Home Blog Page 381

Responsible Living Should be Everyone’s Karma

Narender Yadav
-
0
Responsible Living Should be Everyone’s Karma

Sitting with a calm demeanour, amidst the rhythmic melody of chirping birds and steady burble of running water in his palatial home, Ashwani Khurana always gets excited when the issue of environment comes up for discussion. And, it’s quite natural. For someone who has planted more than 2.5 lakh trees in his lifetime, it’s the harmony of life with nature that accounts for all the happiness and excitement. But it is more than just a momentary exhilaration. This congruence with nature is something that has been nurtured and fostered by him over several decades and has gradually become his guiding philosophy of life in all its myriad spheres.

Khurana believes that planting trees has been his karma. His passion for planting trees began quite early in life. As a young man in early twenties, way back in 1980s, he had a life-changing experience of interacting with Nek Chand, the famous creator of Rock Garden in Chandigarh, which had a powerful influence on him. “It was an overwhelming experience and soon Nek Chand ji became my mentor and guide,” he shared ecstatically. In 1987, he took a vow to plant one lakh trees, which he eventually did during the next one decade and decided to commit his life to the harmony of humans and nature. “I lived by the self-guiding principle that greening, like charity, begins at home; but it shouldn’t end there. The easiest and yet most satisfying environmental initiative we all can take is planting more and more trees. Seeing trees grow has been immensely elating for me, as one would feel seeing their child grow. This bliss was inexplicable and I became an ardent nature lover,” he shared. The green natural surroundings of his home regularly host several resident and migratory birds. “We also get occasional visits by hornbills and partridges and it is said that if partridges visit any place it is the perfect ecosystem,” he chuckled.

His beautifully landscaped and eco-friendly home in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj has been a testing ground for several of his green experiments. Be it practising rain water harvesting, vermicomposting, organic agriculture, recycling of human and animal waste and much more, and the benefits are derived by the entire neighbourhood. “Earlier, a lot of people used to burn dry leaves, we asked them to send all the waste material to us. We have been organising ‘earth sense day’ in the neighbourhood collecting kitchen waste as well as e-waste from all the houses and re-using it. The e-waste is sent to an organisation for responsible disposable and recycling,” Khurana informed.  All the waste generated in kitchen and all other kind of animal and human waste is used to make organic manure in his farm, which has a cow shed, poultry, and vermicomposting units.   

Interestingly, Khurana, who was once known as the lottery king of India and was also the highest individual tax payer in 1989 in the whole country, feels his biggest asset has been the green oasis he has created in Delhi/NCR – Karma Lakelands, India’s greenest golf resort. Loving and caring the environment is a philosophy that he has nurtured and followed both in his personal and professional spheres and thus was born Karma Lakelands. “In 1989 land banking was done with deep passion to only grow lots and lots of trees and eventually it evolved as one of its kind eco-friendly luxury golf resort. What differentiates Karma Lakelands from others is its commitment towards eco-friendly practices,” he informed. From sewage treatment to plastic recycling, use of solar energy, bee keeping and organic farming, these have become the hallmark of responsible hospitality for him.

To promote sustainable living, rain water at Karma Lakelands is channelized and harvested for irrigation purposes. All kitchen-waste is sorted on site and recycled to feed farm animals or is used for making organic compost. All plastic-waste is sent for recycling. The compost that is used for soil enrichment, is a collection of leaves mixed with cow dung and sewage, as a result there are no flies or mosquitos. Karma Lakelands also has a dedicated Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) with a capacity to treat 500,000 liters of sewage daily. The sewage is piped from National Security Guards (NSG) campus next door and surrounding areas of the resort and the treated water which is also nutrient rich is used for irrigation and horticulture of the entire resort. “It’s not just our own waste, even waste generated by other nearby hotels and resorts is accepted by us and used for various purposes,” he informed.

And, what you get with these eco-initiatives is not just green surroundings but also fresh air, immense biodiversity and numerous varieties of birds dotting the landscape and skyline including sparrows, lapwing, pheasant, shikra, owl, pied wagtail, babbler, kingfisher, blue jay, lesser cormorant, mynah, green pigeon, koel, hoopoe and many more.

