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Animal rights group Sarvadharm Jeevdaya Samiti buys goats and sheeps to save them from slaughter during Bakrid in Vadodara, Gujarat

In Vadodara, Gujarat, a group of animal rights activists decided to purchase all goats and sheep from animal markets to save them from being slaughtered during Bakrid, reported Indian Express. The group responsible for this calls itself “Sarvadharm Jeevdaya Samiti” and have launched a campaign to ban the export of goats and sheep to the Middle East.

It was reported that members of this initiative mostly belong to the Jain community.

“We are not against any religion nor is this a campaign against any religion. We strive to increase awareness about animal rights and want to get more people to voluntarily join our cause. We are animal lovers who are appalled by the inhuman treatment meted out to these silent creatures,” said Rajeev Shah, secretary of Shri Vadodara Panjrapole, which manages two animal shelters in the city. Shah further added, “Since Bakrid is still away, we were able to purchase goats at a very low cost. We got 94 goats for about ₹1.5 lakh. As Bakrid will draw closer, one goat will cost about ₹15,000-20,000. At the moment, the traders are willing to sell at a lower cost.”

Popular twitter handle True Indology@TIinExile wrote“ On Bakrid, Jains buy goats to save them from slaughter! This is a Jain tradition. In the 17th century, Jains purchased so many that not one was available in Ahmedabad on Bakrid. Aurangzeb had to ban this tradition. Real animal activism! Not fake PETA Drama!”

The group plans to travel across the state to purchase goats to help distressed farmers who are selling livestock due to drought-like situation. Often these are bought for slaughter even through illegal channels.

The Sarvadharm Jeevdaya Samiti have launched a signature campaign in the city earlier this month to urge the BJP government in the state to ban the export of goats to the Middle East. One supporter even gave a cheque of ₹15 lakh to this group to save the mindless slaughter during Bakrid.

British Parliamentary Panel on Kashmir biased, has close links with Islamabad: ex-Indian envoy to UK

With reports that Pakistan gave ₹30 lakh to British parliamentary panel when they visited Pakistan, former Indian Envoy to the UK, Ruchi Ghanashyam has said that, it “establishes” the links between the Pakistan government and the British parliament panel.

High Commissioner Ghanashyam said, “I have always seen the APPG Kashmir as being partisan and motivated in their approach. Their links to the establishment in Islamabad, as brought out by your story, would seem to explain their uncritical acceptance of the Pakistani narrative of the situation in POK.”

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir is led by Labour MP Debbie Abrahams. Abraham back in February had landed in the Delhi International airport and was asked to leave with her visa getting nullified.

She had visited Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir the same month.

According to the Ambassador, “The very existence of an APPG on Kashmir is questionable. MP Debbie Abrahams had arrived in India without a visa and had been turned back as there is no visa on arrival agreement with the UK. Unfortunately, it was used to create a false controversy.”

APPG on Kashmir had received GBP 31,501- 33,000 for Pakistan visit from 18 to 22 February 2020.

India had issued Labour MP Debbie Abraham an e-business visa on 7 October 2019 but the visa was revoked on 14 February 2020 due to her “activities which went against India’s national interest”.

The Labour MP was also given intimation on their termination of her visa on the same day but she still chose to travel to India that led to her deportation.

When National Elections were being held in the UK the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn had taken an anti-Hindu and anti-Kashmir stand.

Hindus in the UK traditionally voted labour but Corbyn’s vitriolic speeches against Hindus and his support of Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, alienated the entire community and gave the conservatives’ under Prime Minister Boris Johnson victory by a huge margin.

Movies by the Seine river has replaced cinema theatres amid COVID-19 

The COVID-19 lockdown has paused the experience of going to cinema theatres and watching a movie while munching on snacks.

However, for the people of Paris the thrill continues as they can now watch movies from a boat on the Seine river.

On 18 July, 2020, people boarded 38 electric boats to watch the movie – ‘Le Grand Bain,’ a 2018 French comedy for free.

People who were unable to board the boats watched from deck chairs on the screen that floated over the river.

This is a part of the Paris Plages. Every year, a part of the Seine river is transformed into man-made beaches.

Although cinemas have resumed in France, the level of occupancy is not seeing a hike.

However, the virus continues to increase the number of daily cases ahead of the summer holiday season.

Organizers are planning to conduct similar movie showings during the Paris Plages festival that lasts for 6 weeks.

