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Army veterans write to PM Modi: Dissent is not treason but the essence of democracy, Army veterans

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Army veterans write to PM Modi: Dissent is not treason but the essence of democracy, Army veterans

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief ministers of all states and lieutenant-governors of union territories, 114  Armed Forces veterans endorse #NotInMyName campaign, urge an end to prevailing atmosphere of hate in the country

A group of 114 Armed Forces veterans have endorsed the #NotInMyName campaign that has galvanized spontaneous nationwide protests by people of all ages against the prevailing atmosphere of hate, fear and intimidation evidenced by frequent cases of mob-lynching, violence by ‘Gau Rakshaks’ against Dalits, Muslims and other minorities, threats of rape and murder issued by social media trolls to anyone who criticizes the ruling Narendra Modi dispensation or the BJP.

In a curtly worded open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Armed Forces veterans like Admiral L. Ramdas, Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar, Major General MPS Kandal, Major General R.P.R.C. Naidu and Air Marshal N.V. Tyagi, among others have said: “We stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign that mobilised thousands of citizens across the country to protest against the current climate of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.”

The letter, which is also addressed to chief ministers of all states and lieutenant-governors of union territories, states: “What is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. We condemn the targeting of Muslims and Dalits. We condemn the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1501494990994{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;background-color: #cecece !important;border-radius: 10px !important;}”]Here’s the full text of the letter:
We are a group of Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces who have spent our careers working for the security of our country. Collectively, our group holds no affiliation with any single political party, our only common commitment being to the Constitution of India.
It saddens us to write this letter, but current events in India have compelled us to register our dismay at the divisiveness that is gripping our country. We stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign that mobilised thousands of citizens across the country to protest against the current climate of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.
The Armed Forces stand for “Unity in Diversity”. Differences in religion, language, caste, culture or any other marker of belonging have not mattered to the cohesion of the Armed Forces, and servicemen of different backgrounds have fought shoulder to shoulder in the defence of our nation, as they continue to do today. Throughout our service, a sense of openness, justice and fair play guided our actions. We are one family. Our heritage is like the multi-coloured quilt that is India, and we cherish this vibrant diversity.
However, what is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. We condemn the targeting of Muslims and Dalits. We condemn the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.
We can no longer look away. We would be doing a disservice to our country if we do not stand up and speak for the liberal and secular values that our Constitution espouses. Our diversity is our greatest strength. Dissent is not treason; in fact, it is the essence of democracy.
We urge the powers that be at the Centre and in the States to take note of our concerns and urgently act to uphold our Constitution, both in letter and in spirit.
Signatories (in alphabetical order of last name)
Lt Col E.N. Ambre
Brig V.K.S. Antony
Maj M.K. Apte
Col C.T. Arasu
Lt Col Israr Asghar
Cdr C.R. Babu
Lt Cdr P.S. Bal
Lt Cdr Rakeh Bali
Maj Gen Dipankar Banerjee
Lt Gen C.A. Barretto
Brig Noel Barretto
Col T.S. Bedi
Surg Cdr P Bellubi
Petty Off Gajanan Bhat I.N.
Cdr P.G. Bhat
Gp Capt A.V. Bhagwat
Col V. Bopiah
Maj Gen P.R. Bose
Vice Adm A. Britto
Col R.T. Chacko
Lt Col M. Chandrasekhar
Cdre R. Clarke
Col K.S. Choudhry
Brig T.P.S. Chowdhury
Brig Dileep Deore
Col Samuel Dhar
Lt Gen F.T. Dias
Lt Col A.P. Durai
Gp Capt M.P. Elangovan
Maj Gen Shyamal Ghosh
Col V. Nanda Gopal
Cdre E.C. Govindan
Col V. Govindarajan
Col R.P. Grover
Cdre P.C. Gulati
Cdr M. Hari
Lt Col Muzaffar Hasan
Brig Prem Hejmadi
AVM Kapil Kak
Col A.T. Kalghatgi
Maj Gen MPS Kandal
Col M.S. Kapoor
Maj Gen T.K. Kaul
Lt Col P.B. Keskar
Lt Col V. Kharkar
Wg Cdr R. Khosla
Brig Anil Malhotra
Col Arun Malhotra
Lt Col R.C. Malhotra
Brig G.K. Malik
Cdre G. Menezes
Wg Cdr S.N. Metrani
Maj G.N. Misra
AVM R.P. Misra
Col Biman Mistry
Col R.B. Mistry
Col A.K. Mitra
Col Pradip Mitra
Maj Gen H. Mukherji
Maj Gen R.P.R.C. Naidu
Col Pavan Nair
Lt Col V.K. Nair
Col R.L.V. Nath
Cdr M. Nirmal
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi
Rear Adm Alan O’Leary
Air Cdre Tanpat Pannu
Lt Col Niraj Pant
Col R.C. Patial
Cdr Hector Poppen
Capt Subbarao Prabhala IN
Brig Ranjit Prasad
Brig V.H.M. Prasad
Wg Cdr K.V. Raghuram
Brig R.S. Rajan
Col S.S. Rajan
Cdr S.M. Rajeshwar
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar
Col T.N. Raman
Admiral L. Ramdas
Vice Adm I.C. Rao
Col T.K. Ravindranath
Air Marshal D.S. Sabhikhi
Lt Col Nagaraj Sastry
Lt Gen K.M. Seth
Col P.D. Shah
Brig Baqir Shameem
Lt Gen Y.N. Sharma
Lt Col H.D. Shirmane
Vice Adm M.R. Schunker
Cdr M.A. Somana
Brig Amardeep Singh
Gp Capt D.R. Singh
Brig Joginder Singh
Brig Mastinder Singh
Cdr Rajiv Singh
Col Salam K Singh
Col S. Srikantha
Brig M. Sudandiram
Flt Lt R. Suresh
Sgt M.N. Subramani
Lt Cdr P. Subramanyam
Maj Gen L. Tahliani
Cdr S.P. Taneja
Cdr T.P. Tharian
Lt Col J.K. Thomas
Cdr M. Thomas
Cdr N. Tripathy
Air Marshal N.V. Tyagi
Capt A.K. Varma
Wg Cdr B.J. Vaz
Maj Rajah Velu
Lt Col R. Venugopal
Maj Gen S.G. Vombatkere[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Parliament winter session: Government lists 15 bills, including Waqf bill