With a firm belief in the motto of responsible living for a sustainable future, Ashwani Khurana is creating a wonderful legacy, perhaps what Nek Chand did for Chandigarh, Khurana is on a mission to do the same for Delhi-NCR.

Farmer is the best teacher: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu

News Intervention Bureau
-
0
Farmer is the best teacher: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu

The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu called upon the scientist and researchers to come up with new innovations and ideas to find solutions to the challenges faced by the Indian farmers.

Inaugurating the 2nd Edition of Exhibition and Conference on Agri-technology & Innovation at Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University in Hyderabad today, the Vice President said that there has to be a meeting of minds between scientists, researchers, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and farmers, who are the main stakeholders, to adopt best practices and make agriculture remunerative.

Observing that a farmer is the best teacher on agriculture, Naidu said that miracles can be created if farmer’s knowledge relating to the field and the research of the scientist are brought together. He suggested to the students studying agriculture to spend half of their time in classrooms and the rest with farmers to gain first hand practical knowledge and acquaint themselves with the problems of the farmers.

The Vice President also called upon the agriculture universities to focus on developing new varieties including the pest resistant and climate smart variants, apart from enhancing the productivity levels. Calling for collective efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in food production, he said that a country like India should not depend on imported food security.

Stating that freebies and loan waivers were not the solution, Naidu said that they only provide temporary relief. What is needed are the long term and wholistic measures that make agriculture viable and profitable, he added.

Listing some of such long term measures, he suggested quality power supply, development of rural infrastructure including godowns, cold storage facilities, refrigerator vans apart from ensuring quality inputs and timely and adequate credit to the farmers.

Calling for the diversification of agriculture, the Vice President said that farmers should be encouraged to grow new crops in addition to traditional crops. He also stressed the need for taking up ancillary activities such as poultry, dairy, horticulture and aquaculture to supplement the farmer’s income.

The Vice President also emphasised the need for post harvest management and providing support to the farmers. He said e-NAM should be expanded to all regions in every state. Shri Naidu also highlighted the need for promoting food processing and value addition of agri products. He urged all entrepreneurs to evolve effective models in the food processing sector after consulting the scientific community, experts and farmers.

Indian delegation discusses strategic positioning of IFFI at Cannes Film Festival 2020

Narender Yadav
-
0
Indian delegation discusses strategic positioning of IFFI at Cannes Film Festival 2020

With the objective to positioning India much more strategically at Cannes this year, the Indian delegation at Berlin International Film Festival met Maud Amson, Head of Sales & Operations, Marche Du Film, Cannes Film Festival and Arnaud Menindes, Sales & Operations – Advertising at Marché du Film, Cannes Film Festival regarding Government of India’s participation at the Cannes Film Market 2020. Cannes expressed their collaboration and participation for the 51st edition of IFFI.

The delegation also met with Heads of renowned Film Festivals, Film Commissons, International Producers like Mariëlle Poupelin, Specialist International Business Development, Telefilm Canada; Enrico Vannucci, Deputy Executive Director, Eurimages; Kai Nordberg, Making Movies OY; Adriane Freitag, Executive Manager, Cinema do Brasil; Lefteris S. Eleftheroiu, Senior Officer, Head of Film Unit, Invest Cyprus, Katalin Vajda, Festival Manager, National Film Institute, Hungary, Luis Chaby Vaz, President of Board – ICA Instituto do Cinema e Do Audiovisual, Portugal and Sergio Scapegini, Italian Producer. Scapegini expressed that the Italy would actively consider participating and collaborating with India for the 51st edition of IFFI. He also underlined that the participation would pave-forward for more proactive ties between the two nations.

The Indian delegation, through these interactions, promoted the 51st edition of IFFI and ease of shooting films in India through Film Facilitation Office that facilitates Single Window Clearance for film-makers and provides a platform for ‘film tourism’ in India through the website www.ffo.gov.in. The delegation also explored opportunities regarding co-production with India and collaborations for films with international production houses.

Ministry of Information & Broadcating, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry, is participating at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) 2020 in Germany.

World failing to provide children a healthy and happy life says WHO-UNICEF-Lancet report

Narender Yadav
-
1
World failing to provide children a healthy and happy life says WHO-UNICEF-Lancet report

With kids growing under the debilitating impact of climate change and excessive commercialization, no single country in the world is adequately protecting children’s health, their environment and their futures, finds a landmark report released recently by a Commission of over 40 child and adolescent health experts from around the world. The Commission was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and The Lancet.

The report, A Future for the World’s Children?, finds that the health and future of every child and adolescent worldwide is under immediate threat from ecological degradation, climate change and exploitative marketing practices that push heavily processed fast food, sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco at children.

“Despite improvements in child and adolescent health over the past 20 years, progress has stalled, and is set to reverse,” said former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Co-Chair of the Commission, Helen Clark. It has been estimated that around 250 million children under five years old in low- and middle-income countries are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential, based on proxy measures of stunting and poverty. But of even greater concern, every child worldwide now faces existential threats from climate change and commercial pressures.

“Countries need to overhaul their approach to child and adolescent health, to ensure that we not only look after our children today but protect the world they will inherit in the future,” she added.

Climate change threatens every child’s future

The report includes a new global index of 180 countries, comparing performance on child flourishing, including measures of child survival and well-being, such as health, education, and nutrition; sustainability, with a proxy for greenhouse gas emissions, and equity, or income gaps.

According to the report, while the poorest countries need to do more to support their children’s ability to live healthy lives, excessive carbon emissions – disproportionately from wealthier countries –  threaten the future of all children. If global warming exceeds 4°C by the year 2100 in line with current projections, this would lead to devastating health consequences for children, due to rising ocean levels, heatwaves, proliferation of diseases like malaria and dengue, and malnutrition.

“More than 2 billion people live in countries where development is hampered by humanitarian crises, conflicts, and natural disasters, problems increasingly linked with climate change,” said Minister Awa Coll-Seck from Senegal, Co-Chair of the Commission. “While some of the poorest countries have among the lowest CO2 emissions, many are exposed to the harshest impacts of a rapidly changing climate. Promoting better conditions today for children to survive and thrive nationally does not have to come at the cost of eroding children’s futures globally.”   

Commercial marketing: Childhood obesity increasing 11-fold

The report also highlights the distinct threat posed to children from harmful marketing. Evidence suggests that children in some countries see as many as 30,000 advertisements on television alone in a single year. Professor Anthony Costello, one of the Commission’s authors, said: “Industry self-regulation has failed. Studies in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the USA – among many others – have shown that self-regulation has not hampered commercial ability to advertise to children. For example, despite industry signing up to self-regulation in Australia, children and adolescent viewers were still exposed to 51 million alcohol ads during just one year of televised football, cricket and rugby. And the reality could be much worse still: we have few facts and figures about the huge expansion of social media advertising and algorithms aimed at our children.”

Children’s exposure to commercial marketing of junk food and sugary beverages is associated with purchase of unhealthy foods and overweight and obesity, linking predatory marketing to the alarming rise in childhood obesity. The number of obese children and adolescents increased from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016 – an 11-fold increase, with dire individual and societal costs.

To protect children, the independent Commission authors call for a new global movement driven by and for children and presses for radical rethink on child health. Dr. Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet family of journals, said: “The opportunity is great. The evidence is available. The tools are at hand. From heads-of-state to local government, from UN leaders to children themselves, this Commission calls for the birth of a new era for child and adolescent health. It will take courage and commitment to deliver. It is the supreme test of our generation.”

“From the climate crisis to obesity and harmful commercial marketing, children around the world are having to contend with threats that were unimaginable just a few generations ago,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “It is time for a rethink on child health, one which places children at the top of every government’s development agenda and puts their well-being above all considerations.”

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization said, “This must be a wakeup call for countries to invest in child health and development, ensure their voices are heard, protect their rights, and build a future that is fit for children.”

How can we create new jobs in India?

Vivek Sinha
-
0
How can we create new jobs in India?

