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Showing posts with the label religion

Convert to Islam or lose job offer, Jaipur youth in catch-22

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In three days, 19-year-old Yogesh Kumar has to make up his mind on either forsaking the opportunity of getting a job with the CRPF or to convert to Islam. He is a Hindu but people from his caste, according to a quirky government order, are Muslim. “I belong to the Rana caste, which was considered part of the Dholi community under the other backward class category till 2013. There are Hindus as well as Muslims in my caste,” Kumar said. “But the ministry of social justice decided that members of my caste had converted to Islam from Hinduism in the Mughal era and, so, people from my caste are marked as Muslims after 2013.” Besides the Rana caste, anybody from Nagarchi-Damami, and Baiti (Barot) castes are also considered Muslim. “In observations made by the OBC commission in 2013, it was decided that those who are Hindu and also from these three castes will come under the scheduled caste category, but no circular has been issued till date in this regard,” said Kumar, who is ori

For Battles in New Media, RSS Readies its Intellectual Warriors

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Everything, including the sitting arrangement, was meticulously planned and executed to a tee. A brocaded shamiana was pegged well outside the main compound to keep prying journalists at bay. It doubled up as media centre and reception lounge for participating delegates.  The RSS was holding its annual national executive meet in Ranchi amidst the growing chorus of 'intolerance' just ahead of the Bihar polls last year. As joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosebole took stage to address the inaugural press conference, a man in off-white sarong and bush shirt in-conspicuously walked up and took seat amongst journalists. "Ye asahashunta ka nanga naach chal raha hai"; Hosebole thundered. Dr. Manmohan Vaidya, RSS media in-charge sitting on Hosebole's right nodded in agreement. The man in off-white sarong scribbled furiously on his notepad. On discreet queries, I was told that the gentleman's name was J Nandakumar. That he was a senior pracharak from Ker