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Punjab: Congress leader’s anti-Hindu remarks spark protests in Bathinda on Janmashtami, organisations demand police action against him

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Congress leader’s anti-Hindu remarks spark protests in Bathinda on Janmashtami, organisations demand police action against him

A major controversy has erupted over Punjab Congress councillor Sukhraj Aulakh’s alleged remarks against Hindu women and rituals. Disgruntled by the Congress leader’s derogatory remarks against Hinduism, many Hindus held a protest march against Sukhraj Aulakh in Bathinda on the occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami on Monday, August 30.

Many Hindu men and women gheraoed Hanuman Chowk in Bathinda, Punjab and took out a peaceful march to protest against the Congress leader, who had allegedly mocked the Hindu rituals and holy practices, like the offering of Havan Yajna, the most ancient form of Hindu prayer and customs like wearing a Tilak on the forehead, in one of his social media posts. The Hindus, who walked down the streets with placards and posters in their hands, kept singing devotional songs (bhajans) while protesting against the Congress leader.

They demanded that a case be registered against the Congress leader for hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindus through his disparaging post. They also protested against Punjab police and Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal for shielding Punjab Congress councillor Sukhraj Aulakh. The Hindus asserted they would completely boycott Badal if he did not order strict action against Aulakh.

Shiv Sena members demand a case under IPC section 295(A) against Punjab Congress leader Sukhraj Aulakh

Meanwhile, members of the Shiv Sena Hindustan, Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray party, and Shiv Sena HID, on Saturday, August 29, sent three different demand letters to Surinderpal Singh, the Superintendant of Police (Headquarters), Bathinda, requesting him to register a case under IPC section 295(A) [Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs], against Congress leader Sukhraj Aulakh.

Surinderpal Singh, the Superintendant of Police (Headquarters), Bathinda, has, in turn, assured that appropriate action would be taken against the Congress leader.

According to a report by Jagran, following the protest march that was carried out by various Hindu organisations Friday, August 28, SSP Ajay Maluja spoke to the Hindus and assured them an apology from Congress leader Sukhraj Aulakh. The Hindus, meanwhile, who were extremely enraged by the disparaging remarks made by the Congress leader, said that a mere apology would not be enough. They were hell-bent that a case for hurting religious sentiments, must be registered against the Congress leader.

Furious at the Punjab Finance Minister’s protection of the Congress leader, Hindus vowed that if he did not take action against his aide, they would not allow Manpreet Badal to visit any temple on Janmashtami.

Simultaneously, effigies of Punjab cabinet minister Manpreet Badal were also burned by Hindus led by BJP Punjab secretary Sukhpal Singh Saran. They accused the Punjab government of stirring up religious divisions by shielding culprits such as Sukhraj Aulakh.

According to the All India Hindu Federation and Shri Hindu Takht’s Principal Advocate Sandeep Pathak, Shiv Sena Hindustan’s Organization Minister Sushil Jindal and Bajrang Dal’s Sandeep Aggarwal, when they went to meet with the Bhatinda SSP, they were told that the police could, at the most, ask the Congress leader to apologise. As reported in Bhaskar, the SSP reportedly said that the police could not take any arbitrary action against the leader. Angered by the SSP’s response, advocate Sandeep Pathak asserted that police officials are extremely powerless in the face of the ruling elites in Punjab.

As per reports, Congress councillor Sukhraj Aulakh had insulted Hindu traditions and ceremonies in one of his social media posts. He is also accused of making insulting statements about Hindu women, which has enraged members of numerous Hindu organisations. Following the outrage, the Congress leader rendered an apology. However, the Hindus have refused to accept the apology and demanded strict action against the Congress leader. They have made it clear that they would go to any length to punish the Congress councillor for demonising Hinduism and Hindus, even if they have to go to court.

India witnesses the highest-ever quarterly expansion as GDP grows by 20.1 per cent in April-June quarter

Jinit Jain
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India witnesses the highest-ever quarterly expansion as GDP grows by 20.1 per cent in April-June quarter

In a telltale sign that the country’s economy is on its path to recovery after the coronavirus-induced downturn, statistics from April to June quarter suggest India’s quarterly GDP grew by 20 per cent, a highest-ever GDP growth in a single quarter.

“GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q1 of 2021-22 is estimated at Rs 32.38 lakh crore, as against Rs 26.95 lakh crore in Q1 of 2020-21, showing a growth of 20.1 per cent as compared to a contraction of 24.4 per cent in Q1 2020-21,” said the statement released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

In consistent with the predictions made by the economists earlier, the country’s GDP rose by 20.1 per cent in the first quarter of the current financial year as against the same period a year ago when the first wave of coronavirus-induced lockdown had resulted in the economic contraction of 24.4 per cent.

