue shirt and brown trousers, with a relaxed demeanour. He also alleged that Kashmiris were being killed all the time. 
 
"It has been 12 days since I came here. We walked all days in the jungle," he said as villagers clicked pictures with the prize catch. 
 
"I am from Pakistan and my partner was killed in the firing but I escaped. Had I been killed, it would have been Allah's doing. There is fun in doing this," Naved said. 
 
Initially, he said that he was in his early 20s but later claimed that he was only 16. He had been changing his statements. First he identified himself as Kasim and later as Usman. 
 
This has been the tactics of banned Lashker group sending youngsters to Jammu and Kashmir with the direction that in case they were caught, they should claim to be below 18 years so that they are tried as juveniles. 
 

	 
	(Image credits: Indiatimes)

Captured terrorist says “It’s fun doing this”: Udhampur terror attack

A day after <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> leader <keyword id="19895780" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi" source="keywords">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>'s remarks in the <keyword id="19895397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliament" source="keywords">Parliament</keyword> created a political uproar, <keyword id="19905334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena" source="keywords">Shiv Sena</keyword> (UBT) leader <keyword id="19905333" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Raut" source="keywords">Sanjay Raut</keyword> backed his words stating that the leaders of the INDIA bloc do not align with the "fake <keyword id="19935821" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindutva" source="keywords">Hindutva</keyword>" portrayed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>). "Yesterday, Rahul Gandhiji said that Hindutva is not equal to the BJP. Hindutva does not promote spreading hatred. We do not align with the fake Hindutva portrayed by the BJP", Raut said while addressing the media here in the national capital on Tuesday. Falling in line with Rahul Gandhi's remarks, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further added that the former said in the Parliament that 'Hindutva' is a much wider term. "He did not say anything wrong about the Hindus. Those who consider themselves Hindus should hear again that Rahul Gandhiji had said that 'Hindutva' is a much wider term and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won't understand this", he said. On Monday, Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech in <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha generated a lot of political heat with BJP leaders accusing him "of speaking lies, misleading the House and terming the entire Hindu community violent" and the Congress hitting back with counter allegations against the <keyword id="19916814" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-government" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Modi government" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Modi government">Modi government</keyword>. The two Houses took up the debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address with PM Modi slamming Rahul Gandhi during his speech. "Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter," PM Modi said. Home Minister Amit Shah demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi. While the BJP held a press conference later to denounce Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Congress also held an evening presser to slam the ruling party at the Centre. Rahul Gandhi launched a multi-pronged attack on the BJP targeting it over its remarks during the Lok Sabha campaign, the NEET-UG controversy, <keyword id="20611113" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agniveer-scheme" source="keywords">Agniveer scheme</keyword>. Participating in the debate on the Motion Of Thanks on the President's Address, Rahul Gandhi targeted the BJP-led government over the Agniveer scheme and claimed that Agniveer is not called a 'jawan' and said that Agniveers serving for a period of four years will not get a pension. "One Agniveer lost his life in a landmine blast but he is not called a 'martyr'... 'Agniveer' is a use and throw labourer," Rahul Gandhi alleged, attacking the BJP-led NDA government over the scheme," he had said. He also called the Hindu symbol 'Abhayamudra' which gestures fearlessness, reassurance and safety, as the symbol of the Congress party. "Abhayamudra is the symbol of Congress...The Abhayamudra is the gesture of fearlessness, is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss in Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and other Indian religions...All our great men have spoken about non-violence and finishing fear...But, those who call themselves Hindu only talk about violence, hatred, untruth...Aap Hindu ho hi nahi," the Congress leader said. "It is written in the Hindu religion; do not shy away from the truth, stand with the truth", he added. Gandhi's remarks witnessed brickbats from the BJP leaders as they accused the Congress leaders of "spreading lies" and demanded an apology from his side. Meanwhile, PM Modi will deliver his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the lower house of Parliament later today. JP Nadda, MoS Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao, Jitin Prasada, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Ram Nath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, Satya Pal Singh Baghel, Shobha Karandlaje, BL Verma, L Murugan, Ajay Tamta, Kamlesh Paswan, Ravneet Singh will lay papers on the table in Lok Sabha today.

