Tag: France

FREEWHEELING

About: A break free commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world. Any comments beyond the storyline, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a run of events from 1 September to 15th September: the churn and restlessness in the world; Gen Z in Nepal; India pulls up its sleeves; and the passing of fashion designer Armani.

The World on a Spin

The World is definitely spinning-now it seems more on the inside-churning and in a multi-dimensional whirl!

France dived into a political crisis when its Prime Minister (PM) Francois Bayrou was defeated in a confidence vote in the National Assembly: 364 votes against to 194 for. He submitted his government’s resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who quickly decided to replace him with close ally Sebastien Lecornu. This is France’s seventh PM under Macron, and the fifth in less than two years: a pointer to the disenchantment and full-grown frustration with Macron’s second term.

Lecornu, 39, has spent the past three years as Minister of the Armed Forces focusing on France’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. He has now been given the task of consulting political parties, probably on a war-footing, with the aim of adopting France’s next budget.

In the United Kingdom, the British seem to have taken US Vice-President J D Vance’s words -said in jest-seriously. He joked that Britain could well become the “first truly Islamist country to get a nuclear weapon,” following the Labour Party’s election victory. And with the appointment of a Pro-Palestine rabble-rouser as Home Secretary, along with the climbing incidents of Islamic lawlessness, they are on course to achieving that status. Shabana Mahmood has been appointed new UK Home Secretary, replacing Yvette Cooper following a major Cabinet reshuffle in the Labour-led government, triggered by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

Meanwhile, in recent times, Central London has become the stage of many protests. ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march, organised by anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, was attended by around 110,000 people. Then there was the ‘Stand Up to Racism’ counter-protest, besides the ever-so-often, running-on-your-screens, pro-Palestine protests.

Looks like it’s back to old assassination ways in the United States of America: the guns were always there; many are finding the trigger more often than before.

Charlie Kirk, 31, a close associate of US President Donald Trump was assassinated on 10th September while on stage at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, for a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event, ‘The American Comeback Tour’. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck, around 20 minutes after the event began, in front of an audience of about 3,000 people.

Charlie was a political activist, author, and media personality. He co-founded the student organisation TPUSA in 2012, which caters to conservative youth on American university campuses and was its Executive Director. He was one of the most prominent voices of the populist MAGA movement and exemplified the growth of Christian nationalism in the Republican Party. He leaves behind two young kids and his wife Erika Kirk who pledged to keep his legacy alive.

The suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22 was arrested for the killing, turned in by his own father, to who he admitted the crime. This, after the father saw released photos of the suspect and confirmed that was it was his son. It is said that despite a good upbringing, Tyler Robinson was radicalised ‘in a fairly short amount of time’. Tyler is a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College, Utah Valley University, where Kirk was killed.

On the same day, 10th September Indian origin Chandra Nagamallaiah was brutally beheaded in a Dallas Motel by an undocumented immigrant, an illegal alien from Cuba, Yordanis Cobos Martinez, in front of his wife and son. The gruesome act took place at the Downtown Suites Motel in Dallas where Chandra Nagamallaiah and Cobos-Martinez were workers. Nagamallaiah had approached Cobos-Martinez and a female colleague while they were cleaning a room, telling them not to use a broken washing machine. Cobos-Martinez became enraged as Nagamallaiah had asked the female colleague to translate what he was saying instead of addressing him directly. Cobos-Martinez left the room, pulled out a machete ‘from his person’ and launching the assault. Nagamallaiah ran through the motel’s car park screaming for help, but the suspect chased him down and struck him repeatedly.

In late August Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was killed on a train at the East/West Boulevard light rail station on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina. Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who had fled her country because of the Russian invasion, was fatally stabbed. Her assailant, Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested upon exiting the train and charged with first-degree murder. The 34-year-old Brown was arrested 14 times before the stabbing; he was convicted of breaking and entering. While on probation, he was arrested for armed robbery. And was incarcerated for more than five years in state prison

What’s happening in the United States of America?

Generation Z (Gen Z) is the generation born in the late 1990s or the early 21st century, perceived as being familiar with the use of digital technology, the internet, and social media from a very young age.

It was student and youth-led, Generation Z’s simmering churn in Sri Lanka some time ago, which spread to Bangladesh and leaders of both countries flying-out to escape the fury of the mobs. This time it was the turn of Nepal.

Nepal is in the grip of its worst political turmoils in decades after Gen Z led protests over a social media ban erupted and transformed into a nationwide uprising against corruption and entrenched political leadership. At least 70 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, which appears to have ignited latent fury. Demonstrators scorched the streets, torched the homes of senior leaders, and stormed (burnt it as well) Parliament leading to the resignation of the Prime Minister.

In events leading to the chaos, Nepal banned social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram, after they did not register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. A notice said social media giants are given a week to register with the government, starting 28th August. But none, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X, Reddit, and LinkedIn – had submitted applications, by the deadline.

The number of Facebook users in Nepal can be put at around 13.5 million, and Instagram at around 3.6 million. Many rely on social media for their business. As the social media platforms went down in Nepal, those affected started protesting. The demonstrations against social media ban then snowballed into an anti-corruption protest.

There have been a series of corruption scams and allegations against high-ranking political leaders in Nepal, with little action taken and hardly anyone brought to book. Another factor is the ‘Nepo kids’ phenomenon. The children of political leaders flaunted their wealth and lavish lifestyles, which fuelled resentment among young people.

The turmoil appears to have subsided for the moment, with the ‘social media’ selection of former Chief Justice Mrs Sushila Karki, as interim Prime Minister. Karki took the oath of office after an agreement with protest leaders from the Gen Z movement. Nepal’s newly-appointed interim PM says she will be in the post for no longer than six months. “I did not wish for this job. It was after voices from the streets that I was compelled to accept,” Sushila Karki said, speaking for the first time since being sworn into office on Friday. She said she would hand over to the new government which will emerge after elections on 5th March, next year. Incidentally, Karki’s husband, Durga Prasad Subedi, is a Nepalese democracy fighter, author, and politician who was one of the three youth wing leaders of the Nepali Congress involved in the 1973 Royal Nepal Airlines DHC-6 hijacking. We sure have a potboiler in Nepal.

In keeping with the ‘World tempo’ the other two ‘good old wars’ have become a part of everyday life. Russia continues slamming Ukraine with gunfire, and Israel is working hard on its plan to take full control of Gaza City. Israel says it has over 40% of the city under its control.

On 8th September six people were killed on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the shooting. In a lightening response, on 9th September, Israel make a tactical surgical strike on Hamas’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar, targeting the Hamas leadership based in the city, which was getting together for a meeting. The usual noises of violating international law, sovereignty, were made by Qatar, Saudi Arabia… and of course the decaying United Nations.

India

Thanks to US President Donal Trump’s belligerent stance on Tariffs, India began hugging the Russian Bear and kissing the Chinese Dragon to counter the draconian measures. And then, there is also no denying the ‘nudge’ to become self-reliant.

Russia has always been a friend-through thick and thin times; China is different with ‘bone-of-contention’ border issues, often drawing blood. Maybe, India’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have read the story from the Epic Mahabharata and are following through. The story is narrated by Bhishma to Yudhishthira, to illustrate the principle of forming temporary, self-interested, mutually-beneficial Alliances, during times of crisis. It goes like this.

In a large forest, there lived a Rat in a hole at the base of a Banyan Tree, while a Cat lived on the Tree. One day, the Rat ventured out of its hole only to bump into the Cat. Rats being a traditional meal for cats, the Rat, in question, sought to quickly dart away, but was stopped on its tracks by the Cat. “Let’s be friends”, said the Cat. “No” said the Rat, “how is that possible with rats being something cats always eat for dinner?” Meanwhile, a Hunter in the Forest set a trap-spreading a net under the tree-to trap birds and animals for his dinner, and the Cat got caught in it. Hearing its cries, the Rat came out of its hole. “Help Me”, cried the Cat, bite the net with your strong teeth and release me before the Hunter arrives. I promise I will not attempt to eat you”. About this time, an Owl and a Mongoose arrived on the scene and the Rat was rattled. It proposed a deal to the Cat, “Allow me to hide in your fur until the ‘clear and present danger’ passes and then I shall release you from the net”. All right, said the Cat and allowed the Rat to hide in its fur while the Owl and Mongoose went their own ways. When the Rat got out, the Cat asked it to gnaw the net and release him, as promised. “I’ll do it, said the Rat, but at a time of my choosing as you can still hunt me down for a meal. I will release you just before the Hunter arrives so that both of us have enough time to escape and we have no other motive other than saving ourselves. And you will be fully focussed on escaping without bothering to eat me”. The Rat did just that – the Hunter lost his meal. Thereafter, the Cat and the Rat went their separate ways.

India should treat China like the Rat treated the Cat. Enjoy the ‘alliance’ for mutual benefit, but be wary of China’s Dragon Fire. China cannot be trusted – at least at the Borders.

India’s Epics, especially the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, are a cornucopia of knowledge- ‘the distilled essence of solutions’ to problems plaguing mankind. They are waiting to be read, understood, and applied sensibly in today’s context. Did not someone say, ‘Old is Gold’?

US President Donald Trump’s rant was typical, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together”. Thanks for your attention to the matter? He seems to have mellowed down later and began making overtures of India. No love lost?

Meanwhile, there is another Politician in India’s Tamil Nadu: the Opposition Leader Edappadi Palanisamy who is fighting to hold his Party (AIADMK) together with fragments falling off. Maybe he needs to pay attention to the cat & rat matter?

Goods & Services Tax (GST)

India’s PM promised a deluge of tax reliefs in the form of ‘Next Generation GST Reforms’ during his 15th August, Independence Day Address: seems to have worked it out beforehand. On 3rd September the GST Council met and unanimously accepted a two-tier tax structure of 5% and 18% plus a topping of 40% for ‘Sin Goods’. Many items were pushed down to the 5% slab and 18 % slabs from the previous 12% and 24% slabs respectively. There was cheers all-around and Industry had an ear-to-ear grin. Now they must pass-on the benefit to the common-man. A stellar achievement was the 18% GST on health Insurance was made ‘Nil’ on a quite vociferous demand through the year.Ouch, that hurt. I had just renewed my Health Insurance paying over 10,000 as GST!

Vice President of India

India got itself a new Vice President, C P Radhakrishnan, who took oath on 12 September. In the Vice Presidential elections he secured 452 votes for a maximum possible 437 votes of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Of the 767 votes cast votes, 15 were invalid votes and the opposition candidate secured 300 votes – of a possible 315.

ARMANI

Legendary, iconic, Italian designer Giorgio Armani, a master of style and elegance who reimagined fashion for a modern audience, died on 4 September 2025 at the ripe ‘unfashionable’ age of 91. Armani was indefatigable, driven by relentless curiosity and a deep attention to the present, and to people. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern fashion forever changing the way people think about clothes, something that most fashion designers rarely accomplish. Armani leaves behind one of the most successful business empires in fashion history. The superlatives are deadly.

Armani elevated red carpet fashion to the aura of brightness we see it today. He was the first to ban underweight models-of Body Mass Index (BMI) under 18- from the runway, after model Ana Carolina Reston starved herself to death due to anorexia nervosa, in 2006.

The Armani Fashion House diversified and expanded from fashion into an empire spanning beauty, fragrance, music, sport, and even luxury hotels, earning billions of dollars a year.

Armani revolutionised fashion in the 1970s with minimalist, deconstructed silhouettes (intentionally unfinished), embodied in his famous soft jackets and unstructured suits. He transformed masculine and feminine elegance into a contemporary, sober and sophisticated form. He loosened the restrictions of stiffer styles of suit wear, helping to make men wearing suits feel sophisticated while empowering women in formal settings such as work. In summary, he reinvented the suit: softened menswear making it more sensual and hardened womenswear.

Armani was born in Piacenza, Northern Italy, in July 1934. He was one of three children. His father worked as an accountant. His family’s comfortable middle-class lifestyle was destroyed by the war. He endured a difficult childhood, when there wasn’t very much food on the table, and his mother had a difficult time feeding the children. Going back, his earliest memory was hunger. And he recalled playing with unexploded artillery shells in the street, until one suddenly went off: which severely burnt him, and a close friend was killed.

As a young man, Armani drifted. In 1956, he began a medicine degree, but dropped out after three years, and joined the Army. Swiftly tiring of life in the military, he found a job as a window dresser at La Rinascente – a department store in Milan – where he moved swiftly through the ranks.

Soon, Armani was working for Nino Cerruti – an influential haute couture designer. Within months, Cerruti asked him to restructure the company’s approach. He also went on to design the company’s Hitman Menswear Collection. His work at Cerruti was a crucial period that shaped his future aesthetic, and was also foundational to his knowledge of fabrics. Most designers learn their trade as apprentices or at fashion school, but Armani’s education took place on the shop floor. He learned what fabrics the customers liked, and went to the textile mills to buy them. He became an expert in how cloth was constructed, and used his knowledge to perfect tailoring. While at Cerruti, Armani began to strip away the stiff, traditional Italian tailoring. He created softer, less structured suits that offered men a more modern attitude and freedom of movement.

