Dear Friend,
A 14-year-old Christian boy ,Samaru Madkami, was murdered in cold blood by a group of religious fanatics in the east-Indian state of Odisha. On the night of 4th June, 2020, a few villagers ganged up with a handful of religious fanatics who are not a part of their village and attempted to kidnap 3 Christians explained Pastor Bijay, who serves in Malkangiri, the district where the crime was committed. Two Christians who were stronger and older than the victim managed to escape for their lives. Unfortunately, young Samaru Madkami was left behind at the mercy of his assailants who brutally slayed the grade 7 student and chopped his body into pieces. After carrying out this gruesome crime, the assassins buried the body and fled the scene.
Prem Verma, Convenor, Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas joins the conversation in our search for a People's Manifesto for India's Future
Kindly support honest journalism to survive. https://countercurrents.org/subscription/
If you think the
contents of this news letter are critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/news-letter/.
In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
Countercurrents.org
14 Year Old Christian Boy Lynched In Odisha
by Shibu Thomas
A 14-year-old Christian boy ,Samaru Madkami, was murdered in cold blood by a group of religious fanatics in the east-Indian state of Odisha. On the night of 4th June, 2020, a few villagers ganged up with a handful of religious fanatics who are not a part of their village and attempted to kidnap 3 Christians explained Pastor Bijay, who serves in Malkangiri, the district where the crime was committed. Two Christians who were stronger and older than the victim managed to escape
for their lives. Unfortunately, young Samaru Madkami was left behind at the mercy of his assailants who brutally slayed the grade 7 student and chopped his body into pieces. After carrying out this gruesome crime, the assassins buried the body and fled the scene.
A 14-year-old Christian boy ,Samaru Madkami, was murdered in cold blood by a group of religious fanatics in the east-Indian state of Odisha. On the night of 4th June, 2020, a few villagers ganged up with a handful of religious fanatics who are not a part of their village and attempted to kidnap 3 Christians explained Pastor Bijay, who serves in Malkangiri, the district where the crime was committed. Two Christians who were stronger and older than the victim managed to escape for their lives. Unfortunately, young Samaru Madkami was left behind at the mercy of his assailants who brutally slayed the grade 7 student and chopped his body into pieces. After carrying out this gruesome crime, the assassins buried the body and fled the scene.
Dr. Victor Choudary informed Persecution Relief about this devastating attack which took place in a village named Kenduguda which is located in Mudulipada, a tehsil in Malkangiri. Samaru Madkami was the son of Unga Madkami, an Elder who serves in the Bethel House Church- a ministry headed by Pastor Bijay Pusuru. Samaru lost his mother at a very young age and was being raised by his father.
Christians in this village have been facing many threats and are being continually harassed by religious fanatics. Since the beginning of this year, there have been many attacks on Christians. “I have made 4 complaints at the Malkangiri police Station regarding these attacks.” Protested Pastor Bijay.
Last month, in a shocking series of horrific events, religious fanatics stuffed 3 Christians into jute bags, tied them up and tried to throw them into the river. In another incident, the religious goons attempted to set two Christians ablaze! All of these attacks have been taking place in the same place.
On the 05/06/2020, Pastor Bijay approached the Malkangiri Police Station at 9am to lodge a complaint about the missing teen. The Station In charge immediately dispatched 3 police vehicles to the village, but by the time they reached the place, the suspects were already absconding.
By around 9pm that same night, the police were able to nab and arrest around a dozen suspects. Rev. Remo and Pastor Bijay were at the police station when the suspects were being interrogated. In conversation with Persecution Relief, they said, “We fear for the worst, as even the police are led to believe that the boy has been murdered.” Sadly, their worst fears came true when the suspects confessed to their crime and began disclosing horrific details about their heinous act.
Unga Madkami, the father of the victim filed a FIR under IPC 1860 sections 295-A,367,506,34, FIR NO: 0180, dated 05/06/2020 at 2:20 pm.
As per the FIR, the victim and his father had adopted Christianity 3 years ago. But since then, a few of the villagers have been harassing them. On the 04/06/2020, at approximately 11pm at night, a few villagers, namely- Deba Madkami, Budra Muchaki, Aaita Kabasi, Rabu Madi and a few others picked up Samaru telling him that he needed to attend a meeting in the jungle.
Within an hour, at around 12am, the fanatics returned to pick up Unga too. The accused had knives and a tangla and were threatening to kill him. They forcibly tried to kidnap him too, but he managed to escape and headed straight to the police station and made a complaint.
