India surpasses Ukraine as world’s internet shutdown capital for 5th year in a row
Internationally recognized rights group Access Now, which seeks to protect internet access and prevent digital censorship, has reported that India remains the world’s internet shutdown capital for the fifth consecutive year, far surpassing Ukraine and Iran.
“India implemented 84 shutdowns in 2022, and remains the country with the highest number of recorded shutdowns in the world — for the fifth consecutive year,” the report stated.
By comparison, the second highest country for internet blackouts, Ukraine, had 22 shutdowns imposed by Russia.
“Some governments are becoming more sophisticated and intentional about how they implement shutdowns, evidently to more directly target certain groups,” the report added.
Internet blackouts are specifically used to cripple Muslim-majority Kashmir, which has been under brutal Indian military control for three decades. In 2022 alone, the Indian government ordered 49 shutdowns in Kashmir, including 16 consecutive orders for shutdowns in January and February, each lasting 3 days with military-enforced curfews.
BJP leader says Hindus are “not scared of killing Muslims,” “will not bend before police”
A leader from the ruling Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Raja Singh, who has an extensive track record of making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims, has once again called for anti-Muslim violence at a Hindu supremacist event in Maharashtra state.
Singh used anti-Muslim slurs while claiming falsely that Muslims “trap” Hindu women in marriages, and then “murder them” when they are unwilling to have children.
“We are neither scared of dying nor of killing them… No matter when you die, make sure you write history till your death. Fight love-jihadis, protect our mother cow till your death so that your sacrifice doesn’t go in vain. We will neither bend before our enemies or the police… May we be free from Love Jihad! May not a drop of Mother cow’s blood touch the floor in India,” he said.
Singh further called for the implementation of anti-conversion laws and laws banning beef, claiming, “Every Hindu from India will cut the hand of those who slaughter the cow or perpetuate love-jihad.”
Singh was previously arrested for making blasphemous comments about Prophet Muhammad.
Supreme Court slams BJP leader for demanding cities named after Muslims be Hinduized
Vitriolic BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay’s demand to change the names of historic monuments and cities to Hindu-only names was thoroughly struck down by the Supreme Court, which accused him of being anti-minority and causing disharmony.
Upadhyay had submitted a plea calling for renaming cities and historical places named after “barbaric foreign invaders.” However, in a detailed dismissal, the Supreme Court labeled his plea as not an attempt to “protect Hinduism,” but a way to further splinter India along religious lines.
“We are secular and supposed to protect the Constitution. You are concerned about the past, and dig it up to place its burden on the present generation. Each thing you do in this manner will create more disharmony,” the Court said.
Justice K.M. Joseph added, “You are relooking at the past selectively. India is today a secular country. Your fingers being pointed at a particular community, termed barbaric. Do you want to keep the country on the boil?”
Justice B.V. Nagarathna stated that history cannot be changed just by renaming places. “It’s a historical fact. Can you wish away invasions from history? We have been invaded several times. Have we not got other problems in our country rather than wishing away for things which happened before?”
She added that Hinduism as a religion does not allow bigotry.
“The divide and rule policy of the British brought about schism in our society … Let us not bring that back. Do not drag a religion into this,” she said.