In 1966, Armani met Sergio Galeotti, a young apprentice architect and fashion designer. Galeotti and Armani began a long personal relationship that would serve as the backbone of their future professional relationship as well. Galeotti prodded Armani to start on his own believing in his potential, and in turn making Armani believe in himself and see the bigger picture in starting his own fashion line.

Then at the age of 41, in 1975, having enough experience and self-belief, and with his partner Sergio Galeotti at his side, he launched his own label, Giorgio Armani. The story goes that Galeotti convinced Armani to sell his Volkswagen Beetle- for start-up capital, to hire staff and secure office space in Milan. They started small: their first office was so dingy that Armani took the shades off the lamps in order to see the fabrics. But their work was nothing short of a revolution in fashion.

Galeotti was the force behind the Armani machine, masterminding the business side, leading the financial sector and administrative aspects of the company.

The 1960s middle classes could not afford haute couture, but yearned for a stylish, distinctive look of their own. With his expertise in fabrics, Armani provided an answer. His fine cloths made possible a menswear range with neat, precise cuts that could be manufactured at scale. Its distinctively Italian style began to influence the way the fashionable dressed. And with more women entering the workplace, Armani spotted an opportunity. “I realised that they needed a way to dress that was equivalent to that of men,” he said. “Something that would give them dignity in their work life.”

With Armani’s elegantly tailored power suits, women were offered an alternative to the stiff and stuffy dresses their mothers had worn to work. They exuded femininity, but were a powerful statement of equality.

Armani received his breakthrough in the 1980s when Hollywood Actor Richard Gere donned Armani suits in the film ‘American Gigolo’. This propelled the brand into the global spotlight, cementing Armani as a household name. Soon, stars from Michelle Pfeiffer to John Travolta embraced his creations, making him the designer of choice for both red carpets and everyday luxury. He broadcast his collection live on the Internet, the first in the world of haute couture, on 24 January 2007.

Armani famously collaborated with model Vittoria Ceretti a prominent Italian supermodel who has frequently worked with Armani throughout her career, appearing in campaigns and wearing his designs at major events.

But Armani didn’t stop at clothes. He expanded into perfumes, eyewear, and multiple lines such as Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange, targeting different segments of the global market. His company’s revenue soared into billions, while his boutiques multiplied across continents. He also built a global hospitality business, spanning hotels, cafes, restaurants and bars, that carried the same elegance as his fashion line. The centrepiece of his hospitality business is the Armani Hotels developed in partnership with Dubai’s Emaar Properties.

As a sports fan, he designed suits for Chelsea and the England football team, and made the uniforms for Italy’s Olympic team in 2012. Working tirelessly Armani through his fashion and hospitality businesses built an empire worthy of a king.

Though Armani remained CEO and sole shareholder right until his death, in his lifetime, Armani drew up a succession plan consisting of a gradual transition of the responsibilities that he had always handled to those closest to him, such as Leo Dell’Orco, the members of his family, and the entire working team. He wanted the succession to be organic and not amount to rupture.

Beyond his family, his heirs will include his long-term collaborator and right-hand man, Pantaelo Dell’Orco, and a foundation. This foundation was established in 2016 and plays a significant role in the preservation of Armani’s legacy and is designed to protect the company. The will instructs heirs to sell a 15% stake in the Italian fashion house within 18 months and later transfer an additional stake to the same buyer between three and five years after his death, or pursue an initial public offering.

His family members, consist of his nieces, Silvana and Roberta Armani, his nephew, Andrea Camerana. Silvana worked at Armani designs, running the womenswear collections. Meanwhile, Roberta, the daughter of his late brother Sergio, has been the director of Armani’s public relations, becoming the bridge between the brand and Hollywood. Roberta orchestrated Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ wedding in an Italian castle in 2006, with Armani personally designing both the bride’s and groom’s attire. Andrea, Armani’s nephew, joined the company in 2000 and worked as both a counsellor and licensing director. He eventually became Armani’s sustainability managing director, and focuses on the brand’s policy toward the environment.

Dell’Orco, described as Armani’s right-hand man, has been involved in the company since 1977 and currently heads the men’s style office. He frequently appears by the designer’s side at various fashion shows, and events. In fact, in June 2025, when Armani missed the menswear show during Milan Fashion Week for the first time in 50 years due to an undisclosed illness, Dell’Orco took over.

Remaining independent his entire life, Armani has also stated in his will no major mergers or IPOs would be permitted until five years after his death, providing a period of stability. With this, he sought to protect his brand against potential acquisitions by other giants in the Industry.

Armani was an intensely private man. He never married or had children. And had relationships with both men and women. He had a longstanding personal relationship with Sergio Galeotti, who died of complications from AIDS in 1985. Reflecting in 2015, Armani said of Galeotti: “when I travel, I bring his photograph. There is something that remains. His spirit lingers. For sure. He lives on. I see Sergio everywhere, and I am sure he sees me. And I have hope that whatever I have done, he knows about it”. Armani described his inability to prevent Galeotti’s death as the greatest failure of his career.

In later years, Armani spent much of his time on his yacht, and loved sailing. He had been in declining health in the months leading up to his death.

More well-dressed stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Suit and boot yourself with Freewheeling.

FREEWHEELING

About: A break free commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world. Any comments beyond the story, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a run from 22 May 2025 to 1 June 2025. Stories from Israel, Ukraine, India, and France.

Israel

On 21st May, two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC were shot and killed outside the Jewish Museum in an act of antisemitic terrorism. The shooter, 30 years old Elias Rodriguez-living in Chicago-was quickly arrested, even while he was squealing, “Free Palestine”. After the cold-blooded murder, Elias had pulled out a keffiyeh from his bag and said, “I did it. I did it for Gaza”, and then shouted “Free Palestine”.The moral decrepitude in America-the land of the American Dream-is alarming and coupled with its gun-culture just about anybody can be shot dead-for the weirdest reason.

The lovely young couple, Yaron Lischinsky, 28 and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, who were murdered, were about to get engaged. Yaron had bought Sarah a ring to propose next week in Jerusalem. Instead of walking down the Aisle they have walked to their graves-for no fault of theirs. And for every fault of World Leaders tacitly supporting the terrorist Hamas and the Palestine cause.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF), began a new offensive in the Gaza with the objective of capturing 75% of the Strip in 2 months. The IDF mobilised forces and launched extensive attacks to seize strategic areas in the Gaza Strip. This is part of the opening moves of ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots’. And the expansion of the campaign in Gaza, to achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza, including the release of the remaining 58 hostages and the defeat of Hamas. Imagine, these hostages are in captivity for over 600 days!

Since early March, Israel had forbidden all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, saying Hamas was stealing and profiting from it. And why should one feed the enemy? But, Israel has relented and in the week of 18th May, a limited amount of food was delivered to the desperate people of Gaza, for the first time in a long time. Trucks loaded with food and supplies were allowed to enter Gaza. More than 90 trucks carrying flour, baby supplements and other food began dispersing aid into Southern Gaza. The United Nations, true to word, said this supply was ‘nowhere near enough’.

Ukraine

Despite persistent talks about a ceasefire, the Russia-Ukraine war only intensified and escalated to a new level. About two weeks ago, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv killing at least 30 Ukrainians and injuring over 160 others. This caused United States President Donald Trump to flare, resulting in the US and Russia quarrelling in public. Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin was ‘playing with fire’, even as Russia amassed over 50,000 troops on Ukraine’s Border.

Then it was the turn of Ukraine. In a brilliant, incredible Trojan-horse style of historic strike, Ukraine smuggled in Drones in wooden crates deep into Russia, putting them in cargo trucks driven by unsuspecting Russians, where the roof would open remotely. And then launched the drones on Russian air fields with devastating effects destroying 41 Russian bomber aircraft across 4 air fields, some over 5000 kms from Ukraine. Ukraine called it ‘Operation Spiderweb’, which could well be the boldest and most brilliant mission in modern history.

Ukrainian drones struck four separate Russian strategic bomber bases, taking out Russian strategic aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3 bombers.

Russian bases struck include Belaya (4700 km from Ukraine), Dyagilevo (700 km), Olenya (2000 km), Ivanovo (900 km). Operation Spiderweb took over a year and a half of planning. Personally overseen by President Zelensky, executed by Vasyl Maliuk and the team at the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Sources say all Ukrainian operatives involved are safely back in Ukraine.

Trump’s promise of ending the Israeli-Hamas War and the Russia-Ukraine War appears to have been made on water: both wars are galloping at an unhindered new pace. What next, a fight with Elon Musk?

India

Following the stupendous success of Operation Sindoor, India sent out various diplomatic teams to all corners of the World to explain the good of India, the bad of Pakistan, and the ugliness of terrorism. The diplomats were chosen across Party lines. And a stand-out selection was the flamboyant, eloquent-word smelling, Sashi Tharoor of the Opposition Congress Party who created a winsome stir. His own Congress Party did not name him, but India’s Prime Minister pulled ‘The Good’ Sashi by his medium-long locks and used him as a Trump card to hunt gold in America and the nearby regions.

Incidentally, the iconic spaghetti western masterpiece film directed by Sergio Leone, ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly’ turns 50 this year. It starred Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach-roles etched in our memories forever. Its all mighty influence can still be felt in films made today.

Meanwhile, India began pulling rabbits out of the magical hat and showcased the immense damage done to Pakistan. Turkey, which supplied drones to Pakistan, faced the brunt of cancellation by Indian Tourists. It was also revealed that about 3000 Agniveers – recruited for a short stint in India’s Armed Forces among widespread criticism by the Opposition -did a fabulous job supporting various parts of Operation Sindoor.

India proved itself in unbelievable ways, and confidence is oozing through every pore.

Naxalism

India’s Home Minister had been promising for quite some time that he would bring India’s Naxalism menace to an end by the year 2026. He seems to be gunning for the year, and Naxalities are being gunned down in dozens.

On 14th May, India’s internal security forces achieved a historic success, towards a Naxal-free India. Thirty-one Naxalites were killed in the biggest-ever 21 days operation against Naxalism, in Karreguttalu Hill, at the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. And the best pat is, that there were no casualties among the security forces. Maoist General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju, was also killed in a 50-hour operation in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad forests, dealing a major blow to the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist, CPI(Maoist), leadership and network. Basavaraju, the most-wanted Naxal in the country with a bounty of INR 15 million on his head, was the ideological and tactical brain behind some of the deadliest Maoist attacks in India, in recent times. His death is being hailed as a decisive blow to the Maoist insurgency.

Karreguttalu Hill was the unified Headquarters of major Naxal organizations where indoctrination, Naxal training, use of weapons, and strategies for creating unrest in the country were carried out.

The birth of Naxalism can be traced to the uprising of 1967 in Naxalbari Village, West Bengal. The village that gave its name to the movement, was the site of a peasant revolt, instigated by communist leaders against land owners of the State. While India had obtained independence from the British in 1947, the country had retained the colonial land tenancy system. Under the British system, indigenous landlords were granted pieces of land in return for their collection of tax revenue and as in Medieval European feudal systems. These landlords subleased their land to peasants for half their yield. As brought out by India’s 1971 census, nearly 60% of the population was landless, the lion’s share of land being owned by the richest 4%.

While the 1967 Uprising marked the beginning of the Naxalite movement, as we know it today, its emergence and growth is a result of the various fragmentations of communist ideologies in India, over time.

The Naxalite insurgency started after the 1967 Naxalbari uprising and the subsequent split of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-CPI (M)-leading to the creation of a Marxist–Leninist faction. The faction splintered into various groups supportive of Maoist ideology, claiming to fight a rural rebellion and people’s war against the Government. The armed wing of the Maoists is called the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army, mostly equipped with small arms. They have conducted multiple attacks on security forces and government workers, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 civilians and 2,500 security force personnel since the 2000s. The area of Naxalite influence, called the Red Corridor, consists of about 38 Districts, most of them in Central and East India. As of 2025, six districts–Bijapur Kanker, Narayanpur, and Sukma in Chhattisgarh, West Singhbhum in Jharkhand, and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra have been declared as ‘most affected’ by Naxalism.

The ‘father’ of Naxalism In India, is Charu Majumdar, a Communist leader, and founder and General Secretary of the Communist Party of India-CPI- (Marxist-Leninist). Born into a progressive landlord family in Siliguri in 1918, he became a communist during the Indian independence movement.

Majumdar initially joined the CPI, which was founded in December 1925. During the mid 1960s he organised a leftist faction in the CPI (Marxist) and following the Naxalbari uprising, this group came to be known as Naxalities. Mazumder argued that the ‘revolution’ must take the path of armed struggle, on the pattern of the Chinese Communist Revolution, emphasising that quotations from China’s, Chairman Mao Zedong should be studied and read aloud by illiterate peasants.

