The revamped version of the Jallianwala Bagh Smarak inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 28 has Congress leaders upset. However, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh seems to be quite pleased with it.
"I don't know what has been removed. To me it looks very nice," says Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh over the renovation of the Jallianwala Bagh pic.twitter.com/uM3aut0Opo
As reported by news agency ANI, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that he does not know what has been ‘removed’ from the smarak and that to him, the newly renovated complex looks ‘very nice’.
Congress leaders including senior leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has been quite displeased about the renovation.
Referring to himself as ‘son of a martyr’ Rahul Gandhi claimed that this renovation is an insult to the martyrdom (of those who were killed in the massacre). He claimed that he will never tolerate this insult as a ‘son of a martyr’.
जलियाँवाला बाग़ के शहीदों का ऐसा अपमान वही कर सकता है जो शहादत का मतलब नहीं जानता।
मैं एक शहीद का बेटा हूँ- शहीदों का अपमान किसी क़ीमत पर सहन नहीं करूँगा।
Congress claims the renovation, which is aimed at preservation and letting visitors know about the horrifying massacre through sound and light show is an ‘insult’ to memories of the martyrs. It must be noted that sound and light shows at various memorials across the country as well as world is a very common practice to educate the visitors about the place. Such sound and light show take place regularly even at the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad as well as the Somnath Temple complex in Gujarat.
It must be noted that Congress President was a de facto permanent member of the Jallianwala Bagh Trust till Modi Government brought in the amendment in 2019. The amendment ended the automatic nomination of the Congress President and gave more power to the Central government to terminate the term of a nominated trustee. In November 2019 the bill was passed that removed the Congress President as a permanent trustee. Now, the leader of the single largest opposition party will be the member.
As the crisis unfolds in Afghanistan amidst the Talibani takeover of the country, social media websites are replete with wild memes mocking the United States President Joe Biden for presiding over what has turned out to be a disastrously ill-conceived strategy to draw down the American forces from the country.
The scenes of chaos and anarchy from Afghanistan have triggered a meme fest on the internet, bringing under scrutiny the US President’s role in ordering a catastrophic pullout without accounting for its potential ramifications. Netizens on social media websites mocked the US President and sardonically likened him to Chinese strategist Sun Tzu to rub it in the strategic blunders committed by him.
In the memes that are doing the rounds on the internet, Biden is billed as Sun Tzu’s American version, Joe Tzu, and the face of the Chinese strategist is replaced with that of the US president’s. One of the popular memes deriding Joe Biden read: “When retreating always give your weapons to your enemies along with a list of everyone who helped you.”
— LAL — Libertarian Clothes & Memes (@LibertadoresAL) August 30, 2021
The meme was in reference to reports that said the Taliban have seized control of US weapons and strategic military assets, including considerable air power. The US had also reportedly left behind names and biometric details of the Afghans who had helped them over the years against the Taliban.
Another meme ridiculing Biden’s Afghanistan’s drawdown strategy said: “Always abandon your most strategic airbase, just before an evacuation.” This was in reference to the overnight abandonment of the Bagram airbase by the US troops, without even informing the Afghan partners.
Taking a dig at the American strategy of leaving behind arms and ammunition for the Taliban fighters, one meme read: “Always leave behind as many weapons as you can. Arm your enemy well.”
As netizens share memes mocking Joe Biden as ‘Joe Tzu’ and pour scorn over his catastrophic military strategy to hastily abandon Afghanistan, it is worth noting who the revered Chinese strategist Sun Tzu was. A legendary military strategist, writer, and philosopher, Sun Tzu lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China and is credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has influenced both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking.
Sun Tzu is considered by many as the father of “agile warfare” and a master of “soft power”. In his book “The Art of War”, Tzu has prescribed many strategies, including psychological warfare, to subjugate the enemy and win the war without fighting the battle or winning them by drawing minimum blood.
“In war, the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won,” he wrote. Similarly, he suggested his troops take the enemy by surprise by making their way through unexpected routes and unguarded spots. Sharing his wisdom about fighting a war, Sun Tzu wrote, “Military tactics are like water. For water, in its natural course, runs away from high places and hastens downwards. So, in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak.”
America’s two decade long war in Afghanistan ends with a hasty withdrawal and utter humiliation
Ever since the Taliban walked into Kabul, effectively facing no resistance on their way to the capital and formally seizing control of Afghanistan, critics around the world have blamed US President Joe Biden for moving forward with a half-baked strategy to pull out from the country.
