Aroosa Parvaiz, who has topped the Class 12 exams in Jammu & Kashmir has become a victim of online abuse by Islamists for not wearing a ‘hijab’.
Aroosa started facing online attacks on February 8, when the Jammu & Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) announced its annual results for Class 12.
Immediately after the results were declared and the journalists had published the topper’s photos and videos of her achievement, Islamists unleashed the attack on her for not wearing hijab.
The Nageswarar Temple in Kumbakonam is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which was built during the early Chozha era.
It was constructed by Aditya Chozha, the son of Vijayalaya Chozha, during the 9th century. It is one of the many ‘Paadal Pettra Sthalam’, (the temples that are revered in the verses of Saiva Tirumurais by the Nayanmars).
The temple today comes under the control of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department.
The temple has exquisite carvings depicting stories of Ramayana, Mahabharat and other Hindu epics.
However, these have now been vulnerable to damage due to the negligence of the HR&CE administration.
Temple activist TR Ramesh had shared an image in which some of the carvings were found damaged. In another picture, asbestos sheets can be seen rubbing against a fine sculpture of a chariot wheel with a rope being tied on the wheel axle of the stone wheel.
After permanently damaging exquisite Ramayana miniature panels during 2015 "renovation" by sand blasting -TN Govt HRCE misfits are now out to damage other beautiful structures in Sri Nageswaran Temple Kumbakonam – one of the ONLY 4 Early Chola Temples @Swamy39@BJP4India@RSSorgpic.twitter.com/JHIzE7WbEu
Amidst the furore over the wearing of hijab in Karnataka schools, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has expressed his views on the matter saying that the ‘right to wear hijab’ will make the Muslim women end up as losers.
Citing Islamic history, Khan said that the niece of the wife of Prophet Mohmammad had refused to wear the hijab.
“A young girl, who was brought up in the household of the Prophet himself, and she was the niece of the wife of the Holy Prophet. She was proverbially beautiful. In medieval times, she was chided for not wearing a hijab. What she said was that God had made her beautiful and the almighty had placed His stamp of beauty on her. She said I want people to see my beauty and see the grace of God in my beauty. This is how the women of the first generation of Islam behaved”, he said.
He said that women in north India covered their faces with veils due to invaders adding that women nowadays don’t wear such long veils. “As time changes, so do the customs,” he said.
He went on to add that the furore over hijab is useless as those claiming to follow the Islamic rules today are actually losers.
“Those girls having problem with the uniform can go and join any such school where there is no compulsion of following the uniform discipline. They (hijab girls) should understand that when they’ve joined some school with certain principles and standards, they are bound to follow the rules of that institution”, he added.
Commenting on Malala Yousafzai’s remark over the controversy, Governor Khan said “Malala who supported the hijab may be misinformed about the issue. She fails to understand that if hijab right is accepted, Muslim women will become losers, their lives will become miserable”, he added.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
In a horrific incident, a fisherman was foun lying dead in the Mamallapuram beach area with multiple serious cuts on the face. Local fishermen have gone on a strike demanding the arrest of the killers.
Ashok Kumar (26) alias Manimaran, son of Danapal hails from Mamallapuram in Chengalpattu district. He was a fisherman who used to go to sea every day with his father and brother in Mamallapuram for a living. He sleeps on the beach shore at night.
As always, he had slept on the shores near his home a couple of days back. However, the fisherman, who were about to go for fishing the next morning were shocked to find Ashok Kumar lying dead on the beach sand in a pool of blood after being stabbed in the arm, leg, head and mouth. His face was found buried in the soil.
The locals immediately informed the Mamallapuram police and a team of forensic experts arrived at the spot along with Mamallapuram Deputy Superintendent of Police Jegatheeswaran and Mamallapuram Police Inspector Manimaran.
