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Legends never die

Ansh Jha
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Legends never die

(Sushant Sir’s reel life) 
On the recruitment day, Sushant and his friend wish each other good luck amidst getting job interview jitters. Instead of appearing for the interview, Sushant moves on to the help desk, glances at his Sonata watch, gets hold of the microphone, and addresses all the interviewees.

Hi guys, 
My start-up is 2 days old. My office is not capacious, but dreams are very big. Would you join me?(Amongst the interviewees, one says, brother, salary?)
At this stage, I am unable to pay you salary, but I will definitely give you a share in my company. If our business sails through, then we will touch the sky together, in otherwise situation, be ready for drowning, but together. But, it would be a great fun flying together.
His friend approaches him and asks to recruit him. Both of them smiles and gives each other a tight hug.

(Sushant Sir’s real life)
In real life, Sushant Sir, a brilliant and versatile actor who had played more than 56 characters in his acting career, had even bigger dreams. From unravelling the mystery of universe to training for Iron Man Triathlon, his bucket list consisted of 50 such dreams. Unfortunately, his list of dreams remains unfulfilled. Apart from being a great actor, explorer, philanthropist, and learner, he was a down to earth personality who always valued his fans and well-wishers. However, in his real life, nobody was there to give him a tight hug, unlike his friend in the reel life. Nobody wanted to fly with him in the vast stretches of the sky, making him feel a leftover, which he wasn’t.

It is hard to believe, but yes, he, who inspired us to join the film industry, is no more with us. It is a well-known fact that bollywood is a tough turf to manoeuvre for rank outsiders. However, Sushant Sir, with his great acting skills, proved everyone wrong and established himself as a successful actor despite facing cut throat competition. 

I implore everyone who dreams of joining the film industry not to feel demoralised, but redoubling efforts. Yes, we need to do it for Sushant Sir. He fought valiantly, and we will continue this battle till we uproot nepotism from the glamorous world of bollywood. Let’s take an oath today that we, the outsiders, will break the doors of film industry with a bang. 

Summing up, there was nobody who stood by Sushant Sir in his trying time. That’s why he felt shattered in his life and took the extreme step. Hence, we need to stay united and promise that we will support each other in every possible manner, be it financial or emotional support, till we win the battle initiated by Sushant Sir. 

PS: Sir, we will fulfill your remaining 38 dreams. 

Hindu philosophy and the LGBTQ+ community

Rahul
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Hindu philosophy and the LGBTQ+ community

The 21st century is known for its progressive movements, dignifying formerly marginalised sections of society. This century has witnessed with recognition, acceptance and empowerment of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) individuals across the world. In September 2018, a landmark ruling delivered by the Supreme Court of India, decriminalised Section 377, a regressive British colonial law, which criminalised same-sex relations. Globally, the taboos surrounding gender and sexuality in the South Asian community continue to persist. Incidences of family rejection, societal ostracisation, mental health issues, forced marriages, drug abuse, and suicides dawn upon the lives of South Asian LGBTQ+ individuals. There is still a long way to go for LGBTQ+ recognition – let alone acceptance – in this community. 

Glancing at South Asia’s glorious past, a dissonance between the present day attitudes towards LGBTQ+ identities is seen. The recognition of LGBT identities and individuals have existed within mainstream Hindu scriptures for thousands of years. The ‘Dharmashastras’ (codes of law) – including the ‘Manu Smriti’ – and the ‘Kāma Sutra’ (treatise of sensual desires) mention the existence of people of various genders and record relations between members of the same-sex. The Sanskrit dictionary contains as many as 70 different words for gender and the various types of same-sex relations. In the Itihasas (historical accounts), one finds mentions of the the transgender warrior ‘Shikhandin’ and the non-binary form of the Pāndava Prince ‘Arjuna’ as the dancer ‘Brihannala’ in the ‘Mahābharata’. The ‘Vālmiki Rāmāyana’ tells the tale of the birth of Rishi Vashishtha from the male deities, Mitra-Varuna, along with the gender fluidity of Ilā as the ancestor of the Pāndavas and the Kauravas. In the Purānas (mythology), various legends such as Vishnu’s female incarnation, Mohini, consolidate the stance of the Rishis (sages) on gender and sexuality. 

However, let us analyse the position of the core of Hinduism – its philosophy – with respect to the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. 

1. Can the concepts of Hindu philosophy offer an explanation for the existence of LGBTQ+ identities? 

2. Can these philosophies aid in the eradication of discrimination towards this community? 

3. How can ‘Dharma’ (religious duty) and ‘Sanskriti’ (culture) be reconciled with the lives of these individuals? 

  1. Hindu philosophy and LGBTQ+ identities 

‘Naiva strī na pumānesha, na chaivāyam napumsakah. Yadyachharīramādatte tene tene sa yujyate’

The Self is neither female, nor male, nor non-binary. Whatever body it inhabits, it becomes identified with that.

– Shwetāshwatara Upanishad (5.10)

We identify with our ego, body, mind and intellect but according to the Upanishads, this is not who we are. They teach us that while the ego, body, mind and intellect form our apparent transient identity, our essential identity is the Self, the consciousness that is free from identity and witnesses all. They propose that the Ātman (the Self) – the unchanging aspect of an individual – inhabits the bodies of all beings and is free from all attributes (Nāma) and forms (Rūpa). Brahman is the ‘Ultimate Reality’ which underpins existence itself, and the Ātman is the form of Brahman present in all beings. ‘Ayam Ātmā Brahma’ (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म) – Māndukya Upanishad (1.2). The Self is non-different from the Ultimate Reality itself. The Ātman is beyond the notions of gender and sexuality. These aspects are of the body and the mind. 

