Tag: Italy

CABO VERDE

About: The 23rd FIFA World Cup 2026, is being jointly hosted by three countries-a first in the history of the game-The United States, Canada, and Mexico. To measure the vastness of the game, this time the quadrennial men’s football event expanded into a 48 team format, with matches hosted in 16 cities, across the three countries. The first ball of the Tournament was kicked on 11 June 2026, in Mexico City and the kicking and heading will go-on until the final on 19 July 2026 in New Jersey, US. It is here that I discovered a tiny country called Cabo Verde -which I never heard about until now-skilfully playing the game and winning my heart: this is the story of the country, and how it got here (Image credit: Canva AI)

GEOGRAPHY & HISTORY

In geography, a ‘Cape’ is a stretch of land that juts-out into the sea from the mainland. It marks a sudden, sharp change in the direction of a coastline, hence it is a critical landmark for navigation. Capes are typically smaller and more pointed than ‘their cousins’, the Peninsulas: a Cape can appear on a Peninsula, but the reverse is not typical. Perhaps, the most popular Cape we know is the Cape of Good Hope-the southern-most tip of South Africa- and Cape Town, the city build around it.

The Cape of Good Hope was originally named the ‘Cape of Storms’ by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 due to its treacherous waters. Thankfully, it was renamed ‘Cape of Good Hope’ by King John II of Portugal to give hope to a newly discovered sea route to India and the East. Bend it like the Portuguese?

With all good hope, when you navigate along the Western Coast of Africa you would bump into many more Capes and when you reach Senegal, you hit Cape Verde (French: Cap Vert, meaning Green Cape) the Western most Cape of mainland Africa. Pointe des Almadies, located on the Cap-Vert peninsula in Dakar, Senegal is the exact westernmost tip of Africa.

About 570 kilometres from this point- farther west- is Cabo Verde (or Cape Verde) a 10-Island volcanic archipelago with an area of about 4,035 square kilometres, and these days holding a population of around 530,000. It is named after-you guessed it-Cape Verde. It forms part of the Macaronesia ecoregion along with the Azores and Maderia (belonging to Portugal), and the Canary Islands (belonging to Spain), in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The islands of Cabo Verde are divided into, Barlavento group of islands to the north, consisting of Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sao Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista; and Sotavento Islands to the south, consisting of Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava and the three islets called the Rombos-Grande, Luis Carneiro, and Cima. Nine of the ten islands are inhabited; only Santa Luzia-the smallest-has no permanent population.

Geologically, the islands are volcanic and relatively young-formed over millions of years on the Cape Verde Rise-a swell in the central Atlantic Ocean that elevates the seafloor. The terrain varies significantly across the islands, with the older eastern islands tending to be flatter, sandier, wind-eroded, and arid-ideal for beaches and tourism. The western islands are mountainous, rugged and rocky, with greater elevation leading to more vegetation in the higher areas due to what is called ‘orographic rainfall’. The islands thereby offer a striking contrast: from desert-like beaches to volcanic ‘moonscapes’ and fertile green highlands, all within a compact archipelago. The islands have a year-round tropical weather.

The Cabo Verde islands were mostly uninhabited until they were first colonised by Portugal in the mid 15th century. After centuries of Portuguese rule, Cabo Verde won its independence in 1975 and Praia, on the island of Santiago, became the country’s capital.

Cabo Verde was discovered in 1460 by Italian and Portuguese navigators. Santiago being the most favourable for settlement, colonisation began on this island in 1462. The largest Port is located at Mindelo on Sao Vincente, which is a deepwater harbour and had been used as a fuelling station since the 19th century.

Around the time of the discovery of Cabo Verde, lived Prince Henry, the third son of King John I of Portugal. Prince Henry was driven by a mixture of motives: crusading against Muslims, seeking trade-gold, slaves, spices-and finding the legendary Christian King, Prester John-who is considered a descendant of the ‘Three Magi’(Three Kings or Wise Men from the east who visited the infant Jesus) and ruled a Kingdom full of riches, marvels, and strange creatures. Though Prince Henry rarely sailed himself, his patronage transformed Portugal into a leading maritime power. He died in 1460, and rightfully earned the nickname ‘Prince Henry The Navigator’. The explorations he started continued and helped launch Europe’s global expansion.

Genoa, in Italy, is renowned for its long and influential maritime past. During the Middle Ages, it was one of the most powerful Maritime Republics, alongside Venice, Pisa, and Amalfi-all Italian Towns. Genoese sailors, merchants, and explorers dominated trade routes across the Mediterranean and beyond. Genoese navigators played a supporting, significant role in the maritime expansion sponsored by Prince Henry even though the expeditions were primarily Portuguese-led. Genoa had skilled sailors, shipbuilders, and merchants who often worked for other powers due to political rivalries at home and the then growing opportunities created by Portugal.

One such Genoese nobleman and navigator was Antonio de Noli who was exiled from Genoa due to political conflicts. About 1447, he sailed to Portugal with his family and entered into the service of Prince Henry, for exploring the African coastline. Then in the year 1456 Venetian Explorer Alvise Cadamosto, also working for Prince Henry, along with Genoese captain Antoniotto Usodimare, sighted some islands while sailing towards Africa’s Gambia River. This was probably the first inspiration to find Cabo Verde, lying westward.