What’s the mantra to create new jobs in India? Entrepreneur-Economist Tulsi Tawari explains in this conversation with Vivek Sinha, Founder-Editor of News Intervention.

Indian Army to get its new Headquarter ‘Thal Sena Bhawan’ at Delhi Cantonment

News Intervention Bureau
-
0
Indian Army to get its new Headquarter ‘Thal Sena Bhawan’ at Delhi Cantonment

Army Headquarters, which is currently is spread over several pockets i.e. South Block, Sena Bhawan, Hutments Area, RK Puram, Shankar Vihar and other places, will finally get one dedicated space as the foundation stone of the new Army Headquarters ‘Thal Sena Bhawan’ at Delhi Cantt. was recently laid by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. The new building, proposed in an area of 39 acres, has been conceptualised as a multi-storey green building, adopting Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) norms. Approx. 7.5 lakh square meters of area will be constructed to house the office complex and parking.

Addressing soldiers on the occasion, Singh said, all the departments of the Army as well as the Department of Military Affairs will come under one roof and collectively contribute towards national security, besides effectively dealing with defence-related issues. He added that the new building will play a significant role in saving valuable resources and contribute to administrative efficiency. Raksha Mantri termed the foundation stone of the new building as a ‘source of inspiration that will remind the people of the country about the sacrifices made by our soldiers’.

Rajnath Singh credited the Armed Forces personnel for making an invaluable contribution towards nation building, saying that India has emerged as one of the most powerful nations due to the sacrifices made by the soldiers. He hoped that the new building will not just be an edifice of Army personnel and civilian defence staff, but will inspire the people to achieve new goals with renewed passion and enthusiasm.

Raksha Mantri also underlined the importance of greater jointness and integration among the Armed Forces, noting that the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff and creation of Department of Military Affairs are some of the important steps in that direction. He expressed confidence that this jointness will help in increasing the military capabilities of the country and bring more synergy in handling defence-related issues.

The building, expected to be constructed in five years, will house offices, residential complex for security personnel with basic amenities. More than 1,700 officers both military & civilian and 1,300 sub staff will be accommodated in the new building.

State of India’s Birds 2020: More Peacocks and Sparrows, fewer Vultures and Eagles

News Intervention Bureau
-
0
State of India’s Birds 2020: More Peacocks and Sparrows, fewer Vultures and Eagles

India’s national bird, the Indian Peafowl, has increased dramatically over the past decades. In contrast, 50% of other Indian species of birds have declined over this time period. These are some findings from the State of India’s Birds 2020. This pioneering report assesses the status of 867 Indian birds using a massive database of information contributed by birdwatchers.

The report is remarkable for utilising citizen science data to assess the distribution and trends in abundance of birds that regularly occur in India.

It is the culmination of a collaboration between ten research and conservation organisations within the country, spanning both governmental and non-governmental institutions: Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR), Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Wetlands International South Asia (WI-SA), Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and World Wide Fund for Nature India (WWF-India).

Using data uploaded by birdwatchers to the online platform eBird, the report identifies species that are high in conservation concern, and those that are doing relatively well. The analysis indicates 48% of species have remained stable or increasing in the long term, while 79% show declines in the last five years. In some welcome news, the House Sparrow was found to be roughly stable across the country as a whole, although declining in the major cities. In all, 101 species have been classified as of high conservation concern. “The report highlights common species that are declining sharply; these need conservation attention before their numbers reduce further,” says Dr R Jayapal (SACON).

The groups that show the greatest decline are raptors, migratory shorebirds, and habitat specialists, among others. The overall decline in species demands research into the causes, and action to protect the high concern species. This calls for attention from conservation policy, management and funding. Dr Dhananjai Mohan (WII) says, “Earlier, many conservation decisions pertaining to birds were not based on much evidence; this report helps to bring much-needed data to bear on these issues.”

