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Nithyananda’s Kailasa: UN to disregard fugitive India guru’s fictitious country remarks

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UN
  • Representatives from the United States of Kailasa attended two UN committee meetings in Geneva in February.
  • Nithyananda, a self-styled guru, is wanted in India on multiple counts, including rape and sexual abuse.
  • The Indian government has yet to make a public statement on the situation.

The United Nations has stated that it will disregard claims made by representatives of a fugitive Hindu guru’s fictitious country at two official events.

In February, representatives from the United States of Kailasa attended two UN committee meetings in Geneva.

According to a UN official, their remarks were “irrelevant” and “tangential” to the topics being debated.

Nithyananda, a self-styled guru, is wanted in India on multiple counts, including rape and sexual abuse.

Nithyananda has rejected the allegations leveled against him, claiming that he created the United States of Kailasa (USK) in 2019.

This week’s attendance by USK at UN activities generated news in India. The Indian government has yet to make a public statement on the situation.

On February 22, the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) hosted a discussion on the representation of women in decision-making institutions. On February 24, USK representatives also took part in a second discussion on sustainable development held by the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR).

These general conversations are available to the public, according to Vivian Kwok, a communications officer of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ms. Kwok said USK’s written submission to CEDAW will not be included in their report since it was “irrelevant to the issue of the general discussion”.

She also added that a statement made by a USK representative during the second debate would not be taken into consideration as its focus “was tangential to the topic at hand”.

A video on the UN website of the second session shows that when questions are invited from attendees, a woman introduces herself as Vijayapriya Nithyananda, “the permanent ambassador of the United States of Kailasa” and says she wants to ask a question about “indigenous rights and sustainable development”.

She describes USK as the “first sovereign state for Hindus” established by Nithyananda, the “supreme pontiff of Hinduism”. She also claims that USK has been “successful with sustainable development” because it provided necessities such as food, shelter and medical care for free to all its citizens. Her question is regarding what measures can be put in place to “stop the persecution” of Nithyananda and the people of Kailasa.

A representative from One Ocean Hub and an Essex University lecturer was among those who asked questions during the conversation.

Former Indian diplomat Preeti Saran, who represents Asia Pacific at the CESCR, was present for the conversation.

Nithyananda departed India in 2019 after being charged with rape. A female disciple had accused him of rape in 2010, following which he was briefly jailed before gaining release. In 2018, he was charged in court.

A separate police complaint filed days before he left the country accused him of kidnapping and confining youngsters at his ashram in the western state of Gujarat.

The same year, he claimed to have purchased an island off the coast of Ecuador and established a new country called Kailasa, named after a Himalayan mountain revered as the abode of the Hindu god Shiva.

At the time, Ecuador denied that he was in the country, and declared that “Nithyananda has not been awarded asylum by Ecuador or has been aided by the government of Ecuador”.

Nithyananda has not been in public since 2019, yet footage of his lectures is regularly posted on his social media accounts. According to the Guardian, Nithyananda’s UK representative attended “a spectacular Diwali celebration at the House of Lords” at the request of two Conservative members last year.

As Nithyananda’s Twitter account published a photo of Vijayapriya Nithyananda, news of the UN event began to circulate on Indian social media.

Afterward, a tweet thread appeared introducing USK’s ambassadors to various corners of the world, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Kailasa is home to “two billion practicing Hindus,” according to its website. It also claims a flag, constitution, central bank, passport, and emblem.

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Meeting of US, Chinese, and Russian ministers in Delhi is a major test for Indian diplomacy

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Delhi
  • India’s foreign minister will meet his American, Chinese, and Russian counterparts on Thursday.
  • The world’s largest democracy has been eager to position itself as a leader of emerging and developing nations.
  • Modi alluded to the Ukraine situation, saying it was producing “deep global divisions.”

Foreign ministers from the world’s largest economies have gathered in New Delhi, laying the groundwork for a major test of Indian diplomacy as it attempts to negotiate tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, will meet his American, Chinese, and Russian counterparts Thursday in the second high-level ministerial meeting under India’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency this year, hoping to find enough common ground to deliver a joint statement at the end of the summit.

With a population of more than 1.3 billion people, the world’s largest democracy has been eager to position itself as a leader of emerging and developing nations – often referred to as the global South – at a time when soaring food and energy prices as a result of the war are hammering consumers who are already dealing with rising costs and inflation.

Such views were front and center during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s opening speech on Thursday, when he spoke of the world’s various challenges, with less wealthy nations bearing the brunt of the burden.

“The experience of the last few years, the financial crisis, climate change, the pandemic, terrorism, and wars clearly shows that global governance has failed,” Modi said.

“We must also admit that the tragic consequences of this failure are being faced most over by the developing countries,” who he says are most affected by global warming “caused by richer countries”.