Majumdar was arrested in July 1972 and died in custody – in unclear circumstances.

The CPI (Maoist), simply called the Maoists, is banned in India as it aims to overthrow the Republic of India through protracted people’s war. In 2009-and onwards-India designated the party as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Naxalism is a futile effort by misguided people and India being a thriving democracy has evolved to solving its problems – including land-in a reasonable manner. And not through any armed struggle.

An Ever Growing Economy

On 25 May 2025 India officially became the 4th largest economy in the world sliding over Japan – now in the 5th place – and looking-up at Germany, China, and the United States ahead. India’s GDP is at USD 4.187 Trillion, and quickly behind is Japan at USD 4.186 Trillion. Germany is at USD 4.744 Trillion; China at USD 19.231 Trillion; and the United States, way up, at USD 30.507 Trillion.

Other over 1 Trillion Dollar economies-there are 19 of them-are the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Brazil, France, Russia, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, Indonesia, Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union (includes Poland, Switzerland, Netherlands).

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is an estimate of the Total value of finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders during a specified period, usually a year. GDP is commonly measured by using the expenditure method, which calculates GDP by adding the spending on new Consumer Goods, new Investment Spending, and the value of Net Exports.

France

The 78th edition of the annual Cannes Film Festival, 2025, held in Cannes, France, concluded on 24 May-having started on 13 May-with the Closing Ceremony. And it wasn’t an accident that coveted award, the Palme d’Or, was presented to Iranian Jafar Panahi for the film, ‘It Was Just an Accident’.

The Festival opened with the French comedy film, ‘Leave One Day’. And on the closing day ‘electricity left for a while’-a power outage, caused by arson, disrupted the morning screenings sessions.

The Cannes Jury was chaired by director Juliette Binoche to select the best of 21 films in the Competition. The jury consisted of Hollywood Actress Halle Berry, Payal Kapadia (Indian Director and screenwriter), Alba Rohrwacher, Leila Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, Hong Sangsoo, Carlos Reygadas, and Jeremy Strong.

Jafar Panahi is one of Iran’s best known Directors. He is known to have consistently criticised the Islami Republic in his works, which landed him in jail too. His winning film is about 5 ex-prisoners who kidnap a man they think is the Officer who brutally abused them in jail. They contemplate the morality of killing their captive and whether he is actually who they believe him to be.

Some of the best films of the Festival are: Amrum, Bono:Stories of Surrender; The Chronology of Water (directional debut of Hollywood Actress Kristen Stewart); Eddington; Highest 2 Lowest; Homebound (India’s Neeraj Ghaywan’s Hindi-language tale about impoverished young men trying to escape their circumstances); The Love That Remains; The Mastermind; My Father’s Shadow; Resurrection; The Secret Agent; Sentimental Value (a layered family drama); Sirat; Sound of Falling; Urchin. Look out for them, the next time you go to the movies.

Well, who remembers the films? We all carry memories of the Red-Carpet walk and those amazing unbelievable, jaw-dropping, designer outfits-talking on their own -making style statements. Some of the best-dressed were:

Elle Fanning -in a sequinned aqua Armani Prive gown with pink roses and a crystal-lined neckline, a short train paired with diamond earrings; India’s Alia Bhatt – wearing an ivory-nude Schiaparelli gown with floral details, a tulle train, slick bun, day make-up, pearl studs, and a diamond ring; Eva Longoria – in a clear hour-glass dusty rose embellished gown from Tamara Ralph’s Collection; Dakota Johnson -in a cotton-candy pink fringe Gucci gown; Jennifer Lawrence – strapless white Dior Gown with a fan-like bodice; Heidi Klum- lost in a world of pink gradient organza petals; Romee Strijd – in a cream strapless ruffled feather dress. That sure ruffled a lot of us!

I wasn’t the least impressed by former Miss World India Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who I think wears Oprah Winfrey’s oversized clothes, or carpets, or fabric-hurriedly pulled off the shelf-that needs a ton of stitching. Maybe conscious about this, she wore sindoor on the first day: to cause a distraction? Nearby, on the nearby water front, the French Riviera, husband Abhishek Bachchan was having dinner with Mom.

More fashionable, spider web stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay the course with Freewheeling.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-52

About: the world this week, 22 December to 28 December 2024: Wars of the world; Germany’s terror; France’s horror; A former Indian Prime Minister dies; and death of Japanese small car-maker.

Everywhere

The world is reeking with a lot more violence and mayhem, other than the visible wars rolling in Ukraine, the Middle East-Gaza, and to a lesser degree in Sudan, Myanmar, and some other countries. And the War took yet another deadly turn, with the Iran-backed Houthis of Yemen launching rockets into Israel and Israel returning the favour more in kind. This week, Israel went hammer & thongs on neutralising the ‘Houthis threat’, bombarding their strongholds, besides wiping out key infrastructure in Yemen.

Germany’s Terror

Late last week, on 20th December, Germany’s Magdeburg Christmas Market was the scene of a horrendous terror attack. A 50-year-old man, originally from Saudi Arabia and living in Germany for close to two decades ploughed his car through the Market causing two deaths (including a child) and injuring about 80 people. The man, a Doctor, Taleb Abdulmohsen, was promptly arrested by Police.

Abdulmohsen had fled Saudi Arabia carrying the weight of rape accusations and implications in serious crimes. Saudi Arabia had formally requested that he be extradited, but Germany had denied the request citing human rights concerns, despite clear evidence of his criminal activities.

Post-Asylum in Germany Abdulmohsen reinvented himself as a dissident, publicly declaring himself an atheist and ex-Muslim, perhaps aimed at securing full asylum protection in Germany. And began working in a government hospital as a psychiatrist. Shockingly, while holding this position, he was publicly active in criminal activities, including human trafficking-smuggling young girls. Abdulmohsen made explicit threats against Germany, which authorities dismissed as ‘freedom of expression’.

France’s Horror

After a three-month trial, a French Court found Dominique Pelicot, 72, guilty of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, Gisele Pelicot, for almost a decade, and inviting more than 70 strangers to rape her unconscious body in a case that horrified the world.

All the ’50 strangers (out of the 70) – the co-defendants, who were traced out – were also found guilty of charges brought on them. Gisele Pelicot, 72, the victim had waived her right to anonymity, and became a symbol of female courage and resilience during the trial.

Dominique Pelicot pleaded guilty to the charges, and a panel of five judges sentenced him to the maximum of 20 years in jail. The court found 46 of the other defendants guilty of rape, 2 guilty of attempted rape and 2 guilty of sexual assault, handing down sentences of between 3 and 15 years in jail.

Dominique Pelicot, denied misleading the men, whom he had met online, saying they knew exactly what they were doing. “I am a rapist like the others in this room,” he said during testimony.

The Pelicots’ children, David, Caroline, and Florian, arrived in court to hear the verdict alongside their mother. The siblings have spoken out forcibly against their father, rejecting his pleas for forgiveness.

The strangers come from all walks of life: lorry drivers, soldiers, firefighters, security guards, farm workers, a supermarket worker, a journalist, and the unemployed. The youngest was just 22 when he entered Gisele Pelicot’s bedroom, while the oldest was in his early 70s. Many had children and were in relationships. Most lived within a 50km radius of the Pelicots’ picturesque village of Mazan, which nestles in the vineyards, below Mont Ventoux.

The case only came to light in 2020, when Dominique was caught trying to take photographs up the skirts of women in a supermarket. Police then discovered more than 20,000 photos and videos on his computer drives revealing the horrifying secrets that he had hidden, from his now ex-wife, for a decade.

Dominique Pelicot had worked as an electrician and an estate agent and was married to Gisele for 50 years. He put powerful tranquilisers into his wife’s food and coffee that put her to sleep for hours. Gisele said she was worried she was developing Alzheimer’s or had a brain tumour because of the memory gaps.

She says she hopes the enormous interest in her case will help other women who have suffered sexual abuse, and brushes off praise for her own bravery in letting the world see her pain. “It’s not courage. It is determination to change things,” she said. “This is not just my battle, but that of all rape victims.”

Meanwhile, in India’s Tamil Nadu, the State BJP President, K Annamalai, took to the ancient Indian technique of self-flagellation -whipping himself six times-to highlight the apathy of the Police and State Government in the case of a sexual assault of a student on the campus of the premier Institute of Anna University, in Chennai. The intent seems to be to shock the political system out of its stupor on horrific acts of sexual violence and Police inaction in the State. It was a powerful a message as it was dramatic. He has vowed to walk barefoot until the State Government is ousted – the next elections are due in 2026, unless we are missing something.

India: a Former Prime Minister Passes

This week, former Indian Prime Minister (PM) Dr Manmohan Singh– the 13th PM of India- died at the ripe age of 92 due to age related illness. He was PM for two five year terms, between 2004 and 2014.

Though, by default, the Leader of the Lok Sabha-Members of Parliament(MP) directly elected by the people – goes on to become the PM, Dr Manmohan Singh is the only long-serving PM who never got himself elected to the Lok Sabha. He was a Rajya Sabha MP throughout his term, having lost the only time he contested as a Lok Sabha candidate in 1999, from South Delhi. The Constitution allows this, but it’s a ‘tacit understanding’ that a PM gets himself elected from the Lok Sabha – The House of the People. In that sense, he was an unelected Prime Minister.

Though he was PM of India for a decade, it was his stint as Finance Minister under former PM, P V Narashima Rao (PVNR) that gained him unforgettable fame for unshackling India’s Economy-the stifling Licence Raj-and unleashing the animal spirits in the Economy. He transformed into action PVNR’s vision of heralding the bold economic reforms of 1991, which forever transformed India. PVNR had inducted the apolitical Economist that Dr Manmohan Singh was, and gave him the ‘freedom’ to do what it takes to get the country out of the severe economic crisis that India faced. A hesitant Dr Manmohan Singh (what would the Party Chief say?) was encouraged by PVNR to deliver, along with his Commerce Minister, P. Chidambaram. As PM he shouldered the responsibility of the managing the politics ‘of whatever tough decisions his Finance Minister had to make’ to get India’s economy on the move.

Over the next few years, Dr Manmohan Singh carried out several path-breaking structural reforms that liberalised India’s highly regulated economy. And these measures proved successful in averting the crisis of the time – pulling India from the brink of bankruptcy.

But in later years as a ‘compromise’ or ‘accidental’ Prime Minister, he failed to capitalise on the stupendous job he did as Finance Minister, and roll out the next generation economic reforms. Maybe, it was because PVNR wasn’t around to lend the backbone?

Dr Manmohan Singh came to be viewed as a weak, remote-controlled (by the Congress Party Chief) Prime Minister. And a record number of scams were uncovered during his second tenure as PM, though he himself had an unblemished record: he was considered, wise, thoughtful, and scrupulously honest. He attributed his failure to be tougher – especially in acting against scam-tainted Ministers-to what to called ‘compulsions of coalition politics – some compromises have to be made’.

Born in Gah in what is today Pakistan, Dr Manmohan Singh’s family migrated to India during its partition in 1947. After obtaining his doctorate in economics from the University of Oxford he worked for the United Nations. He began his bureaucratic career when he was hired as an advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. During the 1970s and 1980s, Dr Manmohan Singh held several key posts in the Government of India, such as Chief Economic Advisor, Governor of the Reserve Bank, and head of the Planning Commission.

One of the best moments in his tenure as PM, was striking a civil nuclear deal with the United States. Others, such as the important National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information Act (RTI) were passed by the Parliament in 2005. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also created soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, as need for a central agency to combat terrorism was realised- He was criticised for not doing enough by going after (‘hot pursuit’) the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack-one of India’ worst ever. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)was established in February 2009, an agency which went on to implement the Multipurpose National Identity Card -Aadhaar-with the objective of increasing national security and facilitating e-governance.

Dr Manmohan Singh married Gursharan Kaur in 1958. They have three daughters, Upinder Singh, Daman Singh, and Amrit Singh. Upinder Singh is a professor of history at Ashoka University. Daman Singh is a graduate of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and the Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat. Amrit Singh is a Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union in the United States.

Japan: Death of a Small Car-Maker

Osamu Suzuki, 94, an ingenious ‘penny-pincher’ who led Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation for more than four decades and played a key role in turning India into a flourishing auto market, died of lymphoma, on Christmas Day.

He steered the Company ambitiously, during his time as either chief executive or chairman, out of its primary market of mini-vehicles.The inexpensive, boxy, 660cc cars specific to Japan benefited from generous tax breaks, but demanded a stringent reining-in of costs that proved to be a key part of Suzuki Motor’s DNA.

Osamu Suzuki’s thriftiness was legendary: he would order factory ceilings lowered to save on air-conditioning and fly economy class on airplanes even at an advanced age.

“Forever,” or “until the day I die,” were signature humorous responses with which he parried queries about how long he would stay at the company, on which he retained a tight stranglehold into his 70s and 80s.