Around 1460, Antonio de Noli accompanied by Portuguese captain Diogo Gomes were the first to discover the Cabo Verde archipelago. They explored the main islands, and founded a settlement at Ribeira Grande on Santiago—the earliest European overseas colony in Sub-Saharan Africa. Antonio de Noli was later appointed Governor, and continued as such, for decades.

In the period between the 16th and 18th centuries, Cabo Verde became a key hub for the transatlantic slave trade, due to its strategic location. Enslaved Africans were brought from the mainland, processed, and shipped to the Americas; the islands also served as a provisioning stop. The economy relied primarily on trade, with some agriculture thrown-in, though hampered by the arid climate. Attacks by pirates and rival powers occurred periodically (the famous explorer, navigator and privateer, Sir Francis Drake attacked Cabo Verde in November 1585 during his expedition to the West Indies). The first settlement of Ribeira Grande gradually declined, and Praia, on the island of Santiago, grew to become the largest city and present day modern capital of Cabo Verde.

In the 19th century following the end of the slave trade (fully abolished in the 1870s) Cabo Verde’s economy went into decline and it became a poor subsistence economy.

Meanwhile, the islands having no indigenous people or ancient Kingdoms(with tons of gold), a ‘Creole’ (a blend of community) society, language, and culture emerged from the mixing of Portuguese settlers and Africans. Free Europeans and enslaved people from the African coast merged into a single people, Cape Verdeans, with a unique way of being and living, and Creole emerged as the language of the predominantly mixed-race community. Emigration out of the Islands began due to repeated droughts and famines experienced while the economy was trying to grow.

In 1879, the joint administration of Cabo Verde with the Portuguese Guinea-Bissau ended, making Cabo Verde a separate colony. It stayed a subsistence economy while serving as a coaling and resupply station: coal-which arrived from other countries-was stored in the port of Mindelo on Sao Vicente island, for resale to passing ships.

In the 20th century, up to 1956, Portugal maintained control amid growing African nationalism. In 1951, Cabo Verde’s status changed to an ‘overseas province’, and full Portuguese citizenship was granted in 1961, but this was superficial and could not contain the desire for independence.

In 1956, Amilcar Lopes Cabral, a Bissau-Guinean and Cape Verdean revolutionary leader, agronomist, political theorist, and poet, founded the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde (PAIGC), in Bissau. This marked the start of organized resistance that would lead to full independence in 1975. Amilcar Cabral is one of the outstanding anti-colonial persons of the 20th century and the PAIGC that he founded and led, waged a successful armed struggle against Portuguese colonialism. He is revered as a national hero in both Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.

On 20 January 1973, Cabral was assassinated in Conakry, Guinea-where PAIGC had its headquarters-by disgruntled PAIGC members. He was shot at a roadblock while returning from a reception with his wife. He was 48 years old – and left behind an ex-wife, a wife, and two daughters.

On 19 December 1974 an agreement was signed between PAIGC and Portugal establishing a Transitional Government. This Government would go on to prepare and hold elections for a National People’s Assembly, which on 5 July 1975 proclaimed independence.

Cabral’s ideas and example outlived him. On Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde gaining independence he is honoured as a founding father in both nations. In Cabo Verde, Amilcar Cabral International Airport, on Sal island, is named after him. There are monuments, streets, the Amilcar Cabral Foundation in Praia, and ongoing cultural tributes. Heroes’ Day (20 January ) commemorates his assassination alongside other freedom fighters.

One of Cabral’s memorable quotes, goes like this:

“Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories”. Cabral remains a symbol of principled anti-colonial struggle, intellectual rigour, and the fight for dignity and self-determination for African peoples—particularly resonant in Cabo Verde due to his personal and familial ties to the islands. His life bridged two nations and helped forge their paths to freedom.

After Cabo Verde gained independence from Portugal, it transitioned to a multi-party democracy in the early 1990s and has since been one of Africa’s most stable and developed nations. While Portuguese remains the sole official language, Cape Verdean Creole (Crioulo) functions as the national/vernacular language spoken by most people and used in everyday life.

The National Assembly -72 members, elected every 5 years by proportional representation- holds legislative power. The judiciary is independent. The country has a strong record of democratic stability, peaceful power transfers, free elections, and high rankings in governance and freedom indices in Africa. Major parties include the PAIGC and MpD (Movement for Democracy). It maintains a policy of non-alignment while fostering ties with Portugal, the European Union, African Union, and others.

A large diaspora -exceeding the resident population- lives mainly in the United States, Portugal, and elsewhere; remittances are economically important.

Cabo Verde has a unique Creole blend of African and Portuguese influences and is famous for ‘morna music’- the national music and dance of Cabo Verde. Morna music is deeply melancholic and poetic, characterized by themes of separation, migration, and a profound longing for home. Cesaria Evora, often referred to as the ‘Barefoot Diva’ is the most celebrated morna singer, globally. She took the soulful island music to international prominence and is a global ambassador.

