Shelar invokes Pahalgam: ‘Here, Hindus attacked over language'
CM Fadnavis holds the home portfolio. Shelar, while criticising the Thackeray cousins, linked the
Pahalgam terror attack
to the assault on non-Marathis. He said, "In Pahalgam, people were shot based on their religion—Hindus were targeted. Here, innocent Hindus are being beaten up after being questioned about their language," he said. tnn
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The Wire
13 minutes ago
- The Wire
Delhi: Exhibition on India's Freedom Struggle Celebrates Inclusive Nationalism and Women Freedom Fighters
S.N. Sahu At a time when India's history is being distorted by the Modi regime, the exhibition celebrates the roles played by Hindus, Muslims, Christians and people of other religious persuasions in freeing India from colonial rule. ' Hamaara Itihaas – Archives of Freedom Fighters', the exhibition organised and curated by Sagari Chhabra, is quite fascinating and captures the saga of freedom struggle and its manifold aspects. Organised at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg in Delhi, it is open for public viewing from August 9, 2025, and will run till August 23, 2025. The defining aspects of the exhibition is centered around the role of women freedom fighters in different phases of our struggle for independence. First provisional government of India It is tragic that India's history is being distorted by the Modi regime, and the Moghul period is being depicted in NCERT books as brutal, in negation of the historical accounts showing the commonalities of people of that period, regardless of faiths they pursued. It is in this context that the exhibition assumes significance, for it celebrates the roles played by Hindus, Muslims, Christians and people of other religious persuasions in freeing India from colonial rule. It is educative that the exhibition, while explaining the commencement of the first war of independence in India in 1857, and some of the struggles preceding that, explores details of the lesser known first provisional government of independent India, established in 1915 in Afghanistan by Maharaja Mahendra Pratap. A respected figure of our history, he followed an inclusive approach and it was evident from the very composition of that government, of which he was the President, Maulana Barkatullah, the prime minister, and Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi, the home minister. The objective of the provisional government was to liberate India from British rule. For the daring act of leading a government outside India, Mahendra Pratap faced sedition charges and his properties were confiscated. Ultimately, he left the country and worked outside India for its freedom. In his weekly journal, titled Young India, Mahatma Gandhi wrote on July 14, 1929: 'Raja Mahendra Pratap is a great patriot. For the sake of the country, this noble man has chosen exile as his lot.' Pratap was a member of the first Lok Sabha and defeated Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the elections. In 1929, Mahendra Pratap sent a letter to Gandhi, outlining the idea of non-violence. He wrote, ' Ahimsa, as I understand it, is not to give pain to anybody in mind or body by one's thought, talk or action. However, to be a follower of this principle does not stop here. A follower of ahimsa has to change all those conditions under which himsa is practised or becomes possible. I call it worst kind of himsa, opposite of ahimsa, when a man tolerates or aids himsa of others. Many people in India today deliver some very fine sermons on the beauties of ahimsa; however, they do little to destroy the himsa of the British.' Elsewhere, Mahendra Prata wrote, 'In the true spirit of ahimsa, I cannot force my will on others'. That utterance is intensely relevant for India which, after 2014, is witnessing violent imposition of majoritarianism, with minorities being attacked and many lives being snuffed out in the name of what they eat, how they dress and who they worship. As I visited Sagari Chchabra's curated exhibition and saw at the very beginning a picture of Mahendra Pratap, I was reminded of Gandhi and Pratap's nuanced reflections on non-violence. In no exhibition on freedom struggle have I ever seen any depiction of the first provisional government before. It preceded the provisional government headed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as prime minister in late 1940s. Global scope of freedom movement It is quite fascinating to see the exhibition showcasing oral testimonies, photos, audio, video and film recordings of freedom struggle which covered in its scope not just India but also Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar and many other European countries and Canada. It is delightful to see photos and documents from London, Paris, Geneva, Stuttgart, San Francisco and other places, showing that India's freedom struggle was both revolutionary and non-violent. The exhibition also showcased rare documents of the papers ' Bande Mataram' and ' Talvar ', started by Madam Bhikaiji Cama, a Parsi, who for the first time hoisted a version of the Indian flag outside India, at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart. The depiction of the Ghadar Party, based in Vancouver and San Francisco, in the exhibition is also very captivating. Netaji and the Indian National Army It is well known that Netaji Subhas Bose was described by Mahatma Gandhi as a prince among patriots and so, the exhibition, with its special section on Netaji's phenomenal role in freeing India from British rule, is very impactful. In addition to casting light on the Netaji-led provisional government, the exhibition specially focuses attention on Rani Jhansi regiment of Indian National Army (INA), the first regiment of the world, entirely consisting of women and led by Captain Lakshmi Sahgal. The spirit of INA was so infectious in inspiring women that a lady freedom fighter's words from that period, that 'sarees should go to hell' and 'what ladies needed were uniforms, caps, belts and boots to fight for liberation of India' summed up the temper of that time. Trial of INA heroes The trial of INA heroes Colonel Prem Sahgal, Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon and Major-General Shah Nawaz Khan became a trial of the British empire. British intelligence officer Hugh Toy, in his book The Springing