In addition to the GDP, the Gross Value Added (GVA) has also grown at 18.8 per cent in the first quarter. “Quarterly GVA at Basic Price at Constant (2011-12) Prices for Q1 of 2021-22 is estimated at Rs 30.48 lakh crore, as against Rs 25.66 lakh crore in Q1 of 2020-21, showing a growth of 18.8 per cent,” the statement added.

The GDP growth of 20.1 per cent is the highest quarterly expansion since official growth statistics were stored from the mid-1990s. This is almost 13 times the 1.6 per cent GDP growth registered in the fourth quarter of FY21.

However, it is worth noting that despite the record economic recovery in the first quarter of FY21, the numbers are yet to reach the pre-COVID levels.

The bounce back in GDP could have been even higher if the country had not suffered the devastating second wave of coronavirus, which forced the administrations across the nation to impose localised restrictions. It was reported that at one point in time more than 98 per cent of the country was under some kind of lockdown.

One of the reasons why the country witnessed a swift recovery during the second wave could be attributed to the Centre’s decision of not imposing a nationwide lockdown and restrictions as rigorous as those imposed during the initial wave.

Indian ambassador to Qatar meets Sher Mohammad Stanikzai, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Indian ambassador to Qatar meets Sher Mohammad Stanikzai, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha: Details

India’s envoy to Qatar Deepak Mittal on Tuesday met senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Stanikzai, head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, a statement issued by the Indian foreign ministry said in what appears to be the first-ever official meeting between the two sides.

“Today, Ambassador of India to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of Taliban’s Political Office in Doha. The meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, at the request of the Taliban side,” the statement said.

Source: Sidhant Sibal/WIONews

“Discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit India also came up,” it said.

“Ambassador Mittal raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner,” the Indian statement further added.

The Taliban representative assured the ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed.

Who is Sher Mohammad Stanikzai of Taliban

It is worth noting that Stanikzai, an integral part of the Talibani leadership, had once served as a cadet at the prestigious Indian Military Academy in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun and was fondly called ‘Sheru’ by his course mates from the 1982 batch, who remember him as a moderate and not religiously inclined.

He was 20-years-old when he travelled to India under the Indo-Afghan defence cooperation programme and became one of the 45 foreign gentlemen cadets of the Bhagat Battalion’s Keren Company at the academy.

An ethnic Pashtun, Stanikzai was born in 1963 in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province of Afghanistan.

After completing his masters in political science, Sher Mohammad Stanikzai joined the IMA where he trained for 1.5 years after the Indian military institute was involved in training Afghan army officials in combat.

After completing his training at the IMA, Stanikzai went back to join the Afghan National Army as a lieutenant. He fought the Soviet-Afghan war, initially with Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi’s Islamic and National Revolution Movement of Afghanistan, and later with Abdul Rasul Sayyaf’s Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, as commander of its south-western front.

In 1996, Stanikzai took a radical turn and joined the Taliban. In the years between 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, Stanikzai served as deputy minister of foreign affairs under foreign minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil and later deputy minister of health. He often gave interviews to foreign media during the Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001 as he spoke English well.

In 2016, Stanikzai travelled to China and represented the Taliban for their talks with the Chinese officials. Then in August 2018, he led a delegation of Taliban officials to Uzbekistan. There, the delegation met Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and Uzbekistan’s special representative to Afghanistan Ismatilla Irgashev. In the same year, Stanikzai travelled to Indonesia for discussions with officials, meeting Indonesian First Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Hamid Awaluddin, Indonesia’s special representative for Afghanistan.

Stanikzai also served as deputy negotiator Abdul Hakim Haqqani, head of the Taliban’s negotiating team, on talks with Afghan government officials. In September 2020, Stanikzai was declared as the chief negotiator to discuss peace with the Afghan government. But, days before the meeting, it was announced that he would act as a deputy to Abdul Hakim.

Did you know: President of Congress was a permanent member of Jallianwala Bagh Trust before Modi govt brought in amendment

Akshita Bhadauria
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Did you know: President of Congress was a permanent member of Jallianwala Bagh Trust before Modi govt brought in amendment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 28 dedicated the renovated monument of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to the nation through a virtual conference. 

Calling the monument inspirational, PM Modi addressing the event virtually said, “Jallianwala Bagh is the place that gave courage to an innumerable number of revolutionaries like Sardar Udham Singh and Bhagat Singh to sacrifice their lives for the freedom of the nation.”

“It is the duty of a state to preserve its history,” said the PM further encouraging people to learn more about our nation’s history and struggle for independence. 

