#Indian Political News

[nando161mando]

no one for president 2024

[newsbuck]

Political Party Shake-up Unveiled in Latest Politics News Today

Welcome to the latest episode of Politics News Today, where we delve into the dynamic world of politics, providing you with comprehensive updates and insightful analysis. In this edition, we bring you breaking news of a Political Party Shake-up that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape. Our team of seasoned political analysts dissects this major development, offering in-depth coverage of the internal dynamics and external factors contributing to this unprecedented event.

[maintohthakgayibhaishaab]

[tiredguyswag]

"Criminalising marital rape would mean that the institution of marriage in India will crumble."

And what does this say about the institution of marriage in India?

For context, here's what's going on right now:

[workersolidarity]

🇮🇳🇵🇸 🚨

KASHMIRI INDIANS RALLY IN SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE ON INTERNATIONAL AL-QUDS DAY

📹 Scenes from a rally held in solidarity with Palestinians under siege and bombardment in the Gaza Strip in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, in far-northwestern India, on Friday April 5th, 2024, celebrating International Al-Quds Day (occupied Jerusalem).

#source

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[just2bubbly]

omg scrolling through desiblr rn is so toxic and that's obviously because of the election results that happened yesterday. before I rant abt leaders, I need to say that the results were really humbling and that's a big win for democracy all in all (doesn't matter if you rightist or leftist)

what's shocking around here is that people are being hindu-phobic in the names of secularism, name any other religion that would tolerate this in India!! and please you tell me that you see leadership in a person that says that he will remove a reservation bar! - as general category person, this is like carving my own death. I understand that the right wing has leaned into a dictatorship in the recent months but if the leftist with their long chain of alliance comes in power then development is going slow down- leaders own need for power and money is going to result in internal struggle (not to mention the long standing history of alliance never working in the longer run) I'm not a rightist, have learnt that everyone is going to exploit us at the end of the day but it's better to have a party in power that atleast cares about the common people instead of just coming in power

[manisha999]

सत्य भक्ति करे जो हंसा, तारूं तास के इकोतर बंशा ।"

परमात्मा जी ने कहा है कि जो साधक शास्त्रोक्त सत्य साधना भक्ति करता है तो मैं उसकी एक सौ एक (101) पीढ़ी को संसार सागर से पार कर दूँगा यानि पूरे वंश का मोक्ष प्रदान कर दूँगा।

[supermarine-silvally]

BRITISH ELECTION PSA

Now that we finally have a date for the general election it's a good time to mention that IF YOU ARE A COMMONWEALTH CITIZEN and you are RESIDENT IN THE UK you may be able to REGISTER TO VOTE just so you know! You don't have to be a British citizen!

[labbaik-ya-hussain-as]

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A post shared by Khaled Beydoun (@khaledbeydoun)

[churail]

the amount of brain damage this govt is causing to indian academics en masse is possibly unprecedented

(x)

[nando161mando]

Healthcare pls

[olowan-waphiya]

Fake Indian art still a major problem despite federal responsibilities

Criminal pleas surface amid vague ‘Indigenous’ claims Tuesday, March 14, 2023 By Acee Agoyo, Indianz.Com

Efforts to strengthen the Indian Arts and Crafts Act are gaining new steam as government authorities try to enforce a law aimed at addressing fraud and exploitation of Native cultures and ways of life. On Monday, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs unveiled a discussion draft bill called the Amendments to Respect Traditional Indigenous Skill and Talent Act of 2023. Also known as the ARTIST Act [PDF], the proposed legislation seeks to protect the arts, crafts, goods and other creative works that American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian people have produced since time immemorial.

“The ARTIST Act would update the Indian Arts and Crafts Act to support creative economies and strengthen enforcement of current law and protections against counterfeit competition for Native artists and their works,” the committee said in a news release on behalf of Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), the chair of the legislative panel. “This discussion draft reflects direct stakeholder input as well as years of committee oversight and broad commitment to the protection of Native cultural patrimony and revitalization of Indigenous languages,” the release continued.

As enacted in 1990, the Indian Arts and Crafts Act makes it a crime to market, sell or promote an item as “Indian” unless it was created by a citizen of a state or federally recognized tribe or by an artisan certified by a tribe. The law was written to prevent the historical and ongoing misrepresentation of Native arts by non-Native entities. Yet Native artists and their advocates have long complained about the lack of enforcement as fakes and frauds have continued to flood the market and undermine an important source of income in Native communities across the United States.

