INDIAN INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH INTO TRUE HISTORY

NEWSLETTER NO. 82 OF 16 OCTOBER 2019

1. NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

1.1 Britain

1.1.1 Brexit – madness

Boris Johnson has replaced Mrs May as British P.M. How is he going to solve the Brexit madness? The whole affair is in a mess.

It is astonishing that there never was a time table. No account was taken of other events like German or French elections, process in British Parliament.

So much has been made of fulfilling the wishes of 17.4 million British voters, but then what about voters of Scotland and Gibralter? They want to stay in EU. Will they be given freedom for that?

On several occasions Mrs May had said that a NO DEAL is better than a bad deal. So, why is everyone now scared stiff of a No Deal Brexit?

The whole saga is shambles. It merely created uncertainty which is bad for industries.

1.1.2 Nirav Modi the Indian fugitive lives comfortably in London

On 8 March 2019 The Telegraph located Nirav Modi, India's most wanted man accused of £1.5bn fraud, living openly in London

Mr Modi was wearing a £10,000 ostrich hide jacket when confronted in the street by our reporter Paul Grover. He has been living in an £8 million apartment in London’s West End.

Modi, 48, a diamond jeweller whose designs have been worn by Hollywood stars, went on the run last year after being accused of defrauding £1.5 billion from a state-run Punjab National Bank.

An Interpol red notice was issued by the Indian authorities in July 2018 for Modi’s arrest but he has continued to remain at large. British Government has failed to act on the Interpol red notice.

He lives in a three-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point tower block, The rent for a property like this is about £17,000 a month.

Indian authorities have frozen his businesses bank accounts while a string of boutiques - including a flagship store in Old Bond Street - have been shut down.

Yet Modi is now involved in a new diamond business run from an office in Soho.

Modi was given a National Insurance number in recent months by the Department for Work & Pensions and has been able to operate online bank accounts in the UK while wanted by Indian authorities. He has also been in contact with a wealth management company based in west London, which specialises in advice to rich foreigners.

The ability of Modi to continue living a privileged lifestyle in London will raise serious questions potentially threatening a rift between the UK and India.

Modi’s business describes itself on Companies House as a wholesale trader in watches and jewellery and a retailer of watches and jewellery in specialised stores.

India has requested Modi’s extradition.

Does not say much for British security service or Indian Authorities. Does it?

1.1.3 Home Office revoked tens of thousands of student visas

May Bulman /The Independent 18 July 2019

Tens of thousands of international students had their visas revoked after the Home Office used “confused, misleading, incomplete and unsafe” evidence, MPs have said.

The department ignored expert advice and relied on “dodgy” evidence when it accused almost 34,000 students of cheating in English language tests in 2015, according to a new report published by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on the Test of English for International Communication (Toeic).

With no proper right to challenge the decision, these students were told their studies had been terminated and that they had no right to stay in the UK. Some were detained in removal centres, lost their jobs and were left homeless as a result, even though they were in the country legally.

Action was based on evidence gathered by BBC Panorama programme in 2014. Home Office officials themselves had said they were unsure whether the evidence against the students was robust enough to stand up in court. It asked whether it should be “shored up” or “redone”.

One lawyer, who has dealt with around 100 Toeic cases told MPs that the government “pioneered a process that made it as difficult” as possible for those accused of TOEIC fraud to clear their names, leaving them with “no effective remedy”.

Students who have won their cases are still being denied access to UK education institutions, with their immigration records seen as a threat to the institution’s licence, MPs said. Some students have – at great cost – managed to clear their names. However, universities still see them as a risk due to the nature of the allegations made against them. As things stand, and without help from the government, their futures remain bleak.

1.1.4 Blacklisting of trade unionists

It is surprising that this brutal practice prevalent during industrial revolution is still in operation.

50 trade unionists win compensation from building firms

Rob Evans /The Guardian 14 May 2019

More than 50 trade union members have won compensation totalling £1.9m after major construction firms admitted that they had been unlawfully blacklisted and denied work.

The compensation will be paid by the firms after they agreed out of court settlements with the workers, avoiding a high court trial that was due to start next month.

The latest round of payments means that in total, the firms have been forced in the last three years to pay compensation of £35m to more than 1,200 blacklisted workers.

They have also had to pay the blacklisted workers’ legal costs – another £20m – and £230,000 to a fund that will be used to retrain the trade unionists.

Some of the trade unionists are due to describe to a hearing of the high court on Friday how the blacklisting blighted their lives. The court is expected to formally approve the settlements.

Howard Beckett, assistant general secretary of the trade union Unite, which brought the claims, said: “This is a historic agreement which provides some degree of justice to a further group of construction workers who had their working lives needlessly ruined by blacklisting construction companies.”

Eight construction firms have been compelled to apologise unreservedly to trade unionists who discovered they were being blacklisted because of their political beliefs. Between 1993 and 2009, more than 40 construction firms funded and maintained confidential files on at least 3,200 workers. They pooled information about their employment histories, political views and health and personal relationships.

The firms checked the files when individual workers applied for jobs. Those deemed by the firms to be troublemakers were refused work. The workers were not told why they had been rejected. Some of them had raised health and safety concerns on construction sites.

The files were housed in a nondescript office in Droitwich, Worcestershire, under the bland name of the Consulting Association. A decade ago, following an article in the Guardian, the official watchdog, the Information Commissioner, raided the office and closed down the blacklist, declaring it illegal. The Information Commissioner made the files available to the blacklisted workers, who then launched legal action.

The eight firms announced on Tuesday that their offers of compensation had been accepted by the latest group of 53 blacklisted workers. They are Sir Robert McAlpine, Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Skanska UK, Vinci and Carillion.

The eight firms are locked in a dispute with Amec, Foster Wheeler, as they argue it was involved in running the blacklist and should therefore pay a contribution towards the bill.

