#yogi adityanath population control

[uptothetrendblogs]

India Data Center Market

India Data Center Market Seen Soaring 18.5% Growth to Reach USD XX billion by 2032, Projects Univdatos Market Insights

Key Highlights of the Report:

In November 2023, Adani Enterprises, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, planned to invest approximately $1.5 billion in its emerging data center venture over the next three years. This renewed investment focus marks a shift back to growth initiatives for the Indian conglomerate, following a period of damage control prompted by a short seller attack.

In October 2022, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state is poised to become India’s leading hub for data centers. He highlighted that Uttar Pradesh has successfully achieved its goal of attracting investments totaling Rs 20,000 crore and receiving proposals for 600 megawatts of data center capacity within a year of unveiling the state’s policy.

India's massive population, coupled with widespread smartphone penetration and internet connectivity, fuels the exponential growth in data consumption. This trend necessitates investments in advanced data center infrastructure to handle the daily burgeoning volume of data.

The Indian government's initiatives, such as Digital India and Smart Cities Mission, drive investments in digital infrastructure, including data centers. These initiatives aim to enhance digital connectivity and accessibility nationwide, boosting demand for data center services.

International tech giants and data center operators are increasingly investing in India. Companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure are expanding their data center footprints to cater to the growing regional demand and comply with data localization requirements.

According to a new report by Univdatos Market Insights, the India Data Center Market is expected to reach USD xx Billion in 2032 by growing at a CAGR of 18.5%. A data center is a centralized physical facility where organizations store, manage, and distribute their data, applications, and IT infrastructure. It typically houses numerous servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and other components necessary for managing and processing large amounts of data. Data centers ensure high availability, scalability, security, and efficient operation of IT systems. They are used by various entities, including businesses, educational institutions, government agencies, and cloud service providers, to support their computing needs and store critical digital assets.

The Indian market is analyzed based on its presence in regions such as North India, South India, West India, and East India. North India's data center market is rapidly growing and diversifying, driven by increasing digitalization and demand for cloud services. For instance, major cities like Delhi NCR (National Capital Region) have seen significant investments in state-of-the-art data center facilities by global tech giants such as Microsoft and Google. These investments cater to businesses' rising data storage needs and enhance the region's infrastructure capabilities, positioning North India as a hub for data-intensive industries and digital innovation.

Increasing Internet and Smartphone Penetration

Over the past decade, India has witnessed a remarkable surge in internet connectivity, driven largely by increasing smartphone penetration and affordable data plans. This proliferation has democratized access to information and services, empowering individuals and businesses alike to participate in the digital economy. As more Indians come online, the landscape of commerce has undergone a seismic shift, with e-commerce platforms becoming integral to everyday life. From buying groceries to booking travel tickets and conducting financial transactions, digital platforms have simplified and expanded consumer choices.

Unlock The Insights of This Strategic Report- https://univdatos.com/report/india-data-center-market/get-a-free-sample-form.php?product_id=62112

Furthermore, the government's Digital India initiative has played a pivotal role in leveraging technology to enhance governance and public service delivery. Digital platforms enable citizens to access government services, pay taxes, and participate in civic engagement from the comfort of their homes, fostering transparency and efficiency in administration.

In the realm of entertainment, streaming services and digital content platforms have flourished, offering a diverse array of movies, music, and television shows on demand. This has revolutionized how people consume entertainment, providing unparalleled convenience and choice.

Financial technology, or fintech, has also seen rapid growth with the advent of digital payment systems and mobile banking. From mobile wallets to Unified Payments Interface (UPI), fintech innovations have facilitated seamless and secure transactions, driving financial inclusion and empowering individuals in remote areas to participate in the formal economy.

Looking ahead, India's continued investment in digital infrastructure and innovation promises to further accelerate its digital transformation journey. As technology continues to evolve, the internet and smartphone revolution will continue to redefine the socio-economic landscape, creating new avenues for growth, innovation, and inclusivity across the country.

Regulatory Framework and Policy Landscape

India's regulatory framework plays a critical role in shaping the growth and operations of the data center sector:

Data Localization Policies: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandates that specific categories of sensitive personal data must be stored and processed locally, driving the need for localized data centers.

Tax Incentives and Benefits: The government offers various incentives, such as tax holidays and subsidies, to promote investments in data center infrastructure. These incentives aim to attract both domestic and foreign investments into the sector.

Environmental and Sustainability Standards: Data centers are subject to environmental regulations and sustainability standards to mitigate their carbon footprint. Compliance with energy-efficient practices and green building certifications is increasingly emphasized.

Cybersecurity and Data Protection: Stringent cybersecurity measures and data protection laws are enforced to safeguard sensitive information stored and processed within data centers. Compliance with regulations such as the Personal Data Protection Bill is crucial for data center operators.

