Khalistan Murdabad' gathering in Patiala

The VHP and Shive Sena staged the 'Khalistan Murdabad' gathering in Patiala on purpose, just as the BJP and RSS are doing all over India. With the Khalistan Zindabad protest, tens of thousands of Khalistani supporters conveyed a strong message to the BJP and all right-wing parties that this is not their playground. The BJP and RSS are to blame for India's fragmentation. On a regular basis, RSS slaughters minorities and forcing them  to defend themselves and raise their guns against BJP and RSS barbarism. There is no need for an opponent when the RSS and BJP are doing the same thing by murdering minorities and oppressing Dalits in India and are exploiting Indian fracture lines. Today, Janata is fighting to rid India of the RSS threat.

𝐁𝐉𝐏 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 20 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐉𝐏-𝐑𝐒𝐒’𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐇𝐢𝐣𝐚𝐛 𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐢, 𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐒𝐒'𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐉𝐏-𝐑𝐒𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞. “𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭”

US Concerns over Human rights violations in India

 US Concerns over Human rights violations in India

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is keeping an eye on some recent "concerning incidents" in India involving government, police, and prison employees violating human rights. Following the conclusion of the 2+2 Ministerial on April 11, Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and their Indian counterparts, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, conducted a joint press conference. "We are following some recent worrying developments in India, including a surge in human rights abuses by some government, police, and prison authorities," Blinken said in his opening remarks.

Extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, rape, severe and life-threatening jail conditions, and prolonged pretrial detention were among the most serious human rights violations. Widespread corruption, reports of political prisoners in several states, and censorship and intimidation of media outlets, including some critical of the government, have all persisted. Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were subject to government limitations on foreign funding, particularly those whose views were deemed not to be in the "national interest," limiting their ability to carry out their missions.

. Eight states have legal restrictions on religious conversion; there are no criminal investigations or accountability for cases of rape, domestic violence, dowry-related deaths, honor killings, sexual harassment, and discrimination against women and girls; and there are no criminal investigations or accountability for cases of rape, domestic violence, dowry-related deaths, honor killings, or sexual harassment. Due to a lack of accountability, violence and discrimination based on religious affiliation, sexual orientation, caste or tribe, including indigenous peoples, continued.

As a government, the BJP has failed to ensure the safety and security of its citizens, particularly minorities.

*Hindutva Goons Rampant - Burnt Houses of innocent Muslims in Karauli

 *Hindutva Goons Rampant - Burnt Houses of innocent Muslims in Karauli  

Hindutva followers burnt more than 40 houses of Muslims in Karauli on April 2, 2022 and later authorities imposed curfew in Muslims neighbourhood. The incident has alarmed all the minorities in India. BJP tacitly did it to promote their vote bank for upcoming elections as it has been doing all over India. Killing people and destroying their properties just to stay in power is a brutal act by BJP.  It is violation of human rights. BJP should refrain from snatching the right to live safely from Indian minorities. Despite destroying properties and injuring a number of Muslims in Karauli, Modi Ji is still unwilling to condemn the wrong doing of BJP workers. He is PM of India and his position demands him to provide security to every Indian irrespective of his religion. While doing religious celebrations, the BJP activists should not destroy properties of Muslims.

The ideology of RSS is dominant in India which is against humanity

 The ideology of RSS is dominant in India which is against humanity

   Comprising about one-fifth of the Indian population, the listed castes or Dalits are a collection of various caste groups which are formally considered polluted and there, untouched by caste Hindus, the strictest classified social system. Are victims of what humans have ever devised. Through religious acceptance, the caste system gave Dalits a sub-human status, and brought them to the bottom of the social system as slaves or worse. Because the social and economic oppression of the Dalits is closely linked to the Hindu religion, over the centuries many Dalits have converted to other religions, especially Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Sikhism and converted to the caste system. Trying to get out of the shackles. As a result, a large number of Dalits have converted to other religions.

Kashmir Files – A tale of Lie

 Kashmir Files – A tale of Lie

The Kashmir Files is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language drama film produced by Zee Studios and written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The whole plot of this ridiculous film is based on falsehoods and fabrication. The goal is to instigate Kashmiri Pandits against Muslims. The story is based on the so-called Kashmiri Pandit migration. It's a sham story full of falsehoods and misinformation designed to inflame anti-Muslim sentiment in India.

 The movie is fanning communal hatred by exaggerating claims on the violence against the Kashmiri Pandits who fled their homes when the Kashmiris intensified their indigenous freedom struggle against India’s illegal occupation in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989.