Police Inspector Ram Prasad Nag is investigating the case. Even at 12:30 am, midnight, as the investigations were still underway, the Founder of Persecution Relief- Shibu Thomas spoke with Pastor Bijay who broke down in tears and was inconsolable. “Samaru was a passionate Christian. He always shared from the Bible with youth and children from the village.” Sobbed Pastor Bijay. He fondly remembered a few words that Samaru had recently shared with him, “If anything happens to my Pastor, I will not fear. I will take Charge of Pastor’s work and serve the Lord!”
Currently, members of the family, church and the pastor are painfully awaiting the magistrate’s orders to exhume the body.
Of the 1500 plus cases I have been involved with over the past 4 years, this by far has to be the most disturbing case of Christian persecution. The hate and aggression in the minds of the religious fanatics and the brutal nature of this crime leaves me dumbfounded! My mind has been gripped by the thoughts of an innocent child who desired to serve Jesus Christ, in spite of the pain and challenges of losing his mother at a very tender age. This vicious cruelty exposes the tainted mentality and attitude of the religious fanatics of this day and age. This frightening and contagious crusade of religious intolerance has now peaked at new inhuman altitudes.
Both nationally and internationally, the government of India has been called out numerous times to introspect and arrest the intensifying antagonism towards religious minorities. Somehow, we have become accustomed with being ignored and side-lined because religious nationalism has been prioritized over the lives of the citizens. What is even more scandalous is the unmerited acquittal of the criminals who are felicitated on release. These inequalities propel the spread of religious hate and continue to threaten the foundation of our supposedly secular country.
This is not the first time Odisha is witnessing a Christian being slain for his faith. Graham Stains and his two young sons, Philip and Timothy, were burnt alive by a Hindu fundamentalist group on 23/01/1999. Anantram Gond was killed for his faith on 11/02/2019 by Naxalites. Many others have paid a heavy price with their lives on account of their religious faith in Odisha.
22 cases of Christian Persecution in Odisha, including a murder were recorded in 2019 and 8 cases including the above case of murder have been chronicled since January 2020 till date. These statistics rank Odisha at number 10 among the list of hostile states towards Christians in India.
From January 2016 to March 2020, Persecution Relief has recorded 1961 cases of Hate crimes against Christians in India. In the 1st Quarter of 2020, we recorded 187 cases. Between 1st Quarter of 2016 to 1st Quarter of 2020, there has been a rise of 128.04 % of Hate Crimes against Christians all across the country. In 1st Quarter of 2016, we have recorded 82 cases, in 2017 – 134, 2018 – 117, 2019 – 130 and in 2020 we recorded 187 cases of Christian Persecution. In 2019 alone, Persecution Relief has recorded the maximum number of 527 cases compared to 447 cases in 2018, 440 in 2017 and 330 in 2016.
In 2019 we have recorded 199 incidents related to Threats, Intimidations & Harassments against Christians, 104 incidents of Church attacks, 85 incidents of Physical Violence reported which includes Women & Children, 100s of House Churches were forcefully closed down by Religious Fanatics and the local administrations. US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) ranked India’s persecution severity at “Tier 2” along with Iraq and Afghanistan. Over the past seven years, India has risen from No. 31 to No. 10 on Open Doors’ World Watch List, ranking just behind Iran in persecution severity.
Shibu Thomas is the Founder of Persecution Relief Email: founder@persecutionrelief.org
People’s Manifesto for India’s Future
by Prem Verma
Prem Verma, Convenor, Jharkhand Nagrik Prayas joins the conversation in our search for a People's Manifesto for India's Future
The Aftermath of Cyclone Amphan in Sundarbans
by Camellia Biswas
The super cyclone Amphan which crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts at a speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph across Sundarbans on 20th May opens up the historical narratives of suffering from recurring natural disasters on Sundarban islanders and the politics shrouded behind the sudden uproar about the
Sundarban and the locals being affected by Amphan especially through the several mass media platforms.
A survivor’s tale: “Two weeks since Amphan. No sign of electricity”.
by Sampurna Das
“Government is not working enough. I understand that this is a very tough time because of covid19, but they should give us electricity as it is a basic necessity. It is a pathetic situation to live like this. Thankfully they have worked towards providing us safe drinking water and ration, which otherwise is an issue after such disaster. These aspects are also looked after by the local NGO”
Sundarbans after Cyclone Amphan
by Subhankar Banerjee
Imagine this now: we try to create an acknowledgement for the loss of nonhuman lives in the Sundarbans caused by Cyclone Amphan—animals and trees; individual
and relational; immediate and over time. That would be a monumental task and take not days or months but years and possibly even decades.