Unite had sought to force Cullum McAlpine, whom they consider to be a key architect of the blacklist, to give evidence at the trial, which was due to start on 4 June. The McAlpine director was also chairman of the Consulting Association when the blacklist was set up.

Police chiefs have admitted that they supplied details of trade unionists to the blacklist in what they acknowledge was a “potentially improper flow” of information.

1.1.5 Ideological madness – Outsourcing

One by one British Government is obsessed with outsourcing its services with disastrous consequences. Here are two recent examples.

(a) Birmingham carer who slapped and abused 101-year-old patient jailed for eight months

Sky News 21 June 2019

A carer who was secretly filmed slapping and abusing a 101-year-old dementia patient has been jailed for eight months.

Shocking footage shows Ashikiah Reid roughly cleaning the pensioner's face with a flannel and slapping her hands and arms. The elderly woman can be heard crying out in pain and seen reaching out to Reid as she appears to forcefully manhandle her. At one point Reid points her finger in the woman's face.

The 36-year-old was filmed on hidden cameras after the victim's family became concerned about her home care. Detectives launched an investigation last August after relatives handed the covert camera footage over to West Midlands Police.

Reid was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to ill-treating the bed-bound woman. PC David Nash, from West Midlands Police's public protection unit, said: "I am glad the woman responsible for inflicting unnecessary distress and pain on a defenceless woman has been put behind bars. A lot of trust is put into personal carers and this trust was shattered by Reid's actions against this woman.”

The force said Reid had been dismissed from her job and consequently struck off, meaning she will never be able to practise as a carer again.

Note – the sentence is only for 8 months. The carer will be out in 4 months – what justice! There are so many loopholes in the system. She will be employed as a carer again

(b) Interserve given 'public contracts worth £660m in run-up to collapse'

Miles Brignall /The Guardian 18 March 2019

Interserve, the troubled government contractor which collapsed last week, was handed £660m worth of public contracts in the run-up to going into administration, in an apparent repeat of the Carillion fiasco, the GMB union has claimed.

Last Friday, the company which employs 45,000 staff in the UK working on £2bn worth of government contracts, was put into administration. Many small companies will remain unpaid and will collapse.

The GMB union said the biggest contract awarded Interserve last year was a £66m deal in July with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to run facilities management services.

In December, with debts approaching £700m, Interserve announced a debt-for-equity rescue deal but was still awarded a further £6m in public contracts, mirroring what happened in the run-up to the collapse of fellow contractor Carillion,

Carillion’s failure in 2018 cost the taxpayer an estimated £150m. More than 1,700 workers were made redundant, and resulted in major delays to two multimillion pound hospital construction projects in Liverpool and Birmingham. The firm had been awarded £1.3bn of government contracts despite being known to be in financial difficulty.

About 16,000 small shareholders are thought to have lost their money.

The company made two-thirds of its £2.9bn revenues from thousands of government contracts, which include hospital cleaning, school meals, the maintenance of some oversees military bases and running parts of the probation service.

Reports over the weekend claimed that ministers were so concerned in 2018 by Interserve’s possible failure that they drew up secret plans to nationalise the operation in an effort to keep hospitals clean and other vital services operating.

Rehana Azam, the national secretary of the GMB, said the Interservse case showed how “obsessed” with outsourcing the government had become.

Last July, a public accounts committee report described the NHS’s outsourcing to Capita as “a shambles”. In December, the National Audit Office found that the £495m contract to provide recruitment for the British army had been beset with problems. Most recently the probation service has been described as in crisis since its was partly outsourced.

1.1.6 Is Britain now a third world country?

(I) Trainline scandal: Passengers charged double for Government-run railway tickets

Katie Morley / The Telegraph 13 August 2018

Buying tickets on the Trainline is twice as expensive as buying direct from the railway station's website. Passengers travelling on London North East Railway (LNER), are paying double for tickets bought through the site, which is the UK’s biggest train booking website.

A Telegraph investigation has found that the Trainline is frequently showing passengers "cheapest available” prices for single tickets which are actually twice the price of identical tickets available directly from LNER’s own website. LNER, which runs from London to Scotland, has admitted its ticketing system has been incompatible with the Trainline's for at least a year.

The Trainline is selling a "super off peak single" fare from Edinburgh to London for £141.90

The LNER website has the same "super off peak single" fare for £71. In light of this newspaper’s findings LNER is now telling passengers to boycott the Trainline and to book directly via its own website.

(ii) Some 80 M.Ps have complained to the speaker that they have received threats of physical attacks on themselves and their families. As a result they will not be standing for elections next time. They have in mind Jo Cox, Yorkshire M.P who was killed by a fanatic

(iii) 1916 changes by HMRC – Hospital Consultants find that it is not worth working overtime to reduce waiting list for operations as most of that money will go in taxes.

They are prepared to work extra, but would not do so if all their extra wages will go into taxes. As a result NHS is in crisis.

(iv) 173 women are killed by their partners every year in UK – freedom of information in Sept 2019 – domestic violence is not reported in Hindusthan.

(v) Train fares go up by 2.8% again in January. This obsession that the user must pay has gone mad. It will soon be cheaper to fly fro Manchester to New York than travel to London. In EU countries people pay 25% for similar travels on trains.

1.2. Europe

1.2.1 Denmark to deny citizenship to children of Islamic State members

Richard Orange / The Telegraph 29 March 2019

Children born to Danish Islamic State members in Syria will no longer automatically receive Danish citizenship, the country's immigration ministry has ruled in a decision which has drawn strong criticism from human rights groups.

"Their parents have turned their back on Denmark, so there is no reason why their children should become Danish citizens," the country's immigration minister Inger Stojberg said in a statement on Thursday. “These people have launched a war against democracy, freedom and everything that we in Denmark stand for, and they do not belong anywhere in Denmark."

