Connect with us
Sunday,27-July-2025
Breaking News

National News

Propagate ideology of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur: Amarinder Singh

Published

on

Amarinder-Singh

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday underlined the need to propagate the ideology of the ninth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, around the world to promote the values of peace, harmony, secularism and co-existence, which he had upheld through his supreme sacrifice.

In his address in the Assembly’s special session to mark the commemoration of 400th Prakash Purb of Guru Tegh Bahadur, he stressed that the Sikh faith is distinguished by the tradition of martyrdom to uphold principles and righteousness given to “us by our great Gurus”.

Noting that the life and message of Guru Tegh Bahadur constitutes the essence of what “we have come to regard as Punjabiyat”, Amarinder Singh that this comprises “our saanjhi tehzeeb, our ma-boli Punjabi, our close ties of amity and fraternity cutting across people, faiths, castes and communities”.

“When we talk of Punjab and Punjabis, Punjabiyat must follow. This Punjabiyat embodied in the life and teachings of the Great Guru need to be understood, appreciated and nurtured carefully,” he said, adding that this has been taken by “our people to all corners of the globe where they have made a special place for themselves through dint of hard work, enterprise and sacrifice”.

“Punjabiyat often is tested by forces that represent a narrow and short-sighted perspective as against the broad all-embracing vision given by our Gurus, therefore, it is our bounden duty as representatives of the people to guard against such inimical forces very consciously and not to allow our competing political interests to ever undermine the strong foundations of this Punjabiyat.”

He also said the 400th Prakash Purb of the ninth Guru should help “us renew our pledge and to show the people the right path as their rightful leaders and representatives”.

History remembers Guru Tegh Bahadur with great pride as ‘Hind Di Chadar’ for making the supreme sacrifice for opposing forced conversion and for protection of religious freedom, he noted.

The ninth Guru attained martyrdom in November 1675 along with his associates Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayal Das, who were brutally tortured, to safeguard the religious freedom of Hindus of Kashmir under the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that Guru Tegh Bahadur’s son Dasmesh Pita Sri Guru Gobind Singh has evocatively described his father’s sacrifice as “sees diya par sirar na diya (I gave my head but not my creed)”.

“Guru Sahib’s ‘sees’ was carried by another associate Bhai Jiwan Singh (known as Jaita ji) to Guru Gobind Singh from Delhi to Sri Anandpur Sahib. On this occasion, let us all pay special tribute to the remarkable bravery and courage of Bhai Jaita ji. History will remember him whenever we speak of this tragic event,” he said.

Outlining the celebrations plans of the state government to mark this mega event, the Chief Minister said the elaborate arrangements were earlier made to commemorate this historic event. “However, the surge of Covid cases from April led us to defer the larger public programmes.”

He said he was happy that the Central government has also decided to observe this historic occasion in a befitting manner.

Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit described the martyrdom of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib as one of the most important turning points in the spiritual, religious and political history of India.

“Guru ji shines among the galaxy of great spiritual Gurus whose message continues to guide the humanity and remains universally relevant at all the times,” he said.

One of the key elements in the teachings of Guru Sahib has been the spirit of ‘sewa’ or selfless service, he said. “This is considered as one of the foremost pious duties that the mankind can perform enriching us with selflessness, humility and gratitude towards God.”

Assembly Speaker Rana K.P. Singh said the unprecedented sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur would ever inspire the mankind to imbibe the message of love, harmony and tolerance, thereby rising above the parochial consideration of caste, color, and creed.

In his keynote address, former Chief Justice of India, Justice J.S. Khehar emphasised the importance of ‘ardas’ in the Sikh way of life across the globe and said that “we all are blessed today to celebrate 400th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur to remember and contemplate on Guru Sahib”.

He cited the martyrdom of the fifth Sikh guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev, as the event that changed the course of the Sikh history and started the process of militarisation of the Sikhs who until then were a peaceful community.

“This background must be understood to understand the events that shaped the circumstances in Guru Tegh Bahadur ji’s life,” he said, recounting the life and events of Guru Sahib who didn’t bow before the then Mughal Emperor and instead chose martyrdom to ensure protection of religious rights of all.

Maharashtra

Mumbai 26 July 2005 Floods: When City Was Submerged With 944 mm Of Rain In 24 Hours Leaving 914 Dead, Thousands Displaced

Published

on

Every year, the monsoon season disrupts life across Indian cities with heavy rainfall, waterlogging and traffic chaos. But July 26, 2005, stands out as a day that etched itself into Mumbai’s history as one of its darkest and most devastating.

On that day, Mumbai received an unprecedented 944 mm of rain in just 24 hours, nearly half of its annual average. Between 8 am and 8 pm alone, 644 mm poured down. It remains the eighth-highest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded anywhere in the world. The city, unprepared for such intensity, was brought to a grinding halt.

Internet Flooded With Old Visuals, Still Haunting Mumbaikars

Several netizens took to social media to share haunting visuals from the 2005 Mumbai floods, recalling the day when the city came to a complete standstill. Many described it as an unforgettable chapter in Mumbai’s history, marked by chaos, resilience and unity.

While some reflected on the overwhelming scale of the disaster, others remembered how the crisis revealed the undying spirit of Mumbai, with strangers helping each other and communities coming together in the face of adversity.

