Sunil Gavaskar's Raw Courage, Palestine Cartoons, Economic Disparities, Shrinking Space For Muslims, Hilsa Fish And Biye Barir Chicken Roast
Sunil Gavaskar used to be called the Little Master during his playing days and could face bouncers from dreaded fast bowlers like Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee and many others without flinching. During the communal riots in Mumbai in 1992-93 he showed his courage in a different way outside the cricket field. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the entire city was engulfed in flames of communal carnage.
One day the former India captain witnessed an act of violence against a hapless taxi driver and his family. The family belonging to the minority community was travelling along the road when their vehicle was stopped by a murderous mob. They beat up the driver and were preparing to lynch all the family members including children. Gavaskar was standing on the balcony of his building when he saw what was happening on the street below.
He shouted to his wife to inform the police and then rushed downstairs without any weapon in his hands except his raw courage. His wife not only told the police but also informed other residents of the building that her husband had gone out to save innocent lives. She asked them to also go and help out. A few of them showed the courage to follow Gavaskar’s example and rushed downstairs.
But Gavaskar was the first to arrive at the scene. He told the rioters: “Whatever you are thinking of doing to this man and his family, you must do it to me first. I will not step out of the way.” The violent mob knew who Gavaskar was. The Indian captain was too famous a personality to go unrecognised. Seeing the cricketer’s determination they hesitated. They could not muster the courage to fight with a world famous cricket player.
When a few other residents of the building also arrived and took their positions beside Gavaskar, the would-be murderers realised that things would not go their way. After venting their frustration by shouting abuse at the taxi driver and his family members, they melted away and left the scene.
— Sunil Gavaskar’s bravery against a lynch mob helped save lives of taxi driver and his family
When cartoonist Joe Sacco first published Palestine a little more than 30 years ago, most people were indifferent. The nonfiction graphic novel was part comic book, part memoir of his journeys through the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and nothing like it had ever really been published before.
Today, the acclaimed graphic novel is considered a trailblazing work, and as the war in Gaza continues to rage, the book is experiencing a resurgence. Demand is so high that the book is out of stock, prompting its publisher to take the rare step of ordering a rapid reprinting.
Gary Groth, president and co-founder of Fantagraphics, said the newfound interest in Palestine began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel. The attack unleashed an Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has so far killed more than 24,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza.
— An acclaimed graphic novel is seeing a resurgence, brought on by the war in Gaza
71 per cent of the world's population now live in countries where inequality has increased. […] income share of the top 1% in India has risen to its highest level since 1922, the earliest data that they have, when the country was still under British colonial rule.
While billionaire wealth has reached unprecedented levels, the World Bank estimates that 712 million people worldwide survive on less than $2.15 per day.
First, economic disparities are set to worsen both within and across countries. As technological advances like artificial intelligence reduce demand for human labor, working-class households around the world could become increasingly impoverished. Meanwhile, those who own the machines and run the largest corporations are expected to amass unprecedented power and wealth. The United States – home to nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line despite being one of the world's richest countries – provides a glimpse into this bleak future.
Second, extreme inequality poses a mortal threat to democracy, enabling billionaires and moneyed interests to influence elections, capture traditional and social media, and shape public perceptions. Regrettably, judging by social-media chatter and trolling, some of the strongest opposition to progressive taxation and redistributive policies comes from the poorer segments of society, largely owing to misinformation and manipulation.
The toxic combination of extreme inequality and AI-powered misinformation is also a factor fueling pressure on liberal democracies and the rise of authoritarian forces around the world. By enabling a few wealthy individuals to wield disproportionate influence, today's global economy increasingly marginalizes and disenfranchises much of the world's population.
— To preserve democracy, tax the rich (By Kaushik Basu)
A 'Heckler's Veto': No Legal Basis For Police Stopping A Muslim Man Praying With Friends & Family At His Godown In Uttar Pradesh
On 26 March 2023, a video of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal’s Meerut zone chief Rohan Saxena, where he was heard opposing the Taraweeh namaz held at Zakir Hussain’s property in the Lajpat Nagar area of Moradabad city in western Uttar Pradesh, went viral on Twitter.
“In the Lajpat Nagar near Rastogi inter college, there is a personal property of a man named Zakir, in which he called members of the Muslim community and established a new tradition by reading namaz. Locals and the workers of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal have together opposed this. We will not let any new tradition be established. We have maintained from the beginning that action should be taken against those who disrupt peace in the city. Not only in Lajpat Nagar, Moradabad or Uttar Pradesh, we will not let a new tradition be established in the whole country,” Saxena says in the video.
Taraweeh prayer is a special prayer Muslims perform in the month of Ramzan. After the “Isha” (Night) prayer, it can be performed at home, alone, in a congregation, or at a mosque.
Taraweeh prayers are not a new tradition.
They have been offered for 17 centuries and are especially meant for those not proficient in Arabic, said Rana Safvi, a writer with expertise in religious affairs. The reason Taraweeh prayers are offered together is that Muslims want to complete a full Quran during Ramzan. "One chapter a day is read by the imam, and the rest follow," said Safvi.
[…] Calling it a “heckler’s veto”, Supreme Court advocate Shahrukh Alam said, “Some years ago, they would have come up with an explanation for such an action. But now the very act of reading namaz even inside someone’s own house might provoke people. The very existence (of Muslims) is provoking people.”
On the “peace disruption” argument used in the notice, Alam said, “Why is this notice served to Zakir Hussain? Who will disrupt peace? The other party will disrupt peace. But even that responsibility is fixed on Hussain. It’s like saying ‘please don’t do something that will make the other person do something wrong’. Earlier, this responsibility of the wrong done by someone else was fixed on women that they have provoked the perpetrators by their clothes or by mere existence.”
“The blame of violence has shifted from the actual perpetrators to apparently those who cause them to do violence,” said Alam.
— Article14
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Biye Barir Chicken Roast
Chicken Roast is a popular dish featured during Eid al-Fitr in every Bengali home. Another name for this dish is “Biye Barir Chicken Roast” which loosely translates to chicken roast served at weddings. And that’s because it is the most sought after dish in every Bangladeshi wedding. Some families will even go as far as hiring skilled chefs who are to only focus on curating this particular dish during the wedding festivities.
Bangladeshi Chicken Roast is an amalgamation of two culinary giants — the royal Mughal cuisine and the indigenous Bengali cuisine. Mughal cuisine stems from Persio-Turkic culinary styles with large amounts of dry spices — saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, cashew, almonds, rose petals, orange blossoms and the list goes on. Bengali cuisine on the other hand uses fresh aromatics — green chilies, onions, ginger, garlic, and dairy based ingredients — ghee, malai, mawa, and yogurt. Chicken Roast is a rich culinary wonder fusing the best of the best from both cuisines.
— The Spice Odyssey
That’s all for this one.