"We do not align with fake Hindutva portrayed by BJP": Sanjay Raut backs Rahul Gandhi's remarks in Parliament

Johannesburg, Jun 10 () A Facebook video showing a young Indian-origin South African allegedly criticising Hinduism has been removed after the Hindu community members lodged an official complaint. In the video, Simeon Bradley Chetty, a self-proclaimed Christian evangelist, criticised the Hindu faith. He was seen addressing about a dozen people standing outside a block of flats in the sprawling Indian township of Chatsworth, south of Durban. "We are lodging a formal complaint against both Mr Chetty and the Church he represents, and have taken the necessary steps to remove the video from Facebook," the South African Hindu Maha Sabha (SAHMS) said in a statement. "The South African Hindu Maha Sabha notes the retraction and the unconditional apology that has been made and cautions others that Hindus will not tolerate this kind of behaviour from anyone," the statement added. His remarks triggered a flood of reactions on social media, including from members of other religious groups, condemning his attack on Hinduism. There have also been calls for police to charge Chetty for having contravened national lockdown regulations introduced as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic. The regulations prohibited any public gatherings, including religious services, at the time the video was made. FH NSA

Facebook video removed for anti-Hindu slur in South Africa

<ul class="summary-list"><li>On Tuesday, October 11, Tulsi Gabbard announced she is leaving the Democratic Party, accusing it of being "hostile to people of faith and spirituality."</li><li>The former congresswoman from Hawaii was raised in the Science of Identity Foundation, an offshoot of the Hare Krishna religious movement.</li></ul>Tulsi Gabbard has strong words for anyone who asks about the religious sect she grew up in.The former congresswoman and her staffers have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/02/us/politics/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-race.html">repeatedly claimed</a> that media interest in the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF) and its guru's influence on Gabbard <a href="https://www.meanwhileinhawaii.org/home/opinion-gabbards-pr-team-is-getting-desperate">amount to</a> "Hindu-phobic bigotry."Gabbard lodged a similar line of attack when she announced on Tuesday that she is leaving the Democratic Party, accusing the party of being "hostile to people of faith and spirituality.""I can no longer remain in today's Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue and stoke anti-white racism," she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Z1x8Ou8VU">said</a> on an episode of her self-titled podcast.Gabbard, who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tulsi-gabbard-bio-photos-2020-democratic-candidate-2019-7">made history</a> in 2012 when she became the first American Samoan and practicing Hindu in Congress, also denounced what she said were Democrats' "open border" policies and anti-police rhetoric.Gabbard has historically been reluctant to publicly speak about her spiritual journey in SIF, which has roots in the Hare Krishna movement that exploded in the US during the 1960s and 70s. But her upbringing in the religious group — as well as her spiritual ties to its leader, Chris Butler — has left <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-campaign.html">many wondering</a> how it has shaped her beliefs, political and otherwise.<div type="image" title="Chris Butler of the Science of Identity Foundation" height="831" width="1108" msid="94951971" hostid="261" sizebytes="47102"></div><h2>SIF evolved from the Hare Krishna movement</h2>The Hare Krishna movement was started in 1966 by AC Bhaktivedanta, a 70-year-old Indian man who landed in New York with just 40 rupees to his name. Bhaktivedanta <a href="https://theharekrishnamovement.org/tag/tompkins-square-park/">preached and chanted in</a> Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, tapping into the countercultural spirit of the 1960s.The movement swiftly became the largest branch of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, part of the Hindu school of thought. Hare Krishnas <a href="https://theharekrishnamovement.org/category/yoga-2/">believe</a> that chanting mantras, vegetarianism, and yoga can awaken the sleeping soul and enable them to experience an eternal connection with Krishna, the supreme god.Chris Butler was a young yoga teacher and surfer in his early 20s when the Hare Krishna movement reached Hawaii. He had already amassed a small following of his own, but found it difficult to attract new followers against the mainstream movement.In 1971, Butler met Bhaktivedanta and agreed to a trade: He would turn his disciples over, and become an initiate of Hare Krishna. Butler gained a new name, Siddhaswarupanada, which <a href="https://sif.yoga/about/jagad-guru">means</a> "one's spiritual form which is full of bliss."But Butler clashed with his guru. Deviating from Hindu principles, Butler <a href="https://www.prem-rawat-bio.org/nrms/gurus/chris_buttler.htm">married</a> and instructed his followers not to shave their heads or wear robes, while Bhaktivedanta <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/what-does-tulsi-gabbard-believe">chided</a> him for his non-orthodox teachings.When Bhaktivedanta died in 1977, Butler splintered from the Hare Krishna movement to start the Science of Identity Foundation. He began to further deemphasize traditional Hindu texts and practices, and began to expound his own controversial views.Butler taught that homosexuality is evil, using <a href="https://iowainformer.com/video/butler-aids.mp4">virulent homophobic rhetoric</a>, and that public schools and the outside world were not to be trusted. Children of followers were homeschooled, and some — <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-campaign.html">including</a> Gabbard — were later sent to schools the SIF created in the Philippines.The SIF amassed a tightly-knit community of around a thousand followers in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. Among them were Mike and Carol Gabbard, who would name one of their daughters <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/what-does-tulsi-gabbard-believe">after</a> "tulasi," the Sanskrit word for the holy-basil herb that appears in the Bhagavad Gita as an offering to the Lord.