Modi alluded to the Ukraine situation, saying it was producing “deep global divisions.” But, he urged the foreign ministers to set aside their disagreements during their meeting on Thursday.

“We should not allow issues that we cannot resolve together to come in the way of those we can,” he said.

Analysts say India’s attempt to promote its agenda has been hindered by the war’s persistent fissures.

These disparities were on display last month in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru when G20 finance leaders failed to agree on a statement following their meeting. Russia and China both refused to sign the united declaration, which condemned Moscow’s invasion. It left India with the task of issuing a “chair’s report and outcome document” that summarised the two days of negotiations and recognized disputes.

According to analysts, New Delhi has skillfully handled its ties to Russia and the West throughout the war, with Modi emerging as a leader courted by all parties.

But as the war enters its second year, and tensions continue to rise, pressure could mount on countries, including India, to take a firmer stand against Russia – putting Modi’s statecraft to the test.

[embedpost slug=”/ukraine-to-take-the-stage-at-g20-foreign-ministers-conference-in-delhi/”]

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Ukraine to take the stage at G20 foreign ministers conference in Delhi

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G20

The platform would be used by Delhi to discuss issues concerning emerging countries. Splits within the group over the Ukraine conflict will put India’s diplomacy to the test. Experts predict that tensions over Ukraine will overshadow negotiations. Foreign ministers from the world’s most powerful economies have gathered in Delhi for the second high-level ministerial meeting … Read more

India sees hottest February ever with more pain ahead

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India

India is projected to have its hottest summer since 1901. With an increased probability of heatwaves between March and May. Which could affect the yield of wheat, energy consumption, and health. The country is projected to have the hottest summer since 1901 after experiencing its hottest February, according to India‘s weather agency. Since India began … Read more

India leads the globe in disrupting internet access, watchdog says

by
India
  • India topped the list for the fifth year in a row.
  • Ukraine was second on the list.
  • Authorities disrupted internet access at least 49 times in India’s illegally occupied Kashmir.

India imposed by far the most internet shutdowns in the world in 2022, according to internet advocacy monitor Access Now, as the country topped the list for the fifth year in a row.

According to a report released on Tuesday by the New York-based digital rights advocacy group Access Now, 84 of the 187 internet shutdowns reported globally occurred in India, including 49 in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

“Authorities disrupted internet access at least 49 times in India illegally occupied Kashmir due to political instability and violence, including a string of 16 back-to-back orders for three-day-long curfew-style shutdowns in January and February 2022,” the watchdog report added.

Kashmir has long been a source of contention between India and Pakistan, both of which claim the area but only rule parts of it.

In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government abolished the autonomy of the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir, dividing it into two federally governed regions.

Since then, the government has regularly imposed communications restrictions on the region for security reasons, which rights groups have decried and portrayed as tactics to quell opposition.

Islamabad disputes the allegations

Militants have been fighting India’s rule in Kashmir for over three decades. The South Asian country accuses Pakistan of fomenting the uprising. Islamabad disputes the allegations.

Although India once again led the world in internet shutdowns, the country had less than 100 shutdowns for the first time since 2017, according to the watchdog.

Ukraine was second on the list, with the Russian military suspending internet connectivity at least 22 times since Moscow invaded Ukraine last February.

“During Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military cut internet access at least 22 times, engaging in cyberattacks and deliberately destroying telecommunications infrastructure,” the watchdog said in its report.

Ukraine was followed on the list by Iran, where authorities implemented 18 internet shutdowns in reaction to anti-government protests in 2022.

With the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian lady Mahsa Amini in police detention on September 16, last year, nationwide anti-government protests erupted in Iran. Amini was arrested in Tehran by morality police for violating hijab standards, which demand women to cover their hair and bodies completely. She died in police custody.

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Adani receives $3 billion in credit from a sovereign wealth fund

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Adani Group
  • India’s Adani Group has informed creditors that it has secured a $3 billion loan from a sovereign wealth fund.
  • Seven listed Adani Group companies have lost more than $140 billion in market value.
  • India’s banking and market regulators, as well as the government have launched investigations.

According to two sources familiar with the situation, India’s Adani Group has informed creditors that it has secured a $3 billion loan from a sovereign wealth fund, as the embattled conglomerate seeks to alleviate debt concerns following a short-seller attack.

According to the sources, the sovereign wealth fund’s credit line could be increased to $5 billion, citing a memo distributed to participants as one of the highlights of a three-day investor roadshow that concluded on Wednesday.

The identity of the sovereign wealth fund was not disclosed in the memo. According to a third person familiar with the situation, Adani’s management informed investors that it was from the Middle East.

The sources declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak with the media. Adani’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Following the reports, shares in Adani group companies rose 14.7% and 4.9%, respectively, in a broader Mumbai market (.NSEI) that gained 0.9%.

