Followers

Powered by Blogger.
  • Home
  • Yogi Adityanath's assertions apart, co-existence of different cultures is at the crux of India's formation

    Whether one likes it or not, Yogi Adityanath, the powerful head of the Gorakhnath mutt, is now the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. His party, the BJP, has won the recent electoral contest convincingly, defeating all other competing forces. For many, the ascendance of Yogi Adityanath is unthinkable, while for others it is a positive development. A part of the existing narrative wants to allay the anxieties among those who belong to the ‘unthinkable’ crowd but painting him as a saint (in the social sense of the term and not in the literal theological sense) with certain extraordinary human qualities — a lover of animals, supported by minorities, simple lifestyle and such.

    In this age of media, such spins and counter spins compete. That is where reality is made, far away from actual truths on the ground. Given the attempted whitewashing of Yogi Adityanath, it is important to present some of Adityanath's public statements that he has not denied and try to see what are the ultimate implications of such a stance. More importantly, what are the repercussions of having a leader who believes in such stances while being the chief minister of the most populous Indian state.
    Much of what Yogi Adityanath has said is on public record. This article will not quote his whole speeches, but only portions that are relevant. Are those taken out of context? Possibly.  However, it is also the perspective of the reader or the listener who end up finding a context to these lines:

    This statement comes with certain issues. Uttar Pradesh has nearly 20 percent of its population comprising of Muslims. Now, whether Muslims of Uttar Pradesh have Islam as their culture, we don’t know since human cultures revolve around numerous things, including religion. Take for example, Yogi Adityanath’s decision to ban "illegal" slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh, which incidentally means most places where animal slaughter takes place in South Asia. These are non-cow slaughterhouses, since cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh. So, it affects non-cow meat eaters. I am a Bengali Shakto of Bengal. Meat is the prasad of Kali that we consume with respect and veneration. We sacrifice buffaloes, goats and various animals, not cows, to the holy mother and seek her blessings. We have been doing this for centuries. Our religious tradition is timeless. Yogi Adityanath is not. Yogi Adityanath will not take this prasad because he does not belong to that "culture".

    Ka Bodyscapes censorship row: Pahlaj Nihalani, here's why the CBFC is wrong in denying certification

    Enough is enough. You and your medieval sena in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) are taking this way too far. Stop. Stop your fight against our freedom to see, our freedom to understand, our freedom to be. It should not come as a surprise for you, that we as biological adults are capable of deciphering for ourselves what is good and what is bad for us to see. So stop belittling our intelligence. The fact that at 18, we are capable of deciding who should run our country proves that the Republic of India trusts our intelligence and our capabilities. So please, just please, stop overworking your brain a little too much.
    Still from Ka Bodyscapes
    Your recent victim — Ka Bodyscapes — was denied certification because you accused the makers of "glorifying the subject of gay and homosexual relationship". “Glorification”? What you call glorification is life for up to 10 percent of any population across the world, including India. I will tell you what is glorification — chopping off a head in Rangoon is glorification of violence, running on top of a train and dancing is glorification of a fantasy that claims many lives. And you awarded Rangoon a U/A certificate? I loved Rangoon. But do you think watching the story of a girl child being bought, a war being fought, a head being chopped off is what children should watch, (even) if accompanied by their parents? Why such a lacklustre attitude toward violence, but such an obsessive attitude towards sex and sexuality? And yes, in this DNA India article, you ranted that no one appreciates you when you are being liberal. That’s precisely what I am contesting — why are you selectively liberal with big banners? Why are you liberal where you should be strict and issue a film an A certificate instead of a U/A rating?

    What is your problem with the women’s right movement? I am asking because your board called Lipstick Under My Burkha a “lady-oriented film”, and said it depicts “fantasies” that are “above life”. What is that supposed to mean? Are you going to ban Krissh 4, or hello, much to the displeasure of religious people — are you banning Mahabharata and Ramayana? They may be fact or fiction, that is debatable, but they are definitely “above life”. Why ban aka deny a certificate to Lipstick Under My Burkha? Do you know how important and empowering to a minority community, to a minority gender just the title of the film is? Do you even know the power of good cinema and the positive impact it can have in opening minds? O! how will you know. Your mind is closed.

