AYODHYA (TIP): The consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was held today, January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the rituals. Following the consecration, the shrine will be opened to the public a day later.
The “ Pran Pratishtha” ceremony began at 12.20 p.m.
Mangal Dhwani’ from 50 instruments resonated in Ram temple during consecration event
Fifty traditional musical instruments from across the country were part of a devotional “Mangal Dhwani” that resonated during the consecration ceremony at the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Orchestrated by Ayodhya’s celebrated poet Yatindra Mishra, the grand musical rendition was supported by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
The instruments included pakhawaj, flute and dholak from Uttar Pradesh, veena from Karnataka, algoja from Punjab, sundari from Maharashtra, mardala from Odisha; santoor from Madhya Pradesh, pung from Manipur, nagada and kali from Assam; and tambura from Chhattisgarh. There was also shehnai from Delhi, ravanahatha from Rajasthan, shrikhol and sarod from West Bengal, ghatam from Andhra Pradesh, sitar from Jharkhand, santar from Gujarat, pakhawaj from Bihar, hudka from Uttarakhand and nagaswaram, tavil and mridangam from Tamil Nadu. While about 8,000 people are on the long list of invitees, the select list features 506 A-listers, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, diplomats, judges and high priests. To commemorate the occasion, the Centre gave half a day off to all Government employees including Public Sector Banks. Several States have also followed suit and declared a public holiday.
The consecration ceremony was held after the first phase of the temple’s construction, made possible by a Supreme Court judgment in 2019 on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit. The Hindu litigants argued that the Babri Mosque was constructed at the site of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram. In 1992, the 16th-century mosque was demolished by “kar sevaks”.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Ambassador Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, a career diplomat of the 2002 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, took over as Consul General of India at New York on January 15. He has succeeded Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal who has since taken over as Spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA ) in New Delhi.
Ambassador Pradhan’s diplomatic career includes senior roles in Indian Embassies in Moscow, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan from 2004 to 2012. During 2012-14, he managed India’s relations with Afghanistan and Iran at the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
Prior to the present assignment, Ambassador Pradhan was High Commissioner of India to Tanzania and Permanent Representative to the East African Community (EAC) from August 2021 to January 2024. During this period India- Tanzania relationship was elevated to ‘Strategic Partnership’ and the first overseas campus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in Zanzibar, Tanzania was set up. From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Pradhan served as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India. His international engagements extended to being the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Moscow, from June 2019 to July 2021. Ambassador Pradhan demonstrates a keen interest in economic and energy diplomacy. He is proficient in English, Hindi, Russian and Odiya languages.
Beyond his diplomatic pursuits, he finds enjoyment in playing golf. He is married to Ms. Monalisa and they are proud parents of two daughters, Dibyanshi and Diya.
JERUSALEM (TIP): The Palestinian death toll has soared past 25,000, the health ministry in the Gaza Strip said while the Israeli government appeared far from achieving its goals of crushing the militant group and freeing more than 100 hostages. At the same time, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has denounced Israel for the “heartbreaking” deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and called it unacceptable to resist statehood for the Palestinian people. Israel’s military operations have spread mass destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as secretary-general, Guterres said at the opening of a summit of the G77+China in Uganda’s Kampala.
Israel’s military said on Sunday that its soldiers had killed 15 Palestinian gunmen during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip. In the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, where Israel has been increasing pressure on Hamas in recent weeks, the military said that snipers, backed by air support, had “eliminated a number of terrorists.”
In southern Lebanon, two Hezbollah fighters were killed when an Israeli drone hit their vehicle security sources said. Their ranks were not revealed but a source close to the Iranian-backed group said they were not senior figures. It was the latest strike in an area where Israel has targeted dozens of Hezbollah fighters. Israel’s military said it does not comment on foreign reports. Hezbollah has been trading fire across Lebanon’s southern border with Israeli forces in support of the militia group’s Palestinian ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The level of death, destruction and displacement from the war already is without precedent in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet Israeli officials say the fighting is likely to continue for several more months. Missile attacks in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen have thrown into sharp focus the increasing risk of the war in Gaza triggering a wider regional conflict pitting Iran and its allies against Israel and the US.
After Israeli strikes killed 5 military advisers of Iran in Syria’s Damascus, missiles and rockets launched by Iran-backed militants in Iraq, where such groups have targeted US forces, hit al-Asad air base, the US Central Command said. A number of US personnel were being evaluated for traumatic brain injuries and one Iraqi service member was wounded.
The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is an annual literary festival that takes place in Pink City every year. Founded in 2006, the 17th JLF is scheduled in Jaipur from February 1-5. The festival is an initiative of Jaipur Virasat Foundation which was founded by Faith Singh, originally as a segment of the Jaipur Heritage International Festival and developed into a free-standing festival of literature with international fame. In 2012, a number of events occurred related to Salman Rushdie and the Satanic Verses controversy. JLF has reached every literary corner of the world. What used to be virtual during the Corona period is now becoming visible in foreign cities. The credit to create literary sensation and others to organise similar events in parts of India certainly goes to Sanjay Roy, William Dalrymple and Namita Gokhale.
Namita, co-founder and co-director of JLF, is a well-known litterateur. r. She is the author of 23 works of fiction and non-fiction. Her acclaimed debut novel, Paro: Dreams of Passion, was published in 1984. She is the recipient of various prizes and awards, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Literature) Award 2021 for her novel Things to Leave Behind. Following are the excerpts of her Online 10 Q-A with Dr Yash Goyal.
Namita Gokhale, co-founder and co-director of JLF
Q. The 17th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival 2024 will begin next month. With what intention did you guys start JLF in Jaipur?
A. We began with a love for literature, across borders, and a deep belief in Indian writing in all its avatars.
Q. Since this festival started from Jaipur, how much literary benefit did Rajasthan’s writers get from it? What is the criteria for selecting a writer?
A. We try to programme a range of writers from Jaipur and different parts of Rajasthan. We include new voices, women writers, and the oral heritage as well as established writers and Sahitya Akademi awardees. Shri Nand Bharadwaj and Shri CP Deval have also guided us over the years.
Q. This festival also focuses on Rajasthani language and its litterateurs. But Rajasthani language did not get constitutional recognition in 17 years. What do you think of it.
A. It is a complex issue. Rajasthani certain deserves constitutional recognition but the many dialects are cited as a factor in this delay in giving the language its due.
Q. Lok Sabha elections are going to be held soon. There is an atmosphere of Ayodhya and Lord Ram in the entire country. Would JLF want to know the minds of litterateurs on this very religious subject in any of this year’s sessions?
A. We have a session on Tulsidas and the Ramcharit Manas which should be of interest to our audiences.
Q. From a commercial point of view, JLF has now become global. Has this created any bridge between Indian and foreign writers?
A. The global editions have led to deepened ties with diasporic authors of Indian origin and creative exchanges with international writers we interact with. Many valuable initiatives have resulted from this.
Q. What are the reasons for the popularity of JLF in India and abroad? Now there are many such literary festivals in almost every state, do you guys feel any competition with them?
A. The Jaipur Literature Festival draws international audiences because the programming is creative, rooted, and provides many different perspectives and points of view. As for competition – we welcome it, for we can all constantly learn from each other.
Q. How much did JLF’s sponsors increase in these 17 years? Do they also have to compete for admission in JLF?
A. We have had many wonderful and supportive sponsors, but these things took a hit during the pandemic years.
Q. You are also a great writer, what kind of writing do you have preferred in your literature? Your novel ‘Things to liv behind’ received the Sahitya Academy Award, what is it all about?
A.I have written 23 books by now – including novels, short stories, anthologies, with themes around the Himalaya, and religion, and the interpretation of myth. There is also a play co-authored with Malashri Lal on the life of Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
‘Things to Leave Behind’ is a work of historical fiction set in Kumaon in the years 1840 to 1912. I am a Kumaoni and ‘Things to Leave Behind’ is a tribute to the rich heritage of the region.
Q. Your another novel ‘Never Never Land’, why is this getting popularity?
A. My new novel ‘Never Never Land’ will be released soon. It is set in the familiar landscape of the Himalayas. Let’s see how readers respond to it.
