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DailyOh! How fake news over Netaji photo spread, to the Republic Day ‘chief guest’

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Vandana
VandanaJan 25, 2021 | 18:51

DailyOh! How fake news over Netaji photo spread, to the Republic Day ‘chief guest’

People confused Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose with Prosenjit Chatterjee in Gumnaami.

One rally against the three farm laws will take three routes from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points tomorrow and all three routes will converge at one point - Kundli Manesar Palwal Expressway. There is little chance any rally will come in your way or you will come in the way of any rally as you will be home on Republic Day. Also, you may not be living in and around Delhi and your way may be far away.

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Far away from Delhi, a farmers’ protest was held in Mumbai, which was attended and addressed by NCP chief Sharad Pawar at Azad Maidan. Pawar attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting in Delhi over not meeting the farmers and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over sitting in Mumbai, meeting Kangana Ranaut, but not meeting farmers.

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Sharad Pawar at Azad Maidan today. (Photo: ANI)

Leaders from other parties joined Pawar at the protest because who wants to miss out on being seen standing with the farmers. Standing on ground tomorrow will be Delhi Police officials managing the rally on the three routes and the Republic Day parade on its annual route.

Guess who will be the R-Day chief guest this year? Rafale jet. A Rafale jet will be making its debut at the flypast, which happens after the march-past, while an official chief guest would be missing. Giving company to the lone Rafale jet would be two Jaguars and two MiG-29s in a ‘Vertical Charlie’ formation. Also, for the first time a woman fighter pilot, flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, would be part of the parade. Kanth would be seen atop Indian Air Force’s tableau.

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A Rafale jet will be part of the Republic Day flypast for the first time. (Photo: Reuters)

The tradition of Republic Day parades is as old as the Republic itself, which is 72 years old now. But parades are not exclusive to Republic Days. How old is the word republic? The word parade, our Word Of The Day, traces its origin to mid-17th century. Parade came to English from French, where it referred to an exhibition or show of sorts. That is not much of a geographical travel though. In its early use parade included the ceremonial gathering of troops before a superior officer. It also was used for processions of people that were sombre and less celebratory affairs. Parades today are a more pompous shows. According to Oxford dictionary, a parade is a public celebration of a special day or event, usually with bands in the streets and decorated vehicles.

The word has other meanings like parade is also used to describe a series of things or people, or just a row of shops. Popularly, parade is a show of something to impress others. So, there can be a parade of a country’s military might, as well as a parade of wealth and knowledge. The Republic Day parade will happen tomorrow. But today is special too. Today happens to be National Voters Day. Why? Because January 25, 1950, was when the Election Commission was set up and in January 2011 it was decided that the day should be used to encourage young voters to vote. The old, you see, may already be active voters, who need no encouragement. If they aren’t, it would be difficult to convince them to do what they have never cared to do. But coming back to the National Voters Day, do you know how much money was spent per voter in India’s first general election held in 1951-52? Only 62 paise. Do you know what was the amount spent per voter in the 2019 national elections? Rs 72. This amount doesn’t include the money parties spent on influencing voters. It is only what the EC spends on holding the elections, counted in per voter terms. That isn’t much of a rise over 67 years. Is it?

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But guess how much Mukesh Ambani’s income rose by every hour during the pandemic? Rs 90,00,00,000. No need to count ones, tens, thousands. That counts to Rs 90 crore. A recently released Oxfam report says it would take an unskilled worker about 10,000 years to make what Ambani made in an hour, which is another way of saying an unskilled worker won’t ever make that kind of money because, skilled or unskilled, nobody would live 10,000 years. If there is a way of earning in the life after death, we don’t know about it.

What we do know is that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose reportedly died 76 years ago but the controversies around him refuse to die. Now, many claim that Netaji didn’t die in the plane crash in which many others claim he did die. In the latest controversy that started today, some claimed that Netaji’s portrait unveiled by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 23 wasn’t that of Netaji but that of abhineta Prosenjit Chatterjee, who played Netaji in Gumnaami (2019).

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But it soon became clear that Netaji is Netaji and not abhineta ji. One of those who found abhineta in Netaji was TMC MP Mahua Moitra. The debate was settled after it was confirmed that the photo in the portrait had been shared by Netaji’s family.

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The fight over the portrait happened online. The fight over Indian territory happened on ground in Sikkim. After thrashing and pushing back the Chinese soldiers at Naku La, the Indian Army said it was a ‘minor face-off’. The face-off left 20 PLA and four Indian soldiers injured. The incident happened not this, but last week, on January 20. Today, China said it is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility. China’s commitments so far have proved only as trustworthy as that of Pakistan.

But that’s not the only trouble we have got from China. China’s mouthpiece, Global Times, whose concerns are all local, has tried to create doubts over India’s capacity to manufacture Covid vaccines after the fire at Serum Institute of India. China may think since it alone can make and spread viruses worldwide, it alone can make and send vaccines to other countries. What has rattled the Dragon country, we can call it the virus country too, apparently is India’s export of vaccines to all SAARC countries apart from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Vaccines will reach Sri Lanka on January 27, while India has told Afghanistan it too will get the vaccines soon. Global Times has said approval of SII-produced Covishield was rushed.

With Covid now fast coming under control, you might be seeing people taking road trips and flight tours. You might be one of those people are seeing taking the trips and the tours. If you happen to be travelling to Kashmir, it is nearly impossible you’d miss Gulmarg. Mind you, it is a tourism destination and may not be a traveller’s true delight. But you can visit it nevertheless for the experience of a coffee cuppa inside an igloo.

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Inside view of the Igloo Cafe in Kashmir's Gulmarg.

And if you would like to carry a book and also read it while you are travelling, we suggest 1984 by George Orwell. Yes, it is 2021 but 1984 is likely to hold meaning even in 3021, also before and beyond.

You can start planning the trip or you can sit and imagine how it would be like to be sitting inside that igloo café and reading, or just sitting and sipping coffee. We will leave you in your imaginary world for today.

Be back tomorrow.

Stay safe.

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Last updated: January 25, 2021 | 18:51
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