Currently, there are many theories for the causes of gender dysphoria and alternative sexualities. There is insufficient medical evidence to explain the dysphoria between one’s sex assigned at birth and gender. Studies on preferences across the spectrum of sexuality, including homosexuality and bisexuality, display a partial link between multiple genetic factors, prenatal factors such as hormonal exposure in the womb and birth order in successive male children. However, these factors only account for about a ⅓ of the cause. Which genetic or prenatal factors impact the regions responsible for sexual attraction in the brain? The research is unclear. This does not justify that sexuality or gender identity is a ‘choice’, as environmental influences after birth do not impact sexuality or gender identity. 

Na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin nāyam bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥajo nityaḥ śhāśhvatoyam purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre (Bhagavad Gita, 2.20)

‘The Self is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The Self is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.’

In such a scenario, the theory of reincarnation proposed by Hindu philosophy, can offer an explanation to the emergence of a variety of genders and sexual preferences. From one life to the next, one acquires inclinations, desires and characteristics that can be expressed in future lives. As a result, individuals across the spectrums of gender and sexuality are seen in society. 

Our psychological framework, often observed from birth, can be explained through the Samskāras (impressions) we have obtained across multiple lifetimes. The mind is composed of the Jña (conscious) and the Ajña (unconscious); the imprints made from previous lifetimes deeply embedded in the unconscious mind, can manifest in any future life.  

‘Sharīram yadavāpnoti yachāpyutkrāmatīśhvaraḥ gṛihītvaitāni sanyāti vāyur gandhān ivāśhayāt’ (Bhagavad Gita, 15.8)

As the air carries fragrance from place to place, so does the embodied soul carry the mind and senses with it, when it leaves an old body and enters a new one.

Sexuality can be a desire acquired from a previous life which becomes manifest in the next. In many lifetimes, one may form very close bonds with people of a certain gender. The strength in such relationships may manifest as sexual attraction towards the same-sex or both sexes in the another life. This may provide the final piece in the puzzle of homosexuality and bisexuality. 

Similarly, the existence of transgender, genderfluid, genderqueer and non-binary identities can be explained. Across multiple lives, one may change genders frequently. For example, if one inhabits a female body for multiple lives, one might suddenly be born as a male, resulting in the experience of gender dysphoria. 

  1. Tackling discrimination

Yastu sarvāni bhūtāni ātmanyevānupashyati |sarvabhūteshu chātmānam tato na vijugupsate ||

‘The one who sees all beings in one’s own self, and one’s own self in all beings, does not despise anyone’ 

– Ishāvāsya Upanishad, Verse 6

As we have already established, the concept of an ‘indwelling divinity’ – the Self that is in all beings, is a solution to promote equality between people of different genders and sexualities. The principle of an underlying oneness can enable us to see our shared unity, and perceive our external characteristics as transient. At the same time, we can appreciate our diversity, as we understand them stemming from our former births. Firstly, education on the spectrums of sexuality and gender is essential. It is important to explain that people different from us exist. 

Secondly, we must firmly establish that despite these differences, we are fundamentally one. The concept of an ‘indwelling Divinity’ can end all types of discrimination. 

  1. Reconciliation between Dharma and Sexuality 

Hindu society is heavily centred around family, lineage, traditions and marriage. Homosexuality and bisexuality raise questions regarding ‘Dharma’ – one’s duty towards the family and society. Marriage is for the continuation of the lineage for traditions to continue, and for human population. Gender roles for men and women dictate their duties in a household. Same sex relations bring in a new, unfamiliar dimension to cultural life. 

Shreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ (Bhagavad Gita, 18.35)

Far better is one’s own imperfect Dharma (inclination/duty), than perfect imitation of another. Death in carrying out one’s own Dharma is preferable than that of another, which is full of danger. 

The term ‘Dharma’ can imply one’s intrinsic nature or inclination. Here, if one’s nature is of a particular sexuality or gender, then one is advised to act in accordance to it. Forcing oneself to be another gender or orientation – through conversion therapy, superstitious rituals, and forced marriages – will only bring about destruction in the form of mental health issues, familial collapse, and suicides. 

Same-sex behaviour is often stereotyped to be hypersexualised and promiscuous. Can not the ideals of the Vedas be applied to enhance this community and for its integration in social life?

‘Gribhanāmīte Saubhagatva Yahastam. Mayāpatyā Jaradashtir Yathāsāhah’ (Rig Veda, 10.85.36) 

For great fortune, I accept your hand in union until old age. 

Same-sex marriages and adoption/surrogacy offer a solution for the familial and social dynamic. ‘Sanjāspatyam Suyamam Astu Devāh’ (Rig Veda, 10.85.23) Married life with restraint and child rearing 

Sexuality can be viewed as ‘nature’s form of population control’ for better distribution of resources. Adoption can be considered a form of ‘Dana’ (charity) which can benefit the lives of many orphaned children. Child rearing through surrogacy can continue the lineage. Perhaps the ideals of Mitra-Varuna can be instilled in same-sex couples today! 

