The news views.

It would be worthwhile to go through the news that are grabbing the headlines these days. What keeps telling me is that there seem to be no major hiccups in our country, as of now and the controversies that are being raked up by the political parties are basically to position themselves for the next general elections. Seeing the worst political enemies joining hands - just to keep Modi from being re-elected in '19 - is grotesque and a continuing source of humour. There was good news, too, about young Hima Das winning the gold medal in the 400 m run at the IAAF championship in Tampere, Finland against the bleak outlook, which was the saving grace! So, without much ado, let me go ahead:-

 (a) 'Hindu Pakistan'. 

       One of the most absurd usages of recent times. Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor's statement about 

       India becoming one if Narendra Modi were to be re-elected in '19. His party has distanced itself

       from it but has not reprimanded him. What's getting clear is that controversial statements will be

       put forth during the run up to the elections to ruffle the thinking of the general public and there 

       by create a confusion in their minds, since the Prime Minister has high ratings pan India. 

       But what they seem to forget in the bargain is the poison that is slowly being injected to create

       an enmity between religions which could have dangerous repercussions and do not augur well 

       for the country. Aren't the existing laws adequate enough to curb such tendencies and nip them

       in the bud, before they get out of control? 

 (b) India's Golden Girl, Hima Das.

       18 year old Hima Das, claimed the gold medal in the 400 m race at the IAAF World Under 20

       meet in Finland. This is India's first ever gold in a world international track event. Not only is 

       she a world class athlete but also a socially conscious teenager who took the lead in 

       demolishing country liquor vends in her village Dhing, amid Assam's rice filelds.

       From driving a tractor around her dad's paddy fields in Assam's Nagaon district to ruling the

       athletic track in Tampere, Finland, Hima Das has now become a trail blazer in Indian athletics. 

       She's the youngest of five siblings in the agrarian family.

 (c) Hindu Taliban.

       Senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for the central Shia Waqf Board told a bench of the

       Supreme Court that, "the Bamiyan Buddhist statues were destroyed by Muslim Taliban in 

       Afghanistan and in '92, Hindu Taliban destroyed the Babri Masjid". Such senseless use of

       words and phrases have a way of lingering for a long time as they are taken up by narrow 

       minded people, subsequently, to further their individual interests.

       That the phrase was used in the course of his arguments in the case, notwithstanding, it could've

       been avoided!! It's like the 'saffron terror' that Chidambaram had coined to score a point over

       his political rivals, when everyone knows that terror has no hues. Any harmful and dastardly act

       affecting people's safety is terror, nothing else and the perpetrators must be brought to book!!!  

Tailpiece.

Bipin, the representative of the PCI had come by to carry out the pest management within 'The Quarterdeck'. Also signed the AMC on completion!