With their ubiquity and ecological importance, birds are excellent indicators of the state of our natural world and potent cultural symbols of nature. The report is a significant step forward in  our understanding of India’s rich and varied biodiversity and its conservation. It is also a step toward utilising more citizen science with a sound scientific approach in the conservation space. “We hope that this information translates into many voices being raised for bird conservation, both among conservation bodies, and the general public,” says Dr Mousumi Ghosh (NCBS-TIFR), part of the team who worked on the report.

Species that have suffered the highest declines in the past 25+ years:

White-rumped Vulture

Richard’s Pipit

Indian Vulture

Large-billed Leaf Warbler

Pacific Golden Plover

Curlew Sandpiper

Species that have increased the most in the past 25+ years:

Rosy Starling

Feral Pigeon

Glossy Ibis

Plain Prinia

Ashy Prinia

Indian Peafowl

The report relies on more than 10 million observations contributed by over 15,500 birdwatchers, which is a testament to the passion of nature-lovers in the country, and suggests there is massive potential for increased public involvement in conservation monitoring. This is especially important in light of the insufficient data on some species, and the report calls for greater collaboration between researchers and the larger public. Dr Girish Jathar (BNHS) says, “Gathering such information across a huge country like India is impossible without the participation of birdwatchers.”

‘Naya’ Pakistan finds novel ways to accommodate terrorists

Nilesh Kunwar
-
0
‘Naya’ Pakistan finds novel ways to accommodate terrorists

Just the other day Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that there are no safe havens for terrorists in his country and on the face of it, his claim sounds convincing because many high-profile terrorists suddenly seem to have fled Pakistan!

Readers would recall that after last year’s terrorist car bomb attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, when CNN asked Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi about the whereabouts of its mastermind Maulana Masood Azhar, Qureshi confirmed that “He (Masood Azhar) is in Pakistan, according to my information” and then went on to say “He is unwell to the extent that he can’t leave his house, because he’s really unwell.” Masood Azhar is the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

But a year down the line we find Islamabad telling Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that not only Azhar, (who was supposed to be “unwell to the extent that he can’t leave his house,”) but his entire family is “missing.” Could it be that this UN designated global terrorist has ‘fled’ Pakistan as he feared persecution in Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan”? The same seems to be the case with former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan whose terrorist outfit was responsible for the Army School Peshawar massacre in which 132 students and eight staff members lost their lives. He was also behind the cowardly and unsuccessful attempt to murder Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.

Ehsan had apparently ‘surrendered’ to the Pakistan Army three years ago and for reasons unknown, instead of being lodged in a jail as one would have expected, he was accommodated in a ‘safe house’ alongwith his family. The Pakistan Army decided that Ehsan would be tried by a military court but once again for inexplicable reasons, Rawalpindi didn’t even care to file a charge-sheet against this unrepentant murderer. So, could it be that despite enjoying a blissful life with his wife and children without any fear of being brought to justice for his terror related acts, Ehsan still chose to fly the coop alongwith his family because he feared that Khan would make an example out of him?

Speaking of making examples, by convicting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on whom the US State Department has announced a bounty of $10 million, Pakistan has shown to the world how serious it is when it comes to dealing with those who plan, perpetuate or finance terrorist activities. Having found Saeed and one of his associates guilty on two counts of terror financing and money laundering, a Pakistani court has sentenced both to five and half years in prison on each count. Both have also been fined a sum of Rs 15,000 each. But, since both sentences will run concurrently, the duo will only have to serve for five and a half years each in prison and remission for good behaviour will reduce this period significantly.

Since Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism, why its courts are still so casual and lenient while dealing with terrorism related cases is difficult to explain. Whereas Khan may boast about Pakistan having a robust and independent judiciary, there is very strong evidence of Rawalpindi’s interference in the judicial process. Then, last year we heard Khan saying that “Until we came into power, the governments did not have the political will (to act against Pakistan-based terrorist groups)” and admitting “we still have about 30,000-40,000 armed people who have been trained and fought in some part of Afghanistan or Kashmir.”