Adani’s new credit comes just a day after group management told bondholders that it expected to prepay or repay share-backed loans worth $690 million to $790 million by the end of March.

These plans were revealed as the group held a fixed-income roadshow in Singapore and Hong Kong this week to reassure investors amid steep share price drops and regulatory probes.

Seven listed Adani Group companies have lost more than $140 billion in market value combined since a Jan. 24 report by sources alleged stock manipulation and improper use of tax havens, and flagged concerns over debt levels.

Adani, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

The short-seller attack has snowballed into Adani’s most serious business and reputational challenge yet. Adani’s fortunes have risen rapidly in recent years as he expanded his group’s business interests.

To reassure investors, India’s banking and market regulators, as well as the government, have launched investigations.

According to one of the sources, Adani management stated on the final day of the roadshow in Hong Kong that a portion of the $3 billion in credit from the sovereign wealth fund has already been used to repay some of Adani’s share-backed loans.

The management of the ports-to-airport conglomerate also sought to reassure investors that it has enough cash to prepay a large portion of its debts, including onshore bonds, and that it has already begun doing so, according to a source.

However, for offshore bonds, including some three-year US bonds, the group is not allowed to prepay and has no plans to buy them back because it needs to maintain a certain cash level to maintain credit ratings, according to the source.

Adani also held bondholder calls last month in an attempt to assuage investor concerns, during which group executives revealed refinancing plans for some of its units as well as plans to completely pre-pay all loans against shares.

[embedpost slug=”/how-indias-scandal-hit-adani-group-silences-critics/”]

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Japan’s birth rate has reached an all time low

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Japan
  • The number of births registered in Japan fell to a new low last year.
  • Last year, Japan reported a record number of post-war deaths, totaling more than 1.58 million.
  • Japan’s population has been steadily declining since the 1980s economic boom.

The number of births registered in Japan fell to a new low last year, continuing a decades-long decline that the country’s authorities have failed to reverse despite extensive efforts.

The country saw 799,728 births in 2022, the lowest number on record and the first ever dip below 800,000, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday. That figure has nearly halved in the last 40 years; in 1982, Japan had more than 1.5 million births.

Last year, Japan reported a record number of post-war deaths, totaling more than 1.58 million.

For more than a decade, deaths have outpaced births in Japan, posing a growing problem for the leaders of the world’s third-largest economy. They now face an ageing population and a shrinking workforce to fund pensions and health care as demand from the ageing population rises.

According to the most recent government figures, Japan’s population has been steadily declining since the 1980s economic boom, and will stand at 125.5 million in 2021.

In the absence of immigration, its fertility rate of 1.3 is far below the rate of 2.1 required to maintain a stable population.

The country also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world; according to government data, nearly one in every 1,500 Japanese people was 100 or older in 2020.

These worrying trends prompted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to warn in January that Japan is “on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions.”

“In thinking of the sustainability and inclusiveness of our nation’s economy and society, we place child-rearing support as our most important policy” he said, adding that Japan “simply cannot wait any longer” to solve its low birth rate problem.

Kishida stated in January that he wants the government to double its spending on child-related programmes, so a new government agency will be established in April to address the issue.

But money alone might not be able to solve the multi-pronged problem, with various social factors contributing to the low birth rate.

Japan’s high cost of living, limited space, and lack of child care support in cities make raising children difficult, resulting in fewer couples having children. Urban couples are also frequently separated from extended family members in other regions who could provide support.

According to sources, Japan will be one of the most expensive places in the world to raise a child in 2022. Nonetheless, the country’s economy has been stagnant since the early 1990s, resulting in depressingly low wages and limited opportunities for advancement.

According to Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare data for 2021, the average real annual household income fell from 6.59 million yen ($50,600) in 1995 to 5.64 million yen ($43,300) in 2020.

Marriage and family formation attitudes have also shifted in recent years, with more couples deferring both during the pandemic – and young people feeling increasingly pessimistic about the future.

It’s a familiar story in East Asia, where South Korea‘s fertility rate, which was already the lowest in the world, fell even further last year, thwarting the country’s efforts to increase its declining population.

Meanwhile, China is inching closer to officially losing its title as the world’s most populous country to India after its population shrank in 2022 for the first time since the 1960s.

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Kerala temple substitutes elephants with robots for religious rites

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Kerala
  • The state is home to around one-fifth of the country’s approximately 2,500 captive elephants.
  • 138 captive elephants perished in Kerala between 2018 and 2023.
  • PETA encouraged all temples in the state to replace them with lifelike prosthetic elephants.

A temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala has installed a mechanical elephant to perform its ceremonies.

The decision by authorities at Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur district is part of their vow to avoid utilizing live animals for any festivities.

PETA India and actress Parvathy Thiruvothu donated the model.

They anticipated that this would aid in holding events in a “cruelty-free” manner.

