This is my Blog where I essay stories on life about and around me, on subjects that stir and shake me up, as I turn, and make life's pages count: hoping to inspire you to live your own story!
About: a look back at the times of vintage Valve Radios in Tamil Nadu, India. And sounds of that time.
Many decades ago, in the 1970s and 1980s, in the bygone days, when Television was yet to happen, and modern-day radios and transistors were just beginning to find space on the Store shelves, I recall the simple pleasures of listening to the vintage ‘Valve Radios’. You had to switch it on and wait for donkey years for it to warm up when a beautiful fluorescent green glow indicator tells you that it is ‘on air’. Then you tune it with a knob, which pulls an indicator across a AM/SW, KHz/MHz wavelength lighted scale-screen. You also had press keyboard buttons or turn-switches to choose a Radio band. The only brands available then were, PHILIPS, MURPHY, BUSH…and the kind.
I first started listening to the radio during the school holidays in my native village in Tamil Nadu. The radio waves were mercilessly controlled by the State Government with prime slots being full of farmer friendly programmes. How to grow your crops, what fertiliser to use, how to identify pests and crop diseases: experts dishing out all kind of cow dung and buffalo-wash advice. Awfully boring stuff for a kid like me studying in a happening English-medium Boarding School and with the sound of music ringing in my ears. Films songs occupied the next best slots with dedicated timings, which were not too many. And you had to look-up the local Newspaper to find the schedule.
The influence of cinema, as the only means of entertainment, was loud and film songs were always in the air. Yesteryear Tamil Hero M G Ramachandran (MGR) and Shivaji Ganesan film songs rendered by the iconic TMS (T M Soundararajan) were ‘top-of –the-valve chart’ stuff. TMS used to change his voice to suit MGR and Shivaji and by the tone I could guess whether it was an MGR or a Shivaji film. We had memorable song lyrics those days with likes of Poet Kannadasan being extremely popular. Two types of Film songs were played on the Radio: one whatever the Radio Station chose and the other -listener’s song requests. Hit songs had many listeners queuing-up for them to be played and one could guess the song, based on the movie name and the huge request wish list.
Radio Ceylon – Rupavahini– effortlessly beamed from nearby Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) out-witted the Local Stations – All India Radio – and had Tamil households in a swoon. They had at a very early stage mastered the art of commercial radio broadcasting with various ear-capturing programmes. I still remember the name of Radio Jockey K S Raja who was perhaps the first kind of such ‘Wave Superstars’. And his opening of the day with Birthday Wishes (Pirantha naal vazthukal) and songs had a never-ending fan following.
Meanwhile, years rolled by valve radios were hitting the attics and transistor radios and tape-recorders were flooding the markets. MGR & Shivaji made way for Actors Rajinikant & Kamal Hassan and TMS was overrun by the likes of singers S P Balasubramanian and Yesudas. ‘Foreign made’ was becoming fashionable and Japanese Radios available in the smuggled goods markets did roaring business. It was almost mandatory for any Indian travelling to Ceylon to return with a National Panasonic Transistor Radio cum tape-recorder.
I bought my first National Panasonic in the late 1970’s and thanks to my thinking in English became an addict of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The Voice of America – though around – could not be heard and it sounded almost seriously iron-clad Russian. I religiously listened to the hourly news bulletins – sometimes perched on top of my pet Buffalo – book readings, story-telling, plays, and of course ‘Musical shows’ – The Gloria Hunniford Show being my all time favourite. She had a fabulous soft-as-silk, warm, and mesmerising voice, which prompted me to write to her with a song request. She replied with a signed photograph (it did not disappoint) and played my song request all the way from England! I still treasure that black & white photograph, which arrived by monkey-mail.
About: the world this week, 10 November to 16 November 2024: Wars I to III; US President-elect in transition; India’s Supreme Chief Justice; the Taj Mahal hides; stability returns to Sri Lanka; and ‘Delhi’ Ganesh – no comebacks.
Everywhere
War -I
The Russia-Ukraine War meanders on with each side tearing down some part of the other side every week. Edging to some kind of a pyrrhic victory? This week, on Sunday, Ukraine attacked Moscow with at least 32 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the start of the war in 2022, forcing flights to be diverted from three of the city’s major airports. Not many casualties were reported, though.
War -II
Israel pounded Lebanon’s Beirut’s southern suburbs with airstrikes on Tuesday, mounting one of its heaviest daytime attacks yet on the Hezbollah-controlled area.
Ignited by the Gaza War, the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah is rumbling on for over a year.
Hezbollah’s rocket and drone attacks have killed about 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon, over the last year.
War -III
Then there is another ongoing war-an internal one-which does not seem to be nearing an end, anytime soon.
More than 61,000 people are estimated to have died in Khartoum State during the first 14 months of Sudan’s War. Evidence suggests that the toll from the devastating conflict is significantly higher than previously recorded, according to a new report by researchers in Britain and Sudan. The estimate includes some 26,000 people who suffered violent deaths, a higher figure than one currently used by the United Nations for the entire country.
The UN says the conflict has driven 11 million people from their homes and unleashed the world’s biggest hunger crisis. Nearly 25 million people-half of Sudan’s population-need aid as famine has taken hold in at least one displacement camp.
Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States is in the process of stitching together his dream team to get to work on the double, when he is formally inaugurated on 20 January 2025. And the sounds of formation seem to be exactly what is required to Make America Great Again (MAGA)-his version.
The first appointment was ‘Ice Maiden’, Susie Wiles for Chief of Staff, who along with campaign co-chair Chris LaCivita were the masterminds behind Trump’s Election victory. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, 53, who holds a hawkish view of China will be Secretary of State. Army veteran Pete Hegseth will be the next Defence Secretary. Matt Gaetz will be Attorney General. Florida congressman Michael Waltz will be National Security Adviser. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will play the key role of overseeing US security, including its borders, cyber-threats, terrorism and emergency response. The tough talking, no-nonsense, Tom Homan is Border Czar – no better person to get illegal immigrants off the land. US Army Reserve Tulsi Gabbard was picked for the powerful post of Director of National Intelligence. In regard to India, Tulsi has spoken forcefully for exiled Kashmiri pandits, backed abrogation of Art 370 & says the West can learn from India’s Vedic wisdom.
New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik will serve as the US Ambassador to the United Nations. She made national headlines with her sharp questioning in congressional committees, first at Trump’s 2019 impeachment hearings and again this year quizzing college leaders about anti-semitism on campus.
A worrisome appointment seems to be environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activistRobert F Kennedy Jr as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is the son of Robert Kennedy and nephew of former US President John F Kennedy and senator Ted Kennedy. Have the Kennedys arrived, again?
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the world’s richest man will lead what Trump has termed a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside one-time presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy. DOGE which will function outside of the cabinet but in close coordination with it. Their goal is to shake-up the bureaucracy – removing deadwood and unnecessary departments to make the Government work with terrific efficiency. Said Vivek, “America’s 250th anniversary is on 4 July 2026. DOGE will deliver our nation the birthday gift of a government that’s actually accountable to its people, rather than the other way around”.
Meanwhile, the President and the President-elect met in the White House to ‘firmly’ shake-hands and show snow-white teeth to ensure a smooth transition and transfer of power.
A New Chief Justice
This week, Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court(SC) by the President of India. He is the 51st judge to reach this level, and succeeds Justice D Y Chandrachud.