It usually offers a plethora of sporting activities but keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic, most activities are limited due to the implementation of strict restrictions.

Source: WION

England cricketer first to break the “no saliva” rule to shine the ball

During the England versus West Indies cricket match, England’s Dom Sibley admitted that he used his saliva to polish the ball when Dom Bess was preparing to bowl.

The on-field umpires, Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth examined the ball together after Sibley’s announcement.

The umpires used a disinfectant wipe to rub down the polish side of the ball before giving it back to Bess.

Due to COVID-19, the ICC revised their guidelines.

Only sweat is allowed to polish the balls, not the player’s saliva.

Saliva is considered to be a potential carrier of the virus and can put the players at tremendous risk if the practice of using saliva to polish the ball continued.

The umpires have been asked to display leniency to players when they notice them using their saliva.

However, they can issue 2 official warnings before docking the offending team 5 runs.

“Everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars,” said Kanye West at his first speech as a candidate

Rapper Kanye West delivered his speech at his first presidential campaign in North Charleston, South Carolina on Sunday.

Before he began his speech, a couple of women were given the opportunity to voice their concerns which included police brutality and education inequity.

His speech covered various topics. He spoke about his battle with opioids and his business ventures.

With 2020 shaved on his head, he expressed his stance on abortion. He thinks abortion should be legal in the United States but must be backed with financial support for those who need it to discourage the practice.

“Everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars or something of that range,” he said.

Concerning marijuana, he believes “it should be free.”

He shared the story of how his wife Kim Kardashian and him almost aborted their child and became emotional when he spoke about his mother who almost aborted her child when she was pregnant with West.

To get on the presidential ballot as an independent candidate, South Carolina needs 10,000 signatures.

Keeping in mind COVID-19, the deadline for submitting signatures was shifted to 20 July, 2020 from 15 July, 2020.

Although there were rumours that he stepped down from the campaign, his first campaign was held at the Exquis Event Center in North Charleston and was “for registered guests only.”

According to ABC News, all present at the venue were asked to sign a COVID-19 liability release form, social distance and wear a mask.

BREAKING: News18 Tamil Nadu takes action on Gunasekaran and Haseef Mohamad

The News 18 administration has apparently shown the doors to Haseef Mohamad, Senior Anchor and Correspondent of News 18 Tamil Nadu and has reduced the official powers of Mu. Gunasekaran, Senior Correspondent at News 18 Tamil Nadu over their alleged links with Karuppar Koottam.

The action comes in the light of members of the Karuppar Koottam Youtube channel getting arrested for their vile and abusive comments on Hindu God Murugan and Kandha Sashti Kavasam.

Earlier, Surendar Natarajan of Karuppar Koottam surrendered at the Ariyankuppam police station and sent to judicial custody till July 31. He his said to have accepted Hasef Mohamad’s involvement in running their channel.

Gunasekaran is the son-in-law of Kali Poongundran (Kaliamurthy Naidu) who is also the Deputy President of Dravida Kazhagam (DK).

The Youtube channel Karuppar Koottam is said have enjoyed the patronage of Haseef Mohamad who is also the head of Centre of Media Persons for Change (CMPC). This organization is supposedly an extension of communists, DK and DMK groups.

DK is known for its rabid and vile attack on Hindus, Hinduism and Hindu Gods while the DMK and Communist parties tow their line. MK Stalin and other DMK leaders have repeatedly abused Hindus and Hindu customs in several stages.

The issue gained traction after the nexus between News 18 Tamil Nadu journalists and Karuppar Koottam was exposed by a Youtuber named Maridhas. Following this, News 18 Tamil Nadu and other mainstream media channel were taken head on by Madan Ravichandran who had exposed the inside world of these channels, the ideological hegemony they hold and how they work towards creating a favourable narrative for the DK, DMK and Communists.

Rajendra Chola’s Unprecedented Conquest Of Srivijaya

Image Credits: Indian Panorama

Prelude 

It’s 1025 A.D.

Malaysia and parts of Indonesia are still called Srivijaya.

The mighty Shailendras are ruling the archipelago and Maharajah Sangrama Vijayottungavarman is their King. They are exceptionally wealthy, owing to their unchallenged influence over international trade. A strong navy enforces their might on sea.