<div type="image" title="Hare Krishna founder AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada during a parade, San Francisco, California, July 1974" height="2180" width="2907" msid="94951972" hostid="261" sizebytes="767788"></div><h2>Some ex-members describe the SIF as an abusive cult</h2>Tulsi Gabbard and her siblings were raised as Hindus and vegetarians, she <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121105052532/http://www.indoamerican-news.com/archives/12109">told</a> the Indo American News before her first run for Congress. She grew up largely among fellow disciples, singing or chanting sacred Hindu songs on the beach, the New Yorker reported. Gabbard met both her first husband and her <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tulsi-gabbard-bio-photos-2020-democratic-candidate-2019-7">current spouse</a>, freelance cinematographer Abraham Williams, in SIF, <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-campaign.html">according to</a> New York Magazine.While Gabbard has described her experience growing up in the group as one that was seemingly positive, some other ex-members have described themselves as survivors of a cult."I was raised to believe Chris Butler was God's voice on earth, and if you questioned him or offended him in any way, you were effectively offending God," someone who identifies as a former member of the SIF <a href="https://medium.com/@lalitamann/an-insiders-perspective-on-tulsi-gabbard-and-her-guru-e2650f0d09">wrote</a> in a 2017 Medium post. "Questioning the leader was spiritual suicide, which was seen as worse than death."Another former member told New York Magazine that Butler was vulgar and vindictive, excoriating people for small slip-ups like driving poorly or failing to clean water cups properly.Butler has denied these claims, and Gabbard told the New Yorker that these experiences didn't chalk up to her own: "I've never heard him say anything hateful, or say anything mean about anybody," Gabbard said. "I can speak to my own personal experience and, frankly, my gratitude to him, for the gift of this wonderful spiritual practice that he has given to me, and to so many people."Both Butler and Gabbard also said the foundation is a resource, not a religious organization, though Butler acknowledged that he does have "disciples" as "Jagad Guru," or "teacher of the world," the New Yorker reported.<div type="image" title="Tulsi Gabbard on stage for a town hall in Fremont, CA, during her 2020 presidential run" height="577" width="769" msid="94951973" hostid="261" sizebytes="19274"></div><h2>Gabbard's identity politics and multiculturalism</h2>Gabbard has often downplayed the influence of Butler, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/what-does-tulsi-gabbard-believe">telling</a> the New Yorker that she has "had many different spiritual teachers, and continue[s] to." But she acknowledged that he had shaped her Hindu identity, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzinepQi28c&amp;t=1s">referring</a> to him as her "guru dev," or spiritual guide. Gabbard also told the New York Times in 2019 that Butler and his work still guide her.The way Gabbard has presented herself to the public is caught up in the "fraught" ways America has come to understand multiculturalism — the idea that we should honor all cultures and faiths, according to Radhika Parameswaran, professor of cultural and media studies at Indiana University, Bloomington."What multiculturalism doesn't take into account are issues of social justice, inequity, or histories of oppression. Or, if it does, it does it in a very tokenistic, surface way," Parameswaran told Insider. "When you think about somebody like Tulsi Gabbard and her adoption of Hinduism… you also have to peel back the layers and look at the way religion can be used as a tool of oppression."While it would be speculation to determine another person's private beliefs, Parameswaran said she doesn't see how Gabbard's spiritual background could not have had an influence on her or her politics.<h2>Criticisms of Islamophobia and anti-gay rhetoric</h2>In addition to his homophobic attitudes, Butler has espoused hostile views toward Muslims, <a href="https://bylinetimes.com/2019/10/03/islamophobic-world-view-of-tulsi-gabbards-guru-revealed-in-unearthed-recordings-can-she-still-run-for-president/">calling them</a> "demons."Throughout her career, Gabbard has made herself a prominent ambassador of American Hinduism, forging <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99OPOxYaTl4">relationships</a> with Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, and other Indian leaders. She has drawn criticism for <a href="https://thecognate.com/us-presidential-candidate-tulsi-gabbard-justifies-2002-gujarat-pogrom-sparks-furore/">defending</a> Modi's party, which has been accused of being complicit in <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/india-muslims-marginalized-population-bjp-modi">widespread violence against Muslims</a>. Some have also <a href="https://www.rediff.com/news/interview/exclusive-why-tulsi-gabbard-doesnt-want-hillary-as-prez/20160309.htm">directly</a> <a href="https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/factsheet-tulsi-gabbard/">criticized</a> Gabbard for stoking Islamophobia with public <a href="https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1436768723491180545?t=a8kO8tjak2plKy5lhAT81Q&amp;s=19">statements</a> she has made linking Islamic beliefs with acts of terrorism.Gabbard has also been accused of flip-flopping on her stance on gay marriage: After <a href="https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/01/13/politics/kfile-tulsi-gabbard-lgbt/index.html?amp_gsa=1&amp;amp_js_v=a9&amp;usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&amp;aoh=16657801990396&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp;ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2019%2F01%2F13%2Fpolitics%2Fkfile-tulsi-gabbard-lgbt%2Findex.html">acknowledging</a> her past work with a known anti-gay organization that promoted controversial conversion therapy, Gabbard publicly <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/17/tulsi-gabbard-apology-lgbt-comments-1109541">renounced</a> her previously-held anti-gay views. However, in April 2022, Gabbard <a href="https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/04/04/tulsi-gabbard-says-florida-dont-say-gay-law-should-have-gone-further/">defended</a> Florida Governor's Ron DeSantis's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which has come under fire for being discriminatory.As of time of publish, Gabbard's team did not provide a comment to this story when requested.