Sanjiv Khanna has been serving as SC Judge since January 2019 before being elevated to the top-most portion in the land. He is the nephew of renowned former SC Judge H R Khanna. Sanjiv Khanna’s noteworthy rulings are his support for Electronic Voting Machines in Indian Elections, saying they prevent booth capturing and bogus voting. He was part of the SC bench that struck down Electoral Bonds as unconstitutional, and upheld the government’s decision in 2019, to abrogate the contentious Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir. His tenure will be up to 13 May 2025. And he better make use of the time to deliver some ‘fresh’ justice.
Obscured Love
The story goes that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who built India’s Taj Mahal as a monument of love to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal, spent the last years of life gazing at the Taj Mahal, as a prisoner (his son put him in jail and stole the Crown) at Agra Fort – near the Taj. This week the Air Quality in Delhi and its neighbourhood was so horrific that it obscured the Taj Mahal: one could not see the ‘outpouring of love’ even standing right in front of it. Shah Jahan must be turning in his grave-and blinded!
New Delhi had a severe air quality level of 424 (AQI), according to live rankings kept by Swiss group IQAir, the worst amongst global capitals. And the Taj Mahal is about 220 km from New Delhi!
To bring some meaning into the air: an AQI up to 33 is Very Good; and between 34 and 66 is Good. Above 200 plus is hazardous.
New Delhi battles smog every winter as cold air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from illegal farm fires. Around 38% of the pollution in New Delhi this year has been caused by stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana. Even Sikhism’s holiest shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar was not spared – it vanished in the thick air!
Stable Sri Lanka
Surely, stability is returning to Sri Lanka with its new President Anura Kumar Dissanayake’s party securing a majority in Parliament in the just concluded Parliamentary Elections. His National People’s Party has won at least 123 of the 225 seats in Parliament. The opposition, United People’s Power Party, was left far behind with 31 seats. President Dissanayake was elected in September this year, and this result gives him a thumbs-up, strong mandate to plan and execute his economic revival agenda.
In a significant shift in Sri Lanka’s electoral landscape Dissanayake’s Party won the Jaffna District, the heart of the ethnic Tamil community, along with many other minority strongholds. Probably for the first time Tamils have shifted their loyalties to Sinhalese majority leaders instead of the traditional Tamil parties.
I guess Sri Lankans have spoken clearly and strongly.
We Cannot Use Him Again
Late last week, on 9th November, in the dead of night-almost into the next day- versatile supporting Actor, comedian, and sometimes villain, ‘Delhi Ganesh’ passed away at the age of 80 due to age related problems, at his home in Chennai. His domain was mostly Tamil films and TV serials. He had acted in over 400 films, about 50 TV serials, and in the early years in about 20 plays(each staged 100 times). Delhi Ganesh supported the leading superstars of the time in Tamil cinema and particularly had an enduring act with Actor Kamal Hassan, to who he attributed all his fame and glory.
Delhi Ganesh was born ‘M Ganesan’, between two siblings-an elder sister and a younger brother, in Keezhapavur, a town in Tenkasi District of Tamil Nadu. He grew up in the town of Tirunelveli in a family deeply in love with the arts, which environment stimulated him in the stage direction, in the wonder years.
Most successful careers are not straight lines. Ganesan joined the India Air Force (IAF) in the ground services department as a Clerk in 1964, in Chennai and when he left in 1974, he has risen to the position of Corporal. During his tenure in the IAF he was deployed in the auxiliary personnel team, in Jammu & Kashmir during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars.
While posted in New Delhi he was an active member of the Delhi-based theatre troupe, Dakshina Bharata Nataka Sabha, acting in dramas, playing various roles, and making a name for himself in Tamil theatre in India’s capital.
He quit the IAF in 1974 and returned to Chennai as he found his calling in acting – on the stage, and in the film world. While hunting for acting jobs he worked for a brief period as a stenographer in the Food Corporation of India in Chennai.
He joined ‘Kathadi’ Ramamurthi’s Drama troupe, and during his stay with the troupe, received a breakthrough portraying the role of Kuselar in the play ‘Dowry Kalyanam’, which caught the eye of Tamil film Director K Balachander.
Those days, celebrities and members of other troupes would ensure that they get to view the final dress rehearsal and the first show of a new Drama. That was how his first film chance came about: through Director Balachander who saw him in the Drama ‘Pattina Pravesam’ written and staged by Director & Actor Visu. Balachander promptly offered him a role in the movie version.
The movie ‘Pattina Pravesam’ (entering a City) was written and directed by Balachander based on the play of the same name by Director Visu. It was released in the year 1976, introducing Ganesan to the Tamil Film World as ‘Delhi Ganesh’. During that time, there were two other famous Ganesans ruling the Tamil Film world: ‘Gemini’ Ganesan and ‘Shivaji’ Ganesan, who had also acquired stage names based on the circumstances of their first act.
Whatever, the name stuck and ‘Delhi Ganesh’ flourished as a character artist, a comedian, villain, or a family man, of lasting legacy. He also carved out a name for himself in several TV serials.
Among many awards, Delhi Ganesh received the Kalaimamani Award- the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu – in 1994.
One of Ganesh’s most iconic roles is in the 1990 Tamil comedy film ‘Michael Madana Kama Rajan’, where he plays a short-tempered cook serving one of Kamal Haasan’s four characters in the film. Kamal and Delhi Ganesh have acted together in many other films, which went on to become memorable super hits, including ‘Nayakan’ (1987), ‘Apoorva Sagodharagal’ (1989), ‘Avvai Shanmugi’ (1996), and ‘Thenali’ (2001).
Delhi Ganesh married his cousin, Thankom, in the early days of his career, and the couple have one son and two daughters. His son, Mahadevan Ganesh, is also an actor. Delhi Ganesh was an affable, outright family person and easily came across as your next-door neighbourhood man.
My last memory of Delhi Ganesh is in the family jingle advertisement for Aswin Sweets – a local brand of sweets – where he convincingly declares that the oil once used (in cooking the sweets) is never used again. Will there be someone like Delhi Ganesh, again?
More love and drama stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay with World Inthavaaram.
About: the world this week, 22 September to 28 September 2024: A new war front; Sri Lanka’s new President; India sparkles; and sweeps the Chess Olympiad.
Everywhere
A New War Front
A new front has certainly opened, in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, with Hamas’ partner-in-crime, the Iran-backed Hezbollah, operating out of Lebanon, being surgically attacked by Israel. This, takes off from last week’s Pager-attack on Hezbollah, when over 1500 militants were severely impaired – blinded, or body parts severely damaged.
Israel destroyed hundreds of Hezbollah targets on Monday in airstrikes, which killed at least 300 people in Lebanon’s deadliest day in decades. After some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire since the hostilities began, Israel warned people in Lebanon to evacuate areas where it said the militant Hezbollah was storing weapons. After almost a year of war against Hamas in Gaza on its southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to its northern frontier, from where Hezbollah has been relentlessly firing rockets into Israel, in support of Hamas, since 8th October 2024. And towards the end of the week, Israel called for its Reserves to join the fighting.
Over the week, every day you read about some Hezbollah Commander being taken down in a precision strike-somewhere in Beirut. On Friday, Israeli hit the main headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut: remains to be seen if its head is alive or at least scratched!