The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

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The government has listed five new ones and one to amend the contentious Waqf law out of 15 bills for the winter session of Parliament. The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

The government has introduced five new bills, including the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to promote coasting trade and increase the participation of Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for both national security and commercial purposes.

Another significant legislation that will be introduced by the government is the Indian Ports Bill, 2024. This bill is designed to implement measures for the conservation of ports, enhance security, and manage pollution, ensuring compliance with India’s international obligations and statutory requirements.

Additionally, the government plans to introduce the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to meet India’s obligations under maritime treaties and support the development of Indian shipping while ensuring the efficient operation of the Indian mercantile marine in a way that serves national interests.

Pending legislation includes the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is awaiting consideration and passage after the joint committee of both Houses submits its report to the Lok Sabha. The committee is expected to report by the end of the first week of the winter session.

Currently, there are eight bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, pending in the Lok Sabha, while two additional bills are in the Rajya Sabha.

Furthermore, the government has also listed the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill for introduction, consideration, and passage, which seeks to increase the pecuniary appellate jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

The Merchant Shipping Bill, along with the Coastal Shipping Bill and the Indian Ports Bill, is slated for introduction and eventual passage.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) today issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. The leaders allegedly restricted essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to civilians in Gaza, resulting in severe humanitarian crises and deaths, including among children.

Last year in October, Israel had launched attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war has led to the death of thousands of civilians, while lakhs have been displaced. The major infrastructures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, were also destroyed as Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas.

The International Criminal Court stated that it found reasonable grounds to believe the accused intentionally targeted civilians and limited medical supplies, forcing unsafe medical procedures, which caused immense suffering. This ruling was based on the findings from at least October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024.

The court remarked that it has assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza.

Furthermore, it also noted that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and medical supplies created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza, leading to death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration.

Additionally, the International Criminal Court dismissed two challenges by Israel against its jurisdiction in the situation in the State of Palestine.

Notably, Israel had contested the ICC’s jurisdiction, claiming it could not be exercised without Israel’s consent. Nonetheless, the Chamber ruled that the Court has jurisdiction based on Palestine’s territorial scope, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It further noted that Israel’s objections were premature, as jurisdictional challenges under the Rome Statute can only be made after an arrest warrant is issued.

Reportedly, Israel had also requested a fresh notification regarding the investigation, started in 2021. Denying the request, the court stated that Israel had earlier declined to request a deferral, making additional notifications unnecessary.

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Yogi Adityanath accords tax-free status to Sabarmati Report film in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accorded a tax-free status to ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film, based on the train burning incident at Godhra in Gujarat in 2002, in the state.

The announcement was made after Chief Minister Adityanath attended the screening of Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna-starrer ‘The Sabarmati Report’ in Lucknow with the film’s cast.  

Speaking to reporters, actor Vikrant Massey thanked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for making ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film tax-free in the state. “I want to thank Yogi Adityanath ji. This is an important film and I appeal to everyone to go and watch this film,” he said.

Chief Minister Adityanath along with many of his cabinet colleagues watched the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’ under a special screening at a cinema hall in the capital, said a spokesperson of the state government.

Several people associated with the film unit were also present on the occasion. Later the chief minister announced to make this film tax-free in UP.

The BJP-ruled states have been praising the makers of The Sabarmati Report, claiming the team has tried to bring out this truth in front of the people of the country through the film.

The saffron party is appealing to people to watch this film and try to get closer to the truth of Godhra.

Uttar Pradesh becomes the sixth BJP-ruled state after Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to declare lead actors Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna’s film tax-free.

Adityanath said along with identifying the faces of those who are conspiring against the country for political gains, there is also a need to expose them. The film team has discharged its responsibilities to expose the truth, he said, adding an attempt has been made to bring the real truth in front of the country in a big way through the film.

The Sabarmati Report is said to be based on the incident of setting fire to a train full of ‘karsevaks’ in Godhra on February 27, 2002, killing 90 devotees. After this incident, communal riots broke out in Gujarat. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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