It’s an issue that Secretary Deb Haaland, who is the first Native person to lead the Department of the Interior, has recognized as a major problem. “Native art is a critical part in telling the story of this country and can only be told by Native artists,” Haaland said in a video message after making history as the first Native person in a presidential cabinet. “Buying authentic pottery, jewelry, mixed-media creations, paintings and other art from Native American artists helps support tribal economies.” “Unfortunately forgery and copies hinder the positive economic opportunities available to Native artists and their families,” said Haaland, who is a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna.

The law was updated in 2000 and in 2010 to strengthen enforcement. But as fraudulent works continue to be sold in some of the largest art markets in the U.S., the ARTIST Act builds on prior efforts by broadly expanding the ways in which federal officers can investigate suspected violations. Federal officers, for instance, would be authorized to make arrests, engage in searches and even conduct seizures for suspected violations of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

They would also be able to inspect shipments coming into the U.S. to ensure compliance with the law, according to provisions of the draft. And for the first time, Native Hawaiians would gain protections for their creative works. The ARTIST Act modifies existing definitions in federal law to ensure that the original inhabitants of Hawaii aren’t left out of enforcement efforts that are available to American Indian and Alaska Native artisans.

To help pay for these enforcement measures, the ARTIST Act authorizes ways in which people suspected of violating the law can have their property forfeited and be required to shoulder the costs of investigations through fines and penalties. A new Indian Arts and Crafts Forfeiture Fund would be established to assist the work of the Department of the Interior.

The draft discussion bill also requires visible and permanent labeling of items that come into the U.S. from Canada or Mexico. Anything that could “possibly be mistaken for, arts and crafts made by Native Americans” must be “indelibly marked with the country of origin,” according to provisions of the the ARTIST Act.

Finally, the ARTIST Act would require trainings of federal law enforcement officers, not only on the Indian Arts and Crafts Act but on the recently-enacted Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act, also known as the STOP Act. The latter law makes it a crime to export tribal cultural property, another issue that has threatened Native cultures and ways of life. “For too long, the export and sale of sacred and culturally significant items from Native peoples in Hawaiʻi, Alaska, and across Indian Country has deprived these communities of their own history and heritage,” Schatz said after the measure was passed and signed into law during the prior session of Congress. “Our bill will help stop the black market trafficking of these items and bring them home.”

Just this month alone, federal authorities announced the resolution of three cases in which the Indian Arts and Crafts Act was violated. In all three instances, non-Natives created and sold fraudulent art by misrepresenting, falsifying and lying about their non-existent tribal backgrounds. In Washington, 52-year-old Lewis Anthony Rath and 67-year-old Jerry Chris Van Dyke, also known as Jerry Witten, pleaded guilty on March 1 to breaking the law.

Both men admitted that they sold fake “Indian” goods in the historic Pike Place Market in Seattle, one of the most heavily trafficked tourist areas in the city. “When non-Native artists falsely claim Indian heritage, they can take sales away from true Indian artists working to support themselves with skills and techniques handed down for generations,” Nick Brown, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, said in a news release. “Stores and galleries need to partner with artists to ensure those artisans and craftsmen advertised as Indian Artists truly have tribal status,” Brown added, offering advice to businesses to ensure they comply with the law.

Rath falsely claimed to belong to the San Carlos Apache Tribe — while producing items that mimicked the Pacific Northwest tribal cultures that are hundreds of miles from his supposed Native homeland in Arizona. According to federal authorities, the goods were sold at the Raven’s Nest Treasure and the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, both of which represented to customers that Rath was Native. And when agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is part of the Department of the Interior, searched Rath’s home and studio, they found feathers from protected birds — including ones from golden eagles. He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of these items in addition to violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

Meanwhile, Van Dyke falsely claimed to be from the Nez Perce Tribe and was selling goods that he claimed were of Alaska Native origin — again far away from his supposed tribal background in Idaho. According to federal authorities, he produced the items using materials that were supplied to him by the non-Native owner of a gallery in Pike Place.

“Van Dyke had worked with the gallery for more than ten years, with the gallery owner providing him with woolly mammoth ivory, antlers, animal bones and fossilized walrus ivory to make the pendants that it sold,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington said in the March 1 news release. A day later in Texas, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District announced the sentencing of Kevin Charles Kowalis, 60, for violating the law. According to federal authorities, he falsely marketed and sold jewelry online that he claimed were of “Zuni” and “Navajo” origin even though he does not belong to either tribal nation.

