THE
GOOD WORD
Aug 9, 2021 - Week 34
Volume 7S-13|
Pages 2
2 years on, article 370 sequestered,
India celebrates full integration
of J&K
Aug 5 marked the
second anniversary of
the Presidential order
that amended the
temporary article 370
of the Indian
Constitution. The
change provided for full
application of the
Indian Constitution and
870 central laws to
Jammu and Kashmir
(J&K), as they apply to
other states in the
country. Aug 5 also
marked completion of
two years since the
state was re-organized
into two union
territories of Jammu-
Kashmir and Ladakh.
The decision proved to
be prescient as it came
just before the sudden
withdrawal of US troops
from Afghanistan. That
country is now battling
the Taliban, radical
Islamists who are
supported by Pakistan.
Pakistan aims to extend
its influence over
Afghanistan and has
historically sponsored
terrorism in J&K.
Despite the heightened
threat from the turmoil
in Afghanistan, the
number of incidents of
terrorism in J&K have
reduced by more than
half in 2021 as
compared to 2019
(details below in the
article on reduced
casualties in J&K).
In the absence of
leadership of the
Abdullahs and Muftis
the state has seen
increased voter turnout
over the last two years
in successive polls. The
block (ie cluster of
villages) level of
elections for its chiefs
in 2019 saw a 98%
turnout of sarpanch
and panch voters and
the district (ie a group
of blocks) level polls
saw more than 50%
voter turnout in 7 out
of 8 phases, far higher
than in the past.
Elections held under
tightened security have
been largely free of
rigging and violence.
The application of
Bharat First
Aug 6, PM Modi tweeted
that India’s highest sports
honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna will be renamed after
one of India’s greatest
sports legends, major
Dhyan Chand. The much
loved hockey maestro led
India to 3 Olympic gold
medals from 1928 to 1936
and is renowned world over
for his exceptional ball
control and prolific goal
scoring, 570 in 185 matches.
More at: Wikipedia, OpIndia
Visit
IndiaWiki.org
Aug 4, minister of state
for home, Nityanand Rai,
addressed the Rajya
Sabha about a
substantial reduction in
terrorist incidents in the
first half of 2021
compared to the same
period of the previous
two years. 2021
reported a drop of 32%
over 2020 and 59%
compared to 2019. The
government’s zero
tolerance towards
terrorism, strengthened
security apparatus and
force have driven the
decline. Between May
2018 and Jun 2021, 650
militants and 85 security
personnel lost their lives
in 400 encounters with
terrorists in J&K, he
added. J&K casualties
declined post the 2003
militant attempts to
assassinate Pakistan
president Musharraf.
More at: Wikipeida, KashmirReader,
IndianNewsBox
after India’s 1
st
aircraft
carrier that was
decommissioned in
1997. IAC-1 Vikrant
completed basin trials
in Dec 2020.
An aircraft carrier
plays a critical role in
establishing ‘blue
water’ navy capability
or sea dominance at
long range. It is a
capital ship of a strike
fleet usually escorted
by destroyers, missile
cruisers, frigates,
submarines and
supply ships.
India joins a league of
3 other countries with
2 running aircraft
carriers, UK, Italy and
China. The US has 11
carriers. China has 2
more carriers under
construction. The
Indian navy has also
proposed a 3
rd
.
More: Wikipedia, IndianExpress
Aug 7, the Indian
Olympic squad scripted
a historic win at Tokyo
with its largest medal
haul ever, winning
seven, one gold, two
silvers and four bronzes.
Fielding its largest
contingent to date of
122 athletes despite the
pandemic, the squad
furthered the early
success of a silver
Mirabai Chanu, and a
bronze PV Sindhu had
won. It picked up its
first ever gold in
athletics, a bronze in
men’s hockey after 41
years and another silver
and two bronze medals
in wrestling and boxing.
Neeraj Chopra (2
nd
from
the top) hurled a best
throw of 87.58 m on his
second of six attempts
to land a gold in javelin.
12 other finalists,
including the German
world number 1, Vetter
Johannes, whose
personal best before
Tokyo was 97.76 m,
could not better that
distance.
In hockey, India the
world’s most successful
team in the Olympics
with 8 golds, 1 silver
and 2 bronzes returned
to its winning ways
Aug 1, the Saurav Ganguly
led BCCI has issued a
stern warning to all
cricket boards that any
player participating in the
POK centred Kashmir
Premier League will be
banned from all cricket in
India. The decision toes
India’s line that POK is
Indian territory. ICC has
clarified that it will not
interfere as international
cricket is not involved.