After Biden announced that the United States will complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, the Taliban escalated its offensive, swallowing district after district in a swift and ruthless onslaught. Within weeks, it brought under control a sizeable number of districts. Then on August 15, it entered Kabul and declared its rule in Afghanistan.
Panic and fear had swept across the country after the fall of Kabul on August 15, following which a multitude of city residents flocked to the airport, in a desperate attempt to fly out of the country. Chaotic scenes had emerged from Kabul airport as wary Afghans scrambled to get a flight out of the country, with some of them clinging to the fuselage of planes, from which they fell to their tragic deaths.
Images have also appeared on the internet in which the Taliban could be seen riding American Humvees and using advanced weapons left behind by the Americans. A video from Afghanistan also showed Taliban terrorists trying to fly an American helicopter. It was also reported that the Taliban terrorists also got hold of names, biometric details of Afghan citizens who had helped the United States in their mission in Afghanistan.
South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has announced his retirement from cricket on Tuesday. In a heartwarming post on Twitter, the cricketer quoted lyrics from a song by his favourite band, Counting Crows, to announce his decision to retire. The lines he quoted were from the song ‘A Long December’.
Dale Steyn’s statement
Dale Steyn said, “It’s been 20 years of training, matches, travel, wins, losses, strapped feet, jet lag, joy, and brotherhood. There are too many memories to tell. Too many faces to thank. So I left it to the experts to sum up, my favorite band, the Counting Crows.”
He added, “Today I officially retire from the game I love the most. Bitter sweet but grateful. Thank you to everyone, from family to teammates, journalists to fans, it’s been a incredible journey together.”
The lines he quoted from ‘A Long December’ by Counting Crows say, “And it’s been a long December and there’s reason to believe, Maybe this year will be better than the last, I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell my myself, To hold on to these moments as they pass.”
Dale Steyn has had a remarkable bowling career, widely considered as one of the greatest fast bowlers to have played the game and the best test bowler of his generation. He debuted in 2004 in a test match versus England and has played 93 in total. He has also played 125 ODIs and 47 T20Is.
The pacer picked up 439 wickets in his test career, 196 in ODIs and 64 in T20Is. His last appearance for South Africa was in an ODI versus Sri Lanka in March, 2019.
Indian Para Athlete Sumit Antil, who won gold in javelin throw at the ongoing Paralympics in Tokyo has said that he dreams of participating in Paris 2024 Olympics as well as Paralympics.
“Don’t be surprised to see me at Paris 2024 taking part in both Olympics and Paralympics. That’s my dream.” Sumit Antil – Men's javelin F64 new world record holder.
Paris 2024 official Twitter handle shared this information and tweeted, “Let your dream happen – see you in #Paris2024”. He won gold in the javelin (Sport Class F64) with a world record throw of 68.55 metres. In what can only be described as phenomenal performance, Antil first set a world record with a 66.95m throw. He then broke his own record with a 68.08m throw in his second attempt. And since breaking his own record wasn’t enough for Antil, he broke that record yet again with a throw of 68.55m in the 5th attempt, winning the gold medal.
An elated Antil then said, “Don’t be surprised to see me at Paris 2024 taking part in both Olympic and Paralympics. That’s my dream.”
Sumit Antil who is now an inspiration for many, was a wrestler before he met with an accident in 2015 that led to amputation of his leg.
While his dream of being a wrestler may have been crushed, his dream of competing in Olympics and Paralympics in Paris 2024 have just taken off.
A video has gone viral on the internet which shows Taliban flying one of the many Black Hawk helicopters left behind in Afghanistan by US forces. The video also shows that a person is hanging in the air from the helicopter. The video was reportedly captured in Kandahar.
Although the identity of the person is not clear, there is speculation that the man was an interpreter for the USA. However, that has not yet been confirmed. It is not clear whether the person was alive or dead either. Some reports, however, claim that the person hanging from the Black Hawk helicopter is a man the Jihadist outfit had killed earlier.
Another landmark picture taking the world in a new era of terror. Taliban hang a person, presumed to be an American interpreter, from a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter. The left over US helicopters will now be used in #Afganistan like this. pic.twitter.com/8q6C5bo4IB
The visuals of the hanging man has attracted strong reactions on social media, with Joe Biden being held responsible for the disastrous withdrawal and leaving sophisticated American military equipment for the Taliban.