The dominant religion of Cabo Verde is Catholic, with about 85% of the population identifying with the faith. Religion is generally moderate and tolerant; the Catholic Church plays a visible role in culture, festivals, and social life, with many traditional Catholic saints’ days and processions being celebrated.

Today, Cabo Verde’s economy is predominantly service-oriented, with services accounting for roughly 70-75% of GDP. Tourism is the standout sector and main economic driver along with agriculture, fishing, light industry, and remittances. It has limited natural resources and imports much of its food. It has graduated from least-developed country status and focuses on renewables and tourism. Challenges include drought, climate vulnerability, and limited arable land, but it boasts high stability and development metrics for the region.

Cabo Verde relies on a mix of thermal (fossil fuel-based) and renewable energy sources for its electricity, with a total installed capacity of around 160 to 220 MW. The country is a net energy importer with no domestic fossil fuel resources, so all petroleum products for electricity generation and transport are imported. Electricity access is high, though costs remain relatively elevated due to import dependence. Cabo Verde has no petroleum refineries. It only has storage and distribution facilities for imported fuels-diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, etc. All refined petroleum products come from abroad, primarily through companies such as Enacol.

Cabo Verde’s first President was Aristides Pereira- a founding member and Secretary-General of PAIGC. He was a close associate of Amilcar Cabral and played a key leadership role in the independence struggle. He led the country when it was a one-party state initially, before multiparty democracy was introduced. The first Prime Minister was Pedro Pires – a military commander and an important figure in the PAIGC. Pires worked closely with Pereira and Cabral. He later became President of Cabo Verde and is widely respected for his role in the independence movement and the country’s democratic transition.

In 2013, the country’s delegation informed the United Nations that only Cabo Verde (Portuguese pronunciation: ‘kabu verdi’ )and not other translations should be used for official purposes.

With this illuminated background lets go on to play football, with Cabo Verde.

FOOTBALL: THE 11th ISLAND PROJECT

Football has been played in the Cabo Verde islands since the early 20th century, introduced during Portuguese colonial times. The oldest and most successful football club is Clube Sportivo Mindelense (CS Mindelense), founded in 1919 and based in Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. A formal national football team emerged post-independence in 1975, nicknamed the ‘Blue Sharks’.

The team played its first international match in April 1978, losing 0–1 to Guinea in a tournament in Guinea-Bissau. The Cabo Verdean Football Federation (FCF) was established in 1982. It affiliated with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and joined the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) in 1986, enabling official international participation.

In the early years, the Blue Sharks remained low-profile (in the deep waters), with limited matches and poor FIFA rankings-as low as 182nd in the year 2000. They entered Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in 1992 and World Cup qualifiers in 2003, but progress was gradual. Success grew later through diaspora players and smart thinking, leading to their first real breakthrough at AFCON in 2013 and eventual World Cup qualification.

The Blue Sharks made one of the most remarkable underdog stories in recent football history by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is currently underway. This is their first-ever appearance-and advancing to the knockout stages as the smallest nation ever to do so.

Cabo Verde’s strong diaspora and its brilliant recruitment strategy is the cornerstone of the national football team’s remarkable rise, often called the ‘11th Island’ Project. With a population of only about 530,000 people, the country has a larger diaspora, which is estimated at 1 to 2 million people, living abroad, primarily in Portugal, the Netherlands (especially Rotterdam), the United States (mainly Massachusetts and Rhode Island), France, Brazil, and elsewhere. Many players with Cabo Verdean heritage play in Portugal, Brazil, Major League Soccer (MLS), and other leagues.This global community-shaped by historical emigration due to droughts, seafaring traditions, and colonial ties-has become a vital talent pool for the Blue Sharks – literally, hunting down blood.

The Cabo Verdean Football Federation formalized talent identification and recruitment strategies around the early 2000s, accelerating it after their first AFCON qualification in 2013. They built a competitive squad by scouting talent globally, including through unconventional methods such as LinkedIn.

Global Scouting Networks of the FCF, coaches, agents, and community figures actively track players of Cabo Verdean heritage (by birth, parentage, or ancestry) in foreign leagues. This includes second- and third-generation emigrants playing in Europe and beyond. FIFA funding supported the endeavour.

Under coaches like Bubista, who is in charge since 2020, emphasis was on resilience, organization, and leveraging dual-national players: many are dual nationals or eligible through ancestry. Recruiters emphasized national pride, cultural connection, and the opportunity to represent their roots.

A standout example is defender Roberto Lopes(Pico) (Dublin-born, who played in Ireland’s league and worked in a bank). He was contacted via LinkedIn around 2019; he initially thought it was spam, but joined and became a principal player.

Bubista focused on blending diaspora and homegrown talent into a cohesive unit, fostering brotherhood and shared identity. Many squad members play in European leagues bringing higher-level talent and experience to team Cabo Verde. In the squad for the 2026 World Cup, about 14 of 26 players were born abroad. In one major group-stage lineup, 6 of 11 starters were diaspora players (e.g., several from the Netherlands, plus others from Ireland, France, and Portugal).