आम ग्रामीणों पर सख्ती, रसूखदारों की ‘भक्ति’

प्रियेश उपाध्याय
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आम ग्रामीणों पर सख्ती, रसूखदारों की ‘भक्ति’

सैलाना, रतलाम, मध्य प्रदेश: हाल ही में अनुविभागीय अधिकारी द्वारा कोरोना से बचाव हेतु गाइड लाइन जारी की गई थी। जिसमे नागरिकों व व्यवसायियों हेतु दिशा निर्देश थे। जिनमे व्यापारियों हेतु बिना मास्क लगाए पाए जाने पर प्रथम बार 100 रुपए व दूसरी बार 500 रुपए के अर्थदंड का प्रावधान किया गया था।

वैसे, प्रशासन के निर्देशानुसार कुछ दिनों पहले से ही मास्क ना पहनने पर आमजन हेतु निर्धारित अर्थदण्ड की कार्यवाही की जा रही थी।
ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों से आने वाले लोगों पर प्रशासन ने सख्ती दिखाई व उन पर अर्थदण्ड भी किया व अभी भी कर रहा है। लेकिन, लगता है कि यह सख्ती सिर्फ आसपास के गांवों से आने वाले आम जन पर ही दिखाई गई।

मास्क ना पहनने पर अर्थदण्ड सम्बन्धी दिशानिर्देश मिलने के बाद नगर परिषद के सहायक राजस्व निरीक्षक दौलत राम मकवाना अपने सहयोगी कर्मचारी के साथ वाहन चालको व राहगीरों से मास्क ना पहनने पर उन लोगों से भी अर्थदंड वसूल रहे है जिन्होंने अपने मुंह को रुमाल या गमछे से अच्छी तरह ढ़ंका हुआ होता है।

(वैसे उक्त कर्मचारी स्वयं ठीक से मास्क नहीं लगाए हुए होते हैं)

लेकिन लगता है उनका ध्यान नगर के ही रेस्टोरेंट व्यावसायियों पर नही गया जो कि मानव स्वास्थ्य से सीधे जुड़े खानपान सम्बन्धी व्यवसाय बिना मास्क लगाए धड़ल्ले से कर रहे हैं।

नगर में नाश्ता दुकान संचालक कोरोना से बचाव हेतु जारी की गई गाइड लाइन की सरेआम धज्जियां उड़ा रहे हैं व बेखौंफ होकर बिना मास्क के ही खाद्य पदार्थो का निर्माण व विक्रय कर रहे हैं जो कि जन सामान्य के लिए कभी भी नुकसान देह साबित हो सकता है।

लेकिन ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों से आने वाले आमजन पर सख्ती दिखाकर छाती फुलाने वाला प्रशासन नगर के प्रतिष्ठित व्यवसायियों विशेषकर नाश्ता दुकान संचालकों से ही बचाव सम्बन्धी गाइड लाइन का पालन करवाने में असमर्थ क्यों हैं?

यदि इस लापरवाही की वजह से कुछ होता है, तो इसके प्रति कौन जिम्मेदार होगा? प्रशासन को इस ओर शीघ्र ध्यान देना चाहिए।

Chinese hegemony and a second cold war

siddhartha
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Chinese hegemony and a second cold war

The way China is behaving in the post COVID world, it has made its intentions clear that China is not going to lie low. World should not be under any pretense that Chinese imperialistic ambitions have waned or it is repenting the deadly sins of the Communist Party which in its egregious lust for power has endangered the lives of millions of people around the globe.

This has more to do with the fact that China is Governed by a draconian Government which does not believe in the freedom of speech or expression. They have caged 140 Billion people and use them as their slaves. These slaves are incarcerated behind big concrete walls made by the Chinese CCP to hide their incompetent administration.

Nobody can raise a voice against China and this corona Virus pandemic has exacerbated the predicament of Chinese people who were already leading a suppressed life.

Chinese Communist Party is known to exercise iron fist against pro-democracy supporters but their tactic failed miserably in Hong Kong wherein people continued to put up stiff resistance to Chinese dictatorial ways. The mighty Chinese state had no answer to the continued pro-democracy protestors.

There is seething anger amongst the Chinese people against its Government in the way they handled the Corona crisis. Death figures coming out from China are in 100s of thousands if not millions and it presents a very grim picture and mishandling of the situation by the Chinese Communist Party.

There is also brewing anger and resentment against the world in the way China gifted its virus to the world. Had it not been for Chinese surreptitious designs many people could have escaped the shroud of misery which has engulfed the entire mankind.  

The entire world is up in arms against the nefarious Chinese designs, there are conspiracy theories abound and most of them have substance and credibility as to how this virus was developed in a Wuhan lab to target the United States and disrupt its economy. Some of the leading thinkers and foreign policy experts have made it clear how this spread could have been limited had Chinese Government been more transparent. 

China benefitted immensely from Free Trade agreements and globalization but it did little to open up the country which the US thought would happen, rather China has become more authoritarian. It has become the world’s second-largest economy which is opaque and has expansionist designs. Chinese Sabre rattling with the US and its neighbors has become even more intense as the pandemic has spread to the rest of the world. 

President Trump has rightfully called the virus as “Chinese Virus” rather the whole world should support Trump in calling this virus a Chinese Virus. The USA has been at the vanguard of taking actions against the Chinese by imposing high tariffs on Chinese Products reciprocated by the Chinese.