Unlock The Insights of This Strategic Report- https://univdatos.com/report/india-data-center-market/get-a-free-sample-form.php?product_id=62112

Conclusion:

Rapid internet and smartphone penetration have democratized digital access, transforming sectors from commerce to governance. Initiatives like Digital India bolster connectivity and transparency in public services. However, regulatory hurdles in data localization, cybersecurity, and sustainability require careful navigation. Adhering to these standards will be crucial for sustainable expansion. Continued investment in digital infrastructure will propel India's journey as a digital leader, fostering innovation, economic development, and societal progress nationwide.

Key Offerings of the Report

Market Size, Trends, & Forecast by Revenue | 2024−2032

Market Dynamics – Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation – A detailed analysis by type and end-use industry

Competitive Landscape – Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

Contact:

UnivDatos Market Insights

contact@univdatos.com 

+91 7838604911

[buzz-london]

Atiq Ahmed - India's DON that became a POLITICIAN | Atiq Ahmed’s story - 18th April 2023

Atiq Ahmed was a gangster - known as "first gangster" of Uttar Pradesh. He was shot down by assasins while returning from a medical checkup. In this video, we understand how a criminal became a politician and got elected a record 5 times from Allahabad west constituency.

In this video, we delve into the complex relationship between crime and politics in India. With a long history of corruption and criminal activity in the political sphere, it's no surprise that the two are often intertwined. We explore the roots of this connection, looking at the ways in which politics can both enable and perpetuate criminal activity. From the role of money in elections to the use of muscle power to control local communities, we examine the many ways in which crime and politics intersect in India. Along the way, we also discuss some of the major scandals and controversies that have rocked the Indian political landscape in recent years. Join us as we take a deep dive into this important and often overlooked topic.

Who is Yogi Adityanath?

Yogi Adityanath is a prominent Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, one of India's most populous states. Born as Ajay Singh Bisht, Yogi Adityanath is known for his controversial remarks and actions, as well as his strong stance on Hindutva ideology.

Yogi Adityanath started his political career as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's parliament, in 1998. He has been a member of parliament from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, for five consecutive terms.

Who is Atiq Ahmed?

Atiq Ahmed is a controversial Indian politician and businessman who has been involved in a number of criminal cases over the years. Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Ahmed began his political career as a member of the Samajwadi Party, but later formed his own political party, the Apna Dal.

Ahmed's rise to prominence in Uttar Pradesh politics was marked by violence and criminal activity. He has been accused of involvement in several murders and attempted murders, as well as kidnapping and extortion. Despite these allegations, he has managed to win several elections and has served as a member of parliament from Phulpur, Uttar Pradesh, and a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

Ahmed's criminal past has not stopped him from pursuing his political ambitions, and he has often used his wealth and influence to sway elections in his favor. In 2019, he was even able to secure a ticket from the Bahujan Samaj Party to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Phulpur constituency.

Despite his success as a politician, Ahmed's criminal record has continued to haunt him. In 2017, he was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for his alleged involvement in the murder of a businessman. He was later released on bail, but the case is still pending in court.

Ahmed's controversial reputation has made him a polarizing figure in Indian politics, with some viewing him as a criminal and others as a champion of the underprivileged. Regardless of one's opinions on him, it is clear that Ahmed's political career has been marked by controversy and criminal activity.

https://youtu.be/8KiAquGuavs

[doonitedin]

यूपी में कब आएगा जनसंख्या नियंत्रण कानून? CM योगी ने दिया ये जवाब

यूपी में कब आएगा जनसंख्या नियंत्रण कानून? CM योगी ने दिया ये जवाब

लखनऊ: उत्तर प्रदेश में जनसंख्या नियंत्रण कानून को लेकर सियासी बहस जारी है और लोग इसे लेकर तरह-तरह के कयास भी लगा रहे हैं. इस बीच मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ ने जनसंख्या कानून से जुड़े एक सवाल का जवाब देते हुए बताया कि आखिर कब यूपी में ये कानून आएगा. यूपी चुनाव से पहले आएगा अध्यादेश? सीएम योगी से पूछा गया कि क्या विधानसभा चुनाव से पहले सरकार जनसंख्‍या नियंत्रण अध्यादेश लेकर आएगी. इसका जवाब देते हुए…

[azaadsamachar]

देश के लिए जनसंख्या नियंत्रण एक बड़ी चुनौती

देश के लिए जनसंख्या नियंत्रण एक बड़ी चुनौती

Population control a big challenge for the country सार्वभौमिक सत्य के अनुरूप निरंतर बढ़ती हुई जनसंख्या केवल भारत देश की ही नहीं, अपितु संसार के अधिकतम देशों के लिए समस्या के चहारदीवारी तुल्य है। शायद हीं कोई ऐसा देश होगा जो इस समस्या से अछूता रह गया हो। जहाँ भारत का स्थान क्षेत्रफल की दृष्टि से विश्व में सातवां है , वहीं दूसरी ओर जनसंख्या की दृष्टि से दूसरा। ऐसा नहीं है कि शेष देशों में…

[filternewsofficial]

जनसंख्‍या नियंत्रण: जानिए किन राज्‍यों में है कानून और क्‍या है सुप्रीम कोर्ट की राय?

