Amid outcry over lynching of a man in Dadri over rumours of consuming beef, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that some forces doing politics on communal lines were conspiring to defame his government and stall development in the state.

“Some forces are conspiring to spread communalism and we have to remain alert from them,” Akhilesh said while addressing representatives of Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME).

“Today when the world is marching ahead on the path of progress, some forces doing politics on communal lines want to take the country and the state towards backwardness,” he said.

He alleged that these forces want to defame the state government.
“They are raising issues and debates which harm all sections of the society,” he said.

The CM said that conspiracies of such forces need to be foiled to take the state ahead on the path of development.

He said that the people of the state have lived together with brotherhood and harmony since ages.

Akhilesh expressed confidence that peace loving people of the state would not allow forces creating differences to succeed in their designs.

His remarks come in the backdrop of the Dari killing a week ago which has sparked outrage in the country. 50-year-old Iqlakh was dragged out of his home by a 200-strong mob and beaten to death after a public announcement from the local temple that the family had slaughtered a calf and eaten its meat in Bishada village.

Amid political debates over beef ban, country’s apex food export agency Agricultural and Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) feels that it is impossible to ban beef exports as it would hit the economy very hard.

Talking to dna, a senior officer of APEDA on condition of anonymity said, “When we are talking of beef, here the reference is mostly buffalo meat. It is the second largest product exported from country after rice. It gives revenue of over Rs 29,000 crore and banning it would be a big set back for the economy which no government no matter what their political affiliation could afford. Besides, it has no religious significance.” He added, “The political statements coming on the issue are misguiding people. The political leaders are themselves not aware what India is exporting.”

“In fact, under Modi’s Make in India mission, food processing is an important aspect and buffalo meat processing forms an important part of it,” he said adding that there are proposals for expansion in this industry too but refused to divulge the details.

The demand for Indian buffalo meat in international market sparked increase in 2012-13 where the product registered 27% growth, while for processed meat it declined by 28%. The main markets for Indian buffalo meat are Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE.

The reason why Indian buffalo meat is in big demand is because of prices. In 2014, the Meat and Livestock report prepared by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences stated that while a kilogram of buffalo meat from India costs around US $2.88, Brazil and Australia sell it at US $4.52 and US $4.73, respectively. The same year India exported 1.56 million tonnes of buffalo meat popularly known as carabeef, bypassing leading exporting countries like Brazil and Australia which exported only 1.18 million tonnes and 1.07 million tonnes.

In 2014-15, India’s exports of animal products was Rs 33,128.30 crore and this included buffalo meat (Rs 29,282.60 crore), sheep/ goat meat (Rs 828.11 crore), poultry products (Rs 651.21 crore), dairy products (Rs 1,205.38 crore), animal casing (Rs 19.32 crore), processed meat (Rs 14.21 crore), other meat (Rs 2.67 crore), and natural honey (Rs 535.07 crore).

As per the ministry of Food Processing till March 31, 2014, India had 1623 registered slaughterhouses in the country. The top fives states being Maharashtra with 316 slaughterhouses, followed by Uttar Pradesh – 285, Andhra Pradesh – 183, Tamil Nadu – 130 and Karnataka – 96.

An official on condition of anonymity said, “Slaughterhouses are monitored by the state government through municipal authorities and it was not possible for Centre to monitor these and check if the animal being butchered is buffalo or cow. However, we haven’t received any reports of cow slaughtering by any of registered slaughterhouses.”

Only 31% Indians are vegetarians

In 2006, a state of the nation survey was conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) for Hindu-CNN-IBN. It revealed that only 31% Indians were vegetarians. The figures was even lower at 21% for families in which all members are vegetarians. The poll was conducted based on interviews with 14,680 respondents spread across 883 villages and urban areas in 19 states. After the survey was out, CSDS director Sanjay Kumar told the media that the figures did not come as a big surprise. It is a widespread perception that India is vegetarian.

India’s beef exports (Source: APEDA​)

Year Quantity (MT) Value (lakhs)
2012-13 11,07,506.24 17,41,289.27
2013-14 14,49,758.64 26,45,781.58
2014-15 14,75,526.01 29,28,258.19

Did he ever show up? A gloomy-looking bride was spotted anxiously waiting for her fiancée on the side of the road in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province on October 1, China’s National Day.
Apparently her husband was stuck in heavy traffic caused by the national day travel rush. In China, it’s considered a sign of good fortune to start wedding ceremony on time.