Elephants, chained, saddled, and ornamented, play a major role in temple festivals in Kerala; the state is home to around one-fifth of the country’s approximately 2,500 captive elephants.

Concerns concerning animal welfare have been raised by animal rights advocates for many years. The Centre for Research on Animal Rights wrote to the state’s chief minister last week concerning the mammal’s high mortality, claiming that 138 captive elephants perished in Kerala between 2018 and 2023.

PETA claimed in a statement released on Monday that subjecting living elephants to extremely loud noises during festivals was “cruel,” and encouraged all temples in the state to replace them with lifelike prosthetic elephants.

“It’s high time we made stronger and more impactful strides towards stopping such abuse and letting animals have respectful and dignified lives,” the organization added.

PETA’s elephant model stands 11 feet (3.3 meters) tall, weighs 800 kg (1763.7 pounds), and is made of iron.

According to temple priest Rajkumar Namboothiri, who spoke to the Indian Express, authorities were delighted to receive the mechanical elephant.

“We hope other temples will also think about replacing elephants with robotic elephants for their rituals,” Mr Namboothiri said.

[embedpost slug=”/india-tiger-cull-controversy-in-kerala/”]

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India starts protesting over Manish Sisodia’s arrest

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Manish Sisodia

Manish Sisodia’s arrest by the CBI for alleged corruption. Led to widespread protests by members of the ruling party in Delhi. AAP and the BJP have clashed on a number of issues, with the AAP accusing the BJP of corruption. The arrest of a key politician Manish Sisodia for alleged corruption has led to widespread … Read more

Germany and India will expand their collaboration in renewable energy and defence

by
Germany
  • Germany and India agreed to collaborate on technologies.
  • Chancellor said he would personally make an effort to expedite a trade agreement with India.
  • The two sides also committed to expanding their collaboration on green hydrogen.

On Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s first visit to India as leader, Germany, and India agreed to collaborate on technologies to make the transition to renewable energy easier, as well as to strengthen defense cooperation and commerce.

“We want to further strengthen trade ties between the European Union and India,” Scholz said in New Delhi after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The chancellor said he would personally make an effort to expedite a trade agreement.

The two sides also committed to expanding their collaboration on green hydrogen “to achieve a socially just, economically sustainable, secure, and affordable energy supply,” according to a joint statement issued following the meeting.

Scholz and Modi also discussed the conflict in Ukraine and the consequences of food and fertilizer shortages. The two parties also agreed to expand their defense cooperation. There have been negotiations about the collaborative development of defense equipment, according to India‘s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra in a separate briefing.

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a German defense manufacturing powerhouse, is one of two worldwide bidders for a $5 billion contract to build six conventional diesel-electric submarines in India.

While Prime Minister Modi stated that India wants to cooperate more closely with Germany to “realize the untapped potential in defense cooperation,” Kwatra acknowledged that the two leaders also discussed collaborative submarine design and manufacturing.

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G20 fails to reach consensus on Russia-Ukraine war -sources

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G20
  • Host India is pressing the meeting to avoid using the word “war” in any communique.
  • The US and its G7 partners have been demanding that the declaration explicitly criticize Russia for its invasion of its neighbor.
  • Such clashes have become more prevalent in the G20.

G20 finance leaders have been unable to find an agreement on how to describe the conflict in Ukraine, and the conference in Mumbai on Saturday is expected to end without a joint declaration, according to attendees.

The US and its G7 partners have been firm in demanding that the declaration explicitly criticize Russia for its invasion of its neighbor, which has been rejected by the Russian and Chinese delegations, they added.

Russia, which is a member of the G20, refers to its actions in Ukraine as a “special military operation”, and avoids calling it an invasion or war.

Host India is also pressing the meeting to avoid using the word “war” in any communique, G20 officials have told Reuters. India, which holds the current G20 presidency, has kept a largely neutral stance on the war, declining to blame Russia for the invasion, seeking a diplomatic solution and sharply boosting its purchases of Russian oil.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the group could not back down from a common statement issued at a G20 conference in Bali, Indonesia, last November, in which “most members strongly opposed the violence in Ukraine,” but accepted that certain countries perceived the conflict differently.

“Either we have the same language or we do not sign on the final communique,” Le Maire told on Friday.

On the fringes of the conference on Friday, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the G20 must not abandon its prior criticism of Russia.

“We need absolute clarity, this is a war initiated by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” he said.

Such clashes have become more prevalent in the G20, a group established over 20 years ago in reaction to previous economic crises but recently hampered by divisions between Western nations and others, notably China and Russia.

According to a senior G20 source, negotiations over the statement were challenging, with Russia and China opposing Western initiatives.  “India wants to stick to the Bali wording,” the source said.

According to the source and several other officials, a consensus on the communique seemed doubtful, and the conference was likely to end with a statement by the host summarising the deliberations.

