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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Pahalgam violence an attack on Indian democracy, social harmony: Ram Bahadur Rai
Haridwar: Veteran journalist Ram Bahadur Rai said on Friday that the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 was not just an act of terror but carried three significant meanings. "First, it was an attack on Indian values of democracy, coexistence, and social harmony. Second, it was an assault on religious freedom and confirmation of the artificial theory that Hindus and Muslims cannot live together as a nation. Third, it was an attempt to derail tourism and teerthatan (religious tourism)." He praised the country's media, especially print, for "fair coverage" of the Pahalgam attack and its aftermath. "The print media informed the public that following Pahalgam, the govt had no choice but to launch Operation Sindoor . This operation symbolises the unmatched prowess of our armed forces, projects the govt as powerful (parakrami), and underscores its steely resolve to end cross-border terrorism," said Rai, chairman of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts and a Padma Bhushan awardee. Rai said Operation Sindoor's biggest success was in securing global support unlike earlier wars with Pakistan, when India had to explain its position. On the issue of "paid news," Rai questioned why the govt has not taken actions to curb it. He urged the creation of rules and a regulatory body to guide journalists on their responsibilities. "It should not be like the Press Council of Jawaharlal Nehru's era, which Arun Jaitley called 'a toothless tiger.' The body must regulate all media, from print to digital," he said. He called on chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take initiative, as he did with the Uniform Civil Code. "This body should not control the media but show it the right path, its rightful duties, and what it must avoid," Rai said.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistan says India violating human rights obligations through Islamophobic actions
Listen to article Pakistan on Saturday expressed deep concern over the growing number of Islamophobic incidents across India and warned that the deliberate incitement of religious hatred for political or ideological purposes violates India's international human rights obligations. In a statement responding to media queries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan strongly condemned the targeting of Muslims through hate speech, discriminatory policies, and acts of violence, reportedly carried out with the complicity or silence of Indian authorities. 'Pakistan calls upon the Indian government to uphold the rights and safety of all its citizens, regardless of faith,' the spokesperson said, warning that the deliberate incitement of religious hatred for political or ideological purposes was in violation of India's international human rights obligations. Khan added that such actions, at a time when restraint and reconciliation are most needed, further undermine prospects for communal harmony and regional stability. Read more: Indian Muslim's home demolished over 'Pakistan Zindabad' chant during cricket match The statement comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following New Delhi's accusations—leveled without evidence—linking Islamabad to the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The Pakistani government has strongly rejected the allegations. Human rights organisations, including the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), have recorded at least 21 incidents of anti-Muslim violence across India in the days following the attack. These include physical assaults on Kashmiri Muslims, hate speeches at public rallies, and reported calls for the expulsion of Muslim students from hostels. The situation has been further inflamed by the rise of incendiary music aligned with Hindutva ideology. Songs disseminated widely through platforms like YouTube and WhatsApp have been accused of inciting hatred against Muslims. One such song, Pehle Dharam Pocha ('They Asked About Religion First'), surfaced shortly after the Pahalgam incident, accusing Indian Muslims of conspiring against Hindus. It has garnered over 140,000 views in less than a week. Other tracks such as Ab Ek Nahi Huye Toh Kat Jaaoge ('If You Don't Unite Now You Will Be Slaughtered') and Jaago Hindu Jaago ('Wake Up, Hindus') have called on Hindus to identify 'traitors within the country'—a phrase widely seen as a veiled reference to Muslims. In parallel with the online hate campaign, authorities in Gujarat reportedly demolished around 2,000 huts, which officials claimed were illegally occupied by undocumented migrants from Bangladesh. Activists, however, argue that the demolitions are part of a broader pattern of systemic discrimination aimed at portraying Indian Muslims as 'outsiders' and pushing them further to the margins of society. Also read: Pakistan condemns Modi's Gujarat speech as 'reckless provocation' The demolitions have displaced thousands, worsening the precarious living conditions of affected families and contributing to a growing sense of insecurity within the community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government—widely seen as closely aligned with right-wing Hindu nationalist groups—has come under increasing criticism for its failure to curb hate speech and protect minority communities. Critics argue that the state's silence, and in some cases active participation, in anti-Muslim actions has emboldened extremist elements.