It has threatened Australia with dire economic consequences, it is taking on Vietnam and Taiwan. It has placed vessels in the South China Sea, PLA (People’s Liberation Army of China) intruded deeply into Indian territory. This brings us to the questions as to why China is behaving the way it is. Here are some of the pertinent answers which we can think off: 

  1. To whip up the nationalistic fervor within its populace which is seething in anger over the way CCP has handled the whole COVID 19 crisis. 
  • Chinese economic hegemonic policies have been dealt with strictly by countries like Australia which have refused to buckle under Chinese pressure and also by countries like India which have thwarted any attempt by the Chinese Army to grab its land.
  • Corporations across the globe are looking for alternatives to China and Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Philipines are some of the better alternatives which they have.
  • People in most of the countries have seen the diabolical design that CCP has and how Chinese Debt trap works. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt-trap_diplomacy

The term ‘Debt-trap diplomacy’ has almost exclusively been used by contemporary critics of the China to describe the country’s loan practices with some developing countries.The term was initially coined to describe a set of alleged negative lending practices by China following an increase in foreign lending by the country in the 2010s. The term was first used by Indian writer Brahma Chellaney to pejoratively describe a number of loans given by China to countries in Asia but has since expanded to include other parts of the world.

https://www.trtworld.com/africa/how-china-s-debt-trap-diplomacy-works-and-what-it-means-32133

“Beijing is accused of luring developing or underdeveloped countries to borrow money for infrastructure projects and later controlling them if they fail to pay off their loans in timeMany describe China’s economic goals in Africa and other parts of the world as a “Trojan horse,” with some analysts voicing criticism toward the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and accusing Beijing of laying ‘debt traps’ with the help of the project. 

Africa expert Muhammed Tandogan, who’s also holds a PHD in International Relations at Istanbul Medeniyet University, told TRT World that China’s impact in Africa has been increasing at an alarming rate.

“Apart from its approach to the continent in the previous century, China has been achieved to be Africa’s leading strategic partner in the first quarter of the 21th Century,” Tandogan said.

On the one hand, he said, Chinese administration gives loans and debts in order to sustain its ambitious BRI, which would pave the way for its global leadership in the future, while on the other hand it seizes assets of the countries that are unable to clear their debts. 

Kenyans recently raised concerns over Beijing’s plans to take over one of its strategic seaports since the African country is unable to clear its debts. Similar concerns have been raised elsewhere. In December 2017, Sri Lanka handed control of the newly-built port of Hambantota to a Chinese operator in order to satisfy part of its significant debt to Chinese lenders. 

Indian Prime Minister has given a clarion call towards AtamNirbhar Bharat with a clear focus to boycott Chinese products but one nation or one leader cannot take on the might of Chinese dispensation.  The Populace of the entire world must rise against the Chinese, for Governments are formed by people like you and me, Common people and if we force our Governments to act against CCC (Communist Chinese Corona) Governments over the world shall necessarily be forced to act against the Chinese Communist Party.

Read forward and share whether who you are an African, an African American, a white, a black, an Indian, an Asian, a Latino  or a European. The entire world needs to stand up for humanity else humanity shall soon be history.

Dhoni’s childhood coach saddened to hear news of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

Ashish Tomar
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Dhoni’s childhood coach saddened to hear news of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

Sushant Singh Rajput’s name has been not only in Bollywood but also in sports headlines for a long time. He has acted in two sports-based films. The first was ‘Kai Po Che’ and the second was ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’. Sushant played Captain MS Dhoni in Neeraj Pandey’s film, through which he garnered tremendous praise.

Sushant had worked very hard to adapt to Dhoni’s character. Not only did he learn the nuances of his playing art from Dhoni but he also copied his gesture. Even Sushant hit a ‘Helicopter shot’ like Mahi in the film. Sushant also went to Dhoni’s childhood coach Keshav Banerjee to learn this shot.

Also Read: 3 Indian players who have not hit a single boundary in the IPL

When Sushant reached Keshav Banerjee, he asked him to teach Dhoni’s ‘helicopter shot’. Keshav Banerjee is saddened to hear the news of Sushant’s death. Banerjee said, “He was a very good person. He used to behave very well. Today I saw the news on the channel, I could not believe it. ”

He said, “I remember when he came to Ranchi. We had a long conversation about sports and film. I was there and Mahi’s friends were also present there. He always used to tell me, Dada, teach Dhoni’s ‘helicopter shot’. “

He said, “He used to ask me how Mahi plays, what are the facial expressions. He was very focused. That’s why things happened so well. You cannot say that he is not a Dhoni. Today I have only memories. I am deeply shocked. “

Let me tell you that there were many such things in the film that Sushant has done exactly like Dhoni. Among them, helicopter shot is also one which Sushant played in the style of Mahi. In this film, Dhoni’s childhood coach Keshav Banerjee’s role is played by actor Rajesh Sharma.

Also Read: See 3 players in international cricket who won the man of the match by playing less than 12 balls

For more cricket related news please visit: The Cricket Fever (thecricketfever.com)

Biased and unjust attack on Prime Minister Modi and his Citizenship Amendment Act

harshukla
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Biased and unjust attack on Prime Minister Modi and his Citizenship Amendment Act

The detractors of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including the western media, have been proclaiming from the rooftop that India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is outright unconstitutional. Over 140 pleas were filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking a hold on implementation of the CAA. But a panel of three Supreme Court judges including the Chief Justice and a Muslim judge refused to accept the pleas in January, 2020. Supreme Court’s refusal proves two things – CAA may not be unconstitutional after all and the unabated attack on Modi is biased and unjust. 

Western media’s news reporters and opinion writers have been spreading a rumor that the Indian Muslims would lose their Indian citizenship under CAA. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nowhere does CAA say that the Indian Muslims will lose their Indian citizenship. This is nothing but fear-mongering and disinformation launched against Modi government. Western media seems to be doing the bidding of Indian National Congress (INC), the opposition party of Sonia Gandhi. 