Q. JLF’s every session has a record number of young boys’ and girls’ footfall, whether they attend the session or not? Don’t you think JLF emerged as the best fashion and a joint for youngsters at least in Pink City?
A. I think it’s wonderful that so many young people attend the festival as a lifestyle choice. Reading is to be enjoyed, it’s a pleasurable activity, and it’s good that they enjoy being there.
Q. What is the future of JLF in the next 5 years?
A. The future can never be foretold – but of this I’m sure, that reading will never go out of fashion. We will go from strength to strength as we continue to creatively interpret the role of the LitFest.
(Yashpal Goyal is Special Correspondent, TIP, Jaipur)
I count myself among those who consider Mr. Trump to be manifestly unfit to serve in any office ever again because of his actions on that day, even if he is not held criminally liable. But being unfit is not the same thing as being ineligible. What makes the Colorado Supreme Court — or any court — believe that it has a privileged understanding of those events that is beyond the capacity of the public to discern?
By Noah Millman
Perhaps the public is misinformed, or refuses to let itself be accurately informed, even at this late date, about what happened. The need for expertise and deliberation is why we have a representative democracy; the people do not act directly to make laws, but act through their representatives.
Intense debate has accompanied the decision by the Supreme Court to review the decision by Colorado’s highest court to bar Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballots based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — about the precise meaning of the word “insurrection,” the extent of Mr. Trump’s culpability for the events of Jan. 6 and other legal issues. I’m not going to predict how the Supreme Court will rule, or whether its ruling will be persuasive to those with a different view of the law. But there’s a critical philosophical question that lies beneath the legal questions in this case. In a representative democracy, the people are sovereign, and they express their sovereignty through representatives of their choice. If the courts presume to pre-emptively reject the people’s choice, then who is truly sovereign?
The question of sovereignty was central to the purpose of the 14th Amendment in the first place. The Civil War — unquestionably an armed insurrection — was fought because of slavery. That was the reason for the war.
But its justification was a dispute over sovereignty, whether it resided primarily with the people of the individual states or with the people of the United States, who had established the Constitution.
The answer was settled on the battlefield, but it was ratified through the 14th Amendment, which defined who is a citizen of the United States and established that the “privileges or immunities” of same supersede any state laws that might abridge them. From now on, there would be no ambiguity: Under the Constitution, the people of the United States are sovereign, and this sovereignty supersedes the sovereignty of the people of the individual states whenever the privileges and immunities of the former are in conflict with the will of the latter.
Section 3 of that amendment was similarly enacted in order to secure federal supremacy. Rebel officers might well have retained strong popular support in the former Confederate states, but Section 3 prevented the rebellion from being continued by electoral means. The people of South Carolina might prefer to be represented by former rebels, but the people of the United States, whose sovereignty trumps South Carolina’s, forbid it.
Whose sovereignty, though, trumps the people as a whole?
Donald Trump is the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination for president and has a close to even-odds chance of winning the general election. That would seem to have no bearing on his eligibility to run. If a majority of the country wanted Barack Obama or Arnold Schwarzenegger or Selena Gomez to be president, it would be out of luck. The Constitution renders them ineligible: Mr. Obama has already been elected twice, Mr. Schwarzenegger was not born a U.S. citizen and Ms. Gomez is under 35 years old.
For that very reason, though, those individuals aren’t likely to run — and if they did try to run, their ineligibility would be manifest, recognized by everyone. Similarly, former Confederate officers and officials, by serving in the Confederacy, had explicitly declared themselves insurrectionists. Congress passed a broad amnesty in 1872 to lift the penalties associated with the involvement of most in insurrection, including that imposed by Section 3 of the 14th Amendment; some individuals not covered by the amnesty petitioned successfully for the restoration of their civil rights, and in other cases the prohibition was simply not enforced. But the essential fact of participation in the insurrection was not in dispute.
The situation with Mr. Trump could not be more different. An overwhelming majority of his party, and apparently about half of the country as a whole, considers him to be eligible to be president again. Moreover, these voters believe this even though, as President Biden said recently, “we saw with our own eyes” what happened on Jan. 6.
I count myself among those who consider Mr. Trump to be manifestly unfit to serve in any office ever again because of his actions on that day, even if he is not held criminally liable. But being unfit is not the same thing as being ineligible. What makes the Colorado Supreme Court — or any court — believe that it has a privileged understanding of those events that is beyond the capacity of the public to discern?
Perhaps the public is misinformed, or refuses to let itself be accurately informed, even at this late date, about what happened. The need for expertise and deliberation is why we have a representative democracy; the people do not act directly to make laws, but act through their representatives.
It’s notable in that regard, then, that impeachment — the remedy the Constitution provides for a president who violates his oath of office — does not involve the courts but the people, acting through their representatives. And the court of the people already had the opportunity to weigh in on Mr. Trump’s culpability for the events of Jan. 6. He was impeached an unprecedented second time by the House of Representatives for his actions on that day. But in the trial that followed in the Senate, Mr. Trump was acquitted.
That does not mean he is innocent. But it does mean that the Colorado Supreme Court has, in effect, declared that it outranks the Senate, and can overrule that body’s decision.
Some Republican senators, including the minority leader, Mitch McConnell, effectively asked the courts to do just that during the impeachment debate. Arguing that they had no authority to try a president whose term had ended, they refused to consider the facts of the case. But this was not a principled view. The Senate had already voted separately on the question of jurisdiction, and a majority determined that they did have the ability to try a president whose term had ended. Once that question was settled by the Senate itself, senators who thought Mr. Trump was guilty, including those who voted the other way on the jurisdictional question, could vote their consciences on the matter at trial.
Since the senators still voted to acquit, it must be because they did not think he was guilty, or did not deserve punishment for his guilt. Or, reflecting gross cowardice, perhaps they did not want the responsibility for convicting him, and preferred the courts to shoulder that responsibility instead.
That’s precisely what the Colorado Supreme Court has decided to do. But in so doing, it has usurped the proper prerogative of the people. It is saying, in so many words, that the people’s representatives got it wrong in the impeachment trial, and the people themselves are incapable of seeing what is in front of their eyes. Therefore, the court must save the people from the possibility of making a catastrophically wrong decision.
Democracy cannot be saved in this fashion, not even from the threat of a demagogue with contempt for the rule of law. It can be saved only by democratic means. If the people’s representatives failed to do their duty, as they did in Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, the last line of democracy’s defense is the sovereign people themselves. At the point that we cannot trust them, democracy is dead already.
(Mr. Millman has written extensively about politics, policy and culture, and is the author of the newsletter Gideon’s Substack)
(Source: New York Times)
Since 1971 “World Economic Forum”(WEF) has been holding an annual most expensive carnival at Davos, the super luxury ski resort in Switzerland. Here Billionaires talk to millionaires and pretend to discuss how to end inequality and other world problems in most luxurious settings with most lavish & expensive food, wines, champagne and hard liquor served for them! 2,500 participants from 90 countries, world’s richest, most powerful and downright famous about 0.00004% of the world’s 7.4 Billion population deciding the world’s fate behind a curtain of extremely tight security, secrecy and doublespeak. Since than these rich have become more rich and poor has become more poor. According to Oxfam in 2016, only world’s 8 richest headed by the Microsoft founder Bill Gates were worth $426bn (£350bn), equivalent to the wealth of 3.6 billion people. According to Credit Suisse’s global wealth report published in Nov. 2017, “The world’s richest people have seen their share of the globe’s total wealth increase from 42.5% at the height of the 2008 financial crisis to 50.1% in 2017, or $140 Trillion.”
Jody Williams (the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winner) said, “These guys just want to convince people that they care about others, which they don’t, and then get back to making money as fast as they can,”
Larry Summers an economist & former Treasury Secretary under President Clinton once told a reporter that Davos is fundamentally an exercise in corporate speed-dating. “Everyone comes because everyone else comes.” A hedge-fund manager or a C.E.O. can pack into a few days the dozens of meetings—with other executives, with heads of state or their deputies, with non-governmental organizations whose phone calls might otherwise have been ignored—that it would normally take months to arrange and tens of thousands of Gulfstream miles to attend. They conduct these compressed and occasionally fruitful couplings, the so-called bilateral meetings, either in private rooms that the WEF has set aside for this purpose or in hotel rooms, restaurants, and hallways. All that’s missing is the hourly rate.
