Regional Journal: Nepal FM’s power connection
Nepal Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba is not only the wife of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, but also a formidable woman in her own right. She is part of Nepal’s powerful Rana family, which was accustomed to power — it ruled Nepal for over a 100 years before the Shahs took charge. As Deuba’s wife, she supported her husband’s outreach in Modi’s Delhi by becoming well-acquainted with Vijai Chauthaiwale, the head of the BJP’s foreign affairs cell — she once tied a rakhi on his wrist. She combined her visit to Delhi last week, her first as an FM, with a medical check-up. Eleven members of her family accompanied her on the trip.
Remembering Rajguru in Pakistan
Shivaram Hari Rajguru, who attained martyrdom alongside Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev in India’s freedom struggle, was remembered in both east and west Punjab on his birth anniversary, August 24. In west Punjab, Pakistan, the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation organised a function at the Jinnah Lounge of the Lahore High Court Bar to celebrate the occasion. These celebrations have a connection with Abohar; as the president of the foundation, Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, hails from Abohar. The foundation has called on the Pakistan Government to confer Pakistan’s highest civil award, the “Nishan-e-Pakistan”, on Bhagat Singh. They also advocate for the inclusion of the martyrs' life stories in the curriculum of educational institutions.
The name controversy in Srinagar
A controversy is brewing in Srinagar over the naming of the city’s beloved guardian sentinels, the two hillocks Hari Parbat and Shankaracharya - also known as Takht-i-Sulaiman and Koh-i-Maran, respectively. The BJP is accusing the National Conference of changing the names from Hindu to Muslim. The NC’s manifesto discussed connecting the two hills via a gondola. The controversy has escalated to the point where Junaid Mattu, who was once seen close to the government from his time as Mayor of Srinagar, lost his security guards and was asked to vacate his official residence within 48 hours because he tweeted in favour of the multiple names.
One down, more to go
True to their word, the police have begun to act against drug smugglers. They warned residents of Deeda Sansian village in Gurdaspur, a known drug haven, that their properties would be seized if they did not become “law-abiding citizens”. The villagers did not heed the warning and continued their activities. Last week, Dhariwal DSP Kulwant Singh visited the village and ‘froze’ the property of one Karnail Chand Gogi, from whom one quintal of poppy husk was recovered. The property is worth Rs 38 lakh. Once the police ‘freeze’ a property, the owner can no longer sell it. Residents are now acting like cats on a hot tin roof. Fearing reprisals, half of them have left the village after locking their houses, while the other half are preparing to leave. The village now presents a nearly deserted look.
Shilpa magic
Film actor Shilpa Shetty mesmerised the “Seema Praharis” when she joined them for a dance performance organised in her honour at Hussainiwala on the Indo-Pak border. Clad in a combat outfit, the svelte actress, famous for her fitness and yoga sessions, mingled with BSF jawans while performing traditional Punjabi dances like Bhangra and Gidda. She struck a chord with the audience immediately and mentioned that, as her husband is Punjabi, she loves Punjabi food and music as well. Despite the intense heat and humidity, Shilpa also held a yoga session with them and offered health tips.
(Contributed by Raj Sadosh, Adil Akhzer, Ravi Dhaliwal & Anirudh Gupta)