In what happens to be a serious security lapse, a young man shot himself at Rajiv Chowk Metro station on Thursday, report ABP news.

The 22-year-old managed to carry a pistol into the station and attempted suicide. He wounded his left arm and was rushed to RML hospital.

The country made pistol he was carrying was undetected by the CISF security personnel.

The busy Rajiv Chowk Metro station is located beneath Connaught Place market in central Delhi.

The youth hails from Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh. The motive for the suicide attempt is yet to be known.

Thousands of religious prisoners in China had their livers, kidneys and corneas ripped out while they were ALIVE to sell to ‘transplant tourists’, claims new film
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in China so their organs can be sold to ‘transplant tourists’, claims documentary
Those allegedly killed belonged to repressed Fulan Gong spiritual practice
Rumours surfaced in 2006 and investigators claim evidence is ‘very strong’
Film offers first full examination into why allegations aren’t taken seriously

China harvested livers, kidneys, corneas and even hearts from tens of thousands religious prisoners while they were still alive and the world is paying no attention, according to a new documentary.
Rumours of the live organ trade in China first surfaced in 2006, and have been supported by human rights lawyers, witnesses and even surgeons who admit having performed the operations.
But claims that supporters of the Falun Gong faith are having their organs sold to wealthy transplant tourists from all over the world are still not taken seriously.
The documentary, Hard to Believe, offers the first sustained examination into why the world is so willing to turn a blind eye to ‘one of the most catastrophic human rights violations in our time’.

The Aam Aadmi Party today dissolved its Maharashtra unit, triggering a sharp reaction from its National Executive member Mayank Gandhi, who said the party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is ‘hell-bent on destroying’ the organisation by playing ‘gutter politics.

The decision, posted on AAP website, said the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) has dissolved “all bodies in Maharashtra.” Reacting to the development, Gandhi, the most prominent face of AAP in Maharashtra, alleged that Kejriwal is determined to finish the party’s root in the state. “AAP people had entered politics by forming a party to clean the gutter, but unfortunately on the contrary, members got overpowered by the gutter politics,” Gandhi told PTI. He took to twitter to express his resentment and said “Beautifully functioning Maharashtra teams dissolved. Sad that politics has won!.” “Let the high command expel me from the party, but the truth is that the high command himself is hellbent to finish the party’s root in Maharashtra,” he said. Gandhi had strongly spoken against removal of founder members of AAP like Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the PAC in March and said he will continue to raise his voice. In a veiled reference to Kejriwal, Gandhi said, “It is now true that AAP has only one voice in the party. Whosoever, puts different voice, not matching with high command, he is kicked out.” “Two type of politics, one that works with the people on the ground and other that do chaplusi in Delhi. The second type has won. Jai ho.,” (sic) he tweeted. According to the party, the decision to disband its state body is part of its process to restructure and strengthen the unit. “In ongoing process of strengthening the organisation in various states, the PAC has decided to dissolve all bodies in Maharashtra,” it said on its website. National Secretary Pankaj Gupta will be in-charge of the state and under him a team will work on organisation building in the state. The new structure will take shape in a very short time. All party members are requested to cooperate with this team in organisation building,” it added. AAP’s Maharashtra unit president Subhash Ware was not immediately available for his comment on the development. However, party sources said the state unit has been in the grip of intense factionalism for quite some time with a section of functionaries resenting the way leaders like Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav had been forced out of the organisation by the central leadership. A state executive member, who does not want to be identified, said Kejriwal is interested only in building the party in his home turf Delhi and has no interest in helping it grow in other parts of the country. –

Like Agatha Christie’s famous whodunit, the Bihar election started with an impressive list of issues: development, susashan, jungle raj, people’s DNA, special status and economic package. But one of by one all of them dropped off, leaving just one behind: caste equations.