The Taliban are hanging a person, presumably an American interpreter or SIV, from a Black Hawk helicopter. You cannot reason with terrorists. pic.twitter.com/P78O1RvQ1I
— Ian Miles Cheong @ stillgray.substack.com (@stillgray) August 30, 2021
If this is what it looks like… the Taliban hanging somebody from an American Blackhawk… I could vomit. Joe Biden is responsible.
The US forces have abandoned billions of dollars of worth of military equipment in Afghanistan, which will now be used by the Taliban. Apart from 73 aircraft at the Kabul Airport, 27 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (Humvee) have also been left to the Taliban.
In addition to that, Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (C-RAM) missile defence systems, arms, ammunition and night vision goggles have also been left behind in huge numbers.
No permutation combination seems to be working for the Indian National Congress. After Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Congress can be seen limping in the state of Assam where it witnessed an embarrassing loss in the recent state assembly elections.
Congress on Monday decided to sever ties with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Badruddin Ajmal. The two are part of the grand alliance of 10 parties (Mahajot) formed before the assembly polls in the state to take on the Bhartiya Janta Party.
Yesterday, Assam PCC took decision to seek the ouster of AlUDF from the grand alliance. APCC also discussed about the party alliance with BPF & will call upon the BPF to clear its stand regarding grand alliance publicly or in writing. pic.twitter.com/uhjRB5JEhI
The decision was taken during the core committee meeting of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) held in Guwahati after it noticed some members of AIUDF praising the BJP. “The committee observed that ‘Mahajot’ alliance partner AIUDF’s behaviour and attitude in relation to the Bharatiya Janata Party has baffled Congress party members,” read the resolution passed in the meeting.
“The AIUDF leadership’s and senior members’ continuous and mysterious praise of the BJP and the chief minister has affected public perception of Congress party,” it read further.
Throwing AIUDF out of the alliance, the resolution concluded, “The core committee members of the APCC unanimously decided that the AIUDF can no longer remain an alliance partner of ‘mahajot’ and in this regard will send intimation to All India Congress Committee (AICC).”
The decision has come just ahead of the by-poll elections and a day after AIUDF MLA Phanidhar Talukdar resigned from the party and announced that he will soon join the BJP.
As per reports, the Congress party also announced that they will be parting ways with the Bodoland people’s Front (BPF) as some BPF leaders are unwilling to continue the alliance.
AIUDF calls the decision a ‘historic blunder’
Reacting to the eviction, MLA and organising sectary of the AIUDF Md Aminul Islam said, “The Congress is free to make decisions regarding their party, but we see their decision to sever ties with us as a historical blunder. We had allied with Congress to oppose BJP’s communal agenda in the assembly polls.”
Slamming the Sonia Gandhi-led party further, Islam said, “Congress can’t accuse us of having nexus with the BJP. Instead, today’s decision was the outcome of pro-BJP elements within Congress.”
Islam alleged that this was a plot by the BJP to create cracks in the Mahajot. “It was a BJP strategy to use Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi to break our alliance. They become successful in that and Congress was the loser,” said the AIUDF MLA.
It is notable here that the Congress-led Mahajot, formed with 10 parties ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, had failed, winning only 50 of the 126 seats.
BPF unwilling to be a part of grand alliance
INC Assam has asked Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) to clear its stand on the alliance publicly after it expressed its unwillingness to be a part of the Mahajot.
Reportedly, BPF is in talks with the BJP to form an alliance. The same was confirmed by state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita who said that BPF had unofficial talks with the party. However, no conclusive decision has been taken yet.
The former Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath is celebrating his 52nd birthday today. On this occasion, netizens took to Twitter to wish the legendary fast bowler on his birthday and shared a video of a cracker of a delivery he bowled during a match against West Indies in 1991 that has now gone viral on the internet.
The video is from an India-West Indies ODI match played in 1991 at Perth when Srinath delivers a magical ball that pitches on leg stump line and drifts further away to castle the West Indian southpaw. The batsman looks in utter bewilderment after the absolute ripper of a ball from Srinath hits the stumps and knocks off the bails, sending him back to the pavilion.
Its Javagal Srinath’s birthday ? and its incomplete without this absolute seed ?pic.twitter.com/bNlbDkAAT0
The video of the flawless delivery was also shared by the official Twitter account of Cricket Australia to wish the fast bowler on his birthday.