जनसंख्‍या नियंत्रण: जानिए किन राज्‍यों में है कानून और क्‍या है सुप्रीम कोर्ट की राय?

नई दिल्‍ली. उत्तर प्रदेश (UP) राज्य विधि आयोग की ओर से दो बच्‍चों की नीति (Two Child Policy) लागू करने के लिए जनसंख्या नियंत्रण (Population Control) का जो मसौदा विधेयक तैयार किया जा रहा है, उसे लेकर देश में बहस छिड़ गई है. कुछ लोगों ने मसौदे के समय को लेकर सवाल उठाए हैं, क्‍योंकि राज्‍य में आठ महीने में चुनाव होने हैं तो कुछ ने इस नीति को जल्‍द से जल्‍द लागू करने की वकालत की है. जनसंख्‍या…

[unpluggedtv]

Darul Uloom Deoband opposes the population draft bill of the UP government.

Darul Uloom Deoband, the renowned Islamic seminary, has issued a statement criticizing the state government’s draft population control bill stating that the decision will hurt every section of society. Anyone, according to the draft, who has more than two children will not be able to contest local body polls, will not get promotion in government jobs and will not receive any government subsidy.

[teznews]

UP : शादियों पर प्रतिबंध लगाना होगा ताकि बच्चे का जन्म ही न हो सके - सपा सांसद

UP : शादियों पर प्रतिबंध लगाना होगा ताकि बच्चे का जन्म ही न हो सके – सपा सांसद

उत्तर प्रदेश में प्रस्तावित जनसंख्या नियंत्रण विधेयक के एक मसौदे के अनुसार दो-बच्चों की नीति का उल्लंघन करने वाले को स्थानीय निकाय चुनाव लड़ने, सरकारी नौकरियों के लिए आवेदन करने, पदोन्नति और किसी भी प्रकार की सरकारी सब्सिडी प्राप्त करने का अधिकार नहीं होगा। समाजवादी पार्टी के सांसद शफीकुर रहमान बरक ने जनसंख्या नियंत्रण विधेयक लाने के उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार के कदम को चुनावी प्रचार करार देते हुए तंज…

[greport2018]

Vishwa Hindu Parishad objected to draft proposal for UP's population bill

Vishwa Hindu Parishad objected to draft proposal for UP’s population bill

Ground Report | New Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad; Some Hindu organizations and women’s health experts have objected to the draft proposal for population control issued by the Law Commission of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Vishwa Hindu Parishad objected it has been said in this proposal that families with more than two children should be prevented from getting government facilities and families…

[filternewsofficial]

साक्षात्कारः अनुप्रिया पटेल ने कहा- गठबंधन धर्म का पालन किया जाना चाहिए

साक्षात्कारः अनुप्रिया पटेल ने कहा- गठबंधन धर्म का पालन किया जाना चाहिए

छोटे दलों से मुंह फेरने का खामियाजा भारतीय जनता पार्टी को बीते पंचायत चुनाव में उठाना पड़ा था। अपना दल से बात नहीं बनी, तो भाजपा ने उनके प्रभाव क्षेत्र में अकेले चुनाव लड़ा जिसमें बुरी तरह हार हुई। मौके की नजाकत को भांपते हुए और आगामी 2022 में प्रदेश विधानसभा चुनाव को देखते हुए केंद्र सरकार ने अपना दल (एस) की राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष और मिर्जापुर से सांसद अनुप्रिया पटेल को एक बार फिर से मंत्री बनाया है।…

[vilaspatelvlogs]

संजीव बालियान की CM योगी से अपील, ''जिनके 2 से ज्यादा बच्चे हों, उन्हें न लड़ने दिया जाए पंचायत चुनाव''

संजीव बालियान की CM योगी से अपील, ”जिनके 2 से ज्यादा बच्चे हों, उन्हें न लड़ने दिया जाए पंचायत चुनाव”

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Sanjeev Balyan

बालियान ने लिखा, ”बढ़ती जनसंख्या के कारण प्रदेशवासियों को लाभकारी नीतियों, योजनाओं और संसाधनों का उपयुक्त लाभ नहीं मिल पाता है.’ जरूरी है कि हम प्रदेशवासियों को जनसंख्या नियंत्रण के लिए जागरूक करें.”