“Fraud can come in many forms but always carries the intent to deceive a victim,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas said in a news release. “Offenders like this defendant victimize both our cherished Native American community and consumers who believe they’re collecting authentic pieces of Native American culture. We will not stand idle while someone takes advantage of our citizens and our federal resources.” Kowalis will serve five years probation for his crime and was ordered to forfeit his inventory, pay a special assessment and pay restitution to a victimized artist from the Pueblo of Zuni.

The total amount appears to be relatively low — less than $1,500, according to court records. No fines were ordered due to his “inability to pay,” the criminal judgment reads. “This sentencing is important in the fight to end this type of fraud,” said Assistant Director Edward J. Grace of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “Our dedicated team of special agents works on behalf of the Department of the Interior and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to protect American Indian and Alaska Native artists and the consumers who purchase authentic Native American art and craftwork.”

Over in Washington, Rath and Van Dyke are due to be sentenced on May 17. As part of a plea agreement, federal prosecutors said they won’t seek prison time for Van Dyke. Rath did not obtain any promises regarding sentencing in his plea agreement. A federal judge, though, will make the final determination on punishments for both individuals.

“The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) is very pleased that Jerry Chris Van Dyke and Anthony Rath have been brought to justice for their roles in selling fake Indian artwork in violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act,” said Director Meridith Stanton, the leader of the IACB, which is part of the Department of the Interior. “Cases like these are critical to preserving the integrity and viability of authentic Native American art and craftwork in general, as well as preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Nez Perce Tribe and the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the economic livelihoods of their artists and craftspeople,” said Stanton.

The IACB helps look into potential violations of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, offering examples of possible wrongdoing. But the board’s website notes that items that are marketed or portrayed as “Native American style” or “Native American inspired” can be sold without violating the law — so long as there is “qualified labeling” available to the consumer.

The draft discussion of the ARTIST Act maintains the legality of these categories of “Native American-style jewelry” and “Native American-style arts and crafts” but requires that such items be “indelibly marked” or labeled in a “permanent” fashion, to ensure the consumer is aware that they are not produced by an American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian artist.

And while the title of the ARTIST Act contains the word “Indigenous,” the proposed bill does not contain any definitions of a term that has become increasingly used by people who are creating, marketing and selling art that they claim is Native in origin.

An example just emerged in New York, where a self-described activist opened an exhibit in February that appropriates numerous elements of Native culture even after admitting to Indianz.Com that they do not belong to any tribal community. The exhibition, located at a small gallery in the Upper East Side of New York City, notably incorporates the red imagery that Native women developed and brought to prominence to raise awareness to their missing and murdered sisters and relatives. It also includes a visual representation of a Native quilted blanket — albeit with the word “PRETENDIAN” stitched into it.

The Soul of Nations Foundation has prominently marketed the installation as “Indigenous” in origin, a designation that has prompted some Native people to consider reporting it to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for possible violations of the Indian Artist and Crafts Act. In fact, the non-profit’s executive director and founding member, Ernest Hill, contacted Indianz.Com numerous times in advance of the opening on February 24, soliciting news coverage for an individual who removed all references to their supposed tribal affiliation over a year ago.

Yet Hill, whose parents served as religious missionaries to the Navajo Nation and to other reservations, has since refused to answer questions about the exhibition — including inquiries about the artist’s supposed tribal background.

Materials that Soul of Nations produced for the installation claim it is directed to “Indian Country” but the organization has repeatedly refused to respond to inquiries about the use of the designation in connection with someone who admitted they lack ties to any tribal community. Hill and Soul of Nations also have refused to clarify the source of funding for the project.

In press materials, they proudly assert that the installation has received “support” from the Department of State. On social media, Hill and Soul of Nations gave a different story. In response to a prominent Native environmental leader who has repeatedly attempted to hold the self-described activist accountable for the false claims of tribal belonging, they claimed that “no outside funding was provided for this exhibition.”

When asked to explain the discrepancy between the press materials and the social media post regarding their claim of receiving federal support, Hill and the Soul of Nations refused to respond. The organization started blocking Native users on social media and began restricting interactions on one of its accounts after questions were raised about the installation. The Soul of Nations website, incidentally, includes a prominent reference to the “Senate Committee on Indian Affairs” on a page that has been used to solicit monetary donations. The Department of State is also listed in the same section of the site.