Contrary to fear-mongering, what CAA does is – provide Indian citizenship to minorities under religious persecution in neighboring Islamic countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. CAA excludes the Muslims though from those three countries simply because they are not under religious persecution in their own Islamic countries. They can always seek immigration to India like anyone else from any other country under Indian immigration laws. It is reported that nearly 4,000 people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, hundreds of them Muslims, have been given Indian citizenship in the past six years.

What is wrong in providing special protection to minorities under persecution? Portraying this act of generosity of India as discriminatory against Muslims is simply wrong. If CAA is discriminatory against Muslims, Civil Rights Act is discriminatory against whites in USA and making reservation in government jobs for lower castes is discriminatory against upper castes in India. It is as simple as that.

If CAA is discriminatory to Muslims, USA’s Lautenberg Amendment of 1990 is discriminatory to Muslims too because it excludes Muslim refugees from Iran to be resettled in USA. It allows only Jews, Christians, and Bahais to be resettled in USA.

The mob psychology created by the western media against Modi is not going to work because he has a mandate from the electorate to implement his party’s election manifesto on a crucial issue of citizenship. What’s more, Modi was re-elected with an overwhelming majority in the last election just a year ago and is highly regarded for his competency, honesty, and selfless service. His unprecedented high approval rating of 93.4% in May 2020 is the testimony of his popularity in India. 

The population of religious minorities fleeing from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and now living in India for decades as stateless refugees is huge. INC who ruled India for 54 years left the refugees at their own plight doing nothing for them. It is Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who pledged to provide Indian citizenship to refugees under persecution in its election manifesto of 2014 and 2019. Making CAA a law of the land is simply fulfilling BJP’s election manifesto. 

What the real grudge of INC in CAA is – excluding the illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants from the Indian citizenship. Although INC ruled India for 54 years it closed its eyes from the fact that the Bangladeshi Muslims were illegal immigrants because it considered them as allies and potential vote-bank. This is the root cause why illegal immigrants are now clamoring for legitimacy of their unlawful infiltration into India.

Knowing fully well the horror of frequent terrorist attacks from Pakistan and economic destruction by infiltration of Bangladeshis, practicing secularism in issuing Indian citizenship is foolhardy and could be a security and economic nightmare for India. 

India is nearly one-third of USA in land area and roughly four times larger in population. At a population density of 460 persons per square kilometer India cannot afford accommodate additional immigrants. USA’s density is only 36 persons per square kilometer. Instead of piling on Prime Minister Modi why doesn’t the American media press its own government to be little more benevolent and let the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from India settle in USA?

It is Muslims who divided India into two countries in 1947. They wanted to live in a separate country of their own and they got one in Pakistan. They should live there happily thereafter. If the Muslims divided India based on their religion why can’t the Pakistanis and Bangladeshis be denied Indian citizenship based on their religion? Muslims who opted to stay back in India despite the lure of Pakistan, a new Islamic country of their own, are true Indians and will never be deprived of their Indian citizenship.

Author: Harnarayan Shukla
Short biography: Retired engineer, immigrant from India with American citizenship, follows Indian news and current affairs, writes poems in Hindi

Op-Eds published: 
(1) In long run, outsourcing is good here and abroad, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, January 24, 2004 
(2) Neocon logic makes India the next target for U.S. war (a satire), St Paul Pioneer Press, January 27, 2005
(3) Where does Gujarat Stand in Foundry Industry, The Times of India, June 30, 1978

Letter to editor
(1) U. S Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s Profanity: How to set a bad example, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, January 8, 2019
(2) India Election: In Minnesota, we are thrilled to have Modi, Star Tribune, May 29, 2014

Park stroll or Chambal ravines stroll for BJP in by-elections of Madhya Pradesh

vinaypujari
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Park stroll or Chambal ravines stroll for BJP in by-elections of Madhya Pradesh

Only BJP can defeat the BJP in the upcoming By-Elections to be held in 24 assembly constituencies of Madhya Pradesh in the coming months. Out of these 24 assembly constituencies, 16 belong to Gwalior-Chambal region a land of mass leaders like Vajpayee and Scindia.

This time it looks more of a park stroll for BJP post -Scindia joining the party. But it can turn out to be a Chambal ravine stroll as well. Although BJP may win the majority of these constituencies, the elections are going to be tough for the BJP due to below reasons.

Three key factors-

  1. Collateral Damage to the long-timers in BJP:

Collateral damages can be dangerous when it comes to insiders. The party which has been known for its disciplined and dedicated cadre, who worked to build it from scratch, can’t afford the defection of such cadre. But this may happen when the cadre which fought against Congress to build the organization may have to vacate their candidature for their erstwhile contenders.

  1. Opportunity for youth and hardworking talent within INC:

Congress has been marred with factionalism everywhere and it has always been a party for privileged few, who runs the party to make cadre more faithful to them rather than the party. This has been and will be the biggest reason to cause disruption in Congress whenever they face defection of such tall leaders.

On the other hand BJP will not have such issues until they follow their core principle which is the cadre-based organisation.

But as every cloud has a silver lining, this is an opportunity for the Congress to start working more on cadre-based grounds and start recognizing the bright and talented youth within the organization.

Although chances of such development within Congress are very grim, but if it happens this prodigy can give a tough fight to their old-time gurus.

  1. All-Stars team fails:

We always think of an unbeatable cricket team or best eleven where you have all the star players for every line-up. But in the real world, such teams are bound to fail.

Similarly, when you have more leaders than party workers, there are very good chances of ego clashes and mistrust.