Goalkeeper Vozinha (Josimar Jose Evora Dias) is a notable contributor. Players like Ryan Mendes, and others with roots in diaspora hubs made assists – towards the goal of selection.

This approach turned a tiny nation into a competitive side capable of drawing with Spain and Uruguay, reaching the knockouts, and nearly upsetting Argentina. Emigration waves created strong ties and early challenges helped in attracting top talent, but persistence paid off around 2013 onward. The strategy leveraged diaspora communities for not just players but also fan support.

While strong team spirit and tactical discipline Cabo Verde emerged as an impressive football team; recent AFCON performances added momentum. The expanded 2026 format of FIFA was a catalyst, but their group-topping qualification showed genuine merit.

Path to Football World Cup 2026 Qualification:

In the 2026 CAF qualifiers (Group D: Cape Verde, Cameroon, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Mauritius), Cape Verde topped the group with 23 points from 10 matches (7 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss). Key results included: a decisive 3–0 win over Eswatini in October 2025, in Praia that sealed qualification. Beating Cameroon (a football powerhouse) 1–0. They finished ahead of fancied Cameroon.

Performance at the World Cup 2026:

Cabo Verde was drawn into Group-H with Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, and defied expectations in their debut tournament: 0–0 draw vs. Spain – a stunning result against favourites. 2–2 draw vs. Uruguay. 0–0 draw vs. Saudi Arabia. They finished second in the Group with 3 points (all draws) and advanced to the Round of 32 — becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockouts.

In the Round of 32, they faced defending champions Argentina. It was an edge-of-the-seat thriller of a match and one of the finest in this World Cup. Argentina opened the score, but Cabo Verde promptly equalised. Argentina scored again and Carbo equalised, yet again. The match was stretched to extra time and Carbo Verde faced a 2-3 defeat with Argentina scoring to decide the winner. Throughout the match it was a heroic performance by veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, aged 40, who made standout saves. One of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi, scored a record goal, but Cabo Verde earned global admiration as neutrals’ favourites.

Cape Verde’s story symbolises pride of a tiny island nation, inspiring fans worldwide and large diaspora communities in the US and Europe. Players like Vozinha have become legends, and the run has put ‘where Cabo Verde is’ on the map for millions. It’s a classic World Cup fairy tale of planning, resilience and joy, from an underdog.

Cabo Verde’s strategy could well serve as a template for other small nations: smart, resourceful recruitment, combined with investment in identity and infrastructure can punch above population weight. The 11th Island has given Cabo Verde global visibility far beyond football-and of many things, pulled me into writing this article.

Cabo Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan made their World Cup debut in this 2026 event and it’s pulsating to see the world – small and big – join together to celebrate the human endeavour in Sport. Nothing bridges people ‘of all makes’ better than Sports. Three Cheers Cabo Verde!

Good Bye, for now. Te logu / Ti manham.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2022-39

About –the stories of the world this week, 25 September to 1 October 2022: All kinds of tensions – religious, nature blowing, stealing land, a country making a right-turn, homeland surgical operations, and a classic Tamil novel becomes a movie and hits the cinema screen.

Everywhere

The protests in Iran on the killing of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, while in Detention by the Morality Police, over improper wearing of the hijab-headscarf continues. Over 70 people have been killed in the unrest and thousands arrested. Women cutting off their hair and burning the hijab has become the signature of the protests against the stringent Islamic Dress Code. Iranian Authorities are struggling to put-down this bold defiance, uncovering after quite a long time, in Iran. And the excessive force being used probably unveils how things went wrong in the first place.

In the United States, a force of nature, Hurricane Ian made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida as a powerful Category-4 storm. It’s one of the strongest hurricanes in recent times to hit the west coast of the Florida Peninsula. The extremely dangerous conditions unleashed by the Hurricane including catastrophic floods, and life-threatening storm surges continued as the storm advanced inland. In a second landfall it battered South Carolina after leaving a trail of destruction across Florida.

Religious Tensions

Leicester is a city in England’s East Midlands region close to the River Soar, where the National Forest area ends. And it is one of its oldest cities with a deep history. Leicester Cathedral, which has stood for over 900 years in the heart of the city is where Britain’s King Richard III was reinterred in 2015.

Leicester has a population over 4.5 Lakhs with a demography of Whites being the largest ethnic group at over 50%, followed by Asians at about 37%.

Recent Hindu-Muslim violence in Leicester caused shock and outrage, and was alarming as the city is known for its diversity, its multiculturisim roots, and has been a model of cohesion for decades. And such unrest is extremely rare. Some tensions in Leicester had been brewing for a while, but it had never got to the point of confrontation before.

The recent disturbances in Leicester first began last month after an India-Pakistan cricket match. On 28 August, cricket fans from Hindu and Muslim communities clashed after India beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dubai. Eight people were arrested on suspicion of assault and violent disorder.