Since the opening of the installation last month, the self-described “Indigenous” individual has posted on social media about being on “Day 371” of a “cancel” and a ‘call out” that has purportedly kept them “jobless.” The number of days is counted from the February 25, 2022, story on Indianz.Com that reported on their their non-existent tribal affiliations. The next post on the private account was about the installation, which opened to the public a year following publication of the story. The user has since deleted hundreds of posts about their supposed tribal background from the account, whose name is a variation of an anti-LGBTQ slur.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is accepting comments about the Amendments to Respect Traditional Indigenous Skill and Talent (ARTIST) Act of 2023 until April 14. Comments can be sent to Artist@indian.senate.gov.

[girlthativealwaysbeen]

i think growing up is just life repeatedly sucker punching you and saying bitch you thought things were gonna better lmao no you're so naive and stupid for having hope in 20 years the world will be flaming bag of garbage and no matter how hard you work you'll get eliminated at some point

[becomingabeing]

Day 10: They bring me flowers

@desi-lgbt-fest 12th Century Apsara sculpture ft flowers from our garden

[workersolidarity]

(subtitles are autogenerated and are not particularly accurate)

🇮🇳 🚜 🚨

MASSIVE FARMER'S PROTESTS OUTSIDE INDIAN CAPITAL AND ACROSS THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY

📹 Massive protests are confronted with teargas, armed police with rubber bullets and drones as thousands of farmers, mostly in India's northern Punjab region, protest on Tuesday demanding a Minimum Support Price or MSP for all crops to raise farmer's income.

Dozens of Farmer's unions participated in the strikes, calling for a "Delhi Chalo" or March to Delhi.

Police in and around the capital have erected barriers on highways surrounding New Delhi, and have begun firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the approaching farmers.

Tractors, along with thousands of farm hands, are seen in footage nearing the outskirts of New Delhi, in the northern Haryana state, being confronted by officers with gas and smoke bombs, including some dropped from buzzing drones overhead.

Authorities have shut down Internet services in some areas where protestors approach, and have erected concrete roadblocks and barriers, while local officials have banned public gatherings and are deploying extra security personnel.

Officials in New Delhi emphasized that sufficient police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to all entry points to the city.

Farmers are demanding dozens of changes, including a new MSP or floor price for crops to increase and guarantee farmer income, as well as a full debit waiver, according to local union officials.

Political officials in New Delhi say they're open to talks, with Agriculture Minister, Arjun Munda telling reporters on Tuesday that the Federal government already is "bound to protect the interest of farmers."

"Farmers also need to understand that inconvenience shouldn’t be caused to the public,” Minister Munda said, adding the government was always ready for negotiations with the Farmer's unions.

“We are ready to do everything possible to find a solution to this issue,” he said.

#source

#videosource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[head-post]

Indian police use water cannons, tear gas on rape case protesters

Indian police fired tear gas and water cannons on Tuesday as they clashed with thousands of protesters demanding justice for a doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata this month, Indian media reported.

The discovery of the bloodied body of the 31-year-old doctor at a government hospital in the eastern city has sparked anger across the country over the chronic problem of violence against women. Protests began immediately after the tragedy and were joined by thousands of health workers across the country. Demonstrators also trashed the emergency room at the hospital where the victim worked, demanding protection and a fair investigation.

The protesters are demanding the resignation of state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Representatives of medical unions and also student organisations are participating in the demonstration. They shouted slogans and clashed with police who wielded batons in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

College student Namita Ghosh, who took part in the protest, told AFP that the crowd had intended to “peacefully protest” before the baton attack.

At least 100 protesters “have been arrested on charges of creating violence,” a senior police official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Protesters demand protection

Numerous protests in Kolkata sparked by the crime turned into unruly political rallies, with police clashing with demonstrators from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) angered by the state government.

Doctors’ associations in many cities went on strike in the wake of the killing and stopped non-essential services, but medics have since returned to work. One person has been detained in connection with the offence.

The heinous nature of the attack has prompted comparisons with the horrific gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in Delhi in 2012.

The incident sparked widespread outrage in a country where sexual violence against women is endemic, with an average of about 90 rapes a day in 2022 in a country of 1.4 billion people.

Read more HERE