This yeas the 4 day exclusive carnival for the world’s richest and most powerful was held from January 23rd to 26th 2018. Membership and partnership fees range from 60,000 Swiss francs ($62,243) to 600,000 Swiss francs (around $622,000) “depending on the level of engagement.” Every participant has to pay extra $27,000, a fee over and above the membership or partnership fees. That still does not include Hotel accommodation and air fare. On top of that Participant has to be only from the world’s top thousand companies.
Every participant wears a color coded badge based on a series of closely guarded criteria. The color of the badge denotes a role and a degree of access for the participant. The holographic is the top badge for senior government policy makers and the coveted pass is the white one that grants delegates free rein. A Strategic Partner gets a blue dot on the white and has access to an exclusive lounge. The Green is for “Entourage” with very limited access and Media Reporters wear “Orange” and can’t get in a lot of places. Apart from fees, WEF also accepts grants, donations and legacies. They also subsidize the scores of academics, scientists, artists, journalists, and N.G.O. chiefs who attend for free. Everyone, whether he pays or not, has to be invited. WEF Founder Chairman Klaus Schwab says, “You cannot buy your way in, it’s a large club meeting and you do need an invitation!”
The man behind this annual super luxury 4 days carnival with a fancy theme rather a fancy slogan for each year for billionaires and millionaires by invitation only; is an German academic Klaus Schwab. He is the founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) that he started in 1971 as European Management Forum and in 1987 changed the name to ‘World Economic Forum”. His salary and benefits are undisclosed but average employee at WEF makes over 200,000 Swiss francs per year and operate from a swanky super luxurious Head Quarter in Geneva. Over the years WEF has also become a very successful money-making enterprise, with revenues of 280,000 Swiss francs and a surplus of 1.2 million Swiss francs in the financial year from July 2016 to June 2017.
Klaus Schwab here and there do indulge in stage managed self-criticism. In 2012 when the theme of the WEF was “The Great Transformation” he said “Capitalism, in its current form, no longer fits the world around us.” “We have sinned.” He also spoke of the danger of “intergenerational conflict.” However, the benefits of economic growth remain elusive for many.
For the 2018 WEF theme “Strengthening Cooperation in a Fractured World” in Sep. 2017, he wrote in a WEF statement that “Our collective inability to secure inclusive growth and preserve our scarce resources puts multiple global systems at risk simultaneously.” “Our first response must be to develop new models for cooperation that are not based on narrow interests but on the destiny of humanity as a whole.”
280 sessions many of them were closed door exclusive meetings, even the media is not allowed in them. As you can imagine, with that many meetings, surrounded by varying degrees of secrecy outsiders have no clue what is going on behind closed doors. The public ones, which anyone can attend are just for media hype. The closed ones; which only those participants with a white badge can attend and then the totally private ones that you don’t even know have happened. Those are where the big deals are discussed, behind closed doors.
On top of that often, there are dozens of private parties by invitation from the host only, organized every day by big corporations for their clients or head of the state or its officials making a sales pitch to CEO’s of big corporations to come and set up their shops in their countries. Indeed these are the most lavish and the best dinner parties in the world with world renowned music bands or stars from the entertainment industry to entertain the guest. This years well-known participants include actors Cate Blanchett, Shah Rukh Khan and musician Paul Williams and singer Elton John and few well known music bands.
WEF/Davos Effect on common Americans: USA is always represented at WEF carnival at Davos by the largest contingent of super rich and powerful. This year again USA ranked First with 840 participants! After 47 years of participation at WEF by the richest and most powerful of USA; 78% of the U.S. population now lives paycheck to paycheck, with essentially zero savings. CEOs, tech entrepreneurs, and other members of the “1%”—are doing exceptionally great. There has never been a better time for wealthy Americans! But the truth is, for majority of Americans, the situation is getting much, much worse every year. The middle class; the most politically and economically stable part of the American society is being pushed down into upper lower class by the rich and powerful.
According to Productivity Pay tracker chart, Since 1973, pay and productivity have diverged.
Productivity has grown 5.9x more than worker’s hourly pay
The income, wages, and wealth generated over the last four decades have failed to “trickle down” to the vast majority largely because policy choices made on behalf of those with the most income, wealth, and power got the 90% share that has exacerbated inequality. In essence, rising inequality has prevented potential pay growth from translating into actual pay growth for most workers. The result has been wage stagnation.
According to Economic Policy Institute, CEO compensation increased from $1.5 million in 1978 to $16.3 million in 2014, or 997 percent, a rise almost double stock market growth. Over the same time period, a typical worker’s wages grew very little: the annual compensation, adjusted for inflation, of the average private-sector production and nonsupervisory worker (comprising 82 percent of total payroll employment) rose from $48,000 in 1978 to just $53,200 in 2014, an increase of only 10.9 percent. Due to this unequal growth, average top CEOs now make over 300 times what typical workers earn.
From East to West and from North to South at WEF, no one said any thing on the ongoing Israeli brutal occupation of Palestine, stealing of its land and human genocide of Palestinians since 1967. This is despite the fact that Israel is the only country in the world that is illegally occupying another country in the world. They did lip service to the rising global economic inequality, poverty and hunger, human rights and freedom of free speech violations, mistreatment of women, environmental degradation and widespread armed conflicts. No one from the elite club of the world’s richest & most powerful, called for the “Re-modelling of the Capitalism” to fight all these problems in the universe.
All these years of WEF, if political leaders could not be persuaded to change their minds on basic human rights, freedom of speech, human and equal status for women, environment protection and stop to widespread armed conflicts And if billionaires could not be persuaded to pledge money to eradicate rising economic inequality, global poverty and hunger, with the conversations and meetings they have had there, the WEF have failed miserably. So it is safe to say that, in terms of the WEF’s stated commitment of “improving the state of the world,” is nothing but gross misrepresentation rather pure lie.
On top of that the problem with WEF is; it is fundamentally illegitimate because it has no democratic basis whatsoever. It is not transparent because they do not open up their books to the public and they allow secret meetings that are not even open to some of the participants or televised for public or open to media scrutiny. On top of that the richest participants at the WEF have let down the humanity by allowing massive global economic inequality.
“Davos Man” phrase was originally coined by the Political scientist Samuel P. Huntington because the vast majority of WEF members were originally men; the term later expanded to include the Davos woman. Davos man/Davos woman refers to the members of the WEF a collection of leaders from a variety of fields from around the world. Huntington argued in his 2004 article “Dead Souls” The Denationalization of the American Elite” that the Davos man’s view of a global identity is not shared by the majority of common citizens. He decried a post-national wealthy globe-trotting elite. “Davos Man” can be either a capitalist oppressor or a Commie conspirator. Either way, he is a windbag, a pedant, and a hypocrite.
(Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis data https://www.epi.org/productivity-pay-gap/)
New Jersey, US based Devendra Makkar is a social activist and author. He can be reached at davemakkar@yahoo.com
Iranian missile strikes on terror bases in Balochistan have triggered a fierce retaliation from Pakistan, which targeted purported terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province on Thursday. The Inter-Services Public Relations, the Pakistan military’s media wing, stated that hideouts used by two Baloch terrorist organizations were ‘successfully struck in an intelligence-based operation’. It said Pakistan’s armed forces were in a perpetual state of readiness to ensure the safety of its citizens against acts of terrorism. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Islamabad has been sharing its concerns with Tehran about the havens for Pakistan-origin terrorists in Iran, but to no avail.
The tit-for-tat attacks are a new low in the relations between Iran and Pakistan. Ironically, both nations — notorious for harboring or supporting terrorists as well as militia groups — are playing the victim card. They are desperately trying to make the international community buy their argument that they are more sinned against than sinning. Undoubtedly, Iran and Pakistan have been scorched by terrorism at times, but the onus is on them to first set their own house in order. Collaborative efforts are needed to fight the ‘snakes in the backyard’, which have started biting the very hand that fed them.