The controversial ruling is part of a deal struck between Denmark's centre-right government and the far-Right Danish People's Party. The agreement will also allow dual citizens who travelled to Syria or Iraq to fight for a terrorist organisation to be stripped of citizenship without trial. The government will then be able to deprive them of their citizenship with a simple administrative order, meaning it will no longer need to bring them back to Denmark for a trial. There are 41,000 children in the al-Hol camp, the largest of three Syrian camps housing the families of Isil fighters

"An administrative disqualification will in principle be possible while the person in question is still abroad," the ministry explained in its statement.

Ms Stojberg told the Danish news agency Ritzau that she expected the bill to pass easily through parliament, although as yet no date has been set for the vote. "It's hard for me to believe that some parties in parliament are not willing to protect Denmark," she said.

The international children's charity Unicef warned that the country risked "punishing children for their parents' sins", adding that the ruling might be in breach of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Danish government believes there are about 40 jihadists with links to Denmark who are still in Syria, of whom about ten have been captured by Kurdish or Syrian government forces. It has no estimates of the number of children born to Danish citizens in former Islamic State territory.

1.2.2 Holland

Utrecht tram shooting: Three dead and nine injured as police arrest suspect

Ross McGuinness / Yahoo News UK18 March 2019

Police have arrested the suspect in a shooting attack on a tram in the central Dutch city of Utrecht. Officers identified Turkish-born Gokmen Tanis, 37, in connection with the incident.

He was arrested on Monday evening. Authorities immediately raised the terror alert for the area to the maximum level and said they are considering the possibility of a “terrorist motive” in the attack.

A man reportedly opened fire at passengers on a tram in the area of 24 Oktoberplein.

Ferd Grapperhaus, the Dutch justice minister has told “Yes, the suspect was known within the justice department. He had a criminal record. That is indeed what we know. I can give no more details.” Local networks said that the suspect had been charged several times over the past years, anything from attempted manslaughter to petty crime in and around Utrecht. The networks said that only two weeks ago he was in court on charges of raping of woman in 2017. Officers said a Red Renault Clio had been hijacked shortly before the shooting and was later found further south in the city. They asked for anyone with information about the car to get in touch. The city’s entire tram network has been halted. Dutch Prime Minister Mr Rutte said that throughout the nation “there is a mix of disbelief and disgust”.

1.2.3 Italy – Major Bridge collapses

Andrew Griffin / The Independent 14 August 2018

The Morandi Bridge is a main thoroughfare connecting the A10 highway that heads for southern France from Genoa and the A7 route that continues north towards Milan. The major road links northern cities like Milan to the beaches of Liguria. Inaugurated in 1967, it is 148ft high, and around half a mile long. The bridge crumbled amid torrential rain

It collapsed on 14 August 2018 sending vehicles plummeting 50 metres to the ground and killing 43 people. Horrifying footage showed an 80m swathe of the Bridge, plunge 90m onto a road, railway tracks, buildings and a river below.

The day marks the high point of the country's summer holiday season when most cities and businesses are closed and Italians head to the beaches or the mountains

Italy's motorway operator Autostrade was responsible for the maintenance of the 51-year-old bridge and was ultimately blamed by the government for the disaster.

Italy's biggest builder Salini Impregilo and shipbuilder Fincantieri have been awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the bridge, which has been designed by Genoa-born Renzo Piano. (demolition work started October 2019)

It is too soon to know why this bridge collapsed – but the same problems could potentially afflict other bridges, experts have warned. Dr Kashani (Univ of Southampton) said that there are a range of bridges across the world that use many of the same techniques. Similar incidents in the future need to be prevented.

"The bridge was constructed using reinforced and pre-stressed concrete about 50 years ago. There are a large number of such bridges in Italy, Europe, USA, and Canada with the same age, which are suffering from corrosion of reinforcement and or pre-stressing tendon."

The bridge is a very unusual design, very similar to its much larger cousin, the Lake Maracaibo bridge in Venezuela, also designed by Riccardo Morandi and completed 6 years earlier in 1962.

"The A-frame towers which support the concrete-encased stay cables combine with V-shaped supports below the deck to create a stiff arrangement which is not common in cable stayed bridges. This deals with potential unbalanced loads which arise due to the multi-span nature of the structure.

The collapse of the bridge comes eight days after another major accident on an Italian highway, near the northern city of Bologna. A tanker truck carrying a highly flammable gas exploded after rear-ending a stopped truck on the road before it was hit from behind itself. The accident killed one person, injured dozens and blew apart a section of a raised eight-lane highway.

Note – So, such disasters do happen in western countries even today!

1.3 America

1.3.1 Pentagon admitted that U.S.led fight on Islamic State killed more than 1,100 civilians: (26 Sept 2018)

1.3.2 US executes 1,500th person since bringing back death penalty in 1976 (21 June 2019)

1.3.3 ISIS fighters in Syria / Yahoo News UK 02 August 2019

Donald Trump has threatened to release thousands of ISIS fighters into Europe if countries don’t agree to take them back. The US president made the threat as US officials warned that ISIS remains a global threat despite losing swathes of territory it held in Syria and Iraq. Speaking outside the White House, Mr Trump said: "We have 2,500 ISIS fighters that we want Europe to take...And if they don't take them, we'll probably have to release them to Europe." There are at least 2,000 foreign suspected ISIS fighters and members from Western countries being held in Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - a US-backed coalition fighting ISIS. In February he tweeted: “The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial.