The Last Stand of Sundari
by Ananda Banerjee
Sundari means “the beautiful” in Bangla, the language spoken in West Bengal and Bangladesh. And very few would recall today that the mangrove forest is named after the once abundant Sundari tree.
Venezuela, Minneapolis, Iran, Europe – Trump’s Last Gasps of Collapsing World Control – Or is it?
by Peter Koenig
The resisting forces and perseverance of the people of Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, let alone, Russia and China, have magical power. Never mind the physical losses of stolen assets, of economic sanctions, of attempted humiliation by the neoliberal western alliance breaching contracts and agreements
at will, i.e. the Iran Nuclear Deal, several disarmament agreements with Russia – and more – the new wave of spiritual and universal consciousness gains, far outpace these losses. The forces of Light may overcome the Darkness which has engulfed humanity over the last 5,000 years – laying the foundation for a new society with values of equality and peace for a common future for mankind.
There comes a time when shooting around in circles just hits walls, bullets splinter off sidewalks, and shatter a window here and there. But people are in safety. They watch from a distance and with self-assurance.
Venezuela has received five tankers from Iran loaded with hydrocarbons – petrol gas, additives – shipped through a totally US-militarized Caribbean Sea, amidst warnings of attacks and retaliations – and as usual, sanctions ’no end’. How much more sanctions can a country get? There is an immune system, called sovereignty and fearlessness – confidence and dignity. Knowing your rights. That’s what makes the whole difference.
Granted, the tankers were escorted by the Venezuelan Navy and Air Force; especially through Venezuelan waters. And they made it undisturbed to the port of El Palito, a small Venezuelan port run by Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA. The American shooting didn’t take place and the event was not televised.
Another aggression against Venezuelan sovereignty is the Bank of England’s withholding totally illegally some US$ 1.2 billion worth of Venezuelan gold, deposited voluntarily by Venezuela in times of trust – as part of Venezuela’s reserve funds. With oil prices collapsed, Venezuela decided to use part of her gold reserves to purchase medication and food to counter the disastrous corona effects.
Venezuela claimed the gold deposited at the Bank of England (BoE) which offers gold custodian services mostly but not exclusively to developing nations; and so, does the New York FED and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basle and several other international institutions and central banks considered safe and trustworthy. These are legal arrangements under which the depositing country may withdraw the funds at any time and at will.
Venezuela has a sovereign right to claim these funds without any explanation or justification. The BoE refused, claiming the Government of Nicolas Maduro was not the legitimate government recognized by the UK. Can you imagine – if any government decides to confiscate funds from another government, because they don’t like its leadership — where would we end up? – Well, there is not much guessing. We are already there. The Anglo-Zionist world makes its own rules and decides over and above any international law. And the spineless European puppets follow their cue. It is high time that this matrix collapses and gives way to a civilization that recognizes the values of democracy, justice, basic ethics and human rights.
In this case, Venezuela explained that the money is needed to buy food and medication to counter the nefarious effects of COVID-19. The UN, intervening on behalf of Venezuela, has requested the BoE to return the money. That gesture or action by the UN is in itself is an act of ‘independence’ by the UN against the US, for whom the UN otherwise does the bidding. But to no avail. The BoE didn’t release the Venezuelan-owned gold. As a compromise, Venezuela suggested that the funds be handed over to UNDP (United Nations Development Program) which would buy vital food and medication for Venezuela.
Already at the end of 2018, Venezuelan Finance Minister Simón Zerpa and Central Bank President Calixto Ortega, travelled to London to demand that Venezuela be allowed to take the gold back to Venezuela. In January 2019, the BoE refused the request. All it said publicly was that it did not comment on customer relationships. However, the real reason was clear.
The US-trained and self-proclaimed, US supported Juan Guaido, an Assembly member, who was never elected – who never faced a presidential election – asked Downing Street that the gold was not returned to the legitimate Maduro Government which Washington, the UK and other EU members, out of the blue and without any legal reasons declared illegitimate. What a world! – Imagine that some 40 or 50 countries in the world would decide that Donald Trump and Angela Merkel were illegitimately in their high offices. Well, you laugh. It would never happen.
Under pressure from Washington, and her own neofascist government, the UK and her central bank didn’t budge. The case was brought on May 14, 2020, to a Court in London. A Venezuela-favorable judgement is however unlikely. The case will then go to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Will the ICJ have enough backbone to decide against Washington? That remains to be seen. It would be another sign that Trump’s last trumps are gone.