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Maharana Pratap won battle of Haldighati against Akbar': Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari at Jaipur event
Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari has said that Mewar king Maharana Pratap won the 16th Century battle of Haldighati against the forces of Mughal emperor Akbar, adding that she was instrumental in the change of plaque in Haldighati to ensure that it 'reflects the truth.' Speaking at a programme in Jaipur organised by Veer Shiromani Maharana Pratap Sanstha to commemorate the 485th birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap on Thursday, Kumari said: 'The plaque at Haldighati stated that Maharana Pratap lost and Akbar won the battle. In 2021, since I was an MP from there (Rajsamand) – and it is an ASI monument – we tried (to get it changed), including in Delhi with the Minister (of State) for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal as the department was under him. The words on the plaque were changed and if you go to Haldighati today, you will read that Maharana Pratap won the battle. I would like to say that that was the biggest achievement of my tenure (as an MP).' आज वीर शिरोमणि महाराणा प्रताप जी की 485वीं जयंती के उपलक्ष में वीर शिरोमणि महाराणा प्रताप संस्था, झोटवाड़ा द्वारा आयोजित कार्यक्रम में सम्मिलित होकर गौरव की अनुभूति हुई। महाराणा प्रताप का जीवन हम सभी के लिए स्वाभिमान, साहस और मातृभूमि के प्रति समर्पण का प्रतीक है। हल्दीघाटी के… — Diya Kumari (@KumariDiya) May 29, 2025 While the comments were made Thursday, they went viral Saturday. She said that since people may not be aware, she decided to share the truth with people from the stage. 'Kyunki log bahut ulti seedhi cheezein bolte hain, sacchai batane ka sabko samay aa chuka hai. Main kum bolti hun, lekin jab bolti hun tab bahut kuch bolti hun (Because people say a lot of wrong things, the time has come to tell the truth to everyone. I speak less, but when I speak, my words mean a lot),' she said. 'We need to think; the true and correct history of Rajasthan should reach people. Not the history written by Mughals. What did the Mughals do? Divide and rule, the same thing which the Britishers did,' she said, adding that the Mughals made Rajputs fight Rajputs, Hindus fight Hindus. She said that it was unfortunate that for a long time, the political parties too pushed the same history. The ASI had changed the said plaques in 2021. In July 2021, then ASI Jodhpur circle superintendent Bipin Chandra Negi had told The Indian Express that: 'The state government had put up these plaques in Chetak Samadhi, Badshahi Bagh, Rakta Talai and Haldighati in 1975 when Indira Gandhi had visited the area. At that time, these weren't centrally protected monuments. These sites were declared as monuments of national importance in 2003 but the plaques didn't have this information. Over time, they became worn out and also had controversies about date and some other information.' He had added that he received submissions from scholars and public representatives for the removal of the plaques. 'Following this, I took cognizance of the matter. The old plaques didn't even contain the name of ASI. The Culture Ministry had also raised the issue with our headquarters,' Negi had said. The plaque at Rakta Talai, which was removed, had said: 'The fight was so deadly that the whole field was strewn with dead bodies. However, circumstances forced the Rajputs to retreat and the struggle ended at mid-day of the 21st June 1576AD.' Kumari's comments came a day after Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade claimed that several inaccuracies have been recorded in Indian history due to the early influence of British historians, including the widely cited story of the marriage of Jodha Bai and Mughal emperor Akbar. Speaking at an event in Udaipur, the governor had said that this story is a lie, instead claiming that 'There was a king named Bharmal and he got the daughter of a maid married to Akbar.'
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CPM MP John Brittas cites Salman Khurshid to highlight India's secular fabric, slams Pakistan army chief in Jakarta
Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas delivered a strongly worded address in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday, where he criticized Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir for remarks allegedly suggesting fundamental differences between Hindus and Muslims. Speaking to the Indian diaspora as part of an all-party delegation, Brittas used the platform to underscore India's pluralistic and secular ethos. Referring to Munir's reported comments, Brittas asked: 'Can you ever vouch for that? And Salman Khurshid is here… We are all together. I am from Kerala… I am a Christian. In Kerala, we have three major religions. We coexist in harmony. That is the message of India.' Brittas highlighted Kerala's communal harmony as an example of India's inclusive character, contrasting it with Pakistan's record. He went on to reference a past interview with Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in which Asif allegedly admitted that Pakistan had long supported and harbored terrorist organizations: 'Pakistan has been asking for evidence. Khawaja Asif, the defence minister of Pakistan, had said in an interview that they have been indulging in this dirty job of nurturing and harbouring terrorist organisations for three decades...' The remarks signal a pointed critique not just of General Munir, but also of Pakistan's long-standing policies, while simultaneously promoting India's image as a country rooted in religious harmony and democratic values.
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ready, aam, fire: India's most treasured fruit is in danger, says Mridula Ramesh
'It was a hard slap in the face,' says entrepreneur Manjula Gandhi Rooban. Her start-up, MangoPoint, works to improve mango supply chains. The 'slap' came at Fruit Logistica, the world's premier produce trade fair, in Berlin. 'A representative of one of Europe's top food merchants visited our stall and said, 'India has some of the best-tasting mangoes in the world. There is no doubt about that. But what you're giving your population is just poison',' Rooban says. He was alluding to the vast amounts of pesticide applied to mango trees, often with dubious benefit. We need the slap, because few Indians — past and present — are untouched by the mango. Think of the chaos unleashed in Lord Shiva's household, when the divine sage Narada presented him with a sacred mango on condition that it only be given to one of his sons. No parent would like to be put in such a situation. The Buddha often rested in mango groves. Hindus, the food historian KT Achaya noted, consider the tree a 'transformation of Prajapathi himself', a testament to its power. And powerful it is. Alexander's army is said to have ransacked a mango orchard and been besieged by diarrhoea, causing him to ban the fruit. Kalidasa equated the mango bloom with Kama's arrows, and called them the breath, soul and lips of Spring. Sangam poetry is replete with verses comparing the mango to a lover's charms. The Mughals fell under its spell too. Imam Pasand, one of my favourites, has firm flesh, a tart sweetness, and a poetic past. Popular folklore has it that Humayun, who fled to Persia after his defeat by Sher Shah Suri, had cases shipped to him there (which is why the variety is also called Humayun Pasand). Sinner, saint, emperor, god: the mango conquered them all. *** Mangoes come in many varieties, each one sculpted by its local climate and soil, a celebration of India's diversity. An Alphonso will not thrive in Tiruchirappalli nor will the Banganapalle in Uttar Pradesh. While many celebrate the fruit's sweetness with aamras, others love its sour side, simply dipped in salt and chilli powder or made into a variety of pickles. Others like their mango in a complex curry. On Puthandu or Tamil New Year, when neem flowers bloom and the mango is yet to ripen, families feast on manga pachadi, which blends the sweetness of jaggery with bitter neem flowers and sour mango, in a dish that is edible philosophy: a reminder that a good year can contain all flavours. For something so flavourful, the mango is surprisingly healthy. Dietitians and doctors say people can eat mangoes even though they are high in carbohydrates, as long as they don't exceed their daily carb limit. Mangiferin, a compound found in mango leaves, peel and, to a lesser extent, pulp, may offer protection against inflammation, cancer and neural degeneration, according to recent studies. It also improves insulin sensitivity in diabetics. Any health benefits, however, are diminished by the widespread use of calcium carbide for rapid ripening, and by the indiscriminate application of pesticides. *** Mangifera indica, a child of the Indian monsoon, is shaped by the heat and seasonality of the rains. The seasonality of India is the mango's lifeblood. In the monsoon, the tree grows and renews itself, producing several flushes of leaves. Then, as the rains stop and temperatures dip, the tree flowers. If all goes well, the flowers turn to fruit, which grow and ripen. But when the climate changes, the mango is hurt. The problem, says Insram Ali, president of the All India Mango Growers' Association, 'is the pest attacks during the flowering stage. Untimely rains and hot temperatures increase humidity, allowing the pests to thrive.' Farmers respond by applying more pesticides. This doesn't necessarily help, but the practice has become rampant; a knee-jerk reaction to a desperate situation. Ali is concerned, and so is Rooban; researchers have noted the shift, and so has the farmer who helps me grow mangoes on my farm in Madurai. 'Warm weather during the critical flowering phase can disrupt pollination, fertilisation and ultimately fruit-set,' says Shailendra Rajan, former director of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture. 'Then, frequent rains as the fruit develops, especially when coupled with high temperatures, as is becoming common now, raise humidity levels, leading to a surge in pest and disease pressures.' MR Dinesh, retired director of the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research and a mango researcher for three decades, outlined a plausible scenario. 