“In the absence of a consensus, the option for India would be to issue a chair statement,” one of the officials said.

The foreign, finance and communication ministries in India did not immediately respond to demands for comment.

[embedpost slug=”/host-india-doesnt-want-g20-to-discuss-further-russia-sanctions-sources/”]

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IMF flags debt restructuring hurdles, says banning crypto should be an option

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IMF
  • India’s G20 presidency comes at a time when its South Asian neighbors are in desperate need of IMF assistance.
  • China encouraged G20 nations to conduct a fair, impartial, and in-depth investigation of the causes of global debt crises.
  • Regulating cryptocurrencies is a priority area for India.

BENGALURU: There are some debates over restructuring debt for fragile economies, said the head of the International Monetary Fund on the sidelines of a G20 meeting on Saturday, adding that prohibiting private cryptocurrencies should be an option.

India‘s G20 presidency comes at a time when it’s South Asian neighbors, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, are in desperate need of IMF assistance due to an economic downturn induced by the COVID-19 outbreak and the Russia-Ukraine war.

On Friday, China, the world’s largest bilateral creditor, encouraged G20 nations to conduct a fair, impartial, and in-depth investigation of the causes of global debt crises, as pressure mounts on lenders to take a large haircut, or suffer losses, on loans.

“On debt restructuring, while there are still some disagreements, we now have the global sovereign debt roundtable with consideration of all public and private creditors,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters after the roundtable she co-chaired with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“We just finished a session in which it was clear that there is a commitment to bridging differences for the benefit of countries.”

Apart from restructuring debt, regulating cryptocurrencies is another priority area for India, which Georgieva agreed with.

“We have to differentiate between central bank digital currencies that are backed by the state and stablecoins, and crypto assets that are privately issued,” Georgieva said.

“There has to be a very strong push for regulation… if regulation fails, if you’re slow to do it, then we should not take off the table banning those assets, because they may create financial stability risk.”

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Watch: Akshay Kumar set world record for most selfies ever taken

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Akshay Kumar world record

Akshay Kumar broke the Guinness World Record for Most Selfies. He took 184 selfies In 3 minutes. He thanked his fans for their support and expressed his emotions. Akshay Kumar broke the world record for the most selfies ever taken when he took 184 in just three minutes during a meet-and-greet with fans to promote … Read more

Host India doesn’t want G20 to discuss further Russia sanctions – sources

by
India
  • Group of Seven (G7) nations will meet on the margins of a G20 meeting in India.
  • Finance ministers and central bank chiefs stated that the economic consequences of the conflict will be considered.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not directly condemned Moscow for the invasion.

India does not want the G20 to discuss additional sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine during New Delhi’s one-year presidency of the bloc, six senior Indian officials said on Wednesday, amid debate over how even to describe the conflict.

On the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion, finance chiefs from the Group of Seven (G7) nations will meet on the margins of a G20 meeting in India on Feb. 23, Japan’s finance minister said on Tuesday.

The sources, who are directly involved in this week’s G20 conference of finance ministers and central bank chiefs, stated that the economic consequences of the conflict will be considered, but India would not consider extra sanctions against Russia.

“India is not keen to discuss or back any additional sanctions on Russia during the G20,” said one of the officials. “The existing sanctions on Russia have had a negative impact on the world.”

Another official said sanctions were not a G20 issue. “G20 is an economic forum for discussing growth issues.”

The Indian government, as well as the finance and foreign ministries, did not immediately respond to queries for comment.

Officials struggled to find an appropriate word to describe the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Wednesday, the first day of discussions to produce the G20 declaration.

“Crisis” or a “Challenge” rather than a “War”

According to officials, India attempted to reach an agreement on the terminology by calling it a “crisis” or a “challenge” rather than a “war,” but the meetings ended without a conclusion.

These conversations have been moved to Thursday when US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will be present.

According to Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, the war has disproportionately affected poorer countries by boosting fuel and food prices.

In recent months, India’s neighbors – Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh – have all sought loans from the International Monetary Fund to help them deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic and conflict.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said on Tuesday that the United States and its partners planned to apply fresh sanctions and export controls in the coming days to target Russia’s acquisition of dual-use equipment such as refrigerators and microwaves in order to get chips for its military.

The restrictions would also strive to do more to prevent the transit of oil and other banned products through neighboring countries.

Adeyemo also stated that authorities from a coalition of more than 30 countries would warn corporations, financial institutions, and individuals who continue to do business with Russia that they would face penalties.

The administration of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not directly condemned Moscow for the invasion, instead calling for discussion and diplomacy to resolve the war. India has also increased its purchases of oil from Russia, its largest supplier of military weapons.