In the weeks following the incident, several disturbances in East Leicester led to more arrests. The tensions reached boiling point on 17th September when a group of Hindus peacefully marched through Green Lane Road, which has predominantly Muslim-owned businesses, chanting, “Jai Shri Ram (Hail Lord Ram)”. Then fights broke out, bottles were thrown, property was smashed and a religious flag was pulled off a Hindu temple in the area. There were even roars that this is a ‘Muslim only area’ and how dare others enter. Over last weekend, multiple retaliatory marches and protests further escalated tensions.

However, this may not be as straightforward as a sporting feud that has got out of hand: It seems like there were simmering tensions before this cricket match. A pointer is an incident which occurred before the 28th August incident in which a young Muslim man said that he was assaulted by a Hindu gang. No one has been charged, but the allegations alone appear to have been enough to stoke further tensions. It is learnt that particular pieces of misinformation such as this fuelled tension in the run-up to the worst of the disorder on the weekend of 17-18 September. One false story was referenced several times.

“Today my 15 years daughter was nearly kidnapped,” read a post uploaded on Facebook, supposedly by a concerned father. “Three Indian boys got out and asked her if she was Muslim. She said yes and one guy tried to grab her.” The post was liked hundreds of times, not on Facebook but on Twitter after a community activist, tweeted the family’s story on 13 September. He also shared a message from the police, which he said was “confirming the incident which took place on 12 September”. But there had been no kidnap attempt. A day later, Leicestershire Police issued a statement after investigating and stated that the incident did not take place at all. The community activist deleted his posts and said the attempted abduction had not happened and that his initial version had been based on conversation with the family making the allegation. But damage had already been done and this false kidnap claim kept being regurgitated on other social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram. Messages forwarded many times over were initially taken by some as the truth. On Instagram, profiles – some with hundreds of thousands of followers – shared screenshots of the original post and allegedly accused a Hindu man of being behind the ‘failed abduction’.

Days later a mob of more than 200 people, mostly Muslims, attacked Durga Bhawan Hindu Centre in Smethwick, Birmingham, and shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogans. And following this an Islamist group shared posts calling for a demonstration outside the Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir in Wembley. This is the latest in a series of incidents targeting Hindus in the United Kingdom in recent days.

In a video posted on Twitter, an Islamist could be seen provoking Muslims in the city, calling Hindus gangsters, and mocking the religion.

Hindu-hatred and Hindu-phobia seem to be the new words in Town.

Russian Tensions

Tensions are rising in Russia. Last week, Russia kicked off a five-day referendum in the occupied Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine. The question on the ballot: “Do you wish to secede from Ukraine?” It comes as Russia announced a troop surge of 300,000 and its first draft since World War II amid mounting nuclear concerns. Meanwhile, thousands fled the country to escape the draft.

Ukrainians report that Russian soldiers are going door-to-door, coercing people ‘under a gun barrel’ to vote in favour of annexation. When ‘The Results’ were announced there was no surprise – all four occupied regions of Ukraine voted to join Russia.

Ukraine and Western countries including the US have condemned the vote as a sham. The United Nations Security Council said it will never accept the results and the four regions will remain part of Ukraine.

That’s a sham referendum for sure, but late this week Russia went ahead and declared these territories as Annexed to Russia, and henceforth people living in them are Russian citizens. That’s cold-blooded land-grabbing.

Italy: Right Turn

Italy is turning in the ‘right’ direction. The ultra-conservative Brothers of Italy Party led by Giorgia Meloni won 26% of the vote and along with coalition partners, The League – led by Matteo Salvini (8.8%) and Forza Italia – led by Silvio Berlusconi (8.1%) secured a clear majority in Parliament. Together with a smaller party representing less than 1% of the vote their right-wing coalition obtained 43.8% of the total votes. All this translates into 237 seats in the 400 seat Chamber of Deputies-called the Lower House, and 115 seats in the 200 seat Senate of the Republic – called the Upper House. Their main rival, the centre-left Democratic Party won 19% of the vote with 84 seats in the Chamber and 44 seats in the Senate.

Giorgia Meloni, 45, is all set to become Italy’s first female Prime Minister leading the most far-right government since the fascist era of the Second World War. It’s expected to take weeks for a new government to be formed. And President, Sergio Mattarella will have to nominate her, which is expected to happen during the month of October.

Meloni entered Italy’s crowded political scene in 2006 and co-founded the Brothers of Italy in 2012, a party whose agenda is rooted in Euroskepticism and anti-immigration policies. In the last election, in 2018, the party won just 4.5% of the vote, but its popularity has soared in recent years.

Meloni differs from coalition partner leaders on the issue of Ukraine. Whereas Berlusconi and Salvini have both said they would like to review sanctions against Russia because of their impact on the Italian economy, Meloni has been steadfast in her support for defending Ukraine. She is deeply conservative, openly anti-LBGT, and has threatened to place same sex unions, which were legalised in Italy in 2016, under review. She has also called abortion a ‘tragedy’ raising fears for the future of women’s rights in the country.

Meloni has a daughter with her partner Andrea Giambruno, a journalist who works for Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset TV channel.