It’s that time of year again! ? With Javagal Srinath celebrating his birthday today, we just have to show you one of the great ODI deliveries again, against the West Indies in 1991! pic.twitter.com/mQDVDLkpBr
Another medium fast-bowler, Venkatesh Prasad also took to Twitter to extend birthday greetings to his former teammate. Prasad shared a picture of Srinath when he had worn a turban and said that he was one of the finest genuine fast bowlers India had ever produced.
We go back more than 3 decades. One the finest genuine fast bowler India has ever produced and a person with a great sense of humour. Wishing @iamjavagal a very very happy birthday. May Prabhu bless him with a long and healthy life. pic.twitter.com/9fW59jDKpu
The Indian cricket team today has a world-beating fast bowling unit, comprising of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami and Mohammad Siraj. Such talent and pedigree have seldom been India’s metier in cricket. India has predominantly been a country that has produced batting legends but lacked in yielding fast-bowling heroes.
However, Javagal Srinath was the outlier who stepped up the plate and spearheaded the Indian bowling attack, becoming a pivotal part of the team in the early 90s and 2000s. Popularly known as “Mysore Express”, Srinath was the first bowler for India to take 300 ODI wickets. He took a total of 551 wickets in his tenure and still holds the joint record of being the highest wicket-taker for India in a world cup along with Zaheer Khan.
A team of Mumbai police on Tuesday reached the residence of Maharashtra BJP leader Ram Kadam after he announced that he would be organising Dahi Handi celebrations on the occasion of Janmashtami. As per reports, the BJP MLA had organised Dahi Handi celebrations at his house.
Maharashtra: Mumbai Police personnel reach the residence of BJP MLA Ram Kadam
Kadam had announced to celebrate Dahi Handi today, which has been banned by the state government in view of COVID-19 pandemic pic.twitter.com/voN0A6QM4o
The opposition leader in a Tweet said that they were ready to celebrate the festival at Ghatkopar police station but will not call off the celebrations. He also alleged that he is being put under house arrest.
आम्ही घाटकोपर पोलीस ठाण्या मध्ये पारंपारिक दहीहंडी साजरी करण्या संदर्भात निघत आहोत मात्र आम्हाला घरीच स्थानबद्ध करण्याची तयारी सरकार करत आहे. काहीही झाले तरी #दहीहंडी होणारच
The Maharashtra government had called off Dahi Handi celebrations on the occasion of Janmashtami in the garb of ‘fighting the pandemic’. “Let the world get the message that Maharashtra prioritized saving people’s lives,” declared Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray while imposing a ban on the festival.
However, the Bhartiya Janta Party which is currently in opposition in the state of Maharashtra had demanded permission to celebrate the festival adhering to Covid-19 protocols. The Aadhyatmik Aghadi (spiritual wing) of the BJP had organized protests in several cities of Maharashtra against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government which had allowed low-key Eid celebrations in the month of July.
In tandem with the demand, Ram Kadam had sought permission to celebrate the festival of Dahi Handi with minimum people. “All I am saying is allow me with five other people. All of them are doubly vaccinated,” remarked Kadam.
We demand that govt should allow Dahi Handi celebrations, with the presence of a maximum of 5 fully vaccinated persons at an event & following all COVID protocols. We will celebrate Dahi Handi even if (Uddhav) Thackeray Govt misuses the police force: BJP MLA Ram Kadam pic.twitter.com/Ugj5MnPZdJ
“This Hindu tradition is very old and we need to keep the tradition alive. We won’t be breaking any Covid protocols. But I am not being allowed to move out from my house,” said the BJP leader after a team of police officials was sent to his home.
Kadam lashed out against its former ally Shiv Sena for its anti-Hindu stand. “This government is anti-Hindu and is using the Mumbai police to stop us from celebrating the traditional festival of Dahi Handi,” said Kadam.
Commenting on the party’s visible ideological shift, Kadam said, “This is not the Shiv Sena of Balasahib Thackeray. Ever since the Shiv Sena has joined hands with the Congress they have lost their identity. They have lost their Hindutva.”
“How is it that only Hindu festivals are stopped. Other religious festivals aren’t stopped. The Sena might have left its Hindutva but we will celebrate the festival at all cost,” asserted Kadam.
Police arrests MNS workers for celebrating Dahi Handi
The Mumbai Police has reportedly booked four workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray under Section 188 of IPC for celebrating Dahi Handi in Worli, violating the state government’s order.