1.3.4 On 10 August 2019 BBC reported that America is going to agree a deal with Talibans in Afghanistan. This was a very bad news indeed. But soon afterwards Talibans carried out a terrorist attack and America reversed its decision

1.3.5 On 27 July 2019 Times of India reported - The Pentagon approved military sales worth $125 million that would result in 24x7 end-use monitoring of Pakistan’s F16 fighter jets. The news comes after meeting between President Trump and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during his US visit.

Our comments – But Pakistan is bankrupt. It has no money. Trump has shown his true colours

1.3.6 Trump shocked the world by withdrawing its forces from North Syria, He betrayed the Kurds who defeated ISIS. (Sept 2019)

1.4 Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe died 6 August 2019 – What happened after independence in 1980?

There were two parties Zanu (Zimbabwe African National Union) of Robert Mugabe and Zapu (Zimbabwe African Patriotic Union) of Joshua Enkomo. But once Mugabe was in power he liquidated ZAPU. There was a massacre in Matabililand – why? Zapu was much smaller party and posed no threat to Mugabe who had a huge majority. Then he insisted on One party state.

He led his country to ruin during 1980 to 2018

The same has happened in all other countries after gaining independence from Britain.

Savarkar warned against this danger. He had been insisting all the time – It is not enough to be patriots, not enough to be prepared to sacrifice everything for our freedom. You must be knowledgable in all areas of life. Every day you must learn something about Politics, Economics and Administration. Without this you will not be able to gain independence and maintain the same afterwards.

1.5 Hindusthan

Elections

Some 22 rogue politicians came together to defeat Modi, but they failed.

Rahul Gandhi’s sister Priyanka was made General Secretary of the Congress Party and was being called Priyanka Gandhi (even by Times of India). It was hoped that people will vote for Congress for the name Gandhi. It did not work. Rahul did not win his seat in the traditional constituency of Amethi of Nehrus.

It was ridiculous for Raj Thakare to say - “Why should not Rahul become Prime Minister? Why not give him a chance? His father (Rajiv) and grand-mother Indira Gandhi were Prime Ministers.” How pathetic? He had forgotten what he had said in the past. He asked – Rahul, what have you done for your people? Why are they flocking to Mumbai?

Churchill was a war time hero, but after the war different kind of Prime Minister was required for re-construction of post war Britain. So, people chose Attlee instead. Churchill did become P.M. again after some 8 years, but nobody ever heard of his son. His grandson Winston Churchill was a M.P for some time, but was not even a junior minister.

Mrs Thatcher had twins, but nobody heard of them after her.

We see the same picture in America. A President’s son does not become President. Bush was exception but not a rule.

It was a good job that L K Advani aged 91 has decided not to stand for election as a M.P. He has constantly betrayed the Hindus.

When he went to Karachi as Indian Foreign Minister he praised Jinnah. But no one in BJP circle had courage to ask, “If so, why did you and 1.2 million Sindhi Hindus fled to Hindusthan with just your clothes?” Advani could have walked to his ancestral home and asked it to be returned so that it can be used by Government of India. He did not even have interest to visit that house!

In 1910, in the French port of Marseilles, Veer Savarkar tried to escape from British police by jumping from a porthole and running ashore. He was caught and sent back to Mumbai. Some activists contacted the Mayor of Marseilles who agreed to a memorial to Savarkar at the port, but for some unknown reason the agreement stated that Government of India should be involved. AB Bajpayee then Prime Minister was approached. He passed on the papers to Advani who did NOTHING for 5 years and then BJP lost elections. So, nothing happened. In 2010 Advani did not even visit the port of Marseilles!

Secret files kept by the British have been open for quite some time. (see Issue of Hindu of 5 January 2004 ). Advani as Home Secretary refused to publish those files and would not allow the professor who obtained these to do so either.

As a leader of opposition he acted as a stooge of Sonia Gandhi and facilitated formation of new state of Telangana. This was not possible without co-operation of BJP M.Ps. Now it is a stronghold of Christians.

Even during the elections of 2019 he foolishly said – It is not a crime not to vote for BJP.

Pulwala attack (14 February) – suicide bomber killed 49 Security force jawans. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). This was due to failure of intelligence.

Compare this to England/ During World War II in Bletchley Park they set up Code breakers who listened to messages between German Generals and decoded them. British knew exact locations of their submarines and the movement of troops. The war was shortened by 2 years and yet in Hindusthan we face terrorist attacks on our soldiers day in and day out. Why? Where are our intelligence services?

Some states helped the families of those killed Jawans. Unfortunately we did not see a National Fund being raised to help the families of the Jawans. The Central Government need to reserve places in Government service to dependents of those soldiers

26 February Balakot attack by IAF to kill terrorists. Congress asks for proof.

Wing Commander Abhinandan - his plane was shot down and he was captured by Pakistani forces. His badly bruised face was circulated all over the world. This is how Pakistan treats Indian POWs. But no condemnation by anti BJP politicians!

A fake news started being circulated by someone pretending to be his wife. She pleaded that her husband’s case should not be exploited by BJP for election purposes. Investigation found her to be Ms Sirisha Rao, a member Aam Adamiki Party, News Delhi. How low did non-BJPs sink?

And suddenly non-BJP leaders screamed – say no to war! They were blind to reality on what is happening in Phliipines, Kenya (Al Shabam), Nigeria (Bako Haram), Syria, Iran (Sunnis) Saudi Arabia (Shias) and Iraq. Muslims are causing terror. What’s the point of saying – No war! And what happened in Shree Lanka just a few weeks later?

It is quite clear that in today’s fast moving world BJP leaders need political advisers. They say what they should NOT say and do not say what people want to hear – with disastrous consequences.

Many people still use the terms Rahulji / Soniaji / Mamta Didi / - how pathetic!

Bharatiya Janata Paksh has become Bharatiya Janata Party – oh yes, even in Marathi!