Whether it is a sport or politics chemistry and accountability among star players is a must, lack of any of it can lead to a disaster.

Time will only decide whether BJP can work on these key factors and bring more stability in governance by bringing more constituencies in its fold in the upcoming state assembly by-elections. Or can Congress capitalize on these factors and surprise all with its performance.

One thing is very clear the dynamics of Gwalior-Chambal politics are changed and this change is witnessed after many decades.  How new dynamics will work will be decided post-election.

I have always witnessed that 2 plus 2 never adds up to 4 in politics, it can be anything and sometimes lead to subtraction as well. It all depends on synergies and narratives.

Reasons why Delhi is failing the coronavirus exam

Anant Chetan
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Reasons why Delhi is failing the coronavirus exam

Every ruling party in every state in India sits for an exam once every five year i.e. the assembly elections. There are different questions for different states with different weightages and the candidates provide answers to those questions. The answers provided are subjective, they include a huge amount of data dump, facts, figures and what not, you name it and you will find it in the answers. Parties have found ways to ace that exam. There are tricks, cheat sheets and short cuts.

But this time, an external examiner i.e. Coronavirus conducted another test. The most important part is that it is free of any prejudices and biases; it attacks people of all religions, castes, states, UTs and cities alike. It came up with the exact same copy of the question paper for each and every state. It did not care, who is who, who said what, who is communal who is secular, who is right or who is left. It tested the veracity of the answers provided by the ruling parties in their respective exams. And not surprisingly those students who keep their internal teachers happy and scored 90% in the internal grading are finding it extremely difficult to score 33%. Although, having said this, I won’t be surprised if some clever people come up and claim that Coronovirus is attacking Dalits and Muslims more. In fact I am waiting for Delhi’s chief minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal to come with a theory that suggests that Coronovirus is working on the behest of BJP, Modi or LG and that is why Delhi has the highest rate.

Yeah, I know it comes at third rank after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu when we look at the number of cases. But we don’t include the population of the states. That’s one of the skill sets of our respected media houses, they are good at manipulating numbers and projecting them the way that suits them. The population of Maharashtra as of 2019 (i.e. in excess of 12.3 crores) is 6.6 times the population of Delhi (i.e. in excess of 1.8 crores). However, the number of covid-19 cases in Maharashtra (1,04,568) are only 2.6 times that of Delhi (38,958). The same goes with the number of deaths linked to Covid-19, the number for Maharashtra is 3,830 whereas for Delhi it is 1,271, which is 3.01 times and is clearly way less than 6.6 times. So, when we bring population of the states in consideration, Delhi is doing far worse than Maharashtra.

Delhi was the last state that witnessed elections before Coronavirus and so the questions asked, the answers provided, the issues raised are still not forgotten and this is the only reason why I am writing specifically about Delhi. Coronavirus has now re-evaluated the answer sheet, and the party that managed more than 60 seats does not look like it deserved it. Forget 62, if the elections were to be held today, the party would struggle to even get double digits.

Kejriwal claimed that the party won 2020 assembly elections on the basis of the work done in the four sectors Bijli, Pani, Healthcare and Education.

What did the party do for Bijli & Pani other than offering free water and electricity? According to Kejriwal, he had done all the calculations and the state had enough funds for the freebies. If that was the case, why is the state now not able to pay salaries of over-worked healthcare employees? Doctors have not received salaries for the last three months. Why? If the state was so rich and if the government was not corrupt, how come the state that was cash rich, revenue surplus since 2010 not able to afford an extra month of lock-down? Kejriwal came on record and released a press briefing stating that we cannot live with lock-down, we have no money to pay salaries. Even when the number of cases is rising exponentially, the state has clearly refused for the possibility of extending the lock-down even when people are dying.

The truth is that his government emptied the coffer while buying the votes and did not expect an external situation like this to happen. And when it did, there was no time to fill up the coffers.

Also read: Delhi: Collateral Damage for nation building!

Moreover, the state that apparently had a lot of money to give away as freebie is forces nurses to work extra hours. Why do nurses need to threaten of indefinite strike to get their just demands fulfilled? The party and its supporters boast about the fact that the government allocates around 14% towards healthcare. Where do the funds go? In providing free medicines? The AAP government has provided free medicines to 18,95,715 people against the target of 18,33,860 people in its 26 hospitals. Is providing free stuff the only way to win elections?

Kejriwal, his party and his supporters brag about Mohalla Clinics as healthcare reforms. They supposedly got appreciation from some international organisations. Where are these clinics now, when people need medical assistance? Closed? The government pays upto Rs 20,000/- per month as rent to the people who lent their property for theses clinics. Are these twenty thousands a part of the healthcare budget allocation? So, in short, there are clinics for which the government pays quite some money, the landlords get upto 20k every month, but these clinics can’t be used. Doesn’t that look like a scam? And what does this say about the international organisations that were endorsing the scheme?

Three hospitals namely, Indira Gandhi Hospital Dwarka, Burari hospital, Ambedkar Nagar Hospital were planned in 1997 and are still not operational. They were supposed to add around 2800 beds. Kejrwial’s government was in full majority and completed all five years, why are the hospitals still not operational? Does it take this long to get a hospital operational? Congress’ snail pace of doing things was one of the reasons why it lost the election. How is AAP doing any different?

In its 2015 election manifesto the party claimed that it will get 5 beds for every 1000 people which is in accordance to the international WHO standards. The party will add 30,000 new beds. These two things are mentioned in the manifesto, you could read online. How many beds did the government add? The government added only 394 beds in last three years, private hospitals that Kejriwal does not support and openly criticizes added way more than that. There are a total of around 9000 beds, out of which majority of beds are in private hospitals. The rest of the beds will be added in the future. When? Maybe in next 25 years. I don’t know.