In the 1970s, he saved the company from the brink of collapse by convincing Toyota Motor to supply engines that met new emissions regulations, but which Suzuki Motor had yet to develop. More success followed with the 1979 launch of the Alto mini-vehicle, which became a massive hit, boosting the automaker’s bargaining power when it tied up with General Motors in 1981.

Osamu Suzuki then took a big and risky decision to invest a year’s worth of the company’s earnings to build a national car maker for India. His personal interest was motivated by a strong desire “to be number one somewhere in the world”.

The Indian Government had just nationalised Maruti, set up in 1971 as a pet project of Sanjay Gandhi, son of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to produce an affordable, ‘people’s car’, made in India. Maruti needed a foreign partner, but early collaboration with Renault fell through. Team Maruti team knocked on many doors but was snubbed widely by brands including Fiat and Subaru and initially also by Suzuki Motor.

The partnership only came about after a Suzuki Motor Director in India saw a newspaper article about a potential Maruti deal with Japanese small-car rival Daihatsu. On learning that the Maruti team had been turned away he hastily invited the team back to Japan, asking for a second chance. A letter of intent was signed within months. And the rest is history.

The first car, the Maruti 800 hatchback based on the Alto, was launched in 1983, becoming an instant success. Today, Maruti Suzuki majority-held by Suzuki Motor commands roughly 40% of India’s car market.

In class-conscious India, Suzuki also ushered in change, insisting on equality in the workplace, ordering open-plan offices, a single canteen and uniforms for executives and assembly-line workers alike.

Not all endeavours were a success, however, when nearing his 80th birthday, Osamu Suzuki clinched a multi-billion-dollar tie-up with German giant automaker Volkswagen(VW) in December 2009. Touted as a match made in heaven, it soon faltered, with Suzuki Motor accusing its new top shareholder of trying to control it, while VW objected to the Japanese firm’s purchase of diesel engines from Fiat. Suzuki Motor took VW to an international arbitration court in less than two years, eventually succeeding in buying back the stake of 19.9% it had sold to Volkswagen.

Osamu Suzuki, who often cited golf and work as the key to his health, finally passed the baton as CEO to his son Toshihiro in 2016, and stayed on as Chairman for another five years until age 91, keeping an advisory role until the end.

Since 2016, his company has deepened ties with the world’s biggest carmaker Toyota, which acquired a 5% stake in Suzuki Motor in 2019. Maruti Suzuki is set to supply electric cars for Toyota from next year. Said Toyota of him, “He was a father figure who developed Japan’s kei car (mini vehicle) and nurtured it into Japan’s people’s car”.

During Osamu Suzuki’s reign Suzuki Motor was transformed into a global conglomerate successful spreading to 190 countries where it has a significant presence. He had the vision to avoid a direct fight with the other global auto manufacturers who were competing with each other using cutting-edge technology. Instead, he looked out for unexplored markets with small but modern cars which changed the automobile trends in the countries he entered. In India, for example, he introduced small modern cars when the market was dominated by old fashioned, outdated cars, thereby, revolutionising the auto industry.

Osamu Suzuki’s fiscal prudence is one of the reasons behind the rise of Suzuki Motor Corporation to the status of an auto giant by selling small low priced cars, still making a profit.

Born Osamu Matsuda, Osamu started his career as a loan officer in a local bank. His life took a turn when he married Shoko Suzuki, the granddaughter of the patriarch of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Michio Suzuki. As the Suzuki family did not have a male heir, Osamu was married into the family, and following the Japanese custom, Osamu took up the family name of Suzuki, to become Osamu Suzuki. He is the fourth adopted son to run the company. He joined the company in 1958 and worked upwards through the ranks to become President two decades later.

Shoko and Osamu Suzuki have three children and the family lives in Hamamatsu city, in Japan.

More small and big stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Drive with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-27

About: the world this week, 30 June 2024 to 6 July 2024: Israel grinds; US gasps; France swings; Britain labours; India stampedes; and Team India wins a nail-biting T20 Cricket World Cup Final.

Everywhere

Israel Grinds On

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of starting a ceasefire in Gaza while Hamas remains in power. This comes in the background of talks about a truce that would give Israeli troops time to prepare for a potential land war with Iran-backed militant Hezbollah, operating in Lebanon.

Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Wednesday, the second top field leader killed in less than a month, and Hezbollah retaliated by firing scores of rockets at Israeli military positions near the border. This is anyway a regular sideline feature in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The over 120 Israeli hostages in the captivity of Hamas, for over 270 days, are yet to see freedom. Negotiations for a possible deal to secure their release appears to be alive, walking in the shadows.

The United States Gasps

The first Presidential debate-ahead of the upcoming US Election in November 2024-left viewers gasping for breath; actually it was the Democrats’ candidate, incumbent President Joe Biden, who struggled to find air. He delivered a shaky, halting performance, while his Republican rival Donald Trump battered him with a series of attacks at a debate last Thursday. The two oldest presidential candidates ever, exchanged personal insults; traded barbs on abortion, immigration, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza; growled on each other’s handling of the economy; and even put stick to their golf games. Later, standing on firmer ground, Joe Biden said, he can do the job even though, “I don’t walk as easy as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to.” Time to send him home? Reusing has its limits!

Meanwhile, in a landmark ruling, the US Supreme Court ruled that Trump cannot be prosecuted for any actions that were within his constitutional powers as President, but can be, for private acts. This ruling recognises for the first time, any form of presidential immunity from prosecution.

Then, Biden, this time quick on the draw, and reading from a teleprompter, thundered, “This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law. Not even the President of the United States”. He called the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, a ‘dangerous precedent’ that could turn Presidents into kings and called on the American people to ‘dissent’ by rejecting Donald Trump in November’s election. Maybe, the Democrats need to dissent on going along with him.

France Swings

France has a semi-Presidential type of Government with a President and Prime Minister. The President is the pre-eminent figure-the Big Boss-and is directly elected through Presidential Elections in a term, separate from Parliament. The President’s role is unique. He can deal directly with the people when required, bypassing and even dissolving Parliament. The President appoints the Prime Minister and chairs cabinet meetings. The Prime Minister is responsible to Parliament, which consists of a Lower House- the National Assembly and an Upper House-the Senate.

The parliamentary election to the National Assembly is a complex, two-round process in which the two candidates who get the most votes in the first round go through to a second round. There are 577 seats in the National Assembly. And for an absolute majority a party needs 289. The Parliament may or may not be controlled by the party the President belongs to.

When opposing parties control parliament and the presidency, the power-sharing arrangement is known as cohabitation. Before the year 2002, cohabitation occurred as a regular feature, because the term of the President was seven years and the term of the National Assembly was five years. And the overlapping brought together strange bed-fellows. With the term of the President shortened to five years, it is expected that cohabitation is less likely to happen.

Emmanuel Macron is the current President of France, in office since May 2017, being elected for a second term in May 2022.

This week, the results of the first round of France’s Parliamentary Elections were out. And the challenger, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) & Allies made historic gains winning 33% of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28%, and well ahead of President Macron’s broad alliance of centrists, who scored just 22%.

The first round eliminates all candidates who fail to win the support of 12.5% of locally registered voters. Anyone who scores more than 50% of the vote with a turnout of at least a quarter of the local electorate wins automatically. That normally happens only in a handful of constituencies.

RN is led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella – designated Prime Minister – and in Parliament by Marine Le Pen, who has fought for the presidency three times and lost each time. Now, the polls say her party could become the biggest in France, falling short of an absolute majority. Naturally, Le Pen has set her eye on the next presidential election, in three years’ time.

Pollsters calculated the first round had put the RN on track for anything between 250-300 seats, but that is before tactical withdrawals reshape voter intentions this weekend. And there seems to be ganging-up of parties against Marine Le Pen, given her strident anti-Muslim stand. Le Pen has called for the hijab to be banned in public spaces, while Jordan Bardella, has called the veil a ‘tool of discrimination’.

The second round – the run-off will be held on Sunday, 7th July. And consists of a series of run-offs fought either by two, three or sometimes four candidates. Some candidates may drop out before 7th July to give an Ally a better chance of stopping a rival from winning.

Never before has the far-right won the first round of a French parliamentary election.

The Macron alliance had only 250 seats in the outgoing Assembly.

Whoever wins, President Macron has said he will not resign. If his party loses, and National Rally wins, then the question is whether RN can win an absolute majority or a relative majority similar to that held since 2022 by the Macron camp.

An RN victory could open the door to almost three years of ‘cohabitation’: when the president of one party heads the state and another party runs the government.

Marine Le Pen is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen who founded the National Front Party. For years, she has been working to ‘de-diabolise’ or detoxify her party from the antisemitic and extremist roots of her father and his fellow founders. Once in control, she renamed the party as, National Rally to shrug-off the past. Much of its focus now is on the cost-of-living crisis, but many of its strict anti-immigration policies remain, and a ruling this year by the Council of State, France’s highest court for administration, confirmed it could be considered ‘extreme right’. Jordan Bardella wants to ban French dual nationals from sensitive strategic posts, calling them ‘half-nationals’. He also wants to limit social welfare for immigrants and get rid of the automatic right to French citizenship for children with foreign-born parents.

Britain’s Labour Labours Liberally

British voters headed to the polls this Thursday for a crucial General Election. The snap vote, called by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, was held months earlier than necessary, and caught much of his party by surprise.

The opposition Labour party had suffered its worst defeat since 1935 in the last general election, but has since rebuilt itself under the leadership of Keir Starmer. And when the results were out on Friday it was a Landslide win for Labour with 410 sets, well above the majority mark of 362. Well, that was what India’s Prime Minster was aiming for, 400 paar – 400 and above. Never mind, it happened in faraway Britain.

The Labour Party swept hundreds of seats across the country and in the process brought an end to 14 years of Conservative rule. And a tumultuous era, which saw five different Conservative leaders running the country.

Sir Keir Starmer, 61, was quickly appointed Prime Minister(PM) by King Charles, later in the day. Rishi Sunak, the outgoing PM, conceded early in the morning, acknowledging Labour had won and calling Starmer to congratulate him. Sunak took responsibility for the loss. His Conservative party won a conservative 121 seats.

Britain’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, studied at Reigate Grammar School, University of Leeds, and University of Oxford. He is married to NHS occupational therapist Victoria Alexander and has one son and one daughter.

Keir started his professional life as a Barrister in the 1990s, and was appointed the director of public prosecutions, the most senior criminal prosecutor in England and Wales, in 2008, which service eventually got him knighted as ‘Sir Keir Starmer.’

He was first elected in the Holborn and St. Pancras constituency in north London in 2015, and took over the leadership of Labour after the party’s poor 2019 general election, pledging to start a new era after the abrasive left-wing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

This election’s insurgent party was Reform UK, the right-wing successor to the Brexit Party and the UK Independence Party. Nigel Farage, its leader, finally won a seat on his eighth attempt – but his party’s initial projection of 13 seats fizzled to four.

India’s Death Stampede

It is one of the deadliest stampedes and worst crowd crushes in India, 123 people, including women and children, died in Phulrai Mugalgarhi village in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Hathras District. About 250 were injured. The tragedy occurred at the conclusion of a Hindu religious satsang (a prayer meeting) organised in the area, by a self-styled God-man guru, called Bhole Baba; when the meeting concluded and the Baba was leaving the venue.

The organisers tried to create a passage from the venue to the main highway for the convoy of Baba’s cars to leave, amidst a rush of people who began gathering on both sides of the corridor. All of this, combined with the mismanagement of the huge crowd by the organisers has prima-facie led to the stampede. A Mad rush, extreme humidity, slippery ground, desperation to seek Baba’s blessings – collect dust under his feet- confusion, screams, and fear were tell-tale signs of the gruesome scene. Most of the deaths resulted from suffocation.

More than three times the permitted number of people attended the event-about 250,000-despite permission being granted only for 80,000.

The satsang was held by Suraj Pal, 58, who also goes by the names, Narayan Hari, Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba or simply ‘Bhole Baba’. Hari hails from Bahadur Nagari village in Kasganj district, about 65 km from Hathras where the stampede occurred. Suraj Pal worked as a constable with the UP Police, and was last posted in Agra, before he quit in the 1990’s to become a religious preacher. He claims to have a spiritual bend even while working with the Police, which made him ‘switch careers’.

He then adopted the name Bhole Baba, began preaching, and conducted satsangs known as ‘Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam’ along with his wife, who is known as Matashree. Hari does not have children.

Bhole Baba does not wear the traditional saffron clothes, often appearing in a white suit and tie or a kurta-pyjama. He claims to spend all the money donated to him on devotees. He calls himself a disciple of Hari (Lord Vishnu). He is said to have a notable following in western Uttar Pradesh.

Wonder why the ‘God-Man’ did not stay back and offer succour to those affected, or use his ‘Godly power’ to bring back people to life? Instead, he promptly fled the scene.

T20 World Cup Cricket Thrills

I have not watched live cricket on TV in a long time and there was no better day to get back than last Saturday. And it was worth its weight in gold watching the India – South Africa Finals.