Terrorism is a global threat requiring a multilateral, multipronged strategy. Unilateral actions by Tehran and Islamabad are adding fuel to the raging fire in West Asia. The wider the conflagration spreads, the worse it will get for peace and economic progress in the region. Commenting on the Iranian strikes, India has said that it understands actions that countries take in self-defense, while reasserting its ‘uncompromising position of zero tolerance’ to terrorism. New Delhi should make it a point to condemn terrorism unequivocally, no matter which country sponsors it. At the same time, it is vital to emphasize the importance of diplomatic parleys for defusing tensions.
(Tribune, India)
Remembering the Saint-Soldier and Creator of Khalsa on his birth anniversary which is being celebrated on January 19
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, stands as a towering figure in Sikh history. Born on December 22, 1666, in Patna, India, he played a pivotal role in shaping Sikhism and reinforcing its principles. Guru Gobind Singh is renowned not only for his spiritual teachings but also for his unwavering commitment to justice and the defense of the oppressed. His legacy revolves around the creation of Khalsa, a community of saint-soldiers, embodying the harmonious balance between spirituality and martial prowess.
Guru Gobind Singh was the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, and Mata Gujri. Early in his life, he faced the harsh realities of religious persecution when his father sacrificed his life defending the rights of non-Muslims. This early exposure to adversity shaped Guru Gobind Singh’s worldview and set the stage for his future role as a leader and warrior.
At the tender age of nine, Guru Gobind Singh assumed the mantle of Guruship after the martyrdom of his father. His leadership was marked by a determination to fortify the Sikh community against external threats and persecution. His teachings emphasized the equality of all humans, irrespective of caste or creed, and the need for Sikhs to stand up against injustice.
One of Guru Gobind Singh’s most significant contributions was the establishment of the Khalsa in 1699. Recognizing the need for a community of warriors dedicated to defending justice, he called upon his followers to gather at Anandpur Sahib during the Baisakhi festival. There, he performed the Amrit Sanchar, a sacred ceremony that initiated the Sikhs into the Khalsa Brotherhood.
During the ceremony, Guru Gobind Singh infused the Amrit (sacred nectar) with the Five Ks, which are the distinctive symbols of the Khalsa: Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (steel bracelet), Kanga (wooden comb), Kachera (cotton undergarments), and Kirpan (ceremonial sword). These symbols served as a constant reminder of the Khalsa’s commitment to Sikh values and the readiness to defend righteousness.
Guru Gobind Singh’s teachings embodied a unique blend of spirituality and martial valor. He propagated the idea of the “Sant-Sipahi,” a saint-soldier who combines spiritual discipline with the readiness to take up arms when peaceful means fail. This philosophy emphasized the importance of selfless service, justice, and fearlessness in the face of oppression.
The Guru himself led by example, actively participating in battles against tyranny. His military campaigns aimed not at conquest but at safeguarding the principles of righteousness and freedom. Guru Gobind Singh’s commitment to the defense of the oppressed set a precedent for Sikhs, inspiring them to resist injustice with courage and determination.
Guru Gobind Singh’s legacy extends far beyond his lifetime. His creation of the Khalsa not only provided Sikhs with a distinct identity but also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose. The Khalsa became a symbol of resilience and strength, standing against injustice and promoting the values of equality and justice.
The Guru’s poetic compositions, collected in the Guru Granth Sahib, continue to inspire millions of Sikhs around the world. His writings, including the Zafarnama (Letter of Victory) written to Emperor Aurangzeb, reflect his unyielding spirit and commitment to justice.
Guru Gobind Singh, the saint-soldier and creator of Khalsa, left an indelible mark on Sikhism and the broader tapestry of Indian history. His life exemplified the harmonious coexistence of spirituality and martial prowess, and his teachings continue to guide Sikhs in navigating the challenges of the modern world. Guru Gobind Singh’s legacy is a testament to the enduring power of courage, justice, and the unwavering commitment to defending the oppressed.
A person or business is named publicly if they have deliberately defaulted on more than 25,000 pounds in tax
LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin dentist in England’s West Midlands region has been ordered to pay 22,654 pounds by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for evading tax worth 53,528 pounds.
Jasbinder Singh, a resident of Coventry, was named publicly by the HMRC for deliberately defaulting on tax from April 6, 2012 to April 5, 2015 and April 6, 2015 to April 5, 2018, the Coventry Telegraph reported recently.
A person or business is named publicly if they have deliberately defaulted on more than 25,000 pounds in tax, according to HMRC. In the West Midlands, the biggest amount of tax avoided by a company was a whopping 243,647 pounds. It was said to have been owned by Daily Drinks 007 Ltd in Smethwick, Birmingham. Golden City Limited in Selly Oak, Matthew Electronics Limited in Birmingham and Solihull Financial Services Limited are some of the other companies in the West Midlands that have failed to pay tax.
Last year, an Indian-origin manufacturer was found guilty in what the HMRC described as one of the country’s largest ever “carousel” tax frauds.
Arif Patel was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for false accounting, conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, the onward sale of counterfeit clothing and money laundering. He was accused of trying to steal around 97 million pounds via VAT repayment claims on false exports of textiles and mobile phones. In 2019, two Indian-origin restaurateurs were banned from the formation, promotion or management of a company over tax evasion, which caused the UK tax department losses of more than 4 million pounds.
Sukdev Gill admitted that he caused companies he was a director of to conceal value-added tax (VAT) over six years, resulting in a loss of 1.97 million pounds to HMRC.
His business partner Inderjit Singh was disqualified for nine years for trading through successor companies, while also concealing VAT, resulting in a loss of 4.37 million pounds.
(Source: IANS)
HARTFORD, CT (TIP): Two students–one from Wanaparthy in Telangana and another from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh–were found dead in their Connecticut accommodation, a family member said on Monday, January 15. The students were identified as G Dinesh (22) from Wanaparthy in Telangana and Nikesh (21) from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.
Family members of the Telangana student are clueless about the cause of his death and also of his roommate’s.
“Dinesh’s friends who live in a nearby room called us on Saturday night and informed us about his death and his roommate’s. We have no clue as to how he died,” Dinesh’s family members said.
According to a family member, Dinesh went to Hartford, Connecticut in the US for higher studies on December 28, 2023, while Nikesh reached a few days later.
Incidentally, they were mutual friends of some common friends and became roommates after going to the US.
A member of Dinesh’s family noted that they have sought the help of Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to bring back Dinesh’s mortal remains.
Wanaparthy MLA Megha Reddy has also chipped in to help bring back Dinesh’s body. He called on the family members of the deceased student and comforted them.
Further, a member of Dinesh’s family said they had no contact with Nikesh’s family members as the two went to the US only recently.
Similarly, even the Srikakulam district administration does not have any information on Nikesh yet.
Srikakulam Police Special Branch DSP K Balaraju noted that even the district collectorate did not receive information on Nikesh or his family members.
Expressing grief over the death of the student, Wanaparthy MLA T Megha Reddy met the deceased student’s family members in Wanaparthy town and conveyed his condolences.
The MLA spoke to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with regard to bringing the student’s dead body to India from the United States.
The Chief Minister responded positively and stated that arrangements would be made to bring back the body to his native place.
The student from Wanarpathy had gone to US on December 28, 2023 for higher studies, the MLA was informed.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): As many as 16 Indian American inventors figure among 162 academic inventors in the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) 2023 Class of Fellows. Election as an Academy Fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.
The 2023 class of Fellows will be honored and presented their medals by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at the NAI 13th Annual Meeting on June 18, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Indian American inventors in the list are: Arvind Agarwal, Florida International University; Sanjoy Banerjee, City University of New York; Ashok Gadgil, University of California, Berkeley; Balakrishna Haridas, Texas A&M University; M. N. V. Ravi Kumar, The University of Alabama; Prashant Kumta, University of Pittsburgh; Prashant Mali, University of California, San Diego; Dinesh Manocha, University of Maryland, College Park; Arumugam Manthiram, The University of Texas at Austin; Seemantini Nadkarni, Massachusetts General Hospital; Jagjit Nanda, Stanford University; Ravindra Pandey, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; Niketa Patel, University of South Florida; Anil Sood, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Srinivas Sridhar, Northeastern University; and Karthikeyan Sundaresan, Georgia Institute of Technology.