A Cool Homeland Surgical Operation

The Popular Front of India (PFI) is an Indian Political Organization founded in 2006 with the merger of the Karnataka Forum of Dignity (KFD), the National Development Front (NDF) of Kerala- established in Kerala two years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid to protect the interests of the Muslim community – and the Manitha Neethi Pasarai of Tamilnadu. It was formed to counter Hindu groups and engages in radical and exclusivist style of Muslim minority politics. It is said to be a resurrection of the banned, terrorist Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), and affiliate of the Indian Mujahideen and also has links to the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangalesh (JMB)- another proscribed organisation. That’s danger written all over. The PFI has various wings such as National Women’s Front and the Campus Front of India.

The PFI’s stated purpose is to establish Islamic rule in India.

Last week in a superbly planned surgical operation called ‘Operation Octopus’, India’s National Investigative Agency conducted large-scale raids in the ‘tentacle premises’ of PFI and its affiliates across the country on charges of terror funding and money laundering. And at the end of which about 100 PFI leaders and activists suddenly found themselves behind bars.

The raids had the stamp of good homework and not many had an inkling of what was coming up. It was conducted in a flawless manner with the entire PFI top leadership caught unawares and picked up in single swoop – meticulous planning by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and ‘India’s James Bond’, National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval.

This week, the Indian Government, loaded with solid evidence used the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to declare that the PFI and its associates as an unlawful organisation and banned it with immediate effect, for a period of five years. PFI and its associates have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are against the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country. And have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country, as well as support militancy in the country.

A notification to the effect was issued by MHA, on 27 September. Eight associate organisations of PFI have been declared unlawful associations: Rehab India Foundation(RIF), Campus Front of India(CFI), All India Imams Council(AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Org (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Jr. Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

The MHA has also revealed that some of the PFI’s founding members are the leaders of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and had connections with ‘Global Terrorist Groups like Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)” and that the PFI and its associates have been working ‘covertly to increase radicalisation of the Muslim community’ by promoting a sense of insecurity.

Investigations showed that the PFI and its cadres have been consistently engaging in violent, subversive, and terrorist acts, including chopping off the limb of a Malayalam college professor, and murder of several persons in the States of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu; cold-blooded killings of people associated with organisations espousing other faiths; obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property.

Looks like the Octopus has got itself a prize catch!

Tears Play

Perhaps it was the music that stirred emotions, with British singer Ellie Goulding bringing a memorable night in London to a conclusion, or maybe it was the volley of memories or the replays in the mind, and there are plenty of those shared between these tennis greats, being brought to the fore.

As Nadal sat alongside his friend and great rival at the O2 Arena in London last friday night, the pair cried. Fans chanted Federer’s name, the pair hugged and Federer received one last standing ovation. There was no doubt that this was it, the Swiss great’s final professional match in the ATP’s Laver Cup. He retires in a rally of tears – a genius who made tennis look effortless.

Please Yourself: Relieve Tension

Ace Indian filmmaker and director Mani Rathinam’s magnum-opus Ponniyin Selvan (son of River Ponni – Cauvery) based on the eponymous literary masterpiece by Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy released this week, on 30 September, in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages.

Its Trailer became the first of a Tamil Film to be screened in Las Vegas, USA.

The film is directed by Mani Rathinam with Music scored by Academy Award winner A R Rahman, Lyrics by Vairamuthu and others, Art Direction by Thota Tharani, cinematography by Ravi Varma.

The casting includes most of the brightest stars of South Indian cinema and includes former Miss World Aishwarya Rai in a beautiful role. And the promotions have created a never before seen anticipation of a movie release.

The movie is about one of the greatest Kingdoms the world has seen, the Cholas of South India and the story is being told in two parts in a budget of over 450 crores. It is produced by Mani Rathinam’s own Madras Talkies and Subaskaran Allirajah’s Lyca Productions, which is a sub group of Lycamobiles.

Ponniyin Selvam is a historical fiction novel, first serialised in the weekly editions of the the popular Tamil magazine Kalki from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954, and later integrated and released as a novel in five volumes of about 2210 pages in 1955. It tells the story of early days of Arulmozhivarman who later became the great Chola Emperor Rajaraja Chola I (947 CE – 1014 CE).

Ponniyin Selvan is widely considered to be the greatest novel ever written in Tamil. The craze for the series which was published weekly was such that it elevated the magazine circulation to reach a staggering figure of 71,366 copies – no mean achievement in India of the early days. Even today, the novel has a cult following and and enduring fan base, across generations for its well-etched characters, tightly woven plot, vivid narration, wit of dialogue, and sketches/drawings of the Chola period brought alive by famous artist and painter Maniyam Selvam.

For those who have read the story and are also familiar with Indian movie stars, the star cast is a galaxy: Karthi as Vallavarayan Vandiathevan, Vikram as Aditya Karikalan, Jayam Ravi as Arulmozhi Varman, Trisha Krishnan as Kundavai, Aishwarya Rai as Nandhini, Shobitha Dhulipala as Vaanathi, Aishwarya Lakshmi as Poonguzhali, Jayaram as Azhwarkadiyaan Nambi, among many others

Read more about Ponniyin Selvan at:

https://kumargovindan.com/2020/03/31/on-first-reading-kalkis-ponniyin-selvan-2/

More stories coming up in the weeks ahead, to break-down tensions. Watch the world with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2022-28

About: the world this week, 10 July to 16 July 2022. People burst in Sri Lanka, herd moves in Italy, Tennis, Lions of India’s Emblem, and the father of India’s internet.

