On Monday (December 13), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ending the 1000-year-long-wait of realising the dream of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.
Addressing the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor project, CM Yogi Adityanath said, “When Maa Ganga came to this place, it is said that she was struck in Manikarnika in Kashi. Today, she has been setfree by the great son of Bharat Mata aka Narendra Modi. This is also the Holy land of Kashi which has elected Narendra Modi as their Prime Minister. People, who have Faith in Indian culture, and traditions are thanking the PM from the bottom of their heart for ending the 1000-year-long wait.”
“Kashi is the land of Vishwanath. For 1000 years, this Holy land has been the subject of devastation, and it was witnessed all throughout India…Between 1777-1780, the Maharani of Indore Ahliyabai Holkar had made a generous contribution to the restoration of Kashi Dham. Similarly, Maharaja Ranjit Singh has also contributed to the cause. Even the Maharani of Gwalior had donated for Kashi Dham. But it was finally completed under the leadership of PM Modi,” he emphasised.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister lauded the efforts of PM Modi to make Yoga, Kumbh Mela and propagation of Sanatan Dharma – a global phenomenon. “I welcome PM Modi on behalf of everyone. Today, Baba Vishwanath’s Dham is being inaugurated in a new form,” he added. Yogi Adityanth informed how Mamata Gandhi lamented about the filth and congestion in Varanasi when he came to visit the city.
“Many did politics in the name of Mahatma Gandhi but none could turn his dream into reality. We are seeing Gandhiji’s vision of Kashi Dham for the first time,” he concluded. The 800 crore project connects the iconic temple of Lord Vishwanath to the ghats of the river Ganga. Over 40 ancient temples, which were rediscovered, were repaired and restored. PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi.
The Kerala HC on Monday said other countries don’t have their Prime Minister’s picture on vaccine certificate because they are not proud of their Prime Minister like Indians are after a petitioner filed a plea seeking removal of Narendra Modi’s photograph from Covid vaccine certificates.
The acerbic remarks were made by the court after the petitioner contended that vaccination certificates issued in other countries do not contain the photographs of their respective leaders.
“They are not proud of their PM, we are proud of ours. He became PM because of the mandate of the people. We have different political opinions but he is still our prime minister,” the judge said.
Justice PV Kunhikrishnan came down hard against the petitioner, asking him why he seemed to be ashamed of the Prime Minister, who was elected to the office by millions of Indians.
“Why are you ashamed of your Prime Minister? 100 crore people don’t seem to have an issue with this so why do you? I am just trying to understand”, Justice Kunhikrishnan asked.
Kerala HC asks petitioner why did he not stood to get Nehru’s name removed from his institution
The court also took a swipe at the petitioner after it found that the petitioner was working with an institution named after former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Taking a dig at the petitioner, the court asked him why did he not display the same zeal in getting his institution’s name changed.
“Why are you not taking a stand to remove the name of Nehru from that institution. Modi is our Prime Minister. You may have political differences. But, I can’t understand what is the problem with Prime Minister’s photo in the certificate?” the court asked the petitioner.
‘PM Modi’s picture on vaccine certificate violated my fundamental rights’: Petitioner
A petition was filed by an RTI activist, who alleged that he had received paid COVID-19 vaccination from a private hospital. After his inoculation, he received a vaccination certification with PM Modi’s photograph affixed on it, along with the message: “medicine and strict controls (in Malayalam), together India will defeat COVID-19 (in English)”.
The petitioner, through his lawyer Ajit Joy, argued that PM Modi’s photograph on the vaccination certificate which he had paid for, is a violation of his fundamental rights as he can be considered as captive audience. He said in the petition that PM Modi’s picture on certificates goes against his free speech right, including the right against compelled listening, protected by Article 19 of the Constitution of India.
“The sparkling water like the minds of good people, excessively sweet like the divine nectar, pleasant to the touch like the limb of a cow, scent excelled the sweet smell of lotuses…”. This is how Skanda described the water of Jñānavāpī or the Wisdom Well to Agastya in Skand Mahapurana. It is not about a regular well, it is about the well that was dug by Shiva himself. The well, that has the wisdom and insight in the form of liquid, the water.
