The attack occurred in the eastern province of Ghazni, which has seen regular fighting between the Taliban and government forces.
Prashasti Singh
Gazni – Afghanistan, 29 November 2020. A suicide car bomber struck an army base in Afghanistan on Sunday killing at least 26 security personnel, officials said, in one of the bloodiest attacks in recent months.
The attack occurred on the outskirts of Ghazni city, capital of the eastern province of Ghazni, which has seen regular fighting between the Taliban and government forces.
It came as the government and Taliban are engaged in peace talks to end the war in the impoverished country that has killed tens of thousands of people in nearly two decades.
“We have received 26 bodies and 17 wounded so far. All of them are security personnel,” Baz Mohammad Hemat, director of Ghazni hospital, told AFP.
Nasir Ahmad Faqiri, a member of Ghazni provincial council, confirmed the death toll.
Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian: a suicide bomber had detonated a vehicle full of explosives.
No group has so far claimed the attack.
The Ghazni attack comes just days after two bombs killed 14 people in the historic city of Bamiyan, ending years of calm in the isolated town famous for its ancient Buddhist heritage.
Sunday’s bombing marked the latest big attack in Afghanistan, where violence has surged since the start of peace talks on 12 September in the Qatari capital of Doha.
Brutal attacks have killed more than 50 people in Kabul in recent weeks, including two assaults on educational centres and a rocket attack.
The Kabul attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group, but Afghan officials blamed the Taliban, who denied any involvement.
The Taliban have launched daily attacks targeting Afghan forces despite engaging in peace talks.
The talks had been bogged down by disputes on the agenda, the basic framework of discussions and religious interpretations, but agreement has now been reached on all issues, according to sources close to the talks.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for “expedited discussions” during a visit to Doha last week during which he met with both Taliban and Afghan government negotiators.
The Pentagon said earlier this month that it would soon pull out some 2,000 troops from Afghanistan, speeding up the timeline of a full withdrawal by May 2021 as agreed with the Taliban in a separate deal signed in February.
New Delhi – India, 29 November 2020. As farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and some other states have gathered at the entry points of Delhi to protest the Modi government over three farm laws despite several hurdles created by BJP government of Haryana in their way, Hindutva forces have become active to dub them “anti-national elements”, “Khalistanis”, “Pakistan-supported” and “separatists”, etc.
As major participation in “Dilli Chalo” programme planned by the farmers organizations of the country is of Punjab’s farmers who are mostly Sikhs by faith, the Hindutva elements are leaving no stone unturned to defame the farmers by playing such dirty tricks.
The farmers have gathered at the entry points of the national capital of the country which is called as “World’s largest democracy”, in a huge number giving sleepless nights to the BJP-led union government that considered that none could challenge it in India.
Turned fearful due to such large strength that has shaken entire Delhi and caused unprecedented jams there, elements of the Hindutva forces are passing hatred remarks toward the farmers.
Sharing a link of a hateful article on the Punjabi film artist-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, Bollywood superstar Kangana Ranaut said in a tweet, “Shame….. in the name of farmers har koi apni rotiyaan sek raha hai, hopefully government won’t allow anti-national elements to take advantage and create another Shaheen Baag riots for blood thirsty vultures and tukde gang….”.
The headline of the article published by Opindia.com is “Who is the man in farmer protest video, lying about ‘government snatching farmland’: Profile of an actor and Khalistan supporter.
In another tweet that she deleted later following a lot of flak, the hate-mongering Indian actress crossed all limits quite disrespectful, ugly, and obscene remarks on a very old lady taking part in the stir.
Sharing her picture, Ranaut said, “Ha ha ha she is the same dadi who featured in Time magazine for being the most powerful Indian. And she is available for 100 rupees. Pakistani journo’s have hijacked international PR for India in an embarrassing way.
We need our own people to speak for us internationally”.
Reacting to this post, free thinker and co-founder of Altnews Pratik Sinha said, “This is a false claim by @KanganaTeam. She has now deleted her tweet. Do not forget how she’s using her position to pull down and discredit those who are not privileged and fighting for their rights.
She is exactly what she claims to be fighting against”.
Ordinary social media users having Hindutva leaning outlook are terming Pakistan behind this agitation.
It is being perceived that BJP’s strong IT cell is making the posts hateful toward the farmers viral over social media.
The pro-Modi government is also playing a vital role in spreading such vilified propaganda in an attempt to torpedo three months long stir of the farmers.