[embedpost slug=”/indian-truckers-say-hindenburg-report-is-godsend-in-adani-dispute/”]

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How India’s scandal-hit Adani Group silences critics

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Adani

Indian journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is being sued in six different courts. Adani Group last month prompted a stock rout that wiped off $120 billion from the company’s value. The charges generated headlines around the world. Independent Indian journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is being sued in six different courts by tycoon Gautam Adani’s corporate empire … Read more

Cheetahs are being airlifted to India as part of an effort to resurrect the species

by
India
  • Twelve cheetahs have arrived in India.
  • The cheetahs are part of an endeavor by India and South Africa to reintroduce the cheetah in India.
  • Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952.

New Delhi: Twelve cheetahs have arrived in India as part of efforts to bring the species back from extinction after decades in the country.

The South African feline predators were flown in from Johannesburg on Saturday, according to the Indian Air Force.

The cheetahs will next be carried by helicopters from the India Air Force to their final destination, the Kuno National Park in central Madhya Pradesh state, and released. They will be joined by eight cheetahs who were moved from Namibia in September of last year.

According to a joint statement from India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and South Africa‘s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the cheetahs are part of an endeavor by India and South Africa to reintroduce the cheetah in India.

The program would “expand the cheetah meta-population and return cheetahs to a former range state following their local extinction due to overhunting and habitat loss over the last century,” according to the announcement.

Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952, according to the report.

According to the statement, the 12 cheetahs are all “wild-born” and are familiar with their natural predators. Cheetahs are preyed upon by other big cats and eagles.

[embedpost slug=”/indian-foreign-minister-lashes-out-at-critics-following-the-bbc-raids/”]

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Indian Foreign minister lashes out at critics following the BBC raids

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Indian Foreign minister
  • India’s foreign minister lashed out on Saturday.
  • Jaishankar supported the prime minister, labeling critics as “scaremongers.”
  • The BBC’s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai were raided by Indian tax authorities.

SYDNEY: India’s foreign minister lashed out on Saturday at “scaremongering” opponents who believe the country’s democracy is deteriorating, singling out billionaire George Soros, a frequent target for right-wing ire.

S. Jaishankar denied at a Sydney event that frequent raids on the BBC’s India headquarters demonstrated Prime Leader Narendra Modi and his government were moving towards dictatorship.

Jaishankar supported the prime minister, labeling critics as “scaremongers,” with a “Euro-Atlantic view” of democracy that fails to respect the Indian people’s democratic decision.

“There are still people in the world who believe that their definition, their preferences, their views must override everything else,” he said.

The BBC‘s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai were raided by Indian tax authorities just weeks after the channel aired a documentary about Modi’s involvement during deadly sectarian rioting in 2002.

Modi “is no democrat”

Jaishankar singled out benefactor Soros, who recently highlighted Modi’s tight relationships with fraud-accused enterprises operated by buddy Gautam Adani and stated that while India was a democracy, Modi “is no democrat”.

Jaishankar denounced the 92-year-old Hungarian-born financier as “old, rich opinionated, and dangerous” and someone who “still thinks that his views should determine how the entire world works.”

“He actually thinks that it doesn’t matter that this is a country of 1.4 billion people — we are almost that — whose voters decide how the country should run.”

Soros has long financed organizations advocating openness and democracy, which has led to numerous conspiracy theories and politically driven attacks on him.

“People like him believe that elections are beneficial if the person we wish to see elected wins. If the election results in a different way, we will truly claim that democracy is defective “According to Jaishankar.

Press freedom in the world’s biggest democracy has suffered during Modi’s tenure, rights activists say, and the opposition Congress party condemned the raids, saying there was an “undeclared emergency” in the country.

A spokesman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the broadcaster of engaging in “anti-India propaganda” but said the raids were lawful and the timing had nothing to do with the government.

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An Indian man was detained in connection with the double murder of a cow vigilante

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Indian
  • India claimed Saturday that they have detained one individual.
  • The individual murdered two Muslim men.
  • Hindus regard cows as sacred, and slaughtering them is forbidden in many Indian states.

Police in India claimed Saturday that they have detained one individual in connection with the murder of two Muslim men whose burnt carcasses were discovered in a car after they were kidnapped for alleged cow smuggling.

Hindus regard cows as sacred, and slaughtering them is forbidden in many Indian states.

After Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, vigilante squads that patrol highways to prevent animals from being moved across state lines have multiplied.

The bodies of the two guys were recovered Thursday morning in a burnt-out truck in northern Haryana state, a day after they went missing.

Both men were from the neighboring state of Rajasthan, and their family implicated five individuals from the Hindu hardline Bajrang Dal group in a criminal complaint filed with police following their disappearance.

“We have so far apprehended one culprit and are looking for others,” police officer Shyam Singh said.

According to Rajasthan police, the apprehended individual was a taxi driver who was also connected with cow vigilante groups.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the killings on Twitter and promised harsh punishment to anyone responsible.