The 2023 class of Fellows represents NAI’s foundational and continuing commitment to diversifying innovation on all levels, with underrepresented inventors comprising 33% of this year’s class, according to a media release.
This year’s class also showcases regional diversity with Fellows representing 35 US states and 10 countries, exemplifying the Academy’s belief that great innovators can be found everywhere.
“This year’s class of NAI Fellows showcases the caliber of researchers that are found within the innovation ecosystem. Each of these individuals are making significant contributions to both science and society through their work,” said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of the NAI.
“This new class, in conjunction with our existing Fellows, are creating innovations that are driving crucial advancements across a variety of disciplines and are stimulating the global and national economy in immeasurable ways as they move these technologies from lab to marketplace. We are honored to welcome these highly regarded innovators to the Academy and look forward to formally inducting them at our 2024 Annual Conference in the Research Triangle of North Carolina.”
The 2023 Fellow class hails from 118 research universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutions worldwide. This class includes 89 individuals from the Association of American Universities (AAU) institutions and 128 individuals from R1 universities that boast very high research activity.
Collectively, the 2023 Fellows hold over 4,600 issued U.S. patents. This year’s class includes 2 Nobel Laureates, 3 National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees, 22 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and individuals holding other honors and distinctions as well as senior leadership from universities and research institutions.
Their work spans across disciplines and exemplifies their dedication and inspiration to translating research into commercial technologies that benefit society, the release stated.
Since its inception in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include 1,898 exceptional researchers and innovators, who hold over 63,000 US patents and 13,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated over $3 trillion in revenue and generated one million jobs.
SINGAPORE (TIP): A 25-year-old Indian national has been sentenced to four years of jail and six strokes of the cane for molesting a British woman at a night club in Singapore in 2022, according to a media report on Friday.
The incident happened in August 2022 when Erugula Eswara Reddy, who is in Singapore on a student pass, met the victim at a Turf Club road restaurant while she was intoxicated and waiting for her friends, The Straits Times reported. Taking advantage of the situation, Reddy forcibly lifted the victim from the chair and took her to a nearby field even though she constantly kept asking him to let her go.
He then molested the victim, laid her on the ground and undressed himself, the report said.
However, one of the male friends of the woman who was searching for her reached the spot after he heard screams of the victim calling for help. The victim’s friend on reaching the spot saw that Reddy was naked with the partially dressed victim lying face up and weeping. The friend then alerted the police. Officers arrived at the scene to arrest the offender. During the hearing, Deputy Public Prosecutor John Lu told the court, “While Reddy was forcibly taking the victim to the field, she constantly told him to stop and stay away from her”.
Reddy took away the mobile phone and molested the woman before undressing himself.
On Friday, Lu urged the court to sentence Reddy to four years’ jail and six strokes of the cane, adding, “During his interaction with the victim, the accused must have noticed that the victim was drunk, alone, and vulnerable, which is why the accused chose to take advantage of her.”
For committing the offence, Reddy could have been jailed for two to 10 years and caned.
(Source: PTI)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): : Sanjay Virmani, a senior Indian American FBI official, has been named the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Counterterrorism Division of the Washington Field Office by Director Christopher Wray.
He most recently served as deputy assistant director in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC, according to an FBI press release.
Virmani joined the FBI as a special agent in 2003 and was assigned to the San Francisco Field Office where he worked on cyber and counterterrorism matters. In 2007, he was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Counterterrorism Division.
In 2010, he was selected as the supervisory special agent to lead the San Francisco Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in the Oakland Resident Agency. In that role, he led a squad of agents, analysts, and task force officers working on international terrorism investigations.
In 2013, Virmani was selected to serve as Director of the INTERPOL Digital Crime Center at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore. In this role, he led the directorate in providing operational support to INTERPOL’s 190 member countries to address cybercrime threats.
In 2016, Virmani returned to FBI Headquarters as a unit chief of the Cyberterrorism unit, which was focused on identifying, obtaining intelligence on, and disrupting cyberterrorists and their networks globally.
In 2018, he was promoted to assistant section chief of the Counterterrorism Division’s Internet Operations Section, where he worked to foster partnerships within the US intelligence community and with international partners. In 2018, he also returned to the San Francisco Field Office as the supervisory special agent of the Private Sector Engagement squad, then was promoted to assistant special agent in charge over the Cyber Branch.
In 2021, Virmani returned to the Counterterrorism Division as section chief of the Strategic Partner Engagement Section, where he oversaw the FBI’s liaison efforts with the law enforcement community, US interagency, and private sector partners on counterterrorism-related matters.
In 2022, he served as the acting special agent in charge of the Tampa Field Office. The same year, he was promoted to deputy assistant director in the Counterterrorism Division.
He earned a bachelor’s in industrial engineering from California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo and received a master’s in business administration from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.
SACRAMENTO (TIP): Indian American community leader Tara Sreekrishnan, currently serving on the Santa Clara County Board of Education, is running for California State Assembly from District 26.
“Silicon Valley fosters innovation and attracts the world’s brightest,” she stated announcing her run. “I believe in Silicon Valley, yet it’s crucial to acknowledge the challenges our residents face: housing affordability, climate change, traffic congestion, and an education system that needs strengthening.”
“Addressing these challenges – and spending tax dollars efficiently and effectively – is why I’m running for State Assembly,” Sreekrishnan added.
Sreekrishnan, 30, has served on the county board of education since 2021. She currently serves as state Sen Dave Cortese’s deputy chief of staff and legislative director. She was previously Cortese’s chief of staff when he was a county supervisor.
She is also the co-founder of Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action—a nonprofit that seeks to combat climate change through education and public policy initiatives.
Sreekrishnan is endorsed by State Sen. Dave Cortese, state Sen. Nancy Skinner, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Cupertino community leader Mahesh Nihlani, Ajay Bhutoria, White House Commissioner on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Affairs, among others.
“As a child of immigrants growing up here, I benefited from the diversity and energy in this District,” she states on her website. “With an aim to pay it forward, I founded a non-profit organization that has empowered hundreds of students across Cupertino, San Jose, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale to actively engage in the environmental sciences and conservation.”
“Connecting good schools to jobs of the future is why I serve our children as a Trustee on the Santa Clara County Board of Education – overseeing 270,000 students and balancing a budget of $300 million. I earned the confidence of our families and was re-elected in 2022,” Sreekrishnan stated.
“With professional experience across all levels of local government – school district, city, county, and state – I’ve written and passed legislation that developed housing for the homeless, modernized our schools, curbed youth drug overdoses, and expanded job training and apprenticeship programs,” she added.
“I’m running for Assembly because I understand what it takes to make California financially responsible, improve our education system so that our children have future career opportunities, and to make sure our communities are safe, clean and affordable,” Sreekrishnan stated.
Her inspiration for public service came from her immigrant parents: they taught her the value of education and to give back to her community, according to her website.
She carries on the legacy of her mother, who worked hard in our schools as a librarian and volunteer fundraiser. Tara herself is a former piano teacher at a Cupertino music academy.
Sreekrishnan graduated from Mills College, the oldest women’s college on the West Coast. After college, she set out to work as a community and political organizer for grassroots campaigns in the community and across the Bay Area.
LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin man and his partner have been sentenced for breaking into gym lockers and stealing bank cards to pay for their lavish lifestyles in southeast London.
Ashley Singh (39) and Sophie Bruyea (20) of Widmore Road in Bromley, would visit gyms and rifle through victims’ lockers as they got busy in their workouts, the Metropolitan Police said on Monday.
The pair would then max out their victims’ credit cards on expensive tech and designer gear, before selling them on and using the cash to buy bags, shoes, holidays and a pedigree puppy.
The duo was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on January 10 to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between January 2022 and January 2023 with a total value of 250,000 pounds.
Singh was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment while Bruyea received a 20-month sentence at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years.
The court also asked her to undergo a rehabilitation program and complete 120 hours of unpaid work.