It is believed that the original Shiva Linga that was at Kashi Vishwanath Dham now resides at the bottom of Jñānavāpī Koop. The priest of the temple sacrificed his life and jumped into the well with the Linga before Aurangzeb’s army could destroy the temple. The Koop is now again part of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. It took 352 years for someone to take the initiative and bring back the glory that was lost due to countless attacks on the temple. In the past, when the temple was demolished and the Gyanvapi mosque was built by barbarians, the Koop was a part of the mosque complex itself. Now, however, the historic Koop is a part of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple corridor.
The continuous destruction of Kashi Vishwanath Dham
The temple stood tall for centuries before it became the eye sour for the Mughals. The Islamic rulers, who were on the mission to destroy anything that was against Islam, saw Kashi Vishwanath Dham as one of the main targets. On April 18, 1669, Islamic ruler Aurangzeb gave the order to demolish Kashi Vishwanath Temple. In his order, he had written that the temple was the place where “the foolish Pundits teach evil knowledge from junk books.”
But he was not the first Mughal ruler to order destruction at the site. Baba Vishwanath, who is believed to be the residing place of Bhagwan Shiva and Mata Parvati in Kashi, remained in its original shape until the 11th century. The first mention of the temple has been found to be from 10134. Later, in 1194, Mohammad Gaori looted and destroyed the temple.
The people of Kashi rebuilt it as per their own accord at that time. However, more destruction was to be followed. In 1447, it was torn down by Sultan Mahmud Shah of Jaunpur. In 1585, Pandit Narayan Bhatt rebuilt it with the help of Raja Todarmal. However, it did not see another 100 years without destruction. In 1632, Shah Jahan sent the Mughal army to destroy the temple. The main temple was saved by the Hindus, but during that course, 63 temples were destroyed.
Then came Aurangzeb, who issued a decree to demolish the temple. He also passed the order to convert Hindu priests to Islam. One of the reasons for his anger was the education provided at the temple premises. Dara Sikhoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan, who was defeated by Aurangzeb, used to study Sanskrit on the premises. On September 2, 1669, the emperor was informed that not only the temple had been destroyed, but a mosque had been built at the place. The ruins of the temple are clearly visible from outside the mosque.
The significance of Jñānavāpī Koop or the Wisdom Well
The Skanda Mahapurana has two chapters dedicated to the significance of Jñānavāpī Koop or the Wisdom Well. Skanda tells Agastya in detail how Jñānavāpī Koop came to existence and why it is important for those who follow Sanatan Dharma. He said in Sata Yuga, Isana, the Rudra form of Bhagwan Shiva, was roaming here and there. When he reached Kashi, also known as Mahashamshana or the Great Cremation Ground, he came across the Swayambhu Shiva Linga.
Isana, in order to bathe the Linga with water, dug up the Jñānavāpī Koop with his Trishul or Trident. The cold water came flowing out of the well. The water was sparkling with colours like the minds of good people. Its lustre was as beautiful as the moonlight. It was holy and pure, like the name of Bhagwan Shiva.
The water of the well was sweet like the divine nectar. It was pleasant to touch, just like the limb of a cow. The scent of the water was like the sweet smell of lotus. Even the touch of the water would give the devotees the ‘punya’ of Ashwamedh Yagya. The sins would perish by the holy water of the well. The Shiva resides in the well in the form of Jñāna, having assumed the liquid form, who would destroy Jāḍya (sluggishness, ignorance) and impart knowledge. Vishveshra (name of Shiva) said, “If a highly intelligent man bathes the Liṅga with the waters of Jñānodatīrtha, it is certainly on a par with having got it bathed with the waters of all the Tīrthas.”
Skanda praised the Wisdom Well and said, “Jñānavāpī is the Cosmic Form of Śiva himself. It generates Jñāna (perfect knowledge). There are many Tīrthas that sanctify (devotees) immediately. But they are not equal to even a sixteenth part of Jñānavāpī. If anyone listens to the origin of Jñānavāpī with great attention, his knowledge does not become extinct even on death anywhere.”
The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor holds a lot of significance and will be talked about extensively in the future. History has its own starting point. The construction of the corridor is the third start point of the construction of Baba Vishwanath Dham. Whenever history mentions the reconstruction of the complex, Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar, who renovated the temple, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who decorated its summit with gold, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned the temple to its historical, religious and cultural aura, will be remembered.
The indestructible idol of Nandi Maharaj
According to legends, after the priest jumped in the Wisdom Well with the Shiv Linga, the Mughal Army attacked the temple. During the attack, they tried to destroy the huge idol of Nandi Maharaj installed outside the temple. However, even after all the efforts, they could not break the idol. Even today, the idol, though it has become part of the corridor, it still looks towards Gyanvapi Mosque, the old complex of the temple.