Sri Lanka: Recovering
Two years ago, in the year 2022, Sri Lanka’s economy collapsed plunging the country into its worst financial crisis in decades, and causing unprecedented upheaval. What followed was lethal unrest, with unruly crowds going on a mass rampage across the country. This eventually led to the ruling Rajapaksa family giving-up power-fleeing the country-and Ranil Wickremesinghe hurriedly being sworn in as acting President, to bring the economy back on track. He then went on to being formally elected, by Parliament, in a secret ballot-winning 134 to 82-to serve the remainder of the Rajapaksa Presidential term, which was to end this November 2024.
In the two years that followed, Sri Lanka’s economy made an unexpectedly rapid recovery under Wickremesinghe’s astute management and belt-tightening measures. After securing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the currency stabilised, the central bank rebuilt foreign-exchange reserves, and inflation fell to singled digits. By the first half of 2024, the economy had grown by 5%. The government successfully restructured its domestic debt, followed by a restructuring of its bilateral debt, i.e., government-to-government loans mostly from China, but also from India and Western counties, including the United States. Just days before the current election, an agreement was reached with international bondholders to re-configure the remaining sovereign debt.
The hard and ‘dirty’ work done, in August 2024, President Wickremesinghe called for Elections to the Presidency, announcing that he himself would run for re-election as an independent candidate. Despite the stupendous achievements in the most trying of times, Wickremesinghe was eliminated at the end of the first phase of vote counting in the Presidential Elections held late last week. He finished third with only 17.26% of the vote. And was overtaken by both Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the opposition leader Sajith Premadasa. Wickremesinghe’s unpopularity stemmed largely from the harsh, but necessary, austerity measures implemented under the IMF-backed stabilisation program.
As no candidate could secure a majority in the polls, the elections moved to the second phase of preferential vote counting, where only two leading candidates remain in the competition. Under the electoral system, voters cast three preferential votes for their chosen candidates. If no candidate wins 50% in the first count, a second tally determines the winner between the top two candidates, using the preferential votes cast.
This week, on Sunday, Sri Lankans finally elected Marxist-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake,55 – popularly known by his initials, AKD – as the new President, putting faith in his pledge to fight corruption and bolster a fragile economic recovery. He was sworn-in as Sri Lanka’s ninth President, by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, early this week. And he quickly named party colleague, College Professor and first-time lawmaker Harini Amarasuriya as the new Prime Minister. Sri Lanka has an ‘executive Presidency’ with the President being in-charge of running the country.
AKD heads both the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance, and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and won the run-off in the second round of counting of preferential votes. It was the first time in Sri Lanka’s history that the presidential race was decided by a second tally of votes.
Dissanayake led from start to finish during the counting, knocking out incumbent President Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa. At the end of the first round, AKD had 42.31 % of the vote, and Premadasa 32.76%. A count of the second preference votes took Dissanayake past the required 50% plus, for a clear victory.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s rise to the presidency in Sri Lanka as a candidate of the NPP coalition is nothing short of unalloyed magic. Dissanayake has been JVP’s leader since 2014, and the party has participated in two parliamentary elections under his leadership. In 2015 it secured 4.8% of the vote share, and in 2020, the JVP alliance secured 3.8% of the vote. In the 2019 presidential election he had secured a mere 3.2%.
AKD’s popularity probably has an oblique explanation: the COVID19 pandemic and the poor management of resources by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after 2019 pushed an unprecedented number of Sri Lankans into poverty. AKD, as the head of the JVP presented himself to the people as a politician who spoke their lingo, understood their problems, and empathised with them. With his pro-working class stance and sharp critique of the political elite he captivated the hearts and minds of Sri Lankan masses, more so after the important role the JVP played in the 2022 protests that toppled the Rajapaksa regime.
However, for Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority, AKD’s election offers little hope. During the campaign AKD rejected devolving more power to the Tamils living in the North and East. And investigating incidents during the civil war- which saw the elimination of the Tamil Tigers-that United Nations investigators said could amount to war crimes. Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians had died during the final months of the defeat of the LTTE – Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
But AKD’s coalition, the NPP, has just 3 of 225 seats in the current Parliament, prompting him to dissolve Parliament to seek a fresh mandate-this week the new President did just that- and cleared the way for a snap general election. The parliamentary election will be held on 14th November 2024, and the new Parliament is scheduled to convene on 21st November. The last general election in Sri Lanka was held in August 2020. Lawmakers are elected for a five-year term.
Rooted in Marxist ideology, the JVP was founded in the 1960s with the aim of seizing power through a socialist revolution. But after two failed armed and bloody attempts in 1971 and 1987-89, which resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives- a dark phase-the party shifted toward democratic politics and has remained so, for over three decades. The election results is the first major win for the JVP. It also heralds a new era for the party, which has radically transformed itself and let go of its extreme left ideologies such as the abolition of private property.
Until this election, the JVP remained a minor third party in Sri Lanka’s political landscape. While power alternated between the alliances led by the two traditional political parties – the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party – or their descendant parties.
Unlike most of Sri Lanka’s past Presidents, Dissanayake was not born into a political family. Instead, his is an agricultural background; while his father was a low-level office worker. Dissanayake was the first student in his school to go to university. But AKD is no outsider. He was first elected to parliament in 2001 and has remained an MP since then. He even had a stint as Agriculture Minister between February 2004 and June 2005, besides other positions in Parliament. I reckon he has enough experience to count upon.
AKD is married to Mallika Dissanayake and has one son.
India: Hugs, Chips, Cuts, and Washes
India’s Prime Minister returned from a trip to the United States where he hugged President Biden, among others, and participated in the QUAD Summit: the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue- a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States that is maintained by talks between member countries.
US President Joe Biden hosted the QUAD leaders in his hometown of Wilmington for what could be the final meeting of the Indo-Pacific partnership established during his presidency.
True to call, Biden went blank immediately after his speech as he couldn’t remember who to call next for the address. “So I want to thank you all for being here. And now, who am I introducing next?” Biden asked after completing his speech. After a brief and awkward pause, Biden asked again, “Who’s next?” clearly snapping at one of the staff.
Meanwhile, in one of the most consequential outcomes of the Indian PM’s US visit, was the agreement between the US Space Force and two Indian startups Bharat Semi and 3rdiTech to manufacture semiconductors in India for the US and Indian armed forces. That’s a landmark achievement.
3rdiTech is India’s pioneer and exclusive Imaging Sensor Fabless Company. It’s India’s solution for specialised chips that power camera systems, from mobile phone cameras to rearview cameras in automobiles; from Earth observation satellites and fighter aircraft observation systems to specific advanced missiles. Essentially, every camera worldwide relies on these image sensor chips. Much like semiconductor giants, Qualcomm and ARM, 3rdiTech operates as a fabless company, focusing on chip design while not manufacturing them. 3rdiTech excels in crafting custom chips, also known as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), tailored for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) purposes. 3rdiTech has now emerged as a significant player in the aerospace sector.
Vrinda Kapoor the CEO of 3rdiTech put it this way, contrary to popular belief that semiconductor manufacturing is the most valuable sector, the real power lies in owning the intellectual property for chip design.
A fabless company is a semiconductor company that designs and markets semiconductors, but outsources their fabrication to a third party. The term ‘fabless’ is a combination of the words ‘fab’ (fabrication) and ‘less’.