Tulsi Gabbard's ties to the Science of Identity Foundation, a controversial religious sect that some call an abusive 'cult'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>'s safety team determined earlier this year that Bajrang Dal, a religious extremist group in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, was likely a "dangerous organization" that should be banned from the platform under its rules, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=yla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday.</li><li>But, The Journal reported, Facebook became concerned about banning the group after its security team warned that doing so could lead to attacks against Facebook's staff.</li><li>Facebook's inconsistency in enforcing its rules in India has also been motivated by fears that backlash from India's nationalist ruling party could hurt business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Wall Street Journal</a> previously reported.</li><li>The social media company has increasingly come under fire over its struggle to effectively and consistently police its platform — especially outside of the US, where users have leveraged its platform to facilitate ethnic violence, undermine democratic processes, and crack down on free speech.</li></ul>Facebook determined that a religious extremist group in India likely should be banned from the platform for promoting violence, but it has yet to take action because of concerns over its staff's safety and political repercussions that could hurt its business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=yla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday.Bajrang Dal, a militant Hindu nationalist group, has physically assaulted <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/the-violent-toll-of-hindu-nationalism-in-india">Muslims</a> and <a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a84b4.html">Christians</a>, and one of its leaders recently <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/probe-ordered-over-assam-bajrang-dal-leader-s-threat-to-beat-up-hindus-visiting-churches-on-christmas-1747257-2020-12-07">threatened violence</a> against Hindus who attend church on Christmas.Earlier this year, Facebook's safety team determined that Bajrang Dal likely was a "dangerous organization" and, per its <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2020/08/addressing-movements-and-organizations-tied-to-violence/">policies against such groups</a>, should be removed from the platform entirely, according to The Journal.But Facebook hesitated to enforce those rules after its security team concluded that doing so could hurt its business in India as well as potentially trigger physical attacks against its employees or facilities, The Journal reported."We ban individuals or entities after following a careful, rigorous, and multi-disciplinary process. We enforce our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy globally without regard to political position or party affiliation," a Facebook company spokesperson told Business Insider.According to the Journal, Facebook refused to say whether it ultimately decided to designate Bajrang Dal as not dangerous.This isn't the first time Facebook has faced criticism over how it has - or hasn't - enforced its rules, even within India or even within India in the past few months.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Journal reported in August</a> that Facebook refused to apply its <keyword id="6406418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hate-speech">hate speech</keyword> policies to T. Raja Singh, a politician from India's nationalist ruling <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> party, despite his calls to shoot Muslim immigrants and threats to destroy mosques.Facebook employees had concluded that, in addition to violating the company's policies, Singh's rhetoric in the real world was dangerous enough to merit kicking him off the platform entirely. However, Facebook's top public policy executive in India overruled them, arguing that the political repercussions could hurt the company's business (India is its largest and fastest-growing market globally by number of users).The internal tension over Bajrang Dal reflects the frequent challenges Facebook faces when its profits come into conflict with local governments and laws, rules the company has established for its platform, and CEO <keyword id="6354630" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="mark-zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</keyword>'s pledges to uphold free speech and democratic processes.In August, Facebook took the rare step of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-sue-thailand-government-censorship-block-group-critical-king-rama-2020-8">legal action against Thailand's government</a> over its demand that the company block users within the country from accessing a group critical of its king, though it's complying with the government's request while the case proceeds in court.But <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/facebook-ignore-political-manipulation-whistleblower-memo">BuzzFeed News</a> reported in August that Facebook ignored or failed to quickly address dozens of incidents of political misinformation and efforts to undermine democracy around the world, particularly in smaller and non-Western countries.And even as Zuckerberg has defended Facebook's exemption of President Donald Trump and other politicians from its hate speech and fact-checking policies, human rights activists around the world have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-says-free-speech-protects-trump-but-company-bans-activists-2020-6?r=ts-sub">slammed the social media giant</a> for refusing to protect the free speech of those not in power.