The idol of Nandi Maharaj
Before the construction of the Baba Vishwanath Corridor, the Wisdom Well and Nandi Maharaj Idol remained away from the Vishwanath Temple complex. Now, they have become part of the complex after 352 years of separation. Notably, the direction and vision of Nandi Maharaj have been kept the same. It is a symbol of the calling for the liberation of Baba Vishwanath Dham in its original form. Nandi Maharaj would wait till he saw his Mahadev.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a dip at the Ganga river offering his prayers and flowers to the holy river and the Sun. As per reports, PM Modi then took water in the traditional urn from the Ganga to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
PM Modi has reached Kashi, Varanasi for the inauguration of the temple complex known as the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. Hindu priests of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple have started the rituals of the inauguration along with Narendra Modi. It is believed that Acharya Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, who had previously decided the Muhurta for the Ram temple has set the date for the inauguration of the Kash Vishwanath Temple complex on December 13 and marked an auspicious time of 20 minutes in Revati Nakshatra from 1:37 am to 1:57 pm.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his prayers at the Kal Bhairav temple in Varanasi as devotees and supporters of PM Modi crowded outside the temple to see the Prime Minister.
Notably, PM Modi is on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi for inaugurating the Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the Kashi Vishwanat corridor. Before that, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also visited the temple to offer his prayers along with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
In a public rally held in Mumbai, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hailed Babri Masjid as martyr, and slammed the SP, BSP and Congress for shielding people responsible for its demolition in 1992. The firebrand leader also asked Muslim bachelors to get married and raise children, adding that having a wife has a calming effect on a man.
Owaisi said, “My Masjid (Babri) was martyred. People who tarnished it disrupted the foundation of India & the rule of law…Did anyone from SP, BSP or Congress say anything? They turned a blind eye as it was my Masjid being tarnished, not theirs.”
WATCH AIMIM Chief Asaddudin Owaisi in Kanpur: My Masjid (Babri) was martyred. People who tarnished it disrupted the foundation of India & the rule of law…Did anyone from SP, BSP or Congress say anything? They turned a blind eye as it was my Masjid being tarnished, not theirs. pic.twitter.com/kGJOxhVtkG
Notably, the verdict for the Babri demolition case delivered by a special court on September 30, 2020. In the landmark judgement, all 32 persons accused in the case were acquitted. BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti were among those who had been been acquitted by the court. The court mentioned that the demolition of Babri controversial structure was not pre-planned, and therefore concluded that there was no conspiracy to demolish it.
Besides raking up the issue of Babri demolition, Owaisi also attempted to polarise the Muslim constituents by asking them to get married and raise a family. Making a cryptic remark for bachelors, Owaisi said, “Shaadi karenge na? Bachelor mat rehna. Bachelors bahot pareshaan kar rahe hai. Ghar main rahe to admi ka dimag bhi shant rehta hai. (You will get married, right? Don’t stay a bachelor. Bachelors are causing a lot of problems. If a man stays at home, then he remains calm.)”
What has secularism given you? Please, shun it: Asaduddin Owaisi
In addition to this, the AIMIM chief also poured scorn over the concept of secularism. “I want to ask Muslims of India what we got from secularism? Did we get reservation from Secularism? Did the people who demolished the mosque get punishment? No, no one got anything…I believe in constitutional secularism and not in political secularism. Please, Muslims shun political secularism,” Owaisi said.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Owaisi has derided secularism in his political rallies. For a long time now, the AIMIM chief has made his contempt for the concept of pluralism apparent. He kickstarted his UP elections program in September 2021 by attacking the secularism of the country. He had then said that BJP had undermined the secularism of the country.
On Monday (December 13) morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Kal Bhairav temple in Varanasi. He is on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency during which he is inaugurating the Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the Kashi Vishwanat corridor. A day earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath prayed at the temple alongside Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Devotees and supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi gathered outside the Kal Bhairav temple to catch a glimpse of him. PM Modi was seen waving at people who were cheering for him in unison.
PM Modi was also showered with flower petals amidst chants of ‘Modi, Modi’. The video was uploaded on Twitter by the official handle of BJP Uttar Pradesh.
The Prime Minister will visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple at around 1 pm on Monday to offer his prayers. He will also inaugurate the Kashi Vishwanath Dham at 1:20 pm. In the evening at around 6 pm, he will witness the Ganga aarti from a Ro-Ro vessel.
Rajasthan is facing a coal crisis as two out of three mines allotted to the Congress-led state in Chhattisgarh, another Congress-led state, have not started functioning since the allotment in 2015. In recent months, Rajasthan claims to have faced severe power shortages due to less availability of coal for its power plants. Rajasthan has now approached the Centre to intervene in the matter. Reportedly, Rajasthan has blamed Chhattisgarh for stalling the projects at two coal blocks that were allocated to the former.
It is noteworthy that Rajasthan has been pushing Chhattisgarh’s forest department for clearance for a long. As both states were unable to find a solution to the problem, Subodh Agarwal, additional chief secretary, Rajasthan, wrote to power and coal secretaries Alok Kumar and Anil Jain. In his letters to the secretaries, he emphasized the need for intervention of the Central Govt to pursue the Chhattisgarh government to take immediate action so that the production from the mines could start.
Gehlot’s letter to Baghel to push clearance
In October 2020, Rajasthan’s CM Ashok Gehlot had written to Chhattisgarh’s CM Bhupesh Baghel, in which he had requested him to speed up the clearance process for the mines. He wrote, “I would like to apprise you that the State has invested more than Rs 40,000 crore in thermal power stations installed in the State. These coal blocks fulfil the majority of coal requirements of current as well as upcoming RVUNL power stations and are essential to ensure fuel security in the form of an uninterrupted supply of coal to produce electricity for the state. I have been informed that the ‘PEKB’ coal block has achieved a peak rated capacity of 15 MTPA and partially fulfils the current coal requirement of RVUNL power stations. However, Parsa and Kente Extension Coal blocks are under various stages of development.”
He further added, “I shall be grateful if you may kindly arrange to direct the concerned State Government officials to expedite the various approvals for early development of ‘Parsa’ and ‘Kente Extension’ coal blocks and continued operation of ‘PEKB’ coal block, enabling RVUNL to meet fuel requirement of the state’s (read Rajasthan) power generating stations and fulfil power requirements of consumers of Rajasthan.”
There are five blocks in question that are Parsa, Parsa East, Kanta Basan and Kante Extension. All these are located in district Sarguja, Chhattisgarh. Out of these five, three were allocated to Rajasthan in 2014. Notably, these blocks come under the Hasdeo Arand forest area and have faced protests by the tribals. Interestingly, the state government has increased the forest cover from 400 square KM reserved for elephants to 2000 square KM. A report in Sunday Guardian suggests that the local tribals have divided into two groups. One is opposing the mines, while the other has submitted its representation in favour of the mine development in the area.
Agarwal added that though the Centre and Ministry of Forest have given Stage-II clearance on October 21, the Chhattisgarh forest department has not provided the necessary permissions to start the Parsa block. For Kanta East and Kanta Basan mines, the administration has not made the required amendment in forest clearance to hand over 1,136 hectares of land as per guidelines of the Union Green Ministry. Public hearings needed for clearance are pending, and Agarwal has sought support from the Centre to get the District Magistrate of Sarjuguda to hold the required hearings.
Rajasthan claimed it had to schedule power cuts in September and October, owing to the coal shortage. The distribution company has increased power tariffs by 22 paise per unit for three months as it had to source additional coal from the market and power from the exchange at a higher price. The peak demand in the state has reached 14,000 MW, and the state is struggling to meet the demand.
The protest against MDO Adani Group
Adani Group, which has been one of the prime targets of “activists”, had won the mining contracts from Rajasthan, which owns the mines in Chhattisgarh, through competitive bidding. Adani Group is a mine developer and operator (MDO). That means the company is not going to mine and sell coal on its own. It is developing the site for Rajasthan.
However, the activists are targeting MDO, causing trouble in getting clearances for the project. It is noteworthy that West Bengal-based PSU Coal India, the largest coal mining firm in the world, has a massive operation in Chhattisgarh. Interestingly, it faced next-to-none opposition from the activists who are raising their voices for the tribal areas and forests. In September 2021, tribals led by activists announced a 300-KM march against Adani Group that started on October 2.
Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, in a public statement, blamed that Congress’s Rahul Gandhi was working with Modi’s Central government against the welfare of the tribals and snatching land from them for the companies like Adani and Birla. It said, “The federal and the state government, instead of protecting the rights of us tribal and other traditional forest dwellers, have joined hands with mining companies and have been working towards devastating our forest and land.” They further demanded the cancellation of all mining projects in the region.
