About: the world this week, 7 July 2024 to 13 July 2024: What’s happening in India’s States; India-Russia-Austria bear hugs; the big Wars; NATO meets; Singapore’s insects; and Wimbledon Tennis.

Everywhere

India: Potpourri

The State of The States

In India’s southern State of Tamil Nadu back-to-back killings shook the State. One was in Salem City, where a party functionary was hacked to death by motorcycle-mounted killers wielding knives. Shanmugam, a Political Party Regional Secretary was returning home on his motorcycle from the party office, late in the night, when he was attacked. It appears that Shanmugam worked against the sale of drugs and illicit liquor in the area and hence ‘needed mending’ by the gangsters.

The second was in the State capital, Chennai, where Armstrong, the Regional Head of a National Party was confronted by a motorcycle-mounted killer gang who streamed-in as Food Delivery Boys, armed with machetes, and country bombs (as a back-up). And Armstrong was brutally murdered in the evening near his house at Perambur, on 5th July. The Police made some arrests, but not really the ones responsible. His life was under threat for over a year, and this murder seemed coming.

Then, quick on the heels was a third one, Shankar, another Political Party functionary was fatally stabbed in Cuddalore. And just when we thought the knives deserved a rest, a fourth incident occurred. A rowdy, Vinod, just released from jail, on bail, was having lunch in his home in Dindigul when unknown men broke-in and hacked him to death – making a meal out of him.

Suddenly, such kind of bloody news was all over the place. And older ones were dug-up from the graves. A few weeks earlier in Tirunelveli another Political Party leader, Jayakumar was likewise brutally murdered. And all these Political Leaders do not belong to the ruling Political dispensation. Rings a bell?

The State Government presented a pathetic picture. What does it do? It sacked the incumbent Police Commissioner responsible for Law & Order and brought in another, from down the line. The new one menacingly said he will talk to the rowdies in their language. Expect a violent shake-up of the Police Force in Tamil Nadu – hope the common man understands this language.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra hit-and-run cases by the wealthy and powerful is on a spirited run. Mihir Shah, the 24-year-old son of a senior leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Raju Shah, driving his BMW car knocked down a couple riding a scooter. The woman who died Kaveri Nakhwa, 45, was riding with her husband, Pradip when the car driver lost control at around 5.30 am. Mihir Shah went into hiding while his family diligently tried transferring the blame to the driver sitting next to him. However, Police arrested him after a few days, quelling some public anger.

Moving to India’s northern most State of Jammu & Kashmir an attack, by Pakistani terrorists, caused five Indian Soldiers to be martyred in Kathua when an Army vehicle was ambushed in the mountainous terrain. The terrorists targeted the Army truck near Badnota Village in Lohai Malhar, about 150 km from Kathua Town. This attack is the fifth in the Jammu region in a month, in a loudly mounting graph of fire from across the border. There is a quietly growing pressure on India to respond in kind, as the ever-increasing body-bags of soldiers return home.

These are also testing times for India’s National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts various competitive entrance exams for admission to higher Educational Institutions, across the country. The NTA has been in the business for over a decade, but this year it comprehensively messed up the National Eligibility-Cum Entrance Test (NEET) – Undergraduate (UG), the gateway for admission to Medical Colleges in the country. Allegations of inflated marking and paper leaks scorched the headlines ever since the results are announced on 4th June. And the issue reached the doors of the Supreme Court of India, which is hearing various pleas, including re-testing and scrapping the Exam.

The NEET is conducted offline, using pen and paper where students answer multiple questions on a OMR sheet. The Optical Mark Reader/Recognition (OMR) sheet is a special pre-printed paper which contains bubbles and timing tracks sensors. Bubbles are filled by candidates and timing tracks help to read the OMR Sheet. Maybe it’s time to conduct NEET online. And NTA has been successfully conducting the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) to India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Colleges, a record worth looking-up to.

Later in the week IIT-Madras, came out with a fact finding investigation on NEET -UG and its report concluded that there are was no mass malpractice. A ‘tested’ wake-up call!

A High Wedding

The seemingly never-ending Wedding Festivities – some called it a Wedding Circus – for the youngest son of Asia’s richest man is one of the biggest shows happening in India. It started a long time ago – about 4 months – and finally seems to be ending this week. Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, ties the proverbial knot with Radhika Merchant, daughter of Pharmaceutical Business Tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant.

There have been months filled with hair-raising lavish events leading up to the wedding itself. All the glamorous outfits, stunning jewellery, fairytale-like decor and rare performances by Indian and global stars, from every corner of the world, have been splashed all over the media. Anybody who is a who’s who or a somebody, in India or abroad, appears to have been invited.

Imagine a ferocious, screeching Tiger of West Bengal being unable to resist the call, making a dash to the Wedding. And another normally wheel-chair mounted, convicted out-on-bail politician throwing his wheel chair to walk to the Wedding? When not in jail for stealing fodder or otherwise sitting, many say, he plays badminton.

Makes one wonder, how much is too much? There is no paucity of entertainment in India – in all walks of life.

India – Russia: Bear-Hugs and Friends Forever

This week, India’s Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi made his first visit to Russia-since the Russia-Ukraine war-for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit.

He was received with a bear-tight embrace from Russian President Putin. They rode together on an electric golf-cart driven by the President himself through his plentiful residence, made small talk over a cup of tea, and even whispered to the President’s collection of horses – in the stables.