Police later examined the surveillance camera footages to note the details of the tourists who had wandered into the beach area the night before, and also conducted enquiries in the restaurants and accommodations nearby. Some of the surveillance cameras in the restaurants who footage of 2 or 4 teenagers coming to the beach at night.
The police investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, Ashok Kumar’s body was sent to Chengalpattu Government Hospital for autopsy. Mamallapuram fishermen went on strike demanding immediate arrest of the killers.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
The Indo-Pacific Strategic Report released by the White House states that India is going to face significant geopolitical challenges, particularly from China and its behaviour on the Line of Actual Control.
The strategic report was released on Friday (February 11), and it outlines president Joe Biden’s vision to firmly anchor the United States’ position in the Indo-Pacific and support India’s rise and regional leadership in the process.
‘We will continue to build a strategic partnership in which the United States and India work together and through regional groupings to promote stability in South Asia; collaborate in new domains such as health, space, and cyberspace; deepen our economic and technology cooperation; and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific,’ the White House said.
‘We recognise that India is a like-minded partner and leader in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, active in and connected to Southeast Asia, a driving force of the Quad and other regional fora, and an engine for regional growth and development,’ the White House statement added. However, a senior US official, on condition of anonymity, pointed out the significant challenges New Delhi is beset with.
‘But India faces very significant challenges. China’s behaviour on the Line of Actual Control has had a galvanizing impact on India. From our standpoint, we see tremendous opportunities in working with another democracy – with a country that has a maritime tradition that understands the importance of the global commons – to advance critical issues in the region,” said the White House official.
‘There is tremendous appreciation of the importance and the challenges of strengthening the engagement with India and a recognition that India is a critical strategic partner, and a desire to continue building on the very good work of previous administrations to significantly broaden and deepen that relationship,” the official said.
This report was released when foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the US held a Quad meeting on Friday expressed concerns over the malign Chinese role in the region.
The report clearly states that China is combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might to gain influence in the Indo-Pacific and seeks to become the world’s most influential power and coercion and aggression is the name tactic to achive this objective
China has used economic coercion against Australia, against India it has maintained pressure along the Line of Actual Control and has been constantly bullying Taiwan and other neighbours in the East and South China Seas.
The report clearly mentions that American allies and partners in the region are suffering from the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) harmful behaviour as China undermines human rights and international law, including freedom of navigation, as well as other principles that have brought stability and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific, the strategy said.
‘Our collective efforts over the next decade will determine whether the PRC succeeds in transforming the rules and norms that have benefitted the Indo-Pacific and the world. For our part, the United States is investing in the foundations of our strength at home, aligning our approach with those of our allies and partners abroad, and competing with the PRC to defend the interests and vision for the future that we share with others,’ it said.
‘We will strengthen the international system, keep it grounded in shared values, and update it to meet 21st-century challenges. Our objective is not to change China but to shape the strategic environment in which it operates, building a balance of influence in the world that is maximally favourable to the United States, our allies and partners, and the interests and values we share,’ it added.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
We are quite familiar with nondescript unscrupulous charlatans with no means, with no significant intellectual endowment even, save a clever, cunning, crafty calculative Machiavellian selfish guile to swindle and enrich themselves at every opportunity, entering politics penniless and, in no time, as if by magic, transform not only themselves but every member of their family also into multi-millionaires or even billionaires. This repulsive phenomenon has become so regular today that we take it for granted and if, by a rare chance, we come across any immaculate individual with impeccable credentials entering politics, renouncing all their wealth with the sole aim of serving the nation, we look at him/her with amazement and disbelief.
But, there have been many individuals, from fabulously rich families, born with not just silver spoons but diamond ones in their mouths, abdicating all their wealth, choosing an austere and ascetic life and dedicating themselves heart and soul for the welfare of the society. The sad fact is that many of them fade into oblivion without being noticed by posterity. A study of their lives will infuse their sterling qualities in us as well and guide us to live a purposeful life benefitting the society.