मुजफ्फरनगर से भाजपा सांसद और केंद्रीय राज्यमंत्री डॉ. संजीव बालियान.

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[beardedmrbean]

Indian authorities are in international damage control mode after controversial comments about the Prophet Mohammed by a senior ruling party official sparked a diplomatic spat. But inside the country, the home of a prominent Muslim family was demolished by the state in a display of majoritarian might against India’s largest minority community. 

On Sunday afternoon, Mohammad Umam watched in fear and anguish as TV cameras covered the unfolding drama at his family home in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. 

First, a massive deployment of police officers in camouflage vests and hardhats moved towards the house as news camera teams darted in and out of their ranks, recording and relaying the action live.  

Next came the bulldozers. As the police kept journalists within recording distance but safely out of the way, a yellow bulldozer appeared at the gate of the family home, extended a mechanised arm toward the outer wall and tore it down before hacking into the two-story structure, cracking walls and twisting metal rods out of the way. 

“It was all shattered within two hours. It was the only home we had. I watched it all live, the media was showing it live, they were helping the administration make the allegations. We are homeless now. Everything my Dad worked for was shattered in two hours. It was so painful, I don’t have words to explain,” said Umam, his voice breaking with the strain during a phone interview with FRANCE 24 a day after the demolition.  

Umam, 30, hails from a prominent Muslim family in Prayagraj, a teeming city formerly known as Allahabad. His father, Javed Mohammad, is a businessman, activist and member of the Welfare Party of India, a Muslim opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, a state ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

His sister, Afreen Fatima, made national headlines as a student leader in 2019, when protests against the Modi government’s controversial citizenship amendment law erupted across campuses in the capital, New Delhi. Fatima, now 24, has since graduated and is currently an activist and India-based research assistant at the Polis Project, a New York-based research and journalism organisation.

The latest allegations to hit the family are linked to insulting remarks about the Prophet Mohammed made by two ruling party officials in late May, sparking condemnations by several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. 

In a cruel sequence of events emblematic of the discrimination plaguing India’s religious minorities, Islamophobic comments made by officials of a right-wing Hindu nationalist party led to the arrest of a Muslim politician and social worker, followed by the demolition of his home. The destruction was wrought by a bulldozer, an emerging symbol of the crushing might of a state shattering the rights of Muslims in a Hindu-majority nation. 

Arrests in the dead of night 

The Mohammad family’s misfortune began on Friday night, hours after police shot dead two protesters during street demonstrations across the country against the Islamophobic comments made by Nupur Sharma, a BJP spokeswoman, on an Indian TV station. 

Sharma’s remarks, which insulted the Prophet Mohammed, sparked a diplomatic storm, with the governments of nearly 20 countries calling in their Indian envoys for an explanation. It forced the Indian government into swift damage control mode. Sharma, the familiar official voice of the BJP, was suspended last week along with another party official who tweeted her comments, which have since been deleted.    

Protests nevertheless erupted on Friday in several Indian cities as well as in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh in response to the remarks. In Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state governed by hardline Hindu monk and politician Yogi Adityanath, police arrested more than 200 people after the violent protests. 

Shortly before 9pm on Friday, the police arrived at the Mohammad family home. “I was not at home,” recounted Umam, who works in another Indian city. “The police came to talk to my Dad. There were no charges, no warrant, nothing. They said they wanted to talk with my Dad, so he went with the police in his own vehicle.” 

His father had not participated in the protests and had stayed home, posting messages calling for calm on social media, according to Umam. The police would later claim Mohammad was a “mastermind” of Friday’s violent protests. But on Friday night, after a day spent mostly indoors, the 57-year-old Muslim politician had no idea about the allegations that would be levelled against him, and so he duly complied with the police request to accompany them to the police station. 

Hours later, at around 12:30am on Saturday, the police once again arrived at the family home to arrest Umam’s mother and youngest sister, 19-year-old Somaiya Fatima, in the dead of night.  

“They took my mother and younger sister into custody, there was no notice, no allegations. They just intimidated my mother and sister to come with them and they were detained for 30 hours. When the police released my mother and sister, they took them to a relative’s home and told my family not to go home,” said Umam. 

His father remains in detention and has been placed on a list of 10 main “conspirators” of Friday’s violence, which include prominent Muslim activists and leftist politicians. 

‘It was all illegal, and it was all so fast’ 

The family’s physical and emotional destruction was unleashed at a dizzying speed over the weekend, when courts are closed and access to legal injunctions and stay orders is difficult.

The morning after Mohammad’s arrest, Prayagraj’s police chief informed reporters that the activist-politician was the “mastermind” of the previous day’s violence. “Police will take action against gangsters,” said the city’s top police officer in Hindi, adding, “bulldozers will also be used on illegal constructions”.