Tiger, paid tribute to Netaji and wrote that that trial and subsequent Naval Mutiny hastened the independence of India. While explaining to the visitors about the exhibition, Sagari said that when the three heroes were put on trial, the slogan of that time – 'Lal Quila Se Aai Awaj, Sahagal, Dhilon and Shah Nawaj (A voice rose from the Red Fort, of Sehgal, Dhillon and Shah Nawaz)' – stirred new heights of inclusive nationalism for people Gandhian era Finally, the section on Mahatma Gandhi in the exhibition shows how women, and that too ordinary women from all parts of India, willingly participated in the freedom struggle because of Gandhi's non-violence movement for the freedom of India. This section depicts specifically the Dandi March of 1930 launched by Gandhi to break the iniquitous salt law, preventing Indians from manufacturing salt, and achieve independence. A multitude of women joined the Salt Satyagraha, the exhibition shows, breaking the salt law with the march that shook the British empire by the sheer strength unleashed by totally unarmed men and women. Gandhi, who was arrested and put behind bars, was declared 'Man of the Year' by the Time magazine in 1930. The exhibition also screens the documentary film, ' Asli Azaadi', directed by Sagari Chhabra, 1999, on women freedom fighters. In these trying times, when history is distorted and people operating the state apparatus are deriding the values of freedom struggle, this exhibition serves not just as inspiration but also as education. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Advertisement
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
LDF and UDF ratchet up their demand for Suresh Gopi to clarify voter list fraud accusations
As accusations of voter list fraud in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general elections appeared to turn from a trickle into a torrent, the ruling front and the opposition in Kerala ratcheted up their demand for a public accounting from Union Minister of State for Tourism, Suresh Gopi, MP. Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] general secretary, M.A. Baby, dismissed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) former State president K. Surendran's averment that Mr. Gopi owed no explanation and the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) were grousing belatedly about Election Commission of India (ECI) officials in Thrissur stacking the odds in favour of the Union Minister. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr. Baby said: 'Belated reporting of a theft did not absolve the perpetrator of the crime. The BJP's voter fraud in Thrissur is a microcosm of what the BJP-engineered in other States. The modus operandi, including identity theft, reflects a pattern. The Election Commission of India (ECI) should retrieve its lost credibility by conducting a thorough investigation', he said. Meanwhile, Mr. Gopi, who arrived after a long hiatus in Thrissur early Wednesday, appeared to maintain a sphinx-like silence. When mobbed by reporters, Mr. Gopi quipped: 'Thank you for the favours done'. Congress speak Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said Mr. Gopi's reticence was a deliberate attempt to cock a snook at the Thrissur electorate and civil society. 'Mr. Gopi has the right of reply, given the gravity of the accusations of voter fraud swirling around him and the BJP in Kerala. His speechlessness lends credibility to Congress's accusations of massive voter list fraud in Thrissur each passing hour,' Mr. Satheesan said. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala adduced evidence of what he claimed was massive voter list fraud by CPI(M) and BJP since 2021. He said the BJP appeared to have taken a page from the CPI(M) 's playbook on rigging elections. 'It included persons appearing in multiple voters' lists across districts and fictitious voters using phoney addresses and identity proof', he added.
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Edappadi K. Palaniswami allied with BJP without consulting party: Mutharasan
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) without consulting his party, prompting members to leave the party, alleged the State secretary of the Communist Party of India, R. Mutharasan, on Wednesday. Mr. Mutharasan told journalists in Salem that BJP had pressured Mr. Palaniswami into joining hands with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 'In an attempt to strengthen his party's unity, Mr. Palaniswami is trying to create anger among his supporters by alleging that Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan spoke ill of former leaders M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa,' he claimed . 'He (Mr. Palaniswami) is targeting Mr. Thirumavalavan to divert the anger of the AIADMK cadre away from himself,' he added. Mr. Palaniswami and other AIADMK functionaries are running a 'low-level campaign' against Mr. Thirumavalavan on social media and the CPI has condemned it, he said. On the arrest of Madurai Mayor's husband in a property tax scam, Mr. Mutharasan said action must be taken against all those found guilty and, if the Mayor's role was proven, the government should act without hesitation. Criticising the Election Commission, he alleged it had lost its independence and become subservient to the BJP, posing a threat to democracy. Citing the deletion of 65 lakh voters, he claimed names of BJP supporters were retained while opponents were removed. He accused the Union government of forcing Aadhaar for all services despite the Supreme Court ruling that such compulsion was unacceptable. Voter ID and ration cards could be easily forged, a fact acknowledged by the court. India was facing 'gradual democratic erosion' and could soon see BJP critics stripped of citizenship. He urged the public to prepare for a 'second freedom struggle.' Mr. Mutharasan added that thousands of crores lent to fraud-hit companies were written off as non-performing assets, while ordinary citizens struggled to secure and repay small loans. Farmers unable to repay debts were ending their lives, but major defaulters faced no action, he alleged. On actor Mansoor Ali Khan's comment that North Indian migrants should not be included in Tamil Nadu's voter rolls, the CPI leader said large-scale, politically motivated additions and deletions were under way, and the party opposed such practices.