Election Commission has become powerless to act. It must ensure that all the political parties are allowed to have public meetings / discussions. Voters must not be prevented from coming to polling stations and once in polling booths are free to vote. There were many instances of intimidations of voters. Election Commissioner is not obliged to publish its handling of the situation! Perhaps the President should have a word. Many non BJP politicians were openly asking Muslims to vote for them. This is against the law, but EC did nothing. But in the past they did act against Shivasena for appealing to Hindu voters.

It’s good that Modi got a working majority in both houses of parliament, but the signs were not good. BJP came to power on the strength of Hindu votes and then continued pro-Muslim / anti-Hindu policies of Congress. Many people were disillusioned and did not vote in state elections. This is how BJP lost state elections in February in Rajasthan / M.P and Chhatisgad. In Karnatak they lost power by just one MLA. During the general elections educated people were most reluctant to vote. They did not appreciate that alternative to Modi was frightening. Many were interested to go away on long weekends. No point in blaming Muslims for using their block votes.

Lost opportunities

Some (so called) intellectuals (like Kumar Ketkar)/ Bollywood actors and actresses had openly asked people NOT to vote for BJP. It was a good opportunity to prepare a list of all our enemies. Similar opportunities arose in the past when Afzal Guru / Kasab were executed. Two friends send me lists of their names. I replied – This is a start. What we need is their full details – careers / addresses / contact numbers / E Mail I.Ds / Twitter and Facebook accounts. Details of ALL their relations.

Such opportunities arise whenever there are anti-Modi demonstrations / public appeals.

BJP / RSS workers can do this in secret (pretending to be reporters), but don’t have the vision. In today’s world there is no place for good Samaritans.

>> Some Churches and Mosque leaders had openly preached not to vote for BJP. They enjoy charitable status. So, complaints must be made to the charity commissioner.

Chandrayan II launch

On 22 July ISRO of Hindusthan, launched a 3850kg satellite to explore Moon’s south polar region. The team was headed by two women Muthyya Vanitha (project director), and Ritu Karidhar (mission director). ISRO stands for Indian Space Research Organisation. Both ladies did not go to English medium schools.

Of course, immediately all non-BJP leaders wanted to deny any credit to Modi. Some so called intellectuals cried- why waste money on such projects when we have so many poor people?

Bouquets

In August Article 370 and 35A of the constitution were removed. These were forced by Nehru causing constant irritation.

Until now Muslims could divorce their wives by merely saying – Talaq/ Talaq / Talaq because it is sanctioned in Islam. This has now been legally banned.

Taj Mahal

My article is now available in Tamil and Gujarathi

2. AROUND LONDON TOUR OF PLACES ASSOCIATED WITH INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS

First tour was on 30 June (Sunday) For Dr Sanjay Deshpande of Newcastle and his friends. As usual it had to be the hottest day. Trains from Bedford usually start from 04:30 hrs, but due to Engineering works they started at 09:10.

Second tour was on 6 July for the family of Shraddha Vishnupurikar of Birmingham. Once again it was very hot and Bus service ( No. 24 and 11) was suspended because of LGBT march in Whitehall.

Third tour was on 13 July for Viraj Bhosale and his friends. Two female IT Engineers came from Basingstoke. In all nine adults participated.

Fourth tour was on 17 August for Rahul Mavlankar and family. Friends of Rahul Kulkarni of Amersham and some others also joined in. A total of 23 adults and 5 youngsters participated in the tour. It so happened that Madanlal Dhingra was executed on this day in 1909. The narration had to be in both Marathi and English. So it took longer than usual. I reached home after 10 p.m.

Fifth tour was on 20 September (Friday) for Gayatri Athalye of Harrow and her uncle and two friends. As usual the weather was variable. Cold in the morning, very hot by the time we reached Tilak’s house. At Warren Street and Archway stations – no down escalator.

** From time to time some people request tours on days which are not suitable to me. I still send them full details of the places to visit and how to reach these. One such example -

Phin Musale/ Mon, Jun 17 Hello Mr. Godbole, Just wanted to let you know that I took my brother and his family to house where Veer Savarkar lived as guided by you. It was an amazing experience for them that gave them goosebumps for few moments. Thanking you very much for your help and the great service you are doing to the people of India. Kind regards

Mandar Karekar enquired for availability of the tour for his uncle who will be in London for a short time. Unfortunately tour was to take place only on 17^th. So Godbole sent him details of the tour. Karekar’s uncle can visit the places as per my plan.

3. BEHAVIOUR OF CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS TODAY.

3.1 The Christians

You’ve got the date wrong, Church of England tells St George’s Day revellers

By Stephen Jones, Press Association / PA Ready News UK 23 April 2019

The celebration of England's patron saint will actually take place on the 29th this year due to the timing of Easter.

Politicians, celebrities and churches have been taking to social media to celebrate St George’s Day, but it turns out they have all got the date wrong. The Church of England said that the celebration of the nation’s patron saint would instead be marked on April 29 this year, rather than the usual 23rd, due to the timing of Easter.

According to the Church’s rules: “When St George’s Day or St Mark’s Day falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter. If both fall in this period, St George’s Day is transferred to the Monday and St Mark’s Day to the Tuesday.”

However, that appeared to be news to York Minster, which tweeted: “The flag of St George is lofted high up in the Stoneyard just across the way from York Minster this St Georges Day.” Questioned about whether its staff knew the date had been moved, the account replied: “We do but we love him so much we thought we’d celebrate him twice this year.”

Westminster Abbey posted an image of a stained glass portrayal in St Benedict’s Chapel, which shows St George slaying the dragon. However, the account administrators later insisted “we didn’t say in our original post that we are celebrating it today. We are celebrating it on 29th”.