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande had organized a token Dahi Handi event in Worli today. Deshpande had announced that in defiance of the “Talibani order” of the state government, MNS will organize Dahi Handi celebrations at multiple locations in Worli and Ghatkopar at 06 am on August 30.
“Let us keep our celebrations and our festivities aside for a few days. Let us show some patience and make health our priority. We have been facing restrictions for the last year and a half because we have been fighting Covid-19,” preached the Maharashtra CM while canceling the Hindu festival, creating a huge uproar.
Earlier today, social activist Anna Hazare had lambasted the state government for allowing bars and pubs to open while imposing a closure order on temples.
The USA has tried a series of unconventional tactics in Afghanistan and the Middle East for their doomed efforts to spread ‘democracy’ in the region. One of these tactics involved providing old tribal warlords with Viagra in return for their support. Viagra, the brand which sells Sildenafil, helps treat erectile dysfunction in mean and hypertension.
“Whatever it takes to make friends and influence people — whether it’s building a school or handing out Viagra,” one CIA officer, a veteran of several Afghan tours, told the Washington Post in 2008. “Take one of these. You’ll love it,” CIA officers told old Afghan men who could not perform their marital duties with their wives, who were often young.
The Afghan men frequently married four wives, the maximum number permitted under Shariah law. The reasoning behind such an offer was motivated by more mundane logistical realities of war.
“If you give an asset $1000, he’ll go out and buy the shiniest junk he can find, and it will be apparent that he has suddenly come into a lot of money,” one veteran said. “Even if he doesn’t get killed, he becomes ineffective as an informant because everyone knows where he got it.”
Viagra worked wonders for the US forces stationed in Afghanistan, intimately related to the manner it usually does. “He came up to us beaming,” the official said. “He said, ‘You are a great man.’ ” “And after that we could do whatever we wanted in his area.”
Explaining the decision, a CIA veteran said, “You’re trying to bridge a gap between people living in the 18th century and people coming in from the 21st century, so you look for those common things in the form of material aid that motivate people everywhere.”
Viagra is usually sold as a prescription drug but conventional norms do not apply to the CIA and in war. Urologist Christopher Saigal said in 2008, “Viagra can increase the risk of having a heart attack if you’re taking nitrates, which are used to relieve chest pain from heart disease.” It can also cause a condition known as priapism or an “erection that won’t go down”.
Men reach their sexual peak in the 20s and it starts going down after the age of 30. At 60 years of age, it is understandable that Afghan men were long past their peak burdened with four young wives they could not satisfy. Under such circumstances, Viagra would have come across as Manna from heaven for them.
The war in Afghanistan finally came to an end on the 30th of August, 2021 after the exit of all US forces from the country. There has been much criticism about Joe Biden’s handling of the withdrawal, where Americans have been left stranded in the war torn country.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has kicked up a storm after its academic council has approved a new ‘counter-terrorism’ course for engineering students pursuing a dual degree programme. Many opposition parties have opposed the inclusion of the particular course material.
CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam has written to the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, raising objection to ‘prejudiced & inaccurate nature of the material being included in JNU course titled Counter-Terrorism, Asymmetric Conflicts & Strategies for Cooperation among Major Powers’.
CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam writes to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, raising objection to ‘prejudiced & inaccurate nature of material being included in JNU course titled Counter-Terrorism, Asymmetric Conflicts & Strategies for Cooperation among Major Powers’ pic.twitter.com/AfvLNUIC0w
The CPI leader has, in his letter dated August 31, 2021, expressed remorse that “higher education is being used as a platform to communalise and politicise geopolitical issues through the presentation of half-truths and academically dishonest information”.
Criticising the course, CPI leader Binoy Viswam called it a ‘distortion of history’ to serve the vested political and communal interest of certain ideologies. Viswam wrote that the content of the course makes incredulous assertions pertaining to global terrorism and political regimes that have supported it.
He added in his letter that the statement in this counter-terrorism module includes assertions such as “Jihadi terrorism” the only form of fundamentalist-religious terrorism”. The course, under module, ‘State-sponsored Terrorism: Its Influence and Impact’ also refers to the Soviet Union and China alone for state-sponsored terrorism that influenced “radical-Islamist states”. Taking offence at what the module has to offer to the students, the CPI leader asserted that these statements are “deeply prejudiced and politically motivated”.