India’s 13 year wait for a World Cup win finally ended on a glorious day at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, West Indies, on 29th June. For South Africa, the endless agony for a Cup Win goes on. The spectacle these two teams produced was more than worthy of a World Cup final. It was a contest that sashayed back and forth, each blow followed by an equally brutal counterpunch that left the result hanging in balance until the final moments, in an edge-of-the-seat position.

In the end India won against South Africa by seven runs, becoming just the third side to win the Men’s T20 World Cup twice, after England (2010, 2022), and West Indies (2012, 2016). Barring a no result against Canada, India won all their remaining contests in the tournament, thus becoming the only undefeated side to win the T20 World Cup.

In the Finals, India batted first, making 176/7 runs in 20 overs with a vintage performance by Virat Kohli who made 76 of 59 balls, and pinch-hitter Axar Patel delivering his role to perfection, knocking 47 runs off 31 balls. In return, South Africa made 169/8 in 20 overs. Indian bowlers Hardik Pandya 3/20, Jasprit Bumrah 2/18, Arshdeep Singh 2/20 delivered the final blows – finishing the job.

Classy Klaasen lifted South Africa to the precipice but then it took the genius of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya to dismantle the Proteas. Bumrah, the human slingshot with logic-defying accuracy, had bowled flawlessly throughout the tournament and in the final innings. And when India was desperate for a wicket -that would open the gates to the South African batting’s tail-end, he flung down a delivery only the cricketing gods could conceive, clicking-off the stumps. And then Suryakumar Yadav performed a nimble feet-of-flames tiptoe around the boundary rope to complete a one-man relay catch struck by David Miller off a Hardik Pandya ball, which was a turning point in the game. Virat Kohli was declared the man of the match and Bumrah, man of the tournament. India exploded in celebrations and waited for the Team to return Home-caught in a West Indian Hurricane.

This was ‘the Wall’ Rahul Dravid’s final innings as Team Coach (he lamented that he is now jobless!), while Captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kholi said they were quitting T20 International Tournaments. It was an all-round fiery display of coaching and captaincy, which brought Team India to deliver its best when it really mattered. Over to the next team.

The ICC Men’s Twenty20 (T20) tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) commenced on 1st June with co-hosts USA taking on neighbours Canada, while fellow hosts the West Indies playing Papua New Guinea in Guyana on the second day of group play.

More nail-biting stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay the course with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-2

About: the world this week, 7 January 2024 to 13 January 2024; Israel changes tactics; the Houthi Movement; France’s new Prime Minister; Bangladesh’s old PM; India’s oil find; the Golden Globe Awards; and passing of Football superstars.

Everywhere

Israel is shifting its war against the terrorist Hamas to a different level: to a new kind of tactical urban guerrilla warfare. And once their goals are accomplished, I am sure there will be no army like Israel’s Defense Forces. There are still 136 hostages out there, since 7 October 2023, under unimaginable duress, and Israel is fighting hard to bring them home.

On another front, the United States and the United Kingdom launched a massive retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The strikes were from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea. And this is a dramatic regional widening of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The Houthis have, more than two dozen times, attacked commercial vessels since mid-November 2023, triggering an international challenge. The US and UK said their action demonstrated a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks.

The Houthi Movement, officially known as ‘Ansar Allah’ is a Shia Islamist political and military organisation that emerged in Yemen in the 1990s. The leadership is drawn largely from the Houthi Tribe, hence the name. In the formative stages, it was mainly an opposition to Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Salem, who they accused of corruption and being backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States. What began as a moderate theological movement that preached tolerance and held broad-minded views evolved into a violent organisation, over the years, largely influenced by the Hezbollah of Iran. In the year 2003, the Houthis adopted their official slogan as, ‘God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A curse upon the Jews, Victory to Islam’. This slogan is often portrayed on a white flag, with the written text in red and green: the pro-islamic statements in green and the anti-America & anti-Israel ones in red. The Houthis aim to govern all of Yemen and support external movements again the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. They have a complex relationship with their own people-the Sunnis- in Yemen.

This Tuesday, France named a new Prime Minister: the youngest and the first openly gay person. Gabriel Attal, 34, takes over from his predecessor Elisabeth Borne following her resignation early in the week over turmoil on an Immigration law that strengthens the Government’s power to deport foreigners. Gabriel joined French President Macron’s political movement in 2016 and was Government Spokesman from 2020 to 2022, which made him well-known. He also served as Budget Minister and Education Minister in Macron’s Government. And is popular among the people besides being media savvy. France seems to be growing young, riding on the shoulders of the old. Macron himself became France’s youngest President at age 39 in the year 2017.

This week, South Korea’s Parliament passed a landmark ban on production and sale of dog meat, bringing to an end a centuries old practice. Until now, eating dog meat was neither explicitly banned nor legally permitted and has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days.

In India’s immediate neighbourhood, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,76, secured a record fourth straight term-her fifth at the top job-with her Awami League Party winning two-thirds majority in Parliament. The voter turnout was miserly at 40% and could be due to the main Opposition Party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Allies, boycotting the General Elections. They were angry over the harsh crackdown on the opposition and human-rights violations. Hasina herself won her seat for the eight time, since 1986, and her nearest rival secured just 469 votes.

Hasina has been in power since 2009 and has remarkably transformed the economy of Bangladesh. Its garment sector is one of the world’s most competitive. She has staved off military coups, controlled Islamic militancy, and raised the profile of her country. And she is best friends with India.

Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was the architect of separation from parent Pakistan, and founding Bangladesh as an independent nation in 1971 – with India’s help. The Father was assassinated in August 1975. Hasina herself has survived a total of 19 assassination attempts on her life. She has a son and a daughter. Hasina’s niece – the daughter of her only living sibling, Sheikh Rehan is Tulip Siddiq, the UK politician serving as Member of Parliament for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.

India is beginning to get rich in many ways. It’s already the owner of the largest ornament gold in the World and as if the shine of this yellow isn’t enough, India discovered one of its best Black Gold – Crude Oil – finds ever. India’s Oil & Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) announced the discovery. A total of 26 wells were found, and 4 wells have just begun production, capable of pumping out 45,000 barrels per day by May or June this year. This would meet about 7% of India’s total oil requirements. The discovery is 30 kilometres from Kakinada’s coast, nestled within the Krishna Godavari basin, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh State.

The 81st Golden Globes Awards Ceremony 2024, hosted by comedian Jo Koy, was held at the Beverley Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, US, on 7th January and the award winners were announced. The Golden Globes is one of the few Award ceremonies which include achievements in both motion picture and television. Oppenheimer and Barbie, between them, won most of the nominations and the awards, reminding us that ‘Barbenheimer’ are quite a pair, still running together on the big screen. Oppenheimer had 8 nominations and 5 wins: best Film-drama, best Actor-drama for Cillian Murphy, Best male actor in a supporting role for ‘Iron Man’ Robert Downey Jr, Best original score, and Best Director for Christoper Nolan.

Barbie was the most nominated film in 9 categories and won 2 Globes. It won the first-ever award for Cinematic & Box Office Achievement, introduced this year. Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig set records and hit over USD 1 billion in global box offices. The second award was for Best Original Song. Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell won for their emotional track, ‘What Was I Made For?

Best Film-musical or comedy went to Poor Things: about a young woman living in Victorian era London who, after being resurrected by a scientist following her suicide, runs off with a debauched lawyer to embark on an odyssey of self-discovery and sexual liberation. The best animated film went to The Boy and the Heron: follows a boy during the Pacific War, who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town after his mother’s death and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.

The best non-English Film award went to Anatomy of a Fall: a French courtroom drama thriller about as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband’s death.

Best Television Series-Drama went to Succession: the ups and downs of a dysfunctional American global-media family. Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television went to Beef: about two strangers whose involvement in a road rage incident escalates into a prolonged feud. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun became the first actors of Asian descent to win for their meaty roles in the series.

Major fashion and dressing trends were unleashed at the Golden Globe Awards. And individuality still ruled the Red Carpet. The 50s ankle-length cocktail dress—the sheath and lavender was there. Bangs (locks of hair that fall over the scalp’s front hairline to cover the forehead, usually just above the eyebrows) were a big-bang sensation, going by Taylor Swift’s ‘Kissing the Brow Bangs.’ Carey Mulligan’s blunt cut, which some call the bob, also did the rounds. Large glam curls were seen on Jennifer Lopez and Brie Larson, which provided a soft look. Selena Gomez and Helen Mirren went for the traditional bun, while Billie Eilish and Lily Gladstone did some exciting things with the layers. Ponytails were back. Florence Pugh’s fluffy reverse duck-tail was chic and could start a trend with women. Barbie’s Margot Robbie came in a pink Armani dress inspired by the classic ‘Superstar Barbie’ doll of 1977. She continued playing Barbie.

What about the men? They were simply suave.

In the world of Men’s Football, only three players have won the FIFA World Cup, both as player and as a Manager. Franz Beckenbauer of Germany, Mario Zagello of Brazil, and Didier Deschamps of France.

This week, on 9th January, Franz Beckenbauer died at the age of 78. Late last week, on 5th January, Mario Zagello, died at the age of 92. That’s two legends leaving the football field forever, within the span of a week.

Beckenbauer, known in Germany as ‘Der Kaiser (the Emperor) is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. He helped Germany win their second world title as a player and Captain in 1974 and later as a Manager in 1990, in their third win.

Born in Munich in 1945, he captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup title on home soil when they beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the Munich final; then managed the team that beat Argentina 1-0 in Rome to lift the trophy at Italia’90. He was named European footballer of the year in 1972 and 1976. He played a pivotal role in some of the country’s greatest sporting achievements. But, in later years, his legacy was tarnished by his involvement in scandals surrounding Germany’s successful bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

Mario Zagello was in Brazil’s winning team, playing alongside the legendary Pele, in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup, and ‘managed’ Pele and the Brazilian team in 1970 when Brazil won the World Cup for the third time. He wore the nickname of ‘The Professor’ throughout his coaching career due to his tactical awareness and commanding presence on the bench. Brazil went on to win the world in 1994 and 2002 – an unsurpassed record five times. Brazil is quickly followed by Germany with 4 FIFA World Cup wins in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014 and Italy also with four wins in 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006.

More real and reel stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Watch with World Inthavaaram .

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-27

About: stories of weeks gone by 21 to 26, the end of May and the whole of June, and this week, 2nd to 8th July. I was travelling to the United Kingdom and Europe for a first-hand touch of places. And, often a well-deserved hiatus sharpens your thoughts. Here I go, for the cut.

Everywhere

Gone Weeks

India inaugurated a brand new Parliament Building on 28th May, built in a record time of over two years. This was much needed, to get rid of the old colonial-minded building, and to accommodate India’s ever growing population: meaning more Members of Parliament -for a deeper representation – who will fill-in the seats, in the years ahead. Sound-proof, with undetachable seats and objects, and an in-built ruckus prevention system, I hope!

India’s new Parliament certainly rocks and most of the Opposition Parties cited sudden, mysterious reasons to stay away. They created a problem where none existed, for one, that the President of India must inaugurate and not the Prime Minister. They were deeply jealous that the Prime Minister got the new building plan executed to perfection when they tried to prevent its construction-as wasteful-in the first place.

Diving deeper, the Government came up with a stunner: installing the ‘Sengol’ in the New Parliament. A Sengol is a ‘dharma (righteousness) sceptre’ which symbolizes authority, sovereignty, virtual and ethical rule, and is highly spoken of in the ancient Tamil texts of Southern India. The sceptre bears a ‘Nandi’ (bull) and an image of Goddess Lakshmi, both of which mean wealth and prosperity. The Sengol was made under the directions of a 500 years old Saivaite monastery- the Thiruvaduthurai Atheenam- in Tamil Nadu, and given to Jawaharlal Nehru as a way of blessing his role as the first Prime Minister of India. This when the country obtained independence from the British in 1947 and was taking its first baby democratic steps. It symbolically represented the transfer of power from the British, and was later packed-off to a museum in Allahabad and its significance conveniently forgotten.

The wrestling on action against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is in a corner, ahead of the next bout. The WFI President insisted that he is not guilty, and to hang him if indeed any one of the allegations against him is found true. The Police are investigating, and the Courts are waiting to judge. Despite a tenacious, muscular match on the streets seeking dismissal of Brij Bhushan, the Govt stood firm on the mat, and finally the Wrestlers called off the protests agreeing to continue grappling in the Courts.

India’s Northeastern State of Manipur is burning with riots, arson, and attacks becoming the order of the day with two warring ethnic communities, the Meitei and the Kuki going after each other.

The Manipur issue is a complex one going back over many decades. Two communities-actually three-locked in a conflict over space, on the land, and in the mind.