Is there really a shortage of coal?
In reply to RTI submitted by the founder of Hindu IT Cell, Akshit Singh, Coal India Limited, informed that there was no shortage of coal in CIL or for the power sector. In the year 2021, CIL provided additional 5.4 million tonnes of coal compared to last year, where it was around 23 million tonnes. Compared to 2019, CIL provided 15% more coal. CIL further said that they had 1.62 crore tonnes of coal available in stock.
In a recent interview with media channel India Today, poll strategist Prashant Kishor heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On being asked about the Unique Selling Point (USP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prashant Kishor emphasised, “Anyone who becomes the Prime Minister of a country like India needs to have many strengths… If I have to pick one or two (strengths), it will be the unique mix that he brings to the table.”
“If you look at the last 50 years of his (political) journey, then, (you will find that) he spent about 15 years as an RSS pracharak. He probably had the best opportunity to understand, interact, engage with the masses in a social setting. Then, he spent another 15 years as a political organiser when he was in the BJP. He handled the organisational issues of managing, preparing, putting together the political setup in a manner it should be done,” he elaborated.
Prashant Kishor added, “And then 15 years as a Chief Minister and now the Prime Minister. Now, these 45 years of experience is literally is unique in India… I can’t think of any other politician who has this kind of experience mix in terms of understanding of the society at the grassroots level, running the political organisation and running the government.”
The election strategist emphasised that the vast political experience of PM Modi helps him to pre-empt the desires and ambitions of his voters. He pointed out how the Prime Minister’s ability to ‘second guess’ reflects in his speeches, schemes and government response. “He is able to second guess because of his unique political experience of 40-45 years.”
Prashant Kishor also informed that the Prime Minister is an avid listener. “That probably gives him the advantage to benefit from all points of view. He can still make a mistake and he has made many mistakes. But, I will rate it as one of his advantages,” the election strategist concluded.
Prashant Kishor reveals he had almost joined Congress party
During the same interview, Kishor said that he had been in talks with the Congress leadership for the past two years but, post the Bengal election, it was a much more structured, intensive engagement. He said that he had almost joined the party, but later realised that being together would be counterproductive for both sides. However, he didn’t mention the issues that stopped him from joining the Congress party.
He said that nobody could advise the Gandhis or the Congress leadership on their own. Kishor said that the party asked him and he told them what he thought was right. The election strategist revealed this while responding to allegations of attacking the grand old party. Kishor also elaborated on his recent tweet where he had said ‘Congress leadership is not the divine right of an individual’, and explained that the decline of the Congress party is not recent, it is going on for the last three decades.
On Sunday (December 12), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President of Moradabad district Waki Rashid placed a bounty of ₹11 lakh on the head of ex-Shia Waqf Board Chairman Wasim Rizvi (now Jitendra Narayan Swami).
While dubbing Rizvi as an ‘anti-social’ element, Rashid claimed that the former has been conspiring to drive a wedge between the Hindu and Muslim communities. “In this regard, I have announced a reward of ₹11 lakh to anyone who will thrash Rizvi with my shoe… I want to encourage people to take action against such anti-social elements and ostracise them at the same time.”
He lamented that Wasim Rizvi was not arrested, despite multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) against him. “When such people will roam freely, this will worsen the communal harmony of the society,” Rashid justified his diktat. The AIMIM leader claimed to have written letters to the District Magistrate and the President of India against Rizvi for writing a book against Prophet Muhammad.
He went on to claim that Wasim Rizvi had been working as a part of a ‘conspiracy’ to stir Hindu-Muslim tensions before the Uttar Pradesh elections, on the behest of the BJP government in the State. Waki Rashid also alleged that his ire against the former Shia Waqf Board Chairman was not connected to his re-conversion to Hinduism but to his speeches. “Until he is arrested, let people initiate social boycott. Hitting him with a shoe will kickstart the movement,” the AIMIM leader concluded.
Hyderabad Congress leader announcing 50 lakh bounty on the head of Wasim Rizvi
An old video had started doing the rounds on Twitter soon after former Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi reverted to Hinduism by denouncing Islam. In the viral video, Hyderabad Congress leader Feroz Khan is heard announcing a ₹50 lakh bounty for whoever beheads ex-UP Shia Board Chief Wasim Rizvi.
