India is country of immigrants, even Dravidians, Aryans were immigrant: Justice Markandey Katju
Says Akbar was first father of nation; Lauds Tipu for sending grants to temples
Bhatkal: Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India Markande Katju on Sunday stated that India was a country of immigrants and a majority of people living in the country were from immigrant lineage.
The former judge who is known for his outspoken nature also went on to add even Dravidians and Aryans were immigrants and not natives of India.
He was speaking at the valedictory event of the Centenary Celebrations of Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen Bhatkal. He further added that over 90% of the people in the country are from immigrant lineage.
“India was a land that everyone wanted to come to. So people from all regions, religions, and cultures kept coming to India and that is where India diversified. That’s why we have so many languages, so many cultures, and such a diverse and vibrant population.” He said.
He also went on to add that Mughal Emperor Akbar was the original architect of modern India and was the first father of the nation.
Katju then said misinformation was being spread against Tiger of Mysore Tippu Sultan to hinder his image as a just and prolific ruler.
"Tippu Sultan sent grants to 156 Hindu temples in his kingdom, and today people are saying he was a tyrant and bigot to spoil his image. These attempts to hinder his image must be foiled.” Katju said.
He also condemned the incident from UP wherein a 10-year-old boy was thrashed for refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram”. Katju said events like this, break the country into pieces.
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