    Uber Sexual Harassment Claim, Alex Trebek Rapping, Rick Ankiel Drank Vodka

    Warrior-scholar to join Warrior-monk in Trump administration … CIA analyst quit because of Donald Trump … Protecting Trump Tower is costing NYC $500,000 per day per Chuck Schumer … Trump emboldens anti-vax movement … David Cassidy reveals battle with dementia … Hunters who blamed illegal immigrants shot each other … Milo Yiannopoulos’ book deal is canceled … Breitbart employees threaten to leave if Milo doesn’t … Russia’s UN ambassador died … Parkour accident leaves man stuck in a chimney … Oral sex for Taco Bell … Goat yoga? Goat yoga … Don’t count on China to rein in North Korea … Morning sex is best … Boom time for the Trump wig industry …  Texas Monthly to move in a “lifestyle” direction … Crackdown on British Pirates … LA has the world’s worst traffic …

    Reflecting on one very strange year at Uber [Susan J. Fowler]

    Lane Kiffin was “disinterested” in being USC head coach in 2010. [Al.com]

    DeMarcus Cousins can’t jump. [FiveThirtyEight]

    Exploring Cuba, Guided By Graham Greene [Atlas Obscura]

    P.J. Fleck Wants Minnesota to be the next Clemson. [Detroit News]

    The 10 Commandments of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. [Fox Sports]

    Former Duke and Florida player Alex Murphy still going at Northeastern [Providence Journal]

    Sutton United’s 280-pound reserve goalkeeper ate a pie during FA Cup match with Arsenal. [ESPN FC]

    Charlotte QB Kevin Olsen, brother of Greg Olsen, charged with rape. [Charlotte Observer]

    Rick Ankiel drank vodka to deal with yips in 2001. [InsideSTL]

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Main Characteristics

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbit

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbit
    Photographer: Jim Harper


    Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Range Map (North America)
    Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Range Map
    (North America)
    Attribution: IUCN, species assessors & spatial data authors



    Latin Name     Lepus Californicus
    Conservation Status     Least Concern
    Location     North America
    Colour     Buff and Black
    Length     47 - 63 cms (18.5 - 24.8 inches)
    Tail     5 - 11 cms (2 - 4.3 inches)
    Weight     1.3 - 3.1 Kgs (2.9 - 6.8 lbs)
    Life Expectancy     Up to 7 Yrs (in Captivity)

    Main Characteristics

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbits have a body length between 47 and 63 cms (18.5 - 24.8 inches), a tail length between 5 and 11 cms (2 - 4.3 inches) and they weigh between 1.3 and 3.1 kgs (2.9 - 6.8 lbs).

    They are buff in colour and they have a characteristic black stripe down the centre of their back, a black patch on their rump, and their tail is black on its dorsal surface.

    Habitat

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbits inhabit desert scrubland, praries, farmland and dunes in North America.

    Diet

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbits feed on plants, grasses, sagebrush, cacti, twigs, and bark.

    Breeding

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbits produce 3 - 4 litters each year. After a gestation period of 41 - 47 days, they will give birth to an average of 3 - 4 leverets, but they can have up to 8 young per litter.

    The youngsters are weaned at 2 - 3 weeks and they reach sexual maturity at approximately 8 months old.

    Predators

    Predators of the Black-Tailed Jackrabbit include dogs, cats, coyotes, red foxes, grey foxes, american badgers, mountain lions, bobcats, birds of prey and owls. Rattlesnakes, garter snakes, common raccoons and striped skunks may also prey upon their young.

    Subspecies

    Subspecies of the Black-Tailed Jackrabbit include:

    Alta Mira Jack Rabbit
    Lepus californicus altamirae

    Lepus californicus asellus

    San Diego black-tailed jackrabbit
    Lepus californicus bennettii

    Lepus californicus californicus

    Lepus californicus curti

    Western Desert Jackrabbit
    Lepus californicus deserticola

    Lepus californicus eremicus

    Hidalgo Jack Rabbit
    Lepus californicus festinus

    Lepus californicus insularis

    Lepus californicus magdalenae

    Lepus californicus martirensis

    Lepus californicus melanotis

    Lepus californicus merriami

    Lepus californicus richardsonii

    Lepus californicus sheldoni

    Lepus californicus texianus

    Lepus californicus wallawalla

    Lepus californicus xanti

    Interesting Facts

    Black-Tailed Jackrabbits are also known as:
    Black-Tailed Jack Rabbit
    American Desert Hare

    WWE's New Day: No Way In Hell We'd Fight In UFC ... We're Too Pretty!

    Brock Lesnar's done it. CM Punk's done it ... but the guys from The New Day say there's NO DAMN WAY they'd ever considering moving from the WWE to the UFC. 

    The tag team superstars -- who were just tapped to host WrestleMania 33 -- joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs Monday night on FS1) ... and told us their feet are FIRMLY planted in the WWE.

    So, why not give the UFC a shot? Big E put it best ...

    "I gyrate for a living! I shake my hips for a living, that's what I do! You want to get punched in the face by Derrick Lewis?? NO THANK YOU!"

    The guys also tell us how the other WWE superstars REALLY feel about Conor McGregor -- who's taken some major shots at pro wrestlers in the past.

    HTC One X10 images leaked, set to launch at MWC 2017

    Hot on the heels of HTC announcing their new "U" series of smartphones, fresh images of the rumored HTC One X10 have leaked online. A user on the Chinese networking site Weibo has posted images showcasing the front and back of the phone.