PM Modi who is also the chairperson of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Trust, held the inauguration in the presence of other trust members including Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Governor VP Singh Badnore, and several parliamentarians.

However, did you know that the President of the Indian National Congress was a permanent member of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Trust until 2019 when the Modi government brought in an Amendment to change the existing provisions for the maintenance of the Trust? 

Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill

The bill to make the Jallianwala Bagh trust apolitical was tabled by the Modi government in its first parliamentary session since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This is because the representation was skewed with one party gaining a prominent position in the Trust. 

The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was then passed by the Parliament in November 2019 marking an end to the automatic nomination of the Congress President as President of the Trust. 

“It seeks to make apolitical the trust that runs Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial by removing the clause pertaining to the President of INC as a permanent member of the trust. The Bill also amends to include the Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in that House as a member of the trust,” read the Bill. 

Congress opposed the Bill

The bill met with opposition by Congress when it was first introduced in July 2019. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had alleged that the bill was a “denial of the heritage of the country” and one should not “betray our history and heritage.”

However, despite the hue and cry by Congress, the bill was passed in both houses. Ensuring adequate representation, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is also a trustee of the Jallianwala Bagh Trust. 

After Bill, Congress now opposes renovation

The Jallianwala Bagh Smarak seems to have become a pain point for Congress so much so that the party is unable to digest even the renovation of the smarak.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a targeted campaign against the ruling government making absurd allegations.

In a Tweet today Rahul claimed that the renovation is an insult to martyrs and that he would not tolerate it at any cost. 

In another Tweet, for which Rahul Gandhi was subjected to brutal trolling, he said, “Those who didn’t struggle for freedom can’t understand those who did.”

Opposing the laser show installed at the monument, Congress’s Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi tweeted, “Call me a traditional Indian but I am not a fan of installing disco lights on institutions of importance and dignity. Such pomp reduces the gravity and horror of the Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to base entertainment. Similarly the strobe lights on Parliament are also appalling.”

What has changed at the Smarak?

The lights Gogoi complained about have been installed to illuminate the walkway. Additionally, a 28-minute “Sound and Light” show re-enacting the events of April 13, 1919 (Jallianwala Bagh massacre), will be shown free of cost every evening. 

Several new sculptures of martyrs representing ordinary Punjabis who had walked into the park that fateful day to never return, have been installed on the high walls of the monument. 

Before and after images of Jallianwala Bagh Complex. Image Source: Indian Express

Four new galleries using underutilized buildings have been erected to depict the history of Punjab, history of the freedom movement, and the Gadar movement.

The smarak has been restored and renovated equipped with basic facilities such as ticketing counters and drinking water.

However, while the opposition has accused the BJP of ‘erasing history’ with this attempt of restoration and renovation, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh said the monument looks nice to him.

Moreover, the Punjab CM urged the Prime Minister “to use the offices of Government of India to bring back the personal artefacts like the pistol and personal diary of Shaheed Udham Singh, who avenged the injustice of this massacre, from UK to India.”

Netizens in splits after CNBC TV 18 suggests hilarious names for proposed IPL teams: Here’s what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Netizens in splits after CNBC TV 18 suggests hilarious names for proposed IPL teams: Here’s what happened

Earlier today, the official Twitter account of ANI Digital shared a report about a tender released by the BCCI for owning and operating two new IPL teams. 

“BCCI announces the release of tender to own and operate IPL team,” the tweet read along with the link to the report. 

The announcement that the BCCI is inviting bids to acquire the right to own new teams proposed to be introduced to take part in the tournament from the 2022 season, through a tender process, elicited rave reactions from cricket fans, who started hazarding guesses over what would be the names of the new teams.

The official Twitter account of CNBC News 18 was also one amongst those who posted cheeky names of the proposed two teams. “Patna Popats, Lucknow ke Lau…wait a second,” CNBC TV18 News tweeted. 

Source: Twitter

The tweet was deleted briefly after it was posted but not before it was spotted by several social media users, who were amused by the names of the teams suggested by CNBC TV 18 News. 

While the tweet may have been promptly deleted by the official Twitter account of CNBC TV 18, but in this digital age, and especially on Twitter where keenly observant social media users keep their eyes peeled for such gaffes, removing posts seldom ensures safeguard from the ensuing embarrassment.

Notably, several netizens took the screenshot of CNBC TV 18 News’ response to the ANI tweet and posted the same on Twitter.

IPL Governing Council invites bids for acquiring rights to own two new teams

The Governing Council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday announced a tender process, inviting bids to acquire the right to own and operate 1 (one) of the 2 (two) new teams proposed to be introduced to take part in the tournament from 2022 season.