Everywhere

People Burst in Sri Lanka

Over the past few weeks we read about ‘cloud-bursts’, when heavily pregnant clouds could no longer hold, and suddenly delivered an ‘avalanche of the elements’ causing stirring changes in our lives, on Earth. How about ‘people bursts’, for a change?

What the quitting United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister said aptly of his country was heard by a Herd in far away Sri Lanka: “A Herd moves by instinct and when a Herd moves, it moves”.

Late last week and growing into this week we witnessed a fascinating spectacle of a real ‘people burst’ in Sri Lanka revolting against the abysmal management of the country’s affairs. People suddenly appeared like ants from nowhere swarmed and overran the Presidential Palace and later, the Prime Minister’s residence: the crowds were so large that any security personnel, police, or other forces were simply overwhelmed, and ‘instinctively’ stepped aside to allow the herd to have its way.

The storming people did not do much damage, other than invade and occupy. Potential Olympic swimmers were seen effortlessly doing back-flip dives in the Presidential Swimming Pool; future Chefs began cooking food in the Kitchens for the people to fill their starving stomachs, and others ran over the Presidential Gymnasium, testing the push & pulls, to stay-fit for the coming weeks, months, and years. They sounded the bugle in unison, “We will not leave until the President and the Prime Minister quit”.

Well, both offered to quit and the President cleverly used the chaos to escape to Maldives and then to Singapore, while the Prime Minister got himself promoted to ‘Acting President’, which now needs to be made legal.

Later, safe in Singapore after a round of shopping in Changi Airport, and after defying calls for his resignation, Gotabaya Rajapaksa finally resigned as President of Sri Lanka through an email to the Speaker, who then made the official announcement. The Ex-President ran fearing being arrested by the new regime, whenever it takes over. Guilt written all over?

Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum and it remains to be seen where the Ex-President would flee next.

Why wouldn’t the President stay back, face the music, accept mistakes made, and drum-up solutions?

The Herd Moves to Italy

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered to resign after his populist coalition partner in the Government, Five Star, withdrew its support in a major confidence vote.

The crisis was triggered when Five Star leader Giuseppe Conte refused to back the government’s Euro 23 Billion package of economic aid for families and businesses, arguing Draghi was not doing enough to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Even though the government comfortably won the vote of confidence in the Senate with the help of other parties, the man dubbed ‘Super Mario’ had warned repeatedly that without Five Star’s support the government could not continue. He said the pact of trust that had sustained the unity government had gone.

Mario Draghi, a former head of the European Central Bank has been leading a unity government since February 2021.

However, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who had appointed Draghi to lead Italy’s post-Covid pandemic recovery, and save the country from endemic instability, refused to accept his resignation. He has now called on Draghi to address Parliament to provide a clear picture of the political situation. And once the fog lifts, he might stay on – see Five Stars!

Mario Draghi had improved Italy’s sphere of influence and overall was very well-appreciated for the work he was doing. In a recent survey he was among the top three leaders of the world, ranked 3rd on the list of most popular leaders in the world in 2022, after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador- second, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – first.

But then this sums it up: “Italian politics is always so hard to understand, we just forgot about it while Draghi was in power,” said an Italian.

Looks like Italy has a President who stays the course and tries to keep a capable Prime Minister governing in Government.

Tennis in Wimbledon

While clouds and people bursted elsewhere there was a volley of tennis balls bursting all over Wimbledon in the United Kingdom. No herds here, only the rogue elements single-handedly crushing through victories.

Serbian Novak Djokovic beat Greek Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon 2022 Men’s Singles Final with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 to win his 7th Wimbledon and his fourth successive title.

In a new role as the quiet man of Centre Court, the relentless Djokovic fended off a noisy Kyrgios in an absorbing Wimbledon final in the broiling heat of the All England Club, with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius.

Djokovic showed he had no better way to celebrate his wedding anniversary with wife Jelena; to move on from the emotional turbulence of being deported from Melbourne before this January’s Australian Open; and from the disappointment of losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals of the French Open.

Astonishingly, UK’s Andy Murray remains the last man to beat Djokovic on Centre Court, in the 2013 final.

“He’s a bit of a God,” sad the losing Kyrgios.

Meanwhile, in the Women’s Finals, a new Wonder Women, Elena Rybakina, all of 23 years, stepped up when it mattered most to overcome world No.2, Tunisian Ons Jabeur, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final last Saturday. And become the first Kazakhstani player to clinch a Grand Slam Singles Title, and the youngest champion since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

Elena Rybakina said she was incredibly nervous, but she never showed it, and Wimbledon watchers never noticed – eyes were on the balls!

Lions in India

This week India’s Prime Minister unveiled the National Emblem – huge at 6.5 metres (m) height – on top of the upcoming new Parliament Building: a perfect replica of the original Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath except that its size is about 3 times the original. A priest said a hymn at the inauguration, which translates as, “May earth provide for us, bless us, and illuminate our minds”.