    The HTC One X 10 is set to be the successor to the One X9, which was launched way back in 2015. The leaked images point towards the device having a metal unibody design, a fingerprint sensor below the centrally located rear camera on the back and capacitive buttons for home, recent apps and back on the front.

    According to previous leaks and rumors, the HTC One X 10 is set to come with a 5.5' fullHD display with a resolution of 1080x1920, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, the Mali T860GPU  and the octa-core MediaTek MT6755V/C processor clocked at 1.9Ghz.

    On the imaging front, the device is rumored to come with a 16.3MP rear camera and a 7.9MP front camera.

    The One X9, in comparsion had a octa-core MT6795 Helio X10 chip clocked at 2.2GHz, a 5.5' fullHD display, 32GB of internal storage, a 3,000mAh battery, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP sensor at the front for selfies.

    All in all, the HTC One X 10 seems to be a minor update over its predecessor, with only the front and rear camera seeing substantial updates. The One X10 is most likely to be unvelied later this month at the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

    HTC recently announced the U Play and U Ultra smartphones, with the latter launching in India on February  21. The HTC U Ultra comes with an all new curved design, a 2' secondary display and HTC's trademark BoomSound speakers.

    India Set To Be New Engine Of Global Growth, PM Modi Tells Top US CEOs

    Observing that the world needs a new engine of growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India is poised to contribute as the new engine of global growth and asserted that a larger Indian economy has "multiple benefits" for the world.

    "This is the time when the world needs new engine of growth. It would be nice if the new engines are democratic engines," PM Modi said in his address to the American business community at the annual gala of the US India Business Council (USIBC).

    "Today, India is poised to contribute as a new engine of global growth. A larger Indian economy has multiple benefits for the world," the Prime Minister said as he listed out the achievements of his government in economic reforms and liberalisation of policies.

    As a result, India has now emerged as the one of the fastest growing economies of the world and urged the American businesses to come and invest in India, set up efficient manufacturing units.

    "India is much more than a market," he said, adding that it is a "reliable partner", as he listed out the key features of a resurgent Indian economy that is geared to become "driver of global economy".

    The Prime Minister said that a larger Indian economy has multiple benefits for the world.

    The Prime Minister said as India marches ahead on the path of development, it needs to learn from the America experience, in particular its entrepreneurship, technological advancement and products which ranges from drugs to drones.

    "Indeed, to me America is not just has a great past, but it is a country with an exciting future," the Prime Minister said.

    PM Modi exuded confidence that Indo-US partnership would benefit both the countries. He said his government has taken decisive steps to curb corruption.

    "We would continue to have disciplined and prudent Macro-economic policies," he told the US corporate leadership.

    "We would continue to improve the investment climate and ease of doing business," the Prime Minister said, adding his government wants to make India a destination which not only welcomes businesses but also it is easier to do business.

    PM Modi urged developed countries to open their market. "We see this as a win-win situation," he said.

    Pakistan fails to seal disputed F-16 deal after financing row with US:

    Pakistan seems to have failed to seal the US $700 million deal for the purchase of eight F-16 fighter jets from the US following a row between the two countries over their financing, a media report said on Saturday.

    The Pakistani government was required to provide the Letter of Acceptance for purchase of the jets by May 24, but Dawn News reported that the document was not issued leading to expiry of the offer.

    "Pakistan decided not to fully fund the case with national funds, so the terms of sale have now expired," a diplomatic source was quoted as saying by the daily.

    However, Pakistan's Ambassador to US Jalil Abbas Jilani, told the daily that "a dead-end has not been reached as yet".

    Initially, the US $700 million deal for eight F-16C/D Block-52 multi-role fighters, was to be partially financed through the US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme but the Congress disallowed subsidising the sale.

    The subsidising was disallowed over concern that Pakistan had not done enough to end the dreaded Haqqani network's terror sanctuaries on its soil as well as fears over Islamabad's nuclear programme.

    Pakistan, which expected to get the fighters at the subsidised rate of USD 270 million, was subsequently asked by the US administration to make the full payment for the eight aircraft from its national resources.

    This was not acceptable to Pakistani authorities, who remained adamant that the offer must come without any preconditions.The aircraft were required by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, the report said.

    The jets would have come with "all-weather, non-daylight environments and self-defence/area suppression capability".

    It was unclear why Pakistan missed the opportunity despite pressing requirement for the jets, although it had originally desired to acquire 18 F-16s, the daily said.

    Some quarters believe that providing the Letter of Acceptance would have kept the window open for re-negotiating the financing arrangement at a later stage, it said.

    Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said last month that Pakistan could look to buy the aircraft from some other country if the deal did not go ahead.