Hours later – while Mohammad, his wife and daughter were still in detention – the police pasted a notice issued by the city’s development authority on the family’s home. The notice stated the construction of the two-story structure was illegal and it would be demolished the next day at 11am local time. 

“They put the notice on Saturday night. It was the weekend, the courts were closed, there was no time to go to court. My Dad, mother and sister were detained, the main people were in custody. It was all illegal, and it was all so fast. My family members were all frightened, the police were coming every two or three hours, threatening us,” recounted Umam.

Terrified and in shock, the family had no time to recover their belongings before the bulldozers arrived on Sunday afternoon. 

The official harassment of Muslims accused of crimes, followed by the demolition of their homes before the justice process can take its course, is a familiar pattern that has emerged in several Indian states and territories ruled by the BJP. 

It is a strategy, many experts say, conceived by a right-wing politician who has embraced the symbolism of the bulldozer for electoral gains in a country gripped by populist Hindu nationalism. 

‘Bulldozer Baba’ sets a national trend 

The bulldozer made a spectacular entrée on the Indian political stage in the run-up to local elections in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, considered a political launching pad for future prime ministers.

The stakes were high for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath as he campaigned for reelection early this year on a tough-on-crime platform, promising to “bulldoze thugs and mafias”. By the time the BJP swept the polls in March, Adityanath had earned the moniker “Baba Bulldozer” [Papa Bulldozer] as the construction tool became a ubiquitous feature at rallies, bearing candidates and supporters – some even buying plastic toy bulldozers for the occasion.

But it was not fun and games in Muslim neighbourhoods in BJP-ruled states.    

As chief ministers of other BJP-controlled states got in on the Adityanath brand of populism, demolition squads went to work in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. In April, for instance, authorities in Madhya Pradesh razed dozens of homes and shops in a Muslim neighbourhood a day after riots erupted when supporters of Hindutva – or a Hindu nation – held a provocative religious procession through the area.

Condemning the move, Rahul Gandhi, leader of the country’s largest Congress opposition party, tweeted an image of a bulldozer juxtaposed with a screenshot of the Indian constitution, declaring the state’s actions “a demolition of India’s constitutional values”. 

Meanwhile in the capital, New Delhi, a series of demolitions ripped several areas, including Shaheen Bagh, the site of a peaceful 2019 sit-in, when mostly women demonstrated against a citizenship amendment law discriminating against Muslims.

'Collective punishment' for speaking out 

The demolition drives tend to follow a pattern that Seema Chisti – a leading journalist and co-author of the book “Note by Note: The India Story (1947-2017)” – calls a “bulldozer moment” in Indian history. 

Under politicians such as Adityanath, Chisti explains, “all points of contact between Hindus and Muslims – eating, love, burial, religious rights – are turned into moments of conflict requiring the implementation of justice”.  

While there are no provisions under Indian law to demolish the home of anyone accused of a crime, a pattern of “extrajudicial” justice has emerged, where “the political power is the judge, prosecutor, executioner and implementor of the law,” according to Chisti. 

“These are homes where several lives are lived. In India especially, it’s a space shared with the wife, children, grandparents, cousins…and so this is a form of collective punishment that goes against the standards of international law and Indian law,” she explained. 

Gautam Bhatia, a scholar of Indian constitutional law, traced the pattern of a protest turning violent, followed by the police identifying individuals as masterminds. “Immediately after that, the municipality declares that these individuals are residing in unauthorised buildings,” he wrote in a post on the legal website Indian Constitutional Law and Philosophy.

Typically, Bhatia noted, “the time period between the police declaring that it has identified the masterminds behind the violence, the municipality declaring that the buildings are illegal, and the actual demolition, is under twenty-four hours.” 

That’s precisely what happened to the Mohammad family over the weekend. The process was so swift, Umam explained, the family did not have the time to detail obvious discrepancies in the allegations before a court of law. 

The house, Umam noted, was in his mother’s name, since it was part of her dowry from his maternal grandfather. “Our house was registered with the municipal corporation. We lived in the house for 20 years, we paid all the tax bills – property, water, electricity bills, everything. Suddenly they said it was an illegal structure,” he said.  

The demolition notice, he explained, was issued in the wrong name, since his father did not own the property. City authorities also claimed the family had been given a notice on May 10, which the family denies.

A lawyer for the family has filed a case with the city high court, a time-consuming process that, in India, is an ex post facto phenomenon for families already rendered homeless and often helpless by the state. 

The intent of the state authorities, according to Umam, is clear. “My Dad is a social activist who was helping poor people in impoverished areas. He had no criminal record and everyone knew him for his social activism,” he said. “They just wanted to defame him. They don’t want good leaders who help society. They do not want these people to have a voice, they want to silence them.” 