Impartial analysts observing the development that has drawn international attention, believe that “BJP IT cell is preparing ground for another massacre of the people by spreading such kind of vilification as it did when Muslim people spearheaded Shahin Bagh protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that discriminated against the Muslims”.
Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today claimed that his government has “inputs” on the presence of “Khalistani separatists” in the ongoing farmers’ agitation against recently passed agriculture laws.
He further claimed to have access to video and audio clips where protestors can be heard raising slogans like, “Jab Indira Gandhi ko ye kar sakte hain, to Modi ko kyu nahi kar sakte? [Why can’t we do this to Modi, if we have done it to Indira Gandhi?]”.
Taking serious note of the drive during a meeting of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today came down heavily against Khattar for his “highly provocative, dangerous and divisive statement dubbing the farmers as “Khalistanis”.
“Do these beleaguered elderly men and ladies from farmers’ families look like Khalistanis to Khattar and his party? It is not the farmers but the Haryana CM himself who is guilty of flouting the Constitution of the country on the anniversary of the Adoption Day of the Statute”, said the SAD in a statement issued after the meeting.
Releasing the details of the meeting to the media, Harcharan Bains, Principal Advisor to the SAD President Sukhbir Badal, said, “The core committee accused the Haryana CM of trying to revive the old Congress tactics to paint its political opponents as separatists.
It is the same mindset that was responsible for the Congress repression against Akali agitators in 1982 and continued for a decade and a half, painting a fiercely patriotic community as separatist”.
In the resolution passed on the occasion, the party that remained alliance partner of the BJP for 25 years and recently parted ways with it in protest against the farm laws, further states, “The Haryana CM is trying to create advance-justification for repression and persecution against farmers”.
“The fact is that the BJP and its governments at the center and in Haryana have got jittery by the success of the farmers’ secular and democratic movement”, it adds.
A journalist of NDTV channel which is known for its pro-people content, Sanket Upadhyay also joined the issue but played against the farmers by saying in a tweet, “Indira Thok, Modi Thok’ like comments are filled with hate.
And it is in the interest of #FarmersProtest to disassociate with this sentiment. This single utterance is already being quoted on SM as a grand Khalistani plot”.
Islamabad – Pakistan, 28 november 2020. The three-day celebrations of the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak began Saturday in Nankana Sahib with the arrival of over 600 Sikh pilgrims from India through Wagah border.
The main ceremony of the celebrations of the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev will be held on 30 November at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib.
The celebrations will end after the Nagar Kirtan procession on Monday, followed by the Bhog ritual at night.
Various departments, including Rescue 1122, Health Department, Civil Defence, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and police have already completed necessary arrangements in this regard, including for security, accommodation, food, healthcare and transport of the Sikh pilgrims.
Hundreds of policemen and security personnel have been deployed to provide security to the guests.
During their stay, the pilgrims will also visit other gurdwaras in Punjab.
A day earlier, ETPB Additional Secretary (Shrines) Tariq Wazir, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (PSGPC) President Satwant Singh and General Secretary Ameer Singh, and former PSGPC President Bishan Singh welcomed the Sikh pilgrims at the Wagah border crossing point.
Two members of the Indian High Commission, R B Sohran and Santosh Kumar, also arrived from Islamabad to greet the pilgrims at Wagah.
The representatives of Punjab Health Department checked all the passengers for Covid-19 negative test reports and any signs of the infection.
After immigration and customs formalities, the delegates left for Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib by buses.
The pilgrims also brought a Palki for Guru Garanth Sahib from India, which they will place in the Gurdwara.
Every year, more than 2,000 Sikhs come to Pakistan to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev. However, the number has reduced this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Sardar Janam Singh, Head Granthi of Gurdwara Janamasthan, has demanded of the United Nations to take notice of Kartarpur Corridor’s closure by India.
He said Pakistan had opened the corridor on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak as a gift to the Sikh community while India closed it. The UN must ensure implementation of the agreement reached on the corridor, he added.
A special song has also been released to mark the occasion and to promote religious harmony in Pakistan and across the world by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The song showcases the opening of Kartarpur Corridor with a visa-free access to the Sikh community to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, in Narowal district of Punjab.
It also contains reaction of the members of Sikh community, who visited Kartarpur.
Bollywood celebrity Poonam Kaur and her family also expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking the unprecedented initiative for facilitating them in their religious journey and on making their long unfulfilled dreams come true.