And Mr. Kejriwal before this election (2020) claimed that the increase in capacity would be 122% and also said “Delhi’s citizens deserve world-class facilities and we will make that a reality“. Coronavirus tested the truthfulness of the statements made. These statements are quite funny to read today. Or may be people should have asked “by when”. He would probably say, I meant it would be like this in 2050. Well hopefully!

Quite interesting is his stand on the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). His government passed an anti-CAA resolution in his assembly as soon as he won the elections, he is against the bill and does not support NRC. So, he is fine with illegal migrants exploiting the limited resources of India but he does not want Indian citizens from outside Delhi to avail limited services that Delhi provides. I can really make this statement look ugly by introducing religion in this, but I prefer not to.

When the lock-down ended, he very confidently came up and said “we are now prepared, lock-down gave us enough time to get ready to handle this situation“. What were his preparations? Throwing out the “outsiders”? He literally asked the people from UP and Bihar to leave as soon as the lock-down started and we saw a big migrant crisis within a couple of weeks into the lock-down. People did not leave because they were having fun on the streets, their struggle was forced on them. One of the two reasons why the outsiders were asked to leave was to make sure that the shortage of healthcare resources can be kept hidden.

Also read: The upcoming Bihar elections and the new Migrant vote bank

The state is now starting to build a makeshift hospital like China did. The hospital will be ready by the end of the month. And here also, he makes a point to highlight the number of beds people from outside Delhi would be using. So, I ask again, what did the government do in the three months of lock-down? Isn’t it too late to start thinking of getting a makeshift hospital and arranging extra beds?

May be because of people like him, the capital city is not a full state. Illegal migrants are welcome, but the citizens of India from other states are not. That’s interesting! Slow claps for the gentlemen.

If you remove “freebies” from the work done by the party, you would literally struggle to find one good thing that the Aam Aadmi Government did in its five years. If you think education is the sector where the government has done something. Just wait for a few years, a tsunami is heading towards Delhi. It would take some years before the student who is studying in class IV to complete high-school. That’s when the crisis would hit Delhi. And the worst part, it won’t be as easy as arranging few extra beds. Students would have complete their school education in a flawed system, you can’t go back in time. Can you? Mission buniyaad is a replica of a system used in Germany. Germans are fighting it, protesting to get rid of this system. Why? Please read the link below, before it is too late. Mission Buniyad kills the career possibilities for one third of the students in Delhi straightaway.

Must Read: Mission Buniyaad: A mission to weaken the foundation

There was a report tabled by the government of Delhi listing the projects that were not approved/delayed by the office of LG. Did anyone read the report? If people had read the report, they would have got some idea as to what was coming for them in the near future. Aam Aadmi Party lead government’s top most priority was/is advertisement. The schemes that it wanted to bring would help the party win election but won’t help the state. Have a look at the article I wrote at that time, SC’s (L-G vs AAP) verdict: An inevitable, silent but deadly storm approaching Delhi. I like two statements from that post:

Mr. Kejriwal can claim the Supreme Court’s verdict as a win, but in reality, it is a win for the L-G as he would not be held accountable for Delhi’s Greece-ification in the coming years.

and

“Terrorism was considered a regional problem and not a global issue until a highly qualified engineer blew up a tower” and “Delhi did not become a failed state until a highly qualified engineer used it as a stage for his political ambitions”.

I am sorry, but these two statements aptly define the conditions in Delhi today. I saw it coming in some form, I am sure a lot of people would have seen it too. But they kept quiet. I don’t understand why. If they did not keep mum when they knew something was not right, people would not have been lying along side the dead bodies in the hospitals today. May be they thought it was not their problem, why should they speak? Is it their problem now? Sooner or later it always becomes our problem. Media is a business, not only in India but every where. They run behind TRPs. But what do the rest of the citizens do? In this era, there are more than enough ways to voice one’s opinions. Blogging is one of them; you tube channels is another; and many more. You could look up the history, the societies where the educated/literate/rich/privileged did not speak up, those societies did not improve a bit; and of course religions too.

Coronavirus is not lethel in itself, it is comorbidity that is the root cause here. The healthcare system in Delhi has not scaled up with time, there has been little or negligible progress in the infrastructure for years if not several decades. Its this stagnation and mismanagement that is killing people. It is my earnest request to everyone, please read the reports and if you find something not good, highlight it. If you have time issues, then please share and promote articles like this one. Unless people know what is happening, nothing is going to change.

Thank you for your time!!!

Also read:
Delhi under siege!!!
Delhi’s Bermuda Triangle

आत्महत्या: पाप या वीरगति

संजीव सिंह
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आत्महत्या: पाप या वीरगति

1) वो न गरीबी और भुखमरी से त्रस्त था।
न ही उसकी मौत मुंबई से पटना पैदल जाते वक्त हुई।

2) उसने न तो सीने पर गोली खा कर कर्तव्यों का पालन करते हुए अपने प्राण न्योछावर किये।
न ही उसकी मृत्यु कोरोना या उसके जैसी भयावह बीमारी के कारन हुई।

3) धार्मिक और क़ानूनी, दोनों ही दृश्टिकोण से आत्महत्या “अपराध” की श्रेणी में आता है।