In shocking, unsettling news in India, a 29-year-old woman was found murdered in her home in Bengaluru, with her body dismembered into close to 50 pieces and stored in a refrigerator. The case has parallels to the gruesome murder of 27-year-old Shraddha Walkar in Delhi in 2022. Investigations are ongoing.
The Lord Venkateshwara Tirupathi Laddu Prasadam controversy continued to dominate headlines with some celebrities shooting their mouths off with unwarranted, insensitive comments. And believers rushing to call them out. This week, the Temple was literally washed-off the effects of animal fat being used in making the Laddus, and ‘purity restored’.
Chess Olympiad: India Triumphs
In a golden moment for India, its men and women’s teams won Gold Medals in the 45th Chess Olympiad organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), for the first time, in Budapest, Hungary, from 10 to 23 September. A record-breaking 188 teams in the Open Section and 169 in the Women’s competition gathered in the Hungarian capital to do battle on the Chess Board.
India took home all 3 trophies: the Hamilton-Russell Cup, for winning the Open Chess Olympiad; the Vera Menchik Cup for winning the Women’s Olympiad; and the Gaprindashvili Cup, a special trophy awarded for the best combined result in the Open and Women’s sections.
The men’s team of Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Harikrishna Pentala, with Srinath Narayanan as the captain, consistently led throughout the tournament, winning 10 matches and drawing just one. Before the last round, India was 2 points ahead of China: and in the final round, India just needed a draw to clinch the gold medal, or for China not to win their match. However, India bulldozed the Chess Board with a win, defeating Slovenia.
Gukesh played outstanding chess and had a phenomenal tournament, scoring 9 points in 10 games and earning the individual gold medal on the Top Board. Arjun Erigaisi was another hero scoring 10 points in 11 games and winning individual gold on Board Three. Both significantly improved their FIDE ratings and are close to clearing the 2800 bar – a notable achievement in Chess.
Not to be left behind, India’s women’s team had a very strong start, leading the event after 7 rounds, having won all their matches. They stumbled in round 8, losing to Poland and then drawing with Team USA, but made a strong finish. Going into the final round, India was tied for the first position with Kazakhstan, and the race for the Gold medal was down to the wire
The team of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali (sister of the Praggnanandhaa – of the men’s team), Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, with Abhijit Kunte as the captain, demonstrated excellent composure and delivered, winning the final match against Azerbaijan At the same time, Kazakhstan drew with the USA, 2-2, making India the sole winners of the event.
18-year-old Divya Deshmukh, a new addition to the team, was unstoppable throughout the event. She played all games, scored 9.5 points, and secured the crucial victory in the final match. The Individual gold on Board Three was a well-deserved award for her.
The fight for silver and bronze medals was fierce in both sections. Five teams tied for second place. In the Open Section, Team USA, the event’s rating favourite, defeated China in a hard-fought final round to join them at 17 points. Defending champions Uzbekistan narrowly beat France, Serbia triumphed over Ukraine, and Armenia narrowly defeated Iran, all to join the pack at 17 points. The tiebreaks favoured the USA, which claimed silver, and Uzbekistan, took home the bronze.
In the women’s section, Kazakhstan delivered a strong performance throughout the event, fighting for gold until the very end, and ultimately claimed silver. Four teams – USA, Spain, Armenia, and Georgia – tied for third place, but the tiebreaks favoured USA, which claimed the bronze medal.
In the end there was one Super Mom, ‘filled with teeth’ and smiling from ear-to-ear, Nagalakshmi: the mother of superstars Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali. She was the cynosure of all eyes! When asked how she wishes to celebrate the ‘twin victory’ she said, “I’m going to the Temple”. There is a God waiting.
Chess great, Garry Kasparov called Team India, ‘Vishy’s Children’ referring to India’s Chess Superstar, Vishwanathan Anand, who has been a mighty inspiration in Indian Chess.
More winning stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Celebrate with World Inthavaaram.
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.
About: the world this week, 8 May to 14 May 2022, Tiger country burning, Laws of motion, going under-cover, re-unification dreams, climbing the highest mountain, a forbidden country isolates, bongbong country, and Dinosaurs that went extinct.
Everywhere
Sri Lanka: Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright
Early in the week Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister (PM), Mahindra Rajapaksa, resigned following severe unrest when crowds went on a deadly rampage across the country. His ancestral home was set on fire, along with his superb Lamborghini car collection; a gold statue of the father of the Rajapaksa brothers was pulled-down reminding us of other fallen statues across the world. People are running wild on the streets and shoot-on-sight orders issued in the State of Emergency already declared. The protestors are demanding the President also resign and that the Rajapaksa family returns whatever they have looted, to the country’s coffers.
No other political dynasty, in this part of the world, as been as nepotistic as the Rajapakasha clan. During Mahindra Rajapaksa’s second term as President from 2010 to 2015, there were more than 40 Rajapaksa family members in government posts, apart from the cabinet.
When he was a first time President, Mahindra Rajapaksa earned his stars, comprehensively destroying the ruthless terrorist organization, The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), ending a 30 year horrible, bloody civil war that ravaged Sri Lanka. That unbelievable victory gave him something of a Demi-God status and perhaps went too deep into his head. He took Sri Lanka away from India’s ‘Elephant cool’ friendliness into China’s ‘fire-breathing Dragon’, doing loan-wrecking business with them. Among the many reasons touted, the tragedy unfolding in Sri Lanka is directly the result of persistent trade deficits and accumulated debt. And Sri Lanka has little leverage over its creditors: a victim of unbalanced globalisation?
Late in the week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, appointed a new PM, Ranil Wickremesinghe, a 73 years old lawyer-turned politician who has been in Parliament for 45 years. He is the 26th PM of Sri Lanka and has made a remarkable come-back nearly two years after his United National Party was routed and failed to win a single seat in the general election held in August 2020. Sri Lanka would need to squeeze all his experience to crank its economic engine again. India’s Uttar Pradesh State has a double-engine economy, and maybe it could spare an engine? Ask India!
Talk about putting out the fire of the Tiger and starting a new fire!
Ukraine and the Laws of Motion.
I was watching a talk with best-selling Ukrainian Author Andrey Kurkov, known for his satirical ‘Death and the Penguin’ and ‘Grey Bees’, tell us about the situation in Ukraine. He has stopped writing fiction as there are so many real stories to write about during this unprovoked Russian aggression in Ukraine. He is devoting his time to writing and explaining what’s happening in the country, has refused to leave Ukraine, and lives in the capital Kyiv, travelling all across to listen and record tales.
He made a roaring point when he said Russia and Ukraine are very different. Ukrainians know the meaning of Freedom, experience and savour it, while Russians look for quiet stability and do not understand true freedom-or, it does not matter to them at all. Ukrainians have had five Presidents during the near about 22 years rule of Russia’s Vladimir Putin (as either Prime Minister or President). He added that the only way the war could be stopped is by the ‘death of Putin’ and if a Russian Oligarch takes over, the war could end sooner, whereas if a politician leads it could be more complex.
Newton’s famous Laws of Motion say that a body in motion tends to be in motion – endlessly enjoying the ride – while a static body tends to stay put – endlessly enjoying sitting it out – unless forces act upon them.
Now we know where the Russian and Ukrainian forces are acting – or must act! Do we have to force Newton to do something? Apple it out?