Ambujammal: If anyone mentions this name in Tamil Nadu, the person will conclude that it is some old, lower middle class, Brahmin woman living in some narrow lane in Mylapore and engaged in traditional papad making for her livelihood. But, this is the story of an Ambujammal who scripted history through her service to the nation.
How Her Impressionable Years Were Shaped By Her Illustrious Family
Ambujammal was born on January 8, 1899 to S Srinivasa Iyengar and Ranganayaki Ammal. It was a fabulously rich, blue blood family with illustrious personages adorning every walk of life. Her father, S Srinivasa Iyengar was a famous lawyer. He was quite successful in his profession and won copious laurels and recognition. He had an extensive knowledge of Hindu Dharmasastras. His book on “Mayne’s Hindu laws” is a much-acclaimed authority in the academy of law studies even now. In fact, his services and sacrifices deserve a separate article.
Iyengar was the political mentor for the firebrand S Satyamurtiand also, hold your breath, for a very popular heavyweight, whom, today every political party craves to claim ownership, the indomitable Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar!
Her maternal grandfather was the famous Sir V Bhashyam Iyengar, founder of Lady Sivaswamy Girls School, and co-founder of Kasturbai Gandhi Hospital, Tiruvallikkeni, Chennai. He was the first Indian Advocate General of Madras.
Such a detailed description of her illustrious family background is warranted when we juxtapose it with the further dramatic developments in her history.
In spite of a luxuriously affluent family backdrop, Ambujammal’s childhood days were not an unalloyed joyous experience, which goes to confirm the eternal verity of life that material wealth alone does not, ipso facto, guarantee happiness and harmony. It was a mixed bag of joy and sorrow, mirth mixed with melancholy; but she took them sportively with a positive and practical attitude, as could be inferred by her own humorous narration of her early days in her autobiography titled, .’நான்கண்டபாரதம்’ [India in my perception]
When she was 11, her father moved into a palatial mansion in Luz Church Road, a silk-stocking area in Mylapore. Everything about the residence was on gargantuan proportions, the extent of area, the grove of trees and gardens, the ponds, the colonnaded verandah, the size of the rooms etc.
The arrangement for her education was something strange in the present day’s perspective. While her younger brother was sent to school, as per the custom in those days in many households, she was not sent. Instead, her father arranged for it in the house itself. The teacher, thus appointed, instead of teaching some lesson, spent the first half an hour in reading the Bible and narrating the sacrifices undergone by Jesus! Her description was so melodramatic that it generated profuse tears in the innocent child’s eyes! The teacher would even ask a rhetoric question, ‘Look, how much Jesus has suffered for us? Has anyone of your Gods have done similarly?’ Indeed, the poisonous, pernicious pestilence of religious conversion had penetrated even into such exclusive, privileged households!
In addition to such invidious indoctrination, children of elite society were punctiliously trained in western custom and style like pants, shoes, socks, hat, suits, coat, practices like horse riding, training in western music, playing piano etc.
Still, as per the orthodox custom in vogue those days, she got married quite early at the age of 11. Her married life was not exactly a pleasant one, to say the least. There was a deep chasm in the value systems between the two families, apart from the difference in status resulting in ego problem between her father and father-in-law, as a result of which persons in her in-laws’ house were not cordial towards her.
The Moment That Changed Her Life
Her father being an eminent legal luminary, lot of VIPs, both Englishmen as well as Indians used to throng her house. There were frequent gala functions in her house and during such festivities, she used to meet lot of dignitaries in colourful costumes. Later, Srinivasa Iyengar, attracted by Mahatma Gandhi’s fight for freedom, joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the non-cooperation movement. In that connection, when she was around 15 years of age, Gandhiji visited her house with his wife Kasturi Bai. This was the first occasion she saw Gandhiji. His striking spartan simplicity coupled with the self-effacing modesty of Kasturi Bai, as revealed in their attire and attitude immensely impressed the young girl. She looked at the jewel-less, austere get up of Kasturi Bai and the opulent jewels adorning herself. At that moment the seed was sown instantly that grew further and blossomed into an exemplary social worker later.
