Seven photos that made an impact this week

Then and Now

The pic on the left is the original entrance of Jallianwala Bagh, from where General Dyer entered before ordering the massacre of civilians on April 13, 1919. It is a stark picture reminding of horror. The picture on the right is how it looks now after the Narendra Modi Govt renovated it in the name of “preservation” in 2021 (@ Joydas)

Flaunting caste

As the pictures show, people flaunt their caste. If people feel no inhibition in declaring and displaying their caste on personal cars, why oppose the caste census? There should be no fear in declaring the caste in the census form either because under the law personal details shared by individuals during the census cannot be made public. (@Profdilipmandal)

Oldest Greenland Shark

This is a 393-years old Greenland Shark that was located in the Arctic Ocean. It’s been wandering the ocean since 1627. It is the oldest living vertebrate known on the planet. Photo by Julius Nielsen.” The picture shared by (@ learnhistory) was apparently taken in 2016 but Nielsen himself has been quoted as saying that he can only guess it is more than 150 years old. Greenland sharks are however known to live for several centuries.

Half truths

The Telegraph front page on August 30, provoked by the omission of Nehru from a ICHR poster, pointed at the half-truths mouthed by PM Modi in Parliament. The TT report recalled Modi blaming Nehru for the Partition and the Nehru-Liaquat pact of 1950 while ignoring the very first sentence in the pact which pledged equal citizenship to minorities in both countries. (@soutweets)

Nation & nationalism

Developments in Afghanistan triggered memories of Tagore who had said, “Those who can’t love their country without shouting slogans, without addressing her as mother, without imagining her as goddess, are not actually devoted to the country. Their attraction is towards the intoxication of nationalism, not the nation herself.” (@BasuAshis)

Indians studying abroad

Citing advertisements in newspapers in Punjab, activist Ramandeep Mann says, ‘As many as 1.5 lakh students from Punjab alone move every year to foreign colleges. The emigration process costs around Rs 15 to 22 lakhs for the first year. In other words, Rs 27,000 Crore are going out of Punjab each year; and this will not stop till suitable job options are provided and farming models are overhauled. (@ramanmann1974)

Love in Hindu Dharma

Hindu Dharma = If you appreciate Gita Govinda, you will understand Bhagvad Gita; Hindutva = Ban Gita Govinda. Misread Bhagvad Gita. The Janmashtami festival and the burning of the Kamasutra by Bajrang Dal prompted this dig from author Devdutt Patnaik. (@devduttmyth)

(Compiled from Twitter)