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Hostile school board meetings have members calling it quits (AP) A Nevada school board member said he had thoughts of suicide before stepping down amid threats and harassment. In Virginia, a board member resigned over what she saw as politics driving decisions on masks. The vitriol at board meetings in Wisconsin had one member fearing he would find his tires slashed. School board members are largely unpaid volunteers, traditionally former educators and parents who step forward to shape school policy, choose a superintendent and review the budget. But a growing number are resigning or questioning their willingness to serve as meetings have devolved into shouting contests between deeply political constituencies over how racial issues are taught, masks in schools, and COVID-19 vaccines and testing requirements. In his letter of resignation from Wisconsin’s Oconomowoc Area School Board, Rick Grothaus said its work had become “toxic and impossible to do.” “When I got on, I knew it would be difficult,” Grothaus, a retired educator, said by phone. “But I wasn’t ready or prepared for the vitriolic response that would occur, especially now that the pandemic seemed to just bring everything out in a very, very harsh way. It made it impossible to really do any kind of meaningful work.”

California fire approaches Lake Tahoe after mass evacuation (AP) A ferocious wildfire swept toward Lake Tahoe on Tuesday just hours after roads were clogged with fleeing cars when the entire California resort city of South Lake Tahoe was ordered to evacuate and communities just across the state line in Nevada were warned to get ready to leave. The popular vacation haven normally filled with tens of thousands of summer tourists emptied out Monday as the massive Caldor Fire rapidly expanded. Vehicles loaded with bikes and camping gear and hauling boats were in gridlock traffic, stalled in hazy, brown air that smelled like a campfire. Police and other emergency vehicles whizzed by. “It’s more out of control than I thought,” evacuee Glen Naasz said of the fire that by late Monday had been pushed by strong winds across California highways 50 and 89, burning mountain cabins as it swept down slopes into the Tahoe Basin.

Hurricane Ida traps Louisianans, shatters the power grid (AP) Rescuers set out in hundreds of boats and helicopters to reach people trapped by floodwaters Monday, and utility repair crews rushed in, after a furious Hurricane Ida swamped the Louisiana coast and ravaged the electrical grid in the sticky, late-summer heat. People living amid the maze of rivers and bayous along the state’s Gulf Coast retreated desperately to their attics or roofs and posted their addresses on social media with instructions for search-and-rescue teams on where to find them. More than 1 million customers in Louisiana and Mississippi—including all of New Orleans—were left without power as Ida, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland, pushed through on Sunday and early Monday before weakening into a tropical storm. As it continued to make its way inland with torrential rain and shrieking winds, it was blamed for at least two deaths. But with many roads impassable and cellphone service knocked out in places, the full extent of its fury was still coming into focus. The governor’s office said damage to the power grid appeared “catastrophic.” And local officials warned it could be weeks before power is fully restored, leaving multitudes without refrigeration or air conditioning during the dog days of summer, with highs forecast in the mid-80s to close to 90 by midweek.

Heavily armed criminal group ties hostages to getaway cars after storming Brazilian city (Washington Post) A heavily armed group of bank robbers wreaked havoc across a southeastern Brazilian city early Monday, striking several banks, setting fire to vehicles and tying hostages to their getaway cars, in an assault that left at least three people dead, officials say. Even in a country long accustomed to random spasms of violence, Brazilians reacted with shock and fear. The group stormed Araçatuba, a city of 200,000 in São Paulo state, around midnight to strike several city banking agencies. Gunshots punctured the early-morning quiet. Authorities asked residents to stay inside. Images on social media and local news reports showed at least 10 people clinging to getaway cars, apparently strapped there to deter fire from police. The hostages were reportedly released after the group escaped. The raid bore the characteristics of what criminologists have called a growing pattern: nighttime assaults on midsize Brazilian cities—often elaborate bank heists, intricately planned, well choreographed and executed by well-financed criminal groups equipped with the weaponry and gadgetry of war. The group flew a drone over Araçatuba during the raid, according to local reports, to track movements throughout the city.

EU travel restrictions (AP) The European Union recommended Monday that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there, but member countries will keep the option of allowing fully vaccinated U.S. travelers in. The EU’s decision reflects growing anxiety that the rampant spread of the virus in the U.S. could jump to Europe at a time when Americans are allowed to travel to the continent. Both the EU and the U.S. have faced rising infections this summer, driven by the more contagious delta variant. The guidance issued Monday is nonbinding, however. American tourists should expect a mishmash of travel rules across the continent since the EU has no unified COVID-19 tourism policy and national EU governments have the authority to decide whether or how they keep their borders open during the pandemic.