    He also said earlier this month that Pakistan's ties with the US had witnessed a "downward slide" amid the row over the Congress' decision to block the sale of the jets.

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had said last week that Pakistan will explore other options to meet its defence needs if the deal for F-16s did not materialise with the US.

    Aaron Finch Pays Glowing Tribute to 'Amazing' David Warner As SRH Down GL

    Gujarat Lions batsman Aaron Finch said he and his teammates could only stand and appreciate the match-winning knock of David Warner, who single-handedly crushed their hopes and took Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Indian Premier League (IPL) summit clash with his majestic 93 in Qualifier 2 on Friday night.

    In the Qualifier 1 also, Lions were inches away from the final but for a gritty knock from AB de Villiers.

    After scoring 162 for seven , Lions had Hyderabad at 84 for five and then 117 for six but skipper Warner carried his bat and saw his side through to the final where his team will face the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore.

    "Tonight, I think that we had a very competitive total, it was around par. 170 would have been nice as it turns out, but two (De Villiers and Warner) of the best players in the world have both got big scores against us in the last two games. Sometimes you just have to take your hat off and appreciate how good cricketers the two are. And say well played," Finch said at the post match press conference.

    The Australian was effusive in praise of his compatriot.

    "It was an amazing knock, wasn't it? The way that he controlled the innings and went right through and got them home was outstanding. We have been at the receiving end of a couple of great knocks in this tournament, and it is just that one batter in every couple of games seems to get us," Finch said.

    "AB (De Villiers) in the last game and Davey (Warner) tonight. We can hold our head up very high. We played some really great cricket throughout this tournament but unfortunately we just couldn't get the world-class players out when it counted right at the end there."

    Asked which Indian player impressed him the most in the entire Lions campaign in their debut season, Finch named spinner Shivil Kaushik.

    "I think we have seen an unusual spinner in this tournament in Shivil. He has been outstanding for us. Anyone who can bowl with an unusual action like that and who can spin the ball both ways is a huge asset, and he has been outstanding," Finch said.

    The attacking batsman also mentioned Kaushik's impact spell in last night's match, where he gave away only four runs in two overs and eventually 22 in four. His tight bowling in the middle overs put pressure on Hyderabad batsmen, keeping his side in the hunt.

    "It was beautiful the way that he bowled tonight. Under pressure in a big game, to come back into the team after a few games out just shows a real lot of character and someone who hasn't had cricket given to him easily. He has had to work very hard for what he has achieved. He was great all season and I think he can play a big part going forward," he said.

    CBSE Class 10 exam results: Students’ reactions from across India

    Thousands of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students swayed between anxiety, curiosity and nervousness hours before their Class 10 board examinations results were declared on Saturday.

    Students can check their results on the board’s result website http://cbseresults.nic.in/

    Also Read | CBSE Class 10 results: Here’s how to calculate percentage from CGPA

    This year, 14,99,122 students, including 8,92,685 boys and 6,06,437 girls, from 15,309 schools registered for the examination. The pass percentage of Class 10 students was 97.32 last year.

    Students who opted for board-based scheme appeared for the examination between March 1 and March 28. Those who opted for school-based examination took the papers from March 10 onwards.

    Some were confident of doing well in the exam, some sounded apprehensive and some are already studying for competitive exams.


    Allahabad

    According to Yashika Gupta, a student of Allahabad’s Maharishi Patanjali Vidya Mandir (MPVM), it was 99% excitement and 1% nervousness as she had done well in the examinations and was expecting nothing less than a 10 Cumulative Grade Points Average (CGPA).

    “The delay in declaration of results in adding up to the excitement and nervousness with each passing hour,” she said.

    Yashika’s classmates Manya and Amartya Yadav said the delay in the announcement has made them all the more nervous.

    “Earlier the results were expected on May 24 which shifted to May 27 and now it is expected to be declared on May 28. The delay is adding up to the tension,” Amartya said.

    Like other examinees, Shivansh Tripathi of Ganga Gurukulam School is also experiencing bouts of nervousness and excitement.

    “We are keeping our fingers crossed. It’s not about clearing the exams for us, it’s about how well we fare as compared to our friends and expectations,” he said.

    Lucknow

    Nearly 12,000 students registered for the Class 10 examination and of these at least 750 took the board examination and rest appeared in home examination, a board official said in Lucknow.

    Anxiety was palpable in the voice of Rashmi Modiyani, a student of St Anjani’s Public School in Lucknow, who appeared for home centre and is targeting a CGPA of 10.

    “I had a very planned approach from the beginning of Class 9 and had given my best for all activities as well as assessments,” she said.

    Rashmi’s mother took her to seek the blessings of Lord Hanuman for an impressive result.

    Akash Maurya lost his father a few years back and his maternal grandfather, who was paying for his education, also died last year. Despite the emotional trauma, he braved all odds to appear for the exams.

    Total Pageviews