Meanwhile in India, the Cholas are a formidable force. They now rule over entire Eelam (Sri Lanka), Kerala, Tamil Nadu, large parts of Karnataka and almost all of Andhra Pradesh. Parts of Odisha, Bengal and Bangladesh have been defeated and made Chola vassals. The Emperor is Rajendra Chola, a fearless conqueror who refuses to rest. His Kingdom is rich and the administration remarkably efficient.

At this point, relations between the two kingdoms are cordial. But that’s about to change.

The Khmer of Angkor (Cambodia) are facing repeated attacks from Tambralinga (Thailand). Tired, they’ve gifted a war chariot to the Cholas, hinting at a request for military aid. But one can’t be sure – what if it’s just a friendly gesture? On the other hand, Tambralinga, probably anticipating an armed response from the Khmer, have requested Srivijaya for help.

The Cholas, sensing an opportunity, choose to help the Khmer. Earlier, after they had helped Srivijaya defeat the Javanese, the Srivijayan king Maharajah Sangrama Vijayottungavarman had increased taxes on merchant ships which was hurting the Chola trade with Song (Chinese).

Cholan coffers were bleeding and something had to be done.

The conquest of Srivijaya 

That’s how it began – the greatest conquest of a foreign land by an Indian ruler, which forever changed the course of history for many nations.

The Srivijayan defence was structured to protect its northern ports first. The Cholas knew this and prepared a strategy that would take Srivijaya by surprise, giving them an edge in the battle.

Cholan route of attack

Instead of attacking from the North, Cholan battleships swiftly moved in from the West, sailed around and attacked from the South. Beginning at Palembang, they worked their way up the river – first attacking the capital and then the ports of Pannai, Malaiyuy, Talaitakkollam, Nakkavaram, and finally, the prized city of Kadaram itself.

The Maharajah was captured. His navy had fought hard but the Chola strategy was far superior. The odds had always been against Srivijaya.

Aftermath 

The Cholas drained Srivijaya of its gold and left. They were not there to rule.

The four-hundred-year old Shailendra dynasty fell, effectively bringing the Srivijayan golden period to an end.  For the Cholas, normalcy in trade resumed. Taxes remained favourable and Tamil influence in the Srivijayan lands began to grow. The Arabs and the Khmer were greatly benefitted too. South East Asia flourished and Cholan maritime prowess remained unchallenged.

Till today, Rajendra Chola survives as the name of many Malay people – Raja Chulan.

(Views expressed are author’s own)

This article was republished from Standpoint India with permission. Read the original article here.

Feature Image Credits: Indian Panorama

Govt school teacher cum pastor builds Church on govt land in AP, demolishes after villagers rise in protest

A pastor from Andhra Pradesh demolished the Church built illegally on a government land after villagers rose in protest and filed a complaint with the Kadapa District Collector.

Pastor K. Nagaraju who also works as a teacher at a government school in at the Kupparajupalle Village School had started constructing a Church illegally on a government land in Sarvarajapet, falling under Veerapunya Mandal, Kadapa District.

Villagers of Sarvarajupet put up a united fight against the construction of a Church in a government land by a pastor Nagaraju and filed a complaint with the District Collector of Kadapa.

In the complaint, the villagers noted that they had raised the matter with the pastor several time but saw no change in his behaviour.

Citing the government order dated 29.11.2012, issued by Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Department of Andhra Pradesh, the villagers stated in their complaint that to construct any religious structure/worshipping centre, District Collector must give permission by examining all feasibilities and documents.

The complaint also observed that since the structure was situated on a government land, it violated the Supreme Court’s judgement vide citation dated 29th September 2009 that states that that no unauthorized construction of any religious institutions namely Temple, Church, Mosque or Gurudwar, etc., shall be permitted on Public Street/Public Space.

Later, it was reported that the Christian Pastor K Nagaraju himself demolished his own Church using JCB and apologized to villagers.

The issue was brought to the notice of the broader public by Legal Rights Protection Forum, an organization working for the rights of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. They were instrumental in helping the villagers to file a formal complaint with the District Collector.

The China-Tedros Dalliance: Untangling the intricate web of lies spun by the WHO Chief

Ever since the beginning of this pandemic, one name has echoed along with the name of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the world. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation. The WHO is the apex body that ought to take stock of the global situation whenever there is a health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic. They are mandated to give daily bulletins and guidelines and also coordinate with the government and international bodies to contain the pandemic. They are to do this in a ‘transparent’ manner without succumbing to political pressure. But the staggering reality states otherwise. Instead of reprimanding, Tedros has been observed to be toeing China’s line. We have all been made players in this intricate web of lies that have been spun around our heads by the man who had just one job to do – alert the world in time so that countries can be prepared to tackle if the virus hits their doors. Rather the WHO, and Tedros in particular, have the blood of millions on their hands, for failing to take action and sucking up to China and its mad king.

Technically, the Wuhan virus, or the novel coronavirus, could have been contained in China since its very inception. So one could say that the world is paying off China’s debts, and that is not a very pretty picture, to begin with. If only China had taken appropriate measures to prevent the spread of this COVID-19 infection, instead of spinning an elaborate web of lies, the focal point of which is Tedros, a million people and counting would not have been affected by it today.

Tracing the COVID-19 timeline

The entire world is dealing with this unprecedented crisis that is the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of which started in December 2019, when the first ‘pneumonia’ cases were detected. Cut to one month later, there were cases detected in European countries, and it was only onward and upward from there. Unleashing total mayhem on the road to no recovery, the COVID-19 pandemic is now one of the biggest crises to hit the world since World War II. What is surprising is the fact that, while countries like Germany had been insisting on ‘human-to-human’ transmission since late January, the WHO kept denying this up until March 2020, by when it was too late to look back. For, it was only by March 11 that the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

Here’s the timeline from the very first cases of Coronavirus detected to the present day:

December 30, 2019 – The Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention in central China’s Hubei province detected cases of “pneumonia of unknown cause”.

January 8, 2020 – The World Health Organisation (WHO) said a new coronavirus “could be behind a pneumonia epidemic” documented in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

January 11, 2020 – China announced its first death in Wuhan, while the WHO was still in denial that this could spread worldwide, and dismissed it as ‘just another outbreak’.

January 24, 2020 – The first cases in Europe are recorded, in France; still no pandemic alert by the WHO.

January 28, 2020- Germany and Japan announced the first two confirmed instances of human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 outside China. Nations rushed to evacuate their citizens from China, while the WHO continued to be in denial of  ‘human-to-human’ transmission.

January 30, 2020 – The WHO ‘finally’ declared a “public health emergency of international concern”.

February 7, 2020 – The WHO warned that the world is running out of masks and other protective equipment.

February 19, 2020 – As the toll topped 2,000, the WHO called for “proportionate” actions to COVID-19’s international spread, albeit no pandemic alert.

February 25, 2020 – The WHO said there is a “risk” of a pandemic. The next day the number of new cases in the rest of the world surpasses that of China.

March 6-8, 2020 – More than 100,000 cases were recorded around the world. Northern Italy was locked down, quickly followed by the rest of the country.

March 11, 2020 – The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, by when it was too late. US borders were gradually closed to around 30 countries. Governments and central banks rolled out massive economic support measures.

March 13, 2020 – The WHO declared Europe as the pandemic’s new epicentre.

By March 18, 2020 – More than 2,00,000 cases were registered across the world.

March 19, 2020 – Italy became the country with the highest death toll.

March 23, 2020 – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned against a worse recession than the one that followed the 2008 world financial crisis. Several sporting events were either cancelled or postponed due to the spread of the novel virus.

March 24, 2020 – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21 days nationwide lockdown.

March 26, 2020 – The leaders of the Group of 20 nations came together for an ‘extraordinary virtual G20 Summit’ to discuss the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the global economy.

March 28, 2020 – As China’s Wuhan started emerging from lockdown, Italy passed the 10,000 death mark.

April 7, 2020 – The Indian government decided to licence and paracetamol, in appropriate quantities, to the neighbouring countries. These drugs are seen as key in the treatment of coronavirus.

(Source: Wion)

Notably, the World Health Organization backtracked on its attestation that the Chinese government alarmed the United Nations office about the flare-up of deadly coronavirus, quite recently, as late as July 2020, and this does not paint a pretty picture about the organisation.

Who is incompetent? WHO!

The world is grappling with this virus, while the crisis could have been averted in its much earlier stage if one man had stepped up his game.

The man who should have been reprimanding China for its carelessness in containing the virus spread was outrightly praising it for its speedy response.

In his own words, he had said that he “admired the President’s commitment towards virus response”. In addition to speaking highly about his personal leadership skills, he had said that he was impressed by his governance.  He went on to quote Xi Jinping, who he claimed had said to him that his government has been taking all the measures in order to constrict the virus spread at the epicentre and to prevent sending it to the other countries, only in February. In actuality, the scenario is quite the contrary.

In essence, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus is the most important person in the world right now with the biggest job ever: the responsibility of being at the forefront of the response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Originally, the WHO per se should have been in the news for its steadfast response to this unprecedented crisis. Instead, Tedros is, and not for the right reasons.

This brings us to question the integrity of this man as well as the organisation he represents, while also bringing us to question how this man could possibly help in averting a world crisis when all he was doing was defending the offender. In fact, this has gone to the point where the WHO has started being called the Wuhan Health Organisation.

So, who is Ghebreyesus, really?

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hails from Ethiopia and used to be the country’s Health Minister. Whilst his tenure as the health minister of Ethiopia, he had had multiple charges against him and was accused of covering up Cholera cases. Not just one or two Cholera cases, but a number close to an epidemic.

Another noteworthy aspect to this is the fact that China heavily invests in Ethiopia’s economy every year. Could there be more to this man than meets the eye?

Ghebreyesus became the Chief of the World Health Organisation in 2017. Notably, his contention was unprecedented because he is the first Director-General who was African and a non-doctor candidate at that. If you are wondering about the doctor title his name is prefixed with, it refers to his Doctorate in Community Health, and not the one that refers to physicians or those belonging to the medical profession.

The appointment of Director Generals is done by means of elections, wherein the member countries vote for the nominated candidates. What is noteworthy is the fact that he had had the strong support from China during these elections. Ghebreyesus had a pretty successful campaign run for someone from a third-world country, and no prizes for guessing the brain behind it all.

If this is not enough proof that China and Ghebreyesus have been in cahoots all along, here’s another piece of information. Ghebreyesus also served as the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia from 2012-2016, the same period of time when China had invested heavily in the Ethiopian economy. This makes one wonder if his unwavering support to China could stem from secret vested interests.

Here’s the final nail in the coffin: right after assuming the position, Tedros had signed for Zimbabwe’s dictator to become a goodwill ambassador for the organization. Why is this relevant, you ask? Because Robert Mugabe has been China’s trump card in Africa for several decades now, funded and raised under China’s tutelage. Although this never materialized due to widespread dissent, it makes one wonder as to how all of these could tie up to the happenings of the present. If the threat and subsequent exit of the United States from the WHO could not get its Director-General to switch sides, one can only wonder how deep-rooted the link between China and Ghebreyesus could potentially be.

In 2003, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the woman who had been the Director-General of the WHO, had taken China to task during the SARS epidemic, by issuing a travel advisory against any kind of movement from and to China, successfully averting an impending doom. 12 years down the line, China has played the cards right in its second attempt by placing its insider exactly where it could cause the maximum damage, and it is safe to say that it succeeded in doing so. In conclusion, it wouldn’t be taking it too far if one were to say that Dr. Ghebreyesus should be tried at the International Criminal court as a war criminal. For, sweeping the crimes of a perpetrator who is accused of unleashing the Chinese virus under the metaphorical carpet that is the WHO is no less than crimes against humanity.

 

First ever close picture of the sun captured by the Solar Orbiter shows glimpses of ‘campfires’

The European Space Agency released images of the closest picture that has ever been taken of the Sun by the Solar Orbiter on Saturday. This mission was launched in February earlier this year.

It had completed its first close pass of the sun in June where it flew as close as 48 million miles near the sun with a minimum of 10 instruments to click the closest of the Sun.

Among the various insights, tiny flares have been found from these pictures. Scientists have dubbed these as “campfires”. The mechanisms that drive these miniature versions of giant flares present in the Sun are unclear.

“The Sun has a relatively cool surface of about 5,500 degrees and is surrounded by a super-hot atmosphere of more than a million degrees,” explained ESA project scientist Daniel Müller. “There’s a theory put forward by the great US physicist Eugene Parker, who conjectured that if you should have a vast number of tiny flares this might account for an omnipresent heating mechanism that could make the corona hot.”  Whatever their role, the campfires are certainly small – which may explain why they’ve been missed up to this point, says David Berghmans, from the Royal Observatory of Belgium and the principal investigator on the probe’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI).

The Solar Orbiter also has the Polarimetric Helioseismic Imager that makes high resolution measurements of magnetic field lines and monitors active regions on the Sun which can give rise to solar flares.

The European Space Agency (ESA) satellite was despatched on a rocket from Cape Canaveral in the US in February. Its mission is to reveal the secrets of our star’s dynamic behaviour, reported the BBC.

Source: ANI