The move comes in the backdrop of Imran Khan’s vision of achieving prosperity for the entire region through peace and opening of hearts for the communities belonging to other faiths.
His vision has already started bearing fruits in the form of enhanced interfaith harmony and religious tourism.
The prime minister inaugurated the visa-free border crossing on 09 November 2019, on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith.
The initiative by the Pakistan Government has been appreciated by the Sikh community across the globe.
Under the religious tourism agreement between Pakistan and India, 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India can visit Pakistan on Baba Guru Nanak’s birthday.
Modi-Shah BJP has tended to patronise Punjab & Sikhs, instead of being a respectful partner. Its strategy to tackle protests farm laws crisis has given Sikhs the good fight they love.
Shekhar Gupta
How well does the BJP understand politics?
You would perhaps be asked to go get your head examined for even asking that question. Of course, it understands politics better than any others in India by a distance, as much as the gap between 303 and 52 Lok Sabha seats.
New Delhi – India, 28 November 2020. Then, you finesse the question. How well does the BJP understand the politics of Punjab?
The answer will be, I am afraid, very poorly. Definitely the Modi-Shah BJP does not understand Punjab, Punjabis, their politics, or even more specifically, the Sikhs.
Or, they wouldn’t have dug themselves into such a hole (pun intended) over their handling of the Punjab farmers’ protests.
They’ve continued to dig it deeper rather than extricate themselves over what are, in all honesty, a fine set of reformist new laws on agricultural economics.
Before we dive into some of the more complex issues involved here, let’s check out some basics. Punjab was the outlier that defied the Modi magic in the north.
Even when Narendra Modi himself was in contention, as in the general elections of 2014 and 2019, the Punjabis were not impressed.
This, despite the BJP having a formidable ally, Shiromani Akali Dal, the pre-eminent Sikh party.
For evidence, watch how in both elections, the BJP failed to get two stellar candidates, Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri, respectively, elected from Amritsar despite Akali support.
It is also the only state in the north where the Modi wave was stopped in both elections. And no, the Punjabis did not even have to dig moats in the highways, throw boulders or raise barricades to stop it.
Election after election, with the 2017 state assembly polls thrown in, Modi addressed rallies dressed in saffron turbans. But it failed in Punjab while he dominated next-door Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
If three reversals of their almighty waves over five years haven’t convinced Modi and Shah of the need for a rethink, the shambles over this farmers’ protest should.
And if even this doesn’t, then it shows a lack of political intellect, as well as humility.
The BJP dismisses its critics as the deracinated, English-medium Lutyens-wallahs, and takes pride in its native smarts.
It should then learn from that oldest heartland wisdom: You cannot snatch a sugarcane from the field of a farmer (Jat), but can easily charm him into gifting you a full slab of jaggery (gur).
With a big smile, a hug, and may be some lassi too. You just have to begin with your head bowed, not in submission, but politeness and friendship. On the farm bills, this BJP has done the opposite.
Islamabad – Pakistan, 28 november 2020. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has released a new song to promote religious harmony.
The song has been picturised in the context of the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor for giving visa-free access to the Sikh community to visit their holy place Gurdwara Darbar Sahib – Kartarpur – Narowal – Panjab.
In the song, Indian film celebrity Poonam Kaur and her family are seen expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking the unprecedented initiative for facilitating them in their religious journey.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of Imran’s vision of achieving prosperity for the entire region through peace and opening of hearts for the communities belonging to other faiths.
NRI politicians come out to support protesting farmers marching to Delhi
Sukhmeet Bhasin – Tribune News Service
Bathinda – Panjab – India, 28 November 2020.
Non-Indian Residents (NRIs) and foreign politicians have come out in support of Punjab farmers heading towards Delhi.
Along with this, they have also condemned the use of force, teargas, water cannons, and restrictions, imposed by the Haryana and Delhi police.
NDP MLA and parliament secretary of British Columbia, Canada, Rachna Singh shared a clip with The Tribune on the microblogging website.
“I am really saddened by the way #Punjab Farmers are being treated. This is unacceptable,” she wrote along with the video.
Randeep Singh Sarai, MP in Canada, wrote: “The Treatment of Punjab farmers is deplorable.
Farmers are the strength and backbone of the Punjab, and they deserve to be treated with respect. I stand in solidarity with the Punjab farmers”.
Another Punjabi Canadian MP, Sukh Dhaliwal, said: “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental in any democracy, especially in the world’s largest.