The pair’s spree was noticed by a local officer, who realized there was a pattern and flagged it to detectives who are experts in economic crime.
A Lewisham-based team traced the pair’s phones, cars, and faces on CCTV and linked them all together.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police arrested them at Gatwick Airport on January 27, 2023, as they returned from Paris with 2,000 euros worth of designer goods.
At least 18 people were targeted in what the sentencing judge branded a “wicked conspiracy”.
The judge described the impact the pair’s “wide-ranging spree” had had on people, including instances where people no longer felt safe around strangers, or had suffered professionally due to the stress.
DC Luis Da Silva, from the Met’s economic crime team that investigated this case, said: “We know Londoners are worried about theft. It’s a horrible crime, and it causes a lot of stress, pain, and financial loss. That’s why we take this crime seriously and a whole team of us were committed to catching Singh and Bruyea.
“You couldn’t fail to be moved by the devastating impact their callous behavior had on people, and we hope that by catching them this offers victims a little bit of solace.” He urged anyone who has had something stolen to get in touch and said that the proceeds of the duo’s crimes will be used to help compensate the victims.
There were 18 fraud reports in total, with 14 in the Metropolitan area, one from Sussex, one from Hertfordshire and two reports from Cambridgeshire.
SINGAPORE (TIP): An Indian-origin lawyer who falsely attested that she had witnessed the signing of several property-related documents despite those not being signed in her presence was handed a one-year suspension.
The Law Society of Singapore argued for a 30 months’ suspension for Kasturibai Manickam—a lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience—acting for two siblings who were the registered owners of a condominium unit.
However, the Court of Three Judges, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, said this was an instance of a “grave error of judgement” rather than a character defect, according to a media report.
There was no dispute that the documents were signed by the intended signatories, Chief Justice Menon said.
Kasturibai’s error was to decide to attest that she witnessed the signing because she knew the parties and thought no harm would ensue, he said.
Santha Devi V Puthenveetil Kesava Pillay and her brother Raman Puthenveetil Kesava Pillay had sold the property in September 2020 to two individuals.
Kasturibai’s firm—East Asia Law Corporation—had acted for the siblings in several matters prior to the sale of the property. Raman’s wife was also a long-time employee of the firm.
In the course of acting for the siblings, Kasturibai prepared six documents for the transaction, all of which were signed by Santha Devi.
Between September 7, 2020, and November 5, 2020, Kasturibai signed as a witness to Santha Devi’s signature, even though the lawyer did not witness the signing.
Five of the documents, including a transfer instrument, were sent to the law firm acting for the purchasers.
Santha Devi later lodged a complaint with the Law Society of Singapore against Kasturibai and a disciplinary tribunal was appointed in May 2022 to formally investigate the matter.
The tribunal’s report, issued in October 2022, did not elaborate on the events leading to the complaint.
During the tribunal hearing, Kasturibai admitted that she signed as a witness to Santha Devi’s signature despite not having witnessed the signing.
Senior Counsel N Sreenivasan, Kasturibai’s lawyer, argued that she did not act for her personal benefit and that her motivation was to help her elderly clients avoid travel during the Covid pandemic.
He also argued that there was very little harm caused as the transaction was legitimate.
The tribunal found that Kasturibai’s act involved an element of dishonesty and constituted grossly improper conduct. The tribunal found that the case was serious enough to be referred to the court, which has the power to suspend or disbar lawyers. During the hearing on January 16, Sreenivasan said Kasturibai wanted to tender her deepest apologies to the court and to the profession.The court allowed the suspension to take effect on March 7 to give Kasturibai time to find another lawyer to take over her files.
LONDON (TIP): A Tunisian national has been locked up indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital for killing and nearly beheading a 19-year-old Indian-origin student at her university accommodation in London in 2022.
Maher Maaroufe, 24, stabbed his girlfriend Sabita Thanwani, an aspiring psychologist, in the neck at Arbour House student flats in Clerkenwell area of London on March 19, 2022.
Appearing before the Old Bailey last year, Maaroufe, of no fixed address, admitted manslaughter by means of diminished responsibility, saying he was suffering from schizoaffective disorder at that time.
He also pleaded guilty to a charge of assault by beating an emergency worker.
While sentencing him on Monday, Judge Nigel Lickley KC said Maaroufe carried out the attack during the “height” of a psychotic episode, the media reported. He said Maaroufe had been “aggressive” and “controlling” towards Thanwani during their relationship and hit her at least once, and that his behavior may have been part of his “emerging illness”. “Sabita had her whole life ahead of her. You ended her life. Your actions will continue to cause enduring pain and suffering,” the judge told Maaroufe.
The Old Bailey heard that Maaroufe, who entered the UK legally on an unknown date but had overstayed, was in the process of claiming asylum at the time of the incident. According to the prosecution, during his psychotic episodes, Maaroufe smoked cannabis and thought that Thanwani was a “male devil”.
The evening before the attack, they met outside a mosque and spent time in central London.
After they had returned to Thanwani’s accommodation, other students heard her shouting “stop”, “I can’t breathe” and “I beg you, don’t kill me”, following which emergency services were alerted.
Police saw blood stains around the bed, as well as blankets and duvets on the floor of Thanwani’s room.
She was pronounced dead at the scene at 6 am, and a post-mortem examination gave her cause of death as sharp force trauma to the neck. Maaroufe was found by police asleep under a tarpaulin in a garden shed, and allegedly head-butted a police officer while trying to evade arrest. Thanwani’s family, in a statement released at the time of her death, described her as “our angel” and said she had a “radiant smile and incredible heart”.
The family described Maaroufe as an “evil, sadistic murderer, his actions were calculated to kill her because she rejected him”.
Bengaluru (TIP)- India overcame Afghanistan in a second Super Over in a heart-stopping T20 International to complete a 3-0 series sweep on a night of high drama on January 17. The home side had bagged the series with back-to-back wins in Mohali and Indore, rendering the result of the match academic.
But the final match of the three-match series provided the most drama as Afghanistan, replying to India’s mammoth 212/4, racked up 212/6 resulting in deadlock. In the first Super Over, Afghanistan managed 16/1, which India matched as the stalemate continued.
India scored 11/2 in the second Super Over before spinner Ravi Bishnoi sealed their victory in three deliveries, conceding just one run and taking two wickets. “My heart rate was high, but we had a lot of fun,” leg-spinner Bishnoi said. “The moment we saw two right-handers come out, I was given the ball. The idea was to bowl back of length to begin with from a little behind the crease.”
Earlier, India looked in trouble after they slumped to 22/4 inside five overs after electing to bat. Skipper Rohit Sharma smashed an unbeaten 121 off 69 balls as he and Rinku Singh, who hammered 69 not out, rescued India with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 190 off just 95 balls. Karim Janat bled 36 runs in the final over of the Indian innings conceding five sixes in that seven-ball over that included a no-ball.
Nice to see we have some options ahead T20 World Cup: Dravid
India head coach Rahul Dravid was a pleased man after the 3-0 series win over Afghanistan as few fringe players performed well to give the team more options for the T20 World Cup in June. India played 11 T20s after the ODI World Cup last year and the thinktank was able to have a closer look at some contenders such as Jitesh Sharma and Shivam Dube after frontline players were given a rest. Dravid was quite chuffed at their efforts.
“We’ve had different people play after the last ODI World Cup for a variety of reasons. But I think it’s just nice to see that there are some options (ahead of World Cup) who have put their hand up, and certainly shown that they’ve got skills to address.
Ranchi (TIP)- The Indian women’s hockey team fought with determination but lost its nerves in the most crucial phase of the penalty shootout, going down to Germany in the second semifinal of the FIH Olympic Qualifier on January 18. The match was stretched to a penalty shootout, which Germany won 4-3 in sudden death, after the teams were tied at 2-2 in regulation time. With this win, Germany secured a berth in the Paris Olympics. India will have another chance to seal a berth if they beat Japan in the third place match tomorrow. World No. 5 Germany will take on the USA in the final.
Deepika (15th minute) and Ishika Chaudhary (59th) were the goal-scorers for India in the regular time, while Germany’s both goals were scored by Charlotte Stapenhorst (27th, 57th).