Facebook reportedly hasn't banned a violent religious extremist group in India because it fears for its business prospects and staff's safety

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Facebook's safety team determined earlier this year that <keyword id="6365937" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="bajrang-dal">Bajrang Dal</keyword>, a religious extremist group in India, was likely a "dangerous organization" that should be banned from the platform under its rules, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday.</li><li>But, The Journal reported, Facebook became concerned about banning the group after its security team warned that doing so could lead to attacks against Facebook's staff.</li><li>Facebook's inconsistency in enforcing its rules in India has also been motivated by fears that backlash from India's nationalist ruling party could hurt business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Wall Street Journal</a> previously reported.</li><li>The social media company has increasingly come under fire over its struggle to effectively and consistently police its platform — especially outside of the US, where users have leveraged its platform to facilitate ethnic violence, undermine democratic processes, and crack down on free speech.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Facebook determined that a religious extremist group in India likely should be banned from the platform for promoting violence, but it has yet to take action because of concerns over its staff's safety and political repercussions that could hurt its business, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-india-facebook-fears-crackdown-on-hate-groups-could-backfire-on-its-staff-11607871600?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;tesla=y">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Sunday. Bajrang Dal, a militant Hindu nationalist group, has physically assaulted <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/the-violent-toll-of-hindu-nationalism-in-india">Muslims</a> and <a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a84b4.html">Christians</a>, and one of its leaders recently <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/probe-ordered-over-assam-bajrang-dal-leader-s-threat-to-beat-up-hindus-visiting-churches-on-christmas-1747257-2020-12-07">threatened violence</a> against Hindus who attend church on Christmas. Earlier this year, Facebook's safety team determined that Bajrang Dal likely was a "dangerous organization" and, per its <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2020/08/addressing-movements-and-organizations-tied-to-violence/">policies against such groups</a>, should be removed from the platform entirely, according to The Journal. But Facebook hesitated to enforce those rules after its security team concluded that doing so could hurt its business in India as well as potentially trigger physical attacks against its employees or facilities, The Journal reported. "We ban individuals or entities after following a careful, rigorous, and multi-disciplinary process. We enforce our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy globally without regard to political position or party affiliation," a Facebook company spokesperson told Business Insider. According to the Journal, Facebook refused to say whether it ultimately decided to designate Bajrang Dal as not dangerous. This isn't the first time Facebook has faced criticism over how it has — or hasn't — enforced its rules, even within India or even within India in the past few months. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346?mod=article_inline">The Journal reported in August</a> that Facebook refused to apply its hate speech policies to T. Raja Singh, a politician from India's nationalist ruling BJP party, despite his calls to shoot Muslim immigrants and threats to destroy mosques. Facebook employees had concluded that, in addition to violating the company's policies, Singh's rhetoric in the real world was dangerous enough to merit kicking him off the platform entirely. However, Facebook's top public policy executive in India overruled them, arguing that the political repercussions could hurt the company's business (India is its largest and fastest-growing market globally by number of users). The internal tension over Bajrang Dal reflects the frequent challenges Facebook faces when its profits come into conflict with local governments and laws, rules the company has established for its platform, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's pledges to uphold free speech and democratic processes. In August, Facebook took the rare step of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-sue-thailand-government-censorship-block-group-critical-king-rama-2020-8">legal action against Thailand's government</a> over its demand that the company block users within the country from accessing a group critical of its king, though it's complying with the government's request while the case proceeds in court. But <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/facebook-ignore-political-manipulation-whistleblower-memo">BuzzFeed News</a> reported in August that Facebook ignored or failed to quickly address dozens of incidents of political misinformation and efforts to undermine democracy around the world, particularly in smaller and non-Western countries. And even as Zuckerberg has defended Facebook's exemption of President Donald Trump and other politicians from its hate speech and fact-checking policies, human rights activists around the world have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-says-free-speech-protects-trump-but-company-bans-activists-2020-6?r=ts-sub">slammed the social media giant</a> for refusing to protect the free speech of those not in power. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://businessinsider.in/science/space/news/geminid-meteor-shower-will-be-visible-over-parts-of-india-tonight/articleshow/79704337.cms">Geminid meteor shower will be visible over parts of India tonight</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/indian-users-most-affected-by-malware-targeting-chrome-firefox-and-edge-web-browsers/articleshow/79676821.cms">Indian users among the most affected by a new threat that is affecting three of the most popular web browsers in the world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/carbon-emissions-in-india-show-third-highest-drop-after-us-and-europe-in-2020-thanks-to-covid-19-lockdowns/articleshow/79673023.cms">Carbon emissions in India show third-highest drop after US and Europe in 2020 — thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns</a>

