Latest news with #VKS
News18
25-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Empirical Evidence From Caste Census May Reframe Conversion Conversation, Delisting Debate
Last Updated: The delisting of tribal converts from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories has long been a core demand of the RSS-affiliated Vanvasi Kalyan Samiti (VKS) With the timeline and other administrative details for the caste census now firming up, fresh empirical data on the tribal population is expected to add a new dimension to the ongoing debate around the religious conversion of tribals and the demand for delisting the converts. The delisting of tribal converts from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories has long been a core demand of the Vanvasi Kalyan Samiti (VKS), an RSS-affiliated organisation that works among tribal communities across India. The VKS has been working among the communities across all tribal-dominated states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and parts of Odisha. The RSS has also formed an organisation, Janjati Suraksha Manch, to protect the tribals from conversion and to spearhead the delisting movement. The issue regarding delisting gained renewed attention during the recent Karyakarta Vikas Varg in Nagpur, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also said that the Sangh has been consistently working on this matter related to 'illegal" religious conversion of the tribal population. Delisting of 'converts' Significantly, the growing push for data-backed policies around Scheduled Tribe benefits has now been intersecting with longstanding ideological concerns, potentially setting the stage for a sharper national conversation. Senior functionaries of Vanvasi Kalyan Samity said that the movement for 'delisting" of the converted tribal population has been continuing for a long time and that the VKS also convinces the converts to return to their religion, which is Sanatan (Hinduism). 'They (tribals) are generally lured to a different religion through several means. Most of the time, the conversion is illegal as they do not inform the authorities, which is legally mandatory. Many of the tribal brothers and sisters return to the Sanatan, realising their mistakes, while some choose not to. We want them to follow the legalities," said a senior functionary. Historical and ideological standpoint of the RSS Religious conversion of the tribal population has long been a serious concern for the RSS, seen not merely as a spiritual or religious shift but as a civilisational, cultural, and demographic disruption in the country. Over decades, the Sangh has articulated, through several pieces of literature and other official documents, a consistent and assertive stance against what it terms 'organised, deceitful, and foreign-funded conversion activities", particularly targeting the vulnerable communities in tribal and SC belts. The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal (ABKM) of the RSS has passed multiple resolutions talking about this 'threat"—from as early as 1980, warning of missionary-led separatism in Eastern Uttaranchal (northern), to 2015's resolution highlighting a widening population growth rate imbalance. These are not sporadic outcries but part of a calculated and calibrated ideological framework. The 2004 and 2007 resolutions eventually note the demographic shifts and their long-term implications on national integration, with the 1999 resolution directly accusing the Church of global conspiracies aimed at 'cultural colonisation". 'Aggression' against Indian culture Sarsanghchalaks, from MS Golwalkar, known as Guruji, to Mohan Bhagwat, have time and again reiterated that conversion, especially through several allurements or coercion, is a form of 'aggression" against Bharatiya Sanskriti (Indian culture). Bhagwat, in his recent speeches at public programmes, has emphasised that 'conversion breaks families, alienates communities, and undermines socio-cultural harmony". According to RSS documents, ground-level realities support these assertions as they say that states like Odisha (Kandhamal), Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and the Northeast have witnessed sociopolitical fractures attributed to aggressive proselytisation. NFHS data and census trends show the religious demographic shifts in pockets, prompting legal responses. Several states—including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh—have enacted certain forms of anti-conversion laws, aiming to curb forced, illegal, or fraudulent conversions.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australia Casts Doubt On Russia Basing Bombers At Indonesian Air Base
Australian officials are pushing back on a report that Russia is seeking to base long-range bombers at an Indonesian airbase. On Monday, Janes wrote that 'Jakarta has received an official request from Moscow, seeking permission for Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aircraft to be based at a facility in Indonesia's easternmost province.' That location, Manuhua Air Force Base, is situated about 850 miles north of the Australian port of Darwin. 'Separate sources from the Indonesian government have confirmed with Janes that the request was received by the office of Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin following his meeting with Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu in February 2025,' the publication added. Janes said the information it received did not contain details about what kind of airframes Russia is seeking to station at the base. 'However, Janes understands that over the past few years, the VKS has made several ad hoc requests to land its Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and Il-76 airlifters at the very same airbase,' the publication reported. Russia wanting to place long-range bombers closer to Australia as Moscow, Beijing and Washington all seek to expand their influence in the South Pacific isn't hard to imagine. The U.S. maintains a military presence in Australia and is working to improve the RAAF's base at Tindal to accommodate B-52 bombers. In addition, for more than a decade, the U.S. Marine Corps sends about 2,500 Marines to the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Marine Air-Ground Task Force for training. Meanwhile, Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. signed an agreement known as AUKUS to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines. All this comes against the backdrop of increasing tensions in the Pacific, including China sailing a flotilla of its warships in international waters around Australia earlier this year, which involved live fire exercises. Beyond Australia, such a basing agreement would give Russia a seat of power projection in a very contentious and important region overall. It is an area of the world the U.S. and other powers with global reach are also investing in projecting power into more heavily and consistently. And, of course, it's an area where China's extra-territorial interests loom very large. Russia is a key ally of China, especially militarily, with their bomber units flying joint patrols throughout the Pacific in increasing regularity. Regardless of what Russia may want or not, there seems to be little logic in Indonesia agreeing to put Russian strategic assets on its soil. Doing so would greatly upset relations with countries in its own region as well as allies farther abroad, including the United States, which also, like Russia, supplies weapons to Indonesia. And what would Russia be willing to pay for such access during a time when its military is embroiled in a brutal conflict that is sucking tremendous resources? More importantly, what would Indonesia see as so important that it needs it for compensation, regardless of the geopolitical upheaval such a decision could cause? It's also worth noting that in 2020, Indonesia rejected a U.S. proposal to allow its P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance planes to land and refuel there, Reuters reported at the time. Relevanthttps:// — Michael Bond (@HelloMrBond) April 15, 2025 Regardless, the Janes story set off alarm bells in Canberra. The Australian government believes both Russia and China 'are also increasingly focused on the growing U.S. military presence in Darwin and the Northern Territory,' ABC posited. Diplomatic alarm bells are ringing after reports emerged Russia wants to base long range aircraft in Indonesia. It's become the focus of this afternoon's federal election campaign with questions being raised about when the Prime Minister found out about Putin's intentions.… — 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) April 15, 2025 'We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region, very clearly,' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday. 'We have a position, which is: we stand with Ukraine, we regard [the Russian president] Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law, that is attacking the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine.' Australian officials cast doubt about whether Russia will base those bombers at Manuhua. 'Indonesia's defense minister has assured Australia it will not allow Russian planes to be based in Papua province after a United States media outlet reported that Moscow was pushing to get access to a military base in Papua,' the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) reported on Tuesday. 'I have spoken to my counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the minister for defense, and he has said to me in the clearest possible terms, reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true,' Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Secretary Richard Marles said in a statement to news organizations. Breaking: reports of Russian planes to be stationed in Indonesia "simply not true", defence minister Richard Marles says, after talking to Indonesian counterpartStatement from his office: — Josh Butler (@JoshButler) April 15, 2025 However, while Sjamsoeddin told Marles he had not received any Russian request to access the base, that 'doesn't rule out the possibility it was raised at a more junior level,' ABC noted. 'Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters that Australian officials were seeking more information from Jakarta about the report.' Russia meanwhile also seemed to downplay the notion. 'The Kremlin, when asked about the report that Russia has asked Indonesia for permission to base aircraft in its territory, said there was a lot of fake news around,' ABC reported. Although Indonesia has 'long maintained strategic neutrality, it has deepened security and defense ties with Russia since President Prabowo Subianto was elected last year,' Politico pointed out. As one example of that growing relationship, Russia and Indonesia held naval drills in the Java Sea in November, ABC reported. At the time, Russia's ambassador to Indonesia, Sergei Tolchenov, said the exercises were 'a significant event 'and that 'the navies of our countries are ready to enhance mutual trust and understanding to cooperate in different areas.' Russia's Pacific Fleet visits Indonesian port city of Surabaya ahead of first-ever bilateral drills between two nations — RT (@RT_com) November 4, 2024 Despite those ties, offering Russia bomber-basing rights is likely a step too far, one analyst suggested 'Even if Russia is proposing to use an Indonesian airbase, I doubt that the government will allow it. There will be a very significant blowback,' Yohanes Sulaiman, a defense analyst and lecturer at the Jenderal Achmad Yani University, told The Guardian. 'The Indonesian military is very averse to having other countries build military bases in Indonesia.' However, there is precedence for a Russian presence at the base. The Australian Broadcasting Company reported in 2017 that 'RAAF Base Darwin was placed on a 'short period' of heightened alert, while over 100 Russian personnel and several aircraft were stationed' there. During a five-day stopover, two nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers 'flew their first-ever patrol mission over the South Pacific, prompting concerns they may have been collecting valuable intelligence,' ABC noted at the time. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed at the time that its strategic bombers 'carried out [an] air alert mission over neutral waters of the South Pacific Ocean in a flight lasting more than eight hours,' the outlet stated. In all, this report feels reminiscent of similar claims regarding Russia forward basing bombers in South America, namely in Venezuela. Those reports have come and gone multiple times, but beyond largely symbolic visits, such an agreement never came to pass. Contact the author: howard@
NBC News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Australia puts Indonesia on notice about prospect of Russian airbase
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has asked Indonesia about a report in defense publication Janes that Russia has requested basing military aircraft in Indonesian Papua, as the issue dominated Australia's election campaign Tuesday. 'We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region,' Albanese told reporters. Janes reported that Jakarta has received an official request from Moscow, seeking permission for Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aircraft to be based at a facility in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua. The province is about 1,200 km (746 miles) north of the Australian city of Darwin, where a U.S. Marines Corp rotational force is based for six months of the year, and Australian air bases are being upgraded to host visiting U.S. bombers. Australia is 'seeking further clarification' with Indonesia about the report, Albanese said, adding Canberra has a good relationship with Jakarta. Australian Defen s e Minister Richard Marles has spoken to his Indonesian counterpart who said there would be no Russian air force planes based in Indonesia, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson Roy Soemirat said the ministry has not heard of the report. Indonesia's defense ministry and military spokespeople did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, met with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto at the presidential palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, according to a local television report. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said 'Indonesia is critical for Australian security' and the two countries had struck a defense cooperation agreement last year, she said at a news conference on Tuesday. Opposition leader Peter Dutton said, during a campaign stop, the report was concerning and he is seeking a briefing from the Australian government on the issue.