Today, when PM Khan says that there are no more safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan, one is tempted to ask him as to where has this humungous body of “30,000 – 40,000 armed people” gone? Is it that just like the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief and former TTP and JuA spokesperson, these veterans of irregular warfare in Afghanistan and Kashmir too have fled Pakistan out of fear and simply disappeared without any trace? Or is it just that they have been instructed by Rawalpindi to lie low and cool their heels till the FATF meet concludes? Could Khan’s threat that “This government will not allow Pakistan’s land to be used for any kind of outside terrorism” forced those who have “fought in some part of Afghanistan or Kashmir” to leave the country to search for new safe havens?

A supposedly ailing Pakistan-based terrorist leader who could be a source of embarrassment to the government at FATF meeting suddenly goes ‘missing’. Another terrorist who had a hand in the murder of 132 innocent students negotiated his ‘surrender’ with the Pakistan Army and then manages to escape from custody, while a terrorist with $10 million bounty for master-minding the Mumbai attacks that left 166 dead and 293 injured is instead tried only for money laundering and terror financing, and given such a lenient sentence that makes mockery of the law.

Welcome to Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’!

It’s time Imran Khan gets realistic about Pakistan and gets his priorities right

Onkareshwar Pandey
-
0
It’s time Imran Khan gets realistic about Pakistan and gets his priorities right

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has sent out a warning to the world that his nation is facing an eminent refugee crisis on its eastern borders with India. “We are worried there not only could be a refugee crisis, we are worried it could lead to a conflict between two nuclear-armed countries,” Reuters quoted Khan as saying.  “Our country will not be able to accommodate more refugees,” he added while urging the world to, “step in now.”

This comes across as the most bizarre among all the outlandish statements targeting India that Imran Khan has made during his premiership.

Of late, the frequency of vitriolic statements by him has increased to an extent that he is possibly talking of nothing other than India and spewing the most disgusting and false venom with every word that he utters. It is so because of frustration at the world not taking any cognisance of his words and the fact that he is under terrible stress due to the possibility of his removal and imprisonment by the Pakistan Army. He feels that by targeting India all the time he can deflect the pressure from his own self.

This is not the first time that Imran Khan has made a statement about refugee influx from India. Earlier, in mid-December 2019, he had said in an international forum that millions of Muslims living in India would be forced to leave as a result of the new Citizenship Law enacted by the parliament of the country and the ongoing curfew in Kashmir. He termed the predicted catastrophe as, “a refugee crisis that would dwarf other crises.” At that stage also, he called upon the international community to “step in now.” “We in Pakistan are not just worried that there will be a refugee crisis. We are worried that this could lead to a conflict, a conflict between two nuclear-armed countries,” Khan had said then too.

The constant repetitions make it apparent that Khan considers this line of thought as his best bet for India baiting in the international arena. He actually feels that he can influence the international community into moving against India with such pathetic half truths. In the history of international politics and diplomacy there would be no example of a bigger double-speak no better example of “pot calling the kettle black.”

India has been compelled to bring out the amendments in its Citizenship Laws because the neighbouring Islamic countries have been unable to secure the right of the people of religious minorities residing there. These minorities are coming into India as refugees in large numbers and hence the need to look after their interests through proper legislation which has taken the form of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 — popularly known as the CAA. The biggest influx of people of minority communities has been from Pakistan and continues to be so. Even as Imran Khan was making his obnoxious statement, Indian newspapers were carrying details of 50 Hindu families that have arrived from Pakistan on Sunday, 16th February and are seeking refuge and citizenship in India. They have temporarily been accommodated in Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla in New Delhi.

Imran Khan also seems to have conveniently forgotten that his own uncle, General AAK Niazi, already holds a record so far as engineering of refugees is concerned. It was in his watch that millions were forced to flee East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to India in 1970-71.

While refugees from Pakistan coming to India is very real problem with hundreds of thousands already settled here, what Imran Khan is trying to sell to the international community is a hypothesis, a supposition that has no precedent whatsoever.

The Kashmiris who went to Pakistan under the lure of so-called Jihad are leading a terrible life of penury there, and at great risk, they are taking the Nepal and Afghanistan route to come back to India along with their families. Under these circumstances who from Kashmir is likely to even think of going to Pakistan? Imran Khan himself says that the people of Kashmir are being suppressed since the last 200 days, surely this was enough time for them to start the exodus to Pakistan should they have felt the need to do so, can he name even one person who has gone there? So far as the other Muslims of India are concerned, well, they will never leave India and never ever think of going to Pakistan. So, Imran Khan can rest easy, he will under no circumstances get an opportunity to show his administrative skills in management of refugees from India.