Under Cover in Afghanistan
It’s raining narrow-minded Islamic law interpretation in Afghanistan and the covers have been rolled out with the ruling Taliban moving to strictly and harshly enforce the full-body covering of women, in public.
Under the Taliban’s previous rule from 1996 to 2001, women had to cover up, could not work, and girls were banned from school. But after seizing power in August 2021, they vowed to respect women’s rights. Some even said they may turn the proverbial ‘new leaf’!
However, the Taliban backtracked on opening high school for girls, saying they would remain closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic law- including design of suitable uniforms for the girls. Then late last week the Taliban’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, said that if a woman did not cover her face outside home, her father or closest male relative would be visited and face potential prison or firing from Government jobs, if working for them.
Meanwhile, it more than 238 days since girls have been locked out of school – denied education-while the academic year surges ahead. And this is one of the biggest human rights violation anywhere in the World. The World needs to uncover its mouth, face the Taliban, and speak up for the girls!
Northern Ireland… Belfast…Belfast
The Political Party, Sinn Fein, led by Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou MCDonald won a stunning election in the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections for the first time pushing the Democratic Unionist Party into second place. Sinn Fein is a nationalist party that wants Northern Ireland-capital, Belfast-to leave the United Kingdom (UK) and reunite with the independent Republic of Ireland-capital, Dublin. This means that Michelle O’Neil will be entitled to become a First Minister in the UK, which is unprecedented for a nationalist.
The title of First Minister is used to refer to the political leader of a devolved national government, such as the administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The term literally has the same meaning as Prime Minister but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior Prime Minister.
The Northern Ireland Act 1988, states that Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom and shall not cease to be so without the majority of Northern Ireland voting in a poll.
This victory does not mean Irish reunification – also known as a Border Poll – would be imminent. But you never know. We need to watch this border space – first to last.
Mounting Mount Everest: Kami Rita and Lhakpa
Mount Everest in the Himalayan Mountain Range is Planet Earth’s highest mountain on land, soaring to a majestic 8,848 metres(m) above sea level. And for many, it epitomises the greatest challenge Earth has to offer: climbing it and touching the peak is a crowing achievement in a mountaineer’s life. Mount Everest is also known as ‘Chomolungma’, and ‘Sagarmatha’.
Remember, the tallest Mountain on Earth is Mauna Kea in Hawaii, USA measuring 10,205m from its base on the sea floor to its peak – 4,205m above sea level.
Mount Everest was first ascended-conquered- on 29 May 1953, by New Zealand’s Edmund Hilary and Tibet’s Tenzing Norgay. Since then, nearly 6,000 people have followed in their footsteps. And more than 300 people have died trying to scale Mount Everest.
Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa (Thapke), 49, has made the most ascends by any individual, scaling the peak 24 times.
This week, Sagarmatha grew warmer, with Nepal’s / USA’s Lhakpa Sherpa, all of 48 years, climbing Mount Everest for the 10th time, thereby becoming the first ever Woman in the World to achieve this stunning feat. Her first ascent to the peak was on 18 May 2000.
The Guinness Book of World Records recognises the Himalayan achievements of Thapke and Lhakpa Sherpa.
Lhakpa, a Nepalese single mother was born in a cave, had no formal education, and worked as a janitor. Climbing climbs in her blood. She had grown-up living within sight of Everest, and began portering ever since she was 15 years old, carrying heavy mountaineering gear between camps in the Himalayas. She lived in a village more than 4,000m above sea level in the Makalu region of Eastern Nepal. And is a member of the Sherpa ethnic group, descended from nomadic Tibetans, who are used to living in hostile high altitudes.
She married United States (US) based, Romanian-born climber George Dijmarescu, moved to the US, and and scaled the peak with him five times. But the relationship ended in acrimonious divorce in 2015. Lhakpa now lives in Connecticut, US, with her two daughters. She also has a son from a previous relationship. During her initial expeditions she used to plant the Nepali flag at the summit. This time, she carried the US flag.
During her 2003 climb, she was joined by her brother and sister, becoming the first three siblings simultaneously on an 8,000m high mountain.
Initially her achievements failed to attract media attention and sponsors. For many years she was lived unrecognised, and worked for minimum wage, taking up jobs such as caring for the elderly, house cleaning, and dish washing. I do hope she climbs up these mountains as well. That’s quite a height!
Bongbong Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelagic country consisting of about 7,640 islands in Southeast Asia, in the Western Pacific Ocean. It once went by the name of Las Felipinas, until the great Portuguese Explorer, Ferdinand Magellan whose then sailing expeditions was sponsored by Spain, came along and claimed the country for Spain in 1521. He named the country ‘Philippines’ after King Philip II of Spain. It was under Spanish rule for 333 years and under the control of the United States for a further 48 years before being let loose as an independent Republic.
Ferdinand Marcos, a horribly corrupt Dictator, once ruled Philippines with an iron fist for about 20 years, in the 1970’s and 1980’s. His rule was marked by human rights abuses and plunder of the state coffers. In 1986 he was toppled by a popular uprising, the People Power Revolution, and forced to leave Philippines in disgrace. American helicopters airlifted the family from the Malacanang Palace to Guam, then into exile in Hawaii, as protesters populated the streets.
Crowds stormed the abandoned palace and were shocked by the extent of the family’s opulence: grand artworks, boxes of gold coins, lavish jewellery, hundreds of gowns, and, infamously, an enormous collection of designer shoes belonging to the then first lady, Imelda Marcos.
Ferdinand Marcos Sr died in Hawaii in 1989. Several of his family members, including his wife Imelda, have since returned to the Philippines where they have served as elected leaders.
Enter Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of former disgraced President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. He has won the 2022 Philippine Presidential election by a landslide bringing the Marcos dynasty back to the Malacanang Palace, 36 years after the family fled the mass uprising. Marcos Jr’s running mate for Vice President is Sara Duterte Carpio, the daughter of populist outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte. Many of their supporters are voting to see a continuation of Duterte’s policies, including his controversial ‘war on drugs’. Philippines elects its Vice President separately from the President.
Known as ‘Bongbong’ (a childhood nickname) in the Philippines, Marcos Jr’s rise is the culmination of a decades long attempt to rebrand the Marcos family’s name and image, most recently through social media. He tied his campaign to his father’s legacy, with his slogan ‘rise again’ tapping into the nostalgia of some who saw the period under Marcos Sr as a golden era for the country.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr was educated in the Philippines and at a boarding school in England. He studied politics, philosophy, and economics at Oxford, but, did not complete a degree course and was awarded a special diploma in social sciences.
After University, Marcos Jr became the vice-governor of his home province, Ilocos Norte, on the north-western tip of Luzon, at the age of 23 and later Governor. He was 29 when his father was ousted. In later years Marcos Jr began to re-establish his political career, again becoming Governor in Ilocos Norte, the family’s stronghold, a Congressman, and a then a Senator. In 2016, he ran for Vice-President, but lost.
Marcos is married to Louise Araneta-Marcos (Liza), a Lawyer, with whom he has three sons. He has been unapologetic about his family’s past and has downplayed or denied abuses under his father’s rule. He praised his father as a ‘political genius’, and his mother Imelda Marcos as the dynasty’s ‘supreme politician’.
On winning, he said, “Judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions. It is my promise to be a President for all Filipinos”. Well said. He needs to keep that promise. And mind those shoes!
The Forbidden Country
During the Covid19 pandemic there was one country which claimed it was unaffected by the virus: its splendid isolation status suited it well. And it went about the ‘business as usual’ of testing missiles. North Korea had insisted it had not recorded a single Covid19 case since it closed its borders at the start of the pandemic, more than two years ago. That move cut off trade with China and inflicted severe damage on an economy already battered by, among others, UN sanctions imposed in response to its nuclear and missile tests. That’s up to now.
This week North Korea announced an ‘explosive’ Covid19 outbreak that has killed six people and infected more than 350,000, prompting fears of an impending and deadly crisis in the isolated and impoverished nation. This comes a day after the country reported its first-ever coronavirus case, calling the situation a ‘major national emergency.’
Experts believe none-or very few-of the country’s 26 million people have been vaccinated, and there are growing fears that a significant outbreak would quickly overwhelm the country’s poorly equipped health services. North Korea has shunned offers of Covid vaccines from China and Russia, and via the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Covax scheme, apparently because administering the jabs would require outside monitoring. The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, ordered a nationwide lockdown on Thursday, calling the outbreak the ‘gravest national emergency’.
Will they launch a missile to finish off the virus? I worry about the mutations – being a largely unvaccinated country. Glad, they are isolated!
Please Yourself
The Asteroid that Finished-Off the Dinosaurs
It’s widely accepted that the Dinosaur Era on Earth ended when a giant asteroid, about the size of a mountain, hit our Earth 66 million years ago – a turning point in the history of the planet – causing Dinosaurs to go extinct. This was at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Until then, Dinosaurs had been living on Earth for near about 230 million years! Worth juxtaposing: the human species is about 2.5 million years old and surviving modern humans, Homo Sapiens, are only about 13,000 years old.
There were about a thousand species of Dinosaurs at that time and not a single species was left alive – they just vanished in the thin air.
Now a tiny fragment of that disastrous asteroid may have been found encased in amber – a discovery that US’s NASA has described as ‘mind-blowing’. It’s one of several astounding finds at a unique fossil site in the Hell Creek Formation in North Dakota that has preserved remnants of the cataclysmic moment that wiped out Dinosaurs. The fossils unearthed include fish that sucked in debris blasted out during the strike, a turtle impaled with a stick, and a leg that might have belonged to a Dinosaur that witnessed the asteroid strike.
The story of the discoveries is being revealed in a new documentary called ‘Dinosaur Apocalypse’ which features naturalist Sir David Attenborough and paleontologist Robert DePalma and airs Wednesday on the Public Broadcasting Show (PBS) show ‘Nova’- a popular American science television program.
More stories rising-up in the weeks to come. Navigate and explore with World Inthavaaram.
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.
About: the world this week,3 April 2022 to 9 April 2022, India all the way-beginning to the end, a massacre in Ukraine, the Genetic Code, the virus-again, and the Grammy Awards.
Everywhere
India Musings
It suddenly dawns upon you that India is living in a mighty dangerous neighbourhood – in an ocean infested with sharks of every kind, as if it were, but with ‘one pod of happy dolphins’ in one small corner. And thanks to the great Himalayas in the north and the oceans in the south, India has some height and depth of protection, at least in some dimensions.
Pakistan split decades ago into the present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, and they predominantly occupy the west and the east of India. While Pakistan tries its best to constantly be at war with India, Bangladesh is only slightly better -almost a friend- but both countries have shaky Governments of various degrees and leaders who rarely last an elected term.
Look at the present political turmoil spinning in Pakistan: the Deputy Speaker threw out a non-confidence motion, brought up by the opposition parties, as illegal, and the Prime Minister rushed to advise the President to dissolve the National Assembly and quickly announce fresh elections. It almost worked, but Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled the Deputy Speaker’s action as a no-ball -unconstitutional-and restored the status quo. And now the sitting Prime Minister, Imran Khan, will have to face a no-confidence motion; may be sent back to the pavilion and replaced with a new one, until the next twist, at the next bend. I was awfully surprised that rules are being applied in Pakistan. And the Courts are beginning to see and read them well. Hail the Constitution!
In the Himalayan north, years ago, Nepal took a painful, tumultuous, tortuous path to its present Federal Democratic Republic status. This was after the massacre in the Royal family which killed King Birendra and the Crown Prince leading to his ‘unfit’ brother Gyanendra inheriting the throne in the 2000’s. During the 1990s dozens of short-lived governments walked in and out. And Nepal is infamous for perennial instability primarily- a signature tune- because of personal disputes among its leaders rather than policy disputes. ‘Nepali Politics is disgusting’ said a Nepali.
Nearby Bhutan looks steady, having changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. King Jigme Singye Wangchuck transferred most of his administrative powers to a Council of Ministers and allowed impeachment of the King himself by a two-thirds majority vote in parliament. In recent times, Bhutan has been continually ranked as the happiest country in all of Asia.
Myanmar is under bloody military rule, for over a year now, with the Junta having over-thrown a democratically elected government. It generated and fuelled the Rohingya crisis and seems to have forgotten how to hand back power to the people. It keeps piling up cases on its famous Nobel Peace Prize winning prisoner-who failed to make best of an opportunity, when it mattered.
Nearby Sri Lanka is falling apart economically. Years ago it was devastated by a fight for freedom by the minority Tamil population, with a ‘militant beast division’ hijacking the cause and having to be militarily eliminated. This time it’s bad governance and ‘militant’ mismanagement of the economy.
Maldives, in the Indian Ocean, appears to be riding a good wave ever since the current President, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was sworn into Office in November 2018, for a five-year term, on the strength of a massive election victory. And it looks like he is upto the task of holding and keeping the Government afloat.
For many years Maldives surfed in political turmoil with everybody trying to overthrow everybody else, including mercenaries from far away lands. And even the water is trying to overthrow the Government.India was called to help flush out the dirt many a time-talk about draining the sump! A paradise lost: a paradise regained?
In contrast to all its neighbours India is standing tall, splendidly, with a thriving noisy democracy, despite parochial State Chieftains (trumpeting their stock origins) looking for every opportunity to widen fault lines for their selfish gains. Ever wondered how India does it? Staying fit with yoga?
Ukraine: The Bucha Massacre
This week the gruesome killings in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha traumatised the world to the very depth of its soul. The murder of scores of civilians, as much as 300, was uncovered after Russian troops withdrew from the Kyiv suburb.
On the grounds of a church was an open mass grave with the dead still inside and some in body bags, poking out in the loose graveyard sand. Houses have been bombed and found caved in by Russian shelling with the driveways ploughed over by tanks. The streets were littered with bodies with hands tied behind and obviously tortured and shot dead. It was a horrific sight.
The Pope stepped in, condemning the massacre in Bucha. He kissed a Ukrainian flag and cried for the war to be stopped, the weapons to fall silent and to stop the sowing of death and destruction. He also called the helpless situation as ‘Impotency of the United Nations’. Rightfully so.
After the failure of the League of Nations in preventing World War II, the United Nations (UN) came into being with the sole lofty aim of ‘preventing wars’. Sadly wars have only been increasing while various other arms of the UN are winning Nobel Prizes and awards in doing many other jobs extremely well-except preventing war! A snake which never had fangs at all? What next, we disband the UN and start a brand new ‘Union of Countries’ with super poisonous fangs and an ability to act as true deterrent to war?