More at: OpIndia
common Indian laws
has improved lives of
the backward classes,
as the SC-ST Act which
forbids atrocities
against them, became
operational. For the
first time women in J&K
were given full rights.
Children got a right to
free primary education.
With the repealing of
article 35A long term
residents of the state
who were earlier
denied domicile could
now claim it.
Mar 2021, finance
minister, Sitaraman
announced a central
grant to J&K of ₹30,757
crores for 2021-2022. It
will propel projects like
an improved rail
network into the state
and 17 power projects
that aim to generate
3.5 GW of energy.
About 3,900 formerly
displaced youth have
returned to work in
J&K. Developments do
augur well for the state.
At: NationalInterest
,
Yahoo.com,
RepublicWorld, India.com,
OneIndiaNews, KashmirLife, REMI
Aug 4, India’s
indigenously designed
and built aircraft carrier
(IAC-1) Vikrant,
commenced sea trials
off Kochi. The INS
Vikrant is 262 meters
long and 62 meters
wide and displaces
about 45,000 metric
tons. Built at a cost of
about ₹23,000 crores, it
is expected to carry up
to 34 aircrafts including
25 Mikoyan MiG-29Ks,
Kamov Ka-31 helicopters
for airborne early
warning surveillance and
MH-60R/ Indian
Advanced Light
helicopters for combat.
IAC-1 Vikrant is India’s
2
nd
aircraft carrier in
service, INS
Vikramaditya of Russian
origin and similar
tonnage being the other.
Vikrant, means
‘courageous’, is
named
First Indian Independence Day 1947, image
–
HappyWalaGift.com
India and China
disengage
at
Gogra in Ladakh
India powers to a historic best
at the Olympic
with a seven
medal haul – one
gold, two silvers
and four bronzes!
Zero tolerance for
terror reduces
casualties in J&K
India’s indigenous aircraft carrier
INS Vikrant starts sea trials
at Kochi
Patriotic BCCI bars
POK League
players from India
Khel Ratna award
renamed after
major Dhyan Chand
when the men's squad
(top) beat Germany in a
high scoring match 5-4
to win another bronze.
Germany led 3-1 early in
the match but goals
from Simranjeet Singh
(2), Rupinder Pal Singh,
Harmanpreet Singh and
Hardik Singh saw India
power back from behind
to win. The last Olympic
podium finish was a
gold back in 1980.
Ravi Kumar Dhaiya (3
rd
from the top) wrested
silver in the 57 kg
freestyle wrestling. Ravi
levelled with his Russian
rival 2-2 early in the
final before the Russian
out-maneuvered him
with some deft back
mounts and pushes.
Lovlina Borgohain (2
nd
from below) won
bronze against her
Turkish opponent in the
welterweight boxing
semi-final. Wrestler
Bajrang Punia beat his
Kazak opponent 8-0 in
the 65 kg freestyle
wrestling semi final with
some aggressive lunges,
back mounts and
pushes. London 2012,
was India’s previous
best showing with 2
silvers and 4 bronzes.
IndiaTVNews,
HT, Olympics.Com
Wikipedia
https://www.drdo.gov.in/
Courtesy: Global Tribune
Courtesy:
Jagran.com
Courtesy:
ABCRNews
Courtesy:
TheLiveMirror.com
Courtesy:
IndiaTVNews
2,345
232
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
2000*
2005
2010
2015
2020
Terrorists
Civilians
Security Forces
J&K Killings
2000 to 2021
Source:
South Asia Terrorism
Portal
Aug 6, India and China
have agreed to
disengage troops at a
fourth flashpoint along
the Line of Actual
Control (LAC), patrolling
point 17A, Gogra, east
Ladakh. Jul 31, after a
12
th
round of corps
commander talks both
sides stopped forward
deployments,
dismantled structures
and restored landform
at Gogra to the pre-
standoff period. This
was mutually verified.
Both have committed to
adhere to the LAC
hereon and so have
resolved four of the six
flashpoints, the others
being Galwan, North
and South banks of
Pangong Lake. The
standoffs in Depsang
and Hot Springs still
continue.
More at: OpIndia
Aug 4 the Taliban shot a
young woman aged 21
dead for not wearing a
veil. She was being
driven to the Balkh
district center in
Afghanistan when she
was dragged from her
car by Taliban gunmen
and killed.
Afghan women have
been subjected to
repressive Taliban laws,
a version of the Islamic
Sharia law. It forces
women to veil
themselves from head
to toe, prohibits them
from working outside
the home, severely
limits girls' education,
and requires women to
be accompanied by a
male relative when they
step out of their homes.
