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Tag: India

  • Twitter users troll Salman Khan for calling for censorship against vulgarity, nudity

    Bollywood superstar Salman Khan came under fire on Twitter after he spoke about digital platforms normalizing nudity and vulgar topics, asking that they should be subjected to censorship.

    “I really think there should be censorship on the medium (OTT). All this… vulgarity, nudity, swearing needs to stop. Kids as young as 15 or 16 can access it. Would you like it if your young daughter watches it? I just think the content on OTT needs to be checked. The cleaner the content, the better it will be. It will also have better viewership.”

    According to The Hindustan Times, the ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan ‘ actor spoke out against actors who perform nude scenes on television and expose themselves on screen, suggesting that this should not be acceptable in India, because it could also lead to security problems:

    “You have done it all – love making, kissing and exposing in scenes. And when you enter your building, your watchman has also watched your work. I just don’t think that is right for security reasons. We don’t need to do that… You don’t need to cross the boundary. We live in India. It was way too much before, finally, it has been curbed. Now, people have started working on a lot of good and decent content.”

    Khan’s comments led to a revolt against him on social media, with users bringing up the problematic things the actor has said and done in the past, pointing out the irony in him speaking out against vulgarity, yet refusing to address his own problematic behavior.

    Twitter users shared how the 57 year old has consistently played hero to women 20 years younger than him, as currently the female lead of his upcoming film ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, Pooja Hedge, is 32 years old.

    Other users pointed out Khan’s history of making problematic comments, especially when in 2016, he drew outcry over saying his schedule was so hectic that he felt like a ‘raped woman’.

    Many also pointed out how Khan has a history of being abusive to his partners. Former girlfriend Somy Ali shared details of domestic violence she suffered during their eight year relationship. Other people also recalled how Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan suffered from domestic abuse from the actor during the time they were together.

  • Thousands of Indian Sikh pilgrims to participate in Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan

    Thousands of Indian Sikh pilgrims to participate in Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan

    Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi has announced that it has issued 2,856 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India. The visas will allow the pilgrims to travel to Pakistan and participate in the annual Baisakhi festivities, which are set to take place from April 9-18, 2023. The issuance of these visas falls under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.

    Every year, many Sikh Yatrees from India travel to Pakistan to observe different religious festivals and occasions. The High Commission’s issuance of visas to these religious pilgrims is in accordance with the Pakistani government’s commitment to fully implement the Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines between the two countries.

    Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires, Salman Sharif, congratulated the pilgrims on the occasion and wished them a fulfilling journey. He added that Pakistan is dedicated to preserving sacred religious places and ensuring that visiting pilgrims are provided with necessary facilitation.

    The pilgrims will visit several sites, including Dera Sahib, Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib, and Kartarpur Sahib. They will arrive Pakistan on April 9 and return to India on April 18.

  • Emeralds, rubies and diamonds: report reveals jewels stolen from India by British Empire

    Emeralds, rubies and diamonds: report reveals jewels stolen from India by British Empire

    As part of their ‘Cost Of The Crown’ series, investigating the British Royal Family’s wealth and finances, The Guardian has extracted a 46 page report from the Indian government which provided details of jewelry and other precious items stolen by the colonial British Empire during their reign over the sub-continent. Most of the gifts were handed over as gifts to Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch at the time.

    The investigation was commanded by the late Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother, Queen Mary, to find out about the origins of her jewels.

    The report details the names of the jewels as well as their colonial origins and how they were stolen by the East India Company.

    1 Koh-i-Noor

    The legendary diamond Koh-i-Noor was taken from Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kitty. The ruler of Lahorr had signed a treaty of friendship with the British in 1831, and six years later the then Governer-General of India, George Eden, and his sister, Fanny, visited him at his palace. The Guardian writes that Fanny had later written about Singh’s diamond collection, detailing how he decorated his horses with the finest diamonds she had ever seen:

    “If ever we are allowed to plunder this kingdom, I shall go straight to their stables.”

    in 1849, Singh and his heir, Duleep, were forced to sign over Punjab to the British army, who stole all of his jewels as a part of their conquest, along with the Koh-i-Noor.

    The diamond is part of the Imperial Collection, imbedded into Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s crown, worn by consorts.

    2 The Timur Ruby gemstone

    Named after Timur, the founder of Timurind Empire in Central Asia, the gemstone is etched with the names of the five men who owned it: Jahangir (1569-1627), the 4th Mughal Emperor, Shah Jehan (1592-1666), the 5th Mughal Emperor, Farrukhsiyar (1685-1719), the 10th Mughal Emperor; Nader Shah (1688-1747), Shah of Iran; and Ahmad Shah Durrani (1722-1772), King of Afghanistan.