Whatever, late this week, finally, in a small step, Russia was suspended from the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) due to its unjust invasion of Ukraine and colossal human rights violations. This happened with a two-thirds majority voting and the usual countries, including India, abstaining.
The only other country suspended from the HRC was Libya in March 2011.
Towards the end of the week, a Russian strike in Kramatorsk Railway station killed many civilians including children: thousands of people were waiting for evacuation at the railway station when the Russians attacked. The Russian barbarism continues and something has to be done about it. What about the millions of refugees fleeing war-torn areas? How and where will they be accommodated? That’s a gargantuan challenge in itself (a friend of mine-a monk on a Parikrama, who bought a Maruthi Suzuki Baleno car to ride-called me a few days ago, from Shimla, to remind me).
The capital Kyiv is gathering its feet after the exit of the Russians. And that brings some hope.
The Genetic Code
This week, Scientists announced they have finally finished mapping the human genome – what is called, the genetic code. Mapping first started in 1990, and by the early 2000s researching scientists had sequenced a whopping 92%. Now, the last bit of 8% is done. With such an in-depth look into our very insides, we should be able to better understand human biology. It could also pave the way to greater medical discoveries. And even ‘leave the door to be pushed open’ to individualised medicine.
‘We are’ the World!
The Circulating Virus
This week America’s Centre of Disease Control (CDC) announced that ‘BA.2’, the highly transmissible Omicron variant is now dominant in the United States, making up nearly 55% of new cases. Globally too, this is the dominant variant in circulation. The announcement came as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized an optional second booster shot for people 50 years and above. The CDC is yet to officially recommend it, but is telling anyone who qualifies for such a dose, to consider getting shot with it.
Back to the country where it all started. This week Chinese authorities enforced a lockdown in China’s largest city, Shanghai: the partial lockdown of the previous week was extended to cover all areas of the financial centre. This despite growing anger over quarantine rules where latest test results show only about 268 symptomatic daily COVID19 cases. The broader lockdown came after testing saw asymptomatic COVID19 cases surge to more than 13,000.
This means more than 26 million residents will stay put indoors. Chinese officials described the outbreak as ‘extremely grim’ and sent tens of thousands of healthcare workers to help contain infections in the city, including military personnel.
Overall, some 23 Chinese cities are under total or partial lockdown. And we thought we saw the end of COVID19? Hang on!
Sri Lanka Woes
This week, the island country’s economic crisis only got worse and an emergency was declared to curtail violent protests against the hapless condition. The entire cabinet of the Government resigned, and a newly appointed Finance Minister quit after just one day in office. I reckon he had no food for thought? And perhaps he wisely decided he is incapable of finding food for others. This was just ahead of crucial talks with the International Monetary Fund for a loan programme.
Towards the end of the week President Gotabaya Rajapaksa revoked the emergency but the real emergency of life continues. The Government is working on patching together a crack team-good with the finance numbers-to find a way out. Better late than never?
The Grammys Song
Time for some music, to shake a leg, at the end of a barbaric week.
The 64th Grammy Awards Function was held on 3rd April, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, United States, hosted by Trevor Noah-the South African Comedian, Television Host, Actor, and Political Commentator.
The Grammy for the Best Album was won by Jon Batiste for ‘We Are’. The best Pop Duo/ Group Performance was won by Deja Cat for ‘Kiss Me More’ – go ahead and kiss the cat more!
The Grammy for the Best New Artiste went to Olivia Rodrigo who had a ‘good 4 u’ music start this year. She also won Grammys for Best Pop Solo performance for her song, ‘Drivers License’, and Best Pop Vocal Album for ‘Sour’. Her on-stage driving was put to a real test, when racing about she dropped a Grammy Gramophone causing it to break, but before the incident could ‘sour’, it was tinkered and repaired – hope she’s ok?
Silk Sonic won Record of the Year and Best Song of the Year for ‘Leave the Door Open’. Yes, it’s better we do that, otherwise who gets to hear the song if the doors are closed.
The Grammy for the Best Country Song went to Chris Stapleton for ‘Cold’ and also best Album for ‘Starting Over’. The Best Rock Song, and Album went to Foo Fighters for ‘Waiting on a War’-I wonder whether they meant the Russia-Ukraine war was coming. Best rap song went to Kanye West for ‘Jail’-most of us know who to ‘put-in jail’ don’t we?
Indian-American singer Falguni Shah, aka Falu, won best Children’s Music Album for ‘A Colourful World’. A Child’s world is indeed colourful – including the black & white!
Falu is known for her modern inventive style with a formidable Indian classical shaped vocal talent. She had trained in Hindustani Classical in the Jaipur Gharana musical tradition and in the Benares style of Thumri under Kaumudi Munshi and semi-classical from Uday Mazumdar. She also studied under the legendary Indian classical vocalist, Kishori Amonkar and must have rubbed off a lot from her. It showed!
More musical stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Play the Gramophone with World Inthavaaram. And don’t break it.
About: the world this week, 27 March to 2 April 2022, the Butcher, an Economy in the doldrums, reverse swing in politics, and the power of the slap.
Everywhere
The Butcher
Russian President Vladimir Putin is accumulating various degrees of notorious names for his mad ‘loose gun’ adventure war in Ukraine, and over the week he came to be called ‘Butcher’. What next, ‘Terminator’, or perhaps ‘Loser’ in the end?
Reports of another Russian General-in quite a forceful list-being killed in Ukraine came in late last week, making me wonder whether Russia has only Generals in its Army?
Meanwhile, the President of the United States (US), Joe Biden, wrapped up his visit to Europe and meetings with fellow NATO Heads, deciding that it’s time for Vladimir Putin to go: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power”, he thundered. This was in Poland’s capital, in front of Warsaw’s Royal Castle where he opened with words from the Polish Pope John Paul II, “Be not afraid”.
Biden also met Ukrainian refugees in Poland and lifted a few kids into the air-to feel the weight of their suffering.
Soon after the Regime Change comment, the equivocating battle began with the White House clarifying, “The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change”. Wow, we learn something new each day! Twist, bend, cut and paste words and lines-until it doesn’t make any sense?
Ukraine is fighting on, defending their land against the Russian invasion, and there seems to be no let-up in the proceedings or progress in the ongoing peace talks. Russia is definitely faltering in its battle plans and its fighting machine appears to have messed up big time in underestimating the resolve of the people of Ukraine.
Could Ukraine win the war? They better!
Sri Lanka: It’s the Economy, Stupid.
Once upon a time, India was flooded by refugees fleeing the deadly Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) generated internecine war in Sri Lanka. Now, long after that menace was killed and buried in unmarked graves, a new kind of refugee influx into India is happening. Sri Lankans are fleeing a burgeoning economic crisis in their country.
Typically, in the capital Colombo, for a middle-class family, there is no cooking gas; there is a 10 hour power outage every day; people mainly eat frozen bread, using the hot plate occasionally whenever the ‘power visits’; the fuel supply to the Fuel Stations has come down to a trickle, resulting in long queues and even fist-fighting, with the Army having to be called-in to keep the ‘people-fire’ down in ‘Fuel Less Stations’.
How did all this come to be in the island country?
To serve it in one line, Sri Lanka has, no great manufacturing, no high-end services, is heavily dependent on a tourism-led economy-which was killed and masked by the pandemic, imports even essential food items, and has a huge debt with remittance dependency.
Tourism contributes 10% of the country’s GDP and Sri Lanka is highly dependent on imports for essential items.