'Let's say about 40% of the mango tree flowers in December. If it rains for several days, some flowers will fall. The cloudy weather that follows is ideal for blossom blight, powdery mildew growth and anthracnose (a fungal disease). Flowering suffers and stops. Then, it doesn't rain for two months; the mango tree will flower again in February. But by now, some of the initial flowers have given rise to pea-sized fruit. The farmer is in a quandary: should he water the tree to help it hold onto its fruit, but risk the flowers being affected? Whatever he chooses, part of his crop will suffer.' Pesticide use becomes indiscriminate particularly when farms are contracted out. Contractors see the chemicals as a means of protecting their investment. 'There was a huge hopper problem in the Tenkasi region in Tamil Nadu this year, in which the insects did not respond to the usual chemicals. We heard farmers say 'I sprayed five or six times.' After five or six times, the mango is not fit for human consumption,' says Prasanna Venkatarathnam, Rooban's husband and co-founder, with her, of MangoPoint. Both he and Dinesh say bio-controls, such as pheromone traps and solar pest catchers, are more effective, but many farmers are either unaware of them or are reluctant to use them. Rajan of the ICAR institute adds that many farmers are beholden to, or get all their information and advice from their local merchant, who profits from pushing more pesticide. *** Sometimes, unseasonal rain as the fruit matures leaves it prey to sooty mould development, which affects its appearance and market value. 'This reduces the sweetness and shelf life of the fruit and makes the crop more vulnerable to post-harvest diseases,' Rajan says. The loss is amplified by the lack of farm-gate infrastructure. Mangoes, like other fruit, need facilities where they can be ripened responsibly, and packhouses where they can be sorted and readied for shipping. Ten years ago, the National Centre for Cold-Chain Development (NCCD) found that, against the 70,000 packhouses needed in India, there were only 250. Rooban and Venkatarathnam had seen what packhouses could do for fruit, when they lived in the US, so they decided that they would invest in one when they returned to their families' mango farms in Tamil Nadu. That is how MangoPoint was born. Without nearby facilities, Rooban says, mango farmers are forced to transport their fruit over hundreds of kilometres. To keep transport costs low, they will fill each truck, often stuffing the fruit into sacks one atop another. This damages the fruit at the bottom, especially those that are infected. MangoPoint, instead, picks up fruit from across a 50-km radius. Farmers are trained to stack their produce in specially designed trays to prevent damage. Where earlier they would fill a truck by picking all the mangoes on their trees, even if they were at different stages of ripening, now they make smaller and more frequent trips and so pick only the mature fruit. As a result, waste levels have plummeted. So, even though transport and labour costs are slightly higher, farmers make more money. The start-up also ripens fruits non-chemically, by placing it in a chamber with ripe papayas. Fruits are graded to fetch the best prices. Those that don't make the cut are turned into jam or added to muesli. This further improves farmer incomes. MangoPoint, which began with one packhouse a few years ago, has tripled capacity. Breeding better varieties can help as well. Heat causes tissue breakdown, leading to the spongy tissue disorder in the Alphonso. High humidity encourages the fruit fly, which burrows through the fruit's skin and lays eggs in the pulp. Dinesh says his institute has developed varieties such as the Arka Suprabhat that have a good shelf life and good flavour, and solves the spongy tissue issue in the Alphonso. It deters fruit flies to some extent as the fly finds harder to burrow into the thicker skin. As a result of that 'slap', meanwhile, MangoPoint is working with farmers to minimise pesticide use. That, in the end, is the trade-off: invest in better last-mile infrastructure, adopt better growing practices (including biological pest control), and develop more resilient varieties, or just throw more pesticide at the problem and hope for the best. With the climate continuing to change, let's hope more farmers opt for the former. (Mridula Ramesh is a climate-tech investor and author of The Climate Solution and Watershed. She can be reached on tradeoffs@