    By 1813, the gemstone was under the possession of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled over the Sikh Empire, and later was passed down to his heir Maharaja Sher Singh. From there, the necklace was inherited by his brother Duleep Singh, who became Maharaja when he was only five years old.


    During 1948- 49, when the British Empire waged wars over the Sikh Empire, the East India Company took over Punjab and forced the then ten-year-old Maharaja to hand over his possessions. Duleep Singh was placed under a Scottish guardian, isolated from contacting his fellow countrymen.

    3 Pearl necklace

    Comprising of 244 pearls and a clasp of two magnificent rubies, the necklace had originally belonged to a ruler in Punjab, until it was stolen by the British. Queen Elizabeth II was spotted wearing this necklace at the Royal Opera House in London to celebrate her diamond jubilee.

    4 Emerald girdle of Maharaja Sher Singh

    The gold girdle inlaid with 19 emeralds first came to the public’s attention during Buckingham Palace’s celebration of Prince Charles’ 70th birthday, with a display of his favorite pieces from the royal collection. The item had previously belonged to an Indian Maharaja, Sher Singh, who used it to decorate his precious horses.

  • 13-year-old commits suicide over bad haircut

    13-year-old commits suicide over bad haircut

    Trigger warning: Suicide/Self-harm

    A 13-year-old boy in India has committed suicide after a barber cut his hair extremely short.

    As per Indian media news reports, the incident took place in Indian state Maharashtra.

    The boy committed suicide by jumping from the window of a bathroom.

    Media reports state that the boy was unhappy about his hair being cut short and not according to what he wanted. His parents tried to calm him down but the boy remained unsatisfied.

    The boy went to the bathroom and allegedly jumped out of the windo when all the family members of his family had gone to sleep.

  • Police arrest five people for ‘sacrificing’ woman in Indian temple

    Indian police have arrested five men accused of conducting a human sacrifice in a temple in Assam. In 2019, the headless body of a woman was found in Guwahati, leading to an investigation.


    Shanti Shaw, 64, was beheaded with a machete at the temple as an “offering” to the temple goddess, police said.


    “The five people planned the killing of the woman,” police commissioner Diganta Barah said while talking to the media on Tuesday. “A total of 12 people took part,” he added.


    He continued by saying, “During investigation, we found this was a case of human sacrifice to please Maa Kamakhya (a Hindu goddess)”. The commissioner added that the alleged ringleader, Pradeep Pathak, 52, had orchestrated the killing as part of a religious rite to mark the anniversary of his brother’s death.

    “The accused apparently believed that the sacrifice would appease the soul of the deceased,” he added.


    Between 2014 and 2021, 103 instances of human sacrifice were reported to India’s National Crime Records Bureau.

  • FACT CHECK: India claims they are not removing Mughal history but the rumour has sparked some legendary memes

    FACT CHECK: India claims they are not removing Mughal history but the rumour has sparked some legendary memes

    Claim: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) of India has removed chapters and topics related to the Mughal empire from its 12th-grade history syllabus.

    FACT: NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani has denied the news reports calling them a lie. “There was a rationalisation process last year. Due to Covid, there was pressure on students everywhere,” the NCERT director said, adding that the expert committee recommended dropping the chapters which won’t impact the knowledge of the students.

    “The history of Mughals is being taught in Empires in section-2 of the 11th class book. And in the class 12th book there were 2 chapters on the history of the Mughals, out of which theme nine was removed last year, while theme eight is still being taught to the students. This year no chapter has been removed from any book,” Saklani said.

    However, the false claim generated a meme fest on Twitter. Have a look at some:

  • World Bank lowers Pakistan’s growth forecast tighter financial conditions

    World Bank lowers Pakistan’s growth forecast tighter financial conditions

    Pakistan’s current-year growth forecast has been significantly reduced by the World Bank due to tighter financial conditions and limited fiscal space. The country’s economy is now expected to grow only 0.4 per cent in the current year, compared to the October 2022 forecast of 2 per cent growth.

    This bleaker forecast assumes that an agreement is reached with the International Monetary Fund for bailout funds. Pakistan’s fiscal year runs from July to June, and the country expects its economy to grow 2 per cent in FY23, although the country’s central bank chief has warned that this forecast could face downward pressure.

    Pakistan has been in economic turmoil for months, with an acute balance of payments crisis. Talks with the IMF to secure $1.1 billion in funding as part of a $6.5 billion bailout agreed upon in 2019 have not yet yielded fruit. Lower economic output and high prices in Pakistan have led to stampedes and looting at flour distribution centres set up across the country. The World Bank attributed the greater food insecurity for South Asia’s poor to elevated global and domestic food prices.

