In 58 posts with close to 100k words, we shared a lot in 2024! Explore 2024’s biggest geopolitical shifts, cultural battles, and bold insights with Drishtikone’s year in review. See you in 2025! Happy New Year! Be safe!
When you see Russia get into existential war over Ukraine, or Israel bomb Syria or India battle with Pakistan or Bangladesh, it is not because of some whim. It has a historical and geographical context. That is critical to understand for analyzing geopolitics.
Dive into the shadowy world of the Deep State—its hidden structures, powerful networks, and the far-reaching impact on global events and control.
Creativity is to access what one has gathered and use the information in ways that are refreshing and different from the norms followed around. Creativity increases when it is backed by diversity of ideas and people. More people, with not just different information, memories and cultural history but ways to dig through all that in ways which are new come together to give birth to innovative arts and even traditions.
Yo Yo Ma’s Silk-road ensemble has been one such venture.
But does creativity always benefit when it interacts with diversity? Even when diversity comes with exclusive ways and norms?
Diversity in itself is never a virtue. Its power and potency comes from the characteristics which are backed by inclusive ways which make diversity shareable. When exclusivity is the real character of players that create diversity, then destruction is the result. Not creativity or innovation.
When the interplay fosters sharing, respect and inclusion, only in such cases can creativity happen and innovation is witnessed. But when one component of the diverse set of players wants domination and has exclusive universalist ideas, everyone suffers.
And civilizational deserts are created insead.
“Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one who inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.” - Mark Twain
18th Division of the Japanese Army, backed by a power Naval force arrived at Port Blair on 23rd March 1942. It was being looked after by 300 Sikh militia commanded by 23 British officers. They offered no resistance and later re-enlisted with the Azad Hind Fauj of Netaji.
The British officers were sent to prisoners of war (PoW) camps in Singapore. The two people - Chief Commissioner Waterfall and Deputy Commissioner Major A. G. Bird along with other British civilian leaders were imprisoned in the same Andaman Cellular jail - which was known as the infamous Kaalapaani.
Indian National Army Colonel Bucho headed the command at the Andamans. Deputy Commissioner Major A. G. Bird, who had until then tortured the Indian freedom fighters in the most inhuman ways, was dealt with severely by Colonel Bucho. He was tortured and his arms and legs were twisted and broken and then he was beheaded by Colonel Bucho. As horrific as it looks, it was a befitting end to one of the monsters who put the Indian freedom fighters through living hell in that place.
A year and a half later, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose accompanied by Sarvashri Anand Mohan Sahay, Captain Rawat - ADC and Col. DS Raju, the personal physician of Netaji, landed in the Andaman islands at the Port Blair aerodrome on December 29th, 1943.
A day later - on December 30th, 1943 - the tricolor was first unfurled in Independent India. Netaji stood on Indian soil, free from the tyranny of the British, with the first flag of India flying high!
Netaji changed the name of the Andaman Island to Shaheed and Nicobar Island to Swaraj. India now had its first government of a free country and it was formed in its own land, with its own currency, civil code, and stamps.
Netaji later appointed INA General AD Loganathan as the governor of the Islands.
The remaining accounts say that although the new government was announced, the control was still in the hands of the Japanese. And the Japanese were torturing and killing the local population and even the people released from the Cellular jail. On January 30, 1944; 44 Indian civilians suspected of being spies were killed when they were shot at point-blank range.
Now, remember the historical accounts have come from the Allied forces and then carried by the Nehru government. So, until one gets accounts from a neutral source or the account also from the Japanese side, these stories need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
On December 30th, 2018, Indian PM Narendra Modi unfurled the tricolor to mark the 75th anniversary of the tricolor hoisting by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. In his book, “India’s biggest cover-up”, Anuj Dhar, a long time researcher of Netaji Subhash Bose discussed how the Indian government with agreement of Nehru and Gandhi had promised to hand over Netaji to the US and UK if he was found in India, as everyone knew that he was still alive. He was feared by the Nehru government always because of his popularity and the fact that Netaji and not Gandhi gave India its independence.
Please read the real story of India’s independence Drishtikone shared 4 years back, when no one had discussed it.
Utpal Dutt, the actor who played comedian in one of most memorable role in Hindi Cinema in Golmaal, was arrested on December 27, 1965 by the Government of West Bengal of Congress under the Preventive Detention Act.
India Today, Rajdeep Sardesai’s work place, has come out with results of a survey and found that people feel that not only is Narendra Modi India’s best PM choice. IN fact 78% feel that his performance was either ‘outstanding or good’.
From the more than 12,000 respondents, 66% believe Modi would be the best choice for the next term as well.
So why is this happening despite the negative narrative and spin being peddled by so many in the mainstream media (like Sardesai himself!)?
