Praful Bidwai on July 24th:
bq. The Anglo-American coalition is caught in what is rapidly turning into a quagmire. Every single political plan it devised for Iraq has come a cropper. Its first pro-consul, Lt Gen Jay Garner, had to quit within a month — in disgrace. His civilian successor Paul Bremer hasn’t had an iota of success in establishing a nominally viable government.
Iraq, July 31
bq. BAGHDAD, Iraq — After weeks of struggling to choose a leader, Iraq’s U.S.-picked interim government named its first president Wednesday — a Shiite Muslim from a party banned by Saddam Hussein.
As always, Praful is ahead of the curve.
[Sources: “Rediff”:http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/jun/24praful.htm, “Tri-Valley Herald”:http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10669~1543894,00.html]

In his book, “Butter Chicken in Ludhiana: Travels in Small Town India”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140250670/jksobservat-20 , Pankaj Mishra reaches Kottayam, Kerala, and meets Mrs. Book Review: PakistanRoy, an activitst, who tells him the following
bq. “I think white people are a curse on mankind. Wherever you look, they are busy causing destruction to something or the other. And they think themselves superior to everyone else! They are really awful!”
Book Review: PakistanRoy is Arundhati Roy’s mother.
This is from the book I am currently reading, “Where the Rain is Born: Writings About Kerala”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0143029193/jksobservat-20, Edited by Anita Nair.

Some news to cheer up during Independence Day. It seems the morons who hold candles at the border forgot something important — candles
bq. Parliamentarians Kuldip Nayyar and Raj Babbar were joined by 12 lawmakers from Pakistan to celebrate the 10th Midnight peace festival. They, however, forgot to take candles to the zero line from the venue of the function. One candle was hurriedly procured to light up the occasion.
[Source: “TOI”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=315137]

!https://varnam.org/images/vande.jpg!
Read this very “inspiring speech”:http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/aug/14prez.htm given by the President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He said something which was very important.
bq. Let us for a moment pause to reflect what it is that for which we would like to be remembered for by future generations. Will we be remembered for how many mosques our generation has added, will we be remembered for how many temples our generation has added or will we be remembered for how many gurudwaras our generation has added? No, not at all. We will be remembered only if we give to our younger generation a prosperous and safe India, resulting out of economic prosperity coupled with civilisational heritage.
Also read this article written by Arun Shourie, titled “Before the whining drowns it out, listen to the new India”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=315113
(Image Stolen from “Dancing with the Dogs”:http://www.madhoo.com)

bq. The massacre of innocent Indians at Jalianwala Bagh was commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald E. H. Dyer. Some 1,650 rounds were fired over 10-15 minutes: an estimated 379 protesters were killed and over 1,200 wounded. Sir Michael O’Dwyer, who was The Governor of the Punjab region, supported the massacre but it was condemned at an official inquiry in 1920. Dyer was forced to retire to Britain, but received praise from the House of Lords and a jewelled sword purchased by public subscription.
bq. On 13 March 1940, Sir Michael was one of a distinguished company at a joint meeting in the Tudor Hall, Caxton Hall, Westminster, of the East India Association and the Royal Central Asiatic Society. As the meeting was breaking up Udham Singh fired all 6 rounds of a .45 Smith & Wesson revolver into a group of people on the platform of whom O’Dwyer was a part. O’Dwyer was was hit twice in the back, and killed instantly. One bullet passing through his heart and right lung. Another bullet passed through both kidneys.
On July 31, 1940 Udham Singh was hanged to death.
[Source: “Stephen’s Study Room”:http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/udham_singh.htm]

bq. It was the evening of the 9th of August 1925; the number eight down train was passing near Kakori. Ramaprasad and his nine revolutionary followers pulled the chain and stopped it. They looted the money belonging to the government, deposited in the Guard’s carriage. Excepting that one passenger was killed by an accidental shot, there was no bloodshed.
bq. This extremely well planned dacoity jolted the government. After a month of detailed preliminary inquiries and elaborate preparations the government cast its net wide for the revolutionaries. Arrest warrants were issued not only against the ten participants but also against other leaders of the Hindusthan Republican Association. With the lone exception of Chandrashekhar Azad, all participants were caught.
On 19th December 1927, Ramprasad was hanged to death.
[Source: “Sarvadharma”:http://sarvadharma.org/Museum/heroes/bismil.htm]

bq. Dr Mahendra S Kanthi, son of former chief minister S R Kanthi, on Tuesday, announced his entry into politics with an intention to contest the next Assembly polls from Hungund, Bagalkot district.
bq. Professor of International Economics at the Saginaw Valley State University, USA, Kanthi is worried over the deteriorating economic situation of Hungund, represented by his father since Indian independence till 1969.
More heart burn for the Resident Non-Indians.
[Source: “TOI”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=314942]

One of the important freedom fighters during the 1857 freedom struggle was Mangal Pandey.
bq. Influenced by the example of his “compatriots in Behrampur”:https://varnam.org/archives/000189.html, Mangal Pandey refused to use the greased cartridges and broke into open mutiny on March 29, 1857, at Barrackpore near Calcutta and used his comrades to join him. Surrounding by guards and European Officers, he tried to commit suicide by shooting himself and was seriously wounded. He was court-martialled on April 6 and hanged at Barrackpore on April 8, 1857.
Director Ketan Mehta is making a film “1857 – The uprising”:http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20030411-0.html, in which Aamir Khan is playing Mangal Pandey
[Source: “Indian Post”:http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Alpha/M/MANGAL%20PANDEY]

bq. So moved was he by the sight of his flattened childhood school following a super cyclone that an Orissa expatriate decided to rebuild it entirely on his own.
bq. “Das did not take any help from the government and spent nearly about Rs.12 million on it,” said local block development officer Gouranga Chanran Mohanty.
Those Damn NRIs! What will likes of Praful Bidwai do now ?
[source: “Silicon India”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=314850]

India’s first struggle for Independence in 1857-1858, started as an uprising protesting against the cartridges given to the soldiers. These new cartridges which had to be rammed down the barrel of the gun were greased with tallow containing both cow’s fat and pig’s fat which were offensive to both Hindus and Muslims. The offending cartidges were withdrawn, but the existing ones became suspect, so did cooking oil and flour. In Meerut, the British Command court martialled eighty-five troops for refusing the suspect cartidges and humiliated them in front of the entire garrison. The next day, their comrades-in-arms rose as one to free them. They broke into the armory and started massacring the European Community. This lit the fire which spread across the Gagngetic plain.
Update: Vikas Kamat has some pictures of the “forgotten heroes”:http://www.kamat.com/vikas/blog.php?date=8/10/2003
[Adapted from India: A History]