Italy’s record droughts (La Stampa) The earth is cracking in Italy’s northwest region of Piedmont: the crops and the animals suffer. Italy has been ravaged by fires and storms, like Greece, Turkey and much of Southern Europe. Italy has recorded 1,200 “extreme” meteorological events—a 56% increase from last year. Wildfires ravaged the southern regions of Sardinia, Calabria and Sicily. The town of Florida, in Sicily, is thought to have recorded the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe: 48.8 °C. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall devastated other parts of the country. Coldiretti, Italy’s largest agricultural association, has just summed up the bill for this Italian summer: The damages to agriculture, it says, amount to €1 billion. Wheat yields have fallen 10%; cherries 30%, nectarines 40%. Tomato and corn crops have also suffered heavy losses. Giovanni Bedino, a 59-year-old Italian farmer, has been working the land since he was 15. “I love this job, but a year like this takes away your love,” he told Turin daily La Stampa. “We couldn’t water the fields and nothing came down from the sky. I remember, the summer of 2003 was a very difficult one—but it wasn’t even close to this year. I have never seen such a drought.”

In India, a debate over population control turns explosive (Washington Post) Yogi Adityanath, a star of India’s political right wing, stood before television cameras in his trademark saffron tunic and dramatically introduced a bill pushing for smaller families—two children at most. In previous decades, this measure by the leader of the country’s most populous state might have been uncontroversial. Over the past month, it’s been explosive. Critics saw a veiled attempt to mobilize Hindu voters by tapping into an age-old trope about India’s Muslim population ballooning out of control. As India barrels toward a pivotal election in Uttar Pradesh early next year, population bills introduced by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have become a new flash point in the national debate, vividly illustrating how the issues of religion and identity, spoken or implied, form the most powerful undercurrent in the country’s politics. Since 2011, when official census figures emerged showing Hindus dipping to 80 percent of India’s population compared to 84 percent in 1951—Muslims increased from 10 percent to 14.2 percent during that same period—the question of how to maintain “demographic balance” has gained urgency for the Hindu movement’s leaders. A 2016 national survey finding that Indian Muslim women had, on average, 2.6 children compared to 2.1 for Hindus provoked more concern.

North Korea appears to have restarted Yongbyon nuclear reactor, U.N. body says (Washington Post) North Korea appears to have restarted its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in July, a “deeply troubling” sign that the country may be on track to expand its nuclear program, according to a new report by the United Nations’ atomic agency. The finding adds another challenge to the Biden administration’s goal of denuclearizing North Korea. Although Yongbyon is not the only site where North Korea has produced highly enriched uranium, its role at the heart of Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions made the facility a bargaining chip in previous negotiations. In 2008, North Korea ceremoniously blew up the reactor’s cooling tower in a largely made-for-TV event amid nuclear talks between the United States and former leader Kim Jong Il. (A new cooling tower was built after the negotiations fell through.)

Last troops exit Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war (AP) The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war. Hours ahead of President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline for shutting down a final airlift, and thus ending the U.S. war, Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport. Thousands of troops had spent a harrowing two weeks protecting a hurried and risky airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans, Americans and others seeking to escape a country once again ruled by Taliban militants. In announcing the completion of the evacuation and war effort. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said the last planes took off from Kabul airport at 3:29 p.m. Washington time, or one minute before midnight in Kabul. He said a number of American citizens, likely numbering in “the very low hundreds,” were left behind, and that he believes they will still be able to leave the country. The final pullout fulfilled Biden’s pledge to end what he called a “forever war” that began in response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania.

Afghanistan’s ‘Gen Z’ fears for future and hard-won freedoms (Reuters) Almost two third of Afghans are under the age of 25, and an entire generation cannot even remember the Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until it was toppled by Western-backed militia in 2001. During that time they enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law, banning girls from school, women from work and carrying out public executions. Since 2001, the militants fought an insurgency in which thousands of Afghans died. Since re-taking power, the group has been quick to reassure students that their education would not be disrupted, also saying it would respect the rights of women and urging talented professionals not to leave the country. But used to a life with cellphones, pop music and mixing of genders, Afghanistan’s “Generation Z”—born roughly in the decade around the turn of the millennium—now fears some freedoms will be taken away, according to interviews with half a dozen Afghan students and young professionals. “I made such big plans, I had all these high reaching goals for myself that stretched to the next 10 years,” said Sosan Nabi, a 21-year-old graduate. “We had a hope for life, a hope for change. But in just one week, they took over the country and in 24 hours they took all our hopes, dreams snatched from in front of our eyes. It was all for nothing.”