<ul><li>Tanishq’s latest Ekatvam Diwali ad stirred up a new row of controversy on social media for promoting a crackerless Diwali. </li><li>The brand was quick to delete its ad this time. </li><li>This made us wonder if brands are setting a wrong precedent by pulling down their advertisements and giving in to these bullies too quickly? Will consumers lose faith in the brand for backtracking and its lack of confidence? </li><li>Experts tell us their thoughts and ideal ways of dealing with online trolling. </li></ul>Tanishq has found itself in troubled waters yet again. On November 09, #BoycottTanishq was trending on Twitter for another advertisement under its on-going ‘Ekatvam’ (unity) campaign and this time, we are scratching our heads to find a reason why it offended the internet users. The ad featured four independent actors Sayani Gupta, Neena Gupta, Alaya F and Nimrat Kaur talking about what they love about Diwali and how they are going to celebrate the festival this year. The ad is about female companionship and oneness. It celebrates successful women and positions itself as a brand that caters to women of all ages. Tanishq’s latest ad wasn’t just about promoting a noise-free Diwali, contrary to what trolls think. It was about celebrating Diwali with family and not bursting crackers was just one of the messages they gave. The message which offended many internet users wasn’t the central thread of the ad. It was woven around the message of equality and togetherness. Its caption read, “This Diwali, let’s unite and celebrate with those closest to our hearts.” While many experts say that religion is a tough subject to handle and brands should be careful in the way they project themselves, this time, Tanishq played it safe. It only featured Hindu, upper-caste and class women celebrating Diwali. So, what was the problem? It seems like the memories of the previous storm were still fresh and the mere sight of Tanishq is offending Twitterati. They were quick to jump in to ask for another boycott for ‘trying to advise Hindus on how to celebrate their festivals’ and ‘defame their culture.’ “Why should anyone advise Hindus how to celebrate Our Festivals? Companies must focus on selling their products, not lecture us to refrain from bursting Crackers. We will light lamps, distribute sweets and burst green crackers. Please join us. You will understand Ekatvam,” said a user. “Saw a recent ad campaign by Tanishq Jewelry where some bimbos prattle vacuously about how Deepavali is about buying clothes and jewellery. Looks like this is the new woke line. Strip Deepavali of all religious significance and make it a kind of a glorified kitty party with lights,” said another Twitter user. They even had a problem with women not wearing symbols of patriarchy and their badges of being married such as bindis, bangles and sindoor. <div type="twitter" handle="krithikasivasw" handlename="krithika sivaswamy" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1307598588181016576/coJ-S3Qq_normal.jpg" favoritecount="172" retweetcount="61" status="No bindi, no deepam, no lakshmi pooja. While I don't like to intefere into people's dressing or spiritual choices… https://t.co/tzM0cbaXk0" createdat="1604896710000" id="1325659002307375105"></div> It was around a month ago that Tanishq’s ad film about a Hindu bahu and her Muslim saas living together peacefully made the trolls uncomfortable. In both these controversies, Tanishq was quick to withdraw its ad and apologise for hurting religious sentiments. This made us wonder if brands are setting a wrong precedent by pulling down their advertisements and giving in to these rabble-rousers too quickly? The last time, Tanishq withdrew its ad because the safety of its employees was in danger and so far, for its recent ad, it has just been social media outrage. Powerful brands like Tanishq have the resources to stand up to these bullies. Brands are also aware of the volatile climes they live in and how advertisements can irk some internet users. So, are brands not hiring good media planners? Will consumers lose faith in the brand for backtracking and its lack of confidence? A larger question every CMO ponders upon, what is the ideal way to deal with these online bullies? We reached out to experts to find out. Here is what they had to say: Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and Angel Investor: I am surprised that Tanishq chose to take down the ad in the face of social media backlash. I am sure the brand foresaw the likely controversy when they chose to go down this path – so backtracking now is a little surprising and doesn’t speak well for their planning. It is important for companies and brands to respect public sentiment. After all, a brand and a company exists within a larger community and all it does is have to reflect the values of its users and the larger society it operates in. Thanks to their reach and heft, brands have become important elements in shaping culture, influencing behaviour and moulding opinion. It is therefore important for them to proactively do the right thing, even though it may have short-term implications for their business. Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc: I very simply believe that brands must avoid touching topics that either directly or indirectly touch politics or religion. Anything that touches these two or adjacent issues such as custom and tradition, must be avoided. These are sensitive times. Avoid issues that sensitize audiences further. Akshara Vasavda, Creative Lead, Schbang: Another <keyword id="2851713" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tanishq-Ad">Tanishq ad</keyword> taken down because of angry trolls upset over someone saying we shouldn't burst firecrackers, because you know, we're kind of in the middle of a pandemic and an on-going climate crisis in general. How dare they? First, let's focus on the real issue - the extremists dominating much of the Indian media and social media right now, spreading their intolerance in almost every sphere of our lives. There is no platform where one can express their (very reasonable and justified) views freely without getting attacked by angry extremist trolls. Whether or not Tanishq should have taken the ad down is a separate conversation. They are still yet another victim of growing extremism in our country, albeit a very privileged victim with power and resources to fight this issue and bring some much needed change. Should Tanishq have taken this ad down? Absolutely not. I work on a brand 100x smaller than Tanishq that was attacked for a week straight for a simple social media post on Navratri, but we stuck to our cause and fought the trolls off with a team of 3 girls handling ORM. I simply do not see why a brand like Tanishq feels forced to take the ad down except for maybe, just maybe, they want to have their cake and eat it too - please the progressives but be in the good books of conservatives/right wing audience as well. Afterall, their sales come from the old and the rich. Or maybe, they want the controversy. Whatever the reason is, I'm out of sympathy for this TATA giant, when small, independent brands are not afraid to stand up in the face of right-wing suppression of speech. Kuber Chopra, Founder, Creative and Strategy Director, Rasta: What Tanishq is dealing with is not a "might offend someone" mindset, it's got to a point where the trolls have simply marked some brands as too liberal for their liking. Just like they would mark some popular liberal voices as those to quash dare they speak. While I did feel when they released the last ad, they would have been conscious of potential backlash, on this occasion they're just dealing with depressing brainwashed mindsets that are going to continue to get offended by the sight of Tanishq. They are probably offended by this because there are 4 independent women and no men in a Diwali ad (albeit it's a jewelry ad) speaking English. I'm honestly a little saddened to suggest a hack for this, but if Tanishq doesn’t think putting a brave front is worth it, they should change the script and redo the voice over perhaps in Hindi. If they want to be brave they can release little snippets of each of these women lighting dias and a little story about who they are, where they're celebrating Diwali. And of course, doing nothing is also a strategy. Hope Tanishq has the best Diwali and open minded Diwali shoppers make their wallets heard. Akshaara Lalwani, CEO &amp; Founder, Communicate India: Conceptualization of an ad campaign is backed by the vision to create an emotional connect with the audience. While ṭhis attempt may at times click well for the brand, there is a possibility of it backfiring too, especially during such sensitive times, when the world is battling through a global health crisis and emotions are heightened. However, keeping that in mind, it is also imperative for brands to believe in its value system and not change as per audience receptiveness. Thus, pulling down the ad wasn't the best way to deal with this situation and only reflected the lack of belief in the idea that the brand had executed through this campaign If we observe the audience engagement post-global-lockdown, it has reflected an upsurge in the rate of social media trolls. Having had the technological access and ample amount of time at hand, people are consuming content on a larger scale and hence brands have been put under the microscopic lenses. In order to deal with such trolls, brands need to evaluate and understand the sentiment that the campaign has brought forth among the audiences. Basis the audience reaction, devising a strategy that helps communicate the campaign’s authentic idea is the best way to tackle the situation at hand. Amyn Ghadiali, Vice President -Business &amp; Strategy, Gozoop: It definitely sets a wrong precedent. I believe that more than trolls, the customers also lose faith in the brand because it doesn’t have the courage to see through things that they actually believe in. If I were the brand custodian at Tanishq, the fundamental question I would ask myself is that do I believe in what I am saying &amp; are the ones trolling me/ my customers? If they are, then I would really like to understand their POV better rather than pulling down the ad. If they are random trolls, who never would be able to afford my brand, why even bother? Also, if a brand believes in a progressive society, I would want to have customers who share that ideology. Look at how Jeff Bezos supported black lives matter. I wouldn’t call it strategy, I would simply call them principles. We all know principles mean nothing if they don’t cost us something. The best way to deal with trolls is to create an army of brand advocates that stand by your decision and belief. In-case of a polarising debate like that of Tanishq or for that matter any brand, it is important to have a spine and stick through. People who support your belief system will come forward, defend you and in-fact respect you even more.