3.2 The Muslims

3.2.1 The Koran

Camilla Turner /The Telegraph10 April 2019

The incoming president of the National Union of Students has said that she wanted to “oppress white people” and have an “Islamic takeover”.

Zamzam Ibrahim, 24, from Greater Manchester, wrote on Twitter in 2012: “I’d oppress white people just to give them a taste of what they put us through!”

Responding to questions about what book everyone should read, she said: “The Quraan. We would have an Islamic takeover!”

Dr. Zook remarked - I also recommend that everyone read the Qur’an and the Hadith to see for themselves the exact nature of Islam. Here is a selection of quotes from the Qur’an and the Hadith which will give you an idea of what Islam is all about.

Qur’an 9:88 "The Messenger and those who believe with him, strive hard and fight with their wealth and lives in Allah's Cause."

Qur’an 9:5 "Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war."

Qur’an 9:112 "The Believers fight in Allah's Cause, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed."

Qur’an 9:29 "Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission."

Ishaq 325 "Muslims, fight in Allah's Cause. Stand firm and you will prosper. Help the Prophet, obey him, give him your allegiance, and your religion will be victorious."

Qur’an 8:39 "Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah."

Qur’an 8:39 "So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)."

Ishaq 324 "He said, ‘Fight them so that there is no more rebellion, and religion, all of it, is for Allah only. Allah must have no rivals.”

Qur’an 9:14 "Fight them and Allah will punish them by your hands, lay them low, and cover them with shame. He will help you over them."

Ishaq 300 "I am fighting in Allah's service. This is piety and a good deed. In Allah's war I do not fear as others should. For this fighting is righteous, true, and good."

Ishaq 587 "Our onslaught will not be a weak faltering affair. We shall fight as long as we live. We will fight until you turn to Islam, humbly seeking refuge. We will fight not caring whom we meet. We will fight whether we destroy ancient holdings or newly gotten gains. We have mutilated every opponent. We have driven them violently before us at the command of Allah and Islam. We will fight until our religion is established. And we will plunder them, for they must suffer disgrace."

Qur’an 8:65 "O Prophet, urge the faithful to fight. If there are twenty among you with determination they will vanquish two hundred; if there are a hundred then they will slaughter a thousand unbelievers, for the infidels are a people devoid of understanding."

Ishaq 326 "Prophet exhort the believers to fight. If there are twenty good fighters they will defeat two hundred for they are a senseless people. They do not fight with good intentions nor for truth."

Bukhari V4B53N386 "Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, ordered us to fight you till you worship Allah alone or pay us the Jizyah tribute tax in submission. Our Prophet has informed us that our Lord says: ‘Whoever amongst us is killed as a martyr shall go to Paradise to lead such a luxurious life as he has never seen, and whoever survives shall become your master."

Muslim C34B20N4668 "The Messenger said: ‘Anybody who equips a warrior going to fight in the Way of Allah is like one who actually fights. And anybody who looks after his family in his absence is also like one who actually fights."

There are fundamentalist Muslims and moderate Muslims. Fundamentalist Muslims are those who devoutly follow the teachings of Islam and as a result wish to kill or dominate you. The moderate Muslims are the ones who support the fundamentalists in the endeavour.

3.2.2 Crime in Britain

Controlling’ husband found guilty of bludgeoning and hacking wife to death with hammer and machete / Joe GampContributor, Yahoo New UK 30 May 2019

On February 13, 2018, Muhammad Javed 59, hacked and bludgeoned his wife and mother-of-five Saeeda Hussain to death in the living room of their home in Ilford, East London before handing himself in to police.

He set up CCTV cameras around their home after he wrongly suspected she was having an affair.

A pathologist identified 70 groups of injuries, most of which were consistent with ‘chopping actions with a heavy bladed weapon’, jurors were told.

An Old Bailey jury deliberated for half a day to find Javed guilty of murder.

He is remanded in custody until sentencing on June 21.

Prosecutor Julian Evans had told the court Javed had been violent and 'behaved in a controlling and coercive manner' towards his wife during their 30-year marriage.

Mr Evans said: ‘Although their children were aware of this violence and the defendant’s mistreatment of his wife, the victim did not want them to report it to the police or to others outside the family. ‘She feared that the defendant would be deported.

‘She also feared the shame that, in her mind, such revelations would bring.;

By February last year, the couple slept in separate rooms, the Old Bailey was told.

There were also injuries to her hands and arms as she attempted to fend off the attack, Mr Evans said. The pathologist estimated that there were at least 46 stab wounds and at least seven blows from the hammer.

After the killing, the defendant changed out of his blood-stained clothes, left the weapons near his wife’s body, locked the living room door, and left by a window.

He contacted his daughter’s father-in-law and told him: ‘You are going to hear very bad news’ before walking into Ilford Police Station and declaring: ‘I have just killed my wife.’

Judge Rebecca Poulet QC thanked jurors for their consideration of the “terrible and tragic case”.

3.2.3 Muslim women wearing Burqua / 5 September 2019

13 months later, our Prime Minister Boris Johnson still hasn’t apologised for comments he had wrote in a newspaper last year about Muslim women - comparing us to “letterboxes” and “bank robbers”. It’s been reported that following his article, reported abuse against Muslims rose by 375%.

In the House of Commons yesterday Johnson was again asked to apologise, with MP Tanmanjeet Singh demanding that Johnson take responsibility & address the impact of his words. Johnson refused, and instead attempted to justify his positions by claiming he was defending the rights of Muslim women to wear what they want. It didn’t defend us Muslim women at all. Instead, it used careless and mocking language on a national platform. It’s the same racist language that Muslim women are subjected to on the streets.

It had to be a Sardarji who wants Mulsim women to wear burkha in public!

3.2.4 Death penalty in Saudi Arabia

Richard Hall / The Independent reported on 23 April 2019

Saudi Arabia executed 37 people for terror offences on Tuesday, the country’s interior minister said, in one of the largest mass executions in recent years.