They made it out of Afghanistan. But their path ahead is uncertain. (Washington Post) As the United States winds down its evacuation operation in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is accelerating efforts to resettle Afghans on U.S. soil, where they will be expected to apply for visas or humanitarian protection that could put them on a path to legal residency and citizenship. But the chaotic nature of the enormous airlift means that much is unknown: Officials have not said precisely how many Afghan evacuees have made it into the United States or whether all will be allowed to stay. More than 117,000 people had been evacuated from Afghanistan on U.S. and other flights as of Saturday, and Pentagon officials said the vast majority are Afghan citizens. Thousands have arrived in the United States, while thousands more are waiting in “transit hubs” in Europe and the Middle East. They are a mix of brand-new refugees and families with existing immigration applications that have been pending for months or years. Where the evacuees will end up is “a hard question to answer,” said Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS, one of the refugee resettlement agencies operating in the United States. “I don’t really know where they stand,” Hetfield said in an interview. “It’s chaos.”

[znewstech]

Awareness programmes should not lead to 'population imbalance': Adityanath on World Population Day | India News

Awareness programmes should not lead to ‘population imbalance’: Adityanath on World Population Day | India News

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said population control programmes must not lead to an “imbalance” by focusing on “native” residents while the growth rate of some community remains high, a possible reference to Muslims. He said “population stabilisation” should be uniform across different sections of people, and expressed concern over the likelihood of “anarchy” at…

[srd772]

BJP Looks to Maintain Power During the 2022 State Elections, Especially in Uttar Pradesh

February 10th marked the first day of the 2022 elections for each of the five states in India. Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently holds the power in four of the five states, something he looks to keep as several opposing parties seek to regain power. The elections as a whole are widely expected to be a vote regarding the handling of the BJP government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of healthcare infrastructure collapsing, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths, as well as two lockdowns resulting in unemployment for millions of people. In addition to the pandemic, there has been talk of identity politics replacing governance issues, specifically the “explosion of hate speech against Muslims”, resulting in a lack of responsiveness from the police. As has been previously established, Narendra Modi and the BJP have benefitted from the polarization of “Hindus vs. Muslims”, as Hindu people make up 80% of India’s population. An important aspect of this election is the BJP’s ability to keep control of Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state with more than 150 million voters. Modi’s Hindu nationalist ideas have been the most popular throughout this state especially. In an interview from The World, Nitu Malik, a former teacher, and BJP supporter is quoted saying, “that by steering the country towards Hinduism, the BJP is forging a central identity for Indians”. State election voting ends on March 10th, so there is still time for Modi and the BJP to continue campaigning, hoping for continued government control.  

All eyes are on Uttar Pradesh, currently controlled by Narendra Modi and the BJP government, as voters head to the polls. The BJP’s Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister and Hindu monk-turned-politician is up for re-election, looking to solidify a continued government seat for Modi. In an NPR interview, Vijay Bahadur Pathak, BJP state vice president stated that “ the BJP has built houses and toilets for the poor without differentiating between their caste and religion. No one can claim the benefits of government schemes have reached only Hindus and not Muslims”. For a while, the BJP has been on a quest to begin funding and construction on big-ticket projects to improve the economy, create jobs, refurbish current buildings, and build infrastructure. In Ayodhya, India, a three-story temple, which has been demanded by Hindus for over 100 years, is finally under construction by the BJP government with the hopes of pleasing the general will of the people. Modi is pressing his government to make grand promises to please all people: farmers and city folk alike. Though, the party’s core ideals of the Hindu nationalist agenda can not be missed. “Many Hindus have now been persuaded to believe that India’s biggest problem is its Muslims”. At this point, it seems like the country’s Muslim population has no fight left. They are unmatched by the great power of Modi’s populist government, and Modi would like to keep it that way.  

Scattered all over India, but most specifically in Uttar Pradesh, are poor communities in search of help and guidance towards a better life. With the elections being held in the shadow of the pandemic, people all over India are in even greater need than ever. Narendra Modi needs the voting to go in his favor so he has continued power in states around India. Without having those in support of Hindu nationalism in government positions, the ability to further push his agenda is essentially hopeless. In Populism: A Very Short Introduction, Mudde and Kaltwasser reference how “populism can be merged completely with nationalism, when the distinction between the people and the elite is both moral and ethnic” (Mudde and Kaltwasser, 2017, pg. 14). The book also references populism as appealing to the “general will” of the people. Additionally, John B. Judis’ “Us v Them: the birth of populism” references Donald Trump’s ability to connect with the “silent majority”. The connection can be made to Modi connecting with India’s poor “silent majority”, speaking for those with no voice. Modi and the BJP use both their Hindu nationalism as well as appealing to the needs of the poor communities around the country to gain support, further pushing their governmental power, with the underlying help to spread xenophobia towards the Muslim population in India.

Photo Credit: The World. “The streets of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh are full of decorations promoting the BJP.”