On yet another account, the Trump Administration has seized all Venezuelan assets in the US, including in 2018, the CITCO refinery and gas station network, in a further attempt to hurt their self-made archenemy, socialist Venezuela. CITCO’s assets in the United States, are estimated at about 8 billion dollars, plus about 30 billion dollars of annual revenues. CITCO covers about 10% of the US domestic gasoline market. Overall Venezuelan assets confiscated – or more accurately described as stolen – in the US and overseas are estimated at about 50 to 70 billion dollars.
In addition to other strangulating sanctions and coercive actions by Washington against Venezuela, just think what these illegally US-appropriated funds could do to ease living conditions of Venezuelans whose hardship has exclusively been brought about by Washington and Washington’s coercion of its so-called western allies – alias vassals, especially Europe – to economically sanction Venezuela. A hardship being exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis. Mind you, Venezuela has done no harm, has never threatened any of the countries that follow the US dictate on “economic sanctions”.
Yet, through this all, Venezuela remains calm, non-aggressive, non-conflictive, self-assured and survives; and Venezuela has actually mastered the Covid-crisis better than most of Latin America. According to WHO, as of 4 June Venezuela registered 1819 confirmed cases and only 18 deaths.
Venezuela’s strength of resistance and self-determination is extraordinary. It is THE recipe for success and for overcoming western oppression. This autonomy and Iran’s undisturbed solidarity and sovereign action to help Venezuela with oil tankers despite the US threats, are signals to the world that Washington’s empire is crumbling.
Or, as Andre Vltchek pointedly says in his article about the brutal police murder of Mr. George Floyd, “The World Cannot Breathe!” Squashed by the U.S. – A Country Built on Genocide and Slavery: Now more and more people can finally see what few of us have been repeating for years: The entire world has its neck squashed by the U.S. boot. The entire world “cannot breathe”! And the entire world has to fight for its right to be able to breathe!”
Let’s add to this: And the entire world is no longer afraid to stand up and defend and fight for their rights.
This “fight” is increasingly a battle of the 99 % against the 1% – the rich and powerful psychopaths wanting to control ever more of the globe’s resources. With every day this battle is turning more in favor of We, the People.
The worldwide corona-lockdown and the yet unfathomable social and economic calamity of uncountable unemployment, famine and misery – unheard of in human history – is unwittingly shocking he billions of victims worldwide into an awakening that the masters behind the crisis, behind the nonsensical lockdown, behind the power and control thirst – the Gates, Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Soros and Co., may not have thought of.
The ruthless killing of George Floyd has set in motion a series of riots throughout the US – affecting some 150 US-cities. Admittedly the riots are largely financed and organized by Soros & Co. (see https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-06-02-antifa-plans-purge-of-suburbs-homes-starting-tonight.html) with the objective of a broad military lockdown. Though, these unrests will likely gain their own dynamic, as the wave spreads to Europe and possibly also to the Global South. While the generous financiers of Antifa, Black Lives Matter and other protest organizations may have as their clear objective the militarization of the west, dynamics of an awakened people may derail the diabolical psychopaths’ goals and ring in a new set of societal values.
The resisting forces and perseverance of the people of Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, let alone, Russia and China, have magical power. Never mind the physical losses of stolen assets, of economic sanctions, of attempted humiliation by the neoliberal western alliance breaching contracts and agreements at will, i.e. the Iran Nuclear Deal, several disarmament agreements with Russia – and more – the new wave of spiritual and universal consciousness gains, far outpace these losses. The forces of Light may overcome the Darkness which has engulfed humanity over the last 5,000 years – laying the foundation for a new society with values of equality and peace for a common future for mankind.
Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a water resources and environmental specialist. He worked for over 30 years with the World Bank and the World Health Organization around the world in the fields of environment and water. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research; ICH; New Eastern Outlook (NEO); RT; Countercurrents, Sputnik; PressTV; The 21st Century; Greanville Post; Defend Democracy Press; The Saker Blog, the and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed – fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! – Essays from the Resistance.
Peter Koenig is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization.
Peter Koenig is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization.