I am very disturbed by the treatment of Punjabi farmers in India, this blatant abuse by Indian authorities is unacceptable. I stand with the Punjab farmers”.
Preet Kaur Gill, MP from UK, also shared a clip along with a post stating, “This is no way to treat citizens who are peacefully protesting over the controversial farmers’ bill in India”.
Canadian MP Maninder Sidhu wrote: “Many of my constituents and I are deeply concerned about the safety of our family and friends in India.
The right to peaceful protest is a constitutional right. Farmers in India should be able to voice their opinions and protest peacefully without fear for their safety”.
Another Canadian MP Tim Uppal took to Twitter, said: “India’s farmers deserve to be heard and respected. This is horrific”.
MP from Brampton, Ruby Sahota, said: “The determination and resilience of the farmers is admirable.
In a free and just society one should be able to advocate for their cause without the threat of force being used against them. The brutality being faced by Indian farmers in these images is deplorable”.
Jack Harris – Canadian MP, wrote: “We are shocked to see the Indian government’s suppression of farmers protesting new laws which will endanger their livelihood.
Instead of using water cannons and tear gas, the Indian government needs to engage in open dialogue with farmers”.
Gurratan Singh, an anti-racial activist in Canada, has said: “The Indian government’s use of water cannons and tear gas on farmers protesting mass privatization of the agricultural sector and unjust reform of farming laws is appalling.
They deserve respect for feeding the nation instead of being subjected to state brutality”
West Midlands – UK, 27 November 2020. Education secretary Gavin Williamson is being pressed by Sikh MPs and organisations to urgently act to clamp down on bullying of Sikh schoolchildren after a shocking video of violence emerged.
West Mercia Police confirmed today that an attack on a Sikh schoolboy, which was filmed by witnesses and posted on social media, is being treated as a hate crime and that an investigation is ongoing.
The video seen by the Morning Star shows two boys kicking a Sikh boy, and tackling him to the floor before repeatedly punching him in the head. His turban also appears to have been pulled off.
The UK’s National Sikh Police Association described the incident involving boys walking home from Charlton School, in Telford, Shropshire, as an “absolutely disgusting” attack.
The Sikh Federation (UK) said it has written to Mr Williamson to ask if the Department for Education will take action on hate crimes and bullying of Sikh schoolchildren due to their visible identity.
The letter has been copied to Labour MP and all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for British Sikhs chairwoman Preet Kaur Gill and Tory MP for Telford Lucy Allan.
Slough Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi said that he was saddened to see such “vile behaviour” towards a young boy and that it brought back “memories of when someone tried to pull off my turban at school.”
He added: “Bullying and anti-Sikh hate cannot be tolerated.”
Charlton School said in an online statement that it has taken “swift, immediate and appropriate action” over the incident on 13 November.
Last month, the Sikh Federation and Sikh Network organised a virtual lobby on anti-Sikh hate involving more than 40 MPs.
The APPG for British Sikhs has produced a report on anti-Sikh hate and is waiting for a response from Home Secretary Priti Patel and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.
The Left parties on Friday stood in solidarity with the farmers who converged in Delhi to protest the Centre’s new farm laws
New Delhi – India, 28 November 2020. The Left parties on Friday stood in solidarity with the farmers who converged in Delhi to protest the Centre’s new farm laws and condemned the use of force against the protestors.
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the grit and determination of the Indian farmers cannot be broken by the use of force.
“Swelling farmers protests braving severe repression does not move callous Modi government over urgency for new laws to protect the kisan entitlements,” Yechury said.
Thousands of farmers gathered at various entry points into the national capital were allowed in on Friday to hold a peaceful protest at a north Delhi ground, defusing some of the tension building up since morning around the city’s edges and beyond.
The concession came after hours of a standoff that saw police using teargas shells, water cannons and multi-layer barriers to block the protesters and the farmers pelting stones and breaking barricades in some places in their determination to push through as part of their “Delhi Chalo” march.
CPI MP Binoy Viswam said the use of tear gas, water cannons, lathi charge and other excesses by the police forces against the farmers was “yet another example of the way this government suppresses democratic voices and stifles dissent.”
“Their actions cannot be condoned and are an anathema to the Indian Constitution. After their (the three laws) passing, protests have raged across various parts of the country and numerous representations have met with the government, only to be met with empty promises.
The protests that are currently centred around Delhi are a direct response to the anti-people, anti-democratic and fascist stance of the ruling party,” he said in a statement.