The Meities who are about 53% of Manipur’s population are traditional owners and rulers of the land living in 10% of the area, in the valleys and plains, while the Kukis and allied tribes who came if from Myanmar -thanks to the British- are about 28% of the population occupying the hills, which is about 90% of the area. They share the hills with the another traditional land owner, the Nagas who once used to invade the Meities in the plains beating the living daylights out of them. All of these ethnic groups, at different points of history, wanted an independent country of Manipur or an independent state and formed insurgency groups to achieve this before and after Manipur joined the Indian Union. On account of this, Manipur was for long called a ‘disturbed’ State and the Indian Army given special powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 to maintain law & order.

The present conflict is mainly between the Meities and the Kukis, and began when the Meities demanded that they be included in the Scheduled Tribe Status List and petitioned the Manipur High Court to sent a recommendation to this effect to the Central Government. A fault line opened-up: even past rulers of the land wanted to be called a ‘Schedule Tribe (ST)’ to enjoy reservations in the Government, amongst other ‘green’ benefits. But there is a catch as not being a ST the Meities cannot buy land in the Hills whereas the Nagas & Kukis holding ST status can buy land in the hills, and also the valleys. Basic instincts of survival and progression of the clan rose to the surface. And the communities went berserk with the ‘spaces belonging to them’ being threatened.

The 2023 Archery World Cup, also known as the Hyundai Archery World Cup-for sponsorship reasons-is the 17th edition of the international archery circuit organised annually by World Archery. The 2023 World Cup consist of four events, and will run from 19th April to August, followed by a Grand Finale in which all finalists of the four events will participate. The first event was held in Antalya, Turkey. And the second, the Stage 2 was held in China’s Shanghai during the month of May. Upcoming are competitions is Colombia’s Medellin, and France’s Paris, and a grand finale in Mexico’s Hermosillo.

The end of Stage 2 was a proud moment for India, when 19 year old Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar won Gold. He pulled off a major upset defeating world Number 1 Mike Schloesser. Technically, Prathamesh Samadhan is the new Archery World Champion. On another lane, 18 years old Kaur Avneet Kaur won the bronze medal in the Women’s event.

India is the land of fictional archery greats from Ekalavya, Arjuna, and Karna of the Mahabharata, to Lord Rama and Lakshmana of the Ramayana. Recall that Guru Dronacharya realising that Ekalavya was superior to Arjuna in archery, demanded his thumb as Guru Dakshana (offering), as Drona had promised Arjuna that he would make Arjuna the greatest archer in the world!

Outside India, Robin Hood and Horace Ford were famous with the bow in England; William Tell -shooting an apple off his son’s head fame-is an archery folk hero of Switzerland; Minamoto no Tametomo a Japanese samurai who sank an entire Taira ship with a single arrow – his left hand was 15cm longer than his right, which allowed him to draw the bow longer and make more powerful shots. Then there is Artemis in Greek mythology often seen hunting with a bow & arrow. Archery has a quiver-full of history and stories worth exploring.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a Yoga Show at the United Nations and got the world to twist and turn to the ancient magic of India. He followed it up with a brilliant visit to the United States to strengthen ties between the world’s largest democracies. Despite being a superb orator in Hindi and Gujarati he chose to speak in clear English and the Opposition in India wasted our time in finding pronunciation faults.

Russia’s seemingly invincible President Vladimir Putin suddenly seemed fragile – exposing a chink in his armour-when a crisis unfolded in Russia in the last week of June. Putin faced an insurrection from an ally, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, and the Russian mercenary fighters – the Wagner Group- he leads when they began marching to ‘take’ Moscow.

For the moment, the situation appears to have de-escalated. The forces answering to Prigozhin, the Wagner Group chief, halted their march toward Moscow and turned around, as Prigozhin was offered safe passage to Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko brokered an agreement between Prigozhin and Putin. Criminal charges against Prigozhin were dropped, and preparations were made for Wagner to hand over its heavy military equipment to the Russian military. The deal appears to be holding.

Since its founding nearly a decade ago, the Wagner Group has typically operated in the shadows in Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere in the world. It is not a single, traditional company, but a network of organizations providing fighters for hire-with the approval of Russia, though details remain shrouded in secrecy. Russian President said that the Wagner was ‘fully funded by the state’ though he did not say whether that cash flow would continue.

The group’s lightning blitz toward the capital-and seizure of military sites along the way-stunned the world and prompted Russian authorities to scramble to build defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and other cities. Putin had pledged to crush the revolt and portrayed its participants as traitors to the nation.

That pledge quickly went up in smoke! For a moment Ukraine caught the wind of a victory. And the Russia-Ukraine war mercilessly continues.

This Week

France is burning.

The killing of a 17 years old driver, a boy, named Nahel of Algerian descent, driving a Mercedes Benz Car, has led to unprecedented anger, violent protests, and rioting across France. Violence has gripped the European nation for the more than a week. Thousands have been arrested after 40,000 police were deployed, as there was mass rioting across France.

Buildings, including schools, town halls and the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics in nearby Seine-Saint-Denis, were also torched. The historic Alcazar library, the largest public library in Marseille, was set on fire. Attackers stormed the home of suburban Paris Mayor’s home and fired rockets at his fleeing wife and children. They used a car to ram through the gates before setting it on fire.

Definitely a line has been crossed.

Nahel was an only child brought up by single-parent mother and lived in Nanterre in the western suburbs of Paris. He had been working as a takeaway delivery driver, and on the sidelines played rugby league. At 17 he was too young for a Driver’s Licence (18 being the age required). He has been the subject of many as five police checks since 2021-refusing to comply with an order to stop. Most of the trouble he got into involved cars: driving without a licence or insurance and using false number plates.

On the fateful day he was driving a yellow Mercedes with Polish number plates with two passengers – and no licence. He was stopped by the police, obviously for checks, who had the car covered with a gun. He then attempted to drive away, after which a police officer fired at the car and a bullet hit Nahel, pierced his arm and chest, killing him. And the fleeing car crashed into a near by post. One passenger was taken into custody while the other one is believed to have fled the scene.

The mother said she was angry at the accused officer rather than at police in general. “He saw a little, Arab-looking kid, he wanted to take his life,” were her words.

The ‘Police overreach’ ignited a fuse of simmering radical discrimination resulting in never before seen riots in France questing immigration policies and people being absorbed into the French mainstream. What about good parenting and following the rules?

The Israel-Palestine conflict is forever a burning, boiling cauldron. Over the past 18 months, Israel has intensified its military search, arrest and home demolition raids into Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, amid a sharp rise in Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis: with casualty rates on both sides reaching levels not seen in many years. Since the start of this year, at least 162 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, while 21 Israelis have been killed.

This week, Israeli troops entered a neighbourhood on the edge of the West Bank city of Jenin’s packed urban refugee camp, targeting the family home of a militant jailed by Israel. It launched one of its biggest assaults on the occupied West Bank in decades killing at least 12 Palestinians.

The Jenin camp has long been a hotbed for militants with an army of weapons and growing arsenal of explosive devices. Israel accuses militant groups of basing fighters within densely populated urban areas such as refugee camps that date back to 1948. Many militants live in these camps, often with their families.

It’s about 654 days since the Taliban banned teenage schools from schools. Afghanistan is the only country in the world preventing girls and women from getting an education as a part of state policy. Now taking another cruel step, the

Taliban have ordered beauty salons in Afghanistan to be shut down. There is no end to the misery women face in this country. What next, break all mirrors?

This Tuesday the Indian football team won its ninth South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) title after beating Kuwait on penalties. At the centre of the triumph was one man -Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, 38 years old. He has served Indian football for close to two decades, inspiring a generation of players. And led India to a modest Inter-continental Cup and SAFF Championship over the last three weeks, and is currently the third highest scorer of international goals among active footballers. That brings Sunil Chhetri on the same league of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Unbeleivable, for an Indian Player.

Sunil Chhetri has 93 strikes from 142 matches – the top two positions belonging to Cristiano Ronaldo (123 goals from 200) and Lionel Messi (103 from 175).

Take a look at the all-time list and Chhetri is ranked fourth with Iranian legend Ali Daei ahead of him with 109 goals from 148 matches. What makes his story all the more exceptional is that the list of all-time best 10 footballers is populated by stars from countries with an impeccable football lineage – where Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas holds the sixth position (84 goals) and Robert Lewandowski of Poland is ranked eighth (79 goals).

Compare that to the footballing credentials of India! The last time India had a podium finish in a major championship was a bronze more than 50 years back in the 1970 Asian Games, while their FIFA ranking has hovered around the 100-mark for as long as one can remember.

His achievements have not gone entirely unrecognised – FIFA produced a documentary on him called ‘Captain Fantastic’, last year, playing on their website. And we thought Indian cricket’s, now-retired, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s only Captain Fantastic?

This week Wimbledon Tennis began playing. And for the first time in recent history, the world’s oldest tennis tournament is relaxing its Victorian-era, all-white dress code, which includes headbands, wristbands, even medical tape. Now, female players will be allowed to wear dark-colored undershorts beneath their skirts or shorts. The change, which was first announced in November, is intended to relieve ‘a potential source of anxiety,’ so athletes can focus solely on their performance. It comes after players opened up about the stress of having to wear all-white ensembles while on their period and after protests at last year’s Grand Slam.

This week’s Tuesday was the hottest day on Earth since at least 1979, with the Global Average Temperature reaching 17.18 Degrees Centigrade (62.92F). The previous record was set in August 2016 at 16.92 Degrees C (62.46F). Some scientists believe 4th July may have been one of the hottest days on Earth in around 125,000 years. Watch out. The Earth is warming for sure

More colourful stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Get that driver’s licence, follow the rules, and stay warm with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2022-25

About: the world this week, 19 June to 25 June 2022; edge-of-seat, pot-boiler politics in India’s States; Afghanistan shakes; Election results in France, Colombia, and Israel; and a new President-in-the-works for India.

Everywhere

During this week, the International Day of Yoga was celebrated with gusto, with the ‘all walks of life celebrities’ piously seated on a Yoga mat, twisting, turning, and bending backwards and forwards, showing-off their precious moves, highlighting the benefits of the wonderful practice. However, in the Maldives, Islamist protesters stormed and disrupted a yoga event organised by the Indian High Commission in the capital Male. The protesters also brandished placards proclaiming that yoga was against the tenets of Islam. That’s twisting things too far!

Meanwhile, a friend whose Company supplied the T-Shirts to the United Nations for the yoga twists & turns, snaked into my Home to invite me to his son’s Wedding. A fortune-teller had warned that if his son is not cooly ‘married off’ within the year he may face the heat of a marriage draught lasting at least six years – women melting away-blame it on climate change. He googled, quickly latched onto a bride, got his son to nod in agreement – the son was bewildered to discover that she was a childhood bench mate- and fixed the Wedding for August this year. ‘Fortune’ favours the brave!

Moving over: in France, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party lost majority in Parliament, two months after he fought hard to comeback as President. Now, he has to find a way to create alliances and constantly scratch-up the support of other parties to get work done. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and former opponent called the election results a ‘seismic event, while Macron’s own party called it a ‘democratic shock.’

On Sunday, Colombia elected its first leftist president, Gustavo Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla movement. He won more than 50% of the vote, beating a prominent businessman. Gustavo has promised to stop new oil exploration and to raise taxes on the rich. His running mate, Francia Marquez, also snagged a first. An environmental activist and single mother, she will serve as the country’s first black vice-president.

Meanwhile, Israel may get a new Prime Minister as the country is headed toward its fifth election in four years after announcing plans to dissolve parliament. Israel has a way with its Elections!

In Ukraine the fighting continues in the eastern part and the situation is described as extremely difficult. Russia has been using its superior artillery strength to make gains. On the ‘good news side’ the war-torn country has been approved as a European Union (EU) Candidate at a EU Leaders’ summit in Brussels. Ukraine applied days after the Russian invasion, and the process has since moved at a record speed. Ukraine’s President Zelensky called it a ‘unique and historic moment’. Candidate status is the first official step towards EU membership – but it can take many years to join and there’s no guarantee of success. So near yet so far?

Late this week in the United States of America (USA) its Supreme Court overturned the 50 years old Roe versus Wade Case that legalised abortion rights, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion in the USA. This is a death blow to woman’s freedom. And a huge step backwards. More on this, next week.

Afghanistan Shakes

The horror in Afghanistan refuses to abate. The Taliban shook it like never before and then nature too joined the shake.

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 ‘moment magnitude’ killed about a 1000 people and left thousands injured in Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces. The earthquake’s tremors were felt over 500 kilometers by people across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

Mountainous Afghanistan and the larger region of South Asia along the Hindu Kush mountains has long been vulnerable to devastating earthquakes with a similar incident, but of lesser damage, happening in 2015.

India’s Maharashtra State: A Quiver-full of Arrows

In the Maharashtra State Assembly Elections held in the year 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 122 seats in the 288 seated Assembly and came to power entering into a relationship with the Shiv Sena (SHS), which itself won 63 seats. Previously, the highest the BJP could muster in Maharashtra was 46 seats. BJP’s handsome leader Devendra Fadnavis became Chief Minister, enjoyed a ‘relationship honeymoon’, and went on to successfully complete his term.