The Making Of A Legend
When Gandhiji visited Madras again, he stayed in her house for three days. During that time, she had enough guidance from him as to the various ways in which women can take part in serving the masses. She, along with like-minded women in her circle, started arranging for and supplying medicines and clothes for the army. She got the friendship of Rukmani Lakshmipathy, Durgabai Deshmukh during her activities. She boycotted foreign clothes and started selling Khadi clothes in the streets.
Source: The Hindu Ambujammal can be seen at the extreme left
She donated all her jewels and all other rich assets for the welfare of the harijans at Gandhiji’s Wardha Ashram. Her involvement in freedom struggle and Salt Satyagraha got her imprisonment several times. She converted the prison into a knowledge centre and taught the inmates Tamil, Hindi and English. She also trained them in handicrafts. She was a beacon light for other women to involve themselves in public service. Along with Sarojini Varadappan, daughter of M Bhakthavatchalam, she conducted free Hindi classes for the people of Madras. She took active role in the functions of Hindi Prachar Sabha. Since she was qualified in teaching, she taught in Sarada Vidyalaya as a part time teacher.
She toured Tamil Nadu with Vinoba Bhave and supported him in Bhumi Dhan movement. She worked incessantly for women’s’ development, their education, opposed child marriage, polygamy and for abolishing Devadasi system. She was a staunch supporter of prohibition. She was an eloquent speaker both in Tamil and Hindi. Through her inspiring speeches, she motivated other womenfolk in public life.
She founded Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam in Alwarpet, where she arranged for free coaching, dispensary, training and employment in its printing press for poor women. Being an erudite scholar, and gifted with writing skills, she authored several books and articles, apart from her autobiography. Tulsi Ramayana, Gandhi Ninaivu Maalai, M K Gandhi, Reminiscences of my father, etc. are some of her books. She has translated K M Munshi’s book on Veda Vyasa and Premchand’s popular Hindi novel, ‘Seva Sadan’. She passed away when she was 82.
Ambujammal welcoming C Rajagopalachari during the inauguration of the Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam.
Both Gandhiji and Kasthuri Bai treated her fondly as their foster daughter. Here is one of the letters Gandhiji had written to her:
Sri Ambujam,
“I was delighted to read your letter. After a length of time, the sight of your letter gave me the joy experienced by a father on seeing his daughter….why is your mind troubled. Write to me.”
Where Is Ambujammal Today?
There is one Ambujammal Street in Alwarpet, Chennai in which Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam functions. Gandhiji’s ashes are kept at that place. Just at a stones’ throw away are Poes Garden and Gopalapuram. Now, if you ask about the celebrities at the latter two places, even a child in the womb anywhere in Tamil Nadu will answer nonchalantly. But, if you ask about the first one, it is quite doubtful whether even a person residing in the very street will know anything about her!
A Swadeshi, a reformer, a freedom fighter and an exemplary social worker today has been lost to the pages of history which none of us care to turn back to.
If we fail to recognise and honour altruistic contributors to our society, are we not to be blamed for our ingratitude?
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) head Thol. Thirumavalavan has once again spewed vitriol against the Hindu faith posting a scandalous picture that insults the Trishul, the holy weapon associated with Hinduism.
The Member of Parliament from Chidambaram while commenting on the Karnataka hijab row posted a tweet that sounded similar to the statement issued by the Taliban spokesperson. In the tweet, Thirumavalavan had attached a graphic picture of a hijab clad girl with a Trishul piercing out of a wild dog.
தங்கையே.. உன் போர்க்குரல் உலகுக்கு புதுப் பொருளை உணர்த்தியுள்ளது.
The tweet in Tamil reads “Sister, Your war cry has made the world realize a new meaning. #AllahuAkbar. Femininity is great. Freedom is great. Social justice is great and equality is great.”