    The World Bank also lowered its 2023 regional growth forecast to 5.6 per cent from 6.1 per cent in October, citing rising interest rates and uncertainty in financial markets as putting downward pressure on the region’s economies. Most countries have raised interest rates at a rapid pace since the war in Ukraine last year led to choking supply chains and stoked inflation globally.

    Sri Lanka’s economy is forecast to contract by 4.3 per cent this year, reflecting the lasting impact of the macro debt crisis, with future growth prospects heavily dependent on debt restructuring and structural reforms. In January, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka’s economy could contract by 3.5 per cent or 4.0 per cent in 2023 after shrinking by 11 per cent last year.

    The World Bank also lowered its forecast for India’s economic growth in the current fiscal year to 6.3 per cent from 6.6 per cent, due to the expected negative impact of higher borrowing costs on consumption. The current fiscal year began on April 1.

  • Historian gets mistaken for actor Tom Holland, gets swamped by messages from Bollywood fans

    Ever thought getting mistaken for a celebrity would be a life changing adventure? Turns out reality is far more bizarre than fiction.

    At the launch of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center, or as we call it ‘Ambani Gala’, celebrities from all over the world showed up dressed to the nines and had the time of their life. Present among them were Hollywood model Gigi Hadid, and actors Zendaya and Tom Holland rubbing shoulders with the who’s who of Bollywood.

    Holland, renowned for playing Spiderman, only has one social media account on Instagram. However, as photos of the actor posing with Indian celebrities showed up online, Bollywood fans didn’t realise that the Marvel superstar is not on Twitter.

    They tagged another Tom Holland in their tweets, a historian from London.

    The case of mistaken identity later kickstarted a hilarious sequence of Bollywood fans spamming Holland with pictures of an event he definitely did not attend.

    Twitter users found this mistake extremely funny.

    I mean who wouldn’t want to be mistaken for a Marvel star?

  • Muhammad Amir gears up to comeback in international cricket

    Muhammad Amir gears up to comeback in international cricket

    Selectors of the national cricket team have hinted that left-arm fast bowler Muhammad Amir is gearing up to wear the Pakistan cricket team kit once again.

    Sources have said that an important official of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently met Muhammad Amir’s manager and gave a green signal to the left-arm pacer by advising him to be prepared while gearing up for a comeback.


    According to a media report, the selector has warned Amir to just focus on his cricket and avoid giving unnecessary statements in the media, which might create controversy.

    The report further added that he will soon be asked to take his retirement back, so he needs to keep practicing and keep himself fit till then.

    Amir called time on his international career in 2020 in protest over the treatment he had received from the then-management, led by Misbah ul Haq.

    However, after Najam Sethi took charge of PCB, the management committee chairman said in a media interaction that Amir would be considered for selection like other players, if he takes his retirement back.

    “Mohammad Amir can play international cricket for Pakistan if he takes his retirement back. I always took a strong stance against match-fixing. I believe no convicted player should be spared, but at the same time, a player should be allowed to resume international cricket once he has completed his years of penalty,” said Sethi.


    Muhammad Amir is the key-bowler for Karachi Kings. The bowler’s remarks often land him into controversy.

    Despite retiring, Amir continues to play in leagues around the world and recently represented Karachi Kings in Pakistan Super League (PSL).
    Recently Pakistan’s former captain wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed praised Amir, stating that he is better than any other left-arm pacer on the team right now.

  • ‘Cringe’: Twitter slams Varun Dhawan’s defence for kissing Gigi Hadid at Ambani event

    ‘Cringe’: Twitter slams Varun Dhawan’s defence for kissing Gigi Hadid at Ambani event

    Events hosted by the Ambanis are among the most anticipated nights in Bollywood. Indian film royalty as well as international stars arrive dressed to the nines to provide a spectacular night filled with entertainment.

    However, as much as we plebeians can gape at this show of money, there was a moment that did not sit well with twitter users. A viral clip showed a performance by Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan pulling Hollywood model Gigi Hadid on stage and spinning her around before kissing her cheek.

    The performance was planned, as Hadid posted a clip on her Instagram stories, with the caption saying: “Thank you Varun Dhawan for making my Bollywood dream come true.”

    But Dhawan drew backlash on social media because of his response to a twitter user and defending his behavior by trolling critics for being ‘woke’.

    The reply irked users, leading to many pointing out that even though the dance was planned, kissing Hadid was crossing boundaries.

    https://twitter.com/shak3342/status/1642491754195582980?s=20

    Twitter users pointed out that this was not the first time Dhawan had crossed boundaries, as they shared old clips of him crossing boundaries with other Bollywood actresses.