As expected, the Germans came out attacking from the onset and exerted continuous pressure on the Indian defence on a foggy night, where visibility was a problem. Just 55 seconds from the end of the first quarter, India secured their first penalty corner and Deepika slammed home with a powerful drag-flick to stun the Germans. Lack of coordination from the Indian midfield and inability to clear loose balls cost the hosts dearly as Germany equalised three minutes from half-time when Stapenhorst scored from a field effort.
The Germans continued their relentless efforts after the change of ends but the Indian defence stood tall. Eventually, it became too much to handle for the Indian defence as Stapenhorst scored her second goal to stun the capacity crowd. The Indians, however, did not give up and secured back-to-back penalty corners in the 59th minute, the second of which was put into the goal by Ishika from a rebound, forcing the match into the shootout.
“We will discuss it again. We need to give time to the disappointment,” India coach Janneke Schopman said. “We have to rest tomorrow morning and I know they will be ready. Some of them are already ready but we need some time,” she added.
“They get a little bit impatient and when they get impatient… but I can’t always blame them for it. It was great that we could manage a large part of the game today. I know we can play but we have to show up and have to keep fighting. We don’t have a guarantee tomorrow. Japan also wants to go to Paris, so we have a fight in our hands,” she added.
Source: PTI
Bereft of ideas, a lacklustre India’s woes were compounded by their defensive lapses, resulting in a 3-0 drubbing by a dominant Uzbekistan in the AFC Asian Cup at Doha on January 18. This was India’s second successive defeat in Group B, having started their campaign with a 0-2 loss to title contenders Australia. In their opener, India’s spirited performance earned them plaudits. However, against the central Asian nation, India’s performance was a far cry from their display against the Socceroos.
Uzbekistan scored through Abbosbek Fayzullaev (4th minute), Igor Sergeev (18th) and Nasrullaev (45th+3rd) to register their first win in the competition after being held to a stalemate by Syria in their tournament opener. Hoping to start on a positive note barely days after their promising show against Australia, India, instead, found themselves on the back foot straightaway and conceded a soft goal early on.
The lightning quick Fayzullaev, placed in a favourable position, found the target with a header past the hapless Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Ranked 102 in the world as against their 68-ranked opponents, Igor Stimac’s men found the going tough as Uzbekistan looked to rattle the Indian defence with their attacking play. In a mood to stamp their authority further, Uzbekistan again benefitted from sloppy defending from their opponents. Rahul Bheke gave the ball away at the halfway line. Akash Mishra’s clearance hit the post before returning to the field of play, and Sergeev did the rest to put his side 2-0 ahead.
Surrounded by Aravali ranges, the city of Ajmer is most famous for the Ajmer Sharif Dargah of saint Muin-ud-din Chishti. This makes Ajmer one of the most significant places of Islamic pilgrimage in the world. Located at a distance of 130 km from Jaipur and 14 kms from Pushkar in Rajasthan, the city is firmly bound by its traditions and culture. Ajmer has a unique charm that lies in the ethos and craftsmanship practised over centuries.
Visit Ajmer to witness the exquisite Mughal architecture set in an aura of spirituality. The city is also a renowned religious spot for Jains because of Golden Jain Temple. During the festival of Urs, commemorating the death anniversary of Saint Moinuddin Chishti, believers from across the globe throng the city. A lot of travellers visiting Pushkar stop by Ajmer and make a day trip. Ajmer has also been selected as one of the heritage cities for the HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana) scheme of the Government of India.
Apart from Ajmer Sharif Dargah and the Jain Temple, there are some other tourist attractions in Ajmer as well. Adhai Din ka Jhopra, Ana Sagar Lake, Foy Sagar Lake, Ajmer Government Museum and Taragarh Fort are some of them. Ajmer is also home to Mayo College, one of the most prestigious boarding schools in India.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Ajmer Sharif Dargah, also known as Ajmer Dargah, is the tomb of Moinuddin Chishti is one of the holiest places of worship in India not only for the Muslims but followers of every faith. Being the final resting place of the Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti, it has had an enormous contribution in spreading the ethical and spiritual values of Islam amongst masses.
Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti was a great Sufi Saint and dedicated his entire life to the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden. The shrine is visited by millions of people every year, as it is considered very sacred by people of all religions. Ajmer Sharif was built by the Mughal Emperor Humayun, hence justifying the rich Mughal Architecture. The Dargah has various constituents like tombs, courtyards and Daalaans. The major among these structures are- Nizam Gate, Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Aulia Masjid, Dargah Shrine, Mehfilkhana and about a dozen of other prominent establishments.
One can spot two huge cauldrons in the inner courtyard of the shrine. These containers have a capacity of 2240 kg and 4480 kg and are used during special occasions to cook sweet delicacies like Kheer.
Ana Sagar Lake
The gorgeous Ana Sagar Lake is a magnificent artificial lake that is located in the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, India. This lake is best visited during the sunsets when the views are extraordinarily marvellous to look at. The sight of the lake from the nearby temple is particularly enchanting. Do not forget to take a camera to capture the fantastic and heavenly views that you behold here. However, the lake may dry up during the summers.
The Ana Sagar Lake is surrounded by Daulat Bagh Gardens, which is a splendid garden full of vast open spaces and lush greenery, and the Khobra Behroon temple- two popular attractions of Ajmer that tourists prefer to visit along with a day trip to the beautiful lake. The lake is only 13 kilometres away from the main city of Ajmer. An island can be spotted in the centre of the lake. Tourists love to indulge in boating or water scooter rides here. The lake is about 4.4 metres deep and spreads over an area of 12 kilometres.
Akbar’s Palace
Akbar’s palace, constructed in 1570AD is the place where he and his troops stayed in at Ajmer whenever he visited the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. It is well known for the museum which portrays the age-old military weapons and exquisite sculptures, paintings and other artefacts of the Mughal era. The museum showcases various aspects of the Rajput and Mughal style of living and fighting. The large black marble statue of Goddess Kali situated in the palace is quite famous.
Ajmer Jain Temple
Ajmer Jain Temple or Soniji Ki Nasiyan is a Digambar Jain temple dedicated to Lord Rishabhdev (Agnidev), the first of the 24 Tirthankara of Jainism. The temple is made of red sandstone which is why it is also called the Red Temple. The main attraction of the temple is the main chamber, known as the Swarna Nagari “City of Gold”, which has several gold-plated wooden figures, depicting several figures in Jainism.
Chaos in the Red Sea is starting to disrupt shipments of produce from coffee to fruit — and threatening to halt a slowdown in food inflation that brought some relief to strained consumers. Vessels loaded with foodstuffs are among those avoiding Houthi attacks in the key waterway by sailing around Africa, a longer and costlier route. But unlike gas, oil and consumer goods cargoes that have also been affected, lengthier shipping times risk making perishable foods unsellable. That’s spooking the industry. Italian exporters fear kiwi and citrus fruits will spoil on the way, Chinese ginger is getting pricier and some African coffee cargoes were briefly delayed. Grain is being diverted from the Suez Canal and a livestock carrier bound for the Middle East has changed course.
While the impact is so far limited, it’s a reminder of how fragile food supply chains can be. If disruptions worsen, they could stall the slump in food-commodity costs that had started to filter through to cheaper grocery bills.
“Everyone is a loser here,” said Nitin Agrawal, managing director of Euro Fruits, a major Indian grape exporter. The company usually ships to Europe via the Red Sea, but now uses the longer route that’s more than quadrupling freight costs and doubling transit times.
That means grape quality will suffer, and most European importers have agreed to higher prices of Indian grapes, which will make them more expensive for consumers, Agrawal said. The European Union generally relies on India for about a seventh of its table grapes, and more than 35% at the crop’s peak in March-April, according to European fresh produce association Freshfel. Italian exporters, which sell about $4.4 billion of agricultural produce to Asia, are worried that going around Africa will hurt freshness and add to costs for fruit like apples, kiwi and citrus, said Massimiliano Giansanti, president of farm group Confagricoltura.