4) नायक और नायिकाओं को समाज में मनोबल बढ़ाने के लिए जाना जाना चाहिए (नाना पाटेकर,सोनू सूद, अक्षय)।
न की समाज को आत्महत्या हेतु, उकसाने के लिए।

5) रुपहले परदे पर “महेंद्र सिंह धोनी” का किरदार मात्र निभा लेने से, लोगों के आँखों का तारा बना ये बंदा,
अगर धोनी के जीवन के 10% चुनौतियों से भी पला पड़ा होता ….. तो फिर अब तक इसने दो-ढाईसौ बार आत्महत्या की होती।
सुनने में तो ये भी आया था की ये महाशय “राकेश शर्मा” भी बनने वाले थे।

इतना सब जानते हुए भी –
पूरा प्रिंट एवं इलेक्ट्रॉनिक मीडिया कराह रहा है।
सोशल मीडिया में दुःख का सैलाब सा आ गया है।

ऐसा प्रतीत हो रहा है की इन महापुरुष ने आत्महत्या नहीं की है, अपितु “भगत सिंह” जैसे “मेरा रंग दे बसंती चोला” गाते हुए चीनी सरकार द्वारा लद्दाख में अतिक्रमण के विरोध में हसते-हसते फांसी चढ़ गया हो।

ध्यान रहे:
आकस्मिक मृत्यु का दुःख मुझे भी है।
लेकिन sensible दिखने के आडंबर में “आत्महत्या” जैसे अपराध का महिमामंडन नहीं सकता।

Sushant Singh Rajput and Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei – The sad Demise

Thinking Studio
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Sushant Singh Rajput and Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei – The sad Demise

A Sad Loss
The suicide and subsequent news of death of our beloved Bollywood actor and star Sushant Singh Rajput, on 14th June 2020 was shocking and at the same time, disheartening. One can never comprehend the amount of pain the family would be going through, in fact they were probably as spell bounded at the news as anyone in this country. A young artist, a very talented actor, a charismatic performer and good human being is suddenly gone from the world, it is a hole that can never be filled. It is a loss that this country will always remember with pain. The death also gives rise to conspiracy theory of foul play due to the fact that, on 9th June 2020, his previous manager committed suicide by jumping from 14th floor of her apartment. It’s tragic to see such young talent go away, so soon, leaving our hearts void.

The Media Coverage
The national media didn’t leave any stone unturned to cover the news. From the moment the news broke, every single national media house was after it with all its power. The media even went to his home in Patna. They went inside his home, filmed his family, interviewed them, and this went on for quite some time. This is a stressful time for any family who just lost their own child, media should be a bit more respectful in this context. The whole day, every media house was all about this story, various aspects to the story. Psychologists were called in the panel of discussions, talks about depression as a disease, how one should take care of him/herself, how family and friends should be vigilant about it and what not -multiple discussions for the whole day was on air, different channels had their different style of presenting the story. And I’m pretty sure most of us were glued to the television set as well, to get every bit of information possible about this sad incident.

On the same Day
On the same day i.e. 14th June 2020, in the very morning a news broke out about an army personnel who was killed and three others were injured in a cease fire violation by Pakistan forces along the LOC. Every other day, one or more of our jawans die due to Pakistan forces violating the cease fire. I have been hearing such news since a long time now. Literally every other day someone from the army loses their lives. Media shows or prints the news, we read the news and most of us forget about it. We go back to our normal lives. These killings have now, in a way become a part of our routine. Nothing can explain the lack of empathy we show towards these jawans. We live a peaceful life because there’s someone who is awake along the lines of the LOC irrespective of the weather or fear of death. Because there’s a man who stays away from his family most of the times in gruesome environments. Because there’s a family who is sacrificing their happiness day in and day out. But, for us it seems, such news is normal, such deaths are not worth full day coverage, such lives are futile compared to others, the pain of such families are meagre compared to others.

The media doesn’t cover it much, people do not bother much, intellectuals don’t talk about it much, hashtags are not generated, RIP messages are not spread across – but WHY?

Such degradation of the human intellect is saddening, every life matter and that of a defence personnel matters the most, because it is only because of these people we have a life. It is only because of these people that we’ve our independence. The outrage, the empathy, the sadness should be hundred or thousand times more, when our jawans are killed along the LOC or during a combat against terrorist forces. 

The Introspection
We need to prioritise our minds, clear our thoughts, understand our responsibilities, be aggressively vocal where needed. I’m not saying the death of Sushant Singh Rajput should not be condoled, of course not. It is a very sad day for us and his family. Everyone in this country and outside should be saddened by this news and rightly so. But we should also be equally saddened by the killing of Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei – seriously, how many of us even know his name or will remember it? We should be equally covering his family and their pains. We should pay our respect to him and his family as well, hashtags should be generated, RIP messages should be spread, media should cover it in detail.

Here’s the catch though, if we the people don’t care about the deaths of our jawans, then media has no business showing or covering it in length. TRP matters to them and it should, because that is how revenue is generated and the organization operates. But if we want to watch and learn more about Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei, then the media will be bound to cover that story, they will be bound to pay respect and cover these atrocities too. We need to set our priorities right and ask the media to show what matters to us. Life, however small or large, at the end of the day is a human life, and it matters.

For me personally, the death of a sepoy is far more disheartening than anything else and, I say this without meaning any disrespect, but that is how my priorities are set. Someone who is keeping me safe matters more to me than anyone else. His life, his family’s life and their well-being matters to me more than anything else. I would like to see his story too; I would like to know more about him. I would want to ensure his family is well taken care of. I would, I should, and I hope you do too.

JAI HIND

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