The Modi government has been accused of turning a blind eye to vigilante attacks on minority Muslims in the name of cow protection, which critics say is illegal.

Cow slaughter is illegal in Rajasthan and Haryana, and anyone transporting the animals beyond state lines must have a license.

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India FM  Jaishankar says, Soros is dangerous, and debate on democracy is needed

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India
  • India’s foreign minister said the democratic world needed a debate on democracy.
  • He labeled billionaire investor George Soros “old, rich, opinionated and dangerous.”
  • George Soros slammed India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that while India was a democracy, Modi was not.

India’s foreign minister said the democratic world needed a debate on democracy, labeling billionaire investor George Soros “old, rich, opinionated and dangerous” for his comments on India that didn’t recognize its difficult path from colonization.

At a speech ahead of the Munich Security Conference on Thursday, billionaire investor George Soros slammed India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that while India was a democracy, Modi was not.

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told a conference in Sydney on Saturday that Soro’s statements were typical of a “Euro Atlantic view”.

He stated that there must be “a debate and conversation about democracy,” including which values defined democracy as the world rebalanced and grew less Euro-Atlantic.

“He is old, rich, opinionated, and dangerous because what happens is, when such people and such views and such organisations – they actually invest resources in shaping narratives,” Jaishankar said in a response to a question about Soros at the Raisina@Sydney conference.

He said India’s voters decided “how the country should run”.

“It worries us. We are a country that went through colonialism, we know the dangers of what happens when there’s outside interference,” he added.

He had already met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia. Australia is attempting to develop commerce with India in order to minimize its dependency on China and has joined the Quad security group with India, as well as the United States and Japan.

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Indian tax authorities accuses organization of irregularities

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Indian tax authorities

The BBC is a trusted, independent media organization. And will continue to co-operate with the authorities. While the government has attempted to prevent people from sharing the documentary. After searching the broadcaster’s headquarters there, Indian tax authorities claim they found discrepancies in the BBC’s accounting records. The declaration, which doesn’t specifically mention the BBC, was … Read more

Seattle council to vote on law banning discrimination

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Seattle

Caste discrimination is a serious issue in the US. With South Asian People facing discrimination. They are facing discriminations in job, education, and housing. A council member in Seattle has made significant progress in the fight against the practice of putting forth the first-ever US legislation that expressly forbids caste-based discrimination. South Asian People endure … Read more

Australia retains top spot in current ICC Test Team standings

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Australia ICC Test Team standings

Australia is the top-ranked team in the Test rankings. ICC has apologized for erroneously ranking India as the top squad. Australia will enter the second Test against India with 126 rating points. Australia continues to be the top-ranked team in the Test rankings, the International Cricket Council reaffirmed on Thursday while issuing an apology for … Read more

ICC apologizes for momentarily ranking India as number one in Test

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ICC Test ranking

The ICC apologized for erroneously ranking India as the top Test squad. The second Test between India and Australia begins this Friday. Rohit Sharma scored 120 in India’s 400. The International Cricket Council (ICC) apologized for momentarily and “erroneously” ranking India as the top Test squad while stating that Australia remains the top-ranked side worldwide. … Read more

India leaves Australia behind to become No.1 Test team

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India Test team rankings

India has overtaken Australia to take the top spot in the ICC Test rankings India is the second team to accomplish the feat after South Africa in 2014. India defeated Australia at Nagpur in the opening Test. India defeated Pat Cummins’ squad at Nagpur in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, overtaking Australia to … Read more

Tax officers in India raid BBC headquarters weeks after a scathing documentary

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BBC
  • Weeks after the government slammed a BBC documentary Indian tax agents raided the BBC’s offices.
  • The documentary focuses on the Hindu nationalist politician’s leadership as chief minister.
  • Television news reporters were stationed outside the office.

Indian tax agents raided the BBC’s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai on Tuesday, weeks after the government slammed a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 riots.

The documentary focuses on the Hindu nationalist politician’s leadership as chief minister of the western state of Gujarat during the horrific sectarian riots, which killed at least 1,000 people, the majority of whom were Muslims, but activists claimed the death toll at more than twice that figure.

“The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible,” the BBC said in a statement.

The tax agency did not respond to requests for comment by email, text, or phone.

According to one of two individuals in the BBC’s New Delhi office, tax officials were conversing with the accounts officer and no one was permitted to leave.

During the hunt, television news reporters were stationed outside the office at Connaught Place in downtown Delhi to report on events.

The Editors Guild of India, a non-partisan group of editorial leaders, expressed grave concern about the tax officers’ visits.

“It is distressed by the continuing trend of government agencies being used to intimidate and harass news organizations that are critical of the ruling establishment,” it said in a statement.

It said the department similarly searched the offices of the media outlets NewsClick, Newslaundry, Dainik Bhaskar, and Bharat Samachar in 2021 following their “critical coverage of the government establishment”.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Indian institutions worked independently and the tax department was “within the law in looking into tax compliance”.