It’s also a headache for farmers who could have to cut their prices to make up for higher shipping costs. “We have to sell even if prices fall as we can’t prolong the harvesting period,” said Sandeep Dagu Sandhan, a grape grower in India’s state of Maharashtra, where harvesting has started in some areas. “Exporters always manage to cover their costs. It will be our losses if prices crash.”
Source: Bloomberg
Apple ended Samsung Electronics’ 12-year run as the largest seller of smartphones in the world, after commanding a 20% market share in 2023, according to a report from International Data Corp. Samsung ended the year with a 19.4% share, followed by China’s Xiaomi, Oppo and Transsion, preliminary data from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker showed. The change in ranking comes after a tough year that saw consumers going slow on smartphone upgrades and choosing cheaper handsets due to high inflation and economic uncertainties. A slower-than-expected recovery in China, the world’s largest smartphone market, also weighed on overall phone sales.
Apple and Transsion, which sells Tecno, Infinix and itel brands, were the only two of the top five smartphone vendors to record sales growth last year, even though the overall market declined 3.2% to 1.17 billion units and hit a decade low.
“While we saw some strong growth from low-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, stemming from rapid growth in emerging markets, the biggest winner is clearly Apple,” said Nabila Popal, research director at IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team. Phone shipments from Samsung were down 13.6%, while iPhone shipments were up 3.7% last year, according to IDC data.
Samsung focused on the mid- to high-end segment for profitability but lost share in the low-end segment, said Amber Liu of research firm Canalys.
Apple, however, is facing pressure in China from a resurgent Huawei as well as from budget Chinese brands. The iPhone maker is offering discounts of as much as 5% on some models in the country to attract customers.
Microsoft on Friday overtook Apple as the world’s most valuable public company, as Wall Street grew more concerned over the demand for its iPhones and other high-end gadgets. Source: Reuters
The inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, is a historic event that is being celebrated by millions of Hindus around the world. The date of the inauguration holds special significance as per various astro-numerological factors. Let us have a look at the divine forces at play on this auspicious day as per the Hindu tradition.
Pausha Hindu Month
The inauguration of the pious Ram Temple is being held during the Pausha month, which is the tenth month in the Hindu lunar calendar and is considered highly auspicious in Hindu traditions. This month holds special significance due to various religious, cultural, and spiritual events that are organised during this period, such as the Kumbh Mela and the Mahakumbh.
Makar Sankranti and Uttarayana
January 22 falls just after Makar Sankranti, a significant Hindu festival that marks the Sun’s northward movement into Capricorn (Makar). Uttarayana, as this period is known, is considered a time of auspiciousness, growth, and new beginnings. It is an ideal time for undertaking auspicious tasks like inaugurating the Ram Mandir.
Dwadashi Tithi of Shukla Paksha
The choice of an auspicious date for the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Temple, particularly during Shukla Paksha and Dwadashi Tithi, adds a layer of divine favour and positivity to this historic occasion. Shukla Paksha is the waxing phase of the moon. It is associated with the increasing illumination of the moon and symbolises growth, prosperity, and positive energy. Shukla Paksha is considered highly auspicious for beginning new ventures, projects, or ceremonies. In addition, the Dwadashi Tithi is associated with Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu Trinity. Inaugurating the Ayodhya Ram Temple on this Tithi is symbolic of invoking the divine presence of Lord Vishnu, seeking his blessings for the success and sanctity of the temple. Lord Rama is believed to be the seventh and the most popular avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Moon in Mrigashirsha Nakshatra
On January 22, the Moon will be in Taurus sign in Mrigashira Nakshatra. Taurus is a fixed earth sign associated with stability, security, and material wealth. This is a positive sign for the inauguration of the Ram Mandir, as it suggests that the temple will be a stable and prosperous institution. On this day, the Moon will be placed in Mrigashira Nakshatra. It’s seen as a powerful nakshatra for undertaking new ventures and achieving success. It is ruled by the fiery and energetic planet Mars, signifying the beginning of life.
Sun in Uttara Ashadha Nakshatra
The Sun will be in Uttara Ashadha Nakshatra and Capricorn sign on January 22nd. Uttara Ashadha is a Nakshatra associated with leadership, strength, and success. This is a highly auspicious sign for the inauguration, as it suggests that the temple will project India as a global spiritual leader.
Sarvartha Siddhi and Amrita Siddhi Yoga
Both these yogas are considered highly auspicious astrological combinations in Hindu tradition, and their presence on January 22nd, 2024, further enhances the significance of the Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya. They represent longevity, prosperity, and the attainment of blessings. They are also associated with good health, abundance, and divine grace.
Importance of Numbers
The day number, derived from the day of the month, is 22. In numerology, 22 is referred to as the “Master Builder” or the “Master Teacher” number. It symbolises the ability to turn dreams into reality, manifesting ideas on a grand scale. Individuals associated with the number 22 are believed to possess a strong sense of purpose and the capability to bring about positive change in the world. Further, the total sum of the date (22 + 1 + 2024) is 31, which is further reduced to 4 (3 + 1). Number 4 is associated with stability, practicality, and building strong foundations. It is considered a number of hard work, diligence, and the manifestation of goals through disciplined efforts.
January 22 and Manifestation
With the reduced total sum being 4, the numerological energy of January 22, 2024, encourages grounded and practical manifestations. It’s a day where attention to detail, organisation, and methodical planning can lead to tangible and enduring outcomes. Additionally, the vibration of 4 suggests a focus on building not just in the material sense but also in terms of personal and spiritual growth. It’s a day where individuals may find strength and support in their spiritual pursuits.
Completion and Foundation
Considering that the total sum of the date is 4, it also carries the essence of completion and laying a strong foundation. The number 4 is often associated with completion. In numerology, it represents a sense of wholeness and the conclusion of a cycle. It suggests that a certain phase or aspect of life is coming to an end, and it’s time to take stock of the achievements and lessons learned during that period. Additionally, the number 4 is linked to the concept of building a solid foundation. This implies that after completing a cycle, it’s an opportune time to lay the groundwork for future undertakings. This could involve reflecting on past experiences, understanding the challenges faced, and using the gained wisdom to establish a strong base for future success.
(The author, Neeraj Dhankher, is Vedic Astrologer, Founder – Astro Zindagi)
Source: HT
India’s Akasa Air said on Thursday, January 18, it had ordered 150 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody planes, showcasing its confidence in the troubled planemaker as the budget carrier seeks to fly to more destinations at home and abroad. This is the first major order announcement for Boeing’s MAX jetliner programme since a mid-air cabin panel blowout in the United States early this month, although Akasa’s order does not include the 737 Max 9 version which is in the spotlight after the incident.
The order was announced at the “Wings India” air show in the southern city of Hyderabad, which has attracted planemakers, airlines and government officials as they make the most of India’s travel boom, with a greater focus on international routes. “We feel very confident about the aircraft type that we have … even seeing Boeing’s commitment to the way they’ve handled this problem,” Priya Mehra, Akasa’s chief legal, regulatory and strategic relations officer, said. Akasa’s order for 737 MAX 10 and MAX 8-200 does not include the MAX 9 version, which has been largely grounded over the Alaska Airlines cabin panel blowout incident. Mehra said the airline was not looking at diversifying its fleet. Source: Reuters
India to grow at 7% in FY25: RBI
Indian economy should record a growth rate of 7% in the next fiscal and inflation is likely to ease further, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Wednesday, January 17.
He also credited the government for structural reforms undertaken in recent years, saying they have boosted the medium and long-term growth prospects of the Indian economy. He said amid a challenging global macroeconomic environment, India presents a picture of growth and stability. Speaking at a CII session on ‘High growth, low risk: The India story’ here during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Das said recent information on the global economic front has been reassuring with inflation falling, though growth remains low.
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Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, stands as a towering figure in Sikh history. Born on December 22, 1666, in Patna, India, he played a pivotal role in shaping Sikhism and reinforcing its principles. Guru Gobind Singh is renowned not only for his spiritual teachings but also for his unwavering commitment to justice and the defense of the oppressed. His legacy revolves around the creation of Khalsa, a community of saint-soldiers, embodying the harmonious balance between spirituality and martial prowess.