India’s Opposition Parties were quick to roar that the Lions looked fierce, showed teeth, were too aggressive, and were not the least stately. And that the Government was attempting to change the Sate Emblem to suit ‘its own designs’.

India’s National Emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Sarnath, an ancient sculpture dating back to 280 BCE, of Emperor King Ashoka The Great. The original Lion Capital commissioned by King Ashoka, during the reign of the Mauryan Empire is now on show in a Museum in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. It is a magnificent 2.15 m tall sculpture – including the base- of four Asiatic Lions standing back-to-back representing power, courage, confidence, and pride; facing the four cardinal directions, North, South, East, and West. The Lions have an open-mouth roaring stance announcing Buddha’s message of Dharma to the world. They are mounted on a base or an abacus with a frieze of sculptures of a lion, a horse, a bull, and an elephant, each separated by wheels or dharma chakras (eternal wheels of law). The four animals are the Guardians of the four directions: the Lion of the North, the Elephant of the East, the Horse of the South, and the Bull of the West. The abacus in turn is mounted on an inverted lotus, the universal symbol of Buddhism.

On 26 January 1950, a representation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka placed above the motto, Satyameva Jayate, ‘Truth Alone Triumphs’, written in Devanagari script and extracted from the Mundaka Upanishad – the closing part of the holy Hindu Vedas – was adopted as the State Emblem of India.

The National Emblem version used all over India was, at that time, sketched by a 21 years old art student, Dinanath Bhargava, of Visva Bharathi, Shantiniketan, who was pursuing a three-year diploma in fine arts. The story goes that for a month, every day, Dinanath travelled the 100 km distance between Shantiniketan and Kolkata only to study the behaviour and mannerisms of Asiatic Lions at the Kolkata Zoo to make a realistic representation. He was handpicked for the job by the then Principal of Kala Bhavan Shantiniketan, Nandlal Bose – a noted artist and painter.

I have no doubt that the National Emblem atop the new Parliament looks exactly like the original Lion Capital atop the Ashokan Pillar- but to a lager scale. The noise being made about it being different is much ado about nothing.

Angles matter, mind it!

A Hero: Father of India’s Second Independence Day

The Internet has become such a sine quo non in our lives that we simply take it for granted, almost like the air we breathe. And fume and burst when it goes down. Step back a moment and ask, who brought the internet to India?

The father of the internet in India is the almost forgotten – how dare we – Brijendra Kumar (B K) Syngal. As the head of the then Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited VSNL, Syngal launched the first ever internet in India in the five cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Pune, on 15 August 1995. With this launch, India became one of the first countries in Asia to have a commercial internet service.

But, the euphoria of India’s second Independence Day quickly vanished and turned into a nightmare. Dial-up access, using modems, and bad connectivity, meant delayed connections, busy signals, dropped calls, and ‘an assured disconnection’ every few minutes, all of which shackled the system. Internet tariff charges were astronomical, at best obscene as the pornography a select percentage chose to use the internet for.

Syngal got the signal and said “Quite simply, the charges are too much, the quality of service is poor,” And what Syngal did next was audacious: he called in the media and admitted: “I goofed up. I goofed up big time”. He admitted that his market intelligence was wrong, and that the service was plagued by serious technical problems and that it was a bit of an amateurish venture to start without studying the infrastructure backbone. Syngal then asked India to give him 10 weeks to fix things. “I can assure you that at the end of 10 weeks, possibly before that, you will have a system that India will be proud of,” he said.

Syngal and his team got cracking, created a bank of servers, rang the phone department to improve connectivity, pushed modem makers to ensure quality devices, moved from copper to fibre-based cables, and slashed tariffs by half, and more. He took about eight weeks to get the new system up and running, and stable. And indeed, he did it.

India needed access to physical undersea cable connection to power the internet for which the asking price was more than USD 100 million for a share of the cable. Syngal was told this kind of money was out of question as the country had only a few weeks worth of foreign exchange left. Hence, he negotiated with the cable consortium, and won an agreement to stagger payments. He also successfully secured forex loans. A deal was signed in 1991, and connectivity began three years later. And the rest is history.

R K Syngal was the son of a civil servant father and homemaker mother. The family migrated to India in 1947, during partition. He studied Electronics & Communication Engineering at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Kharagpur.

Later on, under the chairmanship of Syngal, VSNL was founded in 1986 as a Government of India owned telecommunications service provider of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. VSNL was completely acquired by the Tata Group and renamed as Tata Communications on 13 February 2008.

In 1998, Syngal and his team joined Reliance where he became Chairman of Reliance Infocomm. He remained with Reliance remained until his resignation in 2001.

Late last week, on 9 July 2022, R K Syngal died aged 82. He came to be known as ‘the father of India’s internet’. It’s awfully sad that India has not recognised him the way it should – unless I’m missing something. How many of us know what he did? Time to go undersea and learn our history to ride on the shoulders of great unknown pioneers before us.

More roaring stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay connected with World Inthavaaram.