Al Arabiya
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Australia asks Indonesia about Russian request to base aircraft in Papua
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has asked Indonesia about a report in defense publication Janes that Russia has requested basing military aircraft in Papua, as the issue dominated Ausralia's election campaign on Tuesday. 'We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region,' Albanese told reporters. Janes reported that Jakarta has received an official request from Moscow, seeking permission for Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aircraft to be based at a facility in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua. The province is about 1,200 km (746 miles) north of the Australian city of Darwin, where a US Marines Corp rotational force is based for six months of the year, and Australian air bases are being upgraded to host visiting U.S. bombers. Australia is 'seeking further clarification' with Indonesia about the report, Albanese said, adding Canberra has a good relationship with Jakarta. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles has spoken to his Indonesian counterpart who said there would be no Russian air force planes based in Indonesia, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson Roy Soemirat said the ministry has not heard of the report. Indonesia's defense ministry and military spokespeople did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, met with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto at the presidential palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, according to a local television report. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said 'Indonesia is critical for Australian security' and the two countries had struck a defense cooperation agreement last year, she said at a news conference on Tuesday. Opposition leader Peter Dutton said during a campaign stop the report was concerning and he is seeking a briefing from the Australian government on the issue.
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Australia PM voices concern after report Russia requested access to Indonesia air force base
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said officials are seeking further information after a report emerged that Russia is seeking to base military aircraft in Indonesia's remote Papua region, on Australia's northern doorstep. Albanese said on Tuesday: 'We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region, very clearly. 'We have a position, which is we stand with Ukraine, we regard Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law, that is attacking the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine.' Earlier his deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, downplayed the report that Moscow had filed an official request with Jakarta for permission for Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aircraft, including several long-range aircraft, to be based at a facility in Biak, according to a report by defence and security news website Janes. The airbase in Biak is home to the Indonesian Air Force's Aviation Squadron 27, which operates a fleet of CN235 surveillance aircraft. Biak, in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua, is about 1,400km from Darwin. The report said the Indonesian defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin received the request following his meeting in February with Sergei Shoigu, Russia's secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and a longtime Putin ally. Responding to the development Marles was quick to warn that Jakarta is yet to acknowledge or respond to the request. 'I'd note at this point, Indonesia has not responded to this request. We will keep engaging with Indonesia in a way which befits a very close friend and a very close friendship between our two countries,' he said. 'We have been very focused on developing our bilateral relationship with Indonesia, including our bilateral defence relationship with Indonesia.' At a seperate press conference foreign minister Penny Wong said she was 'aware of the reports', and the government was in the process of finding out more information. 'We, as a government, have reached out to confirm those reports and to understand whether or not those reports are accurate and what the status of those requests from Russia are,' she said. Senior Indonesian military officials and the Russian embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to comment on the reported proposal, but analysts say it is unlikely the unusual request would be granted given how geopolitically risky it would be. 'Even if Russia is proposing to use an Indonesian airbase, I doubt that the government will allow it. There will be a very significant blowback,' said Yohanes Sulaiman, a defence analyst and lecturer at General Achmad Yani university. 'The Indonesian military is very averse to having other countries build military bases in Indonesia.' Indonesia has long practised what it called a 'bebas and aktif', or an 'independent and active' foreign policy, which emphasises its commitment to non-alignment. In recent years Indonesia has held military exercises with the US, Australia and China. In November 2024, Indonesia and Russia held their first ever bilateral naval exercise off Java, a move that was deemed controversial amid widespread criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Indonesia and Russia pledged to strengthen their defence ties at the meeting in February. The meeting came after Indonesia, South-east Asia's largest economy, was admitted as a full member to the Brics bloc of developing economies, of which Russia is one of the founding members.