“The detailed terms and conditions governing the submission and evaluation of bids including eligibility requirements, process for submissions of bids, proposed new teams’ rights, and obligations, etc. are contained in the ‘Invitation to Tender’ (“ITT”) which will be made available on receipt of payment of non-refundable fee of INR 10,00,000 (Rupees Ten Lakhs Only) plus any applicable Goods and Services Tax,” said the BCCI in an official release.

I’d rather follow my religion than break it, says 12 year old Hindu boy sent off field in Australia for wearing a ‘mala’

OpIndia Staff
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I’d rather follow my religion than break it, says 12 year old Hindu boy sent off field in Australia for wearing a ‘mala’

A 12-year-old Hindu soccer player of Indian origin Shubh Patel was reportedly asked to leave the field during a match for wearing a ‘mala’ in Australia’s Brisbane. The mala was was made of basil wood beeds (kanthi mala), worn by some adherents of Hinduism.

As per The Australia Today, Shubh on getting an ultimatum from the referee politely declined to remove his mala which he has been wearing since the age of five. 

“I would rather keep following my religion than like break it…just for one soccer game,” said Shubh while speaking with the media. The young member of the Toowong club informed that it was against Hinduism to remove the mala.  

Shubh, Swaminarayan sect follower, further said, “If I would have taken it off then at that time God would have felt that I have stopped believing in Him.”

The Hindu boy asserted that the mala provides him comfort and also makes him feel safe. Shubh then continued to watch his team play sitting on the sidelines. 

This was the first time Shubh was asked to remove his mala. The report suggests that he has played fifteen matches wearing the mala and not once was he asked to take it off by his coach or teammate.

‘No religious symbols’ says rules

Reportedly, as per Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rules, a player must not sport any equipment or wear anything dangerous at the time of the game. 

Prior to 2014 FIFA too had imposed a ban on hijab saying it posed a great risk of injury to the head or neck of the player. 

Football Queensland apologises

Football Queensland, the governing body of football and futsal in Queensland, Australia has initiated an investigation and also issued an apology to Shubh Patel’s family and Toowong Soccer Club following the incident. 

“Football remains the most welcoming and inclusive sport in Queensland, respectful and embracing of all cultures and religions,” said Football Queensland in a statement. 

Tokyo Paralympics: Mariyappan Thangavelu wins Silver, Sharad Kumar wins Bronze in men’s high jump

Sanghamitra
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Tokyo Paralympics: Mariyappan Thangavelu wins Silver, Sharad Kumar wins Bronze in men’s high jump

India’s medal tally at Tokyo Paralympics keeps getting taller. Indian para-athletes Mariyappan Thangavelu has won the Silver medal in the men’s high jump T63 event, and Sharad Kumar has won the Bronze.

Just like the Rio Paralympics, it is two Indians on the podium.

Mariyappan Thangavelu had won the Gold medal in Rio Paralympics. He had become India’s first Paralympian to win a Gold medal at an Olympic event. The 26-year-old Tamilian is a Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award winner para-athlete.

Bihar born Sharad Kumar (29) is a former world number 1 high jumper. He had claimed the world number 1 position in 2012 at the age of 19 years.

With the Silver and Bronze by Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar, India has now won 10 medals in total. Earlier today, Singhraj Adhana had won the Bronze in the 10m Air Pistol final. On August 30, India’s shooter Avani Lekhara and javelin thrower Sumit Antil had won Gold medals.

PM Modi has tweeted congratulating Thangavelu and Kumar.

“To me it looks very nice”: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on revamped Jallianwala Bagh while Congress has a meltdown

OpIndia Staff
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“To me it looks very nice”: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on revamped Jallianwala Bagh while Congress has a meltdown

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.

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’.

Congress’ official handle too has been having an elaborate meltdown over the Jallianwala Bagh renovation.

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.

Meet ‘Joe Tzu’: Disastrous USA withdrawal from Afghanistan triggers meme fest, Biden mocked for strategic blunders

Jinit Jain
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Meet ‘Joe Tzu’: Disastrous USA withdrawal from Afghanistan triggers meme fest, Biden mocked for strategic blunders

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.”

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.

Yet another meme lampooning the US President read: “Take your time conducting a withdrawal so your enemy has ample opportunity to attack.”

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.”

“Put your enemy in charge of your enemy,” read another popular meme with the portrait of Sun Tzu but the face of Joe Biden.

Who was Sun Tzu?

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.

Dale Steyn retires from cricket: Here’s the song he quoted in the heartwarming message announcing his decision

OpIndia Staff
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Dale Steyn retires from cricket: Here’s the song he quoted in the heartwarming message announcing his decision

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.

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