Building on the snug togetherness, the BJP & SHS decided to take their relationship to the next level – love each other, mind the distance, and probably get married in the next Legislative Assembly Election, which was held on 21 October 2019. After a 61.4% turnout in the election, the ruling BJP and SHS pre-poll alliance won a majority with 106 and 55 seats respectively, on Wedding Day. However, the first night (and day) probably wasn’t good as the just-married couple started squabbling over dowry. The SHS said it was promised an equal share – Chief Ministership for half the term – which was quickly denied by the New Delhi uncles of the BJP saying nothing of the sort was agreed upon. A political drama then kicked-in. The SHS walked-out of the marriage and the BJP, desperately hunted for a coy-bride in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to fill the gap, and found one. This barely lasted three days-could not be consummated-and the new Bride was disowned by her parents – the NCP. The coy Bride returned to her parent’s home and the SHS groomed themselves for a live-in relationship with the NCP’s 53 and the Congress Party’s 44 members, forming the government called the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government (MVA) with their support.

The Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray went on to become Chief Minister without himself having contested the Elections, but later qualified, by becoming a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC). That’s the first part of the story. Now, the second part, where a wronged and ditched groom gets his revenge?

This week the Shiv Sena live-in began to fail with MLAs (Member of Legislative Assembly) of the SHS probably realising they are living in sin. A major chunk lead by Eknath Shinde – nobody heard of him much, before this – broke away, probably emboldened by the come-hither, stunning looks of the BJP. Nobody knows for sure. They caught a flight to the State of Gujarat and from there, a flood of MLA’s – near about 40 of them – flew to Guwahati in the State of Assam, which was suffering one of its worst ever floods caused by incessant rain. This is obviously to prevent ‘political poaching’ – a hunting game-theory Indian Politicians specialise in.

That’s a rebellion in a party founded and run by family members where the family is left behind and the members have stolen the party, possibly beating the Anti-Defection Law which says tow-thirds breaking away is acceptable.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray vacated his official Bungalow and moved to his family home, suitcases, et all. The Government is back on the drawing board.The third and probably the final part of the story is expected to unfold in the upcoming week. The Shiv Sena’s logo is a bow and arrow and Party name itself means, ‘Shivaji’s Army’. They will need all of that, and much more, to stay relevant.

… And Tamilnadu: Two Leaves Leaving

Not to be left behind and catching the whiff of things, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which is the main Opposition Party in the Southern State of Tamilnadu, created its own drama.

Ever since the death of its charismatic leader Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK has been working in a ‘dual sim-phone’ mode – Dual Leadership – with Ottakarathevar Panneerselvam (OPS) and Edappadi Karuppa Palanisamy (EPS) being joint Leaders, kind of, the two leaves of the AIADMK. Both of them have been Chief Ministers for periods of time.

EPS successfully steered the AIADMK as the recent Chief Minister of Tamilnadu – did a fine job – in completing his term, ended up losing in the next Elections, but with a respectable number of seats, reinforcing his leadership.

Over a year in the opposition, the dual leadership wasn’t working well, especially with the BJP’s Tamilnadu President Annamalai stealing the narrative, firing on all guns, and working magic in Tamilnadu as if they were the real Opposition Party. With the AIADMK party cadre wanting a single leadership, to be quick on the draw, they resolved to meet to discuss resolutions made and iron-out bumps in a General Council meeting this week. But it turned into a mid-summer night’s dream. The Courts stepped-in saying they must stick to resolutions agreed upon before the Meeting; all resolutions were rejected; OPS and his supporters walked out; and the Meeting was put-off to another day with new resolutions to kick-in including that of Single Leadership.

No one knows what happens next. Must be looking at direct flights from Chennai to Guwahati to get flooded with new ideas.

Indian politics works in mysterious ways and the edge-of-the-seat suspense, twists & turns can be intriguing, mind-boggling and awfully thrilling. Airplanes and 5-star Hotels gain lots of revenue, the media drives into top gear, and the State gets paid its Goods & Service Taxes.

The New Would-be President of India

Over the past weeks the media was pregnant with speculation on who would be India’s ruling Party BJP’s choice for the President of India, given that the current President, Ram Nath Kovind’s-He did a magnificent job of being President- term expires on 24 July 2022.

This week the choice was made. Droupadi Murmu, 64, a former Governor of the State of Jharkhand was chosen and will be the first person from the State of Odisha, and the first tribal woman leader to occupy the presidential post if elected. She will also be the first President, to be born after Independence. That’s a lot of firsts!

The Opposition had earlier announced Yashwant Sinha – a former Finance Minister in the BJP and one who deserted the BJP ranks – as its candidate The poll is slated for July 18. And the numbers are stacked in favour of the BJP.

Droupadi Murmu, is a tribal woman born in the Santhal community of the remote Mayurbhanj District, Odisha. Her father and grandfather were Village Heads under the Panchayat Raj System. She started out a teacher before entering politics after earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Ramdev Women’s College in Bhubaneswar. She worked as a junior assistant in the Irrigation & Power Department for 4 years before becoming a teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur.

Then she decided to swing into the world of Indian politics. And began her political career as a Councillor in Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat in 1997, and as Vice-President of the BJP’s Schedule Tribes Morcha. She became MLA, twice on the BJP ticket, from Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj in 2000 and 2004. She rose through the proverbial ranks to become a minister in the BJD (Biju Janata Dal)-BJP Alliance Government in 2000 handling the portfolios of Commerce & Transport and Fisheries & Animal Husbandry. And became the Governor of Jharkhand in 2015. Murmu could hold on to her assembly seat in 2004 even when the BJD had snapped ties with the BJP weeks ahead of the state elections, which were swept by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s BJD party.

In her personal life she has seen much tragedy, losing her husband Shyam Charan Murmu to a cardiac arrest in 2014, and one of two sons in 2009, in mysterious circumstances, and the second in a road accident in 2013. She has a daughter, Itishri Murmu who works in a Bank and is married to Ganesh Hembram – a rugby player. There is a young grand-daughter in her arms.

The would-be President has struggled every millimetre of her way to get here, has seen personal tragedy- inheritance of loss, fought depression, and has managed all of them with Himalayan resolve. I’m sure she will make a wonderful President. The best is yet to come!

More native, bow & arrow leaving stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Stay safe with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2022-17

About: the world this week, 24 April to 30 April 2022, War down a rabbit hole, Love in France, the musk is on Twitter, and India surround stories.

Everywhere

The War in Ukraine

We know that Russia has quietly retreated from the Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, three weeks ago, with its tail firmly between its legs-with only limited scope for wagging. And now it seems ferociously focussed, showing teeth, on capturing Eastern Ukraine-the whole of the Donbas region. Goals keep changing everyday- as do the goal posts-and I wonder where this dog-war is headed.

Reminds me of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ when Alice comes to a no-signs cross-road at which is perched, a Rabbit. Alice asks the Rabbit, “where do these roads go?” The Rabbit replies with a question, “where do you want to go?” Alice says, “I don’t know”. Then, any road will take you there – says the wise Rabbit.

Russia has fallen down a rabbit hole and Putin is in the Wonderland of War – any guesses on which road he is taking? Ask the rabbit, or the Russian bear, if you can find one?

Ukrainian forces have been holding the line in Donbas since 2014, against Russian-backed separatists. Now they are struggling and still holding a 500 km front, but what was sporadic fighting then has now turned into a full-blown war. They’ve already lost ground to the Russians and are likely to lose more in the days ahead.

Has Russia learnt from, what war-experts called, its early mistakes? It is a fact that they’re now fighting on fewer fronts, and under a more seemingly unified command.

Meanwhile, Russia claims to have conquered the port city of Mariupol, but The Azovstal Steel and Iron Works has become the scene of a desperate last stand against Russia’s invading forces.

Azovstal was a major player on the global stage, producing 4 million tons of steel annually and exporting the majority across the globe. Now, its residents are showing they too are made of steel. And for weeks now, the world has been gripped by the battle raging over the steelworks on the coast of the Sea of Azov. A pocket of Ukrainian fighters entrenched at the plant has become a symbol of the country’s unwavering resistance in the face of an enemy that far outnumbers them.

Germany had come under severe criticism, that despite making the right sounds in the beginning it has failed to follow through with measurable action in helping Ukraine. Over the previous weeks the drumbeats had grown louder. And this week, Germany made two big announcements: First, Germany is sending about 50 Gepard Air-Defense Tanks to help Ukraine repel Russian attacks. Second, they’ll be training Ukrainian soldiers on German soil.

The Gepard Tank is a favourite among military experts due to the ease of use of the two-cannon flak setup, mounted on a Leopard tank chassis. And especially when one is looking for a no-frills defence against drones.

Russia is breathing out fire and fury with endless ‘will attack’ threats to those supplying arms and other assistance to Ukraine. To show it means business, this week Russia turned off the gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. Russian energy giant Gazprom did it. In turn the European Union (EU) accused Russia of using energy to try to blackmail countries supporting Ukraine.

While this crazy war is being fought, ever thought about what’s happening to the refugees leaving Ukraine? The UN says that as of 25 April, more than 5.2 million people have left Ukraine. Refugees are also crossing to neighbouring countries to the west, mostly Poland which has taken in 2,922,978 refugees. Romania did 782,598 refugees, Hungary 496,914, Moldova 435,275, Slovakia 357,560, and the war-monger Russia itself has taken 614,318 refugees with its side-kick, Belarus doing 24,578.

At the end of the week, Putin had a ‘so-near, yet so far, ridiculously long table meeting’ with the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, where he continued to rationalise his actions and ‘showed the wrong way to a place you cannot go’. The UN Chief returned with little hope of any imminent end to the war. Later in the week he also visited Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, to see first-hand the destruction caused by Russia. In the background Russian missiles whizzed past in a fresh attack. Is that a sign of belligerence?Wonder what the impotent UN will do: can it ever find its Cannon Balls?

The Sound of Macron

This Sunday, France voted to elect a new President and it wisely decided to love-back the incumbent President, Emmanuel Macron. Five years ago, Macron, a Centrist beat Marine Le Pen, a far-rightist, with 66% of the vote. Then at 39, he became France’s youngest leader, since Napoleon.

This time Macron beat the same Le Pen with a narrower margin of 58.5 to 41.5% and became the first French leader to get re-elected in two decades. But over 13 million people in France still voted for the far-right. And 28% of voters decided to stay home, the highest percent to abstain in over 50 years. That’s not something to sing about.

Macron has been trying to attract foreign businesses, set up carbon taxes, and reform France’s social programs. But, hundreds of thousands of protesters disagreed. To compound France’s problems COVID19 and inflation wrecked havoc on the economy and it seemed that the French were prepared to do what they do best: kick out incumbents to the sidewalk. But, this time, for a change, it did not.

Le Pen’s party’s previous leader (Le Pen’s father) infamously dismissed the Holocaust as a ‘detail’ of history. Le Pen pitched voters on a platform that was, anti-immigrant, pro-tax cuts, targets Muslims, and weakens the EU. She has also cozied up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. With her loss, the EU is breathing a sigh of relief. Le Pen conceded but is calling her gains, a ‘shining victory.’ Meanwhile, Macron acknowledged the anger of those who voted against him: needs to write better music!

Let’s recall the stuff that Macron is made-up of.

Emmanuel Macron is married to Brigitte Trogneux, 24 years his senior, and his former High School teacher. They met during a theatre workshop that she was conducting when he was a 15 years old student and she a 39 years old teacher. And he was also a classmate of Brigitte’s daughter, sharing a bench with her. The student and Teacher fell in love with each other, but they only became a couple once Macron turned 18- as the law would allow. His parents initially attempted to separate the couple by sending him away to Paris to finish the final year of his schooling, considering the inappropriateness of the relationship. However, the couple reunited after Macron graduated, and were married in 2007. Brigitte has three children from a previous marriage to a Banker, who she divorced. Macron has no children of his own and has lovingly taken up the role of being a step-father to Brigitte’s three children. One of his sons is older than Macron himself.

Macron is 44 going on 45 and Brigette is 68 going on 69 standing firm and rock solid behind her husband: needs someone older and wiser to tell him what to do for things beyond his ken… and to take care of him! That’s The Sound of Macron.

Tesla to Twitter

Elon Musk is one of the World’s best known Entrepreneur, investor, and business magnate. Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, and OpenAI are some of the remarkable, innovative companies he has founded, or co-founded. He is almost always flying on the headlines. Perhaps reason why he decided to build a nest by buying micro-blogging site,Twitter. Oh, I tweet a lot!

This week, Elon Musk clinched a deal to buy Twitter Inc. for USD 44 billion in a transaction that will shift control of the social media platform populated by millions of users and global leaders to the world’s richest person.

Welcome to a not so boring Twitter SpaceT?