Is Tanishq’s Ekatvam Diwali ad being pulled down setting a wrong precedent?

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>India on Monday revoked part of its constitution that established the quasi-independence of Kashmir, a disputed region between India and Pakistan.</li><li>The articles had allowed Kashmir to make its own laws, and banned non-Kashmiris from moving there or working for its government.</li><li>The state will now be directly under the control of India's federal government in New Delhi.&#xa0;</li><li>Over the weekend Indian authorities sent thousands of troops into the already heavily-militarized region, and told tourists to get out.</li><li>India also shut down the internet and put local political figures under house arrest.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>India has shut off the internet, placed politicians under house arrest, and ordered tourists to leave the disputed region of Kashmir after it annulled part of its constitution that gave the region a large degree of independence from the rest of the country.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Monday <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/amit-shah-says-article-35a-and-article-370-giving-kashmir-special-status-will-be-annulled-in-rajya-sabha/articleshow/70530969.cms">revoked Articles 35a and 370 of its constitution</a>, which gave the state of Jammu and Kashmir a "special" status that allowed it to make its own laws.The state will now be reorganized into two territories - Jammu and Kashmir being one, and Ladakh being the other. The regions will be governed by the Indian federal authorities in New Delhi as opposed to individual state governors.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><h2>History of the powder-keg region</h2>Jammu and Kashmir's quasi-independence dates back to 1927, when the region's administration allowed its subjects to have a separate set of rules for inheriting property.After India and Pakistan separated in 1947, the maharajah of Jammu and Kashmir chose to become part of India, with Article 370 of the Indian Constitution preserving its "special status." This angered Pakistan, which supported many insurgencies in the region.Pakistan continues to claim Jammu and Kashmir as its own territory.The constitutional provision also blocked Indians from outside the region from living there, owning property, or getting government jobs. It also prohibits women from inheriting property if they marry someone from outside the state.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) argue that constitutional provisions regarding Jammu and Kashmir's "special status" are temporary, and has long vowed to revoke them.During general elections this May, the BJP said the "special status" was "discriminatory against non-permanent residents and women of Kashmir."It added: "We believe that Article 35A is an obstacle in the development of the state."The BJP won those elections by a landslide, increasing its seats in parliament.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Jammu and Kashmir are currently split between India, Pakistan, and China. The area remains heavily contested between India and Pakistan.Many of the region's residents, who are mostly Muslim, hope for independence or to be ruled by Pakistan, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10537286">the BBC reported</a>. It is one of the most heavily-militarized areas in the world.The longstanding tensions over Kashmir reignited in February after a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-warns-pakistan-after-a-deadly-suicide-attack-in-kashmir-2019-2">suicide attack</a> killed 44 Indian paramilitary police in the Indian-controlled side of the region.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/border-between-india-and-pakistan-2019-7">Here's what life is like on the border between India and Pakistan, one of the world's most disputed regions</a><h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></h2><h2>Troops move in as tourists stream out</h2>India has moved thousands of troops into Kashmir and placed heavy restrictions on the daily life of its 7 million resident since Friday, citing an impending terror threat.Indian Army officials said Pakistan-based militants were planning an attack on the approximately 300,000 Hindus who were in the region for an annual pilgrimage, <a href="https://apnews.com/1c480fe901134845b12940d4921b4ad8/gallery/1941a5206df2408eb5b87c21912581f1">The Associated Press</a> (AP) and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/world/asia/kashmir-crackdown-india-pakistan.html">The New York Times</a> reported.Thousands of tourists and students have been fleeing the region per government orders, the AP reported.But many Kashmiris doubted the claims of an impending terror attack and wondered if there were other reasons for the sudden troop increase in the region.The Indian army also fired along the Line of Control - which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan on Sunday - and wounded one woman, the AP reported, citing Pakistani police.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Indian authorities in the region also shut off the internet and cut landlines in many households over the weekend.Blocking communications is a common strategy to prevent people from organizing anti-India demonstration and to stop the spreading of news that may be unsavory to the government, <a href="https://www.apnews.com/a80782938fad458ba7d29643fe648843">according to the AP</a>.Some people were able to bypass the internet ban, however. The Indian state-owned BSNL telcom provider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/news/journalists-in-kashmir-get-satellite-phones-after-internet-and-mobile-are-shut-down/articleshow/70530054.cms">sold satellite phones to journalists</a>&#xa0;on the ground for 100,000 rupees ($1,419) apiece so they could continue reporting.Indian officials also placed top regional leaders, including former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, under house arrest amid the mounting tensions."Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy," Mufti <a href="https://twitter.com/MehboobaMufti/status/1158257894149615616">tweeted</a> shortly after India scrapped the constitutional provisions for Jammu and Kashmir's independence."The manner in which they [Indian officials] want to bulldoze our special identity is illegal &amp; makes India an occupational force," she later <a href="https://twitter.com/MehboobaMufti/status/1158291712243933184">said</a>.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><h2>Will Trump play a part?</h2>US President Donald Trump offered to mediate the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India last week in a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan two weeks ago.Khan appeared to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/imran-khan-is-asking-donald-trump-to-intervene-as-promised/articleshow/70529731.cms">take up Trump's offer</a> on Sunday after Indian troops moved into the region, <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1157963122981920768">warning in a tweet</a>: "This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-negotiate-in-kashmir-pakistan-india-2019-7">Trump's casual offer to mediate the Kashmir dispute reveals a disastrous misunderstanding of the powder-keg region</a>Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said that India's annulment of the two articles violates UN Security Council resolutions, <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pakistan-jammu-kashmir-article-370-1577420-2019-08-05">India Today reported</a>.<div></div>

India shut off the internet and ordered tourists to leave the hotly contested Kashmir region, in a risky bid to end its quasi-independence

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