This language of the tweet is similar to the tweet posted by Taliban spokesperson Inamullah Samangani.
Indian Muslim girls struggle for Hijab shows that Hijab is not an Arab, Iranian, Egyptian or Pakistani culture, but an Islamic value for which Muslim girls around the world, especially in the secular world, sacrifice with different types and defend their religious value.#Muskanpic.twitter.com/VfkNR2qCmb
What is more appalling is the graphic picture of the hijab clad girl superimposed with the image of a dog/wolf having the holy trident which is considered as the sacred weapon of Lord Shiva, Lord Shakti, etc.
In January 2021 , he went on a rant against Hindu God Murugan. Prior to that he had called Thirugnanasambandhar, one of the 63 Nayanmars as a ‘murderer’.
He had also extended support to members of the Karuppar Koottam, a rabid YouTube channel who had derogated ‘Kandha Sashti Kavasam’, the devotional hymn sung in praise of Lord Murugan.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
Another Catholic church’s child sex abuse crimes have now come to light in Portugal after a commission investigating child sexual abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church found more than 200 alleged victims.
As per reports, the victims are already been in touch to share their stories since its launch a month ago. and the abuse allegations have come from people born between 1933 and 2006, from every region of the country, and also from Portuguese nationals living abroad like Canada, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
However, many of the victims who have shared their testimonies also mentioned other children who might have been abused by the same person, the commission said in a statement on Thursday.
“The allegations reveal suffering … which, in some cases, has been hidden for decades,” the commission said. “For many, this is the first time they are breaking their silence.”
In early January last year, a commission in France revealed, approximately 3,000 priests and religious officials sexually abused more than 200,000 children during the past 70 years.
That report has now put a lot of pressure on prominent Portuguese Catholics to lift the veil of silence and coverup that had surrounded the issue for decades.
Portuguese church officials said authorities started an investigation two years ago and only about a dozen allegations of sexual abuse involving Portuguese priests since 2001. But more than half of those cases were dropped because church investigators concluded there was not enough evidence to pursue them.
The six-person lay committee said that it had received reports from 214 people during its first month of work and in a statement, the committee said, “This suffering is associated with feelings of shame, fear, guilt, and self-exclusion,”.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Special Task Force (STF) of the Punjab Police in a joint operation have recovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), arms and ammunition, and ₹1 lakh in Indian currency that was dropped by a Pakistani drone near Gaggar village falling under the Ajnala sub-division of Amritsar district.
The Indian border state of Punjab is just days away from the assembly election and according to BSF’s Gurdaspur DIG Prabhakar Joshi, the security forces have foiled an attempt of anti-national elements who wanted to create an atmosphere of violence during the crucial state assembly polls.
The incident took place at 12.5 am when personnel of the BSF’s 73 Battalion heard a buzzing sound of a drone coming from Pakistan. “Constable Mahesh sounded the alert and engaged the drone by firing seven shots. Immediately, the battalion’s headquarters, Punjab Police and the Indian Air Force were informed,” said BSF Gurdaspur deputy inspector general Prabhakar Joshi.
“The commandant of the battalion led the search operation. At 1.32am, a drone’s sound was heard once again. Alert constables Mahesh and Rajesh opened fire, besides shooting two illumination bombs. Later, the area was cordoned. A search operation was launched and at 6.30am, two yellow packets, suspected to be carrying a tiffin bomb and a pistol were recovered. A similar tiffin box with three-kg RDX was recovered in Ajnala a few months ago,” Joshi said.
“In continuation of a case registered on January 14 under Sections 21-23 of the NDPS Act, Sections 25-54-59 of the Arms Act, Sections 4,5 of the Explosive Act where in an IED weighing 5-kg and ₹1 lakh Indian currency were recovered from a border village in Amritsar, two accused namely Surmukh Singh alias Samu of village Panju Kalal and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi of Village Maidi Kalan in Amritsar were arrested. During the interrogation, 1 kg of heroin was also recovered. The further interrogation of the duo accused was resulted in a disclosure that some anti-national elements in Pakistan would try to push in a consignment of arms and ammunition on Tuesday night,” said STF’s assistant inspector general (AIG) Rashpal Singh.
