DailyOh! Bomb blast outside Israeli embassy in Delhi, to many injured in violence at Singhu border
The Delhi Police say the blast appears to be a 'mischievous attempt to create a sensation'.
Just 1.7 kms from where Beating Retreat ceremony was underway in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other dignitaries, a blast happened. Blasts can happen by accident, but the fact that the blast happened because of a bomb and the bomb was placed outside the Israeli embassy suggests it was no accident. The bomb was a low-intensity one which suggests it aimed no big harm. So what did it aim to do? The Delhi Police said the blast appears to be a "mischievous attempt to create a sensation". Not that Delhi needs any more sensation than it already has. Delhi is now on high alert and roads around Israeli embassy have been blocked. The way was opened for National Investigation Agency to reach the blast site to collect evidence.
What else happened in Delhi today?
The Budget Session of Parliament began with a protest which took the form of a boycott of President’s speech to Parliament. Parliament was then adjourned for the rest of the day and the next two days of the weekend, saying that it will resume on February 1, Budget Day. Why was the opposition demanding Winter Session of Parliament if they had to boycott the very first day of Budget Session of Parliament? Because boycott is important and boycott can’t happen if there is no session. So the session also becomes important.
A total of 19 parties boycotted the President’s speech, if you believe that the parties present in the House were listening attentively. The speech listed out the government’s achievements and also condemned the Republic Day violence. Why should the opposition take interest in such an exercise? Because the exercise allows the opposition to participate in a discussion on the speech and demand changes. What’s done is done and can’t be undone. Even though those who missed out on the speech can still listen to it. If you missed out, you haven’t missed much. But you must catch up with the Economic Survey 2020-2021 tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha today.
The Economic Survey document is equally, if not more, important than the Union Budget. It not only lays the premise for policy decisions that need to be taken to take the economy ahead but also assesses the impact of the previous decisions. You must not forget the past in your move to the future.
The first Economic Survey of India was presented in 1950-51. That year and in the years to come the Economic Survey was presented with the Budget. Then came 1964, and the Economic Survey started being presented a day ahead of the Budget because it is supposed to be an opener to the Budget. Weekends count for us. They don’t count for Economic Survey though. So, the Economic Survey this year has been presented on Friday, skip Saturday and Sunday, you will have the Union Budget on Monday.
What did the survey say today? India will have a V-shaped recovery with the real GDP to grow 11 per cent in 2021-22. Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast an 11.5 per cent growth rate for India in 2021, making India the only country to record growth in double-digits.
Wondering what a V-shaped recovery is? Well, it is the recovery that takes the shape of a 'V' on a graph. It shows a quick and sustained recovery after a sharp economic decline. The decline was sharp because of the lockdown. But what is causing the sharp rise? The Economic Survey says the recovery will be V-shaped because of the mass vaccination drive that started on January 16.
The Indian vaccine production capacity, however, is likely to help even those abroad – local for global, you see. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said, “The (vaccine) production capacity of India is the best asset that the world has today.” Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, has taken the coronavirus vaccine just in case you needed some proof about the safety of vaccines.
Meanwhile, a World Health Organisation team has begun face-to-face meetings with Chinese experts in their search for the origin of coronavirus.
India is producing vaccines to fight the virus that originated in China and battling protests. After Republic Day violence on the streets of Delhi, there was some more violence at the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border. The police fired teargas shells as farmers brandished swords today as a reminder of what happened on January 26. The only difference was the presence of a third-party – people claiming to be locals who want the area vacated because they no longer want it blocked. Some of these people claimed that they were ok with farmers’ protest till they realised the farmers are not farmers, but separatists.
#WATCH: Delhi Police hit a protesting farmer after he attacked a Police personnel, dragging him to the ground along with him. Visuals from Singhu border.(Note: Abusive language) pic.twitter.com/gILDF9OPA1
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2021
All sides suffered injuries in the clashes at the protest site which has been seeing more people pour in after BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait shed some tears yesterday evening. Farmers, who hate tears, then started moving to protest sites once again to ensure no more tear is shed. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked them to stay at the borders and not give up till the government gives in and repeals the three farm laws.
Tikait, meanwhile, said he won’t surrender and the protest won’t end. The farmers union leader has made it clear he won’t surrender but if the police want they can arrest him. “Catch Me If You Can,” said Tikait, leaving the police in a catch-22 situation. Tikait has been jailed 44 times, so a 45th may not matter to him. But it could well end the protest. A forcible arrest of Tikait, however, could lead to more protests and more violence.
We can solve this jigsaw so we will leave the job to farmer unions, Delhi Police and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who in a way, heads the Delhi Police. But we won’t sit idle too. We will go after the word surrender. Surrender, the Word Of The Day, comes from Anglo-French word surrendre, which meant ‘give up, deliver over’. Giving up ahead of difficult situations is also surrender, but the word is used more in the legal sense of allowing yourself to be caught. While you surrender yourself, surrender is forced indirectly. We mean nobody is required to surrender if they have done no wrong. If they have done something wrong and surrender, the law may act leniently with them. If you know there is a case against you, but you decide to give police the slip, then there will be consequences. You face the consequences only when you are caught.
As a consequence of two straight losses, PV Sindhu bowed out of the BWF World Tour Finals even though she won today’s match against Pornpawee Chochuwong. While Sindhu won, Kidambi Srikanth, the only other Indian player at the tournament, lost to NG Ka Long Angus in his final match of the tournament. He too bowed out.
India will face England in the first Test of four-match Test cricket series next Friday, on February 5. But what’s special about tomorrow? It happens to be Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary. Yes, Gandhi was assassinated on January 30 in 1948. You can use the day to watch Richard Attenborough's Gandhi or read up The Story of My Experiments with Truth authored by Gandhi himself.
We will see you on Budget Day, February 1.
Stay safe and have a good weekend.
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