About: the world this week; Rockets in the air and space; worshipping the Sun; Earth Shakes; Flying safely on fire; a Queen abdicates; woke and DEI; Pirates of the Arabian Sea; and sizzling Lakshadweep.

Everywhere

While most of us shot-out New Year messages and even bursted crackers to announce the arrival of the New Year, the terrorist Hamas lighted-up the sky with real rockets fired into Israel. Is this a signal of things that will go on despite a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip? Squirrelling away food and essentials in underground tunnels and waiting to be flushed out like rats, by the Israeli Defence Forces?

In perhaps a tactical move, Israel began withdrawing its armed forces from the war-front: about five brigades and thousands of troops – what I call a ‘Ulysses’ strategy. The focus will be on more targeted and precision attacks; also to rest the Reserves. And in signs of things to come, this week, the deputy chairman of Hamas’s political bureau and the commander of the group’s military wing in the West Bank, was assassinated in a precision Israeli drone attack, in Beirut. And Israel also began targeting the Lebanon based militant group, the Hezbollah, who also being extremely fond of rockets, have been doing the Hamas thing – firing rockets into Israel.

Meanwhile, India did not want to be left behind in rocket launching. On the first day of the new Year, the ‘fast and frugal’ Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched its first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), designed to study black holes and neutron stars. The satellite was launched by ISRO’s star performer, the PSLV, and exactly positioned in a low earth orbit of 650 kilometres. While India is hoping to bring out colourful information on Black Holes, its Sun-study Satellite, Aditya-L1, launched in early September last year, is all set to reach its intended destination L1 -Lagrange Point- on 6 January 2024. The Universe is becoming a smaller place. You don’t mess with India’s ISRO – they have the Moon, the Sun, and Back Holes under their grip.

Then in a follow through, on a different level, India high-lighted a spiritual seam in the New Year, for health and unity. In the State of Gujarat over 4000 people coordinated in such manner as to perform Surya Namaskar – a salutation to the sun- simultaneously at 108 venues including the iconic Modhera Sun Temple in Mehsana district, Gujarat. Turned out to be a Guinness World Record, with the Record Keepers hanging around to do the counting, verification, and stamping.

Why 108? In Hindutva (previously called Hinduism) Vedic mathematicians consider 108 to be a number signifying the wholeness of existence. It connects the Sun, Moon, and the Earth. The average distance of the Sun, Moon, and Earth is 108 times their relative diameters. Typically, ‘Malas’ (a string of beads) used for recitation of mantras, have 108 beads – with an additional ‘Meru’ bead, which when reached prompts one to count in reverse order. The number 108 also means the 108 attendants of Lord Shiva, or the 108 followers-called Gopis-of Lord Krishna; the Sudharshana Chakra, the shining discus weapon of Lord Vishnu has 108 serrated edges; and to wind-up, in Hindutva there are 108 Upanishads- the sacred texts of wisdom of ancient sages.

The message is, stay enlightened, and count your blessings, in the new year – 108 is not just a number.

Breaking to the East, Japan was hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake which left the country shaking and stirred. And warnings were sounded that it could trigger a Tsunami – about 5 metre high waves – on the west cost of the country. However, the waves kept their height within the metre, and the ocean behaved. About 250 people are missing, and the final toll could be high.

Just when Japan was finding firm ground, a Japan Airlines A350 bursted into flames on landing at Haneda Airport on colliding with a Coast Guard plane, which was getting ready for take-off. All 379 passengers were safely evacuated, but all except one, on the Coast Guard plane were killed. The crew of Japan Airlines earned the cheers of the world with their remarkable handling of the evacuation of passengers, who stayed calm and composed. And left behind their baggage. It took the 12 member crew, 18 minutes to get 367 travellers and themselves off the plane and safely accounted for. The A350-900 is certified for a full load of up to 440 passengers who can be evacuated within 90 seconds with only half of the exits usable. What portion of the 18 minute operation was used to get passengers physically out will be known as more details emerge. The world was unanimous in their appreciation of the crew, for following the evacuation drill to text-book perfection. The next time you are on an aircraft, invest in listening to the safety instructions again and again- it could save your life, and that of others, one day. Make safety an involuntary habit.

Flying to the middle of the Earth, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe-II who is the longest serving monarch in Europe, announced that she will abdicate on 14 January 2024, after 52 years of sitting on the throne. The Queen will be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, 55. This was made during her New Year’s message to the Danes. Prince Frederik was known as a Party Prince in the early days of growing-up, but when he became the first Danish royal to complete a university education with a masters in Political Science, people took notice, seriously. Later, he served in the Danish Navy and earned a nickname of ‘Pingo’ -his wetsuit filled up with water during a scuba diving course, forcing him to waddle like a penguin. The Prince is also known to be a daredevil – with lots of battle scars to show off: he took part in a four-month ski expedition across Greenland, besides being hospitalised in sledging and scooter accidents. The Prince is married to Australian-born Princess Mary who grew up on the island of Tasmania and was working as a lawyer when the pair met in the year 2000, at a bar in Sydney, during the Olympic Games. They have four children – a daughter, son, and twins – and in them, Denmark has strong line-up for the future. Down under, Australia is celebrating: it has finally got into the Queen-making business.

In America, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned, ending a six-month tenure marred by allegations of plagiarism and recent backlash over her congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus. Claudine Gay was one of – what I call -‘Three Musketeers’, along with UPenn President Liz Magill (resigned first) and MIT President, Sally Kornbluth (under pressure – still thinking). The trio infamously could not confirm ‘calling for the genocide of Jews’ violated University Rules and pouted, “should be seen in context”. This, in the background of growing Wokeism and a wrong turn of DEI.

We have just started the new year and already competing for the word of the year is probably Wokeism, and DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It is a term that describes policies that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals: people of different ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations. It also covers people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills and expertise. But then DEI appears to have been hijacked by the ‘Woke Gang’ and right now, it’s oozing with antisemitism.

This week, on the high seas, the ‘Pirates of Somalia’ were in for a rude shock when they tried to hijack a Liberia flagged bulk carrier MV Lila Norfolk, off the Somalia coast in the northern Arabian Sea. An Indian naval warship INS Chennai rushed to the spot, deployed predator drones and Naval helicopters. And the Indian Navy’s Elite Marine Commandos– MARCOS- stormed the Vessel neutralising the pirates in a daring operation. All 21 crew members, including 15 Indians were evacuated safely. Probably, for the first time in recent History, an Indian warship has overpowered the Somalian pirates in the Somalian waters. The hijacking of commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea regions resumed in December this year after a six-year lull, by which time India trained and prepared to protect the seas from these slippery pirates.

This week it took a fully-clothed Indian Prime Minister (PM) to show us the raw, naked blue-lagoon beauty of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea. It is India’s smallest Union Territory -an archipelago consisting of 36 islands, known for its exotic, sun-kissed beaches, and lush green landscape. Most of the islands are uninhabited and consist of coral atolls. The PM even went snorkelling, showing a beautiful underwater world. And found the tranquility mesmerising.

More new and inclusive stories in the New Year. Stay mesmerised with World Inthavaaram and head to Lakshadweep for your next vacation.