He said: “Our teams coordinated with the BSF and an operation was launched resulted in the seizure of two packets. The first packet contained a timer switch, three detonators, two polarized batteries, six codex pieces, 2.64 kg of explosive, 1.4 kg of iron balls, 200 nylon rope and a pistol along with its magazine and seven live cartridges. Similarly, the second packet contained a timer switch, three detonators, two polarized batteries, six codex pieces, 2.110 kg of explosive, 1.120 kg of iron balls, and a nylon rope. Besides, six steel containers and ₹1 lakh Indian currency were also recovered.”
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
Dr E. Poonguzhali, a single parent and woman scientist at the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, has been granted a patent for developing a green methodology for producing a medicinally important compound called Benzo[b]thiophene.
The compound is present in a range of medicines such as raloxifene (used in osteoporosis), zileuton (used in asthma), and sertaconazole (antifungal medication) and the one-step synthesis of the 2-substituted benzo[b]thiophene can replace hazardous industrial production of the compound.
Currently, available synthesis methods of the compound like Friedel–Craft acylation, mercaptoacetate reaction, subsequent addition and oxidation etc. – all give yields ranging from good to excellent, but these are not environmentally friendly. Besides, it involves the use of very high temperatures. The disadvantages include sulphur emission with an unpleasant smell, expensive starting materials and so on. Apart from this, the reactions are carried out in closed vessels exposing the process to the risk of explosion, use of OLED lights required in the reaction increased the cost of the process, and the various steps involved needs close monitoring while the metal catalyst needed for it is toxic in nature.
Dr Poonguzhali has successfully transferred commercially available starting materials to medicinally important 2-acylbenzo[b]thiophenes in the presence of copper acetate and tetrabutylammonium chloride catalytic system in water medium and open-air atmosphere at room temperature. She worked under the WOMEN SCIENTISTS SCHEME (WOS-A) Programme of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India.
The new method involves using water medium, room temperature, odourless xanthate, open-air atmosphere, handling free inexpensive commercially available starting materials and catalysts in a one-pot manner. It furnished a good to an excellent yield of 2-acylbenzo[b]thiophenes.
Dr. E. Poonguzhali and Prof. G. Sekar treated commercially available 2-iodobenzaldehyde, phenacyl bromide, and xanthate sulphur source in the presence of copper acetate and tetrabutylammonium chloride catalyst to furnish 2-acylbenzo[b]thiophene in water medium at room temperature. The thiolate by-product formed usage is being explored. The remaining side products can be recovered using their solubility properties and reused after purification. The new method also reduces the risk of explosion, decreases the cost of the process and obviates the toxic and hazardous steps involved.
Elaborating on the science behind the mechanism, Dr Poonguzhali said that as water is the medium, no need for organic solvent is involved. Besides, there is no air pollution. Room temperature saves energy, and directly transferring the commercially available starting materials to medicinally essential building blocks in a one-pot manner saves workforce, energy and space. Usage of the thiolate by-product is under process. At the same time, the other side products (KI and KBr) and catalyst (copper acetate and tetrabutylammonium chloride) can be recovered and reused for the same reaction and different applications.
“My family had encouraged me to invent green methodology to replace the hazardous methods. When I started my research career with DST support, I designed the green methodology with the help of Prof. G. Sekar and Prof. Ramesh L. Gardas and succeeded in synthesizing the medicinally important compounds,” said Dr Poonguzhali.
Dr Poonguzhali adds, “My life revolves around my son and my research. My son’s support has helped me overcome the difficulties I have encountered so far and spend time on my research.”