Human Rights Watch described the punishment as "grotesque," and said the news represented a "day we have feared."

The country’s state news agency said the Saudi nationals were guilty of “adopting extremist terrorist ideologies and forming terrorist cells to corrupt and disrupt security as well as spread chaos and provoke sectarian strife.”

The individuals were found guilty of attacking security installations with explosives and killing a number of security officers, the Interior Ministry said. It added that the executions were carried out by beheading, and that authorities pinned two of the bodies to a pole as a warning to others.

Human Rights Watch said that most of the convicted were members of the country’s persecuted Shia minority.

“Today's mass execution of mostly Shia citizens is a day we have feared for several years. The punishments are especially grotesque when they result from a flawed justice system that ignores torture allegations," said Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at HRW.

Amnesty International called the execution "a chilling demonstration of the Saudi Arabian authorities callous disregard for human life."

"It is also yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent from within the country’s Shia minority," said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director.

“The use of the death penalty is always appalling but it is even more shocking when it is applied after unfair trials or against people who were under 18 at the time of the crime, in flagrant violation of international law.," she added.

Shia citizens of Saudi Arabia, who make up 10-15 per cent of the country's population, have for a long time complained of discrimination at the hands of Saudi authorities.

In 2017, deadly clashes broke out between Saudi security forces and Shia militants in the country’s east following demolitions in the Shia town of Awamiya. At least 20 civilians were killed.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s top executioners, behind only China and Iran. While executions have fallen worldwide in recent years, Saudi Arabia has seen an increase, and looks set to break records in 2019. It carried out 149 executions in 2018.

So far this year the Kingdom has executed 59 people, according to Death Penalty Worldwide. The new deaths bring the year’s tally to 96, which puts it on course to surpass the 157 executions it carried out in 2015 – the highest number for decades.

Foreign nationals often account for a high proportion of executions in Saudi Arabia. Among those killed in 2019 were three female foreign nationals from Nigeria, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Around half of those executed in 2018 were believed to be foreign.

Tuesday's mass execution ranks among the highest in recent years. In January 2016, Saudi Arabia carried out its largest since 1980 when it beheaded 47 people for terrorism offences.

Yet despite all the condemnation of these barbaric executions the so called civilized countries of the West will still supply SA with the weaponry to slaughter the poverty stricken population of Yemen, and allow it to go unpunished for the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

3.2.5 Horrific Events in Bangladesh

Moving final vow of student burnt to death for reporting sexual harassment

Tiffany Lo (19 April 2019) / msn news

A teenager has been doused with kerosene and burnt to death after refusing to withdraw a sexual harassment complaint against her headteacher.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi was killed in the incident that has outraged Bangladesh after being taken to the roof of her school by a fellow student and attacked.

According to statement she gave before her death, the 19-year-old was surrounded by four or five people wearing burqas who pressured her to drop the case. When she refused, they set her on fire.

Nusrat was taken to hospital where doctors found burns covering 80 per cent of her body.

She recorded her last words on her brother's phone saying: "The teacher touched me, I will fight this crime till my last breath."

She was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and died on April 10.

Feni, is a small town 100 miles (160km) south of Dhaka, Bangladesh

The incident came after she filed a sexual harassment complaint to the police.

According to Nusrat, she said she was called into her headmaster's office where she claimed he repeatedly touched her in an inappropriate manner.

She ran away and told her family of the alleged sexual harassment and reported the incident to police on the same day, according to the BBC .

It's said she was filmed by an officer on his phone as she was describing the molestation.

Nusrat was said to be visibly distressed; whereas the police office reportedly told her the complaint 'no big deal'.

Officers later arrested the headmaster. A group of people gathered leading to street protests demanding his release.

Nusrat's death has sparked outrage across the country and police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Fifteen people have since been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Nusrat.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met Nusrat's family in Dhaka and promised that every person involved in the killing would be bought to justice.

"None of the culprits will be spared from legal action," she said, according to the report.

It's stated there were 940 incidents of rape in Bangladesh in 2018, according to women's rights group Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.

(Note – we just heard that 16 culprits have been sentenced to death)

4 History today / Historical notes

4.1 Music and health

Hindu traditions recognised the health effects of certain types of music. For example, chanting of certain Mantras are effective in removing snake bites. Singing of Certain Ragas are effective in some malfunctions of body. Now here is the proof -

Train bosses try to stop antisocial behaviour by playing classical music at hotspot stations

The Telegraph 24 March 2019

Extra security guards have already been called in to tackle youths annoying commuters on the platforms in Hull, East Yorkshire. But train operator TransPennine Express had said the music would be played as part of a three-month trial in an attempt to curb the bad behaviour. One theory is that the music will be deemed so unfashionable and potentially damaging for teenagers' street credibility that they will shun the area.

The company said that the same move at Cleethorpes station had cut complaints of anti-social behaviour by around 75 per cent. Dan Dreggs, TPE's station manager at Hull, said the Cleethorpes experiment started a year ago. "It deters youths that possibly don't want to listen to it," he said. "We probably used to have about 20 to 25 youths on the station each night and now we'd be lucky to get two or three."

The tactic has been used elsewhere to cut crime.

Beverley Bus Station in East Yorkshire started playing Mozart in 2005 after complainants about gangs of youths congregating in the evenings.