Digging deeper: The present Government had announced huge tax breaks, a number of tax cuts such as, no capital gains, VAT cut from 15% to 8%, half tax for construction companies etc. This ensured that hardly any cash flowed in to the Government coffers. Even before the pandemic, spending by the government was on the rise. As a percentage of GDP, government spending, which was 18.8% rose to 21.9%. Due to lack of tourism, which is one of the largest forex generators for the country, forex reserves nose-dived. There was just USD 1.6 billion dollars in November. Sri Lanka has to repay over USD 7 billion in the next 12 months in loans alone.
Sri Lanka is deep in Debt – owes over USD 80 billion to various lenders. It owes USD 5 billion dollars to China alone and took an additional loan of 1 billion last year from China to help with the financial crisis. And is struggling to repay these debts.
Due to money printing, Inflation has risen to above 14%. People are finding it difficult to afford even the basic necessities, food, water, rent, electricity, etc. And is using credit lines to buy these and medicines, and fuel from neighbouring countries. There is also a growing Agricultural Crisis. Due to the low forex reserves, the government banned the import of chemicals and fertilisers and announced that it would make agriculture 100% organic, which decision had a negative impact on the economy. Farmers who were reliant on these fertilisers found it difficult to produce healthy crops. Many didn’t plant at all, fearing a bad produce.
Late this week protests heated up after hundreds of protestors tried to storm the home of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa demanding his resignation over handling of country’s worst economic crisis, since independence.
India is out on the Island lending a helping hand, extending an USD 1 billion line of credit and is actively finding ways and means of helping its now ‘poor’ neighbour.
Pakistan: Reverse Swing and The Islamabad Drift
Pakistan’s Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan once led Pakistan to a fabulous first Cricket World Cup victory in 1992. He pioneered the reverse swing bowling technique in cricket fast bowling, and developed all-round skills to emerge as one of the best cricketeers Pakistan has produced. Now in his new innings as PM, since 2018-far away from the world of cricket-he will have to counter every kind of treacherous swing to continue batting as PM. And Pakistan’s infamous Army does the umpiring (and maybe someone remote doing the third umpiring?)
A quick flash back: Imran Khan is the son of a civil engineer in Pakistan. He and his four sisters had a privileged upbringing in Lahore where he was schooled, before studying at London’s Oxford University and finding place and pace in cricket. He went on to join the Pakistan Cricket team and later become its Captain. He had ‘killer’ debonair looks and is said to have a way with women. And it’s a long list of broken hearts! Recall the famous yesteryears ‘Thumbs Up’ advertisement with India’s Sunil Gavaskar: nobody saw Gavaskar or the Thumbs Up cola drink-they only saw Imran Khan.
Imran Khan retired from cricket after the World Cup win and went on to raise millions of dollars to fund a cancer hospital in his mother’s memory. In 1995, at 43, he married British heiress, Jemima Goldsmith, 21-the daughter of one of the world’s richest man at the time, Sir James Goldsmith. The marriage delivered two boys but the match ran-out in 2004. The pitch changed.
About this time, Imran Khan’s foray into philanthropy spawned a career in politics and in April 1996 he founded a Political Party called, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) (Pakistan movement for Justice).
A second marriage in 2015, to journalist Reham Khan, lasted less than a year. The former BBC Weather News Presenter found the climate in the marriage unfavourable -it rained almost every day-and stormed out.
Imran Khan married again, in a low-profile ceremony in 2018. His third wife Bushra Bibi, a mother of five, was and is his spiritual adviser, and the match played well with the public to show his devotion to Islam – a political reverse swing. And the weather always looked good for bowling (and batting). Never mind the pitch.
In July 2018, in the Pakistan General Elections that year, Imran Khan became the first person in the history of Pakistan general elections to win in all five constituencies that he contested. This surpassed former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s record -he contested in four and won in three constituencies in 1970.
In the 2018 General Elections the PTI won 116 seats of the 270 it contested and won a plurality in the National Assembly. Later with a coalition of parties coming together Imran Khan became the choice of PM of Pakistan. Khan secured 176 votes and became 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan taking oath of office on 18 August 2018 promising to take Pakistan to victory over corruption and make it a humanitarian state based on principles of the first Islamic state of Medina. He has been slogging on in power for over four years now – running between the wickets, but not scoring too well.
During March 2022 a key ally and the main coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM), bowled a googly, struck a deal with the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the ball slipped out of Imran’s Khan’s hands – not that he is a bad fielder!
With the PTI government losing majority a no-confidence motion was called and is being put to vote. The math is against Imran Khan, but will be able to swing it in his favour and continue as PM? He refuses to step down. And I have a story to finish!
The Oscars: The Power Of The Slap
This year the best Actor Winner stole the show in the The Annual Academy Awards with some real action and not the slightest hint of acting. Award presenter Chris Rock was on stage and made fun of Best Actor nominee Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, over her shaven head (with hair lost due to a rare hair-loss disease called alopecia areata). Rock compared Pinkett’s shaved head to Demi Moore’s look in ‘GI Jane’, saying he couldn’t wait to see her in ‘GI Jane 2’.
This caused Will Smith to suddenly walk on to the stage, slap Chris Rock on the cheek and walk back to sit beside his wife (I did it for you, honey) in an apparent case of ‘losing one’s marbles’. Once firmly settled in his chair he shouted out, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f- – – – – g mouth”.
Meanwhile, Chris Rock lived up to the Rock in his name and stood unfazed, brushing it off. On his part, after the incident, when Will Smith was asked by the Academy to leave the Oscars Ceremony, he refused.
I’m awfully disappointed and stunned with Will Smith’s behaviour. After all these years in Hollywood he is unable to shake-off a joke and maybe return it with interest? He has been such a motivational example, but this one incident had brought him down to the depths of rowdiness. Has some pent-up anger found a seam to discharge? Is it the tightness of the pandemic, or the absurdity of the Russia-Ukraine war? We are living in slapping times!
The moment took away the glory of the movies, the actors, the technicians… levelling it down to a slap in the face of the Oscars!
Moving over to the Winners of this year’s Oscars:
The movie, CODA won the best picture award; Will Smith won Best Actor for King Richard; Jessica Chastain – Best Actress for The Eyes of Tammy Faye; Troy Kotsur – Best Supporting Actor for CODA; Ariana DeBose-Best Supporting Actress for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story; Jane Campion-Best Director for The Power of the Dog. Bille Eilish and Finneas – best original song for James Bond’s, No Time to Die; Greig Fraser – Best Cinematography for the film Dune.
‘Drive My Car’ drove well to be declared best international feature film; ‘Summer of the Soul’ had real soul to win the Best Documentary Feature; Belfast won Best Original Screenplay; CODA won Best Adapted Screen Play.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling went to The Eyes of Tammy Faye; Best Visual effects, and Best Original Score went to Dune. Best Costume Design dressed-up Cruella.
CODA became the first movie from a streaming service-Apple TV-to win film industry’s biggest price. It’s a heartwarming film that tells the story of an aspiring singer who is the only hearing member for a deaf family. CODA is also an acronym of Child Of Deaf Adults.
This year’s Awards -The 94th Annual Academy Awards- was held in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, and was hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes. It is marked forever by the Power of the Slap.
More hearing stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Play and swing with World Inthavaaram. And mind the slap.
Kumar Govindan's Words 