The video was first shared by a YouTube channel Voiceup Media on November 25, 2021. In the video, Feroz Khan, who had contested parliamentary election from Hyderabad against Asaduddin Owaisi on Congress ticket is heard using extremely derogatory and abusive language for Wasim Rizvi. Hurling abuses at him, the Congress leader added that a person like Rizvi has no right to live. “whoever is listening to me I swear by my Allah that I will support you”, Firoz Khan claimed in his video statement.
Wasim Rizvi becomes Jitendra Narayan Swami, reverts to Hinduism
Earlier, OpIndia had reported that the former Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi, who had been a frequent target of fundamentalists because of his statements, converted to Hinduism in the presence of Mahant Yati Narasinghanand Giri at Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad. Rizvi was welcomed back into the faith of his ancestors in a series of rituals, after which he was named Jitendra Narayan Swami.
After converting to Hinduism, Rizvi said, “Mughals have given the tradition of defeating Hindus. Muslims vote unanimously for the party that defeats Hindus. Muslim voters are only for defeating Hindus.” He further added, “I was thrown out of Islam. Every Friday, they announce more rewards for my head. Today I am accepting Sanatan Dharma.”
On December 13, Miss India, 21-year-old Harnaaz Sandhu, was crowned Miss Universe. The 70th Miss Universe 2021 took place at Eliat, Israel. It has been 21 years since Lara Dutta won the title in 2000. Sandhu defeated contestants from Paraguay (first runner-up) and South Africa (second runner-up) to win the title. Former Miss Universe 2020, Andrea Meza from Mexico, presented the crown to Sandhu.
In 1994, Sushmita Sen became the first Indian to win the beauty pageant.
‘Come out, speak for yourself’
Every contestant was asked questions as part of the top three rounds. To the question, “What advice would you give to young women watching on how to deal with the pressures they face today?” Sandhu said, “The biggest pressure the youth of today is facing, is to believe in themselves. To know that you are unique makes you beautiful. Stop comparing yourselves with others, and let’s talk about more important things that are happening worldwide. Come out, speak for yourself, because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own. I believed in myself, and that is why I am standing here today.”
She made it to the top three with her to-the-point answer calling for less talk and more action on climate change. She was asked, “Many people think climate change is a hoax, what would you do to convince them otherwise?”
Final questions are here! The first to go is India. #MISSUNIVERSE
To the question, Sandhu replied, “My heart breaks to see how nature is going through a lot of problems, and it is all due to our irresponsible behaviour. I totally feel that this is the time to take action and talk less. Because each action could save or kill nature. Prevent and protect is better than repent and repair, and this is what I am trying to convince you guys today.”
Sandhu was crowned Miss India Universe 2021 in October. In 2017, she participated in Times Fresh Face, which was her first pageant. She holds multiple titles, including Femina Miss India Punjab, 2019. Currently, Sandhu is pursuing Masters in Public Administration. She has been active in the Punjabi film industry.
‘It has never been my journey, it has been Our journey’
Before getting onto the stage for the finale, Sandhu published a post on her Instagram account in which she said, “It has never been my journey, it has been Our journey. I began with baby steps, and as I come closer to the end, I wish to thank all my panellists for being an integral part of my learning. I thank my designers for making me shine at the pageant. Thank you for moulding me into the girl you see on stage today. I’m blessed.”
In another post, she posted a video of herself visiting Shri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar and wrote, “Faith is unseen. It’s felt. It’s the feeling I have in my heart today. I have faith in God, my family and the blessings you all have showered on me. I have enjoyed my journey, and as we near the end of this beautiful pageant, I want to re live memories with my family, my Punjab. I want you all to know, that Im grateful for each and every one of you and for all the experiences I had in these 1.5 months. I’m already a winner. I have you all.”
Earlier, Sandhu had met Consul General of Israel to Mumbai, Kobbi Shoshani, in November, who was impressed by her diplomatic stand on the farmer protests that were ongoing at that time. He had said, “Harnaaz has been working to promote small things that bring about a big change, by reducing the usage of plastic, water conservation, saving the environment and all these not as a government, but as a person, as an individual and aims to prove that small initiatives by a commoner can also bring a great change. A lady like her, she can be an ambassador of goodwill, of such an important issue.”
Shoshani was impressed by her diplomatic response to the ongoing farmer’s protests. He had said though it was a sensitive question as she herself belonged to a farmer’s family, she gave a ‘courageous and diplomatic response’.