One of the best pieces to play on a loop to keep them yahoos away is Boccherini's minuet. It repels them like magic. Another good one is Standchen by Schubert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AZOknKotVc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2hlsVYEXqc

Boccherini - Minuet - String Quintet

www.youtube.com

4.2 Sex life of Aristocrats in Britain today

John Julius Cooper, Viscount Norwich, Aristocrat historian author and broadcaster, born 15 September 1929; died 1 June 2018

Details of his life and work were given by Stephen Fay in The Independent 02 June 2018

John Julius Norwich, titled his autobiography Trying to Please, and by and large he pulled it off. He was a successful popular historian, who also compiled a small annual selection from his commonplace books called A Christmas Cracker, which was so entertaining that it became a bestseller. Besides that, he was a TV documentary maker, and a radio panellist on Round Britain Quiz; an excellent lecturer and an active chairman of countless cultural organisations. His gift to them was energy, enthusiasm and charm, allied to a diplomatic manner learned during his 15 years in the Foreign Office. He was an all-rounder, socially and intellectually. He was educated in Eton and Oxford.

His mother, Lady Diana Cooper, was a daughter of the Duke of Rutland

His father was Duff Cooper, who resigned from the Foreign Office to become an MP, and resigned again as first Lord of the Admiralty after the Munich Agreement in 1938. A favourite of Sir Winston Churchill,

Lord Beaverbrook was John Julius’s godfather.

As a teenager, he was taken to the Nuremburg trials, and the heady atmosphere in the Paris embassy introduced him to a mixture of high politics and low scandal.

His father’s mistress lived in the embassy, and was a close friend of the then Lady Diana. About her husband’s lovers, she merely said: “They were just the flowers, but I always knew I was the tree.”

John Julius’s mother always pulled strings on behalf of the career of her only child. While he was serving as secretary to a ship’s captain in the Navy, for example, she arranged for his transfer to the battleship taking the royal family to Australia, and when John Julius was about to take up his first overseas post in the Foreign Office, Lady Diana tried to persuade Sir Anthony Eden, the foreign secretary, to send him to Paris, so that he should remain close to her.

It was his father who urged John Julius to join the Foreign Office. He recalls that, although he had no burning desire to become a diplomat, he did like the idea of foreign travel. After Belgrade, he was sent to Beirut. By this time he was a lord, his father having died in 1954, only two years after he was ennobled; but John Julius’s career as a diplomat did not flourish. After an unrewarding period stuck in Whitehall, he resigned in 1964.

In all, he wrote 25 books.

There was some controversy about the propriety of his publishing his father’s absorbing diaries, not because of the politics, but because Duff Cooper was a libidinous figure who recorded his affairs matter-of-factly, whether in bed or the back of a taxi. He denied that this was a betrayal of his father’s memory: he was no plaster saint, he said, and would have not wished to be portrayed as one.

He sat on the committee of the National Trust for 35 years, and wrote a guide to the best of English architecture. As a music lover, he was on the board of the English National Opera. “Night club piano” is listed as one of his recreations in Who’s Who; walking at night through Venice was another.

John Julius declared that felt he was a bit of a disappointment to his father, but his inheritance included some of his father’s genes. With his first wife Anne, he had two children, Artemis and Jason, but he did not attempt deny the birth of another, Allegra, to the former wife of John Huston. A second child was born out of wedlock with an American, Susan Mary Patten. Later, John Julius settled into a relationship with Mollie Philipps, and they married in 1989 after his divorce from Anne.

So, that was the sex life of aristocrats today. What was it like at the height of British Raj?

4.3 Unknown Indian History

Dr Bedekar has a web-site named www.satyashodh.com

I have suggested him to start a section – unknown Indian history, which can now contain our historical findings.

For example, Nehru always despised the RSS. In his every public speech he condemned Hindu Mahasabha and RSS as communal organisations. But after the Chinese invasion in 1962 RSS workers offered incredible help to the Indian Army to carry men, machinery, arms, ammunition and essential supplies while facing considerable physical danger to themselves. Nehru repented and asked RSS to participate in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, on 26 January 1963.

When this news spread by E Mails I asked for a proof. Shree B R Haran of Madras (Chennai) sent me a copy of newspaper cutting. I circulated the same among 1400 friends. They were all surprised.

++ Mutiny in the Royal Indian Navy (1946). This was far more serious than brief mention we find in some accounts. This and Subhash Chandra Bose’s INA gave a signal to Attalee that the British could no longer rule over India. A friend has send me a 33 page document on this. It is painful to read how Gandhi, Nehru and Patel betrayed the ratings.

Historical land marks

400 years ago

US state of Virginia marks 400th anniversary of slave ship arrival

Officials in the US state of Virginia have marked the anniversary of the first arrival there of enslaved Africans 400 years ago.

The governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, announced on Saturday a new state commission to review educational standards for teaching black history.

Mr Northam, who noted “we are a state that for too long has told a false story of ourselves”, spoke at the 2019 African Landing Commemorative Ceremony in Hampton.

The event was part of a weekend of ceremonies that are unfolding against a backdrop of rising white nationalism across the country and a lingering scandal surrounding Mr Northam and a blackface photo.

Mr Northam said he signed a directive to create the commission to review instructional practices, content, and resources currently used to teach African American history in the state. “We often fail to draw the connecting lines from those past events to our present day, but to move forward, that is what we must do,” Mr Northam said.

80 years ago

On 1 September 1939 Germany attacked Poland. 3 Sept – Britain declared war on Germany

50years ago

August 1969 – sectarian troubles in North Ireland. British Army steps in but soon becomes a target of attacks itself.

5 Obituary

We were very sorry to know that Sau Nirmalatai, wife of Historian Babasaheb Purandare

passed away on 20 July 2019. She was life long partner of the historian. She and her brother Majgaonkar used to run the Marathi magazine called Manus. Strange enough Babasaheb did not respond to my letters on Taj Mahal but his wife liked my article on the subject and published it in Manus!

Sushma Swaraj, the excellent Foreign Minister died aged 67 on 6 August

Arun Jaitley the Finance Minister in previous Modi Govt died 24 August 2019