Those who break the
rules can be flogged or
shot. Women are
resisting these medieval
laws. Assault rifles
handling training has
begun for a group of
women from the Ghor
province.
A Taliban spokesman
has denied these claims.
More at: RepublicWorld
Taliban execute a
young girl for not
wearing a veil
Aug 9, 2021
|
Week 34 | Volume
7S-13
Bharat First
Visit
IndiaWiki.org
PAGE 2
THE GOOD WORD
Battle between Afghan forces
and Taliban intensifies in Herat
as former mujahideen take up arms
I should rest and be fit
for the next battle, as
this thing is going to go
on for a long while.”
The Commander Khan
in charge of operations
is Mohammed Ismail
Khan, a redoubtable
former mujahideen
leader against the
Russians and the
Taliban, who has now
organised the city’s
defences, mobilised
volunteer forces, and is
leading the fight at the
age of 70.
It is, says the man
known as “The Lion of
Herat”, one of the most
important campaigns of
his life.
The Taliban are also
carrying out relentless
attacks on Kandahar
and Lashkar Gah. Those
two cities, however,
are in the Pashtun
south, from where the
Islamist group
traditionally draw their
support. Capturing
Herat in the west, a
traditional stronghold
of adversaries, would
be a huge boost to the
Taliban’s claim to be
establishing an emirate
over the whole of the
country.
With soldiers and
weapons in short
supply from the
government in Kabul,
which was apparently
caught by surprise at
the speed of the
Taliban advance
following the hasty
withdrawal of US-led
forces on the orders of
President Biden, Haji
Sher Ahmed and eight
of his nine sons are
among around 6,000
who volunteered and
are now taking part in
the fighting.
“Believe me, if this
new Taliban take over
they will be worse than
the Russians. We need
to stop them. I didn’t
have to ask my sons to
join, they just did. I
have friends,
neighbours who did
the same,” he wants to
stress. “This is our
country, our Herat; we
are not going to let
these people come and
take it over. Everyone
wants to contribute:
we have stopped them
coming into Herat city,
and now we are
pushing them back.”
At the start of the
week it was Herat that
seemed likely to be the
first of the three cities
to fall, with the UN
organising an airlift of
its local staff and
families, and reports of
local government
officials shredding
documents in panic.
Fierce fighting is still
going on in the
suburbs, but the
jihadist surge to the
city centre has been
pushed back. There are
said to be a number of
factors behind this: the
insurgents being
further away from
their reinforcement
lines in Pakistan; the
resilience of the
volunteer and
government forces;
and air strikes by
Afghan and US
warplanes, including
the use of B52s from
Diego Garcia, which
have had a significant
impact.
The Taliban still
come into the city to
carry out lethal attacks.
On Wednesday evening
a popular and effective
police commander,
Wahid Kohastani, was
killed after being
tracked down at his
office in the latest in a
series of assassinations
of public officials and
others who have
spoken out against the
Islamists.
What is happening in
Herat is having
repercussions
elsewhere in the
country.
Volunteer battalions
are being formed in
other cities and towns.
President Ashraf Ghani
has announced a
national mobilisation
plan. Even evening
chants of “Allahu
Akbar”, from people
gathered in the streets
and on the rooftops in
defiance of the
insurgents, are being
emulated in other
cities. The Taliban have
complained about
“infidels” using sacred
slogans. They have also
complained about the
ferocity of the tactics
used by Herati forces,
and the western
bombing.
The losses suffered by
the Islamist group in
Herat and elsewhere
are said to be one of
the reasons for a
change in Taliban
tactics, after they used
a suicide bomber and
gunmen in this week’s
attack in Kabul, killing
13 people and injuring
two dozen more.
While the Taliban
complain about
western air strikes,
Ismail Khan – while
stressing he had no
fondness for either the
Russian or the
American military
presence in his country
– has no doubt about
the real foreign enemy
now.
“The war in Herat is
being led by Pakistan.
This is not the Taliban’s
war, they are just
being used as tools,”
he declares. “This is a
war between Pakistan
and Afghanistan. We
didn’t accept Russian
occupation of our
country, why should
we accept Pakistani
occupation? We have
to fight for our
country, just as we did
against the Russians.
“The Taliban claim
they have changed.
But just look at what
they are doing in the
areas they have taken,
the killings and the
oppression. People
don’t want that, and
that is the reason they
are volunteering to
defend their homes
and their country.”