The Brahmins' suffering is shown in Kashmir Files. The producer must also make a film depicting the assassinations of a big number of Muslims in many Indian states. Muslims are human people and citizens of the country, not insects. I strongly recommend that the producer and director of this video make "Gujarat Files," a documentary about Narendra Modi's killing of innocent Muslims in Gujarat.

There is a violent segment of society that has shut its ears to the truth. Even so-called educated folks attack the truth speaker with street-level terminology. Using obscene language reveals their thoughts. To stir up resentment and promote violence, the recently released film incites hatred and distorts history. This is a political gimmick by the BJP in order to gain political benefit in upcoming ujarat election. 

Indian Missile system; a Risk for South Asia

 Indian Missile system; a Risk for South Asia

With the induction of new weapon systems in South Asia notably BMDs, the region has been turned into risk of war especially unresolved issues notably Kashmir. The sporadic events of violence and state of terrorism in Indian occupied Kashmir, as have been witnessed in past few months, pose serious threats to a major chuck of the entire world population. Indian race towards acquiring maximum hostile war technology and notably a series of unsafe missile system is a proof of Indian thirst towards sole dominance in the region.  

War monger India is walking on the path to destabilize peace of south Asia. They are following Israeli war strategy and tactics. On 9 March 2022, a missile suddenly entered into the territory of Pakistan and hit an isolated zone resulted no loss of life occurred. The firing of an Indian missile into Pakistani territory without warning is not a mistake; it results in India's incompetence to operate such msl systems. It also demonstrates India's command and control system's inability, leading to a nuclear war in the area. Missile launch highlighted the India’s unreliable and dangerous missile system. This type of technical blunder has the potential to spark a major conflict in this region. It is up to the MTCR to decide how they would prohibit Indian missile systems. 

(Muhammad Amir Sheikh)

India is on the verge of Self-destruction

India is on the verge of Self-destruction

In recent days the anti-Muslim propaganda perpetrated by India’s elected and unelected leaders and being supported by the country’s brazenly Islamophobic media, as well as anti-Muslim laws and policies passed or proposed in many states.

Muslims in India have been feeling under threat since the Hindu nationalist BJP came to power in 2014. But in the past year, hostility towards this community became even more overt. Today, far-right Hindu nationalists, with the support and at times encouragement of the government and local authorities, are making it clear to Muslims that they are no longer seen as equal citizens in their own country. Their dietary habits and religious rituals are being attacked and even criminalised. Muslim women are being humiliated and harassed just because they are Muslim. Muslim livelihoods are under threat. Calls are being made for genocide of Muslims. It is no longer safe to be Muslim in BJP’s India.

Under BJP’s leadership, India became one of the most dangerous countries for Muslims and Christians in the world. They are being persecuted physically, psychologically and economically. Laws are being passed to criminalise their religious practices, food habits and even businesses. On top of discriminatory laws, they are also routinely being threatened with and subjected to physical violence. The media, as well as the TV and film industries are prejudiced against them. Perhaps most importantly, the elected rulers of the country are constantly dehumanising and even demonising them to further their own political agenda.

Saffron Terrorism in India

 Saffron Terrorism in India

Samjhauta Incident. The 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred around midnight on 18 February 2007 on the Samjhauta Express, a twice-weekly train service connecting Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. Bombs were set off in two carriages, both filled with passengers, just after the train passed Diwana near the Indian city of Panipat, 80 kilometers (50 mi) north of New Delhi. 70 people were killed in the ensuing fire and dozens more were injured. Of the 70 fatalities, most were Pakistani civilians. The victims also included some Indian civilians and three railway policemen. On 8 January 2011, Aseemanand confessed that Saffron terror outfits were behind the bombing of Samjhauta express.

   Malegaon Blasts

The 2008 Malegaon blasts ensured that “saffron terror” would be added to the Indian political lexicon. While there was quite a political furor over the naming of former ABVP and RSS functionaries in the charge sheet, it was all but ignored that a serving Army officer, namely, Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, had also been involved. Two bomb blasts took place, almost simultaneously, in Maharashtra and Gujarat, on 29 September 2008. The investigation also found links to Hindu extremist groups like the Abhinav Bharat, Rashtriya Jagran Manch, Sharda Sarvagya Peeth, and the Hindu Rashtra Sena. BJP has been acquitting all nominated accused of 2008 bomb blasts.