India: Harmony, Squirrels, and Troubled Neighbours

Last week India’s Jahangirpuri, in Delhi, saw violence break out between Muslims and Hindus during a procession on the occasion of Hindu God, Hanuman’s Birthday. At the beginning of the week, in a bid to set things right and spread a message of peace and communal harmony, around 200 residents of Jahangirpuri took out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ (National Flag march) in the area, with shops and houses in the locality hoisting the tricolour to commemorate the event. India has a knack of getting back together in accordance with the hues of the national flag. And it always works!

In the South of India in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, Kalimedu, eleven people including three children were electrocuted when a Temple Chariot-Car procession touched the overhead high-voltage power supply lines. Appears that the temple car -also carrying a mobile Electricity Generator-was negotiating a turn when it lost balance and touched the wires. The Temple car procession is an annual event and Authorities should know what’s ‘up ahead’. One of the reasons doing the rounds is the that the Temple car height always remaining the same, the height of the road was increased without scrapping the old one – a corrupt contractor at his worst. I call this gross negligence of the highest degree. Unforgivable.

Tamilnadu State is already reeling under unannounced power-cuts, when the Minister Incharge of Electricity spends time, wasting taxpayers money, singing hosannas to the Chief Minister’s Actor and Film Producer son in the Assembly. And at other times he blames ‘nutty’ Squirrels for eating the wires leading to power-cuts! Wow – it all depends on a Squirrel!

In Myanmar, the thuggish Military Junta is still busy plastering cases on deposed leader and Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi . Recall, she had led Myanmar for five years before being forced out of power in a military coup, in early 2021. This week a court sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in jail after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases against her. She has been charged with at least 18 offenses, which carry combined maximum jail terms of nearly 190 years, if found guilty.

In Sri Lanka people are on the streets calling for the Government to quit over the poor handling of the economy leading to the unprecedented crisis they are now facing. Trade Unions went on a strike asking the President to resign. However, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will go on, with 117 Members of Parliament pledging support to the Rajapaksa brothers. Last heard, the World Bank has agreed to provide Sri Lanka with USD 600 million to meet payment requirements for essential imports – with USD 400 million coming-in shortly!

More elected love stories will be squirrelled in the weeks to come. Teach well, vote for World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2020-44

About: This is what happened this week, in our World.

Wisdom

“Find the smartest people you can and surround yourself with them.” –Marissa Meyer, CEO, Yahoo!

Everywhere

United States (US)

The ‘red’, Grand Old, Republican Party – Trump-Pence, and the ‘blue’ Democratic Party – Biden-Harris teams are in the throw of the Finals of the US Presidential Election. Early voting is underway and ends on 1st November. Election Day is on 3rd November. Meanwhile, the coronavirus is still a star campaigner growing in momentum across many parts of the US, spreading a message of pandemic mismanagement and a refusal to look at the science of virus things.

Will Joe Biden trump over Donald Trump? I hope it doesn’t end in a ‘well shampooed’ hair-raising photo-finish or a refusal to accept the outcome. We should be knowing next week, by this time.

I’m hoping Joe makes it, with Kamala.

France

Awfully tough and horrific times in France, this time of the year.

On 16th October a 18year old Chechen refugee beheaded a School Teacher, Samuel Paty, in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a suburb of Paris. This, days after he had shown images of Prophet Mohammed, alongside other caricatures and cartoons, to his students while teaching and discussing the topic ‘freedom of expression’. He has even asked pupils who feared they might be offended by them to look away if they wanted to.

Is there a better way to teach freedom of expression?

The killer was subsequently gunned down by the Police.

Later, in a similar incident on 29th October a knifeman, shouting, ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great), killed three people and injured several others in an attack inside a Church in France’s Nice, on the Cote d’Azur. One of the victims, a woman, was decapitated. The scene was described as a ‘vision of horror’. This time too, the attacker was shot, injured, and taken to hospital. Glad that the Police have acted with superb alacrity and responsibility.

France has a long and cherished tradition of freedom of expression, and there can be no justification for attacking this freedom. French President Emmanuel Macron, enraged by the first incident, said that France will continue to defend the freedom that the School Teacher taught so well, and will bring back secularism; and France will not give up cartoons, drawings, even if others back down.

Macron’s war cry on Islamic fundamentalism has infuriated many Islamic countries denouncing it as Islamophobia, and they in turn are going to Town shouting that anything to do with France be banned.

Fanatic elements in any religion cannot be encouraged and France should be given every possible support in dealing with this hydra-headed problem. Religions Leaders should step in to control such radicals living on the fringes of humanity. I believe religion should be strictly kept in the confines of one’s soul, one’s home, and only the best effects should be visible on the outside.

Cartoons are images intended for humour and satire, as a means of communication to convey news, entertainment, and the kind, in a light-hearted manner. It’s best we look at a cartoon as just that, shrug it off with a smile, and not delve too deep into them. Nothing can demean the original, which is forever taken. Why give importance to a cartoon and allow another meaning in a dimension we should not be thinking at all? Why cannot we laugh at ourselves?

Laughter is the best medicine, they say, for many of our ills. When was the last time we enjoyed a Tom & Jerry Cartoon? Imagine if all the Cats meowed endlessly and mice squeaked tirelessly about showing them in caricature? Or, our Politicians -they become famous because of cartooning, didn’t they?

The Vatican City

Last Sunday, Pope Francis announced that Wilton Daniel Gregory, currently the Archbishop of Washington DC, is being elevated to Cardinal, in a list of 13 new Cardinals, all under the age of ‘heavy 80’. With this appointment, Gregory becomes America’s first African American Catholic Cardinal-adding to another of becoming Washington DC’s first African American Archbishop. The primary responsibility of Cardinals is in electing a new Pope, should the present Pope step down or die.

The new Cardinals ‘start getting old’ from 28th November onwards. Cardinals wear the distinctive red vestment to indicate their willingness to sacrifice themselves to the point of shedding ‘their own blood in the service of the Successor of Peter.’

Successor of Peter? Recall, that the primacy of the Pope, also known as Bishop of Rome, Supreme Pontiff, is largely derived from his role as at the Apostolic Successor to Saint Peter, to whom the primacy was conferred by Jesus, giving him the ‘Keys of Heaven’ and the powers of ‘binding and loosing’, naming him as the ‘rock’ upon which the Church would be built.

Pope Francis has been making progressive changes, shaking-up and reinvigorating Christianity. Recently, he approved of same-sex marriages. ‘They are also children of God’, he said. I think that any Religion should constantly evolve, keeping with our better understanding of humanity, without losing sight of core fundamentals. The Pope has listened…and acted. God speaks through him.

Europe

Europe is being demolished and populated by COVID-19 numbers. New cases are a sensation in Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, and Italy, grappling with positivity rates of between 20% and 31%.

The only way they can be avoided is with aggressive testing, tracing, use of masks, hand hygiene, maintaining of physical distance and avoidance of crowds.

If everyone in the world washed their hands properly, an estimated one million lives would be saved every year, according to researchers in London.

Space

On 26th October NASA revealed that its Stratosphere Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has discovered water in the Clavius Crater of the sunlit parts of the Moon’s Southern Hemisphere. The quantity detected is minuscule – the Sahara Desert contains 100 times the water found by SOFIA – but it is a very significant discovery, which matters a lot in setting up say, a Base on the Moon or as a stop-over for greater and longer Space missions. NASA hopes to put a Man and a Woman on the Moon, in 2024, through its Artemis Mission.

India

Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)

We almost took it for granted, as an Indian, that we could buy land and property anywhere in India. But until the abrogation of Article 370 this was not possible in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Only residents of J&K could buy land on producing a Domicile or Permanent Residency Certificate. Not any longer, and from 26th October the Government has gazetted that any Indian can buy land in J&K just like any other State in India.

This simple notification was long overdue. How about buying a nice little cottage overlooking the Dal Lake? Let’s do it?

Elections

Elections keeping rolling in State after State during the year, that one keeps wondering if Democracy is only about voting and forgetting about whom you voted for.

Democracy can succeed only if there is a constant engagement by the people.

This time it’s Bihar State that is going to the polls to elect a new State Government. Current Chief Minister (CM), Nitish Kumar, has been ruling for three five-year terms and is hoping to make it to a fourth. Isn’t it time to give way to someone else?

Voting started on 28th October in a first of three phases for 243 Assembly Seats. The Second and Third Phases are on 3rd and 7th November respectively. We will know the results on the counting day, 10th November.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Janata Dal(United), JD(U), are together pitted against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and the Left Parties. Opinion Polls give an edge to the ruling BJP – JD(U) combo.

CM, Nitish Kumar has governed, and managed the pandemic, reasonably well: comes across as a level-headed Chief Minister. Years ago, he was voted one of the best Chief Ministers of India and even thought of as a best candidate Prime Minister. But, he could do more to develop Bihar faster. I would give him one more term to deliver and, whatever, quit after this period. Make way for more talented people. Moreover, we are tired of the same old faces, aren’t we?

Sport

Cricket

The IPL 2020 Cricket Tournament is still scoring in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Match No 52 will be played this Saturday. After Match No 56 on 3rd November, it will be over to the Qualifiers and Eliminators before the Final, near the middle of November.

Mumbai Indians still lead the points table followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore, and then Delhi Capitals. Chennai Super Kings is well-settled at the bottom of the Table with Sunrisers Hyderabad, ‘keeping close’ company.

KL Rahul of Kings XI has the most runs to his name, 641 in thirteen games, Shekar Dhiwan of Delhi Capitals is the closest with 471 runs. Not far away are, David Warner with 436 runs and Viral Kohli at 424 runs. Rajasthan Royals’ Sanju Samson has hit the highest number of sixes – 26. That’s living up to the ‘power of Samson’, in his name

Motor Racing: Formula One

Six-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton has broken Michael Schumacher’s all-time Formula One win record after dominating the Portuguese Grand Prix.

His victory in Portimao, Portugal, was the 92nd of his career, moving past the German’s previous record of 91. Hamilton squandered his lead on the opening lap but after reclaiming it on the 20th lap, he held off all competitors to win the Driver’s Championship.

Lewis Hamilton, of the United Kingdom, competes in Formula One for the Mercedes -AMG Petronas Team. He won his first championship in 2008 while in the McLaren Team before moving to Mercedes. That maiden win was dramatic, making a crucial overtake on the ‘last corner of the last lap in the last race’ of the season to become the then youngest Formula One World Champion in History.

Ever wondered why it is called Formula One? In the beginning when motor car racing was racing to become a sport it was a free-for-all design for the Designer and the Drivers. Then, the Regulators framed a clear set of rules for the design of these cars such as single seating, open wheels, engine power specification, etc. Only cars complying with this ‘formula’ of rules could compete. Somewhere along the road the number One got added, as the sport was the ultimate in car racing. Then it became widely known a Formula One.

With the formula being generated, It begs the question, is there a Formula Two, Three? Yes, with smaller cars and versions, in terms of the power, and the kind.

Potpourri

Taiwan

Taiwan was quick to act when the coronavirus hit the world, and they have the best record in Asia and probably the World, with almost 200 days without a locally transmitted case. What did they do right? In an Island of about 23 million people that had about 553 confirmed cases and only 7 deaths. Their deadly experience with SARS has given them a heads-up start driving them involuntarily into submitting to the strict government directives. They closed borders early, tightly regulated travel, did rigorous contact tracing, enforced technology-driven quarantine and ensured widespread mask wearing.

We have got the experience we never thought we wanted. Should be easy to put ourselves in the shoes of Taiwanese and transplant their mentality to where we live – that’s a good infection to spread, isn’t it?

Enter the Beetle

We have known Superman, Batman, Iron-man; now it’s time to know about a Super Beetle rightly named ‘diabolical ironclad beetle’, biting with the scientific name of ‘Phloeodes diabolicus’. This beetle can survive being run over by a car and is mostly found in the arid western regions of the United States.

The ironclad beetle’s super-toughness lies in its armour. It has two armour like ‘elytron’ (a sheet, cover, protective wing case), that meet at a line, called a suture, running the length of its abdomen. Typically, flying beetles have hardened forewings-elytra-to protect the underlying hindwings, which are used for flight. But the ironclad beetle having lost its ability to fly, its elytra are permanently locked together to provide protection from predators.

The suture acts like a jigsaw puzzle, connecting the beetle’s various exoskeletal blades in the abdomen, which lock to prevent themselves from pulling out. If the suture is broken, another protective mechanism also allows for the blades to deform slowly. That prevents a sudden release of energy, which would otherwise break its neck.

The Beetle can take an applied force of 150 newtons – some 39,000 times its body weight -before its exoskeleton starts to fracture. A car tire would apply force of around 100 newtons if driving over the insect on a dirt surface.

How about a Beetle-Man superhero movie? Anybody dare drive over him?

Until next week with more ‘iron-clad’ stories! Meanwhile, spend the weekend listening to The Beatles we all know so well. ‘Hey Jude, Come Together, I Want To Hold your Hand, Yesterday, Something, In My Life, Love Me Do, While My Guitar Gently Weeps…are some of the best songs strung by them.