CPI general secretary D Raja too condemned the police action on the farmers and said the Haryana government and Delhi Police under the Home Ministry should be criticised for their “high-handed manner”.
“We continue to stand in support of the farmers of this country. If the farmers have any grievances, they have the right to come to the capital city of this country,” he said.
Viswam alleged that the government had forgotten that the Constitution gives a guarantee to peacefully protest and was using every tactic to “de-legitimise and quash” the farmers’ movement.
“The farmers march to Delhi has foiled the BJP design to paint the farmers” agitation as an ”opposition conspiracy”.
Sikh farmers from Congress-ruled Punjab and Hindu farmers from BJP-ruled Haryana and UP are together in this resistance,” Dipankar Bhattacharya, the general secretary of the CPI(ML), said.
After facing tear gas, water cannons and clashing with security personnel, hundreds of farmers entered the national capital on Friday to hold a peaceful protest at a north Delhi ground, but there were still thousands at border points who were undecided to go to the identified demonstration site and a clarity in their decision is expected on Saturday.
Amid apprehensions of a 2nd corona wave, Punjab CM orders fresh curbs including re-imposition of night curfew in all towns & cities from 1 December.
Chandigarh – Panjab – India, 26 November 2020. Amid the grim Covid-19 situation in Delhi-NCR and apprehensions of a second corona-virus wave in Punjab, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday ordered a series of fresh restrictions in the state, which includes re-imposition of night curfew in all towns and cities from 1 December.
The curbs, which will be reviewed on 15 December, also restrict opening timings of all hotels, restaurants and marriage palaces in the state till 9.30 pm.
Night curfew will remain in force between 10 pm and 5 am, the Punjab CM announced warning people against letting their guard down under any circumstances.
Giving details of the new restrictions after a high-level state Covid review meeting, an official spokesperson said the fine for not following Covid appropriate behaviour will be hiked from the present Rs 500 to Rs 1000.
Given the inflow of patients from Delhi for treatment in Punjab, it has also been decided to review and optimise the beds availability in the state’s private hospitals.
The CM has also directed the health and medical education departments to make emergency appointments of specialists, super-specialists, nurses and paramedics, to further augment the capacity of healthcare workers, which was recently beefed up with the recruitment of 249 specialist doctors and 407 medical officers.
The departments have also been asked to consider preparing 4th and 5th year MBBS students as reserve and back-up healthcare personnel if needed in the coming days.
On the coronavirus testing front, Captain Amarinder stressed the need to fully utilise the 25,500 daily RT-PCR testing capacity, and directed targeted and regular testing of potential super-spreaders including government officials.
To ensure that there are no Covid deaths under home isolation in Punjab, the CM said the agency hired to look into these cases should keep close tabs on such patients.
While the Covid mortality audit was continuing, it was a matter of “satisfaction” that the department was now collecting reasons for placing patients on ventilator by private hospitals, and there was a referral group available to monitor these patients, he added.
Chandigarh – Panjab – India, 27 November 2020. To put up a joint and brave front against contentious Farm Laws enacted by Narendra Modi led BJP Government, the Dal Khalsa activists led by its president Harpal Singh Cheema joined the farmers march to Delhi.
Before embarking on the long journey, they performed ardas at Akal Takht to seek the blessings of the Almighty Lord. The march was led by Kissan leader Baldev Singh Sirsa, who is a member of the 30 organizations spearheading the farmers’ agitation against black laws.
Talking to the media persons, Cheema said the Centre perceives Punjab as its enemy as the state is dominated by the Sikh population. “Farming is the backbone of the state and farmers are dear to us”, he added.
He further said the people of Punjab were prepared for a long fight in case the Union government doesn’t concede to farmers’ rightful demand and repeal all three bad laws.
He condemned the decision to seal the Punjab-Haryana and Haryana-Delhi borders to bar the entry of farmers to Delhi. “The decision is illegal, fascist and undemocratic in nature”, said Cheema.
Party spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh termed the Modi government as anti-farmer and pro-crony capitalism. He said the government’s repressive measures in stopping the march on Punjab border won’t deter their resolve rather it would strengthen the just cause.
On Centre’s invitation to farmers for the second round of talks, Baldev Singh Sirsa said it’s just an eye-wash to hoodwink the civil society as the centre is neither serious nor sincere to resolve the stir.
A large number of farmers and youth associated with Dal Khalsa’s youth groups namely SYP and SYFB raised slogans against Modi’s autocratic and dictatorial behaviour before proceeding towards Delhi on vehicles.
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