Ajmer Dargah Attack

The Ajmer Dargah blast occurred on 11 October 2007, outside the Dargah (shrine) of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan, by the Hindutva organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its groups. Swami Aseemanand, in his confession, implicated the then General Secretary Mohan Bhagwat for ordering the terrorist strike..

Conclusion

Hindutva extremists including RSS, VHP, Hindu Mahasba, and poisonous Hindu Sadhus / Pandits are the real face of India. It has been proved that Hindutva people are behind all the conspiracies against innocent Muslims. BJP is being controlled by these Hindutva groups and can’t do anything without their consent. Judges, Police, academics, the private-public sector, the business community, so-called intellectuals, Media, and journalists all are under control of RSS and its Hindutva ideology. Neutral Indians became fed up and now waiting to be freed by these biased elements.

India is heading towards a civil war under PM Modi’srule

 For the past few weeks, Karnataka has been in the news because some colleges in the state have been prohibiting Muslim girl students from wearing the hijab. And it seems that this controversy has a lot to do with the politics of the state, particularly in the coastal region. Muslim women have been wearing hijab for a long why this is an issue at present?. To win the election, the BJP must not only break the OBC-Jat caste consolidation forged by the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance, but it must prevent the Muslim vote from consolidating behind the alliance.

India is heading towards a civil war under PM Modi’srule. They are not talking about inflation, poverty but about Ayodhya and Varanasi. They have got the feeling that by doing this they will get Hindu votes. The people of the country are tired of the propaganda of BJP and Narendra Modi.

BJP is going towards losing Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. They have referred to the protesting farmers as “terrorists. Since a majority of the farmers are from the Jat community, the BJP will be wiped out from Jat dominant western Uttar Pradesh and the rest of the state as well. 

British rule has returned to the country after 70 years of Independence in the form of the BJP government and now the ruling party is frustrated as they will lose the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Kashmir “A Living Hell of Anger and Fear”

 Apart from massive human rights violations by Indian security forces, the occupied State has been in a state of constant siege and surveillance since August 5, 2019. The Kashmiri freedom leadership is still in jails or under house arrest while the masses face the situation of an open prison in extremely cold winter where there is a freezing temperature in the Valley. Thousands of Kashmiris have been killed, detained, tortured, and injured since August 5, 2019. Besides, thousands of Kashmiri youths are still in Indian prisons outside the state boundaries in various parts of India. Indeed, the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A was meant to rehabilitate the Non-Kashmiri Hindus in IIOJK, especially in the Valley of Kashmir. In this regard, Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Youth wing of Bajrang Dal (BD) the religious Hindu militant organization of the Vishva Hindu Parishad are stationed in various parts of IIOJK to terrorize Kashmiri masses and help the settlement of non-Kashmiri Hindu from all over India. These terrorists have been found in killing the Kashmiri youth, torching the houses, and raping the women folk of Kashmir. These terrorist groups have been given total impunity by the Indian State and Government. Prolonging the siege in IIOJK basically aims at enabling the settlement of non-Kashmiri Hindus in the Valley area of IIOJK. Indian Army and paramilitary forces are still continuing with their brutalities in IIOJK by taking cover of discriminatory and inhuman laws, India especially imposed ever since the 1990s.

The only way forward for peace in this nuclearized region is the resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of Kashmiris. As a prelude to this resolution, India must restore the special status of IIOJK as it was before 05 August 2019.

BJP's Never-Ending Dirty & Negative Politics

 BJP's Never-Ending Dirty & Negative Politics

RAW’s Involvement in Recent Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan

 

 

India’s ambition to gain hegemony in the region, old grievances against Pakistan and the game-changer project of CEPC are the factors that compel India to adopt an aggressive and unlawful approach towards Pakistan. The Indian involvement in the recent terrorist attack on the railway line in Balochistan and Anarkali Bazar Lahore of Pakistan is the witness that India does not want Pakistan as an economically and militarily powerful country. The Indian spying network is also involved in promoting terrorist activities in Pakistan, which aim to destabilize Pakistan and label it as a failed state. India’s involvement has created serious implications for the national security and economic progress of the region and may eventually lead to permanent instability in the region. The United Nations (UN) was also provided with the dossiers of the Indian patronage to the insurgent groups in Pakistan by the Government of Pakistan regarding terrorist activities being funded and monitored by the RAW. The Indian interference in the domestic affairs of the regional countries is a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter. The UN is strongly urged to sanction India based on the dossier submitted by Pakistan so that India could be deterred in the future from interfering in the internal affairs of its neighboring states