The answer lies in the PM Modi’s actions. What he has done for the people. The start to handling issues of migrants, due to the very devious ways of the Delhi and Maharashtra government done so unexpectedly, may not have been quick, but once the government did get onto these issues, they have alleviated the misery of many.
The money, the food and the work that has been shared with this vast populace cannot be dumbed down by silly, negative and devious narrative by the political parties.
China seems to have become the ground zero of all the terrible diseases in the world. As the world is still struggling from Coronavirus, we now have the news that two people have died due to Bubonic plague in a Chinese village.
Authorities in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region sealed off a village after a resident died of Bubonic plague, a centuries-old disease that caused a major outbreak in 2009. It is the second death due to the plague this week. The victim from Bayannur city died of multiple organ failure and was diagnosed as infected with the bubonic plague.
One is not sure if that has left the village or not, although the authorities say that they have closed the village. Well, so was the Wuhan city!
China seals off village after Bubonic plague death: Is ‘Black Death’ back? All you need to know - Authorities in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region sealed off a village after a resident died of Bubonic plague, a centuries-old disease that caused a major outbreak in 2009.
Follow this story of Bubonic plague closely. You never know.
Meanwhile, the pressure and actions from the world are having their impact on the Chinese companies. Huawei is running out of it’s smartphone chips due to US sanctions.
Yu said this year’s smartphone sales probably will be lower than 2019’s level of 240 million handsets but gave no details. The company didn’t immediately respond to questions Saturday.
Mumbai is going through one of the worst rains since 2015. And when the streets get water-logged, the biggest scare is of people falling into open man-holes. Many have perished that way in Mumbai rains. Here is a tweet showing a woman who kept standing for 5 hours in rain only to warn everyone of the man hole!
Amidst all the shenanigans and cowardice of the powerful and mighty, it’s good to know that some humanity still survives in Mumbai.
This lady apparently stood in the rain for five hours & warned commuters about an open manhole.
How often have you encountered such selfless acts of kindness?
https://t.co/ZNTPhcAxQy
The world is changing. Until now, we were told that over the years, the gig economy - where contracting was the way to go as opposed to being an employee. As we stand even that has come under severe pressure. So, a new reality has emerged.
The Hustle economy.
“We have nothing to sell besides physical touch.” The thought jarred Amber Briggle awake some nights. It kept her from eating in the first week of the Covid-19 shutdown when she lost six pounds…
If you have something to share with the world, the chances are that you will find many patrons. Or Patreons.
Tourism boost in Kashmir, Ladakh: A 600 km-long highway will be constructed along the border touching all picturesque tourist spots in the Kashmir Valley - all of them which can give a competition to Gulmarg in appeal and beauty. This Rs 8,000 crore road project that will connect Gulmarg with Kargil and Drass in Ladakh can make tourism as the hottest industry in the whole Jammu and Kashmir and Leh, Ladakh region! (Source)
Chinese Exports to India crash by 25%!: The boycott calls against Chinese goods is having its impact - and BIG TIME! The Chinese exports to India have crashed 25% in 2020 and trade with China is down 19%. Heck, China’s imports from India have gone up 6.7 percent since January this year to $11.09 billion! (Source)
First Tribal as CAG: When Girish Chandra Murmu took oath as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on Saturday, he became the first person from a tribal community to occupy the post in the institution’s 162-year history. President Ramnath Kovind administered the oath of office to Murmu in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (Source)
Resign or Hang!: Lebanon’s politics has taken a turn for the worst after the devastating blast. Protesters in Beirut occupied government ministries, set fires and faced off against security forces Saturday in an outpouring of anger directed at Lebanon’s leaders following the huge blast that ripped through the city earlier this week. (Source)
The world is beautiful because of its diversity and uniqueness. Even when the underlying primordial consciousness is one, the physical world is unique and different. The only culture in the world which has celebrated this diversity and not had the urge to bash every difference into submission to push for an equality is the Indian civilization. Support us celebrate it.
India has always been an abode of amazing beings. Some known and some unknown. Here is a very interesting video of a Himalayan yogi named Taatwaale Baba - who was also known as ageless Yogi. As you will see he was over 90 years but he looked like he was just 30 or so. He was highly regarded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as well.
The video also shares one discourse in Hindi which is not very clear. Thankfully, the English translation, a bit limited in its meaning has been attempted and if one is carefully looking, it shares a lot about what the Yogi wanted to share.
Please watch!
Tatwale Baba Himalayan Yogi - the only discourse with English Sub titles
From today, we will share a past edition so you can check it out and see if you missed something interesting. Every newsletter is packed with many pearls of insights. So, here is one where we discussed the whole fetish of destroying old, much wiser, intelligence and accomplished civilizations and societies by sheer force and then calling them backwards, when the reality was something else.
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