Death of two girls in Tamilnadu brick industry
Press Release
Two girls of Manjher panchayat of Golamunda block of Kalahandi district named 1) Jayamani Chandi D/o Sajan Chandi age 22 and 2) Madanabati Chandi D/o Mangal Chandi age 18 died on 3rd June 2020 while loading bricks inside the lorry. This incident happened at M/s Sri Karthikeyan Bricks, Vazhuthigaimedu Village, Ponneri Taluk, Tiruvallur district of Tamilnadu. This industry is owned by Mr. Thiru R. Sudhakaran.
Impact of the Citizenship Amendment
Act 2019 on Adivasi People
by Arun Kumar Oraon
The tribal population constitutes 8.6 percent of the total population and spread out across India. Citizenship law is seen to have wide impact on the Adivasis. When the citizenship list for lawful citizens was released in Assam, 19 lakh six thousand six hundred and fifty citizens were not included in it. They were clubbed into ‘doubtful citizens.’ In the list of ‘doubtful citizens’ included about one lakh people were Adivasi. Many people were pushed into detention centers, and the first among many who died was Puna Munda an Adivasi migrant from Jharkhand.
The Convention of Mikhail Bakunin and Legacy
by Dr Pravat Ranjan Sethi
Bakunin is attractive to present-day students and intellectuals because his libertarian brand of socialism provides an
alternative vision to the bankrupt authoritarian socialism of the twentieth century. His dream of a decentralized society of autonomous communes and labor federations’ appeals to those who are seeking to escape from a centralized, conformist, and artificial world.
Ode to China
by Nayeema Ahmad Mahjoor
“My enemy’s enemy is my friend, come to Jammu and Kashmir and realise its intensity among the ordinary people living near the border with China. The land beneath you will feel like it has slipped away”. This is the observation of many analysts in South Asia who have reported the strong indignation of locals against Indian establishment in the context of India China border clashes in Ladakh where the majority of the local population no longer considers China as an enemy.
Our Tryst With Mortality
by Preeti Tej Singh
So what has changed? What has brought home
our vulnerabilities? What has made us confront our mortality like never before? At least, not like it has in the past one century, since the World War II ended. It is a tiny virus spreading across continents, raging like wild fire, making people drop dead like flies. It has brought home the fact that despite super powers, stockpiling on billions of dollars of weapons of mass destruction, they don’t have a drug to fight this tiny thing. No vaccine to protect even the most powerful. In that way it has been a great leveller
What can we learn from the responses in the Western world to George Floyd’s killing
by Vidya Bhushan Rawat
While the issue of the blacks become international news and concern, back home, we remain quiet on horrible caste violence against Dalits. Many people suggest as why it does not become a major issue when violence or atrocities happen in
India. The polarisation in india is actually bigger and in the last six years, it has increased.
An Open Letter to Foreign Minister Abdul Momin
by Taj Hashmi
I write this to draw your attention to your recent interview with an Indian weekly The Week , published on May 31, 2020, which all of our common friends and other Bangladeshis at home and abroad have found very gratuitous, objectionable, as it grossly undermines truth, and tarnishes the image of Bangladesh, which you represent as the diplomat-in-chief or Foreign Minister. Hence this open letter!
Lockdown, Printing Notes & Demand
by Dr Arun Kumar
When the lockdown is lifted, a package of interest waiver and deferring of loan repayment for businesses will be needed for them to restart. The RBI and the government will need to rethink their strategy since money by itself
is not a resource.
Reading Gandhi on the occasion of the World Environment Day
by Badre Alam Khan
Gandhian environmentalism is still relevant
Palestine is gone! Gone! راحت فلسطين
by Rima Najjar
On the eve of Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank, I feel the urge to lament to my children and grandchildren about it, just as she did to me, but I don’t know how much of the pain they would understand or absorb.
Palestine Must Be Heard
by Jim Miles
While the mainstream media follows all the COVID news and now the riots and demonstrations in the U.S. and elsewhere, Israel is quietly – at least as far as the media is concerned about reporting it – preparing to annex all
but a tiny fraction of the occupied West Bank.
Female Subjugation In Modern Days: Hegemony By Consent
by Neha Perween
And the last advice is for patriarchal society that if you are giving your daughters the arms of existence and passion then do not compel her to be a silent spectator in watching the murder of her own will. It is same like teaching a bird to fly and then cut her wings and shut her down in the cage. LET HER FLY.
Interview with a COVID-19 survivor
by Mickey Z
This interview gives a first hand information how horrific is COVID-19
Minamata Pieta
by Gary Steven Corseri
The title alludes to the photo by W. Eugene and Aileen Smith, in which a mother bathes her crippled, twelve-year-old daughter…. A hundred people died and nearly a thousand
were crippled as a result of mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.