Screenshot of the letter written by the CPI leader to union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan
Slamming the JNU authorities who drafted the curriculum, Viswam said that it goes against the very ethos of education and critical thinking that has been the hallmark of eminent institutions like JNU.
He urged the Union Education Minister to intervene and ensure that the university deploys senior professors, who are experts in the subject matter, to undertake a comprehensive review of the course content. He asked Dharmendra Pradhan to ensure that such “biased” content is not allowed.
JNU offers a ‘counter-terrorism’ course, sparks controversy
The controversy erupted after Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Academic Council on August 17 cleared the new optional course, titled ‘Counter Terrorism, Asymmetric Conflicts and Strategies for Cooperation among Major Powers’. The new elective course has been offered to engineering students who opt for a dual degree and go on to pursue an MS with specialisation in International Relations after completing their BTech in JNU.
Despite the fact that this paper is optional, engineering students will learn how to deal with terrorism and the role of world powers in this regard.
The rapid spread of jihadi cultist violence is due to a perverted interpretation of the Quran, reads one module of JNU’s new course
One of the modules of the new course, titled ‘Fundamentalist-religious Terrorism and its Impact’, reads: “Fundamentalist – religious-inspired terrorism has played a very critical and dominant role in the spawning of terrorist violence at the beginning of the 21st century. The perverse interpretation of the Koran has resulted in the rapid proliferation of jihadi cultist violence that glorifies death by terror in suicidal and homicidal variants.”
“The exploitation of cyberspace by the radical Islamic religious clerics has resulted in the electronic propagation of jihadi terrorism world over. Online electronic dissemination of Jihadi terrorism has resulted in the spurt of violence in non-Islamic societies that are secular and are now increasingly vulnerable to the violence that (is) on the increase,” it adds.
Module claims the Soviet Union and China provides tactical support to Jihadists
Another module, titled ‘State-sponsored Terrorism: Its Influence and Impact’, states that the Soviet Union and China Soviet Union and China have been “heavily involved” in providing “logistical support to Communist ultras and terrorists”.
“Terrorism has always a geographical base and support havens for its operations. State-sponsored terrorism has been largely during the ideological war between the West and the Soviet Union and China. The Soviet Union and China have been predominant state-sponsors of terrorism and they have been heavily involved in terms of their intelligence agencies training, aiding and providing logistical support to Communist ultras and terrorists,” it states.
“In the post-Cold War period, the trend has been well adopted by several radical Islamic states that have mirrored the earlier tactical strategies of the Communist powers and have continued to aid and arm the various terrorist groups,” it reads.
Professor Arvind Kumar expresses his thought behind the introduction of the new course
Speaking about the new course, Professor Arvind Kumar, Professor and Chairperson of the School of International Studies, who designed the course, told Aaj Tak, “This is part of our course where students after doing BTech come to study about International Relations. That’s why we choose such a subject which has to do with international security as well as technology.”
Arvind Kumar is the chairperson of the Centre for Canadian, United States and Latin American Studies who co-designed the course with assistant professor Anshu Joshi of the same centre.
From India’s standpoint, the war against terrorism is a critical issue. This problem becomes even more significant at a time when many countries around the world are not paying as much attention to India’s security concerns as they should, added Kumar.
“Jihad is a global challenge. At a time when Afghanistan has been occupied by the Taliban, nothing could have been a more contemporary topic than this,” he said.
Different countries must work together to combat jihad, which has a significant impact on South Asia’s geopolitics. Those who are debating this should also be aware that cyber and economic terrorism has been included in this document, said Professor Arvind Kumar.
Dean of JNU’s School of International Studies disassociates himself from the controversy
Meanwhile, distancing himself from the controversy, Aswini Mohapatra, the Dean of JNU’s School of International Studies (SIS) and concurrent faculty in the School of Engineering, said he was not involved in the design of the course.
Ruchir Gupta, Dean of the School of Engineering, said Arvind Kumar, Chairperson of the Centre for Canadian, US and Latin American Studies, wanted to introduce the course. “We have a joint programme with SIS, they asked us to pass this course so we passed it. I’m not an expert on international relations,” Gupta said.
Although the Academic Council, the university’s decision-making committee on academic concerns, has approved the new subject, approval from the Executive Council, the university’s highest authority for management matters, will be required in the near future. If the Executive Council also approves this request for a new JNU course, the optional paper will be offered to students in the new session beginning September 20.