In fact, it is India that should be worried about an unprecedented refugee influx from Pakistan. There is a distinct possibility of an exodus towards India from Balochistan, Sindh, NWFP (North-West Frontier Province) and Gilgit-Baltistan. That the Ahmedias, Shias, Hazaras, Balochs, Baltis and Pashtuns of Pakistan will also follow their fellow citizens of the Hindus, Sikhs, Christian, Buddhists and Jain communities to India is well within the realm of reality. These hapless citizens of Pakistan are suffering immensely under the yoke of the Punjabi dominant federal government and the Pakistan Army. The reality is that if Imran were to open borders of his country even for an hour, half of Pakistan would get to India. Indian Kashmir, on the other hand, is attaining one progressive milestone after the other after breaking down the shackles of a restrictive Pakistan driven leadership.

If Imran Khan were to give to the people of Balochistan, NWFP, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan even a fraction of what he demands for Kashmir from India all the time then his country would not be in the dilapidated state that it is. He is building castles in the air while his country looks towards him for much needed and much promised resurrection as “Naya Pakistan.” Instead of wasting his energy in futile talk Khan should start taking steps to ensure that his country protects its sovereignty and integrity that is severely threatened. #UnreliablePakistan need more than India bashing and India hallucination to come out of the quagmire that it is in presently.

Deepika Padukone’s first look as Kapil Dev’s wife Romi in film on ’83 world cup win

News Intervention Bureau
-
0
Deepika Padukone’s first look as Kapil Dev’s wife Romi in film on ’83 world cup win

Social media was today abuzz with Deepika Padukone’s first look as Romi Bhatia. Ranveer Singh, who has been routinely introducing the character posters from his upcoming film 83, took to social media to share wife Deepika Padukone’s first look from the Kabir Khan’s sports drama.

A picture of the two has got surfaced online and is going viral. In the pic Ranveer is seen dressed in formal outfit white shirt paired with a tie and the official Indian captain blazer while Deepika is seen clad in a black turtle neck tee paired with a beige coloured skirt.

Touted as the “biggest sports film” of the country, 83 chronicles Indian cricket team’s historic 1983 World Cup triumph against the West Indies team.

Deepika had previously opened up on essaying the role of Romi Bhatia in an interview. Describing Romi Dev as “extremely refreshing, intelligent, knowledgeable, and funny,” Deepika said, “Having a solid support system is important as it allows the person to work without holding back, without any kind of emotional burden. In that sense, Romi ji has played an extremely important part in Kapil Dev’s success.” She added Romi’s presence in Dev’s life has also kept him grounded.

No sooner than the photo was shared on social media, fans started pouring in hearts, likes, awestruck and fire emojis from all quarters.

83 is slated to release on 10 April. Previously, Ranveer Singh introduced the character posters of Dhairya Karwa, Adinath Kothare, Chirag Patil, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Sahil Khatter and Dinker Sharma.

Chirag Patil will be seen essaying the role of his father and former Indian cricketer Sandeep Patil. Tahir Raj Bhasin will play Sunil Gavaskar. Jiiva will be seen as the top scorer in the final match of the 1983 world cup against West Indies, K Srikkanth. Saqib Saleem will play Mohinder Amarnath, and Jatin Sarna will portray Yashpal Sharma, whereas Dinker will play Kirti Azad.

1...380381382...486Page 381 of 486

News Intervention is the new age digital media platform that has news analysis, opinion pieces, news briefs, news videos and documentaries.
News Intervention raises all those issues that may have been overlooked by big media houses or have been deliberately buried to serve vested interests. We firmly believe that each life matters and every individual regardless of religion, nationality, race, caste or creed must have the right to live life with dignity.

Contact us: editor@newsintervention.com

© Copyright - NewsIntervention