To contribute content to The Good Word email
IndiaWiki2020@gmail.com
There was a
reassuringly familiar
feeling for Haji Sher
Ahmed Ahmadi as he
aimed the RPG launcher
at the Taliban position
behind a derelict
building. He had fired
an older version of the
same weapon three
decades ago, as a young
man fighting the
Russians.
He would much rather
have been at his farm
tending to the crops,
which needed
attention, he says, but
felt he could not ignore
the call of duty with the
insurgents at the gates
of Herat and
threatening to storm
the city.
Pointing out that he was
an experienced
mujahideen, Haji Sher
Ahmed had requested
to be on the front line
and, according to his
comrades, acquitted
himself so well that
Talib snipers started
seeking him out. After a
dozen attempts, they
eventually managed to
hit him in the head.
“It wasn’t a very serious
injury, luckily; it was
one of the Talibs the
Pakistanis had not
trained that well, not
like when the Russians
shot me all those years
ago – they did a good
job,” says the old
warrior, his craggy face
breaking into a grin.
“So I went back to the
front line the next day.
But Commander Khan
told me to go and rest. I
went back again the
following day, but again
he sent me back, saying
Such a gigantic will as
that of a Buddha or a
Jesus could not be
obtained in one life, for
we know who their
fathers were. It is not
known that their
fathers ever spoke a
word for the good of
mankind. Millions and
millions of carpenters
like Joseph had gone;
millions are still living.
Millions and millions of
petty kings like
Buddha's father had
been in the world. If it
was only a case of
hereditary
transmission, how do
you account for this
petty prince, who was
not, perhaps, obeyed
by his own servants,
producing this son,
whom half a world
worships? How do you
explain the gulf
between the carpenter
and his son, whom
millions of human
beings worship as God?
It cannot be solved by
the theory of heredity.
The gigantic will which
Buddha and Jesus
threw over the world,
whence did it come?
Whence came this
accumulation of
power? It must have
been there through
ages and ages,
continually growing
bigger and bigger, until
it burst on society in a
Buddha or a Jesus,
even rolling down to
the present day.
All this is determined
by Karma, work. No
one can get anything
unless he earns it. This
is an eternal law. We
may sometimes think it
is not so, but in the
long run we become
convinced of it. A man
may struggle all his life
for riches; he may
cheat thousands, but
he finds at last that he
did not deserve to
become rich, and his
life becomes a trouble
and a nuisance to him.
We may go on
accumulating things for
our physical
enjoyment, but only
what we earn is really
ours.
Swami Vivekananda
Karma Yoga
a series of extracts
Swami Vivekananda Image courtesy Newsgram.com
Gul Mohammed
Husseini wishes that
people did not have
to take up guns, but
says what is
happening leaves
little choice. So the
58-year-old
businessman took out
his Kalashnikov AK-47,
kept wrapped in
oilcloth in a trunk, and
volunteered to fight.
Like many of the
others in the force, he
was once part of the
resistance against
Soviet forces. “We are
all getting on in years
now, but some of the
skills are still left I
think,” says Mr
Husseini. “There are
also a lot of young
people as well. I do
not have any sons,
but I have three
daughters and they
are one of the
reasons why I am
fighting. They won’t
be able to stay in this
country if the Taliban
take over. If they
cannot get away
abroad, their lives
would be unbearable.
My wife supports me
totally in what I am
doing; everyone
knows what is at
stake.”
Haji Sher Ahmed also
speaks of the
importance of his
wife’s support. “I have
only had one wife:
this may not seem
strange to you, but I
am from a generation
and an area where
this was not
common,” he says.
“Despite the
problems we have,
we are happy with all
we have achieved – in
our family, in our city,
she knows what we
have to do.”
Lifting his shirt to show
scars left from when he
was shot fighting the
Russians – the bullet
entering beside his
heart and exiting
through his back – he
continues: “We have
had tough experiences.
I survived this, there
are risks, but we
cannot be afraid now
when we face such a
dangerous time for our
country.”
-----------------------------
Author: Kim Sengupta
on
Yahoo.com
Image courtesy:
TrtWorld.com
Afghan security
personnel and Afghan
militia fighting against
Taliban stand guard in
Enjil district of Herat
province on July 30,
2021. (Hoshang
Hashimi / AFP)
“The war in Herat
is being led by
Pakistan. This is
not the Taliban’s
war, they are just
being used as
tools,” he declares.
“This is a war
between Pakistan
and Afghanistan.
We didn’t accept
Russian occupation
of our country,
why should we
accept Pakistani
occupation?
Diego Garcia,
British base