Mumbai’s Lifeline Took Serious Hit, 52 Local Trains Damaged

As floodwaters rose, roads vanished beneath torrents of water. Local trains, the city’s lifeline, stopped completely, with tracks submerged and 52 trains damaged. Thousands were stranded in stations, schools and offices overnight. Low-lying areas like Dharavi and the Bandra-Kurla Complex were heavily inundated, while vehicles were swept away or immobilised.

The scale of disruption was staggering. Over 37,000 auto-rickshaws, 4,000 taxis, 900 BEST buses and 10,000 trucks and tempos were either damaged or rendered unusable. Even the skies were no refuge. For the first time ever, Mumbai’s airports shut down, with Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and the Juhu airstrip closed for more than 30 hours. More than 700 flights were cancelled or delayed, creating nationwide ripples in air traffic.

Over 900 Killed, Property Worth ₹5.5 Billion Destroyed

The economic loss was estimated at Rs 5.5 billion (around 100 million USD). But the cost in human lives and suffering was far greater. According to official reports, 914 people lost their lives, many due to drowning, electrocution and landslides. More than 14,000 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter, food or drinking water.

Communication networks also failed. Around 5 million mobile users and 2.3 million landline connections went dead for several hours, hampering emergency rescue operations. Emergency services were overwhelmed, as the city grappled with a disaster it had never imagined.

The 2005 floods served as a harsh wake-up call, exposing Mumbai’s vulnerability to extreme weather. In the years since, the government has worked on improving disaster preparedness, such as creating specialised disaster management units, upgrading early warning systems and installing floodgates and dewatering pumps at critical points.

Yet, even two decades later, as visuals from 2005 resurface each year, a haunting question persists: Is Mumbai truly prepared to face another flood of that magnitude?

Continue Reading

National News

Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh Slams PM Modi’s ‘Boasted Friendship’ With Donald Trump, Cites US Engagement With Pakistan

Published

on

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “much boasted friendship” with US President Donald Trump is now proving to be “hollow” and cited several overtures the latter recently made to Pakistan.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh also alleged that Indian diplomacy was failing in the light of the US partnering with Pakistan.

“The abject failure of Indian diplomacy, especially in the past two months, is revealed most tellingly by four facts. These expose the tall claims made by the Prime Minister and his drum-beaters and cheerleaders,” he said in his post.

Ramesh said that since May 10, 2025, Trump has claimed 25 times that “he personally intervened to stop Operation Sindoor, threatening India and Pakistan that if they didn’t bring the war to a halt, they would not have a trade agreement with the USA.” On June 10, 2025, he claimed, Gen Michael Kurilla, the head of the US Central Command, hailed Pakistan as a phenomenal partner of the US in countering terrorism.

On June 18, 2025, Trump held an unprecedented luncheon meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the White House, Ramesh noted.

“Two months earlier, Munir’s inflammatory, incendiary, and communally provocative remarks had provided the backdrop to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22, 2025,” he said.

Just yesterday, the Congress leader claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and thanked Pakistan for its partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability.

“The PM’s clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, has already cost India heavily. His much boasted friendship with President Trump is now proving to be hollow,” Ramesh said in his post.

Continue Reading

National News

Government Cracks Down on OTT Platforms Over Obscene Content

Published

on

New Delhi, July 25, 2025 — In a significant move targeting explicit digital content, the Government of India has taken steps to block several over-the-top (OTT) platforms accused of streaming obscene and vulgar material. Platforms such as ALTBalaji, ULLU, and a few others have come under the scanner for allegedly violating Indian content regulations and societal norms.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, acting on multiple complaints from citizens and civil society groups, initiated the ban after conducting an internal review. Authorities stated that certain shows and web series available on these platforms contained content that was “sexually explicit,” “vulgar,” and “not suitable for public viewing,” especially in households with children.

The decision has stirred a wider debate around content regulation and creative freedom in India’s rapidly growing digital entertainment sector. While officials maintain that the step was necessary to uphold decency standards and protect cultural values, critics warn of overreach and censorship.

A senior official said, “This is not about targeting creative freedom. This is about ensuring that OTT content does not cross legal and moral boundaries. There are clear guidelines, and platforms are expected to adhere to them.”

The platforms affected reportedly failed to comply with warnings issued earlier regarding their programming. Despite advisory notices and reminders to filter or restrict adult content, several web series continued to feature nudity, explicit scenes, and suggestive themes without proper age-gating or viewer discretion tools.

In recent years, OTT platforms have grown in popularity, especially among younger audiences, with many bypassing traditional film and TV regulations. The government had previously introduced a self-regulation framework for digital content providers, but critics say enforcement has been lax, leading to the current clampdown.

Some media rights advocates and artists expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the banning process and called for an independent review mechanism. Others, however, welcomed the move, stating that unchecked access to graphic content could have a detrimental effect on social behavior and minors.

As of now, the banned platforms remain inaccessible in India. The Ministry has hinted at further actions if other OTT providers do not align their content with the prescribed code of ethics and IT rules.

This development marks a turning point in India’s digital media regulation and sets the stage for possible stricter content monitoring across streaming platforms in the future.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending