IS INDIAN STANDARD TIME IS REALLY STANDARD !?

IST is 5.30 hours ahead of UTC. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the prime time standard by which the world regulates the clocks and time. It is about 1 second of mean solar time at 0 degrees longitude.

Whereas Indian Standard Time is calculated on the basis of 82.5° E longitude at Shankargarh Fort in Allahabad district, so that it would be as close to UTC +5:30 as possible.

For every 15° longitude there is a difference of one hour. India spans longitudes of 68° at the western end and 98° at the eastern boundary and as there is a difference of one hour for every 15° of longitude, the two extremes differ by two hours. Thus, when the sun sets at 4 p.m. in Kohima, it sets at 6 p.m. in Porbunder. IST was fixed in 1906 midway at 82.5°, or 5/ hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Periodically, there are demands from the Northeast region for a separate time zone so that the clocks there may be advanced by an hour.

A few years ago, then Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, frustrated with the decision of the Centre not to have a separate Northeast time, unilaterally decided that Assam would follow ChaiBagaan time. Bagaan time or tea time is a reference to an informal practice followed in tea gardens in Assam which is an hour ahead of IST. It alerts us to the fact that there is indeed a long history of the application of different time zones in India.

Creation of two time zones for a nation like India will end up with unimaginable chaos creating a massive mess in day to day life of 1.2 billion people.

 Proposal of advancing IST by half an hour avoids the problems and provides maximum energy saving during evening hours when the utilities fail to supply continuous power. Load shedding is common all over the country and power and energy shortages amount to 11 percent and 12 percent respectively.

The Indian government has setup many committees to assess the necessity of dual time zones and advancing IST, however, all the reports suggested to continue the existing time zone. (source: The Hindu, Internet)

IGNOMINIOUS END OF BLACK BANNERS

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a Sunni Islamic radical wing emerged to establish caliphate all over the globe. IS grew out of an insurgency in Iraq and was affiliated to al-Queda until 2014. By that time it had established a foothold in Iraq and Syria.

 2014 was a spectacular year for IS, in a series of swift and unanticipated military ascendancy that awed and shocked the world and established its dominance in several regions of Iraq and Syria and showcased the advance of barbaric ideology.
It has seized away more than 50 places, including Mosul, Iraq's second largest city - demonstrating the brutality of an order rarely seen in the human history.

By the end of 2016, IS achieved military dominance in almost every region in Syria and across northern and central Iraq. At it peaks group has controlled over 130 significant regions and cities, the geographical size spanning bigger than many European nations. IS started collecting taxes and exercising control over military bases, border crossings, oil fields, and dams.

Map as on December, 2014.

At least 8 million people are captive in those seized regions and survived for three years three months, slaying the social life and human rights completely. Isis transformed the world of jihadism by recruiting tens of thousands of followers from five continents—faster, in larger numbers, and from further corners of the Earth than any other modern extremist group. However, from mid-2016, the IS began to suffer a steady stream of turbulence, witnessing there fall. The liberation of Mosul by the Iraqi government, the place where caliphate was pronounced - was destroyed, Iraqi forces believed IS game is over with Mosul's fall and soon afterwards they captured Hawija and Tal Afar.

The Syrian democratic forces backed by US militia, group made up of Syrian kurds and Arabs, announced they have seized Raqqa, the IS capital is Syria. Thus bringing an end to - bizarre pseudo state founded on illusory goals.  “How far they’ve fallen. It’s a striking contrast to three years ago, when they planted the flag, in the summer of 2014, and proclaimed God’s kingdom on Earth had come again—and now they’ve evaporated,” Will McCants, the author of the best-selling book “The isis Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State".

Yet the organisation is not dead. Nor are all its leaders. Hundreds of fighters have fled south to regroup in the lawless borderlands of the Euphrates River Valley between Syria and Iraq. Their zealotry will endure, in different forms and perhaps under different banners. isis also claims some three dozen wilayats, or provinces, spread from Algeria to the Philippines—across North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia—that have, at various times, pledged loyalty to the caliphate. Some are dormant. Others are small. All have been deadly.

There is a serious lack of political leadership in the region. If the situation is not handled in a most diplomatic, democratic and effective means - the demon may rise from the ashes again.  

ROHINGYA PERSECUTION

To understand the present crisis of Rohingya, one must go back at least 200 years on the timeline.

Rohingyas are ethnic people belongs to the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Arakan or Rakhine is part of Burma(kingship) from ages.
First Anglo-Burma war erupted in 1824, Burma lost several territories in this war. Arakan is one of those and it kickstarted British rule in Arakan region. Though Rakhine is part of Burmese kingdom it shares a lot of cultural similarities with Indian state Bengal otherwise Rohingya muslims are Bengali muslims residing in Burma.Demographically by the end of the 19th-century muslim population in Rakhine has raised due to the migration of Indian muslims during the British era.

In 1948 when Burma got independence Rakhine has once again become part of Burma.

Initially, Burma was Democratic Socialist nation but various reasons lead the nation into military dictatorial led by Ne Win. During this period Rohingyas were denied citizenship by Burma, stating that they don't belong to the ethnic groups of Myanmar.
Rohingyas has become stateless, now they are refugees in their own land.

1. Rohingyas never tried to assimilate with the locals.

2. Rohingya muslims failed to mingle with the culture of Burma and local ethnic groups.

3. After 1948, Rohingyas wanted to merge with East Pakistan (Bangladesh). Only 10% of Rakhine was muslims still they wanted entire Rakhine state to be merged with East Pakistan.

4. Criminal activities of Rohingya muslims has triggered religious tensions with Buddhists.

5. Moreover, the wish list of Rohingya muslims looked like a treason to the Buddhists.

   Rohingya muslims have no access to basic education, minimum living standards are far worse.
They were denied basic human rights. Hardly have any medical facilities and they are not allowed to move freely and denied the right to marriage.
It is an instinct that whenever a community is oppressed there will be the rise of rebellion and terror.
It became a tool to many terror organisations, especially which have their head offices in Islamabad, making Rohingyas more vulnerable.

On October 2016, armed individuals attacked several border police posts in Rakhine state, leaving 9 policemen dead. Weapons and ammo were looted. The newly formed insurgent group Harakah al-Yaqin claimed responsibility. Following this, the newly formed insurgent group became more active and continued their attacks on police and border posts. This has become a serious challenge to Aung San Suu Kyi who has been elected in country's first civilian election. Army has launched a crackdown in 2017 August against insurgents targetting terrorists. According to UN reports as less as 1000people has lost there lives in the ongoing violence. Myanmar military is accused of crubbing human rights, killing, raping and abuse.

Stats saying that about a million Rohingyan muslims are displaced, about 40,000 people have infiltered into India. Around 16000 people have already received refugee documents, most of them are residing in Jammu and Hyderabad sparking outrage in local Hindus.
The right wing of India believes that the concentration of muslim population will change the demographic presence and will repeat the incidents like Kashmir Pandit holocast.

 India's stand towards Rohingyas has opened up a severe criticism globally. UN Human rights chief Zied Ra'al Hussain has criticised India for deporting Rohingyas. Indian Home ministry says that Rohingyas are the potential security threat to the nation, like any other nation India is concerned about illegal migrants possibility that could pose security threats. There is still no clarity among government officials regarding how and where to deport Rohingyas.

WAR OF IDEOLOGIES IN KERALA & W.BENGAL

After stroming to power at the centre and winning  state after state, Kerala and Bengal remain the last frontiers of Modi's BJP and its idooical mentor the RSS. The entr in both states is hardly going to be easy or bloodless, as we are already witnessing.

Bengal and Kerala take pride in thier intellectual achievements, love football, and have a long and succesful history of Leftist politics. Kerala is still ruled by the Left Front. While Mamatha Bnaerjee's TMC has decimated the Left in Bengal, her politics in many ways mirrors the enemy she fought for decades to overthrow.

Both regimes use cadres to establish a complete stranglehold on society. Both states have seen the most brutal, gratuitous violence as a widely used political tool.

In these seemingly impregnable forts enters the BJP.

But Modi and Amit Shah’s BJP is a different animal. It doesn’t give up.

There have been 14 murders of RSS workers in the last 13 months.

The Left’s nervousness and desperation is not unfounded. Saffron forces have been gaining mainly at the cost of the Left, especially in the south Kerala belt stretching from Kochi to Ernakulam to Trivandrum.

This also triggered one of the most violent phases, with the Left deciding to stop these desertions at any cost.

Kerala, interestingly, has the highest number of RSS shakhas in India: 5,500. But this didn’t translate into votes so far.

Out of 74 youths arrested nationwide by NIA for ISIS links, the highest, 24, is from Kerala.

They have been arrested from the Left’s party villages, Stalinist townships where every resident is a cadre, and even the police fear to venture inside to arrest criminals.

Ironically, this has created tremendous unrest among the Left’s traditional votebank and the saffron camp is gaining. While the BJP-RSS is showing a fair bit of deftness in making inroads, the battles for Bengal and Kerala are going to be long, violent ones.

BATTLE OF REZANG LA

BATTLE OF REZANG LA

With ongoing India, China border conflict once again there is debate about military powers of both the nations. Historical lessons are available (according to china) from 1962 war when dragon troops had a victory and occupied Aksai chin. There are many reasons for the end result of 1962 war, it might be leadership existing that day, insufficient ammo, lack of modern war fare equipment, most importantly unprepared battle troops (not questioning the valor of Indian soldiers, remembering the scenes of Indian soldiers walked bare foot at war field ) other words failure of logistic supply.

Chinese state media is claiming India would handle the same disappointment if situation get worse.

         Here I want to share a battle scene of 1962, Rezang la is a mountain pass to reach Ladakh.

Rezang la is a site of last stand (when troops can't advance they make base at point and have to face all odds) for 13 Kumaon. Major Saithan singh is leading the company. Indian soldiers are guarding this place in 3 platoons (smallest military team) and they are expecting attack from chinese.
A total of 5000 chinese soldiers can easily outnumber 120 Indian sepoys. Unfortunately Indian troops dont even have artillary cover because of crest of ridge. Company led by Saitan singh can easily retreat and save there lives but they didn't choosed that path.

That paved a path to the world to witness GREATEST LONG STAND ever in the human history.

           November 18, morning 3:30 am (IST) The Peoples's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers equipped with heavy artillery support attacked Chushul. And to make fate worse a crest of ridge prevented Indian soldiers from lending support of artillery and leaving soldiers to fight alone. 

First wave of PLA troops hitted 2 platoons frontal leaving a heap of dead bodies of chinese soldiers at nullah (water body in that mountain pass), several hours later second wave of chinese soldiers hitted the paltoons, the fate repeated and chinese cant advance a single inch.

Maj. Saithan singh was leading his troops with an impeccable war strategy and holding enemy at the gates and crushing the troops which are trying to advance. By the time Indian troops have already exhausted ammo and now they have decided to fight bare hands. Third wave of chinese troops attacked with heavy artillery cover and mortor shelling.

120 Indian soldiers has killed more than 1300 chinese soldiers, shows there exemplory bravery and patroitism. Nullah is flooding with the blood of both the parties, only six Indian soldiers out of 120 are survived.

Ludakh still stands in Indian map because of these SHAHID's.

On November 21st China announced unilateral cease fire.

As a sacred memory to the heroes of Rezang la, 114 martyrs of 13 Kumaon who fouht last man, Last round, against Hordes of Chinese on November 18, 1962 was built by Indian army at Dharuhera Chowk in Rewari city.

Major Saithan singh was hanoured with Param veera chakra posthumously and company has awarded with 5 Veer chakras and 4 Sena medals.

Survived soldiers believes that they are alive only to tell the  story of 120 brave men who saved Ladakh from China and to pass it to the next generations.