“India is a vibrant democracy where no one is above the law,” said BJP spokesman Gopal Krishna Agarwal.

The tax department’s move was denounced by the main opposition Congress party.

“The IT raid at BBC’s office reeks of desperation and shows that the Modi government is scared of criticism,” lawmaker and Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal wrote on Twitter.

“We condemn these intimidation tactics in the harshest terms. This undemocratic and dictatorial attitude cannot go on any longer.”

The BBC program has been labeled as propaganda by the authorities. The foreign ministry in January said it was meant to advance a “discredited narrative”, was biased, lacked objectivity, and reflected a “continuing colonial mindset”.

The BBC has stood by its documentary reporting.

Last month, police detained students gathered in Delhi to watch the documentary after their institution refused permission for a showing.

Modi ruled Gujarat for over a decade before taking office as Prime Minister in 2014.

Accusations that he did not do enough to quell the violence in 2002 have followed him throughout his career. Modi has consistently denied any misconduct. In 2013, a Supreme Court-appointed panel ruled that there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

In February 2002, a suspected Muslim mob set fire to a train transporting Hindu pilgrims in Gujarat, sparking one of independent India’s worst outbreaks of sectarian violence.

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Adani: India’s watchdog is investigating into claims of Hindenburg fraud

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Hindenburg Research
  • SEBI is looking into charges made by Hindenburg Research.
  • SEBI is also looking into market activity in response to the report.
  • Adani’s business plummets by more than $100 billion.

The Indian Securities and Exchange Commission has stated that it is looking into charges made by Hindenburg Research against companies owned by multibillionaire Gautam Adani.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is also looking into market activity in response to the report.

Mr. Adani’s business empire saw its stock market value plummet by more than $100 billion (£82.3 billion) as a result of charges of market manipulation and financial crime.

The claims have been refuted by Adani Group.

On Monday, SEBI said in a Supreme Court filing that it was studying the allegations and “the market activity immediately preceding and post the publication of the report”.

“SEBI is strongly and adequately empowered to put in place regulatory frameworks for effecting stable operations and development of the securities markets,” it added in a filing to the Supreme Court.

Adani Group also attempted to reassure investors on Monday, stating that it has excellent cashflows and that its business plans were fully funded.

“We are confident in the continued ability of our portfolio to deliver superior returns to shareholders.”

Set to report

Adani Enterprises, the conglomerate’s flagship company, is set to report quarterly earnings later on Tuesday.

Mr. Adani’s company includes seven publicly traded companies that engage in a variety of industries, including commodities trading, airports, utilities, ports, and renewable energy.

A report published last month by the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research said that Adani Group companies had engaged in “brazen” stock manipulation and accounting fraud for decades.

It also claimed its companies had “substantial debt” which put the entire group on a “precarious financial footing”.

Short-selling is a bet that an asset’s value will fall.

Without presenting evidence, Adani Group has stated that the Hindenburg report was meant to allow the US-based short seller to earn gains.

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Russia has supplied India with weapons worth $13 billion in last five years

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Russia
  • Russia has supplied India with around $13 billion in weaponry.
  • Military equipment worth more than $10 billion.
  • India is the world’s largest importer of Russian weaponry.

Russian state news media reported late on Sunday that Russia has supplied India with around $13 billion in weaponry over the last five years, and that New Delhi has placed orders with Moscow for weapons and military equipment worth more than $10 billion.

India is the world’s largest importer of Russian weaponry, accounting for roughly 20% of Moscow’s current order book, and the Indian government has not openly criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for talks and diplomacy to end the 12-month conflict.

In response to the invasion, which Moscow describes as a “special military operation,” dozens of Western countries placed sanctions on Russia, including penalties on weaponry.

According to Dmitry Shugayev, the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, India, China, and several Southeast Asian countries have retained their interest in purchasing Russian armaments.

Russia’s main partners

“Despite the unprecedented pressure on India from Western countries led by the United States in connection with Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, it continues to be one of Russia’s main partners in the field of military-technical cooperation,” Interfax agency quoted Shugayev as saying.

According to Interfax, annual arms shipments were around $14-15 billion, while the order book has remained stable at roughly $50 billion.

Shugayev stated that Asian buyers are particularly interested in Russia’s S-400 Triumf missile defense systems, short-range surface-to-air missile systems such as the Osa, Pechora, or Strela, as well as Su-30 aircraft, MiG-29 helicopters, and drones.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Russia will display over 200 samples of armaments and military equipment at the 14th international aerospace show Aero India 2023, which begins on Monday in Bengaluru.

At the show this week, India is looking for military planes worth billions of dollars, finalizing jetliner deals to suit civilian demand, and pressuring global aviation makers to build more locally.

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