Russia agreed to discharge Indian Soldiers in its ranks, fighting the Ukraine war, on a request made by India. Then in yet another hug, and a tighter one this time, Russia awarded The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, to PM Modi. This was for exceptional services in promoting the special and privileged partnership between Russia and India. The over 300-year-old award was first established by Tsar Peter the Great in 1698 in recognition of outstanding civilian and military merit and is Russia’s highest civilian award. Saint Andrew is the first apostle of Jesus and the patron saint of Russia. In a special ceremony in the St. Andrew Hall in the Kremlin, President Putin conferred the award on PM Modi, who becomes the first Indian leader to receive this award.

India-Austria: a Long Overdue Hug

On the return swing, India’s PM visited Austria and was received by the ‘sound of music’ when a western version of India’s National Song, Vande Mataram, was played by an Austrian Orchestra. This is the first time in over 40 years that an Indian Prime Minister is visiting Austria. What took India so long?

Austria is a not a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and its Chancellor Karl Nehammer had invited India for bilateral discussions on improving relations between the countries.

The Others

French Elections: It’s getting complicated

A left-wing New Popular Front alliance won the most seats in the French Parliament, thwarting the far-right National Rally in a stunning turn-around result after Sunday’s second-round vote. The ganging-up of parties fearing the ‘right rule’ seems to have been successful. It’s telling of the times that Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party won every single French department except for Paris in the European Union Parliament Elections, which led to this snap Election being called by President Emmanuel Macron. And after a commanding first round win, Le Pen lost the second round, being relegated to third place. The result means France is plunged into political limbo, with no party reaching an absolute majority, leaving parliament gridlocked.

The New Popular Front won 182 seats, while President Macron’s centrist Ensemble Alliance won 163 seats. The National Rally and its allies won 143 seats. Definitely a surprise result. And the majority required is 289 seats.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the firebrand leader of ‘France Unbowed’, is a possible candidate for Prime Minister. And Jordan Bardella, the National Rally’s 28-year-old leader missed the chance. He said that France had been thrown into ‘uncertainty and instability’.

Ongoing Wars: No End in Sight

In the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian missiles killed over 41 when it hit a Children’s hospital in Ukraine’s Capital Kyiv. Parents holding babies walked in the street outside the hospital, dazed and sobbing after the rare daylight aerial attack. Russia also rained missiles down on other cities across Ukraine. This is one of the deadliest air strikes in months.

Meanwhile, in the Middle-East, Israel presses on with its Gaza offensive against the terrorist Hamas, with rumblings of a possible cease-fire doing the rounds. The Israeli military expanded its evacuation order to the whole of Gaza City, which saw thousands of Palestinians flee to safer zones.

NATO Meets

In America, leaders of the transatlantic security alliance, NATO’s 32 member countries met this week in Washington for a summit, with further military and financial support for Ukraine high on the agenda. But much of the focus could be on US President Joe Biden as some in his own Democratic Party call for him to drop his run for a second term. For Keir Starmer the freshly-minted British PM this was his first international trip after leading the Labour Party to a landslide victory in Britain’s parliamentary election last week.

President Biden was at his gaffes best when he called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as President Putin and Vice President Kamala Harris as Vice President Trump. And when he kissed an uncomfortable looking Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni, he must have been thinking she was Marilyn Monroe? Someone must be turning in his grave.

Singapore: Insects on the Menu

This week, Singapore approved 16 insects for human consumption. The approved insects include various species of crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, mealworms, and silkworms. Restaurant owners believe that sales from insect-based dishes will increase their revenue by around 30%. They are ready to add these items to the Menu card. We could probably see a bee-line to ‘insect infested’ restaurants.

Sports: Wimbledon

The Annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships began in London on 1 July and plays up to the 14th July culminating with the Gentlemen’s Final and the Ladies Doubles Final.

World No 2, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic sailed into the quarter-final with a fluent 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Danish Holger Rune who, once in the year 2022, toppled the Serb to win his first Masters-1000 title. But this time Rune was throughly outplayed. The crowds bellowed “Ruuuuune” throughout the match in a deep elongated chant that sounded like booing. After winning, Djokovic thanked the respectful part of the crowd and criticised those he felt disrespected him.

Meanwhile Russia’s Daniil Medvedev knocked out World No 1 Italian Jannik Sinner in a topsy-turvy five-setter. Then, the first Men’s semifinal between Spanish Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev saw Alcaraz play smart tennis to overwhelm Medvedev 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and move to the Finals. And the second semifinal Novak Djokovic outclassed Italian Lorenzo Musetti to set up a showdown with reigning champion Alcaraz in a repeat of last year’s final. Djokovic stayed on course for a record-equalling eighth men’s singles title at Wimbledon with a 6-4 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory on Centre Court.

In the Women’s side, Czech Barbora Krejcikova knocked out Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina to make an incredible comeback and reach the Ladies Finals. Krejcikova was down 3-6 in the first set and climbed back to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-4. She meets Italian Jasmine Paolini in the final this Saturday. Paolini also lost her fist set, 2-6, against Croatian Donna Vekic, before taking the next two, 6-4, 7-6 (tie-break) in a marathon game – said to be one of the longest and best ever semi-finals – and reaching her first Wimbledon Finals.

More thrilling stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay and dance with World Inthavaaram.