Every dialogue emerging from Bihar’s theatre of elections suggests that all parties have now cast jaatiwad in the lead role. On Wednesday, BJP president Amit Shah set the tone of his week-long campaign by reaffirming his party’s faith in reservation system based on castes: “Since the Constitution was drafted, the BJP has been supporting reservation. Lalu ji is saying that if the BJP comes to power here then they will remove reservation. Lalu ji is telling safed jhoot,” Shah said at Begusarai.
Just a day ago, caste was the theme of another BJP leader’s Bihar dream. “If the BJP wins the election, the CM will not be from a forward caste,” party MP and CM-aspirant Giriraj Singh said.
It is not without reason that the BJP B-listers have brought caste back in the spotlight even when Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to talk about development. The equations in the closely-contested election are now stacked up in such a manner that minor swings on caste lines can change the outcome dramatically.
The upper caste voters are solidly behind the BJP. But they are being neutralised by the support the Mahagathbandhan is getting from Muslims, Kurmis and a sizeable portion of Yadavs. The NDA is banking also on the support of Paswans and Kushwahas, whose leaders Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwahas are part of the alliance.
The BJP had entered the Bihar fray with its clever strategy of keeping its own vote bank intact and carving out huge chunks from that of the JD (U)-RJD-Congress alliance. With this objective in mind, it lured leaders from other communities like Pappu Yadav, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Ramkripal Yadav into its fold. The NDA appeared to be gaining initially also because of the rift within the secular front: factors like the exit of Mulayam Singh’s from the Mahagathbandhan and entry of the Left and MIM in the poll fray.
Modi’s rallies in September built the momentum further for the BJP, especially when discussions veered around development and the Rs 1.25 lakh crore package announced by the PM.
And then, caste made a comeback.
Some of the credit for making caste a major issue again in Bihar must go to the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. His interview to the Organiser in which the RSS chief suggested a review of the existing reservation system gave the Mahagathbandhan an opening to redraw the battle lines.
“This is a fight between backwards and forwards,” Lalu Yadav announced dramatically, daring Bhagwat to tweak the reservation system if he had any dum in his moonch.
Lalu’s plan is simple. He knows his party has no chance to make a dent in the BJP vote bank of Brahmins, Vaishyas, Baniyas, Rajputs, Bhumihars and Kayasthas, or among supporters of Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha. The Mahagathbandhan can win only if the backwards, especially the politically significant Extremely Backward castes unite against the BJP and the Mahadalits remain with Nitish Kumar.
The EBCs — or the pachpaniyas, as they are known locally — are a loose coalition of castes scattered across Bihar. They are believed to be between 20 and 25 per cent of the electorate. In a deadlocked election, their support could be decisive. So, both the alliances are now vying for their votes.
At the start of the campaign, it seemed that the EBCs were tilting towards the BJP, mainly because of fear of the return of Yadavs in power, who they see as their rivals among backwards. But the OBC vs EBC narrative may have now given way to the Forward vs Backward debate.
The current direction of the political discourse, where the Mahagathbandhan is setting the caste-based agenda and the BJP is playing catch-up, suggests the equations may be changing again on the ground.
Who will win? Well, even Agatha Christie would have found it difficult to predict the outcome of this thriller.

According to a report published in a leading daily, a whooping 92 crore Indians have Aadhar card now.

Significantly, India being world’s largest democracy have 60 crore citizens with voter ID card. Compared to Aadhar card, number of people having passports and PAN card is abysmally low.

Government is trying to increase transparency by linking several social welfare schemes to Aadhar based bank accounts.Programmes like MGNREGA are now linked to Aadhar. In a landmark judgment, SC said government can’t make Aadhar mandatory, however it can be used for different government schemes.

Update: We’ve been informed that Ojha’s band was Gorkha. Listen to them here, as they’re pretty cool. Thanks to Emilio for the heads up.
We all know scientists love metal. After a long day of peering at beakers as the fluid in them changes color, anyone would need to go apeshit to some Hate Eternal, just to cool off. But though finding the heaviest of metals and naming hideous pests after Dave Mustaine is cool, rarely do metalhead scientists discover something as monumental as, say, flowing water on Mars.
But Nepalese-American grad student Lujendra “Luju” Ojha did just that. According to CNet, Ojha is one of the discoverers of recurring slope lineae, the lines of flowing salt water that were observed on Mars this week. But it’s this photo from Ojha’s website, featuring the scientist bellowing in a death metal band, that seemed to most interest the reporter interviewing him:

When asked about the photo, Ojha responded with some modesty:
“Yeah, that was an old life,” Ojha confesses with a laugh. “I was kind of in poverty with music. I wasn’t making enough money so I said screw music, let’s go to science, maybe there’s more money in it. But there isn’t money in science either.”
Aw! It’s a shame Ojha feels the need to play down his former metal glory. Then again, when you’ve made one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time, you’re probably not as concerned with people knowing how true you are.
Sadly, we can’t find any listing of a Lujendra Ojha on Encyclopedia Metallum, but if anyone knows anything about his band, let us know!
Thanks to David for the heads-up!